salvation

Is That Necessary?

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If you find certain things in life necessary, you’re in good company because there were moments that even Jesus did things out of necessity.  One thing Jesus found necessary was making a home visit to a well-known and very despised man named Zacchaeus.  He was the very rich “wee-little” Jewish man who worked for the Romans gathering taxes from his own people and charging them more than they owed and he took extreme advantage of them earning the hatred.  You could imagine that he and his family were never welcomed or invited to weddings or any other celebration of the Jews.  He was used by the Romans and hated by the Jews, but Jesus still said, “I must stay at your house.”  As Jesus walked through the city of Jericho on His way to Jerusalem He spotted Zacchaeus watching from his perched position in a tree.  The scriptures says,

               “And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that [way.]  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste(hurry) and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”  Luke 19:3-5

I think we can imagine the growls and groans coming from those walking and listening to Jesus as He called Zacchaeus to come down.  “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, that He has gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.” V. 7   What did they see?  Those with Jesus saw a mistake instead of mercy, but Jesus saw it as necessary, but why?  Why not have a quick conversation on the street and head on down the road?  Why go to the sinner’s house for fellowship?  Jesus said, “I must stay at your house.”  Think about it, most likely no one outside of the immediate family had ever stepped foot in Zacchaeus’ house.  Everyone knew that just by going there or by any association with Zacchaeus meant you’d be looked down on, questioned about your loyalty to the people, and most likely labeled as a friend of the Romans.

But there’s something you need to see because Jesus saw it.  Those walking with Jesus didn’t see what Jesus saw or else they would have kept their mouths closed.  Jesus saw a man who was trying to save himself.  He saw a very self-centered man willing to be no one’s friend just to save himself.  He saw a man who, by his own actions, was a trader to his people and brought shame on his family.  I believe Jesus also saw a man who hated himself and wanted a way out and wanted to change.

I can promise you there are so many people today who want to change just like Zacchaeus, but never take advantage of opportunities like he did.  Jesus saw it necessary to go to Zacchaeus’ house to show us that no matter who you are, if you seek Him, He will be found by you.  Jesus saw it necessary to go to his house to show us in all our best efforts we can’t save ourselves.  Ultimately, the necessity was on the part of Zacchaeus, because Jesus was headed up that Jericho road to meet the necessity of the cross.

But there’s more application here because Jesus saw it necessary to go to his house to show us He is never content to have a relationship with us publicly and not have one with us privately.  Jesus doesn’t want a church house relationship with you unless He can have a relationship with you in your house.   Think about it, real faith in God doesn’t stop outside of our homes, nor are we to confine it to our church house, but real faith always welcomes and invites Christ into the home.

Jesus could have touched Zacchaeus and changed his life right there in the tree or on that street, but Jesus wanted to go to his house to touch and save the whole family.  “And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.”  V. 9  Those walking with Jesus only saw a rogue rich Jew, but Jesus saw a “son of Abraham” who wanted to changed, but didn’t know how.

When you let God in your house, life changes!  When you open the door of your heart and mind and let God in, life changes for the better!  I’m not talking about putting up crosses on the walls of your house and placing a Bible on the coffee table, but Jesus wants to come all the way into the house of your heart and life.  Let Him in!

If you are reading this and don’t like what you’ve become and the decisions you’ve made in life, let God’s power change you today.  “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.  “Who is the King of glory?  The LORD strong and might, The LORD mighty in battle.” Psalm 24:7-8

THIS IS NECESSARY—THAT JESUS COMES INTO YOUR LIFE(HOUSE)!

HERE’S HOW TO LET HIM IN.

COME DOWN FROM WHERE YOU ARE—HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD!

BY FAITH MAKE THIS DECLARATION!  “Holy Father, I hear You speaking to me today and I want you to come and change my life.  I’m always reminded of the shameful things I’ve done in my life and I don’t like who I’ve become and what I have done.  Father, I have tried to change, but I always end up back where I was, so today, I turn everything over to You.  I believe You are the only One who can change me.  I believe Jesus is the Son of God.  I believe Jesus, you came to die on the cross for all my sins.  And I believe that You love me and can change me, so I open the door of my life the best I know how and I invite You to come into my life.  Forgive me for what I have done and make me who You want me to be.  Let what you did for me on the cross take full effect in my life.  From this point forward, I will live my life for You and I ask this and receive this gift of eternal life in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

I PRAISE GOD FOR YOU!

