Sunday, February 06, 2000


PRAISE GOD!! AND HELLO,AGAIN!! NO, YOU AREN'T BACK AT THE HOME PAGE,YOU ARE AT THE MONTHLY SERMON PAGE! NO, I'M NOT A PASTOR EITHER, I'M A MUSICIAN / SONGWRITER / SINGER FOR THE LORD! THIS PAST WEEK,THROUGH THE INTERVENTION OF PRAYER,I AM PUTTING TO PRACTICE WHAT GOD HAS LAID UPON MY HEART. I 'VE MADE A PROMISE TO GOD THAT I WOULD SHARE WHEN HE SHARES WITH ME . I WANT TO BE READY AND WILLING TO SHARE AND BLESS THOSE WHO MAY FEAST UPON THE BANQUET OF THE WORD THAT HE HAS GIVEN ME! I PRAY ALSO, THAT YOU TO WILL BE BOLD,THAT WHEN GOD GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO SHARE THAT YOU WOULD.MAYBE IT WILL BLESS OR ENHANCE THE SPIRITUAL BODY TO EITHER THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE OR TO A SINGLE PERSON.WHAT YOU HAVE TO SHARE MAY BE JUST WHAT SOMEONE NEEDS GIVING THEM AN INSIGHT TO A BLESSING DOWN THE ROAD OR AROUND THE CORNER.BUT,IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO YOU COULD ALSO DEPRIVE SOMEONE A BLESSING JUST THE SAME,AND MAY- BE YOURSELF TOO ! TODAYS MESSAGE,I'M SURE,CAN RELATE TO ALMOST EVERYONE.THE NAME OF TODAYS MESSAGE IS,"TEMPTATIONS,TESTS & TRIALS.I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE, WHO WOULD TELL YOU IF YOU LOOKED IN MR.WEBSTERS DICTIONARY UNDER ANY OF THESE THREE WORDS,THAT YOU WOULD FIND A PICTURE OF THEM BESIDE ANY ONE OF THEM. THUS WE HAVE THE,"WOW IS ME", SYNDROME!TODAYS BASE SCRIPTURE CAN BE FOUND IN 1ST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 10 VERSE 13. THE WORD OF GOD HERE SAYS IN THE KING JAMES VERSION, "THERE HATH NO TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN: "BUT" GOD IS FAITHFUL,WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YOU ARE ABLE;BUT WILL WITH THE TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE,THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT! WHAT A SCRIPTURE TO STAND ON,AMEN? LET'S TAKE AND ANALYZE THIS SCRIPTURE LINE BY LINE? FIRST OF ALL,"THERE HATH NO TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN". WHAT IS GOD TRYING TO TELL US HERE IN THIS LINE? ACTUALLY,HE'S SAYING THAT NO TEMPTATION THAT IS KNOWN TO MAN AND ABOVE ARE BEYOND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.GOD HAS SEEN IT ALL AND FAR BEYOND.SOME ASK,"IF HE HAS SEEN IT AND HAS THE KNOWLEDGE OF IT THEN WHY MUST WE BE SUBJECT TO IT ? THE BIBLE TELLS US IN FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 13 VERSE 13,THAT WE ARE TO HAVE DWELLING WITHIN US,FAITH,HOPE AND CHARITY.MR.WEBSTER TELLS US THAT"FAITH"IS TO HAVE BELIEF OR TRUST IN GOD! TRUST ? WHAT IS IT TO TRUST,WHAT IS TRUST? MY SON BROUGHT HOME A QUESTION THAT WAS TO BE ANSWERED BY HIM IN HIS JOURNAL FOR SCHOOL.THE QUESTION WAS,"WHAT IS ONE THING THAT A PARENT SHOULD TEACH THEIR CHILD ?" MY FIRST ANSWER WAS,"FAITH IN GOD".BEING RELUCTANT ABOUT THE CHURCH/STATE ISSUE I ASKED HIM WHAT HE THOUGHT THE ANSWER WAS ? HIS ANSWER,"TRUST"!MY REACTION ? A SIMPLE SCRATCH ON MY HEAD AND A QUICK ONCE OVER OF MY SON WAS ALL! MY SON,ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE , ARE SEEKING TRUST.THE BEST AVENUE TO THE ROAD OF TRUST IS THROUGH FAITH IN GOD AND HIS SALVATION THAT IS ALWAYS "FREE"! SO,IF WE KNOW THAT,IF FAITH ,BEING TRUST IN GOD,IS DWELLING WITHIN US WE KNOW THAT GOD HAS A SOLUTION FOR WHATEVER WE MAY FACE OR ENDURE. THE NEXT LINE