GOSPEL NUGGETS
True Story
Dr. Mackay was a Scotsman and respected physician in Edinburgh. In his teenage days, before he left for college, his mother gave him a Bible. She wrote on it her name and his name with a Bible verse in the flyleaf. He went to university and there went with the wrong crowd and lived a licentious and corrupt life.
He became an atheist and was elected as the president of an atheistic society. One day an accident happened and a man was rushed to his care in the hospital. He was so badly and fatally injured that he only had a few hours left in him.
The man asked Dr. Mackay to tell him the truth about his condition and that he was ready to face death. He witnessed to Dr. Mackay that he had trusted in Christ for salvation and said: "Just put me anywhere you want doctor, I am ready to die."
Dr. Mackay told him that he only had three hours to live. "What do you want me to do for you?" the doctor asked. The man replied: "Please send someone to get my paycheck in one of my pockets and send it to my landlady. And tell her to send the book. She will know what book I mean."
Dr. Mackay arranged everything that the man's dying requests might be carried out. He went on with his duties in the hospital but his mind kept on flipping back to the man: "I am ready doctor. Just lay me down easy anywhere. I am ready." For the first time in his life, he was so interested about a patient from a personal standpoint.
He returned and asked the nurse how the man was doing. "He died just a few minutes ago" the nurse replied. "Did the book arrive?" asked the doctor. "Yes, it arrived here shortly just before he died" was the reply. "What was it? Was it a bankbook?" he further queried. "No, it was not a bankbook. He died with it under his pillow." replied the nurse.
Dr. Mackay went to the bedside and reached down under the sheet and drew a Bible from under the pillow. He opened it and there he saw his own Bible which her mother gave her years ago. It had his mother's name and his name on it with the Bible verse.
He lost this Bible by pawning it to get more cash for his drinking spree years ago. And now, it found its way back to him. He went inside a room and there repented of his sins and trusted in Christ for salvation.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #142
GOSPEL NUGGETS
* Come To A Person
Mt 11:28 "COME TO ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Salvation is coming to a person. Not to a religious organization. Not to a religion. Come to Christ!!!
* Come Down To A Place
Lu 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and COME DOWN, for today I must stay at your house."
Zacchaeus was up on a tree. And the Lord invited him to come down. Applying this to spiritual salvation, if we want to be saved, we must come down. That is, we must humble ourselves realizing and acknowledging that we are sinners, helpless and hopeless in ourselves to save ourselves.
That is our rightful place. That's where we are spiritually in the eyes of God. Luke 14:11 says: "...whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Come Down!!!
* Come In To A Provision
Lu 14:23 "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to COME IN, that my house may be filled.
Salvation is coming to a prepared provision.
The king in the parable prepared a provision for all for free. All they have to do is to come in and partake of the provision. In the same way, applying this to spiritual salvation, the work of salvation has already been prepared and completed. It was when Christ said: "It is finished!"
The work of salvation is prepared, it is complete, all you have to do is partake of it freely by faith. Come In!!!
* Come To A Person
Mt 11:28 "COME TO ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Salvation is coming to a person. Not to a religious organization. Not to a religion. Come to Christ!!!
* Come Down To A Place
Lu 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and COME DOWN, for today I must stay at your house."
Zacchaeus was up on a tree. And the Lord invited him to come down. Applying this to spiritual salvation, if we want to be saved, we must come down. That is, we must humble ourselves realizing and acknowledging that we are sinners, helpless and hopeless in ourselves to save ourselves.
That is our rightful place. That's where we are spiritually in the eyes of God. Luke 14:11 says: "...whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Come Down!!!
* Come In To A Provision
Lu 14:23 "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to COME IN, that my house may be filled.
Salvation is coming to a prepared provision.
The king in the parable prepared a provision for all for free. All they have to do is to come in and partake of the provision. In the same way, applying this to spiritual salvation, the work of salvation has already been prepared and completed. It was when Christ said: "It is finished!"
The work of salvation is prepared, it is complete, all you have to do is partake of it freely by faith. Come In!!!
GOSPEL NUGGET #141
Lu 15:12 "And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'...
Lu 15:13 "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
Lu 15:17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19 "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'
This is all our story. We are all prodigals. The root sin of it all was not his wasteful and profligate living in a far country. No, these are simply the sinful fruits of his heart condition.
When he told his father: "Give me the portion that falls to me", his heart was already far and away from his father into "a far country"---what happened next was simply the confirmation and manifestation of it.
The "far country" is primarily in our hearts. Wherever you may be so long as your heart is far away from God, you are in a far country.
You maybe religious outwardly, you may sing praises to Him, you may attend church services but if your heart is far away from God, you are in a far country.
