PIC: Children-at-play. Darrell Creswell
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because
God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these children.” – Matthew 19:14 ERV
Go ahead! Be a child!
*Read the artwork (above) by Creswell
The Bible gives us two options: Romans 6:23
Option 1: Earn your wages of death
-or-
Option 2: Freely receive God’s gift of eternal life like a child
_________
God’s message to the world…to us
God’s message to us is simple. It is child-like easy to understand. And it is as true as true can get.
But you’ve gotta want it. Keep reading here, and you will know what God has said so clearly in His Word – the Bible.
God’s message
The wages of sin is death Romans 6:23
Did you know? All throughout your life without Christ you have been earning a wage.
That wage, as God sees it, is: Death. Eternal death.
It is real existence under God’s condemnation because of your unforgiven sin. Not a good thing.
“it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment”
– Verse 27 of Hebrews 9:23-28
That is a bad, bad thing! An eternal bad thing. Got your head around that? –Being God Damned 1
There is a Heavenly decree against us. And only Jesus can reverse that decree. Trying to please God – your own way? Won’t work.
So Jesus was born – God Himself come down to earth to save us. We must be saved by Jesus. Absolutely must. He saves sinners. That is a good thing!
Monty Python Humor. Meaning of life. 1983promoPoster at Wikipedia
Remember that “friend” who taunted you in the playground? He said, “You’re dead! I’m going to get you!”
Jesus does not taunt. He says for real: “You’re dead.” The real real is coming….
God’s message
But, the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord Romans 6:23
Jesus offer us forgiveness. The “kicker” is: We must personally accept all that Jesus is and does — to receive this gift. It does not happen through osmosis (humor!). Have you personally prayed to God to receive His forgiveness?
God’s message
the free gift of God – that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers Romans 6:23
It will cost you, but we don’t have to pay a cent for it. Our salvation is a gift. That makes it the best good news ever!
Realities God has established
The realities of life as God established are misRepresented by the Monty Python “Meaning of Life” fantasy and the lies of the world and Satan the Deceiver. There’s more to life than the make believe humor of Monty Python. (My favorite line is: “It’s no ordinary rabbit!“)
God’s message
“I give them eternal life” – John 10:28
* And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.
– John 10:28
Let’s repeat that:
* and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.
– John 10:28
Parable of the Sower and the Seed – Matthew 13:18-23 NASB
The seed of the Word of God is spread to all. What happened to your seed?
This “word [i I.e., message] of the kingdom” is the seed: – See Matthew 13:18-23 2
Jesus explains the parable
…the seed fell here, there, everywhere and on the good soil
…some of the seed fell here beside the road
18 “Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the [a]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road.
– Verses 18-19 of Matthew 13:18-23
…some of the seed fell there on the rocky places
20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [b]word, immediately he [c]falls away.
– Verses 20-21 of Matthew 13:18-23
...some of the seed fell everywhere among the thorns
22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the [d]world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it [e]becomes unfruitful.
– Verses 20-21 of Matthew 13:18-23
…some of the seed was sown on the good soil
Praise be to God above, some seed fell on the good soil and that seed grew up, was lush, and never died. The seeds fall on your heart. Is your heart fertile soil? Your heart is the key to sprouting life eternal.
The seed is the Word of salvation – more powerful than nuclear fission, more loving than a momma cat with its kittens, more enduring than the redwood groves of California, more jealous of its pups than a great big ferocious grizzly bear.
What happens to that seed is up to you. It’s your chance to choose – your choice: Believe God’s message, or allow Satan to have it his way. I turned away – and turned to Jesus. I recommend that.
Got a cracked heart full of…what keeps killing-off the seed?
Prefer the Attitude
I really rather prefer…to be at home with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:8
Fix your cracked heart and you will live. Keep going with the rejecting… and you keep Darkness, remain in death, and will experience The Horror of Horrors…forever. Not my word. That is the way it is, the way of God, what God has shared with us. You really do not want The Bummer.
Excerpt from What I rather prefer
As born again Christians… born again
We do not fear death. We are confident death is just a doorway to “be at home with the Lord“.
The day of His Return is coming soon. I’m living with confident hope for that day. Be ready!
The thrilling day of the great exchange for mortals will be accomplished by Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). That day is when He makes all His followers immortal. Dead or alive, God exchanges their mortality for immortality. Can hardly wait! But I have to.
It’s a fight we’re in
God started the fight, made the Pronouncement like in the MMA: It’s Time!
Fight like Heaven is worth it. Do you really want to go to Hell? Have you rejected the one-off offer Jesus makes to everyone? Have you said with the way you live your God-forsake life:
“I just want to go to Hell
don’t you?“
Now is the time – 2 Corinthians 6:2
Don’t waste your opportunity, fritter and fudge, shilly-shally fritter life away, just idly sitting as the moments fly away. What a waste…to miss-out on grace, a tragedy of gigantic proportions! The Ultimate Bummer.
The logic is there
Listen to it: The logic of “if this – then that” to explain useless faith.
Instead of just letting us live and die and burn in Hell…Just Like That! God offers forgiveness. And He explains in His Book just exactly how to get it for yourself.
Jesus Himself says in John 3:7, “you must be born again”. In John 3 Jesus was speaking with “a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, who came to Jesus at night”…
Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3 AMP. See also: John 3:14-21
I prefer the love of God the Redeemer who died on our behalf – rather than the wrath of Holy Holy God Almighty. He is true to His Nature, and will have no sin in Heaven of any type, and will cast unrepentant sinners into the Outer Darkness of Hell. And remember: He defines “sin”. We do not.
Your confession
What was it like – your confession to Jesus?
Have you always assumed Jesus accepted your confession?
Do you know yourself well enough, you think?
Many are invited but few are chosen. Why you?
Are you in, or, are you out?
Where have you put your trust – forever? There is no other faith, no other trust, no other belief, no following of “a different gospel” – that actually saves.
Other faiths, other brands of “Christian”… they are all the same to Holy God. Those “others” are not able to save. He has declared it. Does that encourage you? Or: Does that make you wonder and worry?
His love and His offer is an everlasting gift of grace Rev 21:4-5 instead of a harsh justice. Instead of death… I really rather prefer His wonderful amazing grace, God’s wonderful blend of power and love.
I don’t like the wages of death. I like His better deal of total forgiveness.
FOR MORE:
Looking for better wages? Scripture explains the wages of sin. They are definitely not what I was ever satisfied with.
_________
God’s message to the world…to us
Keep reading, and you will know what God has said so clearly in His Word.
It is what it is: The Bible Is God’s Word To Us…His Word – the Bible.
Want it – to know it…God’s message to us…it is simple, easy to understand, and true.
Want it…or it’s gone forever. You’ve gotta want it.
The Wonder of the Birth of God…Jesus was born – God Himself come down to earth to save us.
What being “saved” means…He died to save us Excerpt: Any dirty rotten sinner (or deceived “Karen” who thinks she’s empowered) can pray directly to God. No priest needed! I did. Jesus saved me.
The Gospel of Jesus is the best Good News
Receive the Kingdom like a child…in your heart be like a child
“We must be saved by Jesus. Absolutely must. He saves sinners. That is a good thing!”
Jesus saved me!
Specific salvation parameters Jesus absolutely requires
and they will never, ever
[by any means] perish;
and no one will ever
snatch them out of My hand.
– John 10:28 *Sounds like a secure salvation to me!
It was Jesus who said that. Talk about claiming divinity! How can a mere man control eternal life – even to the extreme point that He promised His followers life eternal? Not a chance. Those who deny the divinity of Jesus are so, so far off the path. They deny reality.
John 10:27-30
27 The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.
29 [a]My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are One [in essence and nature].”
Salvation will cost you…but we don’t have to pay a cent for it. Go figure!
The Gift by His Precious, Undeserved Grace…Our salvation is a gift. That makes it most valuable
The Gospel of Jesus is the best Good News…the best good news ever!
Receive the Kingdom like a child…It is child-like easy to understand
Accepting all that Jesus Christ is and does…nothing less will do
All is forgiven – that is His better deal of total forgiveness
Why we all need Jesus Excerpt: We need Jesus because without Him – we are lost for all eternity. There is a heavenly decree against us. We must be saved by Jesus. And His Gospel – brought to us by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul and His other disciples, shows us what God requires of us to become saved.
There is a Heavenly decree against us…so Jesus came to save us. We must be saved by Jesus.
Remember that “friend” who taunted you? He said, “Your dead! I’m going to get you!”
Jesus does not taunt. He says for real: “You’re dead.” The real real is coming….
It really is Eternity at stake here
What is more important than your eternity?
The Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul… His Gospel
Realities God has established…Your Beliefs vs. God’s Realities Excerpt: Remember playing as a child, making-up fantasy scenarios? I was constantly pretending. I was a knight in shining armor conquering all! I was a race car driver with my matchbox cars buzzing down the road I’d scraped into the dirt! I was thinking myself into my own little world. I would create my own reality.
I was aware of the real world, but it was so much better in my own little worlds. I was in control. I was not answerable to anyone. I did exactly as I pleased. It was my world. My castle. My sword. My cars. My reality. Fun times!
But real life has its own realities. We live in a created universe. And it is the Creator who has established how things work….
This is a fight we’re in…God started the fight, made the Pronouncement like in the MMA: It’s Time!
Betting your eternity on your thinking
So does God ever say “What do you think, Joe? Jane, What should I do?”
Feeling Lucky? Excerpt: I want it and I want it my way
There is a lot of wishful thinking going on with people who want what they want, and they want it their way. The sentiment is usually a chord that runs throughout their life. And they take that thought with them into the afterlife.
The problem with you yourself declaring what you want in the afterlife – is that you had nothing whatsoever to do with the creation of the afterlife. God did. You did not. And He told us all about it.
So, God sent His Son into the world. Do you know why?…Why did Jesus arrive here? Excerpt: In the justice system of God’s Throne, humankind has been condemned eternally because we all fall short of His perfection. Because of that, in order for God to forgive any person, a provision had to be made for His justice to legally redeem any fallen person.
Redemption is “to free from debt”, “to buy back”, “to free from captivity by payment of ransom” (Babylon dictionary).
The Final Deliverance – on The Day of Redemption
About being apostate…. following “another gospel”
Do not attend apostate churches. They serve-up adulterated messages – not from God
There is no other saving Gospel
But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep,
when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away;
and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.
Why you are an apostate, not saved, still lost Excerpt: For this post: Let’s assume you are apostate.
I am writing this to you, an apostate Christian. I am concerned for you. You are part of a Counterfeit Kingdom.
And I am writing to apostates without the “Christian” label. And also… to you who are not even aware of a “falling away” in these End Times.
You may even be attending a church that is apostate — and not know it!
For this post: Let’s assume you are apostate. Do you want to know more about this biblical predicament you are in? This is for you:
Grace
The Gift by His precious undeserved grace…His wonderful amazing grace
Oh how marvelous – His grace towards us, sinners all.
We all need His righteousness
What Jesus gives to sinners like me and you
Freed from a righteous God Damn
Specific salvation parameters Jesus absolutely requires
Are you concerned about your relationship with Jesus?
God is asking you to repent…Accept Him and be born again, be made brand new inside.
Signs of an unrepentant heart…so we keep our unforgiven sin
Confession and Repentance See these references in one link or singly: 1 John 1:9, Romans 3:23, Romans 3:21-24
1 John 1:9
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].
Romans 3:23
“…since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God…”
Romans 3:21-24
21 But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets.
22 This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son].
There is no distinction,23 since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God,
and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] [a]grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
Waiting for “the real real” –Rev 21:4-5 Excerpt: Wanting what’s really real… Are you eagerly waiting for the appearance of Jesus? He brings “the real real”. There is altogether too much unreal, phony, fake. In this world we are all so broken, often not real.
The reality is we all are always incomplete while on this planet. That reality causes a lot of problems.
Trying to get it their way, people actually try to balance-out their broken practices by doing a few feeble good deeds. As if 3 good deeds negate 1 bad practice with God!
Like God is pleased with our vile ways – just because we are nice in other ways?! No. It does not work that way in the Courts of Heaven.
Waiting for the Rapture – mentioned throughout the New Testament
Waiting may get you beheaded – sooner than you think
Waiting for it Excerpt: Back in time, around 33 AD, Jesus promised He would return to earth. Christians have been waiting for Jesus so long – almost 2,000 years! What?! We so much want Jesus to return today. He says: Wait for it.
One nanosecond after the Rapture
Jesus Promises an End Time Rapture
What we know about the Rapture
Jesus returns to earth twice in the End Times…two returns to earth
Ready for the Rapture? Excerpt: If not, we can read the Bible and know – What is necessary to be saved. Jesus saves sinners – of all stripes and of all vile ways out there. Jesus saved me – forever. By faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ – I now stand sparkling clean before Him. That’s what Jesus does.
Escape all these things that are going to take place Excerpt:
The physician, Luke, records Jesus’ Parable of the Fig Tree, where Jesus says,
“Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they put out leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is near. 31 So you too, when you see these things [referring to verses 25-28] happening, know [without any doubt] that the kingdom of God is near….” – Luke 21:29-33 (partial quote)
“I will protect you from the time of testing” – Revelation 3:10-11
Heaven. What’s it going to be like?…In Spanish: El Cielo. ¿Cómo será?
This is bliss – being with God forever in Heaven
Interesting the way Hell will be eternal
What it is when Hell is yours…An eternal bad thing
Children’s Bible in a nutshell
Footnotes
Being God damned in hell is to be forever damned forever without God without joy without happiness devoid of God’s goodness without any good thing (since God is good) forever doomed in gloom defeated beaten always restless never satisfied never content never calm never relaxed never rested empty devoid of future good unfulfilled in everything living an existence compared to burning in a lake of fire and have no friends no friendship no spouse no love no good feelings no sexual arousal no sexual fulfillment only frustration only lust no blessings from God whatsoever forever no peace only sorrow only despair no hope no escape no second chance no forgiveness from God or anyone no pardon
– Source: Being God Damned.- – Matthew 13:18-23 NASB
18 “Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the [a]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.
This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [b]word, immediately he [c]falls away.
22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the [d]world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it [e]becomes unfruitful.
23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”
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