Spirit, Soul, and Body

Did you know that you are a spirit being? Man is a spirit made in the image of God, he has a soul(a mind or conscious), and lives in a body. When you are born again, it is your spirit that experiences the rebirth process, hints the name born again. But when you look at man and you see that he has been born again you really can't tell any difference just by looking at his physical features. This is so hard for many who don't believe to grasp, because they are looking for obvious changes. And at first there are no changes really to show, because the new spirit of man has just received the Holy Spirit, but still needs to learn to commune with Him. Now some have in the past and still do believe that the soul and spirit are the same, however I believe that we have scripture to support that they are different. Look in Hebrews 4:12 in the NLT it says,"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." So you see they are separate. But what is the difference you say? I am glad you asked.

If you look at probably the most asked question that everyone asks it has to be, Why do evil things happen to good people? Or something to that nature, but if you think about it, this truly explains why. This may get deep but follow along and I believe that you will understand if you are a believer in Christ Jesus. You see when you are born again, it is your spirit that is renewed, but your mind or soul is still the same just as your physical body or flesh. At this point, if you died right then and there, your spirit is going to make it to heaven. Now, what needs to take place for your soul or mind is you need to renew your mind. And the only way we can achieve this is by getting into the word of God. If you do not let the spirit man take over your soul (mind) and body(flesh), then you give place to the devil. So many bless their hearts think that demons find their way into the body which is actually just the clay pot containing the spirit and soul, but if you know anything about demons, they have no authority over the children of the light. So the only way they can possess our bodies is if we give them their place in our life. Ephesians 4:27 talks about how you give the devil place in your life.

Once we establish that there is a difference between the spirit, soul, and body, then it is easier to grasp the importance of keeping your mind sharp with the word of God. The blood of Jesus has bought and paid for the redemption of our spirit and we are now in the family of Jesus Christ, but you see Jesus said that He came so that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly(John 10:10). What this means is that there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that Satan is a defeated foe. So as born again Christians we fall under the protection of Jesus Christ. Which means the only way that Satan can have any effect on us is out of our own consent. What I mean is if we give him place in our life. The only way Satan can get in to our lives after we are born again is through our mind(soul) and body(flesh). Our spirit has already been purchased with the blood of Jesus. What Jesus did on the cross was defeat Satan once and for all. That is why on the cross Jesus said,"It is finished." The path to Eternal Life has been paved by our Lord Jesus Christ, and He paid our dues, He died our death. He went through all that torture for us because He loves us that much.

Now in order to rest in our faith, we have to feed or nourish our spirit with spiritual food just like we need to nourish our physical bodies. The food for our spirit is being doers of the word of God(James 1:22). If you look in John 4:34 Jesus says,"My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and finishing His work." The nourishment we need for our souls comes from the word of God. This means reading God's word everyday. In order to keep our focus on God, we have to continue reading in His word. I am not saying that it is essential to your salvation to read the Bible, we already established the born again believer has already obtained that. No what this means is in order to keep the thoughts and deceitfulness of Satan out of your life you need to nourish your mind with the word of God. Then your thoughts become in tune with God, and you won't ever give Satan his place, because you are equipped with powerful packed words of faith. Philippians 4:8-9 says,"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." You see all these traits are of our God the Father. If we let Satan have his place in our lives and we start focusing on things that are of the flesh such as hatred, sexual immorality, material gain, etc. then we fall in to the snare of the devil and the outcome of it brings evil things to our lives, even if we are born again Christians.

Saints lets keep our focus on Him and feed our spirits, soul, and body with the wonderful things of God. Do not give Satan any part of your life. Live life as God intended, more abundantly. Look to Him and His will for your life and He will make sure all your needs are met, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Glory be to God!!! Happy New Year to you all!!!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Stay Focused On Him Not Wealth!!!!

I believe that God's promises in Deut. 28 are for the seed of Abram. And that includes those who are born again. Wealth is not a bad thing, God wants us to prosper in all areas of our life. Our world thinks that it is okay for Hugh Hefner that condemns millions of souls to have 10 mansions and 10 jets, but these ministers save thousands of souls every week and it isn't OK for them to have one jet and two homes? And on top of that they are doing good for the kingdom of God with it. I believe that they are honoring God with what He has given them. God never said that we are to be poor, but many preach that message and no one is quick to bombarded that doctrine.

The love of money is the root of all evil. That means covetousness, not wealth. Too many are quick to judge ministers when it comes to money, and if he spends a dollar on something that they don't think is a necessity he is persecuted by his own sheep. Yet we spend unnecessary money on coffee and other things and its OK for us. This attitude is what reflects badly on Christians. These are who Jesus calls hypocrites.
When Mary dumped the perfume over Jesus' head Judas had a fit and said we could have sold that and gave it to the poor, but he really would have just pocketed the money. Jesus said that she did a good thing because she did so to honor Him. If you don’t think the preacher man should have anything nice look who you are in company with.
When we get to heaven there is no award for who saved God the most money, God is concerned with us fulfilling His purpose for our lives. King David was rich yet he is known as a man after God’s own heart. Kenneth Copeland Ministries brings in over 100 million a year, but the funding and outreaches KCM provides around the world for God is amazing and all to bring glory to God.

I don't believe God wants His children to struggle, He just doesn't want us to love or desire money, but love Him instead. If we are blessed with wealth, we should honor God with it. If you think God's will is for you to struggle, then do without, but know this, that is not His best for you and He does want His best for you.

I believe that the reason why so many are against the word of faith circle is because faith ministers are wealthy and are not afraid to boast in the Lord for what He has done for them. The problem I see about putting too much emphasis on wealth is that it can take the focus off God and put it in material gain. Keeping up with the Jones' so to speak. Satan is good at deceiving our flesh so it is important for your spirit to constantly keep it in subjection. Stay focused on Him and His will for you and you won't have to worry about wealth. The blessings will flow supernaturally. God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus(Phil 4:19). Walk in love my beloved and not with bitterness. Let us all edify one another with God's word. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

What Are Your Intentions?

This message I believe the Lord showed me in a dream. The Lord showed me how critical it is not to fall into the teachings of Balaam and Niclaitanes. We will start in Rev. 2:13-16 (NLT): 13 “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.
14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
The Lord spoke to me in my heart and I know that I have fallen into these doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans before. I have repented and now things are even more wonderful than I ever imagined. To further educate myself on the doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans, I did some research and this is what I found:

Balaam: (From the Encyclopedia) a non-Israelite prophet described in the Old Testament (Num. 22-24) as a soothsayer who is bribed by Balak, the king of Moab, to place a curse on the people of Israel, who are camped threateningly on the plains of Moab. Balaam states that he will utter only what his God Yahweh inspires, but he is willing to accompany the Moabite messengers to Balak. He is met en route by an angel of Yahweh, who is recognized only by Balaam's donkey, which refuses to continue. Then Balaam's eyes are opened, and the angel permits him to go to Balak but commands him not to curse but to bless Israel. Despite pressure from Balak, Balaam remains faithful to Yahweh and blesses the people of Israel. In later literature (specifically, the Second Letter of Peter 2:15), however, Balaam is held up as an example of one who apostatized, or abandoned his faith for the sake of material gain.

