Count on God

By Jack Sternik

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

Faith is the opposite of fear. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith in Christ secures freedom from condemnation; it is the necessary component of saving grace. Faith is fellowship with Jesus Christ. Faith trusts in the Word of God. Faith is a conviction that Jesus Christ is Messiah. Faith is experiencing life with Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ provides confidence. Faith in Jesus Christ is power to act. Grace and faith are the first principles of the Gospel. Faith in Jesus Christ believes in his attributes of character and perfection. True faith, by Jesus Christs definition, always involves surrender to the will of God.

Be sure and secure in faith!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449787691

Jack Sternik

Jack Sternik is a United States Army veteran, retired production control manager, piping design systems engineer, technical writer, parent and grandparent, choir member, Bible student and instructor. Driven by God’s grace, spirit and truth in love. And most of all, child of God.

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Copyright © 2013 Jack Sternik.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-8768-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8767-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8769-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013914730

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/28/2013

Table of Contents

Introduction

Credits and Acknowledgements

There is a Difference in Justification and Sanctification

Christian Christmas Song, Mary, Did You Know?

God’s Mystery and Power Revealed

Jesus taught the Trinity, (Elohim)

Foreword

The Bible is the (SOP) Standard Operational Procedure for Living Life Successfully

Chapter 1. My Story—Jack Sternik

Chapter 2. PAUL and the DAMASCUS ROAD

Chapter 3. Be Mindful of Him and Bless His Name

Chapter 4. My Story—Roland Bergeron

Chapter 5. The Unforgiving Blame Game, The Trap

Chapter 6. Doubting Thomas or Man of Faith

Chapter 7. Bible Skepticism

Chapter 8. Religious Practice verses Personal Relationship

Chapter 9. An Invitation to See the Messiah

Chapter 10. My Story—Rob Dempsey

Chapter 11. To Deny, Yield to, or Betray the Son of God

Chapter 12. The Ten Commandments

Chapter 13. Man had Fallen from God’s Grace, but Blessed Assurance Prevails

Chapter 14. Our Story—Ed. D. Mike and Susan Collins

Chapter 15. Final Word for Drifters

Chapter 16. My Story—Laura Calloway

Chapter 17. By: Paul Newton, Our Missing Piece/Peace

Chapter 18. He is Risen, Hallelujah!

Chapter 19. How to live a Godly life

Chapter 20. Why Purpose Your Life to Live Free From Sin?

My Special Prayer for God’s Mercy—Psalm 51:1-18 NKJV

My Special Psalm of Praise—Psalm 23 NIV

About the Author

God Has a Plan For You.

Come, Let Us Reason Together.

" . . . Let God be true, and every man a liar.

As it is written:"

(Romans 3:4 NIV)

Valuable Messages from the Word of God

with Personal Christian Testimonies.

A Devotional Christian Apologetics

An Epitaph of Faith

By: Jack Sternik

and Friends

Introduction

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This book is about getting on line with God. It is a collection of short stories written to help increase our spiritual awareness of how we’re relating to God and others. It hopes to strengthen the Christian conscience through loving, challenging reproofs, corrections, and instructions in righteousness.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).

Be not deceived by what you think and do, for whatever you sow you will reap. There are consequences to every decision we make, and this book intends to help us recognize some better ways for making decisions. God desires His children to depend on His love, truth, grace and mercy. We who live by faith in God are strongly encouraged to live free from sin. This book hopefully will be a guide to help you live in accordance with God’s will.

Something liberating and healing happens inside us when we put aside our own rights to obey and understand God’s requests. His presence overwhelms us with joy. His truth in us continues to endure through all generations, and His faithfulness transcends our human logic.

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires" (Romans 8:5 NIV).

There is more in life than meets the eye. Let’s not continue to live in the shadows of sinful pursuit.

Let us resist every temptation to sin and honor and glorify God. This is His will. The Just Are Justified By Faith. The Just Shall Live By Faith (Romans 5:1; 1:17; 10:9, 10; John 14:21; Galatians 5:16-21 KJV).

Jesus taught, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and Believe in the Gospel.’ (Mark 1:15 see also; Acts 3:19, 20, 20:21, Hebrews 4:1-3 NKJV).

Credits and Acknowledgements

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Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Bible English Authorized 1978, the Ryrie Study Bible King James Version. © 1976, 1978, by; the Moody Institute of Chicago.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright © 1982, 1979, 1980 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thanks to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for quotations noted in book at various text locations.

Artwork of Book Cover is by Kaitlyn Czajkowski, with other Photography artwork by Don Basler www.bazgallery.com and myself.

Special thanks for quotes taken from various publications recorded in this book by noted individuals that include: Evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, Pastor Dr. Charles Stanley, Author Theologian Charles Caldwell Ryrie, deceased Pastor Theologian, C. I. Scofield, Pastor former Attorney Author Perry Duggar, Journalist Author Lee Strobel, Author Dammond R, Duck, Author Jim Combs, deceased Cleric Theologian John Wesley, Pastor Author Darrin Hunt, Author Dr. Ray Pritchard (Lifelong student of the Bible.)Author Dave Arch, Author Christopher S. Esty, Teacher Author Jim Elliot, Pastor Teacher F. M. Perry, Pastor Author TV Personality John Hagee, Pastor Paul Jimenez, CARM Christian Apologetic & Research Ministry Author Matt Slick, Pastor Ryan Habbena, Pastor Author Timothy Leller, Institute of Creation Research (ICR), Pastor David Padfield and Preacher Theologian Jonathan Edwards.

Thanks for Lyrics of Songs and Hymns written in book by: Horatio G. Spafford, Robert Robinson, Samuel J. Stone, Chris Tomlin, William L. Thomas, Stephen Sondheim, Mark Lowry and Composer Evangelist John Stallings.

This book is dedicated to my special friend and brother in the Lord Joseph Blascheck, who many years ago told me when the time was right I should write a book. Joe, I believe the time is right.

I would also like to thank my first grade teacher who today I no longer remember by name; sorry. Your faith in me has provided a tremendous strength. God knows who you are, and I hope the LORD has blessed you throughout your life as your kind words have blessed me through mine.

Thanks to the Godly men and woman who have gone before or go with me today carrying the torch of God’s word in righteousness. Their names are just too numerous to mention.

Special thanks to my sixth grade public school teacher Mrs. Burns who shared with the class stories from the Bible daily. It was the first time I ever heard the unadulterated version of the Word of God. The 23rd Psalm was memorized by me through her teaching, and has stayed with me all my life.

Special thanks to Roland Bergeron, Robert Dempsey, Ed.D. Mike & Susan Collins, Paul Newton and Laura Calloway, all of whom share their Christian Testimonies and message of Faith with us in this book.

Thank you Judy Comp-Sternik, my loving, spiritually devoted wife and co-editor. Your life is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given me.

Thanks to my close friend and co-editor; Mike Corforte, whose guidance and convicting words were invaluable.

A special thanks to my friend George Auger who led me to Jesus Christ. I remember when he gave me a Bible and this special prayer:

May The Lord continue to bless you brother as you study to show yourself approved unto God… a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The desire of my heart for you is; that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and ever increasing in the knowledge of God.

A special thanks to Ron Rombough who guided my steps of understanding with his excellence of lifestyle, friendship, and one-on-one personal Bible instruction.

Thanks be to Almighty God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, my Lord and Savior, and to God the Holy Spirit my Guide and Comforter.

Don’t evaluate God’s reliability according to human standards. God will never lie, never deceive or ever mislead you. We can trust Him explicitly, and rely on Him to always keep his promises. His words are Pure and they are True.

Ask yourself if it is time for the Holy Spirit to give you a Character Change? Is it time you returned to the LORD in Repentance, through His Grace and Faith in

Jesus Christ?

Genuine truth uncovers sinful darkness; it enables us to see clearly and act accordingly. The Word/word of God, determines our potential.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.—He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created (James 1:17, 18 NIV).

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,—having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:22, 23 NKJV).

God instructs us to seek truth and live righteously.

God’s truth sets us free from the pursuit to sin.

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whosoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV).

Be not afraid, open up your heart to the LORD and be sanctified and encouraged in His Holy Spirit of faithfulness and righteousness. And know that all things work together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called: whom He called, these He also justified; these He also glorified.

What than shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

And Jesus said:  . . . wisdom is justified by her children (Matthew 11:19).

Making right decisions regarding God’s will is the most important decision we can ever make. God thinks, reasons, and acts at levels infinitely higher than ours, possessing supernatural and unequaled wisdom. God does not suffer from the constraints of time or the limitations of human logic. His ways are higher and wider than our ways. Doing things half right is still doing things half wrong, leading one in the wrong direction on God’s ONE WAY Street of faith and obedience. God’s will is that we surrender our independence and yield to His perfect will in all things. In the long run He knows what is best for all of us. Promising believers everlasting life proves He has the foreknowledge and power to predetermine anything. It is important to trust the LORD by faith explicitly; we should always be a blessing to God and others. Faithfulness to God will satisfy the soul and save the sinner.

Almost from the moment I was compelled to seek and trust Jesus Christ for my destiny, I sensed the spiritual urge to find answers to questions about God’s Grace, Truth, and Love, from the Word of truth, the Bible. I share in this book from an earthly prospective, and yet with God’s heavenly wisdom, how God has redirected my life path of thinking and doing.

I have learned that once I became a believer in Jesus Christ God’s Spirit had given me additional clarity of mind and a deeper freedom for choice to Honor and Glorify Him than I ever had before.

By God’s Spirit and Grace through Faith, we are able to coexist and enjoy a relationship together now and for eternity. The Bible says: Mankind isn’t saved by his works, neither is salvation based on performance or good deeds. God’s will desires our love and that we should flee from sin, walk in the Spirit, and love one another.

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, and that the goodness, love, and grace of God leads a person to repentance and faith in God and in His Son (Gal. 5:6, 16, 19-25; Rom’s 2:4, John 3:16-21, Eph. 2:8-10, John 10:27,28). Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ and be saved (Rom’s. 10:9, 10).This is the will of God (1 Corinthians 15-1-4, Romans 1:16, 17, 6:1-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 14:15-21).

Taking chances of getting caught in a lifestyle of sin and doing crimes against God and Humanity, requires God’s grace and mercy for deliverance and forgiveness.

In America and in most places in this world we are conditioned to believe we remain innocent of wrongdoing until we get caught, defying the principle that all our decisions, whether we get caught or not, have consequences. This results in people living presumptuously in the state of sin and false security. It hinders the power of the Holy Spirit freedom to save the soul and deliver us from sinful pursuit which can be costly in the consequences that we face. A Holy God does not bless defiance of His word in anyone; God will not be mocked by shrewdness or the cleverness of sin (Galatians 6:7; John 12:48; 14:21). People continue to make mistakes, and because of the decision to satisfy the wants of the moment many will lose what is truly important to them. God’s grace remains ongoing and necessary. Repentance for sin is a requirement that makes way for being faithful. Faithfulness will be rewarded to every child of God as His word promises.

The war between the saved sinner and sin is continuous, (Rom. 7:14-20) and it won’t be until the return of Jesus Christ that we will be delivered from this body of death completely (Rom. 7:24). To seek sin continually and use God’s grace to excuse it later is to trample the blood of Christ underfoot, (Heb. 10:29) and reveal the person’s true sinful unsaved nature (1 John 2:4-19). Other verses worth mentioning are: (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:14-16; and 1 Peter 2:21-22).

We are in a spiritual battle. Regardless of whether we want to be in a spiritual battle or not we are in one. The battle is between good and evil, and we are the prize. God desires to have a relationship with us, bless us, and live with us forever. Satan desires to keep us from all God wants for us. He is the enemy of all people… followers of Jesus or not. He is our enemy. Quote: by Dr.Charles Stanley, from his book titled—The face of Evil.

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins (James 4:17 NIV).

But he that does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God (John 3:21 NKJV).

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life—For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:22, 23 KJV).

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,—not of works lest anyone should boast.—For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV).

1 Thessalonians. 4:7, 8 NKJV says, For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.—Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit."

God doesn’t save anyone from sin for anyone to continuously live in sin.

Living for the Lord is perfecting holiness; so let us Kiss the Son of God in faith and flee from all known unrighteousness (Psalm 2:12).

The scriptures teach us that we are to live holy lives and avoid sin (Colossians 1:5-11).

To live for Christ means you will take your faith seriously. You won’t compromise the truth, but rather you will be diligent to demonstrate what it means to uphold the highest standards of life. Thus, you will seek to honor God in all that you do. You will have nothing to be ashamed of, for Christ’s blood will purify your life. Does this describe what your relationship with Jesus is like? If not, what’s keeping you from experiencing it?

Jesus offers us strength to live a pure life, but we must be willing to abide in Him in order to receive it. It is not possible to live like this outside of Him. Those who allow Jesus to empower them will walk in holiness; they will bear good