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

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Sometimes, God seems inattentive, like He can’t hear us, like He’s not listening, like He doesn’t care. Sometimes, God seems uncooperative. Sometimes, it seems He is actually fighting against us and making it impossible for us to do what we think He is calling us to do. Sometimes, we feel helpless in grief, struggles and failures. Sometimes, we feel that God has abandoned us. So what do we do in times like these? What do we do in our lonely moments? Should we give up on God and go our own way? Should we let our emotions take over? Should we plunge into despair? Well, in Scripture, God gives us some directions for the waiting room. (1) Trust the one who is in charge! “Though the Lord slay me, still will I trust him. (2) Stay close… Don’t desert the waiting room. That is where you are most likely to hear from God. (3) Pray…  Get alone with God for a time of reflection, evaluation, correction, and dedication. (4) Be still… and wait!  (5) Anticipate God’s response, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

I tell you everybody goes through something and at times feel like God has abandoned them. John’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus and three of his friends: Lazarus, his sisters Mary and Martha. There came a time when this family had a need. Lazarus was sick. He was so sick, in fact, that his sisters sent messengers to Jesus and asked him to come right away to help Lazarus. Lazarus was dying. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, He stayed, where he was, to begin with, for two days {John 11:5-6}. What a curious statement – Jesus loved them, so He decided NOT to go help them right away. When Jesus finally did arrive, both Martha and Mary confronted him. “Lord, if only You had been here! You could have saved our brother!” What they were saying was, “Jesus, why did you delay? Why didn’t you come on time? Why are you late? Why didn’t you come when you could have done something to save our family? “If only you had been here!”

Sometimes I struggle to remember that it’s good to wait for the Lord. It isn’t easy. It goes against the grain of our quick-fix society. From our perspective, we have everything figured out and we want God to move within our timeframe. But can I tell you that God rarely does things according to our timeframe; matter of fact, in Isaiah 55:8, God lets us know that “His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.” So with that in mind, let us be persuaded that God is in control of the timing and intensity of our trials. Let us realize that He has a specific purpose for each trial in life. Let us understand that each trial is designed to meet a specific need that God sees in our lives. Let us accept that our waiting period is going to result in our own good if we respond in faith. Let us discover how each trial can strengthen our faith by proving that we can depend on the Lord for all of our needs. We must be convinced that God will walk us through every step of our trial. We must have faith that by His grace and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we will not only survive, but we will also conquer in our trials.

Trust that God has a reason for your waiting, and submits yourself to whatever He desires to teach you.”  For in the waiting room, God gave Job a new perspective, one he would never have had if he had abandoned the waiting room. The waiting room drove Job to the very feet of God where he discovered a new nearness, a new intimacy, a new dimension of his relationship with God he would have never known otherwise.  So if you find yourself in God’s waiting room… Trust Him, Stay Close, Pray, Be Still, and get ready for some wonderful discoveries. Start declaring: what a God! For right around the corner is another day. A day when you’ll be surprised! A day when you’ll be awe-struck… A day when you’ll realize – when you’ll know, that you know, that you know that God’s waiting room is a means of experiencing His peace, His prosperity, and His power. Keep hoping, trusting, believing in God and wait for that appointed time in faith patiently. There‘s a hidden benefit in waiting. The soul is revived and the Spirit is renewed. (Is. 40:31) “I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint. The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies bout the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.” {Habakkuk 2:1-3}

May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him are the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen!

Some Bible Verses about God’s Timing: Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 27:14; Ecclesiastes 3:1; Galatians 6:9; Psalm 37:3-4; Lamentations 3:25-26; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Genesis 18:14; Psalm 46:10; Micah 7:7; Acts 1:7; Isaiah 64:4; Isaiah 55:8-9; John 14:18; Psalm 121:7-8; Phil 4:19…

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Man, I love that song… The songwriter said, “I’m gonna make a change for once in my life, it’s gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference, gonna make it right…..I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat, who am I to be blind? Pretending not to see their needs… they got nowhere to go, that’s why I want you to know I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to change his ways, and no message could have been any clearer, if you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change. I’ve been a victim of a selfish kind of love…. I’m asking him to change his ways … you gotta get it right; while you got the time, you can’t close your mind… you’ve got to stop it, yourself! Yeah! The man in the mirror I’m asking him to make that change…!”

I think it would be safe to say that the reason Michael Jackson decided to sing this song was because he “Understood it!” He understood the purpose of life. The exact purpose that you and I were created for…to be our Brother’s Keeper! Jesus says, by our love for our brothers and sisters – a love that forgets self to think of others – All will know that we are His disciples. Support Brother Keeper Mission Project. The testimony of Scripture affirms that helping hurting people is the right thing to do. In Deuteronomy 15:11; 6 we are COMMANDED by God to be openhanded toward our fellow man that is poor and needy. David declares, “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak.” {Psalm 41:1}. Proverbs teachers, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.” {Proverbs 19:17}. Jesus fed the hungry. He ministered to the sick. He comforted the bereaved. He welcomed the marginalized. We are to do the same. It is what we were created for. It is our intended purpose. And the good thing is there is no shortage of opportunities for us to help the hurting because there are so many of them. It is imperative that we understand the seriousness of what God has COMMANDED us to do… “To love our neighbor as He has loved us.”

Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all your getting get understanding. James 1:5 says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him….I tell you the most important thing for us as Christians is to have Spiritual Understanding. When we want to evaluate something, we should ask the Lord to help us understand whatever it is that we are evaluating. Unless we can fully understand it, we might disregard it when we should take its message to heart, or we might take something to heart that we should disregard. Ephesians 5:17 tell us, Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Do yourself a favor: Get Understanding! And when you understand, understand that in the beginning when God made the world there were no needy people. Everyone had sufficiency. But then sin entered the world and it brought ignorance, injustice and inequity. Ever since then there have been people who don’t have enough to eat, who don’t have a place to live, and who don’t have clean water. I cannot emphasize enough that God’s people are called to change that lack by addressing their spiritual, emotional and physical needs. Yes, one day Jesus will return and all injustice and poverty and homelessness and illness will be removed. But until that time the church of Christ should be working tirelessly to help those who are in need. This is the outworking of the Cross.

