No Corners Cut, No Pacifying, No Round-About Way

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

You need to know that God isn’t happy with how you are living. He declares that things will not be pretty until you acknowledge your guilt and seek [his] face [Hosea 5:15-16]. Our brothers, Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah tell us the same thing in so many words…“You think God is impressed with your worship? You think God is impressed with your prayers? You think God needs your sacrifices? You think that if you’re loud enough or earnest enough or put a little extra in the offering plate that God owes you attention? You’ve got it all twisted! God says, “Stop bringing him meaningless sacrifices! Your incense is detestable to him. New moons, Sabbaths and consecrations, he cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New moon, festivals and appointed feasts, his soul hates. They have become a burden to him.” [Isaiah 1:13-14]. “You come near to him with your mouth and honor him with your lips, but your heart is far from him. Your worship of him is made up only of rules taught by men.” [Isaiah 29:13].  Paul says, Stop it right now! Start to change by renewing your mind with God’s truth. In the Old Testament God wanted His people to serve Him with ALL their heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut. 6:5).  I tell you, you must sacrifice your selfish desires and live for God every day. You must put to death the selfish tendencies that rise up and push your agendas, your plans and desires over God’s.

God desire is that we live a righteous life which is the best life we can live.  God told Israel to: Wash themselves and make themselves clean.  To put away their evil doings. To suit it up… To get the sin out of their lives, and today He is telling us the same truth. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!  I don’t know who you are trying to please with your life, but today you are being challenged to live lives which are pleasing to God.  You must come to yourself and realize that you are God’s own and created for His purposes. You must come to yourself and forsake the foolishness in your life, the vain pursuits, that carry you farther and farther away from God.

Now I don’t know whether you know or not, but more than 60 times the New Testament tells us that something either is or is not God’s will for His people. Four of those times are in Peter’s letter written to hurting believers. In verse 2 of chapter 4, Peter says, instead of living for “evil human desires” followers of Christ should live “for the will of God.” He tells us that we have spent enough time living as pagans, but now we need to live for God. Don’t desire sin as much as you desire God. Don’t desire sin’s lie as much as you desire God’s truth. As Romans verse 1 chapter 12 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and the perfect, will of God.”

I want to encourage you to give yourself to God. Don’t let your mind get twisted to where you refuse to take godly instruction from God’s Word. I know what I’m talking about. You see when you live for the devil your mind gets warped to where you can’t think right. You begin to think God is expecting too much out of you, making too much of a demand upon your life. The Devil is a liar! Seek Him while He may be found. “Be transformed, not conformed to the world.” For God has called you to live a separate life, to be a peculiar people unto Him. Therefore, come out from amongst them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; so that God will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be His sons and daughters.

Learn from Jonah’s example. Jonah was a man who decided he wasn’t going to do what God had told him to do: He wasn’t going to go to Nineveh, where God had called him to go. So, he decided to take a ship for Tarshish rather than going to Nineveh as God said. Off he went, sailing in the wrong direction. He made life miserable, not only for himself but for everybody else that was on that ship. When you’re out of the will of God, nothing goes right. You can’t be blessed when you’re out of God’s will for your life. And you certainly won’t have a smooth running life when you’re doing your own thing, rather than obeying the Lord. While Jonah was out to sea, he thought he was running away from the Lord, but God blew up a storm while he was on that boat. The mariners didn’t know what to do. They expected the storm to break up the ship at any moment and destroy them all. Those mariners also knew that somebody on that ship wasn’t right with God. They were all praying to find out what was wrong. Jonah’s interest had disappeared, and his disobedience was causing such misery to those around him. I tell you, life can become one continuous storm when you’re out of the will of God, tossing you to and fro. The only way to stop the storm is to enter into God’s will for your life.

Consider the following scripture regarding choice. Deuteronomy 30:15 through Deuteronomy 30:20 (NKJV) “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

I want you to know that not only did God admonish the people to choose life; He also gave them a good reason for doing so, namely life. God has given us His Word, which reveals His Way. Why not learn it and graft it into your heart and live your life accordingly? May what you’ve read have a practical effect in your daily life… You needed to know!

By Lou Coleman

This is a different article from the norm of a mission project update. It’s an article as I struggle with the unease and sadness and grief about what I encountered in Ghana Africa as I represented the Brother’s Keeper Mission Project recently. Upon arriving in Ghana I was taken to the aftermath of a great flood that happened two days prior to my arrival. A city destroyed. Homes washed away. Roads covered. Buildings inundated. Communities and villages flooded. The smell of death in the air. The circumstances were so overwhelming as to be mind-boggling. The pictures shown are some of the destruction from the Flood.

As I witnessed some of the destruction, I began in my thoughts about Israel of old and how they experienced natural disasters as judgment because of sin. Filled with emotion, I remember reading Psalm 29 verse 10 that said… “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood…” Then as I continued reading verse 11 it said, this same Lord, “May He, give strength to his people. May the Lord bless his people with peace.” It seemed, at first, odd that they sought peace from the same God they ascribe such awesome and terrible power. But I was also reminded of God’s grace and awesome power which was proclaimed in the ancient story of Noah and the flood and what Israel noted over and over, that there was destruction and wind and storm and uncertainty in this world, but God is still God, and God is not in the wind, nor is He in the earthquake, nor the fire, storm, or even the flood, but mostly in the hope and the hearts of those who can discern His persistent, still, small voice in the background beneath and above and beyond the chaos. As I tried to think about a flood of that magnitude, one question kept floating to the surface. Why would God do such a thing?

In order to answer that question, the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:37-39 to his disciples on the Mount of Olives before he was crucified drew a fascinating comparison with the days of Noah. He tells his disciples that the past is the key to the future. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They were buying and selling and continuing in all the usual activities of human life. Business as usual. Children went to school each day, businessmen made deals, teachers taught, doctors dispensed healing, and farmers tended their crops. They paid no attention to Noah as he warned them of impending judgment; they paid him no mind whatsoever until the day that Noah entered the ark. Study the days of Noah because what happened in those days will happen again at the end of this age. The spiritual conditions of the pre-flood world will be replicated in the days preceding the return of Christ to the earth. One translation said, “They did not know.” What a damning indictment. It was an age of enlightenment. But they did not know. It was an age of great progress. But they did not know. It was an age of music, fine arts and literature. But they did not know. It was an age of military might. But they did not know. It was an age when mighty men roamed the earth. But they did not know. They knew so much but understood so little. They knew more and more about less and less until they knew everything about nothing and nothing about what really mattered. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. They had no time for God until it was too late. That is the world of Noah’s day. They were wise fools who did not heed the warnings of the preacher of righteousness. Then the flood came and took them all away. Genesis 6:1-8 offers the Bible’s most detailed answer to the question, “Why did God send the flood?” There was a rapid spiritual degeneration after the first sin. Once sin entered the human bloodstream, it quickly spread until it dominated humanity. But now, with the passing of a few generations, the entire world has become a cesspool of sin. Things have become so evil that God decided to start all over again. Lord have mercy on our soul! For those that have ears, hear what the Spirit is saying.

The Bible speaks directly then and now to our struggle for meaning in the face of chaos. It speaks to our conflicted hope and trust in God, God within and somehow behind this world of uncertainty and violence, and yes, even death. Could it be that the God of all creation allows such things to happen to remind us that He created us to be our brother’s keeper? For when disaster strikes people come together for a reason. When there is a disaster neighbors begin to talk with each other. The poor widow living across the street becomes important. We begin to touch base with each other seeing if the other person is okay. Now my question is this, why does it take a disaster to bring people together? When disaster happens a community comes together and all of a sudden lives are important. I think it is so awesome and great when we help each other, but this shouldn’t be only because of a disaster. We shouldn’t wait for a disaster to become friendly. Thousands of people survived the flood because neighbors or complete strangers reached out to those in need. They became their brothers’ keepers. And that purposefulness and connectedness brings joy even amidst death, chaos, fear and loss. Don’t wait for your neighbor’s house to be destroyed or a death happens before being neighborly to them. All who claim Christ, we are being called to this opportunity to serve and reveal our faith. Opportunity request personal responsibility and urgency in action. When the question is raised, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  I hope that the spirit wells up within you and says, “You bet I am!

The good news – In the midst of such devastation I want you to know that what the Brother’s Keeper Mission Project set out to do was accomplished. Praises go to the Most High God! Special thanks to Am I My Brother’s Keeper… Yes I Am – Conduit of Grace Church/Pastor Martin & Dora Lucero; 2 God Be All the Glory Inc. / Dr. Bruce & Carla McMorris; God’s Promise Church/Pastor Robert & Gwen Phillips; Church of the Living God, Temple 208/Bishop Ernest & LaShawn Dowdy; The Beautiful Gate Church Worldwide, Ghana Africa/ Pastor Richard Yeboah; MDISNET/ Reginald Young; Oliver Lambert Realty; Westside Story Newspaper; The San Bernardino American News; Universal Property Solution; Universal Transport Group; Krystal Louie and Deacon & Missionary Warren & Ruthie Roberson. May God continue to bestow His blessings upon you!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

I would just remind you that these are dangerous times for the church, the people of God. We are seeing the church develop an appearance that is more and more like that of the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. A church that has everything it needs, except for the presence, power, and glory of God. Just as the Lord issued a call through Joshua, all those centuries ago, for His people to make of their minds as to whom they would serve, so He issues the same call to His people on this day. Hear the call God is giving to you, It’s Time to Make up Your Mind! And, it is! If the Lord be God then serve Him. If He isn’t, then go ahead and serve whatever has your heart. Whatever you do, stop trying to have the best of both worlds!

Matt.6:33 say, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The context of that verse is “prioritize.” Many of us choose the carnal, the physical, the clothing, the food, the shelter, the money and any and everything else that is not spiritual. The majority of us are too much like Peter. Jesus told Peter in Matt.16:21-26 that he cared not about the things of God but only the things of men. Jesus went on to say though that the soul of man was more important than gaining the whole world. Now that is hard for a worldly-minded person to understand. Why? Because they are so interested in what they can get out of life right now that they forget that there is an eternity out there much longer than the here and now. Making the right choices takes a heavenly-minded person.

Listen, Joshua knew the previous generation in Egypt had succumbed to man-made gods and had influenced this present generation. A choice had to be made between God’s will and man’s will. Joshua made the right choice and led the people to do the same. When Saul got saved on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:6) he had been making decisions based on what man wanted him to do. The Jewish leaders wanted him to round up all the Christians and put them to death and he was doing just that. Then he met the Lord and after he got saved his first statement was, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Everyone who names the name of Jesus should be asking, “Lord, what is it thou would have me to do?” But Joshua did imply in verse 19 Chapter 24 that the people couldn’t serve the Lord because it wouldn’t be convenient for them. God is too holy for your lifestyle! But I tell you, we should always choose the Spiritual over the carnal, the eternal over the temporal, God’s will over men and commitment over convenience. Oh, how we need more Christians making the right choices.

