“Focusing On the Unseen Things”

 “Focusing On the Unseen Things”

 

So we do NOT focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.    2 Corinthians 4:18

 

This verse of Scripture is very applicable to people in this day and age.  People of TODAY, are more inclined to BELIEVE in what they SEE and TOUCH MUCH MORE than what they cannot SEE or TOUCH. However, for the TRUE BELIEVER, who is LIVING by the SPIRIT, and NOT by SIGHT, but by their FAITH, they are able to see things through the Eyes of the ALMIGHTY GOD.   And it is their FAITH that enables them to SEE the UNSEEN things, this FAITH comes from the Word of the LIVING GOD.  

 

The WORLDLY things that people WORK so hard for and end up LEAVING BEHIND for someone else, are the SEEN things that are TEMPORARY.  Their VALUE and USEFULNESS will waste away someday, and when they LEAVE this WORLD, what they thought was VALUABLE and USEFUL in their sight, and according to the WORLD’S view, will NOT MATTER to them at all. 

 

When I hear about what’s happening in the Ukraine, how the people are SACRIFICING ALL for their FREEDOM.  I think about the fact that ALL the MATERIAL THINGS ( seen things) really don’t mean that MUCH to them NOW, many, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, are FOCUSED on the UNSEEN things, the things that are ETERNAL.  And if they die for their FREEDOM, especially the FREEDOM to be able to WORSHIP the ALMIGHTY GOD and His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, that will be the price they will pay, because they are FOCUSED on the things that are UNSEEN and are ETERNAL.  ALL the BLESSINGS, JOY, PEACE, LOVE, and an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with NO MORE WARS or THREATS to their FREEDOM, will be theirs for ALL of ETERNITY.  

 

Those who do NOT BELIEVE and are NOT FOCUSED on the UNSEEN (eternal) things, but are WORKING and DYING, and FOCUSED on what this OLD SINFUL WORLD can offer them, the SEEN (temporary) things.  And they are forfeiting the UNSEEN, ETERNAL THINGS that ONLY GOD can give them.  And instead of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, they end up with ETERNAL LIFE in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there.  What are you FOCUSED on, the SEEN or the UNSEEN things?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then your FOCUS has probably been TOTALLY on what the WORLD has to give you, and that is what you are WORKING for.  And it will LEAD you to an ETERNITY in HELL.  To change your FOCUS, and your DESTINY, you MUST FIRST, ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who PAID the PRICE for your sins, with His OWN BLOOD.  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. And you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and FOCUS on the UNSEEN, ETERNAL things, which are waiting for you in HEAVEN.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“The POWER and WISDOM of God”

 “The POWER and WISDOM of God”

 

Because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.    1 Corinthians 1:25

 

The Apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians, The MESSAGE of the CROSS.  The Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but the Apostle Paul preached Christ crucified, which was a STUMBLING BLOCK to the Jews and FOOLISHNESS to the Gentiles. (Greeks)

 

 Because God’s Plan is NOT man’s plan, carried out on man’s terms, mankind cannot appreciate God’s Plans.  The Plan for the SALVATION of MANKIND, did NOT include their terms and plans. But it was by GOD’S PLAN, TERMS and by His INITIATIVE that MANKIND found exactly what they NEEDED; SALVATION, the FORGIVENESS of their SINS.  And an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  And to be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there.

 

Mankind is able to receive the POWER and WISDOM of GOD through His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the ONLY PERFECT SACRIFICE for the REDEMPTION of MANKIND.  He GAVE His LIFE to bring ETERNAL LIFE to a LOST and DYING WORLD, because He provided FORGIVENESS of their sins, and RIGHTEOUSNESS before the ALMIGHTY GOD.  It is by the PREACHING of CHRIST CRUCIFIED that God CALLS people by their FAITH to BELIEVE in JESUS CHRIST and to ACCEPT the POWER and WISDOM of GOD.  Do you have SALVATION and an ETERNITY in HEAVEN?

 

You CAN if you are WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You do that by: First, ADMITTING that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  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 CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and receive God’s POWER and WISDOM in this life and the life to come.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“Spiritual Warfare”

 “Spiritual Warfare”

 

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (human), but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the Knowledge of God, bring every thought into captivity to the OBEDIENCE of Christ.                           2 Corinthians 10:4-5 

 

We MUST PRAY for the people of the UKRAINE, our thoughts and prayers go out to ALL of the CHRISTIANS in that area.  They are facing WARFARE that is of HUMAN doing, and that depends on fleshly wisdom, human abilities, and physical prowess.  Yet we MUST PRAY for God’s DIVINE intervention, which would be GODLY wisdom, and GODLY power, which DEFINITELY SUPERSEDES human wisdom, abilities, and power.  

 

The TRUE BELIEVER, is constantly in a SPIRITUAL WARFARE, and in NEED, DAILY for PRAYERS for each other.  We NEED GODLY WISDOM, and POWER to help us be VICTORIOUS in the SPIRITUAL BATTLE. The ONLY WEAPONS we NEED are the WORD of GOD and PRAYER, they are the ONLY EFFECTIVE WEAPONS against Satan and his army.  

 

The WORD of GOD is LIVING and POWERFUL, and SHARPER than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the HEART. (Heb. 4:12). So, it is EXTREMELY important that you are READING, STUDYING, and APPLYING the WORD of GOD to your life, DAILY.  This will make sure that one of your SPIRITUAL WEAPONS is READY for BATTLE.  In order to help you WIN the BATTLE, you MUST have KNOWLEDGE of the WORD, and KNOW how to USE it.   

 

Your other SPIRITUAL WEAPON is PRAYER, there is NOTHING that puts FEAR in the Devil’s heart, MORE than when TRUE BELIEVERS PRAY.  James 5:16b tells us that: The EFFECTIVE, FERVENT PRAYER of a RIGHTEOUS person is VERY POWERFUL in its effect.  There is POWER in PRAYER, so, what is your PRAYER life like?  Are you SEEKING GOD DAILY and BELIEVING and TRUSTING in His POWER?  Are YOU ready for SPIRITUAL WARFARE?

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you don’t KNOW about this SPIRITUAL WARFARE.  You belong to the Devil and are controlled by his influence.  This means that you are DOOMED to spend an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE, once you are there.  In order to CHANGE that DESTINY you MUST become a TRUE CHILD of God, and be WILLING to FIGHT the GOOD FIGHT, the SPIRITUAL WARFARE, through the WISDOM and POWER of the ALMIGHTY GOD, and His Son, JESUS CHRIST, who gave His Life to bring you ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  

 

This is what you MUST DO:  You MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, Jesus Christ.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, for your ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and to be VICTORIOUS in your SPIRITUAL WARFARE.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“The Goal”

 “The Goal”

 

My goal is to know Him and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of His Sufferings being conformed to His Death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.    Philippians 3:10-11

 

Many of us set GOALS in our daily lives, in which we WORK diligently to REACH.  We sometimes have to make SACRIFICES in order to REACH those GOALS.  As a TRUE BELIEVER, we, like the Apostle Paul, NEED to have the SAME GOAL that Paul WORKED DILIGENTLY to REACH.  That GOAL is to KNOW the LORD JESUS CHRIST MORE and to KNOW the POWER of His RESURRECTION and the FELLOWSHIP of His SUFFERINGS.  

