Don't be tricked like the buffalo

I was remembering from history class certain tribes of Native American Indians depended heavily upon the buffalo for their survival. Buffalo were hunted in various ways.

Buffalo herds are vastly diminished

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Sometimes a hunter dressed like a buffalo to lure them and get close enough to take a good shot at one with his bow and arrow or weapon to take one of these big boys down.

Another hunting strategy was to force-run the entire herd into a valley or ravine where they couldn't escape.

Over the cliff

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And yet another strategy was to drive the herd straight over a cliff. This method had many buffalo falling to their death and the Indians in one swoop would have slaughtered an entire herd without wasting one arrow and they'd celebrate large with their massive kill having plenty of meat and skin for the tribe.

The proud Native American Indian

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You may be wondering what in the world am I writing about buffalo and Indians on this faith based blog?

Substitute hunter for satan.
Substitute the hunt to kill for prowling to seek out and kill by satan.
Substitute herds of buffalo for masses of humans and precious souls.
Substitute the buffalo hunter's plan for satan's plan to steal, kill, and destroy.
Substitute weapons for satan's lies to get your attention and eyes off God.
Substitute costume for deception of what satan really is.
Substitute buffalo running over the cliff for satan executing his plan taking you 'blindly' over a cliff and away from the blessings of God. 
Substitute the cliff's edge for falling away from God.
Substitute the bottom of the cliff or ravine for hell and the Lake of Fire.
Substitute a herd for what masses of people are doing or believing.
Substitute meat and skin for your spirit and soul.


I hope my analogy makes a strong point how Indian hunters tricked many buffalo and how satan tricks many people. But I'm in no way calling American Indians satan or people herds of buffalo.


                                                         *******

Think.........


Many are following and/or being lead away from God to their spiritual death.
Satan is playing all his cunning, masterful deceptions. He's good at what he does. So good, he even has many headed for the cliff but they don't yet see the cliff.

The road to destruction is wide and crowded and looks to be the 'thing' to be running in.
The path to peace and life is narrow and uncrowded. Few take the effort to find it. But it can be found and it's so worth the effort.

One destination is death, the other is life.
One looks good now, until the dropping point. But by then, it's too late to turn around- being caught up in a massive crowd steadily pushing onward and over the edge and the end of the fall is everlasting death.

The other is much less crowded and void of danger.  It's destination is good. It is paved with knowledge and wisdom and the path leads to everlasting life.


Which path are you on?  Who is prompting and leading you?   Where is your spiritual body going?

Before you reach the cliff, unlike the herd of buffalo about to meet their end,  YOU can choose
to not be tricked.



Jesus came not to condemn, but to SAVE and REDEEM YOU from 'falling off the cliff to your spiritual death' (destruction).  HE WHO HAS THE SON HAS LIFE, SPIRITUAL LIFE, and that translates into a more abundant life now as well. God looks at you and sees you've been cleansed of all unrighteousness because you have accepted his free gift of Jesus, who shed his blood to pay the penalty for your sins. Sin no longer separates you from God. You have Jesus as you friend and personal mediator. You're in the family of God.

Six-step process for your rebirth into spiritual and eternal life-

1. ADMIT you're a sinner, you can't save yourself, and your need of a Savior.
2. BELIEVE Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah.
3. With sincerity of heart, PRAY and INVITE Jesus into your life and heart.
4. LEARN AND STUDY about Jesus and his teachings in the Bible SO YOUR FAITH WILL
    GROW AND DEEPEN. Satan IS GOING TO try but don't allow him to steal your joy. You are
    forever sealed in redemption in the kingdom of God and adopted into his family and to inherit the
    promises of God. Satan is a washed up defeated foe, but he will keep trying by any means possible
    to take as many down with him. Remind him that you are washed clean of your sins and Jesus is
    your Savior and Lord,  YOU  are not going where he'll be going. YOU have accepted Jesus and
    you've been bought and paid for with the pure blood of Jesus. YOU'RE NO LONGER A SLAVE
   TO SIN OR TO THE LIES AND DECEPTIONS. He's not going to take you down and tell him to
    be gone in the mighty name of Jesus!

5.PRAISE GOD for giving you a way to be brought back to good graces with a holy, sovereign,
   righteous and loving heavenly Father.

6.Get baptized which symbolizes the newness of your new life, having been washed clean of your
   sins and arisen into a new life with Christ.



Until next time,
I'm walking in the narrow path with the wonderful warmth of the Son upon my back.

Not being pushy, but you've got to decide

I have a friend who has cancer. His doctor's have reported there's nothing medically that can be done other than manage his pain with medication.  He continues to work as he normally has. I'm mainly concerned about the health of his soul over the health of his body.   I've tried my best over some weeks telling him it's not too late to make sure he knows for sure and is settled confidently on grounds spiritually speaking, of course, with God. I've made it very clear it's up to him to do that, but I am always available if he's not sure about his salvation and his eternal future. Clearly,  I would gladly do a Bible search to find specific scripture references so he would know God's Word on being back-slidden, being saved, or where your soul goes after the first death(death of the flesh), but more importantly, after the second death (spiritual separation from God). I can also ask my Pastor if there's something I can't locate in the Bible. Sadly, my friend has not asked me any questions, and every time I see him, I want to know if he's taken care of the most important decision of his life. He keeps telling me he doesn't want to talk about that right now. That's his decision and I am not going to corner anyone into making such a very important, personal, eternal decision. Against my normal character, I keep my mouth shut and pray one day he will bring the matter up to me.  Perhaps he just doesn't want me to know his decision. That's alright. I don't have to know. I've done what I could do in talking, writing, praying, and pointing to my friend to the one true source of hope and love and life.  God is always near, always eager to forgive, and always ready to welcome souls into the family of God.  He and anyone only needs to ask God, accept His Son as their Lord and Savior. I'm not being pushy to anyone to make their decision. When you get down to it, it really is a very critical decision because your decision will affect you for a very long time, like for the rest of eternity. And it's difficult for us mortals now to comprehend eternity. The best way I can explain it is, this decision for Jesus or not for Jesus will play on you forever and ever without end. So your decision best be the right one. That's not being pushy, just matter of fact.  Enough said, for now.

