Fearing For Our Future

There are so many people who look around at the world today, and reconsider starting a family or even getting married. Why? Because this world is crazy! Things are happening that we would never want to subject our family, kids or grandkids to,. We can't play God, holding back on starting a family, because the world has always been crazy. Bottom line, is that we simply need to trust God. He is sovereign and He is God. What would have happened if that would have been our attitude during any of the wars that have happened. Trust God with your money, your breath, and with your kids and grandkids!

As we studied yesterday, Chapter 15 is a prequel for the events coming in Chapter 16, which are the vial or bowl judgments and this will be the worst of the worst, God's final pouring out of holy and righteous justice that we have been waiting for all our lives. Whenever something bad happens in the world, and the courts get it wrong, God will make it right.

We learned that God always leaves mankind a witness.

Revelation 15:1 ~ ""Then I saw another sign in heaven great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished."

We learned previous that this "another sign" mentioned here is the third sign, that God has given and revealed to John. The first two happened in Revelation 12.

Revelation 12:1 ~ "And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." 

We learned in past studies that this is in reference to the nation of Israel found in the Book of Genesis. It causes us to answer the questions, what, where and is there an Israel? We have already answered this question.

Revelation 12:3,9 ~ "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads, seven diadems. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."

We understand the second sign to be the devil or Satan. In the last 100 years, has there been an attempt to unify the nations together? We are living in a time and in an age where we can answer these questions with an affirmative YES!!!

May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation. In the mid 1980's, the European Union or the United States of Europe has been trying to bring all the nations together and has been searching for a leader. Israel and other nations in the Muslim world are now looking at entering into peace agreements with one another. Things are coming together and God is setting the stage. We are not exempt from what is coming.

The world is not falling apart, it's coming together. We can open our Bibles and see these things being played out in the Middle East right now. There is evidence of the Bible being absolutely true in every sense, from science, archaeology, astronomy, etc. People have been saying for years that the Bible is contradictions, but no one has found one! They have all tried, but there are only two outcomes, they have had hardened their hearts against the truth like Pharaoh or they come to Christ.

Revelation 15:1 ~ "Then I saw another sign in heaven great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished." 

The word "plague" here is the Greek word, "plege" which means a judicial acts, a quick strike liek an executioners' blade or the swift drop of an ax, to remove a person suddenly because of their wrong doing. This word "plague" is a reference to judicial judgements from God.

Most people these days won't even watch the news because it is so hard to hear about what is happening. From shootings, stabbings and the most unspeakable acts from one human on another, we know we live in a fallen world filled with sin, but some of these acts have to be demonically motivated. They go beyond the human's mind to comprehend thinking them up. Satan uses this as an excuse to turn people away from God, with statements, "How can God allow these things to happen?" But people's hears are beginning to grow hard and all people think about anymore is vengeance and revenge.

The Lord interrupts human events.

Psalm 103:9 ~ "He will not always strive with us, nor will he keep his anger forever."

God will not always have to punish sin. Now the time has come for His verdict and He renders it with all of the authority and power that is at his disposal. He brings a conclusion to world affairs, and the wrath of God is complete. 

Hard to Believe That Things Are Going to Get Worse, But They Are!

Only through faith in Jesus Christ, can you escape the events that are coming in a 7 year period that is coming to the earth known as the Tribulation Period, that begins the moment God removes the church or the bride of Christ, from the earth.

Chapter 15 sets up the scene for what will happen in Chapter 16, which are known as the vial or bowl judgments of the Tribulation Period. We have already studied how only Jesus Christ was found worthy to take the scroll that was sealed with 7 seals from the hand of God and as each one was opened, judgments began to transpire upon the earth. When we get to the 7th seal, that begins the 7 Trumpet judgments. On the sounding of the 7th Trumpet, we begin the 7 vial or bowl Judgments. These are the worst of all, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. These are the last of God's Judgments during the 7 years known as the Tribulation before Jesus returns in His Second Coming.

Setting of the players is where we found ourselves today. They are getting ready for the final act of warfare and most scholars believe that these 7 bowls will be completed in a matter of months. Once they begin they move rapidly until at the last bowl judgment, Jesus Christ will return to the earth in the Second Coming.

Revelation 15:1-8 ~ "Then I saw another sign in heaven great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire - and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothes in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to teh seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished."

These are the passages of Scripture that scare people when they simply open the Bible and read them. Kinda of like, Bible roulette. You don't jump to the end, by the time we get to this point in the Bible, the earth is ripe for God's wrath. God doesn't grade on a curve.

It's like those that celebrate Christmas, but don't celebrate Christ. If you aren't celebrating Christ at Christmas, stop saying it and celebrating it. Call it something else. People however, love the money that Christmas brings in, they simply wait for it all year, but their missing the point. Christmas isn't about presents and Santa, it's about Christ!

If you don't like all this judgment stuff and God's wrath coming upon the earth, do something about it! If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you won't experience any of this. Hell, remember, is not the same as God's wrath.

God always leaves a witness for man.

Revelation 15:1 ~ " Then I saw another sign in heaven great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished."

Notice the words, "another sign?" This is the third such sign God gave to John. The first two were found in Chapter 12 of Revelation.

