One Reason Why Evil Comes To People…
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. — Jeremiah 6:19 Notice that our thoughts PRODUCE a certain kind of fruit. Ungodly thoughts produce evil-fruit. Godly thoughts produce good-fruit. This truth is as plain and simple as it gets. So, anyone who insists that their private sinful thoughts don’t hurt or harm anyone is only deceiving their own self…and they are trying to deceive you too. Moreover, notice WHY evil came to these people…it was because not only would they not listen to God’s Word, they outright rejected it. Well, guess what? This is precisely why there is so much evil in our world today. Too many people won’t listen to the Word of God…too many people reject the Word of God…too many people don’t want God or His Word (Jesus Christ) over them…and THEIR rebellion BRINGS evil upon their OWN heads. Like it or not, this IS the truth.
Will Jesus Know You?
In Matthew 7:23, the Bible describes a most surprising and unexpected happening: On Judgment Day, Jesus will tell certain church people, “I never knew you.” Now, why didn’t Jesus know these church people? Jesus did not know these church people because they had never HONESTLY sought to know Him. Revelations 3:20 tells us: Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Come Judgment Day, the people Jesus will not know…whether church-goer or not…are those who never opened the door of their heart and life to Him. The people Jesus will not know are those…who across the DECADES of their life…were too busy with their own interests, agendas, and activities…such that they didn’t have the time…nor the interest…in opening the door of their heart and life to Him. But, going back to the point of this article, SOME of the people Jesus will not know on Judgment Day were involved in church and in all kinds of church activities and ministries…they were around the things of God…and they knew all ABOUT Jesus…but they were not interested in actually KNOWING Jesus in a personal way…and they were for sure not interested in drawing closer to Him…or in surrendering their heart and life to Him…and that is why in the end, Jesus will NOT know them. Being involved in religion will NOT get you into Heaven. Belonging to a church will NOT get you into Heaven. Knowing ABOUT Jesus will NOT get you into Heaven. Being a leader, official, or executive in a church will NOT get you into Heaven. Being active in Christian ministries will NOT get you into Heaven. The ONLY thing that will get you into Heaven is KNOWING Jesus…so much so that your name is written in His Book of Life. Revelations 20:12,1512: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. If you and I want Jesus to know us on Judgment Day, then we each better see to it that we each seek to know Him TODAY.
Something To Think About
An old proverb tells us that a fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow. For the same reason, fighting among Christians is a joy to satan.
Barrenness For Wickedness…
The Bible gives us this… A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. — Psalm 107:34 Christians, we must get/be/stay right with God…we must stand up for righteousness…and we must stand against wickedness. Otherwise, the wickedness will surely overrun us and we will get to suffer in greater and greater barrenness. All it takes is a look around at the conditions and circumstances here in the USA and we can easily see that God HAS been progressing our country into barrenness. So, IF we want to see this trend reversed, then it is up to us to get involved, engaged, and active.
Why They Are Afflicted?
Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. — Psalm 107:17
When You Are Despised, Resented, Rejected, Betrayed Or Abandoned…
Recall from the Holy Scriptures how Jesus was frequently despised, resented, rejected, betrayed, and abandoned…all because He lived the will of the Father in going about doing good. No doubt, this was a part of what Jesus had to pray through about in the Garden of Gethsemane…praying through over Judas betraying him…and being abandoned by those closest to Him…and being rejected and crucified by the people he loved and wanted to fellowship with the most. Of course, we know that in the end it did not go well for those who rejected and betrayed Jesus…but still, that did not make it any easier for Him while He was being rejected and betrayed. In the same vein…sooner or later…for those of us who truly believe on the Lord and place our faith, confidence, loyalty, and obedience in him…there will be people who despise, resent, reject, abandon, and betray us…all because they do not like the fact that we are striving to live our life in a way that is pleasing unto God…and we are striving to accomplish good works for the Lord. But, in the end, it will be well with the righteous…and it will be ill for those who have rejected us…because they are really rejecting Christ in us. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. — Isaiah 3:10-11 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. — Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. — Luke 10:16 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. — 1 Thessalonians 4:8 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be…despisers of those that are good” — 2 Timothy 3:1,2,3 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. — Philippians 1:29 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. — Matthew 5:11-12 Brother and Sister in Christ, as the following scripture states, there WILL come a time when it matters a LOT that you have loved, honored, and served God: Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. — Malachi 3:18 But until this time comes, remain steadfast and unmoved in the Lord no matter what…even when you are despised, resented, rejected, betrayed or abandoned. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. — 1 Corinthians 15:58
Are You Cheating Your Own Self?
