Regarding the recent developments in Israel, in one of the following videos there is a discussion concerning it from a Biblical point of view. It has often been mentioned on this blog that Israel is God's prophetic time clock. God has NOT abandoned Israel and Israel has not been "replaced" by the Christian church, as the false teaching of "Replacement Theology" wants us to believe! Read the book of Revelation (and the entire Bible) and you will realize that even in the coming 7 year Tribulation the Jewish people are very much in the heavenly Father's thoughts and plans! That is why the Tribulation is known as "Jacob's Trouble." The Tribulation events will, indeed, cause many of the Jews to accept Jesus as their true Messiah!
The first video is by Hope for our times (.com), by Pastor Tom Hughes and his guest Don Perkins. It is part 1 of 2 pertaining to future events: the Rapture; what Don Perkins believes about Babylon the Great (he does not believe it is America, as some do, and as has been written about on this blog previously); and this first video also touches on the Millennial Kingdom of Christ (which occurs after the 7 year Tribulation. Don't miss this fascinating and informative 1 hour video discussion !
The discussion about the 1000 year reign of Christ continues in the hour long (plus 15 minutes) video below of Part 2 from Hope for our times, with Pastor Tom Huges and Don Perkins. But at the beginning of the discussion is pertinent and insightful information on the current conflict in Israel. Many are wondering if "this is it" , so to speak, as a final occurrance - a precursor to the soon Rapture - and much more ! You don't want to miss this video! I learned much from it! Particularly where the Millennial Kingdom is concerned.
And from the wonderful Christian channel, Grace for Purpose, here follows a recent 30 minute video on current happenings pertaining to Biblical prophecy.
Lion of Judah, a channel on You Tube, is also an excellent Christian source! The 17 minute video that follows is titled: "The Book Of Revelation Is Unfolding Before Our Eyes!"
The above videos should wake up everyone to the fact that Jesus' return must be very soon! Pastor Tom Hughes and Don Perkins discuss that fact in their videos above.
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." - Revelation 21:1-5
All of the above verses are wonderful and encouraging -- and TRUE! It makes you want to be there and be with the good Lord! But please note the following verses:
"And He said unto me, It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all LIARS shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." - Revelation 21:6-8
I stressed and capitalized the word "Liars" in the above verse 8 for a reason. It is appalling how easily and often and without a second thought the way people today lie, and lie, and lie some more without any remorse or even a prick of their conscience !! Meaning they have no guilt or regret whatsoever! This is true even among "professed" Christians - meaning they may not be truly saved. Just saying!
[Hamakua Marsh - Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii]
"Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of this prophecy of this book." - Jesus at Revelation 22:7
"And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." - Jesus at Revelation 22:10-11
Please note that in verse 11 above, Jesus calls Himself the Alpha and Omega. Other passages in the Bible have God Himself addressing the fact that He - The Almighty God - is the Alpha and Omega ! Which proves the deity of Jesus Christ !
In view of the fact that we are in the last moments of the last days, now is the time to get right with the Lord before it is too late ! Give your heart, and life, and soul -- surrendered to Jesus, in true belief that He is the Savior, and the only way to heaven and to life eternal! He died a cruel and painful death for you and shed His precious blood for you - as the Lamb of God - His was a sacrificial death so that you could gain eternal life by faith and belief in Him ! He paid our sin debt for us!
Following are salvation Scriptures for those who are not yet born again - not yet believers in Jesus Christ as the Savior.
"He that believeth on the Son shall have everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" - 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Remember, however, that we must also repent of our sins in order to be saved!
"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." - Matthew 4:17
I had spent much time preparing for this post, but last night while laying in bed and praying, I felt led to focus on different Scriptures and a different topic. So, with the good Lord's help (as always) here goes !
Believe me, without praying in advance for the Holy Spirit's guidance, these blog posts would not be possible! Jesus tells us at John 15:5 = "I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing."
That is something the world in general does not even understand; meaning people who are not spiritually minded and who concern themselves only with the material and secular view of life in this mixed up world. They may think that Christians who devote their time and thoughts on the good Lord and His will are fanatics or just crazy. But what matters is What God and Jesus think! How the good Lord views a person; not how the world judges a person.
"But the LORD said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance; but the LORD looketh on the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7
The sermon following is from the Bible book of Lamentations. But before that, here is a brief 7 minute very informative overview of Lamentations:
Before the sermon video by Pastor Chuck Smith, let us consider Lamentations 3:21-24 :
"This I recall in my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him."
What encouraging words for us today in this modern, topsy-turvy world ! Pastor Smith, who passed away in 2013, was the founder of the Calvary Chapel Churches. His 29 minute sermon is based on Lamentations 3:21-24.
God is a promise keeper! Pastor Smith, in the above video, tells us: "God will keep His promises to you - it all depends on where you stand with God."
Remember the old hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness"? It ties in with Pastor Chuck's sermon above and I felt it needed to be included here for you. Enjoy !
In the sermon here by Pastor Smith, he tells us (1) "It is good to be on God's side" - and (2) "Hope in God and wait for His salvation."
Many people today realize things are just in a turmoil in this world (and that is an understatement!) They see no way out - like no relief is ever going to be possible. The Bible prophesied about our day! We are in the end of this dispensation- the end of the Church age! Read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 concerning occurances proving these are now the end times !
Jesus tells us at Luke 21:25-26 : "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."
But then pay attention to what Luke 21:27 and 28 tells us ! "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh."
True believers in the good Lord realize all this chaos and upheaval occuring today is proof that Jesus' return will be very soon to rapture His Bride (The Church, true followers of Christ).
Will you be Rapture Ready?
Jesus loves you, and He is waiting to hear from you!
When you put your faith in Him and believe with all of your very soul - all of your very being- that He is the Savior and the only way to heaven; that His shed blood at Calvary can wash you clean from your sins because He paid your sin debt in full by His ransom death -- He died in your place and took on your sins so that you may have eternal life if you but believe in Him as the Redeemer- Just BELIEVE!!
"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." - Romans 5:9
However, you do need to repent of your sins in all sincerity, as well as pray with all of your heart and soul for forgiveness ! At Matthew 4:17 it tells us: "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
This world is dying! In Jesus, we LIVE!
When you run to Jesus in faith, He will welcome you with open arms and embrace you with His love and His forgiveness!
Following are some "Salvation Scriptures" for those who may not yet have believed in Jesus Christ as the Savior. Also, the following verses are good for you who are already Christians to share with unbelieving relatives or friends to help bring them to salvation. We are only vessels - we do NOT save anyone - but we share the Gospel with others and God's Holy Spirit saves them !
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) - 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !!
The red rose especially is symbolic of love - a gift to give to your sweetheart or wife. At least that is very true in America. This article will concern itself with the subject of LOVE - specifically love for God and neighbor.
"And Jesus answered him: The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:29-31
The first thought that popped into my mind as I typed the above words of Jesus was : There is so little love in the world today! I remember when I was young and as an adult, how people were more loving and friendly. Driving down country roads, perfect strangers would wave at you in your car from their car as you drove past them, and people on their front porches - again, perfect strangers - would wave at you as well as you drove past their house ! This was in the deep south, true, and Southerners tend to be friendlier than other parts of the U.S.A. - not always, but as a rule.
Today, well, what can I say. We now have "social distancing" and people are on edge with all the drastic changes of late - such as lockdowns, etc. But let's not linger on all of this, except first to share another scripture which is found at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 :
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Wow! That certainly describes things and people in these last moments of the end times which we are now experiencing ! Even Christians are affected in that they are more cautious and less trusting of others like they once were. Those verses above at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 are not alone in predicting the end times' signs, etc. By the way, please read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 for more end times signs.
More information will follow here on the two commandments - to love God and neighbor - but first follows two wonderful sermons on that subject by Charles Spurgeon. Briefly, Charles Spurgeon was a famous and much loved Baptist minister in England who lived from 1834 to 1892. You may find out more about him from searching the Internet.
The first sermon titled "The Secret of Loving God", which is 44 minutes long, follows:
In the above audio video, Spurgeon tells us that our love for Christ is based on a great mystery! Love in itself is hard to explain as it is. True love of God/Jesus, explains Spurgeon, over powers us, and is not because of effort or out of duty; we simply love God as God, by knowledge and faith. One thing Spurgeon brings out, which I have found to be true in my own walk with the Lord, is that if you just meditate and think with love and gratitude on all that God has done for you and how He has shown His love for you in so many ways, then your love for Him will grow and grow the more you dwell on His love and grace and tender mercies towards you!
The following 51 minute audio sermon by Charles Spurgeon is about loving your neighbor. He brings out that we should treat everyone well. Just an interesting note: The sermon here on loving God received over 400,000 more views than the sermon here on loving your neighbor! and they were published in the same year within a month of each other on You Tube !
Obviously, if your neighbor does you harm in any way and proves to be your enemy, sometimes it is best to avoid all contact with them or as much as possible. However, Jesus tells us that we should still love our enemies and we are to pray for them!
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. " - Matthew 5:41-45
Following is a commentary by G. Petter on "The Properties of Love":
"Because many deceive themselves in thinking that they love God, when they do not, it is needful to set down the marks of the true love of God, by which we may ascertain whether it be in us or not. The principal are these:
1. A deliberate preferring and esteeming of God above all things in the world, though never so excellent or dear to us.
2. A desire to be united and joined to God in most near communion with Him, both in this life and the next.
3. A high estimation of the special tokens and pledges of God's love to us: the Bible, sacraments, etc.
4. A conscientious care to obey God's will, and to serve and humor Him in our calling.
5. Joy and delight in the duties of God's service and worship.
6. Zeal for God's glory, causing in us a holy grief and indignation when we see or hear that God is dishonored by sin.
7. Love is bountiful, making us willing and ready to give and bestow much upon the person we love.
8. True love to the saints and children of God. "
On "The Nature of our love to Christ", Charles Spurgeon comments:
1. It must be sincere, with all the heart.
2. Intelligent, with all the mind.
3. Emotional, with all the soul.
4. Intense and energetic, with all the strength."
"Dear God, please make my days useful, my nights restful, my home peaceful, and my efforts fruitful." - comment on You Tube
"The more sorrowful you are to God, the more He will use you." - Pastor Jack Hibbs
"No matter your circumstances, if you are in the will of God, God is responsible for getting you through it." - Dr. Charles Stanley
"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the ONE Who is leading." - Oswald Chambers
"In every trouble, we should first seek to realize God's presence with us. Only : let us enjoy His smile, and we can bear our daily cross with a willing heart for His dear sake." - Charles Spurgeon
Here is a lovely hymn by Maranatha Music titled "I Love You Lord" :
Much has been written on this blog about how we are now living in the last moments of the end times, as prophesied in the Bible. Many theologians and Bible Scholars are convinced that this is so. If you go to the "Search Box" in the upper right hand side of this page and enter such topics as " end times, Rapture, signs of last days, Bible prophecy fulfilled, convergence of end time signs, 7 year Tribulation, " etc. you will find much information on these subjects, some articles with videos.
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." - Proverbs 29:2
If Jesus were to return tonight or tomorrow or soon thereafter, would you be Rapture ready? Only those who are true believers in Jesus as the Savior will be taken to heaven to be with the Lord. That means that you have put your faith in Jesus as the promised Savior: He is the only way to heaven! He paid our sin debt in full at the Cross; He took our place and died for us; His shed blood, as the Sacrificial Lamb of God, washes our sins away (wipes the slate clean) when we surrender in complete faith and belief in Him as the Savior. We must sincerely and totally repent of our sins, pray for forgiveness, and totally commit ourselves to Jesus as His servants. Mean it with all of our very being! Not a mere head knowledge only, but bursting within ourselves and overflowing in faith and gratitude to the Savior of our souls!
Jesus loves you!
He is waiting to hear from you!
He will welcome you into His loving arms in a secure embrace of love and forgiveness !
Following are Salvation Scriptures for you:
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !
For some reason, the blood red color of the above bromeliad reminded me of the fact of Jesus' shed blood at the Cross - His precious blood which alone can wash away our sins and make us a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). God made Jesus to be sin for us!
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 explains: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
The verses above would make the subject of another complete article on this blog, and perhaps that will be done in the future. The point now concerns the fact that once a person is truly saved and born again (a spiritual rebirth) he is considered to be a "new creature" because the heavenly Father sees that person as clean, by the blood of Jesus, and sees that person as righteous by Jesus' redemptive act at Calvary - sees the saved one "through" Jesus, so to speak.
It does NOT mean that we are perfect, of course, and that we will never sin again. Due to the fallen flesh inherited from Adam's fall, we will make mistakes and sin occasionally. However, unlike the world of unsaved lost souls, we will not deliberately and willfully sin. We will not go against God's will defiantly and assert our own set of "rules" independently of Him. Sin will not be our predominant nature.
This leads to the main subject of this post: Faith and Repentance. Charles Spurgeon has said that faith and repentance are inseparable. Check out You Tube for an audio sermon of his on that subject.
Sometimes this blog neglects to always mention repentance when salvation and salvation verses are shared here. Repentance is a necessary requirement of salvation; and yet, at the same time, repentance is one continuing act.
" I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." - Jesus at Luke 13:3
Following is a 55 minute audio sermon by George Whitefield on the subject: "A Repentant Heart", based in part on Luke 13:3. Whitefield was a Methodist evangelist who was born in Gloucester, England, and lived from 1714 to 1770. When he was very young, he met John and Charles Wesley. Whitefield's sermon below is excellent ! Please watch ! You will be glad you did.
In the above sermon, George Whitefield tells us to not say we do not have the power to change, for Christ will give us the power and strength to do so!
The article tells us that confession belongs to repentance and is needed for Divine forgiveness. Repentance means to turn away from evil, and to turn to good. One important comment in the above article is , "Repentance is only a condition of salvation and not its meritorious ground," and "repentance requires true brokenness and with a commitment to change."
"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." - Matthew 4:17
Luke 24:46-48 tells us: "And said unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in HIs name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things."
"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yeah, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things, ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." - Apostle Paul at 2 Corinthians 7:10-11
"And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." - Luke 5:31-32
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."- Jesus at John 3:7
On the above verse, Charles Spurgeon has written beautifully in his devotion which follows:
"Regeneration is a subject which lies at the very basis of salvation, and we should be very diligent to take heed that we really are "born again", for there are many who fancy they are, who are not. Be assured that the name of a Christian is not the nature of a Christian; and that being born in a Christian land, and being recognized as professing the Christian religion is of no avail whatever, unless there be something more added to it - the being "born again", is a matter so mysterious , that human words cannot describe it. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." Nevertheless, it is a change which is known and felt; known by works of holiness, and felt by a gracious experience. This great work is supernatural. It is not an operation which a man performs for himself: a new principle is infused, which works in the heart, renews the soul, and affects the entire man. It is not a change of my name, but a renewal of my nature, so that I am not the man I used to be, but a new man in Christ Jesus. To wash and dress a corpse is a far different thing from making it alive: man can do the one, God alone can do the other. If you have then, been "born again", your acknowledgment will be : "O LORD Jesus, the everlasting Father, thou art my spiritual Parent; unless Thy Spirit had breathed into me the breath of a new, holy, and spiritual life, I had been to this day "dead in trespasses and sins." ... "My heavenly life is wholly derived from Thee - to Thee I ascribe it." ,,, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who liveth in me." - May the LORD enable us to be well assured on this vital point, for to be unregenerate is to be unsaved, unpardoned, without God, and without hope." (end of quote).
Following is a beautiful hymn used on this blog previously which is about confession of sin and a contrite heart and God's grace -- and more !
Here once again is Dr. Charles Stanley's short 8 minute video on the way of salvation:
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !
In my photograph above we find patches of sunlight along the shady path. Life is like that ! Life can be dark and filled with peril; or lots of obstacles, if nothing else; or problems and heartbreak and the list goes on. But now and then in the pathway of life, there are rays of sunshine and hope and happiness. For that bit of sunshine we are always very grateful and bask in it while it lasts.
