It's Not What You Do
Matthew 20:8 'So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.'
MATTHEW 20:1-16
This parable begins with Jesus' statement that the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who is a householder (owner of an estate). He went out early in the morning to hire workers to work in his vineyard for the day. An agreed upon price was set at a penny, the normal wage paid daily for a laborer. Later, around 9 a.m., the landowner encouraged others, standing idle in the marketplace, to work in the vineyard, not for a set wage but for 'whatsoever is right.' The landowner employed more laborers at noon, at 3 p.m. and even...
Receive The Gift Of Salvation
Mark 10:21 'Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.'
MARK 10:21-27
Notice that the scripture makes special mention of Jesus loving this rich young ruler. This is stated after this young man said he had kept all of God's commands, which was not the truth. Jesus was showing him that he had broken the very first commandment that states, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' (Ex. 20:3), and also the tenth commandment that says, 'Thou shalt not covet...' (Ex. 20:17). Jesus' tough answer of 'sell whatsoever thou hast, and...
Trust In Jesus As Your Savior
Matthew 19:16 'And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?'
MATTHEW 19:12-20
On the surface, it appears that this rich young ruler was 'right on' in the way he approached Jesus and sought salvation. He ran, kneeled down to Jesus, and openly professed Him as a Good Master. What could be wrong with that?
First, he acknowledged Jesus as good but not as God. This is a pivotal point.
Every major religion of the world acknowledges that Jesus lived and will even admit that He definitely was a good man, but they won't recognize Him as God. If Jesus was only a good man, He couldn't save anybody. Jesus didn't just come to show us...
WHAT IS GRACE? THE DICTIONARY DEFINES IT AS "Mercy and clemency". I LIKE THE DEFINITION "THE UNMERITED FAVOR OF GOD". THAT IS REALLY WHAT WE HAVE THROUGH SALVATION. BY GRACE ARE WE SAVED THROUGH FAITH. WE DID NOT DESERVE IT AND THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO TO GET IT. I HAVE HEARD SOMEONE SAY THEY DESERVED IT BECAUSE OF THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS. GIVE ME A BREAK. THE BIBLE TELL US WHAT OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS IN ISAIAH 64:6 WHERE IT SAYS "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." NO ONE CAN BE RIGHTEOUS ENOUGH TO BE SAVED AND THAT IS WHY WE NEED A SAVIOR.
Marriage Is A Covenant
Matthew 19:9 'And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.'
MATTHEW 19:7-9
Although adultery denotes one who has unlawful intercourse with the spouse of another, in its much broader term, it means to violate or pollute. Israel violated or polluted their covenant with God. Jeremiah says, 'She (Judah) defiled the land, and committed adultery' (Jer. 3:9).
Adultery in relation to marriage also reflects a violation of the covenant of companionship. Sex outside of marriage is adultery because it violates or pollutes the covenant of marriage by introducing...
One Flesh
Matthew 19:5 'And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?'
MATTHEW 19:3-5
What does it mean for a man and a woman to become 'one flesh?' The act of sexual intercourse between a man and a woman produces this one flesh relationship. Whether or not the man and woman ever cleave to each other in marriage; the physical act still binds them together as one flesh.
This is the reason that sexual relationships outside of marriage (whether extra-marital or pre-marital) are so damaging. Whether or not individuals get caught, pregnant or ever hurt anyone else with their sin, they are doing a lot of damage to themselves. There is a relationship...
IS GOD OMNIPOTENT? WE KNOW HE IS, BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS WHY DOES HE ALLOW ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THIS WORLD. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD GAVE DOMINION OVER THE EARTH TO ADAM AND HE HAD A FREE WILL TO DO WITH IT WHAT HE WANTED TO AND WHEN HE DISOBEYED GOD, SINNED ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, BOTH IN HUMANITY AS WELL AS THE EARTH. THAT IS WHAT IT SAYS IN ROMANS 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
