Contentment, Be Who God Says You Are

 I am what God says I am. 

We are currently talking about the difference between covetousness and living a content life. We talked about you being the person you thought you were. We discussed the fact that you should be thinking up, not down, and thinking more in a spiritual sense than walking in the flesh. We talked about being stagnant following your fleshly routines and serving God. Let’s pick up here because this IS how God sees us.

“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then”

Stop for a second. This goes right along with last time. Look what God says here. “If” Say if. If you do this. Do what? “walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them.” “Then.” Say then. Because you are being obedient, and because you are being a child of mine. God says this.

“I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.” Leviticus 26:3-13

Look what God says in Malachi 3

“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:8-12

Again, God says to do, and I will do. God says that He will not only meet your needs, but He will also bless you. He will “rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil,” Ever been in that situation? I have been. Plenty of times. You work hard all week, nowadays mostly two weeks, and you get paid, only to wake up on Monday with little to no money? The “devourer” can come in many forms. Mostly bills, and uncontrolled spending. God says He will help you with that, as long as you put your trust in Him, and as long as you are doing the right thing.

Jesus tells us He came for us to have an abundant life. {John 10:10} He tells us the very hairs on our heads are numbered and known by God. {Luke 12-7} He tells us that there is no one who suffers loss through doing His will and because of His name, that will not be blessed with so much more than we ever had in the first place. {Mark 10:29-30}

God loves you. He created you the way you are. {Psalm 139} He set up a destiny, a purpose, and a plan for your life, He calls you, He justifies you, and glorifies you. {Romans 8:28-30} Jesus tells us we have no reason to worry. Look here,

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25-34

Are you getting this? Are you understanding all this? You are a blood-bought, adopted out of this world of pain, suffering, and death, and you are adopted into the very family of God. No longer a created thing, but a child. No longer are you nothing more than flesh walking to your inevitable death, but you are now a child of God, waiting to be brought home. Jesus asked us this question.

“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11

God is your Father. He wants to be your Daddy.

“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13

Oh yes, the world may no longer love you. The world may no longer like you. You may lose some friends and family because you are no longer “one of them.” You are now one of those “Jesus freaks.” “Bible thumper.” “Religious fanatics.”

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1

Actually, if you think about it for a second, if people are NOT calling you “Jesus freaks.” “Bible thumper.” “Religious fanatics?” What does that mean? Seriously think about it. Jesus tells us the world will hate us. {Matthew 5:10-12, John 15:18-21} We read in the World that we will have persecutions. {2 Timothy 3:12, Mark 10:30,}

If you are not being persecuted, if the world still loves you, then are you sure you are doing what God is leading you to do? If the world sees no difference in you and an unsaved person, then what are you actually saying when you tell people you are a “child of God?” You must learn to be content, even in that.

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Be the child of God, that God is calling you to be. Pray, read His word, and go to and join your local church. {As long as it is where God wants you to be. Pray about that as well.} Rest assured, fret no longer, be content in the knowledge that you are a child of God, and He is your Daddy. You have nothing to fear. He will meet your needs and so very much more. Be content.

Have you been adopted? You need to ask Jesus into your life, then say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Lead your children in this prayer when they reach the age of accountability. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

The Email if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Happy Thanksgiving 2021

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Let's not make this just a one-day-a-year thing, where we have set aside this one day to remember to give God thanks. Oh, we will all, I included, say grace at the big dinner with family and friends and when people ask me what am I thankful for, I will answer this...

My life, for without Him, I would not even be here in the first place.

My Wife. Without Him, I would not have been so blessed with a Woman that supports me in any and every way. One that loves me no matter what. One that serves with me. One that I truly love.

My three beautiful children. Joshua my firstborn Son. Elijah, the Second, and of course, my Baby Girl the Princess, Maya.

My Home, when so many have lost theirs.

Truck in the Drive.

Food on the Table.

Pretty much anything and everything.

The Word of God declares.

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I do have a question for you. If you are like me and are truly thankful to God for, well, everything, then why do you only give Him thanks once a year?? Also, is giving Him thanks in the method of speaking, merely saying it, enough, for all He has done for you?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

What does this mean? It means you are a child of God. He is your Father, yet rather, He is your Daddy. He is your Daddy 24-7 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, from the time you were adopted until the day you leave this earth to go to be with Him. Not a day a week, if you feel like going to church, and not one day a year.

God wants a one on one relationship with you. Oh yes, of course, He wants to be invited to thanksgiving day dinner, but He also wants a one on one, daily, relationship with you. He wants to be there when you get up. He wants to be there when you lay down. He wants to be there in everything in-between. The good times. The bad times. He wants to meet your needs, comfort you, laugh with you. He wants you to BE His child.

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

We should be those people that other people look at and go, "Wait, what?" Seriously, we should be those people that we have all known or have known of. Those weirdos. Those strange people. Always seemingly happy, no matter what is going on. Always ready to serve others. Always with a kind word and a warm embrace. Open and honest. Loving.

Am I saying that we should not celebrate Thanksgiving? Of course not. I will be. I do it right every year. Get as stuffed as the turkey and pass out in my chair attempting to watch something on TV.

What I AM saying is, don't forget to give thanks to God the other 364. He is not only God then, but He is God always.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all!!!

Men, You are the Pastor. Father and Teacher.

 You are it. 

What is "Abba Father?" Jesus said this in one of His prayers.

"And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”" Mark 14:36

We read this in Romans 8

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”" Romans 8:15

So what does "Abba Father" mean? Daddy. Yup. The Creator of all there is was, or ever will be, wants you to call Him and see Him, as your Daddy. Remember, God's plan for an earthly family is simple.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." Ephesians 5:25-33

Continuing in Ephesians 6:1-4

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

God wants to be your "Abba Father." However, He wants you to be the "Abba Father." of your children.

"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corinthians 11:3

God's plan for the family is pretty clear. One man, one woman, come together as one flesh, with children being born into the family. Father and mother raise the children, and when they are old if needed? The children take care of the father and mother.

It was never God's plan to come up with daycare or nursing homes. You, man, are the head of the family. YOU, man, are the Pastor of your house. YOU, man, are the Husband and guide, father and teacher. You are it.

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

We are going to talk more about anger next time. In reference to this topic, do you really want your children to hate you? To think you do not care? To fear you with an unhealthy fear? Of course not. Do you know what happens when they do? They leave as soon as they can. A lot of the time they go off and have a harder life than they needed to. They become poor fathers as well.

So how do you raise Godly children? With God. I know. Seems pretty simplistic. Read that again.

"but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

How do you do this? With the Word of God.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," 2 Timothy 3:16

The Word tells us plainly, that we need to teach our children the Word of God. We need to teach them the Ten Commandments as an example.

"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Deuteronomy 6:7

In reference to the ways of God.

"Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.." Psalm 34:11

Psalm 132:12

"If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”"

God calls for the Father to correct his children when needed. Yes, that includes corporal punishment. Proverbs 22:15

"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him."

What if you do not? Proverbs 23:13

"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die."

No matter how "good" you think your child is, they still need you. They need a strong Godly "Abba Father." They do not have the ability to live the way they should because you need to teach them the ways they should go.

"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." Proverbs 29:15

You see, true education should always be from the home. Fathers, you are raising your children. They will go out into the world and learn things about the world. They must have a strong foundation so that they are not lead astray. They will not be lead into sins. I assure you this, they are learning, experiencing, experimenting, growing, and seeking the ways they should go. Either YOU can teach them, or they will learn from the world. Which do you prefer? Which do you think is best?
This is not saying that it is OK to beat your child. It is not saying that it is OK for husbands to abuse their wives. God IS love. God wants us to love our families the way God loves us. Remember 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

We are to love our families. Serve God through our families as the Pastor of the home. Husband and guide for your wife. Father and teacher for your children. You do realize that your children learn far more from watching what you do than anything of what you say? If the Parent is foul-mouthed, the Child will most likely be. An alcoholic or drug abuser, same. An abusive person, physically or mentally? Good chance that they will be also. It's called the cycle.

Oh, you can tell your kids, "Don't smoke, drink," or whatever, but if they grow up watching you do it, they most likely will as well. If you tell your child it is not OK to strike a woman, yet, they see you hit mommy? They will "understand" that it is OK. If you constantly say "I love you" yet, you beat them daily, they will grow up "understanding" that love sometimes hurts, but that's OK.

The same applies to good. If your child sees you loving their mother, doing little things for her daily, which you may not even think about, bring her coffee, holding the door, ETC, this they will do as well. I remember a very intelligent piece of advice I received a long time ago, from a very wise man. He said, "When you are dating someone, go to dinner at their house. Watch how the mother treats the father, for this is how the daughter will treat you." It works the other way as well. Over the years, I have found this to be very true.

