GOSPEL LIGHT #664

 You don't need religion or the Bible to tell you that you ought to be good. That you ought to be good is something you already know even without all the religions in the world. Yes, even without the Bible.

The Bible is not another You-Ought-To-Be-Good book. The reason why many people do not read the Bible is because of this. They think that they already know its message that, viz. we ought to be good.

No, it is more. It diagnoses the sad fact that we have a spiritual defect; that we ought to be good but we have not and so we need to be saved.

Look, you know that you ought to be good, but you have not. Your very own conscience affirms this. You know that you have failed your very own standards, one, too many times. How much more God's!

The Bible says that you need to run to the Savior for salvation. Trust in Him and His death on the cross for your salvation.

GOSPEL LIGHT #663

"I Don't Know If I Can Help Myself"

That's the confession of a serial killer when the long arm of the law finally caught up with him. He has this urge and desire to kill that he just can't help! This perverted desire just takes over him!

What is this? This is Romans 1 in action. When God judges a man, he gives him over to his sin. And he can be God's punishment against others.

Ro 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, MURDER, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,

Sometimes, the punishment of sin is more sin!

Ps 81:11 "But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.

12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.

Don't harden yourself. If you have this desire to repent and come to Christ, don't put it off. Come to Christ now!

GOSPEL NUGGET #662

 Five Words To Hang My Eternal Destiny On

Someday, I would have to face God. He is holy and perfectly righteous, and I am a sinner. Scary thought!

But I know I can boldly face Him. I have five words with me. On these five words, I hang my eternal destiny. Five words that I am banking on, relying on, and counting on to make it. Five words that I have tucked in my heart all these years. I may forget everything else in the Bible, but I will never ever forget these. Five words that convey an eternal and divine truth for a sinner like me. Five words that represent a fact that God Himself ordained and brought to pass in reality.

I could never rely on my righteous deeds. Aside from being imperfect; they are filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).

If ever, yes, if ever God should call me into account, here's what I am going to say: "Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I know that all my righteous deeds are filthy rags in Your sight. I know that my works could never save me. But (1) CHRIST (2) DIED (3) FOR (4) MY (5) SINS and I am counting on it for my salvation. On the truth of these five words, I can face You boldly, a sinner as I am."

GOSPEL LIGHT #661

 God And Covid

What is God doing during this Covid crisis?

First of all, God is in control. The raging Covid crisis is not making God raise both His hands and shake His head in utter disappointment and frustration. He wants to make it all go away but He just can't.

No, on the contrary, Covid is God's dog on a leash. He can make it sit still anytime He wants but He can choose to allow it to go on and bark like mad. It can be God's instrument for a number of reasons for different people.

* Punitive --- He might be using it to punish certain people. Covid is God's punisher.

* Instructive --- He might be using it to make certain people learn something. Covid is God's instructor.

* Corrective --- He might be using it to rectify and correct certain people. Covid is God's rebuker.

* Preventive --- He might be using it to prevent some things from happening. Covid is God's hedge and wall.

* Redemptive --- He might be using it to bring people to spiritual salvation. To be sure, covid made many people think about the brevity of life and eternal realities. Covid is God using a megaphone on these people to bring them repentance and faith in Christ for salvation.

One crisis, different purposes to many different people at one and the same time. If you are still not right with God now, my friend, don't waste this virus. Allow it to draw you to Christ for salvation.

GOSPEL LIGHT #660

 Why is there pain, suffering, and death in the world?

It's a fallen world. A world that fell into sin. It's a world ruined by sin. This is not the world as it was originally created. That's why we have pain, suffering, and death.

What is God doing about it? In the future, there will be a new heaven and new earth with a new humanity. In that new universe, there will be no more pain, suffering, and death. The best of all is that there will be no more sin.

Right now, God is recruiting people to be part of that new universe. Every single time you hear the message that you must repent and trust in Christ and His death on the cross for salvation, God is recruiting you, calling you to be part of that new universe to come.

GOSPEL LIGHT #659

Christ Our Seventh Year 

De 15:1 "At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.
De 15: 2 "And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD'S release.

There was to be a seven-year cycle for the Jews. At the end part of the seven-year cycle, meaning, the seventh year, a release of debts was to be made. This is called the Lord's release. They were to be released from their obligation in paying off their debts.

Blessed seventh year! The seventh-year is the Sabbatical year. It was a year of rest and release, even release from the obligation of paying one's debts. 

Christ is the real Sabbath. 

Mt 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins...

The word "forgiveness" here can also mean remission or release. In Christ, a sinner can have remission or release from his sins!

Enough of your years of being a slave to sin's guilt and power! Come to Christ, enter the seventh year as it were through faith in Him, and enjoy the Lord's release! 

GOSPEL LIGHT #658

1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

The Corinthians were enamored with philosophy (which they deemed as brilliant ideas) and great oratorical skills. The apostle Paul did not seek to please men. He did not strive to be popular. He did not try to impress people.

When the apostle Paul came to Corinth and sought to save souls, he only preached Christ and Him crucified. He intentionally did not talk about anything else. He was a man of one message. When you are with him in his evangelistic ministry, it would seem as if he only knew of one thing --- Christ and Him crucified. 

Paul did not believe that the education of brilliant ideas was the hope of mankind. Salvation, not education, was man's greatest need. 

He did not preach good works. Why? He knows that it could not save a sinner.
He did not preach good character. Why? For the very same reason.
He did not preach the Law, the Ten Commandments. Why? For the very same reason still. 

Now, good works, good character, and the Law have their proper place, but, they are not for the salvation of the sinner. To the apostle, if a sinner must be saved, it is only through "Christ and Him crucified." 

My friend, do you want to be saved? I have only one message for you: "Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary for your sins." Trust Him and what He did there in Calvary for your salvation.