, God the Father has given us a get out of jail free card. The card is His Son Jesus. Someone had to pay for our sins and He chose to suffer and die upon the cross for ours. He shed His blood for us. If not, we would die forever in hell. But He chose to die for us to give us a way out of His Fathers wrath and punishment. If you believe in Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, you are forgiven of your sins and you are washed in His blood clean and white as snow. Thank you God for this gift. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and been re-born, go to my Altar call tab and follow it. Give the burden of your sins to the one who died for you. Lay them at the foot of the cross and be saved. God bless. Timothy McVey the mastermind on the Oklahoma bombing defied God and declared that he alone was the master of his destiny. Moments later he was put to death and found out that he was seriously in the wrong. Dont be thinking like him. Give yourself to Jesus and read His word constantly. Let Him carry your sins and burdens. ==============================================================================Pastor Pop-Pop August 24, 2010. Volume 2, # 21Subject: Prayers With an added advice on Purchasing a Bible.Sermon:Prayers are the way we talk to God. Even His Son Jesus prayed to the Father. We pray with our mind, heart, voice, and through the Holy Spirit. Praying is a conversation tool we have with the living God. Having a good relationship with your spouse, family, friends, or co-workers is usually based on a good two way conversational attitude. Relationships wont last long if you do not communicate with each other. The same is true with your God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You must communicate with Him if you are to have a good relationship with Him. It is also a real good way to worship and praise Him. In case you dont know, that is why we were created in the first place. To render Him praise and glory through prayer, actions, good deeds, following His laws and commandments, and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It also communicates to Him what wants and needs are important to us. He knows what we need before we ask but He likes to hear it from us also with some praise and worship attached. Your Mom knows you need food and gives you healthy meals but approaching her and asking for a snack also tells her you would like some cheese doodles too. A please and youre a good mom and a smile will help deliver some. Does that help explain it some? Prayers can be from a book, made up by you, from the Bible, or just general conversation between you and God. They can be on your knees by your bed, in Church, or just during every day activities or work. I generally talk to God just as if He was standing next to me and following me around. I try to concentrate not on an earthly or worldly fixture or thing but temporarily close my eyes (not while driving) or look up when I talk to Him. But the important thing is to have a relationship and conversation. The Bible is another good source of prayers. Just pick out a verse that applies, a Psalm, a prayer from a past prophet, or a prayer of Jesus and add/subtract to it and make it your own. Making it your own and having it apply to your need or circumstance is important. Just repeating words are OK but not as effective, in my opinion. However, if it applies and fits in its present state use it. I use the Psalms a lot. I find one (or a paragraph or verse) that I derive comfort from and say it as a special prayer to the Lord. When I work out during the week, after every set I stop/pause and say a psalm or two. Maybe even search the entire Bible for a good prayer to say. Remember you must not just exercise physically but also with mind and soul. All parts need equal renewing attention and strength. Below I have listed just some of the Psalms that I use in prayer. Some I have typed out and others just listed here. I encourage you to get a good Bible and look them up and read, study, and pray them. But if all else fails --- just talk to the Lord your God as if he were your BFF (Best Friend Forever), because He is!!!!!Bible verses --- I have used various translations which are listed. Psalm 117(GNT): Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise him, all peoples! His love for us is strong, all his faithfulness is eternal. Psalm 56, vs. 1-4 (ESV): Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?Psalm 121(NLT): I look up to the mountains-does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. Psalm 37, vs. 1-4 (NIV): Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.Psalm 6, vs. 9-11 (NAB): Away from me, all who do evil! The Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my prayer, the Lord takes up my plea. My foes will be terrified and disgraced; all will fall back in sudden shame. Psalm 7, vs. 2 (NAB): Lord my God, in you I take refuge; rescue me; save me from all who pursue me. Other Psalms to read and pray about:1, 54, 13, 23, 100, 123, 150.Purchasing a Bible: If you do not have a Bible or if you just want or need a new one, here is my take and opinion. The Bible is not your friend unless you read it. So the most important thing is that it is readable for you. What is a good read for someone else is not necessarily for you. It also should be a reliable translation. Go to a good book store and page through some and see which ones are comfortable for you personally. In my opinion, the King James Version would not be a good first Bible. It can be hard to read and may discourage you. I do not personally like the Living Bible or the Message. They are good Bibles but one is paraphrased and one is in a so called modern language that, for me, does not read real well. However, you may like them. I highly recommend The New Living Translation (NLT), The New Century Version (NCV), or the New American Bible (NAB). All three are very easy to read. The first two are used a lot with Contemporary Christian Churches and the third contains extra books as it was designed to meet the needs of Catholic Christians. The New International Version (NIV) is also very good and is one of the largest sellers. I use the NAB and my wife uses the NLT in our every day prayer life. I also like the Good News Translation (GNT).It is important that you like it and are comfortable with it. Buy for yourself and not anothers opinion. If you dont like it, you most likely will not read it. Try several out in a bookstore before you purchase. It will become your best friend over time if you use it. It will encourage you, comfort you, and give you hope in your daily life. If your intent is to keep it home, buy one that has a good feel and test size for you. If your intent is to take it to Church or Bible study, get one that is on a more personal size and is not too heavy or bulky. A nice cover also compliments it and can hold highlighters, pens or note paper. Read Gods word often and you will gain wisdom and learn His will for you.God Bless. ..*** Pastor Pop Pop will continue to use multiple translations throughout my sermons and messages so that all will be comforted and that all can have exposure to different versions and translations. **** Remember, my web site is not a regular substitute for church. It is only a stepping stone to one or a supplement for one. Get involved in a Church Family today. ===========================================================================Pastor Pop-Pop September 6, 2010. Volume 2, # 22Subject: The gift of Christ. This week the Bible verses will be intertwined with the sermon. They will be taken from the NIV translation utilizing an outline from Evangelism by John Ritchie. The thoughts and sermon is mine. Words from the Bible are in blue and the words of the Trinity are in red. Sermon: In Genesis 22 Abraham was tested by God. He said t See--- Jesus knew his Father did not abandon Him and the final verse shows us that He will not abandon us either. He is a faithful Father. Thank you Abba for always being there for us. Amen.
Psalm 23, vs. 1: The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.
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Book for the week: How to Forgive Ourselves Totally by R.T. Kendall
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Pastor Pop-Pop June 12, 2010. Volume 2, # 15
Subject: Respect ------ R-E-S-P-E-C-T
For the unmarried
Bible verses this time are from theGood News translation (GNT). Words of the Trinity in red.
Faith Sharing Sermon:
Job 9, vs. 11: God passes by, but I cannot see him.
Job 9, vs. 21: I am innocent, but I no longer care. I am sick of living. Nothing matters; ..
Proverbs 23, vs. 2: If you have a big appetite, restrain yourself.
Proverbs 29, vs. 25: It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.
Psalm 22, vs. 14: My strength is gone, gone like water spilled on the ground. All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax.
Sometimes we just feel bad about ourselves. We lose respect for our own person. As you notice above, so did the prophets of old. Lost loves, friends, jobs, disagreements with others, death of relatives, and depression are just some of the reasons we lose pride and hope in one self. We could go on with this forever so today I am just addressing those qualities in single people. With single people, it could just be the problem with finding the right someone to love. The delay or loss of a past love (among other things) could send someone spiraling downward into a loss of respect for themselves. Sometimes it is not even noticed or acknowledged. It could spell out in over eating (obesity-dont care/ I give up), under eating (to look like the people in ads), sexual promiscuity (to gain someones love), not dressing with modesty (to gain attention), excess drinking (to gain confidence falsely), over spending (to get what others have), and other self destructive behaviors.
It is not easy being single these days. Nationally, there are 85.6 unmarried men for every 100 unmarried women and the birthrate is approximately 53% women over men. Some areas have worse ratios. People get discouraged. There are so many pressures on them also. They have the TV-AD looks, drugs, drinking, sex, and instant communication (cell and text). Some people give up on themselves and become self destructive with over eating and drinking or hibernation. Loss of social skills due to texting and cell phones has not helped either. On the flip side, those who are over trying may be anorexic or are easy sexually. The low ratio of men vs. women has also spawned dating married men or lesbianism. Both are severe acts against God and show low respect for your soul and your being. God has a plan for you and a mate for you if you would just relax and wait. Ask Him to help you and put your trust in Jesus. And respect yourself. You deserve it.
If you truly respect yourself, you will keep yourself healthy both physically and spiritually. Do not give yourself up just to get a guy or girl. If they truly love and respect you, they will wait for the right moment. Hopefully that will be when you are married. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He comes to live in you. If you do not respect yourself, you will not attract respect from others. From a mans perspective, if a man is looking for a quick date, sex, or just a temporary girlfriend he will frequent a bar. If a man is looking for a long term loving relationship or wife, he will look around church, a library (or book store), coffee bars, or social groups. Respect yourself so much that you truly believe that you deserve the best. Dont settle on things that go against you conscience whether it is with yourself or a mate. People with multiple divorces fail in relationships, drinkers are good drinkers, abusers (physical or mentally) are just abusers and players, and cheaters are cheaters. People rarely change and never enter a relationship with the thought that you can later on change that person to your expectations. Respect yourself and move on. If a person you care for ever poses this statement ----- If you want me (or love me) you need to do this or that. ----- then walk away and dont look back. If you are dating someone that does not have a job ------ walk away. If youre dating someone that demands anything of you -------- walk away. Respect yourself. I will repeat this again --- if you dont respect yourself, no one will respect you. They will take advantage of you. Dont settle. Keep yourself pure, holy, and healthy. Your body is a temple. God created you in His image and he doesnt make mistakes. He loves you. Respect that.
Ask God for help. Put your trust in the Lord. Get yourself in a good Bible based Church and get involved in single groups. Seek out social groups that you share interest in. Instead of going to bars and clubs --- go to a class whether it is at a gym or college. Get out and about and socialize. Stop texting and talking on the phone. The world will pass you by if you dont get involved. Help with a charity or non-profit group. Forget about the pressure. When the person and timing is right, the Lord will put the one for you in front of you. I think you will know when it happens. Your hope is with Jesus. Pray, fast, and relax. God is good. Remember the song ------- R-E-S-P-E-C-T. It means that you can look in a mirror and smile about yourself.
Dance in the rain, walk in the sunshine, be good to yourself and those around you. Good luck and God bless.
Psalm 138, vs. 3: You answered me when I called you; with your strength you strengthened me.
Psalm 149, vs. 4: The Lord takes pleasure in his people; he honors the humble with victory.
Isaiah 8, vs. 4: For you have broken the yoke that burdened them and the rod that beat their shoulders.
Matthew 5, vs. : Happy are the pure of heart; they will see God!
1 Theassalonians 5, vs. 16-18: Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.
Luke 8, vs. 50: But Jesus said to the woman, Your faith has saved you, go in peace.
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Book for the week: Finding the right one for you: Secrets to recognizing your perfect mate by H. Norman Wright (at good book stores and Christian stores everywhere and online at Amazon.com.)
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Pastor Pop-Pop June 20, 2010. Volume 2, # 16
Subject: A Fathers Day
Bible verses: Good News translation (GNT). Words of the Trinity in red.
Faith Sharing Sermon:
pe l You Online Dating You Online Dating av You Online Dating