"The Time of Life"

"The Time Of Life"

The Lord and two angels appeared at Abraham's tent door; Abraham ran and dressed meat to give sustenance to them.  They asked Abraham, "Where is Sarah thy wife?  And he (Abraham) said, Behold, in the tent.  "And he said I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah, thy wife shall have a son."  Sarah heard and laughed, saying, "After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"  Sarah was past childbearing years, being 90, and Abraham was 100.  And it came to pass that "according to the time of life," Sarah became pregnant with Isaac.  It's not over until GOD says it's over!  There was a "time of life," a new birth, a restoration, a beginning of new things for Sarah  ...  and guess what?  YOUR "time of life" is coming!

                                             

                                               "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the

     the cankerworm and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm ..."

(Joel 2:25)

     

      (Nathan the Prophet, with David, after he

      committed adultery with Bathsheba)

      "Thou art the man!"

The Prophet revealed David's sin through an intricate story of how a poor man had a precious ewe lamb and a rich man took it and killed it to feed a traveler, instead of taking from his own herd.  David became furious, saying "that" man should surely die.  Nathan looked him in the eye, as only a Prophet can do, and said, "thou art the man."  (The story Nathan told was an allegory of David seeing Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop, desiring her, and taking her.  Then, to cover his sin, he sent Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, who loved her dearly, to the battlefront to be killed, so he could have Bathsheba for himself and to cover up the fact that she was pregnant with David's baby.)  {Behold the Prophets of the Lord; God "reveals" to them!}  David hung his head in shame and said, "I have sinned against the Lord."  Nathan said to David, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die."  After this, David, in his utter state of repentance, wrote the beautiful Psalm 51:

                             

                                               

                      "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according

                                                       to your great compassion blot out my transgressions."

David's time of life came and he was restored.  All through the Bible, people were forgiven, restored, resurrected; "the time of life" came to give them a rebirth, a second chance, and a reason to lift their heads once again.

Job restored!

Job's trial of losing all of his children, all of his cattle, all of his servants, all of his wealth, and his very health, came to a hideous culmination when his wife said, "curse God and die."  But, Job never charged God foolishly for his unbelievable torments.  His trial lasted nine months, and then he came to "his time of life."  However, this was only after the Lord asked him a few definitive questions like, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"  Job was sufficiently convinced that God "knows" what He's doing and He "knows what He's talkin' about!"  "After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10)

Life really doesn't begin until one is born again; before that, we are all just existing.  But, when we repent, we are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, and we receive the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues as the Spirit of the Lord enters our bodies, we begin "LIFE!"  

What about you?  Do you want back what the "cankerworm" stole?  You gotta' have some fight!  Say a few things like, "I ain't no ways tired; I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me!"  And, hey, don't laugh when God says you're gonna' have a baby!  Everybody has to have a "new birth," a new beginning, a new creative moment  ...  Rise from the dust, weary one!  It's time to throw off the grave clothes, and proclaim YOUR "Time Of Life!"

Lazarus!

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

When God Writes ... RUN!

When God Writes  ...  RUN!

The Pharisees brought a woman, who was caught in the very act of adultery, to Jesus and they said to him that the law requires that she be stoned, and they said "What do you say?"  And Jesus stooped and wrote on the ground.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."  (John 8:7) 
"And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground."  (John 8:8)  At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there."  (John 8:9)  The Pharisees did the only thing they could do, because "When God Writes  ...  RUN!"

"When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the

woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine

accusers?  Hath no man condemned thee?"

(John 8:10)

The woman told Jesus No, no one was there to condemn her, and Jesus told her, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."  What did Jesus write on the ground?  The Sins of the Pharisees!  Each one who was ready to stone this woman saw that Jesus was writing his name in the dirt, and beside it, "his own sins!"  No wonder they ran!  Never had they known one who knew all about them and their own personal secrets.  When their own sins were revealed and written down for all to see, the destruction and stoning of this woman suddenly was of no importance.  It's interesting, isn't it, that these "stoners" didn't fall on their knees and repent  ...  they ran  ...  I guess that's what some do when they're caught red-handed!

