Gene E. Thompson
Some of you have already agreed or disagreed with the statement the title makes. Reserve your judgement until you have read the entire book. Then, don't use what you have believed in the past or what you were told in the past to judge it, but, rather, use the Word of God. And do not just use one or two scriptures, but, as Jesus said, 'but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God'. (Matthew 4:4)
From time to time you may feel I've gotten off the subject, but have patience. It's being put together much like a jigsaw puzzle. First, all the edge pieces are put together. That builds a boundary for all the other pieces. Then, sections are put together of similar pieces. Finally, the sections are combined together to complete the picture.
If you are one who says, 'Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up,' then I would ask you to look up the phrase 'Accept Jesus as your savior' in the New Testament. If you have trouble finding it, then read this book and see what God does have to say. That's all I ask of you; but God asks much more.
Some would say this is a list of my 'non-credentials'. I have no 'formal' theological education. I'm not an ordained minister. But Luke 9:49-50 says, 'And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us'. I have never taken a course in religion, but I have been taught the scriptures and many of the major truths of the Bible by the greatest teacher of all times. Paul was fast to say that he had been taught by the most renowned teacher of his day, Gamaliel, but Paul's true understanding of the scriptures came from my teacher, the Holy Spirit. 'And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.' (Matthew 16:17) For Jesus said: 'But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your rememberance, whatsoever I have said unto you'. Jesus also said, as he sent out the seventy disciples, 'He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me'.
When God asked me to write this, I asked, 'Why me? Why not get someone well known that has several degrees in theology?' And He said, 'Peter, Andrew, James, and John were simple fishermen, but I had them stand before the best educated Scribes and Pharisees of their day. The Scribes and Pharisees knew the scriptures, but they didn't understand them. They twisted the scriptures around, trying to make them say what they wanted them to say.' Matthew 15:8-9 says, 'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'
Today, people say 'man' is in charge of his own destiny. The song, 'He's Got The Whole World In His Hands', (meaning God's hands) was recently song on T.V. with one change. Instead of 'He's', they sang, 'We've got the whole world in our hands'.
It seems that in this 'intellectual' world we live in, that it would be putting mankind in less than the top position to admit to there being a God; Much less a God that is all knowing, all present and all powerful. But if you claim to believe the Bible, . . . . . . . .
Today we see adults with the same problem. They want their 'candy' NOW! They are willing to loose a far greater reward in the future (eternal life), to get what they want today (to be in charge of their own lives, with no one to tell them what to do, not even God). Are you willing to give God control of your life today, for an eternal reward? Don't answer too quickly. First you have to count the cost. Jesus said, . . . . . . . . .
Stop right now, close your eyes for a moment and picture the Devil in your mind. Are you finished? ------------ No. Satan doesn't wear a red suit with forked tail and horns on his head. He doesn't carry a pitchfork. Your understanding of what Satan looks like, hasn't grown since you were a child. He looks like . . . . . . .
The word, worthy, scares some people. They think it means perfect. But as you will see, we have to be accounted worthy to be saved. Jesus wants us to do the things that make us worthy of him and our calling, and to turn away from the things that make us unworthy. . . . . . . . . .
Who Chooses Whom? The Bible says: 'Many are called, but few are chosen.' (Matthew 20:16 and 22:14). When asking adults, who go to church, Who does the calling?, they immediately say: 'God does, through the Holy Spirit'. But when asked, Who does the choosing?, after some hesitation, they say: 'We do.' Are they right? Let's look at God's word! . . . . . . . . . .
Who Accepts Whom? Nowhere in the Bible does it say: 'Accept Jesus as your Savior'. In fact, everywhere the word 'accept' is used, in regard to salvation, it's God doing the accepting. . . . . . . . . .
'Many are called, but few are chosen.' (Matthew 20:16 and 22:14). So let's see why few are chosen. . . . . . . . . .
Getting close doesn't count in salvation! . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . This made me conclude that it was worse to judge someone saved, than to judge someone lost. But we are not to judge things of the heart, either way, saved or lost! . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . As I said earlier, the important thing is who does the sending, who does the empowering. Deciding to do 'good' on your own authority is not acceptable to God. . . . . . . . . .
Works are like litmus paper. When litmus paper is put into acid, it changes color to show the presence of acid. It doesn't make the solution acidic, it just shows that it is. If the litmus paper doesn't turn red, then no acid is present. James is saying that when you dip the 'litmus paper' of works into faith and no works show up, then the faith is not 'saving faith'. It has no 'life' in it. It is dead. Works won't save you; but neither will the kind of faith that doesn't produce works. . . . . .
What You Must Do. If you want to be successful, do what successful people do. Look at the lives of those, in the Bible, who were justified in God's sight; those who God counted as righteous. . . . . . . . .
The Cost of being a
CHRISTIAN
Is great, and lasts a lifetime.
Luke 14:27-33
But the cost of not being a
CHRISTIAN
Is far greater, and lasts forever!
Revelation 21:8
My hope and prayer for you, is that you do these three things 'in spirit and in truth' (John 4:24). . . . . . . .
God said: 'I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.' (2 Corinthians 6:2). . . . . . . . .
