Have you heard the story about David? One day, with faith in God, he went to fight a Philistine giant; a man who was much stronger, much bigger and much more experienced in fighting than he was; but David never wavered from his purpose of freeing his fellow Israelites from the insults and the fear this giant had brought upon them.

You see, because of his strong faith in the Lord, David knew beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was with him, and that He not only would deliver him from the giant’s hands, but that God would also grant him whatever he needed to be victorious.

And do you know that David didn’t simply walk against the giant? No, he ran against him; and despite the threats that came from the Philistine when he saw David charge against him, David was unfazed because of his faith.  And that’s the faith that pleases God; when we trust Him with everything, including our own life. It is our faith that moves God to act on our behalf as it says also in Scripture that “without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

And so we read in Scripture from 1 Samuel 17:44-46: about David: “And the Philistine said to David, come to me, and I will give your flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. ⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

You see, very often we also face big problems in this life which seem like huge mountains, impossible to overcome. But the truth is these problems seem impossible to overcome because fear rise up inside of us because the enemy whispers in our ear saying “you can’t do it, give up”.

This big problem you may be facing could be an illness; a failing business; about to lose your home; you are out of work and can’t pay the bills; an addiction you have been fighting but haven’t been successful, etc. Well, humanly speaking, these challenges and others can be very difficult or impossible to overcome if we are alone, but they are not impossible to the Almighty God. Scripture reveals to us that “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). And in the book of Jeremiah, we read where God told the prophet: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?” And so with God, we can overcome any challenge.

Like David, we too need to trust in the Lord 100%. We need to seek Him in prayer and with fasting; and learn His promises that are found in the Bible, the Living Word of God and He will help us to overcome any challenge we face in life.

When you learn His Word to the point where it becomes a part of you and begin to speak words of faith every day, then hope will rise up inside you like a mountain that’s about to explode, then you will able to go up against your mountain with courage and you will be able to overcome in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Like David who despite the giant’s size and threats, he charged against him saying: “⁴⁶This day will the LORD deliver you into my hand; and I will smite you … that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:46).

You too can face your problem or the challenge you are up against right now in your life with courage that is based in faith and trust in Jesus Christ knowing that He is able to deliver you from whatever has come against you; because faith in Him brings victory.

Lastly, I would like to remind you again that if you are a believer in Christ, the challenges you face right now they appear to be insurmountable only because your faith in God has been replaced by fear. I am encouraging you to trust in the Lord and let Him work miracles for you; DON’T GIVE UP, you are not alone!

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

In the book of Deuteronomy, we read where Moses encouraged the people of Israel to keep and apply the commandments of the Lord God and his statutes, he said “which are written in this book of the law …” (Deut. 30:10).

And the law of God Moses continued, is open and not hidden; it is not far from anyone of you, it is rather in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it; so that you can put in practice and make it a part of your daily life (Deut. 30:11, 14). Further he said, because the Word of God is so easily available to you, you have a choice to make: if you follow the commandments of God you will have life and good, but if you don’t, you will have death and evil in your lives (Deut. 30:15).

In Deut. 30:16 we read where Moses commanded the Israelites to love the Lord their God and to walk in His ways; to obey His commandments so that they may “live and multiply, and that the Lord their God may bless them in their land” (Deut. 30:16).

We need to take very seriously the words Moses spoke to the children of Israel, because the Word of God is the same today as it was yesterday; it never changes. And if we also obey and apply daily the commandments of God in our life, among which is His preeminent commandment to believe in His Son Jesus (John 8:24), and to love Him above everything else in our life (Matt. 10:37), then we too will have life (here on earth and everlasting life after we pass on), and blessings in our lives, because the Word of God is Jesus, according to Rev. 19:13, His Holy Son.

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

In Jeremiah 17:7 we read where it says: “Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

King Jehoshaphat of Judah was such a man who had placed his hope in the Lord. He was a man who feared the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and obeyed His commandments.

One day he learned that a great army from Ammon, Moab and mount Seir was coming to fight Judah, and when the King found out about the size of this army, as we read in II Chron. 20:3 “the king feared and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah”. You see, because he placed his hope for help in the Living God and not in men, the Lord God heard his prayer and moved with His might against this large and well equipped army and defeated it while Judah stood and watched, and so the Lord miraculously saved them. But In addition, God blessed Judah abundantly when He gave them the spoil of gold, silver and the great number of cattle that the kings of this great army had brought with them (II Chron. 20:25).

