Sunday, March 31, 2013

The LORD Is Risen Indeed!

The Lord Jesus Christ is risen indeed. But now is Christ risen from the dead! Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that Jesus should be holden of it. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.  But God raised Him from the dead!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?

And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.  Therefore disputed Paul in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.  Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.  And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.  So Paul departed from among them.  Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Concerning God's Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;  and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  That I may know Jesus, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.

Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, rose from the dead on the third day defeating sin, death, and hell for us, so that we could have eternal life in heaven with Him. Hallelujah for the Risen Lamb of God! Muhammed, Buddha, Joseph Smith, the Popes, Mary, and all the rest of man's religious false gods are still dead, but Christ Jesus Himself is risen from the dead, and He is alive for evermore. *Revelation 1:18*

Be it known unto you all, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead. Him God raised up the third day, and shewed Him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. But Jesus, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Because God hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath given assurance unto all men, in that God hath raised Jesus from the dead.

Believe on God that raised up Jesus from the dead; Jesus was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. And God hath both raised up the Lord Jesus, and will also raise up us by His own power. Knowing that God which raised the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus. God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. And to wait from God's Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my Gospel.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Jesus up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. But God raised Him from the dead!  He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.
 ----------------------------------
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, worn, and sad,
I found in Jesus my Resting-Place,
And He has made me glad.
-----------------------------------
'Twas I that did it.
I see the crowd in Pilate's hall
I mark their wrathful mien;
Their shouts of 'Crucify!' appall,
With blasphemy between.

And of that shouting multitude
I feel that I am one;
And in that din of voices rude
I recognize my own.

I see the scourges tear His back,
I see the piercing crown;
And of that crowd who smite and mock,
I feel that I am one.

Around yon Cross the throng I see,
Mocking the Sufferer's groan;
Yet still my voice it seems to be,
As if I mocked alone.

'Twas I that shed the Sacred Blood,
I nailed Him to the tree,
My sins crucified the Christ of God
I joined the mockery.

Yet not the less that Precious Blood avails
To cleanse away all my sin,
And not the less that Cross prevails
To give me peace within.

-Horatius Bonar

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Simple Reliance 3

You are a guilty sinner deserving eternal punishment from God your Maker.  You have no righteousness of your own to commend yourself before God - simply lost and ruined, with nothing to offer.  There is no hope for any sinner being saved until he knows he is guilty, and merely takes his place before Christ Jesus as a sinner.  You can't add your rusty penny of works to Christ's solid gold finished work; you can't add your filthy rags to Christ's Robe of Righteousness. If you try to bring your own doings to the Cross to help justify yourself, there is no hope for you.  If you try to mix your doings and good behavior with the Blood and Righteousness of Jesus Christ, you will wind up damned. It's not what you do for Jesus; it's what He has already done for you.

Human nature thinks that virtuous or religious people such as Gandhi, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa will go to Heaven while still rejecting Christ.  When self-righteous human nature thinks of a child molester being forgiven freely of his sins, that is offensive and repulsive, because human nature thinks it is better than most folks.  Christ Jesus is the Savior and the Judge of all the Earth.  The great white throne judgment can only be eluded by trusting to the Mediator, the man Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh.  Incarnate Grace took your place on Calvary's Cross and paid for every sin you commit every day you live with His own life.  Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.  You are accountable to God and liable for the punishment due to your sins against the one who loved you enough to die for you.  Evil human nature shrinks at the thought of the coming Judgment of God.

God in human flesh laid down His life to rescue you from the danger and love of sin.  If you are heavy-hearted and troubled at the thought of dying, come now to Jesus by simple reliance on His atoning blood, His finished work on Calvary's Cross.  Hell is not the popular view today, but Hell is still Biblical truth which does not change with the times.  Ye must be born again; spiritually made alive by the power of the Holy Ghost.

If the Gospel is too hard for you to understand, it is only because you refuse to let go of your sins. The Holy Ghost must first open the heart of a man, so he will attend to the truths of the Gospel, that is, to listen intently, to hearken diligently, and to catch every word. Without the working of the Holy Spirit, no man will ever desire to understand the Gospel and receive Jesus Christ in truth.  Christ died for the ungodly, and He is able to save any sinner to the uttermost that comes unto God by Him.  Jesus took the sins of the whole world upon Himself, and became the Substitute for all human guilt.  Jesus was the perfect, sinless Blood Sacrifice for human transgressions.  You can't add the Monopoly money of your doings to the infinite price that Jesus paid for human sin at Calvary.  Your money is no good at the Cross, for Salvation is absolutely free.  You cannot improve upon what Jesus has already finished on Calvary's Cross.  Is Christ's finished atoning work on Calvary's tree your only hope of Heaven?

The Gospel is much too simple for sin-lovers to understand; too plain for them to believe and trust.  The Gospel will not allow you to pander to your lusts. Human pride despises the Gospel's way of free eternal life.  You have sinned against a holy God, the Love and Blood of Christ, the Law, the Gospel, and your conscience. Your sins lie heavy on your soul, and the wrath of God (the sentence of condemnation) abides on you.  *Matthew 11:28; John 3:36*  Look now to Jesus' for atoning Substitution and perfect Righteousness.  The Bible makes it very plain: if anybody wants to be saved from sin, they can be; if you don't want to be saved, you can go to Hell; it's up to you.

Don't let indecision and procrastination keep you from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.  The mercy of God, the love and blood of Christ, the wooing of the Spirit, the simplicity of the Gospel, the tender invitation to the Cross; all these are pleading with you to be saved.  By an act of faith and personable trust, fix your heart reliance on the Precious Blood of the Incarnate God.  Sinners like beggars cannot be choosers; there is only one true and living Savior - His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Believe in Jesus, not yourself; trust to His Precious Blood, not your works.

You need an eternal salvation from the Precious Savior, through His finished work, by His divine power.  Salvation is not losable, nor is it based upon your good behavior.  Free salvation from Jesus means irreversible pardon, permanent acceptance in the Beloved, immediate forgiveness, and eternal adoption into God's family. If you are depending upon your doings in part, you are still in your sins, and condemned before God. The best evidence that you have the Holy Spirit is your dependence upon Christ Jesus Himself, as a little child depends upon its mother.  The Lord Jesus Christ is my sole reliance, and on Him alone do I depend.

