Long, Long Ago

Christ Jesus created, owned and ruled the entire universe, but He was born in a cattle-shed in Bethlehem-Judah 2,000 years ago. Long, long ago, in a stable at night, it was cold, dark, and damp, they were surrounded by the stench of animals and manure. The inn was overcrowded that night; there was no room for Jesus. The hearts of men are overcrowded today; there is still no room for Jesus. Jesus’ first crib was a borrowed feed trough. The animals there in the stable that night loaned their home to their Creator. Jesus stooped very low to die for despicable sinners like us. Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. He humbled Himself and put on the rags of humanity. He lived a life of abject poverty, submission, subjection, perfect obedience, and selfless love. He was born to be the final sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the whole world.

Christ Jesus, the King of Heaven, left glory and His royal throne on purpose. He was born to die so that sinners could be saved from God’s wrath and have eternal life. He came from Heaven to earth, so we could go from earth to Heaven. He was born of a Jewish peasant, a virgin named Mary; He was born so low and destitute. He went from riches to rags, so we could go from rags to riches. He borrowed everything He had through life. The holy child Jesus was nursed by Mary, and baby Jesus learned to walk and talk just like we did. God Himself became a poor man. The Infinite became an infant, The Holy One of Israel became a human, the Most High God became a man, and the Creator became a creature. Immanuel, God with us, came to this sin-cursed earth to die so we could be with God in Heaven. Jesus carried the rugged Cross from Pilate’s judgment hall through the streets of Jerusalem as the cruel mob hooted at Him. He was brutally nailed to the Cross; the soldiers nailed Him there in your place, so you could be saved by God’s redeeming grace.

Long, long ago, there on the dark hill called Calvary, Jesus willingly bled and died for dying sinners. No greater love for mortal man has ever been known. The heart of the Atonement is that the pure, spotless, sinless Savior bore our sins (John 1:29) and became Sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13). He suffered the wrath of God that was poured out on human sin when He was nailed to the Cross for hours and hours and then at the last, He cried, “It is finished.” Christ on the Cross was the bleeding God dying in the place of sinful man. Jesus satisfied the justice of God and paid your sin-debt in full. Then they took down His broken body from the tree and carried Him away and placed Him in a lonely, stone-cold tomb. The Jewish and Roman authorities thought they done away with Jesus once and for all. But three days later, on the most glorious Sunday morning ever, the stone was rolled away and the Lord Jesus Christ arose victoriously over death and hell. Then forty days later, Jesus ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

The Word was God and He was made flesh; the eternal God condescended to earth. (John 1:14) Christ was more than just a baby in a manger that people think about at Christmas and Easter, He was fully God and fully man. Christ is both God and man, and He is the only One able to reconcile your soul to God. Christ represents us as a man and redeems us as God. (See Matthew 1:18,23; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:31-35; I Timothy 3:16). Christ’s sinless obedience to the law of God and His atoning blood sacrifice as a man was required to redeem sinful, fallen man. Jesus Christ was born sinless and lived a sinless life, and then He suffered the death penalty for the whole world through His bloody death, and then He came back to life and gloriously resurrected. Jesus bore the wrath of God for your human sin. Your sins are infinite because they were committed against an infinite God and it would take an infinite amount of time to pay the penalty, so God became a man to bear the weight of your sin against an infinite God. Only God could pay this infinite penalty - Christ was fully God and fully man.

Christ Jesus came to Earth to bear the sins of the whole world, it pleased the Father to bruise Christ, God laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all, you sins were placed upon Him, Christ bore in His human body on the Cross your weight of sin. He was wounded for your transgressions; He was bruised for your iniquities. Eternal Death was the wages due for your sin, and He paid the death penalty that your sins deserved, He bled and died for you personally. Because Christ is God, He was able to pay the penalty for all your guilt, and then He rose from the dead, and now He offers to you to full and free forgiveness of sins and eternal life freely. Jesus offers salvation freely only to ungodly sinners, to all hopeless wretches that stop trusting themselves and what they are doing, and trust completely in His penalty-paying sinless, blood sacrifice to save their soul.

Christ came to bleed for your sins and die the death you deserved for sinning against a holy God. The Lawgiver came to die for the lawbreakers. For God so loved the world of sinful men that He gave His only Son on Calvary’s Cross. He came to bring God’s bleeding love and the new birth to fallen man. Jesus was born to die on Calvary’s Cross for us vile and rebellious sinners, He was born to set sinners free, Jesus was God Himself in human form with God’s blood flowing through His veins. The death of Christ the Lord was for your immortal soul. It took God’s divine love to save helpless and ungodly sinners like us.

Pride and the love of sin makes the heart incapable of repentance, but the Holy Spirit comes with His power to persuade. Turn to God, that is repentance unto life.  Humbly ask God for faith, repentance and remission, and then gratitude. Genuine Repentance that comes from God causes you leave where you walk, stand and sit spiritually - in darkness, ignorance, indifference, self-righteousness, and the love of sin.  Divine Faith, a gift from God, leads to you come to a childlike reliance in the true and living God, The Lord Jesus Christ.  Freely take from Jesus His mercy and pardon that comes to us all through Faith in His Blood.

Now, Jesus will save all sinners to the uttermost that come unto God through Him. We deserve to be damned; we have willfully and wickedly offended and sinned against God. We cannot help save ourselves. We can only ruin and imprison our souls, but we could never rescue and redeem our souls. Your sins cannot escape unpunished, so let Christ answer for your sins. Christ Jesus is living right now and is seeking you. Most sinners today either hate Christ or ignore Him, but few trust HIM. The very wisest thing you can do is seek mercy from Jesus Christ in prayer. “Great God, save me, I'm a self-ruined sinner! Save me, forgive me, have mercy upon me! I renounce all my merits for I have none; I deserve to be lost and damned; but Lord, please save me now, for Christ’s sake.”

The Voice of Faith

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) availeth much. Prayer is the voice of Faith earnestly seeking to obtain Mercy and Help from The Almighty - The Lord Jesus Christ. It's never too early to pray, and it's never too late to pray. When in doubt, always send a knee-mail to God and seal it with Jesus' name and blood.

This Man

And when Jesus was come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not His mother called Mary? and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in His own country, and in His own house.

And when the sabbath day was come, Jesus began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? The Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. And the dying thief said, we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And when the centurion, which stood over against Him, saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. But this man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people's: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself. But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.

For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a Ransom for us all, to be testified in due time.

The News Media

The mainstream news media - an endless loop of vain deceit, democrat cheerleading, distraction from truth, hype, socialism promotion, devilish sway, dissimulation, mindless chatter, divisiveness, falsified polls and statistics, inciting of fear, profane babblings, immoral brainwashing left-wing propaganda, vain talkers and deceivers, censorship, deception, and self-affirmation.

Desires After God 2

The divine nature given to us by the Spirit of God pines after God, longs for Christ's presence, and sighs for the comfort of the Holy Ghost.  The carnal man doesn't sigh after heavenly things.  We need a real hunger after God and His holiness.  The pure desires are infused into us by the Holy Spirit after He regenerates us.  These desires are increased by the Holy Spirit, instruction in righteousness, and communion with Christ.  We sigh and long to be where Jesus is, and desire to be more like Jesus - tender, loving, brave, prayerful, compassionate, obedient, meek and lowly, self-sacrificing.  Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, aiming only at His glory and honor.  Lord, please give me an all-consuming desire for the glory of God.

Sin cripples the desire for holiness and purity, and dampens the aspiration after goodness and godliness.  Leave the world, take up your cross and follow Jesus, forsake the pursuit of vanity, lay hold on eternal life.  Stop wasting your thoughts upon the cares of time; think more about the matters of Eternity.  Why will you continue to be companions with those who love sin and mock God and whose cause is evil?  Why will you continue to neglect Christ and remain an enemy of God and exist here in time in a lost state?  Desire to love to Christ's glory.  My ambition is to serve and please Christ.  If we could we would live without sin, for we hate and loathe iniquity.

Without a saving interest in Christ Jesus, your soul is lost to all Eternity. Put your soul into the eternal custody of Christ.  It is a matter of first priority to acknowledge Christ, that He is God manifest in the flesh, crucified and risen from the dead.  Acknowledge Christ by receiving Him as your Substitute and Redeemer, trust to His Blood and Righteousness, owning Him as your Salvation, your only Hope, and your closest Desire.

