HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP

By Kingsley Baehr

On July 28, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was proclaimed. It defined U. S. citizenship. A copy of it appears below in small print. As you begin to try to read the legal language in it, if you are like me, you will quickly become discouraged and most likely give up before you reach the end.

Instructions about how to become a citizen of heaven are much easier, and much less restrictive. They are found in the Bible, the final Word from the King of Heaven.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 3:20

So we see that citizens of heaven have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...” – 1 Timothy 1:15
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

To be a citizen of heaven, then, you must:
1) Confess to God that you are a sinner.
2) Believe in your heart that citizenship in heaven is a gift from God.
3) Accept the fact that Jesus died for you, was raised from the dead, and must be your Lord.
No restrictions! ~ Open to everyone! ~ A free gift!
A citizen of heaven for all eternity! ~ What could be better!?

Are you a citizen of heaven?

Amendment XIV
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.
Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Eternity

By Kingsley Baehr

Jesus, loves you, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Sinful ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong!
God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Unto Him Who has loved us and washed us from sin—unto Him be the glory forever! Amen!
When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit Whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior... Titus 3:4-6

Not what these hands have done can save this guilty soul; not what this toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole. Your work alone, O Savior, can ease this weight of sin; your blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

By grace you have been saved through faith; and that faith is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

Eternity! Time soon will end. Its fleeting moments pass away. O sinner, say, where will you spend eternity’s unchanging day? Shall you the hopeless horror see of hell for all eternity? Eternity! Eternity! Where will you spend eternity?
Whoever believes in the Son [Jesus] has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. John 3:36

I tell you the truth [Jesus said]. Whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

May's

By Kingsley Baehr

As we look forward to the summer, our plans are full of “may’s”.
“I may be going to camp this summer, but maybe not.”
 “Maybe we can fit in a week at the shore.”
  “May I go with Bobby and his family to Disneyworld? Please,
   may I, huh? May I? They invited me!”
    “Maybe I’ll go out with you—let me check my calendar.”
     “Well, I don’t know. Maybe.”

See, that is the problem—“I don’t know. I cannot see the future. I
don’t know what tomorrow may bring. I’m not psychic, you know.”

LISTEN TO HOW JESUS TALKS ABOUT THE FUTURE!
“I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.” – Heb. 13:5
“YOU MAY ASK ME FOR ANYTHING IN MY NAME AND I WILL DO IT.” – John 14:14
“HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I TOO WILL LOVE HIM.” – John 14:21
“I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN AND YOU WILL REJOICE, AND NO ONE WILL TAKE AWAY YOUR JOY.” – John 16:22
“I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME.” – John 14:3
HOW CAN HE BE SO SURE ABOUT THINGS?
BECAUSE HE IS GOD!
HE CAN SEE THE END FROM THE BEGINNING!
HE LOOKS AT THE FUTURE AS THOUGH IT IS IN THE PAST!
Will you receive Him as your Savior now and be sure of your eternal future?

WHY DID JESUS DIE?

By Kingsley Baehr

WHY DID JESUS DIE?
Was He a victim, dying for a cause?
No. He could have called 24,000 angels to rescue Him from the cross if He had chosen to do so. - Matt. 26:53
WHY DID JESUS DIE, THEN?
Was He murdered?
No. When He just said the words, "I Am He," His arrestors fell backward to the ground. He voluntarily submitted to them shortly afterward. - John 18:6-8
WELL, WHY DID JESUS DIE, THEN?
Was His death an accident, that was not expected?
No. He informed His followers at least three times that He was going to die, how He was going to die, who would be responsible for His death, and that He was not going to stay dead. - John 3:14; Mk. 8:31; 10:33,34
SO, WHY DID JESUS DIE?
He died as a Sacrifice! - 1 Peter 3:18
A SACRIFICE?! FOR WHOM?
For you. - 2 Corinthians 8:9
FOR ME? WHY? I DON'T NEED A SACRIFICE. I'M A GOOD PERSON.
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you without permission? Have you ever lusted after another person?
If you have answered these questions honestly, you are a liar, a thief, and an adulterer, and we haven't even discussed the other 7 commandments! - Exodus 20:1-17
So, are you good enough for a perfect, holy God to allow you to live with Him forever in heaven?
SO WHY DID JESUS DIE?
He died as your Sacrifice, to pay the death penalty for your sins, to give you His righteousness in place of your sinfulness, so you could receive His gift of eternal life with God in heaven. -Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21
THAT IS WHY JESUS SAID, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME." - John 14:6
No other way is good enough. No other sacrifice is good enough. You are not good enough. So,
will you right now accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Sacrifice?

MARCH

By Kingsley Baehr

INFLUENZA   BY-PASS SURGERY
 BRONCHITIS   VALVE REPLACEMENTS 
  PNEUMONIA ANGIOPLASTIES  
   ASTHMA   HEART ATTACKS   
    STROKE       INTERNAL BLEEDING    
  DEATH  

I don’t know about you, but, recently, all these physical ailments and problems have been a part of the lives of people whom I know and love. Here we are living in the most medically and tech-nologically advanced decade in human history, and it seems as though disease and bodily malfunc-tions are on the increase!
I find it very comforting to remind myself that the few years lived on earth are nothing when compared to eternity. And I know on the authority of the Word of God that none of these problems will ever be experienced where I am going after this life on earth.
Read on:
Romans 8:21-24 (New Living Translation) - All creation anticipates the day when it will join GOD’S CHILDREN in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And even WE CHRISTIANS, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as HIS CHILDREN, including the new bodies He has promised us. Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom...
Revelation 21:3,4 (New Living Translation) - I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, the home of God is now among HIS PEOPLE! He will live with them, and they will be HIS PEOPLE. God Himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, for the old world and its evils are gone forever.”
GOD’S CHILDREN = WE CHRISTIANS = HIS PEOPLE = You?
Are you His Child?
Are you a Christian?
Are you one of His People?
Have you, from your heart, confessed to Him your rebellious nature and repented of your sins?
Have you sincerely accepted Christ’s sacrifice of His life on your behalf and applied it to your account?
Have you humbly asked Him to be your Savior and Master?
Then,
you also
are
His Child,
a Christian,
one of His People,
and
you can claim for yourself the promises of the Bible verses above.
But
if you are not His Child, a Christian, one of His People,
then the only verses which apply to you are:

Matthew 13:49-51 (New Living Translation) - That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the Godly, throwing the wicked into the fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do you understand?” [Other verses tell us that this punishment will last forever.]
IT IS YOUR CHOICE!

Februus

By Kingsley Baehr

  According to the internet encyclopedia Wikipedia,
 February was named after the Roman god Februus, the god of purification.
Isn’t it ironic, that one of the most impure celebrations of the year—Mardi Gras occurs in February.
    Hedonism before Humilty
    Carnivale before Confession
    Abandonment before Absolution
    Revelry before Righteousness
    Sensualism before Sacrifice
    Debauchery before Devotion
    In other words,
    Self before the Savior
If the Lord Jesus Christ had thought the way we do:
 He would never have left heaven.
  There would have been no crucifixion on a cross.
   We would have had no Savior.
    We would have had no Intercessor.
     We would have no hope of Heaven.
      Our “Mardi Gras” lives would, one day,
       terminate among the ashes [not ofWednesday] of Hell!
Here is what God’s Word, the Bible says:
 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for
 your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
[2 Corinthians 8:9]
 “…For even Christ did not please Himself…” [Romans 15:3]
 “He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by
 Him all things were created [including you]: things in heaven and on earth, visible
 and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were
 created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together…
 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and
 through Himto reconcile to Himself all things… by making peace through His blood
  shed on the cross.” [Colossians 1:15-17,19,20]
     The choice is yours:
    reckless living apart from God
        or
    living Reconciled to God.

OLD NEWS—GOOD NEWS!

