THE HEAVENLY MAN.

I have just finished reading this book and it brought great conviction to my heart.
Sometimes I don't think that the American church has a clue as to what our brothers and sisters in Jesus have to endure in most parts of our world today.
I must admit that at times while reading the story of Brother Yun, my cheeks burned with shame. While great portions of the western church listens to its messages on 3 steps to a better personality or 5 steps to prosperity, Christians around the world are suffering greatly for their faith and yet will not compromise the true message of the cross of Jesus Christ.

I highly recommend that every single Christian read this book. Someday, a taste of the rest of the world may come to the shores of America and we are not ready for it, believe you me.

This astounding report of a Chinese believer will stir your soul and penetrate your heart.
Brother Yun endured great persecution and hardships at the hands of the Chinese government.
One Evangelist said that reading this book was like reading something from the book of Acts. The Lord so faithfully provides for His true servants.

Again, let me strongly encourage you to read this powerful book that brings glory to Jesus Christ.
We will be stocking a limited number of these books for a short time and you can e-mail me as to how you can secure your copy. They are also available at your local christian bookstore.

WHY WE CAN BE FORGIVEN

Forgiveness is of such importance to each of us that we must realize that the basis for our forgiveness is the Cross of Jesus Christ. We can be forgiven only on the basis of what Jesus did on our behalf. Before Jesus suffered and died on the Cross, Isaiah the prophet gave us a picture of what He was to do and why He was to do it. In Isaiah 53 Isaiah describes the suffering death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

" Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6

That is the basis of God's forgiveness. It does not compromise His justice. The justice of God was fully and finally satisfied because Jesus became our substitute and took our iniquity, our rebelliousness, and our guilt. Isaiah and Paul both emphasize that none are excluded from the need of forgiveness. [Romans 3:23]
It may not be some atrocious crime of murder or rape that each of us is quilty of, but Isaiah says that we have all gone astray. We have all turned to our own way. We have been rebellious. We have been self-pleasers. We have lived by our own standards. We have robbed God of His glory. This is all summed up in one strong word of scripture, iniquity.
But thanks be to God, the Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. The Hebrew word that is translated " laid on Him" is a vivid word. It means " made to meet together on Him". All of the sins, all the burdens of men, all the guilt, of all ages, of all races, past, present, and future, came and met together upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as He hung on the Cross.

Jesus did not die for His own sin. He never sinned. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.
Please take note how closely linked healing and forgiveness are. Many times people are seeking healing, when what they really need is forgiveness before they can be healed. It is also true that, at times God does heal people who are not forgiven as yet. We also see that the consequence of forgiveness is peace. Because Jesus was punished on the Cross for our sin, God offers us peace and reconciliation. On the Cross, Jesus was our substitute.

We cannot earn our forgiveness. Period..
In Romans, chapter 4, Paul bases his teaching on the experience of Abraham. Paul points out that Abraham did not earn his relationship with God. Abraham was justified because he believed, not because of what he did. Read Romans 4:1-5
If we lead perfectly good lives then we would have received the reward of righteousness as a due. But Paul says because none of us has led perfect lives, we cannot claim it as a due. We have to receive it out of God's graciousness as a free gift to us. Paul then goes on to quote the words of David in Psalm 32. He talks about "blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." [verses 1-2] When we receive Christ and what He did for us at Calvary; our sins will never be counted against us...
Paul continues by telling us in Romans Chapter 4:20-25 that it is Christ who was raised to life for our justification. As we put our faith in what Jesus did for us at Calvary this becomes a reality for us. We are justified through faith in the death of Jesus on our behalf. When all our sins are forgiven us because of our faith in Jesus, we are reckoned righteous with the very righteousness of Jesus Himself.

When God forgives us through our faith in Christ, He does not partially forgive us. God totally forgives us. Lets look at Micah 7:18-19. "Who is a God like unto you, who pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
Isn't that so beautiful? Everything that we have ever done wrong-- everything that could ever make us feel guilty, every accusation that the enemy could ever bring against us-- God treads them under foot and then hurls them into the depths of the sea. If God has forgiven you then you are forgiven.

God's forgiveness is total. In Isaiah 43:25 God speaks to His people: "I, even I, am He Who blots out your transgressions for My Own sake, and will not remember your sins."
When God forgives us, He gives us a clean record. It is as though what has been forgiven had never taken place.Not only does God blot out the record, but He blots it out from His own memory. He says that He will not remember our sins any more.
When God forgives, He forgets... All because of Calvary...

IPTV ON SKY ANGEL

Many of you have been asking what we know about the Sky Angel Christian TV system.
If you call 1-800-Sky Angel, you can obtain info. on all their packages.
To my understanding, they do have a way that you can watch using your high-speed internet.
Feel free to call them for more info.

