The AWESOME Love of Our God

Additional Resource
The ONLY Reason Salvation Can Be Lost

Even If

"Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3:10-18

On Saturday, the Lord had me reflecting on this Scripture and told me the following:

The three Hebrew boys here were not showing some sort of bravado when they responded to Nebuchadnezzar. Neither were they daring the Devil to throw all he had at them as if they could take it.  Their statement came simply from a place of faith in God. They knew that their lives were in the Lord's hands and that - even if a fiery trial was to be a part of their future - He would be right there with them...and He was (Daniel 3:23-26).

The Blood of Sprinkling

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Hebrews 12:22-24

sprinkling: Greek word rhantismos meaning a cleansing or purification; the blood of sprinkling, i.e. appointed for sprinkling (serving to purify).

With the exception of I Peter 1:2, this word is used exclusively in the book of Hebrews.  This is fitting since Hebrews speaks primarily of our redemption in Christ as compared to the Old Testament offerings.  We know that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22).

Why does the sprinkling of Jesus' blood speak of more excellent things than Abel's?  Because Abel's blood was spilled by his muderous brother Cain and "cried out" from the ground to the Father for retribution (Genesis 4:10).  Yet Jesus' blood spilled as a willful offering cries out from the altar in Heaven for mercy.  While the cry of Abel's blood brings about curses, the cry of Jesus' blood pours out redemption.

When are we sprinkled (cleansed/purified) by the blood of Jesus? When we turn in faith to Him and as we walk continually with Him.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7

Stranger Still

Two strangers are at a hospital. The man sits at a piano and begins to play. The woman sits next to him and joins him in song.  This spontaneous, unrehearsed duet - caught on video by the man's wife - has since gone viral and been picked by national news as they share clips of this "inspiring" moment.

The thing about the news clips is that what they all seem to universally omit are the references to Jesus Christ.  By looking at the news, you would think these two are just singing about love.  The videos are abruptly cut short or muted after that.  Yet listen to the whole video, and you will see that these two are singing about the life changing, redeeming, supernatural, agape love of Jesus Christ which brings deliverance and healing.

The irony is that as two strangers come together to sing about the love of Jesus Christ - which each and every person needs - the world continues to try and ensure He remains a stranger.

The world loves to lavish praise on acts of "love" devoid from the One who is love, Jesus Christ. Don't become one of those people who espouse the goodness of others based upon the supposed merits of their own humanity.  What the world needs now is Jesus, and we must never forget it.

I know nothing of these 2 individuals personally, but I post this so that we remain ever mindful of the spiritual war we face.  It is real.

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." Acts 17:22-28

May by our lives and our testimony, Jesus be no more a stranger to those who are lost and ensnared by the god of this world.

The Sins of Manasseh

"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Hebrews 12:16-17

There are many Contemporary Christian songs which make claims such as, "You can never fall too far, so fast, so far that you can't get back when you're lost."  They insist that it doesn't matter what you've done because you are never too far gone.

While these songs might be catchy and the words might be comforting to a heart darkened by sin, we must ask ourselves, "Is this true?"  Is it biblical to say that God will always be there to vacate judgment when we finally make up our minds to repent?

Yes, Jesus in fact died for all of the sin of the world. However, if we do not avail ourselves of that sacrifice, if we continue loving darkness and rejecting light, we can do despite to the Spirit of grace. There is such a thing as becoming reprobate, where you are beyond salvation (Jeremiah 6:30; Romans 1:28; I Corinthians 9:27; II Corinthians 13:5-6; II Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:16; Hebrews 6:8).

reprobate: Hebrew word ma'ac meaning to reject, despise, or refuse.

reprobate:  Greek word adokimos meaning not standing the test, not approved; that which does not prove itself such as it ought

We are to seek the Lord while He may be found, lest we be turned over to a strong delusion to be damned.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."  II Thessalonians 2:11-12

The Three Give Ups of God

The following is a 2004 message from Pastor Gary C. Price at Omega Ministries.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:16-32

This month we are discussing the three give ups of God as detailed in Romans Chapter 1. These Scriptures give insight into the cause of the decay of civilization and what is happening in this country and around the world.

Will You Now Stop At Only Words?

I happened to see yesterday a portion of the movie, "The Patriot" for the first time.  One scene in particular really struck me.

A young man enters a church, issuing a call for men to join the Militia...and he is greeted with silence.  The men were hesitatnt to join the movement because outside of the church were the bodies of men whom British soldiers had hung from a tree for their treason in fighting against Britain.  Such is a clear sign to all of the fate which might befall those who decided to enlist in this fight.  Therefore, the men were immobilized.

In the midst of this, a young woman stands and reminds the men how they have all spent hours talking about their desire for freedom.  She asks them, "Will you now stop at only words?"

Why Didn't Jesus Take Up Roman Oppression of the Jews?

"Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." John 12:15

Jesus was born into a world where His people were dominated and treated unjustly by the ruling authority of Rome. As such, the Jews held to the prophecies that God would send them a Deliverer. Such is why King Herod ordered the murder of all male children born around that time, causing Joseph and Mary to hide in Egypt with Jesus when He was a babe (Matthew Chapter 2).

To get a better understanding of this time period and the lives of Jewish people, look at the following excerpts from Jews and the Roman Empire and The Jewish World of Jesus:

Jews and the Roman Empire
The way the Roman Empire developed, was gradually to take over more and more territories in the eastern Mediterranean. Some of these were governed as provinces. You can imagine the Roman Empire gradually taking over more and more areas as they conquered and progressively moved to the east. North Africa, Egypt, Asia Minor, modern day Turkey, Syria. And gradually, they also conquered Judea. In the process, they set up some as provinces, and some as client kingdoms. Judea happened to be one of these client kingdoms run by its own independent, or semi-independent, King. This is the person we know as Herod the Great.

For the ordinary people of the Jewish homeland, Rome was a kind of dominant political factor. Although they might not have seen Romans on a day-to-day basis, the imposition of Roman power was certainly there. In the case of the client kingdom, Judea, Herod's rule and Herod's forces would have been the political entity. But everyone knew that Rome was the power behind the throne. Everyone knew that Rome was the source of both the wealth and also the source of some of the problems that occurred in the Jewish state. So the political reality of the day was of a dominant power overseeing the life on a day-to-day basis.

The Jewish World of Jesus
Life for the Jews under the procurators was exceedingly difficult. For example, Pontius Pilate was described by Agrippa I as unbending and severe with the stubborn, and was accused of bribery, cruelty, and countless murders. This protrait is confirmed by the Jewish historian Josephus who chronicled a number of events that provoked the Jews under Pilate and other procurators, leading to riots, beatings, and executions. The Legate of Syria eventually removed Pilate on the complaints of the Samaritans, whom he had mistreated. After the interim reign of Herod Agrippa I ended in 44 C.E., the situation under the procurators deteriorated even further. In one case, Josephus (who likes to inflate figures) says 20,000 Jews were killed in a riot prompted when a Roman soldier ridiculed some Passover pilgrims with an indecent gesture. There thus emerged within Judaism groups of revolutionaries who looked back to the militaristic Maccabees and their zeal for the Law as great heroes. These “Zealots” were already active in spirit, if not in name, in the period prior to the birth of Jesus. In 6 or 7 C.E., Judas the Galilean and a Pharisee named Zaddok attempted to arouse the people to revolt against the first Roman census. Self-styled prophets and messiahs appeared from time to time and eventually an even more radical group, the Sicarii (Latin sicarius, “dagger”), emerged to foment revolution by assassination. Clearly, the policy of the tyrannical and brutal procurators, like that of the Seleucid Hellenizer Antiochus IV over 150 years earlier, met with increasing opposition led by more revolutionary Jews; ultimately, the forces of moderation could not contain them.

Sympathy From the Devil

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." I John 5:19

These are days that will test what we think we know and believe.  The "whole world" lies in wickedness.

wickedness:  Greek word ponēros meaning full of labours, annoyances, hardships; of an evil nature or condition; bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble.

Do we believe that? Do we believe that everything of the world is grounded in evil?

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." II Corinthians 4:3-4

Do we truly believe that Satan is the god of this world? That every single world system is under his jurisdiction and infuence?

If we believe the word of God, then isn't it illogical to seek sympathy from the devil?  Why seek retibution, understanding, compassion, equality, and justice from the devil?  Why appeal for mercy to the one who is determined to steal from, kill. and destroy you? Why expect Satan to do what is right? What sense does that make? Absolutely none.

When I Was A Child...

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." I Corinthians 13:11

Recently, my husband was speaking with my father and said to him, "I want to apologize for not originally asking for your daughter's hand in marriage."   My father was surprised, and this began a deeper conversation between the two.

As my father relayed the conversation to me, I recalled that period in my life.  I even remember my grandmother meeting my then fiance and saying, "I approve.  I give my blessing for this marriage."  I looked at her strangely and said, "Ok." because we were already engaged.  I wondered to myself, "Why did she think I needed her approval or blessing?"  I think upon this perspective now in shame.

This is the sort of ignorant blindness many young adults walk in.  Having perhaps been under the tutelage of a parent for most of your life, you begin to equate maturity (being fully developed) with self-reliance (depending on yourself alone for everything).  To such persons, doing things your way becomes your proof that you are are grown...and nothing could be further from the truth.

Such is the attitude of a child - no matter the age of the person - and it is rampant in the church. People are running around as renegades trying to "prove" that they know the Lord by going rogue. "They don't need anyone but Jesus." they claim, except it is clear by that attitude that they do not yet have Him. While they wear their independence as a badge of honor, all it does is make obvious that they have yet to know the ways of the Lord.

The Salvation Kit

The following is a collection of Omega Ministies teachings which are great ministry resources for those needing the truth.  Whether someone is lost, a new convert to the faith, or an existing believer who wants to "stir up" the gifts God has placed within them, these sermons will strengthen the walk of every one seeking after righteousness.

The set provides over 20 hours of bible messages dealing with such subjects as: What does it mean to be saved?  What is the difference between salvation and religion?  What are some of the main deceptions which you will likely never hear of in so-called churches?  What does it mean to have received the Holy Spirit?  Why have you been saved by God and what do you do now?

The Salvation Kit

The Power Of A Selfless Life
The Religious Matrix
The Titanic
The Beast Is In The Beats
Have You Received The Holy Ghost
Getting Out Of The Matrix
Sexmania
Judgment Day
Saved By A Drunk Man

Please visit the following site to get your copies of this kit, which should be heard by one and all:  http://omegaministries.org/order/index?order=audios

Doors in Life

The following is taken from the Ewe-4Chist blog.

Doors in Life

"I know thy works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it:for thou has little strength, and had kept  my word and hast not denied my name." -Revelation 3:8

We serve a God that opens doors that no one can shut, and shuts doors no one can open.

So if we have an open door we are to stay there till the Lord moves us. Honestly, it can be hard sometimes to tell if the "door" to something is opend or closed, whether we are suppose to go right or left. But even when it seems like we are all alone and don't know where to go, we must remember the Lord will guide our steps (Prov. 16:9). As long as we follow the Lord and seek Him he will be our guide.

In Need of Grace?

Grin and Bear it

This past summer, I was visiting family and walking up the main street in town.  The sidewalk was just big enough for two people to walk side by side.  Typically, people walking down the sidewalk made room for each other.  If they were walking with someone and saw another coming in the opposite direction, one would move over so that there was room for all to pass.

However, I noticed that not everyone did.  Some would walk with others down the street and continued to do so, even as they saw people coming towards them.  When I encountered such persons, I would automaticaly step on to the grass or street so that they could pass.  In response, they did not say thank you nor even give a smile of acknowledgement or apology; they just kept walking as if I was not even there.

After this happened for the third time, I realized in shock that these people expected me to move out of their way.  They felt entitled and had no consideration for others. They would just bogart their way and expected everyone else to just get out of their way.  Even worse was the realization that I instinctively deferred to these persons every time, without hesitation. Why was I so diffident?

The next time I saw such persons, I did not move.  I did not sidestep into the street.  I stood my ground right where I was. Some eventually moved over so that we all could pass each other.  Some never did, even bumping into me and looking at me as if I had lost my mind for not moving out of their way. I began to wonder why some - by their behavior - seemed to believe that they were worth more than others, while such as myself - by our behavior - seemed to believe that we were worth nothing.