Remain deeply grateful for Christ's Atoning Sacrifice.  Spiritual, intense, fervent, thoughtful.  Build your life on the Rock of Christ's Love - sincerity, pure desire, the work of the Holy Spirit, and be not deceived.  Desires after holiness, self-denial, communion with God.  Self-righteous human nature measures itself by the law of God, and other vain traditions set up by lost religionists.  I desire to know God's will and do what He bids me to do. My highest honor is to be a servant of Christ.  It is for Jesus that I live, and His glory is my highest aim.

Are you God's servant?  A servant does not do his own will or wishes. A servant takes his orders from his master's mouth and eye. Have you submitted your will to God's will?  Are you no longer controlled by a proud and high spirit?  My lifework is to win men and women to faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

My heart is full of loving devotion to Christ Jesus. My heart pants and has an earnest desire for Christ's coming.  A good soldier contends earnestly for the Faith, and fights incessantly against his own sins, evil habits, proud thoughts, and corrupt desires.  Your soul can never find true Rest in baptism or ceremonies.  That is like looking for diamonds in a dunghill.  Special gratitude for Jesus.

Ask the Holy Spirit to soften your heart, guide your judgment, direct your will, give you more repentance.  I pant to have God's own Spirit in my soul and His dear Son in my heart.  Tender conscience, desire after Christ, appetite for the words of God, love for grace, useful servant, led by divine impulses, sensitive to Spirit's leading.  Lord Jesus, all my desire is before Thee.

Intense desire and longings for the glory of God.  Seeking after more light and the fruit of the Spirit, sincere interest in divine things, worship God in all simplicity and earnestness of spirit.  Give over to Jesus all of your mental faculties, passions, desires and ambitions.  Ask the Spirit of God to increase your longings after the world to come.  Prepared hearts, longing appetites, holy aspiration, pure desires.  My great longing is to be set free from sin and self.  Hearty, earnest, intense longings after purity.

My worst problem and trouble are my own sins which are a daily plague and burden.  Sorrowing over sins against God, inward conflict with self, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, joyous gratitude.  Let gratitude permeate your entire life and faculties through and through.  Let gratitude compel you to do all for Jesus' sake.

Have you good thought for all but the Best person who died for you?  Have you admiration for Obama, Hillary, or Trump but none for Jesus?  Have you kind thoughts of gratitude for friends of yours, but none for the Best Friend a sinner could ever have? What can I do today to show Jesus my gratitude?  Think soberly of Eternity, and think seriously of the world to come.  Love of sin, indifference, careless, covetous, worldliness, give no thought to eternal matters, excusing sin.  Seeking the Lord Jesus fervently and frequently. Father, glorify Jesus' name today through my thoughts, words, and deeds.  Humble faith, fervent love, adoring gratitude.

Desires After God 1

Our personal, private prayers in Jesus' name are simply longings and desires after the living God Himself. These inward desires for God's fellowship and presence, and longings for His blessing and divine aid are given to us by the Holy Spirit after we believe on The Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit bestirs in us the impulse to pray and express thanks and praise to God. The divine nature given to us within when we were born again sighs and pines after Christ. No prayers, no life; no seeking, no strength. As soon as a baby is born, he is instantly crying for his mother's comfort and care.

Whatever your desires are, 

that's what your soul is.

Behold - A Bible Word

I want to call your attention today to a little Bible word - Behold.  In the Bible, the word Behold is put there by the Holy Spirit to draw your heart's focus and mind's attention to a great spiritual truth which you need to hear and understand.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. *Psalm 51:5*  Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. *John 1:29*  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. *Revelation 3:20* And the Lord said unto Ananias, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. *Acts 9:11*  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my Strength and my Song; He also is become my Salvation. *Isaiah 12:2*  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. *Jeremiah 7:8*  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. *Matthew 1:23* Behold, now is the accepted time; Behold, now is the day of Salvation. *II Corinthians 6:2*  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. *II Corinthians 5:17* And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. *Jude 1:14* Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. *Revelation 1:7* I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I AM alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. *Revelation 1:18*  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in Righteousness He doth judge and make war. *Revelation 19:11*  And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  *Revelation 22:12*