The Lord Is With Us And Will Bring Us Through Difficult Times

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

When we go through difficult times, it’s a comfort to know that the Lord is with us always and will bring us through these troubled times. Psalm 23 speaks of the Lord’s watchful care for us at all times. As the shepherd of His children, the Lord’s watchful eye continually watches over us for our good.

” The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” (verse 1)

“The Lord is my shepherd.” Jesus is our shepherd. He said “I am the Good Shepherd” and “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” We must come to Him in repentance and faith believing that He paid the price for our sin on the cross. This will cost us everything. The Word says this of the cost: “…. You are not your own (we belong to the Lord). For you are bought with a price (the precious shed Blood of Jesus on the cross).” He now says to those that will: “Follow Me.”

“I shall not want.” The Lord will provide for both our physical and spiritual needs. But it is more than this. In knowing Him, we have come into a rest for our souls, knowing that His love for us will never waiver and He will watch over us always. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and, “… surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” We can believe and trust in Him because of the love He showed for us at the cross.

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters.” (verse 2)

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” This verse speaks of a bountiful supply. 2 Peter says of this, “According as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”

“He leads me beside the still waters.” Whatever we are going through in life, He gives us the refreshing waters that restore our soul. Jesus said this regarding the water He provides, “..Whosoever drinks the water that I shall give him shall never thrist; but the water that I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up into Everlasting Life.” What a promise!

“He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.” (verse 3)

“He restores my soul.” In this life, we encounter difficulties, trials, and sorrows. At times, we become weary in our journey. We have the Holy Spirit to comfort us in these times and to lead us through all that we may go through in this life. Jesus called Him “The Comforter.”

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.” The Holy Spirit will lead us in paths of Righteousness as we place our faith in the Lord and His great work at the cross.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and staff they comfort me” (verse 4).

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Satan is our mortal enemy. Satan’s attacks can be powerful and we can feel greatly threatened by them. The Lord says “fear no evil”. He is our great Good Shepherd and will see us through. A shepherd watches over his flock for their safety at all times. He would not call himself our shepherd if He would not see us through whatever might come against us.

“Your rod and staff they comfort me.” The only fight we are called to fight is “the good fight of faith.” The Good Shepherd will fight for us. With his staff (crook) He will pull us back to safety in times of danger. With His rod (club) He will beat back the powers of darkness that come against us. We need only rest in His care.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” (verse 5)

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” He is telling us that enemies will come against us in this life, but in the midst of these attacks, He prepares a table (of blessings) for us.

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” This speaks of the Holy Spirit and abundance. He is our Divine “Helper”. The Holy Spirit works mightily in us as we continually place our faith in Christ and Him crucified.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (verse 6)

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” All our needs in this life are provided for us by His loving hand. His mercy is afforded to us when we drift off the path. The Lord, as our good Shepherd, watches over us with goodness and mercy in this pathway called life.

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” This speaks of Eternal Life. We are His, and we will be with Him forever. After all, He is the shepherd of our souls and will bring us through all we go through in this life. We can trust Him.

“I Am the good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries -tqministries.com

His Love Calls Out To All Those On The Earth

“For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5).

The Lord has proven His love for us by becoming man, the God/Man, and giving His life as a sacrifice. What more could He have done. He calls out to all those on the Earth today through His Word. We have a decision to make regarding His loving invitation to come to Him in repentance and faith in His great work at Calvary.

“For the wages of sin is death (separation from God); but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

We have a fallen nature, a sin nature, that we cannot escape on our own. We are a fallen race and desperately in need of a Savior. The pride of man and the lies of Satan prevent many (most) from coming to the Lord. The Bible says few are they who find their way to God. This is such a sad commentary on mankind considering all that the Lord has done for us. The Bible says the following regarding this:

“Enter you in at the strait gate (Jesus is the door): for wide is the gate, and wide is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be that gone threat (any other way leads to an eternity in Hell). Because strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it” (Mathew 7:13,14).

This is an amazing fact that few will come by way of the One that loved them and proved that love by dying on a cruel Cross to pay for the sins of all those who will come His way. This is the narrow gate. We must come to God through the Lord Jesus. He is the only way. James in his epistle reminds us that our life is uncertain. We do not know what will happen tomorrow. We need the Lord to direct our steps.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, and make a profit;’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

We are not promised tomorrow! The question is; “Where are you today?” Have you made things right with the Lord? Have you come His way? It’s a way of forgiveness and blessings in this life and in the life to come when we will forever be with the Lord.

