Tomorrow

Tomorrow is magical.

Every think of it that way? Tomorrow being magical. It truly seems to be. Tomorrow is a day where anything is possible. Tomorrow is where great things will happen. Birthdays will be celebrated. Raises will be had. Promotions given. Vacations will start. Holidays to be celebrated.

Tomorrow is a magical day, because that is when you will see all your hopes and dreams fulfilled. A new day to dawn. The old one to pass away. A clean slate. A new beginning. New Hope. May it be better than this one. Tomorrow. May it be filled with Peace, Love, and Happiness.

There is only one little problem. We have no idea, if, Tomorrow will actually arrive.

I want to share a personal story with you for a second. As some of you know, my Mother Passed on just about three weeks ago. She became really bad and unable to care for herself at the end of her life. We turned over her care to Hospice. For those of you who do not know who Hospice is, they are a group of people who have their own Doctors, Nurses, Caregivers, and even Care Facilities. Unlike Hospitals, their Facilities are like homes. They make those under their care comfortable until the time comes.They are FANTASTIC. I have nothing but good things to say about Hospice. They truly care.

My Mother went in on a Saturday night. I, her husband, her Sister, and our kids, went in to see her on Sunday. It was a good day. We ordered Pizza, and hung out there for hours. The Charge Nurse told us that if my oldest Son Joshua, and his "Poppop" wanted to, they could spend the night with her, anytime. So they made plans to do so that coming Saturday.

Well, Mom went down hill fast. She Passed at 4:05 am that Thursday Morning. For Josh and Poppop, Saturday never came. Mom is in a far better place, and Josh and Poppop, and the rest of the Family, are starting to get on with getting on. But Saturday, never came. Thursday change our Family forever.

The Word declares...

"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." {Proverbs 27:1}

Jesus told us plainly..

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." {Matthew 6:34}

Ever do that? Make all these plans for a future date, only to have something happen, that nullifies those plans. I used to work in the Hotel Industry as a Manager. I worked a lot. I was on call 24-7. I used to make all these plans when I knew I had a day coming up that I had no obligations. I would make so many plans for that day, when the day came, I did not even know where to start. Sometimes, I rejected all the plans and just slept. Other times, something would happen, and that day itself, never came.

We do not know what tomorrow brings. We have no clue. More importantly, Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Remember the story Jesus told us about the Rich Man?

"The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" {Luke 12:16-20}

Many people experience this. They spend their entire lives attempting to build up Rices, only to die before they can enjoy them. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. You may live until a ripe old age of 100. Or? Today may be your last day on earth. James put it this way..

"Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." {James 4:13-17}

Paul wrote to the Hebrews..

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."{Hebrews 3:13}

As a Child or God, or even if you are not, you have today. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to arrive. It is what you do today that matters. It is this moment in time. This very second. There is no other. The Clock will stop ticking at the very precise moment that your time is up. Make the best of this moment, every moment. For you know not if there will be another.

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}

Fear

Fear is a powerful emotion.

Fear can bind you. Fear can make you Lie, Cheat, and Steel. Fear can cause you to commit Murder. Fear can give others power over you. Fear can enslave you. Fear can rob you of your very life. Fear is very real. In the Psychology Field, Fear is so predominant that they have named it a Phobia. From Arachnophobia, to Acrophobia {Fear of heights}, all the way to Pantophobia. One of my favorite lines, EVER, in Doctor Who is this "That's what it's called. Pantophobia. Not fear of pants though, if that's what you're thinking. It's fear of everything. Including pants, I suppose. In that case... Sorry. go on."

But Fear is a very real and very powerful force. I will never forget back in the days when I was a Hotel Manger, I met this Woman and her soon to be Husband. They were asking me to host their Wedding Guests and the Wedding itself they wanted to have in the Lounge. Well, that's not possible I told them because the Lounge is a Night Club and we would not be able to shut it down for a Private Function, and I offered to show them other Rooms and put them in touch with my Sales person.

Well, the Woman said, "I really need to speak with you privately." So we went into my office and she told me that her Sister has been Diagnosed with Agoraphobia, Anthropophobia, and Ochlophobia. I said, understandably, "What?" So she explained it to me. Agoraphobia - Fear of open spaces, Anthropophobia - fear of people or the company of people, and Ochlophobia- Fear of crowds. She believed that she also suffered from Xenophobia - Fear of strangers. Now setting aside my wondering how Anthropophobia, Ochlophobia, and Xenophobia, are any different, and what would that difference really matter, I said "Please go on."

She said, "Well, the lounge has that Green House Dinning Room attached that can be seen from the Rooms, and my Sister could stand outside it and watch the wedding. This way she would not miss it." So I agreed. She is going to have the Wedding in the Lounge. But she was not done. "Can I ask you a HUGE favor?" I thought, "You already did." But what I said was "Sure." Then she said, "I need you to meet my Sister. She cannot go outside by herself, and she really wants to see me get Married. If you meet her and spend some time with her, she may trust you enough to go outside and stand with you for the Ceremony." "Uh, OK."

So I did. I met her. Through the door. I went to the room often for two days. She eventually opened the door. To my surprise, here is this absolutely stunning young lady. I mean it. She was Beautiful. I kinda pictured an Igor looking person. I know, I know, not nice. But it's the truth. I thought she would be homely, and mousy. But here stood this Model looking young lady.

At first, she would not make eye contact. But we talked and I spend time listening to her. Then she asked if I would bring her something to eat. So I did. After sometime, she looked up and into my eyes. "Will you come and get me right before the Ceremony?" "Of course I will." Was my response.

So there it was, time. I went and got her. She opened the door and was all dressed up. She was wearing what she would wear if she could go in. It took her a little bit to step outside. I had to remind her that the Ceremony was about to start. To my absolute shock, and even startled me for a second, she took my hand. We walked together to the outside of the Greenhouse and she watched her Sister get Married. She asked if we could stay a bit longer so she could watch the dancing and stuff. To my surprise and without thought, I said "We can stay here all night if you want." She smiled. We only stayed for about 30 minutes and she felt she needed to go back to the room. So we went back and I brought her some food and cake from the Wedding with her Sister.

I saw first hand, call it what you will, how Fear can rob you of your very life. This absolutely beautiful Woman was a prisoner to her Fear.

However, you, as a Child of God, have NOTHING to fear. Seriously.

Fear of Death? Death itself is nothing.

Ecclesiastes 3:

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Death itself is as natural to life as living. Death is not a punishment. It just is. It is only appoint for us to die one time.

Hebrews 9:

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

This is why Jesus tells us...

Matthew 10:

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Then Jesus tells us that He will be there to greet us. He tells us that all will come before Him..

Matthew 25:

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

It tells us of this time in,,,,,

Revelation 20:

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

"Wait right there Pete. You see, this is one of those contradictions that fill that book you love so much. You just said it is appointed onto man to die once, and now you say this is the second death. So? Which is it."

When you leave this world, that is not truly death. As you just read, when you die in the flesh, you stand before Jesus Himself. If you have accepted Jesus and been adopted into the Family of God, you allow Him to be your substitute. He died for you. You died already. If not, then you truly die. You are cast into the lake of fire. That is your true death. Most see our departure from here on earth as death. So if you are rejected by Jesus after, many see this as your second death. But it really isn't. You only truly die once. Either here and now, so that you may live, or then, after you made your choice. However, if you are a Child of God, then you have been there and done that. Your life is no longer yours to give, nor, anyone's to take. So why fear?

Fear losing your job? Your needs will be met. {Matthew 6: 25-34}
Fear anything else related to it? Bills, Debt, Food? Same thing. Your needs will be met.
Fear God? He is now your Daddy? {Romans 8}
Fear the Devil? He has no power over you. Look at Job.

Job 1:

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

Again....

Job 2:

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

2 And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

Remember Peter?

