Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

The Christ would both a King and a Priest
Prophecy Fulfilled in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth

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The Christ (Messiah) would be a prophet...

Prophecy:

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."

Deuteronomy 18:15-19

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Fulfillment:

"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

Matthew 21:11

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"Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."

John 6:14

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"And he (Jesus) came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people."

Luke 7:14-16

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The Christ would both a King and a Priest

Prophecy:

"And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

Zechariah 6:12-13

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Fulfillment:

"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."

John 12:12-13

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"NOW of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;"

Hebrews 8:1

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Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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]

“And there was no more sea.”

Revelation 21:1

Scarcely could we rejoice at the thought of losing the glorious old ocean: the new heavens and the new earth are none the fairer to our imagination, if, indeed, literally there is to be no great and wide sea, with its gleaming waves and shelly shores. Is not the text to be read as a metaphor, tinged with the prejudice with which the Oriental mind universally regarded the sea in the olden times? A real physical world without a sea it is mournful to imagine, it would be an iron ring without the sapphire which made it precious.

There must be a spiritual meaning here. In the new dispensation there will be no division — the sea separates nations and sunders peoples from each other. To John in Patmos the deep waters were like prison walls, shutting him out from his brethren and his work: there shall be no such barriers in the world to come. Leagues of rolling billows lie between us and many a kinsman whom tonight we prayerfully remember, but in the bright world to which we go there shall be unbroken fellowship for all the redeemed family. In this sense there shall be no more sea.

The sea is the emblem of change; with its ebbs and flows, its glassy smoothness and its mountainous billows, its gentle murmurs and its tumultuous roarings, it is never long the same. Slave of the fickle winds and the changeful moon, its instability is proverbial. In this mortal state we have too much of this; earth is constant only in her inconstancy, but in the heavenly state all mournful change shall be unknown, and with it all fear of storm to wreck our hopes and drown our joys. The sea of glass glows with a glory unbroken by a wave. No tempest howls along the peaceful shores of paradise. Soon shall we reach that happy land where partings, and changes, and storms shall be ended! Jesus will waft us there. Are we in him or not? This is the grand question.

 

[beensetfree]

Love: The Wonder Drug


Love is stronger than medicines in some cases, and it is a life-extender for those who give it and those who receive it
Fight for Life
There are thoughts of eternity in the human heart. The fight against time, via supplements and health and beauty aids is strong evidence that we desire to a live long life, however, the most overlooked and underestimated life-extender is right under our noses, literally. It is within the human heart, so humans themselves have the elixir of life within them. God “has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Eccl 3:11), so the desire to live a long life is set deeply into our hearts, but also, all human beings desire something else, and that is the desire to receive the tender touches, gentle strokes and the reassurance of someone else…the desire to be loved unconditionally.

Human love is amazing as it can draw out pain, provide internal security, create a safe zone for creativity [learning], and enable us to reach our greatest potential. For a child, a skinned knee, a dead goldfish, and hurt feelings are all made a little better by the loving care of a mother. A child doesn’t care how much you know but only how much you care, and unconditional love tells the child just how much you care. This is more likely to produce an adult that cares for others. Not much good comes where there is no love involved (1 Cor 13:1-7).

Roughhousing
When my oldest boy was young, he loved to wrestle, and it was by these times that my son and I built a strong, secure relationship. He still has fond memories of these times and has repeated these encounters with his own three sons. With physical, hands-on activity like horseback rides, he has added a great sense of security in their lives. Being a father, I try not to take it personally that my children run to mom first when they’re hurt, but I admit I am a bit jealous at times, however, I have grown comfortable with my wife’s tendencies and her strengths. Rather than oppose each other, these attributes of a father and a mother seem to give the children balance… the masculine and feminine.

Intimacy
Oxytocin is a powerful hormone produced by men and women after copulation, and this hormone has anti-anxiety effects, and stimulates various types of positive social interactions, as well as promoting growth and healing. Immediately after sex, oxytocin hormone levels rise to nearly the same levels in both men and women, and the same people exposed to this hormone showed an increase in intimacy and bonding, arising through interpersonal interactions. It is hardly surprising that oxytocin is also known as the “cuddle” hormone which is released by both men and women during sexual intercourse, but also during times of close intimacy in non-sexual interactions. It is possible that the mechanism by which altruistic love affects health occurs through blocking or attenuating the stress response, or through activating positive neurotransmitter pathways in the brain. Conversely, loneliness does just the opposite. For example, extreme isolation and loneliness breeds congestive heart failure, so just as nature abhors a vacuum, a lack of love can lead to a collapse within; like a black hole where not even light can escape.

Love Sick
Love and intimacy are at the root of what makes us tick and what makes us sick. If a new medication had the same impact, failure to prescribe it would be considered medical negligence, so connections with other people affect not only the quality of our lives but also our long term survival. Study after study find that people who feel lonely are much more likely to get cardiovascular disease than those who have a strong sense of connection and community. I’m not aware of any other factor in medicine that has a greater impact on our quality of life, incidence of illness, and premature death than does love, or the lack thereof.

Love and Health Issues

In one study at Yale, men and women who felt the most loved and supported had substantially less blockage in their coronary arteries. [1] Similarly, researchers from Case Western Reserve University studied almost 10,000 married men and found that those who answered “yes” to this simple question: “Does your wife love you?” had significantly less angina (chest pain) than those who felt unloved by their spouse. [1] When researchers at Duke surveyed men and women with heart disease, those who were single and lacked companionship were three times as likely to have died after five years. In all three studies, the protective effects of love were independent of other risk factors, and surgery patients who were loved experienced quicker recoveries.

The Love of Pets
For pet owners, pets are considered part of the family, nearly as much as the children are, and this seems to be nearly universal. Loving pets and being loved by pets is good for us (and them), since owning a pet lowers blood pressure, extends lifespan, boosts mood, provides humor, releases pain killing and mood elevating endorphins, and provides much needed companionship. They don’t care how bad a day you had. They’re just glad you’re home, so it’s not surprising that animals are excellent in reaching and connecting with people, including the mentally disabled, autistic children, juvenile delinquents, and nursing home residents, among others. Animals are therapeutic to both the patient and the owner; horses, cats, dogs, birds. Sometimes it doesn’t matter.

Love
Love is infinitely more than just feelings. Love is a verb, but love also includes intangible things like feelings of security, acceptance, and affection, but love is also tangible, and is displayed by actions that provide evidence of that love, so love is not just a feeling or being in an emotional state. Love is a verb. It’s what you do! The interesting thing is, the more you give away, the more you receive, so it’s nearly impossible to give away too much love, nor can you ever receive too much love because the human heart has an ever-expanding capacity to love and be loved. God gave His only Son because He loves us (John 3:16). Jesus, who is God, came as a Man to die to redeem us, so God the Father sent Jesus (also God) to die on the Cross for simple creatures like us so we can live forever with Him. That’s love in action! Actions do speak louder than words, or feelings, or emotions.

Conclusion
There is a definite physiochemical connection between being loved and living longer, healthier lives, but a loss of love or being unloved can also lead to a shorter life. When a spouse dies, and the couple has lived together for decades, the surviving spouse’s lifespan is shortened, so in many cases, a spouse will follow their deceased mate in a relatively short time, so clearly there is a strong connection between love and health, and it’s directly related to the number of years a person lives, so love truly is a “wonder drug” since love can add years to a person’s life. The same applies for pets, so if you love, you live…longer. That is my hope for you. Even more importantly, if you repent and trust in Christ, you are loved for all time and saved for eternity.

 

[beensetfree]

He gave himself a ransom for all
Prophecy Fulfilled in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth

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The Saviour (Messiah) would be for people of all nations

Prophecy:

"And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"

Genesis 18:17-18b

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Fulfillment:

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Romans 5:18,19

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For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

1 Timothy 2:5,6

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Prophecy:

"I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Genesis 22:16-18 NIV

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Fulfillment:

Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:25-29 NIV

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Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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]

“Call thy labourers, and give them their hire.”

Matthew 20:8

God is a good paymaster; he pays his servants while at work as well as when they have done it; and one of his payments is this: an easy conscience. If you have spoken faithfully of Jesus to one person, when you go to bed at night you feel happy in thinking, “I have this day discharged my conscience of that man's blood.” There is a great comfort in doing something for Jesus. Oh, what a happiness to place jewels in his crown, and give him to see of the travail of his soul!

There is also very great reward in watching the first buddings of conviction in a soul! To say of that girl in the class, “She is tender of heart, I do hope that there is the Lord's work within.” To go home and pray over that boy, who said something in the afternoon which made you think he must know more of divine truth than you had feared! Oh, the joy of hope!

But as for the joy of success! it is unspeakable. This joy, overwhelming as it is, is a hungry thing — you pine for more of it. To be a soul-winner is the happiest thing in the world. With every soul you bring to Christ, you get a new heaven upon earth. But who can conceive the bliss which awaits us above! Oh, how sweet is that sentence, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” Do you know what the joy of Christ is over a saved sinner? This is the very joy which we are to possess in heaven.

Yes, when he mounts the throne, you shall mount with him. When the heavens ring with “Well done, well done,” you shall partake in the reward; you have toiled with him, you have suffered with him, you shall now reign with him; you have sown with him, you shall reap with him; your face was covered with sweat like his, and your soul was grieved for the sins of men as his soul was, now shall your face be bright with heaven's splendour as is his countenance, and now shall your soul be filled with beatific joys even as his soul is.

 

[beensetfree]

The first page of the New Testament reads like an ancient Hebrew phone book. Name after name of people who lived a long time ago. Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy that most people just skip, but it’s there for an important reason.

