A Tribute To Good Lovi...

"A Tribute To Good Loving Dogs Everywhere!!!"

Key Passage: Ephesians 3:17

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."

"I have observed in my life, how dogs are more loving to their "Master or Owner", than Christians are to their "Master (The Lord Jesus Christ)!!!" I have seen, that most people are generally selfish and deceitful (Speaking lies, when it suits them). They like to put on a different "face" in different situations and when talking to different people (Hey, it kind of reminds me of politicians). Jesus considered mankind as being either a "Sheep (Followers of God)" or a "Goat (Followers of Satan)" in this world. I would consider myself a dog-person (Not a cat-person) in life, because I have had close to fifty (50) in my life. Dogs have played a big part in my ancestry for generations before I was born and as long as I can remember. I had a squirrel dog named "Spot," two bulldogs named "Scooter" & "Tabasco," a collie dog named "Lassie," two special rabbit dogs named "Queenie" & "Gyp," several black labs and golden retrievers and currently a black wiener dog named "Blackie." When I was around 7 years old, I would get in the doghouse when the puppies were being born in the cold rainy weather (Little did I know, that sometimes I would get ticks & fleas from this). That is where I get the saying in my preaching, "If you run with the dogs, watch out, you may get the ticks and the fleas also!!!" JUST AS I LOVED MY DOGS, MY DOGS ALWAYS LOVED ME BACK!!! O how sad, as I see in churches that I attend, that most Christians in the pew don't have much love for their Lord & Savior. Christians should come to church to worship and renew their commitment to God Almighty!!! Sadly, the "Altar Of The Church" is vacant most times with no one praying for souls to be saved and lives to be changed for the Glory of the Lord!!! After 44 years in the ministry of the Lord, one thing is clear, "The Lord Wants All Of Our Heart, Not Just Some Of It!!!" I pray, that you will surrender your whole heart to God's Holy Will for your life!!! "JUST AS A DOG IS MAN'S BEST FRIEND, I ASK YOU, DEAR CHRISTIAN TO BE CHRIST'S BEST FRIEND!!!" I sure pray, that you enjoy the rest of this message and seek to have a dog's love for the Lord Jesus Christ!!!

Scripture Text: Ephesians 3:17 "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."

God's message of "Salvation" has never changed from the very beginning of time, when "Man committed the First Original Sin"

in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3: 1-7). The display of God's message was completed on the "Cross of Calvary" by "God's Amazing Saving Grace" by the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3: 22 -24; Ephesians 2: 8,9)!!! He gave His redeeming sinless precious blood to pay our "Sin Debt" for all eternity (Romans 5: 8-10; I Peter 1: 18) and was resurrected on the 3rd day from the tomb with the keys of "Hell and Death" in His hands (Luke 24: 44- 46; Rev. 1: 18)!!!

John 1: 12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (ALWAYS TAKE GOD AT HIS HOLY WORD - The Bible K.J.V.)

John 3: 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 10: 27-30)

Romans 10: 13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

I Corinthians 15: 55-57 "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 2: 8,9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."

Revelation 1: 18 "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

Revelation 3: 20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (GOD'S SALVATION IS FREE TO WHOSOEVER WILL- Revelation 22:17)

Now "A Tribute To A Dog" by Senator George Vest(Attorney Vest spoke these words to a Jury on September 23, 1870).

"Gentlemen of the Jury: The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those who we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money a that man has, he may lose it. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it the most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw stones of malice when failure settles its clouds on our heads.

The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintery winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in his journey through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him from danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death."

Why, O why can't a Christian's faith, loyal devotion and love to the Lord Jesus Christ, be like a dog's love to their master??? Today, very few Christians have that kind of faith, devotion and love to the Lord!!! Jesus said in John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments." It is a very simple request from the Lord!!! I guess, we need to ask ourselves, "How Much Do I Love God Almighty???" It is very sad, that Christians, like to pick and choose what commandments they are going to follow. Then they, expect God to be happy in their decision of disobedience to Him!!! IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY WITH GOD (See Hebrews 12: 6)!!! Please, let me urge you to live for your Lord Jesus Christ every moment of every day and keep Him "First Place" in all things!!! If you realize, that you are "Religious, but LOST" (In Need Of God's Salvation), ASK JESUS CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS & CALL UPON HIM TO BE THE LORD & SAVIOR OF YOUR SOUL, RIGHT NOW!!! Let me close with these powerful scripture verses:

Matthew 7: 21-23 "Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

John 10: 27-30 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."

I John 5: 11-13 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know, that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

"Hallelujah For God's Amazing Grace & Un-Conditional Love!!! The End!!!"

***Give Your Heart To Jesus Christ Everyday Of Your Life!!!

***By Evangelist Rev. Clifford M. Smith