The Way Of Salvation

by Paul Mcgrade - written on June 22nd, 2007

"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, you Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, You Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying to him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calls you. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said to him, What will you that I should do to you? The blind man said to him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." - Mark 10:46-52

"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging."

Notice Bartimaeus is blind, he's sitting by the highway side, and he's a beggar.

Martin Luther's last written words were "We are beggars; this is true." Like Bartimaeus, we're blind and we sit by the highway side begging.

"And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, you Son of David, have mercy on me."

If you read Matthew, in it you'll find that the lower a person's view of Christ, the less He was responsive to them. It's as if He would have walked right past them. On the other hand, the higher a person's view, the more intimate He was with them.

Bartimaeus had a low view of Christ. He called Him just the Son of David.

"And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, You Son of David, have mercy on me."

There will be many things that charge us to hold our peace. That is, many things will attempt to suppress our cries to Christ for mercy but we must cry the more a great deal. Bartimaeus desired to see; our desire is to be saved. Therefore, it's a greater matter for us to beg of the Lord.

"And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying to him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calls you."

I had to ask myself why didn't Jesus keep walking? What made Him stop now? I highly doubt it was because of anything on Bartimaeus' part.

We desire to be saved, we've cried out for what seems like forever until finally Jesus stands still and commands us to come to Him. I want to emphasize the word command. The power that was behind the command "let there be light" is the same power behind this command. It's irresistible grace. How much does a man on fire desire to be cooled? In the same way, we desire to be saved, Bartimaeus desired to receive sight, who's not going to come when the Saviour and the great Physician calls? Obviously, those who don't want a Saviour, nor a Healer.

Yet, we desire to be saved and He calls us. "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Therefore, we can be comforted. Those who doubt their salvation, need not fear, for He has heard your cries, if indeed you have cried. Those who doubt their salvation but have not lifted up one single prayer to God about it, how shall the Master hear you as He passes by?

"And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus."

Now that we've heard His call to come, again, He says "Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" we may cast away our garment, rise, and go to Jesus. Here is a picture of repentance. Remember what He said "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Therefore, let us cast off our garment. Whatever we are holding onto is our garment. Then let us rise and go to Jesus.

"And Jesus answered and said to him, What will you that I should do to you? The blind man said to him, Lord, that I might receive my sight."

Imagine Jesus asking you one question "What will you that I should do to you?" Now for Bartimaeus it was that he wouldn't no longer be blind. For me, it would be that I might be saved.

"And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any many should boast."

Something wonderful that can be seen here is the liberty given by Christ to those who are saved. Notice what He said to him "Go your way." He didn't ask him to follow Him. He didn't command him to follow Him; he simply said "Go your way." Neither did Jesus manipulate him. He didn't say "If you follow me, I'll heal you but if you don't follow me, I won't heal you." He was going to heal him, regardless of what he did afterward. Now, in the wisdom of God, He knew that Bartimaeus would follow Him. Likewise, that is the result of true salvation. We follow Christ when we've been truly saved. Like Peter, we say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

In conclusion, I'd like to add that this passage of scripture is very beautiful. It teaches us the way of salvation. I'd recommend this passage to be studied carefully and meditated upon, especially if you don't know if your saved but are tormented with fear.

Genesis 17:21

"But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto you at this set time in the next year." - Genesis 17:21

If this verse can teach us anything about God, it shouts that God knows the future and whispers to us that God knows the past and present. We could go even further than that and say this verse teaches us another thing. This verse shows us something of the power of God. It gives us a glimpse of what God meant when He said "I am the Almighty God." Men usually like to talk about the "free will of man" but this verse shows us the "free will of God;" that He does what He wants in the heavens and in the earth.

The Great Dilemma - The Solution

The Great Dilemma - The Solution
By Paul Mcgrade

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness and so God created man. Then man went against God's command, he sinned against God and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And so the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Now, when God flooded the earth, He destroyed absolutely everything! You see, God told Adam & Eve to be fruitful and multiply. And from the time of Adam & Eve, all the way to the time of Noah, it was about 1,000 years. So, God makes man. He tells man to be fruitful and multiply. After 1,000 years of this God looks upon the earth and what does He see? Corruption. The earth was filled with violence. Every man had corrupted his way upon the earth. So what does God do? He says, I'm going to destroy them.

Every man had corrupted his way but it says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now, why did God keep Noah? He should have destroyed him to! Why'd He keep him? Was it because Noah was a little better than everyone else? Did Noah do something the rest didn't do and therefore God decided to spare him? Was he born with some sort of moral spark and the rest born dead? Was it because Noah was righteous? He did righteous deeds? Because he obeyed God and the rest didn't? What was it that caused God to be gracious to Noah and not to the rest?

The answer's this: Nothing. Nothing Noah did caused God to look upon Him and be gracious to him. If the flood came and Noah waved his hands to get God's attention, if he had jumped up and down on the highest mountain, if he'd yelled to God for help because the waters were up to his neck, God would not have looked if it was because of something Noah had. God was not gracious to Noah because He saw Noah had a moral spark the others didn't have. God wasn't drawn to Noah, He wasn't wooed by Noah, neither did Noah dazzle God's eyes with any gold that he lifted up. No, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord not because of anything he was or anything he had for God.

The reason why Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord is because God chose to be gracious to him and not to the others. God in His infinite wisdom thought it to be the most wisest, most glorious, most gracious way; that Noah be spared and the others be destroyed. Grace is totally free. It is totally unmerited, undeserved. It is apart from anything and everything about us. You cannot understand the grace of God until you realize that God saw the wickedness of man. That every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil. How could God look at us and be gracious to us? To anyone of us? Man is a fallen, radically depraved, spiritually dead, morally corrupt, sin loving, God hating creature. In the very core of his being he is as opposed to God as the devil himself. He cannot change and has no desire to do so. He loves a lie and will do everything in his power to restrain and suppress any and every truth about God and the more he knows about God the more he hates Him because God is righteous and man is evil. Now how do you expect God to spare something like that? It is only by Gods grace.

If God was not gracious Noah would have been destroyed to. Yet God spared one man. Noah! One vile, detestable, little man and his family. The last thing written about him was that he was found drunk and naked in his tent and yet God saves this man? That my friends is the grace of God! Free and undeserved. Not of him that wills, not of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.

----Now, God is just. How is it that God could save anyone then? How could God save a people like us? How can God say to Noah, for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation? Something we need to understand is that there is none who are righteous, no not one. So then how could God say to Noah, for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation? Possibly the greatest question that ever could be asked is this: how can God look at one who is unrighteous and at the same time call them righteous, even though they're not? The answer's this:

Galatians 3:22 - The scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

How could God say to Noah, for you have I seen righteous before me? He could say it because of what Jesus Christ was going to do. You could say that God looked up the road in history and saw Christ's righteousness and declared it to be Noah's, even though Noah was undeserving and was not righteous in himself. So how can God be just and at the same time save us? By sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die. God set forth His only begotten Son. Jesus Christ came into the world, born of a virgin, lived a perfect righteous life. He never disobeyed His Father. He never broke a command His Father gave because He loved Him. He was one with Him. He was with His Father before the world began. Yet when He came into the world, the world hated Him. His own did not receive Him. The world condemned Him. They ridiculed Him. Said He was a liar and teaching lies. They thought He was crazy because He called God His Father. They crucified Him and all this was being done to fulfill the prophecy God would fulfill. This was being done because God loved us so much. It was the only way a people like us could be saved. It was the only way we could be reconciled to God. It was the most wisest and most glorious way. Yet at the same time it was the most bloodiest, most gruesome, most painful way.

When Christ hung on that cross, it pleased the Father to bruise His only begotten Son. It pleased God to pour out all the holy hatred, all the holy wrath and fierce anger of God upon His beloved Son. He did it because He is love. This, the Son of God coming to lay down His life, was the love of God manifested before our very eyes. It is entirely told in the Bible. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. When Christ, in agony, was on that cross, God was slaughtering His own Son. He was crushing Him with the full weight of the wrath that should fall upon you and me. He threw it down upon Jesus, His beloved, precious Son.


If you were standing at the foot of a dam and the wall broke, all that weight, all that water crashing down upon you, would be too much to bear. Christ though bore every second of His Fathers wrath. He drank every last drop of His Father's cup. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. And then Jesus cried with a loud voice, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? From eternity to eternity, the perfect, unthought of, sweetest, unfathomable communion Jesus had with His Father was torn and ripped from Him and this is why He sweat great drops of blood. The greatest of all judgments Christ has suffered, to be cut off from God. The Father broke fellowship with His Son and turned His back on Him. Christ died and was buried in a tomb for 3 days. God though raised Him from the dead; and has highly exalted Him and though Christ once was dead, He now sits at the right hand of God, in the glory He had with Him before the world ever was created. God has given Jesus a name which is above every name! That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

My friends, God shall save you by His grace through faith. You must believe though on the Lord Jesus Christ. You must trust that though you aren't righteous, yet God is able to call those things which be not as though they were. He's able to declare you to be righteous even though your not because of Jesus. Can you trust Him? Can you believe on Him that justifies the ungodly? Are you not sure if you believe? Well then, do you want to believe? Then LOOK to Him who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Oh, my friend, if you can believe God is true, if you can just simply believe on Jesus Christ, you are saved. Your feelings do not declare your salvation but Christ does! Will you look to Him? Oh, please look to Him and you will be saved.

May God command the light to shine out of darkness again. May He shine in your hearts, the light of this glorious gospel of Christ. Though I don't understand and am a blind wretch, yet may God do a work that is unexplainable and can only be done by Him to His glory. May He do it in each one of you. May His kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Spurgeon Gems - Part 1

I'm going to begin to post some of the quotes by Charles Spurgeon that I find helpful.

"Faith in the Christian, when he first gets it, is true and saving—but it is not in proportion. The man believes one doctrine, perhaps, and that is so delightful that it swallows up every other. Then he gets hold of another and he swings that way like a pendulum—no doctrine can be true but that one. Perhaps in a little time he swings back like a pendulum the other way. He is unsteady because while his faith perceives the Truth of God, it does not perceive the harmonies of the Truths of God. His faith, for instance, may perceive the Lord Jesus Christ, but as yet it has not learned the position which Christ occupies in the great economy of Divine Grace. He is half-blind, and cannot see very far. He has sight, but it is not the sight which he will yet receive. Like the blind man who, when our Lord healed him, saw men at first as trees walking, he comes, in due time, to see clearly, for Grace always goes on in its work—it will never halt half-way."

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"The last thing I have to notice about this true faith in Christ as sight is that it is at all times a very simple thing to look. Look! No one needs go to a grammar school or to a university to look. Look! The smallest child, as we have said, can look—the most illiterate and untaught can look. If there is life in a look, glory be to God for such a provision because it is available for each one of us! Sinner, if you would be saved, there is nothing for you to think upon but Christ. Do your sins trouble you? Go to Him and trust in Him—and the moment you look to Him you are saved. “Oh,” says one, “but I cannot do that! My faith is so weak.” Well, when I walk about and see a beautiful sight, very seldom do I think about my own sight—my mind is occupied with the sight—and so let it be with you. Never mind those eyes—think more about the vision to be seen. Think of Christ. It would be a pitiful thing if, when there were some great procession in the streets, all you thought about was your own eyes. You would see but very little. Think less about your faith, and more about Jesus—

“Weary Sinner! Keep your eyes
On the atoning Sacrifice.
View Him bleeding on the tree,
Pouring out His life for you.
Cast your guilty soul on Him,
Find Him mighty to redeem!
At His feet your burden lay.
Look your doubts and fears away.”

Turn over and over in your mind the great transaction on the Cross. I have sometimes said to young seekers, Go home and spend an hour deliberately reading about the death of Christ. And then picture it in your mind’s eye, for it is in that way that faith comes. Through the Holy Spirit’s power we come to believe that story by thinking upon it, seeing Jesus in it, and then following on and giving it the full acceptance of our spirit. Go to the Cross for faith if you cannot go with faith, and the Lord
grant that you may find in Jesus."

(Quotes taken from "Seeing Jesus" By C. H. Spurgeon)

Parked In James

I've been reading the Bible since September of 2006. Since then I started at Genesis and have reached James. As I read through James today, I wrote some things down. These things I've written down are results from my first "pass-through." I think it would be good for me to stay in James for a while. Here is what I wrote:

1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

{} James - Who is James? A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

{} Why is there a distinction between God and the Lord Jesus Christ?

{} Who is James writing to? The twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.

{} What twelve tribes is he talking about?

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1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations;

{} My brethren. Who is James referring too here? Jews? Christians? Who?

{} What does James mean by temptations?; what temptations is he talking about?

{} Why is this [verse 2] the first thing he says to his brethren, the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad?

{} Why should they count it all joy? Verse 3 answers this question.

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1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

{} Falling into divers temptations would be the trying of your faith. Again, exactly what temptations is he referring to?

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1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

{} Why should I let patience have her perfect work? That you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

{} Those that don't realize that the trying of your faith works patience, would be unwise. So James writes verse 5.

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1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him.

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Lets look at 1:2-3:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

Lets look at 1:12:

Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.

Now lets compare Revelation 2:10:

Fear none of those things which you shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days; be faithful to death, and I will give you a crown of life.

