Tag Archives: JESUS SAVES

For the Lord’s Day – Rescue the Perishing

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Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Refrain

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

Refrain

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Refrain

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.

Refrain

crosby_fj_1872

As I was ad­dress­ing a large com­pa­ny of work­ing men one hot Au­gust ev­en­ing, the thought kept forc­ing it­self up­on my mind that some mo­ther’s boy must be res­cued that ve­ry night or per­haps not at all. So I re­quest­ed that, if there was any boy pre­sent, who had wan­dered away from mo­ther’s teach­ing, he would come to the plat­form at the con­clu­sion of the ser­vice. A young man of eight­een came forward and said, “Did you mean me? I have prom­ised my mo­ther to meet her in hea­ven; but as I am now liv­ing that will be im­pos­si­ble.” We prayed for him; he fin­al­ly arose with a new light in his eyes; and ex­claimed tri­umph­ant­ly, “Now, I can meet mo­ther in hea­ven; for I have found her God.”

A few days be­fore, Mr. Doane had sent me the sub­ject “Rescue the Per­ish­ing,” and while I sat there that ev­en­­ing the line came to me, “Res­cue the per­ish­ing, care for the dyi­ng.” I could think of no­thing else that night. When I ar­rived it my home I went to work on it at once; and be­fore I re­tired the entire hymn was rea­dy for a mel­o­dy. The next day my words were writ­ten and for­ward­ed to Mr. Doane, who wrote the beau­ti­ful and touch­ing music as it now stands.

In November, 1903, I went to Lynn, Mass­a­chu­setts, to speak be­fore the Young Men’s Christ­ian As­so­ci­a­tion. I told them the in­ci­dent that led me to write “Res­cue the Per­ish­ing,” as I have just re­lat­ed it. Af­ter the meet­ing a large num­ber of men shook hands with me, and among them was a man, who seemed to be deep­ly moved. You may imag­i­ne my sur­prise when he said, “Miss Cros­by, I was the boy, who told you more than thir­ty-five years ago that I had wan­dered from my mother’s God. The ev­en­ing that you spoke at the mis­sion I sought and found peace, and I have tried to live a con­sist­ent Christ­ian life ev­er since. If we ne­ver meet again on earth, we will meet up yon­der.” As he said this, he raised my hand to his lips; and be­fore I had re­covered from my sur­prise he had gone; and re­mains to this day a name­less friend, who touched a deep chord of sym­pa­thy in my heart. It is these notes of sym­pa­thy that vi­brate when a voice calls them forth from the dim mem­o­ries of the past, and the music is ce­les­ti­al.  http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/r/e/rescuetp.htm

new heaven and new earth

Isaiah 52:7

 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

For the Lord’s Day – One Day

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  1. One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
    One day when sin was as black as could be,
    Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin—
    Dwelt among men, my example is He! One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
    • Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
        Buried, He carried my sins far away;
      Rising, He justified freely forever:
          One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
  2.   One day they nailed Him to die on the tree; Suffering anguish, despised and rejected;  Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He.
  3. One day they left Him alone in the garden,  One day He rested, from suffering free; Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil;  Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He.
  4. One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,  One day the stone rolled away from the door; Then He arose, over death He had conquered;  Now is ascended, my Lord evermore.
  5. One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,  One day the skies with His glory will shine; Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;  Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/987#ixzz2w4UcztxW

John Wilbur Chapman

J. Wilbur ChapmanJ. Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918) was an American evangelist, revivalist and pastor. He wrote the words to the hymns One Day, Jesus! What A Friend for Sinners (Our Great Saviour) and ‘Tis Jesus. 

Romans 5:6

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

He didn’t die for righteous people. He died for dirty, rotten, sinful people like me. Praise Him!

For the Lord’s Day – Just a Closer Walk With Thee

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Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

I am weak, but Thou art strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more,
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom’s shore, to Thy shore.

The history of this beloved hymn is uncertain, the safest conclusion is that it belongs to the wonderful legacy left to us known as the “spiritual.” (hymns developed by Christian slaves)

2 CORINTHIANS 13:4

peace and comfort

 For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God.

For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

For the Lord’s Day – Softly and Tenderly

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Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Refrain

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Refrain

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Refrain

thompson_wl

Words & Music: Will L. Thomp­son,
When the world-re­nowned lay preach­er, Dwight Ly­man Moody, lay on his death bed in his North­field, Mass­a­chu­setts, home, Will Thomp­son made a spe­cial vi­sit to in­quire as to his con­di­tion. The at­tend­ing phy­si­cian re­fused to ad­mit him to the sick­room, and Moody heard them talk­ing just out­side the bed­room door. Re­cog­niz­ing Thomp­son’s voice, he called for him to come to his bed­side. Tak­ing the Ohio po­et-com­pos­er by the hand, the dy­ing evan­gel­ist said, “Will, I would ra­ther have writ­ten “Soft­ly and Ten­der­ly Je­sus is Call­ing” than an­y­thing I have been able to do in my whole life.”

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/o/softlyat.htm

peace and comfort

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

For the Lord’s Day – O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

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O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing, ’tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

francis_st

“O the Deep Deep, Love of Jesus” is a well-known Christian hymn, written by the London merchant Samuel Trevor Francis.[1] Francis (1834–1925) had a spiritual turning point as a teenager, contemplating suicide one night on a bridge over the River Thames. Experiencing a renewal of faith, he went on to author many poems and hymns and was a preacher in addition to his merchant career.[2]

The song compares Jesus’ love to the ocean in scope, emphasizing the limitless, unchanging, and sacrificial nature of God’s affections for the singer and all of humanity.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_the_Deep,_Deep_Love_of_Jesus

EPHESIANS 3:17-19

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

For the Lord’s Day – Cleanse Me (Search Me, O God)

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In keeping with the theme of yesterday’s Bible study on sanctification, this hymn came as the perfect enhancement. 

Search me, O God,
And know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior,
Know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be
Some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord,
For cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word,
And make me pure within.
Fill me with fire
Where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire
To magnify Thy Name.

Lord, take my life,
And make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart
With Thy great love divine.
Take all my will,
My passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord
In me abide.

O Holy Ghost,
Revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival,
Start the work in me.
Thy Word declares
Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now,
O Lord, I humbly plead.

    James Edwin Orr (January 15, 1912 – April 22, 1987)[1] was a Baptist Christian minister, hymn-writer, professor, author[2] and promoter of Church revival and renewal

He was a professor in the School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary where he taught courses in the history of missions to career missionaries.

James Edwin Orr was born in 1912. His education includes earned doctorates from universities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, including the Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University and the Ed. D. from U.C.L.A. in 1971.

In his many travels, Dr. Orr has visited a hundred and fifty countries, including the Soviet Union, and has been in two-thirds of the world’s six hundred major cities.

Despite these numerous life-long accomplishments, J. Edwin Orr will no doubt be best remembered as author of a simple, revival hymn text—“Cleanse Me.”

Dr. Orr recalls that he wrote the Cleanse Me text, in 1936, during an intense movement of the Holy Spirit at the Easter, revival convention in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand—

For some time prior to this Easter campaign, an attitude of unusual expectancy had been prevalent among these people. Prayer meetings spread throughout the city with much fervency, and intercession led to wide-spread confession and reconciliation among the believers. Great numbers of unconverted students professed faith in Christ. The next night was given over to exultant testimony, with singing such as one expects in heaven.

The revival news soon spread throughout all of New Zealand. Dr. Orr reports that as he was leaving New Zealand, four Aborigine girls approached and sang for him a beautiful Maori Song of Farewell.

Mr. Orr was so impressed with the beauty of this Polynesian melody that soon afterward he wrote new verses to the tune on the back of an envelope. The text was based on the familiar words of Scripture found in Psalm 139:23-24:

       Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Further campaigns by Dr. Orr throughout Australia in the 1930s and later in nearly all of the English-speaking world, soon popularized this prayer hymn everywhere.  http://www.tanbible.com/tol_sng/sng_cleanseme.htm

PSALM 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

For the Lord’s Day – Jesus Paid It All

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I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Refrain

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Refrain

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Refrain

JESUS PAID IT ALL

PAID IN FULL

Jesus Paid It All was written under unusual circumstances. Did your mind ever wander during a Sunday service? Perhaps you started thinking about other things–maybe what occurred last week, or plans for the coming week or what you will be doing later that day. Something like that happened to the writer of a familiar hymn.

On a hot summer Sunday morning in 1865, Mrs. Elvina Hall (1820-1889) was found in her accustomed place in the church choir loft. But as the pious words of the Reverend Schrick’s prayer droned on and on, her thoughts drifted to other things. She pondered the meaning of the cross, and the storied scene flashed before her mind’s eye.

High upon a rocky crag, three crosses scarred the afternoon sky. On the outer gibbets, hung two notorious thieves. Below, Roman soldiers drank and gambled, waiting for death to overtake the poor wretches suspended above them. It was a public execution, but far more significant than they imagined at the time. Suddenly, the air grew dense and an eerie darkness invaded the scene.

As the soldiers gazed about them in superstitious dread, a triumphant cry pierced the gloom. It came from the figure on the centre cross. One word, in the Greek tongue: “Tetelestai!” Then He was dead. That shout of victory Christ uttered as He died is usually translated “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30). But it had another meaning back then. It was an accounting term. When a bill was paid, it was commonly stamped with the word “Tetelestai,” meaning Paid in Full.

And that is precisely what the death of Christ accomplished. “[He] bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” says Peter (I Pet. 2:24). “He Himself is the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world,” (I Jn. 2:2). The groaning weight of all the world’s sin was laid on Christ at Calvary. He bore it in our place.

As the pastor’s prayer continued, Mrs. Hall took up her hymn book and, turning to a blank page inside the cover, she began to write. Afterward, she presented the pastor with some simple lines of poetry–not likely telling him when they were written! Glancing at them, the pastor was reminded of something that had happened just that week. The church organist, John Grape (1835-1915) had composed a new hymn tune, with no words in mind. He passed it on to Pastor Schrick, suggesting they might find a use for it in future.

Stepping into his study, the pastor laid Mrs. Hall’s poem next to the lines of music. In surprise, he saw they fit one another like hand in glove. “Indeed, God works in mysterious ways!” he thought. (Little did he know!) The words and tune have been partners ever since, in the hymn, “Jesus Paid It All.”

http://www.wordwise-bible-studies.com/Jesus-Paid-It-All.html

ROMANS 6:22-23

King James Version (KJV)

water in a weary land

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I Need Thee Every Hour

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As I sit hear alone, I am overwlemed with this song. Truly, I need Him every hour. A short story about the author as you listen but please don’t miss the words.

Annie Hawks wrote:
“One day as a young wife and mo­ther of 37 years of age, I was bu­sy with my reg­u­lar house­hold tasks. Sud­den­ly, I be­came so filled with the sense of near­ness to the Mast­er that, won­der­ing how one could live with­out Him, ei­ther in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Ev­e­ry Hour,” were ush­ered in­to my mind, the thought at once tak­ing full pos­sess­ion of me.”

After writ­ing the lyr­ics, Hawks gave them to her pas­tor, Ro­bert Low­ry, who add­ed the tune and re­frain. The hymn was first pub­lished at the Na­tion­al Bap­tist Sun­day School Con­ven­tion in Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio, in No­vem­ber 1872. Some years lat­er, af­ter the death of her hus­band, Hawks wrote:

“I did not un­der­stand at first why this hymn had touched the great throb­bing heart of hu­man­i­ty. It was not un­til long af­ter, when the sha­dow fell over my way, the sha­dow of a great loss, that I un­der­stood some­thing of the com­fort­ing pow­er in the words which I had been per­mit­ted to give out to others in my hour of sweet se­ren­i­ty and peace.”

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord No tender voice  like Thine can peace afford

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby Temptations lose  their power When Thou art nigh

I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need Thee I need  thee, I need thee, I need Thee every hour

I need Thee every hour in joy or pain Come quickly and abide  or life is in vain I need Thee, oh, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee I  need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I  need Thee every hour

Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee Oh, bless me  now, my Savior, I come to Thee I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will And Thy rich promises in me fulfill

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee Oh I need Thee every hour I  need Thee, I need Thee, I need Thee every hour I need Thee, I need Thee, I  need Thee every hour

Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to  Thee

How to Witness for Him – #7 – Following Up

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Think of a new-born baby, umbilical cord still attached – abandoned in the center of a forest full of wild animals.  Exposed to the elements, and unable to fend for or care for itself.  Well – that’s exactly what happens when you lead someone to Christ, and then drop them!  As the baby Christian’s spiritual “foster parent,” you have great responsibility to nurture the new born Christian to ensure he/she is established and on the best food and water, has shelter, and is protected from the elements. 

Acts 2:41-42

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Hmmm.  Did you get that part?  Any question about what happened to the three thousand after they were saved?  Nothing vague about that.  When you, personally lead a person to Christ, then you, personally, are responsible.  Yes, you will receive the soul winners crown at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but the responsibility does not end with your joy at the birth!  Abandonment of spiritual babies, is one of the reasons for stunted growth, and future backsliding.  It also stunts the growth of the church, because spiritual babies, are not ever matured enough to reproduce themselves.

THERE ARE SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE BABY CHRISTIAN TO GROW SPIRITUALLY.  THIS ALSO APPLIES IF YOU, GRACIOUS ONE, HAVE ADOPTED THE BABY OF ANOTHER BELIEVER.

1. Put a King James Bible directly into their hands.  Remember – new born babies cannot even bring food to their own mouths.  Write something personal on the dedication page, open the Bible and demonstrate its features.

2. Make sure the Bible has a good concordance and index, and it might also be a good idea to show the baby how to use the computer to search Bible verses.  This is subjective, because the internet is overflowing with corruption and can potentially confuse, or even seduce  the baby Christian. 

3. Make sure you emphasize, that he  can know he is 100% saved through God’s Word.  Stress the “Three Fold Proof of the New Birth.”  

4. Start him out right – not on junk food.  Not force feeding, but make sure it is plentiful enough to sustain the baby until the next “feeding.”   It’s important to make clear, that we are to be obedient to the Lord in all things. 

5. Lead him to a New Testament church.  Invite him to be your guest at your church!  Take him with you, and sit with him.  When the invitation is given, encourage him to go forward with you, and make public profession of his faith in Jesus Christ.  Remember – babies can’t walk without help! 

6.  Encourage him to tell others about his new birth.  Psalm 107:2 – “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

7.  Either teach him the basics of Bible doctrine, or get him enrolled in a “new believers class.”  He will not be able to reproduce (witness) effectively, until he has a solid foundation.  Some of the essentials include the Trinity of the Godhead, the deity of Christ, and the inerrancy and divine inspiration of the Bible.  If you do not have a class for new believers near you, the studies on our Apologetics and Doctrines page are thorough, doctrinally sound, and may be used to give the new believer a solid foundation.    You are free to print off and use any of those articles. 

ONCE THE NEW CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED IN THE SOLID BIBLE DOCTRINES – THEY WILL BE READY TO:

GO WITH THE GOSPEL

How to Witness for Him – #6 – Giving the Invitation

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Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

SUGGESTIONS FOR GIVING THE INVITATION:

  After sharing  God’s Plan of Salvation, invite the person to whom you are witnessing, to accept, by faith,   the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior.   You can ask them to kneel with you, but no pressure!  If you just get down on your knees, it is likely that they will follow – but it is not necessary.  If you are on an airplane, or in a foxhole, kneeling is not going to happen.  You lead the way! 

While you are kneeling, or other posture of reverence, out loud, pray that the Lord will convict him of his sinfulness, and bring him to a state of repentance.  If he does not follow you, then arise and make another appointment to meet with him again.  If he does follow you to his knees, ask the Lord to save him now.  You will need to lead him – like a baby.  Yes – even coach- if need be.  Just be sure, that however you do it, that he/she acknowledges the complete Gospel.  Be sure he:

  1. Admits God loves him
  2. Admits Christ died bearing his sins
  3. Thanks the Lord for convicting him
  4. Admits that he is a sinner
  5. Admits that he is dead in sins
  6. Admits that he cannot save himself
  7. Cries out to the Lord to save him

 Please don’t be preoccupied with the “sinner’s prayer.”  Let the Holy Spirit lead you, as you lead the lost one to his Savior.  The prayer should flow from the heart – not a prescribed formula from an “expert.”

When you finish leading him through prayer, stand up, and ask him – “Did you by faith accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?”  If he says yes, confirm it  – “Upon the authority of God’s Word you are now a child of God.”  Give thanks and praise to God!

Romans 10:13

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How to Witness for Him – #5 – Sharing God’s Plan of Salvation

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Acts 4:12

 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

WHEN YOU ARE WITNESSING TO SOMEONE, THERE ARE SEVEN PROVEN STEPS TO TAKE WHEN SHARING GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION. 

1.  The best place to start – is with your own, personal testimony.  Not your life story!  It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to tell how the LORD saved you.  As you come to the close of giving your testimony – that would be a good time to bring out your Bible – or a tract or booklet containing God’s Plan of Salvation.  Try saying – “May I share with you God’s Plan of Salvation that changed my life?” 

2.  The first thing to cover, would be fact #1 – GOD LOVES YOU.  Read John 3:16, and talk more about how much someone must love to sacrifice themselves for another.  Be frank, and ask the person if they will admit that God loves them.  Lead them to admit it if you need to.  This admission enacts their participation in God’s Plan of Salvation.

3. The next step, will be to cover Fact#2 – IT IS A FACT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER.   Read directly from Romans 3:23, and make sure that the person understands that you, along with everyone else, has fallen short of the glory of God.  It is not a matter of comparing ourselves with the sinfulness of others – it is how we compare to God’s standards.  After the person has taken this in, ask them if they will now admit they are a sinner.  It may require some prompting from you – which is normal.  But the person needs to know, that God’s loves them, even though they are sinful.

4. After the two admissions, the next step will be to share Fact #3 – YOU ARE NOW DEAD IN SINS.  Read directly from Romans 6:23, making sure he/she fully understands what death is according to Scripture.  When you are sure they understand what death is, ask them to admit that they are dead in sins.  Stress, that even though they are dead in sins, that God still loves them.

5. At this point, share Fact #4 – CHRIST DIED FOR YOU.  Read Romans 5:6, emphasizing that Jesus Christ, judged completely innocent, took upon Himself the sins of the world.  Ask him/her to admit that Christ died for them, personally.  The person needs to know, that Christ loves them so much, that He died on Calvary bearing their sins.  He did not die for the righteous – He died for sinners.

6. Now share with them Fact #5 – YOU CAN BE SAVED BY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Read Acts 16:30, stressing that they must believe in their heart, their innermost being, that –

  • Christ died for our sins
  • He was buried
  • He rose again the third day

Ask the person to acknowledge the Gospel, and be ready to ask him/her to accept Christ as their personal Savior. 

7.  If they have actually done all of the above, now would be the time to lead them to call upon the  name of the Lord in prayer.  There is no formulaic prayer!

Please make full use of God’s Plan of Salvation, which may be printed off from this site – free of charge.  It will greatly fortify your soul winning endeavors.  The next segment covers  How to Give the Invitation!.

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How to Witness for Him – #4 – Following Through

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Matthew 13:3-9

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

How simple this parable appears on the surface – yet we could plumb the depths of it for the rest of our lives.  The Parable of the Sower aptly demonstrates for us, among other things, the importance of “follow through.”  Only one fourth of the seed that was sown, brought forth fruit.  The Lord explained the Parable in the  verses 18-23:

  • The sower is the witness
  • The seed is the Word of God
  • The soil is the heart of the sinner

We also learn that there are four different kinds of hearts:

  1. The hard heart; this is the wayside heart; fertile but hard
  2. The shallow heart; this is the stony soil, fertile but depthless
  3. The worldly heart; this is the thorny soil; fertile but possessed
  4. The understanding heart; this is the good soil; fertile and prepared

Simple and straightforward –  if we expect the seed (the Word of God) to take root and bear fruit, the sinner’s heart must be made ready.

