THE LORD IS = TELEIOTES

 

TELEIOTES

(pronounced tel-ah'-ee-tee-os) 

THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION

Hebrews 5:8-9

Though he was God's Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became The Author of Eternal Salvation unto all who obey Him. 

    Now that we, too, have become the children of God, we must learn obedience through suffering as well. For those who follow Christ must follow Him all the way to the cross if they want to rise out of the grave in new bodies. 

1 Peter 2:20, 21

How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps. 

    He is our example, the First of us to follow this pattern of obedience which God has set from the beginning, but now has revealed in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. -- Hebrews 9:26, 27 - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 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. 

Isaiah 53:5, 12

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 

Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

Romans 3:25

God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 

    Where is Jesus now? He's in heaven with His Father interceding on behalf of His people. And one of these days He's coming back to get those who have been obedient to God. 

Acts 1:9

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

1 Thessalonians 1:10

And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 

Romans 8:34

Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God--and He is interceding for us. 

    And one of these days, when God tells Him to go and get His people, Christ Jesus will return and bring all of us with Him: we who have died and we who are waiting and watching for His return. 

    But He will not return with a blazing star in the night sky. He will not return, yet, with trump and fanfare. He will come and get us like a thief in the night: quietly and swiftly. 

    Now is the time to get ready. Accept Christ as Lord and Savior, receive The Holy Spirit into your life and be obedient to His leading, walking out our salvation by living The Word daily: by walking God's Way of Holiness, that we may see Him and live. Live a life of (agape) love now. There's not much time left.

BY HIS WOUNDS - Mac Powell

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD - Jars of Clay 

REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH  

    

A Crucified Life - - Lives In The Now

 

2 Corinthians 6:2

For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you. And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 

Now: the present time, the time at hand, at this moment, even now, at this instant

From the Greek word 'nun' (pronounced noon).

    There is no guarantee that we will have another day to make the wisest decision we will ever make. There is only now, there is only today. The word 'behold' means "to see, pay attention now and listen to what I have to say to you". God is calling our attention to what He is about to disclose to us. 

    Now Time. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Now. Not yesterday, not tomorrow; just today. 

    Hebrews 3:15 "While it is said, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." What provocation? The time referred to is when the hearts of the people provoked God by refusing to hear what He had to say. It's a warning to us even today to pay attention, hear Him speak and make that decision to listen, trust and obey Him.

    Psalm 81:8 "Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!"

    Psalm 95:7 "For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:".

    Hebrews 4:7 "God again designated a certain day as “Today,” when a long time later He spoke through David as was just stated: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

    A crucified life recognizes that there is a window of opportunity to turn from wickedness and embrace holiness. Jesus Christ is The Door, The Gate, The Entryway into the eternal presence of The Eternal God. This Door stands at the doors of our hearts, knocking patiently, waiting for the hearts who believe to allow Him entrance. (Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.)

    A crucified life has answered the persistent knocking and allowed the Christ to be their Savior. I opened the door of my heart and invited Jesus Christ into my life and my heart. I made the decision to listen to God's voice in His Word and obey His Spirit. Even now, I am more aware than ever that there is only 'Today'. There is only 'Now'. 

    For God has shortened the days even more. There are no longer 24 hours in a day, though our lives are still regulated under Greenwich Mean Time. Mere seconds have vanished from the clock.  The Now and the Day are disappearing even as we speak. 

     Being aware of this, a crucified life is compelled even more so to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We are so filled with the joy of our salvation that we want everyone we know and all we meet to know this joy, too. It is a hunger within us. 

    Is today your day of salvation? Have you come to Jesus for His cleansing power today? Have you believed on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb of God? Has Christ made His home in your heart?

Today, we who believe, implore you by the Love of God,  to believe, "Come to Jesus. Come to the Cross of Christ. Come to the Lamb of God Which Takes Away the Sins of the World." John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!"

    

    

Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- Rejoice Always

 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Rejoice evermore.

*Strong's No 5463

REJOICE: to delight in God's grace; to experience God's grace (favor); to be consciously glad of God's grace

One cannot unconsciously rejoice, nor can a person subconsciously rejoice in God's grace. We must be cognate, aware, of God's grace. For we cannot obtain what we cannot even be aware of. 

It is why so many die in their sins. If they are not aware they are sinners, then they cannot be saved; especially after death. We must realize in this life we are given that not only God Is, but that God Is Savior. That He is Savior through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, through the blood which Christ shed on the cross, which takes away the sins of the world: John 1:29 "The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world."

