Because of the Resurrection we have...FREEDOM!!!

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:7-8:

“Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

The cross and the Resurrection are linked together. Without the Resurrection, the cross of Jesus is meaningless. Apart from the Resurrection, the cross is a tragedy and a defeat.

Many people risk their lives for others such as fire fighters, police, healthcare workers, caregivers, etc.

Many people have died or were killed so others could have freedom: Among them are soldiers and freedom fighters

But because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we have a different type of freedom

Because of the Resurrection we have...

·        Freedom from FEAR

·        Freedom from STRESS

·        Freedom from BONDAGE & ADDICTION

·        Freedom from DISCOURAGEMENT

·        Freedom from ACCUSATION

·        Freedom from SHAME & CONDEMNATION

·        Freedom from SIN & DEATH

And why is that? It is because Jesus lives! He didn’t just die; He was resurrected!

This is Ephesians 1:7-10 in the Message Version:

“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.”

Today our world is filled with dangers of a virus out of our control. Many are experiencing fear and strife. You too may be experiencing fear and strife

BUT Because of the resurrection…We no longer need to fear death or disaster.

Just as Jesus triumphed, we, too, can triumph. We can be confident that death will have no sting in our lives. Confident that we too will be resurrected.

Opportunities for worry, stress, and fear may come your way…

But as a Believer in Jesus Christ; you don’t have to walk in them. You have FREEDOM!

The words of the Lord Jesus are more relevant than ever before. Once again, He comes to those who love Him and says, “Fear not.”

I pray that this thrilling knowledge will sink deep into your heart,

Because of the Resurrection we have...Freedom!!!

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)

What Will You Choose To Do?

Three Crosses were on the hill where Jesus was crucified.

Three very different crosses were represented that day.

Oh, they looked the same, all of them caused death, but they were very different indeed. (see LUKE 23: 32-43)

CROSS #1 HAD A THIEF.

“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are Christ, save Yourself and us.” (Luke 23:39)

On a cross; paying for his own sins. Ignorant of who is there beside him. He didn’t ask for answers; he blasphemed Jesus.

This man didn’t want God. He wanted to mock Him. He rejected Jesus.

God never wanted to send this thief on the cross to hell. He was sending himself to hell.

CROSS #2 HAD A THIEF.

“But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done nothing wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:40)

He was on his own cross; still paying for his sins. He was hoping that Jesus might also remember him; or put in a good word for him.

He was, in a sense, trusting religion to save him.

This cross will never get you right with God. This thief is simply on the wrong cross; dying to pay for his own sins: “for we receive the due reward of our deeds” (Luke 23:41)

CROSS #3 HAD A SAVIOR.

JESUS; doing what He was sent to do.

Now, you may ask like the soldiers (Luke 23:37) or the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39) “If He was the Christ, why didn’t He come down from the cross?”

But He couldn’t because there was no other way; except by staying on the cross; to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. His blood ALONE paid it all.

Luke 22:42 saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus ALONE took our place and paid for our sins.

His cross ALONE made a way for us to be right with God.

On His cross ALONE is the way to eternal life. No one can add to what Jesus did to save us.

Our past, present, and future sins are all forgiven; Jesus paid the price for all.

We simply need to confess our sins and put our complete trust on what He did thru His death, burial, and resurrection. (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.)

SO WHICH CROSS ARE YOU ON?
#1 Paying for your own sins as you reject Jesus’ sacrifice.
#2 Paying for your own sins hoping God remembers you.
#3 Dead to you; trusting in the cross of Jesus Christ

One chose to curse out to God that day.

One chose to call out to God that day.

One chose to give His life as a ransom for all.

SO WHICH CROSS ARE YOU ON? Have you honestly & objectively taken your life’s goals to the Lord and surrendered it all to His plans for your life?

Do your goals feed your ego more than they honor the Lord?

Are you willing to change your goals if the Lord tells you to?

“NO” to what I want; and YES to what God wants; and nothing else in between.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

Throwing Momma from The Train

“The grace of God is sufficient for the vilest, and He can take the most wicked men (person)and make them monuments of His grace.” -Smith Wigglesworth

In the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, chapter nine, we read about God’s ability and power to change a life going one direction and place it on a completely different trajectory.

Saul was a young Pharisee who was on a mission to rid the world of all who claimed that Jesus was the Messiah. He was on a road to Damascus with legal papers in his hands that gave him permission to arrest ANYONE who said that they were followers of Jesus and bring them back to Jerusalem.

Acts 9:1 said that Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”. 

“MURDERER”, was the cry of everyone who saw him coming as they ran for shelter.

In verses 3-5, Saul, instead, had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ who told Saul that he was actually working against the Lord by arresting and killing people.

In verse 6 Saul started trembling and was astonished, and said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Somehow in this encounter, Saul became blind and fell to the floor. Verse 9 says that Saul was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Verse 10 tells us that there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

“So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” (V. 11-12)

“He’s a MURDERER”, was the cry of Ananias to the Lord when he was told to go to Saul and pray for him.

 “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” (V.13-14)

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (V.15-16)

Ananias said; ‘OK, I’ll do it…’ to the Lord and went to the appointed place and laid hands on Saul and prayed for him for healing.

“And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (V.17) 

Notice when Ananias came into that house, he called Saul; “Brother”. Ananias’s response was loving, affectionate, kind, and welcoming to this man who stood before him.

I am so glad that Saul didn’t run into Owen’s momma; from the movie; “Throw Momma from The Train”.

 

Her response would have been to call out; “Murderer! He’s a murderer! He’s trying to kill me! He’s a murderer!” everywhere Saul went.

Then something very cool happened; Saul was healed!

“Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So, when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.” (V.18-19)

Saul was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit and the Bible records the results of that filling.

My friend, that same grace that was given to Saul (who later called “Paul”) is available to you; TODAY! That same filling of the Holy Spirit that Saul received is available for you TODAY!

As I stated earlier; “The grace of God is sufficient for the vilest, and He can take the most wicked men (person)and make them monuments of His grace.”

You simply need to ask.

“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:10-13)

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Your Table Is Ready...

When I go into a restaurant to eat, I give my name to the person at the front desk and they hand me a flying-saucer looking disk and tell me that they are going to prepare a table for me and that it will take 10, 15, 30, 45 minutes. The disk is a way for the restaurant to let me know when my table is ready. The hostess assures me that she will come back to get me when all is ready. 

Usually, I sit and wait and wonder with every person who is called if they have indeed forgotten about me. I stare at the red disk, “willing-it” with all my might to flash to let me know that it is time. I watch it thinking that if I blink I may miss the light going off and someone else will get my table.

Then, something strange happens; I settle in. I start to look around and get used to the environment I’ve found myself in. I begin to watch people as the chair in which I am sitting becomes molded to my body. I forget about the red disk and begin to wonder what might be the reason why each of the various groups of people came to eat at this restaurant…perhaps a birthday, or anniversary, I say to myself.

And then it happens! The disk begins to vibrate and to flash like an ambulance racing in the night! At first, I am bewildered; “What does this mean?” and “How do I get this thing to shut off?”; I think as I wake from my slumber. I leap to my feet, and almost embarrassed I race towards the front desk hoping that I am not too late.

All around me eyes begin to wonder why I get to go ahead of them.

And then, something changes in my swagger as I realize that I have been chosen, hand-selected by the restaurant to be ushered in, escorted to my table like royalty.

My hostess has returned to take me to the place that they have been preparing for me! I made it! Food and drinks await me! Everything I want has been prepared ahead of time; the table, the settings, the napkins are all arranged waiting for me!

Jesus said in John 14:2-3

“In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.”

THE BIBLE SAYS:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.  But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.  "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1Co 15:51-57 NAS)

WE DON’T KNOW HOW LONG WE HAVE ON THIS EARTH.

The Bible tells us that “Now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).

IN SPITE OF WHAT YOU’VE HEARD, God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

Jesus said; "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

Jesus said; "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  (John3:16-17 NIV).

SO WHY aren’t most people experiencing life as described in the Bible verses we just read?

SIMPLY PUT, IT IS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SINFUL; in other words, they don’t live as God wants them to live. Because of that, they are distant, or separated from God, and they cannot know and experience God's love and plan for their lives.

In the Bible we read; "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23).

When God made people, He intended FOR EVERYONE to have a loving relationship with Him. But because people have free-will, often they choose to go their own independent ways; doing what they want, and a relationship with God is broken.

The Bible calls this sin. Sin is anything that separates us from God; it means to miss the mark.

In the Bible we read; "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). 

In other words, the price of doing whatever we want results in a spiritual separation from God,

And life apart from God is death. God is holy and just. He cannot simply wink at sin.

His holiness commands payment for our sin.

John 3:18 Whoever believes on Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

BUT GOD DOESN’T WANT US TO STAY SEPARATED FROM HIM, so He made a way to "bridge the gap" that divides us from Him. This way is through Jesus Christ.

JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S ONLY PROVISION FOR MAN'S SIN. Jesus paid the price for our sin with His death, burial, and resurrection: sinless substitute. Through Jesus (and Jesus alone) you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.

Remember that we read in the Bible that "the wages of sin is death?" Well, In the Bible we also read that Jesus died in our place;

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).  "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6).

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO DO IT ALL ON THEIR OWN, thinking that Christianity is too narrow; there must be several ways to get in.

IF I WAS TO TRY TO GET BACK INTO BODY BUILDING, there would really be only one way to do it: Diet and exercise. No short cuts as shown in the infomercials on TV. No fad diets. I have to follow the prescribed plan. The same is true for getting right with God.

YOU MIGHT BE THINKING THAT GOD IS WRONG TO SEND PEOPLE TO HELL.

It is not God’s plan to send people to hell. Hell was created for the devil and His angels.

People go to hell because they reject God’s offer of salvation. That is like a restaurant where you need a tie to get in and you refuse to take the tie offered to you by the hostess.

If you don’t go to heaven, it is because you have rejected His offer for forgiveness.

YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, "I ALREADY KNOW THIS." But it is not enough just to know this; you must personally and individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. After that, you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.

In the Bible we read; "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)

HOW?  WE RECEIVE CHRIST THROUGH FAITH BY BELIEVING THE BIBLE: 

"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).

WE RECEIVE CHRIST BY PERSONALLY INVITING JESUS INTO OUR LIVES. 

JUST TO agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience.

RECEIVING CHRIST involves turning our wills and lives to God and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. The Bible calls this "repentance". What that means is to "change the way you think"; in other words go another direction- with our thoughts, words, actions; with how we live our lives.

RECEIVING CHRIST involves agreeing with what God calls sin. The Bible calls this “confession”. Confession means to agree with what God says and remember, Sin is anything that separates us from God.

GOD WILL ONLY GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO:

1.   Those who are sorry for their sins.

2.   Those who are willing to turn away from what the Bible calls sin.

3.   Those who put their complete trust (have faith) in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection.

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WE NEED TO CONFESS AND BELIEVE JESUS:

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved: for with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the scripture says, whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him: for whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-13 

SO, HOW DO YOU GET RIGHT WITH GOD?

1.   Stop trusting in your own efforts to please God and begin to trust in what Jesus Christ has already done.

2.   Ask God to forgive you for your sins.

3.   Invite Jesus to come and live in you.

4.   Ask Jesus to take His rightful place as Lord and Savior of your life.

5.   Turn away from whatever the Bible says is sin.

§  This is only possible after you have made Jesus the Lord of your life.

