Change the Gospel ???

My Sweet Wife and I are blessed to have a dear friend (along with his family), Pastor, Author and Lecturer, Dr. Tom Cucuzza, of Northland Bible Baptist Church in St. Cloud, MN. (His excellent book, Secure Forever! is mentioned here on the right sidebar of this page. Check it out).

In the middle seventies our small South Florida church was blessed to have Tom as our Youth Pastor and later our Assistant Pastor. He and his wonderful wife Sue worked tirelessly with us for the Lord.

Tom and I recently had an email discussion about people and organizations who publish Christian commentaries, books and DVDs. We find it disappointing and inexcusable when we see so much good media spoiled by the proclamation of a misleading “gospel” message. We see such phrases as:

• you must give your life to Christ to be saved
• turn from sin to be saved
• come under Christ in obedience and to the study of His Word in Holy Scripture to appropriate God’s Grace
• Make Christ the Lord of your life to be saved — and many more.

These are important things to do AFTER one is saved but an unbeliever can never claim these as a means to gain eternal life. Salvation is only by faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross alone — without works of righteousness. (Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9)

Shirley and I both were thrilled by the succinct wisdom of Tom’s statement in an email we received today:

“I do not understand why [Christian] people have to change the gospel. We are simply His [the Lord's] ambassadors to bring His message to people. We need to represent the Lord properly by saying what He has given us to say.” Dr. Tom Cucuzza

There are some Christians who will agree with Tom’s statement but few who actually follow such a simple, profound truth. Why it is so difficult for Christians to comprehend that?

Of course we may guess why some would sacrifice the truth for error. Could it be because of ignorance, deceit, conceit, self importance or just trying to build a bigger and “better” church? Regardless of the reason, there is no Biblical justification for error.

The Apostle Paul warned in Galatians 1:6-9
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

And the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:25
“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Thanks, Tom, for a great paragraph of truth.

Click here — Find out the Truth — be sure of Heaven.

Real Hope 2009

This is a revised re-post of a message posted over two years ago and 56,000 Blog views later. This was before Barack Hussein Obama took the word HOPE and perverted it into his campaign slogan. This is one of my most-read posts so I thought it deserved a fresh look at this beginning of the New Year, 2009.

Let us look at Real Hope.

For centuries man has misunderstood or misinterpreted many words in God’s Holy Scripture. “Scholars” debate the meanings of Biblical words and we must determine whether such interpretations are errors or truth. If errors, whether they are accidental or deliberate. Let’s take the wonderful and exhilarating word “Hope” and see if we can understand it. Of course this writing will be an abbreviated explanation of the word but it is a start.

One may say, “I hope it will not rain today.” “I hope my car will start when I have an emergency.” “I hope my children will grow up to be great citizens.” “I hope. I hope. I hope.”

The standard dictionary definition, and one that is generally accepted by most of the world is “to FEEL that something desired MAY happen:” The words “feel” and “may” are two very indefinite words, but such a definition of “hope” exemplifies the thinking of most people today.

The dictionary definition of the word “hope” is NOT the Biblical Hope of which we speak.

Let us investigate the Old and New Testament meanings of the word “Hope.”

Here is ne of many uses of the word Hope in the Old Testament:

Psalm 39:7

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.”

Here we see a Hebrew word “towcheleth“ but with root meaning “expectation.” These and many, many more verses illustrate the Psalmist’s reliance upon the trustworthiness of the Lord God Almighty. The Lord CAN be trusted. He WILL keep His promises.

Now, in the New Testament we see the word “Hope” in many verses. This word “Hope” is an absolute, a guarantee without a doubt. It is the Greek word “elpis” meaning “to expect or anticipate with pleasure.”

Colossians 1:5

“For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;“

The Hope of Heaven is not a maybe — but an absolute and definite guarantee by the Word of the Truth of the Gospel.

Titus 1:2

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

Read that carefully! Eternal life — guaranteed and promised by the God of the Universe. He cannot lie.

Titus 2:13

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

Every true believer in Jesus Christ may look with confidence to the glorious appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. No doubt!

Titus 3:7

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

We are Justified by God’s grace, guaranteed — Rendered innocent or free by God’s Grace, eternal life guaranteed!

As you read this, I want you to have that Hope or guarantee personally. God offers you this by His Grace.

Just briefly, no one deserves to live in Heaven or have eternal life with the perfectly Righteous God (Revelation 21:27). We are all sinners by nature and deed. Simply put, we have all sinned and come short of the mark of God’s absolute righteousness (Romans 3:23). All sin requires a death penalty payment that must be paid — and that penalty is spiritual death, being apart from God in Hell (Romans 4:23).

By God’s Grace and Love He Himself provided a Sin Bearer in the person of Jesus Christ who was crucified for our sin, was buried and rose again. This Grace is available to the whole world — including you personally (John 3:16). It is not determined by how good you are — or how hard you try — or by your good works, but by Grace alone — which means “undeserved mercy.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

How can we KNOW that God’s promise of Hope is real?

1 John 5:13

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

You can KNOW. God promises Heaven, the Hope (guarantee) of eternal life is when you trust that Jesus paid the death penalty in your place. He promises — and all you need do is to trust Jesus as your Savior. Please believe His Word — He died for you.

If you have never trusted Jesus alone as your Savior, do that right now. Believe His promises of eternal life which are yours the moment you trust Jesus as YOUR Savior.

Read, remember and believe this:

Jesus died — That’s history. Jesus died for ME — that’s salvation.

When you make that simple decision, your eternity in Heaven is secure in Jesus Christ. It is God’s guarantee, thus your HOPE of Heaven is guaranteed eternal. You are immediately declared righteous before a Holy God with no possibility of losing His Gift of salvation. Eternal life is ETERNAL — without end, beginning the moment you trust Christ as your personal Savior.

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek [gentile].”

Please, trust Jesus Christ as your Savior NOW! God has no strings attached! Claim that wonderful HOPE — His eternal Gift..

Learn How to have REAL HOPE of Eternal Life.