Tag: bible

False Teachers Among Us

Identify and Avoid

“Now I beseech you, Brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine you have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17).

The Apostle Paul is warning the church to watch out for false teachers. He is instructing them, and us, to mark them and avoid them. False teachers must be identified as such before they can do harm to those that are exposed to their teaching. All false doctrine comes from deceiving spirits that use these false teachers to propagate their lies. It is of upmost importance that ee identify and steer clear of these false teachers. However, we are to pray for them that they will repent of their false way (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

False teachers were a problem in the early church and they are a problem today. In the Olivet Discourse, the Lord Jesus warned about not being deceived by imposters that would come in His Name. In fact, when addressing the future, the time after His departure, it was the very first thing he mentioned which tells us of the importance He placed on it. Paul also warned of those that would depart from the faith in the latter times (the time we live in now).

“Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).

We are in those later times that Paul warned about. Our faith must remain fixed in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross. He paid the sin debt owed to God and opened the way for fellowship with the Lord. False doctrine always changes the truth of the Gospel in some way. If we do not understand who Jesus is and what He accomplished, we can be easily deceived. The Apostle John instructed us to test the spirits.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The Holy Spirit will always points us to Christ and Him crucified. If any doctrine minimizes the Lord’s sacrificial death at Calvary then you can be sure that deceiving spirits are involved. Our Lord came to die on the Cross to deliver us from “this present evil world.” Satan knows that our victory is found in the Cross, and only in the Cross, and will do all he can to either keep us from the Salvation offered there, or offer us false doctrine which us intended to move our faith from the correct object to a false way. The Apostle Peter calls them “damnable heresies.”

“But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring damnable heresies, even denying the Lord Who bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter  2:1).

Peter goes on to say that many will follow these false teachers. Why? They will present doctrines that itching ears want to hear and that will result in the fulfillment of evil desires and/ or causing those that follow them to ignore God’s will, or Word. Paul said the following regarding these deceivers:

“For they who are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:18).

There are only two kingdoms – the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan, and the Kingdom of Light ruled by the Lord. These false teachers are serving the kingdom of darkness to satisfy their earthly needs and fleshly desires. Those that do not know the Word of God are easy marks for these false teachers who appeal to them through flattery. There words are smooth and very tempting to those that have little knowledge of the Lord’s ways and Word.

As Paul mentioned in our introductory verse; he gave us fair warning to mark them, that is, to identify them and to avoid them. Deception is widespread in the church today. The Lord warned against this prior to His departure and we must guard against it today. Our faith must be in the provision the Lord has given us which is Christ  and Him crucified. If our faith remains in His provision, the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.

Living our lives according to God’s Word is the greatest life. Should we veer off of the truth that His Word brings us then we will pay the price. There are false teachers out there today offering doctrines of devils and tempting their followers to go their pernicious ways. We must guard against these brokers of evil. Just as their father the Devil, they are seeking whom they might devour.

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockery in the last time, who should walk are their own ungodly lusts. But you, Beloved, building up yourselves on your most Holy Faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 17,18,20).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

A Call to Repentance

The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea. And saying, Repent you for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:1,2).

John the Baptist came on the scene just prior to the coming of our Lord and His earthly ministry. He was calling Israel to repentance in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. Multitudes came to the Jordan River to see and hear what John was preaching, including the Pharisees and Sadducees. He was calling them to examine themselves to determine if they were truly following the Lord.

The Kingdom of Heaven was being offered to Israel and this call to repentance was the way of separating those that believed in a national salvation, or a works based salvation, from those who realized the need for individual repentance and true faith in the coming Redeemer. Those that came were baptized by him in the Jordan River confessing their sins.

There were two groups of people that came to John as he preached his message of repentance. There were those that realized their need for repentance and truly sought the Lord and His way, and those that were self-righteousness. The Pharisees and the Sadducees fell into the latter group. John called both groups to bring forth evidence that they understand what the Lord required, which was repentance and faith. As evidenced by our Lord’s ministry, and the opposition by the religious leadership that He experienced, the latter group never brought forth the proper repentance.

Israel, due to unbelief, was destroyed. They had the ministry of John the Baptist followed by the arrival of the Lord Jesus and His incredible ministry of some three and a half years. They had no excuse. Judgment came in AD 70 when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the Jews were dispersed throughout the known world of the time.