 

This KNOWLEDGE is to “KNOW by EXPERIENCE.”  Another GOAL that Paul wanted to REACH was to KNOW or EXPERIENCE the POWER of the RESURRECTION of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The POWER of His Resurrection was what brought JESUS from DEATH and the GRAVE.  And this word POWER means; to have the ABILITY to OVERCOME resistance.  This POWER now operates in the lives of the TRUE BELIEVER, because they have been RAISED from a SPIRITUAL DEATH to the NEWNESS of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with GOD and JESUS CHRIST.  And Paul wanted to SHARE in the FELLOWSHIP of the SUFFERINGS of Christ.  These SUFFERINGS were NOT the SUBSTITUTIONARY SUFFERINGS that Christ experienced on the Cross, they could NOT be shared.  But Paul’s GOAL was to EXPERIENCE SUFFERING like Christ for the sake of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Paul did SUFFER for the SAKE of RIGHTEOUSNESS because of his OPENNESS and PERSEVERANCE in SHARING the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST.  

 

Because Jesus Christ died FOR sins,TRUE BELIEVERS, SHOULD die TO sin, and to LIVE a NEW LIFE by the POWER of the RESURRECTION of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And for some, they WILL experience that RESURRECTION POWER, and others WILL be RAPTURED, SNATCHED AWAY, in the TWINKLING of an EYE.  Either way, the DESTINATION will be the SAME.  They will be ESCORTED into an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  However, for those who have NOT GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to GOD, through the REDEMPTIVE ACT of JESUS CHRIST, they will face JUDGMENT and the CONDEMNATION of an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there.  

 

But God is giving YOU another OPPORTUNITY to ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And to BELIEVE, 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 be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and like the Apostle Paul, let YOUR GOAL be; REALLY KNOWING the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and having a CLOSER RELATIONSHIP with Him, and have HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“ The SURE and STEADFAST Hope”

“The SURE and STEADFAST Hope”

 

The hope we have is an anchor of the soul, a HOPE both SURE and STEADFAST and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.   Hebrews 6:19-20

 

God, our LOVING Heavenly Father, has given EACH of His TRUE CHILDREN, (the TRUE BELIEVERS), a HOPE as an ANCHOR of our soul.  This HOPE is SURE and STEADFAST, and it is the LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself.  What better ASSURANCE do we NEED?   

 

In Chapter seven, verses twenty- six and twenty-seven, it says:  “For it was fitting for us to have such a High Priest, HOLY, INNOCENT, UNDEFILED, SEPARATED from sinners and EXALTED ABOVE the heavens; Who does NOT need DAILY, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, BECAUSE this HE did  ONCE for ALL  when He offered up Himself.”  Isn’t it GREAT to KNOW that JESUS, our FORERUNNER has OPENED the WAY for us?  And that He is the SURE and STEADFAST ANCHOR of HOPE for our SOUL.  

 

When God SAVES a person it is NOT by what that individual DOES.  If it were because of the WORKS of that INDIVIDUAL then why would JESUS have to SUFFER a HORRIBLE DEATH?  He died, to take on ALL SINS, therefore it is WHAT CHRIST has DONE, not what WE have done. He is the ONLY WAY to receive SALVATION.  He is OUR SURE and STEADFAST HOPE for an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  

 

REMEMBER:  WE are SAVED by GRACE!  God, being RICH in MERCY (NOT getting what we DESERVE), because of His GREAT LOVE with which He LOVED us, EVEN when we were DEAD in our transgressions, MADE us ALIVE TOGETHER with CHRIST (by GRACE, you haven been SAVED) (getting what we DON’T DESERVE).  “For by GRACE you have been SAVED through FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves, it is the GIFT of GOD; NOT as a result of  WORKS , so that NO ONE may BOAST.  (Eph. 2:8-9.)

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you are NOT His Child, and you do NOT POSSESS that SURE and STEADFAST HOPE, and your ETERNAL DESTINY is an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  To change that, you MUST FIRST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER,  in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  And you MUST BELIEVE 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, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD.  And you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and be ANCHORED in ETERNITY.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

  

“The ETERNAL Security of the Sheep”

 “The ETERNAL Security of the Sheep”

 

“My Sheep hear My Voice, and I know them and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, 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.”     John 10:27-30

 

The doctrine of ETERNAL SECURITY, has been a source of controversy, among the different denominations of churches.  So, let us look at the Words of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, when He was at the Feast of Dedication, (Hanukkah) and the crowd of Jews asked Him: “How long will You keep us in suspense?” “If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Jesus told them that the MIRACLES that He had done were CLEAR evidence that He was from the Father. But they did NOT BELIEVE HIM, because they were NOT His SHEEP.  His Sheep listen to His Voice and they UNDERSTAND His Message of SALVATION and FOLLOW Him in OBEDIENCE to the FATHER’S WILL. 

