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"Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue" (Job 14:1-2).

"As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more (Ps. 103:15-16).

Life in this body will not endure for long. May we remember this - especially in our times of weakness.

"But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them" (Ps. 103:17-18).

Mercy exists for those who seek the Lord and keep His commandments. This why Solomon, after he had examined all the paths of a man's life and potential, said "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil" (Eccl. 12:13-14).

Seek the Lord, O my soul! While it is called today, for tomorrow is not promised, and we will be brought into judgment by the Judge of all the world.

"Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?" (1 Sam. 6:20). Those who know God, and are known by Him; those who obey His word and keep His commandment. It is they who shall be saved and able to stand before the presence of Almighty God.

Are you among those who will be able to stand before the Almighty? Do you know God? Have you obeyed "the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?" (2 Thess. 1:8). Time is only relevant while we are alive - and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

Not a scare tactic; an obvious truth known by all man. Are you ready to face the Lord in Judgment if He were to put an end to either your time or all time?

Let's take the time to study so that we might be prepared. I love you. God loves you infinitely more - and desires to judge in your favor, not against you.

God is not wicked. He is not as man is. He does not take delight in confusion. He makes His word plain. Man confuses it. God gives man reason in order to know. Man takes reason away that he may not know.

"Come now, and let us reason together" (Isa. 1:18). Reason. God is reasonable. His word can be known. Jesus shows us a glimpse of what reasoning through the Scripture looks like:

Satan: "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

Jesus: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Satan: "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus: "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"

Satan told Jesus to do something and Jesus replied that man lives on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, and He proved it in the next temptation:

Satan told Jesus to throw Himself off of the temple because of something written in the Scriptures. Did the Scriptures say what Satan said they said? Yep. What's the problem then? Why didn't Jesus just say "you're right" and jump off?

Because Jesus knew the Scriptures are supposed to be understood together, therefore He said "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"

Jesus shows us how to reason through the Scriptures. Scripture harmonizes. We are to take everything the Scripture teaches and harmonize it with everything else the Scripture teaches on a subject.

If I were to ask Jesus to tell me what I must do to be saved, He, no doubt would say

"It is written:

if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent

Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven

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"

Jesus would direct me to His word. What has it to say about my question? What must I do to be saved, Jesus?

Believe Jesus to be the son of God; repent of our sinful lifestyle; confess Jesus as the son of God among men; and be baptized for the remission of my sins.

At that point Jesus would add me to his church (Acts 2:41, 47) and His blood would continually cleanse me from my sins as I walked in the light and confessed them (1 Jn. 1:5-9)

Won't you listen to Jesus today? He is waiting today to add you to His body, to His bride, to forgive you of your sins, so you too can live with Him in eternity!

"Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts" (Heb. 4:7).

I love you. God loves you far more than I ever could.

A message of love to the hurting soul on behalf of the One who seeks to heal all of your pain and suffering.

A smile is only skin deep. Feelings are fleeting. The mind desires direction. The soul seeks instruction. The spirit yearns for guidance. The emptiness of the spiritually broken will only be filled with, and healed by the healing power of the Spirit of God in Christ. There is true peace and joy for those who really want it.

Salvation comes to those who seek the One who has invited those who are weary and heavy laden. His invitation is for you to come to him in order to receive rest for your soul, and, BTW, he is not far from each of us...but you have to want it more than what you have now...

I would love to help you!

Is God's love unconditional? Yes. God's love does not depend on circumstance. God is love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16). This is true from everlasting to everlasting.

Does God's love save us? No. God's love is what provided the means for salvation. Read. Your. Bible. For God SO loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...God's love drove Him to provide the means of Salvation - that is Jesus Christ.

Here is a simple question that will make it clear: Does God love everyone? Yes. Is everyone saved? No. Why?

Because God, in His wisdom and love, set a condition upon man: obedience.

Adam and Eve had this condition. They failed. God still loved them but they were condemned to separation and subject to eternal separation unless they returned in obedience to God.

The Israelites had this condition. They had a choice to obey or not. If they obeyed they would be saved. If they did not they would be condemned. Read Deuteronomy 28. Read Hebrews 4.

We have this condition. We can choose to obey the Gospel or not. God still loves us. In His love for mankind He will allow man to make his own decision. Many will walk the path to destruction. Few will walk the path to salvation. Read. Matthew 7. Read Second Peter 2. God is love.

God's love is unconditional - but His. Salvation. Is. Not!

Here is what God has set forth in His Divine Wisdom as instruction for our salvation: That we should believe Jesus to be the Son of God - believing Jesus' Word (Rom.10:9; Mk. 16:16), confess Him as the Son of God (Rom. 10:9), repent of our sins (Rom. 2:4; Acts 2:38; 17:30) and be baptized into His death to have the hope of being raised in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom. 6:1-5; Acts 2:38).

It is at this point - upon our obedience to the Gospel, having the blood of Jesus Christ applied to our account, that Jesus adds us to His one church (Acts 2:41, 47) - and we are IN CHRIST.

Once one is in Christ, we are to walk faithfully in "Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24).

I beg you as did Peter, Paul and the others who wrote by inspiration to obey the great and noble call of our Savior because God's love does not override justice and judgment. They are not mutually exclusive.

Let's prepare ourselves. Let us obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for He will be "revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:7-8).

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-15).

Are you ready to put that Truth to the test?

 
“The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (Jas. 3:6). It is because of this we are told to “be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Jas. 1:19). Why would James be so intent on exhorting us so? Earlier in the chapter, James reveals that we are going to face trials, and temptation. When trials come from life (and they will) they will test our patience. That is their design. We are to champion those trials and to “let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Jas. 1:4). When temptations come we are to endure them, for the Lord says “blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (Jas. 1:12).

Knowing this, if we are not careful we will react hastily and with wrath – usually (beginning) with our words. If you don’t think this is true, just look around at our society, at our neighborhoods, at our own families – at ourselves. Let us now notice a few Scriptures that admonish us of the dangers and folly of an uncontrolled tongue:

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Prov. 10:19).

“He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction” (Prov. 13:3).

“Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge” (Prov. 14:7).

“He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly” (Prov. 14:29).

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Prov. 16:32).

“He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive” (Prov. 17:27-28).

“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (Prov. 18:13).

“A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back” (Prov. 29:11).

“Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Prov. 29:20).

“Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Eccl. 5:2).

“Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Eccl. 7:9).

May these passages soak into my heart and yours, “for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (Jas. 1:20).

Where We Meet

16217 US Highway 6 & 19
Saegertown, PA 16433 
814-232-9207

When We Meet

Sunday: Bible Class: 10AM
              Worship:      11AM
                                  1PM (after a fellowship lunch break together) 
Wednesday: 6PM
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