By Kingsley Baehr

Definition: NEWS = material worthy of being reported
We have just celebrated this old NEWS, first announced by an angel, that is forever good NEWS—
"Do not be afraid! Listen, I bring you glorious NEWS of great joy
which is for all the people. This very day, in David’s town,
 a SAVIOR has been born for you.
   He is CHRIST, the LORD."  [Luke 2:10,11]
 But is He your personal SAVIOR?
Have you done personal business with JESUS CHRIST
 or does He mean
 nothing to you?
"If a man is in CHRIST, he becomes a NEWS person altogether—
the past is finished and gone,
everything has become fresh and NEWS.
All this is GOD’S doing,
for He has reconciled us to Himself
through JESUS CHRIST."
[2 Corinthians 5:17,18a]
JESUS CHRIST is the only One Who tells you that
salvation and eternal life
are only by faith;
you cannot work your way into favor with GOD by
obeying the law.
"... we are free to serve GOD,
not in the old obedience to the letter of the Law,
 but in a NEWS way,
 in the SPIRIT." [Romans 7:6b]
We live in an old world,
corrupted and dying because of the rebellion of the
  human race
 against its CREATOR.
But that CREATOR has promised that it will not always be this way.
"Then He Who is seated upon the throne said,
 ‘See, I am making all things NEW!’
  And He added,
‘Write this down, for My words are true and to be trusted.’
  Then He said to me,
 ‘I AM ALPHA and OMEGA,
 the BEGINNING and the END.’" [Revelation 21:5,6a]
Whether you will be part of the "all things NEWS"
is totally dependent on whether you want to become
"a NEW person altogether"
in CHRIST.
It is up to you.

What will you do with JESUS CHRIST?

THE CHRISTMAS LIGHT!

By Kingsley Baehr

And now the LORD says—
 He Who formed Me in the womb to be His Servant
  to bring Jacob back to Him and gather Israel to Himself,
   for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD
   and My God has been My strength—
He says:
 “It is too small a thing for You to be My Servant
  to restore the tribes of Jacob
  and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
 I will also make You a LIGHT for the Gentiles,
 that You may bring My salvation to the ends
  of the earth.”- Isaiah 49:5,6
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
He came as a witness to testify concerning
 that LIGHT,
  so that through Him all men might believe...
 The true LIGHT
  Who gives LIGHT to every man
   was coming into the world. - John 1:6,7,9
When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said,
 “I am the LIGHT of the world.
   Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness,
     but will have the LIGHT of life.” - John 8:12
This Christmas season, won’t you consider the claims of the LIGHT of the world?
 Among all the artificial lights, won’t you make time for the true LIGHT?
   Jew or Gentile,
   JESUS CHRIST
      is your LIGHT!

ARE YOU ADOPTED?

By Kingsley Baehr

Since November is National Adoption Month, let me ask you;
“Are you adopted?”
 “Have you been chosen?”
  “Are you being deeply loved?”
   “Have the total expenses of your adoption proceedings been paid in full?”
    Are you God’s heir?

“Or are you still homeless, unwanted, unloved and wondering why it seems that way?”

Of course, I am not asking about your physical life.

“So,” you might think, “What in the world are you asking me about!?”

As you look deep into your heart and soul, have you been adopted, chosen, and deeply loved spiritually? Has the God of the Bible chosen, and adopted you? He certainly does love you deeply, since He sent His Son Jesus to pay the total cost for your adoption into His family. However, for your adoption to actually take place, you have to accept it. God, the loving Father, will not kidnap you and force you into His family. He waits for you to accept Him as your Father and experience all the benefits of becoming a member of His family.

“Benefits?” you ask. How about:
 Sins forever forgiven,
  An eternal home in heaven,
   Strength for the daily stress,
    Peace that does not depend on circumstances,
     Provision for daily needs
      His almighty arms upholding you, and I could go on and on.

So let me ask you again: “Are you adopted?” If not, why not? What could possibly be preventing you from accepting adoption from the gracious, merciful, loving Father God?
Please accept these adoption “papers” which God Who desires to be your Father is holding out to you.

