ENTER HIS REST!

HEBREWS 3: 19

"So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to ENTER HIS REST!"

Many grave headstones have an inscription that reads, "Rest In Peace".  The persons life is over and they are now returned to the earth.  Those who remained and cared about the person have made a prayer for the deceased, "Rest in Peace".  The assumption is that the departed are now present with the Lord and that they will find eternal peace.  The One Truth Today tells us quite a different message.  Unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ means that you will not be able to ENTER HIS REST!  If you want to rest in peace for eternity you must believe the Gospel and have asked the Lord to enter your heart and life.  You must have heard and believed the Good News of the free gift of eternal life from the Lord Jesus Christ.  The choice was yours and the consequences are predictable and  inevitable.  

Here on earth we cry out peace, peace, but there is no peace, and there is no true rest.  Many have hardened their hearts and refused to hear the voice of God or listen to His Word.  If you rebel against God there is a predictable result.  God has taken an oath that the people that disobeyed Him would never ENTER HIS REST!  Paul's advice is to be careful that your hearts are not evil and unbelieving.  Turn to the Living God and be faithful and trusting to the end.  If we continue to the end we will share all that belongs to the Lord and ENTER HIS REST!

If you have not listened to the Word of God and you have rejected Him you have chosen your own fate.  Do not complain about the justice of God when you are responsible for your own choices.  By provoking and grieving God you have sealed your own place in His kingdom and you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy the eternal resting place.  Do not be tricked by the enemy and the deceitfulness of sin.  Do not let your heart be hardened and your mind to be filled with unbelief.  Listen to the message of the Lord and be saved.  You can 

ENTER HIS REST!   You can find peace on earth if you are a person in God's Will! 

ALIVE AND POWERFUL!

HEBREWS 4: 12

"For the Word of God is ALIVE AND POWERFUL.  It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,  cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."

How can a book, any book, be ALIVE AND POWERFUL?  It is like the question of how the Lord rose from His grave and is now ALIVE AND POWERFUL.  How can we overcome death and be given new life?  Could it be that the answer lies in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word!  The One Truth Today is that the Word of God is ALIVE AND POWERFUL.  The Word had no beginning and had no end and was with God from the beginning.  I can testify that the Word of God is alive and has eternal power.  The Word of God Saved my life and fills my every need on a daily basis.  It cuts between my soul and my spirit and it exposes my innermost thoughts and desires.  The Word is sharper than any two-edged sword and is necessary for battling the world that we live in.  

Have you heard some agnostics and atheists proclaim that "God is dead"?  What do you believe, is God and His Word "dead or alive", in your life?  God speaks to believer's every time we read or study the Holy Word.  It has an energizing effect that actively helps us in our every day lives.  It speaks to us in power and in wisdom.  It answers our questions about life and death and gives us peace.  We can be content under any circumstance.  It lights our path and leads our way.  There is no end to the depth of knowledge that is contained in this one book.  It can penetrate to the dividing line of our breath and soul and life and our immortal spirit.  It analyzes and judges our very thoughts and the purposes of our heart.  The Word of God is ALIVE AND POWERFUL!

If something is dead then it no longer has any value and is interred and put away from us.  Has the Bible, the Word of God, been put away and discarded?  The Word of God is the most printed and published book in the history of men, and will ever be so!  It is trustworthy and true and has the answer to any question you may have in your life.  We know that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, in the living body of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We also know that the Word was God and was with God from the beginning.  The Word is another name for God.  We also know that only a fool says in his heart that there is no God.  The agnostics and atheists are fools and they have no wisdom and they will never have any wisdom.  The beginning of wisdom is the knowledge and fear of God.  It is a paradox that the only spirits that will be dead eternally are those that say that God is dead.  Repent Fools, the Word of God is ALIVE AND POWERFUL!

BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY!

TITUS 3: 5

"God saved us, not because of the righteous things that we had done, but

BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY."

It is not uncommon for man to be prideful and full of themselves for their accomplishments.  It is even prevalent among believer's.  A good example would be the pastor of a large and Spirit filled church.  It is human nature to want to take credit for accomplishments that surround us but for which we are not truly responsible.  Most of us would like to think that we have the power and ability to control our lives and destiny.  The first question I would ask you is, can you save yourself and give yourself eternal life?  The One Truth Today is there to remind us that God saved us, not because of any righteous things that we have done, but, BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY!

Most of us know that we have been foolish, disobedient and even rebellious in our lives.  We have been misled and deluded into all kinds of mistaken and sinful actions.  Many times we have wasted our lives on malice, hatred, envy and jealousy.  On our own and with our own power we are unable to overcome these sins.  BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY, God washed away all of our sins and gave us a new life, filled with the Holy Spirit.  That is correct, God saved you, and it was not because of any righteous things you may have done.  God loves you even though you are a sinner.  When our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ appeared and had mercy on us, we had new and eternal life.  

There is no righteousness that you could perform that approaches the Glory of God.  If the truth is known to you it will become apparent that all that you have or ever will have is a gift from God and never of your own doing.  When you accepted the Lord into your heart and were Baptized, you were cleansed of all your past sins and you came alive again as a new creature with a new heart, filled with the Holy Spirit.  Even now it is not by your works that anything is accomplished in your lives, it is by the Spirit that resides in your heart.  No man can boast about his Salvation, you could never save yourself.  We can never be saved by any deed we have done.  We did nothing to deserve the gift of life, but it was poured out to us so richly and generously by the Lord, BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY!

A PURE HEART!

TITUS 1: 15

"Everything is pure to those with A PURE HEART.  Nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving , because their minds and consciences are corrupt."

Did you ever wonder why some people see the glass half full and others see the glass half empty?  Why are some people optimistic and others are so pessimistic?  Why is it most young children have such pure thoughts and statements, while as we get older we are  more cynical and our statements are more corrupt?  Why is it that we some can see the good in people, no matter their condition, while others only see the bad side of everyone.  Is it a matter of the heart or mind and is it inherent in the belief system of those who belong to God?  Those who are corrupt and defiled and do not believe in God find nothing pure because of their unbelief. Those who have a new heart and believe in the Lord have been given a pure heart and everything has become pure to them! 

Do you know someone whose mind and conscience are polluted and defiled,  they will be corrupt and unbelieving as a natural consequence.  What a clear distinction between A PURE HEART, and a corrupted heart.  The choice to accept the Lord into your heart has vast and known consequences, one of which is that everything will be pure because of your pure heart!

The only way you can clean up an impure heart and mind is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him into your heart.  You will be a new person, with a new heart.  Many profess to know God and later they denounce or renounce Him.  It is apparent by what they do and say and their heart and mind.  By being rebellious or disloyal to the Lord they are unfit and their deeds and works will be worthless and unworthy.  Nothing will be pure to them because they are corrupt and unbelieving and their minds and consciences are corrupted.

If you are tired of being pessimistic and seeing the glass as half full all the time listen to the 

One Truth Today.  If you are never at peace and you have an empty place in your heart that can never be filled or satisfied, then there is only one way to change that.  If you want to find peace on earth and in the Kingdom to come then you must be in God's will and you must have a new heart from Him.  The Lord and the Holy Spirit will come in and dwell in your heart if you make the invitation.  You will become a new person with a new heart and it will be A PURE HEART, because the Lord is Pure.  You will become a new creature in Christ Jesus.  

THIS EVIL WORLD!

TITUS 2: 12

'We are instructed to turn from Godless living and sinful pleasures.  We should live in THIS EVIL WORLD with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God!"

I am going to assume that you know that you live in THIS EVIL WORLD!  Have you seen the godless nature of some men and the way they revel in sinful pleasures.  You must be aware of the murders and mayhem that occur on a daily basis.  You have to have heard of the rape, pedophilia and sexual debasing of our society that is encouraged by pornography.  Greedy people cheat and steal from their fellow man on a regular basis.  Look at the politics of every country.  You need to thank God if you have been Saved by His Grace.  As a believer you are looking forward to the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Redemption from all of this.  We know that the beginning of wisdom is to Know, Fear and Love God.  That is why we have turned from godless living and sinful pleasures, and worldly lusts.  That is how we have learned self control and devotion to the Word.  

When the Grace of God appeared in our lives we received His unmerited favor and blessing and we were delivered from sin.  You have been Saved and your life here on earth and in the kingdom to come have been changed eternally.  This Redemption will train us to reject and renounce all ungodliness and worldly passions and desires.  Salvation allows us to live discretely with self control and a spiritual wholeness.  We will remain upright and devoted to the Lord in THIS EVIL WORLD.  Have you experienced this life change?  Are you a new creature in Christ Jesus?  You will be able to tell if you can live in this world and turn from its evil and use wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God.

Are you anxiously awaiting the return and fulfillment of our blessed Lord?  Is your hope in the glorious appearing of our Great God.  Are you devoted to the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Saviour Jesus Christ?  You will be able to tell and it will be indicated by where your heart and mind are.  If you have rejected your old fleshly man and have turned away from this wicked world, then you will no longer practice the ungodly and lustful wicked ways of the unbeliever.  

You will be living a temperate, self controlled, and spiritual life.  You will be devoted to the Lord who saved you and you will have the wisdom and understanding of a child of God!

INSPIRED BY GOD!

2 TIMOTHY 3: 16

"All scripture is INSPIRED BY GOD and is useful to teach us what is true, and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It corrects us when we are wrong and it teaches us to do what is right."

Even though the Holy Bible was written by many authors over many years there is one thing that makes it a unified document.  The One Truth Today is that "All scripture is INSPIRED BY GOD"!  As believer's we understand that every scripture was inspired by God and that He breathed the life into the Holy Bible through those who were the instruments of its writing.  The hands of the authors may have written the words but the inspiration came from Jesus Christ the Lord God!  That is the reason there are no errors in the Holy Bible.  It is the inerrant Word of an inerrant God.  It is profitable for instruction, reproof and conviction of sin and is the most important book ever written.  The Word of God is used to correct the errors in our lives and to teach us discipline and obedience.  Our lives can be INSPIRED BY GOD!

Without the Holy Bible how could a man of God be complete, proficient, adequate or equipped to do the work of the Lord?  It is because the Word is the Truth that we can be secure in knowing that God was the author of our manual for life.  We can find life changing correction and inspiration throughout the Bible.  Some just read the "red letter edition", the words of Jesus Christ.  Others rely on just the "New Testament".  Some pick and choose their favorite parts of the scripture and abandon the remainder.  It is our position that this is done at a great lose to the individual.   The real gain is when we realize that "all scripture" is useful and inspirational and supplied by God for our edification.  All of the Bible is INSPIRED BY GOD!

Do you read the Holy Bible from Genesis to Revelation on  a regular basis?  We recommend the one year Bible being read each year of  your life.  Do you study God's Word and place it in your heart and mind?  Are you ready to answer any question that may be asked of you about the Holy Scripture?  We need to have more than a cursory knowledge of the Word of God if we are to be His children and His believer's.  Teaching the Word to others can be one of the best ways to learn for yourself the Truth of God.  Find an outlet to share the Word with others and take the time to prepare for those moments.  Remembering always that whatever you write or say should be INSPIRED BY GOD!

TURN AWAY FROM EVIL!

2 TIMOTHY 2: 19

"Gods truth stands firm like a foundation stone, with this inscription:  The Lord knows who are His and all who belong to the Lord must TURN AWAY FROM EVIL!"

The Lord knows you!  Do you know the Lord?  How can you know if you know the Lord of not?

If you are in the Lord, He will have His seal upon you.  There is a sure truth and a firm foundation that will let anyone know if they belong to the Lord.  Have you turned away from evil?  Have you made your path straight and toward the Lord?  If you have the Holy Spirit in your heart then you will and must turn away from evil!  

If you were in an adulterous relationship before coming to Christ, have you stopped committing adultery?  If you were an alcoholic before coming to Christ, have you stopped using hard liquor and are you avoiding drunkenness?  If you had a habit of using pornography and R rated materials, have you turned away from this evil behavior?  If you killed people with your gossip, have you stopped?  All who belong to the Lord must TURN AWAY FROM EVIL!  Are you learning the truth of the Lord and making it the foundation of your life, etched in stone?

God stands firm, how about you?  If you can not answer affirmatively to these questions then you have to question whether you truly belong to God.  

God's firm foundation stands unshaken and bears His seal and inscription, it is His Word.  The way that the Lord knows if you are His and hear His voice is simple.  Have you given up your wicked and evil ways?  Have you become a new creation with a new heart in Jesus Christ?  Have you turned away from your old ways?  You must flee from evil and remain aloof from wickedness.  If you have turned away from your evil past and become a new person in Jesus Christ then you are listening to God!  The way to know your position is to know that God's children TURN AWAY FROM EVIL!