Jesus Basket

"It is only the fear of God's judgment that can deliver us from the fear of man's judgment."
- George Whitefield

Everyone dies. Everyone does evil. Not everyone has forgiveness. Turn to Christ now, for the reaper is coming one day, someway and then it will be too late. Your opinion will not matter. Your money won't matter. Your political views won't matter. Your degrees won't matter. It will just be God, You and His divine judgment. "I tell you the truth, you will not be released until the last penny is paid" and you have nothing to pay with, apart from the love of Christ.

For those who would say "Another Christian playing the fear card." Agreed. I am playing it and I would play any card I could to get you to turn to Christ. If it is Fear, then so be it. Love, so be it. Money, so be it. Whatever it would take to save you, I would do it for the love of Christ compels me that you may know Him as I know Him. For I am the most unworthy and yet, His grace saved me and everyday I prove my unworthiness and yet, He stands beside me in perfect faithfulness.

The clock is ticking, whether you would acknowledge it or not.

How to Respond When You Falter

"For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." (Romans 7:19)

Christians do not live only in defeat. But neither do we live only in perfect victory over sin. And in those times when we fail to triumph over sin, Romans 7:14–25 shows us the normal way a healthy Christian should respond.

We should say:

- I love the law of God (verse 22).

- I hate what I just did (verse 15).

- Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death (verse 24)?

- Thanks be to God! The victory will come through Jesus Christ my Lord (verse 25).

In other words, no Christian wants to live this way — in defeat. No Christian settles to live this way. But if we do live this way for a time, we shouldn't lie about it.

No hypocrisy. No posing. No boasted perfectionism. No churchy, pasted smiles or chipper superficiality.

God save us from blindness to our own failures and the consequent quickness to judge others.

God help us to feel worse about our own shortfalls than the failure of others.

God give us the honesty and candor and humility of the apostle Paul in this text!

Hilarious Christian Comedian Song! Have a great day!

Sounds of Starbucks - Tim Hawkins A storm's a brewin'...

Solid Truth.

This Video will Change the Way We Look at BROKENNESS - Voddie Baucham David was Broken over his sin towards God in Psalm 51 Speaker: Voddie Baucham Full Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVow8rSQwiA&t=2077s Music: 3 Hour ...

It amazes me sometimes when I hear people complaining about the concept of hell. It is always the same people who say they do not believe in God, hate the God of the Bible and do not believe in anything it says. If that is the case, then there is no hell for you, as you will end up exactly where you wanted, which is eternally separated from God, the Bible and the People of God you despised. If you love Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, then you would understand why we want to spend eternity with Him and any eternity that does not include Him, would be hell for the Christian. Not complicated.

O’Lord, where are you?
Why have you gone silent to me?
I search, pray and listen for you,
But my soul perceives only confusion.

I need your guidance and your presence Father,
My life and my being are nothing without you.
I know my sin is great and I have not obeyed your word,
So I am entangled and feel alone in this battle.

I know you must be there because you are faithful to forgive,
For to be untrue to your own is impossible for you,
Yet my faith staggers in the seemingly endless winds of failure,
How much longer can I endure this world?

No human is worthy of your love, affection or mercy Lord
I am not worthy to be given the gift of breath in your presence,
Yet, I have been purchased by your great sacrifice Father,
For the Lord Jesus Christ has stood in my stead in love

Please grant me your presence Lord, as I plead only for you,
Only you can make right what I have made so wrong,
If you do not save me, then there is no salvation,
I await you Lord, please come quickly my Holy Redeemer

For only you are my light, my salvation and my life. You alone are God.

-Prayer of a Struggling Christian

Make War with Unbelief

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; and I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4).

When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that “not one of us lives for himself and not one of us dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:7-9).

When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God and turn out not to be a true Christian, I battle unbelief with the promises, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6); and, “He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

When I've fallen to temptation and turned from the commandments of the Lord and have received the rod of chastisement, then I recall "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sin behind your back." (Isaiah 38:17); and "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Let us make war, not with other people, but with our own unbelief. It is the root of anxiety, which, in turn, is the root of so many other sins.

So let us turn on our windshield wipers and use the washer fluid in order to clear out the dim view of unbelief, and keep our eyes fixed on the precious and very great promises of God.

Take up the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for help, lay the promises up in your heart, and fight the good fight — to live by faith in future grace

"If you ever want to really see the power of the name "Jesus Christ", it is really quite easy. You can talk to anyone about God and barely get a reaction from them or they want to tell you about their concept of God all day long, but as soon as mention the name Jesus Christ, then entire families, countries and continents break apart."

And Jesus said "you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Mark 13:13

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/10/702009509/3-billboards-in-baltimore-how-one-woman-is-trying-to-find-her-sisters-killer

3 Billboards In Baltimore: How One Woman Is Trying To Find Her Sister's Killer

The God of Comfort

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:3

And who can comfort like Him? Go to some poor, downtrodden, distressed child of God; tell them the sweet promises, and whisper in their ear with choice words of comfort; and they will respond like a deaf adder that listens not to the voice of the charmer, no matter how wise the charmer may be.

This child of God is drinking gall and bitter wormwood, and comfort them as you may, you will only a earn a note or two of mournful resignation from them as a result of your efforts. You will not bring forth psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful exclamations, only low spirit and distressful pause.

But let God come to his child and speak a gentle word, and the mourner's eyes will light up and glisten with hope.

Can you you not hear them sing?

"It is paradise Lord; if you are here;

But if you depart, It is hell and fear!"

You could not have cheered them: but the Lord has done it; "He is the God of all comfort." There is no healing balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God. There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is the healer of all things.

It is marvelous how one sweet word from God will make up whole songs for Christians. One word of God is like a piece of the finest gold, and the Christian can find light in that gold, and can hold that promised word out for months and months.

So, then, poor Christian, you do not need to sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask him to give you His direct consolation. You are a poor dry well. You have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first and then you will get water flowing and so, Christian, go to Christ, the well of living water. Ask him to shed abroad his joy and peace in your heart, and then your joy shall be full.

Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them unable to stand to the task. Go first and foremost to your "God, that comforts those that are cast down," and you will soon say, "In the multitude of my thoughts that rage within me, your voice to me alone comforts me Lord."

Christian Anger & Resentment

It seems odd to me the level of anger and resentment Christians seem to carry. The line is always "You have no idea what they did to me" or "I have forgiven them, but I will not forget" or "What am I supposed to do? Just sit around and take it? I am not Jesus!"....or my all time favorite modern counseling line, supposedly meant to be "Christian" "You have to forgive them because it is hurting you".

Let me explain something to you....in order to forgive something, that something must have been owed to you...you must have held an entitlement to the thing that they took, or harmed or did wrong to, whether your personal self, your belongings, your family, etc. Ever notice that no matter what amount of harm you do back to them, it does not settle the debt in your heart? Why? Because to strike vengeance at them from your heart comes from the same source of evil that they drew from to harm you. It solves nothing, only produces more harm.

The issue at hand for CHRISTIANS and CHRISTIANS ONLY (because Non-Christians or False Christians do not believe the Bible is the INERRANT word of God, so this does not apply to them), is that none of those things belong to you. Everything you are, everyone you know, everything you have belongs to God and God has granted those things into your life for HIS glory and purpose, not yours.

Read your Bible (Psalm 24:1, Psalm 50:12, Deuteronomy 10:14, 1 Corinthians 4:7, Job 41:11, 1 Corinthians 6:20)..etc. Your life (and all that is in it) is not yours, it is God's (Romans 12:19). So, it is God who will settle that score in the only righteous and just way it can be settled. He is the only one who knows all the facts and of course, it is a "Dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).

I for one, would rather every person on the planet hate me then to have to face God's divine judgement. So, you forgive because it is not yours to hold judgement (Matthew 7:5, Romans 2:1, Romans 14:4), it is God and God alone (Genesis 18:25). The reason you can have no peace when you do not forgive is because you are attempting to climb onto the throne when you are neither capable or wise enough to sit there. You retain no such entitlement (Isaiah 14:13, Isaiah 43:10-13, Job 38:1-5)

Memento mori - "Remember that all must die"

Deuteronomy 32:29

“God said; "If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!”

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

Don’t let the intrigues of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders begin to stoop. Remember him before your teeth stop grinding; and before your eyes can only look dimly through the windows.

Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns gray like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners take to the streets and will weep at your funeral.

Yes, remember your Creator now before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Tabernacle Devotional

I know not when, nor where, nor how I shall experience my last breath of this life. I am not permitted to look into the sacred ark of God. I cannot pry my eyes between the folded leaves of that book which is chained to the throne of God, where it is written the whole history of mankind. When I walk along the road, I may fall dead in the streets; a stroke or sudden cardiac event may usher me into the presence of my Judge.

Riding along the road, I may be carried as swiftly to my tomb. While I am thinking of the multitudes of miles over which the fiery wheels are running, I may be in a minute, without a warning, be sent down to the shades of death. In my own house I am not safe. There are a thousand gates to death, and the roads from earth to Hades are innumerable.

From this very spot in which I stand there is a straight path to the grave; and where you are at this very moment, there is an entrance into eternity. Oh, let us consider then, how uncertain life is. Talk we of a thread of hair; but it is something massive when compared with the thread of life. Speak we of a spider’s web; it is ponderous compared with the web of life. We are but as a floating bubble; perhaps even less substantial in the backdrop of life. As a foam upon the breaker of a wave, such are we.

If the starry orbs of heaven are temporary in comparison to the eternity of heaven, how shall I measure the fleeting moments of my life. Therefore, let us be wise while we have the moment to do so and prepare to meet our God, because when and how we shall appear before him is quite unknown to us. We may never go out of this very hour alive. Some of us may be carried hence on young men’s shoulders and may not live to see our homes again.

Turn to the Lord while the sun still shines and the heart has not grown completely cold.

C.H. Spurgeon - Modern Translation

Christians are often confused about their sinning vs their salvation. In other words "Can I be a Christian, but yet continue to "willfully live in habitual sin" against God?

The answer to that question lies in the term "willfully". If you mean willfully in the classical meaning of the word, then the answer is no. A regenerated Christian who has been given new life by way of the Holy Spirit cannot and will not "willfully" live in in habitual sin. The scripture says you have been born out of darkness into the light and therefore, your "will" should be set on doing God's will. If you are "willfully" living in habitual sin, then that means that you are stubbornly and willingly "desiring to intentionally live in sin against God's will" and not under compulsion to fight against it.

There are many born again Christians that are truly saved, that "struggle" with habitual sin. When they sin they have deep remorse and conviction of heart. When they sin they repent, pray and get into the scripture. They plead with God to remove the sin out of their life and are in deep remorse. They may in fact, battle that sin for many years and perhaps all their life, but they do not surrender to it or actually "intentionally desire" to live in it.

In war, you are only a traitor if you willingly assist the enemy. No soldier, no matter how bad they are fighting, is considered a traitor as long as he stays in the battle. You are a Christian, if you believe that Christ is Lord and died for you, and you continue to feel the brokenness that comes with sinning against Him. May the Lord grant you grace and strength in the heat of the battle.

"The Christian who has had an encounter with the living God, will spend the rest of their lives in pursuit of that experience. It will permeate their entire being and they will engage in any activity in which they can hope to catch the scent of Christ, caring only for things of this world to the extent those things assist them in their hunt for Christ. They will be seen as odd and a misfit who takes their religion far too serious, but they will discard any such suggestions and the hunt will continue unimpeded. They will chase this obsession right through to the end and then shatter through death into eternity where their reward will be the eternal pursuit of closeness of the Lord!"

A.W. Tozer

Some people believe that the point of life is to have fun. Some believe it is to bring about lasting change in politics, environment, etc. Some people believe it is about getting as much as you can before you go and leaving it to your family. I believe the point of life is to give yourself away to those who need it, regardless of whether you think they deserve it. You love people because they need love, not because they deserve it. This is the example Christ set for us who hold out the confession of being Christians. Give yourself away, because the one who is greatest among you must be the servant of all. Doing this does not make you a Christian, only true faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement can do that, but being a Christian should cause you to do this. Life is not about you, it is about God's glory, grace and goodness to His creation and without that kind of faith, who can truly see God?

A.W. Tozer

Christian. True Christian. One that believes Jesus is Lord.

Do not ever let anyone or anything convince you that you can be separated from the Love of Christ. Not your sin. Not the world. Not anything in creation will separate you from God. You are eternally found.

Non Christian. One that does not believe Jesus is Lord.

Do not ever let anyone or anything convince you that you are united with God and with the Love of Christ. You are not. If you reject the forgiveness found in Christ, not anything or anyone in all of creation will be able to unite you with God. You will be eternally lost.

No amount of human wisdom, anger or philosophy will change this truth.

Temptation and Being "Good"

You may remember in my earlier chapter, how I said that the first step towards humility was to realize that you are indeed exceedingly prideful. I want to add to that statement, by saying that the next step towards confirming your pride is for you to make some serious attempt to practice out the virtues and commands of Christ and the Apostles.

A week is not enough. Things may go well for the first week. Try living them out for six weeks. By that time, you will have almost certainly have fallen back down (or perhaps even fallen lower) to the point that you began from and you will have discovered some undeniable truths about yourself. That being if your attempt is honest and sincere.

No person knows how bad they really are until they have tried very hard to be good. There is a preposterous notion that exist, which states that good people do not know what real temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you only find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by surrendering to it.

You find out the strength of the wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down beneath it. A person who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.

That is why "bad" people, in one sense, have very little conscious understanding of what being bad really is. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in to their temptation. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse that is inside of us until we try to fight it. Jesus Christ, because He was the only one who never yielded to temptation, is also the only one who knows to the fullest extent what temptation means—the Lord is the only complete realist.

Mere Christianity (expanded translation)
C.S. Lewis

For more information read (Romans 7:7-25)

Not really a Christian story, but this was a good article for anyone trying to lose weight and stay healthy. Thought I'd share it. Have a great day folks! JB

27 Weight Loss Motivation Tips: The Definitive Guide to Stay on Track in 2017

"I called him, but he gave me no answer."
Song of Solomon 5:6

Prayer sometimes lingers, like a beggar at the gates, until the King comes forth to fill their requests with the blessings they have sought. The Lord, when he has given us great faith, has been known to test it by long delays. He has been known to let his servants' voices echo back into their ears as from what seems a sky of brazen iron. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained closed, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, "You have covered yourself with a dark cloud, so that our prayer should not pass through."

Therefore, many true saints have continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because their prayers were not heartfelt, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased God who is the Sovereign, and who gives according to his own pleasure. If it pleases Him to test our patience itself, shall he not do as He wills with His own! Beggars must not be choosers as to time, place, or form in which God answers. But we must be careful not to assume that His delays in prayer are actually denials: God's long-dated bills will be punctually paid; we must not allow Satan, through his many messengers, shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers.

Unanswered petitions are not unheard petitions. God keeps a file for our prayers--they are not blown away by the wind, they are treasured in the King's archives. There is a registry in the courts of heaven wherein every prayer is recorded. Tried and tested believer, the Lord has a tear-bottle in which the costly drops of your sacred griefs are put away, and a book in which your holy cries are numbered. In time, your plea to the Judge of Heaven and Earth shall prevail. Can you not be content to wait a little while longer, knowing that the Lord will honor His word? Will not the Lord's timing be better than your timing?

In time, the Lord will comfortably appear and your soul will be full of joy, and you will indeed put away the sackcloth and ashes of your long wait, and put on the scarlet and fine linens of full fruition to your prayers.

C.H. Spurgeon - Modern Revision

Willful Sin!

“Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.” Psalm 19:13

And this was the prayer of the "Man after God's own heart." Did the holy King David need to pray this? If that is the case, then how much more must we need this prayer to be granted to us! It is as if King David said unto the Lord, "Hold me back, or I will rush headlong over the cliff of sin."

Our evil nature, like a bad-tempered horse, is very likely to run away on a whim. May the grace of God put the bridle upon it, and hold it back, so that we may not rush into the waters of sin. We have no idea what even the best of us would willingly do if it were not for the constraints that the Lord has shackled onto us with His mighty providence and grace!

King David's psalmist prayer is directed against the worst form of sin--that which is done deliberately and willfully. Even the holiest saints need to be "kept back" from the vilest of transgressions. It is a sobering thing to find the apostle Paul warning saints against the most loathsome sins. "So completely subdue the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world."

What! Do saints need constant warning against such sins as these? Yes, they do. The whitest robes, unless their cleanliness is preserved by God's grace, will be defiled like the blackest swamp. Experienced Christian, do not brag about your experience; you will fall immediately if you look away from the only One who is able to keep you from falling. You saints whose love for God is passionate, whose faith is constant, whose hopes are bright, do not say to yourselves, "We shall never sin," but rather plead to the Lord, "Lead us not into temptation."
There is enough sinful kindling in the heart of the best of Christians to light a fire that would burn to the lowest depths of hell, unless God quenches the sparks as they fall. Who would have ever imagined that the righteous Lot, the adopted son of Abraham, would be found drunk and committing sexual in**st? Abominable!

May infinite wisdom cure us of the madness of self-confidence and let us “Turn to God and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I He alone is God our Savior, and there is no other!”

C.H. Spurgeon - Modernized Revision