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believe

Mar 22 2017
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As The Days Of Noah

By | Articles

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

 

Jesus gave us a huge glimpse of what the last of the last days would be like, by telling us they will be like the days of Noah. All we need to do is go back to the book of Genesis and read about it for ourselves. I want to share eight points with you of some of the similarities that can be found between Noah’s generation and ours.

 

  1. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). Do we not live in the age of grace? We are a people that found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We are the body of Christ. Jesus, our Lord, is full of grace and truth. Acts chapter four says that great grace was upon all the believers. This is what we preach, “The gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
  2. Life will go on as usual. Jesus said there will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the coming of the Lord. I know our world seems to be falling apart. America seems to be heading for disaster. I can sometimes picture the whole world living in terror and poverty, yet to paraphrase what Jesus said, things are going to be like they have been all along. I suppose there will be regions in this world that will suffer worse than others, but for the most part there will be the ongoing of life as usual for many.
  3. Noah knew the flood was coming but the wicked did not. “But ye brethren are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief” (I Thessalonians 5:5). We are children of light, and if we walk in that light, we will have a strong sense in our spirit as the day of the Lord approaches. I think it is the consensus of many Christians today that we are in the last of the last days. Noah was building a ship and every timber he put in place spoke to his generation that judgment was coming, but no one but his family heeded the warning. Saints, do not be surprised if this world will not see the signs of Christ’s return.
  4. Noah had a call. In the midst of such great wickedness, there came a call from God to Noah to prepare for the coming calamity. There came a call to warn his generation to flee from the coming wrath. Church, I believe the call is intensifying every day that we need to put away all that distracts us and preach to our society the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the midst of all the chaos, if you listen, you will hear His voice speaking to you. It’s a voice that does not fit in with this world.
  5. Noah was part of a great minority. There was Noah and his family and then there was the rest of the world. Today, it is the church of Jesus Christ and then the rest of the world. Noah was an outcast in his generation. You could say that he was kind of a strange man, consumed with preaching righteousness and building a huge ship which had absolutely no value to anyone’s eyes except Noah and his family. The church today must be a peculiar people consumed with our Lord Jesus. This minority, you and I belong to, is hated by this world and no government will be passing any laws that demand we be respected and given special rights.
  6. Building the ark was an act of faith. Saints, let this sink in. Noah was building the very thing that would save him. You could say he was working on his salvation with fear and trembling. I am not denying that we are saved by grace and not of works. Salvation is a free gift but Ephesians 2:8 also says we are saved “through faith.” Through means in one side and out the other. For Noah that meant putting the first timber in place and working on that ark until the last bit of pitch was pressed into the joints. For you and me, it means being determined to make it all the way to the end of this path we are walking.
  7. Noah built the ark in the presence of a sin gripped world. One of the signs of the last days is that iniquity shall abound. Babies today are murdered before they ever get out of the womb, not just here in America but all over this world. Sexual sin of every kind is being encouraged and promoted in our generation. Noah built the ark in a time when “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Yet he built the ark to completion. He built something the world never understood. They couldn’t shut him down. Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. Saints, we may be amidst a wicked people but we cannot be shut down. Christ’s church will prevail. She must be a testimony in this generation.
  8. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. According to Peter’s second epistle, Noah was a preacher of righteousness. The word righteousness means equity. Equity means impartiality and fairness. By this definition, Noah didn’t necessarily go around telling everyone how sinful they were. Although I do believe man needs to know he is a lost sinner before he can get saved. What Noah was preaching is the same thing we preach today. He was preaching grace. He was telling his generation that judgment was coming, but they could escape. Come and help build the ark. Whosoever will, come on the ark and be saved from the coming judgment. This must be our cry. We are in the age of grace. God is not impartial. Let us call to all around us and say flee from the wrath to come.

