Are You Baptized in Christ?

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Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  Romans 6:4

Are you baptized in Jesus Christ? This may sound like a simple question, yet I believe the minority are actually “Baptized in Christ”, very few have buried their “old man” with Christ, the minority have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) The narrow group has been raised with Christ to walk in the newness of the Holy Spirit. Are you Born Again? (John 3:3) Have you been washed by the blood of The Lamb? (John 1:29)

Many will say “But I’ve been baptized as a baby”! I’ve been saved, I have the golden ticket to paradise! Ah, so have you repented of your sins? (Acts 2:38) Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord? (Romans 10:9) But you say I’m an infant, how can I repent or know Jesus? Exactly! You are no more saved than this rock, you haven’t buried your old self with Christ! You have not been raised with Christ to walk in the newness of life! God will not be mocked! (Galatians 6:7)

So as the crowds asked the Apostle Peter as they were pricked at their hearts, “what shall we do?” 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.  (Acts 2:38)

Then they will say , but my Church says this and my Priest or Pastor say that! What does the Word of God say? As God foretold, “My people perish from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6) The traditions of men won’t save you! The false religious systems won’t save you! Your good works won’t save you! Only the blood of Christ can save you! (Ephesians 1:7)

But what would they say? My Church will reject me! My Priest may reject me! My family may reject me! Have you really been crucified with Christ? Have you really been Born Again with the Holy Spirit? (John 3:3) If so, then you are a New Creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:7) You are dead to the world, you are dead to your tresspasses and sins but made alive in Christ! (Ephesians 2:1)

So I’ll ask you again, are you really Baptized in Christ? Then walk in the newness of life! Walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh (Galatians 5:16) You were bought with a price in Jesus Christ, Amen!

From a Slave to a Son!

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and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”   Luke 15:19

The prodigal Son, one of the most famous parables for a reason, because we were all once this prodigal child, God our Father was dead to us, we wanted nothing to do with him, yet we wanted our inheritance! We wanted prosperity, we wanted health, we wanted protection, but we didn’t want anything to do with our Father in Heaven, can you relate?

Just like this prodigal, many of us found our way into the pig pen! We went into the far country, enjoying prodigal living, experiencing the blessings of our Father, yet we gave him no glory! We gave ourselves the glory, we wanted to build our own kingdoms, we wanted to build our own empires. Yet when the money went dry, we found out , it was all a lie from the pit of Hell. 

What does it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul? (Mark 8:36) It profits us nothing! We end up with the swine, worse off than the slave. In fact we come to the realization, we are slaves! We are slaves to sin (John 8) slaves to immorality, slaves to drugs and alcohol, slaves to the world and the devil. And when we are all destroyed, Satan discards us like a carcass into the bone pile

However, then the Holy Spirit awakens our heart, we desire to come into the presence of our Heavenly Father, we think , if I could just be one of his servants, I would be satisfied. So we make long trek back to our Father, covered in our filth, with our heads buried in shame, how could God ever want to even look at me again?

Ah, prodigal Child, but the Holy Spirit enlights you about Christ, the Son of God died on the cross to pay for your sins, he washed you clean by his blood, you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, you are a new Creation in God by Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

So we come to The Father, and what is his response? Our Heavenly Father greets us with open arms, all of Heaven celebrates! The sinner has come to repentance! (Luke 15:7) How can we ever be in the presence of our Father again? Jesus Christ has made you righteous before The Father! (2 Corinthians 5:21) We hoped to be just a hired servant, and because of Christ , we are now a Child of the Living God! (Galatians 4:6) Amen!

Zechariah 12- The Crucified Son of God

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“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.  Zechariah 12:10

Just as the prophet Daniel fortold , “The Messiah shall be cut off “ (Daniel 9:26) the prophet Zechariah foretells “They will look on Me (God) who they pierced” The crucifixion of Christ was clearly foretold since the foundations of the world. Yet the majority of Israel missed it, the majority even said “Let his blood be upon us and our children” (Matthew 27:25) They crucified the Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8)

But how will they know? Just as prophesied “I will pour the Spirit of grace and supplication” The Holy Spirit was poured out upon Israel on the day of Pentecost , and remember the words of the Apostle Peter when the Spirit was poured ““Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

And notice not only did God fortell He would be crucified, but once the Holy Spirit comes, the elect will mourn and understand Christ is The Son of The Living God! For God so loved the world, He gave his Only Begotten Son (John 3:16)

In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.  And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;  the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves;  all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.  Zechariah 12:11-14

And on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit is poured down upon Israel, the scales from their eyes are removed on the elect, and they will mourn over the Son of God, they will mourn over their sin, repent, and turn to The Lord Jesus Christ for salvation!

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?”  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.  Acts 2:37-38

Those of you who reject Jesus as Messiah, may you meditate upon these words of the prophet Zechariah, as well as the prophet Daniel, as well as the prophet Isaiah

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.  Isaiah 53:5

Christ Crucified!

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but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness  1 Corinthians 1:23

What is the gospel message? Its Christ crucified, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and Christ rose again on the 3rd day, according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15) We are all sinners in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23) this is why we preach Christ crucified!

So why is this simple message so offensive to the world? First because the world is under control of the evil one (1 John 5:19) Satan is like a roaring lion looking to devour you! (1 Peter 5:8) The devil doesn’t want you to be saved, therefore the world hates the cross! The world hates the real Jesus of the Bible! The world hates the real gospel message of Christ crucified

Secondly, many people are deceived, they believe they have no sin in them (1 John 1:8) They believe they are “good people” with a golden ticket to Heaven! What did The Lord say? “Nobody is good, but God alone” (Mark 10:18) The Lord of Life is revealing to you, you are a sinner headed to Hell, there is no hope except in Christ alone!

While Jesus is the King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37) Jesus is the Jewish Messiah (John 4:25-26) Jesus is a stumbling block for God’s people, why? Because they believe they are already righteous, they believe they are children of Abraham, they don’t understand their need for a Savior! So instead of embracing their Lord and Messiah, they crucified him on a Roman cross! (Acts 2:36)

What about the Gentile, the Greek? The cross is foolishness for those who are perishing! (1 Corinthians 1:18) They also can’t comprehend their sinful condition, they can’t comprehend how God can become a man (John 1:14) and be the Passover Lamb for our sins! (1 Corinthians 5:7) The cross is foolishness to the world, the world demands religion, the world demands good works, the world can’t comprehend how the Creator of the Heavens and The Earth can become part of His creation to save them from their sins!

This is why we need to be Born Again (John 3:3) without the regeneration of the Holy Spirit we can never understand our sinful condition, we can never comprehend the cross, we can never say “Jesus Is Lord” Amen! (1 Corinthians 12:3)