WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF CHOICES. EVERYDAY YOU ARE FACED WITH THE DECISION TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY IN FEAR TRYING TO ACCUMULATE THINGS, OR YOU WILL EMBRACE THE TEACHINGS AND DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST. WITHIN HIS DOCTRINE WE CAN FIND PEACE EVEN IN THIS WORLD OF DEATH.

Luke 3: 9; And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke 3:16, 17; …I, indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.

Is it amazing that other situations and things exist in this world of which we may or may not be cognizant? This week, we'll examine coexisting or living in this world of death.

Jesus said, "I come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." Have you ever wondered how He could offer abundant life in a world full of death? Does Jesus ignore death, or does He feel that it's not worth mentioning? Well, we know that Jesus doesn't ignore the obvious, so, we'll have to examine the importance or insignificance of death. Jesus spoke to death and about death freely. While in His incarnate body, He demonstrated power and authority over death.

Abundant life has been purported to be a life filled with things. The more things that we have the more abundant our lives are supposed to be. This theory MUST be evaluated microscopically, and the only way that we can, is to look at the MASTER of LIFE. JESUS.

Jesus, The Son of GOD, came into this world, just like you and me. He was BORN OF A WOMAN. Jesus stepped down from His throne in Glory to inhabit flesh. As a flesh man, Jesus was poorer than He had ever been. (According to the standard of the world.) He came to teach all HOW to live, the TRULY abundant life.

Jesus wore a seamless robe. This robe is extremely important. Not because of its value or cost, but, because of what it is telling us about its owner. If this robe was truly seamless, then it is safe to conclude that there were NO POCKETS in it. Pockets are good for holding THINGS; especially money or coins. (Dead men have no pockets.) The existence of Jesus was to teach us how to live.

The world pretends to educate us so that we will be able to live HERE. It says that if we educate ourselves in this system, we'll get a good job. The emphasis in higher education is to obtain employment that will lead to the increased ability to obtain wealth, which is supposed to yield "The Abundant Life." But, according to Jesus, the educational process consisted of learning to deny oneself; learning to resist temptation; and learning NOT to temp GOD. (Luke 4:3-13.)

After Jesus was educated He went about doing good. He, not only fed himself, but thousands. At twelve years old, he announced to His parents that He had to be about His Father's business. Luke 2: (Even at that young age, He knew the call which was upon His life.)

The world has taught us all that we know about ‘death.' Death looms as ‘the final curtain,' in this world. But, the Resurrected Jesus, is the "Door". This Door is the Way, the Truth and the Life. This Door leads those who are in Christ from life to More Abundant Life. The Abundant Life is begun here, in the face of death. Right here.

Death and Life exist in this world, and death determines your thinking and thoughts about life. (In the world's ideology.) Death controls by fear. Fear tells its ‘Captive' that "This is all there is, so you'd better get all that you can while you're here." Fear opens up greed, lust, and every lascivious desire of the flesh. Death and fear keep its captive so busy looking around on the earth for MORE and MORE. The captive has no time to learn about the goodness of Jesus Christ.

Death and fear have taken words from the utterances of Jesus Christ and changed their entire meaning. i.e. "Abundant Living" has been distorted to mean "Having Many Things" on this earth. Jesus wasn't talking about accumulating ‘things' when He spoke of "Abundant Life." He was speaking of the UNSEARCHABLE UNFATHOMABLE riches in Glory in Eternal Life; which can only be experienced by embracing Jesus Christ. "All who love this life will lose it; all who hate this life will gain life everlasting."

The most common _expression of thought is to hold tightly to all that you accumulate while, at the time that you are holding tightly, you acquire MORE. If the common _expression is practiced, acquiring more will be experienced. But, the quality of the acquisition is always in danger. Why? You can't be in more than one place at a time on this earth. You can pay others to watch your wealth, but you will also have to pay them interest. (No matter how small the amount, it is still being paid.)

Jesus tells us to place our treasures in a place where moth and rust cannot corrode. …heavenly places. The only things capable of being in heavenly places are the intangible. Things you can't hold in your hand. Since Jesus taught this important fact, it must be possible to live in a tangible body, while preparing for the intangible or spiritual.

In the foundational scripture John the Baptist is speaking. He makes it plain to his listening audience that trees will grow up together…but, the axe will be put to the root of all trees which have not produced good fruit.

GOD has allowed us to all grow up in this world. We are referred to as wheat. Some are referred to as chaff. ONLY GOD knows the difference between the two plants. Just because you are growing and prospering in this world, doesn't mean that your entrance into the Kingdom of GOD in Heaven is secure. Death and Fear have built a trap which preaches security through acquisition and they have included sufficient "WORD" to fool many and cause their fall.

John the Baptist advised the people, when they asked him what they should do. He answered, "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat let him do likewise"; and to the publicans he said, "Exact no more than that which was appointed you"; and to the soldiers he said, "Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsely and be content with your wages."

