Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 31, 2018 at 03:19AM

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via IFTTT Hanging on every word. Hungry people, tired of man's wisdom, craving the real truth word by word. What a picture! This is what church should be. Do you sit on the edge of your seat in church, anxiously waiting for one more little morsel of truth to fill your soul? Is there a deep unquenchable hunger for more? Is there disappointment when time is over and you must leave the life giving waters of truth? If not, ask why! How can the truth and power of the universe not excite and feed us? There can be at least two reasons... 1) you are not seeking truth for the sake of knowing wisdom. If your own heart is not right, you will not perceive the truth and will just hear words. 2) there is no anointing on the words being spoken.without Holy Ghost anointing there is just man's wisdom, empty and shallow, unsatisfying. If the first one is the case, hit your knees and repent! This is serious! A casual attitude, a lack of desire for truth at all costs is what nailed Jesus to the cross. Religion... Empty words, rules, and procedures. No... Come alive inside! Seek God to cleanse your heart and give you a deep hunger for understanding and wisdom. Only the Holy Spirit can change this in you. Submit to His work in your heart and get hungry! If the second one is the case, seek God's guidance on what to do. Are you to stay and be the light? Are you to stay and confront / guide the ones speaking empty words? Are you to leave and seek depth elsewhere? Only God knows. Don't assume you need a different church, maybe YOU are the light! Start shining! Whatever the case, seek God's path for you so you can be content and grow. It is a beautiful thing to sit with an open heart and absorb the words of a Holy God who created and loves you. So deep is the peace, the conviction, the satisfaction. Nothing compares. The words of God, life itself, feeds the soul in unspeakable ways. In his gospel, John calls Jesus "the word". Very fitting. Words bring truth, truth brings liberty and life. Hang on the words of Jesus and be filled.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 28, 2018 at 03:03AM

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via IFTTT The price of missing it. God is patient, long suffering, yes. But there is always a time limit. The israelites missed the opportunity and spent a generation in the desert. The world missed the warnings of the flood and perished. Sodom and Gomorrah missed the call to repent and burned. So many stories of God's patience coming to an end with grave consequences. We like to concentrate on the patience, and ignore the reality that there is in fact an end. There is a day of reckoning coming when it will be too late. Jerusalem passed that day here, and was destroyed. Israel was looking for a Messiah to be a military leader and free them from Rome. Their eyes were on this world, on government. Jesus came and they missed the truth because they were looking on Earth, not Heaven. The end result was not the freedom as a nation, but total destruction. There is a price! Where are our eyes? Are we engrossed in the same search for salvation through government? Are we more concerned with the dealings of man and this life, or God and Heaven? Are we doing the same as Israel? Are we missing it? I am sorry to say, yes. As a nation we are repeating the age old mistakes, trusting in the arm of man to save us in this life. But just as in Israel, a powerful move of God is underway! Right now a remnant of dedicated, truth seeking, faithful servants is rising. Their eyes are not on deceitful selfish man, but on God. This remnant is not about politics, not about military might, not about government at all. It is about hearts and heaven. Sure those things positively touch politics, but that is not the focus! In fact, it is getting our eyes off this world and onto Jesus that affords the freedom to leave the "lessor of two evils" death spiral and find peace. Politics becomes simple, not fearful. Our focus becomes changing hearts, not laws, and then laws change. Jerusalem missed their opportunity. They had Jesus in their town. Walking those streets, and they preferred a political /military leader. How sad. They had access to everything and chose nothing. Then, the play was over, the curtains closed, all that was left was the price to pay. You have a choice today. Become part of the remnant, or part of the crowd. Put your eyes on Heaven or on Earth. Choose this day whom you will follow, because tomorrow may be too late.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 27, 2018 at 03:09AM

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via IFTTT The glory of a holy God. Too great for man to fathom. When the glory of God comes to earth, things change. The creation is overwhelmed by the purity and power of the creator. Throughout history there is story after story of God's glory on Earth. Moses on the mountain, the completion of the Temple, the fire from heaven that consumes, the tongues of fire at Pentecost, the transfiguration of Jesus, and on and on. But, God is not a showman. Unlike Hollywood, God does not seek to entertain us with flashy shows and effects. In fact, it's not about us at all! It's about Him! As Jesus rode into Jerusalem here to begin the last chapter of conquering death and sin, the glory of God fell. People started crying out in praise and song. They were overcome with the call of God to recognize His glory. Jesus says that the same glory would make even the rocks cry out if man failed to. But our God prefers to touch our hearts than to put on a flashy show of rocks responding to His glory. His desire is to work through man, through you. This is a touching, motivating and critical message here. God could do it without you, but He wants to use you! Imagine being so overcome with the magnificence of God's glory that you can not keep silent. You can't be shy, can't hold back, you are compelled from within to cry out in God's presence. Imagine. Or better yet, LIVE IT! Wait before God, to see His glory. Moses did, and God granted it. It is very real, and very overwhelming. In God's glory all fear is gone. No darkness can survive. Everything not of God disappears in the light of His Majesty. Then go forth as the ambassador who has seen the King. Walk with confidence but no fear. Nothing can compare, nothing can stand against God's glory. Answer the call to walk in the glory of God. How sad if He had to bypass us, His children, and rely on rocks. He wants you! Be the light! Speak truth, seek holiness. Love.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 25, 2018 at 10:50AM

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Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 25, 2018 at 06:08AM

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via IFTTT A GLORIOUS CHRISTMAS REMINDER! David Wilkerson (1931-2011) December 25, 2018 The manger in Bethlehem speaks directly to the resurrection of Christ! He was fully human at birth — Mary’s blood nourished him in the womb — but his birth was a breaking forth of the eternal. We read: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16). The light referred to here was eternal life — resurrection from death. Hosea prophesied the coming Messiah: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!” (Hosea 13:14). When Jesus came into the world, he fulfilled this prophecy, saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Jesus asks, “Do you know why I am here? Do you know why I was born into poverty, the shepherds adored me, the wise men brought gifts, and the angels sang that night? It is so that you can have eternal life.” Yes, Jesus himself connects his birth to the resurrection: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me … And this is the will of Him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:38-40, emphasis added). Resurrection life is already available to us — in this life. We have this promise: “As Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Let’s keep resurrection in mind as we celebrate Christmas this year. Let the image of the manger be a bridge — Christ bridging the abyss between earth and heaven and giving us eternal life with our redeemer. What a glorious Christmas reminder!

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 24, 2018 at 03:17AM

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via IFTTT Christmas Eve. The day before the big event. Like the moment before a glorious dawn, the breath before birth, the anticipation of a flower bursting open into beauty. The day before. On this day before the entry of God into our world as one of us, it would be wise to hear and heed these words from the wilderness. "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" Do we dare celebrate the birth of the saviour with any selfishness, unbelief, stubborn will, hidden sin still within our hearts? How can we celebrate light while holding into darkness? No! First make the paths straight, ready yourself, repent! Repent of what? That is what you must seek God about. What is left within you that you don't see? Have you still any self ambition? Any bad habits? Any selfish thoughts? Are your feelings still important? Have you left a hurt in someone? Do you still live by what makes you happy? Do you spend money without seeking God? Do you harbour resentment to one who hurt you? Do you enjoy the pleasures of fun, food, friends more than presence of God? Have you spent more time with a tv or a Bible this week? Have you put yourself above anyone else? Anyone? Sin! All of it! "Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God". "Be holy, even as you Father in heaven is holy". "Avoid the very appearance of evil". How do we prepare for Christ's birth? Fall on our face before God and cry out in anguish over our deceitful rebellious sinful heart! Ask God to reveal that darkness within, that part we ignore but still coddle, the stuff that keeps us from walking like Peter. After Pentecost the mere shadow of Peter touching the sick would bring healing. Does your shadow touch others with Gods presence and power? Why not? Sin. Repent! Before we celebrate, see the wretch that you are, to feel just how amazing that grace is. Get alone with your saviour and let Him reveal to you what He will. Let Him prepare you through true submission. Lay it all down at the cross. Give your life to Him. All of it. Ask Him to expose and cleanse what you have been holding back. As the rich man asked "what do I still lack?". As Jesus answered that day, so He will answer you today, if you truly want to hear. God can do anything, even clean out that darkness still in your soul. What better birthday gift to the One who died for you, than to give Him what you have held back. Be clean this Christmas season, experience all God has for you. Make straight the way of the Lord, for the Kingdom is upon us!

