Php 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Good thing the verse does not say: “for it is God who works in you TO FEEL, to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Otherwise I would seriously doubt if God is really at work in me, sanctifying me. Because times are many when dry spells visit me. When the cheer of feelings cannot be heard. Wherein feelings run counter to what I must do.

I do not always feel like doing God’s will. I do not always feel like praying, reading God’s Word and ministering to a brother in need. Rather many a time I do those things on the basis of my WILLING not my FEELING. Had I anchored my obeying the Word of God solely on the spur and spark of my feelings I would not have obeyed God most of the time if not all the time.

Have you experienced purposely doing God’s will even though your feelings hollered: “No. I don’t feel like it!!!!!!!!!!!!”? You did it even though you did not feel like doing it. You know what. That’s God working in you. Your spiritual muscles get stronger every time you do that. It requires a lot of faith to do that. Our spiritual muscles do not really get that worked up if we are aided by the shove of our feelings.

Time will come when you will be put in a situation where you must choose what you must do as opposed to what you feel. Time will come when you will be placed in a situation where you must sacrifice your “Isaac” than follow what your feelings dictates. When you do that. That’s God working in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Don’t miss to take advantage of those situations wherein feelings oppose what you must do by obeying what God wants in that particular situation. They train you for the big event.

Contrition and Attrition: The difference


Many people forego repentance until their old age. They say: “I will repent when I am at the threshold of eternity.” And so when they are in their gray head days they ‘repent’.

But what is repentance? Repentance is actually a change of attitude towards sin, God, self and Christ.


He changes his attitude about sin. Sin is to be abhorred. He changes his attitude towards God. God is to be reverred and honored. He changes his attitude towards himself. I cannot save myself. I am a sinner in need of salvation. He changes his attitude towards Christ. Christ is the Savior. I must turn to Him alone for salvation and forgiveness of sins.


The repentant says: “This is wrong against God. I have sinned against the moral Governor of the Universe. I am in this hopeless and helpless state of sinning. I don’t deserve heaven. I will turn to Christ.”


Repentance at its earlier stage starts out with attrition.

What is attrition? It is changing ones ways for fear of the punishment. But it does not stop here. For repentance to be true and genuine, it [attrition] must mature into contrition. Sadly, many just stop at attrition, never moving forward into contrition.


What is contrition? It is when the sinner realizes that sin is sin and that it grieves the heart of God. God who is sooo good and gracious and loving worthy of all my all. Why should we sin against Him? And so the contrite sinner turns away from sin because it is a sin against God nothing more, nothing less. Not because of the threat of hell or the promise of bliss in heaven. [God is not mocked, who are you fooling?] Even without hell the contrite sinner turns away from sin. Even without heaven the contrite sinner turns away from sin. He is focused on what this blessed and Holy person delights.

What would you do of a woman wanting only to marry you because you are rich? She only wants to escape poverty that’s why she wants to marry you. I’m sure you’d dispense of that woman right? You want someone to marry you because of you. It’s the same way with God. God is a person. He is touched and moved when a sinner turns away from sin with the motive that he [the sinner] does not want to grieve Him. He stops his sinning because he wants to honor God for who He is. This is true repentance.


Contrition is the work of God in a sinner. The human heart cannot just be contrite by its own. It is desperately wicked and it cannot change. Only God’s grace can break a rebellious heart.


Repentance is not the payment for sins. WE must not rely on it for salvation. However, it is the condition to salvation. The payment for sins is in Mt. Calvary. You must go there for salvation. In order for you to reach there, you must leave sin. In order for you to accept the gift of salvation, you must lay down your arms. Surrender those weapons of rebellion. Your hands cannot receive the gift of salvation if it is full of rebellion.


Come to Christ because of your sins. not because your afraid of hell.


[Note: The heart is sooo deceitful. Sometimes because of fear of impending death a person displays seeming ‘repentance’ from sin. He really feels that he has ‘repented’, and ‘accepts’ Christ. Only to find out on the other side that he was never saved at all. Yes, deathbed repentance is possible so long as it is true repentance. But in order for you to be sure that you have really repented, why not repent now when you are healthy and strong. So when imminent death comes and you are lying in your bed you won’t be bothered by the thoughts: “Are you really repentant? Really? What if it’s only attrition? How will you know?” , But if you have repented as early as now when you are healthy, then you will be assured that your repentance is true and is not only a product of attrition for you have repented from your sins even when the threat of death was remote].

Ac 26:24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!


Paul obviously got His learning from revelation direct [God directly speaking to him] and revelation written [Old Testament Scriptures].

I have heard of people here in my place warning other people not to read the Bible [God's revelation] becuase the Bible can make one go insane and mad. I find that an echo of what Festus said here.

Paul have been telling Festus about the death and resurrection of the Lord when Festus cut in and impetously called Paul crazy.

Well, what can i say, i am glad that Paul got "crazy", if he didn't, he would not have stopped persecuting and murdering those Chrstians. He would have still been enslaved by the power of sin. If Paul did not go "crazy" he would have been in hell right now.

Paul was wise when he became a "fool" for Christ.

I remember a true story of a Western man visiting an island where tribal aborigines dwell. As he was having a walk, he noticed a native aborigine reading a Bible and discouraged the native from reading it. He said: "What, do you believe in that book?, Why, that book is a book of fables and myths"

The native look up and said: "If it weren't for this book, you would have been our lunch by now."

What is the Gospel?


   There are questions we can’t afford to have the wrong answers to. Questions that our eternities hang on and depend. And one such question is the one above: “What is the gospel?”
For sure, you have heard this word gazillion of times already but what is it? Do you know? First, before going into the answer, let me catalog for you what the gospel is not:


    The Gospel is……….

……not the 10 commandments [these only show you that you need the Gospel. it is not the Gospel]

…….not the whole Bible [The OT prophecied about the Gospel. It is not the Gospel. The NT is the fulfillment of the Gospel{Matthew to John}. The book of  ACTS show us the gospelization of the apostles. The Books from Romans to Revelation show us the implication of the Gospel with regards to our moral lives. The NT is not the Gospel. It contains the Gospel]

…….not the whole New Testament

…….not All the commandments in the New Testament [these NT commands were given to those who have already recieved the Gospel. They are not the Gospel]

……, not Prayer [This is what those who have recieved the Gospel should be doing after they have recieved it. This is not the Gospel]

……, not Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. [these individual books of the Bible are not the Gospel, they contain the Gospel]



so what's the Gospel?

  The Gospel, dear reader, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and what He did on the cross of Calvary for you and me. The Gospel is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for the sins of sinners. Anytime you hear these words:


  “The Lord Jesus Christ died for the sins of sinners, buried and resurrected for us."


everytime you hear those words my friend you hear the  Gospel, the Good News of salvation. You’ve heard that millions of times already right? You know what the Bible says about the Gospel? You know what’s the divine commentary of the Bible about the Gospel?


  Here read it for yourself:


“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." [Romans 1:16-17]


The Gospel speaks about Christ’s humiliation for our exaltation. From the vantage point of the world, Christ’s hanging there on the cross seemed a failure, a picture of defeat. The world laughs and scorns: “what’s there in a man nailed to the cross? How can that be good news for me……this is plain foolishness.”


But Paul was not ashamed to proclaim such a message. Why? Because “it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” The Gospel is the life-boat in a sea where every ship is sinking. The Gospel is the only strong and formidable tower of salvation that men and women can take refuge. The Gospel is the Rock of Gibraltar that stands mighty and indomitable in the midst of shaking foundations. When the smoke clears, only the truth of the Gospel will be seen standing firm unscathed.


“It is the power of God to salvation” it cannot sink; God is its buoy. It cannot crumble; God is its architect and builder. It cannot fall; God is its foundation. It is trustworthy; its God’s saving truth.


Practical Application:

What are you doing with the truth of the Gospel, dear reader? It’s meant to benefit us sinners like you and me. Are you trusting it?

a)You are not trusting the Gospel [the work of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ] if you attempt to be right with God through good works.

b)You are not trusting the Gospel if you believe that somehow your good deeds can lessen and atone for your sins.

c)you are not trusting the Gospel if you think that it's your good works + the Gospel can get you to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

d) you do not have true faith in the Gospel if you do not reciieve it with a repentant heart.


He came to die for the sins of sinners and rose again for our justification [justification-meaning that we may be declared perfectly righteous in God’s eyes forever]. What you must do is trust the Good News of salvation.


Here's the Gospel command: Trust in the saving work of Christ on Calvary alone. 

May God bless you

The Kingdom of God has several aspects

a) The kingdom of God could refer to God's universal Kingdom. He is soveriegnly in control of all things either in the physical realm or in the spiritual realm

b) The kingdom of God could refer to the Messianic Kingdom to be established at the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.

c) The Kingdom of God could refer to the mystery form in which it has taken place in "CHRISTENDOM" It is a Kingdom were the false and the true are in. [the devil planted the false of course]

d) it could refer to the Spiritual kingdom. This refers to all who are genuinely saved and have the Lord as the Lord of their life.

Note: Some of these kingdoms overlap in a particular dispensation. Today in the Church Age, God is king of all the world, He is soveriegnly reigning all over the universe but within this universal kingdom of God there is within it a special kind of kingdom, the spiritual kingdom wherein all truly saved people are in.

What should our reaction be in times of trials?

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.




1) An attitude of Joy

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” [James 1:2]


Joy is our attitude to it instead of sulking, grumbling and complaining. We Christians are to live above circumstances not crumble under it.

We are commanded to rejoice ALWAYS: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

Paul was in prison when he wrote Philippians. He was there unjustly accused, with his arraignment delayed for about two years [justice delayed is justice denied], he was innocent yet he was there incarcerated. Yet inspite of it all, he is still beaming with joy himself that under inspiration he was able to write to those who are in Philippi to REJOICE ALWAYS.

The words “count it all joy” is in the imperative mood just like the words “REJOICE ALWAYS” Imperatives are directed to the will. This tells us a lot about true joy.

a) True joy is a choice.
b) True joy is always done in the sphere of the Lord. True joy is always found in Him.
c) True joy can be had all of the time, if we choose to rejoice walking in the Spirit.

There are many reasons for a Christian to rejoice in the midst of trials:

a) He has salvation in spite of the trials. Knowledge of that truth is enough to make the heart sing.

b) Ac 5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

c) Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. [this verse was written to the Romans under the situational context of suffering]

d) there are many other reasons too many to mention but the one given here by James why they should rejoice is this:

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Why this is an echo of Paul’s words:

Ro 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;


God is at work molding and conforming us to the image of Christ. We grow more into His image under sufferings and trials. It takes the dross [unholy things] out from us. God’s agenda for us is NOT to make us comfortable, but to make us more conformed to His Son, Christ Jesus. God is doing this so that we can have spiritual stamina [patience and perseverance] in the fight of faith. Just like the rigorous training of athletes. The training is arduous and strenuous, it causes discomfort to the athlete but it is needful.

Somebody said: “The stronger the winds, the deeper the roots, the deeper the roots the stronger the tree.”

With that goal in God’s mind for us, we are indeed to count it all joy to fall into various trials: Trials produce patience or perseverance [spiritual stamina]


2) We are to be praying for wisdom

Too many of us do not know how to handle trials and so we need to be in our knees and ask for wisdom about how to handle it and spiritually profit from the trials we face that it may truly accomplish what it was sent for: to make us complete and lacking nothing in the fight of faith.


5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

You were weighed but you were found wanting


Ps 143:2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

Think of that, muse on that, ponder on that. NO ONE LIVING IS RIGHTEOUS IN THE EYES OF GOD. That's you and me and everybody for : ", all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," [Romans 3:23]


we all have sinned at least once. We have not reflected in our lives God's glory.

What is the glory of God referred to in this verse?

For sure it refers to God's moral attributes. it refers to God's manisfested excellent moral attributes. God is holy, righteous, good and etc. But have we been righteous and holy all the time or are there times wherein we fall short of holiness and righteousness?

Surely we can recall times of unholiness and righteouosness on our part right? During times like that we 'fall short of the glory of God".


"For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," [Romans 3:22-23]

that's why in God's eyes NO ONE LIVING IS RIGHTEOUS. And where wil the unrighteous be at eternity? lake of fire. But you have not sinned so gravely like Hitler?!!!!? You have not sinned so low as the female prostitutes?!!!? You have not been addicted to drugs like the others?!!!? and many other man-made standards of righteousness.

You see the standard of righteousness is not other people. It's God. God standard is perfect righteousness. Do you have it or not? I don't know how much movie tickets costs now it's been a long time since i have not watched a movie flick, but Superman's coming and i think i will watch that [I wrote this in the other forum when Superman was still in the offing].

supposing we go to the movie house to watch the movie. And when we got there we learned that movie tickets costs 6$ each. You sink your hand into your pockets and found out you only have 4$. I fished for my wallet and found out to my dismay i only have 1$.


Question: which of us will go in? None of us. the 'standard' is 6$. I may have lesser than you but still the same, we fall short of the price of the movie ticket which is 6$.

The standard is perfect righteousness. How much do you have compared to Hitler? Maybe you have a lot morally than him but the essential question is: are you up to the standard? Assuredly not. You are a sinner. You need a righteousness outside of yourself. you need a Savior.



Ro 4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

See that word 'justification'? that means perfect righteousness. it's complete and perfect and eternal righteousness. Jesus Christ came to the world to die for sinners and rose again so that sinners may be justified [perfectly righteous in the eyes of God].

what you need to do is trust in that work of salvation alone. Accept Christ's righteousness NOW my frined. Rely solely on what Christ did for you.

it's simple because it's a gift from God. it's simple because it came from the mercy and kindness of God to helpless and hopeless sinners like us.

So Great a Salvation


It happened….

The world was turned upside down. What was once glorious became corrupted. What was once pure and perfect became polluted. Sin entered the picture and everyone [and that includes you and me] and everything got the Disease called Sin, destroying all the fun.

And then,

            Since then everything was never the same again. Heavenly bodies collide. Animals grow extra limbs. Siamese twins born. Mighty earth shakes. Sea waters can now rise sky high and plunge angry down to earth. Magic Johnson got Aids. My friend got cancer and I got gastritis. And that’s not even half of the effects of sin. [you could add to the list….point is: everything in the physical plane was messed up because of it].

What’s worse is that your soul and spirit is now capable of separating from your body. That’s just a nice way of saying: “YOU WILL DIE.” In fact the process of death is working in you now as it is working in me. The time we started dying began on the day we were born. Every time you see a funeral, every time you see a cold coffin, you know that you are looking into the future.

Worst of all….

I could afford and bear to suffer the physical effects of sin. I could afford to lose a limb. I could even bear having a terminal disease [though I’m scared of it], but one thing I could not take is the eternal effects of it [sin] to my soul with regards to my eternal relationship with God. Sin ETERNALLY separates us from God. “I could afford to lose all except God!!!" BUT this is the consequence of sin. A great divide was created between us and God……….and I just can’t take it……, but that’s the truth.

Then came so great a Salvation…

What is salvation?

Well, first of all it presupposes a dangerous predicament that a person is in. Spiritually speaking, it refers to the eternal damnation that is about to fall on every soul that has sinned. Biblically speaking, ‘salvation’ comes from a Greek word ‘soteria’. In the Bible ‘soteria’ was used both in a physical and spiritual sense. But the common meaning is that ‘soteria’ denotes deliverance from harm or danger [whether physical or spiritual].

Sin brings judgment[punishment] from a holy God. You have sinned and as a consequence the righteous judgment of God hangs over your head ready to be unleashed when you have passed from time to eternity. You, therefore, are in danger. Eternal harm awaits your soul when the lights will be turned off on you. You need to be delivered from that harm. You need to be delivered from sin’s penalty.

              Aside from the harm and danger of judgment, sin also brings a harmful enslavement to it. You just can’t help it but sin. Bondage to lust, pride, greed, cupidity, avarice, hatred, vices and etc. are just some of the harmful and sinful grips that hold people like you and me. You need to be delivered from the enslaving power of sin.

Lastly, the presence of sin in us is harmful in itself. The sinner not only needs to be delivered from sin’s penalty and power, he also needs deliverance from its very presence. It’s the ultimate reason why our bodies decay and deteriorate. 

In summary, salvation is being delivered from the penalty, power and presence of sin.

Where can we find so great a salvation?

         Where else but in the Savior. Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE sinners from their sins. Salvation is yours if you repent and trust in Christ Jesus, it’s yours when you rest your salvation completely on what He did in Calvary.

    “…………Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” [2 Corinthians 6:2c]

God wants you to be saved NOW, not later when you’re breathing close to eternity. He wants you to repent NOW and rely on Christ alone for salvation NOW.

……, so why not do it [repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation] NOW. What have you got to lose?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote]Originally posted by faithful967:
why in the 1st place god create heaven n hell
and why there should be earth
isnt that better if there is only 1 place, namely heaven[quote][/quote]


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



As to why God created heaven and earth---we can only speculate. But rest assured that what ever God does, it always done for His glory.

But Man fell!!!! Is that for His glory?

