"The Sufficient Sacrifice"

“The Sufficient Sacrifice”

 

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.  The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  For after He says:  “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days,” says the Lord; “I will put My laws on their hearts and write them on their minds,” He adds:  “I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.”  Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.       Hebrews 10:14-18

 

The TRUE BELIEVER is SANCTIFIED or SET APART for God’s purpose, through the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was/is the PERFECT SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE.  This is a ONCE and for ALL sacrifice.  Meaning that those who TRULY BELONG to God, can approach Him with FULL ACCEPTANCE, which is provided through the SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE, the death of Jesus Christ.

 

This is accomplished when a person comes to Christ, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, for the FORGIVENESS of their sins.  In verse twelve, we are told that this Man, Jesus Christ, after offering ONE SACRIFICE for sins FOREVER, sat down at the right hand of God. 

 

It all comes down to this, the Old Testament sacrifices were INSUFFICIENT to TAKE AWAY ALL of mankind’s sins.   Jesus Christ, in OBEDIENCE to His Holy Father, says:  “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, I will put My Laws on their HEARTS and write them on their MINDS, I will NEVER AGAIN remember their sins and their lawless acts.”   The author of Hebrews, then says:  “Now where there is FORGIVENESS of these, there is NO LONGER an OFFERING for sin.”  This is because JESUS CHRIST is the PERFECT, SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE.  NOTHING or NOBODY can do what He has done, and bring a ONCE FOR ALL SALVATION to those who are WILLING to ACCEPT IT. 

 

You cannot LOSE it, have it TAKEN AWAY from you, or GIVE it back.  REMEMBER:  “Where there is FORGIVENESS of these (sins), there is NO LONGER an OFFERING for sins.  So if we could LOSE it, or have it TAKEN AWAY, or GIVE it back, we would have to CRUCIFY Christ over and over again.  He would not be a ONCE for ALL SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE.  And for those who REJECT this SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE, they have NO REAL SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE to turn to.  Now, this does NOT mean that, the TRUE BELIEVER, can live a SINFUL LIFE, and not be REPRIMANDED by GOD for their DISOBEDIENCE.  A TRUE BELIEVER, strives to be OBEDIENT to God.  They are tempted and sometimes they FALL to that temptation.  When this happens they are CONVICTED of those sins, by the HOLY SPIRIT, which indwells them.  It is then, up to them to REPENT. And they are FORGIVEN and their sins are COVERED by the BLOOD of CHRIST, and REMEMBERED NO MORE.  Have your sins been COVERED by the BLOOD of Jesus Christ, the SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE?  They are NOT if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God by:  TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and have the ASSURANCE that you are FORGIVEN, and have HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME, because of GOD’S SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!! 

 

 

 

 

"Alienated or Reconciled?"

“Alienated or Reconciled?”

 

Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions.  But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him---if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard.       Colossians 1:21-23

 

ALIENATED means to be “cut off” or “separated.  People who are still living a sinful lifestyle, and have NOT REPENTED of their EVIL ACTIONS are ALIENATED and HOSTILE, separated from God, because of their EVIL ACTIONS.  When a person is born, they are born with a SINFUL NATURE.  The desire to sin is there, and they began to PRACTICE EVIL ACTIONS.  And so from the age of accountability, which is different with each person, but from that time on, they are RESPONSIBLE for their EVIL ACTIONS, until they become RECONCILED to God.  And they have NO HOPE for an ETERNITY in Heaven, unless they REPENT and are RECONCILED to God.

 

RECONCILED means to bring together, to make FRIENDLY again.  This is what happens when a person has REPENTED of their EVIL ACTIONS.  It is ONLY POSSIBLE through ACCEPTING the RECONCILING ACT of JESUS CHRIST, through the SHEDDING of His blood on the cross.  Hebrews 9:22 tells us that; “without the shedding of blood there is NO FORGIVENESS,” and therefore NO RECONCILIATION.  Through the SHED BLOOD of Christ, one is presented to God as, HOLY, FAULTLESS, and BLAMELESS.  One is SEPARATED from their sins and SET APART for God, this is the act of JUSTIFICATION, and will provide HEAVEN as their ETERNAL HOME. 

