Category: By faith

Why is there persecution?


There are many reasons for Christians to be persecuted at this time. One is because it was foretold by our Lord Jesus Christ. Another reason is because our belief in Jesus and the Truth of the Gospel and God’s Word is offensive to many religions because of our claim that it is the only Truth. One other reason is because there are many people who don’t want to believe in Jesus and they fervently believe that their religion is the “right” belief to have in order to enter into eternity. The problem that is present in our world today is that God designed us with an eternal soul regardless of our belief in Jesus or not we will have an eternity ahead of us after death. Our eternal problem is our destination after death, will it be in Heaven or will it be in the lake of fire, not for any sin that we’ve done in this life but for rejecting the Savior that God sent into the world to save us!

Whether you believe in Jesus for your salvation or not doesn’t change the fact that eternity is still out there ahead of you. Oh, some people may tell you that there is nothing after death. You’re just dead!

That isn’t what is taught and shown in God’s Word. Jesus spoke many times about Paradise or Abraham’s bosom and hell, so if the Son of God speaks about a life after this one then the end of this life isn’t the end at all. But there are many religions and beliefs that don’t teach about an eternity beyond this life, let alone that you will experience it as a living soul! The soul that comes from God Himself, the breath of Life that was breathed into Adam, is eternal. When this body, this “temple of the Holy Spirit” is dead, your soul goes back to its Maker. If you have given your life to Jesus and followed Him, even if it was only for a few days or weeks, your soul will be in His Presence from the moment of your death into eternity. If you did not give your heart to Jesus and you lived like the end was going to be the end…period, then your soul will go into eternity to be judged by God without the blood of Jesus covering your sinful life.

Which one of those situations would you rather be in? The one where your soul is welcomed into eternity or the one where you are facing the Judge of all, God Himself?

It is an easy choice to make while you are alive here but it has to be made before you draw your last breath. This life is a “proving ground” in a way because God proves each of us while we live. Whether we will obey Him and follow Jesus and repent of our sinful lives or not. Those are the only choices in this life that have real eternal consequences. When you feel convicted of your sins, whether you are in church or in your car or at work, begin to pray right then and ask Jesus to forgive you and come into your heart and change you so that you can be useful to Him for the rest of your life regardless of how long that may be.

You and I are not guaranteed tomorrow, so when that conviction does come on your heart please don’t ignore it. Immediately begin praying for Him to come in and save you from your sinful life and it’s consequences. Don’t wait until Sunday because you may not make it to Sunday!

Cheer someone up!


25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. Proverbs 12:25 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.12.25.KJV

Just believe…


God sent His Son to pay OUR penalties, not just for one nation or nationality but He paid for all of humanity’s sins.

John 3

Jesus and Nicodemus
(Genesis 22:1–10; Romans 5:6–11)

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.a”

4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.

12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.c 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.d

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

This is the Gospel and the main point of Jesus’ ministry that points all of us toward Him for our salvation. I pray that all who read this will take it to heart because our time is growing shorter by the day.

God is our Refuge


16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Psalm 59:16 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.59.16.KJV

Amen

Gifts from God


Whether we believe in Him or not, these gifts are still given to us but they are more precious to those who do believe in Him. Why? Because we deserve to be thrown into hell because of our sinful nature. Even though we can’t choose the nature that we are born with, it is still there. When we give our lives to Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior our human nature is washed clean of the stains that sin had placed there. We are made new just as Adam and Eve were in the Garden before they rebelled against God.

Does that mean we won’t ever sin again? No, it doesn’t. We are human and we will falter in our obedience to God and His ways but we can be useful to His Kingdom if we repent of those sins and determine that we are going to follow Jesus anyway. Just as we cannot keep the dirt of the world around us from staining our physical clothes and shoes, our Spirit can be stained by our thoughts and our deeds even though we are saved by His blood. But…when we repent and ask for His forgiveness for the sins we commit after we are saved, He is faithful and just Who forgives us and cleanses us from all of our unrighteousness.

I pray that all who are seeking salvation will seek Him before our period of grace is done.

You must have love…


1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.13.1.KJV

Are we being tested?


I’m not asking about disease testing or school testing, I am asking about spiritual testing! Today and every day our world, not just the church and the people who make up the church, is being tested. How? By Satan himself! He is testing the church and the people in it but he is also testing the rest of the world too. He is testing everyone to see just how real their faith is and Who their faith is focused on. If they are focused on Jesus Christ then their testing is not going to be over until they are taken home to be with Him. If they haven’t decided whether they believe in Jesus or not then their testing could be over soon.

Why such a difference?

Because, Satan doesn’t care about those who may be “on the fence” about their belief in the Savior, Jesus Christ! He is interested in causing those who claim to belong to Jesus to lose their witness to those around them. If he can make you say something or do something that will cause people to question your faith then your witness is damaged. If he can keep you off balance and keep your focus away from Jesus then he can damage your influence even further making you ineffective in telling others about Jesus.

Our entire world, believers and non-believers, is being tested in one way or another. There are so many problems and wars and famines and….the list goes on and on. My point is that we are on the edge of the book and the prophecies of Revelation. Whether you want to believe this or not makes no difference, God’s Word and His prophecies will come true. Will it happen this year? I don’t know. Will it happen in the next decade? I don’t know but in my Spirit it feels as if it is very close.

I urge you to make sure of your salvation. If you doubt it or you’re not sure, then I would seek out Jesus in the Bible and at a church that teaches the Bible. Seek Jesus, pray that you will learn of Him and give your heart to Him. Ask Him to come into your life and change your life while there is time.

All things are possible…


23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.9.23.KJV

Amen

I will trust in the Lord!


2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.12.2.KJV

He is your Savior, follow Him and live!

Jesus is God!


There are three Persons of the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All of them are powerful, loving, and omniscient in power and glory. All of them had a part in Creation on the first day and from that point on they have worked to bring humanity to know Them, yet we have tried to hide from them. We have tried to get rid of any mention of them in education and we want to limit any reference to the Word, the Bible, that is God’s Word. He expresses His love for mankind throughout the Bible. He also expresses His sorrow at the ways that we move away from Him, so why are we surprised when calamities come from natural weather and from mankind who ignore His teachings?

Today, many people don’t go to church, yet we wonder why so many problems and diseases are so rampant in our world today? We have pushed God out of education and out of many homes as well, yet when tragedy strikes, where do people go for comfort and sometimes repentance? One of the times that the churches were full was the Sunday after 9/11 but we didn’t truly humble our lives to God. We demanded why did this happen? God doesn’t owe you or me an explanation for anything that He does to get our attention. For some people, it worked and for some, it drove them from the church.

God is The Creator and our Redeemer, He doesn’t owe you or me anything. We owe Him EVERYTHING!