 

One final thought about Noah and the ark. When Jesus walked this earth, there was one concern He had “…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Jesus didn’t ask if there would be holiness or righteousness or love; He asked if there would be faith. Of course, all these things are wrapped up in faith. When God looked down on men in Noah’s generation to see if He could find faith, He saw a huge ship with no large body of water around. Every time God saw that ark, it was a testimony of Noah’s faith. That ark shouted up to heaven, I BELIEVE IN YOU GOD, I OBEY YOU OH GOD, I LOVE YOU LORD. When Jesus comes will your life be a testimony and a monument of faith that declares I BELIEVE IN YOU GOD?

Jan 30 2017
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Eyesalve: Believe What You Sing

By | Eyesalve

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea… Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.” Exodus 15:1,17

 

Most of those men who sang this song unto the Lord never made it out of the wilderness because of their hard hearts. Though they sang that the Lord would plant them all in the mountain of the Lord, a place He has made for them to dwell, they never believed it. It is one thing to sing songs to the Lord, it is another to believe what you are singing.

Apr 12 2016
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Eyesalve: The Blood of Men

By | Eyesalve

“Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Acts 20:26-27

 

Paul was pure from the blood of all men. The main reason is that he preached the whole counsel of God. The ear tickling preachers of our day, who preach what the people want to hear, are not be able to say that they are pure from the blood of men. To bring this to a more personal level, do you believe and live the whole counsel of God. Do you believe the whole bible? Do you believe it is all for today? You may believe a good portion of it, but that is not sufficient, you must believe, live and preach the WHOLE counsel of God.

Mar 23 2016
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Eyesalve: What’s Recorded is Sufficient

By | Eyesalve

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Jn. 20:30-31

 

More was heard, seen and done than was recorded. What was recorded is sufficient. If you needed more recorded, God would have had it recorded. With this you must be satisfied. After all, if there were more Gospels and Epistles in our bible it would just be more reading that wouldn’t get done, more things to believe that many would have a hard time believing and it would be more confirmation to obey those things which many refuse to obey. Thank you God for the exact length, words and details of Your word that You have had recorded for us.

Mar 10 2016
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You Must Be Born Again

By | Articles

 

The most deceived people on the face of the earth

are those who think they are saved, but are not.

 

There is a huge difference between people who believe they are born

again because someone told them they were and those who know

they are born again because they experienced the new birth.

 

A person who is lost in their sin and knows it, has a much higher percentage of getting saved than the person who thinks they are saved, but has never been born again. A person who gets comfortable in their religion or their status in the church would have no reason to call on the Lord to save them. They think that everything is just fine. It is the person who is drowning who calls for the lifeguard. Even more difficult is for a minister who is not born again to get saved. The ministers that have committed their life to serve the Lord in the ministry would be the least likely to ever ask themselves if they have ever really been born again. Besides that, who would ever confront a minister about his need for salvation? Do not be mistaken there are many unsaved ministers. I trust that yours is born again.

It seems to me that so many in the church, especially when it comes to soul winning, have forgotten what Jesus said.

 

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).

 

Nothing has changed since the days Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus. Though man has tried to ignore, rephrase or redefine the whole concept (more than a concept) of being born again, it still stands true today; you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. By the way, it is not a future kingdom, it is a kingdom you enter the instant you are born again. Jesus said, “..the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

I have encountered many people who claim to be a Christian. Some of them are and some aren’t. Mind you, I am not the final judge of that as you know, neither are you. Some believers fear the thought of even trying to discern if someone is truly saved. Let me put you at ease, God will not be checking with me or you about another person’s salvation. However, the Bible teaches us that we can know a tree by its fruit. So when I encounter a person who claims to be a Christian, but there is much in their life that would testify contrary to that, (if I get a chance to,) I will ask them when they were born again. Some of their answers are, “I was a Christian my whole life,” or, “I became a Christian when I was baptized.” Millions of people have been told they are a Christian because they repeated the sinner’s prayer. Some churches teach that you are born again when you get confirmed. I was raised in the Roman Catholic church and I never even heard about being born again until I was in my twenties and it wasn’t the Catholic church that told me about it either. Nonetheless, at twenty seven years of age, married with three children, I was born again. I was made a brand new creature in an instant. It was something that happened on the inside of me. I can’t explain it, in fact no one can explain it, for it is something you just know when it happens to you. Jesus described it this way:

 

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

 

What Jesus is teaching is that you can’t see the wind, but you can hear and feel the effects of it. When someone is born again, the Holy Wind who you cannot see, enters that person and causes them to be born of the Spirit.

Think how radical it is for a baby when it is born. It leaves the warm sheltered confines of a mother’s womb and is brought out into a whole different environment than what it was used to for the last nine months. The baby does not have the capacity to understand what happened to it, but it does know that something happened. So too, with a person who is born again, they know something has happened to them even though they do not have the words or understanding to explain it. It doesn’t take long for the real believer to realize what happened to them, they became a born again believer.

I fear for many that their salvation rests in having correct theological understanding of salvation. They believe all the doctrines that they are supposed to believe such as, the word of God is infallible, all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and Jesus is the only way to the Father. In fact, they can have those famous salvation scriptures memorized such as:

 

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

 

and still not be born again. I fear many find the confidence of their salvation in their church. They believe they are saved because they attend church regularly, listen to the sermon, pay their tithes and try to live a moral life. Hell is filled with Bible reading church attenders. Going to church makes you no more a Christian than walking into the courthouse makes you a judge.

Then there are those who believe they are saved because mom and dad are, or grandma and grandpa are. Some children grow up convinced they are saved because their dad is the pastor. But no one, I repeat, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they personally are born again.

Salvation is a miracle. Every real Christian starts out as a miracle. Salvation is radical, it offends every part of your carnal nature, but is sweet to your soul. Salvation isn’t just a changing of your mind, it is powerful transformation. It takes those who have used their body to fulfill all kinds of sinful lusts and turns them into a temple for God to live in. Hallelujah!

Are you a living miracle? Are you truly born again? If not, humble yourself before Almighty God, repent of your sins, surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him with your life.

Jul 31 2015
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Eyesalve: Conviction

By | Eyesalve

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Rom. 10:9

One of the meanings of the word “believe” is to have conviction. Conviction is that inner voice or impression that insists you just can’t do something you shouldn’t do, or you know you just can’t go that way. If you obey your godly convictions, you won’t sin. If you don’t sin, you don’t have to face being convicted.

Jul 25 2015
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Eyesalve: Learn From David

By | Eyesalve

“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15

Every person that has been born again has that inner witness of salvation because the Spirit of God has come to dwell in them. Yet we can learn from David, who was born 1000 years before Christ, what it means to believe. David had no privilege to have that inner witness like we do, yet you can read how confident he was that he would awake in the presence of the Lord. He knew of no salvation through Jesus Christ, yet he believed God that there would be salvation. The payment for sin was not yet understood, yet he believed in the mercy of God. Lord, increase our faith.

Mar 11 2015
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Eyesalve: They May Need To See #2

By | Eyesalve

“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Jn. 20:27-29

A person will be more blessed if they believe without seeing, but if it takes seeing a miracle to keep someone out of hell, then let them see it Lord. I would rather be rebuked for needing to see a miracle before I believe, than not believing at all.

Mar 10 2015
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Eyesalve: They May Need To See

By | Eyesalve

“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29

Thomas said I won’t believe unless I see, so Jesus let him see. Because Jesus let Thomas see, his immediate reaction was, “my Lord and my God.” Then Jesus said, blessed is he who believes without seeing. Jesus wasn’t necessarily rebuking Thomas for wanting to see, he was just saying you are more blessed if you will believe without seeing. I want to be blessed by not seeing, but I will not look down on my brethren because they may need to see a miracle or get encouraged by a tangible presence of the Lord.

Dec 08 2014
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Eyesalve: Believers Overcome Quoters

By | Eyesalve

“And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God… Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Mt. 4:6-7,10-11

Those that believe the bible will overcome them that just quote the bible.