Romans
10:13 FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.
My ministry is a VOICE reaching around the world for God, Jesus Christ, and the beautiful lives He created.The Word of God, Jesus Christ is the Final Authority.
My purpose is to simply
to uplift the Person and Gospel of Jesus Christ and His precious, mighty and
preserved Word—the King James Bible, and to help God's creatures for His Glory.
I believe it is my duty as a Christian to proclaim THE TRUTH!I realize that truths will offend some people, which is what the truth usually does! In my opinion, most people are woefully ignorant of the truth.
There are many deceptions in society today.The masses are being woefully deceived in so many ways.As believers, God wants us to refute those who publicly justify evil.
The issue is not about the sinners; but rather, about the sinful agendas they promote, and the profound impact they have upon society.I expose sin and evil in my ministry; not people.
I hope to lead you closer to Jesus Christ and His Word. Everyone is welcome!God, Jesus Christ loves everybody!!! Christ died for all humanity (1st John 2:2).
My heart’s desire to help others find the truth, especially concerning Christ’s righteousness which saves our soul (2nd Corinthians 5:21).
It’s been a joy and a privilege to see God change people’s lives through my labors in the Lord.I just wanted to express my heartfelt appreciation and love for all those who visit this blog. You are loved. HEAR YE HIM.Hear the Words of Jesus Christ in the Word of God.Our days on earth are but a few.
This
ministry began as a means of answering God’s calling in 1997 to share the
gospel of Jesus Christ using tracts, letters, cards, e-mails, videos, blogs, websites, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc.
In 2010, the Lord called me again to use the internet to continue his work.I
am hereby using this site to share the good news, hoping that it will bring
people to Jesus Christ, Almighty God.
Since
I started this ministry, the ruthless Devil and his demonic armies attacked me relentlessly, painfully so,
trying to destroy my labors for the Lord Jesus Christ.
All
the hordes of Hell have come after me in an attempt to stop my labors in the
Lord, but God’s grace has sustained me, sadly my fur-baby Neon, and my mommy Shirley did
not survive, but they are both with my great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ in heaven now.I am grateful to God for His great love and mercy towards them.By His grace this ministry will continue.
Indeed,
we will be persecuted for our Christian faith.In fact, I’ve received many death
threats because of my efforts to take a stand against evil acts.Jesus Christ taught
that every Christian should bare a cross.
The
Apostle Paul was without a doubt the greatest missionary who ever lived; but he
suffered greatly for his ministry, even to the point of despairing life itself
(2nd Corinthians 1:8,9).
My
goal is NOT to attack lives, but rather to expose lies and deception.My only
desire is to share God's Word and to help those who can't speak for themselves.I also want to help others find the truth and grow in the
truth.Nearly everything in society today is a lie and a deception.
Everyone has a God-given right to their own opinions, and I’m just expressing mine.I am responsible to my Saviour, Jesus Christ, to expose lies and deceptions (Ephesians 5:11).As each day passes, I learn the truth more and more.I believe it is my duty as a Christian to proclaim THE TRUTH!I realize that my teachings will offend people, which is what the truth usually does!
Everyone has a God-given right to their own opinions, and I’m just expressing mine.I am responsible to my Saviour, Jesus Christ, to expose lies and deceptions (Ephesians 5:11).As each day passes, I learn the truth more and more.I believe it is my duty as a Christian to proclaim THE TRUTH!I realize that my teachings will offend people, which is what the truth usually does!
God
is great, and His Word is great.I am a sinner being used of God to preach
the Gospel and help others in the Lord.He still has a lot of work to do on me.I pray for His will to be done.That is all that concerns me.
I
want the praise of God, Jesus Christ not people, just so long as God is pleased with my life
for Him.
Most
people mock and scoff at my ministry, scorning me in their wicked mind.I am
not perfect, certainly, but I come a whole lot closer to being right by
preaching against evil than this wicked generation does by remaining silent.
Satan
has opened the floodgates of Hell and attacked me in every manner.I have
countless enemies because of my soul-winning work for Jesus Christ.I am trampled upon, despised and rejected for my Lord.My family and I are brutally persecuted.I
lost my fur-baby and mommy because of enemies.Heaven gained my two blessed
family members.God is good.
I
make no apologies for speaking the truth.God is with me and I can do all
things through Christ Who strengtheneth me.I know the omnipotent, omnipresent
and omniscient God Whom I worship—JESUS CHRIST!
I
ask you to take this website to heart, for that is where it came from, my
heart.I am trying to warn people out of genuine love and concern for their
souls.I am a sinner saved by God’s grace.I am no better than anyone
else.
Most
of what I do is to sow seeds in people’s hearts.A lot of people are furious with my words, but it gets them thinking.Sometimes you have to shock someone
with the truth to get them to take the blinders off.It works!
True
love occurs within the framework of truth.If love is not based upon truth,
then it is not God’s love.I love you enough to tell you the truth.
Everywhere we turn we are being lied to.Jesus proclaimed to be the truth (John
14:6), and we can trust Him (John 14:1-2; Romans 10:11).
The
Bible instructs us in 1st John 4:1 to “try the spirits” (i.e., to test
everything by shining the Light of God’s Word upon it). This means thinking for
our self instead of blindly being “carried about with every wind of doctrine”
(Ephesians 4:14).
May
we search the Scriptures and ask God’s Holy Spirit to guide us, to help us make
the right decisions in life! This life ’twill soon be past, and only that which
we have done for Christ will last.
Ultimately,
every decision we make in life must be accounted for (Matthew 12:36; Romans
14:12).Whether we DO RIGHT, or not, is up to us.
There’s
always a right thing to do, and a wrong thing to do—a high road we can take, or
a low road. Regardless of our choices, we will have no one to blame but
ourselves for the decisions we have made in this lifetime.
I
challenge you my friend to escape the false reality that you are living in and
learn to THINK FOR YOURSELF.
We
need many John the Baptists today, crying in the wilderness of cyberspace for
men to repent toward God, to be forgiven of their sins.The great need of this
hour is preaching preachers! 2nd Timothy 4:2a, “Preach the word.” This we must
do!
I
thank God for giving me the blessed opportunity to influence people for Jesus
Christ in this needy area.The internet is a powerful soul-winning vehicle.
God, Jesus Christ cares about the INDIVIDUAL—that one wayward lamb.As
Christians, we should care about the individual as much as the group.
I
realized when I started my ministry most people would go away angry or
laughing, but I didn’t do it for them.I started my ministry with
God’s help and guidance to reach out to the INDIVIDUAL.It’s that one person who needs God's love that I am here to help by God’s grace.
We
hope and pray that people will come to know God more intimately through this
web site.To
know God is to love God.
For
those truly seeking the path of life will find that Jesus is the Way, the
Truth, and the only way to Eternal Life.“I
am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except
through me.”Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
The
purpose of my ministry is to share God's truth and to help Others, especially the helpless.I simply present the truth,
particularly the truth of God’s Word.The Devil is a beautiful liar.The best
way to expose the darkness is to shine the light.
John
8:45, “And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” —Jesus Christ
My websites preaches to me as much as anyone else.I do hate evil that ruin people’s
lives and lead them into Hell.
“The
fear of the LORD is to HATE evil…” —Proverb 8:13
There
is no sinner that God doesn’t love.Only a hypocritical, self-righteous person
would claim that God doesn’t love the worst sinner.Christ died for sinners,
which is what you and I are.
There
is hope for anyone who acknowledges their guilt of sin and looks to Jesus
Christ for forgiveness.
It’s
not what you’re doing that gets you to Heaven, it’s where you’re looking. Look
to God, Jesus the Christ!
For
when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
—Romans 5:6
No
one hates sin any more than God, yet He sent His only begotten Son in the flesh
to die for our sins…
“But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.” —Romans 5:8
This
website is a VOICE reaching around the world for Jesus Christ and was created
to give people THE TRUTH.I want you to know the TRUTH!.
I
preach against those who only teach about God’s love and fail to mention sin,
judgment and hellfire.To preach only the love of God is a false gospel.
There
can be no salvation without God’s Law and the knowledge of sin, which makes the
world guilty before God and shows mankind his need for a Saviour. However, I
also preach against those who only preach the judgment of God and claim that
God hates sinners.
The
truth is that God loves His creatures.Whether a person trusts
Jesus as his Saviour or not has no bearing on God’s unconditional love.
Yes,
God is angry with the wicked every day and God’s wrath rests upon those who
reject Jesus the Christ; but that does not change the fact that God still loves them and
desires for people to come to repentance and get saved.
You
are loved, whoever you may be.Jesus the Christ has paid your sin debt, but you must
appropriate that gift by receiving Jesus as your personal Saviour, trusting upon
His work of redemption to wash away your sins.
God
loves people, sinners included, and a good thing, for if God didn’t love
sinners then none of us could be loved, because we are all sinners in God’s
eyes.