On Calvary, Jesus paid for mankind's sins. Ask Him into your heart.

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Jesus paid the ransom for all. God's Son is the Lord.

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Faithfully on that road to higher ground and wanting others on that same road forward road.

The Cross- a done deal

Yesterday a good friend asked me a question about her salvation. She's saved, but someone had told her something which got her doubting her salvation.  I told her that she has to remember what Jesus said as he died on the cross. Jesus said, 'It is finished."  My answer also included that you can't add nor subtract from the finished work of the Cross. Jesus did all the work of paying for the sins of mankind. That's a difficult thing for many to believe, and many doubt, but it's true.  All any person has to do is believe. That's what my pastor told me. Just believe. Some people still have the notion or doctrine that Jesus didn't complete his work on the Cross and we still have to perform and be perfect human beings, but of course we can't and fail, which makes us doubt our salvation.

Find peace with God and redemption of sins at the Cross

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 I also gave my friend five examples of people in the Bible, who even with their faults and sins, still went to heaven. Moses killed a soldier and when he found that someone saw him do this, he fled from Egypt. Moses is in heaven. Of the two men crucified on either side of Jesus, one believed. Jesus told him that that day he would be with Him in paradise. Mary Magdalene, the prostitute, whom Jesus rescued from being stoned, she believed. Jesus told her to go, and sin no more. She's in heaven. King David, had the husband of Bathsheba killed to cover a sin, then with the husband dead, he took Bathsheba as his wife because he had gotten her pregnant. David's in heaven. And Saul had Christians murdered before he had his life changing experience with Jesus. He believed and got a new name, Paul. He's in heaven.

God looks at the spiritual condition of your heart

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 God looks at the condition of the heart. There has to be a spiritual transformation in the heart- a welcoming of Jesus into your heart  is the only thing that can purify sin away. No one can save them self or anyone else. There's no humanly way anyone can do enough to gain God's approval, because you have to be perfect and without sin. It takes one that knows no sin to be an acceptable sacrifice and Jesus had and has the only seal of approval on that claim, so it's through Him that you can be saved and for your name to be written in the Lambs Book of Life to enter heaven. There is only one way- believe in Jesus.  First, admit you are a sinner in need of a savior. Believe Jesus is the Son of God. Believe Jesus died for your sins, and ask him into your heart and life by faith. Believe Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of God, our Heavenly Father interceding for his saints.  There. Done deal. If you meant that and believe that in your heart, you are now saved by the grace of God and your sins have now been forgiven, wiped away. You've by choice accepted God's one and only plan to be redeemed and saved from death to life. Praise the Lord!  You're still an imperfect human being. You're still gonna make lots of mistakes, and daily you're still in need of improvement and growth and maturity in being Christ-like-- that will be ongoing until you're called home. But one major difference in saved people compared to unsaved people is the condition of the heart. When you're saved, your heart is quickened to the things of God, the Holy Spirit is your counselor, the Bible is a living Word to you and God begins to open your eyes to His wisdom and mysteries contained in the Word, you're sins are forgiven and you're adopted into God's family instantly, with all rights and inheritances that belong to and are bestowed to sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. Once you're adopted into his family, you can't be unsaved or kicked out of his family even if you make mistakes or sin. Sin doesn't have a hold on you like it used to.  You have a choice, and daily you should want to more and more refrain from things that are not of God. And adopted children have more legal rights than the blood children of a father.  By comparison, those people who chose not to accept Jesus and not to believe, can expect none of the above. Regretfully, they can't ever expect heaven to be their home. Sad, but that's God's plan for those whom don't have His Son.

Recap-
God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He only expects us to trust and believe in the Son that He sent to and for us.  But if a person chooses not to believe, God spells out what that person can have to look forward to. The choice God leave up to each individual. Just remember He's made our part the easiest. Jesus showed us the ultimate act of love in paying the penalty for our sins on the Cross- it was his blood that was shed, his flesh and bones that were beaten, he that died. Because of Him, we sinners don't have to face any of that.  He deserves all the praise and honor for doing so.
Remember, this is the spiritual part of your being. God looks at the spiritual condition of your heart. With Jesus in your heart, the filth of sin is wiped clean. Without Jesus in your heart, heaven is off limits. You may be able to fake others, but you can't hide the spiritual condition of your heart from God.  Is the Cross a done deal in your heart?


Supporting scripture:
Luke 23: 32-43
Acts 9:1
1 Cor 15:9
Exodus 2:11-12
2 Samuel 11:1-6,14-27

Until next time, I'm keeping my face upward and toward the Son.

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