CONTEXT Matters to GOD

The BEST-known Bible verse is probably John 3:16 -- 'For GOD SO LOVED the World that HE GAVE His ONLY Begotten SON that whoever BELIEVES INto HIM shall NOT PERISH, but have EVERlasting LIFE.' (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-love-of-god/)

You yourself probably KNOW it by heart--but do you REALLY understand, ACTUALLY comprehend its GREATness of meaning and WEALTH of doctrinal TRUTHs? John 3:16 is like a mountain peak with such GREAT elevation that the other great mountain peaks around it are over-shadowed and even remain UNclimbed. (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/god-so-loved-2/)

But the CONTEXT of John 3:16 is revealed by The Risen LORD JESUS Himself in verses 11-21 as He enLIGHTens the highly educated, but spiritually DEAD Nicodemus -- a Pharisee, a ruler of Israel, a teacher himself, YET ignorant of the REALity of The TRUTH, YESHUA Himself -- The CHRIST of GOD, The MESSIAH of Israel. (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/understanding-the-spiritual/)

CHRIST JESUS Himself said: 'TRULY, TRULY, I SAY to you, We SPEAK of what We KNOW and bear witness of what We have SEEN, and you do NOT accept Our witness. If I told you earthly things and you do NOT believe, HOW will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And NO ONE has ascended into Heaven, but HE Who descended from Heaven, The SON of Man. And AS Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, EVEN SO MUST The SON of Man be lifted up; SO THAT whoever BELIEVES will IN Him have ETERNAL Life. (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-nature-of-belief/)

'For GOD (The FATHER) SO (intensely and supremely, eternally and infinitely) LOVED the (perishing and ALREADY judged and condemned) World (of SIN-natured SIN-practicing Humanity), that He GAVE (delivered up to shameful degradation, excruciating crucifixion) His ONLY Begotten (NOT created) SON (Who IS CO-Equal, CO-Essence, CO-Eternal with The Holy TRInity), that whoever BELIEVES INto Him shall NOT PERISH (condemned INto EVERlasting HELL), BUT have ETERNAL Life (with GOD The FATHER and GOD The SON and GOD The Holy SPIRIT -- forEVERmore). For GOD did not send The SON INto the World to JUDGE (condemn) the (ALREADY condemned) World, but that the World (of hopeless, helpless, perishing Sinners) might be SAVED (from the Power of SIN, Satan, SELF -- from HELL EVERlasting) THROUGH Him (The Sacrificial LAMB of GOD, The PRINCE of Peace, The KING of kings and LORD of lords -- CHRIST JESUS Himself). (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/man-and-his-need-of-salvation/)

'He who BELIEVES IN Him is NOT JUDGED; he who does NOT BELIEVE has been JUDGED ALREADY, because he has NOT BELIEVED IN the Name of the ONLY Begotten SON of GOD. And THIS is the JUDGMENT, that The LIGHT has come INto the World, and men LOVED the Darkness RATHER than The LIGHT, for their deeds were EVIL. For EVERYone who does evil hates The LIGHT, and does not come to The LIGHT lest his deeds be exposed. BUT he who practices The TRUTH comes to The LIGHT, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by GOD.' (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-light-has-come/)

The LORD JESUS proclaimed: 'I AM The (ONLY) WAY, The (REAL) TRUTH, and The (EVERlasting) LIFE. NO ONE can come to The FATHER (IN the Heavenly GLORY) except THROUGH Me' (John 14:6). (https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book-of-john/the-only-way-to-god/)

Friend -- your personal response to GOD's ONLY Way of SALVATION determines your IMmortal soul's ETERNAL Destination. Your stubborn rejection OR grateful acceptance of GOD's Invitation to His Kingdom of GLORY through His ONLY Begotten SON, CHRIST JESUS, seals your EVERlasting Place. Your willful UNbelief OR heart-and-soul FAITH in The TRUTH, The Incarnate WORD Himself -- cements your Eternal NOW. May you respond GOD's Way. AMEN. \o/

CHRISTmas 2020... STILL joyFULL... STILL wonderFULL!

