You CanTrust God's Grace

You Can Trust God's Grace

Our awareness of sin and failure, is our call to grace!

Trust God to cover you with his robe of righteousness, and thank him for forgiveness and justification through the Blood of Jesus. His grace is even greater than your need for mercy! His love covers all sin and restores us to complete fellowship with Him!. All the charges have been dropped, and you can walk in freedom. The prison of sin can no longer hold you, if you will accept your pardon!

“Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound.” Rom.5:20

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed!” John 8:36

I Thank God for the ‘gospel of the grace of God’ - the good news of God’s undeserved, unmerited favor toward us!

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Rom1:16

God himself has reconciled us to Himself. He has provided the means, and the faith that allows us to have a covenant relationship with him! We have true fellowship with our maker; Jehovah Jireh ; ’The Lord our Provider‘! Jesus himself is our way, our truth, and our life! The very life and power of God has been poured out for us.

The true and living God walks with us, and in us!

He is Emmanuel (“God with us“ Matt.1:23).

“For he hath said ’I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Heb.13:5

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our Heavenly Father has made a way where there was no way. He made rivers in the desert, and brought us water from the rock! He has provided a scapegoat to bear away our sins. He has provided a Redeemer who has purchased us with his blood, and has freed us from the servitude if sin!

Through the miracle of grace, God himself provides us with the willingness to serve him. We are motivated and energized by gratitude, as we gain a clearer understanding of his freely given grace.

“For it is God which worketh in you, both to will, and to do of his good pleasure.”Phil. 2:13

“knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” Rom. 2:4

“being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that in Christ Jesus” Rom. 3:24

“In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his Grace.” Eph. 1:7

“ That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Titus 3:15

You are not alone! Believe in the One who loves you unconditionally, and let Him change you from within. Let Him show you the reality of His grace and mercy! Quit trying to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders, and find rest in Jesus. His yoke is easy and His burden is light!

He's not mad at you, He want's to pour his grace into you and heal your broken life!

God bless YOU as you trust in His grace!

Pastor Chuck Loubert

Believe It Or Not, You Are Forgiven!

2 Cor.5:18,19 NKJV “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

Believe it or not, you are forgiven!

God has already reconciled you to Himself. Jesus has closed the gap; the sin problem is permanently settled. The sins of all mankind have been erased from the account books. Your trespasses are not counted against you, Jesus took your sin away.

You had no say in the matter! God chose you in Christ, and adopted you into His family. Your creator and Heavenly Father doesn't need your permission to love you! Your acceptance or your refusal can not change the love that God has for you. His love and forgiveness is unconditional; The New Covenant is irrevocable.

It's up to you, if you choose to participate or not; but your choices cannot negate His love and forgiveness. Even if you reject or ignore Him, He has included you in His eternal plan. Do you really think that your sins are greater than His grace?

Does it make you angry when I tell you, that you had no say in God's decision to love you? Get over it! Quit running from the very person who can take away that empty feeling inside you: the sense that you are missing something, and don't know what it is, or how to find it.

 Jesus said, “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.” 

 

Let Him be your Good Shepherd, Your teacher and healer. He came to bind up your broken heart, and take you out of your self-imposed prison. He will take the burden of remorse and self-recrimination from off of your shoulders. He will help you become the wonderful person that you know that you were meant to be.

The good news is, that, God has fixed the sin problem without your help! You can enjoy the benefits of His grace by simply believing Him and accepting the good news of your salvation.

It's a done deal! Receive the gift of eternal life!

Quit listening to the disinformation, and mis-information that impugns and distorts the character of your Heavenly Father. God is love, period.

 

The law has been rendered obsolete: your relationship with God is not based upon your performance. God has changed everything at the cross, and He sealed the deal at the resurrection.

His offer to you, is eternal life, not eternal probation. Your forgiveness has already been given. You will enjoy the indescribable joy, and the peace of a clean conscience, and a new heart, when begin to believe wonderful news of your reconciliation with Him.

God bless you, as you trust in His grace!

- Pastor Chuck Loubert 8-27-14

We Are Fruit

We Are Fruit

John 12:24,25 “Verily,verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Jesus is the corn of wheat that died, and his death has made us alive in Him! He died for us, and he died as us! When you accept the truth of His death, burial, and resurrection in your place, you become a new creation in Christ Jesus!

He who knew no sin, was made sin for us; and as us, He suffered the result of our sin.

We were born into Adam, and inherited his fallen nature, with all it's limitations and it's guilt.

Jesus died as us and rose from the dead, so that we can rise with Him, with a new heart and a new nature.

We are the fruit of His death and resurrection! We died with Jesus, as sinners (all of us humans); and now, whoever wants to lose this old frustrating, fallen life, can have a new eternal life in Christ. Like the old hymn says, “Alive, Alive, Alive forever more!”

Being born again is more than a lifestyle change, it is new life in Christ! You were once darkness, and now you are light in Christ, sharing in his glory, and energized with His Spirit.

We are risen with Jesus, to be partakers in His life; not to follow rules and regulations, or to try to please modern day pharisees, or to be miserable with regret and condemnation!

Your standing with God is not dependent upon your performance or merits, your righteousness is the result of the grace of our loving God, who has made a way for all of us to enjoy union with Him, through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah and Savior!

If you are an imperfect sinner, born into the family of Adam, you are eligible for eternal life! You can enjoy a guilt free relationship with your loving creator, because Jesus took your place and rose from death into new life, as you, and for you. You are eligible to inherit His Life and walk in His righteousness! He will change you through the power of His grace as you begin to realize how much he loves you. The Holy Spirit will teach you, and lead you to experience the knowledge of Christ, and who you are in Him.

God Bless You as you trust in His grace!

©2013 Rev. Charles J. Loubert

Jesus Is Our Forerunner

Jesus is Our Forerunner

Heb. 6: 19,20 ESV “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

John 14:2b,3 KJV “ I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Under the old Mosaic covenant, no one was allowed to follow the high priest into the Holy of Holies, behind the curtain of separation. The priest entered alone into the presence of God with an offering of blood, which would cover the sins of the Israelites for a year, until the next Day of Atonement.

Under the New Covenant, Jesus entered once, for all of us, into the Holiest Place with his own blood, and restored mankind to right standing with God. He made it possible for us to receive His eternal life and His righteousness.

When Jesus said “it is finished”, and left His body on the cross, the curtain which denied access to the mercy seat in the Jerusalem temple, was ripped apart from top to bottom, showing to all the world, that access to the throne of mercy is now freely available to anyone-Jew or Gentile.

Whoever desires to, is free to approach Him and receive His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Every miserable sinner, every self-righteous loser- whosoever will, is welcome at the throne of God, because we have a Forerunner who has cleared the way for us. No one will be turned away: including YOU!

According to Adam Clark's Commentary on the Bible, a forerunner runs before, shows the way, does something first, and it also refers to the first fruits of the harvest.

We see here a wonderful picture of Jesus our High Priest and Redeemer.

He went before us, as a man, into the very throne room of Almighty God, secured forgiveness for all of us, and then defeated death by rising from the grave, to live forever as our Intercessor, our King, and our High Priest.

Jesus is the beginning of the new creation. He is the first born, the Forerunner. Through the miracle of the new birth, we who were born into the race of Adam, can now, be born, of the Spirit, into Christ. We have been transferred into the family of God: Jesus, our forerunner, is not only our Redeemer, but He is also our Elder Brother. He is God, and He is also a Man.

By grace through faith, we can enjoy all the benefits and blessings which are made available to us through Christ, our Forerunner and our High Priest.

“ Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceedingly great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” II Peter 1:2-4

God bless you, as you rest in His grace!

©2012 Rev. Charles J. Loubert

There Stands One Among You

There Stands One Among You

Jn. 1:10-12 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him,to them gave he power [the right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

Jn. 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water:but there standeth one among you whom ye know not:

The night that I first received Jesus as my Savior and Redeemer, I realized and felt that He had been with me all through my life; but, until that moment, I hadn't known it as a fact. I had hoped that God had some interest in me, but I didn't know for sure. When the gospel cut through the darkness of my mind and spirit, I then knew that Jesus had died for me, as my substitute, and I accepted his free gift of eternal life.

I have since learned that, as Christians, we are required to walk by faith and not by sight. I don't always feel the presence of God, but in my heart I know that He will never leave me or forsake me. That knowledge has brought me through many dark and dismal days!

Just as Jesus dwells in the heart of the individual believer through the agency of his Holy Spirit, so also, Jesus dwells in the church corporately. The body of Christ is His dwelling place here on earth. He walks among us and in us, and is all around us. "In him we live, and move and have our being."(Acts 7:28)

Matt.18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

The problem that the 'modern' church faces, is not the absence of God's presence, but our unbelief and our failure to acknowledge him among us. Most churches think that if they do all the right things, then God will join them for a couple of hours in the sanctuary, and maybe give them a good feeling about what they have done that Sunday. Most churches that I have visited, have great form, but little substance. Great music will not coerce the Holy Spirit to move among us, neither do impressive prayers or spiffy bulletins where the order of service is precisely outlined for the faithful. We walk by faith, not by sight!

We talk about what we have accomplished, should accomplish, or are going to accomplish, but there is not a lot of focus on what Jesus has accomplished for us at Calvary, and on what he is doing in us right now.

If we have gathered in his name, why do I hear well-meaning church goers ask God to 'grace' them with his presence or to 'manifest his presence' at the start of nearly every church service? why keep asking God for that which you already have? Aren't those kind of prayers an expression of your unbelief, rather than affirmations of faith?

We have one standing among us who we 'know not'!

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save,he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

Isaiah 12:6 "Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee."

If you are in Christ, you are a member of his body, and you are one of the stones that make up the temple which he inhabits. He walks among you, do you know him? Do you know what spirit you are of? Do you thank Him for walking with you in all situations, or do you beg him to show up when you have a crisis? We walk by faith.

There is great peace of mind to be had for the believer who knows that God will never leave or forsake him or her. He knows all our failures, our sins, and our unfaithfulness, and yet he still loves us all with an eternal love. God is every where, how can he not be with you wherever life takes you?

Can you go so far from him, that he can't reach you with his grace? of course not! Don't let anyone tell you that his presence comes and goes as a result of your actions or your thoughts. He is not that fickle! He gave you eternal life, not eternal probation! We are not under the old Mosaic covenant, we are partakers of the New Covenant which has been ratified by the blood of Jesus. The sin problem has been settled forever.

Jer. 31:34b "...they shall all know me from the least of them, to the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

There stands one among you!

God Bless you as you rest in his grace!

©2012 Rev. Charles J. Loubert

Are You Thirsty?

Are You Thirsty?

John7:37,38 "In that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying,If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scriptures hath said, out of his belly [heart] shall flow rivers of living water."

In this scripture, we see Jesus offering living water to anyone who thirsts, and who believes on him. The only prerequisites here: be thirsty, and believe on Jesus. He is freely inviting us to enjoy his Spirit, to partake of his divine, eternal life! Jesus didn't offer Living Water to those who deserve it, or to those who 'tarry' for it, or to those who try to earn it through good works and good intentions; Any one who is thirsty and believes that Jesus is the source of living water, is invited to freely drink it.

Be thirsty, Go to Jesus, drink, and believe. What could be simpler? Yet, God's people, have managed to complicate and distort his simple offer of grace. We have piled on so many prerequisites and requirements, that many of the people who we want to reach, feel that they have been disqualified and must jump through a dozen hoops before Jesus will take time from his busy schedule and hear their prayers.

If you are thirsty for truth, and feel that something has been missing from your life, go to Jesus and freely drink from the fountain of his love! He has made the way clear for you! He has removed the stumbling blocks, and straightened out the road. Jesus has given you the green light, the go-ahead. He has and paid for your ticket!

No man, woman, or devil can prevent you from drinking from the well of eternal life! 'Whosoever will' is free to partake of the life of Christ! Even your own sins can not prevent you from approaching Jesus and receiving his forgiveness and his living Spirit! The people that Jesus has invited to his table of blessings, are all sinners. JESUS CAME TO SAVE SINNERS!

We all have fallen short of his perfect law, and none of us is good enough to earn his love; but through the cross, Jesus has made the way clear. He has paid the price, and has taken upon himself the judgment that we deserve. He has not imputed our sins to us, but has rather made it possible for his righteousness to be imputed to us. Don't take my word for it, read your bible, and quit trying to complicate the simple truth of God's grace with your theological systems and your unbelief. A New Covenant has been established, and everyone is invited to be adopted into the family of God, and to be a citizen of His Kingdom.

It's simple! You need eternal life. Jesus is the source of all life. You are invited to enjoy His life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He has freely invited ALL of us to drink from the fountain of his favor.

Isaiah 55:1 "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

©2012 Rev. Charles J. Loubert

Is Salvation Conditional ?

Is Salvation Conditional?

Yes, Salvation is possible only when the required conditions are met; however the good news (the Gospel), is, that all of the necessary conditions for your complete salvation have been met by Jesus! He has lived and died perfectly, as your representative and your substitute. He lived and died for you and as you. Anything that would keep you from a relationship with God has been removed; all your sins and shortcomings have been totally forgiven.

2 Cor. 5:17-19 " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

Now all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

The account has been settled, payed in full! You have been reconciled to God and forgiven! The sin problem has been settled for all time: all that remains, is for you to believe it. Before you ever heard of Jesus, he had already made a place for you in his family! By believing that he has already taken away your sin and guilt at the cross, your condemnation is dissolved, and you are given eternal life in Christ. You have been given the gift of righteousness; it's all yours if you will receive it. No one is too wicked and too far gone, to be eligible to receive eternal life!

Jn.5:24 "Verily, verily. I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Jn.6:47 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

The deal is done, and the covenant has been ratified! You can enjoy the benefits of God's wonderful grace today! No need to do anything to earn it or prove yourself worthy; grace covers all your shortcomings. Don't even waste your time trying to find something good in yourself that will cause God to accept you; your good deeds and virtues are irrelevant, the goodness and mercy of God has got you covered.

Let his grace change you and give you the peace that exceeds all understanding, Let him be the light for your path and the wisdom that you rely on every day. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to you; receive it and enjoy it. Put away all pretense of self righteousness, and let Jesus shine through you. Your ticket has been paid for, the way has been cleared!

Rom.6:5,6 "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve [be slaves of] sin."

We are free from the guilt and the influence of sin, because we died in Christ, and we share in his resurrection. The very life of God is now available to whosoever will drink freely of his grace and will believe that God has made the way for us to be his very own, chosen, sons and daughters.

He has chosen us in Christ, and made us to be partakers of his divine nature, just because he loves us. Accept the fact that you can enjoy the fruits of the cross and become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Believe the gospel, and accept Jesus as your Savior today, and enjoy the rest of your eternal life!

©2012 Rev. Charles J. Loubert