There's only one reason the Pharisees dropped their stones and made their quick departure  ... PRIDE!  It's an age old problem, and we all have to "swallow" it from time to time.  And, this is the reason some will not come to the Lord Jesus Christ.  It's really sad, because the Lord would have forgiven the Pharisees just as He forgave the adulterous woman.  Some find it hard to say those three little words, I am sorry; please forgive me; I was wrong; have mercy, Lord; cleanse me now;  need Your Spirit; I need You; I'll be baptized; I'll turn around; I'm Yours, Lord  ... just three little words make all the difference!  And here's three more to add to the list:  JESUS Loves YOU!  

We've all been there  ... in need of the Master's touch!  The Lord came not to condemn, but to save, not to destroy, but to make alive, not to step on, but to raise up to newness of life!  He gives Joy, peace, and love; He wants to fill you with His Spirit and give you a reason to live. 

Maybe you're reading this, and you feel you have no reason to live; you've tried everything to dull your pain, but nothing works; you feel empty, alone, without hope, and you don't see a way out, except to die.  STOP!  Turn it all over to the Lord Jesus Christ right now.  Ask Him to forgive you of all of your sins, cover you in His blood, and fill you with His spirit.  Tell Him you will be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.  Just try it!  I promise you; He will give you a new look at everything you're facing.  Your life has always belonged to Him; let Him take it and make it brand new!  He is waiting for your call; just call His name, JESUS!  He's as close as the whisper of His name, and HE LOVES YOU!

The only reason Jesus wrote on the ground was to save a life.  His desire was to save all of them, but He knew the hearts of the Pharisees.  They were trying to trick Him with a twisted question.  But, Jesus Christ is the Great I AM; He knows how to get rid of stones;  He IS before the Pharisees were, and He WAS before they ever thought a thought, and He IS coming back to stand them before Him once again  ... they'll have no stones then  ... they'll bow on their knees and cry Holy!

Four little words, with a significant two, for all of us to remember now and for evermore: "When God Writes  ...  RUN ... TO HIM!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

"Eternal Truth"

"Eternal Truth"

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PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

"Eyes Of The Beholder"

"Eyes Of the Beholder"

"He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  The Lord Jesus Christ sees you well and whole!  He spent most of His ministry going about healing, raising the dead, and opening blinded eyes and deaf ears.  What does He see when He sees You?  He sees you "perfect;" that means "whole" or complete.  He beholds you in the likeness of Him, "in earth as it is in heaven," glorious in the "Eyes Of The Beholder."   

YOU are beautiful!  There is One who looks upon you and sees an intricate tapestry, a finished work, a vessel of honor, one that needs not be ashamed, and a human clothed in beauty.  It is the vision manifested in the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, "For

thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now 

hast is not thy husband ..."  (John 4:18)  

The Samaritan woman replied to Jesus that she perceived He was a prophet, because He knew everything about her without her telling Him.  He goes on to tell her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them, will never be thirsty.  The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."  

(John 4:6-23)  The Lord was not condemning her; He was letting her know who He was, because she said, "I know that Messiah is coming.  When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us."  Jesus said, "I am the one."  Jesus saw what she "could" become, but He loved her as she was.  He "beheld" a soul filled with living water, and this spake He of the Holy Ghost that was to come.

"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an

expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet

and wiped his feet with her hair.  And the house

was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."

(John 12:3)

Christians, you are precious in His sight!  Mary was criticized for "wasting" such an expensive perfume, but the Lord rebuked them, stating she had done this to prepare Him for His burial.  What You do for God is honored by Him; He sees all; He knows all.  Your beautiful offerings are a treasured perfume in the eyes of Almighty God, Jesus Christ the Righteous.  The sleepless nights you luxuriously bathe Him with your wanton weary falling tears, praying through the starlit lonely darkness, lost in your searching melodies of midnight and early morning worship, your whispers of sweet nothings in the ears of your Creator, and your strains of love songs of concocted scented phrases  ...  He hears; He breathes it in as a sweet welcomed incense  ...  and He beholds  ...

What does Jesus Christ see in you?  You say, "I don't think He sees anything He can be proud of."  So, change it  ...  right now, today!  Pray with me, won't you, "Lord Jesus, I've done things I'm not proud of and I'm sorry.  Please forgive me of my sins and fill me with Your Spirit.  Cover me with Your blood.  I will be baptized in Your name, and I will be a witness for You all the days of my life.  I've always had these dreams of what I wish I could be.  I believe You can make all things beautiful; please make me beautiful in Your sight, I pray."  Amen and Amen!

The world is viewed as the New Jerusalem; the sins are covered by His blood; the earth studies war no more; He rides on a white horse with Saints following after; the knees have bowed; the Spirit has been poured out on all flesh; satan is cast down; and evil is plundered and destroyed; the righteous are reigning with Him forever and He will never be crucified again  ... It Is Finished! 

That's THE WAY IT IS in the  ... "Eyes Of The Beholder!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

Water Walkers!

Water Walkers!

"LORD, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."  (Matthew 14:28)  Hey, we shouldn't be so hard on Peter; after all, would WE have even gotten out of the boat?  You say, "Yeah, but Peter sunk!"  Yeah, but first, he walked on the water  ... until he doubted.  What does the world need?  More "tongue talkers," more Jesus name baptizers," more "Water Walkers!"

"Come," he said.  Then Peter got down out of

the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid;

and beginning to sink, he cried, saying Lord, save me.

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and

caught him, and said unto him, "O thou of little faith,

wherefore didst thou doubt."

(Matthew 14:29-31)

It's those pesky doubts that get us into trouble every time!   But, we've gotta' hand it to Peter; he did it!  Oh, he sank, but before that, he walked on the water!  What could we do if we did not doubt?  The natural man realizes by the laws of physics, we can't walk on water, but the Lord Jesus Christ invented "physics!"  If He says "Walk" or "Go" or "Stand" or "See" or Hear" or "Breathe" or "Come Forth"  ...  it happens!  The "Water Walker" has all power, all dominion, all Wisdom and  ...  He's "All That!"  

"But when he asks, he must believe and

not doubt, because he who doubts is like

a wave of the sea, blown and tossed

   by the wind."

(James 1:6)

It's interesting to note that Peter was asking the Lord to "tell him" to do the impossible.  It would be like us saying, "Lord, tell me to heal that person's cancer," or Lord, tell me to make that one in the wheelchair walk," or "Lord, tell me to heal that man's deafness."  What we need to remember is that the Lord didn't hesitate; in essence, He said, "Do It;"  He said, "Come!"  O, "we" of little faith;   ...  "water walkers" always get out of the boat!

Peter Sank!

As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was water walkin', but as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus and eyed the stormy tumultuous waves, he sank.  We could weather a lot more storms with grace, if we just kept our eyes on Jesus Christ.  Trouble at work?  Trouble with your finances?  Trouble with your marriage?  Troubles all around?  Troubles with "real" tornados, hurricanes and storms destroying your home and you're left with nothing?  You're still here, aren't you?  You say, "You don't know what it's like to lose everything!"  Oh, but I do.  I've lost homes, husband, furniture, been without a job for almost a year, everything, even had to go through Grand Jury trials to convict someone for evil done to my family.  Through it all, as the song says, I've learned to trust in Jesus; I've learned to trust in Him!  I wasn't always full of faith and "walking on the water;" but I made it, with Jesus Christ carrying me; He'll carry you too!

Do you know what we need?  "Spitherinktum!"  You say, "That's not a word!"  You're right; I made it up, but that's what "Water Walkers" do!  They "walk" out of the norm!  They heal diseases; they kick the devil in the teeth and dance in demon blood; they rebuke the winds in the name of Jesus; they raise the lame; they unstop deaf ears; they cast out devils; they "Walk ON Water!"

"And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13)  Do we believe the Word of God, or not?  Does the Lord Jesus Christ mean what He says or not? 

Are we "Water Walkers?"  ...  or not  ....

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

Sweet Talkin' Evil

"Sweet Talkin' Evil"

"You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?  For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."   (Matthew 12:34)  Our Lord Jesus Christ "cuts to the chase," doesn't He?  Jesus gets right to the "heart" of the matter.  When what someone says doesn't line up with "their fruits," Beware!  It's just "Sweet Talkin' Evil."

"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and

his lips promote instruction."

(Proverbs 16:23)

Have you run across people who say they just can't stop cursing?  It's a heart problem!  "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks;" they have a heart problem.  The Bible says that the heart is desperately wicked, "who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)  You've heard people say, "if I know my own heart..."  Wrong!  We don't know our own hearts; none of us do.  Our prayers should include, "Lord, give me a pure heart; cleanse it of all unrighteousness.  Let the words of my mouth be pleasing unto You."

"The good man brings good things out of the

good stored up in him, and the evil man brings

evil things out of the evil stored up in him."

(Matthew 12:35)

Why is this important?  We must guard our hearts; whatever goes in will come out of the mouth.  We can be deceived by smooth-tongued, double-minded, take you for a cleaning, types of people.  Not only can they rob us of our assets, but they amass a following that can lead us into a ditch, if we are not "wise" and very careful.  Herein, brings up THE most valuable point:  If you see someone performing miracles, signs, and wonders, find out the answer to this question, "What is their doctrine?"  I Timothy 4:13, "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."  Anyone you run across who says "Doctrine" is not important, turn and RUN!  What we believe, the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, His death, burial and resurrection, repentance, baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38; Acts 10; Acts 19), are the cornerstone of our faith and salvation.  They are the "Truth;" we must bind Truth around our necks and write it on the tablets of our hearts, (Proverbs 3:3) so that we will not believe a lie and be damned. (2 Thessalonians 2:12)

"The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His

heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of

man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil

from childhood.  And never again will I destroy all

living creatures, as I have done."

(Genesis 8:21)

We were all born in sin and shapen in iniquity; we need a Savior!  Only Jesus Christ our Lord can take a heart and make it new, cleanse it, wash it, and give us a new "Talk," and a new "Walk."  You say, "OK, but if I need doctrine to give me salvation and a pure heart; how do I know the Bible is true?"  Just "one" proof that the Bible is true is: Have you seen a rainbow lately?  Almighty God said, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." (Genesis 9:13)  This is God's promise that He will not destroy the earth by flood again and the rainbow is the "sign" to us; every time you see a rainbow, rejoice!  God keeps His promises! 

The Word says to "Endure to the end."  None of us are perfect, but if we try to live a repentant and Holy life; if we serve the Lord Jesus Christ with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength, pray, fast, read the Holy Bible, and become His witnesses to everyone we see; we have the tools we need to "guard" us from evil.  That's what it's all about  ...  staying away from "Sweet Talkin' Evil" and that brings our "hearts"  just a little bit closer to Heaven!

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

           

"Spent For YOU"

"Spent For YOU"

"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." (2 Corinthians 12:15)  The Apostle Paul said these words, and "spent" for the cause and the people of Christ Jesus, he was!

"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up

in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's

afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

(Colossians 1:24)

Paul and Silas were in prison "singing!"  Oh that we have that kind of faith  ... and he said he rejoiced in his sufferings for the people he served, the church Jesus died for, the souls of God's pasture.  Paul "spent" all he had for the church, not money as such, but he gave his own body; he spent himself that others could be saved.  

In my life, God has taken me through trials, and it seems the same "trial" kept coming up over the years.  When I would ask "why" I had to go through it; the Lord finally replied to me, "I wanted to see if you could prefer your brother."  Romans 12:10 says, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."  I've been enduring a very long trial of late, and a few days ago, the Lord said to me, "Now you know what it means to prefer your brother." 

Paul, being stoned

The Apostle Paul learned well the example of our Lord and His sufferings.  Jesus Christ our Lord was "spent" for you and me.  He gave all he had, His life, His blood, His flesh, His dignity on the cross, and He gave it all willingly for the cause of mankind.  There is only One God who did that, and His name is Jesus Christ.  It should have been me and you on that cross, but Jesus Christ "preferred us" and took it upon himself to die that we might live eternally with Him.  It is a little thing for us to "obey" the Word, Acts 2:38, and be baptized in His name and filled with His Spirit, when we consider what He did for us.

Paul, escaping from Damascus

The Apostle Paul spent his life preaching, running, healing, running, teaching, running, exhorting, running, and then being imprisoned  ...  Paul said, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give unto thee, rise up and walk."  There he goes again, that Paul, "spending" again!  He spent with his body, and then he spent with "gifts" of the Spirit  ... he gave all he had.

Are we "spending" enough?  Are we preferring, going the second mile; would we go to prison for the cause of Jesus Christ our Lord?  They have, and are, in prison now in many foreign countries for the greatest cause of all.  We don't know what all we will have to face before the Rapture of the Church, but it's time we all go on an extravagant, wild, no holding back, frivolous to some, "spending spree."  After all, our Lord Jesus Christ says every moment of every day to each and every one of us  ... I was "Spent" For YOU!

                                                        

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com. 

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

Grace's Door

Grace's Door

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  (Hebrews 4:15-16)  There's only one way to receive mercy; You have to go through "Grace's Door!"

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation

for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and

worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright,

and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our

blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great

God and Savior Jesus Christ."  (Titus 2:11-13)

The door to Grace is Jesus Christ our Lord!  It is a door of Glory, illumination, power, love, and a sound mind.  The world could use some sound minds today, couldn't it?  What's happening?  Why are people "losing it"  and hurting multitudes of strangers for no apparent reason?  They need Grace's Door; they need the Lord Jesus Christ; they need peace; they need the ONE who has all power to calm "the savage beast" and apply Grace to their tormented souls!  We all need it  ...  and we all attain it One way!  John 14:6 states, Jesus answered, "I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father (or eternal Spirit) except through me."

"For the law was given through Moses; grace

and truth came through Jesus Christ."

(John 1:17)

The law of Moses came from God, and through him it was given to the Jews.  Clarke's commentary says it like this, "It was a law of shadows types and figures, and incapable of expiating sin by its sacrifices.  But Christ has brought that grace which is opposed to condemnation: and he is himself the spirit and substance of all those shadows."  In other words, the old testament only covered sins for a period of time, with the sacrifices of animals, but Jesus Christ became the "lamb" slain for the world, and His sacrifice "erased" sin forever.  When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins, He does just that and He remembers them no more! 

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion - behold thy king

cometh unto thee; he is just and haviung salvation: he

is possessed of all power to enrich, strengthen, teach,

enlarge, and raise to glory and happiness, them who

trust in him."  (Clarke's explanation of Zechariah 9:9)

There's a whole lot behind Grace's Door!  Once you walk through it, you'll never be the same; you'll walk different, talk different, think different, work different; your friends and neighbors will look different; your nation will appear different, and your view of the world will be lovingly different!  Why?  Because, the Lord Jesus Christ makes the difference! 

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling

among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of

the One and Only, who came from the Father,

full of grace and truth."

(John 1:14)

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Door and way to heaven.  Gill's exposition of the Bible says it beautifully: "He is the true God (speaking of Jesus Christ) and eternal life; truly and really man, as a prophet he taught the way of God in truth; as a priest, he is a faithful as well as merciful one; and as a King, just and true are all his ways and administrations: he is the sum and substance of all the truths of the Gospel; they are all full of him, and centre in him; and he is the truth of all the types and shadows, promises and prophecies of the Old Testament."  You wanna' know the bottom line?  He said "I AM,"  ... and  ...  HE IS!  

Why don't you try it?  Please pray this prayer with me:  Lord Jesus, please forgive me of all of my sins, everything I've ever done in my life to displease you.  I come as I am; I've made a mess of my life.  Give me Your mercy and grace; I want to feel Your love, Your forgiveness, and Your peace.  I will be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of all of my sins.  Please fill me with Your Spirit, and I will speak in a language I have never learned as Your Spirit enters my body.  Thank You for Your Grace; I will turn around and walk a different way; lead me and guide me; I turn my back on sin and evil.  I will read Your Word and I will be a witness for You all of my days.  Amen!

God Bless You, dear and precious one of God!  Please don't hesitate to contact promiselandchurch.net for materials to help you and you can also look up theexperience238.com.  It is wonderful, and it will explain all about being filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Welcome to Your new life in Jesus Christ our Lord!  All you had to do was walk through Grace's Door!

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)