"Doing Good---Doing Evil"

“Doing Good----Doing Evil”

 

 

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do---this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.   

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!          Romans 7:15-20, 25

 

We are born with a sinful nature, which produces in each of us the innate, uncanny, desire to do what we DON’T want to do---SIN.  We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS desire to do what is GOOD, but more often than not, we slip, and don’t carry out the good, but do the evil that we wish NOT to do.

 

It seems that when we want to do GOOD, evil is right there with us, and becomes our travelling companion.  There seems to be two entities working within us.  One to make us do what we do NOT want to do and the other that wants us to do, what we WANT to do.  Good versus Evil! 

 

Sometimes you might feel like a prisoner that is trapped in a sinking ship, but take heart, if you are a TRUE BELIEVER that has been to Jesus for a cleansing of your soul, you can be assured that He will be your RESCUER, and save you from the sins that besets you.  And you can say with ASSURANCE: “Thanks be to God, who DELIVERS me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

 

If you have NOT been to Jesus for the CLEANSING of your soul, then you are a prisoner to your sinful nature and are sinking beneath the load of your sins.  You are in DESPERATE NEED of a SAVIOR, one who can RESCUE you and DELIVER you from your deadly demise---an eternity in Hell.  God is offering you a LIFE-SAVING invitation to come to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be SET FREE from your burden of sins.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Without Hope and Without God!"

“Without Hope and Without God!”

 

 

Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.         Ephesians 2:12-13

 

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the believers in Ephesus, he is speaking to ALL the believers, Jews and Gentiles alike.  These couple of verses deal with the reconciliation between the Jew and the Gentiles through Christ.

In verses twelve and thirteen, Paul speaks to the Gentiles about their relationship with the Jews and with God.  He tells them to REMEMBER the time when they were SEPARATED from Christ, and EXCLUDED or ALIENATED from citizenship in Israel.  Jews and Gentiles didn’t get along to well, and Israel was more of an exclusive Jewish state back then, than it is today.

 

The Gentiles were foreigners to the covenants of the promise.  The covenants were: The Abrahamic, the Palestinian, the Davidic and the New covenant.  These covenants pointed to “the promise” of the Messiah and blessings from Him.  And because they were “foreigners” to the covenants, they had NO HOPE of future glory and blessing as the Jews did. 

 

The Gentiles were WITHOUT HOPE and WITHOUT GOD.  And anyone who is not Jewish is Gentile.   Being WITHOUT HOPE meant that they had no expectation of a Savior, nor His blessings or of eternal life. Being WITHOUT GOD in the world was for them, a DESPERATE situation, they had NO purpose, NO hope, NO meaning and were aimfully wandering with NO direction in their life.  But NOW through Jesus Christ they, who were once FAR away, have been brought NEAR to GOD, by the BLOOD of Christ.

 

 If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you, a LOST Gentile, or a LOST Jew are WITHOUT HOPE and WITHOUT GOD.  You are aimfully wandering with NO direction, except for the direction leading to Hell, the place of torment, torture and agony for ALL eternity.  But God, in His infinite mercy, is giving you the opportunity to be brought NEAR to Him by:  Coming to Him with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and have HOPE, PURPOSE, MEANING, DIRECTION and a RIGHTEOUS relationship WITH GOD.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Worst of All Sinners!"

“The Worst of All Sinners!”

 

 

What I say is true, and you should fully accept it:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.  But I was given mercy so that in me, the worst of all sinners, Christ Jesus could show that He has patience without limit.  His patience with me made me an example for those who would believe in Him and have life forever.        1Timothy 1:15, 16

 

These verses of Scripture are part of the Apostle Paul’s amazing conversion.  Paul was an enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ, until his unexpected encounter on the road to Damascus, where his plans were to round up as many Christians as he could and bring them back to Jerusalem to meet their demise.  But Paul met the Master, Jesus, and was instantly blinded and after a short time was made to see, both physically and spiritually.  

 

It was Paul’s desire to kill as many of Christ’s followers as possible.  He was NOT a FAN of Jesus Christ.   Therefore he considered himself to be the WORST of ALL SINNERS.  But when he was confronted by Christ, Himself, Paul was GLORIOUSLY CONVERTED from an UNBELIEVER to a BELIEVER.  And NOT ONLY a BELIEVER, but a SERVANT, an EVANGELIST, and a MISSIONARY for the Lord Jesus Christ, risking his life, time and time again because of the very FAITH that he was ONCE so opposed to.

