Happy Memorial Day! Hmmm?

Happy Memorial Day! Hmmm, what a curios thing to say? Is it a happy day? What is a memorial? 

Memorial:

1 : serving to preserve remembrance : commemorative

2 : of or relating to memory

In this case, it is a day to remember those American Veterans who have lost there lives defending our country, to honor them. Most Americans see Memorial Day as a celebration of Americanism and summer fun. But is that what Memorial Day is about? No, it is not! Memorial Day is a day to reflect and remember our struggles and not forget that all you have is the result of a sacrifice by another. 

Let me tell you about a perfect sacrifice. 2000 years ago the Son of God lived a perfect life, He bleed and died as a sin sacrifice in our place, He was buried, and He was raised from the dead the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Proving that He is the Son of God (Romans 1:4) and demonstrating that the wrath of God against sin is fully satisfied in Him (Romans 4:31). And now God can demonstrate His mercy by forgiving our sins, and remains righteous and just when He does, He does this toward the one who has faith in Jesus(Romans 3:25-26).

So use this Memorial Day as a day of reflection and Thanksgiving toward God and Jesus Christ for all you have and the free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus. And remember those fallen veterans who lost there lives on your behalf. 

Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ

Protest Sin or Preach the Gospel

I’ve noticed a trend lately that has caused me to ask the question. Are we as believers in Jesus Christ called to protest sin or are we called to preach the gospel? Sin has existed in the world among men since our father Adam sinned against God our creator by taking and eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The world that we live in is a dark and wicked place, but there is good in the world. Much of the beauty that God created still exists today. I have noticed a trend among some of my brethren, especially on facebook that has left me wondering, and asking questions, seeking answers from God in His word.

In October of last year my heart was pricked by God over the plight of the unborn. This caused me to do some research and in doing so I found out how far reaching this atrocity is. I also discovered the root cause of abortion in America which is sexual immorality. You can read about this in the blog I wrote called: “Sexual Immorality Kills”. This led me and some of my evangelism partners and our wives to begin going to abortion mills and plead for lives with the word of God and gospel of Jesus Christ.

As I previously stated I have noticed a trend lately among people that I consider to be brothers and sisters in Christ, which leaves me concerned. What really concerns me is that this has seemed to spread, and is being done among those who are considered to be leaders, at least they are in the street evangelism community around the country. I know that bringing this up is not going to win me any popularity contests, but I do think it should be said nonetheless.

The trend that I have noticed is this; protesting sin. What do I mean by that? Pictures of upside down flags, speaking evil against the country we live in and its leaders. Speaking evil against different groups of sinners, homosexuals are a prime example; posting their own articles for the purpose of degrading and defaming them and not realizing that you glorify them in the process. The apostle Paul said; “you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," just as it is written.” ~(Romans 2:21-24)

It is so easy to speak against something or someone that you do not like or even hate; that is human nature and it is a sinful nature at that; it is not like God. “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” ~(Romans 5:7-8) Let me tell you a little secret, the people of this world are not our enemies, they may even consider themselves to be our enemies and act like it, but they are not our enemies, they are our neighbors. They may very well be enemies of God, but they are not our enemies. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them; “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children. '” ~(Genesis 1:27, Acts 17:26-28) The people of this world are not our enemies, they are our neighbors; let me tell you who is our enemy, that liar Satan and our sin.

Allow me to paint for you a picture of two men:

One man, let’s call him Bob owns a strip club. He makes money by abusing women and exploiting them, by promoting drunkenness, and is a swindler because he is also a loan shark to the poor. Bob is a professed atheist and hates the name of Jesus and by the way, Bob is in his tenth homosexual relationship.

The other man, let’s call him Jim, has had the same wife for 20 years; he reads his bible and spends time in prayer to the Lord daily. He is on the Elder board at his church, and teaches Sunday school. Bob gives money to the poor, and is part of a local evangelism group who goes out into the community to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that he adores.

What is the difference between these two men? One man you would call wicked and one man you would call righteous. Let me ask you this, why would you call one man wicked and the other righteous, is it because of the things they do? I beg to differ, and scripture does as well! Before I tell you what makes one man wicked and the other man righteous, allow me to tell you how they are the same. They are both sinners! “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” ~(Romans 3:23), and if that is not enough to convince you read (Romans 3:10-18). Now that word sinner is so loosely used, it has in some ways lost its connotation, so to clarify, not only are they both sinners, both are totally depraved and worthy of all condemnation. The fact that Jim is not a strip club owner like Bob is only by the grace of God. You see us Christians like the Jew that Paul was speaking of in Romans 2:21-24 (previously quoted), we look at the law of God and from our carnate sinful minds, even though outwardly we say something else, inwardly we judge the people around us in comparison to the law, and if someone else’s lawlessness exceeds our own, we declare them wicked. But when we do that, we miss the entire point of the law, the law was not given among men for men to declare one man more sinful than another, the law was given to bring the knowledge that we are sinners, guilty before God(see Romans 3:19-20). Now that I’ve told you how these two men are alike, let me tell you how they are different. They are different because Jim has faith in Jesus Christ and Bob does not. Jim is not righteous because of the things he does or does not do; he is righteous because God has declared him righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.

Not too long ago, I think it was this past summer, a big stir occurred because the owner of Chic-fil-A made a statement standing up for marriage and against what is impossible, homosexual marriage. There was one particular day which was organized through social media, to support Chic-fil-A. This was to be done by everyone who was in support of S. Truett Cathy and his statement, by going to Chic-fil-A on that day and eating. The Lord has granted me an evangelism mind set, so I saw this as an opportunity to preach the gospel. One of the problems I find in preaching the gospel in Tyler, TX is that people never seem to gather together outdoors, they are either in a car or in a building. But I knew that there would be long lines and many people at the Chic-fil-A on Broadway in Tyler, so I thought there would be many outside, and that held true. I also knew because of the knowledge scripture gives me of human nature, that the driving force for this thing was self-righteousness. So from the sidewalk outside the Chic-fil-A, I did not preach against, or on homosexuality. I preached the law of God to bring the knowledge of sin, I preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, I preached salvation from the wrath of God through faith in Christ alone, and I preached repentance towards God. And I have to tell you, my thoughts on this matter proved true when I endured the worst heckling I have yet endured since becoming an open-air preacher, and it was by a woman who professed to be a Christian.

So this causes me to ask myself the question; am I going to the abortion mill to protest sin or preach the gospel? We will tell people that we are not here as protestors, we are here to share with you the gospel of Jesus Christ, but is that true, is that why we are there? I recently posed a question on facebook in a particular way, to elicit a response from like minded brethren, I wanted to hear from brothers and sister who like me, are reformed in their theology and also go to abortion mills. I have to tell you that all of the responses I got were encouraging, to my delight, and to the glory of God, all the answers I got were exactly the same thing that the word of God has shown me, and what I myself had been thinking.

I hate abortion; it is murder, abortion is the taking of another human life by malice of forethought. Jesus said; “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” I and the apostle Paul call this “the law of Christ”, “even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” So out of love for my neighbor I go to the abortion mill. So the question I asked myself, do I go to the abortion mill in protest of sin? The answer is, yes I do! But, I trust in the word of God. I know that there is nothing I can do stop the murder of a child in the womb, nothing! The laws of the country support the murder of a child in the womb. Does going out to an abortion mill protesting sin with signs and upside down flags stop abortion. No they do not; in fact I fear that it leads some to blaspheme God all the more. Now when I say signs, I do not mean that all signs are bad, some can actually be helpful but they are limited. One sign used in abortion mill outreach that is helpful is the “BABIES ARE MURDERED HERE” sign, created by babiesaremurderedhere.com. The reason this sign is helpful is because it declares the truth, which is that at this location, on this particular day and time, babies are being murdered. Things that are not helpful are things with the strict purpose of protesting sin and defaming. Signs that say, “Planned Parenthood is owned by Satan”, Upside Down Flags, “Obama Loves to Murder children”; these types of things are in themselves an offense, and do not lead to repentance.

Only the word of God and gospel of Jesus Christ by the Spirit if God can change a heart, the only thing that we have to change a heart and mind from sin to righteousness is the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, " But the righteous man shall live by faith."” ~(Romans 1:16-18) “For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows:" DO not say in your heart, ' Who will ascend into heaven? '(that is, to bring Christ down), or ' Who will descend into the abyss? '(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for " Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!" However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. ~(Romans 10:5-17)

So brothers and sisters, may I encourage you to stop protesting sin and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ alone; it is the gospel alone that brings life, protesting sins does not, protesting sin brings death; to talk about how wicked some group is like homosexuals or the country may make you feel better about yourself, but has never converted a single person; only the gospel has the power to do that. As the apostle Paul said, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” ~(1 Corinthians 2:2)




Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ

They Eat the Flesh But Do Not Drink the Blood

Catholics are a conundrum and can be difficult to witness too, I know this not from having read what others have written or said, but from having talked with Roman Catholics myself. I just realized the other day what the conundrum I speak of is, and it has come about through a combination of the word of God and my own conversations with a Roman Catholic man, by the name of Mr. Camille, during or time witnessing at the abortion mill.  (Where Babies Are Murdered at the Hope for Women Medical Group, 210 Kings Hwy, Shreveport, LA). I tell you the name of this place and where it is located, to expose to the world what they do, "Babies Are Murdered Here!".

The first time I talked to Mr. Camille I made a mistake; I asked him, " Do you believe in Jesus, are you trusting in Jesus?"  He became very very angry.  As angry as I've seen any unbeliever. It reached a point to where I said to him, "your actions reveal your heart, you need to repent and trust in Jesus!"  That did not go over well, he was stopping others and complaining to them about me. 

A few months passed in which I saw him at the mill but had not talked with him.  Then one day my wife and I were at the mill, a young man was there in front, I went over to get set up to start preaching.  My wife sparked up a conversation with the young man, he is Roman Catholic and was there to pray as the others do, but was a little more proactive than most. He had flyers for the local CPC, and a backpack full of fetal models.  

Side note: (On a later date this same young man would be cuffed in front of the mill, put in the back of a squad car while the police attached explosives to his backpack and blew it up.  He had left his backpack unattended while he talked with some people, so the mill called the police.)

My wife and I had finished up for the day and were about to leave, this young man and Mr Camille were talking, so we stopped as she spoke with the young man.  So as we all talked about abortion and the people going in and out of the mill, I said to Mr. Camille, "Can I ask you a question?". He said, "Ok". I asked him, "How are you made right with God?". He didn't have an answer, in fact the question seemed to cause him to ponder.  So this lead to a much less volatile discussion on sin, righteousness, and judgment than we previously had; ultimately to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Mr. Camille said something to me like; "there is only one church."  I said to him, "that is correct, there is only one church."  He said, "But you don't believe in the Catholic Church."  I said, "That is not correct, I do believe in The Holy Apostolic Universal Church, that is, every single person from all of time who has repented and believed in Jesus Christ alone as both Lord and Savior.  But what I don't believe, is that Rome is the authority of the Church.  I believe that Jesus Christ alone is the Leader of the Church, and that scripture alone is the authority of God among men."  This lead into a discussion about the sacraments of the church, tradition, and Papal authority.  He brought up Matthew chapter 16 as proof that Jesus had made Peter the Pope and established Papal authority as the rock upon which he would build his church. I explained to him that is not what that text says at all.  I said, "The rock upon which Jesus said He would build His church was the confession of Peter, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!'"  Look at this conversation between Jesus, his disciples, and Peter in context.

Peter’s Confession of Christ

Matthew 16:13-20 (nasb)- "Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ."

Those who know me, also know that I enjoy going on long runs; and while on these runs I talk with The Lord, recite scripture, and formulate many of my open-air sermons.  On one particular run this past Friday I was reciting John Chapter 6 and meditating on it.  Then I came to this passage: John 6:54 - "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."  

I realized, that this is the conundrum in witnessing to Roman Catholics. Most all cults deny the deity of Jesus Christ ("You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!'") and do not trust alone in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as payment in full for there sins.  Most cults that is except Roman Catholics.  Some will be offended by my saying this, but here it is, Roman Catholicism is a  cult, and has developed in to what it is today over a long period of time, gravitating away from biblical Christianity.  While most all cults deny both the deity of Jesus, and His sacrifice as payment in full for there sins, Roman Catholics are different; they do not deny the deity of Jesus as other cults do, but they also are not trusting alone in His blood sacrifice on the cross as payment in full for their sins.

They believe and teach "that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross, was raised from the dead and will come back to judge the living and the dead." ~ Mike Gendron

That's not the problem, in fact all that is good about Roman Catholics, in fact, in a way it makes us like half brothers.  What do I mean by half?  "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."  To eat the flesh of Jesus means to believe in who He is; the Christ, the Son of the living God, and to drink His blood is to trust alone in His blood sacrifice on the cross as payment in full for your sins.  

You see Roman Catholics, at least the ones I've talked to, believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, but are not trusting alone in the shed blood of Jesus on the cross as payment in full for there sins.  So what then are they trusting in, the church, that's right, the church; they are trusting in the sacraments of the church and tradition to make themselves right with God.  You see a Roman Catholic sees righteousness as being infused; Christ began the work on the cross and you must be sanctified over a lifetime through the sacraments of the church in order to enter into heaven.  In other words, salvation to a Roman Catholic is Jesus plus your own works done through the sacraments of the church.

But that is not what the bible teaches is it?  The bible teaches, imputed righteousness, justification by grace through faith.  

Justification by grace through Faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."  

Romans 1:16-17 - "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “ But the righteous man shall live by faith.”"  

Romans 3:21-28 - "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law."

This wound up being a much longer note than I had intended it to be, but in order to fully impart what I wanted to say it needed to be.  I bring this up because I love Roman Catholics like Mr. Camille and others; I want to see them come to repentance and faith, trusting alone in Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior.  So when you witness to a Roman Catholic remember this; they eat the flesh but do not drink the blood.

Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ

Review of “How to Answer the Fool”

I call Sye Ten Bruggencate friend and brother, while I have never yet physically met brother Sye and shook his hand, laboring along side him; I have had the privilege of chatting with him over the internet with instant message and interactions on Facebook. Lord willing, one day our paths will cross, because we have many of the same friends, and are both out in the world preaching the gospel that saves; the only way to the Father, Jesus Christ the Lord. Sye Ten Bruggencate, along with Crown Rights Media, and American Vision Inc. have just released an 85 minute long documentary movie on Sye’s approach to presuppositional apologetics called: “How to Answer the Fool, A presuppositional Defense of the Faith”. I must tell you that this is an excellent work and a must view for anyone who desires to share their faith and glorify Jesus Christ in the world.

I praise God for this teaching, and making it known to me. In my own one-on-one witnessing encounters and talking with hecklers during open-air sermons, I have employed this technique, but did not realize what I was doing and why. The five Solas of the reformation are the why I did:

1. Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone
2. Solus Christus – Christ Alone
3. Sola Gratia – Grace Alone
4. Sola Fide – Faith Alone
5. Soli Deo Gloria – The Glory of God Alone

I was so adamant in Scripture Alone that I would not allow anything else to enter into the argument, I would say, “This is what scripture says” and if anyone said anything contrary to scripture I would say, “That’s not what scripture says”. I have overtime dabbled in this apologetic with the understanding that all men know that there is a God, and an absolute standard of morality, that they suppress their knowledge of Him in their unrighteousness. In other words, they love their sin so much that they suppress their knowledge of Him, and the fact that they are accountable to His absolute moral standard.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)

Now while what I was doing was right, the reason I was doing it was not. In my apologetic, I was sticking to scripture alone, but did not understand fully why I should do that. I knew that the bible says; “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” Now while the bible calls them fools I must admit, prior to seeing this movie, I did not get that. I would even quote it to people, but did not get it. I thought of people who did not profess God as being ignorant, that they needed to be educated, so I would try and educate them, so that they might understand, and if they understood, they would repent, and believe. I now see how ignorant I was, they are not ignorant; they are fools. Sye does a great job explaining this in the movie. A fool is not ignorant, the fool has knowledge. A fool is someone who knows the right thing to do, and knowingly does the wrong thing. The bible calls them fools, and we should not think of them as being ignorant, we should think of them as fools. You answer a fool in a much different way than you answer someone who is ignorant.

The word of God says how NOT to answer the fool, and if you do so, you become like him. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him.” (Proverbs 26:4) If he says there is no God, don’t believe him, do not entertain that for even a second, and do not enter into a discussion with him on the validity of Scripture or proof of God, because he already knows these things, regardless of what his mouth may say.

While the word of God tells us how NOT to answer the fool, and gives reason for that; in the very next verse scripture also tells us HOW to answer the fool, and gives reason for that as well. “Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:5) I’m not going to go into “How to Answer the Fool” myself; Sye goes into this in detail during the movie.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to glorify their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who has love for their neighbors, and want to see them come to repentance and faith. Everywhere I have mentioned Sye during this blog if you click on his name it will take you to his website: “Proof that God Exist”, and everywhere that I have mentioned the name of the movie, “How to answer the Fool, Crown Rights Media, or American Vision Inc., just click on it and it will take you to the page where you can order the movie. The movie can be ordered electronically for $19.95 and comes with an Electronic workbook, or order a DVD for $24.95 and it comes with a paperback workbook.



Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ

Don't Trust on the Mercy of God

What are you trusting on to save you on the day of judgment? Is it the mercy of God? What if I told you that I am not trusting on the mercy of God to save me on the day of judgment, what would you say to me? Perhaps you would ask me; "What then, are you trusting on to save you on the day of judgment?" My answer would be; "I'm trusting not on the mercy of God, but in the justice of God to save me on the day of judgment." You might ask; "We'll what do you mean by that, you have sinned against God, 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23)?" My answer; "I am trusting in the gospel, that my crimes have already been paid for in full. By the King of Glory, God incarnate, Jesus Christ The Lord. Justice has been served!" But I would also add this; "If you are trusting on the mercy of God rather than in the justice of God, you need to test yourself to see if you are in the faith; because if you are trusting on the mercy of God rather than in the justice of God, you have believed a different gospel than the one Paul preached. So repent and believe in the gospel!"

(Romans 3:21-26)
"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."


Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ

Repentance Is Of God Alone

​In and among many Christians (a Christian is defined, as someone who has repented and trusted alone in Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation from the wrath of God against sin); there are many who speak about repentance, and some who never mention it. I believe that we must get this right, because so much is at stake, an eternity with God. Repentance is very important to God, so important, that in Acts 17:30-31 the word says; “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." This is why repentance should be both understood, and talked about, and must be a part of every gospel message.

​Now I believe that the bible declares all men to be radically depraved and totally incapable of coming to God on their own. There is no greater passage in the Bible than Romans 3:10-18 to explain this.
“as it is written,
"There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one."
"Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,"
"The poison of asps is under their lips";
"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness";
"Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known."
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

​A man will not, nor cannot come to God on his own, because it is not in his nature to do so; that in order for a man to come to God on His terms, a man must repent. To repent quite literally means to change your mind. A man will not change his mind; he will fight tooth and nail to declare himself right. Even in the face of insurmountable evidence against him, and proof to the contrary, the closest he will come to changing his own mind is in saying; “Will yeah, but!”. But what? But what he is really saying is, “But I’m not going to fully concede.” Repentance is a super natural work of the Holy Spirit done through the hearing or reading of God’s word, whereby the Holy Spirit takes out the man’s heart of stone, giving him a heart of flesh, so that he will then capitulate (give up). Repentance is throwing up your hands and saying, “I surrender Lord, you are right and I am wrong. What would you have me to do Lord? I am Yours and Yours alone, do with me as You will.”

​There are some that believe a man must be baptized in order to be saved. I do too, but before you think I’m a heretic for saying this, allow me to fully explain. Read to the end of this note, so that you might understand what I mean, and what I believe the Lord is saying to us about baptism in Mark 16:16. I have recently looked at Mark 16:16 in a different light, I try to step back from what men have told me, and look at the word of God as it was written. I never thought that it was about Baptismal regeneration as some will claim, but I now do! Allow me to explain. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

​It is obvious what The Lord is saying here, that you must believe and be baptized to be saved. Now what is He talking about here? Is he talking about a physical water baptism or something else? I believe something else, and here is why.

​"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9). So therefore, Mark 16:16 cannot mean a physical water baptism, because that would be a result of works; so what then does it mean? And since the Lord is saying to us, that “he who believes and is baptized will be saved”, I think that it is a good idea to find out what He is saying.

​At the end of “The Gospel According to Luke”, The Lord commands His apostles; "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) Now what did He mean by clothed with power from on High? Take a look at what He tells them at the beginning of Acts for the answer. "Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5) Hmmm, could it be that Jesus meant what He said in Mark 16:16, that “he who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved” (baptized with the Holy Spirit that is)?

​I think Jesus really drove this home with Nicodemus in John chapter 3 when He said; “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Then he said, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6) Some will take the first part of verse 5, “born of water”, to mean physical water baptismal regeneration, again it cannot mean that, because of what he said in verse 6, “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” So then what does He mean by water and the Spirit?

​Propitiation! Romans 3:25 says; “whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.” As you can see, propitiation has two parts; blood and faith. One without the other does not equal propitiation, and without propitiation there is no redemption, and without redemption there is no salvation from the wrath of God against sin. But, where you have both the blood of Christ, and faith in Christ; you have propitiation, you have redemption, and thus salvation.

​So what are the water and the Spirit that the Lord was talking about in John 3:5? Earlier, I mentioned that in order for a man to repent, the Holy Spirit must take out the man’s heart of stone and give him a heart of flesh. Take a look at this in a passage from Ezekiel 36.

​“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:24-28)

​Propitiation; “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean;” we are cleansed from all of our filthiness and idols by the blood of Jesus Christ! “I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes” repentance, being born of the Spirit!

​There are many, who have head knowledge of Jesus Christ; that He is the only begotten Son of God, which He has died for the sins of men, and arose from the grave on the third day. But in order to be saved, you must be born again, be born of the Spirit of God, where He takes out your heart of stone and gives you a heart of flesh, putting His Spirit within you; being baptized with the Holy Spirit, causing you to then walk in His ordinances. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

​ In order to be saved, you must repent and believe. We know, and trust brethren; that the gospel, is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, and that faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (See Romans 1:16, 10:17) So we faithfully preach the gospel, and in doing so, we are totally dependent on God. For when we tell people, that they must repent and believe in the gospel; we are both telling them exactly what they need to do, to be saved, and at the same time we know, that they are totally incapable of doing this on their own, without a super natural work of the Holy Spirit, causing them to be born again, believing and being baptized by the Holy Spirit. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." (Mark 16:16)




Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