"ARE YOU POOR IN SPIRIT?" (Videos - One a Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

[Pali Overlook - Oahu, Hawaii]

No, not poor in the sense of being mean-spirited, and not in the sense of one being poor in spirituality itself ! First let's read Matthew 5:3 where we find the Beatitudes of Jesus, otherwise known as "the sermon on the mount."  

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 One Bible Commentary (on The Biblical Illustrator) explains that poorness of spirit involves humility, contentment, submission, and gratitude. By the poor in spirit are meant those who have been convinced of their spiritual poverty.   Another commentator at the same site tells us that "You may as well expect fruit to grow without a root, as the other graces without this; till a man be poor in spirit he cannot mourn. ... Till we are poor in spirit we are not capable receiving grace.  God doth first empty a man of himself,  before He pours in the precious wine of His grace.  None but the poor in spirit are within Christ's commission.  Till we are poor in spirit, Christ is never precious!  ..  So to him that is poor in spirit - that sees his want of Christ -  how precious is the Savior! ..He that is poor in spirit is weaned from himself ! ....    He that is poor in spirit is a Christ - admirer.   .. He that is poor in spirit is much in prayer  ... and to take Christ upon His Own terms.  He blesses God for the least crumb that falls from the table of free Grace. ..  Christ begins with this [for one to be poor in spirit], and we must begin here if ever we be saved. ... Poverty of spirit paves a causeway for blessedness."

Following is a wonderful 51 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon concerning the meaning and blessedness of "the poor in spirit" with many wonderful spiritual gems included by him.

Spurgeon, in the sermon above, tells us to live quietly for God.  He tells us "Above all other evils we have most to dread our own fullness.  The greatest unfitness for Christ is our own imaginary fitness.  When we are utterly undone we are near to being enriched with the riches of graces. Out of ourselves is next door to being in Christ.  Where we end,  mercy begins;    or has already begun.  The deeper the destitution the better."

I urge you to watch the entire sermon above -  it will bless you !

[Above Diamond Head Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

 "For every look at self, take ten looks to Christ."  -  Robert Murray M'cheyne

"Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly.  We insist upon trying to modify Him and to bring Him nearer to our own image."  -  A.W. Tozer

"This book (the Bible) will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." - John Bunyan

"If satan can't make you bad, he'll make you busy."  -  Adrian Rogers

"The first lesson in Christ's school is self-denial."  -  Matthew Henry

"Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil's reach as humility."  -  Jonathan Edwards

Here is a wonderful devotional song on being poor in spirit: 

 If the Lord tarries, more posts will follow here on this blog concerning the Beatitudes of Jesus.

Please remember, our strength comes from the good Lord, and that includes strength to face and endure perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1-4) such as we find ourselves experiencing in the world in these last moments of the end times. We can find that strength from our worship of the Lord -  and do not forget our personal quiet time alone with the heavenly Father, in prayer and in reading His Holy Word, the Bible.  Nothing can take the place - nor should it - of our devotional time, communing with and basking in the Presence of the Lord. Only He can give us the inward peace we need to face whatever life throws at us. 

Again, nothing can take the place of a strong, intimate, loving, personal relationship with God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ! That is what it is all about, folks !   People will fail you, but our Father in heaven and Jesus will never let you down or forsake you!  Spend much time in prayer and reading and studying the Bible.  You will grow to know the Lord better, and thereby to love Him more and more.  You will be blessed for your efforts.  You MUST spend time with someone in order to get to know them, and the good Lord deserves our time more than anyone --  He wants to fellowship with us on a personal level. 

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  -    Hebrews 13:5

"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent."    -    John 17:3

"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you; continue ye in My love.  If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love."      -  Jesus at John 15:9-10

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.  ... I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of mine."  -   John 10:11,14

Notice in verse 14 above:  that Jesus knows His sheep, and "Am known of mine."   You MUST know the Lord and have a close intimate relationship with Him!