CHRISTmas is ALWAYS a time to remember and to CELEBRATE the INdescribable LOVE of GOD -- no matter what trials GOD has allowed in our lives. Because GOD has done the utterly INcomprehensible act of Agape-LOVE, those who welcome this FACT of HIStory are JOY-filled and thank-FULL. The TRUTH is that "The SON of GOD became The SON of Man so that sinful sons of men might become sons of GOD" (John Calvin).

GOD IS LOVE!

CHRISTmas 2020 may not be the merryEST for the very many affected with the tumultuous events of this year. But for those IN CHRIST JESUS -- those who've put their TRUST in His Person (WHO and WHAT He IS), those who are united with Him through their NEW Birth by the workings of The Holy SPIRIT -- CHRISTmas is ALL the time a GRACE-Full and truly WONDER-Full holy-day to enJOY, even if not the merryEST due to today's UNcertain circumstances. TRUE JOY-Fullness comes from KNOWing that GOD is NOW our FATHER Who LOVES us as His children -- no longer our JUDGE Who condemns us as His enemies, through FAITH in His SON Who died for sinners like you and me, rescuing us from the HELLish EVERlasting separation from GOD and ALL His infinite GOODness -- but adopting us into GOD's Heavenly Family forEVERmore!

GOD SO LOVED!

 

 

CHRISTmas is EVERY day for the CHRISTian -- for he (or she) has been made part of GOD's ETERNAL Family, adopted as a child of The FATHER, SUPERnaturally LOVED by Him as a brother or sister of His own SON LORD JESUS, and he (or she) is ever Presenced by The Holy SPIRIT's INdwelling through The Risen SON of GOD. CHRISTmas for the Twice-Born is LOVE manifested as their daily REALITY -- each moment, each breath, is of GOD's GRACE, received with childlike TRUST, with grateful hearts and sincere praises for The ONE True Living GOD. For the Born-Again peculiar people of GOD, it has been GIFTed to them the highest privilege of calling the Creator of the Universe, FATHER... Papa, Tata, Abba. What UNspeakable, AMAZING, INdescribable GRACE!

CHRISTmas is HIStory -- the FACT of the INcomprehensible TRIune GOD, the INfinite BEing Who has ALWAYS existed, the SOVEREIGN Creator and Master of Creation becoming a Man of flesh and bones and blood like His own creatures! WHY? For WHAT purpose? Because GOD IS LOVE. Because sin-DOers and sin-THINKers like you and me NEED The SAVIOR CHRIST JESUS. GOD IN CHRIST purposely left His Majestic GLORY and Heavenly Splendor to incarnate as a Man into this messed up world to RESCUE messed up souls like you and me. Through FAITH in the fully accomplished RESCUE-Mission of The MESSIAH, The CHRIST sent of GOD -- penitent Believers of The LORD JESUS are brought back into a fellowship of intimacy, of a face-to-face relationship with GOD, even sonship as adopted brothers and sisters of The KING of kings -- The LORD CHRIST JESUS!

EVERlasting LIFE! is IN CHRIST -- GOD's CHRISTmas Gift to ALL who TRUST in Him and humbly receive His SON as their LORD and SAVIOR.

CHRISTmas, to those who BELIEVE and TRUST in The TRUTH of GOD's Word -- is John 3:16 made REAL and very PERSONAL: "For GOD SO (in THIS way) LOVED me that He sent His One and Only SON, His very Begotten and most Beloved -- to receive upon Himself the just penalty and righteous punishment for ALL my SINs, my acts of REBELLION against GOD, my PRIDE of SELF which is satanic idolatry, my putting a false god above The TRUE GOD. i was a HELPLESS SLAVE to SIN -- but my REDEEMER bought me with HIS most precious Blood, setting me FREE from GOD's Anger and Condemnation forEVERmore! HalleluJAH for CHRISTmas! \o/

'For to us a Child is born, to us a SON is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful COUNSELOR, Mighty GOD, Everlasting FATHER, PRINCE of Peace.' (Isaiah 9:6)

Do you wonder at times if you can TRUST GOD and HIS Promises? CHRISTmas tells you, “YES! You can!” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches us in this text from Isaiah 9:6 that we must THINK MORE HIGHLY of the Gift of CHRIST we are given from The FATHER. A GIFT tells us about the one who gives as well as the one who receives. When we consider the GREATness of GOD GIVING us His SON, we understand three things. First, we must MAKE MUCH of GOD and not only CHRIST; The GIVER IS AS GREAT AS The GIFT. Second, we must be in VERY GREAT NEED if we are GIVEN SO COSTLY a Gift. Finally, our response must be one of AMAZEMENT, GRATITUDE, and PRAISE. GOD LOVES us SO MUCH that He GAVE us THE GREATEST Gift that could be given! Hold fast to that when you struggle to TRUST GOD’s Promises. CHRISTmas is the GUARANTEE that we CAN TRUST GOD’s GOODness. (CHRISTmas Day message from Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones -- "A SON is Born, A SON is Given" -- https://www.mljtrust.org/.../a-son-is-born-a-son-is-given/)

The INdwelling Holy SPIRIT through our LORD JESUS illumined my mind and uplifted my heart through Pastor Dean's edifying TRUTH-message of CHRISTmas -- the REALITY that those who have put their FAITH in the SAVING Work of The SON of GOD are living out Romans 8:1-39 -- 'There is NOW NO CONDEMNATION for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS!' GOD, because HE is now The FATHER and not The JUDGE to those who LOVE Him and BELIEVE in Him and His SON JESUS -- GOD's ULTIMATE Gift -- GOD is now our Heavenly FATHER Who disciplines, not punishes, His erring children. GOD The FATHER is NO LONGER angry with His own peculiar children, but He LOVES us tenderly and eternally, even as He corrects and trains us into CHRISTlikeness. GOD is FOR His children -- our FATHER (Who was IN CHRIST reconciling us to Himself) is NO LONGER AGAINST us! HalleluJAH! \o/ (Notes from Pastor Dean Roberts' CHRISTmas message, begins at 45:00 -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58jAza6bv4k)

Have you believed GOD's GOOD News? Have you changed your mindset about Who and What GOD IS -- His UNapproachable HOLINESS -- and come to unflinching acceptance of your own UNholiness, understanding that NO ONE can stand in GOD's Glorious Majesty without the PERFECT Righteousness required of GOD to enter into HIS Kingdom? Have you turned FROM your sins and turned TO GOD for His INTERVENTION and RECONCILIATION and TRANSFORMATION? Then humbly RECEIVE His ULTIMATE Gift this CHRISTmas -- CHRIST JESUS, SON of GOD, LORD of lords, SAVIOR of repentant sinners like you and me -- GOD's Sacrificial LAMB Himself, Who shed His BLOOD at the CROSS as FULL Payment for ALL our SINs. By GOD's GRACE alone, through FAITH alone, IN CHRIST alone -- are we sinFULL men and women fully JUSTIFIED, and made fit for our forEVERmore LIFE of Glory in Heaven. \o/

RICARDO NAVALTA -- 88 1/2 Earth-Years

Uncle Ric isn't even my Dad -- so WHY am i mourning over his death MORE than i did over my own father's death?

On Sunday, April 17, uncle Ric was rushed to Sharp's E.R. He was in ICU for three days, then Comfort Care until he passed away, Saturday, April 23. But prior to this, Uncle Ric was in and out of hospital- and rehab-stays, due to a bad fall late January. i saw Mom's faithfulness first hand as she visited him every day, even staying overnight during the last two nights before Uncle died.

When i finally visited Uncle at the last rehab facility, he was almost comatose and was driven into Sharp's ER, where he was stabilized and hospitalized a couple weeks and then back to the same rehab facility. Visiting Uncle more often -- giving him massages and helping out with his occupational therapy (playing blackjack with him...LOL!), i got to see the stage of life when we become SO dependent, SO helpless, SO fragile. i saw Uncle at his weakest... and it wrenched at my heart.

At Sharp's ER, in a private room, i sang "HE's got the whole world in His hands" over and over. And all throughout the week, i sang this song to Uncle -- also telling him of JESUS' love for him and that there's no need to fear when he has CHRIST at his side. i shared with him Biblical truths about heaven -- that "GOD Himself will wipe away every tear from his eyes; there'll be no more death, or sorrow, or crying. There'll be no more pain. ALL these things are gone forever." (Revelation 21:4)

Many were praying for Uncle's recovery... even for a miracle. On Tuesday, April 19, this flower bloomed in the backyard garden that Mom and Uncle tended together. GOD spoke to me through His creation -- how fearfully and wonderfully made is each soul! And yet how brief is our time on earth... "Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone--as though we had never been here." (Psalm 103:15-16) For a brief time, on this Tuesday, uncle Ric "bloomed" -- became conscious of his surroundings -- of family and friends who came to visit him. He was himself, though but a weak shadow, about to fade away...

The days of our lives are seventy years;
and if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off and we fly away.
(Psalm 90:10)

ALL flesh is grass. 

And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it;

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the Word of our GOD stands forever.

(Isaiah 40:6-8)

By GOD's grace, i shared the Good News with Uncle -- that he can receive peace with GOD through CHRIST JESUS, the Son of GOD. JESUS Himself said, "I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the FATHER except through Me." (John 14:6) And it is written: "ALL have turned away; ALL have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!" (Psalm 14:3) EVERYone has sinned -- we ALL fall short of GOD's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23)

Keeping it very simple, i explained to Uncle that we ALL have done wrong things in our lives, and we need to be forgiven by GOD through JESUS' death on the cross... that He takes away our sins by dying for us, that he rose from the grave and is now in heaven. i told Uncle not to be afraid, that all he has to do is to call out, even if it's just in his mind -- "JESUS, help me!"

Uncle Ric was able to say, "GOD, forgive me..."

During this week of watching Uncle slowly fade away, i read to him Psalm 23 and Psalm 139. Though he was unable to speak, i prayed that GOD would allow Uncle to hear and understand and be reassured that the LORD JESUS is the Good Shepherd who will walk with him through this valley of the shadow of death... that He will make him to lie down in green pastures and lead him beside still waters... that He will restore His soul!

May GOD have allowed uncle Ric to also hear and to understand Psalm 139 as i read this Word of TRUTH:

"O LORD, you have examined my heart and know EVERYthing about me. You KNOW when i sit down or stand up. You KNOW my thoughts even when i'm far away. You see me when i travel and when i rest at home. You KNOW EVERYthing i do.

You know what i am going to say even before i say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is TOO wonderful for me, TOO great for to understand!

i can NEVER escape from Your SPIRIT! i can NEVER get away from Your presence! If i go up to heaven, You are there; if i go down to the grave, You are there. If i ride the wings of the morning, if i dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me.

i could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night -- but even in darkness i cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to You.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank You for making me SO wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -- how well i know it. You watched me as i was being formed in utter seclusion, as i was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me BEFORE i was born. EVERY day of my life was recorded in Your book. EVERY moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

How precious to me are Your thoughts, O GOD. They cannot be numbered! i can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when i wake up, You are STILL with me!

Search me, O GOD, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out ANYthing in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."

My dad Romeo is gone... so is uncle Ric. Yet Uncle's passing has touched me more deeply. When JESUS experienced the dying of His earthly father Joseph, how much MORE was the pain in His heart! When the apostle John watched His Beloved Teacher and LORD gasping for breath as He agonized on the cross -- how much MORE the apostle's pain! When Mary, the mother of JESUS, watched her Son die that excruciating death on the cross -- how much MORE a mother's pain! 

When GOD the FATHER watched His Only Begotten Son -- the Lamb of GOD, CHRIST JESUS -- being crucified as atonement for our sins, how much MORE... how unfathomable the pain in His heart! "For GOD loved the world SO much that He GAVE His One and ONLY Son, so that EVERYone who believes in Him -- CHRIST JESUS -- will NOT perish but have ETERNAL LIFE." (John 3:16)

For it is written: "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD.  "And My ways are far beyond anything you can imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom!
(Psalm 90:12)

GOD who is LOVE and who is ALL-Wise... He has the whole world in His hands!

Now may the GOD of Hope
fill you with all JOY and PEACE in BELIEVING,
that you may abound in HOPE
by the POWER of the Holy SPIRIT.
(Romans 15:13)

Solution to the SIN Problem

REALITY: "For EVERYone has sinned; we ALL fall short of GOD's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23)

DO ALL ROADS REALLY LEAD TO HEAVEN? EVERY major religion claims to be the ONLY way to heaven. Each of these religions has a different kind of God and a vastly different means of reaching Him. Because they're ALL DIFFERENT, they could ALL be WRONG, BUT THEY CAN'T ALL BE RIGHT.

Hal Seed (in "The GOD Questions -- Exploring Life's Great Questions About GOD") presents these religions' basic solutions to the realities of SIN and JUSTICE.

This religion teaches, "Those who love a hundred have a hundred woes. Those who love ten have ten woes. Those who love one have one woe. Those who love none have no woes." Craving is the root cause of suffering. Therefore, eliminate suffering by eliminating craving by following the EIGHT-FOLD PATH.

The ultimate goal is to become a pure spirit by living a life that merits GOOD KARMA. The problem with this solution is that no matter how many chances (REINCARNATIONS) we get, we're still flawed and finite people, so we continue to make mistakes. And because GOD is INFINITE, how does FINITE man gain that INFINITE amount of GOOD KARMA, good enough to gain NIRVANA?

This is by far the most common response to the problem of SIN -- eternal separation from GOD. Almost all world religions have adopted strategies for EARNING their way to GOD -- their plan is to WORK hard enough, long enough to EARN their way to heaven. IF they will faithfully perform these FIVE works, or these TEN -- or these 613...they will gain entrance into heaven. But what IF (or more realistically, WHEN) one day, you FAIL to perfectly perform these works?

GOD is LOVE...but GOD is also HOLY. GOD is JUST...but GOD is also MERCIFUL. A HOLY, JUST, LOVING and MERCIFUL GOD canNOT allow SIN to go unpunished. So GOD enforced JUSTICE by taking a Life (as Substitute blood-PAYMENT for the PENALTY of SIN -- yours and mine), but the Life He took was the life of His Son, CHRIST JESUS. GOD grants FORGIVENESS based ONLY on the PERFECT merits of Another.

This SELF-centered religion believes that this world is all there is. "So I concluded that there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor..." (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13) This "religion" believes there is NO GOD, therefore making him/herSELF god.

WHICH RELIGION IS RIGHT? They're all different. They could ALL be wrong -- BUT THEY CAN'T ALL BE RIGHT. "The way to heaven has many roads" -- does it matter which way we take as long as we are SINCERELY seeking "God"?

IMAGINE a skydiver mistakenly reaching for his BACKPACK instead of his PARACHUTE just before jumping out of a plane. His well-intentioned ERROR won't save him from CERTAIN catastrophe. It is possible to be SINCERE, but SINCERELY WRONG.

Which of the above solutions matches what your CONSCIENCE -- your heart of hearts -- tells you is TRUE? Choosing the FAITH that TRULY saves is this lifetime's MOST important free-will decision.

The True MESSIAH taught that GOD SO LOVED us that HE made The WAY for us to be reconciled back to fellowship with The FATHER (see John 14:6). CHRIST JESUS taught that GOD forgives EVERYone based on His GRACE (GOD's unmerited, unearned favor and goodwill), and that He opens His arms to us NOT because of how good we are or how much we do. It's not about GOD asking us to make the effort -- it's about GOD having already made the effort for us. It's not about reaching up to get to GOD -- it's about GOD reaching down to us to rescue us. It's not about DOing rules and behaviors -- it's about GOD having already DONE ALL that is necessary to end the separation between sinful man and a thrice-Holy GOD. The MESSIAH is the thrice-Holy GOD -- His Name is YESHUA...JESUS (read John 3).

JESUS, on the Cross -- having perfectly completed His work which GOD has sent Him to accomplish -- said, "It is finished!" JESUS, in Heaven -- seated on the throne at the right hand of GOD -- said, "It is finished! I AM The Alpha and The Omega - The Beginning and The End. To ALL who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the Water of Life." (John 19:30; Revelation 21:6)

The GOOD News is that every REPENTANT sinner in the world is only a heartfelt-prayer away from GOD's Salvation and entrance INto His Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. The sincere prayer of FAITH in the finished ATONING sacrificial DEATH of GOD The SON on the Cross is one's humble heartcry for GOD's Forgiveness of his/her SINs. Having been enlightened of GOD's HOLINESS and given understanding of his own SINfulness, the penitent SIN-natured, SIN-doer cries out from the depths of his brokenhearted soul -- "LORD JESUS, SON of GOD -- thank You for dying for me at Calvary's CROSS to pay the full REDEMPTION price for my SINs with Your own BLOOD. i turn away from my SINful lifestyle and turn to You alone to be The LORD and The Master of my heart and soul, over my life and my all. i BELIEVE that You lived a sinless Life, died to take away the guilt and punishment for my own SINs, that You were resurrected by GOD from the Grave, and that You are now ALIVE in Heaven, sharing again the GLORY that You always had with The FATHER. i receive by FAITH alone, Your forgiveness of ALL my SINs, by GOD's GRACE alone. Amen!"

 

IF and SO -- Two GREAT, Two-Letter Words

IF my LORD GOD had not timed it JUST-so, SO that the stoplights would be green or red, SO that i would arrive at Palm and Dennery on a red light, SO that i can look around as i caught my breath (early Thursday morning, as i biked to work)... (Luke 1:37)

IF the alive-within SPIRIT had not caused my eyes to focus and alight on the sight of a crumpled piece of green, while at the same time causing all traffic to be properly stopped or turning away from my direction, SO that i can pick up the recognizable greenback in safety... (Romans 8:14)

THEN i wouldn't have felt that boost of JOY, which energized my body to tackle the rest of the uphill ride with hallelujah praises singing in my heart and bursting forth out of my lips. (Nehemiah 8:10)

JESUS my Beloved LORD knew my spirit wasn't light that morning, which caused my body to feel heavy as i pedaled up Palm -- lacking energy because i was lacking His JOY, which is my day-to-day source of strength in ALL things, in ALL circumstances. (Philippians 4:13)

SO my ever-compassionate LORD JESUS gave me a perk in the form of a one-dollar bill, which perked me up in my spirit, which sparked the waiting storehouse of JOY within, which infused the cells of my body with palpable, energetic happiness because of the IN-sight that GOD was speaking to me in my real-time circumstance. (Hebrews 13:8)

The LORD SPIRIT spoke into my heart -- "See, rln, how money has such power over people, even you? See how highly energized you got from just a mere dollar? Can you understand more clearly then, the literal "high" of someone whose god is money?" (Matthew 6:24)

"Yes, LORD." (Romans 10:10)

i also knew (that GOD knew that i knew that He knew! -- for He knows at ALL times, ALL the WHATevers within my heart and mind and body) that it was a "GOD-speak" event in the momentary circumstance. i knew without a shadow of doubt that it was a GOD-given gift of serendipity, a GOD-governed provision, a GOD-gladdened lesson. (Psalm 139)

What else was there for me to do, but to sing aloud thankful praises for my heavenly Father -- for His higher-than-the-heavens wisdom, His tenderhearted ways, His compassion-in-action LOVE...His ALL-mightiness in ALL things, in ALL circumstances, in ALL ways...always! (Philippians 4:4)

Thank You, my LORD GOD, for cleansing my heart more and more and more with your Light -- The TRUTH of The Word -- SO that i may see Your glorious holy beauty more and more and more with the eyes of my heart in these unexpectedly delightful moments that abound in Your creation! (Matthew 5:8)

Hallelu-JAH for the greatest "SO"! \o/ For GOD SO loved the world that He gave His one and only Son JESUS, that IF anyone trusts in Him -- he or she will not perish into eternal hell, but will have eternal Life! The SO has been demonstrated in HIStory -- the IF is your chosen story... (John 3:16-18)

Dear reader: may the SPIRIT of GOD blaze the TRUTH of the Good News into your heart, SO that you may choose for your self TOday to receive in all humility and genuine repentance, the utterly AMAZING GOD-given gift of GRACE -- your REDEMPTION through CHRIST JESUS -- SO that you may enJOY a GOD-governed life with GOD-gladdened days forEVERmore as your greatest SO in answer to your IF.

AMEN -- in the ALL-mighty Name of the LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST!

Personal PEACEmaking - Pastor Steve Boschen

"Bless this Home" is a much-desired longing in the hearts of everyone, as seen in the many artistic display of signs hung on doors and walls of many homes all over the world. But what does the word "BLESS" really mean? From a Google search, i got: "to confer or invoke divine favor upon; to express a wish or desire of happiness; to make happy; to make successful; to prosper in temporal concerns," etc.

But what does GOD say about being "GOD-blessed" -- as defined from the Sermon on the Mount? (Matthew 5-7)

And what does it mean to have a GOD-blessed home?

Pastor Steve Boschen (Ocean View Church) -- in his sermon-series "Bless this Home" -- focuses on The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) as the GOD-given way to have a blessed home. In The Beatitudes, the LORD JESUS Himself defines what is eternally "blessed."

Pastor Boschen: "We at Ocean View Church as the "Family Place" in the South Bay seek to be more than simply CHRISTian homes by name. We seek to be CHRIST-centered homes in practice... JESUS isn't just a part of our life, He IS our life! We are fully devoted, following and serving and knowing, and bringing glory to Him." (excerpts from Pastor Steve's Welcome)

At OVC, "our family is committed to being a CHRIST-centered home. We are committed to building a "culture of peace" that reflects GOD's peace and the power of the Gospel of CHRIST in our lives. JESUS isn't just a part of our lives -- He IS our life.

"We look to the Scriptures and the Holy SPIRIT for guidance on how we can respond to conflict in a way that will honor GOD, promote justice, reconcile relationships and preserve our witness for CHRIST. As GOD gives us His wisdom and grace, we are committed to actively teaching and encouraging one another to live out the principles of peacemaking and reconciliation." (excerpts from Bless this Home)

PERSONAL PEACEMAKING prayers of Ocean View Church

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as GOD through CHRIST has forgiven you.

 Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of GOD.

JESUS: "Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye."

Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

DAVID: "Let the godly strike me! It will be a kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. Don’t let me refuse it." If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. JESUS: “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to GOD...If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back."

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

LOVE never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Pastor Boschen: "As we stand in the light of the cross, we realize that bitterness, unforgiveness and broken relationships are not pleasing to the LORD who has reconciled us to Himself through the sacrifice of His only Son." (John 13:34-35; Ephesians 4:29-32; Colossians 3:12-14)

The ultimate personal peacekeeping is making peace with GOD through putting our faith in CHRIST JESUS as LORD of our lives, so that we can also receive the peace of GOD that surpasses all human understanding. For GOD loved the world SO much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 3:16; 8:36 NLT)

A Matter of LIFE OR DEATH -- JOHN 3:16

My Friend: i am asking you the most important question of life. Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?

GOD says in order to go to Heaven you must be born again. In John 3:7, JESUS said to Nicodemus, "You must be born again."

In the Bible, GOD gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How?

First, my friend, you must realize you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of GOD" (Romans 3:23).

Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. "For the wages (payment) of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from GOD in Hell. "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

But GOD loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, JESUS, to bear your sin and die in your place. "...He has made Him (JESUS, Who knew no sin) to be sin for us...that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). JESUS had to shed His blood and die. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11). "...without shedding of blood is no remission (pardon)" (Hebrews 9:22).

"...GOD commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Although we cannot understand how, GOD said my sins and your sins were laid upon JESUS and He died in your place. He became our Substitute. It is true. GOD cannot lie.

My friend, "GOD...commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with GOD that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what JESUS did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: "... 'Sirs, what must i do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and you shall be saved... .' "

Simply believe on Him as the One Who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and Whom GOD resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when JESUS is received as Savior.

"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" (John 1:12).

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.

Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to GOD in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: "GOD be merciful to me a sinner." Just pray: Oh, GOD, i know i am a sinner. i believe JESUS was my Substitute when He died on the Cross. i believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. i now receive Him as my Savior. i thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen."

Just take GOD at His word and receive His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, GOD does the saving. All of it!

GOD's simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on JESUS Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, "Surely, it cannot be that simple." Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is GOD's plan. My friend, believe on JESUS and receive Him as Savior today.

If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this over and over, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.

"For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let GOD save you this very moment.

GOD's power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious CHRISTian life. "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but GOD is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on GOD's promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth: Pray -- you talk to GOD. Read your Bible -- GOD talks to you. Witness -- you talk for GOD.

You should be baptized in obedience to the LORD JESUS CHRIST as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. "Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our LORD..." (2 Timothy 1:8)

"Whosoever therefore shall confess (testify of) Me before men him will I confess also before My Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 10:32).

The above was copied from a Gospel tract -- GOD's Simple Plan of SALVATION -- so that if you are not experiencing the indescribable joy of having peace with GOD, you may be given heart-knowledge by the Holy SPIRIT -- John 3:16, as your life-giving Truth... that CHRIST JESUS is your freely given gift of ETERNAL LIFE forevermore.