More than Forgiven

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long absence. The passage of the month (for October and November) is Luke 4:18-19. In the passage Jesus states, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Generally, people understand that Jesus died on the cross for their sins so that they could go to heaven instead of hell. This truth, which is at the heart of the Bible, has been widely proclaimed (as it should be). However, the whole truth is that Jesus came to forgive sinners and change their lives. The message of Jesus Christ offers more than eternal life. It offers eternal hope to sinners, and immediate hope. Just consider the following truths that can be pulled from Luke 4:18-19 . . .

First, Jesus came to "heal the brokenhearted." It is important to note that Jesus words as recorded in Luke 4:18-19 are actually a direct quote from Isaiah 61:1-2. The text of Isaiah 61 proceeds to say that the Messiah (Jesus) will "comfort all who mourn . . . give them beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning." In other words, the Messiah will heal the brokenhearted! I can not help but think of the sinful woman in Luke 7 who wiped Jesus' feet with her tears. There is no question that she was grieved because of her sins. Her heart was broken. Jesus spoke these words to her, "Your sins are forgiven . . . Your faith has saved you. Go in peace" (Luke 7:48,50). Thank God, that Jesus offers forgiveness and comfort to the brokenhearted.

Second, Jesus came to "proclaim liberty to the captives." The text also states that Jesus came "to set at liberty those who are oppressed." The text paints a picture of a slave being set free. How does this work in Christianity? Well, Jesus stated, "Whoever commits sin is a salve of sin" (John 8:34). He proceeded to say, "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." The good news is that Jesus came to forgive sinners and free them from being slaves to sin! This is great news for anyone who is addicted to sin (that's pretty much every single unbeliever).

Third, Jesus came to give "sight to the blind." This certainly should be understood as the "eye opening" experience that one enjoys when he understands and believes the good news concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus. However, it does not have to be limited to that. 1 John 2:11 states, "He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." In reality, unbelievers are not able to see the error of their ways, or the "path of pleasantness and peace" (proverbs 3:13-18) that lies before them. Thus, they continue to stagger in the darkness. They continue to hate one another and sin against God. The good news is Jesus came to forgive them and "open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and form the power of Satan to God."

In conclusion, it is wonderful to truly understand all the benefits that come from knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, I am forgiven and I enjoy the "abundant life" (John 10:10). Til next month, serve the King!

Pastor Ben

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

Hello! The passage we will be looking at today is 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 which states, "For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live together with Him."

A few quick points about these two verses....

1. A Christian is not appointed to wrath. This is great news! It is especially great news when you consider the fact that "we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind" (Ephesians 2:3). According to Colossians 3:6-7, the wrath of God is coming because of sexual immorality, impurity, evil desire, idolatry, etc... If I got what I deserve I would certainly have to face the wrath of God (because of my sins). But, because of the Lord Jesus Christ my appointment with God's wrath has been canceled!!!

I used to dread going to the dentist when I was kid (I just stopped going when I became an adult!) It was always a good thing when my Mom forgot my appointment or it was canceled. A canceled appointment meant I did not have to suffer for 30 minutes in the big green chair! How much better is it to know that I no longer have an appointment with the wrath of God! It is 1000X better!

2. The Lord Jesus Christ died for us. The message of the Bible is that Jesus became a man in order to die for the sins of the world. John 3:16 simply states, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Isaiah 53:5 states, "He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our sins, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Because the Lord Jesus Christ took my punishment upon Himself on the cross I do not have to face the wrath of God! He took my appointment. I appreciate it. I hope you do too.

3. Jesus died for us so that we could live with Him. Jesus did not die for us simply because he wanted to keep us out of hell (avoid the wrath of God). He died for us "so that we can live together with Him." That means that the Lord Jesus Christ really wants to be with you! He really wants to be in your company! He really wants to live together with you!

