Christianity or Religion

Religion is discovered, Christianity is revealed, the revelation of Christianity is that we become like Christ and our lives reflect the very essence of who He is.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 HCSB

But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this?

For we are not like the many who market God’s message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

Hope!

What does the word "hope" mean in the Bible? It doesn't mean "maybe." We may use it that way in modern English, but that's not whatever the word "hope" means when used in Scripture.

"Hope" means certainty, but not just any certainty. When the Bible says "hope," it means a rock-solid assurance with anticipation, based on the Word of God.

Put your hope and faith in Jesus Christ today if you have not and if you have. Take heart and have peace that all is well with Christ in command.


Romans 12:12-21 HCSB

Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Fight fire with fire.

 We have all heard the expression "the way to fight fire is with fire." I've heard it all my life, but it came alive for me in a new way when I heard a story told by Norman McLean about a Montana smoke jumper who did just that. Wag Dodge was one of 15 smoke jumpers who were sent to battle a forest fire in August of 1949. Shortly after their jump, these tenacious, well-trained, young men were surrounded by an inferno. As the wind shifted 180 degrees and picked up velocity, what had been a manageable fire became what is known as a blow out. The only way to safety was to race 200 yards to the top of a ridgeﾗquite literally, to outrun the fire. When Dodge realized the fire would overtake them, he screamed to his men to stop and gather around him. Most did not hear, and were overcome. Then, with fire racing toward him, Wag Dodge lit a fire of his own and followed it, then circled back and laid down in the grass it had burned. When he did, the flames went around what had already been scorched, leaving him safe on the ground. He fought fire - with fire. We are surrounded on every side by the super-heated flames of our culture. How do we fight them? The way this young smoke jumper did. We set our own fire. And as the fire of our devotion to Christ begins to burn, our God who is a consuming fire, burns brighter and stronger than the flames of this fallen world. We fight fire with fire!

Life Church

Psalm 1

Psalms 1:1-6 HCSB

How happy is the man who does not follow  the advice of the wicked or take  the path of sinners or join a group  of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord ’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season   and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not survive  the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

JOY

A wise old man once saw a lovely and happy young wife and said, "I would love to meet your husband. He must be very special because I can see it on your face." The Bible explains: A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken (Proverbs 15:13). We should remember the Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). Happy homes are healthy homes.

Much can be said about a happy home. God's Word says laughter is medicine: A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones (Proverbs 17:22). The mandate from Scripture puts the responsibility for joyful family life on both the husband and wife. Our homes are to be refuges of happiness, not battlegrounds of sorrow.

God's Word insists that husbands live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun (Ecclesiastes 9:9). It is important we not just endure our husband-wife relationship but that we bring joy to it. This is urgent, because the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

We would like to thank Bible Discovery TV for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.biblediscoverytv.com

Psalms 119 : 1How happy are those whose way is blameless,

who live according to the Lord’s instruction!

2Happy are those who keep His decrees

and seek Him with all their heart.

3They do nothing wrong;

they follow His ways.

4You have commanded that Your precepts

be diligently kept.

5If only my ways were committed

to keeping Your statutes!

6Then I would not be ashamed

when I think about all Your commands.

7I will praise You with a sincere heart

when I learn Your righteous judgments.

8I will keep Your statutes;

never abandon me.

בBet

9How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping Your word.

10I have sought You with all my heart;

don’t let me wander from Your commands.

11I have treasured Your word in my heart

so that I may not sin against You.

12Lord, may You be praised;

teach me Your statutes.

13With my lips I proclaim

all the judgments from Your mouth.

14I rejoice in the way revealed by Your decrees

as much as in all riches.

15I will meditate on Your precepts

and think about Your ways.

16I will delight in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your word.

ג

A Patriots Prayer

People still believe that we will make this world a safe place to live in, and that there will be peace on this earth, the educated and the ignorant believe this, and they believe we will do it by human means. Some Christians think that preaching the Gospel will do that, but that is not why we were given the Gospel! Before you hit delete please read on,We should be encouraged by the freedom we have in Jesus Christ, it should challenge us to daily be responsible for the way we live our lives and carry on,” to whom much is given comes great responsibility” someone once said.

God has not forgotten man, it is man that has forgotten God. And God gave us the Gospel to win souls for Heaven, not to save the world from the wreckage, it will come to and end. He gave us the gospel to save mankind from the wreckage of the world.

As Christians, brothers and sisters we should know our nation is in serious trouble.

There is little doubt we’re in a moral free fall. History as we know it is coming to an end. We are seeing precepts of the Battle of Armageddon.. It could be today, tomorrow, or forty years from now, but the road is being paved, and soon we will hit Rock bottom and there will be no repair. America will become another ancient empire in history’s landfill if something radical and dramatic is not done.

Should this make you fear the future? It shouldn't, as Christians first our citizenship is in Heaven, and we know God is the Author of hope, and we can stand on His sovereignty, He has always been, and will always be. God alone is Unshakable. America's first line of defense is not the military or government, it is God Himself.

Christians everywhere should be asking, what can we do to bring our nation back to God? Well it is not to late to begin with, if we can breathe, read the word of God, pray and ask God for help, there is Hope.

GIVE ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! 4 O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure. 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! 8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River. 12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. 14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine 15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. 19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! Psalms 80:1-19

This is a prayer from the heart of a patriot, who sees his nation being destroyed systematically and ask God to revive this one flourishing land, just as we are today. This is a great psalm to pray for America, God has blessed this nation because of the principles we were founded on and based our judicial and government on, His laws and word.

If we have any hope it lies solely in the hands of God's mercy. We have to look to God our Creator and cry out.. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! vs. :19

Revive us again oh Lord! we need to come humbly to God with fasting, praying and weeping, a revival of the heart for this our nation. That is one thing that comes from calamity, either it will revive a nation or destroy it, there can be no middle ground. The middle ground gives way, and that is where we are today.

Revival must come from within every individual heart. God will not bring revival through Washington. This is something we need to realize and change our ways of thinking on, God called His people, not a government.

“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Prayers from unrepentant people is an insult to God. Religion without righteousness is repugnant and that is what we have today in America. It does not matter if we hold a public spectacle for a National day of prayer, where even Washington’s elite politicians will gather to pray. While cesspools of iniquity are full and running over into our homes and churches and schools, six days a week people are out eating, drinking and being merry and come Sunday they come in wondering why America is the way it is, dying on the vine, it is because we have dead prayers going no higher than the ceiling. So much of our prayers are “God bless us. Just bless us, anyhow.” But God will never do this as long as we continue on this path, you and I and every one who calls themselves a Christian must make every day a National day of prayer and we must start with confession and turn from our wicked ways.We have the God given right and responsibility to Speak up and Speak out .

Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name vs. 17 & 18

That name is the name above all names the Son of God Jesus Christ and we must stand strong, and we must speak up. And if they tell you, you can’t you simply reply (these are my favorite verses to quote to the liberal minds and mouths)

So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:18-20

If your told separation of church and state, which is the most UN American thing a liberal mouth could say, answer them as someone once said “ The church is not the master of the state, nor is the church the servant of the state. The church is the conscience of the state.”

We have to speak up and say what God's Word says. Satan's strategy is to keep Christians silent, and he is succeeding.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. 4 The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. Psalms 18:2-7

The victory is ours, either way God will go before us, and the wrath of God will strike down the nations that gather against Him and His children, whom shall we fear, NO Man, or power other than Him. We stand on The Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ!” We don't need great multitudes. Jesus said "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20

Jesus Christ and me or you, that is the majority no one else is really needed, It's time that we who call ourselves God's people were filled with this unshakeable attitude and we stand up and say “Oh God, give us deliverance!” Look We have the King of Kings, on our side, The Holy Spirit is our ally , God’s Word, our weapon The Victory is already ours through the Man who sits on the God's right hand, Jesus Christ.

In Christ

brian

The life we live

One of the greatest hindrances to the peace of God for Christians is learning to walk according to the word of God, we are to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. Most never understand what this means, we have a habit of dividing our lives into two areas, the spirit and the flesh and try to live in both.

These two areas were created to exist apart from each other they are morally and spiritually incompatible.

Romans8:1-11 NKJV - [1] There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. [3] For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, [4] that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [5] For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. [6] For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. [8] So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [9] But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. [10] And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

We are told to walk by the spirit, not the flesh we are easily persuaded by life to go back and forth from one to the other and we live a divided instead of a victorious life. We try live in two worlds, the spiritual and the natural. We are not immune to the things of the world, such as the ills of life , we do live among men but we are not to let them influence our lives.

1st John 2:15 HCSB Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.16 For everything that belongs to the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,and the pride in one’s lifestyle — is not from the Father, but is from the world.17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.

