WAHT DOES GOD EXPECT OUT OF ME?

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OUT OF ME?

Video sermon links of "What Does God expect out of me?"

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 1

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 2

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 3

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 4

WRITTEN MESSAGE

“LET US HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN”

(ECCLESIASTES 12:13)

What does God expect of us?  The words “trust” and “belief” are the answer to that question.  The words often translated into “belief” occur over 220 times in the New Testament alone.  The meaning of belief is “to put one’s faith in and to trust.”  Belief and trust are verbs - something you do, not something you think or feel.

Fear can mean many things to many people.  In Ecclesiastes to “fear God” can have the meaning of  “reverence” and “respect”.  This means to value and believe what God says.  It is obvious that “keeping His commandments” means to keep His commandments.  When our Lord and Savior, Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment, He replied.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  ( Matthew 22:37-38).  That leads us to the question on “How do we love God?”.  We can love Him the same way we love others, and that is through “trust” and “belief”. 

When Jesus was asked this question:  “What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them:  This is the work of God, that you believe on Him, who God has sent.”  (John 6:28-29).  This is our daily work, the work that God has asked you to do - to trust in the Lord Jesus to help you make it through each day.  When you can do this you will receive results from your prayer and in turn receive joy in your Christian life.  There is no joy without trust.

Can you see yourself through the eyes of God?  You can if you read His Word.  “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”  (Romans 8:32).  If God didn’t withhold His very own Son that He gave on the Cross for you and me, then will God withhold anything else we need?  The answer is no.  If trust must be earned, God has earned that trust through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is thanksgiving that shapes a theology of trust.  The Bible is a book of memories recounting the results of many different groups of people and individuals who put their trust in God.  God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors.  At the Last Supper, the Lord Jesus Christ asks us to remember by giving thanks.  “And He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them saying: This is my body which is given for you: This do in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22 19).  If Christ gave thanks for His broken body and shed blood, we can show our trust in Him, by thanking Him during difficult times of our lives.  We can trust that even in suffering and pain, He will allow us to have a resurrection.   “Behold I make all things new....”  (Revelation 21: 5).  Even though God never changes, He can change all things, and that includes working miracles in our lives when necessary.

Another meaning for the word “fear”, is failure to believe.  If saving faith is trusting, then the opposite of faith is not just doubt, but fear.  A failure to be thankful and trust is a failure to believe.  A lack of being thankful and a lack of trusting is both doubt and fearing that God will fail.  Fear and doubt are the ideas that God’s love ends.  Fear and doubt believes that  there is not going to be enough love and miracles for you because you have failed so many times.

There is a desire the Holy Spirit puts into God’s children, and that desire is to please our Heavenly Father.  There is no mystery into pleasing our Heavenly Father.  It is a simple word called “faith”.  We have already described “faith” with the synonyms of “trust” and “belief”.  There is a whole chapter in the Bible dedicated to examples of faith.  One verse in Chapter 11 of Hebrews summarizes the importance of these words.  “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards them that diligently seek Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6). 

What does God expect from you?  He expects you to believe in Him and in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He expects you to believe that He loves you and has your best interest in mind. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a good future.  Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will listen to you.  And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.”  (Jeremiah 29: 11-13).

Why would the children of God live in a life of doubt and fear when he has given us this promise?  Jesus said: “If you can believe, all things are possible to the person that believes.”  (Mark 9:23).  This includes eternal life; healing; help with material needs; deliverance from harmful habits, worry, stress; and wisdom and strength to solve daily problems.  

The Lord has many wonderful things planned for your life on Earth and in Heaven.  He is not asking you to live a perfect life or achieve some unrealistic goal.  There may be times when the Lord Jesus asks you to change some things in your life.  “If any person will come after me, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23).  Believing is acting upon what you know, think and feel.  It is not just words.  “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26).

Thanksgiving is another way to demonstrate your “Faith”.  Just tell God ahead of time “thanks, for helping me in this situation”; “thank You for what You are going to do”; “let Your will be done, and I will trust You, even if it wasn’t the answer I wanted”.

Today, you have been taught what it is that God expects of you as one of His children, as a born-again believer, and as someone He loves very much.  If you are having trouble with trust and believing in what God can do for you, pray the prayer of another person who came to Jesus and said:  “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24). 

LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTION

                           LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTION
Watch Video of this sermon
LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTIONS - PART ONE
LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTIONS - PART TWO
LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTIONS - PART THREE

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Loving one another with action, is doing things for others that you would want them to do for you. Our Lord and Savior said this: "Therefore, whatever you want people to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12).  You can show your love to others by doing things for them.  Love is not just a feeling, it is action.  “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

Loving one another with action is doing something the Lord Jesus Christ both demonstrated and taught us to do. “So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” (John 13:12-14).  Today, in our society, we do not demonstrate or love for each other with this custom,  but there are many ways we can “wash each other’s feet” through loving each other with tangible acts of love and service.

Many people are locked into “gender” gaps and “generational” gaps which identify and limit them in the types of service that they are willing to give to those they love.  For instance, some men will not wash the dishes, because their dads never washed the dishes.  They view that service as something the wife should always do.  Some women feel that it is the husband’s job to take out the trash and wash the car.  When we allow ourselves to think and live the way our parents did, we limit our capacity to show our love to others with acts of service.  “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3).  “Remember there are no rewards for maintaining stereotypes, but there are tremendous benefits to meeting the emotional needs of those you love.”  You may do a lot of things right, but if you don’t do it with love, you will not meet the needs of those who need your love. “And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Loving each other with action is not limited to the husband and wife relationships.  This command of “loving one another” applies to our friends, fellow Christian brothers and sisters, children, and grandchildren. It is a love language that should be spoken by each of us to each other.  Love is a choice and cannot be demanded or manipulated.  Each of us must decide daily to love or not to love each other.  This is true in all our relationships.  We also can choose to demonstrate our love with our actions.  Good intentions are not enough.  Things we have done for each other in the past cannot substitute for showing actions of love today.  Each day is a new day in which we have the opportunity to be more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by our actions of love. 

One of the best ways to express our love to the Lord is with our actions toward Him.  “Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.” (Psalms 100:2).  This includes attending worship services, giving, praying, and giving testimonies of His goodness.  “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalms 107:8).

Random acts of kindness are ways to show love at unexpected times.  This kind of love can be done without the other person even knowing who is doing it for them.  You can pay for someone’s meal or send them some flowers or a fruit basket.  They do not need to know that it comes from you, but that someone loves them.  It can be as simple as giving a piece of candy to a child or taking a magazine or newspaper to an elderly shut-in.  Random acts of kindness is the way the Lord gives to you and me -often unexpected and with no preconditions.  It is not the kind of love that says that I want something back in return for my kindness. “For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)

Remember, love is something you do because the Lord has already done it for you. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).  Demonstrating your love for others is not a matter of them deserving it or not, it is a matter of God’s grace in you.  “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).   Family and friends can express actions of love for each other in many ways.  If you are not sure what another person would want or need, simply ask.  Another practical way to do this is for two people or a family to write down two to three things they can do for each other to make each one feel more loved.  You can show your love for God by doing meaningful things for one another.   "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."    (John 13:35).  When people see you demonstrate your love with actions, is a testimony to your family, your friends, your church family, and most of all to your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”    (1 John 4:7).

One way to demonstrate your love, is to give gifts to each other.  Gifts may be purchased, found, or made.  They do not need to be expensive nor do you have to wait for a special occasion.  To develop a better and more meaningful relationship with your spouse, your children, or your friends, you need to give physical things to the person you love.

Another action is something that cost nothing, but means so much to those that need our love is kind words and encouragement.  A smile is a gift that cost nothing but will give encouragement to those who are sad and lonely. “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24.)

The most important action of love you can demonstrate is giving of self, or the gift of your presence.  Your time is something that only you can give.  Your undivided attention is a gift that those you love will appreciate and cherish.  The Lord Jesus appreciates your presence at worship services and the time you spend with Him in prayer and Bible reading.   

Let’s love like our Lord Jesus did with our lives and our actions.

WORDS OF LOVE

A GREAT VALENTINE GIFT - WORDS OF LOVE 

"VIEW THIS VIDEO SERMON" 

WORDS OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS - PART 1

WORDS OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS - PART 2

WORDS OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS - PART 3

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”   (John 15:12)

As we enter the month of February, our thoughts turn to love.  There are many things we can do for each other during this Valentine month.  One of the least expensive and most appreciated is a gift called “Words of Love”. Husbands and wives should give each other “Words of Love”.  Parents and grandparents and children should give “Words of Love” to each other.  Verbal compliments or words of appreciation are powerful communicators of love.  “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7).

The object of love is not getting something you want but doing something for the well-being of the one you love.  When we receive “Words of Love”, we are far more likely to be motivated to give others encouragement.  Most of us have more potential than we will ever develop.  What holds us back is often courage.  You may not be good at giving encouraging words to people at first.  That will be especially true if you have a pattern of critical and condemning words, but you can change.  This is especially true to those who we live with.  “And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32).  Love is kind.  If we are to communicate love verbally, we must use kind words.  That has to do with not only what we say, but the way we say it.  The manner in which we speak is exceedingly important.

“Words of Love” doesn’t bring up past failures.  None of us is perfect.  Forgiveness is the way of love.  Don’t bring into today the failures of yesterday and ruin today.  The best thing we can do with the failures of the past is to let them be history.  Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment.  It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender.  Forgiveness is the way of love.  “Love suffers long and is kind;... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”   (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

We all appreciate kind and loving words.  "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  (Luke 6:38.)


  This includes “Words of Love”. If you want to receive “Words of Love”, then you must give that gift to others.

Let us look at some ways to give “Words of Love”

GIVE COMPLIMENTS 

Tell the people you love something good about them every day.

Tell them thank you for something they did for you recently.

Tell them how good they did something you asked them to do for you.

Tell them how important they are to you in what they do.

 As your loved ones try to improve, tell them how much they have improved on something you criticized them about.

GIVE COURAGE

Encourage someone you love to display their talents.

Encourage someone you love to try something that they have expressed interest in.

Encourage someone to try again in an area they have failed in.

Encourage someone by letting them know you will help them.

GIVE COURTESY

Be respectful of people you love in the way you talk to them.

Allow those you love to have their way when you have a choice.

Perform random acts of kindness without expecting something in return.

Be complimentary of the people you love in public.

The purpose of giving “Words of Love” is to become more like Christ.  Our Lord and Savior reminds of our value to Him and how much we are loved by Him.  Our relationship must be right with Christ before it can be like it should be with others.  Having Christ in your heart and life is the key to all successful relationships.  After that we should demonstrate that love for Christ, by our love for others.  Don’t be afraid of showing and speaking “Words of Love” to each other. Start today!! “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in Him.”  (1 John 4:16-18).

Words are a reflection of our thoughts. Loving words come from loving thoughts, negative words from negative thoughts. It is really that simple. Watch the words that come out of your mouth and you will have a good idea of the direction your thoughts are facing, and as a result, your life.  You can choose the words you say and make a big difference in your life and in the life of others you love.

(For additional messages or video sermons go to:  www.sermonstotheworld.blogspot.com)

GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH

GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH

BY PASTOR MARK TAYLOR

"A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' "He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went. "Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, "The first."  Matthew 21:28-31 

This is a message to Christians who have given their hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus and really love Him.  This message is to the sons and daughters of God.  I believe both sons in the verses above loved their father.  The first son spoke without thinking about his father’s feelings and was disrespectful to his father.  The second son wanted to please his father by agreeing to do what was asked of him. But he did not follow through with his “good intentions”.  Both sons disappointed their father.  It is easy for us to judge both of them for their failures.  However, I want us to look at our relationship with our Father from the mistakes both sons made.

