Sermon On the Net

JOHN

 

I would like to begin a series of Bible studies, beginning with the Gospel of John. I chose John because this is the first book I read and it opened my heart and eyes. This is where I discovered God to be a living God, full of love and forgiveness and willing to shower us with His grace (unmerited favor). I would like to approach each chapter with 3 questions; what does it say, what does it mean and how can I apply it to my life.

 

The theme of the Gospel of John is the Deity of Christ; it deals with the nature and person of Christ and the meaning of faith in Him. John's purpose in this Gospel was to deliver the message that Jesus is the Son of God and believing in Him would give you eternal life. See John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish." We see Jesus as the manifestation of God the Father. The first 2 verses declare the deity of Christ; 'in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.' Verses 3-5 teach that He created all things and He was to be the light of mankind as a lit candle in a dark room. Unfortunately  man did not understand the meaning of His presence. Verses 6-8 tell of John the Baptist and his position of being the forerunner for Jesus and to proclaim His coming. Verses 9-15 teach that Jesus was in the world and the world did not know who He was. Even His own people refused to acknowledge or accept Him. For those who did believe Him, He gave the power to become children of God; adopted children of God, that is, in His family nonetheless. Verse 14 portrays the glory which we are to be indebted forever; "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." Verses 15-34 are John's testimony and witness of Jesus being full of grace and truth, conversely Moses presented the law. The Jews wanted to know who John was and he simply told them that he was a messenger of God sent beforehand to present Jesus. As said in the book of Isaiah (prophetic) to, 'make straight the way of the Lord.' John explained that he was baptizing in water, (this baptism was for repentance only), and that Jesus was coming. He told them in no uncertain terms that they didn't have a clue as to who Jesus was in spite of the many, many prophetic scriptures supporting His arrival. When Jesus had John baptize Him in the water, John saw the Spirit of God descending from Heaven like a dove upon Him. The Father had already told John that the One on whom he sees the Spirit descend, it is He that is the Son of God and is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit. All new believers receive the Holy Spirit when they accept Jesus as Savior

 

Verses 35-51 discuss the gathering of His disciples; as Jesus was walking through town His power and their faith compelled His followers to join Him, and without hesitation. John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep."

 

The question, 'what does it mean' is something each one of us should meditate upon to help them arrive at their own conclusions; I can share the meaning of it to me with you. If this were a live Bible class, each one would bring the meaning of the chapter with them and we would all share. As for me, it means Jesus is alive and well, always existed, and always will. I see the Deity of Christ; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe He did come to earth for me, as well as anyone who is willing to accept Him as Lord and Savior. It also means that I am to commit my life to Him and obey Him. I see love, forgiveness, and grace in Him. I also understand how man can be obstinate to the point of losing his life forever. I see the power of displaying a truly forgiving and unconditional love when we see men drop what they're doing and follow Him with total commitment. I am totally comfortable with what I see in this chapter. It is both a delight to my heart and most encouraging.

 

The application of what I see and understand in John 1 is simple for me: I believe without any doubt what I see and feel, and will take that conviction and the strength it affords me and try to live my life in a manner worthy of a child of God. I would love to be like Jesus in character, but I will gladly settle for striving to be that way. I will always wear my banner of conviction and pray to help others understand that God loves them and has an open invitation to all. For those who have the power of conviction, wear it in humility as Jesus did, and help those as Jesus did, to recognize the vast emptiness within themselves. As Jesus said, "Come and see," not see and come, but "come" first and you will see afterward.

Sermon On the Net

FAITH AND FEAR

 

Could you envision living the rest of your life without fear? Could you envision living the rest of your life with sufficient faith to over come all obstacles life presents? Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No. It is possible, however, to minimize the overwhelming power of fear and to employ more effectively the benefit of living in faith. We can find the solution by understanding the forces that capture our thoughts and converts them into fear. With knowledge we can begin to understand the full meaning of faith and its application in our lives and how it can free us from the stranglehold of fear, and free us to enjoy a life that many people dream of or aren't even aware a life like this exists.

 

Let us begin the journey of understanding fear with the introduction of its author, none other than the devil himself, otherwise known as Lucifer. I believe using his name will be more effective; it makes him seem real and believe me he is as real as you or me. He was the highest-ranking angel in Heaven and tried to overthrow God. He failed in this feeble attempt and, along with his band of angels was thrown out of Heaven to roam the earth for a period of time known only by God Himself. Unfortunately, these fallen angels are a real threat, a very real force, trying every moment of our lives to put us in and keep us chained to a life of fear: a life of worry, sickness and despair. Lucifer is the creator of sin, the father of everything that is immoral or wrong. We would be well served to understand this and be aware; armed ready for him and his band of demons at all times. We cannot yield for even a second, as he is there waiting in his dark domain for the chance to strike and try to destroy us. He is the basis for the Curse levied upon the earth since the fall of man. There is much Scripture on this subject. People are always asking why there is disease and sickness in the world. Don't look any further than Lucifer, himself as being the cause. Before sin was in the world, there was no sickness or disease. There was no immorality to be found. Sin began in the Garden of Eden and has never left us and all the credit belongs to you know who, Lucifer. Man brought it upon himself by not understanding, by his lack of knowledge of the forces of evil that were to be unleashed upon the world in the Garden of Eden; which was to otherwise be, man's Utopia. I have a great deal of compassion for anyone who does not have a way out from these forces. Their end will be with Lucifer and then it will be too late; they will have an eternity of agonizing torment with no way out.

 

There is a way out for anyone who believes in the name of Jesus. See John 3:16:"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish and have eternal life." Each person needs to make his or her decision. The ingredient for this is faith. It will be helpful to understand what faith is. The Biblical description of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1; "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Romans 10:17 says, "…faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." In Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." In other words to accept something you can't see or understand is faith, and faith comes from and is enriched by reading God's Word. Faith shouldn't be a stranger to us, after all we live by faith every day, walking, driving, flying, etc. It really is peculiar that we exercise faith in so many areas of our lives that we know are fraught with danger and disaster, and without question, blindly if you will. It should be much easier to have faith in God because we have such an abundance of proof of His existence; we have the Bible (66 books written by 40 different authors over a 1500 year period), we have the world and everything in it (God's creation), we have the Universe over which man marvels. I just learned this week that there are in excess of 35,000 verses of Scripture contained in the Bible and without one word of contradiction or error. This is indeed, mind-boggling. My goodness, how much more proof do we need? Faith can overcome any doubt created by the master of deceit, Lucifer. Faith can help us 'see' and appreciate what Jesus did for us on the cross. We see tremendous demonstrations of faith throughout the ages, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jacob, just to name a few. These were real people throughout the ages, exercising their faith in God. The Bible says that in some instances God spoke directly to some, but today there is no need for we have His written Word for all the people in the world to read and develop a knowledge of God, which will produce in us a powerful faith, with which we can overcome Lucifer and his band of demon angels. God said we can and that's good enough for me.

 

Science wants proof before it will accept and adopt a finding; repeated testing for a period of time and perhaps even a few years is their method of discovery. As I previously mentioned the Bible contains, if you will afford me the liberty to say so, 66 books, 40 different authors and 1,500 years of 'testing.' You decide which has more proof, never without error.

 

Fear will produce worry-Faith will overcome it, eradicate it. Fear produces sin-Faith overcomes sin. Fear causes illness-Faith can heal it. Last but not least, both fear and faith are a journey; one leads to hell and the other leads to Heaven. Hopefully you decide the correct road to take.

 

In closing I would like to remind you what to do when fear creeps in and it will no matter what your thoughts, stop and renounce fear (Lucifer) in the name of Jesus, pray and ask Him to help you overcome the fear and He will. Let the angels around you encompass you in their bosom. Keep this thought in mind, Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                                          Number 25

Sermon On the Mount

He's Watching

 

 

Ever wonder how people would drive if they knew a police officer was watching their every move? Do you think we would change our driving habits? Most of us would, but there are a few good drivers who wouldn't have to be concerned. And yet I am sure that these careful drivers would feel uneasy just the same and be very careful to watch their driving; we would all feel uneasy if a policeman were watching. It is a natural reaction to authority.

 

I wonder how we would behave each day if we knew God was watching each minute of the day? I'm sure there would be changes in our behavior. Well my dear readers, God is watching all the time, even when we are asleep, and we should live our lives accordingly. He even knows the number of hairs on your head; Matthew 10:30: "And even the very hairs of your hair are numbered." I am convinced of this because the Bible says so, and I am thankful we have a loving and forgiving God who doesn't change His mind (Romans 11:29: "for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable") because of the way we live our lives: remember, please, none of us are perfect.

 

How important are we to God? Luke 12:6 states, "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And yet not one of them is forgotten before God." Sparrows were so cheap in those days that if you bought four, a fifth one was thrown in free. Luke 12:7 states, "Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; indeed you are of more value than many sparrows." Yes indeed, we are priceless before God. We should always remember the tremendous sacrifice He made for us through Jesus. I'd say this is an exceptional demonstration of one who loves and cares for His family. I find it very difficult to be able to fully comprehend that kind of love, and perhaps you may also. Some day we will know and, oh, what a day that will be. In John 14:26, Jesus says, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." A sermon could easily be preached on this verse. The Holy Spirit is here with us each and every moment of each day of our existence. (A note worthy of mention is that the Holy Spirit would make them remember every word that Jesus ever said to them, which adds to the credibility of the Bible as being the inspired Word of God.) In John 14:16, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit "will be with us forever." Hebrews 13:5 states that He "will never leave us or forsake us." God is here, now, as you are reading this; His presence is here, all around us, now and forever. He has been with us since we were born. God knew each of us, even before the foundation of the world, yes even before we were born. Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart:…" The reference verse escapes me for the moment but the Bible does support what I said. In Matthew 6:28-32 we see a splendid example of God's love: He tells us that if the lilies of the field grow without effort and are more beautiful than Solomon in all his glory, and yet are thrown away, how much more will He do for us, His family? Jesus states, "your Heavenly Father knows that you need all things", and we will get them because He loves us. Let me leave you with a thought from the book of Lamentations 3:40, we are to 'examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord.' He's here, He's watching, He wants us to talk to Him.  

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                                      Number 24   

Sermon On the Net

 

 

Continued from last week's sermon.

 

Let's continue on this path and discuss human marriage.  

 

God, in His wisdom, ordained marriage between a male and female and nothing has changed since. Genesis 1:24: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." What is transpiring in the world today is an absolute disgrace to the human race. It's obvious based on what God says that when two people marry they must remain as husband wife for their lifetime here on earth. Therefore it is imperative that they should have much in common; I personally do not believe that opposites attract like oil and water that cannot mix; cannot become one. When they are poured into each other all the stirring in the world cannot bring the two together as one.

 

This is the reason for a courtship or an engagement period, if you prefer; to discover whether or not there is compatibility which should be the cornerstone for a marriage relationship. Are there mutual likes and dislikes or is the foundation based on sex or beauty (a trophy wife as they say)? When the marriage becomes stormy, and it will, they have reason to stay the course or will they run at the first sign of a storm? If the sex attraction doesn't pan out as was thought, for whatever the reason, will there be enough 'glue' to hold the marriage together?

 

I would like to introduce at this time a beautiful woman some of you may know or have heard about; her name is Renee Bondi. She has a book called: The Last Dance but Not the Last Song, I would strongly urge you to purchase it and read about her incredible journey. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Renee but we have corresponded and we both know we will meet when we both go home. Renee is married and has a world-wide ministry and has touched the lives of countless numbers of people. The very reason I bring her to you is because of her marriage,

 

Two weeks before Renee was to be married she had a terrible accident; she woke up one morning only to discover herself lying on the floor in her bedroom propped against a door with her head in an unorthodox position. No one seems to know what happened. Following many months of recuperation Renee remained a quadriplegic as a result of the devastating incident in her bedroom. She and her fiancée married eventually and one day Renee asked him why he married her in her condition. His answer was very simple: he told her he married his best friend because he loved her, yes he loved her inner beauty, who she was inside. You see those quality's didn't die, didn't become paralyzed, they were there and would be forever and that's the reason he married her. I wonder how many situations like this would culminate in a separation. His love was without conditions, without expectations of what would never be for the two of them. As far as I know they are still joined together in a beautiful and blessed relationship with a family. Renee never lost her faith in God; she is truly one of life's great testimonies. If all marriages were based on that kind of love there would be no divorces; we would have widows or widowers but no divorces.

 

When he told Renee he married his best friend I couldn't help but to immediately call my granddaughter and begged her to buy Renee's book which I said I'd pay for (a little motivation), because she was in a relationship that I thought would be trouble for her in the future. He was a very controlling person and they always mean trouble. I knew she was a virgin and the relationship wasn't based on sex. After she read Renee's book and realized they weren't best friends after all. I am so happy she realized a little pain now avoids bigger pains later. My wife, Bunny, and I are so fortunate to have two fine daughters-in-law and happy marriages. The reason I mention this is because I really didn't have the proper advice for my two sons before they got married. However we did have the Lord who was and is always watching over us. God gave me a wonderful gift fifty-five years ago; Bunny has the kind of inner beauty that holds a marriage together, thank God.

 

The bottom line for anyone contemplating marriage is be sure you will be marrying your best friend. And remember no matter how calm the ocean may appear to be from a distance, if you are in storm-like waters presently I don't encourage you to take the voyage. There might be a hurricane out there.

 

In conclusion we should understand Jesus redeemed and raptured the Church (us) because He loved us without conditions. Once we are 'married,' if you will, to Him we are assured there will never be a divorce. We can look to John:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Eternal life is forever and we cannot be lost once we accept Jesus as our personal Savior. The Bible is replete with support for this.

 

When we are married we should make every attempt to apply the same kind of commitment to our marriage. We are to love, respect and honor our vows of staying together through all kinds of adversity. When two people are best friends before they marry, when they know each other's qualities, the odds of overcoming adversity increase tremendously. Next to love is forgiveness and married people must be prepared to forgive. God; and only God is perfect.

 

Nicholas Del Sesto

Sermon On the Net

The Bride Groom and the Bride.

 

God in His wisdom uses a metaphor to explain what will be the most beautiful and everlasting marriage of two beings or perhaps better said individuals. In the book of Revelation God says that Jesus, the Bride Groom, will come to take the Church, i.e.us, His bride back to Heaven for eternity. This is truly a marriage, if you will, of love (God's love), and because it is a marriage whose foundation is based on God's love it will not only last for eternity, but it will be an eternity of sheer ecstasy.

 

Ecstasy is defined by words that aptly describe what will be life in Heaven: trance, state, frenzy, high, stupor, joy, happiness, delight, elation, bliss, rapture, thrill, and finally excitement. Permit me to use the word 'life' for lack of a better way to explain what it will be in Heaven with our Creator. I believe we should explore those adjectives one by one to help understand what Heaven will be like for those who choose to believe in the true God of the Bible:

 

1)      Trance: One of the words defining trance is dream which we can apply the word fantasy. We can imagine now what a life without any of the trials of this life would be like.

2)      State: This would represent the condition or conditions under which we will live in Heaven.

3)      Frenzy or passion: I am quite sure our emotions will be filled with the passionate desire to express to God our gratefulness for being saved, and spared from an eternity of suffering and separation from Him. 

4)      High: As they say, we'll be on 'cloud nine.' It will be extraordinary.

5)      Stupor: I'm quite confident we could imagine our life with Him would put us in a 'stupor.'

6)      Joy: Happiness beyond description.

7)      Happiness: Joy beyond expression.

8)      Delight: What a pleasure it will be to be able to see and worship and thank Him forever.

9)      Elation: When we realize what it is that we have been spared I believe it would be safe to say we would be elated.

10)   Rapture: One of the words to describe rapture is Heaven; need I say more?

11)   Thrill: This will be a pleasure I can only imagine at this time.

12)   Excitement:  What say you, doesn't this word speak for itself?

 

The foregoing is what all Born Again Christians can look to.

 

There are many teachings in the Bible about life and marriage that God, in His wisdom, gives us. For example the 'marriage' of the Bride Groom and the Church is based purely on love; God's love. We need to define God's love which comes from the Greek word; agape. This is the kind of love that has no conditions attached to it; it is pure and I assume can only come from love; God is love actually. I looked in a Thesaurus out of curiosity and noticed one of the adjectives used to describe agape was the word, astonished which was defined by the adjective astounded, which was defined by the word amazed; and so forth and so on. I believe it is humanly impossible to describe Heaven or even attempt to do so. The one thing I do know is that I want to be there to express the feelings I have for Jesus that are feelings within me that are inexpressible. For anyone who might want to be critical of my using a Thesaurus to define a Greek word, please don't, I did it because it was an interesting diversion.

Sermon on The Net

THE CHRISTIAN PURPOSE

 

 

Winter is history, thank God, and summer is upon us. We will be spending much more time in the outdoors with our families and friends. It is a time to enjoy nature as God intended. There is another consideration of God's intentions and it involves us. Those of us who have accepted Jesus as Savior are not only to enjoy the peace and security offered by Him, but there are other things He wants us to do. The Bible is very clear as to what we are to do with the Good News of salvation. We have a very definite purpose while we are here on this earth and we should very seriously consider what it is. The way I see it, Jesus came into the world with two main objectives: the first one was to tell the world the Good News of salvation, and the second one was to offer Himself as the sacrificial lamb on the cross to pay for the sin of mankind. This He did because His Father wanted Him to. In the gospel of John 17:18, Jesus reiterated to the Father the reason He was sent into the world: "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." Please note He also proclaimed He is sending them (the disciples) into the world for the same purpose. In John 20:21, Jesus says, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Please notice in these verses that Jesus is praying to the Father, a conversational prayer, if you will. He does not offer up a structured prayer. He prays and talks as He wants us to pray and talk to Him, i.e., to thank Him, tell Him how we feel, tell Him of our needs and the needs of others, ask Him for guidance, pray for more souls to be won, and many more reasons.

 

My question to you is if you had a very dear friend who had a serious problem and you had the solution, what would you do? Keep silent? Or would you do the right thing and tell him you have the solution. They may not listen to you, they may think you are interfering with their lives, but the point is you or anyone who might hold the answer to the problem, in all good conscience, should tell them. And it is obvious that we must be convinced that, indeed, we have the solution. After reading the Glorious Appearing, I wanted to scream to the world to accept Jesus. Perhaps you should consider how you would feel if your best friend were not in Heaven with you and you ask God why not. And He responds with the following: 'I don't recall you ever telling your friend about the Good News; oh yes I do recall your thinking your lifestyle was sufficient.'

 

I know that what I have just written is audacious and presumptuous, therefore I rest my case and turn to the Word of God and see what it says. It isn't what I say; it's what God is telling us. In Luke 8:39, Jesus told the man He had just healed to go home and tell the people what He did for him; 'Return home and tell how much God has done for you." In Acts 20:24; Paul speaks of his purpose to tell others about the grace of God; "However I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Acts 1:8 tells us we are to be His witness, (not the judge and jury, just the witness); …and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Ephesians 3:11 explains that God's eternal purpose was carried out in Jesus; "…according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." 1^st Peter 3:15 encourages us to be ready at all times to tell others about the hope we have in us; "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (Sometimes we might be able to prompt a question like that from others). I could fill a book with scripture telling us that our purpose in this life is to tell others about Jesus. I leave you with Mark 16:15, "Jesus said to His followers, 'go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.'"      

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                          Number 23

Sermon On the Net

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

 

 

I would like to share how the Lord blessed me soon after my accepting Him as my Savior, John 3:16, and how I applied Scriptural principles to my professional life. However I think it is important to know my professional experiences prior to my salvation, so you can see the tremendous difference. Those days were not as successful as I would have liked; they were the days of uncertainty, frustration, and fear of failure. It was like living in a pressure cooker, always wondering and concerned about where my next sale or new recruit was coming from. People weren't as receptive to life insurance sales people as they are today. It was difficult and failure was almost the expected, only 8% of the agents hired survived, and average income was approximately $2,000 to $3,000 for new hires in their first year. I believe my fear of failure got me through the early years until I was promoted to management with Mutual of New York. My second agency with MONY was in Whittier, Ca, an agency that should have been closed long before I arrived on the scene. I spent 4 long years in Whittier, did everything right and still the agency did not do well. The only good thing that happened in Whittier was the day I hired George Geftakys as my assistant manager, and he led me to the Lord.

 

How it all came about is interesting, at the time I was drifting spiritually and was looking for something that I could introduce to my two boys. I was a religious person at that time, but something told me that this was not the way to continue. My responsibility was to choose a way that I could be part of, along with my family. When I interviewed George I noticed in his resume he had a very extensive education in religion, and I thought he might be a person with whom I could sit and discuss things and get some answers. I told him of my searching and he suggested something that almost made me regret asking. He said he would be glad to discuss things and we agreed to meeting the following Wednesday at 7:00 AM for an hour. He then said he would like to bring along a friend and introduce me to him. When I asked who that might be, his reply was Jesus Christ. That surprised me and concerned me as well because I already knew who Jesus was; after all I was born and raised in a religious atmosphere. My Mother and Father tried unsuccessfully to get me to change to their Jesus but I told them I already had my Jesus and they should not bring up the subject ever again in my house. Pardon me for drifting but for those who haven't heard my testimony, I thought it necessary.

 

Let's get back to George's request, I reluctantly agreed and we met. He came with his 'friend' Jesus who was contained in a Bible and we had our first Bible class, one of many that would last for years to come. George suggested we would study a chapter each week, meet and discuss what it was saying and how it applied to our lives. Needless to say, when I discovered that Jesus wasn't dead and what He died for on the cross, I became a born again Christian in accordance to what Jesus told Nicodemus in the garden, John 3:3-6; and that changed my life. As I look back now I can see that in all the years I was a religious person I was looking to the doctrine of the religion as my salvation, and not Jesus Christ. The single most important thing George impressed in my mind was that if it isn't in the Holy Word (Bible) then forget it. Opinions are plentiful and cheap but the Bible is not an opinion of anyone's imagination; it is the inspired word of God Himself. Some say it takes faith to believe in the Bible and I do not disagree with that, however, I believe one should consider the Bible in its entirety, and perhaps they may find it difficult to arrive at any conclusion, other then that the Bible is truly inspired by God and therefore inerrant. I am not saying they must believe in it, just that they should admit to its accuracy if they were honest with themselves. I live and read the Bible with that thought and is the reason why I emphasize the zero value of personal opinions and real value in the Bible. I do believe I got on my soapbox for a moment, so please forgive me and I'll jump off.

 

Soon after my conversion I believe the Lord was closing the door on my career with MONY and opening up a new door with another company. My former partner, Ben, called me one day and told me that Ralph Lindop was interested in hiring me as a General Agent for UNAC in the Orange county area. I jumped at the chance to work for Ralph because of a system of marketing he had developed many years ago in New York city that earned him a tremendous reputation, and I was very familiar with it but was never able to fully implement it. When I fully implemented the system, which was called the Cycle of Success, it was then I realized this system was based on Biblical principles. It encompassed the sales presentation, the delivery of the product, the referral process, the transitional interview and the definitizing of appointments. In the following paragraph I will attempt to demonstrate how the Cycle worked and why I dedicated my professional career to it. In my agency, it was use it or lose it (your job). My people believed me when I terminated a person who was earning a pretty decent living with me but was not using the system. You know the theory about one bad apple.

 

The first step in the sales process was to make or definitize an appointment. I would stress this to my agents, as the Lord did to His disciples, i.e. to look for someone with whom you were able to immediately establish a rapport, or a meeting of the minds, if you will. Without this the interview would be a waste of time, if the prospect showed up at all. Jesus told His disciples to leave the village and shake the dust from their feet if they weren't welcomed, Mark 6:11. Open-minded people were necessary. If the agent quoted the appointment making process verbatim there would never be a need for sales pressure. It's similar to quoting the Bible, no deletions, no additions, let the power of the word spoken be the convincer. When the system was followed it worked.

 

The sales presentation was a masterpiece created by Ralph when he built his agency in NYC and was the leading producer for Monarch Life. It was composed of third party material in anticipation of every legitimate objection a person could think of. Third party material gave the prospect unbiased, convincing and motivating information with which they could make an intelligent decision. This is much the same as a person sharing the good news of the Bible and using it as the source of information from which a person with an open mind and sincere heart can make an informed decision. Each anticipated objection was overcome by using unbiased third party material to prove a point at least three times in advance of the objection. Again, this is the same as the Bible saying and proving things time and time again, 66 books I believe do lead up to the cross. If the sales agent delivered the presentation verbatim, all he had to do at the end of the interview was to ask for the application to be filled out. Just like the Bible when it is quoted, let its own power be the closer. We cannot force conversion, if they believe they will buy. One of our favorite statements was, "Buy don't buy, just listen." My agents were taught to leave the interview after the presentation with or without the sale being made. The idea here was that if the presentation were made verbatim, there wasn't anything to be done except irritate everyone. We learned pressured sales usually resulted in a lapsed policy. A forced commitment to Jesus was not what Jesus wanted. People who listened and purchased had peace of mind and the security of knowing, should the need arise, they were protected, and as we all know that need will arise, we just don't know when. When people accept Jesus they have peace of mind and the security He provides and they know that when the need arises He will be waiting; guaranteed, see John 3:16.

 

The delivery interview was very important, you wanted the client to be absolutely sure he got exactly what he expected. This follow up interview was similar to the follow up new Christian converts should receive. We are to help them understand the importance of reading and understand what it is that Jesus did for them and what He plans for them in the future,

 

Getting quality referrals from clients was very easy, people who are satisfied and excited want to share the good news with their friends and they did. Naturally a little prompting was necessary. The Cycle had a referral talk that was extremely effective, when used in its entirety. The weekly reports told me who was using the system and who wasn't. Woe to those who weren't.

 

Finally the transition interview, as we called it, was merely another appointment with the client to discuss other needs they might have or to just review the rest of their insurance portfolio. Like the new convert needs to know what to do with their newly found life. Jesus tells them to share the good news with others, always be ready to do that.

 

You might be curious as to the results of the cycle: 1-6-3-1…3-2-1. Each sale resulted in 6 quality referrals resulting in 3 appointments resulting in 1 or 2 sales (experience made the difference). Every 3 deliveries resulted in 2 interviews resulting in better than 1 sale each. Average income was $35,000 annually in a time when $12,000 was average. Manpower retention was 65% vs. the industry's 8%.

 

One last spiritual application was in the hiring and training of agents. Jesus told His disciples to travel in pairs and that concept was how I trained my men. Two of us (me and the agent) would go into the field for training, following office training, and I would complete the Cycle for them until I was satisfied they knew it as second nature. My agents knew what to expect if they followed the Cycle and what to expect if they didn't. Not following the process was heresy, just like in the Bible and it had to be dealt with in much the same way. Shape up or ship out was my motto.

 

As for me, I tried very hard to employ the principle of servant to my agents. I was very concerned for them and always gave them everything they needed. I always supported them; after all, they were determining my income. The better they did, the better I did. We were with UNAC for 6 years and led the company in every category each of those years. Unfortunately the company went bankrupt in 1972 and one day I found myself unemployed, no income and a family to support. Hello Jesus, here I am. I trusted in Him and He didn't fail me. At what I thought was the pinnacle of my career turned out to be nothing more than a stepping-stone to a greater and more satisfying career. I gave Jesus all the glory then and I do more so now. Praise the Lord.

 

We had a company meeting planned in Puerto Rico and I was asked by Ralph Lindop to address the company echelon and the sales people. One day Ralph was in my office and he began to suggest my speech content. Knowing what he probably wanted me to say and my knowing that all the glory was going to Jesus in that speech, I interrupted him and told him that he would be pleased with what I was going to say. I was quite surprised by his immediate agreement to keep his thoughts out of it; if you knew Ralph you would know why. No one ever told Ralph anything and lived to tell about it. A miracle indeed. Ralph wanted the glory and I wanted the glory for Jesus. An easy task actually. I told the audience how the Cycle was founded on Biblical principles and explained how just as I have told you in this article, and why it was so easy for us to adopt it and follow it to the letter. I saw Ralph's face beam with pride. Then I began to lean more to Jesus and gave Him, in no uncertain terms, all the glory. I told them about the parable of the seed sower (Matthew 13:18-23) and how we applied it in our professional lives; some don't listen, some do listen briefly, some get excited but fade away and then some become our clients, buy and give us referrals and keep the process growing. I got a standing ovation and as I said then I now say, Praise the Lord.

 

Your friend and servant, Nick                                                   Number 22

 

I hope this message was not too long and I hope you received it as a tribute to God and not to me, as this was not my intention. Thanks you.

Sermon On the Net

TO COMPARE?

 

My title is a bit unusual today because I feel a little unusual myself; as I am sure many people feel this way during their lifetime. None of us are invincible, even Jesus went through some heart wrenching times, in the garden, on the cross, when He wept over the death of Lazarus. Yet in the end He was victorious because He had the Father with Him and was faithful to Him. We, too, can be victorious in any crisis if we stay the course and keep our hearts and minds focused on Him. He will help us through. He will never allow anything to touch us that we can't handle. All we need is a little bit of faith as little as a tiny mustard seed.

 

Have you ever contemplated how the Lord helps us to strengthen our faith? Why He doesn't intervene at every crisis we might experience just because we think He should? Because these are the times we draw closer to Him, these are the times we think more of Him, these are the times we cry to Him, and these are the times we pray. In other words we are in fellowship with Him. Let us not think that Jesus enjoys it when we suffer, He doesn't let us go through trials just for the sake of fellowship, no, He allows it because these experiences help us grow in faith. I think we can all agree that we do draw closer to God when adversity strikes. If you were a golfer and were 'on' your game, do you think you would seek an instructor as quickly as you would if you were off your game? No, of course not. The point here is, we can actually be joyful and at peace in adversity when it occurs if we turn to Him in prayer or just talk to Him. He is always ready and eager to listen to us any time of the day or night; and we don't get connected to a machine giving us instructions or options. Think about it, there is no one or anything to which we can turn and get the assurance that things will work out and we'll be okay. As a member of God's family we have the security of knowing we will always have the Father at our side; Amen. I assume you notice I am not referring to any Scriptural verses today; however, my thoughts and words are flowing from my experiences in life and reading God's Word.  Have faith, trust that He who gave His life for us will never leave nor forsake us. Reading and contemplating those words have helped me so many times and is certainly helping me feel a whole lot better right now. The smile and contentment I feel now was not there at the beginning of this article.

 

Sometimes we allow ourselves to be 'down' for some reason, loss of a job, sickness, death, etc., and we feel we are being persecuted, even to the point of being singled out for persecution. We begin to look around and ask, "why me?" Look at John or Mary or whoever, everything seems to be going okay for them. They appear to be happy, no problems with which to cope, no load to carry. One is to conclude they are most fortunate among us all, but are they really? Do we know their circumstances? Look at the world situation; do we really know what's going on? Do we have all the details? I have to laugh at polls, they ask questions that have a purpose (their own agenda), about things that most people are unaware of and then they tell us: 'the polls (authoritatively) tell us this % or that % tells us this or that about whatever. If these people knew the facts they would probably render a different opinion. My point is for us to not compare ourselves to others for the express purpose of trying to support a negative or depressed attitude. As you well know it doesn't help, quite the contrary it usually worsens matters. When we are afflicted in any way, it is we who must meet the challenge, it is we as individuals who must stay the course and the most effective way for us to do that is to turn to God in prayer and TRUST that He hears us and is concerned. We will prevail, we will win in the end, and as a matter of fact we are winners already in Him. 

 

Life is but a vapor in time, but eternity is timeless. Isn't it wonderful to know that when we depart from this world we will be in Heaven with the Lord for eternity? This is why we are here and why we were born; this is why Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross. This is the thought upon which we should meditate daily.

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                      Number 21

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 Hi Everyone:

 

Several people have suggested that I should include more of how Jesus has impacted my life in my letters to you all. I agree and will try to do so in the future; in fact I'll begin right now.

 

One of my weaknesses has been to judge people, the reason being my strong conviction of what I read in the Bible. I am not thinking about a judgment I might pass on a person who cut me off while driving and I would think and perhaps say he was an idiot or stupid. I am not thinking of judging another person for his lifestyle, as that would be an opinion that would be predicated on how I see things in life. I am striving to be more sensitive to another's way of life but that takes time and practice.

 

I sent a letter out recently that dealt with various religions or cults and I am sure I offended some of my readers. I pray that you try to understand where it is that I am coming from. I am coming from the Bible and want to convey the truth and the only place I know I can rely on for the revelation of truth is the Bible. I know I could be accused of being legalistic, God knows I have heard that word used many times over the years by people who, because they did not believe in what was being said, claimed that person or group of persons were legalistic. By the way, my definition of the word legalism is to believe absolutely in an absolute truth. Webster's dictionary defines legalism as close adherence or conformity to the law; the observance of the strict letter of the law rather than its spirit. We all know that the law referred to in the Bible would be the Ten Commandments; this is not what I'm referring to; I'm referring to the words of Jesus which I will always accept as being the, 'law' I follow, literally. Remember Jesus came to fulfill the law.

 

Webster's dictionary defines Religion as….'conformity to Biblical precepts', (hooray for Webster) and it defines precepts as…'an authoritative command….written mandate.' A true religion or cult, therefore, would be one that adheres strictly to the Bible. I don't know of any religion or cult that achieves this. If you do, please inform me and remove my ignorance. I believe Webster's definition is correct and it hasn't changed that I know of. Therefore, we should be able to define Christianity as a religion, but I have a problem with that. By saying Christianity is a religion we include it in the mold all kinds of religions, religions that are not following the precepts of the Bible in its entirety. The Bible itself says if you add to or take away from the words of this book you will lose your part from the tree of life, Revelation 22:18, 19. Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:5, 6, Deuteronomy 12:32, etc. support this fact. My underlying concern is to help; help others to find the literal truth of God's Word. There is no question that I will offend someone and I am truly regretful, however I will not compromise the full Word of God under any circumstances.

 

Let's explore an area that, hopefully, will effectively communicate my concern. Whenever society, at large, accepts as a 'lifestyle', or 'way of life', or morality, or violence or any type of behavior (as long as it doesn't touch me), then a problem exists that I believe needs to be resolved. Otherwise, when innocent minds experience this abhorrent behavior as acceptable, then they feel they have the same rights as anyone else and will do the same thing. After all, 'everybody is doing it, so it's okay,' right? I'm sorry but it is WRONG.

 

Many years ago I heard the following statement from Roger Hull, then president of MONY, 'beware of the seedlings contained in the seed.' Without doing a study I believe I can safely assume that all problems began in a very small way, perhaps even innocently. Today we accept one thing, tomorrow it's another, and then we stand back and ask ourselves what happened? I can tell you what happened, what should have been done or said wasn't. It's that simple.

 

When Jesus was speaking to the high priests and the Jews one day He told them that the reason they didn't know Him was because they didn't know God; they had no relationship with Him. If that statement didn't cut across the grain, I don't know what would. Here He was talking to some of the religious leaders of the world, the high priests, and He told them point blank they were phonies in that they never knew God. You know what? It was the TRUTH. I remember my Mother and Father giving Bunny and I a salvation message and I told them to, not only shut up, but to never again mention the name of their Jesus Christ in my house. I told them I have my own Jesus Christ, after all I was born and raised in a religious family and was an exceptionally religious person at that. Mass, confession, said the rosary every single day for 10 straight years, lived in the fear of the church (not God), tried to live the good life and all that. What a sad commentary for me, I had my 'Jesus.' I can only thank God today that my Mother did not listen to me and kept praying and preaching. And then the miracle of salvation came in Whittier, Calif. and then I truly had my Jesus. Praise His name and patience with me who was lost in confusion.

 

Please understand that I don't care what anyone calls it, if it doesn't conform to God's word, it's wrong. Allow me, if you will, another example; suppose a person is born and raised by two religious people (I don't care what religion) and these people train this person to be a good person, a church goer, and they take him to services every week with a Bible in their hands, or perhaps without a Bible.  After awhile he begins to notice they never use the Bible in services and the preacher is talking about worldly things. Then one day he opens the Bible and discovers many things that he has been taught are not to be found in the Bible, as well as contradictions and unnecessary religious duties. He might be involved in one of the religions whose central theological axiom is, AS MAN IS, GOD ONCE WAS, AND AS GOD IS, MAN MAY BECOME. He can't find this in the Bible. What is he to do? To whom should he seek for advice? Chances are he'll revert to what he's been taught. If, however, he finds the true God, does he stay where he is when he finds many contradictions in the way he was raised as compared to what he now sees? He does notice many similarities but also many discrepancies. Would you stay in confusion when Jesus died to set you free?  Some believe that anyone that believes in Jesus is saved. I don't believe it's as simple as that. My reason is and I will go to my death with it, is that if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you are lost. To me a personal relationship with Jesus is evidenced by following His precepts and no one else's. I pray you can understand the difference between the Jesus of religions and the Jesus of the Bible; there is a huge difference.

 

I was just going to send this article out the way it is until I read an interesting item in the newspaper today. It has to do with religious rules and our salvation. Colorado Springs Bishop Michael Sheridan wrote a pastoral letter that said Catholics who vote contrary to church teachings "jeopardize their salvation." In a telephone interview, the bishop said: "I'm not making a political statement. I'm making a statement about church teaching." You can judge that statement as you like, as for me, I am glad that I cannot jeopardize nor lose my salvation, because of my personal relationship with Jesus and what He has said about salvation: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16.

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                                        Number 20

Sermon On the Net

SERVICE OR SERVUS (ME)

 

 

When John F. Kennedy made the statement, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what can you do for your country", it was probably the most profound statement of, not only his presidency, but of his life. This philosophical statement is actually the very basis of a great country. America is the envy of the world because of the great people who lived before us, and who unselfishly gave to this country. Let us not forget we are a blessed country, founded on the very principles taken from the Bible. Amen to that. Wouldn't it be wonderful if each person in this country who calls it their country would develop that same pioneering spirit of those who preceded us. Can you imagine what it would be like if we could stop and reverse the ME attitude of this period; Utopia.

 

The concept of service is the very basis of the mindset that we, as members of God's family, need to consider as the reason we are in the family in the first place; the very reason for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Jesus was serving. He was serving the Father's will and our salvation. That is what I call service with a capital S. In the book of Ephesians, chapter 2:10, we read, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." What Paul was saying is:

1)      God made each of us to His liking.

2)      We are saved through Jesus.

3)      We are saved for good works, i.e., to serve others, i.e., to serve God.

4)      All this was planned before the beginning of time.

5)      And that we do it, i.e., to serve Him and not servUS(me)

 

I believe that many Christians believe that Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross (see John 3:16) just for the benefit of our being saved through His shed blood. I also believe that many Christians believe, that as Christians, we should be living the good life and walk the good walk. If this premise is true, and I say if, then we need to revisit Ephesians 2:10, which is telling us that we were created and saved for a life of good deeds to others. When we serve others, we are actually serving God. I remember reading Jesus saying, 'when you did it to that someone you were actually doing it to me.' At this point, I want to clarify some possible confusion about good works and salvation. Good works, all the works in the world have nothing to do with salvation; you can't buy, pay or earn your way into Heaven. Ephesians 2:8, 9 ( and more ) says, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; NOT by WORKS, that no one should boast." In other words you were saved FOR good works and not by good works.

 

Why should we be concerned to do good works if we are already saved? I believe the Bible tells us there are two very good reasons: service to God and for good works unto Him. In Jeremiah 1:5, we read, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." This applies to each of us, we may not be prophets, but we may be ministers, engineers, doctors, janitors, etc; but we have been chosen to serve Him. 2^nd Timothy 1:9 says, "who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity." There are many, many verses telling us to serve God in some way. I must confess to you that I have not lived to my responsibility and calling all these years, but this is what is so wonderful about our compassionate and loving God in that He understands and is very patient with us. He is always ready to help. He always gives us the time we need. He allows us to stumble, to fall, to frustrate ourselves and then He says, "welcome."

This second reason is rather interesting. Some of us are going to receive rewards from Him in Heaven. 2^nd Corinthians 3:8 says, "Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his labor." Personally, I plan to spend the rest of my time on this earth serving God in some way. I am glad I have time left to do it. If what I am presently doing is the way for me, fine, I am very happy serving the Lord this way. I pray that much fruit will come as a result of my sowing and watering.

 

    To summarize this article, I would like to think that each of us would read and study God's Word to discover for ourselves what this wonderful world of God's love is all about and pray that we will discover the opportunities while we have time to serve Him. As Paul stated in Romans 12:6, "And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly…" Amen.

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                     Number 19

 

Proverbs 16:20….. He who gives attention to the word shall find good; and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

Sermon On the Net

PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT

 

 

I have been looking for books on fulfilled prophecy and have not had much luck finding any. The other day I happen to look in the Bible index and lo and behold, I saw something I never saw before. There it was, all the prophecy info I wanted. And then it suddenly dawned on me to look at a book I've had for sometime and again there it was, all the info I ever wanted about the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The Bible says that God does everything in His own time, and again, I have to agree with the Word of God. He revealed the sources to me when it was necessary.

 

The Old Testament was written over a period of 1000 years, its completion in 450 B.C[1] There are over 300 prophecies* in the Old Testament concerning Jesus Christ which have been fulfilled. If evidence 50% as accurate as this were found in the scientific community, it would be presented on the cover of Time Magazine as the most amazing discovery of the 21^st century. Since most will not put this article to study and the fact that these articles might be put under scrutiny, I have learned through the process of discovery a little research goes a long way in determining the truth. It is not my intention to cover every fulfilled prophecy, but I will discuss enough of them to at least convince us (hopefully) that what we accept as literal, is.

 

The following paragraph mentions a small number of the 300+ prophecies fulfilled. As I mentioned earlier, it's difficult to imagine, with such overwhelming evidence that the scriptures are viewed not only as accurate but supernatural as well and still some don't believe, (hardened hearts as Jesus says). Evidence That Needs a Verdict is the title of Josh McDowell's first book on this subject. I have Josh's new book titled, New Evidence That Needs A Verdict from which I have taken the liberty of using much of his material in addition to the Bible itself. My motto is, if it isn't in the Bible don't believe it. If you would like to have an invaluable book in your library I would suggest you buy Josh's book.

 

The first of a series of prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus begins with Genesis 3:15 and is fulfilled in Galatians 4:4 and Matthew 1:20. Isaiah 7:14 prophecy…"therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel." Matthew 1:18,24,25 fulfillment…"She was found with child of the Holy Spirit…Then Joseph did not know her til she had brought forth her first born Son. And he called his name Jesus." Psalm 2:7 predicts the announcement of the Son and is fulfilled in Matthew 3:17 and other verses. Genesis 21:12 predicts the seed (Jesus) of Isaac and fulfilled in Luke 3:23, 34 and others. Numbers 24:17 also predicts the Messianic lineage and fulfilled in Luke 3:23, 34. Genesis 49:10 prediction is fulfilled in Luke 3:23, 33. Jeremiah 23:5 prediction is fulfilled in Luke 3:23, 31. Micah 5:2 prediction of the birthplace of Jesus (Bethlehem) fulfilled in Matthew 2:1. Psalm 72:10 prediction of the wise men taking gifts to Jesus fulfilled in Matthew 2:1,11. Jeremiah 31:15 prediction of fulfilled in Matthew 2:16. Micah 5:2 prediction also fulfilled in Colossians 1:17 and others. Psalm 110:1 prediction fulfilled in Matthew 22:43-45. Isaiah 7:14 prediction fulfilled in Matthew 1:23 and others. Deuteronomy 18:18 prediction fulfilled in Matthew 21:11. Psalm 110:4 prediction fulfilled in Hebrews 3:1. Isaiah 11:2 prediction is fulfilled in Matthew 3:16, 17. Psalm 69:9 prediction fulfilled in John 2:15, 16. Isaiah 40:3 prediction is fulfilled in Matthew 3:1, 2. Isaiah 35:5, 6 prediction is fulfilled in Matthew 9:35 and others. Psalm 78:2 prediction fulfilled in Matthew 13:34. Malachi 3:1 prediction is fulfilled in Matthew 21:12. Zechariah 9:9 prediction is fulfilled in Luke 19:35-37. Psalm 118:22 prediction fulfilled in 1^st Peter 2:7 Psalm 16:10 prediction fulfilled in Acts 2:31 and others. Psalm 68:18 prediction fulfilled in Acts 1:9. Psalm 110:1 prediction fulfilled in Hebrews 1:3.

 

There were 58 prophecies fulfilled in one day. There are 29 prophecies from the Old Testament which speak of the betrayal, trial, defeat and burial of our Lord Jesus Christ. They were spoken at various times by many different voices during the five centuries from 1000-500 B.C. Yet all of them were literally fulfilled in Jesus in one 24 hour period of time*. Psalm 41:9 prediction concerning Judas was fulfilled in Matthew 10:4. Zechariah 11:12 prediction concerning 30 pieces of silver fulfilled in Matthew 26:15. Zechariah 11:13 prediction of the silver thrown into the Temple was fulfilled in Matthew 27:5. Again Zechariah's 11:13 prediction of Potters field fulfilled in Matthew 27:7. Zechariah 13:7 fulfilled in Mark 14:50 (Disciples fled from Jesus). Psalm 35:11 fulfilled in Matthew 26:59, 60 regarding false testimony. Isaiah's 53:7 prediction of Jesus keeping quiet was fulfilled in Matthew 27:12. Isaiah's 53:5 prediction of Jesus being wounded and bruised for us fulfilled in Matthew 27:26. Isaiah's 50:6 prediction of Jesus being struck and spit upon fulfilled in Matthew 26:67. Psalm 22:7,8 predicted Jesus would be mocked, fulfilled in Matthew 27:29. Psalm 109:24, 25 predicted His fall under the weight of the cross fulfilled in John 19:17. Psalm 22:16 described the piercing of His hands and feet and fulfilled in Luke 23:33. Isaiah 53:12 predicted He would be crucified with 2 robbers and fulfilled in Matthew 27:38. Isaiah 53:12 predicted He would pray for His transgressors and fulfilled in Luke 23:34. Isaiah 53:3 predicted He would be despised and not believed and was fulfilled in John 7:5, 48. Psalm 69:4 said He would be hated without cause and fulfilled in John 15:25. Psalm 38:11 was fulfilled in Luke 23:49. Psalm 109: 25 fulfilled in Matthew 27:39. Psalm 22:17 predicted they would stare at Him and fulfilled in Luke 23:35. Psalm 22:18 said they would cast lots for His garments and fulfilled in John 19:23, 24. Psalm 69:21 predicted He would thirst and fulfilled in John 19:28. Psalm 69:21 said they would give Him vinegar to drink and was fulfilled in Matthew 27:34. Psalm 22:1 fulfilled in Matthew 27:46.  Psalm 31:5 predicted He would give up His Spirit and was fulfilled in Luke 23:46. Psalm 34:20 stated He would not have any broken bones and was fulfilled in John 19:33. Psalm 22:14 said He would be heart broken and He was in John 19:34. Zechariah 12:10 predicted they would pierce Him with a spear and was fulfilled in John 19:34. Amos 8:9 predicted darkness would fall upon the earth and it did in Matthew 27:45. Isaiah 53:9 said He would be buried in a rich man's tomb and He was in Matthew 27:57-60.

 

I pray you will find this article both encouraging and heart warming. I found it to be that, as well as challenging.

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                          Number 18

 

I just reviewed the above and am speechless; how hard can one's heart be?                   

---

[1] New Evidence That Demands a Verdict and The Nrw Scofield Reference Bible

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OVERWHELMED

 

Hi Everyone:

 

When I finished reading the last book in the Left Behind series, the Glorious Appearing,  I must tell you that the title of this article does not begin to describe the feelings I am experiencing at this moment; both sadness and happiness.

 

My sadness is a result of the many, many people in the world, past, present and the future who have, and will reject Jesus as their personal Savior. This is tragic and it is a real burden in my heart. They have no idea what the future holds for them as a result of their own personal choices in this world. Also, I am very concerned for you all to whom I write. I pray fervently for you all every day. I pray that the Lord will bless you all, both spiritually and physically. I pray that you are all born again and have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior. I am devoting my time for this very purpose, that is, to help strengthen the Believer and helping others find Jesus.

 

At the same time I am experiencing a joy that is almost inexpressible. To know Scripture, to know what God has in store for all Believers, is absolutely astonishing. When you begin to realize what it is that we are being saved from and what it is that Jesus has in store for us, then and only then, will you be able to know the feeling I am experiencing right now. I pray that I will always be able to retain a little bit of it.

 

My thought for today considers the three kinds of people on the earth; those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, those who have rejected Him and those who think they have accepted Jesus, but haven't. I want to spend the rest of this article concerning the third group, people who believe in their heart of hearts that they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This is a very difficult subject for me because I am going to be crossing the grain, so to speak, for some. To those who feel this, please, please try to understand that I am not trying to exploit you with my personal opinion; rather I am going to be using the facts contained in the Bible. I must speak what is in my heart otherwise my articles will be of no use to anyone, except Satan who stands ready at all times to try to destroy any relationship with Jesus.

 

God did not inspire men to write the Bible so that anyone could take from it that which suits their purpose and to add to it a doctrine of their own devices. Revelation 22:18 says "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him, the plagues which are written in this book;" and verse 19 continues, "and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book." For further conviction of this point see Deuteronomy 4:3, 12:32 and Proverbs 30:6. I don't know about you, but this Scripture has my attention. I know this reference applies to Revelation but we should heed its warning for the rest of the Bible.

 

According to the Bible, a saved person is one who knows that the wage of sin is death, which is eternal separation from God, and that Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross and acceptance of these facts brings one back to God through Jesus. See Romans 6:23 and John 3:16. In this most unselfish act Jesus paid for the sins of mankind, my sin, your sin, everyone's sin. Something that we cannot do by ourselves nor can any person or organization or religion. The Bible is HisStory from the beginning to the end and tells us what we must do as individuals. There is nothing left for our imagination to help us get to Heaven.

 

Why, then do we have religions, cults, or other organizations who think they can do a better job than God? GOD DID IT ALL. More importantly, why do we allow ourselves to be misled? Or saying it another way, why do we follow ANY teaching other than the Bible's teaching? I have written before that every cult, religion or organization (no exceptions) was or is man made. Therefore I ask you again, why would anyone want to follow doctrine created by man and not God?

 

There are religions that purport to be based on Biblical principles. However, they add, they take away and the bottom line is they create a ball and chain that will do exactly what it was designed to do, wear around their neck only to drown in a sea of false teaching. As an example some religions teach good works as the means of salvation. If that is true then Jesus is a liar and an imposter and the Bible is the inspiration of a brilliant and deranged mind. Another says that we should pray to saints. If this is true then God was wrong when He said, 'thou shall have no other God's before me.' This is the purest form of idolatry. Anything that takes away our focus on God is idolatry, whether it's a cult, religion, organization, habits that consume us, money, etc. Another is the penance we should pay when we confess our sins for forgiveness. I may be wrong but I thought that's why Jesus suffered a painful and humiliating death i.e. to pay our debt.

 

I could go on and on, and perhaps I will in future articles, but for now I pray you get the picture. People who are committed to the Bible in its entirety represent the true church of God and there are plenty of these groups available. You can quickly discern their position when they stray from the Biblical teachings that Jesus taught and wants His church to follow. A true believer reads the Bible, knows the Bible and lives by the Bible. Personally, when I may inject a thought, my doctrine comes from the Bible, exclusively.

If Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the life, then that's the way for me. I pray that it is your choice, too.

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                                  Number17