Mesage

 

Acts 16.31 “What must I do to be saved?”

My message went like this:

The desperate prison guard cried out :”What must I do to be saved?” What he meant by ‘saved’, I don’t know. He may have wanted to be saved from execution, but rather, he had been listening to Paul and Silas singing and praying!

Paul wrote a letter to the people down the road at Ephesus about the need to be ‘saved’.

Ephesians 2

1.     The problem of sins and trespasses causing disconnection from God.

2.     The pull of the course of this world taking people down the broad road.

3.     The deception of the prince satan, master of media.

4.     Peer pressure to disobey God

5.     Destruction by passion and lust

6.     Dominance of body over spirit

7.     Human anger blaming God for things going wrong

8.     Common condition of humanity – LOST

A real need to be SAVED.

 

So God interrupted the situation with mercy (withholding the punishment deserved). God’s love moved Him to graciously provide a remedy by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Lord.

Now God only calls for faith in Him – not by works or ritual.

God establishes the connection – reconciled believers accepted into the family of God.

But more -verse 7- God promises the repentant believer a place in the future glory at the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

In summary, verse 8 –“For by grace are you saved through faith, not of your own doing. It is the gift of God, not as result of works, so that no one may boast”

 

So the wonder of it all is, that we all , like the prison guard can be ‘SAVED’

 

Faith in Jesus Christ  is a commitment that leads to action – as with the prison guard, caring for the needs of others ( he washed their wounds and gave them food), but also declared publicly his new allegiance to Jesus Christ by immersion in water (baptism)

 

The outcome – joy in the whole household as they listened  to  and believed the Word of the Lord.

 

The answer to the question was concise and true :

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household.”

 

Three words are needed in English to convey the meaning of believe:

1.      Believe in Jesus for who He is and what He has done.

2.     Trust Him for what He promises to do for us

3.     Faith that believes His words as God’s words

 

Faith is just believing

What God says He will do

He will never fail us,

His promises are true

If we but receive HIM

His children we become

Faith is just believing,

The wondrous work is done.

 

SAVED from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son (Colossians 1)

ten commands

 

Changed

 

The Word of the Lord to me this morning:

“ So get rid of all malicious behaviour and deceit.

Don’t just pretend to be good!

Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing.

You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fulness of your salvation.

Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries out for milk, now that you have tasted of the Lord’s kindness.

1 Peter 2 NLT

 

The Lord knows the hearts, so let him that claims the name of Christ, depart from iniquity.

-         Let the cleansed heart be evident in a transformed life.

jojohnmckee@internode.on.net

Work ethics

 

Work life – 7 reasons to learn a trade

I think every boy should learn a trade before Higher Education!

1.    Jesus did, and also Peter and Paul and John and Andrew etc

2.   Each teenager needs to learn the discipline of work time schedule, learn from older people and learn to live on a lower wage

3.   The world chiefly operates on trades.

4.   Learning a professional career works better after learning a trade.

5.   Promotion from trade to manager instils consideration and understanding toward staff.

6.   Bible says a man should support his own family. An unskilled labourer can survive , but a tradesman leaves an example of skill  for those following,

7.   Working with others calls for discipline of action and reaction, giving opportunity to live and speak for Christ.

Bible

 

Jesus said:

“people need more than bread for their life;

They must feed on every word of God”  Matthew 4

 

The question arises – how available are Bibles, the Word of God?

Where in my city, your town, any village would you obtain a Bible?? Take a walk through the churches – are any available there?  An odd book shop could have some. The library may have a couple. The rare Bible bookshop is often hard to find. Some schools have class sets.

     But if you were born into a non-Christian family, where would you go to receive a Bible freely without interrogation??

     Perhaps the most accessible is on the internet – but rather confusing if you know nothing about versions etc

 

A whole Bible is a large , daunting book. That is just where the Holy Spirit delights to step in and make it meaningful. For some readers the narrative of human rebellion and God reaching out to many peoples is understood. But for many it is the Holy Spirit making the great and precious promises apply to the many situations of humans.

    Often it is a particular verse that convicts, converts and consoles the sincere reader. ( like John 3:16) To be alone with God and His word is best. Sometimes explanations and study guides can help.

    “For the Word of God is full of living power. It cuts deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.”   Hebrews 4

 

The Lord Jesus said:

“ For the Scriptures say “ you must worship the Lord your God and serve HIM only””     Matthew 4

 

Explanation hardly needed – obedience required!

 

So dear Christian reader, have you tried making this precious volume available to others?  Many are seeking! Last weekend we gave away 

25 at the local market.

 

If my reader does not have a Bible, I have some to spare – send me a request and I will try to get one to you.

 

John McKee

johnmckee@internode.on.net

Saved

 

The question was asked:-

   “What must I do to be saved?”

This man realised that he needed to be right with God. He could not save himself. His sins would be judged  and he would be lost forever!

The answer:-

    “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household.”

Not by reformation or religion, but by true faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. The promise of God’s salvation and forgiveness was freely available to him and his household. Wisely, they all believed. To show the genuineness of their faith , they were baptised.    Bible -Acts 16

 

The same today –

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”

johnmckee@internode.on.net

Committed

 

Bible verse for today:

Jesus Christ gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing what is right.

Titus 2:14 NLT