Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Nov 24th, 2012 Reflections – The Saturday Morning Post By Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! Do you know why your eyes are still filled with sleep when you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and then stumble into the bathroom? If you could focus and see yourself in the bathroom mirror, you would probably scream and give up the ghost for fright. Then you take a shower, steaming up the mirror, looking at yourself through a fog. So you get dressed, brush your teeth, and put on your Right-Guard (don’t forget the left side – remember, you haven’t had your coffee yet!). By this time, the fog on the mirror, and the sleep in your eyes has cleared. You can see your face. Not too bad. Then you go on your merry way. James said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (James 1:22-24) Sometimes we need to be reminded what manner of men we were. When we see a brother or sister fall, does pride lift us up to the point of kicking the fallen when they’re down? Or do we extend a hand to the fallen to help them back to their feet? I think about the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees threw her down at the foot of Jesus. They boldly, and un-compassionately told Jesus that the Law and Moses said she should be stoned. Then they asked for His opinion. Jesus agreed, but added a stipulation to their bloodthirsty plan: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

One by one, they dropped their stones and left. Jesus turned to the woman and asked, “…Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

Seeing the eyes of the condemning mob, and then looking into the forgiving eyes of the Saviour must have been unforgettable. What do you see when you look into the mirror? Do you see the face of Jesus, or the face of a Pharisee? As the days draw closer to his demise, the devil is working harder to cause people to stumble and fall. The devil uses others too. He makes sure there is someone near to do the kicking. Remember Jesus’ story of the Pharisee, and the publican? Luke 18: 10-14 says: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

The Bible is the greatest mirror that you can look in . The Bible will show you exactly how you look. There is one passage in the Bible that would make me cringe as I read it. It lists seven abominations which the Lord hates: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. These are listed in Proverbs 6, verses 17 through 19. You see, I’m guilty of all these abominations. When I got saved, I did not cringe at the reading of these anymore. I look at them now as a reminder of mire that the Lord lifted me up from. “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”, Jesus says. Shouldn’t we show the same compassion towards others?

If we are truthful with ourselves, we know that we are no better than the guy standing next to us. As God put on flesh, let us put on Jesus, and show His compassion to others.

Peace! (Ephesians 4:21-32).

Nov 18th, 2012 They’re All Precious In His Sight

Today’s Passages –Acts 9 – 10;

Nov 17th, 2012 Don’t Lose Your Head – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good Morning! It would be even better if we woke up in Heaven this morning. But it is a day that the Lord made: rejoice and be glad in it. Revelation 20:4 tells us, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

During the Great Tribulation, if you take a stand for Jesus, you will be beheaded. Which makes sense when you consider the violence in the world today. Governments will look for a more ‘humane’ form of execution. The guillotine is a good choice. Think about it. The executioner pulls the rope, the blade falls, and your spinal cord is severed almost instantly. No time to feel the pain as you are thrust into the presence of the Lord. A great way for Antichrist to get rid of those pesky Christians. But you don’t have to lose your head.

How did we get here? Let me show you a verse from Ezekiel…

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13).

When Gog and Magog invade Israel, the young lions are going to protest. Many Bible scholars believe that the young lions refer to the United States, Australia, and any other country that came out of England, whose symbol is the lion. The Socialist President-elect wants to cut military spending. This is what we may be reduced to: protesting with no show of might. Again, how did we get here, a nation built on the Word of God? Congress would pray and ask God for guidance at the beginning of every session. All these prayers have been recorded in the minutes of the meetings. There were great revivals across our great land. Then we got full of ourselves and turned our backs on God. We started going to Uncle Sam for help instead of God. The government will supply our every need – who needs God? We do! Today everyone is turning to the government for a free handout. But you don’t have to lose your head.

Identity theft is on the rise. But if you have a RFID chip implanted under the skin of your right hand or in your forehead, you won’t have to worry about being robbed of your identity, your cash, your credit cards, anything. Big government can fix it, and make it all better. All you need do is receive the mark. Just a small chip, the size of a grain of rice. It won’t hurt a bit.

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brim‐stone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11)

But you don’t have to lose your head. There is only one real choice that leads to life: Jesus. You can take the mark and not lose your head, but death and the lake of fire is where you will end up. If you refuse the mark, then you will lose your head. But you don’t have to lose your head. Before all this happens the Lord will return in the air and receive His church. 1Thessalonians 4:15-18 says, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

I feel sorry for those who do not believe in the rapture of the church. How can we comfort someone with these words if they don’t believe them. But you don’t have to lose your head. All you need do is know that you are a sinner (Romans 5:12, 3:10 & 23). Know that you cannot save yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9). Know Jesus paid the price to get you into Heaven (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). Then call on Him and ask Him to forgive you and save you. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

You don’t have to lose your head.

Peace! (Philippians 2:5-11)

Nov 10th, 2012 Truth – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Psalm 46 says, “To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” (Psalm 46).

Good morning. With all the lies in the world, isn’t it great to have TRUTH you can stand on? The Word of God is true, and will never change. If you could change the truth, it would no longer be truth, but lies. Evolution is taught in schools as the truth. Does that make it true? In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and everything else. No, a little dust-ball suddenly appeared and started spinning around the universe. Faster and faster the dust-ball spun, collecting more dust on it’s travels. The spinning dust-ball compacted itself tighter and tighter. Then BANG! It exploded and the planets were formed. Which is true? I heard somebody say this week, “What is truth for one person, may not be truth for another.”

Is that true? It may be a politically correct statement, but it is not the truth. Truth will always be true no matter what. Anything that is not truth is a lie. Malachi 3:6 tells us, “…I am the LORD, I change not…”

Because God doesn’t change, His Words will not change. They are true Words which will endure for all time. That’s what I like about Psalm 46. God is in control, and we have His truth that we can stand on.

God is our Refuge. I doesn’t matter if evil men try to push their Socialism, and take away our freedom, there is freedom in God. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:6). Run to God. God is our refuge.

God is our Strength. Can we survive the lose of a job? …$8.00 a gallon for gas? …the rising cost of living? Yes we can! Because I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Phillippians 4:13). God is our strength.

God is our Help. What will happen when the powers-that-be come after you for speaking the truth, and not being politically correct? “And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.” (Psalm 37:40). God is our help.

We can stand firmly on His truth, and He will keep us from falling.

Peace. (Psalm 37:37)

Nov 3rd, 2012 We’ve Created A Monster – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning? Remember: “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

I’ve determined to rejoice and be glad no matter what this Tuesday may bring. It’s hard though, to watch your country – a country founded on God’s Word – be flushed down the tubes by those who embrace godless socialism and hate America.

God gave these words to Solomon to record for us. The first four verses of Proverbs 3 read: “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”

And we became a great nation, one blessed by God and loved by man. What happened? In 1962, the Supreme Court removed public prayer from our schools. In 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion. Just a short twelve years ago, copies of the Ten Commandments were ordered removed from courthouses and other government buildings. The godless socialists want you to forget about God. They want you to rely on Big Brother to supply your every need, not God. As individuals we need to do what we need to do: if you’re not registered to vote, get registered. Follow verses 5 through 10 of Proverbs 3: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Jesus said, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45)

Is it raining?

Peace. (Proverbs 3:6)

Oct 30th, 2012 THE STUDY OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE – BY CAMILLE STAHL

The Woman Who Left Her Water Pot

The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?     (John 4:28-29)

Back in John 4:7 we are introduced to a unnamed woman who is going about her daily chores serving her family. She was a Samaritan. She was part of a people who had been resettled in the land, moved by the King of Assyria. They had been taught and partially accepted the faith of Israel, but held onto their old pagan religions also. (see II Kings 17:24-41). Traveling from Judea to Galilee, Jesus and His followers pass through Samaria. While there Jesus sat by a well while His disciples went to buy food. When the woman came to the well, Jesus asked her for a drink. She was shocked that a Jewish man talked to her as the Jews wanted no part of the Samaritans. Jesus began to talk to her about eternal life and her state of condition (John 4:13-18). We see in verse 27, that the disciples came back from shopping and in verse 28 the woman left her waterpot to tell the men.

I would like to focus on verse 28 “then left her waterpot”. Lets look at some reasons why she left her water pot.

Maybe because she felt uncomfortable about the discourse between Jesus and the disciples. Maybe because Jesus’ food was there and she wanted Him to enjoy His dinner. Maybe because she was so excited about what just happened that the water pot would hinder her from getting back to the city to tell others.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)

To be saved we must realize we are sinners, Jesus pointed out the woman’s sins. But as we grow in our Christian life, we learn of the weights that hold us from serving to our full potential. A weight is all inordinate affection and concern for the body, and the present life and world. Inordinate care for the present life, or fondness for it, is a dead weight upon the soul, that pulls it down when it should ascend upwards, and pulls it back when it should press forward; it makes duty and difficulties harder and heavier than they would be. A stumbling block to us, so to speak.

What is your weight? What is holding you back or pulling you down from serving the Lord fully? Finances? Family? Jobs…….? These are not bad things in themselves, but they become weights if they keep up from serving Him. The woman realized the water pot would slow her down from getting back to the city to tell others about Jesus. Her excitement about Jesus was more then the needs of herself and her family. She knew she could come back to get the water, but did not want to waist time to tell others about Jesus. Oh that we all had that zeal. I ask again, what is your weight? Lets band together and pray to ask God to show us our weights. Lets beg God to lead us to a lost “Samaritan”.

Thank You

I John 5:13

Oct 27th, 2012 Fire – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! We had a great time last night. Most went on the hayride, a few went through the corn maze, but I was content to sit on a bale of hay with Camille. It was very relaxing. We were just sitting there talking, and watching the fire. It’s really beautiful to look at, the warm glow, and the sparks flying upward into the night. And the fire was nice too. Fire gives us light to see. Fire gives us heat to keep us warm in the cold night air. Do you know what else fire is good for? COOKING! I keep looking in the flea markets for an inexpensive cast-iron pot. I want to try making a batch of chili, cooked in an open fire. Chili cooked in an open fire is supposed to taste very good. Anything cooked by an open fire is good. Toasted marshmallows, hot dogs, and S’mores. There are many good uses for fire. And as with any good uses there are also many bad uses.

Smokers who smoke while they drive. They take their finished cigarette, and flip it out the window. The sparks fly as it bounces to the edge of the road still burning. The next thing you know, millions of acres are destroyed across America.

A cow had knocking over a lantern was blamed for the Great Chicago Fire.

300 people died, and 100,000 were left homeless.

Christians, who would not deny Jesus as their Saviour, were chained to a stake and burned alive by unbelievers.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, tried to burn three Hebrew men in a firey furnace because they would not bow down to the golden idol he had set up. He even made the fire as hot as he could get it. The flames of that furnace were so hot, that it killed the men who were going to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the flames. But Jesus was looking out for His 3 children here. Daniel chapter 3 says: “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” (Daniel 3:23-27)

Whenever you are around fire, your clothes are going to smell like smoke. The clothes that the 3 Hebrew men were wearing did not smell like smoke. Jesus protected them 100%.

I mentioned earlier, the Great Chicago Fire in which 300 people died. How many of those 300 are still burning today, because they did not have the protection of Jesus? The fire started around 9 PM on Sunday, October 8th, 1871. D. L. Moody had finished preaching for the day. There was one thing he forgot to do at the end of his service. It was something he would always regret, and he would never neglect to do it in any of his future services. What did he not do?

He did not give the people an invitation to receive Jesus as Saviour.

How many of those 300 were at his church service that night and did not hear the Gospel? How many of those 300 died in the flames, only to open their eyes in the flames of hell? We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Our end here on earth could come tonight. Our only hope for protection from the fire is the Lord Jesus Christ.

2000 years ago, He left His home in heaven and came to earth.

2000 years ago, He shed His blood to pay for our sins: the sins of the world.

2000 years ago, He was buried then 3 days later He rose from the dead, proving that He was who He said He was: God the Son.

John the Baptist had introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. It doesn’t matter what you have done, the shed blood of Jesus cleanses us from from all sin. Ever tell a lie? It doesn’t matter if it was a big lie, or a little white lie. If it isn’t the truth, then it’s a lie. Jesus said, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

Twice in Ezekiel chapter 18, God warns: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The Bible also tells us that there is none righteous, no not one, and for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all sinners: we have all done wrong. And the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Just be honest with God. He already knows what sins you have committed yesterday, and today. He also already knows what sins you will commit tomorrow. Be honest with Him, and tell Him you have done wrong. Ask Him to forgive you and He will. The Bible also says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. You can survive the fire and come out smelling smoke-free as Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did.

Peace! (John 6:37-40)

Oct 13th, 2012 Every Thing’s OK – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! I was reading the news last week, when I came to this artical about a teenage girl who was ridiculed for wearing a Romney/Ryan t-shirt to school. What was scary is that the article mentioned what the teacher had told this sixteen-year-old student, Samantha Pawlucy. Student Samantha Pawlucy, “said that during class, Gaymon pointed out the shirt, questioned why she was wearing it and told her to leave the classroom. Gaymon, Pawlucy said, said it was a “Democratic” school and compared it to wearing a “KKK” shirt.” (Teen Returns to School After Romney T-Shirt Flap – Associated Press Philadelphia October 9, 2012).

The scary part was that the teacher had allegedly said this was a “Democratic” school. Call me naive, but I had always believed that schools should teach a student HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Immediately a question was answered for me from 2Thessalonians chapter 2.

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.” (2Thessalonians 2)

My questions have always been: “What kind of lie?”, and “How could the world believe it?”

It all starts with our children: America’s future generations. Let me give you a couple of quotes…

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” – Adolph Hitler, Dictator of Nazi Germany, and murderer of 6 million Jews.

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth’s the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” – Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda for Nazi Germany, and one of Adolph Hitlers closest associates.

Don’t think it could happen? Think about the Theory of Evolution, how it became the fact taught in schools today. The teachers taught evolution as fact for years, and now everyone believes the lie. But there is a two-fold plan of action we can take, and should take. The plan starts with 2Chronicles 7:14…

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Fess up to it: this mess is our fault. We dropped the ball. We’ve allowed a hand full of atheists to speak what the fool had said in his heart – that there is no God. And the people believed the lie. Tell God that you accept the responsibility of dropping the ball, ask His forgiveness. Then ask Him what you can do in picking up the dropped ball again. The second part of the plan is the truth. Joseph Goebbels said in his quote that the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie. If you look at how Jesus responded to the tempting by the devil, for every one of the devil’s temptations, Jesus responded with the TRUTH of God’s Word. We need to do the same.

Jesus said, “…I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6); “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32).

Can we believe a lie?

“Yes We Can.”

At what cost are we going to believe a lie? Our freedom?

America needs to get back to it’s Christian roots. Until our government changes it, we a still a nation whose laws and workings are based on the Holy Bible: we are a Christian nation.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Peace! (John 8:32)

Oct 6th, 2012 Not Guilty – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! Are you glad you’re saved? Whenever I read Proverbs chapter 6, I always thank the Lord for my salvation. You see, there are three verses in this chapter that would make me cringe. Those verses are Proverbs 6:17 through 19. They contain a list of our attributes that the Lord hates. God’s Word says: “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Before July 23, 1995, I was not 100% sure that when I died I would go to heaven. Every time the sixth day of the month would roll around, I would dread reading this chapter. If I was standing before a judge, and the charges were read, it would have sounded a little like this…

“You have been found guilty of the following charges. Of having a proud look – GUILTY! Of having a lying tongue – GUILTY! Of having hands that shed innocent blood – GUILTY! Of having a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations – GUILTY! Of having feet that are swift in running to mischief – GUILTY! Of being a false witness – GUILTY! And of sowing discord umong the brethren – GUILTY!”

Do those verses in Proverbs chapter 6 make you cringe whenever you read them? Are you 100% sure that you are going to heaven? Let me give you the best advise ever given to me. This advice came from Dr. Bob Gray, at the invitation after the evening service on July 23, 1995. I had asked him a question about my salvation. The simple advice he gave me has stuck with me all these years. This is what Dr. Gray told me. He said, “I can’t tell you whether or not you are saved, but if you are not 100% sure, you need to take care of it now.”

And that’s what I did. Our salvation, where we will spend eternity is something we all need to take care of. Twice in Ezekiel chapter 18, God plainly tells us that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. And we all have sinned. Romans 3:10 and 3:23 tell us this: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” and “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”

And then we have to deal with 1John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

This just means that if you say you are not a sinner, you just called the only Righteous, True, and Holy God, a liar. That would make you the liar. Revelation 21: 8 tells us, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

But Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins, including the sin of telling lies. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

And this is the promise that Jesus gives us… “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40).

You are not guaranteed tomorrow. The Bible tells us that now is the time of salvation (2Corinthians 6:2). Tomorrow may be too late to call on the name of the Lord and ask His forgiveness. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

Then, when the devil points his crooked finger at you, and with a sinister voice cries, “Guilty! Guilty!”; you can here Jesus say, “My blood paid for that.”

Then God the Father will pronounce your sentence: “Not guilty. Enter thou into the the joy of thy Lord!”

Peace. (2 Corinthians 5:17)