The family line of Jesus would have been scandalous to the original audience: devout, religious people. It was their family line, but the episodes it highlights are not exactly a highlight reel of heroism.

By showcasing the sordid details of the family, God uses the genealogy of Jesus to emphasize the fact that that we are all sinners and we all need to be born again by Jesus into a new family. The human ancestry of Jesus includes adultery, murder, incest, and prostitution. There are some serious knots in Jesus’ family tree! But the prevailing message is that no matter who we are, where we come from, or how bad we are, there is room for us in Jesus’ family.

Setting the stage

For over a thousand years, God’s people awaited the coming of their Messiah, a deliverer who would take away their sins, conquer their enemies, and usher in his kingdom. God raised up prophets to continually call his people to turn from their sins and trust in the promise of his coming. After the ministry of the prophet Malachi, however, there came 400 years of silence in which no prophet spoke for God to his people.

During that time, the religious leaders and teachers began to put their hope in their own goodness, morality, and obedience to God’s laws. They grew increasingly legalistic in their behavior and also increasingly judgmental of other races and cultures, believing they were better than other people, and were blind to their own sin of self-righteous pride.

Matthew the author

Into this people and time, Jesus was born to a virgin teenager from a dumpy rural town. Later, one of the disciples who traveled with Jesus was a Jewish tax collector named Matthew.

People considered Matthew the equivalent of an IRS agent with a part-time job as a terrorist because he collected taxes for the oppressive Roman government and obtained his salary by extorting excessive amounts from the poorest and most vulnerable people. He went from crook to Christian and followed Jesus’ ministry, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven. After, the Spirit of God inspired Matthew to write the book of the Bible bearing his name.

A curious introduction

Matthew opens his eyewitness account of Jesus’ life with a list of names: the genealogy of Jesus’ family on his adoptive father Joseph’s side. Matthew wrote his Gospel in large part for the Jews to prove that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled all of the Old Testament promises about the coming of the Savior.

Therefore, he begins his gospel by stating that Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s covenant to David, which promised that the Messiah would be a king who ruled over an everlasting kingdom, and the fulfillment of God’s covenant to Abraham, which promised that all people would be blessed because of the Messiah.

One intriguing aspect of Matthew’s genealogy is the inclusion of women, which was uncommon. Even more intriguing is the type of women who are mentioned as members of Jesus’ family, namely Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.

Tamar slept with her father-in-law

MATTHEW 1:3; GENESIS 38
Judah had chosen Tamar as a wife for his son, Er. But Er was such a wicked man that God killed him. Judah then ordered Er’s brother, Onan, to marry the widow in order to produce an heir, as was the legal custom of the time. Onan was happy to sleep with Tamar repeatedly, but he refused to impregnate or marry her, and so she was forced to live as a widow.

Eventually, Judah’s wife died, and Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and waited for her father-in-law by the side of the road. Judah picked her up and slept with her, impregnating her with twin boys. Judah still didn’t know the identity of the prostitute when he found out that Tamar was pregnant, so he ordered that she be put to death. In a great Jerry Springer-like plot twist, however, Tamar revealed that Judah was grandpa-daddy, so he cancelled the death sentence.




Rahab was a prostitute who lied


MATTHEW 1:5; JOSHUA 1–2, 6:17; HEBREWS 11:31; JAMES 2:25
The name Rahab means pride, insolence, savagery. She was a Canaanite, people who were great enemies of God and his people. Vocationally, she was a prostitute, but is best known for being a good liar.

God had promised he would deliver Rahab’s city of Jericho to Joshua. Joshua sent two spies from Shittim to Jericho for reconnaissance. The spies were pursued by enemy soldiers, but Rahab hid the men in her home, lied to the soldiers, and spared the lives of God’s spies. She then converted to Jehovah and eventually became the great-great-grandma of King David.

Ruth was the result of incest

MATTHEW 1:5; GENESIS 19:30–38; RUTH 1–4
Ruth was a Moabite, an entire race of people who came about through incest. A man named Lot thought the world was about to end, so he headed for the hills (literally) with his two daughters. There weren’t any other men in the mountains, so his daughters got their father drunk and had sex with him, and the Moabite people came out of those children conceived by Lot’s daughters.

The Moabite people carried that stigma into Ruth’s day, but she converted to Jehovah after her Jewish husband died, and she became one of the godliest women in the Bible. She got married again, this time to a godly man named Boaz, and became King David’s great-grandma.

Bathsheba committed adultery with King David

MATTHEW 1:6; 2 SAMUEL 11
Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in King David’s army, was married to a beautiful woman: Bathsheba. Uriah went off to battle while David remained safe at home. While David was strolling on his rooftop one day, he saw Bathsheba bathing. He was so taken with the woman that he had her brought to his palace, where he seduced her. She later informed David that she was pregnant.

After a botched attempt to cover up the scandal, David conspired to abandon her husband on the front lines so that he would be murdered by the enemy. David’s plan was successful, and Bathsheba the adulteress became the wife of King David and mother to King Solomon.