Satan tries to entice us into sinning by telling us that God is cheating us out of some particular good. But, if we partake of any sin, time will ultimately prove that we really only cheated our own selves out of good.
Be Careful What You Wish For (Because God Just Might Give It To You)
There are people who like the idea of being able to live however they want. They are attracted to the notion of being able to do whatever feels fun or pleasurable to them. They find the concept of living an unfettered, uncensored carnal life very appealing. They think it would great to be free from God’s laws, boundaries, and restrictions. Sadly, what these people fail to realize is that everything they REALLY want in life…all the peace, happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment, meaning, significance, enjoyment, and goodness they REALLY want…is available ONLY WITHIN God’s laws, boundaries, and restrictions. That is why God provided those laws, boundaries, and restrictions FOR us in the first place…because they were FOR OUR good! God didn’t need those laws, boundaries, or restrictions. We needed them! However, God WILL generally give people what they insist upon having…including a life without His presence or providence. Here is what the Bible says: …people would not hearken to my voice…[they would have] none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. — Psalm 81:11-12 The day God Almighty gives a person the sinful desires, interests, and imaginations of their heart… The day God Almighty lets a person do things in their own way based upon their own knowledge, understanding, and perspective…without regard for God’s way…without the benefit of God’s knowledge and wisdom…without the blessing of God’s understanding and awareness…without the advantage of God’s perspective and insight… The day God Almighty frees a person to live however they want…to be whatever they want…to do whatever they want… …is the day that bodes, foreshadows, and portends more evil for that person than he or she could ever imagine. This is true for many reasons including these: So, the message for us today is as follows: In doing these things, we each will be blessed with and get to enjoy the good-life that God designed and intended for each one of us. See also: Romans 1:21-32, Isaiah 30
Sin Casts A Long Shadow
There is an ancient saying that says, “Sin casts a long shadow“. Take a moment to think about what this means. The word “long” lets us know that the effects and consequences of sin will be felt for a long time. The word “shadow” lets us know that sin darkens and clouds our life. The word “casts” lets us know that continued sin causes the shadow to grow even bigger and darker. But, through Jesus Christ, we can receive the light that eliminates all the shadows in our life. In [Jesus] was life; and the life was the light of men. — John 1:4 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 am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. — John 12:46 Christ shall give thee light. — Ephesians 5:14 Ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. — 1 Peter 2:9
Christian Beware! That Enticing Temptation Is a Dangerous Trap.
A fish … just before it is caught by a fisherman … only sees the bait being offered by the fisherman. The fish only sees what its fleshly-nature wants. The fish is absolutely convinced that what it sees will be enjoyable and pleasurable. The fish is sure that what it sees will be good … and that no harm will come from partaking of the pleasure that it sees. So, the fish moves in to partake of the bait … anticipating the fun and the pleasure … only to discover that a hook was hidden inside. The fish was so focused on and blinded by an ILLUSION of pleasure that it did not see the hook that cost it its very life. As simple and well-understood as this example is … it perfectly mirrors the “bait and catch” strategy that satan uses on us as people. Common sense and experience tells us that any and every temptation satan puts in our path is merely bait … and out of sight is a hook that will prove harmful and destructive to us. And yet, if we are not careful, we will see some temptation… That satan has secretly and smartly laid out and presented to us… And we will keep looking at it… We will keep thinking about it… We will begin imagining ourselves partaking of the pleasure and enjoyment it appears to offer… We will start explaining, justifying, and excusing to ourself… We will begin thinking of the temptation as harmless fun and pleasure… Until finally, we reach the point where we have totally forgotten that satan is always about destruction… Until we have completely forgotten that within any and every temptation that satan offers us, there IS some form of bondage and enslavement … there is some form of entrapment … that will in time prove to be burdensome, bitter, hurtful, and painful… While the perceived, anticipated pleasure was nothing more than at best an initial, short-lived, cheap thrill followed by empty illusion, problems, and self-loathing. The point is, we must not forget what is really going on and fall prey to satan’s tempting snares. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. — 2 Corinthians 2:11 We must always remember that hidden within satan’s temptations is some form of enslavement or entrapment that infallibly leads to progressive degradation and ultimately destruction. We must remember that destruction is ALWAYS the end-game with satan. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy — John 10:10 So, let us all determine and decide right now that we will not ever have anything to do with satan’s enticing temptations. When we find some enticing, alluring temptation laid in front of us … one that looks so enjoyable and pleasurable to our carnal-self … one that we could easily partake of … let us immediately turn away from it … without a second thought or look … remembering and knowing that it IS a trap designed to catch us and to drag us into degradation and destruction. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. — James 1:13-15 Credit: This article was inspired by comments made by Brother Alex Cooper.
The Failure of the Church
“The church has failed to tell me that I am a sinner. The church has failed to deal with me as a lost individual. The church has failed to offer me salvation in Jesus Christ alone. The church has failed to tell me of the horrible consequences of sin, the certainty of hell and the fact that Jesus Christ alone can save. We need more of the last judgment and less of the golden rule, more of the living God (and the living devil as well), more of heaven to gain and a hell to shun. The church must bring me not a message of cultivation but of rebirth. I might fail that kind of church, but that kind of church will not fail me.” — Stanley High Sadly, there are many churches within the “Christian” realm that are failing to be the light of Jesus Christ that they are supposed to be. But, God has a church…made up of people who have separated themselves from the sin, wickedness, evilness, immorality, and carnality of this world…people who have decided and determined to live their lives in a way that pleases God. Allentown Holiness Church is one of those churches that STILL preaches Biblical truth…instead of giving out good-sounding speeches that accept and accommodate man’s sinful nature. Allentown Holiness Church is one of those churches that STILL stands for being separated from the sin…instead of compromising and trying to fit in with sinners. Allentown Holiness Church is one of those churches that STILL tells sinners that sinful living will send them to hell…instead of lying to sinners and telling them that they can live any way they want because God just loves them as they are. It IS true that God loves all people…but He hates sin in any form..and no sin or sinner will EVER dwell with Him in His Holy presence. (Revelations 21:27) It IS true that God loves all people…it IS true that God is not willing that any should perish and go to hell…that’s why the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared unto ALL people. (Titus 2:11) NOBODY will stand before God on Judgment Day and say, “God, you never dealt with me…you never revealed your Spirit to me…you never pricked my conscience when I was sinning.” because EVERYBODY KNOWS that God’s Spirit has “checked” their spirit when they were stepping into wrong-doing. The fatal mistake that too many people make is that they reject God’s grace that He extends to them…they trade God’s grace for the momentary thrill of sinful living…and they keep trying to outrun the growing consequences of sinful living by reaching for yet another momentary thrill of sinful living…and the next thing they know, they have trampled on God’s grace for the last time…and they are stepping into eternity without God…condemned to hell by their own choices and actions…condemned to hell by their own rejection of God’s grace.
Are You Aware Of What Is Really Going On?
Technically, an atheist is defined as someone who does not believe in God or any other deities. But, if we go by how most atheists actually operate, behave, and respond, we can define an atheist as someone who despises, hates, rejects, and defies God. Now, IF it were the case that God would just do for atheists whatever it was that they wanted…when they wanted it…and how they wanted it…that is, IF God would “bow down to them” and just agree to be their big genie in the sky, THEN atheists might “believe” in God. But of course, IF God were a genie, then He would not be God…He would be a servant…which is a “position” atheists would be okay with God being in relative to them. To explore further…imagine an atheist in a room with several people…and suppose a 6 year old child starts talking about how the Tooth Fairy brought him or her some money. In this scenario, the child speaking in the context of a “fable” would not bother the atheist in the least. The same could be said of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or any of the other children’s caricatures that are common in our culture. But, let this child say that God did something…and this atheist would immediately bristle…this atheist would immediately go into a major rejection mentality…and would immediately…whether verbally or internally…go into attacking, criticizing, and hating the parents for teaching the child to credit and honor God. For example, suppose that the child proclaimed that God had healed him or her of a cold. The atheist would immediately bristle up…and start vehemently arguing that God did not do anything…that God was not even remotely involved…but rather, the child’s own body mechanisms had merely performed its natural functions. Now…isn’t this interesting. IF God is truly a fable…as atheists LOVE to proclaim…WHY does it bother them so much when someone chooses to believe in God or give God credit for something in their life? No other fables bother them. Why does the alleged “fable” of God bother them so much? IF God was truly a fable…then the sensible thing would be to “let the simpletons who believe in fairy tales believe what they want to believe” and go on with their own life totally unbothered by the simpletons and their beliefs. But, that’s not how it is. Atheists are VERY bothered by the alleged “fable” of God. Again, why is that? Again, IF God is truly a “fable” then why does it matter if some people choose to believe in that “fable”? Well, God bothers atheists because He is NOT a mere fable. God bothers atheists because like their father satan, they do not want to bow down to God. Rather, they want God bowing down to them. Continuing on…atheists just love to say that God and Christianity is nothing more than a story…folklore that perhaps served undeveloped ancestors because they lacked scientific knowledge and needed some way to explain things they could not explain…but outdated, foolish, and unnecessary given the scientific knowledge that we now have. Again, IF God was truly just a “story”…then it really shouldn’t bother atheists if some people chose to live their lives by a “story”, right? After all, the “story” of God is about living in a clean, moral, just, loving kind of way that is good for everyone involved…so what’s the big deal? What’s so offensive about that? Going deeper…movies are just stories told in pictures. And, atheists all over the world watch blockbuster movies…that is, they support and contribute to the success of these movies…these stories…and they are not bothered in the least by these stories that we call movies. Interestingly, these movies can have all kinds of supernatural components and elements…they can contain all kinds of deities…there can be all kinds of things that cannot be explained by science or logic…and these atheists are not bothered by any of this in the least. In fact, they talk about these movies…these “stories”…and build them up to their friends and family. But, the moment a movie acknowledges, credits, or honors God…these same atheists will suddenly be in a very strong combative and rejection mode. Now how is that? How is it that a mere “story” can have such a visceral effect upon someone? Yea…well…like I said…the real deal is that atheists despise, hate, and reject God. We all instinctively know and understand that a story is NOT going to truly affect someone unless it is REAL! As a child, my daughter enjoyed watching “Anne of Green Gables” but it did not affect her, impact her, or change her because it was not real. It truly was just an entertaining story. But, when she saw “The Diary of Anne Frank” it DID affect her and impact her because it was REAL. It was a true recounting from a girl’s diary as she and her family tried to hide from the horrible atrocities of Nazi Germany but were ultimately found and hauled off to concentration camps where most of her family died. Now, I am coming to the point that I am really making here… It is not enough for atheists to reject God for themselves. The bigger plot is that they want you and I to reject God too. And the actual point… YOU need to be aware that satan’s workers are working VERY HARD to program and condition the masses of people so that they lose their belief, trust, and confidence in God. YOU need to be aware that satan’s workers are working VERY HARD to create a Godless world…a world that rejects God…a world that rebels against any spiritual or moral rule from God. And, it is frightening how successful they have been. But then again, anytime there is a group of people EXTREMELY focused on something, they CAN get a lot done. So, how are atheists carrying out the work of satan? How are atheists carrying out their work of trying to persuade and convince people
Which Type of Christian Are You?