Health? If they see you living a healthy lifestyle, chances are, they will as well. If you do not smoke, drink, swear, do drugs, and you then tell them these things are bad, they will listen. They will come to understand that they are.

The same goes for those who claim to be Children of God. If you tell them God loves them and wants to save them, and that He will completely change their lives for the better, what do they SEE? Are they listening to you, or watching you? Of course, even if they are listening, they are also watching. Do they see you reading the Bible? Are you holding Bible studies in your home? Are you praying together? Do not know where to start? Start with "grace" at food times. Pray an evening prayer. Pray a morning prayer before all go off into the world.

Someone is going to raise your children. Do you want it to be you? The world? Who is it that you want to teach your children what is best for them? How are they going to go out into the world without the armor of Christ? You are it. You are the Abba Father to your children. Be a Godly Daddy.

Now if I was not talking directly to you. Now is the time to correct that. Now is the time. Today is the day. I have your adoption papers right here {Holding up the Bible} Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Talking to God, He Already Knows

 He already knows. 

We have been talking about walking with God. We talked about the fact you need to walk. Do something. 

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22

We talked about having the right mind.

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Colossians 3:2

We talked about the need to read God's Word and the need to pray. Spend actual time with God. Last time we talked about the formula if you will. The famous "Our Father Prayer." Here is the formula. The model in which Jesus says to pray.

Have no other God before God. Jesus tells us when we Pray, we should start off, recognizing God, first as our Father, our Daddy, and we need to recognize His Godhood. We should praise Him. Thank Him. Honor Him. Let Him know we understand that it is not about us, but His Will. Put Him first in our lives.

Then Jesus is telling us that we must rely on God, and not ourselves, to meet our daily needs. He just tells us right before this Prayer example that, "for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." This is what we will focus on today.

Forgive those that have sinned against you. Those that have abused you. Mistreated you. Used you. Forgive any that you have a cause to forgive. Why? In explaining the Prayer example, Jesus starts out with this.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you::" Matthew 6:14

Be careful Child of God. Jesus tells us plainly.

"But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:15 

Then Jesus tells us to ask our Father, to protect us from ourselves. What He is saying is that you need to strengthen yourself in truth and righteousness. Strengthen your spirit, to overcome the temptations of the flesh.

Prayer does not have to be this long complicated process. One of the reasons for this is that God already knows. He already knows you. He already knows your circumstance. He already knows your need. The word declares that He already knows what you are even going to say.

"Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether." Psalm 139:4

God already knows. He actually knows better than we do. Remember this conversation Jesus has with Peter?

"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same." Matthew 26:30-35

We all know what happened. They came and arrested Jesus and people spotted Peter and say, "he is one with Jesus" and Peter said?

“I do not know what you mean.”

Another,

“I do not know the man.”

And a third?

"Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed." Matthew 26:74

We think we know us pretty well. But God knows us better. Even if we think we would NEVER do or say something, act in a sinful way, or even a righteous way, God already knows. Peter had no clue that Jesus was about to be arrested, and all the things that were about to take place. Even if Jesus told him. He would have never even imagined that he would be a coward and deny even knowing Jesus. This is the same guy that cut off Malchus's ear with a sword. Yet? God already knew how he would act. What he would say.

Imagine how Peter felt after he denied Jesus. Wait. We do not have to imagine.

"And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly." Matthew 26:75

Luke tells it like this.

"And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly." Luke 22:61-62

I cannot imagine what Peter felt like. I would be hurt if I thought I disappointed my Pastor or someone in the Church. Here is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, who Peter saw raise people from the dead, who Peter declared to be Son of God. He just denied Him and watched Him be beaten. God already knew.

God also already knew what Peter was going to do after. Peter may have been so heartbroken and sad because of his denial and Jesus being put to death, he was ready to give up. Don't believe me? John 21:3

"Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing."

Then you know what happens. Jesus appears before Peter and the rest and gives the "Great Commission." Peter becomes a pillar and one of the greatest Saints to ever live and ended up being killed for his faith. God already knows.

