"Ruled by Christ's Love"

“Ruled by Christ’s Love”

 

 

We are ruled by Christ’s love for us.  We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died.  And Christ did die for all of us.  He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.--------2Corinthians 5:14-15

 

The Almighty God looked down on the crown of His creation, and saw their sinful, rebellious hearts.  He knew the only way to bring fallen mankind to Himself was, the shedding of blood from a faultless, spotless, righteous sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who came to SEEK and to SAVE fallen mankind.  Because of the LOVE of God for His creation, Jesus Christ CAME and DIED on an old rugged cross to SAVE sinful mankind.

 

Not many of us have experienced the heroic act of one person laying down their life, personally, for us.  But Jesus Christ left all the glories of Heaven to come to earth and be beaten, beyond recognition, then nailed to an old rugged cross, and take on the sins of ALL mankind, He who knew NO sin, became sin, and shed His precious blood and gave His life, in order for us to have eternal life, in Heaven, with Father God.

 

Christ died for us that we might LIVE for Him.  There are too many people who claim to be Christians, but you would NEVER be able to tell it by the life-style they possess. It’s one thing to PROFESS it, and a totally different thing to POSSESS it.  When we come to Christ, by the wooing of His Holy Spirit we SHOULD leave the OLD life and ALL its baggage, and take up the NEW life that Christ offers, and LIVE for Him, the ONE who DIED and was RAISED to life for us.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are living a sinful, rebellious life-style, you are rebellious against God and anything that is HOLY and RIGHTEOUS. You are destined to spend your eternity in a place called Hell, a place that is void of God and ANYTHING good.  You will not be able to escape the torture, torment, pain, heartache, and despair, unless you come to Christ, and CONFESS your sins to God, asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be ASSURED of your place in Heaven with Jesus Christ and Father God.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"A Sweet Perfume"

“A Sweet Perfume”

 

 

I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory.  God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume.  In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone.  For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life.  But for people who are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death.--------2 Corinthians 2:14-16

 

As a Child of the Living God, we are the instruments that He will use to spread the knowledge about Christ and the GOOD NEWS, that Jesus SAVES.  This GOOD NEWS is like the fragrance of perfume. The Apostle Paul says that God thinks of us, His Children, as a perfume that brings Christ to EVERYONE. 

For those who are being SAVED, this perfume of GOOD NEWS has a SWEET smell and leads them to a better life---the HOPE of Heaven.  But for those who are LOST, this perfume has a BAD smell and leads them to a horrible death----an eternity in Hell. 

For the most part, the lost doesn’t want to hear the GOOD NEWS, because they would come under conviction and would be forced to make a crucial decision concerning their eternal destination.  So when they are subjected to the KNOWLEDGE of CHRIST, the smell of the perfume, becomes a BAD smell and they tend to flee from it, and they end up experiencing a horrible death, because of their REJECTION of the KNOWLEDGE of CHRIST.

We who are the PERFUME, need to constantly let the FRAGRANCE of the KNOWLEDGE of CHRIST, permeate every place we go.  We never know who may be around us that would be drawn by the fragrance, to a better life, by ACCEPTING God’s free gift of the fragrant perfume, the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the GOOD NEWS, and the SALVATION of their SOUL.

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are one who will experience the BAD smell and be led to a horrible death----Hell.  You can change your situation NOW, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL  your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and become the sweet smell of perfume to someone searching for the GOOD NEWS.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"Your Life as an Open Book"

“Your Life as an Open Book”

 

 

Be careful about the way you live and about what you teach.  Keep on doing this, and you will save not only yourself, but the people who hear you.------1Timothy 4: 16

 

As Christians, our lives are like an “open book,” that can be seen or read by anyone.  Our actions and the way we conduct ourselves speak volumes to the world around us.  People can see if our lives match our words, in other words do we “practice what we preach?”  Are we being a ‘hypocrite?’  Living a life that is contrary to what we profess to be.  What kind of witness are we to this LOST and DYING world?”

 

Not only should we “Be careful” about the way we live, but also what we are teaching others.  Setting an example is teaching a lesson, what are we teaching others about Christianity, by the example that we set?  Are we teaching about the TRUE love of a HOLY RIGHTEOUS God? Are we teaching about His PLAN of SALVATION, and His FORGIVENESS of our sins?  Are we teaching that JUDGMENT will come on those who are continuously living in sin without remorse, those who have not given their HEART and LIFE to God?  What are we teaching those we come in contact with daily, by our example? 

 

We have the responsibility to live and teach in such a way that would not only save us, but also save the souls of others.  That should be our sole responsibility and we should ‘BE CAREFUL’ as to how we handle it. 

 

The unsaved person is also living and teaching lessons, ones that are contrary to the will of HOLY RIGHTEOUS God and they are setting an example of a rebellious and hostile lifestyle that goes against the will of HOLY RIGHTEOUS God and they are leading and teaching others lessons that will bring JUDGMENT and CONDEMNATION not only to themselves, but to those that they come in contact with daily.  The blood of those poor wretched, lost souls will be on each other’s hands.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are guilty of living, teaching and leading others and yourself as well, to JUDGMENT and CONDEMNATION, and will stand before the HOLY and RIGHTEOUS God with  blood on your hands of the poor, lost souls that you have led astray, but you have the opportunity NOW to turn from your sinful life, and set a GOOD example, and teach a life-changing lesson to those you come in contact with that will SAVE not only you, but them as well.  You can make that change by:  CONFESSING your sins to God, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and let your life be an “open book” for ALL to see and follow.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

"Life Near the End of Time"

“Life Near the End of Time”

 

 

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

 

I have, for a while now, seen an escalation of things happening in our world that brings about the reaffirmation that we are truly living near the end of time.  Selfish and godless people have been making fun of God for a very long time now, and it seems as though, it is progressing.

Some people believe that faith in God is nothing more than living in a state of delusion. That people who believe in God are believing in a myth, or fairy tale.  They believe that there is NO afterlife, this life is ALL there is, and after this there is NOTHING. 

A large portion of Society is thinking that if this is ALL there is, then I’m going to get ALL I can, and do ALL I want to do for myself and I don’t need God or anybody else.  So they set out to make a fortune for themselves, leaving God totally out of their lives, they become selfish and godless and make fun of those who are living a Godly life.  They flaunt their sinful ways in the very face of Almighty God and force their sinful desires to be made into laws that threaten the lifestyle of a Godly people, and what was evil they have made good, and what was good has become evil. 

Those ungodly people, who have turned our nation into a place of lawlessness, by inciting and provoking racial discord are turning people against each other to the point of murdering innocent people, and having NO REGARD for human life.  They taunt their evil actions in the very face of Almighty God, with NO remorse whatsoever, which indicates that they do NOT have God’s Spirit in them.

Jude tells us, in verses fourteen and fifteen, the demise of these ungodly people:  Enoch was the seventh person after Adam, and he was talking about these people when he said:  “Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of holy angels to judge everyone.  He will punish all those ungodly people for all the evil things they have done.  The Lord will surely punish those ungodly sinners for every evil thing they have ever said about Him.”

Their punishment will be an eternity in Hell, a place that is void of ANYTHING good.  They will spend ALL of eternity in torment, torture, agony, heartache, pain, and despair, the likes of which mankind has ever known. 

People, WAKE-UP!  We truly are NEAR the end of time.  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you will spend your eternity in Hell along with the other ungodly people, in torment, torture, agony, heartache, pain, and despair, but you can CHANGE that destination by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and look forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON.

"The Once-For-All Perfect Sacrifice"

“The Once-For-All Perfect Sacrifice”

 

 

So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered Himself once for all.  The priests do their work each day, and they keep on offering sacrifices that can never take away sins.  But Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice that is good forever.  Now He is sitting at God’s right side, and He will stay there until His enemies are put under His power.  By His one sacrifice He has forever set free from sin the people He brings to God.--------Hebrews 10: 10-14

 

In Old Testament times, the people were under an old covenant that had them bringing blood sacrifices to the priests, for the FORGIVENESS of their sins.  But those blood sacrifices, from animals, did not appease the HOLY, RIGHTEOUS God.  So God came up with a PLAN that would suffice the FORGIVENESS of the sins of mankind. 

A  NEW CONVENANT, a ONCE-FOR-ALL, PERFECT SACRIFICE, the SHED BLOOD of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.   Who came to this earth for the sole purpose of SEEKING and SAVING the lost.  Bringing a HOLY God and FALLEN mankind together, that was His mission.  And because of His OBEDIENCE to God, He offered Himself as that ONCE-FOR-ALL, PERFECT SACRIFICE. 

A sacrifice that is GOOD FOREVER.  Never again would mankind have to bring his own blood sacrifice to a priest, every time they sinned, because those sacrifices could not take away their sins.  But because of God’s NEW COVENANT, mankind has the assurance that the ONCE-FOR-ALL SACRIFICE is SUFFICIENT to take away our sins forever, and to NEVER be remembered by God again. 

We do, however, NEED to confess the sins we commit to God and ask for His forgiveness, and He is FAITHFUL and JUST to FORGIVE us of our sins. 