Following are scriptures to help unsaved and lost souls to come to faith in Jesus, the Savior.  

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -     John 3:36

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -   John 3:16

Remember to pray sincerely and in earnest for forgiveness, and to truly repent of your past sins -- have a vivid sense of remorse for your past sins.  

"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,  Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  -   Matthew 4:17

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend -  and life !!

 

"How Do We Glorify God?" (Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

[Taro Fields, Hanalei Overlook, Kauai, Hawaii]

This  blog features articles about Bible Prophecy as well as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Today (Wednesday) while reading my Bible in the book of Psalms the following verse really made me realize the importance of always stressing the glory of God, and giving Him the glory for everything:

"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name;  Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."    -  Psalm 29:2

God's very creation praises Him and gives Him glory as seen in Psalm 19:1 which follows:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His  handywork."

Also, His creation of mankind was miraculous and glorious and showed His great love and desire for companionship, although He had Jesus and the angels with Him before then.  

We should make sure that we bring glory to God.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."   -                       1 Corinthians 10:31

Jesus' life and purpose was to bring glory to God. He lived and died to do the Heavenly Father's will.  And that was to provide a way for lost mankind to be saved from the darkness of this world and to come to the saving light of salvation; to know God's love and forgiveness and grace by Jesus' sacrificial death at Calvary, whereby Jesus' shed blood will wash away all of our sins from us if we but believe in Him and have faith that He paid our sin debt in full by taking our place and our sins upon Himself and dying for us; thereby making a way for us to have everlasting life.  What love!

[Hill side near Salt Lake City]

When believers endeavor to live as godly a life as they are able, and show the love of God to others, and - most importantly - to love God and to obey Him and to try to follow closely in Jesus' footsteps,  then we are bringing glory to God.  That we are revealing the glory of God to others through our lifestyles, words, and actions; as well as praising Him and submitting to His will.

Mainly, just showing faith that God and Jesus will take care of you and guide you and protect you -  showing trust in Him.  Rely on Him and not yourself. Be humble.  

In Habakkuk 3:17-19, it shows that Habakkuk had learned faith in God regardless of circumstances - even if there be suffering and loss:

In verse 17 Habakkuk discusses possible dire circumstances, and then in verse 18 and 19 he says: "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds feet."

Many commentators think the above verses are one of the strongest statements of faith in all the Bible.

So our faith can bring glory to God.  

Remember Abraham!  Romans 4:20 tells us:  "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;"

Following is a 39 minute audio sermon by Charles Spurgeon titled   "A View Of God's Glory" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy8xuV4Kz_c

[Hawaiian Black Crowned Night Heron]

So how do we acquire a strong faith?  How do we draw close to the good Lord?  The answer to the question "How do we glorify God?" has already been touched upon in the above paragraphs.  The key to everything spiritual - and understanding what God requires of us - is by putting God and Jesus first in our lives.  

As has been stated many times on this blog,  God desires to fellowship with us because He loves us.  We can draw close to the Lord by much prayer and by reading and studying His Holy Word, the Bible.  Then we will learn just how much He and Jesus loves us, and we will grow to appreciate their attributes and their greatness.  It is amazing how the Lord will take the time to listen to us and answer our prayers;  we who are so weak and fragile ; we who sin (hopefully not intentionally!); we who can be stubborn at times and want our own way for the most part.  If you spend a lot of quality time with the good Lord, you will grow spiritually and He will renew your mind (Romans 12:1-2  which follows):

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Only those who are truly born again (a spiritual rebirth) have the Holy Spirit within them Who enables them to be godly and to obey God and to have faith in Him and Jesus, our Savior.

Yes, we are still living in an imperfect world which can affect us at times, and we ourselves are still imperfect right now, so Christians will at times weaken and sin.  (If a person willfully and deliberately sins, and it is a frequent occurrence, then either he is not truly born again, or he does not fully understand what salvation is all about.)

"For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."  -     Romans 10:2-3

If we confess our sins and repent, God our heavenly Father will forgive us and and restore us. He will see us as "clean" because of Jesus' sacrificial death -  see our sin debt as paid in full.

[Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

One major way we bring glory to God, is to witness to unbelievers about Jesus; to share the gospel and help lost souls to come to a saving relationship with Jesus.  That is every true believer's work for the Lord.   Note that we are NOT saved by works, but by faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says: (8) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast."

"For God, Who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of  Jesus Christ."   - 2 Corinthians 4:6

"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth  Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God."       -  Psalm 50:23


Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !!

"Trusting God Will Give You Strength To Endure" (Video by Charles Swindoll on trusting God and video by Charles Spurgeon) - Inspirational Weekend

[Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii Beach with Diamond Head Extinct Volcano ]

You have no doubt heard it said, "Be careful what you ask God for."   Many times I have prayed to the good Lord to make me more Christ-like.  So He answered that prayer - big time - by giving me much to forgive where other people are concerned.  Being a forgiving person is imitating Christ.

Jesus had much - and many - to forgive.  But He also had much love for lost mankind and died a cruel death at Calvary so that those who would have faith and believe in Him could have everlasting life.  What love!

As believers in Jesus as the Savior, we should put Him and God first in our lives and share the Gospel with lost souls.

As Pastor Charles Lawson has said, " ....... Lift up the Lord God; exalt God and magnify His holy name;  the more we know about God, the more our faith is strengthened."

Later in this post I will share some Scriptures about strength from God,  but right now here is a 14 minute sermon by Charles Swindoll on trusting God.

In the above sermon clip, Charles Swindoll tells us that "many are much better at worrying than you are at trusting God."  As many have learned from experience, trusting God will give you strength to endure.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  -  Psalm 46:1

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in Whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."  -  Psalm 18:2

Psalm 37:39 says, "But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in the time of trouble."

"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;" -   Ephesians 3:16

"But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."  -  1 Peter 5:10

Following is a 47 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the above verse, 1 Peter 5:10

Please listen to Spurgeon's explanation of 1 Peter 5:10 where he  speaks of Peter's words on perfection, stablish (establishment), strengthening, and settle you.

One verse that I memorized many years ago and that is extremely  encouraging is  Philippians 4:13 which says, 

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."

As Pastor David Wilkerson has said, "Listen to God!  God wants  quiet, quality time with you!"

This blog has shared much information on how we are now living in the last moments of the end days as prophesied in the Bible.  Go to the search box in the above right hand side of this page and type in such things as Gog Magog War, the Rapture, last days, 7 year tribulation and so on and several articles will appear for you to read about eschatology.  

Time is short!

Jesus will return soon to take His Bride (true believers) to heaven with Him in the Rapture.  

Are you Rapture ready?

You can only go to heaven if you have been born again from above.  To be born again is to repent and turn to Jesus in faith and believe that He is the Savior and that His shed blood at Calvary can wash away your sins.  To be born again is a spiritual "rebirth."

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -  John 3:3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him  should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -  John 3:16

This believing in Jesus is not talking about intellectual knowledge.  It is referring to a heart-felt and soul stirring knowing that Jesus is the Savior and that the only way to heaven is through true and sincere and soul changing faith in Him.   FAITH !  BELIEF !

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

Jesus loves you!

He is waiting for you and His arms are open wide to embrace you with love and forgiveness!

The more you read your Bible and pray, the more you will learn just how much the good Lord loves you!   And you will come to love Him with all of  your heart and soul and very being!

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us: (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10)For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !!

"Insight On Psalm 23 And You" (With Sermon On Psalm 23 By Charles Spurgeon) - Inspirational Weekend

My daily Bible reading to study yesterday was, in part, Psalm 23.  I was inspired to focus on verse 3 of that Psalm for this weekend's post.  Many of you may have the entire Psalm 23 memorized, and it is an excellent one to know by heart, as I myself have memorized it.  Sometimes when I am extremely tired or just for a loss as to what to pray,  I quote the entire Psalm 23 out loud to the Lord.  It is soothing and calming to do so.

