Tag Archives: the gospel

Contracts

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Unless a person agrees to a contract independently, there is no contract.  In the world this is referred to as strongarming.

The Gospel is offered as a contract between the individual and the living God.  He will not bully anyone into accepting the contract of the Gospel. 

The tactics of wicked men are not used by the Holy Lord of life.  If you want to live for eternity you must agree to the Lord’s terms willingly. 

To hope in your own righteousness will only result in your creation of a new contract offer.  But will your contract please God?  Does the sacrifice of the Son of God get included in your offer?  If not, you have nothing to offer.

By His Grace

Meet “The Christians”

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When will the Church of Christ realize it has been cut away from the rock of man?   We are told to make ourselves separate from the world.  But very few realize this has already been accomplished to some degree.

When the Gospel is believed, it separates the man from all the rest of the world.  Never again can he join in all the abominations with a clear conscience.  Never again will the joys of sin sparkle in his eyes as before.

If you believe in Christ Jesus, you have already been culled from the mass of men.  Your belief in Christ Jesus has separated you forever.  The transformation has already begun.  And you know in your heart you are hated for it.

So why does the Church capitulate with those who have no part with her?  It is because of fear.  They fear being cast out.  They fear being ostracized.  They fear being different because they know the world is violently evil toward the Holiness of God.

How do they know this?  Because the violence toward God was in them also.  And by their silence, the violence remains!  As a man is, so he does.

Let everyone of us remember!  Among those cast out from the Great City, are the cowards and the faithless.  To fear and to lack faith, is to resist belief.  How can a man say he believes in the Son of God if it does not make a drastic difference in his strength and resolve?

If you will not stand apart now, you will not stand apart then.  Silence and inclusion will not save you.  It is only a detriment to your place in eternity.  For every man will be judged according to his own deeds.  Do not believe the great satanic lie, “UNITED WE STAND“.

And let us put this “politically correct” stance of the Holy Church in proper perspective.  When you appear before the Most High God, you will be standing among those who willingly gave their very life for the Gospel you now hold to yourself.   What great shame will cover you then?  What great fear will shake your soul?  Do you think it might be more than what you may receive here?  Very possibly.

Wake up “Modern Church”!  You’re about to meet your ancestors!

By His Grace

Winning

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The threshold necessary to win a race depends on the endeavor of all participants.  If all the contestants only render 70 percent of their potential, then the effort necessary to win is 71%. 

But what shall we do if it is necessary for all contestants to render 100% whether they win or lose?  In short to win or die trying.

Isn’t this the nature of the gospel?  Isn’t this the necessity of the sacrifice of Christ?  Every contestant is required to obey the holy law of God the Father 100%.  Regardless their ability, the demand is perfection.  Regardless their willingness to give all, the demand is 100 percent.

Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus for the inexpressible goodness of His mercy.

By His Grace

Why Lose?

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If you think God is a series of do’s and don’ts, you don’t know him.  If you think obeying the Ten Commandments will make you a friend of God, you don’t know the gospel.  If you believe all the social hype about religion, you are blinded by a lie.

Rather than explain those three statements, I’ll just ask you to read the New Testament.  If you’re still confused, read it again.  And if you still don’t get it, read it one more time. 

The point is confusion isn’t necessary.  Keep reading it until you understand.  Because if you don’t understand, you’ll die.

By His Grace

A Tender Slide to Hell

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A small congregation got together and purchased an outdoor reader board.  It was now the pastor’s duty to assign what would be placed on it.

For the next 5 years, cute and harmless sayings would appear on the sign.  The people of the community were pleased that this church did not offend them.  But the membership of the church did not increase either.

About 6 miles away another congregation was able to purchase an outdoor reader board.  The congregation left it up to the pastor as to what would appear on the sign. 

For the next 5 years the public witnessed messages regarding the condemnation of God to all that is wicked.  Though the public was a bit displeased by the messages, the number of those who attended steadily grew.

Spurgeon, Wickliffe, Graham, Moody, Wesley,  Fox, Bunyan,  Luther, and thousands more.  What did they preach?  How might they have used the little reader board?

As we write what we do, let us consider the impact.  If we write to please the public, they will be pleased.  But to what end?

I once looked into having a company make a website for my blog.  One of the key opportunities he offered was a system that would keep track of what people looked at and read.  He told me that if this were in place I could tailor make my messages to match what the people wanted to hear.  He tried to convince me that this would increase my readership.  I told him if I cared about that, I would not write at all.

So many cute little pictures with tiny sweet messages.  So many honey coated words.  So very many palatable and tender thoughts.  All the while the world plunges on a tender slide toward hell.

If we write to please them why bother to write at all?  But on second thought, maybe that’s all that’s in the writer’s hearts.  The offense of Christ Jesus is a forgotten truth.

..How many excellent opportunities are passed over for the sake of pleasure? 

..How many times will the church assume humanity wants to obey God? 

..How many times is sin let in the door of the congregation and embraced as if a friend? 

..How are many churches any different then social clubs? 

..Where is the fear of God? 

..Where is the message of hell?

.. Whatever happened to the word “repent”?

By His Grace

Depravity Without End

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All men are the same.  Though life is found in billions of variations, at their base, all men are the same.

I could point to our need to be loved.  But there are men who do that in a seducing manner already.  They use our need to be loved, as a tool to get what they want.  From soap, to sex and to acceptance, there are men who manipulate that necessity.

I could point to our physical frailty.  But there are men who exploit every facet of the human body.  From ailments to physical beauty, men exploit others for the sake of gain. 

I could point to our mutual end; that inevitable place of death.  But even there: inheritances are fought over.  The plot of land is sold at a high price.  The casket is ornate and costly.

But I will speak of our depravity.  How worthless men are for doing what is purely good.  And how completely unable we are to change our situation.

Let us lay aside our former sins, and we would still find ourselves unable to do what is pure and good.  We are hopelessly depraved.  The judgment of God waits to receive us.  Yet who among us has considered the severity of our plight?

Men are careful to look for the singular things they do, which will draw judgment upon them.  With meticulous mind they strive to avoid the obvious.  Murder, adultery, hatred, discord, jealousy, lies, and the like, are the focus of their eyes, as they peruse their situation. 

They look for the obvious, while they miss the subtle.  But any sin, no matter how small, can throw us into condemnation on the day of judgement.

With diligence, men strive to avoid these obvious pitfalls.  But the size of such sins masks the horror beneath.

“I have not murdered.  Therefore I am better than my brother who has.”  “I have remained faithful to my wife (or husband).  Therefore I am a righteous man (or woman).”  “I am patient and compassionate to those of lesser value.  Therefore I am merciful even as God is merciful.”

With endless proclamation, men justify their life.  It is as if they rehearse what they will say to the living God on that day.  And they prepare by comparing!  Oh how men love to compare!

Billions of dollars are earned for the sake of man’s valued comparisons.  One is left to eat from the trash bin, because he was found unable to compete.  He was compared by society, to what is held in high esteem, and thrown to the wolves for his lack.

Another counts himself beautiful and well endowed.  He competes with great skill.  Comparatively speaking his body is beautiful.  And comparatively speaking, his mind works well, to gain what he desires.  He is the one who is honored among men.  For he is compared to the man who eats from the trash bin.  And the beautiful one is exalted to the highest places.

For our pride, we will be judged, by he who is perfectly humble.  For the sake of our greedy desire to gain, we will be judged by he who has given everything he has.  For the sake of our love of division, we will be judged by he who is the same yesterday today and forever.

If you have thought that you can stand before God on the Judgment Day, it would be good for you to rethink your position.  The Holy One has spoken that no man will stand on his own.  God has proclaimed that every man is a liar.  And the smallest infraction against his Holy Law, is deserving of only death.

Men conveniently overlook their own faults.  With desperation, they search themselves for what might be considered good.  Though what good they find is small and rare, they hold to these things with a deadly grasp.  But God sees the entire man.

At whatever place you think highly of yourself, you are severely mistaken.  You have compared yourself to others.  This is the source of your confidence.  But men fail to compare themselves to the Living God or his Holy Son Christ Jesus.

If you are still willing to listen I will tell you a truth of hope.  All need not be lost!  A way has been made for every man to stand strong on the Day of Judgment.

Your complete lack of what is good has been seen by the Holy Lord.  His Holy and Faithful Son’s sacrifice can cover you with confidence on that day.  But do not think you will wait for his covering when you appear before the Most High God.

There is holy work to do within you even now.  To appear with confidence before the Most High God requires a certain garb.  A man must be dressed in righteousness, holiness, a distinct lack of willingness to compare, and a vibrant willingness to forgive the sins of others.

As I pointed out before we are not capable of such attire.  Man, if left by himself, can only become dressed in everything that is wicked.  The very place we live demands it. 

Accept the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.  Put down your own perceived righteous behavior.  Learn from the Lord what he expects from all men.  Humble yourself before the Living God.  Pray, and seek His face.  Present yourself to him as you are.

If you wait until the day of judgement you will be sorely hateful of yourself.  You will not be welcomed with open arms.  You will be cast away without the slightest regret.  On that day, no amount of tears or violent anger will change his mind.

There is a transformation that needs to take place here.  We must learn to submit to his leadership.  We must become worthy. 

Without him we can do nothing.  But with him we can overcome the selfish desires of man.  By the work of God within us, we can become like the Lord Jesus.  But this requires a humble submission from us.

There are millions who think they have a free pass to eternal life.  By speaking of few words, they count Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  But there is no change in their heart, mind or desire.  These, very many people, will be horribly surprised.  For man is condemned before he appears before God!

The only ones worthy of eternal life are those who do the will of the Sovereign God in Christ Jesus. 

If you do not fully understand what I have said here, do not bother to ask me to explain.  The Bible is freely available in almost every place of the world.  And prayer is only a knee bend away. 

If you are looking for a man to tell you what to do, you are looking in vain.  Only Jesus the Christ is able to save your soul.  We can point you to him, but we have no strength to save you. 

And if you look to men to help you are, by comparison, ignoring the command of God. 

You will stand all alone and naked on that day.  The teaching of no man can clothe you sufficiently.  To put it in the way of the Bible, you need to be washed and clothed in the Holy Blood of Jesus.

By His Grace