The fact that Christ is at God’s right side indicates that His ONCE-FOR-ALL SACRIFICE, His work on the Cross, His MISSION for God is COMPLETE, FINISHED, It does NOT have to be REPEATED time and time again.  He will remain at God’s right side until His enemies are under HIS power.

God’s plan for the ONCE-FOR-ALL SACRIFICE for mankind, is a PERFECT PLAN that can NOT be improved upon.  It is a FOREVER covenant that was carried out by God HIMSELF, and you CANNOT get any better than that.

If you have not ACCEPTED God’s ONCE-FOR-ALL plan, then you are headed for an eternity separated from God and EVERYTHING that is GOOD. You can, however, change your course by: CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and His ONCE-FOR-ALL SACRIFICE and be assured that you have the HOPE of Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Who is God?"

“Who is God?”

 

 

Don’t you know?  Haven’t you heard?  Hasn’t it been clear since the time of creation?  God is the one who rules the whole earth, and we that live here are merely insects.  He spread out the heavens like a curtain or an open tent.

 Look at the evening sky!  Who created the stars?  Who gave them each a name?  Who leads them like an army?  The LORD is so powerful that none of the stars are ever missing. 

Don’t you know?  Haven’t you heard?  The LORD is the eternal God, Creator of the earth.  He never gets weary or tired; His wisdom cannot be measured.--------Isaiah 40:21, 22,26, 28

 

God is the: Everlasting, Almighty, Righteous, Holy, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Creator of this ENTIRE universe and EVERYTHING in it. 

He is TRUTH, He is LOVE, He is the Word, He is Jesus Christ in the flesh, He is our Provider, He is our SUSTAINER, He is our GUIDE, He is the Holy Spirit that comes and indwells us.  He is the KEEPER of our souls, He is our SALVATION, He is the RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, He is the KING OF KINGS and the LORD OF LORDS, He is the RULER OF THE UNIVERSE, He is the ALPHA AND OMEGA!! And so MUCH more.

 

Yet who are we, that this ONE so AWESOME and GREAT, would care about or even take notice of?   We are the CROWN of His creation, the only part of His creation that He desires to have a RELATIONSHIP with.      

 

But in order to have a RELATIONSHIP with ONE so GREAT, we must come to Him under certain circumstances.  Because He is HOLY and RIGHTEOUS, we must become HOLY and RIGHTEOUS, and the ONLY WAY for us to become HOLY and RIGHTEOUS is through the shed blood of His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

It is SIN that KEEPS us from having a RELATIONSHIP with ALMIGHTY God, it is SIN that SEPARATES us from Him.  But He has provided a WAY for us to come to Him and have that RELATIONSHIP, which we were/are meant to have with Him.  It is His plan for the SALVATION of our soul.

 

This is what you must do to come to Him and have a RELATIONSHIP with Him:  CONFESS your sins to God and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS, 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 begin your RELATIONSHIP with God.  Do it NOW while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!

    

"Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Race, and Keeping the Faith"

“Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Race, and Keeping the Faith”

 

 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.--------2Timothy 4: 7-8

 

 

The Apostle Paul was in a Roman prison awaiting to be put to death, when he wrote these words.  Paul was reflecting back over his ministry and was content with his service to the Lord.

I wonder if many of us, if given the time, before we leave this world, could look back on our service to the Lord, and say with the same confidence as Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Or would we have to hang our head and lament, “Lord, forgive me, for I have NOT fought a good fight, I have NOT finished the race, nor have I kept the faith.”

 

We, in today’s fast-paced world, seem to put our Spiritual life on hold.  It seems like it ends up at the bottom of our list of priorities.  When in ALL actuality it should be at the very top of the list.  After all, our relationship with God will be what REALLY matters in the end.  And the funny thing is, when we put our Spiritual life at the top of our list of priorities, it seems like everything else falls right into place.  But our FAITH falters and we tend to let it end up at the bottom. 

 

When things go bad, we say our little prayer, and we expect God to be right there to make everything good, we want Him to put us FIRST, but we aren’t willing to put Him FIRST. 

 

How is your service to the Lord, are you fighting the good fight, working at finishing the race and keeping the FAITH?  Will you be able to, with confidence, receive a crown of righteousness on the day of Judgement?  Are you looking FORWARD, with ANTICIPATION to His return?  You can, if you do something to enhance your service to Him, because you LOVE Him and WANT to, fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith, until He returns, or you go to be with Him through death.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you can’t stand before the righteous Judge and say that you have fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.  You will only be able to stand and receive your condemnation for the sinful life you have lived and for your refusal to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you can change that NOW, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be READY to receive your crown of righteousness.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting, and coming SOON!