Category: Christianity

Good morning everyone!  That is a photo I took of the beautiful sunrise this morning.  My little girl is home sick today, so I will be taking care of her.  Prayers are appreciated!  It’s her tummy.  I hope her food didn’t get contaminated by wheat at school some how.  I’m so excited she is home though!  I already gave her cinnamon/sugar toast and some yogurt and she is feeling better, so she will be okay soon.  She is nice and cozy with her snowman fleece blanket emailing her friend at school.  She loves the movie “Leap!” about the little orphan girl who becomes a ballerina, so she will snuggle up and watch that soon too.  That is a funny movie by the way with a great message.  My sweets takes ballet at school and she loves dance and art.  I love you sweetheart!

Pike’s Peak is lookin’ good today!  Now you know why Katharine Lee Bates penned the words “purple mountain majesty” in her poem, which eventually became the patriotic song “America the Beautiful.”  She wrote that while standing atop the summit of Pike’s!  Cool history, look it up!

Okay, now for that bold word.  I wanted to share something this morning.  The last couple days I have been dealing with people who preach lies and they tell people they can lose their salvation in Christ.  They actually think you have to work your way into Heaven, which is not what the Bible teaches!  That makes me very sad and very mad.  I had to stop following one of the blogs.  I won’t name names.  The other person was a very legalistic Catholic who I’ve never met and he was sweating me about my post “You CANNOT Lose Your Salvation!”  I defended God’s Word, told him we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and I told him to stop worshiping Mary and saints because that is blasphemy and idolatry.  He never messaged back after that.  I know not all Catholics are legalistic like that.  Unfortunately many do pray to Mary and saints and that is completely against God’s Word.  If you do that, then turn from it and place your trust fully in Jesus.  Mary never died on a cross for your sins, and neither did any of his apostles (indeed some of the apostles were crucified, but not for your sins).  Quit praying to them and glorifying them above Jesus!

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:30

When you preach the truth boldly, you will draw heat from the enemy.  It’s when you are over the target that you draw the most flak!  I don’t tolerate false preachers, so if you challenge me, then be ready for me to stand up strong and defend God’s Word!  I am a nice guy, but not so nice that I’m going to let you walk on God’s Word and lie to people while you beat people over the head with Bible verses you don’t understand while you tell me that I am preaching a “cheap grace” Gospel!  Preaching the truth that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is not cheap grace!  It is blasphemy to say that and I rebuke it in the Name of Jesus!  Jesus Christ is the fullness of God’s mercy, grace, forgiveness, power, and love and there is nothing cheap about it!  It is truly sad when people live in spiritual fear.  God’s perfect love drives out fear and we can trust Him and take Him at His Word when He says we are saved through faith in Jesus!

“There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

1 John 4:18

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

John 3:16-18

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:1-2

We are not saved by works folks and Mary and “saints” can’t hear prayers.  Any good works we do after we accept Christ are done by the power of the Holy Spirit and God gets the glory!  There is only One mediator between God and men and that is Jesus!  I belong to Jesus Christ and I will stand up for Him and defend the Truth by the power of the Holy Spirit and I will not back down for anybody!  Glory to Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord or lords!  Jesus is Lord!

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.”

1 Timothy 2:5-6

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Galatians 2:20-21

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

There is nothing you could do to earn your salvation and thinking you can work your way into Heaven is the height of arrogance against God!  As Paul said, if we could be made righteous through obeying the law, then Christ died for nothing!  I don’t understand how someone who claims to follow Jesus doesn’t understand that!  As if God owes you something!  We are saved by grace and Christians who forget that foundational truth to our faith act just like legalistic Pharisees!  God doesn’t owe us anything!  It was our sin that put Jesus on the cross and we are saved by grace and I rebuke any false preacher who says otherwise!

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

Romans 11:35

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:22-24

Is that clear enough?  I don’t take God’s Word out of context.  I give you plenty of Scripture and plenty of context in all of my blog posts.  If you try to work your way to Heaven by doing a bunch of “good works,” you will fall short of God’s glory every time!  Our salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, and that is a free gift by the grace of God!  There are no points to be racked up.  God doesn’t owe you!  If you belong to Jesus Christ through your faith in Him, then you are saved and nothing can snatch you out of His hand!  Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can lose your salvation!  We are saved by grace, not by works and that is clear throughout the entire New Testament.  If you believe in Jesus, then take comfort that you belong to Him both now and forevermore and He will never leave you nor forsake you!

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

John 10:27-30

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:40

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

Check out what King David said about it:

“David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are they

whose transgressions are

forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man

whose sin the Lord will

never count against

him.”

Romans 4:6-8

I hope that is clear as day now.  I leave you with famous verses from the Apostle Paul who also struggled with sin (Romans 7) and declared that he was not perfect.  He put all of his faith in Jesus Christ for his salvation and Paul knew very well that there was nothing he could do to earn it!

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.  And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

Philippians 3:12-16

“What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!…”

Romans 7:24-25

I am praying for the people that are still living in fear believing and teaching that they can lose their salvation.  I pray God makes it very clear to them that they are only saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  There was a big thing called “The Reformation” that started on October 31, 1517 and we are still having that argument to this day.  I stand up for Jesus Christ and give Him glory for dying for us on that cross!  Thank You Jesus!  You deserve all the praise and glory and we deserve absolutely none!  Any good works we do now are done through You for Your glory!  There are no good works we could ever do to save ourselves Lord!  We will never be righteous enough on our own!  I know You finished it at the cross and I give you praise!  Amen, Lord Jesus, come Lord!

Grace and peace to you all!  Have a blessed day resting in the fullness of God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, power, and love!

P.S.

Here is that pretty doe that came through this morning.  God bless you all!  Jesus loves you so much more than you could ever imagine!

Those are the Northern Lights of Alaska.  My wife is from Alaska and she has seen those lights and heard them!  She said they make a swooshing sound in the sky!  That is miraculous and wonderful and Romans 1:20 says we are without excuse because through His creation we can clearly see His eternal power and divine nature!

Consider that for a moment.  All around you wherever you live there is evidence of God and it is clearly visible to you!  It is not hidden.  We can see God’s glory in His creation and we all know it!  Every human being on earth knows there is a God.  Even the atheists.  Everyone is without excuse because it is clear from what He has made that we have a Creator and He most definitely exists!

“The heavens declare the

glory of God;

the skies proclaim the

work of his hands.

Day after day they pour

forth speech;

night after night they

display knowledge.

There is no speech or

language

where their voice is not

heard.

Their voice goes out into

all the earth,

their words to the ends of

the world.”

Psalm 19:1-4

As the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands, let their voice draw you to God!  You can clearly see God created all things and you know deep in your soul that you are eternal.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

You know deep inside your soul that you will live on somewhere after you die.  It is clear in God’s creation that He exists.  It is also clear in God’s Word that He sent His Son to save us.  I pray you choose Heaven by placing your trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26

Pay attention to what God is saying to you through His creation.  All the beauty and wonder you see in the heavens above and the earth below are evidence of a God who loves you so much that He died for you!  If you do not know Jesus yet, please receive His love while you still have breath!

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

Jesus speaking in John 5:24

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

I wanted to take a moment and share a prayer for Pittsburgh that I tweeted out a few days ago on Saturday October 27, 2018.  The evil that took place against our Jewish brothers and sisters on Saturday at the Tree of Life Synagogue was an act of the devil.  We all know this.  This is the spiritual war Paul talked about in Ephesians 6:12 and there are real casualties and real lives are shattered in the process.  I want you to know that God can heal any wound and He can turn any tragedy on earth around for good.  These crimes are unimaginable and they are happening with more frequency as the end approaches, but we need to remain strong in the Lord and trust that He is sovereign over all things.  We need to turn to Him and press deep into His loving embrace.  May the comfort of the Lord be with God’s people!

Please pray in agreement with me for the Tree of Life Jewish community, the City of Pittsburgh, and the world.  So far, 68 people have “liked” this prayer on Twitter and 20 have retweeted it.  Where two or more are gathered in His Name (Matthew 18:20), there He is among us, so how powerful is it when we pray together worldwide in great numbers?  Very powerful…and effective!  Let us lift our voices as one people in Christ as we approach God with freedom and confidence and ask Him for this!

 

Our hearts and souls are with all the families of Tree of Life Synagogue.

God be with you both now and forevermore.  Grace and peace to all of you.

