It Is Finished!

John 19:30 (NKJV)
³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. 

Three of the greatest words ever spoken. "It Is Finished." These three words were spoken by Jesus Christ as He hung on the cross giving His life for the sins of man. Very few people can say that they have accomplished all they have set out to do. But Jesus was no ordinary person. Jesus was the perfect and only Son of God who came to earth to save mankind from all the his sins. What did Jesus mean when He said "It is finished?" The battle for the victory over Satan, sin, and the law was finished-accomplished.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. The victory over Satan has been accomplished for you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Matthew 16:18b I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

Romans 8:38-39 (NKJ)    ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, [this means Satan and all his demons] nor things present nor things to come,
³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. The victory over the law was accomplished for you.   Colossians 2:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. The penalty for your breaking God's laws has been paid for in full by Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. 
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:12 (NKJV)
¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

3. The victory over sin was accomplished for you. Sin and death no longer has dominion over you. Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV) 

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 
4. The debt for your sin against God was finished-"paid in full"-There is nothing left for you to do.
When Jesus said "it is finished" He meant that all you will ever need for God to forgive you of all your sins past, present, and future has been accomplished because Jesus paid the price in full for your sin because you could not AND YOU CAN NOT NOW MAKE HEAVEN ON YOUR OWN! It is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ.                                                                                                                                    Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) 
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.
 The only payment you could make is to spend an eternity in Hell.

But for all Jesus did to become a reality in your life, you must confess your sins to Jesus. Admit you have fallen short of keeping God's laws according to Romans 3:23. Ask Jesus to forgive you for your sin of breaking God's law-"Ten Commandments." Romans 6:23 says that the wages of our sin is death, eternal separation from God. No one has perfectly kept all of God's laws except Jesus Christ . After you ask Jesus to forgive you, then invite Him into your life to take charge of you. When you do you will receive eternal life. That's a promise of God. Romans 10:9-13 (NKJV) ⁹  If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 
¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Jesus does not try to "sell" you salvation by your good works.  It is a free gift that is yours for the asking.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the [gift]of God,
⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
After you are saved, you will begin to do good works. You will want to live your life for Jesus out of love for what He has done for you. Go to a church where they preach and teach Jesus as Savior and Lord of all mankind. Be baptized! Worship and praise God from that place. Serve Him, Live for Him because "It is Finished." The debt for your sin has been paid IN FULL BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. Hallelujah! 

  

Holy Spirit Power

All winter the trees and plants have lain dormant. Just enough sap to keep them alive. As we look around us now we see the signs of spring. We see the trees and plants putting forth buds and blooms. The sap is rising in the trees and plants. This gives nutrients for new life. When you look at your spiritual life, how would you evaluate it? Is it lying dormant, just barely alive? Not doing you or anybody else any good. Not producing any fruit for God? You perhaps have lost your zeal for the things of God. Not interested in reading His word daily any more. Just doesn't mean that much any more. Have you abandoned prayer saying in your heart it doesn't do any good?
What you need is to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. To be renewed by the holy Spirit you must know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. Have you admitted your sins to Him and asked Jesus to forgive those sins? Have you invited Jesus into your heart to live in you? If you haven't, you can do that now right where you are in the privacy of your home or wherever you may be reading these words. You must do this to have eternal life. If you don't ask Jesus to save you, your eternal destiny is a place called Hell. Jesus has paid the price for the penalty of your sins on the cross. If you are wise you will take advantage of that right now if you have never done that.
When you ask Jesus to forgive and save you, the Spirit of God baptizes you into the body of Christ which means He unites you with Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) 
¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Then the Spirit of God indwells your very being.
Ephesians 4:4-6 (NKJV) ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Now the Spirit of the Father is in  all of those who have received salvation as verse 6 says. The Spirit of God seals you for God and His kingdom.
Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV) ¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Now if you have been saved and baptized by God's Spirit, His Spirit lives in you to empower you to live for Him and be a witness for Him.

 Acts 1:8 (NKJV) ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." We are commanded in not be drunk with wine but filled with God's Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
To be filled with the Spirit of God is an ongoing process that never stops until God takes us home to be with Him. To be filled with God's Spirit means to be completely surrendered to His control in your life.

Jesus tells us how we can live every day in the power of His Spirit. 

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. These scriptures tell us as we have received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are to walk or live in Him. That means His Spirit guides and leads us each day. Verse 7 says to be rooted and built up in Him. Then our faith will become established and we will abound with thanksgiving.We become rooted and built up in Jesus as we begin to read God's word each day and then do what it says. We become built up in Him as we pray and invite Him to fill our lives with His Spirit each day as we walk or live our lives according to what we have read in God's word.

Jesus tells us in John 15:5 (NKJV) I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Abide means to continue in a relationship with Jesus each day of our lives. As we continue in that relationship with Jesus we will begin to bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is  ²² love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)                                                                          Check your spiritual level. How full are you of God's Spirit? How much of the Spirit's fruit is being produced by you? As you pray for and are filled with God's Spirit, you will walk in more power over sin and will begin to live in more victory than you ever thought possible.

God will be able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or think according to that power (God's Spirit) that works in us. Ephesians 3:20.

This will not only change our lives but also the church which we attend. People will see the Spirit of God at work in our hearts and want the same in their lives. May God be glorified through our efforts. May our example of living in the power of the Holy Spirit cause others to come to the knowledge of the Lord God.

What Jesus Says About Real Riches

Most people seek to be rich in the things of this world. We are taught that from our childhood up. We must have high paying jobs, big house, lot's of money, cars, boats and etc. The big I syndrome rules.
But Jesus had much to say about who is really rich and who is really poor. Jesus says it is blessed to be poor in some areas because in being poor we would be made rich.
In Matthew 5:3-12 (NKJV) 
³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

If we are poor in spiritual things, God will make us rich by giving us His kingdom.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 

If we are poor in goodness and mourn over our sin, God will make us rich with His comfort.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 

If we are poor in pride, God will give us all the earth as our inheritance.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

If we are poor in righteousness and we hunger and thirst for it, God shall fill us to overflowing with it.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 

If we are rich in mercy, God will give us His abundant  mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 

If we are rich in pureness of heart, God will reward us with His presence forever.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 

If we are rich in making peace, God will reward us by making us His sons.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

If we are rich in righteousness and are persecuted for it, God will give us His kingdom in all it's glory.
¹¹ "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 

¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
If we are rich in our relationship with Jesus to the point of persecution for His sake, God will bless us with joy, gladness, and great rewards in heaven. 

The things that God makes us rich in will last throughout eternity. This is real riches with no end.

The things that make us rich in this world we will lose in just a few years if not sooner, when we die. Then that person will be really poor throughout all eternity in a place called hell. That my friend is what real poorness is.

So which is your choice, real riches of God for an eternity or the fleeting riches of the world that end at death and lead to an eternal hell. Please take these words seriously for you know not how long you will live. Then whose will all those things be that you worked so hard to obtain on this earth?

But if you work hard for the kingdom of God, when you die, your riches will follow you into heaven and you will be given more.

If you have been living for the things of this world and left God out of your life, don't you think it wise to begin to make yourself rich in the things of God?

Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins of leaving God out of your life. Then Invite Jesus into your heart and life.

Then got to church and be baptized. Begin to serve God there and begin to make yourself rich in the things of God which are eternal. May God help you to make this choice now in Jesus' name and be forever rich. Amen!