 

Paul goes on to say that the MERCY he received from God was a result of the fact that; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners---this was His mission.  And due to the limitless patience of Christ Jesus, Paul not only became a BELIEVER, but he was made an EXAMPLE for those seeking to become a BELIEVER. 

 

Paul knew he was a sinner and not just a sinner, but the WORST of ALL SINNERS.  Is that the way you are thinking, that you are the WORST of ALL SINNERS, because of ALL the really BAD things that you have thought, said or done?  Well, like the Apostle Paul, you can be FORGIVEN of your SIN-FILLED life and have the HOPE of Heaven.  There is no sin that CANNOT be FORGIVEN, other than REJECTING Jesus Christ as your SAVIOR and LORD.  The Bible says if we will CONFESS our sins to Him, He is FAITHFUL and JUST to FORGIVE us of our sins.  He is WAITING for you to come to Him for the SALVATION of your soul.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to Him, then you are REJECTING HIM and as patient as He is, there will come a time when He will quit dealing with you, then you will be HOPELESSLY, ETERNALLY LOST.  You can avoid that by:  Coming to Him, with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a TRUE BELIEVER and an EXAMPLE to those NEEDING a SAVIOR.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

"Persevering Under Trial!"

“Persevering Under Trial!”

 

 

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.      James 1:12

 

 

We truly are living in PERILOUS times, especially for the TRUE BELIEVER.  We are being forced to accommodate things that are contradictory to our beliefs.  And many are or will be facing TRIALS that will surely TEST their FAITH. 

 

It will take STEADFASTNESS and TRUST to overcome these TRIALS.  Our FAITH will, in some cases be tested to the limits.  And we MUST PERSEVERE, because of the STRONG, INTENSE, LOVE we have for our Father God, who will see us through the TRIAL, which will produce in us a HOLY RIGHTEOUSNESS that can ONLY come from Him. 

 

He will give us WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING concerning the TRIALS we encounter, if we will but ask of Him.  James says that the person who withstands the TEST will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised those who love Him.

 

This crown is a reward for PERSEVERING UNDER TRIAL, it is like a race, where the runner is VICTORIOUS in running the race according to all the rules, and overcoming the obstacles that they encounter along the way.  And when they finish the race they receive their REWARD or CROWN.  

 

We too, are running a race and will encounter different things that will or could be a threat to the outcome of our race.  The question is:  Will we be VICTORIOUS and receive the crown of life, because of the STRONG, INTENSE, LOVE that we have for our Lord God?  Or will we cave in and give up because of a WEAK, PUNY, relationship that we have with Him.  We NEED to be STRONG, and STEADFAST in our FAITH and TRUST in God to see us through our TRIALS and TESTS.  We do that by having a HEALTHY relationship with Him.  That means spending some QUALITY TIME with Him EVERYDAY.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are LOST, and probably facing these PERILOUS times, which will get worse as the time passes, ALONE.  You will be a loser in the race, and will NOT receive a reward, the CROWN of LIFE, but instead you will receive condemnation and be sentenced to an ETERNITY in Hell, the place of eternal torment, torture, pain and agony.  However, God is giving you the opportunity to turn from your sinful lifestyle, and to come to Him with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART and 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 become a WINNER and an OVERCOMER, by PERSEVERING UNDER TRIAL, and receive your crown of life.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Aroma of Christ!"

“The Aroma of Christ!”

 

 

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere.  For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life…   2Corinthians 2:14-16.    

 

 

In Paul’s thinking, the TRUE BELIEVERS are captives in Christ, and are in a triumphal procession.  A Roman triumphal procession included the parading of their captives, and incense was burned.  And in these verses of Scripture, the Apostle Paul compares the ‘knowledge of Christ’ to the PLEASING AROMA of the burning incense, which was diffused throughout the world by the preaching of the gospel.

 

Paul says that, “we are the pleasing AROMA of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  We, the TRUE BELIEVERS, who are an example of the PLEASING AROMA of the burning incense, brings Christ to EVERYONE.  For the TRUE BELIEVER’S life is an example of the gospel in action.  And for the people being SAVED, the AROMA is a sweet smell, which leads the lost to a BETTER LIFE.  But for people who are lost, and keep rejecting God’s gift of SALVATION, the AROMA is a BAD smell, and leads them to a horrible Spiritual death, that lasts for ALL eternity.