God already knows you. Better than you do. He already knows your circumstance, better than you do. He already knows what you have true need of. Not what we want. Desire. Or even truly believe we need. God already knows. Just trust in Him and talk to Him. Share life with Him. Let Him be your Father. Never think you cannot go to God in prayer because you do not know how or what to say. God already knows. Just follow the formula. Just talk to Him.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will heal you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a Sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus and His Sacrifice for me. I believe that He raised from the Dead. I repent my Sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is just that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shalt be saved." Romans 10:9 You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Talking to God

 Our Father Prayer

Welcome today, come in. Good to see ya.

Congregation arrives...

Please stand...

Congregation stands...

"Goodwill to you, goodwill to me, goodwill to all, peace on earth. Amen." "God be with you."

Congregation "Also with you."

Please be seated.

Today I want to talk about the Church's teachings on women wearing pants. In 1860, our great leader, Father Notta Real Person, said women need to honor their husbands and God. They shall wear dresses and cover their heads. Men should wear trousers, and honor their wives. So saith the Lord. Please stand...

Congregation stands...

"Goodwill to you, goodwill to me, goodwill to all, peace on earth. Amen." "God be with you."

Congregation "Also with you."

Congregation sits.

I understand that we have gotten away from these traditional teachings of Father "Person", and society may see things differently. But we know that God doesn't care about society. If you follow what the Church says on this manor, you will be just fine. You are all absolved of your sins. May you have a great week.

Congregation stands...

"Goodwill to you, goodwill to me, goodwill to all, peace on earth. Amen." "God be with you."

Congregation "Also with you."

Congregation leaves, shaking hands on the way out...

Back to Football, BBQs, shopping, life in general...Until next week.

What just happened? "What? What do you mean? I went to church." Really? "Of course. I went to church and learned about God, and I feel good. I was forgiven for my sins. I prayed. What do you mean what just happened?" What did you actually learn? What Bible passage did you actually read? You prayed? "Yes of course I prayed. Grace to you, grace to me, grace to all, peace on earth. Amen. What are you not getting here? I'm a good person. I go to church every week."

Do you know people like this? Have you been people like this? You have people that go to church every week. They do what Jesus said to do. They Pray the "Our Father Prayer" three times. They go home. Again, it seems nothing works out. Why? They are saying the prayer that Jesus Himself taught us to pray? Right?

Well, no. Not exactly. Did Jesus give us the "Our Father Prayer?" in Matthew 6? Of course. But what was He actually telling us? You see, He was teaching us how to Pray, by teaching us the formula. He was giving us an example of HOW to Pray. He never meant for us to simply repeat it, in the hopes that we would be heard by God, and God will do whatever we asked Him. As a matter of fact, right before He gave us this example, He said THIS.

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

He goes on to say, not, pray this prayer, but

"After this manner therefore pray ye."

He tells us that this is the formula. This is an example. "After this manner" or, to resemble in appearance, character, behavior, etc. or, to follow as an example. Keep in mind, He just said, "when ye pray, use not vain repetitions." So was Jesus telling us, Say the "Our Father Prayer" and all will be good? No. He was saying, this is how you should pray.

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:"

But what does it mean? Let's break it down, shall we? First,,,

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

Stop. Have no other God before God. Jesus tells us when we pray, we should start off, recognizing God, first as our Father, our Daddy, and we need to recognize His Godhood. We should praise Him. Thank Him. Honor Him. Let Him know we understand that it is not about us, but His Will. Put Him first in our lives.

See the very first Commandment is "Have no other God before God." Jesus tells us we should "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." So of course it makes sense that Jesus tells us the very first thing we should do when we pray, is worship Him and give Him the honor He deserves.

"Give us this day our daily bread."

Stop. Jesus is telling us that we must rely on God, and not ourselves, to meet our daily needs. He just tells us right before this prayer example that, "for your, Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." Jesus then goes into great detail explaining this truth.

"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Again, He tells us "for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Fear not. Your Daddy will meet your needs. Know that He is with you always. Thank Him for meeting those needs. Have faith He will.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Stop. What is He saying here? Forgive those that have sinned against you. Those that have abused you. Mistreated you. Used you. Forgive any that you have a cause to forgive. Why? In explaining the prayer example, Jesus starts out with this.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you::"

Be careful child of God. Jesus tells us plainly.

"But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Remember, when Peter asked our Lord, in Matthew 18:21-22

"Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

And in Mark 11:25 

"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

As we have discussed before, there is absolutely nothing you could possibly even dream up, that is worthy to be compared to what God can do to these people. The most powerful words you could ever use against them are "I forgive you." Why? because then they are in God's hands. You are forgiven of all those Sins you are worthy of Hell for, and they are out of your hands, and control, and are now God's. Never forget...

