“Stop rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic it is going down” Preach Christ and Him crucified!
~ John MacArthur

We all have something in common! We are all sinners and all are in need of being declared right before a holy and righteous judge! You must be justified and your works and my work will never accomplish that, it simply comes from repenting of our wickedness, trusting Christ for salvation and God in Christ declares us righteous, not based on anything we have done, but based on the work and efforts of the perfect One Jesus Christ! It’s a step of Faith in Christ, placing your trust in Christ unto Salvation!

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. - Romans 3:21-26

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” - Hebrews 11:31
Rahab is a prostitute we meet in the book of Joshua who God, in His Divine Providence, chose to make famous, not only in the Old Testament, but He also recorded her actions in Hebrews for all to remember. Why? Because of her faith. That’s a powerful statement. Read with me her own words recorded in Joshua 2:9-11;
“and (Rahab) said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.
11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”
Verse 11 is a true profession of faith! She saw the mighty works of God and professed Him as the One true God, and He counted it to her as righteousness!
Be encouraged today precious sister, child of the King, the...”God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath”, if you are in Christ, you are a new creature...”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17, stop allowing your past to define you! Rise up...lift your voice to the heavens... repent and praise Him...turn your eyes to His Word, and know Him! Let us walk through our day thanking Him for all that has been forgiven us, all that has been washed clean by the blood of Christ!❤️

I pray you are blessed! That you are Justified!

7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." - Romans 4:7-8

Truth hurts! Truth is hard to speak when you know it will cost ya everything , but at the end of the day, you will stand alone before God! My advice is to speak the truth and stand unashamedly before the Lord on that Day!

8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. - Psalm 5:8-11

Are we examining ourselves? Do we filter what we do, say, hear, watch, drink, eat or what ever you are doing. Because Paul calls us to think on things that will honor the Lord. All soldiers must focus on the task and be ready for battle! Are you good solider for Christ?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8

“Part of the Young Adult teaching tonight From Jeremiah Durocher. “

One last encouragement before the evening comes to a close, first a big welcome to all the new folks, grateful to have you all! I want to encourage you all!

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:7-9

Many times in Scripture we are commanded to: “fret not”, or “fear not”...but our Father doesn’t leave us there in His instruction, He commands us in how we are to deal with our fear and anxieties...what to replace the thoughts with that lead to emotions...and those emotions often times lead to actions that don’t glorify Christ.

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. - Psalm 37:1-9

This is a call to not fear, but even in the midst of uncertain times, remain faithful in obedience, delighting yourself in the Lord...this carries the idea of aligning your thoughts with His thoughts, which He has revealed to us through His Word! And then we are to wait patiently, knowing He is faithful, long-suffering, just and perfect love.
Knowing Him, praising Him for who He is, makes all worries, fears or anxieties fade away. He is Almighty, Awesome God! ❤️

Why, Oh Lord?
Many years ago, as a young Christian, I found myself pleading with the Lord asking that very question, why oh Lord? Why God would you allow such evil destruction to take place? Why would you allow so many people to die at the hands of the enemy? I was a young believer and I have never been faced with an event like 9/11. I had great questions of why good God would allow such destruction when I truly believe the God is sovereign and in control of everything in this world. I remember getting to church really early on Sunday, going to the altar on my knees and begging God to show me why. There on that huge pulpit Bible that sits down at the front of the church, I opened it to Jeremiah chapter 5, and I’ll never forget what I read.

Jeremiah 5:19 (NAS): It shall come about when they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

God revealed to me an amazing truth that day the nestled down in my soul. And it was this! That when a nation, that when a people, a Church, or community forsake the Lord and serve false gods, it doesn’t end well! When people who have been blessed by God in amazing ways reject him and worship false gods devastation comes, it comes in the now or it comes in the later, but every time it comes! The wages of sin is always death.
He asked the question in verse 29

Jeremiah 5:29 (NAS): Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the Lord,
‘On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?’

The answer is yes; He says an appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land, and that was that false prophets were prophesying falsely, and priests are ruling on their own authority. Sadly, He ends chapter 5 with this Stark reality, His people loved the wickedness! Wow! Sound familiar?

There are a few lessons that I learned here!

1: The first lesson is that when you forsake God and follow false gods you will either end up hurting someone else or you will end up being hurt. Eternal hell is problematic!

2: being a false prophet is an appalling and horrible thing to God! Don’t be so quick to speak on behalf of God, He has spoken fully in His Word. Also ruling on your own authority is a train wreck and causes great devastation in the body of Christ and out of if as well!

3: Dont be like the wicked and love evil! We live in a nation that Loves evil and hates that which is Good!

Beware! Should God at some point treat our nation like He has his own? A nation who has been so blessed! Jeremiah 5:29 (NAS): Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the Lord, ‘On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?’ Yes He should!

I know this isn’t a text against us as America, God isn’t speaking to us here, but isn’t God unchanged! Doesn’t God hate evil? Doesn’t God has the same rights and ability to turn the wicked?

Let us return to God before our lives are ruined and our Children and their children are utterly destroyed from the the very wrath of almighty God, who will not be mocked!

2 Chronicles 7:13–14 (NAS): 3 “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

So what shall we do? We shall pray? Shall humble ourselves before the Lord or we shall be humbled by the Lord! I say let us seek His Forgiveness and repent!

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! - Psalm 40:1-4

I love the book of Titus, and there are so much power and theology contained within it! It’s the heartbeat of a healthy church. I’m reminded from it today that It’s one thing to profess Christ, it’s another thing to practice holiness! Help us, Lord, to walk and not merely talk! To be doers of the Word and not just hearers of the Word.

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. - Titus 1:15-16

7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,
8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. - Titus 2:7-8

The opposition will be put to shame, by how we behave, by what we teach and how we teach what it is that we teach (sound doctrine). A godly young man watches what he says and when he says it! Saying the right thing at the wrong time, can be a killer!

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. - Proverbs 21:23

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. - James 3:5-10

This day and the days to come, let us watch what we say and how we say what we say.

God bless you

Listen to these words from Joshua from his farewell address to the people of Israel.

Joshua 23:6-8
6 Be very determined, then, to keep and do everything that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, so that you will not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, 7 so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain with you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them. 8 But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.

I’m reminded this morning how in control God is! It is He who draws men and women unto Himself for salvation. It is He who builds His Church. It is He who grants provisions; it is He who protects, it is he who heals the brokenhearted, it’s He who says what Truth is, it is He who has created all things, it is He who grants mercy, it’s genuinely striking how Big, Grand, Amazing and Loving God is! He is all in all! So what do you say? It is God who..........?

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. - Psalm 127:1

How at peace are you today?
We need to be reminded that, Peace does not come from the absence of trials. True Peace comes in the middle of the Trial! Why? Because Peace comes from the presence of Christ.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. - John 14:27

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. - Matthew 6:25-34
Remember dear ones, this is truly a passage about the faithfulness of God. He is Unchanging, Everlasting, All-Powerful! What a comforting reminder that He is faithful even when we are faithless! That our well being isn’t wrapped up in our works, actions or perfection...our well being is fully reliant on our Good Father!❤️

It’s all about intentions! The Heart! God owns 100% of all we own and we are only stewards over what He has entrusted us to! So remember!

.....godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
- 1 Timothy 6:6-10

This Love this quote!
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
~ Jim Elliot

Stand for the Truth, preach the Truth and show no favor for the wicked! Hate sin, call it sin, reveal sin and repent when we do!

Praying for this nation, the Church and those that claim to walk in the light! Let us let our light shine into the darkness! Infiltrate the world with the Love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Let God do what God does and move forward with truth and righteousness! God bless you and your day!

10 If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the LORD.
11 O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them. - Isaiah 26:10-11

Lamentations 3:22-33

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not afflict from his heart
or grieve the children of men.”

Lamentations records the “laments” or the “loud cries” of Jeremiah after the devastating destruction of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar. It is a cry to God that we can all glean rich comfort from.
God had warned the people of Israel many times that when they turned their face from Him and served other gods, He would remove His hand from them, His anger would burn against them and they would be overtaken by their enemies.
But we are reminded here in this text that even when we suffer great consequences for our sins, “His mercies never come to an end...”
So, dear ones, let us repent this morning, turning from the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us remember this morning that His mercies are new this day! No longer are we enslaved to the sins of our past, no longer are we burdened with the weight of guilt! We are redeemed!
Let us walk in our sufferings remembering the immeasurable Goodness of our God! ❤️

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
Genesis 3:1

May I remind you this morning, the enemy doesnt look like the enemey. The devil didnt show up and adam and eve say, wow look at that deciever. No, the only way they could have realized that he was indeed the Devil was based off his words. The LIAR SPEAKS ERROR.
Watch who you listen to!

What a great day, with great people from all over the country! Truly a sweet time of fellowship and worship today! Thanks for all who came out, it was a real blessing!