PHILIPPIANS 3

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 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,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

WHAT WILL YOU GIVE UP FOR CHRIST?

This morning I finished reading the book of Acts, how struck I was by the commitment and passion of these early believers.

They gave up everything for CHRIST.

Look at Paul, he could have been high priest but all that was rubbish to him.

It reminds me of CT Studd who gave up a glittering cricket career to go to China and later to Africa.

He was greatly challenged by a tract written by an atheist, who said:

“Did I firmly believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away all earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in its cause alone. I would take thought for the tomorrow of eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences should never stay my hand, nor seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to the world and preach it in season and out of season and my text would be, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

CT Studd was greatly influenced by this tract, so am I.

People like the Mormons serve two years overseas, Muslims pray five times per day, other religious faiths can quote large portions of their so called sacred scriptures, which in reality are rubbish, but Christians who have the truth, don’t read on it, meditate on it and treasure it.

In China, believers get up at 4am to pray and read the bible, I know of many, they sacrifice money, prestige and security to serve Christ.

Many have pledged their lives to the cause of the gospel, in our pampered western church, they put us to shame.

What have we given up for CHRIST?

Sunday morning is not enough!

Wednesday night is not enough!

The only thing that is enough is:

YOUR WHOLE LIFE

amen

KK

DEVOTION 2

IT’S GOOD TO..LISTEN

LUKE 10

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

So OFTEN we talk incessantly.

But our greatest need is not to talk, but to listen, not just to people, but especially to God.

We come to God in prayer and part of prayer is talking to God, but an equal part of prayer is listening to him.

It’s great to come and pour out our prayers to God, Psalm 62 says this:

8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

I once heard a very challenging sermon that encouraged us to listen for as long as we speak to God. Maybe that is why God gave us two ears and one mouth, or maybe it was to stop us falling over!

The word cumbered in the English means to obstruct or hinder, it seems to me that actually serving Jesus hindered Martha from Communion with Jesus.

How many Christians serve God with a fervency and that is right and good, but it is not the best?

Service for God can and does hinder our communion with God, for it is our communion with God that gives us the power to actually serve God.. amen

We need to spend as much time listening to GOD as speaking to HIM.

He is always speaking to us, but are we too busy to hear Him?

Serving GOD is amazing, but sitting at his feet is even better. Luke 10:38-42

How much time have you spent alone with GOD today?

We are surrounded by noise and the hustle and bustle of life, we need as JESUS said to come apart and rest a while, if we don’t, that’s when we fall apart.

Mark 6:31

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, andrestawhile: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

GOD BLESS YOU

KK

JEREMIAH 7

9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

COMING TO THE RIGHT PLACE IN THE WRONG WAY

Coming to the house of God is a very serious business, we often come to church, but we treat it more like a car wash than a church.

We think we can come and have our sin forgiven and go out into the world and commit whatever sin we want, because we have completed our religious duty.

Paul says to us examine yourself to see if you are in the faith:

2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Let us ask ourselves some questions.

Do we come into Church on time or late?

Do we come to spend time with God or to meet with our friends?

Do we give the service your full concentration, especially through the sermon?

The situation in Jeremiah’s time, is not dissimilar to our time, the people were outwardly religious, they had all the religious trappings, but in reality, they were far from God.

They were Sunday Christians who acted like pagans the rest of the week. They lied, lusted and swore during the six days and then came and justified themselves whilst in God’s house.

As I said earlier, we treat Church, like we treat a car wash, we go to have all the dirt taken off the car and now we can go home with a bright shiny car. We act like that in church, we can come to church, say a few prayers and do our religious duty, but this stinks in the nostrils of God.

Let us come to the house of God in the right way, in the spirit of reverence, fear and worship. Ready to sit at our masters feet and to learn from him.

God bless you

KK

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JEREMIAH 7

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

ARE YOU GOING BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS?

God gives us commands, and these are meant for us to obey: John 14:15

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” God tells the children of Israel to obey his commandments, but would they obey.. the answer is NO.

In verse 23, God lays before us the blessings of obedience, but did they want to listen…NO. The words at the end of verse 24: and went backward, and not forward.

Are you going backwards or forwards in your Christian life?

Are you going backwards or forwards in your prayer life?

Are you going backwards or forwards in your bible reading?

If you are going backwards in your Christian life, means you have not listen to the voice of God and are acting in disobedience.

No Christian ever stands still in their walk with God, we go forward in obedience or backwards in disobedience.

Which are you doing?

God bless you

KK

1 JOHN 2  

18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

IDENTIFYING THE DECEIVERS

How can you identify false teachers?

What is their distinguishing feature?

All through the NT, many false teachers came to deceive the church. The Church in Galatia was troubled by the Judaizers who taught that it was Jesus plus, today we would class them as the Roman Catholic church, indeed Roman Catholicism is the plus religion.

In Galatians 1 verses 6-9 Paul pronounces a curse on these people, strong words, yes, but these are true words.

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

These people went forth from the church, because they couldn’t stand discernment in the church or discipline from the church.

These false preachers went forth from the church, so that they would be outed by the Lord.

Paul warns the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, that even some of them will turn out to be false teachers:

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

It is a warning to us, that not everyone, even though they may be a so called bible teacher, may not be all, they say they are.

My dear friend Victor Jack, has a wonderful ministry in Suffolk England, a Christian conference Centre and he is an active evangelist, but still he is active and committed in his local church.

The distinguishing feature, will be that they will persevere, they will continue with the church, they will be accountable to the local church and work under it’s auspices.

So many come and share today and you say” well, what church are you with”?

They say “oh I’ve no church”.

Be aware that ministry is usually connected to a biblical local church, yes I have this ministry, but I am accountable to the local church.

Be a member of your local church, don’t leave it to go out on your own.

KK

JEREMIAH 23

21“I did not send the prophets,

yet they ran;

I did not speak to them,

yet they prophesied.

22 But if they had stood in my council,

then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,

and they would have turned them from their evil way,

    and from the evil of their deeds.

 FALSE PROPHETS

I think Jeremiah 23 is one of the most sobering chapters of the Bible; to pastors this is a terrible rebuke. I have taken these two verses to illustrate the effect of false teachers on a nation.

So how do we know these false teachers? In 2 John they were identified as those who proclaimed that Jesus Christ had not come in the flesh.

In the text from Jeremiah, we have another sign of false teachers: A refusal to call sinners to repentance.  The only way to see people truly come to Christ is to preach the Word of God, so they repent.

False teachers, whether they teach prosperity gospel, the potential gospel or any other gospel, teach that we are the ones in control of our lives and do not need to worry about sin and repentance.  This shows a complete disregard for the message of repentance and faith which is necessary for the sinner to be saved and for Christians to be restored.

To all Pastors and all church workers: We need to preach repentance and faith. Are you preaching the whole counsel of God? Are you drawing people to God through your message of repentance? Are the members of your church turning from their evil ways and starting to live for God and Him alone?

 Do you want to see our society transformed? Preach the message of repentance and faith. Do you want a healthy church?  Preach the message of repentance and faith.  Do you want your marriage and family to honor God? Preach a message of repentance and faith.

 Paul said be instant in season and out of season 2 Timothy 4. In other words, whatever circumstance we are in, we are to PREACH THE WORD.

Whether we are in times of blessing or in times of hardship, we are to do the same thing and that is to preach Christ crucified.

When we are going through times of blessing, we sometimes stop preaching Christ crucified. We are never to stop this biblical preaching.

Fashions and fads come into the church, but sound preaching is the foundation of any church, it is word of God powerfully preached that is used by the spirit of God to transform lives.

ARE YOU PREACHING THE WORD?

GOD BLESS YOU

KK

MICAH 7 

18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

THERE IS NO ONE LIKE OUR GOD

What a finish to this glorious Book- just absolutely wonderful!

The answer I know I can give and I hope you can too is:

THERE IS NO GOD LIKE OUR GOD

Why? Because he is the only one who can pardon sin. Because Jesus has dealt with and broken sin’s authority over us, it’s hold has been smashed in pieces and the curtain has been torn – allowing us to enter the holy place of God’s presence through the blood of the lamb.. AMEN.

The Jews in this book of Micah had been told so much of what was wrong with them. Corruption and idol worship were rampant throughout the land and yet God gave this amazing promise to his People.

I wonder if your land is full of sin and idol worship. Well, this is the promise God holds out to you: it is this, that your land: your community can be saved because God is the one who pardons sin.

What Man has broken, God puts back together. Sin brings forth death, Jesus brings life. He brings life, because we are no longer under the curse of sin, no one else could rid the world of the curse, he had to become a curse for us.

Millions and millions of people hope to reach God, they pray five times a day, they worship stone idols etc, but these things cannot change man’s heart, only one thing can.

Man needs to have a new heart, the heart of sin has to be replaced by the heart of flesh Ezekiel 36.

The story of the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel could only be brought to life by God, no buddha could do it, no Mohammed could do it, only Christ could do it.

When God saves a man/woman, he passes from death to life. We are removed from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light. Ephesians 2:1-8.

THEREFORE

We need to proclaim the main difference between the one true God and the many false gods around today and it is summed up in these verses. Our God can deal with sin. He can pardon our sin if we come to him in repentance. These idols which people bow down to, of wood and stone, are objects. They cannot save from sin, they cannot pardon sin, they cannot have mercy and compassion on the sinner.

No Buddha or Mohammed can pardon sin and deal in mercy. They do nothing for man. They are just men. There is only one true God… He says in Exodus 3:14..’I AM THAT I AM.’

OUR GOD IS LIKE NO OTHER… AMEN

Let’s tell the world!!!

God bless you

Keith

2 TIMOTHY 2 

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

BEING A SOLID SOLDIER

Paul was writing these words chained to a Roman soldier, so he had a good reference point. He saw this soldier day after day, and he observed all that the soldiers did and all that they said.

He observed these soldiers, and his master piece is in Ephesians 6 where he describes the armour of a Christian.

In Roman times the soldiers had to sleep out in the open when they were in battle format; they didn’t have comfortable beds to sleep in. They had to endure marching through mud, in the rain and living in difficulty, as we are to expect. The Christian life is not a bed of roses…Amen. Some of the soldiers guarding Paul must have had hardened or weather-beaten faces. They had been through it; they had fought many battles and marched many miles.

Matthew Henry says:

II. He must endure hardness (v. 3): Thou therefore, etc. 1. All Christians, but especially ministers, are soldiers of Jesus Christ; they fight under his banner, in his cause, and against his enemies, for he is the captain of our salvation, Heb. 2:10. 2. The soldiers of Jesus Christ must approve themselves good soldiers, faithful to their captain, resolute in his cause, and must not give over fighting till they are made more than conquerors, through him that loved them, Rom. 8:37. 3. Those who would approve themselves good soldiers of Jesus Christ must endure hardness; that is, we must expect it and count upon it in this world, must endure and accustom ourselves to it, and bear it patiently when it comes, and not be moved by it from our integrity.

Their focus was on pleasing their commander, so they were not entangled with the world. To be entangled is to be caught up with something. you cannot serve two masters. There is no way you can be a soldier of Jesus and a lover of the world, as Demas was to show sadly later in this book. He made the wrong decision… Amen.

We are under the command of Christ, we serve him and not ourselves.

Everything about that soldier was concerned about service, for his commanding officer. He kept his armour shining, he focused on his job, he marched. All he did was for the one who called Him to be a soldier.

How much more, as soldiers of the King of Kings, must our focus and service be to the one who has called us out of darkness, into his marvellous light, to share his glorious gospel.

Matthew Henry says these words

III. He must not entangle himself in the affairs of this world, v. 4. A soldier, when he has enlisted, leaves his calling, and all the business of it, that he may attend his captain’s orders. If we have given up ourselves to be Christ’s soldiers, we must sit loose to this world; and though there is no remedy, but we must employ ourselves in the affairs of this life while we are here (we have something to do here), we must not entangle ourselves with those affairs, so as by them to be diverted and drawn aside from our duty to God and the great concerns of our Christianity. Those who will war the good warfare must sit loose to this world. That we may please him who hath chosen us to be soldiers. Observe, 1. The great care of a soldier should be to please his general; so, the great care of a Christian should be to please Christ, to approve ourselves to him. The way to please him who hath chosen us to be soldiers is not to entangle ourselves with the affairs of this life, but to be free from such entanglements as would hinder us in our holy warfare.

So many believers think they get sit in an easy chair on the battle field, warfare is going on all around them, and they are idling their time away.

This relates to time spent on our cell phones, It is easier to play on your cell phone for an hour, believe me, been there done that, this is entangling yourself with the world.

The more you entangle yourself with the world, the more it will start to choke you. 

Your Christian service and Christian fervour will be slowly squeezed out of you.

There are millions of believers, some of them sit in churches today, but they are pale shadows, they have entangled themselves with the world.

They are also thousands and thousands of people like Demas, who have loved this present world, they were once fervently serving Christ, but now they won’t darken the doors of a church,

Don’t be a Demas.

10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

Let us behave like true soldiers of the kings of kings.

God bless you

Keith