Salvation for all

Salvation for all
The book of acts records Paul entering with some companions Pisidian Antioch. There
“..... On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” Acts 13: 14,15.
Acts 13:16-37 tells of Paul accepting the invitation gave them a brief history lesson in which he showed that Jesus was the promised Messiah who would take away the sins of the world. He concludes his remarks saying,
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”Acts 13:38.
The book of Acts then notes,
“As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.  
When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.  
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. 
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.  
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’’” 
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.”Acts 13:42-49.
While acts 13:50 notes that Paul and Barnabas were exiled from the region, it didn’t stop the gospel message.
The fact is the gospel message is impossible to stop. It is a message directly from God. A message of forgiveness of sins, of hope, and Life everlasting with God the father, to all those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ.
The gospel of John records Jesus as saying,
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30.
The question today in the twenty-first century  however becomes the same question Jesus himself asked Martha. As recorded in John’s gospel,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
  What do you believe?
Please think about it.

A Message

A Message
The book of Acts records,
“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.  
Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.  
When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  
Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”  
So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  
Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  
He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,  they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 
While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.  
When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?  
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.  
You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.  
You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.  
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. 
“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.  
But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.  
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” Acts 3:1-19.
I have always said that if the miracles recorded in the Bible were not true, why would the writers include them. For if they were not true it would work against what believers in Christ were saying. As a result I believe they must be true.
In this case Peter and John participate in the healing of a man who was well known as a beggar at the gate Beautiful.
Peter is quick to point out that it is not them that healed the man but God. He states,
“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”
He then gives the crowd a brief talk on how Jesus was allowed by the people to be put to death even when the Roman governor wanted to release him.
Peter however notes,
“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.  
But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.  
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”
The message Peter gave to the crowd that day is the same message believers in Christ present to the world today.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
To the Ephesians Paul wrote,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
Salvation is a gift of God. A free gift. A gift we can accept of reject. The choice is always up to the individual. God will not impose his will on anyone.
Thus the choice is yours do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Are you willing to accept by faith the free gift of eternal life God offers you or not?
Please think about it.

A Clear Statement

A Clear Statement
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”  1John 1:5-2:2.
Here is a very definite statement made by someone who knew Jesus personally. Who stat under his teaching and thus knew who Jesus really was and his purpose in coming to earth.
John states,
1/ “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”  
Our God is a God of truth and light. It is God who shows us the way to heaven and gives us every opportunity to get to heaven.
2/ “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”
I believe here that walking in darkness is doing what God does not want us to do. I believe there are many calling themselves Christians who think they are walking in light but are not. They are mixing their faith with other things that are not of God and thus making their faith worthless.
I believe to walk in the light we must consider the words of Jesus who when asked,
   “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus who said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
I believe if we are doing these things we are walking in the light.
John then notes,
3/ “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
We as individuals must remember the words of the apostle Paul who said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 3:23,24.
We as individuals sin. Sin is falling short of what God wants for our lives. It is our obligation before God to confess our sins directly to God, as soon as we realize we have sinned. In doing so God will forgive us our sins.
John here also makes a very powerful statement here. He states,
“If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
By claiming we have no sin we make God out to be a liar. Think about it John is saying if we as individuals claim to have no sin we are calling the creator of the universe a liar.
God however is indeed a God of love who understands each individual and makes it possible for every individual to get to heaven, even if we at times sin. John states,
“But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all men who would believe in him. It is because of Jesus we can get to heaven. The apostle Paul writing,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
Thus the question becomes, do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Why Jesus came

Why Jesus came

“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” 
          Matthew 9:10-13.
Here is why Jesus came to save sinners. The Apostle Paul states,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” 
                                                               Romans 3:23,24
Paul also notes,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
Romans 5:8.
God reached down to man. Man who had fallen short of what God wanted for his life.
Unless we as individuals admit we are sinners, humble ourselves before God and confess those sins we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is by the grace of God that we get to heaven Paul writing to the Ephesians states,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.”
                                                                Ephesians 2:8,9.
We must accept that saving grace. We must admit that we are sinners and dependent on the grace of God to forgive our sins and let us into the Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot live a life good enough to enter heaven simply because we are humans and are far from perfect.
The apostle John writes,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 
1John 1:9-10.
Anyone can know today that they are going to heaven. All they have to do is admit Jesus is the one and Only Son of God. That He came to earth to die for your sins. Then confess those sins directly to God asking his forgiveness. Then ask Jesus into your heart and life. A prayer as simple as this,
Dear Heavenly Father.
I believe in you. I believe Jesus is your one and Only Son. That He came into this world to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner and ask you to forgive them.
Please dear Lord Jesus come into my heart and life this day. Teach me your ways show me how I can serve you.
                   Amen.
If you said that prayer and meant it. I urge you to start reading the New Testament. Then I suggest you find a church congregation that you can be a part of.
I always suggest Baptist churches because they are consistent in what they believe and practice. In North America I also recommend the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada in Canada and the Assemblies of God in the United States. All believe the Bible and do their best to follow its teachings correctly.
I recommend that you also speak to the pastor of the church. All good and honest pastors will agree to meet with you. Ask questions. If you don’t understand the answer ask for clarification.
If you don’t like what you hear look for another congregation.
Also remember each church congregation even within a denomination has its own flavour so to speak. Some are lively others more conservative in worship. Some are very formal while others are less so.
So if you don’t find the first church you go to your liking try others.
Please think about it,