Mood:  not sure

James 4: 4 says, “Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God.”

How can this scripture be made any plainer than what James wrote? It’s harsh, but true. There is nothing hid here. It needs no translation, no interpretation, it says what it means, and means what it says.

The choice is up to each individual. Do we want to be a friend of the world, or the world system, or a friend of God? One way leads to salvation, the other leads to damnation. The one leads to Heaven the other leads to Hell. There is no way to sugar-coat it. It speaks for itself.

Isaiah 30: 9-10 says, “That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord, who say to the seers, see not, and to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.“ I cannot believe that anyone would want the Lord for an enemy. Preachers preach “God is love,” Yes, He is, but God also has a wrath, that we do not want to see.

Jesus is coming back soon to gather up his people. The ones that have made themselves ready. He is not coming back for just any church, but for His true Church. A church made up of individuals that are ready to go back with him. Many may say, but I’m not ready, I have been putting off coming to the Lord. When I go to church, I come home feeling more confused than I was when I came to church. All I feel is depression and confusion.

Isaiah 1: 18 tells us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Let us reason together. God would no man be lost and go to hell. Salvation is not to be taken lightly. Where we spend eternity is weighed in the balance. God is waiting to see what you’re going to do.

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” We were born in sin, and in iniquity were we shapened.” We can have forgiveness for all of our sins, through Jesus Christ our Lord. The scripture said, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Is not this a wonderful thing to know? Why should we want to spend all eternity in a place of torment, when heaven is within our grasp?

Jesus died on the cross of Calvary for us. He took all our sins, and nailed all of them to the cross. He became sin for us. We may all ask ourselves the same question as in Heb. 2: 3 “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”

There is no escape if we neglect our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Everyone is going to be judged by the Lord, for every deed we have done in this body, judged for every idle word spoken, every thought that we have, for many have very evil imaginations.

Let us reason together a little more. Are the pleasures of this world worth going to hell for? A few moment of pleasure, worth missing out on an eternity of joy and peace, eternal life; walking on streets of pure gold, and seeing Jesus in all His glory?

Nobody likes to hear the word, “hell” but it is a reality. It was not thought up to call some child into obedience.

Revelation 20: 15 “And whatsoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.” I don’t know about you, but I had rather be found in the Book of Life. This is reality, it’s too later to sugar coat the word just to please someone. There is no feel good message, but thank God there is hope for all through the Blood of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul looked at himself one day and said; “Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. ( Rom. 7: 24-25)

Are you a friend of Jesus or a foe? He leaves the choice up to you. But if you want to be a friend, then I will tell you what to do. James 4: 7-8 says, “Submit yourselves, therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you, cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.”

The reason that we sometimes have trouble doing the right thing, is because we are going about it the wrong way. Many people keep trying to resist the devil by their own strength, and can’t, because they have not first submitted themselves to God. God is where our strength lies, not in ourselves.

The flesh is weak, as Apostle Paul wrote. The catching up of God’s true church, I feel, is not far off, and instead of getting caught up, many are going to be caught off. This is no time for sugar-coating God’s word. Are we still reasoning together? I hope so. It is time for us to get serious with the Lord.

St. Luke 13: 3-5 Jesus said, “I tell you, nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

I hope to help you get a better understanding of God’s word, that some soul may be saved. That you may find hope, and find encouragement to read the Bible for yourself. If we can put aside denominational belief and look at God’s word honestly. Think about it. God did not make denominations, man did.

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, with the authority that Jesus had given him, opened the door to the true church. One church, one belief or doctrine, that of the Lord. “For upon this rock, I am going to build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Tell me, where did the rest of the beliefs come from? There was and still is only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

My faith, my belief is the Apostolic faith. It is the same belief that Peter, Paul and the other apostles were martyred to bring to us.

What was the first message preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost, when the people asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2: 37-39) Peter stood up and boldly answered, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for this promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord, our God, shall call.”

If you feel the Lord is calling you, if Jesus is dealing with your heart, please, take heed and find a church that is teaching the same gospel that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. It is too late to be playing church.

Why do I have to be baptized in Jesus’ name? You may ask, and I think that is a reasonable question. Ask yourself, who shed his blood, and died on the cross for us? Was it not Jesus?

Col. 3: 17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, and the father by him.” Is not baptism word and deed?

