Messiah – Page 8 – Media 4 Life Ministries

Judging others

It seems to me that some Christians are quick to attack and judge various ministries and servants of God. Let me say this up front , I strongly believe that we as believers need to speak out against false teachers, heresies, etc. The Bible even exhorts us to expose these false ministers and teachers and those who contradict the word of God and teach others to follow their example. But I see people on social networks and blogs criticizing true servants of God, like for example, Billy Graham. They are quick to point out that Billy Graham said this or he said that. Billy Graham has been a faithful minister and follower of Jesus Christ from his early days as an evangelist. Today in his nineties, he still proclaims Christ when appearing on TV or in public. His son Franklin Graham, carries on the ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association and Samaritan Purse.

Franklin has been raised by Godly parents and the evidence is shown in their faithful ministry and the compassion and love for the less fortunate and needy of the world. Their love for Christ is evident, exemplified by their world-wide ministry that bears fruit and helps people all over the world in places like Haiti, after the devastating earth quake. None of this would have been possible without Billy Graham and the groundwork he laid. God has blessed his ministry and who are those who criticize him? They point to something that he may have said in an interview or on TV like the Larry King show, something that they may not agree with. Even if at times Billy may have said something that appeared to be compromising to some, I feel they have no grounds to persecute him as bad Christian. How many times have we said something that didn’t come out the way we meant it, or was misunderstood or taken out of context? Some Christians find fault in almost anybody else but themselves, which to me borders on self-righteousness. Who are we to judge another servant of God? Who are we to judge another believer in Christ Jesus? If we judge, do we not do those very things Jesus told us not to do?

“Judge not, that you be not judged. “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Mat 7:1-5

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

How many people have come to the Lord through ministries like Billy Graham’s and others? How many have received the love of Christ and the forgiveness that He gives to those who believe? The Billy Graham crusades have brought thousand upon thousands to Christ. How many have come to Christ by those who love to criticize and judge others? How many have they led to the Lord? I think we all need to reflect sometimes on ourselves. Judging comes very easily to us, it is our human nature. I catch myself from time to time engaging in criticism or judgment, which leads nowhere. We as believers should have love for one another and if some are found in error, we should gently correct them. None of us is perfect, none of us is sinless but we should all be of the same mind and spirit. Those who frequently love to judge others are divisive and cause strive among other believers. The are critical of others, not looking at themselves, they have a spirit of contention and not of love. Therefore, let us not judge one another. Let us walk in love and if some believers are caught up with false teachers or live in a compromised state, let us gently exhort them and show them their error in love, found in the infallible word of God.

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4

“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:-12

I think that say’s it all, believers in Christ will not face the great white throne judgment of God, but we will all have to stand before the Bema seat of Christ.

“You Must Be Born Again”

“This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:2, 3

Nicodemus came to Jesus because he knew in his heart that Jesus was someone special, nothing that he had ever seen or heard before. He saw the miracles Jesus performed, he heard Him teach with authority. He knew Jesus was no ordinary man, he saw the glory of God in Him. What did Jesus mean when He said to Nicodemus, “you must be born again?” I’m sure many people have heard Christians use that term, “born again”. What does it mean to be born again? Nicodemus ask Jesus that very question, not clearly understanding what Jesus was talking about. Jesus was talking about a spiritual rebirth.

Every person that is born, is born of the flesh with a sin nature due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden. The result of their disobedience was sin entering the world and sin brought forth death i.e. spiritual death. Mankind was separated from God because of the inherent sin nature that is passed on throughout the generations. The Bible speaks of iniquity and that all were all born in iniquity. What is the definition of iniquity? 1) lack of justice or righteousness; wickedness; injustice. 2) a wicked act; sin. King David wrote about iniquity in the Psalms.

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” Ps 51:5. God also spoke about iniquity when He gave the ten commandments: “…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:5, 6.

This passage makes it pretty clear, that those who hate God and reject Him have a curse upon them, from one generation to another. There is a lot of truth to this, character defects, personality and behaviors get passed on from generation to generation. Many times we hear of people ending up doing the same things previous family generations have done. For example, the son that had an alcoholic father, has a tendency to be an alcoholic himself. The children of a dysfunctional family have the tendency to be dysfunctional themselves when they start a family. People that are born out-of-wedlock, most likely end up doing the same thing, bringing forth children born out-of-wedlock, just as their parent did. Divorces are another example, many children of parents that got divorced end up in divorce themselves. These tendencies get passed on from one generation to another and it is an endless cycle unless that cycle gets broken. The good news is that this generational curse can be broken when a person turns to God. The passage in Exodus states that He will visit the iniquity of people from generation to generation, but only to those who hate Him. “…but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Ex 20:6.

Once a person turns to God, by repentance i.e. change of mind, that person has broken that endless cycle. He or she has becomes a new person, old things have passed away and all things have become new. There are countless testimonies of people who have come to faith in Jesus Christ that had a life transforming experience and not only that, many times other family members will come to faith in Christ because of their radical transformation. I am no exception, I grew up in a non believing family and I inherited many of these iniquities/tendencies. My two grandfathers were alcoholics, my three uncles were alcoholic and I ended up being an alcoholic. I had the tendencies to become an alcoholic and I did. There are many other things that I did. Today I can see certain family members displaying the same behaviors and they have not changed, they go around in circles blaming everybody else or society. So many say, I cannot help myself, I am an addict or this is how I was made. I don’t believe that they were made that way. There is a way out to break free from this inherent curse. The way to true freedom is through Jesus Christ, He can change the life of anybody, if they are willing to come to Him and submit their will.

Most people are self-willed, they want to do as they please, without being accountable for their actions. Actions have consequences and unless the cycle is broken, people will go around in circles doing the same things over and over again, just as the once that came before them, and as the once following them. Jesus wants to set people free from all of this bondage, this heavy load upon people’s lives. Jesus can break this vicious cycle. If you are reading this and find yourself in bondage to sin or in a seemingly endless cycle with no hope or end in sight, may I say that there is? The way out is through Jesus Christ the Savior of mankind who calls you out of this lifestyle of bondage, pain and grief. He wants to set you free from all of this and break the cycle. God loves you and He wants you to return to Him. Turn to Him now and He will shower you with His love and will embrace you into His loving arms. It is never too late to turn, to turn away from those things that offend God. He will change you life, as He has changed mine and the life of countless others. He will give the believers a life of abundance.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
A lifestyle of sin steals the person of true joy. Sin is deceiving and may look inciting for a while, but in the end it stings, making life miserable. That is not what God wants for us. He wants us to be free from the heavy load of sin in our lives. Whatever you may be facing in your life right now, turn it over to Jesus and He will set you free. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus Christ; our Propitiation (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
My personal testimony and how Jesus transformed my life. (media4lifeministries.com)
Relationship or Religion? (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
Jesus or Muhammad? (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)

Do not cast your Pearls before Swine

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Mat 7:6

Dogs and swine in this context are those who are hostile to the gospel i.e. the good news. There are many who hear the gospel, but do not receive it and even mock the once sharing the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Pearls of the precious gospel is foolishness to those who do not want to believe. They are blinded by the god of this age (2Cr 4:4).

The gospel is foolishness to them: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 2Cr 2:14.

Instead of receiving the gospel with joy as many, they ridicule and reject the good news of salvation and eternal life. Jesus is basically saying, don’t waste your time on those who will not hear, they are too blind to see and they do not want to come to the knowledge of the truth but in return mock and ridicule the Christian who shares with them. This should not discourage us from sharing the gospel, but if rejected over and over again by the same person(s) we are witnessing to, than we need to know when to stop and let the Holy Spirit do the work on that person’s heart, we ourselves can not save anybody, it is God that saves. We can only share the good news and know when to step aside, we might miss another opportunity witnessing to someone with a more open heart.

There are many that are seeking the truth, the truth is in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. He paid our penalty that was due, because God loved us even when we were yet sinners. He demonstrated His love for us at he cross.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

My Personal Testimony And How Jesus Transformed My Life.

It was May 14th 2006, a Sunday morning that began like many other mornings. I felt hung over and lousy after a week of drinking. This wasn’t the first time for me. I had plenty of those lousy days. Alcohol Had become a big problem in my life, in fact, a huge problem. Growing up Germany, alcohol was a part of my lifestyle and the culture. Many of my friends that I hung out with started drinking from an early age. Meeting friends, hang out in the Gasthaus/Pub and drink beers, was a daily routine. Getting up for work and meeting my friends afterwards for some beers in the Pub.

I moved from Germany to San Diego, California at the age of 22. I was pretty tired of Germany, mainly because of the weather. It rained a lot and I loved the sunshine. I had visited California a few times in the late 70’s and thought, “that’s the place where I want to be”. I liked the sun, the beaches, the palm trees and the relaxed lifestyle that so many enjoy here in Southern California. I had good times after I moved to the USA. I had my own Piano business, played in a Reggae band and just enjoyed the relaxed lifestyle.

Later I worked for Taylor Guitars and after that, landed a great job with a major furniture manufacturer. Things were going pretty well for me. I got married in 1995 to my wife and we lived in a nice place near the beach. Alcohol has always been part of my life. Drinking some beers after work was the norm. That was my life, meeting my drinking buddies and playing darts or whatever else came about. Once the alcohol took over, the judgment went out the window. I came home very late some days or not at all. I wasn’t thinking about my wife, my work. It was all about me. Seeking my own pleasures was way more important than my marriage and the responsibilities that came with it. In 2003 things got worse. My drinking increased quite a bit. I moved out of the house and found my own place. I thought of it as my own little paradise, my sanctuary. But things only got worse from there.

I got involved with people who were heavy drinkers and we hung out in various bars around town. Alcohol influences people and brings out the worse in them. I was never a violent person when drinking, I was just drinking to have a good time. Many people believe that drinking is relaxing and brings about a better attitude. I used to think the same way. Somehow I thought after the 2nd or 3rd pint things looked much better and oh, how much fun I had. I used to call it an attitude adjustment. Have you ever hung around people who had a bit too much to drink and they thought they were cool and funny? They are really not that funny, when you are sober. Life becomes very miserable when alcohol takes over your life and controls you. Everything starts to revolve around drinking and nothing else matters. It becomes a snare that entangles people. I always denied having an alcohol problem. Even when people pointed it out to me. I was just in denial as many others, that drink or do drugs. Alcohol and drugs are deceivers. They give pleasure for a short time but then they sting like a viper and take control over peoples lives .

It was in early 2005 that I received the news that my father had died in Germany. I attended the funeral with my mom and some of my relatives. Hearing the news was terrible. It really hit me hard while I was sitting in the small chapel facing my dad’s coffin. I loved my dad, he was a good man. I always had a good relationship with him. My mom of course was devastated and I stayed for 3 month with her in Germany. I started going out and drinking in the local pubs. I think I was just tuning out not wanting to deal with the reality that my dad had passed away. I was drowning my sorrows with alcohol. That was my way of suppressing things.

Coming back to the States, I continued that trend. Drinking before work, during work and of course after work. The drinking started to take over my life. It affected my work and one day I just walked off the job. I began to drink around the clock, going on binges that would last for at least a week. After those binges I got really sick for a few days, promising myself never to drink again. That promise would maybe last for a week or two and I was right back doing the same thing. A terrible cycle with the same results, feeling sick.

I remember the morning of May 14th very well. I sat on my patio chair feeling extremely sick from a week of heavy drinking. As I was sitting there all by myself as I began to cry out: “God, please help me. I don’t want to be like this anymore. This is not me. Please if You are there, help me.”

From that moment on, my life changed. I was still feeling sick, but something happened to me. Something wonderful. I had totally lost the desire of drinking and I started to seek God. I bought a Bible and read for hours and hours, taking in every word. Looking at my first Bible that I bought and seeing all the notes I scribbled and the many verses that I underlined, I find myself wondering, when did I do all that?

To be honest, I didn’t know much about God before and what the Bible revealed about Him. I didn’t know anything about repentance, forgiveness, justification and sanctification. I heard about God and of course I heard about Jesus and that He died on the cross, but that’s about it. I never really understood what it really meant, God giving His only begotten Son for me and my sins. I never knew how wonderful God’s Grace is.

Reading God’s word opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on life and I believed. The word of God is so wonderful and healing and it is the absolute truth. Jesus is the Savior of the world and He became my personal Lord and Savior that day.

Today, I am so grateful to God. He continues to change my life day by day. I have become a new creation, old things have passed away. I have since reconciled with my wife, left the old things behind and I never looked back. Satan may accuse me everyday before God, calling me unworthy and a failure. He is right, I am. But I also know this, I am what I am, but I am not what I used to be.

It is not my righteousness that God looks at, it is the imputed righteousness of Jesus that the Father looks upon. I don’t have any righteousness on my own. I can never please God on my own. The gospel i.e. the good news is that God did for me what I could not do for myself. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

For me, it is all about Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross. The word that became flesh and dwelled among us. Who is this Jesus that transformed my life? He is God the Son Who became one of us. He came as the suffering servant to shed His blood on the cross for the sin of the world. Jesus was beaten to a bloody pulp beyond recognition. The Roman soldiers plucked His beard out, beating Him repeatedly. He endured the cross, the shame and the mocking of His own countrymen and the Romans because He loved us. Jesus came for that very purpose, to die on the cross at the appointed time for sinners like me.

