Roman 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Roman 3:23)



 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Sin is breaking the Law, missing the mark set by God. The word "sin" is a translation of the Greek word "hamartia" which means to miss the mark. Religious tradition labels many things as sin which the Bible does not. People make up all kinds of rules based on what they think is right. But God is the judge and only God can decree what sin is. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

God has not left us to wonder what sin is. The Bible reveals it to us. We don't have to guess, or make it up as we go. Just because you do something someone else thinks is wrong does not mean it is a sin. So don't let people condemn you over things the Bible does not clearly say are wrong. God is the judge.  Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Another error is to think being tempted is a sin. Temptation itself is not sin. You cannot help being tempted. Even Jesus was tempted -- but He never yielded.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet
without sin. A common mistake is believing that having bad thoughts is a sin. It is not a sin to be tempted with bad thoughts. It only becomes a sin when we embrace those thoughts as our own and decide to act on them.
These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. God is against sin because it is deadly. Sin brings forth death, not life and blessing. God loves people, so He is against everything that harms people. All sin harms people. (Just because you don't see how a sin would harm anyone, does not mean you know more than God.) But no human can be right with God by never sinning. We have all fallen short and need a Savior. It is only by God's grace and His forgiveness that we can be right with God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. We can be glad because Jesus came to save sinners, and He paid the price for the forgiveness of all sins by shedding His
blood. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

John 3:5

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)

 

Nicodemus was confused that night when Jesus first spoke of the necessity of the new birth and then equated it with the symbol of baptism. Christ then indicated that the reality in both was the supernatural work of God, the Holy Spirit. "Except a man be born of water |that is, the Spirit|, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God |with 'and' understood as 'even'|".

 

The miracle of regeneration is thus a work of the Spirit, and just as "the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit". It is not some soul-winning methodology, but the Holy Spirit who does the work, and He (like the invisible wind) may work in a great variety of different ways.

 

This work of the Holy Spirit in bringing salvation to the unsaved is so great and so complex that it must be described in a variety of figures to convey the whole reality. In the first place, He must bring conviction of sin and the need of salvation. "When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment".

 

Then, as the sinner repents and believes on Christ, the Spirit baptizes him into Christ. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body". As a member of Christ's body, he is made a partaker of His resurrection life. Simultaneously, "after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise", and "the Spirit of God dwelleth in you". All of this becomes the mighty miracle of spiritual birth. "According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" 

Matthew 16:6:12

If your "Christianity" is nothing more than a list of "do's and don't's" a check off list then you are missing the true and real relationship that the Father desired for each of us to establish with his only begotten son .



 Then the Messiah said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:6:12)

Why did Jesus warn His disciples to beware of the Pharisees? What did they do wrong?

 In Matthew 23 the Messiah finds it an important issue enough to take a whole chapter to admonish those that are following him of the importance of not becoming a   Pharisees. The Pharisees were conservative, faithful "church" members. They accepted the Torah as the written Word of God. They paid tithes. They believed in miracles (at least in days past). They wouldn't dream of stealing, committing adultery, or such things. You would like living next to a Pharisee as they were model citizens. But instead of having a living relationship with God, the
Pharisees took the Word of God and made just another dead religion out of it. The Pharisee way of thinking is: keep up appearances. "It doesn't matter so much what you are on the inside, as long as you keep the rules (at least publicly)." Notice that Christ likened their teaching to leaven, or yeast. Why? Yeast spreads easily and rapidly. Humans are very susceptible to approaching God in this manner, "Keep the rules. Just do these 10 things and you are OK." Different groups may have different rules, but we all accumulate them. It may be how many times each week you must attend church meetings, or what kind of clothes you must wear, or how you must wear your hair. Or, it may be a list of things you cannot do. But, as long as you meet these requirements, you
are in good standing with your group (or denomination). But, good standing with God is based on only one thing
according to the Word of God: faith in what Christ did for us. That alone is what makes us right with God. Not our works, but Christ's work. He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. The Pharisees were hypocrites. That is, they put on an act. What they pretended to be in public was not really what they were like in private. They claimed to be perfect in keeping The Father's law, but as humans they were all sinners, just like the rest of the people were. Yet, in public, they insisted that others keep the Law perfectly, or be condemned. They were quick to pass judgment on others, and slow to extend mercy or help. The Pharisees had a legalistic view of God's Word and did not realize that God was merciful and wanted to
help people.  Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Using God's Word to "kill" instead of using it to minister life is wrong. God's Word is meant to help people and lift them up, not place such hard demands on them that they cannot ever
measure up. When we load people down with heavy loads of rules to keep in order to be right with God, we are ministers of death.  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach.  They crush people with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. "Everything they do is for show. . . .

Acts 17:25

"Blessed be the LORD, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." 

 As we come to this year's end, it is salutary for the believer to think back over the days of the year and to meditate upon his blessings. He may, indeed, have experienced defeats and losses, disappointments and injuries in great number. If he is honest with himself, however, the Christian will always have to acknowledge that his blessings far outweigh his burdens. God "loadeth us with benefits," and is even working in and through all the trials and hurtful things together for our good .

Therefore: "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits". "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you". "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice".

 

He has given us "life, and breath, and all things" (Acts 17:25). Far more importantly, He is "the God of our salvation." Whatever else we have, or don't have, in this life, we have the great gift of eternal life, through faith in Christ and His finished work of redemption. We have it every day of the year and are daily ready to meet the Lord, whenever He calls. Each day we have the indwelling presence of His Spirit, the illuminating guidance of His Word, the daily provision of all real needs, and the assurance of His love. He has surely loaded us with benefits!

New Year New grace and Mercy

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)

 

Everyone deserves a fresh start. As we start the New Year with resolutions and lofty ideals, it is good to remember that we can all renew our commitment. We can all purpose to gain even loftier heights in our spiritual journey toward Christ-likeness. No matter how far we have ascended, we can go farther; no matter how low we have fallen, we can begin again.

 

How can this be accomplished? As the context of our text teaches, we must go back to school--the school of Christ. "But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus" . "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls".

 

As our text verses explain, we must both "put off . . . the old man" and "put on the new man," clearly speaking of our manner of life, just as if we were changing clothes. If we as believers are hanging on to a few old rags, let this New Year see us obey this passage as an act of faith through the living Spirit of God: "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ".

 

This act of submission and desire will result as we are "renewed in the spirit |or attitude| of |our minds|". The old man will not be removed or changed into the new but will be brought under control. The new man is a new creation of God modeled after Him "in righteousness and true holiness." "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" 

1 Corinthians 13:12

The apostle Paul, who was caught up into Heaven, given divine revelation, and wrote down most of the New Testament, said he only knew in part. If he only knew in part -- how much more it must be true for
us. One problem we have is too many people thinking they know more than they really do. Just because you have read the Bible does not make you a Bible expert. Just because you have a degree from a Bible school does not mean you have all the answers. Even if you know Hebrew and Greek, so you can read the Bible in the original languages, it does not mean we have full understanding of the Word of God. The apostle Paul certainly knew those languages, yet he only knew in part. Understanding the Word of God does not come through study alone, but
also by divine illumination. Understanding comes from God. We need to be smart enough to admit, along with the apostle Paul, that we don't know it all. It's not a sin to not know everything. We should not feel like
we must have an answer for every question. God even said there are some things that are secret. Only when we are face to face with God will we see the whole picture. Until then we will only know in part. Certainly we can
learn more now, and we should. But we must always remember that, in this life, none of us will ever know it all.
This is not written to make you doubt the Word of God, but simply to remind you that we are ALL still learning. We don't know everything. So we should never forget that our faith should not rest in ourselves, but in the Living God and His Word. Jesus promised He would never leave us, so although we don't know everything -- He does -- and we can trust Him to help us. In that way we can overcome whatever we face and walk in victory.

 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Matthew 7:12

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

 

This command of the Messiah is the famous so-called "Golden Rule" of conduct. As He said, it succinctly summarizes and crystallizes all the instructions given in the Old Testament Scriptures dealing with human interrelationships. In fact, somewhat similar guidelines can be found even in certain ancient extra-biblical writings.

 

It should be stressed, however, that this maxim is not meant to be a prerequisite for salvation. No mere human being ever obeys this rule perfectly, any more than one can keep perfectly the Ten Commandments.

 

It was included by Christ as a part of what is known as the "Sermon on the Mount," which the Bible clearly states was a series of instructions given only to believers--that is, to people already saved through personal faith in Christ. At the very beginning of this "sermon," it says clearly that, "seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them" .

 

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)


Gospel means good news. It was not originally a religious word, but meant good news which makes people happy and excited.

If what you have heard about Jesus Christ does not make you happy and excited, then you have not yet truly heard and understood the Gospel as it is meant to be understood. The basic outline is that Jesus of Nazareth, who was God in a human body, took your place in judgment, paying the penalty for all your sins, and gave you the blessing He deserved because of His perfect sinless life. God, the Creator, and Sustainer of the universe, loves you
enough to die for you. That's good news! Jesus took what you deserved, and gave you what He deserved!
That's good news! And this is not limited to just you. Jesus died for all mankind. Deliverance from sin, its effects and penalty is available to anyone and everyone who will believe and receive Jesus Christ as Lord.



Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the good news, for through Adam was sin introduced into the world and through the Messiah and his blood was hope for all man introduced into the world. Will you accept the good news, will accept the free gift that the Heavenly Father has too offer to you???

He Knows, its time you give it all to him

Whatever trials or tribulation that you being over come by, the good news is your not alone for the Messiah has already faced them. He told his followers that if the world hated him it would also hate us also. They put him to death and you call yourself a Christian which is to be Christ like a follower of him.  What makes you think the world does not want to destroy you? Oh men of God  do not be deceived just as our Redeemer was hated so are you, but rejoice in the fact  that Christ has already endured it all for your name sake.

