Are You Truly Committed?

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It is a new year as it says in the Scripture. Behold I make all things new and one of the things I was thinking about this week was actually Romans 818 it says that I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed within us.

So the little bit of unjust suffering that we may face as Christians in this world is incomparable to the beauty and the glory of heaven. I'm sure when we close our eyes on this earth and we open up her eyes in heaven will probably forget about a lot of the problems in all the difficulties that we had on this earth because will be so glorious and so happy to be in heaven so I was looking at something else and it says that the cost of a stamp is $0.55 and if I go to the post office and they overcharged me by $0.55 for the stamp I go back there and I say hey you guys overcharged me by $0.55 and they say to me okay not only working to give you the $0.55 back but you never have to pay income tax again for the rest your life. I would be pretty happy and that's what kinda reminds me of is that little present sufferings that we have whether it's unit were having a problem with co-that are summaries passing away or were having trouble at work whatever it is incomparable to the glory that will come with in heaven, and so are you focusing on your problems.

Are you focusing on all that is going wrong with you in this world and all the problems that you're having are you focusing on Jesus because if you're focusing on the problems you can be pretty depressed or to be down your to be out but if you're focusing on Jesus and you will have peace. As the old bumper sticker used to say there's no Jesus, there is no peace. But if you know Jesus and you truly will know peace.

You know, I heard a story about how we go through tough times and if you read the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon talked about all the tough times that he was having it in and sometimes in life we suffer for the problems that other people have caused us when couples go to counseling. A lot of times, whether it's for marriage counseling Arthur thinking about getting married people asked them unit will do you have this in common or you have that in common. But Jesus talked about marriage. He said the only reason for divorce is fornication, or if the person dies and so I guess one of the questions that you have to ask. If you're married, is are you truly committed to this marriage. Is this something that you just can't pay you know, we fell in love. It was fun or whatever but you can always fall out of love. You can always realize that maybe you didn't have as much in common as you thought you did.

But for the Christian. It's a commitment, and that once you make that commitment you're committed no matter what and I and I know there's reasons you know somebody's running around or if spouse is beating you up or something. I'm not talking about like that but for the most part I see so many marriages that just ended what they call no-fault divorces, but it's not that simple.

You have to try to stick it out no matter what. And in this new year 2021 who knows what's can happen. There could be persecution there could be tough times ahead. Are you really, really committed to Christ, or is it just something that you do that you've done on Sundays or whatever because if things get tough for us as Christians. You have to make the decision now whether you're gonna stick with Christ.

Whether you are truly committed to Christ or whether this was just some nice accessory that you had so that's something that you might want to think about this year is are you are true follower of Jesus and in you know we do serve a risen Savior. I heard a story that happened several years ago was a true story about a grandmother who would looked out her back window and she saw her two-year-old granddaughter had fallen into the deep end of the pool so the grandmother of course ran out the back of her house, jumped into the pool. Three hours later, the EMS came in they got the grandmother in the two-year-old they had to dig them out of the pool.

They had both died and the reason why they did that is because the grandmother who would try to say the granddaughter could not swim and so you know if you're looking for someone to save you.

They gotta be able to save. They gotta do two things. Number one, they would've had to live a perfect sinless life in number two, they would have to have risen from the grave and so when we look to a Savior. I mean if you look to Buddha Buddha may have done some good things he may have had some good teachings that he's dead when you look at Mohammed he may have done some good things he may have had some good teachings. But he's dead so that's why I'm so glad that we serve a risen Savior, if we believe in him we have eternal life.

There's a story that I've heard kinda going along with that where it says to buy the rumor and sell the news what what people have done. I guess historically in the stock market were if they're investing in stock market. They want to buy the rumors that they hear there's to be a stimulus package coming out and they buy the stock market of that when the stimulus packages actually confirmed in the in they sign the deal then you sell on that. So what people do. I think sometimes is they will take that same sort of knowledge of the stock market of by the rumor and sell the news and they take it to their spiritual lives as well. And so what they hear is they owe Madonna is following Kabbalah. Maybe I'll buy the room around that I'll start following that, or Paris Hilton.

I heard she started studying about Islam will maybe I'll go and all kinda follow that all come to see what's going with that but what we really want to look at is what is the news and the good news for this year is that Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross and he was raised from the dead, and if we believe in him than we have eternal life.

Most tell another story about Joseph Scriven who actually wrote the song what a friend we have in Jesus.

The song says this it says what a friend we have in Jesus all arsons and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Oh what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer and in you think about oh you know when when Joseph Scriven must've written that it must've been when he was having a really good time in his life or things were going well. Or this, that whatever that is not the case graduated from Trinity College in 1842 over in Dublin, Ireland, and when he graduated he was supposed to meet his fiancée, and right before he was supposed to meet his fiancée in 1843. She fell off of a horse, and died in in his sorrow and in his shame in his tough times that he was having.

He actually wrote the words to that song what a friend we have in Jesus.

What a friend we have in Jesus. And so you know 20/20 has been a tough year 2021 maybe tougher. I don't know what the future holds and neither does anybody else but you think about it, no matter how tough the time you're having weak and saying what a friend we have in Jesus. Praise God. So was looking in second Timothy four and starting in verse one and it says in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge.

Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine, doctrine, instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you keep your head in all situations and worship hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry farm already being poured out like a drink offering in the time of my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I finished the race, I've kept the faith. For there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but but also all who have longed for his appearing. Do your best to come to me quickly for Dimas because he is love this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica Crescent Crescent has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia only Luke is with me.

Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

I sent Thai tickets to Ephesus when you come bring the cloak that I left with carpet Citro as in my schools and especially the part parchments. Alexander the. The metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done you two should be on guard against him because he is strongly opposed our message at my first offense. No one came to my support that everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them, but the Lord has stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me. The message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it and I was delivered from the lion's mouth award will rescue me from every every evil attack and will bring me safely to his kingdom, to him be glory forever and ever.

Amen. When I think about that. This is the apostle Paul who may be other than Jesus Christ was really a mean people just thought about and they and they you look at it. It Jesus, but people thought all men.

The apostle Paul. He was a great guy. He had all these things going on. He was responsible partially for bringing Christianity through all these different areas of the world and yet the end of his life.

Nobody stood with them. Nobody stood with and and when I think about that.

It's like, man.

He's it. If you're you're standing up for Jesus right now. If the whole world is against you and you have a lot of good company.

You know it says in another verse in Hebrews 12 verse one it says. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us and so were going to have tough times. It says if you follow Jesus you will suffer persecutions, but when I read the end of the Bible. I realize that we wound and you look in Revelation chapter 22.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth has passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, look, God's dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them, they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new. Then he said, write this down for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end to the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life, those who are victorious will inherit all this and I will be their God and they will be my children but the cowardly, the unbelieving, the bio the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. And so when I read that it says you know what your work and have tough times. As followers. Followers are followers of Christ, that in the end we win in the end if you if you follow Jesus. And if you make it through with you would door till the end we get the crown of life and friends. That's what I'm looking for Jesus name, amen. We have just finished the Christmas season we got a new year coming to what what a blessing what it what child is this, that question should be on our mind every day because that child grew up to be the Savior child was a Savior and was born celebrated Christmas time question is have you experienced his new birth all euro all year round and and you were talking about was this morning.

Isaiah chapter say is that right with Isaiah 700 years before the baby was even born. Michael 700 years they had his baby name hundreds of prophecies in Scripture fulfilled by Jesus where he would be born. His name is for names before names of Isaiah's chapter 9 verse six or so and his name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace.

I think a lot of people think of of Jesus or God is the thing that's kind of far out there but Jesus actually says in Scripture. No longer do I call you servants. He says that I call you friends and in you have a personal relationship with Jesus to well that's the beauty of it. That's why he became a man we forget the whole point of the incarnation of God the Word becoming flesh so that we could know God whole point of him born, unto us a child is given unto him to us child is born, to us a son is given, the whole point of that so that we become such the beauty of the incarnation of God coming to us.

It's unto us we could get him there's nothing we can do to get him interview after interview on this program the name of this program.

If not for God.

Right if God hadn't come unto us. If the shepherds of the Angels had set a shepherds unto you is born this day in the city of David. If Christ had not come unto his own John one 1011 then we never would have been here, there would've been no if not for God.

That is the great the great interruption when God became a man when he invaded human history when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us John 114 and we beheld his amazing work. This is what changed everything. And this is who he is wonderful, counselor, Almighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace. Each one of these aspects attributes is both divinity and humanity all bundled in one precious Christ child and Jesus is done something that we could never do II heard a story bye-bye the web got a book by JD Greer to read its what are you going to do with your life by JD Greer but heard a story that JD Greer spoke of and he said that there was little woodpecker and kept on pecking away at this telephone pole.

He says, and in one night. Woodpeckers away and there's a thunderstorm and God splits the telephone pole and half and the woodpecker goes back until the friends he does look what I did lose God and so what were doing is just packing away and then God comes in and split the telephone pole but not believe that God wants to work with us and so we do have a part is not right. Well, look at each of those names and Jesus right here in the beginning of Isaiah chapter 9, 744.

Look at what the opposite of each of those implies about us wonder wonderful. We are we are so abnormal we are goal we are humans and we are in desperate need of something to fill our soul right. We need something wonderfully same wonderful and awesome but a lot of things besides you'd like.

I think that's an awesome sweater got the awesome uglies Christmas letter contest with the right to take a picture before we go out and posted likely this program, x-ray, etc. it's my favorite Christmas.

What I've seen in a long time worn by the switch to himself.

If not for God to guess what would be on your right that's there so many things happening on your but you think about the awesome a lot of things, but truly the only there's only one awesome thing is only with you can only see often about one thing to be a person right it would have to be Jesus). How are we know a love that joy the world and wonders of his love. How often are we in all and actually had signs and wonders right like miracles out there wonders why because assignment show God's greatness and the wonder that followed her was in all the wonder of God was last time we just said hello to be still and know that I am God Psalm 4611. When I use you to be at all him right so so God is awesome because were not.

He's counselor because were dumb as dirt rig. We don't have it figured out we want. We can't, we can create the world we can create the eyeball. We can't know we can't cure cancer wicket. We got a lot to me. There's a lot of things in your course, you, we can talk about Ackley's man, man, old ecumenism in the thing I got there but he's counselor because he's the all-knowing, omniscient work attorney knows everything. So we are ignorant. Thank God he's a wonderful counselor he's Almighty God. Why because were weak yeah were hopeless, helpless, was Sicilian Romans chapter 5 when we were without strength for without hope, without strength, Christ died for the ungodly ring table of anything you say. What I bring to the equation with God, my dream, I sent everybody bring the table I bring my sin I bring everything that damns me he brings everything to save user and mighty to save. Attorney is Almighty God is Almighty in the creation he's Almighty. The new creation. So he's Almighty got so is Almighty God, because were we, everlasting father, why because our fathers are broken. There is there's a father curse 40% of kids today have no father have no dad fathers of leftist or not they're abusive you have any of you. Your dad hit you when you're grown up you never had a dad hug you.

I still see today, Gazan I've had is a debt you love your son right now with all of us watching hug your son is pain when I guided why because his dad hated him and never hug him. You know hated him… His pain. His father wound right Jesus is the father and he's the father of time the father of eternity and that's in that verse is not on him being fought, usurping the role of father. The first of attorney father God Kelly followed but he's the second of three coequal that eternal father, but he's everlasting father and that he is authority over everything and he is the one who came after us her memorandum was the first Adam. Adam was the father of the human race right he was father Adam. He was the father of humans. He was the father of creation. He was of you know, the father of his seat right will Jesus Christ as a second review is the perfect the perfect man because he's God. So there's a sense very sister which he fathers us.

Jesus does in the nurturing and coming after us and in being our sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me. They know their mind getting so there's this very real sense that everything we haven't had in terms of a nurturing, timeless, ageless, eternal, never dying, never weakening father is Jesus. And then it finally Prince of peace will look at what we have a work were a polished lunch with fallen fathers, including me, as a fallen father be work were ignorant that so many accounts are see where we helpless. That's all we need a mighty God, yeah, and then finally were at war were in conflict. Kelly was just buzzing around just actually empty the battle that their current coronas exposed us for being people that are just so frivolous and pointless were angry were arguing about masks and all these other things, when in fact he's the Prince of peace.

Right. So he fills out everything we fall short in all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 323 Jesus Christ came, God demonstrates his love toward us while we were yet sinners, Christ died for God so loved the world he gave his only son.

He gave so God had to come to us we could get to him and he completes us like no one else can. And all of that goes takes us back to all in wonder.

He is awesome. The question is are you connected with him. Is he your counsel, you go to him first and you gotta call your your buddy or your mom or your daddy first towards going for 20° I got I got a problem only you can solve it and go to Hannah Weiss your last resource in a reverse response right Weiss prayer let you know. So my trusting in my going him is like a wonderful counselor is an awesome counselor number two in my going him for help is my mighty God. To realize he's got my back, lawyer, I got Almighty God of my side no idea. You know, you're messing with my carcass when I steal my car right still got start that's right you want to stand before him I would pray God will have mercy on your time.

Some stormy farmers only comes at me regrets me in a I guess what I pray Almighty God's mercy on them if they don't know they're messing with her not mess with me looking skid got his stamp. He is a mighty God, mighty to save my serve to fight our battles, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power photos in Ephesians 6, chapter 10, we have an entire armor that's his armor. The shield of faith and salvation brusquely to righteousness the sword the spirit that's powerful.

We will infinite powerful blades in the sword the spirit you dupe you have any idea believer what you have the word of God, quick and powerful survey to sortie responds well. He's everlasting father is eternal is not bound by time and he nurtures and loves you like crazy and then finally he's the Prince of peace P brings peace in your conflict.

Whatever it is, where it is or not one soul is planet. You can be records.

I would because it is perfect peace.

Only he can bring peace in your marriage, your relationships with your kids with your prodigal whoever it is that hate you right now you make you go to him and let the Prince of peace rule in that situation cautious refitting.

He is our peace is broken out every wall separates us. Ephesians 234. He's our peace. That said, it is the four names of God seven years were usually worn. We need a Savior need be to all the Savior. He's ready do mighty things are back that's awesome in Institute Stu Epperson. The first words of Jesus, but you know it's interesting how how this Christmas season and I know we we just past the Christmas season always kind of ties in with Easter.

He was born a direct right.

Isaiah 53, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. He grew up before him like a tender shoot like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before it shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away yet who is generation protestant unity was that he was the author and they said crucify three was cut off from the land of living for the transgression of my people he was honest he was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, you don't know what no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth, yet with the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life and offering person.

He will see his offspring and prolong his days in the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand after he has suffered. He will see the light of life and be satisfied by knowledge my righteous servant will justify many for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, you will justify many right and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressions, for he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Thank God for that. Thank God Jesus Christ was born to die so we could be reborn, or again and live with him forever. Mild he lays his glory by born man no more may die, born to raise the sons of her horn to give them second is a quote my book. The bigger the unbeliever. Christmas day is drive a cri de coeur lights with your presence to receive sound go back left over all that family is arranged on the believer. Just because therefore if anyone is in Christ all things are passed away behold all things, news are you doing Christ is living in you telling this message to get out there and tell people about the only one.

One of Almighty God blessed his name is Shelley not forgot this is the Truth Network