IS HE TALKING ABOUT ME?

I received an e-mail from a very good pastor and friend of mine this past week. He was encouraging me to keep preaching the gospel through and by our online church. Pastor Harold said “The gospel is being preached to the whole earth.” He said that he knows that our 24/7, week long, online church service is a great help to many. I know God used this man of God to show this ministry we are on the right track.

Our prayer from day one has been God please let each service help somebody, even if it is only one person, please let your anointed Word reach them with the help they need. Maybe that need is spiritual, possibly a physical or mental need, deliverance from demonic oppression, financial difficulties or relationship problems. Dear God, please send forth your Word through this cyberspace network to accomplish your purpose. Let this ministry be a conduit for good. Help us Lord, to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are very sincere, my friends when we say welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. Everyone, (and we do mean Everyone) is welcome in this place.

You know, Jesus in Mark 16:15 gave us the great commission, basically what every church should be doing. Let's look at it together:

“And he (Jesus) said unto them Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

You know, some people believe and claim the gospel of Jesus Christ is just a western or American gospel. Not so, my friends, not so. The gospel of Jesus is for the entirety of the world. Jesus points out in this scripture that preaching is God's method of presenting him to the world. God desires that every single person have the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. The sad truth is, many believers won't even talk to some people, let alone present the gospel to them. It is often easier for them to hate than to show the love of God to those they do not like or understand.

This great commission says to preach the gospel to every creature, period!! That, my friends, is what we endeavor to do and that is what we encourage you as believers to do. We are to present Jesus to people who range from the atheist to all other religions. We are to show the love of God to them, aren't we? How about drunks or drug addicts? Show them love. Prostitutes, adulterers, different races, Muslims, homosexuals? Love, my friends, love. Do you get the picture?

You may remember the political slogan “Change we can believe in.” That is a good slogan, but unfortunately, with all the good intentions, it can't fully be accomplished by men without a spiritual change through Jesus Christ. Men have tried from the beginning of time to do good, but to no avail. Hatreds, prejudices, greed and so many more sinful attitudes prevail in man, even to this day, don't they? That, my good people, is where Jesus comes into the picture. God, knowing that man could not save ourselves from ourselves, sent his only begotten Son to this earth in the form of man.

Jesus had one mission – to redeem all of mankind who would believe in him so they could be freed from the bondage of sin in their lives. Jesus became our substitute. He took the sins of all mankind on himself and paid the price of death on the cross. A horrible, painful death, so that we could arise in newness of life with him. God resurrected Jesus from the grave. Yes, my friends, Jesus really did arise from the dead. He now sits at the right hand of the Father. God accepted his perfect sacrifice of his blood to save us. Now, through and by that sacrifice on the cross, we may be safe and have dominion over sin. That, my friends, is change we not only can believe in, but can live in.

John 3:16 is not just a Bible verse for children to recite in Sunday school. It is a true picture of what Jesus did for us. Let's turn to John 3:16, Jesus speaking:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

That is how much God loves you. Remember the message we did a while back entitled “God loves you the Best?” He really does. God does not want you to perish. He wants you to live with him, not just on this earth but for all time. Once again, to be clear. The extremes of the Bible is not heaven or hell, it is a book that defines eternal death without God, or eternal life with God. Accept Jesus – eternal life. Reject the son of God – eternal death (eternal separation from God). Your choice, my friends, how do you choose?

Let's continue with John 3:17:

“For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Ooops! A light goes on, doesn't it? Jesus did not come to the earth to condemn the world, so why do we as believers spend so much time doing just that? Jesus came to lift condemnation from men by saving them by the shedding of his blood for us. Once we accept Jesus into our hearts and lives, his mission becomes ours, doesn't it?

Let's look at what the apostle Paul says about those that have accepted Jesus as Lord of their lives. Then ask yourself the question – Is he talking about me? Paul, talking to believers in Christ. Romans 8:1-2:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, (is that you?) who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life (The Holy Spirit) in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

What a beautiful declaration of freedom for us – Paul clearly telling us that in ourselves, without God, we are walking in condemnation and are slaves to sin and its' penalties. However, there is a way out and that my friends, is Jesus Christ. We can't overcome sin through religion or good works. Only through Jesus is that possible. This scripture says it all. In Christ we have newness of life. The Spirit of Life sets you free from the law of sin and death. Simply put: The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is stronger than the law of sin and death. Any attempt to live any other way than faith in Christ, dooms you to failure.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is to be preached to all the earth not only by this Spirit of Wisdom Ministry, but by us all. So all you believers – start preaching now.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob