For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 John 3:16-17  
 
We have three places and three moments below that forever changed history. Meditate on them as you start your day and remember them as you go about your day. You will not be able stop yourself from praising the Lord for His love and provision. You will not be able to stop yourself from giving God glory for His grace and mercy.
 
1. Bethlehem- Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  It began in Bethlehem that God in the form of man born of a virgin had left the perfection and pureness of heaven and journeyed to earth to make known the good news of the Saviour and His glorious salvation.  A Saviour was sent.

2. Gethsemane- Jesus would have a time of prayer before a season of suffering.  Matthew 26:36 describes the scene, “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.”  Three times in Matthews account the Lord Jesus went off by Himself in the garden to pray.  The Lord Jesus knew He would have to suffer, bleed and die on the cross.  The heaviness of such a time could never be known by any of us.  How thankful we all should be for the obedience of Jesus in such a time. A season of suffering.

3. Calvary- The greatest victory of all time was won on the cross on that bloody hill.  From tragedy came triumph- From violence came victory. The death of Christ was sufficient in paying the debt of mankind for the price we all owe for our sins.  The sacrifice was sufficient and the words of Christ from the cross should ring in our hearts each and every day as a glorious reminder of what He has done for us, “It is finished.”   A sufficient sacrifice. 

Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,
Bro. Tracy

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
Psalm 119:160
 
Have you noticed how most things are no longer designed or built to last?  We seem to be a nation full of disposable appliances and products.  The appliances that once lasted decades are now finished after a year or two if that. When I was growing up we used a dehumidifier that my grandmother had given us.  It was old when we got It was built to last.  Now- I have lost track of how many new dehumidifiers she has bought since that relic finally bit the dust.  Let’s just say too many.

 May I say to you that there is something that endures- There is something that does not change- There is something that can be counted on- it’s the of Word of God.  The confidence that many has gained down thru the ages knowing that God’s Word endures and thus does not fade or change, could never be humanly measured.  It seems most want something that they can trust in and count on.  Many long for stability and substance in an ever changing world where the tide of time is ever beating and taking away the very ground they stand upon.  Too many Christians live defeated lives because their Bibles are not opened.  This should not be the case.

The reading of God’s Word will bring growth and maturity and don’t miss this- The by-product will be stability and confidence.  A life of meaning and endurance will be the outcome of being a student of God’s Word.  You can’t go wrong when you expose your heart, mind and eyes to that which is true and that which endures.  Your life will not be made up of that which is disposable, but from that which endures.

Let's Remember the heroes of our nation today.  Many have paid the ultimate price that has enable us to enjoy the countless freedoms we have at this very moment.  No apologies just appreciation.

Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,
Bro. Tracy

“James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.  My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
James 1:1-4
 
We often times believe those things which we encounter in our lives are more of a stumbling block than a building block.  We are quick to say out loud, I don’t have time for this today. I have deadlines and commitments and this is not an entry that I have made in my day planner.  We run from and complain about the very things that God wants to use to build patience.

Patience is built over the long haul of everyday circumstances.  Our Scripture today says, “The trying of your faith worketh patience.”  Friction and pressure are the key components used in building patience.  The word trying is speaking of “testing.”  We often hear of one who is being put to the test.  Biblically speaking, believers are being tested not to be torn down, but built up.

 
We must ask ourselves, why would we ever count numerous trials a joyful thing?  The answer is the outcome (If we will allow God) will be patience.  Paul wrote, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulations worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience hope” (Romans 5:3-4).  Did you catch what Paul wrote? “We glory in tribulations” The fruit of the outcome will be worth the friction that we have endured. We must approach everything through the eye lens of God’s Word or we will spend far more time in frustration and turmoil instead of being built up in the plan and purpose of God.  One would do well to lay self-down and allow God to have complete liberty to do what He chooses.

The Lord grows us and matures us and as we tarry in His Word, His truths will become a light and lamp in our lives.  This will lead us to recognize the purpose of divers temptations.  We will settle down into the Lord’s yoke and allow Him to build us.

Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,
Bro. Tracy
 

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is”
Psalm 63:1
 
We must be careful or our desire for God will be dulled by all of the things we have going on around us.  We have such wonderful technology today that allows us to communicate in the click of button to people all over the world. The Lord has brought many into my life who have been both a blessing and an encouragement to me since I started my twitter account.

 I am thankful for the opportunities that the Lord has provided me to preach His Word. I thoroughly enjoy writing for the website, but I must keep a close watch to not allow that which is meant to be a blessing to become the center of my life. When the cell phone, the computer or the work of the ministry begins to come before my time with the Lord those things will have to be put in their proper place immediately.  I recently came across these words, “What tragedy it would be if what you do for Jesus keeps you from Jesus."   Too many times we allow ourselves to be like the truck in the photo we become weighted down with information and the Lord seems to be left out.

Take some time to take stock of where the Lord and His Word are found in your life at this very moment. Get alone and quiet before the Lord and allow Him to search your heart. When our first desire is the Lord all of the other areas in our life will be found in their proper place. I am aiming at the heart of every believer not just those who are in the ministry.
 

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17
 
Faith comes by hearing the word of God.  Faith comes by reading the word of God.  You say that seems too simple and that my friend is what makes it so wonderful.  As we learn through Gods word of His strength and His power and His provisions and His promises we learn of Gods desire for us and that is that we would trust in His word.   Our faith will grow as we feed more and more on God’s word.