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans 12:19

If you give in to your anger, it can lead to hate. You could lust after the desired end of another person. "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Do not let it take you. Forgive. Besides all that, what have you, or what do you, still do, daily, that is worthy of damnation? Trust me. There is a list. Mine is REALLY long. Do not fool yourself.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:"

Did you know that God will never test you with Sin? We read this in James 1:12-15

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

What Jesus is in essence saying here, is ask your Father, to protect you from yourself. What He is saying is that you need to strengthen yourself in truth and righteousness. Strengthen your spirit, to overcome the temptations of the flesh.

The devil never screams. He whispers. He reminds. He allows you to feel. Were or are you addicted to Porn? Have you overcome it? Now, you are walking through the Mall with your Family, and right there in front of you, is a teenage girl in one of the skimpiest little outfits you ever saw. Now you can't get the image out of your head. Or recovering from Drugs? All of a sudden, out of nowhere, you smell it. You taste it. Perhaps you have a dream about doing it. What happens? Now you can't get that image out of your head. If you give in, you may go right back into the bondage of the sin you have overcome. Did the devil make you? Nope. You did it. All by yourself.

So Jesus tells us to be ever vigilant. Spend time with your Father. Ask Him to give you the strength to overcome. To be steadfast. He wants a relationship with you. Walk with Him. Talk with Him. One of the best things you can do next to reading the word is prayer. 

Sometimes, people think about prayer as this holier than anything, grand procedure, that one must be skilled with the knowledge of how to do it. Well, no. Not exactly. All we need to do is follow Jesus's own formula. God already knows what you are going to say before you say it. More on that next time. 

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believe that He raised from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9 You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!!

Peace of Mind, Needs

 Your needs will be met

I will be honest with you. I feel like we have already discussed this topic quite a bit in the past and was not really thinking about doing it again. However, I do not know why, because of the Pandemic, or if someone specific needs to hear it, we are going to revisit the topic again.

Ever receive a large financial gift? Perhaps tax time rebate? Something that you did not have nor counted on. Now, you look at your account, and instead of worrying about the next bill, you have peace of mind. Why? The account has more than enough to cover everything. The problem is, this is usually a temporary situation. God is not temporary.

Sometimes we forget who we are, and we fear. But God says, fear not, your needs will be met. As a child of God, adopted by the Spirit of God, an heir to all things that is, ever was, or will be. The God that created all, is now your daddy. Romans 8 declares:

"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:16-17

Just a little later we read this.

"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that, who was raised who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake, we are being killed all day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:32-39

We are now children of God. As a child of God, nothing can separate us from the love of our Father. NOTHING! However, we still live in the world. From time to time, we allow the things of the world to creep in. During this Pandemic, we have added stress and worry. Used to be we would start concentrating more on how we can get ahead, or make more money in our Jobs. Now we fear for our jobs. So many companies and businesses closing for good. We worry about paying the rent or mortgage. We worry about paying the electric bill. Can we afford that new car? ETC. Where is our next meal coming from? 

We get so caught up in the stuff of this world, that we forget our Father is GOD. When you forget that very important fact, you can allow the same fear that everyone in the world has. What is next? What will tomorrow bring? How will things work out? What must we do?

Jesus tells us how we should pray. He gives us what has become known as the "Our Father" Prayer. However, lets actually look at what Jesus said. First, he did not say, just recite this prayer multiple times during service and all will be fine. As a matter of fact, right before he gave it to us, he said this in Matthew 6:6-8

"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Then he said gave us the "Our Father" Prayer.

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

After this manner pray. "Our Father, which is in Heaven, hallowed be your name." You are to recognize God. Acknowledge HE is the God of gods, Lord of lords. Honor his Godliness. Do not just use him as a symbol or an icon of religion. Recognize that HE is GOD. That you are talking to him as you would your earthly father.

"Your kingdom come, your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." In other words, recognize that it is God's will that is the most important. Not what you feel like. Or the way you think things should be, but God's will. All is His, both here and in Heaven. He has a plan and a purpose for you and for your life.

"Give us this day our daily bread." Meet our daily needs. Ask God, of whom Jesus just told us "your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." So just ask Him. He already has a plan. He really doesn't need your help.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Ask for forgiveness of your daily sins. Yes, you still sin daily. Ask Him to forgive you. While you are asking Him to forgive you, forgive anyone in your life that may need forgiveness. If they ask for it or not. Remember what Jesus said while dying on the Cross? Luke 22:34

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

You have been adopted into the Family of God. You have received the same Spirit that was in Jesus, and are now equal to Jesus. You are a child of God. Whenever someone does something against you, they do not truly know what they are doing, or whom they are doing it to. So forgive them so that God can forgive you for your Sins. Just after the Prayer "outline." that Jesus gave us. He said this:

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

How can we expect God to forgive us if we are holding on to anger or ill will towards someone for doing something stupid towards us? You are a child of God. Why are you worried about your neighbor saying something that is most likely not even true about you. Or why worry about your co-worker playing games trying to get ahead. You do not rely on mankind. You rely on God. Do you not think he is more than capable of getting you that promotion if it fits into His plans? Do you think He is not willing to show the truth? There is nothing that your neighbor, co-worker, and even boss, can do that will affect God's plans. You are part of those plans now. So why worry?

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Help us to recognize the snares of the Devil. Teach us the ways we should go. Be with us and keep us safe. Not only from the world, but in some cases, from ourselves as well.

Basically, Jesus tells us to pray to our Father. Realize and give Him credit for being older and wiser than us. Give ourselves over to Him. Ask daily for the forgiveness of our sins we commit, and forgive those that do stupid things toward us. Back to Matthew 6

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

You could even say it this way?

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

God is not really all that worried about how much "stuff" you have. He is more concerned with you and your soul. He is more concerned with how you treat others. Are you sharing the Gospel? Are you sharing His word? Are you doing His work?

If we try to do it on our own, we may succeed in a worldly sense. We may become successful. We may get a lot of stuff. But remember what Jesus warned us of in Luke 12:15

"And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus tells us that we should not worry about such things. Again, Your Father knows what you have need. He said this.

"And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

The world doesn't like the fact we are God's children. They do not like the fact we do not have to worry. Jesus said a few times, that the world hated him, therefore, being a child of God, and doing our Father's will, will make the world hate us as well. But we must not take thought of what the world thinks. We are in the world not of it. We need to rely on God Himself. He will meet our needs. Mark 11:22-24

"And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Think about that. This is a promise, given to us by Jesus himself. And in Luke 11, Jesus says it this way.

"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

We have nothing to fear folks. Zero. As long as we are doing the right thing. Seeking first the Kingdom of God. Seeking God. Seeking Jesus. Doing His work. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. 

How do you seek first the Kingdom of God? How do you get to know who God really is, and how do you learn who Jesus really is? How do you grow in Faith? Simple. Read God's Word. Get a Bible if you do not have one. Read it. Ask God to show you what he wants you to see. Find a Church that is teaching the truth. Ask God to lead you to one. The one he wants you in.

Get knowledge. Feed your spirit. Grow in faith. Then ask God, what would you have me do? It may be helping out in a food pantry. It may be as simple as sharing the word. It may be that you should become a Pastor. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is different. But God knows who you are. He knows what you are capable of. He already has a plan and a purpose for your life. Find out what it is.

As for all this other stuff? God knows what you have needed before you do. He knows before you ask. The same Spirit that raised Lazarus from the dead, is in you! Do you really think that the Spirit is unable to find a way to feed you? To make sure you have a roof over your head? Do you think, as Jesus said, we know how to give good things to our children, and we are evil, imagine how much more God, being Love itself, will give his children?

Fear not. Be of good cheer, God is your Daddy. Your needs will be met. Next time we will be discussing the fact that God still heals. Why worry about sickness and disease? A little comforting I think during a pandemic. Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus Is Lord!

Jesus Says Come

Which means leaving all.

Jesus says come.

"But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus."

We are in a storm in this country. Around the world even. Between the pandemic and now all the riots, we are in the middle of a dark and scary storm. I know we were supposed to talk about Prayer and living with God on a daily bases. We will get back to that next week. However, I am being led to say a few things on this topic this week.

There is confusion and division in our country. I will admit I am having some difficulty in forgiving the rioters, and those who have taken the opportunity of a horrific incident where some bad cops killed a man, to loot, hurt and destroy people and property. My human emotional response is that what I believe to be a fact that if someone was to step up and end one or two of these rioters, this all would end.

