V RaptureChrist Newsletter
December 1, 2012

There are two ways, each one blocked by a gate: the narrow gate, and the broad gate. The narrow gate is following Yeshua, the broad gate is following Satan. The narrow gate is hard to find and difficult to enter, because Satan, the master deceiver, has been deceiving everybody for a long time.

People have become desensitized through godless television, news media, and entertainment. This is the major way in which Satan deceives the many.

The two ways, therefore, are: 1. accepting God's gift of pardon through the blood sacrifice of Yeshua (the narrow gate), and continuing a life of good works, leading to eternal life, or 2. following Satan and his ways (the broad gate), from which the end result is being punished in the Lake of Fire for our own sins. The choice is completely ours to make. We have a choice; God has made us free moral agents.

But accepting God's gift of pardon requires obedience, otherwise Yeshua is not our Lord anymore.

Look at the following passages:

Mark 1:14-15 
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news."

Not only we have to believe, but to repent!
Regarding faith and works, God says:

James 2:18-19
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my works. 
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 

So, as you can see, even the demons believe, but their works are evil. They do NOT want to do what is good.

James 2:20-24
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."

Some might say:

"God does not tell us to clean up our life, amend our ways, commit to do better in the future nor forsake the world to be saved."

But He does!
Here are just but a few examples:

Matthew 3:2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near ..."
Mark 1:15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is ... near. Repent and believe the good news!" asking people to amend their ways and forsake the sinful world to be saved. 
Mark 6:12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 
Luke 13:5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,

Every Jew knows what it means to repent -- Repent of breaking the commandments.
It is difficult for me to understand how many so called "Christians" are soooo far from knowing God, the only God JHVH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Their lives do not show holiness, and God says: "You must be holy, because I am holy" 1 Peter 1:16.

Muslims believe in the god of Abraham, so they say, but they serve a different God, not the God of Abraham, because "you shall know them by their fruits." 

Regarding continuing to live in sin, Paul says:
Romans 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in it?
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Paul is telling us emphatically that God forbids us to sin anymore!
Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Tests we must pass; JHVH our God needs to give people a test, and the test will show what people are made of, or what they learned. Only if we pass the tests and produce good fruit, will we demonstrate that we belong to the Lord Yeshua. Every day we should welcome more tests, because that is the way we grow, and yes, we should grow in all the spiritual gifts. 

So please, from the bottom of my heart... open your minds and your bibles and...

Repent!

Christ is the true way.

Jesus Christ wants us to choose life. Here we discuss the example of two apostles {Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter} and the choices they made.

Let us say that there is a difference between REMORSE and REPENTANCE. Remorse gives one the awareness that his or her actions were wrong. The person might even try to make reparation for his or her evil. (Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver.) 

Matthew 27:3
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.

One may even feel so bad about the evil action, that the person will become suicidal.  That is what happened to Judas.  After he returned the 30 pieces of silver, he went out and hung himself.

Matthew 27:5
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

However, remorse is short from turning around, changing one's life to live in a different way, and asking for forgiveness of one's sins.

People must strive to enter through the gate that is narrow. Few have the strength or can even find it. This requires more than just remorse. It needs a 180 degree turn in the way they live.

Matthew 7:13
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Repentance, on the other hand, has all the attributes of remorse as far as guilt and reparation to the offended party, but goes far beyond these actions;  it goes into a real conversion -- a changing of one's nature and turning back to God for forgiveness.

In reference to repentance, Christ asked Peter three times "do you love me."

John 21:15
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Three times Christ asked Peter "Do you love me?" That is because Peter denied Jesus/Yeshua 3 times.

Matthew 26:75
Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Judas & Peter

In repentance, the injured person must be soothed by the words of the one causing the harm. Simon Peter told Jesus that yes, he loved Him, and Peter showed that love with his actions. So there was a change in the nature of Simon Peter.  He really was sorry that he had denied Jesus, and from that time on, he never denied Him again, and was willing to go to death to proclaim the name of Jesus and the hope of a resurrection for those that follow Jesus.

Judas had remorse, but he failed to attain repentance. He did not change his ways. In contrast, the apostle Peter had repentance, and will attain eternal life.