STARTS OUT WITH A BANG!! "BUT"!? CONTRARY TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED OR IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO YOU,"GOD IS FAITHFUL". THIS ALONE BECAME A SHORT FUSE TO SOLVING ALOT OF PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE,BECAUSE AS SOON AS I READ ,"BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL",SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME JUST EXPLODED WITHIN MY SOUL.THAT STILL SMALL VOICE WAS YELLING,"HEY TERRY YOHOOO? YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS!! AMEN?? CONCLUDING THAT LINE IS A PROMISE IN A PROMISE."HE WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YOU ARE ABLE,BUT WILL WITH THE TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT." GOD WON'T TAKE US THROUGH THE FIRE TO DEVOUR US! LOOK AT SHADRACH,MESHACK,AND ABEDNEGO.THEIR FAITH, TRUST IN GOD,WAS BEYOND THE SCORCHING FLAMES THAT WERE ABOUT TO INCINERATE THEIR VERY BEING. GOD DOES NOT RETREAT! HE CLAIMS VICTORY AMEN? HEBREWS CHAPTER 13 VERSE 5 SAYS",HE WILL NEVER LEAVE ME OR FORSAKE ME"! ISAIAH CHAPTER 54 VERSE 17 SAYS,"NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER." IT EVEN GOES ON TO TELL US IN THIS SCRIPTURE THAT THOSE WHO SPEAK AGAINST YOU,GOD HIMSELF WILL CONDEMN!! NOW,IF WE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS RECIPE THAT GOD SO GRACIOUSLY PREPARED FOR US WITHOUT MISSING ANY OF THE NEEDED INGREDIENTS ,WHAT THEN WOULD YOU CALL IT ? WELL, I WOULD SIMPLY CALL IT,"GOD'S GRACE"! MATTHEW CHAPTER 26 VERSE 41 IS A WITNESS TOLD THROUGH JESUS' OWN WORDS HIMSELF,"WATCH AND PRAY,THAT YOU ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION: THE SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING,BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK".THROUGH PRAYER AND STANDING ON GOD'S WORD ALONE WE CAN KEEP "TEMPTATIONS,TESTS, AND TRIALS "AT A GOOD DISTANCE AND STRENGTHEN BOTH OUR FLESH AND OUR FAITH ! THE LAST LINE IN FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 10 VERSE 13 SAYS."HE WILL MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE". THAT ESCAPE MAY VERY WELL BE THROUGH THE PATH-WAY OF PRAYER. IN FIRST THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 5 VERSES 15 TO 28 GOD GIVES US 12 COMMANDS HERE.ONE OF THESE COMMANDS IS TO,"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING." AFTER TELLING A FRIEND OF MINE ABOUT THIS SCRIPTURE HE ASKED ME,"TERRY,HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO DRIVE MY CAR AND PRAY AT THE SAME TIME?"QUICKLY I REPLIED."NEVER CLOSE YOUR EYES ON JESUS' GREAT WONDERS OR YOU'LL WONDER WHY YOUR CAR IS WRAPPED AROUND A TREE?? ANOTHER COMMAND IS TO ,REJOICE EVERMORE,AND TO OBSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCES OF EVIL.REMEMBER,IF IT DOESN'T INCLUDE GOD DO REMEMBER WHAT FIRST PETER CHAPTER 1 VERSE 16 SAYS ! " BE YE HOLY,FOR I AM HOLY!" I PRAY THAT YOUR FAITH IN GOD WILL BE INCREASED THROUGH AN INCREASE IN YOUR PRAYER LIFE! I PRAY THAT YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK/MONTH/ AND YEAR AS I LEAVE YOU WITH ONE LAST SCRIPTURE TO ABSORB! FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3 VERSE 6. I HAVE PLANTED,APOLLOS WATERED;BUT GOD GAVE THE INCREASE!! (THIS WHOLE CHAPTER WOULD BE SOME GOOD BUILDING MATERIAL FOR YOU)

GOD BLESS YOU ALL,
TERRY KREPPS