Realization of this as fact must come through an awareness of wrongdoing, which is followed by repentance (a confession of and turning away from sins). Then our hearts are filled with God's grace and we begin to live a disciplined, godly lifestyle.   

Philippians 4:4

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 94:19

In the multitude of my thoughts within me (anxieties, cares) Your comforts delight my soul.

Psalm 104:34

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

Always. Evermore. At all times. Regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves, we are to rejoice in the Lord. Our joy must begin in God and be fulfilled by God. Without a relationship with God there can be no joy, no reason to rejoice. But in God, in His name, in His character, in His power we can have joy. It helps us to think on God's Word, thereby getting into our thoughts. It helps us to read God's Word, getting it into our hearts. We must believe God's Word is Faithful & True, that the Holy Spirit may be able to bring it to our lips to speak God's Word God's Power with God's Love. 

2 Corinthians 6:10

As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Matthew 5:12

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

We will know sorrow, pain and grief in this life. We will suffer for our faith. Some of us will die for what we believe. Yet, we are rejoicing. Joy is not an opposite of sorrow, it complements it. When we know what we know what we know, we can truly Rejoice! in the Lord for we are confident that He will keep His promises. For God cannot lie. 

As Job has said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain (prove) mine own ways before Him." (Job 13:15) 

We are confident that our testimony, our faith in our Redeemer, Who has purchased us with His own blood, will stand as our witness when we are judged by God. 

If you have not this confidence, there is still time. Even now, your heart tells you that what I speak of God's Word is True. Even now, the Holy Spirit convicts your hearts and you feel a pinch in your spirit. May you surrender your hearts and your lives to Jesus Christ as the Word flows over you, may it also enter you. 

What Do I Do With Jesus?

     

      Many have heard of Jesus Christ and have made a conscious decision to either believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God for their salvation or they have chosen to not believe. I have had people tell me they don't want to hear about the grace by which we are all saved by faith in the only name under heaven by which we are saved ((Acts 4:12)). 

     Some people have heard the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ but don't want anything to do with the blood which was shed for sins. I have heard them say it's icky, gross and too awful to think about. Yes, the blood which Jesus shed for sinners is messy; it's so messy, that Christ was unrecognizable ((Isaiah 53; John 19:1-36)).

     Some have not yet heard this wonderful news. Hard to believe in this day and this age that there are still people who have not heard, but it's true. For when everyone has heard and been given the opportunity to make a decision regarding Jesus Christ's gospel ((Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 13:10)).

     But what do I do with Jesus? For me, it's what DID I do with Jesus? Well, I didn't become a firm believer until near the end of my first marriage. There's a line from a hymn that says, "I came to Jesus weary, worn and sad: He took my sins away." I did that. And when I did that, He came to me. And one by one my children accepted Christ, then the devil attacked my family and we were separated by force (divorce and distance). 

     But I didn't stop believing. I had a new firm foothold in the Word and the Lord brought me to a new city and a new church with some of my kiddos, where we were again separated. But I wasn't backing down (I'm still not). I came to a new church and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the last night of a revival.  

     Then another opportunity to serve God came up and put me in the church where I am established now. I was given another husband and another son. The marriage strengthened in the Word. The kids grew up and made their own life choices.  I pray that someday they make a life choice to follow Jesus Christ regardless of the cost. 

     

What Do I Do With Jesus?

1. Believe & Receive The Lord Jesus Christ 
1. John 1:12, 13 "But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.
2. Follow Jesus
1. Mark 1:17 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
2. Luke 9:23, 24 "Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."
3. Love Like Jesus
1. John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you should love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another."
2. Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
3. Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another."
4. Worship & Praise Jesus
1. Philippians 2:9-11 "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
2. Romans 14:11 "It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.""
3. Psalm 150:6 "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."
4. Psalm 34:1 "....... I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips."
5. Serve Jesus
1. Psalm 100:2 "Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs."
2. Ephesians 6:7 "With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men."
3. Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men."
4. John 12:26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
6. Share Jesus
1. Mark 16:15 "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
2. Acts 22:15 "You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard."
3. Acts 20:24 "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."
7. Last but not least, I will Talk to Jesus
1. Acts 6:4 "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word."
2. Romans 1:9 "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers."
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."
4. Ephesians 6:18 "Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints."

That's what I do with Jesus.

