Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Rescued! - by Pastor Paul M. Sadler



Rescued!  
Pastor Paul M. Sadler


I am sure we have all stood breathless as we have watched rescue efforts being undertaken by daring men.  One of the more memorable rescues of late has been that of little Jessica McClure from a well shaft in Texas.  Jessica had accidentally fallen into an abandoned well shaft and was trapped for two and one-half days without food or water.  With her fragile life hanging in the balance, rescue workers labored tirelessly around the clock to free that precious little soul from danger.  The heroic efforts of those men and women will be remembered for many years to come.  After all, they saved a life.

Another rescue effort that is above all others and deserves our special attention is when God rescued us from the depths of iniquity.  Ever since the Fall all of us have staggered under the terrible penalty of sin; sin, that would have sunk a world to the blackness of hell forever.  But, while we were under the sentence of condemnation God undertook the greatest rescue effort this world has ever known.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

“In whom we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7).

It is important to notice Paul’s emphasis here on the person of Christ as he uses phrases such as “In Whom” and “His blood.”  Why did God send His only begotten Son to redeem us?  Why didn’t He call on someone from the human race?  You see, one from the human race could never save us because sin has condemned the entire race.  The testimony of Scripture is true, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  I could not possibly die for your sins, because I have sins of my own that placed me under the sentence of death.  I could not redeem you nor could you redeem me, because we are all in the same boat and it is sinking from the weight of our iniquity.

Understanding that the “wages of sin is death,” we conclude that death had absolutely no claims on Christ.  But who is this hanging on the Cross writhing in the agony of pain?  Why, it is the form of one dying, whose visage is marred beyond recognition—dying for us!  To our amazement, it is God’s only begotten Son!  But this cannot be.  He knew no sin; death cannot claim this Holy One of God!  True, except for the fact that He was not dying for His own sins, but rather, for our transgressions.  Our sins were transferred to Christ and the wrath of God fell upon His Son who voluntarily died our death.

So then, we have redemption through Christ’s shed blood.  Spiritually speaking, His precious blood cleanses us from the disease of sin that plagues us.  Christ was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

HOW TO BE SAVED

Have you submitted yourself to God’s wonderful rescue operation?  Dear sinner friend, won’t you come to Calvary?  It was there that God reconciled the world to Himself.  In His infinite love He provided a plan of salvation based on the precious shed blood of His Son.  Please bear in mind that, “you must come to Christ in God’s way!”  He will not accept your good works, church membership, baptism or confirmation.  If these things could save us, then Christ died in vain.  It was because these things were not acceptable in themselves that God sent His Son to earth to die for the sins of the world.

Lay hold of the Savior, for only He can rescue you from eternal condemnation and bring you safely to the shores of eternal life.  Simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for your sins, was buried and rose again the third day (I Corinthians 15:1-4).

Do you have questions about your salvation?  Contact us using our Ask A Question page and we would love to share with you more about what God’s Word has to say.





 Transformed By Grace  -
Kevin Sadler


Transformed By Grace #1 - Unity in Christ
Transformed By Grace #2 - One Body in Christ
Transformed By Grace #3 - The Apostle of Grace
Transformed By Grace #4 - The Gifts of Christ


Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey



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Monday, November 16, 2015

Who's To Blame? - by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam



Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


        This writer was a bit irked, recently, to read the following paragraph in one of our leading Chicago newspapers:

“Professional thieves and joy-ride-happy teen-agers are not to blame for most auto thefts. It’s true that they are the ones who do the stealing - but the careless motorist must bear the blame… When not in use, cars should be locked.”

Just think this through: More than 1,000 cars stolen every day throughout the nation, but those who steal them should not be blamed - the owners should be blamed for not making it impossible for the thief to steal his car!

Man has always been a master at “blame shifting.” Adam said to God, in effect: “It’s not my fault; it’s that woman you gave me.” Eve said: “Don’t blame me. The serpent deceived me,” and ever since, the descendants of the first couple have been adept at shifting the blame.

But now it’s getting so that the courts defend and protect the criminals and even blame the innocent for not making it impossible for the criminal to act! It is a shame that we have to lock our cars against theft - and it is a stigma on our society. Some judges don’t see it that way, but God does. Read Romans 2:2:

“But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who commit such things.”

We may all be grateful, though, that it was the very justice - as well as the love - of God, that caused Him to take on Himself human form and pay for our sins at Calvary. God cannot overlook sin, yet He loves the sinner. This is why He paid for all our sins at Calvary, and this, too, is why we may now be “justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).


Recovery Of Truth - O'Hair - YouTube



How God Saves Men
Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4


(A 10 Minute Video)


 Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
cspivey1953@gmail.com


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A Christian Obligation - by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam



   A Christian Obligation  
 by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam



Three times in Romans 1:14-16, the Apostle Paul uses the phrase “I am,” and each one carries an important message for every true believer in Christ.
First he says in Verse 14: “I am debtor” - debtor to all men, to tell them about the saving work of Christ. But why was he indebted to people he had never even seen? For several reasons.
First, he had in his hand what they needed to be saved from the penalty and power of sin. If I see a drunkard lying across the railroad track and I do nothing about it, am I not a murderer if he is killed by the train? If I see a man drowning and I have a life buoy in my hand but do not throw it to him, am I not a murderer if he goes down for the last time? If I see millions of lost souls about me and, knowing the message of salvation, do not tell them, am I not guilty if they die without Christ?
Further, Paul felt himself a debtor to others, because the Christ who had died for his sins had also died for the sins of others. As he says in II Corinthians 5:14,15: “Christ died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him who died for them and rose again.”
Finally, the Christ who had died for Paul’s sins, had commissioned him to tell others of His saving grace. Thus he says in I Corinthians 9:16,17:
“Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel! For… a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.”
Paul could say further what every true believer should be able to say: Not, “I am debtor, but,” but rather, “I am debtor… So, as much as in me is I am ready” (Romans 1:15). He was ready to discharge his debt because he had that with which to discharge it - the wonderful “gospel of the grace of God.” And he did indeed make this message known to others with all that was in him.
 And now the third “I am”: “I am debtor… so I am ready… for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” (Ver. 16). Paul was always proud to own Christ as the mighty Savior from sin. Do you know Christ as your Savior? Do you tell others about Him?




 Transformed By Grace  -
Kevin Sadler
 



Transformed By Grace #1 - Unity in Christ
Transformed By Grace #2 - One Body in Christ
Transformed By Grace #3 - The Apostle of Grace
Transformed By Grace #4 - The Gifts of Christ


Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey


E-mail this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends
 









 


Sunday, November 15, 2015

Enemies Reconciled To God - by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


  


Enemies Reconciled To God -
Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
 

“When we were enemies” (Romans 5:10).


Think of it! God has good news for us even in our willfulness, our enmity against Him! “When we were enemies”, says Paul, “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son”.

Here we can almost hear some reader object: “Of all things, don’t charge me with being an enemy of God. I’m a religious person, I go to church regularly, I even give to the church”. Ah, but God does not say that the unsaved are not religious. Perhaps 999 out of 1,000 are religious. The point is that by your ungodly, sinful life, and certainly by rejecting God’s gift of salvation, you have made yourself an enemy of God. You may not be an enemy against the “God” you have conjured up in your won mind, but you are certainly an enemy against God, the God of the Bible.

But despite all this God still sends His ambassadors out to offer reconciliation to all His enemies everywhere — “by the death of His Son”. Think of it! We who believe are reconciled to God, not by some effort or payment offered by us to placate God, but “by the death of HIS Son”. He bore the enmity as His own creatures mocked Him, spat in His face and nailed Him to a tree. This is grace indeed! And this is not all, for the whole passage reads:

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [Lit., reconciliation]” (Romans 5: 10,11).

The argument of this passage is that if, as His enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more “being reconciled”, we may be assured that our living Savior will keep us safe. And not only are believers safe in Christ, but all the while we “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received”, not only help in our helplessness, or the forgiveness of our sins, but “the reconciliation”, by which we are brought nigh to God and experience His love toward us.




How God Saves Men
Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Acts 16L31 Romans 1:16, and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4


(A 10 Minute Video)


 Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
cspivey1953@gmail.com


E-mail this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends