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Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category

The Good Shepherd

Posted in Jesus, Love, Salvation, The Righteous on June 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »

11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. John 10:11-15

Jesus is the good shepherd.  He knows us and we know Him.  He laid down His life for us – His sheep.  He is not like other gods or men that leave the sheep to the wolves, Jesus protects us.  Many others are trying to find ways to appease their gods or make themselves worthy.  Christianity is not like that because we have a Savior, a good shepherd who watches over us and protects us.  If we stray away from Him, He does not require us to find our way back to the flock; He will come, find us, and bring us back to Himself.

Jesus knows us by name, he knows our thoughts, and He even knows the number of hairs on our head.  We know our Shepherd; we know His voice.  When He calls for us we come because we are His sheep.

We can take comfort in knowing that our Shepherd will tend to us and care for us.  He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us.

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May 21, 2011 – A Dangerous Prediction

Posted in Heaven, Jesus, Salvation on May 20, 2011| 1 Comment »

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.  Matthew 25:14

Harold Camping, Family Radio, has predicted and prophesied that the rapture will take place on May 21, 2011 and five months from then the world will end on October 21, 2011.  Camping has convinced some people that they will be raptured by Jesus on May 21st and the rest will be left to face God’s judgment.  This is not the first time someone has set a date for the rapture or the end of the world.  However, my criticism is not concerning Camping’s prediction but what really should concern us is the foundation of people’s faith.

In 2000 I was very involved in the teaching and timing of the rapture.  I remember how there were some of us who believed that the rapture would take place that year based on some events happening in the world and the timing of the earth.  One of the dates came and went and we learned that someone in our group actually committed suicide because the rapture did not happen.  We realized how dangerous it is to prophesy a specific date for the rapture or the end of the world.

As I have watched the news about this current prediction I remembered my own disappointment in 2000 and the craziness I was involved in.  It did nothing to increase or benefit my faith, nor was I effective in leading others to Jesus. I believed what I wanted to believe even though it wasn’t based on truth or God’s word.  My fascination with predicting the rapture almost became a detriment to my faith.  Since then I have grown in my relationship with Jesus and have accepted that it really is not for me to know the dates and times that have been set by God.  Instead I am learning how to live heaven on earth.  Our prayer should be that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

After the resurrection Jesus instructed the disciples to preach the gospel to all the nations of the world.  Jesus left but He did not take the Kingdom with Him, instead He told us to occupy while we wait for His return.  Our message is to teach the world about the gospel and the Kingdom.  We are to bring heaven to earth.  Jesus said the world would know us because of the love we have for one another.

There are many that believe tomorrow the rapture will take place.  Some have even emptied out their savings and have given stuff away, awaiting for tomorrow.  If the rapture fails to take place what will they do?  What will happen to their faith?  What price have they paid listening to Camping?  I pray that they will come to know Jesus in a more intimate way and just understand how much the Father loves them.  The very things they desire they can have in Jesus today.  They will remember that Jesus abides in us and we abide in Him. 

Our hope and faith must be based on the foundation of Jesus, not on another person, event or some date.  We know that one day Jesus will return and we all hope it will take place in our lifetime.  However, let us not forget the bigger picture and that is that God desires that all will come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  God takes no pleasure in the destruction of people; neither should we.

John preached that the Kingdom of God was at hand and told the people to repent.  Jesus came and preached the gospel and the kingdom of God; and we as believers must continue to take the gospel to the entire world. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 the signs of His coming.  Many of the signs are just the beginning of the end.  Jesus said the end would come when the gospel of the kingdom was preached to the whole earth.  So each day Jesus tarries we must continue preaching the gospel of the kingdom – the hope that we have in Jesus.  Most of all let us share the gospel in the spirit of love and compassion; and not with fear and judgment.

Tomorrow is never promised to us.  So when May 21st does come let us rejoice and be glad in the day that the Lord has made.  “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

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These Signs Shall Follow

Posted in Crucified, God's Glory, Healing, Jesus, Prayer, Salvation, Satan, Sin, Teaching, The Father, The Holy Spirit, The Righteous, The Word on April 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

19So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

 20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed. Mark 16: 19-20

 3how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

 4God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.  Hebrews 2: 3-4

Today is Good Friday and Sunday is Easter.  As Christians we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ during this time.  Usually on Easter weekend, churches have the largest attendance of the year.  So many churches preach the gospel message hoping that many will give their life to Christ.

When Jesus commissioned the disciples after His resurrection, He told them that when they went out to preach the gospel, signs and wonders would follow them.  They would be able to cast out demons, lay hands on the sick and they would be healed.  We are also told in the above scriptures that God confirms the message of salvation by both signs and wonders and various miracles.  We cannot have the gospel preached without evidence of signs, wonders and miracles.  Otherwise we are simply preaching a message with no power behind it.

We should not only anticipate a great soul harvest this weekend, but we should expect to see it all including signs, wonders and miracles.  Their purpose is to confirm the gospel message and point people to Jesus.  So we should expect to see miracles, healings take place, deliverance from demons, etc.  Of course the greatest miracle of all is when a person is saved – that person was once dead in their sin and is made alive in Christ.

So let’s invite the lost, the sick and shut in, the hopeless, the downtrodden, those bound, etc.; and expect God to show up and deliver them all.  Let our prayer be that God will confirm His covenant, made through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by the miracles, signs and wonders that will point all men to Jesus.

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And When You Pray

Posted in Healing, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Prayer, Salvation, The Father, The Word on April 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 9“Pray, then, in this way:
  ‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
   Hallowed be Your name.
10’Your kingdom come
   Your will be done,
   On earth as it is in heaven.
 11‘Give us this day our daily bread.
 12‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 13‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’  Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus taught the disciples how to pray.  We often pray the Lord’s prayer in church and in our private time.  This prayer is usually memorized by most Christians.  But do we really pray the way Jesus taught us to pray?

Many times when we pray we put a caveat in our prayer “If it be your will…”  But Jesus told us to pray “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  So when we pray we are to pray that the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We do not have to guess what the Father wants to do.  So when we pray we should ask ourselves what heaven says.  Then we know what to pray.

When we pray for the salvation of a loved one, we know that everyone in Heaven is saved, so when we pray we pray for God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.  We know it is God’s will to save the lost.  There is no sickness in heaven, so we know we can pray God’s will for healing to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  The bible even says that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4).  So we can pray with confidence that God’s will be done when it comes to our desires.

When we start off a prayer saying “If it be your will…” we put the responsibility on God and remove our responsibility to have faith that God will answer our prayer.  Because if our prayer is not answered, then we can say it was not God’s will.  Instead, we should have enough faith to believe God for the answered prayer; have confidence enough that if it is not in line with His will then He will tell us; and direct us in what His will is in the situation.

It is important to remember that we pray from Heaven to earth.  We are to pray that which is loose in heaven be loosed on earth.  So it is always in line with God’s will to pray for peace, salvation, healing, restoration, joy, love, etc. because all these things are found in heaven.  We never have to worry that God desires anything that is contrary to heaven. 

So the next time you pray know that the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Pray in faith and with confidence.

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The World is Waiting

Posted in Healing, Jesus, Love, Salvation, The Righteous on March 15, 2011| Leave a Comment »

18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

 19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope

 21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  Romans 8:18-21

There are uprisings in the Middle East, the global economy is being threatened, and some countries, like Japan, are enduring huge natural disasters.  The world is groaning and looking for answers; they are looking for hope.

As God’s children we hold the answers to the world’s woes.  The creation longs for the children of God to be revealed.  It is not time for us to sit back and judge but to continue the gospel message and preach it to all creation.

When Jesus came and died for us He took back what Adam lost.  Jesus took back the authority that the devil stole.  He has given us that authority – to take dominion over the earth.  What does it look like?

It’s simple – we do what Jesus called us to do:

 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”  Mark 16:15-18

Now imagine a world where every Christian answered Jesus’ call.  That is what the creation is waiting for – the children of God to be revealed and to take dominion.

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If It Be Your Will

Posted in Healing, Jesus, Love, Prayer, Salvation, The Righteous on February 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.  Matthew 4:23

“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  Mark 16: 17-18

Many times when we pray for the sick we usually begin by saying “God if it be your will…”  What we are really asking “is it God’s will to heal the sick everytime?”

When Jesus was on the earth He only did what He saw the Father in Heaven do.  We know that Jesus healed everyone who came to Him that needed healing.  He healed every kind of disease and sickness.

Jesus died for our sins and through Him we have salvation and the redemption of our sins. But Jesus also came to heal the sick and commissioned us to continue the work of healing to sick.

Jesus demonstrated God’s perfect will.  It was the Father’s will to heal the sick then and it is still His will today.  That is why He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins – for eternal life; to bless us and live life to its fullness.

It is not only God’s will to heal but it is our mandate as believers to heal the sick.  God is no respecter of persons.  He wants to heal both believers and unbelievers.  It is the kindness of God that brings about repentance, and it is through that kindness and love that healing comes.

We should be confident when we pray for the sick that it is God’s will to heal.  God is able and willing to heal all those who come to Him.  The real question is “are we willing to accept His healing?”

To be continued…

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White as Snow

Posted in Crucified, Grace, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Salvation, Sin, The Righteous on February 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”  Isaiah 1:18

Here in New England we have had several snow storms and there is snow everywhere.  Before the snow could melt from one storm another storm came bringing more snow.  There are piles of snow all over the place and many people are tired of all this snow. So today I began to reflect on the meaning of snow and its relevance in the bible.

Snow represents purity.  Snow is very bright and brings a cleansing to the environment.  When snow falls it is so pretty and makes everything it touches look beautiful and new.  A tree without its leaves that is dormant in the winter seems to come alive when there is snow piled on its branches and trunk.  However, once the snow plows and salt trucks come and plow the snow it becomes very dirty and almost looks like dirt on the sides of the road.  It doesn’t take much to ruin the whiteness and brightness of snow.  But in the Kingdom the opposite happens.

When we were sinners our sins were red as crimson.  Red is a very strong color.  It is a primary color.  If you have a red stain on a white shirt it is very hard to remove that red stain.  Even if most of the stain is gone your eye is still drawn to that spot.  But in the Kingdom when a sinner accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior their sins become white as snow.  They become pure just like the snow when it falls from the sky and covers the area.  Think about it – once our sins were so evident and red; however, since the death and resurrection of Jesus they are now like wool, white as snow.

So the next  time you see the snow fall or you are looking out your window at all the snow covering your neighborhood, think of Jesus and what His death on the cross did for us – we all became white as snow.  This is how God sees His children as pure as the new fallen snow.

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24 Hour Access

Posted in government, Grace, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Salvation, The Father, The Righteous on January 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne.  He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. Psalm 11:4 (NIV)

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

If I wanted to call the President of the United States, I would probably get no further than the operator at the White House.  If I showed up unannounced I would probably get arrested.  The President does not know me and I do not know anyone who has access to the President.  I am of no importance to the President.  The same goes for any celebrity, government official, king, prince, etc.  You have to know someone to reach a person of significance like the President of the United States.  But that is not how it is with God.

I have access to the Father at all times.  He is seated on His heavenly throne observing everyone on earth.  Jesus who is our High Priest died for our sins and we have been given His righteousness.  All those that belong to Jesus have access to the throne of grace.  We have direct access to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  I may not be able to call the President but I can call God at any time.  We are told to boldly approach the throne.

Think about it.  The one who created heaven and earth; who sets the seasons and time; the one that is the Alpha and Omega, is accessible 24 hours a day seven days a week.  No appointment needed, no operator to contact.  Our relationship with the Father has been restored by our relationship with Jesus.

Not only do we have access to the throne but God already knows everything about us.  He knows our history, our worse days and our best.  He even knows the number of hairs on our head.  He knows our rising up and lying down.  He has hemmed us in and out.  He even knitted us together in our mother’s womb.  So when we call on Him, He answers.  He is always there and will never leave nor forsake us.

