“Unfailing Love or Merited Punishment?”

 “Unfailing Love or Merited Punishment?”

 

Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God, He is the FAITHFUL God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His UNFAILING LOVE on those who LOVE Him and OBEY His commands.  But He does not hesitate to PUNISH and DESTROY those who REJECT Him.  Deuteronomy 7:9-10

This is part of Moses’ instructions to the Israelites after their rescue from the oppressive hand of PHARAOH, King of Egypt. Moses’ message begins with the word; “UNDERSTAND” which means to KNOW that the LORD your GOD is INDEED GOD, and He is FAITHFUL to KEEP His COVENANT throughout ETERNITY.

Not ONLY is He FAITHFUL, but He also LAVISHES His UNFAILING LOVE on those who LOVE Him and OBEYS His commands. But He will NOT HESITATE to PUNISH and DESTROY those who REJECT (hate) HIM.

You MUST LOVE the LORD your GOD with ALL your HEART, ALL your SOUL, and ALL your STRENGTH. (6:5) Just as MOSES, instructed the Israelites, we, who are the TRUE BELIEVERS, MUST COMMIT ourselves WHOLEHEARTEDLY to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. We MUST LOVE and OBEY Him. He is FAITHFUL NOT ONLY to BLESS those who LOVE and OBEY HIM, but also to JUDGE those who HATE and DISOBEY Him and He will DESTROY them. 

He is a GOD of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. He does not put any CONDITIONS on RECEIVING His LOVE. He SENT His ONLY SON to SUFFER, BLEED, DIE, and be RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE because of His LOVE for US.  And ALL one needs to do is COME as they ARE, to JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, BELIEVING with ALL their HEART that JESUS DIED for them and CONFESS their SINS to HIM and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  They MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM their SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  They MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and RECEIVE GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE!!! DO this NOW, while you STILL can!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!  

 

“The Pagan King vs The One True God”

 “The Pagan King vs The One True God”

 

“Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you! “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.”   Daniel 6:25-26

 

This incident took place in Babylon, under the rule of King Darius the Mede, who was a PAGAN King, with MANY GODS. Daniel was a GODLY MAN, but he was FAITHFUL ONLY to the ONE TRUE GOD, King Darius had GREAT RESPECT for Daniel, and Daniel’s God.  However, there were a couple of men who were very JEALOUS of Daniel. And so, they SCHEMED to find a way to rid themselves of him. 

They watched him CONTINUALLY, and one day while he was at his home, offering up PRAYERS to God. The men came up with a plan!! They went to the King and told him that they were all in agreement that the King should make a LAW and have it STRICTLY ENFORCED.  And that the KING should make a New Law stating that any person who PRAYS to anyone, divine or human, other than King Darius should be thrown into a LIONS DEN.  And the law was signed which meant that it could NOT be CHANGED or done away with. 

The next day these men saw Daniel praying to GOD asking, Him for His INTERVENTION.  So, the men reported to the KING, and it greatly SADDENED him, but there was not a thing he could do.  It was a LAW and could not be CHANGED.  So, with great sadness, the King had Daniel thrown INTO the LIONS DEN. And the King addressed Daniel: “May your God, whom you serve so FAITHFULLY, RESCUE YOU.”  And the one true God that Daniel served SO FAITHFULLY RESCUED Daniel from the Lions.  This made such an impact on the King that he sent out a MESSAGE to ALL the people, saying:  “I decree that EVERYONE THROUGHOUT my kingdom should tremble with FEAR before the GOD of DANIEL.

For He is the LIVING GOD, and He will ENDURE FOREVER.  His Kingdom will NEVER be DESTROYED, and His Rule will NEVER END.  He RESCUES and SAVES His PEOPLE; He performs MIRACULOUS SIGNS and WONDERS in the heavens and on earth.  He has RESCUED Daniel from the POWER of the LIONS.”

Do you KNOW Daniel’s GOD? Has He RESCUED YOU from an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE after you are there? He WILL, if when He calls on you to SURRENDER to Him and you ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who SUFFERED, BLED, and DIED, and was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for you and that He is in Heaven, making intercession for YOU before GOD.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. And YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and SERVE the ONE TRUE GOD FAITHFULLY.   Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

   

“The Shining Armor of RIGHT Living”

 “The Shining Armor of RIGHT Living”

 

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is RUNNING OUT. WAKE UP, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is almost gone; the Day of Salvation will SOON be here.  So, REMOVE your DARK DEEDS like DIRTY CLOTHES, and PUT ON the SHINING ARMOR of RIGHT LIVING.  Romans 13:11-12

We live in a VERY TROUBLED WORLD, one of which the WORD of the LIVING GOD has almost become NULL and VOID.  Even in SOME of our CHURCHES today, mankind has changed the WORSHIP and PRAISE into more of ENTERTAINMENT, with a little worldly atmosphere thrown in, to be ABLE to show unbelievers that Christianity is not much different than what the world has to offer.  When the churches stoop to that level, then what else can we OFFER a LOST and DYING WORLD?

