Your Past

 

 We all have some type of past. It consists of Good, Bad, Happy, Sad, Delighted, and Despair, but it's just our past to Christ. 

            I see post on social media all the time like, "We forget that waking up in the morning each day is the first thing we should be grateful for," or "Some people died in their sleep, but God woke you up again. Stop whatever you are doing. THANK GOD"

            I'm not thankful I woke up each day or I may have dead in my sleep. I'm thinkful for God Grace and Salvation He brought to me from the Cross. 

While I'm awake now and may be gone the next, I'm "More Thankful" that Christ has saved my soul, gave me Salvation and His kingdom of eternal life at His side. I’ve lost several people in April to death and over years past, and only pray that they found Christ before then. 

           Phillip Ray Homes  is one of those people I've seriously wondered about his salvation in Christ because a person "can be good" all their life, yet "Not Saved." One of his favorite quote was “You’re talking to the choir here!” But was the “choirs” really real or just a smoke screen?

            Then there's they saying, "Once Saved, Always Saved!" That could not the farest and sadest thank anyone can say. If that was true, then there would be no need for Heaven or Hell, Right or Wrong. Lucifer served God as a Gaurdian Charub, among the highest rank of angels in God's heavenly host second only to the seraphim (Ezekiel 28:14). He was a glorified angel "but fell from heaven" to establish his own kingdom and became the Demiurge who created the material world and trapped souls from heaven inside matter. Jesus descended to earth to free the captured souls ending the theory "Once Saved, Always Saved."

           Johnny Paycheck's song, "The Outlaw's Prayer" said it fairly good on my part. First: "a young man walked over to me and said, "Excuse me, sir, but I can't let you in with that big black hat those jeans, that beard and long hair," then "there's those fine ladies in the choir, Lord," Singin' like they really love it, just last night, they were dancin' on the front row of my show but last night, they were dancin' on the front row of my show drinkin' beer and screamin', "Sing Shove It!"      

            Then there's these "Big, Fine, Fancy Churchs with those fancy stained glass panes. I thought about how one stained glass window from this church would feed a straving family for years and those fine cars parked outside, too many for me to count. Then I thought, Lord, I'm not perfect, some even call me no count, but I'll tell You, I believe a man is judged by what's in his heart Not his bank account. 

            If this is what religion is, a big car and a suit and a tie, Then I might as well forget it, Lord 'Cause I can't qualify, then I thought to myself, that's the house of the Lord. You know Lord, when You come back to get Your children and take 'em beyond the clouds to live forever in Heaven with You, well, I'd sure hate to be in this crowd. 

           I’ve heard many say, “He/She” has done great things, Helped a lot of people, or his/her works toward people was good. However, are they saved?

Salvation “is not earned” by our own effort or merit. It is a gift by God’s grace and undeserved favour in response to our faith and one of the “hardest things” for people to understand, is that the forgiveness of our sins and the granting of salvation, in terms of being justified, “are not things” that we can earn or deserve through living a good life or through our own merit.

Pharisees, did not believe they were sinners because they
followed the rules of tradition, at least on the outside.

A person can be a sinner, yet "be saved."

The context seems to suggest that Paul meant "he truly was the worst sinner" and goes on to say in 1 Tim. 1:15 that apostle Paul considers himself the “foremost of sinners,” the “chief of sinners” and  that he was saved as an example, that if he, the chief of sinners, was saved, then surely others can be saved as well.

Our KJV Bible specifically deals with this in the following passages:

                Luke 7:50 stated that, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Verse 48, “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”  Verse 49, “And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?” Then verse 50, “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

                Ephesians 2:7 states; “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Verse 8 & 9 states that, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God and Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

                These passages “Does Not” give one the right to be a Sinner all the time. Forgiveness is in Christs Salvation, not peoples thoughts and good works. Romans 3:19 makes it clear, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

                `Romans 3:20 also makes it that, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

                Mary Magdalene was a historical figure, possibly from Magdala who a prominent follower of Jesus was and was believed to have been healed by him. She supported his ministry financially and was present at his crucifixion and burial and played a key role among Christs female disciples. Lukes 8: 1 & 2 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils.

           Our Bible tells Jesus’ story as it unfolded during His reign on earth. The ultimate unpardonable sin is mortal sin and blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

In Marks 3: 28 -30; “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

            The Bible teachings in Hebrews 1:3 that “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

Jesus reveals who God the Father is and would say to an atheist just what He said in John 8:19, “Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”

Our word “atheist” comes directly from the Greek atheos (a-not, theos-god). In the whole Bible, including the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word shows up only  in Ephesians where the Gentiles are described as “without hope and without God atheoi in the world.”

            Ephesians 2:12; “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 3: 17 -19; For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

            The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

            To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Psalms 14:1; The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

             NO! All the worlds good works one does, "Does Not Get" one into Heaven! All the money in the world "Does Not Get" one into Heaven!

            He who has money, Has more "Fake Friends" than anyone else. He who has lest of money, Has only a few friends.

            Proverbs 19:4 states that the Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

        There is only one way to Heaven, that is through Jesus Christ. John 14:6; Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Note From Chaplain Douglas,

            I pray you are enjoying my blogs and that each one brings you closer to Christ.