If you're a Christian, you'll follow Jesus. You won't get lost in the things of this world, that may attempt to lead you away. We know the sound of His voice above all others. We are safe in His care!
John 10:27-30 ~ "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
Can you say today, that the Lord speaks to you?
Do you bring glory and honor to Jesus in everything you do?
Do you stand for righteousness?
Are you willing to yield to the will of God?
Matthew 16:24-26 ~ "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"
Are you willing to take up your cross and follow Him? Your cross may be the same as someone else's but it differs. Is it something in your past, Jesus is asking you to leave behind, perhaps someone you need to forgive but don't want to. Do you feel that Jesus is telling you to do something for Him, are you willing to live the rest of your life as a Christian, always allowing Jesus to live and work through you? That is the sign of a true disciple!!! That is what He asks all of us to do.
Are you obedient to what Jesus asks you to do? Daily, the LORD grants opportunities for me to grow under His loving eye. Remember Jesus Christ is coming again, and it will be ominous!
Revelation 19:20-21 ~ "And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 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."
If you are into the New Age Movement, Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormon, please pay attention!!!
Ominous is God's judgment upon unbelief. The Scriptures tell us that there are no unbelievers in heaven. That should be a pretty good hint to whom we should hang out with.
2 Corinthians 6:14 ~ "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"
How can your best friend be heading to hell? How can your future husband or wife be heading to hell, and you not wind up in a messed up relationship? If you're married to an unbeliever, that person is your ministry, day in and day out, 24/7/365.
2 Peter 3:11 ~ "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people out you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,"
It's ominous because we were created to worship!
Acts 17:23 ~ "For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you."
This broke Paul's heart to see what was happening and the idols the people were worshiping. About worship, Jesus said this...
John 4:22-23 ~ "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hours is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him."
Psalm 96:9 ~ "Worship the LORD in splendor of holiness, tremble before him, all the earth!"
I'm not worshiping God, if I want to be entertained...It's not for me.
I'm not worshiping God, if I want to be touched...It's not about me.
I'm not worshiping God, if my life is not dedicated to God...that's a strange offering.
It's all about Jesus Christ, that is who our worship should be about.
John 20:26-29 ~ "Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Don not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
We often make light of Thomas for being a doubter, but we need to be more like Thomas in our worship. It's ominous because we were created to exercise faith. This world is on a quest, the quest to find out what my life is all about. Thomas really wanted to believe, he cried out to Jesus to reveal Himself, based on his claims of unbelief! That describes believers perfectly. This is the reason why were are not going to be here with the Tribulation and judgment of God comes.
Why am I here?
The "Purpose Driven Life" has already been given by God, step into it! Stop being so careful and exercise your belief and faith in Jesus Christ. If God's calling you to do it, step out in faith!
Philippians 1:6 ~ "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
You've been create to exercise faith.
Hebrews 11:6 ~ "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
Personally, practically, I have no need for bungee jumping or skydiving or plunging. My Christianity is exciting. Sometimes too exciting! Just by being an active Christian, people will want to hug you and hit hit. They'll want to love you and hate you.
It's ominous, because we were created to love and be loved. Man in his rebellion is rejecting God, and rejecting Christ.
Luke 17:24-37 ~ " For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot - they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all - so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other one 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."
This event of Jesus' earthly judgment at His Second Coming is also found in Matthew 25:31-33, 46 ~ "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. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Joel 3:11-14 ~ "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 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. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision."
The real life application is this... the reality is certain. I want to be a light to the world around me. That will happen when Jesus is living His life through me. But listen...
Jesus living His life through me means...LOVE! Real Christians are commanded and real Christians desire to love one another.
John 13:34-35 ~ "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
How can I love you practically?
Galatians 6:2 ~ "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
What is the law of Christ? Love!
Romans 8:2 ~ "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
In light of the obvious in what we have been studying and what the Bible says, what are you doing with your life?
Will you be left behind on the earth, rejecting Jesus Christ, or will you be part of the heavenly celebration as a Bride of Christ. Jesus said you are either for me or against me. With Jesus there is no gray, lukewarm, Jesus tells us you are to be vomited. You are either hot or cold.
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