The Truth as I See it

 

 

By Jack C. Corcoran

 

Pontius Pilate asked the question, “What is truth?”

Jesus, the Messiah, said in John 14:6… “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Jesus, the Messiah, said in John 8:32… “The truth shall set you free.”

And without a doubt, I believe the Bible is the truth; the Word of God. Therefore, I believe it when it says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” And this verse is referring to Jesus, the Christ (Messiah).

I use the word Messiah, which is the meaning of the Greek word, Christ, because many people believe that the name Christ is Jesus’ last name. I recall reading somewhere that there are people who actually believe that Mary and Joseph were Mr. and Mrs. Christ. That is wrong!

As I said, and according to Strong”s  Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the word, Christ, is a Greek word meaning “the Messiah”. And, according to Strong’s, the word Messiah is Hebrew for king or priest. In Revelations 17:14 Jesus is called King of kings; and the writer of the Book of Hebrews refers to Jesus as our High Priest.

Jesus is our redeemer. Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death.” And Romans 5:8 tells us that “God demonstrates His own love for us (recall John 3:16) in this: while we were still sinners, the Messiah died for us.” He  paid our wages; He is our redeemer.

Throughout the Bible – prophecies in the Old Testament and eyewitness accounts in the New Testament – we learn that Jesus lived, died, and was raised from the dead by God the Father and He is seated at the right hand of God the father.

And because I believe all of this as I have just stated – and I will be passing on to you in future writings more of why I believe – I must be obedient to the Word as written in the Book of Ephesians, chapter five and especially verses 3 – 5 and 11.

Most of the Scriptures I will be using from here on are taken from the New International Version of the Holy Bible (NIV). Some may come from another version and, if so, I will make note of it.

So, let’s begin…

Ephesians 5: 3-7…

“3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.”

And verse 11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

This is my reason for writing: to expose these evil deeds of darkness because the truth, as I see it, is these evil things are destroying our beloved nation, the United States of America.

For this first message, I would like to hone in on just verse 3 and it is my sincere hope and prayer that you read with an open mind.

I believe that sexual immorality is, at least, partly to blame for what is happening in our country right now as I write.

 

A friend and I were discussing the wide spread use of porn on the internet and it led me to what I am about to share with you. For two whole days after our conversation I actually cried my heart out to God; I couldn’t even eat; I couldn’t sit down and listen to music; I couldn’t do my favorite thing and play games on my PC because no matter what I tried to do, The Spirit of God kept interrupting me with these thoughts: Sexual immorality is running rampant in this country and causing a massive breakdown of morality and God is angry.

I started by going online and actually went in to two of these sites that promote sexual immorality; Craigslist and Adult Friend Finder. As I perused these two sites I became increasingly amazed and frightened.

Amazed at the massiveness of this stuff and frightened because I know God is angry. And He should be. Just two sites and I only browsed parts of them. These two sites are set up to allow their members to pick and choose from an array of categories so I only went through a few of them because I could only stand so much.

They allow you to choose your state, where you live; and they allow you to pinpoint exactly which part of the state you are interested in. So, I chose a fifty mile radius of my zip code.

Then you choose which category of which there were at least twenty different categories such as male for male, female for female, male for couples, female for couples, male for transvestites and so on; I think you get the picture.

I picked the category of “Casual Encounters” and went through the listings of just male for male and female for female and male for couples. Folks, within fifty miles of my zip code, I came up with a total of 6,078 on Craigslist and 10,916 on Adult Friend Finder. That’s over 17,000 people looking for immoral sexual encounters just within a fifty mile radius of my zip code.

Did you know that there are at least 297 cities in the United States that have a population of more than 100,000? No, I didn’t either until I Googled it but, can you imagine if all these cities have the same amount that I just found, from only a fraction of the choices on these two sites, looking for immoral sex?

I’m not even close to being good at math but I wish someone with the math skills could figure this out. I’m willing to bet there are more than 5 million people in this country on just these two sites and how many sites are there?

Now here is what absolutely sickened me. In my research and using Google and Wikipedia, I found these statistics. The United States Department of Justice states that “At any one time there are estimated to be more than one million pornographic images of children on the internet. And the average age is eleven.

They estimate that there are over 100,000 websites. Every second $3,075 is spent on porn; EVERY SECOND! 28,258 viewing porn and every second of the day there are an estimated 372 people on the Adult websites in the USA. EVERY SECOND!

And there is a new porn video created every 39 minutes.

And God’s word says to “Have nothing to do with the deeds produced by darkness, but instead expose them.