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 22, 2018 at 03:58AM

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via IFTTT Are you more obviously a child of Heaven on Sunday morning or on Friday night? Jesus spent His week with the lost. With sinners. At places good people rarely go, with people that were shunned by society. Jesus spent time with the lowest sinners of His day. But not "partying" with them, not identifying with them, not even doing business with them, no... Jesus was The Light for them. Jesus ran to the darkness with the light. The church, it criticised Jesus. The people of the church lived inside the church. They were not light to the world, they were darkness. They praised themselves for being better than the lowly sinners of the world, and hid themselves within church walls. What does your Friday night look like? Are you the light shining in the dark world? See, there are at least two ways to be darkness as those in this scripture story were: 1. If you stay in church. If you never go into the world, you are not bringing the light to the world. If you do not go to the dark places you can not shine the light of Christ to overcome darkness. You have to go. 2. If you go but not as a light. If you go and don't stand out as different, unusual, bright, you're not shining. It's not enough to stand in the darkness, you must turn on the light, let them see Jesus! If you remain dark yourself, you are just as a sinner. Both of these are evil in God's eyes. Both violate God's love. He granted you seven days this week to breathe, how many of those seven did you shine the light of Christ into darkness? How much of life is about you, how much about others, and how much about your King and Master? First GO, but second when you go BE LIGHT!

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 20, 2018 at 03:48AM

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via IFTTT Reasoning among themselves... Jesus stated over and over that "I do only what I see the Father do" but these religious "reasoned among themselves". See the difference? These leaders had returned to the sin of the garden, they had sought to find the knowledge of good and evil from within themselves, their own way. Reasoning in and of itself is not a bad thing, but attempting to discern the things of God from only reasoning is a very bad thing. This is the source of all pain and suffering in the world, the reason for death and sickness, the reason for separation from God... Trying to do it ourselves. The knowledge of good and evil devoid of the author of good, is evil. How much differently would this story have gone if these leaders had gone into fervent prayer to answer this question posed by Jesus? If these men had soght the wisdom of God over the wisdom of man? But they didn't... They traded the wisdom of heaven for reasoning among themselves and the result? Left empty, no answer, no path, just darkness. Do we do this? Do we also reason things out instead of turning to God Himself? When is the last time you faced a decision? Needed an answer? Did you FIRST find alone time to seek God's wisdom? Did you quiet the voices of your own mind to hear that still small voice from within your heart? Did you seek God or man's reasoning? Jesus promises that those who seek will find, those who ask are answered, those who knock will find an open door. So, why turn to reason of man when the wisdom of heaven is so available? Is man above God? Shall we follow right along behind Adam and eat of that tree? Friend, we do this often, we reason among ourselves, we repeat Adam's sin. Just stop. Relax. Hear from heaven instead. If He is faithful, He will answer.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 19, 2018 at 03:20AM

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via IFTTT They knew! They understood. Here we have Jesus speaking again in parables. Earlier Jesus explained that parables were used so that those granted hearing would"get it" while those not granted understanding would not see. If that's true, then the religious leaders here that understood were granted understanding. God specifically wanted them to understand that Jesus was condemning their actions here. They knew and they rejected Jesus anyway. God showed them the error of their ways, warned them of their evil doing. They knew but instead of turning and repenting, they stood firm in their sin. Understanding is not the key! So often today we hear that "it is all about communication, about understanding." Well obviously not here. They understood and it didn't do a thing for them. It is not enough to know when we do evil, it all depends on the heart. Their hearts were cold. Dead. Selfish. They didn't respond with repentance once they gained understanding because their hearts were not ready. On fact, the very understanding that should have brought them to repentance and salvation caused more evil, they turned against Jesus to kill Him. We must be careful. Understanding, communication is not enough. We must have a soft heart. We must desire pleasing God over all else. Then and only then do we find repentance and forgiveness. Talking, teaching, learning will either turn us to repentance or deeper sin, depending on our heart. This applies in our walk with God as well as our relationship with each other. It's all about the heart. Communication between hardened hearts just brings more sin. First submit the heart to God. Let Him soften us through whatever means necessary. Then what we hear and see and understand, what we are told, will help instead of hurt. We will find repentance and forgiveness instead of conviction. It is all about the heart. They knew but they rejected. Pray for a softer heart to avoid their fate.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 18, 2018 at 03:03AM

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via IFTTT Jesus felt a love for him. Wow. The unnamed man moved the heart of God! He touched heaven with his desire and authenticity! He had run to Jesus, and sought to know all God had for him. He must have sensed something was missing, that God was calling him further into grace and glory. His desire was there. Jesus revealed God's ultimate path for the man... To follow Jesus as a disciple. What an honor! He was invited to join Jesus, walk with Him, see the great miracles, hear unfathomable teaching. He was called into ultimate service! Such an honor only a handful received. Yet, here is a sad ending. The man rejected the invitation. How can this be? Who would do such a thing? Who? Any of us with many ties to this world. This man was wealthy. God had blessed him, likely due to his good heart. But that blessing became a curse when the man choose the material blessings over following Jesus, the riches of this life over heaven. Jesus acted out of love, to invite him into ultimate service, but that invite came with a condition. He had to sacrifice all the blessings he had received, to see a new world of blessing. As the seed must be planted and die in order to grow, so he had to start over. This reminds us of Abraham. After receiving the miracle blessing of a son in his old age, Abraham was called to sacrifice that son. He was called to give up that blessing to gain more. Abraham obeyed and passed the test. This man failed. He chose to keep what he already had instead of going further. Our lives are like this. We are often called to start over, to give up what God has given us in order to achieve the next level. It is a test of faith! If we choose to keep what we have, if that is good enough, we stay status quo, sadly. If we sacrifice all that we have, a new world is promised, a new life, life closer to Jesus! Heed the warning of this scripture. Do not hold on to the blessings of yesterday when God calls you forward. Give it all to Jesus! Trust the the next day will be greater then the last. Have faith in His invitation. Holding on to the past is a sure way to hinder the future.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 17, 2018 at 04:35AM

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via IFTTT A child in the arms of God. Not figuratively, but physically wrapped tight in those strong yet gentle arms. Close your eyes and imagine God, creator of this vast universe, pulling you to Himself while those arms wrapped around you. Imagine feeling His warmth, the ultimate protection from all evil held tight inside the light of the world. The love of a true Father to His child. The incredible experience is available to you, right now. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That means His arms are waiting to wrap around you, hold you tight, make the darkness melt away. All that is required is two things... Come to Jesus. Come as a child. Children have inherent trust in their parents. They do not worry about their next meal, clothes, house. They just KNOW that Mom and Dad will take care of them. They do not question, do not say "please go to work so I can eat tomorrow". The heart of a child trusts. They live their days knowing that tomorrow will be ok, dad is here. They do not stress, plead, demand of parents. They trust out of love and knowing. Are you this child? Are you at peace that tomorrow your dad will care for your needs? Do you trust? Do you have faith? If no, why not? Has God failed you? Has He refused you? Do you not still breathe? You might not have all the toys that you desire, but you breathe. He brought you this far in spite of yourself. Those arms are open to you now. Don't pull away, step into His arms. Feel them wrap around you in the embrace you crave. Feel His protection, His love. It is real, not just some two thousand year old story . It is real today. Give it all to Jesus today. Everything. Trust completely. Relax and enjoy His presence. Stop all the striving, fighting, worry. Give Him your messed up life to fix. Just be the child of The King today. Share His light and love with others. Know God's love personally and practically. He is the faithful father, we are His little child.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 15, 2018 at 03:30AM

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via IFTTT Adultery. A sin worthy of death according to the law of Moses, yet often openly participated in through the guise of serial manogomy. Will God turn a blind eye? Jesus' own words here are quite specific and clear. Replacing a spouse with another is adultery and therefore punishable by death. The only justifiable reason for divorce, without causing the sin of adultery, is the sin of fornication (intimate relations outside of marriage). This is a painful truth for the millions of people today who have openly practiced serial monogamy (multiple committed marriages). Jesus' words condemn that specific practice. Serial monogamy is an attempt by man to justify sin, to make it acceptable. Justifying sin is, itself, sin! Our society has fallen to a point where each participant in a relationship now believes themselves to be the most important part of that relationship. Marriages are built on what the other person does for us. If the spouse fails to be a positive part of our life, we feel justified in leaving and starting over. Jesus calls this sin, worthy of death penality because of its severity. Let us not think that avoiding legal "marriage" in an intimate relationship prevents this sin and allows us freedom to leave when things get uncomfortable. Marriage, by biblical standards, is defined by intimate relations, not ceremony. Follow the logic here and we see why America is in such dire straits! Why the church is so powerless, why our families are falling apart, why struggle in our own lives. When we embrace sin as normal, we simply can not experience God's presence. So what to do? If we accept what Jesus says here as truth, how can we possibly go on? How many of us are guilty of violating this deeply grevious sin, and feeling ok about it? How many divorced and remarried people sit in the pews without a twang of guilt for their abhorrently selfish behaviour? How many are already planning another switch of partners in an ever failing search for the perfect mate? What to do? Simple.... Repent. Adultery is no different from any other sin. Sin is sin. All is death, all is forgivable upon repentance. The lists of sin in the new testament puts things like gluttony right along with homosexuality, adultery. How dare any of us think our sins are any less or any greater than another's? How dare we pick and choose sin to accept and sin to condemn. Sin is sin. But repentance requires fruit. It requires a realization of the gravity of pain we cause by our sin. God hates divorce. We must come to terms with our own sin, our own selfishness. We must experience the deep heart wrenching conviction of realization that our own selfish rebellion against God caused this. We must see our own sin as the ugliness that God sees. We must make retribution to those we have hurt. We must admit and confess or faults. And we must willingly die to self. But what does that mean? STOP LIVING FOR YOURSELF! Die on the cross with Jesus and rise with Him to live again without care for your own welfare, feelings, treatment. Put aside selfishness! Stop worrying about how YOU are treated. YOU are supposed to be dead! What do you care if your spouse or significant other isn't perfect to you, why do you care if they aren't the person you want to make you feel good? You, Mr or Mrs Christian, are dead to self! Your life is not about YOU but THEM. Your life is dedicate to helping THEM. Your every day is spent seeking how to be a better partner for them, not find a better partner for yourself. Selfishness is a sin. Adultery is a sin. Serial relationship, including marriage, is a sin. One may reply, "wait, what about cheating? Do we just accept it and ignore?" No... That is the one exception that frees us from the commitment of marriage. The only one. Another would say "wait, what about a physically or emotionally abusive relationship? Should one just stay in that situation and be abused?" Of course not! That is why God allowed Divorce through Moses, because of the hardness of men's hearts. But.. Jesus said divorce and remarry, that is adultery. Not my words, His. Repent of these sins and bring to God the fruits of your repentance. Then and only then can you experience the life that God has for you.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 14, 2018 at 03:49AM