And so when we also place our trust and hope in the Lord and not in our possessions nor in men, but instead we resolve to seek the Lord; God will hear our prayer during the challenging times we encounter in this life, and as He did with King Jehoshaphat, He will move mightily on our behalf as well, and will deliver us, no matter what kind of challenge we might face, because the Lord loves His people, those who truly believe in Jesus, that He is the Son of God, and have made Him to be the Lord of their lives. Amen.

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

How many times have we all talked about having more things in our life? Or how many times have we said if I only had this much more money; or this size of a house; or if I can be in thishighly esteemed neighborhood; or if I could afford these kinds of clothes; or if I just could have this particular lifestyle; or if only had this particular car I would be a happier. It seems like we continually desire and strive to obtain more and better things the world has to offer in order to achieve a higher level of contentment where we think we will be happier. But at what point do we have enough? When do we stop or what is that particular thing that will help us achieve our perceived level of happiness?

Humanly speaking, this question is difficult to answer, but the truth is that this unending pursuit of things in this life, often leads us into greed and envy which eventually cause harm to our relationship with the Lord God and place our personal salvation in grave danger.

According to Scripture, no matter how many “things” we possess in this life, we will never be satisfied, because happiness does not come from the things we own. The greatest proof to that is King Solomon of Israel who became the richest man of his time, and the wisest man ever on the face of the earth. As a result of his wealth, he had everything a person can possibly dream of having.

In Ecclesiastes 2:1-8, we read about a small list of the things he acquired like he build for himself houses; planted vineyards, gardens,  orchards, and trees of different fruits; built pools of water;  had gold, silver and peculiar treasures of kings; he had male servants and female servants; he had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before him; he had men singers and women singers; it says that he gave himself to drinking and to enjoy pleasure and in verse 10 we read where he said: “So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem… And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy…” (Eccl. 2:9, 10). And to all this we describe above, we must include also that he had one thousand wives.

But despite all those things he was enjoying in his life, he was not satisfied. In fact he made the following statement that describes absolute disappointment: “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Eccl. 2:9, 11).

And so we learned, that even if we owned the whole world, we would not be satisfied because things and accomplishments do not bring happiness; and knowing also how temporary we all are, we must place our effort in pursuing after the things that bring true happiness through true peace. And how do we obtain true peace?  According to scripture, true peace comes ONLY from the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. When we have committed our life to Him and He is the most important person and the Lord of life, then we will have the peace that comes from the Almighty God.  In Eph. 2:14 we read where it says: “For Jesus is our peace…”, and in Phil. 4:7 it says: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.

Dear friend, is Jesus your God? If not you need to know that He wants to come into your life, but you must be willing to open the “door” of your heart. In Revelation 3:20 it says: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”. Do you see? He is standing at your door and is waiting for you to open it.  Don’t wait any more, invite Him to come in. Get into a quite place and pray this simple prayer:

Heavenly Father, I confess to you that I am a sinner and I repent from my sins that I have committed. With your help I will not go back to them. Please forgive me in the Name of your Holy Son Jesus.  And Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice on the Cross for my sins. Please come into my life and help me to become the person you always want me to be. Amen.

Great, please know that the Lord is faithful and He will do what you’ve asked Him. Stay firm in your decision to follow Jesus. Begin reading the Bible daily and make an effort to spend time in prayer.

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

Christians should not be influenced by those who make false predictions and statements about the end of the world or of the second coming of the Lord Jesus, because our hope for our future should not be based on what men say about it, but rather on the Word of God, and that’s why it is important that we know His Word.

 According to Scripture, the second coming of Jesus and the great tribulation that would come upon the world are very closely related in time. When Jesus spoke to His disciples on the Mount of Olives, He told them about both; the signs that will precede the tribulation will be wars (everywhere), famines, pestilences, great earthquakes, etc.  He said “when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matt. 24:33). But about the exact timing of the tribulation and of His coming, He said that no one knows except God the Father. We read in Matt. 24:36: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

 So, it shouldn’t bother us when people make those statements about the end times for two reasons: First, no one knows about the timing and second, according to Scripture, the true believers will be taken away by the angels right before the great tribulation begins (Matt. 24:31).

The great question is will you be ready?  Are you a true believer of Jesus? Please listen to what He said: “³⁸ For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, ³⁹And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ⁴⁰Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴¹Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴² Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord do come.” (Matt. 24:38-42).

Let us therefore watch and be ready because eternity is too big to be ignored. You know, the Lord God has given everybody two options to choose from: Heaven or hell.  And I pray with all my heart that you will make the effort to find out what it takes to be ready spiritually (if you allow me, I will suggest that you start by reading the Gospel of John as soon as you can).

Don’t gamble with your eternity because the burden of hell is unbearable.

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

A few years after Saul became King over Israel, the Philistines came to fight Israel with an army that included 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and the number of their soldiers was as the sand by the sea according to I Samuel 13:5. On the other side, Saul could only gather 600 soldiers, and at that time, the Israelites did not even have swords to fight; and the King and his men, we read in Scripture, were discouraged and scared from this great Philistine army.

 But the king’s son Jonathan, a young courageous man, was not afraid of this great army because he had placed his confidence and trust in the living God, the God of Israel, and he decided to do something about this impossible situation his country was facing. You see, God had put it in his heart to move alone against the Philistines, because the Lord wanted to show the Israelites that He was able to win the battle against this great army by using only Jonathan and his armor bearer; just two people!  

God wanted the Israelites to see a miracle and believe in Him that He is the God of unending power and that with Him “nothing is too great” (Jer. 27:32).

 And so we read in I Samuel 14:1 about Jonathan’s decision where it says: “Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father”.

Further, in I Samuel 14:6 we read about Jonathan’s godly courage and trust in God: “⁶And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few”.

Do you see Jonathan’s faith in God? He was confident that God could indeed win this battle for Israel either with many soldiers or with just a few.  

After Jonathan spoke, he received a confirmation from God to go ahead when he heard his armor bearer say to him: “…. do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.” (I Samuel 14:7). Praise God. If we trust in Him, He will speak to us also and He will give us the confirmation we will need to make difficult decisions in our life.

 Next, by faith Jonathan placed a sign before the Lord so that he may know the right time to make his move against the enemy. Listen what it says in Scripture: “⁸Then said Jonathan, behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will show ourselves unto them. ⁹ If they say thus unto us; tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. ¹⁰ But if they say thus, come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.” (I Samuel  14:8-10).

 You see, as result of his faith, he received the confirmation he sought through the mouths of his enemies when he heard them say: “¹² … come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armor bearer, come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.” (I Samuel 14:12).

Once he received his confirmation, Jonathan spoke words of faith when he acknowledged that God had delivered his enemies unto them, and he moved boldly against them. In I Samuel 14:13 we readthat Jonathan climbed up and his armor bearer after him, and the enemy fell before them; and Jonathan and his armor bearer slew about twenty enemy soldiers. But this was only the beginning.

God saw Jonathan’s action of faith and moved mightily by bringing panic, fear, confusion and an earthquake (I Samuel 14:15) upon the enemy, and as we read further, the enemy soldiers began killing each other (I Samuel 14:20).

In conclusion, we read in Scripture where God defeated this great army and saved Israel that day (I Samuel 14:23). 

 So you see, it was not Jonathan’s effort that had defeated this huge and well armed army, but the mighty hand of the Lord.  Jonathan’s action provided only the seed of faith that God needed to act on behalf of Israel. If we act in faith, we too can experience victory in our life against problems that seem impossible to overcome if we only place our trust in God and believe that He is able to win our battle, just as Jonathan had placed his trust in Him and brought victory to Israel despite the impossible situation they were facing.

 By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

God told Noah to build the Ark so that he and his family will be saved from the imminent destruction that God was going to bring upon the world. It took 70 to 80 years for Noah to complete building this Ark and through it he saved 8 people, including himself.

But the Lord God, through His unending wisdom and love (as we read: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16), foresaw the need for another ark; an Ark that would be infinitely more spacious and far more complete than the Ark of Noah. The building of this new Ark started on the Cross and was finished in three days later, when the grave burst open with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead.   This new Ark is Jesus.  And for over two thousand years now, He has been waiting patiently for us all to get in so that He can save us.

To get in the Lord’s Ark of life and be saved from going to hell, all you have to do is believe in the name of Jesus as it is written in Scripture where it says: “That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15). That’s right; all you have to do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, the savior of the world. But believe with all your heart and with all your might in Him and make Him the most important person in your life.

Don’t waste another minute wondering outside the Ark trying to figure out if it is the right thing to do, but get in a soon as you can, because Jesus is the only way to avoid hell.  And that’s because He is the ONLY Way to God. In Scripture we read where He responded to one of His Disciples by saying: “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Dear friend, if Jesus is not your God, please listen to the truth; hell is a real place, where there is unending torture, inexpressible fear and suffering that would never end. You don’t want to go there and the way to avoid hell is ONLY through the Lord Jesus.  And YOU are the only one who can change that.

If you confess your sins to God and repent (turn away from them) God will forgive your sins because He made a promise and we read that in Scripture where it says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). And believe also in Jesus, that He is the Son of God.

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

There has been a great debate amongst the people in America for many years now, as to what babies that are in their mother’s womb, especially those of very early age, should be called: human beings or just things. And of course those that call unborn babies “things” also conclude that it’s ok for a mother to have an abortion. I truly can understand for someone who openly declares their unbelief in the Living God to make such a statement about the unborn, but what is devastating is when we hear “church going people” who say they believe in God, dare to support abortion as well, and by their words identify the unborn babies as things that can be easily discarded. What a travesty!

But the Bible, the anointed Word of God according to Apostles Peter and Paul who stated in II Peter 1:21 and in II Tim. 3:16 respectively, it came by the inspiration of God to holy people by the Holy Spirit, to instruct, correct and guide us; it alone should be the ultimate authority about this most important issue because it pertains to life.

Scripture says that the Lord God knew us before we were formed (before we were conceived) in our mother’s womb. In Jeremiah 1:4 and 5 we read exactly that. It says: “Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ⁵Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Now, do you suppose that Jeremiah was the only one that God knew before he was formed? No my friend. The Omnipotent God (being all powerful simultaneously everywhere) knew you and me too! Furthermore, in Psalm 139:15 and 16 we read that God saw us in the womb and all the parts of out body were written in His book before they came to being. Here it is: “¹⁵My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

You see, the breath of God comes instantly upon every new conception and it alone gives life to a NEW PERSON. So, once the Spirit of God enters, a new life begins. After this point the new person, flesh wise, maybe just a few moments old but the spirit remains the same whether a minute or hundred years old. In the eyes of God it is finished! A new person is on the way. If we disrupt this new life, it is the same as if we were to disrupt a life at any other age. It is murder!

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

The Word of God reveals to us about the Kingdom of Heaven saying, that the human eye has not seen it, and the human ear has not heard about it; neither was it entered into the heart of man. In other words, we never really understood in its entirety about the things that God has prepared for those who love the Lord Jesus (I Cor. 2:9).

It seems that we only have tiny bits of knowledge about our future home, and that’s because words that come from men cannot adequately describe the Kingdom of God. But we will see it when we will be called by the Lord either when our time is finished here on earth, or at His second coming, when we will meet Him in the air. Praise God!

But how do we enter this unbelievably awesome place and obtain the rest God has prepared?  Well, according to Scripture, first we must believe in Jesus; that He is the Son of God, the Christ.

Second, we must obey Him and do, or practice His commandments daily in our lives.  In other words our lives have to reflect His commandments and doctrine. As the apostle James wrote, our life has to be a living proof that we obey His commandments and produce works that are complementing our faith in Jesus. In James 2:26 it says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”. When our faith and our daily life match, then we will please God!

But in addition to believing and obeying, there is a third requirement. We must keep in mind to what the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, who came to Him. And here is what the Lord said: “except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

In John 3:5, the Lord spoke a little bit more about being born again by saying: “Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God”, and that my friends, is an important requirement for our salvation. And why is that? Because it is at that moment when we become a new person, or born again. And according to the Lord, unless that happens, we cannot enter into His rest! 

Now, to be born of water is to be baptized in water as our Lord was baptized by John the Baptist. When we emerge from under the water, we are clean from our sins. And to be born of the Spirit is to receive the washing of the regeneration and renewing that comes from the Spirit of God, according to His mercy (Titus 3:5). When we truly accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, a mystery takes place in our life, and that’s the work of the Holy Spirit of God who touches our spirit and we become a new person!

Therefore, through the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit, we will be able to overcome the things of the world, and by being born again, according to the commandment of the Lord Jesus, we will enter into His rest, prepared for us in the Kingdom of heaven.

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.

In the epistle to the Hebrews, the Apostle Paul encourages us to urge each other every day, to be firm and vigilant with our walk in Christ and not to let our guard down, because the enemy never stops looking for ways to divert our focus from Jesus and lead us into the things of the world that are despised by the Lord God, because they deceive the heart of man, and lead him into eternal destruction. The Apostle is very clear in stressing the fact that we will make it to heaven ONLY when we are firm with Jesus all the way to the end. In Heb. 3:13, 14 we read: “¹³But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end”.

Our job of being vigilant and protective of our walk in Jesus will end the moment we die, because that’s when Satan and his demons will stop their work against us; but that’s also the moment that our eternal destiny will be sealed forever. At that great moment, there will be nothing we could do to change anything. In an instant, we will either feel the everlasting and indescribable joy from approaching Jesus or the unutterable horror of the abyss of darkness and fear. This is a serious matter.

Now is the time to change and not tomorrow. Paul wrote “while it is called today”. If you are not right before God, bow your knee before Him and repent and ask Jesus to come onto your life, because the Lord Jesus is the ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN; there is no one else to save us!

By Gregory M. Doublas

For comments, our email is: sinandsalvation@frontier.com

© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the author.