Oh, Father God, grant Thy son the wisdom to proceed with this Your project.  May every word and phrase be directly from You, O Holy One.  May this bread from You bless the hearts of many and bring them to a growing salvation from You.  AMEN  

CAST OFF THAT BURDEN

STEPHEN RICHIE

The book of Hosea in The Old Testament of The Holy Bible is a close template of what is occuring in our country today.  The hands that work and the voices that sing should be worshipping The LORD.  However, they are now serving other men and women instead and thus have turned away almost entirely from God.  The evidence of today is as it was in Hosea's age. (Hosea 8:14)  Many of our nation's people support gambling houses, liquor businesses and lotteries instead of supporting the eternal King, Jesus Christ.  PEOPLE NEED TO TURN BACK TO THE LORD!  The god of self has come to be very important to the "X" and "Y" generations along with the 1980's "Me" generation.  These are just a few examples but as we look across this sanctuary that we call the United States, many have suffered from these evils that are choking our nation's leaders, families, and children. (Hosea 8:12)  Our nation is being allowed to follow the devil instead of The LORD into bondage and this is being done by our own leaders.  It is not only our nation's problem but also the addictions that have gripped the world.  Satan is gaIning on God's people.  Poor decisions caused by sin are made under the influence of alcohol and cause even more loss of money and descent into sin in this our country. (Hosea 4:6)  Yes, the majority of people in this land do not have the knowledge of The LORD.  They do not know the contentment there is to be found in being a follower of Jesus.  Hard-earned money is slipping through the hands of men and women by their addictions when their families need that sustenance. (Hosea 8:11)  They do not know that it was God that gave them the blessing of having money.  God is being robbed also for they have forgotten the ten percent tithe that God desires.  (Malachi 3:10)  Many have never known that God requires it from them.  God's people are languishing in debt because of their lack of knowledge and understanding while preferring to rob God and deprive themselves and their families and the Church of God's blessing. (Hosea 8:13)

THE PEOPLE IN THIS NATION NEED TO BE SAVED!!! (Hosea 6:1-20)  They need to be saved by the blood of The Holy One, Jesus Christ!!! (Romans 10:9)  This nation needs the comfort of The Holy Spirit in which there is a great cleansing!  We need a spiritual revival that will shake the foundations of this world.....beginning here in this OUR country.  NOW IS THE TIME THAT THIS NATION LEARN TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD AND SHOW BY THAT EXAMPLE OF REVIVAL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO REPENT AND CHANGE OUR SINFUL WAYS AND RECEIVE JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR!!!!  We hear many reports from across the seas from the very people that we are trying to help in the Middle East: "Where is your God?"  We as Americans know that these people are rising from a great tyranny and they need our Godly example as well as our military and financial help.  IS THAT A TRUE STATEMENT ABOUT THE UNITED STATES?  "WHERE IS YOUR GOD?"  HAVE WE CHOSEN FALSE GODS RATHER THAN THE ONE TRUE GOD?  We as a nation cannot continue on this path for it is the path to destruction.  God is available to those who turn to Jesus.  Nation, look deep into yourself.  Come away from your sinful ways and serve Jesus.  You will not regret it.  There is a greater contentment in Him than in any vice you could worship or ever contemplate for your pleasure.  The unrest that is there in your heart and the filth that you serve can be washed away. (Hosea 6:3)  I know this to be true for I was once in sin's bondage.  I took my eyes off of Jesus.  I worshipped the gods of possessions and self but Jesus came back into my life.  He never moved.....He never left me nor did He forsake me. I repented and invited Him back into my life and now He has made this vessel clean!  HE SAVED ME!  (Hab. 2:18)  I follow Him now.  He is my living hope for all time and eternity.  I know, dear friend, Jesus can save you too.  Look around you.  MANY who are here today were once chained to idolatry.  MANY here were chained to alcohol, gambling, lotteries, and self. (Proverbs 16:6)  Jesus set them free from these things!!!!! (Romans 6:18)  Gallup polls report that almost fifty per cent of the people in this nation worship in some evangelical Church.  These same people confess with their mouths that Jesus is LORD and He has cleansed them of their unrighteousness.  (Mark 16:16)  HE WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU! (Jeremiah 4:14)

Do you feel the longing for something that will fill your heart with joy?  GAMBLING WON'T DO IT!  Once you have pulled the lever on the slot machine, or cast the card, or thrown the dice, the thrill is over!  You may win sometimes but you will lose more than just your money gambling.  You will defile your soul and your spirit that God has given to you.  Joys of the flesh are gone in seconds and are lost forever.  These vices will only lead you to remorse.  BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!  He and ONLY He will fill your spirit forever.  He will come in and set up His Kingdom in your life.  He will cleanse your yearning spirit.  He will set you free! (Romans 6:18)  Your body will be a house filled with eternal joy known as being saved.  BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED!  No longer will you feel alone.  You will no longer lose your money or your eternal soul.  You will have gained The Holy Spirit and He will help you conquer your vices and cleanse your heart.  No longer will you have an anxious spirit from being chained to your fleshly vice.  You will have a spirit of contentment. (Phillipians 4:11, I Timothy 6:6)  You should do a great thing today and BELIEVE IN JESUS!  TRUST JESUS! (Psalms 4:5)  Let Him break that vessel of competition that exists in your soul and spirit. (John 1:29)

Let Him destroy that need for a better feeling that comes supposedly from alcohol.  It doesn't last....and oh, the headache. (Amos 3:15)  It won't keep you.  There have been many before you that have been destroyed by these vices.  Jesus and His Holy Spirit WILL keep you.  He will seal you in a covenant that will last eternally.  Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for His saved ones to live eternally with Him.  His home is Heaven and He sits on the right hand of God. (Hebrews 1:3)  Jesus WANTS you there in your own new mansion.  He is not ignoring you. (Revelation 3:20,21)  God is present with you now and wants to come into your heart.  That yearning feeling inside of you is Jesus calling to you!  LET HIM IN, DEAR FRIEND.

Jesus loves you and wants to give you peace. (II Timothy 2:22)  He longs to give you peace away from the vices of the world that are only causing you pain.  He long to give you peace that fills you with a comfort that lasts forever....ETERNAL peace. (Luke 19:38, John 14:7)  HOLD UP JESUS!  SALUTE JESUS!  CAST OFF THAT ROBE OF FLESH!  HE IS THE ONLY POSSESSION THAT YOU REALLY NEED.  HE LOVES YOU AND WANTS TO COME INTO YOUR HEART. (Hosea 5:7) 

Why do you deal so treacherously with the things that The LORD has given to you? These things would also include your mind and your body.  Don't you realize that EVERYTHING comes from Him and nothing is new.  Things are new to you because you are still young in knowledge and have not discovered the error of your sinful way. (Hosea 4:11)  You, too, will lose your heart if you continue in your sinful ways. (Hosea 4:7)  With all of this will come great shame because you will forever lose what God so graciously has for you.  All of this will come if you continue on this treacherous path.

The knowledge that you need is the knowledge of the love of Jesus. (John 3:16)  All of the knowledge of the world will not outlast His.  Yes, He loves you. (I John 3:16)  He taught His disciples and apostles to give and show love to you.  Apostles even in this sanctuary are commanded by Jesus to love you in sincerity and truth. (I John 2:16, 17)  Jesus is going to live forever and He invites you to live with Him in eternity.  What of Hosea, though, in those times of long ago?  Many of the Israelites perished or went into bondage because of their sin.  God will NOT condone sin and He will PUNISH sin. (Hosea 8:7)  Yes, many of the Israelites reaped the whirlwind.  Their lives were shattered by captivity under a cruel eastern king.

THERE IS NO REASON FOR YOU TO HAVE SUCH A FATE. (Hosea 14:1)  Bondage has many forms and some forms are so clever that you will not recognize them until it is too late!  RETURN TO THE LORD IF YOU HAVE DRIFTED AWAY FROM HIM.  COME TO KNOW JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HIM.  BE SAVED!  He will love you freely and His love and His life will be in you because you have accepted The Holy Jesus Christ. (Hosea 14:4)

What are the other advantages of accepting Jesus as your Savior and LORD?  Are there immediate blessings?  YES!  You will begin to have a different attitude.  Others will recogize the change in you almost immediately. (Hosea 14:7)  You will also begin to develop wisdom and bear Christian fruit through telling others what Christ has done for you. (Hosea 14:8,9)  Search for The LORD Jesus in every thing that you do.  He will guide you. (Hosea 5:15) 

 Let us explore a few of the fruits that you will begin to bear as a Christian. 

You will have to wait upon The LORD for guidance at times.  This is known as longsuffering.  This will take courage, a strong prayer life, and a strong faith in Jesus. (Psalms 27:14)  Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame knew how to wait.  He was sixty-five years old before he sold his first piece of fried chicken.  He went door-to-door in Kentucky selling his new herbal fried chicken product.  He became very successful and when he died, he was one of the wealthiest men in America.  HE TRUSTED THE LORD!  HE WAITED ON THE LORD! (Isaiah 25:9)  I think that Colonel Sanders was GLAD he had waited on The LORD. (Hab. 2:3-4)

You will have to learn reverence before Jesus. (Hab. 2:20)  There will not be any chance to exclaim to The LORD for He is Holy.  He is the Maker of Heaven and earth and He DESERVES the reverence that assures you of the faith that you have entrusted in Him. (Revelation 1:18)  If you dwell in His secret place....that is, if you are reverent to Him, He will guide and protect you when you seek Him. (Psalms 91:1,2)  There is no greater place of refuge than in Jesus.  You will never find any refuge in the vices of this world.  These vices will only take what you give to them and NEVER return one penny to you. These are very temporal pleasures.

You will also have to learn to LIVE in The LORD. (Psalms 91:9)  It is a great comfort to KNOW that you are part of the body of Christ.  The body of the believers is the Church.  There are many who live in Him and I assure you that those who live in Him are very comfortable living and trusting in Him. SEEK companionship with those who live in Jesus and strengthen your faith and witness. 

You will have to learn strength against the former life. (Psalms 91:13)  Jesus will help you conquer the slippery places whereupon you have trodden in the past.  All you will have to do is call upon His Name.  BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED!  Prayer is an important gift given to the believers to use in times of weakness. (Matthew 6:6, Matthew 6:9-13)  The LORD's prayer is a good starting prayer for you.  It will show you how to pray when you study it's words.

These are only a FEW of the VIRTUES you will begin to learn as you begin your Christian journey.  Now we shall return to our study on Hosea.  Were the people of his time changed?  Hosea offered a prayer (Hosea 14:1-9) and prayed sincerely for the people of Israel.  This very day I ask you to pray the following prayer with me.

"Oh, LORD, I believe in You.  LORD Jesus, I turn from my wicked ways and place my trust in You.  SAVE ME, LORD JESUS.  Baptize me in Your Spirit and help me to live like You and always love You....for this I pray to You, Oh Jesus.  AMEN"

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE and I urge you to take strength in Jesus and leave that old life behind and be reborn into the love and faith of Jesus.  I pray you have many blessings and many years of strength, grace, and mercy in Him.  ALL OF YOUR SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.  GO NOW AND LIVE FOR JESUS.