Month: November 2013

For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and a voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.   Hebrews 12:18-24

The people of Israel had a frightening experience of the law at Mount Sinai and the writer of Hebrews is giving us a glimpse, or overview of just some of the things they Israel, encountered with God. The proper approach to a holy God could not have been better stressed than by imposing a death penalty upon those who violated the arbitrary boundaries which God had set around Himself. So strict that even if an animal came near this sacred area, it would be put to death. So we see that the law brings forth death unless it was perfectly upheld, and we know that no one man ever came close to fulfilling God’s law requirements. James said in his epistle, For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10), one transgression makes fulfilling the law’s requirements it’s most basic commands—to love God perfectly, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself—impossible. It has been said the definition of sin is to fall short, or miss the mark; but the Bible makes it clear that all unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17), and that all of mankind has sinned against God. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20) So you see, the knowledge of right and wrong is not enough to save us, the law makes sin known, but cannot ever save someone.

Good news—As opposed to Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Mosaic law which was foreboding and terrifying, Mount Zion here is not the earthly one in Jerusalem, but God’s heavenly home, which is inviting and gracious. No one could please God on Sinai’s terms, which is perfection, that perfect fulfillment of the law of God: For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Deuteronomy 27:26) But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith” (Habbakkuk 2:4), Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them” (Leviticus 18:5). Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” Deuteronomy 21:23), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:10-13). Mount Zion, unlike the Old Testament law, is accessible to all who come to God by faith through His Son, Jesus Christ.

General assembly, Church of the firstborn, just men made perfect—These all relate to the gathering of God’s people in heaven. There will be an innumerable amount of angels in a festive gathering around God’s throne. The firstborn is Jesus Christ, the “church” is the believers who are fellow heirs with Christ, who is our preeminent One among many brethren (Romans 8:17). These “Just Men” are made perfect because they are the Old Testament saints who received the promises from God, spoken through the prophets and went to their graves believing: For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God (Job 19:25-26).  They are distinctive in that they are separate from the “Church of the firstborn,” who are the New Testament believers.

Jesus the Mediator—Christ’s offering of Himself completely satisfied the requirements of the law of God. Abel’s sacrifice was pleasing to God because it was offered in faith and obedience, but it had no atoning power. Only through Jesus Christ’s shed blood alone was sufficient to cleanse our confessed sins to God (1 John 1:9). The sacrifice of Christ brought redemption, complete forgiveness, and  salvation. The blood of Abel’s sacrifice only brought a temporary covering, but Christ’s blood shedding sacrifice of Himself, bought for us, as He paid the price in full,  our redemption and eternal salvation.

Beloved friend, Is your name registered in heaven? There is still time you know. Has God been speaking to you lately? About turning your life over to Him, and that the reason is because He loves you. He wants only what is best for you. Did you know that God only wants what is best for you? Your life and my life is very special to Him. So much so, that He would offer up His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sins. He has made a way for us to come boldly to His throne room of grace (Hebrews 4:16),  that we might obtain His mercy and forgiveness, along with His grace of unmerited favor in our time of need. We should all be forever grateful, and thankful to God for His Son, our Mediator, our Redeemer who lives, for our salvation and gift of eternal life. Don’t you want that for your own life? Or for the lives of your loved ones?

May the Lord bless your walk with Him today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually be fore Me.  Isaiah 49:14-16

There are times in our walk when we may wonder if God really cares about me. Here in our text He assures us that we are not forgotten. And that we are His beloved child now and He will not forsake what is His own. David wrote in Psalm 27, When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me (v.10). I don’t know what it is like to be an orphan, but I’m convinced that the Lord is very much aware these precious ones. I remember once of leaving my youngest son at school one time. I was outside at the school waiting for our kids to come out, and in the mix of all the kids walking about we had four at the time, plus a neighbor kid we would drive home, I just thought we were all in the car ride of two blocks home? But as soon as we pulled in the driveway, in became apparent, “Oh no!” I remember letting our older kids out and rushing back to the school, only to see this woman, another parent who was waiting with us, handing my son to the school’s office attendant, I heard her say, “I know he has a lot of kids, so he should be back soon!” My failure to remember our son, didn’t mean that I didn’t care, but that I just forgot to make sure He was with us in the car ride home. God will not ever know where any of us are at in our walk with Him. When He called for Adam, in the Garden of Eden, He knew where he was at, He wanted to bring to attention that it was he, Adam that was hiding from God, and not the other way around. Our sin interrupts our fellowship with God, and our guilt and shame cause us to hide from Him, even though we are never hidden from His sight. It is comforting to know that not because my earthly parents had forsaken me, nor that my sins have kept me from turning to the loving arms of my Father in heaven. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord    (Romans 8:39-40). Nothing in life’s path from beginning to end, can separate us from Christ’s love for us.

Inscribed on the palms of My hands— The nail pierced hands of Jesus is the one trait of Jesus Christ that will be visible when we see Him in heaven. It will still be visible in His glorified state. When Christ appears to the disciples after His resurrection note what He tells them, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord (John 20:19-20). Jesus knew they would have doubts by now, the tomb has been discovered to be empty, and reports of His sighting by some of the women, so He showed them the proof they needed, His nail pierced hands, and side where the spear was thrust in Him. The night before His death, Jesus tells His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I” (John 14:27-28). The Lord’s great love for us and reminder to us is not only His nail pierced hands, but by the fact that He has purchased us by shedding His own blood for us on the cross. It is with that significant act, that has brought to us His peace. Paul wrote in Colossians Ch.1, For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 2:19-20).

Beloved friend, Jesus Christ is our Prince of Peace. He suffered a death that was rightly ours. He invites anyone in this life to come to Him, so that He may give you this peace. It is not fickle like what we see the world wants to offer us. There shall be no world peace on this earth until the Prince of Peace returns to it which is what He has promised to do. His nailed pierced hands and feet, and side are all reminders to us of how much He loves you and me. Don’t let your hearts be troubled by what this life or world brings about. The God of the universe is in complete control over His church, His body of believers that come to Him from all walks of life. We shall be with Him one day in heaven, His Father’s house, in which He has gone ahead to prepare a place for Him. If there is anyone out there who feels that God has forsaken you, that is not true! The Bible says, “Let God be true, and every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4)  God indeed does care for you, and loves you with an everlasting love. Not like this world which is so superficial and certainly not of divine influence. We have a choice. “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)  The Bible allows us to apply truth to every circumstance of our lives. Don’t let anyone tell you that there is no hope left. As long as there is breath in you, there is an opportunity of eternal life for you. He will not forget you. Praise the Lord!

May the Lord bless your walk with Him today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.  2 Timothy 2:1-4

With the threat of legalism spreading in the church, with their thought that “you can work yourself into divine favor.” Paul tells Timothy, his son in the faith, “Be strong in the grace” that is in Christ Jesus. Paul had led Timothy to Christ during his first missionary journey, and here is one of Paul’s many reminders of how Timothy is to show his courage and trust in the Lord’s grace and mercy for his ministry. Not much has changed over the course of time, today’s ministry leaders need the same courage and to rely upon the same grace that is found in Christ the Lord. During Timothy’s many years under the tutelage of Paul, he had heard divine truth which had been revealed by God, and now he was to take what he had heard and commit them to faithful brethren who will be able to teach others. This is the discipling of men in the truths of the gospel, rightly divided truths that make ordinary men into Christians and followers of Christ. Then in turn, will go forward and teach others these same truths. All of which is the divine working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men, sent to us by the Lord Jesus Christ after His ascension to God.

Again we don’t have to reinvent the wheel here. These same tried and true methods of conversion are still how church growth appears, and how maturity can be seen in the lives of Christians today. From Paul to Timothy to faithful men with proven spiritual character, to others, encompasses four generations of godly leaders fulfilling their calling. That process of spiritual reproduction which began the early church, is to continue until the Lord returns.

A good soldier—The metaphor of the Christian life is warfare against the “evil world system”, that is, what the fallen sinful nature is all about, being under the power and influence of Satan himself, who wants to destroy the church of Jesus Christ. We’re in a real battle, a tough battle against spiritual powers of darkness, who are on constant assault against those in Christ. This why Paul can say to Timothy, as well to us, “endure hardness” as a “good soldier.” Jesus said to His disciples in a warning to watch for His coming, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36). In order to be ready for Christ’s return, the Christian ought to prepare himself with vigilant prayer, that is truly seeking after Christ and His will for you. A good soldier in Christ disciplines himself to avoid the snares that are set against Christians, to avoid catching us unaware. Some of which have to do with the deceitfulness of riches.

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life—Just as a soldier is called to duty and is no longer considers himself a “civilian,” being a soldier completely severs off his or her former way of life, to live that life of a soldier. A good soldier of Jesus Christ refuses to allow the things of this life to distract or take away what He is in Christ. He has made a commitment to follow and be pleasing to Him who has enlisted him. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and to take up our cross which is death to self, and live a life worthy of His calling. This means I must be seeking first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and the things of this life and what things I have need of will be added (Matthew 6:33).

Beloved friend, This is Veterans Day weekend, when we honor the life and the memory of our servicemen and women who served our country and for some gave their lives for our country. I will always be grateful for their service and sacrifice. When I enlisted in U.S. Air Force, I was told by a friend’s father, that the Air Force would be your father and mother, and brother and sister to me. I found that to be exceptionally true. It was during this time that I gave my life to Christ, at the age of nineteen. Nearly thirty-five years later, I have found that a Christian in Christ, like a good soldier, endures the hardships of trials and persecutions, but endures this never alone. The Lord is always with us, and He has placed us into His body of fellow believers, another family who is like yourself that has your back, that will love you and affirm you when you need it most. Likeminded soldiers in the Lord who are encouraging one another as we look to our Lord’s return. Yes, it is important to honor those who gave so much of themselves for our nations freedom, but for us as Christian’s, we give honor and all the glory to Him, who enlisted us. Jesus Christ, our strong tower in whom the righteous run to it and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). Our security relies upon His manifest perfections of faithfulness, power, mercy, and wisdom, on which the righteous and good soldiers of Jesus Christ, rely upon for our security. A person who honors God with his or her whole life will remain steadfast and ready for battle, and enabled to endure through storms of life.

May the Lord bless your walk with Him!

H.B. K.J.T.

 

 

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!.” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  John 2:13-22

Jesus journeying to Jerusalem for the Passover was annual custom for every devout Jewish male over the age of 12 years old (Exodus 23:14-17). During the celebration of Passover, worshipers came from all over Israel and the Roman Empire to Jerusalem. And because many traveled such great distances, it became inconvenient to bring their animal sacrifices with them. So here in our text, we find the ever opportunistic Jewish merchants setting up shop in the temple as their way of seeing the chance provide a necessity for profit. Along with them, you had money changers who took advantage of these travelers who had to pay a temple tax as well as purchase an animal sacrifice, and it could only be in Jewish or Tyrian coinage because of its high purity of silver. They would exchange their foreign currency at a higher rate for their needed proper currency. Exploitation was the result of their practices which the Lord dealt with swiftly.

As John records this cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus ministry, the synoptic gospels record a temple cleansing at the end of Jesus ministry, during the Passover right before His crucifixion (Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-46). The historical circumstances and literary contexts of the two temple cleansings differ so much that it was probably two different temple cleansings Jesus performed. For the Jewish nation never widely accepted Jesus’ ministry, and as a whole never recognized Him as their Messiah (Matthew 23:37-39). When the holiness of God and His worship was what was being overlooked, Jesus took fast action, the “all” indicates the He drove out not only these men, but their animals as well. Jesus was forceful but never cruel. He was deliberate as well as accurate in His perception in what He saw. What can we learn from this correction? Does anything in your life need to be addressed? How we worship the Lord is a very critical part of our relationship to God. Is it reverent enough so as to know that being in God’s presence as He inhabits our praises, is truly what every believer should be seeking after every day. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God the Father is seeking true worshipers, who worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23). We should marvel that Jesus was able to disperse such large crowds without ever inciting a riot for which Roman soldiers who were placed on guard during the Passover in the Antonia Fortress overlooking the temple would have swiftly reacted.

Jesus by His actions declares His deity, He had called the temple, His Father’s house and the disciples had remembered the scripture, “The zeal of the Father’s house has eaten Him up” (Psalm 69:9). The Jews were seeking a sign from Him showing by what authority He had taken on Himself by purging the marketplace in the temple. In Matthew chapter 12, he writes that certain scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (vv.38-41). This is similar when Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” They did not understand what He was saying, and had misinterpreted in thinking that He was referring to the temple that He had just cleansed. At the trial of Jesus, the authorities charged Him with making a threatening statement against the temple, revealing how they totally missed Jesus revealing Himself as their promised Messiah, and His resurrection. Paul the apostle wrote in 2 Corinthians, For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1). Paul was contrasting our earthly bodies with our spiritual bodies. Earthly house, or tent a metaphor of our physical body. A building from God, Paul’s metaphor for the believer’s resurrected, glorified body. We too one day will exchange our temporary earthly body, for a new and prepared for us by God resurrected and glorified body.

Beloved friend, Jesus Christ taught that the coming of Himself as the promised Messiah would not be without signs, interpreted by the Old Testament prophets, and given so that Israel would know their Messiah had come. But they choose not to believe in these signs, and written Scriptures, and in His own statements about who He was. Jesus declared that the only sign that would be given to the doubting world would be the resurrection of Himself. Paul asserted without the resurrection we have no gospel, but are still in our sins, and the most pitiable of all men (1 Corinthians 15:13-19). You know if you are a Christian today, you will be doubted as to why do I need a Savior? We liken it to their own misinterpretation of the signs given to them. The misunderstanding of Scripture reading, and the fact that Satan will not let them go without a fight. It seems so unfair with the way the this whole world system wants its life to be without the knowledge of God, and His Word. It’s as though they would rather go living without certainty that beyond this life is eternal life that will be with the Lord, or without Him. When we share our faith, let it be all about the cross and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and most of all, How God the Father did not end His story there at Calvary’s cross, but rather with a glorious resurrection three days later, that was biblically prophesied, and accurately ordered. So that we can have the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, now be our source of power. To be His witnesses to a doubting world yet, cannot deny the witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ because of His followers who are living testimonies of His love and mercy working in us a powerful testimony of saving grace. Your body is the temple of the living God, who is now at work in you. And one day will raise you up into His glorious body He has prepared for you. Can you think of any more assurance in this life? Our unstable world would love to have this same assurance if they would only believe. Jesus’ ascension into heaven was God’s witness to the world about His Son.

May the Lord bless your walk with Him!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Matthew 23:23-24

Garden herbs, not really the kind of farm produce that the tithe was designed to cover (Leviticus 27:30). But the Pharisees meticulously weighed out a tenth of every herb, and gave God His due. And yet, Jesus points out they’re omitting completely the important things of judgment: of love in showing mercy, and faith in God and not themselves. Majoring in the minor things and skipping over the more important matters. These were the weightier matters and moral principles of the law. God forbid if we ever come to the place of self sufficiency. No matter what state of condition my heart is in, I cannot ever think that I’m above my need of the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness through His grace for me. We should all be relying completely upon His grace and mercy for our lives. Then we will better be able to fulfill the law that God has for us without neglecting the more important principles which is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5). Jesus saved His most critical statements for those whose pride had blinded them from the real relationship God is seeking from us, not based on our own merits, like feeble attempts at upholding the law, but rather through humility and the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 22:4). “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The opposite of self-sufficiency is poor in spirit with the deep humility of recognizing one’s utter spiritual bankruptcy.

The Bible teaches us that we can have confidence in judgment>Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). The apostle John here is not talking of sinless perfection, but rather mature love marked by confidence in the face of judgment. And because Jesus was God’s Son in whom He was well pleased on earth; (Matthew 17:5) and we are in Christ, so God the Father sees us as liken to His beloved Son. What I see that’s crept into the church is this sort of behavior. Trying to keep the law condemns us, for true law deals with inward attitudes. Those who still are struggling with the thought, “I can only make it to heaven by achieving a certain level of goodness,” But what is the standard? What does God require from us? “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The standard for the person who wants to be right with God is nothing short of absolute perfection—not meticulously trying to weigh out every good deed, so it will weigh more than every bad deed. Even being sincere isn’t enough. Clearly those who believe they can earn eternal life by their good works have a distorted understanding of the holiness of God and what it means to be right with God.

Forgiveness—In the parable of the two debtors, Jesus points out a very genuine starting ground for us all to learn from, While in the house of a Pharisee named Simon, whose own opinion and thoughts were superior to that of others, especially of this woman from the city who was a sinner who stood behind Jesus, and began to wash His feet with her tears. Then wiped them with the hair of her head; then she kissed His feet and anointed them with fragrant oil (Luke 7:36-38). Now when the Pharisee spoke within himself said, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what of manner woman this is who was touching Him, for she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39). Jesus knew Simon’s thoughts. His thinking was that this woman who was so convicted of her sins and knowing Jesus came to bring us out of our bondage to sin, saw Him as her Messiah, and would let nothing stop her from showing her love for Him in all humility and gratitude. But all Simon saw was by her touching Jesus, He should know that this would make Him ceremonial unclean. Again neglecting the weightier matters of the law of love and mercy. Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged” (Luke 7:40-43). We are all in the place of not ever having enough righteousness in us to ever repay a holy God. Our sin debt is what has separated us from God and the kind of fellowship and covenant relationship He desires for us.  Isaiah the prophet spoke, You remember him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways, You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—In these ways we continue; and we need to be saved. But we are like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away (Isaiah 64:5-6). This is truly what our best is like when we come to God without Christ. Doesn’t it make sense to accept His invitation to come to Him, Jesus Christ and be saved?

Beloved friend, The psalmist wrote, Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises (Psalm 98:4), The idea is that of an eruption of praise which could not be contained. I find that to be what I want in my life. My heart filled with Praise, and worship and love for God, and His Beloved Son, Christ Jesus, our King. Our soon coming King who will brings us back with Him to the place He has prepared for us (John 14:2-3). He will return for us, His bride, but will also bring His judgment to the earth as well. For all those who stubbornly insist on establishing their own righteousness. These will find a horrible end to their script in this life, because of their own prideful unrepentant heart. Let us go forth this day and rejoice in our salvation, and Spirit led good works that brings all glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And because we are found in Him, we are accepted by God. Praise our King of kings, and Lord of lords! Hallelujah!

May the Lord bless your walk with Him!