“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18

First the bad news, Be ready to experience the non-abashed gall of  sin. It is relentlessly against you. If you are not taking care of it sin will take care of you. It does not negotiate to give you a better outcome. Just sitting on the side lines watching sin play out is as destructive as actively engaging in it. That's like voting it into office to lead your life into the grave. Sin will rebel against your apathy and devour you and those around you. Sin is crouching at your door waiting to seize you. Just a little bit of it corrupts all, and is deadly at every dose. The wages of sin is death. Left unchecked sins mini spy guns turn into big arsenals with nuclear type destruction. It won't think twice about lying to you, telling you what you want to hear, so it can get you into the best position to kill you. The sin in each of us is cowardly. It only tells you and others half the truth so you don't hear the whole truth which has the power to save you. Sin is scared of light so it lies with smilin pride. It will gladly blow its smoke in your face and say its good for you. After deceiving you, sin legalizes itself and shouts in a suit, "One nation under Me with bondage and lawlessness for all!" It hides its true identity and true intentions and prances around like a Joker boasting, "You ain't seen nothin yet. I'll take you when you're at your lowest and kick you in the face when it will hurt you the most and when you're at your best I won't relent. I'm gonna take advantage of every inch of space you give me. Give me a millimeter and I will own you!" Sin is exceedingly wicked! It wants to redefine itself so it is unknowable, unrecognizable. Think of the endless examples of sin in you and around you that has been entertained at times and even left alone because it does not bother you. It robs and steals your joy and peace and desensitizes your conscience to the point where you don't know right from wrong or worse don't care. Sin molests and rapes everything and everyone innocent: Exhibit abortion,  lawlessness, euthenasia, nations without borders, porn, shelves of alcohol in your face, teachers having sex with students, food fights when kids are starving, wasteful spending when countless are in desperate need. Sin doesn't care about anyone. It laughs at and applauds "adults" who justify their  "adults only" behavior, activities, and decisions. Sin has no interest in helping others. It denies. Sin is suicidal at its best. It murders and hates inside and out, lusts and commits adultery inside and out, curses all things good and itself, it mocks, rebels, gossips, wastes, never gives thanks, never acknowledges God, curses God, and blasphemes God to his face. It is not ashamed. Sin stinks. It's best work is like filthy rags of menstruation (yes that's the true context of Isaiah 64:6), and Sin boasts in that garb. It thinks its the best thing around. It accuses and always blames. It enjoys atrocities but denies its involvement in those atrocities. Sin calls evil "good", and good "evil". It is sympathetic to terrorizing the world. It acquits the guilty. Sin doesn't like to talk about itself cause it hates the light.  Sin makes people squirm in their chairs when the light shines on it.................it causes love to grow cold.

Now this will be hard to swallow so brace yourself. YOU have a sinful nature just as I have a sinful nature. We all have a sinful nature. Sin means TO REBEL, TO OFFEND, TO TRANSGRESS, TO FALL, TO MISS THE MARK, TO OPPOSE OR OBSTRUCT, TO CAUSE TO STUMBLE, TO COMMIT A CRIME, WICKEDNESS, INIQUITOUS, UNHOLY.  The question is who are we offending and sinning against? The bible says we sin against God himself and his ways . King David stated it correctly: "Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just." Psalm 51:4.  If that offends you that's OK cause that's what sin does when it is called out. "Better are the wounds of a friend then the kisses of an enemy." Proverbs 27:6. You need someone who cares to tell you the tough stuff because your sin wants to run and hide and deny and blame and try to justify itself and we ought to be sick of sin both in us and in others cause it says, "I'm not that bad. There's much worse things." But it truly is bad at the very first drop. It's wretched and we are wretched. With the Apostle Paul we should confess that we are also the worst of sinners in 1 Timothy 1:15-16. The Word of God which sin despises by the way, is clear about our sinful condition: "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:12. We all are corrupt: "Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." Psalm 53:3. "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" Romans 5:12

Sin is real. It deserves to go to hell and die. Every first and last peice of it, every teeny tiny drop of it must be sent there because JUSTICE is also real. The bible greatly encourages us to deal with our sinfulness because  nothing sinful can enter God's kingdom: "And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell." Mark 9:45. "And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell." Mark 9:47. "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."Matthew 5:30. "Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned." Job 24:19 There are so many other clear truths about sin and the point is that we must be saved from our sins otherwise we will go to hell forever. As the above verses reveal, it is better to severly deal with sin on this side of eternity because there is no chance of dealing with it if we die without being cleansed from out sin nature. Thank God he has provided a way to be set free from sins death grip on us!

