The Signs of the Times

video: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YYCOiFDo_BE

Matthew 16:2-3 …….. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

This is a rebuke from Jesus. He obviously wants us to be able to interpret the signs of the times. He implies that we can do this as easily as we can read the sky and know what weather to expect. Taking-in a broad sweep of global current affairs, we can quickly see that we are in the midst of massive changes to our lives and lifestyles.

America has elected their catalyst for change; the first black President, Barack Obama. Just what changes can we expect? The world banking systems have collapsed; will the new banking model prepare the way for a one-world bank and a one-world currency? If that happens and the new currency is not the US dollar, will America ever recover financially?

We need to interpret the signs of the times, but from what source do we derive our information? The mainstream media; TV, radio and newspapers are worldly and, therefore, corrupt. Their news reports are influenced by the political bias of their chief editors.

The only source of true and accurate information is the bible. The bible is all about Jesus who is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Jesus has been to the end from the beginning. He knows the future today. We must pay attention to what He says and take heed of biblical prophecies.

Mankind is on the threshold of the Last days as we enter into the End Times. This is good news for those who are alive in Christ but bad news for those who are dead in sin.

Now is the time to lead our family and friends to salvation in Jesus. The Lord is coming back very soon to take away those who are His. All of creation groans as our planet collapses under the consequences of the unbridled greed of its temporal inhabitants.

Look to the sky, look beyond the unpredictable weather patterns, can you see Him? Jesus is coming back. Are we ready?

Lord Jesus, help us to be effective in our witness to save the lost. Amen.

video: http://thegist.weebly.com/

Hell is a Real Place

Matthew 10: 28…… Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Some people say that hell does not exist. Some even say that tough and challenging times on earth are our hell. Both of these comments are wrong. Hell is a very real place. In fact, in the bible, Jesus talks more about hell that He does about heaven!

Hell is reserved for people who have rejected God’s salvation plan through Jesus Christ. They will spend eternity there. However, right up until the moment we take our last breath, we can ask Jesus to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and He will.

Gambling, that we can wait to the last minute before receiving Jesus into our hearts is not a wise thing to do. We do not know when out time on earth will be over and death is a master of surprise.

Lord Jesus, please save those who are perishing. Amen

To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Plunges Into Darkness’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

What Do You Smell?

2 Corinthians 2:16….To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.

Not everyone will be happy when we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. To some it will speak of death and to others, life.

Those who reject Jesus and His salvation plan will be eternally separated from God. The misconception that death is a long sleep is not true. Death without God is a long, slow, agonising, torture forever.

However, those who die with Jesus Christ in their heart will continue to live in God’s presence forever. They will not spend any time away from Jesus because as soon as their body dies, their spirit and soul will immediately be with Him.

What do you smell right now? Is it life or death?

Lord Jesus, thank you for calling us into everlasting life with you? Amen.

To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie and the Smell’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

Be Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:9…..Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

These words, spoken to Moses’ successor Joshua, are also spoken into our lives too. They are not only words to encourage, they are commands. Be strong! Be courageous! Do not be afraid! Do not be discouraged! They are followed by a promise; for I, the Lord of all, your God, will be with you wherever you go! Hallelujah!!

Let this sink in…. No matter where we are, no matter what is going on in and around our lives, our God, Jesus Christ, is the Lord over all our circumstances and situations. He is the Lord.

When we believe this without question, we will be strong and courageous and we will not be afraid or discouraged.

Let’s not be bullied by our circumstances. Through what Jesus Christ has done for us at Calvary we have the victory in every area of our lives.

Lord Jesus, you have made us winners. Amen.

To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Feels Vulnerable’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

The Lamb

John 1:29 …….. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

When John the Baptist saw Jesus he knew exactly who He was, not because he recognised Him but because the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus to him.

You will remember that when Mary was pregnant with Jesus, John, who was also still in Elizabeth’s womb, bore witness to Mary’s good news and John (the foetus) leapt for joy as Elizabeth was filled by the Holy Spirit.

Although there is no evidence of any physical contact between the boys as they were growing up, John immediately knows that Jesus is the one for whom he has been preparing the way.

John calls Jesus, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”. John the Baptist was a prophet and this exclamation is, in fact, a prophetic proclamation.

The event that initiated the Passover Feast from the days of Moses was soon to be fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

Moses was instructed by God to tell the Israelites in Egypt to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and daub its blood upon the doorposts and lintels of their homes. The Angel of Death would pass over those households that displayed the blood of the lamb. (Exodus 12:1-30)

Jesus was to become our perfect Passover Lamb whose blood shed on and at Calvary's cross was, for those who believe, to be our life. Those who are washed clean in His blood will live forever with Jesus.

The shed blood of Jesus applied to the entry and exit points of sin in our life will save us from spiritual death. Christ Jesus came to take away the sin of the world.

Thank you Jesus, because of you, death will pass over us. Amen

Holy Spirit

John 1:33 …….. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'

John the Baptist and Prophet of God had a vision of himself baptising people in the River Jordan, later, as he was baptizing, he saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove come down and remain upon the Christ. He has a word of knowledge that this is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

It seems strange that among Christians this very phrase ‘baptize with the Holy Spirit’ can evoke such a huge span of emotions ranging from religious anger to abject confusion. Mark, Luke and John’s gospels all speak of it plainly.

This was the event that was to launch the ministry of Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One of God.

It was after His baptism in the Holy Spirit that Jesus spent some time alone with God (forty days) reconciling Himself with His ministry. After that He moved in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, followers of Christ Jesus, it should be the same process for us today. Until we are baptized in the Holy Spirit there will be no power in our ministry. Until we spend time alone with God we will be ineffective in our calling.

When Jesus returned back to heaven after His resurrection He released the Holy Spirit to come upon all people. This first happened in the Upper room on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and now it can happen everywhere and anywhere ever since.

Jesus has poured out the Holy Spirit without limit to soak, immerse, flood and baptize all who believe in Him.

Lord Jesus, thank you for baptizing us with the Holy Spirit. Amen

Unharmed and Untainted

Daniel 3:27……They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

On the orders of King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the furnace because they would not bow to images of his foreign gods. They proclaimed that their God, Jehovah, would deliver them.

Nebuchadnezzar said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods”. He ordered them to be released and promoted them saying, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God”. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

It is good to know that if we honour our God and do not bow to idols, He will protect us no matter what the circumstances. Not only will he protect us but there will be no taint of worldly things upon us.

When we lay down our lives for Jesus Christ, He delivers us from evil and cleans away the stench of the world we came from. Not only are we set free but his favour is upon us and He will promote us to positions of influence where He places us.

Lord Jesus, thank you for saving and promoting us. Amen

To find out more about this bible passage, follow this link to ‘McKenzie and the Mrecedes’: http://www.getthegist.net

Genealogy

Matthew 1:1-17…… Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

It may seem boring to go through long lists of names that mean little or nothing to us, but those names are important. In this case they show us the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Currently, there is a growing curiosity in people wanting to know their family history, their ancestry. How interesting it is to discover where we have come from and perhaps unearth a few surprises in the process!

However, when we come to Jesus and we are born again, our family roots take on a completely new direction. We are adopted into the family of God. We become sons and co-heirs with Christ. We are new creations and our lives are hidden with Christ in God. Our blood-line starts at Calvary’s cross.

Oh yes, we still honour our natural parents and, in love, we reach out to our family and friends but we are no longer conformed to the pattern of this world. Rather, we are being transformed by the power of God.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being our Saviour and our Brother. Amen

To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie meets His Past’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

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Prayer for Pakistan

When will the church be taken from the earth?