SALVATION--"WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD"

 Good Evening To All!

When the word "salvation" comes to mind, where do you go with it?   Are you of the mind that "I'm saved because I said I receive Jesus as my Savior and the grace from God saves me, or do you REALLY understand what Salvation truly is? 

There are many thoughts on it, such as the one above, or that grace is given to us to help TEACH us how to live for God and KEEP our salvation in tact.  Yes, you read right, keep it in tact.  It is possible to fall away and be lost. 

According to Matthew 7:21,  "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" and Matthew 7:22 goes on to say, "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works"?

God tells us that when we receive Salvation, we are to receive the Holy Spirit within us.  When this happens we are to "put off the old man" and put on the new.  This is talking about our nature, our character, our way of dress, our "worldly environment" as well as other things.  He says this because "worldly things" are not of God. 
Some people think, I am saved, I received the Holy Spirit within me, but I still tell dirty jokes, use profanity and wear clothing that shows off my curves, so I guess it's ok with God because HE didn't change me. That can be NO further from the truth.  Even when we become saved, that does not take our "free will" away from us.  God will not force us to do anything.  We still have choices to make.  The key is making the RIGHT CHOICE.

 We know by reading God's Word  what God expects from us.  He goes into detail in His Word as to what  He expects of us and gives us the blueprint of what we must do to enter into His Kingdom.  

This cannot be made any plainer.  We HAVE TO LIVE for God to BE SAVED, and spend an eternity in Heaven with Him.  Sin CANNOT enter into Heaven, which means if we want to end up in Heaven with God, we have to repent and change our lifestyles. 

According to Romans 12:2, our Father says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED (capitals are mine) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable; and perfect, will of God." This makes it so plain to me. When we become saved, this is what we should strive for.  He tells us to "come out and be ye separate, in other words, just because we have to live "in" this world does not mean we have to take on its ways.  The whole book of Romans teaches us how to live a holy life, acceptable to God.  This to me says it all.  If we are to be saved, if we really want to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior and reign with Him, Then we must abide by His Word and follow His Word.

Unfortunately, there are those who will be deceived into thinking that as long as you "mutter" those wonderful words, that you will be going to Heaven no matter what.  That is just not the case. 

Think about it logically.  It that is all it takes, then why did God establish His Word?  He could have just made it a history book, but no, He gave us guidelines to live by and to get into Heaven by.

In 2 Corinthians:6 (NIV) God tells us through Paul, "As God's fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.  (2) For He says, "in the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. 

I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

He goes on to say that we are to put no stumbling blocks in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.  (4) Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:  in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; (5) in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left.

He continues on in more detail, speaking about not being yoked with an unbeliever.  His reason for this is:  "For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?  What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  what agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?  For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said:  "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Now, before I go further, let me stress that He is NOT saying if you are a believer and your spouse is not, that you are to get a divorce, or you can't be around family who is unsaved.  He is saying don't partake in their worldly ways.  Don't let them influence you into doing the worldly things they do.  Just because they go out drinking doesn't mean you have to, although you should still go and visit them, go out to eat and so forth.  Just don't let them sway you into doing things that you know are against the will of God.  

(17)  Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."  (18) I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

2 Corinthians 7:1 says Having therefore these promises , dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

I know this post may seem a bit long, but this is SO IMPORTANT to me.  As a true Christian, I feel that is is our duty to God to spread His Word.  That is what He told the disciples to do, and His Word NEVER changes, therefore I pray that you will take what I have given you and really think about it.  I used the word "true" because there are people who "call" themselves Christians, yet they don't follow in Christ's ways.  They are Christians in "name only".

I ask you to Pray about it, read His Word and STUDY UP on Salvation.  Let the Holy Spirit "guide you into ALL TRUTH.

I hope you will use this as "food for thought" and chew on it a while, then digest it and put it into action. 

Have a Wonderful Day and May God Bless,

Making It Personal "An Intimate Relationship with God"

Good Evening to All!

You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do.  (John 15:14 NIV)

I have know idea what this picture is but  I couldn't get past the statement, so that was my reason for choosing this specific photo.  There could not be a truer statement, or a more significant one for this day and age. 

 "If you can't hear God, turn off the world's volume."

I was going to go another direction with this, but in light of the troublesome times we are in, the sad state of the world, and how close we are  to the coming our our Lord, I thought it best to stress the importance of developing a personal relationship with God, and reminding ourselves that while our Salvation is a wonderful gift, He still expects us to love Him, and live for Him to have that Salvation.  Anyone can be "religious" but it takes a personal relationship with God to be saved, and stay saved. 

It is possible to fall from God's grace. It is possible to harden our hearts to the point that we don't hear God's loving, still, small voice anymore.   All it takes is to quit listening for it, to start doing what WE think is right rather than what God wants.  The more we do that,  the further away His voice becomes. So let's get to studying, saying our prayers and talking to God just as though He is sitting at our dining table having coffee with us like any other friend, and develop that Intimate, Personal Relationship with Him.
 
The following is an article which I wrote some time ago for Associated Content before they changed to Yahoo Voices.  
 
An Intimate Relationship with God
   
It is so important for each individual person to have that special, intimate relationship with God for our Salvation. Not just because it will help us to get through our troubles, our saddest moods, or darkest hours, but also being able to feel the joy of knowing that He loves us so much and all He asks in return is that we love Him enough to trust Him and do His will. Our Salvation should be the "cornerstone" of our being, as it determines where we will spend our lives in eternity.

In my last article, titled "Salvation or Misconceptions" I wrote about what you might call the "prerequisites" of Salvation,  although I consider Acts 2:38 to be one of the most important scriptures in the Bible.

The reason I say this is because those 3 steps Begin the process of "being saved". From the accomplishment of those steps, it is a life-time journey and a life full of choices we must make as to whether we are going to live for God or not. These constant choices will determine whether or not we will stay in line with God's will and be saved.

Not only are we to repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, but we are to live our lives for God. This is where that "special" relationship comes into being. The more we get to know Him, the closer we will feel to Him and the easier it will be to live according to His will. 
It is not in the "human nature" to make sacrifices, especially to or for something or someone we cannot see or feel in a tangible manner. This is the reason to grow into this special relationship with Him.

We are to show people His love through our love and consideration of others. He wants us to be "doers" of His Word and not just "hearers", putting His words into actions. He placed us here to do just that. The Bible says, (1) And the King will answer and say to them,  Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

God wants a two-way relationship with us. He loves us so much that He died for us and all He asks in return is that we love Him also. When you love your spouse you would do anything for them, you talk to them, and you are constantly getting to know them better and better each day. The same applies to God.  To love Him, we must get to know Him by reading and studying His Word, as this is where we find His characteristics, His desires, and His expectations for us. To love Him means to pray to Him. He wants us to pray without ceasing. We should continually lift Him up by our godly actions, speech, and attitudes. Also He wants us to need Him; to ask Him for things.  (2)  And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

We must show our faith in Him, and things will come to pass for we cannot please God without faith. (3) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

People have said "I don't know how to pray". In God's Word, it states that  (4) there is a friend (Jesus) who sticks closer than a brother. It calls Him our "friend". Why then do people have trouble "talking" to God? If He is our friend, why can't we speak to Him like one in a regular conversation? It has been done many a time and gotten results just like when our petitions  are spoken in the format of "dear Father", or Our Father who art in Heaven.  As long as you talk to Him it doesn't matter how you say it.  Our prayers, and our praise toward Him can make the difference in our relationship with Him. 

The song "Unanswered Prayers" comes to mind. There is no such thing. He ALWAYS answers prayers. The trouble with people is if they don't see positive or tangible results, they tend to believe He isn't answering. He is. It might just be No, or Wait, it's not time yet. We have to remember, with God, there is no beginning and no end. He sees the past, He is in the present, and He sees the future. He always knows what is best for us because He knows where we came from, where we are and where we're going.

Whatever the case, you will get answers whether they are the answers you are expecting or not.  If you think about the content of this article and maybe even implement some of what has been brought to light within the last article and this one, you will have a richer walk with God and if you notice a BIG difference within your spirit. Take "baby steps". 

Even God says babies have to drink milk before they can eat meat. You have to start out small and work your way up. Our God is so vast that a person could study their whole life and still not know everything about God. It is not meant for us to know everything.

It is hoped that you have been given some "food for thought", and that you enjoyed the meal. Receive many blessings from this article.

References: The New King James Version Holy Bible
(1) Matthew 25:40
(2) Philippians 4:19
(3) Hebrews 11:6
(4) Proverbs 18:24

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

"NEW TESTAMENT SALVATION - BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"

Good Evening to All!

Before we get started on this post, I just want to make sure that you understand that while this is completely Biblically based, it is my intention not to teach, but to give you something to think about. Maybe it will bring some questions to your mind that makes you want to start looking scriptures up in your Bible, or even ask your own Pastors about them. It is not meant as a lesson as I don't have the teaching credentials let alone the degree or knowledge to do so. The things I post are taken strictly from the reference section of my Bible and the Scriptures.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism with, by, in or of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) is part of New Testament salvation (John 3:5) Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Romans 8:1-16; (1 Corinthians 12:13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14) In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Titus 3:5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

The phrase describes how the believer is immersed in and filled with God's Spirit. In Acts, the terms "baptized, filled, received, fell on, came upon, and poured out the give on" all describe this experience (Acts 1:4-5) And, being assembled together with them ,commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. (5) For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. More reference verses for this include Acts 1:4;10:44-47; 11:15-17; 19:1-6). It is promised to all who believe on Jesus and obey His Word.
(John 7:38-39) He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)More reference verses are Acts 5:32; 11:15-17; 19:2; (Galatians 3:14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Ephesians 1:13) Already quoted.

The bible records five historical accounts of receiving the Holy Spirit or (Holy Ghost) in the New Testament church: the Jews, the Samaritans, the Gentiles, the apostle Paul, and the disciples of John at Ephesus. This record actually establishes that this baptism of the Holy Spirit is for EVERYONE, and is accompanied by the initial sign of tongues. (Mark 16:17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. speaking in tongues means speaking supernaturally as the Spirit gives utterance, in a language the speaker has never learned. (Acts 2:1-11) (Luke 11:14) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Acts 2:39) For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Three of the accounts explicitly describe speaking in tongues as the initial evidence of receiving the Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, a sound of wind signified the coming of the Spirit and tongue-like flames signaled the availability to each person, but speaking in tongues "as the Spirit gave them utterance" was the initial sign of each individual filling (Acts 2:1-4). Tongues convinced skeptical, astonished Jews that the Gentiles had just received the Holy Ghost; tongues alone sufficiently identified this as the pentecostal experience (Acts 10:44-47; 11:15-17). The Ephesian disciples also spoke in tongues as the first sign of receiving the Spirit (Acts 19:6) Tongues are implicit in the other two accounts. An unnamed miraculous sign indicated the exact moment the Samaritans received the Spirit; its prior absence denoted they did not already have the Spirit despite joy, belief, and baptism, and it was so spectacular that Simon the Magician coveted the power to bestow the Spirit with this sign (Acts 8:5-19). Acts 9:17 mentions Paul's experience without description, but 1 Corinthians 14:18 says he spoke in tongues often.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the normal, basic New Testament experience with God, the birth of the Spirit. The Spirit is the rest, guide to all truth, adopter, intercessor, seal, earnest of the inheritance, and the sanctifier (Isaiah 28:11-12; John 16:13; Romans 8:15, 26; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:2).

The Bible is the sole authority for salvation. The basis of salvation is Christi's death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation comes only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; and the application of grace and the expression of faith come as a person obeys Acts 2:38, thereby receiving the new birth of John 3:3-5.

Someone can receive the Holy Spirit by repenting, having faith in God,k and asking God for Hisw gift. when a person receives the Holy Spirit, he receives power to overcome sin and live a holy life (Acts 1:8; Romans 8:4, 14). IF he LETS the Holy Spirit CONTINUALLY FILL (control and guide) him, he will bear the fruit of the Spirit and become Christ-like (Galatians 5:22-23).

The Answers to last night's Bible Challenge "Plagues and Afflictions" are as follows:

1. c ) speech impediment (Exodus 4:10-16)
2. d) leprosy (Exodus 4:6-7)
3. b) leprosy (Numbers 12:1-10)
4. a) a bronze snake on a pole (Numbers 21:4-9)
5. d) he was lame (2 Samuel 9:3-6)
6. b) Asa (2 Chronicles 16:12-13)
7. c) falling through an upstairs lattice (2 Kings 1:2-4)
8. b) the pool of Bethesda (John 5:2-4)
9. a) Ananias (Acts 9:17-18)
10. d) James (James 5:14)

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

"NEW TESTAMENT SALVATION - WATER BAPTISM"

Good Evening to All!

Contrary to "popular belief", water baptism is a very important part of Salvation. I have got scripture upon scripture to prove this statement. Not only that, it is a command of God that we be baptized. He doesn't care if we are baptized in a lake, river, baptistery or even a bath tub, as long as we completely go under water. After all, have you ever heard of getting clean by sprinkling water on yourself? If we expect to be cleansed of our sins we need to completely cover ourselves with water.

If God thought it was important for Jesus to be baptized, what gives us the right to think that it isn't necessary anymore? Yes, that is exactly what a lot of people think. I have had people (even people who say they are devout Christians tell me this. They claim it is just "symbolism". Well, yes, it is symbolic, it is symbolic of our love for Christ. That we want to be part of His family, to be buried with Him, and resurrected with Him. We are wanting Him to "wash our sins away" so that we can start our "new life" with Him being the center of it. There are a lot of "type and shadows or symbolism in the Bible, but that doesn't make it any less important that we are to follow God's Word and obey it if we want to spend our eternity with Him.

Water baptism. Water baptism is part of salvation. (1 Peter 3:21). It expresses faith in God by obedience to His Word. He that believeth and be baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16) Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41).

The scriptural mode of baptism is immersion in water, and only this method retains the biblical symbolism of baptism as a burial. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. (Matthew 3:16) (36)And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? (37)And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (38) And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (39) And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:36-39) Faith in Christ and repentance from sin are necessary to it's validity; thus infant baptism is not proper.

(6) And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. (7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: (9) And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. (10) And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (11) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:6-11) Acts 2:38 I have already quoted. And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Acts 8:37).

The Biblical significance of water baptism is as follows: (1) God remits sins at water baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16). God erases the record of sin and cancels its penalty. He washes away sins, burying them forever. (2) Baptism is part of the new birth (John 3:5; Titus 2:5). (3) Baptism identifies a person with Jesus' burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). It indicates he died to sin by repentance and is burying his past sins, the dominion of sin, and the sinful lifestyle. (4) Water baptism is part of the one baptism of water and Spirit that places believers into Christ (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27 and One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (Ephesians 4:5).

It identifies them personally them personally with Jesus and is part of the entrance into His family. (5) Baptism is part of spiritual circumcision (Colossians 2:11-13). The Bible teaches that baptism should be administered in the name of Jesus Christ. This means invoking the name of Jesus orally (Acts 22:16; James 2:7) and rebaptizing those who have been baptized some other way (Acts 19:1-5). The name of Jesus in the baptismal formula expresses faith in His true identity, atoning work, and saving power and authority. The name of Jesus is the only saving name, the name by which to receive remission of sins, the highest name and the name in which Christians are to say and do all things (Acts 4:12; 10:43; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 3:17). Thus using Jesus' name is the proper way to fulfill all the purposes for baptism.

