Sanctification

When Will Jesus Come Again?

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And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.      Luke 21:25-28

The prophets and the Psalms foretold the first coming of Jesus, Immanuel, and He came. His purpose and mission in coming the first time was to redeem unto Himself a people who were in need of redemption, a people He loves, despite the evil of their hearts, and hatred for Him. His mission was to go to Jerusalem and die on a cross.

That mission was a complete success. He died on the cross taking all the sins of the world; because He loves the world; and He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), and took the wrath of God for our sins (Isaiah 53:4-6), He died and was buried, then He arose and came out of the grave; and when we call on His name, turning from sin, we receive His Righteousness.

Since those Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled to the letter we can rest assured that the Old Testament prophecies concerning His second coming will be fulfilled as well. Since Jesus spoke the words above, and He is the Truth, the Way and the Life it should be doubly sure that He is coming again. But when?

We cannot know the day or the hour; but we can see from the word of Jesus that it will be during the ending of the worst times the earth has or ever will see.

The time Jesus speaks of is following a time of great tribulation on earth, that Jeremiah the prophet calls, “The time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), and the whole world turns against Israel, and tries to destroy them, and many people all around the world will be killed by plagues, fear, and earthquakes, violent storms and so much more.

My point today is, Jesus is coming again. He is coming again in power and great glory. You may not believe it, but do not be in doubt but believing that every word God has spoken in His word will come to pass just as He has said. Believe Him, so it will not be too late.

Faith and Duty

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And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said,
“If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, ‘Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea;’ and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, ‘Go and sit down to meat?’ And will not rather say unto him, ‘Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?’
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.'”          Luke 17:5-10

The disciples have come to Jesus asking Him “Increase our faith” (v, 5), and Jesus tells them the above words in part of His answer.

What can we learn from His lesson? First, we must have our faith solely in the One who gives it, and that is God through His Son Jesus. Second, we must go about our duty to Him with love and admiration without expecting anything except the pleasure of knowing Him and serving Him. Thirdly, we need to see ourselves as unworthy of the duty that we have, and be grateful for such a great privilege.

This goes back to loving God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strengths. When we truly love God we will love our neighbors; then we can have the faith that moves sycamine trees into the sea.

I guess I am not there yet; but I am learning.

The Light

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No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. Luke 11:33-36

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.” He went on to say in that same verse, “…He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  (John 8:12).

When we live for Christ His light burns in our lives and it cannot be hidden in a secret place or put under a basket, but out for all who see us will be able to see that the light of Jesus Christ is within us. There will be a single focus on the life in which the Light of Jesus Christ dwells. That single focus will be of loving, worshiping, honoring and adoring the Lord Jesus.

In First John the apostle wrote, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1:5).  When we walk in the Light of Christ we are “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), which will be visible as the world passes by.

Turn to the Light of Jesus Christ who died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. It is His light that exposes the evil of our hearts, and in the world, and sets the soul free for all who will come to Him.

Mystery of the Kingdom of God

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And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, He spake by a parable:
“A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.”
And when He had said these things, He cried,
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”                               Luke 8:4-8

I will not share any comment or commentary on this parable, but to ask, Do you have ears to hear? If you are without understanding or hearing it, then read the whole of Luke chapter 8.

The Blessed For the Sake of the Son of Man

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And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said,
“Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.”                                               Luke 6:20-23

The poor of whom Jesus is speaking are those who are poor in their view of themselves and their spiritual state, a broken and contrite heart is what God desires, and those are blessed.

It is also true of those who hunger for righteousness, those who weep because they see much wrong doing against what is holy, righteous and good, according to the Biblical definition; not the cultural or societal definition.

The world we live in, today’s culture and society hate holiness, righteousness, and the good defined by the word of God. They also hate all who stand on a Biblical world view. We can see many working against all that is godly.

What we are to do as the followers of Jesus Christ is to grow in our faith of Him, not follow the world’s way. Be faithful in teaching the word of God, be faithful in living the teachings of the word of God, and grow in our love for Him, also growing in our continued faith of His love, grace, mercy, holiness, righteousness and justness.

If you have slid backwards away from Him, now is the time to fall on your knees in repentance, and come back to faithful obedience and love for Him.

If you have never called out to Jesus Christ, He is the One who died for your sins on the cross, taking the place we all deserved, He died, was buried, and He rose again. Believe Him and receive forgiveness, and eternal life with Him.

Good Tidings… To All People

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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.”                                Luke 2:8-12

Yes! This is a message which is typical for the Christmas season. I know that it is not yet that season; at least for me it is not. Yet, this message is needed year round.

The message of God’s love for Adam’s race is never out of date, out of time, neither is it too early, ever. God’s message of love and grace is always right on time, and for every season.

The message we need to see today are the words of the angel of the Lord, “Fear not” is first spoken to the shepherds who were watching over their sheep. It is a message of “good tidings,” “great joy” and to “all people.”  What people?  All people.

The birth of Jesus Christ that evening so many years ago is still a message of salvation for all who will hear Him and answer His call, believing Him to the place of loving obedience.

The good news, “good tidings” is that Jesus Christ the Son of God, has come into the world to save us from our sins, through His death on the cross, His burial and resurrection. The “great joy” comes by hearing and believing Him. Who did He come to save? All people who will hear Him and believe.

Hypocrisy Addressed

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And He said unto them in His doctrine,
“Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.” Mark 12:38-40

Jesus addressing the issue of hypocrisy sees it in these “scribes” who were “keepers” of the law. Not meaning they practiced the law, but were the ones who kept it in tact in the writings. The scribes deemed their work so highly they demanded recognition for their labors.

They were good at their skill, yet did not practice what they wrote down. Those who demand recognition probably do not deserve it; because they do not practice what they teach.

Those who deserve recognition, of course are those who quietly go about their task, their duties, their labors without complaint, and without expecting anything more than the peace and contentment of a job well done.

Let us live for Christ by loving Him with all our souls, all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength; and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves (loving them and treating them the way we desire to be loved and treated).

Let us stop living for any recognition or praise of men; and be content and at peace with our calling in life through faith in Jesus Christ

The House of Prayer

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And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And He taught, saying unto them,
“Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?’ but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him: for they feared Him, because all the people was astonished at His doctrine. And when even was come, He went out of the city.       Mark 11:15-19

In the reading of Scripture it becomes quite apparent that there is a theme that comes “Leaping out of the pages,” and it is this; that God desires the world to know that He is the LORD (Jehovah or YaHWeH). It is also quite apparent that God, being holy and righteous and just is also loving and has shown the world His great love.

God is jealous to defend His holiness, and that is seen in the above text. The scene of the verses above is Jesus, for the second time cleansing the temple of avarice and greed being in His house. The first time of cleansing John writes,

And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables… John 2:15

The first time was near the beginning of His ministry; the second was within the final week of His life and work.

It is mentioned by Ezekiel over 60 times “You shall know (or They shall know) that I am the LORD”. The house that Jesus was cleansing the last time was when He left it never to return to it before He died for the sins of the world.

His dying on the cross for the sins of the world is a clear display of the love of God for all the people of the world. Jesus Christ took upon Himself all our sins, and bore the judgment of our sin from His Father for all who will call on His name. Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and He rose again.

Believe and call on His name.

Without Honor

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But Jesus said unto them,
“A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.”
And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching.                      Mark 6:4-6

There are preachers and pastors who do not deserve any honor. That is a sad thing to see and to say. Why would one not deserve honor?  Because they demand it.

I do not see myself as worthy of honor from the people God has given me to shepherd, to feed the word of God, and to lead them to still water, and green pastures. There are many men of God who do, simply because they are being faithful to preach the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and lead by example in a holy, and sanctified life which gives honor and glory to Christ.

God has given me the opportunity to pastor seven different churches in the past 37 years. The Church I am endeavoring to be the pastor of I have been there twice and is the Church I grew up in, was saved in, where I surrendered to preach and they licensed and ordained me to preach the gospel. I only pray that God bless this ministry with souls coming to faith in Jesus, and that will see the need in the Jenkins community for many to come to Jesus Christ.

Six of the churches I have endeavored to be the pastor of were and are in the State of Missouri. I said “were” because the first Church I was at closed its doors about one year after I resigned, and is no longer a church. That was one of the saddest things I heard; when they closed their doors.

One of the blessings I have received is to be the pastor of a Church in the State of California; a small town in the Cuyama Valley, about 150 or so miles north of Los Angeles. We were only there for 16 months, but I think I visited every one in town, and the people of the New Cuyama Valley Baptist Church showed my wife and I great love, honor and respect, and showed much respect for the preaching of God’s word.

I realize these words do not have much to do with the text above, but I tell it only to say, Show honor to whom honor is due, and that is your pastor. Many pastors labor in ministry from sunrise to sunset and even sometimes into the very early hours of the morning. One of the best ways to honor your pastor is to pray for him; he is praying for you.

It is much encouragement to a pastor to hear words of encouragement for his work in the study of God’s word, his preparation of sermons, and the step by step foot work of ministry to you and to others in your community. Honor those who preach God’s word being faithful to the text, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

On a Holy Day

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And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse Him. And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand,
“Stand forth.”
And He saith unto them,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?”
But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man,
“Stretch forth thine hand.”
And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.                             Mark 3:1-6

“Is it right to do good or evil on a holy day?” That should be the question for the law monger of the Christian era.

If the legalists of Jesus’s day were okay with delivering a sheep from the ditch (Matthew 12:10-14) on this holy day ( the Sabbath), then surely it would be right to deliver a man whose labor was hindered by a “withered hand”, and his right hand (Luke 6:6), which was the strong hand for most laborers.

Hardened hearts which is said in the above text blinds eyes to truth, and loves to accuse those who labor for the truth, righteousness and healing. Like they were doing to the Most Righteous One.

You see, for those who are truly righteous through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ every day is a holy day; and it is always good to do the right thing; even laboring for the benefit of others. Especially deliverance.

 

Going Preaching

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And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, “All men seek for Thee.” And He said unto them,
“Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.”
And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.                                    Mark 1:37-39

Everyone around had heard of Jesus performing miracles. They wanted to see miracles. Many of them wanted to receive a miracle. When He preached He spoke as One who had authority; and that impressed many, but not all of them.

Jesus had gone away from the people, even His disciples, to spend time with the Father in prayer. He felt the need for dedicated prayer and so should you and me.

His ministry was to preach the good news – the gospel – and the kingdom. It is more important to preach the word, the gospel, than to do miracles. We need to understand that the greatest miracle is when a  lost, sick and dying soul hears the voice of Jesus, they believe and are delivered from the bonds of sin and death. That was me. I heard and I believe.

That is why my ministry is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord has Need of Them

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And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them,
“Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, ‘The Lord hath need of them;’ and straightway he will send them.”
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
“Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”                           Matthew 21:1-5

When it comes to serving the Lord are we as willing as the owners of those donkeys to just let them go at the word of His followers?

Do I, do you believe what God is saying when He brings us a message of the fulfilling of God’s word, and for His will in our lives?

The owners of the donkeys freely believed and freely gave of their resources to fulfill God’s will and word.

I will commit to doing the same. May the word and will of God always move me toward Him, not away from Him.

The Ninety Nine and the One

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Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven. For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.
How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:10-14

I am grateful that I was that one. He came seeking me and found me, and put me on His shoulder and carried me back to the fold.

You may be that one He has come seeking. Believe Him, and He will deliver you.

Of Trees and Men

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Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.                  Matthew 12:33-37

Good trees produce good fruit. Bad trees or evil trees produce bad fruit. Men evil, and good produce fruit as well.

If a person’s heart is evil, out of that heart comes evil fruit. If a person’s heart is good they will produce good fruit.

The words we speak are coming as produce from the heart. What kind of words do we use? If we are always tearing down someone else, trying to make ourselves appear better to others then that is a fruit of evil. When we build others up over ourselves that is good fruit.

That good fruit comes from a heart that has been changed by the grace of God. That grace was put on display as Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross suffering for the sins of the world and He died there, was buried and He rose again justifying those who come to Him and changing our hearts to produce good fruit in life and words spoken.

If any be in Christ Jesus they are a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have been made new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Recognized Faith

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And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” And Jesus saith unto him,
“I will come and heal him.”
The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, ‘Go,’ and he goeth; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he cometh; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he doeth it.” When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed,
“Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Matthew 8:5-10

The Roman centurion in the text had a recognized faith. He had came seeking Jesus for the healing of his ailing, suffering servant. His faith was a very evident faith and a working faith.

How would my faith in Jesus Christ be recognized? How about yours? Genuine faith searches for Jesus, then genuine faith believes what Jesus says and goes believing He has done what He said.

Could Jesus or will Jesus be able to say of us, “I have not found so great faith…”?

Falsely Accused for Christ’s Sake

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Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.                                 Matthew 5:11-12

These words, spoken by Jesus, while teaching of His kingdom are more than reminders to us that in this world there are people who hate and despise Jesus, those who believe and follow Him, and even His word.

Let those of us who love Him keep in mind that we have His blessings on us no matter what form of persecution we face.

It is not persecution if we are in a trial for some wrong we have done. That is a matter of justice. Persecution is when we live for Christ Jesus and His word, and we are hated and despised for that.

Let us always be faithful to Jesus Christ, His word and to the work of His kingdom.

Gone Fishin’

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For the LORD taketh pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation. Psalm 149:4

After these things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed He Himself.
There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, “I go a fishing.” They say unto him, “We also go with thee.” They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.  But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.           John 21:1-4

 

 

 

He Girded Himself

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Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.  And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him;  Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God;  He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself.  John 13:1-4

How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee. Psalm 139:17-18

There are places in the Gospels where we see Jesus giving us a good example to follow. We see times also where the disciples asked for leading positions within the kingdom, and Jesus taught them about serving others.

We learn from Jesus here that He, the Son of God, the Son of Man, humble, gentle and lowly Jesus, laid aside His garments, took a towel, and girded Himself for what He was about to do. This took place the night before He would die on the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world; yours and mine.

Being anyone’s servant is frowned on in the day of 2021, but Jesus taught us that is the way we are to live, and the way we are to treat one another. He would wash His disciples feet, and dry them with that towel. That is servanthood.

May we, the redeemed of the Lord, submit ourselves daily to serving our Lord by serving one another, and our neighbor too. Why? Because we are the redeemed, we have been bought with a price by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection. He is also coming again. Let’s be ready through faithful service.

Jesus and His Father

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Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8

But Jesus answered them,
“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. John 5:17-18

One of the beliefs of the true Christian faith is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Son of Man; the God-Man. He is fully God and fully Man. Any departure from this is not Christian belief.

Even the Jews in verse 18 above knew what Jesus was saying, and they did not misinterpret His words, but were correct in what they said. Yet, they did not receive the message of Him or His word.

When we come to the realization of who Jesus genuinely and truly is, then we will either reject Him flat out, or we will trust Him completely.

I have received Him for who He really is; and He is calling You to Himself to receive cleansing and forgiveness of sin, and when You see Him for who He is He will save You and give You eternal life.

Getting Ready

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And He said unto them,
“When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing?”
And they said, “Nothing.” Then said He unto them,
“But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me, ‘And He was reckoned among the transgressors:’ for the things concerning Me have an end.”
And they said, “Lord, behold, here are two swords.” And He said unto them,
“It is enough.” Luke 22:35-38

There are some who want to give this as being an aggressive word from Jesus. It is not. He is warning His disciples and all His people that there was coming a time when we might need to defend ourselves; so be ready.

We are not to attack, whether by word, or by sword; but we can defend.

An even greater thing to glean from the words of Jesus is that we need to be strong and faithful to Him in every situation this world throws at us.

Neighbor in Need

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Then said He also to him that bade Him,
“When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12-14

Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy. Psalm 99:9

What Jesus is telling us in Luke 14 of course, should be obvious to us who are born again. Being a blessing to the neighbor in need does not chalk up points for salvation; it is a fruit of our salvation, our justification and forgiveness we have received.

In feeding those or aiding them in some other way we are in fact worshiping, exalting the LORD our God, and He is glorified.

Let us, the Redeemed of the Lord, say so by our words and works.

The Promises of GOD are Irrevocable

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My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and My covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
If his children forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments; if they break My statutes, and keep not My commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Nevertheless My lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips.
Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. Psalm 89:28-35

And He turned Him unto His disciples, and said privately,
“Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Luke 10:23-24

Blessed are those who see that the promises of God cannot be diminished, overcome, defeated, or destroyed. The word of the LORD stands sure forever.

That You May Know for Certain

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Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. Luke 1:1-4

Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth Thee daily.
Forget not the voice of Thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against Thee increaseth continually.  Psalm 74:22-23

The only way to know for certain of God, the power of His word, and the truth of who Jesus is is to read the Scriptures, hear the Scriptures, and believe  the Scriptures as the Spirit of God opens your eyes and your heart to who He is.

Jesus Christ died for your sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised again and came out of that stone cold grave alive; and He forever lives, and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords.  Call on His name today and be delivered from the darkness, and evil of your sin.

When the Sheep are Scattered

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And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them,
“All ye shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.”   Mark 14:26-28

Hear me, O LORD; for Thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies. And hide not Thy face from Thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.
Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.  Psalm 69:16-18

When the sheep are scattered because of death, sorrow, despair, doubt or fear; remember we will see Him again, and shall be as He is.

Your Faith

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Save me, O God, by Thy name, and judge me by Thy strength.
Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah. Psalm 54:1-3

But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth. And He said unto her,
“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Mark 5:33-34

It is only by the faith God gives us through His Son Jesus Christ that our lives are made whole. Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried carrying away all the garbage of our sin  and guilt and He left it behind when He rose from the grave.

Believe Him, and be made whole.