 

But you MUST REMAIN GROUNDED and STEADFAST in your FAITH.  And not easily shifted away from the HOPE you have received, because of your RECONCILIATION with God. This is possible for EVERY TRUE BELIEVER, because they have become NEW CREATURES, and the Holy Spirit is indwelling them, and providing the GUIDANCE and STABILITY they need.  So, are you ALIENATED or RECONCILED to God?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are ALIENATED from Him.  And you will be spending ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  However, Jesus Christ, God’s ONLY SON, has provided a WAY for you to be RECONCILED to God.  And to RECEIVE this RECONCILIATION, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a TRUE RECONCILED CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

 

"The Repentant Heart Becomes a Redeemedj Soul"

“The Repentant Heart Becomes a Redeemed Soul”

 

You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.  Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.       Acts 8:21-22

We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.      Ephesians 1:7

 

To have a REPENTANT HEART, is to be SORRY for the wrong-doings that you are guilty of.  To be REMORSEFUL of the sins you have committed, is to have the desire to TURN AWAY from your sins, and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  When you do this your feet are on the RIGHT path, which will lead you to an ETERNITY in Heaven.

 

Simon, was a man, who practiced sorcery, and when he heard Philip, a disciple  of Jesus Christ, preach the GOOD NEWS about the Kingdom of God, and of Jesus Christ, Simon BELIEVED and was BAPTIZED.  But Simon, offered money to the disciples, if they would lay hands on him, in order to RECEIVE THE Holy Spirit.  However, Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought the gift of God could be obtained with money!”  Peter was outraged at Simon’s request, Simon was only interested in the POWER of the Spirit.  And Peter’s STRONG words, were because of Simon’s misunderstanding of God’s GRACE, God’s FREE gift of SALVATION.

 

Therefore, Peter told him, what is also applicable to EVERYONE, who desires to be SAVED.  Your HEART is NOT right before God.  And you MUST REPENT of your SINS, and ask for God’s FORGIVENESS, which is considered a REPENTANT HEART before God.  If we CONFESS our sins, He (God), is FAITHFUL and RIGHTEOUS to FORGIVE us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  Then the Holy Spirit of God comes and INDWELLS the BELIEVER.

 

Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son, shed His precious BLOOD and DIED on an old, rugged cross to FREE MANKIND from their sins.  He IS the ONLY WAY for mankind to have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  This is REDEMPTION!  And it is the RESULT of a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  So when there is a TRUE REPENTANT HEART it becomes a REDEEMED SOUL.  Do you have a TRUE REPENTANT HEART and a REDEEMED SOUL?

 

If NOT, you can, if you will TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ESCAPE an ETERNITY, in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and RECEIVE an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  And possess a TRUE REPENTANT HEART and a REDEEMED SOUL.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

"Trusting At ALLTimes"

“Trusting At ALL Times”

 

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our Refuge.      Psalm 62:8

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in Whom I trust.”                  Psalm 91:2

 

TRUST:  putting CONFIDENCE in the RELIABILITY of someone or something.

 

King David tells us that we SHOULD TRUST in God at ALL TIMES.  Not just when we SEE or FEEL His POWER at work, or when He has BLESSED us, but EVEN when we are DISCOURAGED, BURDENED, or HEARTBROKEN.  David tells us that we NEED to POUR OUT our HEARTS to Him, because He is our REFUGE, our PLACE of SAFETY.   Maybe someone NEEDS to do that NOW.

 

God is the BEST of the BEST REFUGE and He is a STRONG and MIGHTY FORTRESS, where we can run to, and find REST from ALL that we encounter in our DAILY, EARTHLY lives. 

 

I think King David said it best when he said:  “Let the morning bring me word of Your UNFAILING LOVE, for I have put my TRUST in You.  Show me the way I should go, for to YOU I entrust my life.”  (Psalm 143:8)  Have you ENTRUSTED your LIFE to God?  Do you TRUST Him at ALL times?  Is He YOUR REFUGE and FORTRESS?  Have you EXPERIENCED His UNFAILING LOVE? 

 

You can ENTRUST your LIFE to Him and have Him as your REFUGE and STRONG FORTRESS, and TRUST HIM at ALL times, if you will TURN FROM YOUR sinful ways and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ENTRUST your LIFE to Him for ALL of ETERNITY in Heaven, and ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  So do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

“Far and Near”

 

The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.   Proverbs 15:29

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.       Psalm 145:18

 

The Lord is FAR from the wicked, God distances Himself from the WICKED because He is RIGHTEOUS and HOLY, and He DETESTS wickedness.  Psalm 101:4, whose writer is David, says that: “The Perverse of heart shall be FAR from Me; I will have nothing to do with what is EVIL.” And the Psalmist Asaph, tells us that those who are FAR from God will PERISH; God will destroy ALL who are UNFAITHFUL to Him.  Are you FAR from God?

 

For those who are NEAR to Him, the RIGHTEOUS, has the ASSURANCE that God hears their PRAYERS.  David says:  “The Lord is NEAR to ALL who CALL on Him, to ALL who call on Him in TRUTH.”  In order to draw NEAR to God you MUST do what James 4:8 tells us:  “Come NEAR to God and He will come NEAR to you.  WASH your hands, you sinners, and PURIFY your HEARTS, you double-minded.”  The WASHING of the HANDS and PURIFYING of the HEART refers to CEREMONIAL CLEANSING.  However, notice that James addressed his readers as SINNERS, therefore there is a NEED for CLEANSING of the HEART. That is done when you come to JESUS CHRIST for the SALVATION of your SOUL.  He does the CLEANSING with the BLOOD He shed on CALVARY to FREE ALL mankind from SIN and to provide ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN for those who ACCEPT His OFFER.  

 

To those who have ACCEPTED His offer, those who are NOW in Christ Jesus and were ONCE FAR AWAY have been brought NEAR by the BLOOD of Christ.  (Ephesians 2:13)  Those who have done this are considered to be RIGHTEOUS, and they need to be PATIENT and STAND FIRM in their FAITH, because the Lord’s coming is NEAR.  The END of ALL things is NEAR.  Therefore, be ALERT and of SOBER MIND so that you may be able to PRAY.  (1 Peter 4:7)   PRAYING for ALL who are FAR from God and NEED to be brought NEAR to Him.   

 

If you are one who is FAR from God, because you have REJECTED Him and His Son, time and time again, you are destined to PERISH, and spend ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  But God wants you to be NEAR Him, and to do that you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and be NEAR TO HIM, with the ASSURANCE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

“Two Paths”

 

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.   Then you will understand what is right and just and fair---every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.          Proverbs 2:6, 9-11

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.  Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.  The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.  But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.         Proverbs 4:14-15, 18-19

 

In this life we are faced with choosing one of two paths, which are MAJOR PATHS.  One PATH is for the RIGHTEOUS, the other is for the WICKED.   If you are a TRUE CHILD of God you are considered RIGHTEOUS.  If you seek after WISDOM, and ASK God for it, He will GIVE it to you.  The writer of this Proverb, tells us that from God’s mouth come KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING.  And when we ASK, He will give us UNDERSTANDING of what is RIGHT, JUST and FAIR, which concerns EVERY GOOD PATH, or the way we live our lives.  God PROTECTS those who by His wisdom are MORALLY UPRIGHT, those who belong to Him.

This WISDOM is MORE than intellectual abilities, it is using SOUND JUDGMENT.  When WISDOM enters your HEART, DISCRETION will bring you PROTECTION and UNDERSTANDING will KEEP you. 

 

In Proverbs 4:14-15, are commands to STEER CLEAR of the PATH of the WICKED:  Do NOT set foot on the PATH of the WICKED or WALK in the WAY of EVILDOERS.   AVOID IT!!  Do NOT travel on it; TURN AWAY from it and GO on YOUR way.  The two PATHS are DRASTICALLY different.  The RIGHTEOUS PATH is STRAIGHT, and the LIGHT on the path leads the TRUE BELIEVER on an UNHAMPERED path.  However, the PATH of the WICKED is clouded in DEEP DARKNESS and is CROOKED and full of STUMBLING, BUMBLING obstacles.  The WICKED will PERISH, but the RIGHTEOUS will FLOURISH.

