Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. 1Chronicles 16: 23-25 ESV
 
     From the beginning of time when man sinned, there was a need for a Savior. God, in his love, mercy, and grace, made a plan to restore us unto himself. When reading 1 Chronicles, it may seem difficult to understand the importance of going through the genealogy of every generation of God’s chosen people. We must remember; God is a God of order and promise. When the angel appeared to Mary and foretold the birth of Christ, it is important to remember, that from the line and throne of King David, Jesus would come. (Luke 1:32) The Bible teaches many will come, saying, “They are the Christ.” (Luke 21:8) Because God made a clear road map in the genealogies of His people, we can know for sure. Also through the history and failures of those who are listed in this genealogy, we see there was no one who was perfect enough to fulfill all that was needed to restore man to God. It is also encouraging to see how God uses us, in spite of our imperfections, to accomplish His perfect will. The perfect will of restoring us to relationship and worship of Him alone is needed. How is this restoration applied?
 
THE PERFECT SACRIFICE FOR SIN:
     When John the Baptist was baptizing and preaching by the Jordan, Jesus came to be baptized. When John saw him coming, this is what he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 ESV  The Lamb of God was God in the flesh, in order to be the perfect sacrifice needed to redeem/restore us unto himself. You were ransomed …… not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV  This was necessary, for we know that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. This also shows the seriousness of sin and death, for the only antidote for sin is blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 ESV  Jesus paid the price for our sins with his own blood on the cross.
 
CONFESSION AND BELIEVING:
     If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10 ESV  There are many who think all they must do is live right and do good to experience restoration, but this would imply that they did not need a Savior as provided by God. It was asked by some religious individuals in the Bible, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them,“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6: 28-29 ESV This is the first and greatest work a person can do. In doing so, you confess that there is salvation in no other. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved Acts 4:12 ESV
 
     Let us never fail to make known how God has restored us through His Son Jesus. May we live daily 1 Chronicles 16: 23-25……. Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

Honor your father and your MOTHER Exodus 20:12 & Ephesians 5:2
 
     We do not know much about the early life of Jesus. We know of his birth, when the wise men found him, when his family fled to Egypt and returned, and when at twelve years old he was found in the temple by his parents, and he commented to his mother, Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Fathers house? Luke 2:49 ESV We also know as he grew that Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 ESV But what kind of son was he to his mother? Without a doubt he was perfect. Perfect because we know He was the perfect Lamb of God sent to redeem us from our sins. To have been anything less than perfect would have proven He was not the Son of God who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. There are three glimpses in scripture showing how Jesus honored and cared for his mother.
 
He Was Submissive
     And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51 ESV I cannot imagine what it must have been like to have been the mother of Jesus. Everyday as you watched him grow you remembered the words spoken to you by the angel Gabriel. “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! Luke 1:28 ESV……. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son Of the Most High. Luke 1:32 ESV……. And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called Holy-the Son of God Luke 1:36 ESV Everything had transpired just as the angel had said and now each day you were living in the amazement that you were watching the Son of God grow up in your house. He was perfect in every way. He was never disobedient and always submissive to whatever you asked him to do. He lived exactly the way he commanded every child to live- to be submissive, which shows honor towards your mother. Honor your father and your MOTHER. Exodus 20:12… Ephesians 5:2 ESV
 
He Honored His Mother As An Adult Child
     The second chapter of John tells the story of a wedding that Jesus, his disciples, and mother attended. A dilemma occurred while they were there; the host ran out of wine. How was it that Mary knew Jesus could fix it? What had she seen over the years that gave her this confidence? We don’t know, but she said to the servants at the wedding to “do whatever my Son tells you to do.” (vs5) Jesus honored his mother by making the water into wine. Not just any wine, but premium wine, better than what was available at the beginning of the wedding. Do you suppose the servants looked at Mary and then her Son and said thank you? Perhaps the bridegroom came over and thanked them profusely. But this is for sure; he honored his mother by doing what she knew he could do.
 
Jesus Cared For His Mother At His Death
     In the day when Jesus lived, widows and orphans had a very difficult life. (James 1:27) On the cross when Jesus was dying, He basically said to his disciple, “ Take care of my mother.” When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26-27 ESV
 
     Jesus has shown in every aspect of life how we are to live. Even how we should live in relation to our parents, and on this day, especially our mothers. So today we want to honor and bless all those mothers who gave us life. For the sacrifices which are never known by many children because moms just do what moms do. For all the things we may have taken for granted over the years. May we give you the honor that you are due, not just today, but everyday, just as I believe Jesus did for His mother. Thank you for loving, giving , and caring. You are a blessing that will influence generations until Jesus returns. May we never forget…. Happy Mother’s Day!!!!!
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     There were two prophets in 2 Kings, Elijah and Elisha, who walked with God and spoke to the people as instructed by God. They worked many miracles by the hand of God. One with leprosy was healed; life was breathed back into one who had died; food multiplied for a widow who needed to pay her debt; waters were healed; fire was called down from the heavens; and many other dramatic events surrounded them. Elijah was actually introduced in 1 Kings, and we can read the many things he did as God’s spokesman. Elijah ascended into heaven (2 Kings 2), and Elisha succeeded him as a prophet of God to His people. Elisha did not ascend into heaven but died and was buried. (2 Kings 13:14) These two men were greatly used by God to reveal his ways, instructions, and warnings to His people to worship God alone. Neither of these men could do what was needed to redeem man to God. These two prophets were not perfect men because they were conceived in sin just as every other person was on the face of the earth. However, there was one foretold and born who was not conceived in sin but by the Holy Spirit. Jesus, God’s only Son, was the one foretold by the prophets of old, who would take away the sins of the world. Jesus, being totally man yet totally God in the flesh, was the Perfect Prophet who came into the world, enabling us to be made right with God. Not only did Jesus perform many miracles and instruct us as to how we are to live before God, but He also restored and indwelt us by the Holy Spirit. In doing so Jesus made it possible to walk with God and have the relationship that was lost because of sin. What does the Perfect Prophet look like?
 
HE HAS NO SIN
     For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been temped as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 ESV The priest in the Old Testament would go before God on behalf of His people offering blood sacrifices for their sins. These priests were not perfect men, but men set apart for this purpose. The Bible teaches there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22) This should make one understand the seriousness of sin before a Holy God. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God sent for the purpose of taking away our sins. John the Baptist introduces him by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29 ESV To be the perfect Lamb of God, He had to be sinless; and of course, He was, because He was God made flesh.
 
HE PERFECTS OUR FAITH
     Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God. Hebrews 12:2 ESV What is the perfect faith for us? It is the faith by which we are saved in grace. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 ESV What makes faith perfect before God? It is the redeeming blood of the Lamb and the faith to believe He can save you from all your sins. Believing you can be forgiven of your sins is to recognize you are a sinner in need of saving grace, by faith which he perfects in us.
 
HE HAS PERFECT PATIENCE
     But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16 ESV Paul, before he was a believer, was blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent of Jesus; however, he received mercy because he acted in unbelief. Yet he received mercy by grace because Jesus had come to save sinners, which describes every one of us. That is just how much He loves us! (1 Timothy 1: 13-15)
 
     Today you may think you could never live the Christian life, so why try? You would be right in your thinking except for one thing. JESUS !!! He is the perfect Lamb of God who will work in you good works and accomplish what you can never do on your own. This is why so many become frustrated in the Christian walk. We try to be perfect; which is exactly what we are to be, but not by our abilities, but by the work of Jesus on the cross. When you believe and trust in Him as Savior, repent and ask forgiveness of your sins against Him, He forgives you and begins working (sanctification) a work in your life until that day when He will graduate you to heaven. Remember, as Christians, because of our Perfect Prophet, He will complete what He has begun. And I am sure of this, that he who has began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 ESV
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. 2 Samuel 7:16 ESV
 
     And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1: 31-33 ESV
 
     In an age of immediate gratification, is it hard to imagine eternity and waiting upon the Lord’s return? However, Christians are to do so because they believe that God is eternal. We are told how to do so in various scriptures in order to be a witnesses of all that we believe. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:1-2 ESV ….. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6: 11b -12 ESV …. These are just two of many passages instructing us how we are to live as Christians. We believe every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the Glory of God. (Philippians 2:9-11 … Romans 14:11)
 
The Throne Established:
     But of the Son he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. Hebrews 1:8 ESV Revelation teaches of the throne of God and of worshipping day and night, acknowledging that he is forever. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty -four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “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 4:9-11 ESV
 
Jesus, the Son of The Most High Given the Throne:
     The sovereign God of the universe gave the throne to Jesus, his Son. God appointed David as king and promised his kingdom would carry on forever. (2 Samuel 7:16) God accomplished this promise through his only begotten Son. (Luke 1:31-33)

His Kingdom will Be Eternal:
     Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you King of the Jews?” John 18:33 ESV …. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” John 18: 36a ESV Jesus was offered all the kingdoms of this world if he would worship Satan, but the kingdoms of this world were not that for which he came. (Luke 4:6-8) Paul, when going through many difficult times, knew where his final destination would be. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:18 ESV Paul could say that because he knew that Jesus’s kingdom was eternal. Could a dead king have spoken to him on the road to Damascus? Paul no doubt believed the lies that Jesus’s body was stolen by his followers, but no more. Not after the Damascus road. Paul probably would have sung the songs we sing today, had they been written. Songs such as, “The King is Coming,” “I Serve a Risen Savior,” or “Because He lives.”

Christian, we sing the songs to an everlasting / eternal King on a throne that will never end. Let us be grateful for a kingdom of which we are a part. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28 ESV
 
Because of His Grace~ Pastor David

     We know that Christ being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Romans 6:9 ESV
 
     I heard the question asked this week, “What is the greatest historical event in the history of the world?” I thought, the resurrection of course, at least for all those who believe. As I pondered that question through the rest of my week, I wondered; how many others believe this to be the greatest historical event of history? This one event literally changed and affected the whole world. There are those who do not believe the resurrection ever happened, and those who believe so strongly that they would die before they would renounce the resurrection. In fact, many have died refusing to deny the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If there were no resurrection, all that we believe and hope for in Jesus, would be for nothing. The resurrection defines who we are as Christians. Jesus, who was God in the flesh, came and lived among his creation for the purpose of redeeming us to himself. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10 ESV Jesus came to give us abundant life; abundant because it will have no end, and it is a life that is fill with the Holy Spirit. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 ESV The life found by Jesus will be abundant because in Christ we have our identity as Christians. We are not who we are because of what we do; we are who we are because of what Jesus has done and will yet do in us.

Jesus Conquered Death
We know that Christ being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Romans 6:9 ESV  When they went to the tomb on resurrection morning, he was not there! But the angle said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:5-6 ESV
 
Jesus, By Grace, Makes Believers Righteous
     For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the ABUNDANCE OF GRACE and THE FREE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS reign IN LIFE THROUGH the one man JESUS CHRIST. Romans 5:17 ESV Many attempt to work their way to heaven, but the work has already been done by Christ on the cross. How could a person ever imagine doing a greater work than the cross? If a person believed righteousness came as a result their works, it would be like saying the cross was not quite enough to accomplish my righteous redemption. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
 
Jesus Will Come Again
     In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN and will take you to myself that where I am you may be also. John 14:2-3 ESV Do you believe this? Always remember, what you believe will determine how you live. As Christians we should live with anticipation that Jesus’s return could be at any moment. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-13 ESV
 
     Oh, the grace and mercy that I have experienced and received in my own life by Jesus is beyond exclamation. I can only imagine looking upon Jesus’s face one day. His face will one day be seen by all, as they pass into eternity. Will you be ready, by receiving all that has been made available to you by God through his Son Jesus? Jesus is absolutely the only way to God. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 ESV Jesus must be everything to you….. Savior, Master, Lord, Redeemer, King, and more than one could ever express, but would die trying to do so. In him we live and move and have our being. Acts17:28a ESV May this be the testimony of all who go by the name Christian, so that those who are lost and perishing may come to know Christ. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ESV
 
Because of His Grace~ Pastor David

     And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name JESUS. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1:31-33 ESV
 
 
     A king, in Bible days, was one who had ultimate authority over those who were a part of his kingdom. When a king makes a decree or puts into place a law, then all in that kingdom must follow that law, or be subject to punishment as determined by that king. It would be easy to understand that if you had an evil king, you would suffer under his leadership; but if you had a good king, you would prosper. In 1 Samuel chapter 8, Samuel warned the Jewish people, who were desiring an earthly king, about the ways of an earthly king. They did not listen to the warnings of Samuel because they wanted to be like other nations (vs 20). Not much changed in the desire of the people from Samuel’s time to the time Jesus was born into the world. People still wanted a king to rule over them. Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountains by himself. John 6:20 ESV Jesus was already a king, just not of this world, which he made clear when he stood before Pilate. My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. John 18:36 ESV Jesus is King! He is King over all creation, and has set in place a divine decree that all who become a part of his kingdom do so by being born into his kingdom. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 ESV Nicodemus asked how this was possible because he lacked understanding as to how a man might be born again. Today we can understand this, and how this is possible as explained in 1Peter 1:3 ESV: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The truth is that everyone belongs to one kingdom or the other – the kingdom of this world, which is under the strong influence of Satan, or the kingdom of God / Jesus, which is not of this world. This earthly kingdom is going to pass away, but the kingdom which is not of this world, will have no end. (Luke 1:31-33) Becoming a part of this kingdom is not the result of a physical birth, but a Spiritual birth, as stated above: being born again. Do you desire to make Jesus King of your life? Let me share with you where to start.
 
REPENT: John the Baptist preached it, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2 ESV Jesus preached it, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 ESV Repenting is the change of direction and thought process in your life. It is being sorry for the sins you have committed against God, and it is the desire to follow Him the rest of your days in this earthly life.
 
BELIEVE THE GOSPEL: These are the words of Jesus in the last part of Mark 1:15. The gospel simply means good news. The good news is that Jesus came into the world, died in our place, and rose from the grave that we might have eternal life through him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13 ESV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
 
RECEIVE: Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38 ESV  The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire passion of it, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13 ESV  The difference between people who know about Jesus, and those know Jesus as Savior, is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. To know him as Savior is to have the Holy Spirit living in you. The Holy Spirit makes you a part of the kingdom of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus is your king, and you will follow as he decrees in your life. Do you live by the decrees given by King Jesus, or do you listen to the one of this world? No one can serve two kingdoms, for you will either be a part of God’s kingdom through Christ, or continue to live in the kingdom of darkness. There are only two kingdoms; of which one are you a part of today?
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     Redeemer…. a person who brings goodness, honor, etc., to something again: a person who redeems something. (Merriam Webster) Synonyms … deliverer, savior, rescuer, saver
 
 
 
     In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7 ESV
 
 
     In the book of Ruth, we read the story concerning the death of her husband that caused a separation from the family in which she once live. Death always causes separation. Every person upon the earth has been separated from the family of God because of death. Death, caused by sin, and without exception, continues to cause the decay of all life, and all that God had made good. Because of the death of Ruth’s husband, she, just trying to survive, gleaned from the fields owned by Boaz. The human race lives gleaning any blessing of hope from the greater blessings of God. God does not want us to just glean from His fields of blessing but to be restored to family status by His abundant grace. Just as Boaz took Ruth as his bride, so God through Jesus, our Redeemer, wants us to be the bride of Christ. How did God make this redemption possible?

BLOOD … “In him we have redemption through his blood.” The “him” is Jesus, God’s only Son, the Savior of all who are covered by His blood. The Bible teaches, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Hebrews 9:22b ESV  Death, caused by sin, separates us from God, but Jesus His son willingly gave His life as a ransom, deliverer, and redeemer from judgement and death. God wants us to experience life in abundance, not just to pick up the pieces. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 ESV
 
FORGIVENESS OF SIN … He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 ESV Every person who has become the bride of Christ no longer lives in Satan’s domain of death, but has become a resident in the kingdom of Jesus. Forgiveness; what a sweet word to those who struggle every day just to exist. In Christ we don’t just exist, rather our identity is in Him. In him we live and move and have our being. Acts17:28 ESV
 
RICH GRACE …. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised up with him and seated us with him is the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6 ESV
 
     Christian, glean no longer for you are the bride of Christ. You have been redeemed by the blood, forgiven, and now live in the abundant grace of God. Your citizenship is in heaven, not because of who you are in yourself, but who you are in Christ. Live redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and proclaim it to all …. I HAVE BEEN REDEEMED!!!!!!
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     The historical account of Judges makes clear that people need a leader sent and ordained by God. When a ruler / judge was sent by God to deliver His people out of the bondage of sinful practices, the people would live for God as long as the ruler / judge lived. However, when that ruler died, they would revert back to ungodly living and follow false gods, placing themselves once again in bondage. Because we, today, can see the pattern of people in the book of Judges, we can see the need for Jesus who is the eternal perfect ruler. People will always be influenced by the leader they serve. The question we must ask ourselves is “Who do I follow?” The Bible makes clear that no one can serve two masters. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24 EVS What dominates your life/thoughts can become the master/god of your life. Remember the first of the ten commandments. You shall have no others gods before me. Exodus 20:3 ESV Jesus was asked by a Pharisees, “Teacher which is the greatest commandment in the law?” to which Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 ESV If you are loving God as the desire of your heart, soul, and mind, you will have no other gods before him, and Jesus will be the ruler of your life. So how do we make Jesus the judge / ruler in our life so that we will follow?
 
First, We Know That Jesus Is Eternal:
     Unlike the judges / rulers in the book of Judges that died, Jesus will never die, so we can follow with confidence. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Romans 6:9 ESV Most of the disciples fled in fear the night of his crucifixion, but after His resurrection they followed him to their death. They could die in their devotion to Jesus, for they knew that they served a risen Savior.
 
Second We Follow His Teachings:
     Every Christian will follow the teaching of Jesus. He walked with his disciples and taught them how they should live in this world. We, as Christians, have something the disciples did not have before His death, burial, and resurrection, and that is the indwelling Holy Spirit. This makes every Christian the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, speaking to His disciples, told them of the coming Holy Spirit that would come and live in them. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all I have said to you. John 14:26 ESV ….. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV
 
Live, Walk, And Work In Grace:
     Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 ESV ….. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared  beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2: 8-10 ESV In other words, live on purpose for God, giving him the glory for all the He has done for you and in you.
     In Judges the people fell away when the leaders died, but we serve a living ruler and a judge who is eternal. Let me leave you with the words and challenge of 2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV… I charge you in the presence of God and Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Live as Jesus taught…Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind. Matthew 22:37
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     To him the gate keeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. John 10: 3-4 ESV
 
     Joshua was leading God’s chosen people out of the wilderness and into the promised land. God opened the Jordan River for them to cross into the land that he had promised. It was a rich land flowing with milk and honey; in other words, it was a very rich land with all the provision one would ever need. The wilderness wanderings were finished, and now the people were going to take possession of the land. In possessing the land many battles were to be fought, but God had already orchestrated the outcome by fighting for his people. The people acted in obedience, and God gave them victory over enemies that were bigger and stronger. Jesus, as did Joshua, leads his sheep out of the bondage of the wilderness of sin and into a life of promise. Life that will have battles but also the promise of citizenship in heaven, and dwelling in the presence of God for eternity will be the ultimate gift. Christians, the victory was won on the cross, and we are called to follow wherever he leads us. In battles we face every day, the victory is sure because we have the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us. He who is in you is greater the he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 ESV As we journey to all that God has promised, for those who believe in His Son Jesus and confess their sin unto repentance, let us follow as we hear his voice.
 
IT IS A PERSONAL CALL : He calls his own sheep by name. Becoming a sheep that has a name is the result of the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. It is not a universal call in that everyone in the world is saved because of the cross, but a personal call to repentance for the forgiveness of sin. The promise of Heaven is for all who go by the name Christian as a result of repenting and believing. Heaven is a place flowing with the presence of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All that we will ever need in Heaven is to be in His presence.
 
HE, JESUS, WILL LEAD US : He leads them out ….. he goes before them. Jesus will never lead you to a place that he has not already been. Joshua had never lived in the promise land, but Jesus came from the heaven promised, and returned there to prepare a place for us. When he left Heaven to become flesh, he also took on all the flesh experiences except sin. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, so he was totally God, and born of a woman, being totally man. Flesh that had emotions, pain, and physical boundaries. He needed sleep, felt hungry, and every other experience that came with being flesh. We can be encouraged because he overcame the world in the flesh. (John 16:33) Tempted in every fashion as we are tempted, yet without sin.(Hebrews 4:15) He calls us, as he did those whom he did not condemn in the Bible, to go and sin no more. ( John 8: 10-11) The closer we follow Jesus the more repulsive sin will become to us, and he will never lead us in a way that will cause us to sin. Sin can only be attractive to those who have not experienced the saving grace of Christ. To those who are in Christ, you are in constant remembrance that your sin was the cause for which Jesus died in your place. The closer you follow to Jesus the more keenly aware you are of this fact and desire to sin no more.
 
HIS SHEEP WILL FOLLOW : The sheep follow him for they know his voice. In Bible times shepherds would bring their sheep together to graze in the fields. At the end of the day when it was time to depart, the shepherds would begin to call out and the sheep would follow the voice of their particular shepherd. So it is with every person… we follow a voice from within. Whoever or whatever controls our life will be the voice we follow. The Bible is clear that you cannot serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24) There is only one voice that we should listen for and that is the voice of Jesus. If you are not listening, then your heart is in danger of becoming hardened, and we are warned by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in rebellion. Hebrews 3:7 ESV  Today, Jesus speaks to us from the Bible, giving us clear direction as to how we should live. I believe there are times the Holy Spirit speaks to us and impresses us to do or take action concerning a matter, but it will always be in agreement with biblical principles. Jesus calls us to follow Him in the Bible when he said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 ESV We follow him not on a literal cross but by putting to death every day the sins of the flesh for which he died upon the cross. In doing so we become living sacrifices as described in chapter twelve verse one of Romans. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as LIVING SACRIFICES, HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, which is your spiritual worship.”
 
     In closing I pose the question, to what flock do you belong? Is your shepherd’s voice the one who died upon the cross for your sin, or is he the shepherd which will ultimately destroy you? We all will serve one or the other. We consciously serve Jesus or in some cases consciously or unconsciously serve the way of the Satan. The reason I say this is because at the end of life there will be a judgement and everyone will reap what they have sown. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:8 ESV So let me ask again, “What shepherd voice are you following?”
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-4 ESV
 
     Moses, in the book of Deuteronomy, reminds the people of everything they experienced in the wilderness and reiterates all that is required in the law as instructed by God. As I read the book, it was overwhelming trying to remember the details of the law, and then thinking about living by the letter of the law in order to be holy and acceptable before God. The scriptures teach, without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14) Living holy should be the desire of every Christian, and it is our calling to do so. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 ESV  When the people to whom Moses was speaking didn’t keep the law, a sacrifice had to be offered before God as an act of atonement and repentance. This emphasizes the seriousness of sin, and, without exception, will always have a consequence. God will not have fellowship with sin, and this leaves a void in the life He would otherwise occupy. The requirement for the consequence of sin… sacrifice…. has not changed, but God Himself sent his only Son, Jesus, to meet the requirement of sacrifice for us. Jesus is our HOPE of assurance that we can be made right before God. God, in his mercy, fulfilled once and for all the requirement of the law concerning sin. Jesus, the perfect lamb of God without blemish or the flaw of sin, became the ultimate sacrifice for sin to anyone who would call upon His name. Let us look to 1 Peter 1: 3-4 as to the hope we have in Jesus, knowing how we should live, how it was made possible, and what we should expect as Christians.

LIVE BEING A BLESSING TO GOD.
Bless the Lord,O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Psalms 103:1 ESV  This should be the desire for everyone who has received the benefit of his sacrifice for their sins. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4 ESV God has done more than mere words could express, by fulfilling the requirement of the law for us. How could we not want to live strong under grace, bringing him glory? By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:8 ESV We must always remember: life is not about us,but rather about He who saved us by His amazing grace.
 
MADE POSSIBLE BY MERCY & THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD
     But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved- and raised up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6 ESV Jesus was in the grave only three days, and then was resurrected from the dead. He walked the earth forty days, and then ascended to the Father and is seated by the right hand of God. God did all this in mercy, that we might receive forgiveness of sin and be alive in Christ.
 
EXPECTING THE INHERITANCE OF HEAVEN
     Our inheritance is a life eternal in heaven with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As the people, Israel, in Deuteronomy were to take possession of the promise land so will Christians receive the promise of heaven. They would take possession as promised by God, and by his provisional hand making it possible. The lands had armies that were greater than the army of Israel, but not greater than God, who fought for them. So it is with the church today. By ourselves we are no match for Satan and his demons, but as stated in 1 John 4: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (ESV) We can expect heaven not because we made it on our own, but because of grace. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one man boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
 
     I thank God for His mercy and grace which make salvation and heaven possible. Let me close with the verse of a hymn I can so relate to. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” This make Jesus, and rightly so ….. my only hope.
 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David