 

 

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The Earth is the Lord’s

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God in heaven does not rent or buy or sell, but He owns it all!  When God was delivering the Hebrews from the land of Egyptian bondage, He demonstrated not only how He owns the elements of heaven and earth, but He controls them as well.

Exodus 9:29
Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.

What does that mean to me and you?  Well, we can know that as prideful man pushes his will on the lives of the innocent, even with an invading army, God can stop them in a second.  God can open up the earth to swallow an army just as He did in Korah’s rebellion.  God can send violent winds and flooding rains or even a blinding swarm of flies.  As God caused the chariot wheels to fall off of Pharaoh’s pursuing army, God can remove the tracks of invading tanks.  And you may be asking at this point like many others have in the past, “If God is able to do those things, then why doesn’t He put a stop to all of this that is going on?”  Some would assume that because God doesn’t do anything then there must be no God at all, but that is only in the thoughts of those who really don’t want there to be a God to have to answer to.

God owns everything and can intervene in the schemes of man at any second, and at times He does and at times He chooses not to.  God often allows events on this earth to unfold to call us to prayer.  Who is praying more since the pandemic?  Who is praying more now that Russian troops have invaded the Ukraine?  God allows evil forces to build up so that spiritual men and women will pray and seek His face.  He could cause the earth to shake over Russia and call back those troops from the Ukraine.  God allows evil to run it’s course at times to get the attention of those He wants to save.

No doubt this is a turning point in history, but there is a spiritual turning point as well.  There are those who are calling on God for salvation today who have never called on Him at other times.  If God intervened then who would be saved, or who would pray?  Pray with me that God would hears our prayers for mercy and that men and women would turn to Christ for deliverance and salvation.

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GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS!

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The window of opportunity is closing for you to surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You may be one who doesn’t think you need to surrender or confess anything, or you may be one who doesn’t even believe in the existence of God. But you should not be so quick to make such definitive calls or conclusions about creation and the origin or destination of human life. Every single person who has walked the face of this earth has walked with limited knowledge. There are people who act like they know everything, but the reality is, they know somethings and most often only about specific subjects. But what about life after death? What about the possibility that this is an area you have limited knowledge about? I know this doesn’t speak to everyone, but hopefully it will speak to the one who is searching for answers and the one God is drawing. Listen, today is the day. Today is the day of salvation if you will humble yourself and call on the name of Jesus to save you. Look at these verses.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”. John 14:6

…”that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

“For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

What sense does the cross make if everyone could enter eternal life and heaven the way they decided? That would seem like a cruel joke on Jesus, but the fact is, the cross was no joke, but it was the expression of God’s love to the world. I don’t know what you are waiting on to surrender everything to Christ before you step out of this world. Don’t let anything stop you from trusting in Christ and receiving the free gift of salvation. Yes, it is a free gift with no strings attached except for the eternal cords of God’s love. The struggle in the faith is not in receiving Christ, but in living for Christ each and every day. The struggle is in taking up your cross, separating yourself from the world and not being ashamed of the One the world mocks and despises.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Imagine the conversations in heaven if men could decide on their own how they would enter heaven and receive eternal life. I can hear the conversations now, one man would say, “I was a generous giver and gave millions away.” Another man would say, “I volunteered thousands of hours to help the poor and needy in the world.” Another one would say, “I shared the gospel with thousands and thousands of people.” Another one would say, “I was at church every week and served on countless committees.” There would be no end to the self righteous acts men would consider worthy of being accepted into heaven. But there will be no such conversations in the Kingdom of God. In God’s Kingdom men, women, boys and girls will all say, “He touched me and changed my life.” Today is the day to open your heart and receive Christ once and for all and then live everyday to the glory of His name. Open your heart and tell God what you want.

