religion

Behold, I am he whom ye seek: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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“Behold, I am he whom ye seek:  what is the cause wherefore ye are come?”

Who do you seek? 

Seeking Jesus, they were led to Peter, to  hear the Word.

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If the Lord sent seekers to you,  could you explain your faith? 

Lead them to Jesus?

1 Peter 3:15   
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

Are we ready?

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The promise of “whosoever”: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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The promise of “whosoever”.

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John 3:15-17
King James Version (KJV)
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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.”

An absolutely wonderful promise.  I have always loved that word, “whosoever”.  It means you and I and anyone, who accepts Him as Lord and Savior. 

We should not perish, but have eternal life.

Wonderful, except….(why “should”)?

Should:
used in auxiliary function to express what is probable or expected
(auxiliary:  adjective
: available to provide extra help, power, etc., when it is needed)  (Webster)

That should be, is a lot diferent from will be. Couple that with “might be saved”  and it should cause us to rethink what we know as truth.

John 3:16
The foundation of Evangelical belief.  (We act like it says will not perish and will be saved).

Does it mean what we have thought all this time?   That should and might, ought to make us realize that:

Jesus did the work, we can and should be saved from sin and death, but it is all up to us, to accept His sacrifice and walk in His Grace.   

It isn’t a given, what we (whosoever), do with that promise is the key.

Are you walking in the light? (The Spirit, the way,  the truth?  Have you put on His yoke?)

Are you living His new commandment?  Do we love one another?  Or just tolerate each other and their views?

If you look in your concordance for “whosoever”, we find most of the time it is used, it is speaking of those who sin, (miss the mark), do something they shouldn’t have.

Whosoever seems to usually end up dead.

What does this mean to me?  

We all have a shot at Salvation, it is available, it is promised, and it is a simple blessing to acquire.

We must learn to walk in it.  He died for us because He loves us.  We must love Him, by serving.

Colossians 4:5
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

Walking with Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Wide is the way and narrow is the gate…..that “should and might“….ought to make us think.

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We have the structure…(rituals, forms, traditions).  Do we allow the Spirit to lead?

Lord, help us to be open to Your guidance and love.  Help us to follow You through the narrow gate.

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Shared from the Isaiah 53:5 project

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KATHY RANT – http://wp.me/p39Q8G-3Ij

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Shared from the Isaiah 53:5 Project

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Do you really know the Lord? – http://wp.me/p39Q8G-3JL

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thy words be true: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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2 Samuel 7
“28 And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:”

At this time the Ark of God was still residing in a tent.  David had wanted to build the Lord a house.

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The Lord would not allow it, but He promised to build David an everlasting house. (family). 

Jesus was born from the family line of David.

In Davids prayer of praise and thanksgiving we find verse 28.  David acknowledges who and what God will do.

“You are God, Your words are true, You have promised me good things….because I am Your Servant.”

Gods words are true, He is God, He has given us many wonderful promises. 

How many do we realize?   Not as many as He promised. 

Why?

David was a true servant of the Lord.  A love slave, who knew how to sing, pray, praise, honor and obey the Lord.

We are promised so much in the Word.  From the peace that passes understanding to joy unspeakable, full of glory.

From healing the sick to raising the dead.  From being the head, to receiving a crown. 

Blessings here on earth now, to our homes in heaven.

All these promises are true.  Are we true Servants, (love slaves), of the Lord?

We must learn to yearn to be His, desire to be holy, spotless, perfect in our love, if not our lives. 

Our old man refuses to stay dead,  we sin, we miss the mark, we disappoint each other and ourselves.

As long as we take responsibility for our actions and ask forgiveness, He is Faithful and just to both Forgive and Forget.

We are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, as long as we remain under the covering of His blood.

Become a love slave.  Read, Meditate on all the Word of God.

Jesus freed us from the law, but not from the Blessings of Holiness, Trust, Obedience.

He didn’t relieve us the Blessings of Praise, Prayer or Fellowship with the the Lord.

He just made it more Personel, Easy, Fruitful.

Learn to sing the Word to the Lord, from the writings of Moses to John, there is plenty to sing, praise and pray.

Find the scriptures that speak to you today.  They are there for the Strength, Forgiveness, Hope, Direction, Comfort….whatever, whosoever (you and me), needs.

God is there.  His promises are true.  He has Goodness and Good things for those who are true Servants of His.

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Lord, help us to be love slaves of You.  Amen.

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But because the Lord loved you: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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Deuteronomy 7:8a
“But because the Lord loved you,” 

A simple truth.

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He sent His Son, not to condemn, but to save the world.

A simple truth.

We are called to share with a lost and dying world.

A simple truth.

Jesus and His love.

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Any Questions?

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And this I pray: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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I have wrtten about Epaphras before, but I believe we can learn alot by his example.

He is only mentioned 4 times, in the Word, 3 of which are in Colossians.  We find Paul singing his praise, so he must have had something on the ball.

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Continue reading →

LORD taketh pleasure in his people:

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Psalm: 149. 4.
“For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”

“The Lord taketh pleasure in His people:”

We don’t often think about the Lords pleasure, but being made in His image, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine.

Do we not take pleasure in our children?  Do they have to do something note worthy for us to delight in them?

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Not at all, seeing them joyful, carefree, excited gives us joy, knowing they are safe, healthy, happy.  

It is no different for God and His children.  Us.

Psalm 35:27
“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

Psalm 103:21
King James Version (KJV)
“Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”

Psalm 147:11
“The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”

The Lord loves us and wants us to prosper, not just financialy, Spiritualy, phycicaly, emotionaly…..in all areas of our lives.

It pleased Him to send His Son.  That we might be His.

Isaiah 53:10
“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”

His pleasure is us…He would have us all be His.

Ezekiel 18:23
“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

Ezekiel 18:32
“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”

God takes pleasure in us.  Are we full of His peace and joy?  Are we walking toward or with Him?

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Are we holding His hand, walking in the way we should go?  Give God pleasure, love Him, Praise Him, spend time with Him.

as many as touched him: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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“as many as touched him were made whole.”

This is the last line of Mark 6.  We know of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5, who pushed through the crowd to touch the hem of the garment of Jesus.

Virtue went out of Him, she was healed.  Here in Mark 6, we find a whole town that knew to touch the hem of His garment. 

As many as touched Him “were made whole.”

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        (We strut around, missing Gods best).

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And the people served the Lord: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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“And the people served the Lord “

I would love that to be what I was remembered for.  “Bill served the Lord.”  Wow,  if only that were accurate.  This would be closer to the truth:

“Bill desired to serve the Lord and sometimes did.”

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Judges 2:7
King James Version (KJV)
“And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.”

I have longed to see the great works of the Lord,  since before I found Him. 

As a matter of fact,  My prayer was that I wanted to know and serve a Lord of Power.   Not just of Words,  (hot air, empty prayers).

I am convinced that He brought me to Christian Retreat in Florida,  so I would see just that.   I lived,  worked and attended The Institute of Ministry and the Pastoral Training School.  

I worked there about 3 years.  Left there licenced and ordained to preach, teach,. . .   ready to marry and bury.   Did ok as an Evangelist,  failed as a Pastor.

Ran away from it,  (with my tail between my legs).  I still loved the Lord,  but had lost my hope and nerve.  

I didn’t understand how to work with His people.  To me they were Satans spawn.   They couldn’t be trusted,  relied on, or confided in.

That was wrong,  the problem was within me,  not them.   It took about 20 years in the desert for me to come around,  and realize the truth. 

Is it possible to understand why they served the Lord and then stopped?

“all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua”

Why stop then?  What happened? Are we experiencing the same problem today?   Few do the necessary work to know and  be used of the Lord.

“who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.”

The people who had experienced the Lord.
Isaiah 41:20
“That  they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.”

This is what we are missing today,  in our churches.  Very few have seen anything but a few healed souls, and we call that miracles.  When Jesus was in His home town all He could do was heal a few sick people.  Why?

Because of their unbelief.  They thought He was doing mighty things.  He couldn’t.  Same thing today, no earth shattering miracles, in the early  church people were healed by the Apostles shadows.  Raised from the dead.  

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Today our preaching puts more to sleep, then sets their faith on fire.  We have lost the Power of God.  Sorry folks we need todays Peter, Paul and James and John to rise out of our dead churches, and show us the way to the Holy of Holies, so we can find Grace and Mercy in our time of need.

Lord, help us to be usefull vessels of Your power and love.

Thank You.

I heard the Lord say: 12/20/14

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“This is your last Christmas “.

IT WASN’T. It is funny how you can be sure you have heard His voice, and have misunderstood, miss heard, don’t understand the time frame. Well I am not sure which I did, but I have lived through an other Christmas.

If you are Interested, this is the post that was supposed to follow my departure.

If you are reading this, that was a word from the Lord. As I write, It is now April of 2015, I feel alot better than I  did in December.  But I  woke up this morning  with the thought to get my house in order.

Today I tune a couple of pianos for Gail Ebron.  What a treasure she and Gene have been.  God fearing customers since I started in business, along with the Tunnels probably my most steady customers for 20 years.  Thank you.

I  do have a very small life insurance policy,  but I am afraid my trust is in God to take care of Bette and Celeste. I am sure He will do a better job without the help I’ve given Him the last 30 years.

My 2 girls have been my biggest blessing,  they have given me love and joy that I  have not deserved.  I am so proud of them both.  It is just God, that I ended up with such a wonderful family.

I failed  to be the miracle working man of God I desired to be.  I tried to Submit to God and Resist the Devil.  I wanted to be a useful vessel.  A man God could trust, rely on, depend on, to walk with Jesus.

Some days I almost am.  Others I am out in the puker brush doing my own thing.  God forgive me.  I ‘m not anything but a sinner saved by His Grace.

Work wise I have a few pianos I wish I had never seen.  Work that I failed, never should have attempted.   I gave every job my best, on some my lack of knowledge, experience led me down the garden path.  Thank God I  gained the knowledge and experience to see fewer of these each year.

