Friday, February 28, 2014

Religionated or Regenerated?

Most people today have been religionated by man, not regenerated by the Holy Ghost. The religious man must have some righteousness or other, he knows he's a good-for-nothing rascal, he knows he doesn't have a moral righteousness, so he tries to get a religious, ceremonial one. The Roman Catholic that swears and drinks all week is very often the most superstitious and reverent man at mass. He will take off his hat and speak reverently immediately when he enters the church building.  But he will cuss and swear and smoke as soon as he steps outside in the parking lot, and his conscience never bothers him because it is seared. But he is frightened to do so inside a religious building or in front of his priest. He feels he will be lost forever to speak a wrong word in a sanctuary. He will never forget to tithe or go to confessional, and he feels so much better about himself after he has completed his weekly religious activity.

A religion of ceremonies is so much easier than true and pure religion. To say your Hail Marys, eat your wafer, and sip your wine is easy enough; it is soon over, and it doesn't check your conscience. Turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart is much too hard for someone delighting in sin. Since outward religion is so easy, people like it better. Self-salvation through religiousness flatters a man's pride - he thinks he can get rid of his own guilt in his own way. Human nature loves working for its own forgiveness. The more religion binds a man up, the better he likes it. If the religion doesn't touch the heart, the better people like the religion. Empty religion pleases human nature, because the Gospel is too pure, too simple, too humbling.

Trusting in Christ alone casts down self-righteousness and man's high looks. Man will turn to anything rather than to the pureness of Christ. The religion of ceremonies does not require the giving up of your favorite sins. The lost man will take the sacrament from the priest when it comes time to die. He can drink, swear, smoke, lust, cheat and cuss as much as he likes. He just has to get confirmed, and then get a little holy oil on his deathbed, and sometimes go to church on Christmas and Easter. Take a nice Bible with you, be very attentive and observant, and the priest will think you are all right. This type of religion suits most men, he has no trouble with this kind of religion. They can keep on with their sins and think they are going to heaven with them. With the Gospel, sin and the sinner must part. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Ye must be born again. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity.

The pure Gospel that goes after a man's sins is never palatable to human nature. Human nature doesn't care what you tell it to do, as long as you don't tell it to Repent and Believe on Christ. The main problem with human nature is that it is always trying to find a means by which it can earn the Salvation that the Lord Jesus Christ wants to give away. If you are a sinner, you can't do good deeds. *Romans 3:12* Nobody could buy Salvation but Jesus, and He paid for it with His own life's blood. You can tell a man to observe this thing or the other, and he will do it. The harder it is, the better he will like it. But if you tell him, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. *Acts 16:31; Matthew 1:18-21* His pride is all up at once, for he hates the pure and simple Gospel, and seeks to drive the very thought of it from his soul. If you die without Christ, you will be held responsible before God for all your sins. If you think you deserve Salvation, or that you can earn eternal life, or that you can pay for the forgiveness of sins, you are lost, that's for sure.

You go to church regularly, and act so piously, you've been confirmed and baptized, you dress modestly, and never do anything wrong that people know about. You say the Gospel is for harlots, blasphemers, thieves, and drunkards, but not for good people such as you are. You think you can save yourself. But if you try it, and you will perish in the doing of it. The same free grace that saves a degraded prostitute must save you, or you can never be saved. Come along to the Cross with the rest of us sinners. We are all guilty, some more, some less, but we are all hopelessly guilty.

You've never been converted, you don't fear God. You love your sin and your drunken companions. You must go down into the pit of hell with the harlots and the profane. You are careless and thoughtless and Christless. You could do as well without a God as with one. Where are you going when you die? Without Christ, you are going to dwell the devils and fiends. They will be your companions forever. You are going to make your bed in hell and abide in everlasting torment. Ye must be born again. Don't reject Christ again like you've done in the past.

The thought of God and the world to come strikes you with terror, and with no delight. You are not reconciled to God, you have not the Spirit of adoption, your sins are not forgiven, you must become a child of God by grace through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Seek Jesus with all your heart, and He will found of you. Your proud nature will not stoop. You will not bend the kneed, and come down among us common sinners. Only the Spirit of God can bring you there. Only Christ's bleeding love can save you from your sins. Your past sinful life deserves the wrath of God. If you ever get to Heaven, you will have to get there through the Righteousness of Another. You must be rewarded for what Another man has already accomplished for you.

Come now and receive Christ's mercy, trust to His Precious Blood. Seek to know Christ personally. Jesus promised and He can deliver to you eternal life freely, only He can deliver the goods, He is able and willing, He is dependable, He always keeps His word. Cleave to Him with purpose of heart. Go directly to the only place of mercy, the bloody foot of Calvary's Cross. Lie down in the dust and cry to God - Lord, have mercy upon me a sinner for Jesus' sake. Come now, I beseech and entreat you, have mercy on your poor soul.

Monday, February 24, 2014

America's gods, fears, and fruits

America's false gods: 
money, sex, ease of life, their own belly, food, greed, gluttony, evolution, pornography, alcohol, tobacco, safe sex, music, empty religion, birth control, green, Satan
Obama, Pelosi, Feinstein, DiFi, Hillary, Reid, Boehner, Palin, Republican Party, Democratic Party, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, AP, FoxNews, Oprah, Chopra, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Darwin, Mandela, news media, NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, NHL,
Hollywood, Playboy, Time, New Age, PayPerView, DirecTV, Google, cars, houses, clothes, possessions, materialism, status symbols, latest gadgets, internet, technology, cell phones, YouTube, the love of money, keeping up with the Joneses, Twitter, Facebook, Limbaugh, CPAC
Dow Jones, Nasdaq, SNMP, financial portfolio, 401K, credit rating, financial stability, retire comfortably, income, bank accounts, stock market, beer, prescription drugs, whiskey, bongs, Marijuana, bars, sporting events, entertainment, rock music, concerts, meth, cocaine, heroine, nicotine,  pills, programs, rehab, Ritalin, Rx, Viagra,
civil rights, tolerance, Ellen Degenerate, diversity, alternative lifestyle, human rights, same-sex marriage, sexual preference, right to choice, sexual orientation, gay pride, the under-privileged, immigration reform, affirmative action,  fairness, quotas, multiculturalism, civil liberties, domestic partnerships, integration, world peace, environment, animals' rights,
Global Warming, Climate Change, Mother Nature, horoscope, Zodiac, Yoga, reincarnation, the Pope, Mary, purgatory, Wicca, Scientology, astrology, palm readers, humanism,
politics, national security, NAACP, NEA, ACLU,
universal health care, social security, Medicaid, healthcare reform, Medicare, ObamaScare,  education reform, environmental protection, recycling, higher education, college degrees, just fill out the forms-don't leave any money on the table,
change, progress, American dream, self-help, latest polls, approval ratings, pundits
lottery, gambling, Black Friday, Air Jordans, plastic surgery
Middle East peace talks, The UN, peace summits, world peace, peace plan, new world order
anti-aging, organic foods, life extension,  
spotted owls, endangered species, save the planet, animal rights, PETA, Go Green, energy independence, hybrids
hope-and-change, self.

America's misguided fears: 
Reality, biopsy results, cancer, coffin, the undertaker, graveyard, Eternity, The Rapture,
blood work results, PSA, kidney stones, strokes, tumors, chemo, radiation, chip implants, prostate cancer, heart attacks, transient-ischemic-attack, aircraft hijacking, second-hand smoke,
pancreatitis, polyps, leukemia, melanoma, carcinoma, lymphoma, lumpectomy, thinning hair, wrinkles, cellulite, belly fat, surgery, dentures, PET Scans, carcinogens, free radicals, high blood sugar, glaucoma, macular degeneration,
lawsuits, gettin’ caught, indictments, assault weapons,
Al Qaida, Al-Shabaab, Muslim Brotherhood, PLO,  OPEC, Taliban, Hamas, terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, chemical weapons,
blood transfusions, inequality, income equality,
Civilian National Security Force, martial law,
calories, LDL, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, trans fats, Happy Meals, Big Gulps,
Affordable Care Act (redistribution of wealth), death panels,
E.Coli, Salmonella, medication side effects, Bird Flu, greenhouse gas emissions, overpopulation,
speeding tickets, bailouts, foreclosures
North Korea, Iran, Russia, China, Syria,
FDA, EPA, HHS, BLM,
pollution, irradiation, computer virus,
animal abuse, ill health, borders, culture, language,
inflation, earmarks in bills, The Supreme Court, ozone depletion, border security, drones, more taxes,
dog fighting, Obama, job cuts, high gas prices,
BVO, GMO, BPA, MSG, HFCS, BHA, BHT,
mercury, nitrates, fluoride, artificial colors and sweeteners, dioxin, organophosphates, carcinogens, formaldehyde, benzene, sodium nitrite, hydrogenated oils, excitotoxins, aspartame, food dyes, white sugar, sodium, gluten, fat grams,
lobbyists, socialism, communism, Iran's nuclear program, military cuts, cyber attacks, early troop withdrawals, nuclear arsenal,
ATF, police state, religious extremists, NSA spying, IRS audits, ATF invasions, ICE,
prejudice, federal judges,
Supreme Court rulings, arms deals,
special interests groups, entitlements, affordable tuition, minimum wage, layoffs,
illegal aliens, amnesty,
internet sales tax, federal spending, tax hikes, political correctness, COPD, TB, olestra, preexisting conditions, corporate tax loopholes, world poverty and hunger, socialism, global currency, new world order, capitalism,
carbon footprint, the uninsured, dirty bombs,
Tea Party, far left,
identity theft, income tax, interest rates, intolerance, bureaucrats, skin cancer, rising gas prices, losing pension, grave, Judgment, herpes,
Creationism in the classroom, The Ten Commandments,
earthquakes, tornadoes, drought, hurricanes,
national deficit, patriotism, capital punishment, Gitmo, energy security,
big-government, gun-control, global currency,
racial profiling, civil unions, terrorist torture, partial-birth abortion, man.