Holy Father, I have heard your voice today and I believe you are speaking to me. I don’t understand it all, but I know you love me and sent your Son to die on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me of all my sins and make me Yours. I want to be a part of the family of God. I want eternal life and heaven. I want to live with hope and joy and peace. Father I ask you to fill me now with the Holy Spirit. By faith I accept you into my life and by faith and by Your power I will live out the rest of my days for your glory and honor. Thank you Jesus for this moment! Thank you for saving me! I ask this in and through the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Praise God! Praise God! If you prayed that prayer and made that request by faith in God you are born again and a child of God. The angels in heaven rejoice over you this very moment and listen, God is going to use you in mighty ways, I believe it. If you accepted Jesus as your Savior please reach out to me and let me know because I want to be encouraged by it as well. Be encouraged today brother or sister, God is on your side and working it all together for your good. Amen.

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Learn this Prayer 4

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Learn this prayer, “Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.” Psalm 25:18 Not all of the pain and suffering one encounters in life is because of sin that has been committed. However, much suffering today can be traced back to some indiscretion or sin against God. King David finally confessed his sin, but only after he was confronted by Nathan the prophet sent by God. Sin is the problem of the world today. If we could rid the world of sin, the colors would be brighter, the air would be purer, and life would be incredible for all of humanity. But until that moment of purging and purification comes, God in His wisdom sent Jesus to forgive sins one person at a time. You need to learn this prayer because these are the words expressed from the heart of someone who desires to have a relationship with Holy God: “Lord, forgive all my sins!” Only those who are willing to admit their sins would ever pray such a prayer. And only those who would sincerely examine their hearts and lives and allow the work of the Holy Spirit to guide them would ever admit they have sinned against God. This is not only the prayer to pray for a relationship with God, but this is the prayer to pray to stay in fellowship with God. 1 John 1:8 says “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

I am in a covenant relationship with my wife for 28 years now, but from time to time our fellowship gets broken, something happens and it’s usually me asking her for forgiveness. For all those years she has never failed to extend the forgiveness and our relationship has been sustained. She forgives and I forgive based on our mutual love for each other. But God forgives when we ask based on His love for His Son Jesus. The Father knows the price Jesus paid on the cross to keep giving forgiveness when we ask. As long as you live, sweet fellowship with God will only continue so long as we keep praying, “Lord, forgive all my sins.” If you know what sin it is, confess it to the Lord and then get back to enjoying the fellowship He wants with you.

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Learn this Prayer 3

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Learn this prayer, “Lord, save me!” But when he saw that the wind [was] boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” —Matthew 14:30 The apostle Peter along with the other apostles saw Jesus walking on water on the Sea of Galilee, and instead of waiting for the Lord to come get in the boat, Peter asked that he might come to Jesus walking on water. There will always be people like Peter who are never content to stay in the safety and comfort of their boat and courageous enough to ask great things of God. When Peter asked, Jesus responded with one word, “Come.” That word gave more than permission, but it was filled with glorious power to the point that Peter miraculously walked on water. But then like many do today, he took his eyes off of Jesus in a most critical moment—and when he did, he began to sink in the sea. When you start to sink in life, pray this prayer, “Lord, save me!” When you take a step of faith and then take your eyes off God, this is the prayer to pray.

Obviously Peter couldn’t save himself and he knew it, so he cried out to Jesus and it says in verse 31, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” We begin to doubt the power and love of God when we take our eyes off of Him. When Peter cried out, Jesus didn’t hesitate to save him, and not only did Peter need it, but those left in the boat needed to see it too. God wants us to walk on water and do those things that require courageous faith and unwavering focus on Him. And if we get to a point where we are sinking, we have a simple but powerful prayer to pray, “Lord, save me!”

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What you Need to Know

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In a time of non-stop news, many times we are told things we don’t even need to know. Understanding the threat level of the coronavirus and the time frame of when our lives may get back to normal is something I feel like I need to know. If there is an outbreak in my area, I need to know. If the virus is spreading at a faster rate than predicted, that is something I need to know.  If our State Department and C.D.C and Health departments are making progress in developing a vaccine or treatment for the virus, that’s something I need to know. How I can do my part in stopping the spread of the virus is what I need to know.  

There is something else I need to know in a time of widespread panic and fear, but the government is not going to tell me in daily briefings, nor is the news. I need to know how to have peace in my heart and mind that is greater than the shocking news reports with all the analysis. If you don’t know this already, you need to, because fear is gripping the hearts and minds of thousands and thousands of people right now.  Peace can be so incredibly fragile when the source of your peace is found in something outside of you.  If your source of peace is found in the circumstances around you, peace may stop by for a short visit, but it’s not staying.  If your peace is found in a dollar amount you have secured in a bank somewhere, your peace can completely disappear overnight without bank robbers having anything to do with it.  If your peace is found in the person closest to you, that peace can disappear because it’s only a matter of time a virus or something else will visit that person and they will be gone.  So the source of your peace is critically important.  What would you say is the source of your peace?  Do you have peace and is it holding you or is panic and fear shaking you?  