BROTHER PAXTON NOW ON SOUND OF TRUTH RADIO

On March 1st, our dear friend Scott Corbin began airing Brother Paxtons sermons on his internet radio station.
Brother Corbin pastors a great church in Spartanburg, South Carolina called Truth Chapel World Evangelism Fellowship Church.
We strongly support this Brother and his wife Nikki, and we urge all of our readers within driving distance of their church to, by all means pay them a visit. And if you are looking for a good home church, this would be the place for you.

You can catch my programs on Saturday's at 12 noon, and Sunday's at 1 am and 8 am. Sound Of Truth Radio has an excellent line-up 24 hours a day. Please give it a listen by going to the www.siwministries link on this Cross focus blog or go directly to the site.

Thank you so much.
In His service,
Bro. Len

A WORD ABOUT OUR NEW SITE

We want to take this oppritunity to tell you about our other locations on the web. Very soon all of these will be linked at our main web-site, which is www.acts2618.com

We have just launched a new blog and you will find it linked on this Cross Focus blog and as I have already stated, very soon it too will be linked on our main site. It's called Cross Talk and I think it will be a blessing to you. We have made it so you can leave comments on that blog as well as from time to time, we will have polls for you to cast your vote. Let me strongly encourage you to do so. It is a more interactive site.

It is kind of geared to the younger people but young and old alike can be blessed by what will be posted there.

The Lord would have us do all we can to tell the good news of Christ and Him crucified and we are trying to do just that.
Please, once again let me encourage you to participate as much as is possible and let us know that you are out there and are reading.

Thank you so very much,
In the Masters service,
Len and Angie Paxton

NO TURNING BACK

"And Jesus said unto him, No man,having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God". [Luke 9:62]

By the grace of God, I started out living for Jesus many years ago. Along the way I have stumbled and made many mistakes and missteps. Always and without exception, when I reached out for the Lord to pick me up, He did.
Never has there been a time when He left me to my own devices or to wallow in my defeat. Because of the finished work of Christ upon the Cross, I am saved today and preaching this glorious gospel. Whether on the mountaintop or down low in the valley, the object of faith has always remained the same; Christ and Him Crucified. There is no other solution for any of us nor do we need any other.

We live in a world today that is very, very different from the world at the time I received Christ. Today, political correctness is all the rage and tolerance is demanded. Compromise is on the lips of many top christian leaders these days. Nowadays, so many in the church are trying to mix Jesus in with the rest of their "stuff". In the world of seeker-sensitive evangelism it is a crime to mention the word sin or to call men sinners. I never would have gotten saved had not a true man of God told me that I was a sinner that needed a savior. I did not receive Christ for life enhancement; I received Christ to escape the wrath to come. I have broken the laws of God, as we all have, and can do nothing myself to set it right. I need and in fact must have, a savior.
I did not receive Christ to merely "enjoy the trip", I want to be saved from the judgement at the end of the trail. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only way that man-kind can become right with God again and though that is not popular today, I will never quit preaching it. It is the truth!

No power in this world [or in the church for that matter] can compel me to change my convictions just because a mob wills it.
Our enemy, satan, would love for us to stop preaching the true gospel and the message of the Cross. Because the moment the preaching of the Cross stops, people stop getting saved.[ 1 Cor. 1:18, 21-23]
When a preacher like Joel Osteen states that he never mentions the Cross or sin, how can people truly be saved?When we allow a man like Rick Warren to try and bring all religions together in our christian churches, what does that say about the significance of our faith in the Lamb of God? And by the way, isn't Jesus enough purpose? Did not Jesus provide us with the real "Purpose Driven Life" when He went to the Cross?
Why do we seem to think we need some fad to take the place of what Jesus did for us at Calvary?

Just like David did, you and I need to stop hiding from the things we fear and go after them face-to-face. Shake no hands with the enemy. If you are a true gospel preacher, then do not negotiate with the powers of hell. Don't flirt with your enemies and do not let them flirt with you. The enemy and his demons are not in charge of me. Refuse to allow anything or anyone to conform you to the spirit or the ways of the world. Do not be conformed, but be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.[Rom.12:1-2] We need to boldly march into these last days and follow the path least chosen instead of following the path of least resistance.

The world and the modern liberal, seeker-sensitive church can do as it desires; But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. [Joshua 24:15]. Its high time to cease halting between two opinions and choose this day whom you will serve.
As for me, I will take the way of Calvary.

PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE

As I once thought upon the 3 words past, present and future, I realized the following:

Our past: Get over it.
Our present: Led by the Holy Spirit
Our future: Hidden with Christ in God.

Today is the pivot point of my life.

Tomorrows past is TODAY. Nothing that has happened TO you is any greater than what God is doing IN you.
Yesterday's future is TODAY. Where you have been is not any greater than where you are going.