"The Mysterious Faith of the True Believer"

“The Mysterious Faith of the True Believer”

 

You love Him, though you have not seen Him.  And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.        1 Peter 1: 8-9

 

The mindset of mankind, and especially today, is this:  “I’ll believe it when I see it. “  Even one of Jesus disciples had that same mindset, if anybody should believe without seeing, it would seem that those twelve men, who lived with Jesus would have believed Him without having proof, it seems as though they would have taken His word and would have believed that He was who He claimed to be, but there were doubters even among them. 

 

Today, many people call themselves Christian, yet if you didn’t know them, their actions and words would NOT implicate that claim.  And NO I am not judging, but fruit inspecting.  Jesus says that we are to bear fruit.  GOOD fruit, not spoiled or rotten.  He also said that the world would KNOW who we are by our love.  We would live in such a way that there would be NO doubt as to what we believe.  But our salvation doesn’t come by GOOD works, but through Gods UNDESERVED GRACE and UNENDING MERCY and through FAITH, on our part. 

 

We MUST BELIEVE with ALL our HEART that God DOES exist, and He is ALIVE and WELL, and that Jesus, His ONE and ONLY Begotten Son is also ALIVE and WELL, in Heaven at the right hand of God.  This MUST be a TRUE HEART experience.

 

The Apostle Paul told the Hebrews in His letter to them that …”Faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is NOT seen.”  Jesus said to His disciple Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Those who believe without seeing are blessed.”  That is the crux of the mysterious faith of the TRUE believer.  We BELIEVE in God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, with ALL our HEART, and because it is a HEART thing and not just knowledge, we have a deep abiding love for Him, that causes us to exude with inexpressible and glorious joy, even in the face of persecution and death.  Those precious souls who stood with guns pointed at their heads or those who were marched out to their death by being beheaded, exemplified their FAITH in Christ Jesus and yet they BELIEVED and LOVED Him without seeing or touching Him. 

 

It is those TRUE believers and those who are like them that possess BLIND FAITH and BELIEVE without seeing that will reach their goal of their faith, the salvation of their souls.  Works, or your status in life, your wealth, even being a member of a church or the act of being baptized, won’t get you the salvation of your soul, ONLY  believing with ALL your HEART in the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ, not just knowing it in your mind, but POSSESSING it in your HEART.  Jesus said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, NO ONE comes to the Father, but through ME!”  (John 14:6).  You can’t obtain salvation ANY OTHER WAY, but through Faith in the one you have not seen but BELIEVE IN.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you have NO hope of inexpressible and glorious joy because you do not possess salvation of your soul.  But you can have that HOPE and possess SALVATION of your soul by:  Confessing your sins to God and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of SALVATION and have that inexpressible and glorious joy in knowing you have the HOPE of Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON !!!

"A Patient God"

“A Patient God”

 

But first you must realize that in the last days some people won’t think about anything except their own selfish desires.  They will make fun of you and say, “Didn’t your Lord promise to come back?  Yet the first leaders have already died, and the world hasn’t changed a bit.”   But God has commanded the present heavens and earth to remain until the Day of Judgment.  Then they will be set on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed.  Dear friends, don’t forget that for the Lord one day is the same as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years is the same as one day.  In fact, God is patient, because He wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.                      2 Peter 3:3, 4, 7, 8, 9

 

For years now, some people have mocked those of us that believe that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent.  They have scoffed and ridiculed the believers throughout the ages for this tenet of our belief.  Thinking in their minds and hearts that it’s not going to happen.  They are the ones that will be caught off-guard, and will be in a state of perplexity when it comes about.

 

But God has commanded that the present heavens and earth remain until the Day of Judgment, which includes the Tribulation, the Millennium, the great white throne judgment, and the destruction of the present heavens and earth.  At the great white throne, after the Millennium, the wicked, evil mankind will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).    Then the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. 

 

Why is it taking so long for God to carry out this scenario?  There are two answers that are given to us here by the Apostle Peter.  First, God sees time differently than mankind does.  People see time against time, but God sees time against eternity.  Man’s perspective of time makes it seem long, but from God’s perspective of time as one day being a thousand years, and a thousand years being one day , in God’s eyes, the present Church age has lasted only a little over two days.   Secondly, the reason for what seems to mankind to be a long delay is because of God’s MERCY and GRACE, it is His desire that as many people as possible be saved.  He would love for ALL of the people to be saved, but He knows that isn’t going to happen. 