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via IFTTT Divorce. Death. Life long suffering. Evil. Strong words, yes. Deep suffering. Perhaps an even deeper truth here than we like to admit. Let us dig... Under the law of Moses, man divorced wife. It was not the other way around. The man could choose to send away his wife. God created a patriarchal society. Men were responsible for the family. Men were responsible for the church. Men were responsible for the future of the nation. All the way back to the curse in the garden, where God told eve "because you were mislead first", men become responsible for you. I do not say men are in "control", because any man that uses that word, control, does not understand the magnitude of responsibility over the allure of control. This is not about who can choose, but who is responsible. With marriage, regardless of who did what, who said what, who wants what, the man is responsible. Look what Jesus says here to men. "Because of hardness of heart, Moses allowed you (men) to divorce." The hardness of who's heart? Men! Sir, truth is, you are fully responsible for your family's future. God doesn't want to hear about "her faults". He wants to hear about how did you deal with it? Was your heart hard? God put you in control so that you, sir, could die for your wife as Christ died for the church, as He died for you. Will you not show the same sacrifice for your wife that Jesus showed to you? What does scripture say of a man who won't show others the same mercy they received? This is hard teaching from Jesus. The man is responsible for divorce. The hardness of man's heart causes divorce. The hardness of man's heart causes kids to grow up without a father and mother, without a proper example of God and church, without the family that God commissioned. It's truly all your fault sir. You. because you are to lay down your life for your wife and cause her to prosper. No matter what. Personally, I say this as a divorced man. I made the selfish choice once of filing for divorce. I am guilty of serving myself over what God gave me. I know the depth of this. I accept that it was all my fault. This is not pointing fingers, this is pleading with you. Accept your responsibility before you fail! Where are the men with sore knees? Where are the men who spend all night, night after night in prayer, pleading with God to save their family? Searching with weeping eyes for one more thing to do ? Where are the men who give up EVERYTHING, every selfish wish, ambition, desire, hobby, pleasure to help their family? Where are the men spending every spare moment searching scripture for wisdom to lead their family? Where are the real men? Have you even tried? No, not unless you gave everything as Jesus did for you. Not if you have any "you" left. Man up, give it all. Divorce. Man's fault. Hard hearted men, selfish men, childish men, lazy men, they cause divorce. And GOD HATES DIVORCE. Seek God, sir. If you don't, a day is coming when He will ask you why you didn't. He is ready to save the family He gave you. All that stops life, is you. He is capable, but are you willing?

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 11, 2018 at 04:11AM

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via IFTTT The sin of "just too late". These people had seen Jesus work miracle after miracle. They had faith bolsters by eye witness events. They knew what He could do for healing. But they didn't yet know Jesus. Their faith had a limit. They only believed what they had seen. They had God in just as much of a box as someone who didn't believe the healings at all. They saw limits. And they valued what they saw over what could be. And that... Is lack of faith! They could not accept the miracle working power of Jesus as unlimited. Their own understanding was still focused on this world. They did not yet see Him as the author and creator of the universe. They limited God Himself through their unbelief. You see, that's why Jesus waited to come. That's why when lazurus was sick, Jesus purposefully waited until he died. These people needed to move beyond simple miracles of healing and see the true nature of Jesus. Their eyes were closed. How often do we repeat this sin today? Limiting God with a box of any sort is a sin. Unbelief. Lack of faith. Sin. "If only" becomes our prayer. We walk in defeat because our God is limited by our own ideas and limits. We put our thinking above the power of God! What an insult! For man to tell God "it is too late"? No! Don't do it! It is never too late for God. No situation is beyond His ability. How dare we decide what God can and can not do? Who put us in charge? We either trust or we don't. God is either in control of life and death or not. There is no in-between! There are no limits! The key is this. We are called to do what is right. To discern the optimum. To stand for righteousness in every action in every walk of life. To never compromise. To never give in. To never accept a lesser evil. To never negotiate with satan. We are to be the light of what is pure and holy in everything... EVERYTHING. No aspect of life is immune. Health, finances, relationship, politics, everything falls under "stand for righteousness against all odds". Then trust. Let God be in charge of the harvest. Let Him work whatever miracle, without limit, that He sees fit. Whether we live or die, we live or die in righteousness and peace. The harvest is His, the work is our part. These people limited God. They failed to see what could be, because they focused on what could have been. They failed to see what God wanted, because they were full of compromise and limit. They feared and mourned because they trusted in their own understanding and put themselves in the place of God. Be brave! Be at peace! Do what is right and expect God to handle whatever. The harvest is His. The work is ours.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 10, 2018 at 03:30AM

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via IFTTT The shortest scripture, but one with a powerful message. Jesus wept. He was so moves, so touched, that tears streamed from those compassionate eyes. Why? He was not weeping for lazurus. He knew that within moments lazurus would be raised back to life. He knew the outcome would be positive. His tears were not about loss, but pain. He felt their pain. He wept because the people He loved we're hurting. Jesus cares deeply. He cares about all that we go through. He feels our each and every pain. He is human. He has the same emotion we do. It hurts to see someone you love hurting. Next time you are hurting, remember that Jesus wept with Mary. He felt her deep pain and experienced the grief she was feeling. He cares about your pain. He feels your pain. Yes He has a plan, yes He knows all will be well soon, but for the moment, He weeps with you because he feels with you. Our son, our stubbornness, out selfish ambition, our rebellion, it all causes pain and suffering. Most of what we suffer is in fact self inflicted. Yet, Jesus still goes through the darkness with us today, feeling our pain, sharing our sorrow. Our rebellion causes Him suffering, just as any good friend hurts when we hurt. Doesn't matter why, doesn't matter who's fault it is. A good friend feels our pain. Jesus is your friend. He already died for you, now He loves with you. He sees every sadness, every pain, and experiences it with us. A better friend we will never find! So give your pain to Jesus! He is there for you. Let his loving arms envelope you, fill you with comfort. And let him raise the dead.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 05, 2018 at 03:28AM

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via IFTTT Even if someone rises from the dead. We tend to think that miracles change minds. They don't. Period. Someone who wants to believe will, one who doesn't won't. A miracle itself changes nothing. Miracles don't change minds or hearts, miracles expose them! When someone who already believes hears of a miracle, it cements their faith. It provides evidence for what already was accepted. But when someone who doesn't believe sees that same miracle, they are skeptical. The miracle provides fodder for discredit. Here is the good news.... This means that YOU do not need to work miracles! You don't need to be superhuman! You can just be you, and God will use you. It is not about the miracles, not about the quality of your actions or abilities. It's actually not about you at all! When you speak truth and live light, the truth and light do the work, not you! How freeing! What changes hearts and minds is not logic, not persuasion, not intelligence. Only God can change hearts and minds. Not us, not you, not me. It is in God's capable hands! When what you speak is successful, it's not because YOU spoke it, it's because God brings the harvest. How dare we take credit for what God Himself does! Are we the source of life? NO! Always remember, we do the work, but God brings the harvest. If one will believe, miracles are not the reason. If one won't believe, miracles are not a help. God must touch the heart. We, even if a miracle worker, are but a tool, a vessel, a messenger. So relax, God is in control. We are only responsible for the effort and for providing our own willing heart. The rest is in the hands of the "Lord of the harvest".

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 04, 2018 at 03:15AM

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via IFTTT Stories of old, stories of people from another time, another place. But not just stories, these are beautiful paintings on the canvas of life. These are wisdom, to keep us safe in our own storms. We may call it "old testament" but it is in fact, our future! The stories in the Bible are real life parables. Each one is a rich assortment of wisdom to be revealed. Layer after layer of truth and guidance for us today. Some may say that we live in a different time so those are outdated images of the past. NO! Times may change, but humans are the same more importantly God never changes! The principles at work in these old stories are as relevant to our lives today as ever. Wisdom is based on principles, not details. It is the process of stripping away details and seeing the principles that parables are made of. Jesus spoke in many parables. The stories of the old testament are a continual string of parables. It's the same thing! The value of the stories is in the principles. "He who has an ear, let him hear". Do you have an ear? Can you read through those old stories and see guidance for your own daily life in every word? Is the old testament an exciting and overwhelming collection of depth? If not, perhaps our ears could use some cleaning! We can have ears to hear and eyes to see, but they do not come from man's process of study. Eyes and ears come through God's grace and gift of the Holy Spirit. Only God Himself can open our eyes and ears. Seek Him first, and you will find wisdom. It's not analysis, study, searching, academic reasoning. No. Wisdom is found in those quiet moments alone with God. Ask Him to reveal His wisdom to you. Ask Him to open your eyes to truth, to principle. Ask, and you shall receive! Then the Bible comes alive! The life is not in the words themselves, but in the spirit that lives within you as you read or hear the words. God's spirit is truth and wisdom. He will open your eyes if you ask Him diligently. Not once, not twice, but constantly. Seek Him daily. Remember Lott's wife, and remember all those stories we memorized as a child. Return to the Bible and read them again, but ask God to open your eyes to see deep. He will! And you will never be the same!

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 03, 2018 at 03:12AM

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via IFTTT Envy blinds the eyes, but exposes the heart. The Scribes and Pharisees had a life mission of reaching their people with the love and Holiness of God. Yet because their hearts were cold and dead, they spent the days praising and pleasing themselves. Their heart was contrary to their mission. When Jesus came along with a pure heart, but the same mission, people responded in huge crowds! Instead of repenting, the Scribes and Pharisees grew envious. Instead of rejoicing, they grumbled. And that envy exposed their true heart. It wasn't about the people at all to them, it was all about themselves. Today we read these stories and easily see the error of their ways. But do we see our own? How is this different from church leaders who seek to build their Church as a business? Who read books about increasing church attendance. Who offer fun, exciting lures to attract people. Who fret over the bank account more than the lost. Where is your heart? Our bookshelf should be about how to reach the lost, how to achieve Holiness, how to please God in daily life, how to die to self, how to walk in faith. Our calendar should be full of moments of prayer set aside, regular private Bible reading, visiting people who are hurting. Our bank account should have more deductions than deposits, giving to those in need instead of buying for ourselves. Our life should be one of sacrifice, not pleasure. Visiting not vacation, caring not wanting. It's the heart to matters. Where is our heart? And it's not just church leaders... No no. Everyday people have the same call! Last time you received a raise or bonus, what was your first thought? Was it about what you can spend it on for yourself? Or was it about who you could now give to? When you last had a day off, did you rejoice because you get to relax and play, or because you finally can spend an entire day in prayer? You see, we humans are hopeless on our own. We are the same as the Scribes and Pharisees. Our own thoughts are continually on our own life and pleasure, not furthering God's kingdom! We are envious of others gaining riches, glory, bonus, ease, because WE want that stuff for ourselves! No matter how holy we portray to those around us, we are imperfect. Down inside, out thoughts and emotions betray who we want to be. The answer? Jesus. Let His purity of heart expose our own darkness. Stop trying to be Holy and instead seek His Holiness. We can never change our own heart. But through honestly realizing our own depravity, and repenting... Honestly admitting to God that we are evil inside and seeking His help... Only then can our hearts be changed. The world takes an opposite approach. The world says " you're not so bad, look on the bright side, see all the good you do and be happy". That is not God's way. See the evil inside us. Feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Let His light expose our own darkness. Then give it all to God for redemption. Don't ignore, don't downplay, but redeem, change! Become holy by repenting of trying to become holy! Just relax and admit the truth, and let Jesus do what we can not. Flock to Him with the sin inside and repent as a broken son or daughter at His feet. Let Jesus purify our heart.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church December 01, 2018 at 03:34AM

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via IFTTT Give up all your possessions? All? Yes! That is God's call to us. Give it all. Quite a far cry from the popular message of today. Some struggle to give the "required" 10%. Others give to get. Still, others concentrate on accumulating wealth and comfort as their goal. And all this within the "church" where Jesus said, "give it all!" How can this be? How can we be so far off target? Following Jesus, serving God is not a means to riches or comfort in this world. Jesus said over and over, this world is nothing. It is evil. It is but a fleeting moment in eternity. Following Jesus means turning our backs on everything in this life. The "good" as well as the bad, counting it all as worthless before a holy God and eternity. Is it a sin to be rich? No. It is a greater sin to SEEK to be rich! How many more of us are guilty of seeking riches than having them ! How often do we follow the allure of a better job, bigger house, more fun, vacations, things, bank accounts, nicer clothes? Give it all up! Stop wasting precious minutes seeking that which is worthless! Life is not about getting ahead, not even about keeping up. It is about serving! If you have "things" count it all as God's and you are but managing it for Him. Will you truly take of God's riches, entrusted to you, and use some on yourself? Just who do you think you are? Did you "earn" that? NO! God blessed you in spite of the sinful nature inside. It is His blessing, not yours. It is His riches, not yours. You are like the bank teller, handling accounts for others. Will you go to lunch on another's money? It's all in the attitude. Whatever you have, whatever you find yourself with control over, give it to God. Seek to serve Him with it, not yourself. Not to gain a reward! But to serve the one who put those things into your hands. Riches are a test. What will you do? Will you spend as you wish? As if you own them? Or will you honor your pledge at salvation to give everything to God? It is a test indeed. Do you pass? Give it all to Jesus. Not to receive more, but because you recognize it all as belonging to Him. Because He is worthy. Holding on to control over anything, anything, means we are not yet following Christ.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 30, 2018 at 04:13AM

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via IFTTT The Romans who nailed the nails didn't kill Jesus. The Jews who accused him didn't kill Jesus. The Scribes and Pharisees, Pilate didn't kill Jesus. No one "killed" Jesus. He gave his life voluntarily. If we say that someone "killed" Jesus, we elevate that person or group above Jesus, above God. We should be careful how we speak of such things. Jesus death was a sacrifice. He sacrificed Himself as both the high priest and the lamb. He had no sin, and therefore was not worthy of death as we are. He lived the life Adam should have lived. He lived holy. That's why Jesus was able to die for our sins, because he had no sin of his own. Not only did Jesus have authority to lay down his life for us, but to also rise again. God the Father didn't raise Jesus from the dead. Jesus did that of his own authority! Wait... How did Jesus bring himself back to life if he was dead? We are three part beings... Made in God's image with a body, soul, and spirit. The body is what dies here on earth. Jesus body was dead. Completely. For three days and thee nights. But Jesus spirit was still alive. It was the spirit, the inner essence, that brought the body back to life. We are built the same way. Our body dies, but the spirit awaits the judgment, the second death or eternal life. We do not cease to exist upon physical death, only the body dies and decays. So Jesus allowed his body to suffer and die, that part of him which overcame sin. that part which became the sacrifice and payment for our sins. Then, when the job was done. His spirit acted on authority from the Father and gave life back to his body, becoming a full man again. A glorified man, but a man in that same body. Nail holes, spear wound, gashes from whips, everything. He lives in that same body today! So no one killed Jesus. We are all guilty of rejecting him, but humans do not, can not kill God. Jesus is a living willing sacrifice. Fully God, and fully man. And the reason we have a second chance, through the blood He shed.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 29, 2018 at 04:26AM

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via IFTTT Do you feel alone? Rejected? "Put out"? This man did. He had stood for what he knew, simply stating the facts that he was aware of, and those in charge... Those that"knew better" rejected him. They "put him out" or turned him away. No longer welcome with the crowd. But, Jesus found him. WOW! The King of all kings, the Creator of the universe, God in the flesh sought out this man and found him! So will He do for you! When we stand up for what's right, refuse to compromise, the world and even the church may disown you. They may turn you out and reject you because you do not "fit in" with their theology, their tradition. But have no fear! Jesus will seek out those who refuse to compromise! God comforts those who stand in truth! Who would you rather have stand with you? God or man? When you feel alone, abandoned, rejected... Know that if the reason for that is truth and refusal to compromise, Jesus will find you! You are never alone, if you stand in the light!

