“The Great Expectation”

 “The Great Expectation”

 

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is by His Great Mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Now we live with GREAT EXPECTATION…  1 Peter 1:3

 

The Apostle Peter is PRAISING God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by His GREAT MERCY has SAVED US from having to spend an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, ONCE YOU ARE THERE.  This is POSSIBLE because of what CHRIST JESUS has done NOT what WE have done, we are NOT WORTHY of becoming a CHILD of the LIVING GOD, on OUR OWN MERITS.  But we WILL BENEFIT from what the LORD JESUS has done on the CROSS, to purchase our SALVATION.

He was BORN, He LIVED among mankind, He DIED, but He did NOT STAY DEAD but was RESURRECTED (RISEN) from DEATH and the GRAVE.  Peter describes this SALVATION as being BORN AGAIN or a NEW BIRTH.  This is because we DIE to our OLD WAY of LIFE and then we are RAISED in the NEWNESS of LIFE, OR we have been BORN AGAIN.

However, in order to be BORN AGAIN, a person MUST be CONVICTED of their SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and they MUST ADMIT that they are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS.  They MUST BELIEVE, with ALL their HEART that JESUS DIED for them and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for them before God.  They MUST CONFESS their SINS to Him and ASK for His FORGIVENESS. They MUST be WILLING to DIE to that OLD SINFUL LIFESTYLE and to be BORN AGAIN or RAISED into the NEWNESS of an ETERNAL LIFE, in other words, they NEED to experience a NEW BIRTH.

The GREAT EXPECTATION for those who have done this is: The HOPE of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN and then they will TRULY EXPERIENCE a NEW BIRTH, and a NEW LIFE that will last throughout ETERNITY.  Have you TRULY BEEN BORN AGAIN?  You cannot be a part of GOD’S FAMILY, until you have been.  So, You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and with “GREAT EXPECTATION” be ASSURED of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!                                                                                                                        

“Keeping the Faith”

 “Keeping the Faith”

 

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life.  In this way you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.  Jude 1:20-21

 

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James could also have been the half-brother of Jesus Christ, but felt he was NOT WORTHY to be called the “brother” of Jesus. We only know how he introduces himself in verse one.

Most of Jude’s letter was WARNING believers to be on alert for those people who were coming into the churches teaching and preaching a FALSE MESSAGE.  They were LEADING some away from the FAITH.

Close to the end of his letter, Jude gives ENCOURAGING COMMANDS for BELIEVERS: (1.) EARNESTLY CONTEND for the FAITH, which is to HOLD FAST to what you have been taught and BELIEVE it, above and beyond anything else.  (2.)  REMEMBER the TEACHING of the APOSTLES, that there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to SATISFY their UNGODLY DESIRES. (V17-18) In other words, DON’T BE A PART of THEIR UNGODLY DESIRES. (3.) BUILD YOURSELF and OTHERS UP in the MOST HOLY FAITH. Encourage each other and PRAY for each other.  (4.)  PRAY in the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT, which means to PRAY with HEARTS that are INDWELT, ILLUMINATED, and FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT.  (5.) KEEP YOURSELVES in the LOVE of GOD.  A BELIEVER that will DRAW CLOSE to GOD and have FELLOWSHIP with HIM DAILY, and STUDY the WORD of GOD will be NURTURED and will MATURE in the LOVE of GOD.  (6.) BE WAITING EXPECTANTLY for the MERCY of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who will BRING you ETERNAL LIFE. And LOOKING for the BLESSED HOPE, which is the RETURN of CHRIST, for His CHURCH, which is known as the RAPTURE, the SNATCHING AWAY of the BELIEVERS of JESUS CHRIST, to ENJOY a NEVER-ENDING LIFE, in the PRESENCE of the ALMIGHTY GOD.    Are YOU READY?

We are living in PERILOUS TIMES, yet they are NOTHING COMPARED with what awaits the UNBELIEVER after the RAPTURE, the period of time known as the TRIBULATION.  It will be the MOST HORRENDOUS time in the HISTORY of this OLD, SINFUL WORLD. 

In order for YOU to be READY you MUST BECOME a CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  To do that you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, the SON of the LIVING GOD, who PAID the PRICE for ALL of MANKIND to have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  And to be ABLE to ESCAPE 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 LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and KEEP THE FAITH.  Do this NOW while you STILL can.  HE’S WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Experiencing Genuine Affection”

 “Experiencing Genuine Affection”

 

Don’t just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong.  Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with GENUINE affection and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:9-10

 

The first thing I want to do is give you a, picture of sorts, to EXPLAIN what LOVE REALLY IS.  Love is PATIENT and KIND. Love is NOT JEALOUS or BOASTFUL or PROUD or RUDE.  It does NOT DEMAND its OWN WAY.  It is NOT IRRITABLE, and it KEEPS NO RECORD of being wronged.  It does NOT REJOICE about INJUSTICE but REJOICES whenever the TRUTH wins out.  LOVE NEVER GIVES UP, NEVER LOSES FAITH, is ALWAYS HOPEFUL, and ENDURES through EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.  (1 Corin. 13:4-7). And that is GENUINE AFFECTION or LOVE. 

The Apostle Paul is ENCOURAGING the BELIEVERS in ROME, to have a GENUINE AFFECTION for EACH OTHER. Because a GENUINE LOVE is of GOD, and it produces a GENUINE AFFECTION.   This is what Father God wants His Children to POSSESS and to SHARE it with OTHER BELIEVERS. Notice, Paul tells us to NOT PRETEND to LOVE OTHERS, but we are to REALLY LOVE each other. 

This DISPLAY of GODLY LOVE will SHOW this SINFUL WORLD that we GENUINELY LOVE each each other and that WE have a GENUINE AFFECTION for EACH OTHER.  And this is POSSIBLE, because GOD LOVES MANKIND, so MUCH, that He GAVE His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST to SUFFER, BLEED and DIE, in order to PAY the PRICE of REDEMPTION, for MANKIND and to GIVE US an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  And to be ABLE to ESCAPE HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there. 

In order to be ABLE to have this scenario, and to be ABLE to EXPERIENCE GOD’S GENUINE AFFECTION, and to be ABLE to SHARE it with OTHERS.  You MUST BECOME a CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  To do that YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  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 EXPERIENCE a GENUINE AFFECTION from the ALMIGHTY GOD, HIMSELF.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING VERY SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!