“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

I believed that by Paul making these statements, he was saying I would always be loved AND saved.

What changed my mind?

On October 25, 2002, I gave birth to a stillborn child at full term. During the following months of during my grieving period and after spending several hours in non-stop prayer about the situation, The Lord Jesus Christ took me back to the day I was in the hospital holding the lifeless child in my arms.

He revealed to me: The way I felt for this lifeless child, was the same way He felt for us, his children, how did I feel about this child? I still had an overwhelming love for her.

During this prayer; I call it a prayer, but it was more like I was flat on my face sobbing to the point I couldn’t speak; in my spirit I poured my heart out to God and told him . . .

“God, when I whispered in the baby’s ears, she couldn’t hear me. When I spoke the words “I love you”, she never turned her head to acknowledge me. She never opened her eyes to see me. I have accumulated everything a baby needs to survive- food, clothes, shelter, toys, etc., but this means nothing right now because I will not be able to take her home with me.”

The Lord in his wisdom answered me. He made me understand that he also has children that he calls out to however, they close up their ears so they cannot hear him. They shut their eyes so they cannot see him. He provides everything for them, but they do not acknowledge him. They are dead in their sins. He cannot take them home with him in heaven because they are dead.

This brings me back to the original scripture, “I am convinced that neither life nor death or anything can separate us….”. The love God has will never change, it will always be there, even in death, it is just that some people have chosen to remain dead in their sins.

God is a God that never changes and in his word, he says that the wages of sin is death!

Maybe at one time they did listen to him. They did hear his words and he grafted them into the vine, of which we are the branches. But because they have closed up their eyes and ears, and have returned to unbelief, they were cut out of the vine. He cannot take them to heaven, they are dead.

The good news is God is a forgiving God. In His Word He says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

* This is a true story written by Renae Patterson.

Every Christian should be vitally concerned about the purity of the gospel. However, we must be careful to believe and proclaim the whole gospel, not a water-down counterfeit devoid of saving power.

Who is Jesus?
A criical question is this: who IS the Savior? Is He Jesus? Is He Christ? Is He Lord? The Bible repeatedly identifies Him by three names. He is the “Lord Jesus Christ.” What do the names mean? Jesus is his human name. It means “Salvation.” The angel told Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). He is also “The Christ.” Christ meand “Anointed one.” It is a title, not strictly a name. It denotes an office, like the office of priest or king. In this case, the office is that of Messiah. He is the Christ because there is only one. God prepared one Messiah who can save men from their sins, and Jesus is that promised Messiah. He is also “Lord.” Lord means “Master, Owner, Boss.” Ultimately, it speaks of the One True God, the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” the sovereign Master of the universe, the One to whom obedience and worship is due.

Jesus is Lord
These three names properly identify the Savior, for each identifies a different aspect of His character. He is one person. He is revealed in three names. IS it possible to have Jesus as Savior without receiving Him as Lord? Can you divide Christ? Can you take one-third or Him or two-thirds? How ridiculous! You either receive HIM–all of HIM–or you do not. You cannot receive Christ as Savior without also receiving Him as Lord. Notice how often Scripture emphasizes His Lordship. “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved’” (Acts 16:30, 31). “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Rom. 20:9, 13). Many similar texts could be cited.

Lordship is an Attitude
It is true that no one understands all the claims of Christ’s Lordship at the time of conversion. And it is also true that no one has ever succeeded in perfectly obeying all of Christ’s commands, either before or after salvation. The struggle to surrender to Christ as LORD is a continuous conflict with the Adamic nature which begins at conversion and ultimately ends only when we arrive in Heaven. The more a believer grows in grace and knowledge of God’s Word, the more he understands the claims of Christ’s Lordship, and the more he will yield to his Lord. Viewed from this perspective, submitting to the Lordship of Christ is a birthmark, or fruit, of true conversion. It is the essence of the believer’s progressive sanctification as he continues along the narrow path that leads to Heaven (Matt. 7:14).

However, it is EQUALLY TRUE that no one may receive Christ as SAVIOR WHO IS UNWILLING to receive Him as Lord. We cannot pick and choose. We cannot have salvation on our own terms. Salvation is by believing God’s revelation. Some preachers may offer salvaton without any surrender. Jesus Christ does not. “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33) “Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21)

The heart of the issue is the attitude of the heart. A believing heart is a surrendered heart. Saving faith yields to Christ as Lord, even though the full implications of that surrender will take a lifetime to understand. It is not possible to have Christ as Savior now, and later, after salvation, decide whether or not you want Him to be your Lord. If He is not your Lord, He is not your Savior. Perhaps this is the best way to explain the difference between believing in the head (intellectual faith), and believing in the heart (surrender).