Many say that religion is boring and something that they have no interest in. I would agree wholeheartedly. Religion is not Christianity! Religion is man’s efforts through works, sacraments, and ceremonies to reach God. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus as we make Him our Lord and Savior. It is having the Holy Spirit within us to lead us in this life and enable us to walk out a life pleasing to the Lord.

We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

The Holy Spirit draws us in a Love that seeks us out so that He might bless us with a Salvation that brings spiritual life to us. We are born again, or born spiritually from above. The Bible, which we once had no interest in, comes alive and we are comforted and led by God’s loving Word as we walk out this life. We walk each day knowing that the Lord has drawn us and is watching over us. We are truly blessed to know that Almighty God loves us and calls us into His very presence. Peter said it well regarding this Christian life in the following verse:

“Whom (Jesus) having not seen, you love; in Whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

We come to the Lord by faith as the Holy Spirit convicts and draws. For those that do not have the Lord’s wonderful Love, and a Life that is “joy unspeakable and full of Glory,” the Holy Spirit is drawing you right now through His Word! Heed the call of the Lord and come into the greatest life you could live. I encourage you to not delay His call or reject the Salvation that cost Him so much to provide. He loves us and it is His desire that none should perish (which is eternal separation from God). Won’t you come to him today. He stands at the door of your heart waiting to be invited in. He calls out to all those who will hear His voice and come through the “narrow gate.”

“Come (an invitation like no other) unto Me (Jesus, the One that provides Salvation), all you who labor and are heavy laden (living life without the Lord), and I will give you rest (that rest comes from placing our faith in Christ and His great sacrifice at Calvary that we might be forgiven and come into the Kingdom of God)” (Mathew 11:28).

I am certain that there are some reading this that do not know the Lord and have not had the weight of sin lifted, nor experienced His great love for us. Can’t you sense the drawing of the Holy Spirit? The Sinner’s Prayer, prayed by millions down through the years, is included below. We are not promised tomorrow. I pray that you will acknowledge this drawing of the Holy Spirit and say yes to the One Who loves you and calls you into a life of knowing and walking with our Great God.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His Face shine upon you and be gracious to you (all blessings come to us through Christ by way of the cross)” (Numbers 6:24,25).

The Sinner’s Prayer

Dear God in Heaven,

I come to you in the Name of Jesus. I’m sorry for my sins. The way I’ve lived, the things I’ve done. Please forgive me. Cleanse me with your Precious Blood from all unrighteousness. With my mouth, I confess Jesus Christ. In my heart, I believe God raised Jesus from the dead, and He is alive. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as the savior of my soul. And I make Him the Lord of my life. According to your Word which cannot lie: I am washed, I am forgiven. I am saved. Amen.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

Here I Am, Lord is also on Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2022

A Warning To The Church

“….. It was needful (suggests an urgency) for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend (a vigorous effort) for the faith……..for there are certain men (false teachers) crept in unawares..” (Jude 3,4)

Jude’s epistle addressed a serious issue the church faced concerning false teachers who had crept into the church even at this early date in church history. Jude originally thought to write his epistle on our common salvation, like Romans, but the Holy Spirit had him redirect his efforts to convey a warning of a great danger that threatened the well-being of the early church. False doctrine, that would destroy the church if not addressed and stopped, had come into the church through false brethren. We face the same danger today. False brethren spewing false doctrine has been a serious problem from then until now. If not recognized and addressed it will destroy a church. Many are in Hell today for following false teachers.

It’s interesting to note that Jude said that these false teachers “crept in unawares.” It suggests these men stole in slowly and carefully without notice. They had an outward appearance of wisdom and they taught some correct doctrine, but with it, they cleverly included false teaching. He referred to them as “ungodly men.” The spiritual health of the church was in grave danger from these false teachers who had come in among them unnoticed. The Holy Spirit referred to them as “brute beasts” and “twice dead”, meaning they were like unreasoning animals who had once known the way of salvation but had turned from it. No wonder the Holy Spirit moved on Jude to address this critical issue. The flock was in great jeopardy.

There is a sense of urgency in Jude’s words as he goes on to tell us just what these false teachers were propagating. However, before we list the false doctrines these false teachers were advocating; I think it important that we acknowledge the fact that false doctrine is always initiated by “seducing spirits”(see 1 Timothy 4:1), and it gains entry because seducing spirits make it look very attractive. Deception is one of Satan’s greatest weapons! The Bible tells us that Satan, at times, comes in as an “angel of light,” and so do his emissaries.

Just what were these false teachers pedaling? Well, they had turned grace into license. In other words, they taught that it didn’t matter how much you sinned because grace covered it. They also denied, “the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” When you divert to a false way you inevitably leave “the faith”, which is belief in the inerrancy of scripture and belief in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Jude goes on to refer to them as “filthy dreamers” intimating that what they believed was made up out of their own perverse imagination. He said they “defile the flesh” which speaks of the fruits of their teachings. Also, he said that they “despised dominion” which means they refused to live by the Word of God and made up their own doctrines. They were “clouds without water” meaning what they promised sounded good, but they couldn’t deliver on what they promised. Jude goes on to refer to them as “raging waves of the sea” which points to the destructive nature of false doctrine which can totally destroy a church. They spoke “great swelling words” and sought to gain men’s confidence and their own gain (money) by flattery. Their end is also spoken of by Jude. He says, speaking of these false teachers, “to whom is reserved for the blackness of darkness forever”.

So, these false teachers crept in without notice and propagated their false doctrine for profit by way of deceit and flattery not able to deliver on all that they promised. They would not live by the Word of God but made up their own doctrines. They also denied the Lord and the atonement. They taught that because sin was covered by grace it was to okay to sin (license). And the fruit of their doctrines resulted in the defiling of the flesh. We may find it hard to believe that the church was unaware of the presence of these false teachers, but the false teachings these ungodly men were advocating sound suspiciously like some of today’s false teachings that have made their way into the church.

How do we recognize false doctrine and what can we do to protect ourselves against it and the purveyors of it that may be in our very midst? The lies that Satan and his ministers sell can be very subtle. 1 Timothy warned that “in the later times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits.” The danger is very real and we must be aware of it and know how to avoid its pitfalls. Jude’s admonition to “contend for the faith” points the way to walk in victory. “The Faith” is faith in Christ and Him crucified which is the chief doctrine of the Bible. We must know the Word of God to protect ourselves against false teachers and false doctrine, and we must make the cross, what Jesus did there, the object of our faith both for salvation and for sanctification (our daily living). When we know the Word of God and the cross becomes our anchor, false doctrine can be seen for what it is. We are to place our faith in the One who loved us and died for us on the cross. Yes, Jude, we hear you. Our enemy will try to sneak in unawares with his false ways, but we are wise to his schemes and have anchored our faith in the One that defeated all our enemies at the cross. In Him, we stand. The Apostle Paul says it well in the following verse:

“Be steadfast (firmly fixed), unmoveable (anchored in faith in Christ and Him crucified), always abounding in the work of the Lord (sharing with others the Lord’s great work at the cross), forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain (the Gospel will always bring forth fruit)” (1 Corinthians 15:58 with commentary).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

Here I Am, Lord is also on Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2019

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Scroll down to read additional articles at tqministries.com

” And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me anymore… (1 Samuel 27:1).

David left Israel and went to Gath, the land of the Philistines, to escape King Saul’s continued attempts to kill him. Saul, the first king of Israel, was the people’s choice and not God’s choice. He did not walk in faith in the Lord and tried to kill David on numerous occasions. David was the man God had intended to be the first king of Israel. The prophet Samuel had anointed him as the Lord’s choice to be king when he was still a boy.

David, leaving Israel and going to Gath was not out of faith, but he was out of fear that Saul would kill him. He did not seek the Lord’s will before making the decision and went to the land of the Philistines; an enemy of Israel. He dwelt in the land of the Philistines one year and four months. As we will see, it did not turn out well for him. Achish, the king of Gath, gave David and all those men with him and their families the town of Ziklag.

” And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites..” (1 Samuel 27:8).

While in the land of the Philistines, David invaded the surrounding nations and killed all the inhabitants of the villages he attacked. He may have felt justified in these actions as they were enemies of Israel. However, he was out of God’s will in leaving Israel and killing all those he came across was for the purpose of deceiving Achisch as to his whereabouts. He lied and told Achish that he was invading the land of Israel. And Achish believed him and said:

“…He (David) has made his people Israel abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever” (1 Samuel 27:12).

In the course of time, the Philistines planned to invade Israel and Achish came to David and said that he, David, and his men, would go out with them against Israel. David agreed and responded in this way to Achish:

“And David said to Achish, surely you will know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David, therefore will I make you keeper of my head (bodyguard) forever” (1 Samuel 28:2).

David, out of the will of God, had killed men, women, and children to cover up his escapades from Achish, and now agrees to go to war against his own people. He had certainly dug a deep hole for himself. We too can go far down the wrong road when we get out of God’s will. David went so far as to assemble with the army of the Philistines as they were preparing to depart for war with Israel. This certainly was not a high point in David’s life.

The princes of the Philistines were angry with Achish for allowing David to join them. So, Achish sent David and his men away in peace. Unbelievably, David tried to argue with him about not allowing him to go with them. However, the will of the princes prevailed and David and his men left Achish and made the three-day journey to Ziklag. The Bible tells us what they found when they arrived:

“…..The Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; and taken the women captives, who were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them way…” (1 Samuel 30:1).

David and his men found Ziklag burned and their families taken as captives. The account in the Bible says they wept until they could weep no more. David’s men spoke of stoning him. What an incredible situation that David found himself in. He had been out of the will of God since leaving Israel. He had murdered whole villages. He had agreed to go to war against his own people with their sworn enemies. And now, Ziklag had been burned and his family and the families of his men had been taken captive. What could David do? What would we do in a situation like this? While his men were angry and spoke of violence against him, the Bible says David turned to the Lord:

“….But David encouraged (strengthened) himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).

It may seem somewhat incredible that the situation had to become so very dire before David sought the Lord, but in this account, we can see our own failures in seeking the Lord and His will at times. David, looking at the burned-out Ziklag and knowing his family and all the families of his men were taken captive, turned to the Lord. He knew that he had to make things right with the Lord and that the Lord was the only one that could fix the situation. He also knew that the only way to the Lord was by His mercy and grace through repentance. David knew that going his own way and not seeking the Lord’s will in all matters resulted in all that had ensued while in Gath. He made things right with the Lord and the Lord responded; even blessing David.

The Lord will never turn away anyone that comes to Him in true repentance no matter what they have done.

In the end, all of the families and goods were restored to David and his men along with all the multiple spoils of the Amalekites. When the Lord blesses us and we recover what was lost, he always gives us more. We can truly say that He is a blessing God.

We can learn from this that charting our own course out of the will of God will inevitably end in disaster. We need to seek the Lord’s will in all that we do. If we do find ourselves out of the will of God, then we should go to him in repentance and know that he loves us and He will bless us if we return to him in faith. We may wonder how the Lord could bless David after all that he had done, but His grace is there for us always and is the only way that we can receive from the Lord. David’s true blessing at Ziklag was the restoration of fellowship with the Lord.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

We have much to be grateful for. The grace of God that was there for David; is there for us. It comes to us only through the price paid by Jesus at the cross. Jesus paid the price that allowed the grace of God to flow in our lives. David, by faith in the sacrificial system, was looking forward to the Lord’s great sacrifice at Calvary. We, by faith, look back to that sacrifice. God’s grace can come to us in no other way. We are truly blessed by the love extended to us in God’s gift of His Son. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 says it well:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His Shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

Here I Am, Lord is Also on Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2019

There Is A Path, Although Narrow, That Leads To God

“And you shall seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” ( Jeremiah 29:13).

Seeking the Lord is a less traveled road. Many travel the road of self-discovery through various activities and efforts that lead them nowhere. We cannot find the answers to important questions we have as we walk out this life without the Lord. What is my purpose? Why am I here? If there is a God? What does He expect from us? These are all valid questions and the Lord has anticipated our desire to have answers regarding these and has provided them.

However, we must seek the Lord on His terms and not ours. We will not find the Lord if we look for Him in religion. Religion is man approaching God by works or laws that he follows. God is not there! Many have gone this way and ended up in Hell. We cannot know Him through our efforts as sincere as they may be. Our good lives are admirable, but they will not result in our spending eternity with the Lord. Some say that we cannot know God, so we should just live the life that we think is best. They are deceived. We can know God. There is a road we can travel where He walks with us, but many do not search for it with all their heart so they walk this road of life alone.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, But according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

When we come to the Lord by way of repentance for our sins and faith we are regenerated by the cleansing of the Blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross. His work on the cross paid the sin debt owed. The Holy Spirit then comes and abides in us, and by faith in Christ and His great work at the cross; the Holy Spirit helps us walk out a life pleasing to the Lord. The Bible says “few are those that find it.” Why few? Because pride gets in the way of many from coming to the Lord. The draw of the world and the lies of the devil keep others away.

Those that do find God have done so by going His way. When we seek Him with all our heart; He has promised that we will find Him. He does this through His Word. His Word shows us our true lost condition without the Lord. We are sinful and in need of a savior. Once we realize this; the path to the Lord becomes clear. We can know the Lord through faith in His great sacrifice on the cross. He gave His life so that we might be forgiven and be born from above (born again). Christianity is a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; not a religion.

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).

The Bible says it’s a narrow way and few find it. The reason for this is that the Lord has made one Way only that leads to life. We cannot divert from this Way as it is a straight way that the Lord provides. We must go this way and remain on the straight path (by faith) to both know the Lord, walk with him daily, and to spend eternity with Him. Jesus put it this way:

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

So, we come to the Lord by repentance and faith in Christ and Him crucified and are born again. We enter a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and maintain that relationship by placing our faith in Jesus and the cross on a daily basis. This allows the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and help us to walk out a life pleasing to the Lord. The Christian life, the life of knowing God, is by faith from first to last.

“For therein (by the cross) is the Righteousness of God (being right with God) revealed from faith (God provides) to faith (we receive): as it is written, The just shall live by faith (through faith from first to last)” (Romans 1:17)

Always Remember,

GOD LOVES YOU!!!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

Here I Am, Lord Is Also On Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications regarding Future Articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2022

God Gives Them Over To……..

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation to everyone who believes…..For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written; The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16,17).

The Apostle Paul begins his Epistle to the Romans by clearly laying out God’s Way for all those that will hear and believe. Salvation is found by all those who believe in what Christ accomplished at Calvary. Jesus paid the sin debt owed to God at the Cross, and we receive the Righteousness of God as we come by faith. We, as believers, are to live out our lives by faith.

In the remainder of the chapter, Paul deals with those that reject God and the salvation He offers to all those that come to Him in repentance and faith.

“For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness; because that which is known of God is manifested in them; for God has showed it unto them” (v 18,19).

God’s wrath is against all sin. This verse is speaking about all those that do not recognize God, as God. Paul goes on to say that the knowledge of God as the Creator is within man because God has placed it there. Paul says the following by way of explanation:

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, even His Eternal Power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (v 20).

We just need to look around us to see that creation requires a Creator and that this should be obvious to everyone.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (v21,22).

Even though men (those that rejected God) knew God by way of creation and conscience, they did not acknowledge him and were ungrateful. They became lifted up in pride and went their own way (whatever seemed right in their own eyes). Their understanding, because they did not acknowledge God, became darkened (without light), and thinking they were walking in wisdom they became fools. Fools for thinking they knew better than God.

“And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (v 23).

This speaks of idols. Whether we make something by our own hand and worship it as a god, or we elevate anything in our lives over our worship of God as our Creator, Savior, and Lord.

Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves” (v 24).

Because they did not honor God and went their own way: God delivered them over to all types of immorality. these are strong words from the Lord: ”God also gave them up to.” This is God’s righteous judgment against those that persist in the way of evil. Any society or people that come to this rebellious and evil state are in serious trouble. The following verse gives us some insight into how a person, nation, or people would come to this state:

“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator….” (v 25).

There are moral absolutes that the Lord has shown us through His Word. To ignore these and go our own way always results in degradation and uncleanness through sin. The result of not worshipping and serving God is that man will worship whatever he has made an idol in his life; either by his own hand or in his mind.

“For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections; For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet ( the due penalty of their error)” (v27).

At this point, the Lord lets them go their own way which is a severe downward spiral removing all His restraints. He gives them over to homosexuality, both men and women, which He refers to as “vile affections.”

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over (abandonment) to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient (not fitting)” (V 28).

In this verse, Paul brings us back to the reason for this. When any society, people, or nation gets to this point then they are in extremely serious trouble. They have tested God with their disobedience and reaped the results. God loves us and has shown His love for us in all the beauty around us and has provided a way for us to escape our fallen and sinful nature and have fellowship with Him and enjoy His blessings. He left His home in glory and lived among us teaching us His Way and healing all that came to Him. He made the ultimate sacrifice and display of His love by dying on the cross to pay the sin debt and restore fellowship with us. We can go God’s way or forge our own path. If we choose to go His way we will be blessed.

I’ll close with a warning on what the end result is of any society or people that exclude God and His ways from their daily lives. It’s not a pretty sight. The following verses spell it out clearly and show us the final result of rejecting God:

“Being filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of god, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful” (V29,30,31).

God has made it clear that if we reject Him then ultimately judgment will come. The following verse spells this out clearly:

“Who (those who reject God) knowing the judgment of God (willfully disobedient), that they which commit such things are worthy of death (the judgment of God), not only do the same but have pleasure in them who do them (the reprobate mind)” ( V32).

This was a difficult article to write in light of the serious nature of its content, but the truth needs to be understood. If God is rejected, judgment will come. The end result for an ungrateful, sinful, and rebellious world will be God’s final judgment. Some may look at all the aberrant behavior spoken of here and say that they do not do these things, but the Bible says, “All have sinned and, and come short of the Glory of God” and “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God is our Creator, Savior, and Lord. He has provided salvation for us and offers us incredible blessings if we go His Way. Why would we not? The Apostle Paul lays it out clearly here in Romans Chapter 1. Go God’s Way and be blessed! Reject God and go our own way and experience the wrath of God. The choice seems to be obvious!

See The A,B,C’s of Salvation page on this website. See the link below:

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/5448

See The Sinner’s Prayer page on this website. See link below:

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/1752

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts

Here I am, Lord is also on Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2022

The Question The Lord Asks Of Us All

“And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from the Lord after their fall in the Garden. The Lord, in His mercy, sought out Adam and Eve. If He had not sought them out then their, and our, condition would be as hopeless as that of the fallen angels. But the Lord did seek them out and showed them a way that they might have fellowship with Him.

The Lord, of course, knew exactly where they were, but in asking the question, He wanted Adam and Eve to see their true condition. The Lord does the same thing today. He calls out to everyone through His Word to show us where we are (i.e. our lost condition), and to show us the “Way” to have fellowship with Him. Jesus said:

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

Adam and Eve hid from God because of their disobedience, not due to any change in the Lord. They found that it was impossible to hide from God, and neither can we. They hid because of guilt. Sin causes us to feel guilty, and we see God as someone to fear and hide from. We come to the Lord only by the Holy Spirit seeking us out just as the Lord sought out Adam and Eve.

By the Lord covering them with “coats of skin,” it showed them the seriousness of sin, in that, an innocent animal had to die. This, of course, pointed ahead to the cross It showed them, and us, that salvation is all of the Lord. The fig leaves they used to try and cover themselves were useless. Likewise, any attempt we make to cover our sin, or live for the Lord by our efforts, is useless and will be rejected by the Lord.

As has been stated, the “coats of skin” were a type, pointing to Calvary. It cost the Lord greatly to “cover” the sin that was a result of the fall in the Garden. We have a fallen nature and are unable to save ourselves. It took God becoming man and dying on a cruel cross to pay the price to redeem us.

Once we come to the Lord in repentance and faith; we are to continue to keep our faith in the “covering” the Lord has provided. The church in Ephesus in the Book of Revelation was admonished by the Lord for not doing this very thing:

“Nevertheless I (Jesus) have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).

They had “left” their first love, which was faith in the only “covering” the Lord has provided – Christ and Him crucified. They had moved their faith to other things. They had fallen from grace, and this will lead any individual, or church, to spiritual wreckage. The question today from the Lord is the same: “Where are you?” Is our faith in the “covering” the Lord has provided or are we trusting in “fig leaves.” Paul said it best:

“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

The “covering” has always been Christ and Him crucified. Just as the Lord covered Adam and Eve with the skin of a slain animal, the Lord covers us with the Blood of Jesus. Salvation is of the Lord from first to last. We praise His Name for His mercy and grace towards us.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2021

Follow to receive email notifications of new articles

Scroll down to read additional articles at tqministries.com

Originally Published in 2019

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15,16)

There was once a very remote village with a population of several hundred. One day, a traveler came to this village. He spoke of a king and a kingdom that were seeking subjects. The villagers listened to the man as he presented the kingdom to them, but they did not feel they needed a king or a kingdom and went about their business paying no heed to what the man presented. There was one exception to this; one man in the village listened intently to the story of this king and kingdom and told the traveler that he wanted to become part of the kingdom.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

The traveler told the man that the only requirement for becoming a part of this kingdom under the king was to admit that he needed what the kingdom had to offer. The man did just that and became part of the kingdom. The traveler stayed for some time and told the man all about the wonderful king and kingdom.

After a period of time, the traveler told the man that he needed to leave the village. He said he had been sent by the king to reach as many villages as he could with the message of the kingdom. The king was now calling him to continue on his journey. He would go on to the next remote village with the good news of the wonderful king and kingdom.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Before the traveler left, he gave the man a book that had all the information that the man would need regarding the king and kingdom. He told the man to read the book every day and that it would encourage him and reinforce all the traveler had told him. The man was sad to see the traveler go but thanked him profusely for telling him about the kingdom. He told the traveler that the words of the kingdom had changed his life for the better and that he would seek to share the message with the other villagers.

“For the Lord, Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout …..(1 Thess. 4:16)

Before the traveler departed on his planned journey to other villages; he told the man something most incredible. He said that one day the king himself would come for his servants and take them to live with the king forevermore. The traveler told him that all of this was written in the book for the man’s encouragement.

After the traveler’s departure, the man went throughout the village telling all those that would listen of all the wonderful news of the kingdom. The villagers at first listened, but most did not accept what the man told them. He showed them the book and told them of the one-day return of the king to take those that had become part of the kingdom away to be with him. Over time, they became angry with the man, mistreated him, and would avoid him whenever possible. The man did not give up. He heralded the good news of the kingdom throughout the village each day.

“Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up …… to meet the Lord in the air…” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

One day the villagers realized that the man and all those that had believed his words were missing. They searched the village for them, but they were nowhere to be found. They remembered his words about the kingdom. They searched his home and found the book he carried with him everywhere. The book had been left on the desk opened to the story of the sudden return of the king for those that were part of his kingdom. The villagers remembered that the man had told them all about these things when he spoke to them about the kingdom.

There were some in the village that took to heart the message the man had brought them. They encouraged each other each day with the words of the book. They also warned the other villagers about a terrible end that was spoken of in the book for those that were not part of the kingdom. The villagers listened at first, but then told those with the message from the book to leave them alone and not bother them any longer. The villagers said they had their lives to live and did not want their lives interrupted or troubled by these words.

“For then shall be great tribulation … (Matthew 24:21)

What the villagers did not realize, was that there was a great storm coming that would destroy their village and take many lives. And although all those in the village would go through the coming storm, there was a place of security for those in the king’s kingdom. As the storm began to bear down on their village, with certain destruction inevitable, the villagers continued living their normal lives unaware of their final end.

THE HOUR IS LATE!

Today, the Lord is calling out to all those that will hear and come to Him. We are promised no more than today. Today is the day of salvation. Won’t you come to Him and enter His rest.

“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

I Never Shall Forget The Day (lyrics)

I never shall forget the day when all the burdens of my soul were rolled away. It made me happy, glad, and free. I’ll sing and shout it for He’s everything to me.

(Composed by Iris Dement)

Always Remember,

God Loves You

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

Here I Am, Lord is also on Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com

Where Does Your Heart Live?

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Home is where we dwell every day. It is a place of safety for most and a place of comfort. We are most happy when we are at home with our family. When we are away from our home there is a yearning to return. It is a place of security and rest on our journey through this life.

The Bible tells us that our spiritual place of rest (our home) is in Christ. Those that find this rest in Christ are blessed indeed. Jesus called out to all those seeking this rest in the following verse:

“Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

The Lord is to be our dwelling place. He watches over us and guides us through this life. We are safe and secure in His care. Psalm 91 says it well:

“He who dwells (make our home) in the shelter of the Most High (in Christ) will abide (dwell) in the shadow of the Almighty (our place of safety and protection). I will say of the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress (where we live), my God, in whom I trust (rely totally on)” (Psalm 91:1,2).

We are born with a fallen nature and are in need of a Savior. Our spiritual home cannot be of our own making. There are many paths that promise seekers that they are the way to spiritual growth. These are all false ways. Only the Lord can rescue us from our fallen condition and make us alive spiritually. The Bible tells us this clearly:

“Unless the Lord build the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Our spiritual home, so to speak, comes to us through a heart change. God’s Word leads us through the wisdom it contains. We can come to an understanding of God’s Way that will bring us to a saving knowledge of the truth.

“By wisdom (the Bible) a house is built, and through understand (knowing God’s way) it is established” (Proverbs 24:3).

The condition of our heart determines where we live spiritually. When we realize our lost condition and come to the Lord in repentance and faith in the Way He has provided for us we have come home to him. That Way is by faith in Jesus and His great sacrifice at the cross.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (believe the price was paid at the Cross for our sins), and shall believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (He’s alive!) You shall be saved (have come home to God).”

“For with the heart man believes unto Righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9,10).

Just as we enjoy the comfort and protection of our earthly home; spiritually we can live or abide “in Christ.” We can be safe and secure in His loving care as we walk out this life with our faith in Christ and Him crucified. Surely, home is where the heart is. It is my prayer that all those that read this have their home in Christ! In closing, let us hear the Words of Jesus as He comes to each of us individually with a love for us that brought Him to the cross:

“Behold, I (Jesus) stand at the door (of our heart) and knock (He draws us with His love): if any man (whomsoever) hear My voice (responds to His love), and open the door (receive Him as Savior and Lord), I will come into him (make His home in us), and will sup with Him, and Him with Me (an intimate relationship)” (Revelation 3:20).

Lord, I’m Coming Home

Coming home, coming home, never more to roam. Open wide thy arms of love, Lord. I’m coming home.

(Lord, I’m Coming Home – Composed by William J. Kirkpatrick 1838 -1921)

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

Here I Am, Lord is also on Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2022

The Dual Work Of The Spirit

.

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you in all Truth…” (John 16:13)

The church was born on the day of Pentecost after the Lord’s sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection. On that day the Holy Spirit came for the first time to indwell all believers. The Holy Spirit could not come like this prior to the cross because the sin debt had not been paid. But now, The Holy Spirit could come and live in all believers. When we come to Christ by faith; the Holy Spirit baptizes us into Christ. This is a spiritual baptism. The following verses tell us what happens spiritually when we come by faith to Christ:

“Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ ( spiritually) were baptized into His death. (spiritually we died with Him)? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death (we were also buried with Him along with all our past sins): that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in Newness of Life” ( Romans 6:3,4).

The Holy Spirit helps us to walk in this “Newness of Life” when we place our faith in Christ and Him crucified. Again, spiritually we died with Him, we’re buried with Him, and were raised from the dead like Him. As the Apostle Paul was fond of saying we are “in Christ.” The Holy Spirit’s work in us is predicated on us placing our faith in Christ and Him Crucified daily. The following verse makes this abundantly clear:

“For the Law of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) of Life (Newness of Life) in Christ Jesus (Jesus made it possible by His sacrificial death at Calvary) has made me free ( victory over sin) from the Law of Sin and Death (a powerful law that can only be overcome by faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit)”  (Romans 8:2).

This is the way the Holy Spirit works in our lives to bring us victory over sin. It is the only way the Holy Spirit works. If we try to go some other way which always means by way of works; we will fail. So, the initial way the Holy Spirit works in our lives is in the area of sanctification to make us more Christ-like.

The other way the Holy Spirit works is by the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Christ is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit. This baptism is for power and for service. The only requirement to receive it is to be born again. We receive this baptism by faith. Jesus thought it so necessary for service that he told His disciples the following regarding it:

“And, (Jesus) being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit), which He said you have heard of me. John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. ….You shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you” (Acts 1:4,5,8).

And the Holy Spirit did come upon them on the Day of Pentecost as the following verse tells us:

“And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:2-4)

As has been mentioned, the Holy Spirit could not come and abide in believers until the sin debt was paid at the cross. But now, the Holy Spirit comes to live in the believer to give us victory in our daily walk with the Lord. And He comes to give us power for service that we might carry out the Great Commission.

We truly have a complete salvation all due to the Lord love for us that caused Him to leave His home in glory and die on a cruel cross to pay the sin debt for mankind. A price we could not pay ourselves. When we come in repentance and faith in Jesus and what He accomplished at Calvary we are born again, or born spiritually. We now walk out this life by faith in Christ and Him Crucified by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, we have power to live a holy life and we have power for service, We couldn’t ask for any more than that. The Lord’s love shines through all he has done for us. How can we not share the great love He has for us with others as Jesus commanded us to do in the Great Commission?

The Great Commission

“…All power is given Me in Heaven and in Earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (preach to) all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18,19).

The Promise of Jesus

“…..And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Amen” (Matthew 28:20).

Welcome Holy Spirit

Welcome Holy Spirit be here with Your Presence. Fill me with Your power. Live inside of me. Your the living water, never dying fountain. Comforter and Counselor take complete control.

Welcome Holy Spirit composed by Hillde Bedsvaag

See the Page on receiving The Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Link below:

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/6774

See the Page on this website on Victorious Christian Living by the power of the Holy Spirit by faith in Christ and Him Crucified. Link below:

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/211

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

Here I Am, Lord is also on Telegram

Follow to receive email notifications of future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2022