The CRUSADE That Is CHRISTMAS!

Another year is coming to a close, and we are now merely weeks away from the festive celebration known as Christmas!

Of course we realize that Christ was more than likely born in the spring, or even more likely in the autumn season, and that December the 25th was established as the official day by the Roman Catholic Church for its own reasons.

Nevertheless, whatever day it is that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, it's right that we do so, for in so doing, we acknowledge that our salvation has come, not in any deeds we could have done by the command of the LORD Incarnate, but by merely expressing faith in the power of Christ Jesus' saving power by means of the atonement He purchased for us by His own blood, on the cross at Calvary. Indeed, the story of Christmas starts in some respects, from a stone cradle, and climaxes on a cross of wood, and then climaxes even further at a carved tomb, emptied by the RISEN CHRIST! 

Then what's this about "The Crusade That is Christmas"?
We'll get to that in a moment, but first may I share with you one of my most favorite Christmas Carols? It's "JOY To The WORLD"! Here is the opening stanza:

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing!

And another stanza:

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love!

There's just a couple problems with this Carol, however; first of all, this sin-laden Earth full of a sinful human race didn't receive her King! Even the Messiah's own nation, Israel, by and large rejected her Messiah!

Not every heart actually did prepare Him room; in fact relatively few hearts received Him as LORD and Savior, sadly to say.

And the second stanza says: "He rules the world with truth and grace" . . . ? Does He? As we take a look around, and acknowledge the way things are going, and then consider the justice and righteousness of the heart of God the Son, we have to admit, that He doesn't rule this world directly . . . not yet!

One of the titles of the LORD Jesus is the 'Lamb of God' as it is written:

JOHN 1:29, 36
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

REVELATION 5:6
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

REVELATION 22:1
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

And this LAMB of GOD was sacrificed for our sins, just as the nation of Israel had been slaying lambs for thousands of years, awaiting with hopeful expectation for the One Who would bear their sins, "ha Meschiach"; for such sacrifices as ordained by God, and codified in the Torah, the writings of Moses, were prophetic of the Messiah Who was to come. . .
and HAD COME, two thousand years ago in the little town of Bethlehem, as it is written:

MICAH 5:2
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Did you catch that part about He who would come forth to be ruler of Israel? This verse is speaking of Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem, and yet when did Jesus ever rule in Israel? He never did, but that doesn't mean He won't! For He who is the Lamb of God is also the LION of the TRIBE of JUDAH!

So declared a saintly elder in the heavenly vision that God gave to the apostle John:

REVELATION 5:5
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

That root of David is of course the Messiah, the LORD Jesus, who is also the LION of JUDAH.

One thing about Lions and Lambs . . . Lions are ferocious and powerful and can cause a great amount of anxiety to any one who is near one, especially if that enormous cat hasn't had lunch yet! Lambs don't cause such panic . . . uh, for obvious reasons.

In these two typologies we see the sort of coming our LORD would convey in the two different Advents to this world.

He came first to be a sacrifice and a suffering servant (as in PSALM 22), and He who humbled Himself to death, even to the death of the cross where our sins were laid upon Him (PHIL 2:8-11), was then raised up by our Father, and exalted and glorified! And one day the Father would grant Him the throne of His father, David, as it is written:

LUKE 1:31-33
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

And his reign will be glorious and universal (as in PSALM 24)! His reign will be a victorious result of having vanquished the kingdom of darkness, the domain of Satan, and that is where this idea of a 'crusade' comes in.

Merriam-Webster dictionary has one of two definitions of 'crusade' as follows:

"A remedial enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm."

Remedial indeed, for the destructive power of sin, having wreaked God's creation, both mankind and nature, would be divinely remedied! And what an enterprise with such zeal and enthusiasm!

We see the manger scenes, and depictions of this blessed event in films and plays, and we imagine a blissful night under a starry sky, and the young Jewish woman, Mary, perhaps singing softly to her babe some Hebrew lullaby.

Yet if we could see into the spiritual realm and witness the new born King of Israel's tiny, delicately pink hands stretching forth, before Him would be immensely powerful, nearly god-like spiritual beings, holy cherubim, towering far above standing spires of palm trees, bowing humbly before their Holy King. These no doubt would be necessary as protection against Satan who would be aware of this event, and recognize it for what it was:

A HOLY INVASION directed by the LORD of Hosts, who declared WAR upon the serpent in the garden of Eden; when that diabolical creature lured Adam and Eve from their lofty position as Stewards of the Earth by the edict of the LORD, and brought them and the entire human race into the abject, deplorable condition of miserable, sinful existence.

Satan realized that he had to destroy this Holy Child, else He would arise to crush his head, and bring about his utter defeat, as it was written:

GENESIS 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

King Herod believed he was acting out of a totally selfish motivation when he devised to kill all male babies, two years old and younger in the little town of Bethlehem, in order to preserve his own throne against Him, whom the Wise Men from the East (Of the Parthian Empire, the successor in that region of the former Persian Empire, of which Daniel the prophet was an advisor and leader of their royal sages, the Magi or "King-makers") called the 'King of Israel' (See MATT 2).

For more about this history please consider the following from K-House ministries: 

The Christmas Story - from K-House

Yet I believe Herod was inspired by Satan, who likewise had trepidation over losing his reign from this Invading Power, the Son of the HIGHEST!
Elsewhere the life of this child Jesus seemed threatened through satanic strategies and demonic designs.
Then in a supreme spiritual struggle Satan brought all his powers and forces to bear, and attempted to lure the Son of Man in the same methodologies as he did with Adam and Eve.

Satan knew that if he could get the Messiah to fall into sin, thus marring His perfectly sinless soul with the taint of sin's curse, He would then be invalid as a proper, spotless sacrifice for our own sins (LUKE 4:1-14).

Yet Christ Jesus conquered and overcame the enemy in that testing in the wilderness, and came out from that place FULL of the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT, retaining His perfectly spotless soul untainted by even the least of sins, as it is written:

HEBREWS 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

HEBREWS 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1 PETER 1:19
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Satan even used Peter as his mouth piece in an attempt to dissuade the Messiah from directing His steps towards the Cross, but the LORD perceived the subtlety of that serpent and gave him a scathing rebuke: "Get thee behind me, Satan!" (MATT 16:23).

Then, perhaps the greatest trial in our LORD's life. . . the garden of Gethsemane, where what lay before Him was the weight of the entire world of stinking, wretched, putrefying, rot-ridden sins would be laid upon Him! And even more terrifying to His Most Holy Mind - - being separated from His Father, of Whom in all eternity past, He never knew a single moment of separation!

2 CORINTHIANS 5:21
For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

MATTHEW 27:46
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And yet when all was said and done at Calvary, these three words echoed from that region of Jerusalem and into eternity, declaring the quintessential and decisive VICTORY over all the power of the enemy! 

"IT - IS - FINISHED!!!"

And those words in the original Greek is "teleo" or "paid in full" regarding the debt of sin, committed by all mankind, against a Holy and Eternal God of Purity and Absolute Righteousness!

As the old hymn says, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow".

The LORD Jesus in all His Almighty prowess took on all the power of Satan, not with one hand tied behind His back, but with BOTH HANDS, and FEET - - NAILED to a Judean cross! AND HE OVERCAME! GLORY to GOD!!!

He stripped Satan's hellish hosts and principalities of their spiritual power and oppressive influences over the realm of mankind by taking on God's Judgment against the sins of human souls. and thus fulfilling the propitiation (a satisfactory sacrifice) that the Father required.

As it is written:

COLOSSIANS 2:13-15
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

This Christmas, it is my heartfelt prayer that any who have not yet received this supreme GIFT of GIFTS from the Holy God of all Creation who yearns to be a Heavenly FATHER to the lost and weary of this world, would indeed receive this gift of salvation, granted freely from the LORD.

This day, may you know personally, the LOVE of the FATHER by receiving His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Redeemer of all mankind, He who will one day (SOON!) come back to this world!

THEN shall He be received as the KING of the world, both by Israel, just as He had been previously by the church, and by all those who shall come out of the great tribulation, having denied allegiance to the Beast, the son of perdition.

LUKE 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

ROMANS 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

PHILIPPIANS 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Then the PRINCE OF PEACE will rule this world and we shall all know rest and peace!

KNOW JESUS, KNOW PEACE - - No Jesus, No Peace!

Are You A KNYHT In HIS Majesty's Sacred Service?

Tell me what comes to mind when you think of the word 'knight'? What sort of image does it create?
Perhaps an image not unlike the one that's posted on this particular entry.

We've all entertained romantic notions of knights from the wealth of literature and film that's been exposed to us since we were children.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION?

It was the 6th century B.C. in the land of Israel.

Darius the ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire had been reigning at that time for a little over two and a half years. The people of Israel were granted permission to go and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Yet all was far from well in that day.

The word of the LORD through the prophet Haggai was as follows:

HAGGAI 1:6-8
Ye have sown much and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enuogh; ye drink, but ye have not filled with drink; ye clothe you but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put into a bag with holes.. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up into the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

Up until that point the people had said, "The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built." vs. 2.

How they even got into such a predicament where their nation was razed, the holy city of Jerusalem was thrown down, one quarter of the entire population was slain in war, another quarter died in pestilence, another in starvation, and only one quarter remained and were led away captive to Babylon was because of their disobedience to the LORD and His Word.

Then I think of our own nation, and how collectively America has thumbed her nose at God and His Word, and even the church herself is disparaging the Holy Scriptures in ever increasing degrees.

SUICIDE SOLUTION: The RIGHT CHOICE - It's Not What You Think

Suicide is becoming an ever increasing problem in
the face of despair, hopelessness and lack of purpose or worth in our society.

I recently read a prayer request about a serviceman who returned from his tour of duty overseas.

Even returning home, being among family and friends, this man sunk lower and lower into mysterious despondency, and eventually took his own life.  

I dedicate this poem in memorial to all the souls, that, for whatever reason took their lives and ended their time prematurely on this Earth. Further, and even more fervently, I dedicate it to those who are thinking about suicide, and I would implore you through this poem, and the remaining article to resist this desperate action, and choose life instead!

Lamentations Of A Young Death

~o*o~

Sorrow furrows a smooth brow,

Eyes of anguish shed hot wax tears.

Despair crushes a fluttering heart,

Regrets untold throughout the years.

A drug, a gun, a plummeting fall,

Answer the Reaper's beckoning call.

A young life is now snuffed out:

Ere eternity is known about.

A souls unleashed from fleshy chambers,

Its fate to meet in cryptic dangers.

A spirit not wedded to the Lamb,

To face flames forever with the damned.

How loved he would have been, and cherished!

So unwilling is He to see dear souls perish.

Fashioned to be crowned with glory and joy,

Yet misery had stalked him, and destroyed.

Life, a vapor, even years of ninety,

pales before brilliant eternity.
Waste not a moment to seek the Lord of life:

To live with Him forever- free from strife.

written by James Fire, 1983

"Hello, James?"

"Hey, bro! How's it going?"

"............"

"Hello? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I guess.  Don't wanna be but yeah..."

"What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"James, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for being my friend."

"Well, of course, I'm always..."

"No, let me finish!"

"...OK...?"

"You've always been there for me, you've always done your best to help me out. I appreciate you. I love you for it... its just...(his voice is thick with emotion and my heart starts racing)...

"I, uh... I just can't do this any more!"

"What? Do what?"

"Go on living. I can't James (he starts to sob)."

"Look, you're obviously very upset. You need to be with someone. I'm coming over."

"No, you're not. I already made up my mind. You can't help with this."

"Let's just talk about this, OK!? Whatever is wrong, we'll talk, we'll pray. We can see this through."

"I'm going to see this through, James. I am... just not the way you think."

"No, don't go that way, this is NOT the answer! Now just..."

"Goodbye, James. Just remember I love you."

"No, don't! Please! Just let me..."

The sound of a gun shot thunders through the phone, into my ear, down to the depths of my soul and freezes my blood.

Through rasping sobs I scream out his name, over and over again.

But there is nothing but dead silence on the other end.

Dead.

Silence.

The above never really happened; not to me anyway. I pray to GOD it never will, even though suicide among teens is up 300%. More than 200% for adults.

If you are EVER contemplating suicide, reach out! To a family member, to a friend. To a hotline crisis phone number.

Death is tragic under almost any circumstances, but none so tragic as death by suicide.

Don't close the book of your life. Turn the page. As bad as things are, you don't know what's on the next page! Things can turn around.

There are people who love you that will be devastated because of your self-inflicted death, who will agonize over: "I should have seen this coming! I could have been there for them! I should have been there, I know I could have helped! Why didn't they reach out to me! To SOMEONE??!"

Despair is not only crippling, it's deceptive. It feeds the lie, that there is no hope! No answers!

But answers are there for those who will cry out for help. And if there is no one else to hear your cry...

GOD hears. He is the hope of every despairing soul who will turn to Him.

Choose life!

Consider Jesus Christ.

Have the courage to brave tomorrow!

You matter!!!

Please share this message. Please.

I recall this account of a suicide hot line event, where a pastor answered a caller's plea. She was thinking about killing herself, and the pastor agreed that this is what was necessary. He stunned both the caller and the other phone counselors, but before anything else could be said, he quickly continued.

"Just because you need to die, you shouldn't take it out on your body. You're body has nothing to do with your misery and hopelessness. Its just muscle, flesh, bone and blood. No, your real problem is in the mind, and even more so, in your heart."

"You see," the pastor explained, "because of the fact that each and every one of us are sinners, because of the fact we have broken God's Holy Law, and lived our lives the way we see fit, rather than seeking to please our Maker, we have received the wages of sin, which is death. Our bodies will eventually die from whatever cause, but they only die because we are spiritually dead, cut off from the only Spiritual source of life there is: God Himself!

"Our sin has separated us from the LORD, and the results of sin brings about all the misery and hopelessness, despair and ruin that we experience in this fallen world, a planet of people that's entirely alien to awareness, fellowship with and love for God.

"So what you need to do, is not kill your body, but kill your sinful self. Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and if you will receive His substitution for your death and declare Him as LORD of your life, you will find your old self crucified with Christ, and discover new life in Jesus Christ!

"God so desires to give you His Love and Peace, Joy and Hope; He longs to have a love relationship with you, and be your very own heavenly Father, Who will one day bring you into His loving arms in Heaven. He has accomplished the means for this through His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ!"

The young lady was rapt in her attention, grunting agreement in between the pastor's pauses, and when he finally gave her the opportunity to receive Jesus as her Lord, the pastor could hear her quietly sobbing. 
Moments later she was not only saved from her despair and suicidal thoughts, she was saved for all eternity in Jesus Christ!

Now let me share a few verses with you:

JOHN 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

You are a member of this world, a fellow human being on this planet-therefore you are also supremely loved by God, because the above verse states that God so loved the world (and all people residing on it) that He gave us a precious gift-His very own Beloved Son! That's how much God loves YOU!

ROMANS 3:23-24
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Because of the fact that we all have sinned, none of us can approach God on our own. We need a go-between, a mediator who can meet us both half way. That's the LORD Jesus. He is God the Son and being sinless has approach to God the Father, and He is also perfect Man, and can stand in our stead, and take our sins upon Himself, which He did as the Lamb of God. He redeemed (purchased back) us by His own blood!

ROMANS 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus got nailed for us all, on that Cross, and took death for every person's sins ever committed in the past, present and future. He then replaced that curse of death with eternal life, dwelling in every one who believes in Him, receives His sacrifice and declares Him LORD of their life.

GAL. 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

We Christians are in a very real, spiritual sense, crucified with Christ, and dead to our sinful nature (see ROM 6:11) and alive in Jesus to have a living powerful relationship with God as full and rich as that relationship Jesus Himself shares with the Father!

But it all starts with the first step-

Repentance: we must acknowledge our sin before God, admit our guilt, and then turn around and away from our old life of rebellion against the LORD and His Holy Law, and turn without any reservation to the Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ, for only He can save us from our sin!

1 JOHN 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

PHILIPPIANS 3:19-20
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Jesus is our righteous substitute before God, we no longer have to feel obligated to 'live a good life so you can go to heaven some day'! The Truth is, we never could live such a life . . . not on our own any way: yet with Jesus living in and through us, we are able, by His Spirit living in us! Its like a glove, powerless to do anything at all, but with a hand inside, it can do anything that the hand can do!

The more we die to ourselves, the more alive we become to God, and knowing God is the secret to eternal life, love, joy and all the rest!

May I encourage any who might read this: if you are in the black night of the soul and see no way out but suicide, please, please, please consider what you have read here. 

Consider Jesus! He loves you!

CHECK OUT THROUGH The BLACK YouTube Channel with Tom Dunn and Chad Taylor on this sensitive subject. Chad unexpectedly woke up one winter morning only to hear a gun shot, and then with trepidation went through the house to find the source, only to discover to his dismay, his wife who ended her life, leaving him and their children behind.

THE DARKEST OF SORROWS

For more to read, access these articles:

To understand the value GOD the FATHER would see you in the Person of Christ, read this: The PRICE of BLOOD.

For an in-depth study of the Gospel and why it's important, see this first in a series of articles: The SIMPLE But SERIOUS GOSPEL.

Please feel free to contact me at the email address provided: KNYHTF1RE@gmail.com 

GOD is on your side, and wants you for Himself, to love forever!

update: as of Dec. 25th 2009
Please watch this short video, a song by Shawn McDonald entitled "Take Hold". 
This young man's music for the LORD blessed me with incredible richness; his love, devotion and yearning for all that is JESUS is evident in every song. If you haven't heard any of his music yet, check this out (and others on youtube) and buy a CD or two of his.

agape, grace and peace,

brother James Fire

VOICE of the MARTYRS-WE ARE ONE

Here is another article regarding the condition of the church elsewhere in the world. In a word, that condition is: persecuted.

I received a dvd from Voice of the Martyrs, and it was so moving, that I wanted to post it on youtube, but since I only just received it, I didn't have time to secure authorization from VOM to do so.

As it turns out, its unnecessary, as there are already good videos posted about VOM on youtube. We will look at those in a little bit.

First, might I inquire about what you've done with my previous request? Have you taken a look at the V.O.M. web site ?
I have a link for V.O.M. at this blog FROM the MIND of FIRE for your convenience so you can access it at any time.

Have you looked at some of the links, and prayerfully considered lending your voice and heart on their behalf in prayers to the LORD for their liberation and, or protection from their persecutors? 

Have you interceded that the LORD would bestow His abundant grace to these, our brothers and sisters in the faith, that they would by the power of the Spirit remain faithful and steadfast despite any opposition? Despite even martyrdom?

You can find specific names of people, from specific places in the world where they are undergoing severe persecution!

Take a look at PRISONER ALERT.

Can I tell you about Gao Zhisheng?

On Feb. 4, Gao Zhisheng, was abducted by Chinese secret police from his hometown. Since 2005, Gao has been repeatedly arrested, imprisoned and severely tortured by Chinese authorities, mostly for his work defending Chinese Christians. In 2006, he and a group of prominent human rights lawyers created the Association of Human Rights Attorneys for Chinese Christians. In 2007, he was arrested and spent over 50 days behind bars where he was tortured.

“I was beaten so badly that my whole body began shaking uncontrollably on the floor,”

What about Marzieh and Maryam in Iran? We are aware of the fact that in Iran there is tremendous work in the Spirit going on; Muslim people there are having dreams and visions of Jesus, and getting saved, dedicating their lives to the Savior.
Listen to the story of these two ladies who are now committed Christians:

On March 5, Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad and Maryam Rustampoor were arrested by Iranian security forces and labeled "anti-government activists," according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN).
Thirty year-old Marzieh and 27-year-old Maryam are being held at Evin Prison, which is notorious for treating women badly.
"Both women are allowed just a one-minute telephone call everyday to their immediate families. Both are unwell and in need of urgent medical attention," FCNN reported.
During their last call on March 28, Mazieh said that she was suffering from an infection and high fever. She said, "I am dying." Marzieh and Maryam's apartment was searched and their belongings were confiscated. "Their only crime is that they are committed Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus,"

Were you aware that you can write a letter of encouragement to one imprisoned for the name of Jesus Christ? A few words from a fellow believer half way around the world, letting a lonely, persecuted saint know that they are not alone; others are aware of their situation and are fervently praying on their behalf, can go a long, long way!

How would you feel if you were in that prison and received such a letter?
. . . me too!

You can also send an email to government officials, beseeching them to release prisoners from their sentence. Are such things really effective? You decide; take a look at these: Click here to view prisoners who have been released

There are other things we can do to get involved in helping out our persecuted family in Jesus the world over; look through the web site of Prisoner Alert and you access even more information from the main site of http://www.persecution.com/

Now I'd like you to sit back and watch some of these video clips, if you would:

Persecuted Church (5:39)

Voice of the Martyrs: We Are One (3:52)

Voice of the Martyrs: Sarah's Trail of Blood (6:47)

Voice of the Martyrs: Bibles Unbound (2:54)

1 COR 12: 25-27
That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 

MATT. 25: 37-40
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

http://www.persecution.com/

Saints, let's reach out in Jesus love and touch the lives of these, our brethren!

I pray that the LORD Jesus Christ genuinely bless each and every one of you . . . WAY TOO MUCH!!!

Agape, grace and peace,

brother James FIRE

A.V.R.A.S.!

A CALL TO ANGUISH by David Wilkerson and an AMEN From me

Hello Beloved Saints of the LORD,

I've received this message from a sister at the church where I fellowship; it was a composite message from a 5 part series by pastor David Wilkerson of Times Square Church in New York City (all 5 segments are included here-see below).

This message has so struck me, struck me so deeply, that as soon as I finish this posting, I'm going to retreat to my room and get down on my knees and seek God with all my heart concerning the state of our nation, the state of our church, the condition of the hearts of believers, especially the young believers who are falling by the way side, abandoning the faith because of the indoctrination of godless university professors that denounce the Bible.

A Poem - "HEARKEN"

HEARKEN

Hearken to my words, ye rebels of the LORD,

You rage against your Maker in strife and discord.

You rend the earth in battle with blood upon your sword,

The riches of Satan's kingdom, you do lust to horde.

Listen to my cry, ye traitors of the KING:

You've followed after sin and felt its deadly sting.

Satan is your chosen master and to hell he shall bring:

Your immortal souls, in the flames writhing.

Hearken to my words ye transgressors of His Law:

Who of you is innocent, holy, without flaw?

Your hearts are wholly wicked, just as He foresaw.

You're trapped and snared beneath Satan's crushing claw!

Listen to my cry, ye traitors of the King:

You are wretched, poor, pathetic things.

Helpless upon your feet to trod the living road,

enter into heaven, and there make your abode.

Hearken to my words, ye hopelessly lost:
Are you fearful of hellfire, and there be tossed?

There is a way of escape, a means to meet the cost.

For the Son of God Himself has come, to save the lost!

Take heed His Word, ye tired and heavy laden.

Born into this world was He, and in a manger laid in.

He lived pure and holy and within there dwelt no sin,

A Lamb to be slain was He, that we might enter in!

He healed the sick and uplifted the lame,

gave His Holy Spirit; souls were never the same.

He lived a life of purity, in His heart there was no shame.

He came to purchase salvation; for our sins, to take the blame.

Ravaged by the horror of death, He hung upon the cross.
Tormented for six long hours, He suffered all our loss.

The gates of hell, the sins of all men, came down upon His heart:
He cried to the Father, and His Spirit did depart.

He slept in the earth for three days, and then He rose anew!

He destroyed the powers of sin and death, for the sake of you!

He'll show you His Almighty love shining: a heavenly hue!

Healing your blind eyes, He grants a glorious kingdom view!

God Himself shall enter your heart and make within His home.

He'll lift you to heavenly places, you'll never need to roam.

He'll make in you a new creation, a wonderful, beautiful poem.

Look upon your LORD Jesus; seek New Jerusalem, your home.

Rejoice in the LORD always, ye citizens of heaven above!
For one day He shall return! We'll take to flight like a dove!

We'll see His Holy face, and be made like Him in perfect love!

And through agape, His children shall be drawn skyward above!

Praise the name of God, for He alone is worthy of our praise!

Let His bride be standing ready, shining forth in these last days!

He'll speak forth His Word, and the universe shall pass away!

Before the eyes of His beloved, a new world shall He lay!

Come unto the LORD and glorify His blessed Name eternally!

You will be filled with love, joy and peace, radiating fervantly!

Throughout the millennia, the glory and the power of God we shall see!
Forever through the ages we'll be one in love for all eternity!

dedicated to the KING of Kings, the LORD Jesus Christ

by James Fire - 1984

The Simple and Serious Gospel of Salvation - part 2

The Salvation Solution – There is a dreaded disease far more destructive and insidious even than A.I.D.S., and has a far higher mortality rate as well.

This disease has effected every man, woman and child on the planet.A.I.D.S. results from HIV which can incubate for up to 15 years without symptoms showing.

This deadlier disease always results in death, and everyone has tested ‘positive’.Indeed, we are all S.I.N.+ and symptoms show almost immediately in our existence.

Sin is so devastating that it’s affected the heart (that is, the core essence of one’s being or “spirit”) to such a detrimental level as to be considered irreversible.

We find this passage in
Jeremiah 17: 9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (10) I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

The Hebrew word for “desperately” means “incurable”! Even God can’t cure a heart that has been ruined by sin? No, even God is unable to accomplish this, as incredible as that sounds.

What God must do is replace the sin-infested heart with an entirely new one, completely and utterly free of even the slightest trace of sin: a totally pure heart, fully holy and untainted.

The LORD Jesus who said “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, also said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5: 3, 8). By what means does God perform this astounding miracle? We’ll get to that presently; first I must address something of utmost importance.

All of this talk of “sin” and “judgment” and holy demands of perfect obedience to the Law could mislead people into thinking that God is a harsh and cruel judge, vindictively intent on the condemnation of hopeless sinners. Many have turned away from God for this very reason. Atheists and humanists believe that God’s love is a sham, because while on the one hand, He offers this salvation and love to all; if any reject His offer, then He casts them into hell! “What sort of love is that?” they ask. “‘Either you love Me or you perish in hell’?”

We must remember that from the time when Adam sinned by partaking of that forbidden fruit, he not only condemned himself to the judgment of a Holy God that must judge sin in order to vindicate His Holiness; but Adam, acting as the corporate Head of humanity likewise condemned all of his offspring through his fall.

We were all headed to that Throne of Judgment, there to be condemned by the Judge of all the Earth, long before Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin, was raised in that small town where He was trained as a carpenter by His step-father, Joseph; long before He began His ministry at thirty years of age.

It was an act of intervention on God’s part that interrupted our eventual flow down river and into damnation. So, any who reject God’s offer of salvation, isn’t then determined to be cast into hell, but merely continues uninterrupted towards destruction.

As it states in John’s Gospel, 3:18 –"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

The truth of the matter is that God loves you, personally. He has gone to the greatest length and furthest extent to demonstrate this love, as we shall see. God knows you intimately, for He created you. He knows you even better than you know yourself, believe it or not. He knows your every thought, your dearest dreams, your heaviest burdens, your deepest sorrows and your fondest hopes.

He’s well acquainted with your times of loneliness, frustration, anxiety and your harshest struggles in life.He knows what you will say and do tomorrow as well as every sin you’ve ever committed or thought about committing, and for all that, He loves you and yearns for you!

Yet there is a dilemma: While God’s nature is “love” (1 John 4:16), God is also holy and He cannot partake of sin, but as the holy Judge of all souls, by His Divine, holy nature, He must judge sin. Were He to ignore or overlook sin, it would violate His Holy nature. Still, His love remains and He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9)!

God drags His feet when He brings judgment, but sprints to deliver mercy! This is why God so hates sin, why He is so opposed to it: because sin separates those which He dearly loves apart from Him: that’s you! Isaiah said it quite clearly:

Isaiah 59:2“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

God knew full well the choices that our father, Adam and our mother, Eve would make while in the garden of Eden; yet He allowed them their free will in order for them to demonstrate either their love and devotion to Him, freely given, or their disobedience to His command, that resulted in the fallen human race we see today.

From eternity, from that lofty vantage point, the Almighty foresaw this great infraction of iniquity and was fully prepared in offering the one remedy that would prove abundantly and gloriously effective! And so His plan began to be revealed:

From Genesis 3:15 God Almighty, King of all Creation made His Royal declaration of war against the serpent a.k.a. the devil (whom Jesus called a “murderer” and “the father of lies” for it was through his lies, he deceived Eve, and Adam followed along with her into sin, effectively murdering, spiritually speaking, the human race).

God warned Adam that the day in which he would partake of that forbidden fruit, he would surely die, that is, in the Hebrew: “dying, you shall die.” However Adam lived for hundreds of years after he took that forbidden fruit, on a physical level. Spiritually, Adam died when he disobeyed God by taking the forbidden fruit; being severed through sin, from the very Life Source that is God alone, and thus began the process of death - spiritually it was immediate; physically it was a slow, wearisome ordeal.

Separation from God always leads to death, just as a fish separated from water, a plant from the soil, an astronaut cut off from his life line while space-walking outside his space shuttle results in eventual death.

In God’s mind, there resided a plan by which sin would eventually be obliterated and its deadly effects nullified. It began in Genesis as God pronounced before the first human couple:

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Note that peculiar phrase “the seed of the woman” – that is a Messianic title, the first of many throughout the Bible; since the woman bears the egg, not the seed, this title hints of the virgin birth of Christ.

Even then, in the garden, God took away the fig leaves Adam and Eve wore (for they learned that they were naked) and gave them coats of skins, that is, animal skins. Imagine the horror on their faces when they witnessed for the first time ever, the slaughter of animals, the shedding of blood, death and dying, for their own sakes, so that they could be covered from their shame. Even in this, they began to understand that by the death of another, they would be delivered!

God likewise made a pronouncement to Abram (“father of many”), later called Abraham (“father of many nations”), saying that through him, the father of the Hebrew nation, all the nations of the world will be blessed. In Genesis 15, God promised Abram the land that would later come to be known as Canaan, and would eventually become the land of Israel. God also promised Abraham a son, Isaac, through whom these promises would be fulfilled.

In Genesis 22, God did the unthinkable: He commanded Abraham to take his son, (in God’s eyes, his only son even though he had an older son, Ishmael) whom he loved, and offer him up in sacrifice in the place that God would show him! God never commanded any one else to perform a child sacrifice, and elsewhere condemns this very practice; He actually prevented Abraham from carrying out the command in the end. So, why the big performance? God was actually teaching Abraham, and via the recorded scripture of this event, all of us who read it, what His plan would entail.

God showed Abraham where he would offer up Isaac, and Abraham called that place, “Jehovah-Jireh” that is, “in the mount of the LORD, it shall be seen.” What was seen there? I believe that God gave Abraham a vision that paralleled what he himself was enacting when he laid the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s back, when he led him to that place of sacrifice, when he bound the hands of his beloved son, and poised the knife to strike.

Remember the words of Jesus Christ . . .

John 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."

For there would come a day when another Son had wood laid on His back, the cross-beam of a crucifix; He likewise was bound, and brought to the place of sacrifice (many biblical scholars and archeologists believe that the place where Abraham offered his son, was the same mount that was later called Golgotha, or Calvary, the place where Christ was crucified).

Slowly, throughout the centuries, God inspired various prophets to write the holy scriptures, and to them were given visions, oracles, and divinely granted understanding in regards to the mystery of him who is called “the Messiah”, that is, “the anointed one” (being anointed by the Spirit of God, and thus empowered to be both the King, and Savior of all Israel). Two primary chapters that speak of the Messiah-King or “Meschiach-Nagid” in Hebrew are Psalms 22 and Isaiah 53.

May I encourage you to read these passages before you continue on with this article? I’ll sit here and wait for you to finish!

In Psalm 22, the very first and last verses are the same first and last statements that Jesus Christ made on the cross:

Psalm 22:1"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?"

Psalm 22:31"They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this."

That phrase in vs. 31 “that he hath done this” can easily be translated “that he hath finished this” and that’s what Jesus declared – “It is finished.” More about this distinguishing phrase later on.

Rather than review the physical aspects of crucifixion as Psalm 22 prophetically entails, I believe it would prove useful, not to mention emotionally moving, to examine the following articles by physicians who’ve studied the crucifixion and the physiological aspects people suffered during this excruciating process. There is also a video file on the last link for you to watch.

One thing I will say: I was leaving the theater one day after seeing Mel Gibson’s The Passion, and overheard two girls talking. One of them said she felt that the film wasn’t accurate, that the violence done to Jesus was exaggerated.

I gently interjected and said to her, “You’re right about that film, it isn’t at all accurate. “As a Bible student of over twenty five years, I’ve studied this, and what I can tell you is that this film doesn’t even come close to the violence done to Jesus! According to what we saw in this film the actor James Cavaziel who played Jesus was still recognizable as a man; you could distinguish his features quite readily, even through the blood.

Yet in the book of Isaiah, it states that he wasn’t even recognizable as a human being, He was so beaten and abused!” (Isaiah 52:14)


Crucifixion of Jesus Christ - The death of Jesus on a cross.


Once the last prophet of the Old Testament canon completed his writings (Malachi), there was a span of four hundred years when there was no holy oracle given by any other prophet. It seemed that God had gone mute, but no further revelation was necessary than what they already received; sufficient were the scriptures imparted to Israel in order for them to rightly identify their Messiah who would come.

Finally one last prophet arose, who would herald the arrival of the Messiah: John the Baptist; and while John wrote no scriptures, he was indeed the last and greatest of all the Old Testament prophets as stated by the LORD Jesus Himself (Matthew 11:11), and he boldly declared the need for the nation of Israel to repent of her sins, and to make ready the way for the Messiah their King.

This is not the end by far! There is much yet to look into regarding these eternal truths by which immortal souls hang in the balance; whose eternal destiny hangs in the balance depending on what decision they make regarding the gospel.

Lord, for those readers questioning where they stand with you in eternal matters, open the eyes of their understanding, open their ears so that they can hear you, and soften their hearts to receive You as Lord and Savior of their lives.

JESUS, THE WAY OF SALVATION!

One day, the Man from Galilee came to the river bank of Jordan where John was baptising and I can well imagine that when their eyes met, John must have smiled with recognition of two sorts. Firstly, he recognized his cousin, for Jesus and John were just that. Secondly, he recognized by divine revelation that Jesus was far more than merely that!

The Baptist stepped forward, wading in the streams of Jordan, pointing his finger and shouting, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world!” John 1:29b.

That term “lamb of God” would be familiar to the Jewish nation for they were accustomed to offering up lambs in sacrifice for their personal sins at the Temple, an institution God established through Moses, and was carried on some forty years after the crucifixion of Jesus (before it was destroyed by the Roman army led by General Titus in 70 AD).

However, this was a lamb with a difference! This was the very Lamb of God!

Such was prophesied by Isaiah in ch 53 which we just read,

Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."

Isaiah says much about the Messiah and His mission –

Isaiah 53:4-6 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

So now we come to the central issue: the solution to the sin problem.

While the physical aspects of crucifixion were unimaginably barbaric and agonizing beyond belief, they were the least of what the LORD Jesus endured on that cross.

Jesus Christ, the sinless Man, who Himself was just and perfect through and through, before God Almighty and His scrutinizing eyes of Holy Fire, would not receive any condemnation from His Father, but rather commendation, as the Father so spoke:

Matthew 3:17 "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Matthew 17:5 "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."

Scripture has stated emphatically that there is no one righteous, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God: include in this all-encompassing category: Buddha, Krishna, Mohammad, Moses, King David, Mary, etc. These all died as a result of their sins, but of Christ Jesus, He is declared time and again in scripture to be sinless. (This is why the virgin birth is so essential to the message of the Gospel: the sin nature was carried along through the lineage of Adam, but Christ Jesus was not the son of Joseph, so He didn’t carry with Him that sinful inheritance like all the rest of us. He is God’s Son, and has His holy, sinless nature!

He is, as opposed to Adam, the last Adam (see 1 Cor. 15: 45-47), the beginning of a whole new race of mankind: those born of God’s Spirit via Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended!)

See Romans 3:10-12, 20, 23; compare these with 1 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15 and 7:26; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22.

Just like those sacrificial lambs that would be sacrificed on the altars in the Temple had to be examined by professional priests who knew what to look for in the way of blemishes and imperfections, and reject such; any in whom resides the blemishes and imperfections of sin would be rejected by God as a viable sacrifice.

The LORD Jesus is literally in a category by Himself; He is in a class of one! There are no other viable sacrifices that would be approved by, and acceptable to God. That is why Jesus is called “the propitiation (only acceptable, satisfactory sacrifice) for our sins.”

See Romans 3: 25; 1 John 2: 2; 4: 10.

And like those lambs, on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur when the priests would lay their hands on the sacrifices, and pray, and figuratively transfer the sins of the people onto that animal, and in so slaying it, ‘kill’ the sin that would ruin God’s people; now the Lamb of God has come, and as Isaiah stated, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities . . . and the LORD laid on Him the iniquity of us all!”

Just think of the astounding Truth of this Supreme Act of God! The LORD God took the sins of every-single-human-being-in-the-entire-race - - with all these sins laid upon Jesus, our precious, tender hearted, loving LORD willingly took on Himself the full capacity of wrath, all of the judgment, all of the punishment that the Just God of Holiness would demand!

Jesus literally got nailed for you and me!

He took our punishment in our place!

In other words the records for all of our sins were slain right along with the LORD Jesus, Himself slain for our sins! Paul the Apostle states as much:

Colossians 2:14 "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"

“Ordinances” in this case refers to criminal charges of one found guilty, and in the court of God, that was us! That is, until JESUS came along and took it upon Himself, having it nailed to His cross!

More than this: are you aware of the fact that Jesus not only bore our sins, but that in some deeply spiritual sense, actually became sin for us?

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us (emphasis mine), who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Having taken upon Himself the sins, and the punishment for all these criminal charges (“ordinances”), in His dying breath, He declared “It is finished!”

In the Greek the word there for “finished” is teleo- “complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt), finish, fulfill, accomplish, pay, perform, expire, make an end, fill up.”

That debt of sins was entirely satisfied wholly paid for, with no indentured remainder! As the old hymn says,“Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow!”

During the days of Moses, after the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt, and during the time of their wandering through the wilderness, the people were plagued by fiery (poisonous) serpents because of their constant whining, unbelief, and sin against God.However, as always, the judgment of God was tempered with mercy, for He had Moses make a serpent of bronze (bronze typifies ‘judgment’) and mounted it on a staff (some biblical scholars suggest that this staff actually had a cross beam on which this brass-fashioned serpent was coiled); any who would simply look to this bronze staff would be healed.

“Bizarre” you say? Yes, indeed!

Why did God go through such an elaborate method, when He could have simply spoken His Word, and it would have been done? Lessons! Lessons from the Old Testament for us to learn by, as it states:

Romans 15:4"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. "

The LORD Jesus used this historic event for an illustration to exemplify His own offer of salvation, to Israel and to the entire world, everyone who has been bitten by the ‘serpent of sin’ and thus be cured of its malignant malady. By faith any who looked on that bronze serpent were healed, so too, by faith all who look to Jesus are saved!

John 3:14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up."

But it doesn’t stop there! It gets even better than this!

Not only can you, RIGHT NOW, on this VERY DAY be cleansed of all of your sins, and transgressions, and have the record wiped away from the account God has registered for the Day of Judgment, but you can also have imparted to you eternal life, a result of receiving the Resurrected LORD, Christ Jesus into your life (My own experience was on June 20, 1980: to read my testimony please visit FROM The MIND Of FIRE; use the search engine there: Scoping This Mind and type “Can I Get A Witness”)!

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. "

With the sin solution made available, any who receives this can then be abundantly blessed with a real, live, ‘breathing’ relationship with God Almighty! It’s what God created us for, to please Him by interacting with Him, partaking of a love relationship!

Revelations 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

1 John 1:3 "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

The Foundation of Fellowship with Our New Father -

From the very beginning of the creation of man, God has had in mind a particular form of fellowship with us, of the highest quality possible, and this would entail the very God indwelling in us, all of us who receive Jesus Christ as our Sacrifice, our Savior and our LORD!

Astounding! We actually become a kind of temple in which God resides; we’ve all heard the expression ‘my body is a temple’ . . . well its one that was designed to have God dwell within, as scripture explains. Here, Paul reminds Christians of this supreme truth:

1 Corinthians 3:16"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

1 Corinthians 6:19"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

1Corinthians 6:20"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

2 Corinthians 6:16". . . for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

This is what the LORD Jesus was referring to in John 3:3-5 regarding the spiritual truth of being born again. Because of the fact that the human race had fallen into sin, because of the fact that the human heart could not be cured spiritually, because of the fact that salvation was impossible by any other means (see Matt. 26: 39; John 14:6), Jesus Christ Himself died for our sins, and slew our sins at His death, AND when He was resurrected, He brought with Him new life, made available to all, and upon the forgiveness and washing away of our sins, our newly created, clean hearts are made hospitable for the Holy Spirit of God to take up residence in!

Once accomplished, we are born from above (heaven: that is, a heavenly interaction between God and the repentant sinner), or “born again” as it states here:

John 3:3"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4)Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

Nicodemus was obviously confused about all this talk about being born again:

John 3:9 "Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? (10) Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?"

And it seems that the LORD reproves Nicodemus, who was a highly regarded teacher (“master”) of Israel, for his apparent lack of knowledge concerning this spiritual truth. I used to think that this was a bit unfair, as the ‘born again’ teaching and experience was strictly New Testament.

Well as far as experience yes, it is a New Testament phenomenon, but this truth was certainly taught in the Old Testament!

Isaiah 57:15 "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

Ezekiel 11:19 "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh."

Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."

And the spiritual birth is likewise taught later in the New Testament:

John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God*, even to them that believe on his name. (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

*This term “sons of God” (Hebrew: “benai Ha Eloheim”) refers to a direct creation from God Himself: all angels, for example were created by God directly thus they are referred to as “sons of God” in Genesis 6 as well as in Job 1, 2, and elsewhere; angels have no progeny after their own kind. Adam was a son of God (Luke 3:38), for he was created by God from the dust of the earth; Adam’s sons were not “sons of God” for they weren’t created directly by God, but by God through Adam.

Any who are born of God (i.e., born again) are “sons/children of God” because God directly created new hearts within us!

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Titus 3:5"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

1 Peter 1:23"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."1 John 5:1"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him."

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If you have read this, and understand now what salvation means; if you begin to have an inkling of the depths, heights, widths, and breadths of Gods insurmountable love FOR YOU PERSONALLY, you can exercise your faith in the truth of God’s Word as represented in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and conduct some heavenly interactions with the Creator of the Universe!

How do you go about this precisely? As it’s been said before, it’s as easy as A, B, C!

Firstly, Admit to God that you are indeed a sinner, that you have broken God’s Holy Law and are, in the Court of the Holy King, guilty as charged. This is something that requires a little humility.

Not every one is willing to humble themselves with such an admission, and that’s because of pride. DC Talk has an album out where they said, “The leading cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who profess Jesus with their mouth, but then deny Him by their lifestyle!”

I would agree that this is certainly one of the leading causes, however, the one primary cause for atheism has always been, and is, pride. They refuse to admit that they are in any way a sinner, that their heart is as the Bible states, desperately wicked (remember Jer. 17:9).

They refuse to admit that they need help of any kind, most of all, any help from God! Yet God promises that whoever humbles himself before the LORD, He will exalt in due time! See: 1 Peter 5: 6

The salvation of the soul is a glorious exaltation of love, grace, joy and peace!

Secondly, Believe that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead, having paid for the penalty of our sins, and utterly destroyed both it and its power over our lives! Believing God’s Word, and submitting yourself to the TRUTH of His Word will bring the desired results!

Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Lastly, Confess Jesus Christ with your mouth. That is, you declare to Jesus Christ that you are committing your heart, your life, your everything to Him, and receive His salvation freely given as the GIFT of GOD.

You do this simply by praying to Him. It doesn’t have to be an eloquent prayer, but it does have to be sincere. You must fully and truly mean what you say as you address the LORD.

When I first came to understand what salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ was all about, my prayer was simply (having no one to guide me in prayer) “LORD, if this is it, if this is my purpose in life, to accept You as LORD and SAVIOR, then take me, I’m Yours!”

Here is a prayer that you might pray, but remember it’s not so much the words, as your heart that’s important.

"LORD, I admit to You that I have sinned in my life, and that I am guilty of disobeying your Holy Law, but I also understand that You loved me enough to send Your Son, Jesus to take my place on the cross, to take my own sins upon Him, and suffer the Judgment of God for me, and allowing me to escape the punishment of hell.
"Thank You LORD for doing this for me, and for making a Way to forgive all of my sins, to wash me clean from all of them, and providing the means to creating in me a new, clean heart.I receive you now Jesus, as my LORD and Savior, I receive you into my heart and ask You to come live inside of me forever, and make me a new person. "I believe You LORD Jesus, and Your promise to me for salvation, and for assurance that when I die, or until You return, I will have a place guaranteed in heaven with You! Thank You LORD Jesus, and thank You God, for becoming my Father! May I live a life that is honoring to You!In Jesus Name, I pray, amen!”

Now if you have prayed this prayer, and meant it, at this point in time, regardless of how you may feel, YOU – ARE – SAVED!

The LORD Jesus has cleansed you of sin, and in a very real, spiritual sense, you are indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God!

What do you do next? I would encourage you to contact me here at FROM The MIND of FIRE via email, and share with me what you did!

I will be very happy to share with you, and rejoice in your decision to receive salvation!*

You haven’t joined a denomination or a church per se just now; you have joined the kingdom of God, and have become His child!

It is very important that you find a good, Bible teaching church, but you need not feel all alone in this; pray! Ask the LORD to guide you to where He would have you go, and He will!

Also, because of the fact that spiritually speaking you are a brand new person, a kind of new born baby ‘in the faith’, eating is very important! That is, spiritual food in the Word of God, the Bible. Begin reading this daily for nourishment, spiritual strength, wisdom, guidance, instruction, etc.

Most of all, realize that the Bible is God’s Love Letter just for you! You will learn all about Jesus, and how He loves and cares for you, His plan for your life, and what He intends for you to do with what He has now granted to you. If you’re not sure where to start, what do you do? Right! Pray! God will guide you in this as well!

Speaking of prayer, remember to pray to the LORD daily; set aside a special time to talk to Him, bring before Him your needs, and ask for guidance in all affairs in your life, Prayer is simply talking to God (and you can do this anywhere and any time), be real with Him as you would a close friend, for indeed, the LORD Jesus is your most faithful and closest Friend you will ever have!

Begin to share with others what you have done; it’s the Gospel, “good news” and we can sure use all the good news we can get in such a world we have today! Its ok if you’re asked questions that you don’t have answers for! Allow the LORD to speak through you; when I first came to the LORD, I was astounded at times at the things that came out of my mouth! I remember thinking, “How did I know that??”

The LORD can and will speak through you in sharing with others!

Most of all, live a life of gratitude for all that the LORD has done for you, and remember: Jesus died for us so that we can live forever in Him; likewise we are to ‘die to ourselves’ to allow Jesus to live through us!

In another segment of this ongoing article we will address God’s plan for those who are now born again, members of the kingdom of God, and what He intends for us in the glorious purposes He has prepared for us before even the world was made!

Ephesians 2:8"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

I pray that the LORD Jesus bless you all . . . WAY TOO MUCH!