Also, Col 2:9 “For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Who makes up this Godhead? The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And we are complete in Him.” (Jesus) Don’t look for another, for there is no other Savior, and he is coming back.

The Holy Ghost that Peter spoke of on the day of Pentecost Acts 2: 1-4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit Gave them utterance.” If you can believe it, you can receive it. It has not changed, the Spirit of God still comes the same way, with power and with other tongues.

Many say that the book of Acts is not for us today, that it was only for the apostles, but that is not true. They are not preaching what Peter preached, or any of the rest of the apostles, for they all had the selfsame Holy Ghost, it does not come any other way.

A lot of people, too many of them, have become stubborn, hard headed, too grounded in what Grandma believed, or Grandpa believed, they will never come to the simple truth of the gospel. They feel, “What was good enough for them, is good enough for me.” Are you willing to bet your soul on it? “We have eyes, but we see not, ears, but hear not, a heart, but we feel not.” Please, let us reason together.

Look around you, see the time in which we are now living. Hear the word of the Lord. What is the Spirit saying to His church today? Listen, not to my words, but to the words of Jesus, words of Peter and Paul, they all died for the gospel that was preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost. When we go to church we need more than just a feel-good feeling kind of service. We need one that is powered by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

I am not of the same belief that my parent were. Jesus dealt with my heart and saved me one day, and he led me to the church of his choice, not mine. I had no idea what apostolic meant. I knew nothing of the baptism, or of the Holy Ghost, but Jesus taught me. He made me a believer. He can also do the same for you, if you will let Jesus have his way in your life, he can and he will make a believer out of you.

Apostolic is a way of life, a saved life, not a denomination. If you can believe it, you can receive it.” Then you will know for yourselves that the Holy Ghost comes with tongues. This is the only proof in the Bible that a person has been “Born of the Spirit.”

Jesus told Nicodemus in St. John 3: 3-10, “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.”

Verse 5 tells us, Except (or unless) a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

It goes on to say, “Marvel not that I said unto you, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (willeth) and thou hearest the sound of it, but you cannot tell from where it cometh, and where it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

This happened on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:2-4 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire (it did not say that it was fire, but that it appeared as of fire) and sat up on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with others tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Jesus went on to say, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that which we do know, and testify to that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.”

Many today can testify and be a witness, that these things are real. It is for all that will let themselves believe. Does not reasoning tell you, that Jesus knows those that are born again of his Spirit? There is no one who can fake Jesus out. You may deceive yourself, you may even deceive others around you, but there is no way you can deceive Jesus. He knows who He has placed his Holy Spirit in. May God bless each and every one of you, and may you let the truth of God’ word shine into your hearts.

Posted by J.C.A.M.I. Staff at 11:06 PM EDT

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Mood:  a-ok

Eph. 2: 19-22, Verse 20 “And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

The closer that we come to the catching up of God’ true church, the more we see or hear of people turning their backs on the Lord, for the pleasures of this world. Apostle Paul wrote in II Tim. 3:1-8, we are living in perilous times, dangerous times, having a form of godliness but denying the power of it; from such turn away.” We are living in the days that Paul was talking about. Many have a form of godliness, but they are denying the power of it. They are not possessing what they are professing. This is the age of apostasy, or the falling away from the truth, but if someone has never had the truth, what are they falling away from?

It is the act of professing Christians, who deliberately reject the revealed truth as to the deity of Jesus Christ, of the redemption through his blood, his atoning and redeeming sacrifice on Calvary, to be born again of the water and of the Spirit.

Apostates: depart from the faith, but not from the outward profession of Christianity. They dress like a Christian should dress, they can even talk as a Christian talks, but their heart is not right with God. They may fool man, but they cannot fool the Lord. II Tim. 4:4 says, “they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Many run to the churches for help, for a shelter from the storms of life, and find little help. Many want to hear the truth, but what they find is a watered down sermon. Preachers preach on the book of Revelation, but they don’t offer the people a plan of Salvation. God does have a plan you know.

The churches today have left the foundation, that God’ church was built on. Many have left the old ways, the old paths. Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus saith the Lord, stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find rest for your soul, but they said, we will not walk in it.”

The Apostle Paul tells us in Eph. 2:20-22, that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the Chief corner stone.”

Many have left the foundation, and the Chief corner stone, and have tried to build the temple our own way, we cannot do it. Without the true foundation, how can there be any salvation? Psa. 11: 3 “If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

What foundation of salvation did Jesus and the Apostles give us?

St. Matthew 16:18-19 “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loose in heaven.” We realize that the rock was not Peter, but it was upon Jesus Christ himself, that his church was to be built. It was Peter who opened the door of Christian opportunity to Israel on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2: 38-42). And to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius, ( Acts 10: 34-44 ) Peter, when asked, men and brethren, what shall we do?” Verse 38 tells us that Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

I have heard it said, that if the Holy Ghost is a gift, then there is nothing that I have to do to receive it. Even with a gift, you have to reach out your hand and accept it. It is there for those that will reach out with their mind, their soul, and seek Jesus Christ, the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. It comes the same way every time. Just like it did in Acts 2:1-4, verse 4 says “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

It did not come any other way in the Bible, and it does not come any other way today. If you have the Holy Ghost, then you would be speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance. If the preachers don’t have it, then they can’t preach it. It is easier for them to say that it is not for people today, that it was only for the apostles. Does that mean that salvation is not for people today?

Jesus, on the cross of Calvary, cried out, “it is finished.” It was not a cry of defeat, but of victory. He had completed the plan of Salvation, the very one he had entrusted to Peter, and passed on down through generations and given to us. Do you really believe that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross of Calvary for his plan of Salvation, that man could do it his own way. God left no room in his plan of Salvation for mankind to insert his opinion. I don’t think so. This is God’ plan.

Our salvation is built up on Jesus crucified and upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus himself being the chief corner stone. The foundation of our salvation is, repentance, baptism in Jesus name, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.

Anyone can say I have the Spirit of God, well, if they have, then where is their evidence? It is a gift, but only if you will believe that it exist, and reach out to God in prayer, and accept it.

Acts 2:39 “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord, our God shall call.” If you feel as if God is calling you, what do you think he is calling you to? He is calling you to repentance, to this one plan of salvation, that was passed on down to us. Not a plan for denomination. He died for one plan for all mankind, he didn’t start denomination, man did. Man can never be satisfied, I wonder why?

Jeremiah 2:12-13 “Be appalled (astonished) O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cistern, broken cistern, that can hold no water.”

Peter, on the day of Pentecost preached repentance. Jesus tells us in St. Luke 13:1-5 verse 3, “I tell you, nay, but, except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” And again in verse 5 “I tell you, nay, but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.”

John the Baptist came preaching repentance. St. Matt. 3:2 “And saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus also preached repentance. St. Matt. 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Peter on the day of Pentecost, preached the baptism in Jesus name: for Jesus tells us in St. John 3:1-12 verse 3 “I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He goes on to say in verse 5 and verse 7 “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. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.” This sounds to me like we must all be born again of the water and the Spirit.

The New Birth is faith in Jesus crucified, washed in his blood. The blood of the Lamb of God. Being placed in the water by immersing, signifies the death of Jesus. Coming up out of the water, signifies the resurrection of the Lord.

You don’t come up out of the water, by pouring water over some-ones head, or sprinkling water on their head. We are trying to cleanse our soul, by doing what Jesus told Peter and the other disciples, to be baptized in the name of Jesus, not in titles, but in the name.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is not a name, they are what Jesus is St. Matt. 28:19 and in Col. 2:9, 12. “For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Verse 10 “And ye are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” What is the Godhead? The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and we are complete in Him.”

In what name do we believe that the Apostles Baptized in? I have heard it said by one preacher, that we do not need to be baptized. That baptism does not cleanse us, and he was referring to I Peter 3:21. “The like figure unto which even baptism doth now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

We are not trying to cleanse the filth of the flesh, but the sins of our soul, which the baptism in Jesus name does. Unless the name of Jesus is applied to the baptism, all that person has done is gone down into the water a dry sinner and came up a wet sinner, their sins still remain with them. It is not the water that cleanse the soul, but the name, that we are cleanse by. This is all part of the foundation of salvation.

Peter, on the day of Pentecost also preached, the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Someone may say “I don’t need all of that, all I have to do is do the best I can, and God will understand. I Peter 1:16 says, “Be ye Holy, for I am Holy.” And I ask you, how can you be holy without God. All I can say is good luck, you’re going to need it.

Jesus died for this plan of salvation, the Apostles, all but John, were martyred for it, and people today want to ignore it. Acts 2:38 tells us ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Which came to them in Acts 2:1-4 Verse 4 tells us they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

It is as real today as it was over three thousand years ago. I cannot read in Gods word, where nor when he changed his plan of salvation, but man never get tired of trying to do it their own way. If a preacher does not have it, he cannot preach it. They try to dismiss it, but it is not going away. It will either save our soul, or else condemn us.

If only people would seek the Lord, often enough and hard enough, and open their minds and heart, and believe, they too could receive the same Holy Ghost that Peter is talking about.

Romans 10: 9-13 “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.” The word “shall” according to the dictionary, means future tense. Verse 13- 14 says “ for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him who they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And verse 15, tells us, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”

A Preacher, if he is indeed sent by God to preach his word, will explain to the man or woman what they must do so they not shall be, but are saved. They must go by God’ plan of salvation, that was preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost, when the church was born.

How many plans do we believe that Jesus left us? Did he make a different plan of salvation, according to each denominational belief, that we can believe what ever we want to, and still be saved? Or did he leave one plan for all men to follow? Jesus was crucified on Calvary for this plan. The Apostles (all but John) were martyred for this plan. They were put in prison, beaten and stoned to death, for this plan, that we could have this solid foundation of salvation. May you build your spiritual house upon this same foundation, for Jesus is the Rock that this foundation is built upon, and may you find this same plan of salvation.

Posted by J.C.A.M.I. Staff at 11:04 PM EDT

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Mood:  not sure

WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN TO YOU?

“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live, therefore, or die we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:7-8.

We need to search our hearts, and ask ourselves, what does Jesus mean to me, as an individual. That is, if we consider our self a Christian, but if we are a sinner, I don’t guess Jesus ever crosses our mind. Is Jesus just someone you read about in the Bible? Is he just someone who was crucified on the cross at Calvary? Is he just a figment of our imagination? Is he just a man that our Pastor talks about on Sunday morning? Do we leave the church house and forget about the man called Jesus, until next Sunday when we pick up our Bibles again? What does Jesus mean to you?

It’s easy to thank God when he does what we want. But God doesn’t always do what we want. Job, getting no comfort from family or friends, goes straight to God and pleads his case. His head hurt. His body hurt. His heart hurt, and he can’t tolerate anymore half-baked answers. “Why is this happening to me?“ God owes no one anything, no reason, no explanation. Nothing. But Job stayed loyal to God.

Job said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

What does Jesus mean to you? If we call him Father, do we honor him, give him praise for what he has done? Did you ever stop to think, he woke you up this morning, and blessed you with another day? Father’s day has just passed, how many showed love and honor to our natural father’s. Does not Jesus deserve as much or more? He gave his life that your soul might be saved. What more could he give?

Don’t we know and don’t we understand, that all we have, and ever hope to have, all belongs to God. “All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” St. John 1:3.

We have to become obedient to the Lord, and humble ourselves at the foot of the cross. For many this is hard to do, almost impossible. But remember, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

“All soul are mine, as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezek. 18: 4.

God gives us life, he can take it from us. What ever we have in this life, God has allowed us to have, and it all belongs to him. We came into this life with nothing, and we will not take anything with us when we leave this life. What ever we possess, God allows us to enjoy for a while. Then it will be passed on to someone else.

If God were to ask an angel to open up the chest, containing our prayers, our giving glory to the Lamb of God, what would he find in there? Would the chest be empty? When was the last time we told Jesus how much we love him for dying on the cross for us? Are we too embarrassed to say, “Jesus, I love you for what you did for me at the cross of Calvary.

The Bible tells us, that unless we become as a little child, not be one, but as one trusting in the Lord. A little child will trust its parents, to love him or her, a little child is not afraid, for they know that their parents will take care of them. We as adults must trust and lean upon Jesus the same way, not as a child, but trusting in him as a child does his parents.

We don’t give God glory, but he is in complete control, of the weather and all else, not some unknown Deity called “mother nature.” Ever deed that we do is under the ever seeing eye of God. You may think you are doing things or saying things that no one knows but you, but you are only fooling yourselves. God has a book, and on that judgment day when you stand before God almighty, every deed and ever idle word you have said, will be made known, whether it be good or bad. We must need ask ourselves, what does Jesus mean to me? Is he worth giving up our old ways of life, our old habits. Just how bad do we want eternal life? Jesus has to be the center piece in our life, there is no other way. He is our everything, the very air that we breath, he is our life

Posted by J.C.A.M.I. Staff at 11:02 PM EDT

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