The Devils Also Believe ... And Tremble!

"You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19

I often hear people say: "I believe in God!"  They seem to take comfort in the fact that they believe but I fear sometimes this could be  all they have.  The Bible says in James 2:19, the devils also believe and they tremble (they know they have little time left before their judgment - Revelation 12:12). This simple belief is not enough to take you to heaven! Do not be deceived!  If you only believe there is a God, and that's where it stops, you're in bad company!

We all know that we've sinned (Romans 3:23), but there is a repentance needed, dear reader (Mark 1:15), and faith in the work of Christ on the cross for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 1:14). You need a spiritual U-Turn (the Bible calls it to be born-again)! You see, one is born-again, not by just believing in God, or trusting someone's word, or answering an alter call, or by some miracle sign, or saying a certain prayer, or even by turning a new leaf ... but by repentance and trusting what the Word of God says about you, about God and about His Son! Check out verse John 3:16, it talks about God, about His Son, and about you!  Won't you believe it? My prayer is that you will not only believe in God but BELIEVE GOD! 

"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

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides for ever." 1 Peter 1:23 

Only God in His mercy can forgive our sins. We can't earn forgiveness by our deeds (read Titus 3:5). When someone claims to have faith, what he or she may have is a 'head knowledge'. As Christians, we are saved by God's grace, and salvation frees us from sin's control. True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts. What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons.  They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone, a new life has begun (2 Corinthians 5:17). All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to Himself through what Christ did.  If our life remains unchanged, we don't truly believe the truths we claim to believe.  It isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all, it is dead and useless faith, James says in 2:17.  True faith always results in a changed life and good deeds. (B.N.)

Paul speaks against those who try to be saved by deeds instead of true faith (Romans chapter 3). We cannot earn our salvation by serving and obeying God.  But such actions show that our commitment to God is real.  And James speaks against those who confuse mere head knowledge with true faith. After all, even demons know who Jesus is, but they don't obey him (James 2:19).You need much more than that, you need a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ

 "This is the message He has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all.  So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves, and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from every sin. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His Word has no place in our hearts."  1 Epistle of John 1:6-10


Precious Pearls:
"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

"You must be born again!" John 3:3,7

"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

Special Note:

The power of God to save is not in the one believing but in the One believed not in the one trusting but in the One trusted!

Jesus is my Everything ...but what about you?

Claudine



Preach & Teach

This will conclude my blog on the book of Matthew.

 In this last chapter of the book, Matthew 28, we read in V 19:

"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Something should be mentioned about the Trinity!  Jesus' words affirm the reality of the Trinity.  As we see here, the concept comes directly from The Lord Himself. He did not say baptize them in the nameS, but in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The word Trinity does not occur in Scripture, but it well describes the three-in-one nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When God said "Let us make man in our image" Genesis 1:26 perhaps this is why we are a three part person as well, body-soul-spirit?

Now about baptism, one thing should be said: according to God's Word, the water of baptism does not save, but God's grace accepted through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Because of Jesus' response to the criminal on the cross who died along side him, we know it is possible to be saved without being baptized (Luke 23:43).  Also, baptism alone without faith does not guarantee that a person will go to heaven.  Those who refuse to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour will be condemned regardless if whether or not they have been baptized.

Mark 16:15-16 "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned."

The disciples were to baptize people because baptism unites believers with Jesus Christ in their death to sin and their resurrection to new life. Baptism symbolizes submission to Christ, a willingness to live God's way, and identification with God's covenant people.

Why is God commanding us to tell others (Romans 10:9) of His wondrous love for sinners? Because He doesn't want any to perish (1 Timothy 1:4) in that awful place called 'hell' which was prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). He has made provision and it is up to us to accept or reject it (See John 3:36).

Precious Pearl:
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." 1 Corinthians 13:14 
Claudine

CHRISTIANITY'S FOUNDATION

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead is the central fact of Christian history. On it, the Church is built; without it, there would be no Christian church today.  Jesus' resurrection is unique, in that only Christianity has a God who became human, literally died for His people's sin and was raised again in power and glory to rule His church forever. (Bible notes)

In Matthew 28:11-15, Jesus' resurrection was already causing a great stir in Jerusalem.  A group of women was moving quickly through the streets, looking for the disciples to tell them the amazing news that Jesus was alive. At the same time, the soldiers sheepishly went to the chief priests to break the news, and together were plotting how to cover up the resurrection. In desperation, they bribed the soldiers to tell the fantastic lie that while the soldiers slept, the disciples stole the body of Jesus. This explanation raises more questions than it answers:

- Why were the soldiers sleeping when they should have been on guard?
-How could the disciples have rolled the stone away without waking the so called sleeping guards?
-How could all the soldiers have fallen asleep at the same time?
-If they were asleep, how did they know that the disciples stole the body?
-If the story was true, why did the soldiers have to be bribed to tell it?
-If the disciples had stolen the body, why had they taken time to remove the grave clothes and fold the napkin? (Luke 24:12; John 20:6-7)
-If the disciples had stolen the body, where did they put it? Why was it never found?
(Believer's Bible Commentary)

Truth is self-verifying; a lie has to be supported by countless other lies!