The message is clear. Giving to the needy is right. It pleases God, it helps others, and it is an integral part of the Christian faith. God has charged us with taking care of them. If we don’t, then our discipleship is unbalanced. Support Brother’s Keeper Mission Project,” and remember, nothing matters except that which we do for the Lord. And God says, “The least we do for one of them, we do unto Him.” So in all your getting, get understanding, please! Because when we stand before the Lord to be judged we will be commended or chastised for a series of six (6) activities, those we did or did not perform. One, providing food for one who is hungry. Two, giving drink to a person who is thirsty. Three, providing shelter for another who is a stranger. Four, giving clothes to the person who is naked. Five, looking after the sick and Six, comforting those in prison {Matt: 25:31-46}.  You must know that the determining factor in determining our final destiny will be; was we are Brother’s Keeper.

My prayer and plea is for each of us to become the Good Samaritan who was willing to walk the walk and was not willing to just talk the talk. Support “Brother’s Keeper Mission Project” by visiting www.gofundme.com/99b30w and making a donation or send a check payable to: Brother’s Keeper Mission Project, 390 West 5^th Street, #408, San Bernardino, CA 92402.  The simplest of acts can have impacts far beyond our wildest dreams.

If you would like to join Ministry of Declaration/Truth; The Beautiful Gate Church/Ghana, Africa; Church of the Living God, Temple 208; 2 God Be All The Glory Community; Conduit of Grace Church; Ultimate Worship Church International, and Youth Hope, Inc., as we continue doing the work of Jesus and Greater works, please call (909) 649-8148 or send a message via email to colemanlou@hotmail.com.  We are a community sent on a mission together: to keep on doing the ministry of Jesus so that all people and all creation might experience the reconciliation of God. Brother’s Keeper Mission Project – Called and empowered t

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Every now and then God challenges individuals, institutions, churches, communities and nations to take a Big Step. The baby step will not do the job; only the Big Step will appropriately address the issue. For Martin Luther King Jr., other leaders, Black Churches and many Jewish Synagogues it was a Big Step to take on the movement of Civil Rights in America. The movement itself challenged and changed the world. I submit that even today God is challenging somebody – a whole lot of somebodies to take a Big Step. He is calling us to, “Prove Him” … if He doesn’t open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings we can’t contain”… Uh, uh, I just lost somebody right there, I just know it!

But the “Brother’s Keeper Mission Project,” which God has entrusted to me and the Beautiful Gate Church in Ghana Africa, under the leadership of Pastor Richard Yeboah, believe as Scriptures says, “That we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” {Matt: 5-13}. We believe that God does not extend his generosity to us, you and me, with the intent that we would hoard blessings for our sole benefit; as we are conduits and not repositories of His blessings. What does it matter if you get involved or not? It matters greatly – it matters to your character as a “Christian.” Yes, it’s true that God has other ways to accomplish His objectives. He has other people He can use. He isn’t frustrated or restrained because you and I may be indifferent. But when we have been called “for such a time as this,” how tragic if we are not there to stand in that hour.  Numerous needs and issues surround us. They summon us to stand up and be counted. Numerous jobs around us need to be done. Numerous ministries need to be started. While we will not be able to respond to all of them, the solution is certainly not to respond to any of them! What seems crazy to most of us I know is to give anything when we are so deeply in debt! We can’t pay our own bills. We owe everybody and their brother and everybody and their brother is calling us.  So why would God require this at this time? Because this is the Challenge of Faith!

Can I tell you a story? Paul was traveling around and was raising a collection for the church in Jerusalem who was experiencing extreme suffering and persecution. The churches in Macedonia were also going through extreme poverty, but Paul was amazed with what they did when they heard of the needs in Jerusalem. “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” {2 Corin. 8:1-5). When these saints heard of the need of their brothers, two things happened in their hearts. First, they felt a severe test of affliction, because they had such difficulty imagining giving when they themselves were in so much need. But secondly, they felt an abundance of joy, because here was an opportunity for them to give and reflect on the generosity of God. I tell you when God calls us to give it will be both the hardest thing in the world and the easiest thing to do. It will always be hard because it means we will have to sacrifice and do without something. However, it will also be easy because ultimately we are giving to the One who has given us everything. In verse 3, we see they gave according to their means, but also went beyond their means. They didn’t just give what they could afford; they gave to the point where it truly cost them something. Verse 4 says they were begging earnestly for the favor in taking part in the relief of the saints. This wasn’t what Paul expected. They knew they were poor, but they were begging to give generously. They wanted to show how much they loved them and how much Jesus had given to them. Why did they act this way, so utterly desperate to give?  Because giving to the point where we actually do without, where it hurts, that’s the Cross. Giving to the point where we’re actually sacrificing something, that’s the Cross. The righteous; the folks who are doing the will of God are those who take care of the poor, the widow, the child, and the afflicted. We are to care for the least of these simply out of obedience to God’s Word and the Spirit living inside of us. Once a true need arises, it is a part of every believer’s responsibility to help. And I want you to know, Poverty does not exempt a believer from giving. As revealed by the poor widow who gave her two “insignificant” coins.

Listen; when we give, we honor God, we advance His Kingdom, we demonstrate faith in His promises, we expose ourselves to His blessings, and the Lord is given the wonderful opportunity of proving His power to provide for His people. But when God is denied this opportunity, then the child of God has forfeited a great blessing and has entered into a state of unrepentant sin before the Lord. Don’t underestimate the importance of Jesus “love-your-neighbor” addition from Jesus. Support “Brother’s Keeper Mission Project… It matters!  We are blessed to be a blessing to others; we are privileged to serve others. Jesus said, that’s were true wisdom lies – in helping those in need.  So let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” In (Mark 8:2) Jesus said, “I have compassion on these people, they—have nothing to eat.” The persistent challenge poverty presents to Christ’s followers is to move beyond speaking the truth about love, compassion, and concern, to living the truth in deeds of compassion and acts of kindness. We must find concrete ways to relieve the burdens of the poor and needy. We must see them as people with whom we are all one in God. For we cannot truly “praise God from whom all blessings flow” and ignore the reality of a world of human suffering and misery. God’s blessings must flow through us in ways that will make a difference in the life of those in need. As a covenant people, we not only share the gospel but our lives as well. For the Gospel, is the power of Christ that empowers us to live not for ourselves, but to live first for Christ and then for others. We do this by employing our gifts and resources for the need of others. Support “Brother’s Keeper Mission Project” by going to http://www.gofundme.com/99630w and making a donation or send a check payable to: Brother’s Keeper Mission Project, 390 West 5^th Street, #408, San Bernardino, CA 92402. If you would like to be a part of “Brother’s Keeper Mission Project, please call (909) 649-8148 or you may send a message via email to colemanlou@hotmail.com.  Our mission is to glorify God by serving others! This is our highest motivator and all-encompassing purpose. Planting, strengthening and partnering with churches around the world as we minister to human need.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Yes, this life’s journey is tough. It gets hard sometimes and it makes many of us want to just walk away, give up. But the devil is a liar! We have come too far to give up now! I decided that come hell or high water, I will not give up! I will not throw in the towel!  The struggle has been too hard and certainly too long, but like Paul, I am pressing towards the mark of a higher calling. I’m reminded of the woman in the Scriptures that had an issue of blood for 12 years. Twelve years of suffering in her life. But one day, Jesus came to town; she pressed her way through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment. She was healed instantly. So to Hell with the Devil and his tactics! I’m going to keep on keeping on and I want to encourage you to do the same. Keep pressing and don’t let anybody, anything, situation or circumstance, stop you from pressing towards your blessing. I understand things will stand in your way. I understand that people will mistreat you, and they will lie on you. I understand that things didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to or the way you thought they should have. I understand that you are tied, but keep pressing because God is getting ready to bless you. Be steadfast, don’t give up. Be steadfast, don’t grow weary. Be steadfast, and don’t faint at life’s obstacles.

Scripture tells us that Job faced the crisis of his life. He had lost his entire family, all his possessions, everything. And his body was covered with boils from head to toe. He had come to a place where he could not take any more suffering. And he cried out (Job 6:4, 8-9) and said, “I have only one request – to die! I’ve had it, God. Cut me off!” Scripture testifies that Job had no known sin in his life. He stood as perfect as any man could be before God. And yet God allowed him to go through such despair that his life became unbearable (Job 7:3-4). Job was in anguish because his problems were unsolvable! He couldn’t reason his way out of them. He was completely at wit’s end.  Tied and ready to give up, but knew quitting was not an option!

I believe I am speaking to a number of Godly people who love Jesus with all their heart – and who are at a point of deep despair! Perhaps like Paul, you are being pressed beyond measure – tested beyond your endurance. Your strength is nearly gone, and you are on the brink of giving up. You see no way out. You want to run, but there is no place to go. So- how do you get out of it? What is the way to victory? All I can tell you is how God continues to bring me out. Five important truths He has given me: One, don’t think you are experiencing some strange, unique battle. On the contrary- you are in good company! Recall Job, Jeremiah, Elijah, David, and Paul – even me, God says. What you are going through is common to believers throughout the centuries (1 Peter 4:12-13). Why it seems that when you give your life to the Lord, all you get is suffering in return. No one, within the church or without, has ever understood how a loving God could allow those who have given their all for Him to go through such times of trouble and despair, but what we do know, is that everything works for the good of those who loves Him. Two, when you think you can’t go on another hour – when everything looks absolutely hopeless – cry out to God with all that is in you, “Lord, help!” {Psalm 55:16-18) (18:1-6) (30:2-3) (72:12.) Three, dive into God’s Word, lay hold of your special promise, take it into your secret prayer closet and hold God to it. (Matt 7:9-11) (Ephesians 3:20)…Take this promise to God every day, saying, “Father, You said, you’ll do above everything I ask. Today I’m asking You to answer my prayer.” Four, trust the Holy Spirit, who abides in you. The Father has sent His Spirit to reside in your heart. But you have to acknowledge the Holy Spirit within you! You’ve got to believe that when you cry out, the Holy Spirit abiding in you will answer. That is the secret, plain and simple: As you face your present hour of sufferings and confusion, turn everything over to the Holy Spirit. Say to Him, “Holy Spirit, You know the way out of this mess. I don’t, it’s completely beyond me. So, I’m resigning, right now. And I give up direction of my life to You. And lastly, five, always know that no matter what, God got you!

Listen; Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David and many more struggled, they fought, but they made it. They won. They kept the faith. They laid aside every weight and sin; and endured until the end. They completed the race. They didn’t just start the marathon, they finished the marathon. We too must finish what God has started in us. We can’t quit now. As Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.” We can’t give up now. Decide to “Live Radical” for God. Trust Him. It is only that you do not understand that heaven has commenced an action in your favor and God is at work in your life. We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. His Word in Ps 30:5 says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” There is hope. Keep trusting God. Keep travailing, keep giving, keep rejoicing, and keep fighting until the victory is won…  Hold on! God will bring His promises to pass. I tell you, there are incentives, promises and rewards to those who do not grow weary in doing good. I tell you, Quitting is not an option!

Start declaring and decreeing that it’s your time! You see, the Bible has much to say about the important role our words play in our lives, and all the more when we are speaking the Word of God over our situation. Speaking out your possession of the Word of God will bring about the desired change! Remembering, God’s Word does not return void and He watches over His Word to perform it (Isaiah 55:11 Jeremiah 1:12).  In other words, it is His job to bring it to pass and your job to release the Word into your life by declaring, decreeing and proclaiming. All we have to do is speak in agreement and He performs it. Reflect back over creation and remember how many times God said, “Let there be!” Obviously speaking has great relevance and power. God has given us an abundance of building blocks in the Word and we can choose to use them or not, to speak life or not. Regardless of which we choose to do, speak life or speak death, the Word is clear. We will eat the fruit produce by our labors, our words. Declare decree and proclaim it’s your time to receive. To God be the Glory!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Whether you know it or not there is a tremendous war raging around us in the Spiritual realm. The battle is on-going. It is not on our terms. We don’t decide when we want to fight or when we want to withdraw. The Bible clearly shows that God will ultimately win the war, but until that time the battle will continue to rage. Prepare for battle for we have been called to war­­—one in which the ultimate stakes hang in the balance. There is effort involved—energy must be expended. The reward—eternal life! You must allow nothing—no entanglements or distractions—to avert your attention.  In order to win this war there are three common enemies that we must face before we go into battle. These mighty foes are in league against us. They are crafty, cunning and lurking about, ready to attack at every opportunity. They seek to confuse and overwhelm us and wear us down. Their ultimate goal is to kill us, to take away eternal life. These three enemies are self, society and Satan. Every ounce of energy and effort must be put forth to gain victory over them.

Our first deadly enemy, self. Our carnal human nature with all of its inordinate lusts. As 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “As long as we are in the flesh, we will have to battle our carnal human nature” because our natural mind is a stronghold against God. It does not want to be conquered; it does not want to submit to the will of God. It is the enemy of God and is even against the very knowledge of God. It wants—and will try—to destroy you! The self wants to do its own thing and think its own thoughts. It will cleverly rationalize all it wants to do. It is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” and seeks only to bring forth the works of the flesh. It wants us to violate God’s Spiritual law, enticing us to sin. By doing this, it can cut us off from God. Unless we successfully wage and win the war against self—it will destroy us!  We must “[cast] down every imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” It is an ongoing battle for control of our mind—a battle that we must win at all costs! Our second deadly enemy, this presents evil age. The society that surrounds us. All it has to offer looks very appealing, alluring and glamorous. It brims over with the latest electronic gadgets, trendy clothing, fast cars, pleasures, thrills, excitement, and on and on. This world appears to be wrapped with everything that glitters and is gold, because it is built upon and motivated by the products of human nature—vanity, lust, greed, etc.— in which we are naturally drawn to it and, if not on guard, caught up in it. Yet, this is what our attitude toward society should be: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” We must carefully examine our ways to see if they conform to God’s ways or the ways of this world. Take this admonishment to heart—your life depends on it! Our third great deadly enemy, Satan the devil. As the “god of this world” and “the prince of the power of the air,” he works in the children of disobedience and injects his attitudes into their unsuspecting minds. What we have to realize and know is that we are not alone in our daily Christian warfare. As a spiritual army, we have the greatest Commander-in-Chief possible—God the Father. He has called us—drafted us—into His army to fight against our three great enemies {self, society, Satan.} He has not left us defenseless, unable to fight against our foes. He has given us the most powerful force in the universe, His Spirit, which is available to us at all times. Our orders come from the “Captain of [our] salvation” and the “Author and Finisher” of our faith—Jesus Christ.  And as our Captain, Christ will lead and help us in battle, and to absolute victory.

Our Armor – like any good battlefield commander, Christ has thoroughly equipped His army with tried and tested battle gear. It is essential that you know what each piece of this armor is and what it is used for, and to never go into battle without it. Neglecting or forgetting any part will leave you exposed and unprotected. Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with Truth. This is a critical piece of the Christians armor. Having our loins “girt” with the truth protects and insulates us from the fiery darts of the devil. Truth must be firmly secured about our waist—attached to it is the breastplate of righteousness and hanging from it is the sword of the Spirit. Losing any part of the truth leaves the breastplate of righteousness loose and allows the sword of the Spirit to fall on the ground. If this happens, we are leaving ourselves exposed to fatal injury. The Breastplate of Righteousness is obedience to God’s commandments which brings automatic blessings and protection from God. The Gospel of Peace is the good news of the soon-coming, world-ruling kingdom of God—to be established when Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords, bringing true and lasting peace to a tired, dying and hopeless world. The gospel provides a solid footing, allowing us to dig our heels in and stand our ground against our enemies.  The Shield of Faith is the faith of Jesus Christ and it is this faith that enables us to conquer and overcome. This faith will see us through the many trials and temptations that Satan throws in our path. It is a defensive weapon that grows ever larger and stronger with diligent use, eventually covering our entire body. The Helmet of Salvation is the knowledge of what salvation is, what it involves, how to achieve it, what it is all about—the purpose of human life. Being armed with this helmet guards us against the blows of the enemy. It protects against the feelings of doubt and depression that Satan desperately wants to inject into our minds, in an all-out effort to cause us to give up. Without the helmet of salvation, we will fail to remember why we were born—and we will also forget what we are fighting for! The Sword of the Spirit is the written Word of God. This is the only offensive weapon a Christian has in fighting the devil and his devices. While it may appear to be the same as being girded with the truth, it is slightly different. Hanging from the truth, all of God’s Word—it is drawn from it, cutting the enemies’ strategies and tactics to pieces. Every soldier of Christ must master the use of this weapon, keeping it firmly in hand. After we have put on the armor of God, Paul’s final instruction to us is to “[Pray] always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit… This is the final thing we must do in the battle against all our enemies. We must draw close to God in persevering, fervent prayer, asking for more of His Spirit, His help and His protection—along with the strength, desire and determination needed to fight each and every battle. If we faithfully, diligently adhere to the commander’s orders, we can and will win the war for His glory. God is rooting for us….Call to Arms!

Lou Coleman

By Lou  Coleman

Do not be deceived! The fact is you cannot have God and the world too! But Satan will tell you that you can. The Devil is a liar! You cannot have it both ways! {Matt. 6:24}. You will either embrace Jesus or you will embrace the world. Besides, if you are really living for Jesus then your commitment to Jesus will be offensive to the world. On the other hand, if you are committed to the world then your lifestyle is offensive to Jesus.  What am I saying?  If you are saved you need to get as far away from the world as you can! {Isa. 52:11}. I tell you if Israel had believed the Devil’s lies they would have never made it to the Promised Land. If you believe the Devil’s lies then you can forget victory, power and the glory of God in your life. Paul warns us: “Do not give the devil a foothold; don’t make it any easier for him!” This statement teaches us that we must give no ground to the devil. The smallest ground, the tiniest foothold, the briefest opportunity is to be zealously guarded against falling into his hand. We will struggle enough with the devil without willingly placing ourselves within his grasp. And make no mistake about – toeing the line of sin to see how close you can get gives ground to the devil and dramatically increases the chances that you will fall into sin. And if you have the feeling that “It can’t happen to me!” you are in danger of falling today! I tell you we are engaged in a fierce, life-defining battle with Satan. He is our “adversary and he has crafted elaborate “wiles” and “devices” to gain ground and win us to his side. Don’t give the devil even a foothold!

According to Jesus if we have ears it is important for us to hear what the Spirit of God is saying. Jesus told the Sardis to do five things to overcome. Slap yourself awake – “Be Watchful! Strengthen Yourself! Remember! Hold Fast! Repent!” {Revelation 3} Listen; if you are to survive you must get out today. Tomorrow may be too late. Wake up and do it now! Satan is determined to destroy your life. Jesus told Peter that Satan had made a request to have “all” the disciples to test the reality of their faith. Satan wanted to tear the heart of God by proving that there was no reality to the faith of the disciples. Satan believed that he could crush them, sift them and that nothing would be left but a lost heart. He had already done this with Judas, and he believed that he could do it to the rest. I tell you we battle a determined enemy. He wants nothing more than to cut the heart of God by sifting your life and mine. He wants to prove that we are phonies. He wants to show God and the world that there is nothing to our professions of faith. He wants to ruin your testimony. He wants to destroy your home. He wants to wreck your influence. He wants to take away everything of value in your life and leave you with nothing but a devastated shell of what you had {1 Pet. 5:8}.  I tell you, if he can get you to believe a false profession, he will. If he can get your eyes off Jesus, he will. If he can drive a wedge between you and the members of your family, he will. If he can drive a wedge between you and the members of your church, he will. He will do everything he can to cut the heart of God and ruin your life. He will use whatever tactic he deems necessary to get you to fall. Remember Satan came to steal, kill and destroy and he will never stop until you fall or you die! The sad thing about it though is that we are living in a day when radical sold out believers are hard to find.  I tell you if the devil gets his way in your life and you succumb to his attacks remember this: No one sins in a vacuum! Your sin doesn’t just affect you, it affects everyone around you! Adam’s fall touched us all – Rom 5:12! David’s sin with Bathsheba, 2 Sam 11 affected him, Bathsheba, their baby, Bathsheba’s husband, and the house of David for years to come!

My friend, God wants to lead you into a life that is Spirit-filled and blessed. The Devil wants to get you to trade the blessings of God for the rubbish of this world. He will offer you every compromise at his disposal to attempt to lead you astray. Don’t do it! Don’t let Satan sift you like Wheat! The Devil is a liar! The Bible tells a story of two brothers named Jacob and Esau. Esau was the oldest and as such, he was entitled to a double portion of his Father’s estate and he was entitled to take over as the head of the family when his father passed away. One day Esau had been out in the field and when he returned home, he was hungry. His brother Jacob was cooking soup. When Esau asked for a bowl of soup, Jacob said, “Let’s make a deal. You give me your birthright and I will give you a bowl of soup.” Only a fool would have made that deal, but Esau did just that and traded away that which was priceless for a bowl of soup. He despised his birthright and paid a terrible price. I’m afraid that many of us are guilty of doing the very same thing! We have heard the Devil say, “Let’s make a deal.” And, we have traded something precious for something worthless. We have left a big part of ourselves in the world. We have traded our testimony for empty promises and wasted years. Well that can be changed today. If you have made a deal with the Devil and if things are not what they ought to be in your heart and life, you need to get that straightened out today. If you will call on the name of Jesus, He will forgive you and cleanse you. He will restore your life. If you have listened to the lies of Satan and have never been to Jesus for salvation, call Him up and tell Him what you want. Do not fall for Satan’s’ tricks and traps. Call on the name of Jesus and He will let you trade in that which the Devil has given you for something more precious than gold. Now is the most opportune time. Keep what you have received and know that there must be a point of turning – a point where you grab the steering wheel and turn it around – a point where you throw the lever that reverses the engine. Repentance is that point. Make up your mind that you’ll go no further on your present course and throw the lever. Repentance is the act – the determination – to change. Wake up! Strengthen what remains! Repent while there is still time to overcome. If you do not, Jesus says, “If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.” I tell you Satan has desired to sift you like Wheat…. Do not let him do it! It’s Just another Trick of the Devil!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Some of you are so bound up by Satan that you think that that is the way of life and it is never going to change. Not only does Satan have control of your life, but he has control of your mind, and he keeps placing these strongholds in your mind and you accept them like a fool! God says he who the Son sets free is free indeed! But some of you are so bound up that it is a wonder that you are even able to move and breathe, and the only reason that you are bound and are suffering is because you are allowing it, thinking you can’t do anything about it. That is a lie from the pit of hell, and Satan is selling you a book of goods and you are buying it hook, line, and sinker. I tell you until you stand up and say “Enough is enough,” Satan and his minions are going to keep right on walking all over you, crushing you and interfering with your life. Stealing, killing and destroying everything you put your hands to.   It does not have to be that way! Don’t allow the devil to have any more control over you! When God sets you free don’t let the devil come back in your life and start setting up the strongholds in your mind that got you in that condition in the first place. To Hell with the Devil!

Don’t you know that Jesus has already delegated authority to use His Name to those who believe in Him. You must exercise that authority or the devil will continue to wreak havoc in your life. Do not be afraid of the devil and his minions. Jesus defeated them and He gave you authority over all of them and He expects you to use it.  {Matt 28:18-19- Phil 2:10- Luke 10:19.} Listen, God told us to resist the devil and he would flee. We must believe and act on God’s Word. Be confident in whom you are and the righteousness you have in Jesus. Do not be a door mate for the devil! Use your authority in Jesus, and fight until you have victory. You have authority over him! Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). What the problem is?

Maybe I should remind you of the story that Jesus told His disciples. Jesus told His disciples how He had seen the fall of Satan in heaven. And there, Jesus said, that Satan’s fall had been “like lightning” (Luke 10:18), when God cast him out. When Jesus told Satan in the wilderness, “Enough is enough” Satan disappeared from Jesus presence too at the speed of lightning. And when we resist Satan in the Name of Jesus today, he will flee from us too at the speed of lighting. I tell you Satan is afraid of the Name of Jesus. He is afraid to be reminded of the fact that Jesus is Lord. Remember, Satan was defeated once and for all by Jesus on the cross. Don’t let him continue to beat you up! Paul said: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witness.” (1 Timothy 6:12) I tell you Paul never lost his fight; he was filled with it to his dying day. And many of our other spiritual fathers died fighting as well. Men like Joshua and Caleb were mighty warriors too the very end! Jacob was our example of how to get back our Fight – and how to prevail with God! When the prophet Hosea wanted to warn Israel about their cowardly spiritual condition, he reminded them of their father Jacob. The crux of his message was, “You’ve become weak, passive. And now the enemy is overwhelming you! You claim to be Jacob’s seed – but I want to show you how far you’ve strayed from his example. I want to show you how Jacob prevailed – how he had power with God!” Jacob was a man greedy for God, hungry for everything God had for him!” He came out of the womb in a fighting mood, greedy for the blessings of God! Right now God is saying, “Come on, and fight!” – Because He loves you! He wants you to claim all His blessings. Rise up in faith and lay hold of His promise, Stand up and fight! You have His Strength – use it! When the enemy comes tormenting you, you must be ready to fight back. Just as David saw Goliath, David said this guy is too big for me to miss with my sling shot, I can take him down, and his carcass will be for the birds to feed on. If that isn’t faith alone in God Almighty then I don’t know what is. David said with the Name of the Lord victory was in sight. You ought to take a positional attitude that says NO to the devil! Give him no room, no chance to influence your life. We are to have an attitude that says NO! The buck stops here! Not even one more inch!” because NO is a way of taking a stand. It is a spiritual stubbornness, a resolve, an attitude that shouts out, “Enough is enough…You’ve gone too far…. That’s it! When you take that stance and do what God requires of you according to 2 Cor 10:4-6, God will show up and take care of your enemy. It is all dependent upon you doing your part to obey and pull down the strongholds and casting down the imaginations. Resolve to settle the matter, once and for all! Don’t let the Devil keep beating you up! To Hell with the Devil!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Listen, there are times in life when we “need” to be warned that we are in a dangerous situation and that we “need” to listen up or face some pretty devastating consequences. God calls each of us to become messengers of His love and truth to each other and to our world. I am just a voice; a mouthpiece for God… Don’t Hate the Messenger! Understand that because our needs are great and varied God has to send messages of encouragement, correction, and direction fitted to us and to our needs through a messenger. Instead of being hateful or take offense we should be grateful and thankful that God loves us so much that He will send a messenger with a message for our mess instead of wrath. You know, God told Ezekiel to tell the people of Judah, “Jerusalem will be destroyed, and you’re staying in Babylon till it happens.” The Israelites had made a mess of their relationship with God. Whether they cared about spiritual matters or not- a close connection with God was the only way for them to avoid an eternity in Hell. So God told Ezekiel, “You go tell them what I said.” Some of us are chosen by God to be a spokesperson for His purposes. We are called to proclaim His Word to His people, to lead them to Christ, to mature them or direct them into God’s Will for their lives. This is not new; He has been using man to declare His message since creation. But today the responsibility is up to us… I choose to be used by God! Just as Jesus was God’s mouthpiece and Moses was Jesus mouthpiece we all have been called to be the mouthpiece of God in the world in which we live. Don’t Hate the Messenger! It may not have looked like the lives of the people of Judah in Babylon were a mess but their relationship with God was a mess. It needed repair or they would have been messed up forever. The thing for us to realize is that in this world we have messages from God and if we have disrespect for anything that has the Mind of Christ in it we do it to the peril of our own souls and the souls of those who we love. I tell you one of the greatest joys of being called to be one of God’s messengers is that I don’t have to worry about what to say; I don’t have to make things up; I don’t have to guess at what people need to hear.  All people need to hear the same thing.  All people need to hear about the mess their lives are without God and all people need to hear the message of the Savior’s life and death so that they won’t ever be without Him.” Don’t Hate the Messenger!

You know, the Apostle Paul was God’s chosen mouthpiece for Divine Revelation concerning the Truth of Christ and the Church. But many of the people at Corinth had said, “You are not an Apostle. You are not from God.” So the Apostle Paul warned them about speaking so about the servants of God. And in the Old Testament times God said to the people of Israel, “Touch not My anointed and do My prophets no harm.” They were God’s mouthpiece. There is a warning here because the Lord defends His servant as His mouthpiece, His witnesses. He always does! In the Book of Numbers, chapter 15, God struck Miriam with leprosy and Aaron with judgment because they spoke against Moses. Not that Moses in himself as a human being was any better than anybody else. The main thing is Moses was God’s mouthpiece. To have disrespect for God’s servant was to have disrespect for God’s message and for the God whom he represented.  The same thing operates today. We know people who have no respect for true servants of God. Well they had better read this chapter and read it very carefully because they are God- called people in the world today who are speaking God messages and they must be heard. The messenger doesn’t matter but the message is everything and the Giver of the message who is God. Careful! You Are Threading on Dangerous Grounds! We may resist people coming in and condemning us in an area that falls short of God’s standard – but does that say more about us than anything. I’m just saying….Don’t Hate the Messenger!

To those who have chosen to allow the Lord to use you as His mouthpiece, as God warned the prophet Ezekiel in regards to his vocation as messenger and mouthpiece of God. God says, “There are no variables when it comes to being His faithful messenger.” Speak the words that God gives. He gives them for a reason and they need to be heard. You may say people may not like you. They may not like what they hear and then they’ll take it out on you.” Don’t worry God replies, “Look if they persist in their sin they will die. They will suffer the eternal death of Hell. I don’t want that to happen which is why I send you to speak My Word to them.  It doesn’t have to end this way.” So as a messenger of God speak the words given. God’s says, “If you don’t tell them what He gives you to say: if you choose to try and play nice and have everybody live under some false pretense of peace they will still suffer the eternal death of Hell only now you will be held accountable for it. But if you are faithful and you do the job God gives you and they reject you thereby rejecting Him also they will die and it will be their own fault. You didn’t send them to Hell. They chose to send themselves to Hell.” Are we clear? You see God’s truth is not dependent on human response. God would not judge Ezekiel for how well others responded to his message but for how faithful he was in presenting it {Ezekiel 3:17}. Listen, it  is your duty as a messenger of God to carry the message whether it is welcomed or not; the consequences of receiving or rejecting the message lie solidly in the hands of those who hear it. The Bible shows us that Ezekiel got it, understood it, as did the faithful men of God who came before and after him. They were hated for it by their fellow man but they were faithful to God and their calling. If you disagree then that’s on you. I’ve done my job. I’m at peace. May God grant you this same peace that surpasses all understanding; a peace that is known and recognized only in the offense of God’s all-redeeming cross.  Now for those of you who may be wondering- did someone say something about her? Well, if they did, it is unbeknown to me. Besides, that ain’t my business, that’s God’s business.  What I want us to understand is that when someone is in covenant with God we have to speak well of them because the hand of God is on their life. Mess around and curse them if you want, they don’t have to raise one finger, God fights for them. You better know that you know… Besides how the Lord’s people ever came to expect one to declare the riches of God’s Word without offending wrong-doers is beyond me. It cannot be done. “Offenders will take offense.” Remember that! “Don’t Hate the Messenger!”

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Many of us don’t understand why things happen in our lives. Often we get discourage, we feel like God has let us down – or so it seems… Some of us in the past have had some very negative things and extremely hurtful things happen to us, leaving us wondering why would a God who is so just, loving, and kind allow such a thing to happen to me. I want you to understand that God has a divine plan. Ultimately He knows what it will take to get us into the place that He would have us. Therefore He allows those unpleasant things to come in our lives because He is just trying to perfect and direct us {1Peter 5:10}.Paul said that “everything that we experience in this life; all the struggles, pain, frustration, heartaches, disappointment, and suffering; that all things work together for the good.”  You see, we don’t know our future, we don’t know how the events that happen in our lives will affect us later. But God knows our beginning as well as our ending. Your end was already set before you began. Let me say that again. Your end was already set before you began. I am reminded of Joseph in the Old Testament of how God was using all the events of his life to get him where He wanted him to be. Joseph went from the pit to the palace. Your end was already set before you began. Do you hear what I’m saying? You got to go through to get though. Joseph had to go through to get through. Besides, all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

Listen, I want you to know that you are not the only one who felt that God had let them down. Jeremiah felt deceived by God. Jeremiah felt that God had lured him into the ministry only to make him a laughingstock. He felt ridiculed and offended. His voice was not making a difference. He was crying out for the people to repent, yet they continued toward destruction and judgment. The people of God in Isaiah’s time felt the same way too. They were worried about the future. Other nations seemed to be dominating and oppressing God’s people in Israel: God’s people began to wonder was God still in control? Can God still be trusted? I want you to know that God spoke to his discouraged and despairing people through the prophet Isaiah. They needed reminding of God’s awesome power. In Isaiah chapter 40, Isaiah said, when you feel weary, remember that God is incomparable as the mighty King over all the creation. He holds the whole world in His hand. You can trust His enthroned, ruling supreme. What a helpful perspective for us when we’re weary knowing that the Lord is still in control. He’s ruling over all with His mighty power. We can look to Him and trust Him.  I tell you Father knows Best! We shouldn’t give in to our doubts that God has left us high and dry. Jeremiah realized that he wasn’t alone {Jeremiah 20:11}. He came to understand that He was not on the losing side. He was going to win because the Lord was with him like a mighty warrior. Often in our discouragement we look inward – to our problems, our frustrations, and our situation – when we need to look upward to a God who has not abandoned us. He is with us.  He is a present-tense God.  Can I tell you that Jeremiah’s despair turned to joy, his defeated attitude turned to triumph, and his dismay to courage.

I tell you, it is  so easy for us to acknowledge that God knows what is best for us when things are going well for us, but as soon as times get tough, it is so tempting to start to question whether God knows what He is doing. I want you to know that a big part of faith is trusting God when you don’t understand it. The God who created you loves you so much that He continuously acts in your life and in your world so that you and I and all persons can have wholeness of life. This is Good News! Everything about our life is calculated; we may not understand it, but it’s because we’re not God. God has a reason; every door that’s closed God had a purpose for it closing. We sing all the time, “Order My Steps in Your Word dear Lord, Lead Me, Guide Me Every Day.” But what I want to know is do we mean what we say?  If we are asking God to order our steps, let’s not try to figure out everything that happens along the way, let’s just trust Him. Right now we can’t see it all clearly, but one day it will come into focus, and we’ll look back and say “Wow, God you are amazing! You had it all figured out, all lined up. You closed the door on purpose so your perfect will would be done.” I tell you don’t’ fight your closed doors. God knows what He’s doing. He can see the big picture for your life. Those closed doors were not an accident that was God directing your steps, just as you asked Him too. Not only that, the reason God closed them is because He has something better in store. If you’ll have this perspective and not only thank God for your open doors but thank Him just as much for your closed doors, you’ll pass the test. You’ll see the exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond future that God has in store. I tell you, God is doing a work in us for His Glory.  Every situation is known by God and is accomplishing something in us all.  Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me you will obey what I command.” God’s will for you and me is that we come to that place in our lives where we learn to depend on Him and trust in Him for everything. This is a hard lesson to learn, but a lesson we must learn well if we are to have a close and meaningful relationship with God.

For me, the truest satisfaction in life comes from being in the perfect will of God, doing His work, living according to His choosing. God’s best is not something to fear, He not only knows what is best for us, but He wants us to have His best!  And one thing that we need to understand; one fundamental truth that is spoken throughout all Scripture: God never explains himself. He rarely gives reasons. What we need to grasp is what faith believes? Faith believes that God is too wise to make a mistake. The God of the universe has a plan for our lives, and He is busy enacting it. But it is not easy to discern. It is often above and beyond us. But I say to you, trust Him without explanation, logic and reasoning. Trust Him because He is God. When I look back over my life and think about all the events in my life up unto the present time, the good as well as the bad, the bitter, and the sweet, I can see how God was working it out and how sometimes “rejection is God’s protection.” Say with me, Father Knows Best and He is working it out for my good.  Amen!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Everywhere you go in life there are warning signs. There are signs along the roadway that point to danger that lies ahead. There are warning signs that our bodies give us from time to time. There are warning signs that our minds send out when there is a problem. Then, there are spiritual warning signs. Times when we slack up in our commitment to the Lord… When we forsake the assembly of the saints… When we don’t pray and when we don’t give as we should. Times when we harbor bitterness and un-forgiveness… We hold onto hurts and have hard feelings toward others. Right now, lights are flashing “Approaching Danger” because there is some stuff that you are walking in that ain’t the way that God has told you to walk. There are some things that you are doing that God hasn’t told you to do. Flirting with sin; messing around in areas where you have no business being…  “Do Not Pass Go… Do Not Collect $200”….This is serious… It could be the difference between life and death!  Take heed to God’s warning or you will suffer the consequences.

Listen, warnings are meant to help, not to harm us.  They are meant to protect us from doing something foolish and harmful in our life. Warnings are an act of God’s grace. Unfortunately though, there are many today who are not good listeners, and they only hear what they want to hear, because just like the opposing Jews of the first century, their hearing is dull and their vision is blurry. I tell you we are remarkably oblivious to the obvious. We can see absolute concrete signs that something is so, and yet, we don’t listen, we don’t believe; we don’t pay attention.  How many people have been killed because they went around a railroad barricade? Lights flashing; bells ring; barricade in the way, nah, those don’t mean anything right. Next thing you know, death has swallowed another one up… Do not ignore the warning signs. Read the writing on the wall and heed God’s warning because “Warning Comes before Destruction!” Do not be like Samson who manifested all the signs of a man who was headed for trouble in his life {Judges 14:1-9} yet, he ignored every one of those signs and traveled ever farther down a road that brought him dishonor, defeat and death.  As Samson took his first steps down the road to ruin, he had no idea where his path would ultimately lead him. He had no idea how bad things would be at the end of the way. Had he heeded God’s warning signs, Samson could have avoided many of the problems he faced later in life. Even Israel, God longed for them to repent. But instead of growing closer to God, they were getting farther away. God had sent His Word, but she had refused to obey. He sent correction, but she only hardened. He invited her to trust Him, but she chose to place her trust in man. He desired for her to return, but she drifted farther and farther away. Don’t do it… Don’t ignore God’s warnings. You know Zephaniah chapter 3 verses 1-7, was written to the backslidden nation of Judah, but they offer some valuable information for us today. When we find ourselves headed in the wrong direction, there is only one intelligent thing to do: Turn- around! The Bible calls that repentance; or changing our direction.  Imagine for a moment how Samson’s life would have been different if he had recognized the warning signs and turned his life toward God. Imagine now what God could do with us if we would simply recognize the warning signs that present themselves in our lives.  If you can see evil desires, disobedience to God’s will and deception in your life, the time to change is now. It may not be too late to avoid catastrophe in your life. You know the starting place is what the rich man in Hell acknowledged, that you must repent of your sins, and change the direction of your life.

True- Story. “Many years ago a young man violated some traffic laws, and was involved in a hit and run traffic accident. He was chased by the police, but made a desperate effort to get away. He attempted to get on the Turnpike at the interchange. And when he saw that the entrance was lined with cars, he went off the entrance drive, around the pay stations, and sped onto the Highway. The police followed the speeding car, and telephoned ahead. Roadblocks were quickly set up in an effort to stop the person from his mad rush to a likely accident. But he was able to dodge the roadblocks, one after another. Sometimes he simply ran them down; other times he crossed the median strip and went into the other lane of traffic, and then turned back again. Finally, in a desperate effort to stop the young man, two huge trucks were placed across all four lanes of traffic. Red flares were set up at intervals several miles ahead, to warn the driver of approaching danger. Everyone was sure this blockade would stop the mad driver, but as he approached the roadblock, he looked in his rearview mirror; he saw the police behind; he looked straight ahead and saw the two trucks, but instead of stopping, he kept moving at one hundred miles per hour, and crashed headlong into the trucks, hurling his soul into an endless eternity. His car went under the trucks, and came out on the other side, a smashed, mangled, twisted bundle of steel…” Listen, just as the policemen did everything within their power to stop the speeding boy and even gave him warning signals ahead, so God is doing everything possible to keep us from continuing on the path that leads to Hell. It is God’s desire that every human being should repent, believe the Gospel, and live a new life of obedience to Jesus Christ, walking daily under the control of the Holy Spirit.

I hope that each of us will keep our eyes and ears open to the warning signs that are given to us in the Bible so that we can live a life that will be acceptable before God and so that our souls will be saved in the end. Let us believe God. Let us see His grace in His warnings concerning His wrath against sin. Let us not deny the truth, but warn people to flee from the wrath to come. Let us make sure that we ourselves have repented and hidden ourselves in Christ alone, so availing ourselves of the one and only escape from God’s wrath, faith in Jesus Christ our sin bearer. Let us make sure we respond to God’s trumpet call of warnings and obey His commandments that we might live. Surely, if anyone who reads this message ends up in the place of outer darkness, you will go there over the love of God, the warnings of God, the cross of Calvary, the prayers of God’s people, and the teaching of the Gospel.  Do Not Pass Go… Do Not Collect $200!