Oh what foolishness to seek deep, eternal, pure joy in such a temporary and distorted world. How, with all its vanities and wicked fallen nature, could it ever give true happiness? Do we forget that if this is where we seek joy, it is under the hand of the one who is pure evil, hatred, and rebellion? Perhaps this is why so many people just can't find true joy. Only Jesus Christ, in all His Holy beauty can satisfy. Only in Him is eternal abundant life. Seek the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength. Love Him more than life itself. He is indeed knocking; we must let him in. CJ Cutrone, II 

It is impossible to have a renewed mind and not be conformed to this world, which we must remember is a command from the Sovereign of the universe, without filling your heart and mind, through prayer and the influence of the Holy Spirit, with God’s living word. No way! It is impossible to have the world constantly influencing you and you to have a Godly mind, and a Godly perception, without the constant filling and meditation of His word. Now I don’t mean a 2-minute devotional but a life consumed with His word. As it is written, “if you abide in me and My words abide in you” … And, “desire the pure milk of the word of God that you may grow by it”. This “incorruptible living word of God by which we have been born again” is a life necessity. Be persuaded, fully persuaded brothers in Christ, without a life in the word of God, a life in the fullness of the Son of God is very illusive. Not because you don’t have a ritual but because you are not partaking of His life. His word is truth and again as it is written, that we may grow in grace as we grow in knowledge and love of Him. If we are too busy for God’s Word, then brothers we are just too busy. Set your face toward Him and gird up the loins of your mind. The news, social media, the junk on the internet, or more money won’t do it for you. Only God’s grace. CJ Cutrone, II

The other day someone asked me about my children and before I knew it, I was going on and on about my daughter and my son. Listing their character, their accomplishments, and their hearts. I had to make myself stop. I could have gone on and on. Then I found myself asking this question. Am I proud of Jesus, my savior and the sovereign of the world? When I have the opportunity to boast on Him what do I do? Am I filled with joy to express pride over my Savior? What about who He is and what He has done, and the fact He is mine and I am His? Do people see joy, love, and truth so deep it can’t help but come out of my heart, through my mouth, and into their lives? Hmnnn… let it be so Lord Jesus, true relationship in love. Amen.

Worship Matt 8:2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying,"Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." We see here an interesting way worship is used. If we understand the literal definition of the word and how it was used here, we can see what our expectation of a life of worship truly can be. How a worshiper is not one who merely sings on Sunday. What happened here was a man came, based on the definition; to fawn or crouch to, that is, (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): - worship. This worship was not singing a song, but a humbling and believing in Christ. A surrender to His majesty. I have often thought to live as a worshiper, I needed to have music playing all day long and sing. Don’t get me wrong that can be great. But you can sing and not worship. Worship is more than singing. See here again, there was no reference to music or hymns with this man, yet he worshiped by his position, faith, and exultation of Christ being “one who can”. This is truly how we live a life of worship. No doubt the time of praise and worship is a vital part of that life, God delights in it, He moves and heals when His people worship. But don’t let it end there. We must understand worship is more than singing. We can truly live a life of a worshiper. Then, the singing is more real than ever. To God be the glory, Amen.

