Truly Blessed - Frank Brancato

It's wonderful to be here with all of you.

Today, we have a wonderful crowd here for which we are thankful.

We have quite a few visitors that are here too, and we would

hope that you would feel as you are.

And that is our honored guest, I hope and pray that what we have

to consider for a little while. Today would be both edifying and

encouraging to you. As you can see, I have on the

screen, the title of our lesson. And it's entitled truly blessed.

Just, you know, I think it's neat.

When you go up to someone and you ask them how they're doing,

I think it's neat. When they say, well, I'm

blessed. I think it's a great mindset.

I think it's a great attitude when people say that they're

blessed, because when you say you're blessed, you take all of

the emphasis off of yourself and you put the emphasis on somebody

else. And obviously, when people say

that I am blessed, what they're saying is they're saying I'm

enjoying the blessings in my life.

Life that have come from God and may I say before we go any

further, the Bible says that every good and perfect gift is

from above, that means this, everything that's good in life.

Every blessing that's good in life, is because of God.

But what I want to do today for just a little while, I want to

talk about what Jesus said about being truly blessed.

In fact, it was so important in Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus,

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

devotes 12 verses there on the subject of what it really means

to be truly blessed. As we begin, we notice Matthew

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Chapter 5. And we'll study verses 3 through

8. This morning.

Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the

kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for

they shall be? Comforted blessed, are the meek

for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for

they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful for

they shall obtain mercy. And finally blessed are the pure

in heart for they shall see God. These verses are often times

referred to as the Beatitudes and may.

I say that when you discuss the idea of the Beatitudes we must

interpret. Every one of these from a

spiritual perspective, if we deviate from a spiritual

perspective, will lose the context and we'll lose the

meaning. So, we're talking about things

that Jesus dealt with. In fact, he actually is giving

us spiritual requirements for citizens, Of the Kingdom.

Now, interestingly about the word Beatitudes.

I don't know about you but when I was a kid I thought.

That Jesus was saying that Beatitudes meant these are

attitudes that we need to be or ways we need to be.

So therefore we've come up with this word be attitudes, but, you

know, that's not what that's talking about it at all.

In fact, all we got to do is look at the very first word and

that is the word blessed. And the word blessed comes from

a Latin word. Be at us.

Be at Ty is the plural form of that word, and it means, In the

Greek, it means happy fortunate and Blissful.

So what Jesus is saying, is Jesus is using the word blessed.

And, by the way, that's where we get the word Beatitudes is

talking about blessings is talking about being fortunate,

and happy and Blissful. Jesus, actually uses it to

symbolize happiness. That is based on pure character

and holiness. Yes, I must say that again.

Jesus is using this word blessed to symbolize happiness.

That is based on pure character and Holiness.

One scholar. Wrote The Following.

He said, scriptural blessedness is not based on outward

circumstances or superficial feelings, but in the reality

that one is dedicated to God and is approved by him to be

approved by God once. Life must be molded by the

principles in his word. So all that being said the

Beatitudes, teach us about faith.

How to have faith in how to be a person of faith.

And if we're going to have faith, it has to have a

beginning. Have you ever considered that

faith has to have a beginning? We talked about sometimes people

don't have enough faith. But faith is something that has

to have a beginning. And it does Matthew Chapter 5 is

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

the great Sermon on the Mount. Jesus begins with the first

thing that it begins with is being poor in spirit in Matthew

Chapter, 5 and verse 3. Jesus says, blessed are the poor

in spirit. Now, the word poor can often

times be a very relative term. For example, I might be poor

compared to somebody. That's wealthy.

But it's relative. If I go to a third world

country, I may seem Rich next to them.

So sometimes we can use the word poor, and it's very relative,

another words compared to what, but the word that's found in

this passage pool or is not a relative term.

It's a word that literally means to be destitute crouching,

cowering and cringing. What an interesting definition

me. Tell you what, it means what

we're talking about is from a spiritual perspective.

Jesus said that blessed are those that are poor or destitute

in spirit. Does that mean that you think

bad about yourself that you put yourself down that you hate

yourself? Absolutely.

Not what you're saying though is you're saying that I am

absolutely nothing without Jesus from a spiritual perspective.

You are destitute. Toot spiritually me.

Give you the flip side of when that didn't happen.

Remember in John chapter 8 Jesus was dealing with those Pharisees

John 8 · chapter mention

and he said I'm going away and you will look for me but you

won't find me because where I go you can't come and they said

well he's going to kill himself because he's saying where he's

going. We can't come remember all that.

What was the problem? They didn't realize they had a

sin problem. They didn't need Jesus.

They didn't recognize the fact that the only way to get to God

is Jesus Christ, they weren't poor in spirit and Jesus told

them you're going to die in your sins.

Jesus said the only way to the father is through the Sun.

So everybody, everybody has to come to the realization.

I'm nothing without Jesus. I need Jesus in my life.

It is the beginning of Faith. But then there's more we go to

the next verse. And Jesus talks about mourners

Now, I have to mention this before we go any further. if

you're a child of God and you're hurting, Is God there for you?

He certainly is. If you lose a loved one and you

stand over a newly made grave of a loved one.

And you mourn and you ask of God for help.

Does he help you? Yeah, sure does.

Is that what this is talking about?

No, remember, we are dealing with a spiritual perspective, so

let's just stay with me on this, in verse 4.

Blessed are those who mourn? And you know, what's interesting

about the word mourn. There's nine different words

that could be translated in the New Testament.

Nine different words that describe someone's sorrow of all

the words that can be translated from sorrow.

Throw the word that is found here from the original for morn

is the strongest of every one of them.

It literally means something that is great.

It's talking about something that is difficult.

It's talking about something that is hurtful but spiritually

speaking, what's he talking about?

He's talking about this. He said, blessed are those that

more now from a spiritual perspective?

Here's the answer. Blessed are those that mourn

over their sin? You know what that means.

It means you have Godly sorrow in that great because that leads

to repentance. You change your life.

It begins by being poor in spirit.

I'm nothing without Jesus. I need Jesus in my life.

I see that. I have sin in my life.

I see that Jesus died on the cross for those sins.

I want to be saved in that great.

So what do you do? You have Godly sorrow over your

sin? Now, let me just say this,

wouldn't it be awful if there was no solution?

Wouldn't it be absolutely terrible if you recognized?

You were in sin but there was no solution, you know what Jesus

said. Blessed are those who mourn over

their sin for they will be comforted.

How is that? Because there's an answer.

Look at the answer. 1st Peter 3:21.

This is the King James rendering of this verse.

I like it. I like how it reads in the King

James. The like figure, whereunto even

baptism doth also. Now, save us, not the putting

away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience

toward God, by the resurrection of.

Jesus Christ. Why are you going to be

comforted? Because there's an answer.

There's an answer be baptized for the remission of your sins.

But what about after that? Are you going to sin?

Yeah. Are you going to make mistakes?

Yes, you are. In fact, the Bible says that a

man that says he has no sin is the liar and the truth is not in

him. So, we understand that.

And in 1st John, we also learned that when we sin, we have an

advocate with the father that's Jesus Christ.

So, here's the great answer. We contact the blood of Jesus at

Bay Baptism We rise to walk in newness of life.

That is Comfort to us understanding.

We got rid of our sins but you know what?

We're going to make mistakes. So here's something else we get

to do this when you sin after that, in first John 1 and verse

9. If we confess our sins, he's

faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from

all unrighteousness. That's the answer.

So blessed are those that mourn over their sin with Godly

sorrow. Leading to repentance, they're

going to be comforted, there's an answer.

That's great stuff. What else?

What about the meek You know, sometimes people think Meek is

weak. But it's not.

It is the absolute ultimate of strength.

Do you know why? Because it's the only thing that

we can do. It's not a timid thing.

It's not a it's not a weak thing.

It's something that we do by choice.

And have you ever stopped to consider any time in your life?

Where their submission from you at all?

That took a choice and that took strength What about meekness?

What Jesus say, blessed are those that are Meek that are

meek for, they shall inherit the earth?

What's it mean? To be meek?

And by the way, it's an act of strength because it's a choice,

it means this be gentle. Be humble.

Consider it mild unassuming and courteous.

Every one of those are attributes that the child of God

is supposed to have, right? So Jesus said, blessed are the

meek for they shall inherit the earth.

