Author: Mr.ScottV.Black

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! – Psalm 143:10 ESV

Warrior;

This shall be our cry! As a Child of God in these PERILOUS, CONFUSING, and clearly- END OF TIMES, TIME- we must be CRYING OUT TO GOD!  What shall we cry out? Our example, JESUS, showed us and TOLD US- we need to have eyes to see and ears to hear.  Jesus walked in our shoes, and HE ENDURED.   For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) Jesus was about to undergo the most difficult struggle of his life: the crucifixion. Not only was Christ facing one of the most painful and disgraceful punishments—death on a cross—he was dreading something even worse. Jesus would be forsaken by the Father (Matthew 27:46) as he took on sin and death for us: For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) In the synoptic gospels of Luke and Mark we are told of HIS PRAYER and HIS RESPONSE: And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42) This is the only way forward for a CHILD OF GOD- not my will, but your will be done- on earth as it is in heaven. All the while KNOWING this attribute of GOD: GOD IS GOOD- all the time.  All the TIME- GOD IS GOOD!

Leader, all of the forerunners of our faith, the ones who GOT TO PLAY BIG FOR GOD, the ones who we read about today as examples for us tomorrow show us- they all had one thing in common: They knew GOD IS GOOD and they knew that it was God’s will that mattered, not their own! A voice is calling, “Clean the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley. (Isaiah 40:34) “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them, not withholding manna from them, and providing water to quench their thirst. (Nehemiah 9:20) And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. (Mark 10:18) The key to get through the turbulence of life, the undulating line of life in this cruel and unfair world- we must BELIEVE that GOD IS GOOD, and HE IS A REWARDER of those who seek HIS WILL! Jesus half-brother James knew this well and said it even better: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8) We must ACT AS IF, even when our circumstances might want us to believe differently! When we do that we exhibit FAITH. Faith is believing what God says, even when your eyes, ears and feelings tell a different story- it is the GAP of what God says and what we feel!

Conduit; The battleground for every decision we face is the mind. That is where we wrestle with the pros and cons, weigh the potential consequences of each alternative, and ultimately make our choices. The impressions which weigh the heaviest and linger the longest in the mind will usually determine the course of action we take. That is why we must be sure our minds are controlled by GODS SPIRIT and focused on GODS WILL. Remember Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians? “Don’t be unwise,” or “Don’t be without your minds.” And in the very next verse he charges, “But be filled with the Spirit.” We cannot trust our impressions if our wills are not so yielded to the Holy Spirit that He dominates our minds. But when GOD is in control, and our DESIRE is to do HIS WILL- we can expect HIS thoughts to be our thoughts, HIS WILL becomes our WAY. Since the mind is the high command headquarters where all decisions will be made, it must be not only controlled by the Spirit, but also programmed with the Word. This is how we get through these times! Paul went through HELL as he was working to get people to HEAVEN and Paul told the people at the church of COLOSSI, how he stayed focused on doing the will of GOD and going through all the pain and torment of evil people while he was serving a GOOD GOD: And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17) Today as you look at the chaos of the world remember the 3-step plan: 1- Cry out to God. 2- Remember GOD IS GOOD. 3- COMMIT TO; God’s will and way, not your own!

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. – James 5:7-9 ESV

Warrior; Paul in his first letter to the church at Corinth, put it bluntly: If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. (1 Corinthians 16:22) That is one of those “Interesting words”, Maranatha: consists of two Aramean words, ‘Maran’ and ‘athah’, meaning, “our Lord comes,” or is “coming.” If the latter interpretation is adopted, the meaning of the phrase is, “Our Lord is coming, and he will judge those who have set him at nought.” In other words: to treat as of no account; to disregard; to despise; to defy; to treat with ignominy. And IGNOMINY means deep personal humiliation and disgrace: dishonor; public contempt, public embarrassment; the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach. For those who treat JESUS with this disdain, HE WILL JUDGE! There are only 2 teams in this world. No, not Republican or Democrat, not conservative or liberal, not PRO TRUMP and those of you who believe TRUMP is somehow an existential threat and therefore, he and his followers must be destroyed….You are either in Love with Jesus or you are bitter toward the WORD OF GOD. The word MARANATHA separates the 2 teams. Those who DESIRE it- the coming of CHRIST, and those who MOCK HIM and anyone who calls on the name of JESUS.

