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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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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!

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

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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The Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos

Revelation Chapter 1:1-8

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent it by His Angel unto His servant John” (Revelation 1:1).

The Apostle John was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos due to his preaching of the Gospel. The Lord Jesus gave John this “Revelation” showing John the beginning of happenings starting with John’s time, through, and past, the Church Age. The Book of Revelation was given by the Lord to his servants so that believers, at that time, and down through the Church Age, would know what would happen in the years to come.

“Blessed is he who reads, and they who hear the words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (verse 2).

All who read and keep the words of this prophecy are promised a blessing. “The time is at hand” is speaking of the beginning of events that will ultimately result in the Second Coming of the Lord, the Millennial Kingdom, and the Perfect Age. Chapters 2 and 3 are the messages, or letters, addressed to seven churches of that time in Asia and also represent the successive periods down through the Church Age. The following verse is a reference to these letters that the Lord will give to the churches in chapters 2 and 3:

“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and Peace from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come….”(verse 4a).

Again, these letters were given to John for these churches by the Lord Jesus Christ. All of these churches, except the church of Philadelphia, had issues the Lord would address in their letters. This reference to Grace and Peace was pointing these churches, and us, to the only answer for all we face. Grace comes solely through what Christ accomplished on the Cross and comes by faith alone. When our faith is in His finished work our walk will be pleasing to the Lord and we will have Peace with God (Salvation) and the Peace of God (sanctifying peace.) Notice the reference to “Him which is, and which was, and which is to come.” This speaks of His certain coming at the end of the age for His church and to save Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation.

“And from Jesus Christ, Who is the Faithful Witness, and the first begotten from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the Earth. Unto Him Who loved us, and washed us from our sins with His Own Blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be Glory and Dominion forever and ever. Amen” (verse 5,6).

The Lord was a “faithful Witness” in His obedience to the Will of the Father during his earthly life. He was the first to be resurrected from the dead. We as believers will be resurrected from the dead, or, if alive at the time, will be Raptured by the Lord when He comes for his church. This event could happen at any time. No prophecy must be fulfilled before the Rapture can take place. The reference to “Prince of the kings of the Earth” is proclaiming He is the head, or ruler, over the world which will happen in its fullest expression in the Millennial Kingdom. We, as believers, are kings and priests under Christ which is all due to Calvary.

Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him: and all kindred of the Earth shall wail because of Him. Even so. Amen. (Verse 7).

The Lord will come in the Second Coming accompanied by all the saints that have ever lived as referenced by the mention of “clouds.” This will be quite a sight and something we as believers have to look forward to as we will be part of that number. Everyone on Earth will see this spectacular event including Isreal who will finally come to the Lord in repentance and faith. Those on the Earth at the time will “wail” because the Lord, who came as Savior the first time, now comes as Judge. All unbelievers will be judged for their sins.

I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (verse 8).

The Lord is the one true, and only, God. He is Almighty guaranteeing all that He says will happen, will happen.

In summary, the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos as a prisoner for preaching the Gospel. He was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” and the Lord Jesus gave him a “Revelation” to be delivered to the seven churches in Asia all receiving messages, or letters, from the Lord. These letters were not only for those living at the time but represented periods in the Church Age down to the time we now currently live in.

There is a blessing for those who read and keep all that Christ gave us in the Book of Revelation. The Lord was the first to be resurrected assuring the promise from Him that we will be resurrected, or Raptured, before His Second coming to judge this rebellious world. He is the “Alpha and Omega” the one and only God and he is Almighty guaranteeing that all He has revealed in the Book of Revelation will happen.

We serve a wonderful God who loves us and wants us to know the future. We need not be uninformed, or confused, about what is coming on this world or what we currently see happening as we look around at our world today. The Book of Revelation, the last book in the canon of Scripture, closes with the following words:

“He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20,21).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Joey’s Journey Begins

The Early

A Fictional Narrative

The Second in a Series on the “Life of Joey”

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death” (Romans 8:2).

This is our second article on “The Life of Joey.” In our first article, we saw Joey sharing the Gospel with all those he came across as led by the Holy Spirit. In this article, we will go back some years and see how Joey found his way to the Lord and how he found his way to a victorious Christian life.

Joey was first saved as a young adult. He had been a somewhat rebellious teenager as many of us can relate to. He never did anything that would cause him trouble with the law, but as a teenager, he rebelled against authority and it caused him problems in school and at home with his parents. But Joey grew out of that rebellious stage and entered his twenties as a stable small business owner. He was very successful at what he did and lived a life free of worry. However, Joey knew something was missing in his life and that bothered him.