Have a look at the following “types” of Christians and see which one fits you. Christian-Affiliate – This is a person who classifies and categorizes their self as a “Christian” but does not actively live the life of a Christian as defined by the Bible. That is, they affiliate their self with the “religion” of Christianity … but they live a life that is indistinguishable from that of a person who makes no attempt to serve or please the Lord and who lives only for self-pleasure. The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ. Licensed Christian – This is a person who professes to be saved (see description of “Saved Christian” below) but there is no change whatsoever in their life. This is a person who joins a church group and then feels “licensed” to do whatever sinning they want … because after all, they are a member of the church. This is a person who loves to use God’s mercy and grace as a license to excuse and cover up their sinful living. This is a person who really has no interest in living a clean, Godly life … they just need some way to get people off their back when the subject of doing right or being saved comes up … and telling others they are already saved is how they do that. The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ. This person is a hypocrite whose judgment is soon-coming as stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:12, “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Not-Responsible Christian – This is a person who does not want to have to overcome or stand against sin on their own. So, if God does not block the sin from coming to them, then they just go along with it … placing all responsibility for their right-living upon God and taking no personal responsibility their self for living right and being right before God. The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ. Self-Made Christian – This is a person who lives a warped concoction … where they “call” their self a Christian … but in reality, they merely pursue a self-satisfying religion of their own making and choosing. This is a person who does not really care what God has to say in the Bible. They just want to do things in their own way that suits and satisfies them … and they can always find a way to explain, excuse, or justify why it is appropriate for them to ignore God’s truth and to instead live their own made-up “truth”. The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ. Fence-Riding Christian – This is the kind of person who likes to fit in with sinners … who likes to be around sinners … and when they are around sinners … they dress like them, act like them, and talk like them. But then, when they are around Christian people, they switch over and will look, act, and talk the part of a Christian. This kind of person is a hypocrite and a blight on the name of Christ. The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ. Week-Long Christian – This is the person who asks the Lord to forgive them of their sins … but within a day or two they are getting pressure from their friends … and sinful interests strongly beckon them … and within a week, they are right back to fully living the sinful life they were living before … they forget about God … they backslide away from Christ … and now, they are no longer saved. (Matthew 13) Years later, they still have not ever got back around to praying again. The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ. Down-And-Out Christian – This is a person who gets saved (see description of “Saved Christian” below) … and who does really good for a while … until a serious problem or situation shows up in their life … at which point, they get discouraged, disenchanted with God, or even offended at God … and they backslide away from Christ … they turn back to living a life of sin … and they are no longer saved. (Matthew 13) The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent of their sins and commit their life to following Christ. Side-Railed Christian – This is a person who gets saved (see description of “Saved Christian” below) … and does really well for a long while … they prove faithful even through hardships and problems … but eventually, they lose their love for the Lord … they lose their interest in the Lord … and they become more interested in pleasure, success, prominence, and renown … until soon enough, all of their time is devoted to self-gain and they have little time for God. Eventually, they reach the stage where they have completely backslid and they are no longer saved. (Matthew 13) The Bible makes it clear that this kind of person is not saved and is bound for Hell unless they repent
How Much Of A Christian Do We Have To Be In Order To Go To Heaven?