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FINAL QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER ONE

{} Why does the Bible use the phrase crown of life?

{} What is the word James is talking about in chapter one?

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3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

{} How does the tongue defile the whole body?

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4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

{} Adultery with the world.

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4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

{} How do I practically submit myself to God?

{} How do I practically resist the devil?

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4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

{} How do I practically draw near to God?

{} How to I practically cleanse my hands?

{} How do I practically purify my heart?

Possibly the answer to all three questions is in the next verse [verse 9].

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4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

{} These are commands to be obeyed.

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4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

{} How do I practically humble myself in the sight of the Lord? Possibly the previous verse [verse 9].

{} This is a promise!

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LASTLY

4:16 But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

{} What did James mean here?

Some Heartfelt Thoughts

Its 2007 now and back from Georgia.

There is so much that is going on that it would be hard to explain.

I look at the Bible and am overwhelmed by it. It's taken me 4 months to finally read from Genesis to Acts. It hurts me to read the Bible because I have to, when I'd rather read the Bible because I want to. Yet if I do not force myself to read it, I will not read it and this is what hurts me. It hurts me also to think that my motive for reading the Bible is for the accomplishment itself. This ought not be so. It is my written prayer here that the Lord would help me.

I think about how frail my health is and how quick my life 'twill soon be past. They are frightening and torturous thoughts to really think of falling into the hands of the living God. How unaware I am to the fact that Im going to die soon and all things will be final then. I won't be able to change anything. There won't be any second chances; for anything I've ever done or for the life I have lived.

God is love (1 John 4:16). For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9).

I confess that the last three sentences that I've quoted are the most hardest things in the entire universe to believe. My weary, restless, and tired soul thirsts. I am well spent and I do long and desire rest for my soul. How can I believe in God's only begotten Son? How will I know when I believe in Him?

These are some of my heartfelt thoughts lately.

Enabled To Preach

I got back from meeting with Malcom, Kay, Elias, and Laura....J.W., Bobby and Paul Martinez who's fifteen years old. I haven't written much on our meetings lately but since my last entry regarding our meetings, many things have happened. What a lovely time it is to be among such people. Tonight was probably one of our best meetings because the Bible says "but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."And to some degree these fruits were present within me and visibly in the others.

The Spirit that was in our midst tonight while we preached, spoke one-on-one with people, and passed out gospel tracts, I cannot but help think it to be the blessed Holy Spirit, God Himself in our midst. God knows though all things and I'd be decieved and a fool to say that it indeed was the Holy Spirit but I cannot deny the fruit that abounded within me but perhaps I'm decieved of even those and assume something to be something it is not. God knows all and He is who He is.

Angelo is no longer attending our meetings, I don't know what happened to him. Tonight, Jose didn't show up as he usually does. However, Elias has always showed up but for one or two weeks. Laura is new. I met her two months ago and shared the gospel with her to the best of my ability and over a week the Lord changed her from the power of Satan and has called herself to Him. She attends the meetings with me, this is her second week with us.

Bobby has actually attended the meetings with Malcom and Kay before I ever did. He comes with us randomly. J. W., is also new as of two weeks ago, this was his second week with us. Paul Martinez attended the meetings with Malcom and Kay before me but this was the first time I met him.

I preached tonight better than times past, was enabled to speak more soundly than ever before. Was also enabled to get a feeler for the crowd in what I'll just call "crowd control," that is the ability to direct the crowd, or in a simplier way, to not be so shaky while aiming my arrow but firm and vivid clarity to shoot and kill all that which goes against God. Though I shoot like a three year old, aiming his bow and arrow but barely with no ability to do anything profitable. Yet whatever, if anything, the Lord would be glorified.

I must sign off, it is getting very late

I'm Going Away - Going To Transformed

Well it has been a while since I've added to my blog. I haven't had anything to really say and have felt as of late uninspired to write anything here. However I thought I should write about my going away to Georgia to visit my grandparents. I'll be leaving around the 20th of November and will be getting back home (south Florida) around December 31st. I'll be going to Transformed which is a one day event with Kirk Cameron, Ray Comfort, Todd Friel, Emeal ("E.Z.") Zwayne as speakers. I'm eternally greatful to these guys, they are my brothers in Christ. This should be great and I hope many people will be transformed indeed by the grace of God.

I don't know why the Lord would have me go but it seems like the Lords will. What happens by me going to Georgia is a mystery to me, perhaps nothing will happen however I feel as though this is a door to a new thing, to the glory of God.

All of this will happen by the will of God if it happens. Whether it does or it doesn't, I will give thanks to the Lord, He is so worthy and whether it does or it doesn't I will trust in the Lord about all things and for all things.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

Thanks Be To God

Got back from meeting with Danny, Chuck and Caleb. We met around 7:00PM and we prayed and talked with each other more on evangelism. Then we went around and spoke with various people and passed out many gospel tracts. Danny spoke for the first time with people, he told me he thought the Lord had been very gracious to him by letting his first encounters not be so rough with him. Chuck also went and spoke with some people tonight and indeed the Lord has been gracious to Danny and Chuck and us all. I spoke with a few people, a Muslim who was very open to discussion. I enjoyed our short discussion. I'm thankful to the Lord for all things, He is so gracious. Danny and I want to preach together, yet I feel unable to. May the Lords will be done.

We Got Shutdown!

Tonight, I met up, as usual with Malcom and Kay just around 7:30PM. Elias and Jose also came and brought two others with him. We prayed for about 30 minutes and left to go to the beach.

Lately, It seems that I've been more sensitive to the reality of evil and it causes me pain. A father dieing, a friend spraining his ankle, another having a stroke, car accidents to say of some of this evil and the most of all evil that I have been sensitive to, is the presence of God being dim. At times I'm shown very little of the unbelief and pride, arrogance and self-seeking that is within me. The honor and praises of men which I seek and the hypocrisy. It lays its weight to me and cuts at my foundation. How I long to be delivered of all evil.

"But deliver us from evil."

We setup at the beach and Malcom began preaching just around 8:30PM. From the moment he began to preach, we had 2 woman hecklers who wouldn't be quiet. At times they caused interruptions during the preaching and it only got worse. It turned into chaos. Someone called the police and they came out while Jose was preaching. They told us we could not preach unless we had a permit. So we obeyed, packed up and left around 10PM.

I have a vague theory that every single thing that happens, whether small or large, good or evil, is divinely ordained by God Himself for the purpose of His glorification.

So we're planning now to get a permit and in the meantime I think we will "flee to another city," as it were and preach somewhere else. Yet we're hoping we can get a permit to preach were we have always preached.

If I've gone out tonight not to the glory of God, I've done a vain work. I pray that whatever I do, I do to the glory of God.

Charles Spurgeon gave some fine words, he said:

"Let the light come from God, and though a child shall bring it, we will joyfully accept it."

To my weary soul, this dim light has been whispered to me by a child tonight, that He is not afar off.

"Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -- Matthew 10:28-30

Tonight The Lord Has Dealt Kindly With Me

What a night that I had tonight! I'm tired, its 1:18AM and I ought to be going to bed now....But I must write about tonight, the Lord has been gracious to me, even tonight. I met with Malcom and 6 others tonight. Angelo and Elias were not here this week, though the Lord supplied 6 others, so there was 8 of us tonight, gathered in His name. I met up with Malcom and 2 others just after 8PM tonight. We prayed for about 10 minutes and we left for the beach.

As we got their, others joined us. Kay, Malcom's wife came tonight again and I was happy to see her back from Minnesota. Tonight there was a huge festival going on, so there were mass amounts of people, not like in the past month. We found a suitable place to preach and Malcom began to preach. Jose, preached for the first time in Spanish, with much passion. I couldn't understand a word he said, but I could hear the passion he preached with. As a old saint used to say, "Preaching is not a profession, its a passion."

After Jose preached, I'm glad to have been given the opportunity to be made a fool in the sight of men and I'm thankful for it. God gave me the grace to preach once again. I'm thankful to my God, who is my God, indeed.

I spoke with a girl about certain ministers of the Bible. She told me that we ought not to be judging men of God, she seemed sincere to me, she said it is dangerous to speak against them. I agreed, yet, should we not discern their teaching? Should we not "know them by their fruits"? As a sincere little one, discern teaching! Discern a pastor! Discern a church! Know a godly person, by their fruit!

She became angry with me, for making a judgment over this certain minister's way of telling fallen man the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is vital if fallen man is to be saved. If a minister preaches the gospel, but lightly glances over sin in his presentation of it, he lacks a correct understanding of how to preach the gospel. There is a correct way to preach the gospel and there is a false way to preach the gospel. You are not dealing with child's play, but with people's soul's. To learn how to preach the gospel correctly visit:

Way Of The Master

Tonight, the Lord has been gracious and very kind to me.

"Man's chief end is to glorify God,
and to enjoy him for ever."

This Morning - The Lord Held Me Up While I Preached

“It is my opinion that tens of thousands of people, if not millions, have been brought into some kind of religious experience by accepting Christ, and they have not been saved.” -- A.W. Tozer

This morning I awoke just before 10:00AM and prayed a little. Still the presence of God is still very dim to me. Nonetheless, I left around 10:30PM to attend the church service. I got there just after 11:30AM. This morning what was being taught on was Gods grace. There were many solid truths preached. However, something is wrong when you preach 45 minutes on grace and out of that about 1 minute on sin, law, righteousness, judgment, holiness, repentance, justice. I'm not being critical for the sake of being critical, God is my witness, but how can someone repent if they aren't told to repent? Not once was the word repentance or anything of that sort, used. If it was, it was so unnoticable that I didn't hear it. I heard numerous times that God accepts you just as you are this morning. What I perceived was that God accepts me with all my bagage, that He loves me just the way I am and if I come to Him, He will give me grace and I will begin a journey. No, the truth is, you knock on the door and Jesus Christ says leave your bagage out there, lest you die! "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2).

I heard one woman on the stage, with a spotlight on her, saying something about the presence of God being there this morning. Well I guess I didn't notice He came through the door! I sensed no presence of God this morning and I don't think that God dwells in entertainment centers. Leonard Ravenhill often used to say that "entertainment is the devils substitute for joy" and I agree with him.

When will men understand that the only way to live, is to die and to be crucified with Christ! Jesus Christ is not some "cherry on top of your world." The truth is, is that if you aren't crucified with Him and if He hasn't given you resurrection life, If Jesus Christ is not whom you serve with all your might, whom you obey because you love Him, than your life is nothing more than a "dung hill," and all that you do and have ever done will be nothing more than dung being added to your heap of dung.

Now, with that said...last night I met with Malcom, Elias and Angelo. Malcom preached as usual and for the first time, I preached as well. The Lord held me up last night. We all got into one-on-one conversations and passed out tracts. After we got back to the church just after 10PM, we all prayed and gave thanks to God. Elias and Angelo left, but I went with Malcom to Los Olas. The wickedness and sin that was there, I've never seen in my life! Perhaps for 2 or 3 miles you have bars and strip clubs. Hundreds upon hundreds of people walking up and down being entertained! Enjoying the pleasues of sin for a season! Getting drunk and lusting! Words cannot describe the wickedness that was at this place.

Malcom and I passed out tracts and spoke to a few people. I spoke to one man who told me he'd been thinking about spiritual things on his way down there. He was sincere as I could see and I told him that perhaps God brought him down here to meet with me. I brought him through the Law and revealed the grace of God in Jesus Christ because he was humbled and wasn't justifying anything but agreed to being guilty before God and deserving of hell and was concerned about it. I asked him what he was doing down here, because he had mentioned before that he used to go to a Calvary Chapel and was a Christian. He told me he had fallen into rough times and so I told him that there are false conversions and true conversions and told him to pick up his bible and read and obey it and God wouldn't ever let him down.

We left Los Olas and I got home around 1:00AM, tired and exhausted. May God be glorified.

http://www.paulmcgrade.com/Preaching1-Paul.mp3

*Here is the audio clip of me preaching last night for the first time. (Malcom saves me a few times when I run out of steam.) Thanks be to God for holding me up.

A servant of the most high God,
A son by Jesus Christ,
Paul Mcgrade

A Meeting - Advice On Salvation

Last night I met with a few others to discuss the very basics of Evangelism. We then passed out 200 tracts and I spoke with 10 people using the Law to bring the knowledge of sin and then told them the gospel of Jesus Christ and told them what they must do to be saved. When I got home, I read "Why stand afar off, O LORD? Why hide yourself in times of trouble?" and the LORD knows this is the cry of my heart. For Him to come in His majesty again. For Him to come in His glory once again.

This morning in private prayer, the presence of God was very dim to me and isn't as illuminated to my soul as times past. Oh! How I long for Him to shed abroad His love in my heart once again! How I long for Him to shine His countenance upon me again.

Allow me to share something with you about salvation. Its found in Psalm 10:14:

"...The helpless commits himself to You."

Become helpless, loose everything that you can lean upon, your health, your confidence in long life, your sanity, your happiness, your family, your education, your job, your comforts, loose even your own life and be poor in spirit and you will be helpless. You will have nothing to help you and as a result you cry out to God to save you and to give you life and He comes in majesty and glory and grants you the new birth. What are the results of this supernatural birth? As a flower blossoms naturally, you effortlessly commit yourself to Him entirely. You stay helpless always and you cannot ever help yourself. Apart from Him, now that you've been born again, you know you can do nothing and you rely upon Him to breathe! Become utterly helpless and find eternal life!