God has asked each of us to “go, work today in my vineyard”. Each of us has abilities and skills that God has given us.  Some of us have had good intentions of going, while others have said no.  If we have said “no”, then we need to ask for forgiveness and go.  God would not ask us to do anything that He will not give us the strength to accomplish.  This includes righteous living and helping those in need.  The answer “no” is usually a selfish response.  Once we start the work, we will be blessed by the Lord to finish it and will always be glad that we done what the Lord told us to do.  “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”  (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The person who has the “good intentions” but does not follow through is also a disappointment to his Father.  Here are some things that might help us in our commitments to the Lord and to each other.  When your Heavenly Father asks you to do something through the Holy Spirit it is something specifically that He wants you to do.  Often if you do not do it, it will not get done.   “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Romans 11:29). This may be something as simple as meeting a need in someone else’s life.  When you make commitments that involve others, it is important for you to follow through because they are depending on you.  “To the person that knows to do good, and does not do it, to that person it is sin.” (James 4:17).   Good intentions are not enough.

Before you make a commitment, ask the Lord to give you the time, resources, and ability to complete it. You may have to take small steps in your journey at the beginning, but with God all things are possible. “Jesus said: If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.” (Mark 9:23).  When you are looking at your resources and abilities do not just count what you can see, for faith is counting on the things we cannot see.  “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).  The Lord is not going to ask you to do more than He gives you the strength and ability to accomplish.  But once you have prayed and counted the cost it is time to get started on your commitment.  Faith is a very important part of any commitment.  Good intentions are not enough.

Good intentions alone are not enough. Good intentions when centered on pleasing the Lord are good when they begin with:

1. Good Plans - If good intentions are to become reality then Good plans must be made.  “Commit your works unto the LORD, and your thoughts shall be established.”  (Proverbs 16: 3).  Get Godly advice from those who have already accomplished what you want to do.  Many times we will find we need the help of others to accomplish goals we have set.

1. Godly Motives -Godly motives are essential if our good intentions are to become a reality. Only God knows truly what our motives are. We need to let the Lord weigh our motives and then respond accordingly. Our Lord told us to pray: “Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”.  (Luke 11: 2).

1. Great Commitment -  We can have the right plans and proper motives yet without a great commitment our good intentions will be only intentions that do not develop into reality. Paul said this: “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward unto those things which are before me.” (Philippians 3:13).  Be accountable to someone.  When you make a commitment, ask a friend or family member to help you follow through with it.  Even if you have failed before, God is understanding and forgiving, even if others are not.

Good intentions are not enough.  And excuses will not please the Lord.  “Now the just shall live by faith:  but if any one draws back (quits), My soul shall have no pleasure in them.”   (Hebrews 10:38-39).

Let us say to our Heavenly Father:  “I will go” and use the talents He has given us to be a blessing to others.

(For additional written and video sermons go to: www.sermonstotheworld.blogspot.com ).

SAY GOOD-BYE TO YESTERDAY

 “Say Good-bye to Yesterday”

“For a righteous person may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. (Proverbs 24:16).  

Christians are not “perfect”.  We are forgiven and we have the presence of God in our lives through the Holy Spirit, but we will all still make mistakes and fail ourselves and others from time to time.

The first step in saying good-bye to yesterday, is to acknowledge to ourselves and to the Lord that we have failed.  “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.”          (Psalms 51:1-3).  Feeling like you are the victim and blaming others for failures in your life will not allow you to put your past behind you. Change your response to failure by accepting responsibility.  To move forward today, you must learn to say good-bye to yesterday’s hurts, tragedies, and negative events.

Next, understand that God loves you right now for who you are.  You cannot do anything to make God love you more than He does right now.  I know that it is a hard concept to accept because others do not love and accept us unconditionally, but God does.  “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1).  He demonstrates that love by continually forgiving us and giving us opportunities to start over.  “The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, (Psalms 103:17).

Finally, in this process determine to release the event and move on.  You do not have control over how other people feel about you or what you have done, but you do have power to control your response to the event.  Holding grudges and repeated the event to yourself and others will only prolong the pain.  “but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” (Philippians 3:13).

Many people before you have failed in business, relationships, and in accomplishing personal goals.  The average entrepreneur fails 4 times before they make it in business.  They have learned how to lemons in to lemonade.  Thomas Edison believed “ Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up”.

When we don’t what to do, then we need to ask God for guidance, because He does know the solution to our problems and can help us overcome failure.   “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5).  I would like to share a few strategies that successful men and women have learned in overcoming failure.2

• Reject Rejection.  Do not give up because others think you have failed.  The Lord has not given up on you. “For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6).
• Don’t blame God and others for your failures.  He is the source of your help, not the source of your problem.   Remember how far you have come and give God glory for what you have.  Remember Job’s attitude about failure. “And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:21-22).
• See failure as only a temporary problem.  “For a righteous person may fall seven times and rise again.” (Proverbs 24:16).  
• Keep your expectations realistic and achievable.  Ask for God’s will to be done in your life. “You ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." (James 4:15).
• Instead of dwelling on your failure, focus on your strengths. God has made you with special abilities and made you for a special purpose. “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” (Psalms 139:14).
• Don’t be afraid to start over.  Fear will bring procrastination and eventually stop you from overcoming failure. If you have the Lord Jesus in your heart, He will help you start over. “But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27).
• Don’t get used to failure and make the same mistakes over and over again. “If you always do what you’ve always done, then you will always get what you’ve always gotten”.

A great future is awaiting the children of God in this world and the one to come - Don't Quit – Don’t Give Up.  The Lord is on your side.

THE COMPASSION OF JESUS

A Sermon By Pastor Mark Taylor

January 14, 2012

“He was moved with compassion”  Matthew 9:36

If there is one word that describes our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is compassion.  Thousands, if not millions have given their lives to God’s Son for this very reason, and that is His compassion toward them.  He has revealed His compassion through His written Word, through minsters and teachers, through His Holy Spirit, and through the testimonies of others.

The evidence  of His compassion is shown from the beginning of time. Before ever the earth was framed; before the foundations of the everlasting hills were laid, when as yet the stars had not begun their shining, it was known to God that his creature man would sin and need compassion.  Our Lord and Savior volunteered to pay for that sin, that we might be able to receive forgiveness and have a relationship with God.  “Forasmuch ay you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as sliver and gold from your sin, by the traditions  from your fathers:  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who was foreordained before the foundation of the world.”  (I Peter 1: 18-20).

Jesus Christ came himself into this messed up world where there was no compassion.  The Infinite came down to earth in the form of an infant.  Therefore, in the incarnation, He had compassion, for He took upon himself our hurts and disappointments, and was made like unto ourselves. “ For we do not have a high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all point tempted like we are, yet without sin”  (Hebrews 4:15).  He gave up all the comforts of  Heaven. He gave His life for the whole world. He gave his very self to prove that He was moved with compassion. Most of all we see how He was moved with compassion upon those who were involved in His terrible death.  He forgave them.

In the Lord Jesus Christ’s life on earth He had compassion.  “Two blind men, when they heard that Jesus passed by cried out saying “Have mercy on us, O Lord...And Jesus said What do you want me to do for you?  They said unto Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.  So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him’ (Matthew 20:30-34).   He is still having compassion on those who need physical healing. Do you believe that Christ can heal you? Do you believe that he is willing to heal you? Then let me assure you that a channel of communication is opened between Him and you, for He is moved with compassion towards you, and already I hear Him command you to come to Him. He is ready to heal you now.  If He chooses not to heal you immediately, you can be assured that there is a reason and it is not because of a lack of ability or desire on His part.  Sometimes our suffering will draw us closer to God and bring Him glory.  Jesus said to Paul in his sickness: “My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Regardless, He has compassion for you whether He heals you now or later; whether He heals you in this life time or the one to come.

The Lord Jesus has compassion on those who Satan and his demonic forces have attacked and control  them through addictions.  There was a man who had many demons and had no control over his mind or will.   He was both mentally and physically abused by them.

When Jesus saw him, He commanded the unclean spirits to come out of him.  Then Jesus said to him:  “Go home to your friends, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for you, and has had compassion on you” (Mark 5: 1-20).  Today, if you are being physically or mentally abused by others or suffer from past abuses, ask the Lord to have compassion on you and deliver you.  He has compassion on all those that love Him.  These people need your prayers that the Lord Jesus would work a miracle in their lives and deliver them.

The Lord Jesus has compassion on those who have experienced the death of a loved one.  The Lord Jesus saw a widow who had a son, that was her only means of financial support, and only child, who had just died.  “And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion her, and said unto to her, Weep Not.  And He came and touched the boy and said unto him, Young man, I say unto you, Arise”  (Luke 7:11-17).  And you that are mourning over those that have been lately taken from you, Jesus pities you. Jesus weeps with you, He sympathizes with your tears. He will dry them and give you consolation. "He was moved with compassion."  The comfort He brings to you is what the Lord tells all of us who have been temporally separated from our loved ones:  “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.  And whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  (John 11:25-26).

The Lord Jesus has compassion on those who love Him and are poor and needy. “I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I will not send them away hungry and allow them to faint on their way home.”  (Matthew 15:32).  In this case he used the little that was given to Him to feed the multitude.  He took the little and multiplied it and had seven large baskets left over.  Do you have a little you can give to Jesus to help others?  When you give your little, it will be enough and the compassion of Christ will help many people.

He is moved with compassion for you today.  He is walking close by you today and sees you in your need.  He does not need the rich or the government to help Him.  He has given you many promises of hope in His precious Word.  He has given you His spoken Word through His ministers and teachers.  He has given you the personal power of prayer that can reach His ears. “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my requests.  Because He has inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live”  (Psalms 116:1-2).

Not only does our Lord and Savior have compassion on you, but He wants you to have compassion on others.  He wants you to be His hands and feet and mouth to express His love to others.  He wants you to visit the sick and discouraged.  He wants you to “pray for one another that you might be healed.”  He wants you to teach and share His Word with others. He wants you to feed the hungry. “As much as you have done it unto to the least of these, you have done it unto Me.”

(For additional messages or video sermons go to:  www.sermonstotheworld.blogspot.com)

SEPTEMBER 2011 WRITTEN SERMONS

GOD IS IN CHARGE

GOD IS IN CHARGE

Pastor Mark Taylor

January 8, 2012

“Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered”

Luke 12:7

Many times the Lord Jesus Christ reminded His followers that God is in charge of both the big things and the little things that happen in this world.  This truth has been described in both the Old and New Testaments in the lives of both those who loved God and in the lives of those who fought against God and His people.

There is nothing too small or insignificant in the sight of men that is not in the care and providence of God.  There is nothing that is too small that God is not concerned with involving the happiness of His children.

Man can only see things at a small distance.  The eye of an eagle can see things from a greater distance.  Perhaps the eye of an angel can see at a distance of a thousand times greater than either man or an eagle.  But God sees everything through the whole extent of His creation.  The omnipresent God sees and knows all the properties of all the beings that he has made.  He knows all the hearts of men and women, and understands all their thoughts.  He sees all their sufferings, with every circumstance of them, and all that they feel.  “Know that the Lord He is God:  It is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3).

