Jesus had a way of teaching simple examples of things known, to make us understand things unknown (Parables). The following is one such parable Matthew 7:24-27)
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Jesus is The Rock of life. A person who builds his life upon the words of Jesus is like a man who built his house using a rock for the foundation!
One who builds his life by trusting in anything else other than His words is like a man who built his house on the sand!
The foundations of our lives are the things we trust in most. Ask yourself this question, "What do I trust in the most?" Money? My education? My career? The government? My doctor or lawyer? My husband or wife? My own abilities? My religion? What? Everyone trusts in something or someone.
The next question is this, "Can the people or things in which I presently trust in stand the test of time?" Can I really depend on them to not let me down? Do they really have my back? Because sooner or later everything and everyone we trust in besides Jesus WILL let us down! It's just a matter of time! And you know that I am right!
Jesus said a life built on trust in any of these things will eventually collapse, and great will be the fall of that life; because the pressures of life will surely come and beat upon us and the foundations upon which we live will crumble! And only the life built upon the words of Jesus will stand, both now and through eternity!
Jesus and his words are the only solid foundation that will withstand the rain, floods and winds of life! Don't wait 'til your house falls before you establish it upon The Rock. Jesus is The Rock of life. And salvation is the way to be founded upon Him!
Here's how: Repent of your sins, and call upon Jesus and be saved from your sins! Whosoever shall call upon him, shall be saved! Then build your life upon The Rock day by day, believing in and obeying his words!
And your house (your life) will never fall!
Passage Into the Kingdom of God! John 10:14-15
On a particular day when Jesus was out and about on the streets of Israel, parents were bringing their children to him to be touched and blessed. His disciples stopped this activity, telling them to go away.
When Jesus realized what was happening, he was very upset with his disciples and said, (Mark 10:14-15):
14 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
As Jesus often did, he used this situation to teach his disciples something about the kingdom of God which they did not know. In this case his lesson concerned how to enter into the kingdom of God.
First of all, Jesus began by telling his disciples why they should not forbid the little children from coming to him; for as he put it "of such is the kingdom of God". Sounds to me like Jesus was saying that there are many children already in the kingdom of God!
Jesus' second statement concerning this subject was even stronger. He said that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God "as a little child will not enter therein". In other words, if we do not come to God with a pure heart and an humble attitude like a little child, we will not get into the kingdom of God!
Some people try to come to God in pride on their own terms, because in this life they are respected by men. But God resists the proud and gives grace or favor to the humble. Only admitting that we are sinners and in need of the Savior will cause God to respond to us. We must come to God with the humility of a little child, knowing nothing, having nothing and needing everything from God!
If you will repent of your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you by the blood of Jesus, and in the name of Jesus, he will hear you, cleanse you of your sins and give you passage through Jesus Christ into the kingdom of God!
Don't wait until tomorrow. Do it now. Tomorrow might be too late!
When Jesus realized what was happening, he was very upset with his disciples and said, (Mark 10:14-15):
14 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
As Jesus often did, he used this situation to teach his disciples something about the kingdom of God which they did not know. In this case his lesson concerned how to enter into the kingdom of God.
First of all, Jesus began by telling his disciples why they should not forbid the little children from coming to him; for as he put it "of such is the kingdom of God". Sounds to me like Jesus was saying that there are many children already in the kingdom of God!
Jesus' second statement concerning this subject was even stronger. He said that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God "as a little child will not enter therein". In other words, if we do not come to God with a pure heart and an humble attitude like a little child, we will not get into the kingdom of God!
Some people try to come to God in pride on their own terms, because in this life they are respected by men. But God resists the proud and gives grace or favor to the humble. Only admitting that we are sinners and in need of the Savior will cause God to respond to us. We must come to God with the humility of a little child, knowing nothing, having nothing and needing everything from God!
If you will repent of your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you by the blood of Jesus, and in the name of Jesus, he will hear you, cleanse you of your sins and give you passage through Jesus Christ into the kingdom of God!
Don't wait until tomorrow. Do it now. Tomorrow might be too late!
Jesus Proclaims Good News to You! Luke 4:43
Jesus stood up to read the scripture as was his custom on the sabbath day in the synagogue in Nazareth. He read from the prophet Esaias (Isaiah) these words, (Luke 4:18-19)
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Then after closing the book and sitting down with the eyes of everyone in the synagogue on him,
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Jesus had just announced to his hometown church the reason he had been sent to the people of Israel and to the people of the world...to proclaim good news. The word 'gospel' means good news. The good news he brings to the world is healing from sickness and diseases of the body, deliverance of the soul from Satan's bondage and salvation through forgiveness of sin.
That day this scripture began to be fulfilled! And from generation to generation God's saving grace through Jesus Christ has been offered to the people of the earth. And this salvation has now come to you and me in our generation. Will you now receive the good news that Jesus himself offers you?
If you are sick, ask Jesus Christ to heal you! He is still the Great Doctor! If your soul is depressed even to the point of of desiring suicide, ask him to deliver you! He is the Great Psychiatrist! If your life is messed up with the consequences of your own sins, ask him to forgive you and save you! For He is the Great and Only Savior of mankind!
Jesus continues to proclaim the good news that through him, "...the kingdom of heaven is (still) at hand." Matthew 3:2 (Parenthesis is mine).
Don't let time run out on you. Do it now. Ask Him to forgive you for your sinful life, and from now on to take charge of it for you. He will. Do it now!
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Then after closing the book and sitting down with the eyes of everyone in the synagogue on him,
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Jesus had just announced to his hometown church the reason he had been sent to the people of Israel and to the people of the world...to proclaim good news. The word 'gospel' means good news. The good news he brings to the world is healing from sickness and diseases of the body, deliverance of the soul from Satan's bondage and salvation through forgiveness of sin.
That day this scripture began to be fulfilled! And from generation to generation God's saving grace through Jesus Christ has been offered to the people of the earth. And this salvation has now come to you and me in our generation. Will you now receive the good news that Jesus himself offers you?
If you are sick, ask Jesus Christ to heal you! He is still the Great Doctor! If your soul is depressed even to the point of of desiring suicide, ask him to deliver you! He is the Great Psychiatrist! If your life is messed up with the consequences of your own sins, ask him to forgive you and save you! For He is the Great and Only Savior of mankind!
Jesus continues to proclaim the good news that through him, "...the kingdom of heaven is (still) at hand." Matthew 3:2 (Parenthesis is mine).
Don't let time run out on you. Do it now. Ask Him to forgive you for your sinful life, and from now on to take charge of it for you. He will. Do it now!
Jesus: The Living Water John 4:1-26
Jesus went to Samaria to meet with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. The woman went to the well to draw water as was her routine. Jesus obviously knew that he would meet her there in the absence of his disciples who had left him to buy food.
Exhausted, Jesus asked the woman for a drink of water. She responded in surprise that Jesus being a Jew had asked a Samaritan for a drink, since Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. (The Samaritans were kindred to Jews but of mixed blood.)
Then Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God, (Salvation) and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked him for a drink, and he would have given you living water." (Paraphrased)
The woman then said, "Sir you have nothing with which to draw water, and the well is deep; so where then does this living water you speak of come from?" (Paraphrased)
Jesus responded, "Whoever drinks the water from this well will get thirsty again, but the water that I give shall be a well springing up unto eternal life!" (Paraphrased)
Jesus told the woman things about herself that only God could know. And during their short encounter, He revealed himself to her as the Messiah, the Son of God. And now he wants an encounter to reveal Himself to you!
Ask Jesus now to forgive you of your sins; and when you do with all your heart, he will forgive you and give you Salvation that will be like living water springing up inside you unto eternal life! Don't put it off. Do it now!
Jesus is waiting!
Exhausted, Jesus asked the woman for a drink of water. She responded in surprise that Jesus being a Jew had asked a Samaritan for a drink, since Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. (The Samaritans were kindred to Jews but of mixed blood.)
Then Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God, (Salvation) and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked him for a drink, and he would have given you living water." (Paraphrased)
The woman then said, "Sir you have nothing with which to draw water, and the well is deep; so where then does this living water you speak of come from?" (Paraphrased)
Jesus responded, "Whoever drinks the water from this well will get thirsty again, but the water that I give shall be a well springing up unto eternal life!" (Paraphrased)
Jesus told the woman things about herself that only God could know. And during their short encounter, He revealed himself to her as the Messiah, the Son of God. And now he wants an encounter to reveal Himself to you!
Ask Jesus now to forgive you of your sins; and when you do with all your heart, he will forgive you and give you Salvation that will be like living water springing up inside you unto eternal life! Don't put it off. Do it now!
Jesus is waiting!
God's Big Net! Matthew 13:47-50
Jesus always used parables when teaching those who were not already following him about the kingdom of God. A parable is a short example of something already known to explain something unknown.
One such parable Jesus used was about fishing to reveal what will happen at the end of the world. Listen to what he said in Matthew 13:47-50:
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered every kind:
48 which when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus is saying that the kingdom of heaven is like a net which men threw into the sea and caught many kinds of fish. When the net was drawn to shore, fishermen separated the good fish from the bad. The good fish were placed in containers while the bad were thrown away.
Then in verse 49 and 50 Jesus uses this scenario to explain what will happen to people at the end of the world.
Like the fishermen gathered in many fish, God shall gather all the people of the world and judge them! The just shall be separated from the wicked, and the wicked shall be cast into the lake of fire! And there shall be wailing (crying) and gnashing of teeth (the gnawing of the tongue in pain)
As harsh as this parable might sound, Jesus tells it because he loves us so much and does not want us to experience the horrors of hell and the lake of fire which is the consequences of sin!
This is the reason he gave his life for us. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Jewish Rabbi in John 3:16 of God the Father's great love for us, to keep us from the judgement of hell and the lake of fire. Listen to what he said:
16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Jesus died for my sins and yours upon that cross. If you will repent of your sins, just as I have for mine, (tell God you are sorry for your sins and mean it) and ask Jesus to forgive you and change your heart, he will! Then live your life in obedience to Him, and you will spend eternity in Heaven instead of in the lake of fire with the wicked!
Jesus has come into the world just for this purpose, to save us from the consequences of our sins!
For the wages (consequences) of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 (Parenthesis is mine)
Jesus is God's gift to you! Won't you receive His gift of eternal life which is in Christ Jesus!
One such parable Jesus used was about fishing to reveal what will happen at the end of the world. Listen to what he said in Matthew 13:47-50:
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered every kind:
48 which when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus is saying that the kingdom of heaven is like a net which men threw into the sea and caught many kinds of fish. When the net was drawn to shore, fishermen separated the good fish from the bad. The good fish were placed in containers while the bad were thrown away.
Then in verse 49 and 50 Jesus uses this scenario to explain what will happen to people at the end of the world.
Like the fishermen gathered in many fish, God shall gather all the people of the world and judge them! The just shall be separated from the wicked, and the wicked shall be cast into the lake of fire! And there shall be wailing (crying) and gnashing of teeth (the gnawing of the tongue in pain)
As harsh as this parable might sound, Jesus tells it because he loves us so much and does not want us to experience the horrors of hell and the lake of fire which is the consequences of sin!
This is the reason he gave his life for us. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Jewish Rabbi in John 3:16 of God the Father's great love for us, to keep us from the judgement of hell and the lake of fire. Listen to what he said:
16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Jesus died for my sins and yours upon that cross. If you will repent of your sins, just as I have for mine, (tell God you are sorry for your sins and mean it) and ask Jesus to forgive you and change your heart, he will! Then live your life in obedience to Him, and you will spend eternity in Heaven instead of in the lake of fire with the wicked!
Jesus has come into the world just for this purpose, to save us from the consequences of our sins!
For the wages (consequences) of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 (Parenthesis is mine)
Jesus is God's gift to you! Won't you receive His gift of eternal life which is in Christ Jesus!
Jesus: TheTreasure of Great Price! Matthew 13:44
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 mind 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!
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 mind 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!
Life Consists of More Than the Stuff We Possess! Luke12:15-21
A Jewish man asked Jesus to speak to his brother about sharing an inheritance with him. Jesus replied, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" Then Jesus told a story of the consequences of greed which in the scriptures is called 'covetousness'. Here is the story Jesus told. How it resembles so many who seek after riches today and not after God. Listen to it as recorded in Luke 12:15-21:
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
Jesus said "A man's life does not consist of the things he possesses". In other words, God measures a person's net worth not based on what he has accumulated in this world's wealth but what we have received of Godly wealth. (Keep reading, I will explain)
Notice that this man had much wealth by man's standard, but was not rich by God's standard. So that brings us to the question: What is God's standard of riches and how is it that standard attained?
I will answer the second part of the question first. How does one attain the riches of God? First of all, God's riches are found in God's kingdom. In order to get His riches, one must first enter His kingdom.
Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In another place (John 3:3) Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". So to get into the kingdom of God, one must be born again through faith in Jesus Christ. Being born into Jesus Christ is synonymous to being born into the kingdom of God!
To be born again, one must repent (or ask God's forgiveness) for sin. Jesus shed his blood for us so that we might have the opportunity to be forgiven when we ask.
Now, how does one acquire riches by God's standard? God sent Jesus Christ his Son, not only to die for our sins, but to show us through his life how to live. Therefore after being born again we are to grow more and more like Jesus, God's Son. In this way we become richer and richer toward God.
The more we are like Jesus in character, the wealthier we are by God's standard!
If we spend our entire life amassing wealth or attempting to, and are not rich toward God our lives count for nothing; and just like the man in the story, our time also will run out. Then God who is our maker will require our souls to give account to Him!
Don't get me wrong, Jesus was not saying that money is not necessary to live here on Earth, but it is not as important as Godly riches which will prepare us for Heaven. The Bible says He knows that we have need of these things (money, clothes, food, homes, education, a better quality of life). Luke 12:30:
Rather than seeking riches, Jesus says, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Luke 12:31) In other words, if we seek after God and what is right according to His standard (Jesus Christ), he will provide for our daily needs as a Father provides for his children.
His point is that if we spend our time seeking after money and things, we might attain them but will be spiritually poverty stricken. However, if we will seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we will be spiritually rich and He will provide for our earthly needs as well! Believe me, He can provide for us much better than we can. I have experienced His provision time and again!
Repent of your sins and choose to believe in Jesus, and you will become rich in the Kingdom of God!
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
Jesus said "A man's life does not consist of the things he possesses". In other words, God measures a person's net worth not based on what he has accumulated in this world's wealth but what we have received of Godly wealth. (Keep reading, I will explain)
Notice that this man had much wealth by man's standard, but was not rich by God's standard. So that brings us to the question: What is God's standard of riches and how is it that standard attained?
I will answer the second part of the question first. How does one attain the riches of God? First of all, God's riches are found in God's kingdom. In order to get His riches, one must first enter His kingdom.
Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In another place (John 3:3) Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". So to get into the kingdom of God, one must be born again through faith in Jesus Christ. Being born into Jesus Christ is synonymous to being born into the kingdom of God!
To be born again, one must repent (or ask God's forgiveness) for sin. Jesus shed his blood for us so that we might have the opportunity to be forgiven when we ask.
Now, how does one acquire riches by God's standard? God sent Jesus Christ his Son, not only to die for our sins, but to show us through his life how to live. Therefore after being born again we are to grow more and more like Jesus, God's Son. In this way we become richer and richer toward God.
The more we are like Jesus in character, the wealthier we are by God's standard!
If we spend our entire life amassing wealth or attempting to, and are not rich toward God our lives count for nothing; and just like the man in the story, our time also will run out. Then God who is our maker will require our souls to give account to Him!
Don't get me wrong, Jesus was not saying that money is not necessary to live here on Earth, but it is not as important as Godly riches which will prepare us for Heaven. The Bible says He knows that we have need of these things (money, clothes, food, homes, education, a better quality of life). Luke 12:30:
Rather than seeking riches, Jesus says, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Luke 12:31) In other words, if we seek after God and what is right according to His standard (Jesus Christ), he will provide for our daily needs as a Father provides for his children.
His point is that if we spend our time seeking after money and things, we might attain them but will be spiritually poverty stricken. However, if we will seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we will be spiritually rich and He will provide for our earthly needs as well! Believe me, He can provide for us much better than we can. I have experienced His provision time and again!
Repent of your sins and choose to believe in Jesus, and you will become rich in the Kingdom of God!
Power to be the Sons of God! John 1:12
Man is seeking the supernatural. Desiring to be extra-terrestrial. Seeking for life after death. Seeking through science and science - fiction the keys to living forever in a supernatural existence!
What we are seeking is eternal life. Life that never ends. The solution to death. Thus in science -- stem cell research, cloning, cryogenics and in science -fiction, x-men, mutants, superman and all the superheroes. And on the dark side of our imagination --vampires, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and so many other characters. And through them we live out our desires for the quest for eternal life!
Our fascination with life after death and for powers beyond our natural abilities is the result of our eternal connection with a supernatural, eternal Creator.
What man is really searching for is that which he lost, the power to be a son of God! We did not come from apes. But were made in the image and likeness of God. Genesis 1:27:
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And to return to being sons or off springs of God is what we are truly seeking. But through the wrong means which will ultimately bring us to death and destruction!
Science and theatre offers us their paths in our quest for eternity. But John an apostle of Jesus Christ, the Son of God reveals to us the only true path to eternal life:
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12 (Green is my emphasis)
Through Jesus Christ, we have been given the power or ability to become sons of God! And it is through believing in him that this power has been extended to us by God!
If you will repent of your sins and ask for his forgiveness, he will make you a son of God. It is through Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God that we also become sons God, by believing on his name!
Repent of your sins, and tell Jesus you believe and accept what he did for you on the Cross by dying for your sins so that you won't have to! You too will be born again and become a son of God! Don't put it off...
Do it today!
What we are seeking is eternal life. Life that never ends. The solution to death. Thus in science -- stem cell research, cloning, cryogenics and in science -fiction, x-men, mutants, superman and all the superheroes. And on the dark side of our imagination --vampires, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and so many other characters. And through them we live out our desires for the quest for eternal life!
Our fascination with life after death and for powers beyond our natural abilities is the result of our eternal connection with a supernatural, eternal Creator.
What man is really searching for is that which he lost, the power to be a son of God! We did not come from apes. But were made in the image and likeness of God. Genesis 1:27:
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And to return to being sons or off springs of God is what we are truly seeking. But through the wrong means which will ultimately bring us to death and destruction!
Science and theatre offers us their paths in our quest for eternity. But John an apostle of Jesus Christ, the Son of God reveals to us the only true path to eternal life:
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12 (Green is my emphasis)
Through Jesus Christ, we have been given the power or ability to become sons of God! And it is through believing in him that this power has been extended to us by God!
If you will repent of your sins and ask for his forgiveness, he will make you a son of God. It is through Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God that we also become sons God, by believing on his name!
Repent of your sins, and tell Jesus you believe and accept what he did for you on the Cross by dying for your sins so that you won't have to! You too will be born again and become a son of God! Don't put it off...
Do it today!
Jesus Heals a Withered Hand! Mark 3:1-5
Jesus is the same today as he was in the days of the Bible. He is the same and is doing the same miracles for people today as he did when he walked the earth in Israel. Let us look at the case of the man with the withered hand in Mark 3:1-5:
1 And he entered again into the synagogue and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them; Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked around about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
You may be thinking, "But that was then, and Jesus Christ no longer lives." Well I will say to you that Jesus Christ is alive today. Because after he was crucified, he was raised from the dead by the power of God three days later. And he has been alive ever since! Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and forever."
This literally means that Jesus is doing today what he did then! Furthermore he has been doing miracles for people who called upon him in faith for 2,000 years. And he is ready to do the same for you!
Two millenia after Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven, there is more sickness and disease than there was when he walked the earth. If we ever needed his healing power, we need it today!
If you or someone in your family is sick or plagued with a disease, ask Jesus to heal you. You may not understand how he is able to do it. But just ask him in simple faith, believing that he will. And watch what he does!
Because Jesus is still the Healer!
1 And he entered again into the synagogue and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them; Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked around about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
You may be thinking, "But that was then, and Jesus Christ no longer lives." Well I will say to you that Jesus Christ is alive today. Because after he was crucified, he was raised from the dead by the power of God three days later. And he has been alive ever since! Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and forever."
This literally means that Jesus is doing today what he did then! Furthermore he has been doing miracles for people who called upon him in faith for 2,000 years. And he is ready to do the same for you!
Two millenia after Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven, there is more sickness and disease than there was when he walked the earth. If we ever needed his healing power, we need it today!
If you or someone in your family is sick or plagued with a disease, ask Jesus to heal you. You may not understand how he is able to do it. But just ask him in simple faith, believing that he will. And watch what he does!
Because Jesus is still the Healer!
The Kingdom of God is like a Mustard Seed, Luke 13:18-19
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and Jewish Messiah having come from Heaven, taught the Jews about the kingdom of God through parables. A 'parable' is a simple story about something that is known to reveal or explain something unknown. On one such teaching occasion Jesus used the following parable found in Luke 13:18-19 to explain how the kingdom of God is planted and grows:
18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Jesus explains the kingdom of God as being like a small seed, in this case a mustard seed. He goes on to tell how a man planted this small seed in his garden. Over time, the small mustard seed grew into a great tree, so big that the birds of the air were able to build nests and live in the tree; the tree that was once only a small seed!
In what way does the kingdom of God resemble the planting of a small seed you might ask? Because it begins by the planting of simple words into the hearts of people like you and me.
Our hearts are like gardens, able to sustain life and growth of whatever is planted in them. Through words, ideas are sown into our hearts. When we hear these words we are compelled to believe or disbelieve them.
Jesus explained to the people that when they hear his words, and believe them, the kingdom of God begins to grow in their hearts like a small mustard seed grows in a garden. And over a period of time, his words will produce a great dwelling place of life in their hearts! Jesus said "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10
One of the first things Jesus preached was, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17. The word 'repent' means to turn from one thing to another. What Jesus wants us to turn from are our sins. What he wants us to turn to is Him, for the forgiveness of sins. For He is our Salvation!
If you will repent of your sins and turn to Jesus now, you will be forgiven by God the Father and the kingdom of God will begin to grow in your heart today!
The way to repent: Simply tell Jesus you are sorry for your sins. Ask him to forgive you and make you a new person. He will! Then read your Bible, pray daily and live for him! E-mail me, I will be glad to assist you in growing in the kingdom of God as it grows in you!
18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Jesus explains the kingdom of God as being like a small seed, in this case a mustard seed. He goes on to tell how a man planted this small seed in his garden. Over time, the small mustard seed grew into a great tree, so big that the birds of the air were able to build nests and live in the tree; the tree that was once only a small seed!
In what way does the kingdom of God resemble the planting of a small seed you might ask? Because it begins by the planting of simple words into the hearts of people like you and me.
Our hearts are like gardens, able to sustain life and growth of whatever is planted in them. Through words, ideas are sown into our hearts. When we hear these words we are compelled to believe or disbelieve them.
Jesus explained to the people that when they hear his words, and believe them, the kingdom of God begins to grow in their hearts like a small mustard seed grows in a garden. And over a period of time, his words will produce a great dwelling place of life in their hearts! Jesus said "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10
One of the first things Jesus preached was, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17. The word 'repent' means to turn from one thing to another. What Jesus wants us to turn from are our sins. What he wants us to turn to is Him, for the forgiveness of sins. For He is our Salvation!
If you will repent of your sins and turn to Jesus now, you will be forgiven by God the Father and the kingdom of God will begin to grow in your heart today!
The way to repent: Simply tell Jesus you are sorry for your sins. Ask him to forgive you and make you a new person. He will! Then read your Bible, pray daily and live for him! E-mail me, I will be glad to assist you in growing in the kingdom of God as it grows in you!
Introducing Jesus Christ, Savior of the World! John 3:16
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World! If you feel lost-- its because you need the Savior-- Jesus Christ! He is the only begotten Son God, and the one and only Savior of the World!
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 hearts of people today are heavy with the burden of guilt and sin. That's because we have a conscience which has been constantly recording our sins and wrong-doing for our lifetime!
Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the world. And that includes you and me. He paid the price for our sins by dying on the Cross for us! After he died for sin, he was resurrected and got up from the dead so that one day you and I can get up from the dead also!
You may be thinking-- "this sounds too good to be true", that God would forgive me of my sins because Jesus died for me! It may sound too good to be true, but it is true! And believe me, its your only way out of sin!
No other person has ever lived a sinless life but Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Other religions may boast of having been started by a "good man". But none of them even suggest that their founders are the Son of God; or that they died for any man's sins--let alone the sins of the whole world!
Only Jesus Christ came down from Heaven for this purpose: to die for our sins, thus making peace between us and God the Father. Because of his great love for us he sent Jesus to die for us that we might be saved and have eternal life!
Some years ago, I realized that I was a sinner and needed Jesus to save me. I discovered that according to the Bible, if I died in my sins, I would go to Hell and be judged for my own sins forever! So I repented of my sins and asked Jesus to come into heart and to help me to live a life pleasing to God. That's been some years ago and I have never regretted my decision. And neither will you!
Won't you repent of your sins and ask Him to save you. He will. And the guilt of sin you now feel will be gone forever!
If you need help--just say this simple prayer to God aloud: "God, I know that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins against you. I believe that Jesus your only begotten Son shed his blood and died for me so that I can be saved. I receive you Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Amen!"
The Bible says that, "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". (Acts 2:21)
If you have received Jesus Christ, send me a comment I'd be glad to help you in your walk with the Lord until His appearing!
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 hearts of people today are heavy with the burden of guilt and sin. That's because we have a conscience which has been constantly recording our sins and wrong-doing for our lifetime!
Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the world. And that includes you and me. He paid the price for our sins by dying on the Cross for us! After he died for sin, he was resurrected and got up from the dead so that one day you and I can get up from the dead also!
You may be thinking-- "this sounds too good to be true", that God would forgive me of my sins because Jesus died for me! It may sound too good to be true, but it is true! And believe me, its your only way out of sin!
No other person has ever lived a sinless life but Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Other religions may boast of having been started by a "good man". But none of them even suggest that their founders are the Son of God; or that they died for any man's sins--let alone the sins of the whole world!
Only Jesus Christ came down from Heaven for this purpose: to die for our sins, thus making peace between us and God the Father. Because of his great love for us he sent Jesus to die for us that we might be saved and have eternal life!
Some years ago, I realized that I was a sinner and needed Jesus to save me. I discovered that according to the Bible, if I died in my sins, I would go to Hell and be judged for my own sins forever! So I repented of my sins and asked Jesus to come into heart and to help me to live a life pleasing to God. That's been some years ago and I have never regretted my decision. And neither will you!
Won't you repent of your sins and ask Him to save you. He will. And the guilt of sin you now feel will be gone forever!
If you need help--just say this simple prayer to God aloud: "God, I know that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins against you. I believe that Jesus your only begotten Son shed his blood and died for me so that I can be saved. I receive you Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Amen!"
The Bible says that, "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". (Acts 2:21)
If you have received Jesus Christ, send me a comment I'd be glad to help you in your walk with the Lord until His appearing!
Jesus: The Living Water! John 4:1-26
Jesus went to Samaria to meet with a Samaritan woman at Jacobs well. The woman went to the well to draw water as was her routine. Jesus obviously knew that he would meet her there in the absence of his disciples who had left him to buy food.
Exhausted, Jesus asked the woman for a drink of water. She responded in surprise that Jesus being a Jew had asked a Samaritan for a drink, since Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. (The Samaritans were kindred to Jews but of mixed blood.)
Then Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God, (Salvation) and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked him for a drink, and he would have given you living water." (Paraphrased)
The woman then said, "Sir you have nothing with which to draw water, and the well is deep; so where then does this living water you speak of come from?" (Paraphrased)
Jesus responded, "Whoever drinks the water from this well will get thirsty again, but the water that I give shall be a well springing up unto eternal life!" (Paraphrased)
Jesus told the woman things about herself that only God could know. And during their short encounter, He revealed himself to her as the Messiah, the Son of God. And now he wants an encounter to reveal Himself to you!
Ask Jesus now to forgive you of your sins; and when you do with all your heart, he will forgive you and give you Salvation that will be like living water springing up inside you unto eternal life! Don't put it off. Do it now!
Jesus is waiting!
Exhausted, Jesus asked the woman for a drink of water. She responded in surprise that Jesus being a Jew had asked a Samaritan for a drink, since Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. (The Samaritans were kindred to Jews but of mixed blood.)
Then Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God, (Salvation) and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked him for a drink, and he would have given you living water." (Paraphrased)
The woman then said, "Sir you have nothing with which to draw water, and the well is deep; so where then does this living water you speak of come from?" (Paraphrased)
Jesus responded, "Whoever drinks the water from this well will get thirsty again, but the water that I give shall be a well springing up unto eternal life!" (Paraphrased)
Jesus told the woman things about herself that only God could know. And during their short encounter, He revealed himself to her as the Messiah, the Son of God. And now he wants an encounter to reveal Himself to you!
Ask Jesus now to forgive you of your sins; and when you do with all your heart, he will forgive you and give you Salvation that will be like living water springing up inside you unto eternal life! Don't put it off. Do it now!
Jesus is waiting!
Passage Into the Kingdom of God! John 10:14-15
On a particular day when Jesus was out and about on the streets of Israel, parents were bringing their children to him to be touched and blessed. His disciples stopped this activity, telling them to go away.
When Jesus realized what was happening, he was very upset with his disciples and said, (Mark 10:14-15):
14 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
As Jesus often did, he used this situation to teach his disciples something about the kingdom of God which they did not know. In this case his lesson concerned how to enter into the kingdom of God.
First of all, Jesus began by telling his disciples why they should not forbid the little children from coming to him; for as he put it "of such is the kingdom of God". Sounds to me like Jesus was saying that there are many children already in the kingdom of God!
Jesus' second statement concerning this subject was even stronger. He said that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter in. In other words, if we do not come to God with a pure heart and an humble attitude like a little child, we will not get into the kingdom of God!
Some people try to come to God in pride on their own terms, because in this life they are respected by men. But God resists the proud and gives grace or favor to the humble. Only admitting that we are sinners and in need of the Savior will cause God to respond to us. We must come to God with the humility of a little child, knowing nothing, having nothing and needing everything from God!
If you will repent of your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you by the blood of Jesus, and in the name of Jesus, he will hear you, cleanse you of your sins and give you passage through Jesus Christ into the kingdom of God!
Don't wait until tomorrow. Do it now. Tomorrow might be too late!
When Jesus realized what was happening, he was very upset with his disciples and said, (Mark 10:14-15):
14 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
As Jesus often did, he used this situation to teach his disciples something about the kingdom of God which they did not know. In this case his lesson concerned how to enter into the kingdom of God.
First of all, Jesus began by telling his disciples why they should not forbid the little children from coming to him; for as he put it "of such is the kingdom of God". Sounds to me like Jesus was saying that there are many children already in the kingdom of God!
Jesus' second statement concerning this subject was even stronger. He said that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter in. In other words, if we do not come to God with a pure heart and an humble attitude like a little child, we will not get into the kingdom of God!
Some people try to come to God in pride on their own terms, because in this life they are respected by men. But God resists the proud and gives grace or favor to the humble. Only admitting that we are sinners and in need of the Savior will cause God to respond to us. We must come to God with the humility of a little child, knowing nothing, having nothing and needing everything from God!
If you will repent of your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you by the blood of Jesus, and in the name of Jesus, he will hear you, cleanse you of your sins and give you passage through Jesus Christ into the kingdom of God!
Don't wait until tomorrow. Do it now. Tomorrow might be too late!
Jesus, Sent to Save Not To Condemn John 3:16-17
God's great love for us is expressed in John 3:16-17 when Jesus says,
16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God must truly love man. Because if he didn't he would not have shown so much mercy to mankind for so many years. He would have judged the world long ago. But He has waited and waited year after year. What has God waited so long for? Why has he not judged the world before now?
It is because of his great love for us. God loves us so much that he does not want any to perish. That is why he has held off his judgement of the world for so long. He is like a father who loves a child so much that even though the child deserves to be punished, he prolongs the spanking, hoping the child will heed his verbal warnings, turn and obey.
Well, God's verbal warnings come through his word, the Bible. He has warned that a time of judgement is coming upon the world. A time that is so terrible that unless God shortens the days, no one will survive! That day approaches even as I write this blog. In the Bible it is known as the day of tribulation!
The economy collapse, the turbulent weather, wars and threats of war, the rise in domestic violence, international unrest, plane crashes, tsunamis, and overall worldwide destruction are signs that God's judgement is finally upon us.
Jesus, the Savior spoke of this time. And in the midst of impending destruction, his words still echo through time!
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Won't you call upon Jesus today, while there is still time. Tomorrow might be too late! Repent of your sins by telling him you are sorry for your sins. Ask him to forgive you for your sins and to be your Savior and Lord. Thank him for dying for you on the cross and shedding his blood for you. He will save you just as he has saved me and others. Do it now. Don't put it off!
Receive God's love now, so that not matter what happens in the world you might not perish but have everlasting life!
16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God must truly love man. Because if he didn't he would not have shown so much mercy to mankind for so many years. He would have judged the world long ago. But He has waited and waited year after year. What has God waited so long for? Why has he not judged the world before now?
It is because of his great love for us. God loves us so much that he does not want any to perish. That is why he has held off his judgement of the world for so long. He is like a father who loves a child so much that even though the child deserves to be punished, he prolongs the spanking, hoping the child will heed his verbal warnings, turn and obey.
Well, God's verbal warnings come through his word, the Bible. He has warned that a time of judgement is coming upon the world. A time that is so terrible that unless God shortens the days, no one will survive! That day approaches even as I write this blog. In the Bible it is known as the day of tribulation!
The economy collapse, the turbulent weather, wars and threats of war, the rise in domestic violence, international unrest, plane crashes, tsunamis, and overall worldwide destruction are signs that God's judgement is finally upon us.
Jesus, the Savior spoke of this time. And in the midst of impending destruction, his words still echo through time!
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Won't you call upon Jesus today, while there is still time. Tomorrow might be too late! Repent of your sins by telling him you are sorry for your sins. Ask him to forgive you for your sins and to be your Savior and Lord. Thank him for dying for you on the cross and shedding his blood for you. He will save you just as he has saved me and others. Do it now. Don't put it off!
Receive God's love now, so that not matter what happens in the world you might not perish but have everlasting life!
Life Consists of More Than What We Possess! Luke12:15-21
A Jewish man asked Jesus to speak to his brother about sharing an inheritance with him. Jesus replied "Man, who made me a judge or a a divider over you?" Then Jesus told a story of the consequences of greed which in the scriptures is calls 'covetousness'. Here is the story Jesus told. How it resembles so many who seek after riches today and not after God. Listen to it as recorded in Luke 12:15-21:
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
Jesus said "A man's life does not consist of the things he possesses". In other words, God measures a person's net worth not based on what he has deposited in man's bank, but by how much he has deposited in God's Bank.
Notice that this man had much wealth by man's standard of riches, but was not rich by God's standard of riches. So that brings us to the question: What is God's standard of riches and how does one attain it?
I will answer the second part of the question first. How does one attain the riches of God's kingdom? First of all, God's riches are in God's kingdom. In order to get his riches, one must first enter into his kingdom.
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In another place (John 3:3) Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". So to get into the kingdom of God, one must be born again through Jesus Christ the Savior of all mankind!
To be born again, one must repent of sin and ask for forgiveness by the blood that Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross.
Now, how does one attain riches by God's standard. God sent Jesus Christ his Son, not only to die for our sins, but to show us through his life how we are supposed to live. So after being born again we are to grow more and more like Jesus. This is how we become richer and richer toward God. The more we are like Jesus in character, the richer we are by God's standard.