 

God is only tardy or slow by mankind’s standard, in fact, His time schedule is modified by one of His major attributes---Patience.  He is patiently waiting for as many as will, to come to Him for the SALVATION of their souls.  

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are gambling with your eternal destination, and are likely to end up in the lake of fire, where the flame never die.  However, you have the opportunity, NOW, to turn from your sinful, wretched life and turn to God, who is PATIENTLY waiting for you.  You come to Him by:  Confessing your sins to Him, and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of SALVATION, and look forward with anticipation to your eternal inheritance, the hope of Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Undeserved Grace"

“Undeserved Grace”

 

I am the least important of all the apostles.  In fact, I caused so much trouble for God’s church that I don’t even deserve to be called an apostle.  But God treated me with undeserved grace!  He made me what I am, and His grace wasn’t wasted.  I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God’s grace at work and not me.        ! Corinthians 15:9-10

 

These are the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth.  Paul’s conversion was miraculous by the fact that he had an encounter with the resurrected Christ after His ascension to Heaven.  That encounter changed Paul’s life forever.  To the point that his own assumption of himself had changed.  He looked at himself as the “least of all the apostles” to the point that, even during his ministry, he felt that he didn’t deserve to be called an apostle, because of his persecution of God’s Church.

 

But because of God’s AMAZING, UNDESERVED grace, Paul was a changed man and ended up doing the very thing that he had persecuted the Church for doing, preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and resurrected.  He tells the Corinthian church that God had made him what he was and that God’s grace was NOT wasted.  Even though he worked harder than any of the other apostles, it wasn’t him doing the work, but it was the UNDESERVED grace of God that worked in him. 

 

That is the way God’s UNDESERVED grace works in the hearts of TRUE BELIEVERS.  When we come to Him for the SALVATION of our soul, and we allow His SPIRIT to work in us and through us, our life, like the Apostle Paul’s, is changed.  We are transformed, old things of the past have passed away and behold ALL things become NEW.   We have become a NEW creation.  Our thinking and behavior have become NEW and different than it used to be. 

 

God will then carry out His plans for our life, when we become submissive to Him.  We will do the things that we never thought we could or would do, but because of His UNDESERVED grace at work in us we are able to carry out His plans for us, and accomplish a great work for His kingdom. 

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God and our living a life of sin and despair.  You NOW have the opportunity to experience God’s UNDESERVED grace, like the Apostle Paul, and have your life count for the cause of Christ, by:  Confessing your sins to God and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of SALVATION, and experience a NEW LIFE in Christ, because of God’s UNDESERVED grace.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Second Salvation"

“The Second Salvation”

 

And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.        Hebrews 9:27-28

 

When a person is drawn to Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to Him, they are led through a process of:  Believing in Christ, confessing their sins, asking for forgiveness of those sins, and accepting the gift that God is offering them.  This process is known as SALVATION of their soul from their sinful life. 

 

This SALVATION was provided by Jesus Christ shedding His blood on an old rugged cross for the sins of many.  He was the perfect sacrifice who bore the sins of mankind ONCE and for ALL.  When a person dies WITHOUT possessing this gift of SALVATION from the sins they have committed, they will then face JUDGMENT for their sins.  The person who DOES possess the gift of SALVATION from the sins they have committed will not have to face JUDGMENT, because Jesus Christ took away their sins, and their sins are forgiven and forgotten as far as the east is from the west, according to God’s Holy Word.

 

But there is a SECOND SALVATION for those who have accepted God’s gift of the SALVATION of their souls, and that will take place when the Lord Jesus Christ returns a second time to SAVE us from this old, wretched, sin-laden world.  He will NOT come to bear our sins, but to bring us SALVATION from this life, and to take us to our eternal inheritance.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you have not received the first SALVATION, which you MUST do in order to receive the second SALVATION.  You must be drawn by the Holy Spirit, to go through the SALVATION process.  If you have been under conviction of your sins, then that is part of the work of God’s Spirit drawing you.  You may be feeling that NOW, if you are, you must do this:  CONFESS your sins to God, asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of the first SALVATION, the salvation of your soul from your sins, and get ready for your second SALVATION, receiving your eternal inheritance.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"A Prayer for ALL True Believers"

“A Prayer for ALL True Believers”

 

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.                     1Thessalonians 3:12-13

 

This was what the Apostle Paul desired for the TRUE believers in Thessalonica.  He wanted their love, which was a Christian love, to increase and overflow.   A Christian love like that cannot be poured out to excess.   Christian love is something that wells up from within and should be shared with EVERYONE, NOT just the fellow Christians.      

 

A Christian love like that can only come from the Holy Spirit of God, which indwells ALL TRUE believers.  And it is something that the believer should NOT keep inside or share ONLY with other believers, but the TRUE believer, should have a heart for ALL mankind and have the mindset of Christ, who came here to ‘seek and to save the lost,’  His main concern was for those who were NOT believers. 

 

That mandate was handed down through the ages to EVERY TRUE believer to reach the lost with the GOOD NEWS, JESUS SAVES.  And that He is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.  Jesus said:  “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father, but through Me.”  (John 14:6)

 

Paul also wanted the heart of the TRUE believer to be strengthened in their faith.  And that they might be BLAMELESS, not sinless, being sinless is IMPOSSIBLE.  As long as we are in these earthly bodies, in the flesh, we will sin, but for the TRUE believer our sins are FORGIVEN, when we confess them to the Father.  The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins to God, He is FAITHFUL to FORGIVE us of our sins.  But the confession MUST come from a REPENTANT heart. 

 

And Paul wanted them to be HOLY before God, to be separated to God when the Lord Jesus Christ returns with all His holy ones.  The holy ones, more than likely are those who left their earthly bodies, in death, to go and be with Him, and will come back with Him, during the RAPTURE, to be reunited with their bodies, which will be made into glorified bodies, in a twinkling of an eye.

 

All of what the Apostle Paul said is applicable to the TRUE BELIEVER, today.  It should encourage us, yet, cause us to take inventory of our own lives as to whether or not, we are living with a HEART of Christian love that is overflowing to ALL people, and is strengthened in our FAITH.  Can we be found BLAMELESS, and HOLY before God, when the Lord Jesus returns?  And we do not know when that will be. 

 

If you have not given your Heart and Life to God, then you are not one of His TRUE believers, and you are NOT ready for the return of the Lord Jesus, but you can be ready to go when He comes, if you will:  Confess your sins to Him and ask Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven, making intercession, for you, before God, then accept His gift of salvation and be READY to go when He comes back to get the TRUE BELIEVERS, don’t be left behind and destined  for Hell, but be made NEW through His blood.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Harvest"

“The Harvest”

 

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.  Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.        Psalm 126:5-6

 

The Psalmist is using the principle of SOWING and REAPING in connection with the return of the exiles back to the land of Israel. 

 

It would be an ardent task, since the land had been neglected for so long.  Thus they would SOW with tears, but if they were FAITHFUL they would REAP with songs of JOY.  They would go out weeping and return with songs of JOY, and with an abundant HARVEST as a result of their agonizing over the neglected land. 

 

These verses remind me of the neglected land that surrounds every believer today.  The neglected land, being the fields of lost souls, the sower being the believer, and the HARVEST being the SALVATION of those lost souls.

 

 When the sower or believer sows, with tears, from agonizing, yet persistent work, the seeds of TRUTH in the HEARTS of those around them, to produce a HARVEST or SALVATION of lost souls, and to bring them into the storehouses of Heaven, it will definitely bring songs of JOY into a believer’s heart.

 

We, who are believers should be ever vigilant, because Satan would like nothing more than to still our JOY, by using us to be SOWERS of BAD seed, and using us to SOW seeds of discontent among God’s Children.  This is one of the seven things that God REALLY hates, a person sowing seeds of discontent among His Children.  So beware and on guard, don’t let Satan use you to be a SOWER of BAD seeds.   Because that will bring a HARVEST of nothing, but division, discontent, and a broken relationship with God.  

 

Instead, be a SOWER of GOOD seed, and work diligently in the fields of lost souls to bring in a HARVEST of SAVED people.  So the Lord can say to you:  “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  If you have been SOWING seeds of discontent, STOP IT!  and cry out to God for forgiveness.  He is FAITHFUL and JUST to forgive us of ALL our sins. 