Do You Have a Savior?
This somewhat theological debate ahs very practical implications. Do you claim to be a Christian? If so, it is because you have “believed” the message of the gospel–the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your substitute, in payment for your sins (I Cor. 15:1-4). The question is, which Jesus Christ did you receive? There are many, you (Matt. 24:23, 24). Did you believe in a Christ who offers to save you from the penalty of your sins, but makes no demands upon your life? Then I must tell you that you are trusting an idol, a mental fabrication, a false God without divine power to save. Or, did you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Christ of the Bible, the Sovereign Master of the universe who shed His blood for your sins and lays rightful claim to your heart and life?

If you have received this Christ, then you have God’s salvation. “He that hath the Son hath life: He that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (I John 5:12)

It is not a matter of DOING anything more than believing in order to gain salvation. However, it IS a matter of believing the whole message of salvation; of receiving as your Savior the Lord Jesus Christ, and not some false God. If there is little subsequent desire to please Him after you “believed,” then you must not have received Jesus as Lord. The issue of yielding to His Lordship is wrapped up in the question of saving faith. When Jesus is LORD (Owner Master), there is little quarrel with His demands. We know He has every right to command us, and we do not question that right. When we think we have a Savior who has no right to make demands upon our life, we are deceived. There is no such Savior. Jesus Christ, Savior or Lord? He’s both. Do YOU have a Savior? “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Published with the permission of Pastor Greg Barkman – Beacon Baptist Church

Know that God has shown His love for you by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross as a sacrifice for your sin.
John 3:16 – . . . That He gave His only begotten Son . . .

know that whosoever believes in Jesus Christ will not perish (in hell), but will have everlasting life (in heaven).
John 3:16 – . . . should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Know if you call upon the Lord Jesus in prayer and believe in Him with all your heart, you will be saved.
Romans 10:13 – For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
John 1:12 – But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

 You can accept Jesus here and now or anywhere and at any time by simply praying a similar prayer . . .

“Lord, I have sinned against you and my sins separate me from you. I ask for your grace and forgiveness. I ask that you become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, you have just made the most important decision of your life. We encourage you to pray for God to lead you to the right Bible based church for you, so that you may continue to strengthen yourself in him. God has so much in store for you and with time, page by page, as if you were reading a great novel, a new knowledge will unfold. New blessings will abound and prayers answered will be confirmation that you are in the precious and saving grace of God and that you are in his loving arms both safe and protected in such a way that it will never cease to amaze you. We also encourage you to contact us and let us know. We would like to say a special prayer for you. If you live in the area, you are invited to attend our church services. Please know that you AND your family are always welcome.

We believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. It is preached, taught, and is the focus of what we know and believe
about God.

We believe baptism is an outward expression of an inward experience and communion is symbolic of a new life in Christ
while it reminds us of his atoning sacrifice.

We believe that all mankind was born into sin and thus are in need of saving grace. We believe there is a literal Heaven and
Hell. Those who die in their sins will spend eternity damned and separated from God. Those who invite Jesus to come into
their heart and receive him as Savior will find a new sense of joy, meaning and purpose for their life and will spend eternity
enjoying the glory and majesty of Heaven.

We are evangelical in nature and believe God has called us to grow both spiritually and numerically.

We believe every member is a minister of Christ who joyfully receives the mantle of leadership while the pastor preaches,
teaches and equips our congregation to serve Christ as capable stewards.

Also See . . . Once Saved, Always Saved?

He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be …
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone! 

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can’t understand him,
The armies can’t defeat Him,
The schools can’t explain Him,
And the leaders can’t ignore Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him,
The Pharisees couldn’t confuse Him,
And The people couldn’t hold Him!
Nero couldn’t crush Him,
Hitler couldn’t silence Him,
The New Age can’t replace Him,
And "Oprah" can’t explain Him away! 

He is Light, Love, Longevity, and Lord.
He is Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, Mighty, Powerful, and Pure.

His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life! 

I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
the power of the powerful,
the ancient of days,
the ruler of rulers,
the leader of leaders,
the overseer of the over comers,
and is to come.

His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never mislead me,
never forget me,
never overlook me and
never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful.
I am His, and He is mine!

So, if you’re wondering why I feel so secure, understand this…

He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,
and that means all is well with my soul.
 
Everything and Everyday is a blessing – for GOD Is!