Now here's the good news! The BEST NEWS eternity past present and future will ever know! The Bible says to expose the evils deeds of darkness and to shine the light on the sin (REBELLION, OFFENSIVE WAYS, TRANSGRESSIONS...) inside of us. "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." Ephesians 5:11. It also says to confess our sin to one another and pray for one another so that we can be healed. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16. It also commands that we renounce our personal sin and confess them to Jesus Christ because he ALONE can forgive our sin and wants to. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. We need Jesus Christ because we need to be saved from sin and death and hell. No one can forgive sins but Jesus Christ. HE CAN because He drank the bitter cup of sin and wrath that His Father had reserved for you. Jesus wanted to take that awful righteous and justifiable punishment away from you. Everything in the firstparagraph is bitter, shameful, wicked, gross. Now put all your sins and mine collectively in a cup and imagine Jesus drinking it. Imagine our gross, shameful sins wrapped in pride and arrogance being poured all over Jesus the innocent Lamb of God. Imagine Jesus becoming all this gross sin for you willingly. Now realize He is your sin. All you can do is humble yourself and receive his kindness for you. His mercy for you. It's not a fairy tale, and this fact is the real reason why Jesus was crucified and beaten to the point where you couldn't recognize him. The fact is HE LOVES YOU. His Father hates sin and his anger and wrath toward it must be unleashed on it to satisfy Justice. So Jesus obeyed his Father and lovingly became your SINFUL NATURE so he could take the full weight of JUSTICE upon himself and die for you. "For our sake Father God made his Son Jesus to be sin even though he who knew no sin, so that in Jesus we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthains 5:21 Now God's Justice won't rightfully send you to hell forever if you respond to the invitation to believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin. Jesus did all the work that could ever be done to save you from your sins. It's the truth and if you sit there denying this rich act of mercy that Jesus did for you and wallow smug and indifferent to this only cure for your sin nature your wage is naturally death. The sad thing is that if you do go to hell you will have had to step over Jesus' body to get there. God hates your sin, he hates demons and Satan yet he loves you,  and He wants you to be saved from the bondage that sin has you in. " For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." Romans 6:23. The bible says that "if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord you shall be saved." Romans 10:9. It also says that "God so loved this world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16. It also states that "there is therefore NOW no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And because through

Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2 What is even better news is that Jesus rose from the grave after dieing and going to hell for you. He went to hell to get the keys of Hades. Jesus proclaims , "I am the Living One, I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hades." Revelation 1:18. Now if you believe in Jesus your sins won't only be forgiven but you will also be made white as snow and will be risen from the grave and spend eternity with God in his paradise forever. "“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." Isaiah 1:18

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly good news.

Will you put your trust in Jesus today to cleanse you of your sins and give you new life?

Jesus is coming back soon.

God is Gracious and Kind!

Matthew 20:1-16
vs. 3: "at 9am the Landowner was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them..." vs 6-7: "at 5pm that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around not working. He said, 'Why haven't you been working today?' They replid, 'No one hired us' The Landowner told them, 'Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.'

If you read this passage you'll learn that the Landowner ended up paying all the workers a full days wage. Even those who started at 5pm! The Landowner is God the Father!

The thing that impressed me about this parable Jesus told about Heaven is that his Father is gracious and kind to those who don't deserve it. I can see that Jesus wants to highlight 3 things in this story:1. What really matters in our lives is that we need to get to know God personally so we can be invited to work in his fields. 2. To encourage us in how we need to live our lives by getting to work for God and stop standing around doing nothing and 3. To come to accept the way God does things on his terms...even if it doesn't make sense. Ultimately, this means we are going to get to see a lot of people in heaven who lived their whole lives in the world, but at the last minute put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

The bottom line of this parable in Matthew 20 is that God is gracious and kind not wanting anyone to perish in eternal damnation because of their sins. He is so willing to pay you a full days wage even if you have worked for him for only 2 hours!  You ask how can he afford that? He can afford it because his son's blood is the most precious thing in all of the universe, and by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins God has payed everyone's required labor in advance and as a result he can give all the opportunity to be with him in paradise forever if they receive his free gift. You can receive the gift of salvation for free by being thankful and humble you are not required to work it out. The only "work" you have to do is receive by believing Jesus died for your sins and that his death is enough. Think about these next verses:

‎1: "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood & without the shedding of blood there is no forgivness of sins." Hebrews 9:22 2: Jesus said, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins...." Matthew 26:28, 3: You should know then, that through Jesus Christ's shed blood, that the forgiveness of your sins is proclaimed to you, & if you believe in Him He will free you from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." Acts 13: 38,39 & 4: "For God so loved (Put your name in here), that he gave his only Son for you, that if you believe in Him you will not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

When you realize God's kindness in this act of love the only thing you can really do is repent and turn away from your self and fall into the loving arms of God.

United Through Scripture

If we have been UNITED with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. Romans 6:5

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and UNITED in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ. Colossians 2:2

"That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be UNITED with his wife, and the two will become one flesh." Ephesians 5:31

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not UNITED by faith in those who heard. Hebrews 4:2

Brothers and sisters, I encourage all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to agree with each other and not to split into opposing groups. I want you to be UNITED in your understanding and opinions. 1 Corinthians 1:10

Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, UNITED in spirit, intent on one purpose. Philippians 2:2

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may be UNITED with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3

If Jewish people do not continue in their unbelief, they will be UNITED back into the tree again, because God is able to do that. In spite of the fact that you have been cut from a wild olive tree, you have been UNITED onto a cultivated one. So wouldn't it be easier for these natural branches to be UNITED onto the olive tree they belong to? Brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery so that you won't become arrogant. The minds of some Israelites have become closed until all of God's non-Jewish people are included. In this way Israel as a whole will be saved, as Scripture says, "The Savior will come from Zion. He will remove godlessness from Jacob.My promise to them will be fulfilled when I take away their sins." Romans 11:23-27

Prayer Scripture and Quote Archive:

Prayer Scipture 17.0- "Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldnesse he will get up and give him as much as he needs" Luke 11:5-8

Prayer Quote: 17.0- "AN URGENT NEED: Here intercession has it's origin. The friend came at midnight, an untimely hour. There was hunger and he could not buy bread. If we are to learn to pray properly, we must open ours eyes and hearts to the needs around us. We often here of the millions of unsaved souls living in midnight darkness, perishing for lack of the BREAD OF LIFE-Jesus Christ. We also hear of the many nominal Christians who are almost as unenlightened and indifferent as those who are unsaved. We see millions in the Christian church who know little of a walk in the light of God or in the power of a life led by bread from heaven. We all have our own circles-- congregations, schools, friends, missions--in which the great complaint is that the light and life of God are too little known. Surely, if we believe what we profess--that God alone is able to help, that God certainly will help in answer to prayer--all these needs ought to make us intercessors, people who give their lives to prayer for those around them. Let us make time to consider these needs seriously, because people are in urgent need of the Bread of Life-Jesus Christ!"


Prayer Scripture 16.0: "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
Prayer Point 16.0: " We may not yet have attained that full devotion to which our Lord had trained his disciples, neither may we equal them in their power of prayer. We may, nevertheless, take courage in remembering that every new step we take in our Christian life toward the perfect branch life, and every surrender to live for others in intercession, will be met from above by a corresponding liberty to pray with greater boldness and to expect larger answers. The more we pray, and the more conscious we become of our unfitness to pray in power, the more we will be urged and helped to press on toward the key to power in prayer- a life abiding in Christ, entirely at His disposal."

Prayer Scripture 15.0- "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him." Moses in Deuteronomy 4:7
Prayer Point 15.0- "The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if he be not there, one of the first tokens of his absence will be a slothfulness in prayer."

Prayer Scripture 14.0- "But everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved"
Prayer Point 14.0- "You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes to Sunday night. But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting."

Prayer Scripture 13.0- "We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word of God...And the Word of God increased; and the number of disciples increased." Acts 6:4,7
Prayer Point 13.0- "Don't make prayer your very last chance. Make it your very first choice."

Prayer Scripture 12.0- "She replied, "That's true Lord, yet even the dogs eat of the crumbs..." And Jesus replied, "O Woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will." Matthew 15: 27,28
Prayer Point 12.0- " You feel unworthy and unable to pray. To accept this heartily, and still be blessed in your unworthiness, is true humility. It proves its integrity by not seeking for anything but simply trusting God's grace; thus, it is the strength of a great faith and a full answer. "

Prayer Scripture 11.0- “Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today.” I Kings 8:28
Prayer Point 11.0- "God is not aloof. He says continually through the centuries, "I'll help you, I really will. When you're ready to throw up your hands- throw them up to me."

Prayer Scripture 10.0- " And He spoke a parable to them to this end, that man ought to pray, and not to faint...and shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily" Luke 18:1, 6-8
Prayer Point 10.0- "The sin, or the consequence of sin, that makes it impossible for God to answer prayer immediately is a barrier on God's side as well as ours. To break through this power of sin in ourselves, or in those for whom we pray, is what makes the striving and the conflict of prayer such a reality. "

Prayer Scripture 9.0- “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Prayer Point 9.0- God says to us, “Pray, because I have all kinds of things for you: and when you ask, you will receive. I have all this grace, and you live with scarcity. Come unto me, all you who labor. Why are you so rushed? Where are you running now? Everything you need, I have.”

Prayer Scripture 8.0- “I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” 1 Timothy 2:1
Prayer Point 8.0- “Sending leads to preaching. Preaching leads to hearing. Hearing leads to believing. Believing leads to calling on the name of the Lord”

Prayer Scripture 7.0- "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Revelation 3:20
Prayer Point 7.0- “God is ready to draw close to us and provide his love and power”

Prayer Scripture 6.0- “Go….ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.” Acts 9:11
Prayer Point 6.0- “The Holy Spirit is waiting for people to give him the time to work.”

Prayer Scripture 5.0- They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
Prayer Point 5.0- “The more we pray, the more we sense our need to pray. And the more we sense our need to pray, the more we want to pray.”

Prayer Scripture 4.0- “When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves." Mark 11:15-18
Prayer Point 4.0- “Jesus launched the Christian church, not while someone was preaching, but while people were praying. In the first two chapters of Acts as they were just sitting there…worshipping, communing with God, letting God shape them and cleanse their spirits and do those heart operations only the Holy Spirit can do…the church was born. The Holy Spirit was poured out.”

Prayer Scripture 3.0 – “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.” Psalm 4:3
Prayer Point 3.0 – “God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power.”

Prayer Scripture 2.0 – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3
Prayer Point 2.0 – “We need the Holy Spirit to transform our desperate lives and the desperate lives of those around us.”

Prayer Scripture 1.0 -“My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming." Psalms 27:8
Prayer Point 1.0 - “When God calls someone, that’s all that really matters. Don’t let yourself be afraid.”

DEEPER AND DEEPER HYMN
by Oswald J. Smith

May this be the heart's cry of the Bride of Christ for now and through all eternity!!

Into the heart of Jesus,
Deeper and deeper I go,
Seeking to know the reason
Why He should love me so,
Why He should stoop to lift me
Up from the miry clay,
Saving my soul, making me whole,
Though I had wandered away.

Into the will of Jesus,
Deeper and deeper I go,
Praying for grace to follow,
Seeking His way to know;
Bowing in full surrender
Low at His blessèd feet,
Bidding Him take,
break me and make,
Till I am molded, complete.

Into the cross of Jesus
Deeper and deeper I go,
Following through the garden,
Facing the dreaded foe;
Drinking the cup of sorrow,
Sobbing with broken heart,
“O Savior, help! Dear Savior, help!
Grace for my weakness impart.”

Into the joy of Jesus
Deeper and deeper I go,
Rising, with soul enraptured,
Far from the world below.
Joy in the place of sorrow,
Peace in the midst of pain,
Jesus will give, Jesus will give;
He will uphold and sustain.

Into the love of Jesus
Deeper and deeper I go,
Praising the One Who brought me
Out of my sin and woe;
And through eternal ages
Gratefully I shall sing,
“O how He loved! O how He loved!
Jesus, my Lord and my King!”