What is the Worth of Salvation? 

I am amazed these days at how unloving people can be, or better, how ignorant they are. Billy Graham was a great Evangelist and a true Preacher of the Word of God. Billy loved the Lord and it showed with every action of his life, yet he was still a human. He had imperfections just like the rest of us. The ONLY difference is, his imperfections were covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ. So now the question is, are your sins covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ…as well?

Billy Graham was not better than any of us; it is simply that he dedicated his life to Jesus Christ and expounded the Holy Word of God. There is no way that anyone can fault him for that! So that is my view on that subject matter.

As I have stated before, I remember those days as a kid at the “Tent Revivals” my Mom and Dad would go to. Those days are forever etched in my mind; and yet today, the sermons even more so. I cannot emphasize it more, the importance of speaking to others for the Lord. And yet, it is important to fully understand what the Word of God is saying to us. It is not a matter of “Carte-Blanche” to say what you or I THINK, but better to research and Pray for the Wisdom of the Lord.

Salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ is simple, and yet there are some that bastardize what they read and then endeavor to tell others…it is truth! How far are they from the Lord and HIS precious Word?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Expound what you read; don’t try and think more of it, or (Horrors) to speak less of it. The Lord God is very capable of reaching anyone’s heart with HIS Holy Word. I have read and watched people say many things about Billy Graham, where he is right now, and I know they do not understand the Word of God. Otherwise, they would realize that Salvation is available to each and every one of us, IF we choose to ask for it. Having said that, they would quickly KNOW where Billy Graham is at this Eternal moment!

Looking back at those Tent Revivals, watching in my mind the waves of heat across the fields, I cherish the “Old Preachers” of that time for their witness of the Lord and HIS Salvation. I cherish the Word of God and the old hymns we sang. I can still feel the Lord moving among us in that Tent. I still feel today…HIS Presence and I know HIS Love. Like Billy Graham, one day I will go and live with My Lord and Savior for Eternity…is there anything more to be concerned about than that?

I know that there are some that will not read my articles. There are far too many that will never know the Word of God. That, my friends…is their choice. I write for no other reason than to please my Lord and Savior. I have learned that I owe HIM more Thank You’s than I could ever say. The Lord is deserving!

To that end, I would like for all to remember this passage of Scripture:

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

And also another very important passage:

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.“

Do these passages of Scripture spell out anything important to you? It is very simple: NO JESUS, no life in Eternity, only continuous Death in Hell and the Lake of Fire. It IS that simple. As a matter of fact, you do NOT get the next Breath of Air or the next Heartbeat without the Lord God allowing it; and again, it is that simple. If you think anything otherwise, then you do not understand the Holy Word of God.

You need to pray earnestly for the Wisdom of the Lord to lead you as you read HIS Holy Word. Continually, I fail to understand how people miss this part so many times. And then they wonder how can the world hate the Holy Word of God or that of Salvation?

Treat others as you would like to be treated. Don’t browbeat them. Don’t come across as…more Holy than thou. You are no better than any of them…Thank the Lord for your Salvation through HIS Blood. It IS the Will of the Lord…NOT you. It IS HIS Love for all of us…it is NOT all about YOU. The Lord God is the one that saves…anyone…it is NOT you. As the Holy Word of God says…SHARE…how the Lord has worked with you. Profess how the Lord God has Blessed you! Then shut up and go about your business…Let the Lord touch their heart.

1 John 4:20-21 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

Such a word to the Wise in the Lord! My friends…please take this passage to Heart. It IS as the Lord would have it. If you are not sure, please re-read that passage until you are sure, and then give it to others. That IS our job…as being Born-Again to the Lord. Please do not allow your stumbling to affect others.

Psalms 37:3-8 “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”

Do you see and read, “TRUST, DELIGHT, COMMIT, REST…IN THE LORD?” It is always about the LORD; it is NOT about you. We are all a part of the human race; we are all of this Fallen Species. There is none better than the other. For some…we are simply SAVED by HIS GRACE. Our sin is covered by HIS Blood, from HIS Cross at Calvary. YOU and I are simply messengers, and that is the end to it.

Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

THAT…my friends, is how you and I should be. How do you think you will be as you stand before the Lord God…as a self-righteous bigot…or as a humbled servant? Yes, I know, I’m saying things in a very hard manner; but there are many that just don’t get that concept through their thick heads. They love to PREACH to others as if they are better than others.

Every single one of us is equally fallen before the Lord. It does not matter if you have sinned once or every moment of your life. Once the Lord covers your sin with HIS Blood…you belong to the Lord. You must understand this…it is YOUR choice…Jesus Christ…or not!

It does not matter if my article is read by many or just one. If one person reads this, and the Lord touches their heart, and they come to the Lord honestly…THAT IS ENOUGH. I have done what the Lord has asked me to do…be a messenger.

Did you get that? BE a messenger. Share what the Lord has done for you. Tell others of HIS amazing LOVE for each of us. Follow the Lord; let others see how HE has changed your life. Give the Glory to the Lord.

Remember what I said about the Next Breath of air or the next Heartbeat…it ain’t YOU. We have enough problems as it is, to simply follow the Lord in every moment of our lives. Why would we choose to complicate things? Instead, make it easy on yourself…let the Lord lead you. After all, HE knew you and your life long before he ever created the Universe.

Ephesians 1:4-6 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.“

For each and every one of us, Salvation…is a choice, our personal choice. So look back and remember sitting in that Tent Revival; feel the heat again, but remember the sermon. Hear that “Hell-fire Preacher” once again! Be thankful to the Lord for every single Blessing in your life…and that Preacher! Remember…the Lord…is deserving of our Thankfulness and Praise. Shouldn’t we be willing to give that…willingly?

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

All Scripture comes from the King James Version of the Bible

You may reach me at twobears44@gnail.com

Just as Job, we all know, there is a “Price Tag” on absolutely everything. In other words, anything we have or whatever we do has a consequence attached; it will cost us something. Simplistically speaking, being a criminal will cost you time in prison, the lack of your freedom for a period of time. As the saying goes, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” Yet, as easy as this is to say, too few remember the results. It begs the question, who is your God?

Even the most unthinking of people know “Right from Wrong.” They know when they are in error. So then the question becomes, what will they do about it? Will they endeavor to “Right their Wrong” or just “let it ride,” as they like to say in Las Vegas. As we all know, there is a Consequence for every action, remembering too that action comes as a result of a Thought.

The Bible uses the phrase, “Intent of the Heart.” Ultimately, we must all consider the fact that our thoughts are the beginning of our actions. I realize that extreme poverty can result in a person stealing food for survival, yet we will look at that and wonder…to what degree is that a crime? It is very much the opposite when a wealthy person is caught officiating a “Ponzi Scheme.” Am I not correct?

The Bible has stories of people that “Feared” (respected) the Lord God, despite their position in life, like Job. Job (in chapters 1—42) tells the story of how Job “feared” the Lord. Satan told the Lord that “If Job lost everything he had, he would curse the Lord to HIS Face!” The Lord allowed Satan to take all that Job had, even his 7 Sons and 3 Daughters. Still Job would not speak against the Lord. Satan even afflicted Job with boils all over his body, but Job never spoke against the Lord.

Job said “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Praise be the name of the Lord!”

Job 2:9-10 “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

How unusual for Job’s wife to tell Job to say such a thing against the Lord! Even Job’s three friends came to him and marveled that Job kept his integrity and never spoke against the Lord. Yet never once did they advise Job to Praise the Lord despite Job’s problems. In the end, the Lord held this against Job’s three friends, yet Job prayed for them. What would their lot be had Job NOT prayed for them?

In the end, the Lord gave Job twice as much of everything than before, as well as sons and daughters, to include grandchildren, simply because Job was willing to “Fear” the Lord!

Please read the chapters of Job for yourself and then spend some time thinking about what you read. That story puts into perspective what our lives contain and how important that is, or how important it should be. Other passages of Scripture come to mind as well, yet their importance increases in light of the story of Job. Who or what is your God? Is the Lord your God? Or dare you make wealth, money and possessions your God? How would you react if you lost all of it, as did Job?

It is vital to each of us that we NOT jump to conclusions, but think and ponder that story…in our lives. As I have stated before, we live very short lives; even 80 years is not very much when considered against the length of Eternity. And again, all that is here on earth stays right here, even our bodies. Understanding that, of what use is wealth or power? Would it not be better to consider the Lord and HIS Eternal destiny for us? Suddenly…wealth dims in comparison, and power was never ours; it belongs to the Lord God and only HIM.

Have you ever wondered why being wealthy or powerful is such a bother; the problems will eventually consume you. People have lost family and friends in its acquisition. Was it worth all of that?

It is evident that Job was not concerned with wealth or power; his concern was being “upright and reverent before the Lord.” Thus the Lord dearly Loved Job! This alone should put wealth and power in its proper perspective in each of us today. Yet, as we look around ourselves, we see that the world is more concerned with wealth and power than they are with the Lord.

We must be vigilant in how we live our lives and how we think (Intent of our Heart), which is always followed by our actions. We must realize that everything in our lives is being recorded by the Lord, and one day we will stand before HIM and be held accountable for everything.

It is truly wonderful to have a complete life: a nice home, a good job, healthy and happy, family and friends; but I must warn everyone that there is a consequence for all of it. Does our life represent the Lord and HIS Blessing to us or will our actions consume us, to mire our efforts to show whether we follow the Lord…or the world? These are some big questions, and yet the result could go either way depending upon our choices. This shows the importance of reading and following the Holy Word of God. In other words, would you like to be like Job or not?

If you understand nothing else, know this… We are here on earth, in this life, to make choices and nothing more. Yet…these choices begin as a thought. The Bible calls this “Intent of our Heart,” and we need to be very careful in our following actions. Our actions show whether we follow the Lord or not, and that is where we are judged by the Lord.

We can stand there when no one is watching and think about simply taking (stealing) that piece of candy or we can “cowboy-up” and pay for it. Does this make any sense to you? We have a thought in our heart and it is always followed by an action; therefore, whatever we think is a sin, or not! I hope and pray that makes sense to you.

Jeremiah 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

There is your answer, in Black and White, straight from the Word of God! We are not able to hide anything from the Lord, because every thought or idea is KNOWN by the Lord and recorded. One day we will stand before HIM and we will be held accountable for what we thought, unless…all our sin is covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ from HIS Cross on Calvary. Then again, we would not want to commit that sin to begin with…am I not correct?

Point is, we all will still commit sin, yet the answer is in the Love of the Lord for us and HIS willingness to forgive us our sin…IF we ask HIM to. That, my friends, is the difference! Job prayed for his friends, being that Job was upright in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord did not hold their sin against them. How much could our prayers benefit others?

I do not believe this story about Job is special…because I believe that each of us has the ability to be just as Job was. Here’s the difference… “Do I believe I can be just like Job?” Makes you think a little.

Nowadays, we are able to be many things; yet to be like Job is minute to minute, hour to hour and day by day! It begs the question, what are our thoughts like…and are they pleasing to the Lord? To be like Job requires the Lord being every thought we have. In the beginning it will be difficult, but with earnest prayer and a strong will we can persevere and finally learn what it takes.

How much better would this world be if more people read the Bible and tried to be like Job? That is more than my little brain is able to conceive! So then, what if everyone at least TRIED? It begins with ME and the Lord!

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?“

Why must we be this way? Was it not enough that Jesus Christ was wrongfully judged and then Crucified, when that should have been you and me? Without HIM…there still would be NO forgiveness of our sin…that required HIS Blood! Still as yet, the equation has not changed one bit—whom do we want to rule our hearts and lives? That, my friends, is your choice to make! Please realize that your Eternal home will be according to your answer.

If there are still questions in you, may I propose reading Luke 16:19-31, the story about a “Rich man and a Beggar, Lazarus.” It tells us where the Heart is; there also is the Soul (Spirit), one’s Treasure! It shows the result of living for oneself or for the good of others.

Matthew 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

All of us have so much to be thankful for, and yet I wonder how many are Thanking the Lord for everything in their lives? It never matters if we’re sick or healthy, rich or poor; we should be Thankful for all Blessings…like the next Heartbeat and Breath of air. As mortals, we know one day we will be called home; so then the question is…where is YOUR HOME? It is ONLY one of two places, my friends.

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be NOT conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.“

This life does not have to be drudgery and filled with problems; you can change it. Not everyone thinks they are having problems, but the question of YOUR HOME brings into mind questions like… do you know where you will spend Eternity? Where are you headed to after this life here on earth – to Heaven or Hell…and even worse…do you care to know? Trust me; if you have NO ANSWER to that question…that is your answer. Not wanting to commit to an answer…IS an answer…you do not care!

As with everything else in life, you must choose one way or the other…there is no “Sitting on the Fence.”

I am hoping and praying that this story of Job helps anyone to understand how we should be thinking and how we should be living our lives. It is already difficult enough to simply live here on earth; there is no other choice…than Death. Then again, Death takes us to our Judgment before Jesus Christ. And the direction of our lives, how we lived our lives, then comes into plain view. We do not have any other way to be, simply because the Lord God is the one that set everything up to begin with!

All we have is a choice to make…FOR HIM…or AGAINST HIM. That is the deciding factor, and it’s all in the Bible…has been for better than 4,500 years…since God first wrote it.

Obviously….this will require some serious thought…by everyone.

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

All Scripture comes from the King James Version of the Bible.

You may reach me at twobears44@gnail.com