Sunday 030925
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by GRACE you have been SAVED through FAITH; and this is not of yourselves, it is a GIFT of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Let’s together, open the Word of God this morning, and study what we have been given. Allow me to help you in your study and search the Bible what God has intended for us to hear.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
Romans 10:13; Joel 2:32; 1 Corinthians 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:8.
I am so elated this morning. I found a verse I have been looking for, for quite a while now. Please allow me to explain.
For years I have been describing to people, that they needed to open their Bible’s to hear the real truth, or they were going to have a difficult time, here in the future.
Well, this morning I was reading from a lesson that we had several months ago, and I found a verse that I have been looking for:
Romans 10:13
‘…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…for Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
‘…As the scripture says, Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
‘…As it says in the Bible: The Lord God will save everyone who asks him for help…’ EASY (Easy English Translation)
There are some people that are just unable to read and comprehend what they’ve read, even if they just read it.
I live in North Carolina, and it is very prevalent here in this state.
Some people just cannot get anything out of reading something.
This has to be the number one reason we have been given the audible Bible here in this world.
If a person doesn’t have the time or they cannot interpret what has been written, they have the option that they can just listen to it.
Anyhow, this verse defines our FAITH in Jesus. It is like when we pray; we are praying to Jesus asking for His help, we in essence TRUST and BELIEVE in Him.
We are calling on His name.
The apostle Paul quotes from the OT book of Joel when he writes this letter to the Romans.
Joel 2:32
‘…And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…And it will come about that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, just as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
‘…But all who ask the Lord for help will be saved. As the Lord has said, some in Jerusalem will escape; those whom I choose will survive…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
‘…Everyone who asks the Lord for help will be safe. They will be safe if they believe in his name. The Lord will save the people on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. He has promised this to those people whom he has asked to come to him…’ EASY (Easy English Translation)
I know this from certain people around me: the Bible has never been picked up and read … but, that person has a relationship with Jesus that only her and God knows exactly what is going on.
Communication between the two is constant throughout each and every day.
Granted, the Bible is not opened … but those lines of communications are very active.
It is important that we keep our focus on Jesus and not worry about what we’ve heard or what someone else told us about something.
In this particular case, it is important to put our only trust in Jesus, since He is ultimately the only one who is going to save us.
Your pastor, the church that you attend, your churches denomination, in fact even me, none of us are going to be the ones that are going to save you from a future of everlasting torment. Only Jesus Christ, our God is going to be able to do that for you.
The apostle Paul wrote a verse found in the Bible just about this.
1 Corinthians 1
vs12 ‘…Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ…’
vs13 ‘…Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Jesus is the ONLY reason.
Your college professor, no matter how many degrees he has or how smart he tells you that he/she is, he/she won’t be able to save you. Your mom and dad, even as much as they love you, won’t be able to save you either.
The stories I’ve heard over the years of a few professors at our most esteemed colleges in America, telling their students that God is fake and that He is unreal.
These professors coming out on day one (1), either you students believe in me when I say God is not real and you can pass this class, or you are going to fail and be miserable in your life.
This is from teachers that we place our trust in to teach our kids so they can grow up and achieve the most in this life.
Maybe the best story I heard was when a young man replied to the professor, sir you’ve never seen oxygen and if you don’t have it, you will die.
I have heard several stories where kids stand up against these poorly trained atheists that will ultimately live their future very likely to be like a ‘dung beetle.’
Rolling that ball of crap around for their entire life, up inclines and down valleys. On hot days and in the cold (and I sense that I can see their future, the vision appears to be very, very HOT), a little warmer than warm.
Only Jesus can save us. He came to this earth ‘ONLY’ for the Jew. He came to fulfill the OT prophesy. He came to teach all of us about FAITH and what it really means for our future.
But after He ascended up into heaven to sit on His throne, He descended to this earth and confronted Saul on his way to Damascus and chose him to be the apostle for the Gentile nation.
This is that degree of FAITH that we must have for us to open the GIFT of GRACE that God has given to us.
Ephesians 2:8
‘…For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
‘…For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
‘…When you believed in Jesus, God saved you because he is very kind. You could not save yourselves, but that is God’s gift to you…’ EASY (Easy English Translation)
We have got to BELIEVE before we will be able to enjoy.
This is what I have been trying to teach to everyone. It is what has been written in the Word that is going to save us.
It’s not what our pastor has taught us. It’s not what our church or denomination believes in that will save us.
It’s not what I say is going to save you either, but it is only what God has said in the Word, HIS WORD that will ultimately save us in the future.
Read the Bible. Listen to the Bible. Pray to Jesus and TRUST and BELIEVE in Him.
God gave us the Word to help us in this life we are living on this earth.
Read of the history that has happened through all of time.
And when you read, remember that NOT ALL Scripture has been meant for us to FOLLOW.
Three quarters of the Bible is there for us to NOT follow but observe the mistakes that earlier generations committed against themselves and against God.
Be wise. When it is written in the Bible that Jesus chose, I hope you have the common sense to know that you’re not wiser than Jesus. If Jesus ‘chose,’ we should probably follow his choice.
I have been saying for years, it is our personal relationship with Jesus that is going to determine our future.
When we read the Word, we can easily tell what mankind has told us over the years is not true.
When we read the Word, we can see the directions that God has laid out for our future.
As we’re reading His Word, we should return our voice right back to God and ask for His assistance to keep us strong and in the line that He wants us to follow.
When we pray back to Him, we are completing this relationship between the two (2) of us.
We are strengthening our bonds with Him. We are making it easier for us to be certain we are heading in the correct direction.
Keep your Bibles open and continue in your study of the Word that GOD gave to us.
This next lesson involves some writings I found of what mankind believe is the truth.
Don’t mess with an unknown, read the Word of God and be assured that you have just read the truth.
I love ALL of y’all.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen.
InHIM. ><)))o>