GOD IS USING THE MOST UNLIKELY PEOPLE FOR HIS PURPOSES: This young man from Kenya (just turned 18) has impacted America’s Got Talent in an amazing way by singing Gospel music.
Johge – you are an absolute child of God – blessed with a voice that stands out in Speech & Song for His Glory!!! May His many blessings continue to flow to you and through you to those of us who have ears to hear!
“And Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:2-5
Twice in this verse, Jesus makes it clear that ALL who do not repent and realize that Jesus is the only way back into a relationship with our Heavenly Father will perish.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Paul’s conversion is a good example of true repentance, a complete change of heart from a man who was persecuting Christians to proclaiming and proving Jesus was the Jews prophesied Christ, the Son of God.
“For some days he (Paul) was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.” Acts 9:19-22
The next verse is amazing: when we repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, God the Father sends the third person of the Trinity to indwell our Spirit to be our Counsellor, Teacher, and Comforter. We are thereby a new creation in Christ Jesus enabled by the Holy Spirit.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
David got it right when he repented after he had committed a grievous sin with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ” Psalms 51:10-17
David was punished by God for his sin and He did so threefold. David would never again have peace in his house, he would be publicly shamed for his private sin, and, at the apex, his son would die. Although God did not kill David for his evil deeds, the punishments he received caused him to live in shame. David did not get off easy. Remember that.
“‘Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes, I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel. . . . The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.’” 2 Samuel 12:10-14
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the disciples were always concerned with where they’d be ruling in the coming Kingdom, but Jesus told them that they had it all wrong. Here is the Living God, Jesus Christ; the omnipotent God, telling them that:
“even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
They thought like most of the world thinks; the greatest person is the one with the most servants, but Jesus flips that on its head, saying that:
“whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:44
The Apostle Peter could not be clearer about how Jesus Christ brings salvation to the sinner. Peter says,
“that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold.” 1 Peter 1:18
All the wealth in the universe would not be sufficient to redeem even one sinner. It took the shed blood of Jesus to redeem us. There was absolutely no other way.
“the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 1 Peter 1:19
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28.
Salvation was achieved by Jesus shedding His blood at His first coming to earth but at His second coming Jesus completes the task by resurrecting the dead Saints and the rapture of those that are alive with glorious new bodies.
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21
Cold-Case Detective Jay Warner Wallace declared the Gospel changed everything for him, particularly how he addressed every person he came across, including criminals. Great story.
How Wallace saw the world and his role in it changed dramatically when he came to faith in Jesus.
By watching this video you will also learn a lot about other religions and how those religions that existed before Jesus have been modified to include Jesus in some way at least as a wise teacher. The religions like Islam that have arisen after Jesus also include Jesus in some way. No one has had an impact on the world like Jesus whether it be on art, music, education, even on religions.
Everyone wants Jesus on their side. Satan is the master deceiver so by including Jesus in these religions he gives them some credibility.
David Platt in a short 2 minute video explains how much of the church has got the GOSPEL wrong.
Jesus said to him (Thomas), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. John 14:6
“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16
Only the one “by whom” and “for whom” all things were created could “take away the sin” that destroyed the first creation and bring in a “New Creation“.
There is only one KEY to open the Kingdom of Heaven for lost humanity. It is found in only four words “JESUS IS THE CHRIST“. He who was “in the beginning with God” and “was God” became a man to take away “the sin” that entered into the world through the first man Adam.
“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning.” 1 John 3:5-6
There are many Scriptures which show that because of the holiness of God there is only one way our Heavenly Father could restore humanity. Moreover, it would reveal the extent of His love for us. He was prepared to ask His only son to become a man, Jesus, to live a sinless life, so He could die in our place and thereby offer us redemption from our sins (our rebellion against God and His ways). Such a sacrifice on our behalf, and all our Heavenly Father requires of us, is to acknowledge and repent of our sins and embrace His son, Jesus, as our Saviour and Lord.
Jesus is the KEY to restore us, and once we repent and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, our Heavenly Father sends the third person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit to indwell our Spirit. We cannot be holy without the Holy Spirit, our body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. Notice that all three persons of the Trinity are involved in our Salvation.
Paul provides the model of how to behave in the dark days ahead and how to finish strongly. Jesus told us that in the “last days” the love of many will grow cold. There will be a great falling away in the church (Apostasy), even the elect deceived.
