"The True Witness!"

“The True Witness!” 

 

 

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us---so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.           Psalm 67:1-2

 

The Psalmist is praying that God will be GRACIOUS and BLESS the people, and to show His favor, upon them, in order for ALL nations on earth to be able to see His GREAT WAYS, and KNOW of His SALVATION.

 

Can we, with good conscience, ask God to be GRACIOUS and to BLESS the United States, because of the WITNESS of the TRUE BELIEVERS?  Are we presenting a PROPER witness of God’s MERCY and GRACE to a LOST, HOPLESS, and DYING WORLD?  Are we getting the message out of God’s SALVATION for ALL MANKIND, to the point that ALL NATIONS on earth could KNOW that there is HOPE?  Are we letting our LIGHT shine before men that they might see His good works, and glorify Him? 

 

I think some are not as enthusiastically sold-out to Jesus Christ, as they SHOULD BE.  If you had the cure for ALL the different kinds of cancer, would you not share it with ALL the nations of the world so that ALL those whose lives are threatened with the DEADLY disease could be SAVED? 

 

Well, the TRUE BELIEVER, has the cure for the DEADLY disease of SIN, which not ONLY threatens the PHYSICAL LIFE, but KILLS the SPIRITUAL LIFE of EVERY person, EVERYWHERE on this earth.  Why are we NOT SHOUTING it from the roof tops?  “JESUS SAVES” COME TO HIM NOW!  HE IS THE CURE FOR SIN and DEATH OF THE SOUL!!”   So let us be the WITNESS we SHOULD be and then we can with a GOOD CONSCIENCE, ask God to be GRACIOUS to us and to BLESS us with His favor.

 

The way you receive the CURE for SIN is to come to God, 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 become a TRUE WITNESS of ALL God’s ways and His SALVATION to a LOST and DYING world.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Light"

“The Light”

 

 

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.          John 12:46

 

Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, the Light of ALL mankind.  The Light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness does NOT overcome it.  The True Light that gives light to everyone.

 

Those who have come to God for the SALVATION of their souls, can TRULY say, as the Psalmist said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation---whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1).  When we come to Jesus, the Light of the World, accepting Him as our light and salvation, we should then LIVE or WALK as Children of the Light, who once walked in darkness, but NOW we become a light in the Lord. 

 

 God is Light, and if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we will have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son will purify us from ALL sin and deliver us from the darkness.  Jesus, being God in the flesh, can TRUTHFULLY claim to have come into the world as a light.  And anyone who BELIEVES in Him will NOT stay in the darkness, but will become a light in the Lord and we SHOULD illuminate the darkness of this sin-drenched world, by letting our light shine and not hide it from a world that is in total darkness and despair.  We are the light that will lead people from the darkness and into the LIGHT.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are living in the darkness with NO HOPE, and are facing CONDEMNATION from the Righteous Judge of Light, who will Himself dispel the darkness of sin and expose it for what it TRULY is, heartache, hopelessness, and despair.  He is NOW giving you the opportunity to come out of the darkness and into the GLORIOUS LIGHT, of His Son, Jesus Christ.  You do that by:  Coming 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 become a LIGHT in the Lord for a lost and dying world.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Power within Us"

“The Power within Us”

 

 

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.         Ephesians 3:20-21

 

In Thursday’s devotion we talked about the unity or coming together of the Jewish and Gentile believers as ONE in the body of Christ, the Church.  This is ONLY possible through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. 

 

And it is Him, who made it all possible, because He is ABLE to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than we ask or imagine and it is according to HIS power, which is at work within us.  We, in our own ability, can NOT love as God LOVES, but by His Holy Spirit, who indwells us, we possess the POWER to LOVE as He LOVES.

 

I often marvel at the UNCONDITIONAL LOVE that God has for the Crown of His Creation, mankind, such a WIDE, LONG, HIGH, and DEEP love that surpasses ALL knowledge.  Yet He extends that LOVE to mankind, when we were yet sinners, who lived in disobedience to His will.

 

His love was/is so STRONG and DEEP that He was willing to send His own Son, Jesus Christ to the cross, to be the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, which would provide for ALL mankind a bridge to God, for the SALVATION of their souls.  And for the believers, regardless of their nationality, to possess the POWER to LOVE each other with His AGAPE LOVE.  After all, when we come to Christ Jesus for the SALVATION of our souls, we then become a Child of the Living God, and should have HIS LOVE working in us through the POWER of His Holy Spirit, who indwells us.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT His child and do not possess the POWER of His LOVE, because you do NOT possess His Holy Spirit.  You are living in disobedience to Him, yet He LOVES you UNCONDITIONALLY, and wants you to have ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven with Him and His Son, and the rest of His family.  You can ONLY do that by:  Coming 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 possess the POWER to LOVE others as He has LOVED you, through His Holy Spirit, which will indwell you.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"The Two Becomes One"

“The Two Becomes One”

 

 

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.  And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.        Ephesians 2:14-18

 

 

The Apostle Paul emphasizes four ways in which the Jewish and Gentile believers are brought together in PEACE to form one body.  1.  The two are brought together by Jesus Christ.  2.  They then are made ONE, though they are Jew and Gentile.  3.  In this one body, both become reconciled, and the middle wall of separation, the enmity, is abolished.  And 4.  Both Jew and Gentile brought together as one body, through the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE of Jesus Christ on the cross, has been provided access by one Spirit to Father God.

 

That ONE BODY makes-up the Church, the body of Christ.  The Gentiles who were once afar off and the Jews who were near, those Gentiles and Jews who are TRUE BELIEVERS in the Lord Jesus Christ,  are the CHURCH or the BODY of Christ, who being a Jew, gave His life for ALL mankind, Jew and Gentile. 

 

A Gentile is anyone who is NOT a Jew.  The Jewish people are a special people, they are the nationality that God CHOSE to bring the SAVIOR, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world, and they were CHOSEN to spread the GOOD NEWS of SALVATION throughout the world.  There are some Jews who have ACCEPTED Jesus Christ as their SAVIOR and Lord, they are known as Messianic Jews.  They are part of the TRUE BELIEVERS, and then ALL the rest of the different nationalities, the Gentiles, who have accepted Jesus Christ as their SAVIOR and Lord, are the other part of the TRUE BELIEVERS, and they come together through Christ, to make up the BODY of Jesus Christ, the CHURCH. 

 

They are able to be partakers in fellowship with the Father and the Son, because of their SHARED relationship with God, which was made possible through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, on the cross. If you, whether, you are Jew or Gentile, have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through the blood of Jesus Christ, you are NOT a part of the BODY of Christ, nor a part of the Church, and you do not possess the ACCESS to God that you need to be able to have ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven.  You must come to God 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 become a part of the BODY of Jesus Christ, the Church, and receive the HOPE of Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"The Charge"

“The Charge”

 

 

In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time---God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, who no one has seen or can see.  To Him be honor and might forever.  Amen.          1Timothy 6:13-16

 

This charge, given to Timothy, by Paul, was the strongest charge of all those given to Timothy.  The content of the charge is probably larger than any single law.  And more than likely refers to the whole body of sound teaching.  Paul was charging Timothy with the preservation of this whole body of teaching without spot or blame, until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The return of Christ will take place at God’s appointed time.  NO one knows when that will be, not even Christ Jesus knows, ONLY God, the Blessed and ONLY Ruler, the King of kings and Lord or lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom NO one has seen or can see. 

 

Then the charge ends with a doxology, of sorts, to the ONE and ONLY God of the Universe, the CREATOR of ALL that is, the Ultimate Ruler of all, the One deserving of PRAISE and WORSHIP.  ALL things are in His hands. 

