'I Am Not Ashamed' (1)

'They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.' Psalm 34:5 NKJV

The Psalmist wrote, 

'They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.'

As a follower of Christ, that should be your testimony. 

Because you have placed your trust in Him you are able to say, 'I am not ashamed' of: 

(1) His birth. Mary was His mother, but God was His Father. So He was tainted with neither inherited sin nor practised sin, hence He meets all of God's requirements to be our Saviour.  

(2) His miracles. He never demanded money in exchange for a miracle. Not one supernatural act was performed for selfish or ostentatious purposes, but only to meet people's needs.  

(3) His preaching. Even His enemies had to admit, '...No man ever spoke like this Man' (John 7:46 NKJV)! Other men's words inform us; His words transform us.  

(4) His claims. He said, '...He who has seen Me has seen the Father...' (John 14:9 NKJV). You see the fullness of God expressed in the person of Jesus Christ.  

(5) His death. He bore your shame. You were morally and spiritually bankrupt. But He satisfied all of God's claims against you at the cross, writing 'Paid in full' across your account.  

(6) His resurrection. 'Lifted up was He to die, it is finished was His cry. Now in Heaven exalted high, Hallelujah, what a Saviour.' And His promise is, '...Because I live, you will live also' (John 14:19 NKJV). 

(7) His mediator-ship. 

Picture this: when you fail, He stands before God on your behalf, offering His blood as atonement for your sin.
If you saw Him now you would say, 'I am not ashamed of Jesus.'

Soul Food: Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-44, John 12:1-3 (Faith hero: Mary & Martha)

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Sunday, 1 December 2013

APPS available here

'I Am Not Ashamed' (3)

'...Let me not be ashamed of my hope.' Psalm 119:116 KJV

The Psalmist wrote,

'Uphold me according to Your Word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.'

What is our hope? 



It's found in the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Paul spells it out: 

'We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him...For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air...' (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 NIV). 

Jesus said,

'...For a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned' (John 5:28-29 NIV). 

In that day the Lord's Prayer will finally be answered: 

'Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven' (Matthew 6:10 KJV).

The hymnist Horatio Spafford wrote, 

'O Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait. The sky, not the grave, is our goal. O trump of the angel! O voice of the Lord! Blessed rest, blessed hope of my soul.' Jesus has not changed His mind; He's coming again. Coming for whom? For a prepared people, to take them to a prepared place, where they will dwell with Him forever. 

Are you planning to be there?

Soul Food: Gen 30:25 - 31:55, John 15:18-27, Ps 65, Pr 31:25-27

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Tuesday, 3 December 2013

APPS available here

'I Am Not Ashamed' (2)

'I am not ashamed of the Gospel...' Romans 1:16 NKJV

As a follower of Christ you can also say, 

'I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...'

Our Gospel is not education or sophistication, but salvation. 

It's not reformation or rehabilitation, but redemption from the penalty and the power of sin. The Bible says, 'If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new' (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). 

This is not the old car with a new set of plugs, points and a carburettor; it's a brand new model. Notice the words, 'For everyone who believes.' By placing your trust in Christ you are forgiven from all sin, clothed in Christ's righteousness, made fully acceptable in God's sight, and qualified for Heaven.

You ask, 'How long does a prayer for salvation have to be?' 

The thief on the cross prayed only nine words: '...Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom' (Luke 23:42 NKJV). 

The tax collector in the temple prayed only seven words: '...God, be merciful to me, a sinner' (Luke 18:13 NKJV). 

When Peter was sinking in the Sea of Galilee he only had time for three words: '...Lord, save me' (Matthew 14:30 NKJV)! 

And the good news is - Christ saved them all.

You ask, 'How do I receive this life-changing power?' 

By faith! 'For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame"' (Romans 10:10-11 NIV).

Soul Food: Gen 28:1 - 30:24, John 15:5-17, Ps 14, Pr 31:22-24

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Monday, 2 December 2013

APPS available here