saved – Bible Truth for Today https://101info.org Brother Mike Valles Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:46:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 192660109 The Throne Is Open for Prayer – for Now https://101info.org/the-throne-is-open-for-prayer-for-now/ https://101info.org/the-throne-is-open-for-prayer-for-now/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:30:49 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=17538 Read More »]]> Psalm 65:2 “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.”

God has always been a God that will hear sincere prayers. It is especially true in the case of those seeking salvation through faith in Christ. Today, He encourages all to come to Him seeking relief from the burden and guilt of sin: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” He waits patiently for people to seek Him, and He is ready to help them. His Spirit draws those who will hear.

There is a day coming, however, when men shall pray for mercy and salvation, but He will not hear or answer their pleas. The text verse says that “unto thee shall all flesh come.” This is God’s desire, but the opportunity is limited.

Judgment day will see those men, women, and children cry out as God exposes their every sin and indifference to His agony on the Cross for their salvation. In spite of their pleas, God will only say to them: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41).

There are also times when we are told that God will laugh when some people cry unto Him. Proverbs 1, verses 26 and 27 say: “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you” (Proverbs 1:26,27).

The next couple of verses gives the reason for this kind of response from the Almighty. He says: “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD.” These people only laughed, or ignored the message when others tried to tell them about salvation through Christ.

The verse says that, if you are not saved, now is the time for salvation. Do not put it off. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Call on Him today for salvation and He will save you. He has promised: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved(Romans 10:13).

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The Demand for Holiness https://101info.org/the-demand-for-holiness/ https://101info.org/the-demand-for-holiness/#respond Wed, 28 Aug 2024 21:41:03 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=17525 Read More »]]> I Thessalonians 4:7 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”

Christ’s call to the world is not just a call to salvation. Rather, our journey through life with Christ only begins there.

As our verse says, God did not call any of us who are saved to walk in “uncleanness” – sinful and worldly ways, but rather to holiness. The Greek word for “holiness” is also translated as “sanctification.” It means a separation from the world to God.

It is always a choice as to how you as a Christian will live – whether for God or for self. God has given us many promises to help us live for Him the way He wants. Paul said, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Co. 7:1).

The Bible tells us that to Him, holiness is a beautiful and desirable quality in the believer. Three times the Bible refers to the “beauty of holiness,” as in Psalm 29:2: “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

True holiness to God is beautiful to Him. It speaks of a heart that wants to please Him and is willing to leave off that which does not. It is like a couple in love, where each one tries to please the other. In Psalm 37:4, David tells us: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

It is impossible to please God and live in sin. When we are willing to forsake sin and do so, then we will find that God can take delight in us and will bless.

Are you willing to live the way God wants and seek to please Him above all others? Remember that the Bible tells us: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Am. 3:3).

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A Supposed Lack of Evidence for Bible Beliefs https://101info.org/a-supposed-lack-of-evidence-for-bible-beliefs/ https://101info.org/a-supposed-lack-of-evidence-for-bible-beliefs/#respond Mon, 26 Aug 2024 11:30:23 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=17520 Read More »]]> Psalm 119:128 “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.”

An article that appeared online claims that many Christians stopped claiming to be Christians because of a so-called lack of evidence for it. The truth may be that they do not know where to look for it.

When people want to know where to find answers today, most of them will either go to the library or go online. Either source can provide misleading information, but a discerning mind can find the truth.

It is true that some questions that may spring from the Bible cannot yet be answered. Some are so trivial that they do not matter. Many issues have been solved – especially when you understand that there are no contradictions in the Bible. In most cases, the Bible provides solutions to seeming problems in other Scripture passages.

The problem that some people have with the Bible is that they do not like what they do understand. They may also find that Christianity does not provide an easy path, so they look for a way out.

In the Bible text for today, God, Who inspired the Bible, said that everything the Bible teaches is truth – whether we understand it or not. God’s mind is so much higher than ours, that it should not be surprising that we have difficulty with some things He said – but that does not make them untrue.

When it comes to evidence, there are many hundreds of books written by believing scientists and archeologists that help verify Bible truths. Archeological digs in Israel are verifying Bible truths all the time.

It seems to me that when a person says there is a lack of evidence, that the truth is that they did not really look very far to find answers. Several good books have been written by Christian lawyers and they say that their evidence would stand up in any court.

If you really want more evidence, there is a field of study called Christian apologetics. You can find them online or in a large library. Get these books by believers for starters:

  • Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell
  • Evidence for Christianity, by Josh McDowell
  • The Case for Christ, by Lee Stroebel
  • Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible, by John Haley.

Finally, make sure you are saved, then, get in a church that teaches the Bible and read the Bible every day.

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A Complete Justification https://101info.org/a-complete-justification/ https://101info.org/a-complete-justification/#respond Fri, 23 Aug 2024 11:30:37 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=17516 Read More »]]> Acts 13:39 “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

The Apostle Paul once again makes it clear that salvation is by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse also makes it clear that the justification is from “all things” – past, present, and future.

Salvation is so simple that anyone that has heard the Gospel can be saved. It includes children, teens, adults, and seniors. It is equally available to everyone, revealing the mercy and fairness of God.

If salvation were not able to justify us from “all things,” there is no way that any of us could be saved. Jesus Christ paid the full debt of all our sin on the Cross, leaving nothing unpaid. His words on the Cross, “It is finished,” means that the full debt of our sin has been completely paid.

Salvation cannot depend on anything we do (Moses’ Law) because we are still sinners and have not arrived yet at perfection – neither will we this side of glory. As always, someone may ask, does it mean, then, that once we are saved that we can live anyway we want?

Absolutely not. The person who is truly saved will be both grateful and willing to serve Christ because they have been forgiven so much. We also are given a new nature that can serve Him.

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Seeking God? or Not? https://101info.org/seeking-god-or-not/ https://101info.org/seeking-god-or-not/#respond Fri, 26 Jul 2024 11:30:09 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=17446 Read More »]]> Psalm 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

Before the Flood of Noah’s day, the Bible tells us that mankind (except Noah and his family) had completely corrupted themselves. All their thoughts were only evil continually (Gen. 6:5). Because of it, God wanted to start over.

The above verse in the Psalms reveals that the heart of most people has not changed since then. Many people still do not seek after God. Unfortunately, many Christians do not much, either.

Prayer has become foreign to many believers, so is going to church, and reading the Bible. Witnessing, for many, is out of the question.

The result is that there is not much difference between some professing believers and the unsaved. The cause of not seeking God – pride! It is the same sin that caused Satan to fall from glory. They have become self-sufficient – so they think.

Christian, do you seek after God? Do you feel a need for Him and His blessing in your life? Or, have you become like the wicked – who never seek after or give much thought to God in your day (which He graciously gave you)?

God still blesses those who think on Him often and seek to do His will. If you are saved, why not put yourself on the side of the righteous and give up the way of the wicked before He must chasten? You can start by confessing sin to Him and spending time in the Word every day – and doing what you learn.

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The Nature of Sin https://101info.org/the-nature-of-sin/ https://101info.org/the-nature-of-sin/#respond Tue, 11 Jun 2024 11:30:46 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=17334 Read More »]]> Genesis 4:7 “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

The very first use of the word “sin” in the Bible occurs in the above verse. The two first brothers – Cain and Abel – offered sacrifices to God, but only one of them was accepted by God. Cain’s sacrifice was rejected, and God referred to his offense as sin.

In the above verse, it is clear that Cain’s “sin” in offering the wrong type of sacrifice would have been forgiven if he changed his mind and brought a right sacrifice. If he refused – which he did – he would be judged for his transgression.

In the Old Testament, there are three words used for sin. Each of them has the idea in them that God has established some standards for mankind to follow. Sin is missing the mark of God’s standard and deviating from them. Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, every human is born with a sin nature that quickly manifests itself.

Even Albert Einstein recognized this corrupt nature within man when he said, “The real problem is in the hearts and minds of men. It is not a problem of physics but of ethics. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.”

Human nature is bent toward breaking the standard set by God. All sin will be punished unless it is forgiven by placing your faith in Christ and seeking His forgiveness and making you a new person – one that desires to follow and obey Him. He died in your place so that you could be pardoned. You cannot cleanse your own heart from sin by any means.

When a person is forgiven and saved, God erases their sin from His books. He places a new nature within that individual and makes them His child. However, the sin nature is still there, but God wants to help him or her learn to overcome the old nature and get a victory that honors Him.

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Continue to Put Your Trust in God https://101info.org/continue-to-put-your-trust-in-god/ https://101info.org/continue-to-put-your-trust-in-god/#respond Sat, 25 May 2024 11:30:44 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=17321 Read More »]]> Psalm 71:5,6 “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.”

David had trusted God to be His Savior at a young age. Notice it does not say he was baptized, or his parents enrolled him at the Tabernacle. He did not take a course in confirmation first – he simply put his trust (faith) in God.

He gives credit to God for holding him up – sustaining and strengthening him from his birth. Many believers will look back at their life – even before they were saved – and testify that they can now see that God was working in their life the whole time. Of course, He was not their Savior until they called on Him and put their trust in Him to forgive and save them from Hell.

Because of his recognition of God’s work in his life and many deliverances since his salvation, David is determined to give praise to God continually. In verses 14 and 15 of this chapter, we see: “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.”

By experience, David learned that God is able to deliver him in whatever circumstance he is in when he asks God for deliverance and victory. It was not always immediate – but He delivered. This led him to determine to continue to trust God and serve Him. He will also increase in his praise to God for his many blessings.

Finally, note that David’s praise is focused on “thy righteousness.” Not his own righteousness or goodness, but on God’s. In fact, the phrase “thy righteousness” is mentioned five times in this chapter.

You that have been saved for many years – are you increasing in your praise to Him and of Him to others? It is part of your testimony, and when others hear what God does for you now and has done for you, it can encourage others to trust Him, too.

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Some Biblical Reasons for Regular Church Attendance https://101info.org/some-biblical-reasons-for-regular-church-attendance/ https://101info.org/some-biblical-reasons-for-regular-church-attendance/#respond Sun, 07 Jan 2024 12:30:42 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=16046 Read More »]]> Psalms 86:11-13 “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”

The above verses provide us with several reasons why going to church is important. Here they are:

  1. “Teach me thy way, O LORD” – When God’s people go to church with a teachable attitude, God can teach them. Many believers are a little off-track on their understanding of the Bible because they have not been under the teaching and preaching of godly teachers and preachers.
  2. “I will walk in thy truth” – Part of having a teachable spirit is being willing to do what God reveals in His Word. We must be willing to put it into practice.
  3. “Unite my heart to fear thy name” – It is God that must work in us to “will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13) – and He often does this as we hear His Word taught and preached.
  4. “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore” – Hearing God being praised in song or word by other believers is a blessing and a source of encouragement. It is why meeting with other believers strengthens faith and helps them be more single-minded toward Christ.
  5. “For great is thy mercy toward me” – Certainly, every knowledgeable believer knows that we not only needed His mercy for salvation, but we also need it every day. Mercy means that God does not give us what we deserve. Thank God that He is willing to forgive, cleanse, and strengthen us as we serve Him.
  6. “and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell” – This is what we really deserve for our sin. But He, in love, reached down, sacrificed His Son – Jesus Christ, and saved those who have repented and believed. Do you love Him for what He has done for you? “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (john 14:15).

Are you thankful for what He has done for you? The local body of believers meets at church today – will you be there? If you cannot be there in the morning, will you go on Sunday night – or Wednesday?

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The Importance of True Faith https://101info.org/the-importance-of-true-faith/ https://101info.org/the-importance-of-true-faith/#respond Tue, 09 May 2023 11:30:32 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=7963 Read More »]]> Romans 1:17 “the just shall live by faith.”

Martin Luther claimed this verse for his own personal salvation. It also resulted in the Reformation in which many thousands of people were saved. Interestingly, the verse is not talking about salvation but about how God’s people should live once they are saved.

Putting your faith in the right thing matters. If your faith is in an experience, a baptism, a church membership, your good works – it is a false faith and will not benefit you. The Bible plainly declares that true faith can only have one object of that faith – Christ and what He did for us on the cross. Faith in anything else or anyone else is vain.

Once you are saved, this verse states that faith is an essential key to please God. Another verse that says the same thing is found in Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

True faith must be based on the Word of God and His leadership. The Holy Spirit will never lead anyone contrary to the Bible. Apart from His leadership, there will be mistakes and regrets.

Knowing what to believe and do about life’s daily decisions comes from knowing the Word of God. Believers that have a shallow understanding of the Word are bound to make mistakes, have wrong goals, and put faith in the wrong things – such as convenience, circumstances, and unBiblical counsel. This is why going to the local church that teaches the Bible plainly is so important, and personal Bible study.

Have you conducted a personal search of whether you have true faith or not? Do you study the Bible and go to church to help ensure you are walking in a way that pleases God?

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Who Really Was Born at Christmas? https://101info.org/who-really-was-born-at-christmas/ https://101info.org/who-really-was-born-at-christmas/#respond Tue, 20 Dec 2022 13:15:06 +0000 https://101info.org/?p=6082 Read More »]]> Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

While the world is focused on things like Christmas trees, lights, glitter, shopping, presents, and family get-togethers, they tend to miss the whole point of the day. It is sad to see that the One Whose birthday it is, that He often is never invited to attend or even mentioned on Christmas Day.

The truth is that there is no other equal event in the entire history of man – other than the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. On the day that Christ’s birthday is celebrated by many Christians the world over (which may not have actually been December 25th), several miracles occurred.

If you wonder “who is Jesus?, “Micah 5:2 gives us some answers and points to three miracles. The verse, which was written hundreds of years B.C., declared that:

1. Christ would be born in Bethlehem – an insignificant town not far from Jerusalem. The word “Christ” means the “Promised One” or “Anointed One” (first promised in Genesis 3:15), or “Savior.

2. Christ would become the promised Ruler over Israel – the One prophesied in Psalm 2. The Psalm teaches that even though the rulers of the earth try to stop Christ from reigning, God will laugh at them and ultimately say: “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (vs. 6). And when He comes to reign: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (vs. 9). This verse speaks of the Millennial reign of Christ, in which He shall come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

3. Christ – the Ruler born in Bethlehem – is also the One “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” This part of the verse can only refer to an Eternal Being.

Jesus Christ was not just a mortal man. He is the One Who has existed forever – and will continue to exist forever! He is God (John 1:1,14). There is no end to His existence – only a change in His location and appearance.

He has not yet come back to earth for one reason – He waits for you to get right with Him. He is gracious and patient – but He will not wait forever. The Bible tells us in Romans 2:4: “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

Christmas is God giving humans the opportunity to be forgiven – to have their sins erased – and put back into fellowship with Him. His coming has erased the hopelessness of being condemned forever because anyone can be saved through simple faith in Christ. He paid for all you owe to God. Just ask Him to forgive and save you from the Hell you deserve – and then serve Him with all your heart.

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