So how do we decide such an issue? Do we flip a coin? Do we follow the majority opinion? Not at all! As Christians, you and I look to God’s Word for direction. We look to the timeless, changeless Truths of God’s Word to guide us in our decision making process. And what does God have to say about this particular issue? I think Paul sums it up pretty well in the words of our text: “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Paul presents God’s mercies as his strongest argument for giving ourselves to God. “I urge you,” Paul said, “by the mercies of God . . . to present your bodies…” (Rom. 12:1). When we recognize what God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ, the only response is to give ourselves completely to him. That should be motivation enough for us to give our whole lives to God. If reflecting on God’s mercies doesn’t move us, then we are in trouble.  I ask you, where would you be without God’s love and forgiveness? Where would you be without God’s presence in your life? What kind of hope would you have without him?

You need to remember who you are, where you came from and what the Lord has done for you.  Remember where He found you. What He did for you. How He has blessed you. How He has worked on your behalf time and again. How He has answered prayer and met needs. Remember His power in your life. You need to remember that since the day you were saved by grace, God has never left you nor had He forsaken you, as He said, Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20. Remember His presence in your life. You need to contemplate the fact that you have much today that you simply do not deserve! Think of it! You are saved, secure and headed to a home in Heaven! You are hell prove and in the body of Christ. You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and live in its presence all the time. You have more than anyone can understand or imagine! God has been so good to you! In light of these truths, I wonder why you seem to have a hard time just simply loving and serving Him as you should.

Listen, Joshua’s command to the people was three-fold. They were commanded to “fear” God; clean up their lives by putting away their other gods; and they were to serve the Lord. This would put them in a position to put God back in the forefront of their lives. This is a command that God’s people need to take heed to today! We need to Fear the Lord – That is, we need to reverence and honor Him for Who He is. He deserves to be respected and loved by those He has redeemed! We need to put away our other gods! All those things in our lives that come ahead of the Lord need to be put away forever! And we need to serve the Lord with sincerity. We are His possessions and should live as such, 1 Cor. 6:19-20. The implication for us is that God does not want His people to live lives of hypocrisy! He wants us to be what we claim to be!

Joshua challenged the people to choose who they would serve and to get about it! The same choice stands before you today! It’s about time you stop straddling the fence and make up your mind whom you will serve. You cannot have both God and the world! You cannot have Him and all your distractions. Joshua set the example and laid down the gauntlet for the rest of the people by stating his clear intention to serve God.  We need some Joshua’s in our day! We need some men and women who will settle it in their hearts that Jesus Christ and His Word and will are going to come before everything else in life! We need some who will set the example for others. We have too many who, by their lives, give justification for slackness in life. We need some who have a backbone of steel and who would rather die than let something come ahead of God in their lives. (Ill. Daniel – Dan. 1:8-19; the 3 Hebrews – Dan. 3:1-30; Daniel – Dan. 6:1-28; Ruth – Ruth 1:16-17. If He has to compete for your time, your attention, your money and your love, it calls your whole profession into question! God wants us to serve Him, love Him and honor Him. When we do that, He will bless our lives. It’s time to make up your mind. Choose whom this day you will serve!  Forsake the foolish, and live, and go in the way of understanding. Know that because God is consistent we can be assured that He will deal with us exactly as He dealt with the people of old. That which He approved or disapproved of in the past will engender the same response. I tell you, it’s time to make up your mind!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

How many of you have ever needed a breakthrough in your life? You were up against a wall that wouldn’t move, a door that wouldn’t open, and you needed a breakthrough. Even now, you feel like you’ve been beating your head against a wall, but nothing is happening. You feel like your knuckles are raw from knocking, but no one is answering. You’ve been praying and crying, pushing and pulling, but there’s no movement, no sign, no evidence that anything is about to happen anytime soon. You are at the end of your rope, just about at the end of your hope, and everything within you is crying out, “God! I need a breakthrough, and I need it now!”

Well, can I tell you about Moses? Moses understood the ways of the Lord and he knew just what was happening with Israel. He realized that God was letting His people be stretched beyond measure. Why? Because He wanted them to cast themselves completely into His care. He longed to see them rise up in faith and say, “God is able!” Let me tell you something; if you are His child, and if you are serving Him and seeking Him with your whole heart, then I know that God will make a way for you. God will open doors that no man can close. He’ll part the Red Sea back up the Jordan River in a heap. He’ll bring down the walls of Jericho. He’ll shut the mouths of lions. He’ll open prison doors. Our God is a breakthrough God, that’s my testimony. God hasn’t forsaken us, so keep holding on! He is looking for faith, wanting to know what’s in our hearts. He knows how to meet our need – He only wants us to trust Him!”

If you are feeling as though you could lose your mind because life is so hard, I want to encourage you to remember that God has not and will not let go of you. To keep your sanity, keep your mind on Jesus. [Isaiah 26:23] You see, the good news is that God works the midnight shift! And in fact, God sometimes does his best work on the midnight shift. Acts 16 tells us what God did on the midnight shift for Paul and Silas “Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God… Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations, all the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!” (Acts 16:25-26) Hallelujah! God is a midnight God. Thank you Jesus!

Now unlike Paul and Silas, Peter who was sound asleep in his dark hour, without hope and believing that his days had come to an end. The enemy does this to us, too. He will press and bind us to the point that we feel it is impossible to get free from our prison cells so we lay down to sleep, void of hope and oblivious to what God is about to do for us. {Like Peter, that was me and the enemy almost had me}. But I tell you, don’t give up in those midnight moments but know Whom you have placed your confidence in. Grid yourself and strap those boots. I know it’s not easy to do when you are feeling tremendous pressure. I know it’s hard, very hard. But I tell you, joy do come in the morning.

Many times, we want to get where God is leading us without going through the process but the process is crucial. When we are set free, there is an empowerment from God that prompts us to testify our experience to others who need to be free from their own prison cells. Today I am testifying to you that midnight is the darkest hour before day. It is the turning point from one season to another. Since it is a turning point God is concerned where our mindset is because he cannot pour new wine into old wine skins… Midnight! A clue it’s time for blessing.

What I’ve learned with my midnight experience is that if you’re going to live in victory you have to know how to praise in your midnight hour, when things seem the darkest, when you’re in pain, disappointed, or lonely. When you praise Him no matter what, that’s when God can enter your situation. That’s when He can break your chains and set you free.  Praise Him in your midnight hour and get ready to embrace the freedom He has planned for you!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

In the waiting room – ever been there, I have and it is not easy.  I think that at some point and time in our lives all of us go through a stage in our life where we wonder if God will ever show up. It seems as if we are always falling into a life of constant hard times and nothingness. Every time you turn around there is a different trial, a different problem and a different tribulation. But, year after year, you are told that this is your year. Year after year, preacher after preacher has spoken sermon after sermon telling you to get ready for your blessing. Prophets have called you up and told you to get ready for the move of God in your life, and you wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and nothing seems to happen. You began to get so frustrated and tired of waiting that you began to lose faith in what God has promised you and that loss of faith eventually turns to disbelief. You began to think that maybe God didn’t tell you what you thought He did, so you decide that you will no longer wait; you have waited long enough!  Guess what, you have just stopped God’s movement in your life and killed your blessings. The reason that God had not moved in your situation so far is because it was not yet your appointed time for a visitation.

What I know is that we as people of God or people in general have a problem with waiting. We want what we want; when we want it and how we want. We are a spoiled generation. It doesn’t matter if it is good for us or not, we just want it. And if it doesn’t happen when we think it should we begin to come up with our own plans on how we are going to make it happen.  We tend to want to move too fast instead of waiting on God.  I tell you we will save ourselves some trouble, hard aches and pain if only we will remember what Ecclesiastes 3 tells us, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” But we want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen.  I tell you as soon as you do that, Satan will come in with his sneaky conniving self and give you a right now counterfeit blessing; something that will take your mind and focus off God. It always seems to be in our nature to go for the right now thing, instead of the right thing that which God has for us. But as Ms. Aretha Franklin, said, “You better think!”

Listen, the Scriptures says in Habakkuk 2:3, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” One of our problems today is that we have lost the biblical perspective of the majestic greatness of God, and we have a completely wrong focus on God.  We are just like Habakkuk… “How long, O Lord, must I call for help?” Habakkuk’s words are a complaint; he has major issues to take up with God. I suspect we do as well, if we are honest. Apparently, Habakkuk had repeatedly called upon God to act, to intervene, to set things right, to just do something. Yet it seemed that God had not heard him and God would not act to save. Finally, out of a deep sense of frustration and confusion, he cries out to God, “How long, O Lord, must I call for your help, but you do not listen?” “Lord, please do something! Act like God. Can’t you see we are weary of fighting against wrong and trying to do good?” I tell you the Lord intends to keep His people dependent upon Him. Amazingly though in the midst of all his crying, Habakkuk decides to takes God at his word. Habakkuk trusts that God is already at work, even if he can’t see it. He trusts that God has more to say, and he commits himself to waiting on God rather than taking matters into his own hands. This is the rub in the story. Habakkuk assumes a disposition of waiting with confident trust in God. We too must be persuaded that God is in control of the timing and intensity of our trials. If you are a child of God I want you to know that you have the means by which to stand firm in the face of any trial. Trust that God has a reason for your sufferings and waiting. Submit yourself to whatever He desires to teach you. The road may be rocky, but a wise response will lead you into the joy He has promised. I’m telling you what I know.  You see, I know about waiting to give birth to the promises of God and never seeing it come forth. I know about waking up in the middle of the night crying and asking God what’s next and not receiving an answer. I know about travailing for a promise, year after year, and having it never come to pass. I know about never ending disappointment but I am here to tell you on today that God has not forgotten about any of us. Galatians 6:9 says at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t’ give up. I’m so thankful that we have the Bible to help us understand how God works in all the seasons of life to help us find faith and grow and mature. God always have a purpose. I often have to stop and consider this. That all that happens in my life – the bitter things, the hard things, the hurtful things, the triumphs and the victories – can work for good.  I want you to know that waiting is the process of becoming what God wants us to be. What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we are waiting for.

If you’re going through a season of life and you don’t think much is happening, be faithful to God; trust Him. The promises of God remain Yes and Amen! The fact that God would send a word like this at this particular time should be confirmation to you that you are close to what God has promised you! I come to tell you to wait on it! Don’t compromise with the devil. Wait on it! Don’t break down your standard, wait on it! No matter how long it takes He might not come when you want Him to come, but He is always on time. Give God the Glory!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Whitney Houston asked the question, “How will I know … How, will I know if he really loves me… I say a prayer with every heart beat…  I fall in love whenever we meet… I’m asking you what you know about these things… How will I know if he’s thinking of me…? Falling in love is so bitter sweet… How will I know?”

How do we know when someone really cares about us? How do we know if someone loves us? There are a lot of things that we can do to show others that we care for them.  But the ultimate expression of care and love takes place when somebody sacrifices a part of themselves or all of themselves for you. Jesus put it this way, “Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Ah, this is good… {John 15:13}. When somebody does something like that there can absolutely be no doubt in your mind they care for you, they love you!  I want you to know that the Cross is God’s exclamation point! The Cross is the exclamation point at the end of a sentence in which God is screaming, “I love you and I’ll do whatever it takes to get your attention.” Hear me and hear me good… God paid an unbelievable price to send an unbelievable message.  Inseparable love {Romans 8: 35-38} who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  When God wanted to demonstrate His love for us, He did it on a much higher level. He was willing to risk our rejection by first being honest about our behavior.   And even though we have messed things up with Him through our actions and sin, He continues to stand by us…  If there is any doubt in your mind that God is interested in you; if there is any doubt in your mind if God loves you, please look again at the Cross. For it is good to look through history and see how God, time and time again, demonstrates His love for us.  Sometimes it is almost as if He is shouting, “I LOVE YOU!”  But do you hear Him?