The problem here was that God knew that Balaam’s heart was in the wrong place and that he spoke for gain. Thus, God wouldn’t have him curse Israel in His name, which must have been Balaam's intentions. In Revelations Jesus foresaw and revealed that this would be the actions of some of the churches during the approach of end times.
I used to think, "What can God do for me?" or "If I do this what kind of favor will I get from the Lord?" This is the wrong kind of thinking and is considered to be very much a part of Balaam's doctrine. Just like Balaam, even though I was faithful to God, my intentions were to better my position and not to edify the body of Christ. It is very important to never lose focus or lose sight on the places of need in the body of Christ. We need to make sure that we don't focus or determined our ministry in terms of "my need."

God does want us to prosper in all things, but that is not to be our intentions or reason why we serve Him. God knows our heart, and if we are not serving Him with all of it, He knows. God sees right through our intentions. Lip service gets you no where in the kingdom of God. If our only purpose to serve God is for material gain like Balaam, then we will never truly prosper the way God intends for His children to prosper. The way I came to deliverance of Balaam's Doctrine was like this: My best friend and I were talking on the phone one day, and I was feeling like my faith was becoming stagnate. And I believe that the Lord spoke through my friend and he said, "When you feel stagnate in your faith, just start moving around doing the will of the Lord and God will be the rutter directing your path." This piece of wisdom has done wonders for my walk, and has helped me find out the true purpose of what being a Christian is all about.

Don't Get caught up in finding out what God can do for you, instead find out what you can do to glorify God and His kingdom. Find out His purpose for your life and follow the path that He paves for you. Let His perfect love have its place in your heart, and let it shine through your works. This Christmas season reach out to those who need Jesus Christ in their lives. Giving is the best way to show God's love. For God so loved the world that He gave...

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Love One Another

As we live in Christ we begin to see how His love shines through us. We see the compassion He has for the world as we the body reach out to those who are in need of Him. These days there is a lot of evil things happening, and it is easy to focus on them. As Christians we should not get caught up in all the negativity around us. That is what Satan wants us to focus on, but we need to be strong and not fall into that snare or over that stumbling block if you will. Matthew 7:1-5 says, 1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." Folks before we spout off and say something harsh about someone else, lets be slow to speak and show the love in our hearts we have for Jesus Christ. Luke 6:45 says, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." Many times you hear in the Christian circle people say, "God knows your heart, and that is really what He is concerned about, not our works." However it is not uncommon to hear some of these same folks gossip about how things make them so mad," and how "such and such deserved what they got," and "I hope such and such fall short of their goals." This is what Jesus was telling us not to be like. People who say these such things about people have not the love in their heart that they should. The NKJV says it like this, "...For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." This is why it is important not to surround yourself with and focus on negativity.

There are times when you can't avoid being around a negative person such as at our job. It is important that we seek the Lord through out the work day, and always shift our focus on God's word. When I am trapped on a train with someone who is negative I always find things positive to shift the conversation. You see a Christian can always find something to be thankful for. When you learn to praise God regardless of the conditions, you release His power to take over the situation. It could be raining all around you, but from your view it is bright and sunny. Like He says in Psalm 91:7
Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.

This also carries over into our personal relationships with our husbands and wives. If we treat our spouse with disrespect then we are disrespecting the one God gave us to walk through life with. This is why God dislikes divorce. Also this is why it is important not to rush into marriage. When we give up on our marriage God views it as disrespect to Him. Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman and God. It is sacred. When you break that covenant you disrespect the creator of that covenant. So before we get married we need to make sure that we pray and seek God's wisdom before we rush in on marriage. Fools rush in, so don't be a fool and be led by your emotions, because if it is not God ordained then you won't be happy. It is God's will for us to be happy in life not stressed. If you don't seek His will for your life but your own, then the outcome will be that you get your will and not His. But it is no different staying married and treating your spouse as your property instead of with love. Ephesians 5:21 says, "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." In other words show your respect for Jesus Christ through your relationship with your spouse. Let His love shine through your love for one another. Others will notice if your disrespectful to your husband or wife, but they will also notice the love and respect you have for him/her too.

In closing, our relationships and attitude towards others is a direct indication of our own love for Jesus Christ. For out of the abundance of the heart our mouth speaks. Be conscious of what comes out of our mouth. Our bodies are supposed to be the temple, so don't let evil come out of the temple but let the love flow from your heart like living water (a river). To help us edify our walk in love we need to read our Bible and apply it to our lives daily. Faith is a way of life, not just lip service. We are to be examples of the love He has for us so let's all join together in love and tighten up and show the world that even though they may despise and hate us, we are going to love and bless them even more than ever!! Glory be to God!!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Stay Protected

A couple of weeks ago or so I was listening to my pastor preach a message that really helped drive home how God views His children. He said something like this, There are three bags if you will and one is labeled will do, another will not do, and the third wants to do. After I heard this analogy I thought that was a good way to explain how God works in our lives.

God Has The Plan already, and He already told us how it is going to end. There is no amount of praying or bad decisions or worrying any of us can do to change the outcome of this plan. It is already done and set in stone. However, Jesus said He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly! And that is where the bag of "wants to do" comes in to play. Once you accept Jesus in your heart, you are in the family of Christ. And now you are eligible for what is in that bag of "want to's." As children of God we are to live in obedience to His word. And just as we should do with our children, if we step out of His love and sin, then there is discipline involved. Someone who is a christian was taking about all the negative things that were happening to him and his family, and as he was complaining to me, I got word of knowledge from God through the Holy Spirit. God told me it was because of this man and his family's disobedience to God, that these things were happening. And I could tell it was after I had received that word from the Lord because all of a sudden I could really see the bitterness in this fella's heart and the abusive language that was flowing out of his mouth was truly ungodly.

Folks when you step out of obedience to God's word, you step out from underneath that shield of protection. This is not God's will for His children. He wants to pour out His grace upon you, but sometimes we yield to our flesh and it doesn't come without some kind of consequence. Bad things happen in this world that were never the will of God because sometimes we chose to leave the security of God's word to follow our own lustful desires. And as a result we are disqualifying ourselves from God's bag of things He wants to do for us.

The great news is, that we can get back in the running if we repent and receive God's forgiveness. No matter how many times we miss it God is always just to forgive us. And what really happens when this takes place is just what happened in the parable of the prodigal son. Luke 15:21-23 in the NIV, "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' Pause right here. Can you see the humbleness in this son's heart? He truly has repented and the Father knows. Read on; "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate." This parable shows us that God's love for each one of His children are very near and dear to Him. Every time one of His sheep strays and comes back, God celebrates! And so should we! If you read on in this parable you'll see that the son that did not stray was resentful and full of bitterness. Don't become tied up in that type of sin, because that could result in the hardness of your heart. But that's another message for another time.