On the Cross, right before Jesus died, He cried out, "It is finished!" Jesus finished the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah's first coming.  He also finished my sins' penalty and payment; He cancelled the guilt of my rebellion against God.  Jesus bore my sins in His own body on the tree; God the Father laid my iniquities on Jesus.  The record of my sins was laid to Christ's account, and now they are no longer on my soul.  I am now forgiven, my sins are gone forever, for Jesus paid for every sin I will ever commit with His own blood.  The sentence of eternal condemnation is no longer hanging over my soul - Hallelujah for the Cross!

The Gospel of Christ is the essence of simplicity. Always remember - You're dead wrong, and Jesus is absolutely right. Stop walking heedlessly toward Eternity, and continuing on in vain presumption. Your sins will cost you your soul, if you die in them.  Forsake evil, cling to the Savior.  "No surrender" is the stubborn sinner's motto.  Proud men will boast and question the Bible until the coffin lid closes over them: their motto is, "While I live, I'll crow."

Without Christ as your Savior, the LORD will remember your iniquity (idolatry, trust in self, distrust of God); He will visit (punish) your sins; He will uncover (expose) your secret places.  A self-righteous man's hope comes from what he does in some way or another, but not in the finished cross-work of Jesus Christ alone.  Your unbelief is the spear that stabbed the Savior's heart.  It would be in your best interests today to trust your sinful soul with Jesus Christ. Jesus puts away sins wherever there is a simple heart trust in Him.

Think much of Jesus.  You must reject all your human goodness and all reliance upon what you can do.  Self-righteous, superstitious human nature always kicks against free and eternal salvation by grace through faith in Jesus' atoning blood.  Simple reliance upon the Son of God is the one essential for Eternal Life. Just as a man when he get so sick that he will finally seek out and accept medical help, likewise a man must be brought to understand by the help of the Holy Spirit, that he is so poor spiritually that he must accept the Charity of Heaven down at the Cross.

The God of the Holy Bible will only meet with a sinner through faith in His Son's Precious Blood.  The self-righteous murmur at the Gospel and try to avoid it, but the contrite and penitent man, that is conscious of his guilt, approaches Jesus for mercy. Mercy cannot be earned. Go directly to the Cross flat on your face as a guilty sinner seeking cleansing and forgiveness. Simple reliance upon the Lamb of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.  Think much of Eternity, and less of this world.  Think more of your soul, and less of your body.

Loathe yourself, and by Faith flee to the atoning blood.  Sure reliance upon the Incarnate God's atoning blood is the Gospel way.  True faith hangs upon Christ Himself as a hat on a nail.  Faith is to look to the Great Substitute for free pardon, abundant mercy, eternal life, and Heaven.  The gift of Repentance is simply a consciousness of sins and guilt, and the loathing and forsaking of sins.  Go directly to the source of Life, go to Jesus, pray to Him more, call upon His name believingly.  The record of my guilt was transferred to Christ Jesus when we was nailed to the Cross, and He cancelled my all guilt with His sinless blood Atonement.

Are you willing to be saved from loving the sin which enthralls you every day, saved from delighting in  sin and finding pleasure in the ungodliness which now controls you, saved from the evil passions which rule over you?  Have done with all reliance upon human merit and wisdom; yield to Jesus at once. I have ceased from relying on myself; I am leaning hard upon Jesus, the Friend of sinners.  Jesus offered Himself as a sinless blood Sacrifice for my sins, and He rose from the dead the third day according to the Scriptures.

Faith is a personal act of reliance upon Christ's Atoning Sacrifice.  Reliance upon "Thus saith the Lord" is the safe way.  To believe is to trust, and whosever trusts in the atoning blood is saved on the spot. Recline and rest your weary soul on what Jesus has done, and you are saved now. Reliance upon His Atonement brings you instant eternal life. The hideous patchwork of some works from you, and then some works from Jesus can never be accepted by God.  Divine justice, Atoning Blood, Work of the Holy Spirit, Regeneration, New Birth, Substitution, human ruin, Propitiation, New Nature, Free Forgiveness, Eternal Life, human inability, Free Grace.  The Blood of Jesus is the only antidote for human sin.

Personal faith in the living God who was crucified for sinners.  Go directly to Jesus in whom the mercy and kindness of God is treasured up.  Divine mercy comes to a sinful man only through the atoning Sacrifice of the Mediator.  The Atoning Sacrifice, justification by Faith, imputed Righteousness, union with Christ, acceptance in the Beloved, the second coming of Christ. Come under the Shelter of the Cross; there is room enough for you.  Only the Blood of God's Son can save you from divine vengeance.  Only His divine blood can shield you from divine wrath.  The very moment your trust is placed on the finished atoning work of Jesus, you are saved immediately and eternally.  If you depend in part upon the Righteousness of Christ, and in part upon your own righteousness, you are lost right now.

Pardoning grace, bleeding love, and forgiving mercy is only found in Jesus' wounds and stripes. Trust to the mercy and blood of the gracious Redeemer.  The sinless Substitute was punished for my sins and endured the wrath due to me.  Receive Christ Jesus now into your inmost soul. O God, forgive me for Christ died for my sins. Salvation full, free, and finished can be yours through faith in Jesus' atoning blood.  Religion gives you a creed, but no Cross; rules, but not the Blood; ceremonies, but no Crucified Savior God.

Let others trust their feelings and works, I will trust only in Jesus and His sprinkled blood.  I trust not in my doings at all; I rely on Jesus only.  Come to Jesus with your sins, cares, and needs; trust in Him on the spot, cry to Him for mercy.  God's way of saving sinners is by His grace, not by your doings; by the blood of Jesus, not by your efforts.  Your reconciliation to God and the security of your soul must be made through Jesus' atoning blood.

Keep to the Cross, the Atonement, the Lamb of God, the Incarnate God who bled and died for sinners.  Behold the Lamb of God and His Atoning Blood. Christ is All. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  When you truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, prove the sincerity of your love and gratitude for Him dying for you, and live to glorify Him.  Give God worship, thanksgiving, glory, blessing, honor, praise, and gratitude because of what Jesus has done for you. By all means save some.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Childlike Dependence 2

Always place childlike dependence upon the sin-forgiving Savior.  You can have immediate and eternal Salvation by placing precious faith in the precious blood of the precious Savior.   Rely upon the preciousness of Jesus' blood, the power of His arm, the love of His heart, and the certainty of His promises.  I am not in Hell right now due to God's longsuffering; I am quickened due to the Holy Spirit's gracious power; and I am forgiven due to Jesus' precious blood being shed for me.

