Category Archives: Salvation

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Salvation, Share the Good News

We Are Made Righteous Through Christ, Not the Law

Acts 10-11 documents an important event regarding Peter in which Jehovah sends Him to go and share the gospel with the gentiles, which was against the man made rules of the Jews. Peter clearly understood the message and its meaning. So did the others with whom he shared the whole story.

Acts 10:34-35

  34Opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

Acts 10:45

45All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

Acts 11:15-18

15“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16“And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17“Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

However, as we read in Galatians, Peter appears to have withdrawn from the Gentiles due to pressure from Jews who insisted that Gentiles first had to adopt and follow the full Jewish law before having available to them the Messiah. Peter knew from a dramatic example in His life this was not true, but still yielded to pressure and that sent a distracting message to the Gentiles and other Jews that the Gentiles could not receive the Spirit and follow Christ without first following the Jewish law. It was wrong and Peter knew it.

Paul confronted Peter (Cephas) on this failure. They both knew that the law is not what makes men righteous, but rather Christ alone. (That is not to say the law given by God is not good. It is very good and serves good purpose. Of course, the many additional instructions laid down by the teachers of the law that were not of God… that is a different matter. Those are not good.)

Galatians 2:11-21

Peter (Cephas) Opposed by Paul

     11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

      15“We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. 17“But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18“For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Christ died for all of us. Let us welcome others to accept that fairly simple, yet all powerful, concept regardless of their background. As one accepts Christ, then there is more to learn about all that God wants and expects from us. The law (instructions) from God, recorded in the Bible, is very helpful in this regard. There is a lifetime for that journey. It goes well beyond a one-time decision.  However, let us first welcome them onto the path as they simply submit to Jesus, turn from their sins and ask forgiveness… asking Him to be Lord of their lives. For in this way we are justified and reconciled to the Father.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Repenting from Sin, Salvation

All Have Sinned and Fall Short of the Glory of God

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are righteous in and of ourselves when compared to God’s holy standard. Our salvation is not through our good works, whatever they may be, but rather through His grace and mercy. The Father sent Christ to pay the penalty of our sin… death.

There can be no boasting of our own works. Rather we must have humility to come before Him and admit our sinful nature, asking forgiveness and turning toward Him in repentance. Through Christ we are saved.

Note, however, how Paul emphasizes that this does not nullify the law. Scripture tells us the law is good and perfect and shows us what is right and wrong. It is still a useful guide to our steps. But we can not be saved by adherence to the law but through Christ alone.

Romans 3:21-31

Justification by Faith

     21But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

      27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

      31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Come humbly and thankfully before our Father, the Lord of the universe and creator of all things. Praise Him for making a way through Christ for us to be reconciled to Him. Accept Christ as Lord and Savior today. No one is beyond His offer of salvation, no matter what sin has been committed. To learn more about accepting Christ, read The Message of the Cross.

May His name be holy. May His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Help / Serve Others, Holy / Set Apart, Salvation, Seeking God

Engage God Personally; No One Can Do It For You

It is a fantastic concept… a whole section of the people set apart to be holy and serve God without distraction of trying to provide for their families. It can be very powerful to remain focused on the things of God. However, the Levitical priesthood no longer exists. Contrary to what some teach, there is no longer a priesthood which is supposed to serve God as a focal point and intermediary for the people. With the death and resurrection of Christ, the veil is torn and we are all invited to come before our Father in heaven directly. Pastors may be helpful in shepherding the flock, but they are not intended to replace the individual’s relationship with God. In a way, we are each called to serve Him directly and at the same time Christ is our chief priest or intermediary with God on our behalf. What a great and glorious upgrade from a priesthood of men!

Do not pass up this invitation to engage God personally. No one else can do it for you.

Numbers 3

Levites to Be Priesthood

     1Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

      5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7“They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8“They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9“You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10“So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

      11Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13“For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD.”

      14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.” 16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, just as he had been commanded. 17These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.

      21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Duties of the Priests

     25Now the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service concerning them.

      27Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. 28In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, 30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service concerning them; 32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.

      33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, 37and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords.

      38Now those who were to camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death. 39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the LORD by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.

Firstborn Redeemed

      40Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names. 41“You shall take the Levites for Me, I am the LORD, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him; 43and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.

      44Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD. 46“For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), 48and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the command of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

There are many who serve in ministry activity. Many of those genuinely desire to serve and honor God. We should prayerfully consider how Jehovah wants us to support them as they are a very important part of the body of Christ. However, never let someone else take the place of your having a personal and direct relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus already died to pay for our sins and reconcile us to the Father in a way we can never do on our own. Accept Christ as Lord and ask forgiveness for your sin and turn your life to seeking and following the instructions of God. What a glorious gift from the Creator of everything that we are invited through His son to have a relationship with Him directly and personally! Don’t give it up and let someone else do it for you. You will not be blessed with His presence in this way or find your way to heaven in this way. You must have the relationship with Christ. No one else can have it for you, on your behalf.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Consequences of Sin, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Seeking God, Sin, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

Atonement: Getting Right With God

All of us should set aside time to consider atonement for our sins. Leviticus 16 describes animal sacrifice and ceremonial laws which were relevant to God’s people prior to the death of Christ. There is much focus on atonement, even ending with instructions to take a day each year to do no work just to reflect on atonement.

We all sin, even believers. The more we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, the less we sin perhaps but none the less any sin is punishable by death. That is inherently a reminder built into the animal sacrifices. The penalty for sin is death. Prior to Christ’s death on the cross, animals were substituted for us and ceremonially paid the price for our sin for us to get atonement. Notice there is much detail in regards to approaching God. It is not just slaughtering an animal. There is a process to be followed in coming into God’s presence. We are to be cleansed and purified as we come into His presence.

Now, Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sin with His blood, shed on the cross. Through His sacrifice, our debt for sin is paid. We need not sacrifice animals. His sacrifice was sufficient. However, we do well to set aside time to reflect on atonement, which is simply the reparation for a wrong… the price to be paid for our sin. We should thankfully accept the gift God has offered us in Christ Jesus. Turn from our sins… our wrong attitudes and actions. Let us seek after God to do things His way… asking forgiveness for our wrong doing and wrong thinking.

Leviticus 16

Law of Atonement

      1Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the LORD and died. 2The LORD said to Moses:
“Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3“Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4“He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. 5“He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 6“Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7“He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8“Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9“Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering. 10“But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

      11“Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 12“He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. 13“He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. 14“Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

      15“Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16“He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. 17“When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. 18“Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19“With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it.

      20“When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. 21“Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. 22“The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

      23“Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there. 24“He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25“Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 26“The one who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp. 27“But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. 28“Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, then afterward he shall come into the camp.

An Annual Atonement

     29“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; 30for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31“It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. 32“So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34“Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year.” And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did.

My family and I have started setting aside a day of Sabbath rest once a year consistent with God’s instructions at the close of this chapter in scripture. It serves well as a reminder to be humble and remember our sin and be thankful as we accept God’s gift of forgiveness through Christ. So, too, it reminds us that we continue to sin and should come before God humbly and thankfully, asking for His help to more fully commit our lives to Him and His ways… letting go of our own sinful and selfish desires. I encourage you to do the same.

If you are interested to participate in the day of Atonement, it usually comes in late Sep or early Oct. Because man changed the calendar we mostly find it confusing to follow these Biblically commanded days. There are many Jewish websites which try to maintain the Jewish calendar in the same way as Moses and the Israelites did in the past. You can search for day of atonement and probably find some websites to help you. Else you can search “Jewish holidays”. Do not be discouraged, just because the world labels them this way… and you are Christian. The facts are that God did not change the calendar, man did. They are not Jewish holidays… they are Jehovah’s holy days. The exact day is less important than the act of setting aside time to spend with our Father reflecting and praying regarding atonement for our sin and continuing our journey to repent from sin and become more like Jesus.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Prayer, Salvation, Satan

Exploring the Depth of Our Faith

Let us take time to reflect on a few considerations regarding our faith as believers. We should take care to evaluate earnestly and without deceiving ourselves in regards to the need to grow our faith even after accepting Jesus as Lord.

  • Just believing that Jesus was historically real, and was God come to dwell among us is not a saving faith. Even having fear of God does not mean you have saving faith. Even Satan and his demons believe these things.

James 2:19

19You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

  • We must truly in our hearts believe that Jesus Christ is God and submit to Him as Lord over our life. We turn from our old ways and seek to live according to His ways. This requires more than claiming to submit to Him with our words or doing good works in His name.  Our decisions in life are to be based on His will and His ways rather than our desires. If nothing in your life changes after you claim to submit to Jesus as Lord, it should be a red flag to you that you should pray and search more deeply to test if you really have committed to Him wholeheartedly or are just claiming the name.

Matthew 7:21-23

   21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

  • Even once we are truly followers of Christ, we have further to go in growing our faith. Do not grow complacent. Even Jesus’ disciples as He walked among them had further to grow in their faith.

Matthew 17:14-23

The Demoniac

      14When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16“I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

      19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21[“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]

  • Of course, another phase we can look forward to as a natural progression of our faith and walk with Christ as Lord… the in filling of the Holy Spirit that brings with it much power. A good demonstration of this impact is perhaps to consider Peter before Pentecost and after Pentecost. Peter had faith in both cases, but he was transformed from his condition before the Spirit (e.g. he denied Christ 3 times when Jesus was taken into custody before crucifixion) to a powerful and bold servant of Christ after he was infilled by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 22:37-47

      37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

      43Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

We all need help from the Father. That is why He sends the Holy Spirit as our Helper. Pray for the Father’s help to grow your faith and fill you with the Spirit. Ask Him to show you where you are not being faithful and fully submitted. Connect with someone you trust who can also help hold you accountable as to your actions and attitudes lining up with the instructions of our Lord. Stay connected to the Lord in prayer and submitted to Him in all aspects of your life.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Depression / Discouragement, Hope, Persecution / Glorifying God, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Suffering / Adversity, Worry/Anxiety

A Living Hope No Matter What We Face

As followers of Christ, we have much to find comfort in, even while we experience grief in this world. We will have hard times. It is nothing new for believers to be scattered amongst pagan countries and cultures. Though we have essentially a pagan and not a Christian nation even in the USA now, there is still much freedom to worship Christ without the type of persecution that His followers have had to experience throughout history… still experience in many other nations around the world even today.

Whether we experience grief from persecution, from the difficulties of living amongst pagan peoples, loss of a loved one, or from other personal situations and trials… we can be comforted, encouraged and find hope in God’s offer and promise of salvation.

1 Peter 1

A Living Hope, and a Sure Salvation

      1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

      3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

      10As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

      13Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

      17If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

      22Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

24For,
“ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,
AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.
THE GRASS WITHERS,
AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,

      25BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.”
And this is the word which was preached to you.

The grief and pain of this world only lasts for a time. But we are called to action to prepare and to take hold of the offer of salvation. It will not just be given to us if we ignore or dismiss Christ. Taking Christ as Lord of our life should be reflected in changes to how we live. Less of our own selfish, sinful nature… more of Him.

      13Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

     17If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

      22Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

The things of the flesh will fall away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Righteousness / Serving God, Salvation, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering / Adversity

There Is A Battle… If You Don’t Prepare, You Lose

In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul provides us important guidance about the reality of spiritual warfare.  Too often Christians dismiss spiritual warfare and focus only on the things we can see and touch. This leaves us vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. If we do not recognize the true enemy, we will struggle to win against him.

      10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

      18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Some key points upon which to reflect:

  • Our strength comes from the Lord, not ourselves
  • The devil is real and he has strategies he uses to lie, cheat and destroy. He will use more than one strategy against us.
  • Warfare does not always take place in physical world, sometimes it is in the spiritual world. Don’t believe me? Read the book of Job.
  • Just putting on one or two pieces of the armor of God is not enough, we need to put on all of them.
  • Prayer and a relationship with Jesus is necessary! Jesus tells us to pray daily and to pray specifically to not let us yield to temptation, and to be rescued from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13
  • We are to stay alert and pray for others in addition to ourselves. Pray for those preach the gospel that they would preach boldly!

Let’s explore what it really means to put on the full armor of God.

Truth can simply be defined as the real facts about something.  Surprisingly the world today proposes that truth is relative when it comes to God or how we live… “True for you but not for me”, etc. This is no more accurate than saying “If I do not believe in gravity, I will not fall off a ladder.” Gravity is true whether or not I believe in or accept it. God lovingly and in great detail shares truth in the Bible and reveals it in the world around us. There is absolute truth.

Righteousness is characterized by living consistently with God’s standards of morality, justice, virtue, etc. As God’s standard is Himself, it is a lofty bar. We will never achieve it to perfection but He is the standard and reference point none the less. We should keep our eyes on Jesus and keep changing to be more like Him.

The peace that comes from knowing the good news is not a promise that we will avoid conflicts and trials, but rather an affirmation that when we have relationship with Jesus Christ we know He is with us in this life and that we have eternal life on the other side of this world. We can have peace through the mightiest storms.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1. In this context Paul reminds us that we must trust in God even when we are under attack by Satan. Just because we can not recognize how God is working in the situation does not mean that He is not there. We can be confident He is with us.

Salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences, which is death. It is not enough to know or acknowledge Jesus Christ. Even Satan and his demons due that. By asking and accepting Jesus into our  lives and repenting from our sinful ways we receive salvation through grace.

The sword of the spirit, or word of God, is what Jesus Himself used to defeat Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1-11. We must know the word of God before the attack comes just as a soldier must train and be prepared before he goes to battle.

To be effective we must understand and use all of this equipment daily. It ceases to become “something we do” and becomes “how we do everything” in our lives.

Remember to heed Paul’s warning and guidance for prayer. The battle is not ours alone, but the Lord’s!

      18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Satan

What Does It Mean To “Believe In” Jesus?

John 3:16 is often referred to as a wonderful summary of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in many ways this is true. However, many allow themselves to be misled or become complacent in reading this popular verse.

John 3:16

  16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

For those who read this at a surface level given the common English translations, a lot hinges on the meaning of “believe in”.  This is not simply to acknowledge the historical nature that God became man and walked among us thousands of years ago and then go about doing anything we want, rejecting and rebelling against God, but still  expecting God to give us eternal life.

