News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

---Christ: Our Redeemer
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)


- This famous testimony of Job has encouraged many. He knew, as we can know, the reality of his living Redeemer and that the Redeemer would one day reign over His creation as intended.

A redeemer is one who buys back something which has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Originally, the creation was in the proper hands, but Adam sinned, and to a great extent the rebellious world and all its inhabitants fell into bondage at the hands of Satan. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). We became the slaves or “servants of sin” (Romans 6:20).

In order to be freed, a slave must be redeemed. Could we as slaves have bought ourselves back? No, we had nothing of worth. Silver and gold would not do it. In fact, nothing short of the blood of a completely innocent sacrifice would suffice to pay the “wages of sin” (Romans 6:23). Only God the Son, by laying aside aspects of His deity and taking on human flesh, could be that perfect sacrifice. “And he saw that there was no man [capable of redeeming mankind], and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation” (Isaiah 59:16). “In his love and in his pity he redeemed them” (Isaiah 63:9) by His own blood, buying us out of bondage to sin and Satan.

Notice also that this redemption is not just something we hope for; it is a fact! He has done it, and it will never be undone! “Thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 60:16). “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).-JESUS PAID OUR SIN DEBT! HE DIED SO THAT WE CAN LIVE ETERNALLY WITH HIM!
--ICR/JDM --/ My Redeemer Lives / Nicole C Mullen
<http://youtu.be/wH0Mc7zn4vc>

--JESUS CHRIST IS CREATOR, REDEEMER, SAVIOR, LORD, KING!

--- --"Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." -- (John 5:39)
--Jesus said, "I and the Father are One." They are inseparable. We serve a Triune, Jehovah God, (Trinity). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Veracity, Immutable. This is often referred to as a 'Mystery'. Because with our finite minds, we cannot fathom the mind of our Creator, God. We must accept His Word, the Holy Bible by faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not yet seen."~~

--KEEP THE FAITH IN THE FAITHFUL ONE, JESUS CHRIST!

--THE INDWELLING CHRIST
--By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.
---Evidence for Creation

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
---(Colossians 1:27)

--The fact that Jesus Christ is actually in each believer is both a great mystery and rich in glory. In fact, it is our very hope and assurance of glory in the age to come.

How Christ may be both seated at "the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3) and yet living in us is surely a mystery, yet it is fully true. He Himself told His disciples: "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. . . . Abide in me, and I in you. . . . He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 14:23; 15:4-5).

The apostle Paul also confirmed this great truth: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). One of his prayers for the Ephesians was "that Christ |might| dwell in |their| hearts by faith" (Ephesians 3:17).

The mystery as to how this can be is resolved in yet another mystery--that of the tri-unity of the Godhead. Christ, the Second Person, is present in His people through the Holy Spirit, the Third Person. Christ said: "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter. . . . Even the Spirit of truth; . . . for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16-17).

In fact, as our text says, His indwelling presence is our very hope of glory, for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9).

Thus, where we go, He goes; whatever we say, He hears; even what we think, He knows. Christ, by the Holy Spirit, is our ever-present comforter and guide and counselor. This is, indeed, a glorious mystery!
--ICR/HMM<http://youtu.be/h0mPk_3dXSg>

--CHRIST=Our Redeemer! Creator!, Lord! and Savior!~~

--Declaring The Unknown God
--By: John D. Morris, Ph.D.

"As I . . . beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you" (Acts 17:23).

-The people of Athens were known to be quite religious, worshiping a host of nature gods. They even had set up an altar "to the unknown god." Paul pounced on this point of contact to declare unto them the God they didn't know.

He starts by laying the foundation: This God, he claims, is the Creator. He not only "made the world and all things therein" (v. 24), but also is "Lord of heaven and earth." To cause to exist and then to rule over all of creation, one must be omnipotent. He is much too great to dwell in "temples made with hands." How ludicrous to think He might need anything, including the worship of men, "seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" (v. 25).

This God "hath made of one blood all nations of men" and "hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (v. 26). To know all men, their race, futures, and details of their lives, God must be omniscient, eternal, boundless. He has done this so "That they should seek the Lord" (v. 27). He is not hard to find, for He is "not far from every one of us." He is the sustainer and source of all life. "In Him we live, and move, and have our being; . . . we are also His offspring" (v. 28), totally unlike gods of "gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device" (v. 29).

But mankind has not known this God. He has been patient, but hates sin, and "commandeth all men every where to repent" (v. 30), to gain forgiveness based on the work of "that man whom He hath ordained" (v. 31) as a final sacrifice, or as righteous judge. We can be sure of this because, when the sacrifice was slain, God "raised Him from the dead" (v. 31).

Some mocked at the declaration of this mighty God (v. 32); some refused to act; but others believed (v. 34).
--ICR/JDM
[What will you do with this man called 'Jesus the Christ?' Your eternal destiny is at stake. This world is not our home. For Christians, we seek a Home not made with hands, the Heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion. "Be ye ready for no one knows the day or hour that the Son of Man will come."] -CREATOR KING- DON MOEN~~
<http://youtu.be/sGQ05WkV92E>
-------------

--God's Work of Providence/ Our Creator

“Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.” (Psalm 65:9)

-The 65th Psalm speaks especially of God’s great work of “providence” as supplementing His primeval work of creation. The latter was completed in the six days of the creation week (Genesis 2:1-3). The work of providence, however, still goes on, perpetually reminding us of God’s care for His creatures. “He left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).

God’s providential concern, however, extends not only to men and women. “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle” (Psalm 104:14). “So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. . . . These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season” (vv. 25, 27). “Behold the fowls of the air: . . . your heavenly Father feedeth them” (Matthew 6:26).

Note that He is not their heavenly Father, He is your heavenly Father—yet He feeds them! He is merely their maker and provider; yet a single sparrow “shall not fall on the ground without your Father” (Matthew 10:29).

He even provides for the inanimate creation, “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). The omnipotent God of creation is thus the ever-sustaining and ever-caring God of providence.

Still, some choose not to believe, even though “that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen . . . so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).
--ICR/ HMM /-INDESCRIBABLE ~~ Chris Tomlin ~
<http://youtu.be/8FlIchSJoOA>
-------

--Ask God to Reveal Himself to you, and He will!

“If anyone's will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”
---(John 7:17)

---Here’s what Jesus is saying in today’s verse: “If you really want to know Me…if you really want to know if I’m speaking the truth of God…if you want to know if I’m just making this up or if this is reality, you can know because God will reveal Himself to you!”

Ultimately, knowing Jesus isn’t a problem of the intellect. It’s an issue of the heart.

If a person waits until he or she gets it all figured out, they might never come to Christ. At some point each person has to decide on the evidence. Is Jesus a liar? Is He a lunatic? Or is He Lord? If you say, “Well, I’m not sure yet,” then simply say, “Jesus, if You are real, show Yourself to me.” Then examine the evidence, and ask God to show you if it’s true or not. I believe if you ask Him, He will absolutely make it clear to you!

Thousands, even millions, through the ages will testify to the reality of Jesus Christ in their lives. And I know that I can personally testify to the reality of Christ in my life. In fact, I’m banking my life and my future on the fact that it’s true!

The Good News of Jesus Christ is the best news ever given to mankind. That He came…lived a perfect, sinless life…died on the Cross…and rose again that you and I can be saved and forgiven.

Jesus is not a liar, nor a lunatic, but Lord. And that’s good news!

---ASK GOD TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU, AND HE WILL /
--PP/JG
["Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Jesus paid your and my sin-debt on that Cross. Won't you ask Him to come into your heart, and He will be your Savior, Lord, Redeemer and King!] You Are My King, Amazing Love / Chris Tomlin
<http://youtu.be/MA_cSFdUMqk>
---------

--CHRIST, God the Son, died for you. Who could have imagined such a 'FREE GIFT'?

'Who has plumbed the depths of God's love? Only God has. "Want to see the size of my love?" He invites. "Ascend the winding path outside of Jerusalem. Follow the dots of bloody dirt until you crest the hill. Before looking up, pause and hear Me whisper. "This is how much I love you.'"

"Whip-ripped muscles drape His back. Blood rivulets over His face. His eyes and lips are swollen shut. Pain rages as wildfire intensity. As He sinks to relieve the agony of His legs, His airway closes. At the edge of suffocation, He shoves pierced muscles against the spike and inches up the Cross. He does this for hours. Painfully up and down until His strength and our doubts are gone.

Does God love you? Behold the Cross, and behold your answer.

God the Son died for you. Who could have imagined such a gift? A 'free-gift' for all who will come to Jesus. Oh, how He loves us, all. ~~

--It's Not About Me/ML -/ Faithful One/ Robin Mark ~~
<http://youtu.be/Uxviwvjyg1w>

--We All Were Born Into Sin

---Life Before Grace

Read | Ephesians 2:1-3

Grace is the unmerited love that God shows to sinful people. He expressed this love through the sacrificial death of His Son. It becomes ours when we confess that we are sinners and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. Because of grace, we’re forgiven by God and adopted into His family.

Today’s passage describes our life before grace—we were dead in our trespasses and sins. This means that every person is born with a deadness to the things of God; we come into this world with no spiritual life. Our nature leans away from the Lord and toward ourselves. In addition, our thinking and behavior follow that of the world, which, according to Scripture, is under Satan’s control. His plan always opposes God’s and leads us to rebel against divine commands.

Before encountering grace, Paul was very religious but blind to the Lord’s perspective and plan. He actively opposed those who followed Christ (Acts 26:9-11). With a goal of destroying the church, he sought to eradicate the Christian faith, which he deemed false. Paul continued persecuting believers until he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus (9:3-6). Only then did the future apostle surrender his will to God’s and become a true follower of Christ.

If you have not trusted in the Savior, then you are spiritually dead, separated from God, and under His judgment. Like Paul, you may be very religious and yet lack a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God offers you salvation today through faith in Him. How will you respond?
--IN TOUCH~

--Complete Payment for Your Sins / JESUS CHRIST~

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Romans 3:25

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Propitiation is a big word that means satisfaction. Because God is a holy God, His anger and justice burns against sin. And He has sworn that sin will be punished.

There must be a satisfactory payment for sin. But God said, “If I punish man for his sin, man will die and go to hell. On the other hand, if I don’t punish man for his sin, My justice will never be satisfied.”

The solution? God said that He would become our substitute. He would take the sin of mankind upon Himself in agony and blood – a righteous judgment and substitute for sin.

His wrath burned out on the Cross when His only Son died as man’s propitiation for sin. And this is love (see 1 John 4:10).

--ACTION POINT:
Question: What can you bring Jesus today to repay Him for what He has done for you?
Answer: Nothing could suffice. But “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my ALL!” Jesus paid our sin-debt by dying on that Cross!
--Adrian Rogers /What Can Wash Away My Sins? Nothing But the Blood of Jesus + + + Matt Redman
<http://youtu.be/Pk3BkC6GHTc>
-----------

--The Greater Miracle

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
-“I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Savior.” Isaiah 43:11

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
It takes more of God’s power to save a soul through the Cross of Jesus than it does to do any other thing. God had no difficulty creating the universe. The Bible tells us He spoke and it was so. But when God wrote salvation’s story, He went to great difficulty. Let me illustrate.

What if I held a service and had the power to straighten a cripple’s legs or to bring sight to the blind? The next service would be standing room only. Now I certainly want God to heal, but let me suggest a different scene. What if I held a service and a little girl walked down the aisle and gave her heart to Jesus? That is a greater miracle than opening the eyes of the blind, because the Son of God had to hang on a Cross in agony and blood to purchase her salvation! Jesus did not come as a great healer or teacher, He came as a Savior.

--ACTION POINT:
--Ask God today to give you the heavenly view—for the angels in heaven rejoice each time one lost person receives eternal life. This is the greatest miracle.
-When I Survey The Wondrous Cross/ F. Ortega
<http://youtu.be/Tkx8WAycYAc
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-THE BEST DECISION YOU WILL EVER MAKE IN YOUR LIFE! JESUS!

--JESUS PAID YOUR AND MY SIN-DEBT TO REDEEM US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW! Because Jesus defeated death, (the grave could not hold Him down.) He's alive right now at the right hand of Father God! 'In faith' we know He also lives inside of all those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior, and FATHER!

--IMPORTANT **Know Where You Came From and Where You are Going!**

'So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.'
---Genesis 1:27

--I am often amused as I listen to scholars and scientists who talk about the evolutionary beginning of this world. They are debating a moot point, because they’re arguing about something God decided and finished centuries ago.

Our attitude toward the origin of the earth is essential to our attitude toward life. To a great degree, how we live our life is determined by what we believe about who we are and where we came from. In fact, our very understanding of God Himself is also at stake in this issue.

For instance, why would there need to be a God if we just evolved, are really just animals, and that everything happens purely by chance? If the entire universe is just a random set of events and a collection of beings with no purpose, then having a Creator is unnecessary.

But as Christians we believe that life is not random. We believe there is a personal God that is involved with His creation.

But here’s the real issue. Even though it’s important to know where we came from, it’s even more important to know where we are going! Our past is only a precursor to our future. We must know that we came from the hand of God, and that someday we will stand before Him!

-Genesis 1 is a great week-long story of how God loves us and created us. Just make sure you not only know where you came from, but where you’re going. And share with others this week the good news that God loves them, and invite them to come to know Jesus as their Savior so someday they can stand before Him as His child.

----Know where you came from and where you are going!~~~~
--PP/JG
-I HAVE DECIDED - By :ELEVATION WORSHIP'<http://youtu.be/iRb769P50IQ>

--Jesus Canceled our Record -/ Jesus paid our sin-debt!

--How would you feel if a list of your weaknesses were posted so that everyone, including Christ Himself, could see? Yes, Christ has chronicled your shortcomings. And, yes, that list has been made public. But you’ve never seen it. Neither have I.

Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers shove the Carpenter to the ground and stretch His arms against the beams. One presses a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand. Jesus turns His face toward the nail just as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it. Couldn’t Jesus have stopped Him?

Through the eyes of Scripture we see what others missed but Jesus saw. Colossians 2:14 says, “He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s Cross!”
--
--He Chose the Nails/ML
------------
--WHY ME?
-Mark 14:10-21
----
God demonstrates
His own love toward
us, in that while we
were still sinners,
Christ died for us..
--Romans 5:8 ~~
----
--British pastor Joseph Parker was asked, "Why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of His disciples?" He thought deeply about the question for a while but could not come up with an answer. He said that he kept running into an even more baffling question: "Why did He choose me?"

That's a question that has been asked throughout the centuries. When people become painfully aware of their sin and are overcome with guilt, they cry out to Jesus for mercy. In Joyous wonder they experience the truth that God loves them, that Jesus died for them, and that they are forgiven of all their sins. It's incomprehensible!

I too have asked, "Why me?" I know that the dark and sinful deeds of my life were motivated by a heart even darker, and yet God loved me! (Rom. 5:8). I was undeserving wretched, and helpless, yet He opened His arms and His heart to me. I could almost hear Him whisper, "I love you even more than you loved your sin."

It's true! I cherished my sin. I protected it. I denied its wrongdoing. Yet God loved me enough to forgive me and set me free.

"Why me?" It's beyond my understanding. Yet I know He loves me--and He loves you too!
----
--God loves us not because of who we are,
but because of who He is. God is love. God is also Holy, Righteous and Just. Let's stay in the Bible and live as Jesus instructs. We're almost Home!

--ODB/DE -/ He Chose the Nails / Down's Family ~VBS
<http://youtu.be/vvyBNjPc6-s>
----------

--ATONEMENT FOR OUR SINS

--Christ lived the life we could not live, and took the punishment we could not take, to offer the hope we cannot resist.
Why? Jesus was angry enough to purge the temple, distraught enough to weep in public, winsome enough to attract kids, poor enough to sleep on dirt, responsible enough to care for his mother, tempted enough to know the smell of Satan. Why? Why would Heaven’s finest Son endure earth’s toughest pain?
So you would know that He is able....able to to run to the cry of those who are being tempted, tested and tried.

Whatever you’re facing, He knows how you feel. When you turn to him for help, He runs to you to help. Why? Because He has been there. He’s not ashamed of you. Your actions don’t bewilder Him. Your tilted halo doesn’t trouble Him. So go to Him! Jesus has already paid your sin-debt! "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin."
--Calvary's Hill/ ML
----
-Atonement= Theol. a) the effect of Jesus' sufferings and death in redeeming mankind and bringing about the reconciliation of God to man. b) this reconciliation ~~
[WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY / World College Edition of the American Language~]
-'So You Would Come' ('Come to the Father')=Darlene Zschech
<https://youtu.be/5nh1_LSHOdw>
-----------

--CHRIST= OUR WONDERFUL CREATOR, SAVIOR, REDEEMER! LORD!

--THERE was something about the Crucifixion that made every witness either step toward it or away from it. It simultaneously compelled and repelled.

And today, two thousand years later, the same is true. Its the watershed. It's the Continental Divide. It's Normandy. And you are either on one side or the other. A choice is demanded.
We can do what we want with the Cross. We can examine it's history. We can study its theology. We can reflect upon its prophecies. Yet the one thing we can't do is walk away in neutral. No fence sitting is permitted. The Cross, in its absurd splendor, doesn't allow that.
That is one luxury that God, in his amazing grace and mercy, doesn't permit.

--ON WHICH SIDE ARE YOU?

--No Wonder They Call Him The Savior/ML
--------'GRACE SO GLORIOUS'/Elevation Worship~~-<https://youtu.be/XoWocSWM2aI>
-------------------

---CENTURION AT THE CROSS~~IT IS FINISHED!

Matthew 27:54 says when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

The centurion was no stranger to finality. But this crucifixion plagued him. As the hours wore on, he didn’t know what to do with the Nazarene’s silence or with his kindness. But most of all, he was perplexed by the black sky in mid afternoon. No one could explain it. When Jesus suddenly sliced the silence by calling out, “It is finished,” it wasn’t a scream. It was a roar—a lion’s roar! Perhaps that is what made the centurion say what he said. “This was no normal man. This was the Son of God.” Had the centurion not said it, the soldiers would have. The rocks would have. Surely he was the Son of God!
--Calvary's Cross/ML -- IT IS FINISHED! / Gaithers
<https://youtu.be/TxaAmNuL7BU>
-------

--THE RESURRECTION: DOES IT MATTER?
--Acts 2:22-24 (please read)


-BELIEVING that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead is essential for Christians. Merely recognizing that He died for our sins is not enough; we must accept His resurrection in order to receive eternal life. Christ paid our sin-debt, but His sacrifice on the Cross means nothing unless He possess power over the grave. In vanquishing evil and death, the Lord made our salvation possible.

Jesus' resurrection proved He was able to remove sin and it's penalty. Assuming Christ remained dead would mean accepting the opposite--that believers are still in sin. And the inevitable end of a sinful life is death. Consequently, a person who denies Christ's eternal nature looks toward a avoid future.

Resurrection is not a denominational issue or a point for theological debate.
Either we believe Christ rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven or we do not. If we reject His victory over the grave, we deny ourselves a place in eternity. But if we accept the truth, we will be saved.

--IN TOUCH~~ / THE SACRIFICE LAMB / By: Josuha Aaron
<https://youtu.be/EHPsHorFy8w>
-------------

---EASTER SUNDAY!

---New Life, a New Creation in Christ

“For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.” - Psalm 36:9

Jesus had a life that the grave could not keep. While He carried your sins to the grave and left them there, Jesus came out of that grave living, risen, and victorious! When Jesus rose, you rose with Him.

Christians are not just nice people, they are new creatures. We have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

We have come out of the grave of the old life. Our old master has no more hold on us. The old debt has no more penalty that we have to pay. When Jesus came out of that grave, we came out with Him and we have been raised to walk in newness of life.

Are you walking around in the grave clothes of your old life? Shed them, my friend! Jesus came to give you new life! Believe that you are now a new creation in Christ!
--Adrian Rogers ~~ /How Deep the Father's Love / Sarah Sadler
<https://youtu.be/qMFhL3L8plw>
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---JESUS: Mediator Between God and Men~~

--No one but the high priest entered the Holy of Holies. No one. To do so meant death. Two of Aaron's sons died when they entered the Holy of Holies in order to offer sacrifices to the Lord (Leviticus 16:1,2). In no uncertain terms, the curtain declared:... "This far and no farther!"

What did fifteen hundred years of curtain-draped Holy of Holies communicate? Simple. God is Holy...separate from us and unapproachable.

Oh, but there is a way, through Jesus! Jesus hasn't left us with an unapproachable God. Yes, God is holy. Yes, we are sinful. But, yes, yes, yes, Jesus is our Mediator...is not a mediator one who "goes between"? Wasn't Jesus the curtain between us and God? And wasn't His flesh torn?

What appeared to be the cruelty of man was actually the sovereignty of God...

-We are welcome to enter into God's presence--any day, any time. God has removed the barrier that separates us from Him. The barrier of sin? Down. He has removed the curtain! Hallelujah!

-Make no mistake about it--we are in a battle. The minute we sided with Jesus, we gain ourselves an enemy who is bent on stopping the progress of the Gospel message. Fortunately, we are on the winning side. Thankfully, persecution did not stop the Apostles. Don't let it stop you.

-Now, because of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we can come to God 24/7's. 'Call on the Name of the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved.' Go ahead, call on His Great Name!
Your Great Name / Gina Cooper & Jason Castro

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMuGJrdKQGQ>
----------

--HE SHALL JUDGE THE WORLD~~

-“Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” (Psalm 96:13)

-Those men and women who reject or ignore the wonderful offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ need somehow to realize the eternal consequences of their foolishness. Jesus Christ was not just a religious teacher in Israel two thousand years ago, but is the very God who created them, the Second Person of the triune Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). God the Father “created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9), and therefore “hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22).

And on what basis will He judge us? Our text tells us that “righteousness” and “truth” are the criteria. The problem is that “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). However, the Lord Jesus was incarnate Truth and Righteousness, and God “hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ has made eternal salvation available freely to us. There is no other way. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

But how do we know that all this is not just a peculiar doctrine of one particular religion?

Here is how: God “hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). By defeating death itself, Christ has vindicated His claim to be the Judge of all!
--ICR/HMM--He Shall Reign / Paul Wilbur
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUczyddekTQ>

--JESUS OUR HIGH PRIEST~
---(Hebrews 4:14-16)

--Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
----
-WE ALL LONG to feel understood. And it helps to know individuals who have endured circumstances similar to ours. Today's passage reassures us that Jesus truly understands because He experienced struggles like ours.

The writer of Hebrews refers to Jesus as our High Priest. Each year the man who was chosen to serve in this capacity would enter the Holy of Holies and there, in God's presence, offer a sacrifice for sin (Lev.16). The priest was the Jewish people's bridge to God. Christ not only took on this role, but He Himself also 'became' the sacrifice when He died on the Cross. By doing so and dying in our place, Jesus endured every possible sin. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and intercedes on our behalf.

That in itself is encouraging. But even more than that, we know Jesus truly understands our pain and our weakness. For example, a single parent who has suffered greatly can be assured that Christ also knew betrayal (when Judas turned against Him), loneliness (when Peter denied knowing Him), and depression (when facing separation from His heavenly Father).

If you feel alone in the hardships you're facing, recall Jesus' trials, hurts, and temptations. You will find comfort in His understanding. We are now walking in His steps, as we march forward onto victory to the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem.~~
--IN TOUCH -/ Shalom, Shalom Jerusalem/ Paul Wilbur

<http://youtube.com/watch?v=oas1vwK6ALU>

--JESUS, OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST / Jesus has already paid our sin-debt. Please don't turn Him away. He awaits for you to open your arms and invite Him to come into your life. COME TO JESUS TODAY, Please....
---(Hebrews 4:14-16 / Please read)

--Why is it that some people face life's hardships with confidence and boldness, but others find themselves plagued with doubts and fear of failure? One reason is that too many people have a sorely inadequate view of who Jesus is. We may know Him as the Bread of Life and the Living Water, but how many of us know Him as our Great High Priest?

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus “had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest” (Heb. 2:17). Hebrews 4:15 adds, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus enters into our lives and experiences our pain, hurt, and guilt right along with us.

Have you ever been totally misunderstood when you did your best and gave your all? Consider this: Was anybody more misunderstood than Jesus? He was personally acquainted with that kind of pain. Has somebody you loved ever said no, shut the door, and walked away? You might wonder if Jesus ever felt such pain and rejection as this. Yes, He did. His own people scorned Him. Does Jesus, the sinless One, understand our feelings of guilt? The Bible says that the Father laid all the sins of the world on Him. Jesus Christ bore the guilt of all mankind.

No matter what you are facing, realize that the Savior identifies with your circumstance, and He feels every single thing you’re experiencing.
--IN TOUCH~~
Jesus has already paid our sin-debt. Come to Him today, please do not wait. We are not promised tomorrow. JESUS LOVES YOU! Take the Bible as a personal LOVE LETTER from Jesus, because that is what it is! "For God so loved the world (that means YOU)______, that He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:16-17). He is our Redeemer, He PAID OUR SIN DEBT.~~'A Strange Way to Save the World' by 4Him~~
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<https://youtu.be/YBCVIJBB7o4>
----

-Why was it necessary for Jesus to be born of a Virgin?

-What is the importance of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ?
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is a common emphasis during the Christmas season, but is it important? Why was it crucial that Mary be a virgin when Jesus was conceived and born? Why is it vital that Jesus did not have a biological father? Could Jesus have been God incarnate without the intervention of the Holy Spirit?

One reason for Jesus' virgin birth is that it identified Him as the Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 prophesied that a virgin would be with child. Ever since that prophecy, the Jews had looked for that particular sign. God uses miracles to validate His messengers. A virgin birth is a powerful validation.

Another reason for the virgin birth is that having a biological father would have annulled Jesus' deity. He could not have been the son of Joseph and the Son of God at the same time. Every person born of man has inherited Adam's sin nature (Romans 5:12, 17, 19). It was only as God that Jesus could be the perfect sacrifice for sin, so it was the Holy Spirit who conceived Jesus (Luke 1:35).

The virgin birth is also a picture of our role in salvation: acceptance. Joseph had no part whatsoever in the conception of Jesus. Mary's role was passive; she merely accepted God's gift. As Ephesians 2:8-9 says, the work of salvation is done by God alone. Neither holiness nor salvation can be brought about by the effort of man.

There are some who do not believe in the virgin birth. Arianism teaches that the "virgin" of Isaiah 7:14 should read "young woman," and that at some point, God created Jesus. The Ebionites, an early Jewish Christian sect that closely followed Jewish law, taught that Jesus was Joseph's biological son and, because of Jesus' righteousness, God chose Him to be a prophet and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. The Gnostics, who believed the physical and the divine could not co-exist, claimed that God could not inhabit a material body; therefore, Jesus only appeared to be human.

--Those who reject the virgin birth also reject the deity of Jesus, the sin nature of man, and the inspiration of the Word of God. Therefore, a denial of the virgin birth is antithetical to the Christian faith. God is all-powerful. Jesus is God. The Bible is God's Word. These are key points in the Christian faith, and they make a virgin birth a very simple matter.
Prophecy was fulfilled in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God can not lie. He is the Creator of the Universe.

-Jehovah God Always Leaves the Choice to Each Person...

---Two Gates, Two Ways

----Matthew 7:13-14 - (please read)

--Have you ever been accused of being a narrow-minded Christian? Those who level such accusations against us certainly mean it as an insult. According to Jesus, however, that’s the only way to walk if we want to experience abundant life now and eternal life with Him in heaven. But it will require a deliberate choice on our part, because no one automatically drifts onto this pathway.

The broad way is easy to find. In fact, unless you make a conscious choice to avoid it, you’ll find yourself on it. Most people like this wide path because it encompasses all philosophies and belief systems. Everything is acceptable, and everyone’s “truth” is valid. It even seems like the loving path because no one is left out. There are no restrictions, and freedom is unlimited. Or is it?

What those who travel this road fail to realize is that it’s a downward descent into destruction. All the promises it gives of satisfaction and fulfillment end in disappointment because it’s a path without God. But those who enter by the narrow gate of faith in Christ find the peace and joy of a relationship with Him that satisfies the heart. The gate is small because truth guards the entrance. The way is narrow because the Lord protects us with wise boundaries.

--Which path are you traveling? You can’t have one foot on each, because they’re going in opposite directions. When you tolerate everything, you’re headed for destruction. But when you choose the narrow way, your life truly begins. You’ll walk with Christ day by day until He walks you home to heaven.
--IN TOUCH~~ - GLORIOUS DAY / Casting Crowns
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXp6xcY5IqU>
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--THE COST OF OUR SALVATION~~

---(Please Read: / Philippians 2:5-8

--In our world of electronic banking and credit cards, it’s easy to ignore what things cost. The same is true with sin. Our culture enjoys temporary pleasures while disregarding what God says is the price of transgression ="For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 6:23).

The Bible tells what our sin cost Jesus. For our sake, He suffered...

Physical pain. During the hours leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus was mocked, beaten, and humiliated. (See John 19.) In His weakened state, He was forced to carry on His shoulders the instrument of His death—the Cross. Then He was nailed to it and hoisted up to die an excruciating death.

Man’s sin. Jesus lived a perfect life on earth and never knew the disgrace of sin or the bitterness of regret. But at the Cross, the Father placed all of mankind’s sins upon the Savior (2 Cor. 5:21). There, Christ experienced the fullness of our transgressions, guilt, and shame.

Abandonment. In the final hours, Jesus was separated from His Father (Mark 15:34), their fellowship broken for the only time since eternity past. Our sin became the barrier that kept them apart until Jesus Christ’s work of atonement was finished (John 19:30).

Divine judgment. God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus because of man’s sin. Christ experienced the condemnation we deserved (Isa. 53:5-6; Rom. 5:9).

Our Savior suffered greatly on our behalf, shedding His blood so we might become part of God’s family (John 1:12). He calls us to a life of sacrificial service—doing the Father’s work and living to please Him. In light of what our salvation cost, how can we do anything less?
--IN TOUCH
[Christ paid our sin-debt. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." That is precisely what 'Redeemed' means. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is alive today! Talk to Him. Praise Him! Give Him all glory!
---MY REDEEMER LIVES!~ HILLSONG / He is worthy of ALL PRAISE.]
<https://youtu.be/0uP87e2alxs>

---CHRIST THE SON OF GOD~~

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” --(Romans 1:4)

The opening verses of Paul’s epistle to the Romans stressed that the gospel of Christ was actually the fulfillment of that “which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures” (v. 2). This promise was centered in God’s eternal Son who had promised to redeem the world from sin and death.

To do this, He must become a man, “made of the seed of David according to the flesh” (v. 3), yet He also must be sinless in both nature and practice before He could become God’s perfect sacrifice for sin. He must be perfect man—man as God intended man to be. He must be a “second Adam,” created without sin, yet He must not fail as did the first Adam, being “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

He must, therefore, be miraculously conceived. “A body hast thou prepared me” (Hebrews 10:5)—a perfect body unblemished either by inherited mutations or by a sin nature inherited from His parents. Then, for nine months, His body would grow, finally to be born of the virgin and to live a life “holy, harmless, undefiled” until that perfect, sinless man could be made “one sacrifice for sins for ever” (Hebrews 7:26; 10:12).

But how would the world ever know that all of this was really true? How could lost sinners be assured that their Creator had now become their Redeemer?

--By His resurrection from the dead—that’s how! He has been “declared to be the Son of God with power . . . by the resurrection from the dead” (today’s text). Jesus Christ is “that man whom he hath ordained”; and of this we can be sure, because “he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).// ...'Great is the Lord and worthy of our Praise, EXALTED! Let all the Nations sing, Exalted, He is exalted. JESUS IS ALIVE!
--ICR/ HMM ~~/ EXALTED - YAHWEY YHWH= -/ Chris Tomlin
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj0s8fCypA0>

--DAVID: A MODEL OF SERVANTHOOD
---(Please Read/ 2 Samuel 7:8-17)


--From his days as a simple shepherd boy to the time he was a heroic ruler, David served God in many capacities. By looking at the various stages of his life, we can clearly see how his godly devotion allowed the Lord to use him mightily.

**Shepherd. David was anointed as king long before commanding anything other than sheep (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Shepherding was a job he took so seriously that he even killed a lion and a bear to protect his flock. During those days, he learned to be strong and brave, and to take care of creatures weaker than himself. An early life of obedience to his earthly father taught him the humility he would later need in order to depend on his heavenly Father.

**Psalmist. David’s writings reveal his hunger for God. He is open about issues such as fear, defeat, loneliness, sorrow and feelings of hopelessness. By describing valley experiences and communing with the Lord in the night watches, David provided us with intimate glimpses of the God he knew so well.

**Leader. Following his encounter with Bathsheba, David’s life was plagued by heartache, suffering, and conflict. He’d sinned greatly, but God forgave him and continued to use him as king and military commander. He ruled Israel for 40 years, and his people called Jerusalem the “City of David.” His restoration teaches us about sin’s consequences and God’s limitlessness grace.

-King David served God’s purpose when he lived, and his impact continues thousands of years later—every follower of Jesus Christ has been blessed by David’s obedience, service, and literary skill. He is a great example of what God can accomplish through us if we yield our lives to Him. / More Than Amazing / Lincoln Brewster
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsDWeeYR7-o>
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-CHRIST=OUR REDEEMER!

['Redeemed from what?' you may be asking.]

--We all were born into sin. ALL! "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
---(Romans 3:23)

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
--(Romans 8:6-8)
------------
--BURIED WITH HIM ~~

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

The burial of Christ after His death was extremely important for two reasons. First, it assures us that His death was a physical death and that His resurrection was a bodily resurrection. Second, His burial—like His death and resurrection—has profound doctrinal and practical significance for the believer’s individual life.

All this is pictured, as our text points out, by the ordinance of baptism, displaying symbolically the death of Christ for sin and the death of the believer to sin, then the burial of the corruptible body of flesh (which, for all but Christ, returns to dust in accordance with God’s primeval curse). And finally, the resurrection, demonstrating Christ’s eternal victory over sin and death, and, in the case of the believer, the beginning of the new life in Christ.

The same truth appears again in Colossians 2:12: “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Although these are the only New Testament passages where the doctrinal implications of Christ’s burial are specifically mentioned, the spiritual truths taught thereby permeate all the Scriptures. If our old bodies of sin are—at least positionally—already in the grave, then it is altogether grotesque for them still to be walking around in sin. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:5). We shall walk in newness of life, triumphant daily over sin through the implanted resurrection life of our victorious Savior.
--ICR/ HMM
[When a person gives his/her life to Christ Jesus, he is putting off the old man and it's sinful ways and now following Jesus. Jesus will help us grow into His likeness. We can not do this on our own. Why? Because Satan is the god of this world until Jesus returns. Once you have sincerely turned your life over to Jesus Christ, HE will help you to walk in the newness of life.
"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
--(Romans 7:6)

[Have you been redeemed by Jesus? "If you sincerely believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9-10)
To be baptized by water, after you are already saved spiritually by confession, and accepting Jesus death on the Cross for payment of your sins, you admit you need Him to take over your life. Your 'SURRENDER TO JESUS', simply means 'you put off the old man and put on the new man, alive in Jesus Christ.' Baptism is an outer expression of a new inward change of life. You no longer desire the things of the world. You are dead to the world, and alive in Christ Jesus. "Who the Son sets free is free indeed!//FOREVER REIGN / -Hillsong ~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f3sNiYpuF4>
---

-CHRIST = OUR REDEEMER! JESUS PAID OUR SIN-DEBT~~

-The Hollywood Hills Cross~

"May I never boast
except in the Cross
of our Lord Jesus
Christ." (Galatians 6:14)

-ONE OF THE most recognizable images in the US is the "HOLLYWOOD" sign in Southern California. People from all over the globe come to "Tinseltown" to gaze at cement footprints of stars and perhaps catch a glimpse of celebrities who might pass by. It's hard for these visitors to miss the sign anchored in the foothills nearby.

Less well known in the Hollywood hills is another easily recognized symbol-one with eternal significance. Known as the 'Hollywood Pilgrimage Memorial Monument', this 32-foot cross looks out over the city. The cross was placed there in memory of Christine Wetherill Stevenson, a wealthy heiress who in the 1920s established the Pilgrimage Theatre (now the John Anson Ford Theatre). The site served as the venue for 'The Pilgrimage Play', a drama about Christ.

The two icons showcase an interesting contrast. Movies good and bad will come and go. Their entertainment value, artistic contributions, and relevance are temporary at best.

The Cross, however, reminds us of a drama eternal in scope. The work of Christ is a story of the loving God who pursues us and invites us to accept His offer of complete forgiveness. The high drama of Jesus' death is rooted in history. His resurrection conquered death and has an eternal impact for all of us. The Cross will never lose it's meaning and power.~~

-TO KNOW THE MEANING OF THE CROSS, YOU MUST KNOW THE ONE WHO DIED THERE.~~

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."~
--(1 Peter 1:3-5)--'As the Deer Pants For Water'/ Robin Mark~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBppKZ0eJlQ>
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--OUR ADVOCATE IN HEAVEN~~

--“Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.” (Job 16:19)

It is significant that here, in what is probably the oldest book in the Bible, two vitally important New Testament truths are anticipated. Job somehow knew that he (and, by implication, every other person as well) has a “record” in heaven. This is the only occurrence of this word (sahed) in the Bible, but it basically means that our works, good or bad, have been recorded by God in heaven concerning how we have used or abused our stewardship here on Earth.

And the record inevitably testifies against us, “for there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). At God’s throne of judgment, when “the dead [are] judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works,” then “whosoever [is] not found written in the book of life [is] cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12, 15).

But how can we know that our names will be in God’s book of life in that day? Thankfully, even Job knew, in his long-ago time, that “my witness is in heaven.” Here the word (Hebrew ed) speaks of a formal personal witness who can testify on our behalf, one who “might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor!” (Job 16:21).

Job somehow knew that such a witness was there, for he could also say, “I know that my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25). In the light of the New Testament record, we know that this Redeemer and Witness is none other than the Lord Jesus.
“If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1-2). That is, He is the “sacrifice” for our sins and thus can redeem us from sin’s penalty and thereby serve as our defense witness in heaven. Our record of sin and guilt has been washed clean with the precious blood of Christ.
--ICR/ HMM--/ El Shaddai/ Amy Grant=(God Almighty)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bon1XtAdzD0>
-----

--THE SAVIOR'S MISSION~~
----(Please Read/ John 14:6)

Many believers know Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but we should also understand His mission, how He fulfilled it, and what that means to each of us. Christ had a twofold goal in coming to earth: to provide us with a tangible image of who God is, and to die in our place to pay our penalty for sin.

What an incredible plan! The omnipotent, omniscient Lord had existed since eternity past (John 1:1; John 8:58). Yet for a time, He set aside power and strength that were rightfully His, so that He could become like us. Because God-in-human-flesh lived His life before men, we can better understand our heavenly Father (Col. 1:15).

Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are invited into an eternal relationship with God. You see, Scripture teaches that every descendant of Adam is guilty of sin (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23), and the punishment is death (Rom. 6:23). The penalty must be paid by the shedding of blood (Lev. 17:11). Yet the Father can accept nothing less than a perfect sacrifice (Deut. 17:1). The Savior—who was fully God, fully man, and 100 percent innocent—died a humiliating, excruciating death to pay the debt we couldn’t afford. He is the only one who could lay down His life to save us and bridge the gap between each person and the Father.

There is no possible way for us to earn our salvation. It is an awesome gift that the Father freely offers to each one of us. The only requirement is that we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and follow Him. Have you chosen to accept this amazing blessing from the Father’s hand?--
-IN TOUCH~"Nobody Greater Than You/ Vashawn Mitchell
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw9STEAG6Fk>
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--THE BURDEN OF SIN~~
---(Please Read/ Romans 5:12-21)

--The burdens we carry come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties. Many are weighty, but there’s one load that proves even heavier—and it can be traced back to the garden of Eden.

Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6), all people have been born with sinful hearts. Holiness and sin cannot mix. Therefore, in our natural state, none of us are able to fellowship with God.

What is worse, we continue to do wrong. The Bible says that every one of us has gone astray, like a sheep wandering from his shepherd (Isa. 53:6). So on our own, we have no access to God. And there is nothing that we—fallen humans—can do to rectify the situation. That’s why I see this as the heaviest burden of all.

But our Creator loved us so much that He sent His own Son to live a perfect life on earth. Jesus deserved fellowship with God, yet He took our sin and its punishment by dying on the cross in our place. And then He conquered death by rising to life again.

His atonement for our wrongs is a gift that is available to anyone who believes. The Savior longs for us to accept that He willingly paid the price to redeem us. He desires to relieve the burden of sin from our heart. Only then will we experience true life and freedom.

Have you received God’s free gift of salvation? Jesus loves you so much that He gave His life to have a relationship with you. If you believe in Him and accept His death as your undeserved atonement for sin, He will forgive you for all unrighteousness and welcome you onto the path of true life.~~
--IN TOUCH~/--AT THE CROSS--Hillsong ~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkRudaBidHc>
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--THE SOURCE OF OUR HOPE~~
---(Please Read/ Colossians 1:26-28)

-Hope is a desire for something, accompanied by the anticipation of receiving it. If our expectation of fulfillment diminishes, discouragement can set in. And prolonged disappointment can lead to despair. Perhaps that’s what led to the betrayal of Christ.

One possible explanation for Judas’s tragic decision is that he wanted to see Israel throw off Roman oppression and establish itself as the ruling power. Maybe he thought that having Jesus arrested would push God to force the hand of Israel’s religious and political rulers. If that was his thinking, then Judas failed to achieve his goal. We know for certain that his betrayal of Jesus cost him everything. Out of hope and overcome by guilt, he gave up his life.

We have an enemy who watches for our moments of weakness, when he tries to influence us away from the Lord. He wants to keep us focused on our circumstances and doubting God so we’ll complain, “This isn’t fair. If the Lord loves me, why would He allow such a thing to happen to me?” But we should never let the father of lies lure us toward hopelessness.

-As children of the heavenly Father, we were birthed into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). Because of our Savior, we have been taken from condemnation to full acceptance, from spiritual death to eternal life in heaven with the Lord. We have His indwelling Spirit to provide comfort in tough times and to guide us through them.

Because we’re eternally secure in the Lord, we are never in a hopeless circumstance. We may feel desperate, but emotions are not reliable. Our Savior and friend, Jesus Christ, is our constant source of Hope.~~ "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the 'HOPE' that you have, in Christ Jesus."
--IN TOUCH~~--'Be Thou My Vision' -Selah ~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKByTfiHOFE>
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--ABEL'S TIMELY TESTIMONY~~

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” (Hebrews 11:4)

Abel, Adam’s second son, was a faithful, God-honoring man, but he was murdered by his older brother, Cain. From Genesis 4 we know that Cain’s bloodless sacrifice was not accepted by God, while Abel’s animal sacrifice was accepted. Cain’s pride, anger, and rejection of God’s offer of restoration resulted in the murder of obedient Abel. Our text tells us that Abel “being dead yet speaketh.” What does he say? To whom does he speak?

**First of all, he spoke to God. “The voice of thy brother’s [Abel’s] blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). Many have followed Abel in martyrdom, and they all cry, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10).

**Secondly, he spoke to Cain. “And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand” (Genesis 4:11). Cain was banished by God: “a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth” (v. 12), and every spot of ground on which he placed his foot from then on would be crying out to him, indicting him of his sin.

**Thirdly, Abel speaks to us. His witness reminds us that men must come to God in obedient faith, for Abel obeyed God’s instructions regarding sacrifice (4:3-4). He offered the sacrifice in faith that God would deem him “righteous” (today’s text). The acceptance of the blood sacrifice and the rewards of his brother’s disobedience speak eloquently of the “wages of sin.” May God give us ears to hear Abel’s timely testimony.
--ICR/JDM
[ Have you ever wondered why Cain's sacrifice was not acceptable? It never ceases to amaze me, that although Cain offered his sacrifice from the ground (garden) that he tilled. And Abel offered a blood sacrifice from the animals he raised. We already know that in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned, they covered themselves with leaves to hide there bodies. That was the first time they ever thought of nakedness being wrong.
So, what did God do? He sacrificed (killed) an animal and covered them with the skin of the animal. (Genesis 3:21) The blood of the animal was the sacrifice. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."(HEBREWS 9:22)
They had the Law, as they were still living under the Law because Christ had not yet come. Jesus came to fulfill the Law. By dying on the Cross, he shed His blood, to take away the sins of those who come to Him by faith. (Matthew 5:17-18)

Yes, CHRIST IS OUR REDEEMER. He paid our sin debt by dying on a Cross. He shed his blood for our forgiveness of sins because we could not pay the debt. Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jehovah Yahweh, YHWH. (Our Covenant-keeping God.)
WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SINS? NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgWN0OLZgzw>
-----------

--THE GARDENS OF THE LORD~~

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.” (John 18:1)-

As Jesus, after the last supper with His disciples, walked out with them, they soon crossed over a small brook and entered the little garden called Gethsemane. Eventually, He left the disciples and went farther into the garden alone for a time of solitary prayer.

Perhaps He remembered how, long ago, He had walked in His first garden with Adam and Eve in beautiful fellowship. But then they had rebelled against His Word and had to be expelled from the Garden of Eden, leaving Him alone there also (Genesis 3:8).

As He prayed in Gethsemane, He knew that it would be only a few hours before He would be buried in still another garden, one “wherein was never man yet laid” (John 19:41). He would be carried to a new tomb prepared in a newly planted garden by the loving hands of Joseph and Nicodemus, but then He would be alone once again.

He had walked alone in the first garden, seeking His own; then had knelt alone in the second garden, praying for His own; and finally was buried alone in the third garden, after dying for His own.

But because He came “to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10), and because He now “ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25) after paying the awful price of “redemption through his blood” (Ephesians 1:7), all those who believe and trust Him will spend eternity in fellowship with Him in a beautiful garden city. Here flows “a pure river of water of life” surrounded on both sides by “the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month” (Revelation 22:1-2), and all will be “very good” forever. ---ICR/HMM -(Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians Chapter 11 verses 23--26) --"REMEMBRANCE"(Communion Song)" / -Matt Redman~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oCNwIA6xLc>
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---JESUS: WHAT A NAME!
--(Please Read LUKE 1:26-33)--

---There has never been a birth announcement equal to that of the Lord Jesus. Who else's birth has been proclaimed by angels--not just once, but three times? First, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, informing her that she would be the mother of the Son of God, who would sit on the throne of David and rule forever. Next, an angel came to tell Joseph that the child Mary carried was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18 thru 21). And finally, a host of angels appeared to shepherds, announcing that the Savior had been born (LUKE 2:8 thru 14).

Not only that, but God Himself chose the name of the special child. Both Mary and Joseph were instructed to call Him "Jesus." Although this was a common name in Israel at that time, it took on great significance when given to the Son of God. Philippians 2 verses 9 thru 10 says that "God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name"--and a day will come when everyone bows at the name of Jesus and confesses Him as Lord.

Yet so often today, the precious name of Jesus is used in a derogatory or profane way. When I hear people abuse and misuse His name, my first reaction is to feel angry that He's not treated with the reverence He deserves. But anger quickly turns to compassion because I realize they do not know Him or understand how much He means to me, and all His followers.

-What about you? How do you feel when the Name of your Savior is degraded by unaware, unbelieving people? What can you do to help them see the greatness of that Name and the One who bears it? Tell someone today. Write an email or send a note. You may the very person God uses to bring 'that' soul into the Kingdom of God.

**--IN TOUCH~~**--"What a Beautiful Name"--/ Kari Jobe

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzGX6-PuZxk>
-------

--THE POWER OF CHRIST OVER THE FLESH~~
--(Please Read/ Romans 6:14-18)-

---Bookstores devote entire sections to self-help titles. However, the self-help concept is flawed, since people cannot get rid of their fleshly nature. We can clean up our attitudes and actions temporarily, but lasting change is possible only through the Lord Jesus Christ. When His Spirit is living within us, we can be shaped into successful followers of God.

It’s critical to realize that the Law wasn’t intended for salvation. The commands given through Moses were designed to teach us what sin is and how mankind violates holiness. To lead a God-pleasing life, we must follow biblical principles, but doing so isn’t enough to get us into heaven. The Law was created to drive us to the Savior for salvation; through it, we understand our inability to adhere to the Lord’s rules without His help (Gal. 3:24).

The Law warns that the penalty of sin is death. (See Gen. 3:3; Rom. 6:23.) Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law since He took our sin upon Himself and died. When we accept His sacrifice on our behalf, we’re covered by divine grace, and the Holy Spirit comes to permanently indwell us.

Using Scripture, God’s Spirit challenges Christians to bring fleshly habits and thought patterns under submission. He illuminates the believer’s mind with regard to Biblical meaning and application. Therefore, the Word is useful for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

The Lord doesn’t want us to go to the self-help section of the bookstore; He wants us to trust Him and surrender to the work of His Spirit. We are to depend on God’s strength, not our own, to conquer the flesh.
-IN TOUCH~
[God cares deeply about justice, about righting wrongs, and about defending the powerless. In the end, no one gets away with any act of injustice. Nor does God leave unrewarded our work done in faith for Him. Sin will not ultimately be judged by the way we see it, but by the way God sees it. ~~]
--"In Your Presence O God" / Paul Wilbur~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkfczjtUASo>
--------

---THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST~~

“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30)-

Christ is our great example in all things—even in that of obedience to the Father and His will. As the perfect Son, He obeyed His Father in all things. “I do nothing of myself,” He said, “but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:28-29).

There are three specific references in the epistles to the obedience of Christ. One of the most profound passages in the Bible is Hebrews 5:8: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” How could the omniscient Son of God have to 'learn' anything? There are some things that cannot be learned in books but only by experience, and obedience in hard circumstances is surely one of these. Jesus learned obedience by actual experience.

Christ obeyed His Father even after praying that the bitter cup might be taken away. “Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross” (Philippians 2:8).

Had He been disobedient, as was Adam, we could never have known salvation. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Jesus was, indeed, always perfectly obedient to His Father’s word, “leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

As our text emphasizes, His obedience consisted simply of seeking and following the will of His Father in all things. “Not my will, but thine” (Luke 22:42).

--ICR/HMM // "SHOW ME YOUR FACE" By: Paul Wilbur /<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=put1U0eqSrc>
--------

--THE VIA DOLOROSA~~

-"We have been
made holy through
the sacrifice of
the body of Jesus
Christ once for all."
--(Hebrews 10:10) ---
-------
--DURING HOLY WEEK, we remember the final days before Jesus's crucifixion. The road Jesus traveled to the Cross through the streets of Jerusalem is known today as the 'Via Dolorosa', the way of sorrows.

But the writer of Hebrews viewed the path Jesus took as more than just a path of sorrows. The way of suffering that Jesus willingly walked to Golgotha made a "new and living way" into the presence of God for us (Hebrews 10:20).

For centuries the Jewish people had sought to come into God's presence through animal sacrifices and by seeking to keep the Law. But the Law was "only a shadow of the good things that are coming," for "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (vv. 1, 4).

Jesus's journey down the 'Via Dolorosa' led to His death and resurrection. Because of His sacrifice, we can be made holy when we trust in Him for the forgiveness of our sins. Even though we aren't able to keep the Law perfectly, we can draw near to God without fear, fully confident that we are welcomed and loved (VV. 10, 22).

Christ's way of sorrow opened for us a new and living way to God~~

'Jesus, thank You for walking the way of sorrow and making a way for us to be reconciled to God.' ~amen

--CHRIST'S SACRIFICE WAS WHAT GOD DESIRED AND WHAT OUR SIN REQUIRED. ~~

--ODB/AP~~ --VIA DOLOROSA' / (some said Italian/ others Croatian / God Knows= It's beautiful! <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjKIhSNfUcE>
------------

----THE GOOD JUDGE~~~
--(PLEASE READ/ Psalm 9:1-20)

---The Lord is often depicted as the supreme Judge, seated in Heaven and ready to dish out vengeance for all evil and disobedience. But He’s also presented as a good and loving God who’s quick to forgive. Although both aspects of His nature are true, the human mind has trouble comprehending how they can coexist in the same being.

From our limited earthly perspective, the Lord may not always seem good. People who struggle to accept His goodness often look around and wonder why He doesn’t stop all the evil and suffering in the world. Or they look ahead to the coming Judgment and wonder how He could condemn anyone to Hell. The irony of this reasoning is that it finds fault with both the Lord’s present tolerant permission of evil and His future intolerant judgment of evil in eternity.

In reality, both ends of this spectrum prove our heavenly Father’s goodness. God doesn’t immediately write off everyone who rejects or disobeys Him; instead, He patiently waits for us to repent and accept the forgiveness of sins that is available in Jesus Christ alone. But in the final Judgment, the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. If He did, He would cease to be good.

--Only when we get to Heaven will we comprehend God’s absolute holiness and the depth of sin’s depravity. Then we’ll understand the necessity of Hell and the goodness of a Savior who died to rescue us. In the meantime, rejoice in the knowledge that your Judge is good.~~
--IN TOUCH~~--[**Please, if you have not done so, "TODAY" / By Brian Doerksen/... Choose to follow Jesus. (**No words on screen, be sure to have your speakers turned up.) We are not promised tomorrow. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Give it to Jesus, please. Be sure of spending eternity with Him. He could come at any time. If not soon, then make sure where you will spend eternity, in the event your days on this Earth are over. COME TO JESUS TODAY! HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH!] <https://youtu.be/uEBEKVEv4Hs>
~~~~~~~

----CREATOR, REDEEMER, KING, LORD & SAVIOR~~ JESUS!
---By:HENRY M. MORRIS III

---"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
---(Isaiah 9:6)--

---This prophecy given by Isaiah would be familiar to most Christians, especially during this season when all of Christianity celebrates the birth of the Messiah. Although this event is usually observed on December 25, the day many pagan religions celebrate the winter solstice, Jesus’ birth most likely took place sometime during the Fall. Luke 2:8 indicates that the shepherds visited by the angels “were living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night,” which makes more sense in September than during the cold Judean winter.

--But whatever time of year Jesus was born, the great miracle was actually His conception. That was the moment when the eternal “Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
---We justifiably honor Mary and Joseph’s humility and obedience to the requirements given to them. The teenage Mary, after being told by the angel Gabriel she would bear the Son of God even though she “[did] not know a man,” simply said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:34, 38). An angel told Joseph during a vision that his espoused wife would be the virgin who would fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy to “conceive and bear a Son, and [call] His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). The kind and gentle Joseph, “being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25).

Although the deity of the Second Person of the Godhead was woven through all of the previous biblical narrative, it was not as pronounced there as it is in the later books of Scripture. The emphasis changed with the angels’ announcements to Mary and Joseph. Those few words encapsulate history’s turning point—from the Old Testament to the New, from the millennia of preparation to the coming of the Messiah, from centuries of a focus on Israel to the last days looking for the return of the Lord in glory.

***The Child Is Born
--The same prophet who identifies the child specifically insists that “the virgin shall conceive and bear...Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). That title is translated “God with us” by the apostle Matthew (Matthew 1:23).

-"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law."
---(Galatians 4:4)

-The child would be borne by a virgin—a “new thing in the earth”—and that child would be Immanuel= “God with us.” This term conveys all that could be communicated and understood about the coming Person. The apostle John later spelled it out clearly: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The prophesied child “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

**The Son Is Given
--When Isaiah utters the prophecy of the child, he identifies Him with a name that can only be understood as completely G-D. This child is to be called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

“Therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

-"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." ---(Colossians 2:9)

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
---(John 17:3)

The Son is described by the Father as His “beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). There can be no doubt that the inspired words of Scripture identify Him as the only Son begotten of the Father in heaven. Everything recorded about this Son demands we see Him as the only One who can be known, seen, and understood of the triune Godhead of eternity past, present, and future.

Christ's incarnation is the central miracle of the Bible and the turning point of all history.--

--**The Creator Enters His Creation

--As we celebrate Jesus’ coming during the Christmas season, many Christians seem unaware that this child who was born, this Son who was given, has an even wider identity. The Bible clearly portrays Jesus as the Creator, the Second Person of the Godhead, and the Redeemer and King. Let’s look at what Scripture has to say about it.

-“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). With these powerful words, the history of the universe begins. God creates space, matter, and time. The shapeless and watery matrix was empty and dark. God’s Spirit “hovers” over those waters, apparently beginning the processes that would set the Universe in motion. The first recorded sound was when God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). On this first day, the entire Trinity of God is active. Obviously, God the Spirit is there, and God the Father is certainly implied as the authority and source of the creative power. But Jesus Himself is also there. He is “the Word” who executes the creation activity.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made....He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (John 1:1-3, 10)

The Word is the One who separates the waters and lifts up land from Earth’s primordial oceans. He is the One who makes the moon, sun, stars, and swirling galaxies in distant parts of the universe. The Word is the One who creates all things. The Word is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

Paul wrote a letter to a struggling church in Colosse to help them understand the union of the Lord Jesus whom they had trusted for their redemption and the God of Israel whom they had understood to be “the Father” and the one God of eternity.

"[The Father] has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son...in whom we have redemption....He is the image of the invisible God....For by Him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him."
----(Colossians 1:13-16)

-When the Lord told His apostles “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30), He was most certainly speaking of the equality. Paul cites in Philippians 2:6: Christ “did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” The word choice is absolute. Jesus the Creator is 'isos', the primary word for total equality both in the sense of quantity and quality, with no robbery of either amount or value. The Second Person of the Godhead has absolutely no necessity to “grasp” or “steal” or “overcome” any attribute that God possesses.

***The Creator’s Greatest Gift
--Much more could be said of the Bible’s open insistence that Jesus is one with the Father and the One by and through whom all things were brought into existence. But perhaps a short passage from Psalm 33 is enough to “seal the deal.”

--"By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalm 33:6-9,)

--All of Christianity celebrates the Child born and the Son given to us during this season. We should also celebrate the Creator who entered His own creation, laid down His life on the awful Roman cross, and paid our sin penalty as He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). He completed our redemption with the victory cry “It is finished!” (John 19:30) so we may be given eternal life with Him. He was buried in a newly hewn gravesite for three days and three nights as the Scriptures foretold, and then rose from the grave early Sunday morning that we might have assurance that His redemptive work was sufficient and satisfactory for “the sins of the whole world” (Acts 17:31; 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

As we give gifts to those we love, we should rejoice in the greatest Gift of all—Jesus Christ. MERRY CHRISTMAS! --"Emmanuel"/ Chris Tomlin~~ <https://youtu.be/PpYzuSbkkwg>
~~~~~~~~~~~

--FORGET THE PAST and LIVE FOR THE FUTURE! ~~
--(Pastor James Merritt)

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…”
----(Philippians 3:13)

--Have you ever tried to run forward while looking backward? If so, you likely fell down or bumped into something. One of the first lessons we learn as children is to always watch where we are going. It’s dangerous not to. The same is true spiritually.

While our eyes cannot see Jesus, our hearts can. The problem is that our minds try to hijack our hearts, pulling us towards past mistakes, disappointments, betrayals and failed attempts. The flesh whispers, “What’s the use?” into the ears of the heart, tempting us to give up and settle for a mediocre and ineffective relationship with Christ…robbing us of the abundant life that is ours in Christ.

But God reminds us through Paul’s letter to the Philippians that giving up is not an option. Have we failed in the past? Of course we have. We have messed up and broken promises and said one thing and done another…but that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. We have a risen Savior who has given us the power and the opportunity to repent and do things differently. He became sin and tasted death for us, conquering both when He rose from the grave. In Him there is always hope!

“Repent” means to turn from one thing to another…from sin to Jesus Christ. Paul says he forgets the past and strains towards the future. If you are stuck in the past, it is time to turn the eyes of your heart forward and let go in faith. Focus on God’s goodness and grace. If there is unconfessed sin in your past, repent and turn to Jesus.

I truly believe that if we could see into the spiritual realm…if we could see what lies ahead for us in Christ, forgetting the past and focusing on the prize would not be hard at all. But since we cannot see with physical eyes, we must trust the Word of God and the promises contained in it. We don’t have to fear the past or the future. After all, we are running in, through, for, and towards the One who holds all things together.

"Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your sacrifice on the Cross. I know that without the shedding of Your blood my sins could not be forgiven. Because I have forgiveness, I am able to let go of past mistakes, hurts and disappointments. Help me to remember today that my hope is in You alone. It is in Your name I pray. Amen."
[Some of the videos from youtube have been deleted. We will try to find the ones that speak to the Message and you can be abundantly blessed!] / "I Know My Redeemer Lives/ By: Nicole C. Muller ~ <https://youtu.be/srmY3A4bvGs>
-----------

--CHRIST OUR REDEEMER~

---We learn true forgiveness from our Lord Jesus. When Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

-Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." --(Please read Matthew Chapter 18 verses 21-35). There is no sin that Jesus will
not forgive if we sincerely go to Him, in prayer, and confess our wrong doing. Please, if you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do not wait another day.
He could come at any time. "Be always ready, for no one knows the day and hour the Son of man will return." --(LUKE 12:40)~

-When Jesus died on the Cross, He did it for you. He did it for me. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." Jesus did not die for any sin He committed.
He never sinned. He died to pay our sin-debt. He died a brutal death so we will know He has the power over the grave. He forgave us so that we learn to forgive others.
Jesus is alive right now! Talk to Him. Pray to Him. You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms. He truly has already paid our sin debt by
dying on the Cross. Through His death we learn how to forgive others. He is coming back. "Even so, Come Lord Jesus."
--"He'll Do Whatever It Takes"/ Phillips, Craig and Dean~~--<https://youtu.be/90mE9PE7aUQ>
-------------

--THE DEFINITIVE QUESTION ~~

-"Everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:26)--

--AWESOME teachers have the skill to ask questions that lead students to go deeper into a subject. The teacher's active listening and follow-up questions take students beyond the surface to things they at first could never imagine.

The death of Lazarus shows how Jesus set up a question that had a decisive answer about the fate of a person after death.

Mary and Martha summoned Jesus to help their brother, Lazarus, who was dying. They knew Jesus had helped so many others and were confident that He could do the same for their brother; but Jesus was too late, and Lazarus died.

Jesus showed God's glory by raising Lazarus from the dead, but raising a person to mortal life again was not Jesus' real purpose. Jesus wanted Mary, Martha, and us today to know that His top concern is that a person shall never die but have the gift of everlasting life.

A person must live and believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. Any other belief will not work. Jesus' question is definitive: "Do you believe this?" Having faith is the key. As children of God, we have faith, so we can answer, "Yes, I believe." ~~

-"LORD Jesus, we praise You that we have the gift of faith so that we can say, along with Martha, "Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God." Even as You said, "I and My Father are One." -(JOHN 10:30) ~~

--Portals Of Prayer~ --"Morning Has Broken" / Cat Stevens ~ <https://youtu.be/we-n-Zmglt0>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

--Apart From You, I Have Nothing~~

-"You are my Lord;
apart from you
I have no good
thing."--(Psalm 16:2) --

---David expresses in Psalm 16, when the longings in our hearts threaten to send us on a desperate, futile quest for satisfaction (V.4), we can remember to turn to God for refuge (V.1), reminding ourselves that apart from Him we have nothing (V.2).

And as our eyes stop looking for satisfaction "out there" to gaze instead on God's beauty (v.8), we find ourselves finally tasting true contentment--a life of basking in the "joy [of God's] presence," walking with Him each moment in the "way of life" --now and forever (V.11/ NLT).

"Lord G-D, forgive me for thinking I can find what I need apart from You.
Thank You for always being there even when I forget to look for You.
Draw me to Your side to live in the joy of walking with You. Thank You
Lord, my Rock and Redeemer." --"Till I Met You" / Laura Story ~ -<https://youtu.be/6T5cRCyQaf4>
-------

--REMEMBER THE CROSS~~

--"Surely this man was the Son of God."
--(Mark 15:39)

~~IN MY church, a large cross stands at the front of the sanctuary. It represents the original Cross where Jesus died. There God allowed His perfect Son to die for the sake of every wrong thing we have ever done. On the Cross, Jesus finished the work required to save us from the death we deserve (Romans 6:23). Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law.

The sight of a cross causes me to consider what Jesus endured for us. He was flogged and spit on. The soldiers hit Him in the head with sticks. They mocked Him. They tried to make Him carry His own Cross. At Golgotha, they hammered nails through His flesh to keep Him on the Cross. Those wounds bore the weight of His body as He hung there. Six hours later, Jesus took His final breath (Mark 15:37). A Centurion who witnessed Jesus's death declared, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (v.39).

The next time you see the symbol of the Cross, consider what it means. God's only begotten Son, Jesus, suffered and died there and then rose again to make eternal life possible. For me. For you.

--'God Hears Her'/ JC~--"He Will Not Let Go" / Laura Story ~~<https://youtu.be/LMpVeQzpMdA>
~~~~~~~

---REDEMPTIVE POTENTIAL / TRANSFORMATION POWER WITH JEHOVAH G-D ~

---'Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”'
---(Luke 19:9-10 / NIV) --

~~~Zacchaeus was a wealthy chief tax collector in Jericho. Tax collectors were unpopular because they collected taxes from the Jewish people for the Roman government. They were known for taking more money than was due and keeping the extra for themselves. I’m sure he was aware of his unpopularity, and he was probably very surprised when Jesus called to him and invited Himself over for a meal. His transformation was immediate, and he quickly told the Lord he intended to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay those he had cheated fourfold. There are those among us who have done terrible things. In our eyes they seem unredeemable, perhaps even unworthy of God’s grace. But the Lord doesn’t see people the way we do. He doesn’t see people for what they have done; He sees people for what they can be. Let’s ask the Lord to give us a fresh vision of the people around us so that we can see them like He does.

THINK ABOUT IT
**Let’s not underestimate the power and willingness of God to turn “Sauls” into “Pauls” and uneducated fishermen into bold witnesses for God’s redemptive power. He delights in transforming our lives.**

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, grant me a fresh perspective of Your power to transform and redeem even those who seem beyond Your reach. Help me align myself with Your Word and desire for all to be saved and come to the truth and pray accordingly. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson

[ ** Friend, the Lord knows our hearts. Because we do not know His ways and they are past our finding out, we must pray for His will to be done and leave all the consequences to Him. Another wonderful example of this= when Samuel was told by God to go to the house of Jesse, in Bethlehem, and Jehovah G-D would instruct him to anoint a replacement for Saul, to be Israel's new King. We read in 1 Samuel Chapter 16 of this encouraging message. David was anointed (see verses 12-13) Our Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent JEHOVHAH GOD will instruct us through His Word and through prayer. Let's be sure to go to Him when we don't understand His way. He is our Redeemer, and Sovereign Lord. He is always Faithful! ]
--"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" / Lincoln Brewster ~~--<https://youtu.be/gP38Js_RloQ>

~~The Cross: The Heart of Christianity

--[Please Read/ 1 Corinthians 2:1-5]--

~~~The cross has become the symbol of Christianity, but it’s so much more than a mere piece of jewelry worn around the neck. The crucifixion of Christ is a central doctrine of our faith, and understanding it correctly is essential for eternal life. In fact, Paul was convinced the cross was the most vital subject he could address.

It’s important for us as believers to understand what happened on the cross—then we too can be thoroughly convinced of its supreme significance. It was not simply the execution of a Jewish man. What transpired in that event was the solution to mankind’s biggest problem: sin and our resulting alienation from God. The crucifixion is the divine transaction that saves us. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse us from sin and reconcile us to the Father. Although the Jews and the Romans viewed the crucifixion as the execution of a criminal, God saw the death of His Son as the perfect atoning sacrifice, which allowed for the justification of sinful mankind.

Nothing else is required to pay for our salvation. To be saved, all we must do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins.

--IN TOUCH~

[**Friend, We must all accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved [from the curse on this world/ death]. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." -[Hebrews 9:22] //Please do not let another day pass if you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

You can do that right now. "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
"For 'Whoever will call on the Name of the Lord Jesus will be saved." --[Romans 10:9,10,13].
Jesus loves you so much. He died for you. Take the Bible as a Personal Love Letter From Jesus. That's exactly what it is. God sees you and will help you, reach out to Him. He never turns away a sincere seeker.
--"God Who Sees" // Nicole C Mullen (feat Kathie Lee Gifford) //<https://youtu.be/X907o8tckWY>
~~~~~~~~

--BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD~~

-"Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen (nations), I will be exalted in the Earth.

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. "
---(PSALMS 46:10-11/ KJV)--

--"Know (Be Still)" lyrics (live in Anaheim, California) //Jeremy Riddle //<https://youtu.be/jPT41DnKVdc>
~~~~~~~~~~~

---LIFE BEYOND THIS PLANET ~~

"Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish,
but thou shalt endure eternally" --[Psalm 102:25-26].--

~~~Late in 2017, astronomers in Hawaii sighted something unusual through their telescopes. The cylindrical reddish object speeding through the solar system stirred much debate. One distinguished astronomer suggested that it might have been an "alien probe" from a civilization on some other planet, sent intentionally to the earth.

Bible believers reject such such imaginations of extraterrestrial intelligence, but this report got me thinking. While I do not know what the astronomers saw, I do believe in life beyond this planet. In Hebrews 12:22 thru 23 we read of "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," which is inhabited by "an innumerable company of angels" and by "the spirits of just men made perfect."

It is possible that God deliberately prepared this celestial object for some purpose. If nothing else, it should remind people that God's ways are "past finding out" (Romans 11:33). A simple faith in God's ability does not require lots of education.

Many years ago a preacher talked about the time when men first traveled into outer space. Supposedly, one of the purposes for space travel was to seek evidence of God. On returning, the astronauts reported no indication of a Creator. Someone commented, "If they had stepped out of their capsule, they would have met Him."

Men who reject the existence of God will continue to speculate about ridiculous ideas. But Christians are secure in the knowledge that a Sovereign Ruler controls the universe. God knows all the stars by name and also knows the number of hairs on each person's head. Faith in God and simple belief in the Genesis account of Creation produces sweet rest and does away with unnecessary fears.

Meanwhile Christians continue praying, "Come Lord Jesus, Come." ~
--"Beside Still Waters"/LA~
--"I Will Rise"// (lyrics) Chris Tomlin ~~<https://youtu.be/s0fKCMY75Mk>
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--The All-Sufficiency of G-D ~~

----"For with God nothing shall be impossible."
---(Luke 1:37) -

~~When God created the world, He did not run into any snag that made Him pause and say, "How are we going to make this work?" Creation did not add anything to His knowledge through the discovery of some new thing. Also, God's reason for resting on the seventh day was not because He was tired or did not know what else to create, but because He was finished with all that He had planned to do. The marvel is that God envisioned the redemption of mankind, and had the plan for it all in place, "before the world began" (2 Timothy 1:9).

The basic reason for Christ's crucifixion was not because the Jews hated Jesus and rejected God's plan to set up an earthly kingdom under Him. Jesus' words "My kingdom is not of this world" are still as true today as when He spoke them to Pilate.

God's real plan was that Christ would die as the ultimate sacrifice for sin; His precious blood would provide cleansing from sin; and the church of God would be made up of born-again (twice born/John 3:3,5,6) believers out of every nation, kindred, and tongue. These would be the kingdom of God upon earth, with Christ reigning over them and His subjects reigning over sin. "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:21).

All this was planned before the world was created. Jesus' cry of "It is finished" announced that the entire plan had been brought to completion by the all-sufficiency of God! Through His great work of redemption, Christ restored to every soul the potential of living with God forever in His kingdom -- an opportunity which Satan had stolen away ages before. ~

'Abundant mercy and grace is extended to all, for where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.' ~~
---'Beside Still Waters'/DS~

--"All Hail King Jesus"/ (lyrics) Jeremy Riddle //<https://youtu.be/FTporlyY8rY>
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----WITH CHRIST ~~

"For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him,
which is the head of all principality and power." --(Colossians 2:9-10/ KJV)) ~~

~~~The book of Colossians begins with a stirring exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Creator (1:16) and Sustainer of all things (v.17). He is the Head of the church and preeminent in all things (v.18). He is fully God (v.19) and yet Redeemer (v.20). On the other hand, believers, before they were reconciled, are described as "alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works" (v. 21).

It comes as somewhat of a surprise, then, in chapters 2 and 3 to see that we are inexorably linked with Christ. Our lives and destinies are His--our identification with Him is total. We are not just reconciled, we are with Him in all things.

Notice, first, that we are "buried with him in baptism" (2:12). Furthermore, we are "quickened together with him," no longer "dead in our sins" (v.13), and "risen with him" (v.12). Just as surely as God "raised him from the dead," we are born again; given new life. Obviously, since are are "risen with Christ, [we should] seek those things which are above" (3:1). Our priorities should be His godly priorities (v.2), for "Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (v.1), and we are there [spiritually].

We are told that our "life is hid with Christ in God" (v.3). To be hidden in Christ is to be totally immersed, covered, our sins concealed, our identity masked within His; indeed, remade into His. God accepts Christ and us, as well, as we are hidden in Him. The next verse amplifies this identification with the term "Christ...our life."(v.4)

This identification will not be in vain, for when He "shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (v.4). As our text teaches, we are "complete in him," for He is fully God, and we are with Him in all things.~~
--ICR/JDM
When a person is 'saved', that person will want to tell others of His unfathomable love. Jesus loves you, my friend. Prayerfully you will want to tell others as well.
~//"Loving My Jesus" (lyrics) / Casting Crowns//<https://youtu.be/XZimWvoEnrU>

--EVOLUTION'S DEATH VERSES JESUS' DEATH ~
--[ ICR/ BY BRIAN THOMAS, PH.D. *]|

--Cancer took the life of both my dad and a friend in the last several months. Death certainly injects misery into the joys of life. I know we must die, for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), including me. However, some Christians think God used evolution’s eons of animal death and natural processes to generate the first humans. How can sin have caused death if death was happening for millions of years before sin even started?

Naturalistic explanations do a poor job of explaining the impact of death on our lives. Natural factors like droughts and predators offer no explanation for why it hurts so much when loved ones die. Nor do they explain why the Lord Jesus had to die to redeem us. Real sin, not natural processes, must underlie death.

The view that God used eons of death to create us suffers at least three faults. First, it contradicts plain statements in God’s Word. Genesis 1:25 says, “And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind.” God made Earth’s land creatures through miracles, not nature. Or take Psalm 146:5-6, which refers to “God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.”--

The New Testament introduced God as the only one with the power to create something from nothing, saying, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). However, we were made “without Him” if natural processes made us instead of God. Who has ever seen natural processes engineer complicated structures from scratch, anyway?

A second fault of pinning all that supposed death on our Creator is that it diminishes His loving character. Why worship our Savior as a loving Creator if He used such unloving methods as evolution’s death of the weak and survival of the fittest for sooooo long? Revelation 21:4 says God will recreate a world where “there shall be no more death.” Our experiences with death in this life propel us to anticipate even more the goodness of that everlasting life.

Finally, the view that animals evolved into humans erases the logical foundation for the gospel. Evolution teaches that animals died for millions of years to finally produce the first people. Placing death before sin makes death seem natural and normal. If so, then why does it hurt so bad when loved ones die? And why does the gospel teach that the Lord Jesus suffered death to abolish it for us?1

In short, Jesus solved our death problem by paying our sin penalty—not some natural selection penalty. This makes good sense given the true history recorded in Genesis. The apostle Paul referred to that history when he taught, “Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Death before sin (and thus not because of sin) reduces Christ’s work on the cross to foolishness.2

Why not take God’s plain statements over human guesses about the distant past? This way we can know God’s love. Seeing sin as the cause of death makes perfect sense of the gospel.

--References/ICR/Back to Genesis/ July 2020~

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him….Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God” (Romans 6:8-10).
Death before sin makes “the message of the cross…foolishness to those who are perishing.” But when we trust Christ, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
--"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" [Hebrews 13:8]--
---"God Of All My Days"/ Casting Crowns // ---<https://youtu.be/RocPcgqCDE0>
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---JESUS CHRIST PAID OUR SIN DEBT WITH HIS BLOOD!

~~GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS~ HE IS OUR REDEEMER~~

--'And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face
of the earth.' --[Acts 17:26] --

~~Red Cross collects blood donations that save lives. Blood type matters but race makes no difference, because God has made of one blood all nations of men. Obviously, Red Cross needs blood not tainted by sinful lifestyle choices. For that reason, donors are asked personal questions and their blood is thoroughly tested.

When I donated blood recently, two nurses were outstanding. Both had politely serious manners and seemed highly skilled. Yet on the surface, they were unalike. One was Caucasian and the other was African-American. Race really does not matter.

The early church faced questions of race without flinching. In today's Bible reading, we read of a black man who had come to Jerusalem to worship. Apparently this devout Ethiopian eunuch got less help than he could have received in Jerusalem. Some time had passed since Jesus' resurrection, but if he heard anything about that matter, it was probably not the whole story.

So when did the Ethiopian get what his soul longed for? Not until he was on his way back home. While reading what we know as Isaiah 53, he wondered whom the prophet was speaking of. Only when Philip caught up to him and joined him in his chariot did he understand the true story.

After the Ethiopian realized that Isaiah had written about Jesus, he believed and was baptized. His color and background did not matter; the only things required were to have faith in Jesus and a heart commitment to Him. From there the Ethiopian went on his way with a song in his heart!

--'Of truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh
righteousness, is accepted with him." --[Acts 10:34-35].

--'Beside Still Waters'/PLM
--"Oh, The Power "--(live video/ Kari (Jobe) Carnes) <https://youtu.be/Uggx2FPELFo>
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