 

The PATH of the RIGHTEOUS leads to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  The PATH of the WICKED leads to an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  Which PATH are YOU on?   If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, I’m afraid that you are on the PATH of the WICKED, headed for an ETERNITY in HELL.  However, God wants YOU to make a WISE choice and choose the PATH of the RIGHTEOUS.  IN order to CHANGE your PATH, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO HIM, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and get on the PATH of the RIGHTEOUS, and be able to ENTER your ETERNAL HOME, HEAVEN.  Do this NOW, while you still can He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Destiny of the Righteous and the Wicked"

“The Destiny of the Righteous and the Wicked”

 

Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.  For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones.  Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed the offspring of the wicked will perish.  The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.             Psalm 37:27-29

Hope in the LORD and keep His way.  He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.        Psalm 37:34

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.   But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked.        Psalm 37:37-38

 

This Psalm of David, puts the DESTINIES of the RIGHTEOUS and the WICKED in a fairly plain view.  He begins with the differences in the attitudes of the RIGHTEOUS and of the WICKED.  The RIGHTEOUS are NOT to FRET over the evil ones; they are to TRUST in the Lord and to do GOOD; and to COMMIT their way to the LORD; they SHOULD BE STILL before the LORD, and WAIT PATIENTLY for Him; they should have HOPE in the LORD, and they will INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN. 

 

The WICKED may prosper for a while, but the Psalmist tells us that they will be DESTROYED. They will not be found; their POWER will be BROKEN; they will PERISH; there will be NO FUTURE for the WICKED.  They will have to FACE the JUDGMENT SEAT of God, and be SENTENCED and CONDEMNED for their SINFUL LIFESTYLE and their CONTINUED REJECTION of the Lord Jesus Christ as their SAVIOR and LORD.  They will NOT inherit HEAVEN as their ETERNAL HOME, but they will SPEND ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and there is NO WAY of ESCAPE.

 

So, if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD that is your DESTINY.  In order to become one of the RIGHTEOUS, you MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and LIVE as one of the RIGHTEOUS, and INHERIT HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Proclamation and Praise"

“Proclamation and Praise”

 

Love the LORD, All His faithful ones.  The LORD protects the faithful people.  The LORD protects the faithful, but punishes the proud as they deserve.  Be strong, be courageous, all you that hope in the LORD.         Psalm 31:23-24

 

The Psalmist, King David, starts this Psalm, with a STRONG PLEA for God’s protection, and ends it with PROCLAMATION and PRAISE.”  In verses, three-five, he ACKNOWLEDGES that God is his REFUGE and DEFENSE, and he AFFIRMS his FAITH in verse five:  “I place myself in YOUR care.  You will SAVE me, LORD: You are a FAITHFUL GOD.

 

In verse nine, David begs for God’s MERCY, and in verse fourteen, he PROCLAIMS his TRUST in God, “But my TRUST is in You, O LORD; You are my God. I am ALWAYS in your care.”  Then in verse nineteen, David begins his PRAISE for God’s PROTECTION; “How GREAT is Your GOODNESS.”  In verse twenty-one, he says: “May the LORD, be PRAISED, for He has WONDERFULLY SHOWN His FAITHFUL LOVE to me…” 

 

And in verses twenty-three through twenty-four, the Psalmist EXHORTS God’s FAITHFUL PEOPLE to, “LOVE the LORD,” this LOVE SHOULD cause the FAITHFUL believer to be OBEDIENT to God in ALL situations.  It SHOULD STRENGTHEN their TRUST, and cause them to COURAGEOUSLY LIVE by FAITH, because of what God does for them, in their DAILY WALK with Him.  They SHOULD ALWAYS put their HOPE in the LORD.   Is your HOPE in God, or is it in SOMETHING or SOMEONE else?

 

David was able to offer PROCLAMATION and PRAISE to the LORD, because of the LORD’S DELIVERANCE on his behalf.  And because of David’s LOVE, HOPE and TRUST in God, he could be STRONG and COURAGEOUS.  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD.  Then you cannot, like King David, offer PROCLAMATION and PRAISE to the LORD, because you have not been DELIVERED from your SINS, and you are headed for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  However, God has a plan to bring you DELIVERANCE, if you will be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God. Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and offer God your LOVE, HOPE and TRUST, and BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS, OFFERING Him the PROCLAMATION and PRAISE that He is WORTHY of.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"The Spring of Living Water"

“The Spring of Living Water”

 

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.”       John 4:10

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to Eternal Life.”        John 4:13-14

 

Jesus’ meeting and speaking to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, in itself was risky, because Jews and Samaritans did NOT associate with each other.  But this encounter was a DEVINE APPOINTMENT for the Samaritan woman.  This ENCOUNTER, changed her and others’ lives, from being LOST to being SAVED.  Jesus’ disciples had gone into town to buy food, while Jesus stayed at the well to rest from His journey.  Then came the Samaritan to draw water from the well and Jesus asked the woman for a drink.   The woman was perplexed, why would this Jew even speak to her.  So she asked Him:  “How can you ask me for a drink?”   

