"The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds."
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? "
"For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. ""It is a mans own mind not his enemy or foe that lures him to his evil ways" "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. " "Let him turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
"Sir, Evil does not exist. Just as in the previous cases, Evil is a term which man has created to describe the result of the absence of God's presence in the hearts of man.""The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"but god "It is a mans own mind not his enemy or foe that lures him to his evil ways" "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. " "Let him turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,"
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.""....accepting hardships as the pathway to peace."
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time and enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardships as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is and not as I would have it, trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will, that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. "
"My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ..."""I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'"
We are living in times where the world is trying to change the standards and moral commandments that were set down by God thousands of years ago.God wants us to live for Him in the way that He told us we should. He wants us to turn our backs on the ways of this world."Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in pFossessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
"for the fear of the lord is the beginning of all knowledge"Jer 5:22 (NIV) "Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence?"God's commands are not always easy to follow.
But even though Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us that God is in heaven and that he listens to us, we are to treat Him with the utmost respect.....
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” ...
"That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell."that lake of fire
"Nothing should have a more powerful effect upon a saint's spirit than to consider his blissful estate in heaven as being the reward for all his conflicts here on earth."
"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
"Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand."
"Beloved saints, never seek revenge, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay it, says the Lord your God.”
"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.""If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.""Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.""Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not."
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
"Great writers are saints to the godless men and women on earth."
“Here is a lost world out here! God wants to get to
that lost world. The only way He can do it is through
His people, and if you and I do not yield ourselves
unto God, God cannot get through to the lost, He
cannot encourage the bereaved, He cannot strengthen
the weak and bless the sick, and so on, unless we let
Him live His Life in and through us
"Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't. "
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord."
34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God —I say this to your shame."""Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame."Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
"for the fear of the lord is the beginning of all knowledge"Jer 5:22 (NIV) "Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence?"God's commands are not always easy to follow.
"When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. "
"Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.""
"Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked."There is no fear of God before their eyes.". None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand."Psa 91:8 You will look and see how the wicked are punished."
"Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done."
His primary point is that Job, with his feeble, finite mind, cannot possibly comprehend the first thing about what is right or good or true, under God, that God alone comprehends righteousness, goodness, and truth, and that man must do as God commands.
But God never gives Job (or us) an explanation for why he would allow bad things to happen to good people. The only reasonable answer is quite scary: the only reason you woke alive this morning and are still breathing is because of God’s beneficent mercy, a mercy he can take away at a whim.
"for the fear of the lord is the beginning of all knowledge"Jer 5:22 (NIV) "Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence?"God's commands are not always easy to follow.
But even though Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us that God is in heaven and that he listens to us, we are to treat Him with the utmost respect.....
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” ...
"But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." The genuine child of God is no longer what he was before he was saved.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
and you go to church to pay your tithes and offering so that your riches in heaven are multiplied and you men and women should go to church but you dont think you should
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord."
Psalms 91:1 Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,
Psa 91:2 can say to him, "You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust."
Psa 91:3 He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases.
Psa 91:4 He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.
Psa 91:5 You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day
Psa 91:6 or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.
(my favorite)Psa 91:7 A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed.
Psa 91:8 You will look and see how the wicked are punished.
Psa 91:9 You have made the LORD your defender, the Most High your protector,
Psa 91:10 and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.
Psa 91:11 God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. Psa"‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’and,‘In their hands they shall bear you up,Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
91:12 They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.
Psa 91:13 You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous snakes.".......I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Psa 91:14 God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as LORD.
Psa 91:15 When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them.
Psa 91:16 I will reward them with long life; I will save them.
Psalm 91 is worth reading and studying because it refers to the protection the Father provides for all His children who find themselves in dangerous circumstances. It informs us that by remaining in a close relationship with God. He promises to rescue us from: the snare of the Fowler, the destroying pestilence, the terror by night, the arrow by day, and from plagues, the wicked, evil, and affliction.
"For without faith it is impossible to please god for anyone who comes to god must believe that he is and that he rewards those who diligently seek him"
Isaiah 40:22 "It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;" "faith is the substance of things hoped for evidence of things not seen""By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."and that is why the universe expands"
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands."
"He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands."
But even though Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us that God is in heaven and that he listens to us, we are to treat Him with the utmost respect.....
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” ...
"But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."
"Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back."
"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish."
"Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."
"How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world."
Thomas Cream "I am Jack…"
Cream was a doctor secretly specializing in abortions. He was born in Scotland, educated in London, active in Canada and later in Chicago, Illinois. In 1881, he was found to be responsible for fatally poisoning several of his patients of both sexes. Originally there was no suspicion of murder in these cases, but Cream himself demanded an examination of the bodies, apparently an attempt to draw attention to himself. Imprisoned in the Illinois State Penitentiary in Joliet, Illinois, he was released on 31 July, 1891, on good behavior. Moving to London, he resumed killing (mostly prostitutes) and was soon arrested. He was hanged on 15 November, 1892. According to the hangman, his last words were reported as being “I am Jack…”, interpreted to mean Jack the Ripper. He was allegedly imprisoned at the time of the Ripper murders, but some authors have suggested that he could have bribed officials and left the prison before his official release.
"Insanity:A sane reaction to an insane society"
you men and women should slow down or you wont be able to keep up with yourselves
you men and women dont determine how i move left or right or what decisions i make leave me alone "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time and enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardships as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is and not as I would have it, trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will, that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. "
Lucifer: Even the purist souls can be corrupted. Dante is not the man you once knew.
Beatrice: You did this to him. You corrupted his heart.
Lucifer: I've had no need to influence humanity for many millennium idea. I simply introduced sin. Men is the one who has spreaded it like a disease; cultivating it, empowering it.
Beatrice: It is not our fault, none of it. Men is good.
Lucifer: No, you don't understand. The earth is another form of hell, and men are its demons.
Lucifer: I've had no need to influence humanity for many millennium idea. I simply introduced sin. Men is the one who has spreaded it like a disease; cultivating it, empowering it. "".......You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.""......who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.""Rev 12:9 (NIV) The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray...""Satan has deceived the whole world and much of the world doesn‘t even know he exists (Rev. 12:9)." "But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
"Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered."
""O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
"So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth."
"When he saw him the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, etc. - When this demon saw Jesus, he had great rage, knowing that his time was short; and hence the extraordinary convulsions mentioned above."
" A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him."
"Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father."
"And also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,"Lucifer: No, you don't understand. The earth is another form of hell, and men are its demons.
"The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds."
"For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. "
"It is a mans own mind not his enemy or foe that lures him to his evil ways" "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. " "Let him turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.""Truth is lacking and he who turns from evil makes himself prey."
Who is the Antichrist? What does the Bible say about the Antichrist?
Bible prophecy of the end time talks about a mysterious figure called the Antichrist (also called the "man of sin" and the "false prophet") before the second coming of Christ. But the story starts even earlier.
Answer:
The Bible prophesies an end-time figure who opposes Christ—the Antichrist—but the meaning of the term antichrists encompasses more than just the end time. This term literally means "against Christ" and is variously defined as "adversary of Christ" or "opponent of Christ" and as a title or proper name for a specific individual who opposes and claims to be Christ.
The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains by Louw and Nida offers a more comprehensive definition: "The term . . . appears to have become increasingly equivalent to a proper name as the personification of all that was opposed to and contrary to the role and ministry of Christ."
According to the apostle John's writing, there is a spirit of antichrist, which is a spirit of opposition to the identity of Christ. Specifically, he was writing to warn of the dualistic heresy that denied that Christ lived as a physical human being (1 John 4:3
; 2 John 1:7
).
In the first century, most people of Jewish background anticipated a Messiah who would come to the earth as a conquering king to establish the Kingdom of God. But they failed to understand that He would first come as a man who would become the sacrifice for the sins of mankind, and they refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah. (The word Messiah is the Hebrew counterpart to the Greek word Christ .) Their doctrine was an example of a spirit of antichrist.
Today, many members of mainstream Christianity make the opposite mistake from the one that the Jews made by accepting that Christ became the perfect sacrifice for sin but denying His coming to the earth as a conquering king. So ironically, even that traditional Christian doctrine can be classified as "antichrist."
End-time prophecies show that religious people—including professing Christians deceived into accepting a counterfeit Christianity—will oppose many of the teachings of Christ. In that real sense, even today, many professing Christians actually have been deceived by a spirit of antichrist.
The Bible does not reveal specifically who the Antichrist is, speaking instead of his corrupt teachings. In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul prophesied of a "man of sin," a liar and deceiver whose natural abilities Satan enhances by supernatural power in order to confuse people in the end time. In addition, Christ inspired John to write of a "false prophet" to come at the end time (Revelation 13; 16:13; 19:20).
Finally, note how the prophecy describes a great religious leader of the end time: "He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon" (Revelation 13:11
). That is to say, he takes on the image of (or imitates) Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God), but is empowered by Satan. Historically, a counterfeit version of Christianity fulfills the types we read of in the prophecies of Revelation.
Click on our resources mentioned below, which have more information about the Antichrist, False Prophet, "man of sin" and the prophesied false teachers at the end of the age.
We MUST Tell People to REPENT!
And they went out, and preached that men should repent. Mark 6:12
A gentle reader recently asked about the people who say they believe in Jesus and still live like Satan's world. I've encountered MANY, MANY, individuals who claim they've been Christians for years--but they can't stand to hear about the things of God. Many go to church and think that it is a social club never preaching the gospel to a single soul. They are concerned with soup kitchens and hospitals and special music and newsletters which is would be okay if it were based on truth--but these people do not share the gospel with the lost! A man can go to hell on a full stomach. Then you've got the ones that go to church once a week and as soon as they leave out of the doors they get to cursing and doing whatever they please. All of these categories have something in common--NO REPENTANCE. THIS is an issue I've been wanting to address--badly.
We Bible believers have our little formulas for leading people to Jesus, but we are leaving out a most necessary part of sharing the gospel--the preaching of REPENTANCE. As a result, there are a lot of heathens walking around thinking that they are saved. We spend almost no time on this vital aspect of the gospel and then we spend a good deal of time on assurance verses when the person has not even repented! REPENTANCE is foundational--
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the FOUNDATION OF REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS, and of faith toward God,
The Lord Jesus had plenty to say about REPENTANCE--
Luke 5:32 "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to REPENTANCE."
Luke 24:47 ...[Jesus said to them] that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Mark 1:15 ..."The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel."
Here is my response to the above-mentioned reader who reads his Bible and sees something is not right about living like Satan and calling yourself a Christian. I've added in a couple more comments to my original e-mail to him.
"[W]e Bible-believers have been doing the unsaved a disservice as we share the gospel with them. We say, 'just believe'. But does not James say that even 'the devils believe and tremble'? When soulwinning, we often tell people to just admit that they are a sinner and believe in Jesus. Then we go on to stress MANY assurance verses. This is terribly wrong. What we need to be stressing is REPENTANCE from dead works.
"We don't need to spend half of our time on assurance. It's okay for somebody to be scared when they are doing wrong. That's called the fear of the Lord. That's called working out your salvation with fear and trembling! They need to stop doing evil and be holy like the Lord. Yet we say, 'Don't worry, you can do any old thing and still get in. You can sin as much as you want to, don't worry about God's commandments.' This flies in the face of many scriptures like--
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
2 Peter 1:10-11 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
"You see, many people pray, 'the sinner's prayer' because they are scared of hell, but they still want to live like Satan. In other words, they are CONVICTED of their sins, but they certainly have not REPENTED of their sins. That's why they don't show up at your fellowship after you 'lead them to Christ'. That's why they don't get baptized. That's why they are still at the club on Ladies' Night.
"Some of Jesus' first words as he entered into his earthly ministry were, 'REPENT ye and BELIEVE the gospel.' He also said, 'Unless ye REPENT ye shall likewise perish.' When looking at the word repent, we find it, and the concept of it, throughout the ENTIRE Bible. Repentance is not simply a mental ascent to the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way to save your hide. It is about a change of AUTHORITY in your life. Before I got saved, I ran my own wicked life while Satan kicked my hind parts all up and down the street. When I got saved, I saw myself as a dirty rotten sinner who had transgressed the commandments of God. I knew that I needed to start listening to HIS AUTHORITY and to give up my evil ways. I was no longer in control, I was no longer the authority--JESUS BECAME MY LORD, MY AUTHORITY. Now many softie Bible college students (including one that wrote here) will call that 'Lordship salvation' and say that it is wrong, even heretical. To that, I say that my King James Bible CLEARLY shows me that anything less than making Jesus your Lord is UNACCEPTABLE to God. Many scriptures confirm this. 1 John is a good book to look at to see the differences between the true believer and the fake.
"We have an article entitled, 'Ten Evidences that Someone's Been Born Again'. This is the article that Mr. Smartie-Bible-college-student read me the Riot Act about. Nevertheless, I'll stand by it to the end. Jesus didn't save us to live like Satan's world. He gives us plenty of scriptures to use as a mirror to examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith (as Paul saith). Jesus also said that our outer life will MOST CERTAINLY show if we belong to him or not. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit and an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Yea, we have different levels of growth, but the growth WILL come. Our God is exceeding fruitful--remember how Jesus is the groom and we are the bride? In a man-woman relationship, children result from the union. In a relationship with Jesus, good works result--FRUIT!
Below, I've compiled verses and comments for those who are interested in further meditating on this CRITICAL doctrine of REPENTANCE...
. . . . . . . . . .
The following is an excerpt from The Hampton Court Papers by Dr. Robert E. Clark:
Never have there been more preachers, more missionaries, more evangelistic campaigns. There are more Christians studying God's word by tv, cassette tape, and by classroom procedure. There are large conferences, seminars, but yet there is a critical lameness in the gospel ministry.
Today's modern preaching suggests that Jesus Christ is a personal Saviour to help get people out of trouble and danger. Christ is shown today as standing ready to help all who will simply give Him permission to become a Saviour. I will indeed agree that Christ is a "very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:11) to all who trust Him, yet He never gives saving help to any who will not follow Him (see Mark 10:21b).
The Lord Jesus Christ never preached this man-made twentieth century idea that taking Jesus as Lord is optional. This altered message of today that you can gladly receive Christ without following Him, is a false humanistic teaching taught by media Bible teachers. Jesus' invitation is: receive Me, then follow Me. How strange the preaching is today that demands repentance, faith and obedience. That is the kind of preaching we need in this hour. Let me give you a scenario of what is being preached today. Audiences are shown and reminded by tv media preachers that they are sad, lonely, discouraged and unsuccessful. Life has become a great weight for them to carry. The future looks dark. Then sinners are invited to put a smile on their faces. The gentle Jesus is pictured as a cosmic psychologist Who will patch up all their problems in one session on the inquiry-room couch. You say: what's wrong with that kind of teaching?
The answer is, Christ demands repentance and obedience. Today's preaching is minus sacrifice and pain. There is no mention of the blood, fire, and terror of the battlefield. The convert to this humanistic gospel message after a few months, become a statistic. The convert never gets baptized, never goes to Sunday School, he never joins a Bible believing church; he is merely one who enhances the evangelist's or preacher's reputation.
What happened to "take up the cross and follow me"? We must stay away from these evangelistic tricks and high presure techniques [editor's note: YES SIR!!] of the modern personal workers and depend on the word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. [Amen, brother!]
. . . . . . . . . .
If you want Jesus, you must repent.
Acts 26:20 ...they should repent and TURN TO GOD, AND DO WORKS MEET FOR REPENTANCE.
Acts 2:39, 3:19 REPENT YE therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out...
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to REPENT:
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
. . . . . . . . . .
If a person wants eternal life, he must DECIDE for Jesus. Getting saved is no esoteric, mystical event brought about by saying a couple of words. Read on about the COST of discipleship from the gospel of Luke. This is the Lord Jesus talking--
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not BEAR HIS CROSS, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and COUNTETH THE COST, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
14:29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
14:30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
14:31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
14:32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that FORSAKETH not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
14:34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
14:35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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What if I sin after I repent? Ask for forgiveness in accordance with I John 1:9.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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Don't be afraid to tell people to repent. It is okay for people to be convicted and told that they are not living right and that they need to REPENT or PERISH.
II Corin 7:10 For GODLY SORROW WORKETH REPENTANCE TO SALVATION NOT TO BE REPENTED OF: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
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The call to repentance is not only found in the New Testament. An examination of the Old Testament reveals that God has always implored man to repent and walk with Him. The WHOLE reason we were created was to walk with our God in HIS HOLINESS, not our sinfulness. Ye MUST repent. Just a few examples of repentance from the Old Testament--
Say we have sinned and have done perversely we have committed wickedness. TURN TO THE LORD GOD with all your heart and soul. I Ki. 47-48
Prepare your heart STRETCH OUT YOUR HANDS towards the Lord God Job 11:13
TURN to the Lord Zech 1:3
That which I see not teach me: IF I HAVE DONE INIQUITY, I WILL DO NO MORE. Job 34:32
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I WILL WALK IN THY TRUTH: unite my heart to fear thy name. Ps 86:11
Teach me, O LORD the way of thy statutes and I SHALL KEEP IT UNTO THE END. Ps 119:33
But I TRUSTED IN THEE, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. Ps 31:14
Joel 2:13 REND YOUR HEART AND TURN UNTO THE LORD your God.
I have perverted that which was right and it profited me not. Job 33:27
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Repentance is not lip service. Anybody can say "Lord, I repent." True repentance is marked by some ACTION because you mean it.
John the Baptist said, "Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance."
Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 21 where a man had two sons. He went to the first son and said, "Son, go work today in my vineyard." The son responded, "I will not." But then afterward he repented, and went to work in the vineyard. The man also went to his second son and said the same thing. The second son said, "I'm going." But he didn't go. Which one did the will of his father? The repentance of the first son was in his heart and as a result it showed in his actions--HE WENT. Repentance is not simply a state of mind. It is understanding your wickedness and saying, "I am a vile thing who has ignored the Lord of glory. I am resolved to live under the Lord's commands and His authority--whatever it takes!" THAT is the kind of Christian that the world wants to see. Bold, serious, sold-out, and sanctified.
What are some actions that we should expect in new converts? Baptism, Bible study, a pronounced change in life, etc. We need to handle the new convert tenderly, soberly, gravely. We don't need to bombard them with a bunch of jokes and dinners. We need to teach them sound doctrine thereby equipping them to go out and fulfill the will of the Lord in their life. And by example, we need to show them how to live the Christian life. All other activities should revolve around the work. Now, that is exciting to me. Getting on the battlefield for the Lord. Some interesting things happen in the battle. But too often Jesus is left outside while we have a "good" time at our jovial little fellowships.
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John the Baptist said "Repent" (Matt 3:2) Jesus said "Repent" (Matt 4:17; 9:13; Mark 1:15; Luke 5:42, ), apostles said "Repent" (Mark 6:12) Paul said, "Repent" (2 Cor 7:9) Peter said "Repent" (Acts 2:38)
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It's okay to fear the Lord! It is the unbeliever that has no fear of God!
Romans 3:18 There is NO FEAR of God before their eyes.
THE LORD TAKETH PLEASURE IN THEM THAT FEAR HIM, in those that hope in his mercy. Ps 147:10-11
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, PERFECTING HOLINESS IN THE FEAR OF GOD.
Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may SERVE GOD ACCEPTABLY WITH REVERENCE AND GODLY FEAR:
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Some Christians will scream, "Lordship salvation, Lordship salvation!" Look at those scriptures again and tell me that Jesus didn't really mean what He said. I have not exhausted this subject at all. Those that oppose what I say here, please just open up your eyes to the scriptures and you will see.
