A Gospel Tract a day, will...

[ReverendRV]

Garbage ~ by ReverendRV * April 19

Philippians 3:8 NLT; Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

The Greek word that is translated as ‘Garbage’ is used only once in all the Bible. In other Versions it’s mostly translated as Rubbish or Dung; either way it’s filthy. ~ Can you think of anything in life that is so grand, it might give you reason to say that nothing else in the world can compare to it? I suppose that a young man might feel this way when he thinks of the girl of his dreams, or when an old man remembers his granny’s cooking; but both fall short of describing the discrepancy between Jesus Christ and all other good things. Paul gave us an image of him ‘Spring Cleaning’ his house, preparing for God to visit him. ~ Would you get up and dust the furniture? Surely you would sweep and run the vacuum, right? Would you change the channel or take the magazines from your coffee table and put them in the junk drawers?

But why would you put something away under cover, instead of counting it as garbage which needs to be discarded? In the Bible, Rachel took one of her father’s household Idols, hid it in her saddle and sat on it; Lying about why she couldn’t get up; so that the Idol wasn’t found by her father. What do you own that’s worth hiding from God when he comes over for a visit? ~ Have you ever told a Lie? What would you call a person that tells Lies? Liars attempt to cover up their Sins, just as Rachel straddled hers. Have you ever Stolen anything? What do you call someone who would Steal from your father? Rachel was a Thief in her own house; have you ever Stolen money from your father? When I mentioned the thing you would keep and hide from God’s sight, it instantly entered your Mind; what was it? If you won’t count it as Garbage, then you are a Covetous Idolater. These are just four of the Ten Commandments, what If God judged you by his standard, would you be innocent or guilty? Does this bother you? ~ Gehenna was a place where criminals were buried and garbage was burned; God throws his Garbage into Hell…

The Jews used to clean the Yeast out of their homes to prepare for Passover; this symbolizes our being cleansed from Sin. Yes, we can be made right with God! For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish forever in Hell but have Eternal Life. Jesus Christ is the only person who lived that has NEVER Sinned against God; he kept all Ten Commandments. This allows him to gain entry to Heaven, but he never intended to keep this luxury to himself. He trades his Righteousness to all who jump at the chance, but he asks for something in return; your Sin burden. This caused him to Plea Guilty for you in your place and receive punishment from God for your Sins. He was Scourged with whips and hung on a Cross; he shed his blood and died. But God wouldn’t leave him in the grave, and he raised him from the dead! We’re Saved by the Grace of God through Faith in the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, without Working for it. Confess Jesus Christ as Lord, Repent from your Sins and find a Church that teaches the Bible. ~ Maybe you live like an Idol Hoarder, but just can’t see it?

1st Samuel 2:6 KJV; The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

 

[makesends]

What are the odds of a galactic ‘Cue-Ball’ crashing into another Planet in its Habitable Zone?? The odds would be astronomical!

Yes, "astronomical" —so to speak!

There's a reason puns are not quite against the rules!

 

[ReverendRV]

Gates of Hell ~ by ReverendRV * April 20

Matthew 16:18 KJV; And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Do you know someone who is busting Hell wide open? We think of people who are having the time of their life as living in the fast lane; even the Bible says that Sin is pleasurable for a season. We might even admire the antics of someone who lives their life going for the gusto; going from girl to girl or from party to party. ~ When I was young, we used to admire the ‘always high’ Jeff Spicoli from the movie ‘Fast times at Ridgemont High’. We watched another movie called ‘The Return of the Living Dead’ laughing at a Zombie we called Spicoli, since he reminded us of that airheaded character. The two may have as well been one; both of them the Living Dead. ~ As time goes by, our rebel hero races down the Highway to Hell by breaking the speed limits of God’s Law. You say, “The gates of Hell must be a mile thick if he hasn’t broken down its doors yet!”. But the truth of the matter is that it’s not this hard to enter into the kingdom of Hell…

Have you ever kept the Sabbath Holy? Have you ever told a lie? What do you call people who tell lies? Have you always honored your father and mother? That’s the first Commandment which came with a Promise; IE long life. Have you ever used Gods name as a cuss word? Have you ever supposed God doesn’t mind if you Sin? Then you have made a God to suit yourself, because having a false God is Idolatry. God has given Mankind his Ten Commandments. I’ve mentioned five of the ten here and they may seem the mildest of them; but I bet you’ve broken all Ten. Jesus said that Hatred is Murder and lust is Adultery. We see that we don’t have to be like the person who is busting Hell wide open to go there; Hell’s Gates are already wide open…

In his Sermon called ‘Sinners in the hand of an angry God’, Jonathan Edwards had this to say about how close every man is to the Gates of Hell. ~ ‘Unconverted men walk over the Pit of Hell on a rotten covering. The reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God's appointed time is not come. It’s said, that when the appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. They shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God won’t hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go. At that very instant, they shall fall into destruction; like standing on slippery ground on the edge of a pit. When let go, he immediately falls and is lost.’ ~ There is much more that can be quoted but God is angry with Sinners daily. The way in may be easy but the Gates of Hell are impregnable when you’re closed in by them…

The good news is that none of us need to go to Hell! After Jesus told Peter the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church, Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven”. As easy as it is to fall thru the Gates of Hell, it’s even easier to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! Here are the keys! ~ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior; if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your Heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be Saved. Jesus died on a cross 2000 years ago and shed his blood for the remission of Sin. He rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven and will return one day to open the Gates of Hell and empty it into an eternal Lake of Fire. ~ Jesus Christ is the Rock of Ages, and when you build your Life on him alone, you don’t have to worry about the ground falling out from under you…

Matthew 7:26 KJV; And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

 

[ReverendRV]

Happy Easter!