"Enemies of the Cross versus Citizens of Heaven"

“Enemies of the Cross versus Citizens of Heaven”

 

I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ.  And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again that they are headed for hell!  They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do.  All they can think about are the things of this world.  But we are citizens of Heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there.  Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and He will make these poor bodies of ours like His own glorious body.            Philippians 3:18-21

 

Who are the enemies of the cross?  The Apostle Paul tells us that they are those whose main concern is for themselves and their own well-being, how they can be satisfied and elevated above others, at any cost.  Then they brag about the ungodly things they do or are a part of.  All that occupies their mind are the worldly things.

 

They have NO regard for anything of a Christian nature.  As a matter of fact, they may use Christians as their door mats, in order to make themselves a place and name in society.  They come against ANYTHING of a godly nature.  Some may even participate in actions to put the cause of Christ out of commission in the public arena.  They will degrade the Christian values and will say and do what they can to demean or tear down Christian endeavors.  They are ENEMIES of the CROSS.

 

The Apostle Paul, with tears in his eyes, warns that these people are headed for that place, known as hell.  Where they will be in CONSTANT agony, pain, misery and despair, with NO way of escaping. 

 

But for the FAITHFUL CITIZENS of HEAVEN, we who are eagerly awaiting the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, those who have sacrificed and worked to promote the cause of Christ, in a lost and dying world, those whose lives have been lived to uphold the Christians values and to BOLDLY proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The TRUE believers will be CHANGED by the power of Christ who has POWER over EVERYTHING. He will make these poor wretched bodies into EVERLASTING, GLORIOUS bodies like His own, and they will spend ALL eternity in Heaven.

 

Where does your allegiance lie?  Have you ever given your HEART and LIFE to God?  If you have NOT done so then you are counted among those who are “ENEMIES of the CROSS of Christ,” and you are headed for Hell.  Unless you come to Jesus Christ for the SALVATION of your soul.  You can do that RIGHT NOW, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and become a CITIZEN of HEAVEN, and receive that NEW, PERFECT, EVERLASTING, GLORIOUS body, and the inheritance of an eternity in Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Where is the Promise of His Coming?"

“Where is the Promise of His Coming?”

 

Dear Friends, don’t let this one thing escape you:  With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.  The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.           2peter 3:8-9

 

 

Many, throughout the years, have taunted Christians with their constant harassing of “WHEN will Christ return?”  I believe the Apostle Peter gives a clear indication as to why Jesus has not yet returned, in these verses of Scripture.

 

He tells us that the Lord ‘s timing is not like our timing, and this is a good thing, He says that with God one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day.  So time is not the same with God as it is with mankind.  God is not delaying His promise for the return of Christ to the earth, but because of His AMAZING GRACE toward ALL people, His timing will be PERFECT TIMING, and it will come about when He desires it to do so.

 

It is because of His INCREDIBLE PATIENCE and UNENDING LOVE for mankind that it has NOT happened yet.  It is His desire that NO ONE perishes, but that ALL would come to repentance.  Of course, He knows that isn’t going to be the case, but He is willing to wait for as many as possible to make that crucial decision.  A decision that will determine their eternal destiny.

 

Are you gambling with your eternal destiny, by putting off coming to Christ for the SALVATION of your soul?   If you are doing that, you are treading in very deep waters.  Even though NO ONE knows the time or day when Jesus Christ will return, He gives us some signs to look for and to know we are living in the LAST days.  That is NOW!! 

 

 I believe with ALL my heart that we are SO CLOSE to that time, when Jesus Christ will return for His TRUE Children, those, who have come to Him for the redemption of their souls, and then starts the Tribulation period, seven years of misery, and despair, then Christ will return again to set up His thousand year reign on earth. 

 

The rapture part of His Second Coming which is when He comes FIRST to take ALL His Children home to Heaven will and can happen at ANYTIME.  Are you READY.  You aren’t if you have never given your HEART and LIFE to God.  But you have the opportunity to do that NOW, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and become a TRUE Child of the Living God and be READY for His return.  DON’T YOU DELAY, it could make ALL the difference in your eternal destiny.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!

 

"If the World Hates You"

“If the World Hates You”

 

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.”               John 15:18-19

 

Throughout the ages, Christians have been hated, persecuted, debased, threatened, tormented, tortured, and put to death, all because of their FAITH in Jesus Christ.  In these verses, Christ tells us that the world hates those that belong to Him, because of our relationship with Him, and mostly, the fact that it hated Him first.

 

Back during the days when His disciples were spreading the gospel.  The Romans and the religious leaders hated the followers of Christ, and would round the believers up and have them beaten, stoned to death, or fed to the lions, only because of their belief in Jesus Christ.  The Romans and the religious leaders were threatened by the teachings of Christ and feared that they would lose their power and control over the people.  It is getting almost that bad today, with the execution of Christians in the Middle East and worse yet in our own supposedly civilized country. 

 

Jesus said, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.”  In 1^st John 2:15-17, we are told; “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world ---the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life---comes NOT from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  We are in the world, but we are to NOT be a part of the world in our heart and mind.  We are to be a peculiar people.  A people set apart for God’s own will.  We are to be God-pleasers and NOT people-pleasers.  We, who are TRUE believers are to honor Christ and not this old, wretched, sin-laden world. 

 

We cannot compromise or try to fit in with worldly ways, but we SHOULD remain TRUE to our FAITH.  We are at RISK of losing our Christian values, because of the ruler of this world, the devil, and his wicked schemes.  The great deceiver of mankind, the one who destroys the very soul of mankind and hurls it headlong into the depths of Hell for ALL of eternity.  Sin lasts but for a season, but its wages are eternal. 

 

Christianity is being attacked every day and every day we see God being removed from our nation.  And many, who claim to be Christian are more concerned about “fitting in” then they are about defending their FAITH.  Where do you stand?  Are you a TRUE believer following Jesus Christ and being hated by the world?  Or are you too busy trying to fit into the world and its lifestyle? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are a part of the world, and the world and its desires will pass away, and where will that leave you?  It will put you in Hell, the place of ETERNAL torment, torture, pain, agony and despair with NO way of escape.  However, you NOW have the opportunity to turn away from the worldly desires and turn to Jesus Christ, who can release you from your sins and give you eternal life in Heaven, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and even though you will be hated by the world, you will be LOVED by Father God and you will possess the HOPE of Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Don't Be A Wayward Christian"

“Don’t Be A Wayward Christian!”

 

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.          Hebrews 3:12-14

 

Being a Christian does not mean that we are ‘sinless’ on the contrary, we sin every day, and we are convicted of those sins.  Some will repent and turn away from those sins and seek God’s righteousness.  Others will be drawn to it and will not repent but allow the sin to work in their heart and end up backsliding or falling away from the righteousness of Almighty God. 

 

It is up to those who are walking by FAITH and striving to live in righteousness with God, to encourage those, who are flirting with sin, to turn away from it.  To flee, from its grasp and to RUN to God, while they STILL can. 

 

We, who are more mature and strong in our FAITH and are striving to live in righteousness with God need to ENCOURAGE and mentor those who are weak and vulnerable to the deceptions of the devil.  We have an obligation to KNOW what we believe and to be able to set the example before those who are weak and unstable.    We do this because we have become partakers in Christ and we need to hold, firmly, onto our original conviction to the very end.   We are the “caretakers “of the FAITH.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to Christ, then you aren’t a part of God’s family, and can’t be a brother or sister with others of the family of God.  You will be destined for Hell with NO ESCAPE, unless you turn from your sinful lifestyle and turn to God for the redemption of your soul.  You can become a part of His family by:  CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be a part of God’s family. Experience His AMAZING GRACE.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Why Be Thankful?"

“Why Be Thankful?”

 

Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned.  But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life.  Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners.  But Jesus obeyed Him and will make many people acceptable to God.               Romans 5:18-19

 

Tomorrow, we will gather together to gorge ourselves on a HUGE meal and to visit with each other.  Some will make it a day to strategize their plans for the biggest shopping day of the year, better known as “Black Friday.”  Some will even do shopping tomorrow.  Whatever the motive, they will still call it “Thanksgiving.”  But my questions are; “just how much THANKS will they be giving, who will they be THANKING, and what will they be THANKFUL for?”

 

Many will not even bow a head, much less offer a prayer of being THANKFUL.  Some will offer up a prayer of sorts, to a being that they know little to NOTHING about, but they will do it, because someone, somewhere in their past did it and it became a tradition passed down from generation to generation, but there is little, if any personal relationship with this being, known as “God.”

 

I have heard this ‘special’ day called “turkey-day.”  So maybe they are THANKFUL to Tom Turkey for giving his life for their meal.  Well, that truly is NOT what this day is all about.  When we read the Scripture in Romans, chapter five, verses eighteen through nineteen, we get a REAL clear view as to what we SHOULD be THANKFUL for.

 

We ALL were condemned when Adam and Eve committed the first sin.   But Adam’s DISOBEDIENCE was overshadowed by the OBEDIENCE of Jesus Christ.  And because of His OBEDIENCE, we have been given, by God, the gift of LIFE.  Because of Adam’s DISOBEDIENCE sin entered this world and crept into the heart of mankind.  But because of Jesus’ OBEDIENCE, we have the opportunity to become righteous and acceptable to the Almighty God, and to receive an inheritance of ETERNAL LIFE, with God and His Son Jesus, in HEAVEN.   Therefore, we REALLY have SOMETHING to be VERY THANKFUL for. 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you cannot receive nor be THANKFUL for LIFE, who would you offer your THANKS to?  God is the ONLY one, who can give you ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven.  If you think that you can get there because of your personality or your family lineage, you are WRONG.  You cannot get there, even if you belong to a church.  You must come through JESUS, in order to receive LIFE.  And you do that by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and be TRULY THANKFUL for the OBEDIENCE of Jesus Christ and God’s MARVELOUS gift of grace.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

HAPPY BLESSED THANKSGIVING!!!

 

 

 

 

"The Power Within"

“The Power Within”

 

I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit…

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.          Ephesians 3:16, 20-21

 

This is a prayer of the Apostle Paul for the Gentile believers in Ephesus.  But it is also for ALL generations.  In this prayer Paul brings encouragement for our journey as believers.  The one thing that he gives enlightenment on is the POWER we have abiding in our inner being. 

 

We, who are TRUE believers, and are not of the Jewish persuasion are considered Gentiles.  Paul’s ministry was largely to the Gentiles.  It was the Apostle’s desire that we have ALL that God wants us to have, to include POWER from within our inner man.  This POWER can ONLY come to a TRUE believer through God’s Holy Spirit which indwells us. 

 

Many times we, feel weak in our inner man and we wonder if we can continue on being and doing all that God desires for us.  We are weak, because we have not tapped into the POWER source, which is God’s Holy Spirit.  Only He can provide the POWER we need to persevere in this sinful, wretched, miserable world.  He provides the POWER for us to PRESS ON towards the goal that has been set before us.  He provides the POWER we need to do whatever He asks us to do, regardless of what we might think or feel.  The POWER within is waiting to be tapped. 

 

That POWER comes from the one who is able to do ABOVE and BEYOND ALL that we ask or think according to the POWER that works in us.  This is AWESOME, we have the POWER of ALMIGHTY God within us, yet we seem to be POWERLESS.  We walk around whining and grumbling about tiny, insignificant things that don’t amount to much, and when something really BIG, and significant comes along we are devastated, because we are weak in our faith, we have NOT tapped into our POWER source, the Holy Spirit of the ALMIGHTY GOD, which is indwelling us.  Are you a TRUE BELIEVER?  If you are, are you tapping into the POWER source that is within you?  I pray that you are using the POWER that God has provided.

 

If you have not given your HEART and Life to God, then you are NOT a TRUE believer, and you don’t possess that POWER from within.  But you are depending on this wretched, old world to get you through and that puts your destiny into jeopardy.  You can change all of that, and possess the POWER of ALMIGHTY GOD, NOW, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and be STRENGTHENED by the POWER WITHIN from the Holy Spirit of God.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

     

 

"The Winning Team"

“The Winning Team”

 

“The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.  They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.  They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”         Luke 19:43-44

 

These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to some Pharisees that were in the crowd in Jerusalem during His Triumphant entry into the city.  Even though this warning was for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, concerning the destruction of His beloved city, due to the fact that they rejected Him.  I couldn’t help wonder if our own beloved nation is at risk of being dashed to the ground by our enemies as a result of not  recognizing nor accepting the time of God’s coming. 

 

The destruction of Jerusalem that was predicted by Christ, started in A.D. 70, by the Roman soldiers.  The destruction of Jerusalem took place because the people didn’t understand the significance of what was going to take place with the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

 

Today, many people in our nation, to include some of our government leaders, not only don’t understand it, they reject it, time and time again.   Many are blinded by Satan and his devious schemes, and live in a world of delusions. They would rather live a lie, then accept the TRUTH.  We, as a nation have turned our backs on God, and I believe for the most part, we are facing a show-down. 

 

But for those of us who have ACCEPTED God’s merciful act of SALVATION, we have the HOPE of Heaven.  And I BELIEVE that He is coming SOON to rapture His Children out of this old, wretched, sinful world and into the glories of Heaven.   I BELIEVE it, because He predicted that He would come back for those who BELIEVE and have ACCEPTED God’s gift of SALVATION.   Just like He predicted that Jerusalem would fall and IT DID!!!  Where do you stand?  Unbelieving? Or Believing? 

 

Just look at it this way, if I’m right about it I WIN, and if you are right about not believing it, I STILL WIN, because either way I’m on my way to HEAVEN, for ALL eternity.  Don’t you want to be on the WINNING team?  You can be by:  CONFESSING your sins to God, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and be on the WINNING team, and on your way to HEAVEN to live for ALL eternity. The alternative is an eternity in HELL, the place of torment, pain and agony.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!