I am Redeemed!

This post was previously published. Blessings and enjoy!

 

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

I was a slave in a foreign land
So very far from the Father’s loving hand
He rescued me, one glorious day
He brought me out, paid a debt I could not pay

I was a slave in a foreign land. A slave? Yes, a slave. Of course we are all slaves to something; in our natural state we are slaves to sin and in it’s bondage. In our saved states we are slaves to the Lord Jesus Christ. Being a slave implies that one has no will of his or her own, that they are under the power of what controls them. We see how Jesus told the Pharisees, Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. They Pharisees, like all of us in our natural states, were under the control of, or slaves, to their sin. All of us. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Not only under sin’s control, but we are under sin’s penalty, for the wages of sin is death. What then, sets us free? The atoning work of Jesus Christ does, of course. At the moment of our salvation we are free from the penalty of sin, Not only are we free from the penalty of sin, but Jesus b egins a work in us to free us from the influence of sin in our lives, as Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

So very far from the Father’s loving hand. God is Holy, and we are not. The Seraphim in Isaiah’s vision at the throne proclaimed this: And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Paul was inspired to write of His God, What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Because God is perfect and holy and we are not, we are forever separated from Him, But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

He rescued me, one glorious day. That glorious day, of course, was the day we repented of our sins and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior and Lord. That salvation is available to everyone, as For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. He brought me out, paid a debt I could not pay. Well, that is not strictly true, as we can in fact pay our own sin debt, as the wages of sin is death; however, we certainly do not want to pay the debt we owe by suffering an eternity separated from a perfect and Holy God. . We do not, however, have to pay it, as Jesus has paid it already. Even though the wages of sin is death, we also see that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Still I live, in a foreign land
Now I’m free according to redemptions plan
Soon I’ll join the robed in white, the redeemed
We’ll sing a song the holy angels, cannot sing

Still I live, in a foreign land. Now I’m free according to redemptions plan. We are free from the penalty of our sin, and we are free from the power of sin; however, we remain sinners until the day of our deaths, or the return of Jesus. The process of our sanctification continues until our dying breath. Because, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new, we should not continue in habitual sin, We should not want to continue in habitual sin, because we can see that those who belong to Jesus will be chastened and corrected for our transgressions, and if we are not, then we are not His children: If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Soon I’ll join the robed in white, the redeemed, We’ll sing a song the holy angels, cannot sing. We have been saved from the penalty of sin, and are saved from the power of sin; some glorious day we will be saved from the very presence of sin as well. One day, if The Lord does not return before then, we all pass from this life on Earth into our heavenly eternity; that is, we will if we are saved and redeemed by the grace of God. Either way, at that moment we will then be free from the very presence of sin. We will be like HIm, our Lord, in that, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Read this great spoken narrative from this amazing song:

“Some glorious morning they will come from all nations,
from every generation. Side by side they will march into the
celestial city of Jehova and in perfect harmony they will begin
humming a brand new song. A song composed by God
Himself, arranged for His children. And as the saved by grace
approach the land of their dreams, the host of Heaven will
step aside. Even the angels will be silent. For they cannot
sing this new song. For this song is reserved for voices that
once cried out for a redeemer. Those washed in the blood
of the Lamb.”

Finally, the chorus

I am redeemed, I am redeemed
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free
I am redeemed, I am redeemed
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free

Are you still under bondage to your sin? Are you not redeemed? Do you still face the impending penalty for the sin you were born with and which you have committed? Are you still breathing? Then, it doesn’t matter, as it is not too late. No matter what you may have done, our how you may have lived: no one is beyond the reach and scope of God’s grace. Today, even as I type and you read, Jesus will loose the chains of your sin, set you free, and redeem you. It’s simple. Repentance toward God and belief in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

I was a slave in a foreign land
So very far from the Father’s loving hand
He rescued me, one glorious day
He brought me out, paid a debt I could not pay

I am redeemed, I am redeemed
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free
I am redeemed, I am redeemed
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free

Still I live, in a foreign land
Now I’m free according to redemptions plan
Soon I’ll join the robed in white, the redeemed
We’ll sing a song the holy angels, cannot sing

I am redeemed, I am redeemed
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free
I am redeemed, I am redeemed
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free

“Some glorious morning they will come from all nations,
from every generation. Side by side they will march into the
celestial city of Jehova and in perfect harmony they will begin
humming a brand new song. A song composed by God
Himself, arranged for His children. And as the saved by grace
approach the land of their dreams, the host of Heaven will
step aside. Even the angels will be silent. For they cannot
sing this new song. For this song is reserved for voices that
once cried out for a redeemer. Those washed in the blood
of the Lamb.”

I am redeemed, by love divine
Glory, glory Christ is mine, He’s mine
All to him, I now resign
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free.
My Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free.

Written by Phil Cross sung by Poet Voices

Forever Changed

This post was previously published

 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Now there were those who said I’d surely fall
When I told them I’d given Jesus my all
And I guess I really can’t blame them for having their doubts
For they only knew what I used to be
But oh! What a difference the Lord made in me
What I got was real!
And praise God I’m still serving Him now.

Now there were those who said I’d surely fall When I told them I’d given Jesus my all. And I guess I really can’t blame them for having their doubts. For they only knew what I used to be. What did I used to be? A sinner, of course. We all are, each and every one of us. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one. Maybe I was worse than some; maybe I was better than some. That is true for all of us; some come to salvation as children with little or no sin under their belts and some come with the sin and rebellion of years of willful living behind them. Saul of Tarsus is a great example of this. He was on the road to Damascus yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord when our Lord appeared to him and gloriously saved him. Yet, many doubted the reality of Saul/Paul as a changed man. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

I can’t ever forget the day I told my own children, who I had industriously taught for years that there was no God, or that if there was one, He was a monstrous jerk. Or that if they just were good kids they would be okay in eternity, if there really was an eternity. The same children who saw the life I lived after their mom and I divorced. What could I really tell them. All I could say was: “Hey all the things I told you for 20 years? Um…I was wrong.”

But oh! What a difference the Lord made in me.What I got was real! And praise God I’m still serving Him now. I have heard the expression, “Now that I am saved, I can sin all I want to! But, I don’t want to.” None of us become perfect at the moment of salvation. There is no such thing a sinless perfection; however. we will be changed, for If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we have been saved the world around us will see something different, and it should be different enough to cause people to ask us what happened. For we are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Now if this life was all that He promised to me
Friend, I’d still choose to serve the Lord faithfully.
But I cannot begin to imagine what He has in store
Once I was lost, I was headed for Hell
But then I got saved and now all is well
My forever began when I took the precious hands of Jesus, my Lord!

Now if this life was all that He promised to me.Friend, I’d still choose to serve the Lord faithfully. But I cannot begin to imagine what He has in store  It’s not all He has promised to us by any means! God’s promises to us are too numerous to list, but here are some big ones. He promised to save all who believe For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power unto salvation to everyone that believeth. He promises comfort in our trials, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  We already know He has promised that we will be new creations in Him,  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  

Once I was lost, I was headed for Hell.But then I got saved and now all is well. My forever began when I took the precious hands of Jesus, my Lord! We were all lost, in fact. We learned earlier that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We also know that, the wages of sin is death. But God has also taught us of His great love for us and we need to never forget that even though the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. All is well. God doesn’t promise health, wealth, and prosperity, but He does promise all will be well with our souls and spiritually. Another one of my favorite songs says it very well:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

When He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away,
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

It’s an open offer. He has changed my heart, and He has changed the hearts of many. Is your heart changed? Are you a new creature? Have the old things passed away?

More importantly, has He changed your eternal destiny? We all have one. We can spend eternity in Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, or we can spend it eternally separated from God.

But, it is a choice. We can accept God’s gift of salvation, or we can reject it. Accept it today. Repentance toward God and faith in His Son Jesus Christ are the only requisites.

Now there were those who said I’d surely fall
When I told them I’d given Jesus my all
And I guess I really can’t blame them for having their doubts
For they only knew what I used to be
But oh! What a difference the Lord made in me
What I got was real!
And praise God I’m still serving Him now.

Forever changed! I’m forever changed!
All things are brand new!
I tell you it’s true, I’m not the same!
For He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

Now if this life was all that He promised to me
Friend, I’d still choose to serve the Lord faithfully.
Once I was lost, I was headed for Hell
But then I got saved and now all is well
My forever began when I took the precious hands of Jesus, my Lord!

Forever changed! I’m forever changed!
All things are brand new!
I tell you it’s true, I’m not the same!
For He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

When He changed the heart of me
He changed my eternal destiny.
Old things passed away,
Thank God for the day
My forever changed!

By The Kingdom Heirs

Yes I know

This post was previously published. Blessings and enjoy!

 

 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.

Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
Jesus’ blood can make you free;
For He saved the worst among you,
When He saved a wretch like me.

Come ye sinners, lost and hopeless, That’s every single one of us. We are all sinners by nature and by choice. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one.
We were not created that way, in the beginning, we were created sinless and in the image of God. However, Adam and Eve chose to violate the one and only restriction God had place on them and rebel. Because of this By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Jesus’ blood can make you free. What, exactly, are we captive to? Prior to our salvation through Jesus Christ, we are captive to both the penalty of sin and the power of sin. Paul tells us of the penalty of sin to which we are all captive when he says For the wages of sin is death. Death, physical and spiritual. Physical because by one man sin entered the world, and death. Spiritual death, or eternal separation from God,

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

We are not, however, captive forever to the penalty and power of sin. The atoning work of Jesus Christ can, and will, set us free.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For He saved the worst among you,When He saved a wretch like me. Although all have sinned, and although the wages of that sin is death, it is not all bad news. God made a solution for us with the atoning work of Jesus Christ. To quote an often said cliched, “Nobody is good enough that they do not need a savior, and nobody is so bad that they cannot be saved.”

