GOSPEL LIGHT #726

Lu 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

The father here is a picture of God's eagerness to save sinners who turn to Him in repentance. In their culture, it was unusual and undignified for an elder, especially a father, to run. Elders were typically respected figures who maintained a composed and dignified demeanor. By running openly, he risked his reputation. 

That's how propitious and favorable God is toward sinners! In front of the watching angels, God, as it were, ran the distance from heaven to earth, willingly risked His reputation on the cross, becoming a spectacle of shame in the eyes of the watching world.

You don't have to beg Him to be in the "mood" to save you. He is already in the "mood." All you have to do now is to run to Him by faith in Christ for salvation. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #725

"Go To Heaven!"

Lots of people have heard enough of being told to "Go to hell!" Whenever someone commits something bad, they are swiftly written off to hell. In this unloving world, we are in, the harsh condemnation "Go to hell!" is readily pronounced.

However, God's viewpoint is markedly different. Currently, God is passionately calling out to us, crying out aloud "Go to heaven! Be saved!" Yes, there will come a time when God will say "Go to hell!" But, right now, this is the time when God is saying "Go to heaven!" to all of us. Yes, it's about time for you to hear "Go to heaven!" You sinner you! You've done so many horrible things! Go to heaven! Be saved! Repent and trust in what the Lord Jesus Christ did for you. He died for all your sins and was raised again from the dead.

GOSPEL LIGHT #724

"I Challenge You To Speak The First Word Against The Lord Jesus Christ" 

Two travelers on a train were involved in a conversation of a religious nature. One was a skeptic who was very outspoken against Christianity. He cited many things that kept him a skeptic all this time. He detailed all the hypocrisy, evil manipulations, greed, and divisions that mark Christendom. He particularly pointed out the corruption of its various leaders.

In front of them was a Christian silently listening to it all and bowed his head in shame and bearing the deserved reproach. He knew that many of the things that were spoken were true. 

Just then, he was addressed by one of the travelers to join in with them in the discussion. The Christian said: "I noticed that you are a man of good judgment. You read people very, very well. I am a Christian myself and I offer no defense for all the things you leveled against us. But there is one thing that I would like to challenge you on. I Challenge You To Speak The First Word Against The Lord Jesus Christ."

The skeptic was surprised and said: "Well, no! I could not find fault with Him. He was perfect."

"Exactly!" the Christian replied. "That's the reason why my heart was attracted to Him. The more I look at Him, the more I discover how poor, guilty, and sinful man I am. All the evils which those who profess to follow Him have done cannot turn me away from Him. My salvation depends on what the Lord Jesus has done and not on what His professed followers are doing." 

My friend, the Lord Jesus Christ has many imperfect Christians, but, Christians have a perfect Christ. You can be a skeptic against many who profess to be Christians but you can't be a skeptic against their Christ. 

You can be disappointed with Christians but you can never be disappointed with Christ, especially when it comes to the salvation of your soul. Trust in Him and what He did on the cross and find salvation in Him.  

GOSPEL LIGHT #723

 A Hindu told a missionary: "I am sure that if lead a good life, do what is right, and give up my bad habits, God will receive me into heaven."

The missionary then pointed to a babool tree. A young babool tree is a captivating sight. The tree is known for its striking thorny features. "Suppose you break off from its branches a hundred or more of the nasty thorns, will the tree cease to be a babool tree?" asked the missionary.

"Certainly not!" the Hindu replied

The missionary then explained: "Even if you stop many of your evil ways and habits, you would still remain the same like the babool tree. You must have an entirely new nature, you must be born again, you must be a new man, in order to please God. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can give you a new heart if you trust in Him alone for salvation."

GOSPEL LIGHT #722

Why are we at war? 

Yes, why are we at war? We have wars without because we have wars within. We don't have peace without because we don't have peace within. We don't have peace within because we don't have peace with God. There is a disturbance in the relationship between God and man. Man is out of joint with God. Sinful man is at war with God.

My friend, lay down your arms. Repent. Be reconciled to God, and have peace with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. 

GOSPEL LIGHT # 721

Don't Be Saved By The Saved --- Be Saved By The Savior 

Ac 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. NKJV

Take note of the last half of the verse --- "the Lord added to the church daily those who are being saved." 

Many were being saved during this time. Daily, one case after another, saved sinners were added to the church. You see, the church is the company of the saved. 

There are some people who believe that salvation is in the church, of the church, and through the church. Nope. The church is not the way to salvation. Rather, salvation results in being joined to the church in the eyes of God.

Again, the church is the company of the saved. My friend, don't be saved by the saved. Be saved by the Savior! Trust in the Savior who died for your sins and rose again from the dead. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #720

Salvation By Works Requires Being Better Than The Apostles

Ac 15:10 "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

The speaker here is the apostle Peter. He stood up at a conference of Christians along with the other apostles. There were some who did not see clearly the condition of salvation. In verse 5 we read: 

"But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." (Acts 15:5) It was in this conference that the matter was cleared up and settled. 

Now, when Peter says here in verse 10 "neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" he was referring to the Law of Moses. The pronoun "we" here includes the apostles. Peter said that none of them ever kept the Ten Commandments as they should. They all failed at some point in keeping it.

The Ten Commandments is a works-based system. So, if you want to be saved by works, you will have to be better than the apostles! If you think you are better than them then go for it! But, if not, then the only way is what Peter recommended in verses 7 to 9 which says:

Acts 15:7 "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 "So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 "and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

It's by the principle of faith that sinners are blessed. 

My friend, you and I are no better than the apostles. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross and you will be saved.