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 28, 2018 at 02:54AM

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via IFTTT What has more value? Truth, or the one speaking it? The wisdom of man answers... "The one speaking". The pride of man requires truth to come through man's efforts (education, training, position, fame, wealth, success) or it is not valuable. The messenger carries more value than the message. This is a slap in the face of God, who authored truth. It is a lie proceeding from the deepest conceited heart of man. Not only a lie, but a way of placing man above God himself. Strong words? Yes. Truth is truth, regardless of the speaker. The truth does not come from man. Truth comes only from God Himself. Placing importance on the messenger above the message is placing importance on man above God. The same sin that brought death, disease and destruction into our world through Adam's actions. Now I get why people do this... It is easier. So much easier to just assume that a person speaks truth because of their background, position, etc. The listener no longer has to evaluate... No longer has to do the work of discerning truth. Just follow, assume, and life is easy. But is that what God desires of us? To become blind followers of men? NO! We are each granted the ability to see truth through the enlightenment of the Holt Spirit. We are given equal access to truth. Why would we toss that aside and start blindly following men? Jesus said " a little child shall lead them". Not an educated, trained, professional. Not a wealthy, successful person. Not a famous popular individual. A child. Why? Because the child has nothing to rely on but God and truth. You, I, all of us are equal. No one is above a sinful deceitful nature inside. No training or education or paperwork can erase a heart bent on believing lies. We are all born in sin. We all must rely on God, through Jesus' blood granting us access to the Holy Spirit to receive truth. No man warrants blind faith. We don't get the easy path. We are each responsible for properly discerning truth. Sure we help each other... That's one purpose of the church. But church is not a place of the blind, but the seeing. We are to see for ourselves, and judge everything regardless of who speaks. Judge rightly, but judge. The Pharisees here acted much like today's educated professional. They discount the voice of the layman. They put themselves up on a pedestal, above God himself, who uses the lowly things of the world, not the great. It is sad. Bottom line? Truth is truth. Anyone can speak truth. God spoke through a donkey once. We should never discount the message because of the messenger. We should never blindly assume the message based on the messenger. Listen to the Spirit, and see with the eyes that God gave us and Jesus paid for.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 27, 2018 at 03:59AM

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via IFTTT Are we so selfish to think that everything revolves around us, to think that everything is about our own life? How dare we make life about us! Here we see the disciples, again, living in this world, looking at everything through selfish eyes. They were thinking only about a persons' actions and God bringing punishment for those actions. Who sinned? That very question assumes the man's position in life is about himself or his parents. We do the same thing... We assume everything in our life is about us. We assume blessing or challenges are the result of our action. If we are "good followers of Christ" we assume everything is for a lesson to us, to sharpen and cleans us. It's all me, me, me... selfishness. Enough! Jesus answered, raise your thoughts to heaven, take your eyes off yourself. This man has spent his life blind to make this day possible. It was all part of God's plan, that on this day, he receive his sight after a lifetime of darkness, just to show Gods mercy and glory and power. It was never about him, it was about who watches what happens next. It was about this scripture about this powerful lesson living on for thousands of years! It was about the millions of people who read this story and gain great insight into how our Father works. What if the man had prayed, pleaded, begged God to restore his sight, for decades. Would God have healed him them? If He did, then the man would have missed out on the awesome blessing in store on this day. Would this man blame God for not answering his prayer? Would he condemn God for this blindness? You see, it was never about him! God gave him a great gift, a prominent place in the scripture. The necessary cost, was a first part of life in blindness. That part was a necessary requirement for the work God intended. Have you ever prayed to be used of God? Have you given Him control, ownership over your life? If so, how dare we assume anything us about us? What if God is answering your prayer, allowing things to go badly, continually, no matter what, just so that He can show the world His glory through your circumstance? Why do we assume it is about us? Decades ago my dad, self employed, fell into hardship. For years we were hanging on by a thread. Over and over he would gather the little company he started and let everyone know that "this was it". The money had run out and if something big didn't happen today, he had to close those doors. Sure enough, on those very days, last possible moment someone walked in the door and did something big, unexpectedly. We existed like this, from barely making it to barely making it, just in the nick of time, for several years. It drained him. He often spoke like Job, " why has this happened? Why won't God answer? What more can I learn from this?". But, looking back, I can tell you that this experience through the eyes of me as a young man built my faith like nothing else could. It wasn't about my dad at all, it was about those watching silently. It gave me what I needed for life as a soon to be father of 12 living a life of uncertainty. It gave me an unshakable foundation to build on. Perhaps someone is silently watching you right now. Perhaps they see Christ in you, in how you deal with adversity. Perhaps someday God will remove those challenges in a miraculous way, perhaps not. Question is, why does it matter? If we gave our life to Christ, how dare we pick that life back up and complain about the path God gives us? How dare we do anything but accept that life as is and shine Jesus through it? Who do we think we are anyway, the potter or the clay? Paul had such a challenge, and he prayed three times, then accepted it. Give it to God! Whatever it is. Trust Him. Live Jesus. Be the light to those around you. Be at peace. This man was not blind from sin. He was blind for glory. Let God's glory shine through your life today, no matter what.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 26, 2018 at 03:52AM

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via IFTTT Jesus is our redeemer, not our accuser. His whole reason for coming to earth, is to redeem us, not accuse us. Our own sin accuses us enough. This is a fascinating exchange. The Pharisees sought blood and punishment. Their goal was not holiness over sin, but death from sin. They hoped to trap Jesus between law and spirit. They were willing to sacrifice this unnamed woman to accomplish their personal selfish goal. Jesus stood on truth. Sure, the woman was guilty, He never disputed that. She was worthy of death, He did not dispute that. But Jesus brought mercy, not letter of the law judgement. He let her face the consequences of her sin, and then released her with a firm warning... Stop. She well knew further sin would end in death, but she was freed from her past. He knew that soon, her sin would become just one of the billions He would die to erase. What a powerful lesson. Not matter what you have done, no matter how obviously guilty you are, Jesus does not stand here to judge you. He invites you! Do you want to live? Stop sinning! He does not accuse us, He warns us, and if we listen, He dies in our place. He takes our punishment. Does that mean we are free to sin? Of course not! If you truly realize that Jesus died a horrible death, to pay off YOUR sin, you will not sin again. The vision of such a kind, holy blameless man hanging on a cross by nails through his wrists, barely able to breath until death finally relieves the intense pain, that vision should shock us into the gross cost of sin. Could you stand at that cross watching and say "thanks... I can go party again"? No! His eyes wrought with the pain that you deserve yet He volunteered to take would sear into your soul. Jesus died. Horribly. We say that but how often do we stop and consider that reality? How often do we see Him filled with our pain? That is the great love of God. He doesn't accuse, He takes the judgement of us on Himself. Now, remember, Jesus does not excuse sin either! Not accusing does not equal excusing, it equals mercy. Excusing, ignoring sin... That makes Jesus' death pointless. No... We are to judge and expose sin, but love the sinner that Jesus redeemed. He will not excuse us, nor accuse us. He accepted our sin, judgement and punishment. Now, go sin no more!

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 24, 2018 at 03:21AM

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via IFTTT How do we walk in the presence of God? Do what is pleasing to Him. God is light, light destroys darkness. If we choose to walk in darkness, God must pull away or we would be destroyed by the light. If we choose to walk down dark paths, we can not walk in His presence. It's that simple. This isn't speaking of where we go, but rather how we walk. Our attitude, our motives, our heart. Why are you doing this , not what. The "why" is the important part. How many times in the course of a regular day do you step outside of God's presence to do something on your own? To fulfill a fleshly desire, to choose your own path? How many acts are not predicated with "what do you seek here, Lord?". The answer to that is also the answer to how much peace and power we experience. The peace of God comes from the presence of God. If we leave the presence of God, even for just an instant , we also leave the peace and the power. We are alone, because for that moment we rejected God's sovereignty over us and repeated the sin of the garden... Chooseing for ourselves. The secret to life is simple, be with God by seeking Him always. Seek His ways, His heart in every situation, every moment, every challenge, every temptation. Don't ever ask Him to "turn his back" for just a second so that you can do some pleasurable thing you know He wouldn't approve of. The secret to peace of heart is full submission to His will, every minute of every day. Do what is pleasing to Him. Walk in the light. Reject all darkness, all selfishness. And you will walk in the very presence and power of a Holy God.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 22, 2018 at 03:29AM

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via IFTTT In EVERYTHING give thanks. That's deep! This isn't talking about being thankful for being saved from the storm, not for prayers being answered, but to give thanks inside the storm, while paying for deliverance. In other words, be thankful for being in the storm! When Jesus walked on the water, in the storm, would you have liked to be there to witness that? How fabulous to have see Him calm the storm that frightened those seasoned fishermen. But... You couldn't have seen it without enduring the storm also! You had to have been in the storm to see it! Are you troubled these days? Life is difficult, overwhelming? Just too much? The answer is not in some miracle deliverance .... The answer is to become thankful. When we are overwhelmed, we need a change of heart! How dare we NOT be thankful? Think for a moment... Who is in charge? Well.... if you answer "God is in charge", then I ask, "did He fail?" Is your present sustain because He missed something? Because He made a mistake? Because someone was stronger or fooled Him? Of course not! But an attitude of unthankfulness says just that... Such an attitude says "God you messed up, you were not enough and I am suffering because of You!" Thankfulness recognizes that God IS god, and whatever happens in your life is allowed or ordained by Him personally for your own good. It is His intense love for you that brought you to where you are today. How can we not be thankful in all things? This doesn't mean we must thank him for the bag things that happen to us, but it does mean we are to be thankful for taking us through the storm. He had not abandoned us, He is allowing the storm to mature us, to purify us, to help us be more like Him. Is that not your prayer? Pray without ceasing and pray in an attitude of thankfulness. Always. No matter what. Recognize God's mighty hand in the storm. Know that He could at any moment say "peace, be still" and it would stop. But if the storm rages on, know that there is a good reason and that it is better for you or for someone nearby to be in that store for a little longer. See, it may not even be for you! Perhaps someone is watching you endure the storm and your patience, your gratitude, your thankfulness in all things is a powerful witness to them that will change their life! If we complain, that witness is destroyed! Just relax. Trust. Know that He is God,. Know that He loves you. The storm is nothing. He is everything. Be thankful that He still loves you, that He cares enough to take time to be your Father, to hold your hand in that storm. If there is breath, it should be used to speak thanks. Not because of the circumstance, but because of the ability to still breathe. We are granted days, every one is one we should be thankful for. Even this one.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 19, 2018 at 03:23AM

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via IFTTT Do you ever feel alone? As if no one supports you? No one believes in you? No one stands with you? Jesus did. Even his family, his own brothers who he grew up with, were not behind him. He had to stand alone. It is not easy, being the one to stand, but stand we must. It is an act of faith and obedience. God is looking for the one willing to stand, even if alone. The one willing to be the first, even if the only. Is that you? It is not pleasant, it is even scary. It's a difficult road indeed to stand when everyone else is against you. When you have no one to confide in, no one to share your heart with, life can seem too much. But, you have a friend. Jesus stood alone. He knows how hard it is, how frustrating, how lonely. Wait... Jesus lonely? He had crowds everywhere he went! Yes... Crowds, but no friend. No one who understood Him and His mission. He had no one to confide in except God the Father. Perhaps that's another reason He spent so much time alone, in prayer. His heavenly Father was the only one who was there for Him. He was alone. People flocked to Him for their own selfish reasons, not to help Jesus. Not to support Him. But for what they could get from Him. And in the end, they all turned away. Even Peter. So what do you do when you are alone? Lean on Jesus!. Not only does He understand, but He succeeded! He stood alone and won the battle! He never gave in, never gave up. And He wants to stand with you, now. You do have a friend! Young David stood alone against Goliath. The entire Israeli army was scared, too scared to move. But David stood up, and stood alone. And through God's grace and 5 little stones, he won. That's what Jesus wants for you, He will stand with you. But how? Two steps: First, make sure you are on the right path. Pray earnestly for direction, for wisdom, for insight. Pray for every wrong door to be closed no matter what. Pray for the right door to be opened. Seek wisdom in the word, seek wisdom by being alone with Jesus. Stop sleeping much and use that time alone in quiet prayer as Jesus did. Make sure you are standing in the right. Then, stand while leaning on Jesus. Pray without ceasing. Stay in a humble attitude, knowing that YOU can not do this. It's not about self-esteem, not about self-motivation, not about your willpower, your training, your strength. It's not even about you. It is about Him! Every minute, keep your eyes and thoughts on Jesus. He can do anything, you just need to obey. Move forward knowing through faith that He will never leave you. Stay in prayer, always, 24x7. Jesus is the answer. The problem is nothing. Forget the problem, and honor the problem solver with your time, your heart, and your obedience. Then, He will give you the strength to stand, even if alone.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 16, 2018 at 03:30AM

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via IFTTT There is one, only one. Only one reason to accept Jesus as the savior long promised in scripture. We would be wise to understand that one, so that we do not chase after false imposters. Jonah. You know the story, Jonah tried to escape God's call of him, and ended up spending three days and three nights inside some great sea creature. Then he emerged by God's power. Elsewhere in scripture Jesus clearly explains that this refers to His own journey from the cross to the grave, for exactly three days, only to rise back to life again. That is the sign. Dead and buried for three days just like Jonah, then resurrecting back to life. That is how we know that Jesus is Christ, the savior. Not because of the miracles, not because of his life, not because of his teaching... Because he was dead for three days and rose back to life. The lesson here is clear. Miracles do not by themselves validate a person as being from God. Satan performs miracles. Evil people perform miracles. Crowds do not validate a person. Satan, the world, charisma draws crowds but Is not of God. Great teachings do not validate a person. Satan comes as an angel of light, with deep teachings mostly true. It is easily deceiving. So how do we know to trust Jesus as saviour and not others such as Mohammad, Krishna, etc? Simple. Jesus is the only one who died, remained dead for three full days, and then Rose. His grave is empty, and only his grave is empty! Everyone else that claimed to be a saviour is dead now. Their body decayed. They were imposters. Historically it can be shown that the resurrection happened. Facts are facts. And that Resurrection is what tells us that Jesus was and is savior. He had no sin, so death could not hold him. He died, yes, but he could rise because without guilt, sin and death had no legal bind over him. Jesus proved He was sinless by rising to life, and that makes His death valuable to us, able to cover our sins. Jesus is our saviour. He holds the keys to death in his hand, he went into prison and conquered it. He is the one mankind had waited for since that fateful day in the garden. Three days and three nights. That is the sign.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 13, 2018 at 03:56AM

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via IFTTT Do not be afraid! Do not fear your enemies, do not fear your future! Jesus knew! He fully knew that Judas would betray him. He knew Judas was evil to the core, a tool of Satan. He knew, but Jesus did not stop him! What would you do? What if you knew someone on your team was against you, plotting to betray you? Would you panic? Would you fight? Would you remove that person from your life asap? Jesus didn't. Jesus walked by faith, and quiet strength. He was fully assured that the Father would protect and guide him. Not hope, KNEW. That is faith. Faith to love, live with, sacrifice for, share bread with a devil. There was no worry in Jesus, no uncertainty. He didn't even keep a watchful eye on Judas as far as we know. Jesus knew the Father's plan! It is that knowing that breeds faith. Knowing that Judas played a vital role in Jesus mission, knowing that the role was already dictated by the Father, gave Jesus faith to be at peace living with a devil. Knowing God's plan. That's the secret. That is the foundation of peace and faith. Do you know God's plan for your life? If you do, you can accept all that Satan throws at us, and let it roll off like Jesus did. Nothing can scare you, once you know the plan, because who can stop God's plan? If God is god, and you know his plan for you, you can live at peace. You can relax and rest, no one can thwart God's plan. If you don't know God's plan, ask him! Ask Him to reveal to you whatever He can. Trust that if He shows you, it's ok and if He chooses not to, that's ok too. Just know that He has a plan! Fear, stress... these come from the unknown. But it is only unknown when we don't walk with God daily. Not knowing is our own fault! Get alone with God and ask for a peace that comes from knowing that there is an unstoppable plan for you and your loved ones. Then relax, do not worry, no one can block God.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 08, 2018 at 03:05AM

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via IFTTT Never waste what God provides. Jesus just turned five loaves of bread and two fish into a feast for five thousand families. Clearly He demonstrated that there is no limit to His creative power. When they were hungry again, He could simply do it again, right? Why would there be needed to collect the leftovers? Why not just make more food, I mean... It was easy to do the first time... Just make more again! No. Jesus directed them to collect all of the leftover scraps so that nothing was wasted, nothing. Every crumb of bread is precious. There is a fine line between walking in faith that God will provide for our needs on a daily basis, and walking in arrogance of not valuing that sustenance. Even when God brings bread by miracle day after day, we must never become complacent, never grow wasteful of what is provided each day. It is a matter of attitude. Shortly after baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness to be tested of satan. One of those tests was to turn stones into bread because Jesus was very hungry from fasting. Jesus refused. He would not use His own creative power on himself, even though He clearly could have. He did not waste it on hunger. But here, later, Jesus did exactly that to feed those who came to hear truth and to use that miracle as a teaching lesson. No longer wasteful, no longer selfish, but now productive. And still, after such a powerful show off creative power, Jesus still did not want any waste. We must take this to heart. God provides, yes. But He provides needs, not wants. And He expects us to respect every provision as sacred, not something lightly wasted. Not in thinking "I don't need to save the leftovers, God will just feed me again tomorrow". No! With that attitude, you sir may will find yourself hungry. Whatever God provides us, cherish, be a good steward, be thankful and grateful for each crumb. Crumbs created by the finger of God. In the end there were twelve baskets of leftovers. The number of completion, twelve. Twelve tribes of Israel, twelve disciples, twelve months in a year, twelve is a symbolic number. The leftovers were sacred! They were the completion of the miracle. Not only were the people fed, but God left a sign to us in the twelve baskets left. In doing His will, for His purpose, we will eat. But also there is a plan for the extra, don't waste it! Ask God to reveal to you the twelve baskets in your life, the extra, the leftovers waiting to be counted. Don't move on till you see the completion of God's mighty hand in your life. Don't live by the miracle, by the full stomach, but rather live by the truth! Be fed more on the abundance of Truth than the bread provided. Stop and collect the leftovers, cherish God's mighty hand. See the big picture. See end to end, edge to edge. Jesus didn't just feed five thousand, He did something much greater. He turned 7 (5 and 2) into 12. Let him complete the work in your life now... Go collect the crumbs, and see God's work.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 06, 2018 at 03:44AM