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

Whosoever is a pretty inclusive category of people; in fact it includes all people, for again, Whosoever shall upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Nobody is exempt, and none is too far gone. Remember the thief on the cross next to Jesus? He was there for a reason, he deserved punishment for the crimes he had committed. He had been right in the middle of mocking and deriding our Lord with his companion on the third cross. As he hung there he repented of his sins and crimes and came to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. As a result, he was told the following by Jesus, And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Nobody is too bad to be saved, and it is not too late until a person’s final breath is drawn.

To the faint He giveth power,
Through the mountains makes a way;
Findeth water in the desert,
Turns the night to golden day.

To the faint He giveth power,Through the mountains makes a way;

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

He is strong when we are weak, and if we rely on Him, we will always prevail. Here God was giving encouragement to the Israelites during the oppression they were suffering at the hands of various conquerors. What is the key? Waiting upon The Lord. We can’t do what He wants us to do under our own power, we have to rely on His power to accomplish His works.

Findeth water in the desert,Turns the night to golden day. Imagine all those people wandering in the desert after being delivered from Egyptian captivity. Imagine them, perhaps several million, wandering in the desert for 40 long years. How would they eat? How would they drink? God can handle it. For those 40 long years, God provided them all they needed to survive. He has kept on doing that, during all the time of trial His people have faced.

I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

Today he offers us water, living water, in the desert of our lost condition.  If we drink of his living water, we will never thirst again.

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Not only is Jesus our living water, but He is our light during dark times.  He told this to the Pharisees after telling the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. He offered her forgiveness, and He offers it to us as well.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

In temptation He is near thee,
Holds the pow’rs of hell at bay;
Guides you to the path of safety,
Gives you grace for every day.

 In temptation He is near thee,Holds the pow’rs of hell at bay.  Our foe the Devil, is quite real. Peter told us he is a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. How is He near us? Today, He is just as near as His Word. Remember Jesus in the desert being tempted? What kept Him safe and what did He rely on? He kept His Father’s Word near him. His response three times to the temptations of Satan:

It is Written!

It is Written!

It is Written!

Guides you to the path of safety, God has promised this to us, that He will guide us through the trials and tribulations of this life.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Gives you grace for every day. God does give us grace for everyday. Not only that, but it is through his grace that we can face eternity, knowing we will be with Him always. Remember Paul as he face the thorn in his side which God had opted not to remove? Of course, Paul really wanted that thorn gone, but rather than do that, God left it but provided what Paul needed to endure. My grace is sufficient for thee, is what God told Paul. And His grace for daily living is sufficient for any of us to endure whatever trial we may face.

And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.

No one is so good that they do not need salvation. More importantly, no person is so far gone that he or she cannot be saved. For, we are all lost, as All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. But yet, God loved us despite our condition and has made a way for each of us to be restored to Him; none is denied the opportunity, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

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Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
Jesus’ blood can make you free;
For He saved the worst among you,
When He saved a wretch like me.

To the faint He giveth power,
Through the mountains makes a way;
Findeth water in the desert,
Turns the night to golden day.

In temptation He is near thee,
Holds the pow’rs of hell at bay;
Guides you to the path of safety,
Gives you grace for every day.

And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.

Anna W. Waterman

In Christ Alone

This post has been around a few times, but I am reposting it today as it’s a favorite of mine. Also, I am getting all of my blog post transferred over to Word files, and just reposting as I go!

Colossians 2:8-10

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

We all have a hope in  Jesus; in fact Jesus is our only hope. For any who respond to God’s drawing and honestly seek Him, Jesus provides the only hope and the only way. There is no other hope, no other way. Jesus Himself told us I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus told Peter at one point that the rock upon which He would build His church, was in fact Himself as he told Peter the following: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Later as Peter and John were brought before the Council at Jerusalem, Peter preached this, Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

What are the heights of God’s love for us? Even though all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, He loved us while we were yet sinners. Even though our sins had separated us from a perfect and holy God, and we are sinners by birth and by choice, God loved us so much that He that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

Jesus Christ was 100 percent man and 100 percent God; Not part of each, but fully each. As the song says: the fullness of God in helpless babe. Why fully man? It was man who sinned, and man who had to pay. Of course, we could each pay our own debt for our own sin, as the wages of sin is death. But, that is the problem; we can only each pay for our own sin; I can’t pay for you and you can’t pay for me. We each are accountable and can only pay for our own transgressions. Who, then, could pay for us all? Well, God can of course! As God, Jesus could pay the infinite price presented by mankind’s infinite sin, and He did just that.

Yet, our Lord was scorned by the ones He came to save: That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 

Till on that cross as Jesus died,The wrath of God was satisfied;For ev’ry sin on Him was laid— Of all of the things Jesus said on the Cross of Calvary, none are more important than this: It is finished. Our debt, the debt of sin owed by every man, woman, and child was “paid in full, tetelestai.” As an accounting term, this simply means exactly what it says. Our debt was paid in full, and nothing more is owed. All accounts have been settled. Because Jesus paid the debt owed, we who were dead can be make alive again. as  you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. And we can be made alive, because as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain; All of the “founders” of various “religions” have died, every single one of them. But our Lord’s death is far, far different than any of those. First, they all died normal, regular deaths; old age, sickness, being murdered; the list goes on and on. The death of Jesus, however, was God’s plan from eternity past for the redemption of mankind. We know from reading that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that the wages of sin is death. Jesus death was no unexpected event, to afterthought God came up with when our sin surprised HIm. God planned this event before the very foundation of the world to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Then bursting forth in glorious day,Up from the grave He rose again!And as He stands in victory,Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me; Remember those “founders” of those other “religions?” They are still dead. Not our Lord, however, as we know he rose from that tomb on the third day and again walked among us for 40 days. We know what happened when the women went to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, found the tomb empty, and were told by the angel He is not here: for he is risen, Why did Jesus rise? Without a bodily resurrection, our entire faith simply melts away. Without the Resurrection, Jesus was not God; he was just a martyred prophet. Without the Resurrection, every single prophecy about it is false; that renders the Bible false. Without the Resurrection, even Jesus’ own prophecies about His death and Resurrection were false, making Him not even a real prophet, but a false one. Without the Resurrection, we cannot be justified and cleared of our sin; If Jesus is still dead then we are still dead in our sin. Without the Resurrection, there is no hope. If Jesus died and stayed dead, then we also will die and stay dead. For that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—

Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand

No guilt in life, no fear in death— We have all sinned, and one of the results of sin is guilt. We need never feel guilty for the things our our past as they are forgiven, as God has told us the following, For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Our pasts? Gone, with the wind.  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. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. That is a pretty impressive list of the forgiven ones!

Sometimes Satan, accuser of our brethren still attacks, both our past and our now. The past is gone, but even our sins of today are forgiven and washed away by the blood of jesus Christ. Our guilt over our current sin my be in order, and may simply be telling us of our need for confession to our Father. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand; Once we belong to Jesus, we belong to Jesus. Just as we never need to feel guilty about our pasts, we never need to worry about the security of our future. Grace saved us, and grace keeps us. Nothing we have done worked us to heaven, and nothing we can do will ever take that away from us either: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. We were given to Jesus by the Father and nothing can ever take us away; Jesus assured us that My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

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Are you in Christ alone? Or are you still burdened by the guilt of your past? Has the Holy Spirit reached out and convicted you of your need for forgiveness? If he has, listen to what He is telling you. Repent and believe today.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—

Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand

Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Sung by Kristyn Townsend

The Master Builder

I didn’t have anything ready for this morning, so enjoy this re-run!

Psalm 127:1

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Mathew 7:24-27

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it

Jesus was a carpenter a long time ago.Joseph taught Him all thingsHe needed to know. He grew up straight and strong, working on the shores of Galilee. He learned to use a hammer, and He learned to drive a nail. We read, in our Bibles, primarily about the ministry of Jesus on this Earth. So, naturally that is what we talk about most, because very little is revealed about His life before the beginning of His ministry. Let’s ponder that some quickly. Although there is debate about exact numbers and such, we know the length of His ministry was around 3 years, and that He lived on this earth for around 33 years. Jesus had much more time on this planet as just a regular guy than he did engaged in His ministry.

We know Jesus was a carpenter, or builder, or whatever term seems right. How do we know this? Well, first and foremost, his adopted earthly father Joseph was. That’s how things worked, you became what your father was. (That’s a point to ponder, for sure). When He preached in the Synagogue in his home town of Nazareth, we hear the people saying the following: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus was a baby, a young boy, a teenager, and ultimately a man just like any other man. He was fully human, just like any man. He had to be one of us. Why? Let’s recap quickly:

Only a man born under law could redeem those under law. Man had sinned, therefore man had to pay. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Only a living man could shed the blood needed for the forgiveness of sins. Under the Old Testament sacrificial system we learn that the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. We can read that even under the New Covenant, blood had to be shed for the remission of our sin and that nothing had changed:  Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. He was one of us: tempted in the same ways, enduring the same hardships as us, being sad and happy as us.

And when He finished building, it served Him mighty well. Cause He started on a building that stretched from sky to sky and sea to sea. Even though Jesus was just as normal, and fully human as you or I, He was also God incarnate in the flesh. He was 100 percent man, and 100 percent God. Not only that, but He was likely living His life knowing His mission was not of this earth.When Mary and Joseph lost track of Jesus when he was 12 years old coming back from feast time in Jerusalem and returned to find the boy teaching with great wisdom in the Temple and inquired about what was going on, Jesus answered as follows:  Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house? In Cana, at the famous wedding Jesus showed an understanding of the special nature of his mission on our Earth when His mother asked him for help with the situation at the wedding, responding Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.

Now He’s back in Heaven and He’s building once again. He’s working on a city called the New Jerusalem. It sits on a firm foundation according to the Master Builder’s plan. The streets are lined with mansions for the saints to move right in. It was customary in the day of Jesus that once a man and woman were betrothed to on another, committed to be married in other words, for the Groom to return to his father’s house to begin to prepare a place for he and his bride to live together as husband and wife. It’s no different here. Jesus is the groom and we are the Bride; we are the Bride of Christ. Who is the Bride? Well, we aren’t told any list of requirements believers must meet to be part of the Bride, but we do read that our groom’s expectations of us are similar to what any groom of the day might have had for his betrothed,   For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

And when He’s finished building, He’ll come back again. To take us to that city fashioned by the Master Builder’s hand. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Jesus is the Master Builder.He built His church upon a rock.He built it upon a firm foundation. When Jesus said to Peter And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Who is the rock? We won’t debate that here, but note some things: Jesus is the foundation and the cornerstone, as we are told This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone, and that no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Master Builder. He takes the old and  makes it new.He can take a life of sin, make it clean and pure within. And He can make a brand new you. Jesus rebuilds us. We all come from a life of sin; we all live lives of sin, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet  while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves any better in the eyes of a perfect and Holy God, as all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We don’t,however, have to stay in the condition. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus is the one who had no sin, made sin by God the Father to pay the price we owed. All we have to do is call, for whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Once we do that,  if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Are you a brand new you?

Jesus was a carpenter a long time ago
Joseph taught Him all things He needed to know
He grew up straight and strong, working on the shores of Galilee
He learned to use a hammer, and He learned to drive a nail
And when He finished building, it served Him mighty well
Cause He started on a building that stretched from sky to sky and sea to sea

Jesus is the Master Builder
He built His church upon a rock
He built it upon a firm foundation
And the work is never gonna stop (no, it never gonna stop)
Jesus is the Master Builder
He takes the old and makes it new
He can take a life of sin, make it clean and pure within
And He can make a brand new you

Now He’s back in Heaven and He’s building once again
He’s working on a city called the New Jerusalem
It sits on a firm foundation according to the Master Builder’s plan
The streets are lined with mansions for the saints to move right in
And when He’s finished building, He’ll come back again
To take us to that city fashioned by the Master Builder’s hand

Written by Dianne Wilkinson

Performed by The Cathedrals

 

My House is Full but My Field Is Empty

This post was previously published. Enjoy.

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Luke 10:2

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

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There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today,
Lots of food on His table and no one turned away.
There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by,
But a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries,

There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today. Indeed, there is much peace and contentment to be found around the Father’s table; he has promised us that. For those who are saved children of God, He gave us the promise that Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Why do we have so much peace? We can have that because although born sinners, as all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, He loved us enough to provide a way to be restored to Himself,  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Lots of food on His table and no one turned away. What is it we are partaking of at our Father’s table? Jesus told us that; He told us that the sustenance He provides would last forever. Speaking to his disciples, Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. What we enjoy at the Father’s table will never run out, and we will never hunger or thirst again. But, there is more! The invitation to the Father’s table is an open one, and no one will be turned away, who comes to Him in repentance and faith; for whosever calls upon the name of The Lord shall be saved.

There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by. Hours? Try eternity, for we will be at our Father’s table forever! David, the Psalmist noted the following:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows.Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

But we don’t have to wait for our passing from this life and eternity to enjoy the many blessings of God do we? All saved children of the Father know our blessings start the moment God’s Holy Spirit moves inside of us and we are saved and born again. That’s really when we first come to the table. So, what is the problem? Our chorus tells us what the problem is.

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields.

That’s right, we all love the blessings God bestows on us as saved children of His. But God needs workers. The fields are ripe for the harvest, as The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: 

Who will go and work for Me today? In the prophet Isaiah’s vision, we hear the Lord ask Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? In that occasion, the prophet promptly replied to the Lord Here am I; send me. Is that our answer when God calls us to reach out to a lost and dying world? Or are we a Moses, who resisted at first until God grew angry; or a Gideon, who required proof after proof; or a Jonah, who complied but even then remained angry at God’s decision to reach out to Nineveh?

So, then, what does does God want from us besides us sitting around enjoying His great blessings? Does He want us to just stay in his house, filling our bellies with His bounty? NO!

Push away from the table.
Look out through the windowpane,
Just beyond the house of plenty
Lies a field of golden grain.
And it’s ripe unto harvest,
But the reapers, where are they?
In the house,
Oh, can’t the children hear
the Father sadly say,

We have our orders, and our instructions are clear. Push away from the table. Look out through the windowpane, After he had spent 40 days showing himself to the world and his disciples after His resurrection, Jesus had these famous words to say to them jut prior to leaving this Earth and returning to heaven:  Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Go, Go Go. That is what Jesus said. Go! At some point after that, just before he ascended to be with His Heavenly Father, Jesus reinforced the point when he further told the disciples that ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. As if to further reinforce the point, after Jesus disappeared into the clouds two angels appeared to the disciples and asked them, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

Who was this instruction for? Was it just for the disciples assembled there? Well, obviously not! How would 12 men reach the uttermost part of the Earth? This command is for all people, of all times, in all places. It’s not just for preachers, or evangelists, either; again, this instruction is for us all.