Yes, it is very hard to comprehend and to believe that God is in charge when we consider the complicated wickedness and the complicated misery all around us.  But He created mankind in His own image which contains a spirit, like Himself.  Within that spirit He gave them understanding, a free will to make choices, and liberty.  If we did not have that we would not be created in His image.  “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He them; male and female created He them.” (Genesis 1:27).  God has chosen to govern man not as an animal or a stone, but as an intelligent and free spirit, capable of choosing either good or evil.  God has also provided man every possible help, in order to do good without turing him into a machine.   Unfortunately, many man and women have chosen evil instead of love and good that God desires for them.

We can see how God takes care of His creation by looking at it in a picture of three circles.  The outermost circle includes the whole race of mankind, both Christian and non-Christian.  God cares about all of His creation. “...for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Within a second but smaller circle includes all that are called Christians, all that profess to believe in Christ but do not demonstrate it with their lives.  “This people draws near unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15:8).  Within the third, the innermost circle, are contained only the real Christians, those that worship God, not in form only, but in spirit and truth. “the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” (John 4:23).

To those in this innermost circle are all that love God and who walk as Christ walked.  It is to these in particular that He says: “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7).  He sees their souls and their bodies, and takes particular notice of their desires and thoughts, and all their words and actions.  Nothing that relates to these are too great or nothing too little, for His attention.  God is in charge!!

If then, we allow God to be in charge of our lives and put our whole trust in Him who has never failed those that seek Him, we do not have to fear about our welfare.  The Lord Jesus Christ continues His message to those whose “very hairs are numbered”, by saying: “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.” (Luke 12: 7-8).  There is nothing in either heaven or in the earth that can harm you while you are under the care of the Creator and Governor of heaven and earth.  What an unspeakable blessing it is to be in the care of Him that has all power in heaven and earth.  To this confidence in God we owe Him our thankfulness for His kind protection.  Be thankful, for God is in Charge!!

But, while we have this confidence, we should take the utmost care to walk closely with our God.  Do not let your faith in His caring for you make you careless or lazy.  This is not a reason to take the attitude that you have no responsibility in what happens, just because God is in Charge.  “What does it profit, my brothers and sisters, though you say, you have faith, and have not works?  Can faith alone save you?...Even so faith, if it does not have works is dead by itself...You believe that there is one God? You do well: but the devils also believe and tremble.  Will you understand that faith without works is dead?” (James 2: 14-20).

God is in charge and He loves you and nothing can change that. “For I am persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).  That should be the motivation for you to enter that innermost circle and allow God to take charge of your life and walk with Him.

With God in charge, you can accomplish many wonderful things in your life.  There is nothing you and God cannot do together.  “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13).  If you will let Him guide you, there is nothing that happens to you that He cannot handle.  “The steps of a good person are ordered by the Lord: and he will be happy along his way.” (Psalm 37:23).  Even when seemly bad things happen to good people, they have this promise. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).  GOD IS IN CHARGE!!!

(Message adapted from John Wesley’s message “On Divine Providence”, 1737)

HAVE YOURSELF A "MARY" CHRISTMAS

Luke 1:26-38 

Sermon By Pastor Mark Taylor

(Adapted from the sermon “Christmas According to Mary” by Jonathan McLeod)

I certainly want everyone to have a "merry Christmas", but I think we can learn something from the life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  These thoughts were taken and edited from sermons preached about Mary's willingness to be used of God to become a mother and deliver God's Son into the world.  

No matter who you are,
The Lord can use you 

Mary teaches us God is not as interested in your abilities as He is in your availability. No matter who you are, God can use you. Vs. 26-27 paint a picture of an ordinary girl with some serious problems: "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man name Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary."

She was young. Mary was pledged to be married. At that time, it was customary for girls to be engaged at 12-13 years of age (around the time of reaching puberty). 

