The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1D [Ideas Series, #4]

1 Thessalonians 1:9

"For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;"

As stated previously, the word repentance is used to express the spiritual transition from sin to God.

Do not mistake penitence for repentance. They are NOT the same. Penitence signifies pain, grief, distress, rather than a change of thought and purpose. Thus Latin Christianity  has been corrupted (the Catholic Church being the main perpetrator) by erroneous thought of presenting grief over sin rather than abandonment of sin as the primary idea.

Repentance is that change of a sinner's mind which leads him to turn from his evil ways and live under the grace that Christ provides for all who believe in Him (Rom. 8:1-10). The change wrought in repentance is so deep and radical as to affect the whole spiritual nature and to involve the entire personality. The intellect must function, the emotions must be aroused, and the will must act. Each person needs to understand sin as unutterably grievous; recognize the divine law as perfect; and acknowledge that he himself comes short or falling below the requirements of a holy God due to sin (Job 42:5,6; Psalms 51:3; Romans 3:20, 23).

There may be a knowledge of sin without turning from it as an awful thing which dishonors God and ruins man. The change of view may lead only to a dread of punishment and not to the hatred and abandonment of sin (Exodus 9:27; Numbers 22:34; Joshua 7:20; 1 Samuel 15:24; Matthew 27:4).

There is a type of grief that issues in repentance and another which plunges into remorse. There is a godly sorrow and also a sorrow of the world. The former brings life; the latter, death (Matthew 27:3; Luke 18:23; 2 Corinthians 7:9,10). There must be a consciousness of sin in its effect on man and in its relation to God before there can be a hearty turning away from unrighteousness. The feeling naturally accompanying repentance implies a conviction of personal sin and sinfulness and an earnest appeal to God to forgive according to His mercy (Psalms 51:1,2,10-14).

The whole sacrificial system was intended only to point out the infinite mercy of God to fallen man, in his redemption by the blood of the new covenant. What a picture! Mercy is a matter of the heart; that is, God's heart. It can be said that the heart of the Lord is mercy.

An Illustration

Suppose you go home, and you find that while you have been at work, your child has gone to your private drawer and stolen $5 of your money. You go to him and say: "Did you take that money?" "Yes, I took that money," he replies. When you hear him saying this without any apparent regret you won't forgive him. You want to get at his conscience; you know it would do no good to forgive him unless he confesses his wrong.

Suppose he won't do it. "Yes," he says, "I stole your money, but I don't think I've done wrong." The mother cannot, the father cannot forgive him, unless he sees he has done wrong, and wants forgiveness.

Reader, can't you see you're in the same predictament as that little child? Yes, you are! Are you troubled by that thought? Sinner, why don't you repent?

A test: Is it your sin that stands between you  and Christ?

It isn't, really. It's your own will. That's what stands between the sinner and forgiveness. Christ will take all your iniquities away if you will let Him. But, you've got to humble yourself before the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, and admit you're a sinner and ask for pardon. Men are so proud that they won't acknowledge and confess before God.

Don't you see on the face of it, if your boy won't repent you cannot forgive him, and how is God going to forgive a sinner if he doesn't repent? If God allowed an unrepentant sinner into His Kingdom, there would be war in Heaven. You cannot live in a house with a boy who steals everything he can lay his hands on. You would have to banish him from your house, right?

 

A Consideration of the Local Incarceration Rate

Facts about Washington State Offenders in Confinement

Number of Prison Facilities ..................................................................................12
Number of Work Releases Facilities..................................................................16

Total Offenders in Confinement ..................................................................17,838
Offenders in prison ..........................................91.9%.................16,391
Offenders in work release................................. 3.8%....................... 679
Offenders in out-of-state rented beds ............ 0.0%............................ 0
Offenders in in-state rented beds.................... 4.3%....................... 768

Prison and Work Release Operational Capacity ..................................16,837
Total operational capacity in prisons ........................................16,158
Operational capacity in work release capacity .............................. 679

Percent of Population to Operational Capacity
Total Prison Confinement Percent of Operational Capacity.................. 101.1%
Work Release Percent of Capacity ............................................................. 100.0%

Gender
Male.....................................................................................................................92.6%
Female .................................................................................................................. 7.4%

Race
White ...................................................................................................................71.6%
Black....................................................................................................................18.8%
American Indian .................................................................................................. 4.3%
Asian...................................................................................................................... 3.7%
Unknown/Other................................................................................................... 1.6%

Hispanic Origin.....................................................................................................11.6%

Average Age............................................................................................................. 37.8

Citizenship
United States .....................................................................................................94.7%
Mexico................................................................................................................... 2.7%
Other...................................................................................................................... 2.6%

Length of Sentence
Less than Two Years ........................................................................................15.7%
Two to Five Years ..............................................................................................23.9%
Five to Ten Years...............................................................................................20.4%
Over Ten Years ..................................................................................................24.8%
Life with the possibility of Parole or Release………. ...………………………...11.6%
Life without Release........................................................................................... 3.6%

Avg. Length of Stay for Offenders Released in the past year........ 23.8 mo


As you can see, most of the offenders are very young men, for the most part. The majority of them (12,308 persons to be exact) serve 2-10 years. Does it break your heart that these men and women might leave the prison without knowing who Jesus Christ is? They're in there no doubt for their wrong doing. But, have you stopped to consider that Jesus died for them, too? Did anyone visit them or write them or mailed them a Gospel tract? If they received Christ as their Lord & Saviour in prison, do you wonder whether or not they'll be discipled by someone in their community once they are released so that they stay on the straight and narrow? Do you think someone out there cares about them? And, how many of them did not get connected to a local New Testament, Bible-believing church once released?

The worst kind of bondage is sin. There is no prison worse than it because it goes with you anywhere you go. To be sure, nothing can be done to liberate you from sin than the blood of Jesus Christ (John 1:29, 36; Heb. 9:22).

Suppose the Governor of Washington finds a great number of criminals in prison, and he goes and says: "I feel bad for those prisoners. They cannot stay in jail any longer." Suppose some murders have been committed, and he says: "I am tender hearted, I can't punish those men." and he opens the prison door and lets them all out. How long would that governor be in his position? Wouldn't your blood boil and you'd be calling out for justice? Men would be the first to raise their voice against that governor. These men would clamor, "These murders must be punished or society will be imperiled; life will not be safe!"

And what about God's justice? Do you think He wants justice for men's sins? Oh, indeed He does!

Yet people believe that God will ignore men's sins. Just glance up Calvary's way. The Judge of the world did not look away at all. Reader, He hates sin, but loves you (Jn. 3:16). It is a hard way that Jesus Christ took for your sins, Friend. Don't go on under that delusion that you can keep on sinning (Num. 32:23). You can't. It is a lie of the devil. I tell you, the Word of God is true, and it tells us "Except a man repent" there is not one ray of hope held out for you.

Now let me say this: You are in a position to be reconciled to God right now. You are not in a position to deny this reconciliation a week, a day, an hour. God tells you now. In five minutes, for all you and I know, you may be in eternity.  Life is but a mist. So now God calls you to repent, and all your sins will be taken from you. May God help you to turn and live.

I Want to Turn From Sin and Live Right!

Sources: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; Oxford English Dictionary; Strong's Dictionary; WA State Dept. of Corrections Statistic and Report - Quarterly Fact Card (March 31,2012)

National Day of Prayer

I Thessalonians 5:17
"Pray without ceasing."

We are way beyond moral decline; it seems that we don't even bat an eye at the depraved & degenerate actions of men & women around this Nation, whether on tv, the internet or the newspaper. Our economy has been under turmoil as a result of dangerous liberal ideas that place us at the mercy of the money-lenders (Prov. 22:7). The United States military is hamstrung by politicians & diplomats whose idea of compromise reeks of spinelessness. As a Nation, we can't even support Israel in the Middle East conflict. And then there's the ever-increasing assaults against our religious liberty and the Constitution. Finally, there are the thousands of unborn children who are murdered because of the blood-thirsty, godless feminist movement whose de facto headquarters are found in places such as Planned Parenthood.

In times like these, we need a Saviour. In times like these we need the Holy Bible. We need Jesus Christ to return to public & civic life in America. It begins with us Christians. It begins with prayer. And continues with prayer.

Dear, Christian, please continue to pray and beg God for mercy. Stand in the gap and pray without ceasing. Especially pray for the unborn. Pray for the Lord to open the eyes of the women who are making decisions to kill their babies, that they repent from their decision. Also pray for the men and others who are pushing these women to make a decision that they'll have to live with the rest of their lives.

The video below presents incredible in utero images of the miracle of life. No one but no one can deny that life begins at conception. You literally have to look the other way, intellectually speaking, to consider this child "tissue" or a "fetus". The video was made in 2011 or thereabouts and was shown as part of the Sanctity of Life week.

How can you be more involved? Here's How!

The One Very Thing

Psalm 66:16
"Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul."

There are many things, many niceties & goodies my children have that I didn't have growing up. I don't begrudge them for it. In fact, I'm the main contributor who indulges them because I love them. True love cannot be expressed in the giving of material things, I know. But, as a father, I can't help but buy them things that I know will delight them, make them smile and happy.

However, there is one thing my children have right now that I didn't have when I was their age, which I do take them to task on. Indeed, my heart envies the one very thing that each of them have that I wish I had had as a little boy growing up in the Southside of San Antonio, a poor working class neighborhood where you had to grow a set of eyes on the back of your head just to watch your back. In the barrio kids grow up fast. My childhood was no exception. But, I digress.

The one thing I envy that my children have in their possession, the very thing that I would've liked to be an owner of was a relationship with Jesus Christ. Growing up Roman Catholic meant going to mass on Sundays, confessing your sins to a priest on Saturday, eating fish on Fridays and feeling empty every day. It's like I sensed something was missing. That something, turned out, was Someone by the name of Jesus Christ.

How sadly ironic that in a house of worship I didn't even know the Master of the house! The good news is that Christ waited patiently for me and I came to know Him as Lord and Saviour in March 2004.

Since being born again, Jesus has shown Himself to be true to His Holy Word. Jesus has been my Provider, Sustainer, Healer, Intercessor, Protector and Comforter, to name a few. My family and I have gone through alot and yet He has been with us, giving us peace, every step of the way. Truly, a relationship with Jesus Christ was the one very thing I was missing in my life. Now that I have it, I don't intend to give it up or walk away from it, come what may.

Dear Reader, I don't know where you are in life. If you're poor, rich, male, female, adult or teen. You may be an American. Or, you could be from one of the many nations that read this blog daily. In any event, I want to personally thank you for taking the time to read these posts.

It's my hope and prayer that when you read these posts that you have your Bible (preferably the King James Version) in your hand. And that when you consider the words on your computer screen, it's my sincere desire to see each and every one of you to personally know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Furthermore, if you already have a relationship with Jesus, it's my motivation that you draw even closer, nearer to the Lord through His Word.

Let's face it, there are 2 types of people in the world, irrespective of nationality, creed or culture: Those who need Jesus and those who need more of Jesus.

In a world of greed & poverty; information overload & confusion; technological advancements and abject misery; moral relativism & spiritual darkness, there is One who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). And, a personal relationship with Him is the one very thing this world needs and it's what you need.

Can you honestly say that Jesus Christ is your Lord & Saviour?

It's not too late, you know. It's never too late. I Want A Relationship With Jesus.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
fill me with Thy love and power;
let Thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

When Is Life Life?

Leviticus 17:11a, 14

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood"

"Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof"

The answer to the question posed in the post title is this: Life is life when there is blood in the flesh.

During the week after fertilization, the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine wall. This marks the week where the embryonic period begins According the medical experts, the fetus is connected by the umbilical cord to the placenta, the organ that develops and implants in the mother's uterus during pregnancy. Through the blood vessels in the umbilical cord, the fetus receives all the necessary nutrition, oxygen and life support from the mother. Note that it's through the blood vessels.

Children are a heritage from the Lord (Ps. 127:3) and are not meant to be thrown away or killed. Even God warned the children of Israel not to pass their children through the fire as sacrifices to Molech (Lev. 18:21; Jer. 32:35).


Consider this picture:

In the picture, ten models, approximately life-sized, represent eight weeks of embryonic development, at the end of which main organ systems, limbs and features have taken shape. The heart takes shape through stages represented by 4 to 10 of this series of models. Microvessels continue to exchange respiratory gases and nutrients between different tissues throughout embryonic and fetal development, through birth, and then life-long. The heart, ever-responsive to changing organic demands, maintains fluid communication and unity amidst the complexity of the tissues, day and night, year-in, year-out, life-long.

Are you still convinced that this little being is just tissue?

Reader, choose life! It's so precious in God's sight. Take a stand against those murderers by praying for God's merciful hand to open their eyes of understanding so that they'll repent. Also, pray for the women who are duped into believing that they're only recourse is abortion. The repercussions of abortion are life long for these women. Pray that they'll find forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Unborn children around the world need your prayers! So, pray without ceasing!