A Living Sacrifice

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2) The most prominent component of the Christian experience is the requirement of self-denial and the mortification of the members of our own flesh.  There are times when God will deny us things, for our own good, and we are take this with joy.  But, my charge, our charge as Christians, is to daily take up our cross and follow Christ.  To REALLY claim that we are Christ-like and to really bear his name, his mark and share in his glory, we must bear the cross he bore. Matthew 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  This mortification, or purging of our own deeds, is not just for the older, experienced saint, but for anyone, and everyone that would carry the name of a "Christ"ian, young and old alike.   2 Timothy 2:19-21 encourages us, Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.  Colossians 3:5 lays out some of the things and ways of the flesh, that must die, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. It's not so much the "outward" sacrifices of worship that gains the attention and favor of God, but it is the part that "no one sees and no one knows".  It's seldom seen and seldom shown acts of sacrifice and labor, where we conform our mind and spirit to the image of Christ, that pleases God and makes us worthy to wear his name, and to be called a "Christ"ian. Philippians 3:7-10  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 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, 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:That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Be blessed. - JAL

A Living Sacrifice

by Lucena C. Byrum

1. I love the Christ, the Son of God,
   Who died that I might live;
   I would my gratitude express,
   A gift unto Him give.
   • Refrain:
     My gift is small, it is my all,
     Accept it, Lord, I pray;
     Let self be slain, let Jesus reign
     Within my heart alway.
2. I fail to find a sacrifice,
   Or fitting gift to bring;
   Earth’s treasures have too little worth
   To offer to my King.
3. No gift, however grand or great,
   Could pay the debt I owe;
   I bring myself, my life, my all,
   A living gift bestow.
4. My members all I gladly yield
   For service, Lord, to Thee;
   To bear the blessed gospel light,
   That others Christ may see.

Counting the Cost

Today I was working on a "cost analysis" for a personal business plan, itemizing initial costs, labor and comparing against potential incoming revenue.  In our natural lives we have to weigh out costs to see if it is indeed "worth it" to embark on particular business ventures.  We ask questions like, "For what I am putting in, is it worth it?  For what I receive, is it worth it?  If I forsake all, to pursue this endeavor/goal, will the thing I receive in return be of more value?  Will I just break even, or will there be increase?"  How we answer these questions, will be key in our motivation to continue on.  It will impact our desire and ambition to either relentlessly pursue or abandon the project or idea all together.  It is, indeed, the same way spiritually.  Luke 14:27-30 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. From time to time, we take stock and say, "God, for what you're requiring of me, is it worth it?  For what I receive in this life, and in the life to come, is it worth it?"  And what is he requiring?  In Micah 6:8 the word says, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"  And even further, Christ said, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:23-24)  What are we asked to "put into" this thing?  Everything we have.  As one songwriter penned, "He wants it all."  So, when it's all said and done and I have taken full stock of what I'm investing against what I'm hoping to receive...is it worth it?  I'll offer a resounding, YES! It is so worth it.  Because God's word is true and because the promises of God are yea and amen, I believe it is, and shall be worth it all! Luke 18:28-30 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.  And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.  Be Blessed. -J.A.L.

I'm Glad I Counted the Cost

by William J. Henry

1.   When first I started to seek the Lord,

I’m glad I counted the cost;

I fully measured to Jesus’ Word;

I’m glad I counted the cost.

o    Refrain:

I’ve paid the price and obtained the prize,

He saved my soul that was lost;

And now my treasures are in the skies,

I’m glad I counted the cost.

2.   I laid my sorrows at Jesus’ feet,

I’m glad I counted the cost;

And now I’ve pleasures so pure and sweet,

I’m glad I counted the cost.

3.   I’ve bid farewell to this world of sin,

I’m glad I counted the cost;

And now my Jesus abides within,

I’m glad I counted the cost.

4.   I cast on Jesus my every care,

I’m glad I counted the cost;

And all my burdens He helps to bear,

I’m glad I counted the cost.

5.   ’Twill not be long till the Lord shall come,

I’m glad I counted the cost;

And bear my soul to that heav’nly home,

I’m glad I counted the cost.

Loving God's Way: Part 1

We have so many ideas & opinions of what "Love" is. “Love” is one of the most common, yet misused and misunderstood words in the English language. On the bookshelf, “love” is synonymous with “romance” and seldom used without a sexual connotation. In our society, love is depicted by programs on television to pattern one’s life by. Commercials tempt the audience to try ehormony and other single search sites to find true love or your soulmate, where companions can be matched. Some of us even have a very fuzzy grasp of the meaning of love. The lyrics of all too many contemporary Christian songs use the word love in a way that falls far short of that which the Bible defines and describes. Some of these contemporary songs have no mention made of God Himself, of who He is. There is no mention of the chastening of the Lord as a manifestation of His love for us (see Heb. 12:3-13). There is no mention of our subordination or service, to God or to others.

Love is a subject of vital importance, not only because of our ideas about what love really is, but because love is a matter of highest priority: “But now abide faith, hope, and Charity, these three; but the greatest of these is Charity”. (1st Cor. 13:13) For a number of reasons, Paul regards love as greater even than faith and hope. To show the magnitude of the importance of defining what God's love is, allow me to summarize these:

(1) Love is greater than faith and hope because love is eternal, while faith and hope are temporal (see 1 Corinthians 13:8-13). Because that which God has promised cannot presently be seen, faith and hope are necessary in this life. But when the perfect comes, when our Lord returns and we are living eternally in His presence, we will no longer need faith, for we shall see Him and experience all that He has promised. Our hope will be fulfilled. Our love for Him, however, will last for all eternity, inspiring our worship and service in His presence.

(2) Love is the appropriate response to God’s love and grace, in Christ (see Luke 7:42, 47).

(3) Love is the great commandment and one of the distinguishing marks of a true disciple of our Lord (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:33; Luke 6:27-36; John 13:35; 15:12-13).

(4) Love facilitates and contributes to Christian unity (John 17:20-26; Colossians 2:2; 3:14).

(5) Love is the lubricant which greatly reduces the friction which can build up between us and others (Ephesians 4:2; 1 Peter 4:8).

(6) Love is a key motive for our obedience to our Lord’s commands (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24; 15:10; 21:15-17; 1 John 5:2; 2 John 1:16).

(7) Love is a stabilizing factor in our lives (Ephesians 3:17).

(8) Love is the goal of Paul’s teaching as it should be the goal of all Christian teaching (1 Timothy 1:5).

(9) Love is the one command which encompasses all aspects of our Christian life (Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 16:14).

(10) Love makes our service more profitable to others and to us (1 Corinthians 8:1; 13:1-13).

(11) Love is a key element in our defenses against Satan’s attacks and devices (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

(12) Our love can and should be constantly growing (Philippians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 10:24; 2 Peter 1:7).

(13) Our love can grow cold, especially in difficult times (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 2:4).

The vital role love must play in our Christian experience, and the concept of love prevalent today, makes this topic of great urgency and importance. We will show you according to the Bible what love is and how love behaves itself.

Pastor Hodges

Redeeming the Time

In Ephesians 5:15-17 we read, “See then that ye
walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

At the end of the year we are reminded of events of the past, and there are those who profess to know what the future holds, not only in temporal affairs, but in religious matters as well. Regardless of our present age, we are not promised another day. So our time on this earth is valuable because it is very limited, and it should be spent in serving the Lord. Paul has told us in the verse given above, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.”

Paul said in Rom. 13:11,“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”. How many of us “know the times”? “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Have you ever known a time when the world was so filled with evil as it is today? One sad thing about the evil in the world today is, so much of it is condoned by false religion! In fact, false religion is helping spread the evil. Adam Clarke, in commenting on Paul’s words in Romans 13:11, said, “Considering the nature and shortness of the present season of life, will convince us that it is now high time to rouse and shake off sleep, and apply with vigilance and vigor to the duties of our Christian life for that eternal salvation, which is the object of our Christian faith and hope.” Let each of us this year redeem the time & walk circumspectly & let’s prove what the will of the Lord is for our lives.

We would like to thank each and every one of you for your love & support of the ministry & the Church of God down through the years. It is our desire to be all that God is calling for in these last days. Continue to pray for the ministry of the Church of God everywhere. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love
of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (II Corinthians13:14).

Happy New Year Love & Blessing for a victorious, prosperous & miraculous Year!

Pastor Hodges

Unto Us a Child is Born, a Son is Given

Isaiah 9:6 -For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government (the authority to make & enforce laws, the management or control of something) shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful (fantastic: extraordinarily great), Counsellor (an advisor on personal problems, somebody, usually a professional, who helps others with personal, social or psychological problems; an attorney, especially one who acts for a client in a trial), The Mighty God the strong, powerful, big & impressive supernatural being; the all knowing creator of the universe), The everlasting Father (never failing or never coming to an end; the beginning & the end founder, establisher, originator or leader;), The Prince of Peace (the royal ruler of freedom, tranquility, mental calmness & serenity, with no anxiety; harmony, the absence of violence or other disturbances).

The above has given us a clear picture of Jesus, within whom all power lies. Look what God has born and given unto us to complete every test and trial of life with victory until we land on heaven shores. We have every resource we need to fight the good fight, to war a good warfare, to finish our course, everything that pertained to life & godliness is in the Son. Are you in manifold tests & trials? Don’t lose hope because the government or authority, or control is on His (Jesus) shoulder. You need not fret or lose control. Just cast it on His shoulder. He is wonderful, fantastic, and extraordinarily great because He is our Counsellor, our lawyer, our advisor; who has never lost a case. He is the Mighty God, is there any one stronger or powerful than He. The Everlasting Father, founder and originator of everything. He is the Prince of Peace. Why should we worry, be cast down or why should we be perplexed? He is the royal ruler of mental calmness & serenity, with no anxiety; he is the very essence of harmony. And, if you’re wondering if these resources will ever be depleted, not according to Isaiah 9:7a, Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end…. No depletion here only an increase of His government and peace of which there is no end!!!!!!!!!!

Pastor Hodges

This is a Test Post

tHIS IS A TEST!!! :)

Only Believe

Has that trial in your life
been going on so long
That everything in you screams,
"this is so wrong."

You can't understand,
it seems God is far away
As with tears you cry out to Him every day.

If you read God's Word
His truth you will see
That He has a job for you and a job for me.

ONLY BELIEVE…is what He has to say
At His feet this problem you must lay!
In His time and in His way
an answer to your problem will be there one day.

Keep on believing, don't lose hope
He'll give you His grace enabling you to cope.
Keep your eyes on Him as to Him you cleave;
He has promised He will never forsake or leave you.

Give Him time to work it all out,
The devil just wants you to worry and doubt. P
raising Him is one thing He's looking for!
To bless you is what He has in store.

So no matter what,
even when you don't understand,
ONLY BELIEVE!
That's what moves His hand!

Written by:
Beverly Shaffer