A Gentle Whisper -- Listening for the Voice of God Johnny Almond  

Dead-end Trail

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23  NLT


When you’re dead to sin, you can be devoted to the Savior.

     Identified with Christ’s death through baptism, you have died to sin—

          a corpse does not sin, so consider yourself unresponsive to evil.

     As Christ was resurrected from the dead by My glorious power,

          so you are enabled by My Spirit to rise above the world’s selfishness.

     Decisively treat carnal desires and devilish lures of your human nature

          as if they were dead—only then can you learn how to really live.

     Bury your dark lifestyle—let Me resurrect you to a light-filled world. 

     Crucify your rotten nature—let Me adjust attitudes in fresh directions.

     You have a new focus—heaven dominates your thoughts.


When you’re delivered from addiction, sing doxologies to the Almighty. 

     By My power, you can be unshackled from harsh slavery to the evil one.

     Captured by grace and captivated by Christ, you are indeed free.

     By My omnipotence, you can be liberated from old degrading habits.

     Yielded joyfully to Christ, you discover far nobler ways to live.

     A non-conformist to the world, you are transformed by My Holy Spirit.

     Serve Me not in boring letter of the law, but creative ways of My Spirit. 

     Tossing slave’s rags and donning saint’s clothes, you sport a new wardrobe—

          tenderheartedness, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love.

     When you trust Me, I do not turn you into a robot—I let you choose.

     You have new freedom—deciding for My purpose is a grand lifestyle.


When you leave Satan’s dead-end trail, you can travel the King’s Highway.

     Live only for self-gratification and you will ruin your life and wind up dead.

     Live for My honor and you will ultimately reach My home and see My smile. 

     It is impossible to remain neutral; here is the choice you must make—

          surrender to My mastery and be blessed, or yield to sin and be cursed.

     Those rejecting Me have hell to pay; those trusting Me have heaven to enjoy.

     Hell and heaven are eternal opposites—

          painful darkness or perpetual light, cold hate or heart-warming love,

          despondent hopelessness or delightful joy, awful punishment or paradise.

     Do not be duped by Satan’s temptations—his party has an eternal hangover.       

     Satan offers happiness but it is only transient—I am saving the best for last. 

     Walking in My steps is not easy, but the destination will thrill you forever. 

     You have a new future—a perspective helping you march forward in hope. 

© Pastor Johnny R. Almond                                    Gentle Whispers from Eternity




© Pastor Johnny R. Almond                                    Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Johnny

Johnny R. Almond earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and a Diploma in Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge. After pastoring churches for a decade, he served the Air Force as a military chaplain in worldwide assignments. After retiring from the military in 2000, he began serving as pastor in Virginia. He currently serves as pastor of Hull's Memorial Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He and his wife, Beverly, have four sons, three grandsons, and three granddaughters.