Note many friends will leave you as they did Paul, “Demas in love with this present world has deserted me.” If you are doing God’s will, many will harm you as they did Paul “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm”. In fact, Paul says, “no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.” BUT Paul also says, “the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the (GOSPEL) message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it.
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defence no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:6-18
In a few days, we will be celebrating the Feast of Trumpets, and Jews—along with a growing number of Christians—will gather together to observe this biblical holy day.
On Rosh HaShanah, a prayer called Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father Our King) is recited. Yet His Kingship is relegated only to the His ability to forgive His people. He is much more than a forgiver; He is a redeemer and deliverer. He is strong in mighty and strong in battle. This shofar blast is not simply to call us to repentance. It is to remind us of why we are called to repentance. It is a reminder of what comes after repentance: victory.
Defeat is swallowed up by victory. This, in essence, is what the sound of the shofar should do for those hearing it.
For Israel, the King is coming with His army (Saints) to bring total victory against their enemy. Every year when the shofar blasts on Rosh HaShanah, their hearts are reminded that with every year that passes, the King riding upon His white horse is getting closer and closer and one day soon they will hear the Great Shofar sound and the enemy will be vanquished.
For Christians, we are reminded that our King will appear with His angels in the clouds to gather the elect at the Rapture. We also get to ride with our King, to deliver Israel, and defeat the enemy. For both Israel and Christians, Rosh HaShanah is not intended to remind us of our defeats; it is intended to keep us watching for His deliverance as we are set free.
The GOSPEL is as much Jesus Second Coming as it is His First Coming. There are more prophecies about Jesus Second Coming and The Day of the Lord than there were about His First Coming. The Pharisees and Sadducees did not get His First Coming and sadly the church is asleep about His Second Coming. In the Olivet Discourse Jesus tells us to WATCH and gives six signs to watch out for prior to His coming on the clouds with His angels to gather His church. We are in the “last days” when these signs are beginning to manifest.
![Rapture: Case Closed?: Enhanced Edition by [Walters, Nelson]](https://images-fe.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wpfVi1U0L.jpg)
Let me give a plug for Dr Nelson Walters book Rapture case Closed? It does a great job of revealing when the Rapture will take place.
A special edition of this book has just been sent free to a thousand Christian leaders in the USA in an effort to alert the church to coming prophesied tribulation.
Christians will not be on earth when the wrath of God is poured out, but the big question is, when is the wrath of God poured out on the earth. Nelson shows clearly that the wrath of God is poured out in the trumpet and bowl judgements.
Yes! Christians will be on earth during the tribulation and will see the Antichrist. Get the book, you will be glad you did.
When we are silent about our sin and shortcomings, our bodies and souls suffer. What begins as intentional minimising of sin turns into blindness to both the sin and its effects. Our view of ourselves is skewed. We begin to say, “This is just who I am.”
Sin not only damages our connection to God, but our connection to others.
When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. Psalm 32:3
David learned this firsthand when he tried to cover up his sin with Bathsheba. When the prophet Nathan confronted David, the cure for sin’s poison was revealed. As we confess and repent, God welcomes us back. Although the consequences of our choices remain, God’s forgiveness and the penetrating light of His truth bring life and restoration to our souls and relationships.
God’s arrows of affliction are sharp and painful so He can get our attention. He won’t let His beloved children get away with sin because He knows it robs us of blessings, opportunities, and even character refinement.
Charles Stanley
Sadly, the world increasingly, by denying the existence of God, has no concept of the eternal consequences of SIN – separation from their Creator forever, i.e. HELL. Likewise, they don’t recognise that God has provided the solution to the SIN problem (rebellion against God and His Commandments) i.e. JESUS, God’s own Son. Nor will they repent of their SIN, acknowledge His sacrifice on their behalf and let Him be Lord of their life.
The Bible provides the only history of this universe that makes sense of what we see in the world today. The initial SIN of Adam and Eve brought death, pain and suffering into what once was a perfect world. God has provided one way back into a renewed relationship with our heavenly Father – JESUS.
“Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
“Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” John 8:24
Will you reconsider? Your eternal destiny hangs in the balance.
JESUS SAID, “GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, BAPTISING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” MARK 28:19
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO AND THEN ASK YOURSELF, AM I, IN A CHURCH THAT IS DOING WHAT JESUS COMMANDED?
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 