RUNNING FOR YOUR ETERNAL LIFE
I’m deeply concerned for Christians who limit their relationship with God to only attending worship services. You may not be one of them but you surely know someone and they may be family members. Most have a dose of religion instead of an intimate relationship with Jesus. This message is to help those so entangled and want to be free.
In the Book of Hebrews we are told:
1THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
2Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.(A)
3Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.
It’s clear to me that we are to do more than show up for services. God has a magnificent plan for our lives and if we will seek it there is a wreath at the end of the race. Please don’t allow anyone to tell you that God doesn’t have things for us to do.
41Then He will say to those at His left hand, Be gone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!
42For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,
43I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me [l]with help and ministering care.
44Then they also [in their turn] will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?
45And He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least [[m]in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me.(D)
46Then they will go away into eternal punishment, but those who are just and upright and in right standing with God into eternal life.(E) Matt: 25 Amp. Bible
Jesus said we must be born again:
1NOW THERE was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews,
2Who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles--and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him.
3Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb again and be born?
5Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [[a]even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.(A)
6What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3 Amp. Bible
This is of utmost importance for our acceptance by God is based upon our “having Jesus”. Paul said, “The mystery hidden from the ages is Christ within you the hope of Glory.“
1EVERYONE WHO believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring).
2By this we come to know (recognize and understand) that we love the children of God: when we love God and obey His commands (orders, charges)--[when we keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and His teaching].
3For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous).
4For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith.
5Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? 1 John Amp. Bible
If you haven’t experienced the new birth spend time at His cross so you can repent. The cross is the power of God unto repentance. Tell God how you feel that Jesus died for you. Ask Him to forgive you and He will. Now by faith invite Jesus into your life as your Lord. God will claim you as a son or daughter. Then He will have your name written in the Book of Life.
In His Service,
Capt. Ben Marler
captben61@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
FAITH IS GOD'S GREATEST GIFT
FAITH IS GOD’S GREATEST GIFT
This message may shock some folks and I am praying with all of my heart it will. There are all kinds of faith and we use them constantly. For instance do you ever get in an elevator? I was stuck in one recently and for a while my faith in its ability to take me up and down was in severe doubt. Even now I pray when I get in, “Lord, let this thing work.” My faith in it was greatly shaken. Have you ever experienced something similar?
The measure of faith all are born with is the same. I can see and touch the elevator but I can’t touch God or His Son Jesus. God is Spirit and Jesus is at His right hand interceding for us. When Satan comes to accuse our Advocate is there to defend us. Isn’t that awesome?
Now this isn’t true for everyone. It’s the result of our giving up of our lives for His, using our faith. It’s the Spirit of Jesus now in us that makes us God’s property. We were able, at some point in our lives, to hear and understand the Gospel message. As sinners we understood, again by God’s grace, that we were lost [separated] from Almighty God. We needed help and Jesus was revealed as the Only One who could and would clean us of a sinful attitude and the record of our sins. When we came to realize He had to die for us, something special happened in our hearts, we felt remorse.
Remorse led to an appeal for God’s forgiveness and instantly we had it Not only did the Lord forgive us but He had the record of our sins removed from the Books to be opened on Judgment Day. And to top this, He instructed an angel to write our names in the Little Book of Life. This is the listing of those who will live in Heaven as adopted sons and daughters of God.
This happened for me on May 23rd in 1971, easily the best day in my life. Since that day I’ve wanted everyone to experience God’s forgiveness. He chose me to do write and for over 30 years I’ve written what He places in my heart. Once written and shared, it’s like the parable where Jesus said the farmer cast the seed and some of it falls on good ground, rocky soil, thorn bushes and the hard path. Only on the good ground can it take root and grow. As it grows it is to reproduce. Jesus said 100, 60 or 30 times as much. I asked for a million times and if He tarried and I got my million I wanted another million. You see, I was forgiven much and I love much.
How about you? Do you have the assurance that Jesus hung on the cross in your place? Until you do, how in the world can you surrender your life to an invisible Jesus? To be honest, you can’t. What you will end up with is religion. True Christianity isn’t a religion but an intimate relationship.
I lived in it for nearly 33 years and know the difference. God gave me “extra faith” after claiming me. He placed an insatiable appetite in me to read the scriptures. Getting up an hour early [4:30] I would read 10 chapters from my Bible after asking the Holy Spirit to teach me. This went on for decades and even this morning I spent time in His Word. There is no way I want my faith to weaken. If you feel weak in your faith admit it to Him and ask Him to give you a hunger too. I love the Amplified Bible!
There’s a special faith imparted by the Holy Spirit to do miracles. Did you know Jesus told His disciples, “The things I do you will do and even greater things shall you do. For I go to the Father that the Father may be glorified in My Name?“ I suspect greater here means “more” for what can be greater than raising the dead?
I’ve seen and been a part of God miracles. I even received one when He healed my dislocated knee while riding in a game warden’s truck. Moments before the pain was unbearable, now it was gone. All I did was witness to the guy how Jesus had healed a cousin who had been hit by a car. I repeated her words to her husband and sister who knew she had to be dead. “I’m OK, Jesus is here with me.” She knew Jesus and He knew Peggy who trusted Him.
I cried out to him when I hit the ground. The limb I was sitting upon broke and the fall of about 8 feet was enough since my leg was under me. I can’t begin to describe the pain and how it increased when I was able to get my knee to “pop” back into joint. Instantly all pain left and my confidence in God’s willingness to heal His children was confirmed. I was desperate and when I called to Him for help, He was there, “all the time”.
Do you use desperate faith? He will be there for you too, “all the time“. Remember, faith like love is a verb, an action word.
In His Service,
Capt. Ben Marler captben61@gmail.com
This message may shock some folks and I am praying with all of my heart it will. There are all kinds of faith and we use them constantly. For instance do you ever get in an elevator? I was stuck in one recently and for a while my faith in its ability to take me up and down was in severe doubt. Even now I pray when I get in, “Lord, let this thing work.” My faith in it was greatly shaken. Have you ever experienced something similar?
The measure of faith all are born with is the same. I can see and touch the elevator but I can’t touch God or His Son Jesus. God is Spirit and Jesus is at His right hand interceding for us. When Satan comes to accuse our Advocate is there to defend us. Isn’t that awesome?
Now this isn’t true for everyone. It’s the result of our giving up of our lives for His, using our faith. It’s the Spirit of Jesus now in us that makes us God’s property. We were able, at some point in our lives, to hear and understand the Gospel message. As sinners we understood, again by God’s grace, that we were lost [separated] from Almighty God. We needed help and Jesus was revealed as the Only One who could and would clean us of a sinful attitude and the record of our sins. When we came to realize He had to die for us, something special happened in our hearts, we felt remorse.
Remorse led to an appeal for God’s forgiveness and instantly we had it Not only did the Lord forgive us but He had the record of our sins removed from the Books to be opened on Judgment Day. And to top this, He instructed an angel to write our names in the Little Book of Life. This is the listing of those who will live in Heaven as adopted sons and daughters of God.
This happened for me on May 23rd in 1971, easily the best day in my life. Since that day I’ve wanted everyone to experience God’s forgiveness. He chose me to do write and for over 30 years I’ve written what He places in my heart. Once written and shared, it’s like the parable where Jesus said the farmer cast the seed and some of it falls on good ground, rocky soil, thorn bushes and the hard path. Only on the good ground can it take root and grow. As it grows it is to reproduce. Jesus said 100, 60 or 30 times as much. I asked for a million times and if He tarried and I got my million I wanted another million. You see, I was forgiven much and I love much.
How about you? Do you have the assurance that Jesus hung on the cross in your place? Until you do, how in the world can you surrender your life to an invisible Jesus? To be honest, you can’t. What you will end up with is religion. True Christianity isn’t a religion but an intimate relationship.
I lived in it for nearly 33 years and know the difference. God gave me “extra faith” after claiming me. He placed an insatiable appetite in me to read the scriptures. Getting up an hour early [4:30] I would read 10 chapters from my Bible after asking the Holy Spirit to teach me. This went on for decades and even this morning I spent time in His Word. There is no way I want my faith to weaken. If you feel weak in your faith admit it to Him and ask Him to give you a hunger too. I love the Amplified Bible!
There’s a special faith imparted by the Holy Spirit to do miracles. Did you know Jesus told His disciples, “The things I do you will do and even greater things shall you do. For I go to the Father that the Father may be glorified in My Name?“ I suspect greater here means “more” for what can be greater than raising the dead?
I’ve seen and been a part of God miracles. I even received one when He healed my dislocated knee while riding in a game warden’s truck. Moments before the pain was unbearable, now it was gone. All I did was witness to the guy how Jesus had healed a cousin who had been hit by a car. I repeated her words to her husband and sister who knew she had to be dead. “I’m OK, Jesus is here with me.” She knew Jesus and He knew Peggy who trusted Him.
I cried out to him when I hit the ground. The limb I was sitting upon broke and the fall of about 8 feet was enough since my leg was under me. I can’t begin to describe the pain and how it increased when I was able to get my knee to “pop” back into joint. Instantly all pain left and my confidence in God’s willingness to heal His children was confirmed. I was desperate and when I called to Him for help, He was there, “all the time”.
Do you use desperate faith? He will be there for you too, “all the time“. Remember, faith like love is a verb, an action word.
In His Service,
Capt. Ben Marler captben61@gmail.com
Monday, September 28, 2009
FALLING IN LOVE WITH JESUS
FALLING IN LOVE WITH JESUS
Marriage is an institution created by God to ensure stability in a relationship for the rearing of children. This grand plan by Him is based upon our ability to keep our promises to each other and to God to forsake all others. At first I believe these relationships are established for many reasons bringing children into the world not being one of them.
When I saw my Joan for the first time I was overwhelmed by her beauty, grace and marvelous figure. Her smile was warm and friendly too. Here before me was a young woman I felt drawn to. Looking back now nearly 52 years we both know God was in the middle of it. We are in many ways opposites and complete each other. I call her my better half and this is an understatement. I thank God for her all the time and remind her often just how much she means to me.
When we married in 1958 I honestly didn’t realize what a treasure she was for I was blind. This is also true with my relationship with Jesus. I was taught to love Him. I knew He loved me for my parents had an intimate relationship with Him which caused them to devote much of their life to serving Him. I wanted to live two lives, mine and on Sundays, for Him. This wasn’t the best arrangement but God had a plan which would develop many years later. He had a plan for me and to fulfill it I had to also be in love with Jesus.
For about 13 years my wife and I raised our two daughters in the church where they learned as I did, God loves you. Do you remember singing “Jesus loves me”? It is still one of my favorites for it spoke the truth to my young heart causing me to stay near to Him.
I admit now that I placed myself way before everyone else including my family. This ended on May 23rd in 1971 when I melted in repentance in my pastor’s office. When the Lord entered my heart I was instantly a new person, I was born again.
My love began to grow for everyone but not that much more for Jesus. This may sound strange but it is true. I loved Him a ton and didn’t seem to have a need for more. How wrong I was and I was about to find out. One day a woman approached me after worship and asked if I could help her. When I asked she said she had been attending our church and could see others were so excited about being there but “nothing is happening to me.” I asked a woman passing by to go with us in a counseling room where we sat upon three chairs arranged in a triangle. While holding hands I prayed, “Lord, I don’t know the answer to her problem but you do.” Instantly I heard Him say, “Walk her to Calvary.” Stunned for a second I thought, walk her to Calvary? Then in a split second I was there observing the last part of the Crucifixion. I narrated what I was seeing and it ended in a couple of minutes. As I opened my eyes I was shocked that tears were flowing down my face. I looked at the two women and the same thing was happening to them.
I stood up, hugged them and walked out of the room, no longer loving Jesus but now firmly in love with Jesus, what a difference! From that moment on Jesus was first in my life and His will was my desire. It didn’t matter what it was I wanted to do it for I saw with my own eyes in the vision the brutality heaped upon Him for me. The movie the passion of the Christ is one every Christian should see for it should bring about the same result if they are born again. Now if they aren’t it should bring them to the place where they want to surrender their will to Jesus. I believe many have been saved after seeing this great film.
Are you in love with Jesus? You can be, but I believe with all my heart you must spend time at the cross where the Holy Spirit leads you into this deeper relationship. It can’t be done with out Him and that’s for sure. Jesus said, “You can do nothing apart from Me”. He and the Holy Spirit are One with the Father. Jesus is the visible manifestation of Almighty God. He told Phillip, “Have I been with you so long that you don‘t know that when you see Me, you have seen the Father for I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.”
My Joan will tell you in a second that I’m in love with her now. I want to do for her all I can just like I want to do all the Lord has planned for me. It took the cross to bring me to this incredible level of love. Do you want it?
In His Service,
Capt. Ben Marler
captben61@gmail.com
Marriage is an institution created by God to ensure stability in a relationship for the rearing of children. This grand plan by Him is based upon our ability to keep our promises to each other and to God to forsake all others. At first I believe these relationships are established for many reasons bringing children into the world not being one of them.
When I saw my Joan for the first time I was overwhelmed by her beauty, grace and marvelous figure. Her smile was warm and friendly too. Here before me was a young woman I felt drawn to. Looking back now nearly 52 years we both know God was in the middle of it. We are in many ways opposites and complete each other. I call her my better half and this is an understatement. I thank God for her all the time and remind her often just how much she means to me.
When we married in 1958 I honestly didn’t realize what a treasure she was for I was blind. This is also true with my relationship with Jesus. I was taught to love Him. I knew He loved me for my parents had an intimate relationship with Him which caused them to devote much of their life to serving Him. I wanted to live two lives, mine and on Sundays, for Him. This wasn’t the best arrangement but God had a plan which would develop many years later. He had a plan for me and to fulfill it I had to also be in love with Jesus.
For about 13 years my wife and I raised our two daughters in the church where they learned as I did, God loves you. Do you remember singing “Jesus loves me”? It is still one of my favorites for it spoke the truth to my young heart causing me to stay near to Him.
I admit now that I placed myself way before everyone else including my family. This ended on May 23rd in 1971 when I melted in repentance in my pastor’s office. When the Lord entered my heart I was instantly a new person, I was born again.
My love began to grow for everyone but not that much more for Jesus. This may sound strange but it is true. I loved Him a ton and didn’t seem to have a need for more. How wrong I was and I was about to find out. One day a woman approached me after worship and asked if I could help her. When I asked she said she had been attending our church and could see others were so excited about being there but “nothing is happening to me.” I asked a woman passing by to go with us in a counseling room where we sat upon three chairs arranged in a triangle. While holding hands I prayed, “Lord, I don’t know the answer to her problem but you do.” Instantly I heard Him say, “Walk her to Calvary.” Stunned for a second I thought, walk her to Calvary? Then in a split second I was there observing the last part of the Crucifixion. I narrated what I was seeing and it ended in a couple of minutes. As I opened my eyes I was shocked that tears were flowing down my face. I looked at the two women and the same thing was happening to them.
I stood up, hugged them and walked out of the room, no longer loving Jesus but now firmly in love with Jesus, what a difference! From that moment on Jesus was first in my life and His will was my desire. It didn’t matter what it was I wanted to do it for I saw with my own eyes in the vision the brutality heaped upon Him for me. The movie the passion of the Christ is one every Christian should see for it should bring about the same result if they are born again. Now if they aren’t it should bring them to the place where they want to surrender their will to Jesus. I believe many have been saved after seeing this great film.
Are you in love with Jesus? You can be, but I believe with all my heart you must spend time at the cross where the Holy Spirit leads you into this deeper relationship. It can’t be done with out Him and that’s for sure. Jesus said, “You can do nothing apart from Me”. He and the Holy Spirit are One with the Father. Jesus is the visible manifestation of Almighty God. He told Phillip, “Have I been with you so long that you don‘t know that when you see Me, you have seen the Father for I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.”
My Joan will tell you in a second that I’m in love with her now. I want to do for her all I can just like I want to do all the Lord has planned for me. It took the cross to bring me to this incredible level of love. Do you want it?
In His Service,
Capt. Ben Marler
captben61@gmail.com
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