In order to fully understand salvation, you must make these stops along the road to Calvary. Jesus did not leave us without a map of how to get there. I was saved through the story of Jonah at the age of six. God kept calling on Jonah to go to Nineveh, but he kept on running away from God's calling. I finally answered the call to salvation. I have been saved for almost 27 years.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."(Romans 3:23) No one is discounted from this number. We have all come short of the glory of God. Until we recognize that we have sinned against a sinless God; we cannot begin to understand salvation.
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asp under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of before their eyes."(Romans 3:10-18) The way of the wicked leads to death and destruction. We are reminded about our state apart from God throughout this passage.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) We have no amount of money that would cover the debt of sin. The blood of Christ covered that debt that we owe to a righteous God. He gives eternal life to those that choose to accept His gift of salvation.
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8) God saw the plight of man and had compassion on him.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."(Romans 10:9) It is a matter of making the choice to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He was raised from the dead. We will be saved.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."(Romans 10:13) This verse echoes what verse nine says. This repetition aids learning the principle of how to call upon the Lord for salvation.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"(Romans 5:1) Having received salvation; we now have true peace with God. It is a greater peace than any man can devise.
Stanza 1:
King of my life I crown Thee now- Thine shall be the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.
Lest I forget Gethsemane; Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary.
Stanza 4:
May I be willing, Lord, to bear Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share- Thou hast borne all for me.
Lest I forget Gethsemane; Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary.
(Lead Me to Calvary- Jennie Evelyn Hussey and William J. Kirkpatrick)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Will You Be Good Without God When You Go to Hell?
God said that there would be people that would deny Him. In God's Word, in Psalms 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." A professional atheist says that he can discuss the important topics of life on the basis of science. What will he do when he comes into the presence God, and God says to him, "Depart from me, I never knew you," and then is cast into Hell? We may have the science of medicine to deal with a great deal of diseases, but there are still diseases that have no cure. All things that we have are created by God, even science. Everything has a detailed description in the mind of God, and He asks that we seek Him for the answers. King Solomon sought to find fulfillment through everything under the sun, but coming to the end of his life, he understood that all was vanity. Psychology can try to explain the deeper thoughts of man, but it is sin that is the cause of all the mental disarray. We can try to rely on man for our needs, but what will you do when man is gone? God is the One that we need to rely on, because He will bring us into eternity. What is your eternal state? Are you oblivious to your soul's state? I know my soul's state and I am covered by the blood of my Savior and have a home in Heaven.
Again, psychology wants to psychoanalyze man's well-being, but that only makes things worse. People assume that Christianity is a religion. Religion is defined as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs."
(courtesy of http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion) Our purpose is to honor and glorify God. To call God a superhuman is blasphemy. He is God and not a glorified man or a good teacher as some would say. A good, moral person will not see Heaven, because he has lived a good life. Traditions and rituals are part of religion's guise to make man look good. We can be a part of all the traditions and rituals of religion, and not get any closer to God. As Pastor said this past Sunday, that is not about religion, but a relationship with God. Our morals are as "filthy rags."
Sam Harris (professional atheist) says that "It is better alleviate famine in Africa because you think Jesus Christ is watching and deciding whether to reward you with an eternity of happiness after death? Or is it better to do that because you actually care about the suffering of your fellow human beings?" Is he trying to equate Jesus with Saint Nicholas? We have given Christ a bad name all in the name of holiness. I cannot proclaim it enough, we are all sinners and we have all sinned against God. Apart from God; we are lost. I want to say on behalf of all God's people, we do care about people, but most of all we care about their souls.
Sam makes another statement about science, "Science is the most durable and non-divisive way of thinking about the human circumstance. It transcends cultural, national, and political boundaries. You don't have American science versus Canadian science versus Japanese science." The human circumstance is far worse than Sam can see. Science can get you only so far, but it cannot get you to God. We have continually worked to translate the Word of God, so that the whole world can know Christ.
If we begin to compromise the things of Christ; then we compromise ourselves and all those we care about. We know the nature of the world and it is not because of science, it is because of Christ.
As the title of this post poses the question, Will you be good without God when you go to Hell, if you choose science you have chosen the world's wisdom.
Is your soul eternally secure? Or are you worried about your physical security? God will protect His people.
Again, psychology wants to psychoanalyze man's well-being, but that only makes things worse. People assume that Christianity is a religion. Religion is defined as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs."
(courtesy of http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion) Our purpose is to honor and glorify God. To call God a superhuman is blasphemy. He is God and not a glorified man or a good teacher as some would say. A good, moral person will not see Heaven, because he has lived a good life. Traditions and rituals are part of religion's guise to make man look good. We can be a part of all the traditions and rituals of religion, and not get any closer to God. As Pastor said this past Sunday, that is not about religion, but a relationship with God. Our morals are as "filthy rags."
Sam Harris (professional atheist) says that "It is better alleviate famine in Africa because you think Jesus Christ is watching and deciding whether to reward you with an eternity of happiness after death? Or is it better to do that because you actually care about the suffering of your fellow human beings?" Is he trying to equate Jesus with Saint Nicholas? We have given Christ a bad name all in the name of holiness. I cannot proclaim it enough, we are all sinners and we have all sinned against God. Apart from God; we are lost. I want to say on behalf of all God's people, we do care about people, but most of all we care about their souls.
Sam makes another statement about science, "Science is the most durable and non-divisive way of thinking about the human circumstance. It transcends cultural, national, and political boundaries. You don't have American science versus Canadian science versus Japanese science." The human circumstance is far worse than Sam can see. Science can get you only so far, but it cannot get you to God. We have continually worked to translate the Word of God, so that the whole world can know Christ.
If we begin to compromise the things of Christ; then we compromise ourselves and all those we care about. We know the nature of the world and it is not because of science, it is because of Christ.
As the title of this post poses the question, Will you be good without God when you go to Hell, if you choose science you have chosen the world's wisdom.
Is your soul eternally secure? Or are you worried about your physical security? God will protect His people.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Prayer: Revive Us Again
Today, Pastor told us about call to prayer, because this is what we need in order to turn our nation back to God. We know that government is here for a purpose, but not for an eternal purpose. Pastor also made a point that change does not come from the government; it comes from Jesus and knowing Him. What we see minted on our money are these words "In God We Trust", but do we trust in Him? Those of us who know Him, know what we need to pray for, REVIVAL. We have truly forgotten what we have been saved from, from death and Hell. You wonder why the country is in such disarray; it is not because the government made the wrong decision. It is because we have turned our hearts away from God. We have read what happened to those that totally rejected God; they were destroyed by fire. God will judge those that reject Him. We need to pray not only for REVIVAL, but also for those that know not God.
We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.
All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
(Revive Us Again- William P. Mackay)
We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.
All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
(Revive Us Again- William P. Mackay)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Abba, Father
Father, I need you now. I want my Father's arms to surround me with love. He cares so much for His children, that sometimes He needs to chastise us. A child without discipline is an unruly one. The Lord guides us like an earthly father leads his child.
I call on the One who brought me into this world, and the One who will bring me safely home. We are not promised a hassle-free life, but we know that the Lord will help us to overcome life's obstacles.
He never leaves us to ourselves. He loves us a father and mother love their children.
Jesus Loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow black and white
They're all precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
Whether you're rich or whether you're poor
It matters not to him
He remembers where you're going
Not where you've been
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow black and white
They're all precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
If you're heart is troubled
Don't worry, don't you fret
He knows that you have heard his call
And he won't forget
All around the world tonight
His children rest assured
That he will watch, and he will keep us
Safe and secure
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow black and white
They're all precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
We need to have a child-like faith, so that we can understand how much He truly cares for us.
I call on the One who brought me into this world, and the One who will bring me safely home. We are not promised a hassle-free life, but we know that the Lord will help us to overcome life's obstacles.
He never leaves us to ourselves. He loves us a father and mother love their children.
Jesus Loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow black and white
They're all precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
Whether you're rich or whether you're poor
It matters not to him
He remembers where you're going
Not where you've been
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow black and white
They're all precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
If you're heart is troubled
Don't worry, don't you fret
He knows that you have heard his call
And he won't forget
All around the world tonight
His children rest assured
That he will watch, and he will keep us
Safe and secure
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow black and white
They're all precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
We need to have a child-like faith, so that we can understand how much He truly cares for us.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
It's Broke and Jesus Can Fix It
We in our human frailty are broken, and we cannot be repaired with all the super glue and duct tape in this world. The only One that can fix our broken lives is Jesus. Jesus gave us a pretty vivid picture of what we are; we are like cracked pots. There are many songwriters that have written about brokenness of spirit, and they have all had experiences like that. It is when we recognize that we are broken that we truly see our need for Jesus. Jesus spoke of not overloading us with burdens, but being there to help us carry them. He carried the greatest burden of our sins to the cross and bled and died to take away our sins.
Notice that I am not talking about the government as a means to fix the problems that people have. It is a deep seated spiritual problem. Some people are so deep in despair that they cannot see any signs relief. I am here to tell you that we need Christ, because He is the hope of the world.
Hear our cry, Lord, we pray
Our faces down, our hands are raised
You called us out, we turned away
We've turned away
With shipwrecked faith the idols rise
We do what is right in our own eyes
Our children now will pay the price
We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
All our hearts, all our strength
With all our minds, we're at Your feet
May Your kingdom come in our hearts and lives
Let Your church arise, let Your church arise
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
We're reaching out
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, reaching out
We need You now
Revive us now
We need You now
(If We Ever Needed You- Casting Crowns)
Jesus is reaching out like He did when Peter was being overtaken by the waves. He is reaching out to the poor and needy, to the ones that are at the end of themselves, to those with broken families, to those with broken hearts, and to those in far away places.
Let those that are falling apart come to the One that can piece our lives back together.
Notice that I am not talking about the government as a means to fix the problems that people have. It is a deep seated spiritual problem. Some people are so deep in despair that they cannot see any signs relief. I am here to tell you that we need Christ, because He is the hope of the world.
Hear our cry, Lord, we pray
Our faces down, our hands are raised
You called us out, we turned away
We've turned away
With shipwrecked faith the idols rise
We do what is right in our own eyes
Our children now will pay the price
We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
All our hearts, all our strength
With all our minds, we're at Your feet
May Your kingdom come in our hearts and lives
Let Your church arise, let Your church arise
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
We're reaching out
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, reaching out
We need You now
Revive us now
We need You now
(If We Ever Needed You- Casting Crowns)
Jesus is reaching out like He did when Peter was being overtaken by the waves. He is reaching out to the poor and needy, to the ones that are at the end of themselves, to those with broken families, to those with broken hearts, and to those in far away places.
Let those that are falling apart come to the One that can piece our lives back together.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Simple Truths About the Savior
Let us start this post with a revelation, nobody is perfect. The only One who is perfect is Jesus, but as He was here during His earthly ministry, He experienced all the testing and trials that we have gone through at one time or another. Do not limit God, because He is limitless.
I am not rebuking those that proclaim the Gospel, but Christ said about prayer, "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.(Matthew 6:5) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into the closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret shall reward thee openly.(6:6) But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.(6:7) Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."(6:8) Prayer is that personal communication with God. I think that many people say that they will pray for you nonchalantly, and forget to do so right after they have said it. Prayer for yourself and others holds the same weight.
Jesus looked at the multitudes and saw their needs, and He said, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest."(Matthew 9:37b,38) We need to look out into this world and gather His harvest. Don't be the one to wait on others to do the harvesting. I am including myself in that call for laborers in the harvest.
I want to encourage those that have lost faith and hope in the Savior. He is willing to guide and direct you unto Himself through His Word and prayer, not through some 12 step program. The simple step is believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and that He spilled His blood that we might be saved. He above all, cares for those that have already been saved and those that are going to be saved. I have taken that step of believing in Christ as my Savior. Will you seek God and find Him?
I want those of us who question many things about our faith to know that their is hope in the Savior, not in the guise of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism never saved man, but Christ did and does. It is helpful in understanding the doctrines of the Bible, but it does not save man. It seems to turn man away from God, because it sends them wrong direction. God never turns away anyone. Let me say it again, GOD NEVER TURNS AWAY ANYONE. Christ says in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." We are all lowly in heart, but can we see past the forest of fundamentalism, the light of the Son of God.
I saw a man today, his whole world across his back
A living monument opposed to my success
I tried to look into his eyes as his shuffled past my car
Sweat beading on his skin, his clothes and hair a mess
As the light turned green and I pulled away, he slowly disappeared
Just a memory of another chance I failed to show your love here
I wanna love because You love
I wanna give because You gave
I wanna reach my hand out to the lost
because I know Your hand can save
Only You can save
Only You can save
Sometimes I have to wonder if I really want to know
The struggle and the pain that others feel
Do I want to hear the stories I see echoed in their eyes
Or is this love I say that I’m reflecting even real
As the light turns on inside my head and I slowly disappear
I steel myself cuz what you call for me is to show your love here…
I wanna love because You love
I wanna give because You gave
I wanna reach my hand out to the lost
because I know Your hand can save
Only You can save
Only You can save
(Save) Let me be Your hands
(Only You can save) Let me be your eyes
(Only you can save) Help me understand
(Only you can save)
That I’m Your hands and feet hidden behind this frail human disguise
I wanna love because You love
I wanna give because You gave
I wanna reach my hand out to the lost
because I know Your hand will save
Cuz only You can save
Cuz only You can save
Cuz only You can save
(Only You Can Save- Chris Sligh)
In the words of Chris Sligh's song is the simple message of what Christ did for us so that we might be saved.
I am not rebuking those that proclaim the Gospel, but Christ said about prayer, "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.(Matthew 6:5) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into the closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret shall reward thee openly.(6:6) But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.(6:7) Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."(6:8) Prayer is that personal communication with God. I think that many people say that they will pray for you nonchalantly, and forget to do so right after they have said it. Prayer for yourself and others holds the same weight.
Jesus looked at the multitudes and saw their needs, and He said, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest."(Matthew 9:37b,38) We need to look out into this world and gather His harvest. Don't be the one to wait on others to do the harvesting. I am including myself in that call for laborers in the harvest.
I want to encourage those that have lost faith and hope in the Savior. He is willing to guide and direct you unto Himself through His Word and prayer, not through some 12 step program. The simple step is believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and that He spilled His blood that we might be saved. He above all, cares for those that have already been saved and those that are going to be saved. I have taken that step of believing in Christ as my Savior. Will you seek God and find Him?
I want those of us who question many things about our faith to know that their is hope in the Savior, not in the guise of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism never saved man, but Christ did and does. It is helpful in understanding the doctrines of the Bible, but it does not save man. It seems to turn man away from God, because it sends them wrong direction. God never turns away anyone. Let me say it again, GOD NEVER TURNS AWAY ANYONE. Christ says in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." We are all lowly in heart, but can we see past the forest of fundamentalism, the light of the Son of God.
I saw a man today, his whole world across his back
A living monument opposed to my success
I tried to look into his eyes as his shuffled past my car
Sweat beading on his skin, his clothes and hair a mess
As the light turned green and I pulled away, he slowly disappeared
Just a memory of another chance I failed to show your love here
I wanna love because You love
I wanna give because You gave
I wanna reach my hand out to the lost
because I know Your hand can save
Only You can save
Only You can save
Sometimes I have to wonder if I really want to know
The struggle and the pain that others feel
Do I want to hear the stories I see echoed in their eyes
Or is this love I say that I’m reflecting even real
As the light turns on inside my head and I slowly disappear
I steel myself cuz what you call for me is to show your love here…
I wanna love because You love
I wanna give because You gave
I wanna reach my hand out to the lost
because I know Your hand can save
Only You can save
Only You can save
(Save) Let me be Your hands
(Only You can save) Let me be your eyes
(Only you can save) Help me understand
(Only you can save)
That I’m Your hands and feet hidden behind this frail human disguise
I wanna love because You love
I wanna give because You gave
I wanna reach my hand out to the lost
because I know Your hand will save
Cuz only You can save
Cuz only You can save
Cuz only You can save
(Only You Can Save- Chris Sligh)
In the words of Chris Sligh's song is the simple message of what Christ did for us so that we might be saved.
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