Altar Sunday

I hope today as you approach the altar of the Lord, you will receive a new passion for Him that will carry-out into your everyday life.

The Measure of Love, Weighed by Obedience

"Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart." Psalm 119:34


Have you ever realized that maybe you are not as obedient to the Lord and His Word as you should be? Could this be a daily struggle for us or could it be purely by choice?

We have to be very mindful in our obedience to the Lord. Obedience doesn't come naturally, it comes from our love for Jesus and our desire to please and honor Him. 

Could we measure our love for Jesus by how obedient we are to His ENTIRE Word?

How much love would be weighed out?

Our desire to be obedient must be more than a desire, it must be an action. 

Obedience is not something that can be done in our own human flesh. It must be aided by the Holy Spirit.

I could be totally off, brethren but I believe the first place to start being obedient is in the Word of God. Because from there, we will learn every other area we are to obedient in. 

Also, we need to remember obedience is a command and not an option. God requires us to be obedient in EVERY area and not just the ones we want to be obedient in. 

If we struggle to be obedient in reading and spending time in the Word, then more than likely we lack obedience in a whole lot of other areas as well.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

Jesus forgive us for picking and choosing the things we want to obey and the things we don't. Help us to be more mindful. Amen

It's Time to Get Digging

"Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:2-5

How do you take this particular passage and apply it to your life? What exactly does Solomon mean when he says, "Tune your ears to wisdom?" 

Could it be he is saying tune your ears to the Word and voice of God by removing any and all noise that is drowning out His voice? Then once they are in tune with Him, listen as He speaks.

Then after you have tuned your ears to His voice alone, concentrate solely on understanding what Wisdom (Jesus) is saying. In other words focus on every word Wisdom speaks.

To make sure you get the importance of all this, Solomon goes on to say. Cry out for insight, like a baby cries out for milk. Then ask for understanding, because you can't fully understand on your own. You have to have the help of the Holy Spirit.

Solomon then goes on to say, if you are really serious, which you should be, then you need to go beyond the tuning in and the asking. You need to search for insight and understanding like you would silver, actually seek for them like you would for a lost treasure. 

Because once you find that treasure, that rare and precious treasure, and you open it up, you will then gain understanding of what it means to fear the Lord. Plus you will gain a deeper knowledge of God. That type of treasure is priceless.

And I want it. I want to grab my shovel and the map of God's Word and search for more and more of His hidden treasure every day.

It's time to get digging; there is a lot of buried treasure waiting to be claimed.

Jesus thank You for giving us every tool we need to search and find the treasures that lie in Your Word. No matter how deep the treasure lies, we will dig and dig, because we know once it is found a new discovery of You is made. Amen

He Answers

"I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me" Psalm 120:1

Merciful Lord we need You. We need You to intervene in our marriages, our jobs and our relationships. We need Your comfort, Your protection, Your healing.

Jesus we are desperate for You.

Open our ears to hear as You answer. Open our eyes to see Your presence. We so often feel as though You are absent in the midst of our anguish and suffering, but You aren't. You are present at all times.

Thank You for never leaving our side. Turn our eyes and ears towards You. We want to hear from You Jesus. Amen

Simple Question. Simple Challenge

How would you describe Christians today?

Now find someone who isn't a believer and ask them.

Do we need to do some re-evaluating of the Church body and even ourselves, or are we being a reflection of a true CHRISTian?

Jesus help us to be a living example and reflection of You. Remind us that when we become a Christian we are taking Your name upon us. And it is that name, Your name we are to reflect and represent. Amen

Fear or Fool

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7


Where do you fit in, in this passage? Do you fear the Lord or are you a fool who despises wisdom and discipline?


Do you know the type of fear He is referring to? It is not the run and hide fear, but fear that results in honor and respect, that is the beginning of knowledge.


It is the fear that leaves you in awe of His power and majesty that leads to knowledge.


Do you honor and respect the Lord for His power and holiness or do you despise the wisdom and discipline He offers?


Jesus help us to fear You more. Amen

Expectations

"The hopes of the godly results in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked are all in vain." Proverbs 10:28

It's this thing called "expectation" that can set your heart up for failure. It can even rob you of your joy.

We "expect" things in our jobs, marriages, friendships, relationships, homes, even with our children. What about our "expectation" when it comes to Jesus.

Do we "expect" something from the Lord? Do we "expect" Him to give us things, to get us "out" of things, to heal us? 

What is it that we "expect"?

Do we even know what "expect" means?  Better yet, do we even know what we expect?

It means to regard (something) as likely to happen or to regard (someone) as likely to do or be something.

The Bible's definition-to consider probable or certain; hope; assurance

Is it right or wrong to expect? It depends.

James describes it best. “If you need wisdom-if you want to know what God wants you to do-ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.”  James 1:5-8

When we expect selfish things-Wrong

When we expect the Lord’s will-Right

When we expect with a doubtful heart-Wrong

When we expect with a trusting heart-Right

How often are our expectation of people, things, and the Lord selfish?

Do our expectations align with Christ’s expectations?

Jesus examine my expectations, test them under Your search light. Reveal to me any selfishness that is within them.  Align my expectations with Yours. In Jesus name amen

Altar Sunday

Today is not just another day. Today the tomb is empty and Christ has risen! He is alive! That's worth flooding the altar for.

What have you done for Him?

Whether you wait for holidays to attend Church or you go everyday. Just know that Jesus invests in you at all times. Not a second passes in your life that He does not know about.

His love for you extends way beyond what you could ever fathom.

He laid His life down for you! He took your sins upon Himself.

He overcame death for you!

What have you done for Him?

The Great Commission

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

How do you celebrate the weekend Christ arose?

Do you go and share this wonderful story with as many as you can?

Jesus' last words to His disciples was the Great Commission. He commanded them to go and spread the Good News. We are commanded to the same thing.

This weekend is a great time to start spreading the Good News.

Jesus is alive!

Hope Beyond the Grave

The open wounds in His skin

His disfigured face and swollen eyes

The weakness in His body

The thorns in His head

The nails that pierce His hands and feet

The blood that flows...

The men, they laugh, spit, mock, and thrust Him upward as though it was every day business. They have not a clue.

We have not a clue.

The pain He endures as He hangs there.

The blood that flows...

The separation

 His final hour approaches, as the skies begin to darken, and the clouds roll in, bringing heavy winds.

And He knows...

This pain, suffering, and weight of every sin have been placed upon Him.

And He mutters, "It is finished!"

His last breath is taken.

The earth shakes, the curtain tears in two. His side is punctured...

And the blood flows.

Wrapped in white linen He was placed in a tomb

 But on the third day...

He was raised from the dead.

"After three days I will be raised from the dead."  Matthew 27:63

All for you and all for me!

"For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!" 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

It's more than bunnies and eggs.

"Because God's children are human beings-made of flesh and blood-Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."  Hebrews 2:14-15

It's more than bunny rabbits and Easter eggs. It's more than putting on your best dress and heading to church.

It's about Him and what He did.

Do you know what He did? Do your children know?

Do you know why He did it?

Take a peek in the mirror; do you see that person staring back at you? That's who He did it for.

You and Me!

He died, was buried, and ROSE AGAIN!

That is what Jesus did.

Life Everlasting! Love Everlasting!

Now and forever.

Thank You Jesus for Your Death, Burial, and Resurrection. Thank You that You did all for us, for me. May we teach our children what this time of year is really about. Forgive us for making it something it is not. Amen

Conscious Effort

“I called you so often, but you didn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered.” Proverbs 1:24

This thought of not spending time with Jesus freaks me out! Yet so does the thought of spending time with Him out of habit or because I should, rather than because I desire to, need to, want to, have to.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone yet you weren't really "in" the conversation. Meaning they were talking and you acted like you were listening but your mind was somewhere else. Then when they stop and look at you waiting for a response, you don't know what to say because you have no clue what they just said.

Have you ever done that? 

How often do we do that with the Lord? We get in the Word, yet our minds are elsewhere. Or we attend church and the whole time we are thinking about other things rather than the message Christ is speaking to us.

