ESV Verse of the Day VOM Moment with the Persecuted Human Rights Watch Compass Direct News
What do you think about most – there is your idol! If your passions for anything or anyone is greater than your passion for the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are in idolatry! Are the plans that you have for today, Sunday, tomorrow, two days from now, or whenever more exciting and more important to you than being with and hearing from Christ – then you are in idolatry! Is the game after ‘church’ more important and more mentally captivating than time with believers – then you are in idolatry! Is the Super Bowl a bigger highlight than studying, pondering, understanding, and/or reading about the glory and grace of God – then you are in idolatry! It is time for men to understand and question if this is true. Let me ask you, what do you expect to see during Sunday’s game? Tell me what part of sitting in front of a TV watching pridefilled men throw a dead piece of animal skin around is really honoring and glorifying to the Lord and Captain of our Salvation? What does filling our minds with pride, arogance, selfishness, mental sexual adultry, and alcohol commercials have to do with godliness, holiness and sanctification? Absolutely nothing! It is time to think differently this year. It is time to take a stand. It is time to find the Truth!
“I appeal to you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2 RSV
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21 RSV
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I recently had the privilage to write to a prisoner in an American Prison. I am praying that he receives my letter and receives the Word of God unto Salvation. Here is the letter I sent. Pray that he receives it. Feel free to use any part that you wish.
Dear Mr. ———-,
My name is Jeremy Strang and I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I greet you on behalf of myself and the ——— ———- Men’s Fellowship. The Lord has laid you upon our hearts and we want you to know that we are praying for you. I want you to know that I am specifically praying that the Lord invades your life and floods your heart with forgiveness, love, peace and true joy as He has done for me.
This May will be 8 years since Almighty God first convicted me of my great need for Him. Before this time I was a sinner to the fullest definition. I blasphemed God, hated people and hid 21 years of self-destructive depression deep in many dark areas of my life. I was a liar supreme, an adulterer, a thief, a bigot, a pervert, disrespectful to my parents, a drunkard and used profanity as my communication – all to what end? – a fulfillment of my selfish desires, pride and direct rebellion which ultimately left me more insecure and more depressed than the day previous. But it did not have to be that way.
Now I grew up in the ‘church’ but no one got in my face and told me the truth. Many people gave me their opinions but no one gave me the Truth – I guess because few people have the Truth themselves. What is this Truth? – Christ Jesus The Lord! Let me tell you what I was not told until May of 2001.
———, I want to tell you the truth and I will start at the pinnacle of the Christian faith, the Acropolis of the Christian Faith. I will start here because when you get out of prison you will notice that there are many professing ‘christians’ but very few true disciples of Christ. But do not let this hinder you from the true Gospel and from true Believers. I believe you will understand much of the Gospel better than many who sit comfortable in ‘church’ today.
What is the Acropolis of the Christian faith? God says that He hates those who do wicked things (Psalm 5:5, 11:5) and that the one who justifies the wicked is an abomination (Proverbs 17:15). The Bible also says that God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4). This being the case, how can a righteous and just God forgive the wicked? How can He forgive you and I? How is it that the Bible says that God justifies (Romans 8:33)? How is it that John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world He gave is only Son that whoever shall believe in Him shall be saved.” How is it that His Son can save? Is this not a contradiction? No! Jesus Christ actually became your sin, bore your wrath that is due to be paid by you and became a curse (Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and Galatians 3:13) all while hanging upon the tree of Calvary, The Cross. The blood that He sacrificed and the cup of wrath that He drank down, that He received from the Father (Isaiah 53:10) is what paid your debt of sinfulness to the Almighty God. Your prison cell and your sentence can never pay back the sin for which you and I are from birth. We are sinners from the womb (Psalm 51:5). You and I are not different at all – we both need a Savior.
Jesus Christ has bought all mankind by becoming our propitiation (big law term meaning a great high price was paid making one justified or in other words, free of the charges ). Jesus actually becomes the wrath bearer. This is how a just and righteous God can justify wicked and sinful man – blood payment by taking the full wrath of God’s righteous and holy anger was poured out on a scapegoat – Christ Jesus. This is what establishes Christianity and sets it apart from all other religions – Grace – a payment by another that you could never pay and a payment made that you never deserved. All other religions are based upon the works of a man and true Christianity is only upon the sacrificial love and obedience of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice is the ultimate display of true love.
When I was at my worst in my deceptive and wicked life, God reached me by sending a man to tell me the Truth. Let me share with you the very verse that God used to rock me with. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
If you get nothing else from this letter, hear me clearly on this: When you get out of prison, and even at this very moment, you need Christ in you. You must be born again (John Chapter 3). It is not enough to know about Christ but rather you have to know Him and in such a way that His conviction floods your heart that leads you towards true repentance (turning away from sin). When you begin to fear God more than man (and even yourself) and you begin to live in the fear and discipline of the Lord (Hebrews 12:3-11) and love as He loves, you will then know Salvation. In turn this salvation, true salvation, will cause you to seek Christ right where you are, joyfully love His commandments and know true forgiveness. He is the only answer you need in your life! Everything you do will hinder around one thing, are you right with God? I cannot make this salvation happen, it is only of God (John 3 and John 6:60-65); therefore I will not lead you in some “sinners prayer” but I will leave you with His Truth and the words of the man who led me to Christ, “I’ll bet you will do the same thing I did… continue in sin.” I now know the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) – it is freeing, awesome and amazing! There are not words to describe it!
Now take hope! The hope is that if you earnestly seek Him, you will find Him (Matthew 7:7-8). Christ can be found and can be known – He has risen (Mark 16:6, 16:14). He sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and knows your true intentions. You cannot fake a Holy and Almighty God – trust me I’ve tried. It is true that Christ died for wicked men, but wicked men are not wicked because of their deeds but rather because of their rebellious hearts towards God. Sin is rebellion against God!
The second thing that I wish for you after prison is for you to have true fellowship of authentic Christian men. It is hard by your self. The bible says, “Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) Know that we are here for you – but we cannot make it happen – I am sure you know this. Where you hang out is what you will become. It’s pretty simple really – this too I know all to well in my life.
Last thing that I will say is this: To whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). Remember, God is not going to judge you so much as to what you have done against man but more so to what you have done to His Son. Reject His Son – anger a Holy God. Refuse His Word – anger a Holy God. Refuse the forgiveness that Christ has paid the price for – anger a Holy God. Mankind, you and me included, will be judged for disregarding the Son of God. Once again, take hope, He loves you more than any man, but know this, He will not be patient towards you past your death. The decision is then final.
Please accept my two books. I encourage you to read Limiting God? first. Please remember this – in the eyes of the Lord we differ in only one way – I am completely drenched by the Blood of Jesus Christ. How does God see you? If you are not in and under His atoning Blood of Salvation, then seek His anointing, His freedom, and His Son – Christ Jesus the living Son of God. May God show you Himself!
Amen!
With all sincere love,
Jeremy Strang
Urgency to Rise – a call to the American ‘church’
Help us to Call the ‘church’ in America and Europe back to the True Gospel. Click here.
This is an article that you must read. Chicago Tribune – click here. To got to Pastor Chris Braun’s website and read more about his new book, Unpacking Forgiveness – click here. This is a great story and prayerfully can have an eternally secure end. We pray that the Spirit of Almighty God will do a mighty work of salvation into the life of George Ryan. Chris Brauns is the Pastor of the Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, IL.
Time to join us for our online bible study. Go to the Bible Study – James page. Read James chapter 3, read some of the comments and leave a comment. Remember, the goal is not to teach, but to tell us what the Lord is doing in your life and how the Scriptures are speaking to you personally. Hope to hear from you!