Other than family, this blog has given me a reason to go on.  It has been a blessing to share whatever insights I’ve received from the Lord. I  pray it has caused some to get a little closer to our Saviour.

I may add more to this as time goes by.

12/16/15
Get your house in order….I have failed at that also. Will I die before Christmas? Some days I think so. Others I feel fine, till I don’t.

I need to finish getting the piano parts ready for Bette to sell, same with the train things. There is so much stuff I should throw away, before I go away.

More importantly, Celeste graduated from UNCW, with a gold cord…so proud, Lord, please bless her with work she enjoys and is financially satisfying.

Taylor is a good kid, bless them both please Lord. If they marry, may he be a better husband, father and provider then I have been.

I worry about Bette, lots of low sugars lately…Lord, please guide and protect her….Thank You for her, she is a blessing.

Lord, thank you for this blog and the people who have read, followed and liked my writing. I pray You have been Glorified as I have been satisfied. I do hope You have used it to touch hearts.

I look at this, (the blog), as all I have to leave my girls, and they don’t even read it. I had hoped a book would be the result of some posts…..lol.

Jesus, thanks for allowing me to teach your Word at FMUMC. I pray they walk closer to You because of what they have learned.

The choir has been a blessing also. Thanks.

Bless our extended families. I trust You will take care of my girls. I love You.
Blessings

ps
I am obviously alive, it doesn’t change my feelings of failure, regret, and satisfaction. Our lives don’t run in a straight line, we weave and bob, zig and zag.

We do our best to be the people we dream to be. Faithful, loving, selfless, forgiving, helpful, joyful, peaceful, Christ like.

Well, there’s always next year.
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Blessings to all. May the Lord, help us to see Him as we look at our reflections in the eyes of others. Change our hearts O Lord. . . .

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God is light: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

I used to live by a body of water that ran east to west.   It was the boat launch,  in Morehead City,  NC.  I would go there to pray,   I was there many early mornings or at dusk.

I began to recognize the line of light or darkness move across the water.   Gradually lighter or darker but progrssive lines of demarcation.  As I looked up you could see it in the clouds also.

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I mention this because the light or darkness within us is just as visible.   People can see whether we walk in the light. For example,  the world without Christ.

Isaiah 59:8-10
King James Version (KJV)
“The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.  Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.  We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.”

Most of the world is in that condition. There is no Judgement for their sin,  they do not travel on a straight path, there is no truth in them. They know no peace,  they don’t believe there is any. 

Their ways are desolate,  they are DEAD MEN WALKING. . .

This is not The Lords plan.  He would have all come to the light,  He sent His Son,  not to condemn the world,  but that through Him the world  might be saved.  Those who have paid attention and opened their hearts have recognized and excepted the light.

Isaiah 9:2
King James Version (KJV)
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”

Isaiah 2:5
“O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

Those who find the light,  are blessed beyond measure.  We all walked in darkness but now in the light.   Let your light so shine,  that God is Glorified,  Exalted,  Lifted Up,  Praised.

Our lives should draw others to the Lord.  If we walk in the light,  we will.

Psalm 89:15
“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.”

Jesus,  the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

John 8:12
“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.”

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Ephesians 5:8
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

1 John 1:7
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Thank You Lord,   may Your light shine through me.

There is hope, in the Lord. Don’t give up.

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                         Don’t give up hope, 
                            we can survive.  
                           Gods on our side.
                         MERRY  CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas to all:

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Merry Christmas from “theunfetteredpreacher”,  praying you have a wonderfull new year.   Blessings.

Study to shew thyself approved: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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As a Christian I have heard all the reasons for not reading the Old Testament.

It’s not relevant,  now that we have Jesus.

It’s too confusing,  why are their names so hard,  and the towns?

Continue reading →

Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?: The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

The world thinks no one.   The world is wrong.  We cannot hide,   The Lord sees and knows all.

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Psalm 139:8
“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

Jeremiah 23:24
King James Version (KJV)24  
“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.”

Isaiah 29:15
“Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”

The world believes they can hide their sin,  that what they do in secret,  is secret.   The Lord sees,  and He cares.  He loves all men,  and died that all might be saved.

He sends none to HELL,  WE SEND OURSELVES.   By ignoring His unspeakable gift. (His death on the cross and resurection). By not asking His forgiveness.

Isaiah 29:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
“And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”

The marvelous work,  is hid,  from the wise and prudent,  they cannot understand,  it is Spirituality discerned. They believe what they see,  and touch.

Not that which can see and touch them.   We must turn to God.

Psalm 107:18 
“Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.”

The refusal of the Lords gift,  draws them ever farther from God, the righteousness of God,  morality,  honesty,  integrity. 

Psalm 73:28 
“But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.”

Hebrews 10:22  
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

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We must ask Gods forgiveness for our secret sins,  He knows,  and if we continue,  they will be revealed.   When He forgives,  He forgets,  I wish I could forget also.

Lord,  help me to Submit to You and Resist the devil,  so he will flee.