"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


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His Grip 

Promise’s From God on Salvation

  A Person must persevere in faith to be saved, which through the working of the Holy Spirit, God does Himself. True believers cannot lose their faith, since its God’s gift. God will preserve true believers and they will be saved.  Here is scriptural proof to the topic at hand. Many more scriptures can be used but this should be sufficient.  To say that a true believer in Christ Jesus can lose the gift of salvation would be calling God Himself a liar and would allow each person to boast. Ephesians 2:8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 Salvation is Eternal and before the foundation of the earth:

Ephesians 1:3 ^“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Hebrews 10:14 “^For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

2 Timothy 1:9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began..”

Titus 1: “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, ² in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began”

1 John 2:25 “^And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.”

   More Scriptures that God gave us eternal life: 1 John 5:10-11, John 10:27-28, Romans 6:23, 1 John 5:13, “John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Promise of being sealed: 2 Corinthians 1: 21” Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, ²² who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Ephesians 1:13 “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”

Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Imputed Promise’s from God:

Roman 4:11 “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also”

Romans 4:22 “And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, ²⁴ but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead”

Psalms 32:2 “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity..”

Romans 4:8 “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”

Romans 4:5-6 “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶ just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:”

  It takes 100% righteousness to enter into heaven, as humans we will NEVER be able to work or earn 100 % righteousness. There is only one way to achieve this! When we accept the free gift of salvation, Jesus himself places a white rode of His 100% righteousness on us, Jesus then takes 100% of our unrighteousness (sins) and places them on Himself. 100% in God’s eyes in past, present and future sins! Then God makes us more promises! He seals us with His Holy Spirit and promise never to IMPUTE sin upon us again! The word imputes means to “charge to ones account”.

It is because of what God has done for us we are saved, NOT WHAT WE DO FOR GOD! The LORD Jesus has paid our debt of sin in full. The debt is covered; it is entirely wiped clean.

God Keeps a true Born Again Believer, so as not to lose your salvation:

   The assurance of the believer is not that God will save him even if he stops believing, but that God will keep him believing – God will sustain you in faith, he will make your hope firm and stable to the end. He will cause you to persevere.

John 6:37 “that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.”

2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Romans 8:35-39 “³⁵ who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written, “FOR Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be Slaughtered.” ³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  And lastly if we say that we can lose our salvation then the prayer’s which Jesus prayed for us would be null and void, in John 11, John 17, Luke 22:31-32.

“Our perseverance is a gift from God. In our salvation, God blesses us with assurance through His gift of perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5). However, many Christians lack full assurance of their salvation because their understanding of assurance is founded on the constantly changing emotions of their hearts rather than on the eternal Word of God.” ~ Burk Parsons

“It is true that God will never forsake His own children.  But the proof that we are His children is that He works in us the vigilance not to forsake Him. God's not forsaking us is the work He does in us to keep us from forsaking Him (Philippians 2:12-13).”  ~ John Piper

"Understanding of God's Divine Providence"

  Understanding of God's Divine Providence helps us understand the teaching of "predestination,  justification, sanctification, glorification, perseverance of the saints, ect.)  In my study of this I found that gotquestions.org had a very good teaching and summary on this subject. So instead of me muttering on, I will use it and give them the credit, lol!

  So what is “divine providence?" Divine providence is the means by and through which God governs all things in the universe. The doctrine of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. This includes the universe as a whole (Psalm 103:19), the physical world (Matthew 5:45), the affairs of nations (Psalm 66:7), human birth and destiny (Galatians 1:15), human successes and failures (Luke 1:52), and the protection of His people (Psalm 4:8). This doctrine stands in direct opposition to the idea that the universe is governed by chance or fate.
   The purpose, or goal, of divine providence is to accomplish the will of God. To ensure that His purposes are fulfilled, God governs the affairs of men and works through the natural order of things. The laws of nature are nothing more than a depiction of God at work in the universe. The laws of nature have no inherent power, nor do they work independently. The laws of nature are the rules and principles that God set in place to govern how things work.
   The same goes for human choice. In a very real sense we are not free to choose or act apart from God’s will. Everything we do and everything we choose is in full accordance to God’s will—even our sinful choices (Genesis 50:20). The bottom line is that God controls our choices and actions (Genesis 45:5; Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 21:1), yet He does so in such a way that does not violate our responsibility as free moral agents, nor does it negate the reality of our choice.
   The doctrine of divine providence can be succinctly summarized this way: “God in eternity past, in the counsel of His own will, ordained everything that will happen; yet in no sense is God the author of sin; nor is human responsibility removed.” The primary means by which God accomplishes His will is through secondary causes (e.g., laws of nature, human choice). In other words, God works indirectly through these secondary causes to accomplish His will.
  

