"Justification by Works?""

“Justification by Works?”

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.       James 2:24-26



Now, some of you are thinking that I have gone off the DEEP END.  But this is hopefully a good definition of FAITH and WORKS, and how they interact to produce JUSTIFICATION.  There are certain ways to view JUSTIFICATION; first, in Romans 3:24, we are told:  And all are justified freely by His GRACE, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Remember, GRACE is receiving what we don’t deserve.  FAITH is mankind’s response to God’s gift of His AMAZING GRACE.  So, we are JUSTIFIED by FAITH. (Rom. 5:1) Our FAITH is a product of God’s GRACE.



We are JUSTIFIED by BLOOD, Romans 5:9, Since we have now been JUSTIFIED by His BLOOD, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!  So, we see that we are JUSTIFIED, not only by FAITH, but by the BLOOD of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. It was the price that HAD TO BE PAID. 



We are JUSTIFIED by GOD, Romans 8:33, Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is GOD who JUSTIFIES.  Then we are JUSTIFIED by GOD’S POWER.  The POWER that RAISED Jesus from the DEAD.  The RESURRECTION shows us God’s SATISFACTION with the BLOOD SACRIFICE of His Son.  So, we are JUSTIFIED by the POWER of the ALMIGHTY GOD.



We are JUSTIFIED by WORKS,  WORKS are the PROOF of our FAITH, and it is evidence that we are JUSTIFIED BY: GRACE, the PRINCIPLE of God’s JUSTIFICATION, FAITH, which is the MEANS in which mankind receives GOD’S GRACE,  the BLOOD, which was the PRICE that had to be PAID, in order for mankind to RECEIVE GOD’S JUSTIFICATION.  GOD’S POWER, to RAISE Jesus from the GRAVE, and GOD, Himself, who is the ONE WHO JUSTIFIES.  And WORKS, which are the RESULT of being JUSTIFIED.  These are DIFFERENT ASPECTS of JUSTIFICATION for the TRUE BELIEVER, which were exemplified through the WORKS of Abraham and Rahab.



Have you been JUSTIFIED by GOD’S AMAZING GRACE?  WORKS alone will not bring you JUSTIFICATION, You MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT God’s gift of GRACE and SALVATION, and REMEMBER:  As the body without the spirit is dead, so FAITH without WORKS is DEAD.  So, Do this NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

(Thankful for Ref:  BELIEVER’S BIBLE COMMENTARY, William MacDonald)

"Submitting to God"

“Submitting to God”

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so.  Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.     Romans 8:7-8



SUBMIT: to give or yield to another power or authority.



Some find it hard and uneasy to SUBMIT, because they think it shows weakness or the inability to carry out certain tasks or ideas.  However, the Apostle Paul tells us that when our minds are GOVERNED or CONTROLLED by the FLESH, they are HOSTILE to God.  And they are UNABLE to SUBMIT to God and His Laws.  When we are in the flesh, we CANNOT please God, because the FLESH is SINFUL and God is HOLY, therefore, the things we do in the FLESH will NOT be PLEASING to GOD.  That is why we should SUBMIT to Him and His Laws.



When a person leaves God out of their lives and ignores the fact that God is RIGHTEOUS and we are NOT.  They put themselves at GREAT RISK.  Mankind cannot have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, without being made RIGHTEOUS, and this is something they CANNOT do on their own.  It MUST be done through the PROCESS of SUBMITTING to the HOLY RIGHTEOUS GOD of Heaven, which is carried out through the DEATH, and RESURRECTION of His One and Only Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.   Christ did this so that there may be RIGHTEOUSNESS for EVERYONE who BELIEVES.



So HUMBLE yourselves and SUBMIT to God, in order to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, and be able to have His RIGHTEOUSNESS, and to become a recipient of His MERCY and GRACE.  And to CHANGE your DESTINY from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  To do that you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and SUBMIT TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be PLEASING to Him, because you have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The War Within Me"

“The War Within Me”

So, I find this law at work:  Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s Law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.                    Romans 7:21-23



The Apostle Paul explains, from experience, the WAR that is taking place within him.  This LAW or PRINCIPLE, not the Mosaic Law, is the CONSTANT presence of EVIL that is present within an individual who wants to do GOOD.  Paul goes on to say that “In my INNER BEING I delight in God’s Law.  Now this “INNER BEING” is his INNER MAN, that which makes him, the person that he is. It is the depths of his soul that DELIGHTS in God’s Law.  And yet he could recognize another LAW or PRINCIPLE at work in him.  It is the LAW of SIN, and it was WAGING WAR against the principle of his MIND and making him a prisoner of his SINFUL NATURE.



However, the REGENERATION of a TRUE BELIEVER, brings about a NEW NATURE, which produces the capacity for LOVING spiritual truths.  Thus the WAR between GOD’S PRINCIPLE and SIN’S PRINCIPLE is continually working in the MIND of the BELIEVER, trying to gain CONTROL over the MIND, and VICTORY over the BELIEVER and their actions. 



No matter how the TRUE BELIEVER strives to live according to God’s PRINCIPLES, they cannot, under their OWN POWER, resist their SINFUL NATURE.  This is why, the Apostle Paul, calls himself a WRETCHED MAN.  But Paul KNOWS that GOD CAN DELIVER HIM through the REDEMPTIVE WORK of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And he also KNOWS that in the END, HE will be the VICTOR of the WAR WITHIN MANKIND’S SOUL.  Whose PRINCIPLE or LAW are you following?



In order to FOLLOW GOD’S PRINCIPLES, you MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And CONFESS your SINS to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He, is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and FOLLOW GOD’S PRINCIPLES, WIN THE WAR WITHIN YOU, ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and gain HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS and become a VICTOR in this WAR.  DO it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Sin or Obedience?"

“Sin or Obedience?"

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey---either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?  But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to, and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.       Romans 6:16



In the span of mankind’s life, there are two areas, one of which you will abide in, and being a SLAVE to that particular area.  Mankind is born with a SINFUL nature, and as they grow and mature, they become a SLAVE to SIN. And they LIVE according to the FLESH, which results in a SINFUL lifestyle.  Being a Slave to SIN leads to DEATH.  Verse twenty-three tells us that: The wages of SIN is DEATH.  So, if you CONTINUE to be a SLAVE to SIN, you NOT only die a PHYSICAL DEATH, but you DIE SPIRITUALLY ALSO.  And your DESTINY is an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY of ESCAPE.



However, being a SLAVE to OBEDIENCE (to God and His Word), leads to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  This comes about when you are WILLING to LEAVE or TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, which liberates you from being a SLAVE TO SIN and you become a SLAVE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, which will CHANGE your DESTINY from an ETERNITY in HELL to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN. 



In order to have this TRANSFORMATION take place in your life, you MUST come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART and CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS, God’s Only Son, died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, and become ENSLAVED to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and an ETERNAL LIFE, with ALL it’s BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Acceptable Time"

“The Acceptable Time”

For He says:  I heard you in an acceptable time and I helped you in the day of salvation.  Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.       2 Corinthians 6:2



What is the ACCEPTABLE TIME?  The Apostle Paul, says NOW is the ACCEPTABLE TIME, because the Lord God, says:  I heard you in an ACCEPTABLE TIME, and I helped you in the DAY of SALVATION.  This refers to the RESURRECTION of JESUS CHRIST.  Mankind’s ACCEPTABLE TIME, and the DAY of SALVATION, was brought about by the RESURRECTION of the LORD JESUS CHRIST from the dead.

So, the Apostle Paul, knew that the ACCEPTABLE TIME for the DAY of SALVATION to take place is NOW.  However, that ACCEPTABLE TIME is NOT determined by mankind.  They cannot decide when they will be SAVED.  It will be when the Holy Spirit of God, draws them, bringing them under CONVICTION for their sins, and providing an opportunity for them to ACCEPT or REJECT the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their SAVIOR and LORD.  John 6:44 says: “No one can come to Me (Jesus) unless the Father (God) who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day.”  These were the Words of the Lord Jesus.  In other words, YOU can NOT decide that you will wait until you are dying and then call out to God.  He may not deal with you that long. And, you could die SUDDENLY WITHOUT any advance notice or warning. 



So, NOW is the DAY of SALVATION, it is the ACCEPTABLE TIME for you to answer His call, if He has been dealing with you, CONVICTING you of your sins. Times when you feel GUILTY and UNEASY with your sinful lifestyle.  If you continue to REJECT Jesus as your SAVIOR and LORD, you will end up spending your ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then 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, because it is the ACCEPTABLE TIME.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Obedience and the Word"

“Obedience and the Word”

But the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.        Deuteronomy 30:14



OBEDIENCE is the act of being SUBMISSIVE to someone or something.  Moses instructs the Nation of Israel, that if they OBEY the Voice of the Lord God, to keep His Commandments and His Statutes, which are written in the Book of the Law, and if they turn to the Lord God with ALL their HEART and with ALL their SOUL, the Lord God would BLESS the work of their hands.  He would bring them PROSPERITY. 



This COMMANDMENT, which he brought them was not too mysterious for them nor was it far off.  But the Word IS very NEAR, it was in their MOUTH, they KNEW it and SPOKE it.  It was also in their HEART, and therefore, they SHOULD DO whatever the Word commands.



The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:9-10, that: “If you declare with your MOUTH, “Jesus is Lord,” and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be SAVED.  For it is with your HEART that you BELIEVE and are JUSTIFIED, and it is with your MOUTH that you PROFESS your FAITH and are SAVED.”



In order to BELIEVE, you must FOLLOW or OBEY the WRITTEN WORD of GOD so that your FAITH will be in the Word, who was with God in the beginning, and the Word was God.  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among mankind.  The Word of God is the Lord Jesus Christ.



For mankind to be able to have a relationship with God, and receive SALVATION, they MUST be OBEDIENT to the WORD of GOD.  They NEED a KNOWLEDGE of His Written Word, and a RELATIONSHIP with the Word that became flesh and dwelt among mankind.  This means you MUST READ and STUDY the Written Word, which is the Holy Bible, and SPEAK it to your friends and relatives, especially the children.   And have a RELATIONSHIP with the Word that became flesh by, ACCEPTING Him as your SAVIOR and LORD.



You start by:  BEING WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  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 ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be OBEDIENT to His WORD.  And be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and GAIN an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Speaking Boldly"

“Speaking Boldly”

And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness.      Acts 4:29



The Apostles Peter and John were speaking to some people, about Jesus being raised from the dead.  When they were confronted by some priests, the officer in charge of the Temple guards, and some Sadducees, who were annoyed with what the Apostles were teaching.  So they arrested Peter and John.  But many who had heard the message, about five thousand, BELIEVED. 



Then members of the Council were amazed at the BOLDNESS of Peter and John.  So, they told them that under NO CONDITIONS were they to SPEAK or to TEACH in the name of JESUS.  But Peter and John answered: “You yourselves judge which is right in God’s sight---to obey you or to obey God.  For we CANNOT STOP speaking of what we ourselves have SEEN and HEARD.”



When the BELIEVERS heard what happened they all joined together in prayer to God, asking God to take notice of the threats that were made, and to allow them, His servants, to speak His message with ALL BOLDNESS.  Notice, they didn’t cower down, and wring their hands in dismay, but they PRAYED to God, that they might SPEAK His message with BOLDNESS.  And the result was:  When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was SHAKEN.  They were ALL filled with the HOLY SPIRIT and began to PROCLAIM God’s message with BOLDNESS.  (v 31)



Can you imagine, if ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, would SPEAK God’s MESSAGE with BOLDNESS?  When Peter and John SPOKE with BOLDNESS, there were five thousand who came to BELIEVE the MESSAGE of JESUS CHRIST.  We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, seem to shy away from SPEAKING BOLDLY. Instead, we have a tendency to NOT SPEAK GOD’S message at all, much less to do it BOLDLY.  And I am GUILTY of NOT being BOLD in my witnessing too.  So, the thing to do is to PRAY that God would give US the BOLDNESS in SPEAKING His message to a LOST and DYING world.  And to let His Holy Spirit have COMPLETE CONTROL of our witnessing techniques. 



If we will be OBEDIENT to His command to:  “Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you.” (Mat. 28:19-20), we could make a HUGE difference in a lot of people’s destiny.  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then your DESTINY is an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  But, SPEAKING BOLDLY, “SALVATION is found in NO ONE else, ONLY JESUS CHRIST, for there is NO OTHER NAME under Heaven given to mankind by which we MUST be SAVED!” (v 12) You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, 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 SPEAKING BOLDLY about what God has done for you.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!


"

"Favor in God's Sight"

“Favor in God’s Sight”

Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight.     Exodus 33:13



Moses found FAVOR in GOD’S SIGHT.  He desired to KNOW GOD intimately, and LEARN His ways.  God had just told Moses: “I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.”  Guess what!  God knows your name, but the question is: Has He found FAVOR with you, in His sight?



Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt and towards the Promised Land.  He did this under the LEADERSHIP of the ALMIGHTY GOD, and for the most part he was OBEDIENT to God’s direction. He did DISOBEY God once, and it cost him dearly, he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. 



In order to find FAVOR in GOD’S SIGHT one MUST be FIRST of all, a Child of the Living God, then they MUST be OBEDIENT to His Will.  Psalm 18:24 says: “The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.” 



In our Scripture, Exodus 33:13, we can see that Moses is asking God to TEACH him His ways, and then he would KNOW Him.  What Moses was basically saying was: “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; ESTABLISH the work of our hands for us---yes, ESTABLISH the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17)  If God would TEACH Moses His ways, and Moses grew to TRULY KNOW GOD, he would be able to do what God wanted him to do.  This is the way it is with God’s TRUE CHILDREN, today, if we were OBEDIENT to God and FAITHFUL in ALL He wants us to do, we like Moses, could ask God to ESTABLISH the work of our hands that we might find FAVOR in GOD’S SIGHT.  Have you found FAVOR in GOD’S SIGHT?



If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, and have been REJECTING His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, you have NOT found FAVOR in GOD’S SIGHT.  And your DESTINY is an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  In order for you to find FAVOR in GOD’S SIGHT, and change your DESTINY, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and find FAVOR in GOD’S SIGHT.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!
"

"The Faithful Servant"

“The Faithful Servant”

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.’       Matthew 25:23



These are words that EVERY TRUE CHILD of the Living God, hopes to hear when they stand before the Lord Jesus to receive their rewards, for their service to Him.  This is a part of the parable of the talents, spoken of by our Lord Jesus.  It concerns the rewards that were given to those who were FAITHFUL, with what their master had provided for them to use.  Some were FAITHFUL in using their talents, even though their tasks were small, they remained FAITHFUL.



However, there are those who do NOT use their talents, because they are NOT FAITHFUL to their master.  They may try to HIDE them, so no one will know that they even have them, much less use them.  They may use them for some purpose, other than FAITHFULLY USING them for the Lord. In this case, it may be doubtful that they are TRULY CHILDREN of God, and if that is the case, the reply to them is: “You wicked and slothful servant!”  Then the Lord will say: “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (v41) Which group are you in?  Those who are the FAITHFUL or those who are the UNFAITHFUL?

If you are part of the UNFAITHFUL, that means you are destined for ETERNAL PUNISHMENT in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  In order to ESCAPE ETERNAL PUNISHMENT, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you should CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and be one of His FAITHFUL SERVANTS, who will enter the JOY of your Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and enter your ETERNAL HOME, HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Finding the Knowledge of God"

“Finding the Knowledge of God”

Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the Knowledge of God.      Proverbs 2:3-5



To be able to have the KNOWLEDGE of God, I believe would be bitter-sweet, because the KNOWLEDGE of God is UNLIMITED.  He KNOWS ALL THINGS, whether GOOD or BAD.  He KNOWS when there is TROUBLE, HEARTACHE, CALAMATIES, EVILNESS, SICKNESS, AND DESPAIR, even before it happens.  



Yet, to SEEK after the KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM of God, provides us with UNDERSTANDING, INSIGHT, and DISCERNMENT into the Word of God, which will help us to be a BETTER servant to Him.  Obtaining this KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM takes EFFORT to HEAR with the ear, and APPLY with the heart, the things that God wants you to KNOW.  And you find out “what things”, when you ASK for KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM. Then you will UNDERSTAND the FEAR of the LORD and find the KNOWLEDGE of GOD.  This word FEAR means to REVERANCE the LORD GOD. 



Proverbs 1:7 says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline.”  The Lord God is the SOURCE of ALL KNOWLEDGE, and as a person “fears” or REVERANCES the Lord God, they gain KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM.  In order to obtain KNOWLEDGE of the LORD GOD, you MUST SEEK Him with ALL your HEART.  Then you will KNOW that HE ALONE is your HOPE for an ETERNITY in HEAVEN. 



In order for you to have this KNOWLEDGE and the HOPE that it brings, You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL you HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and GAIN, KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM, along with the HOPE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Love and the Blood"

“Love and the Blood”

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.      1 John 4:10

To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father---the glory and dominion are His forever and ever.  Amen.       Revelation 1:5b-6



People will be expressing their LOVE for each other, in many different ways, today, because it is Valentines Day.  That SPECIAL time when there is a very concerted effort to do something SPECIAL for the one they LOVE.   And many years ago, God did something VERY, VERY SPECIAL for ALL of the people on earth.  He sent His ONLY SON to earth as their own SACRIFICE that they might be SAVED from their sins and be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS.



God, has proven His LOVE for mankind, by providing for us the ONLY WAY we can be FREE from our sins and to ESCAPE HELL, and GAIN HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Hebrews 9:12, tells us that:  Jesus 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. 



Therefore, Jesus, the One who LOVES us and has SET us FREE from our sins by His BLOOD, which He shed on an old rugged cross, has made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father, and GLORY and DOMINION are His FOREVER and EVER.  So, why not experience TRUE, ABIDING, UNFAILING, and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, which Father God is waiting to lavish upon you.  If you will just TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO HIM, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. And CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  And ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, and let God LAVISH upon YOU His LOVE and an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, because of the SHED BLOOD of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Regeneration and Renewal"

“Regeneration and Renewal”

He saved us---not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.       Titus 3:5



SALVATION is not obtained by WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS.  First, because mankind’s RIGHTEOUSNESS is like filthy, nasty, putrid rags, before the RIGHTEOUS, HOLY GOD of the UNIVERSE.  SALVATION is NOT earned, nor can it be purchased.  It is given by GOD’S ABUNDANT MERCY and His AMAZING GRACE towards mankind. 



RIGHTEOUS or GOOD works are really the FRUIT of our SALVATION.  When we are OBEDIENT to God, we are carrying out His RIGHTEOUS WORKS, and it stands as a TESTIMONY of our SALVATION.  When we come to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, there is a TRANSFORMATION that takes place, and it requires REGENERATION and RENEWAL, which is done through the work of God’s Holy Spirit.



 REGENERATION is SPIRITUAL REBIRTH, which means the person coming to Christ for the SALVATION of their soul, becomes a NEW CREATURE, having been SPIRITUALLY BORN, or “IN CHRIST,” and NO LONGER under the bondage of SIN, instead of being a captive of their sinful nature, which they were born with, because of Adam.  But NOW, because of what JESUS has done on the cross, they are FREE from that sinful bondage.  And they face a BRAND-NEW LIFE, because of their REGENERATION.



The work of RENEWAL is an INTERNAL CHANGE, where a person’s thoughts, words and actions are very different, now.  There has been a RENEWAL of the MIND and HEART.  OLD things have passed away, and NEW things have come.  The MIND and HEART are WASHED, cleansed by the acts of REGENERATION and RENEWAL.  And the ETERNAL DESTINY of those who ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST as their SAVIOR and LORD will be changed. Have you experienced the REGENERATION and RENEWAL of your soul? 



If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then your ETERNAL DESTINY is HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  If you feel a tugging on your HEART STRINGS, and feel like you want to receive God’s gift of SALVATION.  Here is what you MUST DO:  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST 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 experience the REGENERATION and RENEWAL of your soul, and spend your ETERNAL DESTINY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Home in the Body---Or Not?"

“Home in the Body---Or Not?”

Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  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.       2 Corinthians 5:6, 8 ,9



Our physical bodies, houses the being that makes us who we REALLY are.  It is our spirit-soul that is living in this shell, we call a body.  And like any dwelling place or HOME, the body deteriorates with age.  And the spirit-soul vacates to another HOME, but this HOME is not like any other.  And if you want a HOME that will last for ALL ETERNITY, with UNLIMITED COMFORTS and BLESSINGS, and is known as HEAVEN, where Jesus Christ resides, along with ALL of God’s TRUE CHILDREN, then there are some things you MUST DO to be able to say, as the Apostle Paul said:  “We are CONFIDENT, I say, and would PREFER to be away from the body and at HOME with the Lord.”



We, who are the TRUE CHILDREN of God, can have this same feeling, because “we live by FAITH, not by SIGHT.” (v7)  And we have been promised an ETERNITY in Heaven, along with the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The Lord Jesus said in John 14:2-3: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” 



So, when your “lease on life” is over and it’s time for you to MOVE on, will it be to a NEW HOME in Heaven, with ALL its COMFORTS and BLESSINGS, or will it be to the SLUMS of HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE?  If you want HEAVEN as your NEW HOME, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Believing with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and PREPARE to MOVE UP to your NEW HOME, HEAVEN, with the Lord Jesus Christ and ALL the other Saints.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"God's Slaves"

“God’s Slaves”

As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.             1 Peter 2:16



Webester’s Dictionary says that a SLAVE is a person who is completely controlled by some habit, influence, or person.  I like to believe that I am TOTALLY CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit of the Living God.  And that I am OBEDIENT to Him and His Word.  One is NEVER so FREE than when they become God’s Slave. 



One reason to feel FREEDOM as a SLAVE of God, is because Christ was a SLAVE to mankind.  He SERVED mankind, while on earth.  He ministered to their needs, and provided miracles upon miracles for them.  But the MOST IMPORTANT thing that He did for us, was to bring SALVATION to this LOST and DYING WORLD.  And to SET us FREE from the clutches of wickedness and sin.   Philippians 2:7&8, tells us that: “He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a SLAVE, taking on the likeness of men.  And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming OBEDIENT to the point of DEATH---even to DEATH on the cross.”



God’s Slave has received FREEDOM to have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS.  They will be FREE from CONDEMNATION because their sins, ALL their sins, are FORGIVEN, because of their ACCEPTANCE of the SACRIFICE of God’s ONE and ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Have you ACCEPTED Jesus Christ as your SAVIOR and LORD?  Are you God’s Slave?



If you have NOT ACCEPTED Jesus as your SAVIOR and LORD, then your destined for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  If you feel the HOLY SPIRIT tugging on your HEART STRINGS, then you need to be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and RECEIVE an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS. And if you are God’s Slave, STOP! Using your FREEDOM to HIDE your EVIL DEEDS.   Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Out of Darkness"

“Out of Darkness”

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.      1 Peter 2:9 



Peter, in his letter of ENCOURAGEMENT to BELIEVERS, exhorted them to practice HOLINESS.  He reminds them that they are a CHOSEN PEOPLE.  This term, “CHOSEN PEOPLE”, which at one time referred ONLY to the nation of ISRAEL, but in this CHURCH AGE, it refers to Jewish and Gentile BELIEVERS.  The responsibility that had been trusted to the nation of Israel has been given to the Church, during this Age of Grace.



BELIEVERS in the Church Age are called a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY NATION, GOD’S SPECIAL POSSESSION.  Believers are SPECIAL PEOPLE because God has PRESERVED them for Himself.  Now, while these descriptions of the Church are similar to those used to describe the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, it in NO WAY indicates that the Church will receive the NATIONAL BLESSINGS that are meant ONLY for the Nation of Israel, which were PROMISES of God.  Peter just used similar words to point to similar truths. 



The purpose of God choosing the BELIEVERS for Himself, was and still IS to DECLARE the PRAISES of Him to others. The BELIEVER-PRIESTS, SHOULD LIVE by the Spirit and NOT by the FLESH, in order to be a PROPER WITNESS to the UNBELIEVER.  They should MAGNIGY the GLORY and GRACE of the ALMIGHTY GOD, who has called them OUT of the DARKNESS and into the GLORIOUS LIGHT of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.   The DARKNESS was a time when the ONCE UNBELIEVER practiced the desires of the flesh, and LIVED a sinful lifestyle.  They were headed for DESTRUCTION, and a DESTINY of an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  But ONCE they have TRULY GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to God, and have ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST into their HEART, they have received God’s provision of SALVATION, and have come OUT of DARKNESS and into the GLORIOUS LIGHT, and they have become God’s  CHOSEN PEOPLE, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY NATION, and GOD’S SPECIAL POSSESSION, who are given ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Have you come OUT of DARKNESS?



If you are still groping in the DARKNESS, but have a desire to come into the GLORIOUS LIGHT, you can by:  Giving your HEART and LIFE to GOD.  You do that by being WILLING to TURN AWAYY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURNING to GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, 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 come OUT of DARKNESS, and into His WONDERFUL LIGHT, and LIVE for ALL ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Not ALL Prayers are Answered"

“ Not ALL Prayers are Answered”

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

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would NOT have listened.    Psalm 66:18



I realize that this topic may upset some, who would believe that God answers ALL prayers.  The Word of the Living God plainly tells us that, for those who are WICKED or UNBELIEVERS, those who embrace SIN in their hearts, God will NOT HEAR nor ANSWER their prayers. 



The ONLY prayer that God acknowledges from the wicked or the UNBELIEVER, is the prayer of REPENTANCE. And this holds true for the BELIEVER, who, like, King David said, “IF I had cherished SIN in my heart, the Lord would NOT have LISTENED.  After the PRAYER of REPENTANCE, God’s ear is turned to His Child and their petitions.  But you MUST FIRST REPENT, of your sins and TURN AWAY FROM them, in order to have God’s DIVINE INTERVENTION. 



The reason being, is that God is HOLY and RIGHTEOUS.  He is NOT Santa Clause, who is waiting to give you whatever you ask or desire.  He is the HOLY, RIGHTEOUS God, the CREATOR of ALL things.  And He will not give you an audience with Him, until you have been washed in the BLOOD of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  And ALL your sins are washed away, and your sins, though they were once as SCARLET are gone and your HEART is white as snow.  You have been REDEEMED and have been made RIGHTEOUS.



In order for this to happen, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sins, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you should CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  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 ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and when you go to pray, FIRST, ask for FORGIVENESS of your sins, and have the ASSURANCE that God will HEAR your requests, and His will be done in your life.  And be able to ESCAPE Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and to gain Heaven, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Who Are You Following?"

“Who Are You Following?”

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.      John 10:27



These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as He was questioned by Jews, who had requested that if He was the Christ, then just say so.  And Jesus, who KNEW what they were thinking said to them: ” My sheep hear My voice, and I KNOW them, and they FOLLOW ME.  I give them ETERNAL LIFE, and they will NEVER PERISH, and NO ONE will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is GREATER than ALL, and NO one is able to SNATCH them out of the Father’s hand.  I and the Father are ONE.  (vv27-30)   But you do NOT BELIEVE because you are NOT a part of My flock.”  (v26)



These Jews were NOT followers of Jesus, and they were up to NO GOOD.  They were also influencing others to BELIEVE like they did.  Isaiah 53:6, says:  “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.”   There are times when we ALL decide to go our own way, and we end up regretting the plans and actions that we take.  We end up on the WRONG path, because we STRAY away from our SHEPHERD, and we then become vulnerable to the Devil and his devices, to keep us from being a POSITIVE witness for God, to being a DISGRACE.  Yet God has seen fit to lay our sins and short-comings on His SINLESS, Son, Jesus. 



Like the sheep, if we would just LISTEN to the voice of our Shepherd, and FOLLOW Him, instead of veering off His pathway.  We would be able to enjoy the JOY of our SALVATION.  In order to be apart of His flock, and to FOLLOW HIM, you MUST DENY YOURSELF, and PICK UP your CROSS, and be WILLING to FOLLOW HIM ALL the way. 



Don’t be like those who are NOT FOLLOWING Christ.  They are the UNBELIEVERS, and they will spend their ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  In order to be able to ESCAPE HELL, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to God and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and inherit ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, because you are FOLLOWING the GOOD SHEPHERD, Jesus Christ, and you are a part of His flock.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Who Then Can Be Saved?"

“Who Then Can Be Saved?”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”      Mark 10:26-27



Jesus was talking to a young rich man, who wanted to know how to be saved.  When Jesus told him that there was one thing he lacked.  He MUST go and sell everything he had and give the money to the poor.  The rich young man, could not do it, because his HEART was not right.  He was unwilling to sacrifice for the sake of receiving SALVATION.   He departed a LOST soul, and Jesus said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”  He said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”  This is because, in most cases, the heart of a rich man, belongs to his riches.  And he cannot and will not SACRIFICE for his SALVATION.



The disciples were AMAZED at His words.  So, Jesus said to them, “How hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!  Being able to enter the Kingdom of God, carries with it certain demands.  One is to DENY yourself and take up your cross and follow Jesus.  (Mat. 16:24) This means that you MUST be WILLING to give up YOUR ambitions and plans, and TRUST God to lead you down the RIGHT path, one that will lead you to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST be WILLING to CONFESS your sins to God, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST be WILLING to BELIEVE that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ESCAPE Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and GAIN Heaven, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and this is WHO CAN BE SAVED. So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!