GOSPEL NUGGET #294

The miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ were pictures of spiritual realities and demonstrations and illustrations of what He can do spiritually.

Spiritually speaking, in the eyes of God, because of sin, we are all blind, deaf, mute, lame, maim and dead. 

* But He who was able to make the blind see physically is able to make us see spiritually to appreciate the things of God.
* He who was able to unplug the ears of the deaf physically is able to unplug our ears spiritually and enable us to listen to hear the Word of God.
* He who was able to open the mouths of the mute physically is able to open our mouths to sing the praises of God.
* He who was able to give strength to the lame and the maim physically is able to give strength to us spiritually to enable us to serve God.
* He who was able to give life physically to the dead is able to give us life spiritually that we might live for God.

And just as those physically infirmed and handicapped people did not contribute anything to effect their physical deliverance (they simply came to Him and He did for them what they could never do for themselves) so it is with spiritual deliverance and salvation.

A sinner is to simply come to Him in repentance, recognizing his need and wholly entrust his salvation to Him. And to those who come to Him by faith, He will do for you, what you can never do for yourself---He will save you and give you eternal life.

Do you want the miracle of salvation in your life? Come to Christ.

GOSPEL NUGGET#293

Paul Walker (Eternity Suddenly)

You wake up to the chirping of birds outside your window, with the glory of a wonderful sunshine kissing you on the cheek. It's a beautiful morning promising a beautiful day.

You take a refreshing shower, eat your breakfast, brush your teeth, dress and spruce yourself up, prim and proper, and drive your car to an appointment.

Today looks good. Tomorrow is waiting for you with a smile, after you inked a long term multimillion peso deal, yesterday. Your dreams are becoming real.

But suddenly, a screaming tire, a screeching halt, a shattered glass...a deafening silence and then a blinding darkness. It all happened so fast. You did not even know what happened. It's eternity all of a sudden. Without warning, you are on the other side.

My friend, this could be your story or my story or anybody for that matter like it was Paul Walker's. Nobody guaranteed that we would live up to our 70's or 80's. Nobody promised us a slow death.

The grave is filled with people like you who thought they would get old. They never thought that it would be lights out for them at their age. Like you, many of them thought that it could happen to other people but not to them. But it did. And it could happen to you.

Are you ready to meet God? Are your sins forgiven? Have you repented and trusted in Christ and what He did on the cross alone for salvation? 

GOSPEL NUGGET #292

Black Cobra, Yellow Cobra And White Cobra

Let's suppose you saw three cobras on your lawn. One is black, another is yellow, and the other white. Which of the three cobras would you welcome in your home as your pet?

Would you take the sinister-looking black one? The moderate-looking yellow one? Or the magnificent-looking white one? I suppose a lot of you would say: "I would not have anything to do with cobras! They are poisonous snakes!"

You see, it is the same with us SINNERS. There are people who are very bad sinners, who are criminals of society.

There are also sinners who are not that really bad in the eyes of men. Yes, they get drunk sometimes, but they manage to stay away from those big sins.

And yes, there are sinners who seem very harmless in society. They are sweet, charming, huggable, polite and respectful. They could win The Most Outstanding Cobra, I mean, Sinner Of The Year award.

However, God would not have spiritual cobras in heaven. A black spiritual cobra, a yellow spiritual cobra, and a white spiritual cobra are all one and the same; they are cobras.

"You must be born again" (John 3:7) according to the Lord Jesus Christ. Being born again is becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus.

2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

When you repent and trust in Christ alone and what He did on the cross, you will be a new creation in Him. No longer viewed by God as a spiritual cobra but a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

GOSPEL NUGGET #291

Dining In A Five-Star Restaurant, The Bill, Judgment And Salvation

The judgment of God and the realization of the enormity of sin for many people is often like eating in a restaurant.

We don't see the bill at the beginning. The bill comes at the end. We indulge, we eat whatever we please and act like we don't have to pay for it. Then the end comes and the bill is presented and we gasp:

"What?! Did we really eat that much?!"
"How much was that bottle of wine...and we had FIVE of them?!"
"We had FOUR dishes of caviar?! Really?!
"TEN dishes of lobster frittata!"
"EIGHT dishes of Swallows’ Nest Soup! Good night! "

You may indulge in sin right now with seeming impunity, but realize that the bill will surely come at the end, when it is over and too late to change everything. Then you will realize that sin is not cheap. It is the most expensive thing in the world.

The problem is made worse when you fish for your wallet and realize that you have nothing in you to pay the bill and get out of the mess you made. Nothing at all. Zero.

And that's who and what we are in the eyes of God---a bankrupt sinner indulging in sin in God's world. That's bad news.

But here's the good news. You see that Man on the cross? Yes, that Man with nailed-pierced hands. Your sin costs Him His life. He made a provisional payment at the cross of Calvary for your bill.

Will you accept, by faith in Him and what He did on the cross, the payment He made for you at Calvary?

GOSPEL NUGGET #290

Without throwing yourself in reliance upon the Savior for salvation, you may be polite, amiable, honored, beloved, wealthy, idolized, caressed, flattered, moral, affectionate, benevolent and a faithful churchgoer, but without Christ, you are still a lost soul bound for hell!

All these things could never pay the penalty of your sins. Here on earth, no amount of a virtuous life could cover or amend your crimes. No amount of good life afterwards can save the criminal from his crimes. The penalty must be paid nevertheless.

Could heaven's rule and standard be any different? Could it be any less? Could a just and holy God look away and ignore your sins at the expense of justice? Will Satan have a just grounds for pointing an accusing finger against God that He is unjust for not punishing and judging sin?

My friend, God will never ever save you or forgive you because of your pious life. To do that, He would be unjust.

The penalty must be paid. Justice must be upheld and satisfied. The Accuser's lips must be sealed. And so Christ, who is approved by the Offended One (God), came and died for our sins.

Relying upon Him and what He did on the cross God would "be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26).

GOSPEL NUGGET #289

The reason why I love Christianity is that it is the only "religion" that would accept someone like me. I blew it big time in life. I am such a spiritual loser. 

All other religions require winners in order to make it to glory. Five times a day, you have to do this and that. You have to reach a certain level etc.

In Christianity, God says in His holiness and righteous anger: "Look at you! You are such a spiritual loser!!!"

But then He says in His mercy and grace: "Come on in any way. I will adopt you as my son and will love you like My unique Son, since you trusted in Christ alone for salvation."

GOSPEL NUGGET #288

Jer 23:6 ...THE LORD (referring to the Lord Jesus) OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Picture this in your mind:

In front of us is a huge weighing scale. It is the weighing scale of God. God declares: "I will only accept people who will weigh a perfect 100." 
Righteousness means conformity to a standard. God's standard is a perfect 100. 

So we mounted the scale (you first) and then your heart sank when the scale returned a negative 30! I then followed and ascended the scale. To my dismay, it returned a negative 100! Yours is bad, but mine is worse.

As we were walking outside with our heads down, a Man named Jesus approached us and ask: "What's wrong?" With deep sadness and sorrow in our hearts, we replied: "God only accepts people who have a perfect 100. We cannot meet His standard. We are way down!"

Then He beckoned us to come and follow Him back to the house. He made His way to the weighing scale and stood there. To our awe and amazement, the scaled returned a perfect 100!

Then He turned around and said: "You know, I am your Substitute and Representative. My perfect 100 could be your perfect 100, if you trust and rely on Me."

And so trusting in Him, His perfect 100 became our perfect 100. And then God said: "I accept you because of Christ Jesus' perfect 100."

And we humbly bowed our heads and confessed: "We are nothing but unworthy sinners. We don't have a righteousness of our own that God could accept. Our righteous deeds are filthy rags in His eyes. But we have Christ Jesus OUR righteousness. A righteousness that God will never ever reject."

Are you counting on who you are or are you counting on Christ Jesus for God to accept you? He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father (accepted by God) except through Him.

GOSPEL NUGGET #287

Who's The Savior? You Or Jesus?

So long as you don't humble yourself, to see yourself as a sinner, worthy of God's just judgment, helpless and unable to save yourself, you will never truly see your need of the Savior and appreciate what He did on the cross.

You will always turn inward and find satisfaction in yourself, in your religiosity, in your philanthropy, in your performance etc. Your reliance will always be in these things and not in the Savior and His mighty saving work on the cross.

The language of your heart will always be: "I will be saved and go to heaven because of the kind of person I am and the things that I did and am doing," instead of "I will be with God and enjoy Him forever because of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for me on the cross."

If you can save yourself, then you don't truly need a Savior. But if you can't save yourself at all, not even a slightest bit, then you do need the Savior 100%.

According to the Bible, our condition is the latter and not the former. We are in bad shape, we need the Savior. And so, I urge you to rely on Him and what He did and be saved.

GOSPEL NUGGET #286

A Devastated City And Salvation

You are in a devastated city, a virtual ghost town. Alone, afraid, helpless, weak and needy, you trudge your way wearily through its streets, with a biting hunger in your stomach and a drought inside your mouth.

Each step is a march towards the grave if no help comes. Suddenly, out from a clear blue sky, a chopper appears with a red cross on it. Help has come.

You frantically waved your hands with all the strength that's left in you. The helicopter descended in your direction and you are saved out of a sure death.

This is a picture of salvation. We are in this world, a spiritually devastated place, ravaged by the strong winds of sin and the surges of depravity. Spiritually, we can do nothing to save ourselves. Sure eternal death, separation from God forever, awaits us. Help must come.

