Weekly Word

Religion

** Stephen A. Brown, Marketplace Ministries, inc.

The song Battle Hymn of the Republic was written by Julia Ward Howe during the Civil War as a pro-Union, anti-slavery anthem. Its lyrics, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord . . . His truth is marching on” provided troops with a marching cadance. In Mark 13:26 Jesus declared upon His return, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” The Hymn continues with, “As He died to make men holy; let us live to make men free,” a reference to freeing the slaves. Since so many are slaves to sin, I’ll close with John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

The Weekly Word

Religion

Written And Submitted By: Stephen A. Brown, Marketplace Ministries, inc.

Proverbs 3:34 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humility is not thinking less of yourself; its thinking of yourself less. Jesus told his disciples that the greatest one among them was a servant; and He came to serve, not to be served. Paul wrote of his desire to decrease, so Christ could increase. Following the Sugar Bowl, University of Georgia quarterback Jack Fromm, in an interview, credited his team mates with the win. 1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:”

Weekly Word

Religion

Stephen A. Brown, Marketplace Ministries, inc

 

Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”  D.L.Moody wrote, “Whatever you love more than God is your idol.”  I was invited to be the guest speaker at a Christian men’s dinner.  After reciting Exodus 20:3, I advised the men we carry an idol in our pockets; pulling out a $1.00 bill and waiving it in the air. Show-and-tell time. After sharing stories of fortune seekers suffering from depression, I shared this scripture: 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil . . .” Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”

Weekly Word

Religion

Written and submitted by: Stephen A. Brown, Marketplace Ministries, inc

 

J. Greham Machen wrote, “Nothing surprises God; all things that happen are absolutely certain from all eternity because they are all embraced in God’s eternal plan.” I don’t understand why things happen the way they do; but I’m glad to know the One who does. Regardless of what’s happening with government, the stock market, or terrorism, we know He has a personal plan for each of us. Claim God’s promise as written in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The Weekly Word

Religion

Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced Him . . ”  Rev. Billy Graham wrote, “Bible teaching about the Second Coming of Christ was thought of as doomsday preaching. But not anymore. It is the only ray of hope that shines in a dark world.”  It’s getting darker; Jesus is the true Light (John 14:6).

Weekly Word Devotion

Religion

Stephen A. Brown, Marketplace Ministries, inc.

The thing that separates Christianity from other world religions is grace. While other religions teach works are needed to earn eternal life, the Bible states its a grace gift. Ephesians 2:8,9 “For by grace are you saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, least any man should boast.” Verse 10, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” May our good works be a witness of a changed life.

Visiting Angel

Religion

I had a family room downstairs in my house, and I had established it as my prayer closet. My favorite way to pray was on my knees with my elbows on a round footstool. One night I had just finished praying, and I went upstairs to bed. It seemed as soon as I lay down, I was taken back downstairs where I was on my knees with my elbows on the footstool praying again. Just where I was before.  All at once, an angel was standing beside me. I looked up with surprise and called him by name first, and then he called me Bob.  It is an amazing thing that without one previous thought I knew who he was and addressed him first.  Whenever you step into the Spirit realm you know things by the Spirit without learning or having ever entertained a thought about the person.  At that time, he put his arms around my arm, and I guess you would say under my shoulder and carried me to heaven. I asked him where he was taking me, and he said, “I am taking you to meet Jesus.” I yelled stop!  He said,” why Bob?”  I said I don’t want to meet Jesus.  He said,” why Bob?” and I said I don’t want to look upon his face.” Again he said, “why Bob?” and I said least my deeds should be reproved. At that point, he turned and took me back to my bedroom, but he had picked me up in my family room downstairs. I know for sure I was out of my body because on my way back to earth when we got over the top of my house I could hear the phone ringing in my bedroom. I could also see my body lying there, and I knew it had no life in it to answer the phone. I actually felt my spirit re-enter my body and I reached over and answered the phone. I still don’t understand how I left the family room downstairs when my body was upstairs in the bedroom.

           Now I am so far out in left field with my life; I was just learning about the Lord, and I had not been saved very long. I wasn’t sure of anything, and now I was scared to meet with Jesus because of my deeds. I mean, I had the honored, and pleasure of meeting with Jesus, but I was in such bad shape, so I thought, at that time that I was scared to death of Him.  I think that was the scariest I have ever been in my life! I can’t quite tell you what it’s like to feel such strong FEAR at the thought of meeting the Lord Jesus face to face.  I had been seeking Him day and night, and reading the Bible. I was in the First Baptist Church, and going to every church service that I could get to. I had made it a priority to witness of Him to as many people as possible and was seeing people saved.  I was trying to learn the right way to live. I very much wanted to live the Christian life. I was on my knees praying when he took me up, that tells you I was seeking him.

         Every day I was searching my heart and crying out to God and asking him what my wrong deeds were. Well finally, I thought this is what my problems must be: I was spending too much time in the Apostle Paul’s teachings and too much time learning about the Holy Spirit.  I concluded that it must be my desire for the supernatural, and I was trying to learn about spiritual gifts.  I thought maybe I took my eyes off Jesus. I didn’t know what else it could be. This had to be it. I made up my mind that I would spend all of my time just reading about Jesus and nothing else.  I can say for sure that this is a problem that you never want to have, that is being fearful of facing or being rejected by The Lord Jesus.

          Well, by now this is how it looked to me: I must get my deeds straightened out, whatever they are. After trying unsuccessfully to share my trip to heaven with my wife and pastor, I made up my mind that this would be the last time I would try to share it. In the meantime; I just kept seeking the Lord, witnessing and doing everything I could that I thought would please Him. I just kept going, and I noticed the Lord began to use me in prophecy and I was hearing from Him.  I was really being used by the Holy Spirit. I was preaching, and serving in many ways, and in many places. I just moved on without ever finding an answer for the reason I was so fearful of meeting the Lord Jesus.

                                               Part #2 –  The Vision

 Some years later, I was home alone for lunch, and I thought I would get a little prayer time in. It had been over ten years, and I still did not have any answers concerning my deeds; although by now I had led many, many people to the Lord.  I had all but quit praying about it. While on my knees praying, the memory of the trip to heaven floated up again to my mind.  I asked the Lord about my visit. I asked God if spiritual gifts were the problem you could have sent someone to teach me, and I would have listened.

At that point, He took me into an open vision, and He began to reveal to me the real reason for the visit, to heaven. It was not about gifts, or about me, but about what it would be like when He returns and our deeds are not right, and we are unsaved. I saw men running for their lives, with unspeakable fear. They were trying to bury themselves under the rocks. I heard these words three times   IT’S OVER!     IT’S OVER!   IT’S OVER!  The words seemed to be the only sound on earth!  The whole sky spoke.  The whole heaven spoke. This might be the sound of the last trump!  I am not sure about that. I saw men in such fear it looked like they were running fast er than cars, trying to get away to keep from facing the Lord Jesus; somewhat like the fear, I had when I was to face Him. He was the last person they ever wanted to meet, or they ever wanted to see. It is hard to explain, but the day will come when it’s over!  THE DOOR WILL CLOSE, AND THE CHANCE FOR SALVATION IS OVER!

 They were caught out in darkness. Somehow, I was made to understand that they knew everything and had a perfect understanding of Jesus, but they were better off in darkness than they were facing the light.  The light guides us, and they knew that the light would consume them. Every one that doeth evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” John3:20 People who have rejected or not accepted Jesus will, not only, not seek Him, but will flee from His presence in indescribable fear. They are forever condemned and know it. Just as the Lord promised the sinner, their end would be a burning hell. Please listen to me; this is not a sermon.  This is a word from the Lord Jesus speaking to you on behalf of your family, friends, and anyone you have feelings for.  I would have jumped out of heaven before I would have met Jesus face to face. The Lord let me carry this fear like an albatross around my neck for a very long time; It seemed like forever.  It was a long, long time before I could move on.  I was already going through, what seemed to be, a hell of my own. He burned this message into me to help me express, His burning love for you, your loved ones as well as the sinner. He is sending me, in his love, to make this desperate plea for your salvation.  I can say with permission from the Lord that you are hearing from Him and that this is His perfect will for you that you believe in Him and to be a witness for Him. Not one good person, if they are a sinner, and not washed in His blood, will get into heaven, even if it is your mother.  I know. I was made to carry this stigma, the fear of a rejected sinner, to talk to you today. You would be wise to listen. Not one sinner can enter paradise.  Adam only committed one sin. When God came looking for him, he was hidden behind the fig leaves. One sin condemned him, and Adam knew It without God saying a word.” So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”(Gen3:24) [ Not one sinner will ever get in]  Listen to me, this is not a might happen. I have already watched it play out. I might have seen some of your loved ones out there running from the burning flame. If, my friend, you will get one person saved in your lifetime it will be the greatest achievement of your life. This message should make every Christian want to be a preacher. Together let’s take this message to the world by sending it to as many people as you can and encouraging them to keep it moving forward. I would love to know if you are on board with me.

When He comes back clothed in a vesture dipped in blood and a two-edged sword in His mouth, I don’t think it will be a good time to try and make a deal.  Absolutely no loopholes here. May we  all come together around this scripture,( Acts 26:18) Jesus said,”Paul,  turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”

Regardless of how much you have now the only thing you can take to heaven is people.

The Apostle Paul said,” And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. (2Thess 1:7-9) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (V: 12)

Practical Faith

Religion

Today, I want to talk to you about your faith, but I don’t want to do just another faith teaching that won’t  work for you any better than the last one you heard. I want to help you to power up the faith you have. Faith works by love, so then, love will be your power source to walk by faith. You can measure your faith in the Lord by your love for Him. Faith is reaching out with love, and appropriating what has already been spoken and offered to you.

Rom.12:3, Paul said,” For I say, through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, as God hath given to every man the measure of faith.” The Father jump starts all of us in our faith walk. We increase it by learning to listen to His Word, knowing His will, and learning His way.

Gal.3:22 The Apostle Paul said, “The scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith [of] Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

Paul also said,” I walk by the faith of Christ Jesus.” Faith is not something you get, but something you have when you receive and believe Christ Jesus.  We must learn to receive and live by His faithfulness.

I want you to take a look at Gal.1:3-4.  Paul said,” Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world; according to the will of God and our Father.” We must change worlds. You have to walk out of this evil world and put no faith in it at all but keep your heart set on the Faithful One, Christ Jesus, and His Kingdom.

Gal. 2:20, Paul said,” I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live; yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith [of] the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When you believe and trust everything Jesus said and did, and can believe Him for His future promises; you will be full of faith. (although you’re standing in the midst of an evil world)

Rom.10:17, Paul said,” So  then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” You can add to your faith by taking in more of the Word of God. Our big challenge is understanding how faith works and when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Heb.11:1,” Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We must work the substance and believe the evidence of something we cannot see. Faith believes what cannot be tasted, touched, seen, heard or smelled.

Faith is a place between A-men, and there it is. I prayed. I believed. I have it. Faith is what you hold on to until the thing you are praying for comes into your hand.

1John5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” Faith is Big, Big, Big.

How do you use faith?  Faith does not come from or operate out of the natural realm.                                                                                                                                                                                                Your spirit touches things of the Spirit. By faith, your spirit touches the supernatural realm. Your soul, which is your mind, will, and emotion touches the sense realm: reason, thought, feelings, and desires.

Your body touches the five senses: touch, smell, hear, feel, and taste.

The natural man says,” if I see, it I will believe it”. The spiritual man says,” If I believe it, I will see it.” Jesus said, My Word is Spirit, and it is Life. Do you have the Life of the Spirit working In you?

Remember Peter. He was taught perfectly by the Master. He knew everything about Jesus, but when his faith was tested, he failed the test. He said, “I don’t know the man.”  After he walked on water with Jesus, and after twice working with Jesus in feeding multitudes with a few fish and bread, the #1 Jesus school graduate had little faith in the man. Christ Jesus.

When Jesus appeared to His disciples in Galilee, after his resurrection, Matt28:17 says the eleven worshiped, but some doubted. That alone shows you that faith doesn’t come easily. Even the men that were with the Master all the time showed little faith. Jesus said, my Word is Spirit, and it is Life. Faith then comes by hearing His Word.  After Peter was filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit, he was able to tell the lame man,” in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth what I have, give I you, rise and walk.”

Rom.1:11, Paul said, “For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gifts to the end you may be established.” This is big because spiritual gifts do not operate out of the natural man.They operate by faith out of the spirit. The natural man’s faith is only in what he can see or control. You have to step out of the natural man into the spirit realm and establish yourself in the spirit to move by faith.

When it comes to the things of God, you can‘t have it unless you can get it by faith.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God. I believe this tells us the more faith we have, the more we can please Him. Tell me, is anything greater than pleasing our wonderful Father?

My friend, if you are trying to walk by faith based on what you have learned without first getting the word down deep in your spirit, you will lose every time!  After you are saved and become a child of God, you must learn to live by faith. The Lord seldom, if ever, responds to pain, suffering, or sorrow. God responds to faith.

Prov.20:27, “The spirit of the man is the candle of the Lord.” God sees what is in your spirit, and he measures your faith from there. How do you think you look? What condition is your spirit? Are you praying every day in the spirit? If so, you should have your spirit built up until you can believe His word. True faith moves the Lord’s, heart. Little faith grieves him.

Gal.5:6,” Faith works by love.” God lavished his love upon you when He took you into His family. He washes your hurting, ugly, sinful life away, and promises you a future and a hope, and a love that lasts forever. My friend, this should make your faith rise and work for you.

Luke 22:31, “Simon, Satan has desired to have you that he may, sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith fails not.” Prayer is the bridge that faith travels over. It is not unusual to doubt your faith, but those who move the kingdom forward, never doubt The Master. You must have faith in all that He says.

Study and learn God’s word. If the Word is not understood, the enemy gobbles it up. We need faith to trust God in everything we do.  Not just faith in Him, but confident in our position in Him. In other words, we need to be filled with His love and walk in His ways.  We can operate the things of God in our lives by our faith in Him. Again, you will never walk in more faith than you can believe.

You cannot withhold anything from God and still have faith in His promises. You will not speak for Him with authority. You must live a pure life through Him, My friend; we have an anchor and someone to hold on to forever: The Man, Christ Jesus.  

Matt. 9:29 Jesus said, “According to your faith let it be done unto you.“

Eph. 6:16 Paul said,” Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” I assure you the darts will come. So Faith up.

Please remember faith works by love: little love, little faith. We must learn to love in order to walk in great faith that pleases the Lord.

Gal.3:11, “The just shall live by faith.”

Rom.8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” You are made right, put right, justified. That makes You a just person!  Now you can live by faith.  Jesus said,” I am the light of the world.”  Before He left, He said you are the light of the world. Throw your light out there, let it shine. Jesus said,” Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”. Matthew 5:16r.

-Bob Allen

 God  Loves You. Keep your eye on the Straight Gate.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Religion

Are You a Righteous Person?

1Cor1:9 “God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Do you think the Father would call us into fellowship with His Son if we were not righteous? You can, and should be righteous.  Righteousness means having the ability to stand in the presence of Father God without the sense of guilt or condemnation. Think of receiving eternal life, the nature of God Almighty. You come into His family and partake of His Divine Nature.  You are free from the fear of Satan and can stand in his presence without any sense of inferiority. Satan cannot pierce through the armor of righteousness.