 

 

 

That is one simple and powerful truth that we should remember every day!  We have a Creator who made this day and He loves us!  Rejoice and be glad!  There is a God in Heaven who loves you and He sent His Son Jesus to save you!  Hallelujah!!!

I quoted that verse in Psalms to my wife and kids this morning as I prayed over them and blessed them in the Lord.  My kids said, “that would make a great post,” and I agree!  It is always great to send out God’s Word, so here you go kiddos!  I love you with all my heart and don’t ever forget that God loves you so much more than you could ever imagine!

Remember who holds this day in His hands today.  Remember who holds every day.  Our God is the Creator of the heavens and earth and He already knows everything that will happen in this day!  He knows every heart on earth–think about that!  Incredible!

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Jesus speaking in Matthew 10:30-31

Whatever you have going on in your life right now, lay it down to the Lord.  Take a knee if you have to and let it all out!  That’s what I do!  Give Him your heart today!  He already knows exactly what you need and He wants to lift you up!

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7

If you do not know Jesus, today is an excellent day to come to Him!  Today is the day of salvation!  Run into His loving arms!  He is waiting for you with open arms to shower you with His love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness!  There is no need to be afraid!

“As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.  For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

2 Corinthians 6:1-2

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Jesus speaking in John 17:3

“There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear…”

1 John 4:18

Yes, this is the day the Lord has made, so rejoice and be glad in it!  You have another day of grace, another day of life, and another day to receive God’s love and forgiveness, so rejoice and be glad!  There is great hope in Jesus!

“Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Don’t lose heart brothers and sisters!  The King is on His throne and He is in complete control of this day and every day.  Thank You Jesus for loving us so much!  Thank You for your grace, mercy, and forgiveness!  Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us Lord and spread Holy revival throughout the whole world!  This is the day that You have made, empower us to rejoice and be glad in it as we wait for You!  Amen!

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Be strong!  Be encouraged!  Rejoice and be glad!

Grace and peace to you all!

Hello everyone!  Please read that verse in Romans very carefully and take in the full peace and security of that truth!  I am fired up in the Holy Spirit tonight and I want to make something very clear.  I have seen a disturbing trend throughout my 22 year walk with Jesus of Christians who preach the false doctrine that a person can lose their salvation in Jesus Christ.  Let me get straight to the point here–YOU CANNOT LOSE YOUR SALVATION IN JESUS CHRIST!  Once you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and your salvation is guaranteed!  That’s right, I said guaranteed!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:13-14

It is all about what God did for us, not what you can do for God!  There is nothing we could ever do for God to save ourselves!  Sometimes as we walk with Christ we can forget that.  We need to remember it was our sin that put Jesus on that cross and we only have eternal life through Him!  Our salvation was bought and paid for in the Blood of Christ!  Please remember that!

Now, that does not mean that a person can just go off and keep living a sinful life after accepting Christ.  No!  Do not trample on God’s grace.  If you keep on in your sins after receiving the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus, then of course there will be discipline and consequences, but you still belong to Him and you are saved!  Nothing can snatch you out of His hand and our salvation is a free gift from God that we could never earn!

“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Hebrews 12:4-6

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”

Galatians 6:7

“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:10-11

So, if you keep living a sinful life after you have accepted Christ, the Lord will love you and help you by disciplining you, including rebuking and punishment, so that He can produce a harvest of righteousness and peace in your life.  You are still saved, but there will be consequences and discipline that will be painful.  Believers take heart though!  That means He loves you and He will never leave you!  Your salvation is secure the very moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ!  My Pastor always said, “Jesus accepts you as you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.”  Jesus will empower you in the Holy Spirit to live a righteous life and He will never leave you nor forsake you!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus speaking in John 14:1-4

We all struggle with sin sometimes and we are not perfect.  We can fall and mess up, but His grace is sufficient and He will discipline us and pick us back up.  Remember the Apostle Paul’s struggle (Romans 7:7-25)?  God still loves us and we are still His adopted children in Christ!  He will never leave us nor forsake us and don’t let anybody ever try to tell you otherwise!

“What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!..”