She was poor. We read Luke 2:22-24 that Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the temple to be circumcised. They were required to bring one of two offerings: either a lamb for a burnt offering and a dove or a pigeon for a sin offering.  If a lamb was too expensive, the parents could bring a second dove or pigeon instead. Mary and Joseph brought the two doves, because they couldn’t afford a lamb. You and I might have thought this family was too poor to provide for Jesus but apparently God didn’t think so. Mary was young, and poor.

She was from Nazareth. Apparently, Mary was a young girl from Nazareth which was a town with a bad reputation. This is what Nathanael said when He learned that Jesus was from Nazareth - "And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46

Mary was young, poor, and from Nazareth — all these characteristics made her seem unusable by God. But God chose Mary for one of the most important jobs He ever asked anyone to do. Through God’s choice of Mary, He teaches us no matter who you are, the Lord can use you. 

She had two vital characteristics God looks for: humility and faith. She knew she wasn’t worthy of the honor God offered her. Yet she still believed God could use her, if she trusted Him. Do you believe God can use you? Or do you think you’re too small—too young, too poor, too weak to be used by Him? 

No matter what problems you face,
the Lord is with You

Mary teaches us that no matter what problems you face, the Lord is with you. 

The angel says in vs. 30, “Do not be afraid.” But we wouldn’t blame Mary if she were afraid.  Imagine the fears she might experience as a result of her pregnancy:

A possible divorce by Joseph as he first assumed that Mary had been unfaithful to him.  He decided to divorce her (which, according to their law, was necessary to end the engagement) before he was told in a dream that Mary’s baby was, in fact, conceived by the Holy Spirit.  But right now, Mary doesn’t know how all of that will work out. But she does know God will be with her, whatever Joseph does. 

There could be possible rejection by her family. Did Mary’s family believe her story that the baby growing inside her was the Son of God?  But Mary did believe that God was with her, no matter how her parents would react to her. 

Possibly, and most likely, certain rejection by her community could happen. Imagine the gossip that must have circulated in Nazareth. The people in Nazareth could have accused her of adultery—a sin that was not looked on lightly as it is today in some places. It’s likely that Mary was shunned by those who had once been her friends. But Mary believed God was with her, even if her friends abandon her. 

The same Lord makes that same promise to you and to me. 

Psalm 118:6 “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5 “…For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

No matter what He promises,
The Lord can do it.

The Bible records several instances where there was not a “normal birth.” God sent a son to Abraham and Sarah long after they thought having a baby was possible.

John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth, was in her sixties or seventies when she gave birth to the prophet. But none of those special births was as amazing as the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth was a virgin birth 

When we talk about the virgin birth we mean that Jesus was conceived in the womb of His mother, Mary, by a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit and without a human father. Now that doesn’t sound any more normal or possible back then than it does today. But look at Mary’s reaction in Luke 1:38: "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the odd; be it unto me according to your word."  Even though the angel’s news was unbelievable, she believed it. Mary didn’t understand it, but she also didn’t doubt it. She believed that no matter what He has promised, the Lord CAN DO IT.   The virgin birth means that Jesus Christ is unique—He is both God and man. He is qualified to be our Savior. Mary believed and said: “Let it be to me according to Your Word, O Lord.” 

The virgin birth means that Jesus Christ is unique—He is both God and man. He is qualified to be our Savior. 

Mary knew that a virgin birth was impossible, but she also believed that “nothing is impossible with God.” Whatever God promises, He delivers. No matter what He promises, He will do it. 

It doesn’t matter how impossible they seem—there is nothing, nothing, nothing impossible with God. Whatever He promises, He always does, without fail. 

Mary can teach you and I: 

No matter who you are, the Lord can use you. 

No matter what problems you face, the Lord is with you.

No mater what He has promised, the Lord can do it. 

HAVE A "MARY" CHRISTMAS AND A "MERRY" CHRISTMAS!!