But out from heaven, the Son of God came and died on the cross and resurrected, mighty to save anyone who will trust in Him and what He did on the cross.

The Bible says: "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:13

Whoever calls upon the Lord Jesus, trusting in Him alone and what He did on the cross, shall be saved. Will you call on Him?

GOSPEL NUGGET #285

The Coming Worldwide Super Typhoon

Jer 23:19 Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
Ps 55:8 I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.
Ps 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

There is a coming worldwide super typhoon! It is the typhoon of the wrath and judgment of God. It will fall against those who are unrepentant.

Hasten and escape from it! "Flee from the wrath to come!"

Our only hope is the Rock of salvation---the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sinner's only stable rock and salvation and the ever reliable defense against it. Those who trust in Him and what He did on the cross shall never be greatly moved. They will be saved and safe from it.

GOSPEL NUGGET #284

GOSPEL NUGGETS 

Aspects Of Salvation Forgiveness

* Its Basis: The blood of Christ shed on the cross. "…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Heb 9:22 

* Its Reception: It is received by faith, when we put our trust in Christ and what He did on the cross. “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who BELIEVES (trusts) in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43

* Its Extent: It encompasses all sins. "...forgiven us (those who have repented and trusted in Christ) ALL our transgressions..." Colossians 2:13

* Its Manner: It is done graciously and freely as an undeserved favor. “When they were unable to repay, he GRACIOUSLY forgave them both." Luke 7:42

* Its Certainty: How can we be sure that if we put our trust in Christ and what He did on the cross we will be forgiven? It is guaranteed by the surest thing in the world---the very Word of God Himself.

* Its Effects:

a) It produces happiness and joy. Psalm 32 speaks of the blessedness, the happiness and the joy of a man whose sins, transgressions and iniquity are forgiven.
b) It produces love towards God. Luke 7:40-43 illustrates the expected result in the one who has received forgiveness. It produces love towards the one whom we have received forgiveness from.
c) It produces reverence or fear towards God. "But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared." Psalm 130:4

GOSPEL NUGGET # 283

The Human Fly And The Spider's Web (A True Story)

In the 1920's and 30's, there were people who presented themselves as human flies. They were men who actually did incredible stunts. They would climb tall buildings using their bare hands without any tools and implements whatsoever.

One time one of these men performed in front of a large crowd. Breathlessly, people watched him skillfully move up the building. He would go from one ledge to another. He would reach out for something, and then for another, as he gradually pulled himself up one story higher above another.

On a certain window ledge, he stood for a moment, looking for something solid to grab hold of. Then he saw this jutting piece of stone on one part of the building. After examining it, he then leaped forward in order to take hold of it. But to the horror and shock of the crowd, he fell down...down...down to his death.

When the police hurried to his side, they found in his hand a spider's web. What he thought as gray stone was actually a spider's web.

You know, many people today are like that man. When it comes to the salvation of their souls, they are depending on a "spider's web." They believe that their morality, their religiosity and their philanthropy are enough to hold them up and save them.

They are putting their whole trust and confidence in what they do for God to save them, instead of what God has done for them in Christ at Calvary. They do not know that none of these will work. They will be fatally disappointed and suffer an eternal fall.

Salvation is only found in the solid Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. He died for our sins and resurrected, and anyone who leans on Him, trusts in Him for salvation will be saved.

Lean on God's solid Rock and not on your spider's web.  

GOSPEL NUGGET # 282

Earthquakes, False And Genuine Repentance

False Repentance---It is when an earthquake takes place, and for fear of divine judgment (That's all. Nothing more, nothing less and nothing else), you suddenly become religious and do other things to appease God.

When the threat subsides, when the earthquake and the aftershocks pass away, you then gradually revert back to what you were before.

You are only fooling yourself, not God. God knew all along that yours was a false kind of repentance. The reason why you're not dead now is because God gave you another chance to do it again, this time genuinely.

Genuine Repentance---It is when an earthquake takes place, and for fear of divine judgment, you change your attitude towards God, you now take Him seriously, you now hate sin and revere God because God is God.

It matures and develops to a point that even if the threat subsides, even when the earthquake and the aftershocks pass away, even if there is no bliss of heaven or the threat of punishment in hell, you turn away from sin because God is God and He hates sin.

And you turn to Christ and trusts in Him alone and what He did on the cross for salvation.

GOSPEL NUGGET # 281

The Marble Champion And Salvation (A True Story)

There was this ten-year-old kid who was a champion in town when it came to marbles. He won all the games, and his record was impeccable.

One day, as he was playing with the other kids, as usual, he won all their marbles. He was the winner, they were the losers. Then standing in front of them all (they were looking so downcast), he announced: "Let me tell you a story."

