The Proof is in the Pudding

John 5:39

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

After researching this phrase I have found that the original is... "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Which means if you desire the flavor of the pudding and it's deliciousness, then you must eat it to find the proof. 

Many are looking for truth today but come short in finding it. It is because of the source they are trying to find it in. Even in our churches many turn to books about the Bible instead of the Bible. Sacrificing our Bible reading time for commentaries, men's Bible studies, and lessons about the Bible. None of these things are bad or wrong, but they can become hindrances from your alone time with God's source (The Bible). We've reverted to watching the Christian television shows instead of reading God's Word. We've retreated to the books about Christian experiences rather than the Word of God. Please don't misunderstand me. I read commentaries, study lessons, and books of Christian topics often. But when I desire the truth of it all...the proof of the pudding...I don't want a theory, topic, or thought of what some man or woman has about Christ, I want the words of Christ. I want the proof in the pudding!

Are you searching for truth?  You can hear it through Steve, you can hear it through Christians, you can hear it through church, you can hear it through books, commentaries and such, but you CAN FIND IT in the proof of the pudding... His Precious Holy Word.

I know you may say that scripture is difficult to understand at times and hard to read.  That's because it is spiritually understood. This means apart from the revelation of God's Spirit we can't understand it. Before you open His Word ask the Holy Spirit of God to show you what is being said to your heart. Pray for guidance in the Word. I have no doubt that He will show you the proof in the pudding. Remember now..."It's in the eating".  He actually says, "Taste and see..." Psalms 34:8

Happy, Happy, Happy

Acts 26:2

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

Think of brother Paul... He always wanted to preach the gospel in Rome so that all the world would know of God's salvation. He knew that "all roads lead to Rome" and that if he could carry the message there, it could spread to all the world. One thing Paul didn't account for was HOW he would go to Rome or who would be his audience. He was not on a cruise ship with room service, but was on a board after the ship was broken to pieces. He wasn't with his crew of preacher friends, but with guards and chains. He wasn't set up in the 4 or 5 star hotel, but was in the prison. But notice what Paul says when he stands before the King. They tell him, after much hardship and wait, that he has the freedom to speak for himself. Paul then shocks the world, as well as me, by saying these next words...

"I think myself happy" said Paul... Wow! How many of us would be happy about the situation he was in?  Too many think today that they deserve the best of things. Like a hotel, cruise ship, friends who wait on them hand and foot. The truth of it all is that people think this way because they don't have their eyes on Jesus and the full blessing of sharing the gospel. 

Paul was happy because he was finally at the place where God wanted him to be. He wanted to share his testimony and now he is about to share it to the King. All the trials of how he had gotten there faded into the background when he was finally able to the share the gospel. 

Why do you spend your time whining about what materialistic things you're missing out on when you could be sharing the gospel? Maybe the trial you've gone through to get to the place you are is for a greater reason. 

Are you happy? How happy?  Not the happiness that the world offers, but the joy that Jesus offers. You see Paul wasn't happy about the shipwrecks, inprisonments, beatings, or chains... He was happy about sharing the Gospel!

Hide and Go Seek

Isaiah 59:1-2
The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear

Psalms 66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me

I love that the Lord's arm isn't short and that His ear isn't heavy.  God can still save and hear.  He's not grown deaf or His hands and arms feeble. Our Lord is always ready!  God hasn't hid himself from anyone. There is no need of Him hiding.  But look at what our scriptures say this morning...

"Your iniquities have separated you from your God;"...  "Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear"... "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me"...

The reason our prayers are hindered and even unheard is because of sin.  Sin separates us from God, it always has and always will.  God will not bless in sin.  God will not answer in sin, until the sin is dealt with.

The great news is that God has already done His part in dealing with sin.  He gave His Son, only Son, to die for sin on the cross of Calvary.  God has prepared the way.  He's done all the labor in wanting our reception to be great.  He's just waiting on the cry from you this morning.  Those words that are sometimes difficult to find, but must be found.  Words that are spoken with brokenness and not pride.  Words that are meaningful and not just crutches to lean upon (the old... "Get me out of this and I'll serve you prayers")

Like Adam in the garden... "And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Genesis 3:9-10

Notice what Adam said... I heard your voice.  I was afraid, because I was naked (ashamed). I hid myself. Adam hid himself.  It wasn't God hiding from Adam.  God was seeking, Adam was hiding.  Where are you today?  Are you hiding?  Let me just go ahead and tell you that God... He's the best at hide and go seek. He knows right where you are, but He calls out so you will come to Him.

Can't you just hear Him this morning?  8, 9, 10... Ready or not, Here I Come!  He's looking for you.

What Do You Say?

Acts 21:40
And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Acts Chapter 22 (please take the time to go and read it)

Paul was given an opportunity to finally speak.  With this chance he chose to give his testimony.  Did you know that our testimonies are very powerful?  Not alone, but testimonies of what Jesus has done in our lives.  In one scripture it teaches we  overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies.  So this morning I want you to take the time to answer a few questions.  Maybe get a piece of paper and pencil, write these answers down.  After you have read Chapter 22 of Acts, then examine what your testimony would be.

