Join us for this important and heartfelt Resounding Shophar message titled “Living Clean Before A Holy God”, rooted in Psalm 97:10, which declares: “You who love the LORD, hate evil!”
This message was delivered at the conclusion of a churchwide fast asking God to break our hearts for the things that break His. It challenges believers to examine not only the evil seen in society, but—more importantly—the hidden attitudes, habits, compromises, and desires within our own hearts that grieve the Lord.
In a culture overflowing with compromise, distraction, and spiritual numbness, God is calling His people back to holiness, purity, and integrity. This teaching explores:
• What it truly means to hate evil as Scripture commands
• How followers of Jesus should abstain from not only evil, but even the appearance of evil
• Why God hates the seven sins listed in Proverbs 6:16–19
• How pride, lying, hatred, lust, discord, and compromise break the heart of God
• The danger of justifying “pet sins” and ignoring conviction
• How believers can live clean, honest, and set-apart lives in a darkening world
• Why holiness is inseparable from loving Jesus
• The call to return to the altar for repentance, surrender, and heart transformation
This message is a sobering reminder that God is holy—and He desires a holy people. As disciples of Jesus, we are called not to blend into the world but to reflect His purity, love, humility, and righteousness in everything we do.
If you’re longing for a deeper walk with God, freedom from sin, renewed conviction, or a clean heart before Him, this message will encourage you to respond to His call and pursue holiness with passion and sincerity.
In a world where the word Christian is used casually, politically, culturally, and sometimes even deceptively, what does it truly mean to be identified as a Christian—in the biblical sense? In this Resounding Shophar message, “Identifying As A Christian”, we return to the foundation laid in Acts 11:26, where the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch—not as a compliment, but as a label marking them as unmistakable followers of Jesus Christ.
Today, the meaning of the word Christian has been diluted, redefined, and in many ways stripped of its original significance. Many claim the name while living according to their own identity rather than the identity found in Christ. But Scripture is clear:
To be a Christian is to be “of Christ,” to belong to Him, to follow Him, and to become like Him.
In this message, we discuss:
• How the early disciples gained the title “Christian”
• Why the cross—not politics, culture, or preference—is the true symbol of Christian identity
• The difference between claiming Christ and actually resembling Him
• What Scripture teaches about discipleship, surrender, and taking up your cross daily
• How love, forgiveness, humility, obedience, and Christ-likeness mark genuine believers
• The growing contrast between true Christians and the world as spiritual darkness increases
This is a timely and challenging message for every believer in Jesus. Are we known for looking like Christ—or for something else entirely? When people identify us, do they see our Savior… or simply our opinions, affiliations, or personal agendas?
Allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and help you rediscover what it means to bear the name Christian with authenticity, humility, and faithfulness.
38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
NKJV
There are two stones mentioned in the Bible, besides the five that David picked up going after Goliath, two stones that sit in the way of victory and blessing for every one of us. To receive all that God has for us, these stones need to first be rolled away.
The first stone is mentioned in the text we just looked at. This passage, along with several verses before and after it, tell the story of Lazarus and his resurrection.
John 11:1-37
11 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” 12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” 28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” 37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
NKJV
In this story, Jesus arrives on the scene to find those whom He was close to grieving over the loss of their brother, Lazarus. They were convinced that if Jesus had come sooner, then their brother would not have died, but now they were offended at Jesus who could have easily healed their brother if He had come as soon as He heard of Lazarus’ sickness. They were offended.
You need to remember something. Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were very good friends of Jesus. They may or may not have been physically following Jesus from town to town, but they were followers of Jesus. And, Scripture makes it very clear that Jesus loved them. He loved, and still loves, everyone, but His love for them was special, otherwise Scripture would not have made a point in mentioning that. How hurt and offended would you be if someone you loved dearly, someone you thought loved you the same way, did not come running to help you as quickly as possible or in the way you thought they should have if they truly loved you so much?
How many times have you been offended because Jesus didn’t respond to your prayers as soon as you thought He could and should have? After all, we faithfully attend church, we’re faithful with our tithes and offerings, and we help at the church as much as we can. Is it too much to ask after all we do? Shouldn’t those things we’ve done make our requests a priority with God? And now you’re offended.
Yes, Jesus could have gone sooner and healed Lazarus, but the Father had bigger and better plans for this situation. When Jesus finally arrived on the scene, everyone thought that Jesus had come too late to help in any way. How many times do we think the same way when Jesus hasn’t responded to our requests for help in our circumstances, and now it seems like it’s too late for Him to do anything on our part? Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt that a situation got to the point that it was too late for Jesus to help or do anything? (scene in Facing the Giants; another team cheated)
When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days, and the stone was in front of his tomb. Jesus knew that Lazarus would be raised from the dead, but He also knew there was a stone that would prevent Lazarus from appearing to everyone else. The stone had to be moved. But Jesus, the Son of God, God, the creator of the ends of the universe, wasn’t about to move it, or even help move it. The stone can represent things in our lives that block and prevent the manifestation of victories and blessings God has available for us. If the stone wasn’t moved, Lazarus would not have come out of the tomb though he may have been resurrected from the dead. How many times has God resurrected things in our lives only for them to never be seen or experienced because we hadn’t first removed the stone in our lives?
**** Things that can represent a stone in our lives ****
Doubt and unbelief
Israelites not allowed to enter the promised land due to doubt and unbelief
Jesus was unable to do much of anything in His hometown due to their unbelief
Fear
What will others think
What if God doesn’t come through
Will I look like a fool?
Unforgiveness
Forgiveness that needs to be sought
Forgiveness that needs to be given
Disobedience and rebellion (towards God and those in authority over us)
Sexual immorality in all its many forms
Gossip, backbiting, slander and profanity
Pride
Attitudes and mindsets, “stinkin thinkin”
As Christians, our hope of seeing God’s hand move on our behalf when we need Him to is realized and manifested after we roll away the stone, or stones, that are keeping them from being seen. When God shows us something in our life that needs to change or be removed, are we just as determined to obey Him in that area as we are in other areas where we exercise great determination and energy to accomplish? Or are we apathetic about it hoping God will move it for us, or that He will still move on our behalf with minimal or no effort on our part? The very fact that Jesus shows us what to change in our lives as we grieve over a need we may have, that should energize hope within us that God is going to move on our behalf, but we still need to first roll the stone away.
To move the stone, as big and heavy as they were, would require strength and determination, or in other words, it would require work. In the same way, the stone or stones God wants us to remove in our lives may take both work and determination on our part to complete the task at hand. And like we read about Lazarus, where the results were more than worth the effort it took to remove it, even so the work it may take to remove the stone or stones in our lives will be nothing in comparison to what God will do afterwards. Do we really want the victory and blessings we are seeking God for?
The second stone is mentioned in all four of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The story as recorded in each of the Gospels centers around the stone that was placed in front of Jesus’ grave, and that the stone had been rolled away.
Matthew 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1
Matt 28:1-7
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
NKJV
In this historical account of the greatest event in human history, recorded or otherwise, God by way of an angel He sent out, is the one that rolls the stone away. We often mention this from the idea that the stone had to be removed to prove Jesus wasn’t there, but perhaps there is another reason for this? Like the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead, the stone had to be removed for all to see, but how the stone was moved in both situations is important to know and understand. When we read of Lazarus being raised from the dead, even though Jesus was there on the scene, it was by His command that others had to move the stone.
In the case of the resurrection of Jesus, God was the one that moved the stone, and that is a very important point to understand. The resurrection of Jesus is one of the essential elements of the salvation process, for without His resurrection there would not be any hope of eternal life in heaven. When we understand that, it is then that we can understand why it was so important that God moved the stone, as that further represents that fact that salvation was not dependent upon humanity in any way. It was through God and the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf, that salvation is made possible for us. There was nothing on our part that we could say or do to make that happen, which further reinforces the passage that lets us know that we in no way can earn or be worthy of salvation.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that salvation is not offered to us because we deserve it or because of any works we have done of ourselves. It is a gift of God, and God makes it clear in that He’s the one that moved the stone. He is the one that makes it available to all.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
NKJV
No matter what is in your past, or where you are at in the present, the fact that God, Himself, rolled away the stone from in front of Jesus’ tomb should cause hope to rise within you of better days and years ahead if you will accept what Jesus did on your behalf, and embrace everything about Him with passion and determination.
God isn’t asking or requiring you or anyone else to roll away the stone from in front of Christ’ tomb. There is nothing needed on your part to make that happen. You don’t have to, as some would say, “get your act together first before coming to Jesus”. As others would say, “you don’t have to take a shower before getting cleaned up by Jesus”. The tomb is wide open for all to see. People go there by the tens of thousands to see for themselves.
Your past doesn’t determine whether the stone is blocking you from seeing the risen Jesus. The stone is gone making the path to Jesus easy, but you must walk that path to Him.
What is in your past?
Murder?
Sexual immorality?
An abuser of others (mental, emotional, physical, sexual)?
A thief?
A liar (dishonesty and deception)?
A victim of abuse (sexual, mental, emotional, physical)?
Rejection
In His death by crucifixion on a cross, Jesus paid a price enough to cancel out our debt of sin against God, a debt that we could never in ourselves pay. In His resurrection from the dead, Jesus made the hope of eternal life in heaven a reality for all who accept what He did on their behalf and surrender their lives to Him and for His purposes.
Are you in need of hope in your life? Are you in need of God to move supernaturally on your behalf in some way? Are you needing to be set free of something, including sin and the penalty of sin? If you haven’t accepted Jesus as savior and Lord of your life, God has a hope for you to embrace that is found in Jesus’ death and resurrection, evidenced in His moving the stone away for you.
Several weeks ago I walked into the local Wal-Mart and was immediately reminded about the time of year we were entering into. You know that time of year, when fear, hate, terror, and the occult are glamorized and embraced with passion and excitement, reaching its peak on a day we call Halloween. I’ve written since 2011 what my position is regarding this day that comes every year, and that hasn’t changed, but I want to take a different approach to the subject this year.
Each year the question is asked as to whether Christians should have anything to do with Halloween, or not. And each year it only divides those who are opposed to it and those who think it’s okay for one reason or another. You would think that the answer to the question is a simple one, and it really is, but when we determine our answer according to our personal opinions and feelings, instead of what Scripture has to say about it, then the answer becomes nothing less than complicated and divisive within church circles.
When we see that day approaching, it’s not uncommon to see and hear of churches gearing up and planning what they will do on Halloween. Usually, the rationale they will embrace will go along one of two lines of thought; 1) they want to offer a Halloween alternative, or 2) they want to provide a safe place for children and adults. But is Halloween something that Christians and churches should be involved with? Unlike Christmas and Easter, holidays that some argue have both Christian and pagan roots, there is absolutely nothing Christian or God honoring when it comes to Halloween. In fact, everything Halloween represents is anti-God and contrary to the mind and character of Jesus. So, why is it that churches seem to believe that it’s okay to participate in one way or another on this holiday?
I’ve heard it argued by one pastor that even though their church has a community event on Halloween, an event where those who are organizing and putting it on incorporate costumes, various Halloween decorations, as well as activities that are clearly Halloween in nature, not to mention a name which is clearly a Halloween like name, that they are not participating in the Halloween festivities. Well, I don’t know what his definition of participation is, but common sense for most people know that they are in fact participating in and celebrating Halloween.
There was a time several years ago that the United States was trying to befriend the nation of Iran, a country that is bent on nothing less than the total destruction of America and Israel. It seemed like we were rolling out the red carpet of friendship with them, ignoring the fact that they did not share in that same endeavor. As I observed what was happening, I couldn’t help but think of Halloween and how some churches and Christians seem to be okay with it. Everything about Halloween and what it represents is anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Bible, and anti-life, just to name a few. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about it, yet we have churches and Christians trying to find creative ways to “Christianize” the celebration to justify their involvement with it. Contrary to how many seem to view Halloween, we are told in Ephesians 5:11 not to have any part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to expose them. We are also told in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 to abstain from every form of evil, and in Deuteronomy 18:9-14 and Leviticus 19:30-31 we are told of some of those things God says are evil.
Some will argue that it’s okay to do so because Jesus was a friend of sinners, a term that was given more as an insult to Him than a compliment. Just because He associated with those considered to be sinners does not mean that He was a participant in sin, in that which was opposed to God in any way, or that He encouraged or condoned such activity. To have done so, Jesus would have certainly lost His credibility as one sent of God to them, perfect and without sin, as such activity was explicitly prohibited by God, Himself, and if He had done so that surely would have been mentioned in Scripture and at His trial before going to the cross. Instead, Jesus strongly promoted purity of heart and an undivided and total devotion to the Father and Himself. Nowhere in Scripture will you find that Jesus was okay with or was involved in any way with that which was opposed to God, yet for some reason we have Christians and churches thinking differently about this subject.
What about the Apostle Paul? After all, he was sent to preach Jesus to the gentiles, people who were actively involved in various forms of pagan holidays, worship and activities. The same Apostle Paul, the one who taught us of the grace of God, who showed us that our relationship with Jesus is a marriage relationship, who revealed to us the return of Jesus for us in an event known as the Rapture. Does he tell us anything that would relate to the subject at hand? In Philippians 4:8-11, he speaks against observing days, months and years, but this was in relation to the pagan practices these converts to Christ once participated in before they received salvation. However, in Colossians 2:16-17, when he addresses festivals and a new moon, he is referring to the seven feasts God instituted back in Leviticus 23, all of which point to Jesus. It’s important to make that distinction as some will assume both passages are referring to the same things, but that is not the case. In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, the Apostle Paul instructs us to avoid or flee from the appearance of evil, and in Ephesians 5:11 he also tells us to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but to instead expose them. So, Paul, identified by some as the Apostle of Grace, left no room or argument condoning a Christian’s involvement with things like Halloween.
At this point I feel the need to clarify something. When I mention the participation of Christians and churches in the Halloween festivities, I am not referring to those who are opposed to Halloween but do what they can to reach the lost with the full and unadulterated gospel of Jesus. There are churches that reject the idea of Christians participating in that day, but they will do something purely as a ministry outreach of some sort that does not resemble Halloween in any way. I applaud these churches, and Christians, as they take a stand against the growing trend within church circles, but at the same time doing all they can to reach those who are lost and spiritually dead in sin.
While I have no objections to having an alternative to offer people, and certainly no objections to having a safe place for children and adults alike, I do find myself questioning the reasons and the motivations one has in doing so, and how they are going about it. For many churches, they are quick to say they are reaching out to the lost in doing so, wanting to use these activities as a means of doing so, but is that true or just words to ease their conscience or silence those who object? When a church does this, incorporating an appearance or activity that resembles Halloween in some way, they give the unsaved, those who are not followers of Christ, mixed messages as to what it means to be a Christian, a disciple and follower of Christ. Also, if the focal point is only to provide an alternative or a safe place, and very little to nothing is said or done to present the full gospel and each persons need of a savior, then all they are doing is building a reputation within the community and growing a religious social club.
I’ve heard it said that it’s okay for a church to have Halloween like events for the community because someone got saved or started attending their church as a result of these. There’s a problem with this logic, however. I’ve heard testimonies of some who were high on drugs or in a drunken state, how that in that condition they had an encounter with Jesus and got saved, and as a result they were radically transformed and set free from their addiction to drugs or alcohol. Since people have been reached for salvation while in these intoxicated states, does it mean, based on the above logic, that churches and Christians should encourage or embrace the use of drugs and alcohol as a way to reach the lost with the message of salvation through Christ? I think not! God is sovereign, and as such He can reach people in whatever condition they may be in, but that does not mean that we can discount what Scripture otherwise commands us just so we can “reach” someone. To ignore or discount the commands and instructions of God for the purpose of community acceptance and gaining followers, that is nothing less than rebellion towards God fueled by pride that puts our opinion on an equal or higher level than God and His Word. This must not be the case in the life of a Christian.
Halloween. A controversial subject for Christians as some are okay with it while others are not. The question is whether God is okay with it, and the answer is found within Scripture. Are we taking a stand for Christ, or are we more concerned about getting people to join our religious social club? If we are to do something on Halloween, let’s make sure it doesn’t resemble in appearance or activity to Halloween in any way, and that the gospel is clearly presented as the focus and theme of the event. Time is short, and we need to focus more on the salvation of the lost than building our social clubs and community reputations.
Are you a Christian that has participated in Halloween one way or another over the years, or even in those things that God identifies as detestable? If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to repent of your involvement in these, and to turn from them having any part in your life from here on out. We hear of animal shelters taking these things very seriously, law enforcement taking them very seriously, especially on October 31st of each year, and how much more should we as Christians who have been given very clear and specific instructions from God Himself regarding this? What’s been said and done in the past can be forgiven, but you need to repent and turn from them today.
Maybe you have never given your life over to Jesus. Maybe you have been living life as you wanted, and on your terms, but in listening to me today you realize there needs to be a change in your life. You are seeing the influence and impact of evil upon society is only increasing, and you can tell things are not going to get any better but instead much worse. There is victory through Jesus, and there is a hope beyond anything this world can even imagine giving you through Jesus only, and you would like to receive Jesus as savior and Lord of your life. Well, you can make that change right now wherever you are. It’s simple, as simple as “A, B, C”. Let me tell you how.
For you to be considering making such a change in your life, this only shows that God is speaking to you. He wants to have that saving relationship with you far more than you could ever want it yourself. To enter that relationship with Him, the first thing you need to do is acknowledge that you are a sinner. To acknowledge, or to admit, that you are a sinner is the “A” in the “A, B, C’s”. This may be difficult for some to do, but it’s vitally important. We are told in Romans 3:10 that no one is righteous or good, no, not one. The reason for that is found in Romans 3:23 where we’re told that all, everyone, has sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This means that nobody is good enough, no matter how good we may be, because we all have sin in our lives. Continuing in Romans, we are told in Romans 6:23 that the wages of our sin is death, or in other words the penalty of the sin in our life is eternal death. So, where does that leave us? We are told in Ephesians 2:8-9 that the salvation God offers us is a gift of God, something we receive by grace and through faith. No one deserves salvation, and no one certainly can earn it through works of any kind, but rather it is a gift from God. To receive this gift from God, the first thing a person must do is “A”, acknowledge or admit that they are a sinner.
The second thing a person must do, and this is “B” in the “ABC’s”, is to “BELIEVE” in their heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that if we confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. It’s not just a mental believing as some would like it to be, but rather a believing that dictates the way one lives their life. It’s a way of life that reflects and supports what they say they believe. In James 2:19 were told that even the demons believe, and they tremble, but salvation is not available to them. Just having a head knowledge is not enough.
The third thing a person must do, and this is “C” in the “ABC’s”, is to “CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” You need to call Jesus Lord, and to do so means one must surrender their life to Him. There is coming a time when every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess to God that He is Lord. Now is the time for salvation, and now is the time to voluntarily surrender your life to Him. The eternal rewards for surrendering your life to Jesus is far greater than anything this world could ever hope to give you.
Is a relationship with Jesus like I’ve described important and worth it? It is most definitely worth it, and then some. I won’t say that life will be easier or with less problems, but it will be more fulfilling, and with that there is a Blessed Hope for all Christians to embrace and pursue. More and more people are beginning to feel hopeless with life, especially when they see everything that is happening around them and around the world, but as Christians we have a hope that is solid and independent of anything this world could ever hope to offer us. The signs we are seeing across the news headlines now days only energizes the hope we have of Jesus’ ever imminent return for us. It is that same hope, that Blessed Hope, that encourages Christians to keep the faith and to continue living for Him and Him alone. Are you one of those who place their trust and hope in Jesus?
If you do not have a saving relationship with Jesus, and you would like to, I encourage you to talk to God right now. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or eloquent, just a sharing of your heart to Him. If that is you, and you’re ready to give your life to Jesus, then say this prayer from your heart and to Him. Again, it’s not a formula, just a sharing of your heart to Him.
“O God, I am a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin, that He was buried, that You raised Him to life, and that He’s coming to take me back to His house in heaven very soon. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, trusting only in His shed blood as more than sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”
Now that you have entered into this relationship with Jesus, I strongly encourage you to find a Bible and start reading it, and to find and get plugged into a solid Bible-believing church that teaches and preaches the full Gospel of Jesus, which includes Bible prophecy and the need to be living righteously and holy before the Lord in all your ways.
In closing, know that Jesus is coming soon, very soon, for His followers, and it is vitally important for each of us to be found both watching and ready for Him when He does. Don’t get lulled into the deceptive thinking that His return is not near for one reason or another, especially when the fulfillment of the signs given in the Bible tell us that it’s at the door. It’s our responsibility to be watching the signs for Him, and to be ready, free of any spots, blemishes, or wrinkles brought on through sin in our lives.
Hello, Everyone! My name is John Johansson, and welcome again to another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast! It’s been a while since our last broadcast due to some pretty significant things taking place on the Johansson front, and in time we may share some of those with you in future broadcasts. In the meantime, we are back and looking forward to sharing more Resounding Shophar Blasts with you as we see the day of our Lord’s return speedily approaching as never before.
To begin with, the Apostle Paul asks a rhetorical question that is the theme for today’s broadcast, and that question is found in Romans 10:14 which says;
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
As Christians, believers and followers of Christ, we know and have a message that the world is looking for, and it is our responsibility to share that with others. What is our message? It’s the message of salvation through Jesus, and Him alone. It’s a message that through Jesus one can be set free of the bondage and penalties of sin. It’s a message that gives hope to the hopeless of a glorious, pain, sickness and death free eternity in heaven. It’s a message of the Blessed Hope found in Jesus alone where He returns to receive His people to Himself, an event that takes place before God’s judgement is released upon the whole world in a seven-year period identified in Scripture as the Tribulation Period. The problem is that it seems most churches in America are not sharing this message with others.
A lot of churches are embracing various false and deceptive teachings, and in the process, they are not presenting the message of salvation accurately or completely to those that are within their sphere of influence. Some churches are not embracing false and deceptive teachings, but still they are not presenting the message of salvation and what it is, what it means, and why it’s so important for each of us to embrace. We recently left a church we had been members of for nearly five years, and at that time someone made the comment to me that as long as it wasn’t over a salvation issue then that was okay, but something inside me rose up and I had to tell them it was over a salvation issue. There were different reasons for our departure, but the main one was that in the nearly five years we were attending it was extremely rare, if at all, that the message of salvation was actually preached or taught from the pulpit or at any “outreach” events, and that is a salvation issue. Let me explain.
If I know someone is very sick, perhaps with something like cancer, and I know what the cause of it is and have the cure for it, what could be a great life-giving event turns into a life and death situation if I withhold that from them. In like manner, if I know the spiritual condition of a person, the root cause and that salvation is the cure, if I don’t let them know and give them the cure which is Jesus, then that is a salvation issue. It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable I am of the situation, it doesn’t matter if I learned from honest and accurate teachers about it, if I don’t share the cause and the cure with them then that is a salvation issue. In other words, even if a church is doctrinally sound, if they do not preach and teach on the subject of salvation, then that is a salvation issue as those under their influence have no idea what it is and why they need it, and as a subsequent result could still be eternally lost in hell unless they are told the truth about salvation. How can people know about the salvation made available to them through Jesus if no one tells them about it?
On the same note, a lot of churches lead people to Jesus, but it stops there. I liken it to me taking someone I know to be sick to the doctor. If I take them to be introduced to the doctor, but I never tell them why they need to see the doctor or how the doctor can help them, after the introduction we can turn around and leave and all the person knows is that they just met a nice doctor. We can take people to Jesus, figuratively speaking, but if we never tell them why they need to meet Jesus and what He can do for them, then all they’ve done is met an important person in world history. Again, how can people know about the salvation made available to them through Jesus if no one tells them about it?
Something else we need to be sharing with others is about Jesus’ soon return for His bride. This is another message that seems to be overlooked or ignored in many churches here in America. There are many reasons for this; pastors and other Christians don’t know much about it, some are intimidated by the subject, some are afraid that others will respond with fear or contempt, possibly taking their money with them, and others just don’t believe in it. In either case, it isn’t getting preached or taught in most churches. I remember a time when I was a kid in which this subject seemed to be talked about nearly all the time, both behind the pulpits and outside the four walls of a church, but now it seems like it’s almost taboo to even discuss it. People that once strongly believed in the pre-tribulation rapture, now it seems many of them no longer believe even in the rapture itself. Sadly, this is another fulfillment of Bible end-time prophecy pointing to the ever-imminent return of Jesus for His followers. Getting back to the issue, it’s scary to me that more and more churches are not preaching or teaching on Biblical end-time prophesies and the return of Jesus for His followers in the event we know as the Rapture. When I think about this, I can’t help but remember some of the things Jesus said on the subject, things that should be a red flag for us to pay attention to.
When it comes to His return for us, on multiple occasions Jesus tells us to watch and pray, and He said it with emphasis. Each time He said it, it was not a suggestion or a recommendation, but it was a strongly stressed command. What does it mean to watch and pray? To watch for His return, it means that we need to expect Him to return at any moment, and with that to be watching the signs of His coming. Granted, there are no specific signs pointing to His return at the Rapture, but there are many signs pointing to the Tribulation Period, and when we begin to see those signs being fulfilled pointing to the Tribulation Period, that should tell us that the Rapture is that much sooner. There are some who say we don’t need to be watching for Jesus to return at any moment, or even to be watching the signs of His return, but that is simply in contradiction to what Jesus tells us to do. I don’t know about you, but I believe Jesus means what He says, He says what He means, and since He knows more than we do I think it best to take Him at His words and be obedient to them. To not be watching as He has commanded us is disobedience wrapped up in pride that says we know better than Jesus what we need or don’t need to do. In Luke 21:34-36, Jesus tells us not only to watch, but He also tells us to pray that we are counted worthy to escape that which is coming on the earth. Counted worthy? Yes, that is what Jesus said. Some will argue that we are already worthy at the point of salvation, and that we will remain worthy from that time forward no matter what, but there are many passages in Scripture that would seem to contradict that way of thinking.
In Titus 2:11-13 and 1 John 3:2-3, we are told that as we look forward to Jesus’ return for us in the Rapture, the Blessed Hope, we are to purify ourselves from sin and all ungodliness. For those who believe their admittance into Heaven was sealed at the point of salvation, and that there is nothing more they need to do until then, it is a dangerous place to be in because it becomes very easy to not take the presence of sin in their lives seriously. According to the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John, the more we look forward to Jesus’ return for us, the more we should be motivated even more to repent of sin in our lives and turn from it.
So, how serious is it that we be watching for Jesus’ return for us? Well, apparently Jesus takes it pretty seriously. In Revelation 3:1-6, speaking to the church in Sardis, He pretty much tells them to repent and start watching for Him, and that if they don’t watch for Him to return, they will miss it when He does. I don’t think you can get much clearer than that. If we don’t watch for Him to return, then we will be caught off guard and miss it when it does happen. Is there another passage that lends some weight to this? Yes, there is. In Revelation 16:15, Jesus makes it clear that those who are watching for His return, and who keep their garments clean of sin, they are blessed. But He goes on to say that those who did not watch and keep their garments, people will see them naked (without their robes of righteousness) and see their shame as ones who knew the truth but didn’t take it seriously enough to apply it to their lives. Wow! I guess that means we should be watching for Jesus’ return for us, and to make sure we’re ready when He does. Going back to the main theme for today, how will people know about Jesus’ soon return, the need to be watching for Him, and the need to keep our garments clean of sin, if no one is preaching and teaching them about it?
How shall they know ….
In Ezekiel 33:1-11, God makes it very clear that if we don’t warn others of what is coming, then their blood will be upon us. However, if we do warn people of what is coming, and how to prepare and avoid it, then if they choose to disregard the warning then their blood will be upon themselves. This should be a stark warning for all followers of Christ given that we have been given a message we are commanded to share with the lost, and if we neglect to do so their blood will be upon us.
Do you realize that Jesus’ return for His followers is very close and could happen at any moment? Do you even care? Jesus isn’t going to rescue you from the judgment that is coming to the world if you really aren’t concerned about it. He’s looking for people who are eagerly waiting for Him to return for them, the Blessed Hope we read about in Titus 2:13.
Perhaps you are a Christian, but you haven’t been living as you know you ought to, allowing sin and idolatry to reign in your life. If that is you, then I strongly encourage you to repent of such, to make things right with Jesus, asking Him for forgiveness and turning away from the sin. Don’t play what I call Russian Roulette with your eternity because you want to hang onto that which is sin and dishonoring to God. Do it today! Don’t delay!
Maybe you have never given your life over to Jesus. Maybe you have been living life as you wanted, and on your terms, but in listening to me today you realize there needs to be a change in your life. You are seeing the signs I mentioned earlier only increasing, and you can tell things are not going to get any better but instead much worse, and you want to avoid as much of it as possible and realize the only real way of doing so is by surrendering your life to Jesus. Well, you can make that change right now wherever you are. It’s simple, as simple as “A, B, C”. Let me tell you how.
For you to be considering making such a change in your life, this only shows that God is speaking to you. He wants to have that saving relationship with you far more than you could ever want it yourself. To enter that relationship with Him, the first thing you need to do is acknowledge that you are a sinner. To acknowledge, or to admit, that you are a sinner is the “A” in the “A, B, C’s”. This may be difficult for some to do, but it’s vitally important. We are told in Romans 3:10 that no one is righteous or good, no, not one. The reason for that is found in Romans 3:23 where we’re told that all, everyone, has sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This means that nobody is good enough, no matter how good we may be, because we all have sin in our lives. Continuing in Romans, we are told in Romans 6:23 that the wages of our sin is death, or in other words the penalty of the sin in our life is eternal death. So, where does that leave us? We are told in Ephesians 2:8-9 that the salvation God offers us is a gift of God, something we receive by grace and through faith. No one deserves salvation, and no one certainly can earn it through works of any kind, but rather it is a gift from God. To receive this gift from God, the first thing a person must do is “A”, acknowledge or admit that they are a sinner.
The second thing a person must do, and this is “B” in the “ABC’s”, is to “BELIEVE” in their heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that if we confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. It’s not just a mental believing as some would like it to be, but rather a believing that dictates the way one lives their life. It’s a way of life that reflects and supports what they say they believe. In James 2:19 were told that even the demons believe, and they tremble, but salvation is not available to them. Just having a head knowledge is not enough.
The third thing a person must do, and this is “C” in the “ABC’s”, is to “CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” You need to call Jesus Lord, and to do so means one must surrender their life to Him. There is coming a time when every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess to God that He is Lord. Now is the time for salvation, and now is the time to voluntarily surrender your life to Him. The eternal rewards for surrendering your life to Jesus is far greater than anything this world could ever hope to give you.
Is a relationship with Jesus like I’ve described important and worth it? It is most definitely worth it, and then some. I won’t say that life will be easier or with less problems, but it will be more fulfilling, and with that there is a Blessed Hope for all Christians to embrace and pursue. More and more people are beginning to feel hopeless with life, especially when they see everything that is happening around them and around the world, but as Christians we have a hope that is solid and independent of anything this world could ever hope to offer us. The signs we are seeing across the news headlines now days only energizes the hope we have of Jesus’ ever imminent return for us. It is that same hope, that Blessed Hope, that encourages Christians to keep the faith and to continue living for Him and Him alone. Are you one of those who place their trust and hope in Jesus?
If you do not have a saving relationship with Jesus, and you would like to, I encourage you to talk to God right now. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or eloquent, just a sharing of your heart to Him. If that is you, and you’re ready to give your life to Jesus, then say this prayer from your heart and to Him. Again, it’s not a formula, just a sharing of your heart to Him.
“O God, I am a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin, that He was buried, that You raised Him to life, and that He’s coming to take me back to His house in heaven very soon. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, trusting only in His shed blood as more than sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”
Now that you have entered into this relationship with Jesus, I strongly encourage you to find a Bible and start reading it, and to find and get plugged into a solid Bible-believing church that teaches and preaches the full Gospel of Jesus, which includes Bible prophecy and the need to be living righteously and holy before the Lord in all your ways.
In closing, know that Jesus is coming soon, very soon, for His followers, and it is vitally important for each of us to be found both watching and ready for Him when He does. Don’t get lulled into the deceptive thinking that His return is not near for one reason or another, especially when the fulfillment of the signs given in the Bible tell us that it’s at the door. It’s our responsibility to be watching the signs for Him, and to be ready, free of any spots, blemishes, or wrinkles brought on through sin in our lives.
Hello, Everyone! Welcome to
another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast! In case you haven’t been watching, there is a
lot going on right now regarding the fulfillment of Biblical end-time events,
so much so that some people are scrambling just to keep up with everything that
is going on.
As I observe all that is going on right now, I am reminded of something
that took place back in December of 1989.
The event was a meeting between then President George W. Bush, Sr. and
the Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev on the island of Malta. I don’t remember much about that event, but
what I do remember was something said by a well-known news anchor who was on a
boat in the middle of the Mediterranean, and during a storm. This news anchor, and I don’t remember which
one it was, while he’s on the deck of the boat braving the storm, told the
audience that things were happening so fast that they were having trouble
keeping up and reporting all the news taking place. When I heard him say that, immediately God
quickened to me that when the time comes for Jesus to return for His Bride and
for the start of the Tribulation period, things will be happening so fast that
people’s heads will be spinning, and what the world was experiencing at the
time this reporter made these statements was only a glimpse, a taste, of what
will happen when God says it’s time.
People are now actually beginning to comment about how so much is
happening right now in the area of Biblical end-time prophecy fulfillment, they
are having trouble keeping up with it all.
In Matthew 24:32-35, as well as in Mark 13:28-31, Jesus gives us the
parable of the fig tree. In the Bible,
the fig tree is symbolic of the Nation of Israel. When Jesus gave this parable, Israel was not
a nation, but He was looking at a future time when Israel would become
one. In this parable, Jesus makes it
known that the generation that sees Israel become a nation will not pass away
until all the things He previously mentioned takes place. Well, Israel became a nation May 14, 1948, and
ever since then the fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophecies has kicked into
high gear along with the highly anticipated return of Jesus for His
Church. Some people want to say that it
will be several years yet before Jesus returns, and some say even at least 100
or more years yet, but there is one very big problem with this rationale. The generation that saw Israel become a nation
is about to pass away, which means that there isn’t the 10’s or 100’s of years
some would like to believe there is before Christ returns. There has been much debate over the years as
to how long a generation is Biblically speaking, ranging anywhere between 40 to
120 years, but the consensus seems to point to 70-80 years as mentioned in Psalms
90:10. The current life expectancy
statistics show just under 80 years, which seems to correlate very well with
what we are currently seeing in the fulfillment of Biblical end-time
prophecies.
In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus tells us that when we see all the
signs He had mentioned taking place that we are to know that the end is near, at the doors! Talking about end-time events and when Jesus
will return for the Church, many people will comment about how the signs Jesus
mentioned, as well as what has been mentioned in other passages, have been seen
for years. This only feeds into the
fulfillment of one of the prophecies we’ve been given regarding the end-times,
and that is found in 2 Peter 3:1-7 when the Apostle Peter tells us in the last
days many will mock and question the promise of Christ’s return. While it is true that many of the signs Jesus
mentioned have been seen for years, the difference to the times we are now
living in is that all the signs seem to be converging together at the same time. This is different from the past in that not all
the signs were present at the same time, but at different times and in
different places. As we watch the
fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophecies all around us, as well as all the
signs prophesied converging together at the same time, it is evident that the
final fulfillment of the signs Jesus gave is near, even at the doors!
When we talk about the final fulfillment of the signs Jesus gave us
being near, it is important for us to remember a couple things. To begin with, some of the signs Jesus gave are
directly connected to the Tribulation period we know will be coming, but we
also know that if what He gave us relates to the Tribulation period, then that means
the Rapture is that much closer. Therefore,
Christians who are watching for the return of Jesus for His followers in the
Rapture are excited about what they are seeing, knowing that this only means
that the Blessed Hope mentioned in Titus 2:13 is about to happen. I’ve heard it said in the past, and I’ve
since mentioned it myself at times, that when you begin to see the signs
pointing to the fact that Christmas is near, that only means Thanksgiving is
that much closer. What we are seeing
take place right now point to the reality that the Tribulation period is about
to start very, very soon, and that only means that the pre-Tribulation Rapture
is that much closer.
Notice that in Matthew 24:32-35, Jesus is talking about Israel. He’s not talking about America, which didn’t
come into existence until over 1700 years later, or any other country or people
group. He’s talking about Israel and the
Jewish people. What should that tell
us? That should tell us that Israel is
God’s prophetic timepiece, not America, or any other country or people
group. In fact, when we look at Bible
end-time prophecies, both in the Old and New Testaments, it’s all pretty much
centered around Israel and the Jewish people.
Those who want to say that God is done with Israel, and that He replaced
them with the Church, a teaching that is spreading more and more within Church
circles, they haven’t really read their Bible as that is most definitely not
the truth. In fact, the Tribulation
period the Bible talks about was prophesied for the Jewish people way back in
Daniel 9, the purpose of which is to judge and discipline Israel and bring them
to a place where they will acknowledge Jesus as the messiah they have been
promised from the beginning, the same Jesus they rejected almost 2000 years
ago. So, not only does this mean that
God is not done with the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people, but it also
means that Israel is the prophetic timepiece God is using.
In Matthew 24:3-4, Jesus is asked by the disciples as to when He would
be coming and when would the end of the age be, and Jesus’ initial response to
them was to not be deceived. As we see
more and more of the signs of the end-times being fulfilled, it becomes even
more necessary for us to be guarded against being deceived. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Timothy 4:1-5, we
are told by the Apostle Paul that deception will be strong in the last days as
Christians will fall away from the faith to embrace false doctrines inspired
and promoted by demons, false doctrines that tickle peoples ears who reject the
truth to embrace that which feels and sounds good.
Deception is not limited to just false doctrines and teachings, but
also to that which distracts us away from the truth and what we are called to
be as ambassadors of Christ. One form of
deception that is often overlooked is that of misdirection, the practice of
getting peoples attention away from where it needs to be and onto something
else. This is something that is often
seen in the area of magic tricks and those who practice the art of illusions,
making something appear to be something other than what it really is, but it is
employed in a variety of ways that include directing the focus of Christians
away from Biblical truth and onto something else that feels and sounds good. We see this happening in various forms within
the Church.
Jesus mentioned that when we see all the signs He told us about being
fulfilled, then we are to know that they are indicating to us that the
Tribulation period and His subsequent return to establish His kingdom here on
earth is very near, even at the door. So,
what are those signs that Jesus mentioned?
One of the signs He gave us, going along with that of deception, was of
false prophets in verses 4-5. While we
are seeing some who claim to be Jesus, this will only increase especially
leading up to the Tribulation period.
These will join the crowd of false teachers who teach and promote false
doctrine that does not line up with Scripture, something that is becoming more
and more prevalent in the days we are currently living in.
Another of the signs He mentioned is found in verses 6-7, and that is
of wars and rumors of wars. There is currently
no shortage of wars going on, and rumors of wars about to break out around the
world is great, and it seems to only be increasing. These include the Biblically prophesied wars found
in Psalms 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39, wars that appear to be right around
the corner, some of which could happen any day now.
Another sign that Jesus gave in verse 7 was that of famines,
pestilence, and earthquakes. Famines are
only increasing as regions are either experiencing severe drought, severe
flooding or other natural catastrophes that devastate crop productions and
other food sources, and which greatly impact availability and access to food
and pure water. Pestilence is also
increasing around the world with disease epidemics growing and expanding all
over the place, as well as the re-emergence of some diseases long thought to be
no longer in existence. As for
earthquakes, they are increasing both in number and intensity as never before,
and even in places once thought to be free of earthquakes. Might I also add the increase in volcanic
activity all around the world, activity that can in themselves sometimes create
earthquakes?
In verse 9 we see that the Jewish people will be hated by all nations,
also known as anti-Semitism, something that is present even now and speedily growing
all over the world. Even in America this
is becoming more of a reality as never before in this country. And in verse 12 we read that lawlessness will
abound, and that the love of many will grow cold. We are seeing both as never before, and as
fast and powerfully that it’s growing there are no signs of it diminishing one
bit anytime in the foreseeable future.
Lawlessness is becoming a global problem infecting all walks of life and
positions of leadership.
Again, while each of these signs have been present at different times
and in different places in world history, the main difference from the past and
the present is that they are all happening simultaneously as if they are all
converging to a point of time in the near future. In other words, the end of life as we know it
is at the doors. Are you ready for it?
When Noah built the ark, he had 120 years to preach about the judgment
coming to all the world, but only eight entered the ark. The people mocked him until the judgment
came, and by then it was too late for them.
When Lot was saved, he was warned by angels that God was going to pour
out judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, but only he and his wife with two of
their daughters left. Sadly, however,
Lot’s wife didn’t get very far before she looked back at Sodom and was turned
into a pillar of salt instead of getting to safety.
In like manner, God has warned us for thousands of years of the
judgment coming to the world both in the Bible and in the fulfillment of Bible
end-time prophesies. Yet, people are not
believing it even though the signs are screaming the truth and reality of this. People are caught up with life in general,
enjoying all that they can oblivious to what is going on in the world, and for
some of them believing that we still have time because of one thing or
another. Some are even embracing
prophesies of good things from people who believe false doctrine, discounting
the fulfillment of the signs all around them which validate what God tells us
in the Bible. We can even see this as a
fulfillment of the prophecy mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, where it talks of
those who will not endure sound doctrine and truth but will instead embrace
those who tickle their itchy ears with good fables.
Again, the Tribulation period and the subsequent return of Christ back
to earth to establish His kingdom here is at the doors, and you don’t have to
be here for that. You can miss all of
that, but it’s entirely up to you. Those
who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, those who have shown themselves
faithful in living for Him in every area of their life, they will escape all
that is coming in what I call the great evacuation, the Rapture. This is one appointment you don’t want to
miss!
Do you realize that Jesus’ return for His followers is very close and
could happen at any moment? Do you even
care? Jesus isn’t going to rescue you
from the judgment that is coming to the world if you really aren’t concerned
about it. He’s looking for people who
are eagerly waiting for Him to return for them, the Blessed Hope we read about
in Titus 2:13.
Perhaps you are a Christian, but you haven’t been living as you know
you ought to, allowing sin and idolatry to reign in your life. If that is you, then I strongly encourage you
to repent of such, to make things right with Jesus, asking Him for forgiveness
and turning away from the sin. Don’t
play what I call Russian Roulette with your eternity because you want to hang
onto that which is sin and dishonoring to God.
Do it today! Don’t delay!
Maybe you have never given your life over to Jesus. Maybe you have been living life as you wanted,
and on your terms, but in listening to me today you realize there needs to be a
change in your life. You are seeing the
signs I mentioned earlier only increasing, and you can tell things are not
going to get any better but instead much worse, and you want to avoid as much
of it as possible and realize the only real way of doing so is by surrendering
your life to Jesus. Well, you can make
that change right now wherever you are.
It’s simple, as simple as “A, B, C”.
Let me tell you how.
For you to be considering making such a change in your life, this only
shows that God is speaking to you. He
wants to have that saving relationship with you far more than you could ever
want it yourself. To enter that
relationship with Him, the first thing you need to do is acknowledge that you
are a sinner. To acknowledge, or to admit,
that you are a sinner is the “A” in the “A, B, C’s”. This may be difficult for some to do, but
it’s vitally important. We are told in
Romans 3:10 that no one is righteous or good, no, not one. The reason for that is found in Romans 3:23
where we’re told that all, everyone, has sinned and fall short of the glory of
God. This means that nobody is good
enough, no matter how good we may be, because we all have sin in our lives. Continuing in Romans, we are told in Romans
6:23 that the wages of our sin is death, or in other words the penalty of the
sin in our life is eternal death. So,
where does that leave us? We are told in
Ephesians 2:8-9 that the salvation God offers us is a gift of God, something we
receive by grace and through faith. No
one deserves salvation, and no one certainly can earn it through works of any
kind, but rather it is a gift from God. To
receive this gift from God, the first thing a person must do is “A”, acknowledge or admit that they are a sinner.
The second thing a person must do, and
this is “B” in the “ABC’s”, is to “BELIEVE”
in their heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God
raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9-10
tells us that if we confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our
heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. It’s not just a mental believing as some
would like it to be, but rather a believing that dictates the way one lives
their life. It’s a way of life that
reflects and supports what they say they believe. In James 2:19 were told that even the demons
believe, and they tremble, but salvation is not available to them. Just having a head knowledge is not enough.
The third thing a person must do, and
this is “C” in the “ABC’s”, is to “CALL
UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” You need
to call Jesus Lord, and to do so means one must surrender their life to
Him. There is coming a time when every
knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess to God that He is
Lord. Now is the time for salvation, and
now is the time to voluntarily surrender your life to Him. The eternal rewards for surrendering your
life to Jesus is far greater than anything this world could ever hope to give
you.
Is a relationship with Jesus like I’ve
described important and worth it? It is
most definitely worth it, and then some.
I won’t say that life will be easier or with less problems, but it will
be more fulfilling, and with that there is a Blessed Hope for all Christians to
embrace and pursue. More and more people
are beginning to feel hopeless with life, especially when they see everything
that is happening around them and around the world, but as Christians we have a
hope that is solid and independent of anything this world could ever hope to
offer us. The signs we are seeing across
the news headlines now days only energizes the hope we have of Jesus’ ever
imminent return for us. It is that same
hope, that Blessed Hope, that encourages Christians to keep the faith and to
continue living for Him and Him alone.
Are you one of those who place their trust and hope in Jesus?
If you do not have a saving relationship
with Jesus, and you would like to, I encourage you to talk to God right
now. It doesn’t have to be anything
fancy or eloquent, just a sharing of your heart to Him. If that is you, and you’re ready to give your
life to Jesus, then say this prayer from your heart and to Him. Again, it’s not a formula, just a sharing of
your heart to Him.
“O God, I am a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe
that He died on the cross for my sin, that He was buried, that You raised Him
to life, and that He’s coming to take me back to His house in heaven very
soon. I have decided to place my faith
in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, trusting only in His shed blood as more
than sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”
Now that you have entered into this
relationship with Jesus, I strongly encourage you to find a Bible and start
reading it, and to find and get plugged into a solid Bible-believing church
that teaches and preaches the full Gospel of Jesus, which includes Bible
prophecy and the need to be living righteously and holy before the Lord in all
your ways.
In closing, know that Jesus is coming
soon, very soon, for His followers, and it is vitally important for each of us
to be found both watching and ready for Him when He does. Don’t get lulled into the deceptive thinking
that His return is not near for one reason or another, especially when the fulfillment
of the signs given in the Bible tell us that it’s at the door. It’s our responsibility to be watching the
signs for Him, and to be ready, free of any spots, blemishes, or wrinkles
brought on through sin in our lives.
Hello, everyone. Glad you could
join us today for another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast! The last couple weeks we looked at the signs and
the need for us to be paying attention to the signs indirectly pointing to the
return of Jesus for us, His Bride, the Church, His followers. As I’ve mentioned in earlier broadcasts, my
heart is first to remind Christians that Jesus is coming back at any time, and
that they need to make sure they are ready when that time comes. Today, I want to look at one of many reasons
some Christians will not be ready when the time of Jesus’ return takes place.
When someone is expecting something to take place, how much they
believe it will happen is seen in their preparation for it. For example, if a person is excited about
attending a football game where their favorite team is playing for the
championship, they will be sure they have the proper attire for the event
cleaned and ready, they will make sure the car is fueled up and ready to go,
and that they have enough cash to pay for the $1,000 hot dogs being sold
there. Or, if someone is waiting to be
picked up by a friend to attend a birthday party for their best friend, they
will make sure they are dressed and ready to go, that the present they are
taking to the party is boxed and wrapped up with a nice bow, and they will be
all ready to simply walk out the door when their friend arrives. In the same way, if a person is expecting
Jesus to arrive at any moment, they will be sure to do all they can to be ready
when that event takes place.
This picture of followers of Christ being ready when Jesus returns for
us is seen in the parable of the ten virgins located in Matthew 25:1-13. In this parable, there are ten virgins,
Christians who are waiting and expecting the bridegroom to return for them, but
only five of them were wise in making sure they were adequately prepared when
that time came. The five foolish virgins
had not taken the initiative to make sure they were prepared for that time, and
as a result they were left behind and were refused entrance to the wedding
festivities. So, what could keep someone
from being ready when Jesus returns for us?
There are any number of reasons that this could be the case, but I want
to look at one reason a person may find that they were not ready when they
needed to be.
I realize that this is a controversial issue within Christian circles,
but nonetheless it must be mentioned, and that is the idea that a Christian’s eternal
destination is forever sealed at the point of salvation, where they surrendered
their lives to Jesus. In other words, we
are talking of those who don’t believe that a Christian can “lose” their
salvation, a dangerous teaching that is putting many at risk of falling short
of eternity in heaven with Jesus. I
first want to mention that I don’t believe everyone that believes this train of
thought is not going to heaven, but rather that those who do run the risk of
not being ready when the time of Jesus’ return comes.
Why would the teaching that Christians can not lose their salvation be
a dangerous one for people to embrace?
Well, the reason is really quite simple.
If they believe their eternal home has already been sealed and is
non-revocable, then it becomes very easy for someone to slack off and not take
their relationship with Jesus seriously.
And if a person isn’t taking their relationship as seriously as they
ought, then they are more apt to allow unconfessed sin to continue in their
life, or to put something or someone other than Christ on the throne of their
heart, which is idolatry in the sight of God.
In other words, the person becomes complacent and apathetic as a
follower of Christ.
Obviously, some will still argue that a Christian can not “lose” their
salvation, but let’s take a brief look at some passages that would seem to indicate
otherwise.
In John 15:1-8, Jesus identifies Himself as a vine, and that we are the
branches of that same vine. In order to
be a part of the vine, one must be in a life-giving relationship with Jesus. If a person never comes to salvation through
Christ, then they are never a branch attached to the vine. However, if a person enters a relationship
with Jesus through salvation, then they become a branch attached to the
vine. In verse two, we are told that
every branch that does not bear forth fruit He takes away. In verse six, we are told that anyone that
does not abide in Him will be cast out as a branch and withered, showing that while
they initially received the life-giving nutrients available only through Christ,
they are now no longer in a place to which they can continue receiving
those. Furthermore, we see that those
same branches that were cast away for not abiding in Him, which meant they were
no longer bearing fruit, were also thrown into the fire and were burned. In this passage, we see a picture of those
who had entered a relationship with Jesus at some point, but because they did
not continue to abide in Him, they no longer bore fruit and were subsequently
cast away and thrown into the fire.
We also see in 1 Timothy 1:18-19, that there are some who become
shipwrecked in the faith because they rejected having faith and a good
conscience. When a sea vessel becomes
shipwrecked, they have been immobilized to varying degrees, often suffering
damage that sinks them to the bottom, a place they will more than likely “rest”
for an indefinite amount of time which could be permanent. The ship had to have a good beginning in
order to take to the seas, but no matter how good it initially was it became
shipwrecked sometime later. This picture
that the Apostle Paul gives us could be considered a parallel passage to that
of John 15:1-8, in that there were some who started off good, but for one
reason or another they became relationally disconnected from Christ.
Another passage to consider is found in 2 Peter 2. This chapter is dealing with false teachers
and false doctrines, and in verse 15 we read that they have “forsaken” the
right way and gone astray. Well, what
does it mean to be forsaken? The Greek
word for “forsaken” is, “kataleipo” (2641), which means to abandon or leave
behind. This clearly indicates that some
of these false teachers once knew Jesus and the truth of the Gospel, but through
deception they had gone astray from the truth.
1 Timothy 4:1 is another passage that indicates that in the last days
some will depart from the faith. The
Greek word translated as “depart” in this verse, “aphistemi” (NT:868), means to
desist, to depart, to fall away, or to withdraw self. Again, we are clearly seeing Scripture
indicating that there will be some who, for one reason or another, will leave
the faith, which subsequently means they will experience broken relationship
with Jesus.
What about Romans 8:12-13? In
this passage, we read that those who live according to the flesh will die. Some will argue that this chapter is showing
the distinction between followers of Christ and those who are not, but we must
consider two things before we can make that assumption. To begin with, we read in Romans 1:7 that the
Apostle Paul is writing to all the saints, all the Christians in Rome. He’s not writing to non-Christians, but
instead to Christians. Second, Romans 6
speaks to us about submitting ourselves to unrighteousness and sin, or to
righteousness that leads to life, an option that only Christians can make. Non-Christians are bound to unrighteousness
and sin, and even if they change their sins, so to speak, they are still bound
to unrighteousness apart from a relationship with Jesus. However, having been set free from the
bondage of sin and unrighteousness through Jesus, we now have the option, the
freedom to choose, to submit ourselves to unrighteousness or to righteousness. So, when we look at chapter 8, we must view
it as a chapter exclusively addressing Christians. To solidify that point, let’s take closer
look at verses 12-13.
In verse 13, we are told that those who live according to the flesh
will die. If a person is already born
dead in trespasses, how can they die if they are already dead? They would have to first come alive for them
to die, but we know that a person can not become spiritually alive apart from a
saving relationship with Jesus.
Furthermore, the Greek word for “die” in this passage is “apothnesko” (NT:599),
which means to “die off”, either literally or figuratively. This only reinforces the belief that not only
is the Apostle Paul referring only to Christians, but also that Christians who
live according to the flesh will die spiritually, unless they repent and start
living according to the Spirit and will not find their eternal residence in
Heaven. In another verse in this chapter
we read that those who live according to the flesh will not even be called the
sons and daughters of God.
Other passages to consider are found in Revelation chapters 2-3. In these chapters, Jesus is speaking directly
to seven churches, Christian churches, as well as churches and Christians into
the future. When speaking to the
churches, there are times when Jesus tells them to repent or suffer the
consequences if they don’t. I want to
look specifically at chapter 3:1-6, the section where Jesus is speaking to the
Church in Sardis. In verse 2, Jesus
tells the angel, or the messenger and minister there, that there are some who
are ready to die. It’s interesting that
the Greek word for die in this passage is the same one we mentioned earlier for
Romans 8:13, which means to die to an eternal death, and why is that? That is because Jesus was not finding their
works to be perfect before God. This
implies that not only is God expecting us to be doing “works” after receiving
salvation, not to be confused with obtaining salvation apart from “works”, but
that He also looks at our works and the motivations behind them to determine if
they are right and holy in His sight. This
seems to coincide perfectly with what we saw in Romans 6 and Romans 8, where we
have the option to submit ourselves to righteousness and live according to the
Spirit of God, or to submit ourselves to unrighteousness and live according to
the flesh.
In verse 4, we see another indicator that even though we have been
washed clean of sin and unrighteousness at the point of salvation, we are not
permanently clean of it if we allow sin and unrighteousness to continue in our
life. What I’m referring to is the word
“defile”, which is the Greek word “moluno” (NT:3435) and means “to soil”
figuratively. If something or someone is
already defiled, they cannot later become defiled because they already
are. In other words, a Christian can
become defiled if they allow sin and unrighteousness to continue in their
life. Therefore 1 John 1:9 is so vital
for us as followers of Christ. If when
we are saved, we remain permanently clean of all sin and unrighteousness, and
that our future admittance into heaven is permanently sealed, then why would
the Apostle John say, “if WE confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us all unrighteousness”? Obviously,
the Apostle John was saved, so why would he include himself in both the present
and future tense in the statement if there was no way he could become defiled
with sin? This reminds me of what the
Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5:25-27, where he speaks of Jesus coming back
for a bride without spot, blemish, or wrinkles.
Why would he mention that if it were not possible for Christians to
acquire spots, blemishes, and wrinkles in their relationship with Jesus? What about John 13 where we read of Jesus
washing the disciple’s feet? When Jesus
came to wash Peter’s feet, Peter initially refused to let Jesus do so, but
Jesus told him that if he continued to refuse then he would have not part with
Him. Peter then responded by telling
Jesus to wash all of him, but Jesus responded by saying he only needed his feet
washed because he had already been bathed.
I believe what Jesus was saying to Peter perfectly goes along with what
we’ve been looking at today. It’s
practically impossible to go through this life, after having received
salvation, and not get our feet dirty with sin and unrighteousness, which left
undealt with can have serious and eternal consequences for us. Therefore, John tells us to confess our sins
so that we remain clean and righteous before Jesus.
How serious is it for us to stay clean and free of sin in our
lives? In Revelation 16:15 we get a
pretty good glimpse of why that is important.
In an urgent news flash of sorts, Jesus interrupts what John is writing to
tell us that those who are watching for His return, and who have kept their
garments, or in other words kept their robes of righteousness clean and free of
sin, that these people are blessed. On
the other hand, Jesus makes it clear that those who don’t watch or keep their
robes of righteousness clean and free of sin will be naked and others will see
their shame. Jesus is making it very
clear, in the middle of John’s account of that which was revealed to him
regarding the last days, that if we don’t watch for His return or to keep our
garments clean and free of sin, then we will lose our robes of righteousness,
or in other words will be left behind, and those who see them will see their
shame because they knew the truth and didn’t adequately apply it to their
lives.
There’s one last passage I want to share with you regarding today’s
topic, and that is found in Hebrews 6:1-8.
In this passage, we read that those who once had relationship with Jesus,
but either due to neglect or a conscious choice had fallen away, that it is
impossible to renew them again to repentance and salvation. This is not a hypothetical situation that
will never happen as some would believe, but instead a clear and definite
statement of fact. The impossibility is
not found in whether this could happen or not, but rather in that it would be
impossible to renew someone to repentance and salvation if this pertains to
them. In a book I wrote called “The
Glory Filled Future”, I point out that there is a difference between those who
backslide in the present and those who get left behind at the rapture. The difference is that as Christians we are
now in the marriage phase of our relationship with Jesus called a betrothal,
but after the rapture there is no bride left here on earth to be betrothed to
Jesus. As being betrothed to Jesus, that
betrothal can not be terminated except through divorce or death, which leaves
room for an unfaithful bride, Christians not living as they ought, to make
amends to her groom, Jesus, and then prove herself faithful to Him as she
watches for His return. However, any
bride that is found to be unfaithful when Jesus returns and is left behind, I
think this is where that passage in Hebrews is applied. As a kid growing up in a Christian home,
there seemed to be a mindset within Christian circles that if anyone got left
behind, that there was a plan “B” to still make it to heaven. However, as I look at this passage and
others, including the parable of the wedding guest that got kicked out for not
having the proper wedding apparel on, I believe this passage is telling us that
there is no plan “B” for Christians who were neglectful in their relationship
with Christ and got left behind. That is
not to say that people will not be getting saved during the Tribulation period,
because Scripture is very clear that there will be many who will be, but I
believe Scripture would indicate that it would be impossible for a Christian to
miss the Rapture to later obtain salvation.
It is with the understanding from Scripture we have looked at today,
and how that contradicts the teachings some embrace that their salvation is
permanent no matter how they live, that I want to encourage each of you to take
a gut check of your relationship with Christ.
If we are to be ready when Christ returns, then it’s important for us to
re-evaluate our life and relationship with Jesus often, perhaps even
daily. If we have sin of any kind in our
life, it is imperative for us to confess and repent of it to God, to turn from
that sin asking God for forgiveness keeping our robes of righteousness clean
without spot or wrinkle. If we think
that our salvation 20 years ago secured our eternal home in heaven, it will be
easy for us to get slack and apathetic in our relationship with Jesus, or even
to be watching for Him to return. Don’t
play Russian roulette with eternity by allowing sin to reign in your life, or
by being apathetic regarding the return of Jesus for His followers.
Perhaps you have bought into the deceptive lie that a Christian can
never fall from the faith and relationship with Christ. If that is you, then I strongly encourage you
to start taking your relationship with Jesus seriously in preparation for His ever-imminent
return. If you have allowed sin to
remain in your life because you didn’t think it could interfere with your
eternal destination, then I again strongly encourage you to repent of it and
start living your life in a way that honors and pleases Him through obedience.
I venture to say that some of you listening to our broadcast today have
never entered a saving relationship with Jesus, but you would like to. Today is the day to receive the salvation Jesus
makes available to us, and to do so is very simple. While other religions require prospective
adherents to do works, Christianity is not the same. In Ephesians 2:8-9 we are told that salvation
is a gift of God, nothing that we could ever earn or deserve, but the required
steps to receive it is a simple as A, B, C.
Looking at the A, B, C’s of salvation, letter A represents the first
step in the process, and that step is to “ADMIT”
or to ACKNOWLEDGE that you are a
sinner. This is a simple step that can
also be very difficult for some who find it hard to admit this of
themselves. However, Romans 3:10 tells
us that no one is righteous, no, not one.
And why is that? In Romans 3:23
we’re told that all, everyone, has sinned and fall short of the glory of
God. This means that nobody is good
enough, no matter how good they may be, because they still have sin in their
life. We further told in Romans 6:23
that the wages of our sin is death, but as I mentioned earlier, Ephesians 2:8-9
tells us that salvation is a gift of God that we can receive by grace and
through faith. So, the first thing one
needs to do is “A”, to admit that
they are a sinner.
The second thing a person must do, and
this is “B” in the “ABC’s”, is to “BELIEVE”
in their heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God
raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9-10
tells us that if we confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our
heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. It’s not just a mental believing as some
would like it to be, but rather a believing that dictates the way one lives
their life. It’s a way of life that
reflects and supports what they say they believe. In James 2:19 were told that even the demons
believe, and they tremble, but salvation is not available to them. Just having a head knowledge is not enough.
The third thing a person must do, and
this is “C” in the “ABC’s”, is to “CALL
UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” You need
to call Jesus Lord, and to do so means one must surrender their life to
Him. There is coming a time when every
knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess to God that He is
Lord. Now is the time for salvation, and
now is the time to voluntarily surrender your life to Him. The eternal rewards for surrendering your
life to Jesus is far greater than anything this world could ever hope to give
you.
Is a relationship with Jesus like I’ve
described important and worth it?
YES! Yes, it is. I won’t say that life will be easier or with
less problems, but it will be more fulfilling, and with that there is a Blessed
Hope for all Christians to embrace and pursue.
More and more people are beginning to feel hopeless with life,
especially when they see everything that is happening around them and around
the world, but as Christians we have a hope that is solid and independent of
anything this world could ever hope to offer us. The signs we are seeing across the news
headlines now days only energizes the hope we have of Jesus’ ever imminent
return for us. It is that same hope,
that Blessed Hope, that encourages Christians to keep the faith and to continue
living for Him and Him alone. Are you
one of those who place their trust and hope in Jesus?
If you do not have a saving relationship
with Jesus, and you would like to, I encourage you to talk to God right
now. It doesn’t have to be anything
fancy or eloquent, just a sharing of your heart to Him. If that is you, and you’re ready to give your
life to Jesus, then say this prayer from your heart and to Him. Again, it’s not a formula, just a sharing of
your heart to Him.
“O God, I am a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe
that He died on the cross for my sin, that He was buried, that You raised Him
to life, and that He’s coming to take me back to His house in heaven very
soon. I have decided to place my faith
in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, trusting only in His shed blood as more
than sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”
Now that you have entered into this
relationship with Jesus, I strongly encourage you to find a Bible and start
reading it, and to find and get plugged into a solid Bible-believing church
that teaches and preaches the full Gospel of Jesus, which includes Bible
prophecy and the need to be living righteously and holy before the Lord in all
your ways.
In closing, know that Jesus is coming
soon, very soon, for His followers, and it is vitally important for each of us
to be found both watching and ready for Him when He does. Don’t get lulled into the deceptive thinking
that you’re a shoo-in for eternity in heaven simply because you accepted the
salvation offered you through Jesus Christ at some point in your past. It’s our responsibility to be watching for Him,
and to be ready, free of any spots, blemishes, or wrinkles brought on through
sin in our lives.
Can you hear it? The “midnight cry” is sounding out even now that the very near return of Jesus for His followers is imminent. Should we be hearing it? Or should we be ignoring it?
Last week I shared about signs,
specifically the need to be paying attention to the signs of Jesus’ soon return
for His Bride, the Church. Today, I want to ask a simple question, “Can you
hear it?”
Since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, when
I began to see the apathetic mindsets of some Christians towards the return of
Jesus for His followers and the need to be living right in His sight, I have
had a burden to remind Christians that Jesus could return at any given moment,
and that they needed to make sure they are ready when that does take
place. It is with that backdrop that I believe
God wants me to share my heart with you today.
If you have this apathetic mentality, I hope today will awaken you to break
free of it. If you don’t have this
apathetic mentality, I hope you will be more aware of those around you that are
apathetic, and with that be more active in helping to shake them out of their
lethargy.
I’m titling this broadcast simply, “Can you hear it?” It’s a phrase that I pull from the parable in Matthew 25:1-13 of the ten virgins, a parable that is well known by most of us. This is a parable about our relationship with Jesus, how that He is coming back for us, and how it is vitally important for us to be ready when He does. I am not going to dig into this parable today, but the title of this study comes from verse 6 which says; “And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!”
The midnight cry was just one part of
the marriage custom for Jews of the Old and New Testaments. When the father of the groom gave the
go-ahead for the groom to go and receive his bride too himself, someone would
go ahead of the groom announcing that the groom was on his way. My question for you is this, what is the
“midnight cry” for us as Christians as it pertains to our Lord’s return? And, “can you hear it?”
There is no doubt many different ideas
as to what that midnight cry is, and there is really no way to know for sure
what it is, but I have an idea as to what that cry is for us as followers of
Jesus. As I think about this, I believe
the midnight cry must be something that only God can control. Only the Father knows when Jesus is to
return, and therefore it is up to Him to determine when and how that cry is to
go out letting us know our Groom is on His way for us. I believe that the midnight cry God would,
and is even now sounding, is the fulfillment of Biblical end-time prophecies. It is something we can not control, and it’s
something that cannot be denied.
It’s been said that when you walk into a
store on November 1st and see the Christmas decorations coming out
and Christmas music being played, you know that Christmas is near. But you also know that if Christmas is near,
then Thanksgiving is that much closer.
In like manner, when we see Bible prophecies being fulfilled that are
connected to the Tribulation Period, we can be assured that the Rapture of the
Church is that much closer. So, how
close are we to the return of Jesus for us, His Bride?
When we look at prophecy, we need to
remember that the nation of Israel is God’s prophetic timepiece. It’s not America, it’s not any particular
group of people, and it’s definitely not even the shadow governments frequently
talked about by some (Deep State, Illuminati, the Bilderberg’s, etc.). If you want to know where we are on God’s
timetable for humanity, then you must look first and foremost at Israel and
what is going on with them. To ignore
them is to ignore what God is doing, and where we are at.
In Matthew 16:1-4, we read about one of the occasions that the Pharisees and the Sadducees approached Jesus to test Him. In this passage, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day because they could discern the signs of the weather, but they could not discern the signs of the times. In a lot of ways, Christians today can be discerning in areas like politics, society, culture, just to name a few, but more and more Christians are unable to accurately discern the signs of the times prophetically speaking. And why is that? I believe, as others do, that the main reason for this is because Bible prophecy is not being preached or taught from the pulpits, and surprisingly I’ve recently heard that the topic of eschatology, the study of the end-times, is being dropped more and more from Bible schools and seminaries. More and more ministers are graduating from colleges and seminaries with very little to no instruction on this vital subject. It seems that the growing trend around America is to ignore or discount any discussion on the subject out of the fear of offending someone or being divisive, or that giving will drop, or that it would instill confusion and fear within their congregations. For some ministers, perhaps it’s because they don’t know enough about it and the subject intimidates them. As a result, very little is taught on the subject of end-time Bible prophecies and how they relate to followers of Christ. Is it any wonder, under those circumstances, that so many Christians are not accurately discerning the times we’re in or hearing the cry going out?
A very prominent and influential pastor,
someone whose name I believe most of you would readily recognize if I were to
mention it, or the name of a book he wrote about 25 years ago, makes the
following statement in one of his books. In Acts chapter one, the disciples asked Jesus
when He would restore the kingdom back to Israel, and according to this pastor
Jesus’ response to them was, “the details of my return are none of your
business.” He further goes on to imply
that anyone who gets distracted with Bible prophecy is not fit for the Kingdom
of God. In the past 20+ years or so,
this pastor and his teachings have played a major, and perhaps pioneering role
in current “Seeker Friendly” and “Church Growth” movements, a clear contributor
to the absence of the teaching and preaching of Bible end-times prophecies. While there is good that has come from his
book, one would be hard pressed to deny his comments about Bible prophecy
having an impact on churches today. Again,
is it any wonder why less and less churches are teaching and preaching on the
subject? More and more Christians are
becoming illiterate when it comes to Bible prophecy, or should I say that more
and more churches are raising up Biblically illiterate Christians who know very
little if any Bible prophecy and what it means to them.
More than a fourth of the Bible, almost
a third, is filled with Bible prophecy. And,
contrary to what that minister says regarding Bible prophecy and the end-times,
Jesus Himself gives us signs to watch for regarding His return. In fact, Jesus even commands us in Mark
13:32-37, among other places, to be watching the signs, and in Revelation 3:1-6
He rebukes those who are not watching to the extent that they will miss Him
when He does return. Jesus adds an
exclamation point of sorts to this in Revelation 16:15, too.
Bible prophecy is one of the key
elements of the Gospel message, and without it the Gospel message is
incomplete. I recently heard someone say
that 100,000’s of people, if not more than that, have come to salvation as a
result of Bible prophecy. As I thought
about that, I am one of those individuals that was greatly influenced to
surrender my life to Jesus as a result of Bible prophecy. Not only that, but when we keep in mind that
Jesus could return at any given moment, we will be more motivated to live in a
way that is honoring and right in the sight of God. When we truly believe that Jesus could return
at any moment, we will be more serious and proactive in living right and making
sure we’re ready for when Jesus does return.
Now that I’ve touched on the importance
of knowing and following Bible prophecy, let me highlight some of the Biblical
signs that are being fulfilled right before our eyes, and as I do ask yourself
if you were aware of these before today.
In other words, have you been hearing the cry going out?
The
Gog/Magog war; Ezekiel 38-39
We are beginning to see the final pieces
of this prophetic war come together. Despite
some of the differences they may have, Russia, Turkey, and Iran have formed an
alliance and are working together in the region. While it can be argued that Russia is a
friend of Israel at this time, they are allowing Iran who is bent on Israel’s
complete destruction to establish a foothold in the region. The economies of these three countries is
tanking right now, and this is driving them even more into the area. Turkey and Russia are both eyeing the eastern
part of Syria, the area that the United States is currently controlling, to
take control of the rich natural resources located there. The scene and the many dynamics in the region
are continually changing, but with every change it seems to solidify the near
fulfillment of Bible prophecy regarding this war that is on the horizon. The stage is being set as never before for
the fulfillment of this war to take place, a war that many scholars of Bible
prophecy believe takes place right before or right after the start of the
Tribulation Period, and it could take place at any time in the very near
future.
One
world religion; Revelation 13:11-18
The Pope and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb (the most
important imam in Sunni Islam), on Monday, February 11, 2019, signed a historic
covenant with each other to encourage believers from all religions
(Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other faiths) to “shake hands, embrace one
another, kiss one another, and even pray” with one another. No where in the document does it make any
mention of Jesus, and each time the word God is mentioned it is used
simultaneously to identify Allah and the God of Christianity. There has been a push for several years, and
especially within the past few years, to merge the not only Christianity and
Islam together, but in fact all the religions of the world together. There have even been prominent Evangelical
pastors and leaders who have participated in this attempt under the guise of
being ecumenical with religious leaders of other faiths, including the minister
I mentioned earlier, this all being done under the pretext of sharing the same
desire to “love God” and “love thy neighbor”.
What happened just a few weeks ago is considered by many as the official
start of the One World Religion as prophesied in Scripture. This is no small thing, and we need to be watching
as it develops more knowing this could be the beginning fulfillment of the One
World Religion prophesied in Revelation 13.
Peace
and Security; Daniel 9:23-27 (vs. 27); 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
President Trump’s “Deal of the Century”
peace plan is a BIG thing. A couple
weeks ago, Jared Kushner, President Trumps son-in-law, spoke at the Warsaw conference
addressing in part the peace plan that will be unveiled in its entirety after
the Israeli elections on April 9, 2019.
This conference was focused on peace in the Middle East and dealing with
Iran, and the backdrop shown behind the speakers had the statement “Peace and
Security in the Middle East”. Apparently
only five or six people know the contents of this “Deal of the Century” peace
plan, but some of the details that have been supposedly leaked surrounding this
peace deal seem to suggest it could include possibly a two-state solution for
Israel and the Palestinians, with the issue of borders and the potential
dividing up of Jerusalem as parts of this deal.
There is a lot of speculation regarding what all is contained within
this peace plan, but scuttlebutt is that there are some MAJOR points that will
be unexpected and out of the norm, that countries will find parts that they absolutely
don’t like and parts that they love, and there is a major push for all parties
involved to cooperate with the plan. Who
knows, perhaps this peace plan will include the building of the third temple? No matter what it contains, if this is the
seven-year peace treaty prophesied in Daniel 9:27, we are very, very close to
the return of Jesus for us, His followers.
We know that the Anti-Christ will not be revealed until after the
Rapture, and that his revealing will be through his signing of a seven-year
treaty with Israel, which starts the seven-year Tribulation period, and which
further points to the imminent return of Jesus.
WITHIN
THE CHURCH
Deception;
Matthew 24:3-4, 2 Timothy 4:1-5
A lot of times when we talk of deception
in the last days, we usually think of it as something evident in the world we
live in, but Jesus’ warning to not be deceived was not to those who were not
following Him, but to those who were. Whether
you see it or not, deception through false doctrine is growing. Teachings that tickle the ears, that sound
and feel good, that avoids any accountability for sin and unrighteous living, is
drawing Christians left and right away from the truth, and deception then wins
their hearts. The deceptions many
Christians are falling into isn’t just in what is being taught, but it’s also
becoming increasingly more prevalent within the Christian music being played on
Christian radio, the same songs that are used in churches for their praise and
worship times. Some of these songs and
those who sing them, not only do the words promote some of the false teachings
that are widespread within church circles, but some of those who sing them have
roots in churches and movements that embrace such teachings. These songs promote the false teachings of
Kingdom Now, the New Apostolic Reformation, as well as the “seeker friendly”
and some “church growth” movements. We
already know that we are to take any and everything that is being taught by
anyone, even if it was Billy Graham or your favorite pastor or teacher, or even
me, and hold it up to Scripture to see if what they say lines up, but we should
also be doing that with the music we sing and listen to. Sometimes it’s the music we hear and sing
that is more impacting on our life than the words someone has said. From the words of Jesus, “Take heed that no
one deceives you.”
As we see, the Bible clearly says that
in the last days, the days leading up to the return of Jesus, will be a time
when many will fall away from the faith.
It does not talk of revival and the building up and purifying of the
Church leading up to the return of Jesus, but the contrary, and we are seeing
that happen more and more. Part of this
is due to the deception we find in the church at large, some due to the
deception found in the world, and some of it is due to people making conscious
choices that reject God’s word in their life or to be subject to Him. I heard a report a few years ago that stated
over 90% of professing Christians don’t even have a Biblical world view. About a year or so ago, the Barna group came
out and said a recent study showed that 51% of professing Christians had no
clue of what the Great Commission is, where it comes from, or what it
means. Within a few weeks ago, the Barna
group released another report that showed 47% of PRACTICING Christian
Millennials believe it is wrong to share your faith with others, especially
with the hope that someone else will embrace your belief. Wow!
Numerically speaking, there are conflicting reports as to whether or not
Christianity in America is growing or shrinking, but it would appear from these
statistics, as well as the choices and priorities some Christians are
exhibiting, that coupled with the deception I spoke of a moment ago, while pews
are being filled there is a growing number who are falling from the faith and
the truth of the Gospel while filling those same pews.
Mocking
and scoffing; 2 Peter 3:1-7
Growing up in church, I remember hearing
a lot of talk about the end-times, the Tribulation Period, the judgements of
God, and the Rapture, especially the pre-tribulation Rapture. In recent years, I’ve been amazed at how many
of those who once believed in the Rapture now discount it as not true, or they
deny that it will happen any time soon despite what we are seeing in the
fulfillment of Bible prophecy. It’s one
thing for unbelievers to mock the teaching of the Rapture, but we’re seeing more
and more of that within church circles.
One well known prophecy teacher has actually taught how the Blessed
Hope, which is the Rapture, has now become the Blasted Hope within Christianity
as led by some influential Christian leaders.
What these people fail to realize, or they simply discount because they
don’t believe in it, is that they are actually fulfilling Bible prophecy with
these attitudes of mocking the Rapture teachings as they have. When you hear of people, of Christians, who
are mocking and ridiculing teachings on the Rapture, know that it is a sign
that Jesus’ return is that much closer.
These are just some of the Bible
end-times prophecies that are being fulfilled these days. So, the question to be asked is, Can You Hear
It? It’s been said that we are “one
minute before midnight” in regard to the start of the Tribulation Period, but I
think it is safe to say that we are now just seconds, prophetically speaking,
from that happening. Are you
watching? Are you ready for Him?
Before we end today’s podcast, I must
again ask each of you two questions.
First, if you were to die within the next few minutes, do you know
whether you would go to heaven or not?
This is an important question that each of us need to ask
ourselves. Second, and this is a bit
more thought provoking, if you were to die within the next few minutes and find
yourself face to face with Jesus, and I’m not saying that is how it would be,
but if He were to ask you why He should let you into heaven, what would your
answer be? Some people believe that
everyone will eventually make it to heaven, and others believe that just
because they’ve been good then that should automatically afford them eternal
access into heaven, but that is not so.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 we’re told that salvation is simply a gift of God,
something that is obtained by His grace and through faith.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of
works, lest anyone should boast.
NKJV
If salvation is something nobody can earn
or deserve, then how can one be saved, not just in this life but in the life to
come on the other side of eternity?
Well, let’s keep this as simple as “ABC”, because it is simple.
Unlike other religions, Christianity does
not require you to do works to receive salvation because it’s a gift from
God. Rather, it’s as simple as
“ABC”. To begin with, “A” stands for
your need to “ADMIT” that you are a sinner.
Romans 3:10 tells us that no one is righteous, no, not one. And why is that? In Romans 3:23 we’re told that all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This means that nobody is good enough, no matter how good they may
be. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages
of our sin is death, but the gift of God, the gift of God, is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Like we
mentioned earlier, in Ephesians 2:8-9 we’re told that this gift of salvation is
nothing that any of us can earn or deserve.
It’s simply a gift that He offers us by grace and through faith. So, the first thing one needs to do is to
admit that they are a sinner.
The second thing a person must do, and
this is “B” in the “ABC’s”, is to “BELIEVE” in their heart that Jesus Christ
died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that if we confess
with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that God raised Him
from the dead, we will be saved. It’s
not just a mental believing as some would like it to be, but rather a believing
that dictates the way one lives their life.
It’s a way of life that reflects and supports what they say they
believe. In James 2:19 were told that
even the demons believe, and they tremble, but salvation is not available to
them. Just having a head knowledge is
not enough.
The third thing a person must do, and
this is “C” in the “ABC’s”, is to “CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” You need to call Jesus Lord, and to do so
means one must surrender their life to Him.
There is coming a time when every knee will bow before Him, and every
tongue will confess to God that He is Lord.
Now is the time for salvation, and now is the time to voluntarily
surrender your life to Him. The eternal
rewards for surrendering your life to Jesus is far greater than anything this
world could ever hope to give you.
Is a relationship with Jesus like I’ve
described important and worth it?
YES! Yes, it is. I won’t say that life will be easier or with
less problems, but it will be more fulfilling, and with that there is a Blessed
Hope for all Christians to embrace and pursue.
More and more people are beginning to feel hopeless with life,
especially when they see everything that is happening around them and around
the world, but as Christians we have a hope that is solid and independent of
anything this world could ever hope to offer us. The signs we are seeing across the news
headlines now days only energizes the hope we have of Jesus’ ever imminent
return for us. It is that same hope,
that Blessed Hope, that encourages Christians to keep the faith and to continue
living for Him and Him alone. Are you
one of those who place their trust and hope in Jesus?
If you do not have a saving relationship
with Jesus, and you would like to, I encourage you to talk to God right
now. It doesn’t have to be anything
fancy or eloquent, just a sharing of your heart to Him. If that is you, and you’re ready to give your
life to Jesus, then say this prayer from your heart and to Him. Again, it’s not a formula, just a sharing of
your heart to Him.
“O God, I am a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe
that He died on the cross for my sin, that He was buried, that You raised Him
to life, and that He’s coming to take me back to His house in heaven very
soon. I have decided to place my faith
in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, trusting only in His shed blood as more
than sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”
Now that you have entered into this
relationship with Jesus, I strongly encourage you to find a Bible and start
reading it, and to find and get plugged into a solid Bible-believing church that
teaches and preaches the full Gospel of Jesus, which includes Bible prophecy
and the need to be living righteously and holy before the Lord in all your
ways.
In closing, if you haven’t been doing so already, you need to start listening for the cry that is even now pointing to the very near return of Jesus for His followers. This “cry”, is seen in the fulfillment of Biblical end-time events, and while some may become depressed or discouraged with what they are seeing, and while others get their focus misdirected off of Jesus and His imminent return to focus on things here on earth, this is truly the most exciting times to be living in as Christians, as followers of Christ! Watch the signs! Listen to the “Cry”!
Signs. We see them everywhere telling us things we need or want to know. The Bible gives us signs to watch for regarding the end-times and what they will bring.
Signs. We see them every
day. We see traffic signs that help us
to safely navigate through traffic to our intended destination. We see signs that warn us of dangers ahead,
whether it is going down the road or entering a building or room, there are
there to warn us. We see signs that
identify places of interests, whether it’s a restaurant we’re looking for, a
hospital, a tourist attraction or a place of historical significance, or even
where restrooms are located, among other places. Signs even tell us where we can locate things
like a fire extinguisher or first aid kit.
What about signs for life itself, especially signs of eternal
significance?
In Matthew 16:1-3, Jesus gives the religious leaders a scathing
rebuke.
1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He
would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather,
for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It
will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites!
You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs
of the times.
NKJV
Jesus told us what signs to look out for regarding the end-times and
when He will return, both His return for His Bride and when He returns to
establish His Kingdom here on earth, two completely different events. If that wasn’t enough, Jesus then proceeds to
tell us something in Mark 13:32-33 and Luke 21:34-36 that reinforces the need
for us to pay attention to the signs.
Jesus lets us know that ONLY the Father knows when He will return for
His Bride, the Church, and then tells us to be watching for Him. In the parable of the ten virgins mentioned
in Matthew 25:1-13, in verse 6 we’re told that a cry went out that the
bridegroom was coming, and that the virgins representing the bride were to go
out and meet him, of which only five were prepared to do so at that time. I believe the cry going out mentioned in the
passage is the fulfillment of the signs given us in Scripture pointing to His
return, and I believe that cry is resounding even now.
In Mark 13:37, not only does Jesus make it clear that EVERYONE is to be
watching, but His command for us to watch is strong and with emphasis so that
we will know how serious He is in this. In
Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus addresses the church in Sardis.
1 “And to the angel of the church in
Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the
seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive,
but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are
ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember
therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if
you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what
hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled
their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who
overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name
from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before
His angels. 6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches.”‘
NKJV
In this passage, we find that one of the issues Jesus had with the
church in Sardis was that they were not being watchful. He then commands them to repent and to watch,
warning them that if they don’t do so He will come upon them as a thief and
they won’t know it. He then follows this
up with the admonishment that those who do so, those who overcome, shall be
clothed in white garments, and that He will not blot out their name from the
Book of Life. Here we see Jesus addressing
Christians who were not watching for His return, and with that commanding them
to repent and start watching for Him, otherwise they would in essence be left
behind as a consequence of not doing so.
In Revelation 16:15, Jesus again accentuates the need for us to be
watching by telling us that those who do so will be blessed, and then rebuking
those who didn’t and were left behind when He came back for His Bride. Jesus’ command to watch and pray regarding
His return is not a casual suggestion as some would like to believe, nor is it
something that can be negotiated if we don’t think it necessary or vital. Jesus does something that too few of us do, yet
it is something that we all should be doing, and that is the fact that Jesus
means what He says, and He says what He means.
If He tells us to watch and pray regarding His return, then He means
just that and nothing less or more.
I’ve had Christians tell me that they don’t need to be watching for
Christ to return, citing the belief that when He returns, they will
automatically be ready and caught up to be with Him. This is a very dangerous position to have on
three accounts. First, those that
believe this way are saying they know better than Jesus as to whether they need
to be watching for Him or not, much less praying that they’re ready when He
does return. Second, they are, in
essence, in rebellion to Him if they are choosing to disobey His command to
watch and pray. And third, they are
under the false assumption that all professing Christians will be caught up to
meet Christ in the air, something that Scripture very clearly states is not the
case.
I remember one Christian, a pastor, tell me one time that we don’t need
to be watching for the return of Christ, and this on the basis that just living
the Christian life as we ought to be is the same as watching. If living the Christian life as we ought to
be is good or enough, then why would Jesus speak so strongly about us watching
and praying that we’re ready for Him when He does return? Again, this way of thinking discounts Christ’s
commands to watch and pray, and hat is a very dangerous position to be in. I should add, however, that this pastor
doesn’t even believe in the physical and literal rapture of the Church to
Christ, much less a tribulation period, but rather an emotional and euphoric
experience.
Some Christians take another approach to the subject of watching for
Christ’s return. When they see or hear
the news, or even some of what is happening around them, they get so angry or
depressed that they stop wanting to know more of what is happening. In many ways, it’s as if they are choosing to
stick their head in the sand so they don’t have to see or hear anything more. These Christians are dealing with a “gloom
and doom” perspective, having no real hope of better things ahead for them in
Christ. Even though what we see and hear
can be very disheartening and depressing, if we see these things as not only signs
of the times, but also signs pointing to His very soon return, then we can see
these things with excitement and joy knowing that our Redeemer is soon to
return for us. This doesn’t mean that we
are to be insensitive to what is happening, but that we need to keep a right
and proper perspective of what is happening so we can be a light to those
around us.
Some time ago, while I was watching television a thought crossed my
mind. Christians in America, for the
most part, are very distracted in what they are focused on. Instead of maintaining a healthy perspective
of watching the signs pointing to the soon return of Christ for His Bride, many
Christians are caught up with watching several other things. Some are watching news and politics to see
how it will impact them and their standard of living, or even how it will
impact them as Christians. Some are
caught up with looking for prosperity and material gain they think they are
entitled to as Christians. Some are
caught up with spiritual manifestations and the feelings associated with them,
even if false doctrine is present and promoted alongside such manifestations. Some focus on building the kingdom of God
here on earth and establishing a strong Christian presence in the “seven
mountains of influence”, forgetting that this is not our home to create a
“Christian utopia” in, and that is now what we are commanded in Scripture to
do. Some even focus on and take the role
of what I’ve called for years, the doctrine police, focused more on identifying
and exposing false doctrine that pointing people to truth and the need to be
prepared for Christ’s soon return. Amid
such distractions, Christians in America seem to lose sight of what we are to
be focused on, and that is to live a life pleasing to God while actively
watching the signs for His imminent return for us.
We are clearly living in the last days, and the signs we’ve been given
in Scripture to be watching for are clearly converging together for their
ultimate fulfillment. It is imperative
that we be paying attention to them.
Some see the signs but have become desensitized to them because their
fulfillment is not happening as quickly as they want or in the manner that they
anticipated, and that is something we need to be guarded against happening
within our own heart and mind. We’re
told in 1 Peter 3:3-4 that in these last days people would mock and scoff of the
fulfillment of God’s promise to us because that’s all we’ve heard about since
the beginning, but nothing has happened so far.
We live in a “microwave” society, where we think things should happen
quickly and in a preconceived manner, and because of it many are becoming
disillusioned to the reality of the days we are now living in. Unlike any other time in history, all the
signs we’re given pointing to the last days are happening all at once, and we
need to be aware of them and making sure we’re prepared as we ought for when
Christ returns for His Bride.
I grew up in church, and I remember as a kid hearing lots of
discussions and teachings regarding the end-times, whether it was about the
Rapture, the Tribulation period, or anything else related to them. That seemed to be the overwhelming talk
during that time in my life, and the belief in the Rapture, especially the
pre-Tribulation Rapture, seemed to be the majority belief among
Christians. That is no longer the
case. In fact, it seems that more and
more Christians, those who at one time believed in the literal, pre-tribulation
Rapture, are no longer embracing these teachings as though they are not real or
true, or that these events will not take place anytime soon. On top of that, there is almost no teachings
from the pulpits in America’s churches about the end-times or the Rapture, and
in some cases more and more teachings against them. One prominent minister who has written books
and teaching materials for Christians and churches to pursue purpose, he has
actually written that Jesus tells us as He supposedly told the disciples, that
the timing and the signs of His return is none of our business, and this minister
says that anyone who engages in the study or the teaching of Bible prophecy and
the end-times is not fit for the kingdom of God. Wow!
There is a major attack within Church circles against the study and
teaching of Bible prophecy and the end-times, and this is part of what was
prophesied for these last days.
Are you watching the signs, or are you distracted with other things of
life, or have you been choosing to “stick your head in the sand” because you
don’t want to see or hear them being fulfilled?
Jesus makes it very clear, that those who are not watching but are
otherwise distracted with life and other pursuits will be left behind when He
returns for His Bride, and I don’t want that for you. That doesn’t mean we stop living and sit in
lounge chair on the patio with a sweet tea in one hand and a smart phone in the
other, staring up into the eastern sky, but rather in all we do it is with the
awareness that the signs being raised all around us are pointing to His very
soon return, and that our life needs to reflect that as we live in a way that
is pleasing and honoring to Him in every way, not being ashamed to live for Him
even it if means offending those who don’t understand or feel the same
way. Our eternity hinges on it.
Before we end today’s podcast, I must ask each of you two
questions. First, if you were to die
within the next few minutes, do you know whether you would go to heaven or
not? This is an important question that
each of us need to ask ourselves.
Second, and this is a bit more thought provoking, if you were to die
within the next few minutes and find yourself face to face with Jesus, and I’m
not saying that is how it would be, but if He were to ask you why He should let
you into heaven, what would your answer be?
Some people believe that everyone will eventually make it to heaven, and
others believe that just because they’ve been good then that should
automatically afford them eternal access into heaven, but that is not so. In Ephesians 2:8-9 we’re told that salvation is
simply a gift of God, something that is obtained by His grace and through
faith.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
NKJV
If salvation is something nobody can earn or deserve, then how
can one be saved, not just in this life but in the life to come on the other
side of eternity? Well, let’s keep this
as simple as “ABC”, because it is simple.
Unlike other religions, Christianity does not require you to do
works to receive salvation because it’s a gift from God. Rather, it’s as simple as “ABC”. To begin with, “A” stands for your need to
“ADMIT” that you are a sinner. Romans
3:10 tells us that no one is righteous, no, not one. And why is that? In Romans 3:23 we’re told that all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This means that nobody is good enough, no matter how good they may
be. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages
of our sin is death, but the gift of God, the gift of God, is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Like we
mentioned earlier, in Ephesians 2:8-9 we’re told that this gift of salvation is
nothing that any of us can earn or deserve.
It’s simply a gift that He offers us by grace and through faith. So, the first thing one needs to do is to
admit that they are a sinner.
The second thing a person must do, and this is “B” in the
“ABC’s”, is to “BELIEVE” in their heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins,
was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that if we confess
with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that God raised Him
from the dead, we will be saved. It’s not
just a mental believing as some would like it to be, but rather a believing that
dictates the way one lives their life.
It’s a way of life that reflects and supports what they say they
believe. In James 2:19 were told that
even the demons believe, and they tremble, but salvation is not available to
them. Just having a head knowledge is
not enough.
The third thing a person must do, and this is “C” in the
“ABC’s”, is to “CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” You need to call Jesus Lord, and to do so
means one must surrender their life to Him.
There is coming a time when every knee will bow before Him, and every
tongue will confess to God that He is Lord.
Now is the time for salvation, and now is the time to voluntarily
surrender your life to Him. The eternal
rewards for surrendering your life to Jesus is far greater than anything this
world could ever hope to give you.
Is a relationship with Jesus like I’ve described important and
worth it? YES! Yes, it is.
I won’t say that life will be easier or with less problems, but it will
be more fulfilling, and with that there is a Blessed Hope for all Christians to
embrace and pursue. More and more people
are beginning to feel hopeless with life, especially when they see everything
that is happening around them and around the world, but as Christians we have a
hope that is solid and independent of anything this world could ever hope to
offer us. The signs we are seeing across
the news headlines now days only energizes the hope we have of Jesus’ ever imminent
return for us. It is that same hope,
that Blessed Hope, that encourages Christians to keep the faith and to continue
living for Him and Him alone. Are you
one of those who place their trust and hope in Jesus?
If you do not have a saving relationship with Jesus, and you
would like to, I encourage you to talk to God right now. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or eloquent,
just a sharing of your heart to Him. If
that is you, and you’re ready to give your life to Jesus, then say this prayer
from your heart and to Him. Again, it’s
not a formula, just a sharing of your heart to Him.
“O God, I am a sinner.
I’m sorry for my sin. I want to
turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ
is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin, that He was buried,
that You raised Him to life, and that He’s coming to take me back to His house
in heaven very soon. I have decided to
place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, trusting only in His shed
blood as more than sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”
In closing, if you haven’t been doing so already, you need to start paying attention to the signs pointing the very near return of Jesus for His followers. These signs are seen in the fulfillment of Biblical end-time events, and while some may become depressed or discouraged with what they are seeing, and while others get their focus misdirected off of Jesus and His imminent return to focus on things here on earth, this is truly the most exciting times to be living in as Christians, as followers of Christ! Watch the signs!
The last several weeks have been an adventure of sorts for me. It all started for me the first week of November. For about a week I had been feeling extra tired and weak, so I knew that I was fighting something in my body but what I didn’t know. Then it was on the first Monday of November that I developed a discomfort high up in my chest, a feeling I associated with something like bronchitis. The discomfort was constant and consistent in its intensity throughout the day, and then by evening time I began to feel very tired and weak. Again, I was just thinking I was fighting congestion of some sort. Well, very early Tuesday morning I woke up with the same discomfort as before, but now I couldn’t get comfortable in bed,I was drenched in sweat, and I felt like I was about to pass out. It was at this point that I told my wife I needed to get to the hospital, but I couldn’t get to the car, and therefore I ended up having a ride by ambulance to the hospital located just two blocks from our house.
On the way to the hospital, the paramedics told me that my symptoms did not reflect an issue with my heart, but that they couldn’t say for sure one way or another. At the hospital, many tests were ran trying to identify what I was experiencing and what was causing it. All the tests they ran indicated my heart was not the issue, and they were getting ready to discharge me with a diagnosis of acid reflex or something like that, but before discharging me they wanted to run one more test a third time. The first two times they ran the test, the results were fine both times even though the second test results were a little elevated. When they ran this specific test a third time, not only had the results elevated even more, but it had elevated into a“grey” area, and this result told them that something was definitely going on with my heart. At this point it was decided that an exploratory heart catheter would be best to help identify exactly what was going on, with the hopes that they wouldn’t find anything.
You’re probably asking why I’m telling you all of this, but there are a couple good reasons for it that I will share as we continue.
When they went in through my wrist to check my heart, they discovered two things. The first thing they discovered, and not necessarily in this order, was that one of my arteries was100% blocked, and a second artery they refer to as the “widow maker” was 60-70%blocked. The second thing they discovered was that I was on the verge of a major heart attack if they hadn’t gone in when they had. They opened the one artery that was 100% blocked and put in a stent, but they left the other one alone at the time hoping medicine could take care of it. Needless to say, less than 24 hours after being discharged, I was back in the ER with chest pains which gave me a helicopter ride to another hospital in another city down the interstate. It was then that they went in a second time to put a stent in the “widow maker” artery.
All this which took place within one weeks’ time, though it still wasn’t the end of the adventure. As I looked back over the previous events and how everything transpired, seeing God’s fingerprints all over the situation, I realized something that had a spiritual parallel. When I went into the hospital the first time, my symptoms were not typical of a heart issue, but those symptoms were the catalyst through which they discovered the more urgent issue with my heart. Sometimes people go through situations and experiences that propel them to seek the assistance and counsel of pastors. Perhaps it’s a marriage that seems to be falling apart, the death of a loved one, financial collapse, children making bad decisions, or bad medical reports and health. They seek the help and counsel of a pastor regarding what they are going though, only to find out that a more urgent issue needs to be resolved first, either the person needs to surrender their lives to Jesus and/or deal with unconfessed sin. Sometimes in our lives, it’s not the apparent issues that need to be dealt with, but rather those issues are what propels us to identify and deal with more important issues in our life and in our hearts.
A little more than a week after being discharged the second time, I found myself in ER again and after seeing something was going on with my heart,they transported me to another hospital in a neighboring city. They did another exploratory heart cath to identify what was going on, but this time the results were good, and they were positive for the future with instructions on how to deal with the symptoms. Between the second and third time I was admitted into the hospital I learned something that really surprised me. Several years ago, I had been told that I had high cholesterol and was only told to change my diet and attend some classes. Well, I did attend the classes,but not much changed regarding my diet. It wasn’t until the past few years that I really began to change my diet to benefit my health, primarily focusing on the high cholesterol. So, it was exciting to find out that the tests they ran the first time I was in the hospital showed that my cholesterol numbers were normal, with the exception that the HDL was a tad low. Apparently, all I had been doing the past couple years, all naturally and without prescription medicines, had paid off in getting my cholesterol down. What was surprising to me, though, was when I found out that there is nothing outside of medical procedures that one can do to unclog arteries. Did you catch that? Even though I had made changes to reduce my cholesterol, there was nothing I could do on my own to unclog the arteries, and that it would require a medical procedure. My cholesterol had been reduced to normal numbers, but I still had clogged arteries that could become fatal to me at some point if not properly dealt with. The danger and threat to my life had not been diminished because I made good changes to my life, and in fact it was only because the doctor did an exploratory heart cath at that moment in time that they could see I was on the verge of a major heart attack that could have taken my life.
You see, I knew that my cholesterol was bad, and I thought that if I could make the necessary changes in my diet then I would be okay. I then thought of people who realize for whatever reason that they need to make changes in their life, good changes that would benefit them. I also thought of many who decide to make positive life changes by attending and getting involved in a church, or for that matter a charitable organization of some sort, but they are not dealing with core issues, issues that could still prove fatal for them spiritually. Spiritually speaking,every single one of us is born with an issue that condemns us to an eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire, and that issue is sin. It doesn’t matter how good and moral you are,or how many positive and charitable things you do or support, or even how involved you are at church, if the issue of sin has not been properly and adequately dealt with in your life then nothing is changed for you eternally speaking.
As I began to make changes to improve my health and get my cholesterol where it needed to be, I felt good knowing I was doing something good and positive. For the most part, everybody feels good when they do that which is good and positive, especially for the benefit of others. This isn’t something that only followers of Jesus experience, but rather mankind in general feel that even though their good works are not centered around Jesus. This is something that God has hardwired within each of us, but when we are self-centered, selfish and prideful we become blinded to this truth. This is why there are some people who openly reject Jesus but still are considered good and morally solid individuals. It is for this reason that people who are not Christians like to get involved with charitable organizations and churches, because it makes them feel good when they are doing things that help and benefit others even if they don’t embrace the beliefs of that organization or church. However, just doing good and positive things does not deal with the eternally fatal issue locked up within each person, and it’s something they can’t take care of on their own.
Spiritually speaking, sin is the spiritual plaque within our spiritual arteries. We are born with it, and the more we sin the more plaque gets built up within our arteries, yet there is nothing we can do of ourselves to remove it. It’s not enough that we change the way we live, trying to be a good and moral person,because in doing so we convince ourselves that we are okay when in fact we still have spiritually clogged arteries that threaten to send us to Hell. It is only through salvation, the repentance of sin and the surrender of one’s life to Jesus, that not only is sin removed but also the plaque buildup within our spiritual arteries, and it is then that the hope of eternity in Heaven becomes a reality we can embrace. And to keep those arteries clean, we need to be quick to repent of sin and seek to honor Him in all our ways.
Doing good and positive works is not enough to change our eternal destination. On the outward we may look good to others, and inwardly we might even feel good knowing we are doing good things for the benefit of others, but if sin has not and is not being dealt with in our lives, and if our lives haven’t been surrendered to Jesus to be lived for Him, then we are just as dead in sin as we were in the beginning and destined to an eternity in Hell. Don’t let your good works and deeds be in vain, knowing that they in themselves have no bearing on your eternal destination. Give your life over to Jesus, all of it, asking for His forgiveness and seeking to honor and please Him in all your ways, and from which good works and deeds will naturally follow.
Don’t try to change your life by making good decisions and being good and moral in the sight of others. Change your life and get your blood cleansed and your arteries unclogged by surrendering your life to Jesus first and foremost, and then He will be the reason for the change with eternal rewards for you.