If we spend our whole lives amassing wealth, and are not rich toward God our lives count for nothing. And just like the man in the story, time will run out for each of us. And God who is our maker will require our souls to give account to Him!
Jesus was not saying that money is not necessary to live on the earth; but that it is not as important as Godly riches, which has eternal value. The Bible says he knows that we have need of these things (money, clothes food, shelter etc) Luke 12:30
Rather than seeking riches, Jesus says, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Luke 12:31) In other words, if we seek God and what is right according to the standards of his kingdom, he will provide for our daily needs as a Father provides for his children.
Jesus' point is this: If we spend our time seeking after money and things we will only attain earthly riches but will be poor toward God. But if we will seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we will be rich toward God and he will provide for our earthly needs as well! And believe me, He can supply your needs much better than you can. I have experienced this first hand over and over again!
Repent of your sins and ask him to forgive you of your sins and make you a new person. He will! And begin acquiring true riches from this time forward! Don't dare put it off!
Do it now, and begin to become rich toward God!
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
Jesus said "A man's life does not consist of the things he possesses". In other words, God measures a person's net worth not based on what he has deposited in man's bank, but by how much he has deposited in God's Bank.
Notice that this man had much wealth by man's standard of riches, but was not rich by God's standard of riches. So that brings us to the question: What is God's standard of riches and how does one attain it?
I will answer the second part of the question first. How does one attain the riches of God's kingdom? First of all, God's riches are in God's kingdom. In order to get his riches, one must first enter into his kingdom.
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In another place (John 3:3) Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". So to get into the kingdom of God, one must be born again through Jesus Christ the Savior of all mankind!
To be born again, one must repent of sin and ask for forgiveness by the blood that Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross.
Now, how does one attain riches by God's standard. God sent Jesus Christ his Son, not only to die for our sins, but to show us through his life how we are supposed to live. So after being born again we are to grow more and more like Jesus. This is how we become richer and richer toward God. The more we are like Jesus in character, the richer we are by God's standard.
If we spend our whole lives amassing wealth, and are not rich toward God our lives count for nothing. And just like the man in the story, time will run out for each of us. And God who is our maker will require our souls to give account to Him!
Jesus was not saying that money is not necessary to live on the earth; but that it is not as important as Godly riches, which has eternal value. The Bible says he knows that we have need of these things (money, clothes food, shelter etc) Luke 12:30
Rather than seeking riches, Jesus says, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Luke 12:31) In other words, if we seek God and what is right according to the standards of his kingdom, he will provide for our daily needs as a Father provides for his children.
Jesus' point is this: If we spend our time seeking after money and things we will only attain earthly riches but will be poor toward God. But if we will seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we will be rich toward God and he will provide for our earthly needs as well! And believe me, He can supply your needs much better than you can. I have experienced this first hand over and over again!
Repent of your sins and ask him to forgive you of your sins and make you a new person. He will! And begin acquiring true riches from this time forward! Don't dare put it off!
Do it now, and begin to become rich toward God!
Jesus Christ: The Rock of Life! Matthew 7:24-27
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Jesus is the rock of life. A person who builds their life on the words of Jesus is like a man who built his house using a rock for the foundation.
A person who builds their life by trusting in anything else is like a man who built his house on sand.
The foundations of your life are the things you trust in. Can those things stand the test of time? So many are being devastated because their lives are built on sand. Sand represents those things we trust in such as money, investments, careers, education, people, our status in life, the government, the doctor, lawyers, our own abilities, business savvy, street smarts, man made institutions, just to name a few!
There are so many things that we trust in to succeed in life! But Jesus said a life built on trust in these things will eventually collapse, and great will be the fall of it. Because the pressures of life will come and beat upon us and the foundations upon which we live will be tested. And only the life built upon the words of Jesus will stand, both in time and eternity!
Jesus and his words are the only solid foundation that will withstand the rain, floods and winds of life! Don't wait 'til your house falls before you establish it upon the rock. Jesus is the rock. And salvation is how to be founded on Him!
Repent of your sins, and call upon Jesus to be saved. Then build your life upon the rock day by day, believing and obeying his words.
Your house will never fall!
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Jesus is the rock of life. A person who builds their life on the words of Jesus is like a man who built his house using a rock for the foundation.
A person who builds their life by trusting in anything else is like a man who built his house on sand.
The foundations of your life are the things you trust in. Can those things stand the test of time? So many are being devastated because their lives are built on sand. Sand represents those things we trust in such as money, investments, careers, education, people, our status in life, the government, the doctor, lawyers, our own abilities, business savvy, street smarts, man made institutions, just to name a few!
There are so many things that we trust in to succeed in life! But Jesus said a life built on trust in these things will eventually collapse, and great will be the fall of it. Because the pressures of life will come and beat upon us and the foundations upon which we live will be tested. And only the life built upon the words of Jesus will stand, both in time and eternity!
Jesus and his words are the only solid foundation that will withstand the rain, floods and winds of life! Don't wait 'til your house falls before you establish it upon the rock. Jesus is the rock. And salvation is how to be founded on Him!
Repent of your sins, and call upon Jesus to be saved. Then build your life upon the rock day by day, believing and obeying his words.
Your house will never fall!
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!
Jesus: The Treasure of Great Price! Matthew 13:44
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 on 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 mind 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!
Things or people we place the most value on 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 mind 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!
Jesus: The Sower of Salvation! Luke 8:5-8
Jesus is the Sower of the seed of salvation into the hearts of people.
In Luke Chapter 8:5-8 Jesus describes himself as the sower or planter of the word of God. He says it this way:
5 A sower went out to sow seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Jesus, is the planter of the Word of God into the hearts of people. The word that he plants into our hearts is the truth about who he is and what he has done to save us from our sins.
Who he is? He is the Son of God from heaven.
What has he done? He has died on the cross in payment for my sins and yours.
Now that you have read this, the seed has been planted into your heart. The question now is, what kind of heart do you have?
1 Is your heart like a path on the side of a garden upon which men walk and destroy the truth you have heard with doubt, unbelief or foolish thoughts so that you don't receive the truth and be saved?
2 Or is your heart like a garden full of stones with so little soil that nothing good will grow? And when you hear the word about salvation it doesn't go deep. You just think about it for a moment... and after a short time you forget it and go on about your life business as usual, and nothing ever changes for the better.
3 Or is your heart the soil full of roots that choke out the truth? When you hear the word of truth about how Jesus died for you, do you say that "this time I will change", but your life is too full of activities and work and relationships and stuff that just choke out good intentions? And you never truly repent and let Jesus come in. You just have too much going on.
4 Or is your heart like good soil? Now that you have heard that Jesus died for your sins, you truly believe it, you are sorry for your sins and desperately want to change. You ask him to save you and be your Lord. You continue to live for him, calling on him daily and reading his word and obeying Him til he comes!
What kind of heart do you have? You get to choose. Jesus has sown the good seed into it. Now what will your heart do with it! Only you can decide! "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"!
In Luke Chapter 8:5-8 Jesus describes himself as the sower or planter of the word of God. He says it this way:
5 A sower went out to sow seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Jesus, is the planter of the Word of God into the hearts of people. The word that he plants into our hearts is the truth about who he is and what he has done to save us from our sins.
Who he is? He is the Son of God from heaven.
What has he done? He has died on the cross in payment for my sins and yours.
Now that you have read this, the seed has been planted into your heart. The question now is, what kind of heart do you have?
1 Is your heart like a path on the side of a garden upon which men walk and destroy the truth you have heard with doubt, unbelief or foolish thoughts so that you don't receive the truth and be saved?
2 Or is your heart like a garden full of stones with so little soil that nothing good will grow? And when you hear the word about salvation it doesn't go deep. You just think about it for a moment... and after a short time you forget it and go on about your life business as usual, and nothing ever changes for the better.
3 Or is your heart the soil full of roots that choke out the truth? When you hear the word of truth about how Jesus died for you, do you say that "this time I will change", but your life is too full of activities and work and relationships and stuff that just choke out good intentions? And you never truly repent and let Jesus come in. You just have too much going on.
4 Or is your heart like good soil? Now that you have heard that Jesus died for your sins, you truly believe it, you are sorry for your sins and desperately want to change. You ask him to save you and be your Lord. You continue to live for him, calling on him daily and reading his word and obeying Him til he comes!
What kind of heart do you have? You get to choose. Jesus has sown the good seed into it. Now what will your heart do with it! Only you can decide! "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"!
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 on 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 on 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 True Bread from Heaven! - John 6:28-33
Someone came to Jesus and asked him, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Or we would say, what do we have to do in order to please God?" John 6:28
And here was Jesus' answer: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he sent." verse 29. Here is how we would say that today: What you need to do to please God is to believe the one that God sent to you! Jesus of course was referring to himself.
Then those Jews who were talking to Jesus said, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? John 6:30. In other words, they were asking Jesus what sign or miracle would he perform to prove to them that he had been sent from God like Moses.
Then they said unto Jesus, "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat" (John 6:31), ; suggesting that Moses had done this great miracle by giving their Jewish ancestors "bread from heaven".
Jesus corrected them by saying in a word that it was not Moses that gave them bread from heaven to eat (It was God!). Then Jesus said, "but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." verse 32.
Next Jesus made an astounding statement: "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world". verse 33
Jesus of course spoke of himself as bread in a figurative sense, because bread gives life to the body when eaten. But Jesus gives eternal life to the spirit of man when believed upon! That's why Jesus said to them in verse 29, when they asked him what must they do to please God--believe on him (Jesus) whom he (God the Father) has sent.
If you want to please God, you must believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin. How do you do this? By believing the Gospel.
What is the Gospel? It is the 'Good News': That Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that he was sent from Heaven for the purpose of dying for our sins. And after paying for our sins on the Cross, he went to hell for us, and was resurrected the third day!
If you believe this, then ask him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart, making you a son of God! He will!
Jesus is The Bread of Heaven which if a person eats, he or she will receive eternal life!
If you received Jesus Christ today, all Heaven rejoices with you! And I rejoice with you! E-mail me and I will help you to understand how to live for Him-- as we await his appearing!
And here was Jesus' answer: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he sent." verse 29. Here is how we would say that today: What you need to do to please God is to believe the one that God sent to you! Jesus of course was referring to himself.
Then those Jews who were talking to Jesus said, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? John 6:30. In other words, they were asking Jesus what sign or miracle would he perform to prove to them that he had been sent from God like Moses.
Then they said unto Jesus, "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat" (John 6:31), ; suggesting that Moses had done this great miracle by giving their Jewish ancestors "bread from heaven".
Jesus corrected them by saying in a word that it was not Moses that gave them bread from heaven to eat (It was God!). Then Jesus said, "but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." verse 32.
Next Jesus made an astounding statement: "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world". verse 33
Jesus of course spoke of himself as bread in a figurative sense, because bread gives life to the body when eaten. But Jesus gives eternal life to the spirit of man when believed upon! That's why Jesus said to them in verse 29, when they asked him what must they do to please God--believe on him (Jesus) whom he (God the Father) has sent.
If you want to please God, you must believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin. How do you do this? By believing the Gospel.
What is the Gospel? It is the 'Good News': That Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that he was sent from Heaven for the purpose of dying for our sins. And after paying for our sins on the Cross, he went to hell for us, and was resurrected the third day!
If you believe this, then ask him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart, making you a son of God! He will!
Jesus is The Bread of Heaven which if a person eats, he or she will receive eternal life!
If you received Jesus Christ today, all Heaven rejoices with you! And I rejoice with you! E-mail me and I will help you to understand how to live for Him-- as we await his appearing!
Introducing Jesus Christ, Savior of the World! John 3:16
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World! If you feel lost-- its because you need the Savior-- Jesus Christ! He is the only begotten Son God, and the one and only Savior of the World!
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 hearts of people today are heavy with the burden of guilt and sin. That's because we have a conscience which has been constantly recording our sins and wrong-doing for our lifetime!
Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the world. And that includes you and me. He paid the price for our sins by dying on the Cross for us! After he died for sin, he was resurrected and got up from the dead so that one day you and I can get up from the dead also!
You may be thinking-- "this sounds too good to be true", that God would forgive me of my sins because Jesus died for me! It may sound too good to be true, but it is true! And believe me, its your only way out of sin!
No other person has ever lived a sinless life but Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Other religions may boast of having been started by a "good man". But none of them even suggest that their founders are the Son of God; or that they died for any man's sins--let alone the sins of the whole world!
Only Jesus Christ came down from Heaven for this purpose: to die for our sins, thus making peace between us and God the Father. Because of his great love for us he sent Jesus to die for us that we might be saved and have eternal life!
Some years ago, I realized that I was a sinner and needed Jesus to save me. I discovered that according to the Bible, if I died in my sins, I would go to Hell and be judged for my own sins forever! So I repented of my sins and asked Jesus to come into heart and to help me to live a life pleasing to God. That's been some years ago and I have never regretted my decision. And neither will you!
Won't you repent of your sins and ask Him to save you. He will. And the guilt of sin you now feel will be gone forever!
If you need help--just say this simple prayer to God aloud: "God, I know that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins against you. I believe that Jesus your only begotten Son shed his blood and died for me so that I can be saved. I receive you Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Amen!"
The Bible says that, "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". (Acts 2:21)
If you have received Jesus Christ, send me a comment I'd be glad to help you in your walk with the Lord until His appearing!
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 hearts of people today are heavy with the burden of guilt and sin. That's because we have a conscience which has been constantly recording our sins and wrong-doing for our lifetime!
Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the world. And that includes you and me. He paid the price for our sins by dying on the Cross for us! After he died for sin, he was resurrected and got up from the dead so that one day you and I can get up from the dead also!
You may be thinking-- "this sounds too good to be true", that God would forgive me of my sins because Jesus died for me! It may sound too good to be true, but it is true! And believe me, its your only way out of sin!
No other person has ever lived a sinless life but Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Other religions may boast of having been started by a "good man". But none of them even suggest that their founders are the Son of God; or that they died for any man's sins--let alone the sins of the whole world!
Only Jesus Christ came down from Heaven for this purpose: to die for our sins, thus making peace between us and God the Father. Because of his great love for us he sent Jesus to die for us that we might be saved and have eternal life!
Some years ago, I realized that I was a sinner and needed Jesus to save me. I discovered that according to the Bible, if I died in my sins, I would go to Hell and be judged for my own sins forever! So I repented of my sins and asked Jesus to come into heart and to help me to live a life pleasing to God. That's been some years ago and I have never regretted my decision. And neither will you!
Won't you repent of your sins and ask Him to save you. He will. And the guilt of sin you now feel will be gone forever!
If you need help--just say this simple prayer to God aloud: "God, I know that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins against you. I believe that Jesus your only begotten Son shed his blood and died for me so that I can be saved. I receive you Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Amen!"
The Bible says that, "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". (Acts 2:21)
If you have received Jesus Christ, send me a comment I'd be glad to help you in your walk with the Lord until His appearing!
Jesus, The Resurrection and the Life! John 11:25
Jesus came not only to save us spiritually, but also physically through the resurrection of the dead. That is why he got up from the dead in his own physical body--so that we could get up from the dead in ours! For those who continue to trust him to the end of their lives, there awaits the resurrection of their physical bodies from the dead, commonly known as "the rapture of the Church".
As I have said in a previous blog, this resurrection phenomenon is not called "the rapture" in the Bible. It is referred to as "the resurrection of the dead" (Philippians 3:11), "our gathering together unto him" (2Thessalonians 2:1), "the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27), "we shall be like him" (1John 3:3), "we shall be changed" (1Corinthians 15:51) and by various other terms.
The bottom line is this: Those who repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior; and continue to live for him until their lives are over will experience a physical resurrection of their dead bodies upon his return! This is the bottom line and the true Gospel! Unfortunately many do not preach it today! (Read my other blogs)
As recorded in John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha before raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"
Jesus is saying here that whoever believes in him, even if he dies--shall live again! By raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus proved that he has power even over physical death and can raise the dead anytime he chooses! Because as he puts it, "I am the resurrection and the life".
Then in verse 26 Jesus made another startling statement: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..." What does Jesus mean by this, since we know that Christians do physically die. What he meant was that they are only temporarily dead. Jesus refers to those who believe in him when they die, as only being asleep because death for them is only temporary! He shall awaken them from sleep with his resurrection power! (See Those who are asleep in Christ Jesus in: John 11:11-14, 1Thessalonians 4:14, 1Thessalonians 5:10 and 1Corinthians 15:51)
Jesus demonstrated his authority over death by bringing others than Lazarus back to life as in the case of a widow's son in the city of Nain. (Read Luke 7:11-17) It reads in part:
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier (casket): and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man. I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
In yet another account Jesus demonstrated his resurrection power over physical death (Read Mark 5:21-24, 35-43) It reads in part:
41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; and she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
When you are in Christ Jesus, even physical death has no power over you, because Jesus shall raise you up by his resurrection power on the last day! Wow! That should inspire everyone to repent and believe in Jesus the Christ (the Messiah) for the forgiveness of sins and for the resurrection from the dead!
If you have not received forgiveness of your sins which only comes through faith in Jesus Christ, repent of your sins now, and ask Him to forgive you-- calling on his name to be saved! Then follow him with all of your heart as you look forward to His Return and the resurrection of your body, whether sleep or awake in Him!
As I have said in a previous blog, this resurrection phenomenon is not called "the rapture" in the Bible. It is referred to as "the resurrection of the dead" (Philippians 3:11), "our gathering together unto him" (2Thessalonians 2:1), "the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27), "we shall be like him" (1John 3:3), "we shall be changed" (1Corinthians 15:51) and by various other terms.
The bottom line is this: Those who repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior; and continue to live for him until their lives are over will experience a physical resurrection of their dead bodies upon his return! This is the bottom line and the true Gospel! Unfortunately many do not preach it today! (Read my other blogs)
As recorded in John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha before raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"
Jesus is saying here that whoever believes in him, even if he dies--shall live again! By raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus proved that he has power even over physical death and can raise the dead anytime he chooses! Because as he puts it, "I am the resurrection and the life".
Then in verse 26 Jesus made another startling statement: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..." What does Jesus mean by this, since we know that Christians do physically die. What he meant was that they are only temporarily dead. Jesus refers to those who believe in him when they die, as only being asleep because death for them is only temporary! He shall awaken them from sleep with his resurrection power! (See Those who are asleep in Christ Jesus in: John 11:11-14, 1Thessalonians 4:14, 1Thessalonians 5:10 and 1Corinthians 15:51)
Jesus demonstrated his authority over death by bringing others than Lazarus back to life as in the case of a widow's son in the city of Nain. (Read Luke 7:11-17) It reads in part:
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier (casket): and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man. I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
In yet another account Jesus demonstrated his resurrection power over physical death (Read Mark 5:21-24, 35-43) It reads in part:
41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; and she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
When you are in Christ Jesus, even physical death has no power over you, because Jesus shall raise you up by his resurrection power on the last day! Wow! That should inspire everyone to repent and believe in Jesus the Christ (the Messiah) for the forgiveness of sins and for the resurrection from the dead!
If you have not received forgiveness of your sins which only comes through faith in Jesus Christ, repent of your sins now, and ask Him to forgive you-- calling on his name to be saved! Then follow him with all of your heart as you look forward to His Return and the resurrection of your body, whether sleep or awake in Him!
1John 3:1-3 Re-Focusing Our Hope!
The focus of the Church has been changed from waiting on the Lord's appearing, to the love of money, pleasure and things!
Our hope as Christians must be the desire and expectation of the Lord's appearing. The Apostles taught all the Churches to constantly look for the Lord's appearing. Looking for his appearing was intended to be the motivating factor in the heart, mind and life of every Christian to live a holy and pure life. This is what John the Apostle meant when he spoke the following verse of scripture in a letter to the Churches. And this message is still relevant to the Church today:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1John 3:1-3
What hope is John the Apostle referring to? The hope John is referring to is the hope of being glorified! It is the hope of being changed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, the glorified Son of God upon his return for his Church! Notice the Apostle John said, "..every man (or person) that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he (Jesus) is pure."
In other words, if I expect to be changed into his image at his appearing, I must keep myself pure "...even as he is pure". Do you have the hope of being changed into the image of Jesus when he comes to take his Church out of the earth back to Heaven? If you do then keep yourself pure by obeying Jesus through keeping his commandments!
It is our expectation of seeing Jesus and being changed into his image that urges us to live holy lives daily. The over-emphasized teaching of prosperity has changed the focus of many in the Church. And the pay-off for being a Christian is not the appearing of Jesus...but the appearance of a new Mercedes in their driveway!
Jesus said "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". Matthew 6:21
Is Jesus your treasure? Do you love his appearing? Some Christians will miss the Lord's return because their heart is not set on His appearing, but on cars, money and pleasure...on anything--but Jesus! When Jesus returns for his Bride the true Church, whatever and wherever our treasure is--that is where we ourselves will remain!
Make Him your treasure by purifying your life in expectation for His Soon Appearing!
Our hope as Christians must be the desire and expectation of the Lord's appearing. The Apostles taught all the Churches to constantly look for the Lord's appearing. Looking for his appearing was intended to be the motivating factor in the heart, mind and life of every Christian to live a holy and pure life. This is what John the Apostle meant when he spoke the following verse of scripture in a letter to the Churches. And this message is still relevant to the Church today:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1John 3:1-3
What hope is John the Apostle referring to? The hope John is referring to is the hope of being glorified! It is the hope of being changed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, the glorified Son of God upon his return for his Church! Notice the Apostle John said, "..every man (or person) that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he (Jesus) is pure."
In other words, if I expect to be changed into his image at his appearing, I must keep myself pure "...even as he is pure". Do you have the hope of being changed into the image of Jesus when he comes to take his Church out of the earth back to Heaven? If you do then keep yourself pure by obeying Jesus through keeping his commandments!
It is our expectation of seeing Jesus and being changed into his image that urges us to live holy lives daily. The over-emphasized teaching of prosperity has changed the focus of many in the Church. And the pay-off for being a Christian is not the appearing of Jesus...but the appearance of a new Mercedes in their driveway!
Jesus said "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". Matthew 6:21
Is Jesus your treasure? Do you love his appearing? Some Christians will miss the Lord's return because their heart is not set on His appearing, but on cars, money and pleasure...on anything--but Jesus! When Jesus returns for his Bride the true Church, whatever and wherever our treasure is--that is where we ourselves will remain!
Make Him your treasure by purifying your life in expectation for His Soon Appearing!
1Thessalonians 4:13-18 The Reality of the Rapture
The Apostle Paul speaks of the Rapture of the Church many times in his letters (or epistles) sent to the churches which he had established through the preaching of Christ during his travels. He sent letters to the churches so that though he was absent from them, each church group in every city could continue to grow in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. And passing these letters around from city to city, and from church to church, all the churches were able to grow in Christ with the same understanding, and virtually at the same time.
The Rapture (as it is known today) is called by various terms in the New Testament such as: the gathering of the saints, our hope of glory, the catching away, the resurrection of the just. This event is the end of our salvation. It is graduation day for the true Church! It is our reward for fighting the good fight of faith in our daily battles as we overcome. The Apostle Paul constantly refers to the rapture as the object and end of our hope, because the change of the human body into a glorified body is what Jesus himself attained in resurrection! We have a promise and a hope to be what he is! This Christian Resurrection or rapture is the payoff for living the true christian life!
But if you listen to many preachers and teachers in the Church today you would think it does not rate any significance. This is satan's way of changing the focus of the church to the love of the world. We are told to love not the world nor the things that are in the world, but church leaders whether knowingly or unknowlingly are teaching the church to love the world. This is facilitating the falling away of the church. Preachers must wake up and preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ before it is too late!
Paul spoke to the Church of the Thessalonians several times about the Rapture. Verse 13 infers that the Christians in the Church of the Thessalonians were experiencing a great deal of grief when fellow Christians died. Paul admonished them not to be sorrowful and full of grief the way unsaved people are when their loved ones die. He also explained the reason for their sorrow by saying, they "have no hope". In other words, unsaved people have no hope of ever being reunited with those they love and have lost in death!
But we who are saved have a promise that we will be reunited in the Rapture with our saved loved ones when the Lord returns for His Church. (This is the reason we must do all we can to get others saved while there is still time) Look what Paul says by the Spirit of the Lord:
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
This means that if we believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, we must also believe that those who died in him will be resurrected and brought back with Him. Paul added that Jesus personally explained how this would happen:
"15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep."
Paul repeats Jesus in saying that those who are still alive at his return will not hinder Him from resurrecting those who are dead in Him. But rather, those who are dead will be raised and changed first, afterwards, those who are still alive. Here is how the Lord Jesus said it will happen:
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Firstly the archangel shall shout. At that shout the Lord shall come out of Heaven! Next the trumpet of God shall be blown. And when that trumpet sounds those who died in faith shall be resurrected, changed into glorified bodies and go up from the earth to meet the Lord Jesus in the air! Secondly, those who are still alive shall be changed in the same manner and caught up together with those who were just raised from the dead, all to meet the Lord in the air!
And from this moment we shall forever be with the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Now let us prepare for this great event by cleansing ourselves from sin and produce the fruit of righteousness and holiness. And if a fellow Christian dies before the Lord returns, let us comfort one another with the knowledge that we shall all be reunited in the Rapture of the Church!
Hallelujah! And Praise the Lord forever!
The Rapture (as it is known today) is called by various terms in the New Testament such as: the gathering of the saints, our hope of glory, the catching away, the resurrection of the just. This event is the end of our salvation. It is graduation day for the true Church! It is our reward for fighting the good fight of faith in our daily battles as we overcome. The Apostle Paul constantly refers to the rapture as the object and end of our hope, because the change of the human body into a glorified body is what Jesus himself attained in resurrection! We have a promise and a hope to be what he is! This Christian Resurrection or rapture is the payoff for living the true christian life!
But if you listen to many preachers and teachers in the Church today you would think it does not rate any significance. This is satan's way of changing the focus of the church to the love of the world. We are told to love not the world nor the things that are in the world, but church leaders whether knowingly or unknowlingly are teaching the church to love the world. This is facilitating the falling away of the church. Preachers must wake up and preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ before it is too late!
Paul spoke to the Church of the Thessalonians several times about the Rapture. Verse 13 infers that the Christians in the Church of the Thessalonians were experiencing a great deal of grief when fellow Christians died. Paul admonished them not to be sorrowful and full of grief the way unsaved people are when their loved ones die. He also explained the reason for their sorrow by saying, they "have no hope". In other words, unsaved people have no hope of ever being reunited with those they love and have lost in death!
But we who are saved have a promise that we will be reunited in the Rapture with our saved loved ones when the Lord returns for His Church. (This is the reason we must do all we can to get others saved while there is still time) Look what Paul says by the Spirit of the Lord:
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
This means that if we believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, we must also believe that those who died in him will be resurrected and brought back with Him. Paul added that Jesus personally explained how this would happen:
"15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep."
Paul repeats Jesus in saying that those who are still alive at his return will not hinder Him from resurrecting those who are dead in Him. But rather, those who are dead will be raised and changed first, afterwards, those who are still alive. Here is how the Lord Jesus said it will happen:
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Firstly the archangel shall shout. At that shout the Lord shall come out of Heaven! Next the trumpet of God shall be blown. And when that trumpet sounds those who died in faith shall be resurrected, changed into glorified bodies and go up from the earth to meet the Lord Jesus in the air! Secondly, those who are still alive shall be changed in the same manner and caught up together with those who were just raised from the dead, all to meet the Lord in the air!
And from this moment we shall forever be with the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Now let us prepare for this great event by cleansing ourselves from sin and produce the fruit of righteousness and holiness. And if a fellow Christian dies before the Lord returns, let us comfort one another with the knowledge that we shall all be reunited in the Rapture of the Church!
Hallelujah! And Praise the Lord forever!
1Thessalonians 4:2-4 Using the Word to Stay Holy
When Paul the apostle was not present with the Churches he had established in the Lord Jesus, it was his custom to write letters to them to ensure their continued growth.
In this particular letter, Paul admonishes the Church of the Thessalonians to abstain from fornication which means engaging in sexual intercourse before marriage. He said in verses 2-4:
"For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour:" (verses 2-4)
As Paul has said, Jesus has commanded us not to engage in sex sins, as those do who do not know God. Sex sins are running rampant in our society, and unfortunately also in the Church. As the Church of Jesus Christ we must keep ourselves free from unholiness. We must know how to resist the devil when he tempts us with the lust of fornication and other sins.
In Matthew Chapter 4:1-11 (Read it for yourself), Jesus taught us how to resist the devil by using the Word of God, saying to the devil, "It is written", (then quoting the Word of God in the area in which the devil is tempting us.) But in order to do this, we must know the Word of God and how to use it to overcome the devil.
For example, when tempted with sexual lust, we must say to the devil: It is written of me "God has not called me unto uncleanness but unto holiness." (1Thessalonians 4:7) And again it is written of me "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"(1Corinthians 6:16) For it is written, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) We must use the Word of God to resist the devil, otherwise he will not flee, but will overcome us. Remember, the main defense we have against the devil is the Word of God. And we must use it in order for it to work! (See James 1:22)
Pastors should teach Christians how to resist the devil with the Word of God in their churches. But if you are a Christian who is being overcome by the devil, you must begin to read the Bible for yourself. Before you read, pray and ask the Father to reveal what the scripture is saying. That's why you own a Bible. If you don't own one, buy one. If you do not know what to read daily, use the Weekly Scripture Reading to the right of blog. This weekly scripture reading schedule will take you through the New Testament one chapter per day and one chapter of the Old Testament each Saturday.
The Church needs to be armed with the Word of God especially in these last days before the Lord's return. Weak, watered down sermons are leaving Christians vulnerable to the devil. We must be armed with the full armor of God's Word in order to overcome when we are tempted!
For without holiness, no man shall see the Lord! (See Hebrews 12:14)
May the Lord prepare you for his soon return!
In this particular letter, Paul admonishes the Church of the Thessalonians to abstain from fornication which means engaging in sexual intercourse before marriage. He said in verses 2-4:
"For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour:" (verses 2-4)
As Paul has said, Jesus has commanded us not to engage in sex sins, as those do who do not know God. Sex sins are running rampant in our society, and unfortunately also in the Church. As the Church of Jesus Christ we must keep ourselves free from unholiness. We must know how to resist the devil when he tempts us with the lust of fornication and other sins.
In Matthew Chapter 4:1-11 (Read it for yourself), Jesus taught us how to resist the devil by using the Word of God, saying to the devil, "It is written", (then quoting the Word of God in the area in which the devil is tempting us.) But in order to do this, we must know the Word of God and how to use it to overcome the devil.
For example, when tempted with sexual lust, we must say to the devil: It is written of me "God has not called me unto uncleanness but unto holiness." (1Thessalonians 4:7) And again it is written of me "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"(1Corinthians 6:16) For it is written, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) We must use the Word of God to resist the devil, otherwise he will not flee, but will overcome us. Remember, the main defense we have against the devil is the Word of God. And we must use it in order for it to work! (See James 1:22)
Pastors should teach Christians how to resist the devil with the Word of God in their churches. But if you are a Christian who is being overcome by the devil, you must begin to read the Bible for yourself. Before you read, pray and ask the Father to reveal what the scripture is saying. That's why you own a Bible. If you don't own one, buy one. If you do not know what to read daily, use the Weekly Scripture Reading to the right of blog. This weekly scripture reading schedule will take you through the New Testament one chapter per day and one chapter of the Old Testament each Saturday.
The Church needs to be armed with the Word of God especially in these last days before the Lord's return. Weak, watered down sermons are leaving Christians vulnerable to the devil. We must be armed with the full armor of God's Word in order to overcome when we are tempted!
For without holiness, no man shall see the Lord! (See Hebrews 12:14)
May the Lord prepare you for his soon return!
2Thessalonians Chapter 2 - The Return of The Lord
Someone was teaching false doctrine to the Church by saying that the Lord's 2nd Coming had already taken place. Paul is explaining to the Church at Thessalonica that the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ has not yet taken place. And that before the Lord's return, two major events must happen first: (1) The falling away of the church and (2) The anti-christ must come to power over a one world government.
I believe that the first of these two events 'the falling away of the church' has and is taking place even as I write this blog. The fact that so many people who call themselves Christians and yet live like sinners is evidence that many have already fallen away from Christ. Look at how many church leaders have fallen into scandalous sex sins in our present day. Many pastors don't even believe the Bible anymore about Heaven or Hell! These churches are called 'seeker friendly' churches. They don't preach about the consequences of sin. The falling away is definitely here!
The anti-christ shall be a world political leader who shall exalt himself above God and shall eventually put an image of himself in the Temple of God and demand to be worshipped as God (Rev.13:15; Matt.24:15) Paul explains to the Thessalonians by revelation of the Holy Spirit that satan was already working his plan to bring the anti-christ into the world to be worshipped as Christ. Jesus explained in Matthew 24 that many false christs and false prophets would come in his name (Matt.24:5,11,24; Luke 21:8). And many false christs have already come in his name with there false religions which have become household names long before many of us were born!
I believe that the gathering of the saints (the rapture) is near as well as the revealing of the anti-christ on the world scene!
How can we make sure that we are not caught up in satan's plan of deception to prepare our hearts to receive the anti-christ when he appears. The answer is found in verse (10) of 2Thessalonians: we must receive "the love of the truth". In other words we must repent of our sins and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved. And we must grow close to the Lord by loving the truth. This will cause us to become more like Him, lovingly desiring his appearing.
Those who do not receive the love of the truth will be deceived into following the anti-christ when he comes. They will miss the gathering of the saints, receive the mark of the beast (the antichrist), and go into the tribulation before the Lord's physical return to the Earth.
Beloved saints of God, let us draw near to him (Jesus), repenting of sin, cleansing ourselves from the sins of this generation...Preparing ourselves for our Lord's Soon Return!
I believe that the first of these two events 'the falling away of the church' has and is taking place even as I write this blog. The fact that so many people who call themselves Christians and yet live like sinners is evidence that many have already fallen away from Christ. Look at how many church leaders have fallen into scandalous sex sins in our present day. Many pastors don't even believe the Bible anymore about Heaven or Hell! These churches are called 'seeker friendly' churches. They don't preach about the consequences of sin. The falling away is definitely here!
The anti-christ shall be a world political leader who shall exalt himself above God and shall eventually put an image of himself in the Temple of God and demand to be worshipped as God (Rev.13:15; Matt.24:15) Paul explains to the Thessalonians by revelation of the Holy Spirit that satan was already working his plan to bring the anti-christ into the world to be worshipped as Christ. Jesus explained in Matthew 24 that many false christs and false prophets would come in his name (Matt.24:5,11,24; Luke 21:8). And many false christs have already come in his name with there false religions which have become household names long before many of us were born!
I believe that the gathering of the saints (the rapture) is near as well as the revealing of the anti-christ on the world scene!
How can we make sure that we are not caught up in satan's plan of deception to prepare our hearts to receive the anti-christ when he appears. The answer is found in verse (10) of 2Thessalonians: we must receive "the love of the truth". In other words we must repent of our sins and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved. And we must grow close to the Lord by loving the truth. This will cause us to become more like Him, lovingly desiring his appearing.
Those who do not receive the love of the truth will be deceived into following the anti-christ when he comes. They will miss the gathering of the saints, receive the mark of the beast (the antichrist), and go into the tribulation before the Lord's physical return to the Earth.
Beloved saints of God, let us draw near to him (Jesus), repenting of sin, cleansing ourselves from the sins of this generation...Preparing ourselves for our Lord's Soon Return!
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