Scripture tells us that God does not give everyone the same amount of talents as described by Jesus in the ‘Parable of the Talents’ in Matthew 25:14–30. He gave to one, five talents. To another He gave two talents and the third He gave one. Each was given according to their ability. The message I received from this Parable, God was very unhappy with the person, with one talent, who took no action. I often wonder, did God give the one man just one talent because He knew prior to birth he would do little with it? We also learn that we are not all created equally.

Having been a high school coach, there are some players with little talent who will outplay those will more talents. Therefore, effort, practice and preparation will overcome one who spends little time taking advantage of their talents. You have probably heard it said: If you work hard enough you can become successful. This may not always be true. However, we know a person, receiving the Holy Spirit, is given gifts of the Spirit and fruits of the Spirit. At Pentecost, the 120 who received the Holy Spirit changed their lives.

The Christian who depends upon the Holy Spirit is sensitive to His leading and is like the athlete who listens to an experienced coach. The coach can’t guarantee an athlete’s induction into the Hall of Fame, nor can he guarantee a gold medal for the athlete, but he can train him and teach him everything he knows, giving him every advantage, allowing him to consistently do his best. The advantage of having the Holy Spirit does not guarantee presidencies, chairmanships, wealth, achievement awards, fame or recognition, but it will lead the Christian into the direction that fulfills his God-given purpose.

Romans 8:14–17 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

As we receive the Holy Spirit, God then adopts us. We are given a new identity being sons and daughters of God. In Roman culture, we would have been given full rights of our new family and became a full heir to our father’s estate. As God’s children, we gain all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in god’s family. To verify our adoption, the Holy Spirit is our witness to these privileges. We are no longer classified as slaves by the Master’s children. As children we are asked to live as Christ lived. We are to serve others, resist pressure to act as the world acts and be willing to give up some rights.

If a person has the faith and trusts what Scripture teaches, being an adopted child of God has to give you confidence that you can do all things through Christ Who gives you strength. (Philippians 4:13) Having supervised thousands of people, many fear failure. Some turned down promotions because they did not want the responsibility. Was it that they lacked the talent to succeed or a lack of confidence? Were they like the one talent man in the Parable?

Hebrews 13:6 “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

To improve our chances of being successful we are told to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice; we are not to conform to the patterns of this world and we are to transform and develop a new mindset. This means we are to become totally commitment to God’s ways and surrender our self-centeredness to being Christ-minded.

We are to allow the Holy Spirit to renew, re-educate and redirect our minds from the world’s ways to being a child of God. Keep in mind this is a gradual process and does not always happen overnight. We are not to become impatient and frustrated because it doesn’t happen instantaneously.

There are many ways to determine success. You can be successful parents by giving your children quality time and encouraging them to dream and strive to fulfill those dreams. Success can be a very personal thing. It does not have to be measured by wealth, fame or power. A teacher can be very successful explaining how goals can be met. Then seeing them meet those goals. Success knows that you are doing God’s will and you are thoroughly enjoying it. You can feel successful anytime having maximized your potential by using your entire God given talents and abilities.

Success is often times, the byproduct of service. Putting others first, meeting their needs can produce wealth or at least financial security.

Scripture points out there is evil that originates within us and not all evil comes from Satan or the outside world. You may think that we are all born morally good or morally neutral. The Bible maintains the opposite; we are inherently corrupt and depraved human beings. This is why one’s success, power or fame cannot do anything to solve an individual’s basic problem of the sin that is within us.

Galatians 5:19 – 21 – “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Salvation forgives sin but man’s self-centered or carnal nature is still in us. Salvation makes us free from the law. Freedom does not provided freedom to indulge in human nature’s evil desires but we are given freedom to walk in the Spirit. The Bible gives us an assortment of things to remind us of our corruption. We are then told that if we continue to commit these sins, given above, we shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Does that mean if you commit one of the above sins you will be dammed to Hell? We believe Scripture tells us if we continue to actively participate in them we could be dammed. We know Christians who deal with the problem of jealousy, envy, hatred, fits of rage, selfish ambition and others and what should they do? If we are having problems with our sinful nature it is time to check on our relationship with Christ. We do have a God of grace that forgives a Christian who may commit these sins but they are not actively participating and must have a repenting heart, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us self-control and the other fruits of the Spirit found in the following Scripture:

Galatians 5:22 – 25 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Our self-centered nature, without control, permits a person to commit acts of a sinful nature. A person filled with the Holy Spirit and walking with the Spirit will allow the Spirit to produce the fruits of the Spirit in a person’s life. The fruits of the Spirit may also be an outward indicator of one’s salvation. I believe love, joy and peace are primary indicators. The fruits of the Spirit are an outward expression of Christ dwelling in the life of a believer.

We are to become like Christ who is our example and exemplifies each of the fruits given by the Spirit. Through our own experience with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can improve each of the fruits previously described. They denote the life a godly person is to live who is filled with the fruits of the Spirit.

There is a difference between the gifts of the Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit. Every believer, having the Holy Spirit, can receive the fruits. Believers receive at least one gift but some people receive certain gifts such as teaching, prophecy, leading, administration, etc.

The Bible assures us that the greatest fruit given by the Spirit is love. Love not only frees us from the laws but it gives us a true spiritual life. John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Christ did this for us on the cross. This kind of love only comes from the Holy Spirit within us. God loves us with an unconditional love. We must return His love unconditionally with no strings attached as difficult as this may seem. Most often, it is easier to give unconditionally love to others.

Once we receive confidence in one’s relationship with Christ and our trust in God’s promise, we receive a peace and joy that only comes from the Holy Spirit. Peace and joy is not something that we can continually generate on our own, it comes from obedience to God. God requires that we live in peace with Him and with others. Peace is far more than freedom from pressure. It occurs when there is justice between people. The Apostle Paul tells us he was at peace knowing that nothing could separate him from the love of God. Romans 8:38 – 39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Patience is another expression of love or impatience is a result of self-centeredness. Love is patient and kind. If someone disagrees with us, do we react selfishly or selfless by being patient and kind in our confrontation? How patient is God with us?
We must remember that sin will continue to permeate our lives and the temptations of the world will exists. However, those influences should no longer dominate the life of a believer. This is why we are told to surrender our human nature to the control of the Holy Spirit. Since we have a new life in Jesus Christ, we have a new way to live our lives.

We are told in Scripture that an angel will unlock the Abyss and locusts will cover the earth. When the Abyss was opened, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace and sunlight and air was darkened by the smoke. Revelation 9:2 “When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.”

It is presumed that Satan will enter the Antichrist as he did in Judas Iscariot as described in Luke 22:3. Satan, the prince and power of the air has his followers at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Ephesians 2:2 “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” NLT 2 Corinthians 4:4 “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

Revelation 20:1–3 “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.”

Prior to Christ return to earth to rule, Satan has freedom to roam the earth where he declares war against all who keep God’s commandments and confess to belonging to Jesus. He is being removed from this earth so that he can no longer deceive people. The battle at Armageddon did not kill the entire population of the earth. There will be unbelievers who continue to live. In addition, some believe that there will be some born during the 1000 years while Christ reigns, will deny Christ. They will be able to rebel against God even without Satan’s deceptive influence.

Generation after generation will be born and the earth flourishes as it did in Eden before Satan tempted Adam and Eve. It shall be like heaven on earth. Scripture tells us this many times. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is let out of his imprisonment in the Abyss and unbelievers will accept him and go with him to war against Christ seeking a better life or more material things. They will be so depraved that their final punishment is the ‘Lake of Fire’ along with Satan and all his followers. Then a new heaven and a new earth will appear after the 1000 years.

Revelation 20:4–6 “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Some Arab fundamentalists believe that if a person is beheaded it separates the soul from the body forever and those individuals will never be resurrected. Jesus will return at the end of the Tribulation to save the world from being destroyed. Many believe the church will be taken out of world in the Rapture prior to the Tribulation. Others think the Rapture will occur after the first three and a half years and others at the end of the Tribulation.

It is believed that when Christ comes back to rule, the saints who have died will come with Him. This includes the Old Testament saints and all saved in the Tribulation period. Non-believers who have died since Adam will not be raise to live in the 1000 years. But after that time, they will face the Judgment and the ‘Lake of Fire’. Those who have been saved will be judged by their deeds and their rewards will be given to each.

It is believed during the 1000 years, the first three curses will be as the ecology and environment will return to pre-flood conditions. After those years, the Bible tells us a new heaven and a new earth comes. Revelation 21:3–4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Why would anyone not want to be with God and Christ throughout eternity?

The Bible tells us that evil is not always the result of carnal nature or fallen human nature. As Scripture indicates, the closer we get to the end of the age, Satan will cause demonic spirits to influence governments throughout the world. Have we not noticed moral decline coming from our judicial system as well as our government?

Ephesians 6:10 – 14 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

We are told to be strong in the Lord because it has nothing to do with the length of time we have been a Christian. Our strength is received from God and not from ourselves. We are to be strong in His power. God makes the strength available to us. It is up to us to use it. Do we have the faith to believe and trust the power that we are given by the Holy Spirit?

Satan is our enemy who is constantly tempting us before God. Satan opposes God and is constantly seeking to interfere with our relationship with Him and our being a child of God. However, Satan is powerless to attack a child of god who has God’s armor, filled with the Holy Spirit and strong in His power. We cannot stand against demonic influence in our own power. Demonic spirits know how to use various tricks attempting to cause deception and disobedience. If we use the faith and the power that God makes available, we can stand against our enemy. This battle is not against flesh and blood. It is not about people.

Satan may use people to persecute us, lie to us, cheat us, hurt us or even kill us. Our real enemy exits in the unseen world. They use wicked people to do evil things that may affect us in many ways: physically, mentally and materially. The Bible points out who our war is against. It is against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. When Lucifer fell, many sons of light fell with him and they were thrown out of Heaven. Satan is now their lord. He is also called the god of this world, the prince of this world and the prince of power of the air.

The authorities are princes who share power with Satan over other fallen angels, over evil spirits and over this world. In Daniel chapter 10 tells us that Satan places spirit princes over various kingdoms of men on earth. Daniel 10:13 – “But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” These crowned dignities of Satan have enormous power.

Satan is not omniscience, omnipotence or omnipresence and can only be in one place at a time. But he has thousands and thousands that share his power in the spirit world. They gather information, influence events, implement Satan’s schemes and inflict problems on the human race. They laugh at those who do not believe that? Satan and his spirits exist.

Our war is with those rulers of the darkness of this world. Satan’s master plan is to deceive humans and get them to reject and rebel against God’s commandments and God’s ways. They lure us into the pleasures of life. Hopefully, this may explain what is happening in America. Many decisions made by the Supreme Court concerning abortion, ObamaCare and same-sex marriages. It also includes continued funding of Planned Parenthood.

There are a number of Christians that believe God controls everything. If that were true, why is He not stopping sex trafficking, the drug trade and the killing of Christians in the Middle East? They may believe God put Obama in office to punish Americans. So how much control does God willingly exercise over the affairs of men? Would God allow Americans to live in a nation populated by sick and hungry children, lives shortened by senseless killings, broken homes and marriages and those living in poverty and potential terrorism?

To recap: we fight against wicked spirits in the heavens. The immorality of our age has been inspired by demons. The unseen world may have millions of demons. Jesus heals a man that had a legion of demons. A legion in the Roman army was 6,000 men. When the antichrist arrives there will be demons and evils spirits so numerous they will be uncountable. 1 John 5:19 – “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

A number of theologians and noted ministers have been stating that there are churches that grow because their main purpose is to entertain the people and they fail to be a Bible church. Christ said in Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” It sounds to me that a church must meet both, the church’s purpose and its mission.

My Bible tells me that the purpose of the church is to worship and glorify God and teach the Bible. The church’s commission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Having been a member of a number of churches, it seems that it is difficult for a church to do both. A traditional church fulfills the church’s purpose, but most fail to spread the gospel and they lack growth. Churches that believe their mission is to spread the gospel emphasize a service that reaches the un-churched non-believer. To reach these people, it is to some degree, necessary to have a service interesting enough for them to want to continue returning. Thus, they are now stating that these are entertainment churches.

Mega churches, those of 1000 attendance and more, are often criticized by traditional Christians. They are often called self-help services, very liberal, seeker friendly or an entertainment church. What they are called is not as important as the results they are obtaining. Many of these churches stress small group meetings for Bible study, witnessing and building one’s faith. In addition, they have recovery groups that meet with people suffering from all kinds of addictions. They are financially able to help individuals who are having difficult times both in and outside the church.

Many have outreach programs, such as God Behind Bars where they bring the gospel to inmates. Most small traditional churches are unable to financially or have the volunteers to have adequate outreach programs.
There are many of us that believe we are in the last days before the seven years of the Tribulation. There is a time, according to the Bible, when the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn from this earth. The chances of people being saved, without the Holy Spirit, will be slim. How important is it that the churches stress our Christ given commission to spread the gospel so that none shall perish? Should we not use church services that draw people to accept Christ?

We, as a church of 470, decided that we would accept the commission to spread the gospel and this Christmas weekend we reached 70,000 people. Which church pleased God the most: Our 470 legalistic traditional church or our missionary church reaching so many more?

We all agree that a Christian that is not missionary-minded would find going to a traditional church more to their liking. We believe God can use all types of church that teach that Christ is the Son of God and our redeemer. Let’s let God be the judge and stop criticizing Mega churches with a different mission than yours.

If you focus more on heaven; the better this life will be. Our motivation for living now, should be for the life we shall have forever and ever. What may a Christian expect and what will a non-believer receive?

However, the number of people who do not believe there is a God is increasing continually. It should not come as a surprise as the Bible says in the later days many will be deceived. A survey stated that 10% of Americans did not believe there was life after death and 9% were not sure. It shouldn’t surprise us to know there are thousands of false teachers who are continually trying to persuade those who have never studied the Bible are teaching the truth. But are they? The Bible states that when a person dies they will either go to Heaven or Hell. False teachers are telling us there is no life after death. In fact, many of our colleges and universities are teaching evolution and there is no God.

The Bible tells us there will come a time when our world and all of its evil will be gone forever. A new kind of heaven and a new earth will be created. This new world must be different to allow a person’s body to last through eternity. Our diets will be different as we eat fruit from the Tree of Life. It is believed many things on earth will be similar to the old earth but the main differences are: There will be no sun, Satan will be defeated, sin will be banished, people will live with God, the curse will be removed, and all sins, tears and sorrows will be gone. The main thing is, death will be defeated and believers will live with God forever. We will be as Adam and Eve were at the very beginning. As God provided everything for them, the same will be provided for believers.

Revelation 21:1–4 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

It is believed, as God walked with Adam and Eve, He will do the same with believers by walking among them. Leviticus 26:11–12 “I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.” With the great physician with us, death would be rare to impossible and sickness would come only from a cursed world and not from the new one.

Imagine living where there will be no stress or pain, to live a life of peace, joy and opportunities that are planned by God. This is after the 1000 years that Christ rules on this present earth. During that time it is possible to have death but we will have new bodies and Satan will be released prior to the end of those 1000 years.

Revelation 21:7–8 “Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

John is being told to write down the following: God is saying He will make all things news and you can count on what He is saying. The Bible starts with God creating the universe and the Bible ends with God creating a new heaven and a new earth; completing the cycle. Some have estimated that the new earth could hold a total of 12 billion believers. Scripture says unbelievers and cowards will receive a second death. The first death is physical and the second one is a spiritual death. The non-believer’s eternity is in the ‘Lake of Fire’ and separated from God forever.

Revelation 21:26-27 “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Those who will be brought into the city will be rewarded for what he or she has done. Matthew 16:24-27. If we die with Christ, we will also live with Him. Matthew 19:28-30 – We will live inside the city with imperishable bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:42-58. Once we are caught up into the skies with Christ, we will be with Him forever. I Thessalonians 4:13-18 – ​The Holy City will be beyond the imagination when it comes to beauty. God’s kingdom will remain forever for those whose names are in the Book of Life. Nothing evil shall ever be allowed in this city. It is very clear in verse 27, only those names that are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be allowed to live in the New Heaven and the New Earth. All others, the resurrected unbelievers who are dead, will be suffering eternal agony in the Lake of Fire. God’s foreknowledge is absolute. He has known from the beginning of time who would worship Him and who would not.

If you have accepted Christ as your Savior your life should change. If it hasn’t, there are some things you may not be doing. Are we enjoying life like Christ intended? As Christians shouldn’t we be living an extra-ordinary life style? Following is an illustration I have used before as it clearly defines what we may expect once we become a Christian.

God created an ugly old worm, called a caterpillar that crawls along the ground with all kinds of obstacles blocking its way. After a time, this worm is instantaneously transformed into an insect called a butterfly, which is one of the most graceful and beautiful of all insects. What kind of life are we living, like the caterpillar or the butterfly? As a result of sin and our self-centered nature, we were born ‘caterpillar-like’. But Christ came to offer us a ‘butterfly-like’ life. If God can transform a caterpillar into a butterfly, can’t He transform a sinner into one of His children? The Bible says God will bring our lives into a new dimension. (“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come!” II Corinthians 5:17). As a caterpillar, I face death. As a butterfly, the Spirit has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

Each of us is made uniquely different. Some were created with certain abilities, some handicapped and most of us average. God didn’t say let’s create another human today and watch them fail. He had the knowledge and ability to put the universe together; and He knew everyone of us prior to our birth. Then can’t He give each one of us a plan and purpose for our lives with the abilities to be successful in whatever we do? However, Satan is not pleased when Christians do things out of the ordinary. Have you been told you will not amount to much? That doesn’t come from God.

I found the American dream was available to those who realized that it won’t be given to them; it had to be earned. I received a degree in business management. I read many books on the power of positive thinking. I studied management principles and went to numerous seminars to improve my skills. The one book that has helped me the most is studying the Bible. One thing I learned was preparation. It was one key to success. I also learned the importance of trusting in God’s promises. I became aware that the Holy Spirit was given to us that we might have comfort, guidance and to help us with our purpose in life. The Bible taught me to become free from the ways of society and our worldly, self-centered nature and become more Christ-centered and Christ-minded.

2 Corinthians 3:4–5 “Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

Paul insists that whatever he has done is not of his own work but the work of God as making him confident and worthy. Paul, as many of us, never think of ourselves as being adequate for any task; Paul thought it was through God, Who made him confident and adequate. If we do not think the same way but believe confidence and feeling worthy is a result of our own strength, we ignore the power within us. Proverbs 23:7a “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Most every person in the Bible realized their weakness. It is important to understand that our competence comes from God. So how do we get the power that the Holy Spirit provides us? Luke 11:13b “Your Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Old Covenant was based upon a written document. The New Covenant is based upon the power of the life-giving Holy Spirit. The old was a deadly thing because it produced a legal relationship between God and each person. The New Covenant is based upon the power of the life-giving Holy Spirit. Under the Old Covenant, followers of God could not keep the laws. People could not achieve anything but condemnation and that meant death. It killed strength. It told people what to do but it could not help people do it.

The New Covenant is a relationship of love. It is a relationship between God, our Father, and we, His children. We are no longer criminals under the law. No matter how disobedient they might be, they were still the children of God. The New Covenant did not provide new laws but it changed the hearts of people who accepted Christ and were converted from the old man, one’s self-centered-carnal nature, to a new nature and a new person with confidence and the feeling of Christ having made us worthy.

Once a person received the Holy Spirit, they were not only told what to do but, it gave them the strength and power to do it. Scripture tells us if we reflect on Christ, His image will appear in our lives. Therefore, once we die out and surrender our self-centeredness, the power that is in us will provide all the confidence and worthiness that is needed to have a life of freedom. The Holy Spirit does not want us to fail but be successful. That strength and power that changes our hearts is what gives us the desire to serve God. It is not the law but love that binds us to God. When we are servicing and living to please God, we receive a perfect freedom from the negatives that may have enslaved our lives and taken our confidence and feelings of unworthiness.

If you continue to lack confidence and feel unworthy, you need to trust what the Bible guarantee is available to a Christ-centered person. Give up using your own strength and allow the Holy Spirit to give you the power to become that new person that Christ says we can be.

Mark 11:22–23 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” (Could your problem be a lack of faith?)

There are all kinds of instructions in how one lives a holy life. This is something that every Christian should know how it is done. Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” If we want to be with the Lord when we pass on, we must be holy and live a holy life. Wouldn’t you consider this important to know?

Both the Old and New Testaments teach: we are to be people of peace and are to walk in holiness and righteousness. We are required to have certain attitudes and responsibilities to God and others; we are to pursue peace and reconciliation in all cases. We certainly should not cause dissensions like a number of Christians do.

Under the New Covenant, we have our sins forgiven. We must be righteous and holy in order to enter into God’s presence. Holiness, in this case, means devoted or consecrated to God’s service. To live for the Lord is to live in holiness. Holiness and righteousness are gifts of grace and we are to honor God in how we treat others. A right relationship with God leads to the right relationship with fellow believers. We may not always feel a love for some people, but we must pursue peace as we become more Christ-like.

This is how I believe the Bible tells us to become holy. We are told that we must surrender our self-centered, carnal natures and pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to have a Christ-centered nature. Until we replace our self-centered natures with lusts and evil appetites, we will not receive holiness. Holiness is not automatic it requires a Christian to SURRENDER. The more mature we become spiritually, depends on our desires and discipline to allow the Holy Spirit to change us. It is a process and the amount of time it takes to become holy will vary with each person.

2nd Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Divine power includes resurrection power, ascension power and dominion power used to take Christ to heaven. This power manifests itself in the lives of Christians. This power gives us everything needed for life, holiness and godliness. This God-given power is not something that we develop without the Holy Spirit’s assistance. God gives this power to each believer who receives the Holy Spirit. Carnal man does not have the power to live a life of godliness, (holiness, moral uprightness and honoring God) without divine power. The phase, ‘who called us by his own glory and goodness’ explains what attracts people to Jesus in the first place.

1 Peter 1:15 – “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;”

As God calls us to live a holy life, holiness begins with proper preparation of our minds. We will never become holy until our minds have become more Christ-centered. Proverbs 23:7 “For as a man thinks in his heart so is he.” It is only after we have surrendered and allowed the Holy Spirit to control our thinking and behavior will we recognize the source of holiness. We must know God, love Him and obey Him. We must live to please Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

What happens if we do not live a holy life? If we live like the world, will we be able to live with Christ when He returns to earth to rule for a thousand years? Does how we live affect our relationship with Christ? God wants each of us to turn our lives over to the Holy Spirit. If we don’t surrender our self-centeredness, does that mean we are rejecting God? So what happens if we live impure lives? Will God punish us for deliberate sin?

1 Thessalonians 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Some Christians have received the Holy Spirit and some have not. Some, having received the Holy Spirit, live an unchanged life. Many do not understand God’s thoughts and God’s ways. If you do and accept His promises it can make a tremendous change in one’s life. God wants each Christian to have a happy and joyful life. However, it takes faith to obtain it. When we have the faith, it changes our lives completely.

I was fortunate to play sports from a very early age. Watching others and listening to coaches I learned that one’s attitude made a tremendous difference. When I became a head coach of football, basketball and baseball in a Christian high school, I witnessed the difference and the importance of being confident and never giving up and how it made a big difference. I tried to relate Scripture as I coached and stressed how important faith and perseverance was to winning. Perseverance is giving it your all and unwilling to lose a game. Success requires perseverance.

James 1:2–4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Most of the people you know looking for happiness and joy in their lives? If they are human, they are. How many Christians do you know who have found lasting happiness? Happiness and pleasure is usually a temporary state that we received from favorable external sources. When these external circumstances become unfavorable we often find ourselves unhappy.

We may be happy when we win but unhappy when we lose. We may be delighted when we receive recognition or financial reward. But how long does happiness last? External situations change so often. Happiness can fade rather rapidly. Many times the unhappiest people are those seemingly having everything that most of us are dreaming for; yet, they do not always seem too happy.

Human nature seeks to be happy and joyful. When we find happiness difficult to achieve, many seek addictions as an escape from the frustrations of life. It is our carnal nature or human nature to look to the world for happiness, pleasure and joy. Does an alcoholic find joy in drinking? Does an obese person find happiness in overeating? Many find themselves in an unhappy situation and are looking for ways to change their external surroundings.

The entire world is looking for joy in their lives, as defined in Webster’s dictionary. It is described as an emotional feeling of having good things, living a delightful life and generally having a feeling of gladness. It may be a state of bliss or gaiety. Many come to Las Vegas looking for that kind of joy, happiness and pleasure. How many find it and how long does it last?

We look for joy and happiness in marriage. If happiness fades, we look for other means of finding happiness. We continually ask the question: “How can I become joyful and stay that way?” You may not always find happiness. But, there is a joy that can take the place of happiness.

Many do not realize there are two kinds of joy: worldly joy and spiritual joy. It is unreasonable to think we will always be confronted with pleasant circumstances. But it isn’t unreasonable to expect and to always have joy. There is a joy given by the Holy Spirit. This joy is described as a “fruit” of the Spirit. It is a ‘joy’ that is continuous and is experienced even going through difficult times. This is an inner spiritual joy that comes only from God. Scripture is telling us this joy and happiness which God gives does not come without faith and perseverance.

Show me a Christian who has been given the “fruit of the Spirit” as described in Galatians 5:22-23 and you will see a person who is full of Christ, non-divisive, neither an arguer nor a constant complainer. They have the heart of a servant. They are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The Apostle Paul says it was this inner joy that encouraged him during his times of imprisonment and his many trials. It is this spiritual joy that encouraged Paul to press on and be enthusiastic toward the goal of living for Christ as he encountered difficult external circumstances. We can have the same joy that Paul had, a spiritual joy that keeps us positive through unhappy times.

The joy we are talking about does not come from an abundance of things. It does not come from the externals of life. It can only be received from the Holy Spirit as a “fruit” from Him. Read what Scripture has to say:
1. Acts 13:52 – The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
2. Acts 14:17 – God fills your heart with joy.
3. John 16:22 – Jesus says, “No one will take away your joy.”
4. John 15:16 – “I chose you, (talking to His disciples), and appointed you to bear fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
5. I Peter 1:8 – (Commentary) this spiritual joy possesses the radiance of God’s glory. It is a joy that comes from heaven. It is a joy that can only come from being in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The “fruit of joy” is always dependent upon living a vital relationship with Christ. It cannot be fabricated for it is spiritual and comes from the heart. Having this spiritual joy can keep you from seeking the world’s lusts and pleasures, which so many do. Daily we must die out to this self-centered nature we all have. Focus on Christ and ask the Holy Spirit to help each of us to totally surrender so that we can be filled with joy and happiness.

Normal people do not enjoy trials. In fact, most of us do everything possible to avoid the trials of life. However, James says we are to face trials with joy-pure joy. Do you?

God wants to make us patient and persevering because that is the key to every other blessing. When the believer learns to wait on the Lord, then God can do great things for him. The only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through trials. It is essential that we go through the difficulties of life, trust God and obey Him. Therefore, when we go through trials we can become bitter or accept them with pure joy knowing it is God’s will and they will build patience and character.

To be a member since 1981, when the church’s attendance on a Sunday was less than 500, is seeing miraculous growth with ten services this past Christmas. Can you believe a small church had the faith to buy 80 acres of land and build a 150,000 sq. ft. church costing approximately 28 million dollars? We had a tremendous financial kickoff to raise money. Less than three million was pledged. How would we ever be able to do what we believed God wanted us to do? Where would we get the needed $25 million? God had a plan and gradually we were able to financially proceed.

Central Christian Church in Henderson, NV was a small traditional church whose board of directors received a vision that God wanted us to become a missionary church in the Las Vegas area and beyond. Who would ever have believed that changing our focus onto those who were non-church goers, Christ would change the lives of so many people? Would traditional Christians accept the changes that were going to be necessary to be the church we believed God was leading us to become?

As a traditional church the members expected a robed choir accompanied by a thundering organ like other churches. Instead, we had drums, horns, guitar and a keyboard. The music had a distinctly secular flavor to it, but the lyrics had an equally distinctive Christian flavor. Sermons were not the normal; they seemed to be demonstrating that the Bible is a practical book that can be applied to our present lives rather than just a holy book. It took some getting used to. Some believed it sounded too much like self-help stuff and did not have enough traditional worship.

We did not make changes for the sake of change. We needed to free ourselves of nonessential traditions. We needed to explore new ways to help unchurched people feel comfortable in our services. We will never reach lost people in any great numbers if we do not create an atmosphere that is friendly to them.

However, around the year 2000, the church community fell roughly into three categories: seeker churches, traditional churches and liberal churches. Many of the liberal churches belonged to the National Council of Churches. Whereas, seeker churches were reaching lost people and growing, some were experiencing spectacular growth, both in numbers and spiritual maturity. A few traditional churches were growing but many just held their own or were struggling. This is confirmed by an article in Saturday’s local paper where they stated that religious attendance is dropping.

It wasn’t difficult to realize that we had been given a commission to spread the gospel and we believed God wanted our church to be a missionary church and the Las Vegas area was our mission field. There was no disagreement among board members or even the ultra conservatives who hated change in any way, shape or form could see that the church had to change and expand to fulfill what the board believed God wanted.

The results of our expansion, in this past year 2015 alone, over 10,000 people have accepted Christ as their personal Savior. Also in 2015 over 2,600 were baptized. Since the Henderson church was built in 1999, approximately 60,000 conversions have occurred. Being able to witness the changes and expansion, as a board member, it could only be done with God’s help. There are many opportunities to have similar results in many parts of the world. It started with three years of the board meeting once a week in prayer asking God to give us a vision and what He expected of our church. I believed it took three years of prayer to give us the faith to undertake the changes and the expansion we believed were necessary. When you see these results you know it could never have been done without God’s help, unless we had members who were multi-millionaires willing to donate and if we did, we didn’t know it.

NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER!