“Promised Rest”

 “Promised Rest”

So, God’s Rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they DISOBEYED God. So, God set another time for entering His rest, and that time is TODAY.  God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you HEAR His Voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:6,7

 

To whom was God speaking of when He took an oath that they would never enter His REST? It was the Israelites, who had DISOBEYED HIM by their UNBELIEF. They REFUSED to go into the PROMISED LAND, like He had TOLD them to do. And they were BANNED from entering God’s DIVINE Rest. This SPIRITUAL REST is therefore an issue NOT JUST for the PAST, but it is for the PRESENT and FUTURE.

God has PROVIDED His DIVINE REST, for the TRUE BELIEVERS, TODAY.  It includes the PROMISE of FORGIVENESS, PARDON, and PEACE. Those of the OLD TESTAMENT ERA, were not able ENTER the DIVINE REST, because they DID NOT BELIEVE GOD, they did not TRUST Him.  Without FAITH, it is IMPOSSIBLE to PLEASE GOD!

Realizing the Promises of God has always been conditioned on mankind’s RESPONSE of FAITH. God is SERIOUS about people coming to KNOW HIM.  He CALLS us with a STIRRING of OUR HEARTS by the HOLY SPIRIT. This is a SIGN within us for ACTION, on our part, because of our FAITH. So, how is YOUR FAITH?  Have you been OBEDIENT to GOD’S commands for your life?  Do you BELIEVE and TRUST Him?

God’s Promise of entering His REST STILL STANDS, so we ought to tremble with FEAR that some of you might FAIL to EXPERIENCE it. For this GOOD NEWS that God has prepared this REST—-has been announced to US just as it was to the ISRAELITES. But it did them NO GOOD because they DIDN’T SHARE the FAITH of those who LISTENED to GOD. And ONLY those who BELIEVE can enter His REST.  As for the others, God said, “In My Anger I took an oath:  “THEY WILL NEVER ENTER MY PLACE of REST.” (Vv1-3)

If you want to have GOD’S DEVINE, ETERNAL REST you MUST DO the FOLLOWING THINGS: You MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON, who GAVE HIS LIFE to SAVE YOUR SOUL.  You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven making intercession for you before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and ENTER His DIVINE REST.  Do this NOW while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

 

“No Judgment”

 “No Judgment”

 

“There is NO judgment against anyone who BELIEVES in Him. But ANYONE who does NOT BELIEVE in Him has already been JUDGED for NOT BELIEVING in God’s ONE and ONLY SON”.  John 3:18

Most people know John 3:16 by heart: “For God So LOVED the world that He gave His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. That WHOSOEVER BELIEVES in HIM should NOT PERISH but have ETERNAL LIFE. Verse seventeen follows it up with the FACT that He did NOT SEND His Son into the world to JUDGE the WORLD, but to SAVE the WORLD through the SACRIFICE of JESUS, His SON.

God’s PURPOSE of sending His Son is SALVATION (to SAVE) and NOT to CONDEMN. God does NOT ENJOY the DEATH of the wicked. It is His DESIRE that ALL would be SAVED. First Timothy 2:1-6, the words of the APOSTLE PAUL to Timothy, his son in the ministry: “I urge you, first to PRAY for ALL people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and ALL who are in authority so that we can live peaceful, quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.  This is GOOD and PLEASES God our SAVIOR, who wants EVERYONE to be SAVED and to UNDERSTAND the TRUTH.  For, there is ONE GOD and ONE MEDIATOR who can RECONCILE GOD and HUMANITY—-the man CHRIST JESUS. HE GAVE His LIFE to purchase FREEDOM for EVERYONE.”

There is NO JUDGMENT AGAINST anyone who BELIEVES in the SON of the LIVING GOD. But those who do NOT BELIEVE in JESUS and His SAVING WORK has ALREADY been JUDGED for NOT BELIEVING.  And this JUDGMENT is based on this FACT:  God’s LIGHT (Jesus), came into the world, but people LOVED the DARKNESS MORE than the LIGHT, for their ACTIONS were EVIL.  And ALL who do EVIL HATE the LIGHT and REFUSE to go NEAR IT for FEAR their SINS will BE EXPOSED.

A TRUE BELIEVER is also a sinner that has been REDEEMED and will NOT FACE JUDGMENT or CONDEMNATION for their SINS because they have come to CHRIST JESUS (the Light) and have CONFESSED their SINS to HIM and ASKED HIM for His FORGIVENESS with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. And their ETERNITY WILL BE in HEAVEN, where there is NO DARKNESS caused by EVIL ACTIONS. And they now carry the TITLE of a TRUE BELIEVER of JESUS CHRIST. What about you?  Are you a TRUE BELIEVER?  Or are you a SINNER, who desires the DARKNESS and hates the LIGHT?  I PRAY that ALL who may read THIS, will realize that HELL is NOT A PLACE of PARTYING, but it is a PLACE of HORRORS and UNENDING AGONY. And the ONLY WAY to ESCAPE IT is to come to JESUS and ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS, God’s Only Son.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN making intercession for you before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and NO JUDGMENT and LIVE in the LIGHT. Do this NOW while you STILL can!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

 

“WARNING: DON’T DRIFT AWAY”

 “WARNING: DON’T DRIFT AWAY”

 

We must listen very carefully to the TRUTH we have heard, or we may DRIFT away from it. For the message of God delivered through angels has always STOOD FIRM, and every violation of the law and every act of DISOBEDIENCE was punished.  So, what makes US think WE can escape if we ignore this great SALVATION that was first announced by the Lord Jesus, Himself and then delivered to us by those who heard Him speak?   Heb. 2:1-3

The Author of the Book of Hebrews gives his first WARNING to those who are part of God’s family. He tells them to LISTEN CAREFULLY!  To me these words imply that this is VERY IMPORTANT and we SHOULD take it to HEART.  So, what is SO IMPORTANT that we SHOULD LISTEN CAREFULLY well it is the TRUTH. 

There use to be a game show called “TRUTH or CONSEQUENCES” and the contestants had to guess if the person they were questioning, was telling the TRUTH or NOT.  If they guessed WRONG, then they faced the CONSEQUENCES.  And the WARNING here tells us that the CONSEQUENCES of NOT LISTENING CAREFULLY to the TRUTH could cause us to DRIFT AWAY FROM the TRUTH.

The Message (law) of God that was delivered by the ANGELS had ALWAYS STOOD FIRM, and EVERY VIOLATION of the LAW and EVERY ACT of DISOBEDIENCE was PUNISHED.   So, what makes US THINK we can ESCAPE if we IGNORE this GREAT SALVATION that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself?

If God was SERIOUS about His Message (the law) that came through the ANGELS, how much MORE serious is He about His Message that came through His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST (the Gospel). 

Yes, by God’s GRACE, Jesus tasted DEATH for EVERYONE.  God, FOR whom and THROUGH whom everything was made, chose to bring MANY into GLORY.  And JESUS, through His SUFFERING, was a PERFECT LEADER; FIT to BRING them into their SALVATION. So, now JESUS and the ones He makes HOLY have the SAME FATHER.  That is WHY He is NOT ASHAMED to call them His Brothers AND Sisters.  Are you STANDING FIRM in your FAITH or are YOU DRIFTING AWAY from the TRUTH? 

If you have NOT GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to GOD through His Son, JESUS who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED and ROSE from DEATH and the grave.  Then you are CONTINUALLY DRIFTING AWAY from such a GREAT SALVATION. And are headed for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  In order to RECEIVE SUCH a GREAT SALVATION, you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, and you MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for you and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and DON’T IGNORE this GREAT SALVATION.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s. WAITING and COMING SOON!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!

“The Bread from Heaven”

 “The Bread from Heaven”

 

Jesus replied, “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry again. John 6:35

Jesus had been ministering to a large crowd in Galilee; they had followed Him because of the MIRACULOUS signs He performed. As the day wore on, Jesus knew the people were getting HUNGRY.  So, He had them sit down on the ground, there were about 5,000 men in ADDITION to ALL the women and children!  And He fed them from FIVE loaves of bread and TWO FISH. They ALL ate as MUCH as they WANTED. And the Disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 

The people really wanted Jesus to PROVIDE all their food. And they were not happy when He told them that they SHOULD NOT be so concerned about PERISHABLE THINGS like FOOD. He told them to spend their energy SEEKING ETERNAL LIFE that ONLY He could give them.

Jesus told them that He was the BREAD of LIFE, and those who come to Him will NEVER be hungry again. He was NOT talking about PERISHABLE BREAD, but the SPIRITUAL BREAD that would give them SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT and provide ETERNAL LIFE.  

He told the people that those the FATHER GAVE Him WILL COME to Him, and He WOULD NEVER REJECT them.  He told them: “I have come down from Heaven to do the WILL of God who sent Me, not to do MY OWN will. And this is the WILL of GOD, that I SHOULD NOT LOSE even ONE of ALL those He has GIVEN Me, but that I SHOULD RAISE them up at the LAST DAY.  For it is the FATHER’S Will that ALL who SEE His SON and BELIEVE in Him should have ETERNAL LIFE.  I will raise them up at the LAST DAY.”  (Vv 37-40) For NO ONE can come to Him UNLESS the Father who sent Him DRAWS them to Him. And ANYONE who BELIEVES has ETERNAL LIFE!

So, my questions to YOU are:  Do you BELIEVE that JESUS CHRIST is the SON of the LIVING GOD? Do you BELIEVE that He is the BREAD of LIFE sent from Heaven to do the WILL of His FATHER?  Are you WILLING to GIVE UP your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TOTALLY SURRENDER yourself to GOD to be able to have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS and to be ABLE to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there??

If you have NOT done the questions above, you NEED to do it NOW.  TRUST ME, JESUS IS COMING SOON to RESCUE ALL TRUE BELIEVERS from the HORRIBLE THINGS that will take place after the RAPTURE of ALL the TRUE BELIEVERS. And this could happen ANY TIME NOW!! PLEASE don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!  Because HE is WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

“The LIGHT”

 “The LIGHT”

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you:  GOD is LIGHT, and there is NO DARKNESS in Him at all. 1John 1:5

 

John is concluding the introduction to his letter. And now he is getting down to business: “This is the MESSAGE we heard from JESUS and NOW DECLARE to you:” John is speaking that which is TRUTH: “GOD is LIGHT” and there is NO DARKNESS in Him at ALL. And that is the MESSAGE that John wanted people to KNOW. 

John goes on to say: “So, we are lying if we say we have FELLOWSHIP with God but we continue LIVING in SPIRITUAL DARKNESS; we are NOT practicing the TRUTH.  But if we ARE LIVING in the LIGHT, then we will have FELLOWSHIP with each other and the BLOOD of JESUS, the SON of the LIVING GOD; CLEANSES us from ALL SIN.  (Vv 6-7)

However, on the backside of this declaration, John tells us: “if we say we have NOT SINNED, we are FOOLING OURSELVES, and the TRUTH is NOT in our HEARTS.  But IF we CONFESS our SINS to GOD, through the LORD JESUS CHRIST, HE can ALWAYS be TRUSTED to FORGIVE us and take away our sins. Then we can LIVE in the LIGHT. 

 Some may say they have NOT sinned, and when they do, they make GOD a LIAR, and His message is NOT in their HEARTS.  And when they SIN and CONFESS their SINS, they have an ADVOCATE who will PLEAD their case before FATHER GOD. He is JESUS CHRIST, the ONE who is TRULY RIGHTEOUS.  HE IS the SACRIFICE that ATONES for ALL the SINS of MANKIND. 

Have you come to JESUS for the SALVATION of your SOUL? Are you LIVING IN the LIGHT? To be able to LIVE in the LIGHT, you MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS, who will PLEAD your case before GOD. You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He IS ALIVE in HEAVEN making intercession for you before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINS and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and LIVE in the LIGHT NOT the DARK.  Do this NOW while you STILL can!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!! Because AFTER ALL of GOD’S CHILDREN are RAPTURED, this WICKED OLD WORLD, will be MUCH MUCH WORSE than it is NOW.

 

 

“Be WATCHFUL and READY”

 “Be WATCHFUL and READY!”

 

“So, you, too, MUST KEEP WATCH! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would KEEP WATCH and NOT allow his house to be broken into. You MUST BE READY ALL the TIME, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.  Matthew 24:42-44

We are SO close to this event, which is known as the RAPTURE, the SNATCHING AWAY of ALL TRUE BELIEVERS who belong to the Family of God.  

  In the meantime: The LORD JESUS wants the TRUE BELIEVERS to be RAPTURE READY, which includes being WATCHFUL and ALERT. I BELIEVE that the RAPTURE will take place PRIOR to the TRIBULATION period. This EVENT will be LOUD, according to 1st Thess. 4:16.  The Apostle Paul says:  “For the Lord, Himself will come down from heaven with a COMMANDING SHOUT, with the voice of the archangel, and with the TRUMPET call of GOD.”

And when that happens, then the believers who have died will rise from their graves. And the believers who are ALIVE on earth will be CAUGHT UP together in the clouds to MEET the Lord in the AIR.  And we shall be with the LORD FOREVER.

This will come UNEXPECTEDLY like a thief in the night. Let us who live in the LIGHT be CLEARHEADED, PROTECTED by the ARMOR OF FAITH and LOVE, and WEARING as our HELMET the CONFIDENCE of our SALVATION.

For God chose to SAVE US through our LORD JESUS CHRIST, NOT to POUR OUT His anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are DEAD or ALIVE when He RETURNS, we can LIVE with HIM FOREVER. (1st Thess. 4:9-10)

So, to be RAPTURE READY: Jesus wants His BELIEVERS to be WATCHFUL and ALERT. He wants to FIND US BUSY sharing the LOVE of GOD to this LOST and DYING WORLD.  And we MUST BE WISE and TRUSTWORTHY until He RETURNS, (could be TODAY).

To be RAPTURE READY: You must be a TRUE BELIEVER in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and You MUST BE DRAWN by His SPIRIT, and ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS, who GAVE His LIFE to SAVE your WRETCHED SOUL from spending an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven making intercession for YOU before GOD.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and be WATCHFUL and RAPTURE READY.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can!!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON, COULD BE TODAY!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!  

 

 

“The PERFECT Sacrifice”

 “The PERFECT Sacrifice”

 

So, Christ has now become the High Priest over ALL GOOD things that have come.  He has entered that GREATER; MORE PERFECT TABERNACLE in Heaven, which was NOT made by human hands and is NOT part of this created world.  Hebrews 9:11

 

Jesus Christ, the High Priest of the New Covenant, God’s Only Son, the PERFECT SACRIFICE.  He entered the PERFECT TABERNACLE in Heaven, which was NOT made with HUMAN HANDS and is NOT part of this created world.  He entered the PERFECT TABERNACLE, not with the BLOOD of goats and calves, but with HIS OWN BLOOD. He entered the MOST HOLY PLACE once for ALL time and SECURED our REDEMPTION FOREVER. 

Under the OLD SYSTEM, the BLOOD of GOATS and BULLS AND THE ashes of the HEIFER could CLEANSE the OUTSIDE. (V13 But the Blood of Christ Jesus can CLEANSE our CONSCIENCES from DEAD WORKS so we can SERVE the LIVING GOD. His BLOOD can CLEANSE us on the INSIDE; and MAKE OUR CONSCIENCE CLEAN. 

Just think how much MORE the BLOOD of CHRIST can PURIFY our consciences from SINFUL DEEDS, so we can WORSHIP the LIVING GOD. By the POWER of the ETERNAL SPIRIT, CHRIST offered HIMSELF to God as the PERFECT SACRIFICE for OUR sins. He entered into Heaven to appear before God on OUR behalf. He did NOT ENTER Heaven to offer HIMSELF AGAIN and AGAIN, like the high priest on earth who enters the MOST HOLY PLACE YEAR after YEAR with the BLOOD of an ANIMAL. 

If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die AGAIN and AGAIN. But NOW, once for ALL time. He has appeared at the end of the ages to REMOVE SIN by His OWN DEATH as the PERFECT SACRIFICE. And just as each person is DESTINED to DIE once and after that comes the JUDGMENT, so also Christ was offered ONCE for ALL TIME as THE PERFECT SACRIFICE to take AWAY OUR SINS.  He WILL COME AGAIN, not to deal with OUR SINS, but to COMPLETE the SALVATION of the TRUE BELIEVER.  Are you READY?  Now is the TIME to SURRENDER YOUR ALL to HIM. 

To be able to be CLEANSED of YOUR SINS, and SPEND your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, this is what you MUST DO.  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the Savior, JESUS CHRIST, who is the ONLY PERFECT SACRIFICE for our SINS.  You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is in HEAVEN making intercession for YOU before GOD.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK HIM for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and BE FORGIVEN of ALL your SINS, because of the PERFECT SACRIFICE.  Do ALL the above, NOW, before it’s too LATE.  HE’S WAITING and COMING SOON!!! Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!