God Loves Me

Galatians 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.”

The most amazing truth that I have ever learned is that GOD LOVES ME. We all hear that, but so few of us really believe that God loves us. Our text Bible verse from Galatians 2:20 says that the Son of God LOVED ME and gave Himself FOR ME. The ultimate expression of someone's love is to lay down one's life for them. One of my favorite Bible passages in found in Romans...

Romans 5:6-10, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

I love that! Many men would lay down their life for a righteous man. Some might even lay down their life for a good man. But who who lay down their life for a criminal? No one except Jesus!!! Jesus laid down His life for scumbags like you and me! That is what we just read in the Bible. What an awesome God and Savior!!! Galatians 2:20 says that Jesus LOVES ME, which He proved by dying on the cross to pay my debt of sin.

When I go to any store, I always keep my eyes open for opportunities to help people. I love when somebody's credit card doesn't work, or they are short money to pay for their goods. I love to step up and kindly ask if I could please pay instead. It is my joy to do that in Jesus' name. Jesus Christ is God's LOVE GIFT to the world, and believers are the Father's LOVE GIFT to Jesus Christ.

“Human beings just want to be loved... just love the hell out of them!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.

I fully agree with something beautiful that Pastor Jack Hyles said:

“I believe any man in this world, can love any other man in this world, if he thinks right! The reason you hate is because you think hate. The reason you love is because you think love.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “What The Law Could Not Do”

God loves you dear reader, and so do I! One of the reasons why so many people are down and depressed is because they do not believe God loves them. I know that God loves me! He proved it on Calvary's cross. ...

“The Gospel, if you understand it, can cause you to love one another.”
–Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold, a quote from the sermon titled:
“To Believe, Receive, Accept or Trust???”

One of my favorite preachers is Pastor Jeff Owens, who made the following great quotes:

“You are special made by God... A designer model. ...You're not an accident. ... God wanted someone who looks just like you.” —Dr. Jeff Owens, from the awesome MP3 sermon, “Fearfully And Wonderfully Made.”

“Is God so good to you, that you forget how good He is to you?” —Pastor Owens, “Fearing His Goodness In The Latter Days.”

“Listening sometimes is a way to express that you care.” —Pastor Jeff Owens, “Who Cares Anyhow?”

“Do you want some advice about depression—if you're depressed, love your way out of it! Love your way out of it!—You say, 'What do you mean?' LOVE GOD! And if you'll love God, then you'll do what God commands, and you'll do what God wants, and you'll do what is best for God; and staying in that state is not best for God. Love your way out of it!” —Pastor Jeff Owens, a beautiful quote from the sermon titled, “God Knows The Truth About Your Love.”

“Those of you who are down, love will get you up!” —Pastor Jeff Owens, an awesome quote from the sermon titled, “God Knows The Truth About Your Love.” 

Another favorite preacher of mine is Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr., who made these wonderful quotes:

“Human beings just want to be loved... just love the hell out of them!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.

“We don't love people because of what they do, or don't do; we love them because God loves them, and God cares about them, and He wants us to help win them to the Lord!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. (a beautiful quote from the sermon titled: “Developing A Process of Evangelism To Reach The Lost With The Gospel”

From reading the quotes of these wise men we see a common theme of God's love. It is Christ's love which He proved through the Gospel that enables us to love everyone unconditionally. 

“I cannot love you as I love myself until I love God as I ought to love Him.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

“Love is thinking.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

“It is tragic for our God, Who gave us His Son to die on the cross, to beg us to love Him.” —Pastor Jack Hyles 

Love is taking the time to think about the needs of OTHERS. Jesus looked upon the needs and things of OTHERS, continually thinking of ways He could be a servant to help them:

Philippians 2:3-8, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

What a precious passage of Scripture! Jesus was God almighty in the flesh (John 1:1-3, 14; 1st Timothy 3:16; Revelation 1:8). Jesus didn't think it robbery to profess His deity because Christ is God. Jesus is equal with God, because as God the Son, He is God!!! Yet Jesus humbled Himself as a suffering servant, as a mere mortal man, choosing not to use His powers as God. I've heard some preachers say that Jesus set aside His Godhood when He came to earth, but that is not true! Jesus was 100% God in the flesh, and He could have used all the power of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit if He had chosen to. Jesus took on human form upon the earth. The Word of God became incarnate (John 1:1-13, 14). The eternal Godhead became human flesh. Jesus was perfect and sinless (Hebrews 4:15).

