Tag Archives: the faith

Reading the Bible Cannot Save You

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Living a life provided by us, can only lead to an eternity provided by us. “Unless the Lord builds the house the builder builds in vain.”

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“Salvation belongs to our God and to the lamb!”  This will be the song sung by those who arrive in heaven, dressed for eternity.  It will not be sung by those who think they can save themselves.  No work of man can produce the attire necessary to stand before the Living God.  Simple logic brings us to this conclusion.

As an aside: I met a man who told me he had no time for Jesus.  He said he would take his chances in the Judgment Day.  I will give the man this, at least he was being honest with his folly.

The power of God alone can turn a man from fool to wise.  Those who live in truth before the Holy Lord, will cannot lie.  It is impossible to stand before Him and do anything other than tell the truth.  The perfection of God demands it.  How then can the man who trusts in his own strength sing that song?

I do not write this article to make fun of people.  I write this article that everyone may understand.  From the simple to the great, salvation is extended freely.  Yet only those who humble themselves before the Living God, will find it.

39  “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.  These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5)

No righteousness belongs to man.  If a man is able to memorize the entire Bible, it does not save him.  God does not take pride in such a child.  God in his excellent wisdom has reserved His Holy Son alone, that men may be saved.  The song does not say, “Salvation belongs to those who have saved themselves”.

When the Lord Jesus was with his disciples on the mountain, and was transformed before their very eyes, the Holy Father spoke.  Of all the myriad of things the Holy Father could have said, what did he say?  “. . .This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”  (Matthew 17:5)

God did not say,  “Read the Bible and do what it says”.  The Bible is a written and concrete evidence of the covenant of God toward man.  But the Living God, and His strength to save is, found exclusively in his Living, Righteous and Holy Son.

Pride comes when man thinks he owns anything by his own strength.  But salvation comes when all the man has belongs to God. 

If anything is not of God it will not endure the Judgment Day.  Eternity is Holy.  Nothing will ever be in it but that which is God.

There will be no pride in heaven.  There should be no pride among us here.  If a man thinks he is something, he deceives himself and does not understand the truth.

Reading the Bible, alone, cannot save you.  It is necessary that every man should humble himself before the Living God, and receive the power of his Holy Son’s sacrifice and eternal Kingship.

Find a man who knows the Bible through and through, yet does not commune with the Living God in Christ Jesus, and you will find a man who is full (to overflowing) with pride and false humility.  But living in vibrant fellowship with the Living God’s Holy Son, produces humility, by crushing the pride in which a man trusts.

If still you need proof, read the Holy Law that God gave to his people through Moses.  Now for 24 hours, do that law.  You will find yourself falling short within an half hour.

Those who think they can save themselves by memorizing and understanding the Bible, are like those who live by the law.  Not one man can obey it completely.  And every man who tries will die.  Remember what the Apostle Paul said.  “Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, ‘Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God’s curse!’” (Galatians 3: 10)

May the Living God grant understanding.

By His Grace

It is Enough

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You think:
..It is enough to pay your bills on time.
..It is enough to abstain from drunkenness.
..It is enough to abstain from lewd behavior in public.
..It is enough to give to charity as often as you can.
..It is enough to know what the Bible has to say.
..It is enough to raise your children in the same behaviors as these.
..These things, being enough, you pursue what pleasure you desire.
.. It is enough to apply what laws of God provide you the prosperity of your perception.
.. It is enough to come alongside a select few and teach them the things you know.

My friend, if these things describe your life, you have a religion that has no power.  While all these things are perfectly sufficient in the world of men, they are but as filthy rags before the righteousness of the Holy Most High God in Christ Jesus.

What I have described are what men refer to as “good behaviours”.  But they do not begin to touch the things of a man born of God.

Every one of those things relies on “self” to accomplish.  Let the slightest complication come upon you, and there is no strength for defense.  If this is so in the things of the world, how much more so on the Great Day of Judgement?

The power of prayer, to such people, is left as if an emergency switch.  “If I run into trouble I will pray to God.  Perhaps he will help me in my day of distress.”  My friend, your day of distress is upon you even now, and you do not perceive it.  It has been well said, “Life is not a dress rehearsal”.

If those things are the way you run your life, how are you any different then the Israelites who fell dead in the desert?  What hope do you have that is more than theirs?

It is written, “They will have a form of religion, but deny the power of it”.  For, those who fell in the desert did not combine their belief with a holy faith.  They willingly desired the good things of men, while they willingly ignored the good and Holy things of God

Test yourself to see if this is true of you.  How often do you pray?  Do you crave the Living Word of the Bible?  Do you yearn for the sermon you missed, because you were too busy to attend?  Does your soul have confidence that your words are heard by the Most High God when you pray?  Are you absolutely sure, that when you die, you will be with Jesus the Christ forever?

May the living God, in Christ Jesus, open your eyes to understand what I have written.

Prayer Against Fear

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Mighty and Righteous Holy Lord, You who lives forever by the Righteous Judgement of the Sovereign God.  You are trustworthy and true.  No doubt is born of you!  But by Holy union, you cause us to believe.

There is no fear that shall overtake us, if we will but lay down our pride and accept your glorious gift of life.  The Holy Father himself has declared this to be true. 

Therefore we surrender as we find ourselves able.  We have called our fear humility, and we are in error.   Open our eyes that we may see and believe.

We beg you for strength, simply to believe.  We are weak in our way, please accept our apology.  But grant us wisdom to understand!

For you cannot lie and you have sealed your promise in the Holy Blood of your Holy and faithful Son.  Though our weakness is blatant, we beg you for mercy.  For we have not understood as we should.

Cause growth to our faith!  Let us rise up and believe.  Let us defend your Holy Name, in this place of testing; this by our firm trust and patient doing. 

You have displayed your intent in the greatest of possible love.  Therefore give us the gift of faith.  Do not allow your people to rest in the faith of man.  Rather transform us into The Holy Faith of your Holy Way.

Then you will have what is rightfully yours; a people separated from the wickedness of this rebellion against your Holy Law.

All day long and even into the night, temptation assails, and in our weakness we are tossed about.  Send understanding O’ Sovereign One! 

You lack by our weakness toward fear.  We are bent toward fear as the trees along the ocean are bent by the constant wind.  Holy One, this should not be!

Come among us and give us strength to serve, that your bounty may be evident before your Holy Throne!  Come and  cause to be, what is rightfully yours.

By the Holy Name of your Holy Christ, the perfect and faithful One, grant that we should rise and believe.

Conspicuous Places

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Dear Christians:

Are you aware of your place in eternity even now?  I speak to those who struggle, through violence, to attain those things which Christ holds in his hand.  For we know about a violence that does not leave marks on the body.

You have heard about the great cloud of witnesses.  Are you aware that their number is not fully comprised of holy servants of God?

These unholy witnesses were present at the crucifixion of our Lord.  They incited the crowd to riot at the burning and torture of our brothers and sisters.  And they have caused a maligning of the way throughout history.

You may be sure they watch us even now.  Every Christian’s weakness is well known.  But so is the strength of our Holy Lord.  And now is our day to bring him glory.

As we have been encouraged before, I bring it again to the forefront.  As we serve our Lord with all the faithfulness we can muster, it is good to remember that we walk in highly conspicuous places.

Rise Up!

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In the hand of God most high, through the never ending strength of Christ, there are blessings.  His perfect will is laid out before him and he knows the extent.

To the salvation of men his will is bent.  The blood of his Son has sealed it.

He has called to men by the work of the cross.  Yet who has believed his words?

Who will rise up and use what has been given?  Who is willing to receive the fullness of God’s wise gift of faith?

Who we will be, at the revealing of his Holy Son, is yet to be seen.  But there is testimony among men as to what we can be now.

Who then will take what God offers?  Who will reach to his Holy hand to become?

We say we believe the message of the gospel.  But the weakness within us stops our feet at a certain place.  The darkness before us looms with ominous trouble.  So we cease our search for his will.

We say, “I dare not go further for I do not know the way.”  But has God not promised to lead us?

Each man stands where he does by the sum of what he has been.  But God calls us to be his desire.

This challenge goes out to all.  Who will take what God offers, by Holy wisdom, to all his servants?

Do you fear he will ask too much?  Do you fear he will not provide once you begin?  Of course you don’t.

That was the accusation against God by he who accuses, and you know you are not of his house.

Then be encouraged!  Be greatly encouraged!  For every drop of Holy Blood was the sealed promise of the Most High God!  We have been told, and come to believe, God cannot lie.

The Place of No Return

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I write this as help to my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I write this as instruction to the wicked that they may understand.  I write this as admonition and hope.  If you will bear with it, there will be understanding.

A man wakes and guilt covers him.  Perhaps as he closed his eyes the guilt restrained his sleep until his flesh could fight no more.  He is aware of the holiness of God.  He is aware of his own utter lack.  This awareness has crushed multitudes, and they never rise again.

Many arrive to this place of understanding.  They perceive the nature of “good”.   They also perceive the nature of their own wickedness.  This perception can be a wall of steel brick 7000 miles high.  Here, millions have died for lack of faith.

What does a man do, before the perfect face of God, when he finds he is guilty of sin?  What repairs can be made? What action can be taken?

We are forced to consider the righteousness of God.  Regardless our sin, he is faithful and true.  His Son did not bleed for no reason.  Therefore if we believe that, what we must do becomes clear.

We approach God in prayer confessing our sins.  He responds by freeing our conscience.  Now we must rise and start the war again.  Not to believe, is to call God a liar.  Not to believe this to say: “Christ died for nothing”.  We cannot do that.   Such a saying is worse than our sin.

How useless is it to beat yourself for the things you have done?  There is a mountain to climb.  Wallowing in your pityful state does no good.  It brings no glory to Christ.  And it does not fulfill the Word of God.  Not to mention the devastating blow to our testimony.  We teach, by necessity, what we believe.

I understand how difficult it is to let go and just run.  But if we believe God, what choice is there?  He takes no pleasure in our sin.  But it is his pleasure to see us have faith and go. 

Again, the proof of his desire is in the death of his Son.  He encountered death for the will of God.  The will of God reaches to reunite what is broken.  And that he has accomplished through His Holy Son.

“The Faith” does not wallow in disrepair.   It stands as quickly as legs can find balance, and strives toward obedience.  Faith that comes through any other means than the Holy Blood of Christ is no strength of faith at all.  But understanding and strength come when we believe the Holy Word of God regarding the sacrifice of his Son.

Have you been wallowing in your frailty for years?  Isn’t it about time to believe?