Revelation 12:1 ~ " And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothes with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

We have studied this earlier in our walk through the Book of Revelation and know this refers to the nation of Israel. It must ask the questions, Is there a nation of Israel today? What role does Israel play in the past and the future of God's plan and what significance does it have to do with God?

God promises to deliver the church from that great and terrible time of God's wrath coming to the earth. What kind of groom would beat up his bride before marrying her? These Scriptures back up the fact that the Bride of Christ, the church will be spared from the Tribulation Period and the Wrath of God. He has always done so and will do it again.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 ~ "and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

1 Thessalonians 2:19 ~ "For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?"

1 Thessalonians 3:13 ~ "so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ~ "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

1 Thessalonians 5:9 ~ "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,"

This does not have to be your future, waiting on God's wrath to be dispensed, you can choose Jesus Christ and have faith in Him, and miss out on this entire experience. You definitely want to miss this one!

The Final Battle is Coming. Are You Ready?

If you talk to anyone about end times or Bible prophecy you are going to get quite a few different versions of what people believe, but it is vitally important to separate opinions from what the Bible actually says will happen one day in the future. When that will happen is still not clear, but Jesus did warn us that we would know when it was coming closer by events will can see and know based on the events He told us to watch for.

As we finish up Chapter 14 today, we have to remember that Chapter 14 is what is referred to as a parenthetical pause, and the events that happen here are not in chronological order. This is an insert into the timeline of Tribulation events to give us a brief oversight in what has happened, and what is going to happen.

We know that from verses 14-20 in Chapter 14, we are seeing these events played out as Jesus Christ returns in what is known as the Second Coming. This is the Jesus Christ, that the Jews were expecting to come when Jesus came the first time to Jerusalem but that time was Jesus as Redeemer and Savior. Now we see Jesus Christ coming as the Holy and Righteous Judge to the inhabitants of the earth.

We know that the events after the Tribulation Period will be a division of what is true and what is false and we learned a bit about that yesterday. Moving forward in our study we also see what the devastation of Armageddon will bring to the earth.

Revelation 14:17-20 ~ "Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel same out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood flowed from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle, from 1,600 stadia." 

There are the terrible events of the Second Coming.

Joel 3:11-16 ~ "Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O' LORD. Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Vally of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel."

Isaiah 11:4 ~ "But with righteousness he shall judge the poor; and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked."

Revelation 14:20 ~ "And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood flowed from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle, from 1,600 stadia."

Meaning that the height of a horse's bride is about 4 feet, and 1,600 stadia is about 180-200 miles in diameter. This means that blood will flow nearly 200 miles at a depth of nearly 4 feet.

The topography of the valley of Megiddo is beautiful and is carved perfectly like a channel. Hundreds of millions of soldiers will converge in Israel. More specifically in the Megiddo Valley, otherwise known as Armageddon or the Valley of Armageddon. Never confuse the Second Coming with the rapture. These are two very distinct and different events. Let us look at specific Scriptures concerning only the Second Coming of Jesus, not the Rapture.

Matthew 24:29-31 ~ "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with the power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Zechariah 12:9-10 ~ "And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look on me, on him who they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn."

Matthew 25:31-33 ~ "When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left."

Luke 17:34-37 ~ "I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

Now before you upset yourself over these things, remember this:

Genesis 18:25 ~ "Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"

Those who are destroyed are only those who (1) have refused to examine the evidence of God's existence, (2) will not face the fact that they were sinful, (3) mocked God, the salvation of Jesus Christ and the Bible, (4) lived only for themselves, and (5) a time will have expired for them.

Looking back on the last statement of Genesis 18:25, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" Of course He will! We notice the language used here in Revelation 14 referring to this time as a "harvest" Farming and growing is somewhat removed from some of us that don't live in that kind of environment, yet the benefits of those that farm and grow, bless each of us every single day. When a farmer heads to his field, he does so knowing that before a harvest can ever take place, he must first till the ground, prepare the soil, sow the seed, water the earth, and wait in hope.

A harvest requires investing. Investing effort, resources, planning, patience, ownership and hope. It's true in the natural world and equally truly in the spiritual world.

James 5:7 ~ "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains."

Why are the following six things so important? Because they have, they are, and they will directly affect your life and mine in both time and eternity in this world and in the one to come.

The Lord has invested efforts. By reaching out to us through His prophets, by appearing to us by, His Son, and by speaking to us by His Holy Spirit.

The Lord has invested His resources, by the events that get our attention, by the people who influence us and the things that we possess.

The Lord has invested order, by who you are in this life, by where you are in this life, and by what you are in this life.

The Lord has invested patience, by watching over us, by tolerating all of us and by waiting for us.

The Lord has invested ownership. He owns time itself. He owns all creation and He owns each of us.

The Lord has invested hope by granting us mercy, by allowing us grace and by giving us hope.

Our future doesn't have to be something to fear as we have read about that is coming to those who reject Him their whole life. We can have the hope of an eternal life, free from the wrath and judgment coming for those that reject Jesus Christ. Despite the confusion in the world, there are different ways to get to God but only ONE Way to Heaven and eternal life and that is only through Jesus Christ and putting our belief, faith and trust in Him alone!

One day every single knee shall bow before God, Muslim, Atheist, Buddhist, Catholic, Christian, Believer and Non Believer alike and just like Jesus separates the goats from the sheep, He will separate those whose names have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life, His book, from those who don't. Those whose names are not found in the Lamb's Book of Life will face eternal judgment separated from Him in Hell for all eternity. Those whose names that are found in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter into eternal rest in heaven and live forever with Him. Don't you want to chose eternal life today?

