The Bible has been called God’s love letter to the world. There are
many references to love, 341 times in the King James Version. One of the best known references of love is John 3:16, “For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting
life.”( NIV) Jesus came to this earth with a ministry of love touching ones who seemed unlovable and untouchable. John
15:9(NIV) gives us a chain of love, “As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
Jesus said in John 15:12(NIV), “…Love each other as I have loved you.”
The
Bible not only gives us a message of love, it contains the chain of love. As we have grown older we find our hurts becoming
less physical and more emotional. A band-aid won’t fix the hurt, only love and kindness will give relief and aid the
emotional healing. There are a lot of people that are looking for love. How many times have you heard it said when someone
gets in trouble, “I knew that was going to happen sooner or later” or “that’s a punishment from God”.
Perhaps God has poured His wrath out as punishment; we don’t need to add to the problem by irritating it. When something
goes wrong, no matter the magnitude, people need an encouraging word of love, not hate. Jesus walked this earth in a demonstration
of divine love so why not follow the example that He set.
Paul describes the characteristics
of love in I Corinthians 13:4-7. (4) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. (5) It is not rude, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” These characteristics follow
the true meaning of love. Without love in our heart, life becomes self-centered, takes no account of evil, and allows one
to become wrapped in abuse, insult, and injury. King Solomon, who had wisdom greater than any other man, used the wisdom to
enrich himself and Israel rather than to fill the land with God’s love. Think about the times that you have done things
with motives that were selfish, with an attitude of what is in it for me? Now think about the times you did some thing for
some one out of pure love. I’ll bet you can feel the difference.
There should be no limits
placed on love. Love is a reflection of kindness, just as a mirror reflects our image, so do our actions reflect from others
back on us. Imagine the look on peoples faces if we reflected love for hate, good for bad, or blessing for curses. Luke 6:35
tells us, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great…”
(KJV)
Today, try a message of love; you just might be surprised what an unexpected, unconditional act of love may do.
To succeed in this life you must recognize what season you are
in. We live our lives in seasons with beginnings and with endings just like every one of God’s creations. David compared
man to a tree in Psalms 1:3, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season…”
When we fail to recognize our season we could easily be left with nothing to carry over into the next season. Paul told Timothy
in 2 Timothy 4:2 “…be instant in season, out of season…” You have to be ready for anything that
comes your way. Here is a story that helps to relate to and understand seasons. There
was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest,
in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to
describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree
was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the
most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed
with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the
tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree,
or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that
life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the
promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that there
is a time for everything. Verse 1 begins, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;
(2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (3) A time to kill
and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn,
and a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing; (6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away; (7) A time to rend,
and a time sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a
time of peace.”
To succeed in this life you
must recognize what season you are in. We live our lives in seasons with beginnings and with endings just like every one of
God’s creations. David compared man to a tree in Psalms 1:3, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which
yields its fruit in season…” When we fail to recognize our season we could easily be left with nothing to carry
over into the next season. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 “…be instant in season, out of season…”
You have to be ready for anything that comes your way. Here
is a story that helps to relate to and understand seasons. There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn
not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great
distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second
in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds
and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was
laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because
they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life. He
told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure,
joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s
winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall. Ecclesiastes
3:1-8 tells us that there is a time for everything. Verse 1 begins, “To everything there is a season, and a time to
every purpose under the heaven; (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which
is planted; (3) A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a
time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time
to cast away; (7) A time to rend, and a time sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) A time to love, and a time
to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
There
is a time for everything, knowing and understanding that God is more concerned that you have a solid foundation than the size
of your building. God will use the struggles that you go through to prepare you for the fruit that you will produce in season.
The book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verses 2-8 refers to “times”, something that we can only know and understand
when we walk with the Spirit. Only when a believer puts their faith in Jesus as the Source and the cross as the means will
they begin to understand their season.
What season are you in? Is your season ugly, bent and twisted, maybe dormant or with no noticeable purpose? There are
a lot of winter people that are just sitting around waiting for something to happen, no motivation at all. Jesus is missing
from this season.
Maybe you are in the spring season. Buds are starting to appear and you are full of promise yet, you are in that where
will I go from here or I’m satisfied with where I am. A lot of new Christians find themselves here.
Summer season lets you blossom to the fullest, beautiful, and graceful. This can be a very busy time when life could
seem to be at it fullest and busiest. This would truly a time to be working for God.
During
the last season you would be ripe and dropping with fruit. Look at your accomplishments; are they full of life and fulfillment?
Have you followed Jesus so that when your life is measured that you will not come up short?
Just
like the tree planted by the water we need all of the seasons. When we give up in a dreary season, dwelling in that season,
we miss the beauty and promises of the other seasons.
Don’t let the pain
of one season destroy all of the rest.
The Clock of time is running out and the human race is rushing madly toward some kind of climax. Self-destruction is
everywhere. Ecologically, medically, scientifically, and morally the world as we know it seems to be running out of time.
Hebrews 9:27 says “And as it is appointed unto men once to die…” referring to the fall of man in the Garden
of Eden, indicates that all of mankind are under the penalty of death, the spiritual death that separates them from God. All
around us we see our fellow man living in this spiritual death. Death separates us from the natural world and the spiritual
world. Men by the majority turn to the occult while the small minority turns to God. Just as sin separated man from God in
the beginning of time so shall it continue as the world races toward its prophesied end.
A new world is coming. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the Heavens shall
pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth shall also and the works that are therein
shall be burned up.” II Peter 3:10 tells us that we are going to change from one condition to another, a condition of
perfect peace that will last forever. Most scientists agree that we are running out of time on this planet
at the rate resources are being used up. Everyday global warming is on the news. Makes you think that the earth is going to
self-destruct. Rest assured the earth will not self-destruct, God has other plans.
`Luke 21 holds prophecy that tells of great suffering: totalitarianism, disease, earthquakes, moral collapse, war,
all will cause men’s hearts to fail them for fear. (Luke 21:26) Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years, believing
Christians will now join in the ranks of the persecuted. Christians will be taken before rulers for following Jesus just as
the 12 disciples were persecuted. Jesus said in Luke 21:13 that persecution must not hinder our testimony, our faith will
make us stronger.
Jesus continues in
verse 27 of Luke 21, “And then shall they see the Son of man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.” Jesus
will be leading the last great battle between good and evil. In the beginning of time an angelic force waged war in heaven
and now as the devil becomes more active, another angelic war will take place here on planet earth. Jesus will be leading
the angelic force. What a victorious day it will be when Satan and all of his followers are cast into the lake of fire, never
to tempt or destroy again. Matthew 13:41-42 assures us that the angels lead by the Son of man will be victorious.
A lot of people talk of the stepped up activities of Satan. Most are certain that we are living in the end times. For
some who are not paying attention it has become later than they think. Revelation 22:7, Jesus says, “Behold, I come
quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Jesus is referring to the word of God,
Know what it says and live by it.
Most people think of cherubs as the little fellow that shoots love arrows on Valentines Day. Cherubs are the highest
class of angelic beings. Lucifer, one of these cherubs, was created perfect, the most intelligent, and the most beautiful
creature in the universe. His power and beauty led to his downfall. Isaiah 14:13-14 describes his prideful rebellion in five
boastful statements. Lucifer, more commonly know as Satan, said: “I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above
the stars of God, I will sit on the mount of assembly, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds”, and “I
will make myself like the Most High.” Satan now works along with his followers to destroy everything that is good and
God ordained. It is this Satan, which through his corruption, has caused sin in every human being.
Satan is a foe that we must respect but not fear. We must be aware of how Satan operates but we should not dwell on
him. Satan’s schemes are designed to take hold of our lives through attitudes not based on God’s plans. Defeat
of believers comes when a totally wrong belief system leads many to sacrifice themselves for a cause based on a lie. Satan
is only looking out for himself.
There are nine names given in God’s word for the devil that revel his tactics.
Satan means
adversary: (Job 1: 6-7; 1 Thessalonians 2:18) He works against all that God stands for and makes a point of getting in the
way.
Devil
means slanderer: (1 Peter 5:8) He loves to stir up gossip against people in order to discredit God’s servants.
Lucifer means son
of the morning: (Isaiah 14:12) He will not show his true colors but show a dress up version to seduce you.
Beelzebub means
lord of the flies: (Matthew 12:24) This was a pagan idol that was supposed to protect from swarms of flies. Jews understood
it as the god of filth.
Belial was the name of a false god: (2 Corinthians 6:15) He will do anything to divert attention from
God to himself.
The evil one: (1 John 5:19) Greek for absolute corruption.
The tempter: (1 Thessalonians 3:5) He will place things in
front of us that will alter our thoughts leading us far from God.
The prince of this world: (John 12:31) He is the master of
false systems, an example being pier pressure among young people.
The accuser of the brethren: (Revelation 12:10) He will point
out your sins causing you to doubt your salvation and worthiness.
Satan will come at us in many ways, sometimes even through friends.
There are countless times mentioned in the Bible where he has attacked Gods people. Daniel 10 tells how Satan directed the
government of Persia about 534 BC and will again direct governments in the last days. The lies of Satan can cause all kinds
of grief in our lives.
How do you fight Satan? We must be prepared through the study of Gods word; you
can’t go into battle without being prepared. Satan is created which makes him lower than God. He can be resisted by
Christians who rely on God. Most important to remember is that Satan can only do what God allows him to do. Gods word in 1
John 4:4 says, “Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.” You are safe with God.
We hope you enjoy reading these messages from Pastor Cliff Hall. Full
length DVDs are available for most messages. If you would like to order one or have any other questions, please feel free
to email us at pastorcliff@valleycowboychurch.com
