No One Is Good Enough

 

        There are a lot of good people in hell. The only righteous people in hell are the self-righteous who believed themselves "good enough" to go to heaven on their own merits. But no one is "good enough" to go to heaven on their own. We all need The Savior God provided to get us into the eternal presence of God. And we all need the Spirit of God to make us ready to meet God. That Savior is Jesus Christ The Only Begotten Son of God. And that Spirit is The Holy Spirit of God.

 THE FIRST RICH MAN

   In the parable of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-31), we learn that we must be willing to surrender -give up- all that we think we need in order to obtain that which we most need: salvation through Jesus Christ. 

    In Romans 3:10, Paul is writing to the young church in Rome, reminding them that no one is righteous on their own merits. Nothing any of us can do will gain us entrance into God's presence. Regardless of nationality (vs 9), everyone is unrighteous until we believe The Word of Truth which the gospel Is. 

    Jesus even tells us Himself that He is the Way into God's presence (John 14:6) and the Door/Gate (John 10:9). Without the righteousness of Jesus Christ covering our sins we will never be good enough to enter into God's eternal presence and remain there with Him. 

THE OTHER RICH MAN

    Luke 16:19-31 tells us of a different rich man. An arrogant, self-centered, self-righteous man who not only knew there was a beggar parked outside his gates, but he knew the beggar's name was Lazarus, though it appears they never interacted. Rich men have other men do for them what needs to be done, including finding out about other people. 

    Anyway, both men die around the same time. But one goes to hell while the other goes to Paradise (for heaven's entrance was not yet opened to the general public, Christ not having died and risen yet). Both have all their faculties intact. 

    We know this because they can see each other, hear each other. Each has all their senses and intellect. While Lazarus is resting comfortably in Abraham's arms, the rich man is miserable and will remain so until hell is destroyed (Revelation 20:14).

    Yet, the rich man does not speak to Lazarus. Though both are dead, the rich man still deems Lazarus beneath him and instead directs his conversation towards Abraham, whom he sees as a worthy conversant; expecting his demands to be met, but not expecting to have his wishes ignored. 

    In both heaven and hell people can still think, still hear, still smell, still talk, still see, still taste, still hunger, still thirst. They are aware of their surroundings and very much aware that they cannot leave. The people in heaven do not want to leave. Both want their loved ones to avoid hell, but neither can do anything about it. 

ONLY YOU AND I

    The only one who can pray themselves out of hell and into heaven is the individual who still roams this earth on the topside. Only you and I can repent of our sins. Only you and I can read The Holy Bible for ourselves and choose to obey God here and now. 

    Only you and I can believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. That Jesus was buried in a tomb and rose after three days. Only you and I can celebrate our redemption through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, after we repent, believe and receive. Only you and I can pursue God in this life He has given us to live. 

    Only you and I can ask God's Holy Spirit to make us holy enough where "good enough" will not work. The people in hell have wasted their opportunities to obtain grace. God did not send them there: they entered hell willingly because they chose to disregard God's grace in their lifetimes. 

    There's only one Door, one Way, to God and His Name is Jesus. I've made this decision to enter that Door and walk in that Way. Have you? No fancy prayers are needed. Just kneel before God, repent (confess your sins to Him and turn away from doing those things) and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, is God's only begotten Son and be baptized. Ask for His Holy Spirit to help you live a born again life, for that is what is happening: you are being born again by water and by Spirit into the kingdom of God. 

    Eternal life is a born again life. I'm living that life. The life I used to live I no longer live for I have Christ living in me and The Holy Spirit of God moving through me to fulfill God's purpose, God's will, for my life. 

    

    THE GOSPEL

The Gospel - Ryan Stevenson

 The Gospel - Eric Ludy

There Is One Gospel - CityAlight

 His Name Is Jesus - Jeremy Riddle

King of Glory - Third Day

 Washed By The Blood - CityAlight

Redeemed - Big Daddy Weave

    BILLY GRAHAM: NO OTHER WAY

Heart & Soul - - God's People

 

Psalm 7:9

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 7451

Wickedness: badness, evilness, adversity

From the Hebrew word 'ra'' (pronounced rah).

REPENTANT PEOPLE

    In this part of David's prayer, he prays for the end of sin in his own heart and in others' hearts. He prays, "Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end."       Here, too, the Christian desires the same thing: I turn my heart and my face to You, Lord. I turn my back on the unlawful things I have done and I commit to obeying Your Word and following Your ways. I repent of the wickedness of my heart and ask that You remain in me and clean Your tabernacle, that I might be made presentable to God. 

    "We pray that adversity towards God be overthrown and that our hearts be made clean and pure for His Name's sake. We determine in our hearts and our minds to be steadfast and sure, not moving from our foundation of faith in God through Christ."

ESTABLISHED PEOPLE

    David asks that God establish the just, that He build a firm immovable foundation in the believer. The deeper we dig into the Word of God, the longer and deeper our roots will be. As oaks of righteousness (Isaiah 61:3) we need to know this. We are the planted of The Lord. We plant (read and study our Bibles) ourselves in His Word and He plants (John 15:4, 5) His Word in us. 

    Being both planted in Him and built up in Him we are stronger than many of us realize. Just before The Lord ascended into heaven, He gave instructions  to His disciples (and to us):

Matthew 28:18-20

Mark 16:15-18

Luke 24:45-49

John 20:21-23

Acts 1:8

    Being planted in Christ through His death and His resurrection, we are now being built up in Him through the power of His Holy Spirit. As long as we trust God and obey His Word and live a holy life, we will see God and remain with HIm when we die. God is holy. His holiness demands a holy people, for sin cannot be present where God is. 

    1 Peter 2:9 tells us that as believers, as God's people, we are not like the people of the world, the people who still live in darkness. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. The chosen generation is the generation of they who seek Him (Psalm 24:1-6). 

    He has called us to be His royal priests. We are a holy nation. Though we are to pray for the leaders who rule over us in this world, that they may be saved and sanctified, our allegiance is to our God. His laws are higher than men's laws. When the law of the land is lawlessness, the law of God must still be obeyed. Know you that we are living under such laws even now? It's only going to get worse.

PECULIAR PEOPLE

    We are a peculiar people. Strange. Odd. Weird. To many people God's people are foolish. Why? We believe God. It is more than believing God's existence, it is believing God's Word is Real, Faithful, Truth. It is a knowing and an understanding. 

    But to the people who live outside of God's reality we are unusual. And so we should be. We should shine as lights in a dark world, shining with the light of God's love bursting through us. Radiance lights up our faces from the Joy that is within us: the love of God in Christ which we received when we believed. 

    For "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might shame the strong." (1 Corinthians 1:27). To quite a few folks, God's plan of salvation is foolishness. Unable to recognize their own sin they refuse to believe that God's Son would die in such a shameful manner, if they even believe that God has a Son. 

POWERFUL PEOPLE

    We are fools for Christ, as Paul says to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:10). We choose to live in obedience to God's Word and God's commands. We choose to share Christ, the Light of God's Love, with everyone whom God places in our path. We choose to live a life that glorifies God. 

    And we are able to do these things because Christ is our foundation, the Chief Cornerstone upon Whom our lives are built. We are trees whose roots are planted near a living flowing water, and whose strength is in Him. We are the established of God. And we have overcome the wickedness of this world.

    Unless a person is a born again, Spirit-filled believer they will not be able to fully and faithfully serve God in the way in which He has ordained His people to serve Him. Every organization, whether small like a club or large like a nation, must have a set of rules by which to live in peace. So it is with God. He has set up the ways in which His people should walk, should live, should serve. 

    It takes an immense amount of power to live God's way. This power is only available from God and it is in the form of His Spirit living and moving through His people by faith. If you don't have His Holy Spirit, just ask God for it. He knows what we need and He's waiting for us to ask because He's not a pushy overbearing God who rams His way into people's hearts and lives. He's a patient (longsuffering) God who waits to hear from us. 

    Now is the time to talk with God. And remember, a conversation is a two way street, not a monologue. 

     

GOD'S PEOPLE 

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - The Servant King

 

Isaiah 52:13

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5650

Servant: slave, servant

From the Hebrew word 'ebed' (pronounced eh'-bed). 

While this word has many  usages, in this particular verse it is referring the Messiah as martyr. 

THE MARTYRED SERVANT

Isaiah 52:14, 15

14. Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—

15. so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard. 

Psalm 22; Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53:2-5; Matthew 27:26-43; John 19:1-3, 16-24. 

Mark 15:32

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

THE CHOSEN SERVANT

Isaiah 42:1

"Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations."

Matthew 12:17

"Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations."

THE RIGHTEOUS SERVANT

Isaiah 53:11

"After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My Righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities."

Matthew 20:28

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

THE SUBMISSIVE SERVANT

Luke 22:42

“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

John 5:30

"I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me."

Philippians 2:8

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross

THE WISE SERVANT

Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

John 1:32

Then John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him."

THE SERVANT'S SERVANT

Matthew 20:28

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

John 13:13-15

13. "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.

14. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

15. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."

THE EXALTED SERVANT

Philippians 2:9

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names.

Isaiah 53:12; Daniel 7:14; Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:33.

THE EXTOLLED SERVANT

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 7623

Extol: to praise highly, to lift up, to elevate, to magnify

It is the Hebrew word 'shabach' (pronounced shaw-bakh').

Psalm 145:1

A Praise of David. I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Isaiah 6:1

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

Romans 15:11

And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.”

Have you met The Servant King?  The Servant King came to serve God in the way in which God chose Him to serve. Jesus humbled Himself to serve God with honor and integrity, in love. Are we following the example He has set before us to do the same, to live our lives in the same way? Humbled, surrendered, submitted to the will of God? 

Have we chosen to set aside what we want and how we want it done in order that God may be glorified in our submission and surrender? For my part I can truthfully say, "No." However, having repented of yesterday's transgressions, I can move on and submit and surrender another day to God, hoping for a better turnout than the last. It is all I can do: greet God when I awaken, spend time with Him during the day, speak with Him in the night and/or wee hours of the morning. 

The psalmist wrote, "Early will I seek You" (Psalm 63:1). Which could mean early in my day, early in my life, early in my pursuit of following after God in all my ways. And, again, in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him; and He will lead us (Proverbs 3:6; 16:3). But only if we are willing to follow. So, come let us adore Him, let us serve Him.

THE SERVANT KING by Graham Kendrick

HIGH AND EXALTED by Bob Fitts

HE LIVES Divine Hymns

BEHOLD by Phil Wickham

ADORATION by Newsboys

(The) Blessed Righteous

The verse actually means what I have written. But if you are reading your KJV Bible, the verse will read like this:
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth with the scornful.
Pretty basic stuff here, isn't it? And, remember, Blessed is defined as Happy and To Be Envied.

The righteous person, the believer, the saved who love and obey God's Word are to be envied. They who live in the world should want what the Christian has. But far too many Christians are not being Christ-like, not living holy righteous lives according to the Word by which we should be livng. Many are disguised as sinners so they can blend in and not be seen. How sad an existence that is.
Christians should shine with the light of Jesus flowing through them into the people around us. "This little light of mine" is more than a song: it is a declaration, a proclamation, of Hope and Peace and Love through Jesus Christ.
Ungodly advice will cause a person to ive an ungodly life when they give in to it. I know. I lived an ungodly life style before my heart got right with God. I listened to my 'friends' who convinced me that drugs and alcohol was normal. I not only kept company with such, but kept stumbling back into that life every time I tried to get out on my own power. It took Jesus to lift me up out of that miry clay and set my feet upon the Rock, Himself.
I thank God I am saved and I try to live according to God's Word. Every day is new and every day is another opportunity to be a faithful witness of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. Today, today is a good day. Today is a good day to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, if you have not done so.

O Lord, have mercy on me a sinner! I see that I have wronged You and deserve death, but I repent of my wicked ways and ask that You forgive me. Please make me and mold me according to Your Word that I may walk in Your Way and obey Your Will. Teach me Your Word that I might be holy and be able to be in Your eternal presence ever more. Lord, O Lord, take me into Your heart as I take You into mine! Be my God and I will be Your child. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to take my punishment and that He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave, saving me and giving me hope of eternal life through Him and by Him. 
Thank You, Lord God, for saving me. You are most precious in my sight and I love You so much. Your name is great and greatly to be praised! Your grace is mine. Thank You, Lord God, for showing me mercy. Help me to lead my family and my friends into Your marvelous light and love. 
Amen.