From the beginning of His ministry to the arrival to Jerusalem on a donkey to the death on the cross, was not only prophesied. Jesus was on a divine timeline determined by the Father long before the foundation of the world. The death of Christ was no accident or just another criminal dying at the hands of the Roman government. Jesus committed no crime, yet He was condemned to death. Jesus despite the shame, willingly laid down His life for you and me. He gave His life to give eternal life to those who would believe in Him. All you need to do is to ask God for forgiveness and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is no sin that you or anyone else has committed that God will and cannot not forgive, no matter what a person may have done. God loves mankind. All He wants is for us to return to Him and He will heal us and cleanse us from all sin. Jesus has transformed my life and He is continuing to transform my life. He will do the same for you. All you need to do is ask Him to come into your life.
God is not distant at all. Stop whatever you are doing, turn around and He is right there with arms wide open.

“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6, 7

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Mat 7:7, 8

Jesus is Lord, yet He declares His Lordship through the power of humility and grace…

“Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of those things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself….

“While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed on a cross between two thieves. While he was dying his executors gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth – His coat. When he was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

“Nineteen long centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever were built, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.” Jesus is Lord – Excerpts from “One Solitary Life” (author unknown)

Jesus is the only true and living God. I am thankful that He has saved me. He is the only One that can transform a person’s life. Religions can not transform a person. Certain philosophies cannot transform a person. All religions and philosophies are man centered and futile. Man cannot save himself by empty and vain attempts, trying to reach God on their own merit. God reached down to mankind through His Son Jesus Christ, Who is mighty to save. Only He can change the heart and only He can transform a person’s life. Thank you Jesus for the truth and Your love that You have shown to me. May others that are currently in a similar situation as I was, seek You and find You. Maranatha Lord Jesus.

“You Must Be Born Again” (media4lifeministries.com)
Faith a gift from God (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
Come as you are (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
Memories of a brother lost to alcohol (greystew.wordpress.com)

Christianity; the oldest “religion” in the World.

I believe among others, that Christianity is the oldest “religion” known to man. There are many religions that were way before Christianity that came along about 2000 years ago. Did Christianity begin 2000 years ago with a man named Jesus? Let me begin with saying that Jesus did not come to bring something completely new, He did not start a new religion and new doctrines. God’s truth is never-changing. Jesus did not just suddenly appear and brought a new message or believe to the people. The Old Testament is all about Jesus and the promise of a Savior was given long ago, long before Jesus came to the earth. The first gospel message can be found in Genesis: “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Gen 3:15.

It is widely understood that this verse is a Messianic prophesy. This prophesy was given by God in the Garden of Eden, you can not go any further back as the Garden. Throughout the Old Testament God gave progressive prophesies concerning the Messiah. In the old the new is concealed, in the new the old is revealed. When we get to the New Testament, and we look back at the Old Testament, it’s all clear. In the Old Testament the gospel was there from the early beginning. The Bible is a book of redemption. The Bible does contain history like the creation and the beginning of mankind, kingdoms, people and places, but the main purpose of the Bible is redemption, God’s plan of salvation for fallen man.

Jesus is all over the pages of the Old Testament, there are many prophesies concerning His first coming and many allegories that pointed to Christ. Abraham offering up Isaac on Mount Moriah which is the temple mount today, a picture of what God would do 2000 years later. Joseph in Egypt, he was not recognized by his brothers at the first meeting, but they recognized him at the second time they met. A picture of the first coming of Jesus and He was not recognized as Israel’s Messiah, which will happen at His second coming. Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the wildness on a pole, and everybody that looked up to it was healed, a picture of Jesus lifted up on the cross dying for the sin of the world and giving healing and life to those who would look upon Him and believe. He was the Rock in the wildness bringing forth water, He was the Bread that came from heaven and so much more.

The 70 weeks of Daniel given by the angel Gabriel gave the exact time and day when the Messiah would ride into the city of Jerusalem. Zechariah prophesied that the King would come riding lowly on a donkey. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what we now know as Palm Sunday. Nothing was by coincidence, God had a divine plan and time schedule and Jesus came at the appointed time, His hour. The day the Lord has made. There are over 300 prophesies concerning the first coming of Christ, and He has fulfilled them all. Jesus was nailed the cross at the time of the morning offering on passover, He gave up His Spirit at the time of the evening sacrifices. This day was also predicted long ago and God had a certain day in mind and Jesus died on that exact appointed day. Old Testament believers were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, they believed God, thus it was accounted to them as righteousness.

Today we look back at the cross and the finished work of Christ and because we believe by faith we are accounted righteous before God through Christ who is our righteousness. The gospel i.e the good news is therefore much older than 2000 years, the gospel and the coming of the Messiah goes all the way back to the beginning. There are many religions today and in the past, but they are all man-made and they are all man centered. The Christian faith is not really a religion per say, it is a relationship with the true and living God. Christians worship and serve the God of creation, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The God that is truth and His word which is sharper than a two-edged sword. If you read this and you are of another faith, like Islam or maybe Hinduism etc. consider Jesus and the claims He made. He came to die in our place, God did what we could not do for ourselves. He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus said that He came to set us free from bondage. Are you in bondage to sin or religion? Do you want to be forgiven of your sins and have eternal life? Jesus promised that those who would believe will never die. He died for us and rose from the dead to overcome death and give eternal life to those who would believe. Jesus is God and only God can forgive sins, all other gods are impostors and they do not exist.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” Exd 20:2-5

Many religions have made their own gods made out of wood, metal, in the likeness of man, they worship the creature rather than the Creator. These gods do not move, they can’t hear or speak. They are dead, they cannot give life eternal, only the true and living God of the Bible can. There is only one way to be reconciled to God the Father, and that is through His Son Christ Jesus. May you find Him and feel His peace and His love. May you realize how much He loves you.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Simply teach the word Simply

I have been involved for quite some time now using social networks and other internet sites to post Christian oriented videos, writing from a biblical perspective. I have made many friends (some enemies) and met some very interesting people. It is a blessing to see so many people using the internet and various sites to promote and proclaim the gospel.

The whole world is within reach, people from all over the world are just a few mouse clicks away. There are many people out there that are lost and seeking for the truth. Many have questions about the Christian faith, what we believe and why we believe and how to live the Christian life. Questions like, why is Jesus the only way to salvation and to heaven, and why do Christians believe that the Bible is the infallible and true word of God? What is the difference between Jesus or Muhammad, Buddha, Krishna and other spiritual philosophies? What is the difference between Christianity and Islam or any other religion, do we not all believe in the same God? Are there not many path that lead to everlasting life and eternity besides Jesus?

These and many other questions are asked every day by people who are truly seeking. What a great opportunity for us as believers to share our faith with them. I believe that if we study the word of God and present the gospel in its purest form, that many will see that the gospel is very simple. God has made salvation available for those who want it and there are no ladders to climb, nirvana’s to reach or fences to break down.

The difference between Christianity and other religions is that in religion man is trying to reach up to God. All religions are man centered. Christianity is quite the opposite, God reaches down to fallen man and that is much easier for me to comprehend than working for my salvation and proofing myself to God, never knowing if I will ever be good enough. Christians are not perfect or better people than anybody else, Christians are sinners that have been forgiven because they have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Heaven is not full of good people, heaven is full of forgiven people.

God by His mercy and His grace has reconciled us to Him through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice and shed blood on the cross. The gospel means good news and we as Christians have good news to share: God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

That is the good news, Jesus who knew no sin was made sin for us. Unfortunately, there are those on the same internet sites that are proclaiming to be Christians, complicating the word of God. They have perverted the gospel, twisted the truth and compromised the word of God. They are false teachers, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing, drawing people into their destructive heresies. They are misleading many onto the broad road that leads to destruction, missing the narrow gate. They pose as wise men, fulfilling their desires of the flesh and prey on the weak. Followers and disciples of Christ have an obligation to warn those who are being led astray and to rebuke those who teach the way of Balaam. The internet can be used for the furthering of the kingdom in a mighty way, but as we all know it also can be used to destroy and kill. Satan is not sleeping, he is never-resting, neither should we. He knows his time is coming to an end and he is trying to keep as many as possible away from the truth. This is where I think we as true and genuine believers can make a difference.

We may not be perfect, but we can be honest and share the truth so that many can be saved and find the true and simple way which is only through Jesus Christ. God is not the author of confusion and if we proclaim and teach the word for what it is and not make it into what it is not, chance are that people will listen. Simply teach the word simply. The gospel is foolishness to the world. The gospel is simple, lets us keep it simple and explain the gospel in a simple unadulterated way. Let us have the heart of God, loving one another and care for each other. Let us proclaim the truth to the world as God desires it, Simply.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1Cr 1:18

“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” 1Cr 1:21

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” 1Cr 1:25-31

For unto us a Child is born…

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6, 7

“For unto us a child is born” This glorious prophecy of the birth of the Messiah reminds Israel that the victory bringing Messiah would be a man. The Messiah could have been an angel. The Messiah could have been God without humanity. Neither of those options would have qualified the Messiah to be our Savior and High Priest as Jesus was. The Child had to be born.

“Unto us a Child is given” This Child would be a man, but more than a man. He is also the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Godhead. Theoretically, the Messiah didn’t have to be God. He might have been a sinless angel, or merely a perfect man like Adam. Neither of those options would have qualified the Messiah to be our Savior and High Priest as Jesus was. The Son had to be given.

“And the government will be on His shoulder” Ultimately, this will be fulfilled in the Millennium, when Jesus Christ will rule the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords ( Revelation 20:4-6, Psalm 72, Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 65:17-25, Zechariah 14:6-21.) We are still waiting for the ultimate fulfillment of this promise.

“His name will be called” This is not be mistaken as the literal names of the Messiah. Instead, these are aspects of His character, they describe who He is and what He has come to do.
The Messiah is “Wonderful” The glory of who He is and what He has done for us should fill us with awe and wonder. No one can really look at Jesus, know Him, and be bored. He is “Wonderful” and will fill our heart and minds with amazement.

The Messiah is our “Counselor” Jesus is the One fit to guide our lives, and should be the Christian’s immediate resource as a counselor. Jesus can help us with our problems. He may use the presence and the words of another Christian to do it, but Jesus is our “Counselor”

The Messiah is “Mighty God” The God of all creation and glory, the Lord who reigns in heaven, the One worthy of our worship and praise.

The Messiah is the “Everlasting Father” The idea in these Hebrew words is that Jesus is the source or author of all eternity, that He is the Creator Himself. It does not mean that Jesus Himself is the Person of the Father in the Trinity.

The Messiah is the “Prince of Peace” He is the One who makes peace, especially between God and man.

From His names and character/attributes, verse 7 goes farther into the future, into the millennial reign of Christ.

“Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end” The reign of the Messiah will not last merely 1,000 years, though the millennium is a special aspect of His reign. There will be no end to the reign of the Messiah, and He will rule for all eternity.

“Upon the throne of David” Jesus will rule on David’s throne, and over his kingdom that is Israel. This is a fulfillment of God’s great covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7.

Jesus Christ can be the Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace for everyone now. One day, these offices will be imposed upon the world. For now, they are real for those who receive Jesus and submit to Him. Have you surrendered your life to Him? Jesus is coming again to set up His kingdom here on earth. At His first coming, He came as the Passover lamb, at His second coming, He will come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Which one would you rather meet, the lamb or the Lion? Jesus will come in judgment, He will judge the world in righteousness, those who rejected Him will face judgment at the great white throne of God. Do you think that you can face God and defend your life before Him? Those who put their faith and trust in Jesus will not face the great white throne judgment. Believers in Christ have the imputed righteousness of Christ and God the Father will not look upon their sins, they are forgotten as far as the east is from the west.

If you are not sure if you go to heaven or hell, call upon Jesus and ask Him to come into your heart, He will forgive you, no matter how bad you may think you are. The only unpardonable sin is to reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He laid down His life for you, so that you can have eternal life and be with God forever. It is a choice everyone has to make, whether they believe it or not. God is real and death is real, physical death will come to all, no one is excluded. Are you sure that there is nothing after you die? How can you be sure? Jesus has told us of the afterlife, what happens to those who reject God and it is not a pretty picture, eternal separation from God.

Eternity is a long time. I hope and pray if you have not received Jesus into your heart, stop and think, you may be young at this time, healthy, but things change real fast, sooner than you know you will look back at your life wondering, where did it go? Our spirit will not die, the decision whether to follow Jesus or not can have dire consequences, once a person dies without Jesus, it is too late. Think about it.

“For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2Cr 6:2

The Trinity; is it biblical?

The doctrine of the Trinity, simply stated, is as follows: The Bible teaches that there is one eternal God who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is the only God that exists. However, within the nature of this one God are three persons, or three centers of consciousness – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons are co-equal and co-eternal. They are also distinguishable or distinct from one another. These three distinct Persons are the one God. Everything that is true about God is true about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While the Bible teaches that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God it is wrong to say that God is the Father, God is the Son, or God is the Spirit. God’s nature consists of three distinct Persons. Therefore it is incorrect to limit God to one particular member of the Trinity.

We find all three members of the Trinity at the baptism of Jesus.

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”. Mat 3:16, 17

God the Father acknowledged God the Son, while God the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus.
The doctrine of the Trinity was not clearly formulated until after the New Testament was written. However there are anticipations of the doctrine in the Old Testament. A hint of the doctrine of the Trinity can be found in the first verse of the Bible. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen 1:1

The Hebrew word for God is Elohim. Elohim is a plural noun but it is used here with a singular verb bara. In the remainder of the Old Testament, when Elohim speaks of the true God, it is always used with a singular verb. The conclusion to be drawn is that in some sense God is both singular and plural. The doctrine of the Trinity states this – within the nature of the one God there are three eternal persons. We find a further hint of the Trinity in Genesis 1

“Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” Gen 1:26

The phrase “let us” again gives the idea of plurality. The word “Us” cannot refer to angels because angels do not create.
Therefore, in the first chapter of the Bible we have a hint of the Trinity with the plural title Elohim used with a singular verb and God speaking and saying, “Let Us.”

The words “Let Us” is used elsewhere of God speaking in Genesis. After Adam and Eve sinned the Bible records.
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” Gen 3:22

At the incident at the Tower of Babel we read God saying.
“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” Gen 11:7

Isaiah the prophet recorded God saying.
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me” Isaiah 6:8

There is one statement in the Old Testament that gives a fairly clear indication of the Trinity.
“Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there. “And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit. This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:16, 17

In verse sixteen, God the Son is speaking. He identifies the Father [the Sovereign Lord] and His Spirit as having sent Him. In the next verse, the Son is clearly spoken of as the Lord. Consequently these verses identify three distinct Persons who are God without denying the fact there is only one God.

The concept of the trinity is clearly taught in the Bible, there are many more verses in the OT and of course in the NT where the trinity is more explained. People that try to deny the triune nature of God, do so to diminish Jesus and His deity. The baptism of Jesus mentions all three, Father Son and Holy Spirit. When Thomas who was doubting that Jesus had risen wanted proof. Jesus appeared to him: “Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:27, 28

Thomas clearly calls Jesus God. In Acts we find Peter calling the Holy Spirit God when he confronted Ananias about his deceit: “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? “While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Acts 5:3, 4

Peter clearly calls the Holy Spirit God. There is one more example, in the account of Steven who was the first martyr we read this: “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Acts 7:56, 57

Here we can clearly see that the Holy Spirit was indwelling Stephen, God the Father on the throne and Jesus standing on the right side of the throne to receive Stephen.

The trinity or triune nature of God is clearly taught in the Bible and was not made up later as some claim, there are some religions like Islam, Cults and even some Christian denominations who would deny the trinity. I personally can not see why anybody would or can deny the trinity given the overwhelming evidence in the Bible about the triune nature of God.

Objections to the Trinity answered (paulmarcelrene.wordpress.com)
Peaceful Christianity? (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)

Faith; a gift of God

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb 11:1

Many people claim to have faith, faith in something or someone, but what is faith from a biblical perspective? Can faith be proven or can it be seen? God’s word says, that the just shall live by faith and without faith it is impossible to please God. Can a Christian prove his or her faith to an unbelieving world and how do we explain faith? Paul in writing to the church in Corinth writes: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1Cr 2:14

Jesus in speaking to Nicodemus who came to Him at night said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

Jesus is saying, that without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, there is no way for them to know God or to see things from a spiritual heavenly view. Unbelievers are blind to the things pertaining to God and His kingdom, they cannot see beyond the human realm which the Bible calls the flesh. They go by their instincts, feelings and emotion that are purely from a human level and not a divine level.

Most people live by what they can see touch or smell and they disregard faith as something childish or foolishness. Many Atheist are very outspoken these days about people of faith, especially the Christian faith. I like what Norman Geisler once said in his book: “I do not have enough faith to be an Atheist.” What is this faith within the believer, is it something that can be learned or can be earned by some kind of practice or ritual? Where does this faith come from? Christians walk by faith, a faith that was not earned or attained.

I believe that faith is a gift of God just as salvation is a free gift of God for those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Before anybody was a true believer and disciple of Christ, they walked in darkness just as everybody else. I came to Christ pretty late in life, at the age of 46 years. What took me so long, and why wasn’t I a believer much earlier in my life? Certainly I had heard about Jesus, and that He died on the cross for my sins. I heard about His resurrection from the dead and that He promised eternal life to those who would believe and follow Him. I’m pretty sure that most people know John 3:16.

It seems that knowing about Jesus and reading about Jesus is not enough. There are many people saying: “I think He was a good man and a great teacher.” They put Him in the same category as Buddha, Krishna and others. And that is as far as most people will go, they refuse to come any closer towards the truth of God that would set them free. Why is there such hostility towards Christ? Why would people not receive Christ by faith and the forgiveness of their sins by repenting of their former ways? God’s promise is forgiveness and eternal life. Could it be because there is no faith nor hope in them, unless God draws them? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Eph 2:8

How come that some received grace and some not? Did God predestined some to be saved and some not? I do not believe that God has chosen some unto salvation and some to hell for eternity (although He knows in His foreknowledge who would come to Him and who not). People have a free will to choose, and that those who reach out to God asking Him for forgiveness will be saved by His grace. I can only go from my experience, how I came to the Lord. I can’t speak for others, everybody has their own unique story. I’m not going into a long-winded story, but I had a severe alcohol problem, and my life was going downhill real fast. I would go on binges days upon days drinking until I would be sick. I took me about a week to get better after these binges and a couple of weeks to get back to drinking resulting in another collapse. Well, long story short, one Sunday morning, May 14th 2006 to be precise, I hit rock bottom. I sat on my patio chair feeling pretty lousy and I remember as if it were today, I cried out to God saying, “please help me, I don’t want to be like this anymore, please God help me I am sorry.” From that moment on, my life completely changed, I was still feeling sick, but something happened, something I can’t fully explain. God took the desire of drinking away and I have not had a drink or desire to have a drink one ever since.