Then he told them the story about the Lord Jesus and His free offer of salvation. How He died for sinners like us and how He has made salvation freely available for us all, to be received by faith.

Then he asked: "Do you want your marbles back?" They all nodded enthusiastically. He then gave all of it to them freely, to those who were willing to have it.

It was a "marblelous" illustration of salvation. Here we are, spiritual losers... sinners. Spiritually we have nothing, we are bankrupt. But the Lord Jesus Christ, the great champion came, and through His death and resurrection purchased and "won" salvation for us.

And now He offers it to us all for free. What He won at the cross, He now offers to all.

Are you willing to have God's marvelous salvation? You can have it right now by trusting in the Savior and what He did on the cross alone for salvation.

GOSPEL NUGGET # 280

Ex 17:6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

The people of Israel were craving for water. Their mouths and throats were dry with thirst. There was nothing more precious to them at that time than the sight of water.

"Give us water, that we may drink" (verse 2), they cried.

So Moses with his rod struck the rock and immediately water came out of it, streaming like a river and flowing like a fountain, satisfying the people's thirst.

This is nothing less than a picture of the salvation of the Lord Jesus. Here we are needy sinners in desperate need of salvation. God struck the Lord Jesus on the cross, He poured out all His wrath on Him, when He died for our sins.

As a result, out came from Him, available and free salvation for all. Anyone who has seen and realized their desperate need can come and freely drink, by faith in Him, the refreshing waters of salvation which He freely offers to all.

Come and drink!

GOSPEL NUGGET # 279

Our Own "Pork Barrel Scam"

Ro 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

The pork barrel scam controversy is sizzling hot nowadays in the news. It has become staple news already since it came out many weeks ago. People are talking about it.

Many are angered by it, others are dismayed, some are reeling in shock, while a few could care less. What we need to know, however, is that we are all "scammers." Yes, we all have our own "pork barrel scam."

How many times have we "robbed God", so to speak, of the glory that was due Him?
How many times have we selfishly chosen sin instead of aiming for God's glory in our lives?
How many times, in our lives, have we conspired with self, sin and Satan and "plundered God", so to speak, of the glory that rightfully belonged to Him?

If we are honest with ourselves, many a time, we have chosen to act like pigs or shall I say porks, instead of behaving like humans originally made in the image of God.

My friend, we are all "scammers"; we are all sinners.  We can choose to run away, we can choose to deny it or we can, by God's grace, choose to accept the pardon that God is offering to us right now in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anyone who repents and trusts in what He did on the cross will be pardoned and forgiven. He died for all our "scams."

GOSPEL NUGGET #278

GOSPEL NUGGETS

Romans 11:35: “....WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?”

The answer to the question of course is "No one!" Who in the universe did ever put God under obligation to him? Let's apply this principle to salvation.

Does God save a sinner because he has done something for God that makes God under obligation to save him?

Is there such a sinner that gave so much good works to God that God had to pay him back with salvation? Can man really put God in debt with man as the creditor? Is it really possible that the infinite source and owner of everything can actually become a debtor to anyone?

Tell me what has man given to God that did not originally come from God Himself in the first place? Is it really possible that a depraved sinner can give something to a holy God that a holy God becomes indebted to him?

When you do good works, when you obey God’s commands, when you do His will, when you pray to God, when you worship God, do you really think that you are doing these things for God’s benefit and welfare? Have you not realized that it is instead the other way around?

Deut. 6:24 says: “…the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for OUR GOOD ALWAYS and for our survival, as it is today.”

God does not owe us anything at all. Instead, we owe everything to God, including our very selves. Even our very ability to give comes from Him. This question shuts out all human merit. This verse closes the doors on gaining salvation by good works and law-keeping as many people believe.

All are sinners, and so all must look up to God, expecting to receive from Him, as an act of His mercy and not as a repayment of a debt which God owed to us.

Salvation is not a payment made by God to us. God is no debtor to any sinner or any other spiritual criminal. It is freely given by God to those who trust in the Savior at the expense of what Christ did on the cross when He died for sinners.

GOSPEL NUGGET #277

Objections To The Gospel

#9 "You keep on saying that we are to trust in Christ alone and what He did on the cross for salvation, what's wrong with trusting in both Christ and ourselves and what we could do or trusting in Christ plus someone else for salvation?"

Answer:

Just as "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other" (see Matthew 6:24) so no one can trust in two Saviors equally without trusting one more than the other.

Plus, to trust in two Saviors, when there is only one Savior appointed by God, is giving glory to one whom glory should not be attributed. It is idolatry.

Moreover, trusting in two Saviors, when there is only one Savior appointed by God, is dishonoring and failing to recognize the full glory of the Lord Jesus as Savior.

In order to be saved, God commands all sinners to trust the Savior alone, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not the Savior plus what self is and what self did, not the Savior plus someone else, no He commands "Believe/trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31).

GOSPEL NUGGET # 276

Cornelius: A Truly Pious Man Who Still Needed To Be Saved

In the book of Acts, chapter 10, we can read of a man, Cornelius by name, who towered in piety, and yet, he still was a man who needed to be saved.

He is described as a "devout man", "one who feared God", "who gave alms generously", who "prayed to God always" and one who had even seen "a vision of an angel of God" coming to him.

And yet with all these sterling credentials, he was a man who was not saved. He was instructed by the angel to "Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved" (See Acts 11:13-14)

This means that his piety did not at all save him. His alms-giving, his prayers, his vision of an angel from God could not guarantee him a place in heaven where he could be with God and enjoy Him forever.

He needed to hear words by which he will be saved. When the apostle Peter came, he told him about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior. Where else could anyone find salvation except in the Savior, right? Not in your piety, not in your alms-giving or prayers but in the Savior. Peter then told him a promise from God:

"To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes (or trusts) in Him will receive remission of sins." (Ac 10:43)

And Cornelius believed, trusted, relied, depended in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for salvation. And there, right that very moment, he found forgiveness of sins and salvation.

A man should be devout, he should fear God, he should give alms to the needy and should pray to God always and a vision of an angel is fine and good, but his salvation does not find its foundation on these things.

He can only find salvation in trusting in the Savior and what He did on the cross for salvation. Trust in Him now!

GOSPEL NUGGET # 275

Are You Too Good For Jesus?

For whom did the Lord Jesus Christ come to die and save?


* 1Ti 1:15 ...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...
* Lu 5:32 "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
* Ro 3:10 ..."There is none righteous, no, not one;"
* Ro 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
* Lu 19:10 "...the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
* Ro 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly...

The Lord Jesus came to save sinners. He came for unrighteousness people and not for righteous people since there are none righteous in God's sight. All have sinned. All are spiritually lost. It is the "ungodly" whom God justifies and saves.

If you want to be saved and want to be with God and enjoy Him forever, then you must take the lowly place and admit and realize who and what you really are in God's sight---a sinner in need of the Savior.

If not, if you take the proud place of self-righteousness in believing that you are good enough in yourself for God to save you, then I am just so sorry for you. You are too good for Jesus. He saves sinners only.

GOSPEL NUGGET # 274

The Shame Of The Pork Barrel Scam And Judgment Day

What has happened is a preview and a foretaste of what will take place in the Judgment Day. God will bring to light the hidden works of darkness of all unrepentant people for all to see. 

Can you imagine, all the things that you would rather keep to yourself, being exposed for all to see? Things that you would not even tell your husband or wife or a best friend. Things that would make you squirm upon remembrance.

It will surely be a day of shame. A day when you are completely and totally naked in all aspects of your life. Yes, every nook and cranny of it! And forever, your name will be etched in hell's Hall of Shame.

This need not be the case for you. For Someone already took all your shame. He was put to shame for you.

Isa 50:6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

If you only trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He went through for you, God's promise is that you will never be put to shame.

Ro 10:11 "Whoever believes/trusts on Him will not be put to shame." (NKJV)

Are you willing right now to let Him carry all your shame? Are you willing to trust in Him alone and what He did on the cross for your salvation?

GOSPEL NUGGET #273

Ec 3:15 ....God requires an account of what is past.

Let's apply the principle to salvation. There are many people today who are banking on their reformed life for God to accept them.

They believe that turning over a new leaf or turning a new chapter in one's life is the way to salvation. That God can just let the past slide and close His eyes on the sinful things they have done.

What do you think would happen if all those who loaned money from a bank would go by this principle? Let's say you loaned millions of dollars from a bank. Foolishly, instead of spending it wisely, you wasted it away by a corrupt and debauched lifestyle.

Then after living wildly, you go to the bank and say to the manager: "I know that I have been living like an animal the past few months. I spent all the money like there is no tomorrow. But you know what? I decided to turn a new chapter in my life. I decided to forget the past and now I am living a reformed life. Can we forget the past? Can we forget about the money I owe you?"

Reformation has only to do with bettering the present and the future. It can never alter what we did in the past. And God requires an account of what is past. The sins we did in the past must be paid.

My friend, don't put your trust or hope in your reformed life for salvation. Besides, our reformed life is never perfect. It is blotched with inconsistencies. Repent, yes, but realize that your only hope of salvation is in the Savior and what He did on the cross. The payment He provided on the cross reached the past.

Trust in Him and what He did, not in your reformed life.

GOSPEL NUGGET # 272

The Truck Hit Jesus 2000 Years Ago (A True Story)

A little girl was frightened by the shadow of a truck. The sun was low so that the shadow appeared so much bigger than the truck. She called out to her dad in fear.

Her dad came along side her and asked: "Darling would you rather be hit by the shadow of the truck or the truck itself?"

The young girl answered: "I would rather be hit by the shadow."

And daddy took opportunity to teach her about her mother's death, a woman who trusted in Christ alone for salvation: "You know darling, when your mama died, it was only the shadow of the truck that hit her. The truck hit Jesus 2000 years ago."

To a sinner who has taken refuge by repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross, death is no longer a penalty, rather it has now become an entrance into the very presence of the Lord who died for him.

It is only the shadow of the truck but not the truck itself. The truck of God's wrath went straight into the Savior, leaving the trusting sinner safe and secure.

You don't have to be hit by the truck, you can hide behind the Lord Jesus and what He did on the cross for your sins.

GOSPEL NUGGET #271

The Disabled Man, The Elevator And Salvation

A disabled man on a wheelchair found himself staring at a 15-story building complex. He was going to meet somebody on the eleventh floor.

How is he going to possibly do that? The strength in his legs was taken away by a car accident years ago. Undaunted, he confidently rolled his way into the entrance as if he has been doing this for years.

He then proceeded straight into the elevator section and casually greeted the operator as he rode in: "Mornin' Mike. As usual." The elevator closed and then off he went to where he was going.

This is a picture of salvation! We are sinners, unable to save ourselves, helpless and hopeless in bringing ourselves up to heaven. But God provided us with the "Elevator", who alone can save us and bring us to heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The only thing we are to do is to entrust ourselves to Him, relying and depending on what He did on the cross of Calvary for our salvation.

Come on in!

GOSPEL NUGGET # 270

Imagine a man fighting for his life in a deep and angry ocean. Furious, the ocean just won't let him go. It wrestles him mad. Its waves batter him to no end. One moment, he is down, another moment, he's on the surface.

To and fro, he is slapped and thrown from one place to another and thrashed about here and there. On and on it went, until he could feel his strength ebbing away. He could not take it anymore.

What or who can save him?

* How about we call for a priest there and have him baptized, adding more water to the water? Will it save him?
* How about we give him a cellphone so that he can call someone and donate his riches to the poor? Will it deliver him?
* How about some pep talk "C'mon, you can do it! Just believe in yourself! Never give up! We are our own saviors." Will it work?

None of these things will do. The man is completely helpless. What he needs is a deliverer who will come and save him.

Applying this to spiritual salvation, it is not baptism, or good works or self-effort that can save us. We need a Savior.

Here we are sinners under the wrath of God, helpless and hopeless in ourselves to save ourselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ came and died for our sins and rose again. And He comes to us extending His saving arms saying: "Will you trust Me and what I did on the cross for you? Will you take hold of Me by faith?"

GOSPEL NUGGET #269

GOSPEL NUGGETS

Isa 55:1 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.

If you are thirsty for the waters of salvation, the joy that comes with it ("wine") and its spiritual nourishment ("milk"), you can buy all of it without money and without price.

True Story

One time a Sunday School teacher could not understand what the verse is saying. He thought to himself: "How is it possible to buy without money?"

A little six-year old girl answered it for him. "You can buy without money by charging it to someone else."

And that is exactly the nature of salvation. You want salvation? It is very costly! None of us can afford it. You can't have it in exchange of your good works, morality and religious activities.

But you can have it by charging it to the Lord Jesus Christ who provided the payment of salvation when He died on the cross for you. God, as it were, is offering all of us a credit card with the name "Jesus" on it.

And so even though you have nothing in you to have God's salvation. You can come and "buy" salvation by charging it to the Savior! Swipe it on Him!

Repent and trust in Him and the payment He made on the cross for the sinner's salvation!!

GOSPEL NUGGET # 268

What If God Decided To Give Salvation To You As A Free Gift? (True Story)

A man was reading the Bible when another man approached him and asked: "Are you saved?"

The man replied: "I could never be good enough to be saved."

The other man asked: "What if God would give salvation to you as a free gift, would you receive it?"

"I don't know what kind of a fool you would think I am if I would not take a gift like that!" the man answered.

The other man directed him to open his Bible to John 10:28 which read: "...I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish..."

Then he also turned his attention to another passage, Romans 6:23 which read: "...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Realizing for the first time in his life that salvation is a free gift from God, right there and then, he received God's salvation by faith in Christ. Like this man, many do not realize that salvation is a free gift from God.

Are you one of them?

GOSPEL NUGGET #267

Birthdays And Salvation

Twenty-three years ago, on the fourteenth of July, a bouncing chubby and tubby baby girl was born. Carmelle came out of her mother's womb crying as if she knew that it was a fallen world.

Tired, weary and exhausted, her mother looked at her with affectionate eyes. After much painful and grueling labor, finally the life in her womb has now seen the light of day.

It was all worth it---the physical agony, the excruciating pain, the effort that took much from her and all the thousand other things besides that came with her baby's birth. The baby had nothing to do with her own birth. She was the product of her labor.

In the same way, being born again or being saved is not the result of our own efforts. A sinner is born again and saved because of Another's effort, agony and labor, when He bore our sins on the cross.

Isa 53:11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied....For He shall bear their iniquities.

Come to the Savior and be born again!

GOSPEL NUGGET # 266

Dengue And Salvation

Rashelle went down one day with a fever, severe headache and body pains. After a few days the fever tapered off completely. But she was not feeling any better. Feeling weak and debilitated, she was languishing in bed.

Her mother did not take any chances, and so off to the hospital they went.
At the hospital, the doctor revealed that her platelet count was low---she had dengue!

Without delay, she was admitted to the hospital and was put on IV, with round the clock monitoring. Result after result, the counts were getting worse. Their hearts sank when the count reached to a precarious level.

At level 10, her life was hanging in the balance. She vomited sticky blood the size of an egg. Her mother prepared herself for the worst but was hoping for the best.

However, in the nick of time, someone donated blood to her and was saved.

What could this be but a picture of salvation! Here we are stricken with a deadly disease called sin. Weak and enervated, we could not do anything about it.

But Someone came "in due time" and shed His blood for us. "...when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

My friend, are you willing to trust in the blood He has shed for you? Are you willing to receive by faith His sacrifice for you? Trust in what He did on the cross and be saved!

GOSPEL NUGGET # 265

"...be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20

The wonder of God's condescension! Of all things, it is the King Himself, through His messengers, who is pleading with rebels to lay down their arms and be reconciled to Him.

We shut the door on Him and sealed it with our sin, but He opened it for us, came out and with outstretched arms and with affectionate and longing eyes says: "You are very much welcome. So come!"

You know, it would be well for you to come.

God's grace has spread the red carpet for you, stained with the precious blood of the Savior when He died on the cross. God's messengers are on the sidelines pleading: "Come! Come! Come!"

Will you come and be reconciled to God in repentance and faith, trusting in the Savior alone and what He did on the cross?

GOSPEL NUGGET #264

JER 2:22 “Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.

The guilt of our sin is humanly impossible to blot out. It is indelible. It can stick to you permanently, forever. Adopt all means within your power, and still, your guilt and your sin will remain.

Many have attempted to wash themselves clean with the lye of religious deeds and may have duped themselves into thinking that they are now clean. But to God, they are as filthy and defiled as ever.

Some have tried to wash themselves clean with the soap of reformation, philanthropy, good works etc., and have deceived themselves into thinking that they are now fine and okay with God, when the reality is that, still, in God's eyes, their guilt and their sin remain.

Nothing will do except the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, shed on Calvary's cross.

1 Jo 1:7 ...the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

The moment we entrust ourselves to Him for cleansing, relying and depending on Him alone and what He did on the cross, is the very moment that our guilt, our sin and our stains are washed away.

GOSPEL NUGGET #263

The Patient, The Doctor And Salvation

Marielle went home from school with a dull pain near her navel. Gradually the pain became sharp and moved to her lower right abdomen. She lost her appetite and felt sick all afternoon. She struggled with the feeling of wanting to throw up.

Her mother immediately rushed her to the hospital and found out that it was appendicitis and that an emergency operation must be done right away. She hesitated and wanted to take a pill instead.

But the doctor told her that no pill would do. Her only option is an operation. What could she do? She felt helpless. She could not do anything about her condition.

She had to submit herself to the doctor. She laid down and the doctor put her to sleep and did the emergency procedure that saved her life without any help from her whatsoever.

Her life was not saved by submitting herself to the doctor and then helping the doctor with the operation. No, she only submitted herself to him and laid there and had the doctor do his thing.

It is the same way with salvation. We are spiritually sick, we have a terminal disease and we can't do anything about it. If we are willing to admit it, we have no other option but the divine physician Himself---the Savior.

The only thing He asks from us is that we submit ourselves to Him in faith. He can do it ("Operation Salvation") by Himself without our help.

GOSPEL NUGGET #262

Gravity, Airplanes And Salvation 

We are all under gravity. Everything we do and everything in us is affected by gravity. Jump so high in order to go to heaven, you cannot. It is impossible. Gravity pulls you down. 

You can't pull yourself by your own bootstraps. You need something that can overcome the law of gravity...like an airplane for example. You just simply step into the plane and let it do all the work. 

And Lo and Behold! The law of gravity is overpowered and you are flying across the face of the sky, sitting pretty, free as a bird! 

It’s the same way with salvation. We are all under sin. Everything we do and everything in us is affected by sin. You want to go to heaven to be with God forever and enjoy Him, you cannot. It is impossible. Sin pulls you down. 

You can't pull yourself by your own resources. You need Someone who can overcome sin and get rid of it---the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. You just simply trust your soul's salvation to Him and let Him do all the mighty work, a work of salvation which He already finished, when He died on the cross.

And Lo and Behold! Sin is overcome and rendered powerless. And when the time comes, at the Rapture, you will be caught up to Him in the skies to be with Him forever, looking glorious and forever free at last!

GOSPEL NUGGET #261

The Old Game Of Hide And Seek 

You know the game. Although there are a lot of variations of it in the world, let me tell you the way we played it: 

One player buries his face in his hands on a certain spot and then the others would scamper and look for a place to hide. After he finished counting to "a million," he would then come out of his spot and start looking for them. 

The first player to be caught in his sight becomes the "It," he becomes the next seeker and predator. Only the person who is able to make contact and take refuge on the agreed and approved spot will be "saved."

Many people today are playing hide and seek with God. They know that they are guilty and so they run away from God's judgment, hiding and taking refuge in just about anybody and anything they could think of that could save them. 

Many take refuge and hide themselves under the pile of their good works. Others take refuge and hide themselves behind an image of a saint. Some take refuge and cover themselves with religion. 

Sadly, none of these will do. The only hiding place from God's wrath and judgment is God Himself in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. "You (God) are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble..." (Psalm 32:7). 

There is only one divinely approved spot in the world where one could hide and take refuge from God's judgment---it is Calvary where the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins. The sinner who takes refuge in Calvary by faith is saved and delivered.

Ac 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Come and take refuge in the Savior and what He did on the cross!

GOSPEL NUGGET #260

Which Among The Many Is The True Denomination? 

A man in a dream found himself at the gates of hell. He knocked and inquired as to who were inside:

* "Are there Baptists in here?" he asked. "Yes" was the answer.
* "Are there any from the Born Again group?" he asked again. "Yes, we have some of them here." came the answer. 
* "What about Methodists?" Again, the answer was "Yes."
* "How about Roman Catholics?" he curiously asked. "Yes, we have them too," was the reply. 

As he continued asking, he realized that there are people in hell coming from all denominations. He walked away perturbed, puzzled and perplexed. When he found himself in heaven, he asked the angel standing at the gate:

"When I went to hell, I discovered that there are people there coming from all denominations. I am in distress because I belong to one of them. Which then, among the many, is the true denomination in order for one to go to heaven?"

The angel replied: "You are greatly mistaken! Going to heaven and being with God and enjoying Him forever is not a matter of which denomination you belong to. It is what you do with His Son whom He sent as the Savior of sinners. Have you trusted in Him or not? That's the issue. That's the question."

Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

GOSPEL NUGGET #259

NBA Championship 

NBA basketball has reached fever pitch these days now that the NBA Finals is on. The first team to win four games merits the trophy. 

The Larry O'Brien NBA championship trophy is only awarded to the team that deserves it. Only the hungrier, more talented team that works hard for it will earn the prestigious and coveted NBA title. 

Many people think that obtaining salvation from God is like winning an NBA title. They think that a sinner must work hard for it. That he must earn it in order to get it.

But thank God, He does not give salvation and eternal life this way. If God decided to grant eternal life as an award, none of us can bag it. God demands a perfect field goal percentage in order for one to get it.

In His mercy and grace, He decided to give salvation not as a trophy to be won but as a gift to be received freely: "...the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23.

GOSPEL NUGGET#258

Salvation Principles Taken From Events In Life

Clair scanned the small secluded bathroom he was accidentally confined in. The door just refuses to open.

His hands were clammy and a trickle of cold sweat can be seen on his forehead. His heart raced and skipped a beat. The walls around him seemed to close in on him as he struggled to catch his breath. 

Trapped, alone, isolated and helpless he frantically called out for help but no one could hear his cries as it was drowned by the deafening noise outside. A band was playing, filling the place with war music. 

His efforts to extricate himself were to no avail. He could not do anything at all. The situation was beyond him. Forever went by and then help finally came. But one by one, they proved to be no match to the situation. They were all not equal to it. He was still tightly shut in and jammed as he was. 

Deliverance only came when a carpenter was called in who skillfully undid the door knob. 

What we have here is nothing less than a picture of salvation. Man as a sinner is jammed and shut in by sin. He could never free himself from the penalty, power and presence of sin. He is totally helpless.

Man-made helps like religion, morality and other self-help schemes could never pull him out. Deliverance could only come from the Carpenter from Nazareth, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He alone who can undo sin and who can successfully pull you out from the spiritual rot and detention you are in.