Dear believer, contentment will never be found in this world. Everything has an expiration date on it. Everything is fleeting and is as a hand full of smoke which we cannot hold on to. I am well aware of the constant pull and tug of the world. But my friend it is called fools gold for a reason and so it is with those things that constantly seem to be vying for our hearts and our attention. The foolishness of sin and folly is a lie and a tool that the devil has been using over and over again. Don't take the bait and don't fall for the lie. Remember, we are, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Live victoriously today being found knee deep in the scripture and neck deep in your love for the Saviour. Be different in a world that is indifferent towards our Saviour. Make a mark in this world with the time God has given you for His glory and for the good of those who God brings across your path.
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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 Charles Spurgeon once wrote these words in reference to the word of God, “It is God’s voice, not man’s; the words are God’s: the words of the Eternal, the Invisible, the Almighty, the Jehovah of ages. The Bible is God’s Bible: and when I see it, I seem to hear a voice springing up from it, I am the book of God. Man read me. I am God’s writing. Study my page, for I was penned by God. Love me, for He is my Author, and you will see Him visible and manifest everywhere.” That is a mouth full that speaks so wonderfully in regard to the Word of God. Often the validity of the Bible is under attack and the source of the scriptures is doubted, but don’t let the doubts of men erode the foundation of truth. Psalm 119:89 would be a powerful verse to place in your mind and to let fill your heart, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” A solid foundation is only as strong as the materials that it consists of. With God’s word as your foundation you will surely stand strong in face of fear and in the days that we live in when so many are so foolishly turning away from the Bible. The Word of God leads to the Saviour, it soothes the brokenhearted and settles the saints when all seems to be in disaray. Continue in the Word in these perilous times that we are in. Joy, true joy, does not come from the temporary offerings, pleasures and comforts that this world has to offer. Let’s not look to the world for the basis of our joy. Let’s fix our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoice in Him and His Word. Joy will be found in the Lord and the promises found in His word. Remember- Everything about this world has an expiration date. The Bible says, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever" (Isaiah 40:8). That is your foundation, that is your basis and that is the very fiber of your heavenly joy during this, your earthly journey...The Word of God endures and our Saviour does not change "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). That is true joy that will see you through the day. Imagine in the house of the righteous that there is a treasure chest and in that glorious chest there is the treasure or the wealth that rightfully belongs to the child of the Living God. I. There are the riches of the forgiveness of sin- “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1.) “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7.) II. There are the riches of- “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19.) III. There are the riches of the whole armour of God- “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17.) There is that which appears to be gold, but it shines even brighter- IV. They are the promises of the Lord Jesus- “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25) “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12.) “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”(John 10:11.) V. It is the golden treasure of grace- “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9.) Hey believer! You have such a treasure chest! It is your Bible and these few nuggets of bounty aren’t even a drop in the bucket when one considers the depth and width of the word of God. Open it up and discover the treasure that awaits you. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1 I am amazed at how often many of our visitor go to this blog in our archives. I am re-posting it for any of our new visitors. Please listen because I am bringing you a warning! I am pulling the rope that sounds the bell of warning. I am holding a sign that says danger ahead. The devil is a liar and the flesh cannot be trusted. To some of you this will be a reminder of what you have heard perhaps many times. To others it might be a wake up call from God’s word. It is the constant moving of water over the rocks in a stream that gives the rocks their shape. And so it is with Christians (I’m aiming for those of you who aren’t saved as well) when God’s word and principles are poured over and into the heart and minds it will shape us, it will strengthen us, it will steer us and in doing so we will be spared from those things that will sabotage our lives and our walk with the Lord. Alcohol is a great lie. Our Verse tells us, “Whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” What good has ever come from alcohol? How many marriages have been ruined by alcohol? How many lives have been cut short by alcohol? How many choices have been influenced by alcohol that led to horrific consequences in the life and the lives of the one who took the first drink? The number is too great to count. The advertisers and the ad executives are nothing more than the pawns of Satan. Many have become wealthy at the great cost of many lives. Many speak of drinking in moderation. You might as well go skiing with one ski because you are already on a slippery slope. Young people don’t believe the lie. Adults don’t start now. I challenge you to read Proverbs 23:19-35 and allow God to speak to you in His great truth about the great lie of alcohol. What a day it was on Sunday! My wife went to church with her mom and dad as part of her Father's Day tradition. I drove over 150 miles round trip to Weston Baptist Church where I sang a special and preached (Thank you for your prayers! God met with us! Amen! and Amen!). My dad was out of state so we spent the afternoon at my in laws where we cooked out and visited.
We were at our home church Sunday evening and God blessed us in a powerful way! They increased our monthly support and presented us with a new computer and projector so that we can share a Call to the World Ministries and the burden that God has placed in my heart for the preaching of His word, as well as the encouraging of saints and for the reaching of lost with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through the website! Glory to God, what a day it was! We are thankful for our Pastor Darren McDonald, Assistant Pastor John Pierce and our church family from Providence Baptist for their heart to invest in God's work. I want to thank you again for your prayers for our ministry! Through the preaching at many rural Baptist Churches we are seeing the altars used, the saints stirred, comforted and challenged. Many have commented, "The preaching of the truth is what is needed" We have seen a big increase in the number of people who are visiting the website and we continue to see God's hand upon the blogs through the comments that we are receiving. We also continue to see God move in a powerful way through our Prayer Requests Page. God is answering those prayers! Glory to God! I cannot and will not take any credit for any of this! To God be the Glory! It is His website and it is His direction and guidance that I seek for everything that is preached and everything that is written. It is God's- I am just the messenger. I look forward to all that God has planned and I am excited about what will be next! Remember, "For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10.) Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying! Bro. Tracy Imagine yourself in the middle of the desert with the scorching sun relentlessly beating down upon you. With each step that you take the wind is whipping the sand against your face like little daggers that are hitting their target. The thirst that you have is like nothing you have ever endured in your life. Your legs grow heavier with each step that you take. With each passing moment you are retreating deeper and deeper into a soul breaking thirst. Hopeless and helpless you are on the verge of giving up. Now- imagine if at the beginning of your journey someone had stopped you and took the time to show a map that gave you specific directions that if you followed them would show you every water hole along your journey. Cold flowing water could be yours. The man not only gives you good directions, but when he is done he places the map in your back pack. All you would've had to do was take your map out and follow the plainly written instructions.
What I have just described is far too often the life of the born again. They have God's Word, but just as the explorer who left the directions in their back pack they to never get it out. They never open it up and draw from it's deep well of truth and satisfaction. Isaiah 58:11 says. "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not." Did you catch that? It does not say you will be taken out of the drought, but that your soul will be satisfied in the drought. My friend that has hallelujah written all over it! It's high time to get the Word of God out and plumb it's depths for the soul satisfying directions and commandments. We have an opportunity to be a part of the upcoming youth conference at Woodlawn Baptist Church. And you might be saying, "I won't be anywhere near Bowie, Maryland or Woodlawn Baptist Church" That maybe true, but there is no distance to great that prayer cannot be effective. Let's pray that God will do a powerful work to the saving of many souls and reaching the youth in a life changing way. Let's pray for an unction and anointing from on high upon Pastor William Tyson, Bro. Tom Fenwick and Bro. Kenny Baldwin as they preach the Word of the Living God. Let's pray while believing and believe while praying!
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