Glory means manifested attributes. It is not glory when His attributes are obscured and hidden for glory means MANIFESTED ATTRIBUTTES.

When Adam fell--His other attributes of justice, love and grace where manifested all throughout the ages till now.

Sin came in--- God's perfect and excellent justice came in and man says: WAW!!!! GOD'S JUSTICE IS SO PERFECT!!! [ALL THIS WILL BE FULLY MANISFESTED IN JUDGEMENT DAY]

Sin came in--- And God's grace and love in Christ Jesus was manifested.
We who have experientially seen His love and grace at Calvary say: PRAISE GOD!!!! FOR HIS AMAZING GRACE AND LOVE. WAW!!! JUST WAW!!!

When He created the heavens and the earth---His attributes of omipotence and other perfections was MANIFESTED that the angels in heaven rejoiced.


REst assured that it is all for His glory.

About Hell:

Mt 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:


twas created for Satan and his angels not primarily for man. But if man persists and refuse to repent and trust in Christ for salvation, he will be thrown there also.

What about His glory?

Don't worry, His attribute of perfect justice will be FULLY MANIFESTED IN THAT PLACE.

WAW!!! GOD'S JUSTICE IS SOO AWESOME. I think we will say somewhat like that.

And all throughout the succeding ages [eternity] man [saved man] will continue to know God as God will continue to unveil His attributes to them. Never ending OOOHS AND AHHS AND WAWS AND PRAISE GOD AND AWESOME WILL COME OUT OF OUR LIPS AS HE MANIFESTS HIMSELF ALL THROUGOUT ETERNITY.

WHY ETERNITY? BECAUSE IT TAKES ETERNITY TO KNOW GOD FULLY.

In 20 years what will you wish you had done today?

DO IT NOW


I read that somewhere in one of my readings. When I brooded over that question, mine is reading the Bible, the Word of God. What terrible loss would I incur if I fail to read the most wonderful book in history [me who is a lover of books] twenty years from now thinking about what could I’ve done today.

It is a mine of true wisdom and knowledge, the one and only book which taught the way back to God [the greatest treasure anyone could possess]. Why don’t you spend some time reading the Bible. A lot of us read books about the Bible but never read the Bible itself.



Col 3:16 ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly……………………’

Oh! It’s just nature


Harry struggled to keep his balance; with his tired feet wobbling, he barely managed to walk six feet. He is not used to walking that way actually, in fact, he hates to do it. He is not himself walking with his two feet. You see Harry is a pet dog. As a dog he naturally walks on all fours, that’s dog-nature. He is not a dog because he barks, salivates profusely, walks on all fours, eats bones and does dog stuff, no, he is not a dog because he does these things because a deranged human being can do these things and still is a human being and not a dog, rather, he (Harry) does these things because he is a dog, he has a dog nature in him. It’s your nature that determines who you are. The basic governing principle intrinsic in us determines what we do, what we think, what we say and what we feel.



It’s the same way with sinners. One is not a sinner because he has committed sins, rather he commits sins because he is a sinner. He has a sinful nature in him. He just can’t help it. Holiness and righteousness is just foreign to his nature. These things are BOOORIIING to him. If the sleeping pill fails to deliver, holy and righteous things will. We are not to be surprised why many people enjoy the world rather than godly things. We should not be surprised why many find it easy doing bad and sinful things rather than doing godly and holy things. No matter how extensive and intensive you teach a child godly and holy things, he will just naturally know and do bad and sinful things without you teaching him so.





Why? Because ever since sin entered the world, man is a natural with regards to sin. He naturally thinks sinful thoughts, talks sinful words, does sinful acts, feels sinful feelings and plans sinful things. Sin has invaded every nook and cranny in man. His mind. His emotions. His will. His natural disposition is just one destined for hell or eternal death. As the Bible calls him: “………….BY NATURE children of wrath………, ” Ephesians 2:3.



Sin will always incur God’s righteous anger, every one who sins is worthy and is destined for God’s righteous anger. And man has sinned and is sinning and will continue to sin because he just can’t help it. He has a sinful nature innate in him. Huge problem for man isn’t it? What man needs is an atonement for all his sins past, present and future and a new nature.



And Jesus Christ has all that for sinners. He died for the sins of sinners anyone who will put their trust on His work on the cross will be forgiven all their sins and at the moment of trusting in Him the Holy Spirit of God will dwell in the sinner giving him a new nature, giving him a new governing principle operative in him.



“There is therefore now no condemnation [hell] for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” [Romans 8:1-2]



The word ‘law’ above refers not to a set of rules and regulations but ‘law’ here refers to the governing principle or nature in a thing, in this verse the governing principle of the Holy Spirit and the governing principle of Sin. Law of the Spirit or the governing principle of the Holy Spirit is just another name for the ‘Divine nature’ and Law of Sin or governing principle of Sin is just another designation for the ‘Sinful nature’.



It is called "the law of the Spirit of life’ because it is the nature of the Holy Spirit in the Christian making possible for him to live a godly life pleasing to God. It is called "the law of the Spirit of life" because it gives the abundant life promised in John 10:10. True life is actually a life lived for God with God indwelling in the Christian. Living a life of sin as the outgrowth of the sinful nature is not the true life, it is a life marked with guilt, fear and anxieties resulting in eternal death in hell [the law of sin and of death].



Every one of us has this “law of sin” in us, that’s the reason why we can’t help but sin, much less, have this “holy worry” for sin. Just as the law of gravity makes every object that goes up go down, the law of sin makes us sin and continue to sin…we just cant help it, it’s in us, it’s our nature. And sin will always incur for us spiritual death or eternal separation from God in hell. The law of sin that results to death.



To free us from this bondage to our sinful natures we must have the Holy Spirit in us and govern us.



How? Trust in the saving work of the Lord Jesus on the cross and He will forgive all your sins and give you a new life,

Are all sins equal? Yes and No.

Yes, in the sense that every single sin in whatever degree they may be in brings eternal damnation.

No. In the sense that there are gravities of sin.

1Jo 5:16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.

I know there is a debate concerning this "death" here. Is it physical death or spiritual death? I take the former. But the point is, there is a sin leading to death.

Mt 12:31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.


Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? it's when you resolutely with finality resist the woings and pleadings of the Holy Spirit to come to Christ.


A parallel in the Old Testament is:

Isa 22:14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, "Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

The people did not turn away from their sins and instead they set their hearts all the more to it. And have come to a place of no return and so God utterd this horrible statement.

it's not that God refuses to forgive. it's because these people have so decided that they will embrace sin than God till they die. God saw it in thier hearts thus the words.

Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness


Mt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.


Our text readily divides itself into three: a) The promise of blessedness, b) the characteristics of those who will be blessed and c) the reason why they are blessed.

I. The promise of blessedness: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.


II. The kind of persons who will be blessed: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.


II. The reason why they will be blessed: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

The promise of blessedness:



    “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

           

               The text that we have here is a text of promise. It promised Blessedness to anyone who possesses the characteristics stated in our text above. What does “Blessed” mean? Blessed means Happy. The text could be rendered: Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. The text promises true happiness. Who are those who will be truly happy? 



The kind of persons who will be blessed:



  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

                 

               Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are the persons who are promised true happiness. The words ‘hunger’ and ‘thirst’ for righteousness denotes strong desire for righteousness. It pictures a person in need of righteousness as if the person will suffer terribly if unsatisfied.

         The tense of the words “hunger” and “thirst” are in the present tense. Present tenses in Greek are actions that are continuing and progressing.

Continuing- this person’s hunger and thirst for righteousness is not a one time event only. It is an on-going and continuing desire for righteousness.

Progressing- his hunger and thirst for righteousness does not wane over time. On the contrary, it intensifies [progresses] the longer it remains unsatisfied.


        The mood of the words ‘hunger’ and ‘thirst’ are in the participle in Greek. Participles are those verbs ending in ING like : running, walking, talking and etc. Actually, the verse is actually saying:

“Blessed are those who [are continually and progressively] hungerING and thirstING for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”


Picture a man trudging alone in the desert with the hot beams of the sun  scorching him to thirst and hunger. Tired, weary, hungry and thirsty, he wades through the sandy desert with a heavy step dragging his body forward. His mouth is dry with thirst, his clothes are drenched with his own sweat, his face is ruddy red with the heat of the sun. Imagine his thirst for water and hunger for food. It is constant, intense and intensifying, continuing and progressing. Imagine the unspeakable delight and happiness he would experience if he found water at last. That’s the feeling of the person here we are considering in our study. Only it speaks of hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

Righteousness here is not just any other righteousness for in the original, there is a definite article "THE"  before the word righteousness. The original reads somewhat like this:

“Blessed are those who [are continually and progressively] hungerING and thirstING for THE righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

The righteousness referred here refers to divine and perfect righteousness [THE righteousness].


The reason why they will be blessed:


                       “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

                           

   The reason is stated why those who hunger and thirst for THE righteousness will blessed. The reason is that this kind of hungering and thirsting will not be in vain. This kind of hungering and thirsting will be filled and be satisfied.


         We have desires in us that do not find certainty that it will be satisfied, in fact many of them. But there’s one kind of desire and craving that will surely find satisfaction, and that is the desire for THE righteousness spoken of here in our text.

    The verb ‘filled’ is in the passive voice. This means that it is not us who will satisfy or fulfill this desire. It is somebody outside of ourselves. And who do you think this person will be?

Jer 23:6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

This is a prophecy in the Old Testament about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The “Lord” there refers to Him. In Him we find the fulfillment of the desire for righteousness. He is the Lord our righteousness.

And why not He was the One who:

2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the[b] righteousness of God in Him [/b] [Jesus].

He has become for us:

1Co 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

My friend are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness? It’s in Christ Jesus. When He died on the cross for the sins of sinners, He died for us so that we might have perfect righteousness. Find your satisfaction in Him.

Isa 62:6 I ‘have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,

7 And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.’


These verses pertain to Israel when God will finally restore Israel in the land of promise during the Millennium when the Lord returns. He will rule all over the earth with peace, prosperity and righteousness for a thousand years with Israel as the top nation.

The statement ‘I have set watchmen on your WALLS, O Jerusalem’ imply that Jerusalem or Israel has been laid desolate but not forever. The time will come when God will once again show favor to Israel [after the Church is completed Romans 11:25-26] and fulfill all His promises made to them.

God sets up watchmen or intercessors to remind Him always [day and night] of His promises He made to Israel and their fathers [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and etc]. It doesn’t mean of course that God has a propensity to forget cognitively His promises like we sinful creatures do. God wants them to keep anticipating the fulfillment of His promises or to ‘wait on the Lord.’ God is delighted and glorified when believers hang on His promises and anticipate the fulfillment of His Word. It’s worshipping Him.

Practical Application:

Though this promise is made to Israel only, this does not mean that we [Church Age people, Christians] cannot benefit from it. By studying it we can somehow get a glimpse of the character of God, of who God is. God is a God who wants to be reminded of His promises always. Remind God of His promises He made to you. Do it always in prayer. He is not irked by it. He delights in it.

Tips about promises in the Bible

1) Know of whom the promise is made. Is it for a particular person? Is it made to a specific group of people [Israel]? Is it made to Church Age people [Christians]?
2) Know the time frame [if there is] of when the promise will have fulfillment.
3) Know if the promise has conditions in order to have fulfillment.


P.S. Rightly divide the Word of truth. Do not claim promises not made to you [member of the Church]. There are promises made to the Church and there are promises made to Israel. Mostly, promises made to the Church are spiritual while promises made to Israel are both spiritual and temporal and material. There are preachers who cite Deuteronomy verses as their basis that God wants them to be rich and wealthy when they will obey Him. But Deuteronomy verses are God’s promises to Israel, the people of whom He made the Old Covenant. These verses [Deuteronomy verses referring to the Palestinian covenant Deut. 30] would ultimately have fulfillment during the Millennium not during the Church Age.

Isa 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench,



There are Christians who expect soo much from other fellow Christians that when their fellow Christians fail and fall, they would be swift to condemn and judge, looking only to what negative things they could see in them.

I am glad that our Lord is one who will not break a bruised reed nor quench a smoking flax.

I can see a Christian failing and faltering before the Lord as he tries to obey, over and over again he fails,  and many a time he just sinks his head in the pillow and get discouraged. Thinking that the Lord may have folded up his arms and looked away sighing in disappointment.

but the Word said: A bruised reed He will not break, a smoking flax, He will not quench.

I can somehow picture Him as a camper trying to start a fire for the night. He keeps blowing and blowing until He sees a spark. at that point He will not stumped the spark out in disgust and resignation seeing only a little spark. No. I can see His face lit up and His heart leaping for joy as He all the more blows that little spark so that it wil turn into a flame and then into a huge bon-fire.

I am glad He doesn't give up on us imperfect saints. Yes, He sees our weaknesses but He also sees our potentials and works on it.

A Reply to a Roman Catholic Friend:

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"Perhaps the 'repentence' that was being referred to in the post is the effort required for what Catholics call ongoing conversion, or what you guys call 'sanctification'. This is different from the initial act of repentence and the acceptance of Christ as Lord and Saviour."

obiterdicta
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Hello there my friend:


1) Conversion has two aspects: a) repentance and b) faith in Christ.

Conversion is the result of regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

Conversion is turining from sin to Christ. At that point when the sinner has touched salvation base [Christ] he is automatically justified and sanctified and glorified positionally. And that's where sanctification [progressive] begins when the sinner touched salvation base through faith.

2) 2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , , .FAITH
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . .|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . |
.SIN----repentance-->---------------------------->*CHRIST-SALVATION

Repentance is a change of attitude towards sin, God , self and Christ. Repentance is basically not outward acts and behavior. It is manifested through it. You can do repentant acts but have no attitude of repentance. Again repentance is primarily an attitude of the heart. It is a change of attitude.

Mt 3:8 Let your change of heart [repentance] be seen in your works [behavior and acts] {Bible in Basic English}
[Note: italics mine]

When you change your attitude towards sin, you will spontaneously change your behavior to it. When you change your attitude towards God, you will naturally [as an outgrowth] change your behavior towards God. When you change your attitude towards self, it will result in not relying in the works of self for salvation. You will accept Christ as Savior.


Repentance to salvation is not being saved through works for repentance is a change of attitude towards sin, God, self, and Christ. Remember, Faith aside from many other things is an attitude of the will towards Christ. Repentance is never complete when it has not reached the point of trusting Christ alone for salvation.



3)
at the moment of FAITH in CHRIST
|
|
|
|
|
| |
*------------------------------ progressive santification--------------->glorification
Justified
sanctified
glorified
[positionally]

After salvation do we still have to repent? Yes, absolutely. So long as we are sinners here we need to repent. Repentance is the product of the new nature we recieved at regeneration. [New nature brings along with it new attitudes]


4) 1Co 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and --righteousness and sanctification and redemption

The words above speak of positional truths. Christ is the Christian's righteousness, sanctification and redemption. At that moment [in the twinkiling of an eye] when the sinner [through faith] becomes IN CHRIST, he recieves all that Christ has, namely: His rightouesness, His being separate from evil [sanctification] and His glorification-we are inextricably identified with His resurrection which is the basis of the redemption of our bodies.

Not only His resurrection but His ascention and His sitting in the heavenly places too. we are linked to those truths.

Positionally we are already raised with Christ [never to die again for the sake of sins because Christ our Head will not suffer anymore for sins]:

Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

The word "if" there does not imply uncertainty. It is the "if" of consequence. It means SINCE. "SINCE THEN [OR THEREFORE] YOU ARE RAISED WITH CHRIST, "

His ascention guaranttees our future Rapture to heaven. Positionally we [Christians] are already in heaven.

His sitting there in the right hand of the Father guranttees that we [Christians] will be with the Father.

We are inextricably linked to Christ. We do not need to go to purgatory anymore since Christ our Head's sacrifice was enough.

He is our Head, we are His body. If you put us [His body] to purgatory, then you put our Head [who is Christ] there too.

which is unthinkable.

peace

here's a story from RAy Stedman about the faithfulness of God. The God of grace. The God who loves us soooooo much. May His name be praised forever and ever.

The True Story:

"A poor widow in one of the congregations in Guatemala was down to her last twenty cents and without food. She began to pray about her problem. As she was praying, she felt a deep conviction that God was telling her to go to the large supermarket in town the next day and fill up several carts with groceries and take them to checkout stand #7 for check out. This was not just a vague feeling on her part but a deep, Spirit-born conviction. She went to the supermarket the next morning, loaded enough groceries into carts to last two or three months, and took them to checkout stand #7.

Just as she got there the cashier closed the stand to go out to lunch. She suggested that the woman take her groceries to another stand, but the woman said, "No, I cannot. My Father told me to take these through checkout stand #7." So she waited while the clerk went to lunch and came back again. The clerk was surprised to see the woman still there, and started to check out her groceries. Just then an announcement came over the loudspeaker: "This is our seventh year of business and we are pleased to announce that whoever is checking out at checkout stand #7 gets free groceries."


