YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IN 2013

VIDEO LINKS TO THIS SERMON

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IN 2012 - PART ONE

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IN 2013- PART TWO

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IN 2013 -PART THREE

“YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IN 2013”

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23)

January 13, 2013 

By Pastor Mark Taylor

If you think some things in your life are impossible today, I would remind you that a little more than a hundred years ago many inventions we have today would have been thought of as impossibilities and many diseases were thought of as incurable.  Today you have more resources, education, and time than any other generation has ever had.  

Beyond the intelligence and creativity of man, we have our Lord telling us that with Him nothing is impossible.  "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26).  He is a resource to His children to give us courage, ability, and means to accomplish anything in life that will bring you closer to Him.

God has put into those who love Him, gifts and abilities, creativity and wisdom, and called us to use them for Him. “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29).  You are full of potential.  It has been reported in some studies that the average person uses less than 10 percent of his or her mind.  That means that there is 90 percent of our mind that we can use to accomplish what we think is impossible.  

But it all starts with a relationship with our Heavenly Father and a prayer. He moves that goal or desire to our mind, then to our will, then He gives us faith, and then we demonstrate our faith with our actions.

God wants us to know that we can do more, and bring more glory to Him.  The self-imposed limitations are the only thing that is limited us to do what we think is impossible.  Our value, our gifts and talents have already been put in us by God and with His help we can be better today than we were yesterday.  “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6).

You are full of potential.  It has been reported in some studies that the average person uses less than 10 percent of his or her mind.  That means that there is 90 percent of our mind that we can use to accomplish what we think is impossible.  The self-imposed limitations are the only thing that is limited us to do what we think is impossible. Our motto for 2013 should be:  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).

To do the impossible, we have to realize that other people’s opinions do not determine our potential or God’s willingness to help us.  Don’t let other people talk you out of doing great things in your life.  Don’t let the size of your dreams keep you from pressing forward.  Don’t let past failures or disappointments keep you from trying again and again. 

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Philippians 3:13).  When one door shuts, God can supernaturally open another door that will lead to something better.  You cannot change the past, but you can do something about your future.  What is in front of you is more important than what is behind you.  The windshield on your car is much bigger than your rearview mirror for a reason.

God is always ready to give us a fresh beginning.  He wants to resurrect our dreams and do new things in our lives. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’

 (1 John 1:9).  

This was David’s prayer after his great sins: “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions” (Psalms 51:1).  

God is a God of second, third, and many more chances.  The Bible is full of miracles – of things that were impossible.  “Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: "The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." (Matthew 11:4-6).

The first thing we have to believe is that: “with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26).  The second thing we have to believe is that God wants to do the impossible in your life: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

TESTIMONY AND MUSIC

SUNDAY SERVICE - JANUARY 6, 2012

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST PROVIDED OUR CHURCH WITH A POWERFUL SERVICE THIS PAST SUNDAY.  BELOW ARE SOME VIDEO LINKS FOR THIS SERVICE.

VIDEO LINK  -  TESTIMONY OF A YOUNG CHRISTIAN LADY WHO HAS HAD CEBRAL PALSEY ALL HER LIFE AND HOW GOD HAS HELPED HER.

TESTIMONY OF STACEY JAMSES WILSON - PART ONE

TESTIMONY OF STACEY JAMES WILSON - PART TWO

VIDEO LINK SPECIAL MUSIC FROM FRIENDSHIP CHURCH
LADIES SINGING "UNTIL THEN"

SPECIAL MUSIC - UNTIL THEN

VIDEO LINK - CHILDREN'S CHURCH SERMON

CHILDREN'S CHURCH MESSAGE - GOD'S GPS

“PRAYER REALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE”

By Pastor Mark Taylor

When we rely upon education, we get what education can do;  When we rely upon skill, we get what skill can do;  When we rely upon technology, we get what technology can do; When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do;  When we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do.  Those devoted to prayer do things by prayer-they begin with prayer, not tacking prayer on as an afterthought, after decisions are made.

When we pray, we receive the gift of God Himself-Prayer is communion with God. He wants us to know Him.  If we never gain anything from prayer but the opportunity to commune with God, that should be sufficient for us.

Jesus counted on prayer as a source of strength that equipped Him to carry out a partnership with God the Father on earth.

Prayer makes a difference in receiving forgiveness for your sins.  It is a second chance that is given to you every time you go to your Heavenly Father.

Prayer makes a difference in our relationship as children of God with our Heavenly Father.  Apparently God is the kind of friend and Father who rewards friendship and relationship with Him.  No one in the Old Testament directly addressed God as “Father”, but Jesus did so 170 times and told us to also:  "When you pray say: Our Father Who is in Heaven." ( Matthew 6:8-10).

Prayer makes a difference in what we can receive from God.  “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:2)  But that asking should be as a loving child who is asking for things to make him a better person and better serve his Father.

Prayer will make a difference in how much and how effective we will be in our service for the Lord.  Prayer is more than a reflective time to consider God’s point of view.  It is also a time to find a way to accomplish God’s will in the work He calls us to do.  

After entrusting His creation of people with the gift of free choice, God invited them to act as partners, even to argue and wrestle with the One who created them.   He asks us to pray for that which He wants to do.

Prayer makes a difference in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  I spend time with my closest friends not because of what they can do for me, but for the pleasure of their company.    In one hand I hold the truth of God’s vastness, and in the other hand I hold the truth of God’s desire for intimacy.  Prayer that is based on relationship and not transaction may be the most freedom-enhancing way of connecting to a God who’s vantage point we can never achieve and can hardly imagine.  “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer”. (I Peter 3:12)

Prayer makes a difference in feeling the presence of God in your life.  Prayer is not my way of establishing God’s presence, rather as my way of responding to God’s presence that is a fact whether or not I can detect it.  My feelings of God’s presence – or God’s absence- are not the presence or the absence.  Prayer means keeping company with God who is already present.  God has time for you.  A God unbound by our rules of time has the ability to invest in every person on earth.  God has, quite literally, all the time in the world for each one of us.  “For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night” (Psalms 90:4).  

Contact with Him is not our achievement.  It is a gift coming down to us from on high like a meteor, rather than rising up like a rocket.  God finds ways to communicate to those who truly seek God.  I need to think more about God than about myself when I am praying..

Prayer will make a difference in our lives in increasing our faith.  Before the words of prayer come to the lips, the mind must believe in God’s willingness to draw near to us, and in our ability to clear the path for His approach.  Such belief is the idea that leads us toward prayer.  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). The more we pray, the more faith we will have.

Prayer Really Does Make a Difference!!

IS THIS YOUR SEASON AND TIME?

VIDEO LINKS TO THIS SERMON

IS THIS YOUR SEASON AND TIME? - PART ONE

IS THIS YOUR SEASON AND TIME? - PART TWO

IS THIS YOUR SEASON AND TIME? - PART THREE

A TESTIMONY OF GOD'S HEALING POWER BY PASTOR MARK

“Is This Your Season and Time?”

by Pastor Mark Taylor

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to harvest that which is planted”  

(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

There are so many demands on our time, so many good things that need to be done. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.  Like receiving a brand new calendar, the slate is clean and ready for us to post our appointments, meetings, dates, anniversaries and celebrations. So let us pencil this in, more time for loving our families, more time to take care of ourselves, more time to do what we really want to do, more time to follow our dreams and more time with the Author of time and the Author of all things, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Will you use your time wisely this year?  This could be that year that God wants you start planting seed that will grow into a great harvest for you.

Now what do you think God’s will is for you in this new year? Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries & anxieties that you can’t think spiritual thoughts? Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for the important things? What do you think God’s will is for you this year? 

This could be the year that you start that project God has put in your mind to begin months and years ago.  This could be the season when you begin to sow the seeds that will bring you accomplishments and happiness that you have been praying about.

As the Lord Jesus desires for you to have a harvest of blessings this year, your enemy, Satan wants to delay you another year.  Jesus said that Satan is a robber and a thief. (John 10:10).  One of the things he tries to rob from us is our time, because time is a very precious possession.

The two greatest enemies of time are regrets for things we did in the past, and anxiety about what will happen to us in the future. Many of us are living either in the past or in the future.

"Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life" (Psalm 39:4).  "The length of our days is 70 years or 80, if we have the strength...they quickly pass, and we fly away" (Psalm 90:10).  

What you do with your time, with your friends, and with your attitudes will determine what will come at your harvest time.

Time is all about choices.  Every day, in every moment, you get to exercise choices that will determine whether or not you will have a good harvest, no harvest, or a bad harvest.  Is this your time and season to start making good decisions? 

The “Secret of Time” is about the little things you do each day that doesn’t look dramatic, or do not look like they matter, or make a difference.  But successful Christians do what others are not willing to do.  They read their Bible, they pray, they attend Church several times a week, they give to God, and they show their love in their actions toward others.

Many people get frustrated and quit planting good seed when they don’t see immediate results..  You have to stay in the process long enough to reap a harvest of blessings from the Lord for your good actions.  “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”  (Galatians 6:9).

A positive philosophy of life based on Biblical principles will turn into a positive attitude, which turns into positive actions, which turns into positive results. which turns into receiving the blessings from your Heavenly Father.

A simple positive action repeated over time can cause you to have a life full of God’s blessings.

You start with a prayer today, or a kind deed, or read one chapter from a book of the Bible.  At the end of the year you will have prayed 365 prayers, done 365 kind deeds, and read 365 chapters.  There are only 260 chapters in the New Testament, so you could read it through almost twice in one year.

Are you waiting for a special day to get started.  “Some day” doesn’t exist.  There are no 

“big breaks” in your future.  Your “ship is not coming in”.  Your ship is already here, docked and waiting.  You already have everything you need to achieve everything you want.  You just can’t see it with your human eyes.  “I can do all things through Christ which gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:13).  You have to start looking through your eyes of faith and plant the right seeds.

Planting good seeds is an act of faith.  If you make the right choices and take the right actions, over time you will have success.  If you plant the wrong seeds, your harvest will be one of disappointment and hurt to you, to those you love, and to those who love you.  You have to choose what kind of seed you want to plant.

"Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."  (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Today is a good time to start planting seeds that will bring you blessings from the God who loves you very much.    The sooner you plant your good seeds, the sooner you will start harvesting.   But He cannot help you without you helping Him.  There is a spiritual law that says: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a person sows, that shall they also reap.” (Galatians: 6:7).  This law also involves how much you sow. “But this I say, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

When you plant good seed you will not see the results immediately. No success is immediate, nor is any failure.  it is determined by the seeds you plant.In simple words - “Don’t quit!”

  

Some people today are reaping a harvest of difficulty and pain because of seeds planted a long time ago.  For those people it is time to change the seeds you are planting or you will continue to get the same harvest, not the harvest God wants you to have.

Don’t judge your harvest by the evidence of your eyes, you won’t see the results over night.  This is where faith comes in. “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).  You live right, you treat other people like Jesus would treat them, and wait for the harvest of good things.    

There is a time to plant, and that time is today.  Today is the time to give your heart and mind to the God that loves you.  “For He says: In an acceptable time I have heard you.  And in the day of salvation  I have helped you.  Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

FOR GOD SO LOVED - HE GAVE

“FOR GOD SO LOVED, HE GAVE”

ISAIAH 9:6 – “UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN”

Our God is a loving, giving God. “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son” (John 3:16).   In Jesus Christ, God gave us the opportunity for the forgiveness of our sins.

God says, "Here’s my gift. It is not just the gift of a baby, but it is the offer of forgiveness and salvation."  Christmas made the difference. God wrapped up a gift and gave it. Now He stands back and waits to see what we will do. Will we receive it with joy? Or will we treat it with indifference and rejection?  God waits to see, because what we do with the gift is also what we do with Him. If we accept the gift, then we receive Him, His forgiveness, His help and His hope. But if we reject it, then we also reject Him.

He has many things to give His children.  If you are His child and are “born again”, you have the Holy Spirit which was “given” to you. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name”: {power: or, the right, or, privilege} (John 1:12).  You may not understand this wonderful gift at first, but as you grow as a Christian, you will understand that the Holy Spirit is a person and part of God that lives in you.

God has also given us His “Record”.  The Bible tells us Who God is, about His love and plans for us, and about our future with Him. “The record that God has given to us eternal life” (I John 5:15).  We have all the instructions we need to live a happy and successful life written in His “record”.

He has given us His beautiful creation. 
“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth has He given to the children of men.” (Psalm 115:16)

God has given you His blessings if you love Him and follow Him.  You need to be thankful for those blessings. “Oh that His children would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men”  (Psalm 107:15).  Here are only a few blessings He has given to them that love Him:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul;  And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103: 1-4)

One final thing that God gave at Christmas time when He gave Jesus is hope for the future.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4).  One day heaven is going to open, and God will come back, and the dream will be fulfilled of “peace and good will for all men.”

The application of this message to you and I this Christmas is that since God is such a great giver, and we are His children, we should also be great givers.  God has blessed you and I not just to make our lives more comfortable, but that we might use our abundance to help others.

God has given you His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that you might share Him with the world.  “Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

God has given us a spiritual principle of giving so that we might be blessed even more, so in turn we can give more.  “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38).

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Haggai 2:8 adds, “The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the LORD Almighty.”  He has the rights, and I have the responsibility. He is the Master and I am the manager. I am the servant; He is the sovereign.

Have you allowed this basic principle to permeate your personhood? You don’t really own anything. Everything belongs to the Lord. Until we recognize this truth, we will not be good managers of what has been entrusted to us. Our days are in His hands. Our gifts and abilities are on loan from Him. Our money is an “advance” from the Almighty. Our houses, cars, clothes, and every possession we have doesn’t belong to us. We really don’t own anything. 

You have what you have because God gave it to you. And He expects you to manage His gifts within the boundaries of ability that He has wired into you.  Our potential is God’s gift to us. What we do with it is our gift to Him. You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.

Whether rich or poor, strong or rich, educated or not, God has promised us that if we will use what He has given us to help others, He will bless us when we are in need.  You can’t out give God.  He loves you and wants to give you everything you need and more.  If you choose not to give of your abilities and resources to help Him help others, then you are limiting Him in blessing you.  “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

This Christmas, be a giver.  You may not have much to give, but you have something to give.  You can make a visit to a sick person who cannot go any where because of their sickness.  You can have a prayer with them and ask God to bless them.  You can share your food with people who are hungry.  You can be kind to a homeless person or someone in a nursing home or prison.  Ask God how you are to be a giver this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!

JOY TO YOUR WORLD

VIDEO LINKS TO SERMON  "JOY TO YOUR WORLD"

JOY TO YOUR WORLD - PART ONE

JOY TO YOUR WORLD - PART TWO

JOY TO YOUR WORLD - PART THREE

JOY TO YOUR WORLD

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

The Lord wants you to have joy and be happy at Christmas.

Joy and happiness are often used to mean the same thing.  I think we can have joy all of the time even if we are not happy.  But I think that happiness is a choice.  I think that joy is that gift that God gives you to have peace in times of unpleasant circumstances when you may not feel happy.  For instance, when you lose a love one you are sad and unhappy, but you can have joy that you will see them in Heaven and that they are better off there than they would be here. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalms 126:6)  “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5)

Christmas can be a discouraging time of the year when people think of the deaths of their love ones, loss of finances or a job, or a relationship that did not work out.  But God's will for you is to be happy and celebrate the birth of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I would like to talk to you about happiness that will in turn add to your joy.  Happiness is a decision you make, not just an emotion you feel.  When you get up in the morning, you can choose to be happy and enjoy that day, or you can choose to be unhappy and have a bad day.

Happiness is not always displayed in the same way by everyone.  God has given each of us different personalities.  Some people have a bubbly personality that shows when they are happy and when they are not.  But other people are more reserve and even shy and they may not always demonstrate their happiness by laughing or smiling.  But we should all learn how to smile more and laugh more.  “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones (Proverbs 17:22)

Here are some principles to apply in order to have the happiness or joy that God wants to give you, 

To be happy you need to learn how to live one day at a time.  By an act of your will, you need to choose to forget about yesterday and tomorrow and think about today.

Life is to short not to enjoy every single day. “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24)  Learn to enjoy your family, your friends, your health, your work, your church, and everything God gives you. 

 Jesus said: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

 (John 10:10).  An abundant life is a happy life. He also said: “Take therefore no thought for  tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:34)

To be happy you need to learn not to let life’s little things get you upset.  When negative things happen to us, no matter how much we rant and rave, it’s not going to change anything.  No matter how much we murmur and complain, it’s not going to make anything better.  You can decide not to let little things get the best of you. 

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

To be happy don’t wait on some event or person to make you happy.  Not even Christmas.   Big events will not keep you happy.  People cannot keep you happy.  Having  the right relationship and fellowship with the Lord can make you happy: “For the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

To be happy, learn how to content where you are in your life today.  If you will make the decision to stay faithful and be content, at the right time God will change your circumstances.  The Bible says: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)  “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11).  Notice that it is a learning process.  Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom on how to look at your life as someone who has been blessed and is being blessed everyday.  If you are always discontented, something is wrong.  If you get up each morning dreading your day, you need to ask the Lord to change your attitude.

To be happy, understand that God has your best interests in mind as you go through trials and difficulties.  “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way.” (Psalms 37:23)  There is a reason why you are where you are and God will direct your steps until he leads you through the valley.  Remember change is by steps, not giant leaps.

If you will apply some or all of these principles to your life during this season of the year, you will have a “Merry Christmas”, regardless of what you have or don’t have. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John 13:17)

The greatest gift you have is God’s love and that should make you happy.  

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:11)   For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).

“Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20 KJV)

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” (Lk 15:7 )

THOUGHTS ON THE SHOOTING FRIDAY AT THE CONNECTICUT SCHOOL IN THE U.S.A.

Thoughts on the Shooting Friday at the Connecticut School

By Pastor Mark Taylor

I have been asking the Lord to give me some words to say to you about the senseless killing of 20 children and 6 adults.  I have both prayed and listened to other religious leaders of all faiths comment on this tragedy.  Like them, I do not know “why”, and no one ever will.  There is probably no answer that will satisfy  the grief and pain the families of these children or even those of us who grieve for their lost.

I know it is easy to be mad at God, and say “Why didn’t He stop it?”  But that is both wrong thinking and the wrong question.

God has reminded me that I do not have to defend Him.  But one thing I can say is what I know about serving God, reading His Word, and listening to hundreds of sermons and reading many books.  

First of all I can say that God did not want this to happen and that He is broken hearted for the families that are suffering.”

Some will say that “He allowed it to happen.” leaving the impression that He could have stopped it.  I would say that you cannot equate  “allowing” and “blame”.  You may allow your son or daughters to drive a car or ride with someone else in a car and they could be killed in a car accident.  You are not the blame and in most cases the people in the car are not the blame.

God has given us all “free will”.  That is a gift from God.  He chose to make us in His image and not robots.  He has chosen to give us free will to love Him or reject Him.  He has chosen to give us free will to do good, to do evil, or to do nothing.  We can see God’s response to death as He allowed His Son to die for our sins on the cross.

There is also a evil person that has gained control over many people.  His name is Satan.  Jesus said this:  “The thief (Satan), has come to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come to give them life and to give them life more abundantly.” (John 10:10).

The world is full of evil in TV show, Movies, Video Games, Books, Computers, and many other things that people read and watch everyday.  Think about what is in the material you have read and things you have seen.  Adults and young people are exposed to hours upon hours of killing, cursing, disrespect to parents and adults, and disrespect to God  and the Church.  

Our society has disregarded God’s Word and teaching on Abortion, Pre-martial sex, homosexuality,. In addition to this, drinking alcohol and taking drugs is accepted as normal by celebrities and sports role models.  When you think these things are normal and ok with God, you have left yourself open to Satan’s influence and control.  How many unborn babies could have lived and brought great joy and knowledge into this world?

Add to this to the fact that many parents have chosen to keep their children away from the Church and  teachings of God about love and caring for one another.  Fewer young people are growing up in a home where prayer or Bible reading is apart of their families. Many children and young people are growing up in broken homes and one-parent homes and suffering from the mistakes of their parents.

The Bible has told us about the times we are living in:

But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3: 1-5)

There is very little I know that we can do for the parents and loved ones of the children who were murdered on Friday, December 14.  But there is something we can do for our children for each other.  The most important thing we can do is to take seriously Prayer for the safety of our children and grandchildren and loved ones.  We say in the Lord’s Prayer - “Lead us not (do not allow us to go) into temptation, and deliver us from evil”.  This is the prayer that the Lord Jesus told us to pray to our Heavenly Father.  If it did not work, He would not have told us to pray it.  You and I should pray it each and every day, several times a day and mean it.

Secondly, we need to love and spend time with those we love.  We do not know when our last day or their last day on Earth will be.  We need to tell them we love them and show them we love them with our time and attention.