This is a lesson for our world of today, and a warning for the church of our day. The King is coming. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The Lord is calling all those alive today to repentance. The question is, which group will each of us fall into. Will we realize our need for repentance and come to the Lord repenting and placing our faith in the Lord’s gracious provision of Salvation, Christ and Him crucified, or will we walk out our life in self-righteousness having our faith in something other than Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross.

Faith in our own ability to be pleasing and accepted by the Lord, or faith in our religious practices, or in a belief that because we were born into a particular denomination we are in the Kingdom, will not lead to the Salvation that must be our chief desire. These practices and beliefs can only lead to self-righteousness, just like the religious leaders of John the Baptist’s time; there are both true followers of the Lord and apostates in our churches today.

At the Lord’s coming, He will separate the wheat from the tares as the Lord told us in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. In the church as a whole today, there are those that belong to the Lord (wheat), as well as those that follow a false way (tares). He asks us all to decide today whether we realize our great need and will come in repentance, or will we stand in our own righteousness awaiting the judgment that will come on all those who refuse the Lord and have gone the way of perdition. We must remember what happened to Israel in rejecting their Messiah. Our faith must be placed in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross, daily.  The reward for walking with the Lord is great; the punishment for rejecting the Lord is eternal.

“He (Jesus) came to His own (Israel), and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the Sons of God” (John 1:11,12).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

 

I Was Blind, But Now I See

The Greatest Miracle – A Changed Life

“Even when we were dead in sins, has He quickened us together with Christ, (by Grace are you saved)” (Ephesians 2:5).

We are dead in sins, or blind spiritually, until we are born again. When we come to the Lord we are acknowledging our lost state and looking to the Lord and His sacrificial death at Calvary. He paid the sin debt at the Cross and we are saved by faith in His great sacrifice there. We can know that we have Eternal Life. Why? Because it does not depend on our efforts and works. As mentioned, the Lord paid a great price at Calvary to provide our salvation. He cried out just before his death “It is Finished.” The Lord has provided a complete Salvation.

We need not, and should not, attempt to add anything to this great Salvation. We come to Him in repentance and faith believing that His death on the Cross paid the sin debt owed to God and opened the way for us to be born again into “Newness of life” and become sons of God. We have Eternal Lfe at the very moment our faith is placed in Christ.

There are many today who point to works as the way to Salvation. They advocate for a works-based life as the answer for how we gain access to Heaven. Others advocate for a faith plus works approach. Both of these are wrong. This is religion which is man trying to approach the Lord by what we do. The Lord reached down in His Mercy and Grace and we are to believe in the Salvation He has provided. That’s it! The Gospel is simple. It can be understood by a child. We come by faith and are saved. the following verses from Romans show us the Way:

“That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto Salvation” (Romans 10:9,10)

This is the only way it could be. We were lost and undone in our fallen nature. The Bible says “There is none righteous, no, not one” and “For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” We are unable to save ourselves, or walk out a holy life in our own efforts.  Jesus said the following making it very clear that there is only one way to Salvation and how we obtain it:

“I (Jesus) am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me”  (John 14:6).

                                                     And

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

So, Jesus is the only way to Salvation and when we come that way we are born again, or born spiritual. That is the one and only way. We must be born from above because in our fallen state we are “dead in trespasses and sins.” Our salvation is by faith from first to last. The following defines the born-again experience:

“If any man be in Christ (saved by the Blood), he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away (what we were before Salvation); behold, all things are become new (the old is no longer usable, with everything given to us now by Christ as ‘ new’)” (2 Corinthians 5:17 – commentary from the Expositor’s Study Bible.)

When we are born again and come to realize all the Lord has done for us we want his will in our lives and we will do good works, but our faith must not be in these. We cannot earn anything from God. We should go to church, read the Bible, pray, and share the Gospel, but, again, our faith must be in Christ and Him Crucified for Salvation and for our daily Christian walk.

In the very next verse after our introductory verse, John tells us that if our faith is right and we are seeking God’s will, then we can make our requests known to the Lord and he will hear us an answer. What a promise! We have a wonderful Lord who provides a complete salvation and hears our requests and answers them. We will close with this promise that the Lord, through John, gives us after assuring us of our salvation in the previous verse:

“And this is the confidence we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we desired of Him” (1 John 5:14,15).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Beware of Dogs

Those Opposed to the Gospel of Grace

“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (Circumcision). For we are the Circumcision (of the heart), which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:2,3).

In the above verses, the Apostle Paul was warning the Galatians against the teachings of the Judaizers who came from Jerusalem and who professed Christ but insisted that the Law must be kept as well. They wanted Believers to be circumcised as a requirement to follow Christ. This was diametrically opposed to Paul’s Gospel of Grace. Circumcision itself was not the issue, but holding it up as necessary for Salvation was. Adding anything to faith in Christ and Him Crucified alone is a false Gospel and an insult to all Christ accomplished at Calvary.

Our Righteousness is an imputed Righteousness totally given to us by the Lord as we exhibit faith in Christ. Our Lord paid the sin debt owed to God by mankind. He defeated sin and we have victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. It comes to us strictly by faith in His sacrificial death.

“And being found in Him (in Christ), not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).

We are to walk out our lives as Christians by faith. As has been said, the way we came in is the way we stay in. The way we came in was by faith and our daily walk is to be in the same way. Our sanctification is brought about by placing our faith in Christ Crucified and the Holy Spirit works in our lives to give us victory.

The Bible does not teach sinless perfection but a life walked out by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, pursuing that for which the Lord has called us, which is Christlikeness. The Apostle Paul says the following regarding his walk of faith in this life:

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after if that I may apprehend (he is seeking Christlikeness) that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God (Christlikeness) in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12,14).

We see, in our introductory verse, the Apostle Paul labeling these Judaizers in a most insulting way. He referred to them as “dogs.” The reason for this was because these individuals, whoever they might have been, were preaching a false gospel that would result in those who believed it apostatizing. In other words, they would be in great danger of having left the true Gospel. This was very serious as should be obvious. Paul referred to these individuals as dogs because their teachings would shipwreck all those who went their way.

Faith in circumcision in our introductory verse is representative of faith in anything outside of Christ.  Anything, and I mean anything, we place our faith in outside of the finished work of Christ will result in failure. We are in danger of shipwrecking our faith if we go this way. There are those today who have placed their faith in Christ for Salvation, but attempt to have victory in their lives by their own efforts. This is attempting to be sanctified by our works and will result in failure. The Apostle Paul put it this way:

“Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised (have faith in anything other than Christ), Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify unto every man who is circumcised, that He is a debtor to do the whole Law (impossible.). Christ has become of no effect unto you (a stern warning, whosoever of you are justified by Law (any law); you are fallen from Grace (to apostatize).  (Galatians 5:2-4 commentary mine).

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Joey Looks to the Blessed Hope

The Glorious Appearing of Our Lord

A Fictional Narrative

The Fourth in the Series on ” The Life of Joey.”

“Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the Glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

This is the fourth article on “The Life of Joey.” In the first three articles, we saw how Joey came to the Lord and found victory in his Christian walk. We also saw how thankful Joey is for all the Lord has done for him. We found Joey continuing to share the Gospel, the way to a victorious Christian life, and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, with all those that he comes across as the Holy Spirit leads him. In this installment, we find Joey learning about the Rapture of the church.

Our story takes place at the time of Joey’s conversion. He was the recipient of the Lord’s Mercy and Grace and he felt so blessed. Joey read his Bible every day and was amazed at how the Bible had come alive to him since he was born again and had started his spiritual journey. He knew the Holy Spirit was there to help him in his Christian walk and he had come to love the Word of God, spending much of his time reading and studying it.

Joey saw how the “Blessed Hope” was a promise of the Lord’s soon return for us in the Rapture of the church. He saw this as something that we are to take comfort in each day knowing that one day soon we will see the Lord in His “Glorious appearing,” and be with Him forever. This greatly encouraged Joey in his daily walk with the Lord. Life can be difficult a times and this “Promise” stood as a beacon of hope for Joey.

In knowing and discussing it with his fellow Christians, he found many who had rejected the Rapture or knew nothing about it, which surprised and troubled him. How could something so clearly promised be rejected out of hand? How could some in the church not know about it? The Resurrection of all the saints down through all of history is a fundamental belief of the church. Joey was aware of the fact that there were disagreements on the timing of this event, but the Resurrection of all believers is an important doctrine of the church. He understood that this promise of the Rapture was something the Lord, in His love for His church, knew would give us comfort and be a sure hope for us. It is a promise that we can count on.

Joey also saw that other places in the Bible spoke of the Coming of the Lord for His church in the Rapture. He found the following Scripture that spoke of this great event:

“Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trump will sound, and dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15: 51,52).

Joey learned from his study of the Bible on the Rapture that those who are living at the time of Christ’s return for His church will be caught up alive while those who have passed on will be resurrected. Joey was so glad that he was walking with the Lord and could look forward to His soon return. Joey saw how the world continues to spiral downward and this “Hope” gives all Christians great encouragement in these troubled times. Joey also had great comfort in the following verse in 1 Thessalonians;

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4: 14-17).

You may run across Joey as you go about your daily business. He is still preaching the Gospel and pointing the way to a victorious Christian life. Joey tells all who will listen that salvation is by faith from first to last and that we have the promise of the Lord’s soon return that, by this promise, we might be encouraged every day. He loves the Lord and it shows in all he does.

Joey walks in the victory the Lord has provided for all who come by faith and rest in his finished work. The Rapture of the church is on Joey’s mind each day and he tells all He comes across to look up for the Lord will soon return. He continually encourages his Christian brothers and sisters as the Apostle Paul did in the following verse:

“Wherefore comfort one another with these words (regarding the Rapture of the church) (1 Thessalonians 4: 18 commentary mine).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

The “god” of This World

The Prison of Unbelief

“But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them who are lost: in whom the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ, Who (Christ) is the Image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 commentary mine).

Satan has blinded the eyes of all those who have not come in repentance and faith to the Salvation purchased for us at such a great price. He is the “god of this world” due to the fall in the Garden. Those who are not “in Christ” live lives that are controlled by our fallen nature and Satan. They are deceived and live a life far beneath the life the Lord intends for us to live. They are in the prison of unbelief and subject to Satan, the god of this world. Sin is what gave Satan the legal right to keep men in bondage. His legal right was removed at the Cross with Christ paying the sin debt owed to God.

Many live lives that are determined by their circumstances. Some have all the comforts of this world and have decided that they have brought these blessings upon themselves and have made the decision that they have no need of God. The blessings of this world keep many from coming to the Lord. We know that “every good and perfect gift is from above.” Jesus said the following regarding God’s care and blessings upon all mankind:

“…He (God) makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45b).

Others have experienced difficult lives and have rejected God due to their life circumstances. They have a distorted picture of God because life, in their opinion, has dealt unfairly with them. Tough circumstances of life can affect anyone, but if we trust in the Lord He will bless us and see us through any storms life may bring us. Satan hates mankind and those that do not come into the protection and blessings of the Lord will be mistreated by the god of this world. The  Lord loves us and proved it by sending His Son so that He might “deliver us from the present evil world.” Jesus said it this way:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor (in spirit); He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives (the Cross), and recovery of sight to the blind (spiritually blind), to set at liberty those who are bruised (by the trials of life), to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18,19 & commentary mine).

The last group we will address are those who do not believe that there is a God. The Bible calls them fools. It says “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.” Romans Chapter 1 makes it clear that God has given them a witness in their conscience and the witness of creation so that they are without excuse.

These three groups, although not all-inclusive, represent most of the unsaved today and have one thing in common; the “god of this world” has them captive.  The Bible says that Satan comes “as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” All those who have not come to the Lord in repentance and faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary are prisoners of Satan.

We need only revisit the temptation in the Garden to see Satan’s strategy and understand how his lies have affected most of all mankind down through the centuries. Satan, through the serpent, tempted Eve to doubt God’s Word and told her that in eating the forbidden fruit she would not die and would be like God. The world as a whole has bought into his lies. Most today do not believe God’s Word and are charting a course in their life without Him. Satan’s lies brought spiritual death to Adam and Eve and have kept most down through the years in unbelief.

We live in a fallen world and mankind’s only hope is the Salvation the Lord provides us. We are protected from the wiles of Satan by exhibiting faith in Christ crucified, daily. Jesus beckons all those living their lives as captives of the god of this world with the following invitation:

“Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (through the Salvation He provided for us at Calvary)” Matthew 11:28 commentary mine).

The Lord calls us out of darkness into the light of the Gospel. As has been stated, Satan has humanity in bondage due to our fallen condition of total depravity. As Christians, we must realize that we are in a battle with a powerful adversary and our victory over the forces of evil is sure only when we place our faith daily in Christ and Him Crucified. Our faith, properly placed, allows the Holy Spirit to work mightily in our lives giving us victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The following verses from Ephesians tell us what happens to us when we come out of darkness and are born of the Spirit:

“And you has He quickened (Newness of Life), who were dead in trespasses and sins (a prisoner of our fallen nature); wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan) ….. But God, who is rich in mercy (comes by way of Calvary), for His great love wherewith He loved us (by sending His Son as a sacrifice for sin), even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, by Grace are you saved (unmerited favor given to us by faith in Christ and Him Crucified)” (Ephesians 2:1,2a,4,5 commentary mine).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Salvation Is Not a Carrot on a Stick!

We Can Know That We Know

“These things have I written unto you who believe on the Name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have Eternal Life, and that you may (continue to) believe on the Name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

The Apostle John is reaffirming the Gospel of Grace to those to whom he is writing. When faith is placed in Christ and Him Crucified then the result is that one is saved and has Eternal Life. Salvation is all of God. We are saved and kept by Grace through faith. We do not have to wonder about this. The Word of God makes it perfectly clear. Salvation is the result of the Goodness of God.

“For by Grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians  2:8,9).

Some attend churches today that do not preach the Gospel as it is meant to be preached. The Lord paid a great price at Calvary to provide Salvation for us and He wants us to know that His sacrifice at Calvary, in payment for the sin debt owed by us all, was sufficient for the Salvation of all those who come to Him in repentance and faith.

Our Salvation is not something we must work toward or wonder about. We can know we have Salvation today. If your church does not preach a Gospel of Salvation by the shed Blood of Christ and nothing else then you are hearing a false Gospel. Strong words? Yes, but, the importance of the true Gospel being preached cannot be overemphasized.

The Lord did not want us to be unsure about our Salvation. It is not to be presented as something to work toward or something that remains just out of reach like a carrot on a stick. What exactly does that mean?  There are churches and denominations today that require their members to follow their rules, ordinances, and sacraments promising that these will result in the favor of the Lord and a future in Heaven. The problem is that the people never really reach the point of knowing that they have obtained Salvation. It is a constant works regimen that leads nowhere. It’s called religion which is man trying to approach God by what he does. It does not, and cannot, bring about Salvation.

Salvation comes as a result of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it’s a relationship, not religion, that results in Salvation. We are to place our faith in Christ and Him Crucified. This will result in our Salvation because our faith is not in ourselves, but in Christ and what He accomplished at Calvary.

The Father, seeing our lost and hopeless condition, sent His Son to die on the Cross to pay the sin debt owed. We were born into our fallen nature and cannot save ourselves. When we think about the price the Lord paid at the Cross; how can we then believe that we must add anything to that to acquire Salvation?

The Lord, just before He died, cried out, “It is finished.” He was telling all that the payment for sin had been accomplished by Him and that whosoever will believe and come by faith in His great work will be forgiven and will have, at that very moment, Eternal Life.

So, if you are attending a church, no matter how established they might be, that does not preach the Salvation message of Grace by faith in Christ and Him Crucified then you are hearing a false Gospel. Preaching the true Gospel always results in souls being saved. We are to come in repentance and faith in what the Lord accomplished at Calvary. If we come His way then we can know that we are saved and on our way to Heaven.

The Gospel is not a carrot on a stick always just out of reach. It is what the Lord paid a great price to provide and comes to us totally by faith. We cannot earn it. It is not the result of faith plus works. Anything other than faith from first to last is rejected by the Lord.

Yes, we can know that we know. It’s the only way it could be. Christ paid it all and offers Salvation to us as we come by faith. When we truly see the love the Lord has for us, the result will be that we will worship Him for Who He is and praise Him for all He has done for us.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His Courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:4,5).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Joey Receives Power From on High

The Baptism With the Holy Spirit

Fictional Narrative

Third in the Series on “The Life of Joey.”

“You shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the Earth” (Acts 1:8).

In the two previous articles on “The Life of Joey,” we visited Joey’s past when he gave his heart to the Lord and was saved. We also were with Joey when he found his way to a victorious walk in his Christian life. We saw how dedicated Joey is in sharing the Gospel. He shares the faith as led by the Holy Spirit with all those he comes across in his daily life. Joey loves the Lord and feels he is a debtor to the Lord for all the Lord has done for him, and a debtor to all those who do not know the Lord or are discouraged in their Christian walk.

In this article, we find Joey searching the scriptures every day and asking the Lord to give him power for service. In his search, Joey sees how the Book of Acts recorded the establishment of the church. He sees how Peter, who had denied the Lord some days previously, stood up before thousands and preached Christ to them. What had changed in Peter that had allowed him to boldly proclaim Christ and boldly state that the nation of Israel had delivered their Messiah to be crucified?

He realizes that the answer is in what the Lord told His Disciples just before His Ascension to Heaven. The Lord gave His Disciples the following command:

“And (Jesus), being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which, said He, you have heard of Me” (Acts 1:4).

Joey realizes that the “Promise of the Father” was the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost which was the beginning of the church. The Lord had promised the coming of the Holy Spirit in His instructions to his disciples just before his crucifixion.

Joey now sees why Peter, who had denied the Lord, could stand up and preach a bold message to thousands resulting in many being saved. This was the anointing of the Holy Spirit given for service. He read the Book of Acts with fresh insight and saw how the power of the Holy Spirit preceeded the Gospel resulting in powerful preaching, healings, and deliverance for many from the powers of darkness. Joey is excited to see that that same power is available for us today. 

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17,18)

Joey now understands that the last days started with the Day of Pentecost and continues through our day and the coming Great Tribulation. Joey prayed to the Lord asking Him to Baptize him with the Holy Spirit and the Lord answered his prayer. He received the evidence of the Baptism with the speaking in other tongues.

Joey now sees that the coming of the Holy Spirit was for power to walk out this life in victory and for power for service. It is the duel work of the Holy Spirit. Joey now knows that along with the victory the Holy Spirit gives us over the world, the flesh, and the Devil as we place our faith daily in the finished work of Christ, we can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit for service as we go forth sharing the Gospel.

Joey is still out there each day sharing the Gospel as the Spirit leads. He is so grateful for all the Lord has done for him. He is saved, Baptized with the Holy Spirit, and has victory in his daily life, all due to what Christ accomplished on the Cross. You may run across Joey as you go about your daily business. He gives the Lord all the glory for what the Lord has done in his life. Again, Joey considers himself a debtor to the Lord and to all those who are so in need of the Salvation that the Lord freely gives. Joey remembers his lost state before the Lord reached down in His Mercy and Grace and lifted him up to higher ground. Joey presses forward each day with the call of God on his life and the love of His Savior in his heart. The following, you might say, is Joey’s heart’s cry:

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 4).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Naked Before the Lord

”Because you say, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

Our introductory verse is from the Book of Revelation and was addressed to the church at Laodicea. The Lord had John write this strong rebuke to a church of the Apostle John’s day. The Lord had John write seven letters to seven churches that existed at that time. These churches represent seven different periods in the church age. The letter to the church at Laodicea was the last of the seven and represents the church of our day – the last days before Christ’s return.

This church was lifted up due to its wealth and did not realize its true condition. The church in America as a whole is in the same condition. Because we are the church of the last days, this letter the Lord gave to Laodicea two thousand years ago is extremely relevant today.

I want to qualify what I am about to present. As we have seen, the seven churches represent periods in the church age, but all of these seven churches can be found today. As is obvious, true believers who love the Lord and serve Him with all their hearts can be found throughout church history and are present today. Hopefully, those reading this article, or listening to the podcast, are in this group of true believers.

However, there is a great falling away from the Lord that can be seen in the major denominations, the seeker-sensitive church, the Word of Faith churches, and many independent churches throughout our nation. If the Gospel has not changed our lives then our Salvation is in question. The Lord said the following strong words to the Church of Laodicea:

“So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16).

As a nation, we have been blessed materially by the Lord beyond all the nations of the world. He has blessed our country and, as a whole,  the church has responded to these blessings by taking our eyes off the Lord. We have enjoyed the blessings he has provided without seeking the Blesser. This is the church of our day.

The Emperor, in the Hans Christian Anderson folktale, thought he was clothed, but he was not. The swindlers had convinced him that the clothes were magnificent when they were not. There were no clothes to cover the Emperor, but no one, including the Emperor, would admit it. The world system headed by Satan offers the same covering, which is no covering at all. Those that buy into it, and ignore the covering the Lord graciously offers are standing “naked” before the Lord and are in great danger of eternal judgment. 

As we know, unbelievers, who have rejected the Lord, live under the covering of this fallen world system and will be judged by the Lord if they do not repent and come the Lord’s Way. But the church has the Bible, knows the way to the Lord, and all the spiritual blessings He has promised. We know the great Sacrifice he made at Calvary, in that, we can be forgiven and be with Him for eternity. We have no excuse. The time is short and the church, as a whole, must realize its true condition and come back to the Lord.

He calls out to His church today as he did to the church of Laodicea at the time. They were “lukewarm” to the things of God which in God’s eyes is equal to a rejection of His Way. We are to follow after the Lord with all our hearts. He loved those at Laodicea and He loves those today who have a half-hearted approach to serving the Lord. He calls out to whosoever will hear and come back to Him with all their heart. The Lord calls out to us today with the following invitation through His message to the church at Laodicea:

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

For anyone who has left their first love which is Christ and Him crucified and has lost their way; He calls out to them to come back to Him. We can know we have our faith right if we make Christ and Him crucified the object of our faith daily. We will be protected from the false doctrine that is so prevalent today. We are to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ without which the Lord has said we are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” before Him. He is calling His church back to faith in His finished work at Calvary. Time is short. This was the seventh and last letter written to the church. We must harken to the warning and His call to repentance that the Lord has graciously provided to His last day’s church. He calls out with the following declaration of His love:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent” (Revelation 3:19).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Coming Home!

Lord, I’m Coming Home!

Lord, I’m  Coming Home

I’ve wandered far away from God, now I’m coming home. The paths of sin too long I’ve trod, Lord, I’m coming home.

There once was a man who lived many years of his life without the Lord. He did seek the Lord as a young boy but did not find the Lord in the church he attended. In going through some difficult teenage years the man gave up his search for the Lord and settled into a life devoid of God. He married and lived his life doing whatever seemed right to him and whatever gave him pleasure. The man knew that he was living a life that was not pleasing to the Lord, but continued in his way of rebellion against the inner witness that there indeed was a God – the God he felt drawn to as a young boy. He did not know the way to God and if he was to be honest wasn’t even seeking that way.

A difficult time in his life made him stop and reflect on his life and the choices he had made. He came across the Gospel for the first time in his life and he was excited and saddened by it. Excited to finally know the way to God, but saddened that he did not find that way earlier, even as a young boy. The Lord spoke to him regarding this telling him that He saw him seeking Him as a young boy.

The man realized that the Lord had to bring him to a place where he would be open to the Gospel. Open to the love the Lord has for us all that brought Him to die on a cruel cross for his sin. Sometimes we must reach a place of great difficulty in our lives before we can be open to the drawing of the Holy Spirit. He had lived a life of sin, but that inner witness of the reality of the existence of God had been with him all those years. The Lord, in His mercy and Grace, had reached down and answered the young boy’s prayer and brought the man home.

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (Augustine in his Confessions).

The Lord has placed a witness of His existence in all of us. Romans Chapter 1 says “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it unto them.” Humanity is without excuse. The young boy of our story knew that there was a God due to this inner witness. The Lord has also given evidence of his existence in creation. Again, Romans chapter 1 says “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhood; so that they are without excuse.”

Augustine made it clear; We are restless until we find rest in our creator and our great God who loves us and has created us for Himself. We will find that rest when we come in repentance and faith in the love that was displayed at Calvary. The Lord paid the price for our sins and we were “bought with a price” by the Lord Who rescued us from this fallen rebellious world. We find our true life in Him. Coming home to the Lord is the place of untold blessings. We come into the shelter of the Most High and “shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” He is our place of rest. in coming to Him, we are coming home.

Coming home, coming home, nevermore to roam. Open wide thy arms of love, Lord, I’m coming home.

[Lord, I’m Coming Home – Composed by William J Kirkpatrick pub. 1892]

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024