 

We think we are getting away with it but we are not getting away with anything. The Bible tells us that God knows our hearts and our very thoughts. It also tells us that God is slow to anger but you can see for yourself what He did when He finally had enough.

Read about the city of Sodom and see what God did. Read the story of Noah and see what God did. Read the stories of Israel and see what God did. And now, look at today’s news. For example, just follow the Trump rallies and look at all the violence; the hatred; and the death toll in this country. Look at the number of police killings in the past few years. OMG! You can’t even use a toilet in peace.

And I truly believe that God is allowing these things because He is angry! And it will only get worse if we, the people, don’t get serious and look toward heaven and beg His forgiveness.

The Bible says to repent

The Bible says to confess your sins

The Bible says to confess Jesus as Lord

The Bible says to believe in His Name

The Bible says to believe that God raised Him from the dead

The Bible says to obey the will of God

The Bible says in Ephesian 5:3 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity,”

Now listen to me; I’m not just talking to those who don’t believe; I am talking to you people who go to church every Sunday. I’ve been in your churches and I have seen it firsthand. I spent two years in seminary and I have seen, with my own eyes, the so-called men of God in all their glory. I have stories to tell but, not now. This, what I am writing today, is a wake-up call to the church.

I have been in churches where the preacher spends an entire forty minutes without ever opening a Bible. And lately, I have been in churches where the majority of the congregation doesn’t even bring a Bible. They depend on what is being cast onto a screen. Have you ever read Acts 17:11?

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

You cannot; you should not put your entire trust on what is being put before you. You must open your Bible and read it for yourself. At least take notes; write down the Scriptures being cast upon the screen and read it for yourselves. I’m not trying to belittle the work of the good pastors and Bible teachers out there; but I am trying to make you use your head as the Bereans did. Make sure what you are being taught is the truth.

I’m willing to bet that a great majority of you go to church on Sunday and forget all about it through the week. How many of your unchurched friends even know what you stand for?  For that matter, how many of you even have unchurched friends? Jesus did! And the church leaders of that day hated Him for it. Jesus said it’s the sinners who need a physician. (Luke 5:31)

The church has given up its job. We no longer share the Word of God. We hide inside our concrete walls. We should be standing up against our enemies; the enemies of God But we don’t and he is stomping us into the ground so that we are irrelevant.

And because of it, we have this massive breakdown of morality.

But now, for the good news. Revival is in the wind. There are rumors of revival…

One headline says “Extraordinary revival in L.A. and Orange County high schools” (Google this headline and read the whole story)

Another headline tells us that “Revival Rocks West Virginia School, Surrounding Towns” (Google revival in W. VA.)

Look, it’s on opposite ends of the country. Can it close in on the rest of us?

It’s up to us to grab hold of it; to bring it to your churches. Each one of you; every single one of you is a potential carrier of these rumored revivals. I’m doing my part by writing this material. What will you do?

What are you willing to do to keep our country from total destruction? It all begins with prayer; honest, earnest, tear-jerking prayer. I know; I spent several days crying out to God – asking His forgiveness, confessing my sin, and begging His help.

And one morning I awoke with all of this on my heart. And as I began my search of those web sites, God began putting these words into my head.

I will continue to pray and continue to follow His lead in my writing. And I will share it with you as quickly as I receive it. Please pray with me and pray for me as I dare to write the truth.

May the Lord God bless you and keep you in His loving care.

I am your faithful servant and friend

Jack C. Corcoran

 

 

 

Take up Your Cross

by Jack C Corcoran

Luke 9:23… “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior of the world; His entire ministry was leading Him to the cross. He was totally committed to that end in obedience to God the Father. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3;16

And Jesus says we must “pick up our cross and follow Him.” What did He mean when He said to take up our cross? Are we all supposed to be crucified? I think it is a figure of speech; a metaphor. I believe Jesus is telling us to follow Him even unto death. In other words; to die to self (deny yourself); give up your sinful life and live a godly life.

2 Tim 3.12 says… “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” and 1 Pet 2.21 says… “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

Mt 10.22 says… “You will be hated by everyone because of me,  and Philippians. 1.29 tells us “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”

God’s word in Philippians 4:7 promises us peace “the peace that transcends all understanding” but how can we find peace in suffering? How can we rejoice in our pain? Can we really do that?

Allow me to tell you a short story that is actually the reason for me writing this today.

Today is Monday, March 21, 2016. This past Saturday, March 19, 2016 marked about three days of loneliness and despair. By the time I awoke on Saturday morning I was miserable; I didn’t even want to get out of bed. I thought that if I moved at all, my heart was going to break. I was really down in the dumps. All day long I did nothing but stomp around this little apartment I call home. I had broken my toe on Tuesday and couldn’t get my shoe on so I couldn’t just up and leave.

