Tag Archives: Lord Jesus

Sage’s Testimony

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My story is not as extraordinary as some of the testimonials we like to hear about.  But to me, it is extraordinary to the point that I can barely describe it.

I will start with a short summary of my childhood.  My parents were decent parents, not happy, not unhappy.  My mother was Lutheran, and my father was Catholic.  They made an arrangement regarding how our religious lives would be balanced.  The children would attend Catholic School, and attend Lutheran church on Sundays.  My mother calculated that to be a good compromise.  Neither of my parents were saved at that time.

I will state in the most diplomatic terms that I can – that my ten years of Catholic school (I graduated two years early) were nothing short of hellacious.  Ten years of physical and psychological abuse.  From hitting us with books, to putting small children into garbage cans and throwing garbage on them. . .

I believe that from before I could even articulate my thoughts – I was aware of God.  Even while very young, I was fascinated by nature.  Even a leaf impressed me.  I’ve always been aware of an intense love for Jesus within me – to the point that my family made fun of me.  The irreconcilable teachings between evolutionary science classes and religion Bible stories disturbed me to the point I was challenging the teachers  at the age of eight, because it was so contradictory.  At my school, we were required to attend chapel every morning, and confession once weekly.  During one session, while on my knees at the age of twelve, I told the priest how unhappy I was, and that I wasn’t getting anything out of church or religion classes.  He responded that “Faith is an empty shell.  You can get nothing out of it unless you put something into it.”  So-o-o frustrating. 

Years went by, with me feeling more and more unhappy about life in general.  I was heavily involved with the performing arts, and had the nagging sensation that something was terribly wrong with it all.  My mother had been fairly miserable and self absorbed most of the time.  She also had a terrible 35 year smoking habit that she had tried every method known to man .. .  Smoke Enders, hypnotism, medical doctors. . . Then one day, when I was 18 years old, my mother’s hair dresser led her to Christ.  She came home a different person – and the very visible miracle was her instant deliverance from her addiction to cigarettes.  Very impressive to me. 

Two years passed, while I lived my life, and watched my mother try to lead all of us to Christ.  Her witnessing was rather more like nagging!  But the fact was incontrovertible.  She was changed!  I started reading her Bible – from the back.  I don’t know why I started with Revelation, but it spoke to me.  I had always known I was a sinner.  It was so easy – I held the Bible, closed my eyes, and asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart and save me from myself.  I told Him I didn’t want to live like I was living – pursuing the world.  I told Him I wanted peace.  I told Him I wanted Him. 

I felt like a ten ton weight came off of me right then.  It was so incredible, but I actually felt it lifted off!  Right at that moment!  I spent the entire weekend crying as one sin after another came up into my awareness, as the Holy Spirit convicted me, for me to confess. 

I didn’t become the Bible thumper that I am overnight.  That was a gradual development!   And, by the mercy of God, my very stubborn father got saved two years after I did, and devoted the next thirty years of his life to studying the Word. 

Dear Lord, make us worthy vessels like unto Thee.

If you would like to know this kind of peace – it can be yours today.  There are four steps to true conversion.  If one of them is missing, it will not be complete.

FIRST, admit that you are a sinner – just like me.

Romans 3:10

    As it is written. There is none righteous, no, not one.

Romans 3:23

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

SECOND, realize that you can’t save yourself.

Ephesians 2:8-9

    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

THIRD, believe, and turn (repent) towards Jesus Christ, believing in your heart of hearts that He can deliver you –  Jesus Christ – God’s only begotten Son Who died for your sins.

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.

Romans 5:8

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

FOURTH,  call upon Jesus for salvation.  Ask Him! 

Romans 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.

Romans 10:13

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

Won’t you please, take a moment, right now, and pray for God to forgive you of your sins,

and ask Jesus Christ to come into your life?

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

The Rewards of Crowns – Part 4

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How pleasant it is, during these perilous times, to contemplate the rewards and peace The LORD has promised us in His Word.  Thus far in our study of the crowns we have covered:

  1. THE CROWN OF LIFE
  2. THE CROWN INCORRUPTIBLE
  3. THE CROWN OF REJOICING

THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Not to be confused with the “righteousness of God,”  which the believer receives when he accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior.  When a person is born again of the Holy Spirit – he is “made the righteousness of God in Him.”  This is saving righteousness, and it is a gift of God,  which the lost accept by choice. 

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.

The “crown of righteousness” is a reward, not a gift, to be earned only by the saved.  If the believer looks for, and loves the doctrine of the Second Coming – it will be evident in his whole life.  We have no finer example of this than Paul:

Paul fought a spiritual battle his entire Christian life – and won!  2 Tim. 4:7 – I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. . .

Paul never surrendered to the enemies of righteousness!  Eph.6:12 – For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Paul had a set course to travel, and he maintained his course, never detouring around the rocky places, neither did he, at any point – LOOK BACK!  Luke 9: 61,62 –  61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.  62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Paul traveled the entire length of the course set before him with his eyes fixed fully on CHRIST!  Phil.1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. . .

Paul never, in his entire walk, betrayed  a single one of the great doctrines – preaching the “whole counsel of God.”  Acts 20:24-31 –

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Paul’s vision was fixed so firmly on Christ – that he looked ahead  to the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” where believers who “love His appearing,” will receive the Crown of Righteousness. 

2 Timothy 4:8

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.

second coming

Do you see how important it is for you, as a believer, to focus your longing on The Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – and not on the antics of the son of perdition?  This crown may be awarded to any believer – who  intensely longs for and loves the Second Coming of Christ more than anything – more than this country, more than their freedom, more than their life.