Jesus said that we would be in the world, but, we would not be of the world. With carnal eyes the difference may not be apparent, but, GOD SEES OUR FRUIT! And FRUIT is the juxtaposition that GOD sees in the justification of LIFE ETERNAL.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO PRAY FOR GOD'S INTERVENTION IN THE WORLD AFFAIRS, AND THE AFFAIRS OF AMERICA. IT ISN'T OFTEN THAT I TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK TO YOU IN THIS MANNER, AND, I FEEL THE TUG ON MY HEART STRINGS TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU.

WE HAVE HEARD THE REPORTS ON THE NEWS CHANNELS REGARDING THE MIDDLE EAST. SOME OF THESE REPORTS ARE ENOUGH TO MAKE THE AVERAGE PERSON WANT TO GIVE UP.

MAY I CONSTANTLY REMIND YOU THAT GOD SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. ALL THAT IS HAPPENING HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. GOD KNOWS. MANY THINGS WERE COVERED AND NEVER SPOKEN OF, BECAUSE NO MORTAL MAN WITNESSED THE ATROCITIES. BUT GOD KNOWS.

NO ONE CAN STOP YOU FROM PRAYING…BUT, WE CAN STOP THE ENEMY IN HIS TRACKS WITH PRAYER. GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL. WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT ALL POWER WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM, BOTH IN HEAVEN AND EARTH. THAT GIVES US THE IMPETUS TO PRAY, THEN, PRAY, AND PRAY!
THE BATTLE IS WON, LET US THEREFORE WALK IN THE VICTORY.
DON'T ALLOW WHAT YOU HEAR AND SEE TO GOVERN; BUT BE GOVERNED BY WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE. WOULDN'T IT BE ASHAMED IF, WHEN WE GET HOME, WE FIND OUT THAT THE WAR WOULD HAVE BEEN WON HAD WE PRAYED FIFTEEN MINUTES LONGER? OR HAD ONE MORE WARRIOR LEFT THE FIVE O'CLOCK NEWS AND WENT INTO THE CLOSET?
DON'T JUST BE A TJIFA READER, BE A TJIFA WARRIOR ON YOUR KNEES.

This month's May/June issue of Plain Truth's Magazine caused me to look at how the world has a history of War and Slavery that more than likely is lost in the average mind of most Americans today.

Our inability to change the past causes us to look at the present conditions with greater perspective. Whereas its very difficult to look back and see how many millions of lives have been lost as a result of war, and subjugated as a result of slavery; along with every new understanding comes the question, "How does what happened in the past affect my life now?"

So often it's a matter of how much a person decides to believe about history. I still remember the young man that was quick to straighten me out about my ideals about history. He quickly and plainly told me history, is simply, "his-story", meaning you can decide to believe it or disbelieve it based on the credibility of the one conveying the story. (Author, Biographer, etc.)

I'm proud to say I was never critical of this man for his comment because he was only one of many teachers that God would send my way in order to lead me into a greater determination for truth.(I have to pause here for a minute to smile, and even laugh a little bit as I think about how many people think I don't know the truth even now, but I'm just going to keep right on telling the world about Jesus, and how he'll save your soul if you but let Him in.)

Paul talked about ‘war', but he called it ‘warfare' in II Corinthians 10:3-5. He said clearly that the weapons we are to use are "mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." Once I begin to have a realization of the size of my God, then I can go into my ‘prayer closet' and do plenty business with the enemy. Many and it wouldn't be wrong to say, most of us can't be in the Middle East like our soldiers who are fighting but we can cover them with prayer. I hope we're all praying for everybody in such a crucial time.

History in your life and mine can be quoted as ‘yesterday', meaning it's past tense, it cannot be changed whether it happened to be the greatest day of your life, or one that you hope will never repeat itself. You can't change it.

God saw fit to equip every human being with an invaluable resource in times of change, and that being ‘Perspective.' It is the willingness to employ and embrace a Godly perspective. One in which we know will carry us through our most difficult trials.

In the book of Ephesians 3rdchp. Paul talked about being a ‘prisoner'. You might say he was ‘enslaved.'His imprisonment meant for him a furtherance
for the gospel of Jesus Christ; and when we find ourselves ‘prisoners of Jesus Christ'(in our thoughts and affections toward Him) it is then that the elements, and all the fashions of this world will have no power or capabilities of keeping us from being everything God created us to be.

4 CUPS CATSUP
½ CUP TEXAS PETE HOT SAUCE
½ CUP MOLASSES OR SUBSTITUTE WITH ½ CUP BROWN SUGAR
1 TBLS VINEGAR
1/3 CUP OLIVE OIL
CHOPPED ONIONS
GARLIC CHOPPED OR POWDERED

IN A LARGE SAUCE PAN HEAT OLIVE OIL AND ONIONS AND CHOPPED GARLIC. WHEN ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT, ADD ALL OTHER INGREDIENTS.
STIRRING CONSTANTLY BRING LIQUID TO A BOIL, THEN TURN DOWN HEAT AND LET SIMMER UNTIL IT REACHES THE CONSISTENCY THAT YOU WISH.