Joey had not grown up in church, and had, in fact, never even seen a Bible or been inside a church. He had a friend who owned the business next to his. Mickey was a Christian and had grown up in church. Joey noticed that there was something different about Mickey. He never cursed and was always kind to all those he came across. The two became friends.

Joey knew that Mickey attended church and asked him about it one day. Mickey invited him to church and Joey accepted the invitation. During the church service, the Gospel was presented and Joey couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The pastor told all those present that God loved them and wanted to forgive them for all the wrongs they had done in their lives. He said that by repenting of their sins and placing their faith in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross they are not only forgiven but given Eternal Life with the Lord as sons of God. Joey went forward and prayed the Sinner’s Prayer that very day.

Joey was full of joy and thanksgiving for all the Lord had done for him and wanted to live a life pleasing to the Lord. However, it wasn’t too far down the road that Joey failed the Lord. He was devastated! Joey determined that this could not happen again. In speaking with the other members of his church about this, Joey was told to read the Bible more, keep attending church each week, pray more, and do other things that would give him victory. Joey was left discouraged because he was already doing those things. How would he find victory? He did not want to fail the Lord Who had reached down in mercy and grace and saved him!

Joey was determined to find His way and to live a life pleasing to the Lord. He knew the answer was in the Bible and was determined to find it. He knew the Lord would not require us to walk before him in righteousness if it were not possible for us to do it. Joey had ordered an Expositor’s Study Bible. As a new Christian, this Bible which includes a commentary on each verse helped him in his understanding of the Word. He began reading in Romans. By the time he had come to Chapter 8 – he saw it! We have victory in our Christian walk the same way we came in. It’s by faith! When we place our faith in Christ and Him Crucified daily, it allows the Holy Spirit to work mightily in our lives. The Holy Spirit works within the parameters of the finished work of Christ and will not work outside of this. This is not sinless perfection, but a victorious daily walk before the Lord where sin will not have dominion over us.

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death” (Romans 8:2).

Joey saw in this verse that “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” gives us victory over “the Law of Sin and Death” by what Christ accomplished on the Cross. Joey had found victory and he was overwhelmed by the provision of the Lord. Joey began sharing his faith and the way to victory with all those he came across as the Holy Spirit led. He sees himself as a debtor to the Lord for all He has done for him, and he sees himself as a debtor to all those who are so in need of the Salvation the Lord graciously provides. He had found Salvation and had found his way to victory. Joey felt so blessed.

Joey is still serving the Lord today. You may run across Joey as you go about your daily business. He’ll be the one sharing the Gospel with all those he comes across and sharing the way to victory with those who have become discouraged in their walk with the Lord. Yes, Joey feels blessed, and all those who know Joey have seen what the Lord has done for, and in, Joey. He is so thankful that the Lord reached down in His Mercy and Grace and saved him in his lost condition. Joey is so thankful that he has found victory in his walk with the Lord and is now led by the Holy Spirit. The following verse sums up where the Lord has brought us all from and what the Lord has done in each of our lives:

“And such were some of you (all of us have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God): But you are washed (cleansed of sin by the Blood of Jesus), but you are sanctified (our position in Christ), but you are justified (declared not guilty) in the Name of Jesus (by way of Calvary), and by the Spirit of God (Who comes to live & work in us at Salvation)” (1 Corinthians 6:11 with commentary from ESB & Mine)

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Please Don’t Kick the Can Down the Road!

We Don’t Know When Our Soul Will Be Required of Us

[Time is short. We are in The last days and the Lord’s return is very near. Please understand that if you do not know the Lord, or have lost your way, you are in great danger. I do not apologize for the directness of this article. The Bible says we are to seek the lost so that some might be saved, snatching others out of the fire. The fire of judgment comes.]

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. A time to be born and a time to die….. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,2a).

We don’t know how much time we have remaining in our lives here on Earth. Many have put off coming to the Lord, kicking the can down the road, so to speak. We are not promised tomorrow. The Bible says “Today is the day of Salvation.”

When we delay coming to the Lord once we hear the Gospel then it gets harder and harder to come to the Lord as time passes. We may have the best intentions regarding our future acceptance of the Gospel, but time has a way of getting away from us and that day may never come. Choose Christ today. He paid an incredibly high price that we might be saved from our sinful fallen nature.

The Holy Spirit convicts and draws us to Christ. He will bring new life to us as we place our faith in Christ and His great sacrificial death on the Cross.

All of us know that we are not perfect. We are in need of a savior to rescue us from the earthly prison of our fallen nature and deliver us from “this present evil world.” We cannot save ourselves. Jesus is the Savior we all need to lift us up into a relationship with the Eternal God.

I have heard many scoff at the idea that a savior is needed. Ironically, I find this idea particularly popular among those whom the Lord has blessed both physically and materially in this world. It is hard for them to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord while living a seemingly blessed life. These, whoever they might be, are in great danger as they do not even see their need.

The Gospel is needed by all. Jesus Christ left his home in Glory, sent by the Father, to die on a cruel Cross to pay the sin debt owed to God. The Father saw our great need, and hopeless state, and devised a plan to save whosoever will come to Him in repentance and faith.

The blessings of this world are temporary. If we do not come to the Lord during our lives, we will face judgment when we die. Salvation is available to us only on this side of the grave. Our lives here cannot compare to the eternity we face when our days here are done. Where will we spend eternity? There are only two options. We will either spend eternity with the Lord or we will be cast out of the Lord’s presence into an eternity of suffering. We must not let whatever blessings the Lord has afforded us in our life distract us from the precarious position we are in if unsaved.

The Bible tells us that the church, all those who know the Lord, will be raptured, i.e. taken out of this world by the Lord, before the end time judgments coming on this world. So if you are not saved and think that you have plenty of time to make a decision, then be aware that this Rapture of the church could happen at any time. We are in the last days now and Christ’s return for His church could happen at any moment. The Bible says the following regarding this:

“Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day or hour wherein the Son of Man (Jesus) cometh” (Matthew 25:13).

The Lord loves us and his blessings fall on the saved and the unsaved. By this, we should realize that it is the Lord who is blessing us and seek out the One that proved that love by paying the price to redeem us at Calvary. If you do not know the Lord; I pray that you will not wait another second but will give your life to Him today. He has blessings untold that await those who come to Him and become “sons of God.” Come today. You will not regret your decision and you will know that, if your life is required of you, you stand as one of the Redeemed.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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

Joey Loves Jesus

A Day in the Life

A Fictional Narrative

The First in a Series on the Life of Joey

“We love Him because He first loved us…..” (1 John 4:19)

Joey loves Jesus. This becomes quite obvious to anyone who has been around Joey for any period of time. Joey shares his faith with anyone he comes across. He is so grateful to the Lord for His mercy and grace. He thanks the Lord each day for reaching down and saving him. Joey thinks of himself as a debtor. A debtor to the Lord for the price He paid at Calvary that Joey might be forgiven and given newness of life. He believes himself a debtor also to all those who do not know the Lord. He can’t imagine living his life now without the presence of the Lord.

Joey’s job, or should I say his business, brings him in contact with many people daily. He has walked with the Lord for many years and in that time has shared the Gospel with all those who would have ears to hear what the Holy Spirit led him to say. Many would not listen to Joey tell them of the amazing love the Lord has for us all. But those who did listen were so grateful to hear the Gospel. Many said that they had never heard it before.

Joey is somewhat perplexed at the lack of interest from some of those he attempts to share the Gospel with. Considering all that is going on in our country and the world right now, he would have thought that people would be looking for an answer. He thought they might be open to the Good News which would bring them a sure hope for the future. He thought about what the Lord had said about the times of Noah and how people went about their daily lives totally uninterested in what Noah was building.

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

Joey knows that the Lord spoke these words to let us know what it would be like at the time of the Rapture of the church and just before His return. Joey knows the importance of reaching as many people as he can before the “flood” of our times comes. He prays for a last-day revival or harvest from the Lord. The Bible tells us that the end times, the times we are now living in, will be times of great trouble and there will be little interest in the things of God.

Yes, Joey loves Jesus. He knows all the Lord has done for him – just where the Lord has brought him from. He also knows that the salvation of anyone is the greatest miracle. He prays that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead him to those who would be open to the Gospel. That the Holy Spirit would draw and convict.

We are in the end times and what we are now seeing is a changing world, and not for the better. Joey knows that Noah preached for 100-plus years before the flood came. Noah’s faithfulness to the Lord and his seeking out any that would heed his warning encourages Joey to do the same. He knows the Lord has called us to be faithful. The Great Commission becomes more and more on his mind with each passing day.

Joey knows what the Word says about how the world and people will be in the end times. But Joey loves Jesus and the Lord’s love for everyone is foremost in all Joey does. He seeks to walk in the love the Lord has for all those who are so in need of His Salvation.

So, any time you’re out and about you may run across Joey. He will be the one sharing the Gospel as the Holy Spirit leads him. He’s an example to us all. We must reach out to a lost and dying world while we have time. As the following verse tells us, we are ambassadors for Christ sent to a dying world that they might be reconciled to God:

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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The Lost and the Found

The Blind and Those Who See

I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see. (Amazing Grace composed by John Newton)

The following actually happened some years ago. A husband and wife owned a restaurant in a western state. The restaurant was a family-style establishment and was frequented by many of the local residents of the town. Every Sunday night, after church services, a local pastor and his wife would come in for dinner. The two couples became friendly and would make conversation each time the pastor and his wife stopped in. During their conversations, the subject of faith would come up. The pastor and his wife shared the Gospel with the couple on many occasions during their weekly visits. They politely listened to the pastor and his wife as they presented the Gospel each time, but were not willing to receive the Lord – until one night everything changed.

One Sunday night, the pastor’s wife told the wife that she was going to go to Hell. It was a shocking statement and it took her by surprise. At first, she was angry but then came the conviction of the Holy Spirit. She sat under the conviction of the Holy Spirit for days. She just could not get away from what the pastor’s wife had said to her.

Admittedly, the statement from the pastor’s wife was a bold one and few would have been so blunt with the woman. But the truth is that this is the end for all those who are “lost” and do not see. In this case, it was the Holy Spirit working through the pastor’s wife to reach out to this woman and her husband. The end result was that the couple came to the pastor’s church one Sunday and heard the Gospel. They realized their lost state and repented and came by faith to the Lord. Years later, their son became a minister of the Gospel and was powerfully used by the Lord in world Evangelism. The pastor’s wife had been used by the Holy Spirit to reach this couple and it resulted in not only their Salvation but many souls beiing saved worldwide through the ministry of their son.

There are only two types of people in the world – the lost and the found. There are those who are blind to spiritual matters and there are those who see spiritually. Being “found” is being born again or being born from above. Jesus spoke of it in John Chapter 3. He said the following:

“…. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:5).

He was speaking of spiritual birth. We are in a lost state with a fallen nature and must be spiritually born again to see the Kingdom of Heaven. When we are born again, we go from our “lost” state to a saved, or “found” state. The word “found” is appropriate because it is the Lord who reaches down in His Mercy and Grace and saves us. We cannot, and will not, come to the Lord of our own volition. We are brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord by the drawing and convicting power of the Holy Spirit.

In our story of this family, we see the Holy Spirit using extreme measures to convict them and draw them to the Lord. It was the Love of God reaching out to them in their lost state. The end for all those who reject the Love the Lord offers is Hell. This is so critically important that we must reach out to all those “lost” with the Gospel. They do not realize the extremely dangerous condition they are in. Their only hope is to be “found” by the Love of God and surrender to that Love that sent His Son to the Cross to pay the sin debt and make it possible for whosoever will to be forgiven and become “children of God.”

Do know the Lord today? If you do not – you are on the road to Hell. Have you heard the clarion call? Do not ignore His call. Your future depends on it. The Lord reaches out in love today. His mercy and grace are available to us only for the length of our life. Once we die our fate is sealed. In coming to the Lord, the “blind” can see spiritually and the lost can be found. We are saved by repenting and placing our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross. We serve a wonderful merciful God Who seeks us out. Know Him today and be blessed.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life” (John 3:16).

For those of us who were once lost but are now found, we know we have crossed from death to life and we are so grateful. The lyrics of the song “If not for Grace” by Clint Brown expresses the feelings of all those of us who have come by way of the Lord’s Mercy and Grace and found the forgiveness and the love that reached down to a lost soul:

Where would I be You only know. I’m glad You see through eyes of love. A hopeless case, an empty place, if not for Grace. I once was lost but now I’m found. A hopeless case, an empty place, if not for Grace.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

[Links to the A,B,C’s of Salvation and the Sinner’s Prayer can be found below.]

The A,B,C’s of Salvation

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/5448

The Sinner’s Prayer

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/1752

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

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