That day God changed me, He transformed my life. There used to be twelve packs of beer in my car and Ozzy on my radio. That all changed that day, I went and bought a Bible. Not knowing anything about which translation to get, the first Bible I bought was a NASB version. I’m using the NKJV now, but have others as well to get a better flavor on some passages. I was reading everyday and because I didn’t work at that time and spent all day and night reading God’s word. Looking back, I know that the moment I cried out to God that He saved me from a life of destruction, and the transformation within me started.

Did I have true faith at that early stage? To be honest I don’t know. What I do know is that reading the word of God brought me closer and closer to Him. I had a change of mind which came through His word. His word ministered to me. Reading the Bible and studying it, showed me without a doubt that I was reading the truth and that God had a wonderful plan for my life. Faith came by reading the word of God just as it say’s it in the Bible. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom10:17

Today, I have absolute faith in God. It is not a “blind faith” as many atheist like to call it. I know in my heart that God is the truth and that He is faithful. He keeps His promises, and one day I will see Him face to face. Can I prove faith to an unbeliever? Maybe not, but I believe that faith can be shown by the conduct and behaviors of Christians in the world. Genuine faith brings forth good fruit.

Many will laugh at believers and mock them, but the genuine believers have a blessed hope of salvation and eternal life. They have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, something the unbeliever searches for but will not find apart from God. Jesus explained why many will resist Him and fight tooth and nails against His Lordship: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” John 3:16-20

The unbelievers are already condemned because they do not want to acknowledge God. Many want to keep living in darkness, they want to live a life without being accountable to anyone. They love the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.

The Atheist Dilemma (media4lifeministries.com)
Looking unto to Jesus… (media4lifeministries.com)

Hope

In 1957 Dr. Richter of John Hopkins Medical School did an experiment on laboratory rats. He placed a few rats in a cylinder filled with water and placed the rats into the water. Frantically the rats were trying to stay afloat, resulting in them drowning within a few minutes. The next day Dr. Richter placed some more rats into the water, he waited just before they started drowning, and pulled them out of the water for just a few moments, he placed them back into the water, this time the rats stayed afloat for more than three days. Why? Because they had hope, they were rescued once before from certain death by drowning.

The rats had hope, a savior in the form of a hand. It was hope that made them continue to stay above the water, waiting for the hand to once again pull them to safety. Hope is something that we as Christians have, hope of eternal life because of a Savior Who saved us from drowning and certain death. Hope is a beautiful thing and as Christians we have a sure hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Rom 5:1-5

As Christians, we are to live by faith, not sight, feelings or emotions, we know that Christ died for us, cleansed us from all sin and gave us eternal life through faith. That is a faith and hope that the heathens don’t have. We as believers have the Holy Spirit within us who testifies to us of this truth. We can face any kind of trial, tribulations and hardships, knowing that God will uphold us by the power of His Spirit. As long as we abide in Christ and seek His wisdom, guidance and direction for our daily life we have a hope, a blessed hope that will not disappoint. God has promised the believers to never leave them nor forsake them. Joshua 1:5

We are never alone, in times of despair, He is there, in times of trouble, He is there, in times of tribulations, He is there to lift us up and pulls us out of the water. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” 1Th 2:19

Unlike the first batch of rats that drowned fanatically without hope, so will the people who reject Christ drown in the judgment of God, unlike the Christians who were saved by the mighty hand of God, these unbelievers have no hope of eternal life. Christ has given us a hope and peace that surpasses all understanding, the world is frantic, almost hopeless, they are drowning and most don’t even know it. It is my hope and prayer that we as believers would feel the need to pray for the lost. God does not want anybody to perish but come to repentance. Let us be good witnesses and tell them about the hope that we as believers have. This world as we know will come to an end, things will change dramatically in the very near future. The Bible tells us what is going to happen, we have the comfort of God’s word for the believer, let us warn people of the danger to come and save those who want to listen to us from drowning and certain death, (spiritual death).

“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, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1Peter 1:3-5