WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

Greetings SAVED or LOST ones. The burning question that is usually asked...if you ask someone if they are saved...is SAVED FROM WHAT? Or there will be a plethora of jokes about Jesus Saves...but Moses Invests.

Bob Dylan experienced SALVATION (being saved) after attending Bible studies at the Vineyard in California. The expression of that experience was first seen in his album...Slow Train Coming. The Times They Are A Changing...and so was his life. The follow up album was called simply....SAVED. Before we look at some definitions of the word SAVE, SAVED...let's see how Bob view this salvation experience:

SAVED

I was blinded by the devil...borned already ruined
Stone cold dead as I stepped out of the womb

NOTE: Wow...talk about acknowledging the spiritual condition. These two lines blow me away every time I hear them.

By His GRACE I have been TOUCHED
By His WORD I have been HEALED
By His HAND I've been DELIVERED
By His SPIRIT I've been SEALED
I've been SAVED...by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB
SAVED...by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB
SAVED...SAVED...

NOTE: The problem was stated...and now the SOLUTION has been underscored. The solution...getting SAVED...and it through THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB...aka...JESUS. That SALVATION was expressed by GRACE, THE WORD, HIS HAND AND HIS SPIRIT. The CAUSE AND EFFECT of these things are being: (1) touched (2) healed (3) delivered (4) sealed.

And I'm so glad...yes...I'm so glad
I'm so glad...so glad
I want to thank you Lord...I just want to thank you Lord
Thank you Lord

NOTE: When you have been living in darkness...lost...being brought into the light and SAVED...floods you with a heart of thanksgiving and gladness.

By His TRUTH I can be UPRIGHT
By His STRENGTH I do ENDURE
By His POWER I've been LIFTED
In His LOVE I am SECURE
He BOUGHT me with a PRICE
FREED me from the PIT...full of EMPTINESS and WRATH...and the FIRE that BURNS WITHIN

NOTE: Once saved...the WORK CONTINUES. We can stand upright, have endurance, be lifted up, have security all because He bought us WITH THE PRICE of his blood and life as He became the PROPITIATION, SUBSTITUTE, SATISFACTION in our place.

NOTE: Bob repeats the course of thankfulness and gladness to the Lord for what He has done by the blood of the Lamb.

Nobody to RESCUE me...nobody would DARE
I was GOING DOWN for the LAST TIME
But by His MERCY I've BEEN SPARED
Not by WORKS...but by FAITH IN HIM who called
For so long I've been HINDERED
For so long I've been STALLED

NOTE: Needing rescue, going down, hindered and stalled were the conditions...RESCUE, MERCY, SPARED, by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB.


This picture is from the book REMEMBER THE WORD by Jerry Lucas. It is a Bible Memorization System that utilizes pictures...to bring the themes of the Bible alive. Matthew 1:21 is seen here..."And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name JESUS for He shall SAVE His people from their SINS." Note the picture of the bear with the sun/son. He shall BEAR their sins.

One of the pictures in the first collage is Elvis...dancing the JAILHOUSE ROCK.
There was another version of JAILHOUSE ROCK found in the book of Acts as Paul and Silas were in JAIL...praising God at midnight...and an EARTHQUAKE rocked the JAIL. The guard ran in...and found the doors open...and was going to commit suicide...rather than face the wrath of the authorities for letting the prisoners escape. Paul shouted out..."Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Nelly!" Don't do that...we are here." (Rumiantor Version).

"And brought them out and said...Sirs...WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? And they said...BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus...and thous shalt be SAVED and thy house." (Acts 16:30-31)

Paul also stated...For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL (I Corinthians 15:1-5=D.B.R...NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS)...for it is the POWER OF GOD for SALVATION...to the Jew first...and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

SALVATION: (so-tay-ree-ah)= rescue or safety (physically or morally) deliver, health salvation, save, saving....(so-tare)= a deliverer...that is ...God or Christ...saviour. (sode-zo)=to save, that is deliver or protect, heal, preserve, save, do well, be whole.

In the book THE SCHOOL OF BIBLICAL EVANGELISM (101 lesson on how to share your faith simply, effectively, biblically...the way Jesus did) by KIRK CAMERON and RAY COMFORT...states that the LOST (those not SAVED)... first need to come to the realization that they need a SAVIOUR. The LAW is the schoolteacher...that teaches us our need to turn to someone who can help us keep this thing called the LAW...because WE CAN'T.

Once we come to the point of realizing our need...we can call on a SAVIOUR... by asking...WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED. The answer is...like this storefront church in KENYA, AFRICA says...WELCOME TO JESUS.

What must I do to be SAVED? The answer...'BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus...and you shall be SAVED." (Acts 16:30-31) Direct question...Direct answer.

NOTE: Paul is not talking about an assimilation of historical facts about JESUS. Any lost theologian or demon can BELIEVE.
"But someone may will say...you have faith...and I have works...show me your faith without the works...and I will show you my faith by my works. You BELIEVE that God is one...You do well...the demons...ALSO BELIEVE...and TREMBLE/SHUDDER..." (James 2:18-19)

This thing called BELIEF...goes BEYOND...assimilating of facts...it elicits ACTION. If you BELIEVE...in the DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION OF JESUS...there will be a difference manifested in your life.

"But the righteousness BASED on FAITH...speaks thus...'Do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heaven? (that is to bring Christ down)...or Who will descend into the abyss (that is to bring Christ up from the dead)'...but what does it say? THE WORD IS NEAR YOU IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART...that is the word of faith which we are preaching...that if you CONFESS with your MOUTH...
JESUS AS LORD...and BELIEVE in your heart that God RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD...you SHALL BE SAVED....for with the HEART man BELIEVES...resulting in RIGHTEOUSNESS...and with the MOUTH...he CONFESSES (comes into agreement with God and speaks it forth)...RESULTING (cause and effect)....in SALVATION (being saved from being lost)." (Romans 10:6-10)

"For WHOEVER will CALL upon the NAME OF THE LORD....will be...SAVED." (Romans 10:13)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!!!!

There are many lost intellectual, religious, moral, good work doing people. Some even express a BELIEF (even demons believe and tremble) in Jesus...or at least a BELIEVE in their denomination....BUT that is NOT ENOUGH. Salvation is through the D.B.R...NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS....VIA THE BLOOD OF JESUS. "He SAVED us...NOT on the BASIS of DEEDS/WORKS we have done in righteousness (self)...but ACCORDING TO...His MERCY...by the washing of regeneration and renewing by THE HOLY SPIRIT."
(Titus 3:5)

Love and Believing Kisses
Rodney "Saved" Boyd

OF FOOLS, ATHEISTS AND INTELLECTS

Greetings A-Team Fans. In the words of Hannibal Smith..."I love it when a plan comes together."

THE A-TEAM was a T.V. show on the air from 1983 to 1987. It was about four Vietnam Vets...framed for a crime they didn't commit (robbed the Bank of Hanoi under direct orders). They help the innocent while on the run from the military.

The A-Team consists of (1) John "Hannibal" Smith the leader and master of disguise, played by George Peppard (2) Templeton "The Face" Peck the con man and ladies man played by Dirk Benedict (3) Hector "Howling Mad" Murdock the crazy pilot played by Dwight Schultz (4) And last but not least...
B.A. Baracus, the mechanic and muscle, played by Tyrese "Mr. T." Gibson.

The catch phrase of the show...made popular by Mr. T. was "I PITY THE FOOL." The good new for many A-Team fans...a movie is in the works. Get your PITY MONITOR READY!


FOOL DEFINED: (1) A person lacking in judgement or prudence (2) A retainer (person) kept in great households to provide casual entertainment and commonly dressed in motley with cap and bells and baubles (3) One who is victimized or made to appear foolish, a dupe (4) A harmlessly deranged person of one lacking in common powers of understanding.

"Carlyle said that men are mostly FOOLS. Christianity...with a surer and more revered realism...says that they are ALL FOOLS." (G.K. Chesteron)

"There are a good many FOOLS who call me a friend...and also a good many friends who call me a FOOL." (G.K. Chesterton)

"The [empty-headed] FOOL has said in his HEART there is NO God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds, there is none that does good or right." (Psalm 14:1/Romans 3:10 The Amplified Bible)

"The [empty-headed] FOOL has said in his HEART...There is NO God. Corrupt and evil are they, and doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good."
(Psalm 53:1 The Amplified Bible)

"You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable so that he cannot escape the punishment imposed by the court (Exodus 20:13; Dueteronomy 5:17; Dueteronomy 16:18)...But I say to you that every one who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice [enmity of heart] against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insulting to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin...and whoevers says...YOU CURSED FOOOL!---You EMPTY-HEADED IDIOT! shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire." (Matthew 5:21-22)

Oooooooooh...ya gotta love that Jesus...with his peaceful, non-confrontational...politically and religiously correct message of hope.

The first couple of QUOTABLE QUOTES are from a man by the name of G.K. Chesterton. He was an author, poet, historian, Christian apologist, mystery writer, and intellectual...who ran around with...a contemporary of men like George Bernard Shaw...the playwright... J.M. Barrie...creator of Neverland, the Lost Boys and Peter Pan...H.G. Wells author of works that peered through the curtain of the future...and Clarence Darrow...debater and lawyer. One of Chesterton's collective works was a collection of murder mysteries investigated by a Catholic padre called FATHER BROWN.

"The Christian ideal has not been TRIED and found wanting....It has been FOUND DIFFICULT and left UNTRIED." (G.K. Chesterton) One last quote from Chesterton..."Fairy tales are more than true...NOT because the tell us dragons exists...but because they tell us THAT DRAGONS CAN BE BEATEN." (G.K. Chesteron)

The other quote is by someone who left a place of prestige to hang around with riff-raff, fools, and common folk. His name is JESUS. He places an ominous warning for using the word FOOL. The other quotes from Psalms...contrasts that there are FOOLS...and the criteria for someone being a FOOL is saying in their hearts....THERE IS NO GOD.

Well Rod...what's up with this Rambling? What triggered the ruminations about FOOLS? Well...I'm glad you asked. I have been hearing in the wind...about someone who has declared...that they have RESEARCHED the existence of God...and has determined that GOD DOES NOT EXIST!!! WOW!!!!!!!!! That is some heavy research. When someone has researched (reviewed all available material about God)... and has come to the final conclusion that there IS NO GOD...has got to have the intellect...the size of a billion computers...and the insight of Einstein extrapolated out to QUANTUM LEAPS. To make the statement THERE IS NO GOD...brings the INTELLECT...into the FOOL REALM. This is not an emotional statement that condemns one to hell...but a statement of fact, underscored in the Bible.

Atheists...denies the existence of God...but God does not deny the existence of atheists. "For God so love the ATHEISTS that He gave His only begotten Son...that if the ATHEISTS believes in Him...should NOT PERISH (be a fool)...but have EVERLASTING LIFE...versus an existence of CAUSE and EFFECT." (John 3:16 The Ruminator Version) Ray Comfort has a book out called GOD DOESN'T BELIEVE IN ATHEISTS (Proof That The Atheist Doesn't Exist).

"For the wrath of God (who they don't believes exists)...is REVEALED (not by flesh and blood but by the Father)...from heaven against ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness of men...who SUPPRESS THE TRUTH in unrighteousness...because that which is KNOWN ABOUT GOD...is EVIDENT...WITHIN THEM....for God (who they don't believes exists)...made it EVIDENT TO THEM. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes...His eternal power...and divine nature have BEEN CLEARLY SEEN....being UNDERSTOOD what through what has been made...so that THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE. For even though THEY KNEW GOD....they DID NOT HONOR HIM AS GOD...or GIVE THANKS...but...they BECAME FUTILE in their SPECULATIONS...and their FOOLISH HEARTS was darkened."
(Romans 1:18-21)

QUESTION: What is the cause and effect of suppressing of the truth...lack of understanding....no excuses...non-honoring of God...thankless
futile speculations and foolish hearts?

ANSWER: "PROFESSING TO BE WISE....THEY BECAME FOOLS" (Romans 1:22) These people...KNOW THE TRUTH...but under the guise of intellectualism/humanism...the go from a position of WISDOM...down to the position of FOOLISH. They have SAID IN THEIR HEARTS THERE IS NO GOD. The cause and effect of saying in your heart there is NO GOD....FOOL! They have positioned themselves for a slide into the Valley of Hennum (Gehenna)...that Jesus compared a perpetual burning garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. You can debate the existence of Hell all day long...but that does not remove the stench of your smoldering soul.

NOTE: A FOOl may say in their hearts that there is NO GOD...but one thing is worse than a FOOL That would be a CHRISTIAN who lives AS IF there is NO GOD.

The next step for the FOOL...is to manifest their FOOLISHNESS in their actions and lifestyle. A FOOL will make very unwise decisions based on their FAULTY REASONING...and INTELLECTUAL FOIBLES. Christians and non-Christians make these decisions all the time in the FLESH and not in the SPIRIT. Romans continues....

"Professing to be wise...they became fools....and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore...God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and WORSHIPED and SERVED THE CREATURE rather than the CREATOR, who is blessed forever. Amen." For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural...and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire towards one another...men with men...committing indecent acts and receiving in their won persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to ACKNOWLEDGE GOD ANY LONGER (they once did)...God gave them over to a depraved mind...to do those things which are not proper being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice they are GOSSIPS, slanderers, HATERS OF GOD...insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING, untrustworthy, unloving unmerciful; and although THEY KNOW THE ORDINANCE OF GOD...that hose who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same...but also give hearty approval to those who PRACTICE THEM." (Romans 1:22-32)

This is the PORTRAIT OF AN INTELLECTUAL FOOL. Let's look at ANOTHER PORTRAIT.


Malcom and Alwyn...a duo from England...who were pioneers in the JESUS MOVEMENT MUSIC SCENE...has an album called FOOLS WISDOM. They sing of a GOOD TYPE OF FOOL.

"We are FOOLS FOR CHRIST'S SAKE...but you are prudent in Christ...We are WEAK...but you are strong...you are distinguished...but we are without honor."
(I Corinthians 4:10 NASB)

"Let no man DECEIVE himself...if ANY MAN among you THINKS....that he is WISE in this age...let him BECOME FOOLISH that he may become WISE. For the WISDOM of this world is FOOLISHNESS BEFORE GOD...for it is written...He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness...and again the Lord knows the REASONING of the wise...THAT THEY ARE USELESS."
(I Corinthians 3:18-20 NASB)

"For the Word of the CROSS (D.B.R.) is to those who are PERISHING...
FOOLISHNESS...but to those of us who are being SAVED it is the POWER OF GOD. For it is written...I will destroy the WISDOM OF THE WISE...and the CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I will set aside." (I Corinthians 1:18-19 NASB)

NOTE: Read I Corinthians chapters 1 and 2 for contrast between wisdom and foolishness. Also read the book of PRO-VERBS (Positive-Action) for insight in the contrasts between fools and the wise.

"I am a FOOL for CHRIST...tell me whose FOOL you are." (Gary S. Paxton)

"You've got to love some body...it may be the devil...it may be the Lord...but you got to love somebody." (Bob Dylan)


FOOLS WISDOM

I got my self some wisdom from a leather bound book
I got myself some wisdom when I took a second look
I opened up the pages and what did I find
A black and white PORTRAIT
Of a Saviour whose a friend of mine
Heeeyyy....Hey What a daaay...
Fooooooolls Wisdom

FINAL THOUGHTS....FINALLY!!!

God is NOT afraid of our doubts and questions. If someone can talk you out of your FAITH...then your faith was a STRAW MAN in the first place. Over the years...I have doubted...and acted on my doubts...and reaped what I sowed. God allowed me to WALK AWAY... because He desires true lovers...not robots. He gave us volition...free choice. In Romans we see that God gave them over to their desires...and let them worship whoever they wished to worship. He will let a married man have sex outside of marriage as a whoremonger in heat for a whore. He will let you harbor bitterness and resentment until it consumes you. He will allow you to pursue sexual deviance and let you call it gay. He will allow you to eat until you explode. He will allow you to choose curses and deaths or blessings and life. He will let you RESEARCH all of the man made intellectual concepts of God...and allow you to come to the conclusion that GOD DOES NOT EXISTS. He will allow you to be a FOOL...either a FOOL FOR CHRIST...or A FOOL FOR YOURSELF. I am a FOOL for CHRIST...tell me WHOSE FOOL YOU ARE.

Love and Fool for Christ Kisses
Rodney "Ain't Gonna Commit Intellectual Suicide" Boyd