Know Jesus, Know Heaven! No Jesus, No Heaven.

It is that simple!!!

Choose Jesus today and live forever!!!

Judgment is Coming and When Jesus Comes Back, You Don't Want to Be Here!

If you are under 40 years of age, there is information you need to know, key things in your culture's history, because if you don't - you're bound to repeat it. Most of this younger generation is missing out on most of American History because it is being stripped down and removed or simply watered down. This is becoming an illiterate generation, and they are simply okay with not knowing it. They simply don't care because it is not relevant to them.

This is the same logic being applied to the Bible as well. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom and insight to understand the Bible. It's the very reason when two people pick up the Bible, one gets it, and the other doesn't. The difference is the illumination work of the Holy Spirit. You can ask God to give you the understanding to know what you're reading and He will give it to you.

The events after the Tribulation are the division from what is true and false.

This is the perfect description of Jesus, once again preparing Himself to visit the earth, but not like the first time as a gentle redeemer and Savior. Not this time!

Luke 4:18-21 ~ "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

The Scripture Jesus was referring to was Isaiah 61:2 but he stopped at the comma and didn't finish the remainder of the verse. Why? First of all He was proclaiming that the first part of this Scripture was about Him! He stops at the comma. The Second Coming of Jesus is Part 2 of the Bible study He began 2000 years ago. So what does part 2 say? The comma that has been holding back the fulfillment of the remainder of the prophecy?

Isaiah 61:2b-3 ~ "and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn: to grant to those who mourn in Zion - to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."

The Second Coming deals with Israel.

Revelation 14:14 ~ "Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand."

This is none other than Jesus Christ. The following Scriptures answer this:

Matthew 24:30 ~ "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Psalm 104:3 ~ "He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind."

This speaks of His dwelling, His glory not clouds on a stormy day.

2 Samuel 22:11 ~ "He rode the cherub and flew: he was seen on the wings of the wind."

Acts 1:9-11 ~ "And when he said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

These events signify the end of the age. The end of the world as man knows it. Be encouraged, and if the rapture happens tomorrow, you Tribulation Saints be encouraged. Why? Because the Bible says that the Lord knows those who are His.

What you need to know about the parable we are going to refer to is that there is a field. There is an owner of the field. He sows seeds in the field. There is an enemy who came and sowed mock seeds or fake seeds in stealth. He did it against the wishes of the owner of the field. Tares, are identical to wheat and look exactly like them. You can't tell them apart.

Matthew 13:24-30 ~ "He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men where sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares (weeds) among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and born grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and asked him, "Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?" He said to them, "An enemy has done this." So the servants said to him, "Then do you want us to go and gather them?" But he said, "No, lest in the gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat in the barn."

This means wherever there is the truth, there is the false.
Wherever there is the fit, there is the counterfeit.
Wherever there is a real believer, there is a false believer.
Where do you find them? In the church.

Matthew 13:31-32 ~ "He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

You can't plant a mustard seed and have it grow into a tree. This is an abnormal growth that Jesus is referring to and He knew by using this, that it would get everyone's attention. This little thing, grew into a huge monster. This is not a good thing. Pastor's will often quote this Scripture as a means of referring to church growth or faith, but it is taken out of context, wrongly dividing the world of truth. The birds here are hiding themselves in its branches.

Matthew 13:33 ~ "He told them another parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measure of flour till it was all leavened."

Again this is not a good thing, it is bad news. Jews did not leaven their bread and in this case the woman hid it in the measures of flour which she would bake into bread.

In all these parables, things were hidden among the good. The tares, the birds and the leaven. Now let's see how Jesus explains them all.

Matthew 13:34-43 ~ "All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world." Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of this age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be a weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

This entire passage is a reference to Revelation 14:14-20.

Matthew 13:47-50 ~ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be a weeping and gnashing of teeth."

This is referring to the coming judgment of the world. Jesus Christ is coming back with authority as Judge.

John 5:26-27 ~ "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man."

Joel 3:12-13 ~ "Let the nations stir themselves up and come up the the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great."

Revelation 1:16 ~ "In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength."

Revelation 19:21 ~ And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh."

This speaks of the Second Coming of Jesus , the very same children that said, "Bring the little children unto Me." When Jesus comes back again, He is coming back in Holy Judgment upon the world.

God's Grace and Mercy Have Expired

If you had the attention of 1.7 billion people, what would you say to them as a believer in Jesus Christ? Would you assert your own agenda or would you share the gospel message to them instead? So why don't people who proclaim themselves to be followers of Jesus Christ do that, take for example the Pope. He could share the good news of the salvation that can be obtained in knowing Jesus Christ, but does he? No, he doesn't. He has his own agenda and that is like he has stated that there is no relationship with God except through the Roman Catholic church. In his eyes, you can remove John 3:16 from the Bible but that is a huge error!

Just to sum up what we have learned so far in our Bible Study through the Book of Revelation in Chapter 14, remember that the entire chapter is a parenthetical pause or insert and is not in chronological order. It has been inserted here by God in the midst of the Tribulation Period in the book of Revelation. It can be summed up this way:

Verses 1-5 are events that follow the Great Tribulation Period. (Ending).
Verses 6-7 are events that complete the Tribulation Period (Closing).
Verses 8-13 are events that make up the Tribulation Period. (Consisting).
Verses 14-20 are events that happen after the Tribulation Period (Judgment). 

