Jesus Paid It Some?

Someone once wrote a list of "Songs of the Lukewarm Church." They took the titles of good doctrinal hymns of the past & re-wrote them for the modern church. For example (correct title is in parenthesis):

• A Comfy Mattress Is Our God (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)
• Take My Wife and Let Me Be (Take My Life and Let It Be)
• Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me (Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me)
• Above Average is Thy Faithfulness (Great is Thy Faithfulness)
• I Surrender Some (I Surrender All)

Kind of funny, but kind of sad given the lack of zeal we see around us, or sometimes in ourselves.

There's another good hymn I was thinking of, one that flies in the face of the false teaching that Jesus has not done everything required to secure one's salvation. As a Roman Catholic, I was taught that Jesus indeed had done something significant: His death on the cross opened the door to Heaven, if I can say it that way, but we have to do our part to make it in...that salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ is damnable heresy. Of course, our part is a whole bunch of good religious works, and even then the poor Catholic soul has no assurance of salvation.

(Click this LINK to see how Rome denies justification by faith alone.)

No, the hymn I am thinking of is not "Jesus Paid it Some", it is...

JESUS PAID IT ALL!

So it was with this in mind on Saturday, June 27th, that God gave me a place to stand and speak publicly of the so-great salvation we have, by grace alone through faith alone on the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ alone. If you care to listen to what goes on in public ministry, you can listen to the audio by clicking HERE.

I Hope Someone Told Jimmy Lee

I just caught a headline on the Drudge Report that peaked my curiosity:

"Top JP Morgan Banker Dies Suddenly...."

Jimmy Lee

So I clicked on the article, and read about a man by the name of Jimmy Lee, a well-known Wall Street banker who was known for his deal-making.

Dead at 62 years old. 

Click here if you want to read about it: LINK. Dead physically, but alive on the other side. Alive in eternity...but where is he now? 

And so I have these questions in my mind:

Jimmy, I hope someone loved you enough, loved your eternal soul enough, to share the truth of God's word with you. To show you the moral law (Leviticus 20:1-17; Romans 3:19-20) so you could recognize your sin against God, and then the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-5; John 3:16), so you could see your only hope for mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life.

Because, Jimmy, you and I and every other person born into this world knows the God of the Bible exists. He has revealed Himself in us through both creation & our conscience, so we are without excuse if we will not turn to Him & yield to Him (Romans 1:19-20). 

You had the information you needed...we all do. I just cannot help wonder what you did with that information? I pray you turned to Jesus Christ! Rich people can be saved (though Jesus said it is hard!), and its not a sin to be rich: the Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil, not the money itself (1 Timothy 6:10).

 But, oh Jimmy! If you turned away from that truth, and lived for temporary things of this brief life,  like success & wealth, and did not live for eternity...then Jimmy, you blew the best deal of the Universe!

Mark 8:36 

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 

2 Corinthians 5:21 

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 

Jimmy Lee's eternal destination is set: once we step into eternity, that's it. No do-over, no renegotiating, no changing (Hebrews 9:27).

But...if you know Jimmy or his family, will you love them enough to reach out to them with the gospel? 

From the article:
"Mr Lee is survived by his wife Beth and three children, Lexi, Jamie and Izzy."

Just Another Example of the Mighty Works of God!

Psalms 66:3-5 

"Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. 

Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men."

Check this out! Amazing what we learn about our mighty Creator when we study His creation.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Seven-Flagellar-Motors-in-One.html?soid=1101870705073

I Will Always Only Be....

Jeremiah 10:23 

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."

I will always only be...a sinner.

Rescued from the eternal consequences of my sin against my Creator God by a Mighty Savior.

Saved only by His mercy & grace.

I will never produce a righteousness that can commend myself to His near presence.

Not for all eternity.

I need a perfect righteousness that is external to myself, for I cannot offer my own.

I cannot purchase it, though I possessed all the wealth of the universe.

I do not deserve it.

The truth is, I deserve only condemnation & the fearful judgment of eternal Hell.

Thank Almighty God, that He has provided all I need.

All I need.

All I need, in the Person & finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Freely.

As a gift.

And the more I think upon this, the more I love Him.

Thank you, Lord. Thank You....

And I will say this for all eternity.

Romans 3:22

"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe...."

When The Church is Caught Up

We are living, I am convinced, in the last days of the Age of Grace, the conclusion of the Church Age, and as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a Bible believing Christian, I am looking for "the blessed hope" of my Lord's return for His people. This short video, that I've also put up on the Iowa Seed Sowers website, brings out the reality that this longed-for event will happen on what seems to be just another ordinary day. Check it out:

There's just one thing I wish was different in this video, and that is the scene where the dark-haired woman takes a seat on the bench next to the blonde-haired woman. I would have liked to see her engage in a gospel conversation with that woman, or sharing a gospel tract, rather than just sitting there waiting for her train.Watch that little segment again: the two young women sitting on a bench, looking away from each other. Its so easy to look away, to look at nothing. But I am called to look towards people, not away from them! How often do I pass up these opportunities to serve our King as an ambassador, calling the lost to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19-21), and one day SOON, it will be our last opportunity. That's what I desire to be doing when He comes.

One last thing: when the believers are caught up, did you notice what they leave behind?

Everything.

We leave everything behind.

2 Corinthians 4:18 

Are You Ready?

Titus 2:12-14

"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

God of Wonders - Farsi Language

Mary & I have been giving away "The God of Wonders" DVD since our friend Jim gave us one 3 years ago. Mary has given many out through her treatment for breast cancer, and I give them out along with Bibles & gospel tracts when out with one of my witnessing crosses.

Not only does this video present great biblical truth, it does so in many different languages: some are dubbed so that you can listen to the video in that language, while others are captioned on-screen so you can read what is being spoken in that language.

Here is an example, in the Farsi language, that I found on the YouTube website of the Berean Call (where we buy the DVDs). Perhaps in posting it here, someone in Iran or another Farsi-speaking community might be reached by the one true God, to understand the gospel message & believe on the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, just as we have. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

You can check out the other languages for this video, including English - just go to You Tube and search for The Berean Call.(Or just click this LINK.) And, if you know the Lord Jesus as Savior, please commit to living boldly for Him in this world, right now, and reach out to the lost, in whatever language you can. Maranatha!

American Pastor ‘Black and Blue’ After Beating in Iranian Prison

I continue to pray for the release of this brother in Christ, and for grace & peace for his wife & children.
Please join me.
Hebrews 13:3
American pastor ‘black and blue’ after beating in Iranian prison

The Importance of Prayer in Evangelism

One great thing about reaching out to the people around you with the hope of the gospel, is that you meet a lot of people that you probably would never have met under normal circumstances. These are people made in the image of God, eternal souls that God desires to redeem through repentance & faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we meet & share with those around us, Mary & I try to get their names, and we jot these down on our little prayer chalkboard in our kitchen. I try to note the date and location, and it really helps me to remember to lift these dear ones up in prayer before our Father God.

Our Prayer Board

I don't pray for God to save them, because I know it is not God's desire that they perish (2 Peter 3:9), and I want to pray according to His will. Instead, I pray that they would read the Bibles or gospel tracts we gave them, or watch the DVD, or whatever, and that they would understand the gospel, repent towards God & trust Jesus as Savior. I pray God will direct other believers to them to water the seed planted, encourage them or challenge them, or whatever is needed (1 Corinthians 3:6). I pray the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin & a recognition of their need for a righteousness they can never produce, and comprehend that this righteousness is a gift from God to those who will believe (Romans 3:23).

Anyway, it is vital we be praying for those who we are trying to reach, and this old chalkboard is a helpful tool that works for us. If you have another idea, I'd like to hear about it. Send me a picture & your story, and I'll share it on the website.

Two things about prayer: we are taught to bring our requests to God with a thankful heart (Philippians 4:6-7), and the Lord Jesus gives us the example of desiring God's will to be done, because:

• God is all powerful - nothing is impossible with Him
• God is all knowing - He fully understands and is aware of the issue I am praying about
• God's love is so great, I can trust Him & His will for this circumstance

When I take this attitude & approach, I am never frustrated or wonder if God is hearing my prayers or cares about what I am praying about. Dave Hunt taught me this through one of his teachings, and it has been a tremendous blessing and help to me, so I hope it helps you as well.

Hope you are reaching your little corner of the world for the Lord Jesus Christ, living out this Christian life in a real & powerful way, out of thankfulness for what God has done for you in Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:6-7 
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Luke 22:41-42 
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.