Morning, July 10 - “Fellow citizens with the saints.”

Morning, July 10

Go To Evening Reading

“Fellow citizens with the saints.”

Ephesians 2:19

What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under heaven’s government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey. Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven’s honours. The glory which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus’ righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honours of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us. “Things present, or things to come,” all are ours. Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice over sinners that repent—prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesus’ feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too. Are they charmed with his smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do they look forward, waiting for his second advent? We also look and long for his appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.

Happy 230th Birthday to our Nation! from SafeGuardYourSoul.com

GOD OF ALL COMFORT

Drifting... watch this video

http://www.sermonspice.com/cart/?p=product&id=430

Directions For Gaining a Passion For Christ

Dead, Before Born... A true story

50 Fruits of Pride

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

This is just too amusing of a story to pass up.
 

 
Jack the cat chases black bear up tree
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060610/ap_on_fe_st/cat_scares_bear 
 

Rules of Evangelism

The owner of TheGreatNews.com network ministry, Darrel Rundus, shared these 11 Rules of Evangelism that are good to keep in mind when evangelising.

www.thegreatnews.com

Rules of Evangelism
 
1. Pray, pray and pray some more. He who prays and doesn’t witness is a hypocrite, but he who witnesses and doesn’t pray is a lunatic. The battle is won in the prayer room. Witnessing is about being obedient and going out to reap the spoils of your prayers. John 17:20, Acts 2:42, Romans 8:26, Romans 8:10, 2-Corinthians 13:9, Ephesians 6:18-19 & Phillipians 4:19 just to name a few.
 
2. The power is in the seed, not the sower. You can always count all the seeds in an apple but you can never count the apples in a seed. Everyone you share the gospel with, you lead to the Lord and they all make a decision. All you have to do is be a faithful farmer and sow the seeds of the gospel. God will do the rest. 1-Corinthians 3:6-8, Revelation 14:15
 
3. Don’t tell God how big your fear is tell your fear how big your God is! God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear of love, power and sound mind. Fear come from the enemy but God uses it so we will lean on Him and not on ourselves, others or even worse, the world. Remember the antidote to your fear is love for perfect love casts out all fear. 2-Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18, & 1-Corinthians 2:2-5
 
4. Submit to the Lord, resist the devil and he will flee from you. If you will obey the great commission, fight through your fears and sow the seed of the gospel, amazing things will start to happen in your relationship with Him. From the first or second word out of your mouth the fear will flee and you'll find yourself supernaturally supercharged by the power of the Holy Spirit. You may go out dragging your feet but you will come back clicking your heels! James 4:7, 1 peter 2:17 & Psalms 126:5-6
 
5.      Never get mad at the blind man! If you were sitting at a bus stop and a blind man came by and tripped over you, would you say, “You stupid blind man, watch you’re going!” Of course you wouldn’t say that. Most likely you’d say, “Oh I’m so sorry, are you OK?” “Let me help you up.” Remember those people we witness to are blind and cannot discern the things of the spirit because they are blind to them. Be patient kind, loving and gentle as you instruct and reprove them. 1-Corinthians 2:14, 1 Peter 3:15, 2-Timothy 4:2 & 2-Corithians 4:4
 
6.      Law to the Proud and grace to the Humble. Remember, God resists the proud but give grace to the humble. So ask question in order to ascertain if the person is proud or humble. Don’t just assume they are proud and hammer them with the Law when they may be humble, at the end of their rope and looking for hope. They made need the healer and not the hammer but the only way you’ll know is to ask questions and evaluate their answers. Remember, the Law is good if used lawfully. Psalms 19:7, Proverbs 3:34, John 8:7, Luke 18:18-20, Luke 10:25-29, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5, Galatians 3:24, 1-Timothy 1:8
 
7.      Always keep one eye on the cross. No matter what they say to get you off track, also remember the destination is the cross and God’s grace. It’s god’s kindness that leads us to repentance. When you take off for a flight the pilot files a flight plan. During the course of the flight they might make several adjustments but they never lose sight of the destination. So it is when we witness. Always keep you eyes and mind on the destination, not the distraction. 1-Corinthians 1:17-18, Romans 2:4, Romans 8:2 & Colossians 1:20
 
8.      Love for the Lord and Love for the Lost. Our motive for witnessing can never be any more or less than love. We always must be focused on our love for the one who loved us so much He laid His precious and perfect life down for us. Remember, perfect love casts out all fear. John 14:15, John 14:21, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 2:5, 1 John 5:3
 
9.      To be a complete Christian and to have a full understanding of all good things you have in Christ, you must actively share your faith. The act of the one (sowing seeds), will enhance all the others (Reading the word, prayer, compassion, fellowship, etc.). Daniel 12:3,  Proverb 11:30, Matthew 6:33, Acts 1:8 & Philemon 1:6
 
10.      You must remain humble in your walk, but bold in your witness. If Satan can’t stop you from sharing your faith he will try to make you proud that you’re doing it. The number one thing evangelists struggle with is pride. Do not fall prey to your pride but rest and trust in the Lord and let the Holy Spirit do the work. Psalms 25:9, Proverb 3:34, Acts 28:31, Matthew 5:16, Matthew 23:12, Luke 10:19-20, Ephesians 4:2, James 4:10 & 2 Corinthians 4:5
 
11.      Remember your place in the body. Evangelists are the feet of the body of Christ and while the body can survive without the feet but the feet can’t survive without the body. Always stay plugged into your church and maintain fellowship with other Christians. If you aren’t there to encourage and to equip the other saints to share their faith, than who will train them up? You are also no better of a Christian than someone who doesn’t share their faith. Are most righteous deeds are but filthy rags to God. Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 6:15 & Romans 10:15

Trial By Fire

Trial By Fire

by Ray Comfort

www.livingwaters.com

Peter thawed his cold hands by the warm fire. He said that he would never be ashamed of Jesus. But he was about to deny Him…to a maid. He was about to go through a fiery trial, and three times be found guilty of being ashamed of the one he called his Lord.

Peter made a number of mistakes that dark night. He slept while Jesus prayed (see Luke 22:45). He had missed his Gethsemane experience, and when the hour of temptation came upon him, in one sense he was still asleep. It would take the loud crowing of a rooster to waken him. He was supposed to be a follower of Jesus--a fisher of men, but he followed Him "afar off." Peter seated himself in the midst of the ungodly (see Luke 22:55) without any thought for their eternal well-being. He didn't want to rock the boat by casting out any nets.

Scripture tells us "a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire." She was sure that she had seen him with Jesus, but Peter adamantly said, "Woman, I do not know Him." Two more accusers, then two more denials. The accusations came out of the mouth of three witnesses. The trial by fire was over. He was three times guilty.

When he came to himself Peter went out and wept bitterly (see Luke 22:62). He had already lamented over his own sinfulness when he once fell at the feet of Jesus and said, "Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man." But this experience was different.

Peter's denial at first seems a mystery. He had unashamedly walked with Jesus of Nazareth for three years. He had even stayed by His side when he knew that the Jews sought to kill Him (see John 11:8). How then could Peter be afraid of a maid? He stepped out of the boat to walk on water. He had boldly taken his sword into his hand in defense of his Lord. He was no wimp. No, his fear was not simply because he belonged to Jesus. It was something deeper.

It would seem that it was the Roman cross that Peter feared. This instrument of punishment was no mere lethal injection. This was a torture stake. It was cruel and usual punishment. The Romans used the cross to execute lawbreakers as if it was going out of fashion. They had raised the crossbar of human suffering to a higher level.

The cross was meant to be something that caused fear. Its grizzly public display was a freeway billboard, designed to deter the busy traffic of crime. Peter, no doubt had seen men writhe like worms, as barbed Roman steel penetrated their tender flesh. He had seen soldiers dutifully hold down unwilling and grasping hands. He had heard the unforgettable thud of the hammer as it pushed cold nails through warm human flesh, releasing gushes of blood from hands and feet. He had been a silent witness as hardened men suddenly became screaming animals, horrified by the stark reality of their terrible plight. One look into their eyes was enough to terrorize the most callous of human hearts.

He had also watched the unspeakable torture as the cross was heartlessly dropped into the ground, ripping apart mortal flesh like a great beast viciously tearing its helpless prey. No. It wasn't the maid he feared. It was the terrifying threat of the Roman torture stake.

Perhaps you too once dropped to your knees at the feet of the Son of God and confessed your sins. You know what it is to lament over your wicked heart. Now you belong to Jesus…and you are not ashamed to confess Him before men.

Let me therefore ask you a few probing questions. It's a cold night. Come closer to the fire so that you can warm your hands. Come nearer to the light so that we can see your face. Let's see how cold you are. When did you last share your faith? I'm not asking if you have a "God is good" sticker on your car, or if you wear a "fish" badge. I'm not asking whether you are ashamed to say that you belong to Jesus. Of course you're not. I'm asking when you last shared the bloodied cross. When did you last preach Christ crucified? When did you last beg with a sinner to flee from God's wrath, and to shelter in the cross?

Perhaps you have been following Jesus, but you've dropped back just a little… because of the cross. Any mention of its bloodstained frame will mean that a sinful world will stop smiling at your walk with Jesus. It will instead begin to spit out its hatred. You are afraid of what the Apostle Paul called the "offence of the cross." Like Peter, you dread it because of the personal pain it would bring. The hymn-writer's "To the old rugged cross, I will ever be true. Its shame and reproach gladly bear" have been nothing but empty words.

