Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Gospel
Mar 26th, 2020
Main StoriesArt Sadlier
Categories: Printed Newsletter;Bible Salvation

“… Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day … “ 1 Corinthians 15:3

Here Paul gives a simple definition of the gospel: 1- “Christ died for our sins” 2- “He was buried” 3- “He rose again the third day”

This is the way in which Christ provided our salvation as Paul says in verse 2 “By which also ye are saved”.

Other scriptures flesh out the details and give us insight into this marvelous work of Christ, but these verses are the gospel. Notice that he does not mention Faith or Repentance. Why is this? Faith and Repentance have no part in the providing of salvation and are not part of the gospel. Faith and Repentance are how we access (appropriate) the salvation which Christ has fully and freely provided for us. We must make this distinction to avoid confusion about the gospel. We are saved by God’s grace. God provides salvation and we have no part in that but we obtained this provision of salvation “through faith”.

Faith is not work. Faith and Works are contrasted in Eph 2:8, 9 where Paul says “…not of works lest any man should boast”. Faith and Repentance are two sides of the same coin (as we shall see) so that Repentance is not a work. If you think you are earning salvation by your Faith and Repentance, you do not understand the Gospel, and you do not understand Faith. God alone fully provides salvation, by grace, and we obtain it through Faith.

Faith and Repentance are both given as an antidote to perishing, resulting in salvation! The two words are used interchangeably as the way to obtain salvation. Faith (believing) is in John 3:16, 18 & 36, “whosever believeth” and “he that believeth”. It is in Acts 16:31 “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” and in Romans 10:9 “…believe in thine heart …”. Repentance is in Luke 13:3, 5 “…” and 2 Cor 7:9, 10 where Paul says “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation”. It is likewise found in 2 Pet 3:9, Acts 3:19, Acts 17:30, Acts 26:20 and Matt. 3:7, 8. Which is it, believe in Jesus Christ and put your faith in Him for salvation OR repent and be saved? It is patently obvious, amazingly clear, that Faith and Repentance are two sides of the same coin.

If “Repenting” involves works to earn salvation we would not be commanded to repent to receive salvation. There is no faith without repentance. You cannot exercise faith for salvation without recognizing the cause of your being lost. You cannot exercise faith for deliverance from being lost without being willing and anxious to turn away from that cause which is sin. When you turn from sin you demonstrate that your faith is a valid faith.

Jesus preached repentance in Mt. 4:17 “… repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” and “I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” in Mt 9:13. He “upbraided the cities … because they repented not” in Mt 11:20. He stated in Luke 15:10 “… there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one that repenteth”.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Here in Acts 2:38 Peter is saying Repent and be saved and give testimony through baptism, that is the only interpretation that is consistent with scripture. See also Mk 1:15 and Mk 6:12.

The Old Testament speaks of repentance in Proverbs 28:13, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."   See also Isaiah 55:6,7 and Isaiah 59:20.

An example of the necessity of repentance can be found in Matthew 19:16-26. A young man comes to Jesus seeking salvation, verse 16 "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

Jesus used the law to bring conviction of sin upon him, "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself " (verses 17-19). Jesus was trying to bring conviction of sin upon him in order that he might be saved. Jesusd had previously said, "...except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).

Paul speaks of this in Romans 3:20, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."  He also elaborates in Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." 

The man’s sin was the “love of money". Jesus demanded repentance, calling him to turn away from the sin of the love of money. When the man refused and began to walk away, Jesus did not say “Oh, wait a minute, never mind repentance, just trust Me for salvation!”  "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven" (verses 22, 23). Jesus verified that there is no Salvation without Repentance.

Do not be misled by the deceitful statement that says: Repentance is not a part of the gospel (true), therefore do not call for repentance in the presentation of the gospel” (false). The saving work of Christ on the cross cannot be applied apart from faith and repentance, Luke 13: 3, 5 "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." See also and John 3:18.

Profession of faith without repentance is not faith at all; it will not result in salvation. It is easy-believism which gives a false assurance of salvation and eventually destroys churches!

The Children of Israel and the Children of Levi Shall Bring the Offering. Nehemiah 10:39
Mar 26th, 2020
Morning MeditationF. B. Meyer
Categories: Meditation;Inspirational;Book Study

IT was about this time that Malachi wrote the memorable words, "Bring ye all the tithes into my storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord, if I will not pour you out a blessing." When a people has separated itself to God, there will be no lack in its house, no failure in its supplies, no lack for its ministers. So with the individual. All they that had separated themselves entered into an oath to charge themselves yearly for the service of the house of God. Separation is the negative side of consecration.

How does this touch you, my friend? What proportion of your income are you setting apart for the service of God? The amount that a man gives in proportion to his income is a sure gauge of the genuineness and depth of his religious life. The Jew gave about a third of his yearly income to God; do we come up to this standard? Yet we speak of the Jews with contempt, as hard-fisted and miserly. These old Jews might set an example to us newer Christians. How often we reverse our position from God's ideal! He puts us over his estate that we should send Him all the produce, after deducting what is necessary for our maintenance, and that of our families. But we engross the entire proceeds for ourselves, sending Him an odd guinea, or half crown, when we can easily spare it. Let us see that we give at least a fixed proportion of our income, and as much more as we can. Do not forsake the House of your God; so shall the heavens be opened in blessing. "There is that giveth and yet increaseth; there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it sendeth to poverty."

Let the Headlines Speak
Mar 26th, 2020
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

For The Full Story Click on the Individual News Item

Please read these news items with discernment. We do not endorse or verify these news items, we simply present them as news reports.

Are We On The Cusp Of The First Ever Cyber World War?
Although the cold war with China is by definition a low-intensity conflict, a sharp escalation is likely during 2020. To some Chinese leaders, it is hardly a coincidence that their country is simultaneously being attacked on all sorts of fronts at the same time. In the last twelve months, China has been beset with a massive swine flu outbreak, a severe bird flu outbreak, and a coronavirus epidemic that has destabilised the entire workings its economy.

Coronavirus fallout pushes Palestinians to the brink of economic ruin, anarchy
In a matter of days, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians employed in Israel, the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria and the industrial zones, lost their jobs and are not eligible for unemployment benefits that can ensure them a basic means of existence – in contrast to Israelis who are on unpaid leave or were fired and are eligible to receive unemployment benefits from social security. Such a collapse will occur in the span of a few days, predict concerned senior PA officials, who believe that anarchy and chaos will erupt.

Iran refuses to release Christian prisoners despite coronavirus outbreak
Iran’s mullah regime refused on Tuesday to grant a temporary release to four imprisoned Christians amid a release of some 85,000 prisoners, including political prisoners, in an effort to stop the spread of the Middle East’s worst outbreak of the coronavirus.

Turkey planning a new invasion of eastern Syria?
Turkey is now turning to this oil policy during the coronavirus crisis as a possible new way to distract local media and create a new nationalist cause.

France to withdraw all troops from Iraq due to coronavirus outbreak
“France has taken the decision to repatriate until further notice its personnel deployed in operation Chammal in Iraq,”

Israeli Engineer Invents Algorithm to Predict Worldwide Spread of Coronavirus
Kremer’s predictions on were virtually identical to reality. Similarly, his model accurately predicted that the spread of coronavirus in China would end in mid-March, with 3,100 deaths in Hubei province.

Soros Behind Campaign Attacking Trump’s Coronavirus Response
While the country suffers economic hardship from the pandemic, the Democratic party, supported by uber-wealthy donors like billionaire George Soros, is spending literally hundreds of millions of dollars in a campaign that weaponizes the coronavirus crisis to target President Trump.

A World Turned Upside Down
God doesn’t shake the entire globe very often. He did during the time of Noah and at the Tower of Babel. There was a terrible plague in the 1300s and a pandemic in 1918. Two world wars took a stunning toll. But now an unseen enemy—a virus, no less—has created fear-driven chaos, and some unknown factors are causing people to embrace a worst-case outlook for the world. At this time, we don’t know how this plays out. It certainly has apocalyptic implications.

Stem cell technique winds back aging in human cells
Stanford scientists may have found a way to essentially return older cells to a more youthful state. The adult cells are treated with a mix of proteins from early embryonic development, which removes many of the molecular signs of aging. The cells closely resembled younger ones, and in mouse tests, older animals regained the muscle strength of youth. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are an emerging method for this kind of treatment.

President Trump Donates His 4th Quarter Salary to Fight the Coronavirus
Trump, who gave away his third-quarter remuneration to the fight against the ongoing opioid crisis, has been making good on his campaign promise to give away all his presidential paychecks to good causes.

50,000 tune in to watch prayer to end coronavirus at the Western Wall
Tens of thousands of people tuned in to watch dozens of worshipers as they came out to pray at the Western Wall on Wednesday evening, praying for the end of the coronavirus ‘plague’ and the speedy recovery of the sick. 50,000 people watched the service live on the Western Wall Heritage Website and on Kol Lashon. The prayer was held on Yom Kippur Katan, the day before the beginning of the month in the Jewish calendar.

Bennett: Arrivals from US, Italy, France, Spain must go to IDF quarantine
Starting from Saturday, anyone returning to Israel from abroad will be checked immediately for coronavirus and then be required to self-isolate for 14 days, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said on Wednesday. Those returning from the United States, Italy, France and Spain…will be checked upon landing and then transferred to quarantine hotels in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Tiberias.

Coronavirus fallout revives talk of ‘universal basic income’
Stockton (United States) (AFP) – The scoffed-at idea of paying everyone a basic income as machines take people’s jobs is getting a fresh look as a possible remedy for economies cratered by the coronavirus pandemic. Lambasted until recently as too costly or too “socialist,” paying people for simply being alive and trusting they will be productive has new support as jobs vanish.

Millions of locusts cover streets in Oman with footage showing ‘ground moving’
Swarms of locusts have descended on Oman with footage showing what seems to be the floor moving after millions started crawling across the streets. The spooky video taken by Dominic Abu Hanna shows a road covered in the small insects. They all seem to be moving in the same direction which gives the impression that the floor is moving.

Coronavirus row helps topple Kosovo government
The government of Kosovo has collapsed after a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Albin Kurti was backed by a majority of MPs. The vote was brought by a junior coalition partner angered by Mr Kurti’s approach to tackling the coronavirus outbreak. It comes only two months after the government was sworn in.

After Senate vote, massive U.S. coronavirus bill moves to the House
The U.S. Senate’s unanimous passage of a $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill sent the unprecedented economic legislation to the House of Representatives, whose Democratic leaders hope to pass it on Friday. The Republican-led Senate approved the massive bill – which would be the largest fiscal stimulus measure ever passed by Congress – by 96 votes to none late on Wednesday…

Israel’s new coronavirus restrictions – no leaving home, unless necessary
The new stricter measures meant to combat the coronavirus outbreak went into effect at 5pm Wednesday. The new steps will further restrict the movement of Israelis, effectively keeping the people in their homes except for emergency situations. Among the new restrictions is a ban on public venturing further than 100 meters from home.

UAE to participate in G20 virtual summit
The UAE will take part in the G20 summit chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said in a tweet on Thursday. “In the spirit of global solidarity, the UAE takes part in today’s G20 summit chaired by the His Majesty King Salman of Saudi Arabia.

Two rockets hit Baghdad’s Green Zone: Iraq military
Two rockets slammed into the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone, the high-security enclave home to government buildings and foreign embassies, early on Thursday, the military said. An Iraqi security source told AFP the intended target appeared to be the US embassy, a sprawling compound a few hundred meters south of where the rockets hit.

Large and destructive tornado hits Tishomingo, Mississippi — rare tornado emergency issued
A large and destructive tornado hit the town of Tishomingo in northern Mississippi and moved into northern Alabama on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, forcing authorities to issue a rare tornado emergency. Considerable damage was reported and several people were reportedly injured.

Very strong M7.5 earthquake hits off the coast of southern Kamchatka, Russia
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.5 hit off the coast of southern Kamchatka, Russia at 02:49 UTC on March 25, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 56.7 km (35 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.6 at a depth of 60 km (37 miles). FRC GS RAS is reporting Ms7.5 (mb7.2) at a depth of 60 km.

STUNNING! WHO Director Says “World Was Slow to React to Coronavirus” After He Claimed in January Coronavirus Could Not be Spread by Human-to-Human Contact (Video)
On Wednesday the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told an audience the “world was slow to react to the coronavirus.”

Canada Gave Away Medical Equipment to China Before Facing Shortages
Critics of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response to the Wuhan virus charge that one reason Canada finds itself short of vital medical supplies may be that Trudeau shipped a great deal of it to China in the last days before the Communist Party’s secrecy and duplicity unleashed the pandemic upon the world.

The Coronavirus Pandemic Is An Engineered ‘Black Swan Event’ Released To Tear Down The Existing Global System And Create New World Order
As you read this, over one-third of the world is on lockdown, with more countries issuing the order by the day. The morgues in New York City are filled to capacity, with no place to store the dead bodies. Officials were told that morgues in the city are expected to reach capacity next week, per the briefing. A third person familiar with the situation in New York said some of the city’s hospital morgues hit capacity in the past seven days. Hawaii and North Carolina have asked for mortuary help as well, and the disaster response agency is currently reviewing the requests.

NJ Releases Up To 1,000 Prisoners From Jail, Threatens Residents For Disobeying Lockdown Orders
Democrats hate ordinary citizens, and it is during times like now, where it becomes really apparent. In New Jersey the state’s Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner, has ordered up to 1,000 prisoners in the state be released due to the threat posed by the coronavirus.

Why Did Hundreds Of CEOs Resign Just Before The World Started Going Absolutely Crazy?
In the months prior to the most ferocious stock market crash in history and the eruption of the biggest public health crisis of our generation, we witnessed the biggest exodus of corporate CEOs that we have ever seen.  And as you will see below, corporate insiders also sold off billions of dollars worth of shares in their own companies just before the stock market imploded.  In life, timing can be everything, and sometimes people simply get lucky.  But it does seem odd that so many among the corporate elite would be so exceedingly “lucky” all at the same time.  In this article I am not claiming to know the motivations of any of these individuals, but I am pointing out certain patterns that I believe are worth investigating.

They WANT it to spread: Kaiser Permanente theatens to FIRE nurses for wearing N95 masks while treating coronavirus patients
Nurses working at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California face being fired for wearing their own N95 masks while treating coronavirus-infected patients, health care unions are now warning. The story, broken by The Intercept, is sending shockwaves of disbelief across the internet as people are coming to realize some health authorities are TRYING to spread the epidemic in America.

Bill Gates Father Ran Planned Parenthood, His Mother Created Microsoft, Together They Trained Their Son To Spread The Gospel Of Eugenics
Bill Gates presents himself as the ‘geeky nerd’ who stumbled his way into becoming one of the most-powerful and richest man on earth, with the time-worn fable of how he got that life-changing contract with IBM for Microsoft purely by dumb luck. But nothing could be further from the truth, as you will see here today. Everywhere you look in the current coronavirus pandemic, you see Bill Gates right around the corner. To date, we have already showed you his connection to ID2020, Event 201, and a plan to include a digital ID with vaccinations.