Revelation 14:14-20 describe the judgment of God at the end of this period as it is revealed upon the earth. What is revealed is what's coming whether you like it or not. Remember you don't have to be here when it happens. This is now the time when God's grace and mercy have expired. It is the closing moments when Jesus will come forth out of Heaven in the Second Coming and execute judgment upon the earth.

Remember that when we left on in verse 13, John is in heaven and he hears the voice from heaven, which we know is the voice of God the Father, and also we hear the voice of the Spirit (capital S), which signifies that this is the voice of the Holy Spirit as well. We know that the Bible speaks of three different types of saints. (1) Old Testament Saints, which comprise of the period of time from Adam through John the Baptist, (2) Church Age Saints, which are comprised from the time of Jesus through the last 2000 years, and finally (3) the Tribulation Saints, which are those that will become believers from the time the rapture happens through the end of the Tribulation Period.

Ephesians 1:1 ~ "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:"

Colossians 1:1 ~ "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:"

If you look at the word "saint: in the Greek as it is used here, it is hagios = declared sacred, made physically or morally pure, to become blameless, now consecrated - (most) holy (one, thing) saint.

If you simply remove one letter from that and you look up hagos in Greek it means an unholy, desecrated thing. Something awful and unusable."

The difference is the letter "I" just like the difference between us and the world is simply that we believe in Jesus Christ, the great I Am!

Revelation 14:14-20 ~ "Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one who like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.: So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia."

These verses is speaking about Jesus Christ in a different role than we are used to. This is Jesus coming in all His authority as Judge. 2000 years ago He came in all His authority as Savior and Messiah!

Remember when John the Baptist sent word to Jesus asking Him if He was the One they were waiting for or should he wait for another? Jesus sent His apostles back to John with a message. That Jesus' focus is always on the salvation of the soul first before He comes to judge. John was waiting for the Judge, but instead he met the Savior and Messiah who was coming to introduces us to the way to salvation. When Jesus comes again, it will be as Judge. Jesus takes care of the important things first before He handles judgment and so should we!

May the Force NOT Be With You!

The Holy Spirit in the third part of the Trinity, and is not an it and is not some kind of force in the universe. The Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit speaks, not may the force be with you. We need to understand that and whenever we come across that in the Bible, when it refers to the Spirit, with a capital S, it is referring to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.

Most people's views in the world are pretty narrow when it comes to death. They simply want to avoid the subject all together, but from a believer in Christ's point of view, the Bible is clear, "to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord. The world's view of their god is limited to this world because they don't want to believe that there is life after death. We are simply a breath away from the arms of God.

If you consider the entire birth process and how comfortable the environment is for a baby awaiting to be born. All of its needs are met and the temperature for the most part is a consistent 98.6 degrees. There is an adjustment that comes through the birthing process as they baby is physically expelled from the womb and the environment now changed drastically for that baby. Bright lights, cold, and the way the baby is handled from birth to being cleaned off is pretty harsh compared to what it has been used to. The baby simply doesn't understand that this harsh awakening offers a better life soon. As believers in Jesus, we are just passing through the doorway at that moment into the eternal presence of God.

Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in the Holy Spirit as an actual person so Revelation 14:13 should keep them up at night.

Revelation 14:13b ~ "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"

The Spirit referred to here is with a capital S, meaning the Holy Spirit. He is speaking. An it or a force can't speak. This is not Jesus, or God the Father speaking either, but the Holy Spirit. There are countless times in the Bible where the Holy Spirit spoke to people. It is here that the Holy Spirit comments! Notice that is in reference to labor (sufferings) and works (deeds).

Most parents with children who work with no time to spare, are the ones who serve the most in church and in ministry opportunities. It is the people with the most time who hardly serve at all. There is a rest coming to the people of God. Single people should be pouring their lives into serving in the church. The Bible commands it. A Spirit-filled life will produce biblical fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is the production of biblical works.

John 15:15-16 ~ "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

Jesus wants to call us friends. Tell all your friends from other religions that!

John 15:8 ~ "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."

John 15:1-2 ~ "I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear much more fruit."

John 15:4-5 ~ "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing."

Galatians 5:22-23,25 ~ "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

Matthew 7:16 ~ "You will recognize them by their fruits."

Colossians 1:4-6 ~ "since we hard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing - as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth"

Ephesians 5:8-10 ~ "for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light  in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true). and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord."

Romans 6:22-23 ~ "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

There is an expert witness regarding our lives that will testify and that is the Holy Spirit! He knows us!

Acts 1:4-8 ~ "And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they asked him,"Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Zechariah 4:6 ~ "Then he said to me, This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."

It is the Holy Spirit that guides us to the work that God has called us to do.

Acts 13:1-4 ~ "Now thee were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out, by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus."

Hebrews 6:10 ~ "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do."

Romans 8:16 ~ "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

Ephesians 2:10 ~ "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Galatians 6:9 ~ "And let us not grow weary for doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

You'll be blessed by well doing in your life, even if no one else notices. God does!

How Can the Dead be Well Off?