America's bitter fruits:  unthankfulness, insanity, unbelief, idolatry, pride, forgetting God, Biblical ignorance, prescription drug addiction, depression, ungodliness,
EBT cards, free condoms in school, free cell phones, abortion clinics, child neglect,
muggings, rape, murder, atheism, envy, sex perversion, adultery, divorce, high school dropouts,
HIV/AIDS, ADHD, herpes, acid reflux, kidney stones, gout, anxiety attacks, crow's feet, dementia, sodomy, Psych wards, AA meetings,
bars on your windows, abortions,  kidnapping, arms smuggling, human trafficking, child pornography, child molestation, prison overpopulation,
Percocet, Tylox, Adderrall, uppers, downers, pain killers, intravenous drug use, drug abuse, Strattera, steroid use,
parasites, antibiotics, obesity, blood clots, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
chemical growth hormones,
fraud, something for nothing, OCD, infanticide, fast food, suicide bombings, euthanasia, suicide, bipolar disorder, shooters, lost souls, no character, no patriotism, deadbeats, apathy, guilty conscience, misery, sorrow, restless mind, insomnia, schizophrenia,
Cirrhosis, cage fighting, drive by shootings, eye bags, morning-after pills, divorce rate, inhalants, declining literacy rate, droughts, floods, hurricanes, tornados. oxycontin, disillusionment, gang wars, bitterness, bulimia, recession, Healthcare.gov, Vicanin, migraines, Prozac, Zoloft, Ambien, psychics, stress, methadone, tattoos, body piercing, Mescaline, Zanax, Subutex, ADD, Federal school lunch program, terrorist's rights, without natural affection, disobedience to parents, ulcers,
DUI, lower prices via slavery, shrooms, sloth, illiteracy, idleness, racism, superstition, sex education, abundance of idleness, fullness of bread, teenage pregnancy, promiscuity, unwed mothers, fatherless children, unforgiven sins, blasphemy, NUL, bi-monthly presidential vacations at the taxpayer's expense, social engineering of children in federal school system,
selfishness, sacrilege, surfeiting, guilt, bullying, domestic violence, FEMA, single-parent families, foster homes, human cloning, personality disorders, syphilis, food stamps, unwed mothers, political correctness, covetousness, rehab centers, unemployment, LGBT, GLAAD,
anorexia, immorality, school shootings, depravity, hate crimes, illegitimate children, debauchery, VD, fornication, lesbianism, delusion, autism, chemical dependency, STDs, ungodliness, idolatry, despair, casinos, drug cartels, hangovers, hepatitis, metal detectors, childhood obesity and diabetes, confusion, superstition, divine justice, economic collapse, judgment, damnation.

No Sin?

And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not, might see; and that they which see, might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

The religious smart-alecks and know-it-alls of Jesus' day thought they saw, but they remained blind in their sin and religiousness. The religious crowd thought they had it all together, they thought they had arrived. But they only had head knowledge of the Law, and their hearts were deeply polluted with sin. They had the external appearance of being spiritual, but they had never truly faced their inward darkness. They see sin in the world, but not in themselves. They abhor the immorality in others, but not their own sins. The religionist prefers his own natural darkened understanding to Christ's Wisdom.

The religionist cares much about religious convictions (do's and don'ts), so much that every area of his life is subjected to his convictions, even more than some actual Christians, but he remains blind in his religious pride. They were self-confident and self-sufficient. But those who received spiritual sight from Jesus are those that first sensed their need, and acknowledged their spiritual blindness and inner darkness, and then they sought Christ Himself for true sight and light. All of our hearts are grossly dark, and we are in desperate need of Christ Jesus, the Light of Life.

Now understand - We have nothing in ourselves, and we never will, to commend us to God. The way to see is to admit we are blind. The hungry will be fed, the poor will be given alms, the naked will be clothed, the sick will be healed, the blind will be made to see, but the rich will be turned away empty. Only Christ Jesus can cause our hearts to see Him. Now remember, the best beggars always obtain what they need from the King of Kings and obtain sight, and if we remain humble at His feet, we will keep on seeing.  You see, Jesus took all the Payment for my sins when He laid down His life for me, and now there is nothing left for me to pay.  

For God hath made Jesus to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Jesus. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. And ye know that Christ Jesus was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. And if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.

Only Christ Jesus Himself who had no sin can freely forgive and put away all your sins, so that your soul is Justified and has no sin on it in the sight of God. Own your sinfulness, admit your blindness, and Jesus will give you His forgiveness here and now. Free Salvation through Faith in His Precious Blood is the only way to obtain spiritual sight. Trust God now to save your guilty soul through the Atoning Blood of Jesus Christ (God in human flesh), and all of your sins (past-present-future) will be instantly put away and forgotten forever (II Corinthians 5:19-21; Colossians 2:13).

A Sinner's Best Friend

Sin is serious, Hell is real, life is short, Eternity is coming, be wise, plan ahead. The root problem of every man is his sinful propensities and his love of sin. There will be a Judgment - a time when God will execute His holy justice upon the rebellion of man. By nature, man toys with sin and trivializes Hell. Sin is eating away at your soul. The main things are God's holy nature, man's sinful state, Christ's Blood Atonement, His free gift of salvation to sinners, and man's necessary response to this Free Gift. God laid down His life in the person of Jesus Christ at Calvary's Cross for *You*. The kindness and love of God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ - God manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16; Titus 3:4). Christ Jesus, JEHOVAH Incarnate, is the Best Friend a sinner could ever have.

Simply believe in the Substitute of Calvary who has borne the curse and punishment of your sins in your place (II Corinthians 5:21). To be saved is to be rescued from the love of sin and eternal damnation (Acts 16:31). Christ Crucified is the sinner's only hope. You can be a filthy sinner one moment, and pardoned forever the next. Salvation happens in an instant through faith in Jesus' blood. Simply come by childlike faith to Jesus Christ, and wholly believe on His Precious Blood. Self-righteousness is a dangerous lie; and religiousness is a deadly delusion.  Faith in Jesus' Blood - it works - it's as simple as that.

Human nature always wants to do something to earn Christ's free forgiveness. Your human merit is good for nothing, and you can get no benefit by it. Your merits and good works are useless and good for nothing. Only trust Christ's works and blood. Divine forgiveness and Perfect Righteousness only come from Christ Himself. Whosoever will cast all his human goodness away, and come to Jesus as a sinner with nothing to offer shall be saved. Don't just plan for the future, don't just plan for your retirement, you better plan for Eternity, the hereafter, the world to come. Come on to Jesus now.

Every atheist hates his very Best Friend - Jesus Christ. You need to stop playing fast and loose with sin. If you fly with the crows, you're going to get shot; if you swim with the sharks, you're going to get bit. If you keep messing around with Sin, you will surely be damned. You will seal your eternal destiny, by your response to the word of God. You must be radically changed by the word of God, or you will never be changed. Jesus is the Christ of God - believe only on *Him*. Jesus' perfect obedience and Blood Sacrifice appeases God's wrath toward human sin. On the Cross, God loved you by giving His Son in your place so you would not be banished from God forever.

The saving work of the Cross of Christ is the Only way to Heaven. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a Gift for the Guilty. Salvation is not a goal to be achieved, it is a Gift to be received (John 1:12). Be wise - Fix all your trust on Christ's Blood Atonement to pay for your Sins against God. Your filthy mind, dishonesty, jealousy, and neglecting of Christ has brought the wrath of God upon your head (John 3:36). Sin is your only qualification for coming to the Savior. Self-righteousness and intellectual pride keeps many men from the Savior. He that hath friends, must shew himself friendly - Jesus showed Himself friendly when He died for my sins, and forgave me freely by His grace. But mine eyes are unto Thee, O GOD the Lord: in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

Stop wasting precious time, *today and now* is the time for your soul's salvation, come on to Jesus before it's too late. If you sense your guilt and danger, trust your soul in His hands by faith in His precious blood, and you are saved on the spot. You are a great sinner, but Jesus Christ is the Great Savior. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and whosoever believes in Him has everlasting life. Come now, and kneel down at the Cross, and find God's love and mercy through Jesus' atoning blood. *Romans 5:9*

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Redemption by Substitution

Redemption by Substitution is the center of the Gospel Message and the choicest truth.  You won't hear this on TV, the radio, or even at 99% of the churches anymore.  This truth is 'buried' under the smooth words and fair speeches of today's religion of social justice and social issues.  Unconverted greedy religionists fill the pulpits today, and they talk about every subject except the pure Gospel which exalts the Lord Jesus Christ.  Redemption is the purchase of God's favor by the blood, sufferings, and death of Christ Jesus; the Ransom and Deliverance of sinners from the bondage, love, and penalty of sin.

God's law has been violated by you continually and only the sinless blood atonement of the crucified and risen Lamb of God can redeem you from the curse and wrath of God.  Only Christ's sinless shed blood could purchase a sinner's favor with God.  The story of God's love and blood is music to the 'real' sinner's ears.  Nobody has ever loved you the way Jesus loved your soul at Calvary - He loved you to death.  Substitution saves sinful men - this is the essential root of gospel truth.

Christ Jesus is a scriptural and historical fact:  God came to earth and dwelt in human flesh - the Son of God and the Son of Mary - He lived, loved, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead.  His sinless sacrifice once offered has forever put away sin.  He is able to save the vilest to the uttermost.  This is not fiction, a dream, or parable, but literal facts.  You have real sin and real guilt - you need a real Atonement - sure forgiveness - Christ Himself has opened the way to God.  *John 14:6*

You will soon enter the real straits of life and death - and your only friend who can really and actually help you in your hour of need is the Crucified and Risen God.  Death and judgment are not fiction - seek God's grace - cast your soul on the Bleeding Substitute in true and real faith.  The Lord Jesus Christ must be believingly received by you personally - a sinner can only rest at the foot of the Cross.  Only the Holy Spirit can apply the Blood to your filthy soul, not baptism.  The Substitute opens the gate of faith; Jesus is absolutely and literally the Substitute for sinners.    

 This is the grandest truth in heaven and earth:  Christ's atoning Substitution is where justice and mercy embraced each other at Calvary.  Christ finished a perfect Righteousness and an inifinite Atonement for you and me.  Hallelujah for the Blood of God - the sin-cleansing fountain.  The Lamb of God has been slain; the Ransom price for human sin has been paid in full.  The sin debt has been cancelled, and all the sins of the world were laid on JESUS at Calvary.  Praise God for the sin-cleansing blood of the Crucified One.  He is mighty to save, and strong to deliver.  Christ Jesus came down from glory and the redemption is done, it is Finished was His cry, pardon is now free for all, perfect salvation, free through the sin-pardoning blood of the pierced Prince of Peace.  He is altogether lovely, the Friend of sinners.

The Substitute of Calvary opens the gate of Hope wide for you.  Christ's redeeming work is the center of the target at which true faith aims.  The point where saving faith mainly fixes itself is on the Blood of Jesus Christ.  *II Corinthian 5:19; Galatians 3:13*  The substitionary work of Christ is the sweetest comfort to the guilty sinner.  Jesus took all your sins upon Himself, He bore all your sins in His own body upon the tree.

The Lord God in the flesh suffered for your sins.  If you believe in Him, you are saved on the spot.  Look to Jesus and live.  Simply come to Jesus and trust in Him. Have done now with your own doings; cast yourself on Christ Jesus who has done everything for you; labor no more, but take the Robe of Righteousness He has already made; work no more, but take the Ransom already paid with His innocent blood; strive no more in your own efforts after the works of the law, but take the great, accomplished finished work which Jesus Christ has performed especially for you. Believe on His Blood and live forever.

Real living Faith only believes Bible facts.  True faith stakes its eternal destiny upon the Bleeding Substitute alone.  The Savior bore all your sins in His own body on the tree.  Only the Substitute can secure your soul from God's vengeance, justice, and wrath.  He was absolutely and literally a Substitute for sinners.  He bore our sins, He was made to be Sin for us.  Here's the truth of Substitution pure and simple - Christ Jesus was divine, He was human; Christ living and loving, Christ suffering and dying, Christ risen and ascended, Christ coming again and reigning.  Let your everlasting confidence be in the Atoning Blood of Christ alone.

Receive the Substitute, and you are no longer under judgment and condemnation.  In Christ we are judged, condemned, punished, clear of the Law and all its penalties.  Christ's Atonement has answered all the demands of God's divine justice.  The soul that sinneth it shall die; there is eternal death demanded by God for your personal sins, and life for life is rendered, the infinitely precious life of Christ.  The lightning of God's vengeance has struck the Substitute, and it will never strike the Cross again, sinner friend - so be wise, and flee to the Cross for safety.  Death has already been there.  Place your undivided faith in the Bleeding Mediator, Christ Jesus.  Wake up, don't miss the main point (Christ Crucified for guilty sinners). Don't remain clueless and Christ-less, and lose your own soul.

You've sinned long and hard against God's law, love and blood.  God's Divine Justice has been satisfied through the substitionary work of Jesus Christ alone.  The only way of Safety for self-condemned and guilty sinners is found in the sacrifice of Another on their behalf.  View the flowing of the Savior's blood - only His wounds can make your peace with God.  Christ died for the sinner's gain.  His sacrifice is the death-blow to all your self-sufficiency.  Your conscience says, "You can't help save yourself from divine justice," but your self-righteousness says, "O yes I can, I'll do my best!" Flee from your own nothingness and trust His all-sufficient substitutionary work.  Enlightenment, not head-knowledge; Faith, not imagination; the Scriptures, not tradition; the Gospel, not philosophy; Redemption, not religion; the Person, not the story; the Blood, not baptism; Grace, not works; the Cross, not the crucifix; the Savior, not a church.

Christ's precious blood will end your fears and doubts.  He came to save lost and wretched sinners.  Bring your sinful soul to Him; He will never cast you out.  The blood Atonement of Christ gives rest to the conscience and glory to God.  Consider the Bleeding Substitute.  Come up close to the Cross and look into His marred face, thorn-crowned brow, bleeding shoulders, pierced side, nailed hands and feet.  Give the Suffering Christ your faith-look with the eyes of your heart.  Look now to Calvary; there is a bleeding love there that a guilty soul can lean on for rest and peace with God.

 Jesus bled to death on your behalf - for your personal sins.  He loved you and gave Himself for you.  He offered up Himself and died especially for you. He is the only Substitute for guilty sinners.  Trust simply in the Substitutionary Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and rest wholly and only there.  Trust your soul in the hands of Christ Himself - He took your sins upon Himself by His sinless and infinite substitution.  Jesus is the 'real' sinner's only Friend.  Your best works are evil works, forsake them.   Trusting in human merit at all is a fatal and damnable error.

Christ died to ransom you from sin's damning power.  Only the Holy Spirit can make you feel your sins and the eternal danger you face without Christ.  Trust Christ now, trust Him altogether, trust Him alone.  Rest in Christ, believing that He died for you personally.  Your soul's one and only hope for time and Eternity is Christ Jesus Himself, only Jesus, Jesus Crucified and Risen Again from the dead.  Faith in God's Blood is the way to Paradise.  Trust only in Christ's works, not yours.  Come to the Substitute and receive ALL for NOTHING, or you will receive nothing at all.  This is the central doctrine, the greath truth, the core of the Gospel - Redemption By Substitution.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Hang On to That

Every sinner must be saved by the Precious Blood of God manifest in the flesh.  You would be very wise to flee to Jesus for His mercy and forgiveness.  The chief concern of every lost man should be God's *Divine Justice*, because He will have to face that Justice all alone without the Lord Jesus Christ as His Mediator and Advocate.  *I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1*

If you get down to the heart of the matter, it comes down to the 'free' forgiveness of your sins against God.  When someone is wronged or injured – even in a little fender-bender – the injured party demands justice, someone has to answer for the damage done, it’s someone’s fault, either you or the other person.  The damage and cost just doesn't go away.  If it’s going to be put right, someone has to pay the cost.  And so it is with God.  There’s no way that God can turn a blind eye to all the evil you have committed that has damaged His absolute holiness and righteous law.