In Luke chapter 2 verses 8-14 it tells us that there was “a shout of love in a dark night!” This is one of the texts that some of you need to hear today.   It should help you be reminded that God loves you, because ‘this shout in the dark of night’ sets the stage for how we can understand God’s interest and love for us. The angels were proclaiming God’s wonderful plan and praising His name as He began to demonstrate His love for us through His One and Only Son Jesus… Can you hear it…?  “I have sent my Son, He is here for you, and I love you that much.” Knowing the intensity of this, never wonder again if you are loved.  God loves you to the point he sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for all your sins and mine. I don’t know whether you remember or not, but in Malachi 1:2 Jesus had a complaint against us too. He said, “So you want to complain, you want to know if I love you, well let me tell you something, I got a complaint against you too. I have loved you deeply, but you got the nerves to ask Me, wherein have I loved you… Really!  My answer… The Cross… Now what have you done for me lately? I can’t hear you…. What you say…. That’s what I thought… Never question whether I love you again! {Paraphrased by me}

Now I know that sometimes life’s circumstances don’t seem fair. That’s when it’s easy to start to doubt God’s love for you. Moments of disappointments, fear, frustration, struggle, and uncertainty can make you feel that God has failed you. In reality, God knows what you need, and has everything under His control. He may have a different time, place, process, or way to move you through life that you may not have expected, but it doesn’t mean He doesn’t love you. I tell you, we need to come up with a different definition of God’s love. We need one that is not so narrow as to suggest that the only true love from God is that which makes us happy. We need to see the boarder perspective, from God’s view, where the ultimate sign of love does not have to do with this life, but with the life to come. This perspective lets us see suffering of this life in a different perspective {Romans 5:3-5}. Don’t allow Satan to distort God’s love for you. There is nothing like the love of God! It is the most overwhelming thing I have ever encountered in my life. It is the greatest thing God ever did for any of us! You should be shouting right now for God’s overwhelming love! There is no greater love than the love that God has for you.  Will you believe it?  Will you accept it?  Will you live through it? I want you to know that God’s love is such that it cannot be comprehended through the mortal and corruptible mind of man. It must be spiritually conveyed. My question for you today is simple, it is not,   “What if God loves you?” but, “What if you believe, really believe it?” You see no matter how much God loves you and no matter how much He does for you, you must accept the truth of that love and accept His son Jesus as your Savior and Lord. I will say it one more time, God loves you!  We need to be reminded of what God did — more than anything else — even as He could smell the stink of sin all over us, He allowed His perfect Son to be sacrificed for us.  We are the reason Jesus died; we are the reason Jesus hung on the Cross.  Don’t question if God loves you. . , know that He was willing to send His Son Jesus to die for you while you were still in sin. We all play a part in the crucifixion of Jesus.  Each of us, because of our sin, led Him to be killed so that we could be forgiven. Oh, how He loves you and me, He gave His life, what more could He give.  I don’t know about you, but that sure does encourage my heart!  Jesus loves me this I know!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

“No matter how you approach the subject, Hell is an awful thought. It is a place where there is eternal torment and pain in unquenchable flames – Matt 3:12.  It is a place of eternal separation from the presence of God… It is a place prepared for Satan and his angels – Matt 25:41.”  Am I talking to somebody today?

Now before you get all bent out of shape and say, “No she didn’t,” Who does she think she is?” I want you to know that “Some God has called to be those who bring positive words of encouragement and comfort and hope. Some He’s called to be those who exhort, rebuke and correct. Like Jeremiah – Titus 2:15 – God said Lou, you are not going to have a delightful, prosperous ministry, because when they hear what you have to tell them, they’re going to reject it, and they’re going to reject you, despising you, and your words the whole way through, but I’ll be with you.” The Bible says, “Rebuke is oil for our head” – Psalms 141. It tells us to rebuke our neighbor frankly – Lev 19:17; rebuke them sharply – Titus 1:13 and that those who sin, is to be rebuke publicly – 1 Tim 5:20…and then it tells us that those whom God loves, He rebukes – Rev 3:19. Don’t hate the messenger!

Now I can only think of one thing worse than going to Hell, and that would be to go to Hell with Heaven in your mind. You might be asking yourself, why she always talking about salvation, repentance, and Hell….. Well, the Bible says in Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5; Psalms 90:12 to “Redeem the time.”  I venture to say that there aren’t many who are thinking about eternity. Most people are so wrapped up in themselves and their lives that they have no time for thoughts of God, Heaven, Hell, or where they will go when they die. Death is coming, Hebrews 9:27. One day real soon you will leave this world forever. When you do, you will go either to Heaven or you will go to Hell. If you are not saved, you need to consider where you will go when you die.  Maybe you are a good person who has lived a clean, moral life. Maybe you are a church member, a leader, a teacher, and everyone thinks your life is complete. But, in spite of all you have, there is still something missing in your life. You know you have what it takes to live, but you also know that you are unprepared to die. You have everything you want and need materially, but you do not have spiritual peace with God. Everything looks good on the outside, but the insides are all messed up. That is a terrible way to live, but it is an even more horrible way to die.  I want you to consider the following people and their rejection of the Savior. Judas Iscariot – He kissed the gates of Heaven and went to Hell – Matt 26:49; Acts 1:25. Felix – He looked into salvation, but he wanted to wait to a more convenient time – Acts 24:25. Herod Agrippa – He stepped up to the very door of Heaven and turned away – Acts 26:28. Festus – He heard the claims of the Gospel and called them the ravings of a mad man – Acts 26:24. The same thing continues to happen all around us. People come in and out of churches. They hear the Gospel message; they are challenged to repent of their sins and to turn to Jesus for salvation; but many leave the church just like they came in. They leave lost and still on their way to Hell. If you do not repent of your sins, you will eventually die and go to Hell with Heaven in your mind.

As far as we know, every one of the men I mentioned died and went to Hell with Heaven in their mind. Mark 10:17-22 tells us about a young man who went to Jesus, heard the way of salvation, and he turned away to leave as lost as he came. All three Gospel writers tell us that this young man was rich. He lived a life of privilege. The world was his! Luke tells us that this man was a “ruler”, Luke 18:18. He lived a good life. From every outward appearance, this young man was riding high on the pinnacle of success. He was everything a mother or father could want their child to be. If you looked at his life, you might think that he had it all. But, appearances are deceiving! In spite of everything he has going for him, this young man had one thing missing. He had much, but with his much, he had an itch he could not scratch. He had found that his youth left him unsatisfied. His money had left him feeling unfulfilled. His morality, his clean living, and his religious activity had not been able to satisfy the deepest longing of his soul. Unfortunately, many people never realize that nothing in this world is more important than their soul’s salvation, Mark 8:36-37. At least this young man was concerned about his soul. Are you? If you are not, you should be! He is concerned about the right issue, in the presence of the right Person, John 14:6; Acts 4:12. He comes at the right time, Isa. 55:6; and he came in the right way, 1 Pet. 5:5. This young man got a lot of things right in his encounter with the Lord, but, it is the things he got wrong that cause him all his trouble. He thought salvation could be earned. He came to Jesus with Heaven in his mind, but he walked away with Hell as his destination! This rich, young man made two heartbreaking decisions. He made an earthly decision – He chose his possessions over Jesus! He loved his money more than he wanted to be saved. Jesus will allow you to make the same choice. It may not be money. It may be pleasure, some sin, your family, your independence, etc. If you want it, He will let you keep it! But, ask yourself this question: “Is it really worth more than my soul?”  As far as we know, this young man died and went to Hell. But, he went there with Heaven in his mind. Don’t let that happen to you! Look at your life. You might have a lot going for yourself, but if you do not have Jesus Christ, you are lost, doomed and headed to Hell. Don’t go to Hell with Heaven in your mind! It is decision time, for Deuteronomy 30:19 says that, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” What will you do?

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

The rule is simple: “If you play with fire, you will get burned.” “If you court trouble, trouble you will find.” “Make your bed and you have to sleep in it.” “Whatever you sow, you shall reap.”  So do not lie to yourself.  God will not be mocked. If you compromise His rules you will suffer horribly for it… You better know that you know!

Yeah, it might feel real good while you are indulging, but the long-term consequences will crush and grind that little pleasure into oblivion. You will never remember the pleasure when the horrible consequences of your folly burst into flames because sin brings misery with and after it.  If you don’t believe me just ask Samson, Judges 16. Samson thought he could walk on sexual coals, but Delilah stole his strength and left him blinded and chained to grind for the Philistines. David did not think he would be burned either, but his short tryst with Bathsheba cost him dearly for the rest of his life. Profane Ammon craved his sister, but the event horribly disappointed him and cost him his life. Now Joseph, Joseph is a hero, for when he saw and felt the fire, he ran as far and as fast as he could, Genesis 39:12. He knew that even though Potiphar’s wife greatly desired him there would be hell to pay with God and men. He chose the certainty of a false accusation rather than the lying promise of stolen pleasure.  Proverbs 22:3 tells us that, “the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” You cannot walk with God and hold hands with the devil!

Samson and Delilah story… love lies and loss. A story, that should, be read, studied, and taken to heart. Their story does not teach us lessons about genuine love and romance, but about the dangers of getting too close to the enemy. Their story is a story of deception, greed, lust and destruction. Their story stands as a constant warning to those who would trifle with sin. Their story is a reminder to us all that sin is deceptive and that it is deadly. There may be “pleasure in sin for a season,” but the end of sin is never worth the pleasure it provides.

Most people, however, think that they can control their sin. In truth, but for the grace of God, sin controls us, and it will be our master if we allow it a foothold in our lives. Only God’s grace keeps us from the wolf’s fate. Instead of playing with sin you should be like Joseph and put as much distance as you can between your temptation and yourself, Genesis 39:7-12. I tell you, you might not face the same thing Samson did, but you will pay a price for indulging in sin. You will sacrifice your intimacy with God. You will sacrifice His power. You will endanger the relationships that matter most in your life. One thing is certain – sin always pays back both believers and unbelievers with boredom, guilt, shame, loneliness, confusion, emptiness, loss of purpose, and loss of rewards. The problem I earnestly believe is that we do not know how powerful sin in. We do not know – we have no idea – it’s a term we toss around – and talk about – in a gleeful tone. But let me say something to you, we have under estimated its power, its grip and its hold on us. I submit to you that we have been bamboozled, hoodwink, fooled, brain washed, and beguiled.

You know the word for Sin in the Greek language is “amartia” (ha-mar-tia). It means “to miss the mark.” Every time we sin we do miss the mark because every sin we commit is an offense to God, and God cannot be in the presence of sin. That is why if you choose to keep committing the same sins without repentance you will stop feeling His presence in your life. The Holy Spirit will stop speaking to you if you refuse to repent. I want you to know that sin has many consequences; more than I have mentioned, and it is always destructive, but repentance is always constructive. For great sin, there is great grace.