We each have the personal responsibility of learning what pleases God…and then living accordingly. So, in the interest of learning what pleases God, this article brings out some concepts that we can each consider within ourselves. And, if we find any areas within our self that can stand some improvement…well, hopefully we will each be man enough or woman enough to make those improvements within our self. With that, consider these two core questions… Romans 10:9-10 There are many in the realm of Christianity who have over-simplified these verses to the point that all a person has to do is say they believe in Jesus … that all a person has to do is confess that he or she is a “believer” … and with no other changes or improvements, that is enough to get them into Heaven. But, that simply is not true. It is not true because a sinner cannot step into true recognition of Christ’s Lordship and Divinity and remain the same old sinner. It is not true because a sinner cannot grasp the full work of Christ…and the atonement He made for sin’s penalty…without realizing he or she needs to make some serious improvements before God. In other words, a shallow “confession” followed by the occasional shallow “profession” is NOT enough for a person to be saved. It’s not true because as John 7:38 says: “He that believeth on me … out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” When a person TRULY believes, there IS going to be a difference in their life … changes and improvements ARE going to happen as that person seeks to move into pleasing the Lord … there IS going to be a difference as the things of God begin to flow out of him or her. Now, we will get to some scriptures in just a moment…but let’s consider this scenario first… During the years when we were raising our children … did we approve of … and support our children in being far less than their capabilities? Did we approve of their talent and potential just being squandered and wasted while they lived lazy, shiftless, worthless lives? Were we okay with and supportive of our children flunking their classes in school? Were we okay with and supportive of our children being lazy mooches who refused to work or develop themselves? Were we okay with and supportive of our children hanging out with sinful people? As long as our children weren’t dealing drugs … or murdering people … or engaging in newsworthy criminal activity … was it okay with us for our children to be low-caliber, low-quality, and low-value? Well, IF we were the kind of parents that we were supposed to be, the obvious answer is that none of these things were okay with us … and we certainly did not support them. So, here is a question: come Judgment Day, will God approve of us having been far less than we could have been? If it wasn’t acceptable to us for our children to be far less than they could be … can we expect God to be okay with us being far less than we could be? Do we honestly think that when it comes our time to stand before God and give account of our lives and our deeds … that He will be okay with an admission that we could have been more in Him … and done more for Him … but that it just wasn’t important enough to us to actually be more and do more? That takes us back to the first question… How much of a Christian do we have to be in order to go to Heaven? The story of the thief being saved on the cross is a popular story with some people. It is a story that appeals to some people because it is a story about a guy who did not live right or do right … but it was “okay” … because in the end, he was saved. And, there are some people who are essentially trying to pull off the same “strategy” with God … they are living their life according to their own rules and laws … and God’s rules and laws are secondary to their own … but they fully intend to repent and surrender to God’s rules and laws just before they die. But, following such a strategy is extremely dangerous … and the probability of success is extremely low. Let’s have a look at these familiar scriptures… Matthew 19:16-22 Notice the phrase in verse 16 … “what good thing shall I do“: The young man in these scriptures would have really liked it if any of these items would have been sufficient to get him into Heaven … but they were not enough. With the young man … as with us … God calls for total surrender and submission. Having said that, here is the point I really want to get to: this young man WAS a good moral man … based on how he lived, we would NOT call this young man a “sinner”. And yet, as far as the Bible records, he did NOT make it into Heaven … because he was not willing to fully surrender unto the Lord … he was not willing to fully follow after the Lord … he was not willing to place the Lord as first and foremost in his life. These scriptures let us know that being a good moral person is NOT enough to get us into Heaven. Let’s consider some more familiar scriptures… Matthew 25:1-12 As you look at these scriptures, notice that: Again, we find that it is not enough to be a good moral person who goes to church on Sunday morning. These scriptures let us know that we have to be MORE than that. Not only MUST we be good people … we also must be men and women who are filled with
We Never Imagined…
Today, my wife and I found ourselves in a church service we did not want to be in. It started three days ago. Around lunch time, my wife received a call that a relative had suffered a heart-attack and was in the hospital. So, my wife and I got around as quickly as we could and went to visit the relative. Upon arrival, we found the relative was in good spirits…and although he was a bit weak, he otherwise seemed completely fine. Moreover, doctors had completed their analysis and determined that everything was fine health-wise with the relative…and that most likely, it was a change in prescription that another doctor had prescribed a few days prior that triggered the heart-attack. And so, the doctors wanted to monitor the relative for a few more hours and then he would be released to go home. My wife and I had an enjoyable visit with the relative and the relative’s spouse…reminiscing about good memories and happy times in the past…talking about funny events that had happened with various people we know…laughing about the funny antics of the relative’s young grandchild…telling jokes…and so on. Then, the relative’s spouse made the comment that just the day before, they had been visiting a friend of theirs who was in a hospital…but they never dreamed that they themselves would be in the hospital the very next day in their own emergency. That opened the door for my wife and I to talk about the importance of being right with God through Jesus Christ…which led to my wife and I praying for the relative. We then enjoyed a bit more conversation with the relative…and believing that he was going to be fine…and would be going home later that afternoon, we said our goodbyes and left. We never dreamed that roughly two hours later, we would get another phone call and the message that the relative had passed away. Right after we had left, the relative was setting up in bed…having a meal…talking with their spouse…and then simply fell over…and was gone from this world in an instant. My wife and I could hardly believe it. The relative had seemed completely okay…the doctors had affirmed that the relative would be okay…but the reality was that time had come to an end for the relative. And so, three days later, my wife found ourselves at a funeral that we never imagined we would be at. Now, we have hope that the relative was right with God. We know that the relative had attended and been involved with a little country church for the last several years. But, had I known that this would be the last time for me to interact with the relative, I would have been more direct in confirming that the relative was right with God. The moral of this story is two-fold… One, life is more serious than we realize. Life is way more fragile than we like to think it is. So, it IS important for us to be right with God at all times. If you know within your heart that there are some things that need to be fixed between you and God, then have a look at this article: The Salvation Plan Two, it is important that we speak up for Christ and point people to Christ everywhere we go. Yes, my wife and I talked about Christ with the relative…and we prayed for the relative…but, we COULD have went deeper and been more specific…and we WOULD have went deeper and been more specific…had we just known. So, when we are interacting with people, we should keep in mind that the interaction we are having may well be the last interaction…and therefore that interaction is an important interaction that deserves a REAL discussion about Christ. I am reminded of Christ’s words… “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that [Noah] entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” Matthew 24:38-39 Let’s NOT be one of those who “knew not”…let’s NOT be one of those who is so caught up in whatever we are doing that we are caught unawares by the seriousness of our soul and eternity…or the seriousness of someone else’s soul that we are interacting with.
The Good Path In Life…
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it“. Psalms 127:1 In other words, a person cannot truly succeed by going down any other path except God’s path…the one He has defined in His Word, the Bible. To try to succeed…to try to find happiness…to try to find satisfaction and fulfillment…on some other path that excludes God…or that is outside of God’s precepts…is foolishness. Any path except God’s path is one that is sure to lead to heartache and failure. Bizarrely, some people can literally EXPERIENCE a path of heartache and failure…a path that they may have started on without God…or one wherein they abandoned God somewhere along the way…and it inevitably results in heartache and failure…but they don’t learn the lessons…and after they cry their tears, they just take off on yet another path without God…one that will just as surely result in EVEN MORE heartache and failure. Equally as bizarre, some people will “talk your ear off” about “God” the whole while they walk their path wherein they have rejected God and His commandments, truths, and precepts. These are the people the Bible talks about who deceive their own selves (James 1:22). Now, I know that our “progressive/liberal” world espouses the idea that “right” and “truth” can be self-defined and self-selected…and that all ways can be “right” and “truth”. But, mark the words of Jesus Christ: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15