GOSPEL LIGHT #778

Every now and then, nature surprises us with things that don’t quite fit the ordinary. They are unusual, unexpected and almost out of place as though from another world. A sulfatara is one of them.

A sulfatara is a volcanic vent where hot steam and sulfurous gases rise from the ground. At first glance, the area around the sulfatara may look like any ordinary green mountain, yet the hidden volcanic activity gives it a quiet, unusual character. The presence of life alongside these hidden, powerful forces shows that beauty can exist even in places shaped by destructive energy.

Someone who once saw a sulfatara firsthand wrote these words: 

"Sulfatara, you’ve taught me how there can still be beauty in death. Worth it jud gi-adto tkaw! You’ve displayed an otherworldly highlight."

The word “sulfatara” comes from Italian “solfo” which means sulfur. In the Bible, sulfur is usually mentioned under its old name “brimstone.” In the Bible, brimstone is consistently a picture of God’s fierce wrath against sin. 

The cross of Calvary was a sulfatara of a different kind. It was an otherworldly highlight. It was where the hot steam of God's wrath arose and His mercy descended. It was a place where beauty came out of death. For at the cross of Christ, death itself was transformed. Out of His death came salvation for the lost, justification for the guilty, forgiveness for the sinful, sanctification for the unholy, and even glorification for the redeemed. 

Come to the cross. It is worth the trek. Find life and beauty in the death of Christ. If you do, I assure you that one day,  for all eternity, you will look back and say it was "worth it jud gi-adto tikaw." 

GOSPEL LIGHT #777

GE 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

This verse doesn’t just summarize the life of Joseph — it also perfectly fits what happened to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

The Jews, the brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ, meant evil against Him. They all conspired against Him at the cross. But God took their cross that they gave to the Lord Jesus Christ and meant it for good.
And because of that cross, the result is this --- many have been preserved and saved — and many more are being saved in our time.

Even now, the door of salvation remains open for you.

Listen --- if Joseph, a mere man, could be trusted to save Egypt from famine, how much more can you trust the greater quote unquote “Joseph” --- the Lord Jesus Christ --- to save you from sin and judgment?

Put your confidence in Him for your salvation.

GOSPEL LIGHT #776

The moon gives sunburns
Fish drown at sea
Rain dries laundry
Sleep keeps you awake
Erasers write
Darkness lights the way
Chickens vote for KFC
A job interview hires the interviewer
The pope is a fundamental Baptist
Satan got saved and joined the choir
Calvinism is correct
Salvation is by works

Thankfully, the real gospel isn’t all this absurd. Christ finished the work - so you don’t have to fake working for it. Put your confidence in Him not in yourself.

GOSPEL LIGHT #775

Ge 22:2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

 You know, what was only a test for Abraham was a painful reality in God’s experience in His entire existence as the God of the universe.

If ever we should put God to the test to find out if He really loves us, saying: “God, if You really love us, take now Your son, Your only son, whom You love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer Him there as a burnt offering for me there.”

You know, God will do it. In fact, He did it. It was really a burnt offering. Calvary was all hell unleashed in three hours on God’s son. It’s not an identical punishment but it was an equivalent punishment with that of the lake of fire. It was really a “burnt offering” in a sense.

Are you willing to take God’s Son as a burnt sacrifice for all your sins? Are you willing to put your entire confidence in what He did on the cross for your salvation? 

GOSPEL LIGHT #774

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Notice, Abel was not commended as righteous because of his exemplary life. His commendation had nothing to do with his character, achievements or personal merit. It was not his better self, but his better sacrifice—and his faith in it—for which he was commended. The question is not "Do you have a better self?" Oh no, rather, it is "Do you have a better sacrifice?" Abel's "better sacrifice" actually pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross. Christ's sacrifice is the only "better sacrifice" there is. The question is, do you have His sacrifice as yours? Are you putting your confidence in it? 

GOSPEL LIGHT #773

 The Life-Is-Short Philosophy Of Life

Isa 22:12 And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.

13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, "Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Instead of mourning over sin, they carried on with their sinful lifestyle and didn't repent. Instead they rejoiced and partied since life is short...so short that they said "tomorrow we die!" These are the types of men who will have no atonement. The atonement will not be applied to them. Terrifying condition to be in.

Life is short but you don't have to make it shorter. Most importantly, since life is short then you should make it count. You would get right with God with the short amount of time you have.

GOSPEL LIGHT # 772

How You View Sin Shapes How You Think Salvation Works

If you downplay sin, you’ll likely believe it can be dealt with through religious rituals, good deeds, or personal effort. But if you see sin for what it truly is—a deep offense against a holy God, a heinous spiritual crime—you’ll realize that only a perfect sacrifice can settle its debt.

If you don't view God as someone who is utterly holy, then sin won't seem all that serious, and the cross won’t seem all that necessary. But when you grasp the blazing purity of God, you begin to understand the weight of sin—and the wonder of Christ's sacrifice.

You would come running to Christ and His work on the cross as your only hope of salvation.