You know, I’ve always been intrigued by the point of no return above waterfalls. For example, if you’re in a canoe above Niagara Falls drifting downriver there’s a point that if you go by it, you can’t save yourself. It’s the point of no return. If you’re up river far enough, you’re able to paddle to shore. But if you go past the point of no return, the current will take you over the falls and there’s nothing you can do about it. No matter how hard you paddle, you can’t save yourself. The point of no return is an invisible line above the falls, on one side of it you can save yourself, on the other, you can’t. Repentance can be like that. A lot of people think that they have lots of time to repent. They think that they will have until the moment of their death to repent. And that is true of some people. Consider the criminal who was crucified with Jesus. It was not until his death was very imminent that he repented and turned to Jesus. But that is not true with all people. God gives only a certain time to repent, and after that point, it’s too late. Jezebel, God said, “I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling…”  Revelation 2:21-23… The Bible is full of examples of people given time to repent but they refused: Genesis 4; Jeremiah 5:3, Amos 4:6, Zephaniah 3:2, and Zechariah 7:1, to name just a few. 2Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is patient towards us. He is not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” That’s God’s heart. He wants us to repent. That why He gives us time to repent. That’s why He pleads with us to repent. That’s why He sends people; ministers, preachers, friends, family members who beg us to repent. Jezebel was not ignorant of her sin. She knew what she was doing, and she refused to repent.  Therefore it became too late for her to repent – not because God wouldn’t pardon her, but because she had hardened her heart. Jezebel had been confronted, she’s resisted, and she refused to repent. Don’t be a Jezebel. The door of repentance is still open. There’s still hope, but not forever.… Hebrews 12:17… That Day is fast approaching.

I can hear the thundering cry of Jeremiah. Oh that the church will wake up and see that they are being warned by the Word of God that there are wicked men that lay wait hiding in the bushes and setting a snare for the unwary. Setting a snare for those who are not yielded to God, still living by unbridled lusts in the very depths of their soul, they are halting between two opinions. As in the Old Testament times, God’s willingness to spare and bless the nation and spare and bless individuals who repent still stands. But equally true, as Paul said, there will come a day when His righteous judgment will be revealed. I can’t imagine how it will be for those who have heard but who have consciously and willfully rejected Him. Don’t Wait Too Late…Repent!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

The Honorable Judge, God the Father, is presiding. All persons having business before the court, come to order. Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to God’s Ultimate Supreme Court. We will hear the case as scheduled. First case on the courts calendar is {insert your name}. Counselors, are you ready to proceed?

Man… Have you ever wondered what it will be like to stand in God’s courtroom? “Well today, you will have the privilege of actually going into God’s courtroom kinda like court TV and seeing how at least one sinner fared in his trial…“ Believe it or not, one of these days we will ALL stand in the Ultimate Supreme Court of God. No one will be left out! The preachers, deacons, church members, popes, priest, nuns, choir members, drunks, whoremongers, drug addicts, pimps, pushers, homosexuals, liars, thieves, murderers, idol worshipers, fornicators, adulterous, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, moms and dads. The king, the pauper, the general, the president, the foot soldier, the master, the slave, the borrower and the lender we will all stand before God. There will be no escape and there will be no exceptions! {Hebrew 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Acts 17:31}

On that day the Judge will make no mistakes. His verdict will be true and accurate. His decision will be final!  There will be no negotiating. There will be no second chances. There will be no appeals.  Before the judgment begins, the earth and sky will be destroyed by fire {Revelation 20:11-12} {2 Peter 3:10} after that destruction we will then be judged accordingly. (2 Corinthians 5:10} {Revelation 20:12-13}.  The Books will be opened. {Romans 2:6-7} {2 Corinthians 5:10} {Matthew. 25:31}. We will be reviewed and examined. After the judgment period, we will witness the greatest separation that the world has ever seen. {Matthew 25:31; Matthew. 5:22; Mark 9:43 2Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3}.  Are you prepared for the Final Judgment Day?  If you are not a Christian, you ought to be, and you can be one right now. Your eternal destination depends on it. Maybe you are a Christian, and lately you have not been living a faithful and fruitful life for the Lord. Possibly, there may be someone who needs to confess their sins before God. You may have been living in secret sin, trying to hide it from God and your brethren. But God’s hand has been heavy upon you and you are ready to confess. I just want to remind you that we still live in the day of grace. During this time in history, a sinner can come before God and cry out for forgiveness and the Lord will receive them and save them by His grace. Today is the day of grace. Today is the day of forgiveness. Today is the day of repentance. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day of mercy. There will be none of those things given out on that Final Day. Only judgment, swift and sure, will be issued from the Great White Throne and from the Lord. Please don’t do a foolish thing and die without Jesus! Come to Him while the door is open.

Allow me to give you a glimpse of events that might take place on that day. In Zechariah chapter 3, it gives us a look at the guilt of the sinner. This drama is in the setting of a courtroom.  It is in the Ultimate Supreme Court.  God is the Judge; Joshua the High Priest the defendant and Satan is the Prosecuting Attorney. Satan, bringing his case against Joshua before the Lord.  He is standing at Joshua’s right hand opposing him. Satan’s says to the Lord, He is dirty. He says to the Almighty, He is guilty. He is a sinner whose righteousness is as filthy rags. The audacity of Satan: In the Ultimate Supreme Court of God standing around accusing God’s people of their sins. Image that! Talking about, “Drama in the Courtroom,” Ole Satan; the Accuser of the brethren… See how subtle and merciless Satan really is. Bringing up past sins, things that God has already forgiven us for. Bringing up things we did yesterday and even five seconds ago, accusing us, pointing a finger in our face. Bringing accusations to God that we deserve to die in Hell. Satan, the Accuser of the brethren! Accusing us before God; accusing us before men, and accusing us before ourselves… Truth be told though, Satan was right.  Joshua was dirty, sinful, and guilty.  Satan knew it, God knew it, and Joshua knew it.  But thank God that in the court of Heaven we have an Advocate – a Defense Attorney who has never lost a case. His name is Jesus. His plea on our behalf is always the same. Your Honour, the defendant is indeed guilty, but the penalty has been paid. I myself paid the ultimate penalty for his sin and died in his place. The DEBT is paid in full!  Thank God for Jesus! We are not only forgiven; we are justified. We are declared righteous.

Listen, you may be a guilty sinner or a backslidden saint.  Either way I want you to know that you have an Advocate in Heaven.  So no matter what you’ve done, if you will bring your guilt and your sin to God, He will take your case, plead your case, win your case, and commute your sentence from death to life.  I tell you the most indispensable requirement for knowing the Word of God is to understand our predicament – the fact of our sinfulness before God. I am guilty. You are guilty. Everybody in your family is guilty. We are all guilty before God.  Hold on to this truth. Let it make you wise. I don’t want you to perish. If God is opening your mind to understand His truth, now is the time to act! For there will be no second chances on that Day. I want you to know that on that Day, Witnesses will be called forth and they will testify either for you or against you. The first witness will be the Word of God itself- (John 12:48}. Jesus says, “Every word I have spoken to you will judge you on that day. My Word will be the witness!” Also, witnesses shall arise such as the men of Nineveh, the men of Sodom and the Queen of Sheba. {Matthew 12:41-42}. When you stand before the Judge and your book is opened, the vast multitudes of Ninevites will step forward. Those who died in the holocaust of Sodom and Gomorrah will come forth, as will those of Tyre and Sidon. These wicked ones will gather round, incredulous as they hear the list of all the opportunities you had to receive the Word of God: Bibles, radio, and TV, teachers, witnesses, and friends, family. They will cry out, “This man’s judgment ought to be worse than ours! How could he reject so many opportunities and deny such powerful light? We had no Bible, no constant reminders, and no second opportunity. But he had all this!” Jesus says Sodom would have repented if they had heard what you’ve heard – {Matthew 11:23; Matthew 24:14}. If you know in your heart you’re not ready to stand before Jesus –Act Now! If you don’t I want you to know that this one message is enough to damn you to eternal hell if you reject it. It will stand as a witness on Judgment Day… I want you to know that the Judge is keeping an account right now! Are you going to pass the test?

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Listen; if you want to get off to a good start, you need to begin in the right place.  And it begins with a very frank admission. “Not that I have already obtained all this…” You see, the Word of God in Proverbs 16:18 tell us that, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” That tells me that in and of ourselves we have absolutely nothing to brag or be prideful about. Now if there was anyone who had reason to brag about his accomplishments, I would think it would have been the Apostle Paul. But he doesn’t do that. Despite having met the Lord on the Damascus Road, despite having preached across the eastern Mediterranean region, despite being an apostle called by God, despite writing letters inspired by the Holy Spirit, despite all that he had endured, he did not brag about anything he said or did. None of that mattered to him. He knew that he was a sinner saved by grace. In fact in 1Timothy 1:15, he even called himself the “Chief of sinners.” He made no claim of being perfect or having arrived in his own spiritual journey. Now Simon Peter, that’s a whole different story. Simon Peter had made an assumption, and it’s the same assumption that we all make from time to time. He assumed that he had reached a place in his relationship with Jesus where he would never forsake Jesus and would never fail in his faithfulness to God again. I tell you, we must never assume that we can’t miss the mark, for the moment we do, we are headed for a fall. Paul said, although we are perfect through sanctification, through our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, many of us – in fact all of us – still have a long way to go.

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing that bothers me more than someone trying to claim to be all that when the Bible says that, “There is none good, no not one!” But some folks believe that they are the exception. My message to all of us today is this: Like it or not, whether we want to believe it or not, we’re not as good as we think we are. We’re not as smart as we think we are. We’re not as clever as we think we are. We’re not as wise as we think we are; and we are not as strong as we think we are. The only thing that keeps us going is Jesus our wonderful Savior, and He is everything we are not. Don’t get it twisted! It has never been about us and it is not about us! It is about Him; the Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and End; the First and Last; the Wonderful Counselor. We have absolutely nothing to boast about, other than Jesus Christ… Throwing ourselves a party! Self-congratulations! Boasting! This is human temptation and human tendency; and a dangerous one at that. Careful! You are threading on dangerous grounds! Boasting is a growing cancer, an infectious disease, an intoxicating behavior.

Sadly, we live in a very proud and egotistical generation where it is now considered acceptable and even normal for people to promote themselves, to praise themselves, and to put themselves first. Pride is considered a virtue by many. Humility, on the other hand, is considered a weakness. Everyone, it seems, is screaming for his or her own rights and seeking to be recognized as someone important. The preoccupation with self-esteem, self-love, and self-glory is destroying the very foundations upon which our society was built. What’s worst of all, the preoccupation with self has found its way into the Church.  Jesus repeatedly taught against pride, and with His life and teaching He constantly exalted the virtue of humility. Nowhere is that more clear than in John 13. I tell you, there is no better garment to clothe yourself with than to be clothed with humility. A humble person is a child of God; but a proud and haughty person is a child of Satan. Who’s your daddy? Pride should not be a problem to us; for according to God’s Word even our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Is 64:6). Get off your High Horse!

Don’t misunderstand me. It’s not wrong to brag. It’s wrong to brag about trivial things. When you brag and you should brag, brag on the Lord, that’s all I’m saying. Besides, if it had not been for the Lord… Hello somebody! The message is simply: Pride is the sin that made the devil the devil, pride makes us like the devil, and pride can prevent us from entering heaven and lead us to hell. Clothe yourself with humility –Boast only in the Cross!