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

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

That’s right! No ifs, ands, or buts. It means what it says and says what it means. I want you to know that the Ministry that God has entrusted to me is just that, “No Corners-Cut, No Pacifying and No Round-about Way… Period!  So if you’re looking for a people pleaser or someone to condone your wrong, you might as well STOP READING RIGHT NOW! Put it down, because I am not the one. I am not a people pleaser, neither do I condone wrong and I don’t scratch itching ears, and I don’t care who you are. I am sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. [Galatians 1: 10-12]. When it comes to God’s Word there is no tolerance. There is no variation in God; He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. You got that! Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, [Acts 7:51]. Ye serpents, generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? [Matthew 23:33]. As [Jeremiah 2:19] says, “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you.

I want you to know that I have been charge before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his kingdom to preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. [2 Timothy 4:1]. To speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! Now your ungodly friends may cheer you on towards destruction. They may bequeath the kiss of flattery. They may coddle your ego, telling you what you want to hear. Well forget about it, ain’t going to happen here! Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel [1Cor. 9:16].  I want you to know that Jesus was not afraid to wound his friends for the healing of their souls.  He rebuked followers and Pharisee alike. He would not have hestitated to say things that would offend us. He was without guile, without flattery. He called a spade a spade, and sin “sin.” Teaching this way is not optional. He said to me, “I charge thee, [Lou]. I am commanding you. I am ordering you to preach the Word and to be instant in season, out of season.” In season is when it’s popular. Out of season is when they don’t want to hear the truth. Then he said this: “Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.” What is reprove- To tell someone that they’re wrong. What is rebuke -To reprimand; strongly warn; restrain. Exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. What is Exhort- To advise; to warn; to caution. It says with all long-suffering and doctrine. Doctrine is teaching the Bible.

I tell you the proverbial warnings against dismissing brotherly correction are staggering. The one who rejects reproof leads others astray (Proverbs 10:17), is stupid (Proverbs 12:1) and a fool (Proverbs 15:5), and despises himself (Proverbs 15:32). “Whoever hates reproof will die” (Proverbs 15:10), and “poverty and disgrace come to him” (Proverbs 13:18). But just as astounding are the promises of blessing to those who embrace rebuke. “Whoever heeds reproof is honored” (Proverbs 13:18) and prudent (Proverbs 15:5). “He who listens to reproof gains intelligence” (Proverbs 15:32), loves knowledge (Proverbs 12:1), will dwell among the wise (Proverbs 15:31), and is on the path of life (Proverbs 10:17) — because “the rod and reproof give wisdom” (Proverbs 29:15) and “the reproofs of discipline are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23).

“Whoaaaa-o-o-oooooo-ohhhhh….Do you want a revolution? Whoop Whoop! I said do you want a Revolution? “…Sick and tired of the Church, talkin’ religion….But then they talk about each other, make a decision… So don’t be caught slippin’, don’t be trippin’ brother … Even when we go they say we move too much, we do too much, if you step against us, then you lose too much ain’t no stoppin’ what we doin’ when the spirit is movin’ don’t be hatin’ what we doin’ I’m the vessel he’s usin’ everywhere I be they try to judge me, they try to shake me they try to budge me but they can’t break me ’cause I’m down with Christ…” [Revolution Lyrics – Kirk Franklin]

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. [Galatians 1:10]

You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Well let me break it down for you.  God says he will chew you up and spit you out. [Revelation 3: 14-16]. Like a serpent that swallows hole; and digests and then vomits the remains of its victim. Make no mistake about it. You better get your act together! Stop your sinning! God has already warned you. [Nahum 2:13] “Beware, I am against you. This is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts. I will make your chariots go up in smoke and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the sound of your messengers will never be heard again.”  I will bring you down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats. [Jeremiah 51:40] “I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand, with a strong arm, even in anger and in fury and in great wrath. “You’d better change and repent or I will come and fight against you with the sword out of my mouth.” [Jeremiah 21:5] 

“Remember Pharaoh…  He was disobedience to Me and it cost him his honor, his people, his slaves, his army, his son, and his own life. Ahab, he was disobedient and the dogs licked up his blood.  The kings in [Joshua 9] instead of doing what I ask them to do, they plotted all kinds of clever little devices against Me and all five of them were taken and hanged on five trees in a row. Not the mention the 31 kings in [Joshua Chapter 12] who was also disobedience, Moses and Joshua alone slain them. Like I said, I will chew you up and spit you if you don’t get your act together.” Listen, God is long-suffering and not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” but sooner or later, life comes to an end and so does God’s patience. Don’t wait too late!

“These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.  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.  You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me…… Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” [Revelation 3:14-22].

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Ain’t gonna be nothing nice you best believe that! You see, you can’t cheat or compromise on God’s commandments and get away with it. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap.”[Galatians 6:7]. This principle is irrevocable; there is no escape. It is a law of life and it applies to everyone, both Christians and non-Christians alike. God will not allow you to go unpunished. Consider Scriptural illustrations: David sinned with Bathsheba and attempted to cover it up by having Uriah murdered. But “When the chickens came home to roost”, he had four dead sons, a kingdom in shambles, disgraced wives, a tarnished reputation, a disgraced daughter, and a trusted counselor dead by suicide, among other things. David sinned abundantly and reaped abundant consequences. Isaac and Rebecca let Korah criticized Moses for his office, but God heard and buried him alive. [Numbers 16:1-35].  Listen, God’s moral laws cannot be neglected or violated with impunity, and Scripture fully justifies the expectation and shows that sin must be punished.

“This is the end of the matter: …. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. In [1 Kings 2:3] David told Solomon that he should live in obedience to the Word of God. To walk in His ways, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses.” In [Isaiah 48:11] God says, “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? “I am the Lord; that is my name! [Isaiah 42:8]

The day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Where do you stand?” Pardon or Punishment.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
¹⁵ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;¹⁶ In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.¹⁷ But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;¹⁸ I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: ²⁰ That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Well, you asked for it! Fate it will be: your destiny, Death says the Lord. “For when I invited you, you ignored me; when I spoke to you, you brushed me off. You did the very things I exposed as evil; you chose what I hate.” Therefore, I will put you to death… “[Isaiah 65:12-15] [Psalms 50:22]. Prepare to meet your God!

Listen, life is filled with boundaries. The government places boundaries on our lives through various laws and regulations.  Society places boundaries on our lives by telling what most people feel constitutes acceptable behavior.  Religion places boundaries upon the lives of people by telling them what they can and cannot do.  Even churches have certain standards which they expect people who attend to observe.  The list could literally go on forever, but the truth of the matter is this: everywhere you go in this world, you are confronted with boundaries, and when a boundary is crossed, usually a penalty is incurred.  If you violate the laws of the land and get caught, there is a price to pay.  If you step over the boundaries imposed by society or religion, you may be ostracized by the group. The same is true when it comes to God.  When you step over God’s boundaries, there is always a price to pay. Case in point, Lucifer was proud and because of that God hurled him from heaven down to the earth because he crossed God’s boundary of obedience into the territory of disobedience.  [Revelations 12:7-9]. Adam and Eve had one boundary in the Garden of Eden: abstain from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they chose to overstep the boundary. They crossed the boundary and the result was the introduction of sin, disease, violence, greed, pain and death into our world. [Genesis 3:14-19] [Romans 5:12].  Not to mention Eli’s sons who crossed the boundary of morality. They slept with the women who came to sacrifice at the altar. They therefore met untimely and tragic deaths [1 Samuel 2:12-36]. And Jonadad, who advised and encouraged his friend and cousin Amnon to commit incest by sleeping with his own sister. After committing incest with Tamar, Amnon turned to hate her and chased her away, later Amnon was murdered. [2 Samuel 13: 1-39]. Ham who saw his father Noah’s nakedness, Noah was displeased and rained curses on him [Genesis 9:18-25]. The problem is we’ve been deceived into believing that the boundaries don’t matter.  But here is the deal, if God is truth and he speaks the truth, then what he says matters.   Stepping beyond the boundary stones is not wise.

Listen, God has set certain boundaries in His Word.  Those who cross God’s boundaries will find that there is no hope, no forgiveness and nothing to look forward to but His judgment.  But, it doesn’t have to be that way!  The Lord stands ready right now to forgive all those who will come to Him in humble repentance, [1 John 1:9]. Come to the Lord today and get things right with Him.   Don’t cross that line!  If you do, you will regret it for all eternity! Come while He may be found.  You see a crooked generation is a lost generation. We are told that Peter warned them. We are told that he pleaded with them to save themselves. In other words they were in terrible danger and they couldn’t see it, and so he had to warn them and beseech them to see their plight. “Don’t ignore what I have said to you. The wages of sin is death!” Won’t you respond as the 3,000 men responded who were listening to Peter? They understood what he was saying, and they agreed with his diagnosis of their condition. They nodded their heads silently. They said ‘Amen’ in their hearts. They acknowledged their corruption and that their only Savior was Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you too will be saved.

