The beginning of the church

Why is belief in Jesus so important? Because “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

In Acts 4:12, the Bible says: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Belief is necessary because Jesus is the Living Word of God and He came to redeem the lost of this world. You may think that you have done some things which would allow you into Heaven but if what you have done in this life was done out of pride and your own self-righteousness and without Jesus’ guiding hand then it was a waste. Nothing that we do with our good intentions and our own ideas of self-righteousness can ever bring us into the Presence of God. Well, it can bring us there but it will be in judgement and not reward because without Jesus and our repentant heart and His Spirit guiding us…everything that we do is dust and filthy rags.

There are many words which God has placed in the Bible which point the way to a life of service to Him. Such as believe or obedience or humility.

God honors those who humble themselves to Him and recognize that He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith in Christ Jesus. Only through Him can we gain entrance to the City which is not built by hands but by the Word of God. I pray that any who read this small letter might turn to the One Messiah, Jesus Christ because it is only through belief in Him and repentance from your own sins can you be saved to walk the streets of Heaven one day.

**Follow Jesus because He is the only way into Heaven.**

The Passover and Easter

Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Seder meal or Passover meal, which Christians call the Last Supper and it was just before His arrest and the “mock trial” before His crucifixion. But how did three full days elapse between the crucifixion and His resurrection? Some say there was another sabbath which was prior to the Passover that year so what was it?

The part that we, as Christians, don’t understand is the Jewish holiday itself. Passover is a Holy Day and therefore is considered a sabbath day when no work is allowed regardless of the day that it falls on. Since their calendar is based on a Lunar calendar month the dates and days change from year to year. I have found a chart which shows the differences between the calendar days and the holy days for the year when Jesus (Yeshua) was crucified.

Does this validate or change anything? Not really. In fact it just shows that the days before the Sabbath for that year had significance for those who were celebrating the feasts (Feast of Unleavened Bread) and the Passover.

Why bring this up? Because, regardless of whether you consider a part of a day as a day, there is no way to make three days fit between Friday afternoon and Sunday at daybreak in the way that tradition has held that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Does this really matter in the grand scheme of things? No, because God worked it out however He wanted it to work.

Our salvation is paid for because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and our belief in the atonement provided by Him. The number of nights or days doesn’t change what Jesus did, if you don’t count the time that He told the Pharisees that the “only sign that they would get would be the sign of Jonah“. They were the priests and the teachers of Israel and they knew their scriptures by heart and yet they didn’t see that He was their Messiah or they didn’t want to believe that He was and chose not to recognize Him. Whichever version you want to go with is fine with me.

Jesus told them before His crucifixion that “since they didn’t recognize Him their blindness would remain“. God has provided a way for all who hear His call in their lives to come to repentance and salvation IF they will believe in and accept Jesus as their Savior. I pray that anyone who is looking for their Savior will give Jesus a chance because He is the only Savior there is…period.

Our condition doesn’t change

Of all of the preachers and evangelists that I have read their sermons or their books, it seems that the spiritual condition of humanity hasn’t really changed much. When I read something like “Pilgrim’s Progress” there were still many in the world who were content in their own sins and felt that they had no need to seek Jesus or a Savior. Then there are the sermons of Jonathan Edwards in the 1700’s and he is speaking of a world full of sin and strife against all that is holy. The same can be said for the prince of preachers, C.H. Spurgeon. He talked and preached to a crowd sometimes in excess of three thousand people and yet he spoke of sins which we hear about today.

Sins have not changed over the years between the time when Jesus walked in Galilee and today. The sinners have changed and the severity of the sins have changed but the sins have not. We have newer ways to sin if you consider those committed on the Internet today. There is a whole generation of people who have not grown up in the church and who don’t know any of the stories from God’s Word. Even if they did know some of the stories they would likely think they were made up or fairy tales rather than the inspired Word of God.

Even life on Earth hasn’t really changed that much, except in the last century or so. Until the 1900’s most people got around by horse and buggy or by their own horse or by carriage. Then the car was invented and the airplane and so much more. In the last one hundred years there have been many advances in so many areas of our life.

Seek out your Savior while there is time to do so because He loved you enough to die for your sins so you wouldn’t have to.

**He does love you this much, don’t turn away from Him.**

What can I do to have eternal life?

In the sentence above is one mistake which many people cling to and never realize that they are wrong in doing so. The word “I” has no place in this sentence. There is nothing that we can do which will bring us into eternity with Jesus. Only by giving your life and your heart to Him and asking for His forgiveness of your sins can you obtain eternal Life. “The soul which sins will die” is a promise in God’s Word, not a suggestion.

But, the death that this soul which sins will endure is not an instant, one-time death. It is an eternal separation from God and His Life in heaven. So, in effect we are all immortal it just depends upon your choices in this life whether you will truly live into eternity or endure suffering and pain for eternity by being separated from the Author of Life, which is Jesus our Savior.

If it were possible for us to contribute anything to attaining or grasping eternal life then why did Jesus have to die? If we could do it and be successful at it, by being righteous and holy in everything that we do in our lives, He didn’t have to die on the cross and be raised on the third day. But we cannot be perfectly righteous and holy in our life.

Our holiness comes through striving to be more like Christ and not being like the person we were before our relationship with Him. That is what “taking up your cross” means. Put down your old way of life and turn away from it and follow Jesus Christ every day because only by doing this can you begin to understand His wisdom and His Word. If you are wondering how this is possible if we can’t do it ourselves, it is because of the Holy Spirit’s conviction which brings you to the place where you know you need Jesus. Then the Spirit changes your heart to be a little bit more like Him each day when you read the Bible and study it with prayer.

Prior to my acceptance of Jesus as my Savior I couldn’t understand the message in the Bible whether it was in the Old Testament or the New Testament. It just seemed to be stories and history of a people that I had heard about in movies. God’s Spirit does have a way of teaching us even when we don’t know we are being taught. The title of this article is the same question which the rich young ruler asked Jesus but when he learned that he should give up his wealth…he turned away.

Money and fame can lead many people away from the message of salvation simply because with both of those we don’t feel the need for God in our lives unless a true tragedy happens to us. Even then some people will blame God for it rather than turn to Him for their comfort and healing. I pray that anyone who reads this will seek Jesus out as their Savior before the church is taken up one day soon.

The world will change…

When the Tribulation is over and Jesus comes to set up His Kingdom on Earth everything will change. There will be no more crime or war or drugs or any of the bad stuff we hear on the news today. It sounds like a wonderful place doesn’t it? It will be for those who believe in Him and live during this time, even those who have died and gone to Heaven will return to reign with Him. Those believers who have managed to come to faith in Him during the Tribulation and live through it will spend the next one thousand years working with those who need to know and believe in Jesus.

It is hard to believe that there will be people living during that time, with Jesus ruling the world, who will not give their heart to Him and believe in Him for their salvation. But there will be many, so many in fact that Satan will have an army at the end of that time which is larger than any army on Earth now or ever! Yes, the book of Revelation is real and it is the Word of God so it is True and will come about in the future. You can choose to believe God and His Word or not but since God doesn’t lie, I would suggest that you believe His Word!

Why am I bringing this subject up? Because there is no way to know when Jesus will come for His church and when He does the whole world will become much worse than it is right now. He could come tonight or tomorrow or next week or next year but the point is that we don’t know the hour or day. If you aren’t ready when He does call for His Bride then you will be here when the Anti-Christ takes over the world. For a few years his rule will be tolerable but it will get much worse before the seven years are done. I pray that all who read this will be ready when Jesus calls for His church (those who have believed in Him for their salvation).

I pray that many will come to know Him as their Savior before that time comes so I can meet all of you in Heaven one day. Seek Him for your salvation and your soul.

Survivor or Saint?

Do you live and work in this world just to survive or are you a saved and sanctified saint of Jesus the Messiah? Surviving isn’t really living. It is just existing from one paycheck to the next getting by on the “stuff” which the money of this world can get for you. But what will you do at the end of your life? Survive what exactly? Will you continue on into eternity with Jesus or will you survive into eternity with Satan and his demons? All of these are valid questions but do you know for sure about your answer?

Many people in our world just think that they know the answer because they have been to Bible school and they belong to the church that their parents belong to. They try to go to church at least once or twice a month, maybe. Some only make it to church when they feel like it or on the holidays like Easter and Christmas. How long would your relationship with your spouse last if you only visited for an hour every week or only once or twice a year? That isn’t a relationship at all if you only visit a couple of times every year.

When Jesus called you into a relationship with Him it really was supposed to be a lifetime relationship not just a once in a while visit! His disciples wouldn’t have learned much from Him at all if He had only taught them once or twice each year.

God cares about all of us but He knows which ones will answer when He touches their heart. I pray that many of you who haven’t made that decision will make it and choose to have a daily relationship with Jesus and repent of your sins and follow Him.

Make sure of your thoughts

Numbers 6: 22-27

22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

This is the blessing which God commanded Moses to give to Aaron which he spoke to Israel as a blessing from God. Since we are adopted into God’s family through the blood of Jesus, we can also claim this blessing as we go about our lives following the Lord and serving Him in our daily living.

God will be with us and bless us as we do those things which are pleasing to Him but if we turn away from Him and go our own way do things in our own strength and our counsel then God will not bless those things which we are doing. He is a loving God but He is also jealous of our service and our devotion to Him. Which is why Christians are put to the test when we think we are doing what is right for Him but it is only right because we are doing it in our strength and not under His direction.

God loves each of us and He will test us and try our faith in Him to prove it and make it stronger. If we are not walking with Him we may be tried because of it. We will not be killed or hurt in this, but we may go through trials and pain because of our walking the path without Him. Being obedient to Jesus and to His teachings, just as His disciples and followers were, is a requirement which has not changed and because He hasn’t changed our obedience to Him should not change either.

Although there are times when we think we are hearing His voice when it is a demon or Satan speaking in our mind and convincing us that it is from the Lord. Remember, Satan has had many years to perfect his craft of deceit and lies and he can make it sound very convincing to our minds. Our enemy is very subtle and crafty and he can fool even those who know the Lord and His voice.

We must try these words which come to us and make sure that they are from our Lord before we act upon them. Any leading from a thought or during prayer which doesn’t acknowledge God or Jesus as Savior and Lord did not come from the Lord, so be careful of what you listen to in music or in your own mind and especially on TV.

A word from the Lord can come to us in a time of meditation on His Word but even then we should test it to make sure of its meaning and where it comes from. Making sure of the words and their meaning and whether they actually come from God’s Word as well. This is the only way to prove them before we act upon them and carry them to others by writing or by proclamation (preaching).

God wants to bless us for our obedience and our loyalty to Him but we must be careful to test any leading that we have and make sure that it is from God and doesn’t contradict His Word or even may be similar to His Word but is changed just enough to make it of none effect. This is the kind of deception which comes from Satan and he will tempt Christians and nonbelievers alike with it. By taking a word out or changing it so that the verse doesn’t mean the same as it did, this is what some “false teachers” are doing today. I pray that all who read this will test what they hear from any teacher who claims to be a Christian to make sure of its truth.

Who is Jesus the Christ?

Ooh, this could be a long list. He is the Seed of the Woman and the Captain of the Lord’s army. He is the Rock and the Manna which sustained Israel. He is the Bread of Life and the Living Water. He is the Good Shepherd and the Root of Jesse. He is the Rock cut from the mountain without tools and the King of Kings. He is our Savior and Lord and the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is the Messiah and the Suffering Servant. He is the Great Physician and the Creator of all things. He is the Lover of my soul and the Prince of Peace. He is the Bright and Morning Star and the Lily of the valley. He is the Firstborn of those who will be raised from the grave and the Spotless Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

There are many names which describe Him and all of them are true and right because they all describe some part of Who Jesus is. He is the Lord of Lords and the Living Word of God. All of these names and more have been given to Him and I don’t claim to know them all but Jesus is everything to all of those who have accepted Him as their Savior. He is Creation and the Creator. He is the only begotten Son of God and the Son of Man. Why do I speak these words about my Lord with reverence and awe? Because He deserves so much adoration that I can’t express it adequately.

God sent His Son to Earth to redeem mankind from their sins and yet there are many who don’t want to know Him. Why is that? Because of the work of Satan in this world, that’s why! He has been at work since the Garden of Eden and the fall of mankind and his work is not over until Jesus comes back and sets up His Kingdom here. Satan knows his time is drawing to a close and it will soon come to an end, at least for a thousand years. Then he gets to try again but God will utterly defeat him at that point and he will be thrown into the lake of fire.

I pray that anyone who might be seeking to know about Jesus will read some of my other posts here and find a Bible teaching church and truly seek Him out while there is time. God doesn’t wish for any to be sent to hell but if you choose to ignore the Truth in God’s Word then that is your choice and God will not try to change your mind. If you are convicted of your sin then please seek Him in the Word and ask Him to forgive you and help you to believe in Him.

How can you tell the difference?

When someone shows you a fake or counterfeit dollar bill can you spot the difference? What about a false “gospel”? The only way to be able to tell the difference is to know what the Real One looks like or sounds like. There is no person on Earth who can perform miracles like Jesus did yet some try to fool people today into believing that they are “the Christ” reincarnated. Unfortunately in today’s world there are many people who will believe them and follow them.

But, you can’t just have “head knowledge” or you will be fooled. Reading the Bible is great but reading it with your Spiritual eyes and heart together is something totally different. If you are reading it with your eyes and you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Savior then you are only seeing information on a page. When your Spirit and your soul are involved together with prayer while reading God’s Word, the Spirit teaches you in ways that your brain just can’t understand!

When you have His Spirit living in your heart, as Jesus said “He will guide you and teach you about Me“. Only with the Spirit living in your heart can you truly understand the wisdom in the Bible regardless of which translation you may use. God loves you and He will teach you through His Word, but you have to pick it up and read it. Pray that God will come into your life and bring salvation to you because it is only through Jesus that eternity can be gained.

Carnal Christian…

Have you ever heard that term before? I have and I have used it to describe myself in years past. The definition of carnal is: relating to physical, especially sexual, needs and activities. It can also mean that you are a “Christian” just because you claim to be and nothing more. What exactly does that mean? It means that you are NOT a Christian, you just claim to be because you have morals, meaning that you haven’t killed anyone.

It also means that if you died tonight you would be judged by God for being a liar and a sinner and for rejecting the grace offered to you through the blood of Jesus. You would be sent to hell. “Well, I’ve been in church since I was two years old. My Mom teaches Sunday school and my Dad is a deacon!” So what? All that proves is that you have been in church more than most have and you have heard the message of salvation through the acceptance and belief in Jesus as your Savior. The problem is not that you weren’t exposed to His message and the Truth of the Good News. Your problem and the problem of many in America is that you have heard the message but you haven’t taken it to heart and accepted Jesus. You haven’t repented of your sinful life either!

You went to church. You may even have been baptized, but without a change in your life and acceptance of Jesus as your Savior…you went right back to your life. Nothing changed! You cannot meet Jesus and give Him your heart in repentance and then turn back to the “same old way of life”. There never was a change in your life if you did.

Being a Christian is more than attending church or Sunday school and getting baptized. When God’s Holy Spirit touches your heart and lets you know that your life isn’t good enough to be allowed in heaven then you know that you NEED Jesus! Have you felt that? Do you know that you truly need Jesus as your Savior? Or do you think of yourself in the same way as the Pharisee’s did? I worship God and I pray at least once or twice a week and I give some money to the church, so I’m not a bad person.

Maybe you aren’t a bad person but you also aren’t sanctified and saved by His blood and your repentance either. What am I suggesting here? Seek out your Savior and make sure of your salvation. Read the book of Romans in the New Testament and the book of John, then if you don’t feel the conviction of God’s Holy Spirit just put the book down and walk away. I feel certain that after reading those books and praying about your salvation, you will feel the need for your Savior. I will be praying for all who read this.