There is an old Puritan saying, "If you're born once, you die twice, and if you're born twice, you die once. What this means is that if you're born once, physically through birth and never accept Jesus during your life time you will die twice, once physically through your body and the second time spiritually in which you will inherit hell. However, if you're born twice, through physical birth the first time, and then accept Jesus, you become born again spiritually, when you die, it will only be your physical body that dies and you will inherit heaven instead.

The Bible is very clear on this subject even though it is one most people don't want to accept. It is simply because they don't want to come to terms with the fact, that there is judgment coming for the things we do wrong in this lifetime, most notable rejecting Jesus, the Bible and all that goes with it. Jesus makes people accountable, and they don't like being told what they're doing is wrong. There are even those who would argue that the portion of Scripture in Luke 16:19-31 is merely a parable. It is not an actual event, it's simply a story Jesus is telling.

In order to understand parables that Jesus spoke, He never used names when He told them. However in this portion of Scripture, He names names. He is giving us insight and He is warning us. People don't want to admit to a place called Hell or that at some point in their lives they will enter into a place of judgment so they simply cast off this portion of Scripture as a parable instead.

Luke 16:19-31 ~ "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed what fell from rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, "Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from her to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. And he said, "Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house - for I have five brothers - so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, "No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent." He said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."

The Lazarus mentioned here is not the same Lazarus we would affiliate with Martha and Mary. Notice that the rich man is burning but he is also not being consumed by the fire. When God refers to Moses and the Prophets, He is telling him to read the Bible, his brothers can read the Bible for the truth. It is in verse 31 that refers specifically to Jesus. He died and rose from the dead, and even today, people refuse to believe in Him and they refuse to believe the Bible or anything it has to say.

Every one has the right to choose where they will spend their eternity.

Revelation 14:12 ~ "Here is a call for endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."

When you hear the word "commandments" it should not provoke a negative reaction in you. The commandments of God should never be burdensome, impossible, legalistic and the Bible is quite clear, they are not impossible to follow. Did you know that there are over 170 commandments in the New Testament alone? Things like to esteem others better than yourself, to bless others, feed the poor, care for widows and orphans, to believe in Jesus Christ, to love one another. Jesus fulfilled all the law of God on the cross. We are now free from the law because the Holy Spirit now dwells within us making obeying God easier to do.

What does God say to us if we are quiet and willing to listen? "I love you." "I forgive you."

You know if you fall away from God, one of the things you are likely to hear is you can never go back or come back to God. Even if you think you are forgiven and repent, God will never use you again. What church would have you? You're a loser!

You are living under a cloud and you want to know what the Bible has to say about that?

Romans 8:1 ~ "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ."

You need to simply let the cloud go. Jesus is faithful and just and willing to forgive us. Even if no one else will forgive you in your life, Jesus will!

1 John 1:9 ~ "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 

Start claiming that promise if you ask Jesus for forgiveness in your life. Claim that promise of God and begin to walk in faith and move forward in that victory, even if people in your life continue to remind you daily of your past sins. God forgets our sins when we ask for forgiveness. As far as the east is from the west. They are forgotten. We might not forget them when we confess them, but God does.

We need to have faith in Jesus just like Revelation 14:12 claims. Faith in our prayer is heresy. We need to have faith in God. Our prayers should be based on faith, but we can't hold God hostage by them, contrary to what some "Christian" pastors and ministries would lead you to believe.

Revelation 14:13 ~ "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "That they may rest from their labors for their deeds follow them!"

This "voice" is not an angel. From what we have read whenever John hears the voice of an angel, he states that clearly. Anytime a voice is heard from heaven, it is referring to God the Father, The Almighty God, Himself speaking. When He refers to being "blessed," think of it as better, happy, better off, well off instead. How can the dead be well off? If you know Jesus, you can't be petrified of death. We know where we are going when we die, it's the physical aspect of dying or the dying process itself that we are fearful of. It's hard for us to believe, but why?

During the Tribulation Period, the things that are happening and will happen imply that the believer living during that time would be better off to die than to continue to live through the horrors that are coming to them. If you're a Christian now, we will not be a part of any of the Tribulation period. The Tribulation believers, however, death is better than living during that time. The Bible refers to believers as saints and we will dwell with Him in heaven forever.

Psalm 116:15 ~ "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the saint."

The Invitation is Here, What Will Your Response Be?

Is it possible to pray directly to the Holy Spirit? Since the Holy Spirit speaks to us directly we should remember the pattern. Pray to the Father, in the Spirit, in the name of Jesus. Yes you can pray to the Holy Spirit but keep to the pattern as part of your prayer.

Through Chapter 14 we have been learning that this is a parenthetical insert of snippets of information from God not in chronological order and we have learned the 4 fundamental reasons why God justifies the torment of humans in hell. (1) mankind's rejection of God's rule in their life, (2) mankind's rejection of God's will for their life, (3) mankind's rejection of God's Son, Jesus and (40 mankind's rejection of God's Word. When mankind rejects all these things there is nothing left but judgment. God's judgment is perfect, it is necessary and it is without error.

God is a God of love and does not delight in judgment of any kind.

We read in Matthew 23:37 ~ "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her winds and you would not!" 

Jesus understood the heart of the nation. He wants to gather us together under Him, but the nation of Israel rejected God when He came and America will face the same consequences. We will not escape judgment for rejecting God.