Pastor Ray:

"Now I am not telling you to do what this woman did. What I am saying is that we are to believe that God cares for us, that he is a loving Heavenly Father, and he has a thousand and one ways of meeting our needs, but he hardly ever does the same thing twice! The unchangeable fact is that God loves us. We belong to him."



Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

Praise God!!!!!!!!

Faith and Belief: The Difference


People often times erroneously equate the two concepts above. But nothing could be farther from the truth. These two concepts may have similarities but similarity does not mean sameness.


Understanding the difference dispels the antagonism of other so called “Christian” groups who despised and write off the theology of salvation by faith alone. When they hear: “Salvation is by FAITH ALONE” they would say: “Height of speculative nonsense!!!!”


Those words could have been true if faith means belief. But the two are not identical. So what is faith? And what is belief? Faith involves the mind, the emotions and the will. Belief touches only the mind. Faith is trusting. Belief is having mental cognizance of a matter and assenting its truthfulness. All who have faith has belief but not all who believe has faith.


Joh 2:23 "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,"
The Lord knew that their belief is only superficial. If you will allow me: "head belief"

Belief is knowing something about the Lord Jesus Christ while Faith is knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. It can be confusing sometimes because the two can be in a sense be the same. Belief and faith, in a way, can be lumped in one word ‘Believe’. But faith goes degrees deeper than belief.



No one can have faith in Christ unless he has first heard and believed the facts about Him. Faith is committing and resting yourself to who Christ is and what He has done in Calvary. While belief is merely mentally knowing something about Him and what He has done and not committing yourself to Him. Belief is knowing something about the truth, faith is using that truth to your advantage and benefit. Belief is knowing that there is a rock there to keep you safe. Faith is hiding in that rock


2Ti 1:12 "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."


The difference betweeen those people in John 2 and Paul here is the element of commitment. They menatally believed in Him while Paul here wholeheartedly committed himself to Christ alone for salvation.


Practical Application


Here’s the truth: You are a sinner, helpless to save yourself from sin. Helpless to make yourself perfectly righteous in God’s sight. Christ Jesus came to die for your sins so that you will be perfectly righteous in God’s eyes.


If you are born in a Christian family you might very well know these things and believe that these things are true. But the Question is: Have you used this truth as a balm to your helpless soul? Have you appropriated this truth to yourself?


How do you know that you have appropriated this truth to yourself?

1) Have you stopped believing that your good works could somehow cover the sins that you made? It's Christ's atoning work on the cross that did it. That's why He is called the Savior.

2) What’s your motive in doing good works? Is it done with a motive to pay for your sins and earn yourself a place in heaven? If yes, then you have not used the truth above my friend. You merely assent to it but not have faith in it. [lamentably some people want to get crucified with the motive to pay for their sins. They are saying by their act that Jesus' crucifixion is not enough]


When God says you are perfectly righteous in God’s eyes through what the Lord Jesus did. FAith says: "that’s enough for my soul." Have faith in it. Don’t just mentally believe it. Rest on what Christ has done.


Sound simple? Yes, it’s simple because you were not the one who died and suffered on the cross of Calvary. It’s simple because it’s a gift. Heaven is not a belief away. No. It’s just a faith away.

I hope your words are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ to me.

  A Girl made of Steel


Let me share to you a true story recounted by Bible teacher Churck Swindoll, a story he read from Korean evangelist Billy Kim during the persecutions of Christianity in Korea.

"After the war, the communists swept down into South Korea from the North. One of the first things they did was to gather a group of Christians into their church building, where they demanded that the leaders deny their Lord.

They backed up their demands with torture and threats to the lives of their prisoners. One by one the leaders succumbed. When their torturers handed them the Bible and told them to spit upon it, they did so.

Until the Communists came to one little girl.


Fearlessly, she looked at them for moments and said: "YOU CAN HAMMER ME INTO A PULP. YOU CAN BEAT ME INTO EXTINCTION, BUT I WILL NEVER DENY MY LORD."

Then she began to sing, after turning to the leaders who had fallen to say:
"MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOULS." What was the result? The crowd with her in the church joined her in singing. She turned the tide of denial that had been begun by the leaders.

What did the communists do? They executed the leaders who had denied Christ and set free the girl whose courage had been so clearly communicated."



Oh may God give us the courage, even just to confess that we are Christians to other people. Some of us even are ashamed to carry Bibles in public. Some are ashamed to give out gospel tracts in public. Some don't even witness Christ to other people for fear of being ridiculed.

How do we know if we have true saving faith?


Christ Jesus, the Lord and Savior came into the world to save sinners [1 Tim. 1:15]. He died for all sinners [Heb. 2:9, 1 John 2:2] that anyone who believes [trusts] in Him will have everlasting life [now in this world] the very moment he or she believes [trusts].
However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that since the Savior died for us all that all of us are automatically saved. No. One must receive that salvation obtained by Him through faith [through trusting in that one all-sufficient sacrifice of His on the cross].

An incident happened in the life of the apostle Paul wherein a man stirred up in his spirit began to have this holy concern for the spiritual state of his soul asked Paul this question:


He brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household.” [Acts 16:30-31]

Notice the apostle did not say: “Ah don’t worry about it. You are already saved. Christ died for you…, you know.” None of that. Paul however, urged him to believe [trust] on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Yes, Christ Jesus died for him but in order for him to obtain the salvation freely offered by Christ to sinners, he must receive it by faith. Christ died for all, so He offers His salvation to all. Man over the centuries have either accepted it or rejected it. You accept it by believing. You reject it by being unbelieving.

And you will ask: “So am I saved since I believe in Christ?” Yes, if your faith is genuine. Question is: Is your faith genuine? How will you know if it’s genuine or spurious? The answer is: THE GENUINENESS OR SPURIOUSNESS OF YOU FAITH DEPENDS ON WHOM YOU PLACE YOUR FAITH ON. Faith is either true or false depending on the object of your faith.

Ask yourself these questions:

1) Am I trusting in Christ alone [trusting on what He did on the cross alone] for salvation?

2) Am I trusting, depending, relying on what can I do for Christ to be saved? Or am I trusting, depending, relying solely on what Christ has completely and permanently done for me in Calvary?

3) if you have been ‘led’ to the Lord sometime before by someone through sinners prayer, ask yourself: when I prayed that prayer, was I trusting in the prayer I made to Christ or did I trust in Christ alone for salvation through that prayer?



The divine injunction my friend is: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved….”


True saving faith’s sole object is the Lord Jesus Christ. Not Jesus and prayers [though we should be always praying after we are saved not in order to be saved]. Not Jesus and church attendance [though we should be faithful church attendees after we are saved not in order to be saved]. Not Jesus and good works [though we should be fruitful in doing good works after we are saved not in order to be saved]. Not Jesus and the 10 commandments [though we should manifest righteous lives after we are saved not in order to be saved]. Not Jesus and being nailed to the cross yourself during Holy Week time [Jesus’ crucifixion was enough and complete for all sins for all time].

Are you solely trusting in Christ Jesus my friend [His person as Savior and His work on the cross in Calvary] to be saved? If yes, your faith is genuine. Praise God brother or sister!!!!!!!!!!!

how sinful am i?

I am totally depraved. sin has infected my MIND, my EMOTIONS and my WILL.

that's why it is natural for me to think sinfully, feel sinfully and choose sinfully. Potentially, i am capable of committing every sin that has been committed on this earth since the fall up to now. I have not engaged in out and out licentiousness not because i am good in myself but because God's common grace restrained me.

One Eternal Sacrifice


But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "He sat down at the right hand of God,"
and since then has been waiting "until His enemies would be made a footstool for His feet." For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. " [Hebrews 10:12-14]


Jesus’ sacrifice need not be repeated again and again and again. For that one sacrifice on the cross was good for all time. Whether time in the past, time in the present and time in the future.

Question1 “What is God’s basis that He can forgive sinners in the olden times before Calvary?”

Answer: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which is effectual for all time. His death covered those sins committed in the first covenant
(Hebrews 9:15). That means His sacrifice is the ultimate answer of the sins done and committed in the past.



Question2 “ What about those animal sacrifices they made, what was their purpose?”



Answer: Those sacrifices did not take away any of their sins…the sacrifices they made were only symbols that point forward to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Those sacrifices served only as shadows of the real sacrifice, who is Jesus Christ. In themselves they can never take away sins. Like any good teacher God used symbols, visual aids if you may, to teach them about the real thing.


Hebrews10: 1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach.

10:2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin?

10:3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year.


10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.


The sacrifices made in the Old Testament did not and cannot take away sins, it serves only as a reminder to them that they are sinners. It serves as a visual aid to them of the coming sacrifice that can really once for all take away sins. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, Jesus Christ.


An Old Testament worshipper might have said these words in his heart while offering a sacrifice: “Lord God, I know that I am a sinner in need of forgiveness, I make this sacrifice of a lamb to you, but you know Lord that my trust and confidence that my sins will be forgiven is not on this lamb but on a coming Savior that this sacrifice of mine only symbolize. I know He will come, I don’t know when, but I know He will come, I don’t know what He will look like but I know what He will do; He will make the ultimate sacrifice for my sins past, present and future. And in Him alone Lord I trust.”




Question3 “What about my future sins?” We’ll look again at the text.


Hebrews 10:12: But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "He sat down at the right hand of God,"


Is the future part of time? Yes. When one says: ‘for all time’ does it include the future? Yes. Absolutely. In Greek, since the New Testament is written in Greek, the phrase “for all time” is actually just one word in Greek, “dihnekh”, it means continually or perpetually, hence the King James version of the Bible translated it as: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

His sacrifice was good for all time and even beyond time reaching eternity. That’s why the Bible teaches that His sacrifice brought eternal redemption or salvation.


Hebrews 9:12 He entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

He has given Himself eternally. He truly loved sinners with an everlasting love. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” He says.


Question4 ‘What is Jesus doing now, is He gearing up for another sacrifice on the cross?” Look at the text again.

Hebrews 10:12: But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "He sat down at the right hand of God,"

Hebrews 10:13: and since then has been waiting "until His enemies would be made a footstool for His feet."

Hebrews 10:14: For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.


After He made a one eternal sacrifice on the cross, He sat down at the right hand of the Father, waiting till His enemies would be made a footsool for His feet.


He is not preparing for another round of sacrifice of Himself that He will make again. No, He is now ‘sitting’ and ‘waiting.’ Sitting at the right hand of God. The right hand of God actually is just a figure of speech for highest authority. It is actually just saying that Jesus is now in the place of highest authority over all the universe and created beings.


While ‘sitting’ here actually refers that His work of atoning for the sins of sinners is done and over. Not to be repeated again. In contrast to the priests in the Old Testament who ‘stand daily.’ The work of the priests in the Old Testament is to offer up sacrifices and in doing this they stand in front of the altar daily. It would help if we put verse 11 and 12 together.


10:11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.

10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "He sat down at the right hand of God,"


The priests stands daily for his work is never done,he needs to sacrifice again and again and again. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. But after Jesus offered a once for all time sacrifice, He sat down at the place of highest authority for His sacrifice need not be repeated again and again. The 'sitting' of our Lord [which is a figurative language] implies that His work of atonement was complete.

Aside from sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus is now waiting. Waiting for His enemies to be made under His footstool. To be the footstool of someone means to be defeated. Satan, sin, death and etc. have been defeated by the Sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Satan’s destiny is now settled he will be thrown in the lake of fire along with sinners who refuse to repent and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus. Sin is finally dealt with. Sin will be taken away from this world in the New Earth and New Heaven to come. Death has been defeated. In the future all those who are Christ will be resurrected to a glorious eternity.



Question4 Why is Jesus now sitting and waiting, why is He not preparing for another sacrifice? Look at verse 14.

Hebrews 10:12: But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "He sat down at the right hand of God,"


Hebrews 10:13: and since then has been waiting "until His enemies would be made a footstool for His feet."

Hebrews 10:14: For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.


Because of that one offering of His, perfected FOR ALL TIME are those who repent and trust in His work on the cross alone. We don't need to add anything to what's perfect. Because we don't improve on perfection, we stay satisfied in faith.


Concluding Questions



1) Who did the work of perfecting for all time sinners? Jesus

2) When did He do it? Way back in Calvary.

3) Did He have any partner in doing it? No. I don’t see anyone who died for the sins of sinners in Calvary, only Jesus.

4) What more can a sinner do if Christ Jesus brought eternal redemption to the sinner? (Hebrews 9:12) Nothing but to trust alone on His all sufficient work on the cross.

As one hymn writer wrote:

“Nothing in my hand I bring

but simply to the cross I cling.”

TRY EVANGELIZING WITHOUT SPEAKING A SINGLE WORD…… MAYBE IT’LL WORK

You have a best friend or a relative [members of your family] or officemate or classmate whom you have shared the gospel for quite some time now. You have prayed for his or her salvation yet he/she remains an unbeliever. Why don’t you try another approach.

TRY EVANGELIZING WITHOUT SPEAKING A SINGLE WORD


How is it done?

1Pe 3:1 “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey [or believe, italics mine] the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,
2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

The verse may primarily apply to wives who have unbelieving husbands but the principle is applicable also to all Christians who have unbelieving classmates, officemates, relatives and etc. The principle is: actions often times speak clearly than words. Godly living talks.

You cannot convince someone to accept Christ as Savior and Lord, if they see in your life a life void of Christ. I believe it was the 18th century preacher Harry Drummond who said in effect: “Many sinners are kept outside the Kingdom of God because of the lives of those who profess to be inside the Kingdom of God.”

Walk the talk so that you will have credibility when you speak the Word. Here’s a poem I read somewhere:

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day,

By deeds that you do, by words that you say.

Men read what you write, whether faithless or true.

Say, what is the gospel according to you.

Hello there i hope this will be helpful:

The Trinity

[Sorry its quite long. Necessary points need to be stressed. So hard to make a very important doctrine short]

The God revealed in the Bible is a God that is triune. That is, God is three persons yet only one. Remember that. God is not three persons and three gods. No. That is tritheism or polytheism. That is heretical and scripturally unsound. If you seem puzzled and find it enigmatic. If it seems logically irreconcilable to you. You got it. The Trinity is a mystery to us finite and limited human beings. But that’s who God is as revealed in the Bible. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism once said: “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man and I will show you a man that can comprehend the Trinity.”

God is infinite. Our minds are not. This is where our humility is called. We know, as a Christian, that the Bible is God’s revelation to us. Everything in it is inspired down to the last jot and title. We know that in it God is speaking to us in written form. Whenever logic and God’s revelation seems to collide. It is God’s revelation that should prevail in our hearts and minds.

Now, the Trinity. Some contend that this is not found in the Bible. So they say that this doctrine is unbiblical [as if to say that everything must appear in word in the Bible for it to be biblical]. The word is not found in the Bible but the idea is there. “Ironside” does not appear in word in the Bible but Ironside was in the mind of God when He said that He wants all men to be saved.

Those who are in the oneness group could easily write off the Tri-unity of God in the episode of the baptism of our Lord by appealing to God’s omnipresence by saying: “There is not three distinct persons here but only one in three manifestations. God can be everywhere, He is the same person who is in the water, yet because He can be everywhere, He is also the same person speaking from heaven and descending like a dove. No Trinity.”

But they cannot circumvent the doctrine of the Trinity so clearly laid out in Matthew 28:19:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Here we see the distinctiveness of persons. The verse has the definite article ‘THE’ before every person named. ‘THE Father, THE Son, THE Holy Spirit’ This means the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. [There is a Greek rule that says: "the presence of the article identifies, the absence of the article qualifies"]

So there is not one person but three. But notice this distinct persons take up one name.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the[b] name[/b] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

‘Name’ is in the singular. Name in the Bible is the expression of what the person named is in being. His name describes His nature or essence and character. These distinct persons take up one nature or essence and character. So if the Father is God, the Son is also God and also the Holy Spirit. If the Father is Lord, the Son is also Lord and also the Holy Spirit. If the Father is Holy, the Son is also Holy as well as the Spirit and etc.

Everything seems logical right at this point. But wait till you see another revelation from the Bible:

De 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

That’s the “Nicean” Creed of the Israelites. “Lord” here is the name of God given to Moses: YHWH. “YHWH is one” the text says……. "the Lord is ONE", yet ETERNALLY EXISTING IN THREE PERSONS-THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT [Matthew 28:19]. Don’t try to figure it out you’ll lose your mind. Accept it by faith. St. Augustine once said: “to not believe in the Trinity is in danger of losing his salvation. To those who try to understand completely the Trinity is in danger of losing his mind.”

The secret to Christlikeness

", Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27



How could a Christian live a Christ-like life in this fallen world?

Where a triumvirate of enemies dog his steps. There's the a) seductions of the world, b) the temptations of Satan and c) the inward pull of our remaining corruption, the sinful nature in us.

With all these, how could it be possible to live the Christ-like life required by God to us Christians? Does He know that the battle is overwhelming and seems like an up-hill climb for us?

The answer to all those questions are found in that verse my friend. The God who requires Christlikeness in us is also the same God who does these very thing in us.

He knows that you are weak, He knows that you are no match against the world, Satan and the sinful nature in you. That 's why He came and indwelt you. What you need to do is to let Him live His life in you.

The reason why you fail and stumble and falter in the Christian life, the reason why you burn out spiritually is because you have been trying to live your life on your own strength and resources. Oblivious to the fact that there is a PERSON INDWELLING YOU ready to take over anytime you give Him the controls of your life.

JUST LET HIM LIVE HIS LIFE IN YOU.

How to do it?

In the front page of my Bible i wrote these words i have read in one of my readings. I wrote it down, first, to remind myself of it everytime i open my Bible and secondly, because it is an eloquent and clear statement of how to let the Lord Christ live His life in you:


"Relate every thing, moment by moment as it arises, to the adequacy of what He is in you, and assume that His adequacy will be operative."

The more often you do this the more often you will be Christlike. When this will become your habit, the higher you are in the sanctification ladder my friend.

3 Tenses of Man’s greatest experience.


What could be more great an experience than the experience of salvation. It is man’s greatest need. It is a past event, an on-going journey and a future accomplishment. Salvation is really a composite experience, it is composed of so many stuff within it. Salvation is a) being born again, b) being regenerate, c) being forgiven of all sins, d) Christian, e) redeemed f) justified g) sanctified h) possessing eternal life and etc.


Salvation also has tenses in it. It has a past tense, a present tense and a future tense. If you read the New Testament, often times you can read that the readers [Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians and etc.] are already SAVED, but upon further reading you can read that the readers are as of yet BEING SAVED, reading on, you will find that they are told that they WILL BE SAVED. Which is true? Are they already saved? Are they being saved? Or will they yet be saved? Answer : all are true.

The Christian has been saved, is being saved and will be saved. To put it in other words the Christian has been justified, is being sanctified and will be glorified.

*Salvation: the Whole Package*


What is justification?

It is the act of God the Father whereby He DECLARES as righteous anyone who has trusted in the work of God the Son in Calvary while they are still in their sinning state. This takes place in the twinkling of an eye, the very moment the sinner trust in the saving work of the Lord Jesus in Calvary.


“For by grace you have been SAVED [justified] through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9



What is sanctification?


it actually means 'set apart'. It has three aspects: a) positional sanctification or positional setting apart b) progressive sanctification or gradual moral setting apart from the character of the world to Christ our Lord's character and c) completed sanctification which is glorification. This is where the position (a) has been reached by progressive sanctification (b).

Picture a potter in his warehouse full of broken jars. He selects jars from the multitude of broken jars in the warehouse. The ones he selected he then takes or sets apart from the other broken jars by placing it in his working table. That's positional sanctification. Now, he begins working the broken jars to conform it into the same image of a beautiful jarr on the centerl of his working station. His working on the separated broken jars to conform it into the exquisite jar on the center of the station is progressive sanctification while the the magnificently perfect jar on the centerr is the Lord Jesus Christ.


a) Positional sanctification is when we are set apart unto God permanently the moment we place our faith in Christ. Eventhough we are still imperfect and sinning in this side of glory. WE are wholly God's regardless of who and what we are here on earth because of the work of the Savior.


b) progressive sanctification. To put it in another term it is the ‘holification’ of the justified sinner. It is the process by which God the Father MAKES righteous the justified sinner through the agency of God the Spirit and the Word. Justification is being DECLARED righteous through faith alone in the work of the Savior. Sanctification [progressive] is being MADE righteous through the work of the Holy Spirit indwelling in the sinner.This is the process where God conforms the justified sinner to the likeness and image of the Lord Jesus Christ.


Will a saved [or justified] person live an ungodly and profligate life because he is already saved [justified]? No. Because any saved or justified person will undergo sanctification. God sanctifies the justified through His Holy Spirit working in good and bad events, through the reading, listening and studying God’s Word, the Bible, through temptations, through trials and just about anything he or she encounters in this life. This process of sanctification takes place in the whole life time of the justified sinner.



This doesn’t mean that a justified or a saved person will be perfectly sinless rather he or she will sin less and less as time passes by for the Holy Spirit is working in him conforming and molding him into the likeness of the One who saved him, Jesus.


“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are[b] being saved [/b] [sanctification] it is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1:18


“Being saved" here refers to the on-going work of sanctification experienced by Christians.


What is glorification?


It is sanctification completed. The justified sinner who has undergone sanctification is now completely and perfectly ridden of the sinful nature. This is the stage where the DECLARATION [justification] has reached it’s REALIZATION through TRANSFORMATION [sanctification].


It will be impossible for him or her to sin upon reaching this stage. This is reached upon the death of the justified and sanctified sinner in heaven. Like justification, this happens also in the twinkling of an eye, at a very immediate moment. What if those who are in heaven will commit sin? Answer: that will not happen because the justified-sanctified sinner has been completely ridden of the sinful nature already.


In the resurrection of the saved he will also be given a glorious physical body that is also perfect, one that is impregnable to sickness and diseases.


“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is NEARER than when we first believed.”


Romans 13:13 Paul is now saying that their salvation [speaking of the glorification aspect of salvation] is near.


However, there is another aspect of glorification that the Christian already possess. Like sanctification, glorification also has a positional aspect. In the eyes of God, Christians are now glorified, though in our eyes and in our experienced we are still not.


Ro 8:30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Notice the words in bold. It is in the past tense. In God's eyes, we have already been glorified.


In closing, salvation takes away three P’s in a sinner. It takes away the PENALTY of sin which is hell [justified]. It progressively takes away the POWER of sin [sanctified]. And it takes away completely the PRESENCE of sin in the sinner [glorified]. ……, the christian has been saved, is now being saved and will be saved…………, and it all starts with justification…, trust in the saving work of the Lord Jesus in Calvary NOW if you are not still justified. You get justification, you are sure to get all other links in the chain of salvation namely: sanctification and glorification.


Praise God!!!! Whom salvation belongs.

Have you not noticed: Spiritual giants have always been men who have spent some time in seclusion and meditation.

Here are some personages in the Bible:

1) Moses before he went back to Egypt spent years in the backside of the desert.

2) David before he came into the public scene of Israel [to “shepherd” Israel so to speak] spent sometime alone with God tending sheep in the hillsides of Judea.

3) John the Baptist before his ministry spent some time in the desert alone with God.

4) Paul before he turned public in his ministry spent some time alone in Arabia with God.

5) The Lord Jesus Himself before the start of His 3 year ministry spent 40 days in the desert.


Why does the Church now in these latter days lack spiritual giants? Because most of us spent most of our time devouring T.V. shows than eating soul food, than meditating on God’s Word. Lovers of visual pleasure than lovers of God’s Word. Most of us are willing slaves to the tube [T.V.]

I am not against T.V. of course. Watching T.V. per se is not sin or unlawful. It has served Christianity since its invention by being a tool in spreading the gospel.

No doubt if Paul were still alive today he would have used it to spread God’s Word. But what I am against is when T.V. is given more time than the personal meditation of God's Word, when T.V. is not helpful anymore to the edification of our souls. When T.V. has become an enslaving object.

1Co 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.


Spend some time meditating on God’s word brother or sister…………………, that’s how the giants became giants.

Why Repentance should not be delayed?


“I am still young…, I want to enjoy life…….only when I’m older I’ll deal with that issue.” God is a forgiving God…, He will forgive anytime I confess my sins……even in my dying days….so why repent now when I can repent in my old age. When dying days come I will just utter a prayer of salvation and it’s done. I will have the best of both worlds fun here and heaven hereafter.”

Some of the words you will hear in the hearts of those who forego and hold repentance in abeyance. However, there are three major reasons why repentance should not be delayed. Why repentance should be NOW and not a little bit later: 1) The imminence of death 2) God’s patience though loooooooong has a limit 3) The hardening effects of lingering in sin.

1) The imminence of death. Whoever gave us a guarantee that we will get to live up to our 70’s and 80’s. Death could come upon us anytime and anywhere to separate us from time to eternity. One of Satan’s deceit is to make the youth not number their days. Youth, health and strength have this intoxicating effect that makes us think that we are immortal.


Don’t be deceived by your own heart. Many of those who are in the grave now did not even know that they will meet death at that age.

2) God’s longsuffering or patience has a limit. We all know that the Devil is a liar right? He makes truth look like untruth and makes falsehood appear like the truth. He loves to paint himself in the minds of people like he is some long-tailed, ruddy creature with horns bearing a trident. When the truth of the matter is that he is a creature of beauty. Or he makes you believe that he doesn’t exist. He majors in deceit and lies-about himself, about ourselves and about God. And one of his squid tactics is to disseminate falsehood about God. He fogs your mind so that you cannot see the truth of God for who and what He really is.

God as manifested in the Bible is a God of truth, mercy, love, grace, holiness, longsuffering and many other attributes. Do you know which of these attributes he [Satan] loves to emphasize more in the minds of people? Love. God is a God of love. How true. God is indeed a God of love. But what’s amiss with this portrayal is that it only stresses one attribute of God to the point that people abuse Him. What we fail to see by this smokescreen of Satan is that God is also a God of WRATH. Holy and righteous wrath upon sin and evil.

Ro 11:22 ‘Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God…….’


What are we commanded to consider in these verse? 1) the goodness of God and the severity of God. The Sin within you and Satan makes you focus on the former to the exclusion of the latter. But nothing is further from the truth. God is also a God of wrath. His patience is long but His justice puts a limit to it when you stubbornly rebel.

The cross portrays for us this couplet of God’s attributes. In Calvary we see God’s goodness and severity. Goodness- He loved us so much that He sent His Son to the cross to die for sinners. Severity-God does not excuse sin. He hates it completely. Sin must have its due penalty. He sent His Son Jesus Christ on the cross for it.

One man said: “If God did not spare His Son to die a horrible death on the cross, what made you think he will spare you [you who are unrepentant].


3) The hardening effect of lingering in sin. The more you stay unrepentant, the harder it will be for you to repent. Sin has a deadening effect. Sin indulged and unrepented suffocates the voice of conscience by and by until the point of no return is reached. The heart is so hardened that it cannot anymore discern error from the truth, good from evil and sin from righteousness. So hardened that it cannot anymore repent. One of the most frightening words uttered by God in the Bible are these words:


Isa 22:14 “Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, "Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death," says the Lord GOD of hosts.”


The people of Israel became so calloused and so hardened in heart that instead of repenting from their sins they continued in it. They know that doom is coming to their lives but they remained indifferent to God’s call of repentance. And so God uttered this terrifying statement in the Bible. It is not that God refuses to forgive but rather it is man’s refusal to repent and turn to God that this statement is founded. Sin has forever taken captive the hearts of these people that repentance is now an impossibility.

Sin is deceitful it parades before your eyes the pleasures of sin and makes you delay repentance to another future time. Sin says:" ah enjoy sin for now, later you can repent" And so the guillible sinner bit the bait and wallowed in a sinful and profligate life.

Not knowing that all the while, while he was wallowing in sin, sin insidously and subtly hardens his heart to repentance. Until a point of no return is reached when the heart is so hardened, the conscience becomes soo dead, the ear so deaf to the call of repentance, the eyes so blind to light that the state of the unpardonable sin is reached.

How about you? Do you still feel the pangs of conscience in you and still want forgiveness? That's a good sign that you have not reached the unpardonable sin. Claim God's free offer of forgiveness by faith in Christ now and repent. Do not delay repentance one single bit my friend. Repent and Trust in Christ now.

Gentiles: it’s times, its riches and it’s fullness


Lu 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Ro 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Look at those words up there: a) times of the Gentiles b) riches for the Gentiles and c) fullness of the Gentiles. I would like to tackle this topic for it directly refers to us non-Israelites or Gentiles.


I. The times of the Gentiles

Lu 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.


What does the term “the times of the Gentiles” mean? It refers to the period where Gentiles will have pre-eminence and supremacy over Israel.

When God and Israel forged a covenant there in Mt. Sinai, one of there agreements was that if Israel would obey and be faithful to God, God would bless Israel materially. With regards to their physical needs [like health, food, shelter and just about anything]: He would abundantly provide it. With regards to national prominence globally: God would make them the head and not the tail. BUT if they would disobey God and become unfaithful to Him, God would send horrific and horrible punishments and judgments against Israel.

Take a look at what was stipulated in their agreement with regards to national prominence if they would obey and national demise if they would disobey in Deuteronomy 28. Israel disobeyed and so Israel swallowed the bitter pill of God’s righteous wrath.

De 28:15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

De 28:25 "The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.

“……………, you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.” Verse 29

[The Jews are the most persecuted people in the world. From the Babylonian empire to now. Just think of the Holocaust. if i am not mistaken 6 million Jews died under Hitler's hands]

De 28:37 "And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you.”

AND TAKE SPECIAL NOTICE OF THIS:

De 28:43 "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

44 "………, he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.”

As a foretaste of the times of the Gentiles, the northern tribe first got sacked and taken captive to Assyria. The southern tribe should have learned a lesson from this but they did not. They disobeyed, as a result the full brunt of the curse was fulfilled some 70 years after. The southern tribe was sacked and taken captive to Babylon for 70 years. It was here the times of the Gentiles began. From that time till now, the Gentiles have dominated Israel. Yes, they were set ‘free’ 70 years after, but that ‘freedom’ was vassal freedom under the rulership of various Gentile emperors: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greecian and Roman.

Even now in our times where some of Israel are occupying their land [at least part of what was before owned by them], they still have not full ownership of it. The place where their sacred temple is situated is blasphemously replaced by the Dome of the Rock, a temple of the Gentile god Allah. The times of the Gentiles will culminate in the Great Tribulation when the Roman empire will be revived and Anti-Christ and the Roman Beast will have world wide sway. The times of the Gentiles will end when Christ like a Rock from heaven will crush the Roman Beast and the Antichrist to set up His Kingdom.


II. Riches for the Gentiles

Ro 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!


This refers to God’s favor to Gentiles in this period or age. Israel was God’s chosen people [and still is though for now set aside]. When they rejected their Messiah, which was actually a culmination of centuries of defying their covenant with God, God set Israel aside temporarily [NATIONALLY, NOT INDIVIDUALLY FOR THERE ARE SAVED JEWS NOW IN THIS AGE LIKE PAUL AND ETC. BUT THEY BELONG TO THE CHURCH NOT ISRAEL AS GOD CONSIDERS THEM]. All the promises in the Old Testament about Israel being the top nation of the world is held in abeyance. God’s favor went out to the Gentiles [a shock to the Jews]. God is now building His Church.

Ac 15:14 "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name

This is riches for us Gentiles. May we take advantage of this opportunity. Like in Noah’s day, while the ark was still open all can still go in. And so we can say as it were that the door for the Gentiles is still open right at this moment. Repent and Trust in Christ alone for salvation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


III. The fullness of the Gentiles


Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

The fullness of the Gentiles refers to the number of Gentiles that will constitute the Church which God is building right now. Yes, there is a certain number of Gentiles that will constitute the Church. Once this has been completed, this would mean that the Church [the building of it] is completed. Who knows if that unbeliever there down the road is the last person to constitute the Church. Once he repents and trust in Christ alone for salvation. The fullness of the Gentiles has been reached.

What happens next? The Rapture will take place.

And then what?

You were reading Romans 11:25 right? About the fullness of the Gentiles….now notice verse 26, Read verse 25 then 26 to get the full effect:

Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And then what?

26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

The translation: “The Deliverer will come out OF Zion is somewhat contradictory to Isaiah 59:20 where it reads:

Isa 59:20 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD.


This refers actually to His Second Coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He will then fulfill all the glorious promises made to Israel in the coming 1000 year reign of the King of kings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But is there really a contradiction? No. Actually there is no problem to that becuase before Christ takes His 1000 year reign He will come first to Jerusalem [the capital of the world by that time]. As a ruler of the universe He comes out and goes in to Zion or Jerusalem. He's coming out does not mean abondonment or rejection. In the Mellinial reign the center of government of the world will be at Jerusalem. He will rule the entire universe. 'He comes out and goes in' so to speak.]

Message for you now dear friend:

Avail of God's riches offered by God in Christ for you.

Repent and Trust in Christ alone for salvation.

[note: in the Old Testament prophecies, Israel will return to their land in unbelief and then their Messiah will come the Second Time. Israel is now in their land IN UNBELIEF. What does that mean? The completion of the Church is near at hand].

I have seen the commercial of basketball superstar Dwayne Wade. D. Wade oftentimes falls hard on the floor in a game but gets up again each time. And so the words in the commercial:

"Dwayne Wade, falls seven times. stands up eight"


When i read of that i recalled the words in Proverbs 24:16: ", For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again;"


What an encouragement those words were for me in my spiritual walk. Times are many wherein i fall and falter in my walk in the faith. Sometimes i get discouraged but those words beckoned me to stand up again and fight the good fight of faith.

Through those words i knew that the difference between a truly saved person and a fake is reseliency and perseverance. The mark of a truly saved sinner is that when he falls down he always gets up again unlike the counterfeit Christian. He falls and stays contented down there.


I hope these will be true in me:


"Ironside, falls seven times. stands up eight.