Leader, Jesus Himself knew that HE WOULD BE THE SEPARATOR! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51-53) Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:11-13) The fair question to check on our spiritual health: are you seeking, hoping, craving, begging that Yeshua come? Do you speak publicly about your LOVE of JESUS, or do you let the politics of the day silence you and make you believe SATAN’S lie that your relationship with JESUS is personal and supposed to keep separate from other aspects of your life? Do you cry out, MARANATHA, or -NOT YET?

Conduit, we are at a time of DECISION. We can no longer keep our FAITH and BELIEF in JESUS private. We are called to speak the name of JESUS, to DEFEND the name of JESUS and to SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS. Jesus Himself made clear that HE IS WATCHING, and IT DOES MATTER! “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33) Read the entire 10th chapter of Matthew and you will read of the division that will come down between those who CRY MARANATHA and those who claim to be followers of JESUS, believers in the WORD- and we will be called names; homophobic, hateful, self-righteous and enemies of progress. In the final book of the GOOD BOOK, when Jesus tells us how the time of the GENTILES wraps up and how the END OF MAN’s TIME in charge, is put to rest that MARANATHA will cause much division, much fear and pain. This is why we are called to be WARRIORS, fighting the good fight, speaking the name of JESUS with love and with awe. It is time to get serious about the COST of following JESUS CHRIST. “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. (Matthew 24:9-10) There is a big cost in today’s world for believing in and speaking about MARANATHA- are you willing to publicly state WHOSE TEAM YOU ARE ON? Are you willing to forgo the praise of man for the PRAISE OF JESUS? For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (John 12:43) It is time to decide…JESUS, or THE WORLD? MARANATHA or MALARKEY? And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. (1 Kings 18:21) The time of DECISION is at hand! “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live”! Amen and MARANATHA!

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 ESV

Warrior;
The god of this world; Satan. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience”. (Ephesians 2:1–2) Paul describes Satan first as a “prince” with power, because he has authentic power in the world (1 John 5:19). In the book of Revelation, Chapter 5 we hear John weeping as he is taken by the Spirit and shown things that “must take place after this.” Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:1-5) What is the deed that no one, but the LAMB OF GOD, is worthy to unloose? It is the deed to planet earth. The deed that MAN, ADAM, had in the Garden of Eden, the deed to our planet, was handed over to Satan, for a time- see Genesis 3. That is why Jesus is called our REDEEMER.

Leader, to REDEEM something is to purchase it back, but it means so much more in the original languages of the Bible. Per Biblestudytools.com: In the Old Testament, redemption involves deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer. The Hebrew root words used most often for the concept of redemption are pada, gaal and kapar. The verb pada is a legal term concerning the substitution required for the person or animal delivered. Pada is also used in relation to legislation with regard to the firstborn. The verb gaal, is a legal term for the deliverance of some person, property, or right to which one had a previous claim through family relation or possession. Goel, the participle of gaal, is the term for the person who performed the duties of “redeemer.” The meaning of the third verb, kapar , is to cover. To cover sin, atone, or make expiation are associated meanings. This all is what JESUS has done for us as our redeemer. The Book of Ruth is a picture of Jesus, one of the main characters- Boaz is a shadow of our Jesus, our KINSMAN REDEEMER. The kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who, according to various laws of the Old Testament, had the responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need. The Hebrew term (go el) for kinsman-redeemer designates one who delivers or rescues (Genesis 48:16; Exodus 6:6) or redeems property or person (Leviticus 27:9–25, 25:47–55). Jesus is returning to RECLAIM what was HIS, but in our disobedience we gave to Satan. Even during Jesus Temptation in the desert by Satan as recounted in the books of Matthew and Luke chapters 4- the Devil tempted Jesus by telling Him if he would just bow down and worship him, then Satan would give Jesus the Kingdoms of this world- they were his to give!

Conduit, Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. “I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,” he said. “For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.” (Luke 4:5-7) Christ is THE PERFECT example of a kinsman-redeemer because, as our brother (Hebrews 2:11), He redeems, and as the LAMB OF GOD, He is the only one that can! Notice there is only one thing in the way and that is the devil, the SPIRIT OF THE ANTI-CHRIST. Just as the devil TWISTED SCRIPTURE to the WORD HIMSELF (again see Luke 4 and Matthew 4), so too we live in the world that is run by the great deceiver, the Father of lies: Satan. We must remember the three main ways the devil gets us; For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:16) This is the devils kingdom and He is the Prince of the air, the prince of this world- and he shows up, not like a man in a ‘red suit, and a pitchfork- but in the form of well meaning, friendly helpers on this journey. See Peter’s attempt to keep Jesus off the cross in Mathew 16:23 and David’s desire to take an illegal census in 1 Chronicles 21:1. We must remember: For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) The only one who gives the light of knowledge of the Glory of God in the FACE OF JESUS CHRIST is the HOLY SPIRIT. He is the discerner of the word, the illuminator of the truth and the tapper of the heart! And how do we get the HOLY SPIRIT? That is through a saving relationship with the SON, Jesus Christ! When you accept the paid price of the cross, then you get the HELPER, who helps you combat the lies of the Prince of this WORLD, until our PRINCE, our REDEEMER returns with his DEED OF REDEMPTION to claim what was HIS and given away in the Garden of EDEN! Make no mistake about it: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:21) Please TARRY NOT, REDEEMER JESUS!

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. – 1 John 4:1-2 ESV

Warrior;
We are called to have discernment. Discernment is the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong. Discernment is the process of making distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically. This is not JUDGING, although we could call it a part of judgment. Jesus did command us not to judge others. This most likely is the most widely quoted of Jesus sayings- by NON-Believers- even though it is usually quoted in complete disregard of its context, of its proper meaning. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Many people use this verse in an attempt to silence their critics, interpreting Jesus’ meaning as “You don’t have the right to tell me I’m wrong.” Jesus is talking about who IS HIS, and who IS NOT HIS. We are called to have discernment, but we are NOT CALLED to decide who are God’s and who are NOT! We never know where God is in the RECONCILIATION PROCESS.

Leader, there are many who start poorly, but finish well. Even the thief on the cross had a death-bed confession and was promised by God to be in paradise with Him based on that confession. And as we know the thief on the cross did NOT live a good life! But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:40-43) We are called to know the difference between people who attempt to say the right things for political, and personal gain and those who BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF THE BIBLE and HIS SON, JESUS. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 teaches that it is the responsibility of every Christian to be discerning: “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” The only way to know that is to have eyes to see and ears to hear. The ability to see and to hear is the ability to have discernment. In order to exercise that discernment we need to be looking at people’s actions and listening to their words and then comparing those to OUR STANDARD- THE WORD, Jesus.

Conduit, the Bible is clear that devil is WILY. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11) for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) It is clear to see and to hear that we must discern between SPIRITS- between WORDS and DEEDS. As a matter of fact, failure to distinguish between truth and error leaves the FOLLOWER subject to all manner of false teaching. False teaching then leads to an un-biblical mindset, which results in unfruitful and disobedient living- a certain recipe for compromise. We live in a time when even politicians who MOCK PEOPLE OF THE BOOKS, they still profess to follow our God and even quote scripture to us to get us to COMPROMISE- to get us to deny a true believer and somehow get us to support them, who DO NOT support our GOD! Again, God removes confusion and HE shows us, tells us what the defining factor is. The KEY IS, what do they say about JESUS? Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. Then there is a BIG, ‘AND’. And is a conjunction, that gives equal weight to what is before and after the conjunction. Whereas the conjunction ‘BUT’ negates what was before it, and puts all focus and weight on what comes after the big ‘BUT’. The ‘AND’, is in verse 3; And every spirit that does not confess Jesus- is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (1 John 4:3) Beloved, ask that person: Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe He lived a perfect life, suffered, died and was crucified and after three days rose again in the fulfillment of Scripture? Do you believe that the only way to God the Father is through a saving relationship with His Son, Jesus? This is the proper discernment. Even the devil believes in God, even the devils knows some scripture see Matthew 4 and Luke 4 and the ‘Temptation of Christ’. Jesus is the great discernment. They are either for Christ or they are ANTI-CHRIST. And if they are ANTI-CHRIST why would you vote for them, and why would you support them, why would you follow them? But first…DO YOU BELIEVE and support those who BELIEVE? This is the discernment that we are called to in this time of hypocrisy of calling that which is evil-good and that which is good- bad!

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; – Hebrews 12:14-15 ESV

Warriors;
Are you like a porcupine? You may have a few good points, but you are hard to be near? Per Adrian Rogers:”Bitterness does more to hold back the Power of God than Liberalism, Alcoholism and Pornography. The Root of Bitterness keeps the People of God from having the POWER OF GOD and the Holiness of God that they need in their hearts and lives!”

Leader, the ROOT of Bitterness starts underground, in our heads and hearts, we feel we are owed, we deserve more! Our thoughts begin the germination, “We deserve better… they can’t treat me that way… who do they think they are….do they know who I am… i’ll never forget!” So the Bitter Root springs up and becomes BITTER FRUIT. The root produces the slow burn of WRATH which when given oxygen from the opening of doors into people lives and it BURSTS into the flames of ANGER. We then express it out loud with CLAMOR and the devil feeds that and we start EVIL SPEAKING which in today’s world- when it is OK to hate TRUMP and all who DONT hate him- manifests itself into MALICE; the DESIRE to hurt somebody physically.

Conduit; read the Sermon on the Mount, Luke 6:27-38. We are told how to treat those who HATE us, CURSE us, ABUSE us, and STRIKES us. Read Isaiah 53, and how Jesus is described; Man of Sorrows. It’s time to start being like our LORD and STOP being like the WORLD church! For many in the church are becoming DEFILED- UP UNTIL NOW!

But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. -Exodus 9:16 ESV

Warrior;
We humans are driven by a sense of meaning. Logo Therapy, developed conceptually, in the hell that was Auschwitz, and explained in the book, “Mans search for Meaning”- it is about man’s innate desire to WILL TO MEANING. Logo-therapy is a term derived from “logos,” a Greek word that translates as “meaning,” In the Gospel of John, IN THE BEGINNING, Jesus is also called the LOGOS. Developed by Viktor Frankl, LOGO-THERAPY is founded on the belief that human nature is motivated by the search for a life purpose; logo-therapy is the pursuit of that meaning for one’s life. The most basic question everyone faces in life is Why am I here? What is my purpose? To TRUTHFULLY answer this question, ONE must start with God and His eternal purposes for each life. Real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God’s purposes for putting us on earth. See Ephesians 2:10.

Leader, 10 years ago Pastor Rick Warren fed this desire with a book called, “The Purpose driven life.” It has sold over 50 million copies in all it’s available formats. People looking for their purpose, however, most people are looking to Rick Warren, or some self-help guru instead of our creator and HIS PURPOSE for our existence. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). Warren laid out 5 PURPOSES for each creature: We were planned for God’s pleasure, so your first purpose is to offer real worship. We were formed for God’s family, so your second purpose is to enjoy real fellowship. We were created to become like Christ, so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship. We were shaped for serving God, so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry. We were made for a mission, so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism. God told Jeremiah and He tells us daily: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Conduit, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5). If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy! Sometimes we can be so busy about our lives that we forget the purpose behind them. We are driven by the demands of life and not realizing that God always has a greater purpose. His purposes not only encompass our lives, but the lives of those around us—at home, school, work, and community. It’s important to know and live out God’s purpose for our being, not our search for meaning in this world! We must remember WHO we are, WHY WE ARE HERE, and WHOSE we are! Every creature has a PURPOSE it is to GLORIFY OUR GOD! Your only decision is how much of your life will you give to GOD’S PURPOSE and how much will you throw away on this temporal path of finding your purpose In the system called the WORLD? The TIME IS NOW TO BE ON GODS PURPOSE! BE LIKE JESUS and BE ABOUT THE FATHERS BUSINESS! And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). Amen!

Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.- Acts 16:30-34 ESV

Warrior:
This is the ultimate question, “What must I do to be saved?” Religion is a set of RULES, a WAY for MAN to be GOODNUFF to BE with God, LIKE GOD and for some religions- to become a GOD! IF you jump through enough hoops, do enough things, give enough money, eventually you will become acceptable to God! When we attempt to be GOODNUFF for GOD then we PLACE ourselves under a curse, a works based-judgment- it’s a losing proposition because NO ONE is GOOD ENOUGH, NO NOT ONE- EXCEPT JESUS! as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10) We must understand our WRETCHEDNESS- apart from Christ! “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (Jeremiah 17:9)

Leader, to those who are perishing and wrapped up in the EGO of this world, the CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. – (1 Cor 1:18-21) WE can’t be SMART enough, GOOD enough, WORTHY enough, HOLY enough and definitely NOT RIGHTEOUS enough to enter the KINGDOM OF GOD! Good thing, we don’t have to be! He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.(1 Peter 2:24)

Conduit, many have a tough time accepting the CROSS, and the PRICE- PAID IN FULL- of sin! For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) Jesus paid it all, all to HIM, WE OWE! Some feel that this is TOO EASY, just to TRUST ON THE NAME Of JESUS! It is easy for US, it wasn’t EASY FOR JESUS! Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) We are CALLED TO BELIEVE and to LIVE LIKE IT IS TRUE! 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 Cor 5:14-15) All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:18-21) Today ACT AS IF, you believe the LORD! Amen.