 

God, though living in an unapproachable light, has provided away for mankind to come to Him, and that being, by His ONE and ONLY Son, Jesus Christ.  There is NO OTHER way in which mankind can be SAVED, but to come to the foot of the cross of Christ, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, 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, which is offered to you through Jesus Christ, who will SOON RETURN to this earth to claim His own.  This is your opportunity to be able to spend ALL eternity in Heaven with God, the Father and Jesus His Son.  So you need to do it NOW, while you still can, because He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!  Don’t be left behind!!!

"Living in a Sensible, Righteous, and Godly Way"

“Living in a Sensible, Righteous, and Godly Way”

 

 

For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.         Titus 2:11-14

 

It is somewhat difficult for Christians to live in a SENSIBLE, RIGHTEOUS, and GODLY way, in this day and age.  We are held to certain laws and formats of society that force us, in some cases, to do, think and say things that goes against our beliefs as TRUE BELIEVERS of the Living God.  However, because of God’s AMAZING GRACE, and the SALVATION of our souls, we are instructed to DENY godlessness and worldly lusts, and to strive at living in a SENSIBLE, RIGHTEOUS, AND GODLY way, while we wait for the RETURN of our SAVIOR and LORD, Jesus Christ. 

 

Because of the SACRIFICE of Himself for the REDEMPTION of ALL mankind, from ALL lawlessness and to CLEANSE us, a people for His own POSSESSION, who are EAGER to do good works.  The question that comes to my mind is, why is it that churches have so much trouble trying to get people to SERVE in different areas of the church, and then why is it when we try to do GOOD WORKS, all you hear is grumbling about having to do so much of it?  Could it be that our churches are FAILING in their mission, for which they were set a part to do?  Okay, I know I’m meddling, but God laid it on my heart, so I thought I would share, since some may have forgotten the mission of the TRUE BELIEVER.

 

If you are a TRUE BELIEVER, how do you want Jesus to find you, when He returns?  Do you want to be sitting on the pew, waiting to be catered to?  Or will you be carrying out His desire for His own possession, that you would be EAGER to SERVE Him?  Do you want Him to find you GRUMBLING about having to HELP out people in NEED, or THANKFUL that you are ABLE to help someone less fortunate than yourself? 

 

And if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD then you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER, and you have NOT experienced God’s AMAZING GRACE and SALVATION of your soul, but you are living a godless, unrighteous, and lawless life that will be condemned to Hell, unless you come to God, NOW, 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 become a TRUE BELIEVER, who is LIVING a SENSIBLE, RIGHTEOUS, and GODLY life as His possession, EAGER to do good works.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Slave of Sin or Righteousness?"

“Slave of Sin or Righteousness?”

 

 

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.          Romans 6:17, 18

 

In this life, we are given many choices.  Some of which can and will be LIFE-CHANGING, however, there is one that will make a PERMANENT change in our eternity or after-life.  That choice is whether or not we will ACCEPT Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Or will we remain in our sinful, corrupt, disobedient lifestyle, being a SLAVE of SIN, and rejecting Jesus Christ and being a SLAVE of RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 

When we come to Jesus Christ, after HEARING the Gospel of God’s Holy Word, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and seeking the FORGIVENESS and FREEDOM of our sins, and willingly being OBEDIENT to the Holy Word of God, and being set FREE from the taskmaster of sin.  We then become a SLAVE of RIGHTEOUSNESS and HOLINESS.

 

We then encounter a LIFE-CHANGING experience, one that will alter our life-style, and give us a HOPE and a FUTURE concerning our ETERNITY.  We CANNOT obtain a HOLY RIGHTEOUSNESS apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.  And we CANNOT go to Heaven and live for ALL ETERNITY with Father God and His Son, Jesus Christ, unless we are WILLING to become a SLAVE of RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

 

Who is your master?  Sin or RIGHTEOUSNESS?  If you have NOT come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, being OBEDIENT to His Holy Word, and seeking FORGIVENESS and FREEDOM of your sins, then you are a SLAVE of SIN and its ETERNAL destiny.  However, you have been given the opportunity to break the chains of sin, and to be set FREE.  You do that by:  Coming to God with a TRUE, OBEDIENT and 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 SLAVE of RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Do it NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON.