Have You Been Born-Again?

Jesus told us in John 3:3 that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus went on to explain the difference between being born of the flesh, and becoming born of the Spirit. Except a man is born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus makes the distinction between the fleshly birth of water to the spiritual birth of the Spirit. That concept is supported in John 6:63, whereby Jesus tells us that it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.

Being a Christian is not simply because your parents were one, or you walk into a church building, or do as other religions (Bud-hind-lums), where if you want to join them they tell you to see their priest or leader and he will write your name on a piece of paper. Christianity is a covenant with God (as Abraham made in the OT), this is a New Covenant with God through Jesus. Thus, when you invite Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior, you are in essence, making a covenant with Him.

Many say they have tried Christianity, but found it was not as they supposed. For that reason, they wind up making a covenant to bash Christianity as much as they can. All this came about because they did not keep their end of the covenant and now they place the blame upon God. What was the real reason that Christianity did not turn out as they supposed? It was simply because they made a one-sided covenant. A one-sided covenant never works. Isn't that like what some couples do when they get married - where they secretly say, "if I don't like her (or him) later, I will just divorce."

So how do we know the "Born-again" experience is real? There are no rituals or signing-up involved. Everything is done by faith and a free-will. When an individual makes a covenant relationship with God to make Jesus their Lord and Savior, that individual becomes born-again and the Spirit of God takes up residence in that person's heart. You have heard that the proof is in the puddin; in this case, the proof is in the heart. What better proof could one ask for? Do it now and prove it for yourself and ask Jesus into YOUR heart.

What Did Jesus Say About Marriage?

Never in the history of mankind has marriage been outside the realm of one man and one woman. The issue of marriage was already settled in the Old Testament account of Creation. This issue never ensued as a topic in the Gospels and therefore Jesus never address the marriage issue as being challenged today. However, Jesus did verified in the New Testament what God stated in the Old Testament. The following passage contains all the information necessary to clarify and verify how God stands on this issue.

Genesis 1:27-28 reveals how God created man in His own image, male and female He created them and told them to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth.

Genesis 2:24 expounds how God made the woman from Adam's rib and records how God joined them in the marriage ceremony,  "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Jesus reinforces the Genesis 2:24 account with clarification in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6 by stating that "from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female, and for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh: so then they are no more two, but one flesh." Without this structure for marriage they could not obey God's command to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth.

There can be no misinterpretation of the design God proposed for marriage from the beginning seeing that particular stance was never changed in any other place in the Bible. However, as with many laws of God, man chooses to change them to fit his own agenda even if it means denying God Word.

Within all this we can find that the Christian is manifested in contrast to the world. Jesus made the remark that if they hated Me, they will hate you also and He further declared  that the elect shall not be deceived by those things of which man attempts by twisting the Word of God around to fit his own purpose and lusts. 1 John 3:9-10 expounds: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin (transgression of the law - verse 4); and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

One side note to all this is that the Bible (1 Timothy 4:3) also predicts in the latter times they will forbid to marry. As things stand today, we see hints of doing away with marriage altogether. Along with that possiblity also comes the probability of those views spilling over into polygamy, child marriage and other deviant practices. Jesus told us of a time that would exceed the wickedness of Noah's day. Could those days be rapidly approaching?

In conclusion, Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that: "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Once we realize who is behind the wickedness of this world, we can understand that God knows we are but flesh. We all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God. And while you have heard it said that God hates the sin, but loves the sinner, the Bible verifies that statement with a Scripture in Romans, "that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" and through Him is eternal life obtained. Jesus does not condemn us, but as He said when on the cross, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." God loves us and forgives us, but we must be willing to accept that forgiveness and the salvation provided through His Son Jesus. Invite Him into you life to become your Lord and Savior today. Only when we do our part, will God do His part. He will not override your free-will.

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What Should it Profit a Man?

 A virtue so central to Christianity's core values is enclosed within (1 Corinthians 13).

• 1 Cor. 13:1) "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become  as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
• 1 Cor. 13:2) "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."
• 1 Cor. 13:3) "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

Before the Lord ascended into heaven, He left us with the Great Commission to go forth and teach all nations about the mighty salvation, which He has provided for the world. An important truth emerges within verses 1-3 above regarding how to approach evangelizing.