Galatians 5:16-25 Vs. 16: the promise … But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Vs. 24: the fact …And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Vs. 25: the possibility …If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. The Bible does not teach the born-again experience as some week combination of flesh and spirit. It teaches, by design, a separation of the two positions. It must be either one or the other. But we can be confused by what we see in our own lives. There must be an understanding between the Bible discussing the position of being “in the flesh” and the contrasted position of being “set free from it” and no longer under the law yet still having the battle between the flesh and spirit. There is a distinction in the scriptures, contextually clear between the two. One is of faith, and the other is of condemnation in the old. On one hand the Bible talks about the behavior of a Christian struggling and why that is, yet that position of a child of God is one of no longer being in the flesh under law and sin, but in the spirit because he now belongs to Christ and lives in Christ. (Rom 8:9) This is a complete contrast to one under the law and dead to Christ where sin is the master. To confuse this is an enormous mistake. One is a slave, and one is a possible life free from it all because of a new life and position in Christ. So many people have asked the question, “if my flesh is crucified then why”? The simplest answer for this is the truth of the promise, the fact, and the possibility. And yes, we must consider the following scriptures as well as others: Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves you are slaves of the one whom you obey… Gal 5:7-8 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?... and Mark 4:19 But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word. But again, this is not addressing someone who is under the law but someone who is free. It is not because a Christian is still of the flesh sold in bondage to sin. But because we are free, as laid out in Romans 6, and Ephesians, the fact, the promise, and the possibility belong to us. Faith believes it, while those in the flesh will have none of it. Do not confuse yourself as one sold into bondage needing to be delivered from the body of death IF you are in, seeking, and have your hope and faith in Christ, even if you “feel” your failure. Put your faith and hope in the victory of Christ in your life and know you are His. The old versus the new is now the issue. “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and “put off the old man…” explains so much. It is not that you are still under the dominion of sin, the source of your life is the key. The old man alive and enthroned or the old crucified and your life in Christ and His Spirit. If we are redeemed then we are set free and now able to live in the promise, the fact, and the possibility. Put your faith in Him, not in what you see of your old nature. The Holy Spirit, in the power of His cross and resurrection, will deal with the old man in a life that is submitted to Jesus Christ; a life consumed and given to Christ. Praise His holy name! CJ Cutrone, II 

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Gal 6:7-8. I’ve been sitting here for about an hour and a half this morning praying, thanking God, and allowing His presence to influence and change me; about 20 minutes of that time was spent on the above verses. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Gal 6:7-8 Regarding my life, I have asked similar questions as I will ask you to bring before the Lord. There are things I have to do, need to do, and should do and then there are things I choose to do. How many things do I choose to do regarding work, career, possessions, putting things in order, etc. etc. versus sowing to the Spirit? How do we expect to have a life of His presence, peace, and blessings when all we do is sow to the flesh? Galatians 6:7-8 has a promise that a life of sowing to the flesh will be a life of death. But the life of the Spirit is everlasting life which begins today. The last few days I have spent hours just sitting in the presence of God pushing other things aside. I cannot remember the last time I had so much peace, victory over the flesh, and joy in my heart to know Him. I am amazed at how distracted I have allowed myself to become over the last couple of years. It is definitely worth thinking about and allowing the Lord to do some redirecting in each of us. Everything around us convinces us that seeking God should be somewhere in our life but instead of first on the list it falls down the list somewhere after the things that are “important”, what a deception and a joke. What can be more important than Jesus Christ and eternity and peace with Him?  CJ Cutrone, II

Who is it that Jesus will disclose Himself to differently than those of the world? Those who obey His Word and love Him because they have given their hearts to Him, those who are tender clay in the master potter’s hands. There is hope there. No parent expects a small child to be perfect. But parents desire obedience, trust, and love as they raise their children. Those who answer the door when He knocks are the ones to whom He comes in and abides. It is not because the house is spotless that He wants to come in, it is for the one inside. But once there is sweet fellowship, He helps us clean up. He shows us things we could not even see without His light, and in His grace, we are changed. Jesus comes near to us, but He calls us out of the world to come to Him, to enter in with Him!  He offers us freedom from a life of sin and calls us to join His life. Jesus goes on to say, “The words which you hear Me say are not mine but the Father’s” (John 14:24). Is it possible to have any more credibility than the words of Jesus? I can’t see how, but here Jesus speaks in such a way that lays upon this word the authority of the throne of heaven. “The one who obeys and loves me is the one My father will love, and I will disclose Myself to.” In this is all the power and authority of the Godhead! Obedience matters. Living a life separated from the world matters…

The devil attacks the fiercest those whom the Lord calls. If he can choke out that life then he has accomplished his task, to make one called unprofitable for the kingdom. The answer is not willpower or just prayer for victory but for His abiding presence. As God’s children, we are told to gird up the loins of our minds, be sober, abide in Him and all things are possible, even bring all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, and make no provision for the flesh. All of these and many others are promises of help and instruction. We need both, obedience, and His presence. The present abiding of and in Christ is everything. But both are needed, either of them alone will not do. So many times we try to obey without the abiding, and we are left with “you can do nothing without Me.” God will not support victory without us abiding in Him. Why would He? He wants our hearts, our love and intimacy. Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. His grace is life and power. CJ Cutrone,II