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

By Lou Coleman

Love will make you do some crazy things, but honey child, I want you to know that Faith will call you to do some craazzzy things. Faith will call you to believe the impossible is possible! Faith will call you to believe that after all the hell you have gone through and are going through, the best is yet to come! Faith will call you to risk it all, to dare to do the most audacious, most extreme things imaginable! Faith will have people calling you crazy, saying, you’ve lost your mind! The King James Version of the Bible translates the concern of Jesus’ family for him in these words: “He is beside himself.” The old J.B. Phillips New Testament translates it, “People were saying, ‘He must be mad!’” The 1995 Contemporary English Version, said, “When Jesus’ family heard what he was doing, they thought he was crazy and went to get him under control” [Mark 3:19-21].  Imagine that! Jesus considered… Crazy! Gone Mad! Beside Himself!

You might as well come to terms with it today; when you are sold out to Jesus, not everyone will be happy that you got saved! There will be some people in your family and among your friends that will criticize you for living for Jesus. They will call you a Jesus freak, religious nut, holier than thou, think you better than everybody else, all that and more. Well, ‘Don’t Worry- Be Happy’ because being crazy, and being beside ourselves, God no longer calls us servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, He calls us friends, for everything that He learned from His Father He has made known to us [John 15:15]. And those who would follow him, those who would be his disciples, those who would live as and be the people of the Way, are called and summoned and challenged to be just as crazy as Jesus. I tell you we need some Christians who are as crazy as the Lord. Crazy enough to love like Jesus, to give like Jesus, to forgive like Jesus, to do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God — like Jesus.  So for those of us who would follow him, those of us who would be his disciples, and for those of us who would live as and be the people of the Way, it might come as a shock, but we are called to craziness.

So to the crazy ones like me; The misfits; The rebels; The troublemakers; The ones who see things differently; They can quote us, disagree with us, glorify or vilify us; but what they can’t do is ignore us; because we change things. We push the human race forward. We understand that we are not called to just reasonable faith; we are called to “Radical Faith” in God! The woman with the issue of blood is a good example. (Mark 5:25-34). She said, “If only I could touch the hem of his garment. I will be made whole.” Radical Faith! When the four men (Mark Chapter 2) cared enough about their paralyzed friend to bring him to Jesus, remove the roof tiles so they could lower him down to where Jesus was teaching… faith enough to believe that if they took desperate measures on behalf of their friend THE IMPOSSIBLE WOULD HAPPEN; and, it did! The man received a double miracle – the salvation of his soul and the gift of full deliverance from paralysis. He took up his bed and walked home. Desperate needs demand desperate faith. I want you to know that Biblical Faith is a powerful weapon. Mountains yield to its power. Sin, Satan and sorrow bow before its authority.

I tell you, we need some crazy Christians. Sane, sanitized Christianity is killing us.  We need some crazy Christians like Mary Magdalene. Christian’s crazy enough to believe that God is real and that Jesus lives. Crazy enough to follow the radical way of the Gospel! Crazy enough to believe that the love of God is greater than all the powers of evil and death!  Know that it is ONLY BY FAITH that enables God to work on our behalf. It is ONLY BY FAITH that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8). It is ONLY BY FAITH that all things happen in the life for the child of God. “Radical Faith” – “Real Faith”— “Gone Mad Faith” – “Beside Yourself Faith” – “Bull Dog Faith,” affecting the way you talk to the way you walk. Faith that turns you into a dare devil!  Follow after it and live in it! Walk the walk that you talk! It is a choice and the choice is yours! Take it on… Faith the greatest of God’s gifts to His children!  “Y’all gon’ make me lose my mind up in here, up in here…!”

[1 Cor. 1:27] God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong!

By Lou Coleman

Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” [Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15] What part of that do you not understand? Running around like a chicken with your head cut-off!  What’s wrong with you? You are threading on dangerous grounds! Make up your mind! God wants wholehearted dedication or nothing! I tell you, in our foolishness we prove what we treasure the most; delight in the most; and what we desire more than anything. We gather and gather but we become more and more foolish. Time out for foolishness!

Listen, God is NOT SLACK! We MUST understand that! He WILL PERFORM His good work, and WILL bring His Word to pass! And He says that He does not want ANY of us to perish, but that we should ALL come to REPENTANCE! “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise men, redeeming the time…” [Ephesians 5:16]. The good news for us is that God just didn’t let his people go into sin [2 Chronicles 36:15] He sent messenger after messenger, prophet after prophet, judge after judge, king after king—to warn them. And He is still sending warnings. Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying. Warning comes before destruction!

You know, I believe that our world has just about reached the limit of God’s mercy and forbearance. Man’s pride and arrogance, his greed and selfishness, his violence and brutality have reached a level which is intolerable. Surely, the end must come soon. God, of course, will not destroy this world without first warning us of the impending doom, which most of us will ignore the warnings, just as they did in Noah’s time. Noah preached to the people for 120 years, trying to warn them of what was going to happen, but none would listen. They mocked and ridiculed as he gave the warning that rain would fall to such an extent that the whole world would be flooded. They laughed and insulted as he constructed the ark which carried him and his family safely through the flood. The people would not believe Noah because it had never rained on the earth before. Rain was an utter impossibility, they said; and the people continued the evil and violence so detestable to God. I want you to know that the decisions you make in this life will have consequences later. I want you to know that the decisions you make in this life will affect not only you but others close to us.

One thing that Joshua wanted to make clear [Joshua 24] to the people of God; there was no room for compromise or divided loyalties!  The Israelites could serve the Lord or they could choose to serve the false gods of Mesopotamia or Canaan; but they couldn’t do both!  Joshua said to the people, “If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.” Joshua’s message had come from a God who could see in their tents the various idols that they were already keeping in their possession; but in addition He could see into their hearts and know that they were “inclined” in another direction.  Thus they needed the call not only to choose, but a call to commit. Joshua urged them to declare their choice by making anew their covenant with God to serve Him only.  Joshua’s challenge is still a valid one [Joshua 24:14-28]. You need to make up your mind! Choose this day Whom you will serve! You say you want to go to heaven; but you want to live like the world. You can’t do both! Understand that continued faith in God would bring abundant blessings from Him; but rejection of God would bring all the harsh consequences of punishment God has already decreed (Matthew 25:46).

I want you to know that God does not invite us to serve Him “Someday;” the operative word in His invitation is “Today.” I tell you; sometimes we need to be challenged to make a choice!  Sometimes we need to be challenged to make the right choice!  Sometimes we need to be challenged to see the consequences of our choices!  But sometimes we need to be challenged to make the choice now!  Will you make it now?

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life so that you and your descendants might live.” [Deuteronomy 30:19].

 

 

By Lou Coleman

“That was then but this is now, I’m starting all over again. I need a miracle in my life today, ‘Cause I’m tired of walking in the same old way…” [Lyrics Shirley Caesar – Starting All Over Again]

I wonder is there anyone who has been in a situation in which you really wanted something to work out but it didn’t. You felt like if you just had a second chance, you could make it work. I wonder am I talking to anybody today. When you look back over your life, at some of the situations that you have been involved in and some of the choices that you have made, you think, if only I had a second chance. If only I had a second chance, I wouldn’t have married who I married. If only I had a second chance, I wouldn’t have moved where I moved. If only I had a second chance, what might have been? The fact is we all fail. We do things we regret. We say things we deplore. And we hurt people we love. Even the Apostle Paul was no stranger to failure. He said in [Romans 7:15] “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” I tell you; sometimes we are on our “A” game, and other times we fail. Reminding us in our human state how imperfect we are. Yet, because of the LORD’S loving kindnesses, His compassions never fail; they are new every morning… [Lamentations 3:22-23]

I want you to know that today God is giving you another chance to get your life right with Him. The Bible is full of people who received not only second chances, but third and fourth chances: Peter, Jonah, Mark, Samson, David, and others. All trophies of God’s Grace… I tell you, my list of “if only” moans could go on at length, but the common denominator of all the incidents is that when we are given a second chance, we need to make sure that we do not squander the precious opportunity. We have to come to realize that we cause tomorrow’s “if only” regrets by today’s neglects. I tell you, God is willing and able to give us a second, a third, a fourth, and a fifth chance; but we need to soberly reflect on the caveats that accompany these plaintive requests.