Jesus did not die on the cross because "it is the right thing to do." He does not invite you to heaven because "it is the right thing to do." He died for you, and invites you to heaven, because he wants to be with you! He really wants you to come to His house! He loves you!

I hope these 2 simple verses allow you to see into the heart of God. God does not want to punish you. He wants you to live with Him forever! I will simply end this blog by encouraging you to reread the passage...

"For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live together with Him."
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10.

Sin is Serious

Hello, everyone! The blog for August will based on Psalm 5:4-6 which states, "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man."

Just a few quick points about theses 3 verses...

First, it is important to realize that God takes sin very seriously. This passage is very clear in describing how God relates to sinners. It clearly states...

1. He does not take pleasure in wickedness.
2. The evil shall not dwell with Him.
3. The boastful shall not stand in His sight.
4. He hates all workers of iniquity.
5. He will destroy those who speak lies.
6. He abhors deceitful men.

It is very likely that the strong language in this passage surprises you (even if you are in church!). Nevertheless, the Bible is clear. God is not okay with sin. He does not tolerate sin. He will not overlook sin. He takes sin very seriously!

Perhaps, the greatest problem in the world today is that people do not realize that God takes sin very seriously. People readily agree that they are sinners. They quickly agree and acknowledge that "nobody is perfect." However, often the problem is they do not realize how much trouble they are in because of their sin. Perhaps, reading Psalm 5:4-6 would help?

Second, it is important to see the type of person that this passage speaks about.

God feels the way he toward sinners because of the actions of the sinner. It is important to clearly note the type of person that is described in the passage. He is described as ...

1. Wicked
2. Evil
3. Boastful
4. A worker of iniquity
5. A speaker of falsehood.
6. Deceitful (and bloodthirsty)

God is totally just and right to feel the way he does because of the behavior of people. If people were righteous and did not sin (i.e. 1-6 listed above) then God would not hate/abhor anyone. God anger/wrath/displeasure is 100% correct in view of how people chose to live. It would wrong for God to respond to people repeatedly breaking his law in other way than what is described in Psalm 5:4-6.

It is important to note at this point that according to the Bible everyone falls into the above category. Romans 3:10 (along with many other passages) clearly states, "There is no one righteous." Thus, all of humanity is in trouble because all of humanity has sinned.

Third, it is important to understand how unbelievable the cross really is.

Psalm 5:4-6 does not talk about the cross, but it does help one to understand why Grace is so amazing. Romans 5:8 says, "God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." When a person understands that God takes sin seriously, and that we all are sinners, it truly makes it amazing to consider that God was willing to send His Son (and Jesus was willing to go and die for our sins). It is often true that people do not really appreciate the cross because they do not really recognize how much trouble they were in and how undeserving of such love they really are.

John Newton summed it up when he wrote, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like Me!"

I hope at some point in your life you have realized you are in trouble because of your sinful behavior. I also hope that at some point you have seen the Lord Jesus Christ as your only hope. If not I hope you see it clearly today!

Pastor Ben.

The passage of the month (Yes, blogs are now monthly instead of weekly in case you have not figured that out yet!) is Job 8:13-14 which states, "The hope of the hypocrite shall perish, whose confidence shall be cut off, and who trust is a spider's web." Just a few quick points...

First, hypocrites have hope. A hypocrite is an actor/pretender. "They profess to know God but in works they deny Him" (Titus 1:16). The funny thing is that a hypocrite knows that he is a hypocrite. He is well aware of the fact that his heart and life are dominated by sin. However, in spite of his hypocrisy the hypocrite really believes he will be "okay" in the end. The passage of the month makes it clear that the hypocrite believes there is hope for him. He is confident. He trusts that he will be okay in the end. He knows he is a fake/pretend/actor, yet he continues to believe heaven is his future destination.

Second, the hope of the hypocrite shall perish. The hope that the hypocrite has is false. It is no good. It is worthless. In the end, he will not be okay. His hope will perish. His confidence will be cut off. His trust is built on a spider's web. Job 8:15 says, "He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure." It is In the end, his house will fall with a great crash (Matthew 7:27). He will be cast into the lake of fire with all the other "liars" (Revelation 21:8).

I chose to write about Job 8:13-14 because hypocrisy is an epidemic in the church today. Hypocrites can be found inside groups of children, teenagers, college students, young adults, mature adults, and senior citizens. The one thing all of these hypocrites have in common is a false hope. The vast majority of them believe in the end they will be "okay." The bottom line is they are wrong. Their hope will perish.

1 John 2:4 says, "If anyone says 'I know Him' and they do not obey His commandments they are a liar and the truth is not in them." It is impossible to dodge this verse and many others like it.

It is my desire for each person who is not a child of God to realize they are not a child of God. Then, I desire to see the people turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, find eternal life, and a new life here on this earth. I have no other motive. I hope and pray that if you are a hypocrite you will see very clearly that the path you are on leads to hell. You have no future hope. Stop, turn to the One who died for your sins, call upon Him to save you and then you will have REAL HOPE.

Pastor Ben

This verse of the week is Luke 7:50 which states, "Then He said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.'" Just a few quick points about this verse . . .

First, It is important to understand the context of this verse. In this verse Jesus is speaking to a woman who has committed "many sins" (7:47). Other people in the community are very aware of her sinful behavior (7:39). Luke 7:36-50 tells the story of how she came into a house where Jesus was visiting and began to weep. She then proceeds to wash Jesus' feet with her tears and dry His feet with her hair. She then proceeds to kiss His feet and apply very expensive perfume to them as well. She is making her best effort to honor the Lord Jesus Christ! She does way more than anyone else in the house is doing for Jesus!

Second, it is important to understand that faith alone saves a person. The woman in the story was attempting to do everything she could to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. She washed his feet, dried his feet, kissed his feet, and soaked his feet in her own expensive perfume. She gave Him an awesome pedicure! Just consider the actions of this woman...

She was willing to give everything to Jesus!
She was holding nothing back!
She was "sold out" for Jesus!
She was doing her best!

However, the words of Jesus ("Your faith has saved you. Go in peace") seem to indicate that the woman lacked peace! She was trying her best to please the Lord (good deeds) but she lacked peace.

It seems like there are a lot of people like this woman in the world today. They know they are a sinner. They also know who Jesus is. And they are trying really hard to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. However, at the end of the day they still lack peace. That will always be the case until a person understands that faith alone saves a person! It does not matter how hard a person tries to do good. It does not matter what a person gives to the Lord. It does not matter how sincere a person is. It does not matter if someone is doing more for Jesus than anyone else in the house! None of that will give a person real peace!!! Until a person understand that he/she is saved when he/she just believes in Christ they will lack peace. The following verses may help...

Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

Ephesians 2:8-9, "By grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself. It is a gift of God, not of works, so no man can boast."

If you have placed your faith in Christ to save your sinful soul, then you are saved. Period.


Third, the result of understanding that faith alone saves you is peace. The woman is able to walk out of the house with peace. She does not have to worry about her sin problem anymore. She does not have to weep anymore. She does not have to doubt anymore. She does not have to lay awake in the bed at night anymore. She has 100% assurance that her sins are forgiven and that she has been saved by faith alone. She can now live the rest of her life with unbelievable peace!

The same offer stands for you today! All you have to do is see yourself as a sinner. Understand and believe that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and was resurrected on the 3rd day. Then, place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. You do not have to do anything else. You do not have to labor, work, or build up good deeds. You do not have to hope that you are "saved." Faith alone, in Christ alone, saves guilty sinners. Then you can have peace based on the words of the Lord Jesus Christ!

I hope you have placed your faith in Christ. I hope you live each day with great peace in your heart. If not I hope you turn to Christ today. Place your faith in Him. That's all you have to do!

Pastor Ben.

Poor?

Hello everyone! I sincerely apologize for the looooooooong absence. The verse of the week is Revelation 3:17 which says, "Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing" - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked . . ."

Just 3 quick points about this verse . . .

First, you can see in the verse that people are genuinely deceived. In the text the people are saying "I am rich, wealthy and need nothing." The problem is they do not know they are "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked." They are mistaken because they lack knowledge. They honestly believe they are perfectly fine. They honestly believe they are okay. They honestly believe they have nothing to worry about. They honestly believe they have everything they need!

Second, you can see in the verse that people are genuinely deceived about their own spiritual condition. Clearly, this verse is not speaking about how much money one has in the bank. People can accurately assess their physical wealth. The verse is speaking about the spiritual condition of people in the world. Tragically, many people mistakenly believe their spiritual condition is much better than it actually is!

They do not know (or do not really believe) . . .

- Your righteousness is like a filthy rag. (Isaiah 64:6).
- The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. (Jer 17:9)
- There is not a righteous man on the earth (Ecc 7:20)
- There is no one who is righteous (Rom 3:10)
- The whole world is guilty before God (Rom 3:19)

Because people do not know/understand their true spiritual condition before God they walk through life really believing everything is fine and dandy! They honestly believe they are okay. They honestly believe they have nothing to worry about. They honestly believe they have everything they need. They do not know that they have a desperate need! They do not know they have a huge problem!

Third, a person who realizes his poor spiritual condition has a very good chance of getting saved. A person who realizes he is "poor and naked" will naturally look for some help! The good news is Christ offers us exactly what we need! Revelation 3:18 (the verse that immediately follows our verse for the week) pictures Jesus offering the poor/naked/blind person "gold, white garments, and eye salve." In others words, sinners (that's us) are in desperate need but Christ can meet our need! The good news the Bible has is that "Christ died for our sins." Because of his death our sins can be blotted out and we really can be okay!

In summary, it is important to realize that people are not being saved because they do not realize they have a huge problem! A person does not call 911 unless he realizes he has an emergency! As long as people believe they are "okay" they will continue walking down a path that leads to destruction. But, as soon as they see themselves as God sees them (wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked) there is a great chance they will turn to the crucified and resurrected Savior for hope! Desperate/poor/wretched sinners get saved! Rich/wealthy/good people do not!

I hope you have seen yourself as God sees you. I hope you have looked at God's law and understood that you have fallen way short. I hope you have also realized that wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked sinners can not save themselves! Finally, I hope you have seen Jesus as your hope and placed your faith in Him to save your sinful soul!

Pastor Ben.

P.S. I believe Revelation 3:17 can help us understand the words of Jesus, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God" (Matt 5:3). Every child of God has seen and acknowledged that he is a poor,wretched, miserable, sinner! Then, he has turned to Christ and gained eternal life!

Hello everyone! The verse of the week is Hebrews 4:13 which states, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Just 2 quick points...

1. Nothing is hidden from God's sight. Simply put, God is looking directly at you all the time. He sees and knows everything that you are doing. God knows about every "secret" thing in your life. He knows about every "secret" that is in your past. He even knows about every "secret" thing in your heart! He knows everything!

Typically, a sinful person attempts to hide some of his behavior from other people. That is why the Bible talks about people sinning in "darkness." John 3:19 states, "men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." People sin in the "dark" because they do not want others to know what they are doing! The problem is God is looking directly at them! He sees everything!

Proverbs 5:21 states, "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD..."

2. We will all give an account to God. Hebrews 9:27 says, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." One day your 2 feet are going to be standing before the Eternal Creator. Then, you are going to give an account of everything you did on the earth. Just consider the following verses...

Ecclesiastes 12:14, "God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."

Matthew 12:36, "For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment."

Matthew 4:22, "There is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."

The fact that we will one day give an account to God for all of our actions is a terrifying thought. (Especially if you consider all of His laws!) This is a major problem for a lot of people! Hiding things from people or from God is not the solution.

The best advice I can give you is to obey Isaiah 55:6-7... "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon!

You desperately need to receive a pardon! Thank God that because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ a pardon is available! I pray that you will take full advantage of the love, grace, and mercy of God today. Get your pardon. Otherwise, you are in a lot of trouble.

How to Become Righteous.

Hello everyone! The verse of the week is one of my favorites. Romans 10:4 states, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

Just a few quick points . . .

1. A person does not become "righteous" by keeping the law. On a recent episode of "Family Feud" one of the questions was "What does a person have to do in order to be a Christian?" The number 1 answer from the survey of 100 people was "Be a good person." Contrary to popular belief that is NOT the right answer. Just consider the following verses . . .

Romans 3:20, "No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law..."

Galatians 2:21, "... If righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain..."

Galatians 3:11, "Clearly no one is made righteous before God by the law... "

It is very very very important to understand that a person does not become righteous in God's sight by keeping the law. That sounds like the way to try to make it to heaven, but in reality it is the wrong way. Proverbs 14:12 states, "There is a way that seems right to a man but the end of of that path is destruction."

2. A person who believes in Christ is righteous. In the Old Testament a man named Job asked a very important question, "How can a man be righteous before God?" (Job 9:2). Job asked this question because he realized that he was not righteous before God. He was a better person that all of his friends (Job 1:8), but in God's sight he was not righteous. He knew he was a sinner. He also knew he was going to be in trouble of the Day of Judgment (Job 9:28-35).

The good news is that we possess the answer to Job's question. A person becomes righteous in God's sight when he simply believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is all a person has to do. I think it will be helpful for everyone to simply read the verse of the week again . . . "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

I hope this simple little verse helps you see the truth! Salvation is not he result of human effort. Salvation is the result of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is not based on human effort, good works, or being active in a church. It is a free gift that is given to everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ (I hope that's you!).

Have a wonderful week! And thank God for His goodness. As always feel free to leave a comment or sent an email to benhuff49@yahoo.com with any questions/comments!

Isaiah 55:6-7

Hello everyone! The verse of the week is Isaiah 55:6-7 which states, "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

Just 3 quick points . . .

1. A person needs to seek the Lord while there is time. Isaiah is urging his audience to seek the Lord while He may be found. The harsh reality of life is that death is coming. The harsher reality is that no one knows when death is coming. (James 4:14 states, "What is your life? It is a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.") The harshest reality is that after a person dies there is no "second chance" to seek the Lord and find mercy. Thus, it is urgent to seek the Lord and call upon Him (for mercy and forgiveness) while He may be found. I hope you have already done this!

2. A person needs to forsake his sinful ways. Isaiah is proclaiming a simple message. A man must forsake his sinful ways and his unrighteous thoughts if he wants to receive a pardon. Jonah 2:8 states, "Those who cling to worthless idols forsake their own mercy." Obviously this does not refer to just "little statues." A person who clings to anything that is sinful will not receive a pardon. A person who remains in rebellion against the Creator will not find mercy. 1 Peter 2:25 states, "For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." I hope that is your story too!

3. God will have mercy on such a person. This is good news! If a person will seek the Lord, call upon Him, and forsake His sinful ways, God will be merciful to such a person and give him a pardon! God will abundantly pardon!

- It does not matter what types of sin a person has committed.
- It does not matter how many times a person has sinned.
- It does not matter how many years a person has lived in sin.

If the person will seek the Lord he will find mercy! That is good news. I really hope you have taken advantage of the God's grace! I also hope you will encourage others to do the same.

True Love . . .

Hello everyone! Sorry the blog is two days late this week . . . The verse of the week is 1 John 3:16 which states, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Just 2 quick points...

1. Love is defined by the Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know what love is? The answer is simple. Look at the Lord Jesus Christ. He laid down His life for us. That is love. Based on this definition (which is the only good definition of love) I think there is a lot less love in the world than most people think. Why is this important? Just consider...

1 John 3:10, "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of god nor is he who does not love his brother."

1 John 3:14, "We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother remains in death."

1 John 4:8, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Clearly, one of the distinguishing marks of a born again believer is that he loves others. Thus, it is vitally important for people to understand what love really looks like (by looking at Jesus) in order for people to rightly discern if they really love others.

Hint: It is easy to say you love everyone! Your actions tell the real truth (see 1 John 3:17-19)


2. We ought to love lay down our lives for one another. It is real easy to look at the cross and be thankful. We should do that. However, it is also important to look at the cross and understand that we are suppose to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are suppose to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1-2)
We are suppose to carry our own crosses. (Luke 9:23)
We are suppose to deny ourselves. (Luke 9:23)
We are suppose to lay down our lives for each other. (1 John 3:16)
We are suppose to love our neighbor as much as ourselves (Matthew 22:39)

The big question is . . . How are YOU doing? ... Lets all try to do better!

Hello everyone. The verse of the week is Hebrews 2:9 which states, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."

Three quick points from this verse...

1. Jesus was made a little lower than the angels. The writer of Hebrews spends the first chapter proving that Jesus is "so much better than the angels" (1:4). He argues that Jesus is the Eternal Son of God who created and sustains the universe (1:1-13). He also points out that angels are simply created spirits who minister to those who will inherit salvation (1:7, 14). Then, we read that Jesus was made lower than the angels. What does this refer to? It is a clear reference to the Son of God leaving heaven and becoming a man. Hebrews 2:14 states, "Inasmuch as the children have partaken in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same . . . " It is an amazing truth that the Lord Jesus Christ made Himself lower than the angels!

2. Jesus was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death. The Lord Jesus Christ entered this world for 1 reason. He came to die. He was willing to get on the heavenly elevator and travel waaaay down to this earth knowing that He was going to suffer and die. Why did he suffer? 1 Peter 3:18 states, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God . . . " The Lord Jesus Christ was beaten, scourged, punched, spit on, mocked, struck in the head, had his beard plucked out, and was crucified. He suffered.

3. By the grace of God Jesus tasted death for everyone. The good news the Bible contains is that Christ died for the sins of "everyone" on the cross. He tasted death for me and for you! Just consider...

- He drank the "cup" that was full of suffering (Matthew 26:39)
- He drank the "cup" that was full of God's anger (Revelation 14:10)
- He drank the "cup" that was full of God's fierce wrath (Rev 16:19)
- He drank the "cup" that was full of sins and filthiness (Rev 17:4)

The fact that Jesus tasted death, suffering, and God's wrath means that I do not have to taste it! He tasted it for me! All I have to do is believe. Then, spend the rest of my life rejoicing, thanking God, and living for the One who died for me.

Hello everyone! The verse of the week is 1 Timothy 4:16 which states, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Three quick points about this verse...

1. You need to watch your life closely. Here are some good questions to ask yourself...

Is there any sin in your heart?
Is there any sin in your life?
Do you love the Lord?
Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself?
Do you walk in obedience to the Lord's commands on a regular basis?
Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness?

There are many other questions one could ask to get a pulse on his spiritual condition. However, the point is that we all need to monitor our own actions closely. It is easy to "slide" backwards without realizing it! It is easy to "drift" away from the Lord without realizing it. It is easy to become "lukewarm" without realizing it. Thus, the Bible commands us to watch our lives closely.


2. You need to watch your doctrine closely. This simply means that you need to pay real close attention to what the Bible teaches. You need to make sure you really know the truth! You need to make sure you really know the whole truth! You do not need to depend on your pastor, your SS teacher, or someone who writes a blog to teach you the Bible. All of those are good things to take advantage of, but ultimately you need to study the word of God directly to make sure you are understanding and hearing the truth!

3. If you watch your life and doctrine closely you will save yourself. The reality is that many people mistakenly believe they are on the road to heaven when in fact they are on the road to hell. The sad reality is that they often do not even realize it. Why not? Because they are not watching their life or their doctrine closely. Here are some quick examples to explain what I am talking about. Did you know...