 Eph 6:14” Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” His righteousness will become a wall against the enemy when you learn to wear it. Put it on.  Make it happen. The very next verse tells you that you will not make it to” happy land” if you fail the righteousness test.

1st Cor. 6:9 says, “Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Listen to me! Don’t be deceived!

A righteous person is one who is living out his life through the Son of God and has walked out of his old lifestyle into the new Kingdom of God. He has changed worlds. My friend, you get into the new kingdom by being washed in the blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus. He alone is righteous and the maker of your righteousness. Where does your family stand?

You might be thinking,” Bob, no one can be that righteous.” O yes, you can because of a loving, kind, and good Father. Our Father God draws you to His preciousSon, Christ Jesus, who washes you in His own blood: The blood that makes you whiter than snow. All you need to do, my friend, is to believe it, step into it and thenstep out and live it.

Listen, the desire to get rid of sin consciousness has given birth to all the religions of the world, but Satan and the sin problem are still here. Remember now sin makes cowards of men. Sin consciousness holds us in bondage.  But God has made provision for making a new you. He has planned to impart His nature to you, taking out the old sin nature and replacing it with His Godly nature.

Rom 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” Sin has to be abolished in your life by the Lord Jesus so you might be made the righteousness of God, in Him. My friend, your sin is dead unto the Lord. Look at the price paid for you. It makes you feel like you truly are somebody, doesn’t it?

1Pet 3:18 “For Christ has once suffered for sin, the Just for the unjust.(  or the Righteous for the unrighteous ) that He might bring us to God, being put to death (killed) in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” He covered you.  He made the new you.

1Pet. 2:24 “Who His own self-bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.”  Look, if you have not come to Jesus with your sins, then hell will be your final home!  Listen, my friend, repent today.  Can you see your sins in his body hanging on a bloody tree?  It’s time to walk away from all sin .2Cor.5:21.”For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

 2 Cor5:17”Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new.” This new person has never lived before He is now a new, righteous creature!  You’re a brand new self. There is nothing in the book against you; it is just as if you had never sinned.

  Rom8:1”There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” You are now made right, put right.

The sense of unworthiness destroys faith and robs us of our peace of mind. Only Jesus can replace unworthiness. Are you washed in the blood?  Have you tasted his wonderful love?  Listen, love is our sin cover.

 Heb 9:26 “Now once at the end of the age has He been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”  In the garden, Adam had perfect fellowship with God before the devil deceived him.  Now that lost righteousness has been restored to us, the believer, through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He broke sin’spower for the believer.

Living a righteous life unto the Lord brings peace. It brings rest. It brings joy, and better health. Living righteously gives you a sense of well-being. It brings blessings and prosperity to every area of your life through the presence of the Holy Spirit that is dwelling in you.

. The righteousness of Christ Jesus is to and for all men who will believe. Never again should you see yourself as “a poor sinner”, if you are born again. Don’t look atyourself as a failure and sin- ruled. Why not? Because the Father Himself planned the redemption and brought it about through His precious Son, Christ Jesus. He has set His seal upon the redemptive work of Jesus making you, the believer, righteous.

John 16:33 Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Make sure you are all the way out of the world, and into His kingdom, where He can cover you.

Matt28:18 And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.”If Jesus has all power on the earth, then the devil has no power except what he steals from you, or you let him take away. Speak to the devil with authority and, you can take out of his mouth what he has gobbled up from you.

1Pet5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour.” That is you, and that is true. The devil hates God’s  righteous sons and daughters. He wants to keep you living on Wrong Street. If the devil can make you feel unrighteous, then he can influence your thinking which will affect your decisions. Don’t let the attacks get to you, Put up a good fight remember;

David didn’t make David famous, Goliath did..

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Thank you,

Dr. Bob Allen

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