God
loves us and has made a way of escape through the blood sacrifice of Jesus
Christ.God wants to abundantly pardon our iniquities and set us free from the
curse of the Law .
My
work is to help you get informed; but it’s only the tip of the iceberg.You must DESIRE the truth for yourself. Every generation must rediscover the
truth for itself.Do you love the truth?
Is
there something in you that must know the truth, to get to the bottom and find
out the truth of a matter? Every born-again believer should have such a DESIRE.
People who care want the truth, and caring is the hallmark of a genuine
Christian.
PLEASE
PRAY for God’s Holy Spirit to work in people’s hearts through this ministry of
love—for lost souls to come to Jesus Christ for salvation, for believers to be
inspired to serve God, for lives to be changed for the Lord, for believers to
awake to righteousness and join the spiritual battle, for preachers to start
preaching against sin again, for believers to aggressively contend for the
faith, and to help the helpless, for false religions to be exposed, for THE TRUTH to get out!
I
am NOT giving up!The days are getting darker.The walls of wickedness
are closing in.Is your light shining for Jesus Christ?How many people have you
witnessed to lately? What are you doing to stand up against the evils of our
day?
Everybody
can do something to make a difference with what God has given them.My
love for the Lord prompts me to contend for the faith and exercise my God-given freedom.Our rights come from God Almighty.We are born with certain
inalienable rights.One of these rights is the freedom of speech.Evil people may
take that right away from us or use brain-washing equipment or technologies, and people on us, but God certainly doesn’t.
I
praise God for the right to express my opinion.The
Bible even tells us how to battle, listing our weapons of war in Ephesians
6:10-18 . . .
Ephesians
6:10-18, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his
might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins
girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your
feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the
shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for
all saints.”
Our weapons and defenses are:
Loins
gird about with TRUTH
Breastplate
of RIGHTEOUSNESS
Feet
shod with preparation of the GOSPEL
Helmet
of SALVATION
Sword
of the Spirit, which is the WORD OF GOD
Shield
of FAITH
PRAYING
in the Spirit
You
cannot understand, nor adequately fight against the forces of Satan, until you
get saved and fight with spiritual weapons.When
you love someone, you tell them the truth, even if it makes you unpopular.It’s
easy for people to mistake love for hatred when a preacher preaches against
sin.I don’t enjoy making enemies or losing loved ones, but I am trying to warn
people out of genuine love and concern for lives.
We
have a right to speak out against the evil and corruption hurting our
community.As
a matter of fact, God commands us to refute evil.
God, Jesus Christ loved righteousness and equally hated sin.He Wasn’t Hesitant to Offend People with the Truth!
The
truth needed to be spoken!Jesus didn’t
beat-around-the-bush.No, Jesus Christ said
what needed to be said.
The
problem with so many people is that they love people and things, but not God.
We are living in a wicked world that speaks and sings of love, while
simultaneously sacrificing God and His Word on the altar of sinful compromise.
The
wicked world wants to achieve unity between the righteous and the wicked, but
there can be NO unity. Why?Because God’s
holiness cannot compromised…God never changes (Malachi 3:6).
Ephesians
5:11, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them.”
It
is my hope you will find this ministry a blessing and a
benefit (as so many have).Surely with all of the truths, something will rub you the wrong way.It is okay to agree to disagree.
I
make no apologies for speaking the truth.It is the truth that offends and makes some people
angry,not me.Is it any wonder why God calls us “the children of disobedience?”
John
8:40, “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth…”
—Jesus
Christ
The
Bible teaches in 2nd Thessalonians 2:10 that many people will be deceived in
the Last Days by the Antichrist because they received not the love of the
truth.The truth is important.The Word of God is
truth (John 17:17).
Each
of us has different talents and opportunities in life. Look at what God has
given to you, and see what you can do for God.The main goal is to win lost
sinners to Jesus Christ, by sharing the Biblical Gospel with them.
It
is NOT our efforts, or eloquent words, or education, that wins the lost to
Christ…It is the Gospel.Without
the good news of Jesus Christ, nothing else matters anyway. Praise God for the
gift of His dear Son, Jesus Christ.
“Ye
that love the LORD, hate evil…” ―Psalm 97:10
“GREAT
is the LORD and GREATLY to be praised, and his GREATNESS is unsearchable!”
—Psalm
145:3
“I
am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou
hast shewed unto thy servant.”
—Genesis
32:10
“Casting
all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour.”
—1st
Peter 5:7,8
“And
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever…”—Revelation 14:11
“Seek
ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” (Isaiah
55:6)
“And
call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
me.” (Psalm 50:15)
“…Not
by might, nor b my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” ―Zechariah 4:6
“He
is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…”
(Isaiah 53:3)
He
was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and
had no pillow to place His head upon at night… “The foxes have holes, and the
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”
(Matthew 8:20).
Everywhere
Jesus Christ went, He was scorned and ridiculed because of His youth… “Then
said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen
Abraham?” (John 8:57). Yet, Jesus spake as no man had ever spoken… “The
officers answered, Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46).
Jesus
Christ was a remarkable young man who spoke with Authority, i.e., the Truth of
God’s Word; and He was hated for it…“But now ye seek to kill me, a man that
hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham” (John
8:40). “And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not” (John 8:45).
Jesus
Christ was sorrowful that the Jews didn’t believe His Word. When He went to His
own town of Nazareth, they rejected Him… “And he said, Verily I say unto you,
No prophet is accepted in his own country” (Luke 4:24). Jesus the Christ was
angry and grieved because of the hardness of the Jew’s hearts… “And when he had
looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their
hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it
out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”
There
were many places Jesus went, where the Bible says He COULDN’T perform any
mighty works because of their unbelief…“And he could there do no mighty work,
save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he
marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching
“(Mark 6:5,6).
No
wonder Jesus Christ was so grieved and sad; He wanted to heal the sick and help
others, but oftentimes couldn’t because of their unbelief.
In
Luke 8:52, 53 we read that the crowd laughed Jesus to scorn when He said He
could raise the dead… “And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not;
she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she
was dead.”
When
Lazarus died, the Jews had no faith and it grieved Jesus’ heart. Instead of
having faith that He could raise the dead, they criticized Jesus Christ for
allowing Lazarus to die in the first place…
“When
Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her,
he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, where have ye laid him?
They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, behold
how he loved him! And some of them said, could not this man, which opened the
eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus
therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave… “(John 11:33-38).This
troubled the Lord, understandably.
No
matter how many miracles He performed, and how many people He healed, and how
many good things He did to help others; the crowd always criticized Him,
demanding more miracles and questioning His Word and deity…“But though he had
done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him“ (John 12:37).
Even
Jesus’ own disciples didn’t believe Mary when she said Jesus had raised up from
the dead as He had promised…“And they, when they had heard that he was alive,
and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form
unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.And they went and
told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared
unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and
hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he
was risen“ (Mark 16:11-14).
Jesus
loved people and wept over Jerusalem because of the unbelief of the Jews…“And
when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it” (Luke 19:41).
No
matter what Jesus did to open the eyes of the Jews, they always came back
wanting more proof…“Now
when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his
disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for
another? (Matthew 11:2,3).“If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father
also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Jesus
said that He was the Father in human flesh.
Colossians 2:9 teaches that Jesus was the physical manifestation of the
Godhead, and that the Godhead dwelt in Him fully. Jesus Christ is Almighty God.
Philip
saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficed us. Jesus saith unto
him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?”
(John 14:7-9). “Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that
we may see and believe” (Mark 15:32).
“Likewise,
also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved
others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come
down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27:41,42).
“And
the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and
saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself” (Luke 23:36,37).“And
Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about
him, and said unto him, how long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the
Christ, tell us plainly.
Jesus
Christ answered them, I told you, and ye believed not…” (John 10:23-25) “And
one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be
Christ, save thyself and us.” (Luke23:39).
“And
others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven” (Luke 11:16).
It
is clear from the Scriptures why the Lord was a man of sorrows, because
everywhere Jesus went the Jews mocked Him, rejected Him and refused to believe.
They always demanded more evidence. Thankfully, many of the Jews who witnessed
Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave DID believe (John 11:45).Even some of the
Pharisees believed (John 12:42). However, most of the Jews hated Jesus and, in
their anger, demanded His crucifixion, saying to Pilate who sought to release
Jesus… “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25).Literally,
the Jews said to Pilate, “Kill Jesus and we’ll gladly take responsibility for
it.” And so, it was.
In
John 16:33 Jesus said,” These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world”. There was no room for Jesus in the inn. As He grew
older, there was no room for Jesus in His own family. He was rejected by His
own family.He went into the temple and there was no room in the temple.He went
back to His own town, and they rejected Him… And they were offended at him”
(Mark 6:3). And when He died, there was
no room in the city to bury Him. He died
outside the city.
Isaiah
53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we
esteemed him not. “
Just
as when Jesus Christ walked this earth 2,000 years ago, there is NO room in
this sinful world for Him today. Jesus
Christ is mocked, ridiculed, blasphemed, and cursed by Hollywood, Bollywood, Walt Disney,
Broadway, and all the other hordes of hell-spawned media, entertainment outlets
and demonic cults.Truly Satan is the god of this sin-cursed world (2nd
Corinthians 4:4). Jesus is rejected by
the abortion industry.
There
is no room for Jesus Christ in this sinful world, accept in the hearts of the
righteous–those who have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ (1st
Peter 1:18,19), apart from all good works and sacraments (Romans 4:5).
Jesus
Christ said in John 16:22, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see
you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you”.
So
many people today are offended by Jesus Christ, just as they were back in New
Testament times. Jesus Christ own neighbors and townspeople were offended at
Him, “And he went out from thence, and came into his own country … And they
were offended at him” (Mark 6:1,3).
No
wonder Jesus Christ said in Luke 7:23 … “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not
be offended in me. “ Are you offended by
Jesus Christ? Before you answer, please
understand that Jesus and the Word of God are inseparable, because they are
One.
We
are living in a cruel, selfish and hateful world where people oftentimes rob us
of our joy. But Jesus said the day will come when He comes back to get us, that
we may live with Him in Heaven, and we shall rejoice in the peace and rest that
He will give to us.What
a day that will be!!! God promises a bright and peaceful future in Heaven for
the Christian believer, i.e., those who have been born-again in Christ Jesus.
“Verily,
verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall
rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
—John 16:20
I
am weeping for my completely innocent Neon and her sibling, and my mommy plus
all the helpless and innocent lives being murdered by demonic criminals.
“And he said unto them, in what place soever
ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And
whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off
the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you,
It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than
for that city. And they went out and
preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:10-12).
Sodom
and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed with fire and molten rock (lava) from the
sky.These cities are today located underneath the DEAD SEA.It is called the
“Dead Sea” because of the extremely high salt content of the water, so high
that little life is found there.This is also the lowest point below sea level
on earth.
The
only thing which could be worse than being burned alive with molten rock is
being cast into the Lake of Fire to burn in torment forever. “In
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2nd Thessalonians 1:8).Oh, how foolish are unbelievers who refuse to
come to their loving Saviour for salvation.Salvation is completely FREE to us,
paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Will
you also tell Jesus to depart, or will you receive Him… “But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God.“
Salvation
is found only in Jesus Christ, not in religion or the will of man. Only God can
forgive sin and redeem a sinful soul.Will you send Jesus Christ away too, or
will you receive Him?
The
reason why I trust my holy God and Saviour, Jesus Christ is because I believe the Bible is God’s
Word.You either believe the Bible or you don’t.
1st
Peter 1:23 teaches that we are born-again by the precious Seed of God’s Word,
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word
of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” There can be NO salvation apart
from the Word of God, for the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans
1:16).
Jesus
plainly stated in John 4:24 that God can only be worshipped in truth and
spirit. Those who profess to believe in God, while denying the inspiration of
the Scriptures, are worshipping they know not what (John 4:22). Jesus said in
Mark 7:9 that those who reject the COMMANDMENTS of God, keeping their own
TRADITIONS instead, worship God in vain (Mark 7:13).
There
is only one way to worship God, and that is in TRUTH. Jesus said in John 17:17
that the Bible is truth. This is why Jesus commands for us to SEARCH THE
SCRIPTURES in John 5:39.
We
are born-again by the Seed of God’s Word (1st Peter 1:23).We grow as newborn
babes based on the Word (1st Peter 2:2).We are sanctified by the Word of God
(John 17:17).Everything that we need to live the Christian life is found in
the holy Scriptures. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly
furnished unto all good works.”
I
trust God, Jesus Christ because the Bible plainly teaches that Jesus Christ is
the only way to Heaven. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
The
Bible gives specific details about salvation, thankfully. There is no room for
speculation concerning what a person must do to be saved. The word “believe” is
found 85 times in the Gospel of John.
The
Bible plainly teaches that the way to be saved is to simply acknowledge one’s
guilt of sin before God and believe on Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, for
forgiveness. Acts 10:43, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through
His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” It’s that
simple. Salvation is of the Lord.Our part is simply to believe.
According
to the Bible, there are no religions that can get a person into Heaven. Romans
10:3-4, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth.”
Religions
go about to establish their own righteousness; but the Bible says we can only
be saved by God’s righteousness, which is by faith in Jesus Christ.
Proverb
30:12, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not
washed from their filthiness.” Religion is the worst thing that ever happened
to this world. Salvation is NOT found in any religion; but rather, in a
Person—The Lord Jesus Christ!
I
trust Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because I believe that the Bible is God’s
inspired Word. I trusted God, Jesus Christ as my Saviour at a young age.
God,
Jesus Christ is precious to me. I believe that Jesus the Christ is the Son of
God, Who paid my sin debt because He loves me (1st John 3:16).
Every
religion can be traced back to a mortal man or group of men; but Biblical
Christianity can be traced back to the beginning of time.
Genesis
4:26, “then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” In approximately
2,000 B.C., Abraham believed the Lord and it was counted unto him for
righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3-6). Those who claim that Christianity
began with Jesus Christ are ignorant of the Scriptures.
There
are so many things that prove the Bible to be true for the honest observer. Different
writers, over a period of 1,500 years, from different nations, who spoke
different languages, penned the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
of God.The finished result was a perfect manuscript, which perfectly
harmonizes. The Bible contains many prophecies.
Archaeologists
have unearthed over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.The Dead Sea
Scrolls are nothing short of incredible. Whether complete books, or small
fragments, the amazing thing is that all of these manuscripts have been found
scattered throughout different nations.
I
believe on Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, because I believe the Bible is
God’s inspired Word. There is no such thing as a born-again Christian who
doesn’t believe the Bible. It’s impossible! There are many religious people who
don’t believe the Bible and are unsaved; but there are no true Christians who
reject the Bible as God’s Word. This is why true Christians make a fuss over
which Bible, because a corrupt Bible brings forth corrupt fruit. Contemporary
Bibles have been tampered with, corrupted.
The
new birth begins with seeing Christ in the Scriptures… “And this is the will of
Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may
have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). We
see Jesus the Christ in the Scriptures. John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures; for
in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.”
I
believe on Jesus Christ as my Saviour because I believe that the Bible is God’s
inspired Word.The Bible teaches in Acts 4:10-12 that the name of Jesus Christ is
the ONLY name by which we can be saved.All God asks is that we believe on
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to forgive our sins. God, Jesus Christ is
precious!
With
all the thousands of religions in the world, perhaps you are wondering why you
should trust Jesus Christ for eternal life? It is because the Bible is God’s
Word.The Bible is accurate on everything it says.
The
Bible hits home describing the evil world (1st John 5:19). The Bible accurately
teaches that Satan appears as an angel of light, and his false sinister
ministers as ministers of righteousness (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15). The Bible
is so honest, and accurate and telling.
Those
who reject the Bible are digging their own grave. The Bible is your best friend
in the world.All you need to do is accept it and obey God. The Bible is for
everybody. God is no respecter of persons. There are no private messages or
interpretations.
The Bible is for you, me and anyone else who wants it. God
will open the Scriptures to those who believe on Jesus as the Christ, the Son
of God, for forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven!
Religion didn’t die on the cross for our sins, Jesus Christ did.
The
Word of God is the Seed, the Gospel, by which we are saved if we’ll simply
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). Psalm 118:8, “It is better to
trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” I am trusting Jesus, God
almighty Who came in the flesh (1st Timothy 3:16), Who is the Christ (Matthew
16:16), the Son of God (John 3:16), for my salvation.
Galatians
3:22, 24,26, “But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise
by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe … Wherefore the
law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by
faith … For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
The
Bible tells us to believe on Jesus the Christ to be saved.That is why I trust
Jesus Christ, because I believe that the Bible is God’s Word. I don’t listen to
religion, SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES (John 5:39).
What
a needful truth for these dark days of compromise and sin. David said in Psalm 1:1-4, “Blessed is the
man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of
sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law
of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.And he shall be like a tree planted by the
rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also
shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The
ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. “
“I
have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not
be moved” (Psalm 16:8).
Do
you have Jesus Christ as your Saviour by your side? Have you anchored yourself to the Word of God
as David did? Jesus the Christ is the Only Rock!
David
said, “I shall not be moved. “ What tremendous words! The Hebrew word for “moved” in Psalm 62:6 is
“mowt” which means “to slip, drop, overthrow, or be greatly shaken.” In other
words, David is saying that God won’t fail him in the end, and David is going
to continue to trust the Lord no matter what happens.This is exactly what we are promised as
believers in Romans 8:28.