The Apostle Paul tells us that it is URGENT to KNOW just how LATE it is; that TIME is RUNNING OUT.  He warns US to WAKE UP, for our SALVATION is NEARER than we FIRST believed.  I believe that our SALVATION being NEARER than when we FIRST BELIEVED is talking about the COMPLETION of SALVATION.  When we are SAVED, we are in a GROWING and MATURING process. For the TRUE BELIEVERS, the COMPLETION of OUR SALVATION will happen at the RAPTURE of the CHURCH, and that time is QUICKLY APPROACHING!!

In the meantime, we should REMOVE the DARK DEEDS like DIRTY CLOTHES and PUT ON the SHINING ARMOR of RIGHT LIVING.  We MUST LIVE DECENT LIVES for ALL to see.  We should NOT PARTICIPATE in the DARKNESS of WILD PARTIES and DRUNKENNESS or in SEXUAL PROMISCUITY and IMMORAL LIVING or even in QUARRELING and JEALOUSY.

Instead, CLOTHE YOURSELF with the presence of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. And DON’T EVEN let yourself THINK about ways to indulge your EVIL DESIRES, or ways to IDENTIFY with WORLDLY WAYS. But put on the SHINING ARMOR of RIGHT LIVING that is ONLY AVAILABLE to those who belong to GOD’S FAMILY. 

In order, to be ABLE to put on the SHINING ARMOR, you MUST FIRST become a MEMBER of the FAMILY of the LIVING GOD.  The ONLY WAY to do that, is to FIRST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, Son of the LIVING GOD, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE. You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven making intercession for YOU before GOD. You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ask HIM for His FORGIVENESS.  YOU MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and PUT ON the SHINING ARMOR of RIGHT LIVING.  DO this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND !!!

 

“The Rejection of the Cherished Son!”

 “The Rejection of the Cherished Son!”

 

“What will I do?’ The owner asked himself.  ‘I know! I’ll send my Cherished Son.  Surely, they will RESPECT him.”   Luke 20:13

Prior to the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, He was teaching the people and preaching the GOOD NEWS in the temple, and the Religious Leaders approached Him, challenging His AUTHORITY to do the things He had been doing.  And He did not reveal to them the answer they were wanting.  Instead, He turned back to the people and told them a STORY: “A Man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country for several years.   At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.  So, the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed.  A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away.

“What will I do?” The owner asked himself.  ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son.  Surely, they will RESPECT him.’ But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the Heir to this estate, Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!” So, they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him. “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked.  “I’ll tell you—-he will come and KILL those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”

Over centuries, God sent His prophets to warn His people to bear fruit—-to KEEP His Covenant and to LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY.  BUT Israel REJECTED, REPEATEDLY God’s Word that was spoken by His Prophets.  We see from this Parable, that those who REPEATEDLY REJECT, the WORD of God, who is the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!  “He came to His own people and even they REJECTED HIM.”  BUT to all who BELIEVED HIM AND ACCEPTED Him, He gave the RIGHT to become CHILDREN of GOD.

Today, there are JEWS and GENTILES (non-Jews), who REJECT the WORD who BECAME HUMAN and made His home among us. He was|is FULL of UNFAILING LOVE and FAITHFULNESS. PLEASE! Don’t REJECT Him!  Time is running out!  You may NOT have TOMORROW, because The LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON.  And you DEFINITELY don’t want to be LEFT BEHIND. 

This is what YOU MUST DO, to be ABLE to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there. You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE. You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN making intercession for you, before God, you MUST CONFESS YOUR SINS, before Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and SPEND your ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS. Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Rejoice, Be Patient, and Be Persistent “

 “Rejoice, Be Patient, and Be Persistent”

 

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying.  Romans 12 :12

 

The Apostle Paul gives us a list of PERSONAL ATTITUDES that will ENHANCE our SERVICE to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.  These attributes describe how we should SERVE the LORD. At the end of v11, he tells us to SERVE the LORD ENTHUSIASTICALLY! So how can we do that?

First, Don’t COPY the BEHAVIOR and CUSTOMS of this WICKED WORLD, but LET GOD transform you into a NEW PERSON by the way you THINK. Then you will learn to KNOW GOD’S WILL for you, which is GOOD, PLEASING, and PERFECT. (V2)

Don’t THINK you are better than you REALLY ARE. Be HONEST about YOUR EVALUATION of yourself, measuring yourself by the FAITH GOD has given you. Do ALL things as unto the LORD. Serve Him well.

DON’T PRETEND to LOVE others. REALLY LOVE THEM.  HATE what is WRONG. HOLD TIGHTLY to what is GOOD.  Don’t be LAZY, WORK hard and SERVE the LORD ENTHUSIASTICALLY!!

And REJOICE in the CONFIDENT HOPE we have in GOD, which is made POSSIBLE because of our RELATIONSHIP with His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  BE PATIENT in TROUBLE, just because you are a CHILD of GOD, does NOT mean that you will be FREE from TROUBLE. IF anything, you will probably have MORE TROUBLE than you need.  But because of your CONFIDENT HOPE in GOD, He will get you THROUGH IT, SO, BE PATIENT and WAIT on the LORD.  And while you are WAITING, PRAY and KEEP ON PRAYING until SOMETHING HAPPENS, and it WILL in HIS OWN TIME!!

Now, if you DO NOT have a RELATIONSHIP with GOD, ALMIGHTY, then it will NOT HELP YOU to believe that you can apply these attributes to your PERSONAL ATTITUDES and you’ll have a RELATIONSHIP with GOD, because you are doing all these things. It is NOT by WORKS that you do or what kind of person you are that will get you into HEAVEN.  It’s a GENUINE RELATIONSHIP with JESUS CHRIST, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED and was RAISED from DEATH and the GRAVE. So, when you feel the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, STIRRING your HEART and bringing GUILT FEELINGS upon you.  You MUST SURRENDER, by ADMITTING that you are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, who GAVE HIS LIFE to SAVE your SOUL from an ETERNITY IN HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY TO ESCAPE once you are there. You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for YOU before GOD. You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and REJOICE, BE PATIENT and BE PERSISTENT IN PRAYING.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Believing, Hearing and Declaring”

 “Believing, Hearing and Declaring”

 

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.  Romans 10:9-10

When a NON-BELIEVER, is under CONVICTION for their SINS, they MUST be WILLING to HEAR the WORD of GOD. They MUST NOT REJECT the WORD of GOD. So, to be able to CALL on JESUS for His FORGIVENESS, they MUST HEAR the WORD and BELIEVE in the WORD.

Verse fourteen asks this question: “How can they CALL on Him to SAVE them unless they BELIEVE in Him?  And how can they BELIEVE in Him if they have never heard about Him unless someone tells them?” And verse fifteen goes on to say;  “And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?”  When one believes in Christ Jesus, they will CALL on Him. And BELIEVING, is based on someone DECLARING the WORD of GOD to them. This PROCLAMATION is NOT held ONLY to a PREACHER, preaching from a pulpit. 

The TRUE BELIEVER is commissioned to WITNESS or TELL the unbeliever what the WORD of GOD says about being able to ESCAPE GOD’S ETERNAL JUDGMENT for their sins. Also, WHAT the WORD says about GOD’S GIFT of SALVATION.

That is to SHARE the GOOD NEWS, which is that God SO LOVED this WRETCHED world, that He GAVE His ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST, to ALL of HUMANITY, as the ONLY WAY for HUMANS to be FORGIVEN of their SINS and to be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and to be ABLE to SPEND ETERNITY in HEAVEN with all its BLESSINGS.  THEY must BELIEVE, HEAR and DECLARE to EVERYONE they meet, that THEY ARE FORGIVEN and on their way to HEAVEN!!!

SADLY, though NOT EVERYONE who HEARS the GOOD NEWS will WELCOME IT. And because of their rejection, they will face the JUDGMENT SEAT of the ALMIGHTY GOD. When one comes under conviction and REJECTS the GOOD NEWS, JESUS SAVES.  They will have SEALED their FATE. And it will be TOO LATE. 

So, if you are an UNBELIEVER and you are under CONVICTION, SURRENDER YOURSELF to the ALMIGHTY GOD. And ACCEPT His FREE GIFT of SALVATION.  YOU don’t have to PAY a THING for it.  JESUS has ALREADY PAID IT IN FULL.  To ACCEPT IT; you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that HE is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you before GOD. You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and BELIEVE, HEAR, ACCEPT, and DECLARE that JESUS is YOUR SALVATION!!  Do this NOW while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

.”Amazing Love”

 “Amazing Love”

 

For the Love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all,  so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.  2 Corinthians 5:14-15

The Apostle Paul shared that the LOVE of CHRIST controls the TRUE BELIEVER, and having come to that conclusion, the message, Paul wanted the people to know was that ONE died for ALL, therefore ALL died to their OLD LIFE.

Christ died for EVERYONE so that those who receive His NEW LIFE will no longer LIVE for themselves, but they will live for Him who DIED and ROSE again on their behalf. And since we TRULY KNOW HIM, means that ANYONE who KNOWS HIM has become a NEW PERSON. The OLD LIFE is GONE, and a NEW LIFE has begun. 

God has given the TRUE BELIEVER the TASK of SHARING the GOOD NEWS: JESUS SAVES!! For God was in Christ, RECONCILING the WORLD to Himself, no longer counting people’s SIN against them.  WOW! What an AMAZING LOVE!!

And God has given the BELIEVERS this message of RECONCILIATION to SHARE with a LOST and DYING world.  SADLY, there will be MANY who will reject the message. But there will be SOME who will ACCEPT it.  It is up to the BELIEVER to be OBEDIENT to God, and be about His business of RECONCILING this WRETCHED, WICKED WORLD from the HORRORS of and ETERNITY in HELL. 

If you are NOT a BELIEVER, you NEED to be NOW.  Don’t put it off!! Time is RUNNING OUT.  Here is what you MUST DO to COME to JESUS.  You MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR; JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S SON, who DIED to give us ALL ETERNAL LIFE.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is in Heaven making intercession for you before GOD. You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and a “WELL DONE!” From the LORD JESUS for fulfilling the TASK of RECONCILIATION!!   Do this NOW, while you STILL can. He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!