The Biblical Path of Life

Category: Picture with verse and blog

  • Faith and Hope

    “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
    Romans 15:4

    Watching events in the world today, do you ever wonder why God allows some things to happen? Have you noticed the crime, injustices, wickedness, violence, strife, and so much more that happens continually? Does it seem like ungodliness is constantly in your face, yet there is nowhere to turn and hide from it? Believe it or not, this is nothing new. This has all happened before.

    Remember back for a minute to a small book in the Old Testament named after a prophet who had much of the same question for God. He asked God, “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” (Habakkuk 1:2). He wanted to know why he could see so many living in such sin and wickedness, knowing that God was displeased, and why God was allowing it to continue without doing anything about it.

    God answered Habakkuk. “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you” (Habakkuk 1:5). God proceeded to tell Habakkuk that He was about to do something so mighty that it would be hard to believe such a thing could happen. God’s people had been living contrary to God for so long, and they had chosen instead to involve themselves wholly in idolatry. Because of their rejection of God and His ways, God was going to allow the enemy to come into the country, steal a select group away, and destroy the rest of the people and nation. The enemy that was coming to destroy was a “terrible and dreadful” people. God was going to use this wicked people to come into Judah and destroy. However, because God knows the heart of all people, He knew whom he would allow to be spared from the wrath of His judgment upon His people. This group of people would be taken into the enemy’s land that was wholly given over to idolatry. Hearing this, Habakkuk was greatly trouble. He did not know or understand that in that place, this group of people would be cured of idolatry forever. It would be then that God would allow them to go back to their homeland and rebuild.

    When Habakkuk did not understand, he still waited to hear from God. Once again, God answered him. God wanted him to write it down for all to know and understand, because if God says something is going to happen, be assured it will happen! The greatest verse in this book, the verse that is the most instructive is found next. “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). No one who places faith in anyone or anything besides God is “upright” in God. Remember: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). The most important faith a person can have is the saving faith in Jesus. “8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once one has the saving faith of Jesus, that person is able to “live by his faith.” “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 … 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). In the world, people think seeing is believing. God wants us to understand that believing is seeing.

    How did Habakkuk respond to this thought of living by his faith in God and His Word? The entirety of chapter three in Habakkuk is a prayer that turns into a song. Habakkuk remembered what God had done for His people in the past, and the hope God gave for the future. God had never left them. This comforted Habakkuk and gave him hope. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

    Habakkuk put into practice what we should know to do: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). When Habakkuk sought God, God answered and encouraged Habakkuk.

    Does God’s Word comfort you, encouraging you to live a life of faith in this world?

  • Faithful Stewards

    “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
    1 Corinthians 4:2

    There are many people in our lives with whom we become acquainted. However, one must be cautious that those we spend the most time with have a true knowledge of Jesus and a love for God’s Word. We are to understand that words alone do not make one a child of God. A very dangerous position in which to be is to be one who does not hold the truth of salvation. What is the condition of those who do not have a true knowledge of Jesus? “12. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 1:12-13). When one does not hold the truth of salvation, they might just look and sound like a Christian, yet they have never known the truth of the Gospel message. What a sad place to be! Remember the warning Jesus gave: “21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

    Remember an event in the New Testament to help one understand this better.

    Paul had met a couple, Aquila and Priscilla, while on his second missionary journey in the city of Corinth. Paul taught in the synagogue every Sabbath, teaching the people that Jesus was the Christ (the Messiah that had come to take away the sin of anyone who would believe). Eventually, the chief ruler of the synagogue “believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed” (see Acts 18:8). Paul stayed there for a time, teaching the Word of God to the people. When he left Corinth, Priscilla and Aquila went with him until he reached Ephesus where they stayed while Paul continued on his journey.

    While Priscilla and Aquila were there, a man came. “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus” (Acts 18:24). See what else God’s Word says of Apollos. “This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25). One has to stop for a minute to remember what it means by the “baptism of John.” John (also known as John the Baptist) was preaching repentance, calling for people to be baptized, preparing them to receive Jesus when He came. John the Baptist’s job was to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (see Luke 1:17b). This meant that he was to introduce Jesus to the people as the Messiah (the Christ) for whom they had been waiting. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Somehow, Apollos missed that part of the message. He only knew of the baptism to repentance, but missed that Jesus was the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. He had knowledge of much of the Scripture, but he was missing the key part – Jesus. Repentance of sin was important, but it was meaningless unless one understood that Jesus was the One who took the sin from the individual, giving salvation.

    What was Apollos doing with the information of the baptism to repentance that was taught by John the Baptist? “And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26). When Aquila and Priscilla heard that what Apollos was teaching was missing the most important part (Jesus), they went to him and “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” What does that mean? They explained to Apollos that Jesus was the Christ. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). They had to tell Apollos about Jesus. “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). That was the key part of the message that Apollos had not yet heard. However, when Apollos heard, he believed in Jesus. How do we know that he received the message and believed in Jesus? “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:28). Because Aquila and Priscilla were faithful stewards of God’s Word, not only did Apollos believe, but he proceeded to tell others that Jesus was the Christ, too.

    Have you told others that Jesus is the Christ, and that by believing they can have life through His name?

    How to be Saved

  • The Heart of the Matter

    “6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
    Isaiah 55:6-7

    Hezekiah was the greatest king Judah ever had (see 2 Kings 18:5). He was compared back to King David, the man after God’s own heart. Hezekiah made great reformations in Judah, eliminated idols and reinstated worship of the one true God. His heart was right before God. “And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered” (2 Chronicles 31:21). Hezekiah led the people to follow God.

    Hezekiah had a great sickness, and Isaiah told him that God said Hezekiah would die of that sickness. Hezekiah prayed. God healed. God did a great sign to show Hezekiah he would live. The Babylonians came when they heard Hezekiah was sick. He showed them all of the treasures of Judah. We can read that his heart was lifted up (2 Chronicles 32:25). He was prideful of all he had. He should have given God the credit for all of the treasures of Judah. He should have been a vocal witness to the Babylonians. “Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chronicles 32:31). God knew what was in Hezekiah’s heart, but now all knew what was really in Hezekiah’s heart: Pride. “Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah” (2 Chronicles 32:26). Hezekiah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem humbled themselves before the Lord, and God’s wrath was delayed.

    Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, became the worst king Judah had. “But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel” (2 Chronicles 33:2). One can read a listing of his wickedness in 2 Chronicles 33:3-9. One terrible thing he did was “to cause his children to pass through the fire,” which is child sacrifice. God went on to declare that Manasseh did worse than the heathen whom the Lord had removed before the children of Israel. God sent men to warn Manasseh and the people, but they would not listen. Isaiah was a prophet of God during Hezekiah’s reign and even into Manasseh’s reign. Read something recorded in Isaiah that we can still read today: “6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).

    Because of the wickedness of Manasseh, God allowed the enemy to take him captive into Babylon. “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers” (2 Chronicles 33:12). While in Babylon, Manasseh sought the Lord and humbled himself before Him. After calling upon the Lord, Manasseh forsook his way, and turned unto the Lord. God heard his supplication and had mercy on this wicked king. God pardoned him, allowed him to return to Judah, and even sit upon the throne once again. “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

    Manasseh proceeded to do much good: he reinforced the city, took away the strange gods, idols, and altars he built in the house of the Lord, and cast them out of the city. He repaired the altar of the Lord and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. “Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places …” (2 Chronicles 33:17a). In Hezekiah’s day, the people humbled themselves before the Lord with Hezekiah. In Manasseh’s day, the people continued in their false worship even after Manasseh turned his heart to God. God’s wrath would come.  

    Remember, God sees the heart. “20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; 21. Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:20-21).

    Do you understand God knows the secrets of the heart?

  • Jesus Revealed

    “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
    Matthew 5:17

    When Jesus came, He did not take away the importance of the Old Testament Law and Prophets; instead, He fulfilled them. This means He completed them, or made them completely perfect. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Fulfill means “to fill out; complete or made them perfect; to accomplish an end.” Jesus came to complete (fulfill) the promise God made to Adam and Eve (and all of mankind) in the garden after they sinned. It was in the garden that God first promised that One would come and deliver man from his sin. When Jesus came, He did not take away the importance of the Old Testament Law and Prophets, for He accomplished what God required of Him. This reveals to us the importance of the Old Testament Law and Prophets in that Jesus fulfilled the words spoken and preached therein. In accomplishing all of the requirements found in the Old Testament, Jesus was the only one qualified, to be the perfect sacrifice to appease the wrath of a just and righteous God.

    Jesus completed everything He came to accomplish. After His resurrection, Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples. “44. 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. 45. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46. And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48. And ye are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:44-48).

    It is very important to read God’s Word and be in a good Bible study where you can learn more about Jesus. One important goal each Christian should have is to know and understand more about the Old Testament (and the New Testament). The more you learn about the Bible, the more you begin to understand that it is so much more than just a collection of stories about people who lived long ago. In reading and studying the Old Testament in the Bible, you can search and find out why the people who lived in those times wanted to obey God. It helps you understand how they knew God would one day send Jesus. You can see what happened to His people when they obeyed God’s Word, and even what happened when they forgot God’s Word. As you read the New Testament, you begin to recognize when people began to understand that Jesus was the One who was to come (the One that was told of in the Old Testament). These events will be an encouragement to you that God is with those who love Him, those who seek to please Him, and that He takes care of His people.

    In the New Testament, we can read that there was a great plot to kill Paul because He lived as a Christian, preaching Jesus to the lost (those who did not believe in Jesus). Paul, the apostle, used this in his defense before Festus: “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets” (Acts 24:14).

    He believed all things written in the Law and Prophets that told of Jesus.

    Do you?

  • God’s Call through the Gospel Message

    “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
    Acts 2:21

    The book of Acts is about the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus. “… 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” (Acts 1:8). After Jesus spoke final words of instruction to his followers: “9. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11). They were amazed to see Jesus just disappear from the earth into Heaven. Then, obeying Jesus’ instructions, they returned to Jerusalem. The Gospel spread, first in Jerusalem, then in Judea, into Samaria, and finally to the rest of the known world. Salvation is available to anyone who would believe. “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). 

    Throughout the book of Acts, Jesus’ followers began to understand what it was Jesus did when He came, and even why He did the things that He did. The understanding begins with the importance of his death, burial, and resurrection.

    As Peter preached Jesus to the people, he initially directed his message to the Jews, for they had rejected Jesus, crucifying Him. “22. Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24. Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:22-24). Holden means “to use strength to hold or retain.” When Jesus could not be held by death, He took that power of death that had previously been held by the devil, Satan, “… that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14b). Death could not hold Jesus for he conquered it. Jesus then gives eternal life to any who will believe in Him. 

    Peter continued to explain to the people that because Jesus could not “be holden of it,” Jesus rose from the dead – and this people he was speaking to were witnesses. “32. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses … 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:32, 36). All of the house of Israel should have recognized that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was both Lord and Christ. Christ means “the Savior of the world.” They were to recognize that Jesus is the Savior of the world. 

    How did they respond? “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). When they heard the gospel message preached, they were “pricked in their heart.” Pricked means “greatly pained or deeply moved.” It is important that the gospel message had a movement in their heart. Sometimes we call this “conviction” (which means “found guilty of an offense”). However, it was more important what those people did with that movement. Peter told them what they must do. “38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39). The people had to take action: repent. Repent means “to imply pious sorrow for unbelief and sin, and a turning from them to God and the gospel of Christ.” Repentance is a response between a sinful man and God. Baptism is an outward testimony of what happened to that individual’s heart. Notice that God “called” them. Call means “God’s call through the gospel message.”

    Have you heard or been pricked in your heart when you heard the Gospel Message of Jesus?

    Have you responded to the call of God through the Gospel message?

    How to be Saved

  • Who is Jesus?

    “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
    John 14:6

    One cannot fully explain just who Jesus is in a brief summary. However, the Bible tells who Jesus is from the beginning through to the end. Nevertheless, for a brief sampling, read the following verses.

    1. Jesus is God’s Son
      • “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17).
      • When Jesus asked his disciples: “15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:15-17).
      • Another answer by a disciple: “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69).
    2. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life to bring us to God
      • “21. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:21-22). 
      • “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
    3. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save lost mankind
      • “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. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
    4. Jesus is God

    God is “I Am,” and He will be known as that forever. When Jesus declared He was God, He called Himself “I Am,” and the people understood what it was that He was saying (that He was God) – and many rejected Him because of that saying.

    Jesus’ Seven “I Am” Statements: 

    • I Am the Bread of Life: “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).    
    • I Am the Light of the World: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).    
    • I Am the Door of the Sheep: “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7).     
    • I Am the Good Shepherd: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).     
    • I Am the Resurrection, and the Life: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).     
    • I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). 
    • I Am the True Vine: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman” (John 15:1).     

    5. Jesus’ Crucifixion: (in Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49, and John 19:17-37)

    6. Jesus’ Resurrection: (in Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20:1-10)

    We can read of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. Although the religious leaders thought they were destroying Jesus by His death, it was a fulfillment of God’s plan. Because of the sin of mankind, causing separation between man and God, Jesus came to “… lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Remember how Jesus described friends in that next verse: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). Today, we call one who has faith in God, believing in Jesus, a Christian. Jesus came to earth to die for the sins of mankind – for any one who would believe. As we learn about these scriptures, we find that they are the heart of the promise God made to Adam in the garden (Genesis 3:15), and all generations that would come. It is important to understand just what it was that Jesus did. After living a sinless life, He paid the penalty for sin. By paying for that sin, He is able to give eternal life to those who have faith in Him. If you have never heard, or have never truly understood what it was that Jesus did for you, these verses will help you hear and understand.  

    Do you know Jesus?

    How to be Saved

  • Family

    “For with God nothing shall be impossible”
    Luke 1:37

    Jacob’s family moved to Egypt to be with Joseph. Before he died, he blessed each of his sons. When he came to Judah, he not only blessed him, but also made a prophecy concerning his descendants. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10). God knew that His people (the Israelites) would reject Him as their king, hundreds of years before they actually did. He had already chosen a tribe to be the kingly tribe – the tribe of Judah. Not only would the kings come from this family, but Jesus (Shiloh) would one day descend from this tribe (Judah). This was to be The King they were looking for: “… and unto him shall the gathering (looking for) of the people be.”

    However, before Jesus came, remember David.

    King David (from the tribe of Judah) sat at his house, and he spoke to Nathan the prophet. “… See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains” (2 Samuel 7:2b). In the city of Jerusalem, David had set up a tent to house the Ark of the Covenant (which was a symbol of God’s presence among His people). David recognized God’s blessings, and he wanted to do something for God. God answered that night. David wanted to build a house for God that God declared was not really needed. The Ark of the Covenant had always rested in a tent. God reminded him that He had taken David from being a shepherd boy watching sheep to become the ruler over God’s people, Israel. God had always been with David, defeating David’s enemies, and He made David a great name. God went on to give David a great promise. “12. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. … 16. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Notice that God promised to build David a house – not a house to live in, but a dynasty, a kingly lineage. This promise was twofold. God established David’s family as the kings of Israel. God also promised that David’s son would build Him a house. David prayed to God thanking Him and praising Him. David’s son, Solomon, became the next king of Israel, and he built a beautiful Temple for God.

    Moreover, God would one day send His Son, Jesus, from David’s descendants: “… I will set up thy seed after thee …” (2 Samuel 7:12). Remember what Mary was told when the angel said that she would bring forth a Son. “30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32). When she did not understand, the angel told her, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

    God did just what he promised He would do. We see it confirmed: “… he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. 23. Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus” (Acts 13:22-23). It is here that we see God kept his promise given to Jacob, David and Mary. It is Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Read how Revelation describes Jesus: “… behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David …” (Revelation 5:5).

    More than that, Jesus came so that we could be restored as part of God’s family – only by faith in Jesus. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

    Have you looked unto Jesus, believing in Him by faith, and becoming a part of God’s Family?

    How to be Saved

  • The Mediator

    “5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time”
    1 Timothy 2:5-6

    God’s people were in bondage in Egypt (they were slaves). However, God heard them cry out and rose up a mighty deliverer, Moses. Moses appeared before Pharaoh and told him. “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go …” (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh’s response? “… I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2).

    God then revealed Himself with the Ten Plagues. What had God thought of Pharaoh’s rejection of and defiance of Him? “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD” (Exodus 12:12). Not only would God reveal Himself mightily to Pharaoh, but also to His people.

    The tenth, and final, plague was an institution of the Passover, the death of the firstborn. It showed the mighty deliverance of God. The Israelites were to kill a lamb for each house and sprinkle the blood on the doorposts. The death angel would then “pass over” each house whose doorpost was covered with the blood. “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you” (Exodus 12:23). Moses told the people to prepare.

    Read what happened on that night. “29. And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 30. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Exodus 12:29-30). The death angel went through the land killing each firstborn. The angel only passed over the houses with the blood of the lamb on the doorposts. After this, Pharaoh finally agreed to let God’s people go.

    This is one of many pictures throughout the Old Testament to reveal that Jesus would give His life for our salvation. See the fulfillment declared in the following Scriptures:

    • “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
    • “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
    • “14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:14-17).
    • “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
    • “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
    • “5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
    •  “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Especially note “who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

    Jesus gave Himself a ransom to become the mediator between a perfect God and a sinful people. In these verses, one should understand that because of the one time shedding of blood by Jesus, anyone has the opportunity to be redeemed (saved) – if only one would believe.

    Do you believe Jesus is the Redeemer, your mediator between you, a sinful person, and God?

    How to be Saved

  • The Separation

    “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 3:19

    While living in the garden and tending it, God gave only one command to Adam and Eve – do not eat of the fruit of one particular tree in the garden. “16. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

    Satan then entered the picture in the form of a serpent. “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). Satan came to Eve under the guise of a serpent, and he challenged God’s Word as he spoke to Eve. He omitted some of the Word of God – just a couple of words. He questioned the Word of God. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6). Eve did not trust God’s Word. Eve was deceived. She took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and then gave it to Adam who was not deceived, but took of it willingly. “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14). They chose to disobey God. (Remember Proverbs 3:5-6.)

    When man disobeyed God’s command, it separated them from God. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). It was then that their eyes were opened. “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Genesis 3:7). They recognized they had sinned. Because of that sin, there was immediate separation from God. When man disobeyed God (sinned), his spirit was changed. Remember that before, Adam and Eve met with God in the cool of the day. “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Now, Adam and Eve hid from God. When confronted with their disobedience, they could have confessed their sin. Instead, they passed the blame – made excuses (see Genesis 3:9-13).

    Because they sinned, they hid from God. They now loved evil more than righteousness. “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. 20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:19-20). Man was no longer perfect as when God created him. No longer innocent. They died spiritually. Man no longer possessed the same God-like character.

    After God cursed the serpent (Satan), God gave a warning and a promise of hope to all of mankind. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). There would be a constant conflict between Satan and mankind – forever. Nevertheless, God promised that the war was won from this point. For He promised to send One to deliver mankind from Satan and the punishment for sin (death: see Romans 6:23) forever. God promised to send His Son, Jesus. Jesus came and defeated Satan.

    Although God cast them out of the Garden of Eden, remember God gave the promise of redemption through Jesus. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

    Do you love the darkness or the light?

    How to be Saved

  • The Good News

    “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”
    Romans 10:13

    The sin of Adam (disobedience of God) separated all of God’s creation from fellowship with God. Adam and Eve immediately recognized that they were naked. They were no longer covered by the glory from God. So, they covered themselves with fig leaves. Man cannot appease God’s wrath by his own actions. God corrected this attempt at rectification by making coats of skins and covering Adam and Eve (see Genesis 3:21). This death helped reveal there was a cost for their disobedience (sin). From that day forward, man was born into sin.

    There is a simple way to understand and explain the separation of man from God, and the only way of redemption. It is simplified by colors. This incorporates the plan God has for anyone to believe in Jesus.

    Black – Sin: Romans 3:23

    Red – Jesus’ Blood: Romans 5:8

    White – Clean: Acts 3:19

    Blue– Faith:  Acts 2:41

    Green –Growth: 2 Peter 3:18

    How can we understand this?

    Black: Man’s Sin: Everyone has sinned. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God examines man’s heart and our deeds. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).  He says that not one of us have met sinless perfection. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10).

    Red: Jesus’ shed blood: The good news is that Jesus paid the price for man’s sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Moreover, He paid the price with his own blood. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

    White: Man is now clean:  The Good News is that if we ask, Jesus will forgive us for sin and cleanse us of that black, sinful heart. If we repent. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out …” (Acts 3:19). He gives us a brand new clean, white heart and when He looks at us, God sees Jesus Christ. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). We now have the ability to live a life pleasing to the Lord.

    Blue: Faith: The first act of obedience is baptism. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized …” (Acts 2:41). Baptism is a picture of dying to one’s old live and living a new life “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

    Green: Spiritual Growth: We then live a life that pleases Him “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). “4b. … even so we also should walk in newness of life. 11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:4b, 11). The more we learn about this new life, the more we will live like Jesus, which will cause other people to want this new life, too.

    All of this can be simply understood, and the invitation is available to anyone who will believe in Jesus. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). We just need to tell others about this wonderfully Good News!

    Have you told anyone the Good News of Jesus’ Salvation?

    How to be Saved