Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

Confidence in Him!
May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.

May my heart be blameless toward your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
but I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:79-81 NIV
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For the scripture saith, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

Romans 10:11 KJV
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For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

2 Timothy 1:12 NASB
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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Received up into glory.”

1 Timothy 3:16

We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of his flesh, humiliated and sore vexed; for he was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He whose brightness is as the morning, wore the sackcloth of sorrow as his daily dress: shame was his mantle, and reproach was his vesture. Yet now, inasmuch as he has triumphed over all the powers of darkness upon the bloody tree, our faith beholds our King returning with dyed garments from Edom, robed in the splendour of victory. How glorious must he have been in the eyes of seraphs, when a cloud received him out of mortal sight, and he ascended up to heaven!

Now he wears the glory which he had with God or ever the earth was, and yet another glory above all—that which he has well earned in the fight against sin, death, and hell. As victor he wears the illustrious crown. Hark how the song swells high! It is a new and sweeter song: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, for he hath redeemed us unto God by his blood!” He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail, of a Prince who can never be defeated, of a Conqueror who has vanquished every foe, of a Lord who has the heart's allegiance of every subject. Jesus wears all the glory which the pomp of heaven can bestow upon him, which ten thousand times ten thousand angels can minister to him.

You cannot with your utmost stretch of imagination conceive his exceeding greatness; yet there will be a further revelation of it when he shall descend from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels—“Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” Oh, the splendour of that glory! It will ravish his people's hearts. Nor is this the close, for eternity shall sound his praise, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever!” Reader, if you would joy in Christ's glory hereafter, he must be glorious in your sight now. Is he so?

 

[beensetfree]

Redeemed from sin - glory!
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:29 KJV

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Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."

Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."

Hebrews 10:14-17 NIV

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He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.

Ephesians 1:5-8 NASB

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“I called him, but he gave me no answer.”

Song of Solomon 5:6

Prayer sometimes tarrieth, like a petitioner at the gate, until the King cometh forth to fill her bosom with the blessings which she seeketh. The Lord, when he hath given great faith, has been known to try it by long delayings. He has suffered his servants’ voices to echo in their ears as from a brazen sky. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained immovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, “Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.”

Thus have true saints continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because their prayers were not vehement, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased him who is a Sovereign, and who gives according to his own pleasure. If it pleases him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall he not do as he wills with his own! Beggars must not be choosers either as to time, place, or form. But we must be careful not to take delays in prayer for denials: God's long-dated bills will be punctually honoured; we must not suffer Satan to shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers. Unanswered petitions are not unheard.

God keeps a file for our prayers — they are not blown away by the wind, they are treasured in the King's archives. This is a registry in the court of heaven wherein every prayer is recorded. Tried believer, thy Lord hath a tear-bottle in which the costly drops of sacred grief are put away, and a book in which thy holy groanings are numbered. By-and-by, thy suit shall prevail. Canst thou not be content to wait a little? Will not thy Lord's time be better than thy time? By-and-by he will comfortably appear, to thy soul's joy, and make thee put away the sackcloth and ashes of long waiting, and put on the scarlet and fine linen of full fruition.

 

[beensetfree]

5 Lessons About Jesus Sending Out The Seventy-Two


How does Jesus’ sending out the 72 apply to Christians today? Are there lessons we can gain from their experience and Jesus’ instructions?

Two by Two
I remember one old preacher telling the church that they either evangelize or fossilize. They had no outreach. They had no mission’s board. In fact, they expected the pastor to do all the evangelizing, sending him out instead of going out themselves, but he’s not supposed to do it alone. It says that “the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go” (Luke 10:1). To see exactly what we can learn from Jesus’ sending out the 72 to preach the gospel and the practical application for believers today, we’ll go verse by verse, so first of all, in verse one, Jesus sends them out “two by two,” not one by one. Perhaps it’s best that one person witness while the other prays, plus there are two as a witness, and it’s safer with two than with one. The Bible also speaks that two are better than one (Eccl 4:9), and that by two witnesses, a thing is established (2 Cor 13:1; Deut 19:15). What I find interesting is Jesus sends these men out to go ahead of Him to places that He will later go. The point is, Jesus is responsible for what happens after the gospel has been proclaimed because God gives the increase (1 Cor 3:6), not us.

Pray for Laborers
Chip Ingram (Living on the Edge Ministries) once said that only 1 in 10 is an active witness for Christ, and had lead at least one person to faith in Christ. That means 9 out of 10 believers don’t’ share their faith actively. Apparently, that was a problem in Jesus’ day too because “he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Luke 10:2). Most of the time, believers don’t witness because of the fear of man over the fear God, but by our silence, we can actually deny Christ by refusing to share the gospel. We are sometimes more concerned about our being rejected or ridiculed than we are about the eternal state of the person’s soul. Jesus says the solution is to pray for more laborers, but also to enter into the labor, because the harvest is so huge and the laborers are so few. It can be discouraging.

Trust in God
Next, Jesus tells the seventy-two to “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3). He wants them to learn to trust God, even though He is sending them in harm’s way. Jesus wants them to be dependent upon God for their safety and provision, and so He tells them, “Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road” (Heb 10:4). The seventy-two must not only be aware that they’re going into enemy territory (Satan’s world), but they must trust God with providing for their needs and not be depending upon their own resources. We also note that Jesus told them to not get engaged in conversations along the way because they’re on a mission…a great commission from Jesus Himself and He didn’t want them to get distracted.

Acceptance
Jesus tells them that “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’” (Luke 10:5), and then “remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house” (Luke 10:7). They are then to say, “Peace be to this house.” By Jesus saying, “if a son of peace is there,” it may mean that there is someone who is open to the gospel, and if so, that would be the best place to stay, because “the laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7).

Rejection


In Luke 10:10-12, Jesus tells them that “whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” Why would it be more tolerable for Sodom than for those who reject Jesus Christ?

It’s because we have more light today. More people have heard the gospel than ever before, but the Jews had heard and seen Jesus and seen His miracles, so they had no excuse. Sodom never had that great of a witness. Many have heard the gospel explained and know what’s required and yet still reject it, over and over again. They are more accountable for their rejection of Christ because Jesus was not able to preach in Sodom, but almost everyone on earth has at least heard of His name today. Besides, mankind is without excuse, because in his heart, he knows that God exists. They simply suppress this knowledge (Rom 1:18-20).

Conclusion
Jesus is still sending out men and women today. He often does so two by two, but He knows the laborers are still few that we need to continue to pray for more laborers. And then we need to take the gospel into the whole world (or at least next door), knowing that some will reject it, but some will accept it. One thing we must recognize is that God is the true evangelist (John 6:44). God alone saves, and He only saves only through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), so salvation cannot be earned (Eph 2:8-9), but we must also recognize the fact that God gives the increase to the church. I believe that takes the pressure off of our witnessing. We are not responsible for saving anyone; we are responsible for telling everyone. It’s not their response to our ability; it is their response to His ability, even though it’s our responsibility to tell them.

 

[beensetfree]

n!
orgiven! Glory!
This is real freedom...

Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Hebrews 10:17 KJV

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Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:18,19 KJV

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I will forgive their inquity and I will remember their sin no more.

Jeremiah 31:34 KJV

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Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel,
and afterwards receive me into glory.

Psalm 73:24 KJV

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God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave;
for He shall receive me.

Psalm 49:15

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Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee,
Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Luke 23:43

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“The foundation of God standeth sure.”

2 Timothy 2:19

The foundation upon which our faith rests is this, that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” The great fact on which genuine faith relies is, that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,” and that “Christ also hath suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”; “Who himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree”; “For the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.”

In one word, the great pillar of the Christian's hope is substitution. The vicarious sacrifice of Christ for the guilty, Christ being made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, Christ offering up a true and proper expiatory and substitutionary sacrifice in the room, place, and stead of as many as the Father gave him, who are known to God by name, and are recognized in their own hearts by their trusting in Jesus — this is the cardinal fact of the gospel. If this foundation were removed, what could we do? But it standeth firm as the throne of God. We know it; we rest on it; we rejoice in it; and our delight is to hold it, to meditate upon it, and to proclaim it, while we desire to be actuated and moved by gratitude for it in every part of our life and conversation.

In these days a direct attack is made upon the doctrine of the atonement. Men cannot bear substitution. They gnash their teeth at the thought of the Lamb of God bearing the sin of man. But we, who know by experience the preciousness of this truth, will proclaim it in defiance of them confidently and unceasingly. We will neither dilute it nor change it, nor fritter it away in any shape or fashion. It shall still be Christ, a positive substitute, bearing human guilt and suffering in the stead of men. We cannot, dare not, give it up, for it is our life, and despite every controversy we feel that “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.”

 

[beensetfree]

How Abraham Was Justified 2,000 Years Before Christ


How did Jesus’ work on the cross go back 2,000 years to cover Abraham and the other saints in the Old Testament?

Obedience and Faith
How did Jesus’ work on the cross go back 2,000 years to cover Abraham and the other saints in the Old Testament? Let’s begin with Genesis 22 and Psalm 89. These two chapters have a lot in common. In Genesis 22:12 it says, the angel of the Lord said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God [or, “are a fearer of God”], seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me,” so Genesis 22 speaks about God’s covenant, but so does Psalm 89. The former to Abraham and the latter to David, but even David’s covenant was made with Abraham’s in mind as Ethan the Ezrahite writes of David, “My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted,” and sounding very much like God’s promise to Abraham, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations” (Psalm 89:3-4). God knew that Abraham believed in God’s promises because he was willing to sacrifice his son, so God said, “I know that you fear God” (Gen 22:12).

The author of Hebrews adds, it was “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son” (Heb 11:17). Just as David knew he had an eternal covenant with the Lord, it was “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb 11:8), showing Abraham believed God, and God accounted that to him as righteousness (Gen 15:6). Abraham knew God was faithful and cannot deny His own word. David was just as certain.

Faith and Works
In writing about works and faith, James asked,“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him” (James 2:17)? Of course not. That’s a faith that DOA. That faith can’t save anyone. James is not saying we’re saved by works, but works show we are saved. It’s not having faith in faith, but faith in God, but “faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). Abraham, when asked to sacrifice his only son, meaning the son of promise, did all but sacrifice Isaac. Abraham’s faith was so strong he knew God would have to resurrect Isaac in order for His promises to be fulfilled. Abraham “considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Heb 11:19), so Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son because he believed what God had promised him would surely come to pass.

Promise Fulfilled
Long after Abraham was gathered unto his people, the children of Abraham knew that“Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45). Abraham believed God and his works proved he believed God, so both Genesis 22 and Psalm 89 reflect the criteria of God’s sure and certain promises for those that believe in Him. God “said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Gen 22:17). Joshua lived to see that day and Moses too. God cannot be unfaithful to His own word for He swears by His own Self and there is none greater, since there is no greater Name to swear by than God’s own name.

Justified by Faith
Justification by faith alone is not new or unique to the New Testament. Abraham was accounted righteous before God because He believed God (Gen 15:6), and there is no more important doctrine in the Bible than being justified by faith. The Apostle Paul wrote that “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1), and now, there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). There is no justification without the Justifier, and there is no salvation without faith in Christ, but even this is a free gift of God (Eph 2:8-9), but our works are evidence of our faith, and even these works were long ago ordained by God (Eph 2:10).

We are not saved by works, but a saved person will naturally do works (e.g. Matt 25:35-36), but they don’t do them to be saved; they do them because they are saved. And besides, we do these things for Christ (Matt 25:40), not to be seen by others (Matt 6:1). The doctrinal position of our justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the bedrock of the Christian faith. To have faith is to believe in or to trust in God. We know that there is no other way to receive eternal life than through our repentance and trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). That is at the heart of the gospel according to Jesus (Mark 1:14-15). It is by our believing in (trusting in, having faith in) Jesus Christ that we are saved, so it shouldn’t surprise us that without faith, we cannot please God (Heb 11:6.)

Conclusion
After reading the Bible for so long, I’ve seen that obedience typically comes before understanding. I’ve found that true in my own life too. I might not precisely understand what God’s Word tells me to do in some cases, so I must trust the Spirit and yield to His influence. The Spirit might prompt me to do something that I’d not ordinarily do, and even though my own flesh says, “No,” I sense it’s what God wants me to do, and more often than not, I discovered that, in His sovereignty, God had placed me in such a place and time to do just what He willed for me to do. I know that if what I do helps others; if it glorifies God, and it’s revealed in the Word of God, then I must do it, even if I don’t fully understand it at the time.

