" SUCCESS "

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I want to challenge the way we usually think about dreams and success.

I want you to keep dreaming big, but do so in line with God's will.
I want you to dream big by faith !!

Our dreams are usually shaped by what we think is the best,
most fulfilling way to spend our time in this world.

We don't want to be failures.
We only get one life and we want to use it well.

So we dream about the kind of success we desire, and we eventually pursue those dreams.

BUT DOES GOD SEE SUCCESS THE SAME WAY THAT WE DO ??

If we are going to live by faith in a good God, we have to rethink our culture's idea about "success" and shape our goals around His.

Our culture thinks that success is "being important" or "famous",
being the CEO of a company, an athlete, but we wouldn't think the same about
the CEO's secretary or the middle school basketball coach.
He hasn't called us to worldly success.

But the truth is, God hasn't commanded us to become CEOs or famous athletes.
He's called us to faithfulness.

We need to adjust our goals, and further, adjust our dreams.

SUCCESS comes from living your life inside the will of God !!!!!! 

" Good Things For Bad People "

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" GOOD THINGS FOR BAD PEOPLE "

Ever feel like you are trying to deny self and live the best you can yet your life is surrounded
by grief and troubles ??

Well if your like me, every now and then, the world just seems upside down.

It seems like those who refuse to submit to the will of God have the best lives, like everything
always goes there way.
They seem to be having all the fun.

It seems like here I am over here denying myself, and they are somewhere popping bottles.

In Psalm 73, Asaph lets us join in his experience as he feels the exact same way.
He vents about the prosperity of the wicked and the trials of the righteous.
But eventually he realizes that while the wicked are having a great time now,
God's people have something so much more valuable than any earthly thing !!

He snaps out of it and says these beautiful words,  " Whom have I in heaven but You ?
and there is nothing on earth that I desire but You.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever " (Psalm73:25-26)


Once we see God for who He truly is, all the spoils of this world will seem completely worthless !!

All of our other loves will fall into their proper place as we bow before the all - satisfying God of glory.

Do not let what others do or what they have in their lives effect the way you live your life.

" SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS " (Matthew 6:33)

" God's Great Plan "

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Most people that follow my blog are used to being "held accountable".
But today I want to lighten the load not the gospel and share with you,

" GOD'S GREAT PLAN "

Look at what Paul says in (2 Corinthians 5:19),  " in Christ God was reconciling the world
to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."

God has set in place a wonderful plan to reconcile sinners from all over the world to Himself.

Not just you and me but many, many others - others on our campuses, others in our families, people on other continents.

God has decreed that He will do this through Christ.
And He's done this at a great cost to Himself, yes He gave His Son to do it.

So when you see people on your streets, campuses, what to you think of them ?
Do you see them as a n annoyance ?
Do you ignore them ?
Or do you enjoy them, but ignore the fact that they have eternal souls ???????

You should see everyone of them as men and women made in the image of God.
They are people who God loves, but who need to be reconciled to Him and raised to life.

Anyone can be reconciled.
Some people tend to think that only old white dudes in suits and black grandmothers with church hats can be saved, so we tend to leave it for them and think of ourselves as different.

N O P E !!!!    " Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved " (Romans 10:13).

We should NEVER look at any person and think that God can not save them. 
HE CAN !!!.
There is nothing or no obstacle that can ever stand in His way, and there is NO ENEMY that can ever stand in His way, and there is NO ENEMY that can ever stop Him !!!!!

GOD HAS A " GREAT PLAN "  TO SAVE SINNERS AND HE WILL CARRY IT OUT !!

" THE WAR OF TRUTH "

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To be a Christian is to be a warrior.

The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is to us a battle-field !!!
Neither must I reckon upon the friendship of the world;  for that would be enmity against God.

His occupation is war.  We must be warned of the danger;  " this prepares me for warfare;
this prophesies opposition."

