There Is Forgiveness

     The Bible asks a question in Proverbs chapter 20 verse 9: "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? And in Romans chapter 3, verses 10 and 23, the answer is given: "There is none righteous, no not one... for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

     Repeating the opening verse in the picture: "If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" Psalm 130:3. God knows all things, He knows our hearts better than we do, and He tells us very plainly that we have all sinned. This should not come as a suprise to any of us, because if we are at all honest with ourselves, we have to acknowledge we have all sinned many, many times.

     The Bible says in Ezekiel 18:4: " the soul that sinneth, it shall die." and in Romans 6:23 it says "For the wages of sin is death." Sin separates us from God, and if we die in our sins, that is, die without receiving forgiveness, we will face the judgement of God, and be cast into Hell for all of eternity. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27. And: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.God is absolutely perfect and Holy, so no one who has sinned can stand before Him, or enter into His Heaven. 

     Did you know that Hell was prepared for the Devil? "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" Matthew 25:41. He does not want you or I to end up there. "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 18:23. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

      And now for the GOOD NEWS!!!

     Because of the incredible, unspeakable love God has for us, He has provided a way for anyone and everyone to receive the forgiveness of their sins, and to be seen as absolutely perfect and Holy in His sight! "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23. 

     God sent His only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, down here to this world. He led a perfect, sinless, Holy life, was crucified by the cruel hands of men, then offered Himself up to God, as the sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. Once we have trusted Jesus, and received Him as our personal Lord and Saviour, we are then washed from our sins by the shed blood of Christ, and now when God looks at us, He sees His Son, who paid the price for our sin, and we are then seen as righteous and blameless in His eyes!

     As we read earlier, eternal life is a gift of God. (Romans 6:23.) There is nothing a guilty sinner can do, of ourselves, to be acceptable in His sight. It is only by accepting the free gift of grace, that is available to everyone. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9. 

     To sum up this gospel message, we have all sinned and separated ourselves from God. We are deserving of nothing else but to be cast into Hell for all of eternity. But, because of the unspeakable love God has for us, He sent His Son, to suffer, shed His precious, sinless blood, and die, to pay the penalty for our sins.

      Jesus is reaching out to you right now, inviting you to have your sins forgiven, and receive this precious gift of eternal life. Won't you come to Him right now, just as you are and just where you are, and pray this simple prayer? Dear Lord Jesus, I realize that I am a sinner in need of forgiveness, and that I deserve to pay my own sin debt. I believe that You died  on the cross, that You shed Your precious blood to pay for my sins, and after three days you arose victoriously from the grave, conquering sin and death and Hell. I believe that you alone are my Saviour. Thank You for saving me from Hell and giving me the wonderful gift of eternal life. I am now a child of God. Amen.  

     No matter what you may have done in the past, or what condition your life is in right now, God's Grace is greater than your sin, all can be forgiven. But do not put this off, none of us knows what a day may bring forth, you may not have another time to receive Christ as your Saviour.

"For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

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Bear Ye One Another's Burdens

Comfort of the Scriptures

Lord’s Day, December 14,2014

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).

In the family of God, there are always those who are undergoing sorrow or pressure and who need help and encouragement. If we would “fulfill the law of Christ,” we are to “bear ... one another’s burdens,” “for even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me,” and when He was here on earth, “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” voluntarily making the troubles of others His very own. “By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken,” and “heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.” Let us look for opportunities to “bear ... one another’s burdens,” the opportunity to speak that word or perform that act of kindness that will help our brother in his time of need. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves,” to be “distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. ... Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”

Let me help my brother, dear Lord,
As Thou in grace hast helped me;
Let me bear his sorrows with him,
So that lighter his load may be.

References: Rom. 15:3; Matt. 8:17; Prov. 15:13; 12:25; Rom. 15:1; 12:13,15; Heb. 13:3.

From the daily devotional "Comfort Of The Scriptures" by John B. Marchbanks.  http://bibletruthpublishers.com/daily-meditation/c818

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One Thing Is Needful

     I have been doing some thinking and studying on the story of Mary and Martha in the gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 38-42.

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

     As I understand it, this was Martha's home, in the town of Bethany. Martha may have been a widow, and Mary was her younger sister. (Lazarus, who Jesus had previously raised from the dead, was their brother.) This was a family that loved Jesus, and He also loved them very much.

     This is not a matter of Martha not being a true believer in Jesus, because she was. I believe this story is included in scripture to show us that we, as believers, can have our priorities out of order sometimes. Jesus was not condemning Martha for preparing the dinner. He knew that was important and necessary, what He was explaining to Martha, in a kind and loving way, was that she was putting too much thought, worry and care into preparing the dinner, when her priority should have been being close to Jesus and listening to His words. 

     When Jesus said "One thing is needful", I don't believe He meant that we should all do nothing but sit in a quiet, private room and read the bible and ignore all the other responsibilities of life. What He is trying to impress upon us here, is the importance of putting Him first, before anything else we do.

     Matthew 6:31-33 says "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Something I appreciate about this portion is, God is very practical, He knows and understands every little need that we have. He just wants us to put Him first, because otherwise the cares and worries of other things will become idols in our lives, and will push God out of our lives and allow Satan to get a foothold in breaking up our communion with God. This is what was beginning to happen with Martha, she was so worried about her dinner preparations, she was missing out on what Jesus had to say. This is just how Satan disrupts the life of a believer. When this happens, our joy and peace in the Lord is hindered, and our testimony of the Lord to others is marred.

     One reason we need to make communion with the Lord our number one priority is, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5. When we don't put the Lord first, and acknowledge Him in all our ways, and allow Him to guide and direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6), our best efforts and intentions will be in vain. Even when we have very good, sincere, honest intentions, if we are not trusting in His strength and guidance, then we are just doing what seems right in our own eyes, and the results will not be blessed.

   

     The last few words of the portion we are studying about say: "Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." I think that one of the things we can take from this is,  time spent studying God's word, praying, meditating on His great love He has for us, and the wonderful future Christians have to look forward to because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, are all eternal, never-changing truths. These things will never be taken away from us. On the other hand, anything we put before the Lord, whether it is worrying about preparing a meal, as Martha was, or anything else, is only temporary, and is not worth becoming an idol in our lives and only causes us to miss out on the joy and peace that is available to all of us if we make the decided effort to keep the Lord as the first priority in our lives!

     I pray the Lord will use these thoughts to help us all "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18.

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Lord's Day Thoughts

"Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world" Galatians 1:3b,4a.

"Our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity" Titus 2:13b,14a.

"Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" Ephesians 5:25b.

Lord, Thy love has sought and found us

Wandering in this desert wide;

Thou hast thrown Thine arms around us,

For us suffered, bled and died:

Sing, my soul! He loved thee;

Jesus gave Himself for me.

From:  Bible Truth Publishers

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Freedom!

"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh." Genesis 41:14.

     "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph": Just as Joseph was bound in the dungeon, unable to free himself, someone in bondage to sin, is likewise in a spiritual dungeon, unable to escape by their own means. But, just as Pharaoh called Joseph to come out, God the Father is calling you to believe on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose sinless blood paid the price for your sin!

  

     "And they brought him hastily out of the dungeon": Once the Holy Spirit convicts you of your need of the Savior, and you hear God the Father gently, lovingly, calling you, do not hesitate, come to Him immediately, for tomorrow may be late. You don't know whether this may be your last opportunity, many have perished into an eternity in Hell because they have heard the gospel message, but did not act on it immediately.

     "And he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh":  Notice that Joseph cleaned himself up only after he was brought up out of the dungeon! This is very important to understand. We cannot clean ourselves up and make ourselves acceptable to God by ourselves. We are saved by grace, God wants us to come to Him just as we are. The definition of repentance takes in: Confession; acknowledging we have sinned and are in need of a Savior. Turn; being willing to make necessary changes in our lives and turn from the path we have been on, to following and obeying God.

     "Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" Romans 2:4 (NLT). The goodness and kindness of God is what helps us and allows us to repent. So, after you have believed on Jesus and His shed blood to cleanse you and make you acceptable in God's sight, then be willing to submit to Him and His Word. This will be an on-going, life-long process, and God is very patient, so never give up or get discouraged, or think you will lose your salvation if you do not measure up. Since your salvation is based solely on the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and not anything of yourself, you cannot do anything to lose it. The only unpardonable sin is neglecting to believe on Jesus for your salvation.

     I pray that this gospel message will be an encouragement for believers, and that any that read this that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, will hear the sweet voice of God the Father calling them to believe and trust in His only begotten Son. This message goes out to all in genuine christian love. You are welcome to contact me with any thoughts or questions you might have, and, I would be happy to join you in prayer for any needs you might have.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

     Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from our family to yours! 

     Today is a great day to reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for. I want to share with you a portion of a great song that reminds us to be thankful, even if we are suffering or going through very difficult times, for the gift of God's only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart – Henry Smith
This classic praise song from the mid-80s has a simple yet timeless message. Song-writer Henry Smith grew up playing secular rock and living for himself, but God got a hold of his heart and dramatically saved him. His faith grew strong, but unfortunately his eyes grew weak. Henry eventually lost his sight because of a degenerative eye disease, but he never charged God and was always thankful. He wrote “Give Thanks” as an expression of his eternal gratefulness to God for the gift of salvation.

“Give thanks with a grateful heart.
Give Thanks to the Holy One.
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His son.
And now, let the weak say ‘I am strong!’ Let the poor say ‘I am rich!’
Because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks.”

      All of the words of this song can be seen HERE.

     It seems that when we are going through very tough times, we come to a "Y" in the road. We can either let our problems overcome us, and become angry and bitter against God, or, we can remember that He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, that He loves us no matter what, that He hears our prayers, and He is working all things together for our good according to the plans He has for us. 

     Here are some verses that I hope will be of encouragement to you today if you are in the midst of difficult times.

