GOSPEL NUGGET #353

Napolist And The Book Of Life

It is every politician's nightmare. It is a dreadful thing to have one's name listed in the Horror Roll of the infamous lady. Public scorn, condemnation, shame and hatred would be their lot. They can kiss their political careers and ambitions good bye.

No one wants to be in the list. They would move heaven and hell to sanitize their names from it. They would cross the seven seas for it, if that is what it takes to not have their names included.

It is entirely different with the Book of Life. It is a list where you want your name to be in. It is the list of the blessed as opposed to the Napolist (a list of the blasted).

Re 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Is your name in the Book of Life? Have you received eternal life by trusting in the Savior and what He did on the cross? If yes, then you can be sure that your name is in it.

GOSPEL NUGGET #352

Mass Murderer Elliot Rodger

A 22-year old young man named Elliot Rodger stabbed and opened fire on people inside his school campus, injuring many, while sending at least six people to eternity on the spot.

The day before he went berserk and snapped, he did a video of himself expressing his rage and utter disappointment he felt about his life. His primary complaint was that he still remained a virgin even at age 22. He wanted to have the attention of young women in his school but they just would not give it to him.

He envied good-looking young men and women in his school because of the kind of sex they are having, while he remains to be alone in life. In his video, he specifically said that he would target beautiful women and good-looking men in his hellish rage.

He repeatedly put the emphasis on his not being able to have sex with women. His life, and apparently, the life of others, depended upon it. His rhetoric was all centered on self.

Elliot Rodger was both judged and a judgment by God.

He was judged. Rejecting God, he fell into the control of his sinful desires. It became the be all and the end all of his life. It took him to the deep abyss of depravity that eventually led to his demise.

He was a judgment. God will judge fornicators. God allowed Mr. Rodger to go on his deadly downward spiral so as to judge the young men and women who engaged in fornication, rampant in their school.

Rejecting God's salvation in Christ is fatal. It leaves the door wide open for the monster inside of us to come out, putting self and others in danger. Don't put off coming to Christ, God, in judgment, might leave you to your depraved self.

GOSPEL NUGGET #351

Hell Is An Unnecessary Tragedy

God does not want anybody in hell. Hell was not originally intended for us. The Lord Jesus once said: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Mt. 25:41

Hell is God reluctantly saying: "Your will be done." He always does so with a grieving heart.

Eze 33:11 "'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'

He flung the door, as it were, very wide open for us. He woos us to him. He enables us to step in. The tragedy is that we refuse. We reject His gracious offer. We decline His salvation by our unrepentance and unbelief.

We choose hell for ourselves. God does not want us to be there. He is not "willing that any should perish." (2 Peter 3:9) But we choose to be there. Hell is such an unnecessary tragedy.

Will you be there unnecessarily? Why die when you could live? Why suffer when you could be in bliss? Why remain guilty when you could be forgiven and justified? Why be in hell when you could be in heaven with God?

Come to the Savior, trusting in Him and what He did on the cross alone for salvation.

GOSPEL NUGGET #350

The Danger Of Spiritual Complacency

Pr 6:9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep-
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Though Solomon, the man behind these words, was addressing a lazy person here, these verses can be applied to spiritual salvation.

Endless suffering awaits those who have refused to be awakened to God's repeated calls to come to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus for salvation.

Many are not alarmed at their condition. Sleeping while the house is devoured by the flames, so to speak, they can afford to live at ease, be indifferent and be complacent with the sinner that they are in God's sight, seeing no need to come urgently to the Savior.

Somebody said: “A little more sleep, a little more slumber and thou shalt wake in hell to sleep no more forever!”

And so, awake to your critical spiritual condition before God. Rise and run to the Savior, trusting in Him and what He did on the cross alone for salvation.

GOSPEL NUGGET #349

Operation Naburos Island 

It is a virgin island off Misamis Occidental, verdant with lush greeneries. Shaped like a pregnant woman lying on her back, the local folks came to call it Naburos Island or Pregnant Island.

After trekking a few rough Misamis Occidental miles, our vehicle had to stop. Standing over a humble wharf, there loomed before me Naburos Island. Excitement and apprehension were horsing around inside my heart.

Excited at the prospect of being in a virgin island for the first time, I was also apprehensive because of the intimidating sea that we had to cross over. Julius Caesar once said: "I came. I saw. I conquered." Hey, not me! I came. I saw, but I cowered a little bit inside. I prayed. My swimming abilities left me years ago, when I contracted an ailment.

The only means to convey us to the island was through a small pump boat. I had to entrust myself to it. It proved itself reliable when it docked us safely to the island.

That gave me a wonderful illustration of salvation. If the island represents God in heaven, then the boat represents the Lord Jesus Christ. We sinners are powerless in ourselves to save ourselves. We can never bring ourselves to God.

We need the Savior. He died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Now, any sinner who entrusts himself to the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross will be saved and will be brought safely to God.

GOSPEL NUGGET #347

Lu 19:10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."

A man stepped deep into a cave carrying a torchlight in his hand. His curiosity made him wind his way hundreds of meters into the heart of the hollow of the earth.

The cave was not only a maze, a confusing and a complex network of interconnected paths and passages, it was also as dark as a black night. It was so dark that opening one's eyes made no difference from that of closing one's eyes. There was a total absence of light. Everyone is blind if not for the light that they would carry.

Horror and fear gripped his soul when his light suddenly flickered out. Alone, desperate, and lost, he sat down helplessly pondering about his plight.

Look at him. Consider his condition. That's how we are in the eyes of God spiritually speaking. We are lost and we could never bring ourselves out into the light.

We need Someone who will come to us to be our Light and become our Way to God. That Someone is the Lord Jesus Christ. We are helplessly lost in the cave of sin, destined to die alone in spiritual darkness.

And the Lord Jesus, through this message, comes to you, as it were, in your lost condition and offers His hand and says: "Trust Me. I came to seek and save the lost. I died for your sins and rose again. Rely on Me and I will save you out of this to God."

Will you take His hand? Will you trust in Him and what He did on the cross alone for salvation?

GOSPEL NUGGET #346

He Took All The Difficult So That You Can Have All The Easy

After explaining the way of salvation that it is by grace through faith in Christ and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9), a lot of people find it surprisingly simple.

They would say: "Why, that's too simple. I thought it should be complicated! It's too easy. It can't be the way of salvation!"

In reply, I would point them to the cross and explain to them: "It is simple like that because Somebody died to make it simple for us. It was the Lord Jesus who died for our sins. It should have been us there, but He took all the difficult so that we can have all the easy."

My friend, it's now easy and simple for you because it was difficult and hard for Him. He took all the difficult so that you can have all the easy.

He swallowed all the bitter so that you can have all the sweet. He took all the rough so that you can have all the smooth. He took all the low so that you can have all the high. He took all the storm so that you can have all the calm. He took all the pain so that you can have all the gain.

Will you now receive freely the salvation that He alone worked so hard for you? Will you put your trust in Him and what He did on the cross for your salvation?

GOSPEL NUGGET #345

"The Glory of God is man fully alive." --- Irenaeus

Man was created in God's image. And therefore for man to be fully displaying God is to glorify God. And he can only fully display and reflect God if he is fully alive spiritually.

A clear mirror perfectly reflects the person looking at the mirror. And all his glory is displayed fully therein. We are all cracked and shattered mirrors. We can only reflect a bad and shameful image. We can only be intact to fully display God in Christ. 

We are spiritually dead because of sin, but we can be "fully alive" if we come to Christ, trusting in Him and what He did on the cross for salvation. 

GOSPEL NUGGET #344

The World's Most Successful Lawyer

Sir Lionel Luckhoo is considered as one of the greatest lawyers in the history of Britain. With a string of 245 consecutive successful cases, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II twice, it is enough for the the Guinness Book of World Records to dub him as the "World's Most Successful Advocate."

Mr. Luckhoo was a skpetic to the claims of Christ at the beginning. Somebody challenged him to bring to bear his abilities, his legal genius, on the claims of Christ as recorded in the Gospel records of the New Testament.

Accepting the challenge, he sat down and began the work of examining the Gospel records. At the end, he came out a believer in Christ, a sinner who pinned his soul's salvation to Christ and what He did on the cross. The force of the evidence was too compelling. He had to say:

"I say unequivocally the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt."

My friend, have you read the "affidavits" of the eyewitnesses of Jesus' resurrection? Have you read and studied the Gospel records for yourself? Have you taken the time to do so?

I have. I was once a skeptic too. But the evidence was too rock-solid. I had to place my trust for my soul's salvation in the Man who rose from the dead.

GOSPEL NUGGET #343

Mother's Day

God's saving grace is much like the love and compassion and care of a mother. We did not set out to labor and work to earn our own mother's love in the womb. It was already there first. The child did not do anything to deserve this. It is not earned, it is freely and lovingly offered and given.

How many mothers die a little inside each time their sons and daughters disobey, mistreat and even talk back to them. We made her look fat, caused her so much discomfort that she had to vomit often, kicked at her, cause her so much agony and pain when we came out. And yet, she still steadfastly opened her tired and weary arms to us at birth. Many a mother's love is an undeserved favor.

This is a wonderful illustration of God's saving grace. You don't have to earn God's salvation. You are not called to work hard for it. It is simply offered and given freely as an undeserved favor.

Sadly, just as there are many sons and daughters who spurn their mother's love and care, so there are many in the world who reject God's offer of salvation through faith in Christ.

This Mother's Day, will you accept and receive God's salvation as a free gift just as, I think, you freely received your own mother's love? Will you trust in Christ and what He did on the cross for salvation?

GOSPEL NUGGET #342

Confucius, Buddha, Mohammad And Christ 

A man once dreamed of having fallen into a deep pit and was down there helpless, in despair and was knocked unconscious. 

* Confucius came and offered him an advice: "If you get out of trouble, be sure never to get in again. Learn from your mistakes." 

* Buddha came and said: "I will help you if you can climb high enough to a state of Nirvana."

* Mohammad came and asked: "Have you been good? Did you do all those things I prescribed? The five spiritual exercises I told you to do?"

* Christ came and saw his helpless condition, He slipped himself down to him, revived him and offered His strong hand and said: " I placed my life on the line for you. Look at the scars on my hands just to get to you. Come and Trust me. I can get you out of this." The man took His hand and was pulled out saved.

A sinner is helpless and hopeless in himself to save himself. He is not saved by philosophy, self-effort and good works. What he needs is a strong and capable Savior who can deliver him out from the pit of sin's condemnation, control and company.

GOSPEL NUGGET #341

The ScapeGoat 

Le  16:10 "But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

Le 16:21 "Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning alltheir sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness...

The escape goat here is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did with our sins. It is symbolic portrayal of Him as man's Sin-Bearer. There have been many ways by which people have been dealing with their sins.

* They deny it: "That was no sin. I am fine with God."
* They defend it: "I did what I did because I had no choice!"
* They decorate it: "Yes, that was a sin but I covered it with my good works ever since."
* They distort it: "It was simply an excusable mistake, an error or lapse of judgment."
* They deflect it: "The devil made me do it."

They never realize the option of deporting it! Don't deny it. Don't defend it. Don't decorate it. Don't distort it. Don't deflect it. DEPORT IT! That is, admit it and have it transported and transferred...to an Escape Goat. And this is exactly what God already did.

Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.

About two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus bore our sins and died for it. Will you take this option? Will you trust in the Sin-Bearer for your salvation?