"He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  -  Psalm 23:3

The soul can have weaknesses and weariness, and sometimes loss of trust in God.  It can sometimes lose sight of the promises of God found in His Holy Word.  Take it all to the good Lord in prayer, and the Great Physician will restore you to a healthy state of mind and of soul.   

One commentator believes this is the only meaning of "He restoreth my soul"..... that it does not refer to any sin.  But actually, any doubt of God is a sin in itself.  

Other commentators say that this restoration of the soul refers to the pardoning of sins.  We all are aware that although, if we are born again, we are still prone to sin occasionally.   The big difference in when believers sin, is that it is not on purpose and deliberately and willfully done.  It shouldn't be, if you are a true believer in Jesus.  

If one has sinned, or become a backslider, he can come back to the

Lord by way of humility and prayer and repentance and to turn from any evil.  You must come to the Lord in sorrow for the wrong and with whole-hearted  remorse.  If you are a sheep that has left the fold and become separated from the flock, the Good Shepherd will welcome you back with open arms of love and pardon.

When one is oppressed, God can refresh the soul with His Word, the Bible, and by His Holy Spirit, Who is the Comforter.   Faith is the great restorer of life to any oppressed Christian.  

Psalm 23:3 ........."He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.."

The custom of the Eastern shepherds was to go before the sheep, thereby leading them.   So God guides us.  We enter the paths of righteousness not because we are forced or driven into them, "but by the attraction of our Lord's loving presence, and the persuasive power of His holy will."

"O LORD,  I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."  -   Jeremiah 10:23

From the above verse, we can see that even converted persons need a God to lead them.   We can also see this when David prayed:

"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."  -  Psalm 143:10

Keep on the good paths, the narrow and straight paths, the paths that the good Lord leads you to follow, and you will not go wrong.  If you are in doubt, pray to God to guide you and He will tenderly  lead you on the path that is righteous, one that leads to heaven in the future.  

Psalm 23:3  ".....For His name's sake."

The above makes you think of God's sovereignty.  He not only guides us in paths of righteousness because of His love and mercy and grace, but because He is concerned with His reputation and His purposes and wants them to be maintained by His people in order that He might be glorified.

"....So didst Thou lead thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name."   -  Isaiah 63:14b

Indeed, we all ought to do everything for God's glory.  He is the Sovereign of the universe; He is our Creator and breath of life.

We believers have so much to be grateful for.  The good Lord watches over us, provides for us, loves us, and tenderly guides and corrects us.  We owe Him reverence and respect and total surrender to His will;  and we owe Him our grateful love in return.

Following is a 26 minute audio sermon by Charles Spurgeon on beautiful Psalm 23: 

In this commentary, Spurgeon says:  "It is to the honor of our Great Shepherd that we should be a holy people, walking in the narrow way of righteousness."    Another way to say it is, we should be living as godly a life as possible, endeavoring to please the good Lord in all we do, say, think, and believe.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;"   -  Hebrews 12:14

How do we become holy and live a godly life?   You need to be born again (John 3:3), which means you repent of any sin and put your full trust and belief in Jesus as the Savior, whose shed blood at Calvary can wash away your sins.  You must forsake your sinful life and live for the Lord and obey Him and love Him with your whole heart and soul and mind.   Pray for forgiveness and for Him to wipe the slate clean; refreshing and cleansing you with His love and forgiveness.

Romans 10: 9,10,13 tells us:  (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."   -       Jesus speaking at Matthew 7:13-14

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -  John 3:3

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend...... and life !

"Endure To The End" (With Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

Most of us have issues we must endure.  Perhaps it is poor health, rebellious children, an unfaithful spouse, or any number of things.  But let's discuss issues that affect us in our Christianity, such as persecution and attacks from the evil one, satan.  Actually, things like rebellious children or an unfaithful spouse can definitely be attacks from the devil who especially targets true believers with such trials.

Life can be hard.  But faith and belief in Jesus as your Savior can give you strength to endure.  Christians have a blessed hope of one day being in heaven with the good Lord.  There we will have no more sorrow, or tribulations, or hardships to endure. No more hatred from the world because of our faith in Jesus.  (Revelation 21:3-4).

"And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved."     -  Jesus at Matthew 10:22

Such endurance and perseverance is a sure indication of true salvation.  Only he who reaches the goal may be accounted a Christian.  But how do we stand strong and be able to endure to the end?

Faith. 

Prayer.

Much time in God's Holy Word.

During all of life's storms, keep your eyes on the prize :  eternal life in heaven with the good Lord.  If you are in prayer frequently and read the Bible everyday, you will have a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  That will definitely enable you to endure whatever life throws your way.

"It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect."  -  Psalm 18:32

The fact that we are living in the end times according to Bible prophecy, as world events testify to that fact because so many prophecies are on the verge of happening now as there is a convergence of signs of the end times as the Bible predicts; all that should make you realize that Jesus will return soon to Rapture true believers to heaven before the 7 year Tribulation will begin.   Hurry Lord Jesus !!

Hang on a little longer !   Fill your mind and heart with spiritual things and keep your eyes on the things above (Colossians 3:1-2).  "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."     -  Romans 5:3-5, English Standard Version.

Job of ancient times endured much trial and sorrow and in the end the Lord blessed him mightily for his integrity.    The apostle Paul also endured much for his faith and for his sharing of the Gospel. He was persecuted and often in prison, but his zeal never wavered where doing the Lord's work of preaching and setting up churches was concerned.

In Matthew 10:22, enduring to the end most certainly means until death or the Rapture, and not the end of the persecution.  God never lets His people suffer beyond what they are able to endure.  He is always there, guiding and directing us along life's paths.  We are held securely in His loving hands.

In John 10:28, 29, Jesus tells us:  (28) "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  (29)  My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand."

If you are a true believer and born again from above, you are secure in the Lord's love and you will never perish.  How comforting is that !  True believers should be full of love and gratitude to the Lord for all He has done and will do.  That should fill them with zeal to share the Gospel and to live a godly life.  In other words, to obey the Lord.  Put Him first in your life.  Your close relationship with Him will enable you to endure all the storms of life, because of your love and faith in Him.

So those who endure to the end will be saved.   That is, they will be presented holy, unblameable , and unreprovable  before the Lord (Colossians 1:22).

"Perseverance and endurance to the end, however bitter, is the evidence of genuine faith."

"Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory."  -  Various authors

"Endurance is a key indicator of  spiritual fitness."  -  Alistair Begg

Following is a 56 minute audio video of a sermon by Charles Spurgeon about enduring to the end.

In this sermon, Spurgeon remarks that perseverance is the badge of true saints.  It is a wonderful sermon and I hope you listen to all of it.  

If you are not saved - not born again - then you do not have this blessed hope of being forever with Jesus in heaven.   You are bound for the other alternative..... hell.   

Eternity is a long time to spend in the wrong place !   A long time to suffer unbearable torment.

To gain eternal life and to be with the Lord forever in heaven takes an act of faith.  Faith and belief in Jesus as the Savior.....in Him being the only way to the Father and to realize that only faith in Christ can wash your sins away and make you a new person, a new creation.  (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Give up your life of sin  !   Repent and turn to God in prayer and ask for His forgiveness.   It is a matter of  the heart and soul.  You believe in Jesus with all of your heart, mind, and soul.  

Jesus loves you and He is waiting with open arms to welcome you into the family of God.  

He will embrace you with love and forgiveness.

With such a promise and a hope, how could you not come to the Lord in repentance and love and faith and gratitude !

Romans 10:9,10, 13 tells us:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"   -  John 11:25, 26.

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."  -   John 14:6

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !

"I Believe; Help Mine Unbelief" - (Video Sermons by Charles Spurgeon and Andrew Murray) - Inspirational Weekend

"

"Because faith is never perfect, belief and unbelief are often mixed" (so says one commentary.)  I think all of us can relate to that fact.  Let us go to the context of that statement above, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

A father brought his demon possessed son to Jesus to be healed, and Jesus told the father,  "......If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."   -  Mark 9:23

In Mark 9:24 the desperate father replied,  ".....and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."

Notice how the upset father made a direct prayer to Jesus asking the Lord to help him with his unbelief (or weak faith).   Jesus did not rebuke him, but instead cast the demon out of his son and thereby healed the boy.   The father was not deliberately and stubbornly doubting the Lord; he recognized his weak faith and prayed for Jesus' help in that regard.   The father was sincere and asked - in prayer - for help with his doubting and unbelief.  

Even weak faith, if a person has the proper attitude, the Lord will honor when we have a good and submitting and surrendered heart and we pray for help and forgiveness.   

One commentator has said,  "No man is quite a stranger to the Lord, or an utter unbeliever, who with tears entreats Christ to put away his unbelief."

The help for unbelief is much prayer and strong belief in the Savior.  The condition of Jesus answering prayer and gaining His favor is to have FAITH  and BELIEF.  Jesus was very merciful to this father and his son by honoring what little faith the father exhibited and by honoring the father's sincerity in praying for help with his unbelief or weak faith.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him:  for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  -  Hebrews 11:6

Charles Spurgeon said,  "Unbelief is an alarming and criminal thing, for it doubts - in fact, unbelief robs God of His glory in every way, and therefore it cannot receive a blessing from the Lord."

We are now talking about deliberate and willful doubt -  refusing to believe in the Lord and in what the Bible has to say.  This type of doubt is sinful.   As a sin, unbelief grieves the Spirit; but as a weakness mourned and confessed, it secures His help.  Weakness of faith is no sin when it is confessed and help for stronger faith is prayed for.

Jesus Himself is the remedy for unbelief.

I am thinking now about Abraham, who had a strong faith in the LORD.... so much so that he was called the friend of God:

"And the scripture was fulfilled which saith,  Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."  -  James 2:23

I am also reminded of Zacharias, the elderly priest who was the father of John the baptist.  An angel appeared to him to tell him that he would have a son in his old age, but Zacharias did not believe it.  The angel then said to the elderly priest:  "......  I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.  And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season."  -  Luke 1:19-20

Following is an 8 minute video sermon by Andrew Murray on the evil heart of unbelief.

"Unbelief is the worst sin of all," says Charles Spurgeon in the following video.   He also says, "If you don't have something besides your own goodness, you will never get to heaven."  This video by Spurgeon is 58 minutes in length, but I pray that you take the time to listen to it.  It is full of wisdom and insight.

In one of Charles Spurgeon's devotions, he has also stated:  "The angels never doubted Him, nor the devils either:  we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonor Him by unbelief, and tarnish His honor by mistrust.  Shame upon us for this!  .....May we henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God - enemies to our peace and to His honor; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what He has promised He will also perform.  "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."

"But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."  -  Hebrews 10:39

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."  - Jesus at Mark 11:24

Mark 16:16 tells us:  "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

If you are not a believer, not a follower of Jesus Christ, then you need to turn your life over to the good Lord.  Turn away from a life of sin - repent - and ask in prayer for forgiveness and believe in Jesus as the Savior with all of your very being.   

We are living in the end times -  the last hour of the last days -  and time is short and running out.  You do not want to suffer the horrors and terrible wrath of God during the 7 year tribulation period.....nor spend eternity in hell.   Turn to the Lord NOW.

Romans 10: 9,10, 13 tells us:  (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Jesus loves you, and will welcome you with open arms of  forgiveness.  

Jesus will wipe the slate clean and give you a new life and eternal life as well.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

Have a happy weekend and a Christ centered life !

The Devil's Holiday (With Videos)

The devil is described as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).   I have no photographs of any lions, so I used these handsome cheetahs instead.   The point is still made, however, as cheetahs also seek prey to devour.  

The devil can be sly and deceitful, and he can use the world and its celebrations to capture unwise believers into celebrating his holiday,  Halloween.   Think about it:  Halloween celebrates death and ghosts and everything which reeks of darkness and evil and is rooted in pagan rites of the ancient world.  Halloween celebrations are older than Christianity.   Following is a 21 minute video about the history of Halloween.

It really breaks my heart to see parents encourage their innocent children to have part in such an evil celebration......the children dress up as witches, vampires, ghosts, etc. -  all darkness and wickedness prevails on this holiday.   Please watch the above video and be warned.  

It is also disturbing that most churches today participate in some sort of Halloween celebration; whether it be a party at the church or some other sort of acceptance of all this darkness. 

The Bible speaks a lot about darkness and light.  Darkness refers to the evil and wickedness, whereas the light refers to the good and to God and Jesus.  

"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness."   -  Jesus speaking, John 12:46

1 Thessalonians 5:22 tells us "Abstain from all appearance of evil." 

Why would a true born again believer want to have anything to do with darkness or anything that appears evil?

I have written previously, two years ago as of this date, about Halloween and you can find that article here .  At that link there is also another video about not celebrating Halloween.

I ran across a 5 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon about entertainment in the church.  Some churches recall to mind rock concerts and worldly entertainment.  I feel like this Spurgeon video applies here because churches use holiday entertainment -  such as Halloween parties for adults as well as children, when they should be preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and saving souls - not encouraging them to participate in the devil's holiday.   Here is Spurgeon's video titled "Feeding Sheep Or Amusing Goats" :

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."  -   Romans 13:12

"An Important Message From God" - Inspirational Weekend

Jesus brings us an important message from God His Father, and it is something that we really need to listen to today and always. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -  John 3:16

That, my friends, is REAL love !  God sent His Son to die in our place on the cross, so that when we believe in Him as the Savior and put our faith in Him, we have the hope of eternal life.  

God really, truly loves you!   

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -  1 John 4:16   (See also 1 John 4:8).

God's very nature is love.  In all His actions, God is loving.  His love is always pure, always holy, always seeking what is best for His people.  God's love is never ending.

No matter what trials or hardships or sorrows you face, take it to the good Lord in prayer and He will guide and sustain you.  Just believe !

The greatest truth we learned in church is this:   "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."   Remember that from your childhood Sunday School?   

There is nothing you can do to make the Lord stop loving you !

(Romans 8:38-39)

The death of Jesus on the cross for sinners is the greatest, most visible and the absolute final word concerning God's love for humanity !

"Whom should we love, if not Him Who loved us, and gave Himself for us?"  -  Assorted Authors

"The test of Religion, the final test of Religion, is not Religiousness but Love."  -  Henry Drummond

We should be so very full of gratitude for all the good Lord has done on our behalf , that we should love Him with all of our heart and that we should obey Him in all things.  

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."  -  John 14:23

Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon concerning "Abiding In Obedience And In Love".

Here is a beautiful song by Kari Jobe:  "What Love Is This"

All of the above applies to those who have already surrendered their lives to Jesus and who have been born again (John 3:3).  If you are not a believer in Jesus, you will not experience eternal life with Him when you die.  We all know the alternative....hell.

God is waiting for your response to His message.  