(Verse 1) signifies that no matter how faithful our witness appears or how gracious our words may sound, if we have self-gratifying purposes without a motive out of pure love - the words we speak are merely as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

(Verse 2) - If we have the gift of prophecy so we know the beginning to the end and understand every mystery God has kept from us these many years, and understand everything in the Bible from cover to cover, and faith to move every mountain we encounter, everything is meaningless if we do not have love.

(Verse 3) - If we give to charity or to the poor $50, $1000, $10,000, or every ounce of our possessions; it profits us nothing if not given out of love.

The Bible declares that men will become more wicked and vile in these last days, and the love of many will wax cold. However, a Christian is not of the world and Jesus is the lesson we learn in these three verses. He set the example for us to follow. Everything He did was out of love and fully forgiving what we have done in our lives, by dying in our place and paying our penalty. If we are to bear any fruit by carrying out the Great Commission as He commanded, love must be our foremost concern. Without love, even for our enemies, we are become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. As noted in the very last verse in 1 Corinthians 13 - "Now abideth these: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love." 1 Peter 4:8 reports that "Love covers a multitude of sins." Make it first and foremost in your witness endeavors and, may God bless your efforts.

God Never Called His Trinity A Mystery

The concept of the Trinity has baffled mankind for centuries. One reason it confused people was because its concept differed from the norm. While it seems we can easily envision God creating a man from dust, the same is not true when we attempt to envision Him making a Man from some other element. The truest test for proving Godly things is by comparing them with biblical truths. The Bible never recorded God stating He would never make a man from a different substance than from the dust of the ground. Therefore, since Jesus stated He came down from heaven, He could not have been made from the dust of the ground as is mortal man. His originality had to come from a heavenly substance.

A Bible verse that seems insignificant in its context at first until you reread it is Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belongs unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever." The question to ask here is, "Why do secret things exist, which belong solely to God?" The reason is, because they are not found in the Bible. If something is not written in the Bible, only God knows. This reality comes to light when we reason why Jesus (even though He is God) does not know the day or hour of His coming back to earth. The Bible does not record the day or hour of this event. Now that God has revealed to us the substance He used as the seed of the Holy Ghost that was implanted directly into the womb of the Virgin Mary, this verse makes much more sense.
(See: "The Mystery of the Trinity Revealed"  )

That principle also applies to the second half of Deuteronomy 29:29, which states that the revealed things belong to us and our children forever. Many Scriptures declare our inability to know the things of God unless He reveals them to us, and He reveals to us through His Spirit dwelling in the heart of the believer. God never said His Trinity was a mystery--man did. The Trinity is found everywhere in the Bible, even in the Old Testament. However, God chose not to reveal His Trinity to us until these last days. Since the Trinity is recorded throughout the Bible, it had to be revealed as His Word declares.

Why is there so much backlash against the Trinity? The simple answer is Satan. Satan initiated the need for the Trinity in the Garden of Eden. The Bible also declares Satan entered into the heart of Judas when he betrayed Jesus. The Book of Revelation depicts Satan doing his evil work of deceiving people in the end times. Click here to see how Satan does his evil.

Is the road getting rough to travel? -- Have you decided to throw in the towel?

President's day is viewed by some as just another day off. Although gone for now, that day will come around again next year. Still, it is fitting that we set aside a day to honor a handful of 45 men. These 45 special men were selected and elected by a process and privilege, which we in the United States enjoy. That process says, we want this one man (or woman) to represent us as a nation. One individual with power and authority to lead and guide our country in many areas of decisions.

Over the years, we have been blessed with godly men who took charge to keep this nation strong and free. Presidents who were not afraid to call upon God for guidance and wisdom, and to use that wisdom even when it went against the grain of opposition. When I think of these men who took charge of this nation, one such man comes into mind more than any other.

A man whose odds of becoming president were so great, you wonder why he even kept trying. He was born into a very poor family. At 7 years of age, his family was forced out of their home and this boy had to work to support them. At age 9, this shy backwards boy's mother died. At age 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to attend law school, but his education simply was not good enough. At age 23, he went into debt to be a partner in a store, but 3 years later, his partner died leaving him with a huge debt. At age 28, a 4-year romantic relationship with a young lady ended when she turned down his marriage proposal. Still, an earlier courtship ended in heartache with her death. At age 37, after a third try, he finally became elected to congress, but 2 years later failed to win reelection. At the same time, it was observed that he had what many today would call a nervous breakdown. At age 41, adding to the heartaches of an already unhappy marriage, his 4 year old son died. At age 42, he was rejected for land officer. At age 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. At age 47, He was defeated for Vice Presidential nominee. At age 49, he again ran for the Senate and lost.

Can you imagine how he was probably criticized, misunderstood, had periods of depression, and snubbed by his colleagues - certainly he was not the envy of his peers. Nevertheless, in spite of all his heartaches and setbacks, he did not let it deter him. He kept going forward, not looking back. Thankfully, he did not give up, because at age 51, he was elected to the highest office of President of the United States.

You have probably guessed who this man was. Defeated repeatedly by personal, business and political failures, yet he never gave up. Born in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809, next year marks the 200th anniversary of his birth. Shot in the head by an assassin's bullet on Good Friday, he died the next day on April 15, 1865.

Abraham Lincoln, who became perhaps the most revered of all Presidents, never gave up when circumstances were against him. He kept his focus on the good until he won the prize. There is a prize awaiting you too. Paul the Apostle declared in the Epistle of Philippians - His desire is to know Jesus and counted all things as dung that he might win Christ. "Forgetting those things, which are behind, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Just as Abraham Lincoln did not give up at 7 years old, 9 years old, 22, 23, 28, 37, 41, 42, 47, 49 years old amidst failures and heartaches and attained the prize of President; and, as Paul pressed on until he reached his mark of his high calling; we too must set our sights toward and endeavor to persevere in our quest of reaching the highest office that anyone could ever reach - not as President of the United States, but as kings and priest in the house of our God in Christ Jesus forever.

Would a Loving God Really Send Anyone To Hell?

The question goes something like this, "Would a loving God really send anyone to hell? This is how the argument is verbalized to dispel the fact that God made hell for those who sin. While this doctrine is ever growing, even some outstanding Christian pastors have jumped on the bandwagon. However, no matter the status of the one spewing the dispute, a Christian must not go by what they say or hear say, but totally by the Word of God. That indeed is the only standard to abide by when confronted with things of the unknown.

In today's society, many believe hell does not exist or is hell here on earth. Another thought injects the suggestion that death is simply the grave without any consequences for this life's actions -- condensed into total annihilation when we die. Yes, and the list gets even longer as time passes. To understand why people believe these things, you need to read "my interview with Satan" on this blog site.

From a biblical perspective, not one of these views line up. Let's answer these one by one. Why would a loving God send anyone to hell? This question might best be worded as: "Why do I want to send myself to hell?" We are all accountable for our own actions. God gave each of us a free-will to make choices. Whatever choices you have made did not come from God. Each of us are responsible for our individual actions in life.

God did everything He could do to set us free from the wages of sin. He died in our place so we would not have to pay the price ourselves. Does that sound like a God who does not love us? We must quit blaming a loving God for what we do. If we reject God's way of salvation, we are saying, I want to pay the price for my sins myself and I want to live an eternity with Satan and not with God.

In the Book of Revelation 20:14, it declares that death and hell shall stand before God to be judged according to their works, after which both death and hell are sent into the lake of fire. Meanwhile, a previous verse 20:10 describes the lake of fire as the place where the beast and the false prophet are sent to be tormented day and night forever and ever.

So, the question is: Why does God (in verse Revelation 20:14) judge those in hell according to their works if they will only be dead or annihilated?  Doesn't it seem counter to reason, if one person did a lot of works during his life and another person did nothing, that they both should get the same reward if death simply means annihilation. Would not a better summation be that each are judge by their works, meaning that there are various stages of punishment, and each receives their punishment as each one deserves according to what works they did while on earth.

Will hell cease to exist if we refrain from talking about it? Should we take our chances simply on the premise that we heard someone say there is no hell? On the other hand, is there a reason for not believing the Bible, which teaches repeatedly of a literal hell? I am sure you have checked out every avenue before you made your decision. The Bible says God is faithful and wishes no one to perish, so how can we blame God for our rejecting Jesus?

The key to being sure you make the right decision, comes from what Jesus told us. He said: "He who comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out." If you have not come to Him, or thought you did at one time, I urge you to do it again to be sure. God only accepts a willing vessel. That is why many do not receive the love He offers. God searches the heart for sincerity. Do not give up on God. He loves you and sent His Son Jesus who died to show you of His love.  https://doveandword.com