You must be BORN AGAIN."

Brethren,

Aren't we each, absolutely certain,💯

that we are "All in, and All for,

our LORD, JESUS CHRIST?"

                 Yes?

And because, we are,

"aren't we all honored to know, that Philippians 1:29 speaks directly to each of us?

Let me share it with you, and get your thoughts on it:

For to you it has been granted on behalf of CHRIST,   not only to Believe in in HIM, but  also to   suffer for HIS sake.

                 [Right!"

To suffer for HIS sake!"

And don't we each, suffer for HIS sake, "when we take up our cross, and embrace The WORD of The LIVING GOD, as our BOSS?

And do, as GOD instructs us to do; and  LOVE our enemies?"

                Right!"

We fight the good fight of FAITH,

by fighting against the will and desires of the flesh, that are contrary to GOD'S SPIRIT.

For GOD, demands that we LOVE one another."

Even as the powers of darkness, would have us hate one another.

Yet, what are we, Beloved,

without LOVE?

1st Corrinthians 13:1-2 assures us, that without LOVE,

We would be counted as nothing."

Consider how it reads:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not LOVE, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all FAITH, so that I could remove mountains, but have not LOVE,

I am nothing.

[And on the Day of judgement,

will those who are counted, as nothing, be known by The LORD?

Or will The WORD from Mathew 7:23 speak to them:

And   then I will declare to them,

'I never knew you;  Depart from ME, you who practice lawlessness!'

[Brethren,

Those who have not LOVE, and prefer to practice the will and desires of the devil.

Practice lawlessness, and are leaning towards the disqualified."

Consider 2nd Corrinthians 13:5-6 that begs us to test ourselves,

in order to know that we are in CHRIST,  "and not disqualified."

It reads:

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the FAITH.

Test yourselves.  Do you not know yourselves,  that JESUS CHRIST is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

[With that said, "imagine this."

Imagine a gentleman's T-shirt, with the cartoon of a sheep walking on two legs, that then addresses a wicked wolf who is barring, and even impeding, the sheep’s passage through a narrow gate.

Now picture this scene in your mind, from Mathew 7:13-14

"Enter by the narrow gate;

for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the Way which leads to LIFE, and there are few who find it.

       ["Did you catch that?"] 

Few, Beloved, are we, who find ourselves trusting in CHRIST - The WORD of The LIVING GOD!"

We find ourselves trusting in the finished work of The Cross Of CHRIST, for the remission of sins?"

    We do, with all our heart!" ❤️

We are the few who Trust in CHRIST, and  have been "BORN of HIS SPIRIT, to declare HIS NAME, 

and tell others about what HE accomplished on The Cross, to take away our shame!" Our sins.

Thus, 2nd Corrinthians 5:5 declares:

Now HE  Who has prepared us for this very thing   is GOD, Who has also given us The SPIRIT as a guarantee.

["Brethren,

We have the proof of HIS SPIRIT."

Yes, "The SPIRIT of The LIVING GOD, that teaches us, Beloved, to LOVE our fellow man, and show our LOVE for them,

by sharing our LORD'S finished work of The Cross, for the remission of sins; "with them."

Yes, for The SPIRIT teaches us to LOVE them, and tell them about JESUS, Who took away the sin of the world. 🌎

For GOD, Beloved,

"is not willing that any should perish!"

        [Isn't that, right?"

         "And GOD knows that there's a wicked wolf, that's barring the passage through the "narrow gate" into Everlasting LIFE!"

GOD knows, Beloved, that it's the powers of darkness, that are doing all that they possibly can, to make us look bad before GOD?"

HE knows, that the powers of darkness are trying to make us smell horrible, so that we'd be unacceptable before GOD?"

Yet, they fail to consider this WORD that reassures us, saying:

For we are to GOD the fragrance of CHRIST   among those who are being SAVED and    among those who are perishing.

[Brethren,

Aren't the powers of darkness trying to do with us,  even as they did, with RIGHTEOUS, Job?"

    Well, get this!"

Standing by each of us,

"sheep, who Trust in CHRIST."

Stands a familiar-looking Man with a beard, compassionate eyes, and a look of great authority."

And we, "HIS sheep," speak to the wolf and gesture toward "The Man with the beard," and say,

“I’m with HIM.”

[We are with HIM, "Beloved,

and we are for HIM!"  But why?

Because we embrace The TRUTH of HIS WORD, and know that for anyone not to do so, is absurd!"

Because we Believe in JESUS CHRIST, and embrace the supreme authority of HIS WORD,

GOD, Beloved, "has approved of us, and entrusted us with The GOSPEL to speak, not as pleasing men, but GOD Who tests our hearts.

[We Believe," The WORD of The LIVING GOD, and preach The GOSPEL of CHRIST, without finding it odd.

And because we do;

"this WORD from John 17:24-26 is even now, spoken for each of us."

It reads:

"Father,  I desire that they also whom YOU gave ME may be with ME where I AM, that they may behold MY GLORY which you have given ME; for YOU  LOVED  ME before the foundation of the world.

O  RIGHTEOUS  FATHER!

The world has not known YOU,

but   I have known YOU;  and   these have known that YOU sent ME. 

And I have declared to them YOUR NAME, and will declare it, that the LOVE   with which YOU  LOVED

ME  may be in them, and I in them. 

[Brethren,

Doesn't a sheep’s trust in its SHEPHERD, give it great confidence?"

And don't we have the same confidence in GOD'S WORD -

JESUS CHRIST?

Don't we have such great confidence, in HIS finished work of The Cross, for the remission of our sins;  that we are willing to suffer for HIS sake, and share The GOSPEL, with others?"

Aren't we willing to take up our cross, and proclaim HIS death, burial, and RESURRECTION on the third day;  Knowing that by suffering on The Cross, HE took our sins away?

Personally, I bid that we be about our FATHER'S business, and make for ourselves treasures in HEAVEN, before our LORD, calls us up into the clouds!" 

Yes,  "Comes, and calls us up into the clouds?"

For HE has sent us out as sheep in the midst of wolves, to reach this lost and dying generation? 

Hasn't HE?"

Consider this,

On the very day, that JESUS suffered and died, three crosses were erected and raised to the sky.

JESUS hung on the center Cross between two criminals.

One of the men mocked JESUS, and spoke these words from Luke 23:39 :

"If YOU are The CHRIST,  save YOURSELF and us."

[But the other said to HIM, “Remember me when YOU come into YOUR  kingdom.”

[And JESUS answered, saying to the one that through repentance, humbled himself, and asked to be remembered,

“Today you will be with ME in Paradise.”

Now imagine the man’s thoughts as he took his last breath.

He had lived a horrible LIFE,

and paid a horrible price for his crimes.

But now," because he put his FAITH in CHRIST,

he was remembered, "REDEEMED," and welcomed into HEAVEN."