We cannot live off the faith of another, the experience must be our own and out of such an experience we will learn that the Lord is faithful.  Such an experience will bring growth during the times of storms.  The class room of faith is often held on the valley floor. I have learned more on the back forty than I have on the front porch.  Oswald Chambers once wrote, “Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict.”  Meditate for just a moment on the thought of faith as a personal possession.  I have had seasons of stretching when like an anchor Gods word has been my solace when all seemed to be falling apart.  God has shown Himself faithful and His precious word to be truthful. Those are both strengthening and sweet times.

The Lord Jesus asks many questions throughout the Gospels.   In the middle of a great tempest, He asked the disciples, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? (Matthew 8:23-27.)  Dear believer, what is your answer to this question?

Would you join me in praying for Pastor Matt Perrine his wife Mrs. Amy and their children in the official start of South Branch Baptist Church in Petersburg, West Virginia.  America needs the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let's Pray that the Lord will do a Mighty and Powerful work in the first Sunday of this precious and powerful work.

1.God Glorified!
2.Souls saved!
3.Saints stirred!

Check out their website to learn more-
southbranchbaptist.com

Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,

Bro. Tracy

Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
Psalm 119:111

When one desires a closeness with the Lord Jesus they will have a hunger and thirst for more and more of the Word of God.  I know what you might be asking, another blog about the Word of God? Yes!  And again Yes!  We live in a time where the thoughts and philosophies of men as well as the devices of Satan look to lead the redeemed in Christ away from the Word of God and towards the ways of the world. Friends, this is serious business. We are not playing games. We are in a battle!

 We need to be:

 1. Determined- Let’s get in the Word of God!

 2. Diligent-Let’s stay in the Word of God!

 3. Dogmatic- Let’s live in the Word of God!
 
Our present time that we live in is no different than the past days of man’s existence. There has always been truth and yes, there have always been lies and error.  We are blessed to have the entire sixty-six books of the Bible.  The Bible is a reservoir, an ocean, an endless supply of truth.  What an opportunity that we have each and every day to take in God Almighty’s truth. It is not the mere words of man. It is not pop psychology or the advice of a TV talk show host.  We have the pure, powerful and living Word of Truth of the living God.  It is God breathed and not man-made (II Timothy 3:16).  A.W. Tozer wrote, "A new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is...a book which is now speaking." Our thoughts and words should echo those of the psalmist in that God’s Word should be the rejoicing of our hearts.

Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,
Bro. Tracy

“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.  And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”
Mark 15:37-38
 
The significance of the veil being rent should never depart from either the heart or mind of each and every believer, every single day.   Just what was this veil?  The veil was the covering over the entrance of the Holy of Holies in the Temple.  Only the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies and this took place only on the Day of Atonement.  Not just any one could come to God, but that all changed when the Lord Jesus Christ came and made a path through His death on the cross.  Bible teacher, Warren Wiersbe writes, “The rending of the veil symbolized the wonderful truth that the way was now open to God.  There was no need of temples, priests, altars, or sacrifices.  Jesus had finished the work of salvation on the cross.”

Hebrews 4:14-16 is a powder keg of biblical truth that I hope shines a light on any questions one might have about the need of a mere human priest.  I pray that it will also be a reminder and encouragement of the blessedness of the believer’s position in Christ Jesus.  The Bible says, “Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, (Emphasizes mine) let us hold fast our profession .  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”  Amen!!

Dear believer, how often have you traveled the path that the Lord Jesus Christ blazed through His finished work on Calvary’s violent Hill? From such violence came victory; a victory like no other. The price was paid for the debt of sin owed by man.  The way was made for regeneration and sweet reconciliation between mankind and the Heavenly Father.  With reconciliation came the freedom of coming to God without there being any barrier.  Have you come in boldness (In confidence)?  It is time to claim that which is rightfully yours in Christ Jesus!  Come boldly. The Lord Jesus Christ has made the way.

Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,
Bro. Tracy

“My son if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.  If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our house with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.”
Proverbs 1:10-16

The way of a winner is not found on the path of the sinners.  With their words, they will entice you and with their actions, they will ensnare you and your life will be dramatically and horribly affected.  The devil is a liar and his schemes and dirty plans are meant to bring destruction and defeat.  No good has ever come from the promises of the devil.  The devil and sin can be likened to a movie set of an old western movie.  It looks real when in reality it is a farce.  It is not what it appears to be.

I pray that if there are any young people who are reading this, you will take serious the words from our Scripture today.  Every one of us has a decision to make every day- Will we follow the Word of God and His direction for our day or will we walk in the flesh and seek after our own way?  When we choose to obey and follow the commandments of the Lord, our lives will be built on bed rock and not a sand pile.  If you want to go the right way and if you want a life that is pleasing to the Lord, you will take note of three instructions that are like nuggets of gold in our passages today.
I. Consent not- The Bible says, “The wicked worketh a deceitful work” (Proverbs 11:18a).  Don’t be drawn in or fooled by their enticing words and ungodly plan. Destruction is their destiny.
2. Cast not- Don’t have any part in any plan of the wicked.  Remember, “He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour” (Proverbs 21:21).  There is no honor found with any plan of the wicked only heartache.
3. Walk not- We need to refrain our feet from the path of sinners-So we need to think before we take the first step.  Solomon wrote “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26). When we ponder our steps we will be sure to know what path to take.

These are the three actions, that if we will put them into action, we will be sure to counter the ungodly plans of the sinners. Be wise and follow the Lord and His directions and instructions for your life and you will know the winners way.

Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,
Bro. Tracy