The Plan of SALVATION – Jesus ~ Amazing Grace!

SAVED by MERCY ~ SAVED by GRACE

NOT by Our OWN Righteousness!

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Scriptures taken from the KJV (King James Version of the Bible).

Believing is putting your trust in God and having confidence that he will fulfill his promises…GOD DOES NOT LIE!

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Jesus is Yeshua (Yeshua means SALVATION in the HEBREW language) JESUS is the WORD! He is God!

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

According to Scriptures, even some of the disciples/followers of Jesus had difficulty recognizing that Jesus is our Messiah

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

His disciple Thomas had difficulty believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He had risen from the dead…

John 20:27-29 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.²⁸And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe. For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be unborn again -unregenerated. That would mean that he would have to “NO LONGER BELIEVE”…once you “TRULY” believe, you will never stop believing…because the HOLY SPIRIT will not leave you. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken away…when you “TRULY” believe, you trust in Yeshua and are filled with HOPE which becomes the path that the Christian walks. That hope lies in knowing that God does NOT lie!

However, the Bible does talk about quenching the Holy Spirit which I will talk about in a future blog. Quenching is not the same as being in unbelief…

John 3:15-16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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.

I can find no place in the Scriptures of the Bible that says: In order for you to be saved that you have to walk the isle, join a church, pay tithes, fill out a card or cry and sob in sorrow for others to witness or do your due diligence (works). It says over and over again…BELIEVE! There are over 150 Scriptures in the Bible that address “Belief”. Even Abraham, thousands of years before Jesus, found favor with God because he believed…yet he lied about Sarah several times and took a concubine because he was impatient for the promise of God to materialize, but through all of that God loved Abraham and to this day is still keeping His promise to him.

Paul asks two very fundamental questions:

Romans 8:33-34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

To put it to you as simply as possible…Who will bring any charge against those whom are believers?

Matthew 7:1-4 Judge not, that ye be not judged. ²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

It says in the Scriptures:

It is God who justifies.

Who is he that condemns? We are not called to condemn, but we are called to share the Gospel with our fellow man…ALL who are made in the image of God…nowhere in the Scriptures does is tell us to make the decision whether or not the person we shared the Gospel with accepted “the TRUTH”. We plant the seed…God will make it grow according to “HIS WILL”. Just because we can’t physically see the change in someone, doesn’t mean that Heavenly Father isn’t working on them…maybe He doesn’t need or want to use them in His ministry on this earth…HE JUSTIFIES THEM because HE LOVES THEM!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Paul makes one of the most incredible claims in all Scripture and the diligent hard working Christian sometimes refuses to accept Paul’s claim…but if you don’t believe this claim by Paul…that must mean that you nullify everything else that Paul teaches about GRACE and SALVATION! It’s not up to us to “Cherry Pick” out of the Scriptures what we want to apply to our lives and to the lives of others. The “WORD” speaks plainly.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. another Translation “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

What an AMAZING promise! Surely, you may think that there must be an error in the text made by whomever transcribed it! You’re maybe thinking that Paul must have said, “God justifies the one who tries to do his best (WORKS). God justifies the nice person who always meant well (the GOOD PERSON), who loved his family (even unbelievers love their family), devoted his time and money to help the needy (there’s many a non-Christian who donates his money and time to charities)(WORKS), went to church (there may be a lot of unsaved people sitting in the pews; people who know who Jesus Yeshua is but doesn’t believe in and trust HIM), a person who reads his Bible and prays every day.” About now, you’re saying to yourself… Paul could not have meant, “God justifies the ungodly, could he? That’s unthinkable!” But the FACT IS: THAT is EXACTLY WHAT it SAYS! We are ALL ungodly because we are ALL SINNERS!

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord...

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast

The Bible is clear about the penalty of sin, but scriptures on salvation reveal that we have received a powerful and life altering gift through the death and resurrection of Jesus Yeshua. All we need to do is accept the gift and salvation and eternal life are ours.

Christ Jesus, who died for the sins of the world—and more than that, who was raised to life—who now sits at the right hand of God is also interceding for us.” Jesus Yeshua is our HIGH PRIEST in Heaven. We are only asked to “BELIEVE” that He is the Son of God and that He died for our sins and rose from the dead to sit at the right hand of God!

John 5:23- 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

So ask yourself these questions? Do You Believe that Jesus – Yeshua is the SON of GOD and the He died and rose from the dead to save you from your sins? Then who will bring a charge against you? No one will, because Christ is your advocate. Who will condemn you? No one will, because Christ, the One who died for us, is the One who condemns. We have both Grace and Mercy and through our advocate who is also our judge and especially awesome: HE IS OUR SAVIOR.

When Jesus the Messiah- Yeshua HaMashiach was dying on the cross at Calvary, there were 2 thieves on crosses next to him…one of the thieves mocked Jesus and the other thief BELIEVED!

Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Jesus – Yeshua did it ALL! His last words are “IT IS FINISHED”! He made it so easy: JUST BELIEVE WHO HE IS. There’s NOTHING left for you to do… If you are blessed in the sense that the Holy Spirit uses you for “HIS GLORY”…just remember this…GOD doesn’t need you to fulfill his plan for mankind.

God means what He says and says what He means! My hermeneutics are “literal”, however, that being said…study the scriptures yourself and make up your own mind! Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit…

It’s Only Going to Get Worse!

Choose Jesus – Yeshua while there’s still time!

If you haven’t read Revelation, I implore you to do so right now! It’s the only book in the Bible that tells us that you will be blessed for reading it.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Those of us who have “faith alone in Christ alone” have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us and we are expected to obey the command given by Jesus to communicate to everyone around us the Gospel, we must fulfill the “Great Commission”. For time is getting short…

ALL four of the Gospels as well as the Book of Acts, Jesus gives us the command to share the Gospel with the world.

Matthew 28:16–20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:²⁰Teaching 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.

Mark 16:15–16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Luke 24:44–49 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.⁴⁵Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,⁴⁶And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:⁴⁷And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.⁴⁸And ye are witnesses of these things.⁴⁹And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Apostle John records what Jesus said on the day of the Resurrection.

John 20:19–23 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.²⁰And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.²¹Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:²³Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Just before the Ascension of Christ to Heaven, Luke records this message from Jesus – Yeshua.

Acts 1:6–8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?⁷And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.⁸But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus has made it perfectly clear that we have been called to share the Gospel with the world! My position is this: I believe in a Pre-tribulation rapture, but I don’t want my fellowman to experience even a second of the “Tribulation”…for just as in the days of Noah, those who don’t have “faith alone in Christ alone” will suffer the consequences. When Jesus comes to take possession of the Earth and set up his 1000 year Kingdom, only the raptured believers and believers who survive the Tribulation will live and reign with Christ.

Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.³⁸For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,³⁹And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Sadly, in spite of all the warnings given throughout the entire Bible and especially spoken of by Jesus – Yeshua in the Gospels and Revelation, the world will be both surprised and shocked when Jesus comes again!

Warning others of the imminent end of the world and the consequences of sin isn’t just a “New Testament” calling. The Prophets (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel to name a few) of the “Old Testament” also warn of the end times.

Isaiah foretold the birth of the Savior Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach

“Faith Alone in Christ Alone”

Evangelism is the communication of the gospel message that includes a call to Salvation at the Cross by the blood of Jesus.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

It includes an explanation of God’s remedy for sin—the gospel

Acts 8:29-35 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”³⁰When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”³¹“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³²Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth. ³³In His humiliation justice was denied Him.
Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.

God’s Righteousness through Faith

Romans 3:21-26 But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets ²²—that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. ²³For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ²⁴They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. ²⁶God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Acts 17:29-31 ²⁹Being God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.³⁰“Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

Romans 1:17 For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Romans 10:9-13 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. ¹¹Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, ¹²for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. ¹³For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The “Great Commission is for us to share the Gospel with everyone we meet, so in a way we plant seeds of faith! GOD MAKES them GROW!

The principle of Evangelism is to bring our fellow man to faith in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. We must not be complacent…sometimes I think that Americans are the most complacent people on earth. We need to wake up as the day will come when His mercy will end, so we must not take His mercy for granted, share the Gospel while there’s still time.

John 16:8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:

There are many living on this earth, in this country and even in your town that don’t know Jesus. They don’t realize that they’re dead in their sins, because they don’t recognize what sin is. They may have heard of someone named Jesus, but they have no idea of what He did for mankind or the consequences of their thoughts and actions, because they’ve never heard the Good News.

Do YOU ask yourself: “Am I truly a Christian”?

If you answer “YES” to the following questions you are a Christian!

Do YOU BELIEVE that Jesus is the “Son of God”?
Do YOU BELIEVE that He came into the world and lived a sinless life?
Do YOU BELIEVE that He died on the cross for your sins?
Do YOU BELIEVE that He rose from the dead?
Do you claim Jesus – Yeshua as Your LORD and SAVIOR?

JOHN 3:16

The “moment” YOU BELIEVE, you are saved by the “Grace of God”. There’s nothing you can do to add to or take away from Heavenly Father’s “FREE gift of GRACE”!

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Believing and trust are synonymous. When you put your “trust” in Jesus-Yeshua. You become a “new man or woman” in Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells within you! So ask and allow the Holy Spirit to work inside you so that you can serve our Lord and SAVIOR- Jesus Yeshua with all your heart, mind and soul. Recognize that “all” are made in the image of God and that there’s only one race on this planet…The Human Race. When times get tough, keep in mind that the Lord disciplines you because HE LOVES YOU! You may have to get knocked down in this life so that you learn to “look up”! There’s nothing too big for Jesus-Yeshua to handle…so believe and trust in Him and you will be saved!

Resurrection!

WE CELEBRATE HIS LIFE! HE LIVES!!!

As Christians, we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ – Yeshua(Hebrew name of Jesus) because we know that He, a Jewish, sinless man, the Son of God; fully God and fully human in every way, feeling pain and sorrow as we do…died on the cross for us, but the Good News is that on the 3rd day He rose from the dead.

You need to keep in mind that the death of Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach wasn’t the tragedy that some people make it out to be…it was a “TRIUMPH”. His death and resurrection was the convergence of a plan that Jesus and Our Father in Heaven had worked out before the foundations of the world. That being said, what He suffered physically and mentally in our behalf in order to pay the price for our sins is beyond anything we can imagine. It’s absolutely impossible for us to feel the magnitude of His pain and sorrow as it was caused by an entire world of sin both then and now. Because of the sin that covered Jesus, Heavenly Father couldn’t even look upon Him…why…because sin is abominable to our Holy God. However, if we genuinely feel pain, regret and sorrow when we recognize our own sin and confess and repent from sinning we can ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we become believers we have so much to be thankful for…Jesus was put on the cross by His own hand and died for us because He loves us that much, and now He intercedes for us with the Father. He covered our sins with HIS BLOOD and He bore the “wrath of God” that should have been ours and would have been ours to bare if it hadn’t been for His “LOVE” for us.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

After 3 days in the grave, Yeshua Ha Mashiach means “Jesus the Messiah” rose from the dead and gave the whole world his grace and peace. This is a gift that too many of us take lightly…it’s not only for us who are Christians…it’s for ALL…to be shared generously!

Believing is only the beginning…what happens after that is up to you…believing that on the cross Jesus endured the wrath of God to save us from our sins should be your wake-up call and the beginning of you taking steps towards a life that shows the world who you belong to and to share the gift of our Salvation.

There are many steps, but here are 3 to start your journey:

1. Truly repent, accept Jesus – Yeshua is the son of God and your Savior and give your life over to our Redeemer Jesus Christ…then share your belief in your Salvation by the Grace of God with everyone you meet. Display your faithfulness in words, actions and deeds.

2. Get to know your Heavenly Father through His “WORD”, spend time with Him every day asking that His will be done in your life so that you can serve Him.

Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.

3. Be still and listen desiring the Holy Spirit to make changes in your heart so that you can walk nearer to God in every aspect of your life and obey Him.

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Time is short…we don’t know when Jesus will return, but we do know that He will. In the meantime, He asked us to share the Gospel with everyone we come in contact with as well as reaching out to those we don’t know. When we choose Jesus as our Savior he expects us to intercede on His behalf with those who are “lost” and don’t realize that the wonderful gift of Salvation can be theirs.

Matthew 29:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Four Books Written by the Apostle John

Of the 66 books that are in the Bible, the Books of John are my favorite to read as they share what we need to know about our Savior, especially if you’re a new Christian. I’m posting this blog today for a new and dear friend. Blessings in Christ to anyone who listens to the Word of our Heavenly Father. I pray that the Holy spirit guides you as you listen to the Word.

I have not included the Book of Revelation which was also written by the Apostle John, because if your a new Christian you need to start out slow with milk and the Revelation is meat. There’s more than one reason why it’s the last book of the New Testament of the Holy Bible. You will need to read and understand the rest of the Bible before you are ready to read and understand the Revelation of John.

Are You a Sinner?

Just in case you didn’t know…we are ALL sinners!

Do you believe that sitting in church on Sunday or Saturday or any time of the day or night is saving you from your sin? Then think again…sitting in the pews will not save you from your sin! Why are you there? Don’t get me wrong! I’m not saying if you’re a sinner that you shouldn’t go to church , if that were the case then all the church buildings in the world would be empty! REMEMBER! WE ARE ALL SINNERS!

Maybe you’re thinking that whatever they have will rub off on you? Well maybe, some of it could, especially if you’re honestly searching for the “TRUTH”! Jesus – Yeshua is the way the TRUTH and the life, so hopefully, the church that you decide to attend is based on the Bible; the WORD of GOD! Cause if you’re there to find a way to get rich, or to become somehow enlightened in the realm of the unknown or to become united with the universe, you’re in the wrong place! If you’re in a church that is teaching eternal Salvation through the Blood of Christ – Jesus- Yeshua, then you’ve struck “gold” and with time, learning and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you’ll have found a place to call home on this earth that will help to prepare you for a future in the “Kingdom of God”.

Now I have to ask…are you going to church out of habit? Ahhh…it’s Sunday Morning and this is what you do on Sunday morning. You’ve been getting up and going to church since you were a child. Besides, you just got a new hat or a new necktie that you want everyone to see. Or maybe, you’re going to church because there’s nothing better to do…it’s raining and the fish aren’t biting! Oh Yeah! Jesus – Yeshua was a “fisher of men”, so maybe you feel HIM calling you and you don’t know how to answer, so going to church is a starting point.

Then are there times when you’re sitting in the pews and you look around and feel like you’re not fitting in? You’re surrounded by a congregation of elderly folks…lots of widows. There may be a few families and a spattering of younger people. The music isn’t quite what you signed up for, maybe the hymns are too long of the praise music is too loud or ….on and on it goes…you feel like you’re grasping at the question: why am I here? Do you look around and wonder are they truly happy? If not, why aren’t they happy? Is sitting in church just not fulfilling to you and you can’t seem to figure out how to fill the void of emptiness? Does the Sermon end with you asking more questions than it answered?

When you read in the Bible that it says “FEAR GOD” do you tremble? The Apostle Paul actually tells us that we should tremble at the POWER and the GLORY of our “Father in Heaven”. Maybe when you think about your sin, you’re afraid that you’re not forgiven, and because of this fear you’re not at peace?

You might be surprised to learn that Jesus – Yeshua asked questions too…not quite the same questions you are asking, but HIS questions were to wake us up so that we don’t sit in the pews and wonder why we are there.

Scriptures from the TLV ~ Tree of Live Version of the Bible

Could it be that you’re expecting more from the building, the preacher and the congregation than they are capable of giving? Now’s when you face yourself and ask yourself all the hard questions? Who is Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach? One of the first questions Jesus – Yeshua asked his disciples is “Who do you say I am?” Jesus poses the question in 3 books of the Gospel. It must have been very intense questioning for Matthew, Mark and Luke to remember it and then to write it down.

Matthew 16:13-16 When Yeshua came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴They answered, “Some say John the Immerser, others say Elijah, and still others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” ¹⁵He said, “But who do you say I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Mark 8:27-29 Now Yeshua and His disciples went out to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸They told Him, “John the Immerser; and others Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹Then He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah!”

Luke 9:18-20 Once when Yeshua was praying alone and His disciples were near, He put a question to them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” ¹⁹They replied, “John the Immerser, but others Elijah, and others that some prophet from among the ancients has arisen.” ²⁰Then He said to them, “But who do you that say I am?” Then Peter answered and said, “The Messiah of God.”

Peter’s answer was the one that Jesus was looking for at that moment, however, throughout the Scriptures, we soon learn that Jesus – Yeshua is ALL – Everything! HE is in the FATHER and the FATHER IS IN HIM!

If you don’t know exactly who Jesus – Yeshua is, then you will always have more questions than answers. There’s only one way to get the answers and that’s to not only read, but study your Bible! Everything you need to know from the beginning to the end of time is written down for us. There’s Love and War, there’s Love and Hate, theirs Love of money and the price people pay for greed. There’s Love between men and women and their children. There’s poetry, songs, guidance, and prophecy. There’s pain, loss and despair. There’s miracles and the supernatural. There’s so many facets of the Bible that once you’ve picked it up, you don’t want to put it down and then when you finally find yourself reading the Gospels and the “New Testament”, all of the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Suddenly your recognize that the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed and the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed! You will soon learn that from the very first words of the Book of Genesis, Heavenly Father gives us the WORD (HIS SON JESUS – YESHUA) to tell us what He has is store for those who believe in HIS SON, who came to this world to save us from our sins by dying a horrible death on the cross and to rise again on the 3rd day to eternal life. If you repent from your sin and believe he died for you and then you are baptized the Holy Spirit will come to live in you and YOU WILL BE CHANGED.

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

This is why we sinners sit together in church on Sunday or Saturday or any day of the week! This is where we go to share our faith and to gain strength from one another. This is how we become the body of the Christ – Jesus – Yeshua. This is where we begin to find the direction that Heavenly Father wants to lead us in, whether we become evangelists, teachers, preachers, etc…as followers of Christ, we take the first steps of honoring Yeshua by becoming HIS disciples. This is where we go when we are truly caught in the net of the one and only FISHER of MAN!

Matthew 4:19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Important Guidelines for Life Part 2

Reflecting the Image of our Creator:

Mind Your Tongue: how many times have you said something that you wish you could take back? Told an offensive joke? Made fun of something that wasn’t funny? Gossiped or told a lie about someone?

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Proverbs 18:6-8 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.⁷A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.⁸The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Proverbs 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

Matthew 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.³⁷For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Ephesians 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

The Book of Proverbs has numerous verses that address the subject of minding the tongue…I listed only a few of the Scriptures. All throughout Scripture, the WORD is showing us how to live and how to bridle our tongues. As a Christian we have the opportunity to be the “light of the world” and we do this by shining the “LIGHT of CHRIST” — What would Jesus do? What would Jesus say? How can we possibly shine a light into the darkness when we’re caught up in the immorality that oozes our of every crack in the sinful world that we exist in? Keep in mind: If YOU are CHRIST’S then YOU ARE NOT of this WORLD!

Put your tongue to good use and serve Heavenly Father not only with all your heart, your soul and your mind, but with every member of your body including your tongue. Once you’ve put bridling your tongue as a priority, you will not have time for the trivialities that consumes the world around you! You will be using your tongue to share the Gospel of Christ and His Salvation.

https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/05/03/the-plan-of-salvation/

Are YOU on the Side of GOD?

Okay…You say that you’re a Christian! Do YOU study your Bible ~ God’s PLAYBOOK?

The WORD: the BIBLE is the supernatural inspiration of God and written down by 40 different writers…some are anonymous. Each reveals to us a version or a nuance of the same account: Creation, Fall and Redemption. Each account is a layer of God’s Truth woven into a tapestry that narrates history, faith and sacrifice. The Old Testament or the Tanakh informs and prepares us for the first coming of Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach; it also eludes to the 2nd coming (especially in Zachariah). The New Testament tells about HIS arrival on earth, His mission and His Sacrifice; throughout it tells us of the second coming of Jesus and lays down the rules for the final conflict between HIM and HIS followers and Satan and his followers. In the meantime, In both Testaments, we are warned throughout Scripture and especially in the New Testament about the “god of this world” who is Satan the devil!

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

If you haven’t chosen sides yet, you’re running out of time as we’re in the countdown to the end. Heavenly Father doesn’t want you or your church to be a fan club because we’re ALL Players here…NO FANS! Heavenly Father doesn’t want any bench sitters! HE doesn’t want the grandstands full! He wants to see us ALL out there sharing the Gospel of Jesus – Yeshua with everyone we meet until He comes!

Everyday, we’re all embroiled in a battle between good and evil. Every time we choose evil, we’re giving our life over to Satan and creating a rift between us and the Father. To be straight out honest, we’re choosing death instead of life.

Jesus already won the war on the cross! Now it’s a final battle for all of the souls that haven’t chosen sides yet and Satan will not admit defeat as long as there’s one person left on this earth for him to destroy; this is why when Jesus comes He awakens His dead and changes His living into Spiritual Beings. Once this has occurred, Satan can no longer hurt those who belong to Jesus .

Not only does mankind face this battle on a moment to moment basis, there’s a spiritual war that’s been going on since Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Satan and his angels have been in a non-stop spiritual battle with Michael and his angels…a battle that we can’t physically see, but it’s been going on since Lucifer (Satan the Devil) was cast out of Heaven and it’s still going on all around us!

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Is your church your social club? Is Sunday the day that you go to the refueling station to get your sermon fix and then go right back to living the life that you’ve grown comfortable with – maybe a life that is ebbing away at your salvation and robbing you of the promise? Then, in my book, it’s time to make a change, it appears to me that you’re a bench sitter or a fan! Are you too “nice” to tell you family or friends about Jesus – Yeshua? Are you so “nice” that because of your silence, you’re willing to stand by and watch them die and go to Hell?