We have all sinned against God’s holy law in some way or fashion.  But the good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, has offered an all-sufficient satisfaction (Atonement) for all the claims of God's injured justice with His own sinless blood.  You see, it was needful that the Savior of man should be a man.  For a man had broken the law of God, and therefore a man must keep the Law for us, for only the sinless obedience of a man could answer the requirements of God's Law for us guilty sinners.  By the sin of a man, we all became subject to the curse and punishment of sin, and only by the sufferings and bloody death of a sinless man could the broken Law of God be vindicated.

The great invisible Creator God became a Jewish man, and came under the Law.  Jesus labored, suffered, and died here on Earth, especially for you.  He was really a human being just like us, but He was sinless, without any fault, so He was able to fulfill the perfect Law of God on our behalf.  Jesus of Nazareth is the true God and Eternal Life.

The way of Cain is to try and do your best and bypass the blood, and to trust in your own righteousness in some way to help satisfy divine justice.  Don't be a fool and die in your sins unprepared to meet your Maker, when you don't have to.  What is your confidence of eternal life?

JESUS - No better Friend (Matthew 11:19), No worse Enemy (Revelation 6:16). The atheistic carnal mind refuses to ask this question - How can I get rid of my sins? A sinner is a criminal, a lawbreaker, a pure rebel against the authority of the King of the universe. As long as your soul remains unregenerate, it still rebels against the mind and will of God. The greatest sin is to be enmity with God, and the most damning transgression is to reject Christ. Your flat-out rejection of the Son of God is a direct personal insult to the living, loving God of the Bible. As long as you remain at enmity wit God, you are liable to His righteous wrath. That's why you dread His name, refuse His Son, and avoid His presence.

By nature, everything in your inward nature is at war with God, and nothing but darkness. There is no light or life within the soul of a man until he is born again. Your depraved imagination leads to you think that there is no God, and that your own righteousness can help satisfy Divine Justice. The atheist has a one-track mind about sin - he loves it. Your inner nature is pure evil; you need a change of heart. The carnal mind has the tendency to exalt man and forget God. Now remember: JESUS - No better Friend (Matthew 11:19), No worse Enemy (Revelation 6:16).

Christ Jesus died for the ungodly, I am ungodly, so I trust to Jesus' blood, and now I am free from my sins' punishment, because Jesus has already paid my sins' punishment in full with His own blood.  It is written, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; I am a sinner; I put myself on the top of that list; I simply trust myself as a sinner with Jesus; I will never trust in myself; I believe only in Jesus' blood, and by believing on His BLOOD alone, I am now justified freely before God by His Son's Righteousness, and have joy unspeakable, peace and reconciliation with God.  Christ died for the ungodly - hang on to that, and you'll be glad you did.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Publishing Glad Tidings

The only Cure for your sinful habits is the Precious Blood - the Blood of Jesus Christ is the life of Faith, and the death of sin.  The Gospel is the sure remedy for your sin problem.  A man that is sick in body may be intending to take some medicine that a doctor has prescribed for him, but if he leaves the medicine in the bottle, he will never be benefited merely by his intentions to take it.  You see, the sick man must take the pill and choose to swallow the pill before the medicine will begin to help him within.  Likewise, you must take and receive the Remedy (God Incarnate's Precious Blood) that God has prescribed for the sin that plagues you within every day.  The matchless Medicine for sin-sick souls is God Incarnate's Precious Blood.  Religion will not tell you this.

Your great Creator became the Savior of the whole world at Calvary's Cross; His name was Jesus of Nazareth. He laid aside His majesty, so He could become a man like us and shed His precious blood to save us from our sins' curse and punishment.  The living God, the invisible JEHOVAH, revealed Himself to us in the person of His only begotten Son. *John 14:9; John 10:30* Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior for sinners.  How can ye escape the damnation of Hell?  Answer:  Simple childlike faith in the Precious Blood of God Incarnate.  If you have never trusted to Christ's Precious Blood, there is no life in you. *John 6:53*

This is life eternal - Christ Jesus is the one and only Mediator between God and sinful man, and if you want to find God in this life, you must find Him in the person and blood of Jesus of Nazareth - God manifest in the flesh.  There is no other way to know the true and living God. *Acts 4:12*  You will find Jesus by believing on His name, by trusting to His Precious Blood, and resting in His Righteousness.  You need Faith, not works; Faith is a miracle, a gift from God that enables you to truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is the faith of Christ. *Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16; 3:22; Philippians 3:9*  Salvation is not by your doing; Salvation is only by trusting, receiving, and believing on the Son of God.  Listen closely - Precious Faith in the Precious Blood that was shed by the Precious Savior.  Jesus alone is able to bestow His Righteousness upon the guilty.

You are lost in sin, divine Grace must save you, or you will be lost forever.  Eternal punishment will fall upon you unless you repent of your love for sinning, and then believe on Jesus who shed His atoning blood for you.  Please place your faith and trust in that Blood that can rescue you from the wrath to come.  Only the Holy Spirit can apply Christ's Precious Blood to your guilty soul.  Believe on the Crucified Creator, trust to the Risen Redeemer.

The free forgiveness of sins is the craving of every lost man's heart.  Death, Eternity, Judgment and Hell should not be played with.  You are a sinner (lawbreaker, criminal) by nature and practice, a willful sinner, who clings to his sins and own self-righteousness with an evil tenacity.  Only the grace of God can cause you to let go of your sins and lay hold on Christ.  The evil nature within you has deadly propensities, vile tendencies, and unclean inclinations, and those sins have brought your soul into captivity.  Your soul's eternal destiny is no small matter, and your soul's Salvation is no trifle.

One of the main reasons men neglect and reject Christ is because they are indulging in some secret uncleanness, or because they want to be accepted by this world.  Sinful man by nature does not love God; he avoids the Bible, the Gospel, and Christ Jesus.  By nature, the sinner stands out very proudly against God, and will not obey God's voice which is found in the Scriptures.  Human nature loves sinful hilarity and desires to be accepted by this wicked world instead of Jesus.

Christ Jesus the Lord died to save sinners, and now He justifies the ungodly freely by grace through faith in His Precious Blood.  Now understand - The Gospel is only intended for lawbreakers, the undeserving, the guilty, the ungodly, that means you.  The Gospel is not a reward for those who think they are good and respectable in God's sight. Come to Christ as a sinner, for He came to seek and save sinners:  humbly ask Jesus for His forgiveness from your sin's curse.

Be wise now - deposit your soul into Christ's divine Bank for safekeeping, or you will surely lose it.  The vital part of true faith is to practically and really believe on Christ Jesus by resting your eternal destiny upon His Blood and Promises.  If you are troubled, alarmed, distressed concerning your sins, and conscious of your guiltiness, come now to the Cross for Mercy.  The love and blood of a sinless man has made pardon possible for a guilty sinner like you.  Sin is your greatest enemy, and religion will  always lead you way from simple faith in Jesus Himself.  Come now to Jesus through a living faith in His Blood. Take fast hold on Jesus Himself.

O God, Jesus came to save the guilty, I am so guilty, I plead guilty, I know that I am sinner, I sense my guilt, right now I cast my defenseless soul on your promise to save sinners, have mercy on my soul, save me from the sins which I have committed against You, give me the faith to truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart by faith in His blood, I need Him more than anything, change my wicked heart, renew me within by your Holy Spirit,  I trust to Jesus' Precious Blood alone.  God be merciful to me a sinner now for Jesus' sake.  Thank you Lord!

After you are born again, if there is ever any real spiritual fruit from your life, it all must be ascribed to the Spirit of Christ's work in your life.  Give all the glory to Jesus, for to Him all the glory belongs.  I have no goodness to boast of, for I have been saved freely through what Jesus has done on my behalf.  Come and enter into His wounds, find safety in Him, live in Him, live with Him, live off Him, live for Him, live to Him.  My soul has been living off Jesus ever since I was born again.  Life seeks more life, and Grace seeks more grace.  Come now and worship God manifest in the flesh, and be filled with His light, love, kindness, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

The Message of Mercy

Here’s the ‘Message of Mercy’ that’s music in the sinner’s ears. Time is flying by, life is short, death is near, and Eternity is close at hand for you. Your life is very frail and could end any day. You have sinned; and your sins deserve God’s divine justice and recompense. The wrath of God abides on you rich now, because of your secret and public sins, and your rejection of Christ. God sees the sins of your youth as though they were committed yesterday. God sees your thought-life and imaginations. Your root problem is that you love sin. Everything you've every thought, said, or done has been done in the eye sight of God. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of God. The test of your character is how you treat people you don't need and that can't help or repay you. Jesus didn't need us, and we couldn't help or repay Him, but He still sought us and had Mercy on us, for His love and goodness' sake.

Every time you sin, you harden your heart a little more. And the harder your heart becomes, the more difficult it is for God to reach you and for you to respond to God. But God has provided a great Remedy for your sin. It is high time for you to make the wisest decision a sinner can make – TRUST the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Your good works are good-for-nothing and meaningless to God; you cannot help save yourself. All have sinned, there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good, and sinneth not. You are a sinner by birth, by nature, by practice, and by choice. You have no hope of forgiveness apart the bloody death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God cannot overlook your sin. If God ceased to judge sin, He would cease to be holy and just. God cannot let one sin of yours go unpunished. Your sin will either be pardoned by Christ, or punished in Hell, but it will never be overlooked by your holy Creator.

Now, there is nothing freer than a gift, and truly, there is nothing freer than the free gift of God, eternal life. *Romans 6:23* God the Father GAVE His Son to die for poor sinners like you. The eternal God, who made all things, was not willing that any should perish; therefore, He gave His Son to ransom you from sin's curse. God provided a Sinless Blood Sacrifice in Jesus of Nazareth to take away your guilt, and, to do this. God gave His Son to live and die here on this earth. God gave us Himself by becoming a Jewish man and then bearing our sins and dying for our sins. Repent of your sinfulness and renounce your self-righteousness, place and fix all your trust in the person of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, and His blood that was shed for ungodly sinners, especially you.

God is holy, man is sinful, Christ alone lived a sinless life, and then He became Sin, that is, He bore our sins in His own body on the Tree, He died for sinners and suffered the wrath of God for us all. Jesus died the death for sin that we deserved. Jesus was buried and raised again from the dead victorious over sin, death, hell, and the grave. He is ascended into heaven and is coming again to judge the quick and the dead. God now commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel of Christ. Submit to Christ's righteousness, fix all your confidence on His precious blood Atonement for sinful wretches. Trust Christ, not yourself. After Jesus saves your soul, love and follow Him in gratitude.

The Gospel is life changing, God honoring, Christ centered. The broad way leads to destruction in hell, and the narrow way, the way of the Cross, leads to eternal life. See Acts 4:12; John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5-6. Receive Christ, receive the Spirit of God within your body. Renounce your works and sinful ways, flee to the Lamb of God who died upon the Cross for you, find Shelter under Christ's blood from the coming wrath of God.

JEHOVAH GOD was manifested in human flesh. The Creator who had never been seen by the eye of man was veiled in human flesh. Jesus was God and Man in one person. He was the gift of Grace, the gift of Love, the gift of God’s own Self. The eternal Son of God came to earth to suffer as a Sinless Substitute, so that miserable wretches like us might not perish. God Incarnate bled and died for your sins to save you from the wrath to come. God gave His Son; the Son gave Himself to die; and by an act of faith; if you will TRUST HIM, Christ is your Savior forever.

The greatest proof of Jesus’ condescending love is when He came down from the Throne of Glory to the Cross of Calvary. “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) Jesus obeyed the Law of God perfectly and was without sin; He was absolutely pure in thought, word, and deed. He descended from Heaven to the manger of Bethlehem – then He stooped even further to bear your sins in His own body on the Cross. Christ Jesus, out of mighty love, came here to earth, lived, labored, and died, giving His whole life away, so that ungodly sinners might be saved freely through Him. He did not come to gain anything for Himself, but out of pure love, He suffered the wrath of God for you. He endured untold anguish even unto death on Calvary’s Cross for your redemption. Remember this – Jesus bled for your sins!

God so loved the world that He gave His Son, who yielded His life an Atonement for sin, and opened the Life Gate that all guilty sinners may go in. Behold, the Son of God did all this for your soul! After JESUS died for you, He was buried, and then He rose from the dead. Then He ascended, and is now seated at the right hand of God. He is alive right now, and He still gives Himself to those that TRUST HIM. Through faith in His Precious Blood, Jesus can save you from all the guilt of your sin, all the power of your sin, and all the penalty of your sin. This is the best news that lost sinners have ever heard. Jesus is the Great Savior for great sinners. HE is the only answer to your misery and fear of death. You're going to die and meet your Maker; you're not ready. You have no merit; there is not an atom of goodness in you - you deserve eternal death for your sins against God. You are spiritually bankrupt - you have nothing to offer God.

But God is ready to pardon you; He is willing to save you now, if you will but trust His Son. Christ died for ungodly and guilty sinners, not good people. Good people that are self-righteous and trust in themselves end up in Hell. Simply TRUST CHRIST (rely and rest entirely on what Jesus did for you) and your sins shall be pardoned. You will be saved in an instant – when you call upon Jesus’ name. Humble yourself and send out a ‘distress call’ from your soul to Heaven, and God will save you by His grace.

If you reject Christ, there is no hope for you, and if you neglect HIM, you will deliberately and willfully commit spiritual suicide. Believe the Gospel and live; if you refuse HIM, you will be damned. Only TRUST JESUS, fall down at His feet in repentance, confess your sins, and ask Him to deliver you. Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while HE IS NEAR.

When Christ Jesus died on Calvary's Cross, He died as a substitutionary sacrifice for sinners, "offering up" our sins for judgment and punishment by a holy God, and He simultaneously "offered up" Himself as the one who would submit to that judgment and bear that punishment for us. Jesus was able to do this because He was both the infinite Creator and the one sinless man, who needed not to offer a sacrifice for His own sins. He was willing to do this because He loved us and wanted to save us by His grace. Jesus suffered and bled and died for your sins, so He could save you from the wrath of God and eternal death.

The matchless doctrine of Christ's substitutionary blood Sacrifice is central to the Gospel of Salvation, and therefore precious to the saint. But its central importance also means that it is grossly offensive to the natural man. Many acclaim Jesus as a great martyr or moral teacher, but deny either His deity or His humanity, and certainly deny the universal efficacy of His shed blood in substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of a lost world. Nevertheless, Jesus did bear our sins, and He did completely settle our account with God. In both Hebrews 7:27 and 9:28, the word "once". Jesus did have to die once--but only once--as our sin-bearing Substitute.

Salvation is now Free to you, but it cost God’s Son His blood. Salvation is the free gift of God’s Grace, but you must seek it, you must call upon God for it. Do it at once! This is the ‘Message of Mercy’ - God’s Free salvation is only offered to lost and guilty sinners through God's Blood shed by Jesus Christ Himself. Whosoever believeth in Christ Jesus hath everlasting life. Trust Christ Now! Trust Him wholly and fully. Repent, that is, leave your sins and your dark master behind, flee to Christ, leave all other trusts, leave your self-righteousness, quit it all! Simply Rely upon Christ’s shed blood to save your soul from the wrath of God. God be merciful to me a sinner for Jesus’ sake! *Soli Autem Crucis - The Cross Alone*

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Your Sins, Your Soul 6

The very first thing you need to do in this life is to get your sins forgiven freely by Jesus Himself.  Ignoring and slighting Jesus Christ will only make your soul more guilty and sinful.  Your root problem is that you love sin.  The Lord Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, took your sins upon Himself on the Cross, and suffered their dreaded penalty.  Confess your spiritual destitution, turn from your love of sin to God, and lay your sin burden upon the Lamb of God, and make Him your personal Sacrifice and Substitute.  You can only be born again by the Spirit and Blood of God.  Know your blindness - seek Christ Jesus who can give you light and sight freely.  Only Jesus can forgive all your sins freely.

Your soul is precious; please don't lose it.  Jesus bore all your guilt, and your sins' punishment was laid upon Him at Calvary.  The free pardon of sin can only be bought with Precious Blood.  Feel the evil and bitterness of your sins against Christ who loved you to death, and be kind, forbearing and forgiving toward those who have sinned against you.  Your sins offend God every day.  Come on now, renounce your love for sinning, give up your folly with loathing, and trust only to Christ's atoning blood.  Earnestly hate your sins, and you will be gladder and gladder.  You should sorrow over your sins against such a loving, sin-forgiving Savior.  Messing around with religion is like spraying Febreze in a filthy home; it may cover up the stench, but it will never take away the dirt and filth that causes the bad odor.

