REPENTANCE IS THE GAME CHANGER EVERYONE NEEDS

 

Repentance is turning away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion and turning back to God. It is the only wise response to God’s gracious call to salvation. But why is repentance necessary?

As much as God loves us, He is also holy and cannot co-exist with sin. After He put creation in place, He created man and woman; He wanted us to be like Him! He said to the other members of the Trinity: “Let us make human beings in our own image to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground” (Genesis 1:26). Sadly, Adam and Eve sold themselves to the devil by believing his lies and disobeying God. However, this behavior did not surprise God; He knew before creation that man would rebel against Him. So, He had already made plans for our restoration through Jesus.

Sin has plagued mankind ever since. We are each born with a sinful nature that separates us from God. The only way we can have a relationship with God is if our sins are paid for by a sinless Person. So, God gave His one and only Son, Jesus, to die in our place. This is where repentance comes in; each person has to be sorry for their sins and ask God for forgiveness. It’s only then that one can have a relationship with God.

So, repentance is the game changer: it moves us from darkness, the devil’s camp, into God’s light. He puts His Holy Spirit in our hearts to witness that we belong to Him, not the devil. Also, the Holy Spirit is our guarantee that we will inherit heaven (see Romans 3:24-25).

Dear reader, do you understand that you are a sinner, and have you repented of your sins? Please do because the alternative to non-repentance is scary; it is spending eternity with the devil and his demons in hell. It will not be a fun place; it will be a place of torment. On the other hand, if you repent now, your afterlife is guaranteed to be in heaven with God, Jesus, the angels, and all penitent sinners. Heaven is promised to be beautiful: streets of gold, pearly gates, singing and worship, not to mention feasting, no pain, sickness, sin, or death. Which of these two places appeals to you? Would you choose hell over heaven? I hope not! Please give this earnest attention and choose wisely.

If you are reading this article, you still have time, but time is running out. Once your time on earth is over, you’ll have missed the opportunity to repent. Repent now and have the assurance that your sins are forgiven, and your eternal dwelling place is secured; you will be ushered into God’s presence the moment you take your last breath. “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then, we will be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Take repentance seriously; it will change your life now and in eternity.

Suppose you already have a relationship with God. In that case, it is essential to understand that repentance will be ongoing because we struggle with sin and sometimes lose the battle due to our sinful nature. John reminds us, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:8-9).

 Repentance and confession will restore our fellowship with the Father. John goes on further to say: “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the only one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins” (see 1 John 2:1-2). So, this is how Christians are restored when they fall—repentance!

Repentance, therefore, is a game-changer whether or not you are a child of God; it can bring you into a relationship with God and keep you in that relationship until you see Him in glory.  

THE DAY WE GET TO DEFY GRAVITY

  

The old adage states, "Whatever goes up must come down." But the One who created gravity can and has changed that rule more than once, allowing a few individuals to defy gravity by going straight to heaven in past generations. The grand finale is around the corner; I can't wait! How about you? Will you be a participant?  

For example, the Scripture tells us, "Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him" (Genesis 5:23-24). Then, there was the prophet, Elijah; "And as they {Elijah and Elisha} still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11). Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection from the dead. At His ascension, we are told, "He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. … 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven the same way you saw him go!'" (Acts 1:9-11).

All these men went up individually, defying gravity! They didn't come down as the adage tells us. But defying gravity is about to change from individual situations to a multitude going up simultaneously; remember, the grand finale is around the corner! The Scripture tells us Jesus will return to escort His children home to heaven; He will come from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Jesus will not land on the earth, but with that commanding shout, many things will happen simultaneously: dead believers will resurrect in their new bodies, believers living at the time will change instantly--the mortal putting on immortality, and together with the resurrected, we will all meet Jesus in the air, and go up to heaven. What a wonderful day that will be! We will be with Him forever; gravity will not be able to hold us back or bring us down.

I am looking forward to that day with excitement because we'll see Jesus and our loved ones from the earth face to face. We will say hello to the streets of gold, the pearly gates, and the mansions that have been prepared for us. We'll leave sin, death, injustice, chaos, and all the headaches of life behind. Heaven will be so beautiful, peaceful, and full of rejoicing; we will wonder how we ever survived on earth all those years.   

Although the grand finale is around the corner, no one knows when; the Scripture says, "No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows" (Matthew 24:36). Although we don't have details of the event date or time, we are admonished to live right and expectantly. The world is not our home; we are just passing through it on our way to our eternal home--heaven. Let's be in a constant state of readiness because we won't have time to get ready when the trumpet sounds. In Jesus' parables, He illustrated the dangers of not staying on guard, for instance: the five foolish virgins who didn't have enough oil for their lamps when the bridegroom arrived and the master who didn't know when the thief was coming (see Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 12:39). He ended that illustration with, "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Luke 12:40).

His return, therefore, will be unannounced and could take us by surprise unless we are waiting and watching.  

But how do we stay ready? First, make sure our names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Second, live in obedience to God's Word and not live in sin. Third, stay in fellowship with the church and use our gifts to help each other grow in godliness. And finally, get busy with soul-winning; too many people have already perished! Let's make godliness and soul-winning a priority as we look expectantly for our Lord's return. (See 2 Corinthians 13:5; Revelation 20:15; James 1:22; Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 28:19-20).

"He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon!' amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20).       

PEOPLE’S RESPONSE TO PREDICTED STORMS

 

 

I find weather forecasting fascinating and impressive. With the use of special instruments, the professionals predict the weather, and every year, they warn residents to prepare, evacuate, or take cover. As we all know, storms can be very destructive; property is damaged or destroyed, but most tragically, lives are lost. It takes time and money to rebuild when a storm is over.

But do people really heed these warnings? Yes and no; some do, but others don’t. Those who don’t heed the warning complain they have nowhere to go or want to tough it out. Those who evacuate return home after the storm to see the loss they have suffered, but their lives are spared. Those in the latter group often end up seriously injured or worse.

There’s another storm coming, known as the Day of the Lord; the warning has been out for years and continues to sound—it is the day that God will punish evil and fulfill His promises to those who trust in the blood of Jesus. People react differently to warning signs. Some people have responded and taken cove; others procrastinate because they think they have time, and there are those who could care less. No matter how individuals feel or answer, the Day of the Lord will come; it will mean different things to different people.

How are you preparing for the inevitable coming storm? If you’ve heard the gospel in the past and chosen to ignore it, don’t ignore it any longer. God is holy, just, and faithful; His Word has never failed and is not going to. His decree is this: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). So if you keep postponing making a decision, you’ll be heading for an eternity without God in hell.

Take cover, my friend! Understand that God hates sin; our sins have separated us from Him. Out of His love for us, He prepared a way to bridge the gap between Him and us. He sent Jesus, His only Son, to take on the punishment we deserve for our sins. However, this is not a blanket offer; each individual has to act on their behalf. Each person has to repent of their sins and ask God for forgiveness based on Jesus’ sacrifice. That’s the only way one can be made right with God and escape His judgment and punishment. The Bible tells us: “God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:25).

Are you ready to become a new person in Christ Jesus? God is waiting to hear your call for mercy; call Him before it is too late. After all, no one knows how much longer they have to live in this world. Once you die, you cannot repent; your doom is sealed! Please don’t let that happen to you! Do this today and share this message with others, so they can also escape God’s wrath.

If you made that decision, welcome to the family of God! He has forgiven you and put the Holy Spirit into your heart as confirmation that you are His child. It is also a guarantee: “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people” (Ephesians 1:14).

If you’ve just become a child of God, find a Bible-believing church for fellowship, read your Bible and pray daily. The Holy Spirit will guide and give you an understanding of what you read; obey what it says, and, gradually, you will notice that your way of life is changing (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). You’ll begin to be sensitive to sin, you’ll hate it, and you’ll want to be holy as God is holy. His charge for Christians is: “You must be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

Dear reader, the storm is brewing; I hope you see it! What have you done about it, or what do you plan to do about it? Do it now; the sooner, the better. Time is running out!

 

NEITHER SALVATION NOR GODLINESS CAN BE INHERITED

I have repeatedly heard people say they are Christians because they come from Christian homes or families. It’s a blessing to have that heritage, but that doesn’t make you a Christian. Nobody can inherit Christianity, and no one can live a godly life just because they grew up in a religious home. Nobody’s name gets written in the Lamb’s Book of Life because they have Christian parents or grandparents.

Mankind has a sinful nature inherited from our fore parents as far back as Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. Their sin led to a separation between them and God and subsequently between God and us. In short, being separated from God leads to an eternity without God in hell. Each person is personally accountable to God. Nobody can believe in God on another person’s behalf; salvation cannot be inherited or passed on to another.