And then at exactly 7 pm I received a text message from a dear brother in the Lord. I live in Indiana  and he and his wife now live in Florida. I was so glad he had texted instead of calling like he usually does. I did not wish for him to see me in this mood. I suppose God knew that also.

For several minutes we talked about weather, and I caught him up on another mutual friend of ours. As we continued to talk, I continued to feel miserable and was thankful that he couldn’t see me. When suddenly a Scripture popped into my mind. “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I with them.” (Mt. 18:20)

And suddenly, I blurted out, “Please pray for me, Bob. I really need it.” And , without hesitation, he said; “I sure will, what’s the matter?”

And I dumped on him. “I don’t know why God is letting all this happen. In the past two years I’ve had a stroke, I’ve had cancer, and now I’m getting a divorce from my unfaithful wife. I signed the papers a week ago.”

And, without a beat, my friend, Bob, reminded me of something I had told him a few years ago when we worked together here in Greensburg. He said; “You’ve always told me that God has a purpose for us and He will make it happen on His time. Keep the faith brother and I will be praying for you.”

By now I was tearing up and feeling really stupid for the way I was behaving and then he added; “I will put you down on our prayer list tomorrow at our bible study group.”

I just barely typed my response; ty. And I hung up and bawled like a baby.

And when I knelt beside my bed that evening, I could barely pray. I was so mentally exhausted, I couldn’t think so I just thanked God for such a good friend and climbed into bed.

I got up Sunday and went through the day with a little more enthusiasm. I even practiced on my guitar and managed a few gospel songs. But today, O praise the Lord for today. I believe my brother in Florida kept his promise yesterday and I believe Jesus fulfilled His promise. I woke up today praising God so I’m sure they must have been praying for me yesterday and Jesus showed up.

I usually have a 15-20 minute bible reading as soon as I get up in the morning, no matter what. Yes, even through those days of misery and despair. But today, I started reading at about 8 am and I finally stopped around 4 pm to write this. I am full of joy and praise because I know that my suffering will eventually bring joy and peace. I suppose that deep down in my heart I knew it all along but I let the enemy in somewhere along the line and he was playing havoc with my emotions.

Yes, my friends, we can find peace and joy in our suffering but we can’t do it alone. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Jesus says we must join with others if we want His attention. I haven’t contacted my friend in Florida yet but as soon as I finish here, I will send it to him so he can be blessed.

Yes, the answer is yes; we can find joy and peace in our suffering. And I will leave you with these words from Paul in Galatians 2:20…  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Hallelujah Lord God, thank you Jesus, the Prince of peace. God bless you all and peace to you all through Christ Jesus.

Jack

 

 

 

 

 

 

House of Bread

by Jack C. Corcoran

Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world, came into this world as a baby in the small town of Bethlehem.  The prophet, Micah, said in Micah 5:2… “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel…”

And that prophecy was fulfilled several hundred years later in a little stable in the small town of Bethlehem.

The Hebrew word for Bethlehem is Beyth Lechem which means house of bread. I discovered this while I was reading from “The Gospel of Matthew (1)” by Paul C. Jong’s “Spiritual Growth Series 1. And it struck me how often the bible refers to Jesus as the “bread of Life.” And here I’m learning that He was born in a town called the House of Bread.

In fact, Jesus mentions, himself, no less than five times in John 6:33-51 that He is the “bread of Life that came down from heaven.”

Jesus is also referred to as the Word. John says in his first chapter “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God………….and the Word became flesh…” So the Word (Jesus) is the Bread of Life.

Could there then be a double meaning when Jesus says in the passage where He is teaching them to pray;  in Matthew 6: 11 He says “Give us today our daily bread.” I mean, I’ve always just assumed He was talking about food for our stomachs but now, I’m thinking He may have also been talking about food for our souls; give us a daily dose of Your Word.

We all know that we need to read God’s word daily. Don’t we? I have cited many times in these posts from Acts 17:11, where it says, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

We. too, should examine the Scriptures every day for our daily helping of Spiritual bread. I remember writing another article back in October of 2015, where I said,

“Can you ever get enough bread? No, I don’t think you can. David said “I hide your word in my heart so I will not sin against You.” We need God’s word, we need the bread of life. Jesus said in John 15:5, “apart from Me you can do nothing.” If you don’t stay in the word, you’re as good as dead. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be a dead christian.”

