"There's Coming a Day

 

“There’s Coming a Day”

 

For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.   And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus, we shall ALWAYS be with the Lord.    1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

 

This is a description of the DAY or TIME when the LORD JESUS CHRIST comes to RAPTURE the Church or the TRUE BELIEVERS. This word “RAPTURE” is the same as being “CAUGHT-UP”.  It will be carried out VERY DRAMATICALLY and with a lot of FORCE.  The Scripture tells us that the LORD, HIMSELF will descend from Heaven with a SHOUT, with the VOICE of an archangel, and then the TRUMPET of GOD will sound. And the Dead in Christ will RISE first.  Can you just imagine what it would be like, to be in the cemetery when that happens?  All the BODIES coming UP out of the ground, although it will happen in the BLINK of an eye, so you would miss it.  And if you are a TRUE BELIEVER, you will be CAUGHT-UP just as QUICKLY. 

 

We see in verse seventeen, that those who are ALIVE and REMAIN shall be CAUGHT-UP together with those who have died in Christ and meet Him in the clouds. The DEAD in CHRIST first, then the TRUE BELIEVERS.  And they will FOREVER BE with the Lord!!  What a DAY THAT WILL BE!!!  Are you READY??

 

The Lord is COMING BACK for ALL of GOD’S CHILDREN, and it WON’T BE LONG.   If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through the SACRIFICE of His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, then you ARE NOT READY.  You are NOT READY to FACE JUDGMENT or the ETERNAL DESTINY of HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, after you are there.  In order to be READY, you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, and 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 ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION and BE READY for that DAY, because WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Set A Guard and Keep Watch"

 

“Set A Guard and Keep Watch”

 

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.  Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.     Psalms 141:3,4

 

These verses are part of David’s evening prayer, it was a prayer for SANCTIFICATION, he wanted God to PURIFY or SET him FREE from sin.  So, he implores God to, first, set a GUARD over his mouth, to prevent him from using WRONG speech, to DIRECT his WORDS, and to KEEP WATCH over his WORDS, that they might be PLEASING to the HOLY RIGHTEOUS GOD of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. 

 

Secondly, he implored upon God to STOP him from being DRAWN to what is EVIL, that he would NOT take part in WICKED DEEDS, along with the EVILDOERS.  And to KEEP him FROM being ENTICED to participate in their SENSUAL LUXURIES, which is GAINED by their WICKED ACTIVITIES.  David desired God’s DIVINE INTERVENTION, in order to SANCTIFY him for GOD’S PURPOSES, and NOT his own. 

 

This SHOULD BE the prayer of EVERY TRUE BELIEVER.  As human beings, we are PRONE to SIN, but as GOD’S CHILDREN, we SHOULD be PRONE to TALKING and ACTING like His CHILDREN. And to SEEK HIS HELP in EVERY ASPECT of our DAILY LIVES.  That we MIGHT be SANCTIFIED for His GOOD WORKS.  Are you SEEKING His SANCTIFICATION?  Are you SEEKING to TALK and LIVE like He wants you to?  Is it your DESIRE for Him to SET A GUARD over your MOUTH and to KEEP WATCH over the door of your LIPS?  And for Him to KEEP you from participating in WICKED DEEDS?  If NOT, you SHOULD BE, that is, if you are a TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to Him, then YOU have MAJOR problems. Your ETERNAL DESTINY is spending your ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  In order to be ABLE to ESCAPE that DESTINY, You, MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And you do that by; first, ADMITTING that you are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s ONLY SON. And BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, That JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you. Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and TRUST Him to SANCTIFY YOU for His PURPOSES.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Witnesses and the Servant"

 

“The Witnesses and the Servant”

 

“You are My Witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My Servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He.  Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.”   Isaiah 43:10

 

This was a message from the LORD GOD to the Nation of Israel, but I believe that it could very much be, a message for the Church, the Body of Christ, the TRUE BELIEVERS.  I TRULY BELIEVE that God wants the TRUE BELIEVERS, to be HIS WITNESSES and His SERVANT, because they ARE HIS CHURCH and the BODY of Christ.  If you notice the word WITNESSES is plural, which means that it is indicating INDIVIDUALS and NOT the whole.  However, the Church is comprised of the INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS, and it is the job of EACH ONE to be a WITNESS to a LOST and DYING world, as to what GOD ALMIGHTY has done in their lives and what He has PROVIDED for them throughout ALL of ETERNITY. 

 

The CHURCH is a SINGLE UNIT, made up of MANY TRUE BELIEVERS, and as the CHURCH, they who are many come TOGETHER as ONE BODY, with MANY different parts, yet they are ONE and they, the BODY, are CHOSEN to be GOD’S SERVANT.  Meaning they SERVE HIM, FIRST and FOREMOST, then they SERVE each other, working TOGETHER, to do the WILL of the FATHER, the ONE and ONLY GOD, there is NO OTHER, GOD, and there has NEVER BEEN nor SHALL there EVER be another GOD. And there is NO OTHER SAVIOR of MANKIND.  He came in the FLESH, as the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and dwelt among mankind, and gave HIS OWN LIFE to SAVE them from their SINFUL WAYS. To SECURE for them an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, and to be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS.  And He is the ONLY HOPE for a LOST and DYING world.  Do you BELIEVE in the ONLY, ONE TRUE GOD, and HIS SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST?  Do you BELIEVE that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, NOW, waiting for FATHER GOD to SAY: “SON, GO get MY CHILDREN?”  Do you BELIEVE that HE is the ONLY TRUE SAVIOR, the ONLY HOPE for the souls of mankind?

 

If you do not BELIEVE the things I have told you, and you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are DESTINED to spend your ETERNAL LIFE in HELL, with NO WAY to ESCAPE, after you are there.  In order to change your ETERNAL DESTINY, you MUST first ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the ONLY SAVIOR, God’s ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God.  CONFESS your sins to Him, and with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and become one of HIS WITNESSES and a part of His BODY, the CHURCH, His SERVANT.  DO this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

"The Path of the Righteous"

 

“The Path of the Righteous”

 

The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.  Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You eagerly; Your Name, even Your Memory, is the desire of our souls.    Isaiah 26:7-8

 

I read a very INSPIRING book, a long while back, the title was “The Bumps Are What You Climb On, it was VERY WELL WRITTEN by the late Warren Wiersbe.  In this book, we are INSPIRED to have an UNDAUNTING HOPE and PEACE of MIND, in facing times of crises, depressions frustrations and disappointments.  It encourages the reader to TRUST in GOD’S PROMISES, and to receive ALL the BLESSINGS of FORGIVENESS. 

 

I believe that Isaiah is giving us that same INSPIRATION, in these verses of Scripture.  We who are God’s TRUE Children, and are RIGHTEOUS, know that our paths, sometimes, are NOT very SMOOTH, but when we put our FAITH and TRUST in the HOLY GOD, and do not GIVE-UP, but PRESS-ON, we find our paths get SMOOTHER, because of the TRUST we have in the HOLY, RIGHTEOUS GOD, we serve.  He will HELP make our PATHS LEVEL, and we LEARN to TRUST HIM MORE. 

 

When we are OBEDIENT to His Judgments, He will bring us SAFELY down those PATHS we MUST TRAVEL, those BUMPS, we may encounter along the way are but STEPPING STONES to a SMOOTHER and MORE LEVEL PATH.  And we can find CONTENTMENT in KNOWING that we have been FAITHFUL to His JUDGMENTS and hear Him say: “WELL DONE, GOOD and FAITHFUL SERVANT.”  And with GREAT ANTICIPATION, and EAGERNESS, we WAIT for His RETURN, so that our SALVATION will be made COMPLETE.  So, how are your paths?

 

If you are an UNBELIEVER, who tries to live this life on your own, without ANY HELP from ANYONE to include GOD, then your ROUGH, BUMPY, paths, are probably getting ROUGHER and BUMPIER with each step you take.  The Bible tells us that:  The wicked will look around in despair and find that there is NO WAY to ESCAPE.  Their one hope is that death will come.  (Job 11:20) Is this your ETERNAL DESTINY?  It will be unless you are WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who died in YOUR place, for your REDEMPTION, and to FREE you from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS did DIE for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION and TRUST in Him to help your PATH be SMOOTH and LEVEL, and Receive HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS as your ETERNAL HOME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

"The Three Witnesses"

 

“The Three Witnesses”

 

This is He who came by water and blood---Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is TRUTH.  For there are three that bear witness in Heaven:  The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.  And there are three that bear witness on earth:  The Spirit, the water and the blood; and these three agree as one.    1 John 5:6-8

 

The Object of our FAITH, should ALWAYS be the One, the LORD JESUS CHRIST who came by WATER and BLOOD.  The WATER refers to His Baptism, which KICKED-OFF His Ministry.  And the BLOOD refers to His DEATH, which brought His earthly work to an END.  Yet His MISSION is STILL going on to this very day.  And it is carried out through the WORK of the HOLY SPIRIT, and because He is TRUTH, He can bear WITNESS to the DIETY of JESUS CHRIST. 

 

At the BAPTISM, (the Water) of JESUS, the Father God, and the Holy Spirit testified to the Son, (the Word), and ALL through JESUS’ Life and Ministry, the Spirit testified concerning His identity.  Even the DEATH (the Blood) of JESUS, testified to His identity.  The three that bear witness, on Earth, to His identity are the SPIRIT, the WATER and the BLOOD.  And they all three AGREE as ONE.  The Witness of God is GREATER than the witness of mankind, so, if we RECEIVE and BELIEVE the witness of MANKIND, we SHOULD RECEIVE and BELIEVE, even MORE the WITNESS of The HOLY, RIGHTEOUS GOD, which is:  “He who BELIEVES in the Son of God has the WITNESS in himself; he who does NOT BELIEVE God has made Him a LIAR, because he has NOT BELIEVED  nor ACCEPTED the TESTIMONY, which God has given of His SON, that those who BELIEVE have been given ETERNAL LIFE through His SON.”   Have you BELIEVED and RECEIVED God’s WITNESS of His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you do NOT have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, but you are FACING an ETERNAL LIFE in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  However, if you will BELIEVE and RECEIVE the TESTIMONIES of the THREE WITNESSES, concerning the identity of JESUS CHRIST, you can have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  This is what you MUST DO:  ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD. You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and the TESTIMONY of the THREE WITNESSES and BELIEVE and RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"ONCE"

 

“ONCE”

 

And as it is appointed for mankind to die ONCE, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered ONCE to bear the sins of many.  To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for SALVATION.   Hebrews 9:27-28

 

This word ONCE, has a ring of finality about it.  It doesn’t mean NUMEROUS TIMES, but ONLY ONCE.  Jesus Christ, God’s ONLY SON, did not come on our behalf, with the blood of goats and calves, as they did in Old Testament times, but He came and LAID down His OWN LIFE, with HIS OWN BLOOD, He entered the Most Holy Place ONCE for ALL, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION.  His BLOOD and His Life was SUFFICIENT to take away ALL the SINS of ALL mankind from Adam to the very LAST person to ever be born.  NOT that He should OFFER Himself OFTEN as the OLD TESTAMENT Priests did EVERY YEAR with the blood sacrifice of a spotless Lamb.  His PERFECT SACRIFICE was ONCE for ALL. 

 

He put away sin by the PERFECT SACRIFICE of HIMSELF.  Just as it is appointed for mankind to die ONCE, and after that the JUDGMENT.  Jesus Christ, died ONCE to OFFER Himself to bear the sins of MANY.  And to those of us who EAGERLY wait for Him He will come a SECOND TIME, but NOT to BEAR SINS, but to bring with Him the ETERNAL INHERITANCE, of which, we are CO-HEIRS with JESUS CHRIST.

 

However, there are MANY who are NOT looking EAGERLY to His SECOND COMING.  Because they are facing an ETERNAL JUDGMENT, in which, they will be CONDEMNED for their REJECTION of God’s ONCE for ALL, SACRIFICE, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  If they CONTINUE in their SINS and REBELLION, their ETERNAL INHERITANCE, will be an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, after they are there.  But God is giving them another opportunity to TURN AWAY FROM their sinful life-style, and to TURN TO HIM, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  All they have to do is:  Admit that they are a SINNER, in NEED of a SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And BELIEVE, with ALL their HEART, that JESUS died for THEM, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for them, before God.  They NEED to CONFESS their sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  They MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, ONCE and for ALL, and wait EAGERLY for His RETURN.   If you are one of them, then do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

 

"An Undivided Heart"

 

“An Undivided Heart”

   

Teach me Your Way, LORD, that I may rely on Your Faithfulness; give me an UNDIVIDED heart, that I may fear Your Name.    Psalm 86:11

 

This verse of Scripture is a portion from one of David’s prayers to the ALMIGHTY GOD.  And I think we, who are TRUE CHILDREN of the LIVING GOD, can gain insight, as how to CONNECT with God, that would HONOR Him and be from an UNDIVIDED HEART.

 

First, David implores God to TEACH him, His Ways, so that David would be ABLE to KNOW God better, and to have the ASSURANCE of GOD’S FAITHFULNESS unto him.  So that he might FOLLOW God’s DIRECTIONS and become MORE OBEDIENT to God’s LAWS and His WAYS.  And that he, David, would put his WHOLE TRUST in his CREATOR, GOD. 

 

Then David asked God for an UNDIVIDED HEART, that he might be TOTALLY SOLD OUT to his Master.  And with that UNDIVIDED HEART came an UNDIVIDED LOYALTY.  Then we see in verse 12 a VOW, David made to God, that he would PRAISE Him with a WHOLE HEART, UNDIVIDED and LOYAL to the end.  David’s desire was to GLORIFY GOD, and to REVERENCE His Name.

 

If you are a TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD, have you asked Him to TEACH you HIS WAYS, with an UNDIVIDED HEART, so that you might be OBEDIENT in FOLLOWING GOD’S LAWS and His WAYS?  And do you have COMPLETE TRUST in Him as your SAVIOR and LORD?  Are you WILLING to have an UNDIVIDED HEART and an UNDIVIDED LOYALTY to Him?  You can if you will only ASK.

 

However, if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT His TRUE CHILD, and you are putting your DESTINY at a HUGE RISK.  Your DESTINY, NOW, is an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  In order to CHANGE that, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of a SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON, who gave His OWN life to SAVE yours from an ETERNITY in HELL.  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.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, with an UNDIVIDED HEART and an UNDIVIDED LOYALTY.  And PRAISE Him for HIS UNFAILING LOVE, ABUNDANT MERCY and AMAZING GRACE.  And spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

 

 

"But God!"

 

“But God!”

 

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even through we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.  (It is only by God’s Grace; that you have been saved!)  For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.   Ephesians 2:4-6

 

Everyone starts out on the same level, spiritually speaking.  No matter what family we are a part of, when we are born, we are born with a SINFUL NATURE.  And ALL the WEALTH in this world CANNOT change that.  And we all, like the rest of the world, are prone to live in sin, and to OBEY the devil, who works in the HEARTS of those who REFUSE to OBEY GOD.  And that naturally puts us as an object of God’s WRATH. 

BUT GOD!! provided ETERNAL LIFE, for us, even though we were DEAD in our SINS.  He came in the form of a man, and He SUFFERED, BLED, and DIED, in our PLACE, so that we might be REDEEMED and have ETERNAL LIFE, this was possible when He was RESURRECTED from the GRIPS of DEATH and the GRAVE.  The ALMIGHTY GOD, RAISED us, along with CHRIST, and has seated us with Him in the HEAVENLY REALMS, because we are UNITED with Him. 

 

God’s actions to SAVE MANKIND, are a result of His UNDESERVED KINDNESS, UNFAILING LOVE, ABUNDANT MERCY, and His AMAZING GRACE for MANKIND.  It is NOT by ANYTHING that we have done, BUT solely lies on GOD’S GRACE and His PLAN for the SALVATION of MANKIND.  So, are you going to remain in your SINFUL, REBELLIOUS, DISOBEDIENT life-style, and continue to be SEPARATED from GOD and His AMAZING GRACE, by continuing to REJECT His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, as your SAVIOR and LORD?  This action will RESULT in YOUR ETERNAL DESTINY being an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there. 

 

BUT GOD!! is offering you one more OPPORTUNITY, to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL life-style, and to TURN TO HIM, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. And ADMIT that you ARE a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and REALIZE that GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE has provided you with: 1. Being made ALIVE with CHRIST.  2. Being RAISED UP with CHRIST, and 3. Being SEATED with CHRIST in Heaven, for ALL of ETERNITY.   So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

"Be On Guard!"

 

“Be On Guard!”

 

Be on guard, keep awake.  For you do not know when the time will come.    Mark 13:33

 

Most of us have come to the conclusion that we are living in the LAST DAYS.  So, if that is TRUE, then what should the TRUE BELIEVERS be doing?  In the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, it tells us what we should be doing.  The Lord Jesus Christ tells us to “Be on GUARD, and to KEEP AWAKE, and some translations tells us to PRAY, hopefully we are doing that anyway.  In verse thirty-two, we are told that NO ONE KNOWS the DAY or HOUR when JESUS CHRIST will RETURN to RAPTURE the TRUE BELIEVERS from this WRETCHED, SIN-DRENCHED world.  Not the ANGELS or not even JESUS, Himself, but ONLY GOD the FATHER, knows.

 

So, in the meantime, the TRUE BELIEVERS, SHOULD BE ON GUARD, and KEEP AWAKE! Because we do NOT KNOW when the time will come.  But Jesus gives us a mini-parable telling what we should be doing: “It is like a man (Jesus) going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to STAY AWAKE.  There fore STAY AWAKE---for you do NOT KNOW when the master of the house will come in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows (from midnight to 3 a.m.), or in the morning---lest he comes suddenly and finds you asleep.  And what I say to you I say to all:  STAY AWAKE.”  (vv34-37)  

 

We, who are the TRUE BELIEVERS, are the SERVANTS, who each have a TASK to do, UNTIL JESUS returns. He has EQUIPPED each of us to do that TASK, whether it be PREACHING, TEACHING or ministering in other ways. And while we are SERVING the MASTER, we NEED to BE on GUARD, and to KEEP AWAKE or ALERT.  Because we do NOT KNOW, when He will RETURN.  And we want to BE READY, and ABLE to HEAR Him say: “WELL DONE, MY GOOD and FAITHFUL SERVANT!  ENTER into your REWARD!!”  Are you EXCITED about His RETURN, or are you DREADING the very thought of it?

 

For those who have NOT given their HEART and LIFE to God, they are, more than likely, DREADING the very thought of it, because, of their REJECTION of God’s SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who GAVE His Life so that ALL MANKIND might be SAVED from their SINS and from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there.  ALL they have to do is:  ADMIT that they are a SINNER, in NEED of a SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, and be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM their sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And BELIEVE, with ALL their HEART that JESUS died for THEM, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for them, before God.  Then CONFESS their sins to GOD, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  They MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and BE ON GUARD, KEEP AWAKE, and WATCH for the RETURN of JESUS CHRIST.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

"The Key to Life"

 

“The Key to Life”

 

Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.  Guard them, for they are the key to life.   Proverbs 4:13

 

This is an important lesson of Solomon, for the benefit of one of his sons, yet I believe that this could be very APPLICABLE to the TRUE BELIEVER and could be just the thing that the ALMIGHTY GOD would want them to do.  So, let’s look at this as though it were a message from GOD to His Children, concerning the IMPORTANCE of NOT just obtaining WISDOM, but to also HOLD tight to it, especially when following INSTRUCTIONS on how to LIVE a RIGHTEOUS LIFE, in a WICKED WORLD. 

 

Solomon tells his son, that these instructions in WISE LIVING, should be HELD ON TO and GUARDED, because they are the KEY to LIFE.  I believe that God would want us to KNOW this too.  And if the TRUE BELIEVER would HOLD ON TO and GUARD the WORD of the LIVING GOD, they WOULD be ABLE to POSSESS the KEY to ETERNAL LIFE.  That KEY being SALVATION, which is ONLY obtainable, through the SHED BLOOD of the ONLY SON of GOD, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who PAID IN FULL the DEBT for the SINS of ALL MANKIND.  And it is up to MANKIND to ACCEPT or REJECT this KEY.

 

Solomon goes on to tell his son that the WAY of the RIGHTEOUS, which is the WAY of WISDOM, is like the first rays of the LIGHT of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the FULL LIGHT of noonday.  But the WAY of the WICKED is like TOTAL DARKNESS, like the BLACKNESS of the middle of the night, and causes one to STUMBLE.  If we are WISE, we will choose the WAY of WISDOM or the WAY of the RIGHTEOUS.  And we will WALK in the LIGHT of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

 

Then Solomon gives this warning:  GUARD your HEART above ALL else, for it DETERMINES the course of your LIFE.  The ONLY WAY for you to possess the KEY to LIFE, (ETERNAL LIFE), is to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of a SAVIOR, the Lord Jesus Christ.  And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your SINS to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, the KEY to LIFE, and spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS and ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  SO, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

"Being Kept Blameless"

 

“Being Kept Blameless”

 

Now may the God of Peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful.     1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

 

To be BLAMELESS, means to be GUILTLESS, FREE from being GUILTY of any WRONG DOING. This is very IMPORTANT to a TRUE BELIEVER.  It is or SHOULD BE the GOAL of each TRUE BELIEVER.  And there are some aspects to consider in order to be KEPT BLAMELESS. 

 

The first is to ALLOW the GOD of PEACE to make you HOLY in EVERY WAY. In your WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY.  The process includes: COMPLETE SANCTIFICATION, which is to be SET APART for GOD’S WORK, in which you must be made COMPLETELY HOLY.  That is to be set FREE FROM SIN, through the substitutionary DEATH and RESURRECTION of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.   

 

Then there is the aspect of FULL PRESERVATION, which is the SAFE-KEEPING of the WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY, which is done through the REDEEMING WORK of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. We are WHOLLY KEPT SAFE by His act of REGENERATION, or the SPIRITUAL REBIRTH of our SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY, and we are PRESERVED FULLY for an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.

 

 And the third aspect is FINAL VINDICATION, this is to be FULLY pronounced BLAMELESS, FULLY JUSTIFIED.  Where mankind is FREE FROM the GUILT or PENALTY of their SINS.  Are you allowing the GOD of PEACE to MAKE and KEEP you HOLY, and BLAMELESS, through these different aspects? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you cannot be KEPT BLAMELESS, nor can you be made HOLY, because of your sinful life-style and the fact that you are NOT a TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  You MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who gave His Life’s BLOOD to SAVE your SINFUL 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, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and be KEPT BLAMELESS, and spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE after you are there.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

"The Throne of Grace"

 

“The Throne of Grace”

 

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.    Hebrews 4:16

 

The rulers of ancient times were not approached by anyone but their highest advisers.  But the Holy Spirit of God encourages ALL to come with CONFIDENCE to God’s Throne, the THRONE OF GRACE, where they might find MERCY and GRACE to HELP in their time of NEED.  It was THERE where Jesus Christ, made ATONEMENT for our sins, and it is there where GRACE is given to believers in their time of NEED.

 

REMEMBER, that GRACE is receiving what we do NOT deserve. Being SINFUL in our nature, we do NOT DESERVE the GRACE of the ALMIGHTY GOD, but because of His MERCY, which is NOT receiving what we DO deserve.  And because of our SINFUL, DISOBEDIENT, EVIL nature, we actually deserve the CONDEMNATION of GOD, meaning that we would spend an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  But because of the UNFAILING LOVE of the HOLY, RIGHTEOUS GOD, we have the choice of RECEIVING His MERCY and GRACE, which is made possible, through the SHED BLOOD of His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who WILLINGLY took our sins and made a WAY for us to be RECIPIENTS of GOD’S GLORIOUS GRACE.  And provides for us His Gift of SALVATION, with an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS. And to be ABLE to ESCAPE that ETERNITY in HELL.  Which will you CHOOSE?

 

If you CHOOSE to REJECT God’s GRACE, by REFUSING to COME BEFORE HIS THRONE of GRACE, then you are being DISOBEDIENT to HIM, and will be headed for the ETERNITY in HELL.  And you will NOT be a RECIPIENT of His MERCY and GRACE.  You can ADVOID the ETERNITY in HELL, by coming to GOD’S THRONE of GRACE, and ADMITTING that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  And BELIEVING that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and RECEIVE His MERCY and GRACE, at the THRONE OF GRACE, to HELP in times of NEED.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!    

"The Strength of My Heart"

 

“The Strength of My Heart”

 

Whom have I in Heaven but You?  And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.  My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the Strength of my heart and my portion forever.            Psalm 73:25-26

 

The Psalmist who penned this psalm, realizes that their RELATIONSHIP with God is the MOST IMPORTANT thing that they POSSESS.  They ponder on the question of WHOM do they have in HEAVEN but GOD, their desire is for GOD, and a FIRM RELATIONSHIP with Him. 

 

They go on to say that even though their FLESH and HEART may FAIL, because of their RELATIONSHIP with God, they have a STRONG and STEADFAST HOPE in Him, and is assured that GOD is SUFFICIENT for them, when EVERYTHING ELSE is INSUFFICIENT.  They have the ASSURANCE that, even though they may FAIL PHYSICALLY and EMOTIONALLY, they still belong to God, and He is in CONTROL.  He will GUIDE them with His COUNSEL and LEAD them to a GLORIOUS DESTINY.  Is this the kind of RELATIONSHIP you have with God?  Is He the STRENGTH of YOUR HEART?  Do you DESIRE Him MORE than ANYTHING on earth? 

 

Is He leading you to a GLORIOUS DESTINY, an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS, or is He having to CONDEMN you to an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there?  If you have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, you will have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, but if you have NO RELATIONSHIP with Him, you will have an ETERNITY in HELL. 

 

In order to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, you MUST give Him your HEART and LIFE, and be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style, and TURN TO HIM. And allow Him to be the STRENGTH of YOUR HEART.  To do that, you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of a SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  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 with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and POSSESS a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him. And LET Him be the STRENGTH of YOUR HEART.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

'The Power of God!"

 

“The Power of God!”

 

The Counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His Heart to all generations.   Psalms 33:11

 

First, we see the POWER of GOD in His Word, by His WORD the heavens were made, and by the BREATH of His Mouth all their host.  He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. (vv6&7) So, we see that God merely SPOKE and Creation came into existence.  This is evidence of the POWER of GOD’S WORD.

 

For He SPOKE, and it was DONE; He COMMANDED, and it STOOD FAST. (v9) ONLY the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY has the POWER to SPEAK things into existence.  And ONLY He has the POWER to SAVE mankind from their SINS, and from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, after they are there.  No man or beast, no matter, how STRONG, nor how much POWER they possess, can SAVE mankind from their SINS, nor RESTORE their RELATIONSHIP with GOD, Himself.  Certainly, such a POWERFUL GOD with such POWERFUL WORDS and WORKS deserves our PRAISE and ADORATION.  

 

The POWER of the ALMIGHTY GOD, was exemplified, by His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who came and lived as a man, but was SINLESS and PERFECT in EVERY WAY, He was the PERFECT ONE to SAVE WRETCHED, SINFUL, CONDEMNED mankind and to bring them ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, by His SACRIFICIAL DEATH and VICTORIOUS RESURRECTION and VICTORY over DEATH and the GRAVE. 

 

He took our sins and our PUNISHMENT and NAILED them to an OLD RUGGED CROSS.  And SECURED US an ETERNAL PLACE in Heaven, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  It is by the POWER of His PRECIOUS BLOOD that we are CLEANSED from ALL our TRANSGRESSIONS.  But, if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you have NOT BEEN CLEANSED by the BLOOD of JESUS, and you are headed for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE, once you are there. 

 

In order to EXPERIENCE the POWER of GOD, to have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, and to ESCAPE HELL, you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of a SAVIOR, the ONLY ONE who has the POWER to SAVE, 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 with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, ask Him for His FORGIVENESS, and WILLINGLY TURN AWAY FROM your sinful life-style.  You MUST ACCEPT Gods Gift of SALVATION, and BELIEVE and TRUST in the POWER of GOD.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

 

"Strength and Knowledge"

 

“Strength and Knowledge”

 

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His Glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height---to know the Love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.     Ephesians 3:16-19

 

These verses are included in the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Believers in Ephesus.  This part of his prayer is divided into two areas:  First, is STRENGTH, this is found in verses sixteen and seventeen.  Jesus Christ sent His Holy Spirit to indwell the HEARTS of the TRUE BELIEVERS, and to STRENGTHEN their inner man. That through their FAITH, Christ would dwell in their HEARTS.  And that they might have the SPIRITUAL POWER of the Indwelling Christ, through the HOLY SPIRIT.

 

Second is:  KNOWLEDGE, which is found in verses eighteen and nineteen.  This KNOWLEDGE is not only INTELLECTUAL and PERSONAL but it is INDIVIDUAL and TOGETHER with OTHER BELIEVERS.  That they might have the ability to GRASP how WIDE and LONG and HIGH and DEEP is the LOVE of CHRIST.  And to KNOW the GOAL of this KNOWLEDGE, which is to be FILLED to the MEASURE of ALL the FULLNESS of the ALMIGHTY GOD. 

 

In order to UNDERSTAND the FULLNESS of the ALMIGHTY GOD, and to be FILLED with this FULLNESS, you MUST have the RIGHT THINKING and a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him.  And that is ONLY POSSIBLE through, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and His SACRIFICIAL ACT of REDEMPTION. 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, through the SHED BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON, then you do NOT POSSESS a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him.  And therefore, you will NOT have the RIGHT THINKING.  In order to experience the STRENGTH, KNOWLEDGE and FULLNESS of the ALMIGHTY GOD, you MUST BE WILLING to ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of a SAVIOR, and BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your sins to HIM, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And be WILLING to TURN AWAY from your SINFUL life-style, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and possess STRENGTH and KNOWLEDGE.  Then be ABLE to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS and to RECEIVE an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

"New Life"

 

“New Life”

 

Therefore, if anyone is in CHRIST, he is a NEW creature; the OLD things passed away; behold, NEW things have come.   2 Corinthians 5:17

 

The LOVE of Jesus Christ compels us, and since He died for ALL, then ALL died.  Jesus Christ died on BEHALF of ALL, but ALL will NOT ACCEPT this ACT of SALVATION, there are MANY who are REJECTING it, and MANY who have REJECTED it in the PAST, and MANY will CONTINUE to REJECT it in the FUTURE.  This ONE ACT of the SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH of JESUS, for the SOULS of ALL mankind is the VERY HEART of God’s Plan of SALVATION.  God’s WRATH against mankind’s sins required the shedding of the blood of a SACRIFICIAL LAMB, one WITHOUT  IMPERFECTIONS, a PERFECT LAMB.  And the ONLY ONE, who was WORTHY to carry out this very CRUCIAL ACT, was THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, the ONLY SON, of the ALMIGHTY GOD.  And so, BECAUSE of this ONE who died for ALL the ALL, who are in Christ, will DIE to their SINFUL LIFE- STYLE, and they will become a NEW CREATURE, a VERY DIFFEFENT CREATURE, a CREATURE who has a WHOLE NEW outlook on their LIFE.

 

This NEW LIFE for a TRUE BELIEVER, is a LIFE that is LIVED by FAITH in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and it is a LIFE of QUALITATIVE EXCELLENCE, which is PERFECT and COMPLETE in EVERY WAY.  All the OLD VALUES, PRIORITIES, BELIEFS and PLANS are GONE, even though they still POSSESS a sinful nature, it can be controlled, by being OBEDIENT to the WORK and WILL of God’s Holy Spirit, who indwells the TRUE BELIEVER. 

 

The TRUE BELIEVER, not ONLY DIES to sin, but they are RESURRECTED to a NEW LIFE, one that is made RIGHTEOUS before the ALMIGHTY GOD. And they will stand REDEEMED by the BLOOD of the LAMB, who GAVE His LIFE, so they MIGHT have EVERLASTING LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there; which is NOT a VERY PLEASANT VIEW to face. 

 

However, God in His AMAZING GRACE and His ABUNDANT MERCY, has provided for MANKIND, a PLAN to have a NEW LIFE, an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN. Here is what you MUST DO to possess it:  You must ADMIT that you are a SINNER, in NEED of a SAVIOR.  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 with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST TURN AWAY FROM your OLD sinful LIFE, and TURN TO GOD for a NEW LIFE with JESUS CHRIST.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and receive a NEW LIFE, an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS. So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!