When you understand the preciousness of Jesus, you should be moved at once to thank and glorify Him.  Jesus is lovely, yet despised; precious, yet rejected; kind, yet forgotten.  The person and name of Christ must be exalted, and the work of the Spirit magnified.  Your position and income should not be more precious to you than Jesus.  Depend upon Jesus' atoning blood to kill your doubts and fears. The great Gospel Medicine for the sin-sick soul is the atoning blood of God manifest in the flesh.  Lord Jesus, I believe on you, help Thou mine unbelief.  Always trust the bare words of God found in the Holy Bible, like a little child believes his mother.  When you read the Bible, make Jesus the object of your study and search.  Victory over your sins and the will of God should be your soul's desire when reading the word of God, not just to learn more and more scriptural facts.

Childlike dependence on Jesus Himself gives my heart joy.  I have embraced the Rock for want of a Shelter from the wrath to come.  If your sins accuse you, and divine justice charges you with eternal guilt, come now and hide your soul in Jesus' wounds and blood.  Never depend upon your talent or education, depend simply upon the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Ghost.  Intense love to Jesus' person, a patient waiting upon His coming, abiding in Him through the day, and a consistent adhesion to His words.  Depend entirely upon the sinner's Savior, and you are redeemed from the love of sin, as well as its guilt.

Come to Christ at once, reply upon Him, trust to His blessing. Is your name in the Lamb's book of life?  The only way to get your name in that book is to trust your soul altogether to the Lamb of God. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's dear Son, cleanseth us from all sin.  Perfect pardon through simple faith in the finished work of the Son of God.  Completely reliant upon the charity of  God found in Christ Jesus.  On the bloody tree of Calvary bore the wrath of God due to your sins.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved - He is God and man in one Person, the true Messiah, the Christ of God, the only Mediator between God and man, and the Savior and Redeemer of lost sinners.  Jesus of Nazareth is God manifest in the flesh.  The Gospel caused me to understand my own unworthiness, helplessness, and sinfulness; but the Gospel also gave me light to see the living and true God - The Lord Jesus Christ.  God is Light, in Him is no darkness at all; and Jesus is the Light of the world, the Lamb of God is the Light of Heaven.  Jesus came to give light to them which sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

To the sinner who senses his guilt and danger, Jesus is very precious.  I am eternally forgiven by the love and blood of the merciful Mediator.  The blood of Jesus is the only thing that will kill sins.  Without Jesus I can do nothing at all.  Depend entirely upon the crucified and risen Incarnate God; all your hope and trust must be in Him.  Come to the Cross humbly, and ask for true repentance and real faith.  Wisdom is practical obedience to Christ Jesus in our daily joys and struggles.  Whatever Jesus says to you, do it with all your heart.  I look to Jesus for everything.  My help cometh from the Lord Jesus Christ, who made heaven and earth.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; my faith is fixed on Him. Be merciful to me a sinner, renew my mind, cleanse my heart, purge my spirit.  I hate my sins, Holy Spirit deliver me from my sins' power, let not my sins have dominion over me. Lord Jesus, hold thou me up, and I shall be safe; I will have respect unto Thy words continually; make and keep me pure within.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

*Now*

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. But now is Christ risen from the dead.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled.  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Now the just shall live by faith. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever.

And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Blessed means happy; the joy of the Lord is our strength. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you His joy.  We must be thinking of Jesus through our day to be blessed and joyful.  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think Him all the day long; I sing, for I cannot be silent, His love is the theme of my song.  The blessed man must diligently and persistently resist the advice, thoughts, and spirit of this world.  The counsel of the ungodly is subtle and slowly leads to a dead end, and directs you out into the darkness of sin and misery.  Sinners live primarily for temporal pleasure and worldly ease.

Avoid worldlings who blaspheme God, and who enjoy and mock at sin; yield not to their example, words, thoughts, and habits. We must be stedfast, and stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Sinners stand in the broad way, but the righteous stand and walk in the narrow way, the new and living way, by following after Jesus in our thoughts, decisions, attitude, responses, and accomplishments.  This life wouldn't make any sense at all without the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.

The way of sinners, selfishness and Christ rejection, leads off into Hell.  The scornful sit down in willful ignorance and unbelief, and refuse to believe the Bible and to trust to the Lord Jesus Christ.  The scornful tramples the blood of Christ, does despite to the Spirit of grace, and hardens his heart.  Fools make a mock at sin and the Gospel.

Seek Christ's presence and blessing. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.  There are only two groups of people in this world today:  the ungodly sinners and the righteous.  A man is not righteous by his own doing, but he is only made righteous by first forsaking his own righteousness, and then by believing on Jesus Christ and trusting solely to His Righteousness.  Let your steps be ordered by the words of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Wisely choose your friends.  A seat represents authority; the scornful has a seat of authority, and the pride of life will surely delude and damn him.

Delight in the words of the Lord, love the Bible, rejoice in the truths of Scripture.  Thy word is very pure, therefore Thy servant loveth it. - AV1611 - Meditate on God's words, hide them in your heart one by one.  Keep a verse in your pocket to remind you of the Lord all day long.  My meditation of Jesus shall be sweet. Purify your mind with the word of God. Jesus said, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Learn of Jesus, become meek and lowly in heart, and let Him clean you up within.  Meekness is to be free of resentment, envy, bitterness, malice and revenge.  Lowliness is to be free of inordinate worldly ambition, not clamoring and struggling for position and power, to be seen and known and heard.  Be ye thankful, humble and gracious.  What hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? *I Corinthians 4:7*

Only the Bible and the Blood through the power of the Holy Spirit can cleanse a soul.  Read and study the Bible with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Earnestly seek the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.  The Christian is a tree planted in Christ Himself by the Holy Spirit through the New Birth. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.  Rooted and built up in Jesus, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.  Our hidden roots - spirit, mind, soul, affection, thoughts, and intents - must draw from Christ and the Holy Spirit, and then God's fruit will be revealed in our life.  Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and become more like Christ Himself in your thoughts, words, and deeds. When we put Jesus first and try to glorify Him in all we do, that is when our soul is truly prospering. *III John 1:2*

The ungodly are not like the blessed Christian.  The lost man is dead in his trespasses and sins and cannot do anything that is pleasing or acceptable to God.  The wicked are like the chaff that is blown away; only the true wheat remains.  The wicked man's life will be all in vain when he dies without knowing and serving Jesus Christ.  The Judgment of God is like a mighty wind that will blow the ungodly all away in the end. Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His nostrils are they consumed.