"These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me." Mt 15:8
You maybe a charitable person, you may have given generously to your friends and other people (as surely as the prodigal did because prodigals often do kind things to fellow prodigals. Kind to others. Rebels against their own fathers) but if your heart is far away from God, you are still in a far country.
Come to your senses, humble yourself before God, rise and go to God in repentance and throw yourself in His mercy in Christ Jesus when He died on the cross for you, come to God by trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and come home from the far country.
Lu 15:13 "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
Lu 15:17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19 "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'
This is all our story. We are all prodigals. The root sin of it all was not his wasteful and profligate living in a far country. No, these are simply the sinful fruits of his heart condition.
When he told his father: "Give me the portion that falls to me", his heart was already far and away from his father into "a far country"---what happened next was simply the confirmation and manifestation of it.
The "far country" is primarily in our hearts. Wherever you may be so long as your heart is far away from God, you are in a far country.
You maybe religious outwardly, you may sing praises to Him, you may attend church services but if your heart is far away from God, you are in a far country.
"These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me." Mt 15:8
You maybe a charitable person, you may have given generously to your friends and other people (as surely as the prodigal did because prodigals often do kind things to fellow prodigals. Kind to others. Rebels against their own fathers) but if your heart is far away from God, you are still in a far country.
Come to your senses, humble yourself before God, rise and go to God in repentance and throw yourself in His mercy in Christ Jesus when He died on the cross for you, come to God by trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and come home from the far country.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET#140
Ro 4:4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
If I work for you as my boss, the wages that I would receive from you every 15th and 30th day of the month cannot be viewed as your undeserved favor towards me. I earned them, I am entitled to them, they are rightfully mine.
Actually, wages are the regular payment of a debt incurred by the employer on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the agreement that was agreed upon with his employee. The non-payment of my wage is to put yourself in debt to me.
The principle of salvation or justification is not based on this scheme. It is not God being indebted and being under obligation to save the sinner.
Rather salvation or justification is by grace. It is given freely as an undeserved favor. You don't work for it, you don't earn it, you receive it freely by faith. Since it is by grace (by undeserved favor), only those who don't deserve it are eligible to it, namely the "ungodly"---bad news for people who are not sinners!
Salvation is by grace and not the payment of a debt. It is received freely by faith and not by trying to earn it by working for it. It is for sinners (ungodly people) not for good people.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
If I work for you as my boss, the wages that I would receive from you every 15th and 30th day of the month cannot be viewed as your undeserved favor towards me. I earned them, I am entitled to them, they are rightfully mine.
Actually, wages are the regular payment of a debt incurred by the employer on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the agreement that was agreed upon with his employee. The non-payment of my wage is to put yourself in debt to me.
The principle of salvation or justification is not based on this scheme. It is not God being indebted and being under obligation to save the sinner.
Rather salvation or justification is by grace. It is given freely as an undeserved favor. You don't work for it, you don't earn it, you receive it freely by faith. Since it is by grace (by undeserved favor), only those who don't deserve it are eligible to it, namely the "ungodly"---bad news for people who are not sinners!
Salvation is by grace and not the payment of a debt. It is received freely by faith and not by trying to earn it by working for it. It is for sinners (ungodly people) not for good people.
Monday, July 16, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #139
Misconceptions About Salvation
#8 "Surrender to God and you will be saved."
The cause of this misconception is the failure to distinguish between the result of salvation and the requirement of salvation. This is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. It is a case of reversing the order of salvation.
Salvation is not about the sinner's surrender to God. The sinner's surrender can never take away his sins. It is filthy rags in the eyes of God. Rather, salvation is about the SAVIOR'S SURRENDER TO GOD, when He gave His life for all our sins.
You can surrender all you want, but if Christ did not surrender His life on the Cross to die for your sins, you will never be saved.
Salvation is trusting in the surrender that the Lord Jesus made on the Cross of Calvary. And when the sinner trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on Calvary, he will be given a new nature that enables him to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ as a result.
Let us not confuse the result with the requirement.
Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
In one word that verse is saying: “Surrender”. Now, who is he telling here to surrender? Christians; already saved people. Look: “BRETHREN”.
From chapter 1 to chapter 8 of the book of Romans, the apostle Paul has been talking about salvation. That the Roman Christians were under condemnation but they have been justified, sanctified and will be glorified in the future.
Chapter 12:1, Paul is now giving the application. Paul is now saying: “Now, since you are now justified, since you are now sanctified, since you are now glorified positionally and will be glorified actually in the future, do this: “Surrender! Present your bodies a living sacrifice.”
In other words, you are now saved, therefore surrender. Friends, it is saved sinners that are called to surrender. Do not trust in your surrender to the Savior for salvation. Rather, trust in the Savior who surrendered His life for your salvation.
The problem with an unsaved sinner is precisely this---he cannot surrender to God. He is unable. Salvation is being saved from the lordship of sin in his life to the Lordship of Christ.
#8 "Surrender to God and you will be saved."
The cause of this misconception is the failure to distinguish between the result of salvation and the requirement of salvation. This is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. It is a case of reversing the order of salvation.
Salvation is not about the sinner's surrender to God. The sinner's surrender can never take away his sins. It is filthy rags in the eyes of God. Rather, salvation is about the SAVIOR'S SURRENDER TO GOD, when He gave His life for all our sins.
You can surrender all you want, but if Christ did not surrender His life on the Cross to die for your sins, you will never be saved.
Salvation is trusting in the surrender that the Lord Jesus made on the Cross of Calvary. And when the sinner trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on Calvary, he will be given a new nature that enables him to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ as a result.
Let us not confuse the result with the requirement.
Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
In one word that verse is saying: “Surrender”. Now, who is he telling here to surrender? Christians; already saved people. Look: “BRETHREN”.
From chapter 1 to chapter 8 of the book of Romans, the apostle Paul has been talking about salvation. That the Roman Christians were under condemnation but they have been justified, sanctified and will be glorified in the future.
Chapter 12:1, Paul is now giving the application. Paul is now saying: “Now, since you are now justified, since you are now sanctified, since you are now glorified positionally and will be glorified actually in the future, do this: “Surrender! Present your bodies a living sacrifice.”
In other words, you are now saved, therefore surrender. Friends, it is saved sinners that are called to surrender. Do not trust in your surrender to the Savior for salvation. Rather, trust in the Savior who surrendered His life for your salvation.
The problem with an unsaved sinner is precisely this---he cannot surrender to God. He is unable. Salvation is being saved from the lordship of sin in his life to the Lordship of Christ.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #138
Everything BUT
2Ki 5:1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.
1) He had power and position: “…commander of the army of the king of Syria…”
2) He had a good reputation: “…was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master…”
(Many people are like Naaman today---people who are well- respected and highly honored in the community).
3) He was a man of great accomplishment: He was a victorious man, “by him the LORD had given victory to Syria.”
(The Lord granted him success and he was Syria’s national hero. He was Syria’s national treasure. We can be sure that if he died at this point in his life, Syria's flag would be flying at half-mast).
4) He was a man of admirable character: “He was also a mighty man of valor…”
Naaman was a man who had power, prominence and prosperity BUT (there is always a but), notice the last part of verse 1: "but a leper."
That’s the fly in the ointment. Everything about Naaman is admirable but there is one thing that spoils it all---he was a leper. Many are like Naaman. They have power, prominence, prosperity, they are respected men in the community, they are honored, they are people who have contributed greatly to the community but there is one thing that spoils it all…all of us are sinners in God’s eyes in need of salvation.
My friend, no matter how great you are in the eyes of men, in the eyes of God we are still sinners, spiritual lepers in need of salvation. We need the Savior.
2Ki 5:1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.
1) He had power and position: “…commander of the army of the king of Syria…”
2) He had a good reputation: “…was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master…”
(Many people are like Naaman today---people who are well- respected and highly honored in the community).
3) He was a man of great accomplishment: He was a victorious man, “by him the LORD had given victory to Syria.”
(The Lord granted him success and he was Syria’s national hero. He was Syria’s national treasure. We can be sure that if he died at this point in his life, Syria's flag would be flying at half-mast).
4) He was a man of admirable character: “He was also a mighty man of valor…”
Naaman was a man who had power, prominence and prosperity BUT (there is always a but), notice the last part of verse 1: "but a leper."
That’s the fly in the ointment. Everything about Naaman is admirable but there is one thing that spoils it all---he was a leper. Many are like Naaman. They have power, prominence, prosperity, they are respected men in the community, they are honored, they are people who have contributed greatly to the community but there is one thing that spoils it all…all of us are sinners in God’s eyes in need of salvation.
My friend, no matter how great you are in the eyes of men, in the eyes of God we are still sinners, spiritual lepers in need of salvation. We need the Savior.
Friday, July 6, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET # 137
Pr 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.
TRUE STORY
A doctor came and examined carefully a very sick young man and informed him that he had only a few hours to live.
The young man replied: "I've missed it, doctor. Yes, I've missed it at last."
"Missed what?" replied the doctor.
"I've missed the salvation of my soul. I was awakened some years ago, but put it off, thinking I had plenty of time. But I see I've been a fool, and sold my soul for a straw. Yes, O yes, I've missed it at last." And with these words uttered, he died.
2Co 6:2 ...Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.
Come to Christ NOW and not a little bit later on. The only thing that separates you between now and eternity is the air you breathe.
TRUE STORY
A doctor came and examined carefully a very sick young man and informed him that he had only a few hours to live.
The young man replied: "I've missed it, doctor. Yes, I've missed it at last."
"Missed what?" replied the doctor.
"I've missed the salvation of my soul. I was awakened some years ago, but put it off, thinking I had plenty of time. But I see I've been a fool, and sold my soul for a straw. Yes, O yes, I've missed it at last." And with these words uttered, he died.
2Co 6:2 ...Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.
Come to Christ NOW and not a little bit later on. The only thing that separates you between now and eternity is the air you breathe.
GOSPEL NUGGET #136
The Two Kinds Of Righteousness
Php 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
There are two kinds of righteousness mentioned in this verse one is called "My Own Righteousness" and the other is called "The Righteousness Which Is From God".
"My Own Righteousness" is wrought by self-effort. It is "from the law". In other words, it is the result of obeying the Law or the Ten Commandments. The Law demands perfect obedience. But since no one could perfectly obey the Law, our righteousness wrought from the Law is therefore "filthy rags" (see Isa. 64:6). It is marred and tainted with sin.
In order for me to be accepted by God, I therefore need another another kind of righteousness---a righteousness that is acceptable to God. And this righteousness must come from God Himself!
Enter "The Righteousness Which Is From God". This righteousness does not come from my own efforts. Rather it comes and it is received "through faith in Christ." The very moment I put my trust in Christ, God imputes or deposits this righteousness to my spiritual bank account.
Now, God looks upon me as righteous not because of me and what I did. But solely because of the righteousness that God imputes to me through faith in Christ.
Friend, you can't be accepted by God and be with Him when you die by your own righteousness. You need the righteousness which comes from God. And you can receive it right now if you put your trust in what Christ did on the cross for your salvation.
Php 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
There are two kinds of righteousness mentioned in this verse one is called "My Own Righteousness" and the other is called "The Righteousness Which Is From God".
"My Own Righteousness" is wrought by self-effort. It is "from the law". In other words, it is the result of obeying the Law or the Ten Commandments. The Law demands perfect obedience. But since no one could perfectly obey the Law, our righteousness wrought from the Law is therefore "filthy rags" (see Isa. 64:6). It is marred and tainted with sin.
In order for me to be accepted by God, I therefore need another another kind of righteousness---a righteousness that is acceptable to God. And this righteousness must come from God Himself!
Enter "The Righteousness Which Is From God". This righteousness does not come from my own efforts. Rather it comes and it is received "through faith in Christ." The very moment I put my trust in Christ, God imputes or deposits this righteousness to my spiritual bank account.
Now, God looks upon me as righteous not because of me and what I did. But solely because of the righteousness that God imputes to me through faith in Christ.
Friend, you can't be accepted by God and be with Him when you die by your own righteousness. You need the righteousness which comes from God. And you can receive it right now if you put your trust in what Christ did on the cross for your salvation.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
GOSPEL NUGGET #135
Mt 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
TRUE STORY
One time a man was invited to attend a gospel meeting. Even though, he was reluctant to go, he went nonetheless. In that meeting, he listened to people who sang:
"Come! Oh come to Me! Come! Oh come to Me! Weary, heavy-laden. Come! Oh come to Me!"
He said: "I never saw so many fools gathered together in my life." He could never understand why rational and thinking men would sing such a hymn. He went out but the little word "Come" kept ringing in his mind.
So he went inside a bar and tried to drown himself with alcohol and forget about the whole thing. But still the word "Come" would not go away. It persisted "Come, come, come!"
He went into another bar and tried once again to forget about the whole thing. But still the word "Come" kept coming back. He said to himself: "What a fool I am allowing myself to be bothered about this coming to Jesus thing!" So he went into another bar, tried to silence the word with alcohol and went straight home.
He tried to sleep it away but his pillow seemed to whisper the word: "Come, come, come!" He got up and took a little hymnbook and located the hymn and said: "What nonsense!" So he set the hymnbook on fire but he could not burn up the little word "Come!"
He vowed to himself that he would never come to those gospel meetings again. But the very next night, for some reason, he found himself in the same meeting and the men were again singing: "Come, come, come!"
To make the long story short, the Spirit of God plowed him with conviction of sin and right there, he repented and trusted in Christ and he got saved and publicly testified that he has come to the Savior of sinners.
Later, he said, "I think this hymn is the sweetest and the best in the English language. God blessed it to the saving of my soul. And yet this was the hymn that I despised."
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