It’s Different Now? Isn’t It??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #324

23 Sunday Feb 2025

Posted by Blanche in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Form of godliness?, It's All About The Cross, It's Your Choice, Saved by Grace Through Faith, Search me O God?, Seeing Truth, Self-sufficient or Dependent on Jesus?, Serving God or Using God?

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It’s Different Now? Isn’t It??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #324

“Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

I love the old southern gospel song, “It’s Different Now!” (Written by David Beatty in 1958.) because it calls us to recognize that when Jesus comes and saves us, it will be different! It was for me! Scripture teaches this even when we recognize that people can stumble and fail, but Jesus never does! Yet, it seems to me that we have gone way to far from scripture becoming willing to accept sin, compromise, and tolerance of that which scripture doesn’t! When Paul says we are a new creature, it is because when Jesus comes, He makes all things new! I am so grateful that Jesus took this broken life and soul of mine and began to do a work that only He can do; and while I wasn’t perfect then and am by no means perfect now—I have experienced the work of Jesus in me much like Paul described to the Roman believers; but first of all let’s see that Paul and James inherently agree that real saving grace by faith makes a difference. If all you have is words with no substance, then you may want to check and see what your faith is really in. Is it in your words, or the life changing, saving blood of Jesus—who makes all things new? As I heard a pastor say this morning, the difference between what I believe and what you may believe is that what I believe (in whom I believe!) has made a change in me. How about you?

“What doth it profit, my brethren,

though a man

say he hath faith,

and have not works?

can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister be naked,

and destitute of daily food,

16 And one of you say unto them,

Depart in peace,

be ye warmed and filled;

notwithstanding ye give them not

those things which are needful

to the body;

what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works,

is dead,

being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say,

Thou hast faith,

and I have works:

shew me

thy faith without thy works,

and I will shew thee my faith

by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God;

thou doest well:

the devils also believe,

and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man,

that faith without works

is dead?” James 2:14-20

James gives a bit of insight into his meaning from a simple command.

“But be ye doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22

In Blanche’s paraphrase, if your actions don’t match your words, you may be deceiving yourself! God gives us a great answer to this dilemma from the Psalmist.

“Search me, O God,

and know my heart:

try me,

and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way

in me,

and lead me

in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

Oh, how I remember the day that Jesus came speaking to my hypocritical heart, and said clearly, “You’re not mine!” And after several hours of arguing with Jesus, I fell on my face and called on Jesus to save me, for I could NOT do it myself (and surely I had spent many years trying to do it myself—and believe me, my friends, Salvation is not a DIY project but can only be accomplished through the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin—and SIN is the issue!) Consider what Jesus says!

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross,

and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

and whosoever will lose his life for my sake

shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited,

if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

or what shall a man give

in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-25

Jesus makes it clear that only HE can save!

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am

the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.” John 14:6

“Jesus answered and said unto him,

If a man love me,

he will keep my words:

and my Father will love him,

and we will come unto him,

and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not

keepeth not my sayings:

and the word which ye hear is not mine,

but the Father’s which sent me.” John 14:23-24

So, let’s go back to Paul’s call to each and every believer!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

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.

3 For I say,

through the grace given unto me,

to every man that is among you,

not to think of himself more highly

than he ought to think;

but to think soberly,

according as God hath dealt

to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:1-3

So, my question for today is a very simple one; have you been changed by the blood of Jesus that cleanseth from all sin? Are you God’s child but you’ve reserved some sin for yourself? Are you claiming the name of Jesus, and expecting to go to heaven on His coattail, while holding on to the reins of your life? Or have you come to the cross and obeyed the call of Jesus:

“If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross,

and follow me…”

And in closing, a thought from Isaiah’s prophecy from God!

“Wherefore the Lord said,

Forasmuch as this people draw near me

with their mouth,

and with their lips

do honour me,

but have removed their heart

far from me,

and their fear toward me

is taught by the precept of men:” Isaiah 29:13

Is it different now? To take up the cross of Jesus means dying to self; Paul said it better than me.

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20

Amen and Amen!!!

Only Jesus Can Save??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #218

09 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Blanche in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, Be ye HOLY, Come to Jesus, Commitment Or Convenience, Faith, JESUS, Jesus Built A Bridge, Jesus IN You!, Jesus Is Coming Again., Jesus IS The Gift!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Is Truth, Jesus Saves!, Jesus SinLESS Son of God, Jesus' Sacrifice, Jesus--our all in all, Salvation, Saved by grace, Saved by Grace Through Faith, Saved FROM Sin, Sharing Our Faith!, Sharing What God Has Given

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Only Jesus Can Save??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #218

Only one life, twill soon be past

Only what’s done for Christ, will last!

This is the refrain from a hymn written by C.T. Studd, a British missionary who served with Hudson Taylor. I’ll post the entirety at the end of this message, and I pray that it will encourage and challenge you today. For that is the subject I want to share with you today—it’s all about Jesus; Jesus our Lord who gave His all for you and me, and yet so many who claim His name have no time to spend with Him, no time for serving Him in His church, no time to share the Gospel with others, for we’re often so unfamiliar with God’s Word that we’re not sure what “The Gospel” is, so that’s our subject today! May this help you to stand!

“Be it known unto you all,

and to all the people of Israel,

that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

whom ye crucified,

whom God raised from the dead,

even by him doth this man stand here

before you whole.

11 This is the stone which was set at nought

of you builders,

which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name

under heaven

given among men,

whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

Only One name, only One way:

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am

the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.” John 14:6

John’s gospel is replete with the truths of the saving grace of Jesus alone, and we must be born of God not of ourselves. We can never clean up our act, so to speak, enough to be able to stand before God; it doesn’t matter how much money, or power, or fame, or status you have before the world, only Jesus can bring you into a relationship with God, by the power and conviction of sin that His precious Holy Spirit brings—and if you never see your sin, you’ll never see your need for Jesus. You’ll still have the need, but you won’t see it.

“He was in the world,

and the world was made by him,

and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own,

and his own received him not.

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:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.” John 1:10-13

Have you experienced the new birth? Have you come unto Jesus saving grace, bought, and paid for at Calvary? Jesus told a religious man named Nicodemus that no matter how religious he was, that wasn’t how you get to God. Yes, we are to be holy and righteous in our living when Jesus saves us, but our good works are the product of our salvation not the producer of it! We do good works because Jesus forgives, saves, transforms us by the power of His blood.

“For by grace are ye saved

through faith;

and that not of yourselves:

it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works,

lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus

unto good works,

which God hath before ordained

that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

And Jesus own words:

“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…

…. 5 Jesus answered,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born of water

and of the Spirit,

he cannot enter into

the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh

is flesh;

and that which is born of the Spirit

is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee,

Ye must be born again…

….14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent

in the wilderness,

even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have eternal life.

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.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world

to condemn the world;

but that the world through him

might be saved.

18 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.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.” Portions of John 3:3-19

“I tell you, Nay:

but, except ye repent,

ye shall all likewise perish…

… 5 I tell you, Nay:

but, except ye repent,

ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3 & 5

Will you choose life or perish? Paul’s great “gospel in a nutshell” passage, makes it clear what it is that we are to believe as we repent of our sin—it’s all about Jesus, and only Jesus!

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel

which I preached unto you,

which also ye have received,

and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved,

if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,

unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all

that which I also received,

how that Christ died for our sins

according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas,

then of the twelve:” 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

Have you heard the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart about your sin? I heard that dreaded voice of conviction years ago, and while it wasn’t what I wanted to hear, it was truth and when I fell on my face in repentance of my hard heart of sin, Jesus touched me, and I got up a new person—not perfect but redeemed and He has never left me through all my trials, failures, and mistakes! He is the God who saves, redeems, forgives, and cleanses us from sin. Trust Him today if you don’t know Him; and if you do already know Him, won’t you decide to live for HIM today?

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just

to forgive us our sins,

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:7-10

It’s a heart issue; what’s in your heart, Jesus, or the enemy of your soul?

“Do not ye yet understand,

that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth

goeth into the belly,

and is cast out into the draught?

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth

come forth from the heart;

and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed

evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” Matthew 15:17-19

It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test.

Amen and Amen!!!

Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past
by C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;