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, you need to stop and pray to the Lord for forgiveness for your sins; believe with all your heart that salvation is found only in belief in Jesus and genuinely repent of all known sin and forsake your life of sin and endeavor to live a life that pleases the Lord....a godly life.  Follow as closely as you can in Jesus' footsteps.  You need to read the Bible to learn more about the Lord and His commands and His love and His attributes and His will for your life.

Pray without ceasing !  (I Thessalonians 5:17) .   You draw close to the good Lord by communicating with Him.  He wants to fellowship with you.   Christianity is all about a close, intimate, personal love relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9,10,13 explains:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life."   -  John 6:47

"The Mystery Of Godliness" (With Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

In my previous post last weekend, we discussed "The Mystery of God", which pointed to Jesus Christ as the mystery of God, and how also His rule in God's soon to be kingdom was part of that mystery.  Today, we will talk about "The Mystery of Godliness".  

Remember, a mystery in the New Testament sense is not something which cannot be understood.  It is rather some plan or purpose of God which has always been known to Him, but which he kept  the meaning hidden until He knew the time was right to reveal it.  Mysteries were revealed by Christ and eventually by the Holy Spirit.

I am sharing here a 52 minute sermon by the "prince of preachers", Charles Spurgeon, which is titled "The Great Mystery of Godliness".  This sermon is well worth the time to listen to, as are all of Spurgeon's discourses.

Spurgeon explains that the great mystery of godliness is the manifestation of God in human flesh, that He might save men from sin.  Jesus took the sins of man upon Himself so that He paid the price for sin in our place.  Therefore, if we believe in Him as the Savior, and have faith, we may have forgiveness of sins and gain eternal life.

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  -    1 Timothy 3:16

There are many Scriptures that admonish true believers to have godliness themselves; to lead a godly life.   Godliness is reverential piety toward God.  The two words express inward and outward holiness.

"For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."  -  1 Timothy 2:2

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."  -   1 Timothy 4:8

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."  -  1 Timothy 6:6

"According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue."  -  2 Peter 1:6

So called carnal Christians need to wake up and take these Scriptures to heart. You cannot be a part of the world and have godliness at the same time.  I really feel like there is no such thing as a carnal Christian, with the exception, perhaps, of new believers that do not yet have a clear understanding of how the world can corrupt and ensnare you to keep you from being an effective and "on fire" follower of Jesus Christ.

"The key to godliness is not more knowledge but more obedience."  -  Woodrow Kroll

"How can you give up the world?  Just do what you ought to do and it will give you up."  -  Jack Hyles

"Grace and peace are possible since God has given us (all Christians) everything we need to live godly lives."  -  Dr. Thomas Constable

"Prayer - secret. fervent, believing prayer -  lies at the root of all personal godliness."  -  William Carey

"Godliness, as well as the doctrine of our faith, is a mystery."  -    William Gurnall

When a person gives evidence of a sincere appreciation and love towards the heavenly Father, that is one of the most evident signs of genuine godliness.

What helps a person to be godly and to live a holy life is for him to have a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son.   How does that happen?  By much prayer and much Bible study.  As I have said previously, you cannot get to know a person unless you communicate with him.  That is true of God as well.  Take everything to Him in prayer and pray often.  Take time to "listen" to Him speak to you in your heart and through His Holy Word.  When we read in the Bible about the character of the good Lord, we come to know Him better.  We appreciate His many attributes, and grow to love Him more and more the better we come to know Him.  

Perhaps there are those reading this that are not saved; that do not believe in Jesus as their Savior.  I would like to remind you that these are the last days of this age....we are even in the last "hour" of the end times.  You need to repent and turn to the Lord in faith and believe that Jesus is the promised Savior.  Do it now while there is still time before the 7 year Tribulation period and before that being left behind because of unbelief when the Rapture of the Church occurs soon.   

Romans 10:9,10,13 explains,  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation)."  -    2 Corinthians 6:2

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,  but have everlasting life."   -   John 3:16

Have a blessed weekend and a Christ centered life !