God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5

But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us … so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba*, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir. Galatians 4:4-7

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba*, Father.” For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are His children, we are His heirs. Romans 8:14-17a

Beloved, we are God’s children now; and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. I Jn. 3:2

* “Abba” is a personal Aramaic word for “father”. It would be “Daddy” in English.

THE STRANGE ONE

By Kingsley Baehr

by Eileen Lageer in HIS magazine, June, 1965

Once there was a colony of ants with only five legs. Whenever they walked, they went one-two-hitch, one-two-hitch, all along the path. These ants lived on decayed banana leaves and nothing else. I shouldn’t say “lived,” for many of them died. Banana leaves, you know, especially in their rotten state, are rather hard to find—and so these ants had a very hard life. Many died young from over-exertion and starvation. Now it happened that one day a very strange ant was born among them. This ant had six legs! Everyone clicked his tongue in consternation. Many tried the best they could to console the parents on their child’s deformity. Some suggested that for the good of the community they ought to kill him in in-fancy. But the mother begged hard, so they let him live. Strangely enough, the little ant was soon rushing around faster than his elders. This was ominous. And worse than that, he had a very awkward way of walking. “Look,” they tried to tell him, “you don’t know how to walk right. You have to go one-two-hitch, one-two-hitch. Now try it properly.” But every time the little ant walked, that sixth foot would come down, and he would leave his teachers far behind. They gave up in disgust. When he was half grown, the elders noticed another peculiarity. He was eating bread crumbs! “Stop!” they cried. “They’re poison. You mustn’t do that. If you eat even two little mouthfuls, you’ll die!” But the little ant continued eating. They waited to see him fall over dead, but nothing happen-ed. Instead, as the days went on, he grew strong and big, bigger even than the biggest of the grown-ups. This was outrageous! But the real crisis didn’t come until he was fully grown. The colony had been told to move quickly from its home to another place, for dreaded driver ants were marching against it. The job of moving was very slow, for in order to move the nest, an egg had to be loaded onto the back of an ant. Then two other ants climbed on his back and rode along holding the egg in place. They had to keep it from rolling off at every hitch, you see. So the egg would be carried along, and the ant under the egg would be more dead than alive when they arrived. They had just started moving their eggs in this way, when they noticed the six-legged monstrosity coming toward them at a rapid clip. “Hurry up, you lazy thing,” they cried between puffs. “You have to work too.” They had barely gotten the words out of their mouths when he passed them on the double and was back again carrying an egg, of all places, in his two front feet. “You can’t do that!” they screamed. “You’ll break it. And anyway, you’ll never get there.” “I’ve already been there and back twice,” he replied, “and I haven’t broken one yet. Let me show you how to do it.” That was the last straw. Rage came up in their throats and choked them. They dropped their eggs in a heap and rushed at him. “He has a devil!” cried his enemies. “He is beside himself!” cried his friends. “He’s perverting the colony!” “He’s spoiling our nation!” “He is teaching others this perfidy!” “Away with him!” “Kill him!” “There!” they growled in grim satisfaction sometime later. “He’ll never try to teach us again. We’ll solve our own problems, thank you.” Then they went back to work. One-two-hitch. One-two-hitch. One-two-hitch.

May I seriously and lovingly ask you,
“Are you a five-legged ant?”
What have you done with the perfect Lord Jesus Christ Who came into your “colony” to make you whole and to show you the right way to live?
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

WHO IS YOUR PILOT?

By Kingsley Baehr

Recently, my wife and I took a week’s vacation in northern Michigan where three of the Great Lakes meet. We flew round-trip by airplane and took four boat trips. On all six trips, we entrusted our lives to six different human pilots.

PILOT/GUIDE:
  A person who leads or directs another’s way;
  who exhibits and explains points of interest;
  who directs another’s conduct or course of life;
  who acts as a guide in a way or course;
  who supervises, or influences, usually to a particular end;
  who superintends the training or instruction of his trainees.

Exodus 15:13 You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided [piloted] them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.
Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide [pilot] you with My eye.
Psalm 48:14 For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our Guide [Pilot] even unto death.
Psalm 73:24 You will guide [pilot] me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

A PILOT:
  1. Is in total control of the ship or airplane.
  2. Knows exactly how and where to direct the ship or airplane to its desired destination.
  3. Instructs the passengers as to their necessary behavior on the trip.
  4. Explains the “why’s” and “where-fore’s” of the journey to the passengers as the trip is continuing.
  5. Knows where all the hazards lie and how to avoid them.
  6. Can pilot the craft through the sun glare, clouds, and darkness which make the way ahead totally unclear to his passengers.
  7. Reassures the passengers when they are worried about what might be happening.
  8. Has the passengers completely in his hands and is totally responsible for them.
IS JESUS YOUR PILOT?
  1. Have you given total control of your life to Him?
  2. Do you really believe that He knows the best way for you to live your life so that you will reach heaven as your final destination?
  3. How often do you allow Him to speak to you through His Word about your behavior as a passenger on His ship/airplane of life?
  4. Are you aware when He is showing you why He has piloted you as He has? Sometimes He will use counselors, mentors, or Christian friends to be His commentators on life.
  5. Do you really believe that He knows better than you do what will be hazardous to you in your life, and are you willing to allow Him to steer you around or away from them
  6. He does not always tell us what the future holds, but He is an absolutely trust worthy Pilot through it. Do you really believe that?
  7. Are you looking to Himfor the reassurance and comfort that you need in times of difficulty?
  8. Whether you like it or not, “[Your] life is in His hands.”
Can you think of any better hands to cradle your life? He is the Sovereign of the universe Who, in spite of our rebellion and sin, loves us so much that He Himself came to this tiny spot in His vast creation and gave His life for the likes of us to pay our penalty of eternal separation from His Father, and give us eternal life with Him as our Pilot.
If you have not yet boarded His craft and surrendered control of your life to Him, now is the time, right now, before you miss His ship through life and His airplane to heaven.

CHOICES!

By Kingsley Baehr

LIFE IS FILLED WITH CHOICES!
CONFIDENT CHOICES or CONFUSED CHOICES
CALCULATED CHOICES or CAPRICIOUS CHOICES
CAUTIOUS CHOICES or CARELESS CHOICE
CLEAR-CUT CHOICES or CLOUDY CHOICES
CREATIVE CHOICES or CLUELESS CHOICES
COMPASSIONATE CHOICES or CHILLING CHOICES
COURAGEOUS CHOICES or COWARDLY CHOICES
CORRECT CHOICES or CORRUPT CHOICES
CHASTE CHOICES or CARNAL CHOICES
COMMITTED CHOICES or CONDITIONAL CHOICES
or the
CHOICEST CHOICE
of all
which is the
CHOICE FOR CHRIST.
There are only two choices which, when made in this life, determine where you will spend eternity after this life—the choice for Christ or the choice to ignore Christ.
Which choice are you currently making?
For Christ = an eternity in heaven with the One Who loved you enough to sacrifice His own life for you.
Ignoring Christ = an eternity in hell with Satan who hates you and will do anything to keep you from choosing Christ.
So, once again, which choice are you currently making?

JESUS IN JULY

By Kingsley Baehr

JESUS -born after Julius Caesar, for which this month was named in the Gregorian Calendar, but the One on Whose birth the whole calendar was devised!
Julius was a conqueror of many uncivilized peoples. JESUS IS THE SAVIOR OF MULTITUDES OF LOST SINNERS
   Have you asked Him to become your Savior?
UNIQUE - though unappreciated as such. Born into this world, though eternall existing from ages past, the perfect God-man, the Servant-King, the Sacrificial Savior, the sole Conqueror of death, because He rose from the dead.
  Do you appreciate Him?
LORD - but unrecognized as such. As the Creator of all things, including you, He owns you. He can do with you whatever He desires. But instead of wanting to punish you forever for your rebellion and rejection of Him, He loves you so much that He punished Himself as your Substitute!
  How are you going to respond to Him?
YARDSTICK - the One by Whom you will be measured. Anything less than His perfection, His attitude, His devotion to God, His Father, His humility, His loving concern for His enemies, means that you do not measure up, and therefore, have no hope of heaven.
But because He loves you, He desires to give you these things as a free gift, by becoming your Savior and your Lord.
    Do you want Him or not?
    He leaves it all up to you.
  Accept the One Who went through hell for you and won the victory over it,
    or
  go to hell yourself. Your choice.
  What will it be?