The President may not know me and I may not be welcomed at the White House; but the Father, He knows me and welcomes me anytime to boldly approach His throne of grace.  What a mighty God we serve.

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To Be Watchful…

Posted in Jesus, Salvation, The Holy Spirit on January 6, 2011| 2 Comments »

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8

It is a New Year and usually there are groups claiming that this is the year Jesus will return and rapture the church.  They warn people to watch and pray because Jesus can return any day.

In 2000, I was very involved with the end time theories and actually did believe then we were living in the last days and thought there would only be a few years left of the world.  In 2000 I didn’t imagine us being in 2011.  I was so consumed by the end times teaching that I found it difficult to really focus on anything else and found myself in angry debates, attacking anyone who disagreed with me.

Because I was so fixated on the rapture and the day Jesus would return I found it very difficult to hear from God and His plan for my life.  Eventually, I came upon this scripture and realized that it was not for me to know the day and hour of Jesus’ return, but I was responsible for being a witness for Jesus.  So I prayed for God’s will in my life and for the past ten years God has continued to guide me and direct my steps.

I would now argue that watching and praying involves hearing from God and doing what He says.  Every Christian has been given the mandate to take the gospel to the world.  It does not mean everyone has to become a missionary but we should be witnesses for Jesus wherever we are; including our schools, jobs, homes, families, etc.

When the disciples received Jesus’ last instruction before His ascension they believed they would see Jesus return in their lifetime.  They spent their days and lives spreading the gospel and doing the things they saw Jesus doing.  After the Holy Spirit came and empowered them they were able to go out and preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, plant churches and make more disciples.  The Kingdom of God spread as anticipated the Lord’s return.

This is our same mandate.  As we wait for Jesus’ return, we are to be doing the same things Jesus did.  We have been given charge to spread the Kingdom while we are here on earth.  It really is not about looking out for ourselves and making sure we will be raptured when Jesus comes; all believers have that promise.  Instead we are to be witnesses for those that do not know Jesus.  The Kingdom of God is not about mere talk but of power.  Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would come and empower them and the Holy Spirit is present now to empower us to preach the gospel and make disciples in the entire world.

We do not know the exact day Jesus will return but when He does my prayer is that He will find us doing the work He left us to do; that we will be able to testify that we took the gospel to the ends of the world.  Let us have the same compassion Jesus had for the people, and in these last days be true witness of Jesus and His love for the world.  Let us remember it is God’s desire that none should perish but all should come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

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Power of the Cross

Posted in Crucified, government, Jesus, Love, Salvation, Sin, The Righteous on January 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

On January 4, 2011, the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego was declared unconstitutional by a federal appeals court because of the 43 foot cross on top of the memorial.  The court ruled that the cross violated the constitutional ban on government sponsored religion.  This court case has been brewing since the 1980s.  More and more courts are finding public places that display the cross, bible or ten commandments as government sponsored religion.  I find this interesting because I thought the constitution protected religious freedom.

There has been a cross at Mount Soledad since 1913.  The cross was replaced in the 1920s and in 1954.  So this cross has been a symbol at Mount Soledad for almost 100 years, but today it was declared unconstitutional (“California Memorial Cross Found Unconstitutional” by Steve Gorman Reuters, January 4, 2011). 

Many are offended by the cross.  It is a Christian symbol and to us Christians it is a symbol and reminder that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we might live.  Those who do not know Jesus see the cross as foolishness.  According to the courts, our government should not endorse nor display the cross anywhere on public property.  We know the cross represents the power of God.

We will probably see more and more cases being brought to the federal courts and even the Supreme Court regarding the use of religious symbols on public property.  It may seem as we are losing our religious freedoms but remember that the cross represents the power of God.

The court did not rule if the cross at Mount Soledad has to be removed, but even if it does come down the power of the cross is not diminished.  Nothing can nullify what happened on the cross.  It is because of the cross that we have been reconciled to God.  It is a symbol and reminder of God’s love for the world when He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die for our sins.  Let’s pray that one day everyone will understand the true power behind the cross.

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