Stay focused on Him and His word. Give God your praises and walk in obedience, and you will see more grace and favor in your life and your family's too. Love one another as your father that is in heaven has loved you. Pray without ceasing and He will manifest His will for you without ceasing. Glory be to God!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Peaks and Valleys

As we walk in the light as children of the light, sometimes people think that it is always going to be peaceful and nothing is going to effect them what so ever as long as they are in the perfect will of the Lord. So when trials come they believe that there was something they did specifically to bring on the trial. I don't believe that there are any scriptures in the Bible to support that way of thinking, yet it sounds good if it were true. I can see how many could lean that way, because God is good. Yes God is good and God is love, but sometimes we focus in on what is in front of us and not what is a head for us. You see God has a plan for each of us to follow, and if we follow that plan He has prepared for us, then we will reach the rewards that He has set a long the way. God has given us all free will to chose which path we want to follow. Our own paths look to be the easier path to follow, but you don't get to choose that path without paying a price. The narrow path looks more difficult, and it is if you attempt to go down it without the guidance of the councilor, the Holy Spirit. But you see Satan has deceived many in to thinking this way, so people chose their own paths without seeking the truth about the narrow path. Friend do not make this decision based on your knowledge alone. I encourage you to talk to someone who has walked down each path and then compare their lives. Then make a decision on which path you want to follow. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Even though from the outside looking in it may seem like a hard road to follow, Jesus assures us that it is not hard and His burden is light. Compared to the heavy burden and destruction sin brings to your life.

As we follow the path God has laid before us, it will take you through peaks and valleys. Sometimes it is easy when you are on the peak to glorify God and to praise Him and give Him the victory. Then on the flip side when you are in the valley it is easy to feel that you missed something or God is trying to teach you something. I don't believe that God ever leads you in to the valleys to teach you anything, I believe that He tests our hearts during these times of trials, but God never temps you to stray. A good example in the Bible that explains what I am talking about is Joseph the son of Jacob. His brothers wanted to kill him for he had favor from their father over them, but instead they turned him over to the Egyptians for slavery. This would be a valley. Joseph never questioned God but kept faithful to Him and eventually became overseer of his masters house. His master sat him in charge over all the things of his house and gave him authority over it all. This would be a peak. Then his masters wife wanted Joseph to have an affair with her while his master was away, but Joseph ran away. The masters wife lied and said Joseph tried to force himself on her, in turn his master had Joseph put in to prison. This would be a valley. Joseph still remained faithful to God. While in prison God graced Joseph with the gift of interpret dreams, and he interpreted two dreams for two of the servants of Pharaoh, and his interpretations were correct. One servant was killed, the other was restored. The one who was restored was supposed to tell the Pharaoh about Joseph but forgot. Then two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that none of the magicians and wise men could interpret but the servant remembered that Joseph could interpret dreams. So Pharaoh called for Joseph and Joseph rightfully interpreted Pharaoh's dream and was set higher than all the people of Egypt and only second to the Pharaoh. This is a peak.

So we see that just because you are walking in the perfect will of God doesn't mean it is going to be all peaks and no valley's. If Joseph would have just focused on what was in front of him and didn't trust in the Lord, he could have altered God's plans. So many times people spend more time in the valleys than they need to. For instance, if Joseph would have temporary got off the path and started to curse God while in prison he probably would have been in the valley longer than he was. Joseph did trust in the Lord and never doubted God's plan, and as a result he not only came out of the valley, he was exalted head of the nation under Pharaoh. God is a big God. He can work it out for you, even when you can't see a way out. God knows the way out and he will show you. All you have to do is trust in Him. So don't go through life expecting to never encounter trials, and when you do encounter trials know that the Lord will deliver you from them like He did Joseph. Stay faithful to God and trust in Him for He is the problem solver for all our problems. God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. Be thankful and praise God through it all, and He will pour out His grace upon the humble, but the proud will receive resistance. Glory be to God!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Keep Checking In

Please keep checking back I am waiting on the Lord for more direction till then keep your sword sharp by reading the word on your own and praying. God is wonderful!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Cleaning Up The Body Of Christ

God is Love. God Loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Praise God! Talk about a verse worth shouting for this one would qualify. Man! To think Jesus laid His life down for me so that I could live for eternity in His glory. That to me is worth more than all the money in the world. If you are like me then you probably asked yourself how do you ever show someone that did this for you that you truly appreciate them? Well the truth is you can never out give God, but you can submit yourself fully unto Him and that would please Him. In fact in we show God that we have received His free gift of eternal life by diligently seeking His will for us. Many have jumped my case and talked down to me and say, "You don't get salvation by your works but only by the grace of God!" And they expect me to argue with them over this. I never said that you have to earn your salvation. I was and still am saying if people continually seek those things of the flesh, they will reap those things that the flesh bring, meaning death. Romans 6:7-8 says, "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." Therefore if a sinful mind doesn't submit to God's law then it can not qualify for what God's law brings, which is everlasting life. The point is, is that God doesn't want us carnally minded. He wants our focus to be on the things of the spirit.

This world has a lot of evil corruption and sexual immorality. Our government is full of extortion and lawlessness. Drunkenness now days is look upon to be a fun pass time among our very own people. The very same people that are supposed to be representing the body of Christ. Our government has taken what God has ordained between one man and one woman and has slapped Him in the face with mockery, going against God's Word and stating that same sex marriage is an honorable covenant. Religion is getting in the way of what God says in the Bible. Religious people are proclaiming that the grace we are under allows us the free ticket to sin because the grace of God is greater than the sin, when this is not what He said, but many have heard this and liked it so they chose to believe it because they cannot loose. Well sorry to burst your bubble folks who believe in this nonsense but my Bible says if you love God you will keep His commandments. My Bible says in Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." If you are walking according to the flesh then you are not His. And if you are born again and are back sliding away from God, then you need to repent from your sins and get back to Him. If you don't, it could cost you your inheritance. And yes I am talking about everlasting life. God's mercy is manifested now through the forgiveness of sins now, don't wait thinking that you will have time to make up for it outside of this life, because you don't. This is our time to glorify God. Don't blow it! Saints it is time to step up and clean up the Body of Christ! Everyone can find somewhere in their lives to tighten up at. And we all need to lift each other up in the word and edify one another. Be patient with each other and continue to love one another. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:12-13 when He talks about the end of times, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." So lets make sure our love stays fresh and we endure to the end so we will remain saved. Hallelujah!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Religion vs Faith