This bothers me a great deal. Jesus has said many times that you are to love ME with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

How can I be giving Him all of myself, if I am distracted in my thought life?

This should sadden us more. It should move us to be in prayer more. It should motivate us to store His Word more.

It should cause us to be a lot more conscientious when we are spending time with Him.  Jesus has something to say to us, teach us, and show us. He wants to draw us closer to His holiness every day. He wants to share His heart with us.

Why would we want to miss out on that?

This bothers me that I have missed out on really listening to what my Father has to say and share, because my thoughts are elsewhere.

I can’t draw closer to Him, if I am not listening and engaging in our conversation. And if I don’t listen how can I obey Him and become more like Him.

These two they really do go hand in hand.

“My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. “Proverbs 2:1-2

Conscious effort that is what is required.

Jesus forgive me for not being fully engaged in the time we spend together. You deserve better, and I want better, for the both of us. Amen

He never tires out or sleeps

"He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you!" Psalm 121:3-5


Isn't it reassuring to know that the Lord never tires out or sleeps?

When you feel weary and tired, be assured that Jesus is not. So when you close your eyes to rest, know that Jesus is watching over you.

Thank You Jesus for watching over us and for never growing tired. It is so encouraging to know that You are watching over us at all times. Thank You! Amen

Altar Sunday

When you realize coming to the altar doesn't just mean the church altar. Nor do you have to wait for Sunday.

God's altar is available everyday all day.

Are you using it?

The Constant One

"Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Bible studies, babies, sickness, conferences, packing, moving, goodbyes, family, friends, last minute details, jitters, and staying on my face. These are all the things that have taken place within a two week period. 

To say the least, things have been a little overwhelming around the Morgan household. But can I just tell you the one thing that has been constant?

JESUS!

How in the world do people do it without Him? How in the world can anyone go through an entire day without Him?

Brethren I cannot breathe, function, or think without Jesus. He has been the only constant thing in my life. No matter how many changes occur in this life, I am always guaranteed one thing-Jesus will always be there.

Have you ever just needed something so badly, like a drink, food, rest, warmth or breath that you would die without it? That is how much I need Jesus on a second by second basis.

What about you? Has life been a little hectic for you lately? If so, may I encourage you today by telling you, Jesus is present, available, and will always be constant within you?

Jesus thank You for never leaving me. Thank You for being the most constant, sure thing in my life. I honestly could not do this without You, nor would I want to. Thank You. I trust You, I find comfort in You, and I praise You for Your continual presence in my life. Amen

Preparation

"The LORD said to Moses, 'Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present to me by fire on the altar are my food, and they are very pleasing to me. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions." Numbers 28:1-2

How do you prepare your heart for worship?

How do you prepare yourself to spend time with Jesus?

Do you prepare or just jump in? Is there a right or wrong way?

Can you come before the Lord if you are harboring sin?

Is confessing a part of your preparation?

"If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened." Psalm 66:18

Just maybe the days leading up to Sunday are our days to prepare our hearts for worship. What kind of offering are you presenting to the Lord?

Women's Conference

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

This Friday March 30 and Saturday March 31 we will be holding our Women's Conference at First Baptist Jasper.

The Focus will be on Overcoming the "ME"

We have spent many months preparing and praying. Our biggest prayer is that God will show up in a HUGE way and change our hearts, thoughts and lives.

Please be in prayer if you will. We are expecting big things from Jesus!

It begins Friday @ 6:30. You can register at the door. It is 15 dollars and aide is available. It is our honor so don't hesitate to let us know.

For more information please contact Sue Gee at thegees@joshua2415.org or by phone at 409-489-6485.

We look forward to worshiping with you.

Altar Sunday

Maybe today you know of someone who could use some time at the altar. Maybe they are unable to go themselves, or stay back due to fear. Maybe they have no clue about the altar.

Whatever the reason might be, today you are able to go to the altar for them. Would you do that? Would you intercede in prayer for someone who needs it?

"Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." Ephesians 6:18

Overwhelming

Because you are loved. 

Not for any other reason than because He knows the best for you comes at a cost.

His cost.

His love is overwhelming.