MESSAGE OF SALVATION

     We have touched on this subject about salvation in the first three parts.  It is

an important part of salvation.

     It shows us just how much thought God put into His salvation plan.  Not only

that, it show us how concerned He was and is for His children.

     It also shows us how much had to be done in order for the salvation plan

could finally be completed.

     God has never, and will never, just throw something together and call it done.

You see God wants only the best for His children.

     God had to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus Christ.  They were not

ready for the birth of Christ.  To accept the birth of Christ as God's Son.

     So God sent out the prophets to proclaim the One who would be coming to

save the world.  Not to condemn us but to save us from our evil ways.

     This started hundreds of years before the actual birth of Jesus Christ.  Al-

throughout the Old Testament it tells of the Lord coming.

     God knew who Jesus's earthly parents would be.  So there was that waiting

time to account for.  While God waited for Mary to be born and prepared for the

task of giving birth to Jesus,  He prepared the people for the coming of the Christ.

     With all that said lets get started on the forth part of salvation.

                                   FORTOLD BY THE PROPHETS

     The reference book I used chose Isaiah as the prophet who fortold of the

Christ that would come to save the world.  Many others went out with the same

message.

     God did not sent His Sone into the world to comdemn us for our evil ways.

God loves us too much to do such a thing.  He wanted us to have the oppor-

tunity to choose either God or the world.

     On the other hand Satan is here to destroy, steal, condemn, and kill what

belongs to God.

     Isaiah told of the Lord that would come.  That He would heal those who were

blind and deaf.  That He was coming to save the world.  To save us from our evil

ways.

    The message that Isaiah foretold was not always accepted by those who

heard the prophesies he spoke about.

     In fact many thought that Isaiah was crazy to speak of such things.  It did not

stop Isaiah from serving God and telling all who would listen to him.

     Isaiah did not care what mans oppinion of him was.  Isaiah only wanted to be

a servant of God.  To be in His will.  To speak of what God wanted him to tell the

people.

     Isaiah knew how much God loved him and all of mankind.  Isaiah loved God

with all that was in him.  With his mind, heart, and soul.

     Isaiah also feard God.  He knew that God could squash us all like little bugs

if He so desired.

     Isaiah knew there was nothing that was more powerful, or anyone more pow-

erful than God.

     Isn't  it awesome that instead of squashing us, God opens His arms wide and

welcomes us  home, when we finally come to our senses and return to our hea-

venly Father.

     The prophesies of the Christ Child were also recorded in the New Testament.

Like in the Old Testament, most people did not believe.

     God used a handful of people to spread the Word that the Lord was coming.

That He was coming to save the world.

     In every case they were true servants of God.  They did not care what mankind

thought of them.  They only wanted to please and serve the Most High God.

     This is where our desires should be.  To be servants to God and glorify Him in

all that we do.  Caring not what mankind thinks of us.  If that is where our hearts

are we are a true servant of God.  Living in Gods will for our lives.

                                     FORETOLD BY THE ANGELS

     Angels made their appearance to mankind more than once in the New Testa-

ment.  The reference book I used chose the scripture when Jesus was born.

     The angels went to the most humble of mankind.  The shepherds tending the

sheep in the fields.  They were considered the lowest of mankind.

     Yet God had the angels tell them first.  They were afraid but the angels told

them not to fear they brought good news.

     The angels told them where to go and what they were to look for so they

would know that the Child was the One sent by God to save the world.

     Jesus was born in a stable that in the cold weather the shepherds would bring

in the sheep to keep them warm. 

     The shepherds were in awe but knew what they had seen and heard was a

message from God.

     Jesus was not born in a fancy room somewhere.  Instead He was born in a

humble surrounding.  Jesus lived a humble life while on earth.

     Jesus came to serve mankind.  Imagine that.  The King of kings and Lord of

lords came to serve us.  To save the world from the evil that reigned here on earth.