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via IFTTT Their heart was hardened. AFTER witnessing one of the most incredible miracles of Jesus ministry. We must be careful, so careful, forever diligent against our main enemy... Ourself! These men had witnessed Jesus feed thousands of people with only a small basket of food. He created food out of thin air and miraculous creative power. They watched, they saw, they knew. Yet they remained hard of heart and dull of mind. How can this be? The heart of man is continually deceitful. When we see miracles without submitting our heart to God to fill us with Holiness, to purge us of evil, we can be lead astray. There is great temptation in miracles! Temptation for evil. Temptation to misuse the awesome power of the Creator. Decades ago, my father walked in daily miracles of healing. For years I witnessed as a young man almost daily miracles, from small to huge. Things people say are impossible. Blind see, cripples walk, cancers melt away. Each day was not the question "will god move today" but rather "what great miracle will we see today". Then a phone call. Another well known minister, with a large following, made an offer. "Let's team up! With my anointed preaching and your miracles, we will be unstoppable! We can be blessed with riches beyond belief!". Put yourself in that situation. What would you do? It's easy to justify saying yes, think how many could be touched, saved, healed, helped. Temptation always comes in a beautiful package, but the core inside is ugly and dead. Dad said no. Wrong motive. But it was hard. He agonized for days. But in the end he knew that it would end badly if the motivation was Fame, riches, and selfish getting. We remained poor, but God blessed. Here the disciples had witnessed another miracle but still couldn't see past the immediate benefit. Their eyes were on this world. They had not yet accepted that God walked with them, that all things were not only possible, but planned. They only saw the world and miracles of a righteous man. So when storms came, they feared. When unknown came, they worried. They only saw the miracles, not the god who did them. We must be careful. God is light, He is holy. He calls us first to be like him, with him. The miracles must FOLLOW, not precede. Don't ever let your eyes fall in the miracles instead of the glory of God. We must seek righteousness, seek to be purged of all evil and walk like Jesus in pure love and service. Not just on Sundays, but every minute of every day. We must seek to have a soft heart, an understanding mind. See the deep truths of God instead of just quote scripture. KNOW the Creator. Then the miracles can follow, and they will, once we ourselves are at peace with God and life.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 03, 2018 at 04:10AM

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via IFTTT "he used to enjoy listening to him". Wow. This is deeply convicting for us today! Life changingly so! Harrod enjoyed listening to John the Baptist. He "went to church", listened to the sermons, left feeling good (although perplexed because John kept pointing out Harrods sin), and had a good time. Enjoyable. But Harrod became John's murderer. Take care friend, take great care about our reception of the gospel truth. It should not be an "enjoyable" experience unless we have already purged ourselves of all sin. If we still have any sin in our lives, any hidden struggle, any selfish motive... The gospel exposes that with intent to rip it out of our lives. That is not enjoyable. So there are two paths here. Harrods path was to enjoy listening while ignoring the reality and holding onto his own sin. He enjoyed John's teaching because his heart was cold and closed. That leaves one perplexed.. and forever sinful. The other path is perfection or the seeking of perfection. If one is perfect already, there is no conviction within true teaching. But we are not perfect! We all have sins we are dealing with. The open heart, filled with the presence of a Holy God, hates sin, seeks to rid itself of sin, seeks perfection. And then truth brings conviction. If our heart is right with God, we will experience conviction that leaves us crushed, not merely perplexed! We fall in tears over our sin, repenting openly when the Holiness of God shines light on our own darkness. That is a sign, a fruit, of a converted heart! Willingness to see our sin as sin, and a heartfelt broken repentance, is the result. It is not an enjoyable experience! After, sure, but not during. It hurts to die! Harrods example here is deep. By not allowing God into his heart, by seeing John's preaching as entertainment, as enjoyable, by attending church for the entertainment value, Harrod himself became a tool of Satan. Unrepentant sin is an effective tool in Satan's hands if found within our heart. Don't follow Harrod! Let the words of God and the godly reach deep into your heart and dig up that sin, that selfishness, that dark desire, the evil habit. Let God's power root it out! Let His forgiveness melt it away. Feel the pain of realizing our disappointment of our creator, Seek to be cleansed more every day, to be more like Jesus. Or become a tool of Satan. The choice is yours.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church November 01, 2018 at 03:24AM

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via IFTTT Jesus just showed up at church, and taught. People listened. People were entralled with his wisdom. But, Jesus had no letters after his name, no title, no formal training, no paper diploma, no official authority, no position. He had nothing. Yet, Jesus had everything! He had understanding, power, truth. We as humans so often cave into believing man's lies that we don't even see them as lies sometimes! Jesus had zero earthly qualifications. He sent out the disciples with zero earthly qualifications. At Pentecost the apostles became apostles with tongues of fire, not diplomas. Paul was added to their number through a godly act of blindness, erasing much of what Paul considered good with heartfelt repentance. And yet today, we respect those with papers, training, letters. Why? Because there is so little real. So few walk with true goodly authority and power. So few speak the truth. So few posses godly wisdom. So few seek god more than man. What an indictment on our generation! We praise the wisdom of man in part because we rarely see the true work of God! Today we tend to see everything as a miracle of god. We go to the doctor with a problem, take the medicine he prescribes, and call the result a miracle. Why? How often do we see one walk in the authority of Jesus.." lay hand on them and they will recover." We have reduced miracles to commonplace acts because real miracles are few and far between. Peter said "what I have I give thee, rise up and walk" Jesus asked "what is easier, to forgive sins or to say rise up and walk"? Today, in absence of true power, glory, and truth we put ritual, tradition, and man's approval in diplomas, letters, authority. But what if we didn't? What if instead of years of seminary, what if we looked for years of prayer and repentance. Years of spending time alone, in a dessert, with a holy God. What if we looked for fruit of repentance in every man's life? What if we sought the presence of holy conviction in a man's words? What if we sought after deep truth over repeated phrases? What if we watched for evidence of gods power over the death and destruction of the enemy? What if the blind would see, the crippled walk? What if? Then, papers, diplomas, letters, recognition would not matter. When someone walks in truth and power like Jesus, nothing else matters. People are amazed. It doesn't matter who you are, how old or young you are, how bad you may have lived, how little you may know, none off that matters at all. All that matters is, seeking God's face. Living daily with Jesus. Spending time alone letting the Holy Spirit clean the corners and crevices of your heart from all impurity, all selfish ambition, all self serving goals. Turning your life and heart over to the saviour and truly living for Him. Do that and God will move, through you, just so as in this scripture. Jesus promised that we would do even greater things than Jesus did. Are you ready? He is. He has waited all your life to use you. Waited for you to honor the act baptism and turn your life over to Him, die to self, life for Christ. Then you can walk unannounced into the church and spread God's truth in a way that touches and amazes people, changes hearts, and even heals the sick. Because it's not you, it's the Holy Spirit within you. Seek Him first, and all else will be added unto you.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church October 29, 2018 at 03:04AM

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via IFTTT What do you see? What your eyes see will make or break you! Peter was walking on water. He had already stepped out of the boat. He had already made his way mostly to Jesus. What a fascinating miracle! Peter was walking on the water that he had fished in all his life! As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. But at some point, his eyes drifted from Jesus to the world. He saw the wind and waves. He saw the event is on of the Savior. And he started sinking. Interesting that it was not the fact that he was standing in water that scared him. It was the storm. Consider that for a moment. It was the storm. Often in life we are called to do seemingly impossible things. Miracles happen only when there is no way, no possibilities. Peter's miracle was walking on water as if it were sand. Yet it wasn't fear of the miracle failing that got to him, it was the storm... The regular stuff off life that existed before the miracle. The way to overcome the stuff off life that beats against us, is simple but hard. Keep our eyes on Jesus. Faith abounds when our eyes see only Him. When we start to contemplate the danger, the battle itself, the storm... Our eyes no longer see Jesus but danger. And that breeds fear, and fear destroys faith. Has Jesus called you to walk on water? If so, keep your eyes on him. Forget the storm. Focus on Him, the scriptures, prayer, the still small voice inside. The storm rages, yells, screams at you but a faithful servant listens past the loud storm into the stillness. Quiet solitude with Jesus. Do not focus on the things, focus on the person. Do not focus on the work, but the reason. Do not focus on the outcome, but the path. See Jesus in your daily walk, even hourly! Don't let Satan tempt you to see those waves or wind. Resist! Ask God to grant you blinders to only see Jesus. The storm will be there whether you are in the boat or walking in the water. Forget the storm. It means nothing. Just focus on coming to Jesus.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church October 26, 2018 at 03:33AM

