LOVING DARKNESS/EVIL MORE THAN LIGHT/RIGHTEOUSNESS By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths.  For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their…

ACKNOWLEDGE THE GLORY, HONOR AND POWER OF JESUS! “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” —Revelation 4:11             Our Lord is “to receive glory and honor and power.”  Why is this so?  It is because He has created all things.  It is by His will they exist and it is by His will they were created.  And in the beginning He said of His creation— “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).  Then sin entered the human race through Adam and Eve…

I AM FREE! To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. —Revelation 1:5-6             “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”  These words from the children’s song are not just for children, but for all people— “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  God so loves us that He sent Jesus to do a work that would…

JESUS WILL HAVE THE FINAL WORD! “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” —Jude 1:14-15 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and…

TRUE LOVE By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. —I John 5:2-3  And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. —II John 1:6 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. —II John 1:9             Faithful obedience…

YOU ARE EITHER RIGHTEOUS OR WICKED But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. —I John 3:17-18 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives. —Psalm 37:21             These verses above are very clear.  The wicked— they borrow and there is nothing wrong with that.  But, they do not repay what they borrowed and shows they are wicked.  They are actually thieves—stealing and using what is another’s for their personal…

LOVE’S DIRECTION Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. —I John 2:15-17             Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind?  And do you love your neighbor as yourself?  These are the two great commandments Jesus gave us…

SUFFERING— ENTRUST YOURSELF TO OUR LORD For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. —-I Peter 3:17 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. —I Peter 4:15-16 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. —I Peter 4:19             There are those who suffer for doing what is good.  Consider what our Lord said about Job—- “Then…

GOD’S WORD IS FULLY TRUSTWORTHY “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. —I Peter 1:24-25             Grass withers and dies.  So too, the flowers fall.  We especially see that happen at this time of the year in New Hampshire.  The grass was green and flourishing this summer, but not now.  The flowers were out in bloom, but not now.  Few leaves cling to their branches.  The seasons pass so quickly.  Our lives are like that as well. …

THE BREVITY OF LIFE Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” —James 4:13-15             Our lives are so short here on earth, but it is amazing that whoever calls on Jesus will be saved (Romans 10:13) and will spend eternity with Jesus in that perfect place,…