American Pastor

Born of God: 1 John 3:20-4:12

1 John 3:20 "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the seventh in the series, 1 John 3:20-4:12, explains the importance and benefit of keeping God's commandments: "Whatever a man thinks he knows of his sin, because God is greater, God knows more and could prosecute and bring charges, exceeding even what the human heart and conscience recognizes as sin. Consequently, to maintain both peace and fellowship with God, there can be no hiding or indulging in sin, especially so in the heart. Wherever sin is, it must be confessed, and dealt with in order for a man to maintain trust in God. A condemning heart does nothing to inspire greater confidence and trust in the Lord and His ability to come to our aid; in fact, it does quite the opposite.
"The condition of the heart greatly effects a man’s faith and trust in God. To properly grow and develop in faith, we must so live that our heart does not accuse us of sin, but rather commends us for living rightly before the Lord.4 Though it is not known by most, a good conscience is as critical to true piety, as love and faith are. Possessing these three godly characteristics is the ultimate end of God’s will for the Christian.
"If our faith or love is insincere and has no real depth in it, our conscience will inform us of such. Hence, the conscience plays a very key and important role in leading our soul to God’s salvation, by exposing if insincerity exists, or our faith and love towards God is pure.
"How foolish is it to believe that any can live as they will, sin as they desire, and God will still hear them. The truth is that God will not hear, nor come to the aid of any who regard iniquity in their heart. If men then embrace sin, they should not think that they will be heard of God.
"Sinners therefore should never be so presumptuous to believe that by deliberately walking in sin, that God will still hear them in their time of need. This is the truth of God’s Word: absent repentant prayer that acknowledges sin and does not defend and attempt to hide it from God, a sinner’s pleas will not be heard. For God to hear men, they must keep His commandments and do those things pleasing in His sight. It is only by living this way, that they can be sure that all asked of God will be granted.
"Belief in the Son of God and love for the brethren are therefore eternally bound. To obey one, will lead to embracing the other. Just as disregarding one, ensures that there can be no true possession of the other. This teaches us that whenever there is true belief in Jesus Christ, there will always be love for those born of Him. Hence, whenever there is sincere faith in the Savior, there will be corresponding love for His brethren.
"For the true Christian, God is much more than simply around him, He is in all respects now living within him. The true church of Christ is not formed when men enter churches, but rather when the Father and Son, enter them.
"Antichrists are at their core, worldly. It is the world they are of, the world they will speak of, and those of the world who will hear them. This teaches us that whom a man hears, listens to, and enjoys the company of, reveals whom he is really of. If it is the world, then he is of it; if it is God, then he is of Him.
"The Christian’s call through Jesus Christ is to come out and separate himself from the world. If this is not done, and a man believes that he can straddle the fence between love for God and love for the world, then it is certain that true love for the Father does not exist.
"Love therefore is the primary test to determine whom God has saved and made His sons, and whom He has not. This is why there is no such thing as a true Christian, if divine love is lacking in them. Even as those who lack love do not hold any true knowledge of God. Love is therefore that quality that reveals both being born of God, and coming to know a genuine knowledge of Him. Because God is love, He will birth children that manifest the very essence of Himself. If a man then has God’s love lacking in him, you can be sure he has never been born again, by God. There is also nothing that will give a man more confidence that he is of the truth, than when God’s love abounds both in his heart and his life.
"The timing of when God sent Jesus Christ to die for sin, reveals the undeniable goodness that dwells in God. Before then men ever developed love for God, God loved them. Many a man also has wondered why God would absolve him of sin. The answer is because goodness and generosity are the essence of God’s holy character. Consequently, it was not because men deserved Christ dying for their sin, but rather that they were in need of compassion, lest they die in their sins. 
"By divine and benevolent love is the reality of God revealed to His people."
Broadcast live on 03/19/2023

Born of God: 1 John 3:3-19

1 John 3:3 "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the sixth in the series, 1 John 3:3-19, teaches on the evils of sin and the benefits of love: "The glory and beauty of the Savior, first resides in the fact of His purity. It is not just that Jesus did not sin and was able to resist the sinful urges of His body, but rather that in Him is no sin. He was sinless, holy, and without defect or blemish. (Heb. 7:26) For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; It is also this purity, cleanliness of heart and soul, that Christ passes on the those who believe on Him.
"If a man remains indifferent to his sin, and perceives no harm in breaking God’s commandments, then you can be sure that Jesus Christ is not his Lord. Practically speaking, those born of God and filled with His Spirit will be recognized by their obedience and subjection to the gospel, and not their rejection and breaking of it.
"While it is true that a person is saved by grace, through faith, it is equally true that neither grace nor faith, allows men to continue in sin and break divine law. Grace gives no man the right to sin, because if it did, it would totally negate the purpose of God imparting to men His Spirit, which infuses Its recipients with the strength, power, and ability to keep God’s will and statutes.
"It is always a lie that implies that a man can sin, not pursue a life of righteousness, and still be a true son of God.
How a man walks, and not what he says, reveals whom he is of. By continuing in sin, men show themselves to have aligned themselves with the very one who has sinned since the very beginning. The language is strong because the truth is certain, he that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil.
No one, not one person, not one man, woman, or child can continue in sin, if actually born of God. This is a biblical impossibility and the apostle seeks to make this very important revelation abundantly clear. That once someone is born of God, been filled with God’s Spirit, and made Jesus Christ their Lord, they cannot, and will not continue in sin. The reason therefore that true saints cannot continue in sin, is because God’s seed, the Holy Spirit, has changed their heart, and now God’s holy nature abides in them.
"For true Christians, continuing in sin is infeasible, undesirable, and loathsome. Sin cannot be continued in once God and Christ, make Their abode in a new son of God’s heart. Sin’s power has been broken, and a new holy energy now lives within, enabling a pursuit of union and communion with the Lord.
"Love, and specifically love for the brethren, ultimately reveals if a man has truly been saved by Christ, born of God, or just merely walks in the company of those who have been.
"In contrast to love is envy and hate, which are the devilish qualities that led Cain to kill his natural born brother, Abel. The evil spiritual influence also that led Cain to slay Abel, had for its origin, the devil.
There was no divine love in Cain, and this vacuum, left the door wide open for envy and hate. The lesson is, that even as love will prevent sin,(I Cor. 13:4-8) its absence allows full space for it. Thus, when men do not obey Christ’s command to love, there is no other path for them to follow, than that which is harmful not only to themselves but sadly, to others as well. Where love is not, the devil will gladly take its place.
The divine qualities of love, joy, and peace, as well as the other fruits of the Spirit, cannot exist in an unsaved man. They are fruits of the Spirit of God, and cannot be truly manufactured, nor properly imitated, by those who have not the Spirit. Love for the brethren proves a man has been acquitted of his sins, and now is declared righteous before God.
"In contrast to a world filled with hate, is the example of love found in Jesus Christ. Hence, where Cain’s hate took the life of his brother, Christ’s love, gave His own life as a sacrifice for others. The contrast is seen in the world’s first murderer, Cain, and this world’s Savior, Jesus Christ. Cain and Jesus Christ therefore are set as examples of what hate will end in, and what true love also will ultimately produce. By Christ’s love in laying down His life for the brethren, divine love became visible. In Jesus Christ we have the very essence of what true love is. Surprisingly, Christ did not reveal a higher form of love, which of course He could reveal no other, but only that in Him, is seen what true and divine love really is. This is why not until a man is willing to give his life to God, as Christ also first did, for the benefit of others, is Christ’s love possessed. 
"One of the chief ways to determine if men love or not, is if they are willing to give up their own earthly resources when a brother is in need. All love gives, and there is not true love that can ignore and not come to the aid, of those in need. If the heart remains closed to the lack and necessities of those around us, especially our brethren, then it is certain God’s love has no true place in us.
"It is only by sincerely walking in love, that assures the believer that he is of the truth. Where a hypocrite has no inward assurance that he is of God, the man who genuinely loves, does. Teaching us that love does more for the conscience and soul, than any religious duty ever could. It is thus only by doing the Word and not merely hearing it, that the conscience is quieted, and assurance is given to ourselves, that we are indeed God’s children. Obedience to the gospel therefore has for its unsuspecting end, producing internal confidence in our own standing, of being the children of God.
Broadcast live on 03/05/2023

Born of God: 1 John 2:25-3:2

1 John 2:25 "And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the sixth in the series, 1 John 2:25-3:2, highlights what the believer will be when Christ appears for the second time: 

Born of God: 1 John 2:19-24

1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the fifth in the series, 1 John 2:19-24, examines the difference between apostates who leave the faith and of true believers in Christ: "They went out from us, but they were not [ever] of us is solid proof that those who depart from the faith, were never really of it. Apostates for a time can and will remain with true believers, but there must come a time when their false professions of faith becomes manifest. Impure motives while in religion are not enough to keep men faithful to it their entire lives. Like with Judas, though he walked with the Lord Jesus for a number of years, the truth is he never truly was subject to Him.
"By the Lord allowing the departure of those who once labeled themselves as Christians, the influence they once had, or could have had in the true church of Christ, is greatly diminished. Practically speaking, when men depart from Christ, Whom they once professed to follow, all real authority to influence others remaining loyal to Him ends. To understand apostasy properly, one needs to know that 1) Those who leave the faith were once considered part of the church. They took on the habits of conversion but were never truly converted. 2) God allows departure, so that the pretenders might be fully known, resulting in removing much confusion as to what true faith really is. 3) By the counterfeit believer’s exodus, the church is more able to grow in the divine qualities of love and spiritual unity. When schism is removed, if even undetected by most, then harmony and peace is more freely enabled to flourish in Christ’s true church.
"There are but two forms of government that men can choose to align themselves with. The first is that government, which the god of this world, Satan, sets the parameters of how men can live while in it. In this worldly institution much freedom is promised, whereby men can not only live as they will, with no judgment, but are actually encouraged to embrace self-will and self-government. In Satan’s world self-love and self-will are much more preferred than love for God, and subjection to divine will. Those who love the world, and are willing to depart from the faith for it, ultimately reveal themselves as preferring human government, or the government of self, man, and Satan, over the heavenly rule of God.
"It is this standard of leaving all to follow Christ, which is the true test of discipleship. It is a standard which Jesus Christ Himself set, and should not be lowered by men, who themselves have not enough love for divine things, to keep it. To be saved by the Son of God, then a man must be willing to leave everything for Him.
"In contrast to those who were never true followers of Christ and depart from the fellowship of the godly, are true saints, who have as a gift from God, the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 
"There are two distinct elements in recognizing Jesus Christ’s true person. 1)That He is God’s appointed Ruler of the world, in the form of the Messiah. 2) That His right to rule the world stems from His unmistakable relationship with God, as God’s only begotten Son. 
"To not recognize these two truths, is to be anti-Christ. It is therefore not nearly enough to know Jesus as a mere historical figure. This is insufficient for salvation. Because to be saved by God, the power, authority, right, and supremacy of the Son of God must be both believed in, and submitted to.
"To deny the Son is to deny His authority over your life. It is to not submit to His Word, and not follow His person. It is to foolishly believe that we can be saved by God, without yielding to His Son. Yet, there are none who deny the Son, who have any true relationship with the Father. In the Son, God has made Himself known; consequently, to reject and/or deny Him, is to reject the very One Whom God had sent to reconcile sinners unto Himself.
"When there is an acceptance of the Son of God, and genuine belief in His heavenly identity, then it is certain that true relationship with God has begun. Reception of Christ also has as its reward, being given power by Him, to  become a Son of God. Through Christ, and Christ alone, are men made to become sons of God themselves, and by  his it can be said that they hath the Father.
"Once made a son of God, a person must remain loyal to His calling for true fellowship to be maintained with both the Father and Son. There is no place in scripture, nor should any think it can be found, which allows for unfaithfulness, after conversion. He who has been made a son of God through Christ, must maintain both belief and obedience to Christ’s words and Christ’s Spirit, in order for fellowship with God to be continued. There is no second renewal, nor another regeneration that God can provide for any who when once exposed to the Holy Spirit, walk away from it and return to their previous course of living. This is also why there is no such thing as once a Christian, always a Christian, if Christ’s words and His authority over the soul, is abandoned. To make Jesus Christ Lord of your life, is to make Him the ultimate authority in it; consequently, to desert from His rule, is to forfeit the salvation offered by Him."
Broadcast live on 02/19/2023

Born of God: 1 John 2:8-18

1 John 2:8 "Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the fourth in the series, 1 John 2:8-18, teaches about light and love:
"Though love was spoken of previously in scripture it was not fully manifested nor could be truly comprehended until the coming of God’s only begotten Son. That which makes John’s commandment new, is directly related to the divine love that led to Christ’s laying down His life for the brethren. It was this extension and depth of love, whereby One would be willing to die for others’ sins that revealed the true essence of love.
"Life is the most precious thing a man has. In fact, it is all he really has, and is his most precious possession. To give it up is to give all that one has. It therefore is this manner of love, of being willing to lay down our lives for the brethren (if not unto death, then surely in life) that those who claim relationship with the Son of God are commanded to walk in.
"Hate blinds; it does not enlighten. Ultimately, if it is not love that motivates religious movement, and love also that manifest’s itself towards the holy brethren, then religion is false, and the profession of possessing true faith iscounterfeit.
"It is also not uncommon among sinners, to outwardly lie as to their true relationship with God, where a profession of relationship with God is stated, yet no true obedience to His divine law is desired. Men are liars, and nowhere is this visible more than when sinners claim acceptance by God, though their lives evidence everything contrary to divine law. 
"In true Christian religion, there is no substitute for love. It is heralded as greater than even faith and hope. Love is what God is, and none can claim true relationship with Him, who do not possess it.
"So great is the divine commandment to love that when men walk in it, practice it daily, and pursue its expansion in their lives, then this fulfills God’s will for their life. Love is the fulfilling of divine law. This is why if a man truly desires to do God’s will in his life, then he should pursue walking in the very nature God is.
"Thus if it is truly love that rules a man, forms his character, and is the underlying force behind all his decisions, then it is not timidity but boldness that will fill him when Christ returns to judge the world.
"Where previously the apostle warned of the danger of hate, now it is the ever-present danger of loving the world and those things in it. He who loves the world cannot in any true measure or sense love God, and he who loves God must forsake any love or affection he might have for the world. It is thus clearly stated, and should not be debated, that all love for the world, practically nullifies any true love for the heavenly Father.
"It is important for men to know, that to reject Christ’s lordship, is by itself a form of Antichrist. Hence, to not submit to Christ’s rule, reveals a rejection of His government, and resistance to the overall authority God has given His Son. It is God’s right to transfer authority to whom He wills, and His will is that His Son, shall reign forever."
 
Broadcast live on 02/05/2023
 

Born of God: 1 John 1:9-2:7

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the third in the series, 1 John 1:9-2:7, examines forgiveness of sin: "Forgiveness of sin, without exception in scripture, in every age, and every generation, demands that confession of sin precedes it. Hence, if a man desires divine forgiveness for his sins against God, then he must openly confess them, and not deny their existence.
"For forgiveness and pardon, therefore, there must be acknowledgement of the wrong done, and a genuine desire to not do it again. So that if men are willing to turn away and depart from their sin, then God will eventually and completely remove all previous sin done by them.
"Because God is faithful, provided there is genuine and sincere confession of sin, then God’s promise to sinners is  twofold: 1. There is a promise of forgiveness, 2. There is a promise of complete and thorough removal of sin.
"God’s faithfulness to His people is also seen throughout scripture, in that He will not let them be tempted above that which they are able, and will likewise protect those called to Himself, from the evil one. Where sin, temptation, and the evil one is, then God’s faithfulness is the strong abiding force that prohibits men from being completely overtaken by sin and its deceptive nature.
"Where forgiveness provides for separating sin from the sinner, cleansing entails its complete removal. Once the Lord provides forgiveness and cleansing for sin, it cannot, nor ever will surface unless it is returned to and  committed again. Hence, if a man sincerely, genuinely, and deeply regrets and repents for his sin, then God will honor His promise to forgive him and cleanse him from all unrighteousness.
"Whenever there is a denial of sin, it will be simultaneously observed that God’s Word does not live in a man. By this it is easy to discern whether sin has been either confessed or denied. Denial of sin and truth are set in contrast one to another, in order that men may know that to embrace one will exclude the presence of the other. Whenever then the truth of God’s Word resides in men, then confession of their sin will follow. But if sin is denied, and a man will not agree with God that he is a sinner, then there will not be any true relationship nor affection for the truth. Since none can truly and genuinely hold the truth in his heart, love its purity, rejoice in its message, and not confess the sin that lives within himself.
"It is also both right and righteous that God is greatly displeased with sinners, and men should not try and diminish the truth that God’s anger exists towards all who transgress His laws. By Jesus Christ taking the place of the sinner and receiving divine judgment for him, God deems the penalty for sin has been met, and justice satisfied.
"Just as through one man’s (Adam’s) disobedience many were made sinners, so also through Jesus Christ’s obedience shall many be made righteous. Consequently, there will be many, a vast amount, an innumerable number of previous sinners, who shall, with utmost certainty, be made righteous through the Son of God. The only question is, who are these blessed souls, to whom God’s righteousness shall be imparted?
"For the second time the apostle reveals whom God reveals as liars. 1. If men refuseto confess themselves as sinners. 2. If there is a claim and a false assumption of knowing God, yet the claimers do not keep His commandments. He thus who denies the presence of sin in himself is a liar, even as he who claims to know God, but does not keep His commandments, has also by divine revelation been marked out by God as a liar.
"If God’s Word is kept by His people, then God’s own love will be perfected in them. Love is a fruit of the Spirit and all who are truly led by it will manifest this fruit in their lives. It is also the increase and expansion of the love of God in the Christian’s heart, that causes him to know that he is in God, and God in him. Ultimately, love and obedience cannot be separated. This is also why whenever there is an absence of divine love, no real obedience to God exists.
"If any claim relationship with Jesus Christ, they should strive to walk as He walked. The standard for the Christian’s behavior is therefore seen in his Savior. It is through Christ that he has been born again, given a new heart, and become a completely new creature. When a man seeks to walk as Christ walked he will, like the Lord, be about the Father’s business, be willing to humble himself to serve the needs of others, follow Christ’s example of being meek and lowly in heart, lose his life to God, and ultimately fulfill the great commission.
"When men become imitators of Jesus Christ, they prove themselves as true followers of God."
Broadcast live on 01/22/2023
 

Born of God: 1 John 1:5-8

1 John 1:5 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the second in the series, 1 John 1:5-8, teaches that God is light, and those that walk in darkness have no fellowship with Him: "The message that Paul heard and declared unto his readers, that God is light, came from the Son of God. It is Jesus Who declared God’s true nature, which was also made visible through His walk on the earth. It was therefore that relationship that John had with Jesus Christ, that revealed to him the true nature of God, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
"Not only is God defined by the apostle as light, He is also revealed in scripture as Spirit and love. By these three descriptive revelations of God, it is possible to see the great glory of His divine nature and the primary components which make it up, which are Spirit, light, and love.
"All that is holy, good, benevolent, merciful, forgiving, and loving is contained in this simple axiom that God is light. From light also comes all that can be conceived as life in the universe. Light is the very source of life, without which it could not exist. It is also neither remarkable nor coincidental that the God Who is Himself divine light, brought into the universe material light as an emblem of Himself. 
"Since God is light in every respect, then it is not reasonable that He would maintain fellowship with darkness on any level. A truly good and honorable man would never befriend nor share intimate fellowship with evil men, and the same can be said even more so concerning a holy God. And just as God instructs those who believe on Him, to depart and have no fellowship with darkness, it is unreasonable to believe that He would do, what He commands His people never do.
"Simply because it is incompatible that a God, Who is Himself pure light, would maintain any fellowship with darkness. He will not, and John wants to make this abundantly clear that God will never fellowship nor maintain communion with darkness of any kind.
"Either there is a disconnect and a contradiction in what the Word of God reveals sin is, or in the people who sin yet claim relationship with God. No doubt the error lies not in scripture, but in those who will do their best to try and change the very description of good and evil, and/or light and darkness. Sinners thus who have chosen not to abide in what is good and holy, will seek to change it to fit their own carnal lusts and fallen nature. So that if men will not abide by the truth, then they will soon seek to change in others’ minds, whattruth is.
"It is also a sign of hypocrisy when men claim to know God but in works deny Him, when any profess Jesus Christ as their Lord but do not what He says, and when there is an honoring of God with the lips but the person’s heart and behavior is far from God. Therefore, very early in John’s epistle we see one of his main objectives, which is to refute the erroneous claims of those both in and out of the church, who walked in darkness yet professed they maintained relationship with God. This is contrary to the message that John heard from Jesus Christ Who Himself represented the light of God. Practically, if any man thinks differently, he has set himself as a rival to Christ."
Broadcast live on 01/08/2023
 

Born of God: 1 John 1:1-4

1 John 1:1 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;"
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the first in the series, 1 John 1:1-4, opens with the introduction of the epistle: "What is remarkable about this verse is that in a book that details what is necessary to gain fellowship with the Father and the Son, and a book which was written to confirm if a man has eternal life or not, that the emphasis is directly centered upon the personal, albeit spiritual, relationship the apostle John had with Jesus Christ. It is thus He, Whom John hopes to expose the world to, and He, Whom John knows, holds the key to gaining the eternal life of God. Ultimately, Christ is the Word of life, that manifested form of God, Who leads to life. The reason that John gives Jesus Christ this title is because through Him God’s knowledge of the way to gain eternal life is revealed. As the Word, Christ is God’s revelation to man, revealing also God’s path to heaven.
"The reason that a man is saved by Christ, is because He is the living Word of God. Ultimately, to hold Christ as Lord is to obey all of God’s commandments. So that where previously through the Mosaic Law obedience to the Law is what was purposed to lead men to life, now the lordship of God’s Son is how men can eternally be saved.
"Because God has given His Son authority over all things, to be saved men must agree with God’s transfer of divine authority to Christ, and subsequently make Him their Lord and Master of their life. Thus, by accepting the Word, and yielding fully to Christ’s present heavenly authority, this is viewed by God as subjection to His will for man. Christ’s lordship over a man’s life takes the place of needing to obey every commandment of God, which was necessary in the Old Testament in order to be saved, which in fact is impossible simply because of man’s weak fleshly ability to keep divine law.
"The Lord’s predestination of His people, is what makes Christ’s salvation so secure. This was the Son of God’s purpose in coming into the world, to save those purposed by God for heaven, and it has been proven to be astoundingly successful.
"There is but one door, one access point, where sinners like ourselves can find hope of heaven, and it is through the very One sent by God to reveal God’s spiritual and eternal life more fully to the world. That which a man has, he can give. Jesus as the Son of Man, and Son of God, can therefore give God’s eternal life to as many make Him their Lord. 
"A man’s labor, therefore, should not merely be regulated to feeding his body and the desires it produces, but rather should be primarily directed towards that spiritual labor which leads to the saving of the soul. It is this meat which is a knowledge of the Son of God and a pursuit of the higher spiritual realm that provides the opportunity for everlasting life.
(I John 5:12) "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." On this one single maxim, is contained the entire Christian gospel. If this were believed and relied upon, then very little else would be needed to be preached in attempting to bring others to salvation. It is also this question which all who profess to believe in Jesus, need to ask themselves, “Do I hold true belief in the Son of God in my heart, or do I merely know Christ’s name in my mind?”
"Joy is, therefore, a spiritual fruit which is produced in a person’s heart, whenever faith is present, and confidence and trust in God is held. He, therefore, who genuinely exercises faith, will experience joy in his soul, a spiritual joy that proves not only the existence of a heavenly Father, but also the true nature and disposition of heaven itself. Teaching us that heaven is not a gloomy, nor oppressive habitation, but rather is a place of supreme happiness, freedom, and delight. Spiritual joy is an element of the nature of God, and it is what all of heaven reflects. By believing on the Son of God, men can experience a portion of that joy, which will be their full possession when received into heaven."
 
Broadcast live on 12/11/2022