     

Activation of Faith

 

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God through the power of God. Anyone can read a Bible but not everyone can understand it, nor can they obtain the knowledge within its pages. We must first believe that God Is God and that He is Absolute Truth. This takes faith and this faith activates our hearts to seek the Truth of His Word. 

We who once lived in darkness have been called out of the darkness of sin and wickedness into the light and love of God's grace. God called us with His love, His Word, His Son Jesus Christ. We are children of faith. 

As the Word says even now, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Faith in God comes to all who believe in the Word of God, in Jesus Christ as Lord. Romans 10:8-11

8. But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart." That is, the word of faith which we preach,

9. that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

11. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be  ashamed." 

That's the Word of Faith. That's my Jesus in action. 

The difference between faith and unbelief? Eighteen inches. In our bodies the heart is eighteen inches from the mouth. Two imperatives for the activation of faith are given here. 

1. We MUST believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is God's gift of righteousness to us.

2. We MUST confess, speak out loud, that which we believe in our hearts: that God raised Jesus from the dead. 

If even one part of this is missing, then our faith has not been activated. It is not enough to just say the words, though that may fool many who hear the words of faith spoken by false prophets and false teachers; the heart must believe the truth of God's Word, as well. 

For we know that God looks on the heart and recognizes lip service when He hears it. How do we know God sees the motives of our hearts and knows the thoughts of our mind? His Word tells us so. In the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 16:1-13 God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse's house to anoint one of his sons to be the next king.  But after approaching each one who was brought before him, God rejected all of them because He knew their hearts (v. 7). 

Job, Isaiah and Ezekiel all tell us God knows our hearts. Therefore how can we ever expect to get away with anything? Foolishness. 

In the New Testament in Acts 15:8 and Romans 8:27 we see that God searches our hearts and knowing our hearts He gives us good gifts, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who leads us and guides through God's Word as we study it, that we might be approved by God. 

In Matthew 12:25 we learn that Jesus knows our thoughts and what we are thinking. Before we even ask, He knows what we are going to ask. But He delights to hear us ask. God likes to talk with us. He enjoys our company, the company of walking and talking with the believer(s). 

Our hearts must be right with God; we MUST believe with our hearts that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. That He died on the cross, rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. We MUST believe with our hearts and CONFESS with our mouths that which we believe in our hearts that our faith might be activated so that it will grow. 

Today is your day of salvation if you have not believed already. How do I know this? God tells me in His Word that this is so. 2 Corinthians 6:2 "For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!"

Mercy of God

 

1 Chronicles 16:34

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Mercy: Lovingkindness, Loving Devotion

What is the Mercy which God which God extends to people?

1. Redemption from enemies and troubles. We should Trust in it; Rejoice in it; Hope in it..

2. Preservation of life from death.

3. Quickening of spiritual life.

4. Redemption from sin.

5. Covenant-keeping

These things, this Mercy of God, is for ever. For us it is while we have breath, this life we have been given. The decision to believe God and follow Christ must be made on this side of eternity. You can't change your mind after you die. It'll be too late then. 

  

James 4:13-14

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”  You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Applying The Word -- The Word of Salvation

 Romans 10:9

I confess with my mouth (speak out loud) that Jesus is LORD. I believe in my ❤️ that God raised Him from the dead, and I am saved.

Romans 10:13

I am a whosoever. I have called on His Name and He has saved me.

I Declare

 I declare that Jesus Is LORD and believe in my ❤️ that God raised Him from the dead, therefore I am saved. For it is be believing in my ❤️ that I am made right with God, and it is by openly declaring my faith that I am saved. 

Romans 10:9-10

For by grace am I saved through faith, not of anything I have done, but it is the gift of God, not by works that I have done.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Why do we need to be saved? And what are we being saved from?

John 3:16 

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

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." 

Unbelief determines destination after death. 

John 3:18-21

"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 

And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.

Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God."

Revelation 21:8

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Galatians 5:19-21

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 John 1:7-9

If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Redeeming Israel

 

REDEEM ISRAEL

Psalm 25:22

Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress.

Psalm 14:7

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

Psalm 122:6-7

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper. May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses.”

Jeremiah 24:7

I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.

Romans 25:26-27

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob."

Romans 8:10

For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

This covenant is JESUS CHRIST. He is the New Testament through which GOD saves all who believe on His name.

John 3:16-17

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

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Romans 10:12-13

For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, "Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

Joel 2:32

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Acts 2:21

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

You. Me.  It is for you and me that God sent His Son to die on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins. Jesus Christ is our Deliverer, Redeemer, Savior, Messiah, Friend. 

I know my Redeemer lives. And I know His Name. Do you?

JEHOVAH-YESHA

Names of Christ Series

JEHOVAH YESHA

YAHWEH YESHA

THE LORD IS MY SALVATION

Psalm 27:1 

The LORD is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the Stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?

Blessed Who Wait For Him

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:15
Consider also that our Lord's patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.


Isaiah 26:8
Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.

I used this shade of blue as it was the closest to sapphire blue I could make. There are two verses in Ezekiel that describe the throne of the LORD as being sapphire or lapis lazuli (depending on which version of the Bible you read). And while sapphire comes in more colors than blue, I have always been drawn to blue sapphires. 
Ezekiel 10:1 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And, again, in Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

Blue is the color of grace. It is the shade of bruising upon Christ's body and face as He was beaten in the courtyards before being whipped 39 times across His back. Blue, cerulean blue, is one of the colors of thread used in the curtains in the tabernacle which separated the holy of holies from the rest of the tabernacle rooms. 

So, when I picture a sapphire throne on which The LORD sits, that is the color I see. And why does He sit on that particular throne at this time? He is seated at the right hand of The Father, interceding on behalf of His people. Why do we need interceding? We are not perfect, we are sinners, all of us. We make mistakes, errors in judgment and fall short of the glory of God. 

We needed a Savior who would know that we are feeble and unable to make it on our own, so God sent us His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to live and example for us, and die in our stead that we would not die in our sins. After Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave in that two day period in which He was sealed in the tomb, God rolled away the stone and Jesus walked out of the grave, having risen from the dead, giving all who believe this eternal life through Him. 

And after a few days, Jesus ascended into heaven to be with His Father again, waiting until that day when God says, "Go". "Go get Your church, Your people and bring her home." 

Isaiah 25:9


And in that day it will be said, "Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

JEHOVAH-SHALOM

THE LORD MY PEACE

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

In other words, what have to fear when our hearts are aligned with God's? Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." 

Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our LORD Jesus Christ."

I have this peace. I have peace with God through Jesus Christ my LORD because I believe that He Is and that God sent Him to die on the cross in my place and raised Him from the dead, showing Christ to be God's Promise of Salvation to all men everywhere. 

Getting this peace is easy. Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, I believe that You are God's only begotten Son, that You died on the cross and rose from the dead for me. I recognize that I have sinned against You, against Your Word, and repent of all my wicked ways. Oh God, forgive my wretchedness! Cleanse my heart, wash me clean and make me wholly holy unto You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might be able to live daily in You, live in obedience to Your Word. Remember me, O LORD.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Whose Report Will You Believe?

Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? Isaiah 53:1

This entire chapter of Isaiah 53 regards the crucifixion and burial of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah who was to come and deliver all of Israel: Jacob’s seed, the individual and God’s people, the nation as a whole. 

Report: to announce, proclaim, carry and deliver a message of what one has heard, to announce, to speak of what one has seen and observed.

We who are God’s people are here to tell you that the Messiah has come! It is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! See the words in Isaiah 53 and look to the John 19 for confirmation. See and believe the words of Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23. 

But it does not end there! John 20, Matthew 28, Mark 16 and Luke 24 all speak of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death, hell and the grave! That is amazing news to proclaim, indeed! And,so, we do. As the angels proclaimed the birth of Christ to the shepherds, we speak the truth of His death on the cross, whose blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness. We tell of the story of Jesus who came to die for us because nothing we do will ever make us right with God. 

We who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord carry within us the message of  salvation through the blood that was shed by Him on the cross at Calvary. We deliver the message of hope and eternal life through the His resurrection. Because He became sin for us, having the penalty of sin upon Him, He was sent to hell to fight and defeat the devil once and for all. He returned to the grave with the keys of death, hell and the grave in his mighty hand. 

God raised His only begotten Son from the tomb by rolling away the stone and Jesus stepped out into the garden, declaring victory over sin and death, becoming our Hope of Eternal Life through Him! WooHoo! That’s something to get excited about! 

Matthew 7:24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Romans 10:8-13 [8] But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: [9] that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

[11] It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” [12] For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, [13]for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Acts 2:38, 39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost…

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.

One God, One Jesus, One Way

*Original date: January 11, 2016

There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. John 14:6 Jesus said unto him (Thomas), I am The Way, The Truth and The Life: no man comes unto The Father but by Me.”

Yes, heaven is where you want to be when this life on earth ends. Hell wasn't created for you; it was created for Satan and the one-third of heaven's angels that followed him. But that is where the unbeliever goes.

It does not matter how good a person is, or appears to be. It doesn't matter which church you attend, your religious denomination, nor your lack thereof.

It does not matter who your parents are, how much money you give the church or charities, or where you live. It does not matter if you commit random acts of kindness. It does not matter. What matters is which book in heaven has your name in it? Revelation 20:12-15 “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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. AND whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” So, again I ask you, which book is your name in?

What does matter is do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God? That He died on the cross, rose from the dead and is returning for His church when God tells His Son, "It is time."

What does matter is that we repent of our sins every day. We are none of us perfect or even close to perfection: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” - Romans 3:23. “As it is written, there are none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:10.

What does matter is who are you going to believe? The people whom you have surrounded yourself with or God? God’s Word tells us in Romans 10:9, 13 “That if you confess (speak aloud) with your mouth The LORD Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved....(13) For whosoever (anyone, anywhere) shall call upon The Name of The LORD shall be saved.”

What are we being saved from? Death, Hell and The Lake of Fire. Eternal Damnation. Eternal Separation From God. Unimaginable agonizing pain. Unquenchable thirst. Hell is not a party. No one laughs there. No one is happy there. No one who is there wants to be there. They cry for mercy, but mercy is not to be had in hell. Mercy is here; on this side of life. And His Name is JESUS.

Only God Can Change The Heart

Only God can change a person's heart.
We can pray for each other.
We can pray with each other.
But only a prayer from your heart to God's heart will change your heart.
I want you to know Jesus personally.
I want you to know the joy of salvation in Christ Jesus.
And, as much as I want the best God has to give you, unless you want it, too, NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN in your life, your thoughts, your HEART until you allow God to change your heart.

Jesus Saves, Not The Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of GOD.

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.

It is the power of GOD that saves us at the cross on which His only begotten Son Jesus Christ was crucified. It is not the cross itself which saves, nor does the cross symbol. It is The Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, GOD's perfect sacrifice; not the means by which The Lamb is slain. But the reason Jesus needed to die?

Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Romans 5:12 Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death resulted from sin, therefore everyone dies, because everyone has sinned.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners.

The power of the cross is GOD's power of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. It is This Name Which Is Above All Names that brings a person to salvation.

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.

John 3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God's wrath remains on him.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

JESUS. His Name alone means "he shall save his people". He is the ultimate Savior, the Supreme Commander, the Almighty God come to save His own people. First He came to the people He chose as His own, then to the ones who chose Him as their own. Now GOD is calling you to salvation.

What will you say? What will you do? Where do you think you can go to hide from GOD when you reject His plan of salvation through His Son?

Who Shall Be Able To Stand?

The Day of The Lord

Isaiah 2:12-Isaiah 3:26

Revelation 6:12-17

Who Shall Be Able To Stand?

Revelation 6:17

“For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

n other words, unless you are protected by the covenant which God has set up with His people, you will not be able to remain standing upright. Your sins have never been forgiven. You are not covered by His grace, nor have you accepted His mercy. You are lost and undone. There is nowhere for you to go to escape from such great wrath, when that horrific day appears.

As previously stated in verses 15, 16 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of The Lamb”, no one will escape punishment from God for ignoring Him. They who denied His existence will be condemned by their actions and judged for their unbelief.

With God, time has no meaning. Though the days are ordained from Genesis, where we are told He created day and night here on earth, time does not exist in heaven. 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with The Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” From the moment the cries of God's people begin until they reach His ear may seem like hundreds of years to mankind, it is but an instant in God's hearing. Revelation 6:10 “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on them that live on the earth?'”

There are two days you and I should be concerned with: Today and The Day of The Lord. The first, Today, is all you have to get ready for the other. 2 Corinthians 6:2 “For He says, 'I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Today is your day of salvation. Tomorrow is not promised. If tomorrow never comes, how can you say “I will do it tomorrow”?

Many have heard, but not all have heard, of the gospel of salvation, G.R.A.C.E.: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. I'll bet most can recite John 3:16, but how many of you know what that verse really means, or means to you personally? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have ever lasting life.” God loves us so much He did not ask His Son to go, He sent Him to die in our place. He gave Him to us as our sin offering, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world, the whole world, from time begun until time ends. That is an awful lot of sins. And every one of those sins was laid across His back, one whiplash at a time. Jesus was so covered in the sins of the world, that God could neither look at His Son nor be with Him at the time of His crucifixion; for God is holy.

Whosoever means me. Whosoever means you. Whosoever means anyone can believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Water baptism will not save you. Immersion in water after salvation is a public display of our conversion: we are saying to our family and friends and strangers and enemies that once we were sinners but now are we saints because we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of our lives, our souls. Once we lived as the world lives, for self: it's all about me life-style and habits. Now, we live for Jesus: it's all about Him. Today is our day of salvation. “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:13.

Romans 3:10-18 “As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of The Way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of Peace they do not know: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” This is the unbeliever. This is the unrepentant backslider, one who once accepted Christ and then rejected Christ. This is the sinner who was not saved by grace. This is the false teacher, the false prophet, the fake, the liar, the deceiver.

Jesus says if we even think about doing harm to anyone, we have committed murder in our hearts, and therefore we are just as guilty as the one who literally took a life from another. If we participate in sexual immorality, whether in the physical sense or in our thoughts, there is no difference in God's sight: both actions are condemned and deserve God's wrath. Stealing a grape from the grocer is just as wicked as stealing money from the bank; stealing possessions and stealing trust are equal: a thief is a thief. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” - Proverbs 23:7a. Who you really are and who the world sees could be two different things, and usually is. But God looks only at the heart of mankind. 1 Samuel 16:7 “But The Lord said unto Samuel, 'Look not on his face, or on his stature; because I have refused him: FOR THE LORD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES; for man looks on the outward appearance, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART.” Romans 3:23 “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8 “BUT GOD commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” See, God did not wait for us to clean ourselves up and then come to Him. No matter how good we think we are, we will never be good enough to see God and live for ever in His presence. Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” While we may seem 'good enough' in our own eyes, we will never be 'good enough' for God: for God is holy.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” A gift is something that is exchanged between friends, given in love to bring joy to the receiver. This is the salvation of The Lord. Once we have repented of our sins to God and received salvation through Jesus Christ, His death, His blood washes away our sins; His burial and His resurrection is our hope of eternal life in Him. It is a gift from God. Salvation cannot be earned, nor can it be bought. No matter how many little gold plaques your name is engraved on, your salvation depends on your believing in Jesus Christ as Lord.  

Hell was not created to hold people. It is God's will that all be saved, but He does not force us into His plan of salvation. He loves us enough to let us choose. We are all preordained to salvation, but not all of us have chosen salvation. Of the many gifts God has given us, one of these gifts is free will. It is the gift of being able to decide on any idea and bring it into existence. We choose who we will follow. By not choosing God's plan of salvation for our inheritance, we inherit nothing. We are written out of God's will and cast into eternal damnation in hell and the lake of fire. For those who choose not to believe, there will be two deaths: the first is death in hell; the second is hell in the lake of fire.

Yes, I am a fire and brimstone preacher. But I am also a believer who has not only received this grace, this gift of life eternal, from God, but I am a believer who re-gifts. I share God's plan of salvation, God's will, with you. I want you to be saved. I want you to spend eternity with God and with me. I want to see your face, your smile, your spirit in heaven beside me. I have God's heart in me, and I want to see God's salvation in you. But you have to make that decision, that choice. I cannot make it for you. Salvation must be accepted on an individual level, with understanding and knowledge.

Romans 10:9, 10 “That if you shall confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart we believe unto righteousness; and with the mouth (our) confession is made unto salvation.” And now we come back to the heart of the matter. The heart is the seat of emotions, the throne room, if you will, of whichever destination we have chosen. If evil lies in the heart, then evil thoughts invade the mind and evil words come out of the mouth ('I wish you were dead' and 'Idiot driver' are only two of these evil phrases). Gossip, revenge, workplace theft, violence on any level, getting even, pranks, pride, arrogance, and the list goes on of all the evils in the world and in the heart.

When you repent of your sins to God and accept the forgiveness of Him through The Lord Jesus Christ, and you make this statement out loud in the presence of people, witnesses to your conversion, you are confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. You can believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and not say it out loud, but your actions will give you away. But, if you say out loud that you believe and your actions prove otherwise, you are just another liar and not a believer at all. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says unto Me, 'Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father, who is in heaven.”

“He who does the will”. So what is God's will that we must do? 1 Timothy 2:4-6 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” God's will is that we be saved through Jesus Christ. Plain and simple gospel of salvation.

Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.” Man, woman, boy, girl: whosoever means you.

Your only means of escape from The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord is salvation through Jesus Christ. If you repent of your sins and depart from your wicked ways, you shall be saved. If you do not, you will not.