Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. Ecclesiastes 7:8

Merry Christmas 2023 to you all! Woke up his morning thinking about the birth of the Lord Jesus.

We can and should all be thankful for the first Christmas (the birth of the Lord) but even more important is His death on Calvary's cross as God's perfect Son. He came to be the sacrifice for our sins, by suffering the judgment of God in our place. You see, the beginning (His birth) is wonderful but without the end (His death) there is no salvation for us.

Then my mind remembered the repentant criminal who died on the cross beside the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the Gospel of Luke 23:42 that the Lord told him before dying: "Today you will be with Me in paradise." Can you understand this? A criminal went to heaven? How come? Perhaps you thought only good people go straight to Heaven! Dear friend, there is none good, no not one the Bible tells us in Romans chapter 3. 

The Lord came and preached the Gospel, He told the people who He was. But many rejected Him and His teaching, even religious people. The Lord said harlots (obvious sinners) will be in heaven before religious people (Matthew 21:31). Why? Because those 'obvious sinners' know who they are, just like that criminal on the cross, and they are ready to repent and trust the Saviour when they hear the message.  Don't let your 'good life' prevent you from seeing who you really are before a Holy God ... a sinner in need of God's mercy.

Knowing Jesus came, knowing He was perfect, knowing He died for our sins, knowing He rose from the dead to offer eternal life, is all great but unless you repent you shall perish.

Jesus said: "Repent and believe the Gospel." Mark 1:15

***********************

May your Christmas be merry and bright!  

Claudine

Smile God Loves You!

GOD'S WONDERFUL LOVE 

How can we even begin to understand that truth – “God is love” (1 John 4:8)? For His love for us has no beginning. In fact, even before you were born, you were loved by God. His love for you has always been there (Jeremiah 31:3). His love for you is unconditional. That means there is nothing you can do that will change the love God has for you. How's that for feeling loved? God's ultimate plan is to enjoy an open relationship with you now, and in Heaven share with you His love and glory for all eternity (Ephesians 1:3-12).

MAN'S GRIEVOUS FALL 

Sadly, God's relationship with man was broken when Adam, the first created man, brought sin into the world through disobedience (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). Consequently, that caused us all to be sinners by nature (Romans 5:18-19). We have ALL rebelled against our Creator who loves us (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 53:6), and those sins have caused us to be separated from Him (Isaiah 59:2).

GOD'S WONDERFUL GRACE 

Praise God there is hope in restoring that lost relationship, because – remember -  God's love is unconditional. God clearly proved His great love toward us, in that while we were still unlovable sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God, knowing all things, already had a plan to redeem men whom He loved. But for a Holy God to forgive us, He had to give His only Son to die in our place. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ died, dear friend! Without love, God would have had no reason or motivation to send His Son to die on our behalf. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  Can you take it in? The Son of God loved YOU and gave Himself for YOU (Galatians 2:20)! “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

GOD'S WONDERFUL PLACE

How can you receive this forgiveness of sin now, and be assured of eternal blessing in Heaven? “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).  Do not miss your opportunity to receive the 'gift of God' to you (Romans 6:23). Right now, won't you trust the Lord Jesus Christ in simple faith – as the One who died for your sins and is risen again? If you have received Him, I pray you will move forward in God's plan for your life, with a desire to know Him better, through the reading of His Word, the Bible  (Psalm 119:105).

Love, the love of God, to save a wretch like me Love that sent His Son to die on Calvary Love that knows no bounds whatever man may be Love, eternal love, displayed in Christ we see Bearing all my shame in cruel agony Pierced upon the cross, there taking all my sin Love, eternal love, I owe my all to Him Eternal love, love to me.

God bless,
Claudine

What Will Singing Be Like In Heaven

Ever wondered what it will be like in heaven, or what we will do. As I started this new year, I happen to start the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ, and found a few interesting gems like: What will the heavenly worship be like. Chapter 4-6 gives us much insights.

Chapter 4 of the Revelation starts with an open door into heaven. God lets us have a peak of what it will be like. All are praising the Creator in worship: 

Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was, and is, and is to come. V8

You are worthy, O Lord,

to receive glory and honor and power

for You have created all things,

and by Your will they exist

and were created. V11

‘We all know the Bible says that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). So God is the sole Creator of the universe (Isaiah 44:24). Many Bible passages attribute the creation simply to God rather than to the individual persons of the Father, Son or Holy Spirit. Other passages, however relate the creation specifically to the Father (1 Corinthians 8:6), to the Son (Colossians 1:16), or to the Holy Spirit (Psalm 104:30). Some people suggest that creation is FROM the Father, THROUGHT the Son, and BY the Holy Spirit. The God of the Bible is certainly and Triune God (Trinity, of three equal Persons)’. (Ron Rhodes)

In chapter 5 more singing is going on and they sang a new song, saying:

You are worthy to take the scroll,

and to open its seals;

for You were slain,

and have redeemed us to God by Your blood

out of every tribe and tongue and 

people and nation,

and have made us kings and priests unto our God;

and we shall reign on the earth. V10

Notice that the singing is not about our good works but praises are directed to God and to the Lamb who was slain, for Jesus who died for our sins and purchased our entrance to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 2:8-9). Then I looked says John, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voices of many angels, numbering ten thousand times ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and riches and 

wisdom and strength

and  honor and glory and blessing. V12

Then I heard every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that are in them, saying:

To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and power,

forever and ever!  V13

I get excited as I see this day approaching. Where all will be glory, no more sin to bother us, entice us, or hurt us. No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain. Having had our sins washed in the blood of the Lamb who was slain on Calvary, we will be forever grateful for His perfect and eternal salvation.

For now, I love to sing this one which is very appropriate:

WE PRAISE THE O GOD

We praise Thee O God for the Son of Thy love

For Jesus Who died and is now gone above

Refrain:

Hallelujah, Thine the glory

Hallelujah, Amen

Hallelujah, Thine the glory

Revive us again

We praise Thee, O God for Thy Spirit of light

Who hath shown us our Saviour and scattered our night

Refrain

All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain

Who hath borne all our sins and hath cleansed every stain

Refrain

All glory and praise to the God of all grace

Who hast brought us, and sought us, and guided our ways

Refrain

Until then …  teach me Lord on earth to show 

by my love I much I owe,

Claudine 

Un Chrétien je croyais etre!

UN CHRETIEN JE CROYAIS ETRE, mais j'ignorais le bonheur;

Que Jésus mon divin Maitre, vient apporter dans un coeur.

 Depuis mon enfance, j'ai toujours pensé qu'à notre mort Dieu pèserait nos bonnes oeuvres sur un côté d'une balance et que sur l'autre côté, Il y pèserait nos péchés. Je croyais aussi que Dieu, étant amour et miséricordieux trouverait le moyen de me donner plus de mérites pour mes bonnes oeuvres que mes mauvaises ... après tout, je n'étais pas une personne bien méchante! Je ne savais pas dans ce temps là que cette idée était contraire à la Parole de Dieu. Alors, j'étais en fausse paix pour plusieurs'années (25 ans).

Mais tout cela changea lorsque je fis face à la Vérité. Vous savez, La Bible est La Vérité (Jean 17:17). La Parole de Dieu Elle-meme nous atteste qu'Elle est divinement inspires de Dieu (lire 2Timothée 3:16), et aussi, les prophéties accomplies nous laisse aucun doute.

C'est au début de 1987 que j'ai recu un livre sur les prophéties de La Bible. En voyant cela, mon intéret fut attire, car j'ai toujours cru que la Sainte Bible était la Parole de Dieu, autorité absolue, point finale. Alors, étant très intéressé dans ce livre, je commencai à lire ce qui m'avais l'air intéressant. J'ai bientot su comment Dieu me voyait.

Vérifiant dans la grosse Bible que j'avais chez moi, j'ai vite comprise que j'étais pécheresse: "Car tous ont péché et sont privés de la gloire de Dieu" (Romans 3:23), et que nous sommes pas sauvés par nos bonnes oeuvres: "Car c'est par la grace que vous etes sauvés, par le moyen de la foi. Et cela ne vient pas de vous, c'est le don de Dieu. Ce n'est point par les oeuvres..." (Ephesiens 2:8-9). Tout cela était bien clair pour moi.

J'ai aussi apprise que si je mourrais dans mes péchés, je n'irais jamais au ciel. Maintenant je resentais tous mes péchés comme un lourd fardeau. Sachant ce que je méritais, j'avais très peur de mourir dans cet état. J'étais comme prête à aller de Kap à Montréal sur mes genoux si cela pouvait pardonner tous mes péchés. Je voulais aller au ciel à tout prix!!!

Quand j'étais jeune je me suis parfois demandée: 'Pourquoi Jésus est mort sur une croix? Pourquoi une mort si atroce?” Mais c'est en continuant ma lecture que j'ai su que c'était pour MES PECHES qu'Il est mort sur la croix! Car voici ce que Dieu nous déclare: “C'est une parole certaine et entièrement digne d'être reçue, que Jésus-Christ est venu dans le monde pour sauver les pécheurs...” 1 Timothée 1:15. “...Il a paru une seule fois pour effacer le péché par son sacrifice.” Hébreux 9:26 “...Le sang de Jésus son Fils nous purifie de TOUT péché.” 1 Jean 1:7  “Car il y a un seul Dieu, et aussi un seul médiateur entre Dieu et les hommes, Jésus-Christ homme, qui s'est donné Lui-même en rançon pour tous.” 1 Timothé 2:5,6. Dieu nous montre le chemin du ciel, et il n'y en a pas d'autres! Jésus dit: “Je suis le chemin, la vérité et la vie. Nul ne vient au Père que par moi.” Jean 14:6. Aussi, Jésus dit: “Je suis la porte. Si quelqu'un entre par moi, il sera sauvé.” Jean 10:9 Voilà la porte du ciel – JESUS!!!

Aussitôt trouvé, en prière je me suis repentie de mes péchés et j'ai accepté le Seigneur Jésus pour mon Sauveur...

Je l'ai trouvé, je l'ai trouvé le bonheur ineffable!
Je suis sauvé, je suis sauvé, O joie inexprimable!
Tous mes péchés sont effaces: Le sang de Christ me lave.
Les jours de larmes sont passes: Je ne suis plus esclave!


Prenez Dieu à sa Parole, car il est impossible que Dieu mente – Hebreux 6:18b
"Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'Il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle."  Jean 3:16

“Que celui qui est sage prenne garde à ses choses,
et qu'il soit attentif aux bontés de l'Eternel.”
Psalm 107:43

This Is My Story, This Is My Song!

Since my childhood, I had always believed (hoped) that God in heaven must have a big scale and that once we died, He would weigh out the good and the bad, and that 'God Being Love', would arrange it so that He would find more good than bad in most people and thereby be saved. You won't find that anywhere in the Bible, this is a pure trick of the devil so you won't worry about your eternal future. So I was in that false peace for the first 25 years of my life.

But everything changed once I came to know THE TRUTH. You know, there is absolute TRUTH to be known my friends (1 Timothy 2:3-6; John 8:32)! The Scriptures bear witness to themselves that they are divine. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). Not only do the Scriptures bear witness that the Bible is God's Word, but also the exact fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies bear record too, without a shadow of a doubt. Also, no other book in the history of mankind has had such a tremendous effect in the lives of millions as the Holy Bible.

By spring 1987, I had read a book about Bible prophecies which really shook me up! It showed me on many occasions how the Bible prophesied events and everything had turned out just as God had said it would. What scared me the most was that some prophecies were still unfulfilled, and I was not ready to meet God the way I was. You see I found out to my dismay that I was a SINNER DESERVING HELL! God is Holy and will not accept one little sin in His perfect Heaven. I was in big trouble and I knew it! (read Romans 3:23; John 8:21)

By then, I really wanted to be right with God, because I knew the Bible said that the Lord Jesus Christ was coming again AT ANY MOMENT to take to heaven those that belong to Him (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18), and that those left behind would go through what the Bible calls THE TRIBULATION (read the book of Revelation). Or, what if I died in a car accident tomorrow, or even died in my sleep tonight? I needed to be saved right now (Acts 4:12). I was ready to do anything at that point. So I decided to finish reading the book I had and follow everything in MY BIBLE ... THIS WAS VERY URGENT!

You know, I never knew why the Lord Jesus had died such an awful death as the crucifixion! But I found out that this event was God's Way for men to BE SAVED/made right with God! "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (prophecies); and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according the the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Through faith in Christ and His great work on the cross, salvation became mine. It can be yours today as well(see John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)! If you are willing to take the place of a sinner, then Christ is willing to take the place of a Saviour - in fact, He already did! Come to Him now, He will not turn you away! (John 6:37) "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
Humanity's only hope is found in the unmerited unearned, and undeserved grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23), justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24)

Jesus said: "I am The Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved..." John 10:9. As soon as I found heaven's door, by faith, I quickly entered in with thankfulness to God in my heart, "and He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Him." Psalm 40:3

I could grace withstand no more,

For I saw my sins He bore,

So I entered by The Door, and believed it.

Now I'm happy all the day;

I can sing as well as pray,

For my sins are washed away - I believe it!

Claudine

THE BIBLE - From Genesis to Revelation

As I am finishing reading the book of Revelation (the last book of the Bible), I could not help but share with you the interesting contrast found between this book and the book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible), and the huge 'gem' found in between these two books!

GENESIS                                   VS                                   REVELATION

-the sun is created                                                              -the sun is not needed
-Satan is victorious                                                            -Satan is defeated
-sin enters the human race                                                 -sin is banished
-people run and hide from God                                         -people are invited to live with God
-people are cursed                                                             -the curse is removed
-tears are shed with sorrow for sin                                    -no more sin, tears or sorrow
-the garden and earth are cursed                                       -God's city is glorified
-paradise is lost                                                                 -paradise is regained
-people are doomed to death                                             -death is defeated;
                                                                                            believers live forever with God

(from Bible notes)

The Bible records for us the beginning of the world and the end of the world. The account of mankind, from the beginning to the end (from the fall into sin to redemption and to God's ultimate victory over evil).

In Genesis, God created us with the freedom to choose between good and evil (He did not want robots). We all chose to disobey (Romans 3:23). Sin kills the body and soul (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15). But God in His grace, mercy and love, chose to send His Son to the earth to save us from our sins by His perfect sacrifice on Calvary's cross (John 3:17; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1John 4:10) and today (by the mercy of God) we are again given another choice (Joshua 24:15; Deuteronomy 11:26; Ephesians 2:8-9):

"He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 3:36



According to God's Word, the choice you make today (or before your last breath -see  Hebrews 9:27) will determine where your soul will be for eternity (there is a heaven and there is a hell - Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:1, 27)!

ETERNITY!

Time soon will end,

Its fleeting moments pass away;

O sinner, say, where will you spend

Eternity's unchanging day?

"And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God." 1 John 5:11-13

  

'Choose life!

That you might live the life that He give, He gives you forever!

Choose life!'

Claudine

What's In A Name?

In the Bible, a person's name stands for his or her character. It represents who he or she really is.

Worthy of notice is the fact that we often encounter "in The Name of the Lord Jesus" in the Bible, here is just a couple of them:

-"For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in  'My Name' there I am in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20

-"For whosoever shall call upon 'The Name of the Lord' shall be saved." Romans 10:9

-"These things I have written unto you that believe on 'The Name of the Son of God' that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 Epistle of John 5:13

We are to believe not only in Jesus' words, but also in His very Person as the Son of God. Moreover, to believe in "The Name" means to pattern your life after Christ's, to become more like Him by uniting yourself with Him. And if we are living like Christ, we will also obey His commands.

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given ... His Name shall be called Wonderful, Councellor, Mighty God, Everlastings Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

There is a Name I love to hear,

I love to speak its worth;

It sounds like music in mine ear,

The sweetest Name on earth

It tells me of a Saviour's love,

Who died to set me free;

It tells me of His precious blood,

The sinner's perfect plea.

This Name shall shed its fragrance still

Along life's thorny road,

Shall sweetly smooth the rugged hill

That leads me up to God.

And there, with all the blood-bought throng,

From sin and sorrow free,

I'll sing the new, eternal song

Of Jesus' love to me.

I just wanted to share these precious gems I found today while gleaning from His precious Word!

Claudine