Before I received Christ, I lived and thought this way: 
What did my life revolve around?
What issues or things were important to me?
What did I think of God? Of Jesus?
On what did I rely for security and happiness?

How I received Christ: Paint a "word picture" of the situation. 
Where were you? Alone? Driving in your car? At a church service?
What thoughts went through your mind?
What feelings did you struggle with just before your decision?
How did you yield your life to Christ? What did you say?

After I received Christ, these changes took place: 

How are you different than you were before?

How have the changes in your life influenced others around you?

Did you struggle with your faith?

How did God answer prayer, or strengthen you in difficult situations?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Philippians 3:13-14

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Waking up everyday looking into the same mirror, I have seen the same image looking back at me for 37 years. My whole life (since fifth grade) I have been chubby, fat and then on to fatter. Since my high school days I had gotten up to 326lbs. Last year, on March 15th, I started working on fixing this. First of all I couldn't have done it without the help of my Savior. I lost down to 238lbs. My head was so big that I couldn't see a full view of my ears when looking straight in a mirror. I had to take the shoe shinning boys word for it... What was so funny was that everyone said things like... You carry it well and you're just big boned. They all meant well. I can't describe to you the burden lifted from me when I lost this weight. Seeing my ears and shoes again was a plus. But when the doctor took me off of diabetic and blood pressure medicine, well praise God!  

Every now and then something happens. I look into that mirror and still see the same person I always had been my whole life. From my eyes, I'll always be the "big guy". I'll still feel like the largest man in the crowd. It seems like I can't shake it off sometimes. Then someone takes a picture of me and shows it to me or puts a post it on social media, and I see something. I see someone that is unrecognizable at times. I don't even believe it. 

You know what?  We do that to ourselves. It's so hard to let go of who we used to be. We allow the devil, and ourselves, to bring us into this bondage style of living. We allow others to bring things up about who we used to be and allow it to bring us down. Shake off those chains!  Today, let's do as God's word tells us. 

  - Forget the things which are behind us

  - Reach forward to the things ahead of us

  - Press toward the prize in Jesus

I am not what I need to be, but thank God I'm not who I used to be!

Standing on the Privileges?

1 Corinthians 9:22

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

God's servant tells us that he realized that he wants to be "all things to all men in order to win some". This scripture speaks about Paul and his understanding of the privileges we have in Jesus Christ. Many scriptures teach us of the bondage Jesus has freed us from. The sacrificial law still applies for us today, but not the offering of lambs or bullocks, but Jesus freed us from this law by offering himself as the one and only sacrifice we will ever need. Also we read how Christ freed us from the eating of certain things and the keeping of things that are not lawful to us. But Paul says, "he has become all things to all men that he might win some". 

He described them as being weak, not as a punch to them, but the keeping of certain things being weak themselves. Notice what Paul did though... He became weak to gain the weak. He didn't sit with the drunkard and get wasted with him in order to win him or stay home from church on Sunday's in order to win others. He didn't do anything contrary to what he had in Jesus, but if eating meat offended his brethren...he wouldn't eat it. You see Paul would rather stand on the promises of God and win some than to stand in his privileges and win none!  

If you look at Christianity as "Your" life, you need new glasses. It is "HIS" life in and through you. Don't use your gracious privileges as a stumbling block to the weak. 

Last thing, look at how important it is to win... "SOME". May we all live the Christ-filled life to win at least some.  I love you all, keep reaching and keep standing on His promises. 

You Can't Do That!

John 15:5

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Have you ever had someone tell you that you couldn't do something!  Or someone say, "That can't be done"?  Well I was the one that always hated those phrases. I joke about this now, but I was raised by my dad's philosophy. - If man built it, I can fix it - This at times has caused me much pain and heartache. I have lost much sleep thinking of how I could fix things. When I get them on my mind, I can't seem to let them go until I figure out a way to fix it. (I am still this way about earthly things)

But I have learned a lesson. It took much time and pain, but I have learned that there are things I can't fix or even handle without Him. Jesus said, "For without me, ye can do nothing". From our relationships, jobs, family, medical or financial problems, we can't do it without Him. We can do nothing without Him!  

Right now! Realize that you can't do it without Him. Take the time to tell Jesus that you can't do it without Him. Do it now. Tell Him, "Lord Jesus, I've been trying to handle this on my own. I've been trying to come up with an answer or solution. But I have realized this morning that I CANNOT do this without You!  Will You please help me? Please be my source of strength. Please be my upholder. I love you Jesus and thank you". 

The words don't have to be those same ones, but could be along those lines. I want you to know something. I can pray with you this morning, and I have. But I can never pray for you. You must talk to Him. Tell Him, He will listen. 

I can't believe I would have ever made this statement but here it goes...

You can't do it, I can't do it... I don't know how to fix it... But I know one who can!