January 29th 2023
To The Believer Mortal Death Is Not A Penalty, It Is An Award!
1 John 5:12 (NIV)
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
When you pray do you always believe that God hears your prayer? Do you believe that God honors your prayer, and thus, answers your request(s)? Do you believe it is possible for you to recognize that God has in fact answered your prayer? When God answers your prayer do you understand He may answer your request in a different way or a method that you may not be able to see it happen?
When you pray for someone else do you expect God to answer your prayer? Do you look for the exact result to be what you think God should do? Jesus cured a man because of the faith of the men who presented him to Jesus for healing. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:3-5).
How did the religious leaders of that time view this miracle of healing? Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" (Mark 2:6-12).
In this world today we do not have Jesus walking around healing people or openly forgiving their sins and thus there are very few people who really believe that God hears our prayers and heals people, or that our sins can really be forgiven. What do you believe about the forgiveness of sins, and the healing of people because we pray for them? In this cursed world we do not have the ability to heal someone immediately, as some of the disciples could shortly after Jesus ascended into heaven. In this world we have been commanded, to be able to present someone to Jesus for healing of their soul!
When Jesus was leaving this world, He gave us, His followers “The Great Commission.” Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20). Just as the men who carried their friend and presented him to Jesus, believing Jesus could heal him so he could walk again, we have been given the command to ” go and make disciples of all nations!” Of course, we cannot as an individual be able to make disciples of everyone in this world, but we can tell those people we live with and around about how taking Jesus into your life, has changed you for the better!
The first step for everyone is accept the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, which will cause your re-birth into the family of God! Have you taken this first step? Have you been “born again” and therefore, you were immediately changed in this life, and your immortal soul has immediately been changed to be able to avoid the second death, when you die in the mortal world. This is the most important accomplishment you can fulfill in your mortal lifespan.
The only possession you will take with you when you die in this mortal cursed earth is your immortal soul, which was created in the image and likeness of God/Jesus! Life only comes from God, each of us is a byproduct of God’s command, and it started when you were awakened at your birth, and you took that first breath in this cursed world. When you take your last breath in this mortal world only your immortal soul will survive, and it will go to either hell or heaven! The most important outcome of this life is up to each individual, and there is only one plan that God ordained for your immortal soul to end up in heaven. That one plan is for you to become a followers of Jesus Christ, there is no other plan available for mankind!
To be an overcomer in this world and have your soul end up in heaven with Jesus Christ, you must accept His salvation plan. God loves mankind and offers this plan so you can continue your immortal live with Him. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3-5). Who is it that overcomes the world? If we are “born again” into the family of God, then we can overcome this cursed world!
Salvation is available just for the asking because you have come to believe in Jesus Christ! You can know you are going to heaven when you die, because Jesus Christ purchased your ticket by being the perfect sacrifice required by God in this cursed world.
To the believer mortal death is not a penalty, it is an award!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 John 5:12 (NIV)
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
When you pray do you always believe that God hears your prayer? Do you believe that God honors your prayer, and thus, answers your request(s)? Do you believe it is possible for you to recognize that God has in fact answered your prayer? When God answers your prayer do you understand He may answer your request in a different way or a method that you may not be able to see it happen?
When you pray for someone else do you expect God to answer your prayer? Do you look for the exact result to be what you think God should do? Jesus cured a man because of the faith of the men who presented him to Jesus for healing. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:3-5).
How did the religious leaders of that time view this miracle of healing? Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" (Mark 2:6-12).
In this world today we do not have Jesus walking around healing people or openly forgiving their sins and thus there are very few people who really believe that God hears our prayers and heals people, or that our sins can really be forgiven. What do you believe about the forgiveness of sins, and the healing of people because we pray for them? In this cursed world we do not have the ability to heal someone immediately, as some of the disciples could shortly after Jesus ascended into heaven. In this world we have been commanded, to be able to present someone to Jesus for healing of their soul!
When Jesus was leaving this world, He gave us, His followers “The Great Commission.” Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20). Just as the men who carried their friend and presented him to Jesus, believing Jesus could heal him so he could walk again, we have been given the command to ” go and make disciples of all nations!” Of course, we cannot as an individual be able to make disciples of everyone in this world, but we can tell those people we live with and around about how taking Jesus into your life, has changed you for the better!
The first step for everyone is accept the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, which will cause your re-birth into the family of God! Have you taken this first step? Have you been “born again” and therefore, you were immediately changed in this life, and your immortal soul has immediately been changed to be able to avoid the second death, when you die in the mortal world. This is the most important accomplishment you can fulfill in your mortal lifespan.
The only possession you will take with you when you die in this mortal cursed earth is your immortal soul, which was created in the image and likeness of God/Jesus! Life only comes from God, each of us is a byproduct of God’s command, and it started when you were awakened at your birth, and you took that first breath in this cursed world. When you take your last breath in this mortal world only your immortal soul will survive, and it will go to either hell or heaven! The most important outcome of this life is up to each individual, and there is only one plan that God ordained for your immortal soul to end up in heaven. That one plan is for you to become a followers of Jesus Christ, there is no other plan available for mankind!
To be an overcomer in this world and have your soul end up in heaven with Jesus Christ, you must accept His salvation plan. God loves mankind and offers this plan so you can continue your immortal live with Him. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3-5). Who is it that overcomes the world? If we are “born again” into the family of God, then we can overcome this cursed world!
Salvation is available just for the asking because you have come to believe in Jesus Christ! You can know you are going to heaven when you die, because Jesus Christ purchased your ticket by being the perfect sacrifice required by God in this cursed world.
To the believer mortal death is not a penalty, it is an award!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak