Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time." (1 Timothy 2:4-6) In ancient Israel there was the "kinsman redeemer", the firstborn male of the family who had the responsibility of saving the family from extinction. If he was asked to do so and refused he was required to pull off his sandal and give it to the relative who needed to be saved, and would forever after be known as the "so in so" of "the house of the house of the pulled-off sandal". At least that is how I interpret the story of Ruth and Boaz in the 3rd chapter of Ruth. The bible calls Jesus Christ "the firstborn of all creation" .  "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...The Son is the imag...

“Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit...It is finished…and when He had said this, he breathed his last.…with his own blood he entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Luke 23:46; John 19:30; Hebrews 9:12) “It is finished” - “Eternal redemption” - “once for all” Rejoice!

"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:23-25) The problem I see with most people, even Christians, or especially Christians, is that we are more concerned with the journey than with the final destination. When our eyes are fixed on the evils along the way, we forget what awaits when we arrive. If we just learn to believe God and accept that evil is necessary, but temporary, we begin to see people differently along the way, and start to see the destination…the place where mankind arrives safely in the arms of a loving Father, changed in part by the journey, but finished to perfection by the Master craftsman before the Great White Throne. So how can we love the God who su...

“For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23) Sue Ann came in the house the other day and announced “I just saved two frogs”. “What?” I said. “Two frogs were trapped in the pool strainer and I saved them.” She told me. “Did they thank you?” I jokingly asked. “No, they don’t even know they had been saved” she laughed. LIGHT BULB GOES ON…out of the mouth of babes and wives! That is what God has done for sinners…saved them. But they don’t know it because the Church has made salvation a thing man chooses rather than a finished work God has done through Christ Jesus. Those frogs should be glad Sue Ann did not ask if they wanted to be saved…she just saved them…and that is what God has done and it is called - GRACE! "For the GRACE of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the ...