The Gospel

The word Gospel means (Good News). Jesus promised eternal life to everyone who comes to God through faith in Him alone. After this Jesus was crucified, dead and buried, and then on the third day He arose from the grave. After His resurrection He first appeared to the women, then to Peter, then to the other apostles, and then to over 500 brethren at one time. While on the mountain, after His resurrection He said to His disciples, “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” His disciples witnessed His ascension into heaven in bodily form. He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven making intersession on behalf of everyone who comes to God through faith in Him alone.

The attributes of God describe the nature of God; you must know Him in order to understand the reason Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are good news.

God is holy; He is set apart, He is not like us, the prophet Isaiah wrote; “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.” (Is.55.8)

God is immutable; this means He never changes, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb.13.8)

God is righteous, the Psalmist wrote; “God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.” (Ps.7.11)

God’s standard for man is righteous; Jesus said, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat.5.48)

But we are not righteous, we are not perfect, we are sinners; “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.” (Rom.3.10-18)

If you believe yourself to be righteous, if you think that you are good God has given His holy law to bring the knowledge of sin:
If you have ever told a lie even once, you are a liar.
If you have ever stolen anything, you are a thief.
If you have ever taken the name of the Lord your God in vain, using the name of your creator as a filthy curse word, you are a blasphemer.

Time does not take away your sins, nor are sins only the things that you do and say, but are also the things that you think:
Jesus said; “You have heard that the ancients were told, ' You shall not commit murder ' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. 'But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ' You good- for- nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Mat.5.21-22)
Jesus said; “" You have heard that it was said, ' You shall not commit adultery '; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mat.5.27-28)

The punishment that God has ascribed for all sin is death, the death of the soul, “the second death, the lake of fire.” (Rev.20.15.&.21.8) Hell!

Another attribute of God is that God is merciful; “For He says to Moses,’ I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Rom.9.15)

Now this attribute of God cannot contradict His other attributes; He is not merciful at the expense of His righteousness. If God were to overlook your sins, He would have to lower His righteous standard down to your level. He cannot nor will not do that, because He never changes; He is always holy and righteous.

So how does God reconcile this? How can God forgive sinful men and at the same time retain His Holy and righteous standard?

“For God so loved the world that gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jo.3.16)

“God is love.” (1Jo.4.8) So He became a Man and walked amongst us, Jesus the Christ the Son of God. He lived the righteous life that God requires of all men for eternal life with God in Heaven, then willingly laid down His own life on the cross for our sins; taking upon Himself the punishment that we deserve for our sins against God. He died forsaken of God, He was buried, and then on the third day He arose from the grave defeating sin and death, “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.” (Rom.1.4)

In Christ God can and will forgive your sins, because Jesus lived as a man the righteous life that God requires of all men, then willingly died in place of His sheep for their sins against God; outside of Christ He cannot nor will not forgive your sins, because God never changes, He is always holy and righteous.

What does it mean to be in Christ?

Jesus said; "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." (John.3.14-15)

Jesus said; "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John.6.40)

Jesus said; "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life." (John.6.47-48)

Jesus said; "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (John.10.9)

Jesus said; "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (John10.11)

Jesus said; "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." (John10.27-28)

Jesus said; "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John.11.25-26)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.6.23)

“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John.1.11-13)

Repent (that means change your mind). Change your mind and believe in Jesus, trusting in Jesus alone as Lord and Savior. Jesus promised eternal life to everyone who comes to God through faith in Him. Repent and believe in the gospel.




A slave of Jesus Christ

Jesus is the Light of the World John.8.12-32

Message preached at Tyler Junior College today on John8.12-32. Jesus is the Light of the World.



A slave of Jesus Christ

The Wolf and the Narrow Way

The wolf has created a religious system that uses the name of Jesus, but is not the narrow way; it is in fact the broad way. This religious system has many names, allowing one to call Jesus Lord, but at the same time preventing him from looking to Jesus death on the cross alone as payment in full for his sins. This religious system, like all religious systems are the same, causing one to trust in his own personal righteousness to save him on the day of judgment. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name (preach in the name of Jesus), and in Your name cast out demons (stop sinning), and in Your name perform many miracles (good works)’. And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; ‘DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’.” (Mat.7.22-23)

Verses 15-20 contrary to what some have preached is not about men and women who call themselves Christian, but continue to sin. It is about false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Jesus said in verse 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” Therefore, the question that one should ask; what is the will of the Father?

The Jews wanted to know what they could do to do the works of God. This is the same question that everyone asks who wants to be made right before God on their own terms. “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (Jo.6.29) The wolf learned many years ago that the Lordship of Christ Jesus could not be denied, but if he could convince man that he remains on a conditional footing as his father Adam was, and Israel was; then he could prevent him from looking to Jesus alone as both Lord and savior. What is the will of the Father? Jesus said; “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (Jo.6.38-40)

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Mat.7.21). Do you want to be right before God? Do you want to enter the kingdom of heaven? Then do the will of the Father; look unto Jesus alone, believe in Him! Yes, it is that simple; behold the Son and believe in Him. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” (Jo.3.14)

The Christians footing is sure, he does not walk on unstable ground. Adam walked on a conditional footing; “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Gen.2.16-17) Israel walked on a conditional footing; if they kept the law God would bless them, if they broke the law God would curse them (see Deuteronomy 30). The Christian, the one who beholds the Son and believes in him walks on an unconditional footing; he is not under law but is under grace.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” (Rom.6.1) “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (Rom6.15) In all accounts may it never be; the Christians life is one of thanksgiving to God in Christ Jesus for what He has done for him. The Christian is not in any way under a conditional footing; he is not under law he is under grace, you cannot break that which you are not bond too. The Christian's standing is one who is sinless, he is not under law but under grace, because of this the believer lives a life of thanksgiving toward God in Christ Jesus for what He alone did for him.  "Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?....."But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." (Rom.7.1.&.6)

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Rom.6.8-11)

Faith in Jesus alone is the narrow way, Jesus said; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Jo.14.6)



A slave of Jesus Christ

(All quotations NASB, parenthesis mine)

Pleading/Begging All Men to Come to Christ

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."

A few years ago (2010) I was compelled by the Spirit through scripture to take to the world the gospel; the good news concerning Jesus the Christ the Son of God; He is risen! I was not clear as to how I should go about this, other than to tell people what Jesus had done. The Lord gave me a voice, a voice that can be heard, so I preached in the open-air. I have become a more proficient preacher, but I am still at the same place I was then, telling people what Jesus had done. I will usually begin any open-air sermon by introducing myself, saying what I am there to speak about by proclaiming Romans 1:16-17, then I give an exposition on the gospel; after that I will proclaim and explain another text out of scripture, concluding by pleading/begging men to come to Christ.

The gospel, the good news concerning Jesus the Christ the Son of God; He is risen! God is righteous, and this attribute must not be misunderstood; He is perfect, and His standard for man is perfect; but we are not righteous, we are not perfect, we are sinful. So what does a righteous God do with people like us, sinners? If He were to simply forgive our sins He would have to lower His righteous standard. The penalty for sin is the second death, the death of the soul; hell! If He overlooked our sin He would not be just. God is love, God is merciful! How can God be merciful to sinful men, forgiving our sins, and at the same time be just, retaining His righteous standard? The only answer is in the cross of Jesus Christ. God is love so He sent His only begotten son, Jesus the Christ to live the righteous life God requires of man for eternal life with God. He willingly gave up His life taking upon Himself the condemnation for our sins, dying in our place forsaken by God. He was buried, and on the third day He arose from the grave defeating death; proved to be the Son of God, having all authority in heaven and on earth to forgive sins. He offers to all men His righteousness before God, that is eternal life; and this offer is a free gift, a gift that we do not deserve and cannot earn. This gift is received one way, through faith in Jesus the Christ the Son of God. If you are in Christ God can forgive your sin, because Jesus paid the penalty for your sins in His own blood, and has given to the one who believes His righteousness before God. God therefore retains His righteous standard, and can be both just and merciful to the one who has faith in Jesus. So repent put your faith in Jesus the Christ the Son of God alone for the forgiveness of your sins.


Here is a video of my friend and brother in Christ Mike Anderson at the end of his open-air message, pleading/begging these students to come to Christ Jesus:




A slave of Jesus Christ

Expository Preaching, the Only Way to Preach Weather From the Pulpit or In Open-Air

The only way we know the Lord is through the scripture alone. The Lord said to His apostles; “You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke.24.48.NASB) The apostles themselves, by their own hand or through a scribe (the hand of another), wrote down for us their witness of the things that they saw and heard. If you know Jesus, you came to know Him through the scriptures alone. There are many preaching about a man named Jesus, but if it is not the Jesus expressly proclaimed in Scripture alone he is not the Jesus through whom salvation is obtained. Just because someone says the name Jesus in their preaching does not mean that he is preaching about Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God. If anyone is to come to know Jesus, they will come to know Him through the scriptures alone; weather that be by reading the scripture oneself, or by hearing as someone else reads the scripture aloud. So we know about the Lord through the reading or having the scripture read to us.

We understand the scripture by the Holy Spirit, weather that is by direct revelation from Him as we hear or read the scripture; or also indirectly from another believer as he explains the scripture to us as has been reveled to him by the Holy Spirit.

Now with regards to preaching, the word of God has expressly said; “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom.10.17.NASB) We are all saved one way; by the grace of God through faith in Jesus alone. The scripture says; “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom.10.13.NASB) Jesus is His name, and we know about Him through scripture alone. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts.4.12.NASB)

Therefore men are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus alone, and faith comes from hearing about Him through the scripture alone, and the understanding of which is given by the Holy Spirit. Therefore from now on, all my preaching will be expository from the scripture alone. I will open up the scripture, proclaim and explain the scripture alone.

C. H. Spurgeon said; “Faith has three parts; knowledge, belief, and trust.” His knowledge of this must have come through this passage of scripture. “How then will they call on Him (Trust in 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?” (Rom.10.14.NASB) Many unregenerate men will not pick up the scripture and read it themselves; and it is through the scripture alone that they will come to know Him. So let us publicly proclaim and explain the scripture alone; so that men will hear about Jesus and come to know Him, believe in Him, and trust in Him alone.




A Slave of Jesus Christ

(The words in italics and in parentheses within the scripture quotation are my understanding of what is stated.)