“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Immanuel. The name means, “God with us”. The LORD God promised that He would come even before the prophets obediently foretold of His coming. The Bible reveals that Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us”. And throughout the Bible, the revealed Word of God, we find that Jesus was coming “to save His people from their sins”.

Sin: the wrong things we think, say, and do. Sin is our disobedience to God. Sin is our defiance of God. Sin keeps us from finding and fulfilling our true purpose. Sin also brings us under God’s judgment; a judgment that is sure because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. We are guilty. Because we are guilty, God, in His Justness, will give the sentence required for breaking His Law. The sentence? Eternal punishment in a place called Hell; a place removed from the Presence and Blessings of God. There is neither reprieve nor parole for the sentence is just and true justice is without mercy, without hope.

Yet hope exists. “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus is our hope! He is God’s provision for your sin, and the sins of the world.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus. Born of Mary, He lived as we do: facing temptation every day. Even though He was tempted, Jesus never gave in to it. Jesus never sinned. Because of His right standing before God, Jesus could take our place in punishment. In love, Jesus did that. He willingly went to the Cross so we might have the opportunity to be forgiven. He shed His blood for us because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins”.

Jesus
“. . .was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Jesus. He died on the Cross and was buried. Three days later He rose from the dead, validating God’s offer of forgiveness, revealing His power over death and the grave, and declaring His Lordship over all Creation!

Jesus. In love He lived for you. In love He died for you. In power He rose from the dead, proving that God’s offer to forgive you, which was made at the Cross, is real, providing hope for an eternity with God! Will you trust in the way God has made?

Jesus. His name means, “The Lord saves”. Because of Jesus, you have an opportunity to be forgiven of your sin and be free from God’s judgment for sin.
You can do that today. Seek God’s forgiveness, believing that Jesus died for your sins. Receive Jesus as your Lord and He will save you. He has promised that, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”! (Romans 10:13)

Lord Jesus,
I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that you died for my sins that I might receive forgiveness. I believe that you rose from the dead to give me hope. I ask You to forgive me as I turn from living life my way to living life your way. I want you to be the Lord of my life. I ask you to come into my life and my heart, taking charge of my life. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for saving me.
Amen

We encourage you to celebrate the advent of hope this Christmas season by worshipping the Lord Jesus with others. If you have questions regarding what you have read, please contact us or talk to a pastor in your area.

Oct. 24, 2016

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1 ESV)

On Tuesday, November 8th, each of you has the right to vote for one of the candidates running for President of the United States. It is a privilege won at great cost by the many who over the years served this nation and us, fighting and dying to make us, and keep us, a free nation. However, make no mistake, the freedom to vote is a blessing granted us by the LORD who maintains all things for His Purpose. Whatever means He chose to allow for the right to vote to be ours, we must never lose sight of this truth: it came to us because the Father of Lights, in whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17), wanted us to have it. Since the LORD has given us the right to vote, we are expected to be good stewards of it. What does that mean?

It means that Christians have a responsibility to God to vote. I have heard many people say that they are not voting this year because there is no “good” candidate for the office. I refer you to the Scripture above; these are the candidates that the Lord has allowed to stand in this time for His Purpose. He has a reason for limiting our choices to what many consider to be a “no-win” scenario. It does not negate our responsibility to vote. Why? Because the LORD gave us that right as an avenue to keep things on track or promote change within our government as necessary. In other words, since we are to live for the LORD, He gave us the right to vote in order to ensure that the moral fabric of this nation glorifies Him. So let me ask you for your Christian point of view. From a Godly perspective, are things on track in our society or do we need change? Regardless of your answer, I encourage you to evaluate each party’s platform because when you vote for a candidate, you are voting for the platform of the party.

Each national party has a platform: an ideology or set of ideas that defines what they believe and what they would implement as law given the opportunity. When you vote for the person, you are voting for the party’s platform because those who get in office appoint people. Typically, these people have ideology similar to their own. After all, it is a logical thing to appoint people who share your vision for the future. Once these appointees are in place, the policies/laws that are implemented affect the moral fabric of our nation for much more than the person’s term in office.

Below, I have included some information from the platforms of the two major parties represented in this election. In it you will find excerpts from each parties stance on three issues, abortion, marriage, and the appointment of judges to the Supreme court. Any emphasis in the text below is mine. I did not include all that was said by either party. However, I do not believe that I have misrepresented either party’s position on the issue by what I have omitted. If you want to read more you can find each party’s 2016 platform on line or request a copy at their political office in your area.

Marriage
2016 Democratic Platform (p. 19)
Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people—like other Americans—have the right to marry the person they love. . .

2016 Republican Platform (p. 11)
Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values. . .We, therefore, support the appointment of justices and judges who respect the constitutional limits on their power and respect the authority of the states to decide such fundamental social questions.

Abortion
2016 Democratic Platform (p. 37)
Democrats are committed to protecting and advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice. We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should have access to quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. . . We will continue to oppose—and seek to overturn—federal and state laws and policies that impede a woman’s access to abortion. . .

2016 Republican Platform (p. 13)
The Constitution’s guarantee that no one can “be deprived of life, liberty or property” deliberately echoes the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation that “all” are “endowed by their Creator” with the inalienable right to life. Accordingly, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth. . .

The Judiciary
2016 Democratic Platform (p. 25)
We will appoint judges who defend the constitutional principles of liberty and equality for all, and will protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion. . .

2016 Republican Platform (p. 10)
. . . A critical threat to our country’s constitutional order is an activist judiciary that usurps powers properly reserved to the people through other branches of government. . .Only a Republican president will appoint judges who respect the rule of law expressed within the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, including the inalienable right to life and the laws of nature and nature’s God. . . The legitimate powers of government are rooted in the consent of the American people. Judicial activism that includes reliance on foreign law or unratified treaties undermines American sovereignty. Foreign laws and precedents should not be used to interpret our Constitution or laws, nor should foreign sources of law be used in state courts’ adjudication of criminal or civil matters. . .

I want to leave you with two more Scriptures:

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34 ESV)

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV)

Regardless of who wins, please be in prayer for them, their appointees, and the ones who are hired. May each one turn to the LORD, seeking His Wisdom before any decision is made.

January 30, 2016

It is hard to believe that January is almost over!  Time seems more precious now than it did when I was younger and it certainly seems that the days come and go faster.  While part of this may be because we are getting older (No way!), I think the reason for my perception of time is the urgency I feel that time is short before the Lord Jesus returns.  Yet whether the Lord comes tomorrow or in a thousand years, we need to remember that, in relation to eternity, our time on this earth is short.  Scripture tells us that, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Ps 144:4 ESV).  Here is a not-so-fun fact to go with that Scripture: in the U.S., over 6,000 people die every day.  Of the 6,000 who die today, I wonder how many of them will know the Lord?  Will I know any of them?  If I do, will it be someone with whom I have shared the Good News that redemption is available through the Lord Jesus?  Or will it be someone I was “waiting for the right time” to tell?  I pray that this won’t be the case!

Friends, “Today is the day of salvation”.  Like Jesus, we need to be about the business the Father has given us to do.  2 Corinthians 5:18-20 tells us what that is very clearly.

“. . .in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”       

Opportunities abound!  Whether at work or at Walmart, there are people within our “sphere of influence”, those with whom we interact, that each one of us can impact for the Glory of God!  I pray this will be the year that all Christians embrace their ministry and seek to be about their Father’s business.

The Cross on Bourbon Street

As we look forward to this year of ministry for the Lord, we are excited about what lies before us!  February begins with a trip to New Orleans to share the Lord at Mardi Gras.  About 45 of us are coming together to proclaim Jesus to as many of the 1,000,000 people who attend this as we can.  Please be in prayer for the Lord’s harvest field known as the French Quarter.

We have our schedule for this year but it is tentative.  I say that because we are still seeking the Lord’s direction to expand the ministry’s service for Him this year.  To that end we ask for your prayers for the following:

• Venues to equip the Body of Christ by providing training in personal evangelism.
• Increased opportunities and venues to preach: both from the pulpit and in the streets.
• Additional partners to pray and support this ministry of our Lord’s.

If the Lord calls you to go on mission with us, or you are led to help support a mission or any part of our ministry, please contact us.

Until Jesus comes,

Dennis & Cindy Mohr