Personally quit your sins today, and lay hold on Christ Jesus by faith in His finished work.  The only way you can hate and give up your sins is to love Christ sincerely and adoringly.  First, trust God with your soul through the Lord Jesus Christ, and then trust Him with everything else in this life.  Make Jesus your soul's entire stay, that is, rest the whole weight of your helpless soul upon the Son of God.  Coming to Christ means to just put your soul into His hands for safekeeping.

Neglecting and rejecting Christ is spiritual suicide:  the murdering of your own soul.  You must receive Christ into you spiritually by faith in His blood atonement.  He loved you, and gave Himself for you.     It is truly wretched and dreadful to love and die without Jesus Christ as your Savior and Friend.  Eternal Life will not cost you anything, but it cost Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, everything; He laid down His own life for you.

Your soul is eat up with sins, seek the Lord Jesus Christ at once, and obtain the free forgiveness of sins and the victory over sinning He can give to you.  Sins are like termites; they silently and slowly eat away at your soul, and then one day you fall into Hell.  Don't try to work for your Salvation, Salvation cannot be earned by human merit at all.  Don't try to add anything to Christ's cross-work, but simply lean the whole weight of your sins and soul wholly and entirely upon Him.  Own your sins, acknowledge your guilt, stop trying to save yourself.  Never think of self-salvation, for it is an impossibility for a sinner to save himself from sin.

Your guilt and sin qualify you for the Savior.  Flee from yourself, that is, your sins and self-righteousness, quit it all.  Self-righteousness is a respectable kind of evil.  Come to Jesus now by an act of faith in His precious blood which was shed to pay the penalty due to your sins.  Trust Jesus now with your sins, your soul, and everything else you can think of.  Care about God, despise your sins, pine for purity.  Think a great deal about Jesus every day.  The key to real joy is real love to Christ in your soul.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Where's my Bible?

What if we treated our Bibles like we treat our cell phones?

* What if we carried our Bible around in our pockets, in our purses, on our hips, or plugged into our ear at all times?
* What if we were troubled if we misplaced our Bible?
* What if we turned around and dashed back home if we forgot our Bible?
* What if we checked our Bible several times a day for text messages from our very Best Friend - The Lord Jesus Christ?
* What if we used our Bible to communicate with our Best Friend?
* What if we almost wrecked our cars, because we were hooked on our Bible so bad?
* What if we treated our Bible like we couldn't live without it?
* What if we gave our Bible to our kids as a gift, and they ran around the house shouting with excitement?
* What if we used our Bible when we traveled to stay in touch with our Best Friend?
* What if we took our Bible with us everywhere we went just in case we needed help in an emergency?
* What if we never were concerned about our Bible being charged?
* What if the Bible became our GPS system that directed us through life?
* What if we were addicted to the Bible as we are to our cell phones?

The Holy Bible gives us true security. There are no fees for going over your minutes in your Bible. You never have to worry about carrying your Bible into church, and you can always leave your Bible on at church.  And when you leave church, you should never turn your Bible off.

Monday, February 10, 2014

The Two Kingdoms

In the Holy Bible, there are two kingdoms, only two - the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. By nature spiritually, every one of us is born into the kingdom of darkness and are under the power of darkness (See Luke 1:79; John 8:12; 12:35; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 1:13; I Peter 2:9; II Peter 1:11; I John 2:11). The King that rules over the Kingdom of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. The king that rules over the kingdom of darkness is Satan (Luke 11:20-22); he is the god of this present evil world (II Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 1:3). Is the devil your king, or is Christ Jesus your King?  There must be a change of kings in your heart and life.  Men may think they worship Allah, or Buddha, or some other god, but if they are not born again, they are in the kingdom of darkness, and they are doing service to the king over all the children of pride, Satan himself.

Just as the Iraqis were born under a tyrannic ruler called Saddam Hussein, even so are sinners born under a evil tyrannic ruler called Satan in a dark, miserable country called Sin. The Iraqis lived under Saddam Hussein vicious rule until someone came and liberated them. Until then, the Iraqis had no way of escape. Likewise spiritually, there is no way out of the kingdom of darkness which we dwell in spiritually, until Christ Himself comes and redeems us from the power of Satan's rule over us. The only way to escape the kingdom of darkness and Sin is to beborn out of it. Every man is born in spiritual darkness; Adam's sin put out our eyes, we are all born without a spiritual optic, all of us are born blind and helpless.  If you are not born again by the Spirit of God, you are in your natural sinful state, and there is no hope for you outside the moving and working of the Holy Spirit in your heart.  

That's why Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." The only way to depart the kingdom of darkness and enter God's Kingdom is through being born again, the New Birth, that comes from above by the work of the Holy Spirit in our dead, sinful souls. Our sin is obnoxious to God, it condemns us before His bar of Judgment. Ye must be born again. It is an impossibility of you being saved and having your sins forgiven without being born again.  The New Birth is the all-important change which must take place within your evil heart. You can only be born again, born from above, through the operation of the Holy Spirit. The New Birth is a radical, thorough, real, entire change of heart and mind.

There is no possible way of getting into the Kingdom of God by you lifting yourself up by your own character and good resolutions. None of these will satisfy Divine Justice and bring you safely into the presence of a holy God. You must be born from above, God must reach down in mercy and lift you up from where you are, in Sin, to where He is, in Holiness and Righteousness. You live in this world of ungodly men. You are a man, you are in the flesh, you have a human spirit in your body, and it will never be more than a human spirit. That human spirit lacks Life, because it is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1; I John 5:12). That human spirit of yours is searching for something everlasting and immortal, but God must reach down and lift you up into His family and make you His own through the Blood of His Son. 

You must be born from above - this is an absolute necessity. There are no other options or alternatives. You are a sinner; you are presently under the power, guilt, penalty, and condemnation of your sins. You need Life within - that is the essential thing. You may have everything else, but if you don't have Life, you do not have anything. The New Birth is a necessity that rules out everything else. It rules out your self efforts, turning over a new leaf, religiousness - it rules out all human wisdom and abilities. Your human efforts can never satisfy Divine Justice and give you Life within your dead spirit. Man's side of the New Birth is *Believing* (receiving Christ Jesus into yourself by faith), and God's side is *Regeneration* (giving the sinner Eternal Life through the power of the Holy Ghost). God reaches down and lifts you up out of your sin into Life Eternal (John 11:25; 14:6; 17:3) when you personally take and receive God's Son into yourself. Come to Jesus now by Faith, and Rest your soul's whole weight upon Him.

You were born into a very bad family: the family of Adam. You need to make a family switch and change families. You need to be adopted into a new family. This is a crucial change. Your physical ancestor is Adam who was created by God in Genesis 2, but then Adam fell into sin in Genesis 3. You now have Adam and Eve's DNA in you. But Adam's deadly sin nature has also been passed on to you from your parents (Psalm 51:5). Your very nature is polluted with the evil of sin. Your relationship to Adam guarantees that your outcome will be eternal death (Romans 5:12; I Corinthians 15:21-22). Only the Holy Ghost can send home the word of God to a sinner's heart, apply the truth to a man's guilty soul, and plant the Gospel seed deep in the ground of the heart and make it stick and take root.

You must Return to God by the way of the Cross. There is no other way on this earth to Heaven but through faith in the Atoning Blood of God's Son. Men have invented whole religions and theories (evolution) to prevent coming to Jesus Christ's Blood for free salvation. Human nature would rather try to work its way to heaven and end up going to Hell, than trusting the Man who loved them to death, a bloody death on the Cross. Your secret sins are in the light of God's countenance, God sees you all the time, He knows what you're up to. God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. God knows the secrets of the heart. 

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel. That's what troubles the sinner's conscience. The only way you can avoid hitting the Judgment and suffering eternal damnation for your sins against your Maker is to trust and receive the Sin-Bearer, Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh. Christ Jesus is the one Person who paid for your sins, so you wouldn't have to pay for them. Evolution is a pipe dream for grown ups, it was dreamed up to give those folks who love sin some fig leaves to hide behind here on earth. If you reject the Way (John 14:6) that God gave you to stay out of Hell, because of your bitter pride, you will wind up in a Lake of Fire.

The first birth also means, as a sinner, your 'spiritual ancestor' is Satan (John 8:44; I John 3:9-10). When Adam yielded to Satan in the Garden of Eden and sinned against God's words, Adam's spirit and soul died, and he became a child of Satan and partook of Satan's evil nature. If you are lost in your sin and without Christ today, you are kin to the devil. Having the devil as a spiritual father means your inevitable outcome is eternal judgment. All those souls in the devil's family, and not in the family of God will share in Satan's final outcome - the lake of fire. 