"Before I was afflicted (forced to go through sufferings and trials) I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." Psalm 119:67.

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Psalm 119:71.

"I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me." Psalm 119:75.

"But though he cause (or allows) grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." Lamentations 3:32,33.

     God's ways are much higher and far above our ways and thoughts. We usually want immediate deliverance from our problems, and we think He does not hear our prayers when this doesn't happen. But God knows just what is needed in our lives to accomplish the purposes and plans He has for us, and His plans for us are far better than anything we can plan for ourselves!

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." Ephesians 3:20,21.

     I hope these words will encourage you to give thanks to God on Thanksgiving day and every day!

 "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15.

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The God Of Hope

     Hello! Here are some thoughts that I trust will be encouraging and instructive to point others to the one way, the only way, of true hope; And that is, trusting in God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

"And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:12,13.

     In the Old Testament book of Isaiah (Isaiah 11:10), it was prophesied that Someone from the lineage of Jesse (David's father), would come and be a banner of salvation to the world. Until that time, only the children of Isreal had a relationship with God, and they were under the law, but this is foretelling the grace that was to be brought in by Jesus, to all the people of the world, not just the children of Isreal only! "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17. A Christian has this hope, not because we can see it or touch it, but, because it is a gift of faith given to him by God (Ephesians 2:8,9). Through the power of the Holy Ghost (or, Holy Spirit), we are able to understand and believe these things. 

     This is what true hope is, and this is who true hope is established by. The words "The God of hope" do not mean  what hope is often referred to today as crossing our fingers and hoping something will happen, no, the hope that is being spoken of here is total trust and belief and assurance that God is able and faithful to do and fulfill all of His promises to us! The assurance of this is what gives the believer true hope, as well as true joy and peace!

"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast..." Hebrews 6:19.

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace..." Ephesians 2:13,14.

     This is what real hope is built on. Believing and trusting in the finished work Jesus accomplished on the cross  is our only source of true hope and assurance of everlasting life with God in Heaven!

"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." Romans 8:24,25.

     The Christian life is a life of faith. We are saved by faith, then we are called to live by faith, and then, one day, we will be changed, we will be given heavenly bodies, faith will give way to sight, and we will be caught up to be with our Lord Jesus in the air, and so shall we ever be with Him in Heaven! THIS IS THE WONDERFUL HOPE THAT EVERYONE HAS THAT HAS PUT THEIR TRUST IN GOD AND IN HIS SON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1 Peter 3:15.

     I pray that this short page will be helpful to anyone who is interested in what real hope is, and that putting our trust in the God of hope, is our only source of true joy and peace. Please be aware, Satan is out there, trying to deceive you by lies and deceptions, into thinking you can have joy and peace in other ways, but the ways of the devil only lead to Hell. 

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 16:25.

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Hell Is Real

     This is certainly not a pleasant subject, but I think it is something we all need to hear, and be reminded of. Hell is very real, and when we read what scripture says about it, it should motivate those of us who are believers to be more faithful to warn the unsaved, and to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ! And I pray that these words would speak loudly to the hearts of those who have not received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, that while there is still time, that you would turn from the path you are on, and believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins, to save you from Hell, and give you everlasting life with Him in Heaven.

"And in Hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." Luke 16:23-26.

     This is the story of the rich man and Lazarus (the beggar), both of them died, the rich man went to Hell, and Lazarus went to Heaven. The rich man asked to be comforted, and was told he could not be comforted, because once someone is in Hell, no one can get out, and no one can get in, to help them. 

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27.

     We will die once, physically speaking, in the body, but we have souls that will live forever. If we are saved, when we die in these earthly bodies, we will receive new, heavenly bodies, fit for eternity in Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). But, if we die being unsaved, not having received forgiveness of our sins, we will spend eternity in Hell.

"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43,44.

     This is not saying to literally cut off your hand, it is saying to turn away from anything that is causing you to sin, and that is keeping you from turning to the Lord and living in obedience to Him. This verse is also saying that, in Hell, the conscious never dies, it will continue to haunt the sinner forever, and the torment of Hell will continue for the sinner throughout eternity.

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:41.

     Hell is very real, but it was not prepared for man, it was prepared for the devil and his angels. Although Hell was not prepared for man, that is where we will end up, if we choose not to turn from our sinful ways, and believe on the Lord Jesus.

"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn (repent) from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezekiel 33:11.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

     God loves you! He does not want you to spend eternity in Hell! He loves you so much, He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus, to pay the price for your sins, so that you would spend eternity with Him in Heaven!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

     The devil is a liar and a deceiver. Just like from the very beginning, with Adam and Eve, the devil is still lying, and deceiving as many people as he can.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10.

     Do not believe the lies of the devil, do not be deceived by any of his tricks. One of the greatest tricks the devil uses is to try to make us feel that we are good enough on our own, that we don't need to believe on Jesus to save us. But the bible says we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that no one comes to the Father but by Him (Jesus). Romans 3:23 and John 14:6.

     The devil is going to spend eternity in Hell, do not let him drag you down with him!

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