  • The hard heart must be broken
  • The shallow heart must be given depth
  • The worldly heart must learn that the things of this world are temporal

CULTIVATING THE SOIL (SINNER’S HEARTS) REQUIRES TIME, WORK, AND PATIENCE.  VERY FEW SOULS ARE WON ON THE FIRST ENCOUNTER.  GO THROUGH ALL THE DOCTRINES – STARTING WITH THE FACT THAT THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD, PROGRESSING TO THE DEITY OF CHRIST,  ALL THE WAY TO GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION. 

If you are unsure of any of the fundamental doctrines – please make use of the Apologetics and Doctrines page.  You are free to print off and use all of it.

How to Witness for Him – #2 – The Qualifications

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Colossians 2:6-7

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:

7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

A QUALIFIED WITNESS IS ONE WHO IS:

1. Established in the faith. 

This does not exclude young believers!  Even the young can be mature –  spiritually.  To be established in the faith is to be rooted and grounded in God’s Word.  Peter said, “Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with  meekness and fear.”  1 Peter 3:15  The doctrinal studies on this blog, in your Sunday school class, and other sources are there to help you get firmly anchored in His Holy Word.  Study them, and carry your Bible with you to ponder any portion of one of the great doctrines.  They will give you a rock solid foundation to build your faith on.  And in this day and age – it is easier than ever to carry the Word with you via technology. 

2. Saved and know it!  

I know that I am saved, because God tells me so in His Word and God cannot lie!  You and I have the same witness!  We have the:

  • Witness of the Spirit. Rom. 8:16 –  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
  • Witness of the Word.  1 John 5:13 – These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
  • Witness of saving faith.  1 John 5: 9,10 –  9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of His Son.  10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

There is nothing more important than reaching the lost for Christ.  Nothing.  If it is important to you ( and as a child of God it should be ) make an effort to be rooted firmly in the Bible, and then you will be able to speak volumes with very few words!  In a courtroom setting, the witnesses are chosen based on their credibility.  Our firm conviction that we are saved, and our absolute faith and dependance in the Word of God is our credibility to witness for Him.

How to Witness for Him – #1 – The Importance of Witnessing

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Romans 10:13

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is of vital importance NOT to lift the above verse out of context.  Many, many false shepherds stop with verse thirteen – leading to many, many false conversions.  Progressing to the next verse – the Lord gives us three essential questions, that must be considered along with verse thirteen.

Romans 10:14

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

1. The first question, “How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed?”  

The answer?  The lost CANNOT call on the Lord to be saved until they believe –

  • That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
  • That Christ was buried.
  • That Christ rose again  the third day according to the Scriptures. 

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

2. The second question – “How  shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard?”  

The answer?  The lost CANNOT believe in Him until they hear the good news of salvation. 

3. The third question, “How shall they hear without a preacher (witness)?”  

The answer?  They CANNOT hear the good news of salvation without a witness. 

  • Three thousand were saved at Pentecost because of the witnessing of the 120. 
  • The eunuch was saved because Philip witnessed.
  • Paul was saved because Stephen witnessed. (Acts 7: 54-60), and Jesus the God-man witnessed, and Annanias witnessed.  (Acts 9:1-18) 
  • Cornelius and his house were saved because Peter witnessed.
  • The Philippian jailer and his house were saved because Paul and Silas witnessed. 
  • You were saved because someone witnessed to you. 
preaching

According to the inspired Word of God, the lost CANNOT be saved without a witness.  They must have a witness to hear, they must hear to believe, they must believe to call on Him, and they must call on Him in order to be saved.  But – they CANNOT call until  they believe, and they CANNOT believe until they hear, and the CANNOT hear without a witness!

Romans 10:17

 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

we are not born with saving faith.  it only comes when we hear the gospel.  it is of utmost importance that every single born again child of god is obedient to the word of god. 

Evangelize with the Gospel!!!!

God’s Creation – Bats and Pitcher Plants

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Pitcher Plants Designed to Attract Bats

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

Evidence for Creation › Evidence from Science › Evidence from the Life Sciences › Life Was Created Fully Functional

Even children learn that plants and animals depend on one another. Plants release oxygen for animals to breathe, and plants make food—mostly sugar—for animals to eat. In turn, animals produce carbon dioxide so plants can grow using sunlight. This ecological interdependence shows enough divine design to inspire any honest thinker to consider a Creator, but a recently discovered interaction between pitcher plants and bats shows even more.1

Pitcher plants in tropical Borneo, the largest island in Asia, attract a particular species of bat to roost right inside their pitchers. The plants absorb nitrogen from the bat waste that drops to the bottom of the pitchers, and the bats enjoy comfy digs. Researchers already knew that pitcher plants in South American jungles grow flowers that attract bats for pollination, but the Asian version is unique. They give bats a safe place to roost during daylight hours. How do bats discern these preferred pitcher plants from the surrounding dense jungle foliage, and does the answer to that question help explain how this all might have evolved?

German specialists worked with biologists from Brunei, Borneo to track down the specifics on how pitcher plants attract bats. They published their results in Current Biology.2 The pitcher plants present concave reflectors that attract their bat buddies. Bats’ high-pitched sound waves bounce off the reflector, so it stands out against the drab-sounding jungle background. The pitcher’s sonic reflector has three other precise design features.

1. The plant’s reflector is situated just above the pitcher’s opening. To the bat, the reflector sounds very loud, but the opening below absorbs sound. The bats easily pick out this distinct contrast.

2. The area containing the reflector is larger than related pitcher plants that attract insects, increasing its sonic signal.

3. It reflects distinct sonic patterns on either side so that the bats can detect it from many angles.

The plant reflector’s size and side-reflecting patterns only work when a certain range of sound frequencies strike it. Of course, these exactly match the vocal range of these local bats, which happen to hold the record for highest frequencies of all bats so far measured. For more about animal sonar, watch our short video here.

How did all this interdependent fine-tuning happen? For a pitcher plant to construct the right size and shape reflector in the right place, it needs just the right building instructions in its DNA. And no number of high-pitched bat calls can somehow reach into plant-seed DNA and write new reflector construction code.

The Current Biology study authors wrote, “In the Neotropics, a few bat-pollinated plants found an efficient solution to attract bats by developing floral ultrasound reflectors, which enabled them to exploit the bats’ echolocation system.”2 But when is the last time a plant, animal, or any non-person willfully changed its DNA to solve an environmental challenge? Plus, how would these plants ever “know” about the benefits of bat guano’s nitrogen until after they already had fully formed bat homes to attract it?

The plants found no solution, developed no reflectors, and exploited no echolocation. People alone can perform these kinds of creative tasks, and the best example is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible.”3

Pitcher plant reflectors reflect creation—His creation—and this interdependent pitcher plant-bat system showcases the ingenious design within that creation.

References

  1. Also, all animals either directly or indirectly get their necessary sugar energy from plants. See Demick, D. 2000. The Unselfish Green Gene. Acts & Facts. 29 (7): i-iv.
  2. Schoner, M. G. et al. 2015. Bats Are Acoustically Attracted to Mutualistic Carnivorous Plants. Current Biology. 25 (14): 1911-1916.
  3. Colossians 1:16a.

*Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

http://www.icr.org/article/8959

In the Bible, bats are considered “night birds.”  They are mentioned as being unclean to eat, and are also mentioned as part of the end-times judgment.  Bats are fascinating creatures in God’s creation.  They testify of His wonders, and may we never tire of learning about Him.  

Leviticus 11:  13And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, 14And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; 15Every raven after his kind; 16And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, 17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, 19And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

Isaiah 2: 17And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.  18And the idols he shall utterly abolish.  19And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  20In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;  21To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

The Scriptural use of bats relates to the spiritual darkness of man in the world.  They fly only at night, which is the same domain of the spiritually lost.   The light of the world is Jesus Christ, the god of this world is Satan, and there is no light in him.  Lucifer is the false light.  The light that the evil one emits, can be likened to the light given off by electric bug zappers.  The insects fly towards the light, which deceives them into thinking it is the moon.  But, the false light of the bug zapper, only leads to their destruction, just as the false light of Lucifer leads to man’s destruction.

Jesus is the Light of the World.  As believers, we reflect His glorious light to a lost and dying world.

2 Corinthians 4:3-5

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #7 – You Are Now A Child of God And Are To Obey Him

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Acts 5:29

 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

If you have followed God’s Plan of Salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are now a child of God.  You belong to Jesus Christ!  You are not a servant – but a son.  A son that wants to please his Father.

SERVANTS OBEY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO – SONS OBEY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO! 

This is one of the major differences between true Biblical Christianity, and pseudo-Christianity, which is works based.  Those who are not born again, work to earn their salvation and reward; and not a little amount of fear goes along with that.    Believers work as loving children, desiring to please their loving Father, always aware of His care and patience.  We do not fear Him as His children, because we are His own forever.  We already have a safe and happy home with Him in eternity.

What are some of the ways that we, as His children, can please Him in our day-to-day lives? 

1. Make an effort to find a solid, King James, New Testament church to attend.  Don’t settle for a worldly church!  Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

2. Do get water baptized.  Baptism does not save; it is a witness of your faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Romans 6:4 – Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

3. Do attend Sunday School!  Study the Word of God with your church family – all God’s children.  2 Tim. 2:15 – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

4. Attend the worship services of your church.  We ALL need the preaching of God’s Word AND Christian fellowship.  Heb. 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

5. Be a faithful steward.  All that you are and have belongs to the Lord.  1 Cor. 4:2 – Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

6. Make time in your daily life to pray and read God’s Word, that you may grow in grace, knowledge, and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Be ever vigilant of the urge to be under the Law.  It is something that both new born and mature Christians struggle with.  Always keep in the forefront of your mind, that everything you need to know about God, is contained within the Person of Jesus Christ, Who is the Personification of the Law.  He has fulfilled it for you.  You can not follow the Ten Commandments, anymore than you can sprout wings and fly.  No one was ever able to be completely obedient to the Law except Jesus Christ. Try living the commandments that Christ gave . . .

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Trust me – those are enough!  Welcome to the family of God, and we will all meet one day!  Praise Him!!!

Admit this fact to yourself

I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND I WANT TO OBEY HIM

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #6 – You Can Be Saved And Know It

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1 John 5:10-13

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

UPON THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD – YOU CAN BE SAVED AND KNOW IT!  HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD IS YOUR ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION.  LOOK CAREFULLY AT VERSE 13 AGAIN:

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 3:36

 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

“HATH” IS PRESENT TENSE – IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN – YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.  FOREVER!  THERE IS NOTHING VAGUE OR UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD. 

If you have followed God’s Plan of Salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then God wants you to know:

1. That you are now a child of God.

1 John 3:2

 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

2.  That you have been made the righteousness of God, in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21

 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

3.  That you are now a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

4.  That you are now a son and heir of God.

Galatians 4:7

 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

PRAISE HIM!  IS THERE ANY GREATER ASSURANCE THAN WHAT WE FIND IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD?

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Matthew 24:35

 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

Beloveds – there are no guarantees in this earthly life.  Marriages fail, children break parents’ hearts, jobs are lost, businesses close, promises and contracts are broken.  Once you are His, you are always His.  Guaranteed by His Holy Word.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN KNOW THAT I AM SAVED ETERNALLY

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #5 – You Can Be Saved By Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ

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Acts 16:25-33

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Acts 16:31

 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The Philippian jailer directly asked Paul and Silas – “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  The answer was quick, concise, and positive in content – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.”  Just what was that answer that Paul and Silas gave to the jailer?  The Gospel!  Upon hearing the Gospel preached, the jailer and his family believed and were saved.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES WHEN BELIEVED?

  1. “That Christ died for our sins.”
  2. “That He was buried.”
  3. “That He rose again the third day.” 1 Cor. 15:3-4

Jesus Christ  the God-man, died for you, was buried for you, and rose from the dead for you.  And He is now at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you.

1 John 2:1

 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Romans 1:16

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation only when you believe.  Your faith in Christ releases the power of God that saves your soul.

The man born blind received physical sight by a miracle, but spiritual sight came when Jesus asked –

John 9:35-38

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on

him?

37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.

38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him.

Salvation came to Thomas , when he believed and confessed –

John 20: 24-29

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.

26 And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

When you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead – you will be saved.

Romans 10:9-10

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Please, accept Him now by faith.  Speak to Him in prayer, while you are alone at your computer, or anywhere you like.  It doesn’t matter where.  You don’t need to follow any special words, but your prayer might go something like this:

Lord Jesus, I know that You love me, because You died on the cross bearing my sins.  Thank You, Lord, for revealing to me my lost, sinful condition.  I confess that I am a sinner, dead in sin, and cannot save myself.  I do now by faith, gladly accept You as my personal Savior, and I praise and thank You, Lord, for all Your mercies, and the gift of eternal salvation.  Amen.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN BE SAVED THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #4 – Christ Died for You

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Romans 5:6

 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Christ died for the ungodly – all those who are not like God.  That includes you. 

Romans 5:8

 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Indeed – Christ died for each and every man, woman and child – sinners all.

2 Corinthians 5:21

 For He (God the Father) hath made Him (God the Son) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Peter 1:18-19

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1 Peter 3:18

 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 15:3

 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

Aren’t those Scriptures wonderful?  Won’t you join the family of God and thank Him for His great love in sending His Son to bear your sins in His own body on the cross?

Admit this fact to yourself

CHRIST DIED ON CALVARY FOR ME

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #3 – You Are Dead in Sin

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If you have confessed and admitted that you are a sinner,  then God now wants you to know that “the wages of sin is death.”  Just as you are paid wages for the job you perform in the world, so you are paid wages in the spiritual world for the things you have done.

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Romans 6:23

 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are dead in sin, until you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.  He must be  your –personal- Savior, because you have personally sinned against God.  YOU!  It has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone else, or any outside mediator such as a religious affiliation.  The  relationship is personal, between you and God alone.  To be saved, is to be made spiritually alive in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1

 And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Only the Holy Spirit can convict you of your sins.  Should you choose to ignore Him, you will remain dead in your sins.  What is death?

  1. Death is spiritual separation.  Your sins have separated you from God, therefore you are dead in your sins.
  2. Death is physical separation.  It separates the spirit and soul from the body.
  3. Death is eternal separation.  If you choose to remain lost in your sins, you will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment.  It is there that your sins will separate you from the mercy of God forever.  This is hell.

Revelation 20:11-15

11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

great white throne judgment 2

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU – YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE A SINNER . . .

Admit this fact to yourself

I AM DEAD IN SINS

God’s Plan Of Salvation – Fact #2 – You Are a Sinner

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Romans 3:23

 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

If you are a human being – you qualify as “all.”  Sin is sin, and you are a sinner. 

1 John 3:4

 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 5:10

 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

Sin is unbelief – it calls God a liar.

Isaiah 1:2

 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.

Sin is active and passive rebellion against God.

 GOD CAN NOT LIE.  HE SAID THAT “ALL HAVE SINNED.”  “ALL” INCLUDES YOU.  YOU HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND ACTIONS.  YOU HAVE COMMITTED SINS OF COMMISSION AND SINS OF OMISSION – BY DOING WHAT IS WRONG AND FAILING TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.  IN THE PERFECT, SINLESS, SIGHT OF GOD – YOU ARE A SINNER. 

Admit this fact to yourself

arrow pointing down

I AM A LOST SINNER, BECAUSE I HAVE SINNED

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #1 – God Loves You

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IT IS AN ETERNAL FACT THAT GOD LOVES YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE THAT CANNOT BE FATHOMED.  IT IS A LOVE SO BOUNDLESS, THAT IT CAN ONLY BE KNOWN THROUGH FAITH. 

Jesus saving

John 3:16

 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Just think about the simple word “so,” in the above verse.  So simple, yet so expressive.  That deep and simple word gives us some concept of the magnitude of God’s love.  God so loved you, that He gave His only begotten Son, to be made sin for you, that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21

 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

JESUS CHRIST WAS MADE THAT WHICH GOD HATES – SIN 

SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE MADE THAT WHICH GOD LOVES – RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

It is because God so loves you, that you can exchange your sins for His righteousness.  Is there any greater evidence of love?

CALVARY IS PROOF THAT GOD LOVES YOU – AND IT IS HIS GREATEST LONGING TO SAVE YOU.

Admit this fact to yourself

GOD LOVES ME

God’s Plan of Salvation – Introduction

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As we enter into this all-important focus of Bible Doctrine, please take note of these three important imperatives:

  1. There are seven irrefutable facts revealed in God’s plan of salvation.
  2. It is God’s plan – not man’s.
  3. There is no other plan that can save your lost soul and make you a child of God.

Acts 4:12

 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Revisionist history states that the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, but that is not entirely true.  It still exists, and is regrouping for the final phase of the story of the world.  At one point, during  its zenith – all roads led to Rome.  And in a very real sense – all organized religions also lead to Rome – not to God and His salvation.  There is only one way – God’s way.  And, God’s Way is a Person; and the Person is His Son – Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

GOD’S THREEFOLD PLAN OF SALVATION

I.  Christ appeared here, on this earth, to save each and every one of us, from the penalty of sin.  He accomplished this, by putting away our sins, through sacrificing Himself on the cross.  Heb. 9:26 – For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

II.  He then appeared in heaven, in the presence of God, after His resurrection, to save us from the power of sin.  Heb. 9:24 – For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

III.  Christ will appear again on this earth, for the second time, as “Lord of Lords and King of Kings,”  to save us from the very presence of sin.  Heb. 9:28 – So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.  

Please come back, for an in depth, seven part study of – God’s Plan of Salvation.

Bible Study – Digging for Water

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In the last study, it was told that the Philistines had “stopped up” all the wells that had been dug by Abraham’s servants.  It is still happening today.  After the “road map to peace” (2002 Counsel on Foreign Relations/Bush Whitehouse)  had forcibly moved Jews out of Gaza, rather than dwelling in the homes that were there, the so-called Palestinians razed them to the ground.  In the same manner – pagan Gentiles also attempt to “stop up” Living Water  wherever it is found.   The entire 26th chapter of Genesis deals with Isaac’s wells. 

seven times Isaac’s name is associated with wells!!!!!

  1. Genesis 24:62
  2. Genesis 26:18
  3. Genesis 26:19
  4. Genesis 26: 21
  5. Genesis 26: 22
  6. Genesis 26: 25
  7. Genesis 26: 32

Psalm 12:6

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Genesis 26:17-33

17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

19 And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said,

I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham’s sake.

25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.

Just as leaven in the Bible represents sin, so does water and wells represent the Holy Spirit and spiritual wells. Wells signify where sheeple can hear God’s Word and drink spiritual water.  All Bible believing churches, schools and ministries that give forth the Gospel are spiritual wells.  As in Genesis – God wants spiritual wells everywhere – but His enemies ALWAYS try to “stop up the wells.”  Just like Isaac’s servants, we should dig new, and reopen wells that are stopped.  Isaac reopened the wells that had been stopped, and dug new ones as well, until there was enough for his his tribe.  We are of the tribe of Christ.  Christians.  As the servants of the Lord, we must dig for living water, and make sure the water is kept “clean” (unstopped) at established wells.

When liberalism and occultism enter a ministry, the well becomes stopped.  The former “lively water,” becomes thick and stagnant.  No refreshment.  The ministry loses its lifeline, and sheeple turn away because they receive no water.  As sheeple become entangled in false teachings, they cease looking for Living Water. . .    

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

27 And Isaac said unto them,

Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

28 And they said,

We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.

30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.

31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.

33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

What are some “well-stoppers” today?  atheism, liberalism, cults, New Age philosophies, occult, paganism, abortion, normalization of perversion, and moral relativism.  God’s people must continue to be like Isaac in digging new wells, and unstopping old wells, so that Living Water will be available to everyone.

Isaiah 12:3

 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Bible Study – God Confirms Covenant With Isaac

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Only by adhering strictly to Scripture, are we allowed to see the Lord’s complete relationship with mankind.  Anytime we veer even slightly into the world, our “world-view” will become corrupted.  There are countless books, blogs, websites,  Youtubes, and even television programming, devoted to “expanding our understanding of the Bible.”  Unfortunately – the “world-view” of whoever  is producing these products, will heavily impress itself upon the finished product.  It is essential to truly delve into the Word of God in the King James Bible, to understand Him.  And, through His Word, we can understand why the Jews were –  and still are – God’s chosen people. 

Genesis 26:1-5

26 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

[Abimelech = My father is king.  It is not a name as much as it is a title, in the same fashion as Pharaoh is.  There were several “Abimelechs” recorded.]

2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.

As we progress through the Book of Genesis, we see our Lord further refining the people known as Hebrews.  In the above passage, the Lord reconfirms the eternal Abrahamic Covenant.  It is not a  new covenant.  In verse 5, He lists the reasons why He has done so.  In verse 4b – He states just how ALL the nations of the world will be blessed through Abraham’s penultimate seed –  Jesus Christ.

There are many ministries, religions, cults, and so-forth,  dedicated to destroying the Biblical truth of the nature of God’s relationship with Israel.  Many even go so far as to trash the Epistles of Paul!  It is imperative, for the serious Bible student, to understand the difference between the Nation of Israel, and the Church.  It is implicitly laid out in both the Old and New Testaments.  God used Israel throughout His-story, and He is still using them.  It is my firm belief, that even the Song of Solomon is about our Savior  and His Gentile Bride – the Church.  This story is told over and over again, in varying scenes, throughout the Old Testament.  Jews do not even know why they perform the rituals and rites of the proscribed Feasts – yet all the same – they are portraying the same story.

All O.T. Biblical Covenants are between Jehovah and Israel – the Church is a third party beneficiary!  The Church is not a part of the nations of the world – but rather a pilgrim on earth.  Israel engages in earthly physical battles, while the Church’s battles are spiritual.  Israel has a priesthood, the Church is a priesthood.  Israel has Biblical borders and a capitol, while the Church consists of peoples from all nations and tongues.  Israel is referred to as the frequently  faithless wife of Jehovah, while the Church is referred to as the Bride of Christ.  God’s relationship with Israel was one of Subject/King, while the Church’s relationship is one of Bride/Bridegroom.

four fifths of the bible pertains to the jews, while one fifth deals with the church!!!!

Just because the Jewish nation at large does not realize their role, does not mean they are not still players in the scene.  They have been blinded in part, and it is not for us to conjecture  the full why and how.   He tells us in the following passage, that the Jews were blinded so that we may take part in His Salvation.   It is one of the mysteries of God’s manifold love for His creatures.

Romans 11:24-26

24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Bible Study – Lot Delivered from Judgment

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Lot has returned from trying to persuade his two married daughters and their husbands of the impending doom. They mocked him in the same fashion that the world mocks Christians today. Since they can not see the doom coming – it does not exist in their minds. Forever the fallback of the secularists – prove it!

The angels spend the night in Lot’s home, then awaken him at dawn.

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

Apparently Lot was “lingering” (vs. 16) – something many people do when presented with the Gospel. They delay leaving their old, sinful life, because they, like Lot, fail to see the gravely perilous situation they are in. We also see that Lot is being delivered, as we are, because of the Lord’s mercy. Not for anything that Lot did – and not for anything that we do.

lot-flees-sodom

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:19 Behold now, Thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified Thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

zoar

21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The map at right shows the approximate locations of the “cities of the plain.” Some scholars believe they were farther north, but the location is not germane to this study.

Lot – still the carnal believer – is terrified of being homeless. His weak flesh still has control over his actions. He feels that if he were too far from “civilization” he would not be able to live. He asks to be granted sanctuary in the “little” city of Zoar.

escape-from-sodom1

23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; 25 And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

Many archeologists have attempted to locate the remains of these cities. I find that rather ridiculous, because the Lord “overthrew those cities.” Working in my garden, I often turn the top layer of soil and its weeds completely over. When I go back a few weeks later, the weeds underneath are all dead. If that could happen in my garden in just two weeks – how could something the the Lord completely destroyed still remain after thousands of years?  Most experts now agree – that Sodom and the “cities of the plain,” are now what is known as the Dead Sea.  They were completely destroyed.  The Lord “overthrew” them – even turning them upside down, as one dumps out a garbage pail!

fire-and-brimstone3

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

NO MAN, HAVING PUT HIS HAND TO THE PLOUGH, AND LOOKING BACK, IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. LUKE 9: 62

burning-sulpher

27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord:

abraham-sees-sodom-burning

28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. Genesis 19: 15-29

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 18: 22

ALL sexual behavior outside of the God ordained marriage between one man and one woman is sin – gay or straight, plural, animal, whatever – including all fornication and adultery among “straight” people. Christians – when you are intimate with someone- you are permanently joined to them. Only God can separate that. Sexual sin is sin against your own body – and sin against God.

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith He, shall be one flesh.

17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is One Spirit.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6: 15-18

The Lord Jesus Christ could not have been more clear on this subject –

Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Matthew 19: 4-6

struggle

If you are struggling with sexual sin – no matter if it is homosexuality, pornography, adultery, or fornication – it is the same sin of lust. Jesus can deliver you from this sin, no matter how heinous and unforgivable you feel. You may feel that you are beyond redemption. Jesus came and died to save sinners! If you are truly repentant, and truly want to be delivered – you can be delivered. Do you long to be pure? You can be – just like the thief on the cross next to Jesus. It’s not too late for you. . .  repent now, and turn to Jesus Christ.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee. Psalm 51: 7-13

Bible Study – Noah’s Family Tree

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Our study last week left off with the cursing of Ham’s youngest son – Canaan.  Genesis 10 is a genealogy, which is best observed in graphic form.  

Noah's family tree

One of the greatest difficulties the believer faces while in the flesh – is to be in the world – not of the world.  God sanctified Noah by removing him from the sinful world that was – before judgment – a beautiful picture of the rapture of the saints.  The believer’s sanctification requires continual rejection of the world’s temptations.  

JOHN 17:15-16

15 I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

There is a clear principal expressed in the Word of God, which indicates that the LORD wants Christians in the world as a witness – without becoming contaminated by the world and its trappings.  If the Christian loses his testimony – his ability to witness effectively will be very difficult.  These failures are infamous, and leave the church exposed to ridicule, rather than admiration. 

MATTHEW 5:13

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

The Scriptures are chock full of examples of men so affected by the world surrounding them, that they temporarily lose their testimony through their failure.   These cases are intended to serve as an example to us of what not to do!  Sanctification (being set apart from the world and unto God’s service) is our goal once saved, and it is so important that we all, as believers,  should pursue sanctification with due diligence. We are not to continue  living our lives in the same old way.

Noah's family after flood

Noah’s family was saved (sanctified) from the Flood, but soon afterwards they fell into a variety of sins.  Noah’s family carried the wickedness of the pre-flood world into the Ark with them.  Faithful Noah got his family out of the completely evil world system, but he could not get “the world”  out of his family. 

HOW ABOUT US?  ARE WE LIVING A SANCTIFIED LIFE?  OR DO WE LIVE ONE WAY AT CHURCH – AND ANOTHER WAY AT HOME AND WORK?  ASK YOURSELF – HOW IS THE WORLD INFILTRATING MY FAMILY?  TV?  INTERNET? VIDEO GAMES? DO WE SING PRAISE TO OUR HOLY GOD ON SUNDAY – AND THEN GO HOME AND WATCH R-RATED MOVIES, OR HALF NAKED CHEERLEADERS DURING HALF-TIME? ROMANCE NOVELS?  SOAP OPERAS?HOW ABOUT THE NEW PROBLEM – COVETING OVER PINTEREST?

Sanctification occurs in the past (when we are saved) the present (occurs daily as we cleanse our lives of sins) and in the future (as we are saved from the presence of sin.) 

Our “present” sanctification should be the work of every Christian.  How?

  1. Studying the Word of God brings sanctification.  John 17:17 – Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.
  2. Surrendering to the Lord’s Will brings sanctification.  Romans 12:1,2 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.    And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 
old bible

Sanctification is brought about in the life of the believer by his separating himself deliberately from all that is unclean and unholy, and by presenting, continually and constantly, the members of this body as holy instruments unto God for the accomplishment of His holy purposes.  Thus by these single acts of surrender unto holiness, sanctification soon becomes the habit of life. 

William Evans

1 JOHN 2:15

 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Bible Study – After the First Murder

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Last week, we studied the fruit of Adam’s sin, passed down to his son, Cain.  It emerged in the form of envy, which manifested itself in violent fratricide.

  1. God takes away Cain’s ability to grow things from the ground – something he had been very proud of.
  2. God drives Cain away from his family to live as a wanderer, always on the move, with no secure dwelling place, and no inner peace.

Cain’s attitude is alive and well in those that are of the “wicked one.”  They feel no responsibility for the safety and well-being of others, nor for posterity.

Cain’s guilt made him fear – for himself – fearful that he would be killed, because he himself was a killer.  Considering that this event took place when Cain was around 129 years old – logically there would have been thousands of people by this time – with no disease.

Our merciful God set a mark on Cain, to protect him.  I will state right here – that the mark of Cain – was not black skin.  It was a mark of protection.  And it belonged to Cain alone – not only that – all of Cain’s descendants were killed in the flood.

ROMANS 2:15

King James Version (KJV)

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. . .

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. Genesis 4:16

  1. No one knows where the land of Nod was. Cain was the settler of Nod.
  2. When Moses was recording this he used a literary technique called “prolepsis” (the assignment of something, such as an event or name, to a time that precedes it). [ ie: When my husband was three years old, he had a toy machine gun. At the age of three – he was not my husband.]

17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. Genesis 4: 17-18

  1. Cain did not find his wife in the Land of Nod. He already had a wife.
  2. Cain’s wife was his sister, daughter, of Adam and Eve.
  3. This begins the ungodly line of Cain.

19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 21 And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal–cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal–cain was Naamah. Genesis 4: 19-22

  1. Here is recorded the progression from one sin to another. v. 19 – Cain’s descendant Lamech, begins the practice of polygamy.
  2. v. 22: Primitive inscriptions reveal that Babylon has never been without the use of metals.
  3. v. 21: While Adam was yet living – his descendants invented musical instruments.

23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. Genesis 4: 23-24

  1. By the fourth generation there is a second murder
  2. Lamech boasts about killing a boy who struck him. And further boasts that if anyone tries to avenge this boy – the Lord will avenge him (Lamech) 77 times.
  3. This is a boastful presumption – that anyone could kill without fearing revenge.

25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Genesis 4: 25-26

  1. Adam still only has one wife
  2. Eve rejoices , as she says Seth is to replace the godly Abel.
  3. This begins the godly line of Seth.
  4. There is a spiritual revival.

_____________________________________________

Throughout the Bible, the two lines are demonstrated – the godly and the ungodly. First, the conflict between Cain and Able, and in this segment, the ungodly line of Cain, and the godly line of Seth. Although Satan had won a temporary victory when Cain killed Abel, the godly line was restored through Seth.
This enmity continues today. . .in the political arena, mainstream media, and Hollywood – abortion, evolution, perversion, and socialism are accepted, glorified and promoted; while true conservative Christians values and Biblical principles are mocked and denigrated.

Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7: 13-14

The New Birth – #5 – Threefold Proof of the New Birth

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Every truly born-again person, has the threefold proof of the New Birth:

  1. Inward proof
  2. Outgoing proof
  3. Outward proof

1 John 5:1

 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.

1.  “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”  Personal faith in Christ – that He is GOD – is personal evidence that the born-again individual is a child of God.

  1 John 5: 10, 13 – He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  This is INWARD proof of the New Birth.

1 John 4:7-11

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

2. “Everyone that loveth is born of God.”  We are to love mankind with the love of God.  Our sinful flesh is not capable of loving what is unlovable;  we must allow God to love mankind through us.  Rom. 5:5 – And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.  God’s love for man, expressed through truly born-again souls, is OUTGOING proof of the New Birth. 

1 John 2:29

If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him. 

3.  “. . .every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.”  When we are genuinely converted, and born anew, we will make a practice of doing right at all times and at all costs!  2 Cor. 5:17- Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  This is OUTWARD proof of the New Birth. 

Dear Readers,  If you do not have the threefold proof of the New Birth as demonstrated in Scripture,  now is the time to get on your knees and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.  And when using the term “personal,” it simply means that it is between you and the Lord – no one can do it for you.  There is NO SALVATION  through  your priest, Pope, rabbi, minister, father, mother, family, religion, cult, ritual,  self-help program or book.  You must have saving faith in His vicarious death, burial, and bodily resurrection –  believing that He Personally  experienced torturous death in your place, and overcame the tomb by the power of His Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 6:2

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Tomorrow may be too late!