Sacrifice

“What would I give up?”  I ask myself,

To spend time now in prayer?

To intercede for another who is

Burdened down with care?

Who would I draw near to

And come quietly to their side?

Would I sacrifice the time right now

As in Jesus I abide?

Who would I spend time with

Without a thought for self?

If only to sit and listen humbly

Like a cup upon a shelf?

Like a cup we are God’s vessel

Filled with hope that’s from above

God “pours us out” to others

Who then drink of God’s great love!

“What would I give up?”  I ask

To give myself away?

Without a single thought

That today is just “my day!”

Our days belong to Jesus

Each day He made for me.

He lives His Days through us

Is not that clear to see?

His life is one of sacrifice,

Yielding to serve the good.

It always costs to do God’s Will,

See our Lord on a cross of wood.

In Christ we die to self each day

But out of this comes life!

The “pain” we feel is truly short-lived

Peace and freedom replace the strife!

The Christian life we misunderstand

It is not all “peaches and cream”!

It is in fact humbling sacrifice

Where doing God’s will is supreme.

The Blood of Jesus marks our paths

As we walk in the Spirit each hour

Giving is gaining as disciples of Him

As the Spirit gives us Christ’s power!

So let not our hearts be troubled

Sacrifice is God’s most rarest gem.

By His Spirit it becomes our “way of life”

It is surely not I but Him!

Ron Bolt is a retired pastor who lives in Temecula, California with wife Lois and two adult children.  Born in Chicago he was raised primarily in Minnesota and is a graduate of Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary.

The Worst Virus of All!

When Adam and Eve said, “no” to God and, “yes” to Satan in a garden paradise, the virus of sin was born and took over.  Sin is pride in control of a person’s heart, soul, mind and strength.  Someone defined sin as mans’ total inability to do the will of God as written in the Word of God!  This ugly virus entered the human race and history by way of our very first parents Adam and Eve.  Sin also can, by its very corrupt disposition be called Old Adam or The Adamic Nature.  It then and now infects each and every person born.  No exceptions!  God’s “test kit” is the Holy Bible and everyone tests positive. God’s Word clearly declares “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (standard).” And what is God the Father’s Standard?  His very own Son Jesus of Nazareth!  Messiah! Lord!  If all of humanity past and present were skilled pole vaulters not even one could come close to “clearing God’s Bar,” Jesus!  This Jesus (His name means Saviour) is God’s cure for the deadly virus of sin. (1) Christ fulfilled perfectly all prophecy.  He was born of a virgin.  Lived a perfect life.  Did many signs and wonders and became the virus of sin for us! (2) Shed His precious blood for us on “The Old Rugged Cross.”  He was buried and rose again the third day!  No one with the virus is asymptomatic, or is unaware he or she has it.  How so?  Look at man’s conscience!  Look at the evening news!  The cure was set in place before God made the heavens and the earth!  He was ready when the sin pandemic hit!

This naturally leads us to look at Covid-19 and the wholesale pain, suffering, disruption and loss of life it is reaping.  It has the full attention and anxiety of the planet.  It has “leveled the playing field!”  But look!  We have learned in the aggressive war against this “Invisible Enemy” that human blood is in the arsenal to fight it!  More specifically, a goodly number of persons who recovered from Covid-19 have cultivated in their blood plasma, good antibodies which can be harvested and given to ill people, especially those in the earlier onslaught of this very dangerous disease.

Are there some “take homes” here for a world “sheltered at home?”  Oh yes!  And it addresses the very deadliest of viruses, sin.  The cure is God the Father’s Son, The Lamb of God, who became sin for us and paid the full death penalty by His blood shed on the cross 2000 years ago.  His blood is pure and potent.  God the Father fully honors it.  His blood and death pay the gigantic sin debt of all mankind.  It removes guilt.  It “defangs” the bite and power of evil.  And God is not concerned with how “ill” we are from the virus!  (Paul the Apostle referred to himself as “The Chief of Sinners.”)  And here’s the best part!  “He is Risen!”  The Resurrection is God’s “Notary Public” signature guaranteeing that His Son’s humble and holy sacrifice can cure the Sin Virus for all mankind for all time. However, to receive this complete cure God requires that we sincerely admit to Him that we are ill.  That we’ve thought, said and done evil because of our illness. We’ve grieved our Creator and Redeemer.  We’ve “run over” people!  Having come clean we now pray a simple but stellar prayer:  “Lord Jesus, come now into my heart.  I personally receive you as my Saviour and Lord.  Thank you for forgiving my sin.  Thank you for giving me yourself and the gift of life everlasting.  With your love and strength Jesus I want to live for you, not me, for the rest of my life. 

In your name,

Amen

Ron Bolt is a retired pastor who lives in Temecula, California with wife Lois and two adult children.  Born in Chicago he was raised primarily in Minnesota and is a graduate of Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary.

Do Not Be Deceived

Stay in the Word of God daily and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of His Word and discernment of false or bad teachings. The world is heading into the time of great tribulation that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24. There are many false teachings in the world. The only way to know the truth is through faith in Jesus Christ and the knowledge of God’s Word. When we put our faith in Jesus we are born again (John 3, 1 Peter 1). If we are not born again, we do not know God and will not go to Heaven. Is your heart right with the Living God through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus?

Because we are in the last days, there are many false christs and false prophets. The Mormon “jesus” is not the Jesus of the Bible. They do not believe Jesus is God, but a spirit brother of Satan. The Mormon “god” is not the eternal Creator of the universe, but just the god of this planet who at one time was just a man. Mormons get these ideas from false teachings by false prophets who started or were part of their false religion throughout their history. They say they believe in the Bible, but their writings contradict the Bible in the most important areas. Jehovah’s Witnesses are also outside of biblical teachings about Jesus, God and salvation. New age teachings, the Catholic Church and even many churches claiming to be biblical and Christian teach falsehoods that are leading many astray or even to hell.

So, how can we know the truth? First, we must fully give our hearts and lives to Jesus, placing our faith in Him for eternal life.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

We must do as the Bible says: “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the good news.”

Do you know what the Bible says? Can you discern true Christianity from false? Be sure you have repented of sin and have placed your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Jesus is God, who became a man to take our sin upon Himself on the cross so that all who come to Him for forgiveness of sin and entrust their lives to Him will receive eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

If you have made Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life, then draw near to Him daily in prayer and in the Bible, which is the very Word of God. The Bible lays out the truth for us so that we will not be deceived and lead away by false prophets, false christs and false teachings. If you know the Bible well and are born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus, you will not be lead astray. If you have not spent much time in the Bible or are a new Christian, you are in danger of being deceived, even if you think you are a Christian. Jesus said, “Be very careful that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:4)

If you have not spent much time in the Bible or are a new Christian, some great books of the Bible to read carefully and pray over are:

The Gospel of John, Romans, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, The Psalms, Luke & Acts, and 1 & 2 Corinthians. These are great books of the Bible to start with to gain a solid foundation for what God says and how to live the true Christian life daily. We are all sinners and will all fail, but we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus alone, who He truly is and what He did for us on the cross (Ephesians 2 & Romans 8).

The Lord Jesus Himself bless you and keep you as you continue walking with Jesus daily, in prayer, in fellowship and in His Word.

Note: https://www.blueletterbible.org is a solid, free resource with several versions of the Bible and Bible helps.

Brian Farrell is a follower of Jesus, saved by God's amazing grace through faith in Christ. Brian is a Bible teacher and the founder of Walking With Jesus Ministries. He lives with his wife Dana in Temecula, California.