[Jeremiah 26:4-6]

“And you will say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened; then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse to all the nations of the earth.”

 [Deuteronomy 30: 19] “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live…”

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

What an insult to God…  God has set you free, why in the heck would you submit again to a yoke of slavery? Why? Because it feels good! Hell, sin always feels good in the moment, but did you know that “Sin will always cost you more than you intended to pay. That it will take you further than you intended to go; and it will keep you longer than you intended to stay.” Just look at you now, “Shackled by sin.” Sin is divisive, deceptive, destructive, and deadly [leads to death, destruction and damnation].  Listen you cannot eat at the Devil’s table without getting food poisoning.  You cannot warm yourself at the Devil’s fire without getting burned.  Satan shows you the neon lights of Sin City, but he doesn’t show you the graveyard.  Consider the words of [Proverb 20:17]… “Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”  “What you pay for sin in cents, it will cost you in dollars.” Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for being… captive to sin.” [Acts 8:22-23].

Consider Judas’s final hours after giving the devil place in his life [Matt 27:3-10; Acts 1:18]. Consider Eve, after she took a little bite [Genesis 3:6].  Consider Lot’s wife after she took a little look [Genesis 19:26]. Consider Uzzah who took a little touch [1 Chronicles 13:10].  Consider Ananias and Sapphira who told a little lie [Acts 5:3].  Consider Samson [Judges 16:20] and Saul [1 Samuel. 16:14] whom the Lord’s presence departed because of sin. Do not allow sin to destroy you! Avoid it at all cost!  “Break every chain!”  Walk in the freedom you have been given. Mimic Paul approach to sin:  “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” [I Corinthians 6:12]. Jesus said that He has come to set the captives free. Sin doesn’t have the power to hold you prisoner. God has broken the chains. It’s what Jesus had in mind when he cried those last words on the cross: “It is finished!” So, do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”[Romans 12:2] The power to break free from the chains of sin – the power that God has already provided – is already available to you, right now. God’s will is for you to overcome.  “…stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” [Galatians 5:1]

By Lou Coleman

This is a question that you should carefully consider. You see, every day you’re trading your life, your soul for something. The question is, for what? Fame, popularity, financial gain, sex, pleasure, power, success. If that is the case, think of what the rich man in Hades would tell you – [Luke 16: 22-24]. Think of what the souls of the redeemed would say to you [Revelations 7:13-17].Think of what God has done to save your soul!  [John 3:16]. 

Can I tell you about Esau?  Esau’s life is the story of a man who traded his soul for fleeting pleasure. He sold his birthright, which included not only material benefits and family privileges, but spiritual blessings as well, for a bowl of soup. It says that “he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way” [Genesis 25:29-34]. He didn’t think twice about what he had done. He did it, it felt good, and only much later did he come to regret it. [Hebrews 12:17] however says that, “afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”  Listen, the Bible says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires…. [Ephesians 4:22, 23]. Don’t let the devil corrupt your mind. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 2:5]. For God says, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” [Jeremiah 29:11].

I want you to know that the Devil doesn’t give a damn about you.  That’s right! THE DEVIL DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU!  He could care less if you go to Hell. Matter of fact that is his job, to get you to compromise knowing if you do, that you would go to hell. See his only job is to kill, steal, and destroy…. And if he can get you to exchange your soul for the trinkets of this world, then he had done his job. Now, I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. … [Romans 6: 19].

 You see, in the world of the ancient Hebrews, everyone served someone. It wasn’t a question of if you would serve, but who you would serve. Everything you had came from someone else and it came with strings attached.  Choose your master wisely. Jesus puts it like this: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. There I implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. [2 Corinthians 5: 18-20].

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Well ain’t no need of wondering… You know as well as I know why… Truth has left the building…. Truth has been sliced, diced and chopped up. You hypocrite! I want you to know that God’s desire is that His church should no longer be tossed to and fro. When it comes to God’s Word there is no tolerance. There is no variation in God; He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  You ought to know that it is not enough to preach any message you might choose. Rather, the gospel is what you must preach. You must preach ONLY the gospel because IT ALONE is the power of God unto salvation. [Rom 1:16]. You must preach ONLY the gospel because IT ALONE is the means by which we are begotten of God [1 Corinthians 4:15].   You must preach ALL of the gospel, in the TRUE SPIRIT of the gospel. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” – that’s what preachers are charged to preach! Know that you are under the threat of judgment from God for failing your responsibility to do so.  [1 Corinthians 9:16-17]  [Galatians 1:7-9].

Truth itself does not need to be reinvented or retooled in order to make it suitable for the times in which we live. The problem is we got to many people pleasers and not enough God pleasers in the pulpit. The same truth Abraham, Moses, David, and the apostles believed is still truth for us today. Changing times do not change the truth. Scripture is as unchanging as God Himself [1 Peter 1:25]. You dare not soften it or sweeten it to appeal to the vanities and vices of men. The Word of God is alive—it is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword”—and it must be delivered AS IS. Woe unto you for taking verses out of context, manipulate Scripture to introduce a thought, never to return to it for the rest of the message! These things ought not to occur in Bible-believing churches. Warning comes before destruction.  So, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for [God] have not found your works perfect before Him. Remember, therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. If you will not, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you,” saith the Lord [Revelation 3: 2-3].

“I solemnly charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. [2 Timothy 4:1-5].

“And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [Daughter] of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life… Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered they soul.  Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Gold, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?  [Ezekiel 33: 1-5; 9, 11]

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. [Galatians 1:10]

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

What would it take for you to realize that it is time to put your house in order? That it’s time for you to get your act together! Oh, I know, you’re hoping to be like the thief on the cross and meet your Savior in just the last minutes of your life? Well thus saith the Lord, “I want you to give careful thought to this once again, “What is your life? A vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes away.” [James 4:13-17].  Get your act together or you are going to Hell! Set your house in order, and pray that you are found worthy to escape the tribulation that is coming upon the whole world. Warning after warning in Scripture, telling you that the time is short; have sense enough to discern the signs of the times and see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise… [Ephesians 5:16]. I want you to know that Hezekiah was forced to reflect on all aspects of his life.  He had to wrestle with the short time he had yet to live.  He had to wrestle with what would happen after death.   You see, death for all of us is just a breath away. And the nearer death is, the closer we are to answering to God for all we have said and done.”[2 Corinthians 5:10]. Get your act together or you are going to Hell! Believe it or not!

I want you to know that when Paul preached to Governor Felix he reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come. Thus, Felix was terrified! When Peter preached, the people were pricked in their hearts and cried out, “What must we do?” Today however, nobody trembles and cries out in anguish over their sins. Just like when Stephen preached they stopped their ears and all rushed upon him. But I tell you life is short; death is sure and God’s judgment is coming. So as [2 Kings 20:1] admonish you, “Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live.” Prepare to meet thy God! [Amos 4:12]. Your very salvation depends upon it. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that God’s judgment is certain. And it IS coming! [Acts 17:31] tells us, “…because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” I don’t know about you, but even now I can hear the thunderous hooves of the four horses storming across the stage of human history, bringing deception, wars, hunger and death on a scale so massive it staggers the mind! Our time is growing short! While no man knows the day or the hour…all of the major players are walking onto the world stage. I believe that we are literally watching Bible prophecy unfold before our very eyes. So I will make it as clear as I can. Get your house in order. While you do not live in fear, you must be prepared. Your time grows shorter with every waking hour. Don’t wait another second to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life. You have no time to waste! Death is not just probable, but absolutely certain, and can happen at any minute,

“Then I saw another angel flying the in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wind of the wrath of her fornication.” Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength in the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosever receives the mark of his name.” [Revelation 14: 6:11].

“So teach us to number our days that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” [Psalms 90:12].

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

That’s a darn shame! Yet you expect God to bless you! Well forget about it! Ain’t going to happen! God made it very clear in [Matthew 6:33] He said, “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” What part of “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God” do you not understand? To seek means to have a keener sense of the spiritual.  It is to have that spiritual vision that there is more to life than the physical world. Being committed to everybody and everything but God… Slap yourself!

I want you to know that twice Haggai instructed the people, “Consider your ways.” [Haggai 1:5-7]. The word considers means to give careful thought to. It was time for the people to do some serious self-examination before the Lord. Haggai wanted the people to stop long enough in their busy schedules to evaluate their life in light of God’s Word. He wanted them to measure the consequences of their actions. Samuel urges the people of Israel to consider what great things God has done! “Yes, consider…and fear the LORD!  Consider…and serve the LORD!  Give yourself completely to Him” Samuel said. When we recognize what God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ, the only response is to give ourselves completely to him. Nothing significant ever happens in life without commitment. Your commitments determine your future. You can’t lose by being committed to God. The Bible tells us in [2 Chronicles 16:9] that God is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him so that He can bless and use them. Paul put it this way, ‘Even before the world was made, God had already chosen [you] to be His through your union with Christ, so that you would be holy and without fault before him [Ephesians 1:4].

 I tell you if reflecting on God’s mercies doesn’t move you, then you are in trouble? 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? [Psalm 37:5-6, 34-40]. God wants you to know that, “No other person must come before Him: not your children, your mate, your parents, or your best friend, not even.” Consider the greatest commandment. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, all thy mind, all thy soul, and all thy strength.” That is the greatest commandment and the second is like unto it, “Love thy neighbor as yourself and you shall live.”

I don’t know about you but I surrender my life to God because He’s given His life to me.  If God never did another thing for me, never blessed anything else in my life, never answered another prayer, never gave me another morsel of food or never said another kind word my way, I owe Him my all right now because of what He did for me on the cross. Paul writing about His own motivation in [1 Corinthians 15:10] stated, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and I labor more abundantly than they all-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” I commit to Christ because I’m grateful for my salvation. You know Jesus told the Ephesians that they stopped loving Him, and to fix that problem He told them to do two things: Remember the height from which they fell. And repent by doing the things they did at first. God expects unconditional surrender. Whatcha gonna do?

Remember, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” [Proverbs 16:25].

 Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Going around doing things you know you have no business doing; all because you want to fit in! Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God [James 4:4]. You need to have a realization in your heart, that you are now a child of God, and you don’t have any business fooling with the things of the world. As Christians, we have to be ever so careful who we associate ourselves with. We have to be careful who we allow to be in our space. Fools cannot be real friends to a child of God. It is impossible, for they are incompatible by nature. They have nothing of value to offer. Avoid the company of fools and you will save yourself harm! Walk with the wise and you will become wise!

[Romans 12:2] says, “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 perfect, will of God. [Ephesians 5:15-16] says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” So come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning … I say this to your shame” [1 Corinthians 15:33-34]. Listen, [Psalm 1:1] says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. What a simple rule for wisdom and life! Get rid of foolish friends, and choose the wise for friends. You will grow in wisdom and avoid much trouble in life.  

The Bible declares, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” [I Corinthians 15:33]. The warning about deception is to save you. I ask you, How did Lot, Abraham’s nephew, end up in a cave with nothing but his two daughters pregnant by his incest? He moved toward Sodom and made friends in that wicked city [Genesis 13:12]. What a disaster it turned out to be for him, his wife, and five daughters. Be not deceived!  Fools cannot be real friends to a child of God. It is impossible, for they are incompatible by nature. They have nothing of value to offer. I tell you, if you lie down with the dogs, you will rise up with fleas. Do not go in their direction [Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 1:10, 15; 4:15; 9:6), and have no fellowship with them [Proverbs 14:7; Amos 3:3; Ephesians 5:11-12]. The clincher of Jehoshaphat’s story in [2 Chronicles] is the devastating effect that his compromise with the world had on his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on the whole southern kingdom. In [Chapters 21 and 22] we read that after Jehoshaphat’s death, his son Jehoram [married to Athaliah] slaughtered all his brothers and then turned the nation to idolatry [see 21:6]. God struck him with a terrible disease of the bowels and he died after eight years in office. His son Ahaziah became king and lasted one year before he was murdered [see 22:3-4]. Ahaziah’s wicked mother Athaliah then slew all his sons [her own grandsons] except for Joash [a one-year-old] who was rescued and hidden from her. The Davidic kingly line from which Christ was descended came that close to being snuffed out! And then the wicked Athaliah ruled the land for six years. All this was the result of Jehoshaphat’s compromise with the wicked Ahab! Do not be deceived. He who lie down with dogs, will rise up with fleas!

My aim is to walk with God, to follow His Word of truth, and to help you do the same.