What is it that you value most in life? Each of us has a particular value system. We have either consciously or unconsciously developed this value system consisting of what is most important to us at the top. And what is the least important at the bottom.
Things or people we place the most value upon are those things we treasure. What's at the top of your list? (Ask yourself this question... and be honest about it!)
Jesus gave a story to explain the value of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13:44 which reads,
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Imagine discovering a treasure of great value hidden in a field, a gold mine perhaps! The owner of the field apparently does not know the treasure is there! What would you do? I don't know about you, but I would do just what this person did, sell everything I own and buy the whole field just to get the treasure out of it!
Jesus is the treasure in the field! When you get Jesus, you also get the kingdom of heaven! When you repent of your sins and ask him to save you, you have purchased a piece of the kingdom of heaven! All you have to pay is your old sinful life in exchange for the new one that he has purchased for you! Its like trading in your old beat up car for a brand new one, with no money down. Wow-- what a deal! (Who wouldn't take that?!)
Jesus says, I am the way the truth and the life! No man comes to the Father but by me. In another place he says I am the door!
So come on into the kingdom, the door is wide open! Your Father is waiting! Make Jesus Lord today!
Born Again! What Does It Mean? John 3:3,6-7
We understand what natural birth is all about because that is how all of us got here. There is a natural birth, and there is a spiritual birth.
When we are born of our father and mother, this is a birth of the flesh or a natural birth.
Though our bodies are made of flesh, we are also born with an invisible spirit and a soul on the inside of our bodies. So when we are born as babies, we are born with a spirit, a soul and a body.
In John 3:6 Jesus said That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
Or in other words, that which our parents give birth to is like our parents in nature or sinful. Then he said, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Or in other words that which the Spirit of God gives birth to is like God in nature without sin.
Jesus was born of the Spirit of God without sin. John 3:16 calls him the only begotten Son (of God).
So when we are born into this world, we are born with the nature of sin from our parents all the way back to Adam, the first man that sinned. His sinful nature was passed down to us from generation to generation through child birth.
So we were born of the flesh-sinful. Jesus was born of the Spirit-without sin. That is why Jesus said of us "Ye (you) must be born again" John 3:7.
Our first birth is a natural birth. But Jesus said if we are to enter into the kingdom of God, we must be born again (our spirits must be born of God's Spirit).
It is the Spirit of God that facilitates this new birth of our spirits.
How Does this New Birth Take Place?
Jesus said that he came to die for the sins of the whole world. And he fulfilled this by willingly dying on the Cross for each persons sins against God, so that we would not have to pay for our own sins. After 3 days he was raised up from the dead, having satisfied the payment for our sins which was death and hell. John 3:15-17
Here is how the spiritual new birth takes place: When you believe what Jesus did to pay for your sins, and are sorry for you sins against God, and you ask Him to forgive you, calling on Jesus to cleanse your sins with his blood, you will be born again!
Romans 10:9-11, 13 says,
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
When we are born of our father and mother, this is a birth of the flesh or a natural birth.
Though our bodies are made of flesh, we are also born with an invisible spirit and a soul on the inside of our bodies. So when we are born as babies, we are born with a spirit, a soul and a body.
In John 3:6 Jesus said That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
Or in other words, that which our parents give birth to is like our parents in nature or sinful. Then he said, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Or in other words that which the Spirit of God gives birth to is like God in nature without sin.
Jesus was born of the Spirit of God without sin. John 3:16 calls him the only begotten Son (of God).
So when we are born into this world, we are born with the nature of sin from our parents all the way back to Adam, the first man that sinned. His sinful nature was passed down to us from generation to generation through child birth.
So we were born of the flesh-sinful. Jesus was born of the Spirit-without sin. That is why Jesus said of us "Ye (you) must be born again" John 3:7.
Our first birth is a natural birth. But Jesus said if we are to enter into the kingdom of God, we must be born again (our spirits must be born of God's Spirit).
It is the Spirit of God that facilitates this new birth of our spirits.
How Does this New Birth Take Place?
Jesus said that he came to die for the sins of the whole world. And he fulfilled this by willingly dying on the Cross for each persons sins against God, so that we would not have to pay for our own sins. After 3 days he was raised up from the dead, having satisfied the payment for our sins which was death and hell. John 3:15-17
Here is how the spiritual new birth takes place: When you believe what Jesus did to pay for your sins, and are sorry for you sins against God, and you ask Him to forgive you, calling on Jesus to cleanse your sins with his blood, you will be born again!
Romans 10:9-11, 13 says,
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Jesus: The Light of the World! John 8:12
In the 8th chapter of John a woman found committing adultery was brought to Jesus while he was in the temple teaching. The scribes and Pharisees reminded Jesus that according to the Law, Moses said she should be stoned to death. But, they said, what do you say? They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus of going against the Law of Moses. Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger, as though he did not hear them.
When they would not let him alone, Jesus stood up and said "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". The scribes and Pharisees that heard his words were convicted of their sins by their own conscience. In other words, all of them remembered their own sins which they had committed and began to walk away, beginning with the oldest to the youngest.
None of them were without sin, and Jesus knew it. He himself was the only one present who had no sin, and thus the right to judge her. And he chose not to!
After everyone left who had accused the woman of adultery, Jesus stood up, looked around and said "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?" Then the woman responded, "No man, Lord." Jesus then replied to her, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Jesus did not say that the woman did not deserve to be stoned according to the Law. He did not deny her guilt. He simply chose not to condemn but to forgive her instead. After forgiving her he told her to go and sin no more. What a loving Savior he is!
Following this Jesus said to those looking on, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Sin is darkness. This woman was living in darkness, bound by a life of adultery just as so many are today. But Jesus is the light of the world. That means He has come to deliver all of mankind from the darkness of sin. He has paid the price for all of us to be free from sin no matter what our sins are! He has not come to condemn us for our sins but to save us from them! How wonderful!
He has paid the price for our sins with his own blood on the Cross and shown us the way out of sin and death... He is the Light of the world. He is saying to you that if you will follow him, you will not walk in the darkness of sin, but will have the light of life!
Won't you call upon him now, ask him to forgive you of your sins and begin to follow him today. If you will ask him, he will forgive you, even as he did this woman. Remember, He has not come to condemn you, but to save you!
Jesus is the Light of the world!
When they would not let him alone, Jesus stood up and said "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". The scribes and Pharisees that heard his words were convicted of their sins by their own conscience. In other words, all of them remembered their own sins which they had committed and began to walk away, beginning with the oldest to the youngest.
None of them were without sin, and Jesus knew it. He himself was the only one present who had no sin, and thus the right to judge her. And he chose not to!
After everyone left who had accused the woman of adultery, Jesus stood up, looked around and said "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?" Then the woman responded, "No man, Lord." Jesus then replied to her, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Jesus did not say that the woman did not deserve to be stoned according to the Law. He did not deny her guilt. He simply chose not to condemn but to forgive her instead. After forgiving her he told her to go and sin no more. What a loving Savior he is!
Following this Jesus said to those looking on, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Sin is darkness. This woman was living in darkness, bound by a life of adultery just as so many are today. But Jesus is the light of the world. That means He has come to deliver all of mankind from the darkness of sin. He has paid the price for all of us to be free from sin no matter what our sins are! He has not come to condemn us for our sins but to save us from them! How wonderful!
He has paid the price for our sins with his own blood on the Cross and shown us the way out of sin and death... He is the Light of the world. He is saying to you that if you will follow him, you will not walk in the darkness of sin, but will have the light of life!
Won't you call upon him now, ask him to forgive you of your sins and begin to follow him today. If you will ask him, he will forgive you, even as he did this woman. Remember, He has not come to condemn you, but to save you!
Jesus is the Light of the world!
Jesus Christ: The Forgiver of Sins Mark 2:10
From the time that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, every human being has been born with the nature of sin.
Psalm 51:5 reveals that we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity (different kinds of sinfulness). 'Sin' is our nature of rebellion against God, which we all received from Adam our forefather.
Jesus Christ was sent to earth as God's Solution to our problem of sin. In Mark 2:10 Jesus said, "....the Son of man (meaning himself) hath power on earth to forgive sins,".
Some time ago there was a commercial on T.V. in which a man made the statement, "It may not be your fault, but it is your problem". That's the way sin is. It may be Adam and Eve's fault. But it sure is our problem. The fact is that we will still suffer everlasting punishment in hell and the lake of fire, if we die in our sins.
But because of God's great love for us, He sent us his Solution for sin. John 3:16 says,
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The apostle Paul said in Romans 6:23 of the Bible, "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God has the power to forgive sins. When he died on the Cross for the sins of the world, that act guaranteed you and me the opportunity to be forgiven. But we must have a repentant heart (be sorrowful for our sins) and ask for his forgiveness. The blood of Jesus has given us that right!
Salvation is a free gift. But we must ask in order to receive. Another scripture says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". If you will repent of your sins and call on him now to save you, he will! Some years ago I repented of my sins, asked his forgiveness and he saved me! He'll do the same for you if you will ask Him!
Remember, God's gift to you is eternal life through Christ Jesus The Lord!
Psalm 51:5 reveals that we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity (different kinds of sinfulness). 'Sin' is our nature of rebellion against God, which we all received from Adam our forefather.
Jesus Christ was sent to earth as God's Solution to our problem of sin. In Mark 2:10 Jesus said, "....the Son of man (meaning himself) hath power on earth to forgive sins,".
Some time ago there was a commercial on T.V. in which a man made the statement, "It may not be your fault, but it is your problem". That's the way sin is. It may be Adam and Eve's fault. But it sure is our problem. The fact is that we will still suffer everlasting punishment in hell and the lake of fire, if we die in our sins.
But because of God's great love for us, He sent us his Solution for sin. John 3:16 says,
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The apostle Paul said in Romans 6:23 of the Bible, "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God has the power to forgive sins. When he died on the Cross for the sins of the world, that act guaranteed you and me the opportunity to be forgiven. But we must have a repentant heart (be sorrowful for our sins) and ask for his forgiveness. The blood of Jesus has given us that right!
Salvation is a free gift. But we must ask in order to receive. Another scripture says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". If you will repent of your sins and call on him now to save you, he will! Some years ago I repented of my sins, asked his forgiveness and he saved me! He'll do the same for you if you will ask Him!
Remember, God's gift to you is eternal life through Christ Jesus The Lord!
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