KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE
The Bible says:
“According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Hallelujah! (1Thessalonians 4: 15-17) NIV
Note: Some of us have family members and friends that have fallen asleep (who have died) in the Lord. This is a wonderful and exciting promise that the Lord has given for all of us who believe in Him. We will be reunited with our loved ones in Heaven someday... We won’t be separated from them ever again! What a glorious day that will be. To see Our Lord and Savior, face to face, our families and friends... I can't wait! I’m also looking forward to meeting some of you on that day face to face.
This is why we have to be obedient to Our Lord’s commands. We have our families and friends waiting for us. This is one of the many reasons, we cannot let anything or anyone derail us from the path that the Lord teaches us to stay on... "Fight the good fight of faith." (1 Timothy 6: 12)
The Bible says:
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-11)
The Lord is near, my friends. We must obey the Lord, study His word and "DO" what it says. (James 1:22)
This is what the Word of the Lord says:
"What good is it, my brothers; if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “ Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by actions, is dead."(James 2:14-17)
"As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16)
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith… (Hebrews 12:2)
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
Note: We have all heard the phrase “ No Pain, No Gain” The Lord never said it was going to be easy. The Christian life is one of self-discipline and self-denial. As a matter of fact Jesus said as they treated me they would treat you. (John 15:18-21) "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9) We live in this world but we are not of this world. Jesus said that he went to prepare a place for us and He also said that He would come back for us. (John 14:2-3) This world is not our home, in no shape or form should we submit to it. We should not set our minds in the things of this world but in heavenly things, our citizenship is in heaven. (Colossians 3:2, Philippians 3:20)
God has given us a gleam into the future… What will it be like on that glorious day. In the book of Revelation 21:1-7 it says:
“ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “ Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (I don’t know about you but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me… Sounds like an amazing place!!) He who was seated on the throne said, “ I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
Note: These are the rewards for all of those that lived a life here on earth following the Lord and obeying His commands BUT for those WHO DID NOT believed in Jesus Christ, WHO DID NOT follow or obeyed Him… Read what the word of the Lord says:
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” (Revelation 21:8)
“IF ANYYONE'S" name was NOT found written in the book of life, he was THROWN into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15)
“NOTHING" impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (Revelation 2:7)
Note: Be faithful to the Lord, trust Him, follow Him, and obey Him. He’s coming soon!… "However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Keep your eyes on the prize, my friends. Don’t look to see who’s in front of you or who’s behind you… Keep your eyes on the finish line, which is Jesus Christ our Lord.. With Jesus by your side, you cannot lose!
Jesus says:
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Revelation 3:11) Jesus says, Our crowns can be taken away… So lets make sure that "NO ONE" takes it from us…Be an overcomer in Jesus name!
If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and would like to have a relationship with Him… All you have to do is believe in Him, invite Jesus into your heart, ask Him to forgive you of all your sins and He’ll take care of the rest. The Bible says: “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Here is a sample prayer that you can say to invite Jesus into your life. As long as it comes from your heart and you mean it… That’s really all that matters:
“Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. Thank you for sacrificing Your life to save me, then rising to life again that I might live forever in Heaven with You. I turn from my sins and invite You into my life. Help me to live in a way that pleases You, for whatever time You give me here on earth”. Amen
If you just invited Jesus into your heart, God bless you and welcome to God’s family. The Holy Scriptures says... FOR, “EVERYONE" who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Friday, March 5, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
IS THERE A HELL?
IS THERE A HELL?
Some may say … I don’t believe that there’s a "HELL". Some may think that when a person dies they automatically go to heaven and there are still some that believe when we die… We just reincarnate or turn into some form of energy.
According to the Bible, "HELL" does exist and is a "REAL" place. It is an eternal place of torment, and unimaginable pain and suffering. Let us see what the Lord Jesus says about this dreadful place…
The Rich Man and Lazarus:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire’.
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, “Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, “ They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘ If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” (Luke 16:19-31)
Note: According to the Lord Jesus this place called "HELL" is a real place. A place assigned for the wicked and the unrighteous. This is a place that once you go there you won’t be let out for "Good Behavior"; you won’t be let out on an "Ankle Bracelet" and serve the rest of your time at home. Once you go there, you’re staying there! “ NO WAY OUT”! Hell is just the "Pre-Trial"; the "Lake Of Fire" is the "Eternal Sentence". The Bible says: "The Lake Of Fire" is the second death." (Watch This…Don’t Miss It!) If anyone’s name "WAS NOT" found written in the book of life, "HE WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.” (Revelation 20:14-15)
The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to his father’s house and warned his brothers of that agonizing place called hell, where he was in terrible torment and this is what the rich man said… “But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." (Luke 16:27, 30)
REALLY???… Their was "ONE" that rose from the dead and people till this day "DO NOT" believe in Him!! Question: Who is this who died and rose from the dead? Answer: The man they called "Jesus Christ"!! The Bible says: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21)
In the book of Luke we read of this prophecy fulfilled… “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “ Why do you look for the living among the dead? (Watch what they tell the women…Don’t Miss It!!) HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: “ The Son Of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” (Luke 24:1-7)
Note: Jesus has risen from the dead, just like He told his disciples that He would!! And still people do not believe in Him!!… So father Abraham is absolutely right, in saying… “If they "DO NOT" listen to Moses and the Prophets, they "WILL NOT" be convinced "EVEN" if someone "RISES" from the "DEAD." (Luke 16:31)
Some say, “Only God Can Judge Me"! That day will soon come when God will do just that..."I will deal with them according to their conduct, and "BY THEIR OWN STANDARDS" I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 7:27)
Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, "WHOEVER" hears my word and "BELIEVES" him who sent me "HAS" eternal life and "WILL NOT" be condemned; he has crossed OVER from "DEATH to LIFE". “ Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, (Watch This...Don't Miss It!) and those who have "DONE"evil will rise to be "CONDEMNED.” (John Ch.5:24, 28-29, Ezekiel 24:15)
Note: When a person dies according to what the Lord Jesus said, We can only be escorted to two places… "HEAVEN or HELL". If God chose to tell this story then we can be certain that there is a "Rich Man" in hell right now and that "Lazarus" is in heaven just as He said. God is warning all of us that if we don’t turn from our sins and we willfully reject "His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior"… We will have the same fate as the “Rich Man”. Only in accepting and inviting the Lord Jesus Christ to be our Savior can we escape this dreadful place called "HELL". According to the Bible… When people die, they will not automatically go to heaven, turn into another life form or just hang around us to watch over us. (The devil puts those thoughts in the minds of men to keep them from the plan of salvation, which is found in Jesus Christ alone!)
The Bible says:
Jesus answered, “ I am the way and the truth and the life. (Watch This… Don’t Miss It!!) "NO ONE"comes to the Father except "THROUGH ME". (John 14:6) Let me give you another Scripture … Jesus says: “ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved ” (John 10:9) Jesus is the only way to heaven; there is "NO OTHER WAY IN"!! He is the man at the door, if you don’t know the man at the door of heaven … You’re "NOT" getting in!
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and turned from your sins… Living a devoted, dedicated, committed lifestyle to our Creator then Heaven is going to be your home. If you have lived as an "Enemy" of the cross and you have sneered at the gift that God has given to the world through "His Son Jesus Christ" then Hell will be your home. The life you lived here on this earth and the choices you made here on earth will either lead you to "Heaven" with God or separated from Him for all eternity in "Hell" and then to the "Lake Of Fire". The choice is always ours to make!
The Apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation word for word what He was told and shown. This is what John wrote:
“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, "BUT ONLY" those whose names are written in the "Lamb’s Book Of Life” (Revelation 21:27) If your name is not in the Lamb’s book of life… You're not getting into Heaven.
If you want to change the direction in which your life is going, then, now is the time to do so, "DO NOT" wait, tomorrow may be too late! My friends, it is not God’s will to condemn us, He wants to save us. (Luke 19:10, John 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:9) The Bible says: “That if you confess with your mouth “ Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “ Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (Watch This … Don’t Miss It!) For, “EVERYONE" who calls on the name of the Lord "WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:9-12 &13)
Note: "NOT" some will be saved, but “EVERYONE" who calls on the name of the Lord” is what The Holy Scriptures says! That’s God’s guarantee to all of us. The Bible says, that… “GOD IS NOT" a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill”? (Numbers 23:19) So we can rest assured that God will keep ALL His promises!
If Heaven is the place that someday you want to call your home, then Jesus is the "ONLY" way to get there. All you have to do is invite Him into your life, ask Him to forgive you of all your sins and He’ll gladly come in and transform your life from the inside out. (Revelation 3:20) This is why the Lord Jesus came to the world, to save us from our sins and to someday take us to where He is…
Jesus says:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM. (John 14:1-3) JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR US! We have Jesus word on this promise. I know that, what Jesus has spoken "WILL HAPPEN" just as He said it will. (Matthew 24:35) If we obey and follow the Lord like He commands, then, this promise will be ours for sure. (John 14:15, Ch.15: 10)
“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)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS!
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Some may say … I don’t believe that there’s a "HELL". Some may think that when a person dies they automatically go to heaven and there are still some that believe when we die… We just reincarnate or turn into some form of energy.
According to the Bible, "HELL" does exist and is a "REAL" place. It is an eternal place of torment, and unimaginable pain and suffering. Let us see what the Lord Jesus says about this dreadful place…
The Rich Man and Lazarus:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire’.
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, “Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, “ They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘ If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” (Luke 16:19-31)
Note: According to the Lord Jesus this place called "HELL" is a real place. A place assigned for the wicked and the unrighteous. This is a place that once you go there you won’t be let out for "Good Behavior"; you won’t be let out on an "Ankle Bracelet" and serve the rest of your time at home. Once you go there, you’re staying there! “ NO WAY OUT”! Hell is just the "Pre-Trial"; the "Lake Of Fire" is the "Eternal Sentence". The Bible says: "The Lake Of Fire" is the second death." (Watch This…Don’t Miss It!) If anyone’s name "WAS NOT" found written in the book of life, "HE WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.” (Revelation 20:14-15)
The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to his father’s house and warned his brothers of that agonizing place called hell, where he was in terrible torment and this is what the rich man said… “But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." (Luke 16:27, 30)
REALLY???… Their was "ONE" that rose from the dead and people till this day "DO NOT" believe in Him!! Question: Who is this who died and rose from the dead? Answer: The man they called "Jesus Christ"!! The Bible says: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21)
In the book of Luke we read of this prophecy fulfilled… “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “ Why do you look for the living among the dead? (Watch what they tell the women…Don’t Miss It!!) HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: “ The Son Of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” (Luke 24:1-7)
Note: Jesus has risen from the dead, just like He told his disciples that He would!! And still people do not believe in Him!!… So father Abraham is absolutely right, in saying… “If they "DO NOT" listen to Moses and the Prophets, they "WILL NOT" be convinced "EVEN" if someone "RISES" from the "DEAD." (Luke 16:31)
Some say, “Only God Can Judge Me"! That day will soon come when God will do just that..."I will deal with them according to their conduct, and "BY THEIR OWN STANDARDS" I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 7:27)
Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, "WHOEVER" hears my word and "BELIEVES" him who sent me "HAS" eternal life and "WILL NOT" be condemned; he has crossed OVER from "DEATH to LIFE". “ Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, (Watch This...Don't Miss It!) and those who have "DONE"evil will rise to be "CONDEMNED.” (John Ch.5:24, 28-29, Ezekiel 24:15)
Note: When a person dies according to what the Lord Jesus said, We can only be escorted to two places… "HEAVEN or HELL". If God chose to tell this story then we can be certain that there is a "Rich Man" in hell right now and that "Lazarus" is in heaven just as He said. God is warning all of us that if we don’t turn from our sins and we willfully reject "His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior"… We will have the same fate as the “Rich Man”. Only in accepting and inviting the Lord Jesus Christ to be our Savior can we escape this dreadful place called "HELL". According to the Bible… When people die, they will not automatically go to heaven, turn into another life form or just hang around us to watch over us. (The devil puts those thoughts in the minds of men to keep them from the plan of salvation, which is found in Jesus Christ alone!)
The Bible says:
Jesus answered, “ I am the way and the truth and the life. (Watch This… Don’t Miss It!!) "NO ONE"comes to the Father except "THROUGH ME". (John 14:6) Let me give you another Scripture … Jesus says: “ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved ” (John 10:9) Jesus is the only way to heaven; there is "NO OTHER WAY IN"!! He is the man at the door, if you don’t know the man at the door of heaven … You’re "NOT" getting in!
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and turned from your sins… Living a devoted, dedicated, committed lifestyle to our Creator then Heaven is going to be your home. If you have lived as an "Enemy" of the cross and you have sneered at the gift that God has given to the world through "His Son Jesus Christ" then Hell will be your home. The life you lived here on this earth and the choices you made here on earth will either lead you to "Heaven" with God or separated from Him for all eternity in "Hell" and then to the "Lake Of Fire". The choice is always ours to make!
The Apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation word for word what He was told and shown. This is what John wrote:
“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, "BUT ONLY" those whose names are written in the "Lamb’s Book Of Life” (Revelation 21:27) If your name is not in the Lamb’s book of life… You're not getting into Heaven.
If you want to change the direction in which your life is going, then, now is the time to do so, "DO NOT" wait, tomorrow may be too late! My friends, it is not God’s will to condemn us, He wants to save us. (Luke 19:10, John 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:9) The Bible says: “That if you confess with your mouth “ Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “ Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (Watch This … Don’t Miss It!) For, “EVERYONE" who calls on the name of the Lord "WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:9-12 &13)
Note: "NOT" some will be saved, but “EVERYONE" who calls on the name of the Lord” is what The Holy Scriptures says! That’s God’s guarantee to all of us. The Bible says, that… “GOD IS NOT" a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill”? (Numbers 23:19) So we can rest assured that God will keep ALL His promises!
If Heaven is the place that someday you want to call your home, then Jesus is the "ONLY" way to get there. All you have to do is invite Him into your life, ask Him to forgive you of all your sins and He’ll gladly come in and transform your life from the inside out. (Revelation 3:20) This is why the Lord Jesus came to the world, to save us from our sins and to someday take us to where He is…
Jesus says:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM. (John 14:1-3) JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR US! We have Jesus word on this promise. I know that, what Jesus has spoken "WILL HAPPEN" just as He said it will. (Matthew 24:35) If we obey and follow the Lord like He commands, then, this promise will be ours for sure. (John 14:15, Ch.15: 10)
“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)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS!
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Saturday, October 10, 2009
HOW IS FORGIVENESS LINKED TO OUR SALVATION?
HOW IS FORGIVENESS LINKED TO OUR SALVATION?
It can be hard for us to forgive people who have hurt us more than words can express. Especially when those wounds have to do with a loved one that has been murdered. Or when we suffer sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, someone has stolen from us, or when people we trust have talked about us behind our backs, to name a few. All of these situations are difficult to forgive, forget and move on from. My friends, even though it is difficult … With God's help, we can all overcome the feelings of "Unforgiveness" and we can trust the Lord Jesus to take care of the rest.
In the book of Matthew the Lord addresses the topic of Forgiveness… In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “ I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents (that is, a million dollars) was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “The servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me’, he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go."
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (That is, a few dollars). He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘ Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “ His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him. ‘ Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt."
"When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “ Then the master called the servant in. ‘ You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘ I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. (Watch why Jesus told this parable…don’t miss it) “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from the heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35)- NIV
Note: I imagine that this servant while in prison thought, ”Why didn’t I let that go… “ I just got my million-dollar debt canceled and the first thing I do is choke, hassle, and put my fellow brother in jail ... for just a few dollars.” This man who had his (fellow) brother thrown in jail was now in prison, being tortured by the jailers… Because he did not show the same mercy on his fellow man as the king had given to him. All of that for just a few bucks, that he just couldn’t let go of. It does not make any sense, does it? And it definitely wasn’t worth it, once you look at it in that way.
Just like this king who had canceled that servant’s million-dollar debt, God has also forgiven us for "ALL" our multitude of sins. When we ask the Lord to come into our lives and to forgive our sins… They are forgiven, NO question asked … You get a clean slate with God, A brand new beginning. Wow, that’s awesome news! In fact the Bible says: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, (Watch this...Do not miss it!) NOT COUNTING MEN’S SINS AGAINST THEM." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)
How good it is to know, that our debts are canceled and our sins forgiven. God tells these parables, so we can reflect on them when we are dealing with forgiving another fellow human being. When someone hurts us, it is then that we must remember the lesson that the Lord has taught us in this parable and not be like the unmerciful, wicked servant. Let us offer love instead of hate, mercy instead revenge… “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13)
Note: In the Old Testament we read of one of the greatest acts of forgiveness and it is found in the Joseph Story.
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. (Genesis 37:27-28) Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt? … Betrayed by his own flesh and blood. He didn’t do anything wrong to deserve this from his brothers. It was out of jealousy that they sold Joseph to the Medianite merchants. Jealous of their father’s love towards Joseph and Joseph’s dreams is what drove his brothers to sell him into slavery.
The Medianites in turn sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar. Joseph faced many trials in Egypt but through all the difficulties the Lord was with him and the Lord gave him success in whatever he did. God allowed these things to take place in Joseph’s life to propel him to his divine destiny. Joseph’s dreams came to pass and his brothers got to witness those dreams fulfilled. Joseph’s brothers didn’t realize it at first, neither did they recognized their brother Joseph when they came to Egypt to buy food. (They came to Egypt to buy food because of a famine in their land) Their little brother Joseph had become the second man in command in the whole land of Egypt. In the end Joseph forgave his brothers for their wrongdoings. What they meant for evil God turned it around for good. (Genesis Ch. 39-50)
The greatest act of forgiveness is found in the New Testament:
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Our Lord prayed this prayer for people who wanted him to be crucified, people who were mocking Him while He hung from the cross, and for people who were waiting around for Him to die. Jesus prayed this prayer while bruised and bleeding from all the beatings He endured, with his flesh hanging from his body; nails through his hands and feet, with a crown of thorns on his head. Jesus said, “ You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:43-45) Jesus was praying for his enemies, He prayed for those who were persecuting Him. Our Lord didn’t just talk the talk but He walked the walk. Our Lord has not asked us to do anything that He himself didn’t do while He was living on this earth. We have the choice to obey or not… But remember, we’re the ones that have to live with that choice and the consequences of that choice. Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for all of the sins of mankind (Leviticus 17:11- 1 John 2:2), with His precious blood all our sins are wiped clean! We are forgiven! (Hebrews 9:22) The debt is paid in full!
Note: Let me stop here for a minute to say… If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior and would like to start a relationship with Him… All you have to do is ask Him to come into your life and He’ll gladly accept your invitation. I wrote for you a sample prayer to invite Jesus into your life… As long as it comes from the heart that’s all that counts! God bless you and Welcome to God’s family!
Salvation Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. Thank you for sacrificing Your life to save me, then rising to life again that I might live forever in Heaven with You. I turn from my sins and invite You into my life. Help me to live in a way that pleases You, for whatever time you give me here on earth. Amen
Note: Jesus was the sinless, blameless Son of God… An innocent man paying for a debt He did not owe, He paid for sins, He did not commit. Question: Why did Jesus go through all of those horrific things? What’s the purpose? Answer: Love for you and me took our Lord to the cross. The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)
Joseph’s life would foreshadow what the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would suffer while on earth. They both were faced with betrayal from those who were closest to them, wrongly accused, misunderstood, and sold for money. But we can see in both of their stories their exemplary act of forgiveness to those who wronged them. The Bible says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Joseph’s divine purpose was to save the world from starvation. (Genesis 50:20) While Jesus’ divine purpose is to save the souls of mankind. (John 3:14-15) This is the testimony of John the Baptist concerning Jesus Christ: Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Everything in Heaven and on Earth has a divine purpose…We just need to trust in the God that is Omnipresent (God is everywhere at the same time), Omnipotent (all-powerful) and Omniscient (all knowing). This is an Awesome God we serve!! My friends. If this is the kind of God we serve then we should know that God is never caught off guard… He has a plan for all of us. We can rest assured that God is in total control. We just need to believe it and trust in Him.
The Bible says:
“DO NOT" repay anyone evil for evil.” ...“DO NOT" take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “ If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. "DO NOT" be overcome by evil, BUT overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17, 19-21)
Note: I’ve been through some rough times in my life. I didn’t think I was ever going to get over it, let alone move on from it. In those painful times, I’ve learned to run to the Lord in prayer and I spend time in His word. I know that the Lord has a solution in His Holy word for whatever situation, I’m facing in that particular moment. Jesus teaches me, how to deal with those difficult moments and especially to trust in Him. Without the Lord’s guidance, His comfort, and the hope I have in Him… My life would be an empty shell, a total mess. Every time I call on His name, He is always there to reassure me, that He is bigger than my problems and that With Him by my side… I cannot lose. “ If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) – NIV
Jesus hasn’t asked us to do something that is impossible for us to do. It’s a matter of choice and that… We can all do! It is not something out of our reach. The question is: Are we willing to obey and follow the Lord in ALL things? The choice is always ours to make. I pray that our choice will be to always follow, trust and obey the Lord in all things.
Jesus says: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
It can be hard for us to forgive people who have hurt us more than words can express. Especially when those wounds have to do with a loved one that has been murdered. Or when we suffer sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, someone has stolen from us, or when people we trust have talked about us behind our backs, to name a few. All of these situations are difficult to forgive, forget and move on from. My friends, even though it is difficult … With God's help, we can all overcome the feelings of "Unforgiveness" and we can trust the Lord Jesus to take care of the rest.
In the book of Matthew the Lord addresses the topic of Forgiveness… In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “ I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents (that is, a million dollars) was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “The servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me’, he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go."
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (That is, a few dollars). He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘ Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “ His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him. ‘ Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt."
"When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “ Then the master called the servant in. ‘ You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘ I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. (Watch why Jesus told this parable…don’t miss it) “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from the heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35)- NIV
Note: I imagine that this servant while in prison thought, ”Why didn’t I let that go… “ I just got my million-dollar debt canceled and the first thing I do is choke, hassle, and put my fellow brother in jail ... for just a few dollars.” This man who had his (fellow) brother thrown in jail was now in prison, being tortured by the jailers… Because he did not show the same mercy on his fellow man as the king had given to him. All of that for just a few bucks, that he just couldn’t let go of. It does not make any sense, does it? And it definitely wasn’t worth it, once you look at it in that way.
Just like this king who had canceled that servant’s million-dollar debt, God has also forgiven us for "ALL" our multitude of sins. When we ask the Lord to come into our lives and to forgive our sins… They are forgiven, NO question asked … You get a clean slate with God, A brand new beginning. Wow, that’s awesome news! In fact the Bible says: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, (Watch this...Do not miss it!) NOT COUNTING MEN’S SINS AGAINST THEM." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)
How good it is to know, that our debts are canceled and our sins forgiven. God tells these parables, so we can reflect on them when we are dealing with forgiving another fellow human being. When someone hurts us, it is then that we must remember the lesson that the Lord has taught us in this parable and not be like the unmerciful, wicked servant. Let us offer love instead of hate, mercy instead revenge… “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13)
Note: In the Old Testament we read of one of the greatest acts of forgiveness and it is found in the Joseph Story.
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. (Genesis 37:27-28) Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt? … Betrayed by his own flesh and blood. He didn’t do anything wrong to deserve this from his brothers. It was out of jealousy that they sold Joseph to the Medianite merchants. Jealous of their father’s love towards Joseph and Joseph’s dreams is what drove his brothers to sell him into slavery.
The Medianites in turn sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar. Joseph faced many trials in Egypt but through all the difficulties the Lord was with him and the Lord gave him success in whatever he did. God allowed these things to take place in Joseph’s life to propel him to his divine destiny. Joseph’s dreams came to pass and his brothers got to witness those dreams fulfilled. Joseph’s brothers didn’t realize it at first, neither did they recognized their brother Joseph when they came to Egypt to buy food. (They came to Egypt to buy food because of a famine in their land) Their little brother Joseph had become the second man in command in the whole land of Egypt. In the end Joseph forgave his brothers for their wrongdoings. What they meant for evil God turned it around for good. (Genesis Ch. 39-50)
The greatest act of forgiveness is found in the New Testament:
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Our Lord prayed this prayer for people who wanted him to be crucified, people who were mocking Him while He hung from the cross, and for people who were waiting around for Him to die. Jesus prayed this prayer while bruised and bleeding from all the beatings He endured, with his flesh hanging from his body; nails through his hands and feet, with a crown of thorns on his head. Jesus said, “ You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:43-45) Jesus was praying for his enemies, He prayed for those who were persecuting Him. Our Lord didn’t just talk the talk but He walked the walk. Our Lord has not asked us to do anything that He himself didn’t do while He was living on this earth. We have the choice to obey or not… But remember, we’re the ones that have to live with that choice and the consequences of that choice. Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for all of the sins of mankind (Leviticus 17:11- 1 John 2:2), with His precious blood all our sins are wiped clean! We are forgiven! (Hebrews 9:22) The debt is paid in full!
Note: Let me stop here for a minute to say… If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior and would like to start a relationship with Him… All you have to do is ask Him to come into your life and He’ll gladly accept your invitation. I wrote for you a sample prayer to invite Jesus into your life… As long as it comes from the heart that’s all that counts! God bless you and Welcome to God’s family!
Salvation Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. Thank you for sacrificing Your life to save me, then rising to life again that I might live forever in Heaven with You. I turn from my sins and invite You into my life. Help me to live in a way that pleases You, for whatever time you give me here on earth. Amen
Note: Jesus was the sinless, blameless Son of God… An innocent man paying for a debt He did not owe, He paid for sins, He did not commit. Question: Why did Jesus go through all of those horrific things? What’s the purpose? Answer: Love for you and me took our Lord to the cross. The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)
Joseph’s life would foreshadow what the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would suffer while on earth. They both were faced with betrayal from those who were closest to them, wrongly accused, misunderstood, and sold for money. But we can see in both of their stories their exemplary act of forgiveness to those who wronged them. The Bible says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Joseph’s divine purpose was to save the world from starvation. (Genesis 50:20) While Jesus’ divine purpose is to save the souls of mankind. (John 3:14-15) This is the testimony of John the Baptist concerning Jesus Christ: Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Everything in Heaven and on Earth has a divine purpose…We just need to trust in the God that is Omnipresent (God is everywhere at the same time), Omnipotent (all-powerful) and Omniscient (all knowing). This is an Awesome God we serve!! My friends. If this is the kind of God we serve then we should know that God is never caught off guard… He has a plan for all of us. We can rest assured that God is in total control. We just need to believe it and trust in Him.
The Bible says:
“DO NOT" repay anyone evil for evil.” ...“DO NOT" take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “ If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. "DO NOT" be overcome by evil, BUT overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17, 19-21)
Note: I’ve been through some rough times in my life. I didn’t think I was ever going to get over it, let alone move on from it. In those painful times, I’ve learned to run to the Lord in prayer and I spend time in His word. I know that the Lord has a solution in His Holy word for whatever situation, I’m facing in that particular moment. Jesus teaches me, how to deal with those difficult moments and especially to trust in Him. Without the Lord’s guidance, His comfort, and the hope I have in Him… My life would be an empty shell, a total mess. Every time I call on His name, He is always there to reassure me, that He is bigger than my problems and that With Him by my side… I cannot lose. “ If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) – NIV
Jesus hasn’t asked us to do something that is impossible for us to do. It’s a matter of choice and that… We can all do! It is not something out of our reach. The question is: Are we willing to obey and follow the Lord in ALL things? The choice is always ours to make. I pray that our choice will be to always follow, trust and obey the Lord in all things.
Jesus says: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Friday, September 25, 2009
EMPOWERING OUR YOUTH TO GODLY LEADERSHIP
EMPOWERING OUR YOUTH TO GODLY LEADERSHIP
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6)–NIV
The only way to empower our youth for Godly leadership is to teach them to obey and follow the Lord. God has given us parents the mandate and the responsibility to teach our children the commandments of the Lord our God. If we truly love our children and want the best for them then we will have to teach them to love the Lord, to be faithful, devoted and obedient to Him.
Why is it so important for our youth to know the Lord? Let me answer this question with the words that Moses spoke to Israel before they entered the promise land … “ And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today… (Watch this… Don’t miss it)… for your own good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13) Obedience to Our God will always bring blessings to our lives and home. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) Disobeying our God will always bring curses, calamities and destruction to our lives and home. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)
Note: Only in obeying the Lord do we have joy, peace, unconditional love, purpose, fulfillment in life, and success for our future… “ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” (Deuteronomy 28:6) Life is a lot less complicated when we Obey and Follow the Lord. If this is the kind of life you want here on this earth then we must be faithful and obedient to our GOD.
The Bible says: Do not be deceived: GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature WILL REAP DESTRUCTION; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit WILL REAP ETERNAL LIFE." (Galatians 6:7-8) “NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM US DOING EVIL … NOTHING!”
Note: To the Israelites obedience to God meant protection from their enemies, food on their tables, Health for their bodies, etc. (Leviticus 26:1-13,Deuteronomy 28:1-14) Moses warned all the Israelites before they entered the promise land what would happened if they did not faithfully follow and obey the Lord commands. (Leviticus 26:14-46,Deuteronomy 28:15-68) In the different books of the Old Testament, you will read of how Israel rebelled against God and how God brought calamities, destruction, devastation, and eventually because of their refusal to repent, Exile. (This is exactly what Moses told the Israelites would happen if they forsook the Lord their God and served other gods.)
Empowering our youth for godly leadership. How do we empowered our youth for such a task? Let me give you a couple of stories from the Bible that can aid us in accomplishing this goal. In the book of 1 Samuel the Bible says: “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.” (1 Samuel 3:1) The prophet Samuel is a great inspiration to me in my walk with the Lord.
The Bible says: Hannah asked the Lord for a son. (1 Samuel 1:11) Hannah vowed to God that if He granted her request and gave her a son that she would give him to the Lord. God heard her prayer and granted her request. (1 Samuel 1:20) When the time came for the boy to be given to the Lord, Hannah gave her son to Eli the priest. (1 Samuel 1:24-25)… BUT the boy ministered before the Lord UNDER Eli the priest. (1 Samuel 2:11)
As a young boy Samuel was brought to the temple of God and from then on Eli the priest taught Samuel the ordinances and commands of the Most High God. Samuel became a prophet and the judge of all Israel under the ministry and the training of Eli the priest. (1Samuel 3:20 - Ch.7:15) Thank God for the people who He sends into our lives to teach us and to help propel us into our divine destinies.
The second story is found in the book of 1 Kings 19:19-21 when Elisha became the servant of the prophet Elijah. When the time came for Elijah to be taken up to heaven Elijah asked his servant Elisha … “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “ Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “ yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise not.” (2 Kings 2:9-10) The Bible says, that Elisha saw his master being taken to Heaven… (2 Kings 2: 11-12) So Elisha request was granted, he received the double portion of his master’s spirit. Wow! Talk about being at the right place at the right time! My friends don’t ever despise your low position in any ministry because you don’t know when God’s promotion will be coming your way. Be faithful and respect those …“Who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12)
Note: If we would like to see our youth, our children in godly leadership then we need to take the time to teach them, to guide them in the ways of the Lord. We have all had someone who nurtured us in the word of God, someone who planted the seed of the word of God into our lives. None of us would be teaching, preaching, or ministering if we didn’t have a godly leader in our lives to minister under, someone who took us under their wing.
I would like to tell you all about the godly woman who nurtured me and planted the word of GOD daily into my life. That person is my Grandmother (Antonia) who has gone to be with the Lord. She taught me and told me about our Creator when I was a young child and although I didn’t give my life to Christ until I was an adult … I thank God everyday that He used my grandmother to plant HIS word in me.
My first Bible was a gift from my grandmother. She wrote in it a passage from Scripture that I would never forget and it reads like this … “ How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." (Psalm 119: 9) It’s been 20 + years since my grandmother transferred her residential address here on Earth to her new permanent address in Heaven, but I can still remember all the things she would say about Jesus. I can still remember seeing her on her knees for hours in the middle of the night praying for all her children and grandchildren. I can still remember her telling me, Vicky, “Though your father and mother forsake you, the Lord will receive you." (Psalm 27:10). I saw God in her and He worked through her.
I would like to share with you all one of the great miracles GOD did through my Grandmother. When I was very young, I remember being injured and I was bleeding from this injury, my grandmother didn’t panic, she just told me to lie down on the floor and she got her anointing oil and prayed over my injury. As soon as she was done with her prayer I was completely healed. It was like I never got injured in the first place. I know now, that God wanted me to know that He was the One and Only True God. This is the reason, I write the way I write and admonish people to follow and obey the Lord. I know He is real with all that’s in me; I know that I know… HE LIVES!! And HE is coming back soon.
The word of the Lord dwelled richly in my grandmother’s heart, she spoke of His word daily to me. So the word of the Lord was fulfilled in my life, in that we should...“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)–(NIV) I am a Christian today because my grandmother took the time to train me, to teach me the ways of the Lord and to show me His miracles. I’m grateful and thankful to have had such a godly woman in my life and I can’t wait to the day when I’ll get to see her again.
Note: Parents and grandparents keep teaching the ways of the Lord to your children and grandchildren because we know we serve a God who is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11) and this word in Proverbs 22:6 will be fulfilled in your children and grandchildren lives, if we take the time to train and teach them God’s commandments. So let us be diligent in guiding and teaching our children to live a devoted and committed lifestyle to their Creator.
The Bible says: “LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength. THESE commandments that I give you today are TO be UPON your hearts. IMPRESS them on your children. TALK about them when you sit at home and WHEN you walk along the road, WHEN you lie down and WHEN you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
Our Lord Jesus Christ did not do anything on His own but only spoke what the Father taught Him to say. (John 8:28) Every word that Jesus spoke in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John will lead us to eternal life and we must be faithful in obeying the Lord if we want to inherit eternal life.
STUDY these books and LIVE by them. The Father says this about the Son (Jesus Christ) … “ This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!” (Matthew 17:5) I want to share this last Scripture with all of you, in Luke 11:27-28 – “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “ Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of GOD and OBEY IT.” It is important for all us to live a lifestyle of obedience to our God and to teach our youth, our children and grandchildren to obey the words of the living God, their lives and souls depend on it.
GOD BLESS YOU NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6)–NIV
The only way to empower our youth for Godly leadership is to teach them to obey and follow the Lord. God has given us parents the mandate and the responsibility to teach our children the commandments of the Lord our God. If we truly love our children and want the best for them then we will have to teach them to love the Lord, to be faithful, devoted and obedient to Him.
Why is it so important for our youth to know the Lord? Let me answer this question with the words that Moses spoke to Israel before they entered the promise land … “ And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today… (Watch this… Don’t miss it)… for your own good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13) Obedience to Our God will always bring blessings to our lives and home. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) Disobeying our God will always bring curses, calamities and destruction to our lives and home. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)
Note: Only in obeying the Lord do we have joy, peace, unconditional love, purpose, fulfillment in life, and success for our future… “ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” (Deuteronomy 28:6) Life is a lot less complicated when we Obey and Follow the Lord. If this is the kind of life you want here on this earth then we must be faithful and obedient to our GOD.
The Bible says: Do not be deceived: GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature WILL REAP DESTRUCTION; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit WILL REAP ETERNAL LIFE." (Galatians 6:7-8) “NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM US DOING EVIL … NOTHING!”
Note: To the Israelites obedience to God meant protection from their enemies, food on their tables, Health for their bodies, etc. (Leviticus 26:1-13,Deuteronomy 28:1-14) Moses warned all the Israelites before they entered the promise land what would happened if they did not faithfully follow and obey the Lord commands. (Leviticus 26:14-46,Deuteronomy 28:15-68) In the different books of the Old Testament, you will read of how Israel rebelled against God and how God brought calamities, destruction, devastation, and eventually because of their refusal to repent, Exile. (This is exactly what Moses told the Israelites would happen if they forsook the Lord their God and served other gods.)
Empowering our youth for godly leadership. How do we empowered our youth for such a task? Let me give you a couple of stories from the Bible that can aid us in accomplishing this goal. In the book of 1 Samuel the Bible says: “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.” (1 Samuel 3:1) The prophet Samuel is a great inspiration to me in my walk with the Lord.
The Bible says: Hannah asked the Lord for a son. (1 Samuel 1:11) Hannah vowed to God that if He granted her request and gave her a son that she would give him to the Lord. God heard her prayer and granted her request. (1 Samuel 1:20) When the time came for the boy to be given to the Lord, Hannah gave her son to Eli the priest. (1 Samuel 1:24-25)… BUT the boy ministered before the Lord UNDER Eli the priest. (1 Samuel 2:11)
As a young boy Samuel was brought to the temple of God and from then on Eli the priest taught Samuel the ordinances and commands of the Most High God. Samuel became a prophet and the judge of all Israel under the ministry and the training of Eli the priest. (1Samuel 3:20 - Ch.7:15) Thank God for the people who He sends into our lives to teach us and to help propel us into our divine destinies.
The second story is found in the book of 1 Kings 19:19-21 when Elisha became the servant of the prophet Elijah. When the time came for Elijah to be taken up to heaven Elijah asked his servant Elisha … “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “ Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “ yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise not.” (2 Kings 2:9-10) The Bible says, that Elisha saw his master being taken to Heaven… (2 Kings 2: 11-12) So Elisha request was granted, he received the double portion of his master’s spirit. Wow! Talk about being at the right place at the right time! My friends don’t ever despise your low position in any ministry because you don’t know when God’s promotion will be coming your way. Be faithful and respect those …“Who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12)
Note: If we would like to see our youth, our children in godly leadership then we need to take the time to teach them, to guide them in the ways of the Lord. We have all had someone who nurtured us in the word of God, someone who planted the seed of the word of God into our lives. None of us would be teaching, preaching, or ministering if we didn’t have a godly leader in our lives to minister under, someone who took us under their wing.
I would like to tell you all about the godly woman who nurtured me and planted the word of GOD daily into my life. That person is my Grandmother (Antonia) who has gone to be with the Lord. She taught me and told me about our Creator when I was a young child and although I didn’t give my life to Christ until I was an adult … I thank God everyday that He used my grandmother to plant HIS word in me.
My first Bible was a gift from my grandmother. She wrote in it a passage from Scripture that I would never forget and it reads like this … “ How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." (Psalm 119: 9) It’s been 20 + years since my grandmother transferred her residential address here on Earth to her new permanent address in Heaven, but I can still remember all the things she would say about Jesus. I can still remember seeing her on her knees for hours in the middle of the night praying for all her children and grandchildren. I can still remember her telling me, Vicky, “Though your father and mother forsake you, the Lord will receive you." (Psalm 27:10). I saw God in her and He worked through her.
I would like to share with you all one of the great miracles GOD did through my Grandmother. When I was very young, I remember being injured and I was bleeding from this injury, my grandmother didn’t panic, she just told me to lie down on the floor and she got her anointing oil and prayed over my injury. As soon as she was done with her prayer I was completely healed. It was like I never got injured in the first place. I know now, that God wanted me to know that He was the One and Only True God. This is the reason, I write the way I write and admonish people to follow and obey the Lord. I know He is real with all that’s in me; I know that I know… HE LIVES!! And HE is coming back soon.
The word of the Lord dwelled richly in my grandmother’s heart, she spoke of His word daily to me. So the word of the Lord was fulfilled in my life, in that we should...“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)–(NIV) I am a Christian today because my grandmother took the time to train me, to teach me the ways of the Lord and to show me His miracles. I’m grateful and thankful to have had such a godly woman in my life and I can’t wait to the day when I’ll get to see her again.
Note: Parents and grandparents keep teaching the ways of the Lord to your children and grandchildren because we know we serve a God who is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11) and this word in Proverbs 22:6 will be fulfilled in your children and grandchildren lives, if we take the time to train and teach them God’s commandments. So let us be diligent in guiding and teaching our children to live a devoted and committed lifestyle to their Creator.
The Bible says: “LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength. THESE commandments that I give you today are TO be UPON your hearts. IMPRESS them on your children. TALK about them when you sit at home and WHEN you walk along the road, WHEN you lie down and WHEN you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
Our Lord Jesus Christ did not do anything on His own but only spoke what the Father taught Him to say. (John 8:28) Every word that Jesus spoke in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John will lead us to eternal life and we must be faithful in obeying the Lord if we want to inherit eternal life.
STUDY these books and LIVE by them. The Father says this about the Son (Jesus Christ) … “ This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!” (Matthew 17:5) I want to share this last Scripture with all of you, in Luke 11:27-28 – “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “ Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of GOD and OBEY IT.” It is important for all us to live a lifestyle of obedience to our God and to teach our youth, our children and grandchildren to obey the words of the living God, their lives and souls depend on it.
GOD BLESS YOU NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
YOU CAN COUNT ON GOD
YOU CAN COUNT ON GOD
… And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3)-NIV
God said to Abram “ I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
Abraham believed God and the Bible says: “That it was credited to him as an act of righteousness ” (Genesis 15:6 / Romans 4:3) God just wants us to trust and believe in Him, to take Him at His word. Abraham faithfulness in his walk with God didn’t just bless him and his descendents but all nations. We who are God’s children are reaping the benefits and the fruits of the covenant God made with Abraham. Abraham is a great role model for all believers to follow after. In that we should walk by faith and not by sight and that we should also obey the Lord in all things. Abraham didn’t get to see his descendents to be as numerous as the stars in heaven but Abraham knew God will make it come to past in time … God’s time. It was part of the covenant relationship that God and Abraham had. Abraham knew that, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19) If God said it …It will happen just as He said it would.
Note: As a baby Christian, I remember having a difficult time in trusting and believing the things that God would say in His word. Without knowing it, I was comparing Him to people. Sometimes people let you down and at times they don’t really mean what they say. I didn’t realize that I was bringing this mind set into my relationship with Jesus Christ, until I read Numbers 23:19. This verse changed my life forever and God has given me the full assurance that I can fully trust and count on Him. That, "ALL things do work out for my good." (Romans 8:28) No matter what may come I know Jesus is by my side "and that trials and tribulations just refine my faith more and more which is a far greater worth than gold." (1 Peter 1:6-7) I don’t look at the situation, I look to the One who has said “ I will "NEVER" leave you or forsake you”(Joshua 1:5/ Hebrews 13:5)) to the One who has said “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Who or what is greater than Our God, Nothing and No One. I use this verse in Numbers 23:19 whenever doubt or disbelieve tries to creep back into my mind. Since those earlier years my relationship with the Lord has grown and is still growing to heights that I didn’t think was ever possible for me to reach … My faith has grown and my trust in Him unshaken. I know that the God I served is 100% reliable.
Just like the covenant Abraham has with God, so it is with us who have accepted and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. What’s this covenant? It is laid out for us in “The Lord’s Supper” “
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “ Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “ Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-30/ Mark 14:22-25/ Luke 22:15-20)
Every covenant comes with a promise and what an awesome promise this is my friends. In the book of John, Jesus speaks of this promise…
“DO NOT" let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM." (John 14:1-3) JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR US! We have Jesus word on this promise. I know that, what Jesus has spoken will happen just as He said it would. (Matthew 24:35) If we obey and follow the Lord like He commands then this promise will be ours for sure. (John 14:15, Ch.15: 10)
This is the covenant relationship I have with the Lord Jesus Christ. This covenant relationship is not just for me only but it is offered to all of those who will believe, accept and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says: “… But there is a friend who sticks close than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) and this is the kind of friendship and bond that God gives to all those who seek Him and serve Him faithfully. “No Greater Love”, “No Better Friend.”
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
… And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3)-NIV
God said to Abram “ I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
Abraham believed God and the Bible says: “That it was credited to him as an act of righteousness ” (Genesis 15:6 / Romans 4:3) God just wants us to trust and believe in Him, to take Him at His word. Abraham faithfulness in his walk with God didn’t just bless him and his descendents but all nations. We who are God’s children are reaping the benefits and the fruits of the covenant God made with Abraham. Abraham is a great role model for all believers to follow after. In that we should walk by faith and not by sight and that we should also obey the Lord in all things. Abraham didn’t get to see his descendents to be as numerous as the stars in heaven but Abraham knew God will make it come to past in time … God’s time. It was part of the covenant relationship that God and Abraham had. Abraham knew that, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19) If God said it …It will happen just as He said it would.
Note: As a baby Christian, I remember having a difficult time in trusting and believing the things that God would say in His word. Without knowing it, I was comparing Him to people. Sometimes people let you down and at times they don’t really mean what they say. I didn’t realize that I was bringing this mind set into my relationship with Jesus Christ, until I read Numbers 23:19. This verse changed my life forever and God has given me the full assurance that I can fully trust and count on Him. That, "ALL things do work out for my good." (Romans 8:28) No matter what may come I know Jesus is by my side "and that trials and tribulations just refine my faith more and more which is a far greater worth than gold." (1 Peter 1:6-7) I don’t look at the situation, I look to the One who has said “ I will "NEVER" leave you or forsake you”(Joshua 1:5/ Hebrews 13:5)) to the One who has said “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Who or what is greater than Our God, Nothing and No One. I use this verse in Numbers 23:19 whenever doubt or disbelieve tries to creep back into my mind. Since those earlier years my relationship with the Lord has grown and is still growing to heights that I didn’t think was ever possible for me to reach … My faith has grown and my trust in Him unshaken. I know that the God I served is 100% reliable.
Just like the covenant Abraham has with God, so it is with us who have accepted and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. What’s this covenant? It is laid out for us in “The Lord’s Supper” “
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “ Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “ Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-30/ Mark 14:22-25/ Luke 22:15-20)
Every covenant comes with a promise and what an awesome promise this is my friends. In the book of John, Jesus speaks of this promise…
“DO NOT" let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM." (John 14:1-3) JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR US! We have Jesus word on this promise. I know that, what Jesus has spoken will happen just as He said it would. (Matthew 24:35) If we obey and follow the Lord like He commands then this promise will be ours for sure. (John 14:15, Ch.15: 10)
This is the covenant relationship I have with the Lord Jesus Christ. This covenant relationship is not just for me only but it is offered to all of those who will believe, accept and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says: “… But there is a friend who sticks close than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) and this is the kind of friendship and bond that God gives to all those who seek Him and serve Him faithfully. “No Greater Love”, “No Better Friend.”
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A CALL TO HOLY LIVING
A CALL TO HOLY LIVING
A call to holy living, what does this mean? How can we live a holy life before our God?
To live a holy life is to walk on this earth as the Lord commanded. Are these commandments too hard to carry out? No. The Question Is: Are we willing to do them? Everyday we make choices … whether to do right or wrong, and the choices we make will either lead us to eternal life with Jesus Christ in Heaven, or Separated from God in hell; and then for all eternity to the lake of fire. (Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 13:40-42, John 8:51, Revelation 20:14-15)
The Lord commands that we do not: commit adultery, (cheating on your spouse) fornicate, (sleeping with someone your not married to) idol worship, lying, not to steal, murder, no witchcraft practices, (do not consult psychic’s / mediums) etc. Those that do not obey the commands of the Lord are not His children and only His children are heirs of the kingdom of God.
The Bible says, that the disobedient are children of the devil. “ He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.” (1 John 3:8)
1 John says this concerning the true children of God:
"NO ONE" who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:9)
Note: Do you know that if we hate another fellow human being…the Lord considers us, “A Murderer”? Let me show you where it says this in the Bible…
“Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him” (1 John 3:15)
Note: The children of God will love God not by words only BUT in ACTION…When we put into practice what the Lord has taught through the Holy Scriptures then we are considered HIS children.
Jesus says: “Whoever has my commands and obey them, he is the one who loves me. (John 14:21) and this is how the children of God will live a holy life here on earth by walking in obedience to their Creator and Father. Not just by talking the talk but by walking the walk. “Doing what the word says”. (James 1:22) Jesus is the door to Heaven …If you don’t know the man at the door your not getting in. (John 10:9- NKJV /John 14:6- NIV)
Note: According to Jesus own words, to receive eternal life is to believe in HIM…That’s our first step (John 3:16). Does everyone that hears the words of the Lord believe and repent? NO. Why?
The Lord answers this question in his conversation with Nicodemus….
This is the verdict: Light (Jesus) has come into the world, but men loved darkness (their sin) instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)
Jesus says: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)
Note: Jesus has his arms open wide waiting for people to come to Him…To believe in Him, to follow and obey Him but sadly not everyone will believe in Him or accept Him…Their sin is a lot more attractive to them than following and obeying the Lord.
Eternal life is a free gift to all, but we must reach out and get it… It’s there for you if you want it. God is not going to push Himself on anyone. I personally wouldn’t want anyone to be with me who didn’t want to be …I would rather that they be with me because they want to be ... Wouldn’t you? So the choice is up to us to reject Him or accept Him.
There are only two roads in life that man can take: one that leads to heaven (Jesus) and the other one (going your own way/making up your own rules) that will lead to hell. You could follow and obey the Lord and receive a rich welcome into heaven, Or you can go your own way and do what seems right to you but know this… The consequence of living this way will lead to a separation from God in hell and then for all eternity in the lake of fire.
The Bible shows us how to live holy lives; this is why it’s very important that we study the Scriptures. In 2 Peter it says:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
Note: This is how the children of God will behave while living here on this earth…
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness; knowledge; and to knowledge; self-control; and to self-control; perseverance; and to perseverance; godliness; and to godliness; brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."
"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. (Watch this last verse…Don’t miss it!) For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:3-11)
Note: Peter says add to your faith goodness, etc… What is Peter saying here? Faith in what? Faith in Jesus Christ is what Peter is telling the reader. The first step of whoever wants to be saved is to believe in the Savior of man’s soul…Jesus Christ. (John 3:16/ Acts 16: 30-31) and after we do this, the next step is to walk on this earth as the Lord commands. (Holy Living)- (John 14:15, 21, 23-24, James 1:22, 1 John 2:3-6, 1 John 5:3)
Can we behave like this on our own…Like the Bible is telling us to do in the book of 2 Peter and many more other passages in the Bible? No. Jesus tells his disciples in the book of John this…
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (But watch what happens to those that do not remain in Jesus) If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:5-6)
Note: To remain in Jesus means to apply to your life His commands… To live your life here on Earth, following His examples; by these actions… You will remain in Him and He in you. You have Jesus word that if you believe, trust and obey Him…YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN. That’s all you have to do…I think that’s a pretty good deal, if I ever heard it. But once again the choice is yours… To reject Him or accept Him.
John the Baptist says in the book of Luke:
“The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9)
Note: The trees here represent people; good fruit means to repent of our sins, following, and obeying the Lords commands and the fire here means hell.
What John the Baptist is telling people through the book of Luke could be translated as this:
“People that do not repent of their sins and do not follow the Lord, like the Bible commands…These people will be send to hell and then for all eternity in the lake of fire.” (God does not play games; what He says, He really means!)
The Lord is calling His people to Holiness and to get ready for His return. I believe with all my heart that His return is very near. It is not hard to see all the things that the Lord spoke about when his disciples asked Him the question: What would be the “Signs of the end of the age”? (Matthew 24:1-51, Mark 13:1-37, Luke 21:5-36). We see it every time we turn on our televisions. It’s on the news, politics, technology, and even in the weather. We as the body of Christ need to walk in holiness and reverence before our God daily.
In the book of Hebrews it says:
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness "NO ONE" will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)
We do not want to be left behind like the foolish virgins; who weren’t prepared to meet their bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1-13) The Lord said these parables to us so that we may watch and pray, and that in watching and praying we would be found a holy nation prepared for HIS kingdom.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
A call to holy living, what does this mean? How can we live a holy life before our God?
To live a holy life is to walk on this earth as the Lord commanded. Are these commandments too hard to carry out? No. The Question Is: Are we willing to do them? Everyday we make choices … whether to do right or wrong, and the choices we make will either lead us to eternal life with Jesus Christ in Heaven, or Separated from God in hell; and then for all eternity to the lake of fire. (Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 13:40-42, John 8:51, Revelation 20:14-15)
The Lord commands that we do not: commit adultery, (cheating on your spouse) fornicate, (sleeping with someone your not married to) idol worship, lying, not to steal, murder, no witchcraft practices, (do not consult psychic’s / mediums) etc. Those that do not obey the commands of the Lord are not His children and only His children are heirs of the kingdom of God.
The Bible says, that the disobedient are children of the devil. “ He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.” (1 John 3:8)
1 John says this concerning the true children of God:
"NO ONE" who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:9)
Note: Do you know that if we hate another fellow human being…the Lord considers us, “A Murderer”? Let me show you where it says this in the Bible…
“Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him” (1 John 3:15)
Note: The children of God will love God not by words only BUT in ACTION…When we put into practice what the Lord has taught through the Holy Scriptures then we are considered HIS children.
Jesus says: “Whoever has my commands and obey them, he is the one who loves me. (John 14:21) and this is how the children of God will live a holy life here on earth by walking in obedience to their Creator and Father. Not just by talking the talk but by walking the walk. “Doing what the word says”. (James 1:22) Jesus is the door to Heaven …If you don’t know the man at the door your not getting in. (John 10:9- NKJV /John 14:6- NIV)
Note: According to Jesus own words, to receive eternal life is to believe in HIM…That’s our first step (John 3:16). Does everyone that hears the words of the Lord believe and repent? NO. Why?
The Lord answers this question in his conversation with Nicodemus….
This is the verdict: Light (Jesus) has come into the world, but men loved darkness (their sin) instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)
Jesus says: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)
Note: Jesus has his arms open wide waiting for people to come to Him…To believe in Him, to follow and obey Him but sadly not everyone will believe in Him or accept Him…Their sin is a lot more attractive to them than following and obeying the Lord.
Eternal life is a free gift to all, but we must reach out and get it… It’s there for you if you want it. God is not going to push Himself on anyone. I personally wouldn’t want anyone to be with me who didn’t want to be …I would rather that they be with me because they want to be ... Wouldn’t you? So the choice is up to us to reject Him or accept Him.
There are only two roads in life that man can take: one that leads to heaven (Jesus) and the other one (going your own way/making up your own rules) that will lead to hell. You could follow and obey the Lord and receive a rich welcome into heaven, Or you can go your own way and do what seems right to you but know this… The consequence of living this way will lead to a separation from God in hell and then for all eternity in the lake of fire.
The Bible shows us how to live holy lives; this is why it’s very important that we study the Scriptures. In 2 Peter it says:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
Note: This is how the children of God will behave while living here on this earth…
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness; knowledge; and to knowledge; self-control; and to self-control; perseverance; and to perseverance; godliness; and to godliness; brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."
"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. (Watch this last verse…Don’t miss it!) For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:3-11)
Note: Peter says add to your faith goodness, etc… What is Peter saying here? Faith in what? Faith in Jesus Christ is what Peter is telling the reader. The first step of whoever wants to be saved is to believe in the Savior of man’s soul…Jesus Christ. (John 3:16/ Acts 16: 30-31) and after we do this, the next step is to walk on this earth as the Lord commands. (Holy Living)- (John 14:15, 21, 23-24, James 1:22, 1 John 2:3-6, 1 John 5:3)
Can we behave like this on our own…Like the Bible is telling us to do in the book of 2 Peter and many more other passages in the Bible? No. Jesus tells his disciples in the book of John this…
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (But watch what happens to those that do not remain in Jesus) If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:5-6)
Note: To remain in Jesus means to apply to your life His commands… To live your life here on Earth, following His examples; by these actions… You will remain in Him and He in you. You have Jesus word that if you believe, trust and obey Him…YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN. That’s all you have to do…I think that’s a pretty good deal, if I ever heard it. But once again the choice is yours… To reject Him or accept Him.
John the Baptist says in the book of Luke:
“The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9)
Note: The trees here represent people; good fruit means to repent of our sins, following, and obeying the Lords commands and the fire here means hell.
What John the Baptist is telling people through the book of Luke could be translated as this:
“People that do not repent of their sins and do not follow the Lord, like the Bible commands…These people will be send to hell and then for all eternity in the lake of fire.” (God does not play games; what He says, He really means!)
The Lord is calling His people to Holiness and to get ready for His return. I believe with all my heart that His return is very near. It is not hard to see all the things that the Lord spoke about when his disciples asked Him the question: What would be the “Signs of the end of the age”? (Matthew 24:1-51, Mark 13:1-37, Luke 21:5-36). We see it every time we turn on our televisions. It’s on the news, politics, technology, and even in the weather. We as the body of Christ need to walk in holiness and reverence before our God daily.
In the book of Hebrews it says:
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness "NO ONE" will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)
We do not want to be left behind like the foolish virgins; who weren’t prepared to meet their bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1-13) The Lord said these parables to us so that we may watch and pray, and that in watching and praying we would be found a holy nation prepared for HIS kingdom.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
HAD ENOUGH YET?
HAD ENOUGH YET?
Have you ever made a choice in life that you thought was a great decision when you made it, just to have it blow up in your face? Those are the times when we realize, we should have taken the time to analyze that decision before we went full steam ahead, without considering the consequences of our choices. Well, this story that Jesus talks about in the book of Luke is also about a young son that made a choice in life that later he would have to admit to himself and to his father that he had made the wrong choice.
In the book of Luke, Jesus tells us about “ The Parable Of The Lost Son”.
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in the whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father." (Luke 15:11-20)
Note: How many times we must have thought to ourselves, “The grass must be greener on the other side”. Somehow we thought we’re not getting what we wanted or what we thought we deserved and we make foolish decision under this false pretence. This young man had it made at his father’s house and he didn’t even know it. We sometimes don’t see or recognize how good we have it, until it is gone. We all make mistakes, not one of us are perfect but when we do something wrong we should not be too proud to say “ I was wrong, I made a mistake, I’m sorry, Forgive me.
When we disobey the Lord and we ignore His guidance for our life, we are also making a bad decision, a huge mistake! Only in obeying the Lord do we have joy, peace, unconditional love, purpose, and fulfillment in life. Success for our future… “You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:6). We cannot continue to live this rebellious lifestyle against God and not have His hand against us (1 Samuel 12:15). This is when we have to heed what the Apostle Paul tells the Galatians: "Do not be deceived: GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature WILL REAP DESTRUCTION; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit WILL REAP ETERNAL LIFE." (Galatians 6:7-8)
In this Parable, the young son goes back to his father and this is what happened:
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate." (Luke 15:20-24). Just like this young man’s father had compassion for his son so will GOD have compassion on all who will come to Him with a repentant heart.
Note: Going our own way, doing our own thing, never works. We don’t know what’s best for us. No matter how smart we think we are, without God’s guidance in our lives we will all fall flat on our faces. Life is hard enough as it is and we are making it even harder for ourselves by going against the only One that can help us and save us from our problems, GOD. This was a lesson that the prodigal son had to learn. The very person he had to return to for help was the very same person he turned from and hurt the most, his father.
This is what God is saying to us from the book of Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Watch this …don’t miss it) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord… (Jeremiah 29:11-14). It’s never too late to tell God I was wrong, I made a mistake, I’m sorry, forgive me. Some people like to see others fall flat on their faces so they could laugh at them or say, “ That’s what you get for not listening” but this is not how God is. God is waiting with open arms for you to return to Him… He can’t wait for that wonderful reunion between you and Him. Words cannot express how much He loves you, how much you mean to HIM.
Note: GOD is not a God of rules, as some may think. This is not a legalistic teaching; it is about a Holy GOD who expects his followers to mimic the life of His Son (Jesus Christ) here on earth. Jesus says: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." (John 14:21). Actions speak louder than words!
When a person is filled with the love of God, Filled with the Holy Spirit… they will love their neighbor as themselves (Romans 13: 8-10). They will not repay evil with evil or insult with insult but instead they will bless (1 Peter 3:9). They will love and pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:44). They will forgive others who have offended them just like their heavenly Father forgives them (Matthew 6:14-15). They will treat people the way they themselves would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12). They will know that they’ve been saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and they will definitely know that this doesn’t mean… “ Hooray! I been saved by grace, so, now I can live like hell and still go to heaven” No! The Bible says: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." (1 Peter 2:16)
Let me give you another scripture concerning the way all Christians should conduct themselves while living here on earth. This scripture is found in the book of 1 John and it reads like this: “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “ I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. (Watch this…don’t miss it) This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:3-6)
Everything about us should let the world know that we are “A New Creation”, our lives should be a walking mirror of the living Christ living inside of us. The things that God tells us to do are not burdensome or too hard to carry out; it’s only a matter of choice. Whose choice? Our choice! “The world and its desires pass away; BUT the MAN who DOES the WILL of GOD lives FOREVER.” (1 John 2:17)
Note: God just wants His followers to do right, live right. Love God, Love people… What’s so wrong or hard about that? It’s only hard because we are not willing to live this kind of life. So we use every excuse possible not to follow and obey the Lord. We blame God, family, friends, circumstances, is always somebody else’s fault… We never look in the mirror and say, “ It’s me”. I’m the problem, I admit it, I just don’t want to live this kind of life; I do not want to serve and obey God, sin is a lot more fun and attractive to me right now… “BUT men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19). It’s never too late to take a new direction in life; it’s never too late to do the right thing. If you have reached the point in life when you say, "I HAD ENOUGH?" and you're ready for a change in your life then Jesus is the ONE to call upon. Nothing in this world last forever, but what you do for the Lord Jesus Christ will! You have to make a decision; do I follow God or the world? The choice is yours.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will 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.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Have you ever made a choice in life that you thought was a great decision when you made it, just to have it blow up in your face? Those are the times when we realize, we should have taken the time to analyze that decision before we went full steam ahead, without considering the consequences of our choices. Well, this story that Jesus talks about in the book of Luke is also about a young son that made a choice in life that later he would have to admit to himself and to his father that he had made the wrong choice.
In the book of Luke, Jesus tells us about “ The Parable Of The Lost Son”.
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in the whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father." (Luke 15:11-20)
Note: How many times we must have thought to ourselves, “The grass must be greener on the other side”. Somehow we thought we’re not getting what we wanted or what we thought we deserved and we make foolish decision under this false pretence. This young man had it made at his father’s house and he didn’t even know it. We sometimes don’t see or recognize how good we have it, until it is gone. We all make mistakes, not one of us are perfect but when we do something wrong we should not be too proud to say “ I was wrong, I made a mistake, I’m sorry, Forgive me.
When we disobey the Lord and we ignore His guidance for our life, we are also making a bad decision, a huge mistake! Only in obeying the Lord do we have joy, peace, unconditional love, purpose, and fulfillment in life. Success for our future… “You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:6). We cannot continue to live this rebellious lifestyle against God and not have His hand against us (1 Samuel 12:15). This is when we have to heed what the Apostle Paul tells the Galatians: "Do not be deceived: GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature WILL REAP DESTRUCTION; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit WILL REAP ETERNAL LIFE." (Galatians 6:7-8)
In this Parable, the young son goes back to his father and this is what happened:
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate." (Luke 15:20-24). Just like this young man’s father had compassion for his son so will GOD have compassion on all who will come to Him with a repentant heart.
Note: Going our own way, doing our own thing, never works. We don’t know what’s best for us. No matter how smart we think we are, without God’s guidance in our lives we will all fall flat on our faces. Life is hard enough as it is and we are making it even harder for ourselves by going against the only One that can help us and save us from our problems, GOD. This was a lesson that the prodigal son had to learn. The very person he had to return to for help was the very same person he turned from and hurt the most, his father.
This is what God is saying to us from the book of Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Watch this …don’t miss it) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord… (Jeremiah 29:11-14). It’s never too late to tell God I was wrong, I made a mistake, I’m sorry, forgive me. Some people like to see others fall flat on their faces so they could laugh at them or say, “ That’s what you get for not listening” but this is not how God is. God is waiting with open arms for you to return to Him… He can’t wait for that wonderful reunion between you and Him. Words cannot express how much He loves you, how much you mean to HIM.
Note: GOD is not a God of rules, as some may think. This is not a legalistic teaching; it is about a Holy GOD who expects his followers to mimic the life of His Son (Jesus Christ) here on earth. Jesus says: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." (John 14:21). Actions speak louder than words!
When a person is filled with the love of God, Filled with the Holy Spirit… they will love their neighbor as themselves (Romans 13: 8-10). They will not repay evil with evil or insult with insult but instead they will bless (1 Peter 3:9). They will love and pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:44). They will forgive others who have offended them just like their heavenly Father forgives them (Matthew 6:14-15). They will treat people the way they themselves would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12). They will know that they’ve been saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and they will definitely know that this doesn’t mean… “ Hooray! I been saved by grace, so, now I can live like hell and still go to heaven” No! The Bible says: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." (1 Peter 2:16)
Let me give you another scripture concerning the way all Christians should conduct themselves while living here on earth. This scripture is found in the book of 1 John and it reads like this: “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “ I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. (Watch this…don’t miss it) This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:3-6)
Everything about us should let the world know that we are “A New Creation”, our lives should be a walking mirror of the living Christ living inside of us. The things that God tells us to do are not burdensome or too hard to carry out; it’s only a matter of choice. Whose choice? Our choice! “The world and its desires pass away; BUT the MAN who DOES the WILL of GOD lives FOREVER.” (1 John 2:17)
Note: God just wants His followers to do right, live right. Love God, Love people… What’s so wrong or hard about that? It’s only hard because we are not willing to live this kind of life. So we use every excuse possible not to follow and obey the Lord. We blame God, family, friends, circumstances, is always somebody else’s fault… We never look in the mirror and say, “ It’s me”. I’m the problem, I admit it, I just don’t want to live this kind of life; I do not want to serve and obey God, sin is a lot more fun and attractive to me right now… “BUT men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19). It’s never too late to take a new direction in life; it’s never too late to do the right thing. If you have reached the point in life when you say, "I HAD ENOUGH?" and you're ready for a change in your life then Jesus is the ONE to call upon. Nothing in this world last forever, but what you do for the Lord Jesus Christ will! You have to make a decision; do I follow God or the world? The choice is yours.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will 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.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
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