Perhaps this is because you have been sleeping when you should have been praying. You have missed your Gethsemane experience. You are following Jesus "afar off." You have been sitting with the ungodly with no real concern for their eternal welfare.

Are you guilty of denying your Lord? Do you hear the crowing of conscience? Has its voice woken you? Perhaps you need to go somewhere and weep bitterly.

Use Good Gospel Tracts

What about the "What ifs?"

What about the "What ifs?"
- By Ray Comfort

LivingWaters.com

You are standing in a supermarket line. You have a tract ready for the
lady at the checkout. You've given out tracts at checkouts before. You
have it down. You simply say, "I have something for you that you may like
to read when you have a minute." Then you check out. You get away fast.
You have learned to conquer your fears.

But as you wait this time, you hear "Price check!" and your heart sinks.
You know that you will now be waiting in line for a few extra minutes. You
shake off any thoughts of impatience because you know that you shouldn't
have them.

As you stand in line, you hear a muffled male voice behind you. He isn't
so patient. Your heart skips a beat because there are now three or four
others standing in the line behind him. Oh dear. You feel a tinge of fear
grip you as you prepare to turn around and offer a million dollar bill
tract to the man. That's when the "What ifs" kick in. They begin with
"This isn't an ideal tract situation. You are not walking away from the
checkout. You are stuck in line. What if you give him a tract and he reads
it out loud? It's happened before as you walked away from a checkout, and
it made you smile as you heard "The million dollar question? Will you go
to Heaven?" You smiled because you were leaving. But what if this man
reads it while you are stuck in line? What if other people hear him?
Imagine the whole line of people looking at the back of your head as you
stood there, thinking, "Religious fanatic!"

Or what if he asks what it is that you gave him? Then what are you going
to say? Even if you are able to find the courage to mumble that it's a
gospel tract what if you have to speak loudly, and the people behind him
hear you?

Kirk and I were in our Way of the Master Radio studio recently when the
what ifs hit. Todd Friel (our co-host) said, "If you are not a Christian,
and you would like to talk to a dreamy Hollywood actor, call in. We would
love to hear from you."

We smiled as we waited for some sweet talking starry-eyed Growing Pains
fan to call in and hang onto every word Kirk said. A moment or so later we
heard, "We will have a commercial break, and then we will come back to Tim
from Connecticut."

Kirk and I looked at each other. This was no wide-eyed, infatuated female
fan. This was Tim from Connecticut! Connecticut is the home of Yale
University. What if Tim was an Einstein anti-Christian intellectual?
Having the gift of insight, I remembered that the word "intimidating"
contained the word "Tim." What if Tim hated Growing Pains, and what if he
especially hated Kirk?

A few minutes later Kirk was witnessing to Tim. He was a Roman Catholic,
and he was questioning the unbiblical practices of his church. What's
more, he was a soft-spoken, humble-hearted sincere seeker of truth.

What ifs are lies from the father of lies. They rarely materialize, but
they are the fertile soil in which paralyzing fear thrives.

A week or so earlier, Kirk and I were conducting a conference in a church
in Louisiana. As we walked into the lobby we saw a painting of a coliseum
in Rome. In the painting a huge crowd had packed into the massive stadium.
Huddled in the middle of the arena were about sixty people.

A closer examination revealed that they were made up of a few elderly men,
and the rest were women and children. Around them stood wooden crosses
upon which a dozen or so men were cruelly impaled. At the base of each
cross fires had been set to slowly burn those who were already enduring
the agony of crucifixion.

Their pain-filled deaths were no doubt slow enough to make sure that these
witnesses of Jesus of Nazareth were witnesses of a terrible horror. At the
edge of the arena stood a massive lion, and directly behind the hungry
beast, a ferocious tiger was entering the scene. The dying men were about
to observe the grizzly sight of their precious loved ones being torn limb
from limb, no doubt to the roar of a blood-thirsty and delighted mass of
spectators.

These men, women and children were martyrs, who chose death above
deliverance because they refused to renounce their faith in Jesus. They
were unashamed to bare His reproach. These precious brothers and sisters
in Christ make me feel ashamed of my shame. Their torn limbs, spilled
blood, and burned bodies stand as a stark testimony to my cowardice.

The word "martyr" and the word "witness" come from the same Greek word. I
am called to be a martyr for Christ as I stand there in that supermarket
line. But I am not called to die for Him. Not yet. I am simply called to
live for Him. I am to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
which is my reasonable service.

If fear begins to torment me in the supermarket line, I have to deal with
it. And I deal with it by thinking of the courageous martyrs in that
arena. I deal with it in the shadow of their agony. I deal with it by
considering my wretched fear of looking foolish in my comfortable life,
and their incredible courage in their terrible death. I deal with it by
thinking of the liberty that I have to walk out of that supermarket and go
home to my loved ones. I deal with it by thinking how pathetic I must look
to God, as He considers their honorable humility and my horrible pride.

And I deal with it by looking to Jesus, the author and the finisher of my
faith, who for the joy that was before Him, endured the agony of the
cross, for me.

Christ-centered Confessions & Declarations

POWER of LIFE & DEATH

Christ-centered Confessions & Declarations

"A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:20-21

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" - It is definitely biblical that the words we speak affect our lives in a big way. "Death and life" certainly are in the power of the tongue. But only the Almighty determines what is truly death and what is truly life. Modern deceivers have cleverly capitalized on this truth by leading people to confess such self-serving things as shown below. This is what they teach - that man is his own god and in control of his own destiny. Below is a sample motto prayer of the self-serving person who is using the LORD and the gospel as means of personal gain:

"I ______________ am a child of the King and as such am financially prosperous. Everything I lay my hands to is blessed and prospers abundantly. I am becoming a millionaire. People love me and are drawn to me. I _______________ am anointed to make money and have everything my heart can desire..... Money cometh......Jesus was a rich man and I can be also!!!....I _____________will have favor and success in all I do.....my faith will allow me to escape all trials....."

Friend, there is some truth in this confession but it is also laced with poisonous self-idolatry which was the sin of Lucifer who has become Satan - the eternal foe, forever cast away from the Almighty. Ever notice they never include anything about being cleansed of sin and iniquity, taking up the cross and being crucified with Christ? How convenient. Ever wonder why they conveniently leave such foundational Bible doctrines out of their teachings? Read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and 4:2-4 and you will see exactly why they purposely omit such necessary divine truth.

To seek to use God's Word divorced from a genuine relationship with Him, is to operate in unmitigated sorcery/witchcraft/divination, by using words to procure for ourselves things He has not necessarily set forth for us to have. It is the mantra of those who vainly believe they are their own little gods and are in control of their own destinies and universe. This is all done in the name of the LORD, which means those who do such use His holy name in vain and are therefore under His holy wrath.

Here's the test of whether this is true or false: Are there 2 or 3 Scriptural witnesses? Do we have record of any of the apostles of Jesus or Christ Himself saying anything remotely coinciding with such? The answer is a resounding "No".

Below is a sample confession that might be prayerfully spoken by the true disciple, who wants nothing more than to bring glory to His Master - Jesus. Since "death and life are in the power of the tongue", why not confess His Word like this?

"According to the command of God, I _______________ am this day crucified with Jesus Christ and His resurrection life teems within me. I am not my own but bought with the ultimate price of the precious blood of my LORD Jesus Christ and am today being conformed to His holy image as the Father has predestined. According to the grace given me of Christ, I _____________ will not seek to elevate but rather deny myself, take up my cross and follow my LORD Jesus Christ. My life is laid down and being spent in the worship of the one true God, which includes esteeming others above myself. As He enables, I will build up His beloved saints - feed His sheep - and communicate His Word in love to others that they might be found of Him. Every penny I have is from the LORD and I will joyfully use as much as possible for the furtherance of His eternal kingdom - I am a cheerful giver. I rejoice today to suffer shame and persecution for the holy name of Jesus Christ who bled and rose again for me. This is the day that the LORD has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it as I set my affections on things above and not on earthly things. This mind will think only on those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and of good report. Heavenly Father, into Thine hands I commend my spirit and beg You to breath Your life into me and live through me. I love you Jesus. As Christ enables by His holy grace, I _____________ will live this day in fervent expectancy of the soon return of the King of all kings and LORD of all lords who is eternally the blessed Creator and only holy Potentate (supreme Ruler) of all. Amen."

(feel free to print this out and use it as you wish - I printed it out and have it in my prayer closet ;)

Pass This On.

www.SafeGuardYourSoul.com

Million Dollar Bills - Tract Evangelism

This past weekend we had a great time taking these awesome Tracts from Living Waters Ministries and giving them to people every where we went. They look so real most everybody takes them.

Even our children can pass them out...

Go to Here to buy them.

This tract has the Gospel message written around the border on the back of the bill.

The million dollar question: Will you go to Heaven? Here's a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, or used God's name in vain? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Have you looked with lust? Will you be guilty on Judgment Day? If you have done those things God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. The Bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in Hell. That's not God's will. He sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross for you. Jesus took your punishment upon Himself -"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. Please, repent (turn from sin) today and trust in Jesus, and God will grant you everlasting life. Then read your Bible daily and obey it.

Evangelism Linebacker

Do you go Door-To Door and share your faith? You may want to think twice before you meet...