ARE YOU AWAKE?
I read a devotional recently titled: The Test of His Coming. To sum it up would be to say that when Jesus arrived on the scene the first time not many people were in the right heart and mind to recognize who he really was. After reading this devotional my mind went directly to the few who were waiving palms around Jesus as he was riding into Jerusalem on the donkey. Can you see this picture! To understand the picture is important. On that day of arrival, very few people recognized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah that all the prophecies were pointing to in the major prophet’s writings. It’s obvious that these people were reading their bibles and were waiting and watching for the prophecy to unfold. I imagine that these people were familiar with the heart beat of the word of God. How else could they be at the gate worshipping and praising Jesus as King already, especially if he was on a donkey? Yes, they recognized Jesus by all the miracles he had done for the 36 months prior, but because they were in the word watching and studying and putting the signs together they were at that very special place; the place where Jesus rode into Jerusalem. I often ask myself and I ask you also: Would we have been one of those at the gate welcoming Jesus as the Messiah, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as the Long Expected One? Or would we be at church, eating dinner at home, at the local bar, or living in sin? Whatever the case I hope we would be quickened to be AWAKE so we could see where we really needed to be which is at the gate with a palm and a voice proclaiming his praise! Something inside me says we can answer that question now and it’s dependant upon how we are preparing and expecting for his second coming. You see we are now in the same scenario awaiting Jesus’ second coming as the people were in Jesus’ time awaiting his first coming! And now our minds should flash to the story of the Ten Bridesmaids in the gospels. If you don’t know this parable please work to understand it, because it reveals the heart and mind we must be working for in these last days before Jesus returns.
Matthew 25
Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
1 "Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids* who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.3 The five who were foolish didn't take enough olive oil for their lamps,4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight they were roused by the shout, `Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' 7 "All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, `Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' 9 "But the others replied, `We don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, `Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!' 12 "But he called back, `Believe me, I don't know you!' 13 "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Are you AWAKE? Is your Lampstand trimmed with OIL? If you are not careful and proactive to study the scripture and know its heart beat in context the world we live in today will speak in your ears loudly, flash in your eyes brightly, and will fill your other senses completely drowning out the urgent call to prepare yourself for your Bridegroom. The time is nearly hear when Jesus will ride into this world again. Let’s be AWAKE and TRIMMED with OIL for the Long Awaited One. Do not let your heart be moved or shaken when the things Jesus warned of begin to shake this world. Only let your heart be moved by Jesus Christ through the Holy Bible and the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Saturday, October 06, 2007
PSALM 128
The way for me to get out of a bout with discouragment or to break a bad habit or to eliminate unbelief in my life is to open up the bible and start reading it and to start talking to God about my problem. That's because God's word is like water and it has never failed me. But even when I know this I continue to neglect it more than I would like to admit. The truth is I'll never know how much the words of the bible will FULLY cleanse me until I dive into it. I mean like dive head long into it without any string attached without anything competeing against it in my heart! I desperately need to start reading the bible like I read my favorite magazines, or like I watch my next blockbuster movie, or search the internet for the latest current events around this tumultuous world. How passionate are you towards your media entertainment compared to God's word? What's the quantity and quality of time that you spend in the bible vs your media or shopping? If you're like me your quantity and quality time is spent away from God's words doing other things. This is called idolatry and it is a serious problem.
Idolatry is a serious problem because it removes God's rightful place in our lives, and the result of this is disastrous. So even though I have been convicted about this in my walk with God I haven't done too much about it. God has allowed me to do this media thing and at the same time he is allowing me to experience the disastrous consequences of it. Which could be described as a very subtle and slow chipping away of all that is good. It's like nicotine or caffeine quick addiction but slow health decline. As a Christian, I hate that I have something inside of me still that won't prioritize my time with God and give him complete Lordship of my life. This is something God is still working out of me. So I finally decided to shut my door and start reading and praying to God to help me come out of this media thing and back to him in a right relationship. And God in his faithfulness sang a song to me in Psalm 128. I have to say that all along this journey of putting things before God that he, in his caring faithfullness, has shown me exactly what is at risk of being eroded away. All of which are the most important things to me: My relationship with Christ emotionally, spiritually and physically, My relationship with my wife and children and their health and quality of life, my work, the bride of Christ, Jerusalem. These are truly the things in my personal life and heart that matter most. And so this song God sang to me was Psalm 128 and it is a song that consists of everything that is crucial to me but in its right condition. The word of God has started cleansing me because it brings hope. Everything he told me I was slowly losing by putting this media thing before him will be restored IF I do my part. My part is the first verse of Psalm 128. It says it all and it is where I am going to plant my heart. Please pray for me if you are one who can identify with this struggle. I don't want anything to be before God's rightful place in my life.
1 How joyful are those who fear the LORD— all who follow his ways!2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.4 That is the LORD's blessing for those who fear him.5 May the LORD continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace!
The way for me to get out of a bout with discouragment or to break a bad habit or to eliminate unbelief in my life is to open up the bible and start reading it and to start talking to God about my problem. That's because God's word is like water and it has never failed me. But even when I know this I continue to neglect it more than I would like to admit. The truth is I'll never know how much the words of the bible will FULLY cleanse me until I dive into it. I mean like dive head long into it without any string attached without anything competeing against it in my heart! I desperately need to start reading the bible like I read my favorite magazines, or like I watch my next blockbuster movie, or search the internet for the latest current events around this tumultuous world. How passionate are you towards your media entertainment compared to God's word? What's the quantity and quality of time that you spend in the bible vs your media or shopping? If you're like me your quantity and quality time is spent away from God's words doing other things. This is called idolatry and it is a serious problem.
Idolatry is a serious problem because it removes God's rightful place in our lives, and the result of this is disastrous. So even though I have been convicted about this in my walk with God I haven't done too much about it. God has allowed me to do this media thing and at the same time he is allowing me to experience the disastrous consequences of it. Which could be described as a very subtle and slow chipping away of all that is good. It's like nicotine or caffeine quick addiction but slow health decline. As a Christian, I hate that I have something inside of me still that won't prioritize my time with God and give him complete Lordship of my life. This is something God is still working out of me. So I finally decided to shut my door and start reading and praying to God to help me come out of this media thing and back to him in a right relationship. And God in his faithfulness sang a song to me in Psalm 128. I have to say that all along this journey of putting things before God that he, in his caring faithfullness, has shown me exactly what is at risk of being eroded away. All of which are the most important things to me: My relationship with Christ emotionally, spiritually and physically, My relationship with my wife and children and their health and quality of life, my work, the bride of Christ, Jerusalem. These are truly the things in my personal life and heart that matter most. And so this song God sang to me was Psalm 128 and it is a song that consists of everything that is crucial to me but in its right condition. The word of God has started cleansing me because it brings hope. Everything he told me I was slowly losing by putting this media thing before him will be restored IF I do my part. My part is the first verse of Psalm 128. It says it all and it is where I am going to plant my heart. Please pray for me if you are one who can identify with this struggle. I don't want anything to be before God's rightful place in my life.
1 How joyful are those who fear the LORD— all who follow his ways!2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.4 That is the LORD's blessing for those who fear him.5 May the LORD continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Compelled by His Kindness...
It is an impossible thing to fully express how kind God is to adopt a person as his child when they come to believe in His Son Jesus. But those who do confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life have come to know a little bit of His awesome kindness because of the unending grace and mercy they receive in their new life with Christ. Their new life is rougher not smoother then before because the love they have for themselves is still there fighting against the new way they are to live...which is to love and choose Christ in ALL things. Their new life is rough because it is to be lived strictly through God the Holy Spirit's strength but their natural strength keeps rising up. It is rough because it is not easy or popular to live for Jesus Christ...the One who said, " I Am the Truth."
And so the one who is experiencing this spiritual battle is the one working out their salvation with fear and trembling. They wake up, live life and go to sleep working to beat down their old flesh through the Spirit of God. In this daily battle the reality brings both victory through obedience and at times set backs by choosing sin, but it is at those places of victory and defeat that the child of God still sees the awesomeness of His lovingkindness. They see that the ultimate battle of life and death has already been won through Jesus' death on the cross and Jesus' life through the resurrection, and by this they know without a doubt that they have been forgiven of all their past, present and future sin. They know they are dying with Jesus daily and that they will be raised with him in a moment. They know they already have victory through Christ's works and not their own. They come to learn that God is truly Kind.It is this kindness of God expressed through His Son Jesus Christ that compells a person to turn away from their self pleasing life to a life that is God pleasing. It is God's kindness expressed through His Son Jesus Christ that fuels the heart to hate sin and to sincerely turn away from it. The one who loves God will not turn away from Jesus Christ. The one who believes in Jesus Christ loves Him and will not keep on sinning. The reason to keep trudging ahead is because of his kindness towards us!
The following quotes are by Francois Fenelon in the book The Royal Way of the Cross. Fenelon's books are mostly an archive of personal letters that were written by him to his friends during the late 17 century. I have been blessed reading Fenelon because he cuts to the chase in regards to how we naturally love ourselves more than Jesus himself. He helps the mind bring its spinning wheels down to the ground so there's more potential for faith seen in action.
“Do you want the consolation God can give, or do you want God Himself?”
“What right do we have to complain? We suffer from an excessive attachment to the creature-above all to self. God orders a series of events which detach us gradually from the creature first, and finally from self also. The operation is painful, but our corruption makes it needful, and therefore it is we who suffer so keenly.”
“That is false humility which believes itself unworthy of God’s goodness and dares not look to it with trust. True humility lies in seeing our own unworthiness and giving ourselves up to God, never doubting that He can work out the greatest results for and in us.”
“You wait to be familiar till God shows a smiling face; but I tell you that if you will open up your heart thoroughly to Him you will cease to trouble about the aspect of His face. Let Him turn a severe and displeased countenance upon you as much as He will, He never loves you more than when He threatens, for He threatens only to prove, to humble, to detach souls.”
“Leave it all to God; it is not your business to judge how He should deal with you, because He knows far better than you what is good for you. You deserve a certain amount of trial and dryness. Bear it patiently! God does His part when he repulses you. Try to do yours too, and that is to love Him without waiting for Him to assure you of His love for you. Your love is a guarantee of His; your confidence in Him alone will disarm Him, and turn all His severity into tenderness. Even if He were not to grow tender, you ought to give yourself up to His just dealings, and accept His intention of nailing you to the cross in union with His beloved Son, Jesus.”
It is an impossible thing to fully express how kind God is to adopt a person as his child when they come to believe in His Son Jesus. But those who do confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life have come to know a little bit of His awesome kindness because of the unending grace and mercy they receive in their new life with Christ. Their new life is rougher not smoother then before because the love they have for themselves is still there fighting against the new way they are to live...which is to love and choose Christ in ALL things. Their new life is rough because it is to be lived strictly through God the Holy Spirit's strength but their natural strength keeps rising up. It is rough because it is not easy or popular to live for Jesus Christ...the One who said, " I Am the Truth."
And so the one who is experiencing this spiritual battle is the one working out their salvation with fear and trembling. They wake up, live life and go to sleep working to beat down their old flesh through the Spirit of God. In this daily battle the reality brings both victory through obedience and at times set backs by choosing sin, but it is at those places of victory and defeat that the child of God still sees the awesomeness of His lovingkindness. They see that the ultimate battle of life and death has already been won through Jesus' death on the cross and Jesus' life through the resurrection, and by this they know without a doubt that they have been forgiven of all their past, present and future sin. They know they are dying with Jesus daily and that they will be raised with him in a moment. They know they already have victory through Christ's works and not their own. They come to learn that God is truly Kind.It is this kindness of God expressed through His Son Jesus Christ that compells a person to turn away from their self pleasing life to a life that is God pleasing. It is God's kindness expressed through His Son Jesus Christ that fuels the heart to hate sin and to sincerely turn away from it. The one who loves God will not turn away from Jesus Christ. The one who believes in Jesus Christ loves Him and will not keep on sinning. The reason to keep trudging ahead is because of his kindness towards us!
The following quotes are by Francois Fenelon in the book The Royal Way of the Cross. Fenelon's books are mostly an archive of personal letters that were written by him to his friends during the late 17 century. I have been blessed reading Fenelon because he cuts to the chase in regards to how we naturally love ourselves more than Jesus himself. He helps the mind bring its spinning wheels down to the ground so there's more potential for faith seen in action.
“Do you want the consolation God can give, or do you want God Himself?”
“What right do we have to complain? We suffer from an excessive attachment to the creature-above all to self. God orders a series of events which detach us gradually from the creature first, and finally from self also. The operation is painful, but our corruption makes it needful, and therefore it is we who suffer so keenly.”
“That is false humility which believes itself unworthy of God’s goodness and dares not look to it with trust. True humility lies in seeing our own unworthiness and giving ourselves up to God, never doubting that He can work out the greatest results for and in us.”
“You wait to be familiar till God shows a smiling face; but I tell you that if you will open up your heart thoroughly to Him you will cease to trouble about the aspect of His face. Let Him turn a severe and displeased countenance upon you as much as He will, He never loves you more than when He threatens, for He threatens only to prove, to humble, to detach souls.”
“Leave it all to God; it is not your business to judge how He should deal with you, because He knows far better than you what is good for you. You deserve a certain amount of trial and dryness. Bear it patiently! God does His part when he repulses you. Try to do yours too, and that is to love Him without waiting for Him to assure you of His love for you. Your love is a guarantee of His; your confidence in Him alone will disarm Him, and turn all His severity into tenderness. Even if He were not to grow tender, you ought to give yourself up to His just dealings, and accept His intention of nailing you to the cross in union with His beloved Son, Jesus.”
Thursday, August 09, 2007
EMBRACING
Where does the unending hunger to do the right thing come from?
I listened to Proverbs today and the verse that stood out was:
A MAN THAT DOES WHAT IS RIGHT FEARS THE LORD, BUT A MAN THAT DEVIATES FROM THE LORD DESPISES HIM.
God's ways are upside down and opposite of my human methods and understanding every time. I think if we enter into every conversation or small group or quiet time with this on our mind it changes everything. The Spirit of God wants to move but there is so much pretense built on pride. It's like having a cup of water and human understanding says keep the cup upright so the water can be used "at my time in my way" so it doesn't go all over the place. But God says, "No. Let go of the cup altogether so I can flip it upside down and make a little mess if I want, so I can direct the water where I want it to go, or so I can flip it upside down and keep the water from coming out if I want.
The Lord will bring us to the same location of struggle until we yield to Christ in it. I see that in order to yield or obey I am going to have to be willing to embrace the possible pain, fear, loss, of letting go for Jesus. It's the final resolve in each issue and season of life: Embracing the unknown that happens when we yield. Jesus embraced the pain of the cross that came after choosing to do the right thing.
Controlling the cup of water is really a deviation from the Lord... and it's sobering to think that this can lead to despising the Lord. Embracing all the possibilities of the unknown that come after yielding to the Father matters a lot.
How nervous would you be if you new you were going to be nailed to the cross in two hours and left to die? Do you see yourself embracing the pains of your cross like this today? Take up your cross and follow me. This should make us nervous...its serious business to work out our salvation with fear and trembling in the right way.
Help us embrace for your glory Lord!
Where does the unending hunger to do the right thing come from?
I listened to Proverbs today and the verse that stood out was:
A MAN THAT DOES WHAT IS RIGHT FEARS THE LORD, BUT A MAN THAT DEVIATES FROM THE LORD DESPISES HIM.
God's ways are upside down and opposite of my human methods and understanding every time. I think if we enter into every conversation or small group or quiet time with this on our mind it changes everything. The Spirit of God wants to move but there is so much pretense built on pride. It's like having a cup of water and human understanding says keep the cup upright so the water can be used "at my time in my way" so it doesn't go all over the place. But God says, "No. Let go of the cup altogether so I can flip it upside down and make a little mess if I want, so I can direct the water where I want it to go, or so I can flip it upside down and keep the water from coming out if I want.
The Lord will bring us to the same location of struggle until we yield to Christ in it. I see that in order to yield or obey I am going to have to be willing to embrace the possible pain, fear, loss, of letting go for Jesus. It's the final resolve in each issue and season of life: Embracing the unknown that happens when we yield. Jesus embraced the pain of the cross that came after choosing to do the right thing.
Controlling the cup of water is really a deviation from the Lord... and it's sobering to think that this can lead to despising the Lord. Embracing all the possibilities of the unknown that come after yielding to the Father matters a lot.
How nervous would you be if you new you were going to be nailed to the cross in two hours and left to die? Do you see yourself embracing the pains of your cross like this today? Take up your cross and follow me. This should make us nervous...its serious business to work out our salvation with fear and trembling in the right way.
Help us embrace for your glory Lord!
THE BEST & FINAL DECISION
If you want to accept Jesus into your heart today and invite him to be Lord and Savior of your life please pray this prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I have come to understand who you truly are. I have also come to see who I truly am. I thank you for being God and for coming to this earth to live a perfect life. Thank you for living the life that I can’t live. I need you to forgive me for all my sins. I confess to you that I am a sinner and that I have been living for myself. I confess that I am not capable of earning my way to heaven by anything that I have done or will do. I trust you have done all that is necessary for me to receive salvation and I believe you came to die on the cross for me personally. I thank you Jesus for going through all that pain and suffering for me so that I wouldn’t have to. I believe that you rose from the dead because in you is the power of life, and I trust you will raise me from the dead to be with you for eternity. Please come into my heart today and become Lord and Savior of my life. I desire to live and follow you all the days of my life. I commit my life to you today. Please come and live inside me and guide and direct me to live by your Holy Spirit in everything that I experience. You are a Wonderful God. All Merciful and so Forgiving. So Just and Right on all you do. Thank you for saving me in your loving kindness. I love you!
If you sincerely prayed this prayer you are now God’s child! You can expect God to do wonderful things in your life. Get to know Jesus by reading the Bible. The more you practice the faith you’ve been given the more you will come to see and understand that everything you have always wanted is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Remember this life you live in your body is going to be 75-100yrs max. Compare that to eternity with God in paradise. You now have an awesome hope.
God bless you and may your relationship with Jesus grow!
If you want to accept Jesus into your heart today and invite him to be Lord and Savior of your life please pray this prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I have come to understand who you truly are. I have also come to see who I truly am. I thank you for being God and for coming to this earth to live a perfect life. Thank you for living the life that I can’t live. I need you to forgive me for all my sins. I confess to you that I am a sinner and that I have been living for myself. I confess that I am not capable of earning my way to heaven by anything that I have done or will do. I trust you have done all that is necessary for me to receive salvation and I believe you came to die on the cross for me personally. I thank you Jesus for going through all that pain and suffering for me so that I wouldn’t have to. I believe that you rose from the dead because in you is the power of life, and I trust you will raise me from the dead to be with you for eternity. Please come into my heart today and become Lord and Savior of my life. I desire to live and follow you all the days of my life. I commit my life to you today. Please come and live inside me and guide and direct me to live by your Holy Spirit in everything that I experience. You are a Wonderful God. All Merciful and so Forgiving. So Just and Right on all you do. Thank you for saving me in your loving kindness. I love you!
If you sincerely prayed this prayer you are now God’s child! You can expect God to do wonderful things in your life. Get to know Jesus by reading the Bible. The more you practice the faith you’ve been given the more you will come to see and understand that everything you have always wanted is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Remember this life you live in your body is going to be 75-100yrs max. Compare that to eternity with God in paradise. You now have an awesome hope.
God bless you and may your relationship with Jesus grow!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR FINAL DECISION : PART 4
When all is said and done Jesus will be proven faithful as the one who gave each of us every opportunity to escape the consequence for our sins. If you know for certain that you have not put all of your trust into Jesus then I encourage you to be thinking about why your heart stands this way towards Jesus. Ask yourself what is so important that you haven’t dealth with the unbelief in your heart towards him. Answer these questions honestly and privately. Do you know who he really is and what he really says to you personally about rejecting him? Do you know how he lived his life? If not then find a bible today and read the book of John so that you can make a genuine and honest choice for or against him. I can live with somebody choosing against Christ only if they really knew who and what they were choosing against. But I can not live with the thought that I did not encourage you to take the antidote or put on the life jacket, or apply the bail money that Jesus is before you die. I also can’t live with the thought that I watched someone I love and care for sleep walk themselves into a disastrous situation without at least trying to wake them up first. And so I am trying to stay awake and also wake up others to this most critical decision.
I encourage you to be the one who is not influenced by the chaos, the subtlety of half truths, or loudness of blatant lies that are coming at us from all sides. And as the strength of international opinion increases I hope you will find the character to still stand up for what is true. Get quiet, ask questions, and get real with Jesus by yourself. There is too much at stake! And the truth is if I were to die today or if you were to die today I would want to share this with you…. I keep thinking of how time is slipping bye…precious time…. and how important you are in the midst of the passing seconds.
Jesus has not left you in the dark about the ramifications of your decision. You must read the bible if it's the last thing you do!
The great thing about Jesus is that he will not force you to trust him. He wants a genuine relationship with you and he has made this very clear in the bible. Please read it for yourself!
Read the bible to find out how kind God is. For it is His kindness that will give you the desire to turn from your sinful ways.
When all is said and done Jesus will be proven faithful as the one who gave each of us every opportunity to escape the consequence for our sins. If you know for certain that you have not put all of your trust into Jesus then I encourage you to be thinking about why your heart stands this way towards Jesus. Ask yourself what is so important that you haven’t dealth with the unbelief in your heart towards him. Answer these questions honestly and privately. Do you know who he really is and what he really says to you personally about rejecting him? Do you know how he lived his life? If not then find a bible today and read the book of John so that you can make a genuine and honest choice for or against him. I can live with somebody choosing against Christ only if they really knew who and what they were choosing against. But I can not live with the thought that I did not encourage you to take the antidote or put on the life jacket, or apply the bail money that Jesus is before you die. I also can’t live with the thought that I watched someone I love and care for sleep walk themselves into a disastrous situation without at least trying to wake them up first. And so I am trying to stay awake and also wake up others to this most critical decision.
I encourage you to be the one who is not influenced by the chaos, the subtlety of half truths, or loudness of blatant lies that are coming at us from all sides. And as the strength of international opinion increases I hope you will find the character to still stand up for what is true. Get quiet, ask questions, and get real with Jesus by yourself. There is too much at stake! And the truth is if I were to die today or if you were to die today I would want to share this with you…. I keep thinking of how time is slipping bye…precious time…. and how important you are in the midst of the passing seconds.
Jesus has not left you in the dark about the ramifications of your decision. You must read the bible if it's the last thing you do!
The great thing about Jesus is that he will not force you to trust him. He wants a genuine relationship with you and he has made this very clear in the bible. Please read it for yourself!
Read the bible to find out how kind God is. For it is His kindness that will give you the desire to turn from your sinful ways.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR FINAL DECISION: PART 3
Yes, you have a problem. You see, we all have the same critical choice because we all have the same serious problem. All the sins you and I have ever committed is our problem—the lies, the stealing, the adultery, the idolatry, the carelessness of how we treat God and his Name, the sexual immorality, the murder, the envy, and jealousy, the gossip and then the unseen sins of pride, selfishness, anger, vanity, lust, greed and on and on and on ……….The problem is we are all guilty and deserving of just consequences. If you have done any one of these things even in the slightest you are guilty as charged and you either need an antidote, you need bail, you need a life jacket or you need to stand up in your own strength and receive your just consequence. The bible says that the natural consequence of sinning against a holy God is complete and utter separation from him which is just another way of saying …Death for eternity. God is not only Holy but he is also Righteous and Just and just like Truth these attributes of God are slowly squeezing in on the world and there will come a time when you will be facing him square in the face! He is Just not to allow your wrongdoing to go unpunished and He is Loving to provide you a way out and escaping that judgment. Yes, God made a way for you to get rid of your problem. Listen! God proved his love for you already and you must look with your heart to see how he did this. Your way of escape is Jesus Christ! If you have not made Jesus your personal Lord and Savior by believing and confessing he is Lord of your life and following him and living a life of continual change for him, if you have not put him on like a parachute or life jacket then the just and right penalty you deserve for your sins will consume you….even while you rationalize and try to justify your motives for doing such things. I recently listened to a teaching on Hell and it honestly scared the Hell right out of me. Both you and I need to be reminded that our sins are a real problem and they cost God a great deal. If it were not for his Son Jesus Christ willingly choosing to go through hell for you and I physically, emotionally, and spiritually we wouldn’t have Him to take as an antidote or put on like a life jacket or parachute. He is the only cure for our sin problem because He IS the forgiveness for all our sins. If you choose Jesus then God sees Jesus’ death as a good enough payment for your wrong doing. And He gives you eternal life! If you reject Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your soul then God sees your eternal death as a good enough payment for your wrongdoing. It’s that simple! It’s that serious! It’s that justified!
And so I say again that I am writing this because there is urgency in the air. I ask myself often who prepares for coming storms, floods, wars, diseases, conflicts even though they are not here yet. Who is preparing for a chaotic world that cannot be controlled because it is being controlled by evil spiritual forces. Is it for no reason that the bible says that the real fight is not against flesh and blood but against the evil powers, principalities and spiritual forces in the air that desire to destroy you and blind you and deceive you from knowing truth? Those who prepare for battle are the ones who know it is coming. Those whose house doesn’t collapse during the storm are the ones who built their house properly and on the only foundation that can withstand the power of the storm. And yet we sit bye knowing great storms are on there way because we sense it. We sense it because of the messages coming at us in bumper stickers, commercials, movies, news, culture shifts, political shifts, religious shifts, the Middle East and Israel, Europe, Iran, North Korea, Russia, America, the World, war, disease…it’s all moving forward as Jesus said it would …. but are you considering his words? Are you considering the truth as you walk along? Jesus warns each one of us to keep WATCH and to not be deceived in the ensuing chaos on earth. Listen to what Jesus said to us in Matthew 24:
“Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.* And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations* will hear it; and then the end will come."The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration* standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones."Then if anyone tells you, `Look, here is the Messiah,' or `There he is,' don't believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. "So if someone tells you, `Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, `Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man* comes.Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. "Immediately after the anguish of those days,the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light,the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.*And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.* And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world*—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. "Now learn a lesson
from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door I tell you the truth, this generation* will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear."However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.* Only the Father knows."When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. "Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left."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 permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, `My master won't be back for a while,' and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Yes, you have a problem. You see, we all have the same critical choice because we all have the same serious problem. All the sins you and I have ever committed is our problem—the lies, the stealing, the adultery, the idolatry, the carelessness of how we treat God and his Name, the sexual immorality, the murder, the envy, and jealousy, the gossip and then the unseen sins of pride, selfishness, anger, vanity, lust, greed and on and on and on ……….The problem is we are all guilty and deserving of just consequences. If you have done any one of these things even in the slightest you are guilty as charged and you either need an antidote, you need bail, you need a life jacket or you need to stand up in your own strength and receive your just consequence. The bible says that the natural consequence of sinning against a holy God is complete and utter separation from him which is just another way of saying …Death for eternity. God is not only Holy but he is also Righteous and Just and just like Truth these attributes of God are slowly squeezing in on the world and there will come a time when you will be facing him square in the face! He is Just not to allow your wrongdoing to go unpunished and He is Loving to provide you a way out and escaping that judgment. Yes, God made a way for you to get rid of your problem. Listen! God proved his love for you already and you must look with your heart to see how he did this. Your way of escape is Jesus Christ! If you have not made Jesus your personal Lord and Savior by believing and confessing he is Lord of your life and following him and living a life of continual change for him, if you have not put him on like a parachute or life jacket then the just and right penalty you deserve for your sins will consume you….even while you rationalize and try to justify your motives for doing such things. I recently listened to a teaching on Hell and it honestly scared the Hell right out of me. Both you and I need to be reminded that our sins are a real problem and they cost God a great deal. If it were not for his Son Jesus Christ willingly choosing to go through hell for you and I physically, emotionally, and spiritually we wouldn’t have Him to take as an antidote or put on like a life jacket or parachute. He is the only cure for our sin problem because He IS the forgiveness for all our sins. If you choose Jesus then God sees Jesus’ death as a good enough payment for your wrong doing. And He gives you eternal life! If you reject Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your soul then God sees your eternal death as a good enough payment for your wrongdoing. It’s that simple! It’s that serious! It’s that justified!
And so I say again that I am writing this because there is urgency in the air. I ask myself often who prepares for coming storms, floods, wars, diseases, conflicts even though they are not here yet. Who is preparing for a chaotic world that cannot be controlled because it is being controlled by evil spiritual forces. Is it for no reason that the bible says that the real fight is not against flesh and blood but against the evil powers, principalities and spiritual forces in the air that desire to destroy you and blind you and deceive you from knowing truth? Those who prepare for battle are the ones who know it is coming. Those whose house doesn’t collapse during the storm are the ones who built their house properly and on the only foundation that can withstand the power of the storm. And yet we sit bye knowing great storms are on there way because we sense it. We sense it because of the messages coming at us in bumper stickers, commercials, movies, news, culture shifts, political shifts, religious shifts, the Middle East and Israel, Europe, Iran, North Korea, Russia, America, the World, war, disease…it’s all moving forward as Jesus said it would …. but are you considering his words? Are you considering the truth as you walk along? Jesus warns each one of us to keep WATCH and to not be deceived in the ensuing chaos on earth. Listen to what Jesus said to us in Matthew 24:
“Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.* And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations* will hear it; and then the end will come."The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration* standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones."Then if anyone tells you, `Look, here is the Messiah,' or `There he is,' don't believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. "So if someone tells you, `Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, `Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man* comes.Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. "Immediately after the anguish of those days,the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light,the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.*And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.* And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world*—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. "Now learn a lesson
from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door I tell you the truth, this generation* will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear."However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.* Only the Father knows."When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. "Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left."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 permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, `My master won't be back for a while,' and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR FINAL DECISION: PART 2
I am writing to you about this because it’s the most important issue in your life whether you believe it or not …. and because there are major consequences if Jesus is denied in your heart as the one He said he was! I am also writing you because truth is being trivialized, minimized and diluted in the hearts and minds of people around the world and more and more in our country. This is not to say that the truth is changing. It is to say that people are changing. People are rationalizing the truth so much that there’s a blanket over many people’s eyes and the ears of many people are plugged up preventing the ability to discern right from wrong and good from evil. I often ask myself if I am one of those who are being deceived into believing lies, and I wonder who in my life is being deceived into believing what is not true. I cringe at the thought that I would ever want to accept anything or live in anything other then what is really true even if it’s challenging to do so. Truth is good, honesty, love, doing the right thing, caring for one another, helping and supporting one another, forgiving, repenting of wrong in our lives and so much more. Truth is the WAY Jesus lived! That’s why Jesus said what he said. He was living out the way to true and
real living. The kind that will last forever! I want to be living this kind of life. Do you? Maybe you have never heard of this very important analogy that Jesus said many times over again…that basically our eyes are meant to see the truth and our ears are meant to hear the truth so that we can have the opportunity to put our faith in it. I’ll say that a different way. That basically your eyes are meant to watch Jesus and your ears are meant to hear Jesus so that you can have the opportunity to put your trust in him… and thus the importance of reading the bible for yourself is made known because Jesus and his ways can only be found by reading the Bible. There are many who have eyes but they are not really seeing. Nor can their ears really hear. Are you one who is not interested in seeing or hearing or living out what is true? If we have not too quickly forgotten Truth cannot evolve, be controlled or be made up. Being a truly wise person is to admit and accept that Truth is not relative…but rather absolute. It’s to admit that truth is bigger than all of us and it can not be divided or watered down or ignored. We should be thankful for this because our souls are at stake! And so Jesus is to be believed upon or rejected in your life.
There’s no doubt our world is on the verge of major changes. And I am one along with many others who desires to make clear and make known to you the real and bottom line issue at stake even if doing so causes an intense stir in your heart. You have to get your true heart out on the table and wrestle with the truth until you see clearly enough to turn away from Jesus or receive him. Jesus makes claims on your soul that you must be aware about! This is a true life and death decision you have to make. The motive behind my writing to you like this is classic in example: If I was on the verge of death because of an illness, because of drowning, because of an any number of things I would appreciate it if the one with the antidote or the life jacket would give it to me so that I might remain alive. APPRECIATE! Think of the meaning of that word in context. Think of how appreciative you would be if someone gave you the only cure for your terminal disease! Jesus said there is no greater love then when a person lays down their life for another. And so I ask you, who in your life is laying down their life for you and for your sins? Are your friends holding you accountable to what is true? To what is right and wrong? Is anyone sharing Christ with you if you don’t know him for who he really is? Are you actively searching for the cure to your problem? Do you even know that you have a problem?
I am writing to you about this because it’s the most important issue in your life whether you believe it or not …. and because there are major consequences if Jesus is denied in your heart as the one He said he was! I am also writing you because truth is being trivialized, minimized and diluted in the hearts and minds of people around the world and more and more in our country. This is not to say that the truth is changing. It is to say that people are changing. People are rationalizing the truth so much that there’s a blanket over many people’s eyes and the ears of many people are plugged up preventing the ability to discern right from wrong and good from evil. I often ask myself if I am one of those who are being deceived into believing lies, and I wonder who in my life is being deceived into believing what is not true. I cringe at the thought that I would ever want to accept anything or live in anything other then what is really true even if it’s challenging to do so. Truth is good, honesty, love, doing the right thing, caring for one another, helping and supporting one another, forgiving, repenting of wrong in our lives and so much more. Truth is the WAY Jesus lived! That’s why Jesus said what he said. He was living out the way to true and
real living. The kind that will last forever! I want to be living this kind of life. Do you? Maybe you have never heard of this very important analogy that Jesus said many times over again…that basically our eyes are meant to see the truth and our ears are meant to hear the truth so that we can have the opportunity to put our faith in it. I’ll say that a different way. That basically your eyes are meant to watch Jesus and your ears are meant to hear Jesus so that you can have the opportunity to put your trust in him… and thus the importance of reading the bible for yourself is made known because Jesus and his ways can only be found by reading the Bible. There are many who have eyes but they are not really seeing. Nor can their ears really hear. Are you one who is not interested in seeing or hearing or living out what is true? If we have not too quickly forgotten Truth cannot evolve, be controlled or be made up. Being a truly wise person is to admit and accept that Truth is not relative…but rather absolute. It’s to admit that truth is bigger than all of us and it can not be divided or watered down or ignored. We should be thankful for this because our souls are at stake! And so Jesus is to be believed upon or rejected in your life.
There’s no doubt our world is on the verge of major changes. And I am one along with many others who desires to make clear and make known to you the real and bottom line issue at stake even if doing so causes an intense stir in your heart. You have to get your true heart out on the table and wrestle with the truth until you see clearly enough to turn away from Jesus or receive him. Jesus makes claims on your soul that you must be aware about! This is a true life and death decision you have to make. The motive behind my writing to you like this is classic in example: If I was on the verge of death because of an illness, because of drowning, because of an any number of things I would appreciate it if the one with the antidote or the life jacket would give it to me so that I might remain alive. APPRECIATE! Think of the meaning of that word in context. Think of how appreciative you would be if someone gave you the only cure for your terminal disease! Jesus said there is no greater love then when a person lays down their life for another. And so I ask you, who in your life is laying down their life for you and for your sins? Are your friends holding you accountable to what is true? To what is right and wrong? Is anyone sharing Christ with you if you don’t know him for who he really is? Are you actively searching for the cure to your problem? Do you even know that you have a problem?
Monday, August 06, 2007
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR FINAL DECISION: PART 1
To Whom It May Concern,
I keep thinking of how time is slipping bye…precious time…. and how important you are in the midst of the passing seconds. It’s an amazing thing to realize that the most critical choice in life is the same one for each of us and in light of this most critical choice and the relative calm before the impending storms I did not want to wait a moment longer in sharing with you what is on my heart.
What in this world would ever convince you to take seriously the words you’re about to read? And I conclude what else but a heart that desires to be brutally honest with you about your purpose in life. I pray you would hunger for what is true not for what makes you feel good or what makes you popular or accepted in the hearts of others. What you’re about to read is an invitation to you to not let another day go by before you sincerely make your final decision about the most important choice in your life.
The time is nearly here when you and I will have no more time to sway back and forth or have a middle ground or fence to stand on regarding a number of very important issues we face today in our world. More specifically, it’s a time when ignoring, rationalizing or putting on hold the ultimate decision of life will be impossible. That ultimate decision is whether or not you and I will choose to receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. It’s a choice that each of us must make for ourselves. A final decision must be made about this in your heart because it is impossible to remain neutral about it. Why? Because it is the truth and the truth as a whole does not allow neutrality or apathy. The truth has an inevitable way of squeezing in on you so tightly that eventually it’s not possible to ignore it. Truth wakes people up because its final destination is to be right in front of you in such a way that it is exactly as if you are looking squarely in its eyes knowing that you have to receive or reject it for what it really is. Right now we’re still in the middle of the funnel where there’s still room to breathe but it is a very certain fact that we will soon be at the narrow gate of the funnel of life facing our ultimate destination for all eternity. No matter how great the pressure this is how truth works and so we should remember and seriously consider Jesus’ words. Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” And Jesus is also the One and only person who can save people from the coming judgment on the sins committed by both individuals and nations. Ultimately every single person will either be in agreement with truth or not. The sobering thing is that you will be responsible for making this final decision for yourself about Jesus. The major questions at hand are, “Will I accept Jesus as my personal Savior by believing in him? By believing he is the one who died in my place because of my sins? By believing he is the one who rose from the dead so I could also be raised up with him and escape an eternity void of God? Even if it initially makes me uncomfortable, will I accept this truth knowing that it will require that I humble myself and admit my wrong and my need to be saved from my sins? We should never forget that it is only Jesus Christ who has willingly done what is necessary to bring forgiveness and salvation to us. No one else has or ever will have the resolve, the lifestyle, the authority and power, or the passionate love necessary to save you and me from our sin nature.
To Whom It May Concern,
I keep thinking of how time is slipping bye…precious time…. and how important you are in the midst of the passing seconds. It’s an amazing thing to realize that the most critical choice in life is the same one for each of us and in light of this most critical choice and the relative calm before the impending storms I did not want to wait a moment longer in sharing with you what is on my heart.
What in this world would ever convince you to take seriously the words you’re about to read? And I conclude what else but a heart that desires to be brutally honest with you about your purpose in life. I pray you would hunger for what is true not for what makes you feel good or what makes you popular or accepted in the hearts of others. What you’re about to read is an invitation to you to not let another day go by before you sincerely make your final decision about the most important choice in your life.
The time is nearly here when you and I will have no more time to sway back and forth or have a middle ground or fence to stand on regarding a number of very important issues we face today in our world. More specifically, it’s a time when ignoring, rationalizing or putting on hold the ultimate decision of life will be impossible. That ultimate decision is whether or not you and I will choose to receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. It’s a choice that each of us must make for ourselves. A final decision must be made about this in your heart because it is impossible to remain neutral about it. Why? Because it is the truth and the truth as a whole does not allow neutrality or apathy. The truth has an inevitable way of squeezing in on you so tightly that eventually it’s not possible to ignore it. Truth wakes people up because its final destination is to be right in front of you in such a way that it is exactly as if you are looking squarely in its eyes knowing that you have to receive or reject it for what it really is. Right now we’re still in the middle of the funnel where there’s still room to breathe but it is a very certain fact that we will soon be at the narrow gate of the funnel of life facing our ultimate destination for all eternity. No matter how great the pressure this is how truth works and so we should remember and seriously consider Jesus’ words. Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” And Jesus is also the One and only person who can save people from the coming judgment on the sins committed by both individuals and nations. Ultimately every single person will either be in agreement with truth or not. The sobering thing is that you will be responsible for making this final decision for yourself about Jesus. The major questions at hand are, “Will I accept Jesus as my personal Savior by believing in him? By believing he is the one who died in my place because of my sins? By believing he is the one who rose from the dead so I could also be raised up with him and escape an eternity void of God? Even if it initially makes me uncomfortable, will I accept this truth knowing that it will require that I humble myself and admit my wrong and my need to be saved from my sins? We should never forget that it is only Jesus Christ who has willingly done what is necessary to bring forgiveness and salvation to us. No one else has or ever will have the resolve, the lifestyle, the authority and power, or the passionate love necessary to save you and me from our sin nature.
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