As the apostle Peter issued a stern warning in [Luke 19] when you ask for a second chance, you need to commit yourself soberly to following through by truly repenting and changing the outcome to a positive, godly result.” In other words, when you cry out, “If I only had a second chance… “Make sure the sentence ends, “. . . I would not squander it!” Know that if you deliberately keep on sinning after you have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Think about it, if anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses, how much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  I tell you, it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

You see, Jesus made it clear that the gift of another day is not to be taken lightly.  Take the gift of another day and don’t squander it. You know David, Jonah and Peter, were three great men of God, yet imperfect like you and me, and they had to hit rock bottom before the scales came off their eyes, and they saw clearly. God wants to bring victory in your life, but you have to make the conscience choice and decision to follow after Him. I am enormously grateful for an opportunity to start all over again… What about you?

 

By Lou Coleman

“…  A fresh anointing is flowing my way; It’s a season of power and prosperity; The devil’s time is up, no longer can he bother me; ‘Cause the Creator of the universe, He fathers me; And it’s transferable, my children’s children shall be free; If you don’t know by now, you need to know it’s Jubilee; Where debts are canceled and your children walk in victory; … A new horizon; And no greater time for you to make a choice and take a stand; … All that was stolen is returned a hundred fold; Tried in the fire but coming out gold; …To every promise take a hold; It’s a New Season, It’s a New Day” [Israel Houghton Lyrics].

I don’t know about you, but today marks the beginning of a “New Season” for me. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters… I am about to do a new thing… forget the former things”[Isaiah 43:18-19].  Now you can say what you want to say, but I say Amen to new things! You see if you are ever going to move on to new things in Christ, you must learn that you cannot depend upon past victories to sustain you. You cannot allow your past failures to possess you… In the book of [Habakkuk 1:5] the prophet was told: ‘Look around you, Habakkuk, among the nations, and see and be astonished, astounded, for I am putting into effect a work in your days, such that you would not believe it though you were told it!” I want you to know that God did a new thing in Isaiah’s day, He did a new thing in Messiah’s day, He did a new thing in the days of Pentecost, He did a new thing in the days of the Apostles, He did a new thing in the days of historical revival and He is going to do a new thing in Lou days. He said it, I believe it! – Oh, I tell you “It’s a New Season, It’s a New Day”… A year full of possibilities… A year full of opportunities! You hear what I’m saying to you, “A New Season, a New Day!”

But wait a minute; the Spirit is saying “That some of you are stuck in a rut, stumbling through life. You’re living off manna instead of feasting on God’s abundance. You’re wandering through the wilderness instead of inhabiting the Holy Land.” The Spirit says, “That it’s time now to make your move. It’s time now to receive what God has for you. It’s time now to enter the Promised Land.” For a place of promise awaits you: of contentment and joy and peace and abundance and satisfaction. It’s a land flowing with milk and honey; and God is waiting for you to enter. The Spirit says, “Don’t dwell on the pass; Turn the page.  Look ahead to what God will do in your life, today and tomorrow. Stake your claim on your territory. Begin to expect God to give you dominion in every area of your life.”

“Soon in your hand will be placed a priceless gift… Look at it closely.  There is no price maker stamped on it.  It cannot be weighed, because no scale can balance its value.  A king’s ransom in comparison is as nothing, yet it is given to beggar and prince alike.  The giver asks only that it be used wisely and well. This jewel, rare and unique, is not displayed in any shop window. It cannot be purchased, cannot be sold. No other treasure holds the possibilities this gift offers — none can surpass its golden splendor.  Of all gifts, this is one of the most precious. It has been offered many times before; today, from the depths of a limitless love it will be given again. It will be left to you to find the golden thread running through it. Only with great care will the jewel retain its luster.  Carelessness, ingratitude and selfishness will tarnish the brilliance, break the unspoiled thread, and mar the perfection.  Guard it closely, lest through weak fingers it slips from the hand.  Look often at its faultless beauty. Accept it as it is offered from the heart of the giver. Consider it as the most treasured of possessions, for of all gifts it is by far the greatest. It is the gift of the New Year.” I tell you, “It’s a New Season… It’s a New Day!”

 

 

By Lou Coleman

It’s time for you to wholeheartedly give yourself to the will of the Lord. I tell you time is running out! Paul said that it is closer than when we first believed. The night is just about to be over and it is day time. Wake up! You can’t continue to live like you have been living. Wake up! It is time to do what God has called you to do. Yeah, the world’s philosophy says, “Live for self”… but God’s Word says, “Die to self!”   Don’t you know that being in God’s will is far better than being outside His will? The problem is that most of us as believers today is committed to this world and not the things of God – everything is about “what we want” and not about “what God wants.” The flesh is running rampant in the Christian world today and I tell you that ought not to be. My purpose is to challenge you to understand that Jesus came to give us something new in our spiritual life. According to Christ, it is absolutely imperative and important for us to be transformed if we desire to enter into God’s Kingdom. Remember what God told His people Israel, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron 7:14). Scripture is very clear on our need to direct our hearts toward God –Remember, “Dying to self” isn’t the goal – “Life” is the goal!

This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart…” [Ephesians 4:17-19]. I want you to know that Paul gets very specific, describing those things which we as Christian must put off and those which we must put on [Ephesians 4:25]. We got to lay aside the old self he says, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind…”[Ephesians 4:22-24]. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! For sin shall not be master over us, for we are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6: 1-14). As you therefore have received Christ, so walk in Him, (Colossians 2:6).

Decide today to give yourself over to the will of God, letting each day count for eternity. Allow God to have His way with you. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away. [James 4:14].  Paul realized he had to fulfill the call of God upon his life. He said, “Woe is me if I preach not the gospel…” [I Corinthians 9:16-17]. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” [Romans 12:1-2].  Understand that God has called you to live a separated life, to be a peculiar people unto Him.  “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” [ 2 Corinthians 6:17-18].

I want you to know that there are two consequences in life. You can either attend the feast were wisdom spreads her table for those who enter her house. She strengthens them, she satisfies them, and she sustains them. She gives them all they need for now and for the future. [1 Cor. 2:9] [John 14:1-3].  Or you can attend the funeral – The context and the contrast. While the wise man goes off to enjoy the feast, the fool goes off to endure his funeral [Proverbs 7:5-27]. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live [Deuteronomy 30:19]. The alarm has been sounded. What will you do?

 

 

 

By Lou Coleman

Paul said: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…” (1 Timothy 6:12). I don’t know what kind of fight you’ve been putting up in the past year, but the Spirit says you have been so overwhelmed at times that you’ve lost your fight. You’ve become a weak, passive soldier of the Cross – discouraged, wounded, and perplexed; but now it’s high time for you to get back up and fight the good fight of faith. I pray that this message from the Holy Spirit will put the fight back in you – that once more you’ll be fearless against the devil’s weapons.

You know 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 over-whelming 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!” He told the Israelites this about Jacob: “He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;” (Hosea 12:3-4). Hosea’s message to them was very simple: “Here was a man greedy for God, hungry for everything God had for him!” Jacob came out of the womb in a fighting mood, greedy for the blessings of God! Yet it wasn’t the double portion of his father’s wealth that Jacob was after; it wasn’t the promise of the land. No, Jacob wanted something more. He wanted the blessings of God so he could be in the lineage of the Messiah! And he wanted the priestly blessing. This meant not only being priest of the clan – it also meant being able to bless others! [Genesis 27]

I want you to know that Jacob’s hand on Esau’s heel was a powerful statement! It said: “I will not be held by sin’s grip – I am more than a conqueror! I will lay hold of all that is of Satan and resist, fight, and be victorious! I want God’s hand on me!  I want His blessing at any cost.” I tell you Jacob had a made-up mind. He had determined that no one was going to stop him from receiving God’s blessings not even his own brother. I also want you to know that Satan has a plan of destruction for your life and he is not just going to lie down, roll over and let you be what God wants you to be. He is working over-time to distract you and to delay the fulfillment of your promises. He is working over-time to side-line you, to kill, steal and destroy your life [John 10:10]. You need to realize that there are Princes of Persia in the spiritual realm working to prevent you coming into the revelation and reality of your destiny. Therefore, you need to release spiritual warfare and pray. Scripture tells us that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but demonic powers and principalities. Know your authority and be vigilant about it.

In closing I want you to know that Jacob spent years fighting to get and keep the blessings of God; and that same desire ought to put the fight back in you. Throw off your passive, defeated countenance. Cast aside all feelings of defeat – and stand up and fight! 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 promises. Stand up and fight! You have His strength – use it! It is time that you tell the devil to Hell with you and take back what is your. Proclaim the victory that Jesus has already won for you on the cross. I tell you for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Those are the words of the preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes. This is a time for new beginnings, a time to say goodbye to the past year and welcome the new. Don’t you go into another year bruised and battered!

 

 

By Lou Coleman

Don’t get it twisted!  Don’t fool yourself and don’t be fooled. Unless your house is built by wisdom and established by understanding, your house is not a home. [Proverbs 24:3] And just so that we are on the same page, I want you to know that I’m not talking about your physical house, I’m talking about your spiritual house. You see in [Matthew 7:24–27] Jesus tells a parable that compares and contrasts two builders: one wise and one foolish. One man built his house on the sand while the other built his house on the Rock. In this context, building on the sand speaks of people who hear the Gospel, but instead of believing the Gospel and coming to faith in Jesus, they believe they can build their lives on the shifting sands of human philosophy, wisdom, opinion, and religious achievement. They are driven by outward, religious appearances and faith in themselves, rather than faith in Jesus. People who build their house on the sand hear the Gospel and believe its general message, but they choose to follow God on their own terms. To them, His Word is open to interpretation. If He commands them to do something they will obey if they choose to. If they don’t like it they won’t do it. People who build their house on the sand they build the house of their lives on self-will, self-fulfillment, self-sufficiency, self-satisfaction, and self-righteousness. Theirs is a works based religion that has the appearance of being right but that lacks the power to save the soul. As [2 Timothy 3:5] says, “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof…” People who build their house on the sand believe they can pray a prayer, sign a card, join a church, and all will be well. People who build their house on the sand can turn it on and off like flipping a switch. They can be in today and out tomorrow.

But then while one man built his house on the sand, the other dug deep. He dug until he reached the bedrock and built his house on the Rock. The Rock does not move. It is unchanging and stable. Building on the Rock speaks of people who hear the Gospel and believe it to the point that they build their lives on it. People who build their house on the Rock understand that Jesus alone has the power to save their souls. People who build their house on the Rock hear God’s Word and they conforms their lives to it. People who build their house on the Rock, they hear the truth about Jesus and they believe it. They embrace it. They yield to it. The message changes their lives. What God tells them to do in His Word, they do. What God warns them not to do, they avoid. They pay any price, walk any path, and do anything the Lord tells them to do. They love Him, honor Him, and obey Him. I’m talking about people who build their house on the Rock.

I want you to know that the parable tells us that the rain came, the flood followed, and the wind of destruction blew. This image is not just about some storm in life. This is the image of judgment. In the end both houses were subjected to a terrible storm of judgment. One house stood, the other was totally destroyed. The house that was built on the sand could not face the withering judgment of God, and it collapsed. Jesus said, “And great was the fall of it.” This means that the house was utterly destroyed. There was nothing left to show for the life lived within it. Everything was destroyed and swept away as if it had never existed. But as far as the house that was built on the Rock. It experienced the same storm. The rain, the flood and the wind “beat upon” the house. This house was battered, but it stood against the storm that was thrown against it. This house was shaken, but it did not fall. It stood on a firm foundation, and it weathered the storm. I want you to know that there is a storm coming; a day of judgment; a day when every person will face God.  I ask you, how is your foundation? If you haven’t built your house on the Rock, today is today. What is your life; but a vapor that appears for a while, and then disappear. Establish your firm foundation today!

 

By Lou Coleman

Words, Words, Words…  I’m so sick of words, Jesus says.  Don’t tell me you love me…Show me! Talk is cheap! A mere profession is not good enough. Put up or shut up! And let me remind you that “On the day of judgment you will give account for every careless word you speak.” “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” [Matthew 12:36-37]. But if you love me like you say you do, obey my Word; keep my commandments; feed my sheep.” You see action speaks louder than words. Love on the Cross; remember that….I could not have spoken any louder… “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” [John 15:13]. It is a fact that loving God is equated with obeying His Word. The two are inseparable. Search your heart and honestly answer the question. Do you love Jesus? Because, to love Jesus, means to put Him first. To love Jesus means to obey Him. To love Jesus means to love one another. To love Jesus means to love God. This would exclude putting anything above Him. Loving God is more than just lip service; it is giving over your ALL: all of your mind; all of your heart; all of your soul; all of your strength.

Yeah, many claim to love God; Many say they love God; Many say they love their neighbor; Many, though, do not really understand what it means to love God with our total being—and to really love our neighbor. You see if you truly loved Christ you could not live in direct opposition of a command that He has given you for your life.  The Scripture says in [Matthew 22:37-40], “Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God” this is not a request or an option; it is a command, an imperative. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Listen, if this is God’s will, our heart must be filled with it. Then, we can say we love God with all our heart. God has given us everything – His whole heart, His life and His mind. However, we still do not fully understand His love, nor do we put it into action. I want you to know that today Jesus is saying remember from where you have fallen; return to your first deeds and life to which you were called in Christ.  Go back to that moment when you first met Jesus. Remember the love you felt, the stirring in your heart, the adoration you had for the Savior? Do you remember how grateful you were for the forgiveness of sins? Do you remember how at that moment nothing else mattered, only Jesus? Today, God wants you and me to go back and remember that moment in time. And having that in our memory He wants us to return. He wants us to come back to Him; to come back to our first love, to the place and time in our lives to where He was everything to us.

I tell you every Christian should be aware of the danger of leaving his first love for the Lord. Long ago, the church in Ephesus was busy doing many things for God, yet Jesus said, “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4). The Lord commanded them, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:5). Your love for God should be foremost in your heart, exceeding the bond of any other relationship. If your love for God has grown cold, take steps to renew your relationship with Him. Return to your first love. He waits for you with open arms. Consider some verses about pleasing God and being pleased by Him, the two preceding concepts that help define loving God (Gen 39:9; Job 22:21; Ps 37:4; 44:8; 97:10; 104:34; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Matt 5:48; 6:24; Rom 12:1-2; I Cur 10:31).

By Lou Coleman

“Watch me whip whip, Watch me nae nae [Want me do it?] Now watch me whip [Kill it!] Watch me nae nae (Okay!) Now watch me whip whip, Watch me nae nae [Can you do it?] [Silento – Watch Me Lyrics]…

You see Christ said [Matthew 16:18] … Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hell SHALL NOT prevail against it. You need to realize that you have “Spiritual Authority” through Jesus Christ. You need not live in fear of the demonic; you are not to see demons behind every bush. But rather, you are called to make use of the protection God provides for you in Christ. “Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places…. Your spiritual warfare with the devil should always be with the consciousness that you have authority over him because he is already a defeated foe. The promise we have from Scripture is that when we “Resist the devil, He will flee from” us [James 4:7]. Don’t miss the word “flee.” Flee is something someone does when he is on the run from a superior force. The devil’s a coward. He picks on us when we are feeling weak, but he turns tail when we show the first sign of strength. Never forget; YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN AUTHORITY OVER THE POWER OF THE ENEMY. So the next time the devil gets in your face [first make certain there’s no unconfessed, unrepented sin in your life] then tell the devil to hell with you!  I’m not going to listen to you!  I don’t have to obey you! I’m saved!  I’m redeemed!  My body is the temple of the Holy Ghost!  You have no right here! You are trespassing!  In the name of Jesus I refuse you! I rebuke you! Break yourself fool and get to stepping… And he will flee from you. I tell you, you must ALWAYS TAKE AUTHORITY OVER THE DEVIL. If not, he will take control over you.

I want you to know that that ole pickpocket, embezzler, burglar, mugger, swindler, con, shoplifter, bandit and pirate; the great enemy of God and man; the devil, the adversary, that criminal who wants to steal our salvation, our clear conscience, our confidence, and our hope; has been caught, found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. He must “GO TO JAIL: And Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.” You see the devil has always been about taking what doesn’t belong to him. He robbed Adam and Eve of the garden and he stole their innocence. He robbed Job of his family, his wealth and his health. He snatched away one of the twelve from Jesus side and walks about as a roaring lion,” according to [1 Peter 5:8] “seeking whom he may devour.” The devil robbed Jesus of the dignity due Deity through the travesty of a trial by the Jewish hierarchy; by the scoffing of the soldiers who with a crown of thorns feigned to honor him as king before nailing Him to the cross. You must enforce Jesus victory and Lordship in the situations of life, or the devil will take control by default. Amen! So this, my friend, is what we’ve come to do.   “Tear down strongholds, Break the chains, and Bind the devil in Jesus’ name. For tonight, WE GOT A RIGHT, to shake the Foundation with Praise!” Hallelujah! [Joe Pace – Shake the Foundation]

In closing I want you to know that Jesus commanded. He spoke authoritatively. He spoke unhesitatingly, unequivocatingly. And He gave mandates, not suggestions. [1 John 4:4] says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Know that you know…. That’s it and that’s all!

By Lou Coleman

Michael Jackson sang, “You and I must make a pact. We must bring salvation back… Where there is love, I’ll be there. I’ll reach out my hand to you, I’ll have faith in all you do, Just call my name and I’ll be there. I’ll be there to comfort you, Build my world of dreams around you. I’ll be there with a love that’s strong, I’ll be your strength, I’ll keep holding on. Yes I will! I’ll be there! Let me fill your heart with joy and Laughter, Togetherness, well that’s all I’m after. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there. I’ll be there to protect you…. Just look over your shoulders, Ooh I’ll be there… Whenever you need me, Just Call My Name, I’ll be there…”

I want you to know that Michael Jackson WAS NOT the first one to sing, “I’ll Be There!” Jesus has always song, “You and I must make a pact… We must bring salvation back….” In [Jeremiah 33:3] He said, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things… In [Hebrews 13:5] He told you, “He will never leave you, nor forsake you.” He will always be there for you. He will never slumber or sleep. I want you to know that there will never be a time when you call upon Jesus and He’s not available for you. The Bible confirms that He’s there even before you call upon His name [Isaiah 65:24]. I want you to know that there aren’t too many things in this world that we can actually count on… But when it comes to Jesus… we can always count on Him. What a comfort in knowing Jesus. A comfort zone that is indescribable and satisfying, fulfilling and complete. David said the Heavens declare the glory of Him and the firmament showeth His handiwork. No means of measure can define His limitless love. Oh how I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible. He’s irresistible. I’m trying to tell you the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man, explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t out live Him and you can’t live without Him. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree, and Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him, and the grave couldn’t hold Him… Jesus… You can always count on Him!

John 1:1; 14 says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Echoing [I’ll always be there]. In the New Testament Jesus was with His people. In the present, Jesus is with you. You can always count on Him being there in your life even when it doesn’t seem as if He is. He doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever more.  It means that you can always depend on His commitment to you in all things, at all times, in all ways. Though the world changes, circumstances change, people change, and you change, Jesus never does. I want you to know that when I sought real love for my life, I discovered “Can’t Nobody Do Me like Jesus.” For when my sin was introduced to His salvation, I met and embraced Him as “Love on a Cross!” For “Greater love has no man than this that He lay down His life for His friends. I want you to know that God promises are true.  His Word is above all!  There is none like Him. He will not allow His Word to return to Him void!  Call Him Up!