REGRETS

I spoke to my father yesterday about eleventh hour salvation. I told him that those who come to the Lord at the end of their lives receive the same salvation as someone who came to the Lord as a child. He said to me “that’s hard to believe.” I told him it may be hard to believe because God’s goodness and grace is beyond our human comprehension. God is good, and he is a restorer.

I was saved in 1988, at the age of 38. Besides the regret of having lived a good portion of my life apart from the Lord, another regret I have is not having done more for my mother while she was alive. (She went to be with the Lord in March of this year, 2007.) Though our relationship was redeemed, I do still have some regrets. So many times, even now, I think of ways of blessing her, but this is no longer possible. My consolation? Life isn’t over for the believer in Jesus Christ. When we die, our new life, our eternal life, will begin. When I think of my regrets I remember that the redeemed will have eternity to fellowship with the Lord, and with one another. It will be a time of restoration of all things. And lest anyone think that it’s too late in their life to hope, remember the thief on the cross. Though all seemed lost, it was not, and there was hope even in his desperate situation when he repented and said “Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

What more could we ask for?

Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Luke 23:39-43 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Matthew 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

WHY BE SO NEGATIVE?

Good post at Sola Dei Gloria.

Read post here … WHY BE SO NEGATIVE?

THE GOSPEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The cross of Christ is foretold in Old Testament prophecy, and through types and shadows. The Old Testament Scriptures always looked forward. It was the Spirit of Christ who testified.

1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

The Gospel was preached to Abraham in the Old Testament.

Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Notice … Scripture says “all nations” and “all families.” This foretells Gospel times, but it is also very true that the Lord always embraced all who would embrace Him. It was not being Jewish by race that made someone a child of God, even in the Old Testament. It was always a matter of faith. Taking Scripture out of context, and taking the “all” out of the Old Testament is no doubt a very serious matter.  This is what Christian Zionists have done with Genesis 12:3, and it is a deadly mistake.

NO LIE IS OF THE TRUTH

Updated August 2020

1 John 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

What does it mean to love the truth?

One thing it means is that we are to be willing to follow truth regardless of where truth would lead us. Truth is often rejected because there is a price to pay for embracing certain truths, a price that many of us are unwilling to pay. Rather than say we are unwilling to pay the price, we sooth our souls by believing a lie. But this is a false peace, and it is the fruit of strong delusion.

Years ago the Lord put a bold Christian woman in my path. She witnessed to me, and told me it was Jesus, not Mary that I should be calling upon. She had been witnessing to me for some time, when she questioned me again about my beliefs. I told her I still didn’t understand why it was wrong to pray to Mary. We were at a bowling dinner that evening, and they had a raffle. My raffle ticket was one number off. Just one number from winning the prize. One number off gets you nothing.  When I began reading the Bible, I read 1Timonthy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” That was the verse that set me free from idolatry. Mary was primary in my “Roman Catholic mind.” It was Mary, not Jesus who I sought help from. One person off. A fatal mistake if I had continued seeking Mary. A fatal mistake if it had not been rectified in time.

Of course when I became born again I knew Mary could not help me. Mary was a human being. Mary was not Deity. Scripture forbids us to pray to a human being. Scripture forbids us to pray to the dead.

Jesus or Mary?

One number off gets you nothing.

One person off will damn your soul.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

The sin of idolatry is a soul damning sin.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Roman Catholicism does not teach the true Gospel, yet many pastors in today’s Evangelical church embrace Rome as brethren, and do not witness to the Roman Catholic. What a tragedy! In the past, when my husband and I have shared our testimony with pastors, for the most part our testimony has been rejected. We wanted pastors to teach their congregations the truth about Roman Catholicism, and encourage their congregants to learn how to witness to Roman Catholics. Unfortunately our pleas fell on deaf ears. If a pastor cannot understand something so Biblically simple, then they should not be a pastor. And those pastors who do understand and keep silent, for whatever reason, will have blood their hands.

Jeremiah Chapter 23

Yesterday, when I went to visit my father in the nursing home, I met a 92 year old woman in the visitors lounge. She said the lounge was her little place to go and pray the rosary. She said she feels so good when she does that, and so peaceful. Strong delusion. So here it is again, the Lord putting these people in front of us, and it just makes you want to weep. Where is the church? Do you think the Lord is not going to hold modern day leaders responsible for their silence. Serious issues are not taken to heart, but are instead treated as a light matter. Someone who is filled with God’s Holy Spirit will not pray to Mary. It’s that simple.

Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

1 John 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

We should not mix lies and truth … ever.

TRUE… SALVATION

FALSE … THE ROSARY

BOAST NOT THYSELF OF TOMORROW

Updated August 2020

Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

My mother, and a close friend of our family, both had babies when they were in their mid-forties. They gave birth approximately six months apart, and they both had boys. Our friend’s son became a Police officer, married, and then had the joy of becoming a parent. He, his wife, and their young daughter went on vacation. They were on a beach in sunny Florida when, coming out of the water, he said he didn’t feel well. Shortly thereafter, he had a massive heart attack and died.  He was only in his early forties. A tragedy. 

My husband’s cousin was sleeping when his friends called for him. They wanted him to go surfing with them. His mother told them he was sleeping, but he must have heard what was going on and said he would go. While he was surfing that day the surfboard hit him in the head, and he died. He was only nineteen years old.  A tragedy.

Acts 17:24-27 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Knowing how fragile life is, we should live every day as if it were our last. How precious the promise of eternal life becomes when we realize our life here can be snatched away in a moment. How wonderful to know that no one is excluded from the hope of the Gospel, that is unless they exclude themselves. No one is beyond hope, absolutely no one.

The older I get, the more I am affected by the sorrows of others. God’s word gives hope. Salvation and deliverance is available to everyone. It is available to the alcoholic and the drug addict. It is available to those who have experienced unspeakable sorrow.  It is available to the young, and to the old, and to those considered “beyond hope.”  It is available to all, and is needed by all. 

The Gospel song “God Saves Old Sinners” says it well …

The drunk on the street
The rich in their palaces
The poor and unlearned
And men of degree
They all have a soul
In need of salvation
And they all have to come
By Calvary

No matter where you may reside on this planet, if you are alive and breathing, there is hope in your future if you believe the good news of the Gospel. You don’t have to be in a certain building, or a certain location, because “he be not far from every one of us.”

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The finality of death has been so impressed upon me. There is no turning back once we have passed through the door of death. The horror of going through that door without Jesus Christ! Won’t you call upon the name of the Lord today, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, before it’s too late?

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

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Learn about … SALVATION