 If you are one that is part of the field of lost souls, and in need of someone to come and plant Good seed in your HEART, I am here to do that for you, so you too can be a part of the HARVEST, a saved person, and become a part of God’s family, by:  Confessing your sins to God and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept God’s gift of SALVATION and become one of His SOWERS of GOOD SEED, the gospel of GOOD NEWS, Jesus saves!  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Battle from Within"

“The Battle from Within”

 

The Law has shown me that something in me keeps me from doing what I know is right.  With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God.  But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do.  What a miserable person I am.  Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die?  Thank God!  Jesus Christ will rescue me.        Romans 7:21-25

 

When mankind is born, they are born with a sinful nature that sinful nature is a part of mankind’s physical make-up from the time of conception to the time of death.  Because of Adam’s desire to sin, sin became a part of mankind’s nature.

 

This for the TRUE believer is a REAL battle for the HEART and MIND,  even though they have a desire to have PURE, CHRIST-LIKE attitudes and actions, they cannot in their own power resist their sinful nature, because it is a part of their physical nature.   In their own power they repeatedly experience frustration and defeat, and that is why mankind is in need of a Savior.  Someone worthy and willing to be that PERFECT sacrifice for the salvation of mankind’s soul.

 

The Apostle Paul acknowledges that he has two forces battling within for the throne of his HEART and the control of his MIND, and he confesses that his sinful nature has made him a prisoner of sin, and controls everything he does.  Is there no HOPE?   He laments that he is a miserable and wretched person, because of his knowledge of good and evil, and his desire to do what he KNOWS is PURE and CHRIST-LIKE, yet it is impossible for him to separate, himself from the sin nature that indwells him.  Therefore, he NEEDS a CHAMPION to come and be VICTORIOUS for the SALVATION of his soul.  To be the OVERCOMER in the battle for mankind’s HEART and MIND.  There is ONLY one, who is WORTHY and ABLE, and is the VICTOR of the battle for the souls of mankind, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the ONLY Begotten Son of the Almighty God.  Where there seems to be NO way, God makes a way.

 

So for the believer there is a WAY for us to win the battle that rages within us, and that is through surrendering to the ONE who is ABLE to be victorious over our sinful nature.  We can have the victory over sin through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. 

 

For those who have given into their sinful nature, and have become prisoners to their sin, and are losing the battle for the control of their heart and mind, you NOW have the opportunity to turn things around and start winning the battle, by coming to God and confessing  your sins to Him and ask Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of SALVATION and SURRENDER to Jesus Christ, and allow Him to WIN the battle for your HEART and MIND.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"Don't Be Captive to Hollow and Deceptive Philosophy"

“Don’t Be Captive to Hollow and Deceptive Philosophy”

 

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.        Colossians 2: 8

 

Philosophy:  general principles of a field of knowledge. 

 

The Apostle Paul was not talking about ALL philosophy, but against FALSE philosophy.  Paul was concerned about FALSE teachers taking the Colossian believers captive with hollow, deceptive philosophy.  This hollow, deceptive philosophy was based on HUMAN tradition, rather than on Christ.  True Christian philosophy takes captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

 

Following hollow, deceptive philosophy will lead one to not being able to acknowledge the truth, but to be in a state of perpetual learning.   2 Timothy 3:7, says of these people: “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.  That learning is based on Human tradition and NOT on Christ.  Paul was concerned about their spiritual well-being.   

 

This type of philosophy based on HUMAN TRADITION and ELEMENTAL SPIRITUAL FORCES of this world is demonic and worldly, not godly and Christ-like.  Unless the believer is careful they may be taken ‘captive’ by these forces. 

 

Those who are at a HIGH risk of this HOLLOW, DECEPTIVE philosophy, are the ‘babes in Christ’, those who are still on the milk of the Word.  It is EXTREMELY important that a new convert to Christianity, be nurtured and taught the TRUTH of God’s Word, so they will, “No longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching, and by the cunning craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”(Ephesians 4:14).  This nurturing and teaching should be done by the older, more mature, believers, who are grounded in the Word of God.

 

These new converts should be encouraged to attend church on a regular basis.  Especially to attend Bible studies, which is carried out through the Sunday School.   In order for them to grow and mature in their Christian walk and to be able to KNOW what God’s Word REALLY says.

 

If you are following a HOLLOW and DECEPTIVE philosophy, and seem to be in a perpetual learning state without being able to acknowledge the TRUTH, you need to COME to Christ and trust Him to set you FREE from that captivity.  You do that by:  Confessing your sins to God and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of SALVATION, and start following and growing in the TRUTH of CHRISTIAN philosophy.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"Being Sanctified and Found Blameless"

“ Being Sanctified and Found Blameless”

 

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.        1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

 

These verses of Scripture are part of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the believers in Thessalonica.  It was his wish that the believers would open themselves up to the work of God’s Holy Spirit in their lives so that they would be free from the guilt of their sins and would be able to present themselves BLAMELESS at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

The verses proceeding these verses lays out some of the things Paul was encouraging them to do or not to do in order to be sanctified by God, Himself.  They were to:  Warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.  Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; do not quench the Spirit.  Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, and reject every kind of evil.  These things seem to be IMPOSSIBLE tasks to be carried out, but this is the beauty of God’s AMAZING GRACE, He provides us with His Holy Spirit to enable us to do what might seem IMPOSSIBLE to us, but POSSIBLE with His leadership.

 

When we submit ourselves to God’s Spirit we are able to accomplish WHATEVER, He wants us to do.  Therefore we are sanctified or ‘set apart’ through and through, and our WHOLE being, spirit, soul and body will be presented BLAMELESS at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But this can ONLY be accomplished through the SUBMISSION of our WHOLE being, spirit, soul and body. 

 

When a person is saved by grace, God does not leave them alone to work out their Christian growth on their own capabilities, but He gives them His Spirit to enable them to grow and mature in their faith.  God who calls us and justifies us by His grace will also sanctify us by His grace.  We then, can be assured of being found BLAMELESS AT the coming of our Lord.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you will NOT be found BLAMELESS before God and He will not sanctify you for His purpose in your life.  You will face judgment of your sins and will be sentenced to spend ALL eternity in Hell, a place of torment, misery and heartache, a place that separates you from the very presence of Almighty God.  This is your destiny, unless you turn FROM your sins and turn TO God for the salvation of your soul.  You do that by:  Confessing your sins to God and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of salvation, and be submissive to the working of His Spirit, and be sanctified for His work in you.  And be found BLAMELESS at the coming of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting, and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"Foolish Sins"

“Foolish Sins”

 

You know my foolish sins.  Not one is hidden from you.        Psalm 69:5

 

A lot of people live their life like there is NO God.  They flaunt their sins and seem to not care who is effected by their actions.  They enjoy their sins and even cherish them, except when those sins cause problems for them, and they find themselves in a position where there seems to be no way out or no recourse to their actions, then they run to God by asking everyone they know to pray for them.  I wonder if they pray for themselves, and if they do.  What does their prayers sound like to the Almighty?

 

First of all, God tells us that if we have unconfessed sins in our heart, He will NOT hear our prayers, unless the first words we speak are words of confession of our sins that MUST come SINCERELY from the HEART.  Then and ONLY then will He hear and answer.  (Psalm 66:18, and Jeremiah 11:11). 

 

Then you have those who think that they can hide their sins from God, and He will never know about them.  They carry out their sins in darkness, behind closed doors, and some are conceived and birthed in their mind and heart.  Some may go as far as denying that they have done anything wrong, they will try to blame their transgressions on anybody or anything else, but themselves.  Which is definitely a foolish frame of mind.  You CANNOT escape God.  He SEES ALL, and He KNOWS ALL!  NO SIN IS HIDDEN FROM HIM!

 

If you are in either of these situations, and seem to be drowning in your sins, you can be rescued by coming to God, and confessing your sins to Him.  Confession is important, because it shows our sincerity and is a part of the cleansing process of our hearts.  When we have confessed our sins, then we ask God to FORGIVE us of ALL our sins, and we turn AWAY from our sins.  The Bible tells us that He is FAITHFUL to FORGIVE us of our sins.  (1 John 1:9)   Then we must BELIEVE that Jesus died for us and is in Heaven making intercession for us, before God, then accept His gift of SALVATION, and quit trying to HIDE our sins, and TRUST Him to do what He has promised us He would do, to save us from our sins and make us His Children.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!

 

"God's Invitation"

“God’s Invitation”

 

…I am the only God!  There are no others I bring about justice, and have the power to save.  “I invite the whole world to turn to me and be saved.  I alone am God!”...        Isaiah 45:21b-22

 

There are many in our world, today, who believe that God is not real, or that if He was real, He isn’t anymore, He’s dead.  Well, to those who have NO hope and believe such foolishness, I must tell you that; He is REAL, and He is NOT DEAD.  Soon you will KNOW that.   He will make His presence known to ALL mankind, when a LARGE part of humanity disappears and chaos ensues. 

There will be many that will be left behind, who will KNOW, beyond any doubt what happened.  And so if you are reading this now and you aren’t a believer, you will be in this category of people. 

 

These verses of Scripture tells us that there is NO OTHER GOD, and NO OTHER HOPE.  We are living in the very LAST days of this age, and those who are TRUE believers, we are awaiting for the source of our SALVATION to split the eastern sky and call US home.  This is what is known as the RAPTURE. 

 

In these verses, God, personally, offers YOU an invitation, He says:  “I invite the WHOLE world to turn to me and be saved.”  So if you reject God, you are without excuse, because you have been given a PERSONAL INVITATION to become a part of His family and to turn FROM your sinful lifestyle and be made righteous in His sight. 

 

He, ALONE, has the power to SAVE you from an eternity in Hell.  I realize that some may think that this is all there is to life, when you leave this world, you just cease to exist, but I am telling you that this is NOT all there is.  There is a GOD and He has the POWER to SAVE you or CONDEMN you.  He is the RIGHTEOUS Judge, and if you don’t accept His INVITATION, He will sentence you to an eternity in Hell, with no way of escape. 

 

NOW is your opportunity to turn away from your sinful life and to turn to Him, and have the HOPE of Heaven.   This is your INVITATION, and TODAY is your day of SALVATION, don’t let it pass you by, without accepting it.  You can turn to God by:  Confessing your sins to Him and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept His INVITATION for SALVATION and receive the HOPE, that He, ALONE, can provide.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting, and coming SOON!!!  

 

 

"Near the End of Time"

“Near the End of Time”

 

My dear friends, remember the warning you were given by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.  They told you that near the end of time, selfish and godless people would start making fun of God.  And now these people are already making you turn against each other.  They think only about this life, and they don’t have God’s Spirit.        Jude 1:17-19

 

These are the days in which we are presently living.  A lot of people are poking fun at Christianity and many disrespectful, ungodly things have been said and done to discredit God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Jude issues a warning to reiterate what the apostles of Jesus Christ had told of, the coming of the end of time.

He said that selfish and godless people would make fun of God, and I believe we have seen and heard things that fit this situation, many times.  He also warned that these people would make us turn against each other.  Well, that definitely is happening in our society, especially in the United States.  We have seen the effects of the “Black Lives Matter” organization and I believe that ALL lives matter, whether they are black, white, Hispanic, oriental, ALL are God’s creation and to Him, especially, their lives matter.  The churches aren’t cooperating with each other like they should.  I believe that we allow our doctrinal differences to cloud the REAL mission of the Church, the body of Christ, which is to; BRING THE LOST to Christ.  If we banded together in love and unity, what a difference it would make in our LOST and DYING world TODAY! 

We are turning our backs to the needs of our fellow men and women, and not just material needs, but more important than that, their SPIRITUAL needs.  Many are groping in darkness and without any HOPE.  They need to be led to the ONLY one who can give them HOPE, the Lord Jesus Christ.   Who is ALIVE and sitting at the right hand of our Heavenly Father, waiting for the time when the Father will turn to Him and say, “Son, go get my Children!!”  Hallelujah!!!  What a time that will be!  In Heaven, with Jesus and our Father God, where there are NO divisions, just LOVE and UNITY. 

But in the meantime, we, as God’s TRUE believers, His born-again Children, need to come together and strive to get along.  There is STRENGTH in numbers, and I believe that if we bind together in Jesus’ name, we can truly make a difference in this old sin-laden world, and give the old slew-foot devil a swift kick in the pants and send him on his way.   Then when Christ comes for His Church, He can truly say:  “Well, done My good and faithful servant!”

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are headed for a place that is void of anything GOOD. You will never again experience love, peace, or unity, but will suffer in Hell for ALL of eternity, however, you NOW have the opportunity to come to Christ and experience LOVE like you have NEVER had before.  You do that by: Confessing your sins to God, and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of Salvation, and hear Him say, when He returns:  “Welcome home, my Child!”  Do it NOW, while you still can He’s waiting and coming SOON!!

"One in Christ Jesus"

“One in Christ Jesus”

 

I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You.  And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me.        John 17:20-21

 

These verses of Scripture are part of a prayer that was offered up to God, by His Son, Jesus Christ, prior to His arrest and death.  It is amazing to me to think that He prayed not only for His disciples, who actually walked, talked and lived with Him in the flesh, but also for EVERY believer that has come after them, they, my dear brothers and sisters, are us.

 

I think that the majority of His prayer was for UNITY among ALL believers everywhere.  That we should be ONE as He and the Holy Father are ONE.  There is nothing Satan would like better than for there to be division among God’s Children, because a house divided will fall.  And a body that is divided will be weak and vulnerable to him and his dastardly deeds. 

 

We as God’s Children must come together as ONE and love, support and pray for each other.  Satan is the one who brings jealously, envy, and strife into the Family of God, when we let him influence us.  Then we become weak and ineffective to a lost and dying world.  Our witness to the lost is also of no effect, and the mission we are given by Christ, to win the lost, takes a hard blow.    We must be ever vigilant and strong in our faith, and come together in order to be the influence this tired, miserable, lost, and dying world needs.  Time is running out and we need to work together for the good of the Kingdom of God.  I want you, who are TRUE believers in Christ, to know that I am praying for you, wherever you may be.  God knows who you are and what you are going through, so just know that there is someone praying for you.

 

If you are reading this and have not given your HEART to God, and are not part of His Family, but are living for Satan, and if you’re NOT living for God, you ARE living for Satan, even if you think you are not, you ARE.  If you are against God, then there is only one other force that can influence you and that is Satan.  Those who are living for Satan, are headed for an eternity in that place called Hell.  A place of misery, torment, and pain, the likes of which, are not known.  But you have the opportunity NOW to change your course and become a part of God’s family, by:  Confessing your sins to God and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your Heart, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of salvation, and help win the lost to Christ.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Equipping the Saints"

“Equipping the Saints”

So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.        Ephesians 4:11-13

God’s plans for His Church, the body of Christ, included the equipping of His Children to use the gifts given to them by Christ Himself.  This equipping and perfecting would be done by five kinds of gifted people, listed in the Scripture, the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.  They were given to the church as gifts, in order to equip and perfect the saints of God, to do the work of God.

The apostles and prophets were the foundational gifts to the beginning of the church. And, therefore, since they were foundational they did not exist after the first generation of believers.  The evangelists, were responsible for spreading the gospel, and are similar to our present-day missionaries.  The pastors and teachers would do the work of comforting and guiding, while instructing the believers in God’s ways.  They would and do equip and perfect the saints to do the work of the ministry.

These gifts were given to those who were called and gifted in the five gifted areas of ministry listed in the Scripture, to equip other believers for the ministry so that they in return can equip others.  The goal is for the building up of the body of Christ.  This includes ALL saints and not just the leaders.  ALL saints are gifted to serve others spiritually. 

Today in our churches, the pastors are to minister till ALL the church reaches unity in the faith and the knowledge of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  So that the body of Christ may be built up and mature, to be able to attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, and to become more like Him.

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to Him, then you are missing out on being a part of the body of Christ and exercising your gift for the building up of His body, the Church.  But instead you are building up the works of Satan and are a part of his doomed crowd, who are headed for an eternity in Hell.  You NOW have the opportunity to separate yourself from him and become a part of the body of Christ and share in all the glories of Heaven for ALL eternity, by:  Confessing your sins to Him and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of salvation and become a ‘body-builder for Christ.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Human Race from God's View"

“The Human Race from God’s View”

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.  God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.        Psalm 53:1-2

 David received a revelation of God’s view of the human race.  The heart of mankind is a breeding ground for sin, because mankind is born with a sinful nature.  From God’s view of the human race, which is sinful in their nature, those who believe in their heart that “There is no God,” have made themselves to become a fool and are corrupt and vile, and no one does good. 

The RIGTHEOUS, HOLY CREATOR of this whole universe looks down from Heaven on ALL mankind to see if there are any who understand, that He does exist and is ALIVE and WELL, any who seek after Him.   But what He sees is no one who does good, not even one.  The Apostle Paul tells us in His letter to the Romans that “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

But when Christ came, He became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, and because of that sacrifice, ALL who believe that there is a GOD and He has provided a way through that ultimate sacrifice of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, for the cleansing of our sins, in order to REDEEM us and make us His own, they will be made righteous before God, and will be co-heirs with Christ to ALL the glories of Heaven. 

If you are one who is denying the existence of God, just take a good hard look around you at ALL the evidence of God’s existence.  HE DOES EXIST and HE IS ALIVE and WELL.  You are headed for an eternity of torment, torture, terror, heartache, and misery.  But God in His infinite MERCY and undeserved GRACE has provided a way for you to turn from your UNBELIEF to BELIEVING in Him through the cleansing from the shed blood of His own Son, Jesus Christ.  You can come to Him NOW by:  Confessing your sins to Him, and asking Him for His forgiveness, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that God does EXIST and          that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of salvation, and come from UNBELIEVING to BELIEVING, and change your eternal destiny.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Changing the Way You Think"

“Changing the Way You Think”

Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think.  Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him.      Romans 12:2

In many different places in the Bible we are told that we, who are TRUE believers in Christ, should separate ourselves from the world and its ways.  Because when we come to God with a truly repentant heart, we become a NEW creation, OLD things are gone and NEW things have come.  So we should do away with our old worldly lifestyle and embrace our new Godly lifestyle.

We should be willing as His Children to allow His Spirit that indwells us to change our way of thinking, by allowing Him to do what King David asked Him to do; “create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” 

When this transformation takes place we become a new creation with a new way of thinking.  Our minds will then be able to know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to God, because of our CLEAN hearts and a RENEWED, STEADFAST spirit that is within us. 

We are no longer like the people of this world, who are being influenced and led by Satan, and are blindly being led to an eternity in Hell.  Their minds are blinded to the truth and they are lost and wandering around in darkness.  If you find that you are following the world and its ways, and have been feeling guilty about your situation, you NOW have the opportunity to change your way of thinking and living by coming to God, confessing your sins to Him and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing with ALL your Heart that Jesus died for YOU, and is alive in Heaven making intercession for you before God, then accept His gift of salvation and let Him change the way you think, let Him create in you a CLEAN heart and a RENEWED, STEADFAST spirit, and be pleasing and acceptable to Him.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!  

"Trust the Lord!"

“Trust the Lord!”

Trust the LORD!  Be brave and strong and trust the LORD.        Psalm 27:14

TRUST---firm belief in the honesty, reliability, etc. of some person or thing; faith, hope.

 This is the meaning of the word TRUST from Webster’s Dictionary.  Trusting in someone can be an “iffy” thing to do.  We often times HAVE to TRUST in people.  When we were a baby, and as children too, we unconditionally trusted in our parents, who provided our every need.  As we grew we learned to TRUST teachers, policemen, doctors, etc.  When we got older and married we were to TRUST our spouses.  And we trust our friends, which sometimes turns into problems. 

God created mankind with the need to TRUST, and so we put our TRUST in people and things, both seen and unseen.  You might ask how we can TRUST something we can’t see.  Well, we can’t see the air, but we know and TRUST that it is there, because we are breathing it.  And probably the hardest thing to do is to put our TRUST, for every aspect of our lives in someone’s hands that we can’t see.  Yet the Bible, time and time again instructs us to TRUST in God.

People of faith, TRUST God for the salvation of their souls as well as for the well-being of their livelihood.  For a short time after 9/11, people flocked to the churches with fear consuming them, because their TRUST in their government to protect them had been breached, and they turned their TRUST to God, out of fear and desperation.  Calling on Him for the protection of their livelihood, they TRUSTED someone they could not see, feel or touch, that is what TRUST is all about.

But after the shock, and when somewhat of a calmness, and normalcy returned to their lives, their TRUST in God was short-lived.  And they went back to business as usual.  They turned their TRUST towards other people and things that are temporary and cannot provide lasting protection and peace.

But there is coming a time, and I venture to say, that it is just about upon us, when 9/11 will pale in comparison to the chaos, heartache and despair that will take place when Jesus steps out of Heaven and calls ALL the TRUE BELIEVERS, those who have TRUSTED Him for the SALVATION of their souls, home to Heaven, this is known as the RAPTURE.  It is COMING SOON!  Are you ready? Have you TRUSTED Him for your salvation?

All of those precious people, who stood brave and strong when they were looking into the faces of evil men holding guns to their heads, and asking them if they believed in God, and they answered a resounding “YES!”  They had put ALL their TRUST in the LORD.  Did He save them from being killed?  No, He took them HOME to be with Him in a place where there is NO more pain, heartache or despair, a place of PERFECT PEACE and LOVE that cannot be explained.  They BELIEVED and TRUSTED.  Do you?

You can put ALL your TRUST in God, He is NOT DEAD!  And He will SAVE you from your sins and your present destination of Hell.  All you NEED to do is TRUST the LORD, by:  Confessing your sins to Him and asking Him for His forgiveness, believing, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is alive in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then accept His gift of salvation and be BRAVE and STRONG, TRUST the LORD!  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!