Hezekiah was the 13th King of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and the son of the evil King Ahaz. During the time of the divided Kingdom, some kings were good Godly kings, and some were not. As we can see in the beginning of the passage, this good King had made a decision to bring the nation of Judah back to worship of the One True God.
Hezekiah sent out messengers to all the corners of his Kingdom in an effort to bring them all to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, which had fallen into disfavor in prior years. His command for the people to come was met with some general success in the Southern Kingdom of Judah; however the response in the King’s outreach to some of the Jews in the Northern Kingdom of Israel who had not been carried away by the Assyrians was not nearly so positive. In fact. their response to the messengers was to laugh at and mock them.
We are told elsewhere that there is nothing new under the sun, and is a true statement to this day. Even now, God has a message for those who have turned their backs on Him. Even now, God sends his messengers to tell them of sin, repentance and redemption. Even now, God’s messengers are laughed at and mocked.
What will we do when that happens? Hezekiah did not give up. We can see from more study onward in this story, that the King did bring the nation back to God. He never became perfect, and he made mistakes along the way; however, Hezekiah in his heart was always in the right place with God. How about us? What will be OUR reaction?
In his day, John the Baptist was what we might call a “big deal.” This man living in the desert, wearing clothes made from skins and living on locusts and wild honey was something special. We know he was because God’s Word tells us he was; any person called by God for a mission is something special. He must have been special, because the crowds thronged to the Jordan river to hear his message of repentance and to be baptized. He was a big enough deal that the Pharisees came out to harass and question him; John was a big enough deal to make them nervous.
John the Baptist, of course, understood just who he was and what his mission was. He was to “make straight the paths of the Lord.” When Jesus showed up this day, John immediately recognized and affirmed just exactly who Jesus was, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” In another gospel account, John the Baptist even said he, as big a deal as he was, was not even worthy to tie the shoe laces of Jesus.
How does the world react to Jesus today? Like John, we have seen the revelation of Him; we can all see it in the created world, and we can all read it in Scripture. We even have more than John the Baptist; we have history from the past and changed lives from today to testify of Jesus.
But, no, the world doesn’t react that way at all. “What sin?” we scream. “I don’t need some God to run MY life!” we yell. None of this matters. We have all sinned, and whether we own up to it or not matters not even a little bit. Jesus IS the lamb of God, come to take away the sins of the world, and each of us individually. Believe on Him today, and He will take away yours as well.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
This, of course, is part of the first recorded sermon of Jesus preached in the Synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. Shortly thereafter, his hometown “friends” took Him to the Brow of the Hill and attempted to kill Him for the very first time; that’s not really our story here, though. What see see above is Jesus preaching from Isaiah Chapter 61 concerning the impending captivity in Babylon of Israel. The prophet was telling the nation of their impending judgment, and most importantly, their also upcoming restoration and freedom.
When Jesus had finished reading the words of the prophet Isaiah, He said something truly amazing, “And he began to say unto them, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” Luke 4:21.
Wait, you say, what does being taken to Babylonian captivity have to do with Jesus then and us today? We have to assume it has everything to do with it, since Jesus both preached it and stated He was the fulfillment of it, so the only question is what He meant.
This passage has particular significance to me, as it was preached during the sermon the day I came to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the midst of all the things racing through my mind, I heard words like “brokenhearted,” and “bruised,” and “deliverance.”
Judgment, of course, is part of any message concerning the Gospel. We are judged by the Law and are accountable to it. Judgement, however, is not the desired outcome. God is “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. The desired outcome is that we all be set free from captivity and restored to fellowship and communion with God.
We can be set free from our captivity. If we are still held in the bondage of the penalty and judgment for our sin, God will set us free today, for “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21. Today, as this is read, anyone reading can be release and freed.
Being released from the eternal penalty of our sin does not always result in complete freedom from its presence and effect of our life; that process can take some time. Are you still trapped by the things of the past? Are you still tied down by guilt and doubt that you are free forever through the payment of Jesus Christ? Jesus has come to set us free from that as well. Don’t let the bondage of continuing sin and past guilt hold you back in your new life with Jesus.
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, becauseFor 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 shameThen the hand of Jesus touched meAnd now I am no longer the same
He touched me, Oh, He touched meAnd Oh the joy that floods my soulSomething happened and now I knowHe touched me and made me whole
Since I met this blessed SaviorAnd since he cleaned and made me wholeI never cease to praise HimI’ll shout it while eternity rolls
Oh He touched me, oh He touched meAnd oh the joy that floods my soulSomething happened and now I knowHe touched me and made me whole.
The path is narrow to eternal life, but that NEVER means we all cannot have it. A great post here on Salvation by Desiray. Comments closed here, so head over and share your thoughts. Blessings and enjoy!
Titus 3:5 says” He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
The word “Salvation” appears in the King James bible 164 times, that’s a lot of times. What is salvation and why are some people afraid of it? I am not one to argue over God’s word and so I am not going to start today. Some of you might disagree and you are entitled to your opinion. Let’s go to scripture and see that the word of God says, shall we?
This is a slight reworking of something I posted at another blog a long time ago. Blessings and enjoy!
All powerful
All Knowing
All present
Grace
Longsuffering
Love
Mercy
Creator
Sustainer
What is all that you ask? Well, those would be just some of the many characteristics, roles, or attributes of God. He is all of those things. He is all of those things, all of the time. He is all of those things in equal measure(that measure being infinite, of course). But that is not all. God is also the following:
Lawgiver
Judge
Jury
Administrator of Justice
We don’t like the idea of justice so much. We love love. We love grace. We love mercy. We don’t so much love law, judgement, or justice. Well, that is not really true. We do love justice, just not applied to us. Don’t we all scream for justice constantly?
That’s not fair!
Someday THEY will get what they deserve!
I deserve better than that!
They are going to pay for that some day!
Hey, where’s mine?
And on and on and on it goes.
So, we all have an innate, and generally very well developed sense of justice. After all, we spend big parts of our lives demanding it. Did we evolve into this almost universal sense of justice? Well, of course not. We were givenour sense of justice. When? Back in the Garden of Eden when God scooped up the dirt of the Earth, created a man, breathed life into his nostrils, and man became a living soul.
We were created in God’s image; we have a sense of justice because the One who created us also has a sense of justice
I have taken a sort of round about trip to answer a common question:
If God loves us, why can’t He just forgive us and move on? Why doesn’t He just “Let us all go” so to speak?
I don’t really want to over complicate the answer to that question, so will answer it with some short scenarios and questions of my own. If any reader decided to pay a visit to the local court day in their town and saw the following occur, what would the reaction be?
What if before court even started, the presiding judge stood up and proclaimed the following:
I really, really, really love you all! I know you are all guilty as charged, but I really, really love you all. So, even though you all did your particular crimes you won’t be punished for them. Every body go home!
What if the local auto thief came before the judge:
Thief: Yeah, Judge I stole that car, but I am really, really sorry!
Judge: Ok, great. Thanks for the apology. You may go home.
What about the guy who stole the radio from that car?
Thief: Yeah judge, I stole the radio. But at least I didn’t steal the whole car like that other guy!
Judge: Ok. Hmm. Good point. You may go home.
The armed robber?
Robber: I did it judge sure I did. You know all the charity stuff I do, right? How am I gonna do all that in jail?
Judge: Good point. Go home
If any of that actually occurred, what would our reaction be? At bare minimum we would quit electing that Judge, or work to have such a judge removed from the Bench. Why is that? Well obviously the conduct described above violates any sense of justice any normal, rational person has.
We believe in Justice
We are in God’s image
God gave us our sense of justice
God is just Himself
Why do we demand He behave differently?
Remember earlier when we talked about God’s attributes? He is all the things listed, all of the time, in full measure of each. Since being unchanging is also one of God’s attributes, He can not stop being any of those things. This is just simple fact as He has revealed to us in His Word, the Bible. We know these things because He has told us.
Another attribute of God is perfection and Holiness. Simply put, our transgressions large or small, are less than perfection and separate us from Him.
Isaiah 59:2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Big, or small. Shoplifter to mass murderer.
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
So in the eyes of a perfect and Holy God we are all guilty as charged. If this was our local courtroom, we would demand justice. Well, so does God.
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death………
That’s right, the penalty prescribed in God’s Law for violation of that law is the death penalty. The penalty is not penance, or purgatory, or a monetary fine or any sort of good works to make up for what we have done. The penalty for our sin is death. What does this mean? Well, after the first sin, it meant physical death. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, they would have lived forever in their physical forms, in harmony with God. Their sin brought into the world all the sickness and death as we know it today. Death also means spiritual death. Even though we all eventually die physically, we are are all eternal in our spirits. Our spirit, or soul will exist for all eternity. So, again, what is it to spiritually die? Spiritual death is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. It’s really that simple. When God says the wages of sin is death, that is the death of which He speaks.
Justice demands this. So, now what? Well, there is more!
Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God has given us a gift. Even though we owed the penalty of death for our sin, He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ as a way for that debt to be satisfied. God became flesh, in the form of Jesus Christ and became incarnate on this Earth for that very reason. Jesus Christ was fully human, so He could pay the price humans owed for their sin; He was also fully God, so He could pay the infinite price of the sin of all humanity past, present and future. Despite how He hates sin, God loves us deeply and completely.
John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It is a gift, we do not pay a thing for it; Jesus paid it all. We do not deserve it and we do not earn it. All we have to do is accept it. How do we do this? Let’s look at what the Bible teaches about this:
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
A really good post on witnessing to a lost and dying world from Overcoming The Times. Blessings and enjoy!
Luke 14:23
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
All of us may not be called to share the Gospel from a pulpit, however we all have a God ordained assignment to utilize our gifts and talents, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to witness to those who are unsaved.
I believe the fear of being rejected is the biggest stumblingblock which prevents most believers from witnessing to the lost. What we must keep in mind is if it had not been for someone witnessing the Gospel to us, we would still be lost in sin.
Sharing our faith does not always have to necessarily entail, going from door-to-door in our neighborhood, standing on street corners proclaiming the Gospel with a bullhorn, or passing out tracts at the park/mall; though all of these are effective methods. The key thing is that each of us have people within our circle of influence, like family, friends, and coworkers, who need to hear the Gospel.…….Read the rest of the post here: Witnessing To The Lost
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, forIf 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!
In continuation of my previous thoughts on Religion versus Relationship, I would like to approach this article from another angle. Unfortunately, this angle is not comical in any way, but rather frightening when considering the ramifications of a religious attitude versus one of a relationship.
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”(Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV bold/underline mine)
Have you ever really stopped and thought about this parable and the verses that immediately precede it, verses that are linked together by one very important word? This one word indicates the relationship and the severity of the two thoughts. That one word is “therefore.” As you have probably heard hundreds of times, when the Bible has “therefore,” it is vital to determine what it is there for. When we examine the preceding verses we should give pause and really reevaluate our lives……read the rest of the post here: Saved or Deceived? (Religious or Relationship Part II)
Truth in Palmyra 
Recent Comments