 

Then Jesus answered with a statement that caused her to think.  “If you knew the Gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you LIVING WATER.”  She must have wondered, who is He?  What is the Gift of God? And what is LIVING WATER?  Of course, she was thinking about the water from Jacob’s well.  So Jesus explained to her what the LIVING WATER was.  He told her that the water from Jacob’s well, could satisfy a person’s thirst, only TEMPORAIRLY, but the water Jesus gives provides a CONTINUAL SPIRITUAL satisfaction.

 

The one who drinks of this LIVING WATER, will have within them a SPRING of LIFE-GIVING water.  This SPRING of LIFE-GIVING WATER is the HOLY SPIRIT, who brings SALVATION to one who is THIRISTING after RIGHTEOUSNESS.  When they ACCEPT JESUS into their HEART and LIFE, the HOLY SPIRIT comes and indwells them and they have that SPRING of LIFE-GIVING WATER to SATISFY them, and their SPIRITUAL THIRST is QUENCHED, and they will NEVER THIRST, SPIRITUALLY again.  How is your SPIRITUAL THIRST?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you are becoming “SPIRITUALLY DEHYDRATED”, and you are in DANGER of SPIRITUAL DEATH.  However, God is offering you that LIFE-GIVING WATER, NOW!  In order to ACCEPT it, and to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and to TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and have that SPRING of LIFE-GIVING WATER welling up in your SOUL.  Then ENJOY an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"The TRUE Worshiper"

“The TRUE Worshiper”

 

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.       John 4:23

 

TRUE:  Faithful, loyal, reliable, the opposite of FALSE

 

This world is FULL of DECEPTIVE and FALSE lifestyles, motives, actions, and RELATIONSHIPS, which changes mankind’s attitude, intentions, frame of mind, but more seriously the HEART.  We NEED to look at our RELATIONSHIP with God, and determine if we are a TRUE worshiper.  In order to be a TRUE WORSHIPER, you MUST be a TRUE BELIEVER.   You MUST REALIZE that Jesus Christ is the TRUTH of God, and He is the ONLY WAY to God. 

 

He is the ONLY WAY to experience TRUE WORSHIP.  To WORSHIP in the Spirit is to be SUBMISSIVE to the Spirit, and allow Him to WORSHIP GOD through you.  God is SEEKING TRUE WORSHIPERS. It is His desire that mankind could live in TRUTH and NOT in FALSEHOOD.  Everybody worships something or someone, but other than the ALMIGHTY GOD, they are worshiping CREATED THINGS instead of the TRUE CREATOR.

 

There are many LOST PEOPLE who attend church and maybe even are members of the church, but they have NEVER TRULY given their HEART and LIFE to God.  They may have even been RAISED in church, and their parents were workers in the church, but that does NOT mean they are TRUE BELIEVERS who are TRUE WORSHIPERS.  In order for God to ACCEPT your worship, you MUST have a TRUE, PERSONAL, and INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with Him, and you can ONLY do that through His SPIRIT, which you receive at the time of CONVERSION, when you ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST as your SAVIOR and LORD.  Have you done that?

 

In order to be able to be a TRUE WORSHIPER, you MUST FIRST become a TRUE BELIEVER.  To do that you MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a TRUE BELIEVER and a TRUE WORSHIPER, who will INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  So do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"What If?"

“What If?”

 

The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the Living God! In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.   He (Christ) did not do this to offer Himself many times, as the High Priest enters the Sanctuary yearly with the blood of another.  Otherwise, He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world.  But now He appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by sacrifice of Himself.  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 9:13-14, 22, 25-28

 

In Old Testament times, the SACRIFICE of the BLOOD of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who were CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN, only made them OUTWARDLY CLEAN.  It merely COVERED the sins, it was UNABLE to TAKE AWAY the sins.  But the BLOOD of Christ can do so MUCH MORE than that.  Through the ETERNAL SPIRIT, Christ offered Himself as an UNBLEMISHED, PERFECT SACRIFICE.  The fact that we see ALL three members of the HOLY TRINITY in His SACRIFICIAL ACT of REDEMPTION, shows the GREATNESS of His REDEMPTIVE WORK on the cross, to TAKE AWAY THE SINS of ALL MANKIND.  This PLAN of God and SACRIFICE of Christ, SHOULD CLEANSE our CONSCIENCES from the DEAD WORKS, that LEAD to DEATH, those rituals that people go through, and are in CONTRAST to the works of Christ.  Things that will NOT bring ETERNAL LIFE. 

 

In verse twenty-two, we are told that:  “Without the shedding of blood there is NO FORGIVENESS.  Jesus Christ, came to bring SALVATION to a LOST and DYING world.  Mankind was destined to die ONCE, and then to face the JUDGMENT, but Christ was SACRIFICED ONCE to TAKE AWAY the SINS of MANY PEOPLE.  WHAT IF He had NOT come to SAVE MANKIND?  WHAT IF MANKIND had to be their OWN SACRIFICE?  First of ALL it couldn’t be done because MANKIND is SINFUL and EVIL, and would NOT be able to SAVE THEMSELVES.  And ALL of MANKIND would be DESTINED to stand before the ALMIGHTY GOD, and be CONDEMNED, and SENTENCED to ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY of ESCAPE. 

 

I for one, am VERY GLAD that is NOT the case.  Just as it is APPOINTED for mankind to DIE ONCE---and then the JUDGMENT---so also Jesus Christ, having been offered ONCE to bear the sins of ALL MANKIND, WILL appear a SECOND TIME NOT to BEAR SIN, but to bring SALVATION, the ETERNAL INHERITANCE, to those who belong to Him.  Have you given your HEART and LIFE to GOD?  If NOT you are DESTINED to spend ALL of ETERNITY in HELL.  Jesus Christ has PAID the PRICE for you to be able to ESCAPE HELL.  He is the ONLY WAY for you to have HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME.  To do that, you MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. BELIEVING, 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.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and KNOW that YOU KNOW, you are a TRUE CHILD of GOD, with HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He's waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"The Uncontrolled Fire---A Restless Evil"

“The Uncontrolled Fire---A Restless Evil”

 

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by Hell.   But no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.        James 3: 6, 8

 

The TONGUE, as small as it is, it is POWERFUL and PERVERSIVE. Like a RAGING FIRE, the TONGUE can bring CORRUPTION to the WHOLE BODY, and can influence the ENTIRE COURSE of the human life.  It can bring HEARTACHE and DESPAIR.  It can alter the plans of, NOT only one human being, but WHOLE NATIONS.  Its DESTRUCTION is worse than a RAGING FIRE.  It DESTROYS to the point of NOT being able to RESTORE.  Once words are spoken they penetrate the heart, and can bring DISASTER to MORE than ONE life. 

 

James tells us that the TONGUE is set on fire by HELL.  It is the one tool that the devil uses quite often, in people’s lives, because it is so DESTRUCTIVE, and is a RESTLESS EVIL, full of DEADLY POISON, the POISON of HATRED, GOSSIPING, SLANDER, and CURSING.  It is an UNRULY, RESTLESS EVIL.  And it CANNOT be CONTROLLED by Mankind, ONLY GOD can control it.  

 

So you might say:  “Why would God, create such an EVIL part of the body?”  Well, MY answer is that with the TONGUE mankind PRAISES God, and when we ALLOW the HOLY SPIRIT to CONTROL EVERY part of our being, to include the tongue, we NOT only PRAISE GOD, we can say ENCOURAGING words, words of WISDOM, words of LOVE, COMPASSION, and words that EDIFY the BODY of Christ.  We also use our tongues to TASTE the WONDERFUL FOODS that our Creator God has given to us, and we can offer up THANKSGIVING to Him with our TONGUES. 

 

However, there are times, when with the tongue, there is PRAISE and CURSING.  We PRAISE the LORD and FATHER, then CURSE MANKIND, who is made in the Image of the Almighty God.  Out of the SAME mouth comes PRAISE and CURSING, this SHOULD NOT BE!!  We NEED to ALLOW God’s HOLY SPIRIT to CLEANSE and CONTROL our tongues. 

 

The ONLY WAY you are able to do that is to give God your HEART and LIFE, and to be WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ALLOW the HOLY SPIRIT of God to CLEANSE and CONTROL your FIERY TONGUE.  And receive HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Finished Work of Redemption"

“The Finished Work of Redemption”

 

But the Messiah has appeared, High Priest of the good things that have come.  In the greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood having obtained eternal redemption.          Hebrews 9:11-12

 

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, He is the High Priest of the GOOD THINGS, meaning the ABUNDANT LIFE that He gives to those who will RECEIVE Him, as their SAVIOR and LORD.  The GREATER and MORE PERFECT Tabernacle, which is NOT made with human hands, nor with earthly building supplies, is the Sanctuary of the Almighty God, and is located in Heaven. 

 

Verse twelve tells us that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, entered the Most Holy Place ONCE FOR ALL.  This took place at the time of His Ascension.  He went into the Presence of God, having FINISHED the WORK of REDEMPTION, on the Cross of CALVARY.    He did NOT offer the blood of the goats and calves, but He offered His OWN BLOOD. The blood of animals did NOT have the POWER to TAKE AWAY SINS, but the BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST, has SUFFICIENT POWER to CLEANSE ALL the sins of ALL the people who have EVER LIVED, ALL who are ALIVE NOW, and ALL who will EVER LIVE.  However, it can ONLY BE APPLIED to those who COME TO Him by FAITH. 

 

The SUFFERING, HORRIBLE DEATH on a CRUEL WOODEN CROSS, of a SINLESS, PURE, UMBLEMISHED SACRIFICE, the LIFE of OUR SAVIOR and LORD, PAID IN FULL the DEBT we could NOT PAY.  His RESURRECTION from the GRAVE, and His ASCENSION into Heaven, is our HOPE for ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN with Him and our HOLY FATHER GOD.  This SHOULD make an OLD DRIED-UP BAPTIST SHOUT; “PRAISE THE LORD!!!”   Have you come to Jesus, by FAITH, to receive your REDEMPTION? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are DESTINED to spend ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  Jesus Christ has FINISHED the WORK of REDEMPTION, and it is NOW up to YOU to RECEIVE or REJECT it.  To RECEIVE it, you MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING 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.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and REDEMPTION by FAITH in the RISEN LORD.  DO this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Eagerly Waiting for the Savior"

“Eagerly Waiting for the Savior”

 

But our citizenship is in Heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.       Philippians 3:20-21

 

As TRUE BELIEVERS, our TRUE CITIZENSHIP is in HEAVEN.  And one day SOON, we will be transported there, by the Lord Jesus Christ, our SAVIOR and LORD, who, by the POWER of God to bring EVERYTHING under His control, will TRANSFORM our LOWLY BODIES to be LIKE His GLORIOUS BODY.  One that is WITHOUT sin, and physical defects.  One that is PERFECT in EVERY way.  And so we WAIT EAGERLY for His return.

 

In the meantime, what should we be doing, until He returns?  The Apostle Paul tells us in verses thirteen through fourteen;  …”One thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and STRAINING TOWARD what is AHEAD, I press on toward the goal to win the PRIZE for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus.”   We SHOULD LIVE up to that which we have already attained.  In other words, DON’T QUIT!  KEEP on KEEPING ON, pressing towards the goal that God has for you, and SERVE Him with JOY and PERSEVERANCE!  Be STEADFAST in your SERVICE to Him, and DO ALL you can to bring others to the CROSS of CHRIST, before it’s too late. 

 

Be DILIGENT in the WORK of your SERVICE.  KNOWING that ONE DAY, Jesus Christ will RETURN to RAPTURE His Church, and will, by His own POWER TRANSFORM our LOWLY BODIES to by LIKE His GLORIOUS BODY, fit for HEAVEN.  Are you EAGERLY WAITING for His RETURN? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then your CITIZENSHIP is NOT in Heaven, but you’re DESTINED to LIVE out your ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  Time is running out!  In order for you to become a citizen of Heaven, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and to TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a CITIZEN of HEAVEN, who is EAGERLY WAITING for the RETURN of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  And SERVE Him, until He RETURNS.  Do this NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The One and Only Sacrificial Lamb"

“The One and Only Sacrificial Lamb”

 

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the Righteousness of God.        2^nd Corinthians 5:21

 

Jesus Christ, the ONLY SON of the LIVING GOD, is the ONE and ONLY SACRIFICIAL LAMB.  He is the ONLY WAY for ALL of mankind to obtain the SALVATION of their soul.  There is NO OTHER WAY for us to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD, except by accepting Jesus Christ as our SAVIOR and LORD.