Wonderful is the Lord Jesus whom I place my faith in. His mercy is more than we deserve, and thank you Jesus for not giving us what we are deserving of. Growing up in the faith much later than most do I consider myself blessed that religion has not presented hurdles in my walk. So many have been deceived by false theories of man that they are so blinded by what the scripture is telling them. These deceived believers hearts have been so hardened that you can point out 25 scriptures to them but they still choose to disbelieve. These same people believe that because they have been saved for 30 years that they know more about truth than a new believer of 15 months. This is a terrible tragedy. What many think Christianity is differs from what it really is. These who's hearts have been hardened get so caught up in trying to prove you are wrong and it is all for their self gratification. You could say they want to feel that they are right and you are wrong and rub your nose in it. Sometimes to the point where they go to far and start calling you horrible names such as false brethren or a false prophet. Well I am truly sorry that these people have been deceived but I can not change that. What I can do is submit to what I believe the Holy Spirit has led me to do and inform them of what the scriptures say. I can not make everyone believe. I haven't been a Christian very long at all, but one of the first things the Holy Spirit taught me was to be quick to repent. You see this is the biggest thing that people have a problem with. No one likes to admit that they are wrong, and especially when they have been believing the wrong way for 30 years. It isn't an easy thing to do. This is what is called spiritual pride, and religion teaches it. Faith teaches to be quick to repent. And what happens is these religious people slip away from serving the Lord and start serving themselves. Puffing themselves up with pride and seeking the praise of man instead of praising God. Religion teaches that democracy is the way, because "if we don't like what you say we will get someone else that does agree with us." And the product of this is disrespect for authority and rebellion. Faith teaches dictatorship, and Jesus is the King whom we serve. Faith worships and serves God. Not its own image of what they think God is like. Some religious people believe that you do not have to change anything in your life but only say that you believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved no matter what you do, and your way of life has nothing to do with you making it to heaven. This is what the enemy wants you to believe, but that is not the message of Jesus' ministry. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" These again are the words of Jesus. People who choose their own meanings behind the scriptures and proclaim it as the truth when really it is their opinion, these are really the false prophets Jesus was referring to. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." If all we had to do is "say we believe" and nothing else this statement that Jesus said would not be true. If someone gets saved, then that person's soul is renewed. This means there is big change taking place within this person's spirit. If nothing changes for this person then they did not receive their salvation. Some religion teaches that you do not have to have works to be saved, and faith teaches the same, but you have to hold on to your salvation by doing the will of the Father. God knows our hearts, however believing is not going to stand alone and get us there. James 2:19 says, "...Even the demons believe-and tremble!" No you have to have faith. And faith never stands alone. James 2:17 says, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." These works do not gain you salvation, that was already bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ. No these works would be what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:21 when He said ...only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. If you walk the broad path in this world and do not do the will of God who is in heaven, then you will not make it. I realize that this is not a popular subject preached at the pulpit for it sounds very harsh. But I refuse to keep quiet of how costly false teachings could be to someone who believes once after they have obtain their salvation by being born again, that they can do whatever their will is and not God's and still make it in to heaven. No that is why there is so much sexual immorality and disobedience in the world today. And many of them claim to be Christians who are engaging in this type of behavior. God will not stand for it and neither should we. Many need to realize the deceitfulness of sin causes the hardness of their hearts and in turn causes spiritual death. That is why children of God are no longer sinners but doers of righteous deeds. If you sin you do need to repent from it in order to be forgiven of your sins. Hebrews 10:26 says, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins," Saints, do not wager rather or not you will make it. If you do not know for sure without a doubt that you would make it to heaven if you died tonight then know that it is God's will for you to repent from your sins and come back to Him through Christ Jesus. Do not risk it. He paid to big of a price for you to gamble it away on foolishness.

In Christ,

Eric R Cox

God Has Pleasure In Our Prosperity!

God loves us so much that it is beyond our understanding of comprehension. For God to offer His Son as a sacrifice for those who do not even want anything to do with Him is beyond Human comprehension. God created us so that He could commune with us and to share His love with us. Since the fall of man, man has struggled to please God through the keeping of the law. God knew this and had a plan all along that would gain the love of His children back. And that plan was and is through the blood of His Son Jesus.

Now it is repulsive to think that it is God's will to allow His Son to go to the cross just to watch us struggle. What I mean is it is God's will for us to increase. Everyone has a starting point and usually it is no where near the finish line. I remember when I first gave my life to Christ I was pretty rough around the edges. Now I look at where I am now and see that my faith in God has increased tremendously. So I know that it is God's will for us to increase. 3 John 2 says, Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. Now all things to me covers just about everything, and yes including money. The way you start to prosper in "all things", is you have to start prospering in your soul. If your heart is not right then you are never going to be prosperous. You could have a billion dollars in the bank, own five houses, three yachts, but that doesn't make you prosperous. When you have the love of Jesus inside your heart, and it shines boldly, and everyone can tell that there is something good about you, to me that is prosperity. John 10:10 Jesus says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
Now it is also God's will for us to be prosperous. To some that may rub the wrong way but it depends what you consider to be prosperous. I don't believe that it is God's will for anyone to be broke, but at the same time I don't believe that it is God's will for people to have an abundance of money and not share it with those who are in need. The kingdom of God takes money, and majority of Christians do not tithe. So it is no wonder why God blesses those who do tithe with an abundance. Psalm 35:27 says, Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” You see I believe that the Lord wants us to be prosperous in a way to magnify His glory. If I am broke because I don't believe that it is God's will for me to have money, then I am limiting what God can do in my life and what He can allow me to do for others in His name. You see your actions will always follow your beliefs. And your actions have consequences. If your actions are disbelief, then your consequence is lack there of what ever it is you are disbelieving. But if you believe that it is His will for you to prosper for the good of the kingdom, then He will prosper you. Job 36:11 says, If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. I believe that part of obeying and part of serving God is to honor Him with our possessions, large or small. And if the Lord blesses you with money then it is your duty in the kingdom to give generously to those who are in need and do it to bring glory to God. I believe the same goes to those who have little also. God doesn't care what the amount is, He is more concerned with rather or not it is your best offering. That is one way the Lord uses people. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 says, Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Proverbs 28:25 says, ...but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

The scriptures also warn us to be aware of the wrongful type of increase or prosperity. Some people get a notion that it is because of their own doing that's the reason for their increase or wealth. This I believe is the reason why so many Christians are against "Prosperity preaching". I believe this could cause a lack in the area of your finances if you totally block this out. I say this because you receive according to your faith, and we all know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So if you cut prosperity totally out of your spiritual diet, then you are going to lack in that area. I don't believe that prosperity is the most important thing to preach on, however it is a portion of God's will so it has some significance. Colossians 2:18-19 in the NLT warns us not to focus the increase as our own doing, "Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it." This tells us that God is the nourisher, not man. But nourishment covers all things not just the things of our spirit. God knows what it takes to get the message out there. To reach out to others it takes money, and this day and age it takes a lot of money. If you are wealthy in worldly things but you have nothing spiritually to show for it, what is the point. Some would say that they would be happier and they would for a season, but there would be a void that only Jesus could fill. The things of this world will perish, you can't take them with you. So they do you no good putting your faith in them. Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 in the NLT says, Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

Those who love God, and earnestly seek the things of the kingdom of God first, will enjoy the gifts God brings them. God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him, the Bible says so. Ecclesiastes 5:19 in the NLT says, And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. I believe that this is the prosperity that is God's will for us. He loves us too much for His will to be to have us struggle in life. He wants us to enjoy life with Him, but your heart has to be right in order for this to happen. God is a God of increase, a God of prosperity, and a God of unlimited ability. He gives and He takes away. Have your heart in the right place and receive His love in all parts of your life. He doesn't want you to go through this world not equipped. As you equip your soul with the Word, He will take care of what you need and give you an abundance so you can enjoy some of it too. God is a good God. Hallelujah!

In Christ,

Eric R Cox

Love is the Answer!

In Matthew 22:39 Jesus said, "...you shall love your neighbor as yourself." But how many people truly know how to love your neighbor? 1 John 3:18 says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." If we look at the things that God did for us, we can see He leads by example. 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 eternal life." God gave, and this is how He loves us. So now we get an idea of how we are to love. The Bible says if you love God you show Him by keeping His commandments. The same applies in our relationships. For an example you can tell your wife you love her everyday and she likes to hear that, but what really drives it home is when you do things for her. Such as doing the laundry, doing the dishes, cooking for her, etc. This is how we are to love. So the same would apply to your neighbor. I believe what makes keeping this commandment so hard for some is that so many are being deceived by the world. And what I mean is a common position most have is, "I've worked too hard for what I have and am barely scraping by on my own, so how does He expect me to give to others?" Well if you look at what the Bible says about money, we are not suppose to borrow money. But our flesh says 'I can't wait' and the world says, 'I'll finance you." So we think this is great and we do that over and over till we have a payment on everything. And now we have become the tail and not the head. We are held in bondage to our debt and as a result the Lord can not use us to bless our neighbors. So the the worldly views have deceived us from thinking how God says we should handle money. Giving is not alone limited to materialistic things though. We can lend our neighbors a hand when they are in need of help physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually. However people nowadays are too busy to lend a hand to anyone because our schedules are too full of things not of the kingdom. This is another way the devil keeps us incapacitated or fit to serve the Lord. It is time for Christians to stop becoming more like the world and shift their thinking to the things of the kingdom of God. How many know that the Bible says, seek ye first the kingdom of God, yet how many actually live that way? Then we wonder why we have an abundance of strife in our lives. I dare to say that these two things are directly related to each other. My wife put it in a way that best explains the unexplainable. She said it like this, when you put the things of God first then all the rest seem to fall in place. This is the truth. God is way more qualified to handle our problems than we are, and He wants to handle them for us. But we need to shelf our pride, and let Him do it for us and quit trying to over power it ourselves. We can not do it alone. He is the answer to all our problems and the answer is in Him. Saints we need to stop looking to the Government and people for answers and start seeking Him first. The Messiah has already come and our faith is to be in Him and not anything or anybody else. When you trust in the Lord that pleases Him and you will see His favor in your life. When you don't know where the money is going to come from its there. When you don't know how to overcome the sickness your healed. When you have tried to talk to your teenager and bring him light and you're about to give up, the Lord turns his life around. All because you trust in Him our Savior. He is the wonderful councilor. He knows all things, so let's place our faith in Him, and let Him clean up our bank accounts, our schedules, and our lives. We can't afford to be deceived anymore. It's time for a break through who's with me. Pray right now with me, Lord I know that I need your help. And I know I haven't always put you first in my life, but I want to change that right here and right now. Show me where I need to change and I will change. Give me wisdom and guide my steps down the path which you have already prepared for me. Show me the grace which you have graced me with and I will place your purpose first in my life. For I know when I place you first you will take care of the rest. Show me how to love and use me as your vessel, and I will give you my all. Amen! Now if you believe that receive it and hold on to it. And be ready for some big things to happen in your life and expect good things to happen. God is love and God is good. And if you prayed with me and you believe that you will receive, He is right now this very second working on manifesting this to you. Let's be a light to the world and love our neighbors as ourselves praising God as we do! Glory be to God! Amen!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scripture to meditate on: 1 John 3:13-22 (New Living Translation)

13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them. 16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

Got Faith?

Today I want to blog a little bit about what faith can do. This is just one example of the many in the Bible. If you look through the Bible it teaches us that faith is the way to the Father. Jesus talked about what faith of a mustard seed could do. He told people they were healed by their faith. By faith Peter walked on water, But as so many still do, they chose to doubt. And just like Peter we fall from time to time. That's okay we are going to fall from time to time, no one other than Jesus has arrived to Christ like perfection yet. It's about what you do when you fall. Are you going to sink or are you going to call on the Lord like Peter did? So many want to blame God for bad things that happen in their lives as if it were His fault these things happened. We need to realize something, God has never let us down. He has always been faithful to us. And so the question should not be why did this happen? The real question is what will you do when you don't know why? Will you still trust in Him? If you can't then you have no faith in Him, and Hebrews 11:6 in the NIV says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
One of the most common scenarios today we have people judging each other telling them what they should or should not believe. If you want my opinion I believe in the Bible and what it says. And if I am going to tell someone this is the truth, then I am going to provide the scriptures to back it up. I will not say it if God did not tell us in this book.
So with out further due. I want to talk about the harlot Rahab and what she did, and how I believe some day many people are going to have to do the things she did. As the world moves closer to one world religion (coexist), Christians are going to suffer persecution. In Hebrews 11:31 it says, "By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." the NKJV says "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." So when you compare these two translations you see that unbelief is a form of disobedience. And we also see that there is a prostitute in the great faith chapter of the Bible. Rahab received these spies and hid them on her roof knowing that if she was caught she would have been killed. And the king of Jericho sent men to search for them and when they came to her place she lied to them and said that she didn't know where they were. Many could jump to the conclusion here and say that the Bible is condoning to sin since lying is a sin and Rahab lied. This is not what the Bible says. This is a true story and Rahab at this point was not raised in a christian home so we do not know how much light the Lord has given her. Rahab was also open for business practicing her profession. Does that mean prostitution is okay? No it doesn't. Moving on, the king's men went away looking for the spies and Rahab went up to the roof and talked to them. Joshua 2:9-11, "9 I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and every one's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." Now after reading this we see that the Israelites had a totally different view didn't they? That is why they wondered out in the desert for 40 years afraid when they could have been taking the land that was promised to them by the Almighty God. I believe that the world is like this today. They are all scared of Christians because we are favored by the Lord and they are afraid that they are going to lose the upper hand. Well I have news for them, they already did almost 2010 years ago.
Now watch this now, Joshua 2:12-13 Rahab asks, "12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." Have you ever thought right here, what if she didn't ask? Most likely her and her family would have been dead with the others. What if she would have told others that she requested her family and herself be spared? I believe it would have gone something like this: You? What makes you think God would save you? Don't you know there are many people in this city doing good things for humanity? Why would God save a prostitute? That was just my thought, however it is the way many Christians think today. In the end when the walls fell at Jericho, Rahab and her immediate family was spared, all because she had faith in God. Also she asked the Lord to spare her and her family and she knew that God could and that He would. This is why it is important to make your desires known to the Father.
Now let me show you one more thing many have overlooked. Go to Matthew 1:1-6. This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
2Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6and Jesse the father of King David
I showed you this because this means that Rahab the harlot was King David's, the man after God's own heart, Great Grandma. How big is that? God is good!
In closing you can never be sure where you are going to find faith and God can use anybody. Never turn your nose up at anyone, because that person could truly have a heart for God and you could miss their calling out for Him. No body can judge the persons heart but we can all help each other to the Lord. Love everybody and this Christmas season let your love for God shine through you by giving to those who need the Lord and who have already found Him. Be a blessings to others and God will Bless you. God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Time for a Healing

Is any one tired of hearing about the swine flu yet? I sure am, and I am tired of people that have no knowledge of the subject taking a stand for this so called H1N1 flu vaccination, but won't even speak up for their God who saved them through the blood of His own Son Jesus. There has not been enough time do an extensive study so how can you assure anyone that it is completely safe? You can't so don't try. If you got the shot then okay, but I say seek refuge in the Lord your God. He has already bought and paid for your protection. The same blood that bought your salvation, bought your healing. It is up to us to receive it. When we accept Jesus in our hearts and are born again we are now children of God and no longer slaves to sin. Which means sin has no authority in our lives. Sickness comes from Satan, the father of sin. So sickness is from Satan, and Satan is now made our foot stool. The only way Satan can effect us is if we allow him to. That is why we people of faith talk to our mountains and tell them to be gone in the name of Jesus and we believe that what we say is coming to pass(Mark 11:23). James 4:7 says,"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." That means tell Satan to flee and he has to get! Now if you believe and have faith in God you will receive this, and if you don't receive this then I reckon you're probably sick often. This is the truth, God's truth. Thank you Jesus for bearing my sickness and disease, sins and iniquities, and making me righteous and an heir to the throne of God. Through you Jesus I can rule and reign in life and am no longer held to the bondage of sin. Thank you Father for your love and mercy you show for me and I thank you for the opportunity to share your love with others. I praise you and give you the glory for the blessings in my life and I will honor you with everything in my life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Take your healing by reading Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Willing To Do What It Takes

Some times there are situations or circumstances in our life that are not the will of God. Even as we walk in the Light, we are still learning. For the scriptures say, "we only know in part." Some times we are faced with some hard decisions in our life that we put off facing for fear that we may make the wrong decision. Perhaps we just don't want to give up certain things. Being led by the Spirit is not something that you perfect over night, or even over a lifetime. But as I have mentioned in an earlier blog, the more you do something the better you become at what ever it is that you are doing. So there are going to be times where you are believing that you are being led by Him, but as it turns out you missed it. I believe the biggest fear of someone who is trying to walk with Christ, is fear of making a mistake. You have to remember that stepping out on faith is a growth process. No one arrives there overnight. There are going to be times that you are going to step out and miss what you thought the Lord was telling you. But wouldn't you rather step out on faith and fall on your face for the Lord, rather then draw back in fear and never risk anything for Him?
Thinking back in the Bible in Genesis, Abraham was faced with some hard decisions in life. Probably some of the hardest decisions anyone has ever had to face. And yes he missed it a few times. In chapter 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abraham and told him He would give to his descendants this land. As time went on Abraham and Sara grew old and had no children, so they decided themselves that the only way they were going to have children was with Sara's Egyptian maidservant Hagar. This act right here was not an act of faith. You see God knew when the time was right for Sara to bare a child, however they grew impatient with God. Now due to this decision based on what they thought was the right thing to do, there are conflicting faiths at war today. But God gives more grace than you can mess up. Hagar bore them a child Ishmael, but later God spoke to Abraham and told him that His covenant would be made with the son Sara would bare, Isaac. Later after Isaac was born, the decision that Abraham and Sara made to have Hagar bare them a son was getting in the way of God's plan for them. God dealt with Abraham to send Ishmael and Hagar away. Abraham being faithful to God and trusting His word, he did so. I'm sure it wasn't easy for Abraham to send them off, just like it's not easy for us to get rid of some things that we love. But when things get in the way of God's best for us, we need to send it away. Sometimes we are not willing to give things up for God, but then turn around and want God to make things happen for us.
The Bible tells us in 3 John 2, that it is His will that we prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers. This is the truth, for the Bible tells us this. However, we become prosperous in all things by doing that which He has called us to do. And if that means He asks us for our Isaac, we need to be willing to give it up for Him and not draw back. If we are not willing to give something up for God then we are saying I am not willing to do whatever it takes. And if we are giving things up grudgingly we're still are not willing to do whatever it takes. We need to be willing to obey the Lord. This is one way we show God that we love Him. And saints when we arrive at the point where we are willing to do what ever it takes for God, He will bless us way more than we can imagine. That is how we show Him we can be trusted with more. We serve a God of increase, and it is His will for us to prosper. It's up to us to let Him increase us!
I hope this makes sense. This is very important to our quality of life. God doesn't want us to struggle in life. However He isn't just going to hand over the keys if we can't be trusted. You look at all the men and women God used in the Bible and you'll see that their faith in God had all been tested. We are not any different. We say we are willing, but are we really willing to do whatever God calls us to do? It is so true that many are willing to die for God, but how many are willing to live for Him? Saints these are hard times, and many are being tested. Isn't it about time we hand the reins over to God, fully submit every part of our lives to Him? God is so faithful to His word, now it's our turn to be faithful to ours. Don't pick and choose parts of the Bible to believe. If you are going to believe in the Bible, believe it all. Else wise you will not be full of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scriptures to meditate on: NLT Deuteronomy 28:1-14

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:
3 Your towns and your fields
will be blessed.
4 Your children and your crops
will be blessed.
The offspring of your herds and flocks
will be blessed.
5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards
will be blessed.
6 Wherever you go and whatever you do,
you will be blessed.
7 “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!
8 “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.
11 “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. 12 The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 13 If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. 14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.

Are You Righteous?

By the grace of God, all who take the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and repents from their sins are now made the righteousness of God. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Now when Jesus died the old sinner died with Him on the cross. That is why Christians say sin has been nailed to the cross. Now when Jesus was resurrected, so was the new you and me. No longer are we sinners, Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." That wrath we are saved from is all the things that sin brings along. Romans 5:11 from the 21st century King James Version says, "And not only that, but we shall also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Atonement means the experience of humankind's unity with God exemplified by Jesus Christ. We are now united with God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Glory to God!
Now if you flip over to Romans 6:13-14 Paul explains how we are to present ourselves. "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." Folks we fall under the authority of God through the One Christ Jesus. That means anything that is not of God is beneath us and has no authority over us. We can not serve two masters. We are slaves to God not sin. Romans 6:15-16, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" In other words if you are sinning then you are under the law of sin, which is death. If you are obedient to God then you are made righteous. verse 18 goes on to tell us that we have been set free from sin and now we are slaves to righteousness. As verse 16 said, "to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey." So then you are righteous! When you are righteous then your reward from God is everlasting life.
Saints do not walk around the world boasting thinking that by your deeds and your works you are made righteous. On the same account do not walk around hanging your head thinking that you are an old sinner. If you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have been redeemed from the wrath of sin. Also you are now made the righteousness of God. Now you have authority in Christ Jesus to rule and reign in life. And now, if you are a slave of God, then you have authority in God. Which means you are of great value to the kingdom. James 5:15-16 says, "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Glory to God!
In closing, do not let anyone tell you that you are not righteous yet. He said "Having now been justified by His blood," and "...we have now received the reconciliation(atonement)." If the scriptures tell us we can be righteous then we can be righteous. It is up to us weather or not to recieve it. It has already been bought and paid for. Just remember though, now that we are made righteous, we need to walk in the righteousness of God. We are an asset to God. We need to always be ready for God to use us. We can not let sin keep us and others from receiving God's best!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scripture to meditate on: NLT Romans 5:17-18

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

Are You One of God's Elect?

Can you remember the last time you prayed? This seems like a silly question to some people, however it is a question many have to stop and think about. I haven't had a long life of prayer, however it did not take long to understand the power of prayer. Just from my experiences I have learned that like any thing else, the more you do something, the better you get at doing what ever it is your doing. Yeah but do you really believe that prayer really works? I mean God is in control so what ever happens He has already made the plan and predestined us so what is the point? After all you just never know what is going to happen. But if you do pray, make sure you pray if it be thy will and not your will. Does any of this sound familiar? So many people I talk to have this mentality, but how did they arrive to this way of thinking? The Bible is full of prayer, so right there we know that it is important. Jesus the Son of God was always praying to the Father. Since the whole purpose for disciples is to become like the Master, should we be more like the Master?
Prayer is important and prayer does work, but there is a time to pray and a time to act. As followers of Jesus we need to know when it is time for prayer and a time to act. So the only way to find out is to look at the Bible and at the Holy scriptures. So lets look at some of those wonderful words. Turn to Mark 11:22-24. 22 Jesus says, "Have faith in God". Glory to God!! That has to get your blood flowing! Now look at 23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." Praise the Lord!!!! This is truth! Let me paraphrase what the Master says to do in this verse. I tell you the truth all kidding aside, if anyone has problems in their life keeping them from glorifying the Father, tell it to be gone leave your your path in the name of Jesus, and you must truly believe in your heart that this is God's will is for you, it will happen. This is not prayer, this is acting or speaking to the mountain. Some believers do not believe in this, but who's words are they choosing not to believe? Do not be mislead thinking that through the power of the Holy spirit this is only possible. Jesus was telling this to His disciples, so the Holy Spirit hasn't arrived yet. This has to do with your faith in God. You see God wants you to know that He is a good God, but you have to show your faith in Him by your works. What I mean is, God said if you love me you will keep my commandments. In other words if you love me show me don't just tell me. If you choose not to believe the words of Jesus, then you have no faith in God. The mountain could be anything: cancer, high blood pressure, AIDS, debt, coughs, colds, running nose, H1N1, all things that are not of God. Moving on to verse 24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." There it is folks, When you pray believe you receive and you will have it. Is that what Jesus says? Why is it then people don't believe? No faith in God. What Jesus says in this verse is when you pray for what you desire believe that you have received it, and it will be given to you. What ever you desire pray that you have received. If you are sick your desire could be healing, if you're in debt your desire would be money, if you are in bondage to drugs or alcohol you desire freedom from addiction. These are what He told you to believe you have received. When something is keeping you from the will of God you speak to it and believe it is being removed. When you pray for your desires believe that they are on the way to you. You see these things were already bought and paid for. The authority in Christ Jesus has been given to us when we accepted Him as our Lord. We were born again, born in to Christ. No longer are we bound by sickness and disease, that is brought along from sin and we are no longer sinners. The Bible says in Romans 8:32-33, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies." If then we are God's elect, it is about time we start acting like it? These things that Jesus said in the scriptures have not been practiced in the churches like He told us. We should be walking around here laughing at sickness and disease ruling and reigning in life through Christ Jesus. Not scared out of our minds about pestilences. When you are walking in Christ Jesus those have no authority over you or your family anymore, but you need to recieeve that. "In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37. That doesn't sound like someone who should be walking around scared. Do not set your mind on the things of the flesh for that would make you carnally minded. "To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6.
Saints, if we are truly God's elect, we need to be walking this earth boasting God's glory which is in His Son Jesus. If you are not receiving some kind of persecution from the world, then you are too much like the world. God's elect are nothing like the world. Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Lets reform our beliefs, clear out all the traditions of man, and corruption of religion, and get back to the word of God. Let's shift our thinking to God's truth, not man's.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scripture to meditate on: NLT Romans 8:14-17

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Will the truth make you free?

You often hear people say the truth shall make you free, but what does that really mean? If you go with me in the Bible to the Gospel account of John 8:31-32 we see Jesus says to those Jews who believed on Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." These are the words of Jesus no doubt, however who did Jesus say these words to? You see many people just quote the 32nd verse by its self, when it is qualified with the previous verse. Jesus tells the Jews who believed on Him that if they were to follow His word, then they would truly be His disciples. Then and only then would you know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But the truth of what? Also what were they free from? Immediately what pops into my head is freedom from sin, and the truth about sin. And in fact if you look in 8:34 Jesus tells them "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." The freedom is the burden being lifted off you and having it nailed to the cross.
This new found freedom from sin however doesn't mean that as disciples we won't suffer any. It means that we will not be condemned by death but have everlasting life. As these final days close in on us, we Christians are going to suffer. When Saul of Tarsus was converted on the road to Damascus and the Lord was dealing with Ananias to lay his hands on Saul, Jesus told Ananias that He would show Saul many things he must suffer for His name's sake (Acts 9:16). Now, what exactly does the Word say we are going to suffer? For starters let's look at Luke 9:22-23. Jesus said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." This means as disciples we need to be walking in Christ every day. He said deny himself, meaning deny temptations of your flesh. Everyday we all struggle with different temptations, but we must be strong and endure. Walking as a disciple of Christ is not always easy. Matter of fact, In 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 in the NIV Apostle Paul compares it to training for the Olympics. "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." You have to condition yourself day after day, night after night. Reading your Bible, going to church, interacting with other believers, even getting out and spreading the gospel to non believers. That is what it means to keep the sword sharp.
Now the other type of suffering is not the most favorite thing to talk about however it needs to be talked about. In 2 Timothy 3:12 Apostle Paul is quite clear about it. He says, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," I believe this is what most Christians fear the most, being persecuted. When these times come, many are going to perish. Many are going to be weak and deny Jesus. This is why we as a church need to equip ourselves for spiritual warfare, by reading the Word of God everyday! This is what Jesus is talking about in Luke 12:8-10, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." If you read on in verse 11-12 He says not to worry about what to say when those times come for the Holy Spirit will be with you to teach you.
These days ahead of us are exciting, however for some the days ahead are going to be scary. This is why it is so critical to read and understand and to ask questions to things you do not understand. All the things religion has opposed all these years could keep several from inheriting the kingdom of God. If you are afraid you need to get the sword out and start sharpening it. Stay fresh on the Word. Do not let the Spirit be quenched. You should be excited for what lies ahead for us Christians. Make no mistake about it, Jesus is getting His bride ready for His return. There is a stirring going on in the church (thanks Kevin), and if you haven't noticed then you better start doing some soul searching fast. Time is precious. Stay in the faith, trust in the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Know His voice and be led by His Spirit!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scriptures to meditate on: NLT Matthew 25:31-46

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."

Understand what the Word says!

Yesterday at work I met a lady who was terribly bitter at everything. And I thought to myself, what could it be that is bothering this woman so much that she reverts to reviling words towards everyone. Well turns out that I was blessed with the opportunity to find out because this woman was my conductor on the train I was on. We had the opportunity to share the Word of God, however we didn't see quite eye to eye on everything. She was raised up in a Baptist church, and I wasn't.

Now as we talked I found out that she has filed for a divorce for reasons other than adultery. Her husband was the drummer for the band at the church they have been members of for the last ten years. When the church found out from him that she had been the one who filed for the divorce, they withdrew all communication with her. Even her best friend for the last ten years which is the ministers daughter hasn't spoke to her since they found out. No one ever approached her from the congregation, not an elder, not the minister, not even her mom and dad called to warn her. No one offered to hear her reasons or even called to offer their prayers. It turns out the only ones who actually reached out to her and was there to comfort her were her friends who are homosexual.

This is a prime example of how costly not fully understanding what the Bible says can be. What the church did in this case wasn't all wrong, however the church did not complete the process which the Bible tells us to follow. Open your Bible to 2 Thessalonians 3:5-7 and we'll start here. In the NIV it says "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you," now skip down to verse 13-14. It says, " And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed." The church did an excellent job of withdrawing here, however they must have grown weary of doing what was right, because they stopped right here. In doing so the church missed the most important part which is in verse 15, " Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother." The NLT says "Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister."

As a result of not reading far enough in to the text, one of the Shepard's sheep has stayed, and no one from the flock is interested in saving it. In the NKJV Matthew 18:12-14 says, "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." These are the words of Jesus, and that means it trumps all. It is so crucial to understand what you are being preached. This lady told me that if one person from the church would have called her up and offered to pray for her it would have made a difference. This never took place, and as a result wolves (sinners) rushed in and are pulling her away from God's love which should be coming from the Body of Christ. I did my best to turn her back toward God but through the teachings she has been raised up to believe that someone who goes to the church I go to is a false prophet, and won't listen to me even if you point out and show them scriptures. This is a tragedy, and my heart is so broken for these people.
I ask that you keep this woman in you prayers, and specifically pray that the Lord may manifest His plan for her also that He may cross someone in to her path that may turn her back to Christ. These things are going on every day and truly is a tragedy if these sheep are not turned back to the flock. Be observant for these people and be soldiers for Christ. Let's bring glory to God by leading these sheep back. Sometimes the best way to do that is to listen to the broken hearted. Be led by Him!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scripture to meditate on: NLT Matthew 18:15-20

15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

Where are we going?

Where are we going as the body of Christ? Sometimes I feel that the body of Christ (the church) is too distracted with things going on inside the church, that we tend to lose focus of what is going on around us in the world. I feel we have too many people acting on belief of what man has said is true, and not finding out, camping on and protecting what actually is the truth. This seems to me where a lot of the confusion in the church is, and taking away of what our focus should be on. "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." 1Corinthians 14:33.

So I want to take a little time and camp on this subject. The Bible is the truth and before you take what someone says is the truth, I challenge you to discover what God says the truth is before you take a position on that particular issue. Now I am not just talking about politics, I am also talking about what is important to God. You see brethren, too many people inside the body of Christ are believing different parts of the Bible, then turn around and say that such and such part of the Bible doesn't exist anymore. This is not true. To be more specific I am talking about the New Testament. I spoke to the leader of my Life Group last night and we got to talking about why or how we arrived to this point as a church. The truth is that the church has been asleep and has let things go on too long, waiting for God to step in and do something. There are too many people in the body teaching man's truth and not God's truth. Let me give you an example. God's truth: Mark 11:24, "whatever things you ask for when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Man's truth: "whatever things you ask for when you pray, believe nothing is too hard for God and if it be His will then you'll receive." Now this is only one example, but religion has messed it up over the years and now millions of people believe man's truth over God's. Then some will say the Lord's prayer said to pray if it be thy will! But it is also written: "...do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:17. The Lord's prayer that they are referring to states clear as day that God's will for us is the same on earth as in heaven. Yet how many just stop at "Your will be done..."? Most people that grew up in church were preached that man's truth was God's truth and this is what Satan wanted. Last night God spoke to me through my Life Group leader and I began to see why people don't actually believe God's truth. It is because they were taught that man's truth was God's truth for so long and now to change that would mean they would have to admit that they were wrong their whole life. Now it becomes an issue of pride. If they would let go of their pride, then God would pour out the grace on them, but their hearts have been hardened. Now they have become what the Bible says are fools - knowing the difference between right and wrong, but choosing to do wrong because they don't care. Therefore, now that their harts have been hardened, they receive resistance from God because hardening of your heart displeases the Lord. The scriptures show us when Jesus healed the man's withered hand, the religious Pharisees watched Jesus closely to see if He would heal this man's hand on the Sabbath. Right here is where you would think they would say, "Wait a minute. This man named Jesus is walking around healing people by faith and fulfilling what the Prophet Isaiah prophesied. Which we believe will happen someday and so this must be the Christ." But they didn't. Nope, and in Mark 3:4-5, Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other." Folks, if you are believing one thing, and the Lord shows you differently, do not harden your heart. Be quick to repent, humble yourself. James 4:6 says, "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

If you are struggling with this, you are not the first and you are not alone. Don't get so caught up in trying to prove someone wrong that you miss out on what God is showing you. Saints, we need to understand that God's children are being attacked by the world and it's time that we strap on the breastplate of righteousness, put on the helmet of salvation, pick up the sword which is the word of God, gird up our loins and push the enemy back and make our stand. Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:20, "Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge." So get that Bible out and determined what God's truth is, be led by the Holy Spirit, and if you miss it, be quick to repent. Don't be what the Bible calls a fool.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scripture to meditate on: Titus 3:9-11 NKJV

9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. 10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned

Do I need to repent????

First of all in order to repent, you need to know what it actually means to repent and what it consists of. First, repent means to turn away from or to change. Second, it consists of you making the decision that pleasing God is of most importance in your life. Sometimes there are things that come between you and God that get in your way of fully serving His purpose for you. And as your walk of faith matures, so does the light that you walk in. As you reach out to God He will start to show you things by the Holy Spirit which is in you, things you need to change, or repent. The thing that you need to remember is that the reason why you did these things in the first place was because you were walking alone. But now you are filled with the Holy Spirit, and you need to tap in to that anointing and let Him take over. I remember when I realized the power of the Holy Spirit. It was when I quit chewing tobacco by supplementing the urge to chew with prayer. And just a couple days the urges were almost nonexistent. Satan knows that is one of my weaknesses so from time to time he tempts me to revert back to my old ways, and he will do it to you too. But James 1:2-3 says to "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." Now the hard to discuss part, these next few things I am going to mention may offend some people but this needs to be discussed for the Bible declares that if you are guilty of these than you will not inherit the kingdom of God. So these are very important to yours' and my salvation. So I am not scared one bit to talk about these. If you know anyone that may be partaking in any of these you may need to make them aware as well. An easy way for you to tell them would be to send them to this blog and let me do it. And before we get started I just want to say that these are forgivable if you truly repent. Turn to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and you will find that in Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth that he makes mention of certain things that will keep you out of the kingdom of God. I'll go right down the line and give you the definition of each one. Fornicator- someone who consorts with prostitutes. Idolater- someone who worships idols. Adulterer- someone who has sex voluntary with someone other than their spouse. Homosexual- someone who engages in sexual orientation with others of the same sex. Sodomite- someone who practices anal sex (can be male or female). Thieve- someone who steals. Covetous- wrongly desires wealth or possessions; greedy. Drunkard- someone that is habitually or frequently drunk. Reviler- someone speaks abusively or uses abusive language. Extortioner- someone who uses his official position or powers to obtain property, funds, or patronage- (the control of or power to make appointments to government jobs or the power to grant other political favors). Friends, every word in the Bible is of great importance, however these things that are mentioned above are not to be taken lightly. These are essential to eternal life. I know that this topic isn't the most fun to talk about but I am just being led by what I feel the Spirit leads me to type. I know some of my family and dear friends that fall into this category, and it bothers me that the tempter has deceived them. Perhaps you feel the same way. Now this is going to come as a harsh word to many people however this also needs to be discussed. The leader of our country has come out publicly and has said in his speech to the American people on civil rights that his goal is to desensitize people's beliefs to where people look upon same sex marriage as admirable! Are you listening people! This is what our nations president said! If this is true, then where is the line drawn? What is next, men who use abusive language to women will be declared respectable? Or fornication is to be legalized in all 50 states? The body of Christ needs to step up and voice God's Word! Folks don't be fooled by what is going on. It is written nation will rise against nation kingdom against kingdom. During these days we can not afford to be uninformed on these things. Saints I urge you to pray earnestly for our nation, soldiers fighting the war, and pray the prayer of faith. If you need to repent, do not waste another minute, do it right now. I can say that it is the most important decision you'll make outside of being saved. Now praise God and give Him glory! AMEN!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scripture to meditate on:

Romans 1:18-32 NKJV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,[a] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,[b] unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.