Difficulties will meet us even in standing our ground;  for the apostle, bid us two or three times to - "Stand"

In the rush of any fight , men are apt to be carried off their legs.
But if we can keep our footing, we will be victorious; but if we are borne down by the rush of the adversary, Everything is lost.

You are told and taught to put on all of the heavenly armor in order that you may Stand;
and you will need it to maintain the position in which your Captain has placed you !!

It is very clear that our defense and our conquest must be obtained by Sheer Fighting.

Many will try compromise; But if you are a True Christian, you can never do this business well, no there is no room for compromise.
For Christ did not compromise when He came to earth to defeat sin !!

The adversary is is the father of lies, and those that are with him understand the art of equivocation; but saints abhor it !!
If we even attempt to discuss terms of peace, and attempt to gain something by it we have entered upon a course in which we shall return in utter disgrace !!

We have never been given any order from our Captain to to patch up a truce, and get as good a term as we can.
We are not sent out to offer concessions.............

We are sent to win, to defeat, to slay the adversary, to take a stand !!!!!!!

" The Gospel Message is Non-Negotiable "

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"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God ?"

If I were trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul's message was always non-negotiable.
He spoke of becoming all thing to all men, Paul wrote, "Necessity is laid upon me.
Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel !" (1 Cor.9:16).

His ministry was in response to divine mandate.
Yes God had called him and commissioned him.

Paul spoke the gospel directly as he had received it directly from the Lord,
and he always delivered that message  "as of first importance " (1 Cor.15:3)

He was not a salesman or marketer , but a divine emissary.
He certainly was not 'willing to shape his communications" to accommodate his
listeners or produce a desirable response.

The fact that he was stoned and left for dead (Acts.14:19), beaten, imprisoned and finally
killed for the truths sake ought to demonstrate that he did not adapt the message to make it pleasing to his hearers !!

His personal suffering and struggles in no way indicate that something was wrong with his ministry approach, but that everything had been exactly right !!

Time to stop being people pleasers, tickling ears, being salesmen, but NOW is the time to confront sin head on no matter what others think !!
If you feel embarassed or ashamed to preach the gospel with authority then please
remove yourself from the pulpit because the job is not for you !!!

" Stop The Show Time Religion "

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" THE CHALLENGE FOR CHRIST'S CHURCH IS THIS................"

" Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit,
bringing holiness to completion in the Fear of God"  (2 Cor.7:1).

It is not the cleverness of our methods, the techniques of our ministry,
ot the wit of our sermons that put power in our testimony.

It is complete obedience to a holy God and faithfulness to His righteous
standard of living in our daily lives.

We must wake up !!

We can not afford to be indifferent.

We can not continue our mad pursuit of pleasure and self- gratification.

We are called to fight a spiritual battle, and we can not win by appeasing the enemy.

A needy world must be confronted with the message of salvation, and there may be
very little time left.

Just as Paul wrote to the church at Rome,  " The hour has come for you to wake
from sleep.
For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light "
                                                                                                      ( Romans 13:11-12)

" Should The Church Attract and Invite Non-Christians ? "

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In recent years church leaders, eager to be innovative have built a set of
presuppositions that are completely unbiblical.

"The church is not a 'lodge', 'social gathering', or in a position of 'recruiting members."

It is not a community center where parties and the such are to be held !!

The church is "the body of Christ." (1 Cor.12:27), and church meetings are strictly
for corporate worship and instruction.

The church's only legitimate goal is "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for
building up the body of Christ." (Eph.4:12)  vital growth not mere numerical expansion.

The notion that church meetings should be used to attract non-Christians is relatively
a recent development.
Nothing like it is ever found in scripture...........The apostle Paul spoke of un-believers
entering the assembly as an exceptional event (1 Cor. 14:23).
(Hebrews. 10:24-25) indicates that church services are for the "benefit of believers" not
un-believers: 

" And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works not neglecting
to meet together."

Acts 2:42 shows us the pattern the early church followed when they met.
NOTE: the early church's priorities were to worship God and uplift the brethern.

The church came together for worship and edification; then it scattered to evangelize
the world.

The church's strategy has never been to appeal to the world on the world's terms.

The church should not invite non-believers into the church's meetings, follow the
example of (Acts 2:42) "Be the church"  God will add to the body as He wills not
as we will.

" Judgement Begins at The House of God "

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Remember Ananias was struck dead on the spot ?
This was a judicial act of the most holy God.

God is most serious about the purity of the church.

Ananias was an early and unforgettable lesson about just how God views sin
among the fellowship of believers.

In essence, God was saying,  "I am not playing church, I will not trifle with sinners.
I am not interested in  "user friendliness".
I desire righteousness, truth, and sincere hearts."

He thus served notice to all that He is "deadly serious" about all sin.
His church is no social gig !!

I can imagine the great fear that came upon the church and the self examination
that soon followed in the Jerusalem church that day.

God was purifying His church,
He wanted His people to take sin seriously,
He wanted to  "discourage shallow commitment".

He wanted people to fear Him and Him alone !!!!
The church is to meet to  "worship God", and that "demands the confrontation of sin."

The Lord gave us the basic model for the church's meeting - sin is dealt with fiercely.
The issue is not what "unbelievers" think about such severity; it is what God thinks
about such iniquity.

Can the church today avoid God's judgement ??
YES - by purifying herself !!

Paul said  "If we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged" (1 Cor. 11:31)

It is the job of faithful church members to to maintain the church's purity.
Frankly, the careful, consistent, exercise of church discipline is a far more
powerful word to unbelievers about reality than some "bland and lighthearted"
talk intended to make unbelievers feel welcome and accepted.

This lets the unbeliever know that the church is a "holy people" and not 
"unrepentant sinners" but for the "redeemed ones" who "love righteousness."

We do all this by following the outline Jesus provided us in (Matthew 18)

KNOWING THE TERROR OF THE LORD, WE WILL PERSUADE MEN !!!!!!

" The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail "

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" The Church That Christ Builds Is Invincible."

"The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" v.18
This passage is often times very misunderstood............

Jesus was in no way saying that the church would be impervious to
attacks from Hades.

The word  "gates"  does not suggest an offensive push.
Gates are not weapons; they are barricades.

Jesus was picturing Hades like a prison, He was suggesting that it's gates
would not be able to contain or imprison the church.

"the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,".............Jesus was not talking about 
the torment of eternal hell;

He was saying that the 'grave' can not hold the elect !!

The gates of hell could not hold Jesus Christ and we saw proof of that, also,
these same 'gates of hell' can not hold Christians captive !!!!

" Oh death, where is your victory ?
O death, where is your sting ? "  (1 Cor.15:55)

Actually, " the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it"
( Is a promise of resurrection )

The language of death and resurrection were becoming common themes
in Jesus' teaching.
Jesus knew His disciples were facing treacherous days and that all of them
( except John ) would ultimately give their earthly lives as 'martyrs for Him.

Jesus was about to tell them, "Whoever would save his life for my sake will find it"
                                                                                                          ( Matthew 16:25)



But first He told them that the grave could "NEVER HOLD THE ELECT."

This same theme runs all through the New Testament.
Since Christ 'Conquered death', Christians have "NOTHING TO FEAR."

"Christ, being raised from the dead, will "NEVER DIE AGAIN'
Death no longer has dominion over Him." (Romans 6:9),  nor can it be master
over those who are united to Him by faith

Jesus promised, "Because I live, you also will live" (John 14:19).

" FEAR NOT, I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST , AND THE LIVING ONE.
I DIED, AND BEHOLD I AM ALIVE FOREVER, AND ...............................

I HAVE THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES." (Rev.1:17-18)

(NOTICE)  " Jesus Christ Destroyed the one who has the power of death."

We as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ have nothing to fear !!!

" The Sword of The Spirit "

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" A Two Edged Sword Is A Dangerous Weapon "

Contemporary Christians seem to lack confidence in the ability of the
Word of God to penetrate sin hardened hearts.

One of the greatest reasons given for so much of the 'nonsense' that has
made our churches so superficial is the idea that if we first 'entertain' people
and make them 'comfortable', they will be more open to the gospel.

If we can convince them that our message posses  'no threat'  to their way of
life and that they have nothing to fear from Christ,
perhaps maybe then we can break through that hard exterior to reach them.

What a BIG MISTAKE that is........................

The wording of (Hebrews 4:12) is deliberately both vivid and violent:
" The word of God is......sharper than any two - edged sword, piercing to the
division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow."

My point is to show the resemblance of a Two Edged Sword and The Word of God.

A two edged sword is a particularly very dangerous weapon but the verse says
that Scripture is even sharper and more effective than that.

Like a two edged sword, it has no dull side there is nothing so hard that this blade
can not pierce it.
Even in the hands of of the most unskilled swordsman, it is capable of inflicting
mortal wounds to our human pride and our self-righteousness.

Lets bring back the truth of the Word of God the Two Edged Sword !!!

No person, plan, or scheme can penetrate the human heart like the Word
of God alone can do.

Its not fancy lights, puppets, smoke and mirrors, or anything any human can
do to penetrate and soften the human heart the way the Word of God and the
Holy Spirit alone can.

" The Gospel Reveals God's Wrath "

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The Gospel is not all good news.
In fact it is not good news at all for those who turn away from Christ.

Paul starts with "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men."
Paul then spends more than 2 full chapters proving that all humanity is sinful and under
the wrath of God.

God's wrath is almost missing entirely from modern presentations of the gospel.

It is not fashionable to speak of God's wrath against sin or to tell people that they
should fear God.

Today's typical presentation starts exactly opposite where Paul started.
He wrote of  "the wrath of God.................against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men."

But today's modern evangelism begins with  "God loves you and wants to make you happy."

Take off the filters !!
Don't worry about your tone !!
Fearless preaching is needed !!

After all is it not still true that we humans are  "flawed,  sinful,  fallen creatures ?

I am convinced that we need to hear just as many  "negative messages" as "positive messages."

Stand up, preach the truth and reveal the "Wrath of God."

" Preach The Word "

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" PREACH THE WORD "

There have always been men in the pulpit who gather crowds because they
are gifted orators, interesting storytellers, entertaining speakers, dynamic
personalities, shrewd crowd-manipulaters, rousing speech-makers, popular
politicians, or erudite scholars.
Such preaching may be popular but far from powerful.

No one can preach with power who does not preach the word.
And no faithful preacher will water down or neglect the whole counsel 
of God.
Proclaiming the word - all of it - is the pastor's calling. 

"So preaching the Word must be the very heart of our ministry."

Preaching the Word is not always easy !!!
The message we are required to proclaim is often offensive !!!

Christ Himself is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Romans 9:33; 1Peter 2:8).
The message of the cross is a stumbling block to some (Gal.5:11), and mere foolishness to
others ( 1 Cor. 1:23).

Why do you suppose Paul wrote, " I am not ashamed of the gospel" (Rom.1:16) ?
Surely it is because so many Christians are ashamed of the very message we are 
Commanded to proclaim.

Today more than ever we need preachers that will stand in the pulpit and handle their
calling with fearless abandonment, to preach the Word of God, to preach Jesus Christ
crucified.
"The ultimate power of the cross"

This is certainly no time for weak men, weak messages, and weak ministeries.

What is needed is moral strength and courage and uncompromising proclamation of the
TRUTH that can SET PEOPLE FREE !!!

