Not good news:
Behold! I am the messiah! I bring you good news on how to get to Heaven: keep the whole law perfectly and never once stumble! Good luck!
Good news:
Behold! I am the messiah and have come to pay for all of your sins so that you can get into heaven! Just believe in Me! That’s it!
It’s all about faith. NOT works. It’s impossible to please God without faith. That’s what He desires and cares about – faith in the unseen. Faith in the impossible – “for all things are possible with God.” We live in a physical, visible world with hard limits and tough work. The kingdom of God is invisible, limitless, of power and ease – with God’s ability to speak things into existence. Faith is power. God wants faith! Not works! It’s the power to get things done. It’s the power to save. But you MUST not doubt, or you should not expect to receive.
Biblical definition of faith
Hebrews 11:1 — Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
The kingdom of God is power
1 Corinthians 4:20 — For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
Blessed are those who trust in God
Jeremiah 17:7 — “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
Know that anything is possible with God
Matthew 19:26 — Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Jeremiah 32:27 — “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:17 — “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
Without faith in God, nothing can happen
Hebrews 11:6 — And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
God’s power has the ability to do anything outside of human limits. Don’t let the “wisdom of humanity” that says certain things can’t be done fool you into thinking something’s not possible, when it is indeed possible with God through unwavering, childlike faith
1 Corinthians 2:5 — so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
You must believe and trust in God with all your heart
Proverbs 3:5 — Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
Faith in the gospel is the arm of God’s power to save
Romans 1:16 — For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Believe with all your heart and do not doubt, and it will be given to you
Mark 11:22-24 — “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
God works miracles among you by your faith, not by your deeds
Galatians 3:5 — So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard [the gospel]?
Even the smallest amount of faith is extremely powerful. Imagine what a lot of faith can do!
Matthew 17:20 — He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Peter walked for a moment on water because of his faith, and when he began to doubt his faith, he began to sink.
Matthew 14:22-31, especially verses 28-31
You must not doubt your faith. Have childlike faith!
James 1:6-7 — But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
God does not perform many miracles where there is no faith
Matthew 13:58 — And he [Jesus] did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
And of course, what you ask for in faith must be reasonable and of the things of God. Example: you can’t have faith in winning the lottery and expect to win.
James 4:3 — When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Live reasonably and don’t put God to the test with your faith. Example: don’t ask God to keep you from getting the flu and then go out of your way to lick a petri dish full of the flu virus.
Luke 4:9-12 — The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Your faith will NOT be put to shame by those saying, “Uh huh! Where’s your God now?!?”
Romans 10:11 — As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
Faith in Action – just a few of MANY examples of the power of God’s healing by faith:
Blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe.
John 20:29 — Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
God wrote His ENTIRE Old Testament and New Testament Bible around faith – faith in Him – and the abundant promises and blessings of having such faith. Upon acquiring such childlike faith, do you really think He’s then going to go back on all His promises and let you down and shame you because of the faith He demands, and then point your hope to that of the world and of men?
The enemy whispers in your ear day and night and tells you that having faith and believing that something of God’s will – and believing it will indeed come to pass – is pride. He also gets you to doubt your faith by whispering in your ear, “Oh no, that’s just not possible. Don’t believe it because if you do, it won’t come true and you’ll just be let down and feel foolish.” Those are huge lies from Satan. Satan wants you to place your faith in what’s seen – the world and men – and to take your eyes off God and His truth.
God says, you now have faith that I can do what you ask, but do you have faith that I will do what you ask?
Grace = getting [good things] what we don’t deserve.
Mercy = not getting what we do deserve [punishment].
Justice = getting what we do deserve.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Stocks:
Rules:
Stock Tips:
4 types of people:
To those who mix faith in Christ and their own works, it is the most dangerous and they will be rejected by the Lord:
Matthew 7:21-23 — “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ [see they have “faith”] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father [John 6:40 – believe on Jesus alone] who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name [bringing their work of prophesying] and in your name drive out demons [bringing their work of casting out demons] and in your name perform many miracles [bringing their works of miracles performed]?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers [We are all evil and all have sinned. None of us are righteous by our own works.]!’
John 8:35 — Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
What am I as a child of God?
How does God view me?
Jesus and I walked into a large store, owned and operated by God the Father. Jesus said to me, “Pick out anything you want and it will be my gift to you.” So I spent hours upon hours searching through the store. Finally I came upon the item of Everlasting Life. I turned to Jesus and said, “This is what I want…Everlasting Life.” He said, “OK”, grabbed the package and we went up to the register to checkout. God the Father was behind the register. Jesus put the Everlasting Life on the counter and the Father rang it up. He said to me, “That will be a cost of ‘the blood of a single sinless man.’” Jesus stepped in and said to the Father, “No one but Myself can afford this. I am purchasing this Everlasting Life as a gift for him. Here is my blood.” The Father took the payment in full, handed Jesus the package of Everlasting Life and said, “The transaction is finished — paid in full — nothing else needed.” As Jesus and I left the store, Jesus handed me the package of Everlasting Life and said, “This is a gift from me to you. You did not earn it for yourself. It is simply an irrevocable gift from Me, paid for with my blood. Thank you for accepting it. I love you, my son. Enjoy!”
A child doesn’t need to know the inner workings of something, or even how it works at all. They don’t need to see it. Nor do they have anything to bring to the table or offer. They are just told something simple and told that it’s true, and they simply believe.
Believe with childlike faith the true, pure, unadulterated – and above all – simple Gospel message and you will be saved: that Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins, was buried and on the third day rose from the dead. It’s that beautifully simple, and it confounds and frustrates the prideful and wise who think they can be “good enough” to earn their way into heaven.
Matthew 19:14 — Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these [who have nothing to offer and simply just believe who He says He is].”
Acts 16:30-31 — He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household [as in – tell your household to believe in Jesus as well and they too shall be saved along with you – those who believe].”
1 Corinthians 1:18-19 — For the message of the cross [the simple gospel] is foolishness to those who are perishing [the prideful, wise and learned], but to us who are being saved [those with childlike faith] it is the power of God [to save — Romans 1:16]. For it is written: “I [God] will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Equation for area of a square:
True: area = length x width
False: area = length + width
Equation for salvation:
True: salvation = faith + nothing
False: salvation = faith + works
Unbelief = sin
Well, and taking the mark of the beast is unforgivable.
John 1:7 – He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
John 3:15 – that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:18 – Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:36 – Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
John 4:14 – but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 5:24 – “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
John 6:28-29 – Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 6:35 – Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6:40 – For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
John 6:47 – Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.
John 6:50-51 – But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
John 6:54 – Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 7:38-39 – Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
John 8:24 – I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
John 10:9 – I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 12:36 – Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
John 17:3 – Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 20:31 – But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Remember, a handful of seemingly condemning works-based scriptures cannot negate the over 200 verses explaining that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. There must be another way to interpret them.
John 3:16 — For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Christ is righteous. He obeyed the law perfectly and never sinned.
No other human is righteous on their own, as “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, and, “our righteousness is but filthy menstrual rags.”
Humans cannot obtain self-righteousness through following the law, because all humans except Christ have broken the law.
However, we have available to us a righteousness apart from the law – a righteousness that is by faith in Christ.
When we believe the gospel, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us, thus we have a righteousness that is not from following the law, but rather through faith in Christ.
John 3:15-17, 20, 23
[book] [chapter]:[beginning verse]-[end verse], [another verse in this chapter]
The scary sin talked about in Hebrews is the sin of unbelief.
When God looks at you – that is, your reborn inner man (your soul and spirit) – He sees the imputed righteousness of Christ. A righteousness apart from the law – a righteousness that is by faith in the gospel alone.
He doesn’t look at your dead, crucified, buried flesh and it’s evil deeds and judge that day-to-day. He’s dealt with that 2,000 years ago on the cross. “It is finished.” Sin debt paid in full.
No…He sees the real you – the reborn inner man. He has forgotten all of your sins, and has removed them “as far as the east is from the west.”
When you believe in Christ, you “follow” Him into His death, burial and resurrection.
The nanosecond you believe the gospel, you are “crucified” with Christ, “buried” with Him – putting off the old, dead, sinful flesh – your inner man is spiritually reborn, and then you are “raised” with Him to newness of life. This resurrection will be manifest in the resurrection at the rapture.
Christ was the first to be resurrected into His new sinless, incorruptible, spiritual body. There will be another resurrection for the believers – believers both in heaven and alive on earth – at the rapture.
In the resurrection at the rapture, Christ will descend into the clouds, and the believers that have already died will be resurrected into their new spiritual, sinless, incorruptible bodies, then they will be caught up into the clouds with Christ. Then the believers who are alive and remain, their bodies will be transformed into their new spiritual, sinless, incorruptible bodies, and will then be snatched up into the clouds with Christ, and then He will take us all to heaven for seven years.
During that seven years, Christ will pour out His wrath on an unbelieving world for seven years. This is called The Tribulation.
Water baptism by a pastor in a church is not required for salvation. Only believing the gospel for spiritual baptism by The Holy Spirit is required.
Romans 12:2 — And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Renew your mind daily. Meditate on these truths daily:
The Gospel
Christ died for ALL of my sins (past, present and future), was buried and rose from the dead the third day for my justification.
Christ said on the cross upon death, “It is finished!”, meaning — sin debt paid in full, nothing more to do.
The nanosecond I believed the gospel, I was indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of my salvation.
The nanosecond I believed the gospel, I received the imputed righteousness of Christ. A righteousness apart from the law. A righteousness that is by faith. When God looks at me, He sees the righteousness of Christ – not my sinful flesh.
Positional Truths
I am:
Spiritual Baptism
The nanosecond I believed the gospel alone, I was spiritually baptized into Christ’s death, burial and resurrection by the Holy Spirit. I have been “crucified” (with my old sinful flesh dying), been “buried”, spiritually reborn with the righteousness of Christ, and have been “risen” to newness of life. In the resurrection at the rapture, I will receive my new spiritual, sinless, glorified, incorruptible body.
We don’t confess our sins and ask for forgiveness for each sin in the flesh, every time we sin, in order to be forgiven at that moment for that sin. We’re already forgiven of our sins the nanosecond we believe the gospel, and all our sins are removed from us “as far as the East is from the west”.
Our sins are also forgotten the nanosecond we believe the gospel, so why keep reminding God of sins that were already dealt with on the cross?
When God looks at us, He is perfectly pleased with us, as He sees us with the imputed righteousness of Christ. Our sinful flesh has been crucified and buried with Christ. It’s dead. He doesn’t look at our dead, outer flesh’s performance…He looks at our renewed inner man that’s been reborn, made perfect and cannot sin because it has been born of incorruptible seed.
We don’t lose fellowship either every time we sin in the flesh. If that were the case, no one would ever have fellowship with God. Again, our sin was dealt with on the cross – God’s righteous wrath, punishment and anger was poured out on Jesus on the cross. It was dealt with. We’ve been declared justified – He’s not going to bring it up again every time we sin in the flesh.
Scripture says in 1 John 4:18 — There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
If we were to lose fellowship with God and be punished every time we sin in the flesh, we would be living in fear, because fear has to do with punishment. But per the above scripture, we are to be made perfect in love, which casts out all fear, because there is no fear (punishment) in love.
While our inner man (us a soul and spirit) has been reborn of incorruptible seed, made a new creation, kept from stumbling and cannot sin, our unregenerate outward man (the sinful flesh) still sins. We are exhorted, encouraged, asked to, pleaded with and begged to possess our flesh in a manner of holiness, not using our liberty from freedom from the law in regards to salvation to indulge the sinful passions and desires of the flesh. However, this is not for salvation. It’s for a joyful and peaceful life on this earth.