Thirdly, we need to be thankful each day for our children, our husbands and wives, for our parents and grandparents, and those we love and care about.  Life is a gift, but it only lasts on this earth for a short time. If you live to be 100, it is a short time compared to the time you have to spend in eternity, that is Heaven or Hell.

Finally, know that the children who were murdered and other children who have died from sickness or accidents, have not really died - that is they have not ceased to exist.  They are still alive in Heaven.  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said:  “And whosoever believes in me shall never die.”  (John 11:26).  The Bible teaches, and I believe also that children and the mentally handicapped who have not had a chance to receive or reject Christ will go to Heaven.  That is a whole different subject.

I know this short message is not the answer to the question “why”, but it is something to pray about and think about as you grieve for the children and adults that died last  Friday in this terrible shooting.

PRICELESS GIFTS

VIDEO LINKS TO SERMON - “PRICELESS GIFTS”

PRICELESS GIFTS - PART ONE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW1znYMvMhg

PRICELESS GIFTS - PART TWO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVhQj2GX5c

PRICELESS GIFTS - PART THREE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-7tj0DWlp0

“Priceless Gifts That You Can Give This Christmas”

By Pastor Mark Taylor

“Everyone is a friend to the person that gives gifts.” (Proverbs 19:6)

The Gift of Principles – Teach and live the principles God has given you.  Those principles include loving God and loving others.  “'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31).  

Teach your loved ones that personal integrity is a gift they need to cherish.     “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1).

The Gift of Patterns.  Your children will follow your patterns of behavior, good or bad.  Both and live and teach them honesty, integrity, and persistence.  Teach them the value of hard work and personal responsibility.

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither;  And whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalms 1:1-3).  This is true success.

The Gift of Participation.  Be involved in the lives of your children, grand children, and others that you love. Use the time you have with them wisely.  “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:16-17).  

 The Gift of Mercy.  Help others to start over when they fail.  Keep the doors of communication open.  Be involved in their hurts without being judgmental.  There is a time of correction, but there is also a time to listen. “A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1).   When someone is hurting, it is not the time hurt them more with your words. "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:36-37).  

Ask them “What can I do to help You?”  

The Gift of Praise.  The greatest gift you can give someone to help them become successful.  Praise is one of the greatest motivations for success..  It is a gift that is needed more than any material you can wrap.  “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24).  Make someone happy this Christmas by praising them for something they have done in their lives this year, or something they have done for you.  The gift of praise should be given 365 days a year.

The Gift of Prayer.  God answers the prayers of Godly mothers, fathers,

and grandparents.  Let them know you are praying for them and that the Lord Jesus loves them and cares for them.  “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person accomplishes a lot.” (James 5:16).  Through your example encourage them to become prayer warriors for others.  Model this by praying aloud in their presence and teaching them how to pray.  This gift will last for a life time.

The Gift of Hope.  You can give people hope by reminding them of the great plans God has for them.   Just remind them that God is listening to them and willing to help them..  “I love the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” (Psalms 116:1-2).  Remind them that God wants to help them with the difficulties they face in their life.  “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

There are some people who have lost their hope and have turned away from the Lord that loves them.  They think that God is not listening to their prayers.  He is reassuring us that it is not His problem.  “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2).  Give the gift of hope.

All of these gifts are something you can give 365 days a year.  During this Christmas Season you should make an extra effort to give these precious gifts that you cannot buy with any amount of money.  You are the only one that can give them because you already have them.  These gifts are the type that the more you give, the more you will receive.  "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38).  

Many of you are successful and happy today because of the example set by your parents and other adults; the time they spent with you; the praise and encouragement you received; the hope they gave you; and the prayers that were lifted up for you.  

Now is your time to give.

GOD'S POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)

VIDEO LINKS TO GOD’S POSITIONING SYSTEM

BY PASTOR MARK TAYLOR

GOD’S GPS - PART ONE

GOD’S GPS - PART TWO

GOD’S GPS - PART THREE

GOD’S POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)

I Kings 19:11-16

By Pastor Mark Taylor

“Then God said unto Elijah, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice spoke unto him.” (I Kings 19: 11-16).

The verses above are about a prophet who loved God and lived for God with all his heart.  But he allowed fear and anxiety to overcome Him.  Elijah was hiding in a cave afraid that the wicked queen, Jezebel was going to kill him.  Then God spoke to Elijah in a way that He wants to speak to you and I today - in a  “small still voice”.

In today’s technology, we have the GPS (Global Positioning System) to give us physical directions to get from one place to another.  And being directionally challenge, I appreciate and use it frequently.  

God has given each of His children a unique way to follow Him.   It can also be identified as a GPS system which some have called “God’s Positioning System”.  We know that this is the Holy Spirit who is that “still small voice” that guides His children throughout their lives. Even before we accept Him as our Savior, the Lord guides us toward Him.  This is also called “grace”.  He gives us an internal navigational package that divinely aligns us with people and events that helps us reach our destiny that God has given us.

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully made in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 114:13-15)

There are times when you meet people who change your life.  There are times when you choose to drive a different direction and you miss a terrible accident.  Something just told you to change directions and go a different direction.  When you begin to see these things as God directing your life, you can understand that your life is not an accident at all.  You are not just a life full of random events.  You are not just “lucky” or “unlucky” in your life.

So, how do we engage this GPS (God’s Positioning System)?  How do we get it to operate for us?  The best way to find the “on” switch is to simply start talking to your Heavenly Father through prayer.  You talk to Him the same way you would talk to your father, your grandfather, or your best friend.  

You have His permission to talk with Him about anything.  “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you ask, and it will be done for you you.” (John 15:7).    

 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.  And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us[a] commandment. (1 John 3:22-23).

While God may not chose to let you become rich in this life time, God answers prayers that are for your benefit like giving you health, keeping you and your family safe from harm, or allowing you to keep your job when others are losing theirs.  These are true riches you cannot buy with money.

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Luke 18: 25

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:3) 

When you leave this world you will be rich and you won't have your sin nature to use your richness and power in a selfish and hurtful way.  When you live and rule with The Lord Jesus Christ on this world for a thousand years, you will be richer than you could ever imagine. 

His “words” in you is the programing of your GPS system.  You will understand what to ask for and to also pray for God’s will to be done in your requests.  “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Prayer is cooperation with God, a consent that opens the way for grace to work.  Prayer is not our achieving contact with Him, but is is a gift of Him coming down to us from on high like a meteor, rather than up like a rocket.

Prayer exerts an influence upon God’s action.  That is what the word “answer” means.   God has chosen a different style of governing the world, a partnership, which relies on human agency and choice.  The partnership binds so tight that it becomes hard to distinguish who is doing what, God or the human partner.  God seems to do nothing of Himself which He can possibly delegate to you and me.

Prayer is the power by which that comes to pass which otherwise would not take place.

After it is engaged or turned on, listen to the “small still voice”.  Often we have loud external voices all around us that overpowers the inner voice of the Holy Spirit.  You need to find the volume control of those voices and turn them down, and turn up the “still small voice” within you.

The events in our lives are not random.  When we walk with God we have a destiny built in us.  God has given us each free will, and it is up to us to program ourselves to find His will for our lives.  The Holy Spirit will continually place opportunities , events, and people along each of our paths to help get us to where we need to go.  But if we sit by the side of the road waiting for our destiny to come to us, nothing will happen.  

It is important to get the right directions from God as for the plans He has for you.  As the Cheshire cat said to Alice, In Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

We have all been inspired by the children’s book “The Little Engine That Could”.  We admire how he reached way down inside himself to find the belief, the commitment, and the persistence to get a train full of toys to children waiting on the other side of the mountain.  Many people have become  “The Little Engine That Should”.  We should be going up the mountain, but we are still at the train station doubting ourselves and God.  God has people and events all along our journey positioned to help us get to our destiny.  But starting your engine and going forward is part of that “free will” God has given you.

There is a “small still voice” speaking to you as you read this message from the Lord.  He is asking you to turn on your GPS (God’s Positioning System) and let the Holy Spirit put people and events in your path.  You have “Path Power” and you have choices.  You can choose the path that leads to destruction or the path that leads to the happy abundant life.  Jesus put it this way:  “The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:14).  You need the Heavenly GPS (God’s Positioning System) that God wants to give you.  Begin by asking Him for it today, and then allow Him to help you use it.  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

(Thoughts and information for this sermon comes from Divine Alignment by Squire Rushnell - A great inspirational book)  For more sermons by Pastor Mark go to: www.sermonstotheworld.blogspot.com )