 

It was the PLAN of God, for Jesus, the PERFECT, and SINLESS ONE to be able to shed His precious blood for the sins of ALL mankind.  In our verse of Scripture, it says: “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew NO sin.”  This does NOT mean that Jesus physically became sin, but the Prophet Isaiah, in his prophecy on the MESSIAH, in Isaiah 53:6, says:  “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned---everyone to his own way; and the Lord, LAID on Him the INIQUITY of us ALL.”  So God ‘LAID’ on Christ, EVERY SIN, of EVERYONE, who has ever been born, and when He looked on HIS SON, what He saw was SIN PERSONIFIED, which made Him look AWAY from His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.  Therefore, He who knew NO SIN, became SIN, in the eyes of the HOLY RIGHTEOUS GOD.

 

And JESUS CHRIST became MANKIND’S SACRIFICIAL LAMB who takes away the SINS and gives us the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God.  And just as Jesus was treated as though He was a SINNER, in the eyes of God.  The TRUE BELIEVER is TREATED as RIGHTEOUS in the eyes of God, and will become RIGHTEOUS, when they receive their GLORIFIED bodies, when Jesus returns, and their SALVATION will be made COMPLETE. 

 

Jesus Christ bore the SINS of the TRUE BELIEVER, in order for them to bear His RIGHTEOUSNESS.  When God looks at you, does He see RIGHTEOUSNESS or SINFULNESS?  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you do NOT possess the RIGHTEOUSNESS of CHRIST.  And your ETERNAL DESTINY is HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  However, you NOW have the opportunity to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and Jesus Christ as your SACRIFICIAL LAMB, who will take away ALL your sins and give you the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"At Home or Away"

“At Home or Away”

 

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.   For we live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  For we must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body,  whether good or bad.       2 Corinthians 5:6-10

 

There is an act of TRANSFORMATION that EVERY BORN-AGAIN person goes through, from the time they TRULY GIVE their HEART and LIFE to God, for the SALVATION of their soul.  And when this takes place, we are fashioned for GOD’S PURPOSE.  We instantly receive an ETERNAL HOME with our Lord. 

 

And with CONFIDENCE we KNOW that as long as we are in this body, we are AWAY from the Lord, and we are separated from the FULLNESS of God’s presence.  However, we LIVE by FAITH and NOT by SIGHT.  Even though we have contact with God through PRAYER, the PRESENCE of His HOLY SPIRIT, which INDWELLS the TRUE BELIEVER, and His Word, we experience HEAVENLY HOMESICKNESS.  We long to be at HOME with the LORD!!

 

The Apostle Paul, says it just like it is; “We are CONFIDENT and would prefer to be AWAY from the body and at HOME with the LORD.”  We know that HEAVEN is SO MUCH BETTER than earth, and we can CONFIDENTLY, say we PREFER HEAVEN.  So while we wait for our departure, we SHOULD make it our GOAL to PLEASE HIM, whether we are in the body or away from it, we SHOULD AIM to be WELL PLEASING TO HIM. 

 

The Judgment Seat of Christ, is the MOTIVATION for our DEEPEST DESIRE to be PLEASING to God.  It is the place where ALL our works will be JUDGED, and where we will receive our REWARDS for the things we have done in the body, whether GOOD or BAD.  This does NOT refer to SIN, because ALL our SINS are FORGIVEN and COVERED by the BLOOD of CHRIST.  It refers to those things that are WHOLESOME, PURE, and done in LOVE or if they are USELESS and done with an UNCOMPASSIONATE HEART, and whether they are carried out with the desire to GLORIFY GOD.   Where are you MOST at HOME, in the presence of SIN or in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you do not possess the ETERNAL HOME in HEAVEN.  But you are destined for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY OF ESCAPE.  In order for you to be able to look forward to an ETERNAL HOME in HEAVEN, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  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.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and look FORWARD to an ETERNAL HOME in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  So do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!