The Bible records five historical accounts of baptism in the New Testament church that describe a name or formula. In each case, the name is Jesus (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; and 22:16). The Epistles also allude to the Jesus Name formula (Romans 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 1:13; 6:11; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12). Even Matthew 28:19 refers to this formula, for it describes a singular name that represents all the redemptive manifestations of the Godhead, and that name is Jesus (Zechariah 14:8; Matthew 1:21; John 5:43; 14:26; Revelations 22:3-4). Moreover, Jesus is the name described in the other Great Commission accounts (Mark 16:17; Luke 24:47).

I know I have been taking a chance doing this series. I understand that we are not all of the same faith and I am not trying to convert anyone. What I am doing is giving you scriptures to check into so that when I do talk about Jesus' Name Baptism, or the importance of certain symbolic gestures, you will know where I get my information from. This is not meant to be a "teaching blog" for I am not qualified to teach. All that I know is what God puts on my heart and what He has written in His Word. I hope you will take this as "food for thought". If it helps to get you motivated into "digging" more into God's Word whether you agree with what I say, or not, it will be worth it. Of course when I say "whether you believe what I say", I am talking about my personal dialog, not the scriptures, for those you MUST believe.

Tomorrow will be lighter reading, as it is Bible Challenge night. I do hope that you will take the time to look up some of these scriptures above. A lot of them I did not type out because this post was already so long. I hope that I succeeded in peaking your interest into the Word of God, and did not lose you because of its length. If I could have figured out a good stopping point before it got lengthy, I would have broken this post down into two separate posts.

As I have said many times, I write like I talk, and if you believe what my hubby says, I NEVER know when to quit! LOL!

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

"NEW TESTAMENT SALVATION - THE ACT OF REPENTANCE"

Good Evening to All!

I am continuing the topic of "Salvation" tonight with the "Act of Repentance".

I love this picture to the right. What better way to teach your children the way to repent than to show them by example?

Unfortunately, in today's lax times, repentance is taken WAY TOO LIGHTLY. You would be surprised at the people who actually think that as long as they make a trip up to the altar (if that) and tell God that they are sorry, then everything is ok, and they can go on about their business, with nothing changed, happy and "forgiven" and think they can go out and do the same thing over again as long as they make a return trip to the altar the next service.

These people are being deceived. By whoever is telling them this, and by themselves because they don't read God's Word enough to know the difference. I don't mean to sound harsh, but if people really and truly expect to be saved, STAY SAVED and enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they need to study God's Word. It's going to take more than just a little "common sense" or "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" attitude. Jesus says we must obey His commands. There are a lot more commandments in the Bible than the "Big Ten". It is going to take reading and study God's Word to know what exactly He expects from us for us to be allowed into His Kingdom. We are going to be judged not just by the Ten Commandments, but by ALL sixty-six books of the Bible when we stand before Him. As well as the need for having our names written in the Book of Life.

Now, to get to the "nitty-gritty of Repentance. Repentance is turning AWAY from sin TO God. These are Jesus' words about repentance. (18) To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness and release from their sins and a place and portion among those who are consecrated and purified by faith in Me. (19) Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, (20) But made known openly first of all to those at first at Damascus, then at Jerusalem, and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance. (Acts 26:18-20 AMP.)

Verse 18 was Jesus telling Paul what he was supposed to do, the last two verses was Paul explaining his actions to King Agrippa.

Repentance has three necessary aspects: an intellectual change (change of views), an emotional change ( change of feelings), and a volitional change (voluntary change of purpose). (God will not force us to change. We must do it because it is of our own free will). It includes recognition of sin; (when Jesus was sitting and eating with the publicans and sinners her over heard the scribes and Pharisees making comments to His disciples) Jesus said, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mark 2:17AMP.), This includes the confession of sin to God. Proverbs 28:13 AMP says: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (1:9) if we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [ everything not in conformity to His will in purpose,[thought and action].
Please let me interject here. This does not mean that we go up to the altar ONE time, ask for forgiveness and then all of our future sins are forgiven. We must "die" daily which means to ask for forgiveness every time we sin. This is true repentance This idea of "once saved ALWAYS does not hold water Biblically. , contrition, or godly sorrow which is sincere penitence or remorse, with true purpose of amendment. (Psalm 51:17; 2 Corinthians 7:10), and a decision to forsake sin (Proverbs 28:13; Luke 3:7-8). With repentance comes the willingness to make restitution for past sins as much as possible (Matthew 5;23-24; Luke 19:8).

Repentance is the first response of faith to the call of God. And saying, The [appointed period ] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel). (Mark 1:15 AMP). It is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO SALVATION. (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9). Without repentance, baptism is not effective, and without repentance a person cannot receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 3:19).

You may ask why is this so. It is because without repentance, you still have "issues" that come between you and God. How many times have you said something to someone or done something and apologized just so "you" would feel better, or so the other person would stop being angry or upset with you? I know I have been guilty, and I know I'm not the only one. Repentance is when you bear your soul to God. Cry out with sincerity for His forgiveness as well as the other people from whom you need forgiveness. When we have unforgiven issues in our hearts it puts a "wall" up of sorts between us and God and makes it hard for Him to hear our prayers asking for His help and forgiveness. If we go to Him with a clean heart and a right spirit, He will forgive us for our sins, but we must truly mean it and don't mistake it. He sees our hearts so He knows if we are sincere or not.

Not only that, if we continue to do the same thing over and over again, then we have not repented, therefor the above applies; ineffective baptism (so our sins have not been washed away), and we will not receive the Holy Ghost, which is given to us to help us on our journey of being saved. You see, the Holy Spirit is what teaches us How to Live for God, as well as guiding us into ALL truths. He will help us to stay on the right path IF WE WILL LET HIM. So He is definitely need to stay saved. We cannot do it on our own.

At repentance, a person begins to let God work in his life. He decides to turn away from sin and allows God to run him. As part of the turn from sin, God enables him to break away from sinful habits and desires. As part of the turn to god, repentance prepares the way for him to have a personal relationship with God, qualifying him for baptism of water and of Spirit.

The work of forgiveness and remission comes through repentance and water baptism
(Acts 2:38). Repentance deals with a person's sinful lifestyle, and baptism deals with the record and consequences of sin.

If you can't get your thought around repentance any other way, look at it from the stand point of following one of the Ten Commandments. "Thou shalt not lie". If you do not repent of your sins, and confess them to God, then in a sense, you are Lying by Omission. Even if God sees you sinning, His command is to confess your sins and be honest with Him. If you don't repent, then you are not in obedience with His Will. (My own way of thinking).

Tomorrow, I will be discussing the importance and significance of water baptism to Salvation.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

"NEW TESTAMENT SALVATION" Part 2

Good Evening to All!

Because Salvation is so important, I decided to extend my study of it. Of course as I mentioned very briefly in Monday's post, one of the aspects of salvation is Salvation by grace through faith. I also mentioned that a person can do nothing to save himself. No amount of good works or adherence to law can save him. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9. Salvation is a free gift from God, which man cannot merit, earn or deserve. The atoning work of Jesus Christ has made this free gift of salvation available, and the only way to receive it is to believe in Jesus and in the sufficiency of His sacrifice (Romans 3:24-28; 4:22-25).

Another is The gospel and the new birth. The gospel of Jesus Christ is pertaining to His death, His burial, and His resurrection for our salvation. (1 Corinthians15:1-4).

A person responds to the gospel, or applies the gospel to his life, by repentance from sin (death to sin, or changing our ways and turning away from sin), water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ (burial with Christ), and receiving the Holy Spirit (which is getting rid of our old ways and starting a new life in Christ) (Acts 2:1-4, 2:38 ; Romans 6:1-7; 7:6; 8:2)

Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). When someone believes in Jesus Christ and obeys Acts 2:38, he experiences the birth of water and the Spirit. He is "born again," actually becoming a new creation (John 3:3, 7; 2 Corinthians 5:27). At repentance and water baptism, he buries the old sinful lifestyle, the record of past sins, and the death penalty for sin. When he receives the Holy Spirit, he begins to live a new, godly life. Let me say that when a person receives the Spirit, the "new creation" is NOT forced on them. It is still our choice as to whether we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. If we do this, He will lead us into all truths and teach us how to live for God. We cannot do this on our own. He will nudge our spirit when we are thinking about doing something contrary to the Word of God, He will nudge our spirit if He wants us to do something for someone else, in the way of helping them, or even talking to them about God. If this happens, He will equip us with the Words or the means to do these things in His Name.

The reason I wanted to elaborate a bit on this is because I have run across people
who have actually received the Holy Ghost, but were disappointed because they expected to miraculously change their ways without them having to put out any effort. That isn't the way. Even with the Holy Spirit, we still have Free Will, therefore God will not force us to do anything. He wants us to come to Him and live for Him by our own choice.

On the Day of Pentecost, the birthday of the New Testament church, the apostle Peter preached the first gospel sermon to the crowds who had gathered to observe the newly Spirit-filled believers as they spoke in tongues and worshiped God. Convicted of their sins by his simple yet powerful message, the audience cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (They were asking what they needed to do to be saved.) (Acts 2:37)

Peter gave a precise, complete, and unequivocal answer: "Repent, be baptized everyone of your in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). Those saved in the Gospels were saved under the Old Covenant while they awaited the New. The New covenant did not come into effect until after Christ's ascension (Luke 7:28; 24:47-49; John 7:39; 16:7; Acts 1:4-8; Hebrews 8:14-17). Thus Acts 2:38 is the comprehensive answer to an inquiry about New Testament conversion, expressing in a nutshell the proper response to the gospel.

Not only did the Jews on Pentecost receive the Acts 2:38 experience, but so did the Samaritans, the apostle Paul, the Gentiles, and the disciples of John at Ephesus (Acts 8:12-17; 8:17-18 with 22:16; 10:44-48; 19:1-6). In short, the New Testament message of salvation is repentance from sin, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and receiving the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in tongues. Now before y'all turn me off because you may think that "speaking in tongues is not for us today, please let me remind you of this. Acts 2:39 says; For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.

