Our life is sometimes ruled by black and white, good or bad, choices that we make sometimes on a daily basis. Many of our decisions are based upon what will this do to change my life or the life of someone that I care for. Will it make some part of their life or mine better or worse? This is still a decision based on Darkness or Light, Death or Life, Love or Hate, nearly everything that happens in our world falls on one side or the other. So, which side will you choose?
Author: Tracy Eldridge
This my witness for my Lord and Savior on the web. I pray that you find these posts useful in your search for Jesus.
http://thelivingmessage.com
Easter…did it happen?
We celebrate Easter by doing some strange things like dying eggs and watching for the Easter bunny, but those things have nothing to do with Christianity. So why are they and this holiday part of our religion? Partly because the early church wanted to bring pagans into the church, so they adopted the spring festival that the pagans used to celebrate the renewal of life in the spring as the holiday to represent the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus’ resurrection did not occur in the way that many people think, at least not according to the Easter celebration. Yes, Jesus was raised to life after three days. Yes, He walked out of the tomb with a new body, but still bearing the scars which He kept because of His sacrifice for us on the cross. Those from the scourging that He bore, were gone. None of the gospel writers tell of any of those scars being seen, which is interesting because the prophecies and some historians of the time said that He was unrecognizable from them.
God can and does heal any disease, even today, and those scars were healed because He bore them for us. God hasn’t stopped healing people and it confounds our doctors today because they can’t understand how someone who was so near death could show no sign of cancer or any other disease, without treatment. The love which God has for us is a type of love which we can’t understand with our mortal, human minds. But…God can work through our prayers and by our faith in Him and His power to work things in such a way that we can’t explain it.
That resurrection morning, when Jesus came out of the tomb, the stone was rolled away by God’s power. It may have been an angel who rolled it away, so that Mary and the disciples could see into the tomb, but it was still the power of God that worked through it all. Your sins and mine were taken away with that resurrection and the work of Jesus Who gave Himself as a Perfect Lamb and sacrifice for all of humanity’s sins. All that we need to do is to listen to the Voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to us and when we hear it, we should respond in faith.
When you do that, your heart is changed into a new creation and you are too. You are no longer the same person who came to church or was reading the Bible and felt the touch of God on your life. You did not do anything other than believe in what you heard or read and the Holy Spirit touched your spirit, your heart, and you accepted the greatest Gift that has ever been given to us! Each of us who have accepted that Gift never have to worry about our eternal reward, because it is sealed in the Blood of Jesus!
When you know that you have given your heart to Him, then the only testimony needed is your baptism. It is a symbolic of your death to sin and then rising to walk in the newness of Life with Jesus. Is it necessary for your salvation? No, but it is a testimony to others of what has happened. Then, read God’s Word and pray about what you read so that He can teach you from it and reveal His Truth to you. While you do that, tell others about Him and what He did for you.
Because, God loves you and He did all of this for you and for me and for everyone who has given their lives to Him through faith. Seek Him out in His Word and at a Bible teaching church, learn about your Savior because He already knows you better than you know yourself.
What will you do?
What will you do on the day that Jesus comes back? What about the day that the trumpet sounds and many people in the world vanish? Will you be one of those who vanish or will you be left here wondering what happened?
What will you do? How will you feel about being left behind?
Life on Earth is going to get hard and very dangerous for anyone who decides to become a follower of Jesus. Especially after the “new” messiah shows up.
The time to decide to follow Jesus and ask Him into your life is today! There is more persecution and problems for Christians today than it has ever been, and the time is running out. Now, I don’t know when He will come for the church and I am not going to speculate, but you can see the prophecies coming true today. There are more wars, small though they may be they are still wars and many of them are because of religion and religious reasons.
Although, the wars which we hear about are not because of Christian beliefs. The conflicts which we hear about in the news are from parts of the religious spectrum which are usually against Christians entirely. They are persecuted, killed and some are put into prisons. Some are burned alive, some see their children killed because of their faith, but they don’t give up their faith.
God doesn’t cause these problems in their lives, the world just can’t handle the Truth of His Word and His offer of Grace and mercy. Therefore the world punishes our brothers and sisters all over the world, regardless of the country they live in. We may not hear about their suffering because it isn’t in the Middle East or maybe it isn’t part of someone’s agenda right now, but that doesn’t mean that their suffering is any less. Those Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa are being burned out of their homes and many of them have lost their families because of the hatred that others in their country have for “Jesus followers”.
We don’t hear about it because it isn’t sensational news, it won’t bring in the ratings, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
Is there anything that we can do to help them? We can pray if we can’t do anything else! Pray for God to protect them or to help them to escape their circumstances. If you can give money to a reputable organization which can help, then by all means do so! The things which are happening today are the “beginnings of sorrows“. Jesus said that we should be watching for these signs and be watching for His coming and be ready for it.
When the believers are taken up one day, the world will wonder what happened? They will be searching for answers and of those that are still here, only the ones who have read God’s Word and heard it preached but chose not to believe will be the ones who have the answer. But, most of the world will not listen at that point. Many theories will be put forth on the news for the violence and the disappearances and the many deaths which happen when a pilot or a bus driver vanishes.
This time is coming. Seek Jesus and His Truth in God’s Word! Pray that you are among those who vanish because afterwards the world will blame Christians and God’s Word for all of the hate and the deaths and the broken families who are left. The hatred toward those who believe after this will be very violent. Look into the Bible for your Savior now, because tomorrow or next month or next year may be too late.
Life’s little obstacles
When you are walking barefoot, you feel every pebble no matter how small. That is what life is like when you are walking without Jesus as your guide. Every problem, every discomfort, everything gets in the way of your enjoyment. Of course, if you have never accepted Jesus, this actually feels like a normal day so it doesn’t really bother you much. You go around them, you ignore them and just move on…until you come up against one that is bigger than you can go around, then what?
It is true that many of our problems could be described as rocks and bumps in a path through this life, but then at times the pathway is almost blocked to the point of falling off on one side or another or maybe you will have to climb over this one. But…how? There aren’t any places to climb over or to put…
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No physical marriage
In Heaven Jesus said that we are not given in marriage nor does our marriage continue as it was on Earth. So, no sex in heaven for He said we would be like the angels. What could we do with our bodies in Heaven? We will be like the angels and like Jesus, with glorified bodies which are immortal. We will reign with Him and be His representatives on Earth and in Heaven.
There have been enough abortions on Earth in the past 44 years that Heaven is full of children who were sent back to God without ever being known by their parents. We have committed a very great sin in our country and around the world because of the ruling on abortion and “women’s rights”. God is going to hold us accountable for this because it was our generation or the one prior to us which allowed this to happen.
Regarding marriage in Heaven, the Church will be married to the Groom which is Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb. If you are trying to bring any other definition into eternity then you will be sorely mistaken and disappointed.
We are intended to be part of the group in the marriage supper, the Church, not individuals being married to each other. Eternity will be a time when we can see and know all of the things which we have always wanted the answers to, but those answers are reserved for our life in eternity, not here on Earth. So many people are looking for answers here and now to make the “transition” into eternity more enticing. Why? Having the Grace of God give you eternity through your belief in Jesus and His atonement on the cross for you should be enough!
Just having eternity ahead of you with no pain, no limitations on your body, no problems like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. should be enough of a reward for all of us to expect and be thankful for! Seek out Jesus and His Kingdom through reading the Bible and going to a Bible teaching church. The eternal rewards of having a relationship with Jesus far outweigh anything found here in this life.
Walking the Way
In the early years of the movement which became the church it was called “the Way”. Many people spoke ill of those who followed it because it was considered a cult following the teachings of a Carpenter or a madman. The Way was and is the path that Jesus walked while He was teaching here on Earth. Teaching His disciples to love those who weren’t lovable to care for those that everyone else shunned.
The Way that Jesus walked and taught was and is the way that the church should be walking and teaching today, but does it? Do we walk the Way that He did? Do we take care of those that Jesus did? I don’t mean that we can heal them because we can’t, the church can’t do that, but God can if we take the water and His Love to those in need of it. The water of His Word, the wisdom contained in it and the Love that God wants us to carry to all of those who need it in every nation.
This is what we are supposed to be doing. The church, the people who follow Jesus’ teachings are supposed to be His hands and feet until He comes again. Are we being and doing that? Some are, but it seems that most of us would rather not. Why? Is it too hard or is it some kind of revulsion that we have toward those in need? Do we really believe that we are that much better than others? I hope not, or we will likely be disappointed when we see Jesus one day.
The parable of the master who went away and left a number of talents with his servants. To one he gave five, to one he gave three and to one he gave one. They were to use these while he was absent, to do something with them. When he returned the one who had five had made five more with his, the one who had two had produced two more with his, but the one who had one had buried it and gave it back just as he had received it. All of them had served him well, except for the servant with one talent. If he had invested it or at least placed it with the bank, the master could’ve gotten it back with interest but he did nothing with it. So it was given to the one with ten talents.
What does this parable prove? Don’t waste your talents or your money because it is a gift from the Master and He expects you to use it, to do something with it. If it is money that you have, then use it for good. If it is talent for other things like writing or teaching, then make sure you are teaching from the Truth of God when you write or teach. At least if you are teaching the Truth from God’s Word, then others are not learning just from the “wisdom of man”.
Walking in faith
If you have ever been in a church service which preaches from God’s Word, then you have heard this phrase. But was it ever explained to you?
It isn’t some fanciful way of living or some magic way of doing things, but one of submitting yourself to the Spirit of God and Jesus in your everyday life. Being thankful for all that you have, whether it is good or bad, because God is bigger than all of our problems. He Who created everything, takes care of you and me and all who are on this world…not because He has to but because He loves us. On those days when you feel that nearly everything that you do is going wrong, He is still there to give you strength and help you get through it.
During the days and nights of those who have to spend time in treatment for cancer or an accident, He is there. In the hospital or the ambulance or on the road going from one place to another, He is with you.
If you don’t know Jesus the Christ, then your life is in turmoil even if it doesn’t seem so right now. Why? Because you are living in the camp of Satan and the world itself. You are doing those things, good or bad, which please you and you alone without a thought to who may or may not be watching. God sees all that you are doing and if you are not His, it breaks His heart but He won’t force you to come to Him. Love and devotion cannot be forced and cannot be given without love in return.
Faithful living and living thankfully toward God for His grace and mercy is something which can’t be done without Jesus in your heart. You can fake being a believer by acting good in front of others and attending church, you can even practice it well enough to be a Pastor of a church and be perceived as righteous…but God knows your heart.
When you die, which all of us will one day, you will stand before God and you will do it with the righteousness of Christ’s blood to cover your sins or in your own righteousness without Him. In the first your life will be an honor to God and you will be welcomed into His Presence, if you stand under your own cloak of self-righteousness then there is no grace and no amount of goodness which will save you. You are without Jesus and His Grace and your every thought and word and deed will be laid bare, without forgiveness. You will be cast away from the Presence of God into the hell which was prepared, not for mankind but for Satan and his demonic forces.
Think about this before you decide to live your life on your own terms and not with Jesus in your life. Without Him we have nothing to boast of but with Him we have everything!.
The wages of a life without Jesus
The wages of sin
Romans 6
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What do you consider a sin? Working on the Sabbath? Cursing, taking the Lord’s name in vain? Gambling? Adultery? Gossip? Which of these would you consider a sin? How about telling an untruth (lying)?
In God’s eyes and in His way of looking at sin, all of these are sins and it doesn’t mean that we, even as Christians, have to do more than one. One sin, whether it is telling someone a lie, regardless of it being a little one or a big one, makes you guilty of breaking them ALL! So, how can we be justified in the sight of God?
Only through the belief in Jesus and in His atoning sacrifice on the cross. If you deny that or if you just believe it because the preacher says so but you really don’t believe it in your heart, then your belief is null!
If I told you that a rope could save you from falling to your death, would you believe it? Most of you would, but only IF you could see and feel the rope! The catch is that the rope will only save your life IF you reach out and take it in your hands and hold on to it so you don’t fall.
Jesus will save you from falling into Hell itself, IF you will believe in His atonement and in the work that He accomplished on the cross when you accept Him as your Savior. There is nothing that you can do to “help” Him save you, there is no amount of “good things” which you can do to enhance your salvation. He paid the price for ALL OF US with His blood, His death and His resurrection, there is nothing that you or I can add to it at all.
Choosing to know about Jesus and all of the miracles and Grace which God grants to you and me through Him, will not bring you salvation. Knowing about a chest full of gold on your property doesn’t make you rich, until you claim it!! It is the same with your salvation. If you have felt the knock on your heart and your life,heard that small voice which has tried to get you to accept Jesus BUT you have chosen to ignore it or you have determined that you will do it later?? Why would you do that?
Are you absolutely SURE that you have a tomorrow or next week to accept Jesus as your Savior? Do you know that you will live until tomorrow without a doubt or next weekend, such as next Sunday to determine that you will accept Him then? If you have this knowledge, I want to know who told you? Where did you get it from?
We are not given a guarantee of tomorrow or next week or next year! It is true that God said it was appointed to us “threescore and ten or if by reason of strength, fourscore years”, but this is not a guarantee! Moses wrote this Psalm, which is Psalm 90, and God blessed him with more strength and years to live to about 120, but our days are not written in stone.
God loves us and He will give you eternal life once you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, so from that point you could say that you have tomorrow or next year, but that doesn’t mean that eternity will be in this body and on Earth. Our eternity is in Heaven with Him, your life and mine may only last for a few more days or weeks or maybe until next year if God wills it so. We can’t boast of planning for anything too far out in our lives and I won’t make that mistake.
Seek to follow Jesus and believe in Him and the grace which we are given because of our belief in Him, and do it daily. Waking, give thanks. Eating and working, give God thanks. Coming home safely, give God thanks. Lying down to sleep, give God thanks. Why? Because it was by His Grace alone that you were able to do those things!! His Grace gives you the ability and the strength to do all of those things and without Him and His Grace, you and I are nothing!
Don’t disregard His call on your life or put it off until you have the time to devote to Him, because you don’t know when your life will end here and you will stand in front of God to answer for your words and deeds in this world. If you have given your heart to Him and believe in Jesus and His work on the cross and His resurrection for your salvation, then your sins are covered by His blood and you don’t need to fear the judgement! Standing there without Jesus as your advocate will be a terrifying ordeal, so don’t choose that path.
Same old, same old…
Why do people who visit a church, regardless of the denomination, never come back? Sometimes, it is because of the message. It never changes, it is the same message that they have heard at other churches. Sometimes, they see and hear people in the church or prior to the service who are speaking and acting just like people outside the church. Which is where the hypocrite accusation comes from most of the time.
The cure and the reason that all of these are happening is that we are all sinners and have been that way all of our lives! Some of us may belong to Jesus, but there is still a struggle going on in our bodies between the “old man” that we were before salvation and the new creature that we became in Christ! That is why Jesus said that we have to pick up our crosses every day and follow Him. Your cross is to put your old nature on and then wash your spirit in God’s Word every day to keep your old nature on the cross, but it is a daily, sometimes hourly struggle to do so.
Being a Christian is not an easy thing to do. People think that when you accept Jesus as your Savior that your problems go away but that is usually when they start! Because, you weren’t a threat to Satan until you became a Christian so he didn’t bother you much. Now, if you are trying to live your life through Jesus and by His example, you are a threat to him and he and all of his demons and principalities will be after you to keep you from being successful in your new Life with Christ.
When someone tells you that there isn’t any difference between your church and the rest of the people outside your church, it is not a reflection on you or the church it is a reflection of those who attend the church. They either haven’t REALLY accepted Jesus as their Savior or they are just “playing church” and keeping the pew warm and nothing else. A stagnant Christian, one who accepted Jesus but doesn’t carry Him outside the church doors, is more dangerous than an atheist because they are denying the power of God to truly make a difference in their lives!
We should be learning more about God’s promises and less about people on Facebook. It is sad that even though many people think that the Bible is a Holy Book and the Wisdom contained in it is important, few people in America have ever actually READ it. They read a few verses here and there, but a verse or two doesn’t help your unbelief and it certainly doesn’t give you a strong foundation to stand on in your faith, if you have any.
God loves all of humanity but He doesn’t like the way we treat each other or the way that we worship creation or religions created by man instead of Him! Is He a jealous God? He said so in the Bible! How would you feel if your child called your friend or neighbor Dad or Mom rather than you and would do what they asked but would ignore your words entirely? If that would make you jealous and angry, we should be thankful that God doesn’t have the same ways of reacting that we do.
Consider this when you look at a church and think that many of their people don’t know God: Do you?
Daily living
Why are we so perplexed with the idea of living with Jesus, when we are supposed to be Christians if we believe in Him? Do you believe or not? Children can believe with no trouble at all, so why do we, as adults, have so much trouble?
Mostly, it seems to be our own brains. They become so full of information from college or work and news and emails or the Internet, until we have developed a type of information overload disorder. We have so much information from our life and from other areas of our lives rattling around in out heads until it keeps us distracted from keeping our focus on Jesus. Then, just as Peter did when he was walking on the water to Jesus, we get our attention diverted and we lose our spiritual focus.
Like looking for a deer or an elk in the forest when the leaves are still in full leaf, there is so much foliage breaking up the picture until we miss the deer or the herd of elk in the background. The same principle keeps us from concentrating on Jesus, keeping our focus on Him…we have bills to pay, then a friend has an accident in their car or our child needs us at school, there are deadlines at work and we only go to church once or twice a week.
How does a relationship work if you only see or listen to the other person’s voice once or twice a week? It isn’t much of a relationship at all! A husband and wife or any significant other wouldn’t consider themselves a couple if they only saw each other once or twice in a weeks time! So how can you have a relationship with your Savior and Creator if you only open a Bible or go to church once or twice a week? YOU CAN’T!!!
Even in the Garden, the Lord visited with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. I know it doesn’t say that it happened every day, but why not? This was before their disobedience, before the “eating from the tree that I told you not to eat from” incident, so don’t you think that God had to teach them something about their jobs? He had told Adam to care for the garden and the animals, so how would he know how to do all of this without God’s teaching him? By mind-meld? I don’t think so.
God loves all of His Creation, including the animals, the trees, the ocean and the fish and birds as well as us, humans. He had to teach Adam how to take care of all of this, so the walks in the cool of the day were teaching sessions most likely. That relationship, which we are supposed to be a part of, doesn’t work very well unless you get to know each other. God already knows you, so the only one in this relationship who needs to learn about the Other is each of us! You can’t learn about God or Jesus and the Holy Spirit by ignoring His Word or the teaching in a Bible teaching church.
Having a Bible in the house or on a table doesn’t count any more than having a medical textbook in the house makes you a doctor! We don’t learn by osmosis and you can’t sit in a church with other people and be a Christian, you have to seek Him and answer when He calls you to Himself! You can’t be forced into a relationship and God doesn’t do that. He will call you and you will know that it is His call but unlike some teachings out there which say that it is an “irresistible” call and that you can’t resist it, you actually can and many do.
The problem with that resistance is that eventually you may not hear it at all and your heart will not respond from that point on. Just as in a human relationship, if you keep pushing the other person away long enough, eventually they won’t come back. When you read the Scripture which reads “and God gave them over to their lusts”, that is what has happened. Please don’t make that mistake with your eternity.