1. A person who habitually disobeys God's commands is not saved. (1 John 2:4, 3:6, 3:10)
2. A person who has been saved is a changed individual (2 Corinthians 5:17)
3. A person who does not love the Lord or his neighbor is not a child of God (John 8:42, 1 John)
4. A person who does not continue to follow the Lord was not ever saved in the first place (1 John 2:19)

The point is that many people are not paying attention to their own lives or to what the Bible teaches. Thus, they are confused and do not realize the truth about their own spiritual state. So I encourage you.... WATCH YOUR LIFE AND DOCTRINE CLOSELY! If you do that it greatly improves your chances of being saved.

The Sparrow

Hello everyone! The passage for this week is Luke 12:6-7 which states, "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

I am going to make three simple points about this well-known passage...

1. The Lord takes care of the sparrows. The Lord Jesus Christ begins by reminding His audience that a sparrow has very little value. According to Jesus, a sparrow is not even worth a penny! Yet, the amazing truth is that God remembers each sparrow! "Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will" (Matt 10:29). The Lord pays attention to every single sparrow!

2. The Lord will certainly take care of us. If the Lord takes care of every sparrow, and we are worth more than many sparrows, we can know with absolute certainty that He is going to take care of us! Jesus reveals that God is paying very close attention to every single one of us by revealing to us that God has each hair on our head numbered! He knows the tiniest details of our lives and He is concerned about every single detail of our lives! It is comforting to know that God will never let me fall to the ground apart from his will! The song says it well, "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!"

3. Do not be afraid! The Lord Jesus Christ gives his followers a clear command in this passage. DO NOT BE AFRAID. The harsh reality is that Christians often worry about the exact some stuff that everyone else worries about. That should not be the case! If we believe that God really is watching over us, and that He really is going to take care of us, we should not be afraid! We should have faith instead of fear.

I hope you have no worry, anxiety, or fear in your life. However, if you do I hope you will meditate on this little passage of Scripture (and even memorize it) until the fear is replaced by faith.

Hello everyone! I am back from a blog vacation that lasted about 1 month! I am going to do my best to post a blog on a weekly basis so keep your eyes open!

The passage of the week is Genesis 1:31 which states, "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good." Today, I am going to quickly make two points about God's creation that should give you something to think about this week.

First, I want you to consider that all of God's creation was good! In the first chapter of the Bible the Lord declared that His original creation was very good. It is interesting to look at how many times the Lord uses this language in the first chapter of Genesis. Just consider...

- Genesis 1:4 ... God declares that the light is good.
- Genesis 1:12... God declares that the vegetation and the produce of the earth were good.
- Genesis 1;21... God declares that the birds and the sea creatures He made were good.
- Genesis 1:25... God declares that the land animals He created were good.

The bottom line is everything God made was good!

Second, I want you to consider that God blessed all of his creation. Just consider...

- Genesis 1:22... "God blessed" the birds and the sea creatures.
- Genesis 1:28... "God blessed" Adam and Eve.
- Genesis 2:3 ... "God blessed" the seventh day.

Summary: The fact that God made a "good" creation and "blessed" his creation and the creatures he had formed tells us that God is a good and loving God! The overwhelming lesson that jumps off the pages from the creation account is that God is good and that God's plan was to make a wonderful place and to give the creatures (man and animals) a wonderful existence. The creation story makes it obvious that God really does love and that God really is good! He wanted nothing but good for His world!

Tragically, we know that everything falls apart in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve rebel against God. However, the good news is that God is in the process of "fixing" His creation! He sent Jesus to die for the sins of the world and to give men and women eternal life and a new (good) heart. We must never forget that God still loves us and He still wants nothing but good for us. Hebrews 13:8 states, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today,and forever." The good God who created everything is still a good God who is "fixing" everything and still wants to bless you! That is good news!