SALVATION IS THE FOUNDATION OF ETERNAL LIFE

As I was reviewing last week’s message, one thing really stood out to me.  Actually, it was just one sentence.  It said salvation is the foundation of eternal life.  You know what, folks?  I have never seen or heard salvation presented in exactly that way.  I believe God dropped that nugget of truth into my spirit and said “Share this with everyone.”  That would be just for you, my friends.

Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service.  Everyone is welcome in this place.  The message of salvation is a very simple message that has been complicated by manmade religion and false and inaccurate teaching.  The book of John tells us what salvation really is.  Let’s turn to probably the most read, but also the most underestimated scripture in the Bible, John 3:16.

“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.”

And that, church, is what we have been talking about for the last two weeks -  God’s love for us and the gift of his only begotten son to a lost and dying world.  Jesus had one mission, that being to reconcile us to God.  Jesus took on himself all the sin of this world so we could be set free from that very sin that had us in bondage and separated from God.  Jesus paid the price for our sin by being beaten, spit upon, publicly humiliated and finally nailed to a cross.  He had a spear pierce his side and was given vinegar to drink when he said he was thirsty. 

Little did the Roman soldiers and the unbelieving Jews at that time know that God was using their ignorance and evil actions to set the stage for the greatest miracle of all time -  the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Resurrection meaning, dying for us and three days later arising from the dead.  Returning to heaven to sprinkle his shed blood on the mercy seat of God.  This was received by God as the accepted and perfect substitute for us.

Our penalty for sin was paid fully by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Now, when you read John 3:16 again, you will see it in a much different light.  John 3:16 tells us clearly that if we believe in him, we will not perish due to sin, but will have eternal life with God and his son, Jesus Christ, forever. 

Let’s return to the thought I started with.  Salvation is the foundation of eternal life.  So what does that mean?  Let me put it to you this way:  Every doctrine of the Bible we hold dear to us, don’t we?  The doctrines of healing, deliverance, love, mercy and grace are not even possible or available to us without our receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  It makes no difference how good we are.  We could go to church seven days a week, confess our sins to the most sincere of priests.  Even live the Golden rule, treating others as we would like to be treated.  We could be the best of parents or spouses, the most reliable of employee or the fairest of employers, yet be lost and separated from God forever.

You see, folks, salvation is not based on our actions or intentions.  It is true, to be all of the above is a good thing, but it is not a saving thing.  Didn’t you ever wonder, folks, no matter how hard you try to be good, something always feels not quite right?  Well, what is missing?  The answer:  Salvation that comes only by receiving Jesus Christ into your heart – the true belief that God raised Jesus from the dead and confessing him as the Lord and Savior of your life.  Remember John 3:16  said in effect that whosoever believeth on the son of God, which is Jesus Christ, shall not perish but  have everlasting life.  You know folks, in the book of Titus 3:3 we are told something about ourselves.  This scripture states:

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”

Now, does not that describe each of us in some fashion or other?  No matter how hard we try to not feel or do these things.  But, guess what happens when we turn to Jesus for forgiveness?   Let’s read on.  Titus 3:4-7 states:

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 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; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Is this all becoming more clear to you now?  My friends, we have all made mistakes in our lives, haven’t we?  Some by accident, some on purpose.  I have to tell you, church, as the above Bible scriptures have stated, no matter what spiritual, mental or physical state you are in, you may at this time turn to Jesus Christ.  His mercy and grace are available for you today. 

You see, God wants you to become an heir to all that he has.  The above scripture says that is possible according to the hope of eternal life.  That hope of eternal life is built on only one thing, church – the foundation of eternal life is salvation.  Salvation comes by only one way: Your acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life.  Now look, I know I am repeating myself here.  Do not think for one moment that it is not on purpose.  I want you to get this.  Your eternal life with God and his son, Jesus Christ, depends on it.   Let’s look at Ephesians 2:8-9 and we will begin to wrap this message up.  This scripture states:

“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.”

Now, does that not sum up all that we have preached these last three weeks?  Salvation is the gift of God just for you and for me.  A gift however, is only of value to you if you receive it.  Listen to me, just stop whatever you are doing or thinking at this time.  Clear your hearts and minds folks and repeat after me:  Jesus, I believe God raised you from the dead and I am coming to you a lost sinner.  Please cleanse me from all sin.  I receive you Jesus into my heart and I confess you as Lord and Savior of my life.  I believe at this moment I am saved.