Jesus is the bread of life and Jesus is the Word. Spiritual Bread, therefore, is food for the soul. Jesus, the bread of life came into the world by way of the House of Bread. In Exodus, chapter 16, we read in verses 15 and 31 that God sent bread from heaven to the people of Israel.

. When they asked “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.”

God sent bread to them from heaven way back thousands of years ago, and He sent Jesus to us as bread from Heaven. We still continue to feed on manna. In John 6:58, Jesus says, “This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread (meaning himself), will live forever.”   the words in parentheses are mine.

How do we feed on Jesus? Jesus is the Word of God. The bible is the word of God. When we read the bible, we are being fed bread from heaven. We cannot exist without eating food every day; likewise we cannot grow as christians without feeding on spiritual food every day.

Prayer; Dear God, please instill in us the importance of studying Your Word on a daily basis so that we can grow closer to you and be good ambassadors for Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:20).

 

 

 

 

 

 

…

REVIVAL!

revival now

by Jack C. Corcoran

Back in the year of 1990, I was a student at the seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. On this one particular day, we were seated in the classroom for “History of Christianity”; there were about 30 of us – men and women.

Our study on this day was in the Book of Nehemiah. The professor was going on and on about the statistics, i.e. when it was written; who wrote it; that sort of stuff. He was boring me so I went ahead and started reading.

I was especially intrigued with chapters 8 and 9. As I read the words in these two chapters, the Spirit of God came over me and I began to weep and grow very warm. I was especially captured by certain verses; 8:5,6,15; and 9:2, 3.

You should find time to read them yourselves but in verse 8:5 it starts out with…

“Ezra opened the book…and as he opened it, the people all stood. In verse 8:15, they are told that “they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns…”

And by the time we get to chapter 9:2 – 3, we see what is happening. “They stood in their places and confessed their sins….they stood where they were and read from the book of the Law of the Lord their God.”

And I’m squirming in my seat and thinking, this is revival! This is what a revival is!

I’m not sure how much time had passed; probably not more than a few minutes. But I was suddenly brought back to the present when I heard the professor shouting; “Mr. Corcoran, are you ok?”

As I began explaining what I was reading, I began to weep again and suddenly, some guy from behind stood up and began to confess sin. You could hear a pin drop and then sobbing, and then another stood up and confessed and then another. And then, suddenly, the dismissal bell sounded and the professor broke in and dismissed us. The spell, or whatever you wish to call it, had been broken and everyone quietly filed out and went on their way.

I believe to this day that if I had been more alert to the Spirit’s leading, we would have seen revival right there in the seminary. But like everyone else, I went casually on my way and it was soon forgotten. But not totally forgotten because I have been reminded of it several times since.

Last night for instance, as I was praying, I was reminded again. Twenty-six years have passed since that day in the classroom and I am being reminded again. I don’t think this is accidental or coincidental; I’m sure you all might agree that we are sorely in need of revival, not only in the USA but around the globe.

So, here is what the Lord laid on my heart last night as I was drifting off to sleep. I am urging each and every one who reads this to join me in prayer for revival. I don’t mean just one time; I mean it this way;

Each night before you crawl into bed, I would urge yo to do as I am doing (actually, I started last night). If you recall, God made a promise to His people in 2 Chronicles 7:14. He said:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Many people have been posting this quote from Scripture for several years but, it doesn’t end there. The promise is enforced in 12:7 when the word of the Lord comes to Shemaiah. The Lord says… “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance.”

We humble ourselves whenever we fall to our knees before the Lord. So, this must be the posture we take as we pray for deliverance and revival. And remember; “The Lord is slow to anger; abounding in love and forgiveness.” these very words are repeated over and over throughout Scripture. Read some of them as you find time.

We can have revival, and we must or we will nor survive. The enemy is at the door and only God can stop him. You can see, if you’re nor blind, that our politicians aren’t doing their job. In fact, they are going against God. I’m a retired police officer and it sickens me to see what’s going on in our country with all these officers being murdered.

The only thing that can stop it is revival and the only way to bring revival is us.

The way to revival starts with ME! Say that to yourself each night as you fall to your knees; start tonight and every night from now on until the Lord answers. I do not believe that it would be improper to ask the Lord to keep His promise from 2 Chronicles. this is the way I intend to close out each and every day from now on until the Lord answers.

Will you please join me?

 

 

I was talking to God

the righteous shall live by faith

by Jack C. Corcoran

I was lying on the bed and I was thinking: yes Lord, it’s easy for the Apostles to have believed. After all, they walked with you; talked with you; ate with you; and watched you pray to the Father.

They watched you die and then; AND THEN, they watched you walk among them; they talked with you after your resurrection; they had a fish breakfast with you on the shore after you arose from the dead; they walked along the road with you after you arose from the dead.

So, of course, it was easy peasy for them to believe.

If any of them had denied talking to you after you died; they would have been lying; if any of them had denied having a meal on the shore with you after you had died, they would have been lying; and if any of them had denied watching you rise up into the clouds, they would have been lying.

It was easy for them, but what about us?

I never ate a meal with you, I never sat down and prayed with you; I never walked along the road with you; so how am I supposed to believe the way they did?

Yes, I actually had that conversation with our heavenly Father as I lay on my bed this afternoon. And He immediately answered me with the words from John 20:29: “And Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

Yes, it’s all about faith. That’s how we believe; by faith; Jesus says faith as small as a mustard seed.

Have you ever sat in a court room during a criminal case? I spent a lot of years in law enforcement so I naturally spent a lot of time in court. If two or three people stood up in front of the judge and testified that they saw the man pull the gun, point the gun at the other man and shoot him; would you believe it?

Of course you would; you know you would. It came straight from the mouths of three witnesses. Why wouldn’t you believe it? Well, we have at least 12 men and as possibly as many as 400 witnesses who saw Jesus after he had been crucified and died and was buried. We have 4 men who wrote the gospels and tell the story of his death and resurrection; and his ascension into the clouds.

And then, of course, there’s Peter. During Jesus’ trial, good old Peter denied even knowing him, but look at him 50 days later. He tells the crowd in Acts 2:32, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”

And just a few days later, we see Peter talking to the Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin, when they were forbidden to speak of this Jesus. Peter said, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

And again remember the words of Jesus to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Read the 11^th chapter of Hebrews. No less than nineteen times the writer of Hebrews uses the phrase “by faith” – by faith, Moses; by faith Abraham; by faith Noah; and on and on through the chapter. It is by faith that we believe.

And faith comes by hearing the word of God says another writer. In order to hear the word of God, you need to read the bible; every day as it says in Acts 17:11.

Oh Lord, fill us with the urgency to read Your holy Words. Amen

Has God blessed you today?

by Jack C. Corcoran

 

Has God blessed you today?

If you say yes, can you tell me how He has blessed you?

If you say no, can you tell me why not?

 

When was the last time you can say that you were actually blessed by God?

I can safely and honestly say that I have already been blessed several times today and it is just noon. First of all, I woke up this morning-(that’s blessing #1), then I had a wonderful breakfast, (two), and now God is giving me this message to bring to you all.(that’s three). I can hardly wait to see how the rest of the day goes.

If you are reading this, then I can safely assume that you woke up this morning.(that’s blessing #1 for you); you were blessed this morning because God has given you another day of life. Would you agree?

I can safely say that Almighty God has the power to take your life at any time, even while you are asleep. So, if you awake, you can feel blessed. To me, every day is a blessing. And if you are a true follower of Christ Jesus, you should be able to say the same.

I know that most people wake up every day without as much as a thought of it being a blessing; but I know better. In the past two years I have survived a stroke and cancer so I know how fragile life is, and I know that God could have taken me out with either one of them; but He didn’t. He allowed me to survive and, through it all, He taught me how blessed it is to acquire the habit of reading His word on a daily basis.

Every Christian, born again, true believer, follower of Christ Jesus, should be able to answer the question, have you been blessed today, with a resounding YES! And he/she should be able to tell why/how they were blessed. And I don’t mean the blessing you received several years ago or even several months ago. I’m not discounting them but, if you are living your life according to the Word, you are receiving blessings (almost daily) because God’s word says so. And I’ve already listed the blessings I’ve received this morning.

I just spent the last five minutes listing the blessings that are ours if we are living according to the word of God. Just five minutes, and I have listed at least thirty scriptures that promise blessing. There are many more but that would require me to write a book instead of this short message. Perhaps I will; if God leads me in that direction. But, for now, let’s just go to a few of them.

The largest number of them can be found in the Psalms so let’s start with the very first, Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” And verse 2, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”

Do you find it a delight to read God’s word? That’s where you will receive the right counsel. Anyone can read the bible but only those who have the Spirit of God can receive good counsel by reading it. “You are controlled by the Spirit of God, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” (Romans 8:9).

Psalm 32:2 and Jeremiah 17:7 both say basically the same but Jeremiah carries it a little further. Jeremiah 17:7 says… “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”

And look what it says about the man who trusts God. “He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes…it has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Man, you could almost write a book just on this alone.

If you put your absolute trust in God for all things – and I know how difficult that is to do – but, for the one who does, you never have to worry about the problems of the world (when the heat comes); you won’t have to worry about famines (you won’t go hungry). David says in Psalm 37:25 “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging food.” God’s promises cannot be broken; if they could, what would be the use in believing? And He promises that His children will not go hungry.

Psalm 119 is a favorite of many, including myself, and 119:2 says, “Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.” Keeping His statutes, of course, means obeying the word and you cannot obey what you don’t know. So, we all must stay in the word of God to know what truth is. (Acts17:11).

“And seek Him with all your heart.” Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” What things? All the things I’ve already talked about. Starting in 6:25 of Matthew we are told we won’t need to worry about our life; what we will eat; or even what we will wear; because, if we seek God, all these things will be there for us. It’s His promise. These are blessings.

God promises us over and over and over that He will bless us if we follow Him. So, I will ask you again; do you feel blessed? And if not, why not?

Proverb 28:20 tells us that “A faithful man will be richly blessed.” And Proverb 29:18 says, “Blessed is he who keeps the law.” A faithful person who reads and does what the word says will be blessed. I believe it’s James who tells us to be doers of the word and not just hearers.

Now, I can hear you saying or thinking that the sinners, wicked, arrogant people seemed to be more blessed than us. Yes, that does seem to be the way; but see what Malachi has to say about that.

In chapter 3:15, Malachi says, “But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper and even those who challenge God escape.”  Yes, it does seem that way, doesn’t it? But let’s look down a little further to Chapter 4:1-3.

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire says the Lord almighty.” It goes on to say how the arrogant will be sorry for the very day they were born. But you, us, we, who believe, who trust, who obey, will be blessed.

God blesses me every day. Yes, it’s true, I have bad days; more than I would like to admit but, even on those days, if I stop and look around and think about it, I will see the blessing. Sometimes they are so subtle; we might miss them if we don’t stay alert; if we sit around grumbling and enjoying our little pity party.

So, step out of your own way and see what God is doing for you. Lean not on your own understanding but trust in God. (Proverbs 3:5)

Learn to praise God and give a sacrifice of thanksgiving several times a day and you will see your blessings as they come. I thank God for my meals while I’m cooking them. I thank Him again as I sit down at the table. You can do the same; it isn’t difficult. And God will bless you. I tithe my income; you can do the same and God will bless you. Oh boy, I could write a book on this to be sure. God has blessed me in so many ways since I began to tithe (just a few short months ago) if you need to know the truth. Yes, God promises abundant blessings if we will not rob Him of the tithe.

And Praise and thanksgiving. I am closing this with a song of praise that God gave to me just a few months ago. I kneel at my bed every night and sing this song, and many times during the day; especially when things are not going so well; I will start singing this praise to God and before I even finish; the problem is gone. Or, at least, it seems a lot less important.

And this song is another blessing from God. I hope it blesses you. And there again is more blessing. Each time someone reads this and receives a blessing, I will also be blessed. So, please; if you are blessed by reading this or singing the song, please go to the comment section and let me know or send me an email and I will be blessed again. Thank God for His many blessings; I cannot seem to get enough. Praise His Name.

 

 

 

Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh-lu-ooh-iah,

Glo-oo-oria, Glo-oo-oria, Glory to God in the high-eh-est

I praise you; I praise you, Oh God, my heavenly Father,

I praise you, I praise, now and forever more.

 

Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh-lu-ooh-iah,

Glo-oo-oria, Glo-oo-oria, Glory to God in the high-eh-est;

I praise you; I praise you, Jesus my blessed redeemer,

I praise you; I praise you, now and forever more.

 

Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh-lu-ooh-iah,

Glo-oo-oria, Glo-oo-oria, Glory to God in the high-eh-est

Fill me, Spirit; fill me Holy Spirit

Fill me, Spirit, with wisdom from above.

Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh- eh-eh-    Hal-le-eh-lu-u-u-iah.

———————–

 

Glory to God, thank you Jesus. Amen

They Can’t Handle The Truth!

by Jack C. Corcoran

Hyeon Soo Lim, center, who pastors the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, is escorted to his sentencing in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015. North Korea’s Supreme Court sentenced a Canadian pastor to life in prison with hard labor on Wednesday for what it called crimes against the state. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

While I was reading this article, I came to this sentence: “Merely leaving a Bible in a public place can lead to arrest and severe punishment.” 

What do you suppose they are afraid of? 

