Christ Diplomat (Exhortations)

TEXT: Psalms 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.  MESSAGE : I'd tell you the only reason why you are weighed down. All the while you have been looking down. That's why you were weighed down. You were looking at yourself. You kept considering yourself. The one that failed in his commitment to God kept saying "how could I?" You think it is godly sorrow. But godly sorrow should only lead to repentance and once you have repented, any other sorrow thereafter is not godly but deadly (2Cor 7:10). It is the idolization of the self which in itself is a sin! He who thinks he has gone through a lot cries "why me?" He is weighed down because he thinks he's alone in his trial. He forgets that God is in it with him not allowing him to be tested beyond his strength (1Cor 10:13). He forgets that God is waiting to stablish, settl...

TEXT: Luke 23:39-42   39  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.  40  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  41  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.  42  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. MESSAGE The malefactor (as he is called in our text) is actually crucified and facing his last moments on earth, he seizes the moment. In one desperate cry he turned the course of his destiny. He is on the brink of everlasting torment in hell. But just before he falls into eternal doom, one sentence saves him. He calls to the Lord. He didn't have the time to weep over his sins and the consequence. He had an audacity of faith and dared to ask for life in paradise. Guess what? He g...