The way to have this peace I’m talking about is by having a presence inside of you.  The peace we need must come from within us, because we can never control the environment around us.  This amazing peace is only found in once place in all the world, it’s found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  To have this peace, you must open your heart and allow Him to come in and live inside of you.  You will still have all hell break loose around you, but heaven can open up inside of you.  If that’s what you want in your life, you have to open the door of your heart because no one else can.  You must know the one thing that keeps God out of our lives and that is our sin.  

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  

As far as human standards are concerned, you may be a great person, even citizen of the year, but your sin keeps God at a distance just like mine does.  But God will be faithful to knock on the door of your heart and will be merciful and gracious to come inside you if you will open that door by faith.  

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  

Salvation and God’s peace is all by grace, meaning we don’t deserve it.  It is a gift.  You don’t pay for it because Jesus did on the cross.  Jesus Christ did what was required for heaven’s doors to be open wide for you and for God’s amazing peace to be in you.  

Ephesians 2:14 says, “For He Himself is our peace.”  

You might think, “Is that all?”  Well, there is so much more, but this right now is what you need to know.  So right where you are, you can open the door of your heart and invite God to live inside of you.  God sees your heart and He knows if the words that come from our mouths line up with the desires of our hearts.  And listen, peace is just one of the incredible products that come with having God in your life.  But if peace is what you need right now and you don’t know if Christ lives in you or not, tell God, “I’m opening my heart and life to you right now.  I believe you sent your Son to die on the cross for my sins and I believe that He rose from the dead, and right now I hand over the title and keys to my life.  Forgive me for all my sins and fill me with your Spirit.  From this moment forward, my life is yours.  I ask this believing in Jesus name, Amen.”   

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SQUEEZED!

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Most likely in countless bathrooms across this country, there are tubes of tooth paste mangled and distorted lying next to the sink.  Even when the tube has been completely flattened out, we still count on there being enough for one last brush, so we squeeze, fold and crimp for that little dab to come out.  You paid good money for it, so get as much out as you can.  We do that with other things as well, like those squeezable sour cream containers.  It says on the back, “Now you can squeeze a dollop of Daisy,” and we might as well because we paid for it. 

Many times in life, God does to us what we do to the tubes of tooth paste and sour cream, He squeezes us!  When those unexpected trials come and we experience affliction and deep pain, sometimes that’s God squeezing us to get more out of us.  And the truth is, we need that spiritual squeeze from time to time.  I’m certain that God has put more in you than what He is getting out of you.  Think about it, Job got squeezed.  Naomi got squeezed.  Paul got squeezed.  Jesus got squeezed on the cross by the weight of humanity’s sins.  

Some squeezable containers get clogged in the narrow openings, so they require being squeezed with a little more pressure.  And then there are some that stay free flowing all the time.  God wants you to be free flowing requiring only a touch, and the life of Jesus comes out.  That only happens by continual surrender and faithful obedience to His will.  Some wonder at what God is doing in their lives in times of hardship, and the answer is, He is trying to squeeze some Jesus love and Jesus mercy and Jesus goodness out of you.

Philippians 2:12-13 says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure.”  

You have the opportunity to work out what God has already put in you so He doesn’t have to squeeze it out.  Are you tender to His touch, or have you become hard and clogged up?  If you are a child of God, then He paid for you, so He feels free to get as much out of you as possible.  

“Holy Father, I lift up that person right now who is feeling the pressure of your squeeze.  God I know that deep pain and heartache, so I plead with you to speak to that person and give spiritual understanding to recognize you and give them power to surrender.  Father I pray that they will even recognize how they may be resisting you.  I pray that You will move on that person this moment and reveal Yourself to them.  Thank you, Father, for Your everlasting mercy and the sufficiency of Your grace.  Lord, we give ourselves to You and to the work of reflecting Christ to the world. This we ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.”  

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