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!