The instruction is for NOW. Of course, Jesus did tell the disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, which did occur on the Day of Pentecost. We no longer have to wait for that, because as saved believers we are already indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and have all the tools we need at our disposal! The time is now, because the harvest of souls is ready and waiting, see again Jesus teaching His disciples, Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. This command is not for the future; it is for now, and it is for us all.

So, why are we in the Father’s House, gathered around the table, and enjoying His sustenance? Well, of course it is because He loves us and wants to bless us. But perhaps there is more, and the narrator in the video on this post may have captured it perfectly. Why do we eat and rest in the first place? We do it to keep our bodies nourished and to recover from previous efforts, right? We do it so that we can go back to our endeavors at a later time.  Maybe that is why God blesses us in His house, not so much for simply our enjoyment, but to get back out there and resume our endeavors.

So, let’s enjoy our Father’s house and His table. Let’s thank him for and enjoy the many blessings He gives us. Let’s remember however, that those of us who are saved believers will enjoy that bounty for all eternity. There are, however those, who will not, unless they are reached, because  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

So, then, beloved, let us fill our bellies and get our rest. Then, let’s not sit around and do nothing. Let’s push back from the table, look out that window, and more importantly walk out that door into a lost and dying world and share Jesus Christ with them!

There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today,
Lots of food on His table and no one turned away.
There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by,
But a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries,

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields.

Push away from the table.
Look out through the windowpane,
Just beyond the house of plenty
Lies a field of golden grain.
And it’s ripe unto harvest,
But the reapers, where are they?
In the house,
Oh, can’t the children hear
the Father sadly say,

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields….

Who will go and work in my fields

 

He Touched Me

Enjoy this re-run from a while back.

Shackled by a heavy burden, ‘Neath a load of guilt and shame. Then the hand of Jesus touched me, And now I am no longer the same.

Shackled by a heavy burden,neath a load of guilt and shame. What are we burdened with? We are burdened with the weight of our sin. Who is burdened with this load? Well, or course, we all are. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  “Oh, I don’t feel such a burden” a person says; however we all do, because we all know. We know we have fallen short of the glory of God. We know how glorious He is and that we cannot stand beside Him with our heads up. We know because of the presence of God’s work around us, and we are all without excuse.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

“I am not bothered by these things you Christians call sin,” a person says. That is simply not true, as we are all given the same conscience concerning what is right and wrong by the same God. We all have it, whether one of God’s chosen and redeemed or not.

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

Let’s take a look how David, a man after God’s own heart, felt about his own transgressions. Now, some would say that what David did was not REALLY so bad, after all, many are guilty of it. But, one of the greatest believers in history felt differently.

(A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.) O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off. They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs. For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is. Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Then the hand of Jesus touched me,And now I am no longer the same. By His stripes we are healed. How did Jesus touch us? He touches us by His atoning work. Because our sin not only loads us down with a burden everyday, but it faces us with a penalty. For the wages of sin is death. Spiritual death, and eternal separation from God, because He is perfect and holy and we are not, nor can we be through our own efforts. So, we each owe payment for the crimes we have committed against God’s moral law, and somebody has to pay. It can be us, sure. Each and every one of us could pay for our own sin. We don’t have to, however, and that is how Jesus touches us. For not only is the wages of sin death, but the passage keeps on going. It also states  the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are touched by Jesus, and we are changed, and we are no longer the same. What is different? We are justified, or made righteous from Jesus’ payment for us and we see that, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:. We have peace with God, we are no longer separated from Him, nor will we ever be!

Since I met this blessed Savior, Since He cleansed and made me whole, I will never cease to praise Him, I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.

Since I met this blessed Savior,Since He cleansed and made me whole,. Jesus does make us whole. At the pool of Bethesda, when Jesus met the man who had been disabled for the thirty eight years of his life, he asked him, wilt thou be made whole? We see that the man was made whole as Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked:……. But Jesus didn’t come to Earth to heal us physically, that just proved that He could heal us, in all ways. We see Jesus getting closer to the truth of our healing as He ministered to the woman who had the issue of blood for 12 years, so much faith that she though if she could only touch Him she would be healed, and Jesus’ response to her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. We see the Roman Centurion whose faith was so great that Jesus said, When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. At that very instant, the Centurion’s sick servant was healed. It is our faith, and God’s grace which makes us whole. We are whole because we are righteous and cleansed from our sin. The entire debt for our transgressions past, present, and future is paid and we are whiter than snow. I will never cease to praise Him,I’ll shout it while eternity rolls. I will praise Him in the here and now. After all, isn’t that why we are here in the first place? He is certainly due that from us, because For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:. In fact, no things would exist, including us if not for Him: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Not only should we praise HIm, but we should tell about Him! Being touched by Jesus is not some secret we should keep to ourselves. If we are headed to an eternity with HIm, don’t we want as much company as possible? The Psalmist taught us this:

I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

If that wasn’t enough, our Lord Himself told us, ………Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  That’s pretty clear I think! Eternal life; that is quite a concept, yet that is exactly what we are promised after our salvation through Jesus Christ. And we don’t even have to wait for it, because our eternity begins at that very moment. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:  Hath, has; he who believes on the Son, HAS eternal life. Sadly, those not saved by the atoning work of Jesus Christ face the opposite situation, as He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life as well as, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

He touched me, Oh He touched me, And oh the joy that floods my soul! Something happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole.

He has touched me. Has He touched you? Do you want the joy of everlasting life to touch YOUR soul? Something can happen, if it has not. Forgiveness and salvation is available to all who are offered it, whosoever will. Whosoever means me, it means you.

Do want to be made whole? Repent toward God. Understand that sin has driven a wedge between you and God that nothing you can do will ever remove it. Accept the payment Jesus made on that cross to pay the penalty we could never pay. Believe in His atoning work and resurrection from the dead in three days. Accept Him as Savior and Lord of your life. Do that, and you can sing this song:

Shackled by a heavy burden ‘Neath a load of guilt and shame Then the hand of Jesus touched me And now I am no longer the same

He touched me, Oh, He touched me And Oh the joy that floods my soul Something happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole

Since I met this blessed Savior And since he cleaned and made me whole I never cease to praise Him I’ll shout it while eternity rolls

Oh He touched me, oh He touched me And oh the joy that floods my soul Something happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole.

Bill and Gloria Gaither

 

Because He Lives

I’m thinking about getting back in the business of writing on some of my favorite songs, so for the next few Saturdays am going to re-run some of the older ones and ponder on it.

Jesus Christ is alive!

Buddha-Dead     Joseph Smith- Dead     Mohammed-Dead

David Koresh-Dead     Krishna-Dead     Charles Taze Russell-Dead

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

All the founders and prophets of all the great “religions” of the world are dead. They all died and they all have stayed quite dead. None have risen, nor have any claimed to have risen. Only Jesus has ever made that claim.

God sent His son, They called Him Jesus. He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died, to buy my pardon. An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

God sent His Son. God sent Himself. 100% man because man had to pay for the sin of man. 100% God because only an infinite God could pay the infinite price of man’s sin. They called Him Jesus. Really, though, Jesus was just a name like any other in that day. The true meaning of our savior’s name is far deeper.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

He came to love, heal and forgive. We have all sinned; all have failed to meet God’s standard of perfection and holiness. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one. The proscribed penalty for this failure is death, physical and spiritual. God cannot abide or look upon anything less than perfect holiness, because He Himself is perfect and Holy.  Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:. Of course we know the penalty for sin is death: The wages of sin is death. But God loves us, and He wants us to be forgiven and restored to Him.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

He lived and died, to buy my pardon. By His stripes we are healed. By the atoning work and death of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins, whether large or small. That would be mine, yours and anyone who repents and believes. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives. That’s easy. He was put there, now He is not there. The naysayers can deny and resist, but the physical resurrection remains the single most important event in human history. It’s quite simple. He’s NOT there.

How sweet to hold a new born baby, and feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still is that assurance the child can face uncertain days because He lives.

Yes, God has given us the things of this world to provide joy and enjoyment to us during our days in it. He proved that when He put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with all of the wonders of His creation available to them(minus one of course.) The Lord even gave us children and families as a thing to be treasured. But this pales in comparison the fact that, because Jesus overcame death, that we need not fear anything.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And then one day, I’ll cross that river. I’ll fight life’s final war with pain. And then as death gives way to victory. I’ll see the light of glory and I’ll know that He lives.

Paul lived for that moment because he knew that greater things awaited him when he exited this life. Read what he said to his young protege Timothy.

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 If Jesus was physically, bodily resurrected(and He was!) then will we be.

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

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know,  He holds the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

 Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, tomorrow indeed holds no mystery of uncertainty. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? That sting, that victory, is non-existent! Jesus assured there would be no sting, and He conquered death through His resurrection and victory over it. Because He lives, all fear is gone. No fear. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Because I know,  He holds the future. If readers have ever listened to this song, then they will know that the “know” here is carried out for several beats, rising in pitch and volume. Almost as if to present the knowing as more and more certain. That is because it IS more and more certain. And life is worth the living just because He lives. My life seems pretty good overall, but even in the midst of my many blessings, I would wonder if it was all indeed worth it, if this life was the totality of it. The blessings are many, as Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. but the promise of what comes next is even more outstanding.  Even the thief on the cross next to our Lord heard this: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. One of our promises of the resurrection is this: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And finally, one of the passages which most assures me: 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. If Jesus were still in that grave, He could not be anywhere preparing a place for us; however, He is not there. He is in Heaven at the right hand of the Father, preparing an eternal home for us.

All of this, simply

Because He Lives!

God sent His son, They called Him Jesus. He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died, to buy my pardon. An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

How sweet to hold a new born baby, and feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still is that assurance the child can face uncertain days because He lives.