“Did you know that God uses hurtin' people? That's part of the reason why we have to hurt in this world, so we can help other people who hurt.” —Pastor Danny Castle; from the life-changing sermon, KEEP ON PRAYING (MP3)

I have heard people say that Jesus gives us peace, but that is not accurate. JESUS IS OUR PEACE!!! Ephesians 2:14, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” Likewise, 1st Corinthians 1:30-31, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” Jesus is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Look what 1st John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” JESUS is GOD and ETERNAL LIFE. If you have Jesus as your Savior, then you have eternal life because JESUS IS ETERNAL LIFE AND GOD!!!

Psalms 18:1, “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”

1st Corinthians 16:24, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

1st Thessalonians 4:9, “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”

I cannot live without LOVE! God is love. The greatest hallmark of being a child of God is LOVE. If you are saved, then you have God's Holy Spirit living inside you and there is love.

1st John 5:4, Faith Is The Victory That Overcomes The World

1st John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

God gives us a promise in the Bible that we can overcome this horrible world. 1st Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” 1st Thessalonians 4:13, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” The lost and dying world are just that... LOST AND DYING! They have no hope of a better afterlife. If all there is in life is what we see today, and we merely die and cease to exist, then we are hopeless. I would hate to think that after this miserable and troublesome life, after seeing all the suffering and pain and killing and destruction, that everything ceases to exist.

Thankfully there is an afterlife. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus told us (those who trust in Him) to BE OF GOOD CHEER because Christ has overcome the world. Why would that cause us to BE OF GOOD CHEER? Why dear friend, it is because when Jesus triumphantly raised up from the dead, He overcame sin and death and made a way of escape for you and me. Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” What a precious promise from God! Friend, if you have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God in your body, then you too will be resurrected just as Jesus Himself was resurrected.

Faith is the victory! 1st John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” If you will simply take God at His Word as recorded in the Holy Bible, and put your trust in the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen from the dead, then you will have eternal life! You have God's promise of it! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins—believing that He was buried, and that He physically raised up from the dead three days later—and you too will have eternal life friend. It is that easy, free and simple to go to Heaven!

Revelation 20:6, God Will Make Us Princes, Priests And Kings To Reign With Christ

Revelation 20:4-6, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

This is an amazing passage of Scripture rich in doctrine. The apostle is taken in a virtual Time Machine of sorts you could say, and sees a heavenly future glimpse of thrones. Do you know who he sees sitting upon those thrones dear reader? Why, if you are a child of God, it is you and me friend! The hair stands up on back of my neck just thinking about it. I hear so many believers moan and groan about their miserable life here on earth, down in the mouth and depressed. Dear saint of God, don't you know that we are going to be made princes and kings of God, to help Jesus reign throughout the 1,000 year Millennium?

But you say, “I don't know anything about being a leader. In high school I was the guy that always missed catching the ball, the pimple-faced nerd that no girl ever wanted to date, the misfit in the school class.” That was me! Friend, if that is you like I was, you have a bright future in Christ! There are no losers in God's family!!! What does the Bible mean by the “first resurrection” and the “second resurrection”? ...

1st Corinthians 15:19-23, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”

I love how simple the Word of God is. 

How Can Jesus Be The “Firstfruits” If Saints Raised Up Before Him?

Let us examine this passage again please:

1st Corinthians 15:19-23, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”

Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried in a tomb. Three days later He bodily resurrected miraculously from the dead! CHRIST IS FOREVER RISEN!!! The Bible calls Jesus' resurrection the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected, because He was the very first to be resurrected. 1st Corinthians 23 teaches that “AFTERWARD they that are Christ's” will be bodily resurrected AT HIS COMING (i.e., at the Rapture). You can read the details about this terrific future event in 1st Corinthians 15:52-58.

Now the following is my speculation, but I think it is reasonable. We read in the Bible that when Christ died on the cross, the graves were opened and some of the bodies of dead saints ressurected and walked into the city of Jerusalem, freaking out the people...

Matthew 27:50-53, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

Now this appears to be a contradiction doesn't it? How can Christ be the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected if these dead saints raised up BEFORE He did? I will tell you what I think, but keep in mind that I cannot prove this Scripturally. Do you remember when Jesus raised up Lazarus from the dead? How then could Jesus be the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected if Lazarus was raised up first? The answer is very simple dear friend, Lazarus was brought back to life but he did not receive his glorified resurrected body fashioned like unto the Lord's resurrected body (Philippians 3:21).

Likewise, I believe these dead saints in Matthew whose bodies were raised up from the dead still had their earthly bodies, which eventually had to die again. I think this is the only plausible answer. Several dead people were resurrected throughout the Bible. Elijah raised up a mother's dead son (2nd Kings 4:16-37). The apostle Paul raised a boy from the dead who fell asleep and fell from a second story window (Acts 20:9-12). These people all had to die again. None of them received their glorified bodies. So Christ in fact is the first and only One in history so far Who has raised up in a glorified immortal body. What a great truth!

How do we know that these martyred saints during the Tribulation are not the only believers who will reign as princes and kings with the Lord? What saith the Scripture? ...

Revelation 1:5-6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Every born-again child of God will be made a prince and a king in the Lord's Kingdom. We shall help reign with Jesus during the 1,000 year Tribulation. We will ALL have our resurrected glorified body after the Rapture. The humans whom we will reign over will still be in their vulnerable and weakened fleshly state. We will have immortal bodies, but they mortal.

Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

Every redeemed child of God will reign with Christ as kings, princes and priests. We will have different duties and functions without the Kingdom of God, all working together as servants of the Great King. The Bible teaches that he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23:11, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” to the “flesh” who survived thehorrorifying Tribulation period. Matthew 24:22, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” The redeemed humans “flesh” that endure to the end of the 7-year Tribulation will be saved from death.

All of the lost (unbelievers) will perish into Hell. Only born-again believers who survive the Tribulation will go into the Millennium in their mortal human body. We as the Raptured saints (the Church), and those saints killed during the Tribulation who will be resurrected at Christ's Second Coming, will reign with Christ in our immortal new bodies. We will gladly serve in humility with Christ, making the daily lives of people better and serving their communities. We will be servants of the most high King. Revelation 19:15, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” 

Literally friend, Jesus is going to reign supreme over this world and He wants us as His friends to help Him to do it! The reason why is stated in Scripture. 1st Corinthians 2:15-16, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” As God's children and Jesus' sheep, we have the MIND OF CHRIST. Every believer has the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit to teach and guide us into all truth. John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Christ's sheep know His VOICE and follow Him. Who else would Jesus choose to reign with Him? 

The angels serve God the Father, but we as believers serve the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall reign with Him for 1,000 years. After that there will no longer be a need to reign, because mortal humans will be gone forever. After the Great White Throne of Judgment there won't be any more unsaved people (Revelation 20:11-15). Revelation 21:4-5 beautifully teaches that of the saved (redeemed) that remain, God will wipe away every tear, the former things shall pass away, death and sorrow will be no more, and God will MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. We will ALL have immortal bodies after the Millennium is over. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Jesus is precious!!!

Romans 10:9-13, God's Promise To Save Them That Believe

Romans 10:9-13, “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This is one of the most debated passages of Scripture. I have heard much heresy taught by unlearned preachers from this passage. I love something that Pastor Curtis Hutson said: “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” That is one of the best quotes I have ever heard.

Without argument, Romans 10:9-10 is definitely an obscure passage of Scripture. Many Christians debate over the meaning of “confess with thy mouth.” The cult of Church of Christ is one example of those who corrupt the meaning of this passage, mandating that a person publicly confess Christ to be saved. Nothing could be further from the truth! We have a very clear passage in the Bible, the entire Gospel of John, which simply teaches to BELIEVE on Jesus Christ to be saved. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” This is a very clear passage. Yet, the Church of Christ and other false teachers will use one obscure passage of Scripture from Romans 10:9-10 to add a requirement to the Gospel which God does not require.

In the Gospel of John the word “believe” is mentioned 88 times, but there is no mention of confessing Christ with your mouth to be saved. We have a precious promise from God in Romans 10:9-13 that God will save anyone who believes. The Bible elaborates on this truth, to ensure that there is no misunderstanding. Romans 10:12, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” Here we plainly learn that God is not a respecter of persons, promising to save ANYONE who places their faith (trust, reliance) in Christ alone.

Romans 10:10-11

Romans 10:11 is often misinterpreted. I have heard numerous Bible teachers and radio preachers get this Bible verse wrong, teaching that you are not saved if you are ashamed of Jesus. That is not what this passage means. Romans 10:10-11, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” At a glance it does seem, from reading verse 10, that verse 11 is teaching that a person won't be embarrassed if they truly believe. This is the errant interpretation of the Church of Christ cult.

We know this is not the correct interpretation for a few reasons:

First, Romans 10:11 is a quote from the Old Testament. Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” The correct meaning based upon Isaiah 28:16 is that someone who believes on Christ will never be let down. Jesus will not fail you! That is what Romans 10:11 really means. You can count on God's promise to save them that believe!!! This is a good example of why we must “Study to shew thyself approved unto God” as the Bible exhorts in 2nd Timothy 2:15a.

Second, as mentioned earlier, the Gospel of John plainly teaches that all God requires to be saved is to “BELIEVE ON HIM” (John 6:40). John chapters 19 and 20 tell the story of Christ's brutal crucifixion, burial and His bodily resurrection. This is the Good News (the Gospel) according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.

Third, we learn in John 12:42-43 that many of the chief rulers “believed” on Christ, but “THEY DID NOT CONFESS HIM.” John 12:42-43, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” The Bible is clear that these chief rulers did get saved, but they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. This evidences that confession is NOT necessary to be saved.

Fourth, the Apostle Paul defines the Gospel in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” Paul makes no mention of confessing, repenting, water baptism or anything else. If turning away from a lifestyle of sin, or publicly confessing Christ, or anything else were necessary to be saved, then Paul would have mentioned it.

The written Word of God promises salvation to anyone who trusts in Christ.

Romans 10:13

Another commonly misunderstood Bible verse is Romans 10:13. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Carefully notice what the next verse says. Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” This is another obscure passage of Scripture. I have heard some preachers errantly teach that praying to be saved is the Bible method. That is not true friend. It would be foolish to base a doctrine upon one Bible verse, when there is a clear passage of Scripture that contradicts that strange doctrine. 

As I mentioned earlier, the word “believe” is mentioned 88 times in the Gospel of John. There is no mention in John about “calling” upon the Lord. Romans 10:14 plainly teaches that a person cannot “call” until they first “believe.” This plainly shows us that Romans 10:13 is an exception to the rule. There is nothing wrong with praying when you receive Christ as your Savior. However, it is not necessary. Praying is a natural tendency when a person believes. Many soulwinners lead people to pray a Sinner's Prayer to receive Christ, but the truth is that the only reason they want to pray such a prayer is because THEY ALREADY BELIEVE. That is exactly what Romans 10:14a says, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?” The Bible teaches that before a person ever prays to be saved, they were already saved the very moment that they believed. Isn't that wonderful?!

Oftentimes in churches an invitation is given for people who want to be saved to come forward to the altar in front. The truth is that those people were saved before they even left their pew, when they believed. I don't like altar calls for salvation. Why cannot those people be told how to be saved right in their pew? They certainly can. Why do they need to come forward? They don't need to. Many people, like myself, are shy and won't walk down to be made a spectacle in front of the whole church.

Other people may not feel well in their body. In every church I have seen, where altar calls are given to come forward, people are asked to get down on their hands and knees. That is not always a modest thing to do for women, depending on their attire. It is also a dramatic new experience for someone who has never been to an altar before. It is a shame that so many pastors woefully lack understanding, wisdom and respect for people. Most churches want people to come forward, so they can make a spectacle out of them and boast of their numbers saved.

Every preacher should ALWAYS tell people how to be saved right from their pew, without asking them to walk an isle to go up front. By requiring people to come forward those foolish pastors have ADDED an unnecessary step to the Gospel, corrupting it. Heaven only knows how many millions of people have died in their sins and gone to an eternal Hell, all because preachers never told them how to be saved from their pew. Pastor Max Younce has authored a wonderful book about this very topic called: 'Salvation And The Public Invitation.'

So in this blog we have learned that Romans 10:9-13 is often misunderstood in a few ways. You don't have to confess Christ with your mouth to be saved. Believing is enough! Just because you are ashamed of Jesus doesn't mean you don't believe. Even the Apostle Peter was ashamed of Jesus, denying knowing Him three times due to fear. God promises to “SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21b). Beware of anyone who requires more than believing to be saved. The Bible teaches that faith is enough. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” You don't need to pray to be saved. I love this helpful quote from Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968):

“'Pray to be saved. Ask the Lord to save you.' This is what I heard a minister say to a convicted sinner who came forward for prayer at the close of an evangelistic service. Nowhere in the Bible are men told to pray to be saved. There are examples where men did pray and were saved. Men are told to repent, to believe, to obey the Gospel, but the Bible never says to pray for salvation. It does say that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, but nowhere does the Bible command men to pray to be saved. I think I know why, God, who made the human heart, knew that it was not necessary to tell convicted sinners to pray. If a sinner can see Jesus Christ on the cross, it is as natural for him to pray as it is for birds to sing or flowers to bloom. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Comments On Here And Hereafter,” chapter: Prayer And Praise, page 163; Bob Jones University Press, Inc., © 1942

Amen and amen! Dr. Bob Jones Sr. is absolutely correct! Anybody who says that you need to pray to be saved is a liar. The Bible gives us the simple way of salvation. Acts 16:30-32, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Revelation 21:3-5, God's Promise Of All Things New

Revelation 21:3-5, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

I love this promise from the Word of God. Every saint is promised that after the 1,000 year Millennial reign of Christ as King over the earth, God the Father will descend His throne upon the earth, and dwell with men, and be their God. What a blessed truth!

We are promised in Revelation 21:4 that God shall wipe away all tears. What a comforting promise to those who have shed so many tears hear on earth. I don't know about you, but I have shed my share of tears in life. I have wept uncontrollably more times than I can remember because of inexplicable pain in my soul, incalculable loss and loneliness. Very few people know what it really means to suffer. I don't mean for days, weeks, months or even years, but for decades, for an entire lifetime! Only then can you truly fathom the depth of God's grace. If it weren't for God's Holy Spirit Who comforts my grieving soul, I wouldn't have made it through the raging storms and dark valleys of life.

God promises in Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more death. I don't know about you, but I hare when people and animals die. I have had many dear pets during my lifetime. I know that they are just animals, but I loved them dearly. My cat Colby was my best buddy as a child, but he died. And then my cats Cucumber, and Porkchop, and Sammy, and NumYum and my dog Snooky all died. Darn them animals! They just keep dying on me! I am being silly of course. But they all died and made me sad. Thankfully, they all gave me great joy while they were alive. I don't like death. 

It hurts even more when our parents die. Both of my parents are in Heaven. I rejoice that they were both saved, and died in the Lord (Revelation 14:13). My younger sister died in 2016 of a drug overdose in Chicago. I am sad that my loved ones are dying, but death is a part of life (Hebrews 9:27). My life has been full of pain, turmoil and loneliness. When things go wrong in life, sometimes we don't know how to respond properly to things, and we make foolish decisions which cause more pain. I hate that about life. But we all eventually must die. The important thing is to make sure that we are ready to die. Do you have eternal life friend. God offers eternal life freely as a gift to anyone who desires it. What saith the Scripture? John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

The Bible promises us in Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more death, neither physical death nor the second death in Hell. There will be no more sorrow nor pain. What a day that will be! There will be no more crying! That is an amazing promise. I cannot even imagine a life without crying, sorrow or pain, but I welcome it. The reason why we won't cry anymore is because there won't be any reason to be sad anymore. God will make ALL THINGS NEW according to Revelation 21:5. That sounds good to me.

I just moved last month from Guam to Pensacola, Florida. Everything is new for me. But it doesn't matter whether you live on Guam, in Florida, Colorado, California, Europe, Asia or anywhere on earth, most things are still the same. Moving here on earth may change our circumstances, weather, laws and cultural changes, but people are still people. You cannot escape the world. When the Bible says that God will make ALL THINGS NEW, you can be assured that things will be so new that we won't be able to imagine it now. I cannot imagine a world without night, death, sorrow, pain, crime, tears and misery. But God will take away all these things when he makes ALL THINGS NEW!!! I cannot wait, but I have to...lol.

The Lord Himself told the Apostle John to write these promises down, saying that they are TRUE and FAITHFUL. When God says something, you can count on it. I am just a man. The words that I speak are mortal, flawed and uninspired. I always tell my web visitors to verify everything I teach with the Scriptures. If more people would do this, these con artist televangelists like Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, Joseph Prince, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Rick Warren would go out of business. They all preach heresy! Thankfully, in eternity God will get rid of all false prophets! If there is to be no sorrow, pain, sickness or tears, then TV preachers must disappear!

Dear saint of God, we have a bright future. For now we must endure weeping for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. For now we must endure the burdens of this hard life, but the Bible promises in Romans 8:28 that ALL THINGS will work together for good. For now we must swim upstream, but one day we'll be able to swim downstream. God is more than good!

I learned something helpful several years ago. When I feel sorrow, pain and grief in this life, I think about God's promise in Revelation 21:4. Since I know that one day the former things shall pass away, and God will make all things new, why should I fret and worry now? I already know that the timer is ticking. I already know that every day on earth brings me one day closer to God's promises in Revelation 21:3-5. That helps me not to worry. May we live today like we have eternal life. I won't one day have eternal life, I already possess eternal life. John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” In order that a believer never perish, that can only mean that we already have everlasting life now. Our days of suffering are numbered oh Christian!