God does not transcend distance, He transcends time. Therefore, when He says "afar off" He is talking about generations of people not distance. The gift of the Holy Ghost and the evidence of it by speaking in tongues is just as much for us today as in early Biblical times.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

"NEW TESTAMENT SALVATION"

I saw this picture, and it cried out to me; "this is what I went through for you why do you find it so easy to reject me, to be indifferent? Why is it so hard to do such little things as I ask to be saved from your sins forever and live with Me in My Kingdom? Don't you know that sin cannot enter into Heaven? Please take my death and resurrection seriously, for I want you to join me in My Kingdom, cleanse by the blood of the Lamb and washed white as snow."

Good Evening to All!

In the context of Scripture, salvation means deliverance from all the power and effects of sin, and it has past, present and future aspects.

There are many parts to the Essential Doctrine of the Bible. I can't go into all of them because I would be typing for a VERY LONG time. There is Salvation by grace through faith. Which in basic principle says that a person can do nothing to save himself. No amount of good deeds or good works , or adherence to law can save him This is stipulated by Ephesians 2:8-9.

Saving Faith. I think to me in my personal relationship with God This one is the one that truly spoke to me and made me hungry for the rest. It says To believe on Jesus includes believing His Word, and truly believing His Word includes obedience. Faith is more than mental assent. intellectual acceptance, or verbal profession; it includes trust, reliance, commitment, appropriation, and application. We cannot separate saving faith from obedience. (Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5; 2:6-10; 10:16; 16:26; Hebrews 11:6-8). Obedience to God's Word is absolutely necessary to salvation (Matthew 7:21-27; John 14:15, 23; Romans 6:17; 15:18; 2 Thess. 2:3-5; 5:1-3).

Faith is alive only through response and action (James 2:14-26). It is possible to have an initial degree of faith in Christ and still not be saved if there is not complete acceptance, commitment, and obedience (Matthew 7:21-23; John 2:23-25; 12:42-43; Acts 8:12-23; James 2:19).

Faith is the means of appropriating God's grace.It is the means by which people yield to God, obey His Word, and allow Him to perform His saving work in them. Saving faith , then, is
(1) acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the sole means of salvation and (2) obedience to that gospel (application or appropriation of that gospel).

There is much more to this topic of New Testament Salvation, but for the time being, I think I would like to just "hover" on this specific principle for a time.

I used to be a holder of the idea that all I had to do was go up to the altar, stand before God and the preacher and say I accept Jesus as my Savior, and that was it. I was to be saved forever more, no matter what I did. Of course I have always considered myself a Christian even when I didn't go to church, drank like a fish, and partied ALL THE TIME. After I "accepted Jesus as my Savior, I never gave Him a second thought.

First let me say I love Him and I'm so thankful that He saw the beginning from the end. That way He knew I would eventually come to Him and get serious about our relationship. I so appreciate Him not giving up on me.

That being said, I guess that is why I take this so seriously. If I knew 20 and 30 years ago what I found out 13 years ago, I would have had a much easier life. Not that everything would have gone my way or even been a bed of roses. I know I would still have gone through my trials and tribulations, it just that having faith that He would help me get through things would have released a lot of stress from me. Not to mention I would have been delivered from drinking and smoking A LOT sooner.

I know I kind of drifted off course, but I wanted you to know why I feel so strongly
about this aspect of Salvation. We have to have a relationship with God. It has to be personal. He wants us to realize and acknowledge that when He gave up His earthly body on that Cross that it wasn't to be taken lightly. Our freedom from sin and death was bought with His blood.

We owe it to Him to abide by His Word, because we belong to Him. Look at it this way. He is our Creator, He sustains us by keeping us alive, giving us His breath, and He has saved us from spiritual death by allowing His earthly body to be sacrificed for our sakes. It is only logical to come to the conclusion that for us to abide with Him in His eternal Kingdom, that we would be expected to do Him honor by living the way He wants us to live, and get to know Him and what He expects from us in His Word? Salvation is a gift, because it is given to us, but it is not a "free ride". He doesn't expect us to do anything extraordinary or unattainable. Just abide by His Word.

Staying "saved" is a life time journey. It is not a one time event. According to Paul, we are to repent, be baptized everyone of you (us) in the Name of the Jesus for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Speaking of the above verse, I am really embarrassed. In one of my earlier posts (I can't seem to find it now), I misquoted. I said Peter was talking to the Pharisees and he wasn't. He was talking to the Jews who had crucified Jesus. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to lead you astray. I hope you will forgive me.

Paul also said, He died daily.This is in 1 Corinthians 15:31. I keep thinking there is another verse that tells us This means He repents and gets rid of the old habits and whatever is in his heart that is not of God. In other words, we will be doing this until Jesus comes for us if we want to meet Him up in the air.

I hope that this gives you some "food for thought" about true Salvation. There are a total of One Hundred and Fifty Eight verses having to do with Salvation in the Bible. In the Old Testament they mostly are talking about "waiting for the Salvation of the Lord, or as In Isaiah and Joel speaking of prophecies.

In the New Testament, there are 42 verses on Salvation, and from Acts on, it is teaching us how to obtain that salvation which if asked I can look them up and give them to you.

I know I post a lot about this subject, but it is because I care, and I promised God when I started this blog that I would get His Word out and Salvation is the Most important Word from Him that I know. Actually there are two . Salvation and Repentance. Just know when I'm posting I am speaking to myself as much or more than anyone. I say these things not only to help those who may not know or understand, but also to remind myself of what I need to pay attention to and do.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

"ENTHUSIASM IS CONTAGIOUS-Always Be Ready to Explain the Hope of Your Salvation"

Good Evening to All!

I have read two different devotions today, but it was "uncanny how they seemed to fit right together.

"Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The woman said to him, "sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty." . . .

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, an d come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. what you have said is true." . . .

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did." . . .
John 4:14-18, 28-29 ESV

Jesus asked a woman a a well for a drink and that surprised her. Jewish men didn't speak to women, and certainly not to a woman in "her position." Most women drew water early, before the sun got too hot. This woman came in the middle of the day to avoid the other women as they would not have welcomed her.

Jesus always reached out to people shunned by others. He drew the woman into discussion, offered her living water, and revealed himself to be the Messiah. She left her water jug and ran into town to tel others, even those who had "snubbed" her, about Jesus. She was so excited about what He had said to her, and Who He was, she didn't care who she came in contact with, she just wanted to share the good news and allow them to see for themselves. This is a wonderful example of enthusiasm. The people went to see Him and invited Jesus to stay, and he visited for two days. The "woman's at the well" enthusiasm changed her community as her testimony caused many to believe.

Our words and enthusiasm for Jesus can change communities. We should tell everyone we meet about Jesus, our Savior.

Now. . . this being said, I know from experience, that we must be careful in how we present the Gospel and the love of Jesus Christ. There is such a thing as being "over-zealous" which will inevitably scare people off. I say I know from experience because I have had it done to me, and I have probably done it to others early in my Christian infancy.

While we may know what the Bible says, and we pray about what to say, we must also pray that the Holy Ghost will place the words in our hearts and in our mouths to speak. If we allow the Holy Ghost to do the talking, then we can't go wrong. I have learned to pray for several things. First I pray that God will bring people into my path that I may be a witness to . I then pray that He will prepare their hearts. I don't care how hard you try, if people are not willing to listen, and are not hungry for the truth, your voice will be falling on deaf ears.

In other words don't go up to people like a "steam roller", blurting out scriptures, passages and facts. Talk about our Lord in a loving manner, as though you are talking about your best friend (which He is). Be excited about what He has done for you and tell them about how He showed His love for you. I'm not saying tell them your life's story and everything bad that went on in your life. Just let them know how He was there for you in your time of need, and how that made you feel.

Now in 1 Peter 3:15, He says but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to ever man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (respect). KJV

Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed. It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong if that is what God wants.

1 Peter 4:1--For the sake of our Salvation, we need to change our lives. Since Christ suffered while He was in His body, strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking Christ had. The person who has suffered in the body is finished with sin. (2)Strengthen yourselves so that you will live here on earth doing what God wants, not the evil things people want.


Use God's Gifts Wisely--The time is near when all things will end. So think clearly and control yourselves so you will be able to pray. Most importantly, love each other deeply, because love will cause many sins to be forgiven.

Christians have a corner on hope. Why? The basis of all hope is Knowing WHO GOD IS. There is no hope without a God who controls the universe and promises to bring us to heaven. I know that the one thing that keeps me grounded when I see this world falling apart with immorality going rampant, economy going into the tank, and weather going crazy, is that God Is In Control.

Take some time and think about how your hope might affect the heart of a nonbeliever. What should be your purpose in everything you do? Last but certainly not least, Ask God to fulfill His purpose through you. Remember that we as Christians are suppose to let God's love shine through us.

While the above are just a few points of scripture, I welcome you and encourage you to read the complete passages of scripture which I have mentioned. Every word which God has inspired to be put into these Bibles are important, and need to be taken seriously. This is not a book to be read once and put into a garage sale like other "best sellers". It is a book to continually refer back to for our whole life. I also encourage you to pray for understanding before you read it. God will open it up to you wider than you can imagine. If you have questions, talk to your Pastor or someone you know who is deep into the Word and love of God shines through them. Don't assume you know what it is always talking about. Don't just go by what your Pastor says. Read the Word for yourself. Study it. Pray about it. Live it. and Spread it. Spread your enthusiasm for God and His Word. I guarantee, there is no better feeling than when you are talking about your personal relationship with God Himself. Even though I am not Catholic, I have the utmost respect for Mother Theresa. She was and is the epitome of what God expects of His children. She constantly showed love and respect to all, no matter what their plight was. She loved as God wants us all to love. When I look at her, I see pure enthusiasm. Even though I don't see many pictures of her smiling, her actions alone show the love and enthusiasm she has for God.

Don't just be a "Sunday and Wednesday Christian. Remember, the "test" of our Christianity is outside the four walls of the church building. I watched a special on TV this evening about End-Time Prophecy. Irvin Baxter who is an expert on end time prophecy and Mark Lerner is involved with an organization of Christian lawyers dealing with Constitutional Issues were discussing what is going on right now. They were talking about the "mark of the beast" and how close it is to coming into being. The technology is already in place and the United Nations is working on getting the RFID ( Radio Frequency ID chip). They are already using it in animals and they are talking about putting it either in us humans by injections or as a tattoo. They use the guise that it will help us if we are in a car wreck and can't speak for ourselves, or if our children are lost and so forth. These are all good arguments, the problem is, it can also be used for our personal information, bank accounts and so on. So, look out world, here it comes.

This is why I am saying we need to get serious about our relationship with God, and spend some time on our knees in prayer for strength and wisdom. Only the Holy Spirit will be able to help us to discern when these wolves in sheep's clothing come to deceive us, and we need to be "Prayed up". We need to witness to as many people as possible and help them to understand how important God is and their salvation is to their eternal soul.

In case you are wondering the way my mind works, it started out thinking about the devotions of being enthusiastic about God and having it "catch on with others", then, my mind drifted to the next devotion which talked about witnessing to others about the hope of salvation and sharing our testimony about it. This brought me to the realization of being "ready" and able to stand up to the end-time prophecies which are soon coming.

I hope I was able to be distinguishable between the different "subtopics" so that it wasn't all jumbled together and that you were able to receive something from God through this post.

Good Night To All and May God Bless!

GOD'S GREATEST DESIRE

Good Evening to All!

Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel--which, when translated, means, God with us.
Matthew 1:23

Related verse: 1 Timothy 3:16 --And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
*************

God loves us so much, that He came to earth as a man, to live among us, go through our same trials, and temptations to end up being a sacrifice for our sins. He looked the world over for a "human" without blemish that was a worthy sacrifice, but none could be found, so He took it upon Himself. He took on our sins that we may be redeemed.

God says to be able to go to heaven we MUST be saved. We all agree on that I think. The differences begin with "how we are saved". Now if we use some common sense, we will look at these facts. God originally created us to remain in the garden and live forever and commune with Him. Then Eve made the biggest mistake in the world's history by allowing herself to be deceived by Satan and committed the first sin and caused all of the future to change.

Fast-forwarding to the New Testament, God became flesh because He was the only one perfect and spotless enough according to His mandates to be a sacrifice for our sins. He therefore allowed Himself to be mocked, ridiculed and killed to save us. The Word says "we were bought with a price" the price being God's human life. So our life is not actually ours. It belongs to God.

Thinking along these lines, all God "requires from us for us to be saved is to love Him and live for Him. To do this however, we must have a relationship with Him. Have you ever tried loving someone whom you didn't know anything about? I don't really think that's possible. Not on a personal level at least. Anyway, to begin a personal relationship with God the first thing is to read about Him. Read and study His Word. After you start doing that, then begin praying and asking Him for understanding and knowledge of His Word. Ask Him to "open your eyes" to what He has for you, and be sincere about wanting this relationship and learning.

Without this "personal relationship" with God, we are no better than the Pharisees. They were religious, but in book-learning, rules and laws only. They "went through the motions" and that was all. A relationship takes 2 parties. Therefore, without our effort of studying the Word, praying and talking to God and "living for Him (abiding by His ways) and doing what He wants us to do, there is no relationship.

Another part I would like to discuss is the "Plan of Salvation" . God inspired Paul to preach the Plan of Salvation. According to Acts 2:38, the beginning of our Salvation Journey is to "Repent, be baptized everyone of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you SHALL receive the Holy Ghost. (Note that it does not say "can, might, possibly receive. It says a definitive SHALL). Therefore, the Holy Ghost or "Holy Spirit" is part of the Plan of Salvation. It plays a pivotal part because the Holy Ghost or Spirit Guides us into ALL TRUTHS, and teaches us. It convicts our spirits when we are doing something that God would not be pleased with. It brings scriptures to our remembrance when we need them. It helps to KEEP US SAVED. A very kind blogger friend of mine, the Southern Jackass, reminded me of several scriptures which prove what I am saying; Romans 8:14, 16; I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 1:13, 2:18. These are just a few which talk about the role of the Holy Spirit and Salvation.

Now, back to our Personal Relationship with Him. As with any relationship, the first step is to listen. We all like to be heard. Don't bombard God with prayer requests and keep talking. Be sure to spend some time in quiet contemplation so that you can hear God when He answers you. It's hard to hear what the other person is saying if we are talking at the same time. It's best to talk a little bit, then be quiet for a bit, then pray some more, then listen a bit. You'll find that you will get more answers that way. He answers all the time we just don't hear Him all the time.

The next step in showing Him that you are sincere about wanting a relationship is studying His Word. That's the only way we will know what He wants us to do and "how to live for Him".

Last but definitely not least is to live for Him. Obey His commands. He knows what is best for us because He can see our past, present and future. He can see what happens to us "down the road", so who best to make our decisions? Let Him have control of the reins of our lives and we will be much better off, much happier and we will stay saved.

God's Greatest Desire is for all of us to spend eternity with Him

Good Night to All and May God Bless!