Wrong Thinking (#2)

It’s just wrong thinking to think that the universe is 13.8 billions years old, our solar system is 4.6 billion years old, and life on earth has existed for at least a few hundred thousand years. Satan is the god of this world and he controls the false narrative of this humanist worldview. Satan cannot afford to let us believe God’s creation story as put forth in the Bible; not if he wants to steal our eternal soul and take it with him to the pit of hell. However, people can decide what they want to believe. People can either believe what their lying eyes are telling them or they can believe what God says in his word. God gives us that free will choice. 2 Corinthians 5:7, says believers are to live by faith and not by sight so do it. In Luke 4:4, Jesus also says man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God so do it. Not some of the words or just the words we like. God says we shall live by “every” word in the Bible. When God says the word “shall” it’s a commandment from God. It’s not optional if we want to please God. Believers are to believe what the Bible says and not what our current fallen world would have us believe; what Satan would have us believe. We just can’t cherry-pick from the Bible what we want to believe and then disbelieve the rest. To do that is to call God a liar to his face. Can’t you see that?

Luke 4:4 – But Jesus answered him (Satan), saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'”

2 Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Believe every word of the Bible or none of it. God wants us to be either hot or cold in our relationship with him. Don’t be a lukewarm Christian because if you are then God says he’ll spew you out of his mouth in disgust. Know this one thing for certain: Creation was only 6,000 years ago and whenever I read or hear all these astronomical numbers about the age of the universe it goes in one ear and out the other. Why? Because I don’t want to listen to foolishness. Because I believe what God says and not what the world says. There’s not a shred of evidence to support the humanist worldview. It’s all hocus pocus. I base my knowledge on searching the Bible for the truth of God. I have an understanding of God’s word, which has led me to believe what God says and not what Satan says. Following the path of right knowledge, right understanding, and right believing has led me to right thinking on this topic. Make this process work for you too by studying God’s word. Or you can continue down the path of wrong thinking if you want to. However, if you do there’s a price to pay when you stand before Jesus Christ on the last day. You have my testimony.

Genesis 1:3-5 – Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

NOTE: God is referring to a single evening and morning of a first day, one 24 hour day, and not millions of days. God couldn’t be any clearer so we need to take God at his word.

Genesis 2:3 – And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

NOTE: Sunday is the sabbath; the day of the week blessed by God. God isn’t blessing a period of millions of years but only one 24 hour day of each week (Sunday). If Sunday was only a 24 hour day then so was every other day of creation week. God says exactly what he means and his meaning is crystal clear. Man is commanded to believe in God’s word and observe the sabbath (Sunday). God says we’re not to add or detract from his word.

What you have to remember is God speaks plainly in his word and says exactly what he means. Except for the book of Revelation and a few other places in the Bible where God uses symbolism or spiritualization, God tells the story of his relationship with Israel and the Gentiles like it is, warts and all. In the book of Genesis, when God says he made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day he was talking about seven days, each 24 hours in length. What irks me the most about some believers is they’ll sometimes waffle when it comes to creation. Their equivocation comes from their listening to and being influenced by the lies of Satan, even though they may not realize it. Some believers want to have their cake and eat it too. They say maybe each day of creation is millions of years which would account for creation and the age of the universe at the same time. That is simply not scriptural so don’t believe it. Have you ever noticed that wrong thinking usually happens to us every time we stop reading the Bible regularly or we stop hearing God’s word spoken on a frequent basis? Having God active in our lives will stop a lot of our problems and stop a lot of our wrong thinking because the Holy Spirit is our helper and counselor. Faith in God leads to right thinking and we get that when we abide in God’s word. It’s as though we get smarter when we read the Bible and dumber when we don’t. Stay smart. Read your Bible.

Revelation 3:15-16 – (Jesus) – I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that less than 10% of church-going Christians have read the Bible in it’s entirety so they don’t really know what the Bible says other than what they hear in church on Sunday. Even fewer believers have taken the time to actually study God’s word in depth for knowledge, understanding and wisdom, even though God tells us to do this repeatedly in his word. If you don’t know the truth of God, and I mean really know it, then your faith will be weak and you’ll falter when the times get tough because you won’t be grounded in the word of God like you should be. To stand on the word of God as the absolute truth of God you first need to stop the wrong thinking by knowing what God’s word says so you can get your thinking right about God. Knowledge through preparation is the key thing in every aspect of life. With knowledge comes the confidence to stand up for your convictions, what you believe in. Knowledge of God leads to right understanding which leads to right believing which results in right thinking.

Job 40:15-20 – Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; he eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his hips, and his power is in his stomach muscles. He moves his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are like beams of bronze, his ribs like bars of iron. He is the first of the ways of God; only He who made him can bring near His sword. Surely the mountains yield food for him, and all the beasts of the field play there.

Job 40:21-24 – He (behemoth) lies under the lotus trees, in a covert of reeds and marsh. The lotus trees cover him with their shade; the willows by the brook surround him. Indeed the river may rage, yet he is not disturbed; he is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, though he takes it in his eyes, or one pierces his nose with a snare.

NOTE: As you can see from the above verses, dinosaur-like animals existed alongside early man. Behemoth could not have fit into the ark so he had to be left behind. In Job 41:1-11, we find additional references to Leviathan, another huge dinosaur-like creature made by God that also existed alongside early man. I’m sure when the bones of these two creatures were eventually dug up scientists declared them to be dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago. They’re wrong. God mentions only Behemoth and Leviathan by name as examples to us of the creatures he has made. There are many more large creatures who lived alongside early man that God does not mention specifically. In the humanist world they are called dinosaurs.

When I tell people the earth is only 6,000 years old most people just laugh at me and the first thing they usually say is, “What about the dinosaurs?” My response is always, “What about them?” Look, there were some very large creatures on earth in Noah’s time which were too big to fit in the ark. If you want to call them dinosaurs that’s fine with me. However, they aren’t millions of years old as our humanist world would have us believe. God had to leave these large creatures behind during the great flood. All the creatures who weren’t on Noah’s ark drowned and settled to the bottom of the seas and were they were then covered over by millions of tons of sediment laid down by the flood. When scientists later dug up these fossils they pieced together the bones how they wanted the creatures to look. They were making a wild-ass guess (WAG), which is okay as long as you’re not trying to sell it as a fact.

Genesis 6:9 – Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

Deuteronomy 12:32 – Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Scientists dated these fossils based upon the sediment layer in which they were found. Scientists assumed that the sediment slowly settled over millions of years; not taking into account the very rapid sedimentation that occurred because of the worldwide flooding that covered the entire earth in Noah’s time. Scientists didn’t believe that the flood actually happened so they didn’t allow for that possibility. That was wrong thinking. Scientists made sure their conclusions fit their preconceived ideas. The secular scientists who dug up and dated all the dinosaur bones were mistaken in their conclusions just like the scientists who were dating the age of the universe. Secular scientists are mostly mistaken with their conclusions because they don’t believe in God and it clouds their judgment. It causes their wrong thinking based on their wrong knowledge, wrong understanding and wrong believing. If something is important to you never accept what people tell you about it at face value without doing your own due diligence by evaluating the facts yourself. People will lie to you or they could be mistaken; me included. It’s your responsibility. My goal is for you to check things out for yourself and then you decide where the truth lies. I have done this myself and for me the truth lies in God and his word. You have my testimony.

Wrong Thinking (#1)

Wrong thinking is the result of man having wrong knowledge, wrong understanding and wrong believing. Let’s refer to it as the four W’s. Knowledge is the basis of everything and if we don’t get that good foundation we’re screwed. We all have questions we want the answers to. How did I get here? Why am I here? Where am I going? How did the universe come to be? How does the world work and why? Is there a God? Am I god? Where would I go to look for this information? The first wrong thinking premise is there’s no God; based on wrong knowledge put forth by our humanist world. If you’re wrong on this most important first thing then you’ll be wrong on all the other things. Get God right first. If there is a God, and there is, God will make himself known by the “works” of his hand. God isn’t going to create us and not tell us about it. God has put eternity in the hearts of men so that we know he exists and have the inner need to search for him to fill the void in our heart.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 8:3-4 – When I consider Your heavens, the works of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?

Romans 1:20 – For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

It’s wrong thinking to think there’s any other God but Jehovah. There can be only one God and Jehovah is his name. There is overwhelming evidence to support Jehovah as the God of this world and there are no facts out there to substantiate any of the other false gods promoted by Satan. Unfortunately, much of the world has swallowed Satan’s lies hook, line, and sinker. Look at the movements of your hands. Consider the intricacy of your mind. Look at the earth, the moon, the sun, the stars and the universe as a whole. This is the physical world we can all see, touch, hear, and feel. The Holy Bible of the Christian faith is the only book of any religion that gives us an adequate explanation to all of our questions about life and God and good and evil. God’s word is the wisdom of God and there is no other god and no other wisdom. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the only God.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.

Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

The design of the universe by a superior being (God) is self-evident because we can see that the universe is constantly moving in perfect synchronization, like a Swiss watch. It’s real. It can be measured. God has made the earth and placed it in the perfect place for life to flourish. The universe can’t simply evolve. Somebody had to put it here. It’s impossible to create order and perfection out of chaos. We may not be able to see our invisible God but his fingerprints are easily seen by what he has made. It’s just common sense that there’s a God, and only one God, which means man is not a god no matter how much the humanist world wants to make us think we’re the gods of this world. That’s just wrong thinking by men who are clearly not observing the knowledge all around us. Look up at the millions of stars observable in the night sky and try to tell yourself it’s an accident; that creation is random. Humanists would have you believe that over time man will evolve into a god. I think we can all agree that the world is getting worse and not better so that blows up that big bang theory. It’s also obvious to all of us by now that the evil in this world is growing exponentially so please don’t give me that cock and bull story about superior man controlling their own destiny and eventually turning into gods. That’s a pipe dream.

Psalm 104:24 – O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions.

Isaiah 44:24 – Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.

Proverbs 16:4 – The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

Exodus 20:3 – (God speaking) – You shall have no other gods before Me.

It’s wrong thinking to think there are many gods and many paths to heaven. There is only one God, Jehovah, and only one path to heaven and that is by accepting Jesus Christ as the son of God and our personal Lord and Savior. That’s it. God saves us through our faith and our testimony. The fallen angel Satan is the god of this world because God defeated the rebellion in heaven led by Lucifer. God then incarcerated Lucifer (Satan) on the earth along will all his fellow fallen angels (demons). Satan is powerful and in his hatred for mankind he wants to steal the souls of all men and drag them down to the pit of hell with him for all eternity. To accomplish this task Satan has created numerous fake religions and false gods throughout history to divert man from the truth of God and his saving grace. Satan would have you believe that all religions lead to heaven and that all gods are worthy of worship.

Matthew 7:13-14 – Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Isaiah 46:9 – Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.

Colossians 1:16 – For by Him (Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other (but Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

That would be wrong thinking on both counts because Jehovah is a jealous God who will not share his glory with another. The number one commandment of the Lord our God is, “you shall have no other gods before me.” If you aren’t obedient to God in this matter you will be condemned to hell for all eternity on the last day when you stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne judgment. Jesus Christ is the righteous judge of the living and the dead and there is no other. Satan has put blinders over the eyes of nonbelievers so that they cannot see the truth of God. Those blinders can be removed by man if they’ll just read the Bible to gain knowledge about God. You cannot “do” until you know “what” to do.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Psalm 95:6 – Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Isaiah 48:17 – Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.

Colossians 1:17 – And He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

To the nonbeliever God is foolishness and the Bible is just another of book. That is wrong thinking because the Bible is God’s wisdom and it is the power of God unto salvation. Not one person ever gets saved without God’s word being present, so the Bible is critically important for us to reach heaven. Satan would like to convince you there is no God and the Bible is just another wise book. Don’t believe it for a second. If that tact doesn’t work for Satan his second line of attack is to make you fall for one of his fake religions and worship false gods. You better take the time and think this through carefully because it’s the most important decision of your life. If you think there’s no afterlife when you die you’re sadly mistaken. If you think when you die it’s the end of your existence you’re dead wrong. That’s wrong thinking. God is an eternal invisible spirit and so is the “spirit man” God put inside all of us at our conception. A trillion billion years from now we’ll still be alive in either heaven or hell. Make sure it’s heaven.

Romans 11:36 – For of Him (Jesus) and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Psalm 19:7 – The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

At our conception God gives every person their eternal spirit from his body. Everything about God is eternal so whatever he gives us also has to be eternal. It couldn’t happen any other way. In Genesis when God was talking to the other persons of the Triune Godhead and he said, “Let us make man in our image,” he was referring to making man as an eternal spirit being so that we could fellowship with God forever in heaven. When I was young I thought God was saying he was going to make us look like he wanted us to look as individuals. I missed what God was actually saying to me because of my wrong thinking based on my wrong knowledge. At the time I hadn’t studied God’s word to see what he says on the subject. Studying God’s word for knowledge cleared up my wrong thinking in this matter. You have to know what’s right or you’ll likely fall into the trap of wrong thinking.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Proverbs 13:13 – He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

It’s wrong thinking and wishful thinking to think everyone’s eternal spirit will go to a better place when they die. That’s not scriptural. The Bible is crystal clear that upon death our eternal spirits, the real us, will immediately go to either heaven or hell depending upon whether we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior or not. Everyone gets judged by Jesus Christ on the last day. The only question is the location and the time, which is different for believers and nonbelievers. Those believers who have accepted God’s saving grace go to heaven when they die, to stand before the bema judgment seat of Christ to receive their rewards. Nonbelievers who die immediately go to hell within the earth. At the end of the millennium all nonbelievers in hell will be resurrected to stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne judgment; at which time they’ll be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone forever. That includes all Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other religious cults.

The Bible tells us broad is the path that leads to destruction and narrow is the gate that leads to eternal life in heaven and there are few who find it. It’s wrong thinking to think that a loving God wouldn’t send people to hell forever. God is love. God is also a just God and will therefore be fair to all and give to each one of us exactly what we deserve without any partiality. It’s wrong thinking to think hell isn’t a real place, but a symbolic reference to the human condition. Not only is there a hell within the earth, there is also a lake of fire and brimstone and we loosely refer to them both as hell because both of them cause pain and agony 24/7. Hell within the earth is where every nonbeliever goes when they die. Think of it as a temporary holding cell until you go to the big house.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Revelation 20:15 – And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

On the last day all the nonbelievers in hell will be resurrected bodily in their condemned bodies to stand before Jesus Christ for final judgement. At that time all the lost souls from hell are thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity. It’s wrong thinking to think the devil isn’t real. If hell is real then so is the devil (Satan). They go together hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. God tells us in dozens of scriptures that Satan is real. We must face up to the fact that Satan is the second most powerful spiritual being in the universe after God and he hates out guts. Satan and his demons would destroy every person on earth within thirty days if God let them. Luckily we have God protecting us. Satan can’t touch us physically but he can prey on our minds and cause us to commit suicide, murders, strife, etc. All the evil in the world is Satan’s doing. Satan is stronger than us be he’s not stronger than God. Satan can’t harm a believer who is in fellowship with God. If you’re a nonbeliever you already belong to the devil. Believers on the other hand belong to God.

Titus 2:13 – Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:14 – Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

Hebrews 12:2 – Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Colossians 2:9-10 – For in Him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

In summary, there’s a whole lot of wrong thinking in the world and it touches believers and nonbelievers alike. Satan is to blame for it all. To correct our wrong thinking we must abide in the knowledge contained in God’s word because it’s the truth of God and it’s God’s wisdom. Scripture says we’re to study God’s word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Not once in a while but continually. Knowledge of God will cause you to have an understanding of what God requires of you and the wisdom of God will lead you to believing the right things. When you believe in the right things it then leads you to right thinking which is the goal for all of us who serve God. Followers of all the fake religions and false gods of the world have no clue. They have no anchor for their soul. They are lost. They are destined to have wrong thinking all their lives because Satan has put blinders over their eyes so that God and the Holy Bible are foolishness to them. The Bible has all the answers to life yet nonbelievers cannot see it as the truth. Nonbelievers will abide in their sins and perish unless they find God and accept his saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Isaiah 33:6 – Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Greatest Hero in Heaven

I’ve been indwelt by the Holy Spirit since the age of twelve, when I made my profession of faith during my baptism before the entire congregation of the First Baptist Church in my small hometown in Oklahoma. I then strayed away from God as a teenager and I became a backslider for forty years. During my time out of fellowship with the Lord I was always subconsciously aware that God was pursuing me; trying to bring me back into fellowship. God was always constant, faithful, and relentless. God never stopped loving me no matter how much I sinned. That’s why God is called the, “hound of heaven.” Once you belong to God he never ever lets go of you. Now God does have the option of bringing you home early if your sin grieves him too much. However, your salvation is secure once you’ve been saved. You can never lose your salvation and become “unsaved.” I can’t remember the name of my pastor back when I was twelve or the names of my various Sunday school teachers at that time. That was sixty years ago and I’m a forgetful old man now. What I do remember is they all had a hand in witnessing the gospel of Christ to me and guiding me to salvation unto eternal life through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They are my heroes because they loved me enough to save me. God bless them every one!

Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5 – Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

A hero is someone who is admired for their courage or outstanding achievements. There is no outstanding achievement that can top saving someone’s soul to heaven for all eternity. Every believer who shares the gospel message of Christ with a nonbeliever and harvests that soul for the kingdom of God is a hero before the Lord and also a hero to every other believer who does the “work” of God in his harvest field. So every believer has a hero who helped save them and, in turn, are heroes to those whom they help save. God’s salvation plan for man is all about believers saving nonbelievers. God accomplishes his will on earth through the actions of men. That’s what the Great Commission is all about. Believers cannot please God if they’re not obedient to this number one command of God. If you know your salvation is secure and yet you have no interest in helping save anyone else then you’re a disgrace to God and a disobedient son. You may be saved but you won’t receive any treasure from Jesus on the last day when you stand before the bema judgment seat of Christ. Don’t expect Jesus to say to you, “well done good and faithful servant.”

Matthew 16:27 – (Jesus) – For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father and with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Matthew 4:19 – (Jesus) – Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.

I used to work with a guy who always referred to me as “hero.” The moniker didn’t fit back then but it does now. I am a hero and so is every other witness for Christ who declares their love for God and who dedicates their lives to saving lost souls for the kingdom of heaven. It’s no small thing to help change someone’s destiny from eternal death in hell to eternal life in heaven. It’s a noble calling so come join me if you want to please God. I love what God loves and I hate what God hates and so should you. God loves every creature created by his hand and God hates it when Satan puts blinders over the eyes of his children so they cannot see the truth of God. God hates it when Satan pulls a human soul down to the pit forever. I’ve been studying God’s word and witnessing for Christ since I returned to fellowship with the Lord, about twenty years ago, and in that time I estimate I’ve saved about eighty people to the kingdom of heaven, mostly through the use of “passive” witnessing on my Christian blog site and on my Christian tract website. In addition, I’ve passed out Christian tracts myself for ten years. I also distribute tracts, Bibles, and Christian literature to my seven prison ministry partners in four states. To please God every believer needs to save at least one more for Jesus because every soul that God makes is priceless in his eyes. How could that not be pleasing to God? More is always better but one person saved to heaven will get you treasure from God. Every believer needs to find ways to leverage their witness for Christ. Keep in mind that 90% of believers in heaven will be there through faith alone, never having even witnessed for Christ to save one person to heaven. That is so tragic!

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 – Now if anyone builds on this foundation (Jesus Christ) with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

1 Corinthians 3:14-15 – If anyone’s work which he has built on it (Christ) endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

There is a hierarchy in heaven for the angels. For example, archangels are ranked above regular angels. Lucifer was the top angel in heaven until he rebelled against God and was then imprisoned on earth and given the name Satan. There will also be a pecking order when the saints go to heaven. In heaven everyone can’t be a chief; somebody has to play the part of the Indians. The 90% of believers who didn’t save anyone to heaven will be the “Indians” of heaven, the “worker bees.” So what criteria does God use to rank us when we get to heaven? How does God select the rulers of his kingdom? There is only one possible criteria and that is to obey God’s number one command, which is to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ to all nations and all people in order to save lost souls for the kingdom of God. The more people you save the higher your rank in heaven and the more treasure you store up in heaven. Precious stones, silver and gold are useless in heaven. The treasure levels in heaven refer to the responsibilities, privileges, honor, and glory given to each saint from God based on our “work” here on earth. Remember the parable of the talents. It also applies in heaven. Those who use what they were given (salvation) to help others to salvation will have a higher ranking in heaven based on the number of people they helped save. It’s as simple as that. The holy scriptures also confirm that some believers will produce more spiritual fruit (saved souls) than others; some at the level of thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and even a hundredfold while other believers will produce nothing. When you look at the reward levels revealed by God in his word it’s obvious to me that the lowest reward level that doesn’t burn up, precious stones, correlates to saving one person to heaven. The next reward level above that is the silver level which equates to a hundred saved souls because in scripture God says that a hundredfold is a good harvest.

Luke 1:15-16 – For he (John the Baptist) will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Luke 3:3-4 – And he (John the Baptist) went into all the region around Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.”

The highest reward level in heaven is the gold level and God doesn’t give us any clues how many saved souls it takes to reach that level other than to say it will take “many.” My goal is to save 1000 souls to heaven in my lifetime. It’s a difficult number to reach but it’s not impossible. I still have a long way to go. The number 1000 is important to God in scripture and it’s a multiple of 100 so it seems logical to me as the magic number to achieve the gold reward level. It’s a goal I came up with in my mind. Was it just me or did the Holy Spirit suggest it? To be on the safe side I kept praying to God to reveal to me if 1000 saved souls would be enough in his eyes for me to receive the treasures of the gold reward level. Sometimes God will answer the prayers of his saints through another man of God and it happened that way with me. I know a brother in Christ from Louisiana who I occasionally send Christian tracts and Bibles and in return he sends me photos of new believers his group has helped save. In a recent text he also revealed to me for the first time his goal is to save 1000 souls for heaven in his lifetime. That right there is God letting me know that 1000 saved souls for the gold level of rewards is correct; that it’s guidance from God. My brother in Louisiana is spiritually aware so he also realized God was responding to my prayer and it also confirmed for him that 1000 saved souls should be our common goal. We were both blessed by God as a result of my answered prayer.

Daniel 12:3 – Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

I’m guessing only about one percent of all the believers in heaven will be credited for saving at least 1000 souls to heaven. 1000 saved souls will qualify as “many” in God’s economy and the believer who accomplishes it will shine like the stars in the firmament according to Daniel 12:3. And according to Proverbs 11:30, he who wins souls is wise. We know all the original disciples will be in this “millennial club” because they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in 33AD and then they spread out across the world to preach the gospel. All of the Apostles were martyred for their preaching except the youngest, John, who lived to an old age and died on the island of Patmos. So who else is a member of the “millennial” club? We know the Apostle Paul will be there because he served the Lord for forty years witnessing for Christ and establishing the early church throughout the known world. Paul wrote two-thirds of the New Testament and is universally considered to be the greatest Christian who ever lived. In heaven everyone will automatically know the rank of everyone else they meet because the glory each believer receives from God will emanate from their face and body like it did for Jesus during his transfiguration on Mount Tabor.

Luke 7: 26-29 – (Jesus) – But what did you go out to see? A prophet (John the Baptist)? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.” For I say to you, among those born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Mark 1:4-5 – John (the Baptist) came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Matthew 3:1-2 – In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

However, none of the people I’ve just mentioned will be the greatest hero in heaven. That distinction belongs to none other than John the Baptist. Why is that? Because John the Baptist saved the most people to heaven by his witness for God. John the Baptist probably saved at least 10,000 people for heaven. It’s true John the Baptist’s ministry was short; anywhere from one year to two and a half years. But during that short time John baptized many thousands of people in the Jordan River and ushed them into God’s kingdom. John the Baptist saved so many people he rightly earned the moniker of, “the Baptist.” John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus prophesied in the Bible and he baptized people with water as an example of what Jesus would later do with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist is the only person I know of in the Bible who was indwelt by the Holy Spirit their entire lives, from the womb until their death. John wasn’t just a prophet; he was a doer of God’s word.

Matthew 3:8, 10 – (John the Baptist) – Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 3:11- I (John the Baptist) indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

What do you suppose John was doing all those years in the wilderness from the age of twelve until age thirty when his ministry began? He was witnessing for God and saving souls for God’s kingdom one on one. Lastly, in the gospels Jesus himself confirms that John the Baptist is the greatest saint and prophet on earth and therefore later in heaven as well. That could only be true because of the number of people he saved to heaven because John the Baptist didn’t do anything else noteworthy. John the Baptist was a one trick pony but he was simply the best at what he did which was witnessing the glory of God and leading people to righteousness through repentance for the remission of sin. To repent means to express sincere regret. Keep in mind that the remission of sin is not the same as the forgiveness of sin. The remission of sins is merely the temporary removal of sin. The forgiveness of sins is permanent.

Isaiah 29:13 – Therefore the Lord said: Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.

Matthew 15: 8 – (Jesus) – These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

The forgiveness of the sins of all men, past, present, and future, is only possible because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. It’s why Jesus came to earth in the first place. Jesus came to die so we wouldn’t have to. The spirits of the righteous dead prior to the time of Christ went to paradise within the earth and they were taken to heaven by Jesus while he was three days in his tomb and before he rose from the dead. Jesus is God in the flesh. One of the spiritual truths of heaven is only God can forgive our sins and then only when we go to God in prayer. There’s an object lesson here to be learned by all Catholics in reviewing the life of John the Baptist. Here we have John the Baptist, the prophesied forerunner of Christ, who Jesus Christ himself proclaimed is the greatest saint and prophet on earth and therefore in heaven. Yet John was not allowed by God to forgive sins, only temporarily remove them. What does that tell you? If God won’t allow John the Baptist to forgive our sins then he won’t let any other human being forgive our sins either. No pope in heaven is greater than John. That should tell you that the Catholic pope is not Christ on earth and he cannot forgive our sins. That should tell you priests are not Jesus on earth and therefore cannot forgive your sins in the confession box. That should tell you that prayers to Mary, a human being, is falling on deaf ears because only God can hear our prayers and forgive our sins; and then only if those prayers are addressed to God alone. In Revelation 18:4-5 God is speaking directly to all believers in the Roman Catholic church. Everything I’m saying is confirmed in the Bible for all who want to seek the truth of God for themselves.

Matthew 15:9 – (Jesus) – And in vain they worship Me (Catholics), teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Revelation 18:4-5 – Come out of her (the Catholic church), my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

John the Baptist also showed his great personal courage by standing up to the Pharisees and by shaming King Herod to his face in the presence of his wife and nobles. The greatest saints in heaven are the prophets of God and the greatest prophet of all in heaven is John the Baptist. So the greatest hero in heaven is John the Baptist and if we want to be a hero in heaven and dine at John the Baptist’s table in heaven it would behoove us to emulate John the Baptist by witnessing for Christ to save many for the kingdom of God. You might not reach 1000 saved souls for heaven and that’s okay. The important thing is to set a goal for yourself and then begin your walk with the Lord where you are, in humble obedience, by witnessing for Christ in order to save one more for Jesus every day. God will help you with the rest if you call on him. If you do as I ask you’ll please God and on the last day you’ll hear Jesus say to you, “well done good and faithful servant.” This my testimony.

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.

NOTE: When we pray to God for the forgiveness of sins God is glorified. The above verse tells us God will not allow or authorize anyone else to forgive the sins of man and thereby take God’s glory away from him. The Catholic pope and priests say they can forgive our sins. Somebody is lying to us. Either the pope is lying to us or God is lying to us. Since we know God cannot lie and the Bible is the inerrant word of God I believe God. That means the pope is a liar; all Catholic priests are liars; and every tenet of the Catholic church is based on a pack of lies. That means Satan has corrupted the Catholic church. In fact Satan has owned the Catholic church since the papacy of Gregory the Great in 600 AD and probably much earlier. That’s why we had the Protestant reformation.

christiantractministry.com

I started the website listed above two years ago to encourage believers to “passively” witness for Christ by distributing Christian tracts to nonbelievers and to other godly men like chaplains and missionaries who will then distribute them for us. I primarily post blogs on my first website, onemoreforjesus.net, and over a period of four years I’ve posted 646 blogs witnessing for Christ; giving my testimony about God. I add to my main blog less frequently nowadays. I usually post only a couple of blogs each month as the Holy Spirit moves me. My christiantractministry.com website only has 31 posted blogs and they all explain how distributing Christian tracts is the best way to passively witness for Christ. The secret to saving many for the kingdom of God is by using leverage. By that I mean getting the gospel seed in written form out into the hands of as many people as possible. I love this shotgun approach to witnessing with Christian tracts because they’re so cheap and they really work. I started out using Chick tracts and that’s all I’ll distribute. Jack Chick created the first Christian tract 75 years ago after he returned home from World War II. Jack was a cartoonist by trade and he combined love for God with his artistic talent to create cartoon booklets that share the gospel message of Christ in both written and picture form. These small booklets are only 24 pages long with the sinner’s prayer at the very end. They are perfect for witnessing.

I only distribute Jack’s original tract, “This Was Your Life” because it was Jack Chick’s first tract and it’s been the best selling tract in the world ever since with well over one billion sold. It’s interesting, concise, very effective, and it only costs 20 cents apiece. You can go to chick.com and read all of their tracts on line and choose the ones you like best. Many thousands of believers have been saved through tracts alone and we have their testimony so we know that Christian tracts do indeed work. If you buy Christian tracts on sale and in cases of 1000 you’re talking about $95 plus tax and shipping. What’s not to like? God commands every believer to witness for Christ. Jesus Christ gave this Great Commission to his disciples on the Mount of Olives before he ascended back to heaven. As believers, if Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior then we too are disciples of Christ and the Great Commission is just as much a command for us as it was for the original disciples so let’s be about the work God has given us to do. You have a choice how you want to witness. You can either witness the hard way one on one, facing rejection often, before finally reaping a soul for the kingdom of heaven after much effort. Or you can witness the easy way, by “passively” witnessing for Christ by focusing on spreading the gospel seed in written form through the purchase and distribution of Christian tracts. The key thing for us to remember is that God is generous to a fault and he will reward the reaper of each soul equally with the sower of the gospel seed that moves a person along the path to salvation. That my friends is leverage that will help you save more lost souls for heaven with a whole lot less effort.

You see, it’s rare for someone to hear the gospel message of Christ for the very first time and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. On average, it takes 20-25 times hearing the gospel message before someone accepts God’s saving grace. People have to think about it awhile. The eventual reaper of that soul will do most of the hard work it takes to harvest a soul for God and they’ll be rewarded for it with treasure in heaven on the last day when they stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ. But every one of the 20-25 times the saved person heard the gospel message from someone else it softened them up to God’s message of love and redemption and it nudged them closer to accepting Christ so that in the end it will result in God rewarding the sower responsible for that with the exact same treasure in heaven that the reaper receives. When you distribute Christian tracts you’re focusing on sowing the gospel seed so others can reap them for God at some later date. First of all, when you distribute Christian tracts you’re obeying the number one commandment of God which is to witness for Christ. Second, Christian tracts are so cheap you can afford to distribute the gospel seed in bulk which greatly increases your chances of reaching nonbelievers and helping move them along the path to salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Witnessing one on one is one of the greatest thrills in life and I’ve done it myself. But it’s also hard work and your opportunities are few and far between. Passing out Christian tracts is the best, easiest, and cheapest way I know to witness for Christ. It’s like having money in the bank. Trust me on this because I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been passing out tracts personally for about ten years; taking five tracts in my back pocket every time I go to the grocery store, Walmart, the doctor’s office, etc. Not one person has ever refused a tract I’ve offered them. Not one. When I go out I read people’s body language. I try to pick up on their vibes. The Holy Spirit is my antennae to help me pick up on who will accept the gospel message of Christ. I only approach someone when they’re alone. I boldly walk up to people, look them straight in the eye, and speak with authority. I tell them, “God wanted me to give you this.” I offer them a Christian tract and their hand automatically reaches out and accepts it without question. I tell them, “God loves you” and I walk away.

Unless they’re a devil worshipper they’re going to accept a tract when approached this way and it doesn’t matter if they’re a believer or a nonbeliever. It’s human nature. The first thing that crosses the receiver’s mind is, “could this be true?”, “could God be trying to reach out to me?” It freezes them like a deer in the headlights. They will subconsciously read your body language to gauge your confidence and your tone of voice will tell them you are speaking the truth of your convictions and that they should listen to you. They don’t want to take a chance on being wrong about God or making him mad if what you say is true so they’ll hedge their bets and take the safe way out by taking any tract you offer to them. Your offer of a tract will be irresistible. They may throw the Christian tract away later, but not to you face. The thing is this; you really are telling the truth because God does want the gospel message of Christ to go out to every creature in the whole world. You’re not lying. God is trying to reach out to the nonbeliever through you with the message of his saving grace. You know a great and precious secret because a Christian tract isn’t just pieces of paper, each tract is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe on the name of Jesus Christ as the son of God and the Savior of the world. Praise God for his love, mercy and grace!

I’ve pared my Christian tract ministry down to a core group of seven prisons in four states. I provide them tracts, Bibles, and other Christian literature as needed. I settled on my prison ministry because their need for God’s salvation is great and the prison chaplains I deal with are very appreciative and they give me feedback, which is very important to my ministry. It guides my giving so I’m more effective in the use of my resources. If you want to obey God but you don’t want the hassle of handing out tracts yourself I suggest you go the chick.com website and donate to their mission fund because they ship containers of tracts all over the world to missionaries who ask for them. God is watching you to see if you’re willing to do the “work” he has planned for you to do. As a donor God will honor your gift. You can’t take your money with you to heaven when you die but you can pay if forward by using your money for good works before the Lord here on earth; for which you’ll be rewarded on the last day. God has promised to reward your “work” and God cannot lie.

New Bible Affirmations (#4 and last)

Don’t use Bible affirmations unless you an have unquenchable thirst for God and his word. If you have a thirst for God you’ll know it. You don’t have to guess. If you’re a lukewarm Christian Bible affirmations simply won’t work for you. Affirmations require passion for God. You can’t fake passion for God so don’t even try. God can see right through us; every thought and every emotion. We are bare and exposed before the God who made us. If you’re a believer who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior you’re already going to heaven and that may be enough for you. Anything else you do for God is optional; for bonus points. I remember back in the day when some of my teachers would give us a test with bonus questions at the end. It didn’t hurt you if you didn’t want to answer them. It could only help you if you wanted to try to answer the questions to give you a higher score. You needed passion in order to even attempt to answer the bonus questions for extra credit. Bible affirmations are like that. You don’t need to use Bible affirmations because you’re already going to heaven, but if you do use them you could accrue more treasure in heaven.

As I mentioned previously, 95% of the people in heaven will be there through faith in Jesus alone, never having witnessed for Christ in order to save even one more soul for the kingdom of God. That is so tragic! Yet God still loves them and saves them unto eternal life in heaven in his presence. So if you want to be a lazy Christian and not “work” for God that’s your choice. Just don’t gripe about what you receive from God when you get to heaven. One of the spiritual truths of heaven is you reap what you sow. No work means no reward. Please remember that. If you don’t witness for Christ you’ll be in good company once you get to heaven. You’ll be a “worker bee” on the lowest rung of heaven like the vast majority of the saints, for all eternity. Don’t get me wrong, anyone who makes it to heaven will have a wonderful life forevermore. The only problem with that is you don’t know you’re missing by not being obedient to God and you have no way of finding that out this side of heaven.

I do know our rewards in heaven will be wonderful because God says so without giving us the details. I trust the Lord. Even if you wind up being a janitor during the millennium and beyond you’ll feel blessed and happy just to be in heaven. Whatever rows your boat. The remaining 5% of believers in heaven are the ones who are obedient to God and actually do the “work” God has given them to do, by witnessing for Christ to save at least one more lost soul for heaven. If you do that you please God and if you please God you will hear Jesus Christ say to you on the last day, “well done good and faithful servant.” If you’re one of the 5% of believers who save at least one other soul for heaven then you’ll receive the treasure God has laid up for you. The other 95% of believers who didn’t witness for Christ will have all their good works burned up by fire before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ on the last day. I am listing the remaining Bible affirmations I have created to worship God; for those who thirst for the Lord as much as I do and have a passion for God’s word like me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Psalm 138:8 – The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Colossians 1:9 – For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

AFFIRMATION:

I go where the Holy Spirit leads me because God directs my footsteps; to fulfill his pleasure. I am a disciple of Christ and I walk in obedience to the commandments of God. I work God’s harvest field in order to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples, which is to witness for Christ to all nations and all people.

Ephesians 1:17-18 – That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

AFFIRMATION:

I receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him (God), the eyes of my understanding being enlightened. I delight in my salvation received from God.

John 16:13 – (Jesus) – However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

AFFIRMATION:

The Spirit of truth abides in me and teaches me all things, and he guides me into all truths. Therefore, I confess I have perfect knowledge of every situation and every circumstance that I come up against. For I have the wisdom of God.

Psalm 1:1-3 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Isaiah 54:17 – No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. And their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.

AFFIRMATION:

No weapon formed against me shall prosper, for my righteousness is of the Lord. But whatever I do will prosper for I’m like a tree that’s planted by the rivers of water. I delight in the word of God.

Philippians 4:7-8 – And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.

AFFIRMATION:

The peace of God which passes all understanding keeps my heart and mind through Christ Jesus. And all things which are good, and pure, and perfect, and lovely, and of good report, I think on these things.

Matthew 16:19 – (Jesus) – And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 18:18 – (Jesus) – Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places.

AFFIRMATION:

Jesus has given me the authority to use his name and I will do it. And that which I bind on earth is bound in heaven. And that which I loose on earth is loosed in heaven. Therefore, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I bind the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. I bind and cast down spiritual wickedness in high places and render them harmless and ineffective against me, in the name of Jesus.

Colossians 3:10 – (Believers) have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

AFFIRMATION:

I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that created me.

John 10:14- (Jesus) – I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

AFFIRMATION:

I do follow the good shepherd and I know his voice and the voice of a stranger I will not follow.

Proverbs 4:20-22 – My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

AFFIRMATION:

I will not let the word of God depart from before my eyes for it is life to me for I have found it and it is health and healing to all my flesh.

Colossians 3:15 – And let the peace of God rule your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

AFFIRMATION:

I let the peace of God rule my heart with thanks to God and I refuse to worry about anything.

Romans 12:21 – Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Corinthians 12:27 – Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Romans 8:2 – For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

AFFIRMATION:

I am the body of Christ and Satan has no power over me. For I overcome evil with good.

Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives to death.

AFFIRMATION:

I am an overcomer and I overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony.

Psalm 119:89 – Forever O Lord Your word is settled in heaven.

AFFIRMATION:

The word of God is forever settled in heaven. Therefore, I establish his word upon this earth.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

AFFIRMATION:

I am a doer of the word of God and I am blessed in my deeds. I am happy in those things which I do because I am a doer of the word of God.

James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

AFFIRMATION:

The devil flees from me because I resist him in the name of Jesus.

Ephesians 6:16 – Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

AFFIRMATION:

I take the shield of faith in Jesus Christ and I quench every fiery dart that the wicked one brings against me.

Isaiah 54:14 – In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

AFFIRMATION:

I am far from oppression, and fear does not come nigh me, and terror does not come near me, in the name of Jesus.

1 John 4:4 – You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

AFFIRMATION:

I am of God and have overcome him (Satan). For greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world.

Galatians 1:3-4 – Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

AFFIRMATION:

I am delivered from the evils of this present world for it is the will of God.

Colossians 1:13 – He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

AFFIRMATION:

I am delivered from the power of darkness and I am translated into the kingdom of God’s dear son.