"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)

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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


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"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

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"From Start to Finish"

  My Pastor did this 30min study to help answer questions of  salvation. It starts at the beginning and takes us through our walk with Jesus. With Gods word he answers many questions that people have asked for a long time. Please take less then 30 minutes to listen. Click Here: "Salvation Start to Finish"! May God Bless you with His word!

1 Peter 1: ²⁰ "He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

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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?

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Starting to Pop up!

  Look what is starting to bloom here in West Virginia, Spring is just around the corner. I am so, so excited! I took this in my flower garden. Have A Blessed Day!

Song of Solomon 2:11-13

¹¹ For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
¹² The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
¹³ The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!

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 

One of my favorite songs!

One of my favorites! She has such a remarkable voice!

Yes I always get chill bumps and tear up over this song. This was one of my dads favorites! We need to listen to the words carefully! There is power in these old Hymns!

Psalm 31:19
Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!

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

Pruning The Bad Stuff Off?

 Like a growing season in the garden, so is the season of your life after excepting the call of salvation. Sanctification is that period of your walk with Jesus where you grow a little, then God prunes the bad stuff out of your life and you grow a little more. Just like we do plants in our own garden, God tends to us in the like manner! Here is a look at that part of our life when we are growing in Gods Garden!

Understanding Sanctification

by Clint Baker on Friday, December 23, 2011 at 8:10am

   Sanctification, a word that you don't hear preached on very much from today's pulpit. What is it, why is it important, why is it not heard of much anymore?   Sanctification is a state of separation unto God (becoming His child),  all believers enter into sanctification when they are redeemed of God,(1 Corinthians 1:30). Not only when we are saved do we receive salvation, but God imputes the righteousness of Jesus' on us and He removes our sin debt and places our unrighteousness on Jesus. He also places the Holy Spirit within us to teach us and give us a measure of divine wisdom (Acts 1:5) 
   This is a forever separation, eternally unto God but not a license to live how you wish (Romans 6:4). It is a part of our salvation, our connection with Christ (Hebrews 10:10). If you read on in vrs. 16-17 of Hebrews 10, God promises us "that our sins will be remembered NO more." He also says that "there is NO longer an offering for sin." Why because Jesus was that sin offering once and for all that would trust/ receive His gospel. God sets us apart to be His children, He wants us to obey His Word but not out of obligation but out of love for Him and the sacrifice that He made for us. His sanctification is the pattern of, and is the power for, ours. The sending and the sanctifying are inseparable.  Because of what Jesus has done we are called saints, hagioi in the Greek; “sanctified ones.” Sanctification is important to understand because it is eternal, we are born again His Children never to cast out of His family again. (Romans5:1-10)
   There is one more sense that the word sanctification is referred to in Scripture. Paul in (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Colossians 1:5,Colossians 1:27,Colossians 3:4) talks an prays about later part of sanctification. This glorified state will be our ultimate separation from sin, total sanctification in every aspect. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Why is this part so important to understand, because between the salvation and the glorification, we are still all trapped in a sinful body. Paul even says, "Why do I do the things I don't want to do and don't do thing which I should." We are all gonna sin and fall short (Romans) but we are still children of God and yes while God will have discipline for us (Hebrews 10:26) just as we do when our own children are disobedient, God still loves us and we are still His children. Romans chapter's 6,7 and 8 are very good explanation of this and its not my explanation but God's.       
   I believe the biggest reason why sanctification and perseverance of the saints are not taught is because of the lack of understanding of how much God really does love His children. After we have been adopted into His family through the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ, we become in Gods eyes sinless and pure. Why would God sacrifice His own child, for a wretch such as me, to adopt me and at the first time I disobey to turn me back over to Satan. If we believe that every time we sin we must get "prayed up", or saved again, we are saying that the blood Jesus shed on the cross for our sin atonement wasn't good enough. (John 10:28-29, Ephesians 4:30, John 3:15, Romans 8:38-39, Our eternal security is based on God's love for those whom He has redeemed. Our eternal security is purchased by Christ, promised by the Father, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

The most important seeds I plant!

What is salvation and Justification? 

  What does salvation mean? Simply, to be delivered or protected from suffering or danger. "Salvation" in the since of becoming a Christian, is being delivered or protected from sin. We were born into sin and have a debt of sin to pay. A debt that none of us can pay, the consequences for this unpaid debt is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Because of our inability to pay this debt God provided a way for us, through His Son Jesus (John 3:16).

  What are we saved from? We are saved from God's Judgment on sin, we are saved from His "wrath" (1 Thess. 5:9, Romans 5:9), eternal suffering and damnation. The sin we were born into separates us from God. But Jesus Christ has already provided us a way to pay our debt, delivered us from the consequences of sin and has provided a way to remove our sins in the sight of a Holy God. But only if we understand and trust the gospel which Jesus came to provide.

   Who does the saving? God is the only one that can remove our sin and deliver us from the debt we owe Him of sin. It is wholly of God by His grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His blood, and not because of anything we do in works or by our own merit. (Eph. 2:1-3; 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, John 1:12, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 2 Timothy 1:9).

   How does God do the saving? Through the sacrificial death on the cross and the resurrection from the grave of His only begotten son Jesus (John 3:17, Romans 5:10, Eph. 1:7). The Bible is very clear that salvation is a gracious and undeserving gift from God and ONLY available through faith in Christ Jesus (Acts4:12, Eph. 2:5-8).

   How is salvation received? Only by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ can we be saved from the curse of sin.

      1) We must first hear and understand the true gospel, the good news of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Eph. 1:13, Romans 1:16).

         2) We must fully trust, "believe", Jesus and that His sacrifice for our sin debt (Romans 1:16). We must fully trust that Jesus was born of a virgin, was God manifested into flesh, that He lived a sinless life, that He shed His blood for our debt of sin and after three days in a tomb was resurrected from death. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 is a very good explanation of the Biblical gospel.

         3) In trusting it, it brings a person to "repentance of sin", this means a changing of the mind about sin and Jesus our Christ (Acts 3:19) and in repenting, a person is asking Christ to forgive them of their sins and asking Him to become their Lord over their life (Romans 10:9-10). A true repentant heart will understand the love that God has graciously granted them and accept His gracious gift out of love and not out of obligation.

   "Salvation is the deliverance, by the grace of God, from eternal punishment for sin, which is granted to those who accept by faith God’s conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus." Quote by C.H. Spurgeon.  Salvation is available in Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and is dependent on God alone for provision, assurance, and security.

   "True salvation is not to be found through the mere reception of any creed, however true or scriptural. Mere 'head notion' is not the road to heaven. "You must be born again," means a great deal more than that you must believe certain dogmas. The study of the Bible cannot save you! You must press beyond this; you must come to the living, personal Christ, or else your acceptance of the soundest creed cannot avail for the salvation of your soul. Salvation lies in Jesus only!"  ~ C.H. Spurgeon

"Justification is by grace alone (not mixed with our merit)"

   Most churches ignore the work and teaching of justification and focus on a person's sanctification. In doing this people are being taught that the things they do and say are justifying and clearing their guilt before God. Basically they are taught to work their way into heaven. You work for a wage and the Bible says that "the wages of sin are death". This view takes the focus of the completed work of Jesus Christ and place's the emphasis on our performance. It is basically saying that the blood Jesus spilled on Calvary wasn't powerful enough for our sin debt and that His Resurrection from the grave wasn't powerful enough to conquer death! Some teachers either combine both justification with sanctification or put it out into the future where glorification is. Again, justification, sanctification and glorification are in God's souvenir hands not in ours (Romans 8:30)! Faith justifies the person, and works justify his faith.

   "This is the rock where we stand when the dark clouds gather and the floods lick at our feet: justification is by grace alone (not mixed with our merit), through faith alone (not mixed with our works) on the basis of Christ alone (not mingling his righteousness with ours), to the glory of God alone (not ours)." quoted by John Piper

    Simply put, to be justified is to declare you righteous, to make you right with God. Justification is God’s declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who receive Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Justification is Christ taking our unrighteousness off of us and placing it on himself and then taking all of His righteousness and placing it on us for eternity. Jesus sacrifice covers our sins (past, present and future), allowing God to see us as perfect and unblemished. We were declared justified the very moment of our salvation. It pronounces us righteous in the sight of God. It came by placing our entire faith (trust) in the finished works of Jesus Christ and not in  our own works. Because as believers we are in Christ, God sees Christ's own righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God's demands for perfection, so He declares us righteous, He justifies us. (2 Corin. 5-21, Romans 3:21-26)

    Justification allows the peace of God to rule over our lives. In understanding justification , believers can have the true assurance of their salvation. Justification enables God to begin the process of sanctification, the process by which God, daily, removes sin from our lives.(Phil. l:6,Phil 2:3,Eph. 2:10). “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

   1) God justified us at salvation (Romans 5:18-19),  2) Sanctification progressive until we go to be with our Lord Jesus, it is a lifelong process (John 17),  3) Glorification is God's final removal of sin from the life of the saints ( everyone who is saved) in the eternal state (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). Understanding all three are crucial to our knowledge of the ongoing work that the Holy Spirit does in our lives after salvation (justification). Truly braking the chains that bind us, to live a joyful, peaceful life in Christ Jesus!

Reference: NKJV "The Holy Bible",  Matthew Henry commentaries, MacArthur Study Bible,Q&Ministries

By: Clint Baker

Jan. 2012