 

And He gives them ETERNAL LIFE, and they will NEVER PERISH; and NO ONE will SNATCH them out of His HAND.  Not even the person (sheep) that drifts away from Him, as long as they were TRULY SINCERE about BELONGING to Him.   The TRUE BELIEVER, will NEVER LOSE their SALVATION.  BELIEVERS will STUMBLE and SIN, as long as they are in this SINFUL NATURE.    But JESUS , the PERFECT SHEPHERD, will NOT LOSE ANY of His FLOCK. If one TRULY possesses ETERNAL LIFE, they will NEVER PERISH or LOSE IT.  The SECURITY of the Sheep is in the ABILITY of the SHEPHERD to DEFEND and PRESERVE His flock.  And THANK GOD it is NOT in the ABILITY of the WEAK, VULNERABLE, sheep.  

 

NO ONE is GREATER than GOD, the FATHER, nor His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And therefore, NO ONE is STRONG ENOUGH to SNATCH them out of the FATHER’S HAND, nor can they SNATCH them out of JESUS’ HAND.  The Father God, being OMNIPOTENT (all powerful), secures Jesus’ Sheep (the TRUE BELIEVERS) , by His POWER and PROTECTION.  His Plan of SALVATION for JESUS’ Flock, CANNOT be TERMINATED.  Their SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE, is FOREVER SECURE.  If it could be TERMINATED, then it would NOT be ETERNAL.

 

If you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER, then YOU do NOT have the SECURITY we are talking about, because you do NOT belong to JESUS CHRIST, the GOOD, and PERFECT SHEPHERD, who is in COMPLETE CONTROL of the SECURITY of His Sheep.   And you will PERISH, unless you TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. And  ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS, God’s ONLY SON, who DIED for Your SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE, and was RESURRECTED from the GRAVE, and having VICTORY over Death. You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS did this for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  And you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and ESCAPE an ETERNAL LIFE in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  And as one of JESUS’ SHEEP, enjoy the ETERNAL SECURITY of being one of His SHEEP.  DO this NOW, while you still can. He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

“The Judge”

 “The Judge”

 

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given ALL judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”  John 5:22-23

 

Many people in this world has the mindset that if they BELIEVE and HONOR or pay HOMAGE or REVERENCE to GOD, that they will spend ALL of ETERNITY in HEAVEN, but these verses of Scripture tells it VERY differently.  

 

It tells us why God entrusted His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, with the RESPONSIBILITY of ALL JUDGMENT, which includes the Final Judgment and the WHOLE position of JUDGING.  This was placed in the Hands of JESUS, in order for ALL mankind to HONOR Him.  This position gives JESUS CHRIST FULL and COMPLETE EQUALITY with His Father.  The situation is that the ONLY WAY to HONOR the FATHER is by having a RELATIONSHIP with His SON. 

 

In fact, the ones who do NOT HONOR the Son, does NOT HONOR the FATHER, Who has sent His Son, into this SIN-DRENCHED world, to bring mankind ETERNAL LIFE.  In verse twenty-four, we are told that the one who BELIEVES and TRUSTS in GOD and His Son, CHRIST JESUS, possesses ETERNAL LIFE.  And they will NOT COME UNDER JUDGMENT, because they have ALREADY PASSED from DEATH to LIFE.  And this BRINGS HONOR to FATHER GOD and His SON, JESUS CHRIST.   Are you one, that believes you are going to have an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, because you believe in God and ONLY God?   And you have NOT come to JESUS for your SALVATION, nor have you given your HEART and LIFE to God, through the REDEMPTIVE ACT of JESUS CHRIST, His Son. 

 

In order to HONOR GOD and JESUS CHRIST, and to ESCAPE JUDGMENT and CONDEMNATION, you MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM you sinful life-style and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and bring HONOR to GOD the FATHER, and His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the JUDGE, who determines the DESTINY of ALL MANKIND.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

 

“The Whirlwind”

“The Whirlwind”

 

When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.   Proverbs 10:25

 

This verse of Scripture might be confusing to some, but I believe that it is telling us that God’s JUDGMENT, is like a WHIRLWIND and when God brings His JUDGMENT upon the WICKED, it will be STRONG and SWIFT, and when God is through with His RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT upon the WICKED PEOPLE of this world, they will be NO MORE.  Their presence will NOT be on this earth, but they will begin their ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there, this will be their DESTINY, because of their REBELLION towards GOD and His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  They have been given many opportunities to TURN AWAY FROM their WICKED, SINFUL life-style, and to TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  

 

However, for those who have TRULY given their HEART and LIFE to GOD, through, the SACRIFICIAL act of REDEMPTION, by His Son, JESUS CHRIST.  The ONE, who took ALL the SINS   of ALL mankind, and nailed them to an OLD RUGGED CROSS, and SUFFERED, BLED and DIED, in our place. But was RESURRECTED from the GRAVE in VICTORY over ETERNAL DEATH. They will have an EVERLASTING FOUNDATION, the ETERNAL GOD, and JESUS will be the CHIEF CORNERSTONE of that FOUNDATION.  And they will RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.   

 

What does your DESTINY hold?  Will YOU be CAUGHT UP in the WHIRLWIND of GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT, and sentenced to an ETERNITY in HELL, with NO WAY to ESCAPE?  If you want to spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, you MUST FIRST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, Jesus Christ.  And you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS ALL your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and BE SAVED from the WHIRLWIND of GOD’S JUDGMENT.  DO this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!      

“The God of Peace, Himself Will Sanctify You”

“The God of Peace, Himself Will Sanctify You”

 

Now may the God of Peace Himself sanctify you completely.  And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who call you is faithful, who also will do it.   1 Thessalonians 5:23

 

What an AWESOME thought, that the God of Peace, HIMSELF, will SANCTIFY, or PURIFY His TRUE CHILDREN COMPLETELY, through and through, SEPARATING us from WICKEDNESS, and making us PURE and WHOLLY DEDICATED to HIS SERVICE.  And He will KEEP our SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY SOUND and BLAMELESS for the COMING of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.  

 

This is a very important part of GOD’S SALVATION PLAN.  HE is the ONLY ONE capable to SAVE, SANCTIFY and KEEP BLAMELESS those who BELONG to HIM.  And He will DO IT, because HE is FAITHFUL to those who BELONG to HIM, and are CALLED by HIM, to their SALVATION.  If you are His Child, you can REST ASSURED, that He is ABLE to SAVE, SANCTIFY, and KEEP You BLAMELESS, for the COMING of the LORD JESUS CHRIST (the RAPTURE), which COULD happen at ANY TIME.  ARE YOU READY?

 

In order to be READY, you MUST FIRST, ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS, God’s Only Son, the ONLY ONE who COULD and DID DIE for YOUR SALVATION.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God. You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and be SAVED, SANCTIFIED, and KEPT BLAMELESS at the COMING of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, by the GOD of PEACE.  DO this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! 

“Incorruptible Love “

 “Incorruptible Love”

 

Grace be with all those who LOVE our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible LOVE.             Ephesians 6:24

 

 Monday, February 14, VALENTINES DAY, is a day in which MANY will be expressing their LOVE to their SWEETHEARTS, or maybe just an expression of a DEVOTED FRIENDSHIP.  Nevertheless, this verse of Scripture, is the Apostle Paul’s parting words to the BELIEVERS in Ephesus. And it is also a message for ALL BELIEVERS of ALL TIMES.   Paul asked for God’s AMAZING GRACE to be with ALL who LOVE the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  GRACE is God giving His TRUE CHILDREN, what they do NOT DESERVE.  BLESSINGS, NOT JUST BLESSINGS, but the BEST of the BEST, ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and to be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  

 

We all have a SINFUL NATURE, but for those who TRULY LOVE the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and have GIVEN our HEARTS to Him, and asked for His FORGIVENESS, we are the TRUE CHILDREN of GOD, and He has and will CONTINUE to LAVISH us with His AMAZING GRACE, even though we DON’T DESERVE IT.  

 

Paul is saying that he wishes GOD’S AMAZING GRACE be on ALL those who LOVE the LORD JESUS CHRIST, with INCORRUPTIBLE LOVE.  What does he mean by INCORRUPTIBLE LOVE? He is talking about a LOVE that CANNOT be PERVERTED, BRIBED or TAINTED in ANY WAY. A LOVE that will NOT DISSOLVE, DISINTEGRATE or DECAY.  It is IMPERISHABLE and EVERLASTING, it is an UNFAILING LOVE, It is an AGAPE type LOVE, and can ONLY be POSSIBLE through the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.   And to be able to LOVE the LORD JESUS CHRIST, with this kind of LOVE, you MUST POSSESS the INDWELLING of the HOLY SPIRIT.  To do that, you MUST BECOME a TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  

 

Here is what you MUST DO:  1.  ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, who shed His BLOOD to take away our SINS, and bring us SALVATION by GOD’S AMAZING GRACE.  2.  BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died on an OLD RUGGED CROSS, for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  3.  CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  4.  YOU MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  5. ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and LOVE the LORD JESUS CHRIST, with an INCORRUPTIBLE LOVE!  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“Go, Tell!”

 “Go, Tell!”

 

But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him?  And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him?  And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?     Romans 10:14

 

For the TRUE BELIEVER, being able to SHARE what God has done in your life, is a thing of EPIC  PROPORTIONS. It is a mandate of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave His disciples this GREAT COMMISSION:  “GO therefore and make disciples of ALL the nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER, SON and the HOLY SPIRIT, teaching them to OBSERVE ALL that I have COMMANDED you, and lo, I am with you ALWAYS, even to the END of the AGE.”  

 

There is NO OTHER WAY to REACH the LOST.  We who have HEARD and BELIEVED the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST, need to get out and SHARE what He has done for US, and what He WILL do for them as well.  In verse thirteen; the Apostle Paul says:  “for WHOEVER will CALL on the NAME of the LORD will be SAVED.”  So, we need to realize that in order for them to CALL on the NAME of the LORD they NEED to BELIEVE, but HOW can they BELIEVE in the LORD for their SALVATION if they have never HEARD about Him?  And how can they HEAR about Him if SOMEONE doesn’t tell them. Which means WE, the TRUE BELIEVERS, MUST GO and TELL them of this GOOD NEWS.  

 

Are you a TRUE BELIEVER, who is not SHARING the GOOD NEWS?  We are commanded to do this by the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  We must be BOLD, but GENTLE and LOVING, KIND and UNDERSTANDING in our mannerisms when we GO and TELL.  We must let them SEE JESUS in US and they will be MORE willing to HEAR what we have to say.

 

If you are one who NEEDS to HEAR and BELIEVE in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and FOLLOW in His Ways, LISTEN, HEAR and BELIEVE THIS:  To become a TRUE BELIEVER, you MUST FIRST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who DIED for YOU, so you might be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  And RECEIVE an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS. You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST be WILLING to TURN FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and GO TELL SOMEONE what GOD has DONE.  DO this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“Don’t Worry: PRAY!”

“Don’t Worry: PRAY!”

 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s Peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His Peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.    Philippians 4:6-7

 

Sometimes we are faced with UNCERTAINTIES that can SHAKE our world, we seem to be thrown off guard, and WORRY and FRET seems to permeate our lives.  The Apostle Paul is a good example of someone who has INNER JOY in spite of his outer circumstances, in his case it was PERSECUTION, IMPRISONMENT, and the THREAT of DEATH.  Yet, he TRUSTED God, with whatever his circumstances were.  And with JOY and GENTLENESS he was able to NOT WORRY.  WORRY and  CONCERN are very different. WORRY shows a LACK of TRUST in God and His POWER.  CONCERN is CARING, and showing that concern for another’s troubles, and it means that you GENUINELY CARE.  

 

Paul ENCOURAGES the BELIEVER, to PRAY instead of WORRYING, or being ANXIOUS over ANY TROUBLESOME MATTER. There are certain areas of PRAYER that we should ACKNOWLEDGE.  First, is PETITION; this is requesting an answer to a SPECIFIC NEED.  Next, is the ATTITUDE of the HEART, which SHOULD be one of THANKSGIVING.  One SHOULD be THANKFUL for ALL that GOD has DONE, is DOING, and WILL DO. And then REQUESTS, which are DEFINITE and SPECIFIC APPEALS for something that is desired or NEEDED.   When we PRAY with a THANKFUL and TRUSTING HEART then will we be able to EXPERIENCE the PEACE of GOD.  Ephesians 2:14 tells us that; “Christ Himself has brought PEACE to US.” Therefore, we can say that JESUS is our PEACE.

 

But keep in mind that; this PEACE of GOD is ONLY for the TRUE BELIEVER, that person, who has TRULY GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to GOD, through the SHED BLOOD of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON, who SUFFERED and DIED, and was RISEN from DEATH and the GRAVE, for ALL MANKIND. This PEACE TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING.  It is BEYOND mankind’s COMPREHENSION.  And it GUARDS the HEARTS and MINDS of GOD’S CHILDREN.

 

In order for you to become a TRUE BELIEVER, and to EXPERIENCE GOD’S PEACE, you MUST FIRST ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  You MUST BELIEVE, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY from your SINFUL life-style, and TURN TO GOD. And ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION and DON’T WORRY, PRAY with a THANKFUL, and TRUSTING HEART, and REJOICE that you will be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there. And that you will RECEIVE an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS. Thanks to JESUS!! So, DO this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! 

 

  

“Do Not Bring Sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit”

 “Do Not Bring Sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit”

 

“Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.  Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the Day of Redemption.   Ephesians 4:30

 

When a Believer clings to some of their OLD WAYS, and refuses to CHANGE from those OLD, SINFUL WAYS to the RIGHTEOUS WAYS of a NEW LIFE in CHRIST JESUS, through the WORK of the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD, they bring SORROW to the HEART of God.  This response by the Holy Spirit, shows us the PERSONHOOD of the Spirit, who is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.  

 

Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit, leads us into ALL TRUTH.  And the WORLD cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him, and doesn’t RECOGNIZE Him.  BUT the TRUE BELIEVER KNOWS Him, because He LIVES with them NOW and is INDWELLING them.  (John 14:17)  This was the WORDS of Jesus, spoken to His Disciples, promising them the INDWELLING of God’s HOLY SPIRIT, to LEAD them to ALL TRUTH.

 

The Work of the HOLY SPIRIT is providing CARE for the BELIEVERS, imparting KNOWLEDGE to them, interceding on their behalf. Romans 8:26-27 says: “And the Holy Spirit HELPS us in our weakness.  For example, we don’t know. What God wants us to pray for.  But the Holy Spirit PRAYS for us with groanings  that cannot be expressed in words.  And the Father Who knows all  HEARTS, KNOWS what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for the BELIEVERS in HARMONY with God’s OWN WILL.” The Holy Spirit brings CONVICTION of our sins, John 16:8 tells us:  “And when He comes, He will CONVICT the WORLD of its SIN, and of God’s COMING JUDGMENT.”  The WORLD’S sin is the REJECTION of GOD’S Son, Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit GUIDES us in RIGHTEOUSNESS, and He GLORIFIES the LORD JESUS CHRIST, He is the GUARANTOR of our ETERNAL SALVATION through the REDEMPTIVE ACT of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, which was carried out for EVERY BELIEVER.  Are you a TRUE BELIEVER?  Are you bringing SORROW to God’s Holy Spirit, by HOLDING ON to things from your OLD SINFUL LIFE-STYLE?  WELL STOP IT!  And TURN AWAY FROM EVERY THING of your OLD SINFUL LIFE-STYLE, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and EMBRACE ALL the things of your NEW LIFE in CHRIST JESUS!!

 

Or are you NOT A BELIEVER at all?  If this is the case, then YOU don’t have the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD in YOU, and you don’t have a GUARANTEE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  But your DESTINY is an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  But because of GOD’S ABUNDANT MERCY and His AMAZING GRACE, you NOW have the opportunity to COME to Him, through the ACCEPTANCE of His Gift of SALVATION and the INDWELLING of His HOLY SPIRIT.  To do that you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, who died for YOUR sins.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DID die 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.  And WILLINGLY GIVE UP ALL the things of your PAST SINFUL LIFE, and ACCEPT ALL that GOD has for YOU, to include the INDWELLING of His HOLY SPIRIT.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“The Greatest is LOVE!”

 “The Greatest Is LOVE!”

 

These things will last forever—faith, hope and love—and the greatest is love.                                  1 Corinthians 13:13

 

In the minds and hearts of many people, the month of February, is the month of LOVE!  When we express are feelings for those to whom we LOVE and care for.  The Apostle Paul tells us that LOVE is ESSENTIAL in the life of a TRUE BELIEVER of God, the LOVE, Paul is talking about is a GODLY LOVE, called AGAPE LOVE, and it is made possible ONLY  through the INDWELLING of God’s Holy Spirit. And it is a LOVE that SACRIFICES for the good of others.  It is LOVE in ACTION.

 

Here are some examples of the attributes of the AGAPE LOVE:  It is PATIENT and KIND (v. 4), it NEVER expresses JEALOUSY or ENVY, (v. 4), it is NOT BOASTFUL or PROUD, expressing self-importance.  (V. 4)  It is NOT RUDE or SELF-SEEKING, it is a TRUE LOVE, which puts the GOOD of others first, it is UNSELFISH (v. 5).  This LOVE is NOT PROVOKED, nor does it keep account of the evil things that others do, (v. 5).  AGAPE LOVE gives VICTORY, within the LOVE of CHRIST JESUS, a TRUE BELIEVER, can hold up under anything, and have FAITH and continue in HOPE.  It gives POWER to be able to ENDURE.  And it ALWAYS LEADS to VICTORY!  This AGAPE LOVE, is ETERNAL, it will NEVER FAIL, NEVER FADE, NEVER WEAKEN,  and NEVER DIE.   

 

In Paul’s letter to the BELIEVERS in EPHESUS, he wrote this to ENCOURAGE the TRUE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST:  “We will speak the TRUTH in LOVE, growing in every way more and more like CHRIST, who is the Head of His Body, the Church.  He makes the whole Body fit together perfectly.  As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and FULL of LOVE.” (Eph. 4:15-16)  This is why FAITH, HOPE and LOVE are ETERNAL.   You can’t have one without the others.  And they are dependent on each other. But  the GREATEST is LOVE!

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT experiencing God’s AMAZING, UNFAILING, ETERNAL LOVE. But you can, if you will TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. And ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON, who with AGAPE LOVE, died for YOU to be able to have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, and to ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY TO ESCAPE, once you are there.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS  did this 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 in FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.  The GREATEST is LOVE!!  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!