The Messiah knows what it is like:

to be hungry
to be tired
to be lonely
to be hurt
to be hated
to be beaten
to be persecuted
to be misunderstood
to be mistreated
to be mocked and laughed at
to be betrayed by a friend
to be tempted to sin
to be responsible for employees
to feel forsaken
to feel hopeless
to have no spouse
to have no earthly father there to help
to have lost a loved one
to have to pay taxes
to have money stolen from you
to have the responsibility to provide for a family
to live under an oppressive government
to experience extreme pain
 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Oh men of God and sisters bring all your issues to  the throne, for like any good Father your Heavenly Father wants to hear about your day, He wants to hear about every aspect of your life, for after all he loved us so much that He did what we could not do for ourselves, he left us with a promise that he would never leave nor forsake us. Lean upon that promise tonight, bring it all to him he wants to take it, for he has offered us his burden which he says is light, if we will trust him with our troubles he is willing and ready to take them from our shoulders. Aren't you tired of carrying with you the mistakes of your life, so you had an abortion, so you committed adultery, so you were in prison, so you were married before and got divorced, so you were a drug addicted, so you were addicted to porn, so what is there anything to hard for the Father??? Remember, Christ loves you -- enough to die for you. And He also ever lives to intercede for you. So Christ not only understands what you face, but He is able and
willing to take that burden from you, the question to you and I is what are we waiting for???  is our faith not stronger enough to full trust him?  Are you like me, where you feel you deserve to bare your burdens because of your sins?  If I truly believe that the Father has forgiven me of my sins, then am I not washed clean and made righteous by the blood of the Lamb. If that is the case then its times I dump all my past mistakes and past sins and leave them before the throne. Its our enemy who wants to not put down our past mistakes our past sins. When the Father forgives us he says he cast our sins in the deepest of sea into the sea of forgetfulness. Meaning if he does not hold our past against why then do we keep dragging it around with us???

Which Jesus do you serve???

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

 The call to imitate God is a call to separate ourselves from the world though we may be in but not of it  (Ephesians 4:17-19) and how we have been made new (Ephesians 4:20-24) and then gave us specific ways to do that (Ephesians4:25-32).

Our call is to live with the same love that Christ has demonstrated.  Jesus laying down his life for us, was first of all an expression of his love for his Father. Jesus did it, not only because of his love for us, but because first of all he loved the Father and this was  the Father’s will. This ‘life of love’ is not to be something we do to make ourselves feel good or appear good, it is to come out of and be an expression of our love for God Himself.  When John says, “We love because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19). The first thing we need to do in the Christian life is become utterly convinced of God’s love.

On Sunday they raise their hands to heaven and declare that it is Jesus that they serve.

Then why do we look so much like the world?

Did you know that the wheat and the tare, the world can't tell which is which and quite frankly neither can I. So I pose the question again, which Jesus do you serve?

My Savior bleed and suffered and died and rose again for a sinner like me. My Savior, was a friend to friendless, He remembers the forgotten ones among us, Which Jesus do you follow?

 Which Jesus do you serve?

Is it this picture of the American dream that you chase after? Is the prince of this world who you serve or did you miss that part when you decided you want fortune and power?

If Jesus was here would you walk right by him or cross over to the other side of the street? 

Would you even recognize him or have time to speak to him?

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a white complexion Michael Angelo version of Jesus ,is that the Jesus you serve? My Savior was battered and bruised for my sins, did you miss that part? Sometimes I ponder do we really understand what the price he paid for us?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they understand and they know My Savior. So which Jesus do we serve. is it the one whom we pray to bless us with great wealth? Or the Jesus who said

blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness?

 So who do you serve? The one whose promises are like shifting sand?

Marine says it God , then country and the marine Corp, what comes first for you?

My Jesus would he be accepted in your churches today? All bloody and bruised with no shoes on his feet, would we want him sitting next to us?  He was not rich he didn't have a pillow to lay his head upon. Today my Jesus would look like a homeless man or perhaps we would see him as mentally insane.

He spent His time with criminals and those that are considered the least among us. Did you know he had a heart for the poor, so which place would  He come to eat Sabbath meal at your house or among those that were forgotten by society?

Its time we decide which Jesus do we serve but I'm not sure we understand what that means to be like Christ,

Jesus said to live like HIM, love like HIM but then does that mean we must be willing to die for HIM as he died for you and I???

Can we be Imitators of Christ? Can we live like our Savior?  Which one do you want to be ? I turned on the TV set today and heard a man preaching Jesus wants to make you rich and that he never intended for us to be poor.  Is that the Jesus your seeking??? Heard a pastor say that his Jesus says that we should never be sad. Yet my Jesus wept when heard his good friend was dead. So which Jesus do you serve?  I know that I want to be more like my Savior and less like me.  I want to be an imitator of my Savior what about you????