What about the things we see right here in our own country? Why do people fear, or hate, the word “Christmas? Why do they fear, or hate, the sight of a Nativity scene or the words, “In God we trust”? Are we heading for the same thing they are doing in Korea? Are we going to be arrested for quoting Scripture or leaving a Bible in a public place? 

I know what it is they fear and so do you. They fear the truth. Like the line from the movie, “You can’t handle the truth.” They can’t handle the truth. 

Jesus says “I am the truth” and He also says that we, His followers, will face persecution. Is that where we are heading here in the USA? Are Christians going to be persecuted for telling the truth?  Are you a Christian? Are you ready to face this type of persecution? Are you willing to give your life for Christ? He gave His life for you.

These are serious questions that we need to face. This is truth and we need to decide if we can handle the truth. I continue to hope and pray that God will intervene and that these things will not occur on my watch but God’s word tells us that they will happen. We just don’t know when.

And there is only one way to prepare for it. We need to stay in the word of God. We need to continue following Christ Jesus as He commands in Holy Scripture. We need to walk in truth and love and mercy. We need to allow the Holy Spirit, which we, the believers, have in us, to control us; to fill us with the fruits of the Spirit as in Galatians 5:22

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Second Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God does not give us the Spirit of fear.” The children of God do not live in fear. Those who live in fear are not children of God; they are children of the devil. That is why these people fear all things of God. They KNOW the truth but they refuse to believe the truth. They are controlled by the devil and they live in fear of the truth.

Oh Lord, my God, help us, your children, to live according to Your words. Fill us with Your Spirit and teach us how to live in the fruits of the Spirit.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Give us the strength we will need to face any and all persecution. It’s in the Name of Jesus Christ that I voice this prayer. To God be the glory. Amen

Your Choice

I am posting an article today from Jennifer Woodley of Australia. Jennifer and I are members of FaithWriters.com and when I read this article of hers, I immediately contacted her and asked for permission to post it for my readers. She graciously agreed. What follows is her article titled:

Your Choice

by Jennifer Woodley

There are two narratives that are told and retold about this time of the year. They seem to me both as absurd as each other. Sooner or later though, they require a response. Which one, given that they are both unbelievable, will we lay claim to as being the truth?

Firstly, there is the story about a young, Israelite teenage girl, Mary, who is betrothed to marry a boy named Joseph. Yet just before the wedding, Mary declares she is pregnant, and Joseph is not the biological father. Instead, an angel has visited Mary, or so she says, announcing that she has been appointed by God to carry his son, Jesus. Jesus, the angel says, will be the savior of all people, from every nation, for all times. Amazingly, after this divine visitation, Mary conceives. This is the first Divine Conception and probably the last.

The following events are no more believable. Mary, a quiet, obedient girl, is shunned by most of her family and friends as a harlot and a liar. Only Joseph, because of an angelic visitation in a dream, accepts Mary’s story, and he flees with his fiancée to escape further embarrassment and harassment. Jesus, the savior-to-be, is born in a rough cattle trough, in a desolate shepherd’s cave, is visited by worshiping shepherds; announced by a sky full of singing angels; hailed a king by traveling Magi bearing precious gifts and worshiped by those who had been waiting hopefully, longingly for the baby’s birth. This is the Christian Christmas story – the celebration of Christ the Messiah, sent by God to show his love for humankind whose misguided ways have them looking for more.

Then there is the story of the jolly, fat man, named Santa. He is donned in a bright, red suit trimmed neatly with white fur, who resides at the North Pole. He apparently watches out from his home in the far north, for all children who are naughty and for those who are nice, and rewards according to their behavior. Santa has a team of hard-working elves who help him all year, making toys, preparing presents to satisfy the lists of those who are good. (Santa must change his mind at the last moment on which boys and girls do get presents, because it seems to me that even the naughty ones get something).

Then on Christmas Eve Santa, who has to be omnipresent, rides away from the North Pole on his beautiful sleigh directed by reindeers (who have an amazing internal GPS). Santa is on a mission to answer the cries of every boy and girl, worldwide, or at least in the commercial west. Though he is fat, he slips down chimneys to fill stockings and pillow cases and has just enough time to swish back a hot toddy or two. Then, racing back up the chimney, Santa is off to the next home. Wow! What a big night for Santa, bet he is glad it only happens once a year. This is the second Christmas story – the celebration of Santa and the promise of what gifts he will bring to people whose eager eyes have an endless appetite for more.

Which of these two narratives is worth proclaiming, worth investing our time and effort into this Christmas? Which story, as unbelievable as it may seem, offers a lasting hope? Is Christmas about the One who offers the gift in the moment, a gift that is longed for, but will be unwrapped and forgotten before it breaks, expires or is lost? Or is Christmas about the One who offers the gift that lasts into eternity and satisfies a deeper internal longing. Is Christmas about the One who makes a gift available to those who are good and nice or the One who offers a gift for the wretched, the outcast, the lonely, the poor or even the perpetrator?

This Christmas we have two absurd stories to choose from. One is about filling ourselves with more and more, the other is about emptying ourselves for others. I know which story I have chosen. How about you?

If you were blessed by this article as I was, you can find more writings of Ms. Woodley by going to her website: http://www.jenniferwoodley.com

And the Answer Is…..

by Jack C. Corcoran

I was walking around my small apartment, looking for something to do, when I noticed the magazine on the shelf among my collection of books.

“Home Life Magazine” dated June 1989; and on pages 18-19 is my first article to ever be published in a national magazine.

I sat at my desk and began to read, not really remembering what I had written nineteen years ago.

The title of the article is “He Never Played With Me” and it’s about the sorry relationship I had with my earthly father.

As I continued to read, I began to cry. But as the tears continued to flow, I suddenly realized that I was no longer crying because of what I had written; they were brought on by my remembering the sorry relationship I had with my heavenly Father. And the question that popped out of my mouth was: “God, how could you have possibly forgiven me for all the crap I’ve done?”

And the answer came even before I had finished the question: Jesus.

Jesus is the answer. The blood He shed; the terrible pain He suffered; it was payment in full for all that crap I had done.

It had sounded like such a tough question but the answer was swift and simple: Jesus. He is the answer to everything.

Thank you, Lord, for paying my sin debt and setting me free. I will forever praise You and spread the word as far and wide as You will allow me. To God be the glory. Amen

If You Believe in Jesus

by Jack C. Corcoran

Today I want to ask you a serious question: Do you believe in Jesus Christ? I mean, really believe?

If you believe in Jesus, you believe in the virgin birth; you believe that God sent His Son to us on earth by means of the virgin birth as it is written in Luke 1:34-35

If you believe in Jesus, you believe that He was tempted by Satan and resisted those temptations as it is written in Matthew 4:1-11,  and thus He was without sin.

If you believe in Jesus, you believe that he performed all the miracles as it is written throughout the four gospels; healing the blind, the lame, and raising people from the dead.

If you believe in Jesus, you believe that He became the sacrificial Lamb as the sacrifice for our sins as it is written in John 1:29.

If you believe in Jesus, you believe that He suffered and died and shed His blood as payment in full for our sins because the wages of sin is death as it is written in Romans 6:23

If you believe in Jesus, you believe that God the Father raised Him from the dead as it is written in the four Gospels i.e. Luke 24:6 when an angel tells His disciples, “He is not here; He has risen.” Whereby He has defeated death and we, those who believe, will have eternal life through Christ Jesus as it is written in 2 Timothy 1:10.

If you believe in Jesus and believe that God raised Him from the dead, then you should confess Him as your Lord as it is written in Romans 10:9. A Lord is a person who has authority, and control over another person. Is Jesus in control of your life? If you confess Him as Lord, do you obey Him as it is written in Matthew. 28:20 or Luke 11:28?

If you believe in Jesus, you believe that He is the only way to inherit eternal life, that through Him is the only way to God the Father as it is written in 1 Timothy 2:5.

If you believe in Jesus then you believe that you have been forgiven all your sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness as it is written in 1 John 1:9.

And if you believe in Jesus, you believe that through Him you have been made righteous as it is written in Romans 5:19 and you will begin to live by faith because it is written that “the righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11.

And finally, if you believe in Jesus, you will believe that Jesus has baptized you with the Holy Spirit as it is written in Matthew 3:11 and in John 14:25-26 where Jesus, himself says that we will receive the Holy Spirit from the Father and that He, the Holy Spirit, will teach us and remind us of the things Christ has told us.

So, if you believe in Jesus, you must believe that you have been cleansed of all sin; that you now live under control of His Holy Spirit; and that you are a light to this sinful world.

“For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light.” Acts 13:47

“You are the light of the world…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

So, if you are a true believer, let your light shine. Don’t hide your faith; learn to use the word of God in your conversations. Remember; in Mark 8:37 Jesus says “If anyone is ashamed of Me and my words…the Son of Man will be ashamed of him…”

Let them know who you are and what you are in Christ and if they ask you why you believe, be ready to tell them. Be a true believer.

And my prayer for you comes from the word as well; “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen