Look to JESUS and be saved

 "Who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 
Deuteronomy 8:15
GOD leads us through the wilderness of this our earthly life where the enemy is like a fiery serpent and a prowling lion. He keeps us and protects us as we walk in faith.

 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. 
Numbers 21:5-9
When the people sinned by speaking against GOD and His servant Moses, the serpents were released to gain entry to the people to bite them. When we sin we give room for the serpent to harm us. In fact all of us are born in sin, bitten by the serpent, prone to eternal death.

 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 
John 3:13-15 
The only way to escape eternal death and inherit eternal life is by looking to the LORD JESUS Who died on the cross for the sin of mankind.

 "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  This He said, signifying by what death He would die. 
John 12:31-33

The serpent on the pole points to JESUS on the cross.
What were the reactions of the people who looked at the serpent on the pole?
What are reactions as we look at JESUS on the cross?
Firstly, I see the Consequence and Result Of my Sin that gave room to the Serpent.
Then as I am Convicted of my sin and Repent Of my sin, I see my Saviour and find Salvation!

The very moment JESUS was lifted up and died on the cross, the dynamics in the heavenlies changed.
The activities in the spiritual realm are revealed in the following scripture.
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.  "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

Revelation 12:7-12 

 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 
Romans 8:33-34

 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7:24-25

The place of the accuser of the brethren before GOD has now been replaced, thankfully, by the Intercessor Who is the risen CHRIST! Praise GOD!! What a victory for mankind!!!

 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For IAm God, and there is no other. 
Isaiah 45:22

 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

GROW IN GRACE

  You therefore, beloved, since you know [this] beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him [be] the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18

GOD'S grace is GOD'S unmerited favour on man.

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, Romans 5:20

Just because GOD extends sufficient grace to us, covering our sin and revealing His favour to us, it does not mean that we can take advantage of this grace to continue in sin. Having experienced His grace, we need to walk in obedience to GOD, pleasing Him. GOD understands our situations, sees our heart, strengthens us in our weaknesses and graciously forgives our sins. If we wilfully sin and walk in rebellion and stubbornness, we fall from grace, and there will be no more opportunity for us to be saved.

  For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.  Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on [the testimony of] two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." Hebrews 10:26-30

Another important sign of growing in grace is being gracious towards others. Once we genuinely experience and receive the grace of GOD, such grace will also flow from us to others.

  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. 
Ephesians 4:31-32

Therefore, to grow in grace, we need to walk in obedience to GOD and extend grace to others.

MONEY and LIFE

 So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27 
This is the origin of your life and mine. This life on earth is a gift from GOD.
 And the LORD God formed a man's body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.
Genesis 2:7

 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
1 Peter 1:18-19
Eternal life is also a gift from GOD, purchased for us with the precious blood of  JESUS.
 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
John 10:10


The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD Almighty.
Haggai 2:8
 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. 
Psalm 50:10
Everything on earth belongs to GOD including you and I.
But now, O Israel, the LORD who created you says: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1
 
Then someone called from the crowd, "Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me." Jesus replied, "Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?" Then he said, "Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own." 
Luke 12:13-15
What is money?
Man takes the silver and gold that is GOD'S, forms it into money, puts his image on it, and calls it 'Mine'.
 Even as its possessor says to money "You are mine,"   MONEY says to its possessor "You are mine!"
Money has a tendency to possess the one who possesses it. It spells   M-----Y                                  
     ONE
Here, show me the Roman coin used for the tax." When they handed him the coin, he (JESUS) asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?" "Caesar's," they replied. "Well, then," he said, "give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God." 
Matthew 22:19-21 
What then does GOD require of us?
He requires our very life. All that we are - Our energy, strength, skills and talents. 
                                                                    - Our time on earth.
                                                                    - Our relationships.
                                                                    - Our material possessions.
All that we are and all that we have, rightfully belong to Him and should be used for His glory and to profit His Kingdom.
 Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow.
Matthew 5:42


The man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was a child." "There is still one thing you lack," Jesus said. "Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." But when the man heard this, he became sad because he was very rich. Jesus watched him go and then said to his disciples, "How hard it is for rich people to get into the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" 
Luke 18:21-25
Money that we have that doesn't rightfully belong to us,
Money that we we are holding on to that should be given away, and
Money that we take that is not meant for us,
will not be a blessing to us but will turn out to be a curse.

And he gave an illustration: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, `I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. And I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!' "But God said to him, `You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?' "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."
Luke 12:16-21


Therefore beware of money!!
It has a subtle way of preoccupying your mind and entering your heart!
It can turn your heart away from GOD and spoil your relationships with others.
Do not overestimate money. Know its real value.
Use what you have, wisely and responsibly to glorify GOD and to bless others.