Romans 7:24-25

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:1-2

“…because God has said,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39

If the Apostle Paul struggled with sin, who are we to think we won’t?  Paul was powerful in the Holy Spirit, but he was human like the rest of us and he pressed on always striving for holiness and perfection!  When we fall, we need to immediately repent and turn from it.  Do not engage in it!  Run from it!  He will forgive, encourage, and strengthen you!  The farther down a dark path we go, the harder the discipline and consequences are going to be.  Believe me, I have been disciplined by the Lord plenty of times in my 22 year walk with Him and it has definitely trained me and produced a harvest of righteousness and peace in my life!  I am not perfect brothers and sisters, but I strive every day in the power of the Holy Spirit and I rest fully in His grace knowing my salvation is fully secure by faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

I ask Christians who think you can lose your salvation, why did Jesus have to die for us?  Is there something you can do on your own to save yourself?  Is there something you could have done before accepting Christ or after to save yourself?  No, you were saved by grace like everybody else who accepted Jesus Christ by faith.  All of your good works are dirty rags to the Lord and they will never save you!  Quit beating people over the head with fear mongering based on your misunderstandings of Scripture.

I want to make it clear that I do not stand with anyone who preaches that a believer in Jesus Christ can lose their salvation.  That is not a teaching found in the Bible and you will never hear that from my mouth or in my writings.  The Bible makes it clear that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

Here is the verse that fear preachers usually use to scare people:

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Philippians 2:12-13

You notice Paul didn’t say continue to “work for” your salvation.  The words fear and trembling in the Greek translate reverence and awe.  The phrase “work out” in Greek translates to strive.  He is saying to strive to live out your faith with reverence and awe of God.  He is not saying you can lose your salvation!  Paul makes it clear it is God who works in us by His will and actions according to His good purpose, not us.  We don’t save ourselves and any good works we do are done through Him by the power of the Holy Spirit that we received when we first believed in Jesus.  That Holy Spirit sealed us in Jesus Christ and that is a free gift deposited in us by God that guarantees our inheritance in Heaven!  Thank You Jesus!

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

John 10:27-30

I point you to Jesus Christ regarding the salvation He offers every person on earth.  Those are His words.  If any believer wants to argue with Jesus, I don’t recommend it, but okay, you are going to lose that argument every time for all eternity.  Are you greater than Jesus and God the Father?  I pray the Lord comforts and encourages the hearts of any believer who has been under a false teaching of fear.  Jesus Christ finished it at the cross and you are a fully redeemed child of God and nothing is going to change that!

Grace and peace to you all!

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:30

 

 

 

That is a very famous verse from the book of 1 John and it is very sobering.  Everything in this world is going to pass away, including us.  In light of that truth and reality that we face daily here in the valley of the shadow of death, it is crucial that we know what the “will of God” is, so we can live forever.  I have good news!  Jesus gave us that answer and His answer is a gift that He freely offers to everyone in the whole world!

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.  But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:35-40

The will of God is that everyone believes in Jesus Christ, so that we can live in Heaven with Him forever!  That is beautiful!  Yes, there will be a time when we all pass away along with this world and its desires, but if you believe in Jesus, then your salvation is secure and He will raise you up to the eternal life that awaits you!  That is exciting good news folks!  Believe in Jesus and live!  That promise is for everyone in the whole world no matter what color, culture, or country you are from!  The will of God is that you receive eternal life by believing in His Son Jesus who died for you!

Now you know what the will of God truly is.  That is God’s heart for you!  He is your Creator and He does not want you to perish!  Through faith in Jesus Christ you no longer need to fear death for it has no hold on you any longer!

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil–and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Hebrews 2:14-15

“He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

1 John 3:8

There is no longer any need to fear death!  Jesus defeated our greatest enemy the devil!  Do not be a slave to the fear of death.  Let Jesus set you free!

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

This gift of salvation is given freely to you by God and there is nothing you could do to work for it!  No amount of good works will ever save you!  You must turn from your sins and believe in Jesus!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:22-24

You will receive the Holy Spirit of God upon believing in Jesus, which seals your salvation in Christ and gives you Holy power for living a righteous life that pleases God!

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 2:38-39

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:13-14

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

-Jesus speaking before He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:8)

We will all pass away someday just like this world and all of its desires, but that does not have to be the end!  Jesus is calling out to you!  Jesus is reaching out to you!  Take His hand and live!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Jesus speaking in Matthew 11:28-30

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:1

“Behold, I am coming soon!  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”

Jesus speaking in Revelation 22:7

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I’m done with the dishes and everything is in its place for a new week.  It has been a great weekend of rest and time well spent with my wife and kids.  I wanted to share our beautiful little Spanish style cross that hangs above our kitchen sink.  My wife’s ancestors are from Barcelona, Spain (as recent as Great Grandpa).  I also grew up here in Colorado with a Mother who loves Southwestern art, so I love it.  Colorado history is cool and there is a lot of Spanish flavor here in the Rocky Mountain West!  It is fitting for our home, and it is a beautiful reminder to keep our eyes on the Lord.  Jesus Christ is Lord and He rules our home.  Not me.  I am not the king and this is not my castle.  Jesus is The King and He has all authority here!  He is the center of our family’s love, hope, and joy and I pray every day that our hearts would be centered on Him!

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:2-3

As we get ready to start a new week, I pray we fix our eyes on Jesus as He leads us in the good plans He has for us.  I appreciate all of you and I want to thank you all for your encouragement and support!  You are all brave for opening up your hearts and sharing your souls with others.  I look forward to reading your blogs this week and I love chatting with you all!  May the Lord bless, anoint, and protect each one of us in the power of the Holy Spirit and may our hearts be fully centered on Jesus!  Amen!

It’s going to be a great week in Christ!

No matter what may come our way, He will see us through!  Buenas Noches amigos!

 

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

Hello Everyone!  God bless you all!  I love that verse and I pray it is an encouragement to you all!  Jesus Christ can and will make you brand new!  If you are in Christ, then you are brand new, free and forgiven, and nothing can snatch you out of His hand!  Your old life is gone, dead and buried, see ya later!  Amen!   Thank You Jesus!

I hope you are enjoying a restful and peaceful Sunday.  That is what we are doing here at the Callahan home!  I love spending time with my family!  It is a beautiful day here in Colorado today!  70 degrees with perfect sun filled blue skies!  The kids have been riding their bikes and we praise the Lord for the sunshine!  I was chillin’ on the deck this morning and took that photo.  There is a little cozy nook in the corner where I like to sit on my fold up camping chair.  As the afternoon sun blazes down, the deck becomes like a sauna.  Even in the winter it can get really hot out there!  That is the view looking east.  The Rockies are out west just around the corner to the right.  Remember to take time to rest today friends.  We all need it!  Be at peace and let the Lord comfort and renew you with His love!

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

2 Corinthians 4:6-7

He is the Potter and we are the clay!  All glory to God in the Name of Jesus!!!  May He pour out His Holy Spirit on you all!   Amen!

Grace and peace to you all!

Here is an awesome song called “Tell The World” by Lecrae!  Listen to the preaching in this song, it’s beautiful!  I pray we tell the world about Jesus everywhere we go!  Go all out for Jesus brothers and sisters with all your heart!  Love you all!  We are brand new!

“Your love is so unconditional I get butterflies in my stomach.”

-Lecrae

 

Good morning everyone!  I have been up since 4 something in the morning and I am excited to write about what the Lord has shown me today!  It’s about Jesus ascending into Heaven, the day the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven in Holy wind and fire, how the Spirit spoke through Peter in power immediately afterwards, and how the church first began in that Holy Spirit power!  Hallelujah!

After Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, He appeared to His followers for forty days before He ascended into Heaven.  He spent time with them, ate with them, and taught them about the Kingdom of Heaven.  Just before it was His time to ascend into Heaven and sit at the right hand of the Father, Jesus reminded the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He spoke to them of this promise many times before He was crucified, perhaps the most famous is when Jesus spoke about streams of living water.

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.  Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

John 7:37-39

When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you receive the Holy Spirit of God inside of you!  That is not a metaphor or analogy!  God’s Holy Spirit literally resides within you!  So, let’s take a look at what happened after Jesus was glorified!

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.  After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.  He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.  On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:1-11

How awesome is that!  Jesus hangs out with them for forty days after raising from the dead, He reminds them of the promised Holy Spirit and encourages them regarding the power they are about to receive, He ascends into Heaven, then two angels show up to remind them He will be coming back someday!  33 A.D. was an amazing time to be alive!  How blessed those men were!  Praise the Lord!

This was a dangerous and scary time for the believers.  The Jews and Romans had just crucified Jesus a little over a month earlier.  Christians were being persecuted and staying in Jerusalem was not safe, but they obeyed Jesus and bravely waited for the gift.  This is what happened just a few days after Jesus ascended into Heaven, just like He had promised.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

Acts 2:1-4

What an incredible gift from God!  I can testify that the Holy Spirit still sounds like a mighty wind at times!  Take a look at my post titled “My Lazarus Moment” to find out why!

As you can imagine, this caused quite a commotion and it drew the attention of many people outside.  In fact, it caused such a stir that a crowd forms and Peter begins to preach to them in his newly received power from the Holy Spirit!  It’s funny how he has to set some of them straight.

“Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.  When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.  Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Acts 2:5-13

Isn’t it just like human beings to mock such an amazing event!  These men are speaking a great variety of languages, which there is no way they could have spoken without God’s power, but still there are people who scoff at God’s wonders!

Peter’s first sermon in the power of the Holy Spirit is given to the crowd who heard the sound of the Holy Spirit coming down from Heaven!  Here is how he addresses the crowd (it’s funny when he reminds them what time it is).

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:

“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.  These men are not drunk, as you suppose.  It’s only nine in the morning!  No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

” ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.  I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.  And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.  This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.  But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Acts 2:14-24

Those are powerful words!  He tells them straight to their faces that they killed the Son of God!  Peter continues by explaining that King David had prophesied about the Messiah and Jesus fulfilled it.  Jesus came through the lineage of Abraham and King David (Matthew 1:1-17)!

“David said about him:

” ‘I saw the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried and his tomb is here to this day.  But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.  Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.  God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.  Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.  For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

” ‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ‘

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Acts 2:25-36

What a powerful sermon!  Peter goes step by step through Old Testament prophecy and clearly explains to them that Jesus is their Messiah!  Peter was preaching in the wisdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit!  Just like Jesus promised, he had received power when the Holy Spirit came on him!  What was the reaction of the crowd to such life changing news?

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Acts 2:37

Great question, and that brings us back to the Scripture pin!  The answer Peter gives still holds power for our time just like it did in their time!  It is also how the church began in the power of the Holy Spirit–check it out!  Here is that pin again:

Did you hear that?!  When you repent (which in Greek is metanoia, which literally means to change your mind) of going your own way and choose to turn to God by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior by faith, your sins are forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!  Yes, the same Holy Spirit that came down from Heaven in a mighty wind and fire on Pentecost!  That eternal promise is for you and your children and for everyone in the whole world!  The Holy Spirit is given freely to all who believe in Jesus Christ!

What was the result of this powerful Holy Spirit filled sermon that came through Peter?  Let’s find out!

“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”  Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

Acts 2:40-41

3,000 people getting saved in one day from one sermon is the power of the Holy Spirit folks!  Praise God!  And what did this new on fire church in the power of the Holy Spirit look like?

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Acts 2:42-47

That my friends is the historical account of the Holy Spirit coming down from Heaven to earth!  What a beautiful picture of Holy Spirit power and anointed fellowship among believers!  Amen!  May our churches glorify God in the same way!  I highly recommend reading the entire book of Acts to learn of all the wonders and miracles the Apostles were able to do in the power of the Holy Spirit!

If you do not know the Lord Jesus yet, I plead with you as Peter did, save yourselves from this corrupt generation!  Our generation is just as corrupt and sinful as theirs was and we need a Savior just like they did!  Receive the free gift of salvation that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ and receive the free gift of the Holy Spirit!  Streams of living water will flow from within you just as Jesus promised!

Here is a look at what kind of power you will receive when the Holy Spirit comes upon you just like Jesus said!

That is real power for living righteous lives folks!  It’s like having super powers, but it’s even better because it is literally God’s Holy Spirit living inside of us!  The Holy Spirit actually seals us in Christ and it is God’s deposit in us that guarantees our inheritance in Heaven!

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:13-14

Do you want to be set free from sin and death?  The promises of forgiveness of sins, salvation, and Holy Spirit power through Jesus Christ are still being offered to you today!  I pray with all my heart that you receive that great truth today!

Grace and peace to you all in the Powerful Name of Jesus!  He is faithful to His promises and He will come back someday just as He did when He ascended into Heaven!

Thank You Jesus!