Dad Passed this story on to me, Now I am to you!

The story of Grace!

David A. Baker Sr.

  A Fathers Son was brutally murdered by one of the must vicious and sadistic persons in the world. 

(Here are 5 endings to the story you pick)!

1) The Father goes and gets a gun and shots the murderer dead in the streets. (That's Revenge) 

2) The Father helps the authorities track down, convict and sentence the murderer to death by electrocution. (That's Justice)

3) The Father helps the authorities track down and convict but before the judge passes down the verdict, the Father asks the judge to lighten the sentence to life in prison, with no parole, so he does. (That's Mercy)

 4)The Father helps the authorities track down the murderer but before the trial the Father asks to talk with the judge privately. The Father tells the judge he wants to forgive the murderer, and drop ALL charges on the murderer and let him walk free. The judge allows the murderer to walk free!   (That's Forgiveness)

5) The Father helps the authorities track down the murderer but before the trial the Father asks to talk with the judge privately. The Father tells the judge he wants to forgive the murderer, drop ALL charges on the murderer, have the murderer move into His house, take care of the murderer and live in His custody the rest of the murders life.  The judge agrees!  (That's Grace)

 

  Which would you do if you were in the Fathers shoes?

   If you are saved and reading this, you were NO different from the vicious and sadistic murderer before

God provided you with His grace through His Son Christ Jesus!

   This Story my dad passed alone to me and know I am going to pass it on to you. Continue to pass if you wish!

Happy Father's Day!

Good Friday - What is it?

   Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday, and is traditionally celebrated as the day Jesus died on the cross. Although we don’t know for sure that Friday was the day Jesus was crucified (there are many arguments that it may also have been a Thursday or even a Wednesday), this day was chosen as a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us.

   Protestants across denominations usually observe the day with solemn services consisting of hymns, Scripture readings, prayer, and retelling of Christ’s death on the cross. Some families choose to have a quiet service of remembrance at home. God does not require us to celebrate Good Friday, but it can be a spiritually enriching experience as we remember the pain Jesus went through both before and during His crucifixion. It can also be a preparation for the joy that comes when we celebrate Easter—the day of Jesus’ resurrection—on Sunday.

   If Good Friday is such a solemn occasion, then why do we refer to it as “good”? Although there was technically nothing good about the day Jesus suffered and died for us, the outcome certainly is! It was the day Jesus became the perfect, sacrificial Lamb who shed His blood for the remission of our sins (Romans 5:8; 6:23; 1 Peter 3:18). This was the greatest act of love known to man—God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place. And because of Jesus’ Sunday morning resurrection, those who place their trust in Him believe in a living Savior who will one day return to claim His own (John 14:1–3).

   Even if we choose not to celebrate on Good Friday, we should always have Jesus’ death and resurrection on our minds and hearts. We can commemorate this throughout the year with prayers of thanksgiving and by celebrating the Lord’s Supper, which Jesus commanded His followers to do in order to “proclaim [His] death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

A brief visual reminder and great song of this day and its importance!

Merry Christmas, "The True Reason"

   I wanted to take a minute to wish each of you a "Merry Christmas" and share with you a few of my favorite treats of this Holiday! With all the hustle and bustle we sometimes forget the the real reason of Christmas. Here is my favorite song to as a reminder of the true reason,  "O Holy Night"!  God Bless you all!

Luke 2: ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

"The Journey" by Robert Brunell

  My wife found this story years ago, and before I published it I wanted to explain a couple of things. When I first read the story, it really made me madder than a wet hen. Because I saw a lot of myself, at that, time in this story. I saw a lot of the people that I was around the same way and well I got mad, okay, lol! So I post this with caution in hope that you will read the whole thing and just take it all as a teaching of where we can slip as the body of Christ if we are not cautious and do as God tells us in 1 John 4:1-6 and "test everything". It is a lengthy read and must of you probably wont read it but for you that do, I promise you will be blessed! Or maybe mad like I was but God taught me a lot from this! This isn't an "Escape from our Savior Jesus Christ". God Bless you all!
Numbers 22:24 "Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side."

"Escape from Christendom"

"The Journey"  by Robert Burnell, 1980

In my dream I see the lone figure of a man following a road.

As the sun sets beneath the hills, a city comes into view. Nearing it, the traveler sees what appears to be a large group of churches. Spires and crosses pierce the skyline. His pace quickens. Is this his destination? He passes an imposing structure, a neon sign flashing “Cathedral of the Future.” Farther on a floodlit stadium supports a billboard boasting that fifty thousand people crowd into evangelistic meetings there three nights a week. Beyond this, modest “New Testament” chapels and Hebrew Christian synagogues cluster together on the street front.

“Is this the City of God?” I hear the traveler ask a woman at the information booth in the central square.

“No this is Christian City, “she replies.

“But I thought this road led to the City of God!” He exclaims with great disappointment.

“That’s what we all thought when we arrived,” she answers, her tone sympathetic.

“This road continues up the mountain, doesn’t it?” He asks.

“I wouldn’t know, really,” she answers blankly.

I watched the man turn away from her and trudge on up the mountain in the gathering darkness. Reaching the top, he starts out into the blackness; it looks as though there is nothing, absolutely nothing, beyond. With a shudder he retraces his steps into Christian City an takes a room at a hotel.

Strangely unrefreshed, at dawn he arises and follows the road up the mountain again; in the brightening light of the sun he discovers that what seemed like a void the night before is actually a desert–dry, hot, rolling sand as far as the eye can see. The road narrows to a path which rises over a dune and disappears. “Can this trail lead to the City of God?” He wonders aloud. It appears to be quite deserted and rarely traveled.

Indecision slowing his steps, he again returns to Christian City and has lunch in a Christian restaurant. Over the music of a gospel record, I hear him ask a man at the next table, “That path up the mountain, where the desert begins, does it lead to the City of God?”

“Don’t be a fool!” his neighbor replies quickly. “Everyone who has ever taken that path has been lost… Swallowed up by the desert! If you want God, there are plenty of good churches in this town. You should pick one and settle down.”

How will Jesus come the second time?

   How will Jesus one day return to earth when He comes back to the Mt. of Olives at His second coming? Lets turn to scripture and see. Acts 1: 9-11 answers this for us: "Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” It appears that when Jesus returns for His children, He will return on the clouds. This is for those that are saved (in Christ Jesus).
    There is another return of Christ, this time spoken of in Revelation 19:11-14. This time the Heavens will open up and Christ is seen setting on a White horse. This is event is different then the rapture, this time Christ is coming to set up His kingdom, that He has promised. There will be an army following Him made up of His church, OT believers and even angles. On this return Christ is bringing "judgment and war", the Holy wrath of God will be poured out on all of sinful mankind that did not except the salvation He offered through His son Jesus. He will destroy all sin and corruption that is left on the earth, so His perfect and eternal Kingdom can be set up.
     A song that I have listen to and sang in the past keeps coming back to me over the past few months. A song that has lots of truth in it, a "Christian" song. But God's word tells us that a little leave will spoil the whole batch (Gal. 5:9). The song is call "Make way for the King", by Lenny Leblanc, the song towards the end sings like this. "Make Way for the King, Cause He's Comin' on a white horse to carry me home." An example of why we need to do as James said and test everything or like the Bereans in Acts 17:11. Jesus isn't coming on a White Horse for His children, His redeemed. He is coming on a white horse because God patience will be gone with all the rebellious, sinful, corruption that mankind has become! Christ is coming on the white horse of Judgment and His followers will be right behind Him.

"Jesus will come bathed in radiant splendor, enveloped within an atmosphere of indescribable brilliance, surrounded by the ear-piercing praise of angels and saints. Scintillating light shining from His eyes. Irresistible power pouring from His hands. None will deny His beauty or escape its transforming energy." ~ Sam Storms


Linked With:
Teach Me Tuesday 
Here it on Sunday, Use it on Monday
His Grip 

"The Process of Reconciling"

Biblical conflict control!

by Clint Baker

   Romans 12:18 Says  "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."  God told us right before this not to repay evil for evil. In vrs. 18 He says "if possible",  God wants us to do everything possible to live in peace, he also expects, even though we may not be the one at fault, to go be the one to try to make it right. But it will not always come because it also depends on the others persons attitudes and responses. But we as mature Christians need to be the ones to make the first move, God expects this. The Bible makes it clear that no church is exempt from conflict but this offers opportunities for personal and spiritual growth.

   To help us with this, Jesus gave us the example of the work of a peacemaker (Mat.18:15-20, 5:9).  In doing this, Jesus is the ultimate role model (Eph. 2:14-18). All Christians in conflict should use God's pattern for making peace to show unbelievers their shared faith and the love of Christ.  Each party involved, whether directly or indirectly has a role in the process of mending the conflict. Jesus tells us this in Mathew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." Those who study the Bible refer to this as showing "common grace", an small example of the grace that God has given us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus!

   We should also as Christians be the first to try to reconcile a conflict between ourselves and nonbelievers in the same way. If they do not except apology, then we again have done all we can do. The one thing that we can do in both cases though is as God's Word says, Pray and be kind to your enemies, "for it is like pouring hot coals upon their necks." Because at this point it is between them and God, not you and them. (Matt.5:44, Proverbs 25:22)

   I will close by this quote, I believe by Richard Baxter, "Do all you can to be reconciled to others, but remember that you cannot force others to do what is right.  If you have done everything within your power to resolve a conflict, you have fulfilled your responsibility to God and may stop  trying to solve the problem (Rom. 12:18)… It is not necessary or wise to waste time, energy, and resources fretting about someone who stubbornly refuses to be reconciled."

December 2011
Clint Baker

"The mission of the Son of man"

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 15:1-7

It is strange what unusual places Christ finds some of his people in! I knew one of Christ’s sheep who was found out by his Master while committing robbery. I knew another who was found out by Christ, while he was spiting his old mother by reading the Sunday newspaper and making fun of her. Many have been found by Jesus Christ, even in the midst of sin and vanity. I knew a preacher of the gospel who was converted in a theatre. He was listening to a play, an old-fashioned piece, that ended with a sailor drinking a glass of gin before he was hung, and he said, “Here’s to the prosperity of the British nation, and the salvation of my immortal soul;” and down went the curtain; and down went my friend too, for he ran home with all his might. Those words, “The salvation of my immortal soul,” had struck him to the quick; and he sought the Lord Jesus in his chamber. Many a day he sought him, and at last he found him to his joy and confidence. But for the most part Christ finds his people in his own house; but he finds them often in the worst of tempers, in the most hardened conditions; and he softens their hearts, awakens their consciences, subdues their pride, and takes them to himself; but they would never come to him unless he came to them. Sheep go astray, but they do not come back again by themselves. Ask the shepherd whether his sheep come back, and he will tell you, “No, sir; they will wander, but they never return.” When you find a sheep that ever came back by himself, then you may hope to find a sinner that will come to Christ by himself. No; it must be sovereign grace that must seek the sinner and bring him home.

For meditation: We all like sheep have gone astray; we have all gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6); we have all ended up like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). The Lord Jesus Christ is the great shepherd (Hebrews 13:20), the good shepherd (John 10:11,14) and the giving shepherd who gave his life for his sheep (John 10:11) and who gives eternal life to his sheep (John 10:28). Have you been found by him and returned to him (1 Peter 2:25)?

Sermon no. 204365  from sermons preached by Charles  H. Spurgeon on 11 July (1858)

Linked with:
Twelve Days of Christmas,
Teach Me Tuesday
Sharing His Beauty
Barn Hop #70
Hear It on Sunday, Use it on Monday
The Garden Showcase 

Glorification, God's Finished Wok!

God's finished work, Glorification.

   Glorification is God's final removal of sin from the life of those who have excepted the precious gift of eternal life. This comes in the eternal state (Romans 8:18, 2Corinthians 4:17). When looking at glorification, as Christians we should focus on Christ, for He is our blessed hope (Romans 5:2). Consider final glorification as reaching the highest point of sanctification. Until Christ returns we are burdened with sin, for our final glorification we have to wait on the return of our Savior Jesus Christ, (Titus 2:13, 1 Tim. 6:14, 1 Corn. 13:12). Each day that we wait on His return we should work hard by the Holy Spirit to put to death what is sinful and worldly in us (Romans 8:13). Only through prayer, the study of God's Word and direction of the Holy Spirit can we do this.

   When and how will this happen? 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 says " Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."  So at the last trumpet, when Jesus comes for the saved (saints) an instant transformation will take place, at this time our sinful, decaying bodies will put on a body that is perfect and without sin ( 2 Corn. 3:18). To be glorified is another way of saying the believer will be "conformed" to the character of Christ which is God’s ultimate purpose for the Christian. No longer will the Christian "fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

   Jesus prayed in John 17, to sanctify us (make us holy) in the truth of His Word, This is necessary if we want to be with Jesus in eternal fellowship. Verse 24 says, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world." If the glorification of the saints follows the pattern revealed in Scripture, it must entail our sharing in the glory (the holiness) of God. We will be perfectly conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus and be like Him free from sin and its consequences (1 John 3:2, Phill. 3:20-21).

   Philippians 1:6. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  So when the devil tries to make you question and doubt your being a "chosen vessel" of God's, just remember God is still working on you, working towards the final part of our salvation. God is in the process of perfecting us for that final day when Jesus returns for us,(His bride).

References: Mathew Henry Commentaries; The Holy Bible; Baker's Evangelical Dictionary

By: Clint Baker


Linked With:
Teach Me Tuesday
Sharing His Beauty
Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday
On, In and Around Mondays
Barn Hop 67 

Are You A Secret Follower of Jesus?

  I have heard people say that they just didn't feel as though they should talk to people about the gospel of Jesus Christ! Or they felt like just living a right life in front of people was enough. Yes, living a right life in front of others is awesome, but at the end of 2 of the Gospels (Matthew and Luke) we are all given not only a commission but a command (that is if you are a born again christian)! A command to proclaim the gospel or speak the Gospel, but don't take my word for it, look in the Bible for yourself. 
   So this gets me to the titled question: "Are you a secret follower of Jesus?" Are you afraid to tell people that their Debt of Sin has been paid by your Savior Jesus Christ? Do you just go to church on Sundays to stay in good graces with Jesus or your Pastor and just try to not cuss or lie, try not to drink, try to just do the best you can and not break any of the Ten Commandments, the rest of the week? If your answer is yes, then you may want to read these next few scriptures.

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.¹⁴  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Psalm 34:5 "Those who look to him are radiant,  and their faces shall never be ashamed."

Romans 1:16 " For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

1 Peter 4:16 "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name."

  So if we are to be the salt of the earth and shine the light of Jesus. If we are not to be ashamed of Jesus and share His gospel message with others. If we are supposed to glorify God with the name of Christian! Then how then  can we be a secret disciple of Jesus? How can we go to church on Sunday and not talk about Him as the week goes on? Well, I will let scripture answer these questions!

Matthew 15:18 "But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person."

  In simple terms, "What is truly in a persons heart comes out of a persons mouth" or "whatever you are truly into or interested in you will talk about". I didn't say this scripture has! God bless you! 


Linked with:
Hear it on Sunday Use it on Monday 
Garden Showcase 

"One To Die For"

 When Jesus was raised up high on the cross, "Jacobs Ladder" was risen. When Jesus rose from the tomb, the bridge between God and sinful man was built! We know have access to our Holy God!

 We have to remember that Christianity begins where all the religions of the world end, at death, and it starts with resurrection Of our Savior Jesus Christ and the Resurrection of ourselves one day! No other religion has proof that the God that they follow is "Alive" and in control of our daily walk! No other religion can say they can have a personal, one on one relationship with their Lord and Savior. 

   "If the Resurrection is not historic fact, then the power of death remains unbroken, and with it the effect of sin; and the significance of Christ's Death remains uncertified, and accordingly believers are yet in their sins, precisely where they were before they heard of Jesus' name." C.H. Spurgeon

   I heard some one say one time, "There are many good religions in the world to live by but there is only one that i would want to DIE by".  
  C.H. Spurgeon once said " Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die, I risk my whole eternity on the resurrection".  

   

 Question to think on: 
  Jesus died for you, will you die to self for Him? Would you give your physical life for Him?

The basic truth of the resurrection under-girds a number of other truths.

1.    It gives evidence that the Word of God is totally true and reliable. Jesus precisely when and in the way He had predicted (see Mt. 12:40; 16:21; 17:9, 23).

2.    The resurrection means that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as He claimed to be, and that He has power over life and death.

3.    The resurrection proves that salvation is complete, that on the cross Christ conquered sin, death, and hell and rose victorious.

4.    The resurrection proves that the church has been established. Jesus had declared, "I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it" (Mt. 16:8)... His resurrection proved that death itself could not prevent Christ from establishing His church.

5.    The resurrection proves that judgment is coming. Jesus declared that the heavenly Father "has given all judgment to the Son" (Jn. 5:22), and since the Son is now risen and alive, His judgment is certain.

6.    The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that heaven is waiting. Jesus promised, "In My house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you" (Jn. 14:2). Because Christ is alive by the resurrection, believers have the assurance that He is now preparing a heavenly dwelling for them.

John MacArthur

"Unlocking The Lock"

Do you have eternal life or conditional life?

Ephesians 1:13-14 says "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."  

Philippians 1:6 says "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;"

   The understanding of eternal security really comes from understanding the unique and special love that God has for His children. Romans 8:28-39 tells us that 1) no one can bring a charge against God’s elect; 2) nothing can separate the elect from the love of Christ; 3) God makes everything work together for the good of the elect; and 4) all whom God saves will be glorified. God loves His children (the elect) so much that nothing can separate them from Him. Of course this same truth is seen in many other passages of Scripture as well (these four points came from). In John 10:27-30, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Again, in John 6:37-47, we see Jesus stating that everyone that the Father gives to the Son will come to Him and He will raise all of them up at the last day. John 5:24 say "“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."  Eternal life here  is not something you receive in the future but something you receive at the time you believe. If salvation trough Jesus Christ isn't eternal then its not eternal life, Jesus promises you eternal life. A promise of eternal life is not conditional life.

Join His Flock

   Eternal security does NOT give us a license to go out sin and do whatever we want.(1 John 2:3-4,Romans 8:29-30,2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 6:11) These are a few scriptures that tell you that.

   If someone is truly saved, he or she has been made alive by the Holy Spirit and has a new heart with new desires. There is no way that one that has been “born again” can later be “unborn.” Because of His unique love for His children, God will keep all of His children safe from harm, and Jesus has promised that He would lose none of His sheep.
  The doctrine of eternal security or also called "the perseverance of the saints" recognizes that true Christians will always persevered and are eternally secure because God keeps them that way. It is based on the fact that Jesus, the “author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2), is able to completely save those whom the Father has given Him (Hebrews 7:25) and to keep them saved through all eternity.

  Why would God graciously offer up a free gift of salvation but make it conditional? A conditional salvation doesn't fit the eternal salvation plan of the Bible and it wouldn't be a free gift. That would be like me saying "I am gonna give you a free car as a gift, but you have to work of the price of the car for me". That wouldn't be a free gift from me, you would have earned it.

  "If one dear saint of God had perished, so might all; if one of the covenant ones be lost, so may all be; and then there is no gospel promise true, but the Bible is a lie, and there is nothing in it worth my acceptance. I will be an infidel at once when I can believe that a saint of God can ever fall finally. If God hath loved me once, then He will love me forever."

C.H. Spurgeon

Linked to:
Fresh From the Farm
Wisdom Wednesday
Wise Women Link Up

Are you a "Good Person"?

An Imagined Conversation Between God and a “Good Person”

By Bob Van Zandt

The Good Person: WOW! All this time I didn’t think you were real… My bad. but I was a “good person”, so I guess it’s all good, right

God: No, it’s not “all good”

The Good Person: HA HA, I know you’re kidding… I mean it’s not like I was Hitler or anything, I was a good person, and went out of my way to help… most of the time.

God: I’m not laughing .. in fact your rejection of me makes me extremely sad.

The Good Person: Okay, Okay… I’m sorry.. But come on.. I went to Church.

God: You went a few times, but never invited me into your heart … By the way: your Aunt Nancy, the one who I brought home last year… the one who tried to open your heart to me… she says hello.. She’s hangs out in my Throne Room with me every day.

The Good Person: Aunt Nancy? The weird Jesus Freak? Ah, she was so annoying… Always wanting me to pray with her… Come on, you have to admit, she was just a little weird, right?

God: Excuse me! I happen to love her passion about the gift of my Son… You know, I sent Him to die for everyone… this included YOU. This was MY SON… MY ONLY SON… I sent Him to suffer FOR YOU. I sent Him to endure the most painful death imaginable, FOR YOU. And yet, you rejected every single invitation.

The Good Person: I was just joking, you know that… you’re God, right?

God: I am God. A reality you clearly rejected until you met me face to face. And, I know your heart… I know what you call “a joke” was really an attempt to justify your rejection of Me.

The Good Person: So I messed up… OK, I’m sorry… Don’t you forgive people like me?

God: I gave you every resource imaginable to accept the gift of my Son while you were alive, but you rejected Him… You rejected the Cross….

I gave you my Word, the Bible, the ultimate instruction manual, and you choose to listen only to those who would try to disprove it — but never could.

Which side are you on?

I told you how I created everything, but you choose to place more faith in coming from nothing, a “big bang”… I mean seriously… you thought you came from NOTHING?

You tried to publicly undermine the significance of MY SON by repeatedly demeaning my followers by referring to them as “freaks” or “holy rollers” and a whole host of other names.

You always knew in your heart that there was a something more to life, but you never thought I was important enough to seek out.

I told you through your Aunt Nancy to give up the ways of the world — they would lead to nowhere, but you laughed at her and chose to embrace worldly behaviors, without reservation…. and I know about each one of them.

You supported causes that rejected me, and then you turned around and cursed, mocked and blamed me when things didn’t work out.

…. unfortunately, you became your own god, of yourself…..

The Good Person: So what now?

God: I’m sorry, I don’t know you.

Do you have questions about salvation?

Linked with:

Rural Thursday Blog Hop

Thursdays Favorite things Blog Hop

The Gospel of Jesus

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

  This is the Scriptural Gospel of Jesus Christ. Anything added to this for you to receive salvation is adding to His simple gospel. All that is necessary for forgiveness of your sins and eternal life is to understand, repent and trust this with all of your heart.This is the simplicity of it, in a nut shell!

 

1 Corinthians 15:1-19

 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

"The portrait of Jesus in the gospels is altogether different from the picture contemporary evangelicals typically imagine. Rather than a would-be redeemer who merely stands outside anxiously awaiting an invitation to come into unregenerate lives, the Savior described in the New Testament is God in the flesh, invading the world of sinful men and challenging them to turn from their iniquity. Rather than waiting for an invitation, He issues His own – in the form of a command to repent and take on a yoke of submission."   John MacArthur

Can We Do Enough?

  We had a good teaching on this subject a few weeks back. The question was this, "At what point do we do enough to be reconciled to God?" The answer is, we can't do enough ourselves to be reconciled with God! Before we understand and receive the gift of eternal salvation, we stand in front of God as filthy sinners, or as God's Word say's as His enemy! We can not do enough good works, say enough good things or go to church enough to be reconciled to God. There is only one way to be justified and that is through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having be justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received access by faith into grace, in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." So it's only by faith, by trusting in the gospel of Jesus, trusting that the sacrifice He made for us, was powerful enough to save us from our sins and not just our sins from the point of salvation back but all of our sins. Even those sins that we may stumble with and commit in the future. We may trust with all of our hearts that Jesus paid our debt in full, that when Jesus said "It is finished", that He meant that. We must trust that Jesus paid our debt in full, not in part, in full means Jesus paid for ALL of our sin debt not just those we committed before our rebirth!
  In order to be justified, we must also be reconciled. Romans 5:10-11 says, "For if when we were 

"In The Garden"

 Walking through the garden with Him

Genesis 2:8 "The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed."

Saved By Grace!

We Are Sinners Saved By God's Grace!

by Clint Baker

    I have heard people say "I am saved I am not a sinner", How can that be? Are we not sinners saved by God's grace?

    We are sinners saved by grace. The epistles of John are letters to ‘little children’ or believers and in 1 John he writes in verse eight that “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” and again in verse 10 “If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar.” If we were not sinners, we would not need confession (1st John 1:9) to renew our fellowship and to free us to walk in God’s forgiveness nor would we need Christ to be our advocate (1st John 2:1-2).

   The attitude of acknowledging that we are sinners save d by grace means we agree with God’s assessment and are submitted to Him with a teachable heart that chooses to be humble before Him. None of us can attain to the righteousness of God. We can only stand in His righteousness as we stand in Christ (1st Corinthians 1:30-31). Therefore, not only are we sinners saved by grace but also we are warned not to think that we stand on our own worth because that can lead to a fall, 1st Corinthians 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Meaning there is nothing we did to become saved from sin and there is nothing we can do to keep our salvation, Jesus did it all. In saying that we have a part in it is saying that what Jesus did freely for us was not good enough and that we have to do the rest.

The Forgiving Father!

The Forgiving Father!

by Clint Baker on Friday, January 13, 2012 at 10:48am

   There are a few commonly asked questions that need to be addressed. These questions are those of a person's that are saved by Gods grace, so they already have forgiveness of sin. 1) "What happens if I commit a sin and forget to confess it or die before I get to confess it?" 2)" Do we still sin after salvation?" Both of these questions are normally asked because of the lack of understanding God's forgiveness and rest on faulty assumptions. Salvation is not a person trying to repent or confess every sin they have committed before they die. If this was the case, we would be taking salvation into our own hands. We would be saying that what Jesus did for us was not enough and unfortunately each one of us would miss some of the sins all together. Salvation is NOT based on whether a Christian confessing every sin, and yes, we should confess our sins to God as soon as we are aware of them. However as Christians we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and He forgives us of ALL of our sins, past, present and future. As believers we don't have to keep asking for forgiveness over and over again to be keep our salvation, it's just a way of restoring our fellowship with God (Colossians 1:14, Acts 10:43).
  The second question of "Do we still sin after salvation?" is simple. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." John was telling them that the denial of a persons sinful nature is a false teaching. So the answer to this question is, yes, we still have a sinful nature, as Paul said, he fought sin (Romans 7:21-25), he also says why do I do the things I shouldn't and don not do the things I should (Romans 17:9). So if Paul battled with sin, then yes we all still have a sinful nature, therefore we are sinners saved by God's grace. Gods grace is all that sets us apart.
 The first question was what happens if we do commit sin and don't get it confessed? 1 John 1:9 says, " “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. But if we miss one and we all will, God is faithful and has already forgiven us. On the day of our salvation we had a "Judicial forgiveness" of sins, that means we owed the Judge (God) for our sins. When we trust what Jesus did, He puts all of our debt we owe on His account and He makes us righteous in Gods eye for ever. After salvation, when we ask for forgiveness, Jesus isn't constantly reapplying His blood to our account. If we believe that we are taking away the power of His blood and making it of that of that of a sacrificial cow of the OT.  What does 1 John 1:9 mean about, “confess” our sins to God. The word “confess” means “to agree with.” When we confess our sins to God, we are agreeing with God that we were wrong, that we have sinned.
  Verse 9 also indicates a "Parental forgiveness", How does this work if all of our sins are forgiven the moment we receive Christ as Savior? All of our sins are forgiven “Judicial Forgiveness", the moment we receive Christ as Savior. This "Judicial Forgiveness", guarantees our salvation and promise of an eternal home in heaven. When we stand before God after death, God will NOT deny us entrance into heaven because of our sins that is Judicial forgiveness. The concept of "Parental forgiveness", is based on the fact that when we sin, we offend God and grieve His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). While God has ultimately forgiven us of the sins we commit, they still result in a blocking or hindrance in our relationship with God. A young boy who sins against his father is not cast out of the family. A godly father will forgive his children unconditionally. At the same time, a good relationship between father and son cannot be achieved until the relationship is restored. This can only occur when a child confesses his mistakes to his father and apologizes. That is why we confess our sins to God,not to maintain our salvation, but to bring ourselves back into close fellowship with the God who loves us and has already forgiven us.
  God has already forgiven a true believer at the day of salvation. His promise to preserve you He will keep, His promise to finish what He started in you He will keep, for God is not a lair.







References: Mathew Henry Commentary, Smith's Dictionary, MacArthur Topical studies, "Understanding Forgiveness" a sermon by Pastor Jeff Arthur
By: Clint Baker

"What God promises us after..."

What God promises us after Salvation

by Clint Baker

    A  perfect life is the opposite of what Jesus said the Christian life would look like after salvation. Jesus didn't promise prosperity, He promised hardship (Matthew 8:20). He didn't promise that our every want would be fulfilled; He promised we'd have what we NEED (Philippians 4:19). He didn't promise peace in a family; He promised that families would have problems as some chose to follow Him and some didn't (Matthew 10:34-36). And He didn't promise health; He promised to fulfill His plan for us and grace in the trials (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). He didn't promise that we would be rich with money, He did promise we would be rich with His Grace and love. He never promised that we that we would be emotionally strong for every bad thing that happened in our lives, He promised that He would be by our side (Psalm 23) and that He would NEVER leave us nor forsake us. But how do we receive these promises God has given us. We must first hear and understand the true Gospel, (1 Corinthians 15:1-15) we must trust/believe on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and repent of our sins. And in doing this we will want to follow and obey His commands not out of obligation but out of love and respect for what He has done on the Cross.
   If we would receive nothing more than that of what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary (Romans 5:7-9), it would be enough. We really don't even deserve that but by Gods grace He made a way for the filthy, sinful, wretched person such as I to become righteous in His eyes (Romans 3:9-18). Christ took our unrighteousness and placed it on Himself and then took His righteousness and put in on us (Romans 4:6), never to have sin imputed on us again (Romans 4:). For it is only by the power of God (Romans 1:16) that our eyes are opened and except salvation through Jesus Christ, so by Gods Word it is by His power that we are saved and stay His children. Yes God has promised many things but a perfect, carefree life, full of earthly riches is not one of them.

Dec. 2011
C. Baker