You May Never Know, Who You Are Dealing With

  Who you are dealing with. 

Welcome back. We are currently talking about the concept "You may never know." We talked last time about how we may never know on this earth, why things happen the way they do. As we talked about last time, this could be a whole series in and of itself, and very well may be, the topic today is the same. 

We could spend weeks diving into this story that Jesus told us in Luke 10:30-37

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Now, what is Jesus trying to teach here? Love? Kindness? Compassion? Grace? Yes. Love your neighbor as yourself? Yes. Show God's love through your actions more than your words? Yes. However, there is another aspect of this. Who is the naked half-dead man?

The Priest doesn't know. He crossed to the other side. The Levite, or one of those religious folks that work in the temple, did the same. He did not know who the man was. Only the good Samaritan stopped to help. Did he ever learn who the man was? Jesus did not tell us. But nonetheless, he took care of him and gave the innkeeper two day's wages, roughly $150.00 bucks in today's value. Rooms did not cost a hundred dollars a night back then either.

Remember one of the scariest passages, at least for me, in the Bible? Jesus talking about the end time and people coming from all around thinking they would enter into heaven, and Jesus separates them and says this?

“Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." Matthew 25:41-45

Now keep in mind that doing this sort of thing is never about you. It is also possibly not even about the person you are helping, but more about that next time. However, the person themselves may very well be someone God put there for you. Therefore, it is always wise to follow the wisdom of the Word of God, when it comes to dealing with strangers.

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Colossians 4:5-6

Peter encourages children of God this.

"but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter 3:15

The Bible even comes right out and says this plainly.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2

Wait, what? Yup. I have shared this story before but I am going to share it here again. Before you ask, I have no idea if he was an Angel or not. Ok, two stories.

I was working as a Night Auditor in the Hotel business and a man came in and asked if he could use the bathroom. He was dirty. He looked like a bum. I told him that it was ok, very reluctantly I might add. I was just recently saved and was reading one of those pocket-size Bibles. The ones with the New Testament and Psalms. This continued for a few days. One morning, for whatever reason I got in my Spirit, give him your Bible. I remember thinking, "No. My Bible." "Give him your Bible, and put twenty dollars in it." "Wait. first, my Bible. He is never going to read it. Second, all I have is twenty dollars. I don't wanna."

Well, he comes out of the bathroom and walks across the lobby. I had put the twenty in the Bible but I was not trying to get his attention as he walked through the lobby. As he got to the door, I said, "Sir? I have no idea why, but God asked me to give this to you." He stopped, smiled, and walked across and took the Bible from my outstretched hand. "Thank you." He said with a smile as he turned and walked out the door.

I remember thinking, "Did he find the money? Did he just through the Bible out? What was the point of the whole thing? I guess I could ask him or see if he acts any different tomorrow." Guess what? Tomorrow never came. Meaning, he never came back. I have no idea what happened to him. I have no idea why what happened happened. I have not idea whatsoever what any of that was about. All I can say is that I, begrudgingly, was obedient to what I was lead to do. Was it a test? I do not know. Was it something the man really needed? Maybe he just needed money for a bus ticket? I do not know. Was he an angel? I may never know. But I did what I felt was right. Even if I really did not want to at the time.

Here is a story of a stranger helping me. This one was when I was first saved. I bought a car, a Chevy Chevette for those of you who know what that is, from one of the guys that lead me to Christ. I was driving it down the road and it just died. As I was coasting to a busy four-way intersection, the light changed green and I was able to coast into a gas station.

I'm standing there, hood up, looking at the engine, when I heard a voice behind me. "Won't Start?" I remember thinking, "Nah, why would you think that?" What I said was "No." "Are you a Christian?" Huh? "Uh, yes?" "Then I have to help you then don't I." He walks away.