Now obviously, it doesn't mean this Earth, and it doesn't mean

that if you are Meek, you're going to have a big windfall of

Finance, finances role. In your way, doesn't mean that

it All in fact, the language could actually be translated for

they shall inherit a allotted portion of land. and when the

children of Israel promised the land of Canaan, physical Canaan,

It's worth reference to that, it's the language of that, but

we're not talking about literal physical land.

Now we're talking about spiritual applications.

So spiritual Canaan is heaven. What is Jesus saying?

He said, blessed are those that are meek for, they will inherit

their allotted portion in heaven.

Great blessings. So, that's the beginning of

Faith, but then there's more, there's more.

There's the growth of faith and, you know, you've heard me preach

on the subject of Faith, before many times over the years and

then one phrase when Jesus said, you have to have the faith of a

mustard seed. Remember that.

And what it was talking about is Jesus wasn't saying if you just

have a tiny little bit of Faith, they had that I Mustard Seed is

very small. What Jesus was Saying is he was

saying, you have to go back to what the principle of the

mustard seed is. And that is those starting off

very small. It grows to Greatness.

Your faith has to grow. So there's the beginning of

Faith, but then there has to be the growth of faith and Jesus

calls that this hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

That's what he calls that your faith has to grow hungering and

thirsting for righteousness. Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 6.

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst?

After righteousness, for they will be filled.

Now, go back in your mind, the We first one we said, write

blessed are the poor in spirit what you're saying is from a

self-righteous standpoint, you get rid of it all and you got a

void, okay? Then in this one you fill the

void with the righteousness of God and that's part of growth.

You fill it with that. You take away self-righteousness

and you fill it with the righteousness of God.

You start being different. In addition to this though, not

only the growth of Faith, the maturing of Faith, the maturing

of faith. And the first thing he lists is

being merciful. Matthew 5 and verse 7.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain Mercy.

Now there's a little reciprocal law here. and really, if you

think about it is very sobering, if I am going to have the mercy

from God, then I have to have the qualification Allah tea or

the characteristic of being merciful.

Sometimes people are not merciful to others.

Sometimes, people demonstrating no mercy.

Sometimes people come and they ask for forgiveness, but you

don't extend any Mercy. Sometimes you sit back and you

think? Yeah.

Well, we'll see. Little side note here, have you

ever stopped to consider that when it comes to your own

personal? Forgiveness of someone else,

there are no requirements. Have you ever considered that?

The person does not have to ask for forgiveness, for you to

forgive them? How do I know that?

I'm a name? Drop a good one.

Jesus Christ on the cross, father forgive them for they

know not what they do. When Stephen was being stoned to

death, he said lay not this sin to their charge, don't you get

it? When you let somebody you're

letting yourself off the hook. You're not going to be

negatively influenced by it anymore.

What are you doing? Showing Mercy.

Two things. Matthew chapter 7 talks about

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

how you judge somebody and whatever Mercy, you have

whatever Mercy you don't have the same is coming back to you,

right? But think of it this way.

If I'm going to be merciful, I get Mercy back from God I need

that. So do you number two?

Here's a practical benefit. If I'm a person that shows Mercy

to everybody else, don't you think that people are going to

probably do the same for me? Maybe not in every case, but for

the most part, people usually return.

Goodness, with goodness. Jesus, dealt with those things.

Mercy from God, and also, Mercy from others.

So, we have the beginning of Faith, the growth of faith, and

the maturing of faith, Here's another one for the maturing of

faith, and that's pure in heart in Matthew 5.

And 8 blessed are the pure in heart for, they shall see God.

You know, at some point in life, one scholar said, each of us

must decide. What is the highest joy for the

thing? That Delights us and directs us.

What? We are determines, how much we

enjoy and what we have and what we do.

So the heart of man determines who and what he is it is his

identity and who we are and what we are, determines our life Now,

the Gospel of Jesus Christ is concerned about the heart, all

the emphasis is placed on the heart.

Now, I read not long ago, and I thought it was interesting and I

got to tell you, I did go and confirm it.

I Googled it, you know, we live in a Google age.

What if I find out anything is Google it.

So I Googled it and I came up with some sources and what I'm

going to tell you is true. There was a scientist and he

wrote an article, I read the article first and the article

said that the snowflake which looks pure on the outside and is

often times a symbol of Purity on the outside.

Every single snowflake has something in common.

There's a speck of dirt at its core on the inside.

I thought well surely not. So I looked it up many sources

confirmed the same thing, so maybe you're sitting there

thinking, wait a minute. Wait a minute.

You're just proving your point. No I'm not.

I what I'm saying is this the snowflake appears on the outside

to be one way. But what we're talking about in

reality is it's dirty at its core.

We're talking about what is at the core and when it comes to

human beings, at the same thing, what we are at our core when you

look behind, or beneath the facade, Gabe gave a lesson the

other night couple Wednesday's ago and he dealt with tearing

down the facade and he was right.

That's my point right now, too. What we are in the outside can

be perceived as one thing, but what God does is God looks on

the heart. God looks on the inside.

That's what God cares about on the inside.

Look beneath the facade or the dressing amateur Faith, reflects

the change, get this in someone who recognizes his tremendous

need for God. And who has sought him with

intense desire, Faith changes. A person on the inside.

If G, if Christianity has it changed your life, you got some

work to do, Jesus has to change your life and Jesus called Here,

pure in Heart. Another words the result is not

a cover, but it's a reflection of the image of God, that's in

our hearts, and is determined by what we are inside.

Just some defining terms here, what does it actually mean to be

pure? It means to be cleansed or

purified. Please get this when I say pure,

I'm not saying perfect. And if a person is thinking that

they're going to be perfect, it's not going to happen.

And if a Christian has set aside a standard before they become a

Christian, for example, that I could never be that good, I

could never be perfect. Therefore, I won't obey the

gospel and try to serve God. You're missing the whole point.

It's not a matter of being perfect.

It's a matter of being cleansed and purified.

It is unmixed with the things of the world, the worldly things,

the fleshly things, the sinful things in life.

Unmixed. When we combine the things of

the world with the things in Jesus Christ, you know what

we're doing, we're actually putting oil and water together,

they don't mix. Remember last Lord's day, I

talked about fear, overcoming fear and I said faith and fear

are at odds with each other. They are.

So you cannot be a person of faith.

If you're a person of fear, what drives you So when you are a

Christian you have the things that we have in Christ and were

cleansed and purified. We keep those worldly things

outside. We keep them away from us.

You know, why they don't work. They don't go together.

They're like oil and water. little example, I don't have

time to go in these passages but in Matthew 23, Remember when

Jesus says, woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites, first

cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish.

But inside they're full of extortion, and self-indulgence

blind Pharisees, first cleanse, the inside of the cup and the

dish and that the outside may be clean.

Also, we all know that K. If you're going to clean the

dish, don't just buff the outside.

You got to clean the inside. How do you do that?

Submerge it in the water. Clean the inside.

It takes care of the outside. Okay.

There's something else though, that they would have understood

when Jesus said those words. The cup and dish that he was

referring to. They were not just some ordinary

cup and dish. In the time, historically around

when Jesus said that, Jesus was referring to a very special cup

and a very special dish. It was the cup and dish that

were used to serve Delicacies. So, in other words, you've got

some dinner going on. You got some function, going on,

and everybody's there, all the guests are there.

Here, come the servants out and they have a cup and a dish.

The ones were talking about right here.

Everybody knew here, it comes. Here comes the Delicacies.

You know, Jesus says, nope that's not you.

You appear to be one thing on the outside but that's not you

inside, you are extortion and self-indulgence.

So, the basic idea is that of Integrity singleness of heart as

opposed to duplicity and a double heart, a divided heart

You know, the Bible says that a double mantid mind.

Is unstable in all his ways. Sometimes people struggle.

Because they can't choose a side.

They can't pick a lane. You got to pick a lane.

You got to choose a lane. Years ago in high school, back

in the 1980s. Seems like a million years ago.

I was running a track meet And this guy named Corey Ziegler,

never ran a track meet in his life.

And it was actually one of the funniest things you've ever

seen, but he lines up, we're going to run the 400 meter,

hated that race about kill you. And you take off and it's really

a 400-meter Sprint. It's wide open your dead at the

end. Cory Ziegler for some reason

like started in and outside Lane.

The gun went off. We went around the first turn of

here. He comes, he comes barreling in

all the way to Lane one, and then he drifts out there by the

lane for, and then back in and back out, he did that the whole

time he came in first, he thinks I won.

No, he didn't compete lawfully. He was disqualified.

Because he couldn't pick a lane. Let's not let that be for us

folks, as Christians, don't be disqualified because you can't

pick a lane. Keep the things of a world where

they belong and choose Jesus and pick a lane.

Pick a lane singleness of heart is clear clean purpose of heart

that keeps us and helps us. It keeps the things that are in

the world out of our life. If we're struggling on the

outside, maybe it's because we're struggling on the inside.

Okay, now, at this point in time, we have to talk about the

heart, the heart of the Bible, we've dealt with various aspects

of it. This lesson, we'll tie it all

together. This is everything that the

Bible describes about the heart. Because we hear that a lot.

We hear people say, oh, I feel it in my heart.

We hear people say this is about your heart.

I love with you all my heart. So, let's talk about that in the

Bible. The heart is described in

several ways. Number one, it describes

emotions now, You cannot take emotion out of the picture and

if a person thinks they're going to live the Christian Life as a

robot with no emotion, you're kidding yourself.

What good is that what good is that?

But when we say that we have emotions what we're saying is we

can never be guided or directed by our emotions.

It's not good enough. We're Guided by the word of God.

We follow what the word of God says, and we do so with every

fiber of our being even our Emotions.

Here's a couple of passages that uses the word as described as

emotions, John 14 and one, let not your heart, be troubled, you

believe in God believe. Also in me, here's that fear

Faith thing again. Don't Be Afraid have faith.

So he says, don't let your heart be troubled that your emotions.

Don't Be Afraid. What else do?

Another one? Nehemiah two and two, therefore

the king said to me, why is your face sad?

Since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of

the heart, that's emotion. That's emotion.

But sometimes also heart is intellect or it's the mind in

Mark chapter 2 and verse 8 and immediately when Jesus perceived

Mark 2 · chapter mention

in his spirit that they reasoned thus within themself, he said to

them. Why do you reason about these

things in your hearts? Now here, he's not talking about

emotion, he's not talking about feeling what he's saying is.

Why do you reason these things in your Mind sometimes heart in

the Bible is mind or intellect. Here's another passage in

Hebrews 4:12. For the Lord, for the word of

Hebrews 4:12

God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword

piercing. Even to the division of Soul,

and Spirit and of joints and Marrow, and is a discerner of

the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Also sometimes you know what it is.

It's the will of man, it's your will.

How many times have we said? God does not take away, free

will. It's true.

There were two beings that were created with Freewill one, Where

Angels and the other is man. All other aspects of nature.

Don't have free, will we have free will?

And sometimes the heart is referred to as or described as

the will of man in Daniel chapter 1 in verse 8.

Daniel 1 · chapter mention

I love this, but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not

defile himself with the portion of the Kings Delicacies, nor

with the wine, which he drank therefore, he requested to the

chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

How many times have you heard me say that?

My dad told me my whole life. You have to decide the person

you want to be in advance and make the decision in advance.

And if you're bouncing around, like a ping-pong ball.

If you're bouncing around like that and always kind of getting

messed up and making the wrong choice, it's because you haven't

done this, you haven't purposed in your heart, in advance, what

the decision is going to be, and the kind of person that you're

going to be. Jesus said this in Luke 21 verse

Luke 21:14

14. Therefore settle it in your

hearts that your will not to meditate beforehand on what you

will answer. So altogether, the biblical

picture of the heart is that it's the entirety of the inner

man. So when we talk about somebody

that has a pure heart, we're talking about somebody that has

a mature faith. We give you some examples about

this about amateur Faith. True Christianity is not simply

a matter of Reform, Behavior now, Behavior matters, but

that's not what we're talking about.

We're talking about changing something on the inside, it's a

matter or condition of the state of a person's heart.

And if you have a pure heart, please hear me because I know

how it is. I know exactly how it is, when

you go in the world and I'm in the world, I have to go out in

the world to if you have, Amateur faith.

That stems from a pure heart. You will have the courage to be

different. If you don't have the courage.

To be different in your life. When all your friends are doing

things, they shouldn't do. Got some work to do.

We don't have a mature faith, we don't have Pure Heart.

Jesus says, fix it on the inside when you have that kind of faith

when you have that kind of heart, you know what, it's

great. Could you have the courage to

even be different, notice how it all works.

As a matter of the Inner Man, becoming something new and

better. We noticed this so far Poor in

spirit. Poor in spirit.

You get rid of all self-righteousness.

No air gets you realize you're nothing without the Lord.

That's on the inside. Then you're going to mourn over

your sin. I have Godly sorrow for my sin.

I want to be saved. I got to do something about it.

Jesus said, you know what, your me comforted, that's the answer,

being baptized for the remission of my sins and start my journey

as a Christian. What else?

I'm not going to have any animosity toward other people.

There's not going to be thoughts of retaliation toward others.

I got rid of that on the inside. I'm Meek, I'm gentle.

In other words, it is a choice that I have made on the inside.

And then I'm going to have a growing faith.

And I'm going to demonstrate that by hungering and thirsting

for righteousness. So what I feel the void here.

No, self-righteousness here. I fill it with the righteousness

of God there. And that is a mature faith.

And I'm going to show Mercy toward others.

I'm going to do that. Because I'm going to realize

that in my life. On gothis brow on Mount Calvary

so long ago. As we just see, just even a

glimpse of Calvary, what Jesus did for everyone.

It ought to cause us to throw aside any kind of arrogance at

all and be merciful because Jesus was by his act and God

showed Mercy through Jesus Christ.

On the cross, I'm going to show Mercy to other people, too.

That's kind of person I'm going to be and you know what, I'm

going to get Mercy from God. That's what Jesus said.

But then I'm going to do this. I'm going to be pure in heart.

That means that Jesus is reflected in my life.

That's when Jesus Christ is actually formed in you.

And you know, in every point it's not the outward Behavior.

But it's the inward man, that becomes something new and

something better and when you change it on the inside, it

automatically fixes the outside. If you ever heard somebody say

something to a Christian about, you just look happy all the

time. By the way, nobody, no Christian

should walk around. Sour, like, you just ate a bowl

of prunes Nobody wants to be like that.

Nobody's told to be like that either and sober minded means

serious, minded about your faith.

That's what that means. He ever heard somebody say

something to a Christian about how happy they look, there's

just something about, there's something about them on their

face. There was a Hindu man.

He was a traitor in India. He went up to a missionary and

he says what do you put on your face to make it shine?

He said sir, I don't put anything on my face.

He said, it's something that we put on.

It's not something that we put on, on the outside.

But something that comes from within, it's the reflection of

the light of God in our hearts. So let me ask you all today.

What are the things that are most important to you in your

life? What's most important and why

does it matter? What's most important in?

Why does it matter? This is why it matters talked

about the importance of the heart important stuff.

Why does it matter what's most important?

Jesus said in Matthew 6 and 21 for where your treasure is

there? Your heart will be also.

So in closing, let me ask you this.

How's your heart? What's it filled with?

How would it be described? Faith.

That's matured is a wonderful blessing.

It brings us into the very presence of God.

And it allows us to reflect the image of God in our life and you

know what, everybody's watching and just maybe because of the

demonstration of your attitude and your life, you may bring

people to Christ that maybe they wouldn't even have known that

you're a Christian. Had you not been that way in

your life? I'm through this morning.

Thank you so much for your kind listening.

We never close a service without extending an invitation to

someone that might be subject to the gospel call, we talked about

that very idea that we are poor in spirit but then there's an

answer. Paul said so faith comes by

hearing and hearing by the word of God, Romans 10:17.

Romans 10:17

Jesus then said in Mark 16:16 he that believeth and is baptized

Mark 16:16

shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be

damned Jesus. Further said in Luke 13 and 3

and also verse 5 I tell you no but except you repent you will

all likewise perish. Jesus further said, if you

confess me before men I will confess you before.

My Father, which is in heaven and Acts chapter 8 tells us that

Acts 8 · chapter mention

confession the good confession. The only confession I believe

that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and upon taking those steps

of obedience leading toward the point of Salvation.

First, Peter 3:21, the like figure whereunto even baptism

doth also now save us. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

information, or you would like to receive a free Bible

correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her

Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.