Without the belief in the resurrection the Christian faith could not have come into being. The disciples would have remained crushed and defeated men. Even had they continued to remember Jesus as their beloved teacher, His crucifixion would have forever silenced any hopes of His being the Messiah. The cross would have remained the sad and shameful end of His 'career'.  The origin of Christianity therefore hinges on the belief of the early disciples that God had raised Jesus from the dead. (William Lane Craig)

Today there is still a great stir over the resurrection, and there are still only two choices: to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, or to be closed to the truth - denying it, ignoring it, or trying to explain it away. There will always be people who say that Jesus didn't rise from the dead.  Paul assures us that many people saw Jesus after His resurrection: Peter, the disciples; more than 500 believers (most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this); James the half brother of Jesus, all the Apostles; and finally Paul himself. The resurrection is a historical fact, and the Apostles gave their lives for the truth!  Would you give your life for a lie? Of course not!

Don't be discouraged by doubters who deny the resurrection. Be filled with hope because of the knowledge that one day all they who believe in Him will see the living proof when Christ returns.

Precious Pearls:
-"I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen.." Revelation 1:18
-"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward it with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:1
-"And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins....But now is Christ risen from the dead..." 1Cor. 15:17, 20

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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 : and that He was seen of Cephas (Peter), then the twelve: after that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ..." 1 Corinthians 15 : 3 -6

(If you are looking for a good book to help you look into all the evidences of Christianity, 'The New EVIDENCE that demands a verdict' by Josh McDowell, I found to be avery good book)

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?
Claudine

What Will Your Answer Be?

"What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" Matthew 27:22

In Matthew 27:15-26, Pilate made no decision concerning Christ, he preferred to stay on the fence as it were and let the crowds crucify the Lord. Although he washed his hands, the guilt remained. Washing your hands, or staying on the fence doesn't cancel your guilt, it merely gives you a false sense of peace. 

Pilate had several opportunities to make the right decision.  His conscience told him Jesus was innocent. Pilate had no good excuse to condemn Jesus, but he was afraid of the crowd. Are you also afraid of the crowd?  Don't let the crowd make YOUR DECISION concerning Christ!  It is your life, your responsibility and most importantly, your soul that is at stake!  Listen to what the Saviour said in Matthew 16:26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world (the crowd), and lose his own soul?"

Finally, we know by reading the Scriptures that the outcome was all planned by the Father so that His Son would go to the cross and die for our sins. "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." Acts 2:23

Then in verse 38, we read of the Lord being crucified between two thieves. One of either side of Him. We can read in more details of this wonderful written account in Luke 23:39-43. As those two thieves were about to die, one of them turned to Christ for forgiveness, and Christ accepted him. This for one thing shows that our deeds don't save us, but FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE.  Until the moment you have your last breath, it is never too late to turn to God. But not everyone has a last moment, we very well know that our life can so suddenly go from us in a fraction of a second.  So don't count on your last moment, you may never get that opportunity! Plus, our life will be much more useful and fulfilling if we turn to God early.

Oh, what will you do with Jesus?

The call comes low and clear,

The solemn words are sounding

In every listening ear.

Eternal life's in the question

And joy through eternity.

Then, what will you do with Jesus?

Oh, what shall the answer be?

Precious Pearl:

-"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved!"  Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13

-"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

-"For God send not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17

-"He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18

-"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have (desires) all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Timothy 2:3-6

-"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

In Christ alone,

Claudine



He Is Risen As He Said He Would!

"But after I have been raised from the dead, 
I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there."

Matthew 26:32

"'No founder of any world religion known to men ever dared say a thing like that!' - Wilbur Smith

John R.W. Scott writes: "Jesus Himself never predicted His death without adding that He would rise, and described His coming resurrection as a sign."  Matthew 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; 26:32; 27:63; Mark 9:10; Luke 9:22-27; John 2:18-22.

Jesus Christ not only predicted His resurrection but also emphasised that His rising from the dead would be a sign to authenticate His claims to be the Messiah (Matt 12; John 2).  "Therefore when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." John 2:20-22

'Christ Himself deliberately staked His whole claim to the credit of men upon His resurrection.  When asked for a sign He pointed to this sign as His single and sufficient credential.' (B.B.Warfield)

'Could the Man who predicted His death and resurrection, only to have it come to pass exactly as He had said, be anything but God?' (Corduan, NDA, 227)

Repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15), here is the gospel in a nutshell! "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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

Precious Pearl:

-'The Christian faith is faith in Christ.  Its value or worth is not in the one believing but in the One believed - not in the one trusting but in the One trusted!' (Josh McDowell)

-so get your assurance from God's Word, not from your thoughts, feelings or whatever or whoever else

Only a risen Christ could have such transforming power in a Christian's life!

I know He lives cause He lives within my heart!

Claudine

"Behold the Lamb of God!"

After observing His last Jewish Passover, the Saviour in Matthew 26:25-30 instituted what we know as the Lord's Supper. From the Paschal meal, Jesus took the bread and the cup and gave them new meaning. In V26, the Lord took the bread and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples saying: 'Take it and eat it, for this is my body'.  Since His body had not yet been given on the cross but was there present saying these words, the bread was not changed into His body but represented the body in which He lived a sinless life and thus qualified Himself to be the bearer of sins. It is worthy of note that He was speaking figuratively when saying: 'This is my body'! (Bible notes)

The same is true of the cup, the container is used to express the thing contained.  The cup contained the fruit of the vine, which in turn was a symbol of the blood of the new covenant.  His blood would cleanse from ALL SIN!  His blood was sufficient to provide forgiveness for all, but here V28 we read: it was 'shed for many' in that it was only effective in removing the sins of those who believed! (William MacDonald)

The old covenant was a shadow of the new (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews chapter 8), pointing forward to the day when Jesus Himself would be the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin.  Rather than an unblemished lamb slain on the altar, the perfect Lamb of God was slain on the cross, a sinless sacrifice, so that our sins could be forgiven once and for all.  All those who repent and believe in Christ receive that forgiveness! (Bible notes)

The same John the Baptist that preached: "Repent and believe the gospel" Mark 1:15 said: "Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world". John 1:29

"The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses us from ALL SIN!" 1 Epistle of John 1:7b

Precious Pearls:
-nothing but His blood will do
-cleanses past, present and future sins
-nothing to add to this perfect sacrifice
-no other way or person can make you right with God

God said it, I believe it, that settles it!
How about you?
Claudine

Not Saved By Good Works But For Good Works! - Read Ephesians 2:8-10

"And above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness!"
Colossians 3:14

In Matthew 25:31-46 we read about the King who judges the nations, which takes place on earth after Christ comes to reign (V31), which is after the 7 year tribulation.  This is a judgment of those Gentiles who survive the tribulation and whose salvation is evidenced by their treatment of the Jews (Joel 3:1-2, 12-14; Matt 25:31-46).  Surviving Jews will also be judged at this same time. (see Ezekiel 20:33-44)

This passage cannot be used to teach salvation by works.  For the Bible clearly teaches that salvation is by faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But the Bible is just as clear in teaching that true faith produces good works (Ephesians 2:10).  So we must understand that the Gentiles are not saved by befriending the Jewish remnant at that time, but that this kindness reflects their love for the Lord. (William MacDonald)

As well, this parable can teach us acts of mercy we all can do everyday.  These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs.  Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for other's needs. (Bible notes)

Precious Pearls:

-What affects His people, affects Him

-We have the potential for showing kindness to Him
by showing kindness to those who love Him

-We can all see the importance of serving where service is needed

-'Who is my neighbour?'  All those God puts in our path!

"And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13

By His wonderful grace,

Claudine 

What Are False Prophets?

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."
Matthew 24:4

The Old Testament frequently mentions false prophets.  False prophets claimed to receive messages from God, but they preached a 'health & wealth' message.  They said what the people wanted to hear, even when the nation was not following God as it should. 

There were false prophets in Jesus' day, and we have them just the same today!  So, in Matthew 24 The Lord Jesus warns us against them.

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:11

Upon close examination it becomes clear that many nice-sounding messages don't agree with God's message in the Bible. Only a solid foundation in God's Word can equip us to perceive the errors and distortions in false teaching.

To keep from being deceived, we must understand that Jesus' return will be unmistakable (Mark 13:26); no one will doubt that it is He.  If you have to be told that the Messiah has come, then He hasn't.  Christ coming in the end times will be obvious to everyone. Read the details in V 26-31 (Bible notes)


Now that this has been said, I cannot talk about this subject without mentioning 'THE RAPTURE'. The rapture is an event that will take place before the coming of Christ to the earth.  It could even happen today! Although all the signs given in the Bible are for the tribulation, we know that the rapture will take place prior to that event. It is an event where Christ appears in the clouds to take His Church (believers in Christ that are alive or have died) home to heaven to celebrate the 'Marriage Supper of the Lamb' while the unbelievers go through the tribulation on the earth. My prayer is that all who read this, will consider the path they are on, and will TURN while there is time and breath in you.

Precious Pearls:
-"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

-"Behold, I shew you a mystery (Paul says to the believers); We shall not all sleep (be dead), but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead (believers) shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on the incorruptible, and this mortal (must) put on immortality." 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

There is an urgency to your repentance dear reader! "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry!" Hebrews 10:37

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." Revelation 22:21
Claudine