The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment for they have no Advocate to represent and protect them from divine justice that seeks vengeance on their sins. Sinners would not enjoy the congregation of righteous for that is where the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified and exalted.  The congregation of the wicked will be gathered in Hell.  The congregation of the righteous will be gathered around Jesus Christ the Righteous, and shout, "Worthy is the Lamb!"

The Lord Jesus Christ knows the way of the righteous.  The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.  God remembered Noah, because He knew the way of Noah, and Noah knew the LORD. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. Whosoever believeth in Jesus shall not perish, but have eternal life.

The ways of this world, that is, the love for sin and the ignoring of the Creator, will perish. Ungodliness is just leaving God out of your every day life, that is, your decisions and activities, and forgetting to acknowledge and thank Him.  The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. Rest in Christ's Righteousness, Believe on His Blood, Cleave to the Cross, Delight and Mediate on God's words, and you shall be blessed, bring forth fruit, prosper, and be known of the Lord here in time and in Eternity.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Gospel Thoughts 6

Religionists today smooth down the dreadful scriptural truths, and keep judgment and damnation out of sight; they eloquently speak out their philosophical dissertations and social issues, but never mention the desperate wickedness of man or our need for Christ's atoning blood and forgiveness.  Today's religious politicians silence the warnings and freeness of the Gospel, and never help sinners prepare for the Judgment to come. They pat folks on the back, and tell them they will be all right if they keep on sincerely doing their best.  But men today in their own thoughts, know they are not all right within. You may think you are all right in the sight of God, as you are all right in the sight of men. God's eyes have been on your thoughts and behavior all of your days.  You may have never broken the laws of the land and been locked up in the county jail; but you have committed the worst sin of them all; you have rejected Christ and pushed Him back from your heart's affections.

Your mind is so sinful; impure things stick to your memory more than the pure. You easily yield to vile impulses, impure thoughts, evil inclinations, selfish propensities and bad habits. The power of evil habits keep you from coming to Christ.  If you are given to drunkenness or laziness, and disgracing your family, and ruining your mind, soul, and body, repent toward God and look to Christ Jesus today. It is hard to give up sin, when you've loved it for years.  Only one Being can get you out of your bad habits and that is the Holy Ghost.  Religion says that if you don't join us and stay faithful to us, you will go to Hell.  Religion say if you have enough self-improvement and self-righteousness, you don't have to worry about all your sins at the Judgment.  Religion helps men to enjoy living a lie while they continue to enjoy their sins.  Stop walking in rebellion and loving your sins, turn to God and trust to Jesus Christ now.

Human nature wants to fit in, be popular, please man, make a buck, make a name for itself, fears ridicule, and longs for human applause. Dollars cannot give you peace, and religion cannot protect you from the wrath to come.  Human nature rebelliously says, "I will do as I please, nobody's going to tell me how to live my life." This world will cheat you, lie about you, misinterpret you, and bad mouth you; never trust this world.  Sin says, "you can have what you want, you can get away with it, you won't get caught, take a chance." Sin makes you cranky, mean, greedy, miserable, waspish, dissatisfied, overbearing, and full of guilt, regret and dread.

What is so attractive about your sins that you are willing to go to Hell over them?  What has such a grip on you (friend, family, lust) that it will lead you to neglect and reject Christ and lose your immortal soul?  What is a soul?  Where is your soul bound?  What is Eternity?  Are you ready for the grave, Judgment Day, and Eternity?  Only the Gospel can haul you out of your sins, and start you heavenward. Take Jesus to be your Savior for time and Eternity.

Salvation is by grace through faith in the atoning blood of God manifest in the flesh.  *Matthew 11:28* You probably keep all of your important documents and valuables in a fire-proof safe in your home, but is your soul safe and in a fire-proof condition?  Self-righteousness says, "I will become a Christian one day, when I get rid of my bad habits." Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.    Believe on Jesus and live, if you refuse, you will perish.

Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.  All men are sinners; no sinner can help save himself. Only Jesus can rescue lost men from the danger and damnation of their sins, and they are only saved by grace through faith in Jesus' atoning blood.  The Lord Jesus Christ saves a sinner the very moment that sinner trusts to Jesus alone.  If you believe that message, you'll be going God's way.

Substitution is the way of Salvation.  During the American Civil War, every day, some man would go off to war to save another one from going; the substitute took the hardships, the wounds, and sometimes death for another.  This is the doctrine of Substitution - Christ bore our sins, He took our wounds, wept our sorrows, and died our death.

All your doings in order to help win your salvation, apart from the finished work of Jesus Christ, will only help damn you.  Stop trying to save yourself through religious ceremonies.  Sense your sinfulness and holiness of God, and your distance from Him.  You have been trying to do good, so you will feel good about yourself, and think that you are better than most.  Your self-denial has excited new cravings after different evils and made you even more proud.  The evil of your inward nature when stamped out in one place, only broke out in another part of your life.  After all your self-efforts, you are nothing bettered.

Repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ - Renounce your sins, leave them behind, break it off with this world, avoid bad companions, get a divorce from your foolishness. Trust the shed blood of Jesus Christ to save you from Hell.  God promised you eternal life, Jesus paid for your sins, the Holy Spirit deals with you about your sins, the Holy Spirit gives you a true sense of the evil of your sin and guilt, He reveals the dreadful consequences of sin and your lost and ruined condition before God, and that you're on the verge of infinite and eternal disaster.  The Holy Spirit gives you an understanding that every sin you commit is directly against a holy, good, kind, loving, merciful, forgiving God who became a Jewish man in order to bleed and die for your sins. God has given you opportunities to be saved from your sins.

Faith is a spiritual act of the soul trusting upon Christ Jesus; Faith is looking out to Jesus for His immediate and irreversible Salvation; laying hold and leaning on Him alone, trusting implicitly in Jesus for grace, mercy, forgiveness of sins, Righteousness, Eternal Life, and peace with God.  Believe with all your heart that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and that you are one of them.  But as many as received Jesus Christ, to them God gives the power to become the sons of God.

The world calls sin a bad habit, a sickness, a mistake or sowing your wild oats, but the Gospel calls sin transgression, filth, the abominable thing which God hates.  You have a sinful nature within you that is the source of all your vile thoughts, filthy speech, and selfish deeds. When a man chooses to turn from evil practices, his old acquaintances and worldly companions will repulse and shun him, and his own evil nature nature will start to trouble him.  His old inclinations and merciless habits will pester and hound him day and night.  Only Christ can hold a soul up from moral gravitation. You need to join Christ first, and then worry about joining a church later.  Never mind about the non-essentials of religion, take Christ Jesus Himself now; care for your soul, give your soul over to Jesus, or you will lose it.

You can only conquer your evil habits by the help and grace of God. The rigmarole of religion will distract you from the Cross every time.  Go directly to the Lamb of God, cry out for help, look and live.  Hold up your soul's wounds to Jesus; He is the Great Compassionate Physician, confess your sins straight to Him, ask Him to heal your sin-wounded soul.  Wherever you are hurting inside, hold that up to Jesus; you don't need some fancy prayer.  The Gospel first shows a man his sins, and then the Gospel takes his sins away.  If you're a lost soul without forgiveness, if you're not careful, your sins are going to damn you, and the devil's going to steal your soul.

There is only this alternative: keep your sins and perish, or trust the blood of Jesus Christ and live forever. The only path to Heaven goes by Calvary.  The best way you know how, as a sinner, ask God's Son to save your guilty soul.  Religion cannot deliver the goods.  Commit your soul to Jesus Christ, your good works won't do the job, you need the New Birth, that is, you need to be regenerated spiritually within by the Holy Ghost.  The Gospel is not mere whim or chance, it's life or death, Heaven or Hell.

If you trust to the blood of Jesus Christ, you can be absolutely certain your sins are forgiven. Every sin you've ever committed and ever will commit is already known by God, and those sins have already been paid for by Christ Jesus, the ever-living Lamb of God.  Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. When a needy soul comes to Jesus, there is healing for all his wounds, pardon for all his guilt, and comfort for all his troubles. All sinners may come to the Cross, whosoever will, the man Christ Jesus receive sinners still. Implore now God's divine aid and mercy through Christ's Precious Blood.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Gospel Thoughts 5

The old Gospel is still new everyday, for there are sinners everywhere still in need of Jesus.  Christ was humiliated here on earth, but now He is glorified in Heaven.  The Holy Bible, the Cross, the White Throne Judgment, and Eternity are very real.  The touch of the Holy Ghost must open your blinded eyes and give you Gospel Light, in order for you to see the pardon and peace of Jesus.  "Thy sins are forgiven thee, go in peace" - these are the sweet words from the mouth of Christ Jesus which your guilty soul longs to hear.  The great Lighthouse of the Gospel must show the sinner the way into the harbor of God's mercy.

On Calvary's tree Jesus paid my indebtedness to God, and God never collects a bill twice. By faith, I have laid my sins on the Lamb of God, and now they are gone forever and ever.  I have been bought with a price, with God's own blood that flowed from Jesus' veins.  Jesus took my place, He bore my sins, He purchased my ransom, He wept my sorrows, He suffered my stripes, He died my death, and He rose from the dead on the third day for me, He saved my soul.  Jesus is my Shepherd, the Lily of my valleys, the Plant of renown, the bright and morning star, and He is my All in All.

Trust now in the cleansing power of the shed bled of Golgotha.  Without Christ the Lord you will live an ungodly life, die a miserable death, and go out into an undone Eternity.  Your 60-80 years you may spend here on Earth is like 60-80 seconds when compared to Eternity.  Mind this Gospel warning, for the wretch that scorns the gospel mandate perishes and meets a fiery Eternity.  Confess your sinfulness, look unto Jesus, throw yourself flat on God's mercy.

You must be saved by Blood as a sinner.  Saved means to be delivered from danger - The blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can deliver you from the danger of your sins.  You cannot earn your way to Heaven by trying to change your life.  Kind words and charitable deeds cannot atone for your past and future sins.  The sins of the tongue, sins of the mind, and sins of the action must all be pardoned by Blood.  God's pardoning love and mercy through Jesus' innocent blood is your only way of Safety.  At the Cross, God has thrown the doors of His Mercy open wide, and now Jesus will receive whosoever will come and take His free salvation.  There is room at the Cross for you, take the safe path, come on to Calvary.

Looking directly unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.  Every unsaved man is a blasted ruin at his very best.  His mind is wrong, he easily forgets God, and easily remembers ungodliness.  Sin is a poisonous plant within us, that was planted there by Satan in the garden of Eden long ago.  Sin grows out from the heart and winds slowly around the soul, poisoning and killing as it goes.  A bankrupt man needs money, a sick man needs medicine, and a sinful man needs Jesus. Sin sickens every soul, and the only Remedy and sure cure for your sins is God Incarnate - Christ Jesus Himself.  You may have avoided many outward sins, but you have committed the greatest sin a man can commit - you have depended upon your personal morality and not the Righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Look unto Jesus by Faith in His Precious Blood, by Believing in His Promises.  Jesus promised that He would save me if I only trusted Him; I believe He is trustworthy and faithful to keep His promises, and that He will do what He says in the Scriptures.  You are in need of the Forgiveness of Sins, and you can have full and free Forgiveness, if you will simply come to Jesus by Faith and ask Him for it.  No man has ever truly understood the Gospel without divine help from the Holy Ghost.  Faith is the gift of God, ask God for more of His Faith.

Jesus lived a life of self-denial, He died a shameful death, and was buried in a sepulcher of humiliation.  His hands and feet were wounded, His back was lacerated and torn, He was struck but He never struck back, He carried the Cross to Calvary; He was condemned falsely, but He still said, "Father, forgive them; for they know what they do." Jesus is the balm that will cure your worst sins, He is the Light that will kindle and brighten your darkness, He is the quiet Harbor from the storms of this life.  If troubles and trials are wearing you out in body, soul and mind, if you are burdened with want and woe, struggling with temptations; always remember Jesus Himself is your only Help and Hope.  Come unto Jesus, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and He will give you Rest.  Cast all your cares and burdens upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will sustain you, for He cares for you.

Look unto Jesus' lowly birth in Bethlehem. He has no peace or privacy there; Bethlehem was very crowded that night.  The first night Jesus spent away from His palace in heaven, He spent in an outhouse among the animals.  A few hours after laying aside His majestic crown and heavenly garments, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a feeding trough.  Jesus took a giant leap from the top of Heaven to the very bottom of this world.  The Almighty God took on human flesh; the omnipotent Creator became a helpless baby. The KING OF KINGS became a Jewish peasant. The Lord of glory dwelt in want and penury. *II Corinthians 8:9* The shepherds came and looked upon Jesus; the son of Mary, and the Son of God all in one Person.  In that Jewish baby's eye was the look of the Almighty, in His little arm was omnipotence, and in His cry was the voice that would one day wake the dead from their graves.

Look unto Jesus' temptation in the wilderness - He was hungry, tired, lonely and tempted by Satan, but He resisted and triumphed over each devilish temptation one by one by the words of God.  The King of heaven was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Jesus being tempted is now able to succor all those who are tempted.  He was mistreated and insulted, but He kept on seeking and loving the lost.

Look unto Jesus in His indecent and unfair trials before Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate. Judas betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Him. They rushed Him into the judgment hall at two o'clock in the morning; they gave Him no time for counsel or defense; no opportunity for any witnesses; no one was there to speak a good word for Him; for his disciples had forsook Him.  The Sanhedrin found Him guilty of blasphemy.  The Best Friend this world ever had, He had no friends that night.  The ruthless priests and soldiers slapped Him in the mouth and jeered at Him.  They cried, "Away with Him!"  They lied about Him, falsely accused Him, and twisted His speech.  His trials before the religious crowd and the world's crowd were pure injustice.

Look unto Jesus suffering the punishment due to your sins on the Cross. See Him in the garden of Gethsemane praying with bitter tears and bloody sweat.  The darkest day this world has ever seen was when God Incarnate was crucified to save sinners. The full weight of divine justice fell on Jesus that day, because He was bearing your sins in His own body.  At high noon, the sun was eclipsed.  God turned out the lights of this world when His Son was dying on Calvary.  A man's last hours are normally kept sacred no matter how much he is hated, but Jesus was mocked and howled at until His last breath.  The religious crowd, the vicious mob, and the vile soldiers stood by the Cross making faces and scoffing at Him to the bitter end. The howling multitude jeered Him as He suffered and wagged their heads.  Jesus died for me; the Good for the bad; the Kind for the mean, the Infinite for the finite; the Just for the unjust; the holy Creator for the sinful creature.

In Jesus' last few hours, He was not left alone or given any peace.  They reviled Him to His last breath; they came up close and took out their revenge right to His face.  Man's hatred and hell's mockery tormented Him all that day.  Look unto Calvary now - look at what your sins did to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Crucified Creator.  Jesus' face was bathed with tears, and His body was covered in blood because of your transgressions. Jesus could not do more for you than He has done; He could not pay a bigger price. Count His wounds, gaze at His suffering, notice His stripes, view His blood, see what your sins cost Him there.  Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

The Lamb of God came to earth from the royalties of heaven, and was born in a reeking cattle born in Bethlehem; God Almighty was born at Bethlehem as a Jewish baby.  He was raised in Nazareth, and lived for some 33 years in poverty and obscurity; He went about doing good with no thought of recompense or reward; He patiently took the jeering, false accusations, ridicule, and the continual contradiction of sinners against Himself; He was spit upon, buffeted, and then yielded Himself up to the shameful and tormenting death of the Cross, where JEHOVAH'S wrath crushed His spirit till His heart was broken and melted within Him like wax. *Psalm 22:13-15*

Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, is so good, so loving, so compassionate, please trust your soul with Him today.  Full pardon is available right now for the vilest men, if they will only trust to Jesus, whose atoning blood can instantly wash away the foulest crimes against God.  For the mere asking, if your asking be in earnest, and you throw everything into your asking, you will receive eternal life from Jesus Himself.  Jesus will give your sinful soul present life and eternal life on the spot, if you will sincerely call upon His name.  When Jesus pardons a sinner, he is fully forgiven, there is no half-work about it.

Men today give many frivolous excuses for not coming to and receiving Jesus Christ; their main problem is that they will not come to Jesus that they might have life, simply because they love sin, and not the right.  With the most loving invitation and the kindest tenderness, Jesus invites you to come to Him today.  When you realize how great your sins are before God, you will begin to cry out to Jesus for Mercy.  The best and safest thing to do with Jesus is to take and receive Him into your heart by Faith in His Precious Blood.  Unforgiven soul, go now in earnest prayer and knock heartily at Mercy's gate, cry out for Help from the depths of your soul, expect Help, and plead for God's free mercy through Jesus' Atoning Blood.  God be merciful to me a sinner for Jesus' sake. O God, I am so sinful, I want to quit my sins, please change my life, I am such a mess, renew my mind, help me to repent of my foolishness.

O What a Savior!

The true test of any word or deed is the motive and intention.  The motive, not the deed, is the root of all we do.  The spirit behind an action is everything.  Jesus' bleeding love should inspire us to love Him more dearly.  He did everything for us; so we should do everything we can for Him.  Religious selfishness and pride are the very worst forms of evil.  Christ Jesus was never self-seeking.  He lived and died for others.  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He become poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.  We must deny ourselves and live like and for Him, living and acting for His sake, humbly following in His steps.

If we do not live and do for Jesus' sake, we will soon grow weary in well-doing.  The true way to live is for Christ Himself, and seek to save the lost.  People will fail us, we will be discouraged at times by circumstances, but we must continue to live on for Jesus' sake.  Jesus gave Himself to service, toil, going about doing good, and then agony, and even a bloody death.  Our chief need is Jesus Himself, His presence and help.  Jesus loved me, and gave Himself for me; there is nothing I can do that is too much for Him.  His love for me ignites my love for Him.  We love Him, because He first loved us.  I can't wait to meet the Savior who saved my life and soul.

The Lord of glory humbled Himself and became a poor, suffering, dying man for sinners.  Jesus' love moved Him to come down to Earth to rescue us from sin.  Jesus was God manifest in the flesh.  He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He who made the heavens, the earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein loved me to death. Without Him was not anything made that was made.  The host of heaven worshipped Jesus.  The entire universe was under His control.

But He came to the manger of Bethlehem as a Jewish baby, the Infinite one became an infant, our Maker became a Jewish man.  He lived down here as a poor peasant, laboring and suffering, but He was also the God who made the heavens and the earth. In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, there was perfect deity and perfect humanity.  Let this precious truth sink down into your ears and heart - it was your Creator who came from heaven to bleed and die in your place.  Condescending love, unequalled kindness and matchless mercy brought Jesus down from heaven to rescue His enemies.

When a man truly knows himself, he has a low opinion of himself when compared to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Humility is a correct estimate of yourself.  The average lifespan of a housefly is around 23 days.  We think that is a very short time, but our life expectancy of 60-80 years is even shorter when compared to Eternity.  We are so insignificant and sinful, but Jesus loved us anyway.  As a sinner, I deserve nothing but God's wrath, but I have trusted to His dear Son, and now I can receive nothing but God's mercy.  I have desperately sinned against God, and intentionally broken His commandments, and deserve to perish as divine justice requires, but because of Jesus' blood, I am accepted and forgiven by God forever.  Jesus died that I may not die eternally, and through His bloody death, and I can now live forever with God.

The wounded Savior is my Lord and my God.  The atoning blood of God manifest in the flesh is a sinner's only hope of heaven.  My sins cost Jesus His life, and His bloody death is my life.  Vital gospel truth is so simple:  to know yourself a sinner, and that Christ Jesus is the Savior; to quit yourself and your accomplishments, and trust implicitly to the person and finished work of God in human flesh.  The safest truth is simple, scriptural Gospel truth.

Mercy has been brought to my soul through the atoning blood of God's own Son.  Nothing less than His bloody death could save my sinful soul.  I had to be saved by Blood, and not just any blood, it had to be God's Blood. I thank Jesus for He has done such wonderful things for my life and soul.  When a man sins against light and knowledge, violates his conscience, and despots such a forgiving Savior, his sins are even more heinous.  Jesus Himself is pure, solid Truth.

Here are the Glad Tidings of the Gospel - The Creator became a creature; the Invisible God became incarnated, so He could suffer, bleed and die as a man for my sake.  Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself.  He wept, He hungered, He thirsted, He was poor and weary, He had no place to lay His head at times, all of His disciples forsook Him and fled, He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief - all for my sake.  The King of glory became a pauper.  The LORD of hosts became the Lamb of God. The Christ of God, the King of kings, the LORDS OF LORDS became Sin for me, He was deserted by His friends, and left alone to suffer as a criminal on Calvary's tree.

The bloody sweat of Gethsemane, betrayed and sold out by cruel treachery, the unjust judgment of Gabbatha, He was hounded through the streets of Jerusalem on His way to the Cross, Led away to be crucified between two thieves, His back bore the stripes of the Roman scourge, He gave His back to the smiters, His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, He was abused but never uttered a sharp response, He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; when He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; He hid not His face from the shame and spitting, He faced cruel and cutting scorn, He was blindfolded and slapped and ridiculed, He was obedient unto death, His innocent hands and feet were extended and cruelly nailed because of my sins, the nails tore through His flesh as the weight of His body enlarges the wounds, He is thirsty and cries for help, His forehead was scarred with thorns, He was lifted up between heaven and earth enduring the cross for my sake, despising the shame.

*Hebrews 12:3* The man Christ Jesus tasted death for every man, He gave up the ghost, His eyes closed in death, His mangled body was then taken down from the Cross; He was buried in a borrowed tomb, and on the third day He rose from the dead; The stone was rolled away from the sepulcher, Jesus lives forevermore, for forty days He lived here on earth after His resurrection, and then from Mount Olivet He ascended into heaven to His Father's right hand; He now sits on the throne of glory, and rules the universe, interceding for His saints - these things prove Jesus' great love for sinners.  Come and rest now by faith on what Jesus did for sinners.

When we remember what Jesus did for us, love and gratitude should lead us to love Jesus even more.  Jesus whom I have mistreated and offended died for me.  Jesus suffered for me, took my place, bore my sins, and endured the consequences and punishment due to my sins.  Men on earth go to great efforts to listen for aliens out in outer space, but they need to listen more closely for the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost here on earth.  It is our highest privilege to live and do and bear anything for Jesus.  We should live for "righteousness' sake" *Matthew 5:9*, cheerfully and willingly bearing persecution for doing that which is right.  The born-again saint cannot enjoy sin as the worldling does.  The Christian will suffer at times for speaking and living the truth.  It would be better to be poor or even die, than to be dishonest and do wrong.  We will have to face suffering for the "gospel's sake"  *I Corinthians 9:20*; and for the word's sake *Mark 4:17*.

If you desire to spread the Gospel and publish glad tidings concerning the Lamb of God, you will suffer reproach and persecution. The Gospel, the words of God, and Christ Himself are so intertwined that whatsoever is done for the Gospel's sake is done for Jesus.  We must also labor for "His body's sake" *Colossians 1:24*; when we are helping believers, we are doing things for Jesus.  Lay down your life, your talents and strengths, for the brethren's sake *I John 3:16*.  Labor on as well for the "elect's sake" *I Timothy 2:10; for those who will be saved in the future.  Strive to spread the Gospel for "the kingdom of God's sake" *Luke 18:29*.

We should do things for the "truth's sake" *II John 1:2*.  The truth here is the living seed which is within us, which keeps us from yielding to sin, and leads us in the way everlasting, and compels us to serve and please the Lord in all things.  The new divine nature within us, the living incorruptible seed constrains me to be a good witness for Jesus. When sin is taken lightly, so is Christ. Oh, what can I do today to praise my Savior who died for me.

