Selfies, Selfish & Selfless! Matthew 16:24-26

Selfies are not wrong or bad! Hey, look at me! They could be called the poster child of selfishness! Selfish seems to dominate American culture! Every group wants attention! They all get up on their soap box! Sin is about selfishness! No sacrifice required! Satan, Adam and Eve thought they could rise above God! Do not be denied God is holding out on you! Jesus said to seek first the Kingdom of God! Would you lose your life for Jesus? Take up your Cross and follow Him! Deny yourself! When you do that you are following Him! Ditch your selfie! His words seem as foreign to our culture as they did back in the 1st Century! To take up your Cross is to live in self-denial and lay your life down and take up His life! You will be exposed to death! For the first time in American history Christians are being executed for their Faith on our home soil. The executed had to carry their own Cross to the execution site after scourging! When you carry your own cross the popular culture will look at you as a criminal. You will undergo suffering, trial, punishment, disapproval and death! The only way to deny self is die to self! Others are more important! No wonder Jesus had so few disciples! Very few sign up and stay on! It is easier to live for you and not for Him because you have to trust your outcome to Him! Faith is taking your destiny out of your control! To follow Jesus means to walk in the same path! It means to be in union on the same road like military soldiers marching down the same path! To lose your life means to destroy it completely with a new identity! Save my life or lose it. The word life used in this scripture means the Spirit or eternal soul. It is more than just the here and now! Self is about the here and now! Gain the whole world and lose your soul? The word soul used here is the same Greek root word used for life! The world will never be able to save your soul. You were purchased with a price! His blood for your soul! Matthew 6:33 To seek first means in time, place and order of importance! Seek His righteousness! That means to seek His innocence and justification! Can we do the math? Then all these things will be added unto you! II Corinthians 5:15 Do you live for yourself? Live for Him! As He was raised He has promised to raise you up from the dead! Live like it! Look for Him and live for Him! Pastor Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.

Guilt and Hope Matthew 11:28

We live in a fallen world! Violence, crime, natural disasters are all around us! From earthquakes, cyclones, floods, fires, pestilences and disease covers the world with tragedy! Wars and rumors of wars! From cop killers to Islamic Jihadist law and order seems like a distant hope? Political failures at home and gains by terrorists seems daunting! Guilt is the product of our fallen world! Guilt drives the Islamist terrorists! They believe the only sure way to get to Heaven is to commit Jihad! Kill themselves and others! How sad! God has a plan to defeat guilt and sin and it lead Him to the Cross! Jesus was raised from the dead for our fallen world! God shed His blood to cover our guilt! To reject God’s blood is to shed man’s blood! Guilt and sin leads to more sin! One sin to cover another! One lie to cover another lie! Bring your guilt to Jesus! Jesus said to come to Him those that labor and are heavy laden! A ship that is heavy laden will sink! Jesus bore your sin on the Cross! A yoke is designed for two oxen! Let Jesus come along side you and carry your load! Do not try to carry too much! God made you to trust Him! Not by your own efforts! Jesus went on to say He would give you rest! Rest means to pause from your own efforts! It means to refresh! That is why God gave us the Sabbath! At Creation God Himself rested from His work on the 7th day! Are you greater than God? Many have tried! The burn out of American families today is the result of not honoring the Sabbath! The 24-7 schedule takes no time for rest in the Sabbath! God not only saves us but he sanctifies us! Philippines 1:6 says we are confident that the good work He has begun in us He will perform in us until the day of Jesus Christ! Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! His purpose within us will continue forever! Why miss out on the peace and joy of Jesus living in you? Pride and the fool says i can make it on my own! No one ever did! That was Satan’s plan! Sorrow and death is his constant companion! Do you want rest and freedom from guilt and shame? Ask Jesus! Humble yourself and ask for help! It is not that hard to do! What is hard to do and impossible is to try to live without Jesus! He will raise you up from your fallen condition! Pastor Oscar Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.

Senior Lives Matter! 2 Samuel 17:27-29

Who was Barzillai? It is a name you might expect coming out of a Tarzan movie? It is a Hebrew name meaning steel or iron. Barzillai was the iron man of Gilead located in southern Israel. He was one of three men who helped King David flee his son Absalom who was trying to take the throne by force! David and his men were in the wilderness and needed provisions to survive! Barzillai was 80 years old when he rendered assistance to King David! He did so at great risks for if Absalom had won he would have executed Barzillai! D.L. Moody once said our Faith can only be exercised in the darkness! If you are a Christian waiting around for a Utopia to come so you can safely proclaim Jesus name it will never happen! Remember in scripture that after the thousand year rein with Christ Satan will be loosed for a season on the earth! Why? Maybe the Saints got a little to fat and lazy and their Faith went to sleep? Barzillai was a man of invincible charm! He had a son named Chimham. Barzillai was a highland chief who was wealthy, loyal, courteous, passionate and respected the King! He used his wealth to help others not to fill his own pockets! King David rewarded Barzillai by inviting him to live with him in the Palace at Jerusalem! He declined telling David he was an old man and he wanted to live his life where he was born and to be buried beside his father and mother. He was even loyal to his deceased parents! Where can you find such loyalty in the earth? However he did refer the invitation to others including his son. When it comes to doing good we must do all we can while we can as you can for God! King David on his death bed told his son Solomon the new King to be good to the descendants of Brazillai! Remember God has invited you to His Palace! Jesus said he has gone to prepare a place for you! He will take you home to be with Him forever! If you have already accepted His invitation then refer the invite to others! Thankyou. Pastor Oscar Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia