Writing In the Sand

John 8:1-12

"This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not." (verse 6)

Jesus came to the earth to rescue men from sin, to set the captives free and to show us how to live according to God's way. I could quote many Scriptures to support these statements. Instead, today I challenge you to read the entire Gospel of John and read for yourself about the miraculous, the poignant, the beauty, the majesty and the admonishments that Christ taught and lived by. The Word of God does not lie. It is true today and it was about 2,000 years ago because the One who preached and spoke about it is still alive todayl. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He's the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Consider the anecdote below as it relates to forgiveness, friend.

Two friends walked through the desert. They were tired, thirsty, and hungry as they had not eaten for several days.

During some point of the journey they had an argument. There was yelling, fingerpointing, and shoving. One friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, and walked away. Without saying anything, he wrote in the sand:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE

Without saying another word to one another, they kept on walking until they found an oasis and shouted with joy. They decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the sandy mud and started to sink. The more he struggled to get out, the more he sank until he began to drown. His friend snapped a branch off a tree and had him grab it and pulled him to safety. After he recovered from the near drowning, The one who had been slapped wrote on a stone:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE

The one who had saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts me, I write it down in sand so that the winds of forgiveness will erase it away. When someone does something good for me, I engrave it in stone, where no wind can ever erase it."

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your blessing in stone. Be slow to get angry and quick to forgive. As you've been forgiven your sins, so forgive others in the same way.

When you surrender your life to Jesus, His blood will take away your sins much like the wind will erase the offense written in sand. Romans 10:9 states, "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."

Friend, all you have to do is take the 2nd step and ask for forgiveness. Jesus Christ already took the first step at Calvary. What are you waiting for?

Say Nothing, Do Nothing

Romans 2:13
"I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."

I can't help but think of the terrible price President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & the mullahs will pay at the Great White Throne for killing one of God's children (Rev. 20:11-15). As for Pastor Yousef, he'll be in glory if the Iranian government follows through with the hanging.

In the meantime, I came across this op-ed piece by Peter Bella. I hope it causes some of you out there to pray for the Nadarkani Family. Maybe the Lord will move you to do more. I don't know. But, please be prayerful.

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CHICAGO, February 26, 2012— Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani is facing execution in Iran. His crimes? He is an apostate who abandoned Islam.

He was convicted of practicing Christianity, trying to register home churches, and questioning the mandatory Islamic religious education of his children.

The pastor was given an option. Recant his faith and he can live. His faith is his life. He refused. He is condemned to be lynched.

There has been quite a bit of “concerned” diplomatic palavering over this case. So far our President has not made any strong public comments or apologies. Neither have the Secretary of State or any other high government official.

No books were burned so why condemn something as insignificant as a mere human life? The life of a many who chose Chirstianity over the violence of Islam.

Granted it is no one but the Pastor's fault that he will not save his own life by recanting. There is no reason to get upset about it. It is not like a book, even a Koran, was burned, cartoons published, movies made, or other kinds of freedom expressed.

Those must be condemned, strongly discouraged, apologized for continuously, people held accountable, or in the case of our so-called brave nation, never happen.

So it must be that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani killed. But even then, he is not some famous celebrity murderer on death row who must be saved by international protests, marches, and tearful pleadings from the beautiful, and liberal, people.

He is just a Christian. If he is willing to die for his faith, why bother? Let him die.

There is something else not happening. Christians around the world are not rioting, loudly protesting at mosques or burning them. They are not fomenting other violent acts or killing Muslims.

There aren’t even any mass protests.

There is no or very little condemnation of Muslim theocracies or autocracies. There are no scathing fiery editorials in our so-called free press condemning Iran or radical Islam for this gross violation of human rights.

There are no preachers in their pulpits spewing hell, fire, and brimstone. There are only statements of “concern”.

No one is creating phony terms like Christianophobia, and accusing Iran, or other nations of practicing that. No one is starting fake civil rights organizations. No one is demanding our president say something, or do something.

Every one is being oh so very polite, “concerned” and diplomatic. Islamophilia has taken hold in America and our government. We are silent witless enablers in the face of murder and persecution. It is the right thing to do. It is the politically correct thing to do. It is the multi-cultural thing to do. It is the civilized thing to do.

It is cowardly thing to do.

Burn some books, publish cartoons, make films, or in any way insult the so-called religion of peace or their prophet and there are riots, violence, terrorism, and murder.

It is a perfectly acceptable response, proper conduct and worthy of apologies and promises of accountability from high public officials. We must understand and respect their feelings and excuse the violence, murder, and terrorism, or threat thereof.

Insult the Pope, religious symbols, icons, or any other major religious figure; there is no harm, no foul. Burn some Bibles; oh those are just a bunch of books, no harm, no foul. Murder, execute, and violently persecute Christians, Jews, or people of other faiths, no harm, no foul.

Insult the Prophet and you better apologize toute de suite or else.

So when Iran lynches Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani you can feel proud you did and said nothing. When they take his life you can feel good that you were a the model of a politically correct poltroon.

When his family grieves, if they are not arrested and murdered too, you can pat yourself on the back for being the epitome of a multi-cultural buffoon. You were a perfectly civilized cretin.

Your self esteem will be rewarded because you are not uncouth, illiterate, and uneducated. You acted in a civilized manner while a man was brutally lynched for his faith by an uncivilized nation.
Yes, you. The media, our governments, our high profile preachers, our bobble headed activist celebrities, our pastors, and, well, all of us.

This is why evil regimes like Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, will win in end. This is why radicals and extremists will be victorious. They do what they want, let their people do what they want, and snub their noses at the world.

When they demand apologies, groveling, and prostration, we apologize, grovel, and prostrate.

Western civilization has turned into cowardly apologists for radical and extremist insanity. We bow down to the whims of violence; hoping against hope, it stops. We cave in.

We are the Kumbaya civilization. Unlike the fanatical extremist Muslims, we sit around the campfire in ecumenical love and brotherhood. They kill. We chant. They murder. We apologize. They terrorize we grovel.

Whether Yousef Nadarkhani lives, dies, or is coerced and tortured into recanting his faith, our diplomatic, civilized, and polite silence is testimony to the world that we just give lip service to freedom and human rights.

One more thing. This is not the first time America, the West, their media, and their governments were silent cowards. We were silent in the 1930s and 40s in the face of genocide.

Six million Jews were murdered before anyone spoke up.

And as the famous poem goes, who is going to stand up for you.

Peter V. Bella is a retired Chicago Police Officer, freelance writer and photographer, cook, and raconteur. He likes to be the sharp stick that pokes, prods, and annoys. His opinions are his and his alone.

This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com.

Get A Piece of the Rock

Psalm 27:5

"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. "

It's said that since 711 A.D., the rock of Gibraltar has been captured and lost by the Arabs, the Spanish, the Dutch, the British, and the French. Throughout all of the battles, skirmishes, and bloodshed, one thing has held true: the rock has not moved or crumbled. It still stands tall along the the Catalan Bay, which is located in the Strait of Gibraltar (southern Spain). You can see why the rock was prized; from it, you could see the enemy approaching by sea, air and land. Therefore, you could mount a proper defense.

The Rock of Gibraltar captures the Scriptural passage beautifully. By putting your trust in God, He is the one who protects you. And, He does so because He loves you (John 3:16) and is responsible for you because you belong to Him (I Cor.  6:19-20; Rom. 8:14-15).

So, get a piece of the Rock (Matt. 7:24-25).

That Rock is Jesus. Yes, He's the One. That Rock is Jesus. The only One. Be very sure, be very sure your anchor hold and grips the solid Rock.

Sign of the Times, Pt. 1

Matthew 24:7

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."

I'm not a doomsayer or a soothsayer. If anything, I'm just saying what the Bible prophecies state will happen in the last days. There's more in Matthew 24, but for now I'll focus on earthquakes.

The prophetic Biblical reference in verse 7 is not about the increase of the earthquakes' magnitude or frequency in the last days. It is indicating that there shall be earthquakes in "divers places". The Greek word, kata (Strong's # 2596), means among other things, throughout. That is to say, earthquakes will occur in various places. In my humble opinion, it points to places never thought of being prone to earthquakes.

  

Case in point #1:

Swarm of Quakes Have Experts Concerned

Reported by: Brooke Boone

Published: 6/23/2011 4:03 pm

Updated: 7/04/2011 12:39 pm

Hawthorne, Nev. -- Nevada Seismologists are keeping a close eye on an area southwest of Hawthorne, Nevada where hundreds of earthquakes have been detected since Sunday.

"It's a little bit concerning in a since. The largest earthquakes in these sequences are pretty large in size." Graham Kent is Director of Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno.

He says there have been hundreds of earthquakes southwest of Hawthorne over the past few days. The largest-- recorded at a 4.4 in size.

"These are the biggest in a sequence we've seen at least in the last couple of years." Kent says unlike the 2008 quakes in Somersett that damaged so many homes, these earthquakes are fortunately not underneath a community.

Size is not the only reason Kent says they are watching the swarm of quakes closely. The location of these quakes is on top of a fault that has until now remained unknown or has not been active.

See rest of the story here: Swarm of Quakes Have Experts Concerned

Case in point #2:

Missouri Earthquake Shakes Nine States

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Just days after the 200th anniversary of a series of massive earthquakes in southeast Missouri, residents woke up Tuesday to a rumbling reminder that they live in one of the continent's most active seismic areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of a magnitude-4.0 earthquake at 3:58 a.m. was located near the town of East Prairie, Mo., roughly midway between St. Louis and Memphis. Several people in five states — Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee — felt the quake, along with scattered people in four others, as far away as North Carolina and Georgia, according to responses to the U.S. Geological Survey website.

See rest of the story here: Missouri Earthquake Shakes Nine States

Case in point #3:

Here's a news story that strikes closer to home for us Yakimites/Yakimanians?

Newly Discovered Earthquake Fault Lines Mean Valley Is on Shakier Ground than Originally Thought

By Mike Faulk
Yakima Herald-Republic

Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012

YAKIMA, Wash. — The scenic ridges that line the Yakima Valley and much of Central Washington have long been admired and touted as part of the region's charm.

Turns out they come with a potential price.

"Every one of those mountains has a fault or two associated with them," said Brian Sherrod, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey studying Central Washington faults. "And almost all of them haven't had much work done on them yet."

They include everything from the Yakima, Manastash, Umtanum and Toppenish ridges to Heaven Hills and Saddle and Rattlesnake mountains near Hanford. The information being gathered on them by Sherrod and other geologists is not only helping people understand the likelihood of an earthquake in our region, it's showing just how connected the state's tectonics really are.

Sherrod said recently geologists have been able to map a series of fault lines stretching across the Cascades -- including a group of faults along ridges between Yakima and Ellensburg that connect to faults as far away as Vancouver Island. Their discoveries are changing the way geologists see the relationships between earthquakes on different sides of the state.

Here's the rest of the article: Newly Discovered Earthquake Fault Lines in Yakima Valley

I hope you're prepared to deal with the ramifications of your decision to either accept or reject Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.

"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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."     Romans 10:9-10

Finally, Romans 13:12 warns: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."

All the Men's Presidents

Hosea 4:1


"...for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land."


Good leaders are hard to come by nowadays. Ben Franklin was asked this question at the Constitutional Convention in 1776: “What have you wrought?” Franklin answered: “… a Republic, if you can keep it.”

All this talk of democracy is really not the point of existence for this great nation; it's about it being a constitutional republic. Unfortunately, a piece of paper is just a piece a paper without something to back it up. Money is just green paper without the gold (back in the olden days, anyhow) to back it up. And the Constitution is just parchment without godly leaders and godly citizens to seek and follow the will of the Lord in all things, public as well as private.

Thus, leadership flows top-down as well as bottom-up. Call it the photosynthesis of politics: What oxygen is to humans and carbon dioxide is to plants (thereby making each element inter-dependent on one another), then godly legislation is to the electorate and re-election is to the elected official. Both sides require a need to be informed. Just like a marriage needs God to make it work, both the electorate and the elected official need God to make government (the verb aspect of it) to work.

Consider what George Washington said: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

And, Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, “I have always said, I always say, that the studius perusal of the sacred volume [ie, the Holy Bible] will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.”

John Adams said: "I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world."

Add to this Bejamin Franklin's statement: "As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and His religion as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see."


Patrick Henry commented: "The Bible… is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed."

There are so many other quotes from Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Madison, George Mason, etc.

Here's the point: We once had a simple and good Government. This nation once had good and godly government. Yet, I haven't seen it in my lifetime. A good way to gauge a government's stewardship of its responsibilties is to look at that all-time perennial maker for any civilization: liberty. The less government there is, the more freedom there is. With more governmental intrusion into our public and private lives, the less freedom you'll find.

It doesn't take a genius, rocket scientist, or Nobel peace prize winner to see that America is under siege from the cult of liberalism, where they impose their vision of what a just society should be. Their morals, if you can call them that, are focused on restricting your freedoms in order to push their world view. Friends, this is not freedom; it is group fiat.

They claim that the religious right is intolerant. But, God has given us the freedom to choose between reconciliation with Him through Jesus Christ our Lord (II Corin. 5:19) or rejection of the Almighty's salvation. It is not forced upon them. On the other hand, the Left seeks to remove our beloved freedoms because they believe they know what's best for this nation.

So, if you're for freedom, you cannot be for more government intrusion. The two cannot co-exist. At least not according to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Truly, is government dependence all that it's cracked up to be? I'd rather put my trust in God and let the chips fall where they may. Hey, I think I've seen that on our printed currency!

In the end, the only way to correct our course as a nation is to humble ourselves before the great God who bestowed life and liberty upon us:

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place."     II Chron. 7:14-15

Happy Presidents' Day and God bless America!

 

If I Were the Devil

II Corinthians 11:15

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

Make no mistake. Satan is not some pitch-fork wielding, hoof-footed, prong-horned, red-skinned Medieval boogeyman. He's the real deal, but so is God. Believers do not have to worry about that ol' devil. Certainly, Christians need to be on the look for him (I Pt. 5:8); have the full armor of God on (Eph. 6:11-18); keep God's word through obedience (Ps. 119:11; James 1:22-25) and, be watching and praying (Matt. 26:41).

Below you'll see an interesting article written by Paul Harvey about how things would look like under the guise of Satan. Pretty accurate, huh? Interestingly, Mr. Harvey wrote this piece back in 1999, almost 13 years ago. Things have only worsened since then. The only thing he left out was this tidbit by Charles Pierre Baudelaire: "The devil’s best trick is to persuade you that he doesn’t exist.”

Don't say I never warned you about the Devil's wiles!


"If I Were the Devil"
By Paul Harvey

I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world;

I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's
effort, instead of God's blessings;

I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of
the other way around;

I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue;

I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to
leadership;

I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies;

I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent
machines to make it convenient;

I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that life of animals are
valued more than human beings;

I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was
grounds for a lawsuit;

I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I
would get sports heroes to advertise them;

I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the
minds of every family member for my agenda;

I would attack then family, the backbone of any nation. I would make
divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so
does the nation;

I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and
movies screens, and I would call it art;

I would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their
lifestyles should be accepted and marveled;

I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who
call themselves authorities and refer to their agendas as politically
correct;

I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, the
Bible is for the naive:

I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is
not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional;

I GUESS I WOULD LEAVE THINGS PRETTY MUCH THE WAY THEY ARE!

The Christian Problem and The Problem of Christians

Proverbs 18:12

David Brooks wrote a NY Times Op-Ed piece on February 16, 2012 about the current sports phenom, Jeremy Lin, who also happens to be a Christian. The bigger picture that was expressed in the Brooks' article expounded on the tensions that a believer faces as a result of his faith and the "moral ethos of the sports world". You can read the entire article right here: The Jeremy Lin Problem

The true tension is not a consequence of two "moral" universes colliding; it's about the immoral world clashing with the moral teachings of Jesus Christ. The basic question each Christian must ask himself each day (nay, each waking moment) is: Will I do my Father's will or my will? As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he  (Prov. 23:7). Identity is not "achieved" as much as it is accepted once you answer the call of the Holy Spirit and ask Jesus Christ into your heart (Rom. 10:9-10). Indeed, John 1:12-13 states, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

So, whether you're in a court room, classroom, work place, grocery line or in a sports arena, there never will be a reconciliation between you and the world. In John 17:15-19, Christ prays:

"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."

God didn't intended for you to reconcile with the world. In fact, the world hates Christians and doesn't care to understand them (John 7:7; 15:19). He sent Christ to redeem the world (John 3:16-17) and to reconcile it through him (Rom. 5:10; II Cor. 5:18).

Don't settle for what the world has to offer (where moth and rust can destroy), but focus on the heavenly and on God's will (storing treasures for yourself in heaven). Both Lin and Tebow are just two popular Christians who appear to seek the Lord's will. As they humble themselves and seek to glorify God, in due time, He will honor them. Consider Proverbs 18:12:

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility."

Let Christ rule in your hearts through obeying God's word. Honor Him and He will honor you.

The Apostasy Will Not Be Televised

A lady I spoke to stated that Jesus did not believe,  "...hook, line and sinker" in everything that was in the Bible. She said that Jesus was a rebel. Finally, she shared a confidence that God continues to reveal His truth today outside of the Bible.

On a separate occasion, another lady had said that Proverbs 13:24 ("He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.") did not mean to spank your child.

The common thread between these two women is that both claim to believe in God. The former is a Unitarian; the latter is a confessed Christian.

I don't know their hearts, only God does. However, their statements do pose a problem for the practicing Christian: Do I believe in God's Word in toto or not? It's pretty clear from II Timothy 3:16 that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" Thus, the question begs an answer: Do I put my trust in the Bible, God's word revealed to man, or do I place my confidence in man's word?

It's a risky thing to obey God's word because it will bring laughter, scorn, derision and pity from non-believers and apostates alike. To be sure, obedience brings blessings from God (James 1:22-25). Yet, it is more risky and deadly to pick and choose what to believe in the Bible. Revelation 22:18-19 state, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

The Greek word apostasia is used here for the “falling away.” It is from this word that we derive the English word “apostasy.” Apostasy is defined as “a defection from the truth,” or “a departing from that which was given at first.”

To wit, II Timothy 4:3-4: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

It whittles down to this: Trust in the Jeremiah Wrights, Oprahs and Joel Osteens of the world) or in the Eternal One, who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6)?

Are you prepared to stand up for the truth that Christ spoke about? To do so carries risks that include being labeled a "fundamentalist", "intolerant", or "divisive". It's a risk we must be willing to take and go out to the world to speak the truth. The alternative is to face God and hear Him say, "Depart from me. I never knew ye."

Whose words are you going to believe?

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Romans 2:4
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

If only you believed that God loves you (John 3:16).

If only you believed that as a sinner you need a Saviour (I Timothy 1:15).

If only you believed that Jesus Christ's atoning death was the only way to be saved from everlasting condemnation (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1).

If only you believed these truths, then your heart would break at the realization that God's love is deep, perfect and forever. Neither roses nor diamonds nor candy nor money nor fancy restaurants can compare to the matchless love Jesus Christ has to offer you. If you accept.

Consider: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."   Romans 8:35-39

Wow. What an amazing love. It's His goodness that is drawing you to Him. Don't deny Him. Even now, God calls you, friend: "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (Jer. 31:3).

While this verse is directed at Israel, God calls us with the same singular, intense love. The proof is at Calvary (I John 4:9).

Psalm 34:8 says, "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Any other love is not love, for without God you cannot truly love: "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  I John 4:16

If only you believed that you cannot truly love without God, you would be heart broken.

Rejoice In the Lord Always

Psalm 20:5 states, "We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions."

I think about that day when Mary Magdalene & Mary went to the tomb. An earthquake had shaken Jerusalem; but I imagine in their hearts, the women still trembled from witnessing Jesus' crucifixion. When they arrived at the tomb, they chanced upon the angel of the Lord. Scripture says that "his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow" (Matt. 28:3a). The angel told the dumbstruck women, "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matt. 28:5-6)

What a day that must've been!

And if you're born again and saved, what a day it must've been to you! I know it was for me!

Think about this: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" (Colossians 1:12-14)

Now, that's good! Christ plucked us from hell's bluff and put us in his Holy Kingdom. In Texas, we say Ooo wee! Thank You, Jesus!

What a day that'll be when my Jesus I shall see. And I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land. What a day, glorious day that will be! O, happy day that'll be!

What about you, dear Reader? It's still not too late if you're not saved. Here's how:

1. Admit you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
   "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)
   "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10)
   
2. Be willing to turn from sin (repent). Jesus said: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)
   "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)
   
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead. "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." (John 3:16)
   "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
   "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 10:9)
   
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)
   "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
5. Then pray: Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sins. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour and Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Friend, drop a line on this blog if you prayed this prayer and I'll put you on my prayer list. And, if you need to find a place of worship where the Word of God is studied and preached seriously, I'll do my best to locate a church near you. Congratulations and rejoice in the Lord always, because His mercies are new every day!

Wake Up and Stand Up! [Part 2]