 

The Apostle Paul says that the TRUE BELIEVER is a PLEASING AROMA of Christ, to God, which brings Christ to everyone.  Are you a TRUE BELIEVER, who is a PLEASING AROMA of Christ, and brings Christ to everyone?  Are you diffusing the world with the SWEET AROMA of the gospel?

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are one who can’t smell the PLEASING AROMA of Christ, and to you, it more than likely, is that the SWEET AROMA of the gospel is bad and offensive, and because of your rejection, the path you are on is leading you straight to Hell, the place of torment, torture, pain, and agony, for ALL eternity.  But God is giving you another opportunity to ACCEPT His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as your SAVIOR and LORD, and to ESCAPE Hell.  You do that by; coming to Him with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a PLEASING AROMA of Christ to a lost and dying world.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Secret Power of Lawlessness!"

“The Secret Power of Lawlessness!”

 

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, who the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming.         2Thessalonians 2:7-8

 

 

Just how close are we to the culmination of the ages?  I believe these verses gives us a fairly good idea.  THE SECRET POWER of LAWLESSNESS is a New Testament mystery, meaning that it is a NEW TRUTH that is previously UNKNOWN, before its revelation in the present age.  The mystery of the SECRET POWER of LAWLESSNESS is the revelation of the FUTURE climax of lawlessness in the world. 

 

This movement of lawlessness is a movement against God’s divine law, which has and is presently being orchestrated by Satan.  However, it is being presently restrained and will continue to be restrained until the appointed time when the revelation of the man of lawlessness and sin, the Antichrist, and the climax of lawlessness is carried out.

 

Now, we might be asking the question; “who” or “what “is restraining the revelation of the man of sin and the climax of lawlessness?  I believe like a few others, that this is being restrained by the Holy Spirit of God who indwells the TRUE BELIEVER, and will be removed from this earth when the TRUE BELIEVERS are RAPTURED.  Then the man of lawlessness and sin will be revealed, and THE SECRET POWER of LAWLESSNESS will be unleashed upon the earth.  What a HORRENDOUS time that will be.  It will last for a period of seven years, and is known as the period of TRIBULATION. 

 

Then at the end of the TRIBULATION PERIOD.  The Lord Jesus will return to earth a SECOND time, with ALL the SAINTS, and the Scripture says, the Lord Jesus will overthrow the man of lawlessness and sin with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming.”  AMEN and HALLELUJAH!!  

 

This man of lawlessness may have control over mankind, but he, in NO way can match the Lord Jesus, who is TRULY the KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS.  The man of lawlessness will be killed and His work destroyed.  But I shudder to think of how HORRIBLY BAD it is going to be when the POWER OF LAWLESSNESS is unleashed upon the world with ALL its power.  I’m so THANKFUL that I won’t be here, but my question to you is will you be here?  You don’t have to be, if you will come to God with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART and 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 ESCAPE the HORRENDOUS time of LAWLESSNESS, SIN, and an ETERNITY in Hell.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"God,the Refuge and Strength of My Heart!"

“God, the Refuge and Strength of My Heart!”

 

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.  But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.          Psalm 73:26-28

 

 

It is a good thing to come to the knowledge of our frailties.  To KNOW how weak and limited we really are.  The Psalmist says: “My FLESH and my HEART may FAIL, but God is the STRENGTH of my HEART and my PORTION forever.”  There is NOTHING in this world that can compare to a STRONG, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD.  

 

EVERYTHING and EVERYONE, here on this earth, possesses WEAKNESS and LIMITATIONS, and when we are faced with things that are threatening our livelihood, we RUN to God, because we KNOW that when ALL else FAILS, it is GOD who will rescue us, it is GOD who will be our REFUGE and STRENGTH, it is GOD on whom we can rely, but He is a REFUGE and STRENGTH, ONLY to those who belong to Him.  Those who have come to Him for the SALVATION of their souls. 

 

We are living in uncertain times, and it looks like a BIG, FEROCIOUS STORM is looming on the horizon.  Those of us who are the TRUE Children of the Living God can face this storm with ASSURANCE that the One who is our REFUGE and the STRENGTH of our HEART, in ANY storm can SAVE us from ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.  What or who are you depending on to be your REFUGE and the STRENGTH of your Heart?

 

The Psalmist goes on to tell us the demise of those who are UNFAITHFUL and FAR FROM God, these are the ones who have NOT come to God for their SALVATION, they will PERISH, God will DESTROY them.  If you don’t want this to be your destiny, then you MUST come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and CONFESS your sins to Him, 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 receive the ASSURANCE that He is your REFUGE and the STRENGTH of your HEART.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!