God
promises that all things will “work together for good.”It doesn’t say that all things will “be good.God promises that all of the bad events in our life will somehow work out for
good in His divine plan.
David
tells us “why” he won’t be moved when he declares, “He only is my rock. “Of
course, that “Rock” is Jesus the Christ (1st Peter 2:7,8).
David
took a stand against Goliath because of David’s faith in the God of Israel.As
Christians today, our attitude should be the same as David’s … “I have set the
LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved”
(Psalm 16:8).
As
believers, we should take a stand against evil (Psalm 94:16; Ephesians 5:11),
because that is what God wants us to do! Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 that men
shall give account for every idle word.That means that we’ll all have to
explain why we didn’t speak up when we were supposed to or decided to talk
about everything except the redeeming Saviour who forgives men’s sins and save
their souls.
We
are living in the End Times.These are the “perilous times” warned of in 2nd Timothy
3:1-7, when men would be lovers of their own selves.
Winds of heresy are blowing all around us. Lightning bolts of temptation are everywhere.Clouds of darkness are gathering quickly overhead.Never has there been such a need for Christians to anchor themselves to the Word of God during these stormy times (Psalm 1).
Winds of heresy are blowing all around us. Lightning bolts of temptation are everywhere.Clouds of darkness are gathering quickly overhead.Never has there been such a need for Christians to anchor themselves to the Word of God during these stormy times (Psalm 1).
People
are so blinded nowadays to the truth.Sexual depravity is worldwide, flowing
like sewage out of Europe and the U.S. If
you want to get rid of any annoying people, just start talking about the Word
of God and watch them flee.
We
are living in apostate times! Thank God, for Jesus the Christ is the Lighthouse!
You
can’t have God’s heart unless you also have God’s mind, “Let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). So many people are
blinded nowadays because they DON’T love the truth as David did. Even many believers have been duped by Satan.
2nd
Thessalonians 2:8-10 tells us that the antichrist will deceive multitudes
because they don’t love the truth, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed …
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
“
I
thank the Lord Jesus Christ for shedding His blood for my sins, and for saving
a wretched sinner like me . What a Precious Saviour!” He only is my rock and my
salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.” —Psalm 62:6″Even the Spirit
of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither
knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
—John 14:17
Do you cherish the atoning blood of Jesus Christ?
The
scriptures bear abundant testimony that Jesus Christ is Almighty God.
Please notice in the above Scripture the phrase, “Whether it be good OR BAD.” Many believers have the ignorant belief that Jesus will simply reward us for the good we do in life, but not mention the bad.This misconception comes from a misunderstanding about Biblical justice. ”Justice” is often symbolized by a scale.Before we were saved, our sins weighed down heavily upon one end of the scale and we were found guilty.
Consider carefully the words of Mark 4:18-19, “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”
No matter what our children do, they are still our children; however, they need to be chastised when they do wrong because we love them.
God cannot just look the other way or tell us to “let it go,” nor does He expect us to. It is proper and Biblical to request for God to avenge us of those who defraud or hurt us.All wrongs must be righted.
Jesus
the Christ represents the body of God; He is God in physical form. If you
recognize Jesus as God Almighty, then you have SEEN the True Son.
I
don’t want you to believe on a fake Jesus, for there are many.This is why
I tell you that Jesus is God Almighty.The
Bible plainly teaches that Jesus is the manifestation of the Godhead to
humanity…
1st
Timothy 3:16 says, “…God was manifest in the flesh…” The Godhead became
incarnate (flesh) and dwelt among us…John 1:14, “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.”
Only
God, Jesus f Christ forgave sin in the Bible (Matthew 9:2). Only
God Almighty can forgive sin. Only Jesus Christ accepted
the worship of others (Matthew 8:2). Only God Almighty is
entitled to receive worship.
The
Bible teaches that God will NOT share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8).If
Jesus weren’t Almighty God, then He couldn’t have received the worship of so
many people (Matthew 9:18;14:33;15:25;18:26;20:20;28:9).
Jesus Christ gladly received worship from people, as God Almighty is entitled to.God,
Jesus Christ is Precious!
What
is precious to you? Something which is “precious” is something of value
(high worth or cost).In this modern world of materialism and wickedness, fewer
and fewer people recognize the things of God as precious.
Very
few people place any real value upon the Bible these days. Very
few people recognize the name of “Jesus” as precious.In
fact, many people express contempt at the mention of the name of Jesus.
The
Apostle Peter knew that the Lord Jesus Christ is very Precious to the believer…
“Unto
you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the
corner.” —1st Peter 2:7
Jesus the Christ is Precious to me because He loves me for who I am, a rotten sinner deserving
of hell…
“For
scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:7-8
Jesus
did for us what no one else would have done, He gave His life for our sinful
soul.I
can’t think of anyone that cares about me enough to die for me, but that’s
exactly what Jesus did for me.Jesus
sacrificed His life upon the cross for my sins because He loves me.
Jesus
is Precious to me because He loves me and proved it by suffering to atone for
my sins.What a Precious Saviour!
The
Apostle Peter also recognized his problems and hardships as precious…
“That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” —1st Peter 1:7
Peter
realized that unshakable faith only comes from having your faith shaken.Few
Christians comprehend this truth.
Few
believers realize that the road to a stronger faith is a road of trials and
tribulations.The way to stronger muscles is not lying around relaxing.No,
the road to stronger muscles is a road of painful muscle tearing and
rebuilding.
If
you ask God to increase your faith, then you are really asking God to send
problems and hardships your way…because that is the only way to stronger faith.
Peter realized this truth and esteemed the trial of his faith as being
precious.
The
Apostle Peter also recognized the promises of God’s Word as precious…
“Whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.” —2nd Peter 1:4
It
is through the promises of God’s Word that we can partake of the “divine
nature.”This simply means that God’s power and blessings are obtained
through His promises.
The
rainbow is more than just a reminder to us that God will never destroy the
earth again by flooding, it is a constant reminder to all humanity that God
keeps ALL His promises.
There
are thousands of promises in the Bible which God has made to us.For
example: God has promised to save anyone who calls upon the Lord…
“For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” -Romans
10:13.
That’s
a promise from God.If
we simply call (trust) upon the name of Jesus, then we will be saved.
Acts 4:12 declares that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be
saved other than by Jesus Christ.
If
you want to see God’s hand of power and blessing operating in your life, then
you need to learn the promises of God.Some
promises are condition, others are unconditional.
The
promise of eternal life is conditional, you MUST believe upon the Lord Jesus
Christ or you will not obtain it (John 3:36).
God’s
promise to never destroy the world again with flooding is unconditional, it
will never happen again.Jesus’
blood is the central theme of the entire Word of God, from the blood of Abel’s
slain lamb to the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) in Revelation 7:14.
Hebrews
9:22 declares that there is NO remission of sins without the shedding of
Christ’s blood.
The
blood of Jesus is the ONLY way for our sins to be forgiven…
Do you cherish the atoning blood of Jesus Christ?
Do
you recognize the hardships in your life as a means to a stronger faith?
Do
you value the promises of God and lean upon them to get you through day-by-day? Most
of the people in today’s world mock and laugh at the teachings of God’s
Word.
Most
people in the world today have the same wicked cynical attitude as the
unbelievers who viewed Christ upon the cross…
“And
they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that
destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save
Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the
cross.Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and
elders, said, He saved others; Himself He cannot save.If He be the
King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe
him.He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have
Him: for He said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified
with Him, cast the same in His teeth.” —Matthew 27:39-44
Notice
the word “if” mentioned three times in the preceding Scriptures.The
unbelievers continually mocked Christ by challenging His authority, power, and
deity. Oh how wicked and deceitful are the sinful hearts of mankind…
Do
you think for one moment that those unbelieving religious leaders would have
accepted Jesus if He had come down off the cross? Not for a moment. They
hated God unconditionally.
The
wicked are always placing God on trial.The
world’s heathen will never accept Jesus Christ, just as they will never accept
the righteous person.
The
things that are precious to us as believers are meaningless to the unsaved
heathen. Even the Gospel of Jesus Christ itself is foolishness to the
unbelieving…
“For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God.” —1st Corinthians 1:18
Jesus Christ — The Godhead Incarnate!
“…they
shall call his name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH
US.”
—Matthew
1:23
“…if
ye believe not that I am he,
ye
shall die in your sins.”
—JESUS
CHRIST, JOHN 8:24
“And
without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD was manifest in
the FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, BELIEVED ON in the world, RECEIVED UP into
glory.”— 1st Timothy 3:16
“But unto
the SON he saith, ‘Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: a scepter of
righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom’…And, ‘Thou, LORD, in the
beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works
of thine hands.’”— Hebrews 1:8, 10
“I
and my Father are ONE.”—Jesus Christ, John 10:30
“…CHRIST
JESUS…being in the FORM OF GOD, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL
WITH GOD: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross.” —Philippians 2:5-8
“For
there are three that bear record in heaven, the FATHER, THE WORD, AND THE HOLY
GHOST: and THESE THREE ARE ONE.” — 1st John 5:7
“…
feed the church of GOD, which he hath purchased with his OWN
BLOOD.” — Acts 20:28
“Hereby
perceive we the love of GOD, because he LAID DOWN HIS LIFE for
us… —1st John 3:16
“And
they stoned Stephen, calling upon GOD, and saying, LORD JESUS, receive my
spirit.”— Acts 7:59
“For
unto us A CHILD IS BORN, unto us a son is given: and the government shall
be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, The Prince of Peace.”—
Isaiah 9:6
“And
Thomas answered and said unto him [JESUS], My Lord and MY
GOD.”— John 20:28
“GOD…hath
in these last days spoken unto us by hisSON…who being the brightness of his
glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON…”— Hebrews 1:1-3
“In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD
WAS GOD. 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.”— John 1:1, 14
“Philip
saith unto him, ‘Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.’ Jesus saith
unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me
Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou
then, ‘Shew us the Father?””— John 14:8-9
“…CHRIST,
who is the IMAGE OF GOD…”— 2nd Corinthians 4:4
“…glory
of GOD in the FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.”— 2nd Corinthians 4:6
“…they
shall call his name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH
US.”—Matthew 1:23
“For
in [Jesus] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” —
Colossians2:9
“The
voice of him [John the Baptist] that crieth in the wilderness, PREPARE ye
the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway FOR OUR
GOD.” — Isaiah 40:3
THESE
PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS WAS GOD,AND
THOUGHT HE BLASPHEMED WHEN HE TOLD THE TRUTH.
“The Jews answered, saying, For a
good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou
[Jesus], being a man, makest thyself God.” — John 10:33
“For
by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
John
1:3…
“All
things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”
He
created everything that was created, and nothing was created by anyone but
him. If Christ made all things, then he must have existed before everything
that was created.
Colossians
1:17…
“And
he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
He
is the one and only Creator.If he created all things then did
he create himself?No, he can’t be a created being.He existed before
the beginning.He is from Everlasting.
Micah
5:2…
“But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
God
said in Isaiah 44:6…
“Thus
saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the
first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
Jesus
Christ said in Revelation 1:8…
“I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and
which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation
1:18…“Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, amen; and have the keys of hell and of
death.” Hosanna in the Highest! Jesus is Almighty God!!!
“BELIEVE
ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED.”—Acts 16:31
Thank
you for allowing me the opportunity to share our Lord Jesus Christ with you.I
pray that I have provided the introduction to our Lord that you have been
searching for.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” —2nd Corinthians 5:10
Please notice in the above Scripture the phrase, “Whether it be good OR BAD.” Many believers have the ignorant belief that Jesus will simply reward us for the good we do in life, but not mention the bad.This misconception comes from a misunderstanding about Biblical justice. ”Justice” is often symbolized by a scale.Before we were saved, our sins weighed down heavily upon one end of the scale and we were found guilty.
The Word of God indicts (brings formal charges against) mankind. Thankfully, Jesus Christ came before the Judge (God the Father, the Prosecutor) and volunteered to balance the scale by shedding His own blood upon the cross. Thus, eternal life is a free gift available to all. The redemptive work of Christ has made salvation freely available to all who want it. Amen!
There are different scales of justice. The best example I can give you is our own present day court system.There are criminal courts, civil courts, administrative hearing courts, etc.
There are different laws and a different court system. The same holds true with God.
The Great White Throne of Judgment (which will take place after the Millennium period), will be a criminal court for the unsaved.
Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
The Judgment Seat of Christ (which will take place during the Tribulation Period), will be a civil court for the redeemed of God (the saved).
Many believers who cannot be sent to Hell will indeed be ordered to pay compensatory and punitive damages to those whom they have hurt in this life.
The Word “BEMA” is often mentioned in place of the word “judgment.” Hence, the “Bema Seat of Christ.” ”Bema” is simply the Greek word meaning “place of judgment.”
When Jesus stood in Herod’s court in judgment, the Bible uses the same Greek word “bema.” It was a trial. When Paul stood trial before king Agrippa, the same word for judgment is used again.
The Judgment Seat of Christ will NOT be a family reunion or social event.
It will be a JUDGMENT, with Jesus Christ sitting in the Judge’s seat.Though no believer will be in danger of being sentenced to Hell, many will suffer great loss and the wrath of God.
King David was a believer, yet he feared God’s wrath.
Psalm 38:1…”O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.”
Though we won’t be tried in criminal court at the Great White Throne of Judgment, we will all certainly be held accountable in civil court at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Romans 14:12, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” —1st Corinthians 3:11-15
It’s important to keep in mind here that the Apostle Paul is writing to the believers at the church of Corinth. The Bible’s not talking about the fool who built his house upon the sand as in Matthew 7:26-27.
This passage of Scripture is speaking to those who already have a sure foundation, which is Jesus Christ. The Word of God proclaims that Jesus Christ is the ONLY True Foundation.
The foolish man in Matthew 7:26-27 represents the unsaved man who fails to place His trust in Christ for salvation. His destruction is imminent.
However, 1st Corinthians 3:11-15 is speaking to the man who has already placed his faith in Christ, he is a born-again believer; however, he is foolishly building upon the foundation with shabby and unreliable materials. In other words, only that which we do for Christ will last.
Let me illustrate.Matthew 7:26-27 is likened to a man who decides to build his house in a low-lying flood zone or on the muddy slope of a mountain side. He’s taking great risks, and foolish one’s I might add.
I’ve always wondered why people keep building homes in areas that they know are prone to flooding, forest fires, mud slides, etc.
People often spend extravagantly on their home, but they have NO sure foundation. I’ve seen mansions on the news go sliding down the side of a mountain from excessive rains.
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:27).
Now the man in 1st Corinthians 3:11-15 is likened to a man who builds a solid concrete foundation in a stable land area, but then he uses inferior materials and poor design to build the house.
He uses flammable materials, not thinking about potential loss from fire. He employs cheap and unskilled labor to assemble the home.He is penny wise, and dollar foolish.He has a solid foundation, but decides to use straw instead of concrete to build the house. Surely you remember the story of the three little pigs?
I’ve oftentimes seen wooden homes that have burned to the ground replaced with concrete homes. It just makes better sense to build with concrete and brick.
Most Christians are building their spiritual houses out of straw and mud.
In areas which are prone to hurricanes or typhoons, wise people build their homes out of concrete. Thousands of wooden homes are often destroyed during tropical storms.
So we have two types of homeowners here: the man who has a solid house, but a shabby foundation (This pictures the unsaved man); and then the man who has a solid foundation, but a shabby house (This pictures the worldly believer who does nothing for God).
The second man in the above illustration represents MOST believers, they are building a shabby house upon a solid foundation.
There are six items mentioned in 1st Corinthians 3:12: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble.
Sadly, this Scripture describes 95% of all born-again believers today. Here’s some shabby and weak building materials:
When it comes to money, many professed Christians are no different than the wicked heathen.I hate to say it, but I don’t place ANY confidence in people anymore just because they profess to be a Christian.
I’ve seen too many Christians get all excited when they thought they were about to make lots of money, but couldn’t have cared less about soul winning.
Making money is a very deceitful trap which too many believers have become ensnared into (1st Timothy 6:8-10).
Luke 21:34 states, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Oh how many Christians are asleep at the wheel during this present dark hour!
It’s repulsive to see professed born again “Christians” twanging their worldly guitars, making money from their worldly arts, and yet never publicly telling anyone how to be saved.
Mark 8:34, “…Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
When do these people live for God? They don’t! They’re lives are filled with “Me, Myself, and I.” Of course, they make their little charitable contributions so they can feel good about themselves and impress their friends.Listen beloved, God doesn’t want your pocketbook…He wants you!
There are many hardworking and generous Christian people in this world doing all sorts of charitable things, but it all means absolutely nothing if the people you are helping go to Hell without Christ as their Saviour.
The world is filled with professed “Christian” charities that carry no cross, preach no Gospel, and do nothing for God.
The world is going to Hell without Christ!!! All Christ-rejecters WILL burn in Hell one day according to John 3:18, 2nd Thessalonians 1:8,9 and Revelation 20:15.
Every believer has a solid foundation in Jesus Christ (We are going to Heaven and nothing can alter that fact). However, if we build upon that foundation with worldliness and shallow pursuits, we will suffer great loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Only that which we do in Jesus’ name and for the Gospel will be rewarded.
When we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are forgiven of ALL our sins (past, present and future).
Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
Yet, the sin itself must be judged. The damages that our sin causes cannot be ignored. It would be injustice for God to allow anyone to get away with anything (Galatians 6:7).
God has to make that wrong right if you don’t. Now Jesus died upon the cross to pay for our sins so we could be free, but the Lord has to right our wrongs as well.
Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” ”Iniquity” means “injustice.” Doesn’t it make you mad that the government gets away with so much evil and there’s hardly anything we can do about it? Sure it does!
Do you think God is going to allow them to get away with that? No! Now if some of those evil people get saved, they will be forgiven.God will accept them as they are to be saved. But the damage caused by their sins must be reconciled. If they don’t reconcile with their victims, then God will have to do it for them. That is justice!
Let’s say you’re an immature believer and you cheat me. I trust you to do something agreed upon, but you knife me in the back instead. You steal $40,000 from me.
You are stubborn and refuse to pay me back. There was nothing in writing, so I have no recourse. Besides, I am not supposed to take you to court before heathen judges (1st Corinthians 6:1-7).
You could care less, and my family is out $40,000. In addition, you didn’t live up to your end of the agreement and so I have to pay someone else to do what I paid you to do. So now my loss is actually $80,000.My family is out $80,000!
Do you think you won’t have to give account for your evil in Heaven? Jesus Christ shed His blood to pay for your sins so you wouldn’t have to burn in Hell, but the sins you commit still have to be accounted for (Romans 14:12).
The TRUTH is that God has to balance the scales of injustice.By the way, it doesn’t matter whether your saved or not, all the sins you commit have to be dealt with.
The difference is that as a believer, you have a Great Lawyer, Jesus Christ.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1st John 2:1).
If you’re not saved, you’re on your own on Judgment Day.Just as in today’s world, you’re unfortunate and unwise to go into court without an experienced lawyer. God promises to punish those who have hurt others.
Romans 12:19 and 1st Thessalonians 4:6 CLEARLY warn us that God will AVENGE anyone who has been defrauded or hurt in any way.
Remember, the soul of a saved person is forever secure and nothing can jeopardize that; however, our rewards and happiness in Heaven will directly depend upon the life we live here on earth.
There will be tears in Heaven.At the end of the Millennium, all tears will finally be wiped away from believers eyes and the former things will be forgotten (Revelation 21:4).
“But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” —Matthew 21:28-31
The son with the bad attitude went into the field and pleased the father. The son with the good attitude didn’t go. Jesus said that many who are first shall be last, and last first.
Nowhere in the Word of God are we told that we have to have the right motives to serve the Lord. God’s not looking for special ops forces, he’s looking for willing combatants, soldiers of Jesus Christ.
The TRUTH is that God will reward us for every little thing we do for Jesus’ sake and the Gospels.
The Word of God declares that God will hold us accountable for every idle word spoken (Matthew 12:36). No one is going to get away with any sin. And likewise for the Christian, no good deed done in Jesus’ name will go unrewarded.
The Bible promises us in Mark 10:29-30, “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”
I see nothing mentioned about “motives.” The truth is that God will reward us for everything we do for Jesus. Our labors are never in vain for the Lord.
1st Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Matthew 10:42 reads “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
Wow! Even if I do something for a disciple of Christ, I will still be rewarded.If I help someone who is serving God, I will be rewarded.If I give to a Gospel missionary, I will be rewarded. So even if your motive is only to help a friend, if that friend is serving God you will be rewarded.Even if our motives are selfish, God will reward us if we are furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ.Souls are dying!
Do not think for one moment that God will allow anyone to have a flippant, “So what if I don’t get any rewards,” attitude.
Do you think God is going to allow any of His children to have a careless attitude about the people they have hurt?
Do you think that God is going to just pass out rewards like Santa Claus and not say anything about the people you have wronged? About the tears YOU CAUSED? No sir, there will be many tears in Heaven.
Likewise, Jesus will chastise believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ in Fatherly love.
Thankfully, God gives us the chance to make things right here on earth, to avoid embarrassment and chastisement at The Judgment Seat of Christ.
1st Corinthians 11:31, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”
This means going to the person(s) we have wronged, apologizing, and giving them back the money we took from them, or restoring to them what they lost because of our sin.
We must seek reconciliation with anyone whom we’ve defrauded or hurt. And likewise, those who have hurt and cheated us are required by God to reconcile and pay us back; otherwise God will deal with them harshly on Judgment Day.
Hebrews 12:6 teaches us that God chastises His children.This very fact alone should remove any question in your mind as to whether or not God will harshly judge believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ.Not every believer will be dealt with harshly, but the tyrants and bullies most certainly will.
Do you think Jesus will go gentle on the saved husband who has brutally beat his frail wife repeatedly for decades?
Do you think Jesus will go easy on those saved fathers who have been ruthless towards their children?
EACH individual will be judged according to their unique circumstances and works. Everything will be taken into account.Nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Lord (Proverb 15:3).
A clear distinction needs to be made between the punishment of the unsaved at the Great White Throne of Judgment, and thechastisement of God’s children at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The unsaved will be punished, as guilty criminals being sent to prison.In contrast; God’s children will be judged, likened to a stern father taking the necessary measures (tough love) to do what needs to be done to be fair, but also to resolve the matter. All disputes must be resolved.
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” —Romans 14:10-12
We need not be angry or bitter towards those immature believers who have hurt us, their day of judgment WILL come or else the Word of God is a lie. Galatians 6:7 declares that God will not be mocked—a man will reap that which he sows!
Notice that Romans 14:10 speaks of “standing” before Christ in judgment, and then the very next verse speaks of being on our “knees,” crying out in confession to God. Then the next verse says we will give account. If you’ve ever been into a courtroom, then you KNOW that the utmost in respect is demanded for the Judge.
You don’t dare speak or show even the slightest disrespect for the judge or else you’ll face charges of contempt. Do you think it will be anything less in God’s court?
Do you think Jesus will be nice to some “tough guy” in His presence? Oh listen friend, you’ll see the meanest and toughest tyrant falling down upon their hands and knees in tears begging for mercy, and Jesus will show them the same kind of mercy they showed their victims… none.
Matthew 25:24-30 is a parable concerning the unsaved, but it reveals a principle concerning God’s judgment… much of our judgment will be based upon our own attitudes.
God will not deal harshly with those believers who have made restitution to their victims and repented of their sins.However, the Word of God clearly teaches that we must make things right with those whom we have defrauded or hurt before we can be right with God.
“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24).
Can a person be saved before making reconciliation with those whom they have hurt? Yes, of course! This is because salvation is of God and not man.Can a child of God be right with God without making reconciliation with those whom they have hurt? No! This is because reconciliation is our responsibility. If you do not make things right down here, then God will have to make them right up there, but you won’t like the consequences. Why should someone have to wait a lifetime to be avenged of your evils?
For those believers who refuse to right their wrongs now, the Judgment Seat of Christ will be a very unpleasant experience.
The same holds true for those believers who live worldly lives, refuse to take up their cross, and never do anything to reach lost sinners with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Devil can only imitate the Light of Jesus; BUT, he is NOT the true Light. The Devil is a master counterfeiter, a deceiver!The “Light” is simply another term for the Truth. Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6).The Word of God is Truth (John 17:17).Satan is a LIAR! John 8:44 states, “Ye are of your father the devil … for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Listen to what Job says about them in Job 16:2, “I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.” How often have you had bad things happen, one thing after another, just to find that the people you thought were your friends added more pain to your sorrow.Oftentimes, well-meaning people do more damage than good.
Job was hurting and needed to express himself. His “friends” took his words and used them against him.
God’s will is that we SUFFER as Jesus suffered that we might be increasingly conformed into the image of Christ. If we never go through trials and tribulation, then we’ll never grow.
It’s just a matter of time friend.Whether or not you make it will depend upon your relationship with Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the center hub of your life,then all the weight of the cart and its tremendous load will be carried by Christ and not you alone.
Proverb 14:14, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.”
This Scripture ought to convict every believer, because we are all guilty at times of placing our own will above God’s will. The Word of God says that the BACKSLIDER IN HEART shall be filled with his own ways. The word “filled” is self-explanatory.
Every believer needs to work daily at crucifying the selfish flesh and helping others. It means caring. The hallmark quality, or character trait, of being a Christ-honoring believer is CARING.
If we care, then we will put forth the effort, and strive, to place others before ourselves. I had always read and quoted Philippians 2:5 where it says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Thus, if we are to have the mind of Jesus Christ, then we ought to dwell on the things of others, i.e., look for ways that we can help them, be considerate, be a good neighbor, or meet the needs of the less fortunate. We ought to be concerned about the soul of others. Are they saved or not?
God says that the backslider in heart is filled with their own selfish ways. Notice that the Bible says “in heart.” Selfishness is a woeful spiritual condition of the heart. The same is true with other sins, such as being critical all the time.
We further elaborate on the meaning of Philippians 2:5 in verse 3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” So many people are self-righteous hypocrites.
A hypocrite is a person who thinks that someone else is a bigger sinner than them self. When you magnify other people’s sins, you are condemning them; taking the place of the Bible. God’s Law condemns all mankind (Romans 3:19).
The backslider in heart is filled with his own ways. He rises up and ends each day only thinking about himself. He spends all his money on himself and never helps anyone. He curses shamelessly in public, tells dirty jokes, gets drunk on weekends, looks at pornography, cheats on his wife, loafs at work, and lies on impulse.
The United States is a nation of backsliders who disrespect God’s Word, do their own thing, indulge in Hollywood movies, frequent Las Vegas gambling casinos, watch adulterous soap operas, never tell anyone how to go to Heaven, and shame the Lord.
This does not mean that a Christian is forbidden from enjoying life; but it means that God must be a part of all we do. God does not want to be first in our life, because then He’s not second and third.
May we all, as born-again believers, have the mind of Jesus Christ, who cared for the things of others and how He could help people. There is much we can all do to help the least of these (Matthew 25:40,45). We are living in an extremely selfish generation.
The most important thing is that we consider God throughout the day. Proverb 3:5-7 are beautiful Scriptures, that promise divine guidance if we’ll acknowledge (consider) God in everything we do.
Proverb 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”Don’t lean upon your own finite and human understanding; but rather, consider what God would want in all your ways, and He will guide you as He promised.
All God asks is that we remember Him and strive to please Him in all we do.The Bible warns us to fear God, and to depart from evil ways. We ought not be wise in our own eyes; but instead, trust upon the Word of God, and what He tells us.
No man can please God who neglects to abide in the Scriptures (John 15:1-7). Just as Jesus Christ abides in us as believers (Romans 8:9), even so must we abide in the Word of God. Search the Scriptures (John 5:39).
You cannot do things your way and God’s way. It’s one or the other.
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2nd Corinthians 4:6)
Most people’s temperaments are affected by the weather outside. Most people tend to feel happier when the weather is sunny and calm.The same people may feel sad or blue when skies are overcast, or it is rainy.Others may feel the opposite.I myself like cloudy days.I suppose it’s because I’m more of a homebody type of person.I enjoy being inside even more when it is raining outside.
I love the sound of the rain, especially thunderstorms.Each person is different.The important thing I have learned is that no matter what the skies may look like, the sun is always shining.It is true! The sun is always shining above the clouds.We may not see the sunshine; but it is always there.At night, the sun is shining on the other side of the earth. Somewhere, at any time, the sun is always shining.
There’s a spiritual application to this truth, and some very interesting things you probable didn’t know.The sun in our solar system represents the Lord Jesus Christ. The moon represents Satan.The Sun radiates it’s own energy and light; but the moon only reflects light from the sun. Likewise, Jesus Christ is the Light (John 8:12).
Satan APPEARS as an angel of light (2nd Corinthians 11:14); BUT, he is the prince of darkness, and an imposter.Therefore, Satan is represented by the moon since he has no light of his own.Satan tries to imitate Jesus Christ.In fact, the moon is worshipped by Wiccan witches and also by Muslims in the Islam religion.
Many occult organizations, such as the Freemasons, also incorporate the moon. Witches greatly revere the moon, which represents the feminine aspect of their false New Age god.The “New Age” god is a homogenous god, a one-size fits all god, a take-your-pick type god, an undefined god–an impersonal energy force that holds the universe together.
In New Age, god is a force, and not a being.In New Age, there are thousands of paths to “the light.”Clearly, that light is Satan.Any light that is not the Lord Jesus Christ can only lead to Satan (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).Also, today’s Islamic religion has its origin in ancient moon worship, clearly revealed by their required prayers 5-times a day in synchronization with the cycles of the moon.Oh the darkness that so many people choose to walk in.
Jesus will save anybody (Romans 10:13); but few people will come to Him for salvation (John 5:40). John 3:20 and 2nd Corinthians 4:4 tell us why.
Anything that distorts, attacks, or teaches doctrines contrary to the Word of God is of the Devil. Of course, the heathen world laughs at such Biblical reasoning … “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1st Corinthians 1:18).
It’s important that we continually look to the inspired Word of God for the answers to life. Most people today look to the TV, to magazines, to horoscopes, to psychics, to heathen psychologists, to “experts” who are dumber than dirt concerning the truth, etc. The wise believer will purpose in his or her heart to ANCHOR them self to the Word of God.
By the way, I only use the King James Bible.All other modern Bibles have been corrupted.
When storm clouds gather over our life–when our child dies, when our coworkers persecute us, when people hurt us, when friends forsake us, when someone we looked up to betrayed us, when we can’t see our hand in front of our face–just keep in mind that THE SON IS ALWAYS SHINING ABOVE THE CLOUDS! Jesus never fails!
I love God’s promise in Hebrews 13:5, “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Others may forsake us; but Jesus NEVER will.
Psalm 23:4 so beautifully states, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” If you are a child of God, God is with you! Even if you’ve totally messed up your life, God is with you if you are a born-again believer.God didn’t say that He would never leave us if we live perfect. No, He promised NEVER to leave us.
God never forgets that we are dust, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust” (psalm 103:14). This doesn’t condone sin, it just means that God never disowns His children.
Once a child of God, always a child of God!Knowing this truth should cause us to love God enough to want to live a righteous life, to please God, and to walk closer with Him day by day.
No Christian can become closer to the Lord apart from the Word of God (John 1:1,14). Therefore, we must live in our Bibles, thinking about Scriptures throughout the day. If we choose to live in sin as believers, then God will judge us at the Judgment Seat of Christ one day, and we will never truly be happy in this earthly life.
Jesus never condemned anyone who came to Him for forgiveness, He simply asked them to do better in the future. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we all can do better.
It is so wonderful to be a Christian–to comprehend the truths of God’s Word, to know that Jesus lives within our heart, to know that our sins have been forgiven, to know that Jesus’ shed His blood to take away our sins, and to know that one day we will be with the Lord forever.
Let us keep this truth in mind in this sin-cursed world–The Son of God is always shining!
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2nd Corinthians 4:6)
Job was a blessed man who feared the Lord. Job was also very wealthy and had many children.One day God was bragging about faithful Job to ole Satan.The devil accused God of protecting and spoiling Job with all the blessings.
Satan dared God to remove His hand of blessing from Job, thus to prove that Job would curse God. God agreed to allow Satan to attack Job.At first, Satan was only allowed to afflict Job’s wealth and family.But alas, Job’s health was soon to be taken as well.
We read in Job chapter one that Job lost nearly everything—his sons, his crops, his livestock.In chapter two Job loses his health and his wife’s support and encouragement. She prompts Job to curse God, but he does NOT.
Notice the phrase repeated over and over again in Job 1:16, 1:17 and 1:18—”While he was yet speaking…”
While someone was breaking the bad news to Job, someone else would bring more bad news before the first person had even finished speaking. Then another person came with more bad news before the second person had finished. In all, four people had brought devastating news to Job.
Can you imagine the shock both Job and his wife felt? How awful the evil reports they had received—they had lost nearly everything.Job’s wife became bitter.Yet in all this, Job refused to accuse or curse God, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22).
Now meet Job’s so-called “friends”—Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. “Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place” (Job 2:11).I believe these friends were sincere because they wept with Job (2:12). However, well meaning friends can be very hurtful and unkind at times.We soon see that Job’s so called “friends” were no friends at all.
Listen to what Job says about them in Job 16:2, “I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.” How often have you had bad things happen, one thing after another, just to find that the people you thought were your friends added more pain to your sorrow.Oftentimes, well-meaning people do more damage than good.
When someone is hurting, they need our presence more than our words.Any words spoken should be uplifting.It’s interesting that Jobs friends didn’t say anything for the first week.They didn’t respond until Job had spoken in chapter three.Oftentimes our mouth gets us into trouble.
Job was hurting and needed to express himself. His “friends” took his words and used them against him.
Eliphaz blamed Job for his calamities (4:7).
Bildad blamed Job’s children for what came upon him (8:4). Zophar called Job a liar for defending himself (11:3-4). In Job 20:5, Zophar refers to Job as being “wicked” and a “hypocrite.” Job’s so called “friends” had much to say—all negative.
Listen to the words of Job, “How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? These TEN TIMES have ye reproached me…” (Job 19:2,3). These were NO friends at all.We learn several lessons from all this:
· In times of hurt and sorrow, we should turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in Prayer and to His precious Word for consolation and comfort, notto people. Friends and family may let us down but Jesus (God) never will. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1st Peter 5:7).
· Trust in God!!!
Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). People get upset with God today over the silliest things—Job lost nearly everything and still maintained his faith in God.Happy is the man which trusteth in the Lord (Proverb 16:20), “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).
· Hard times are worth more than their weight in gold,
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of goldthat perisheth…” (1st Peter 1:7). Notice, “MUCH MORE” precious than gold. Why? Because unshakable faith comes from having your faith shaken, and faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).
Though suffering is never a joy in itself, be assured that God knows what He is doing, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2nd Corinthians 4:17). What a blessed truth and encouragement.
· Suffering is NOT a sign of judgment!
If you are a Believer, Jesus suffered your judgment at the cross—you are at liberty in the Lord. You may suffer judgment at the hands of men or yourself, but not the Lord. If God does allow specific afflictions in our lives, it is only because He loves us and has a greater purpose than ours.
—for the unsaved, it brings misery with no hope; for the saved, it brings misery with hope. The Believer can sing, “this world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through; my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue…”
Job’s three so called “friends” were all wrong, God was NOT judging Job—he was simply testing Job. God loved Job and had a purpose. Job is very blessed today in heaven. He is only there because Jesus forgave his sins. Are your sins forgiven? Turn to Jesus Christ now and confess your sins, asking for eternal life and forgiveness.
Job 1:20,21, “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
There’s hardly a man or woman who has lost more than Job. Job lost his crops, his livestock, his servants, his children, his health, his friends and the support of his wife. Poor Job! Yet, miraculously, Job still maintained his faith and said, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” That is quite amazing!
How many of us could withstand such a trial of our faith? I dare say few of us. When tragedy hits home and our spouse divorces us, and our children abandon us, and our health fails us, and our friends desert us, and all hope is gone, and our character is assassinated, and disappointments arise, and dreams are shattered, and heartaches come—BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!
If Job could bless the name of the Lord in his darkest hours, then so can we. Amen!The Lord’s name is Jesus, Emmanuel, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God, the Almighty, Counsellor, the Eternal One, the Great Shepherd, our Advocate, our High Priest, our Sabbath, the Great Physician, the King of Israel, a Friend of Sinners, the I AM, the Son of God, the Bread of Life, the Door, the Resurrection and the Life, the Christ. His name is precious! BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!
“ Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” —2nd Timothy 3:12
In sharp contrast to the heretical health, wealth and prosperity preaching of our time, the Bible teaches that getting too close to Christ will be costly. In fact, it’ll cost you everything if you get too close.
Most believers have been errantly taught that God wants them to be happy, and to have their prayers answered and for everything in this life to go in their favor.
However, Romans 8:29 tells us… “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.”God’s purpose for us is that we be CONFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. The only way this can happen is if we SUFFER with Jesus.
Romans 8:17 states: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
God’s will is that we SUFFER as Jesus suffered that we might be increasingly conformed into the image of Christ. If we never go through trials and tribulation, then we’ll never grow.
The Apostle Paul wasn’t broke financially. Paul wasn’t lazy. Paul wasn’t uneducated. Paul followed Christ too closely and was persecuted for it. If you want to follow Jesus Christ, I mean really follow Him, then you will have no choice but to pick up a cross and be crucified with Him.
The Bible warns us in 2nd Timothy 3:12 that those who live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL SUFFER.There is no way around it.If you claim to follow Jesus Christ, and are not suffering, then you are not living godly.
Godly living in Christ Jesus means preaching the Gospel to lost sinners, departing from sin and making a difference for Christ in this world. The unsaved world hates Jesus, hates the Bible, and hates those believers who exemplify the Lord in their life . . .
“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:19-20).
Being a born-again Christian has never been popular with the sinful world. Jesus said that a man’s enemies would be they of his own household. When you’re a Christian, the Devil will turn everybody who is unsaved or away from the Lord against you…
“And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:36-39).
But Jesus tells us that we must decide between Him and our loved ones. Jesus must be the center hub of our life. If we center our life around friends or children, then our life will fall apart when they abandon us or depart.It’s so important that we make Jesus Christ the center of our life, so that we may be able to weather the severe storms of this life, with all its disappointments, heartaches and failures.
If we love the Lord Jesus more than our loved ones, then we will be able to continue living for Him even when our loved ones forsake us, and hurt us and forget about us. Jesus is always with us…“and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20).
Many people today go around talking about Jesus, love and faith; but they don’t want to endure any suffering, heartache or woe.But you can be assured that the heartache,problems,tiredness,disappointments,overwhelming grief, tribulation and frightening times will come into your life.
When you decide to live for God, Satan will come after you with all the hordes of Hell…“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Because of Peter’s loyalty to Jesus Christ, Satan desired to sift him as wheat… “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31). And you can be rest assured my friend that Satan wants to sift you as wheat too.
Sifting means to pass through a strainer, to separate grain. Satan wants to sift us and rob us of everything dear to us in life. The more you do for God, the more Satan will come after you. The Devil will cause your closest friends and dearest loved ones to become your bitterest enemies, and do you the most harm.
Our only hope is to put on the armour of God: truth, righteousness, the Gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God and prayer (Ephesians 6:13-18).It should not be surprising when loved ones or friends suddenly turn against us, for this is what the Lord said would happen in Matthew 10:36. All we can do is pray for our enemies, search the Scriptures, go soul-winning with the Gospel, live for the Lord and rejoice that our name is written in Heaven. Amen!
Getting close to Christ is costly, so costly that you’ll eventually lose everything in your life . .“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” —Matthew 10:38-39
This Scripture ought to convict every believer, because we are all guilty at times of placing our own will above God’s will. The Word of God says that the BACKSLIDER IN HEART shall be filled with his own ways. The word “filled” is self-explanatory.
The average born-again believer is consumed with his or her own ways.It is in our human-nature to be selfish, to place our self first above others. Philippians 2:21, “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.”
1st Peter 5:7 tells us that God cares. If we are going to exemplify Christ in our life, they we must care also. Most people don’t care. It is true that there are unsaved people who care, and saved people who don’t. That ought not be!
One day I decided to look at the surrounding verses, to see in what context this Scripture was made. So often people go around quoting verses without caring what the context is. I read Philippians 2:4, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” I was amazed.
We ought to be soul-winners (Proverb 11:30; 2nd Corinthians 5:10-11; Philippians 2:16).I helped someone one day and they said, “You must be a Christian.” Jesus cares! Caring and Christianity are synonymous.There is nothing Christian about apathy, indifference and lack of concern.
Many people are critical because their heart is in a condition of being critical.They aren’t critical because they’re having a bad day; but because they are a critical person. Hence, the backslider in life is backslidden first and foremost in heart. Evolution, Humanism and Atheism are rooted in rooted in a wicked heart of unbelief.
Anytime you find yourself publicly gossiping or talking about the sins or faults of someone else, it’s only because you are overlooking your own sinfulness.If we keep in mind that we are all guilty sinners, deserving of Hell fire and damnation, then we won’t criticize others for their faults. James 2:10 teaches that even the best Christian is as guilty in God’s eyes as the worst unsaved sinner.
It is not our place to condemn anyone.This is not to say that we shouldn’t expose those who publicly parade and promote wickedness. God tells us to expose them (Ephesians 5:11) and to rise up against the evil doers (Psalm 94:16). But it’s not our place to condemn anyone on a personal level for their sins, because we are all guilty sinners (Romans 3:10-23).
The backslider in heart is the woman who causes others to lust. She has no regard for God nor man. She is selfish and irresponsible, contributing to the moral deterioration of society. She laughs and scorns at the man of God who preaches modesty and fidelity.
The backslidden women criticizes the preacher, watches adulterous television programs,gossips every chance she gets, dishonors her parents, and envies other women.
Backsliders don’t care about soul-winning, because it’s all about them and their plans. James 4:13, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
The Bible warns us that we may not live another day, so we ought to include God in everything we do, and live our life in such a way that God is honored.
Hebrews 11:6 says that it is impossible to please God without faith, and verse 5 tells us that Enoch demonstrated his faith by PLEASING GOD. That is what faith is, i.e., pleasing God.The backslider pleases him or her self. The faithful Christian pleases God. Self has no place in the Christian life.
God wants to be a part of all we do, as the center hub on a wheel. If you center your life upon your wife or children, then your world will come to a crashing halt if they’re gone one day; but Jesus Christ will NEVER leave nor forsake you (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). When all you have is God, God is all you need.
It is a joy as a Christian to be different than the average uncaring person.Keep a bag full of Gospels of John in your car.When you see someone in need, whether it be a homeless person or someone whose car breaks down, hand them a Gospel of John, and help them a bit. Although we can’t help everybody, we can help somebody.
All God asks is that we remember Him and strive to please Him in all we do.The Bible warns us to fear God, and to depart from evil ways. We ought not be wise in our own eyes; but instead, trust upon the Word of God, and what He tells us.
No man can please God who neglects to abide in the Scriptures (John 15:1-7). Just as Jesus Christ abides in us as believers (Romans 8:9), even so must we abide in the Word of God. Search the Scriptures (John 5:39).
You cannot do things your way and God’s way. It’s one or the other.