Nehemiah 8:10 – Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

AFFIRMATION:

The joy of the Lord is my strength. The Lord is the strength of my life.

John 10:29 – (Jesus) – My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

AFFIRMATION:

As a believer my place in heaven is secure. No man or demon will take me out of God’s hand for I have eternal life in heaven.

John 1:12 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

Isaiah 54:13 – All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.

AFFIRMATION:

Great is the peace of my children, for they are taught of the Lord. I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and Savior, therefore, I am a child of God; an adopted son of the Most High.

New Bible Affirmations (#3)

You cannot accomplish anything in the spiritual world without God’s help and saving someone’s soul is a spiritual transformation. We can share the gospel message of Jesus Christ with the nonbeliever but the rest is up to God. God’s participation is essential. God isn’t going to help you much if you’re not in fellowship with the Lord. You are only in fellowship with God when you obey his commandments. I’m not talking about one or two commandments once in a while. I’m talking about making a personal decision to obey God all the time and then making a good faith effort to obey every commandment of God. You can be saved unto heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior alone and then never obey another commandment of God. It won’t keep you out of heaven because once saved always saved. But it will keep you out of fellowship with God.

Being saved doesn’t mean you’re automatically in fellowship with God. Far from it. Fellowship with God has to be earned through obedience and the “work” we do here on earth. Did you know over 95% of the saints in heaven were never in fellowship with the Lord because they never “worked” for the Lord, never having saved even one other person to the kingdom of God through a personal witness for Christ? They never obeyed the one commandment dearest to God’s heart so how could they be in fellowship with the Most High? Salvation is easy because it’s a one time thing based of faith alone that’ll last for all eternity whereas fellowship with God requires constant work on our part by living our lives in obedience to God and our fellowship with God can be easily lost if we’re not careful.

Praying and reading the Bible every day helps the believer stay in fellowship with the Lord because believers are more likely to obey God’s commandments when they abide in God’s word. When you align your will with God’s will and speak Bible affirmations before the Lord you’re praying to God. Bible affirmations are prayers on steroids and they honor and glorify God. My focus is on God’s main thing, which is witnessing for Christ in order to save lost souls for the kingdom of God. This is where God’s treasure will be found; stored up for those of us who save many for heaven. We still need to obey all the other commandments of God. If they weren’t important and for our benefit they wouldn’t be in the Bible. One third of my Bible affirmations pertain to witnessing for Christ and I covered them in the previous blog. I try to speak some or all of my witness affirmations before God every day in prayer. The other two thirds of my Bible affirmations, my “other category”, I pray less often. You can use any of my affirmations during your worship of God or you can create your own. Rest assured God is listening and he’s pleased when you affirm you will walk in obedience to the word. God will answer your prayers when you are in fellowship with him and God will reward you on the last day with treasures if you witness for Christ and save one more for Jesus. The following is a list of my “other” Bible affirmations:

1 Corinthians 1:30 – But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

AFFIRMATION:

Jesus is made unto me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore, I confess I have the wisdom of God, and I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus,

Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

AFFIRMATION:

I am not conformed to this world but I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. My mind is renewed by the word of God.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

AFFIRMATION:

I will do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Matthew 16: 19 – (Jesus) – And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Galatians 3:13 – 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”).

AFFIRMATION:

Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Therefore, I forbid any sickness or disease to come upon this body. Every disease germ and every virus that touches this body dies instantly in the name of Jesus. Every organ and every tissue of this body functions in the perfection to which God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in this body, in the name of Jesus.

Psalm 91:10-11 – No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling place, for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Proverbs 12:28 – In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

Luke 4:10 – For it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you.”

AFFIRMATION:

No evil will befall me neither shall any plague come nigh my dwelling. For you have given your angels charge over me and they keep me in all my ways, and in my pathway is life and there is no death.

Ephesians 4:29-30 – Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearer. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

AFFIRMATION:

I will not let corrupt communication proceed out of my mouth, but that which is good to edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearer. I will not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by evil speech, thoughts or actions. I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which is God’s seal that I am his possession to be redeemed on the last day. This is my testimony.

2 Corinthians 8:9 – For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

John 10:10 – (Jesus) – I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 5:24 – (Jesus) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

AFFIRMATION:

I bless the Lord my God who has met all my needs. For poverty he has given me wealth, for sickness he has given me health, for death he has given me eternal life. My cup runs over. Praise the Lord for his mercy and generosity toward his servant.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 Corinthians 2:16 – For “who has known the mind of the Lord, that we may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

AFFIRMATION:

I am complete in Jesus who is the head of all principality and power. For I am his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that I should walk therein. I am a new creation in Christ and the old creation has passed away. As a believer I have the mind of Christ.

Joshua 24:15 – And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

AFFIRMATION:

I will serve only the Lord my God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Daily will I worship my God, giving his the praise of my lips. I will offer up honor and glory to Almighty God who sits on the throne of grace in heaven. Forever I will sing hymns of worship to the Lord in heaven because he is worthy. God is good and God is great and this my spirit knows very well.

Romans 8:31 – What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

1 Peter 1:3-4 – As His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to glory and virtue, by which has been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

AFFIRMATION:

God is on my side. God is in me now, Who can be against me? No one. God has given unto me all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Therefore I am a partaker of his divine nature. I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises from God, who is generous with his servant.

Galatians 3:26-29 – For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abrahams’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

I am a son of the Most High through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant, and Abraham’s blessings are mine. The Lord will prosper that which concerns me.

New Bible Affirmations (#2)

Compared to eternity our lifetime on earth is a blip that lasts only a millisecond; a period so brief it doesn’t even register in the grand scheme of things. If you blink you’ll miss it. We became immortal beings at our conception because God gave us our eternal spirit from his body. God is eternal therefore that makes us eternal as well. I’m talking about the real us which I’ll call our inner “spirit man.” God has also made our outer “physical man” and designated our lifespan to be seventy years, if we’re lucky. That’s all the time we have to find God and then choose to serve God or Satan. That’s all the time we have to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to ensure we have eternal life in heaven. Seventy years is all the time we have to do the work God has given us to do in order to build up treasures in heaven. God doesn’t tell us exactly what the treasures in heaven are but I have a good idea.

I expect our treasures in heaven will correspond to rank, honor, glory, privileges, and responsibilities that we must earn here on earth. What I do know for sure is whatever we get from God on the last day is ours to keep for all eternity, so a little effort now will go a long, long way. When God says “work” he means believers are to witness for Christ to all nations and all people in order to save lost souls for the kingdom of heaven. If nobody is saved no work is being done and no treasure is being accumulated and stored up for the believer on the last day. Whatever work we do for God determines our status in heaven and our rewards, good or bad, will last for all eternity. So you see, even though we’ll live forever these short seventy years on earth are the most important years of our lives.

John 15:5 – (Jesus) – For without Me you can do nothing.

John 6:44 – (Jesus) – No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 16:8 – (Jesus) – And when He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment.

Scripture says we can do nothing without God. Scripture also says no man is saved unless God draws him. We know it’s the Holy Spirit that convicts man of their sin and after a declaration of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior it’s also the Holy Spirit that gives us a new spirit and changes man’s eternal destination from hell to heaven and writes their names in the book of life. God gave the earth to Adam who then lost it to Satan; before Jesus got it back for man. Only people have authority on earth which is why God works through man to spread the gospel message of Christ, which is the good news of God’s saving grace. By the sweat of my brow I’ve been passively witnessing for Christ for years and I’ve been limiting my ability to be fruitful in the spirit world because I haven’t enlisted God’s help as much as I should have. When you use Bible affirmations to witness for Christ you’re asking for God’s help in saving many more nonbelievers than you could save on your own by using the gospel seed you’ve provided. Answering our prayers glorifies God and he will do it which, in turn, will make us more fruitful. My goal is to save “many” nonbelievers for the kingdom of God and Bible affirmations are one way to do this. Witnessing for Christ is a partnership between God and man so in your affirmations don’t forget to ask for God’s help. I’ve created the following Bible affirmations specifically to help me witness for Christ:

Psalm 37:4 – Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

AFFIRMATION:

I delight myself in the Lord and he gives me the desires of my heart. I desire to work in God’s harvest field to help save many lost souls for the kingdom of God as long as I can, even forty years like God’s prophets of old; or until Jesus Christ comes for me in the air to rapture his saints. I pray for more workers in God’s harvest field. I desire to stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ on the last day and hear him say, “well done good and faithful servant.” Help me Lord to save many nonbelievers for the kingdom of God.

Mark 16:15-16 – (Jesus) – Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

AFFIRMATION;

I will share the gospel message of Christ, the good news, with all nations and all people as long as I am able. I will give my testimony of Jesus Christ one on one as the opportunity arises. I will witness for Christ passively through my two Christian blog sites and also by distributing Christian tracts containing the gospel message, in order to reach nonbelievers who desperately need God’s saving grace. Help me O Lord with my witness.

Colossians 1:10-11 – That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with you.

AFFIRMATION:

I am increasing in the knowledge of God. I am strengthened with all might according to his glorious power. I am pleasing to the Lord because I am obedient to the commandments of God. I am fulfilling the Great Commission which Jesus gave his disciples which is to share the gospel of Christ with all nations and all people. I am fruitful in every good work I do for the Lord. Lord help me to be fruitful.

2 Corinthians 5:8 – Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

AFFIRMATION:

I am reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has given me the ministry of reconciliation by studying God’s word and spreading the gospel seed of Christ passively through my Christian blog and Christian tract ministry in order to save one more for Jesus every day on my walk with the Lord. I ask the Holy Spirit to convict the nonbeliever of their sin through the gospel seed I have spread.

2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

AFFIRMATION:

I will plead with nonbelievers daily to be reconciled to God on Christ’s behalf. I will share my witness for Christ with all people.

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

AFFIRMATION:

I will abide in the word of God in order to light the path in front of me as I run my race for the Lord; witnessing for Christ.

Hebrews 12:1 – Let us lay aside every weight, and sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

AFFIRMATION:

I will lay aside every weight and sin so that I can do the work that God has given me to do during my race before the Lord. I will share the gospel message of Christ with all endurance, even forty years if there is time and God is willing. I will save one more for Jesus every day by my testimony.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

AFFIRMATION:

God has given me my body, this tent, this temple of the Holy Spirit. I present my body back to the God who made me as my reasonable service to do good works before the Lord in obedience to the commandments of God. The number one good work for God is witnessing for Christ and I will do it all the days of my life; even forty years if there is time before the rapture comes. Holy God, help me to save one more for Jesus.

Matthew 6:19-20 – (Jesus) – Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

AFFIRMATION:

I will lay up treasures in heaven by saving nonbelievers to the kingdom of God through my witness for Christ. I will save one more for Jesus every day as I strive to fulfill the Great Commission of God, which is to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ with all nations and all people. Lord of heaven and earth, help me to gain treasure in heaven.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

AFFIRMATION:

With the help of Almighty God I will deliver souls to the kingdom of God through my true witness for Christ Jesus. I will be wise in the eyes of the Lord by winning souls for God. As the righteousness of Christ I will produce much fruit for heaven all the days of my life. May the Lord grant me forty years in his service or until Jesus comes in the air for his saints.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 – He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

AFFIRMATION:

I will sow the gospel seed of Christ’s salvation bountifully all the days of my life so that on the last day I will also reap bountifully. Almighty God, help me to sow the gospel seed on good ground. I will cheerfully give to those in need from my abundance provided to me from God.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

AFFIRMATION:

I will continually do the work God has given me to do, which is to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ to all nations and all people. I will be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. I will save many lost souls for the kingdom of God. My work will not be in vain because Jesus Christ will reward me on the last day.

Matthew 13:23 – (Jesus) – But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

AFFIRMATION:

I will produce good fruit by my witness for Christ. I will spread the gospel seed, the good news of God’s saving grace for all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I will leverage my testimony of the Lord by sharing the gospel in writing through my blog and my tract ministry in order to save one hundred lost souls for the kingdom of heaven; and then ten times one hundred.

Matthew 9:37-38 – (Jesus) – The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

AFFIRMATION:

I will work beside the Lord my God in his harvest field sharing the gospel of Christ in order to save one more for Jesus every day for as long as I live. I pray for more workers in God’s harvest field because the need is great and the workers are few. I will continually worship God with the praise of my lips because God is good and God is great and this my spirit knows very well.

Daniel 12:3 – And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

AFFIRMATION:

I will be wise before the Lord through obedience to the commandments of God. I will fulfill the Great Commission I received from Jesus Christ, which is to spread the gospel message, the good news of God’s saving grace. I will continually give my testimony of Christ all my life in order to save many to the kingdom of heaven. I will continually speak my Bible witness affirmations before the Lord in order to bring God on the scene to act in my behalf so that he may help me save “many” lost souls for the kingdom of God.

New Bible Affirmations (#1)

For years I’ve been using Bible affirmations borrowed from Charles Capps, a well known pastor and Christian author. Back in 1976 Pastor Capps published a littler paperback book titled, “The Tongue – A Creative Force.” The book became a best seller and instant classic. In his book Pastor Capps introduced his use of Bible affirmations and he broke them down into four categories: Wisdom & Guidance, Comfort & Strength, Worry & Fear, and Material Needs. Pastor Capps stated he would recite his affirmations to God at least three times a day to receive help from God in his chosen category and also to worship and glorify God. I thought that was a great idea so I wrote Pastor Capps’s affirmations down on 4X6 inch index cards so I too could recite them every morning while drinking a pot of coffee. Pastor Capps created affirmations to fit his particular personality and needs. I’ve been studying God’s word for close to twenty years and as I’ve matured as a Christian I’ve come realize I need to create my own Bible affirmations that fit my unique personality. Basically I needed Bible affirmations more geared toward my personal ministry of reconciliation, which is to share the gospel of Christ with all nations and people (the Great Commission).

John 15:4-5 – (Jesus) – Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

When I rewrote my Bible affirmations I kept some of Pastor Capps affirmations as they were but mostly I redid everything to fit my needs by first focusing on witnessing for Christ. In the Bible there are 129 direct commands from God to man, although some of them are redundant. Anyone can take a command from God and turn it into an affirmation once you understand the concept. God wrote the Bible for all people and his commands are for everyone. As a believer you take a generic command of God for all people and then you personalize it by aligning your will with God’s will and speaking that obedience to God’s will out of your mouth in faith. You must respond to God in the spirit, in prayer, by verbally saying in a loud and clear voice that you’ll obey whatever command of God you’re talking about. When God commands “you shall” you turn that command into a positive declaration of personal obedience and agreement with God’s word by saying “I will” do it.

For example, when God commands, “You shall have no other gods before me”, you could turn that command into an affirmation by saying, “I will have no other gods before the Lord and him only will I serve.” You get the idea. You can make Bible affirmations as short or as long as you want them to be but make sure you agree with God and speak your affirmation with your lips. You need to keep repeating your Bible affirmations for as long as it takes to make the truth of God flourish in your life; maybe even the rest of your life. Your Bible affirmations should contain a lot of personal statements starting with the words “I shall” or “I will.” When you speak words of obedience in prayer before the throne of grace you are not only asking for God’s help, you are worshipping and glorifying God in the process. Your heavenly audience will include not only God and Jesus, but also the angels in heaven, and Satan and his demons here on earth.

Mark 16:15-16 – (Jesus) – Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized (by the Holy Spirit) will be saved (unto eternal life in heaven); but he who does not believe will be condemned (to hell for all eternity).

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I learned a long time ago while studying for tests in school that repetition is important for the human mind to learn anything and retain it. I also picked up on that while reading the Bible because I noticed that God repeats important things in his word over and over to make sure we get it and I do the same thing in my blog posts. The twin themes of my blog are, “studying God’s word” and “witnessing for Christ” and with every blog post I make I have my twin themes in mind. Repetition helps us fix information in our brain. I know I’m like a broken record in that regard and I don’t apologize for it. It’s how we learn. So when I created my new Bible affirmations I wrote down one or more verses that are very similar commands of God. I first read the verses silently before then reading them aloud. Then I say my affirmation aloud to God immediately after reading the verses that are commands from God. That way my mind gets three bites of the apple (repetition) which helps me retain God’s truth. As a believer I’m answering God’s commands face to face to let him know I will be obedient to his word to the best of my ability. I let God know I trust him to be faithful to his word in all circumstances. I know God cannot lie.

Our minds never stop being a sponge for information so we need to control what we expose our mind to. The human mind will believe and act on whatever it hears over and over, which is why Bible affirmations work. We will become what we think about and say over and over. You know the old saying, “garbage in and garbage out.” Well, “wisdom in and wisdom out” is also true. Feed your mind on the goodness of God during prayer and the truth of his word by reading, hearing and speaking God’s word and you can’t go wrong. If we feed our mind the word of God repeatedly we’ll absorb the truth of God and become more like Jesus Christ over time, which is God’s intention. The Bible confirms this sanctification process over and over. The main thrust of my Bible affirmations is creating affirmative statements about witnessing for Christ that I can proclaim before the throne of grace during prayer. I only have two categories for my affirmations; witnessing for Christ and everything else. I think I wound up with 14 affirmations about witnessing for Christ so far and 30 plus that pertain to everything else related to serving God.

Matthew 6:19-20 – (Jesus) – Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

1 Peter 3:12 – For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Words are the most powerful thing in the universe. God spoke the universe into existence and everything is still upheld by the spoken word of God. One day when God is through with this old world he will destroy the universe the same way he created it; with his spoken word. Spiritual words control the physical world we live in. As believers and adopted children of the Most High we have been given the authority to harness the spiritual power of God’s word, especially where it concerns witnessing for Christ in order to save lost souls for the kingdom of God. In the Bible God refers to our “work” before the Lord. That work consists of spreading the gospel seed in order to save nonbelievers to the kingdom of heaven. The currency of heaven is souls saved for God so when God refers to us building up treasures in heaven he is talking about how many people we help him save for heaven.

Everyone gets to heaven through faith alone but pleasing God and building up treasures in heaven requires the believer to witness for Christ and save at least one person for heaven. Think about it. God loves every creature he has made and he wants us all in heaven with him. The Bible confirms every soul God has made is priceless in his eyes so how could God not be pleased if we save at least one person for the kingdom of God? More is better but one will do. 95% of all the saints in heaven will be there through faith alone, never having saved even one additional soul to heaven by a witness for Christ. These are the believers who will stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ on the last day and have their good works burned up by the fire of God because they didn’t do the one thing closest to God’s heart, which was to witness for Christ in order to save at least one soul for heaven. Any other good work a believer may do is worthless before God if we haven’t saved at least one more person for Jesus. Don’t stand before the bema judgment of Jesus Christ empty handed. Any reward from Jesus will last forever. When believers stand before Jesus Christ on the last day here is what will happen. Jesus will ask each believer, “Have you witnessed in my name?” If you haven’t then don’t expect to hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” It’s as simple as that. I have told you so the rest is up to you.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

John 6:44 – (Jesus) – No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

God’s word that is conceived in your heart, then formed by the tongue, and spoken out of your own mouth becomes a spiritual force releasing the ability of God within you. That’s what Bible affirmations are all about. God’s word is spiritual law so when you pray before God and speak God’s words back to him in agreement with his will those words will put you over in this world. Prayer produces after its kind so pray the answer, the victory and not the problem. By the same token, you must be careful not to pray defeat or Satan will use your words to keep you in bondage. Dozens of times in the Bible God warns us to bridle our tongues and watch what we say in all circumstances. The spirit world is controlled by the word of God. The spoken word is God’s creative power and the natural world is controlled by man speaking God’s words, so speak wisely and think before you speak. Don’t pray to Jesus because it’s unscriptural. Always pray to God the Father, in Jesus’ name. God says you can have what you say so be careful what you ask for. Prayer is the believers legal right to use faith-filled words to bring God on the scene in your behalf so that your joy may be full. God may or may not grant your prayer request but God always hears the prayers of his saints and he has our best interests in mind. Keep in mind that faith makes prayer work. Prayers won’t work without faith but faith will work without prayer.

James 5:16 – The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Mark 11:24 – (Jesus) – Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Romans 10:17 – Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You can speak God’s words after him and they’ll work for you if you’re a believer in fellowship with God. The trick is God’s word must be formed in your spirit to the point where it becomes a part of you and then abides in you continually. The Old Testament prophets had that kind of faith which is why they were able to perform miracles. The word of God implanted into the heart (spirit) of man causes us to become a new creation that never existed before, born again of the Spirit of the living God. The born-again man is a joint-heir with Jesus. If Jesus is the righteousness of God, then you are the righteousness of God in Christ. Keep feeding your mind the word of God by reading, saying, and listening to the word of God to build up and maintain faith inside you. That’s what Bible affirmations are all about. It’s one way, and the best way, to achieve fellowship with God and maintain our faith. We are programmed in our mind to do and become what we say repeatedly. Continually affirm what God says until it gets in your spirit and becomes a part of you. Ignore what the world is showing you and what your senses are telling you. Trust only the word of God because the word is the wisdom of God and the final authority in life. In my next blog I’ll go over my new Bible affirmations for witnessing for Christ.

Matthew 9:37-38 – (Jesus) – The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Jeremiah 1:12 – For I (God) am ready to perform My word.

The Spirit Man

This is a true/false test. When you look at your reflection in the mirror each morning are you looking at the real you? Now 95% of the people taking this quiz will answer “true” but they’d be wrong. Man has a dual nature which we all know. We have an eternal spirit on the inside of us from God; which is what I refer to as, “the spirit man.” We also have a human body from God that I’ll refer to as, “the physical man.” So which man is the real “us”? Is it the spirit man on the inside of us or is it the outside physical man? It can’t be both. Only one man can be the main man. And the answer is….the spirit man is the real us! Scripture says we’re to live by faith and not by sight so everything we see is not always as it seems. To find the real “us” all we need to do is study God’s word, become spiritually aware, and remember that God cannot lie. Since God made man he’s the final authority on who we are. God’s word is his wisdom so let’s see what the Bible has to say about the matter:

Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

So on the sixth day of creation God made man. In heaven at the time there was only God and the millions of angels God created to serve him. Angels do not create anything. Only God is the creator. So when God spoke in the above verse he was not addressing the angels. God the Father was addressing the other two persons of the triune Godhead, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is only one God but he exists as three distinct persons; God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the verse above the pronouns “us” and “our” are capitalized which is further proof that God is talking to a divine person. God is a real person who has a distinct personality. God has a sense of humor, he can laugh, he can love, and he can get angry. God is also invisible and immortal. So when God says he made man according to his likeness he’s saying he made man an immortal being, and an invisible spirit like God is. If God made man for fellowship in heaven forever then it makes perfect sense that man would also need to be a spirit that was also immortal and invisible like God. The spirit man inside us is the divine essence from the body of God himself. God is part of us and vice versa. It can’t be any other way.

Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

By Genesis 2:2 God had already completed the six days of creation, before resting on the seventh day. During creation week God created Adam as the first spirit man made in God’s image. It wasn’t until much later in Genesis 2:7 that God got around to making Adam the physical man. Notice in the above verse God said that he “formed” man (Adam). You can’t “form” a spirit because a spirit is by definition formless. Notice that God didn’t say that he created man because God had already done that in Genesis 1:26. The wording God uses is precise and important because it tells us a lot. The spirit man is the real us because God made the spirit man first, during creation week. The physical body of Adam was made by God afterwards and it was just an empty vessel until God inserted Adam the spirit man into the body of the physical man God had formed from the dust of the ground. God is a spirit and cannot be made of dust so when God says man is made in his image he was speaking of the spirit man only; the real us. In Genesis when God speaks about Adam and says he, “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”, God’s referring to Adam the spirit man being inserted into Adam the physical man. The end of the above verse tells us that the lights didn’t go on in Adam’s eyes until after the spirit man arrived to give him life. For an analogy, think about the Marvel character Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. represents the inner man, the spirit man, the real us. The iron suit symbolizes the outer man, the physical man, and is not the real us. Without our inner spirit man inside us our physical body is just an empty tent.

2 Corinthians 5:1 – 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 (our glorified bodies).

John 3:6 – (Jesus) – That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.

John 4:24 – (Jesus) – God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Genesis 2:17 – (God speaking to Adam and Eve) – But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

God made Eve the same way as Adam; as a fully grown adult; but every man and woman who came after Adam and Eve were born of a woman in the normal way because man produces after it’s kind by a decree of God, with the inner spirit man added by God at our conception. Genesis 2:7 tells us the empty skin suits that were the original bodies of Adam and Eve did not become living beings until after God added the spirit man and spirit woman, the real person. This verse also proves that a human being cannot live without their spirit man on the inside of them and once a person dies their spirit man also cannot remain inside a dead corpse. After death the spirit man must return to God for judgment. The souls of believers immediately go to heaven upon their death to be in the presence of Jesus forever. On the other hand, the souls of nonbelievers who die immediately go to hell within the earth where they’ll be in pain and agony for all eternity. These are the only two options available to us.

Hebrews 9:27 – And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

John 6:47 – (Jesus) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

Romans 14:12 – So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing (the rapture) and His kingdom (the second coming): Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden. The world was without sin back then but Satan was in the world. Adam and Eve had eternal spirits from God on the inside of them (the spirit man). God gave each of them immortal, fully grown glorified bodies that would never grow old or get sick (the physical man). This dual nature of man was perfect in God’s eyes and he called it “good”. Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden of Eden and they were in perfect fellowship with God. That is, until Satan crashed the party. Satan caused Adam and Eve to sin against God by disobeying the commandment God gave them, which was not to eat the fruit from a certain tree because they would gain the knowledge of good and evil. Through the disobedience of Adam and Eve sin entered the world and Adam forfeited the control of earth to Satan. One of the spiritual laws of heaven is the wages of sin is death. A just God had no other choice but to sentence Adam and Eve to physical death on earth followed by a sentence of eternal spiritual death in hell. Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden for the rest of their lives.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:36 – (Jesus) – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Romans 5:17 – For if by one man’s offense death reigned through the one (Satan), much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Adam and Eve’s glorified bodies were corrupted by their sin and their bodies were changed into mortal bodies like we have that will eventually grow old and die. Adam and Eve lost their physical immortality but not their spiritual immortality. The sins of Adam and Eve not only stained their physical bodies it also stained their eternal spirits which meant they were destined to reside in hell for all eternity upon their physical death. However, after Adam and Eve later repented of their sin God was merciful and credited Adam and Eve with having “righteousness” before God so when they died they went to Paradise within the earth instead of to hell. After Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross, and during his three days within the earth, Jesus went down to Paradise and took Adam and Eve and all the saints who lived before Christ to heaven because Jesus had finally arrived on earth to pay their sin debt to God by his death on the cross. All men born after Adam carry the sin of Adam in their bodies and in their spirit.

Only the blood of Christ can wash sin away from the spirit man, the real us, but not so for the physical body which must perish because it’s not the real us. Our body is merely a vessel our spirit is using temporarily. As believers we’ll see Adam and Eve in heaven one day. The point I’m trying to make is every person has both a spirit man and a physical man that cannot be separated except by death or until Jesus comes in the air to rapture the saints to heaven or his second coming to judge the world. As human beings, we can only see the outer physical man who is withering away. When God looks upon us he sees our heart, the eternal inner spirit man which is the real us. God takes no notice of the outer physical man because he is just a temporary tent, here for a only a brief moment and is no more.

Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Luke 19:10 – (Jesus) – For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Romans 8:9 – But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

Genesis 3:19 – (God speaking to Adam and Eve) – In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.

What people don’t seem to understand is that when a believer is saved unto eternal life in heaven by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior God will then immediately replace their sin-stained eternal spirit with a new sinless spirit. It’s the exact same spirit we had before but without the sin. God does an instantaneous swap so we’re the same spirit man. The Holy Spirit only indwells the believer after the inner spirit man has been cleansed of sin because God cannot abide sin and certainly will not abide in our bodies alongside a sin-stained spirit. With our sin-filled physical body from Adam’s fall we’re not so lucky. Our corrupted physical body has to die but don’t worry; Jesus will one day give believers a new glorified body like he has and like Adam and Eve had. In the meantime, our saved eternal spirit man will have to reside inside our corrupted body until our death. Satan is still the god of this world so believers will still continue to sin, but hopefully we’ll sin less and less over time as God sanctifies us and as we become more like Jesus during our walk with God. When believers do sin their sins will be forgiven by God if we ask it of him in prayer because we have God’s promise.

Matthew 21:22 – (Jesus) – And whatever things you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Nonbelievers watch believing Christians like a hawk because they expect our conduct to be perfect. Nonbelievers readily point it out when believers sin and they say we must not be saved, that God doesn’t really love us, and that we’re hypocrites. That is Satan talking so don’t listen. I’m a believer and I know for certain I’m going to heaven. That doesn’t prevent me from sinning and when someone throws it back in my face that I’m a sinner my standard retort to them is, “I’m not perfect, but I am forgiven.” One of the problems we face is a majority of people who call themselves Christians aren’t really saved unto eternal life. They attend church but do not abide in Christ. Another problem is that nonbelievers can’t grasp the concept of a believer consisting of a sinless inner “spirit man” and a sin-filled outer “physical man.” They simply don’t get it. They don’t understand that the invisible “spirit man” inside us is the real us and if we profess belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then God will wash away our sins so we will have a clean “spirit man” who will go to heaven one day. All nonbelievers can see is the corrupted physical man on the outside of the believer and they cannot see the inner “spirit man.” Nonbelievers cannot fathom what God has done. They are fools, which God confirms in the Bible.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Ephesians 2:8,9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Matthew 28:19 – (Jesus) – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The real problem is that many believers also question their faith for the same reasons. Many Christians simply lack faith in God; primarily because they don’t abide in God’s word. Their faith is superficial; only skin deep. Most believers only think about God on Sunday. They don’t pray to God regularly and they don’t read their Bibles daily to maintain their fellowship with God. The sad truth is that less than ten percent of Christians who attend church regularly have read the Bible in its entirety. Even fewer still have taken the time to actually study God’s word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. No wonder some Christians are tentative about their salvation and their standing before God because they haven’t taken the time to get to know God, his salvation plan for man, and the part they play in it. All the information you need to live a successful life is right there in the Bible in black and white so why haven’t you read it? Nothing is more important than deciding where our eternal destination will be, which is either heaven or hell.

Mark 16:15 – (Jesus) – Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

John 17:17 – (Jesus) – Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Luke 21:33 – (Jesus) – Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Don’t wait until you’re on your deathbed before you broach the question of heaven and hell because by then it could be too late for you. Choose to serve God, sooner rather than later, if you want to go to heaven. Look, you can’t “do” God’s will if you don’t “know” what God requires of you. You can’t “know” God’s plan for you if you don’t read, hear and speak God’s word. God gave man the Bible so we’d know what to do and how to do it. It’s imperative that man abides in God’s word to have the best life, the happiest life, and the most successful life God has to offer. Woody Allen once said 80% of being successful in life is just showing up. Make sure you show up for God! For the believer, God has done 80% of the work for us but the remaining 20% is left for us to do. When we stand before Jesus Christ on the last day we have no excuse for our disobedience.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Gentile).

1 Thessalonians 2:4 – But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

1 John 5:11 – And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

The spirit man in each of us is unique, like our fingerprints, and no two eternal spirits are the same. The Bible says Jesus Christ the man is the express image of the spirit of God the Father. In like manner, our bodies are the express image of our inner spirit man. When believers receive their glorified body from Jesus Christ it’ll look much like the body we have now, only better. We’ll be recognizable to friends and family. If you look like Danny DeVito now don’t expect to look like George Clooney once you get your glorified body. We are who God made us to be and in heaven we’ll all be happy in our own skin because there won’t be any pride, jealousy, and envy. We’ll have a smile on our faces forever because of the joy in our heart caused by being in heaven in the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. In summary, know who you are, who you belong to, why you’re here, and where you’re going. The Bible has all the answers you seek.

John 14:9 – (Jesus) – He who has seen Me has seen the Father.

Luke 6:17 – (Jesus) – And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

Matthew 16:27 – (Jesus) – For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his work.

Aggressively defend the faith against all comers because we’re in the end times and naysayers and false witnesses will increase exponentially going forward. Witness for Christ at every opportunity because you know a secret every nonbeliever needs desperately. You’ll be persecuted for your faith but so was Jesus. Persevere in your walk with God. Work tirelessly in God’s harvest field because the harvest field is great and the workers are few. Every child of God is priceless in his eyes and therefore God’s number one commandment to believers is to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ with all nations and all people (the Great Commission) in order to save at least one more for Jesus; one more lost soul for the kingdom of God. In our walk with the Lord we’re to save as many people as we can for as long as we can in order to build up treasure in heaven, which Jesus Christ will give to us on the last day.

1 Peter 2:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Romans 1:20 – For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Hebrews 1:1-3 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sar down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The Call of God

I’m a disciple of Christ, and I serve the Lord Jehovah, the one true God of this world. God made me like he made every other person who has ever lived. So why am I one of the lucky ones to be gifted salvation unto eternal life in heaven? We know from scripture that God loves all his creatures equally and wants all of us in heaven with him forevermore. So why is it that only a very few people actually make it to heaven, and why was I chosen to be in that select company? Don’t get me wrong. I’m eternally grateful that God saved me, but what made God choose me over someone else? And when did God choose me? What did God see in me that made me worthy of his saving grace? When I look at the span of human history I’m guessing that probably only one out of every thousand people who ever lived will wind up in heaven. Why is it that the number is so small? The answer of course is Satan. God chose me for salvation because of my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Peter 1:3 – As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory virtue.

2 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Ephesians 4:4 – There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.

Galatians 1:6 – I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.

You have to remember that God once made millions of angels to serve him in heaven. Each angel had their own mind but God didn’t give them a choice whether they wanted to serve God or not. As a result, one third of the angels rebelled against God under the leadership of Lucifer, the most powerful angel. God defeated Lucifer and his fallen angels and they were incarcerated on earth. God gave Lucifer the name Satan, which means “adversary.” Satan is our adversary, not God’s. The fallen angels that came to earth with Satan we refer to as demons. God made the universe, the earth, and man. God made man to be a citizen of heaven who will one day fellowship with Jesus in his sight forever. God put man on this earth to first find God and then to make the free will decision to serve God or Satan. There will be no more rebellions in heaven because God requires man to first decide that’s where he wants to live. You’d be wise to choose honor and glory in heaven forevermore over condemnation and dishonor in hell for all eternity. You’d be wise to choose joy, wonder and riches over pain, agony, and suffering.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 – But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:13 – For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

2 Timothy 1:14 – That good thing which was committed to you (salvation), keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (believers).

Acts 2:39 – For the promise is to you and your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.

I know God gave man his word (our Holy Bible) to help us find God and to show us the way to salvation unto eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God, as our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ came down from heaven to die on the cross in our place so that a merciful God could forgive our sins and allow man to choose service to God. God graciously put his Holy Spirit on earth to indwell all believers as our helper, so that each time the Bible is read the Holy Spirit is there with us ready to convict the hearer of their sin if their heart is ready to receive the gospel message of Christ and then accept God’s saving grace. If man chooses to serve the Lord by a profession of faith in Jesus Christ it’s the Holy Spirit that then translates the sinner from eternal death in hell to eternal life in heaven. It’s the Holy Spirit that writes the believer’s name in the book of life. Only God can save us. Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit is God.

Romans 9:11 – For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to the election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 – He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

1 Corinthians 1:9 – God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Philippians 3:13-14 – But one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Our personal salvation is the most important decision we’ll ever make because it lasts for all eternity. Man is an immortal being because God is immortal. God gave us a piece of himself at our conception so how could it be otherwise? It’s our destiny to live forever in heaven with our heavenly father as adopted sons of the Most High. But the thing is, to fulfill our destiny we must make the choice to serve God of our own free will before our heart stops beating because once we die it’s then too late to choose God. The die is cast. Let me be crystal clear; failure to choose God will result in man being hurled into the lake of fire and brimstone on the last day for all eternity where they will be in pain, agony, and suffering 24/7 forever. How long is eternity? A trillion billion years is only a day in eternity. Do you get the mental picture? Avoid that fate at all costs! Get on your knees before God right now and pray the sinner’s prayer to God in faith, and you will be saved unto eternal life in heaven because you have God’s promise and God cannot lie.

John 6:44 – (Jesus) – No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Matthew 22:14 – (Jesus) – For many are called, but few are chosen.

1 Peter 1:15 – But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

What exactly is the “call” of God? There are dozens of Bible verses where God refers to calling man. In fact, 13 of the 16 Bible verses referenced in this blog up to this point were selected because they mention God calling us:

called us by glory

called you out of darkness

called us in one hope

called you in the grace of Christ

called you by our gospel

called to liberty

call for the promise

called into the fellowship

God calls, he will do it

It’s obvious to me that God, through his word, is calling all men to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Our salvation is the end result of God’s call but the means of that salvation is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the “good news” that Jesus preached during his ministry on earth. The important verse for me is Matthew 22:14, where Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” The scriptures confirm that God has put eternity in the hearts of men so that we’ll know in our spirit that there is a God. Man will never be truly happy until they fill the void in their heart with the God who made them. In Psalm 19:1 God declares that all men know of the existence of God by what he has made. The Holy Bible has worldwide distribution so nobody can say on the last day that they couldn’t find the true God because the Bible is proof of God and it documents the path to eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All a person has to do is read God’s word and believe it and if you don’t even open the Bible and give it a chance, that’s on you. On the last day there is simply no acceptable excuse for rejecting God’s saving grace.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

2 Timothy 2:21 – Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (sin/dishonor), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Acts 10:42 – And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

So God calls on all his creatures to be saved unto eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. However, Matthew 22:14 assures us that few are chosen. That means that while all men are called by God only a very few will actually take God up on his offer of eternal life in heaven in the presence of Jesus. God knows who will be saved and who won’t because he knows the end from the beginning. Still, God is just and fair to all men so he calls everyone. Every creature God has made has an equal shot at heaven. God did not make any man with the express intent of sending them to hell. God doesn’t work that way. God is love and he wants all his children to prosper. Believers make the free will choice to serve God by a declaration of faith in Jesus but it is God who then chooses the believer as a son of God who will then reside in heaven forever. It pleases God to save us because of our faith in Christ and we know God promises to save us and God cannot lie. Remember, we don’t save ourselves. Only God can save us. God through his mercy pulls us up to heaven because he made us and he loves us dearly. When God reaches his hand down to pull you up to glory don’t slap it away because if you do you’ll feel God’s wrath on the last day. Instead, grab hold of God’s extended hand and hold on tight. The Bible says no one can take you out of God’s hand.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work.

Hebrews 10:36 – For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receice the promise.

Revelation 22:12 – (Jesus) – And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

My question to you is this; “Have you answered God’s call?” If you haven’t; why not? The entire Bible is God’s revelation of Jesus Christ and his saving grace through faith in him. In his word God speaks literally and in plain language so that anyone can understand what the Lord is saying. I know Satan has put blinders over the eyes of nonbelievers so they cannot see the truth of God. I know that Satan has sponsored fake religions and false gods throughout human history in order to fool man and keep them from finding the one true God of creation. That’s why millions of nonbelievers are dying every day and going straight to hell. I get that. However, it’s the responsibility of every believer to do the work God has given them to do, which is to witness for Christ to the nonbeliever and help them overcome Satan’s interference in order to seek out God for their salvation. God made you, he loves you, and he’s patiently waiting for you to come to him. God won’t come to you but he’ll meet you more than half way. What are you waiting for? Let’s go! What do you have to lose? Only your immortal soul, because death could come for you today. The rapture could also occur at any moment and your opportunity to meet Jesus Christ in the air will be gone if you haven’t accepted God’s saving grace. I know the truth of God and I’m pouring my heart out to you in love so you’ll understand. This is my testimony of God!

Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Ephesians 5:15-16 – See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.