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via IFTTT They don't need to go elsewhere... You feed them. Wow! That is truly an earthshattering command and revelation! Think for a sec, what Jesus is saying! You can feed them. You! Our day is overwhelmed with the notion that we must seek educated professional experts for everything. We have experts all around us to guide is in every aspect of life. People we rely on to guide us in truth. Doctors, phsychologists, professors, nutritionists, preachers, teachers, ... The list goes on and on. For any aspect of life we are told to turn to someone else to seek help. But Jesus says "you feed them". If you are walking in the daily light of Christ, hearing from heaven, seeking His will over our own, keeping ourselves from the world as saints of a holy God, filled always with His goodness and glory, then.. and only then... YOU can feed them! You have the answer. Inside you is the wisdom and knowledge of the universe. Why would you need to turn to an expert, educated in the ways of man? What does he know that God doesn't? You see, the Christian Life is not a life filled with phone numbers of experts, running here or there to find our way. No! Jesus empowers us to know and to serve anyone, anywhere, anytime... As long as we are walking with HIM daily! Now, please understand. Be very careful. The disciples were WITH Jesus when he told them to feed the crowd. Are you WITH Jesus right now? That is a prerequisite! If your walking in your own desires and plans, trusting in your own wisdom and talents, then DO NOT DO THIS! You will fail. It's not you, it's HIM. You must be with Jesus to walk in His power. To know His wisdom and knowledge. But when you stay with Jesus, pray without ceasing, fast and seek His will, die to selfish ambitions, then you can feed God's sheep ! You can give a word of advice, healing, solution. You don't have to send a troubled friend to a doctor or a counselor, you have the answer. Where does wisdom come from? Why oh why is God's church using the ways of man to walk as God? Will education and training bring God's wisdom? How can we even think that man can replace God?!? Because... It started in the garden. Knowledge of good and evil, make your own choices, find your own way. Serve yourself. Be like God. No. A powerful church must reject the ways and reliance on man. A powerful free church must walk by the Spirit in humility and holiness. A powerful church can feed the sheep, as long as they stay with Jesus. Once again, it's all Him, and none of us. You can be used of God to do what the greatest expert on Earth can not do. If and only if, you walk with Jesus daily. Seek him, and all these things shall be added into you.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church October 25, 2018 at 03:58AM

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via IFTTT It is ok to mourne, to be sad over the things that happen in this life. Life is full of hard things. They hurt. Even Jesus experienced this reality. We should not be surprised to find periods of darkness in our lives. Jesus felt pain over the passing of John. They were kindred spirits, partners in a sense. They were close. Jesus felt the pain of loss, emptiness, sorrow. And what did He do? What should we do? Get alone with God the Father. There is no love like the love of a caring Father, no greater comfort. Jesus turned to this loving comfort in His time of grief. Alone, secluded, with God. Crowds of friends and family are a blessing, but they cannot touch the soul like hearing from heaven. Words of a friend are sweet cool water, but pale in comparison to words from our Creator. Time alone with God. That is where Jesus turned. And He is our example. When life hurts, run to Him. Pour your heart out, let Him fill the air we breathe with peace. Let Him comfort our heart. There is something special about the quiet of solitude. There is where our souls are fed. Distractions of this world hinder the full surrender of our hearts. Quiet solitude is the key. Are you hurting? Has life dealt you a crippling blow? Get alone in a quiet place and give God the opportunity to touch your heart. Trust Him. Turn to Him. He alone is the answer.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church October 22, 2018 at 03:41AM

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via IFTTT What are you worried about? What great thing in this life causes you anxiety? Why? God knows you, much better than you know yourself! He knows exactly how many hairs are on your head right now! Let that sink in... He knows! Is hair that important? Is there some hidden cosmic meaning here? No! Jesus is simply pointing our that the Father knows everything minute detail about you and your life. He knows you inside and out, even the stuff no one cares about. Even the stuff you do not care about. He knows. Because He cares about you so deeply. You are his pride and joy, His greatest creation. You. We don't have to go to God in prayer and inform Him of this or that. He already knows! We don't have to stress to Him how important that job is, or that relationship, or that health concern. He knew about it before you did. He knows! So wait, if God knows everything, why do we still suffer? Why doesn't He just fix everything so we can live blissfully happy. Why doesn't He do what we need? Yes, wait a minute! How dare we question God!? How dare we put the holy creator of the universe, who man rejected, as no more than a genie in a bottle. God is not here to serve man! Is man above God? No! That very notion of questioning God is purely from the pit of hell. It is that old serpent speaking again " has Good really said?" What disrespect to a holy loving Father! "Why doesn't He serve us as we want..". Really? How dare we ask that question! God is sovereign. We are his creation. What right do we have to question His motives, His actions, His heart, His abilities? We are the clay in the potters hands, molded and shaped into what He wants. He is rightfully and completely in charge! So relax! Trust! The God that is able, the God that knows, the God that created you also loves you so deeply He numbers the hairs on your head. You have nothing to fear. Nothing. Ever. Well, that is, as long as we leave Him in charge of our day! Fear comes, anxiety comes when we take control, when we want, when we have our own plan... When we put ourselves above God. When we loose trust, when we try to take control, that's when we fear the future. Anxiety comes from our own selfishness and lack of trust. If we put ourselves in God's hands, what have we to fear? What is too great for God? What does He not know? Peace comes with pure submission to one more capable than ourselves. Peace come from trust in love. We suffer fear, anxiety, worry when we take back the reigns of life and suddenly realize that WE can't control the world. But God can! So please... step back, relax. Tell God you quit. You give full control to Him over your life. You will concentrate on hearing His voice, following His lead. Ask Him to build your faith. Ask Him to reveal His deep love. Commit to spend more time alone with Him than your own thoughts of the future. Commit to become a Christ Follower. A true follower... Follow. Yes, follow, not lead. Therein is the peace that passes all understanding. God loves you. He knows you. He waits for you. Say yes.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church October 19, 2018 at 11:50AM

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Pleasant Grove Baptist Church October 19, 2018 at 11:50AM

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Pleasant Grove Baptist Church October 19, 2018 at 03:10AM

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via IFTTT Speak in the light, shout from the housetops. Commands from Jesus himself! But, did He really mean to climb on top of your house with a megaphone and yell? No... It's a figure of speech. He is not saying to annoy your neighborhood. What He is saying is much more deep. Jesus' job, His main goal in life was His death. By living a perfect life and then dying in our place, He gave us something to shout about! The kingdom of heaven is truly at hand! His job was to make that possible. Our job, is to tell the world. Perhaps a roof isn't the best way to inform the world, but what then? How shall we do this call? There are many ways, everyone has one or more. Do you talk to people? What do you talk about? Life? Movies? Vacations? Troubles? Politics? Or.... Jesus? Do you use social media? What were your last ten posts about? Jokes? Cute pics? Your life? Funny videos? Or ... Jesus? You see, we today have a great blessing, a blessing never before bestowed on man. You can sit in your warm comfy home, and talk to the world! A hundred years ago the lowly printing press was king, it was the single most sought after tool to reach or control the world. The ability to mass produce printed materials was the power to change a nation. Men fought over and even killed to possess this great power. Today you hold in your hand something much greater than a printing press. A smartphone on the internet. You can reach dozens, hundreds, thousands, even millions of people almost instantly, anywhere is the world! Social media, blogs, YouTube, so many ways, most of them free! We live in a marvelous day. A day where the playing field is flat. Anyone can put information out there, all over the world. Now THAT is shouting from the housetops! But, wait. What do we use social media for? What do we share on the internet? If those that spent time hand copying letters for distribution to so few, had access to what we do today, what would they have done? Happy puppy pictures? Hardly! You have the power to fulfill this call now more than ever. Your gadget to connect to the internet is more powerful than you can imagine! You and I can reach the world, shout the gospel, fast, easy, worldwide! What awesome power and possibility! Do we utilize it to the fullest? When God looks through our online accounts, is He honored? Is He glorified? Can a stranger glance over and see Jesus on your posts? Profile? Pics? Videos? If not, why not? Only when we use all the available tools to their fullest can we claim to follow this command to shout. Only when we give it all to Jesus, even our online profile, can we be at peace with God. Shout the gospel, everywhere and anywhere. Live the gospel always, every minute of every day that is our job. God's timing has put in our hands what we need to teach this world. Let us not squander this opportunity. Go post something right now that will touch someone.. shout it from the housetops!