What every sinner needs is a NEW BIRTH, a new Father, and a new family. The only way to get a new father is to experience the NEW BIRTH of the Spirit of God. The NEW BIRTH cannot be accomplished by human energy. The best we can do will never suffice. Jesus said, "Ye must be born again" (John 3:7). When Jesus says "MUST," we had better listen very closely. We must realize and acknowledge that we are sinners to the core, we must receive the work of the Spirit in our hearts. Religious works and experiences can never bring the NEW BIRTH to pass in your soul. Your religion or reformation can never eradicate your sinful nature. Turn from your dead works and selfishness, let the Spirit of God wash you clean with God's blood and give you a NEW NATURE inside. God's family is only entered by the NEW BIRTH (I John 5:1; I Peter 1:3-4; Eph 2:19; Eph 1:11,18).

The reason why the Bible cannot be tolerated by lost men is because it treats "man" as a fallen, depraved, degenerate, sinful rebel whom his Creator will not accept on the grounds of his "humanity"- his First birth. In the Bible, the Lord God of Heaven and Earth demands a SECOND birth. All humanists, atheists, evolutionists, and pragmatists believe that "man" ("mankind") is the "measure of all things." The New Birth is a supernatural change within a man's nature that he cannot perform upon himself. The New Birth is work of God alone within the heart of a man. Let a man try to be as good as he can, let him be religious as much as he likes, but unless he is regenerated by the Holy Ghost, and has the New Birth, he still remains lost and ruined. There is one great distinction between men on earth, it's not their nationality, race, or religion, it's their spiritual state - every man is either a child of God, or a child of the devil, he is either born again, or dead in trespasses and sins.

The lost world thinks that MAN is the ABSOLUTE supreme authority when it comes to ethical and moral standards, conduct, motives, goal setting, progress, and knowledge-just as he "is"- without any New Birth. In short, this is why all eight major "religions" (Catholicism, Protestantism, Greek Orthodox, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Judaism) emphasize man's ability to get to "Heaven" or "Paradise" or "Samadhi" or "Nirvana" or "Prajna" or the "Happy Hunting Ground" or "Valhalla" or etc., blah, blah, blah) by self-effort with no "new birth" required. If you die without the NEW BIRTH, you will bust hell wide open. "Religion" has always been the shortest shortcut any sinner could take to get to Hell; the road to the lake of fire is "paved with good intentions" (positive thinking about yourself) the whole way (Matt. 7:22; Prov. 14:12; Rom. 10:1-6; Ecc. 7:20; Psa. 39:5; Isa. 64:6).

"Religion" is a set of WORKS that sinners do to make themselves feel comfortable when they have a bad conscience (see Gen. 3:10). The Bible defines it as "the FIG LEAF factor" (Gen. 3:7; Matt. 21:19). Religions will teach that you can EARN immortality by WORKING your head off serving their church or temple, and being a good little boy or girl, good enough to EARN eternal life, so you can reject Christ and His FREE GIFT of salvation (Romans 5:15,18; 6:23). All religions lead to the same place - the eternal lake of fire. That is why there are so many religions and why so many people follow them instead of 'scriptural truth.' "Religion is the quickest way to HELL on which you can travel. It is an 10-lane paved slick highway, 'fully-lit' at night, and marked all the way without one curve, bump, or stop sign on it.

All the world religions are different so they can give a self-righteous sinner something 'special' which he can hold over the head of someone else, they appreciate their own 'belief.' By studying your religion, you raise your own self-esteem because you convince yourself that YOUR religion is better than theirs, and THIS gives you self-confidence, this self-confidence is satanic and will end up damning you. Every man has a conscience (Romans 2:15) with or without "religion," and every man has defiled his conscience or disobeyed it a number of times (Tit. 1:15; Rom. 9:1; Acts 9:5; 1 Tim. 4:2). When a man defiles his conscience, he then invents a set of "beliefs" and "teachings" by which he professes to live; he may or may not live up to them, according to how big a liar or hypocrite he is. Ridiculous religious beliefs are a dime a dozen, new ones come out every month.

Religions such as Catholicism, Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventism, Taoism, Humanism, Greek Orthodox, Islam, Atheism, Buddhism, Christian Scientists, Baha'i, Church of Christ, Hinduism, Judaism, Charismatics, Shintoism, Agnostics, Protestants, Scientology, and Mormonism all have the same thing in common: they are all working their way to heaven in some way or fashion - they are just all different paths to the Lake of Fire that Satan has drawn out for self-righteous sinners that love themselves and reject Christ Jesus. All religious folks that trust in themselves and their religion do end up at the same place - The Lake of Fire. All religions are based on guilty consciences and self-righteousness no matter what 'beliefs' or 'teachings' they invent (I feel guilty, so I better go do better).

The purpose of all world religions and higher education is to destroy belief in 'absolute truth.' They will try to teach you this, all truths are 'relative,' and you are your own final authority, in other words, believe in yourself, you are God (Genesis 3:5). Man's sinful nature always tries to sidestep, duck, and dodge the truth of scripture, he loves 'relative' truths, he will avoid finding 'THE TRUTH' at any cost. Their alibi for sidestepping the truth is always "love" and "concern for others" or "being sensitive to others" or "a willingness to reach out and touch others" or "a meaningful exchange of ideas" or "doing good to your fellow man" or "making the world a better place to live in," "improving relations" or "building bridges" instead of "fences." They say, "Don't rock the boat, just believe whatever you think is right, just don't upset anyone. Let's get everyone to love each other at the expense of the absolute truth of scripture." But remember, Jesus Christ IS 'absolute truth' (See John 14:6). Modern man cannot tolerate truth; he must have his own opinions, delusion, deceit, equivocation, and counterfeit religion in order to carry out his purpose driven life in a seek for hope and change.

Your GREATEST NEED in this temporal life is to get out of your old family (Adam/Satan) and be 'born again' into a new family (Jesus Christ/God) through the NEW BIRTH. You need to switch families as soon as possible. Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, left His majestic throne in Heaven, so free, so infinite His grace, He emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race (See Romans 5:8-9; 8:3; II Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13). Jesus Christ bore our infected sinful nature, our rotten sins, in His own body on the tree, so that we could freely be given His sinless nature (righteousness) freely by faith in His precious blood. 

The NEW BIRTH comes through the simple gaze of faith at the Bleeding Lamb of God on Calvary's tree (John 3:14-16). You can't work up this faith - it is a gift of God - not of works, lest any man should boast. Don't look at your faith - look to Christ, He will give you faith and repentance freely. Believe in Christ alone, looking only to the Cross. Give up your dependence on yourself, your cleverness, your self-improvement, your plans of doing better or becoming religious - just look to Christ and receive the New Birth and everlasting life. The 'good life' is eternal life, and a life that God approves of, that's the Good Life.

Christ Jesus is Everything!

Keep to this one point, and you will do well — “I am nothing: Christ Jesus is Everything.  I am sin: the Lord Jesus Christ is my Righteousness.  I am death: He is my Life.  I am empty in myself, but full in Him; weak in myself, but strong in the LORD.  I look to Immanuel for everything; I trust not in my doings, or feelings, or attainments, but I simply rely on JESUS only.” Keep to the Cross as guilty sinners needing cleansing through the Precious Blood, and find all your Salvation there.  Continue to fight with your sins through the power of the Holy Ghost.  Keep to Christ's Cross for power to subdue your inward and overt sins.

Let's go now to the Cross, simply trust to the Atoning Blood, and give the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, all the Glory.  Think more and more of Jesus and His Cross, spend more time in mediation of His dear person, of His life, death, resurrection, and intercession. Seek more of His life, live more upon Him daily.  Live nearer to Christ; be led of the Spirit; behave yourself wisely and purely.  Keep to the Word of God and the good old way of the Grace and Blood of God.  All vices die beneath the shadow of Calvary's Cross.  If you stay away from the Savior, you will be defeated and undone.  It is either death unto your sin, or sin unto death. Die to your sins, or die because of your sins. Jesus Christ Himself is the whole of Salvation.  Humbly rest on the Savior's love, blood, and power, and say, "I'm a poor sinner, and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my All in All."

Always be careful, watchful, and prayerfully dependent upon God the Savior.  Slay sin with the sword of the Spirit, or it will slay you. Wage war on your sins continually through the power and help of the Holy Ghost. God save me from my sins, and from sinning against you. O forgive me Lord Jesus, crucify my sins and give me more Repentance and Faith.  Your sins must perish, or your soul must. O God, nail all my sins to Christ's cross.  You can count on Jesus now and in Eternity.  Resolve as a friend of Christ to love Him at all times.  Desire true holiness and purity within and without.  Believing obedience must be a reality in your Christian walk.

The Lord Jesus Christ has already merited Salvation for us, we must simply trust to Him.  Faith in His Blood is the Bible way to Heaven.  Tell out the Gospel, keep to the Gospel. Hate, detest, abhor, loathe your sins. It's not about what you can do, but about what Jesus is able to do.  I'm still a sinner, but still washed in the blood; still in myself guilty, but no guilt of mine is imputed to me any longer, for all my guilt and sin is laid on my Substitute.  All my doings are defiled, so I rely only on Christ's finished work to rescue me from the wrath of God. Holy Ghost, please mortify and subdue the power of sin in my life.

Carnal human reasoning says, "Where does the answer lie?  I am just living from day to day.  If Salvation is something we can't earn, there must be some other way than this free salvation through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ."  But you see, there is no other way, be wise now sinner friend, and heartily trust Jesus Christ, and no longer trust in yourself at all.  Love and adore Jesus, and you shall hate and avoid your sins.  Submit yourself to the way and will of the Crucified Incarnate God. Only Christ Himself can break the iron yoke of sin within you; no one else can do it.  Take Christ's yoke upon you, and you shall find Rest to your soul.  Christ must get all the glory in the conquest of self.

You must break off your sins, or you must perish by them. Only Christ Himself can set you free from sin's prison house. The bleeding, suffering, dying, risen Incarnate God is all my Hope and Trust. Give Jesus all your talents, powers, faculties, eyes, ears, members, emotions, judgment, affections, your whole manhood, and all that may come of it. Christ Jesus Himself is all my Salvation and all my desire. On the Incarnate God, Immanuel's Atoning Blood, I fix all my hope.  The substitutionary Sacrifice, the complete Atonement of Christ is all my confidence for time and Eternity. I am reconciled to God now only by the Blood of the Lamb of God.

Come unto Jesus now, trust entirely to His Atonement, believe on His blood, rest your soul on His finished work on Calvary, look only to Him, and your soul shall live forever. Rely upon Him alone for all your salvation. Jesus Christ has made a full Atonement to the divine justice of God for all human sin.  Divine Justice (Precious Blood) Sinful Man.  The divine weapon against inward and overt human sin is Jesus Christ's Blood Atonement. Always be prayerfully dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Teach others about the Atoning Sacrifice, free Justification by Faith, imputed Righteousness, the grace of Christ, the love love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost. Keep to the Holy Scriptures, the Scriptures only.  Nail your gospel colors to the mast. Walk very humbly, carefully, watchfully, prayerfully before God. Simple Reliance upon Christ's Atonement and His imputed Righteousness is the main point. I am nothing; and Christ Jesus is Everything.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Our Greatest Need

The born again believer's greatest need from day to day down here on Earth is the Holy Spirit Himself.  The "communion" of the Holy Ghost is key to our spiritual success, that is, communication with and obedience to the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Spirit is a real Person who is divine, omnipresent, free, omniscient, pure, omnipotent, sensitive, and infinite.  Religionists think you can convert sinners by vain philosophies, empty oratory, and superstitious ceremonies.  But the real Christian relies wholly, simply, and alone on the Spirit of the living God for his help.  The Holy Spirit must do the work within our hearts, or nothing will be done that truly lasts (effectual) and bears fruit for Jesus' sake.

We have no ability or strength when it comes to increasing the kingdom of God, and without the Spirit of God we can do absolutely nothing.  We must depend only upon the power of the Holy Ghost in spiritual work.  In order to preach and teach the gospel of the grace of God, we must have the unction (strength/energy) of the Holy Ghost, or all is in vain.  The Holy Spirit prepares our hearts, gives us right thoughts and words, and the genuine desire to reach the lost and saved.  We must be filled (controlled) with the Holy Spirit continually.  As a hand fills and controls a glove, even so the Holy Spirit must fill and control our daily behavior.

Sinners must be born again, and the Holy Spirit must do that work.  It is harder to create divine spiritual life in the heart of a sinner that is dead in his sins, than to try to put a soul inside a dead corpse after it has been dead for four days.  Religionists attempt to work the miracle of Salvation without the Holy Spirit's aid.  Our weakness is great, but the Spirit's power is infinite.  There is nothing ever done unless the Holy Spirit moves and gives His light.  The simplicity of faith in Jesus' blood alone comes only from the Holy Spirit.  Just a small spark or flame can start a wildfire, and the true reliance on and obedience to the Holy Spirit can start a work for God wherever you may be today.  The Holy Ghost is not bound by man's religious conceits, rules and regulations.  Now understand - Your insignificance and inability is the Holy Spirit's opportunity.  When you are weak, then are you strong.  Jesus must have all the Glory, for there is nothing in you to glory about.

Men and women today do not wish to hear about the God of the Bible.  Bible truth is unpleasant to the unregenerate religionist.  Religionists teach and preach themselves, not Jesus.  Men are trying to silence the Spirit of God in many ways today.  They don't read their Bible, they reject Gospel tracts, they refuse to listen to sound doctrine being taught and preached, and if they go to church, they only want to hear from a religionist that suits their sinful tastes.  The religionist thinks that the Holy Spirit can only speak through an "ordained" minister in their particular denomination.  But that is not how the Holy Spirit works.  The Holy Spirit speaks and works through who He sees fit - children, women, men, educated, uneducated, poor and rich.  God will not be without a witness on this Earth; He is never at a loss.  There's always a small remnant of folks truly witnessing for Jesus.

The "spirit of this age" is Satanic, and it does not believe anything is a sin anymore.  This is the spirit that works in the children of disobedience today.  Any man who is not born again of the Spirit of God is in his natural state, and is currently dead in his sins and abiding under the wrath of God.  *Ephesians 2:1; John 3:36* Human nature is wrapped up in worldly gain and applause.  The lost man's heart is sin-loving, hard, indifferent, careless, blind, and calloused toward the words of God, but the Holy Spirit's power can still reach into that heart.  Only the Spirit's ability can give a sinner a new heart, tender conscience, and right spirit within.

Beware when any man tries to sugarcoat sin, and call it some name that makes it sound acceptable.   What this world still needs today is the Gospel, Christ Crucified; the old, old story of Jesus and His bleeding love toward sinners.  Simple Gospel truth will win its way in the hearts of sinners.  Look now to the Cross, fix your heart on the Lamb of God, and find eternal life in the blood and wounds of the Crucified Creator.  According to your faith in Jesus' Precious Blood be it unto you.  Jesus still saves men from the love of sin, even today.

Your sins are a knot you cannot untie.  Take Jesus Himself to your Substitute and Sin-Bearer.  Take Him to be your very own Savior from the love of sin and the wrath to come.  Appropriate the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in His Blood.  First and foremost make Jesus your very own God, Savior and Friend; make Him your primary possession in life.  Jesus is the highest Good any man can possess.  Make Jesus everything in your heart and soul.  Intentionally choose Him and receive Him by faith now.  All of Biblical truth can be condensed into two syllables in that matchless name - "JESUS."  The Holy Spirits puts up with our bad thoughts and behavior throughout every day.

We cannot comprehend the great God of the Bible, but we can apprehend Him with the help of the Holy Ghost by faith in Jesus.  He who speaks of God but never obeys Him is nothing but a practical atheist.  "Holy Spirit, with of all of my sins and imperfections, I desire that my life will be obedient to You, I want to do that which is right and good, true and kind, according to the mind of Christ."

You are in a sad state indeed without the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.  If you desire to have Christ, you may have Him now.  What is the price?  Nothing at all; only receive Him freely.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; that is, simply trust yourself with Him.  Continual resistance of the Holy Spirit will lead to the withdrawal of His presence and working, and inevitably result in your eternal ruin.  Jesus said, "Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out."  What sort of people will Jesus receive?  Sinners.  When can the sinner come to Jesus?  Now.  How can the sinner come to Jesus?  The sinner must just trust - trust to Jesus' Name, Blood, and Person.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust to Jesus now.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

God Remembers

And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged.  And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.   And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.  And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.  I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.  And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.  Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.  Remember me, O my God, for good.  Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.  Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.  

And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer.  For God knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.  Who remembered us in our low estate: for His mercy endureth for ever.  And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.  O Lord, Thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in Thy longsuffering: know that for Thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

O Lord, I have heard Thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember Mercy.  Remember Lot's wife.  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into Thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.