We will learn more about the fate of Babylon mentioned in these verses later, but understand that it is a false church under a strange manifestation of all the worlds religions coming together as one church. An unification of all the world's religions, a global faith. We all worship the same God after all will be their premise.

There is only ONE living God and only ONE way to heaven. The world rejected Him then and they will continue to reject Him now and even in the future. .It will be those differences that separate the real Jesus from the false Jesus'.

Revelation 14:8-11 is all about making choices. Choose to worship the Antichrist, the false prophet and accept his mark , or his security requirement on their right hand or forehead. Those that reject this will be beheaded.

From verse 9 -10 will define the fate of those who make a choice and accept the mark. Remember the verse states "If anyone... doesn't mean that people will have to do it, it will be a personal choice...but those that do, will drink the wrath of God.

Revelation 14:9-10 ~ "And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone, worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."

The rejection of Jesus warrants eternal torment forever because the price Christ paid, because it was holy and pure, and they choose to reject it. We know in every decision, choices must be made and there are those that will have physical consequences, and those that will have spiritual consequences. We need to be sure we are making the right ones because eternal heaven or eternal hell await every single one of us based on what we will choose. Now is the time to make the decision. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow so if you are feeling a nudge to make a decision for Jesus today, jump on that. The invitation is addressed to you, all you have to do is simply except! It's all be paid for in full for you to attend. God is waiting on your RSVP! You can't show up at the door with it in your hand. He needs to know your coming!

Simply tell Jesus Christ, you accept Him. You accept everything about Him. That he came here to die for your sins, that He was buried for three days, but on the third day, He rose again. He now sits in heaven with God the Father. Tell him you repent of all your sins and to help you to go forth and make better choices with His help. Ask him to come into your heart and guide you in the ways you should go and to fill you with His love and Spirit. Thank Him for all He did to get you into heaven and to restore and redeem you today in Jesus Name ~ AMEN!!!

If you prayed that prayer with all sincerity in your heart, God has heard your prayer and you now have a new heavenly and eternal address that awaits you in the future some day. A day and a decision you will NEVER regret. Welcome to the family of Jesus Christ!

Every Single One of Us is Pro-Choice!

Poor atheists! They never really have a happy relaxing day. They always wake up thinking about God, thinking about the God that doesn't exist. Always battling things. They see a sunset and we would say, "Praise God!" They get upset, over everywhere we look, even misery and mishap. The Bible answers that even that comes from man's rebellion against God and demonic powers that are warring against God. Every good thing comes from God above. Atheists have to battle these realities 24 hours a day. It's gotta be tough to do that every single day.

Don't confuse Christianity with church. Jesus Christ is how you get to heaven.

Do you realize that we are God's only creation that He has blessed with the ability to choose our own path? There are only 2 choices. If we do not choose Jesus, we will continue on the path to death, because we rejected God, and therefore will inherit hell.

Revelation 14:8-13 is all about choices.

When people hear the words "Pro-choice," they think abortion, but I will ask you to think outside of that box.

Pro-choice does refer to life, everything about life, from what we eat, to what we wear, every little aspect of your life, it's all about our choice. We have been granted by God, the right and ability of choice. To remove the ability to choose is totalitarianism, but even then you still have the ability to make some choices, from what you wear, what you eat, we are all pro-choice in those matters.

Pro-life is something I am a firm believer in from everything to do with the spiritual and physical matters. God creates all life and woe to the man who tampers with what God has created. Our system in the world today, including in our schools, is to teach " do what feels good to you." "Do what feels right to you."

They want you to be independent thinkers in what you ought to do, but don't stand out, for the good or bad, because there are rewards and ramifications for every decision we make. We will either experience the benefits or deficits from those decisions, do you get that?

There is fall out from every decision we make good or bad, both spiritually and physically. God offers you a parachute or a lane change from the path you are headed on without Jesus. If you consider this, if you're going to jump out of an airplane if you had to, would you choose to do so with a parachute or without one? Seems like a simple question with a clear cut answer, I mean why would anyone choose to jump out of a plane without a parachute? So why do you choose to live your life, without "THE Parachute?"

Some people will simply gamble their life away to wait and see what happens in the end, but the Bible is clear, by that time, it is too late!!!

Choose Jesus Christ and live!! That you can be in heaven forever with Him.

People who go to hell have to work hard every day to get in there. You want to know why people are working so hard to get crosses eliminated on hillsides and everywhere they have been placed? Because when they find out what the cross means, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, they become offended because everytime they see it, it is a reminder that they need a Savior. Removing the cross doesn't change anything.

See I'm going to heaven with or without you. I know that for a fact! I am 100% sure!

So the next time you see someone with a "Pro-Choice" sign, run up to them and tell them how grateful and happy you are that they are pro-choice. Tell them to choose Jesus Christ and live!

It may not be popular, but it is what they need to hear. Eternal life is free, it won't cost you anything, but it cost God every thing!

What will you choose?

Whom will you choose?

As Christians, in this world, we suffer temporary pain and suffering, but one day we will have an eternal life of rewards and blessings. See Jesus did all the work for us. He died in our place.

Will you receive this invitation?

We have to agree to receive, and all of us are responsible for our choices. This isn't about religion, but about a relationship, with Jesus Christ. Choose Him today!

We can't do anything without the power of the Holy Spirit in our life, to guide us, empower us and the commission us. We need to remember to lean on Him, every day for our success.

How Does Someone Qualify for Hell?

Isaiah 46:9-10 ~ "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still t come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."

We need to know history or His-story, God's dealings with the world if we are ever to have any hope of understanding that God is a God of love. We need to understand that God knows the future. He is not wringing His hands with worry when something happens in the world. He knows everything. Nothing surprises Him. So why do we worry?

When we worry, we are assuming a responsibility that God has never intended to be ours!

As we continue our study into the Book of Revelation, we need to remember that Chapter 14, is a parenthetical insert. God's giving us snippets of things that will happen during the Tribulation period but not in chronological order.

Revelation 14:8-13 ~ "A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice in the heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

The final verse in Revelation 14:13 is the most exciting thing in these study of the Scriptures and we will learn more about that in our future study. Today we will study and answer the questions, "Will people really be tormented in fire for rejecting God? How can God, who is a God of love, send people to hell?

We need to understand that God doesn't want anyone to go to hell, but there are those who will inherit hell based on their own choice. 

How does God justify hell and eternal torment regarding humans? How does a person go to hell? There are 4 ways.

1. Mankind's rejection of God's rule in his life. It's saying you don't want God in your life. Every human will at least have one prayer answered by God before they die. That one prayer is to those who say, "Get out of here Jesus. I don't want anything to do with God, Jesus or the Bible." Guess what? God will answer their prayer, tragically.

Understand this. God is no terrorist. He doesn't force His way into your life. He will never force Himself on someone. You have to chose.

2. By mankind's rejection of God's will for our life. God's has engineered our lives for a purpose. Some find it early in life. Some find it late in life. Some find it just before they die. But all of us have been uniquely created for a purpose.

3. By mankind's rejection of God's Son, Jesus. Jesus is no joking matter. Neither should His name be a cuss word. He is a living person. He is real. He lived the life that we can all read about in history. Even ancient Rome does not deny that Jesus existed.

4. By mankind's rejection of God's Word. It includes all of the above... when you hear the gospel, if you reject it, you are rejecting God and all He offers.

How can God, therefore, justify sending someone to hell?

John 3:16 ~ "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

Insert your name in the place of world and whosoever. Even if no one else existed in this world, God loved You!

So what is wrong with accepting that invitation of accepting Jesus into your life?

Nothing, it's perfect! It came from the mouth of God. We apparently don't understand the price that was paid for our sins. Why?

Because we have a very low view of our offenses. Whenever we do something wrong, we don't see it as so bad. We can simply apologize for it and it's over. Never under-estimate man's own ability to justify his sins. It just doesn't look so bad in our own eyes. But if we see someone else do it, it looks really bad. Our own sin just doesn't look so bad to us, until someone else does it.

Sin, put Jesus on the cross. That's how bad our sins are. We have a thought, no one heard it but God, yet it still put Jesus on the cross. Even if you were the only person created by God, your sin put Jesus on the cross. We can't escape it. People fail to understand, what price Jesus had to do. Because it is free, we think it's cheap.

It took God to the brink, Jesus Christ died for us as God in human flesh. Every single one of us is sinners. No one is perfect except for Jesus. He lived a perfect life and it cost God everything. That is how hideous the debt to sin is, and only God could pay it.

Jesus Christ's offering was so precious. He was like a Lamb, innocent, but He never defended Himself, because He has nothing to defend Himself for. That is why He said nothing. He had to pay the price in His own blood to set us free from sin. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. Without Jesus' sacrifice as payment for those sins, all of us would die forever. Jesus set us free!

By faith, sin is so bad, that He sent the perfect offering in my place, that I have to accept this offering in faith alone. The offering of Jesus cancelled the debt, but we all have to make a choice. No one can do it for us.

Most people misunderstand God. They picture Him as a God of wrath, angry all the time, but He is a just and holy God. When man rejects God, there are consequences for our actions. He wants to save you. He doesn't wish that any should perish but all should have eternal life, but we have to be the ones to chose that. Why would anyone give that up?

You have to qualify for hell, by rejecting God every single day. It is harder to qualify for hell than it is to qualify for heaven. We must accept what Jesus has done for you and asking His forgiveness of your sins. That is a whole lot easier, than waking up every single day and pushing and kicking God away.

But more on that tomorrow. Today I hope and pray that you will choose Jesus and eternal life. If you want Jesus as Lord and Savior in your life today, simply pray this prayer and believe it with all your heart.

Lord Jesus, 

I know I am a sinner, and without Your sacrifice and payment on the cross I would have no hope. You came to save me from my sin and from death and I ask for forgiveness of my sins. I believe that You came to earth, died on the cross for my sins, was buried and was raised again to life on the third day and I surrender my life to You. In Jesus Name ~ AMEN!!

That is all you need to do. Your life has been redeemed by the only one who could save you. Welcome to the first day of your new life in Jesus. If you have prayed this prayer, I would love to chat with you and welcome you into the family. Please email me at Stevenkat27@gmail.com.

You Can't Sit It Out!

Tell people!

The greatest news we have is that gospel message to share with every single person we meet but we don't. What we fail to realize is that the mission field has come to our neighborhood now with the recent influx of immigrants coming to America. I challenge you for the next 30 days to tell one person every single day and see what happens.

John 3:16 ~ "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life."

This sums it all up. It is that simple and that is all you have to share with people. We don't need to over-complicate it. That is all we need to share Jesus with others. We all feel unqualified, and most of us are terrified to share because we don't want to mess it us.

Eternity is coming and we need to faithfully serve Him with the time we have remaining.

Don't ever doubt your self worth. So many people are caught up in self esteem but we need to understand God-esteem instead because of how much God loves us, but we don't believe it. God desires all mankind to be saved with Him.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 ~ "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

God reaches out to every single one of us. He is offering salvation to us and we all need to make a choice. He is extending His hands to us and it's our choice what we decide to do with it.

Romans 1:19-22 ~ "since what may be known about God is plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to wise, they became fools"

You have no excuse to hide behind anymore, so what is yours?

It is said that wisdom is the application of what you know. The gospel was given in totality.

Galatians 3:6-9 ~ "Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham:"All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."

Abraham was declared righteous by the Lord, prior to the giving of the law, because even though the gospel had yet been given through the prophets and new testament authors; the "Applied" gospel to Abraham. Believing in God and trusting in God are two different things. Saying that you know God and having faith in God are two different things. Make sure that your knowledge of God, leads to your faith in God. Make sure when you say you know God, that you are trusting God. Don't just be acquainted with God.

It is the one True and Complete Gospel in totality.

Acts 20:24 ~ "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

Romans 1:16-17 ~ "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written:"The righteous will live by faith."

1 Thessalonians 2:9 ~ "Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you."

Ephesians 6:14-15 ~ "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." 

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 ~ "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Mark 1:14-15 ~ "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

1 Peter 4:17 ~ "For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"

Romans 15:18-19 ~ "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done - by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ."

Ephesians 1:13 ~ "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,"

This is an everlasting gospel.

This is what the Gospel is NOT.

Galatians 1:8-9 ~ "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"

You were created to reverence God, to glorify God, to honor God and to worship God.

Psalm 19:1-6 ~ "The heavens declared the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens, he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming froth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat."

The gospel was given to be understood. We have celestial evidence, we have terrestrial evidence, we have oceanic evidence and we have hydrokinetic evidence. Streams of water. Did you know that there is more fresh water below the surface of the earth than above it? That there are subterranean rivers beneath the earth? That since creation, God has not created any new water.

So how can we reverence, glorify and honor Him?

By what we think, by what we say, by what be believe and by what we live for. Honor means to live in a way that points others towards Him!

Make sure that heaven is your eternal home!

God Sets the Terms of Salvation, Not Us!

There are a lot of religious people sitting in hell. I know some of you might not appreciate or like that statement at all but it is true whether you believe hell exists or not! That's because religion won't save you only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will. That might seem narrow to some, but it is true none the less. People are so lost because of religion, not a relationship!

Atheists protest that they don't believe in God, but if you talk to them long enough, you will understand one thing. They do place their faith in religion. Their faith is in anything else, but God or Jesus Christ, whether it is Darwinism or some other ism, but when rubber meets the road, and adversity hits, they don't hold on to Darwin or cry out for the latest book by Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchensen. There is no evidence to support what they believe in, but they have a lot of faith to what they believe in, that makes atheism a religion. I'd rather believe in the God who is, over the god who isn't.

God is the One that defines the terms to salvation. We don't get to come to Him and say, "THIS is the way it's going to be!" Can you imagine that?

Many people today are scared simply because they think the terms are too hard. The Bible says to believe in Jesus Christ, is that too hard?  Jesus is the One who said to trust in Him alone. Believe in Him!

Salvation or the Gospel is sustained by God. It's God who calls us to faith. It is an eternal and lasting gospel. It has always been since before the creation. It was so God could show His grace. Since He knew man would blow it from the beginning, you would wonder why God wouldn't simply scrap the whole human kind thing, but He didn't. He didn't want to throw mankind away and start over. That is how valuable we are to God because we have been created in His image. That is why we need to share the Gospel message with people but the problem is that most people don't know how or even what to say to share it with others. We simply need to share it and let the Holy Spirit use what we say in a supernatural way.

John 10:27-30 ~ "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them , and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

You don't have to prop up the gospel. Just give it.

Hebrews 7:25 ~ "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ~ "Do you know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

When you look at the list of those who can't get into heaven without Jesus Christ, who wouldn't want to sign up for this? The world is longing for good news and we have it for those of us that have been saved through our faith in Jesus Christ. It is not news we want to selfishly keep for ourselves.

Revelation 1:5 ~ "and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood."

This means that there is no sin except for one that can keep us from obtaining eternal life and having that assurance of heaven when we die. The one sin that is unforgivable is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. What does that mean? To not accept Jesus Christ as Savior.

Remember it is not our way, it is God's way and His terms that define how we will have eternal life and how to get to heaven when we die. The gospel message was given to ALL mankind.

Revelation 14:6 ~ "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation, tribe, language and people."

A decision must be made each time someone hears the gospel and choices are made that have eternal consequences. God created us uniquely His - our worth. Jesus died to redeem us, not the angels who can't be redeemed. We are created in God's image. We are like spoiled children sometimes who push Him away. Don't ever doubt your self worth before God. God has instructions for your life. But most of us have no idea on just how valuable we are to God! Jesus died for you personally to set us free from sin and give us eternal life.

How could we simply not chose this?