GOSPEL LIGHT #755

Starved To Death In The Middle Of A Banquet 

In a grand hall, a man sat amidst a gathering at an extravagant feast, with an endless table overflowing with food in every direction. The air was filled with enticing aromas, revealing a banquet prepared with lavish care—everything offered freely and without limit. Yet, what a fool! He died of starvation!

Of course, this is just a made up story to highlight the tragedy of neglecting what is abundantly and freely offered. However, the following is not a made-up story; this is a true account:

Here’s a man who repeatedly heard the gospel of eternal life and free salvation preached every Sunday, yet he never acted on it. Despite the abundance of salvation truths that surrounded him, he did not appropriate what Christ had provided for him. Ultimately, he died unsaved. 

What a fool to die of drowning when the lifebuoy was just there the whole time, almost reaching out for him, tapping him every now and then to get his attention!

What a fool to succumb to a disease while the medicine sat just within reach, clearly labeled and readily available, as though it were begging to be used!

My friend, are you someone who has heard the abundant offers of the gospel many, many times already? Don't delay any longer. Every passing moment is another step closer to eternity, and the gospel—God’s free gift of salvation—is laid before you, not just once, but time and time again. 

The Lord Jesus Christ has already accomplished the all-sufficient and all-efficacious work on the cross. He offers you the bread of life and the water of life freely, without price, but you must take it. To reject or ignore this invitation is not just a mistake—it is eternal folly. You have been called to the banquet of grace, don’t starve to death in the middle of a banquet!

GOSPEL LIGHT #754

Soar Like Zoar - Little City, Great Escape 

GE 19:21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 

GE 19:22 “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed but Zoar was spared. Why? Because of the righteousness of one man - Lot. Lot came into the lives of the people of Zoar and so they were spared from destruction. Lot was their righteousness so to speak. 

This illustrates the value of Christ for a sinner. Just as Zoar was spared from destruction because of the righteousness of one man—Lot—so too those who have Christ as their righteousness are spared from God's judgment.

Each of us is like Zoar, which means small and insignificant, confronted with impending judgment. But the moment the Lord Jesus Christ arrives in our lives, just as Lot arrived in Zoar, He becomes our righteousness, and His righteousness is a powerful request to God not to overthrow us, small and insignificant sinners as we are. 

You can make Christ as your righteousness right this moment if you trust in Him and what He did on the cross for your salvation. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #753

The Gospel According To The Silkworm 

It's from a silkworm that we get silk. Silk is a luxurious, natural fiber known for its smooth texture, tensile strength and shimmering, light-reflecting appearance. 

Silkworms would spin a cocoon of silk around themselves. To extract the silk fibers, the cocoons are boiled. The boiling process separates the silkworm from the silk fibers. However, in the process, the silkworm is killed. The silkworm must be sacrificed in order for us to have silk.

The Bible says that man's righteous deeds are like filthy rags. In Isaiah 61 verse 10, we read of "the garments of salvation" and "the robe of righteousness" that God provides to cover a sinner. 

In order for this to be possible, the Lord Jesus had to come and suffer on the cross. In Psalm 22 verse 6, we read the pre-incarnate Christ describing Himself like this: "...I am a worm, and no man..." Worms are creatures which men trample down. Psalm 22 is a Messianic psalm that depicts the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as the silkworm gives its life, the Lord Jesus gave His life so that we might be clothed in righteousness and glory.

The garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness are ready for you to wear. Will you put them on by faith in Christ? 
 

GOSPEL LIGHT #752

The "Try Christ" Delusion 

There are people who egg others to "Try Christ." One time I personally heard an evangelist encouraged others to "Try Christ" for their salvation. I wanted to shout "No! That's wrong!"

The Bible nowhere enjoins us to "try Christ" like no one, in his right mind, would tell us to try a parachute. A wag once said: "If at first you don't succeed then skydiving is definitely is not for you."

Our eternal destiny is an infinitely higher jump than any skydiving there is, with eternal consequences. You can't come back to earth, live again, and make another jump into eternity trying another option until you find what works.

When God saves a sinner, He convicts him of his sin; He would make him realize that he is helpless and powerless to save himself. Then He would illumine him about the sufficiency of what Christ did on the cross for his salvation. He has to convince us first about our helplessness and Christ's adequacy.  

A man jumps out of a plane not to "try" his parachute, but because he is certain of two things:

First, he knows he cannot fly or levitate on his own.
Second, he is convinced that his parachute will support him and land him safely.

He is not trying his parachute. No, he is trusting in it. We don't try Christ. We don't experiment with Him. No, we trust Him. 

P.S. "Trying Christ" is the language of those who have not realized their own helplessness in saving themselves and a lack of understanding of the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross.

GOSPEL LIGHT #751

 

The Forbidden Tree Vs The Foreordained Tree 

Just as the fall came by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree so salvation comes by eating the fruit of the foreordained tree.

The Lord Jesus was foreordained by God to die on the cross of Calvary for our sins. He Himself prepared and accomplished 100% salvation for us all. Salvation is simply the fruit of what He did on the cross. Now, our part is to simply receive and enjoy its blessings by faith in what He did.

God's curse on those who ate of the forbidden tree was this "...in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." God’s blessing with regard to the foreordained tree is this “in the day that you eat from it you will surely live and be saved.”

GOSPEL LIGHT #750

From Divine Hypermnesia To Divine Amnesia

Ho 7:2 They do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness; Now their own deeds have surrounded them; They are before My face.

Heb 10:17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."


From "I remember" to "I will remember no more." From divine hypermnesia to divine amnesia. We don't want the first; we want the second. The first is hell; the second is heaven. The first is condemnation; the second is salvation.

What brought about the change? John 1:29, it says here: "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

It was the cross of Calvary that caused all the "amnesia." Of course, God does not actually suffer from memory loss. He is ever the all-knowing One. However, when He takes away the sins of a sinner who trusts in what the Lord Jesus did on the cross, God no longer holds those sins against them --- so much so that it would seem as if He has completely forgotten about them. He treats them as if the sins never existed. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #749

A Physical Demonstration Of Repentance 

Lu 19:6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

As the Lord Jesus was passing through Jericho, a large crowd surrounded Him. Zacchaeus, a tax collector who was short in stature, wanted to see Jesus but couldn’t see over the crowd. So, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view. When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up, saw Zacchaeus in the tree, and called him by name, telling him to hurry and come down because He needed to stay at his house that day.

Zacchaeus was a repentant man at this point, and this verse right here might be used as a physical demonstration of it. Repentance is the attitude of coming down and receiving the Lord joyfully. 

We step down from our imagined high moral ground, acknowledging ourselves as sinners in need of salvation. Then, with humility, we receive Jesus gladly through faith in Him.

GOSPEL LIGHT #748

Christ Sacrifice On The Cross Sufficient For All Time

HEB 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time... 

Christ died for sins - past, present and future. How many of your sins were future when Christ died on the cross 2000 years ago? All of them were future right? 

This was the realization that changed my life. I was painfully aware of my sinnerhood. I knew that I was helpless and hopeless to save myself. Then this good news of a message reached me --- Christ's death on the cross was sufficient for all time. I said: "That's enough! That will do! I can rest on that truth. In the eyes of God, all my sins are already effectively dealt with."

My friend, I invite you to cease striving to save yourself. Instead, rely on the all-sufficient and all-efficacious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross.
 



 

GOSPEL LIGHT # 747

A King’s Determination: The Den and the Cross

Da 6:14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

King Darius was distressed when he learned that Daniel was thrown into the lion's den because he had been tricked by his advisors into signing a decree that led to Daniel's punishment. The king was determined to save Daniel and worked tirelessly until sunset. 

Zero in on the expression here the king "set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him."

There was another King who set His heart to deliver sinners under condemnation --- the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ worked tirelessly to save sinners. He labored on the cross until the sun supernaturally "went down on Him" on the cross as it were. The noontime became a black and dark midnight. 

It is His sacrifice on the cross that shuts the mouths of condemnation and judgment that are roaring loud against us. Make good use of it by trusting in it now in your heart. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #746

Understanding Divine Acceptance Through the Prodigal Son

I am assuming that you know the story of the Prodigal Son. Let's apply the story to a sinner's acceptance and salvation. After all, the Lord Jesus told this story when the Pharisees and the scribes complained "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."

Now, this son asked his father for his share of the inheritance and then set off for a distant country. In the far country, he squandered all his wealth on reckless living and ended up in poverty and hardship. At this point, he came to his senses, and decided to return home, hoping his father would accept him as a hired servant.

He practiced his speech saying: "'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'

This is how we usually think of the situation. We think that we must put up a good performance first, we must be a servant first, before God would accept us.

And so, the story goes that he got up and headed back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him, was filled with compassion, ran to him, hugged him tightly, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

At this point, the son began his speech, saying "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son." But he could only get this far. His father interrupted him by saying to his servants "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry." The father did not even hear the part of the son's bargain where he was about to offer himself to serve as a hired worker to be accepted.

Without any service and good works to show, he was accepted and embraced and welcomed with a feast. 

My friend, it's not about who we are and what we do for God. No, rather, it's about who He is to us and what He did on the cross in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ that determines our acceptance before Him. 

All we need to do is to show up in repentance. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #745

TEKEL 

"Tekel" is one of the words supernaturally written on the wall during Belshazzar’s feast, as described in Daniel 5. The writing was a divine message indicating judgment. It was a message to the proud monarch, Belshazzar, which means "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting."

The word could very well be applied to us! On each of our walls is written the word "Tekel." We have been weighed and have been found wanting. 

The Bible says: 

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

Ro 3:10 ..."There is none righteous, no, not one;

Ro 3:12 ...There is none who does good, no, not one."

Isa 64:6 ...all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags...

How we need the righteousness that comes from God. This is the only way whereby we will not be found wanting --- the righteousness of God deposited to our spiritual account through faith in Christ.

GOSPEL LIGHT #744

We All Need "The Fourth Man" To Be Saved 

Da 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
 25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were thrown into a blazing furnace. They fell into the fire still bound. King Nebuchadnezzar was amazed. He quickly asked his counselors if they had not thrown three men into the fire. The counselors confirmed that it was true. Instead of three men, Nebuchadnezzar saw four men walking in the fire, unharmed, and noted that the fourth looked like a supernatural being. The New King James says here that "the fourth is like the Son of God."

Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were spared in the fiery furnace by the divine presence, we too are facing a time of judgment to come. In the face of such a horrifying reality, we too need "the fourth man" to be saved.
 
"The fourth Man" was the pre-incarnate Christ Himself. The Bible says in Romans 8:1 "There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."

This "fourth Man" came and died on the cross for our sins that if we put our trust in Him, we will be saved. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #743

The Great Unavoidable 

"What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" Mt 27:22 ...

These are the words of Pilate. One way or another, sooner or later, eventually, inevitably and inescapably, we are going to deal with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is unavoidable as the universe. In fact, it would be easier to avoid the universe itself than to avoid encountering the Lord Jesus Christ. The confrontation will happen whether you like it or not.

The question is "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"

My friend, either you will be saved or you are going to be condemned. Either you are going to face Him now as Savior or you will face Him later as Judge. Either you will trust what He did on the cross for your sins or you will stand before Him relying on your own merits, only to be judged accordingly.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the great unavoidable. God wants you to deal with Him now as Savior. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #742

You will never truly know the joy of salvation if you haven't really known the sorrow of sin. You will never truly appreciate the joy of recovery if you haven't deeply experienced the sorrow of a dire illness. You will never value the light if you haven't gone through darkness. One must be affected by sin before one can truly know the significance of salvation. 

You will never look at Calvary the same way again if you only know the ugliness of sin. Change your attitude toward sin in order to have a good, front-seat look at salvation. You can only be cold, dry and indifferent toward the Savior if you are cold, dry and indifferent toward sin.

Only those who are tired and weary of sin can truly understand the meaning of the salvation that the Savior brings. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #741

How To Stand Before A Holy God And Survive 

Heb. 10:19 "...we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus."

The Most Holy Place was where the special presence of God dwelt. It was a terrifying place for this place would be a consuming fire against a sinner.  

But we sinners can have boldness and confidence to enter this very place. On what basis? On what grounds? 

Through our good works and good character? No! Good works and good character have their proper place but they should not be the ground and basis of one's confidence and boldness to enter God's Most Holy presence. 

God through the writer of Hebrews tells us here that it is on the grounds and basis of the "blood of Jesus" that a sinner can have boldness and confidence to enter God's Most Holy Presence.  

The blood has been shed, the price has been paid, now, a sinner can stand in the presence of God, counting on the value of the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made on the cross of Calvary. The precious blood of Christ! A sinner can now dare the presence of God. 

My friend, be bold with the blood of Christ. Have faith in it. Pin your eternal destiny on it!

GOSPEL LIGHT #740

From Stones To Stars 

The moon glowing brightly at night can be used to illustrate the Christian's borrowed righteousness from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In this dark world, we are nothing but unlit stones devoid of any inherent glow. In ourselves, we are dark, dim and dull. Deep, black darkness is our lot. The dazzling brightness of the Son is our only hope. If we open ourselves up to the Son (S-O-N) just as the moon opens itself up to the sun (s-u-n) then His righteousness would illuminate us, shining with the glorious light of His righteousness.

We are but stones but His light can make us stars. 

My friend, be like the moon. Open yourself up to the radiant light of the Lord Jesus Christ, through faith in Him and what He did on the cross.
. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #739

Sanctuaries of the Salvation Story 

By "sanctuaries" I am referring respectively to the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament. 

They were not only spaces and places where God's special presence resided; they were not only places of worship; they were also "evangelistic centers." 

Every sacrifice that was offered there was God's object lesson about the way of salvation. It was God preaching and teaching the Israelites relentlessly "To be saved and forgiven a sacrifice is needed. No other. It's the sacrifice, the sacrifice, the sacrifice."

Man did not present and showcase his good works and good character there. Good works would be out of place. They have their proper place but not when it came to the atonement of sins.

The sacrifices that were offered in the tabernacle and in the temple were only symbolic. Mere shadows of the real sacrifice that was made on the cross of Calvary. They all point to what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross. 

My friend, learn from the salvation stories of the tabernacle and the temple. Trust in what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross for you.   

GOSPEL LIGHT #738

Where Are You And What Is This You Have Done? 

Ge 3:9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
Ge 3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

These are the questions that God posed to Adam and Eve after they have fallen into sin. Its the very same issue that God raises up when it comes to convicting a sinner. God makes the sinner painfully aware of his or her position ("Where are you?") and his or her condition ("What is this you have done?") 

"Where are you?" Man is separated from God.
"What is this you have done?" Man is a sinner before God. 

How about you, my friend? Where are you? Sin has separated you from God. What is this you have done? God now holds you accountable as a sinner. 

Has God convicted you as to where you are spiritually and what you are in His eyes? You need the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Where did He go for your salvation? He went to Calvary. What is it that He has done? He died for your sins. Trust Him for your salvation! 


 

GOSPEL LIGHT #737

Mankind's Mic Drop Moment  

How can you tell if you're not taking the 10 Commandments seriously? Have you ever encountered someone who feels completely secure because they claim to follow the Ten Commandments?

Listen, if by your quote unquote obedience to the 10 commandments makes you contented with your spiritual condition, if it makes you feel that you can make the grade, if it makes you satisfied with who and what you are then that's the sure and certain indicator that you are not taking it seriously. 

If you try to obey the 10 commandments perfectly from the inside out, down to your innermost being, your thoughts, your heart attitudes, your desires, you will end up being humbled and alarmed about your condition. 

The Bible says in Romans 3:19: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God."

The law or the 10 commandments taken seriously shuts our mouths up, it's a boast buster, it drops the mic. It sends us falling hard and crashing into the Savior's arms as sinners, trusting what He did on the cross for us.
My friend, are you taking the 10 commandments seriously? Has your mic dropped? Is your mic muted?
The true measure of taking the commandments seriously is not contentment in self-righteousness but a humble recognition of our need for salvation.

GOSPEL LIGHT #736

The Valor and Bravery Of The Lord Jesus Christ 

Lu 9:51 "...when the time had come...He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem..."

There was a determined and resolved look on the face of the Lord Jesus Christ as He went to Jerusalem. Dangers, suffering, mockery, and death awaited Him there, yet He was determined to obey the Father's will and pay the price for sinners' salvation. Courage really means the determination and boldness to do God's will. What does this determination and resolve of His tell us? Among other things, it tells us that God has determined and resolved that only through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ can a sinner be saved. That is God's determined resolve. No sinner can be saved through any other means. If God is very, very, very firm on this, then you should put your trust only in what the Lord Jesus Christ did for your salvation."

GOSPEL LIGHT #734

 MK 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere

I want you to see here that there is no salvation in any other. The fact that they preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere means that there is no other way to be saved.

There is no salvation in no one else; for there is no other name everywhere on earth that has been preached among men by which we must be saved.

 If good works can save then there would have been no need to preach the gospel everywhere. Men can do good works where they are and they will be saved.

There are also people who say that church membership saves. But if that is true then people would have to go somewhere where there is a church in order to be saved. The fact that they preach the gospel everywhere means that they can be saved wherever they maybe if they trust in the gospel.
 
And you can be saved where you are right now through the preached gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised again from the dead. Trust in Him now.

GOSPEL LIGHT #733

The Holiness, The Love, And The Wisdom of God In Salvation 

* The holiness of God demanded: "The sinner must be punished!"
* The love of God cried: "I desire the sinner's salvation!"
* The wisdom of God came up with a plan: "I will go down and become a Man and die as a substitute for the sins of sinners. I will fulfill the desire of divine love and satisfy the insistence of divine justice."

My friend, any other method of salvation, like salvation by good works, will violate or bypass, one way or the other, who God is. The only way that God could approve of is the one that gives full satisfaction to His holiness. Salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross is the only way to go. 

GOSPEL LIGHT #732

For Many Days...Without A Sacrifice 

"For the sons of Israel will remain for many days... (among other things cited here in this verse) without sacrifice..." Hosea 3:4 

This was fulfilled when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The temple was the only designated place wherein sacrifices for sin were made. General Titus in 70 AD came and did the most horrific thing in the eyes of the Jews --- he destroyed the temple.

Since that time, for almost 2000 years now, the nation Israel has been without sacrifice. And yet, throughout these generations, ringing in their ears, is the message that Jesus died for their sins. A Jew has some serious thinking to do. Either God has left them without any solution to sin for almost 2000 years now or they do have a solution for sin; that that Man Jesus Christ was indeed the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world --- the ultimate fulfillment of the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament.

It's the same with us today. We need daily sacrifices for sin because we sin everyday. Good works can't save us. And yet, there's this message that says "Christ died for our sins."

Where else can we go? What other options do we have? Are we willing to live out our lives that can be described as "for many days without a sacrifice?" A man who has never trusted the Lord Jesus' death on the cross be described as someone as "for many days...without a sacrifice."

My friend, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is our only option. He's our only hope.

GOSPEL LIGHT #731

Can Good Works Pay For The Penalty Of Our Sins? No, because sin, every single sin, is a heinous spiritual crime against God. It's not a minor offense that can be settled by doing "community service" so to speak. A man who deserves the death penalty and yet is made to pay up his crime by picking trash, working at charitable institutions, and participating in community projects has not adequately fulfilled the demands of justice. Sin is no light matter. Death is its penalty. And so, the Lord Jesus Christ came to die for our sins. His death was a must. And it's only through His death on the cross that the demands of justice can truly be satisfied. Avail of it, by trusting in it.

GOSPEL LIGHT #730

1Co 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Take note of the spiritual condition of those who are not saved here - they are tagged as "perishING." Sadly, many of them are blind and ignorant about their condition. Nothing bad has happened to them so far; everything is perfectly alright, so they think. 

A made-up story is told about a man who jumped off a building. The spectators down below were terrified but the man was perfectly calm. As he passed by a window, he looked at a man in his room and said: "Everything's perfectly alright so far."

That's the condition of many today. They know that they have fallen into sin; they know that they are sinners. They walk around this world and nothing bad has happened to them so far. Everything seems to be okay.

Until they reach the "last level" so to speak where it's going to be a lot of hurt and pain. 

My friend, if you are still unsaved this is exactly your spiritual condition - you are perishing. You need some good old saving! Trust in the Savior and what He did on the cross and be saved. 


 

GOSPEL LIGHT #729

The Two Types Of People Who Will Be In Heaven 

There are only two types of people who will be in heaven:

First, people who are perfect

If you have a perfect record, then, of course, you can go to heaven. You and I don't have this perfect record. God knows, you know, your family members know, your friends know, the people around you know that you are not perfect. 

The Bible says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 6:23)

Second, people who are pardoned

These are people who have been released from the punishment of sin because Another has borne their punishment, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ died for their sins; they took advantage of this blessed fact, they made use of it; they trusted in what the Lord Jesus did for them at Calvary's cross, now they are pardoned.  

My friend, you know you can't show a perfect record. Going to heaven by being pardoned is the only way for us. This pardon is available for you right now in Christ Jesus. You can receive it by putting your faith in what He did on the cross for you.