Category Archives: Daily Inspiration
Living for Jesus Part 1
IS BAPTISM NECESSARY FOR SALVATION ? (video & text)
Recently at the Goodwill store, we met one of Jesus sheep and she got saved. Her name is Ashley, and she wants to get baptized. We told her OK, and that we would baptize her. Is baptism really necessary? If you really think it is necssary then do it.. However the Bible says, “Though Jesus himself baptized not,but his disciples” (John 4:2). Baptism was a strong tradition back in Jesus day. Everyone who wanted to turn to God got baptized. Baptism came from purification rites from the Old Testament, and were carried over by the early church, and even the church today. John baptized many people, even Jesus, fulfilling a great prophecy in Daniel Chapter 9 when Jesus was anointed by God to begin his public ministry. The Messiah means “The Anointed One”You would think that Jesus himself would have baptized people if it was so important. The water doesn’t save you, only the Blood of Jesus saves us. There are many verses that tell us that all we need to be saved is to believe in and receive Jesus, The word believe comes from a Greek word which means “to take in”. So you have to take Jesus into your heart. If at that same moment you get baptized, you take Jesus into your heart, then you would be saved, or by the very fact that you are showing everyone who sees you getting baptized that you are a believer, then that would save you. The fact is baptism is not necessary to be saved. It is an outward show of an inward spiritual change, it is a testimony of your faith to others. It can also be a personal experience between you and the Lord. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also 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:”(I Peter 3:18- 21). Some churches get a little carried away and teach that if you don’t get baptized then you can’t be saved. What if you were lost in the desert and there was no water any where? Also they teach if you aren’t totally immersed under water you can’t be saved. What if one of your hairs was floating on the water? So go ahead and get Baptized if you want to, but know this, that only faith in Jesus’s blood and believing that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead will save you. “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”(Romans 10:9,10).” Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all ? Why are they baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29) .The Bible talks about being Baptized for the dead. This is a common practice today of the Mormons. However Paul did not confirm this practice of some in the early church. He simply mentioned it referring to the Resurrection. But the point is that there is hope for People who have died and were not saved. This is contrary to Baptist doctrine which teaches that once people die and are not saved they are doomed to Hell forever. Why did Jesus go and preach in hell to the spirits in prison if they couldn’t have a chance to get out and accept him as their Savior? (1 Peter 3:19). Jesus said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so also shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” ( Matthew 12:40) Jesus also said “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”(Matthew 16:19). He gave this power and authority not only to Peter, but to all of his disciples which is good for his disciples today.The rock was not Peter, but what Peter said about Jesus being the Christ, the Son of the Living God.“Jesus Christ the same yesterday,today, and forever.”(Hebrews 13:8) So be sure and use this power by praying for even dead people who were not saved, or if you aren’t sure if they were saved or not .“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9) . I don’t believe that our kind and loving Heavenly Father will be happy and satisfied until all of his creation is restored as he wanted it. The Lord lead me to go to a whole Japanese Cemetery and pray over their graves for deliverance and their Salvation. I didn’t need to get baptized for the dead Japanese peoples spirits. A prayer was good enough.They still have to make the choice themselves to receive Jesus as their Savor. The Lord might send you someday on a mission into hell to witness to the spirits in prison. Will you be willing? If Baptism was necessary for Salvation, then all babies who die and were not baptized would go to hell. And what about the thief on the cross next to Jesus whom Jesus told “this day you will be with me in paradise” They didn’t take him off the cross and baptize him and put him back up on the cross. People that say Baptism was necessary for Salvation also say there can be no exceptions because if there were exceptions then it wouldn’t be necessary. If someone says Baptism is necessary they are teaching a false doctrine, because they are teaching that a work must be performed to obtain Salvation, when the Bible clearly teaches that Salvation is a free gift of God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9).Therefore water Baptism is not necessary for Salvation. I have Baptized people before who thought it was necessary for their Salvation. Because I didn’t want them to stumble. Remember people can be saved at the time they get baptized. If that is what it takes to get people saved then use it. Don’t loose a soul over arguing about Baptism.
Say this prayer to be saved: Jesus, I want to know you, and to live forever in Heaven, I know I have made mistakes and done bad things- and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it, but I accept your love and I accept you as my Saviour. I believe you died on the cross for my sins ,and rose from the dead. Please come into my heart and life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me peace. Amen.
Be Refreshed and Renewed ( video & text)
Can a person be born again if they have already been born again? NO, sorry the answer is no! As much as you might like to or want to you can only be born again once and it is forever. In other words ,once saved always saved. You can renew your self and refresh yourself in the Lord. It’s like washing the dishes. The Lord wants to clean us every day so we can be fit for the masters use. Sometimes like the dishes, we need to be washed and cleaned two or three times a day. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us .by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).You can be a new creature in Christ Jesus every day. It’s like being saved and born again anew everyday by simply praying to Jesus to create a new clean heart and spirit in you everyday. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10). “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold ,all things are become new.”(2 Corinthians 5:17). “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26). You can’t help being you, and I can’t help being me,but we can all try to be more like Jesus.”It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed,because his compassion’s fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”(Lamentations 3:22&23). Even though you can’t be saved again, you can renew your relationship with Jesus. He said: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”(Hebrews 13:5). “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”(1 John 3:9). Let me try to explain this verse as best I can. How can we not commit sin if we are born of God? Because God only looks on our hearts to see if we have been cleansed by faith in the blood of his Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:7).The word sin means missing the mark. We will still sin everyday, and unfortunately do things or say things that displease God. We are rewarded by our works not saved by them.“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8&9). After being saved and born again, any unconfessed and unforgiven sin, we will still have to answer for. That is why we need to take time listening to the Lord everyday. He will show you things you may have done or said that were not pleasing to him, and that we need to ask forgiveness for, and try to do better. However as King David said: “Mine iniquities are more than the hairs of my head.”(Psalm 40:12). “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6). So we don’t need to get into a big self righteous works trip, but try to strike a balance or happy medium. It’s like the lady said; ” Lord I thank you that I have not been unloving or unkind or done anything to displease you or offend anybody today, but, I’m about to get out of bed so Lord please help me today.”
Say this prayer to be saved: Jesus, I want to know you, and to live forever in Heaven, I know I have made mistakes and done bad things- and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it, but I accept your love and I accept you as my Saviour. I believe you died on the cross for my sins ,and rose from the dead. Please come into my heart and life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me peace. Amen.
REDEEMING THE TIME
Only one life ( in this body), ‘Twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last. Watch out for the quicksand time wasting traps from the devil. One of the enemies wiles is to wait awhile. “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is yet day; the night cometh, when no man can work.” (JOHN 9:4) . “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (EPHESIANS 5:15,16). “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (PSALMS 90:12). “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep; and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8). If the devil can’t stop you he will try and delay you. Alexander The Great was asked how he conquered the world his reply was “by not delaying”. Each morning puts a man on trial, each evening passes judgment. The past cannot be changed the future is in your power. The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. At late or early hour now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time, for the clock may soon be still. When you work, work like mad, when you play, play like mad and don’t mix the two. If you are doing anything but putting God first and saving souls… you are wasting time.
Say this prayer if you want to be saved: Jesus, I want to know you, and to live forever in Heaven, I know I have made mistakes and done bad things- and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it, but I accept your love and I accept you as my Saviour. I believe you died on the cross for my sins ,and rose from the dead. Please come into my heart and life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me peace. Amen.
HOW TO FIGHT THE DEVIL
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the
Joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12). I have been studying the Bible pretty good for over 43 years,
and every time I read it I learn new things. The Bible is truly a living Book.
It has power. The devil hates it and is afraid of it, even though he tries to
misquote it. He even tried to do that to Jesus, but Jesus fought back with the
Word. “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of
the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward
an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of
God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is
written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written. HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING THEE: and IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP, LEST AT ANY TIME THOU DASH THY FOOT AGAINST A STONE. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence) Satan: for it is written. THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD. AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE.” (Matthew 4:1-10).So if you want more power to fight the enemy and his demons, get more of the Bible into your spirit! “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun.When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” ( Isaiah 59:19).
THE RESURRECTION AND THE RAPTURE
“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.”(I Thessalonians 4: 16-18).”And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” ( Daniel 12:2,3).”Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, 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 shall be raised incorruptible,and we shall be changed.” (I Corinthians 15:51,52).This is talking about the seventh Trumpet of the Great Tribulation. ( see our class on Revelation chapter 10).”And the graves were opened;and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,And came out of the graves after his Resurrection,and went into the holy city,and appeared unto many.”( Matthew 27:52,53). when Jesus takes all the saved to be with him in Heaven for the Great Marriage supper of the Lamb which is called the Rapture. This is what all Christian believers are looking forward to when we see Jesus and .all the resurrected believers. HAVE YOU GOT YOUR TICKET TO GET IN? YOU DO IF YOU HAVE ASKED JESUS CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART ! Did you know that when Jesus himself was resurrected from the grave and walked upon the earth for forty days that also the old Testament prophets were resurrected from a place called Paradise where they were waiting for that day. Remember Jesus told the thief on the cross that believed on him, “Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43 ). Jesus first stopped off there (on his way to Hell ) to see the Old Testament Prophets and Saints who died. Maybe he took some of them with him on his prison ministry when he went to hell to preach to the spirits in prison. He went all the way down to Gehenna the lake of fire in the heart of the earth. These Prophets also walked the streets of Jerusalem and were taken up to heaven? See you here or there or in the air !!!!!!!
THE BREATH OF LIFE
Every day with Jesus is better than the day before. Every day with Jesus we can love him more and more, Amen? It’s like breathing, we can’t get enough. We always want more and more. More of Jesus and his love.” And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” ( Genesis 2:7). “ The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”( Job 33:7). “ Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:” ( Isaiah 42:5).” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:” ( John 20:22). When we breath we are breathing the breath from God. We sometimes take breathing for granted, because it is such a natural thing to do. Have you ever gone without air to breathe? I can tell you it is not a good feeling. One day when I was scuba diving in Cozumel at around 90 ft. down, I ran out of air even though my gauge said I still had plenty of air left. I looked around frantically for my partner, but she was far off in the distance chasing a large sea turtle. I had no air to make it to the surface, and even if I did I would have gotten the bends so I was without air. I was thinking ok Lord, this is it, I am going to go and be with you. All of a sudden Danna came swimming from behind a giant brain coral and shared her air with me and we went up to the surface. It was quite a startling experience, and I learned some good lessons. Just like air to breathe we need Jesus, and more of his spirit. We have so much to be thankful for. So lets all tell Jesus how much we love and appreciate him, and the breath of life he has given us to breath.
TAKE A STAND
This world is not our home. We’re just passing through. The Lord wants us to remember that he is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we belong to his kingdom forever! Jesus’s kingdom is not a physical country yet, but it will be when Jesus comes back to rule and reign for 1000 years upon the earth.( Revelation 21).”Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”(Colossians 3:2).Sure, were supposed to stand up for things that are of God, and right, and true, and vote, and let our voices be heard,but ultimately in this world and in this country it gets what it wants and deserves. Someday we each will have to stand before the Lord and give account for ourselves. Jesus said “What is that to thee Follow thou me. “(John 21 :22b). “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or,lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. “(Luke 17:20b,21 ).Beloved the Lord is saying to us who are unhappy about the events taking place in this country and in this world “See that ye be not troubled:for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”(Matthew 24:6b).Lord help us to let these events in this world make us to see more clearly about where we stand as Christians living in this world temporarily. Stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross. Lift high his royal banner it must not suffer loss ! If you don’t stand for something ,you will fall for anything. Do you know what your church or study group stands for on the issues of Eternal Salvation, the Holy Spirit, Witnessing, Faith and Healing, Pre- or Post Tribulation Rapture? If you don’t know where you stand on these issues, then you need to make up your mind. You can study about all of these issues in this web site. They are covered quite extensively, and laid out for you on a sliver platter. If you haven’t already dived into these truths, that God has so freely given you, then I can’t understand why not? “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold not hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” ( Revelation 3:15,16). “ Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (II Timothy 4:2-4). Beloved don’t let these verses be said of you!
WHEN IS JESUS COMING BACK ?
Jesus said “No man knows the day or hour of his coming. No not the angels of Heaven but my Father only. “( Matthew 24: 36 ), but he did give us certain signs like earthquakes which are certainly on the rise. It’s like the earth itself is giving out a warning with all these earthquakes happening all over.(Matthew 24: 3-7).When we see that the covenant is confirmed by the anti christ, then we know that there are only 7 years left ( Daniel 9:27), and when we see the abomination of desolation standing in the rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem, then we know that there are only 3 and one half years left, or 42 months, or 1,260 days until Jesus comes and raptures his saved.(Matthew 24:15, see our classes on Daniel & Revelation, and Matthew 24). It seems like Israel is in the news every day. God is certainly working out these events to fulfill his end time prophecy’s. Beloved it is an exciting time to be alive, and see all these things unfolding and coming to pass. Let us live every day to the fullest for Jesus. After all what is your life? It is but a vapor in eternity. (James 4: 14). We don’t know how much time each of us has here. So do what you can where you are for Jesus with what you have. Jesus said.”If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.(Luke 9:23,24 ). Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). I’ll see you here or there or in the air. Before I go give me one more soul, or better still a lot more souls!
Say this prayer to be saved: Jesus, I want to know you, and to live forever in Heaven, I know I have made mistakes and done bad things- and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it, but I accept your love and I accept you as my Saviour. Please come into my heart and life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me peace. Amen.