After reading Jesus’ command to “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28), I discovered I can’t do this in my own strength and be sincere about it. It must take God’s Spirit to “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,” and “pray for those who abuse you.” I don’t believe Abraham completely understood what God was doing by asking him to sacrifice his son, but he did it anyway.

Naturally, that would have been the last thing on earth he wanted, but I also must admit that there are times when I cannot understand why we’re commanded to pray for our enemies, do good to those that hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who abuse us (mostly verbally or by the written word)…but, I did it anyway and do it today. Only later, after doing these things (Luke 6:27-28), did I finally understand what God was saying about Himself and His infinite love (Rom 5:6-10). I just believed God and His Word and did as I was commanded. And not one second have I ever regretted it.

 

[beensetfree]

Forgiveness Through Christ Jesus
"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

Zechariah 13:1 NIV

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"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

"Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you."

Acts 13:38-41 NIV

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He shall save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21 KJV

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In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Ephesians 1:7 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“He openeth, and no man shutteth.”

Revelation 3:7

Jesus is the keeper of the gates of paradise and before every believing soul he setteth an open door, which no man or devil shall be able to close against it. What joy it will be to find that faith in him is the golden key to the everlasting doors. My soul, dost thou carry this key in thy bosom, or art thou trusting to some deceitful pick-lock, which will fail thee at last? Hear this parable of the preacher, and remember it.

The great King has made a banquet, and he has proclaimed to all the world that none shall enter but those who bring with them the fairest flower that blooms. The spirits of men advance to the gate by thousands, and they bring each one the flower which he esteems the queen of the garden; but in crowds they are driven from the royal presence, and enter not into the festive halls. Some bear in their hand the deadly nightshade of superstition, or the flaunting poppies of Rome, or the hemlock of self- righteousness, but these are not dear to the King, the bearers are shut out of the pearly gates.

My soul, hast thou gathered the rose of Sharon? Dost thou wear the lily of the valley in thy bosom constantly? If so, when thou comest up to the gates of heaven thou wilt know its value, for thou hast only to show this choicest of flowers, and the Porter will open: not for a moment will he deny thee admission, for to that rose the Porter openeth ever. Thou shalt find thy way with the rose of Sharon in thy hand up to the throne of God himself, for heaven itself possesses nothing that excels its radiant beauty, and of all the flowers that bloom in paradise there is none that can rival the lily of the valley. My soul, get Calvary's blood-red rose into thy hand by faith, by love wear it, by communion preserve it, by daily watchfulness make it thine all in all, and thou shalt be blessed beyond all bliss, happy beyond a dream. Jesus, be mine for ever, my God, my heaven, my all.

 

[beensetfree]

5 Things About The Grace of God



We are saved by the grace of God, but what are different facets of God’s grace?

God’s Seeking Grace
Jesus said that God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), but no one can even come to Christ unless the Father first draws them (John 6:44), so the first thing about grace is, God draws us to Himself by His Spirit, and His Spirit reveals Who Jesus is and why we need Him. We weren’t saved because of anything we did or because we were special. When God called Abram (Later, named Abraham), there is no evidence that Abraham was seeking after God. Rather, it came suddenly. It says “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1). Abraham wasn’t expecting it or seeking God at all. It was the other way around.

Then there is Paul’s conversion on the Damascus Road. Saul, who was later named Paul, was not seeking God at all. In fact, he was seeking to destroy the people of God (Acts 9), so God made the first move. The Apostle John wrote, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19), so God made the first move. Just a quick reading of Ephesians 1 should convince you that it is God’s seeking grace that found us and brought us to Christ. I was lost but then I was found. I never found God because He was never lost. He sought me and caught me and them bought me by the precious blood of the Lamb of God.

God’s Saving Grace
Obviously, the Bible teaches that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9), and “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). It is only through Jesus Christ that “we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom5:2). Prior to this, we were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1-5), but when we heard the gospel, we found that “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek”(Rom 1:16b), however we can’t argue with the fact that “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). That power in the gospel brings us to God’s saving grace.

God’s Securing Grace
Next is God’s securing grace, which Jesus speaks of in John 5:24, telling the disciples that “whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life,” and speaking of death, even that cannot separate us from God. In fact, nothing or no one can do that (Rom 8:38-39). Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)? I pray you do.

Jesus promised that “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:38), and that “whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47). One of the greatest testimonies of God’s securing grace is Jesus saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). Think anyone can snatch us from God’s hand? Not sure? One thing I’m sure of is “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6).

God’s Satisfying Grace
God’s grace is satisfying, perhaps in part because we know we’re secure in Him (John 10:28-29; Rom 8), but there is another touch of grace found in Psalm 4:7 where David wrote, “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” David also writes, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). David had confidence in knowing that “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6). After his days on earth, David knew he would “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” How satisfying is that!? Very, I would say.

Our Sharing Grace
Finally we see that we are to share God’s grace. The Apostle Paul had no choice but to preach. He was compelled by God to do so, and said that “necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor 9:16b). When warned about mentioning Jesus’ name in public, the disciples told the Jewish religious leaders, “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

That should be us! We should not be able to keep our mouth shut! It’s greater than a cure for cancer; it’s the double-quick cure for eternal death. How can we ever be silent about such good news…the best of news! Paul said, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish” to preach the gospel (Rom 1:14). Jeremiah was no better at containing Word of God than the disciples were. Jeremiah wrote, “If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot” (Jer 20:9). Does that describe you? Does it feel like a fire you cannot contain, or has the fire burn low into embers?

Conclusion
Sometimes, grace is abused or taken for granted, but that’s not going to turn out well, at least in the long run. God will chasten us because He loves us, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb 12:6), so “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline” (Heb 12:8), but we must share the good news about God’s grace. Tell them about God’s seeking grace; about God’s saving grace; about God’s securing grace; about God’s satisfying grace; and about sharing grace.

Jesus said the gospel includes repentance and faith (Mark 1:14-15); that He is the one and only way (John 6:44, 14:6; Acts 4:12), and that God loved the world enough that whoever believes in the Son of God will not perish but receive eternal life (John 3:16). God’s grace is totally free (Eph 2:8-9), and yet it is the most priceless thing there is. That’s why grace is so amazing.

 

[beensetfree]

Men Ought Always To Pray
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

2 Chronicles 14-16 KJV

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Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ.

Colossians 4:2,3 KJV

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Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6,7 KJV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle.”

Psalm 76:3

Our Redeemer's glorious cry of “It is finished,” was the death-knell of all the adversaries of his people, the breaking of “the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle.” Behold the hero of Golgotha using his cross as an anvil, and his woes as a hammer, dashing to shivers bundle after bundle of our sins, those poisoned “arrows of the bow;” trampling on every indictment, and destroying every accusation.

What glorious blows the mighty Breaker gives with a hammer far more ponderous than the fabled weapon of Thor! How the diabolical darts fly to fragments, and the infernal bucklers are broken like potters’ vessels! Behold, he draws from its sheath of hellish workmanship the dread sword of Satanic power! He snaps it across his knee, as a man breaks the dry wood of a fagot, and casts it into the fire. Beloved, no sin of a believer can now be an arrow mortally to wound him, no condemnation can now be a sword to kill him, for the punishment of our sin was borne by Christ, a full atonement was made for all our iniquities by our blessed Substitute and Surety.

Who now accuseth? Who now condemneth? Christ hath died, yea rather, hath risen again. Jesus has emptied the quivers of hell, has quenched every fiery dart, and broken off the head of every arrow of wrath; the ground is strewn with the splinters and relics of the weapons of hell's warfare, which are only visible to us to remind us of our former danger, and of our great deliverance.

Sin hath no more dominion over us. Jesus has made an end of it, and put it away for ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end. Talk ye of all the wondrous works of the Lord, ye who make mention of his name, keep not silence, neither by day, nor when the sun goeth to his rest. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

 

[beensetfree]

The Hardest One To Forgive: Yourself


God promises to forgive us of our sins, but we often have trouble forgiving ourselves, so how can we learn to forgive ourselves when we are consumed with guilt?

Forgiveness
There are so many Bible verses on forgiveness that it is hard to select only a few, but here are some of the most powerful ones that I could find. One of these verses I’ve memorized because of what it means to me, but later, I found this verse gives comfort to those who feel they’ve committed some “unpardonable sin.” Its 1 John 1:9 which reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I have memorized this verse because I frequently have to remind people who are so overly burdened with guilt that they believe that God cannot forgive them. They feel they’ve committed sins so grievous that even God cannot forgive them, but what they’re doing is placing their feelings over facts. They trust what they feel instead of trusting what they read, and that includes the Apostle Paul writing that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”(2 Cor 5:21). Whoever has the righteousness of Christ is not condemned (Rom 8:1-2). Period.

It is Finished
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” we understand that in the original language, He was saying that He had accomplished His mission, living in complete obedience to the Law, living a sinless life of perfection, taking upon Himself the curse that the Law had upon us, and removed the wrath that was due us for breaking God’s Law, but for those who trust in Him, they receive the very same righteousness that Jesus Christ has. That righteousness has been imputed to them. Since God had made Jesus to be sin for us, and that we received the righteousness of Christ, do we really want to believe that His sacrifice was not enough for what we’ve done? Wasn’t Jesus sacrifice sufficient for all and efficient for those who believe? What God has made righteous, is righteous. If you feel that you cannot be declared righteous in Christ, then you are saying Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was not enough. When Jesus says “It’s finished,” believe Him, it’s finished!

Forgiving Others
Maybe you find it easy to forgive others…but can’t reach that point with yourself, but what if your child came up to you and asked for your forgiveness after doing something they were told not to do? You may have to discipline them, but then it’s forgiven, right? You put it behind you. You don’t keep bringing it up day after day, because if you do, you’ve never really forgiven them. Now if you’ve forgiven them, and the very next day the child comes back to you and asks to be forgiven again, and does that day after day, you’d get a little frustrated, wouldn’t you, but often that’s just what we do. We keep bring up these same sins, over and over again, even though God has promised that once we confess them, they’re gone (1 John 1:9). This is frequently the work of the Devil or his fallen angels. Let me ask you this: How many of your sins were still in the future when Christ died? The answer is, all of them. If you keep asking to be forgiven for the same sins, over and over again, you don’t understand forgiveness. Bury it. Have the funeral.

Paying off the Note
Imagine that you’ve made car payments for the last 48 months, and you finally made the last payment. The car is now all yours, but then next month you get another notice from the bank. They want another payment. Wouldn’t you be angry? You’d march right down to that bank and give them proof! Now, just think how God must feel if you keep dragging up the same sins over and over again? Jesus has paid in full what we still want to make payments on. When we don’t forgive ourselves after God already has, that’s what we’re doing. The truth is, “we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1) so why can’t we be at peace with ourselves?

The Justifier (God) has become our justification, and so if you insist on not forgiving yourself, you are saying, “Sorry Jesus, it’s just not enough.” Jesus’ death was intended “to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26), so since Christ wants to “show his righteousness,”why would we ever want to get in the way of His displaying it!? That robs Christ of glory! Remember, guilt is from the Devil. Conviction is from the Holy Spirit. When sins are confessed, neither guilt nor conviction should remain. God says that our sins are removed as far as east is from west (Psalm 103:12).

Conclusion
Is our standard of forgiving ourselves higher than Gods? It might be. If God says you are cleansed, you are forgiven. That means your sins will never again be held you again. Your sins and mine may affect our rewards when we enter into the kingdom, but never our being allowed to enter into the kingdom. Sin will hurt our fellowship with God but it can never permanently destroy our relationship with Him. Would your child ever cease being your child if they sinned greatly against you? We may not realize it, but not forgiving ourselves could be a matter of pride.

Why do we follow God’s command to forgive others, but then not forgive ourselves? God has promised that our sins are forgiven. If God’s brought us to repentance, and we have confessed our sins to Him, and been cleansed from all unrighteousness, and then placed our trust in Christ, how can we still not forgive ourselves? Remember, it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

 

[beensetfree]

This life is not all there is

Do not despair at the speed

With which life dashes away

For someday you’ll be where an eon

Is just like a single day;

Just turn to our Lord for guidance;

His staff is ever in view

You can walk with Him with assurance

There’s a heavenly home for you.

 

[beensetfree]

Nothing Is Too Difficult For Him!
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.

Jeremiah 32:17 KJV

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For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:11-14 KJV

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And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.

When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:24-26 KJV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

In the distance, Jane heard sirens and gunfire. While her body trembled sometimes at the noise, she wasn’t terrified. Her daddy was taking care of her.

One day at the playground someone said something very mean to Jane. The words stung. But then she smiled. Her daddy loved her.

Another time Jane messed up badly and broke a glass dish. She felt terrible—and so very clumsy. But her heart rested when she remembered that even so, her daddy still loved her.

At night, Jane curled up in bed and slept contentedly. She had no cause to fear. Her daddy was still awake.

She was at peace in her daddy’s care.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” Psalm 121 (KJV)

God doesn’t promise everything will go our way or we won’t suffer (in fact, He warns we will have tribulations—John 16:33)—but He does promise to watch over us night and day, working all things for good (Romans 8:28). And despite how confident we are sometimes that we know what is best, God truly knows what is best—He sees eternity’s grand picture—and He is in charge of everything. We can be at peace in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

Trapped

I’m trapped, trapped inside myself, I want to get out, get out and be free. I don’t want to live in my shell, But I’m scared, scared to take away my mask.

Friends are forever letting me down, No matter how close they are. They are there if I have a problem, But when I don’t I may as well not exist.

I want someone to trust and care about me, Someone to cry on and someone to listen. I want someone to love me for who I am, Not the masked me me whom everyone knows.

Unfortunately none of this can ever come true, Not from someone on this earth anyway. No one I know is perfect, No one I know can fulfil this.

Except…

Someone I know who is watching down on everyone of us. He has a special plane and a purpose for anyone who turns to Him. There will still be hardship and sorrow, But these will make you strong.

He can be trusted, he is ever so faithful. He cares deeply about each person on this earth. He can be cried upon, and will cry with you. He even puts each tear we cry in a bottle. He is the best listener anyone could be, And most of all He loves us for who we are, No matter what we have done.

“Who could do all this?” I hear you ask. It’s a very dear and special friend of mine called Jesus, With whom I can take away my mask and be free.

 

[beensetfree]

Trust in God!
God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you.

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God.

Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts.

1 Peter 1:20-22 NLT

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But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Romans 10:9-13 NKJV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“The Amen.”

Revelation 3:14

The word Amen solemnly confirms that which went before; and Jesus is the great Confirmer; immutable, for ever is “the Amen” in all his promises. Sinner, I would comfort thee with this reflection. Jesus Christ said, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If you come to him, he will say “Amen” in your soul; his promise shall be true to you.

He said in the days of his flesh, “The bruised reed I will not break.” O thou poor, broken, bruised heart, if thou comest to him, he will say “Amen” to thee, and that shall be true in thy soul as in hundreds of cases in bygone years. Christian, is not this very comforting to thee also, that there is not a word which has gone out of the Saviour's lips which he has ever retracted? The words of Jesus shall stand when heaven and earth shall pass away. If thou gettest a hold of but half a promise, thou shalt find it true. Beware of him who is called “Clip-promise,” who will destroy much of the comfort of God's word.

Jesus is Yea and Amen in all his offices. He was a Priest to pardon and cleanse once, he is Amen as Priest still. He was a King to rule and reign for his people, and to defend them with his mighty arm, he is an Amen King, the same still. He was a Prophet of old, to foretell good things to come, his lips are most sweet, and drop with honey still—he is an Amen Prophet. He is Amen as to the merit of his blood; he is Amen as to his righteousness.

That sacred robe shall remain most fair and glorious when nature shall decay. He is Amen in every single title which he bears; your Husband, never seeking a divorce; your Friend, sticking closer than a brother; your Shepherd, with you in death's dark vale; your Help and your Deliverer; your Castle and your High Tower; the Horn of your strength, your confidence, your joy, your all in all, and your Yea and Amen in all.