Even Satan and the demons “believe” in Jesus. In fact, they recognize Him instantly… much more readily than people seem to.

Mark 3:11

11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!”

Luke 8:27-28

27And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.”

Matthew 4:1-11

      1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

      5Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;
and
‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

7Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

      8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Are we to conclude that just by acknowledging in our minds that the historical figure of Jesus is God we will be saved from the punishment we are due for our sin? The simple answer is … absolutely not. Satan and demons acknowledge and know Jesus.

Let us expand beyond John 3:16 to get better definition of context for the application of the words “believe in”.

John 3:16-21

  16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Note in the broader context we get a much clearer perspective.  There is a very big difference between “believing about” Jesus and “believing in” Him. To believe in Jesus is much deeper than just acknowledging a historical reality, but rather it is reflected in our actions. To acknowledge that aerodynamics work and planes can fly is interesting, but may not affect my life at all. Many may acknowledge planes as a means of travel but be deeply fearful and choose never to use them. If I believe in aerodynamics and planes, I will likely use them as a means of transportation.

The broader context of the scripture shows us that truly believing “in” Jesus as God, or not believing,  will be reflected in our actions. Truly believing that He died for our sins and rose from the dead means we will practice the truth and come to the Light. Not believing will be reflected by a life filled with evil and ungodly living.  Believing “in” Jesus  It is so much more than just believing “about” Him.

Sometimes a lot hangs on proper understanding of context of even small words.  Pray that God would help you to grow in your faith and believe deeply “in” Jesus as Messiah and not grow complacent just acknowledging the historical reality of Jesus. Believing in Him should be reflected in our behaviors and attitudes. It should affect everything we do and how we do it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Prayer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Salvation

Can God Forgive My Sin?

All of us sin. Yes, all of us… even that one person you think is really righteous and does everything right. So what differentiates us in our lives and relationships with Jehovah, our Father in heaven? Let us consider David, who God said was a man after His own heart.

1 Samuel 13:14 (prophet Samuel speaking to King Saul)

14“But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

Was David free of sin? Absolutely not. Did God make a mistake when He said David was a man after His own heart? Absolutely not. One characteristic that seems to exemplify David is that He genuinely tried to follow God’s instructions and commands and when he messed up, he genuinely and wholeheartedly repented.

What a beautiful picture of a relationship with our Creator. Though there are often consequences for our sin, He still loves us and invites us to return to Him, with a repentant spirit. David turned from his sin and prayed for forgiveness and genuinely tried to change His behavior and attitudes to be in line with God’s direction.

Psalm 51

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

     1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

      2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.

      3For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.

      4Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

      5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

      6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

      7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

      8Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

      9Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

      10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

      11Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

      12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.

      13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.

      14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

      15O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.

      16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.

      17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

      18By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.

      19Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

For those who do not remember the details of David and Bathsheba, David committed adultery and then essentially killed the woman’s husband to cover his sin. This was no “small” sin. Yet we see a picture of a genuinely repentant heart turning back to God and asking forgiveness… and getting it.

Though sacrifices are no longer necessary for us as believers, since Jesus Christ has died as our sacrifice to cover our sins, there is still an important lesson in the closing scripture verses for us today. God does not delight in a public show of holiness and repentance (e.g. David making sacrifices) unless it is accompanied by a broken and contrite heart. This is true today. One can not simply keep sinning and just call on Jesus’ name to cover and forgive sins… without any true repentance in their heart. That is simply not how it works. We must truly turn away from our sin and seek the ways of God. We must be submitted to God.

What an amazing Father we have, who can forgive us no matter our transgressions! Come before Him today and humbly ask Him to reveal to you any sin in your life and to help you turn from it and restore or create a closer relationship with Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Heaven and Hell, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Prophecy, Salvation

Find Hope In Christ Jesus

We will experience joy and suffering in this world. In the end, all of us will die. Many find this uncomfortable to think about because they do not really believe in life after death… not in the same way they believe in gravity or the wind. Even though we can not see gravity or the wind, we believe because we see evidence of it around us in daily life. It can be a bit harder to fully trust in salvation through Christ and life after death. It helps if we study the Bible, pray for God to open our eyes to His glory, and seek to apply His instructions in our lives. Then we can start to recognize the evidence of God at work in the world and our lives around us more easily.

We can trust completely in God in all things, including what He promises us about life after death for those who submit to and follow Christ… those who truly believe will reflect that belief in their actions.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Those Who Died in Christ

      13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Put your faith in God and trust Him in our hope of resurrection after death. Of course, we must submit to and follow Jesus in more than just words. We must do so wholeheartedly. But the faithful can take heart that no matter what this world holds for us, we will go to be with God after and when Jesus returns again, we will rise again physically to be with Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.