     Now for those who believe in Him we must serve Him.  Allow Him to work

through us to increase the kingdom of God.  To take back what Satan has stolen

from our heavenly Father.

     We should do this willingly because God loves us so much that He gave His

only Son to the world so that we  might have everlasting life in the kingdom of

God.

                                    PROCLAIMED BY CHRIST

     Jesus, Himself, said the Son of Man has come into this world to find those

who are lost.

     God refers to us as sheep.  The lost are those who have wondered off into the

world and forgotten the ways of God.

     One sheep wondering around in the world is easy prey for the wolves that are

looking for that one little sheep to distroy, kill, and mame it.

     Then Jesus came and went out among the people to bring the lost back into

the fold,  where they will be safe.

     That is also one reason why we must fellowship with others who have given

their hearts, minds and souls to the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.  There is

strength in numbers if we all stick together.

     It is much easier to tempt someone who is standing alone.  Where you think

you can hide your sins.  Well you can hide it from mankind but, my friend, you

can hide nothing from God.  There is no place you can run or dark corner to hide

in.

     God knows every move we make and all things we have spoken.  Even those

things that we have thought about.  Yet He still loves us.  Imagine that!  There are

times, when I know l've done wrong or thought bad things, that I didn't like my-

self much.

     God never stopped loving me just waited for me to repent from what I did or

thought, asked forgiveness and learned a  lesson from the error of my ways.

     His Spirit within you will convict you and you will want to please God again by

living in His ways.

     When Jesus was talking to the diciples He said, if  He is lifted up from the

earth He would bring all peoples to Himself.

     That tells us that Jesus not only came to save the Jewish people but all the

people of the earth.  It gives us hope that one day we will all be in heaven in the

presense of the Lord.

     As long as you have made the choice to be in Gods family.  If you chose to be

part of the wolf pack, that is out to kill and destroy Gods children, you will find

yourself in hell with Satan and the fallen angels and demons.

     As we serve the Lord, by letting Him work through us, we will find out that our

desire to please the Lord will grow in our hearts.

     We will seek Him daily, increase our relationship with Him, and love Him more

with everyday that passes.

     We will long to be in His presense, but like Paul, we know there is work to be

done on the earth before we are called home to be with our Lord and Savioir Jesus

Christ.

                                PREACHED BY THE APOSTLES

     When Jesus was lifted up from the earth and into heaven the disciples went

out and started preaching the gospel of Christ.

     First to the Jewish people, and then to the Gentiles.  Thus the Words of Jesus

saying that He would bring all the people to Himself was put to work.

     The apostles were given a job to do.  To tell all the people from all the nations

and all tongues about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

      Jesus left he  Holy Spirit here to help those who believed in Him.  The Holy

Spirit enters all who ask Jesus into their hearts.  He will help us to live as Jesus

did while He walked on this earth.

     After hearing the words that the apostles spoke the people grew silient and

believed.

     Then the peope all praised God for the mighty works He was doing on the

earth.  God was and still is doing a mighty work on the earth.  He is the same

today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

      God does not change the rules for one generation to another.  That is how the

world does things.  That is why there is so much confussion going on in the

world today.

     In Gods world love is love.  He will always love us but we must choose to be

part of His family in order to become part of the kingdom of God.

                                     WISDOM OF SALVATION

     Paul writes a letter to Timothy.  He tells Timothy that through the scriptures,

he has known all his life, that wisdom of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ.

     There are so many people today, like myself, who did not grow up in a Bible

based home, that we are not wise in these things.

     It has taken thirty years to get me to a point that the wisdoms written in the

Bible are making sense to me.

     Even on the subject of salvation.  I have learned more and have a better under-

standing of God since I started this series of teachings.

     I believe that God wants all of His childrens eyes wide open to see the truths

in the scriptures.  That by seeing the wisdom  in them that we will also come to

recognize and  know when God is speaking to us.

     I believe that all of God's children, no matter how long they have been serving

the Lord, can say they know all they need to know about the Lord.

     That there is not a day that goes by they can't become more knowledgable or

wiser in the ways of the Lord through the scriptures.

     I am so grateful that God did not give up on me.  That He teaches me daily

when I seek Him.  That  inspite of myself God has been faithfull to me.  That He

continues to teach me what I will need to know at some point in my lifetime.

                        PRAISES FOR GOD AND THE LAMB

     When John  was taken up into heaven oir given a vision of heaven, he saw

a multitude of people from all the nations praising God and the Jesus.  They were

crying out that salvation belonged to God and the Lamb.

     This shows us that there is hope for us.  No matter what some try to say God

is true to His Word.

     As children of God we should not fear death.  For there is life after death.  It is

everlasting life.  In the kingdom of God with our Lord Jesus Christ.

      It makes God  sad that there are so many people who hgave chosen the

ways of the world.  You see He loves them as much as He loves the ones who

chose to be part of His family.

     God will not force anyone to come and join His family.  To turn away from

the wicked and evil ways of the world.  All the people were suppose to be His

children.  So many have been deceived.

      Some don't even believe there is a God or Satan. They don't believe that there

is a heaven and hell.

     My prayer is that whoever reads these words, the Lord has given me, will want

to serve Him.  To desire to know God better.  God bless each and everyone of

you and your household.

           PRAISE GOD THE FATHER, JESUS THE SON, AND THE HOLY

                SPIRIT THAT LIVES WITHIN ALL OF HIS CHILDREN

                          MESSAGE OF SAVATION---SCRIPTURES

                                     FORETOLD BY PROPHETS

Isaiah 29: 18-19, 24;    18) In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the Book

                         And eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of dark-

                         ness.

                                 19) The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord,

                         And the poor among men shall rejoice.  In the Holy One of

                         Israel.

                                 24) These also who erred in spirit will come to understand

                         And those who complained will learn doctrine."

Isaiah 35:8:                 8) A highway shall be there and a road,  And it shall be

                         called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean shall not pass over

                          it,  But it shall be for others.,  Whoever walks the road, although

                          a fool,  Shall not go astray.

Luke 2:31-32;            31) Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

                               32) A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,  And the glory

                         of Your people Israel."

1 Peter 1:10;            10) Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and search-

                        ed carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to

                        you,

                                   FORETOLD BY THE ANGELS

Luke 2: 9-14;               9) And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them,

                        and the glory of the Lord shone around them,  and they were

                        greatly afraid.

                                10) Then the angel said to them, "Do not fear, for behold, I

                        bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

                                 11) "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a

                        Savior,  who  is Christ the Lord.

                                  12) "And this will be the sign to you:  You will find a Babe

                        wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

                                   13) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of

                        the heavenly host praising  God saying:

                                   14) "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace,

                        goodwill toward men!"

                                       PROCLAIMED BY CHRIST

Luke 19:10;                 10) "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save

                       that which was lost."

John 12:32;                  32) "And  I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all

                       peoples to Myself."

                                  PREACHED BY THE APOSTLES

Acts 11: 17-18;             17) "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave

                       us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I

                       could withstand God?"

                                    18) When they heard these things they became silent;

                       and they glorified God, saying,  "Then God has also granted the

                       Gentiles repentance to life."

Acts 16:17;                    17) This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying,

                       "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who pro-

                       claimed to us the way of salvation."

                                     WISDOM FOR SALVATION

1 Timothy 3:15;              15) and that from childhood you have known the Holy

                       Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through

                       faith which is in Christ Jesus.

                            PRAISE FOR GOD AND THE LAMB

Revelation 7:9-10;            9) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multi-

                      tude which no one could number,  of all nations, tribes, peoples,

                      and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,

                      clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

                                     10) and crying out with a loud voice, saying,  "Ssalva-

                       tion belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"