ARE YOU SAFE?

By Kingsley Baehr

The month of June is “National Safety Month.” It is also a month for celebrating many other things as well,
but June is National Safety Month.
So if I ask you, “Are you safe?” you might ans-wer:
“Of course. I live in a safe neighborhood.” Or,
“Sure. All my investments are doing well.” Or,
“Yes. My driving record is totally clean.” Or,
“I live in the U.S.A., don’t I? Why wouldn’t I be safe?”
But then I might reply, “All these answers deal only with physical life.
What about your spiritual life?
Are you safe there?
Will you be safe after death?
Are you safe for eternity?”
It is so easy to get caught up in planning and working toward providing for ourselves a safe and secure future,
 economically,
  residentially,
   socially,
    psychologically, and
     physically,
and yet ignoring what is necessary to be safe and secure spiritually.
And the strange part of it all is that we work hard, labor long, and spend our lives for this life’s securities which might last a lifetime, and yet
all the work has been done for us to provide eternal security!
We just have to want it enough to go to the One who has done the work and ask Him to give it to us as a love-gift.
JESUS CHRIST did the work.
His perfect Person is the guarantee.
Eternal security is His to give.
It only can come from Him. [Acts 4:12]
How?
  1. Recognize that you cannot earn it. [Titus 3:5]
  2. Admit that your sins have separated you from Him. [Isaiah 59:1,2]
  3. Confess them to Him and accept His forgiveness. [1 John 1:9]
  4. Rest in the safety and security for eternity which are His gifts to you. [1 John 5:11,12; Hebrews 13:5c]
If you will sincerely and from the heart follow these four steps, then, for the rest of your life on earth, you will be able to celebrate June as your personal Spiritual Safety Month, the month when you accepted the safety and security for all eternity offered to you as His gift by the
LORD Jesus Christ.
Prov. 18:10 – The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it, and are safe.
Prov. 29:25 – The fear of man brings a snare; but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
Prov. 1:33 – Whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil.
Psa. 4:8 – I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
2 Tim. 4:18 – And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever.
Amen!

MAYDAY! MAYDAY!! MAYDAY!!!

By Kingsley Baehr

According to the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary; Tenth Edition, MAYDAY is “an international radio-telephone signal word used as a distress call (italics mine).
It’s origin is in a French phrase “m’aider” meaning “help me.”
Have you ever signaled God with this word?
Have you ever sent to Him this frantic distress signal?
“O God, help me! Help me!! Help me!!!”
But maybe you have not yet realized that you are in deep trouble?
“We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteounesses are like filthy rags.
We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away.” – ISAIAH 64:6
“ ‘May day!’ O God!
The waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mud where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters where the floods overflow me.”- PSALM 69:2 (altered)
If you do not like the sound of these words from the Bible, you truly are in deep trouble.
If you are willing to admit before God that your sins have separated you from Him,
then send your distress signal to Him right now, and you will discover that:
He will bring you up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay.
He will set your feet upon a rock and establish your steps.
He will put a new song in your mouth—
“Praise to our God!” - PSALM 40:2,3 (altered)

WINDY MARCH

By Kingsley Baehr

Many years ago before we began paying income taxes in April instead of March, the American humorist and poet, Ogden Nash, wrote:
  Inside and out, no one relaxes
  In March that month of WIND and taxes.
  The WINDS will presently disappear,
  But taxes last us all the year.
However, the Bible has more to say about WIND than about taxes.
“For behold, He who forms the mountains, and creates the WIND, who declares to man what his thought is,... the LORD God of hosts is His name.” – Amos 4:13
“Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the WIND in His fists?... Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know? – Proverbs 30:4
“But He (JESUS) said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the WINDS and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that even the WINDS and the sea obey Him?’” – Matthew 8:26
“The ungodly... are like the chaff which the WIND drives away. The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment...” – Psalm 1:4
“They (the ungodly) sow the WIND and reap the WHIRLWIND.” – Hosea 8:7
At this point, let me ask you a pointed question: “If GOD the SON created and controls the WINDS of the earth, do ungodly people have anything of which to be afraid?” Consider further:
“The grass withers, the flower fades, because the BREATH (WIND, same word) of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass.” – Isaiah 40:7
“... we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the WIND, have taken us away.” – Isaiah 64:6b
These last two verses make it personal, don’t they? They talk about us. So my last question is this:
ARE YOU STILL OUT THERE BEING WITHERED, DRIVEN, AND “BLOWN AWAY” BY THE WINDS OF LIFE?
    OR
ARE YOU IN THE BOAT WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST?

FREE INDEED

By Kingsley Baehr

IF THE SON MAKES YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED – John 8:36
The New Life Singers from Freedom Village U.S.A. visited our church a few years ago and presented a program of Gospel music and testimonies of how Jesus Christ had changed their lives. Here are some quotes from those testi-monies:

“By the time I was five years old, I was abused in every way possible and when I was ten, I was told that I would never be able to have children.”
“Until I was nineteen years old, no one had ever made a place for me.”
“I hated my life. I hated everybody. I hated my drugs and alcohol. I hated me.”
“I tried Satanism.”
“My parents were divorced when I was three.”
“My parents were alcoholics, but we went to church every Sunday.”
“My mother was a drug addict.”

But here they were,
 singing their hearts out,
  praising God and
   showing by their attitudes,
    their faces,
    their voices, and
    their joy
   how JESUS CHRIST had revolutionized their lives
    since they found that HE loved them and
     had made a place for them in HIS family.

What had produced such a dramatic change in their lives?

THEY CHOSE LIFE!
“JESUS SAID, ‘I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE...’” – John 14:6
THEY CHOSE JESUS CHRIST!

What will you choose?

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you,
LIFE and DEATH,
BLESSING and CURSING;
therefore
CHOOSE LIFE...
THAT YOU MAY LOVE THE LORD, YOUR GOD,
THAT YOU MAY OBEY HIS VOICE,
AND THAT YOU MAY CLING TO HIM,
FOR HE IS YOUR LIFE.”
- Deuteronomy 30:19,20a

RESOLVED…

By Kingsley Baehr

… that when my mother calls me in, I’ll come right when I’m called, because my father bought a hairbrush. (He’s completely bald.) … that I’ll pick up my dirty clothes and throw them in the hamper, ‘cause if I don’t my mother’s mood becomes a smoth’ring damper. … that calorific, greasy junk food never sees my lips, ‘cause when it does the large results rest on my waist and hips.
… that I will focus more on others, (being kind and gentle), for if I want to have good friends; these two are fundamental. … that I will also share with them, (for this I do believe), that those who gladly share their funds will more and more receive. … that I will try to do the best I can in word and deed, for if I want to get to heav’n, good deeds are what I need.
I don’t know what kind of New Year’s resolutions you are in the habit of making, if any, but maybe you recognize one among those above.
Did you notice that there is a similar way of thinking in each one?
“I’ll be nice this year, because, if I am, it will be good for me.” or “What do I get out of it?”
This is not good.
God said in Isaiah 43:7 that He created us for His glory. What we need to resolve is whether we want to live for ourselves or for Him.
If your answer is the first, then you don’t need to read any further. But if your resolve is to live for God, here is what He says you must do:
RESOLVE…
… TO ADMIT YOUR SINFULNESS: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23
… TO ADMIT YOUR HELPLESSNESS TO HELP YOURSELF: For I know that in me… nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. - Romans 7:18
… TO ACCEPT GOD’S GRACIOUS OFFER OF FREE SALVATION: For by grace you are saved through faith, and that faith is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. - Ephesians 2:8,9
… TO DO GOOD WORKS, NOT FOR SALVATION, BUT BECAUSE HE HAS SAVED YOU: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. - Ephesians 2:10

THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS

By Kingsley Baehr

C
Citizens, awake! O, can’t you sense the danger?
Christ, the Son, left heaven’s heights for Bethlehem’s crude manger!
Came to earth, a volunteer for military duty,
Charged to liberate the men who saw in Him no beauty.
H
Heav’nly hosts announced His birth to shepherds—not to princes!
Humble people round the earth are those whom He convinces.
Herod, Pilate, Caesar, Priest, and unrepentant sinner
Have yet to see Him as He is, the World-wide, Sin-war Winner.
R
Refused by His human creations (He permits our choices),
Rejoicing in His awesomeness, His angels raise their voices.
Reflect on this, O citizens of this God-prospered nation,
Remain on course rejecting Him? We stay on His probation!
I
Instead of cute and cuddly child, we need to see Another—
In essence, infinite in might— not infant with his mother.
It is to Him we give account. [He fills you with revulsion?]
If I were you I’d really hate to face His just expulsion.
S
So, citizens, to us a timely wake-up call is granted.
September’s terrorist attack uncertainty has planted.
Serenity has quickly fled. (Results of bad behavior?)
Security forever can be found in Christ the Savior.
T
Turn to Him now, this Christ of Christmas, Who is The Redeemer,
To Him Who on the cross endured the taunts of the blasphemer.
Turn to Him now, while Christ awaits the time of your submission.
Then joyfully receive from your Commander your commission.
“Christ” is a name which means “Anointed One.” In Bible times, Prophets, Priests, and Kings were anointed when inducted into service.
Have you anointed Christ as your King to Whom you will give full allegiance?
Have you anointed Christ as your High Priest through Whom you have access to the presence of God the Father?
Have you anointed Christ as your Prophet through Whom God’s truth is communicated to you?

HALLOWEEN Thanksgiving CHRISTMAS

By Kingsley Baehr

HALLOWEENThanksgivingCHRISTMAS
GhostsGourmetsGivers
TreatsTurkeysToys
Self-servingServingsServing self
Ghoul-oriented God-orientedGoods-oriented

Basically, this is how America thinks of Thanksgiving.
Sandwiched between two huge money-making holidays, Thanksgiving is slowly being squeezed out of American society.
Except for traditional Thanksgiving food growers, there is little money to be made on Thanksgiving.
Halloween yard decorations are exchanged for Christmas yard decorations.
[When was the last time you saw a yard decorated for Thanksgiving?]
Television delights in feeding us the ghastly, ghostly and ghoul-ly glop of Halloween, followed by the glossy, glittery, gaudy glut of Christmas.
[When was the last time you saw a Television program devoted to appreciation of God for all His bounty to us?]
[Now that Norman Rockwell is no longer painting, how many public images have caught your attention about being thankful to God?]
Santa Claus and his parades have intruded upon Thanksgiving mornings.
Football games occupy Thanksgiving afternoons and evenings.
Even Thanksgiving dinners have come to occupy our thanksgiving thoughts more than giving thanks to God.

GOD IS NOT A COMMERCIAL COMMODITY.
HE CANNOT BE BOUGHT OR SOLD.
HE HAS CONQUERED ALL THE DARKNESS OF SATANIC POWERS AND OFFERS ETERNAL LIFE TO YOU AS A GIFT.

JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S SON
ACCOMPLISHED ALL THAT THROUGH HIS BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH, RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION BACK TO HEAVEN
WHERE HE IS PREPARING A PLACE FOR YOU.
HE IS THE DOOR. YOU MUST GO THROUGH HIM. WILL YOU?

THEN THANKSGIVING WILL MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU.
THEN YOU WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO THANK GOD FOR.
THEN YOU WILL TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT THANKSGIVING IS ALL ABOUT.