What Must We Do?

Leave a reply

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”  Matthew 19:16

Are you seeking eternal life? While the “Rich Young Ruler” had good intentions, he even came to the right person, The Lord Jesus Christ, the man clearly had no understanding of sin and salvation. The reality is most people believe they are “good” and they will automatically get into the Kingdom of Heaven. But most people don’t know the door to Heaven, who is Jesus Christ and what he did for us!

Now the obvious error in this question is “what good thing shall I do”? There are a few things we can discern from this statement. First, that this man had no real idea who Jesus is and what he did for him. If this man had idea that he was talking to the Son of God, he would have fell to his face, and threw himself at the mercy of the Master! Instead he talks to the Lord , as if he is negotiating another business deal, what will it take to get me into the Kingdom?

Secondly, it’s clear, the man doesn’t understand you can’t earn your salvation! And while it’s easy to pick on this man, many people fall into this same trap. Many people, even today, falsely believe they can earn or keep their salvation. Do this list of practices and I’m good, no your not good and you will never be good without the washing of the blood of the Lamb! (John 1:29) You will never see the Kingdom of God unless you are Born Again (John 3:3)

It’s clear this man doesn’t understand he has a sin problem! This is why The Lord responds to him with the Ten Commandments. Why? Can keeping The Law get you into Heaven? No, because nobody can keep The Law except Christ! The Law reveals our sinful depravity, it reveals we are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

So what was the response of the man? He made the claim he kept the law his entire life, what else does he need to do! This man is totally deceived, he believes that he has kept the perfect law of God? And as crazy as this sounds, many people today believe the same thing, they are “good” people, they will make it into Heaven. They are deceived, they are blinded by their own sin. Until they come to the understanding of their sin and their need for a Savior, they will never reach salvation! Until they come crawling to The Lord for mercy, they will never repent and receive the Holy Spirit

So Jesus tests the man’s heart, “sell all you have and give it to the poor, then follow me” To many of us they may not seem difficult, but to the “Rich Young Ruler” his money and his possessions were his “god”, His power and security were in himself and not God, he didn’t truly love God with all his heart, he loved this world, and he walked away from salvation with The Lord

What must we do to inherit eternal life? Repent of your sins, put your faith and trust in The Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, trust in the works of Christ on the cross, the atonement for your sins, for its by grace through faith we are saved and not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8) Amen

Remembering Charlie Kirk

Leave a reply

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  Matthew 16:24

Today is the one year anniversary of the death of Charlie Kirk, I remember it like yesterday when this event happened. I was working at home, I was preparing for a Bible Study later that evening, and I heard on the news that Charlie Kirk had been shot. At first , like many, I didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, I thought maybe he was just shot at or threatened, but we later learned Charlie Kirk was dead

Like many I was glued to the TV hoping for good news of Charlies recovery, I even prayed for him. However, we eventually we notified by the President, that Charlie Kirk was dead. I was so upset, I actually cancelled the Bible Study, even though I never met Charlie, I felt as if he was a family member. I think many felt that way, he had this ability to make connections with people, even those who opposed him

I have two younger sons, my oldest being a teenager told me about  Charlie. Like most I never heard of him until I was introduced to the “TikTok” universe. There Charlie was reaching millions , if not billions of young people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. My son looked up to Charlie because of his boldness of faith, his clear refusal to bow down to a WOKE agenda, Charlies love for faith, family, and our country.

Even before Charlie’s murder, it was clear to me, Charlie was the voice of the younger generation, whether you liked him or not. He was making an impact, and he would refuse to compromise on his faith. When Charlie was killed, it became very evident of the impact Charlie was having in his work, which is why Satan had to take him out!

I know there will be many who will say “Well Charlie wasn’t a real Christian because of , fill in the blanks” But Charlie lived out his faith, do you? Are you willing to stand before a hostile crowd and declare Jesus Christ is Lord and the only way to salvation? While Charlie wasn’t perfect, and none of us are, he demonstrated his faith in Christ without compromise!

Since the death of Charlie, we have seen “revivals” many young people going back to Church, many young people standing up for conservative values in political platforms, many young people seeking and asking questions, then it became clear to me why Charlie had to die

Jesus said “If we want to be his disciple, we must carry our cross daily, and follow him” The cross was symbolic of certain death, when the disciples saw a cross, they knew it meant execution. Nobody survived the cross! Jesus was preparing us and his disciples what it means to be his disciple, total surrender to our Lord and his mission!

Charlie Kirk said “ I want to be remembered for courage for my faith, the most important thing is faith in my life” Well done faithful servant Charlie! God bless

Zechariah 14- The Restoration of Israel

Leave a reply

All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses  The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.  Zechariah 14:10-11

As we look around our world today, one thing is always common, there always seems to be war in the middle east, particularly surrounding Israel. This should not be a surprise to Christians who know the Word of God, as the return of Christ is all centered around the restoration of Israel (Romans 11)

The prophet Zechariah , continues to reveal to us , one day Jerusalem will be restored! One day all this violence and death will be eliminated and there will be peace in Jerusalem because the Prince of Peace has restored it! This may seem unattainable as we look at the modern chaos going on, including the anti-semitism of the world, however God will always fulfill His will and plan!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper. / May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses.”  Psalm 122:6-7

And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.  It shall come to pass in that day That a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand;  Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations Shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.  Such also shall be the plague On the horse and the mule, On the camel and the donkey, And on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be.  Zechariah 14:12-15

As it has been written, as it has been prophesied, The Lord himself (Jesus Christ) will come back and save Israel, and anyone who stands against The Lord shall be destroyed! Many people find this hard to believe, even some who profess to be “Christians” however this is what the Word of God has revealed to us, believe it! 

When you understand this, you understand why the world is against Israel, and you can understand the book of Revelation. The Lord Jesus will come back on his white horse, with eyes of the flames of fire to make war against those who oppose God, they will be devoured and destroyed and ultimately thrown into the Lake of Fire for all eternity with Satan and his demons

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  Revelation 19:11-15