In direct contrast is the way we are to live by the Spirit. Here we have peace with God, and the peace of God, we learn the ways of God and how to live among men and be the salt and light we are called to be by enjoying an intimate fellowship with Christ. When we are walking by the Spirit , our lives are an aroma and are pleasing to God. We pray, read our Bibles, are faithful in our church attendance, we bring our praise and worship with us wherever we go, I love walking in the Spirit, but it is something I do not do 100% of the time.

While living here there are things we do like eat, sleep, work, pay bills, and just try to make that seem mundane and uninteresting, how do I make my life a living sacrifice to God, while I am doing these meaningless task?

God's word says a lot about how we are to live,

Romans 12:1 HCSB Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

1st Corinthians 15:33 HCSB Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”34 Come to your senses and stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame...50 Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. 51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep,but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye,at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,and the dead will be raised incorruptible,and we will be changed.53 For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? 56 Now the sting of death is sin,and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The dilemma we have is false the devil has easily swayed us into believing that we have to live and compromise our faith in this world, we don't when you look at the life of Jesus Christ, we see that all He did to live He did as a man, not as God and all though He was fully God, He was also fully man, He overcame temptations, and life as a man to give us the example of a Spirit filled life.

Philippians 2:5 HCSB Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God,did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form,8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death —even to death on a cross.

Jesus Christ is our perfect example, He did not live a divided life. From His birth to His death on the cross, the life of Jesus was a total offering to God the Father, the first words recorded that Jesus spoke are these found in

Luke 2 :41 HCSB Every year His parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When He was 12 years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival. 43 After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not know it.44 Assuming He was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him. 46 After three days, they found Him in the temple complex sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all those who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers. 48 When His parents saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.” 49“Why were you searching for Me? ”He asked them. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house? ” 50 But they did not understand what He said to them.

Jesus was in His Fathers house teaching, He was always going about doing the Father's business, and He made it a point to live that way, we can do this to.

JOHN 3:5 HCSB Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 

When we became born again, our flesh was crucified and we are born again into the Spirit of God, now we must learn to walk by the Spirit, it really is not as hard as it sounds, it takes a simple act of surrender daily.

Galatians 5 16-25 NKJV - [16] I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, [21] envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [24] And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

1st Corinthians 6:9 HCSB Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, 10 no thieves,greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Life is about choices, we can chose to walk in the Spirit by living according to the word of God, or we chose to walk in the way of the world our flesh by going about doing things our way, but make no mistake we can not live both ways. We can do this by living with an aggressive faith. Not a passive faith.

Colossians 3:1 HCSB So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.2 Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 4When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 5Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature:sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath comes on the disobedient, 7and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. 11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 Above all, put on love — the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Through the power of Jesus Christ we have already overcome the world, and it is He who lives in us, so why don't we learn to offer all our acts to God and believe He accepts them whether we eat or drink, work or play live or die do it all for the Lord.

Galatians 2: HCSB 16 know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified. 17 But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuildthe system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.19 For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ 20and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

We must hold firmly to this position and live making every act of every hour of the day and night be an offer of praise, thanksgiving, and total sacrament to God in our times of private prayer in our continual prayer a thousand times a day as we live we must seek God out in everything, when we do this we will discover that He is always with us, and in our simplest deeds we can acknowledge Him.

Romans 14:5 HCSB One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God.7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.8If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

We can live every moment for Christ if we take the attitude of Christ, by making our lives a living sacrifice to God, we must learn to worship Him in Spirit and Truth and put away the flesh everyday by taking our thoughts captive and applying the word of God to our lives. God's word gives no room for compromise we must be immovable when it comes to living as we are called, we can do this, if we ask for the Lord's help and learn to do all things for His glory.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In Christ

brian

A Story to tell

As we live our lives we should be mindful of how we have been given a life to live. We who are saved were once dead men and women, but now live because of Jesus Christ. We all were dead at one time, and it is the miraculous love and grace of God our Father, through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that we now live.

When you read through the scriptures you see that we are born nto a sin nature, a nature of death ,

Romans 5:12-14 [12] Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- [13] (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

We were born to die because of this, and die we do daily our bodies and minds are dying because of the sin of mankind from the beginning , our bodies suffer the consequences of this sin.

That is not the end of the story though, because God had a plan, a story to be written that included you and me, our story that is each of us who call Him Father.

Romans 5:1-21 [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; [4] and perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. [6] For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. [10] For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. [11] And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. [12] Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- [13] (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. [15] But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. [16] And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. [17] For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. [19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. [20] Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, [21] so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God our Father loved us so much that He could not us live this life alone without Him, because He knew we would surely die in our sins, so He extended His hands of grace and reached down into the grave and as He called out our names, individually and said come forth He set us free from the bondage of sin and death, we see the perfect picture of this in the Gospel of John, it is a picture of the Victory Christ had over death, before He went to the Cross to suffer our punishment. When you read this put your name in the place of Lazarus.

