GOSPEL LIGHT #781

 Priest Offers Himself Without Sacrifice - Gets Burned 

JERUSALEM - In an unprecedented display of devotion, priest Yakov Eliab reportedly gave  and offered himself fully to God in the temple yesterday showing up empty-handed, without any sacrifice whatsoever. 

Eyewitnesses say Eliab entered the Holiest part of the temple, arms raised, and shouted, “Lord, take me! I am yours!”

In an instant, Eliab was engulfed in fire. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained of him - not a hair, not a robe, even his very shadow was burned. From somewhere inside the flames, a tiny, singed voice called out: “Okay! Okay! Next time… I’ll just bring a lamb!” Then there was only silence. 

Temple scribes shook their heads and muttered, “We told him not to do it but he insisted that giving himself should count for something.”

In the meantime, another figure stood at the doorway of the temple, positioned himself, and ready to pray the sinner’s prayer inside, without a sacrifice. He will not be bring any sacrifice at all but will just say inside that he will accept the lamb in his heart.

GOSPEL LIGHT #780

 The "Give Your Life to Christ" Theology

In the book of Romans starting from chapter 1 all the way to chapter 5:21, where Paul talks about justification, he never talks about giving our lives to Christ.

In the gospel of John, the NT gospel "tract", John never employed the idea of giving our life to Christ for salvation. On the contrary, he says "as many as received Him." Over and over again, he conditions salvation on believing or trusting in Christ. Trusting in Him is receiving His claims.

The giving of our life to Christ is not a fitting response to the gospel message. The gospel message is "Christ died for our sins and was raised again." Either you trust in it or not. These are your only options.

If you give your life to Christ He will only crucify it in Himself on the cross. It can only produce filthy rags. It's the resurrected life that He wants not your pre-cross life.

What we need first and foremost is the atonement and payment for our sins. Our lives could never do it. Atonement is only in His blood. Trust in it.

It's not our surrender, the giving of our lives to Him - that saves. It is His surrender, His giving of His life, that saves.

We never give ourselves to Him perfectly. When we sin, we are practically taking it back. Even if we give our lives to Him perfectly from this point on, we already fell short yesterday and all the yesterdays before that. If you want to be saved through that route -- He wants perfection.

Giving our life to Him is sanctification not justification.

Giving our life to Him is practically salvation by works. If the giving of our lives is the condition of salvation then why did Christ die on the cross? Why did He give His life when we only have to give our own? In the Old Testament, the sacrificial system vividly showed that atonement required a substitute. The sinner had to bring an animal offering; offering oneself would never do. What this symbolically revealed is how a sinner is saved: through the death of a substitute, not by offering oneself. Your own self cannot atone for your sins -don’t try to give it; it needs a substitute.

You can give your self to God but if you don't get inside the Ark, the Flood would devour you.

You can give your self to God but if you don't look at the bronze serpent, you will die.

The only response that made sense when Abraham was promised by God in Genesis 15 was faith. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Giving himself to God at this point would not make sense. Don't give your life. Receive eternal life.

GOSPEL LIGHT #779

 

GE 39:22 The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.

GE 39:23 The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper.


You see, because Joseph was there, even prison became a place of blessing.

To be sure, many were in that prison, but it was only when Joseph came that it became a favored and prosperous place.

In the same, many were crucified on the cross of Calvary. The cross was the emblem of shame, cruelty and condemnation. But when the Lord Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, He transformed it forever.

Because He was there, what was once a place of death became the doorway to life. What was once a place of condemnation became the fountain of salvation.

And today, through that same cross, sinners can be forgiven, the guilty can be justified, and the broken made whole.

You know, where Jesus is - everything changes.

Will you come to Him putting your confidence in what He did on the cross for you?

GOSPEL LIGHT #778

Every now and then, nature surprises us with things that don’t quite fit the ordinary. They are unusual, unexpected and almost out of place as though from another world. A sulfatara is one of them.

A sulfatara is a volcanic vent where hot steam and sulfurous gases rise from the ground. At first glance, the area around the sulfatara may look like any ordinary green mountain, yet the hidden volcanic activity gives it a quiet, unusual character. The presence of life alongside these hidden, powerful forces shows that beauty can exist even in places shaped by destructive energy.

Someone who once saw a sulfatara firsthand wrote these words: 

"Sulfatara, you’ve taught me how there can still be beauty in death. Worth it jud gi-adto tkaw! You’ve displayed an otherworldly highlight."

The word “sulfatara” comes from Italian “solfo” which means sulfur. In the Bible, sulfur is usually mentioned under its old name “brimstone.” In the Bible, brimstone is consistently a picture of God’s fierce wrath against sin. 

The cross of Calvary was a sulfatara of a different kind. It was an otherworldly highlight. It was where the hot steam of God's wrath arose and His mercy descended. It was a place where beauty came out of death. For at the cross of Christ, death itself was transformed. Out of His death came salvation for the lost, justification for the guilty, forgiveness for the sinful, sanctification for the unholy, and even glorification for the redeemed. 

Come to the cross. It is worth the trek. Find life and beauty in the death of Christ. If you do, I assure you that one day,  for all eternity, you will look back and say it was "worth it jud gi-adto tikaw." 

GOSPEL LIGHT #777

GE 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

This verse doesn’t just summarize the life of Joseph — it also perfectly fits what happened to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

The Jews, the brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ, meant evil against Him. They all conspired against Him at the cross. But God took their cross that they gave to the Lord Jesus Christ and meant it for good.
And because of that cross, the result is this --- many have been preserved and saved — and many more are being saved in our time.

Even now, the door of salvation remains open for you.

Listen --- if Joseph, a mere man, could be trusted to save Egypt from famine, how much more can you trust the greater quote unquote “Joseph” --- the Lord Jesus Christ --- to save you from sin and judgment?

Put your confidence in Him for your salvation.

GOSPEL LIGHT #776

The moon gives sunburns
Fish drown at sea
Rain dries laundry
Sleep keeps you awake
Erasers write
Darkness lights the way
Chickens vote for KFC
A job interview hires the interviewer
The pope is a fundamental Baptist
Satan got saved and joined the choir
Calvinism is correct
Salvation is by works

Thankfully, the real gospel isn’t all this absurd. Christ finished the work - so you don’t have to fake working for it. Put your confidence in Him not in yourself.

GOSPEL LIGHT #775

Ge 22:2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

 You know, what was only a test for Abraham was a painful reality in God’s experience in His entire existence as the God of the universe.

If ever we should put God to the test to find out if He really loves us, saying: “God, if You really love us, take now Your son, Your only son, whom You love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer Him there as a burnt offering for me there.”

You know, God will do it. In fact, He did it. It was really a burnt offering. Calvary was all hell unleashed in three hours on God’s son. It’s not an identical punishment but it was an equivalent punishment with that of the lake of fire. It was really a “burnt offering” in a sense.

Are you willing to take God’s Son as a burnt sacrifice for all your sins? Are you willing to put your entire confidence in what He did on the cross for your salvation? 

GOSPEL LIGHT #774

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Notice, Abel was not commended as righteous because of his exemplary life. His commendation had nothing to do with his character, achievements or personal merit. It was not his better self, but his better sacrifice—and his faith in it—for which he was commended. The question is not "Do you have a better self?" Oh no, rather, it is "Do you have a better sacrifice?" Abel's "better sacrifice" actually pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross. Christ's sacrifice is the only "better sacrifice" there is. The question is, do you have His sacrifice as yours? Are you putting your confidence in it? 

GOSPEL LIGHT #773

 The Life-Is-Short Philosophy Of Life

Isa 22:12 And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.

13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, "Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Instead of mourning over sin, they carried on with their sinful lifestyle and didn't repent. Instead they rejoiced and partied since life is short...so short that they said "tomorrow we die!" These are the types of men who will have no atonement. The atonement will not be applied to them. Terrifying condition to be in.

Life is short but you don't have to make it shorter. Most importantly, since life is short then you should make it count. You would get right with God with the short amount of time you have.

GOSPEL LIGHT # 772

How You View Sin Shapes How You Think Salvation Works

If you downplay sin, you’ll likely believe it can be dealt with through religious rituals, good deeds, or personal effort. But if you see sin for what it truly is—a deep offense against a holy God, a heinous spiritual crime—you’ll realize that only a perfect sacrifice can settle its debt.

If you don't view God as someone who is utterly holy, then sin won't seem all that serious, and the cross won’t seem all that necessary. But when you grasp the blazing purity of God, you begin to understand the weight of sin—and the wonder of Christ's sacrifice.

You would come running to Christ and His work on the cross as your only hope of salvation. 

GOSPEL LIGHT# 771

You Can Be The Pope And Still Go To Hell Popeness never saves. Even Peter, the so-called "first pope", needed to trust in Christ for salvation. Being the pope could never pay sin's penalty. There is no other payment for sin. Zero in on Christ's death on the cross. That and that alone. Earth's best without the atonement of Christ would still be exposed to God's judgment. Religion, robes and rituals cannot replace redemption. Hell will not be empty of the respected, the revered, and the religious—it will be filled with those who rejected the righteousness of Another.
Don’t trust in position. Don’t trust in piety. Trust in the Person—Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

GOSPEL LIGHT #770

There was man who had an accident one day, he fell and hit his head. The man’s wife immediately called a therapist, who strongly advised her to take him to the hospital right away to get him checked. The therapist explained to the wife how urgent it was to bring him to the hospital since hitting the head is critical enough. But, the man and his wife were hesitant, and both of them decided not to heed the therapist’s advice because he was still able to walk and seemed to be doing okay. The next day, the man began to show signs of confusion, not doing things like he normally would and something just feels off. Instead of taking him straight to the hospital, the wife called the therapist once again and asked what to do. The therapist told her again to bring her husband to the hospital immediately, explaining how he’s in a very crucial condition. However, she was hesitant once more, but eventually decided to go.

When they arrived at the hospital, a CT scan revealed that he had bleeding in the brain, and after a few hours, he passed away. Looking at this story, we might think to ourselves how foolish they were for not heeding the therapist’s advice. But this man is like all of us. We are stubborn, thinking we are good enough. However, the Bible says in Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And in Romans 3:10, "there is none righteous, not even one." The therapist warned this man, just as the apostles, preachers, and even the Holy Spirit have been warning us to repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for our sins. In the story, the therapist urged them to go to the hospital immediately and not delay, as James 4:14 says, "yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” You don’t know if you have a few years left on this earth, a few days, or a few hours. So don’t delay, it is urgent, repent and put your faith in Christ before it’s too late. Written by Carmelle

GOSPEL LIGHT #769

From Cancer To Christ Cancer often starts unnoticed, silent, hidden, and giving no warning. This was mama’s case. She was asymptomatic, feeling completely fine, with no signs of illness. While some cancers manifest symptoms early, hers remained undetected until she had an X-ray done through a random mobile X-ray service in our area. It was then that they discovered a 3.2 cm lung mass.

Sin works the same way. It begins subtly, perhaps as small compromises, ignored convictions, or unconfessed sins. We feel fine, unaware of the spiritual sickness growing within us. Then one day, the truth is exposed: sin has deeply invaded our hearts, affecting our thoughts, actions, and relationships with God and others. But just as cancer drives us to seek medical treatment, the realization of sin should lead us to the Great Physician, the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone offers the ultimate cure. While doctors fight cancer with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and other targeted drug therapies or even bio-integrative alternatives - Jesus conquered sin and death through His blood. Isaiah 53:5 reminds us: “By His wounds, we are healed.” Through repentance and faith, He removes the disease of sin and restores us to wholeness. If cancer reminds us of life’s fragility, let it also remind us of the Great Physician, who heals not just our bodies, but our very souls. Run to Him today, and trust in His finished work on the cross for your salvation. By Mae

GOSPEL LIGHT #768

The Man Who Stood In The Gap  
Me and Ate Joy are currently studying the book of Ezekiel. And the whole theme of Ezekiel or the OT for that matter is about Israel's rebellion but specifically during the time of Babylonian captivity. And as we are currently in Chapter 22. I found a gospel message. So in this chapter God was recounting all their sins.

And in v. 14 it says "Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong in the days that I will deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.” Just like Israel, we are as sinful and as guilty in the eyes of the Holy God. And that question. Will we endure? Are we strong enough when God will deal with us? Will we stand before the just God? Clearly we are not strong enough and surely not stand. And though it may seem unalarming, know that God has spoken it, His words are true and will act on it. He will deal with us someday. The next verse is v. 30 - 31 "I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one." “Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord God. God found no righteous man in Israel during the time of Ezekiel. And even to this present day, there is still no sinner able to stand in the gap. But the good news is that 2,000 years ago a man stood in the gap. And that is none other than Christ Jesus. God’s only perfect and righteous Son who died on the Cross for our sins. We must trust and put our confidence in Him. So that God's indignation and the fire of His wrath will not be brought upon our heads. Written by Marv

GOSPEL LIGHT #767

I'd like to read to you a book I found in the trash heap, near the gates of hell, halfway eaten by the flames, almost begging not to be opened. It contains myths, assumptions, delusions, opinions, superstitions and what have you.

Let me read to you a sample. In this book, we read: "Thou shall be saved by your good works. Verily, thine own deeds shall be thy redemption. Behold, dost thou not see?" 2nd Delusions 3:16

And so, there you have it, if you want to be deluded then go for it. Be saved by trusting in your good works. 

If not, come to Christ. Trust in what He did on the cross for your salvation. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #766

Gospel in Dent

As a dentist, the usual patients we have at the clinic have dental insurance coverage. Normally, they have coverage for cleaning and tooth fillings. After cleaning and brushing their teeth, I ask if they would consent to having a tooth restoration or filling. Most patients are shocked to learn they have a tooth/teeth that need filling; I’m shocked that they’re shocked!

In my mind: It's clear that they have visible areas of decay, so I’m surprised they’re shocked that they need to undergo a filling procedure. They would then ask, “Where is the filling going to be?” and I would point it out to them.

Some patients, especially first-timers, would opt out. I would explain how the decay will just get deeper and larger, eventually weakening and damaging the entire tooth. Plus, it could also infect the teeth adjacent to it. This will lead to more problems and intense pain. Some would then give their consent but others will not.

I thought of it in a similar way spiritually, where tooth decay is like the sin in our lives. We don’t really know and realize we have sinned against God until God enlightens us through His gospel with His convicting power.

Even though the decay should have been clear in bold relief to us, yet, we are still blind to it. And when we refuse God’s "treatment," sin remains in our lives, damaging and ultimately destroying us, causing unnecessary pain and sorrow.

But Christ is the great dentist that can restore our lives and extract the sins and sin in us! If we will humble ourselves to see and recognize what a depraved sinner we are and put our trust only in Christ as our Savior then we will be saved. Written by a Christian dentist

GOSPEL LIGHT #765

The concept of uncleanness in the Old Testament Mosaic Law was extremely recurring and pervasive. It almost feels like that at every turn an Israelite is unclean. Even in the doing of the most ordinary of things could potentially make him unclean in the Law of Moses. It was a relentless cycle of becoming unclean for an Israelite.

God was teaching them, among other things, the permeating reality of sin. Sin, sin, sin is all that a fallen man can do. It's recurring. It's pervasive. It's there at every turn, even in the doing of the most ordinary of things in life. Man is a relentless, cyclical sinner.

Have you discovered this in yourself?

Aside from the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, there is nothing more important than the knowledge of oneself. The tragedy is that we don't know ourselves. It is only by the convicting work of God that we are able to gaze into the mirror, face to face with ourselves, and see ourselves as we truly are.

It’s so easy to convince a person to board a plane if he is already convinced that he can’t fly from here to there on his own.

It’s so easy to convince a person to get on a boat if he realizes he can’t swim from here to Switzerland.

It’s so easy to convince a sinner to trust in Christ and His work on the cross once he is convicted that he is a filthy sinner who has no way on his own of saving himself. My friend, realize your sinnerhood and you will come running to the all-sufficient sacrifice of the Savior on the cross of Calvary.

GOSPEL LIGHT #764

 Try An Experiment To See If You Can Save Yourself

Period --- 7 days

Practice --- Avoid all sin, zero sin in heart and mind

Place --- Lock yourself in a room to eliminate external temptations

If you can pull this off then congratulations you probably can save yourself. But if you can't do it in 7 days then how can you manage a lifetime? If sin can creep into your heart and mind then it means you’re a natural at it. If isolation can’t keep sin out, how will you face the real world?

Your only hope of salvation is the type of salvation that doesn't come from your own initiative and efforts. You need Someone to pay for all your sins. You need to be imputed with His righteousness. You need the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust Him and what He did on the cross for your salvation.

GOSPEL LIGHT #763

MK 5:30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 

MK 5:31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

You know, it's possible to crowd and press in on Jesus and not touch Him. It's possible to be exposed to the gospel message over and over again and not be saved and made any different from it. It's possible to have a casual acquaintance of the gospel and not experience its saving power. It's possible to have a mental assent toward the claims of the Lord Jesus without trusting in Him in the heart.

How about you, my friend? Are you merely in the crowd, or are you one who has reached out and touched Him in faith?

GOSPEL LIGHT #762

The Unforgettable Savior Let me tell you a true story. There was this former lawyer who suffered from memory loss. He almost forget everything. He forgot about his legal expertise, his law library, his lifelong colleagues and even the names of his own children. Yet, his memory about the church, his passion for missionary work and his devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ remained as fresh and vivid as ever. All else faded except his Savior. Have you been made deeply aware of your need for salvation that nothing else seems to matter? When you encounter the Savior in this way, what He did on the cross becomes unforgettable. He becomes so precious that everything else pales in comparison.

Be traumatized by sin. Be shaken by the reality of God's judgment. Realize the crisis and danger you're in, with your eternity at stake. And run to the Savior for dear life.