The above observation is true of Christians as well as the ungodly. However, the Christian's problems or storms can be a way of God the heavenly Father to teach us lessons of endurance and to help us learn to go to Him often in prayer for guidance and relief; in other words, the true believer's problems should make him draw ever closer to the good Lord. God and Jesus will not only comfort us, but will fight for us as well. This is brought out beautifully in the following 9 minute sermon clip by (the now deceased) Pastor David Wilkerson.
The bad news is, the battle or war raging in the inner man (and the destructive opposition from the devil) will go on as long as we live. That is why we need strong faith in the LORD as well as to fellowship with Him often in prayer and Bible reading. God's Holy Spirit is not only our Comforter, but He is also our Protector and Guide - He will fight for us ! That is the good news!
As I uploaded the above Hibiscus photograph here, the dried up and dead former blossom on the left reminded me of the Christian's former life of darkness before he was born again and became a true "child of light", as perhaps the here shown glorious open blossom depicts the present full of light and beauty he has become now that he is a "child of God" by faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior, Who is the only way to the Father in heaven.
However, as we all realize, Christians are NOT perfect and at times we fall short - we sin. That is why we need a close, intimate, personal, loving relationship with God through His Son Jesus. We are less likely to sin if that is the case - to not make it a habit to sin ! We will not deliberately and willfully sin in opposition to the good Lord's wishes and commandments. For the most part, true believers sin "accidentally" and at times do not even realize it until later. We still, once we are aware of our sin, must repent and endeavor to not repeat that sin. Repentance means to regret your sin and to turn away from it, but especially it means a complete change of mind which leads to a change of actions! Becoming more Christlike, in other words, over time.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38
"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." - Matthew 4:17
If you are a Christian, the question arises "Are you hot or cold? Are you lukewarm?"
Please watch the following and thought provoking 11 minute video which discusses lukewarm Christians, but has wonderful information for all of us, be we on fire for the Lord or lukewarm.
We Christians are familiar with the fact already that God is light and that we are "children of the light" . However, the video above makes it all so abundantly clear that we need to show our light by separating from any evil and living for Christ! "There is no spiritual neutrality!"
"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." - 1 John 1:5-10
Many of you are aware of all the "changes" lately that affect everyone - the entire globe will be affected in time, and that is partially true right now.
But true believers have a blessed hope that keeps them hanging in there!
That is the soon return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:13 informs us: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
:
By the way, this has been shared on this blog previously, but here it is again: Some commentators admit that the better translation of Titus 2:13 would be "The great God even our Savior Jesus Christ." It is abundantly clear that this verse strongly emphasizes the Deity of Christ.
Romans 9:5 agrees : "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen."
Bible Prophecy concerning these last moments of the end times are being fulfilled not only on a daily basis, but almost an hourly or minute by minute basis! Seems like things are really happening all at once and fast right now!
Jesus will return soon! Don't let scoffers (2 Peter 3:3) convince you it will be otherwise!
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." - 2 Peter 3:3-4
If you have not put your faith in the cleansing power of Jesus' shed blood on the cross - that by His sacrificial death He paid our sin debt in full by dying for us and taking our sins upon Himself - He ransomed us; that by this redeeming act, He made a way for us to have everlasting life if we but put our faith and belief in Him as the Savior! If you are unsaved, this means to gain eternal life you must repent of your sins and pray for forgiveness with all of your very being and in sincerity, and - again - with all of your very being believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior !
Following are some Salvation Scriptures :
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." - John 14:6
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" - John 11:25, 26
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." - Revelation 22:7
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !
My photograph above was taken a few years ago, showing a typical scene from Waikiki, with many tourists. But, as the title of this post hints, these are not exactly "wayfaring strangers". Or, ARE they? Meaning, in a spiritual way, perhaps some of them may be wayfaring strangers. Many of you might be familiar with that old hymn (or rather, folk song) by that title - "Wayfaring Stranger". Following is a beautiful version of it by Selah:
The above song expresses a longing to go to heaven and to be with the Lord. In today's troubled world, there are many who have that same longing: to be in heaven with the good Lord. You have to admit, "things ain't like what they used to be." Many changes have been implemented lately that prove that we are ever closer to what will occur on a larger scale during the 7 year Tribulation.
Good News! True believers in Jesus Christ as the Savior will be "outta here" before then : before that horrendous judgment period upon ungodly men, meaning the Tribulation with all of its plagues, destruction, and suffering ! Read the Bible book of Revelation - it is all there.
True followers of Jesus should feel as the apostle Paul felt when he wrote : "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21; and, at Philippians 1:23 Paul said: "For I am in a strait betwixt the two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: "
"And to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." - 1 Thessalonians 1:10
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." - 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9
But the focus of this article will be on the salvation of souls and what that entails.
Some time ago, the old hymn "This World Is Not My Home" was posted on this blog. It is sung by Jim Reeves (to you old-timers like myself... remember him?) and was written by Reeve's wife. Here is that hymn again for you:
The message of the hymn here by Jim Reeves is similar to the message in the folk song "I'm Just a Wayfaring Stranger". I posted it again now because it is mentioned in the following 39 minute audio sermon by Pastor Adrian Rogers, which follows:
There are many, many gems of gospel truth and encouragement in the above excellent sermon by Pastor Rogers! One echoes what the two song videos above tell us: "We (believers) are strangers and pilgrims and do NOT belong to this world." - based on 1 Peter 2:11 which tells us:
"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;"
Another thing Pastor Rogers emphasizes :" Salvation is NOT rooted in the merit of man, but in the mercy of God." You cannot "work" your way into heaven!
Speaking of his personal testimony, Pastor Rogers tells us: "Before I was saved I was running to sin, but now I am running from sin." He tells us, "You don't need anything! If you have Jesus you have everything!"
Just a warning from Pastor Rogers: "If the only thing that keeps you from sinning is the fear of losing your salvation, I doubt that you've ever been saved."
"Lukewarmness is the Christian's Achilles heel. We cannot lead anyone to Christ who is more committed to the world than we are to Jesus." - Joe McKeever
"Don't put a question mark where God puts a period." - unknown
"Jesus did not come to make God's love possible, but to make God's love visible." - unknown
"It is Christ's will that [man] should be thus isolated, and that he should fix his eyes solely on HIM." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"If the LORD be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayers - His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable." - John Newton
Following is a short article by A.W. Tozer titled :"Spiritual Readiness":
"When the Bible says that God is calling a special people out of the nations to bear the name of His eternal Son, I believe it, and His name is Jesus! Our pious forefathers believed in spiritual preparation, and they said so! They saw themselves as a Bride being prepared to meet the Bridegroom. They regarded this earth as the "dressing room" to outfit themselves for heaven. The evangelical church has come through a period when nearly everyone has believed that there is just ONE pre-requisite to readiness: being born again. We have made being born again a special event - when Jesus returns we will whip out the pass to prove our readiness. Frankly, I do not think it will be like that. I do not believe that all professed believers are automatically ready to meet the LORD. Our Savior Himself was joined by Peter and John and Paul in warning and pleading that we should LIVE, and WATCH and PRAY, so to be ready for Jesus' coming." - (end of quote).
Food for thought!
The above quote by Tozer brings home the fact that we need to develop a relationship with the good Lord. That means to be often in prayer and in His Holy Word the Bible. To fellowship with Him. You will never come to know a person or develop a relationship with Him if you never talk to them or spend time with them. That is obvious, but so many today neglect to do that very thing with God. He loves us and wants to fellowship with us! If you do draw close to God, He will draw close to you. Something wonderful will happen in your heart and soul when your focus and delight is on the good Lord and you spend quality time with Him. He will transform your mind and heart.
"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." - James 4:8
Time is short before Jesus returns!
Turn to Him now in true faith and total surrender!
Jesus is waiting for you with love and with outstretched arms full of forgiveness and of tender compassion to hold you close and tight in His embrace and in the safety and salvation found in Him.
Following are Salvation Scriptures to act upon NOW if you are not saved by the cleansing power of Jesus' blood when you put your faith and belief in Him as the Savior.
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth upon him." - John 3:36
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me:" - John 14:6
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !!
My photograph above of the mother peacock with her baby seems to fit the title of this post, as the mother shelters and protects her baby and is a refuge for it to flee to when danger is afloat. My photo below gives a better idea of the mother's protection.
Most of you (especially Christians) will agree that this old and troubled and chaotic world is not a safe refuge by any means! So what can we do? The answer is found in Psalm 46:1 which follows:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Following are abbreviated quotes from James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary on Psalm 46:1 =
"..... It is a blessed thing to know Jesus Christ, the Friend who sticketh closer than a brother. God is our refuge from isolation and from human misunderstanding
..... Again, it is a hard, but it is a Divine, lesson to be calm and restrained under wrongful blame, a difficult, but a splendid victory. God is our refuge from provocation.
..... Again, everything around us changes. The world itself is but for a time. We ourselves grow old and change, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea, and forever, (Hebrews 13:8), and he that doeth the will of God abideth forever (1 John 2:17). God is our refuge from change.
God is our refuge from sin and sorrow : [ abbreviated = ] ..... "the forgiveness of sins is offered to us in Jesus Christ our Savior. ... In sorrow, if we but look up to the face of our Father, without Whom not a sparrow falls to the ground; and say... "Thou, O God, art my refuge in the day of trouble.
God is our refuge from uncertainty. ... God reveals Himself to the childlike in heart, and His revelation addresses itself to the whole of our nature and not to one part: to the warm, loving heart, as well as to the cold, scoffing intellect. ... Light is sprung up in the darkness...
To those that thus receive the LORD, the refuge becomes also an Almighty Strength in whose Holy Spirit the very weakest of us can live a life to His glory and to the good of others." (End of Nisbet's quotes)
On this Psalm 46, Martin Luther, in 1529, wrote his wonderful hymn : "A Mighty Fortress is our God", and here it is for your encouragement below:
Following are abbreviated comments by Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 46:1 on his "Faith's Checkbook" devotion of 12-22-20:
" ... Very few earthly helps could be called "very present". They are usually far in the seeking, far in the using, and farther still when once used. But as for the Lord our God, He is present when we seek Him, present when we need Him, and present when we have already enjoyed His aid.
"He is more than "present", He is very present . More present than the nearest friend can be, for He is in us in our trouble; more present than we are to ourselves, for sometimes we lack presence of mind.
"He is always present, effectually present, sympathetically present, altogether present. He is present now if this is a gloomy season. Let us rest ourselves upon Him. He is our refuge ; let us hide in Him; He is our strength; let us array ourselves with Him; He is our help; He is our very present help. Let us repose in Him NOW. We need not have a moment's care or an instant's fear. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." - Psalm 46:7,11
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life." - John 8:12
"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope." - Psalm 130:5
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." - Jesus the Savior at John 14:1-4
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." - Titus 2:13-14
From the Scriptures immediately above, we have a sure hope that Jesus will return to take true believers to heaven to be with Him!
Think about it! How wonderful and encouraging that is!
And all indications from how Bible prophecy is playing out now and coming true at warp speed in these the last moments of the last days.... Jesus' return must be very soon! Many scholars and theologians agree! But most importantly, God's Holy Word the Bible agrees!
If Jesus returns today or tomorrow or soon thereafter, are you "Rapture Ready?" You are if you are born again (a spiritual birth from above; from God and Jesus - a belief that Jesus is the Savior and that His shed blood at the Cross can wash you clean if you but believe with all of your very being that He is the Savior, and the only way to the Father and heaven.) If you believe like that, then you are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and are truly a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If you are not saved, not born again, do NOT delay! Time is running out!
Jesus loves you and will welcome you with open arms, and embrace you with His love and His forgiveness!
Following are Scriptures on how to be saved. Repent of your sins and pray to the good Lord for forgiveness. He honors a sincere heart; a heart sorrowful for sins and full of repentance.
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." - John 14:6
"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness." - Jesus at John 12:46
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" - John 11:25-26
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life!