I watch as he walks over to a truck and a car carrier. On the carrier was a brand new shiny red sports car. He took the sports car off and left it on the side of the gas station and drove over to me. He loaded my broken down Chevette, not worth even the money I paid my friend for it, and said, "Where do we need to go?" We got to the destination and I offered some money I have in my pocket, and he said, "No thank you." I stood there in awe as I watched him drive away. Why did he do what he did? I do not know. Was he a fellow Christian who just wanted to help? I do not know. Why did he ask me specifically if I was a Christian? I do not know. Was he an angel sent to help me? I do not know. But what I do know is that I confessed to being a child of God, and I was helped in my time of need, in the name of God. So?

You meet people every day of your life. Some are decent people. Some are bad. Some are your brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, in the family of God. Some are enemies. Some are lost. Some are hurting. Some are looking for love. All are looking for kindness, even if they do not know it. I love this phrase.

"Never be cruel, never be cowardly. And never ever eat pears! Remember – hate is always foolish…and love, is always wise. Always try, to be nice, and never fail to be kind." 12th Doctor, Doctor Who.

You can eat pears if you want. I personally do not like them either. But it is true. Always treat people the way you would like to be treated.

"And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise." Luke 6:31

Not to mention again, but if the word says it, it must be true. You may be hosting an Angel. You may even be hosting Jesus Himself. Remember this event following the resurrection? They were walking along the road and talking about all that happened. They were talking about all that they have seen, heard, and done, for the past few years at Jesus's side. Then this happened.

"and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him." Luke 24:14-17

These people lived with, ate with, slept with, Jesus. Everyday. They witnessed miracles and watched the dead rise. Yet, they did not know Jesus as He walked with them. Would you recognize Jesus if He came to you?

What about you? You may be the only "Jesus" someone ever meets. How are they seeing you? More on that next time. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He raised from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 20

 Chapter 20 

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

1 In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.

3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush,  4 so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame. 5 Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame. 6 In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

You May Never Know, The Reason Why?

Why is this the way it is? 

Hello. Welcome, today. Today we will begin a new series entitled "You May Never Know." We will look at the most common "You May Never Know" topics that many people both wonder about and struggle with.

You May Never Know,

1 - Why.
2- Who you may be dealing with.
3- Who you are influencing.

Why?

Today we will start with a big one, that really is not so big. But it is one that bothers many people. Why? Why is it the way it is? Why does God allow this or that? Why do I have this illness? Why do I have to go through this? Why did my loved one die?

Now the title of this sermon series is "You may never know." However, I believe that this answer is true here, while we are on this earth. Now when you go and be with God, I think you will have all the answers to whatever questions you may have. But here on earth? This may not be the case.

There are many questions that could be crammed in here. We will just cover a couple in-depth, but answer the question in general.

People ask why about a lot of things.

Bad people getting ahead? Sickness? Disease? Death? Why? Why does a loving God allow all this? Yes, we are going to try to answer all these today. Emphasizing the word try.

Bad People? 

First I want you to think of this. You were once a bad person. You became saved and adopted into the family of God by His grace and patience. This is why Peter tells us to not think about God as being slow to deal with evil people. Turn to Peter 3:9

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

In Ezekiel 33:11 we read this.

"Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?"

He is not being slack or slow. Rather He is being patient. Hoping all, say all, all will come to repentance. He wants no one to end up in hell. Jesus told us this story.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:24-30

Again, we see God being patient. Now we could spend a whole day on just this topic. God created all, gave to Adam, Adam gave it all to the devil. Man is born into sin. All mankind. Why does it seem like some evil people get ahead? The devil can bless people and give them many things here on Earth. Yet at the end of their life awaits the same fate as the devil himself. Jesus is the only way out of that. God is waiting and hoping that as many as can be possible will accept the way that He gave us. Sadly many will not. However, make no mistake about it. There IS a judgment day coming when all the evil people WILL answer for their sins and rejection of Jesus the Christ.

Sickness and Disease?

This is another that could be a stand-alone sermon that many people struggle with. However, in the interest of time, we will look at a couple of passages, that I hope will shine a light on a possible reason why. First, look at this story. John 9

"As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."

Wait? Does that mean God wanted him blind? Yes. Why? "That the works of God might be displayed in him." It wasn't about him. Think of the woman that had the issue of blood for 12 years, spend all she had, and suffered for so long? {Luke 8:43-48} Jesus healed her, even though she was not even worthy to be out in public. It wasn't about her. Look at this story in Luke 5 17-26. A man paralyzed and laying on a bed was brought to Jesus. The crowd was so big that they lowered him through the roof. Turn to verse 20

"And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

If the man was not paralyzed, this would have never happened. All these situations were for the glory of God. All of them were for lessons for us. We see sickness and disease as bad horrible things, and they are. Yet? They may have a purpose in God's overall plan. We may never know why here and now, but we will understand it one day.

Death?

"For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace."

Death is as natural as life itself. Wasn't always this way. Physical death and sin entered the world through the sin of Adam and Eve. So death comes to every living thing on this earth. However, physical death is not the end. As we just talked about in the last series, there will be a resurrection for all. {John 5:28-29.}The child of God and the evil. For the evil, it IS most definitely something to be feared. But not for the child of God. For the child of God, it is a time of celebration. A moving up if you will. A time where we will know the answers because we will be with the Creator of all things.

"He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 25:8

It will be a place of peace and no more suffering.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

The truth is, there are many topics that we could cover in this category today. Why? The truth also is, we may never know why. Maybe not here on this earth. When you find yourself asking "Why?" start by asking your Father. Pray to Him. Search His word. Ask the Church. Seek the answers you are seeking, just know that you may not get the answer you are hoping for. Just because we do not understand it, doesn't mean God is caught off guard. Remember what God told Isaiah in Isaiah 55:9

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

God has a purpose and a plan for everything. Remember Romans 8:28

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

What things? ALL Things. For what? Good. All things. Just because we do not understand it at the time, doesn't mean there is no reason for it. It may not have anything to do with you. You just have to trust in the Lord.

Next time we will be talking about how you treat and deal with people. Be a careful child of God. You may never know who it is you are talking to. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He raised from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 19

Chapter 19

An Oracle Concerning Egypt

1 An oracle concerning Egypt.

Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud

    and comes to Egypt;

and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,

    and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

2 And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians,

    and they will fight, each against another

    and each against his neighbor,

    city against city, kingdom against kingdom;

3 and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out,

    and I will confound[a] their counsel;

and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers,

    and the mediums and the necromancers;

4 and I will give over the Egyptians

    into the hand of a hard master,

and a fierce king will rule over them,

    declares the Lord God of hosts.

5 And the waters of the sea will be dried up,

    and the river will be dry and parched,

6 and its canals will become foul,

    and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up,

    reeds and rushes will rot away.

7 There will be bare places by the Nile,

    on the brink of the Nile,

and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched,

    will be driven away, and will be no more.

8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,

    all who cast a hook in the Nile;

and they will languish

    who spread nets on the water.

9 The workers in combed flax will be in despair,

    and the weavers of white cotton.

10 Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed,

    and all who work for pay will be grieved.

11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish;

    the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

    “I am a son of the wise,

    a son of ancient kings”?

12 Where then are your wise men?

    Let them tell you

    that they might know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan have become fools,

    and the princes of Memphis are deluded;

those who are the cornerstones of her tribes

    have made Egypt stagger.

14 The Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion,

and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds,

    as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

15 And there will be nothing for Egypt

    that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.

Egypt, Assyria, Israel Blessed

16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts shakes over them. 17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them.

18 In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction. 

19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21 And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. 22 And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

Self Responsibility, Consequences for Actions.

Consequences for Actions

We are discussing the fact that we are responsible for ourselves. We have, everyone has, by the way, self-responsibility. We just talked about the fact that there will be a resurrection for all. The Word declares this.

"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."

'Those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." There will be a resurrection for all. Some translations say "Rise" "Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment."

We talked about the reward that awaits those that have faith in Christ and does the Will of the Father. We talked about the fact that we, as children of God, are obligated to do the Will of the Father and share the Gospel. However, even though we are obligated to share with others, we are NOT responsible for others. Not for their acceptance nor for their sin.

Today we will wrap up this series, I think anyway, with a topic that is not too pleasant to think about. Hell. How does a loving God send anyone to a place of eternal torment and suffering? The short answer is He doesn't. You CHOSE to go there. You are entitled to go there as a direct result of your actions in life.

First, understand that hell was never intended for man.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:41

Now there are those who debate about the gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Some, of whom I may actually agree with, say that the earth was created originally for Lucifer and the Angels. This is why we see footprints and we know there were dinosaurs at the same time, yet now none around. We know that Lucifer sinned against God and tried to "ascend into heaven" {Isaiah 14:13} and dethrone God, which means he was not there. Remember the Tower of Babble? We tried to do the same thing. Yeah, it did not work out for us either. Then God wiped out His creation and created hell for "the devil and his angels." He then started over if you will, and created Adam. This was a whole new creation with new rules and such. Why God did not bring back Dinosaurs? I have no idea. But this new creation with this new man is here. This is why we see this form or wording in Genesis 1:28 KJV

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Interesting that it was translated as "replenish." Does this not mean it was once plenished? Most translations say "fill." Many say this is what it means. Then you turn to this command of God to Noah in Genesis 9:1

"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

This is clearly a command to refill the earth. Many translations say fill here too. Not that any of this changes anything. Just interesting to many including me. The fact remains, the devil, then Lucifer, came first and he sinned the first sin, causing God to create Hell for him and his followers.

Then God started over and created Mankind. The devil was so jealous of this he came to Adam and tempted him with the same sin. Ignore God and try to become God. You know the story, you can find it in Genesis 3. From that time on, mankind suffers the same sin and fate that the devil and his followers do. That is unless you accept God's only plan out. Jesus. This is why we read this.

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." 2 Peter 3:9

God does not want you or anyone else to go to hell. It was never His intent to send you there. However, He made the way so simple to avoid it, some get lost in the very simplicity. You know the passage.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:16-18

All you have to do is accept Jesus. That is it. Accept Jesus and live, do not, and you will go to hell. It is that simple. When we stand before God, we will be there and God will be there, Jesus will be there, and books will be opened. The first book I would assume is the Book of you. Then the second book is the Book of Life. However? You will be there by yourself. Representing you.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10

Turn to Revelation 20, start at verse 11

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."

Stop. This is the "Book of You." In this book, everything you have ever done and every word you have ever said will be read aloud. Remember what Jesus said?

" I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak" Matthew 12:36

Everything, every word. Everything that you, yes you, have done and said is in the "Book of You." Every day is a new blank page. Every day is a chance to write something new. People will read it in the end. At your passing, they will talk about it. "Do you remember when Peter did this??" "Oh yeah, but my favorite was when Peter did this." "Remember, Peter always use to say this?" "Peter did this, every day." They will determine in their minds if it was a good book or a bad one. "Peter was not a nice guy. Glad he is dead. Couldn't have happened to a better person."

On that fateful day, God will open my book. It will be read cover to cover. "On this day, August 17, 1969, Peter was Born. On this day, he met his best friend. On this day, his grandmother passed on. On this day, Peter and his mother were left on their own. Every page, and every chapter. Birth, Passing of grandma. Marriage. Salvation, Divorce. Peter becomes a wayward son. Peter returns, Marriage, Children. Works. Passing. God will close the "Book of Peter," {Not the Biblical one} and open another. This one is the Lambs Book of Life. This one is like the NYT Best Sellers List. This one is the one that determines what God says to me. Is my name written in THAT Book? Continue in Revelation, Verse 13

"And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Of course, the most important thing is the Book of Life. Did you accept Jesus? Were you adopted into the family of God? If not, there is no one to blame but you. But everything you do has consequences. Are you feeding the hungry? Are you clothing the naked? Are you visiting your widow neighbors? Remember what true religion is? It is NOT going to church on Sundays if you feel like it. No,

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

Look at this passage in Micah 6:8

"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?"

I try to do this every day. Maybe try to keep this in your mind. EVERYTHING that you do and or say is being written down in your book. You are writing your autobiography as we speak. Are you happy with what is in it so far? Today there is a new page. Tomorrow is a new page. What is it that you want to be read out loud? Remember Jesus told us this.

"For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light." Luke 8:17

Every action you take, everyone, the big and little, all have consequences. You may not see them today, but you will be there when they become read before God Himself. This is the ultimate in self-responsibility. No excuses will be accepted. Start today, if you have not yet, start today with the biggest one. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He raised from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 18

 Chapter 18

An Oracle Concerning Cush

1 Ah, land of whirring wings

    that is beyond the rivers of Cush, 

2 which sends ambassadors by the sea,

    in vessels of papyrus on the waters!

Go, you swift messengers,

    to a nation tall and smooth,

to a people feared near and far,

    a nation mighty and conquering,

    whose land the rivers divide.

3 All you inhabitants of the world,

    you who dwell on the earth,

when a signal is raised on the mountains, look!

    When a trumpet is blown, hear!

4 For thus the Lord said to me:

“I will quietly look from my dwelling

    like clear heat in sunshine,

    like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over,

    and the flower becomes a ripening grape,

he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks,

    and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away.

6 They shall all of them be left

    to the birds of prey of the mountains

    and to the beasts of the earth.

And the birds of prey will summer on them,

    and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.

7 At that time tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts

from a people tall and smooth,

    from a people feared near and far,

a nation mighty and conquering,

    whose land the rivers divide,

to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts.

Self Responsibility, You ARE Responsible

 The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

We are talking about Self or Personal Responsibility. This is not a popular topic. As a matter of fact, it is one of those topics that become more and more whitewashed as time goes on. We have a whole industry that attempts to point the blame for everything we do onto others. Or onto environments. Or onto mental disorders and diseases. ANYTHING to take the responsibility away from the one it is to be granted to. The one who did it.

We talked the last time about how it is our obligation as children of God to share the gospel, however, it is not our responsibility if they accept it or not. It most definitely IS our responsibility as to how WE act and live.

Look at Ezekiel 18

"The word of the Lord came to me: What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die."

This seems pretty clear. Does it not? continue on. Ezekiel 18:5

“If a man is righteous and does what is just and right, if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully, he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord God."

Put it into today's terminology, if we, accept Jesus, live by faith, and do the will of our Father, we shall live. If we do not? Continue verse 10

“If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things (though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself."

Translation, if you do not accept Jesus, live by faith, and do the will of the Father, you will die in your sin. God makes it very clear. Continue in Verse 14

“Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: "he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live. As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity."

We are only responsible for our own actions. Not those of our parents, or even that of our children. Now secular law states that in some cases, the parents can be held accountable until a certain age is reached by the child. But God holds the individual accountable always. Verse 19

“Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffers for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

However, we have some good news, and also some kinda scary news. You see, there are some "Christians" that truly believe once saved always saved. Some who disagree and say you CAN lose your salvation. Read the following with me. Turn to verse 21.

“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done, he shall live. "

Why? This is God talking here.

"Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?"

Here is a prickly point of scripture.

"But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them, he shall die."

I want to stay with this thought for a second. Turn to 2 Peter 2:20-22

"For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”"

In Hebrews 10:26-29

"For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? "

Can you lose your salvation? According to this? It seems to be a possibility. Look at the scariest, at least to me one of the scariest passages in the entire Bible. This is Jesus talking.

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" Matthew 7:21-23

Be careful, child of God. Do the will of the Father. Live by faith. Read the Word of God, Pray and get to know your Daddy. We will talk more in-depth on this topic of consequences and actions next time. Go back to Ezekiel 18, pick up in verse 25

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done, he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?"

We might as well finish up Ezekiel 18

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

We have something that they did not have back then. We have Jesus. Jesus came and died for our sins. That is how simple God made it for us. Accept Jesus and live, or reject Jesus and be rejected by Him on the last day.

Although you are not responsible for anyone else's actions, you are most assuredly responsible for yours. The word even declares this. in Matthew 12:36

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,"

More on consequences and actions next time. But make no mistake about it. You ARE responsible for yourself. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He raised from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Isiah, Chapter 17

 Chapter 17 

An oracle concerning Damascus.

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city

    and will become a heap of ruins.

2 The cities of Aroer are deserted;

    they will be for flocks,

    which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.

3 The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,

    and the kingdom from Damascus;

and the remnant of Syria will be

    like the glory of the children of Israel,

declares the Lord of hosts.

4 And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low,

    and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.

5 And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain

    and his arm harvests the ears,

and as when one gleans the ears of grain

    in the Valley of Rephaim.

6 Gleanings will be left in it,

    as when an olive tree is beaten—

two or three berries

    in the top of the highest bough,

four or five

    on the branches of a fruit tree,

declares the Lord God of Israel.

7 In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. 8 He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.

9 In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.

10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation

    and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge;

therefore, though you plant pleasant plants

    and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,

11 though you make them grow on the day that you plant them,

    and make them blossom in the morning that you sow,

yet the harvest will flee away

    in a day of grief and incurable pain.

12 Ah, the thunder of many peoples;

    they thunder like the thundering of the sea!

Ah, the roar of nations;

    they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!

13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters,

    but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,

chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind

    and whirling dust before the storm.

14 At evening time, behold, terror!

    Before morning, they are no more!

This is the portion of those who loot us,

    and the lot of those who plunder us.

Self Responsibility, Obligated, but Not Responsible for Others

 We are obligated as children of God. 

Welcome, today. Today we are going to start a new series that is not what you would call a popular topic. As a matter of fact, as time goes on, we find this topic becoming more and more diminishing in importance in nearly all areas of personal and public life. We have entire industries that make billions of dollars in convincing you that you are NOT responsible. Man guns down 5 people in a Fastfood joint? It was not his fault. He was not hugged as a child. Let's look at some of these. Lose your temper? Not your fault. You may have EAD!

You steal? Not your fault. You may be a Kleptomaniac.
Steal a lot? Not your fault. You may be a Hoarder.
Murder? Not your fault. Many possibilities drove you to it.

Other industries work together and supply pills. Unhappy? Take this. Feeling like you cannot breathe? Take this. Feeling like you want to murder someone? Take this. So on and so forth. Religions even get into the game and tell you that you are not responsible. The Devil made you do it. Or it is just human nature and you should not be blamed.

Then we have the other end of the spectrum, and that is those that feel that not only are they responsible for their own actions, but somehow feel that they are responsible for others as well. This can become a serious problem in Christian Households.

This is the topic we will be talking about for the next few weeks.

Yes. You are obligated to share the Gospel.
Yes. You ARE responsible for yourself, and the decisions you make.
Yes. There are absolute consequences for actions.

We are going to start today with the fact that yes, you are obligated, but not responsible, for others. look at this command that God gave to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:16-21

"And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul."

Now I understand that God is talking to Ezekiel here. He is talking to you as well. Jesus also told us this.

"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

We are obligated to be sowers of the Seed. Tellers of the Truth. Sharers of the Gospel. However? We are not responsible for their acceptance. You tell them the Truth. John 3:16-18

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

You share with them all of the Gospel and they say, "I do not believe in God." Or "I do not believe that you have to accept Jesus to get to Heaven." Or "religion is for idiots." Something to this effect. Have you failed? Have you not communicated properly? Are you responsible for the fact that they will now die, not accepting Christ, and forever be cast out? You think about this. Someone you care about, someone you love, and you have the key to give them, so that they may enter into Heaven, and yet, they are on their way to Hell. Have you failed to save them?

The simple answer is NO. You have fulfilled your obligation. You are now free and clear. You have told them the Truth. You are not responsible for their decision to accept or not. It is your responsibility to tell people the Truth. It is your responsibility to live as God commanded us to live. John wrote this warning to us not to think of ourselves as higher or more holy than anyone else. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves in check and to spread the Truth. He wrote this in 1 John 1:1-10

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

The truth is simple. Believe and accept Jesus, and live. Or do not, and die. This is the message. The truth. This is what we are obligated to tell people. "he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Not that God is going to condemn you. You are condemned already. Not that God is looking to punish you. But rather God is looking to save you.

Here is something that can be difficult to learn. Especially if you are talking to loved ones. See the world will tell you that you must have compassion and live and let live. Keep that religious stuff to yourself. However, we know that true compassion is not sitting back and quietly watching someone walk into the fire, but trying to warn them not to. This is especially hard when it comes to the ones we love. However? Jesus never told us to go out, get in people's faces, and thump them on the head with the Bible. He never told us we should go out and try to force people to believe. He told us this.

"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town." Matthew 10: 14-15

Why? Because before someone hears the Truth, they know no better. They have an excuse for living the way they do. After they hear the Truth, then they are without excuse.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1: 18-20

"I didn't know" is far different from "I didn't believe." If I was going through a strange town, and I get pulled over and told that the speed limit in that town is 35. If there are no signs, and no way of me knowing, "I didn't know." may find me some compassion and grace. However, If the first thing I see when I enter is the sign saying 35. Someone who lives there tells me it's 35. I get pulled over, I say "I didn't believe it, nor do I accept it." Guess what? I'm guilty beyond any excuse.

I understand your compassion and your desire to free those you love from the laws of sin and death. God has blessed me, with now, three beautiful children. Joshua who is not going to be sixteen years old, accepting Jesus into his heart at age 7. Without conversation or prompting, he stood up and walked up to the altar, and asked to be, and was, baptized. Elijah is 10, and Maya is now 6, at this time. When the time comes, it will be their choice.

Let's say that one or both of my youngest, chose to live a life of sin. Do I love them? Yes. Of course. Would I do whatever it takes to save them from the laws of sin and death? Of course. Let's say one or both are living in a way that causes me to have to lay down my life for them. I do so. I have paid the ultimate price. If they choose to go back to the same life, I can no longer help them.

Jesus loved us so that He came and died for us. He can do no more. He paid the ultimate price. If we choose not to accept that, there is no longer anything He can do for us. He already paid the ultimate price. Death. He cannot, nor will He, come and do it again. It is final. It is settled. It is now up to us to accept it or not. It is up to all of us, individually, to do so or not.

Our responsibility is to be sowers of the Seed. Tellers of Truth. Share freely what we received freely. The Way. The Truth. The Life. That is our responsibility. That is our obligation. Acceptance of this truth and reality. It is everyone's own responsibility to accept it or not. We are not responsible for their choices or actions.

Remember what Jesus told the Disciple that asked to join Him?

"Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Matthew 8: 21-22

And again

"And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 60-62

Was Jesus saying this to be mean? No. He was telling His disciples the truth. Not everyone will accept the truth and live. Even those we love the most. So, we need to rather focus on those that do want to hear the truth and those that God will lead us to. Tell them the truth, and what they choose to do with it, is their choice. You are free and clear. You have met your obligation.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He raised from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!