Mary had a bad reputation

MATTHEW 1:16, 1:18–2:23
Mary was a godly young woman who was betrothed to a carpenter named Joseph when God spoke to her and told her that she would give birth to Jesus. At first, Joseph was grieved. Understandably, he believed she had been unfaithful to him. But then an angel appeared to him and explained that Mary was still a virgin and that her child was the Savior born in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.

Joseph obeyed the Lord, married Mary, and adopted Jesus and became his dad. Throughout their life, however, people doubted Mary’s story, and many wrongly believed that she was a sinful, perverted, unfaithful liar. She was a wonderful woman with an awful reputation.

The good news

After a long line of sinners, Jesus came to live without sin, though he was tempted to sin in every way that we are. Upon his death, all of the sins of his people were placed upon him, and he died to pay the penalty for our sins. His resurrection was the defeat of sin and death.

By opening his book with an honest account of Jesus’ heritage, Matthew, the extortionist-turned-pastor and Bible author, is telling us that there is room for all of us in God’s family, by grace. There is room for men and women, rich and poor, young and old, moral and immoral, Jew and Gentile, perverted and virgin, religious and irreligious, liars and truth tellers, murderers and their victims in the family of God, by grace. There’s room for you no matter what you’ve done or what your family history may be. There’s also hope for your family, now matter how messed up they might be, because they are probably not worse than Jesus’ family.

 

[beensetfree]

Courage & Confidence
Be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalm 31:24 KJV
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He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31 NKJV
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I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the
goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:13,14 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]

“The spot of his children.”

Deuteronomy 32:5

What is the secret spot which infallibly betokens the child of God? It were vain presumption to decide this upon our own judgment; but God's word reveals it to us, and we may tread surely where we have revelation to be our guide. Now, we are told concerning our Lord, “to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on his name.” Then, if I have received Christ Jesus into my heart, I am a child of God. That reception is described in the same verse as believing on the name of Jesus Christ.

If, then, I believe on Jesus Christ's name — that is, simply from my heart trust myself with the crucified, but now exalted, Redeemer, I am a member of the family of the Most High. Whatever else I may not have, if I have this, I have the privilege to become a child of God. Our Lord Jesus puts it in another shape. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Here is the matter in a nutshell. Christ appears as a shepherd to his own sheep, not to others. As soon as he appears, his own sheep perceive him — they trust him, they are prepared to follow him; he knows them, and they know him — there is a mutual knowledge — there is a constant connection between them.

Thus the one mark, the sure mark, the infallible mark of regeneration and adoption is a hearty faith in the appointed Redeemer. Reader, are you in doubt, are you uncertain whether you bear the secret mark of God's children? Then let not an hour pass over your head till you have said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Trifle not here, I adjure you! If you must trifle anywhere, let it be about some secondary matter: your health, if you will, or the title deeds of your estate; but about your soul, your never-dying soul and its eternal destinies, I beseech you to be in earnest. Make sure work for eternity.

 

[beensetfree]

6 Powerful Bible Verses For Sharing The Gospel


There is power in the Word of God, and especially in these six powerful Bible verses that are excellent for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
You’ll notice right away that many of these Bible verses about sharing the gospel are from the Book of Romans. Some use verses such as Romans 3:10-12, 3:23, and 6:23 to show sinners their state before a holy God. It doesn’t play favorites as it says all have sinned, meaning there are no exceptions, even for the one who tends to justify themselves (Rom 3:10-12). In the first place, we can’t even seek after God (Rom 3:12). It is God Who seeks after us (John 4:23; 6:44).

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When we work a job, we earn wages, but the same thing applies to sin. When we sin, we earn the wages of those sins, and the wages will be paid out in eternal death at the coming of Christ or when a person dies without trusting in Christ (Heb 9:27). This caused the need for Someone to come and cancel out our debt before God, and that Someone is Jesus Christ Who was declared to be sinless, and by Pilate (John 19:4), without fault. We were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:19), Who died for those who could not pay their own debt, and while we were still wicked, ungodly sinners who were natural enemies of God (Rom 5:6-10). Astoundingly, this eternal life is a free gift of God (Eph 2:8-9).

Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

The idea of confessing Jesus Christ is Lord with your mouth is more than just saying Jesus is Lord, for even the demons confess that. They were among the first evangelists declaring Him to be the Son of God. They often thought Jesus was come before their time to send them into eternal punishment (Mark 1:24), so the demons shudder and believe, but that doesn’t justify them because they never repented. The idea of confessing is doing it with your mouth, just as the Apostle Paul said, and then possessing that faith by bearing the fruit showing repentance. Repentance and faith is exactly how Jesus defined the gospel when He first came preaching it (Mark 1:15-16). The New Testament church knows of no silent Christians. Only those who were silenced by death, but even those are alive today and in the presence of Christ (John 11:25-26; 2 Cor 5:8).

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, 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?
That’s a great question isn’t it? Whoever believes in Christ, even if they die, will live again. It’s not we who initiate this resurrection and eternal life. It is Christ Himself who is “the resurrection and the life.” Just ask Lazarus. Jesus offers everyone only one of two choices; and even indecision is a decision to reject Him. He said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him”(John 3:36). Rather than criticizing this as a “narrow view” of there only being one way to God (and many do and will!), we should thank God that there is at least a way! The point is, He is the One and only way (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Now, the question is, “Do you believe this?”

Romans 3:10-11 None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.
When my friend and I were speaking to a man on the street, I ask him, “Do you think you’ve got to be good to get to heaven,” and he said, “Yep, and I’m as good as they get.” He went on to list a few good things he did some people, I asked him if the Bible is right where it says that none are good, not even one. He said that he’d done a lot of good. I said, “Well, even a murderer can do good things but that won’t keep him from being thrown in prison.” “Mike” just kept justifying himself before us and before God, but his works are not acceptable to God (Isaiah 64:6).

Luke 13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Jesus said that many will say to Him on their judgment day that they did many good works for Him, but He will tell them to depart from Him because He never even knew them (Matt 7:21-23). Notice it is “many” and not a few. Perhaps many like “Mike” who kept justifying himself. He said He knew Jesus, but the real question is, “Does Jesus know you?” That’s the point of Matthew 7:21-23. If Jesus could speak to “Mike,” He might tell him to “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Rev 2:6). If you never mention the need for repentance, then you’ve got half the gospel, which then is really no gospel at all. Jesus first came “proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15-16).

Repentance and faith are the two wings that fly us into the kingdom. Even in the Old Testament, Israel was told time and again to “turn back” or as Isaiah the Prophet wrote, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (45:12), however you cannot turn to God until you turn away from sin. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’ll ever be sinless, but our desires will be to sin, less! Our friend in the street wasn’t willing to leave his sinful lifestyle he told us about. Jesus said to the same self-righteous Jews, “unless you repent, you will likewise perish.” Thankfully, many do repent, but even this is an act of God (2 Tim 2:25).

Conclusion
It’s hard to share the faith, I know, but think of the person’s eternal destiny without Christ. Besides, the power’s in the Word of God (Heb 4:12-13), not in us. It is not by our might or by our power but by His Spirit (Zech 4:6), but God is still pleased to use us as a means to share Jesus Christ. And God’s Word will do what God sends it out to do (Isaiah 55:11). You can believe that.

Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16), as “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). The Word has power in and of itself; it has the power of God. So, are we ashamed of it? It’s not up to us to save anyone. It is God alone Who saves (John 6:44), but He still uses a person of God, with the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, to make the children of God, for the glory of God.

 

[beensetfree]

Jealousy? Coveting?
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7 NIV

__________________

Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.

Deuteronomy 5:21 RSV

__________________

Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright.

Proverbs 3:31,32 NASB

__________________

Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God's law.

For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting--and any other commandment--are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements.

Romans 13:8-10 NLT

__________________

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 night also is thine.”

Psalm 74:16

Yes, Lord, thou dost not abdicate thy throne when the sun goeth down, nor dost thou leave the world all through these long wintry nights to be the prey of evil; thine eyes watch us as the stars, and thine arms surround us as the zodiac belts the sky. The dews of kindly sleep and all the influences of the moon are in thy hand, and the alarms and solemnities of night are equally with thee. This is very sweet to me when watching through the midnight hours, or tossing to and fro in anguish. There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the sun: may my Lord make me to be a favoured partaker in them.

The night of affliction is as much under the arrangement and control of the Lord of Love as the bright summer days when all is bliss. Jesus is in the tempest. His love wraps the night about itself as a mantle, but to the eye of faith the sable robe is scarce a disguise. From the first watch of the night even unto the break of day the eternal Watcher observes his saints, and overrules the shades and dews of midnight for his people's highest good. We believe in no rival deities of good and evil contending for the mastery, but we hear the voice of Jehovah saying, “I create light and I create darkness; I, the Lord, do all these things.”

Gloomy seasons of religious indifference and social sin are not exempted from the divine purpose. When the altars of truth are defiled, and the ways of God forsaken, the Lord's servants weep with bitter sorrow, but they may not despair, for the darkest eras are governed by the Lord, and shall come to their end at his bidding. What may seem defeat to us may be victory to him.

“Though enwrapt in gloomy night,
We perceive no ray of light;
Since the Lord himself is here,
’Tis not meet that we should fear.”

 

[beensetfree]

DON'T JUST KNOW IT...LIVE IT

"Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." (Ephesians 6:13-18, NLT)

OTHER SCRIPTURES: Matthew 7:24-27; Romans 5:1-5; Romans 10:14-17; Ephesians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:22; James 1:22-25; 1 Peter 3:8-12


WHAT JESUS MIGHT SAY TO YOU:

I hear your thoughts when you sit in class at school and ask yourself, "What does this have to do with the real world?" Facts trapped in your head that don't affect your everyday life do you little good.