Luke 22:

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Satan can do nothing to you without permission from God. He cannot take your life. He can do nothing. He can only whisper, encourage, entice. The Sins you fall into are by your own hand. Job remained faithful and was restored so much better than before. Why fear Satan?

So if we should have no fear of Death, our needs being met, God, or even the Devil himself, then what is left to fear? Open spaces? There is nothing in them that can harm you. Strangers? They are fields you should be attempting to Sow in. Or, they are people who have made their choices and there is nothing they can do to you. If the Devil himself cannot touch you without permission from God, what can Joe Schmo do to you?

Fear is completely irrational, and has no place in your life, when you come to the full realization of who you are as a Child of God. Who your Daddy now is. Do not allow the fear of anything to place you into Bondage. To rob you of your very life itself. "Greater is He in you, than in all the World." {1 John 4:4}

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

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!

The Fear of Tomorrow is Bondage Today

The Bondage of the Fear of Tomorrow.

Last time we talked about Yesterday. How the things in our Past, the good, bad, and the ugly, can put us in bondage of the fear of them repeating, or by attempting to recreate them. Dwelling on Yesterday, and fearing Tomorrow, makes us lose our Today.

As we started to discuss, it is not totally our fault. Some of the fear and worry of Tomorrow has been taught us from Birth. We have been conditioned to fear Tomorrow. There are people who make a lot of money, stoking that fear.

Now, some of the things we are going to discuss today, may upset some of you. You may become offended. You may become angry. You may not agree. That's because we have been so conditioned that it has become the Norm. It's just what we do. In a way, it makes perfect sense. However, you need to think about one thing. One very important thing, that is always left out of the equation. Lets look at some of the Norm.

Car insurance? We pay money every month to a company that claims they will be there if we have an accident. Lets say you pay them $100 a month. In a year, you paid them $1200. Ten years? $12,000. Now lets say you have an accident. What do they do? In most cases, pay out, maybe, a couple hundred, or say the car is only worth a grand and total it out. They have armies of Lawyers looking for any reason whatsoever to pay you as little as possible.

Life Insurance? You are paying people to take care of your family if something happens to you. There are so many loopholes and small print, that some do not even pay out at all. If you die your family get's A Million Dollars. If you die during a Snow Storm, in July, wearing a blue hat and pink underwear.

College Funding? Putting money away for your kiddies to go onto higher education. Do you know they are going to? Do you know they are going to become something that NEEDS a college degree?

Retirement? Saving money your whole life, so that you can quit work, sit on the couch, and do nothing all day. I know people that work two jobs just to save for Retirement. I now know people that work two jobs just to pay for Car, Health, and Life Insurance. What if you lose you Job tomorrow. What then?

The fear of the loss of a Job can cause Bosses and Corporations to become abusive. If they think you fear the loss of your Job, they may start taking advantage of you. I actually once had a Boss tell me "A Trained Monkey can do your Job." In other words, you are not important, if you do not do what I say, there are a hundred people waiting to take over. He was demoted and moved out of our Department shortly after.

Fear of Death? That's a big one. Some fear tomorrow, because they fear what Tomorrow may bring. Lets deal with this one first. Once you lose your fear of death, does anything else TRULY matter? You see, last time we talked about the things of your Past are gone. Once you have been adopted into the Family of God, and God Himself becomes your Daddy, you become a New Creature. All that Good, Bad, and Ugly stuff is gone. Blotted out. Forgotten. You are no longer the person that did, or, lived them.

Romans 8:

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

And,,,,

15 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.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 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.

Now?

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Lord Himself tells us, as His Children,,,,

Isaiah 41:

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

So if we have God promising us, "I am with thee", and we now know that "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God", Then we need not worry about Death.

Think about this. What is Heaven?

Luke 23:

43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

John 14:

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

Revelation 21:

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 22:

1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

So I ask you. Which is better? That to which we go? Or this of which we leave behind? If death is no longer something to be feared, then WHY fear anything else? "But Pete, it's not the dying that worries me, it's the living. What if I can't feed my family? Pay my Rent or Mortgage. What if?" Jesus Himself answered this on the Sermon on the Mount....

Matthew 6:

25 Therefore I say unto you, 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?

26 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?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 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?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

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

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

You see, this is why Jesus tells us these things. Our needs will be met. Rely on God and stop relying on ourselves. With us, we can doing nothing. But with God, all things are possible. Who do you trust more? You? Or the Creator of all things? "But Pete, I have to work. I have to save for the future." Why? "Why? What do you mean WHY? This is what we do. We work now, save for later. If not, how are you going to live?"

Luke 12:

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Jesus tells us plainly "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Tomorrow is NEVER guaranteed. Think about that. Jesus says "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." What if, this morning was the last time you ever ate Breakfast? The very last time you ever had coffee. The very last time you ever took a shower, got dressed, and kissed your Loved Ones goodbye. The last time. You go out the door, and a truck has a blowout and crashes into you. A plane flies into a building. You have a Heart Attack. Just because the World may not end today, doesn't mean this is not your last day on it.

Did you know that Retirement is a man-made concept. Nowhere in the Bible does it talk about saving for the future and so you can stop working and take it easy. Nowhere. I have known many people that live for Retirement, and they get there and Retire, only to die shortly after. Their kids now inherit that car, house, and all that money they, in some cases, kill themselves obtaining.

Jesus tells us to "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Jesus tells us that if we truly want to save for the future, we should do so by doing the Will of the Father. Store up treasures in Heaven. Add jewels to your crown in Glory.

Am I telling you to cancel all your Insurance Policies? Of course not. Car and now Health Insurance is now the Law of the land. You MUST have them. I'm not telling you to violate the Law, I'm saying start relying on God. Trust Him. Believe what He tells you. Remember, Jesus said "for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." And...

Luke 11:

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

We must "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added" on to us. We must not live if fear. We must trust in Him. Would God really allow you and your family to starve to death if you lose your Job? Whatever that Job may be? Do you really think God will allow your Family to lose everything if He calls you home today? Do you really think that God, the Creator of all there is was or ever will be, in unable to get you a Car if needed? Seriously? How big is your God? Do you see Him AS God? I ask you again, of whom do you trust more? God, or yourself?

Tomorrow is coming. The things that are in it, are coming. There is NOTHING you can do to change it. NOTHING you can do to prevent it. Nothing. It's coming. It's here. It's gone. Another Tomorrow is coming. Will you be in it? It's not even a guarantee. Why worry? Why fear? God is with you. Stop worrying about the Creation, and start trusting in the Creator.

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

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!

Simply James 4 Part Two

Part Two, One Way, Truth, and Life. Do not Judge. Speak plainly. Do not be anxious.

We are talking about the Book of James, Chapter 4. Last time we discussed how we shall have whatsoever we ask God to supply us with, as long as we are living for Him. As long as we are doing His Will. He will not answer our Prayers if we are Praying for greed or lust. If we are attempting to manipulate God, we will find Him silent.

We have learned that once we become a Child of God, we are no longer OF the World, even though we are still in it. We have learned that the World will hate us, because it first hated Him. That we should not care. But be good and faithful servants of God Himself.

We have learned that God will not accept those that are full of pride. That we need to stop relying on ourselves and start relying on God. That if we humble ourselves, it is God who gives us the power and lifts us up. If we give up ourselves to God and allow God to work through us, we will be far better off in all things.

Let's go back to...

James 4:

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

We left it off here...

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Simply put..

John 14:

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Do you know people, I do, who will go Church, sit in the pews, whisper to each other how this one or that one is dressed. How this one or that one got fired. How these other two are getting Divorced, ETC? They smile at them. Some even hug everyone. But they are sitting in judgement of others, while never taking thought of what they are in violation of. What Sin is in their lives? Remember what Jesus said about this sort of thing?

Luke 18:

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

You see, you may think someone is in deserving of damnation, but who are you to judge? Do you know their heart? Who are you to condemn?

Romans 8:

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Even God is not sitting there looking to condemn someone. He has arranged it so ALL can be forgiven, and find Salvation. Again, it's not God who condemns. We condemn ourselves. Just so there is no doubt to the fact, we are not to judge others, Jesus makes it crystal clear.

Matthew 7:

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

We are all Sinners. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 Yet? You will sit there and judge a Brother or Sister? Jesus calls those who does, hypocrites. Instead of sitting there judging them, why not get up, walk over, and ask if there is something they need? Why not say a Prayer for them? However, sit there and judge, you do so at your own risk. Remember "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Jesus told us that we should keep our speech simple. That we should allow our Yes to be Yes, and our No to be No.

Matthew 5:

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

I have always tried to follow this teaching. Ask my kids. If I say No, it is No. They have no need of, or at least they have little hope of this changing if they continuously ask. If I say Yes, it is Yes. A Guarantee. An absolute. If I tell my kids, we will go somewhere. We go. It does not matter if I feel like it when the time comes. It doesn't matter if I am called into work. It doesn't matter if we can afford it. We GO. Or if I say Yes to something. It is Yes. They know it to be true. They have no doubts.

Here is something you should NEVER do. Trust me. NEVER promise God something you cannot deliver. When I first got Saved, I found myself with a day off. I was excited. I was on fire for God. I went out and put The Bible in my car. I got in. I Prayed to this effect. "God, I love you. I give you this day. Whatever and wherever you want me to go, and whatever you want me to do. I'm all yours." I got to the next town over and decided I would stop for coffee. Then I decided I would do this and that. I promised the day to God, I took it back.

So what happened? He took THREE from me. Long story short, my car died, I walked three miles home, and had to wait for a friend to come look at the car. After three days? I got my car back It turned out to be like a $6.00 fix. Don't promise God anything you can deliver. Trust me.

God tells us we should not do this with each other either. Simply say Yes and No. God also tells us that we should never worry about tomorrow.

Matthew 6:

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Now let's really look at this. "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow." Then "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

September 11, 2001, Tuesday, people got up. They had breakfast or coffee. They took their showers, got dressed, kissed their loved ones, went off to work. A mundane Tuesday. Just like all others. Wishing it was Friday. Thinking about "what's for dinner?" Making plans for their next day off.

8:46 a.m, a Jet flew right into the side of the World Trade Centers. 9:03 a.m, a second Jet flew into the side of the other Tower. 3000 plus people left this Earth on that day. 3000 plus people had no idea that it was the last time, they had breakfast or coffee. They took their showers, got dressed. The last time they kissed their loved ones, went off to work. A mundane Tuesday. Just like all others. Wishing it was Friday. Thinking about "what's for dinner?" Making plans for their next day off.

Will the world come to an end soon? Maybe. However, the world DID come to an end for 3000 plus people on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. I could be sitting here right now, talking abo............ You could be sitting there right now rea........ Our loved ones left behind. Tomorrow is never promised. Today is a gift.

Jesus put it this way...

Luke 12:

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

If you really want to live by Faith, Jesus tells us this...

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

33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

"But Pete, come on man. They have been talking about the end of the world since Bible times. Look, we are still here. This is all nonsense." Nope. Peter addressed this. As a matter of fact, he talked about people like you..

2 Peter 3:

2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Again, just because the end of the world doesn't happen tomorrow, doesn't mean that tomorrow may not be your last day. Or mine. Or a loved one of ours. Everyday, somewhere in the world, someone goes to sleep here, and wakes up in Heaven. Everyday.

This is why the Word tells us to be anxious for nothing. To convent nothing. Forget about what you will do when you are older. What if today is your last day?

Philippians 4:

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

So to recap, today we learned that there is but one Way, Truth, and Life. One Judge, and we are not He. We learned that we should not Promise, but say what we mean and mean what we say. Yes is Yes and No is No, and all else is evil. We also learned that we should be anxious for nothing and take no thought of tomorrow. For tomorrow is NEVER a guarantee.

Next time we will wrap up James 4 with his last lesson. The Sin of Omission. 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

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!