Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category
Just An Old Nickel
Just An Old Nickel
A distinguished and nice looking gentleman walked up to me in the church foyer after service yesterday. The last day of the Men’s Conference was over. I had watched him during the meetings. He sat on the front every day and entered into the worship service with all his heart. He had seemed to beam with pride as he watched his son lead the men in singing.
“I have something I want to show you!” He said after shaking my hand.
Reaching down into the front pocket of his suit pants, he pulled out some change. In his palm were two quarters, a dime, three pennies and a nickel. He placed the nickel in his other hand and returned the remaining change to his pocket.
“See this old nickel?” He asked while looking at me with tear filled eyes.
I looked down at the nickel again seeing nothing strange or spectacular about the coin. The date was not visible from my viewpoint, but I could tell it was an older coin and tarnished somewhat from exposure and wear.
“This is me!” The words came out while he struggled to keep his composure with tears streaming down his face. His neatly combed white hair making him look like a lawyer or senator.
“I picked this nickel up this morning out of the dirt. That’s where I was when God found me. I was in the dirt. I had no value in the dirt; I was of no value to anyone. I was just that one lost coin.
By now, both of us were looking at each other through the tears. “There was a day,” he went on to say, “when I could walk into any high stakes card game anywhere in the world, and the amateurs would fold or leave the table. The professionals knew they were going to lose. No matter the game I would win. It didn’t make any difference if it was cards, gambling, or shooting pool. You name it. They couldn’t beat me. Everyone knew my name and they hated to see me.
“I was living in the dirt just like this old nickel. Every time I even see a penny on the ground I pick it up. It reminds me of where I was when God found me and how he picked me up.
We both looked down at the nickel again. This time I viewed it with a different understanding.
“Brother, may I have this nickel?” I asked as I placed my upturned palm beside his. I will always treasure it!” I continued.
He smiled and placed it in my palm and I hugged his neck in thanks, because I too was once a lost coin.
We Will Adjust To Your Lifestyle
We Will Adjust To Your Lifestyle
The dietary nurse stood beside my Memphis hospital bed with a clipboard in her hand. I was confident that I already knew the speech she was about to give me. I’d heard it almost seven years earlier, the first time I had gotten blood clots.
“Is this the Anti-Vitamin K speech?” I asked her, expecting that I would not be able to eat anything green as long I was on the Coumadin blood thinner again. Nothing green had entered my mouth in over a year during my first bout with blood clots.
“Oh No!” she responded with enthusiasm.
“We don’t do it that way any more. We now adjust the medicine to fit your lifestyle. We’ve had too many complaints from our patients. They didn’t want to change, so we changed. They didn’t want to change how they ate. That’s why we changed our approach to the treatment of blood clots. We now tell the patient to keep eating like they always have and we will adjust the medicine to suit them.” She said this with a big smile, feeling certain I would share her enthusiasm.
“Really?” I said with my eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Yes,” she said. “For example, if you eat two helpings of turnip greens this week, then just eat two helpings of turnip greens next week too. Keep on living like you always have and we will adjust the meds to adapt to your lifestyle.”
I looked at her not believing my ears. I remembered the many monthly trips I had made to medical labs around the country to let them draw my blood for a PT-INR test. The results were faxed to my doctor so he could check up on my dietary compliance.
She smiled and assured me that I now could have all the salads, green beans, and broccoli I wanted. This news was unreal. The doctor would adjust the medicine to accommodate me. I wasn’t going to be required to change. The doctor and the medication would have to change, but not me. I could live like I always had.
My mind went back to the incident Bro. Wayne Huntley experienced with his heart some years ago. When he returned for his check up one year later, the doctor congratulated him and said, “Most of the patients like you do not make it to their first year check up because they refuse to change their diet. You’ve changed how you live, that’s why you are still here.”
Gentle Reader? The reason you got sick in the first place was because of how you were living, and now you say you want to be healed but aren’t willing to change? Oh my!
What was I missing? Doctors once required their patients to change and adjust their lifestyle, but not any more? Some tell me it’s progressive thinking. But then again, that is the spirit and mindset of the end times, especially for the church.
Evidently, not many want to change their lifestyle to live for Jesus. Over a hundred years ago church folk sang songs like:
Leaving All to Follow Jesus
Ida M. Budd, 1898
Leaving all to follow Jesus,
Turning from the world away,
Stepping out upon the promise,
All I have is His today.
Refrain:
Leaving all to follow Jesus,
Turning from the world away,
Stepping out upon His promise,
All I have is His today.
Some folks don’t want to give up much anymore to live for God. There are women who say they are Pentecostal but still wear their flashy jewelry and make up. They certainly want to wear their tight pants. Even if God did say it was an abomination, it doesn’t bother them. They will not change. They want the preacher to adjust his doctrine and standards to suit their lifestyle while they keep on wearing their skinny short skirts and other immodest apparel. Holiness is distasteful to them.
What do the preachers do about it? Not much as a rule. A surprising number of Pentecostal pastors are presenting the Gospel of Christ in much the same way as my dietary nurse. Pastors who are people pleasers are not God pleasers. The Scripture calls them ‘hirelings’. They are pastors who are not real shepherds. They are employees of the people, nothing more. The wishes of people govern their form of the Gospel, (Which is not a Gospel.) They are truly Laodicean.
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
To understand the meaning of the word ‘Laodicean,’ and why it is used in this passage, examine the Greek root words from which it is derived: Laos (Strong’s #2992, meaning ‘people’) and Dike (Strong’s #1349), meaning ‘principle, decision’. Laodiceans trusted in their own ability to rule themselves, judging and deciding matters while disregarding Christ and His rule in the Church. The people wanted to rule the church. They didn’t want a pastor who was a God-called pastor to lead them. But, that is really nothing new. The same problem existed in the Old Testament.
Isa 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Oh yes! Some like their modern churches with their hireling pastors because no inward or outward change is required. (Just put your money in the basket.)
On The Other Hand, The Bible Is Full Of Examples Of Men Changing:
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2Cor 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
The Rich Young Ruler didn’t want to change.
Ruth was willing to change.
No one in God’s Kingdom will ever be healed of sin until they are willing to change. Even before the Holy Ghost was given, Jesus continually reminded those He healed to go their way and sin no more. He told them to change.
Obedience Always Brings Change.
Arguments Come From The Disobedient Attempting To Defend Themself.
The reason you argue about Holiness is because you don’t want to change your way of living. You want to find a church that will preach a message that comfortably conforms to how you want to live, and you will.
Don’t tell me you are not convicted by what is written in the Bible. Don’t even say you’ve prayed about it and don’t feel it’s necessary to obey. If it’s in the Bible, believe it and obey it!
Men change, fellowships and organizations change. Denominations change. God’s Word NEVER changes. The very fact that your hireling pastor won’t preach and enforce God’s Word should be enough to keep you up at night. How can you stay in a church with a compromising pastor and a worldly congregation who like it like that?
In the Old Testament, Israel never argued about God’s Holiness requirements. They just obeyed. On the Day of Pentecost no one argued about the need of Jesus Name baptism or the need of the Holy Ghost. They just repented, got baptized in Jesus Name and were filled with the Holy Ghost.
Paul changed every day. (1Co 15:31… I die daily.)
The High School Driving Instructor taught my class, in 1960, that the average driver makes approximately sixty corrections or adjustments per minute while driving. What if they didn’t make any changes or adjustments?
When a couple marries they must make adjustments and changes, those who refuse will likely divorce.
If someone wanted to play on the football team, they must be willing to change their life to reach that goal. If they don’t change, they won’t make the team. Yet, in living for God, with Heaven in view, we foolishly refuse to change. Why?
Things You Won’t Fix
Things You Won’t Fix
Isn’t it amazing how we can allow ourselves to live with situations that are not normal? Not only do we live with it, but also we ignore it, saying that when we get the time we’ll fix it.
Things Like:
- A leaky faucet.
- The cracked storm window.
- Some partially finished remodeling job.
- Your leaky roof.
- The broken back doorstep.
- Missing basement handrail.
- A button missing from a sport coat.
- That rotten tooth that needs pulled?
We Mention It, Say We Need To Do It, But Let It Go Another Year.
- The things you don’t fix will fix you.
- It WILL put you in a fix.
- Is the cost of not fixing it cheaper than fixing it? No! Never.
- Aren’t there some things your wife has asked you to fix six months ago and you still haven’t gotten around to it?
- If you don’t fix your car, you’ll put it up on blocks and it will sit as an eyesore for years out in the front yard. Everyone will know you by that landmark.
- The leaky faucet will raise your water bill.
- The leaky roof will cost you thousands to fix because you let it go.
- The tooth will give you more pain than you could imagine.
- When a house is not fixed we say they just let the place go.
- There are just some things you won’t fix.
King Solomon Marveled At Men Who Procrastinated During The Harvest.
- Prov. 24:30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
- Prov. 24:31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
- Prov. 24:32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Common Phrases Are Used In Regards To One’s Personal Appearance.
- “She fixed herself up.”
- “He let himself go”
When We Do Not Do Something Immediately, We Call It Procrastination.
The closest word to procrastination in the Bible is, sluggard. We are repulsed by even the thought of being called a sluggard.
The sluggard is a procrastinator. His motto is, “Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” Sluggards have developed the ability to put off starting a task as well as not completing those they have already begun.
The sluggard rationalizes everything and his mind works much faster than his body. He will always quickly find an excuse not to.
- I don’t have the time
- I don’t have the tools
- I don’t have the know-how
- I don’t have the desire
- I don’t feel in the mood
- I got a lot of irons in the fire
- I have a headache
There Are Those Who Never Fix Themselves Spiritually. They Just Let Themselves Go.
Are There Some Things In Our Hearts That We Won’t Fix?
- A bad attitude?
- A bad habit?
- No prayer life?
- No worship?
- Not honoring God with our tithes?
- Broken family relationships?
- Bridges we need to build?
- Restoring an offended brother?
- Not saying I’m sorry, forgive me?
Be Reconciled To Your Brother Before To Expect God To Hear You.
- Matt 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
- Matt 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Need To Fix Your Back Tithe Problem?
- It will cost you heavily if you do not fix the problem areas of your soul.
- It will cost you 20% additional if you do not stay current with your tithing. The longer you wait the more it will cost you.
- Lev 27:31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
When You Don’t Fix It, Then It’s Becomes Sin!
- Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
- We like to use the word procrastinate, but that word is not in the Bible. A sluggard is what the Scripture calls us.
- In the natural, your procrastination qualifies you as a sluggard.
- In the spiritual, the Bible just calls you a sinner.
- Spiritually, our pride keeps us from fixing some things.
There Are Things You Won’t Fix, Why?
- You know you need the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues.
- You know you need to be baptized in Jesus name to be saved.
- You know you need to be faithful to church.
- You know you need to worship.
- You know you need to pay tithes.
- You know you need to live a holy and separated life.
- You know you need to be reconciled to your brother.
Jesus Called The Scribes And Pharisees, Hypocrites.
- Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
- They only fixed the part men could see.
- Hypocrites won’t fix what really needs to be fixed.
There Are Men In The Bible Who Never Fixed What Was Wrong In Their Life.
Agrippa Almost Got Right With God.
- Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
- He never fixed it.
Felix Knew What He Needed To Do, But The Timing Wasn’t Right.
- Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
- He never fixed it.
The Rich Young Ruler Thought It Cost Too Much To Follow Jesus.
- Matt. 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
- He never fixed it.
When It Comes To Fixing, Some Things God Has Put A Time Limit On.
- Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
- God’s curfew for anger is sunset. Fix your disagreements before the sun goes down. That’s God’s requirement.
- Fix it.
The Four Lepers Fixed It
- 2Ki 7:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
- They fixed it!
Jacob Had A Problem But He Fixed It When He Wrestled With The Angel
- Gen 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
- He fixed it!
The Prodigal Son
- Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
- Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
- He fixed it!
The History of Obligatory Archery Practice!
The references to horses, riders, kingdoms and battles in “For want of a nail” indicate the English origins of the rhyme. One of the English Kings did not leave anything to chance! In 1363, to ensure the continued safety of the realm, King Edward III commanded the obligatory practice of archery on Sundays and holidays! The earliest known written version of the rhyme is in John Gower’s “Confesio Amantis” dated approximately 1390.
“For Want Of A Nail”
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Are there are things God has asked you to fix and you still haven’t gotten around to it?
Why would you expect God to fix things for you that you’re not willing to fix for yourself?
Have you got a loose or lost nail in your life?
Please fix it.
Yes, Fix It Now!
The Devil’s Got A Plan For You That Just Might Work …If You Let It.
The Devil’s Got A Plan For You That Just Might Work …If You Let It.
Jesus Told Peter That Satan Desired To Sift Him As Wheat.
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
- Satan desires to do the same to you.
He Plans To Intimidate You And Ravage You Just Like A Roaring Lion Does.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Surely You Are Aware Of His Plan.
2Cor. 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
God’s Got A Plan To Help You Resist The Devil.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- First, submit yourself to God, then resist the devil and he will flee.
The Devil Can’t Do Anything To You That You Don’t Allow Him To Because Greater Is He That Is Within You Than He That Is In The World.
1John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
My Father, Carl Ballestero Used To Say:
“The Devil’s Got A Plan To Get You To Backslide!
He has a One Day Plan to make you backslide. If that doesn’t work…
He has a One Week Plan to make you backslide. If that doesn’t work…
He has a One Month Plan to make you backslide. If that doesn’t work…
He has a One Year Plan to make you backslide. If that doesn’t work…
He has a Five Year Plan to make you backslide. If that doesn’t work…
He has a Ten Year Plan to make you backslide. If that doesn’t work…
He has a Twenty Year Plan to make you backslide. If that doesn’t work…
He has a Life Time Plan to make you backslide.”
To Every Teenager.
Young Man? He’s got a plan to find you a sinner girlfriend.
Young Lady? He’s got a plan to find you a sinner boyfriend.
He’s got a plan to find you a spouse that will destroy you spiritually.
He’s got a plan to make you dress like the world.
He’s got a plan to make you live like the world.
He’s got a plan to involve you in worldly sports and amusements.
He’s got a plan to surround you with improper music.
He’s got a plan to find you a job that will keep you out of church.
He’s got a plan to make you sink lower than you ever dreamed you would.
He’s got a plan to get you addicted to drugs, nicotine and alcohol.
He’s got a plan to load you down with condemnation.
He’s got a plan to overwhelm you with shame.
He’s got a plan to connect you to sinful people.
He’s got a plan to introduce you to porn.
He’s got a plan to make you lose your purity.
He’s got a plan to make you think your best friends are in the world, and not in the church.
The Devil’s Got A Plan For You That Just Might Work …If You Let It.
To Every Child Of God.
The devil plans to make you feel offended and hurt.
The devil plans to make you jealous.
The devil plans to stop your prayer life.
The devil plans to defeat you.
The devil plans to make you fail.
The devil plans to make you sell your birthright.
The devil plans to make you feel there is no hope for you.
The devil plans to make you throw this Holy Ghost experience away.
The devil plans to make you want to quit church.
The devil plans to put you at odds with the pastor.
The devil plans to make you bitter.
The devil plans to take you as low as you will let him.
The devil plans to make you waste every talent God has given you.
The devil plans to curse your life.
The devil plans to make you swallow a camel and strain a gnat.
The devil plans to make you find the mote in others eyes and ignore the beam in your own.
The devil plans to make you look for hypocrites in the church.
The devil plans to let you be disappointed by men’s failures.
The devil plans to make you quit paying tithes.
The devil plans to make you offended.
The devil plans to make you miss church.
The devil plans to make you withdraw from godly fellowship.
The devil plans to make you a bitter person.
The devil plans to make you hate holiness.
The devil plans to make you mess up your marriage.
The devil plans to make you stop worshiping.
The devil plans to make you dislike preachers who tell you the truth.
The devil plans to make you resist all Holiness preaching.
The devil plans to make you consider doctrine a boring subject.
The devil plans to make Hollywood more attractive to you than the church.
The devil plans to make you immoral.
The devil plans to make you justify your wrong living.
The devil plans to make you love making money more than you love church.
The devil plans to make you love pleasure, more than you love God.
The devil plans to make you question God.
The devil plans to make you mad when the preacher says anything that challenges what your family or friends are doing.
The devil plans to make you lukewarm.
The devil plans to make you happy with dead worship services.
The devil plans to let you feel comfortable in quiet prayer rooms.
The devil plans to make you talk against the pastor in front of your children.
The devil plans to make you question every standard.
The devil plans to make you comfortable trying to get by just doing the minimum.
The devil plans to make you part of the spirit of Laodicea.
The devil plans to make you feel uncomfortable with other cultures in your congregation.
The devil plans to make you prejudiced.
The devil plans to make you only knock on doors in certain areas of town during outreach.
The devil plans to make you feel your culture is superior to all others.
The devil plans to destroy unity in your church.
The Devil’s Got A Plan For You That Just Might Work …If You Let It.
To Every Preacher.
He plans to mess you up with false doctrine.
He plans to destroy your ministry with women.
He plans to ruin you with improper use of money.
He plans to sidetrack your ministry in search of popularity.
He plans to make you preach that the new ways are better than the old paths.
He plans to make to you compromise.
He plans to make you quiet about sin.
He plans to make you afraid to preach holiness and separation from the world.
He plans to make you a hireling.
He plans to make you preach only pop-psychology sermons.
He plans to make you think you are right and everyone else is wrong.
He plans to make you focus on pleasing men and not God.
The Devil’s Got A Plan For You That Just Might Work …If You Let It.
To Every Seeker.
The devil plans to blind your eyes and keep you from recognizing truth.
The devil plans to make you think all churches lead to heaven.
The devil plans to make you think the day of Pentecost experience is not for you.
The devil plans to make you resist baptism in Jesus name.
The devil plans to make you justify your lifestyle.
The devil plans to make you think that God’s love accepts of your lifestyle.
The devil plans to make you believe false doctrines rather than the truth.
The devil plans to make you believe there is a trinity rather than just one God.
The devil plans to try to make you rebel against truth.
The devil plans to make you believe that God is only a God of mercy.
The devil plans to make you think God only looks on the heart and completely ignores the outside.
The devil plans to let you see what he thinks is the worst in every good church you attend.
The Devil’s Got A Plan For You That Just Might Work …If You Let It.
To Every Backslider
Are you even looking at what the devil is doing to your life?
The prodigal son did.
That’s when he came to himself.
That’s when he got up and walked away from sin’s pigpen.
That’s when he came back home and repented to his father.
That’s when the father ran to meet him and forgave him.
He’s your father too and He’s waiting for you to come to yourself!
So, What Are You Waiting For?
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
The Devil’s Got A Plan For You That Just Might Work …If You Let It.
Don’t Let It!
No Matter What You Say Now, You Will Bow Too!
At The Name Of Jesus Every Knee Will Bow
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When we bow before an earthly Monarch, like a King or a Queen, we do it because we are showing submission and honor to their authority and position. The one we bow before may not truly know if we are bowing out of politeness, or out of submission. They may never know if they are actually loved or respected by the one bowing before them. No words are actually required from the mouth of the one bending the knee.
But upon a prophesied date, not only will we all bow before Him, but also with our mouth every one of us will confess and acknowledge that He, Jesus, is the Almighty God.
- Whether those of us who bow before Him go to heaven or hell afterwards or not, we all will most assuredly bow before him!
- It would be horrible to bow in submission before him, confess and understand who He really is, and then still be lost forever.
Why Not Bow Your Knee Before Him Today?
Every One Of Us Will Bow Our Knees Before Him Sooner Or Later.
It Might As Well Be Today!
Isaiah Prophesied That We Would All Bow.
Isaiah 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Isaiah 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Isaiah 45:24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
Recapping What Isaiah Said… “There Is No God But Me”
- “Man made idols and gods cannot save anyone.”
- “There is no God beside Me.”
- “I’m a just God”
- “I am a Savior”
- “There is no other God but Me.”
- “Every knee shall bow before Me.”
- “Every tongue shall confess to Me.”
- “All that have fought against Me shall be ashamed.”
Yet, Jesus Proclaimed That He Was God.
- John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
- John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
- Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
- John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
The Bible Says God Is The Only Savior
- Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
The Bible Says Jesus Is The Savior (They are both one and the same.)
- Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
- Matt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
- Matt 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
- Matt 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The Bible Says God Is The Creator
- Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The Bible Says Jesus Is The Creator
- John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
- Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
- Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
- Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
The Question Was Asked Of Jesus:
Where Is Thy Father?
- John 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father?
His Answer
- John 8:19 …Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
- John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Every Knee Shall Bow On That Day
- Every believer shall bow.
- Every unbeliever shall bow.
- Every Trinitarian shall bow.
- Every atheist shall bow.
- People of every Nation shall bow.
- People of every Culture shall bow.
- People of every Religion shall bow.
- People of every Tribe shall bow.
- Every Holy Ghost filled believer shall bow.
- Every one without the Holy Ghost shall bow.
- Every one baptized in Jesus name shall bow.
- Everyone who refused to be baptized in His name shall bow.
- Every liar shall bow.
- Every thief shall bow.
- Every Adulterer shall bow.
- Every fornicator shall bow.
- Every drunk shall bow.
- Every drug addict shall bow.
- Every murderer shall bow.
- Every pervert shall bow.
- Every lesbian shall bow.
- Every homosexual shall bow.
- Every transsexual shall bow.
- Every bi-sexual shall bow.
- Every Dictator shall bow.
- Every King shall bow.
- Every Queen shall bow.
- Every President shall bow.
- Every General shall bow.
- Every Officer shall bow.
- Every Soldier shall bow.
- Every Sailor shall bow.
- Every palm reader shall bow.
- Every medium shall bow.
- Every witch doctor shall bow.
- Every demon-possessed person shall bow.
- Every cult leader shall bow.
- Every church leader shall bow.
- Every Sunday School teacher shall bow.
- Every prophet shall bow.
- Every Amish person shall bow.
- Every Mennonite shall bow.
- Every Lutheran shall bow.
- Every Scientologist shall bow.
- Every Muslim shall bow.
- Every Buddhist shall bow.
- Every Hindu shall bow.
- Every Jew shall bow.
- Every Catholic shall bow.
- Every Baptist shall bow.
- Every Methodist shall bow.
- Every Church of Christ shall bow.
- Every Jehovah’s Witness shall bow.
- Every Mormon shall bow.
- Every Seventh Day Adventist shall bow.
- Every Pentecostal shall bow.
- Every professor shall bow.
- Every teacher of evolution shall bow.
- Every agnostic shall bow.
- Every heretic shall bow.
- Every proud person shall bow.
- Every disrespectful person shall bow.
- Every God hater shall bow.
- Every hater of the name of Jesus shall bow.
- You will bow!
- I will bow!
The Whole World Will Realize Too Late That He Truly Is:
- The Almighty God.
- The Everlasting Father.
- The Great I Am.
- Alpha And Omega.
- The First And The Last.
- The Beginning And The Ending.
- The Savior Of The World.
- The Jehovah of The Old Testament Wrapped In Flesh.
All Pride Will Disappear On That Day.
- Great reverence and awe will prevail.
- Remorse for sin and unbelief will overwhelm every sinner.
- Shame because of their sins will make men and women fall to their knees.
But, For Most Of Them Will Be Too Little Too Late.
- Actually, today is the day of Salvation.
- Now is the accepted time to become humble and repent.
The Lost Will Realize Too Late That He Is:
- More Than A Prophet, He Is The WORD Made Flesh.
- More Than A King, He Is The King Of Kings.
- More Than A Priest, He Is The Great High Priest.
They Will Realize Then, That He Is Not:
- Just A Good Prophet
- Just A Teacher
- Just A Carpenter’s Son
There Are Multitudes Who Will Not Confess, Admit Or Declare Today That Jesus Is The Almighty God.
But They Will Bow Their Knees On That Appointed Day And Confess It Then.
- They will understand for the first time that he is not the blessed second person of a holy trinity.
- They will awaken to the truth that they have been lied to through the centuries by proclaimers of false doctrines.
- They will know that the word they used for cursing was the name of the one they must now bow before.
Jesus Asked Peter Whom People Thought He Was.
Matt 16:13 … Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Matt 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
Matt 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Matt 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matt 16:17 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.
The Apostle John Described Jesus Like This:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
The Apostle Paul Quoted Isaiah
Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
- Everyone will be required to repent, confess his or her sins and failures.
The Four And Twenty Elders Will Bow Down And Cast Their Crowns Before Him.
Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
We Will All Confess On That Day That He Is God.
Those who are willing to confess that Jesus is in fact God and His Name is the only name that will take away all sin, and are baptized in Jesus name just like Jesus told His disciples.
Those Who Are Baptized In Jesus Name Are The Only Ones Who Truly Believe That Jesus Is The Lord God!
This Is What Jesus Said To His Disciples Before He Departed:
Luke 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luke 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Peter Repeated The Words of Jesus To Those Who Wanted To Be Saved.
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Acts 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Here Is The Crux Of The Matter
They who have been baptized in Jesus name (It’s the only way the disciples ever baptized) are acknowledging and confessing that Jesus Christ is God.
When they are baptized in Jesus name, the gift of the Holy Ghost will be given to them and they will speak in tongues just like everyone in the upper room did on the day of Pentecost.
Every Knee Will Bow.
- Take My Advice And Join Me In Bowing Down To Him Now.
- You Will Never Be Sorry. Not Now, Not Then.
How Utterly Foolish To Know Such A Day Is Coming And Not Do Now What You Know You Need To Do!
It Will Be Too Late If You Wait Until That Day To Bow Before Him Without Repenting And Believing That Jesus Is The Mighty God!
Boycott Trashy Gumbo
“If There’s Anything I Can’t Stand, It’s Trashy Gumbo!”
I love pretty much everything about the South. I’m neither a Southerner nor a Cajun Chef, but I do have taste buds that seldom lie. Before I married at the age of twenty-one, I’d already lived in twenty-two houses and attended twenty-six schools. So, I’ve gotten to see all of America growing up. It feels like I’ve lived everywhere, but most of my life has been spent in Indiana, so that feels most like home. It certainly is a non-gumbo state.
Since the beginning of my ministry, I have preached mainly in the South. Everyone there considers me a Yankee, even though I am a Westerner by birth. That being said, since I know I how to say, ya’ll and you guys, I somehow must be bi-lingual.
For the benefit of my non-southern friends, the folks down in Cajun Country are very particular about their Gumbo. They don’t freely call someone’s chicken and sausage soup, a Gumbo. Family recipes are treasured and protected. The Seafood Restaurants that serve great Gumbo will always have full parking lots.
I’ve eaten Gumbo with light rue, dark rue, and very dark rue. There are some Gumbos so thin that one could almost read a newspaper at the bottom of the bowl. I even eat my Gumbo with a scoop of hot potato salad and a boiled egg in it. My family really loves good Gumbo. Our cupboard always has some Tony’s, Cajun hot sauce and Creole seasoning in it too.
I have often been treated to what in my mind is the World’s finest Gumbo. But I didn’t start out eating good Gumbo. I preached a revival in rural Louisiana in the early sixties and the poor pastor and his wife made me my first taste of what they said was Gumbo. I ate it, not knowing if it was good or bad.
My teaching at home was to eat what was set before me, so I did. They told me after the dishes were done that it was ‘possum gumbo. My stomach had a board meeting that night to decide whether to keep the possum down or let it go free. It stayed, much to my disappointment.
Catching Southerners in candid moments when they are talking about someone else’s cooking is always memorable. I recently heard a dear southern friend confide to me, “If there’s anything I can’t stand, it’s trashy gumbo.” They really meant it too.
I’ve eaten ‘good Yankee Gumbo’ and good ‘Cajun Gumbo’ and I love it when I can get it. I’ve eaten stuff passed off as Gumbo and felt the need to pray for strength to get it all down. If gumbo tastes trashy, I may not even get through the first bowl.
Trashy Gumbo? Well, yes! You see, all the cooks have at their disposal the right ingredients, but the way bad cooks put it all together leaves a horrible distaste in the mouth of those who know the difference between good gumbo and trashy.
- No table guest in the South is prepared to suck his or her gumbo up through a straw because it got watered down so much in the kitchen.
- There’s some cooks make Gumbo so hot that no one can eat it without getting heartburn.
- Others use meat so sparingly you wonder why they even bothered.
- Then there’s some Gumbo that make’s me wonder if my old possum had any kin folks that made it over into my Gumbo again.
When It Comes To Doctrine And The Important Things Of God, Apostolic Preachers Have The Right Ingredients.
If There’s Anything I Can’t Stand, It’s Trashy Gumbo.
Brother Ballestero, Are You Talking Gumbo Or Church?
I’m Talking Mainly About Church.
Some folks may feel like they are actually being fed when they hear a watered down message, or one with no meat, no doctrine or substance. Then there are some that love it so hot that everyone gets burnt.
But, I still love it when the preacher gets up to preach and pulls out the old Apostolic Family Recipe and feeds the flock as though it was the Lord Himself who prepared the meal. It ‘s always nourishing and tastes just right!
My advice for today is:
Boycott Trashy Gumbo!
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