Preachers, we must Reprove, Rebuke, Exhort !!!
The preacher who fails to reprove and rebuke is NOT FULFILLING HIS COMMISSION !!!

Peoples deepest need is to confess and overcome their sin......................
So preaching that fails to confront and correct sin through the Word of God does NOT
MEET PEOPLES NEED.

Reproving, Rebuking, and Exhorting is the same as preaching thee Word, for those are the
very same ministries Scripture accomplishes:  " All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" ( 2 Tim. 3:16)

"Preachers and Teachers please make a commitment to stand in the pulpit and preach the 
Word of God and Christ crucified"
"Be Fearless, Bold, Direct, not people pleaser's, but use your gift to correct and build up."

Stand Firm and Preach the Word, there is nothing else to preach !!!!!!!

" Sound Teaching - Fearless Preaching "

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Do Not Compromise Sound Teaching & Fearless Preaching !!

As we read through the book that Paul wrote to Timothy we see Paul's charge to
young Timothy.

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but they have itching
ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." (2 Tim.4:3).

2 Timothy 4:3 - 2 Timothy 3:1 - 1 Timothy 4:1   Three passages of Paul's warnings to younger 
Timothy that difficult times were to come.
Notice that all these passages are referring directly to "those in the church" not outsiders or UNbelievers.

Therefore FEARLESS PREACHING is all the more necessary in such 'dangerous times'.
When people 'in the church' will not tolerate the truth, that's when COURAGEOUS, OUTSPOKEN PREACHERS are most desperately needed to speak it and teach it.

Why are people unwilling to endure 'Sound Teaching' ??
Simply because of their "Love For Sin."

SOUND TEACHING & FEARLESS PREACHING, as we all know and have seen, 
confronts and rebukes sin, and people in love with sinful lifestyles will not tolerate such
Sound Teaching.
They only seek to have their ears tickled and to hear what they are comfortable with.

Paul employs the expression "SOUND TEACHING" in 1 Timothy 1,, in verses 9 and 10 of this
chapter, he speaks of the law as being "for the lawless and disobedient", for the ungodly and sinners,
for the unholy and profane, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever
else is contrary to sound doctrine".
A society filled with these people will in no means be tolerant of 'sound teaching'.

Notice this "Pastors and Teachers",       Paul does NOT suggest that the way to reach such a 
society as this would be to 'soften' or 'adapt' the message so that 'such people' will be comfortable
with it.
Just the exact opposite is true !!  Such ear-tickling is abominable.
Paul urges Timothy to be 'willing to suffer' for the truths sake and to keep preaching the word
BOLDLY and FAITHFULLY and FEARLESSLY.
That is the ONLY WAY intolerant people can be exposed to the truth, which alone can soften
their hearts.

Isn't this precisely the state of the church in our society today ??

In fact marketing experts are pointing out to church leaders the whole basis of 
their philosophy is that people don't want to hear the truth proclaimed; they want to be entertained !!

The majority of today's society cannot stomach sound doctrine.
They would never tolerate for two weeks strong biblical teaching that refutes their doctrinal error,
confronts their sin, convicts them, and calls them to obey the truth.
They do not want to hear healthy teaching.  
Why ?  Because people in the church want to own God without giving up sinful lifestyles, and they
will not endure someone telling them just exactly what God's word say's about it.

What do they want to hear ??
"Having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to 'suit their own sinful passions". (v3)

Ironically, they seek out teachers. In fact, they heap to themselves teachers - but in no way sound ones.
They choose the ones that tell them exactly what they want to hear without confronting them of their sinful lifestyles.

Preachers we need not be afraid to offend, you are not in the position of preaching and teaching
to make friends or chase the numbers by drawing in sinners by the thousands with, film, musical shows,
worldly performances, skits, etc.

If you are going to stand in the pulpit in today's society you must be Bold, Fearless, Sound Teaching,

The truth of God does NOT tickle our ears, it BOXES them.
It BURNS them. It first reproves them, rebukes, convicts - then exhorts and encourages.

PREACHERS OF THE WORD MUST BE CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN THAT BALANCE !!

Lastly, read the message in (John 6), after Jesus delivered a hard message, scripture tells us that
crowds left, disciples turned back, (v66).
Notice that there is a difference between true disciples and hangers-on.........Do not be afraid to find them apart.

Until next time,
Love and Peace...................

" The Church As A Pub "

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" The Church As A Pub "

Never will I say I am right and you are wrong;
but I will contend to share the "TRUTH" with you.

(1 Cor 12:27) Tells us the church is the body of Christ, 
and church meetings are for corporate worship and instruction.

The church's 'only' legitimate goal is to "equip the saints for the work of ministry",
for "building up the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12) - vital growth, not mere numerical expansion.

The notion that church meetings should be used to tantalize or attract non-Christians
is a relatively recent development.   Nothing like it is found in scripture;  in fact, the
apostle Paul spoke of unbelievers entering the assembly as an exceptional event (1 Cor 14:23).
Also (Hebrews 10:24-25) indicates that church services are for the benefit of "believers" not
unbelievers. 
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet together".

Acts 2:42  Shows the pattern the early church followed when they met together,
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and the prayers."

Note that the early church's priorities clearly were dedicated to 'worship God and uplift
the brethren.'
The church came together for "worship and edification"; then it "scattered to evangelize the
world."

Matthew 28:19 Our Lord commissioned His disciples for evangelism in this way:
"GO therefore and make disciples of all nations"
Notice that Christ made it very clear that the church is NOT to wait for, or invite the world to
come to its meetings, but to GO TO THE WORLD.

How can one fulfill his obligation to 'be the light in the world' if we are focusing on remaining inside
the four walls ?
We will therefore fall short of (Matt 5:16) being the light in the world.

I emphasize that the preaching of Gods word is to be central in the church,
"In season and out of season" it is the task of Gods ministers to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort,
with complete patience and teaching "  (2Timothy 4:2).

The pastor who sets entertainment above forceful preaching neglects the primary responsibility
of an elder.
"Hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound
doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it". ( Titus 1:9).

The church's strategy has NEVER been to 'appeal to the world' on the worlds terms.

Churches aren't supposed to compete for the consumer on the same level as Miller Lite
or M.T.V.  
We can't stimulate GENUINE growth by clever persuasion or inventive techniques.
Acts 4:27 teaches that it is the Lord and Him alone that adds to the church.

We must return to the basics, the true forceful Godly preaching of Gods word and His gospel !!

Forget all the puppetry, lights, smoke and mirrors, simply preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified !!

Don't allow church to become a country club for the masses !!!!!!!!

" The True Gospel Must Be Proclaimed "

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" The True Gospel Must Be Proclaimed "

The Gospel is the POWER of GOD for Salvation. 
                                                                     (Romans 1:16)
And the preaching of the gospel is the great means and methodology of
missions.
The gospel is,  first and foremost, God in Christ reconciling the world
unto Himself.
                               (2 Corinthians 5:19).

It answers the eternal question of how a just God can reconcile  wicked
men (Romans 3:26).
It points to Christ alone, who bore the sins of His people upon the cross,
was forsaken of God, and crushed under the full force of His wrath against
sin.

The Good News of the Gospel is that through Christ's death,
the justice of God was satisfied, and salvation was won for a Great Multitude
of people.

This is made evidenced by the RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD.

" He who was delivered over because of our TRANSGRESSIONS, and was
raised because of  OUR JUSTIFICATION "    (Romans 4:25)

" STUDY AND UNDERSTAND THE "FULLNESS" OF THE "GOSPEL TRUTH" !!!
THEN GO OUT AND "PROCLAIM" IT FROM YOUR LIPS !!!

LOVE AND PEACE TO ALL, AND GOD BLESS AND FAVOR YOU............