Blog Archives

WHAT MAY HARDEN THE HEART?

31/1/2017

Our eternal destination is determined by whom we served and how we lived before we leave this physical bodies. No one can tell when that moment will be for himself. So we need decide to live for Christ today. And every day is a new day that we must do the same.

Hebrews 3:12-15 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

The warning here is not for the world, but for the church, the body of Jesus Christ. We have to be careful “daily” to keep our hearts pure and soft in God's hand. When the Holy Spirit convinces us of sin, it is so important to not ignore Him. We need to stop and listen to what He says and obey Him, repenting and being willing to change with His help.

The heart starts to harden, if we ignore the Holy Spirit's alarm signals and we chose to commit the sin, knowing it is wrong. Continuing to walk on this road, following the lies of the enemy instead of the truth, will cause us to have no desire to continue to be in God's hand.. and He will let us go. Why? Because God respects our free will.

The following from Hebrews 6, verses 7 through 12 are explain what I just said:

Hebrews 6:7-12 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Word of God teaches us to live passionate lives for our Lord, to not lose hope in Him and in His provision, no matter how tough our circumstances may be. Only by doing so, we will remain in Jesus and He will remain in us, through the end! Only by keeping our faith in Him until the moment we finish this life, will we inherit eternal life! Glory to God, for He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide, teach and comfort us on a daily basis, helping us keep pliable hearts unto Him that we can continue to live in obedience every day! Thank You Lord Jesus, for making our salvation possible and for showing us the way to Heaven!

Carmen Pușcaș

0 Comments

WHO PAID MORE?

30/1/2017

0 Comments

God, in His wisdom, does not ask us to do anything that we cannot do or that would cost us more than be beneficial. In being a part of the Lord's vineyard, it is not only service. While we serve Him in maintaining a proper relationship and live life in obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we reap the benefits of growth and spiritual maturity.

Our salvation cost the Lord much more than many of us think it cost us. We feel that we must “give up everything” so that we can follow Him which is true in a sense. But literally, God the Father had his Son leave His position, splendor, beauty and divine order of heaven to live within the limits of a human body in a dirty, shabby, dusty and sinful world... God the Father endured seeing His son taunted, tortured, whipped, beaten, bleeding and exhausted without being able to intervene and even more, to see His innocent Son take upon Himself all the sin, suffering, grief, sorrows and diseases of all mankind (Isaiah 53:4-5). To watch His son, who had never sinned, hanging a cross that He was nailed to through His hands and feet, between two thieves, among the "transgressors" suffering the worst and most painful death possible at that time. "Jesus cried with a loud voice,"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" Jesus was saying, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) Jesus was actually acknowledging that His Father had forsaken Him . The Father's and Son's pain reached its peak, when the sins separated them for the first and only time, ever. They chose to go through all that pain, out of their love for us. How could we not treasure a love so great? Who paid more? God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or us???

What did we give up to be saved? The sin, bad habits and lifestyle and relationships we had were destroying us. The rules that God made for us have only been and always are for our benefit. Sin separated us from Him and the true, abundant life He had for us. We gained eternal life, a pardon from the eternal death that we deserve. It has been “all gain” for us. There is nothing in this world worth losing our souls for and yet, many turn back to sin every day.

Life with God is constantly beneficial for us. He knows what we could never know and is constantly here to help us make right choices. We need to glorify God with all our hearts and souls, and give Him our attention everyday and focus on the One who “deserves” all the love, adoration, honor, obedience and our worship. When we detach ourselves from the stresses of this life, we can begin to realize that there is the bigger picture and trust that God always brings something good from what at the time, seems the worst.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

This verse is one of the first ones that comes to my mind when going through hard times and I must say that I have never been disappointed. Each time the Holy Spirit has strengthened me with this verse; He also reminded me of similar situations that I went through and which seemed hopeless and how the Lord always saw me through. Is this not true for us all, as the Lord's children?

Once we taste the goodness and love of God and enjoy the safety of His protection over our lives, there could be no real reason to ever "go back" to the old life of sin and temptation. If one might be somehow tempted by the devil to partake of the so-called “pleasures of the world,” do not be deceived. Nothing can compare to what the Lord has for us in this life and even more of what has prepared for us for eternity.

As Paul recorded under the leadership of the Holy Spirit,

Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

The Lord cleansed and forgave us, covered us in His righteousness and canceled the debt we owed for our sins and asks one thing of us: "to live by the Holy Spirit" meaning, in obedience to the Lord.

The more I think about it, I can sincerely say that it really did not cost me anything to make Jesus my Lord and Savior. All the things that I thought were so valuable, including “self-lordship” are nothing to me now. The fact that I had to change the way I think, live and act and even learn new values, was all for my benefit. It is “profit” to me and not “cost.” I would not turn back from my new life in Christ for anything. Why would I want to go back to an old lifestyle full of worry, fear and insecurity? So the “price” I paid was actually a “huge gain” and in contrast, the price my Lord paid dearly for me was a “true cost.” I can only love Him and never cease to thank Him for redeeming me! Loving Jesus has only brought me the greatest good! Glory to God!

Carmen Pușcaș

0 Comments

IT IS HARD KICKING AGAINST THE GOADS

30/1/2017

0 Comments

What did Jesus mean when He revealed himself to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus and He used the Greek words about “kicking against the goads”?

Acts 9:3-5 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

When Jesus revealed Himself to Saul on the road to Damascus, the Saul who would become known as great apostle Paul, "the Lord appeared to him in His great light" and in so doing, the Lord came to “separate Paul from the light of this world” and the process left Paul literally blind. Thankfully, from that moment, Paul recognized Jesus as the true Christ, the Messiah that the Jewish people had been waiting for.

The Lord told Paul, that he would be instructed about the right path that he should follow.

Acts 9:6-9 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

While Saul had been very religious and zealous for God, he had “not been on the right path” because he had refused to accept that Jesus was the Son of God and as a result he disobeyed God and persecuted the Christians. He needed to be awakened and delivered from his rebellious path. If he would have not received the correction of the Lord, he would have been keeping the door open for receiving even more suffering by continuing to persecute the Lord and His people. The more he would rebel, the “the more he would feel suffering pain for kicking against the goads.” The expression that Jesus used was very suggestive. In those days, oxen teams were yoked together to pull wagon loads or for farming. When the oxen refused to follow the directions given by their masters, they used something called goads to force the animals to cooperate. As long as the animal stayed on the path and did as directed, they would never know the pain of the goad. These goads were made from a type or cane or strong reed that farmers would cut and prepare them by sharpening them or inserting something sharp in the end of it. Saul knew immediately what the Lord meant.

Acts 9:10-16 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Why did the Lord choose the process of using Ananias to heal Saul and not just heal him immediately? By sending one of His faithful children there in Damascus, God helped the local church change their opinion about Saul and to help show them that he truly was now their brother in Christ. It was God's way to help them no longer fear Paul as “Saul the persecutor and enemy of the church” and to help launch Paul's ministry.

God always has a purpose and a plan in everything He does; whether we can understand it at the time or not. It is truly helpful for us all to realize that it is how God works. When God chooses to manifest Himself by signs and wonders, visions, dreams, words of knowledge, prophecies and so on, He has His purposes in doing so. We need to learn to pay close attention to the voice and direction of the Lord. God's directions are always in conjunction with the Bible. He would never lead us against what His written Word says. Saul knew very well the teachings of the “Law of Moses” (The "Torah” or the “Pentateuch” that the Jewish people received from God through Moses, the first five books of the Old Testament) and he was also well-versed in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. He knew he could not ignore the vision that God had given him and to take it very seriously and the change in Paul can be seen in the evidence of Paul's life.

From the moment Saul saw Jesus, Saul knew that he was guilty of all the atrocities he had committed against God's children.

Paul was about to face the hard reality himself of what it would take to suffer for Jesus' Name. The Lord told Ananias:

Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Even though Paul chose to obey and serve God, it seems that there was a certain amount of suffering he would have to endure. Paul suffered multiple persecutions during his 32 years of ministry (from his conversion in 36 AD to his death in 68 AD when he was martyred at the command of the Roman emperor Nero). But if he had not repented and obeyed God, the price he would have paid would have been even higher, on earth and eternally. Paul considered his sufferings (that he listed in 2 Corinthians 11), to be from “a messenger of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7) and not caused by God. The Lord equipped Paul with all he needed to endure the many, many hardships he faced and Paul even considered them as “but a light affliction, which is but for a moment” that “is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). And God does the same for all of us. For more on this matter, please consider the article, Paul's Thorn In The Flesh.

Had Saul persecuted Christians out of mere ignorance or even stubborn ignorance? There is no doubt that Saul had witnessed the strength and determination of the Christians he had persecuted. He witnessed them preferring to die than to deny their Lord. While there is much speculation on this subject, one thing is clear, Paul ceased from being “the persecutor” and lived the rest of his days being a “persecuted one” and chose himself to die for his faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul's deep relationship with Jesus and the abundance of revelation that he received through the Holy Spirit along with the knowledge of the Word of God truly gave Paul the strength to keep on ministering and even ministering with joy, in spite of all the pain, hardship and persecution and to never go back to his old life.

When faced with the truth of who Jesus is, Paul accepted it. I pray that all those who are reading this today, will keep a right relationship with Jesus Christ all the way to their last breath. Even if at times, it might seem hard to stay faithful and keep living for God, we must choose to do so, because as we do, the Holy Spirit will strengthen us just as He strengthened Paul and we too will know the power of these words: ''I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Carmen Pușcaș

0 Comments

JESUS SET ME FREE... AGAIN!

10/1/2017

0 Comments

Over the years, the Lord has delivered me from sin, the penalty and bondage of it, including from various bad habits. He set me free from all kinds of things such as from smoking cigarettes to frivolously spending money. And lately, He has helped me even more.

Not everyone is born into a Christian home where Jesus is Lord. And while I come from a very hard working and tenacious background, I learned many things that the Lord has had to help me with and show me new ways. We know that when we become born-again, all things are new. This is meant spiritually. In the physical, if we weighed 300 pounds, we are born-again but still weigh 300 pounds. And the habits we had, become affected by the new born-again spirit but we still have to be renewed and transformed in our minds according to God's Word.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And in this life-long process, Jesus gave me a key to help! I was reading my favorite “rapture chapters” Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 again and while in Luke 21 and meditating on the Lord's words, He said something amazing in verse 19.

Luke 21:19 “By your patience possess your souls.”

Patience for me has been a life-long challenge. While I have been delivered from swearing for many years, patience is something that I have struggled with. And there were these words of Jesus jumping off the page to me, “By your patience possess your souls.”

Wow. And along with it, seemed to come the realization that not only will this key take us through the tribulation that Jesus was warning about, but also to help us daily.

I knew all to well that when we lose our cool, that it is when it is the hardest to not judge or criticize or slip to use swear words. And I was always seeking to “praise the Lord at all times.” Somehow, suddenly, a realization was sinking into my heart that when we lose our patience, we not only can lose our souls in the long run, but also in the immediate when we disappoint the Lord who is trying to lead and direct us. And that, praise God, when we keep our patience, we really do possess our souls! From studying the Bible over the years, I knew that “souls” does not always necessarily mean “spirits” but can often mean our “minds.” And in this case, in keeping our patience, we can keep it both!

Ephesians 4:20-24 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Naturally, this revelation was the beginning of the journey. My personal testimony is found under the testimonies and encouragement section as “Jesus Set Me Free... Again” and also an article called, "By Your Patience Possess Your Souls” co-written together by C. Pușcaș and myself. We also have a very helpful and insightful message called: "Renewing the Mind.”

If patience and keeping your cool has been a challenge too, please consider one or more of the articles. The Holy Spirit in teaching and shedding His light on this matter, truly helped our “paradigms” and not only are we are not the same but strength and joy have come from it.

The Lord bless and keep you in 2017 and always,

E. Cockrell

0 Comments

there is strength in jesus christ!

WHAT MAY HARDEN THE HEART?

WHO PAID MORE?

IT IS HARD KICKING AGAINST THE GOADS

JESUS SET ME FREE... AGAIN!

Authors

Archives

Dacă doriți să vă abonați la Newsletter cu noutăți, vă rugăm să completați adresa de e-mail. / To Sign Up for Updates please add your e-mail address.

there is strength in jesus christ!

WHAT MAY HARDEN THE HEART?

WHO PAID MORE?

IT IS HARD KICKING AGAINST THE GOADS

JESUS SET ME FREE... AGAIN!

Authors

Archives

​​Dacă doriți să vă abonați la Newsletter cu noutăți, vă rugăm să completați adresa de e-mail. / ​To Sign Up for Updates please add ​your e-mail address.

Dacă doriți să vă abonați la Newsletter cu noutăți, vă rugăm să completați adresa de e-mail. / To Sign Up for Updates please add your e-mail address.