Don’t you know that you’re in a battle for your life and the lives of everyone you come into contact with? That’s why you need to stand up today and proclaim Jesus as your savior! You need to put on the armor of God and pray like you’ve never prayed before! There’s only one way for you to present yourself to Jesus. You need to demonstrate your faith by speaking up and sharing your testimony of Jesus – Yeshua:

John 16:8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

There’s NO TIME like the present time for you to be BOLD! Look this world straight in the eye and show the world that you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, then repent from your sins and start living your life for Jesus! Fall and your knees in LOVE and WORSHIP and ask HIM to show you THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE!

We have to make a stand for Jesus and choose to be on God’s side in this great battle of God vs. Satan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that God is the equal of Satan, what I’m saying is that Satan represents intrinsic evil and GOD is incomparable and HIS GOODNESS is something that we cannot fathom. God is HOLY and JUST and when we make the decision to live as God has taught us to live, HE saves us from the “power of darkness” and because of HIS SON, our redeemer, HE welcomes us to be part of “the Kingdom of the Son”.

https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/05/03/the-plan-of-salvation/

Are You Walking in the “LIGHT”?

Scripture from KJV – the King James Version Bible.

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

***There’s only once source of light and that is Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach who came to this earth as the “living WORD” as the “LIFE”!

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

***When Jesus – Yeshua gave His life on the cross for us, He was covered in our filthy, hideous sin so much so that the world became totally dark for about 3 hours. In this world, even a self proclaimed Christian sometimes tend to be selfish, lustful, angry, prideful, self-seeking, lazy, or any other combination of sinfulness every day of your life. Now that I’ve said this, if you you see these traits dominating you life, I have to ask you: how do you plan to give these up? With will power? Spiritual resolve? Sheer force? I’m here to tell you that there’s only one way to give it up and that’s to believe in Jesus – Yeshua and when you truly believe, He will send the Holy Spirit to guide you…you CAN NOT do it without the “POWER of GOD”!

Armor of God: https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/06/01/spiritual-warfare/

Prayer: https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/03/01/power-of-prayer/

People who claim to “be good” in their own eyes, when pressed, have to admit that they sometimes, lie, cheat, steal and lust…etc… So on this basis alone, how can anyone claim to be good? There’s only ONE GOOD and that’s GOD!

1 John 1: 3-10

³That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

***Until Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Hamaschiach came to this earth and died for our sins, mankind had been unable to walk with God since our fall from Grace in the Garden of Eden. Because of this, before Jesus came to save us, there was no hope for peace or salvation for mankind.

⁴And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

***Because God so loved the world that He gave His own Begotten son for us, we can now have the choice to experience total Joy in and through Christ!

⁵This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

***When we ask Jesus into our lives, believe that he is the son of God and repent from our sins, He becomes our light. The darkness referred to is sin and Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God who was SINLESS! Therefore His sacrifice on the cross washed clean all those who follow Him.

⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

***When we walk with Jesus in His Light, we know and recognize the truth, we understand that He is the Truth, the Way and the Life and only through Him will we have a relationship with our Father in Heaven.

⁷But 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.

***The longer and the more that we walk in His light, we will develop His attributes: Love, Forgiveness, Kindness, Patience and the other fruits of His Spirit, therefore making us more in the image of Christ with each passing moment.

⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

***Confessing our sins to God and asking forgiveness, shows our Father in Heaven that we don’t want a rift with Him, that we realize and acknowledge our transgression and that with all of our heart, we’re going to do our best to never repeat that sin again. Sin causes division with God because He can’t stand sin and although He is a GOD of LOVE, He’s also Holy and a God of Righteousness. Once you’ve received Jesus as your Savior, you are saved and the only thing that can destroy your Salvation is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but we can cause a division in our relationship with Heavenly Father.

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

***Think of when you did things that upset your parents on this earth…until you made up for it in some fashion, there was an uncomfortable uneasiness when you were in their presence. Admitting to God that we sinned is being totally honest with Him and removing the shame that we should and would feel in His presence.

¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

***Jesus is the WORD and Jesus is the Light of the World and His light will expose any sin (darkness) that’s in us. When our conscience is pricked, we know that we sinned…at that very moment, we need to ask forgiveness, don’t put it off, for tomorrow isn’t promised!

Your strength is in the Lord – you can’t do it without HIM! Focus on growing closer to Him through HIS WORD…study the Scriptures daily and know that you need to lay down your plans for your life and open your heart and mind to HIS plans for your life. Recognize that He is truly the “LIFE” and the “LIGHT”!