Worthy is the Lamb: 12/25/17

Monday, December 25, 2017

MY QUESTION OF THE DAY

Unfortunately, I don't get many opportunities to share the Gospel face to face but I do when I can. However, the Bible doesn't tell us to chase them down and beg them nor be their baby-sitter. Now, if someone is earnestly desiring to learn the truth, I will use every fruit of the Spirit I possess and for as long as it takes but Jesus told His Apostles to tell them twice and if they refused to hear, wipe the dust from their feet as a testimony against them and move on.

However, I argue...yes, I said I argue...with atheists and even worse, God-MOCKERS, all the time. Remember in Acts that Paul taught in the synagogues and got into some pretty heated arguments with the Pharisees. We can be angry, just not sin and telling someone the truth is not sinning. Even Jesus Christ got angry and called the Pharisees vipers and snakes; He even said they worship their father the devil! Is that nice and pretty? Jesus offended everybody just by being born. We are pretty much thought of as the religious "prudes" who keep SOME semblance of morality in the world. They want us gone so they can do what they want without a "Christian" calling them on their SINS. I refuse to be PC and water it down by saying "wrong doings" or "you have a good heart, you just need to stop cheating on your spouse" and that nonsense. The world has made the word "sin" sound so harmless

and fun (especially when it isn't sinful). I saw a commercial about chocolate candy and I've had it, I think, and if eating chocolate was a sin, this chocolate would be in that category. It is wonderful. They call it "SINFULLY delicious." Bars, Las Vegas, and other businesses are known as "sin ___; sin city; or sin to win" at a casino. No wonder no one knows (or seems to care) what real sin is. They don't remember we have a list of 10 that gives us a very good guideline to go by when you want to know if something is a sin or not.

So, whenever I encounter one of those, the one question I hear by almost every single unbeliever I encounter and that is this:

Why would a LOVING GOD send me (or so and so) to hell? I am (or they were) very good people and while they may not have believed in God or went to church, I just don't believe that God is loving and no, I will not submit to such a ____ God."

First of all, not one of us is "good." We are filthy and worthless wretches before a Holy God. I could devote my entire life and ever dime I have to the needy, I can build houses for the homeless, I can "do" good things all the time but in my heart, unless I've given it to God, is full of hate, murder, lust, coveting, cheating, blasphemy, but most importantly, I am committing the unforgivable sin and unless I change my heart and repent, when I die I have completely committed it. I have rejected the free gift of salvation by NOT believing in His Only Son, Christ Jesus, who died, was buried and rose again; ascended into Heaven where He is today and gave us the Comforter, best known as the FREE GIFT OF GOD AT SALVATION...the Holy Spirit. Once you draw that last breath and rejected Him for the final time, there is no second chances no matter what the Roman Catholic Papacy tells you. You cannot buy "indulgences" to pay a loved one's way out of a nonexistent place called purgatory. Heaven or hell, it's one or the other.

Second, who told you that God sends anybody to Hell? John 3:16-17 says "For God SO LOVED THE WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son so that WHOSOEVER shall call upon His name should NOT perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent His Son into the world NOT to condemn the world but that world, THROUGH HIM, might be saved."

Jesus Christ is God made flesh (John 1:1). He was not created and He is not an angel. He created all things. Jesus is the WORD of God. In John 1:14 (I hope that's the right verse) John tells us that The Word (Jesus) was made flesh and dwelt among us (humans) and we beheld His glory. He is the God to the Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, Blacks, Whites, Buddhists, Muslims and every single person ever born. There is no rituals, ceremonies, prayers, or words/deeds that can save or aid in your salvation.

Acts 8:37 says "....and you believe with all your heart, mind, soul and strength that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, then thou mayest." Philip is talking to the Ethiopian man about baptism as he had converted at some point to Judaism and believed in the only one and true Living God. If your Bible does not have Acts 8:37 and is combined like Acts 8:36-38 or 39 and does NOT specifically say JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, you are reading a false Bible. Unbelievers said that just by reading it that they were unwillingly confessing Jesus as the Messiah. So, they rewrote and watered down the Word of God to please man. Itching ears and we love telling them what they want to hear cos we love all that money and fame, celebrity, status and all that STUFF we own. It doesn't matter you're sending them to hell, you just want a mega church and tons of evil money. That's because their "god" IS money. As you will read below, I didn't quote the verse verbatim but close enough...

So, in answer to their question about God sending "good" people to hell, the fact is nowhere in the Bible does it even hint that God sends anyone to hell. In fact, He has done everything possible, making salvation so simple so that no one ever has to go there. God doesn't send you or anyone else to hell, you send yourself. God gave you free will and He will never inflict Himself on you. I don't think He wanted robots. He wants us to want Him.

The choice is entirely yours on your final destination, folks. I've told you the Good News many times and I'm either preaching to the choir or nobody is hearing it because they have chosen to be deaf, dumb and blind. Oh, and not killing, stealing, lying, cheating, etc. (the moral laws) are "bad" in what way? Would you kill your husband or wife the next time they said something you didn't like if it was legal? Why not? Because you KNOW it's wrong. Feel guilty when you lie? If not, it sure is hard to remember what you said and to who so either you're gonna get caught in the lie (which means you lose your trustworthy and honest reputation cos you're known as a liar now) but if you tell the truth, nothing bad happens. Sure, you may have a fight with your spouse or whoever but it'll blow over. Lie to them, you'll lose their respect and possibly the relationship. Cheat on your spouse and you'll lose them and any children you have. They are good laws and man didn't come up with them because it would not be to their benefit. Sin if far more fun to most than living a clean, healthy lifestyle.

Also, let's get real about what sin is. Watching a movie, TV show, playing pool or a game of cards isn't a sin. Even drinking a beer or cocktail is not a sin but getting drunk is. We have freedom and liberty in Christ and as Paul said, all things are lawful but not all things are profitable. Reading a fictional book may not help you Spiritually but it's not a sin either. We are allowed to have fun. Secular doesn't mean sin.

Choose to hear the Good News and believe in Christ Jesus. You won't have to change a thing but don't be real surprised when you find you don't enjoy strip clubs, partying, doing drugs, etc. just isn't fun nor was it ever. The Cross saves and the way is found in the Word.

Ye are saved by grace alone; through faith alone; through Christ alone

Not works nor deeds lest anybody should boast

Ephesians 2:8-9

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HEBREW WORD OF THE DAY

Hmmm, today's word is employer. You know how much I enjoy having fun with words unless they are holy and sacred to Christians or Jews. I have 24 hours to come up with something. I have HOPE. This is not meant to be funny, but to remind us of our Greatest Commission on Earth. Hard work these days but the pay-off for you and others is incredible. Oh, the earthly blessings we shall receive and ultimately, our rewards! God bless you all.

As Christians, we are given one specific job to perform. Many are good at their jobs but most of us are failing our TRUE EMPLOYER....OUR LORD GOD AND SAVIOR!

Work, Watch, Pray and Share the Gospel without ceasing!

SHALOM!

JESUS IS GOD! BY BIBLE STUDY TOOLS

Click on the above logo to go to their website

God is Jesus

Is Jesus God? If you answered with a quick, firm "yes," read on. Recent polls show a whopping 96% of Americans believe in "God." Obviously, considering the state of American Christianity, something doesn't quite add up. Dare we assume that 96% of Americans believe in the Christian God? Do we all have the same "god" in mind when we confess faith?

Now think about the center of Christian apologetics: that Jesus Christ is God. Please don't excommunicate me just yet, but if you were to ask me, "Is Jesus God?" I would respond with another question. "Which 'god' are we talking about?" Most evangelical Christians, when sharing the Gospel, assume that Jesus' identity is in question, while God's isn't. In other words, we think everyone basically agrees with us about who God is, and so all we must do is simply proclaim Jesus' divine link to Him.

Declaring the divinity of Jesus by stating matter-of-factly that He is God does not really resolve anything until we have painted the biblical picture of the true God. Yet in the past 200 years, fundamentalists and evangelicals have defended Christ's divinity without stopping to consider how God's identity is also under attack. Why? Liberal theologians have taught that Jesus was not divine and should not be worshipped as God in the flesh. Conservative Christians have rightly recoiled from such heresy, but while simply affirming Jesus' deity might stifle the theologians, it provokes a "so what?" from the person on the street.

"Jesus is God" can't be true until we get past all the other "gods" masquerading under the Christian "God" label. Muslims worship an impersonal, distant "god" (Allah, in Arabic), but is the Muslim-god the same as ours? Most Americans will line up to sing "God bless America." Yet considering the Deist beliefs of several of our forefathers (and a growing segment of the population today), this Clockmaker-god does nothing more than put the clock together, wind it up, put it up on a shelf, and go about His business or back to His rocking chair. If the god that is in mind is one of these, saying "Jesus is God" is incorrect. Jesus definitely is not that god.

A Christian who knows his Bible and has a clear picture of God can be telling the truth when he says, "Jesus is God", and at the same time, the person listening (perhaps with a Deist concept of god) may be hearing an outright lie. Jesus' divinity is not the only issue at stake here; God's very identity is under attack too.

Some readers might affirm that "Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" in order to eliminate many pluralistic gods. But where does that leave our Jewish friends, since they would easily affirm the same statement? You might say, "Jews and Christians share the same God! It's just about Jesus that we don't see eye to eye." By saying this, Christians make a glaring misrepresentation of Yahweh - the Great I Am.

God is not God apart from Jesus. It is pointless to try to define the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob apart from Jesus Christ. That is the pluralistic problem plaguing so many Christian factions today. Since you can't explain the Bible's God without involving the Trinity, you can never fully explain how "Jesus is God" makes any sense at all.

Since Christians believe in a triune God - Yahweh in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we actually undermine the divinity of Christ by claiming that our God is the same as that of our Jewish friends. As Christians, we believe Jesus is so important that you can't define God's identity apart from Him.

So what's the answer? What can help us get through some of the theological red tape and bring us to the point where we can once again make a firm statement for the Gospel?

Here's the statement that I recommend you chew on a little bit: GOD IS JESUS. When you see Jesus, you are seeing God, not just because Jesus is God, but also because God is Jesus. Jesus is the One who shows us who God is and what God is like.

Of course, "God is Jesus" is a statement that has its own interesting theological snags. We can start heading backwards by asking, "Which Jesus is God?" since people don't agree on Jesus' identity either! Still, I believe we can more easily define Jesus' identity and how it relates to God's Person than we can trying to go the other way around.

So, looking ahead for the 21st century, how can we move forward in our Gospel proclamation? Let's teach people who Jesus is; show them how Scripture describes Him; tell about His atoning sacrifice on the cross; proclaim Him as Lord. Then, utilizing the biblical portrait of Jesus, tell people, "That's who God is. That's what God is like! That's God in human flesh." You want to know God's identity? Meet Jesus. God is Jesus.

DECORATED HOME 2 MILES FROM ME - JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

TWO MOTHERS -- TWO BABIES AND THE GREATNESS OF GOD ALMIGHTY

THIS IS A FICTIONAL STORY. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE I READ IT MANY YEARS AGO. I HOPE IT BLESSES YOU AND SHOWS THE GREATNESS OF GOD ALMIGHTY!

Two Babies -- Two Mommies

Two women decided it was time for them to have a baby. They were both married, financially ready, strong Christian women, physically and mentally healthy. They were basically the same as far as "timing" is concerned but, they were drastically different personality-wise.

Mommy #1 was was very selfless and put all of her heart and soul into helping others. In fact, she was a nurse and volunteered her services at Hospice and nursing homes. She got involved in every event in church, sang in the choir, and was the one everyone turned to if they needed a friend. She visited the sick, be it the flu or a life-threatening illness and took care of their every need until they were back on their feet. A Godly woman who lived her faith. She would also willingly go without or even sell something to keep someone's lights on or from being evicted. She often bought people groceries, expecting nothing back, and if she had to skip a meal or two, she'd use it to fast and pray. No doubt she was blessed and her needs were met too.

Mommy #2 was also a Godly woman but she was a wee bit on the selfish side. While she gave a lot of her time to her church, family, friends, the sick and volunteered at church; helped the sick as well but instead of taking care of their every need so they could rest, little by little she made them take care of their own needs as was physically possible. Whereas Mommy #1 fixed (or tried to) every problem she encountered, Mommy #2 preferred that the people solve their own problems by getting their own lunch as they were healing to help strengthen them. She would give good advice and offer a few good AND bad solutions to get them to thinking but other than that, she stayed out of it. Unlike Mommy #1, she helped the needy (that could) find jobs, a starting home, and to find resources to meet their physical and financial needs. She also needed time for herself and she too wanted things like a new dress, shoes or a computer and she had no qualms about buying things for herself but she too was a very giving woman.

They went to the same church and there they both taught Sunday School. #1 taught children and #2 taught teens. Some of the youth were physically challenged. Mommy-to-be #1 always pushed wheelchairs to where they needed to go but not the other. She made them do it themselves. Both classes just loved their teachers.

God has 2 babies in Heaven, one for each mom to be conceived that night. One as a healthy, intelligent child, normal in all ways, curious and loved to explore, climb trees and just be a kid.

The other one had Down Syndrome. They were going to to need a lot of care, love, patience and a parent that could fill their real needs...physical as well as emotional. God doesn't make mistakes. Which mom got which baby and why? Think of your answer and then scroll down for the answer....

Mommy #1 got the healthy baby. Why did she not get the Down's child? Look at just how selfless she is! She is the better mother! It is because of her selflessness she got the healthy child but not as a reward but because she was not the right mommy for the Down's baby to grow, flourish and thrive.

Mommy #2 was just selfish enough to properly raise this sweet Down's child. He or she needs to learn how to do as much as they can for themselves. They need to be loved and helped when needed but they also need to learn to do for others too. She would raise her child to be comfortable with others, to be independent and help them learn on their own and encourage them in school rather than do their work for them. She would be a better mother because she knew she needed time for herself as well, as all parents do. She wouldn't meet their every need and want, wouldn't speak for them, and since both were Christians, she would know they could make well informed decisions for themselves, especially where the Gospel of Salvation is concerned, about God, in truth, and help them accept Him rightly and not just allow them to believe based on what the mother believed.

God always chooses the right man for His purposes.

I read this "story" some time ago and I'm sure I missed some points. It's a fictional story anyway but the message or moral of this is, "raise your children the way God tells you to raise them, not your way. God loves the Down's babies as much as He loves everyone. Their life has meaning and purpose. God doesn't make junk, the saying goes. I am still using you guys as guinea pigs to learn to write better.Pray for me (and you,lol) please!

The good news to some is that Down"s babies have decreased by 90%. That sounds awesome! One small (or rather HUGE) problem, it's because they were aborted. Who are WE to say they are better off never being born? Visit www.preborn.org. God bless you!