So, if you are an individual who has been making that claim, you should be asking: “How does one account for themselves?” By doing what your Christian parents did-- they admitted they are sinners because God says so (see Romans 3:23), and they asked for God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, His only Son, God’s remedy for sin! The Bible puts it this way--“God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. … He (God) declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26) (Emphasis mine).

Dear reader, the only way to become a child of God – a Christian – is to repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus because He died in your place. God will credit Jesus’ righteousness to your account because your sins have been placed on Him.

If you are a Christian parent or grandparent, you are responsible for leading your children to faith in Christ. You also have the responsibility to help them grow in their walk with Him through teaching, godly example, and praying for and with them. Make sure they’re not assuming they are Christians based on your profession of faith. We each have to have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, based on our profession.

Dear parent, ensure your children understand this right from the start; don’t just take them to church and Christian gatherings, assuming they’ll automatically understand. Help them understand who God says they are and the need to have a personal relationship with Him through Christ. Help them know that when it comes to accountability, they are on their own; they won’t come before God as a member of a group, family, or any other way besides individually.

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” (2 Corinthians 5:10). (Emphasis mine).

WHAT SORROW AWAITS THE WORLD

The title suggests there's trouble ahead for those who commit wrongdoing. In Matthew 18:7, Jesus said to His disciples, "What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting." Just before Jesus made the statement, He had answered the disciples' question about who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus centered His response to their question around a little child—to welcome a little child on Jesus' behalf is to accept Him, but causing a child to fall into sin is asking for trouble (see verse 6). So, causing another person to sin is problematic.

So, how does the world tempt people to sin? The people tempted to sin are not only adults; children are also in the mix. Even school textbooks are teaching questionable topics as fact. Have you watched the news lately? If not, maybe you should.

The internet is an excellent tool for the most part, but it is also a source of evil. It has all kinds of information on how to make weapons, murder and get away with it, and trick innocent children into doing all kinds of evil. The movies and television shows are no different; many of these are filled with profanity, pornography, and the like.

The world has come out boldly against God and His Word, saying it's okay to abort the unborn child for any and all reasons, regardless of its gestation, even all the way to full term. It also says people can decide what gender they'd like to be and make changes to be what they want. Oh, and a man can marry another man, and so can a woman marry another woman. Children are being indoctrinated to do likewise. There was a time when people who behaved that way did it privately, but now society has bought into the idea so much that it's accepted as usual. Woe to the world!   

Christians who speak against it are labeled as intolerant. Still, God says, "What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter" (Isaiah 5:20). The point is, whatever God says is wrong is wrong, no matter what the world calls it or says about it.

Why was the world during Noah's time destroyed by a flood? Because the people did not take Noah's warning to repent earnestly (see 2 Peter 2:5), why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? "God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people" (2 Peter 2:6). And why is the world as we know it now going to be destroyed by fire? It is to cleanse it from evil.

The world is on a downward spiral, and if it doesn't wake up, the predicted woe will happen: "The day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment" (2 Peter 3:10). Are you ready for this? Understand that the world includes people and everything in it, so you will be included if you don't repent. Would you like to escape this horror? There's only one way!

Jesus Christ bore the punishment we deserve for being sinners when He died and rose again. If you'd like to escape the punishment God will unleash on the world, you must call on God today (the sooner, the better) for salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible expresses it like this: "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Also, in the book of Romans, we are told, "God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood" (Romans 3:25).

If you put your faith in Jesus, you will be spared the punishment you deserve because Jesus was punished on your behalf. However, if you choose not to, you will pay for your own sin; understand that hell is forever for non-penitent sinners, just like heaven is forever for penitent sinners. Which place appeals to you? Choose Jesus now, and have the peace and assurance that God will never hold your sins against you because it's already been held against Jesus.

Are you still thinking about this? Don't think too long, because time is running out!      

 

THE CHRISTIAN’S ROLE IN SOUL-WINNING

The process of salvation is a mystery; anyone saved can attest to this fact. It’s impossible to explain how a person understands the salvation message, accepts Christ, and suddenly becomes a totally new person (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus commissioned His disciples (including Christians of all ages) to go and preach the gospel to the whole world (see Matthew 28:19-20).

Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, was perplexed about the idea of being born again. Jesus’ explanation of that process was to compare it to how the wind blows: “The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).  

Thank God, our only responsibility in all of this is to share the message, water the Word, and excitedly reap the harvest. Only God can give the increase through the Holy Spirit. Luke, the physician narrating the experience in Macedonia, shared how Lydia, the purple cloth seller from Thyatira, was saved. “As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were baptized” (Acts 16:14). This is a mystery! Jesus clearly teaches that only God can draw people to Him: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up” (John 6:44). Our responsibility, therefore, is not to convict anyone of sin or convert them; that’s God’s domain.

Our role is minimal yet vital; let’s take it seriously. We need to start by praying for people in our sphere of influence: the Lord will prepare their hearts and open doors at the right time for us to share. We’ll need to be watchful and not miss opportunities.    

Once, Jesus said to the crowd following Him, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12:32). But what does that mean? Of course, He was referring to His crucifixion, the sacrifice through which salvation would be available to us sinners. But how else could He be lifted up? Whatever we can do to make Him known will be a way of lifting Him up. We need to put Him on display as much as possible. The way we can lift Him up is through sharing the salvation message verbally, and allowing Him to live through us, so people will notice the transformation in our lives and the impact the Word of God has on us.

As long as we are in this world, there will always be people who need to hear the gospel, and we are God’s tools and agents for accomplishing that purpose. Time is running out! How long before we’re individually called home and our time of sharing will be over? How much longer before those who need to hear it are called away, and they go to a Christ-less eternity? And how much longer before the Lord returns to judge the world, and grace is no longer available? Since we don’t have answers to these questions, let’s work diligently as though any day we are here could be the last.     

STAY PLANTED BY THE RIVERBANK

 

 

In Psalm 1, those who delight in the law of the LORD (Christians) are likened to trees planted along the riverbank. As evidence of the benefit of their location, they bear fruit every season, their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do (see Psalm 1:2-3). Why?

The riverbank supplies the water and nourishment the trees need to grow and bear fruit. The law of the LORD (the Word of God) similarly provides the kind of nourishment Christians need to grow in their understanding of God and to bear godly fruit demonstrated by godly character and soul-winning!

Would you like to be consistent in your Christian journey (fresh leaves all year round), without ups and downs? Would you like to bear fruit that lasts? Then stay planted by the riverbank. If trees are uprooted from the riverbank and planted elsewhere, they most likely won’t do as well as they did before moving. They won’t receive the needed nourishment and will therefore be stunted in growth, bear little to no fruit, and eventually die.

This condition will be evident in Christians who don’t meditate on the Word of God day and night. How are you doing? Are you meditating like you should? The Word transforms our hearts and minds, gradually creating in us the image of our Lord Jesus. As the Word says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2).   

Haphazardly reading the Word is not helpful; we must read it prayerfully and meditate on it studiously. Let’s not have the attitude of checking an item off our to-do list just so we feel we’ve accomplished something. If we don’t learn a valuable lesson when we read, it means we did not accomplish anything; it’s been a waste of time.

If we don’t stay planted by the riverbank, we will follow the way of the world, and instead of having a godly influence on the world around us, the world will have an influence on us. Our claim of being Christians would just be a mockery. It’s not enough to claim we are Christians; we must live like Jesus. There must be a difference in our responses to situations, speech, and way of life. If people don’t see a difference in us, then there is something wrong. Either we are not meditating on the Word, or we’ve chosen to willingly disobey God. That disobedience proves that we don’t love the Lord, and if we don’t love the Lord, we are really not Christians (see 1 John 3:7-10; Matthew 3:8). 

There are consequences for claiming to be a Christian and yet living however we wish: “Even now the axe of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). The Bible labels a non-Christian as wicked, so either we are Christians or wicked; there’s no neutral title. We have to be one or the other. The Psalmist warns the wicked, “They [the wicked] will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly…the path of the wicked leads to destruction” (Ps 1:5-6).

If you claim to be a Christian, please stay planted by the riverbank; be nourished and be fruitful. God admonished Joshua after the death of Moses, “Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8). As we walk faithfully with the Lord, He promises to bless us with success in all we do.

Let’s encourage each other and pray for one another to walk faithfully with our God. That will include sharing our difficulties, trials, and victories with one another. The Christian walk is not a one-man journey; we belong to the Church, the Body of Christ. Let’s do life together and be a blessing to one another!