There has been something that has been on my heart and mind all this week and I would like to share that with you today. “that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:12-14). I read this even now and say wow! So much said in so few words! I am the purchased possession of Jesus Christ, I belong to Him and Him alone do I belong; He purchased me with His very own blood and now I am His slave. When given a direct command I most obey and where there isn’t a direct command I most seek to do what pleases Him. He has promised that He will return for His possession and I await and look forward to His return. I know that I am His because He has sealed me with His Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee until His return for me. A few years ago I heard the gospel that lead me to Jesus Christ and Christ alone saved me, He convicted me of my sins and I Repented and embraced Him, He became my Master and I His slave. You too are a slave, you just don’t know it; I didn’t know it either. Every person who has ever lived is either a slave of sin and Satan or a slave of Jesus Christ! You may think you make your own decisions but it is your sinful nature that makes decisions for you. I ask you, have you repented from your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation? This is the least spoken word in church today but it is the core of the gospel and if you haven’t heard it you haven’t heard the gospel, the word is “REPENT”. In Luke 18:9-13 my Lord Jesus told a parable about two men, one believed himself righteous a Pharisee and the other believed himself to be a sinner a tax collector. They each went to the temple and prayed to God, both men believed in God but only one was saved. The Pharisee prayed this: “God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11-12). He patted himself on the back before a Holy God saying; “I am good, look at all the wonderful things I do”. The tax collector prayed this: “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner’ (Luke 18:13)! The Lord Jesus said: “I tell you, this man (the tax collector) went down to his house justified rather than the other (the Pharisee); for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).
Repentance: “Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty, vile, sinner in the presence of God; that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are Hell bond. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you and that you long to get rid of it and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practices, and you deny yourself and take up the cross and go after Christ, your nearest and dearest and the whole world may call you a fool or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially but it makes no difference. That is Repentance” (Martin Lloyd Jones)!
Do this today! Realize that you are a sinner and Repent, turning from it in every way, deny yourself the pleasures of sin and embrace Jesus Christ as your Lord, your Master and you will be His purchased possession! Your life depends on it.
Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
I am a slave
I would like to explain myself for you today, to give you some understanding of who I am. Why I do the things I do, say the things I say, and act the way I act. I am a slave! Yes, it is true I am a slave, I am owned. I have no independence, I have no rights, I am owned, I am at the mercy of my Master who purchased me, I am not my own I am His, I don’t make decisions for myself He does, I don’t live to please myself or anyone else for that matter, I live only to please my Lord, my Owner. I was bought by one Master I am owned completely by Him, I am available when and where He wants me and He requires my obedience, I am completely subject to His will alone, I am completely dependent on my Lord for everything; all that I have is His I own nothing of my own everything that I have is His He can give it to me to use as He wills and take it away again just as quickly. My wife, my children, my home, my job, my church are all His; He provides for all of these and can take them back anytime He wants. The money He gives me is not my own it is His and I must do with it what He says. All discipline and reward come from my Master only. He disciplines me as He wills and rewards me as He wills; I have no say so in the matter. I can’t leave, even if I wanted to.
You may begin to think that this is some kind of metaphor I assure you it is not, I am a slave bought and owned by one master. Now I must introduce you to my Master, my Lord, the one who owns me, Jesus Christ. You heard it right; I am a slave of Jesus Christ. Like I said, this is no metaphor, I am owned by Him, He is my Lord and Master and I am His slave. He purchased me, I am not free, and I am His. You see I owed so much that there was no way I could ever pay the price. The price for what I owed was my very life, eternal punishment in Hell. I was a criminal and had broken ten very serious laws numerous times, the laws I had broken are the very laws of God. God promises to punish everyone who does not keep His commandments (see Psalm 89:31-32). The Bible says: “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). So when you and I stand before God and He asks: Have you always loved Me? Have you worshiped false gods? Have you used My name in vain? Have you always honored the Sabbath day? Have you always honored your parents? Have you murdered, hated someone or even been angry at someone unjustly? Have you committed adultery, had sex outside of marriage, looked at another person other than your spouse with lust? Have you stolen, taken anything that doesn’t belong to you? Have you ever lied? Have you always been 100% pleased with what you have and not desired the things that others have?
Now what will you say when your stand before God and He asks you, have you kept my commandments? You know the answer, the answer is no, you haven’t. Hell is the punishment for ALL who break His law His commands. Each of us will stand before God in judgment and each of us are guilty. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The price for these crimes is death in Hell, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve broke the law, the judgment is based on whether or not you broke the law. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God, He never sinned even once. The Bible tells us that He was God Himself in Human form. He did something that none of us can do and only He can do because He was sinless and God himself. He gave His life in place for sin, when He was crucified on the cross, then being God He rose from the grave defeating death and He offers forgiveness of sins. “He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). “For you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20 & 7:23). Jesus has paid the price for your redemption, He has paid the price for your sins, you don’t have to go to Hell but if you except His payment for your sins you no longer are your own you are His. “That 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” (Romans 10:9) “Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11).
Let me be as blunt and open as I can be here. You are not saved if Jesus isn’t your Lord. You are saved when you except Jesus Christ as Lord meaning He owns you and you are His. Jesus said: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angles” (Mark 8:34-38). If Jesus is your Lord, when He gives a direct command if you are His slave you obey it, when there isn’t a direct command you do whatever you can to please your master. I would like to invite you to become a slave of Jesus Christ just as I am. Purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ, owned by Him.
Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ
You may begin to think that this is some kind of metaphor I assure you it is not, I am a slave bought and owned by one master. Now I must introduce you to my Master, my Lord, the one who owns me, Jesus Christ. You heard it right; I am a slave of Jesus Christ. Like I said, this is no metaphor, I am owned by Him, He is my Lord and Master and I am His slave. He purchased me, I am not free, and I am His. You see I owed so much that there was no way I could ever pay the price. The price for what I owed was my very life, eternal punishment in Hell. I was a criminal and had broken ten very serious laws numerous times, the laws I had broken are the very laws of God. God promises to punish everyone who does not keep His commandments (see Psalm 89:31-32). The Bible says: “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). So when you and I stand before God and He asks: Have you always loved Me? Have you worshiped false gods? Have you used My name in vain? Have you always honored the Sabbath day? Have you always honored your parents? Have you murdered, hated someone or even been angry at someone unjustly? Have you committed adultery, had sex outside of marriage, looked at another person other than your spouse with lust? Have you stolen, taken anything that doesn’t belong to you? Have you ever lied? Have you always been 100% pleased with what you have and not desired the things that others have?
Now what will you say when your stand before God and He asks you, have you kept my commandments? You know the answer, the answer is no, you haven’t. Hell is the punishment for ALL who break His law His commands. Each of us will stand before God in judgment and each of us are guilty. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The price for these crimes is death in Hell, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve broke the law, the judgment is based on whether or not you broke the law. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God, He never sinned even once. The Bible tells us that He was God Himself in Human form. He did something that none of us can do and only He can do because He was sinless and God himself. He gave His life in place for sin, when He was crucified on the cross, then being God He rose from the grave defeating death and He offers forgiveness of sins. “He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). “For you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20 & 7:23). Jesus has paid the price for your redemption, He has paid the price for your sins, you don’t have to go to Hell but if you except His payment for your sins you no longer are your own you are His. “That 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” (Romans 10:9) “Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11).
Let me be as blunt and open as I can be here. You are not saved if Jesus isn’t your Lord. You are saved when you except Jesus Christ as Lord meaning He owns you and you are His. Jesus said: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angles” (Mark 8:34-38). If Jesus is your Lord, when He gives a direct command if you are His slave you obey it, when there isn’t a direct command you do whatever you can to please your master. I would like to invite you to become a slave of Jesus Christ just as I am. Purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ, owned by Him.
Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The more understanding I have, the less I understand
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Jesus said when praying to His father in heaven; “I think You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” I am a sinner, I am not good, yet Christ died. God treated Jesus on the cross who had never sinned, or even had the capacity to sin like He had committed every sin by all who would ever believe. Then God treats those who have sinned as though we are righteous. Jesus did nothing deserving of death but was killed and we did everything deserving of death but receive life. The more understanding I have, the less I understand!
We are all sinners, sin is breaking the law of God and all who break the law will be held accountable, wether you like it or not the penalty for breaking God’s law is death in hell “where, Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.” “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” And Christ said of those who commit lawlessness; “Then the Son of Man will send out His angles, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” You know what sin is, God has written His laws on your heart. Have you ever told a lie? If you have you have broken the 9th commandment of God and the bible says “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”. Have you ever stolen anything, anything at all however small, if you have you are a thief and have broken the 8th commandment of God’s law! Have you committed adultery? Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Have you looked at another person with lust if you have you are and adulterer at heart and have broken the 7th commandment of God that says do not commit adultery. The 6th commandment of God’s law says do not murder and most people think they are good on that one but God’s law goes so much deeper than the surface, God sees the intentions of the heart. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment”. How often have you been angry at someone?
Now why do I ask you these difficult questions? Because I love you, that’s right I love you. Hell is real, there is a real place called hell where if you are not saved you will be forever. God sent His one and only Son Jesus to be His sacrifice for our sins. God poured out all of His judgment on Jesus who had never sinned and offers you who have sinned eternal life. So what must you do to be saved? Repent! That means to turn from what you are doing and turn to Jesus. No longer trusting in your own goodness but trust in Christ goodness, no longer trusting in your own acts but trust in the acts of Jesus, you can do nothing to save yourself but if you will Repent today and put all of your trust in Jesus Christ every sin you have ever committed or ever will commit will be wiped away and God will see you as righteous even though you are not. Is that not absolutely amazing. What an amazing God who would do that for us.
Trust in Jesus Christ today, your life depends on it,
Mike Peek
(Bible verses quoted in NKJV: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 12:25, Mark 9:44, 1 John 3:4, Matthew 13:41-42, Revelations 21:8, Matthew 5:27-28)
Jesus said when praying to His father in heaven; “I think You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” I am a sinner, I am not good, yet Christ died. God treated Jesus on the cross who had never sinned, or even had the capacity to sin like He had committed every sin by all who would ever believe. Then God treats those who have sinned as though we are righteous. Jesus did nothing deserving of death but was killed and we did everything deserving of death but receive life. The more understanding I have, the less I understand!
We are all sinners, sin is breaking the law of God and all who break the law will be held accountable, wether you like it or not the penalty for breaking God’s law is death in hell “where, Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.” “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” And Christ said of those who commit lawlessness; “Then the Son of Man will send out His angles, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” You know what sin is, God has written His laws on your heart. Have you ever told a lie? If you have you have broken the 9th commandment of God and the bible says “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”. Have you ever stolen anything, anything at all however small, if you have you are a thief and have broken the 8th commandment of God’s law! Have you committed adultery? Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Have you looked at another person with lust if you have you are and adulterer at heart and have broken the 7th commandment of God that says do not commit adultery. The 6th commandment of God’s law says do not murder and most people think they are good on that one but God’s law goes so much deeper than the surface, God sees the intentions of the heart. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment”. How often have you been angry at someone?
Now why do I ask you these difficult questions? Because I love you, that’s right I love you. Hell is real, there is a real place called hell where if you are not saved you will be forever. God sent His one and only Son Jesus to be His sacrifice for our sins. God poured out all of His judgment on Jesus who had never sinned and offers you who have sinned eternal life. So what must you do to be saved? Repent! That means to turn from what you are doing and turn to Jesus. No longer trusting in your own goodness but trust in Christ goodness, no longer trusting in your own acts but trust in the acts of Jesus, you can do nothing to save yourself but if you will Repent today and put all of your trust in Jesus Christ every sin you have ever committed or ever will commit will be wiped away and God will see you as righteous even though you are not. Is that not absolutely amazing. What an amazing God who would do that for us.
Trust in Jesus Christ today, your life depends on it,
Mike Peek
(Bible verses quoted in NKJV: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 12:25, Mark 9:44, 1 John 3:4, Matthew 13:41-42, Revelations 21:8, Matthew 5:27-28)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
We Are Not Our Own
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain ~Philippians 1:21. We who are redeemed in Jesus Christ have been bought with a price, that price is the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I read a quote this morning by the late preacher of the 19th century Charles Spurgeon, whom said: "Christ will save you, but a part of the agreement on your part must be this, ‘you are not your own, but are bought with a price.’” If you would have Christ’s blood to redeem you, you must give yourself up to Christ—your body, your soul, your spirit, your substance, your talents, your time, your all. You must from this day be Christ’s servant, come what may." ~Charles Spurgeon. This quote got me to thinking about whom and what we are. So often it is, so easy for us to begin thanking that all of this is about us. We human beings are so silly! The way we act and think you would think that God the father created all things through us and for us. In the Gospel of John he tells us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” ~John 1:1-3. Jesus and God the father were together before time began, God created all things, even time itself was created by God for His purpose. The book of Genesis in the account of creation the bible says that God created man in His own image. Then if we skip all the way to the book of Revelation it reveals to us the purpose of our creation, and that purpose is worship, we were created to worship.
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. ~Revelation 5:11-14
Our salvation in Jesus Christ is incidental to the purpose of God. God new before time began that he would redeem the elect in Jesus Christ for the purpose of worshiping His son Jesus Christ, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” ~2 Timothy 1:9. Your purpose and my purpose is to worship and glorify Jesus Christ, “ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ~Philippians 2:10-11. I am so thankful that God would create me for this purpose, to put myself under the authority of God the son, to the glory of God the Father. That is why I say as Paul said: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain ~Philippians 1:21.
Repent and Trust alone in Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. ~Revelation 5:11-14
Our salvation in Jesus Christ is incidental to the purpose of God. God new before time began that he would redeem the elect in Jesus Christ for the purpose of worshiping His son Jesus Christ, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” ~2 Timothy 1:9. Your purpose and my purpose is to worship and glorify Jesus Christ, “ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ~Philippians 2:10-11. I am so thankful that God would create me for this purpose, to put myself under the authority of God the son, to the glory of God the Father. That is why I say as Paul said: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain ~Philippians 1:21.
Repent and Trust alone in Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek
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