...

Logo Design by FlamingText.com

REACHING THE WORLD FOR JESUS

May God bless the Pastors and Bible Teachers all over the world, we thank God that Sermons to the World is now reaching 156 countries and all 50 States and The District of Columbia in the U.S.

Reaching the unseen

Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Matt 28:19

MISSION

Mission: To be a resource to Pastors and Bible teachers in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. – Sermons to the World

VISION STATEMENT

Vision: To reach the world on the internet to fulfill the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 – “to go into all the world and teach all nations”.

Bible Verse

"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household." Acts 16:31

Friday, November 15, 2013

Don't Walk Away From Your Blessing


Don’t Walk Away From Your Blessing
By Pastor Mark Taylor
“And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean." But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' "Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.” (2 Kings 5:10-12 NKJV)
God does not always show us how He is going to bless us.  The information given to Naaman about Elisha's power to heal his leprosy was given to him be a little maid that waited on his wife.  "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  When you are praying for a blessing, do not under estimate the advice or suggestions that is given to you.  God might use something you read or hear that you were not expecting.  You may attend a Sunday evening or Wednesday night service and the Holy Spirit might give you the wisdom you need to receive the blessing you have been praying about.
God does not always use the same method to accomplish His goals and bring blessings to those who ask.  In Naaman’s situation, Elisha did not even go out to meet him but sent his servant to tell him what to do.  This upset Naaman and almost cost him his healing.  This is what he wanted Elisha to do:  “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:11).  When you receive Godly counsel, you may be told that you have to stop doing some things you are doing or start doing some things you are not doing to receive God’s blessings.  
Pride will keep you from receiving God’s blessings.  “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18).  “For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:16-17). Proud men are the worst enemies to themselves and keep themselves from receiving the blessings of God.
You are more likely to find God’s blessing when you are in God’s territory and with God’s people.   Jordan belonged to Israel's God, from whom he was to expect the cure, and not from the gods of Damascus or their rivers.  It watered the Lord's land, the holy land, and in it held a miraculous cure. The relation of the river to God was much more considerable than the depth of the channel or the beauty of the stream. That Jordan had more than once before this obeyed the commands of omnipotence.  “I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." (Psalms 122:1).
After taking the advice of his servants, Naaman yielded to make this exercise not one of faith, but of an experiment. He received his blessing and healing because he obeyed the Word of God.  Elisha told him to wash or dip himself in the Jordan seven times and he did it. “So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:14).  God will always honor His Word.  “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.” (Psalms 119:89-90).  “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” (Psalms 119:160).  “It is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18).  
When Naaman received his blessing he gave God glory and praise.  Of the ten lepers that our Saviour cleansed, the only one that returned to give thanks was a Samaritan.  “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? (Luke 17:15-17)   This Syrian did so, and here expresses himself.  Convinced of the power of the God of Israel he said: “And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, "Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant." (2 Kings 5:15).  Can’t we as God’s children give Him praise and honor when He answers our prayers.  “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalms 107:8).


Don’t get angry at God or His Word when your blessing is delayed or not exactly what you wanted.  If Naaman had not turned back to the man of God and obeyed God’s Word, He would have died a leper instead of a great military leader.  Many people have walked away from God’s blessings when they were so close to getting them.  “Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." (Acts 26:28).  Almost is not good enough when you are dealing with God.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

LET YOUR WANTS EQUAL YOUR HAVES



Let Your Wants Equal Your Haves
by Pastor Mark Taylor

“For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11)

Did you know you are rich if you decide to be rich?  You can be rich when your “wants” and your “haves” are equal.  If you have a million dollars, but you want two million dollars, you are not rich.  If you want five dollars, and someone gives you ten dollars, you are rich.  If your cup is half full, you are rich.  If your cup is half empty, you feel you are not rich.  That is up to you!!  “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6).

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4).  This verse is not saying that He will give you what you want, but “He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  This is saying He will give you what to want.  If you have everything you want, then you will be content.  But if you want things you cannot have, you will never be content.
So the Lord wants to give you the right “wants”.

We are made to have control over our wants.  We have a free will and we have the ability to choose what to want and what not to want.  I am rich because God has given me my “wants” and I have chosen to be content with them.  Some great principles to keep your “wants” equal to your “haves” is: 

1.  Look at what you have today. Think about others who have less.  Do you have your health, friends, a relationship with the Lord?  Then you are rich.  I have good health, good friends, a great church, a wonderful wife, three healthy children, the Lord in my heart, and enough food to eat today.

2.  Want no more than you have.  That does not mean you don’t plan for the future, it means be satisfied with what you have right now, today.  I have a church with 100 members.  I don’t want a church with 200 members, today.
I wouldn’t be able to minister to that many people right now.  I have a house with 1274 sq ft.  I don’t need a house with 3000 sq ft so why want one.

3.  Look at what you can have some day.  Plan for it, work for it, save for it, and pray for it.  But don’t let your wants for tomorrow make you unhappy today.  Think about why you want it.  Do you really want it or are you trying to impress someone else?  That is the wrong reason and when you do get it, you will not be happy.  There is an old saying: “Be careful what you want, because you might get it”.

4.  Decide to want it when you can have it.  Don’t make something a “want” until you can have it.  When you can have a new car, then “want” it.  When you can have a better job, then “want” it.  If you keep feeling bad about what you don’t have, you will never be happy about what you do have today.

5.  Don’t want it now.  Want it later.  Don’t use up your life to quickly.
Sometimes we give our children and teenagers everything they want, right now.  They don’t have anything to look forward to when they get older. I waited until I was 61 years old to buy myself and my wife a new car that we wanted. We waited to help our children and gave most of our time and money to the ministry, and then the Lord gave us both the “want” and the finances to have what we have today. There are still some things I want to do because I am waiting on the right time and waiting on the Lord to give them to me.

The Lord has always kept me happy and content.  “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20).  I keep my wants equal to my haves by thinking about Heaven.  “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
(Colossians 3:1-2).  Ask the Lord to give you a heart for Heaven and for people.  Then you can really mean this: ““For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11).


Remember what really matters is people in our lives, and the life to come and how we prepare for it. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (1 Timothy 6:7-9).