A servant of the most high God,
A son by Jesus Christ,
Paul Mcgrade

A Refreshing Walk - Attended A Church Service

I want to keep this journal as clean as possible and not write vain words.

Approximately 6:15PM tonight I began to walk to a church I've never attended before, but have been wanting to for the last few months. It was raining and I could have driven but decided not to intentionally. It was, at some times pouring and at other times drizzling. The sun shone beautifully and a rainbow left in the sky, brought to remembrance the flood. Walking in the rain seems foolish, but how refreshing it is to feel the rain poured on my head from God. To feel the rain drops and see the sun beaming at me in glory and the blue sky and the fresh air in my lungs, how glorious simply this is! But how much more God will shine in majesty and glory in eternity!

I got to the church just after 7:00PM, wet, but refreshed. I know how important it is to be with other Christians. I love to be with brothers and sisters who love God and want Him alone, esteem Him above all and want to be most satisfied in Him. Who delight in serving Him and obeying Him. I'm grieved with the careless lukewarm in the churches however and with the false teachers who trifle with the Bible and with God. They must have never read that they must give an account to God one day.

The service at this church is from 7:00PM to 8:00PM every Wensdays. The scripture for tonight was Psalm 56. Before I attended this service, I made sure that I was going as a little child to hear this pastor teach, however not without discernment. Discernment is critical and necessary lest you find yourself in hell. I don't know what to make of the service tonight, time will tell I guess. I plan, according to the will of God, to attend every Wensday.

So a bit after 8:00PM I walked home again amidst the stars of the night and the black sky and the streetlights, with a thankful heart to God and trusting Him.

Glad Tidings Of Good Things

Its 1:38AM and I'm tired. Tonight I went with 5 others to the beach. Last week was the first time I went, this is the second time meeting together and passing out tracts, preaching, and speaking with people. This week was wonderful, we had a short prayer meeting before we went to the beach around 8:00PM.

We spoke with various people, Malcom preached, we all passed out tracts. I spoke with 3 kids about sin, the law, helping them to understand why Jesus Christ died for them. Once I brought the law to them and then summarized it up as "We broke the law, Jesus paid our fine" it clicked and it made sense why Jesus Christ died for them.

Everyone was either passing out tracts or speaking with people. Malcom was the only one who preached. I must say, the prayer meeting was so sweet. Praying is beautiful and glorious when you are communing with the same God of the Bible.

"...How Beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" -- Romans 10:15

Ravenous Wolves In Sheeps Clothing

I highly enjoy writing useful things. Things that will be profitable and aren't written for the sake of writing it. So allow me to write on something important. First lets look at Jesus' words:

"Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity." -- Matthew 7:21-23

There are certain professing ministers of God, children of God, but in truth, are children of the devil. These children of the devil, are very deceptive like their father. They draw people to themselves and show signs and wonders and to the amazement of the people, they believe and say that "this man is truely a son of God". They think because they see the signs and wonders that the false minister must really know God. They are deceived as Eve was, seeing things "pleasant to the eyes" and biting in.

When sincere men and woman come to these children of wrath, in hope of being healed, receiving something by the miraculous. Or perhaps they come to these ministers, simply to learn truth. Now these men may teach some solid doctrine, many will even publicly declare, "Lord, Lord". Perhaps even 100% of their teaching is true. Yes, hear me clearly. A child of the devil can even teach truth, He can even do mighty miracles, mighty works in the name of Jesus Christ.

How easy for a minister of Satan, to deceive many! With truth in his lips, miracles under his feet, who can discern that he is a ravenous wolf? Ah! I will give that answer, but first hear the proverb, "For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding."Who can discern and see right through a snake? Who can pierce a soul with His eyes and burn right through a heart? The Lord. Hear wisdom: "Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven."

You may wonder than, how it is these false ministers do there miracles if they aren't real Christians. Well remember, the magicians in Egypt, how they imitated some of the plagues. Surely if a magician can seem to appear miraculous, surely these false ministers are nothing more than magicians themselves, disguised in sheeps clothing, but are inwardly ravenous wolves. They never knew God, therefore, they rightly hear, " I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity."

So how is it that we can wake up out of deceit? How is it that those who are deceived can escape the claws of Satan and discern what is true and what is not in this case, with ministers who do signs and wonders?

Well first off, know that you can't know if someone is a real Christian by there signs and wonders. As we have seen, magicians can perform signs and wonders and still not be Christians, but really children of the devil. So make it a habit of not looking for signs and wonders, to be evidence of a real Christian.

Second, cry to God for wisdom and discernment.

Thirdly, realize that it is 'he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven," that will enter the kingdom of heaven. Is this minister doing the will of God? This will be hard to find out, do not make it a duty to find out either, rather hear these words of Jesus:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them." -- Matthew 7:15-20

Notice Jesus says, "You shall know them by their fruits.....Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them." Not by anything else, but by their fruit, this is one of the 'litmus tests', if you want to call it that, how you ought to know whether someone is a real Christian or not. Do not be deceived! Do not be deceived! "He that says, I know Him (Jesus Christ), and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." -- 1 John 2:4

In conclusion, bind Jesus' words in Matthew 7:15-20 around your neck and never let them forsake you. Remember them and study them. It would be even good to read the book of 1st John.

A servant of the most high God;
A son by Jesus Christ;
Paul Mcgrade

Purposed To.....

Well, I have purposed to no longer wear myself out by unnecessary means. Last night, I felt I had no strength, tired, burdened by various doctrines, sermons, books, frustrations, and evil. Yet, "it came to pass" that I prayed and the Lord was my Helper. I prayed and He was my Strength. I prayed and my burdens were lifted. I prayed and He opened up my understanding. I prayed and felt a calm, a sense of peace and His love for me, though I don't deserve His kindness to me. I thank God for all things, knowing that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

Now by unnecessary means, I mean mostly by sermons & books. As it stands right now, I have 30 books in my room, which most, I haven't even read a page out of, but intend to read them. Now those books which I want to read touch upon hundreds of different things. There is a discontentment in me, a desire to buy more books, when I should understand all the books that I have now and eat and digest them well, take time to read them thoroughly, not rushing them, but reading them over and over if it takes me my whole life.

According to my Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary one of the Greek words for covetousness, is pleonexia, which literally means, "a desire to have more". Now, I will not say, that is definitely what covetousness is, due to my lack of understanding to the Greek and Hebrew language. Though I will live with a good conscience, if I should have no desire for more, but rather to have a zealous desire for God, to be most satisfied in Him and most contented in Him. To not be shaken and stirred by desires for more.

Now, what strongly wears me out is searching through thousands of sermons and trying to hear the best ones, trying to digest it all, on top of books and on top of the Bible. How tiresome and weary it is to me, to study sermons and books and the Bible at the same time. So my purpose now is to not listen to sermons (not in the strict sense, but rather in a laid back one, lest I wear myself out by doing that) and get one of my books, get my Bible and delight myself in the Bible, meditate over it, and read my book.

I must say though, prayer is vital, it is needed to live and a Christian cannot live unless He prays.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

A Novelty!

"One of the greatest things a young Christian can do is to make a lifelong practice of reading the English Bible systematically from Genesis to Revelation over and over again." -- Paul Washer

In roughly 3 months, I'll be 17 years old. By that time, will I have wasted it? Will I have let 3 precious months slip right through my fingers, to never see it again? Paul Washer also wrote these words, "Every day that you give to the reading of God's word will eventually add up to years of study and a wealth of biblical knowledge. Every day lost will reduce the size of that final treasure." So to begin to make it a lifelong practice, I have come up with a reading plan. Starting at Genesis and ending at Revelation. Infact, I started reading Genesis 3 days ago and I've already read through the first 36 chapters. At least 11 chapters a day is the plan. Because the Bible has 1,189 chapters, that means in 109 days, of reading 11 chapters, I would have read the whole Bible for the first time, in roughly 3 months! Now if I read more then 11 chapters a day, obviously 109 days will shrink lower. I might also say that reading 11 chapters usually takes from 1-2 hours.

The entire article written by Paul Washer that I've quoted from can be found at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=104260034&blog
ID=162096802&MyToken=f8bda254-6204-4640-85c8-0f7b3504324c

Paul Washer has been one of the biggest influences that has shown me real Christianity. He currently serves as the director for the Heartcry Missionary Society. A link can be found in the links section.

Listen To Modern American Christianity By Paul Washer

The Crucified Life?

Well, living in modern times, it is much harder to write a old fashion ink/paper journal. I've tried and can't ever seem to get my thoughts on paper before I'm off writing a book, which is frustrating, tiring, and simply wears me out. I've been using computers for the last 7 years and never once have I considered starting a blog. I'll say that I was inspiried to write a blog after seeing how simple they are. How finally, I can have a "journal" if you want to call it that, to help me gather my thoughts together.