This is important, folks.  If you said these words and meant them in your heart, you are saved and a child of the living God.  I told you last week this message would be the conclusion to the message on salvation.  But to be truthful with you, there is no conclusion to the message or God’s gift to you.  God loves you and he desires you to be reconciled to him.  This includes you, believer who have walked away from God.  Come on back home this day.  God has been available to you all from your first breath and will be available to you until your last breath.  Salvation is the foundation of eternal life.  Jump on that foundation, folks, and don’t let go.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

JESUS SAID: YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN (Part II)

We ended the message last week with a scripture that detailed a very important truth.  That truth being this:  There are two different types of birth available to each person on this earth.  The first birth is not by our choice but the second birth is only by our free will choice.  Let’s look at John 3:6-7 again for confirmation of the above statement.  Jesus is speaking here.  John 3:6-7 states:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.”

Is it not clear that Jesus is saying that he knows we all had a natural birth, but to be reconciled to God we must be born again by the Spirit of God?  Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service.  Everyone, let me repeat myself, everyone is welcome in this place.
  
Now listen to me folks, Jesus did not say you possibly should be born again.  He did not say it would be just a good idea to be born again.  No.  He said you must be born again.  Just as you received life by your natural birth, you can receive eternal life from our heavenly father.  By the way, eternal life means forever.  Do you get that?  To receive eternal life with God and his son, Jesus Christ, you must be born again.  You see, folks, Jesus came to this earth to give you the gift of eternal life.  Notice I said the gift of eternal life.

Salvation is not something we can earn or deserve.  It is given to us as a gift from God as the holiest expression of love that we could ever think or dream of.   You know, folks, in the church world we talk about physical and mental healings, the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.  We talk about spiritual warfare and how we depend upon God for guidance and deliverance and so many other things.  But the truth is, without the born again experience that we know as salvation, God is not in it and all of the above would be as Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes – vanity of vanities or better translated as just empty nothings.  Now you know why I am presenting this message of salvation to you.

Let me say this to you – salvation is the foundation of eternal life.  It does not come by or through any denomination.   You can be born into a Catholic, Jewish or Protestant family.  Your parents, grandparents and other family members may attend one of the above or other types of churches, but none of that will save you from your sins or give you eternal life.

Salvation comes by only one way.  By receiving Jesus Christ into your heart and confessing him as Lord of your life.  Many years ago when the apostle Paul and Silas were in a jail for preaching about Jesus, a Roman jailer asked them the most important question a person can ask.  The question was this “What must I do to be saved?”  Tell you what, let’s read about this in the book of Acts.  The jailer fell down before Paul and Silas and helped lead them out of the jail they were confined in.  This is explained in Acts 16:30-31 which says:

“And (he) brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Notice Paul did not say believe on a particular church or preacher.  No, my friends, to be born again we must believe only on the son of God, Jesus Christ.  So, who am I talking to here?  Each one of you.  That is why no one is excluded from this online church.  I want you to know that what Jesus did by dying on that cross was just for you.  He paid the price for your and my sins.  Why?  Because of the love God has just for you and for me. 

You might ask “If I live a good life, work hard and provide for my family.  And if I treat others right, why must I be saved?”  A good question.  The book of Romans tells us why you should.   When our first natural parents and representatives of the human race fell into sin, the curse covered all future mankind.  From that time to now each person is born into sin and a sinful world.  So you can now see why we are in desperate need of the one and only Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 3:23 states clearly:

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Paul also said in Romans 6:23:

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

There’s that word ‘gift’ again.  Ladies and gentlemen, this scripture shows us clearly the goodness and love of God toward us, doesn’t it?  Although we were born in sin and deserved the sentence of death and separation from the Holy God – he said no!!  He would make a way for us to be reconciled to himself.  That my friends, is when Jesus comes into the picture.  He is the gift of salvation to each of us.  God loves us so much, he sent his only begotten son as a special gift and by him we may obtain eternal life.

You know folks, I have often told you the extreme ends of the Bible is not heaven or hell, but rather eternal life with God or eternal death by being separated from God forever.  That is why I said earlier the second birth is a birth of choice.  We can either accept the gift of salvation through Jesus, or we can reject it.  My choice is to be born again.  How about you?

You see, church, it is God’s desire that we come to repentance and walk with him.  Repentance means letting go of the things of this world and turning from sin to walk in the righteousness of God.  II Peter 3:9 will show you how much God desires us to be with him.  Let’s read it together.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise.  As some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Do you understand this, church?  God has promised salvation to all who would receive his son Jesus as Lord and Savior of his life.  This scripture is telling us that the promises of God are not like the promises of men.  The difference, God does not break his promises.   One thing I especially like about this scripture is this:  God is patient with us.  That’s what long suffering means.  God is the God of second and sometimes many more chances.  So, don’t give up on yourself.  God hasn’t given up on you.  You know why?  Because as this scripture says, God is not willing that any (that means you) should perish.  But that all should come to repentance.  What a wonderful God we serve.

My friends, this message isn’t over yet.  But as our Michigan pastor, John Bullock would often say – we just have to unhook here.  The message of salvation is the most important message you will ever hear.  So come back next week.  Part III of “You must be born again” will be a message you will not want to miss.



God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

JESUS SAID: YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

Welcome back everyone to your 24/7, weeklong, online church service.  It is true, everyone is welcome in this place.  I trust that everyone enjoyed the holidays.  It is always fun and enjoyable to fellowship with family and friends, isn’t it?  We have survived another year of life.  All the trials, tribulations, and yes, the blessings of God have brought us to a new year.  2012 Is now upon us.

A new year with new promises.  The Spirit of Wisdom Ministries is glad to be a part of your life as we move forward in 2012.  You know, the start of a new year is a time of new beginnings, isn’t it?  New Years Resolutions abound.  By the way, how many of them have you broken so far?  Our prayer for you is that all positive spiritual resolutions you have made will come to pass.  Let’s make this a time to become closer to God and his son, Jesus.

As I’ve told you before, I always told my children, the closer you are to God, the better your life will be.  The farther away from God, the worse off your life will be.  Let’s go for the better life.  Does that sound good to you?  The Spirit of Wisdom Ministries is also looking forward to this New Year.  Our desire in 2012 is to give forth God’s Word to you in truth and by the Spirit of God.  This ministry is rededicating ourselves to sharing the revealed truth of the Word that God shares with us for you. 

Our New Years pledge to you will cover the following:  Please listen to me carefully, church.  No preacher of the Gospel knows everything there is to know about God.  Our pledge is to only preach from the Bible.  Anything the Spirit of God reveals to us through the scriptures, we will share with you.  Any part of the Bible we do not yet understand, we will not preach to you.

God has made it clear to me what our mission as an online church is.  We are to preach salvation and healing, both physical and mental.  We will also be teaching about deliverance from evil spirits.  Also, this year we will be teaching and preaching on and about the Holy Spirit.  We have not touched that subject much in the last two years, but this year we are ready to preach on this very important subject.  Let me say this, although we have not preached specifically on the Holy Spirit, we have always depended on the Holy Spirit for comfort, guidance and revelation. 

One other very important thing for this New Year:  Church, I am asking you very seriously – please pray for all prayer requests that are now posted and all future requests.  Let it be known your online church is a praying church.  These people are trusting us to lift them up to God for physical and mental healings, and for financial and personal needs.  Join with us as we pray daily for all prayer requests.  We are expecting great results from our prayers.   Yes, it is still true, God does hear and answers our prayers.

There is one other request for 2012.  We need to hear from you.  Please leave a comment after reading or listening to the messages we put forth.  Not every week, just when a message blesses you or you disagree with something we have taught or preached.  This is not just for us.  Other church members need to hear your testimonies or questions.  Let’s encourage each other by two-way participation.  We want to hear from you.

Well, I believe we have covered quite a bit of church business here, don’t you?  I want to start this New Year by touching on the subject of salvation.  God in his infinite goodness saw that man needed a way to be set free from the bondages of sin.  God loves us, ladies and gentlemen.  He desires that we be reconciled to himself.  He wants us to be his children and not just his creation.  This is illustrated beautifully in John 3:1-3.  Jesus in this scripture explains what being born again really means and why it is so important.  Let’s read John 3:1-3 together.

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

You know, Nicodemus sort of expressed what people of today think.  They have heard of Jesus, but who is he really?  Just a good man, or really the Son of God?  Jesus decided to just lay it all out for Nicodemus and for us all.  Once Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be born again, a question was asked.  Let’s  continue with John 3:4-5.  Consider carefully this question and the answer.  It is life changing.

“Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?  Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

So what did Jesus mean born of water and of the Spirit?  He is talking about your natural birth when you were born as a baby and also about a spiritual birth.  Water?  Natural birth.  Of the Spirit?  Spiritual birth, which is brought about by God alone.  Just for the record, when Jesus speaks of water here, he is not speaking of water baptism as is sometimes taught.  But, isn’t that a natural and normal question Nicodemus asked?  This information is just for us folks. The reason many people make fun of the term born again, is that they have no idea what the Word of God says about the subject.  Jesus goes on with the explanation in John 3:6-7.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I have said unto thee, ye must be born again.”

What great scriptures we have just examined.  We will continue with Part Two of this message next week.   Stay with me, friends.  There are some very exciting things ahead for us all in the year 2012.

God Bless You,

Bro. Bob