'Earnestly contending for the faith,' (Jude 3 ) as well as sharing encouragement and hope through Scripture (Romans 15:4), and through the poems and posts that I write. One of many voices on the Internet warning Christians of the importance of testing the teachings of men (and women) against the unchanging truth of God's Word. (Acts 17:11) I 'warn you with tears' through much of what I write, to 'be on guard against the savage wolves that will come in among us who will distort the Word of God' as God's Word warns us about in Acts 20:26-31
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No matter what day Jesus Christ was actually born on, it was a miraculous event that brought the angels to fill the sky that starry night and to sing praises to God and announce that a Savior was born to us, bringing about the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophesies.
Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, willingly entered our sin-filled world to become the Savior of every person in the world. I am not presenting the false gospel of “universalism” to you in saying this. The gift of salvation is offered to ALL; for every single person who will choose to place their trust in His sinless life, His death on the cross in our place (when He willingly took upon Himself God’s full wrath that was intended for us because of our sins and our guilt that separate us from a thrice Holy God), and His glorious resurrection from the dead that brought about our justification. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Ju…/
If we place our trust in Jesus Christ alone and not in our own righteousness and good works that only appears as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) before a pure and Holy God, we will then be covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and our sins will be remembered no more (Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34, Micah 7:18,19, Romans 4:7,8, Hebrews 8:12), and they will be removed as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)
For those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation let’s make the most of this Christmas holiday season and proclaim the good news of the Biblical gospel to those who have yet to hear all that Jesus Christ has accomplished for us when He willingly agreed to be cloaked in human flesh and come to this earth to live the perfect, sinless life that we could never live, to become the perfect, spotless lamb of God to be sacrificed for every one of our sins and all of our guilt, as well. He took upon Himself all of our sins and guilt and the full wrath of God that was intended for us when He hung on the cross and died in our place for our sins. God the Father showed that He fully accepted His death as paying the FULL debt owed for our sins by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. This is the good news of the Biblical gospel!
By placing our trust in Jesus Christ alone and all that He did for us, we are receiving the free gift of salvation that is offered to ALL. There is no other way to be accepted by God and to enter heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)
“Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Believing in Jesus Christ and receiving Him, by placing your trust only in all that He already accomplished for us through His sinless life, His death in your place (and mine) on the cross, His burial, and glorious resurrection from the dead in bodily form on the third day for your forgiveness for sins, is the only way a person can become a child of God: (Verse 12)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.
11 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.
12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-14)
You can have assurance of eternal life –in heaven:
“We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:9-13)
If you have not done so already, I pray that the day will soon come when you will choose to place your complete trust in Jesus Christ’s once for all sacrifice as full payment for your sins so that you will receive God’s forgiveness for your sins, His peace that surpasses all human understanding, His never ending joy that will fill your heart even in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances, His wisdom to help you deal with the trials that may come your way as you walk down this road called life, and His strength that will be made perfect in your weakness. Remember, tomorrow is promised to no one; sadly, tomorrow will be too late for many people.
RELATED SCRIPTURES
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
“The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psalm 110:1)
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6,7)
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:1-12)
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:7-14)
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4,5)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16,17)
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12)
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5,6)
“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21)
“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 6:28,29)
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:8-19)
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A MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS SONG
Thank you very much for stopping by today.
God Bless You
Merry Christmas!
Mary K Dalke – Living4HisGlory – Reflecting His Glory Photography And Acrylic Art
Featured photo was found on Photobucket and I added the Scripture using their editing feature.
Here is a Playlist of some instrumental Christmas music for you in case you’d like to play some quiet music while you have guests over for your Christmas gatherings.
Thank you very much for stopping by today.
God Bless You
~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory – Reflecting His Glory Acrylic Art
~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory – Reflecting His Glory Photography And Acrylic Art
UPDATE:
I apologize for not writing anything lately, but I think that I have written enough here on my blog to help you all to realize the importance of reading and studying your Bible and testing everything in light of Scripture (Acts 17:11) because of all the many false teachings that are leading many Christians astray and are preventing others from hearing the true, Biblical gospel.
Lord willing, at some point next year, I do hope to do a series regarding Calvinism/Reformed Theology in light of Scripture, but since I still have not found a childcare job, due basically to this virus, I am pursuing a new venture into acrylic art and photography. Therefore I will be spending much of my time now painting and taking photographs instead of writing. I hope to sell many of my paintings and photos at art and craft fairs beginning in the spring of 2022 in the northwest suburbs of the Chicago area. I am also in the process of setting up my photography site so that people can purchase my photos as digital downloads.
My daughter will not only be spending Christmas Day with me but also she will be spending some time with me in January, so I won’t have any free time to write a lengthy post this Christmas season or any extra time to finish my last post in the series in which we have been comparing some of the teachings that can be found in the Catechism Of The Catholic Church to Scriptures in a Catholic New Testament Bible in order to show Catholics the importance of testing their teachings against the truth of God’s Word.
I do, however, want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation to those of you who stop by here from time to time to read my posts. Thank you so very much! I pray that all of you will be able to have a blessed, joyous, Christmas, and a safe, healthy, and Happy New Year.
Regardless of where you may live in this world, we are all living in the midst of very uncertain times. Jesus Christ is the only one who can bring us true hope and peace to carry us through whatever the future may hold for us in 2021.
I wanted to share this song with you that is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs because it beautifully expresses the true meaning of Christmas, as well as the good news of the Biblical gospel. If you have made the choice to place your complete trust in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and glorious resurrection from the dead in bodily form for the forgiveness of your sins, you already have the best gift that you could ever receive! If you haven’t, I pray that you will begin this New Year by doing so. Consider reading through the Gospel of John and other books in the New Testament so that you will come to know Jesus Christ and Biblical truth that can be found in God’s Word. The Old Testament is still relevant for us today because it shows the depravity of man, the faithfulness and mercy of God, the hopelessness that we all have without a Savior, the many prophecies that foretold the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the only one and the only way that God provided for us to save us from our sins, guilt, and shame so that we could have a relationship with Him.
I pray that the day will soon come when you will choose to place your trust in Jesus Christ’s once for all sacrifice as full payment for your sins so that you will receive His peace that surpasses all human understanding, His never ending joy that will fill your heart even in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances, His wisdom to help you deal with the trials that may come your way as you walk down this road called life, and His strength that will be made perfect in your weakness.
God Bless You
~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4,5
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16,17
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” John 14:6
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:5,6
UPDATE:
Lord willing, the final post in the series in which we have been comparing many of the teachings that can be found in the Catechism Of The Catholic Church to Scriptures in a Catholic New Testament Bible, will be coming hopefully by the end of this year. Otherwise I hope to finish it by the end of the second week of January 2021.
No matter what day Jesus was actually born on, Christmas is about the willingness of the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, to enter our sin-filled world and become one of us. He lived the perfect, sinless life that we could never live to one day become the Savior of the world. He knows what it’s like to be rejected, misunderstood, mocked, ridiculed, and hated.
Because all of us are sinners our sins have separated us from God the Father who is completely holy, righteous, and just. Sin had to be dealt with, and Jesus, being God cloaked in human flesh, was the only one who could save us. Jesus was sinless; He was the spotless Lamb of God who was sent to die in our place and to take upon Himself all of God’s wrath and punishment that was meant for us because of our sins. No matter how good we try to be and no matter how many good works we do, we will never be able to earn our salvation. We have all lied at one time or another, some of us have stolen things at some point in our lives, and there are others who have taken the life of someone, whether it be the life of an unborn child or the life of someone else out of anger, hatred, or revenge. God’s Word even says that to hate someone in our heart is like committing murder in our hearts! Others have committed adultery, if not by the very act, then by the lustful thoughts that we have allowed in our minds and have dwelt upon.
The joyously good news of Christmas and of the Biblical gospel is that a Savior was born unto us. This is God’s only provision that He has made to bring us into having a relationship with Him and to be able to become His child. Yes, God made all of us, but only those who choose to trust only and completely in the finished work of Jesus Christ’s dying in our place on the cross as being sufficient to pay the debt of our sins in full will truly and only then become His child, and only then will we have the assurance of eternity in heaven. (1 John 5:9-13)
God never made the place of eternal torment called hell for us. It was created for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41) Rejecting the only way that God has provided for us to have forgiveness for our sins, will result in a life that will never find forgiveness for sins, freedom from guilt, true peace, joy in the midst of sorrow, and His grace and strength at times when we will face overwhelmingly painful and grievous times in life. Choosing to trust in a religion or in anything else other than in Jesus Christ alone will lead to an eternity where one will be separated from God and His love; our own choice and rebellion will be the only reason that anyone will find themselves in the eternal torment of the fires of hell. That is the truth of the Biblical gospel that needs to be spoken, no matter how harsh or blunt that may sound to any of you. Why would anyone choose to reject the extent of the love that God showed us by sending His one and only Son into our sin-filled, rebellious world to one day die in our place and to gloriously arise from the dead in bodily form on the third day? Jesus Christ did that for me and for you.
Receiving this truth about Jesus Christ, which is the Biblical gospel — and the good news that the angels announces that silent, holy night — is the greatest gift you could ever receive! Read the Bible and discover this good news for yourself. Read the Gospel of John, the Book of Romans, Ephesians, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Hebrews (Chapters 7-10 especially).
The holiday season can be quite stressful and emotionally overwhelming for some of us as we reflect back on what was or what could have been, unfulfilled longings of our heart, regrets, sorrow due to the loss of precious loved ones, and the list could go on and on.
You may be one of many who have come to the conclusion that Christmas is basically a pagan holiday and you don’t want any part of it. Whether you choose to celebrate Christmas or not, I pray that you will make the most of this holiday season. As Christians we are always to be ready to proclaim the good news of the Biblical gospel and how true hope can be found in Jesus Christ, and this season presents us with many opportunities to do so by writing meaningful messages in Christmas cards, inviting a friend or family member to church for a Christmas play or a Christmas service where the gospel will be presented, and visiting with friends and family who have not yet come to realize the joy, peace, and freedom that can be found in Jesus Christ. What good is it if we know the truth and yet choose to remain silent and withdraw from those who need to hear it just because we have personally become convinced that Christmas is rooted in paganism and choose not to celebrate it?
No matter what day Jesus Christ was actually born on, the truth is that Jesus Christ chose to submit to His Father’s plan and willingly came into our sin-filled world. He was fully God yet fully human. Born of a virgin, born to live the perfect sinless life that we could never live so that He would become our substitute; Jesus willingly died in our place, taking upon Himself our sins, guilt, and shame, and the full wrath of God that we deserve for our sins. We are guilty, but Jesus Christ was sinless and innocent, and yet out of love and obedience and because sin must be dealt with, Jesus Christ took our punishment so that God’s wrath against sin would be satisfied.
I pray that this Christmas music will be soothing to your soul and that you would take time to reflect upon the truth that is presented in the Scriptures that I posted for you below. Christmas is not about a baby in a manger, but rather it is about a God who loves us so much that He would go to such an extent as to send His one and only Son — Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the second person in the Trinity — to die in our place so that our sin debt would be paid in full and a way would be made for us to have a relationship with Him. That, my dear reader, is true and amazing love that I pray you will not reject!
God’s gift of love through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, is the greatest gift that you could ever hope to receive! If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your forgiveness for sins, receive Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift, today!
SCRIPTURES FOR YOU TO REFLECT UPON
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21)
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:7-14)
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:8-19)
Jesus is the only way to God, and the only name we can call upon in order to be saved:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6)
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12)
We cannot find Jesus or forgiveness through any religion or by our good works or through any thing we may do:
“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21)
“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 6:28,29)
But keep in mind that even the demons believe; they know who Jesus is:
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24)
Only by believing in Him and receiving Jesus by placing your trust only in all that He accomplished for us through His sinless life, His death in your place on the cross, His burial, and glorious resurrection from the dead on the third day for your forgiveness for sins is the only way a person can become a child of God: (Verse 12)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. 11 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. 12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-14)
Jesus Christ is our only hope; our only Mediator:
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:1-6)
You can have assurance of eternal life:
“We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:9-13)
The simple but powerful gospel message that is meant for all who will choose to believe and receive it:
This is the season for giving gifts and watching the faces of your loved ones light up with joy as they open their gifts, family gatherings of loved ones whom you may not have seen for quite some time, turkey and all the trimmings, lots of cookies, pies, and cakes, and sharing your favorite memories of Christmas long ago. This is also the loneliest time of the year for many who no longer have that special someone in their lives. So, I pray that in the midst of your times of joyous celebrations with family and friends you will take some time to remember those who may be having a rather sad and lonely Christmas this year and that you will reach out and express your love to them in a special and meaningful way so they know they are loved and not forgotten.
For those of you who have received the greatest gift that one could possibly ever receive in their lifetime — salvation through simple faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God wrapped in human flesh, who willingly came into this sin-filled world to become the Savior of the world — I pray that you will share this joyously good news of the true reason for the season with those who have yet to hear it. Let your light shine to dispel the spiritual darkness that blinds your loved ones from seeing the truth. Share a Scripture or two in a Christmas card, or if you are blessed to actually be attending a church where the Biblical gospel is preached, invite someone to church with you for your Christmas service. Pray for God to give you wisdom and then speak His truth in love and gentleness when an opportunity arises. Remember, we are the ones who plant the seeds and water the seeds; it is God who gives the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-8) Be patient and fervently pray for your loved ones. Ultimately it is up to each individual to make the choice to place their trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation, but we must be faithful to share the truth with them so they know the greatest gift of sins forgiven, a guilty conscience washed clean, a genuine new start at life, and true peace and joy by having a personal relationship with the only true and Living God through Jesus Christ.
Here’s a Playlist of Christmas songs that I put together for you to enjoy this Christmas season:
God’s gift of love through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, is the greatest gift that you could ever hope to receive! If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your forgiveness for sins, receive Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift, today!
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15)
“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21)
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:7-14)
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:8-19)
Jesus is the only way to God, the only name we can call upon in order to be saved, and the only Mediator between God and man:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6)
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12)
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. ” (1 Timothy 2:5,6)
Is there evidence in history that God gave specific prophecies, hundreds of years in advance, about the Messiah?
Did the Jewish people recognize that they had been given special promises that pointed to a coming Messiah?
Do these prophecies point to Jesus or someone else?
Those are just a few of the questions that will be addressed in this video series entitled, Sixteen Prophecies That Prove Jesus Is The Messiah:
[Note: At the 1:32:24 minute mark in the video above, John Ankerberg mentions Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ and how horrific the scene of the whipping of Jesus Christ was, as well as His crucifixion, and how Dr. Darrell Bach was an advisor for the film. Nothing was mentioned about the unbiblical nature of the movie, and I just wanted to share with you that I am completely against that movie because of the many ways that Mel Gibson brought some of the unbiblical teachings of Catholicism into many of its scenes. I did not see the movie because of that, but I did see a video in which many examples were shown how Mel Gibson did that. I thought it was important to point that out to you so that you would not think that I was endorsing that movie, or that I am in agreement with what was presented in that movie.]
RELATED SCRIPTURES
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
“The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psalm 110:1)
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6,7)
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:1-12)
Desiring for God to use all that I have been through in life, I decided to start my first blog, living4hisglory.wordpress.com, in order to write poems about some of those experiences to bring glory to God, as well as to share them with others with the hope of encouraging those of you who have been broken and shattered by life's circumstances and hurt by those who were supposed to have loved you rather than abuse you in some way.
Also, because of some pastors and teachers today who seem to be abandoning Biblical Christianity and instead seem to be either seeking to build their own empires and promoting their own agendas, and at times even leading the people in their churches into unbiblical, 'mystical practices' without some people even realizing it, I saw the importance and necessity to begin writing poems and posts in order to inform Christians, as well as to make Christians realize the extreme importance of testing what people say (who claim to speak for God) against the truth of God's Word, (Acts 17:11) so that they will not be deceived. It has never been -- nor shall it ever be -- my intention to bash any particular pastor or teacher; my sole purpose in bringing attention to false teachings is to make Christians realize that we are to be followers of Jesus Christ, and not to be followers of any man (or woman) and his (or her) ministry. I hope that you will be blessed -- as well as challenged -- by the things that I write.
NOTE: COMMENTS ON ALL POSTS CLOSE ONE MONTH AFTER THEY ARE PUBLISHED.
Thank you for stopping by and taking time to read some of my posts and poems.
God Bless You
~Mary - Living4HisGlory
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary K. Dalke and Living4HisGlory Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
NOTE: Any adds that may be displayed on my blog have not been chosen or approved by me; I can't even see any adds that WordPress chooses to post here.
Desiring for God to use all that I have been through in life, I decided to start my first blog, living4hisglory.wordpress.com, in order to write poems about some of those experiences to bring glory to God, as well as to share them with others with the hope of encouraging those of you who have been broken and shattered by life's circumstances and hurt by those who were supposed to have loved you rather than abuse you in some way.
Also, because of some pastors and teachers today who seem to be abandoning Biblical Christianity and instead seem to be either seeking to build their own empires and promoting their own agendas, and at times even leading the people in their churches into unbiblical, 'mystical practices' without some people even realizing it, I saw the importance and necessity to begin writing poems and posts in order to inform Christians, as well as to make Christians realize the extreme importance of testing what people say (who claim to speak for God) against the truth of God's Word, (Acts 17:11) so that they will not be deceived. It has never been -- nor shall it ever be -- my intention to bash any particular pastor or teacher; my sole purpose in bringing attention to false teachings is to make Christians realize that we are to be followers of Jesus Christ, and not to be followers of any man (or woman) and his (or her) ministry. I hope that you will be blessed -- as well as challenged -- by the things that I write.
NOTE: COMMENTS ON ALL POSTS CLOSE ONE MONTH AFTER THEY ARE PUBLISHED.
Thank you for stopping by and taking time to read some of my posts and poems.
God Bless You
~Mary - Living4HisGlory
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mary K. Dalke and Living4HisGlory Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
NOTE: Any adds that may be displayed on my blog have not been chosen or approved by me; I can't even see any adds that WordPress chooses to post here.
Mary Dalke - Living4HisGlory
Living4HisGlory 