You can do this right now by praying (speaking to God) in your own words like this:"

LORD JESUS. I WANT TO STOP TRUSTING MYSELF AND WHAT I CAN DO AND START TRUSTING IN YOU AND WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE WHEN YOU DIED ON THE CROSS FOR ME.

I KNOW THAT I AM A SINNER AND I AM SORRY FOR MY SINS.

I ASK YOU TO FORGIVE ME.

AND I INVITE YOU TO COME AND LIVE IN ME.

I WANT YOU TO BE THE SAVIOR AND THE LORD OF MY LIFE. BY THAT I MEAN STARTING RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL BE #1 IN MY LIFE.

I WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND THE BIBLE CALL SIN.

I TOTALLY COMMIT MYSELF TO OBEYING YOU; EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE.

THANK YOU LORD JESUS" 

The Consequences of Saying Yes to Sexual Temptation

A quick scan of the major news media sources reveals that scandals involving infidelity and immorality are being exposed almost daily.

It seems that no one is immune including athletes, coaches, politicians, teachers, and yes, even more than we would like to admit, the clergy.

Careers and lives are ruined as families are ripped apart in the aftermath of a series of poor decisions by leaders who thought that it would NEVER happen to them.

Some of these decisions were caused by giving into temptation from simply being worn out from pouring out into others without refilling the tanks.

And yet, not everyone who is tempted needs to give in; there is a way out.

I’m thinking of Joseph (in the Bible). Let me refresh your memory from Genesis 39:6b-12 (MSG):

“Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. ⁷ And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” ⁸ But he refused and said to his master's wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. ⁹ He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

¹¹ But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house,¹² she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.”

Did you catch that? Joseph, instead of giving into temptation to have sex with this woman was able to FLEE!

How? GRACE. There is always GRACE to assist us in fleeing:

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Whenever I feel particularly vulnerable to sexual temptation, I find it helpful to review what effects my action could have:

·        Grieving the Lord who redeemed me.

·        Dragging His sacred name into the mud.

·        One day having to look Jesus, the Righteous Judge, in the face and give an account of my actions.

·        Following in the footsteps of these people whose immorality forfeited their ministries.

·        Inflicting untold hurt on my spouse and children; losing their respect and trust.

·        Destroying my example and credibility with my children, and nullifying both present and future efforts to teach them to obey God ("Why listen to a someone who betrayed us?").

·        If my blindness should continue or my spouse be unable to forgive, perhaps losing my spouse and my children forever.

·        Causing shame to my family; especially when asked to step out of ministry.

·        Losing self-respect.

·        Creating a form of guilt awfully hard to shake. Even though God would forgive me, would I forgive myself?

·        Forming memories and flashbacks that could plague future intimacy with my spouse.

·        Wasting years of ministry training and experience for a long time, maybe permanently.

·        Forfeiting the effect of years of witnessing to my family and reinforcing their distrust for ministers that has only begun to soften by my example but that would harden, perhaps permanently, because of my immorality.

·        Undermining the faithful example and hard work of other Christians in our community.

·        Bringing immense pleasure to Satan, the enemy of God and all that is good.

·        Heaping judgment and endless difficulty on the person with whom I committed adultery.

·        Possibly bearing the physical consequences of such diseases as gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, and AIDS; perhaps infecting my spouse or, in the case of AIDS, even causing their death.

·        Possibly causing pregnancy, with the personal and financial implications, including a lifelong reminder of my sin.

·        Bringing shame and hurt to fellow pastors and elders.

·        Causing shame and hurt to these friends, especially those I've led to Christ and discipled:

·        Invoking shame and lifelong embarrassment upon myself.

I’m not sure where you are at today or why you’ve read this blog. You may be in a state of transition because you haven’t fled when given the opportunity. Instead, you gave in and you may be wondering; “Is there any hope for restoring me back to health and wholeness?”

I can heartily state; “Yes, there is hope that a broken life can be restored again!”

Need some help?: http://riverofhopeministries.org/wordpress/pastoral-restoration

All Scripture is from English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.