And then one day, I’ll cross that river. I’ll fight life’s final war with pain. And then as death gives way to victory. I’ll see the light of glory and I’ll know that He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know,  He holds the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Bill and Gloria Gaither

My House is Full but My Field Is Empty

As we have been doing for a bit, I have been recapping the message I got to deliver at our church a couple of weeks before our  Revival. We have talked about a few things regarding, “Revival,” and I closed with an oral presentation of this blog post to close things out and illustrate what it might look like to actually get revived. My wife and her friend sang this song to open our service. This is not them; they are actually much better! Don’t ever say blogging doesn’t pay, as there is nothing like literally having a message in one’s pocket at all times!

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Luke 10:2

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

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There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today,
Lots of food on His table and no one turned away.
There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by,
But a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries,

There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today. Indeed, there is much peace and contentment to be found around the Father’s table; he has promised us that. For those who are saved children of God, He gave us the promise that Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Why do we have so much peace? We can have that because although born sinners, as all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, He loved us enough to provide a way to be restored to Himself,  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Lots of food on His table and no one turned away. What is it we are partaking of at our Father’s table? Jesus told us that; He told us that the sustenance He provides would last forever. Speaking to his disciples, Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. What we enjoy at the Father’s table will never run out, and we will never hunger or thirst again. But, there is more! The invitation to the Father’s table is an open one, and no one will be turned away, who comes to Him in repentance and faith; for whosever calls upon the name of The Lord shall be saved.

There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by. Hours? Try eternity, for we will be at our Father’s table forever! David, the Psalmist noted the following:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows.Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

But we don’t have to wait for our passing from this life and eternity to enjoy the many blessings of God do we? All saved children of the Father know our blessings start the moment God’s Holy Spirit moves inside of us and we are saved and born again. That’s really when we first come to the table. So, what is the problem? Our chorus tells us what the problem is.

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields.

That’s right, we all love the blessings God bestows on us as saved children of His. But God needs workers. The fields are ripe for the harvest, as The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: 

Who will go and work for Me today? In the prophet Isaiah’s vision, we hear the Lord ask Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? In that occasion, the prophet promptly replied to the Lord Here am I; send me. Is that our answer when God calls us to reach out to a lost and dying world? Or are we a Moses, who resisted at first until God grew angry; or a Gideon, who required proof after proof; or a Jonah, who complied but even then remained angry at God’s decision to reach out to Nineveh?

So, then, what does does God want from us besides us sitting around enjoying His great blessings? Does He want us to just stay in his house, filling our bellies with His bounty? NO!

Push away from the table.
Look out through the windowpane,
Just beyond the house of plenty
Lies a field of golden grain.
And it’s ripe unto harvest,
But the reapers, where are they?
In the house,
Oh, can’t the children hear
the Father sadly say,

We have our orders, and our instructions are clear. Push away from the table. Look out through the windowpane, After he had spent 40 days showing himself to the world and his disciples after His resurrection, Jesus had these famous words to say to them jut prior to leaving this Earth and returning to heaven:  Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Go, Go Go. That is what Jesus said. Go! At some point after that, just before he ascended to be with His Heavenly Father, Jesus reinforced the point when he further told the disciples that ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. As if to further reinforce the point, after Jesus disappeared into the clouds two angels appeared to the disciples and asked them, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

Who was this instruction for? Was it just for the disciples assembled there? Well, obviously not! How would 12 men reach the uttermost part of the Earth? This command is for all people, of all times, in all places. It’s not just for preachers, or evangelists, either; again, this instruction is for us all.

The instruction is for NOW. Of course, Jesus did tell the disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, which did occur on the Day of Pentecost. We no longer have to wait for that, because as saved believers we are already indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and have all the tools we need at our disposal! The time is now, because the harvest of souls is ready and waiting, see again Jesus teaching His disciples, Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. This command is not for the future; it is for now, and it is for us all.

So, why are we in the Father’s House, gathered around the table, and enjoying His sustenance? Well, of course it is because He loves us and wants to bless us. But perhaps there is more, and the narrator in the video on this post may have captured it perfectly. Why do we eat and rest in the first place? We do it to keep our bodies nourished and to recover from previous efforts, right? We do it so that we can go back to our endeavors at a later time.  Maybe that is why God blesses us in His house, not so much for simply our enjoyment, but to get back out there and resume our endeavors.

So, let’s enjoy our Father’s house and His table. Let’s thank him for and enjoy the many blessings He gives us. Let’s remember however, that those of us who are saved believers will enjoy that bounty for all eternity. There are, however those, who will not, unless they are reached, because  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

So, then, beloved, let us fill our bellies and get our rest. Then, let’s not sit around and do nothing. Let’s push back from the table, look out that window, and more importantly walk out that door into a lost and dying world and share Jesus Christ with them!

There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today,
Lots of food on His table and no one turned away.
There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by,
But a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries,

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields.

Push away from the table.
Look out through the windowpane,
Just beyond the house of plenty
Lies a field of golden grain.
And it’s ripe unto harvest,
But the reapers, where are they?
In the house,
Oh, can’t the children hear
the Father sadly say,

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields….

Who will go and work in my fields