 |
Following in the footsteps of the Acts of the
Apostles, written by St. Luke, Shepherd's Cross Christian Helps Ministry
exists by the grace of God to further the first century Apostolic tradition
serving in the Great Commission. |
 |
|
Salvation Boulevard
The last civil chat I recall having with my step-mother Eileen, took place in the family home in San Jose, California. I was seventeen years old. Previously that year, 1970, being 17 years old and a high school junior, I had asked the Lord Jesus Christ into my life as my personal savior. Having already shared this experience beforehand with my dad, it had become my step-mother Eileen’s turn. Before leaving the house in order to return back home where I lived with my mother, one inquiry still lingered in the air that Eileen needed to be asked and answered. Richard: “Do you know what you need to do?” Eileen: “Yes! Ask Jesus to come into my life?” Richard: “Would you like to?” Eileen: “No!” A couple of thousand years early in Judea in the land of Israel, there was another civil exchange that took place between a teacher and his disciples on an analogous subject. Found in the Holy Bible located in the Gospel according to St. Matthew 16:13-23 and The Gospel according to St. Mark 8:27-33 this conversation has been documented from history past. The Gospel According To St. Matthew 16:13-17 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. The Gospel According To St. Mark 8:27-30 And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he charged them to tell no one about him. Here in Holy Scripture we find a conversation very much like the one Eileen and I shared before I asked the final question. Who do men say that I am? "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Gospel According To St. John Chapter 6 Following Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum vs. 60, “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” vs. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Are you too going to walk away? St. John 6:67 Here the Lord Jesus, Israel’s King Messiah asks of his disciples almost verbatim the question that was asked of Eileen. Peter responded opposite that Eileen stating, “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” St John 6:68-69 Eileen’s answer to her own statement I have to ask Jesus to come into my life. “No!” Original Sin Or Why Are We In The Mess We Are In Today? “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shall surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” And the serpent said unto the woman, “You shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Immediately Adam knew that God’s word is true. Just like now, Eileen knows that Jesus had been the only way to salvation. Just as those disciples that walked away from Israel’s Messiah know that Jesus is in fact the Son of David Israel’s King Messiah and is sitting at the right hand of God. Psalm 110. The translation used is the New English Version. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”Romans 1:18-20 What are they without excuse of? The Apostle, St. Paul, answers this as he continues to write; “For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:21 Who are they whose hearts were darkened? It is those who did not honor God as God or give thanks to him. It was this action that resulted upon those that refused why their thinking became dark and within their hearts to become darkened. Continuing; “Although they claimed to be wise they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” Romans 1:23 This is what they did. This is what they chose. They knew and then did not honor nor were thankful. What happened then according to the Apostle, St. Paul, “Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” Romans 1:24-25 Their thinking and hearts were first darkened then they were given over to the very lusts that were then found in their darkened hearts. Simply speaking it was because they chose to reject God. “For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” Romans 1:26-27 People listen very carefully do not respond as my late step mother Eileen responded with a resounding, “NO!” For Jesus is the one referred to in the Holy Scriptures, where it says, `The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." Acts of the Apostles 4:11-12 Reader you have read of three historical conversations. First, the conversation taking place between my step-mother Eileen and I, some thirty seven years ago. Second, the conversation taking place between the lord Jesus Christ and his disciples some two thousand years ago. Third, the conversation taking place between Satan and our first parents at the beginning of mankind’s creation. It seems that Salvation Boulevard is full of conversations. Now this essay turns the focus of conversation upon you so does speak. Becoming your turn now the question, “Who do you say that I, Jesus, am? “Do you know what you need to do?” Are you going to walk away? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:16-18 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10 Wherefore, as by man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:12 The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now, that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Romans 5:8-10 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” Luke 19:9-10 For he says, "at the acceptable time i listened to you, and on The Day Of Salvation i helped you." behold, now is "The Acceptable Time," behold, now is "The Day Of Salvation "-- 2 Corinthians 6:2 “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we preach), for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:8-13 |
Shepherd's Cross Christian Helps Ministry