The Gospel

THE GOSPEL AS IT SHOULD BE…


Spiritual Blog - Power

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – “…our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction…” NASU

I never cease to be amazed at how frequently in church, spiritual things, and life, we are willing to accept something less than the best available.  So many times politically we seem to be choosing between the “lesser of two evils,” and in life relegate ourselves to “average” and deem that acceptable.  When it comes to spiritual matters and the church many have bought the idea that the miracles and power that was exhibited in the Old and New Testaments were for another era and are no longer available for today.  I can only ask, “When did Jesus change?”  The Bible clearly says in Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” NASU It also tells us in Malachi 3:6 – “…I, the LORD, do not change…” NASU  Then Jesus said to His disciples and to us generations later in John 14:12 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” NASU

When Did That Change?  I suggest that it has not and that the Power of God is still the Power of God today as it was in the yesterdays of our human history.  God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent today just as he was in the beginning as we read about in Genesis and in the end as we read about in Revelation.  HE DOES NOT CHANGE!  If He confirmed His word with “signs and wonders” in so bygone era will He not do the same today?  I can attest that I have seen the Miracle Working Hand of God demonstrated.  I have experienced personally, seen it come for others, and have two miracles of healing with documentation from medical doctors confirming in my own life.  One was a broken bone and the other was cancer.  I saw my mother healed of a broken back and the paralysis relieved.  I’ve watched people recover from sickness in which the doctors said there was no hope.  I cannot explain God and won’t try.  I’ve prayed for people to be healed and they weren’t and prayed for others and they were.  I can’t explain it but feel like Peter and John as they came to the lame man at the Beautiful Gate and Peter said, “Silver and Gold have I none, but what I’ve got I’ll give to you.”  He then reached out his hand took the man by the hand and lifted him up only to see the power of God flow into his legs and he walked.

I’ve seen hard-hearted giants of men crumble before the power of God’s Word and their hearts melt. Tears would stream down the cheeks of those rock hard men as they wept before the Lord broken and repentant.  I’ve seen homes restored as the Power of God transformed hearts and brought reconciliation.  I’ve seen financial disaster averted by a miraculous supply.  Yes, I’ve seen the POWER OF THE GOSPEL and long for more and more of it.  Not so that I will be noticed but so that lives will be rescued by the Power and Grace of God.  I get angry at what I see the devil doing in lives and cry out continually for the POWER OF THE GOSPEL to be manifest in my life and the lives of those I come in contact with.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

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THE GOSPEL – Simple and Explicit…


Spiritual Blog - Gospel

Acts 2:37-39 – “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 for the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”  NKJV

I had someone attempt to argue that the way of salvation as taught in the Bible was ambiguous and left room for many possible ways to attain that prize.  I have heard national and internationally known ministers contend for many avenues to salvation.  Yet, the more I read and study God’s Word the more convinced I am that the Gospel is both incredibly simple and explicit with regard to Eternal Salvation.  There is, in my view, no ambiguity whatsoever.  The Bible is silent and not explicit regarding some areas of life but not Salvation.

After the Resurrection, Jesus instructed the disciples and all the followers who saw Him ascend out of their sight to TARRY or WAIT in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit.  Then on the Day of Pentecost when the incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit resulted in people hearing God’s Word in their own native tongue by those who did not know the language, and the display was so incredible those observing thought the followers of Christ were on a drunken binge.  Something was happening and as Peter addressed the crowd he brought a clear and simple message about what was happening and from whom it came.  As a result, of his preaching, the Bible says that those hearing were, “…cut to the heart…”  Conviction flooded their being and they sought for direction asking, “…what shall we do?”

The message of Peter had no ambiguity and was incredibly simple.  He said, “REPENT”.  I know that recently we heard a politician declare that he did not know if he had ever asked forgiveness and didn’t like doing that.  He is not alone, there are many in the same boat but the message of Peter began with REPENT.  Without repentance, there is no next step in the process of salvation.  Repentance involves an acknowledgement of “missing the mark” or SIN.  It reveals that we not only know we have sinned but that we have remorse for that sin.  Sadly, some have remorse that they’ve been exposed not that they have sinned.  Repentance is to “change our mind” about where we are headed and “change our direction” doing an 180-degree turn.  I heard a preacher say once that we needed to do a 360-degree turn but I do believe that would be evidence of nothing having changed.  He clearly misspoke.

The verses following the question and answer reveal that about 3,000 souls came to Christ that day.  They repented, were baptized and continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking bread, and in prayers.  The message of the Gospel here and elsewhere in the New Testament is: Believe, Repent, Receive, Obey, and Continue.  It is not a complicated message and offers no means of earning our way into the Grace of God.  It is “by grace” that we are saved.  It is God’s gift to us.  It is the Life that Jesus purchased on the Cross.  The Gospel is both simple and explicit regarding salvation and as we read in 2 Corinthians 6:2b, “…Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.” 

            God bless you as you receive His grace and walk in His Light. 

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