Let your life be lived all for Jesus' sake.  Christ liveth in me.  Yield to the Holy Spirit, be taught about holiness, be patient with others, walk in the fear of the Lord.  I am bought by the Blood of Jesus, so there must be justice in all my dealings with others, I must be generous and just, I must live and act so that all men would know that I am Jesus' disciple.  I must do some something in return for Jesus, not to help save my soul, but to show my adoring gratitude to Him for saving my soul through His kindness and precious blood.

I must not forget my kind Savior, and try to do Him some humble service.  I will be in His presence soon, I must be faithful to Him, I must strive to do something for Him who loved me so.  I should give my substance, time, and abilities to Jesus.  I can never do too much for my Savior.  I will spend and be spent for His kingdom.  I want to live a useful and pure life for Jesus.  If need be, I will put up with shame, poverty, and suffering for Him.  I will live in toil, obscurity, and affliction for His sake.  His atoning sacrifice must revive my service.  Be not weary in well-doing for Jesus' sake.

Christ Jesus, God Incarnate, died in the place of sinners.  I deserved to be punished for my sins, but Jesus became my Substitute.  There could be no pardon for my sins but by a blood sacrifice, so Jesus became my sinless blood Sacrifice on Calvary's tree.  He is the one Sacrifice for sins forever.  I have trusted to the bloody death of the Lamb of God to save my sinful soul.  Jesus was punished in my place, so that God can be just, and yet forgive the ungodly.  No man can know God the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.  You can only know the true and living God through simple faith in Jesus Christ.

God can now freely remit and pardon my sins only because of Jesus' atoning blood, and without violating His strict justice, because the perfect sinless Substitute volunteered to take the wrath my sins deserved.  Jesus' death was of infinite value because of the Sufferer's divine nature.  He bore all our iniquities in His body on the tree, and now whosoever believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life. Simply take Jesus at His word.  Don't be too clever to come to Christ; don't be too good to be saved freely; don't be too proud to be guided. Come unto Jesus, all ye that labor and are heavy leaden, and He will give you rest. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved from the love of sin and the wrath to come.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Adrian Rogers Quotes (9)

* Broken homes produce broken humans.
* Only date a potential mate.
* The way to find the right person to marry is to be the right person.
* Love is primarily commitment, not feeling.
* It is not your love that sustains your marriage, it is your marriage that sustains your love.  It is your commitment that keeps the love going. 
* Jesus doesn't want us to do anything for Him; He wants to do something through us.  Christ liveth in me.
* The world is making progress, but they do not know where they are going.
* Only one person has ever lived the Christian life, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
* A Christian with a glowing testimony is worth a library of arguments.
* If Jesus is real to you, you will be a witness for Him.
* Make Jesus known to your neighbors and the nations.
* Mothers are perhaps the most powerful and influential class of people on the face of the Earth.
* If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you.
* Keep company with Jesus, have confidence in God, receive courage from the Holy Spirit.
* Jesus did not come to keep you out of trouble; He came to get into trouble with you.
* Sin can't win; Faith can't fail.
* You don't have to know why, when you know Who.
* You can never behave yourself into Heaven.
* The world relabels sin and rejects Jesus Christ.
* Your prayers always line up with your priorities.
* If it is new, it is not true.
* The Gospel was purchased and obtained by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
* Religious folks today are following a creed, cause, code, or church, but not Christ Jesus Himself.
* You cannot be lost after you are born again; Jesus is the Savior, not a probation officer.
* It doesn't matter whom I please, if I displease God.  If you try to please everybody, you will please the devil most of all. Moses didn't try to please Pharaoh; Elijah didn't try to please Ahab; and Paul didn't try to please Rome.

Adrianisms

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Prayer Helps

A - Acknowledge my sins, Abide with me, Adoration of the Savior, Abound, Attitude, Anointing, Armor of God, Affection on things above, America
B - Blood of Christ, Blessing of the LORD, Besetting sin, Boldness, Bitterness, Brotherly love, Backsliding
C - Calvary, Create in me a clean heart, Comfort, Confession of my sins, Character, Charity, Churches, Compassion, Contentment, Covetousness, Count your blessings
D - Deliver me from evil, Die daily, Deny self, Devoted to God's fear, Discernment
E - Exalt the LORD, Examine me, Eyes on Jesus, Enemies, Even so come Lord Jesus
F - Fear of the LORD, Feet of Jesus, Fill me, Fix my heart, Fruit, Family, Faith, Seek God's face, Fruit of the Spirit
G - Grace, Glory, Gentleness, Goodness, Guidance, Grudges, Gratefulness, Godliness, Grieving the Holy Spirit
H - Hallowed by Thy Name, Holy Spirit, Help me, Holiness, Humility, Hope, Heaven, Hell
I - Integrity, Intercession
J - Joy, Judgment, Job
K - Keep me from evil, Kindness, Kids
L - Love, Loyalty, Leaders, Look unto Jesus, Longsuffering, Liberty, Lowliness
M - Mercy, Meekness, Missionaries, Marriage, Meditate, Mother, Mind of Christ
N - Neighbors, Never be ashamed, Not my will but Thine be done
O - Open my eyes, Overcome, Obedience, Others, Oughts
P - Pastor, President, Parents, Presence and power of God, Purity, Penitence, Persecution, Praise God, Patience, Peace
Q - Quicken me, Study to be quiet
R - Revive my heart, Rejoice in the Lord, Reproach, Resentment, Resignation to God's will, Resist sin, Repentance, Rapture, Renew my mind
S - The sick, Supplications, Submission, Secret sins, Spouse, Self-pity, Stablish, Strengthen, Souls, Settle, Stedfast, Sincerity, Sanctification, Safety, Soberness, Salt
T - Tears, Thankfulness, Thought life, Take up my cross, Temperance, Tenderhearted, Tongue
U - Uprightness, Unite my heart, Unmovable, Understanding, Unction
V - Victory over my sins, Virtue, Vigilance, Vision
W - Worship, Watch unto prayer, Wife, Will of God, Weights, Witness, Win souls, Wisdom
X - Examine me, Extol and Exalt the Lord's name
Y - Yield, Yoke of Christ
Z - Zeal

Prayer helps us finish our course with joy.  Pray with purity, intensity, expectancy, and specificity.