Is this how Jesus would see this? Would this even though may end the riots, would it end Racism? Would it improve anything? No. Would it change anything? No. Violence to stop violence may work in the present time, but it has no long-lasting effects.

No. I truly believe that if we look out toward the shore, we will see Jesus walking on the water, in the middle of every storm we have in our lives, and He is saying to us "Come."

What does this mean? Look at some of the other places Jesus in essence told people to "Come.".

"While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." Matthew 4:18-22

Then He came to Matthew.

"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him." Matthew 9:9

They left everything behind. Even early and worldly duties that some would see as a major necessity. Look at this in Matthew 8

"Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” 8:21-22

And here, in Luke 9:61-62

"Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”"

In every instance, Jesus says "Come," He also says leave everything behind. I want you to picture this in your head. I want you to picture standing on the edge of a field. Some distance from you is a play area. There are kids playing. You yell out "Come." What happens?

They all stop everything, drop everything, and come. Male, female, black, white, it doesn't matter. who they are. What they were doing. They stop everything and come together to come before you. This is how God wants us to come. How Jesus expects us to come when He calls us.

Yes. He wants us to leave everything. If necessary even our families. Remember what Jesus said to Peter?

"Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:28-30

However, this is not all we need to leave behind. It is not only about houses, property, or even people alone, but it is also, and even more importantly, our earthly minds. This includes pride, hate, anger, fear, arrogance, and even earthly wisdom. Jesus wants us to stop what we are doing, lay them down, and "Come."

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

To be called to follow Jesus means we need to renew our minds. We can no longer think of earthly things in earthly ways. Romans 8:5-8

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Back to our story. Remember, they are on the boat, in the storm. Jesus says "Come." Peter leaves the boat to "Come" and what happens? He gets in the boat, and the storm calms and goes away. Let's also look at this in Mark 4:38-41. This time, Jesus is actually with them. A storm comes, and they fear, but He is asleep.

"But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Even though we may be in a storm. Even though it may be extremely bad in our eyes, Jesus is with us. He is walking on the water to come to all those who are in the storm. He is saying to all of us, "Come." He will calm any storm. He will renew our minds. He will give us peace. All we have to do is stop. Put everything down, and "come."

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

I Can Talk To You Because You're My Daddy.

God loves us more. 

I have to admit, sometimes God shows me things that are not too pleasant to receive at the time, but in time, they become crystal clear. Sometimes, they are things I would never change for the World. This is one of those times.

I will also admit this. I do not even remember what the issue was. Something was going on at the time and I became so angry I yelled and screamed and she just kept trying to talk to me. I was growing more and more angry with her and did not want this to escalate so I looked into those beautiful little eyes of my Daughter Maya, and said, "Don't even talk to me."

She looked back with tears in those eyes and said something that melted my heart instantly. She said, "I can talk to you. Because you're my Daddy."

Now my stubbornness and my anger delayed my receiving this totally, but she was right. I am her Daddy. She is my Child. My Baby Girl. My beautiful little Princess. There is NOTHING that could EVER possibly come between my love and her. Even when she made me so angry, she was still, is still, and will always be, my Child.

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:14-17

If you accepted Jesus's sacrifice, and believe that He Raised from the Dead, you have "received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Abba Father simply means? Yup. Daddy. A little bit further in this letter, Paul writes this.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8-31-39

Does God love me, you, as His Children, the same way I love my precious little girl? Can He possibly love us as much as we love our children? No. He loves us MORE! Look at this Teaching from Jesus.

"What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13

We are fully sinful and evil beings. Our heart is evil continually {Genesis 8:21} Yet? You know the verse.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Like I just admitted, I do not even remember what the issue was that caused me to look at my little girl and say "Don't even talk to me." How bad was it? No idea. Yet what are some of the things we do as Humans? 

"Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. {Galatians 5:19-21}

Did my little Maya kill someone? Of course not. Was she being sexually immoral? At 5, thankfully not. Was she dancing around a fire, trying to conjure up a demon? Was she in a drunken stupor? No. We do though. As Humans, we do all these things and worse. Yet, Jesus came for us and died for us, anyway. In the middle of all of that.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

My Daughter can and will make mistakes. She will make me angry. She will do things she even knows will be wrong and will make me angry. I may even have to discipline her. My love for her, however, will never fade. Will never fail. You know why? Because I AM her Daddy.

We will Sin. We will fall short. We will all do things, if we are to be honest with ourselves, that we know are going to be against God and make Him angry. He may even find it necessary to discipline us. However, we can talk to Him. We can ask for forgiveness. We will be forgiven. He will also forget what we did wrong. We can have no fear whatsoever that our Father will leave us or forsake us. Why? Because He IS our Daddy. 

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will heal you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a Sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus and His Sacrifice for me. I believe that He raised from the Dead. I repent my Sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is just that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.{2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Things to be Thankful For. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Things I'm Thankful for? 

Life

Forgiveness of Sin

Life Everlasting

Adoption into the Family of God

The ability to cry Abba Father

The ability to ask God for Healing

The ability to seek Wisdom

A Godly Wife

Three Beautiful Children

The roof over our Head

Food on the Table

Blessings too numerous to count

What are you Thankful for? 

Be Blessed and be a Blessing

Three Most Common Misconceptions About God, He Is NOT God 24-7

Be careful of this one.

Even some of the most devout "Christians" fall for this Misconception. Why? Because the alternative is scary sometimes. What is that? That God can only see you on Sunday, for an Hour, maybe an Hour and a Halve, if you somehow get yourself up and to Church that given Sunday.

Oh yeah, God is there. Oh, He is sitting on His Throne, listing to you praise Him, hearing your Prayers, and guiding the Pastor in His Message to you. He is so happy to see you. He missed you so all week. Did you have a good week? How's the Family? How was Work? Hey, did you get the Promotion? Did little Sally announce who the Baby Daddy is? Oh, good to see you. Now remember, don't Lie, Cheat, or Steal. Of course, don't Kill anyone. See you next week. You walk out of Church, leaving God behind, Sitting on His Throne, until next time..

So what? God can't see you on Monday? He doesn't know what you are doing on Tuesday? Better yet, He doesn't see you at the BBQ following Church, as you pound one back with some friends? While you are watching the "big Game."

God cannot see you, and is not part of your Life during the Good times? Oh, we will call out to Him no matter what time or Day it maybe, when wee are in Trouble or Scared, or in Need. But what about Thursday after noon at Lunch?

One of the reasons for this is our fault. We have turned God into a Concept or an Idea. He is part of our Religion, but He is not part of our life. I'll say that again, God has become part of our Religion, but no longer part of our Life.

Back when God brought his people out of Egypt, He did not show up on Saturday {The Sabbath for the Jews} and say "Go." No, He went with them..

"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." {Exodus 13:21-22}

He met their needs for FORTY years. Their DAILY needs. See, even in the desert, God provided them with Bread in the Morning and Quail in the Evening.

" I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God." {Exodus 16:12}

It is actually a pretty cool story. When they woke up, they found Manna, or Bread, just laying around outside. They took it up and collected enough for everyone to eat and be filled. In the day, Quail would show up and that is what they had to eat in the night. In a DESERT. Bread laying there daily. Twice as much on the Sixth day, so they could rest and observe the Sabbath.

As a side side note, God said this to Moses..

"Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." {Exodus 16:4}

Read that last part again.."that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." It's not about you. It is not about what you think. It is not even really about what you do. God LOVES YOU. He wants a one on one relationship with YOU. A Daily relationship with you.

"By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life." {Psalm 42:8}

Just like you and your Children. Or, just like you and your Earthly Father, God wants to be YOUR Daddy. He wants you to talk to Him about your Hopes and Dreams. He wants to help you to achieve them. He wants to be there to Celebrate with you. To Hold you when you Cry. To be there when you wake up, and to be there to tuck you in.

Have you any memory of being a Child? Remember when a stranger came up to you, but it was OK, because you just drew closer to your Daddy, or Mommy. You knew that as long as they were right there with you, NOTHING could ever harm you.

"I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." {Psalm 16:8}

This is GOD. He wants you to accept this fact. He is GOD 24-7. He is ALWAYS there. He is ALWAYS with you. If He needs to, He will take your Hand and say, "It's Okay. I'm here." This is why He makes it plain and clear in Paul's Letter to the Romans...

" For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." {Romans 8:15-17}

We have talked about this before. What does Abba Mean? Daddy. Not Father. Not Almighty God. Not the Alpha and Omega. Not The Great I AM. Not The Creator of All. He is all these things of course, but no, Abba Father is an affectionate way of saying Father. In other words, Daddy. God wants to be your Daddy.. Not some concept or Idea. Daddy. 24-7. Is this how you see Him?

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..