John 11:1-45 [1] Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. [2] It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. [3] Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." [4] When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." [5] Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [6] So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. [7] Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." [8] The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" [9] Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. [10] "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." [11] These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." [12] Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." [13] However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. [14] Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. [15] "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." [16] Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." [17] So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. [18] Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. [19] And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. [20] Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. [21] Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." [23] Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." [24] Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. [26] "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" [27] She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." [28] And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." [29] As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. [30] Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. [31] Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." [32] Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." [33] Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. [34] And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." [35] Jesus wept. [36] Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" [37] And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" [38] Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. [39] Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." [40] Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" [41] Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." [43] Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" [44] And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." [45] Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

That is a picture of who we are, how we are dying but do not have to die, our bodies may die but our souls will live and we will be resurrected in the end to reign with Christ, that is the hope of Glory, Christ in me and you.

Today I implore you if your wrapped in your grave clothes, listen to the voice of Jesus Christ calling out your name, hear Him as He calls you to come forth, be free from the bondage of Sin and Death, live the life your called to live, for Him, through Him, in Him.

And if your already free from the bondage of Sin and Death, start spreading the gospel message, do you think that Lazarus had a story to tell, do you think that people came to Christ because of what Jesus did for him?

His story is your story, you where dead on your way to hell, and Jesus came to your grave and called your name, and said come forth. You have the ability to share that with all those around you today, you were once dead but now you live, that is a story worth telling, and today there are literally billions of people who need to hear this truth. You do not need to be a Pastor or Theologian to share the gospel, just share your story someone somewhere needs to know you live because Christ lives in you.

The roman road to salvation is a collection of verses from the book of Romans explaining Gods free gift of eternal life. Follow these verses to learn why we need salvation, Gods plan of salvation, how to receive salvation, Gods promise of eternal life, and the results of salvation.


God is the creator of life Romans 1:20-21
Why we need salvation- the fact of our sin Romans 3:23
Mans inability Romans 3:10
The penalty of sin Romans 6:23a
Gods plan of salvation Romans 5:8
Gods promise of eternal life Romans 6:23
Mans responsibility Romans 10:9-10, 10:13
Final stop on the roman road to salvation...results of salvation Romans 8:1, 5:1

Colossians 3:17 [17] And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In Christ
brian

Christmas through the eyes of our creator

Christmas is more than a day, it is an attitude we need to have in our hearts. We need to remember why we celebrate and why we even have Christmas.
Here is how Webster’s defines Christmas

Christmas:
a Christian feast on December 25 or among some Eastern Orthodox Christians on January 7 that commemorates the birth of Christ and is usually observed as a legal holiday

But how do you define Christmas, that is the question.

Is it a day for family, presents and fun or is it a day of remembrance to celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

If we look at Christmas through the eyes of our Creator, we would see the true meaning of Christmas.

Hebrews 1:1-10 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire."

But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions." And: "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Hebrews 12:1-4 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

　
　
God sent Jesus to us, He spoke to us through His Son. A prophet of old days was God’s way of talking to man, a priest was man’s way of talking to God. Christ is both, the perfect prophet, and the perfect priest, angels where sent to minister to men the message of God, Jesus is God’s revelation or message to man.

Jesus was begotten, or came out of or just as God, and is redemption for all of mankind. He holds all things, created all things, rules all things, and is the final authority of all things. Nothing has happened, or will happen that He is not over.

Jesus Christ is the reason for Christmas, a celebration of Him, for Him, by Him.

That is why I said in the beginning Christmas is an attitude of our heart, and something we should celebrate everyday. We have within us the cure for what ails the world, the cure for sin and death. We must give Him away everyday, the more you give Christ away in all you do, the more you will experience Christ love.

Jesus came knowing He would give up His life for the redemption for mankind. Man could not come up to God, so God came down to man. And Jesus faced the cross with joy, He kept His eyes on the prize, us. He faced things most of us will never know, He did it without complaining, and He gave us His all so we could live our lives. Lay down anything that would hinder you from serving Him. He alone is the author and finisher of our faith, look to Him daily to strengthen you, and celebrate Him with everyone you can.

So as you celebrate Christmas this year, keep that attitude going until God calls you home, and remember Gods' words.
For this is the Christmas story, the story of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:1-7 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

　
Merry Christmas
　
　
　
　

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17
In Christ
brian