If you have ever been away from home for a long time then you know the excitement of returning home to see loved ones. I remember when I went into the Marine Corp. It was during the Viet Nam War and I knew that I would be in Viet Nam shortly after Boot Camp. I was not disappointed by the Marines. I went to Viet Nam about 15 months after I joined the Corp. I also remember when I was able to come back home how excited I was to see my family. They also were very glad to see me because I had been gone for 14 months.
It will be the same when we reach Heaven. First we will see our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then we will have eternity with our Heavenly Father and His family, never to be separated from them again. Have you ever thought about how large our family will be? We will see Abraham, David, Jacob, Noah, Adam, Eve, Paul, Peter,Ruth, and the list goes on.
Now we live on earth, then we will live in our new home in Heaven. All of us have lost a family member at sometime in our life and we were devastated. Grieved beyond compare with anything else that we experience here on earth. The loss is so hard to handle, but God helps us to get through the grieving process. I know that we are never really prepared for the death of a loved one, even if we know that it is close. Only with God's grace and mercy are we able to move on with our life knowing that one day we will see them again.
God tells us that when we are born again, we are born into His family. He has prepared a home in heaven for us so that when we leave our earthly home, we will be present with Him.
2Corinthians; 5:1
(For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.)
The house that God has for us will never be destroyed. It will be our eternal home in heaven. When we are born again, our family in Heaven is all of the saints who have gone before us and will come after us.
Ephesians 2:19
(Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.)
We all will receive a new body prepared for eternity. This new body will be made by God and will be perfectly equipped for eternity. No pain, no suffering, no crying, just eternal joy. God can and will create a body for us that is suited for eternal existence.
1Corinthians; 15:39
(All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another flesh of fish, and another of birds.)
1Corinthians; 15:42-45
(So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.)
Right now we are earthy, but when we die and go to heaven, we will be given a spiritual body equipped for Heaven. We who are born again into God's family have hope, but for those who have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, they have no hope. Their destiny is as sure for them as our destiny is for us who have Jesus. Our destiny is Heaven, their destiny is the Lake of Fire "HELL". If you are not sure where you are heading, pray now and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to be Lord of your Life.
Romans; 10:13
("For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.")
Jesus wants you to come to Him for forgiveness. That is why He came.
Luke; 5:32
(I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.")
That's you and me! We are all sinners and in need of a Savior, and our Savior is Jesus Christ.
God Bless You!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
It's Not Too Late!
How close are you to your family? Would you let them get Hurt or even Killed if you could stop it from happening? I'm sure that most of us would stop them from harm if we could. But do you realize that if you are a born again Christian and you are not trying to talk to your family about God, you are letting them continue on a path toward eternal hell! Now, I know that you don't want your loved ones to end up in hell for eternity. If they are saved and you are not, they feel the same way about you and your eternal destiny. What about all your friends and the people you know? Have you ever asked them if they are saved or not?
If we as Christians are not willing to spread the Word of God, then we are not doing what Jesus said. Jesus told the disciples to go into all of the world and teach them about Him. We are commissioned to spread the good news about Jesus and eternal life in Him. We can not count on someone else to do this job for us.
Matthew; 28:19-20
(Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen)
When God tells us that He will be with us, He means always. Not just for a little while, but He is there to strengthen us when we are weak and burdened down with the troubles of life.
We can sit back and just know that our destiny is secure in Jesus, or we can go to others and tell them about Jesus and what He has done for them. They can live forever if they give their life to Him now. Once we die down here there is no second chance to ask for forgiveness. We will have lost our only chance to be saved. We will have died without Jesus and eternal life in Heaven. Don't let someone tell you that you can still be saved because the Scriptures say you will have died in your sins and the wages of sin is death.
Romans; 6 :23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
We deserve death, but God says that we can have eternal life. How do we get this eternal life? Only through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross in our place can we have eternal life. We will never be worthy and when we get to Heaven, if we haven't given our life to Jesus, we will be cast into the lake of fire. God will tell you that He never knew you. Your works without your faith in Jesus will mean nothing.
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. You cannot work your way into Heaven.
Ephesians; 2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.)
Without the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross, we would not have forgiveness of sins. We are brought near to God by Jesus' blood.
Ephesians; 2:13
(But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.)
We were separated from our God by our sins, but now we can have fellowship with Him because of the blood shed for our sins.
Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins today and ask Him to come into your life and save you. It's not to late for you, but don't wait until it is too late.
God Bless You!
If we as Christians are not willing to spread the Word of God, then we are not doing what Jesus said. Jesus told the disciples to go into all of the world and teach them about Him. We are commissioned to spread the good news about Jesus and eternal life in Him. We can not count on someone else to do this job for us.
Matthew; 28:19-20
(Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen)
When God tells us that He will be with us, He means always. Not just for a little while, but He is there to strengthen us when we are weak and burdened down with the troubles of life.
We can sit back and just know that our destiny is secure in Jesus, or we can go to others and tell them about Jesus and what He has done for them. They can live forever if they give their life to Him now. Once we die down here there is no second chance to ask for forgiveness. We will have lost our only chance to be saved. We will have died without Jesus and eternal life in Heaven. Don't let someone tell you that you can still be saved because the Scriptures say you will have died in your sins and the wages of sin is death.
Romans; 6 :23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
We deserve death, but God says that we can have eternal life. How do we get this eternal life? Only through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross in our place can we have eternal life. We will never be worthy and when we get to Heaven, if we haven't given our life to Jesus, we will be cast into the lake of fire. God will tell you that He never knew you. Your works without your faith in Jesus will mean nothing.
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. You cannot work your way into Heaven.
Ephesians; 2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.)
Without the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross, we would not have forgiveness of sins. We are brought near to God by Jesus' blood.
Ephesians; 2:13
(But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.)
We were separated from our God by our sins, but now we can have fellowship with Him because of the blood shed for our sins.
Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins today and ask Him to come into your life and save you. It's not to late for you, but don't wait until it is too late.
God Bless You!
Saturday, February 03, 2007
You Will Suffer Persecution!
Sometimes it seems like all we hear is that we need to get right with God before it is too late. Every time I’m reading in my Bible, that is the message that comes through clearly. You might say “Let’s hear something else”. But what is more important than your eternal destiny?
I could talk about feel good stuff and everyone would go away saying that everything is alright. But the truth of the matter is that if you are not saved, everything isn’t alright. I wish that all of us were saved and going to go to Heaven, but the Scriptures say that isn't the case. We are told that there are two roads we travel in our life. One of them will land us in Hell, and the other will lead us to eternal life in Heaven. The choice of which road you travel is up to you.
Matthew; 7:13-14
(Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)
Jesus tells us that in order to follow Him we must be prepared to suffer persecution.
Matthew; 15:20
(Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.)
2Timothy; 3:12
(Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.)
When you look around the world, you see this persecution going on in many countries. The world is not tolerant of the Word of God because it convicts people of sin by teaching the truth. Jesus wants us to be prepared, because they will hate us who teach the truth from the Word.
Hebrews; 4:12-13
(For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.)
Now if you don’t think that you will have to give account, then here is a little proof.
Matthew; 12:36-37
(But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.)
By what comes out of your mouth, the heart is revealed. Jesus told us that what goes into the mouth does not defile a man, but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles him.
James; 3:6
(And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and is set on fire by hell.)
Everyone of us says things we wish we hadn’t said, but once it is out of our mouth, there is no taking it back. We need to have our life under the control of the Holy Spirit who is in us if we have been born again. He is able to control our tongue even when we are not able too. When we do slip up and say something wrong, we are forgiven because our sins have been forgiven. Let’s choose to follow Jesus and endure what suffering comes along, knowing that we have a home in Heaven with Jesus when our time down here is complete.
God Bless You
I could talk about feel good stuff and everyone would go away saying that everything is alright. But the truth of the matter is that if you are not saved, everything isn’t alright. I wish that all of us were saved and going to go to Heaven, but the Scriptures say that isn't the case. We are told that there are two roads we travel in our life. One of them will land us in Hell, and the other will lead us to eternal life in Heaven. The choice of which road you travel is up to you.
Matthew; 7:13-14
(Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)
Jesus tells us that in order to follow Him we must be prepared to suffer persecution.
Matthew; 15:20
(Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.)
2Timothy; 3:12
(Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.)
When you look around the world, you see this persecution going on in many countries. The world is not tolerant of the Word of God because it convicts people of sin by teaching the truth. Jesus wants us to be prepared, because they will hate us who teach the truth from the Word.
Hebrews; 4:12-13
(For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.)
Now if you don’t think that you will have to give account, then here is a little proof.
Matthew; 12:36-37
(But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.)
By what comes out of your mouth, the heart is revealed. Jesus told us that what goes into the mouth does not defile a man, but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles him.
James; 3:6
(And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and is set on fire by hell.)
Everyone of us says things we wish we hadn’t said, but once it is out of our mouth, there is no taking it back. We need to have our life under the control of the Holy Spirit who is in us if we have been born again. He is able to control our tongue even when we are not able too. When we do slip up and say something wrong, we are forgiven because our sins have been forgiven. Let’s choose to follow Jesus and endure what suffering comes along, knowing that we have a home in Heaven with Jesus when our time down here is complete.
God Bless You
Thursday, February 01, 2007
WHAT IF?
It seems like there is always something going on that we have to deal with in life. What ever happened to the simple life when people cared about other people? I know that it must be a sign of the times that we live in, but it doesn't help when you feel like your raming your head against the wall. There was an issue where a child in grade school is telling other children that he is going to blow up their house. Now the boy is only 10 years old, but when do you start to deal with this kind of behavior?
The parent of one of these children took this to the principle, and she said "I know this child and his parents and this isn't seriously a problem. I haven't had this boy in my office for a long time." Is it me or is this principle taking this issue way too lightly? Maybe what we see in the daily news doesn't count when a child is putting out threats. Maybe if the authorities would have dealt with these kids early on, we wouldn't have had Columbine or any of the other school tragedies.
When our society decided to take away discipline from the parents and the school, we set ourselves up for big time problems. Not only have we changed the order of things, but we have gone against the plan that God instituted for raising our children. We are told in the Bible that we are to discipline our children if we love them.
Proverbs; 19:18
(Chasten your son while there is still hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction).
Early childhood teaching requires both parental discipline, including corporal punishment and balanced kindness and love.
Proverbs; 13:24
(He who spares his rod hates his child, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.)
Proverbs: 22:6
(Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.)
We need to understand that a child has to learn what is acceptable behavior. If they are not taught, they will decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.
If the parents or the school had known what was on the mind of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, I’m sure that they would have taken appropriate action. But when we sit back and think that things will take care of themselves, this sort of occurrence may happen. I’m not blaming the parents or the school, but as parents we need to talk with our children and see what is going on in their minds.
Don't wait, get involved in your childs life and talk with them. They want to talk and they need someone to talk too. I'm sure as a parent you are trying to do the best you can, but the best thing we can do is spend time with our child. Take your child to church and read the Bible to them. Let them learn what God expects from them and that He loves them and cares for them. Pray for your child, ask fro Gods help and guidance in raising them.
God Bless You!
The parent of one of these children took this to the principle, and she said "I know this child and his parents and this isn't seriously a problem. I haven't had this boy in my office for a long time." Is it me or is this principle taking this issue way too lightly? Maybe what we see in the daily news doesn't count when a child is putting out threats. Maybe if the authorities would have dealt with these kids early on, we wouldn't have had Columbine or any of the other school tragedies.
When our society decided to take away discipline from the parents and the school, we set ourselves up for big time problems. Not only have we changed the order of things, but we have gone against the plan that God instituted for raising our children. We are told in the Bible that we are to discipline our children if we love them.
Proverbs; 19:18
(Chasten your son while there is still hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction).
Early childhood teaching requires both parental discipline, including corporal punishment and balanced kindness and love.
Proverbs; 13:24
(He who spares his rod hates his child, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.)
Proverbs: 22:6
(Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.)
We need to understand that a child has to learn what is acceptable behavior. If they are not taught, they will decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.
If the parents or the school had known what was on the mind of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, I’m sure that they would have taken appropriate action. But when we sit back and think that things will take care of themselves, this sort of occurrence may happen. I’m not blaming the parents or the school, but as parents we need to talk with our children and see what is going on in their minds.
Don't wait, get involved in your childs life and talk with them. They want to talk and they need someone to talk too. I'm sure as a parent you are trying to do the best you can, but the best thing we can do is spend time with our child. Take your child to church and read the Bible to them. Let them learn what God expects from them and that He loves them and cares for them. Pray for your child, ask fro Gods help and guidance in raising them.
God Bless You!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Look Around And Observe!
When someone tells me that everything is falling apart in the world, I have to agree. Does it surprise me though? No it doesn't! If you read your Bible, God tells us that in the end times things will continue to deteriorate. Any one who has their eyes open to what is going on around the world, would have to agree that we are getting closer to the end. I'm not making any predictions, but I can say that all of this is prophesied in the Bible. So, for the people who are setting on the fence saying that they have more time to make a decision for Christ, Take a good look at what is going on.
Matthew;24:3
(As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?")
[DO NOT BE MISLEAD]
Matthew;24:5
("For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.")
[FAMINES AND EARTHQUAKES]
Matthew;24:7
(For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.)
[FALSE PROPHETS]
How many different Cults are there in the world today lead by a false prophet? They prophesy different things that don't happen, which makes them a false prophet.
Matthew;24:11
("Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.)
If you don't believe this, look at how many members these cults have. They are in the millions and growing everyday.
[FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH]
Many people have just quit going to church. They don't read their Bibles and will tell you that they just don't have time. Many will tell you they just don't care about God. Many who profess to be Christians will give up on God.
Matthew;24:10
(At that time many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.)
[LOVE WILL GROW COLD]
We don't have to look far to witness this. The family structure in our world is crumbling out from beneath us. Divorce is an everyday occurrence. People just won't make the marriage work. It is easier to try it with someone else. We live in the "WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME" generation right now.
2Timothy;3:1-5
(But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!)
This pretty much describes out world as we see it today.
[ENDURE AND BE SAVED]
We need to keep our faith in Jesus, and stay strong in His might. Don't give up just because things are looking bad right now. We are told that these things must take place and not to be surprised. God is faithful and He won't let us down. He has promised us a better life in Heaven and He will give it to us who endure to the end.
Matthew;24:13
(But he who endures to the end shall be saved.)
Enduring doesn't save us. We believers are kept by the power of God through faith for Salvation. Don't wait to long to make your decision for Christ. Our life is just a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow.
Romans;10:13
(For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.")
We are all sinners, and there is only one way to be saved.
John;14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
Jesus tells us that there is no other way to eternal life. It's in Him and in Him only.
God Bless You!
Matthew;24:3
(As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?")
[DO NOT BE MISLEAD]
Matthew;24:5
("For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.")
[FAMINES AND EARTHQUAKES]
Matthew;24:7
(For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.)
[FALSE PROPHETS]
How many different Cults are there in the world today lead by a false prophet? They prophesy different things that don't happen, which makes them a false prophet.
Matthew;24:11
("Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.)
If you don't believe this, look at how many members these cults have. They are in the millions and growing everyday.
[FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH]
Many people have just quit going to church. They don't read their Bibles and will tell you that they just don't have time. Many will tell you they just don't care about God. Many who profess to be Christians will give up on God.
Matthew;24:10
(At that time many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.)
[LOVE WILL GROW COLD]
We don't have to look far to witness this. The family structure in our world is crumbling out from beneath us. Divorce is an everyday occurrence. People just won't make the marriage work. It is easier to try it with someone else. We live in the "WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME" generation right now.
2Timothy;3:1-5
(But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!)
This pretty much describes out world as we see it today.
[ENDURE AND BE SAVED]
We need to keep our faith in Jesus, and stay strong in His might. Don't give up just because things are looking bad right now. We are told that these things must take place and not to be surprised. God is faithful and He won't let us down. He has promised us a better life in Heaven and He will give it to us who endure to the end.
Matthew;24:13
(But he who endures to the end shall be saved.)
Enduring doesn't save us. We believers are kept by the power of God through faith for Salvation. Don't wait to long to make your decision for Christ. Our life is just a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow.
Romans;10:13
(For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.")
We are all sinners, and there is only one way to be saved.
John;14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
Jesus tells us that there is no other way to eternal life. It's in Him and in Him only.
God Bless You!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Rule For Today!
Do unto others as you want them to do unto you, or treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If we all followed this rule life would be a lot easier for us. Unfortunately, most of us don't follow this rule. God has told us to treat others the way we want them to treat us.
[GOLDEN RULE]
Matthew;7:12
(Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.)
Why don't we follow this rule? Probably because we are not getting our own way. Isn't that sad when people aren't doing just what we want and when we want it, we treat them with disrespect. We are all guilty of this, and we should be ashamed.
We are not to think more highly of ourselves that what we ought too.
Romans;12:10-16
(Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.)
Just food for thought!
God Bless You!
[GOLDEN RULE]
Matthew;7:12
(Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.)
Why don't we follow this rule? Probably because we are not getting our own way. Isn't that sad when people aren't doing just what we want and when we want it, we treat them with disrespect. We are all guilty of this, and we should be ashamed.
We are not to think more highly of ourselves that what we ought too.
Romans;12:10-16
(Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.)
Just food for thought!
God Bless You!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
A New Beginning In Life!
Getting something new has always been exciting. Anything new really makes us sit up and take notice. It's the same when someone is born again. We are on fire for Jesus and we want everyone to know about our new life. I am sure that we all were like this at first when we got saved. The trouble is that as we move into our new life in Jesus that a lot of the time the fire seems to dwindle. Most of us at some time or other have probably been through a low point in our Christian walk. We need to get a refreshing renewal with God and rekindle the excitement of our new life.
We have everything to be thankful for because everything is new like a new born baby. Your sins have been forgiven and you slate is clean. What a good feeling to have eternal life in Jesus Christ. You are sure of your destiny because God promised it to us who are born again. Ours will be in Heaven. God tell us that he is going to make a new Heaven and a new earth for us to live in. The old order of things will be done away with and all things will be made new.
[MAKING EVERYTHING NEW]
Revelation;21:1-5
(Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, " Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and He Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true.")
Just imagine, everything will be new and fresh. No pain or suffering or sorrow, just joy being with our Lord. I don't know about you, but I am excited about a new body and beginning a new life with Jesus. God will be with us always.
If you haven't been born again, you will not be there with us. You may not believe that, but that is exactly what the Scriptures teach. In order to enter into the kingdom of God, you must be born again. There is no other entrance but through Jesus Christ. When Nicodemus came to Jesus to inquire of Him, Jesus told Him the way into the kingdom.
John;3:3
(Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.")
You soul must be washed and purified by the Holy Spirit. This all happens at the moment of salvation. You are born of water and spirit.
John;3:5-6
(Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.)
Ask Jesus to save you. When you give your life to Him, you are born again into a new life. Your sins will be forgiven and your slate will be wiped clean. You can start all over and this time you have the Holy Spirit guiding you and helping you make the right decisions. Will you still mess up and sin? YES! But those sins have been forgiven. Your goal in life now will be to please God and obey Him.
John;14:21
(He who has My commandments and keeps them, it he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.)
Jesus wants you to be saved but you have to come to Him for that salvation. It is a free gift but you have to ask for it.
God Bless You!
We have everything to be thankful for because everything is new like a new born baby. Your sins have been forgiven and you slate is clean. What a good feeling to have eternal life in Jesus Christ. You are sure of your destiny because God promised it to us who are born again. Ours will be in Heaven. God tell us that he is going to make a new Heaven and a new earth for us to live in. The old order of things will be done away with and all things will be made new.
[MAKING EVERYTHING NEW]
Revelation;21:1-5
(Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, " Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and He Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true.")
Just imagine, everything will be new and fresh. No pain or suffering or sorrow, just joy being with our Lord. I don't know about you, but I am excited about a new body and beginning a new life with Jesus. God will be with us always.
If you haven't been born again, you will not be there with us. You may not believe that, but that is exactly what the Scriptures teach. In order to enter into the kingdom of God, you must be born again. There is no other entrance but through Jesus Christ. When Nicodemus came to Jesus to inquire of Him, Jesus told Him the way into the kingdom.
John;3:3
(Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.")
You soul must be washed and purified by the Holy Spirit. This all happens at the moment of salvation. You are born of water and spirit.
John;3:5-6
(Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.)
Ask Jesus to save you. When you give your life to Him, you are born again into a new life. Your sins will be forgiven and your slate will be wiped clean. You can start all over and this time you have the Holy Spirit guiding you and helping you make the right decisions. Will you still mess up and sin? YES! But those sins have been forgiven. Your goal in life now will be to please God and obey Him.
John;14:21
(He who has My commandments and keeps them, it he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.)
Jesus wants you to be saved but you have to come to Him for that salvation. It is a free gift but you have to ask for it.
God Bless You!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Consider The Cost!
When you go into a store to buy something, you always look at the price of the item before you decide if you will buy it or not. No one buys anything without counting the cost. Jesus tells us that we need to do the same when we decide to follow Him. When you give your life to Jesus you are a new creation in Christ. The way you used to think and the things you used to do, you don't do anymore. Your old self has been done away with and you are new. Your friends that you had before you were born again will start to see a difference in you. You will most likely loose a lot of the people you used to run around with. You will have less and less in common with them as you mature in Christ.
The time will come when they will either ask you what happened in your life or they will just move on in life without you as their friend. This will give you an opportunity to witness to them as to the change in your life and tell them about Jesus. When you become a Christian, you loose that common denominator with your old friends. You start to live in the Spirit and not in the flesh because you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you. Your friends will wonder what happened to you.
1Peter;4:3-4
(For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lust, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.)
Your friends will be surprised at your lack of interest in ungodly pleasures.
When you live for Jesus you will be under scrutiny by the world and you will have trials and persecution. Jesus tells us that these things will happen. We can expect it to happen and we need to be ready for it when it does happen.
1Peter;4:12
(Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;)
We are to rejoice in our suffering if it is for the cause of Jesus.
1Peter;4:13
(but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.)
When people say evil about you and accuse you of all wrong doing, let them, because you are blessed because of their reproach. They will say these things because you belong to Christ.
1Peter;4:14
(If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.)
We need to stay above reproach in our daily life so that we don't give the enemy anything to accuse us of. The enemy already knows our weaknesses and he will attack us unmercifully. Live your life to please our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1Peter;4:15-16
(But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet is anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.)
So we see that it isn't a matter of if we will have trials in our Christian walk, it is that we need to be ready when they come along, and they will come along. We need to stay close to God and rely on His strength to get through them. It isn't always easy to follow Jesus because the world hated Him and it will hate us also.
John;15:18-19
(If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.)
Just stay committed to God and obey Him. Our life down here is short, eternity is forever.
1Peter;4:19
(Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.)
God will see us through all of our trials. He tells us that He will never leave us, so don't leave Him. He is our Rock and our Salvation.
God Bless You!
The time will come when they will either ask you what happened in your life or they will just move on in life without you as their friend. This will give you an opportunity to witness to them as to the change in your life and tell them about Jesus. When you become a Christian, you loose that common denominator with your old friends. You start to live in the Spirit and not in the flesh because you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you. Your friends will wonder what happened to you.
1Peter;4:3-4
(For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lust, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.)
Your friends will be surprised at your lack of interest in ungodly pleasures.
When you live for Jesus you will be under scrutiny by the world and you will have trials and persecution. Jesus tells us that these things will happen. We can expect it to happen and we need to be ready for it when it does happen.
1Peter;4:12
(Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;)
We are to rejoice in our suffering if it is for the cause of Jesus.
1Peter;4:13
(but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.)
When people say evil about you and accuse you of all wrong doing, let them, because you are blessed because of their reproach. They will say these things because you belong to Christ.
1Peter;4:14
(If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.)
We need to stay above reproach in our daily life so that we don't give the enemy anything to accuse us of. The enemy already knows our weaknesses and he will attack us unmercifully. Live your life to please our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1Peter;4:15-16
(But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet is anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.)
So we see that it isn't a matter of if we will have trials in our Christian walk, it is that we need to be ready when they come along, and they will come along. We need to stay close to God and rely on His strength to get through them. It isn't always easy to follow Jesus because the world hated Him and it will hate us also.
John;15:18-19
(If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.)
Just stay committed to God and obey Him. Our life down here is short, eternity is forever.
1Peter;4:19
(Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.)
God will see us through all of our trials. He tells us that He will never leave us, so don't leave Him. He is our Rock and our Salvation.
God Bless You!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
True Or False?
We have all taken tests where we have had to choose between true and false answers. There was no room for error on these tests because the answer was totally true or it was false. It's the same way in our life. When someone tells you something, it is either that they are telling you the truth or a lie. When you have someone come to your door and tell you about Jesus, they are either quoting something from the Scriptures which you can rely on or they will quote something from one of their books which you must then filter through the Bible. If they can back up what they say with Scripture, then you must see if it was taken out of context. A lot of the time you can use the 20/20 rule. Read 20 verses before and after the verse they use and see if it is in context with what was being said or if it is out of context. If you have a good study Bible, you can read what the notes say about that particular verse and see if it goes along with what you are being told.
The Bible teaches us all the truths about God and man. God is perfect, we are not perfect, we are sinners.
[TRUE]
Romans;3:10-18
("There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seek after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; "Whose mouth is full of bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known." "There is no fear of God before their eyes.")
[FALSE]
You can be saved by being a good person and doing good works. You can earn your way to Heaven.
[TRUE]
Ephesians2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.)
Our Faith in Jesus Christ and the work that He done on the cross, is what saves us. He who knew no sin gave his life in our place. He was the sacrificial Lamb.
[FALSE]
There are many different ways to eternal life. You can be prayed out of hell and given a second chance. God's not going to send anyone into eternal damnation. God won't send anyone into the lake of fire.
[TRUE]
There is only one way to Heaven.
John;14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
[FALSE]
I don't sin so God will let me into Heaven. I sin so little that I don't deserve to be sent to hell.
[True]
We are all sinners, everyone one of us.
Romans;3:23
(for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)
1John;1:8
(If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.)
Any sin is deserving of death.
Romans;6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
If your sins haven't been forgiven, you are still under the wages of sin.
[TRUE]
You can be forgiven for your sins and be saved from eternal hell. There is hope for you as long as you are still alive. You can repent of your sins and have a new home in Heaven with God. Jesus loves you and doesn't want you to perish but have everlasting life.
John;3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
You don't have to end up in eternal punishment. God has given us a way out. All we have to do is accept the free gift of life in Jesus.
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
Everyday we get closer to the second coming of Jesus. Be part of the rapture. Go with us when Jesus comes to take us home. Accept Jesus as your Savior today.
God Bless you!
The Bible teaches us all the truths about God and man. God is perfect, we are not perfect, we are sinners.
[TRUE]
Romans;3:10-18
("There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seek after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; "Whose mouth is full of bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known." "There is no fear of God before their eyes.")
[FALSE]
You can be saved by being a good person and doing good works. You can earn your way to Heaven.
[TRUE]
Ephesians2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.)
Our Faith in Jesus Christ and the work that He done on the cross, is what saves us. He who knew no sin gave his life in our place. He was the sacrificial Lamb.
[FALSE]
There are many different ways to eternal life. You can be prayed out of hell and given a second chance. God's not going to send anyone into eternal damnation. God won't send anyone into the lake of fire.
[TRUE]
There is only one way to Heaven.
John;14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
[FALSE]
I don't sin so God will let me into Heaven. I sin so little that I don't deserve to be sent to hell.
[True]
We are all sinners, everyone one of us.
Romans;3:23
(for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)
1John;1:8
(If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.)
Any sin is deserving of death.
Romans;6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
If your sins haven't been forgiven, you are still under the wages of sin.
[TRUE]
You can be forgiven for your sins and be saved from eternal hell. There is hope for you as long as you are still alive. You can repent of your sins and have a new home in Heaven with God. Jesus loves you and doesn't want you to perish but have everlasting life.
John;3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
You don't have to end up in eternal punishment. God has given us a way out. All we have to do is accept the free gift of life in Jesus.
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
Everyday we get closer to the second coming of Jesus. Be part of the rapture. Go with us when Jesus comes to take us home. Accept Jesus as your Savior today.
God Bless you!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Are You A Child Of God?
For those of us who have children, we know how much we love them and what we would do to protect them from harm. I have my wife, and two daughters, and two granddaughters, and I would do what it takes to protect them and keep them safe. I'm sure that you feel the same way about your children. God has put that instinct into us. Have you thought about what God does to protect His children? If you are born again, you are born into God's family, and now you are a child of God.
How can we know if we are a child of God? God tells us that we will demonstrate it by the way we live. We are to love our fellow brethren.
1John;3:11
(For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;)
1John;3:23
(This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.)
1John;3:10
(By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.)
God stresses that we are to demonstrate love in our life. God is love and if we are born again and have the Holy Spirit living in us, we should love one another.
Another life change is that we will not be a habitual sinner. Yes, we all sin, but the child of God does not continue in the same sin day after day. We are born as a new creation and the old self has been replaced with a new nature. We want to please God and we are to be walking in the spirit not in the flesh.
1John;3:9
(No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.)
When you are born again, your spirit is given new life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You are given a new nature from God, and you become a child of God.
John;1:12
(But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.)
Romans;8:16
(The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,)
So we see that if we are children of God, then we have a Heavenly Father. Now every father will do what he can to protect his children and sometimes this will include discipline in order to put the child back on the straight path. No one wants to be disciplined, but it is for our own good. God will discipline his children because He is a loving Father and wants to protect us. The Lord will discipline us to drive us back to righteous behavior.
1Corinthians;11:32
(But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned
along with the world.)
In the Book of Hebrews, we are instructed about Godly discipline, and that we will receive it if we are God's children.
Hebrews;12:4-6
(You have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.")
When you are a child of God and you are disobedient, you will be disciplined. That is one proof that you are truly a child belonging to God's family.
Hebrews; 12:7
(It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?)
What if you are not being disciplined? What could that mean in your life?
Hebrews;12:8
(But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.)
That is a pretty scary statement. I know that my father disciplined me and it wasn't fun, but he loved me and it was for my own good.
Hebrews;12:9-11
(Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our own good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.)
Let's pray that we are yielding the peaceful fruit of righteousness in our life, and give God the glory for all the love that He has for us, His children. Just remember that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die in your place for your sins and for mine. Thank you for loving me, Father.
God Bless You!
How can we know if we are a child of God? God tells us that we will demonstrate it by the way we live. We are to love our fellow brethren.
1John;3:11
(For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;)
1John;3:23
(This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.)
1John;3:10
(By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.)
God stresses that we are to demonstrate love in our life. God is love and if we are born again and have the Holy Spirit living in us, we should love one another.
Another life change is that we will not be a habitual sinner. Yes, we all sin, but the child of God does not continue in the same sin day after day. We are born as a new creation and the old self has been replaced with a new nature. We want to please God and we are to be walking in the spirit not in the flesh.
1John;3:9
(No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.)
When you are born again, your spirit is given new life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You are given a new nature from God, and you become a child of God.
John;1:12
(But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.)
Romans;8:16
(The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,)
So we see that if we are children of God, then we have a Heavenly Father. Now every father will do what he can to protect his children and sometimes this will include discipline in order to put the child back on the straight path. No one wants to be disciplined, but it is for our own good. God will discipline his children because He is a loving Father and wants to protect us. The Lord will discipline us to drive us back to righteous behavior.
1Corinthians;11:32
(But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned
along with the world.)
In the Book of Hebrews, we are instructed about Godly discipline, and that we will receive it if we are God's children.
Hebrews;12:4-6
(You have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.")
When you are a child of God and you are disobedient, you will be disciplined. That is one proof that you are truly a child belonging to God's family.
Hebrews; 12:7
(It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?)
What if you are not being disciplined? What could that mean in your life?
Hebrews;12:8
(But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.)
That is a pretty scary statement. I know that my father disciplined me and it wasn't fun, but he loved me and it was for my own good.
Hebrews;12:9-11
(Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our own good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.)
Let's pray that we are yielding the peaceful fruit of righteousness in our life, and give God the glory for all the love that He has for us, His children. Just remember that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die in your place for your sins and for mine. Thank you for loving me, Father.
God Bless You!
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