The same is true of my Word and me. Rather than allow your knowledge of me to stay in your head, let it penetrate your heart and flow throughout your body. Your faith in me does you no good unless it affects your everyday life.

My heart breaks when I see you facing battles against Satan that knock you off your feet. You need the firm footing that comes from putting your faith into practice.

In the same way you put on a pair of shoes, put on the peace that comes from the good news so that you will be prepared for any situation. My good news becomes peace to you when you know deep inside that it's true. And you know it's true when it has become real in your life.

What does this mean for you? It means allowing me to become real in you. Let me live in you. Let me live through you. I am your peace. I am the good news. I am the real world.

Talk about my love, but love the people I place in your life, too--even those you may view as unlovable. Believe in my power but also believe that I have the power to change your seemingly unchangeable situation. Be thankful for the patience I show you but also show patience to people who get on your nerves.

When you experience the peace that comes from knowing that the good news is true, you not only prepare yourself to withstand any attack, but you also put on...me.

Your Peace, Jesus

SUMMARY CHALLENGE: Put your faith into practice so that when you face an overwhelming spiritual battle, you're standing on the solid ground that comes from knowing deep inside that the good news is true.

 

[beensetfree]

For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Jesus is the Prince of Peace, bringing peace between
A Holy, Righteous God and sinners like you and me.

Prophecy:

"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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fulfillment:

"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

Colossians 1:20

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"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."

John 16:33

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And, He is the wonderful counselor in Isaiah 9 as well

Fulfillment:

"And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?"

Matthew 13:54

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"But he passing through the midst of them went his way, And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power."

Luke 4:30-32

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Colossians 2:2-3

__________________

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 glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”

Isaiah 40:5

We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ; when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when Romanism shall be exploded, and the crescent of Mohammed shall wane, never again to cast its baleful rays upon the nations; when kings shall bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed. Some despair of this. They look upon the world as a vessel breaking up and going to pieces, never to float again. We know that the world and all that is therein is one day to be burnt up, and afterwards we look for new heavens and for a new earth; but we cannot read our Bibles without the conviction that—

“Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does his successive journeys run.”


We are not discouraged by the length of his delays; we are not disheartened by the long period which he allots to the church in which to struggle with little success and much defeat. We believe that God will never suffer this world, which has once seen Christ's blood shed upon it, to be always the devil's stronghold. Christ came hither to deliver this world from the detested sway of the powers of darkness.

What a shout shall that be when men and angels shall unite to cry “Hallelujah, hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!” What a satisfaction will it be in that day to have had a share in the fight, to have helped to break the arrows of the bow, and to have aided in winning the victory for our Lord! Happy are they who trust themselves with this conquering Lord, and who fight side by side with him, doing their little in his name and by his strength! How unhappy are those on the side of evil! It is a losing side, and it is a matter wherein to lose is to lose and to be lost for ever. On whose side are you?

 

[beensetfree]

A Letter To A Prisoner


Our church has a prison ministry, and dozens of men and women are putting their trust in Christ, so here is an actual letter that we wrote to a prisoner who is in for life (but have changed his name).

Letters to Prisoners
Our church ministers to the poor, those in nursing homes and hospitals, but also prisoners who have requested pen pals or asked for Bible studies, and so we minister to men and women in state prisons and state hospitals because in most cases, their families have forsaken them, their friends are done with them, and all they have left is Christ, but when a person is broken and has come to an end of all options in their life, that’s when they are humbled by circumstances and some place their faith in Christ. They see that their only way out is up! That is, all they have left is hope in Christ, and ironically, hundreds have been set free behind bars, and now await the day of the Lord’s return. The name has been changed but everything else is accurate in this letter to a prisoner who we will call “Richard.”


Hello Richard
I got your letter and began to pray right away, and our church prayed for you Sunday and I gave the prayer request as an “unspoken need,” as you requested, but I believe, from what you’ve told me, that you are under spiritual attack. Why are you receiving so many spiritual attacks? It’s because those who make the greatest differences in the kingdom are the enemies greatest threat, and the enemy doesn’t bother with silent, under-ground, Christians or “pew potatoes” (like I was for so long). They will go after those who are making a positive difference in the kingdom. I sense you need our ongoing prayer, so when you feel you are under attack (which may come in the form of depression, feelings of worthlessness, or despair), know that we are holding your arms up as Aaron and Hur held up Moses arms when his arms grew weary.

You cannot see these “invisible prayer-arms” holding you up, but they are there, nonetheless. Believe me, I know what it feels like to be drained, poured out for others like a drink offering, and having nothing left in the spiritual tank! We give, give, give, and none give to back to us…but I will pray for you brother! I also have people holding me to invisible and unreasonable expectations, so I feel that too, but you know what…that’s a sign of being a spiritual leader. Other men who do nothing for Christ and are silent in their testimony, don’t know what that feels like, but you do because you are helping these men. And yes, it is draining, so I pray for God to fill you brim full with His Sprit to help strengthen you.

Making a Difference
Think about this….what if you were not there and the men in your cellblock or floor did not have someone like you to listen to them or counsel them…what would come of them? Would they have received biblical counsel or have their questions answered…or, would they have been led to Christ?! Possibly not because you wouldn’t have been there to share Christ, so just as you helped in opening the doors of heaven for some of these men, you must realize that it was for such a time and place as this that God has appointed you. That’s the way God works, but of course, you already know that. The Word of God cuts me to the quick before it cuts them….but it cuts in order to heal. The surgeon’s scalpel hurts, but it just might save your life.

You might feel alone, but you are not alone. And, you are just the opposite of many I know because you are humble, and that’s who God extends His grace to (James 4:6). You said you are broken and messed up, but our church is close to railroad tracks and I remind the church that every time I hear a train, remember, we’re all train wrecks before God, but God is in the restoration business! God rarely calls the mighty, strong, or the rich, so I think it’s good to admit what you said. We are all broken…and have been since The Fall (Gen 3).


Growing in the Lord
You said to tell you where you are growing. Here’s how I know you are in Christ and in His Word. You said “Guys in hear tell me I give them hope.” Wow! Next, you said you spend your days reading Our Daily Bread, Faith 2 Faith, The Bible, praying, and listening to Bible teachers , so that is evidence, in fact, strong evidence of a deep hunger for God and to know His Word better. That shows evidence that you are growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord, so there you go. A year ago, did you spend this much time studying the things of God? Look back, 1 or 2 years ago, and see how you time spent studying His Word has increased and how you have changed toward the things of God! You are near and dear to me Richard. Something happened…and our souls were knit together by God’s Spirit. It is a glorious thing!

Why Suffering?
I am your friend. You can vent all you want to. It’s okay. I can take it. Friends are born (created for or purposed for) adversity, and here I am brother. You are special to me, but as for all these heavy burdens and trials….guess what? Jesus could come back at any moment…..and BOOM! Problem Solved! Someday we will hear, “Look! It’s Jesus coming on the clouds.” For some, that will be a time of joy, but for others, they will mourn, having rejected Christ (Rev 1:7). I must close because it’s Sunday and I must rest. I continue praying for you, and our church are holding up your hands by our prayers. Why is all this happening to you brother? I don’t know. I’m just a clay vessel myself, so I don’t know what shape the Master Potter has in mind, but He’s not done with you yet, and you have God’s finger prints on you.
I am sending you something very, very special….my sermon outline I used for preaching on why there is suffering and how God uses it. I don’t do this for anyone…but thought this might be of some use to you…some of this I wrote thinking of you brother!



PS, Did you know that I save every letter you write…and the same for the other prisoners, but yours is on top of the stack!
My love to you in Christ. Stay hungry
Jack

Conclusion
Why should we pay any heed to those who are locked up behind bars? Why not? Jesus says what we do for the least of these (Matt 25:35-36), we do for Him (Matt 25:40). They, like us, have made mistakes and have paid for their crime, or are currently paying for their crime, but many have been brought to an end of themselves and are left with no hope at all. This is the perfect time to offer the hope that is found in Christ. Do we know for sure who is and who isn’t saved?

No, but many are so hungry for the Word of God and want to search out Scriptures on this subject or others, and we know that a hunger for God’s Word is generally a byproduct of the Holy Spirit because as the Apostle Paul said, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom 8:5), and many prisoners know they’ll never get out, so all they can do, and in many cases, they are compelled to do by God’s Spirit, is to share Christ with other prisoners. Besides, before we put our trust in Christ, we were all on death row, awaiting sentencing that comes after death (Heb 9:27).

 

[beensetfree]

Messiah Is God Incarnate
For Unto Us A Child Is Born...

Prophecy Fulfilled in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth

________________

Clearly, Messiah would be God Incarnate

Prophecy:

"Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end."

Psalm 102:25-27

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fulfillment:

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail."

Hebrews 1:10-12

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:"

Ephesians 3:9

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Messiah is Lord of All

Prophecy:

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."

Psalm 110:1

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fulfillment:

"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.

He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."

Matthew 22:41-45

________________

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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]

“And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.”

Job 1:5

What the patriarch did early in the morning, after the family festivities, it will be well for the believer to do for himself ere he rests tonight. Amid the cheerfulness of household gatherings it is easy to slide into sinful levities, and to forget our avowed character as Christians. It ought not to be so, but so it is, that our days of feasting are very seldom days of sanctified enjoyment, but too frequently degenerate into unhallowed mirth.

There is a way of joy as pure and sanctifying as though one bathed in the rivers of Eden: holy gratitude should be quite as purifying an element as grief. Alas! for our poor hearts, that facts prove that the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting. Come, believer, in what have you sinned today? Have you been forgetful of your high calling? Have you been even as others in idle words and loose speeches? Then confess the sin, and fly to the sacrifice.

The sacrifice sanctifies. The precious blood of the Lamb slain removes the guilt, and purges away the defilement of our sins of ignorance and carelessness. This is the best ending of a Christmas Day — to wash anew in the cleansing fountain. Believer, come to this sacrifice continually; if it be so good to-night, it is good every night. To live at the altar is the privilege of the royal priesthood; to them sin, great as it is, is nevertheless no cause for despair, since they draw near yet again to the sin-atoning victim, and their conscience is purged from dead works.

Gladly I close this festive day,
Grasping the altar's hallow'd horn;
My slips and faults are washed away,
The Lamb has all my trespass borne.

 

[beensetfree]

NO FOOLIN'

Israel's arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this
he does not return to the LORD his God or search for him.
Hosea 7:10

How real is your love for God? Do you believe in him when things are going bad just like you do when things are going great? Are you aware of him in your daily life, or is he just someone you think about for an hour or two on Sundays? Are you confident that you know him well, or is he really just an acquaintance to you?

One more question: If someone treated you the way you treat God, would you believe that person really loved you?

Faking a relationship with God isn't hard to do. You just need to know a little about the Bible...sprinkle a few Christian phrases in your conversations...maintain an upbeat attitude...and pretend to care about other people's problems. With a little effort, you could fool your parents, your youth leader, your girlfriend, and even your closest friends into believing that you're a faithful follower of Christ--when, in reality, you're nothing more than a spiritual poseur.

The two people you can't fool are you and God. If you don't have the fire of God's Holy Spirit in your heart, there's no way you can convince yourself that you do. And since God knows everything, he's not capable of being fooled.

That's why putting on a Christian act is ridiculous. Other people's opinions of your spiritual condition mean absolutely nothing in the long run. So you're left with a choice: either start a genuine relationship with God or abandon the whole Christian scene altogether.

Do yourself a favor: choose the first option. Stop trying to act like you think a Christian should act and start living according to God's Word. Stop trying to get credit for your spiritual résumé and start trying to please God with your life.

In other words...stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.

For more about how you can please God, check out Hosea 6:1-6.

Taken from "Revolution Devotional," copyright 2006, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here:http://www.youthspecialties.com/product/267064



_________________________________________


Thought For The Day:

"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." --Will Rogers


Verse for the Day:

"So you see, it isn't good enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn't show itself by good works is no faith at all--dead and useless." --James 2:17


Teen's Thought For The Day:

"Carve your name on hearts and not on marble."


Parent's Thought For The Day

"As a child, my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it."--Buddy Hackett


Coach's Thought For The Day

"Never tell a young person that something can't be done. God may have been waiting for centuries for somebody ignorant enough of the impossible to do that thing." --J. Holmes


Deep Thought For The Day:

"Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I tend to question the safety lessons from our four fingered wood-shop teacher."

 

[beensetfree]

Seek the Lord!
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

Acts 17:27,28 NIV

__________________

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

__________________

For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel,
"Seek Me, that you may live."

Amos 5:4 NASB

__________________

"Am I only a God nearby,"
declares the LORD,
"and not a God far away?

Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the LORD.

"Do not I fill heaven and earth?"
declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:23,24 NIV

__________________

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]

“Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end?”

2 Samuel 2:26

If, O my reader! thou art merely a professor, and not a possessor of the faith that is in Christ Jesus, the following lines are a true ketch of thine end.

You are a respectable attendant at a place of worship; you go because others go, not because your heart is right with God. This is your beginning. I will suppose that for the next twenty or thirty years you will be spared to go on as you do now, professing religion by an outward attendance upon the means of grace, but having no heart in the matter.

Tread softly, for I must show you the deathbed of such a one as yourself. Let us gaze upon him gently. A clammy sweat is on his brow, and he wakes up crying, “O God, it is hard to die. Did you send for my minister?” “Yes, he is coming.” The minister comes. “Sir, I fear that I am dying!” “Have you any hope?” “I cannot say that I have. I fear to stand before my God; oh! pray for me.”

The prayer is offered for him with sincere earnestness, and the way of salvation is for the ten-thousandth time put before him, but before he has grasped the rope, I see him sink. I may put my finger upon those cold eyelids, for they will never see anything here again. But where is the man, and where are the man's true eyes? It is written, “In hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment.”

Ah! why did he not lift up his eyes before? Because he was so accustomed to hear the gospel that his soul slept under it. Alas! if you should lift up your eyes there, how bitter will be your wailings. Let the Saviour's own words reveal the woe: “Father Abraham, send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.” There is a frightful meaning in those words. May you never have to spell it out by the red light of Jehovah's wrath!