SECURE AN ADVOCATE BEFORE THE VERDICT

   

Who would wait to find a lawyer until after the judge has pronounced the verdict? Shouldn't one look for a lawyer of good repute to defend them If they have a pending court case? I would! What good would it do to secure a lawyer after the judge pronounced guilt and announced punishment? None whatsoever!

By the same token, what good would it do to wait until it's too late to call on Jesus for salvation? God has declared we are all sinners and deserve to die (an eternity in hell) unless we ask for and accept Jesus as our sin-bearer. Waiting indefinitely would not help anyone in this situation.

You might wonder when it will be too late to accept Jesus' offer for salvation. It will be too late when you can no longer ask when you are dead or not in the right frame of mind to ask. The Scriptures admonish us to respond as soon as we hear the gospel: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion" (Hebrews 3:7,1 5). Please don't say too quickly to yourself that you're young; you might be young, but death doesn't wait until you're a particular age.

Jesus came the first time to save us, and He accomplished that. He is coming a second time, but this time as a judge: "He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from his glorious power" (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Someday, you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged and condemned unless you have become a child of God through Jesus.

So, what are you going to do with this knowledge? Call on Jesus today for salvation, and He will forgive your sins and put His Holy Spirit into your heart as confirmation that you're saved, and will write your name in the Lamb's Book of life (see Revelation 3:5). I encourage you to pray the prayer below sincerely:

"Dear God, I know I'm a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that You raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen."

Did you pray the prayer above? Welcome, then, into God's family, the Church! As a child of God, read your Bible and pray daily. May God help you obey what you read and find a local Bible-believing church for fellowship.

Now that you're a child of God, you'll have no fear of judgment; eternity in heaven awaits you, where you'll see Jesus face to face and never have to worry about sickness or death again.

DIVIDE and CONQUER

 

Divide and conquer is the policy of maintaining control over one's subordinates or subjects by encouraging dissent. This adage clearly demonstrates, "There is strength in numbers." Because when unity is lost, the accompanying strength is lost as well. Yet another proverb teaches the same lesson: "United we stand; divided we fall." All these are factual statements that, when put into action, can result in chaos and defeat. This is one of Satan's tools, and he uses it against the Church quite often, unfortunately, with much success.

Do you know people who hop from Church to Church, unable to call any particular church their home church? Why does that happen so often? Why aren't people happy with 'their church'? They make excuses: they didn't like someone or something in a particular church, someone offended them, their needs were not being met, or their suggestions were not taken seriously, just to name a few. The devil uses all these excuses to break down relationships in the Church, and we become powerless in prayer because we regard so much iniquity in our hearts (see Psalm 66:18). We hold our hurts inside, give people the silent treatment, and think we are doing Church. O shame, thrice shame upon us, Christian brethren, for allowing the devil to gain so much ground.

 This morning, reading Psalm 141, I was fascinated with verse 5: "Let the godly strike me! It will be a kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. Don't let me refuse it." I believe that's what the Church needs today; we need to accept correction with gratitude and rebuke and correct each other with kindness and respect. The Church is God's; if we focus on His glory alone, we won't allow our emotions to run wild. It's time to settle down and play our given role in the Body of Christ. And, if something goes wrong, which, given time, it will, let's address it with the right people in the right way (see Matthew 18:15-17).  

Jesus knows the power of unity. After all, He is in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit as the Godhead, and they work together as One! They have no internal fighting; there is always harmony in their relationship, and they are each other's promoters. They never do anything contrary to the will or desire of the other. They created the world together and supervised its workings jointly. Before His death, Jesus prayed for His disciples (the then-current, and the future ones, including us), "Protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are" (John 17:11). "Just as we are," He prayed! How powerful! For Christians to succeed at what they undertake to do collectively, they have to agree and be united. No wonder Jesus taught, "If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:19-20). 

Likewise, Satan knows the power of unity, not because he is one with anybody, but because He sees the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at work and knows how powerful and effective they are in all they do. That, of course, is why he does not want interconnected families or unity in the Church. His goal is to turn believers against each other, creating chaos so they lose focus on their calling and responsibility toward each other and the unbelieving world. When we allow infighting and division in the Church, group unity is lost, leading to defeat.   

Can you imagine what great works the Church could accomplish if we were united? If we didn't have gossip, backstabbing, backbiting, resentment, pride, arrogance, and "better than thou" attitudes in the Church, what victories we'd experience as the body of Christ!

We should guard against such problems by obeying the command, "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace" (Ephesians 4:2-3). We are also commanded to "Get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech" (1 Peter 2:1). 

Why does Satan attack Christian marriages? Because the Christian family is a Church in itself and a member of a local and the universal Church. Couples have disagreements about finances, child discipline, you name it. If he succeeds in instigating controversy, he gets the upper hand. And even if the controversy does not lead to separation or divorce, he has still succeeded in turning the couple against each other. When there's chaos in the home, praying or studying the Word together would be impossible or ineffective.

Church, let's stay alert and not allow the enemy to divide us. If we allow him to divide us, we've given him permission to derail us and hinder the work of God through us. The biblical solution to this dilemma is for us to "Show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters" and "Love each other deeply with all our heart" (1 Peter 1:22). May God help us!   

MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS IS CRUCIAL

More and more, it's becoming necessary to consent to the services we receive. Do you need a medical procedure, online services, etc.? Then be ready to sign a piece of paper to grant consent; first, they give you information to explain what you agree or disagree with. That kind of consent is called informed consent-implying you know precisely what you're getting into.

Similarly, we must consent to what will happen to us regarding our sins. Whether or not we know and agree, we are each accountable to God. He has given us two options for how we want our sins to be treated.

Before you tell yourself you are not as sinful as others, you must know what the Bible (the Word of God) says. It says: "No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one" (Romans 3:10-12).

You might ask why we are in this predicament. It's because we are descendants of sinners (Adam and Eve). They sinned by believing Satan's lie and acting on it, thereby disobeying God; their sinful nature and the consequences of their sin (separation between God and man) were passed on to us, their descendants (see Genesis 3).

Being kind and loving, God has provided His Son, Jesus, to take on the penalty of our sins through death. This is what we know so far:

1. We are all sinners,
2. God hates sin and has separated Himself from us. But, being so kind,
3. He has made Jesus our substitute to take on our punishment to restore our relationship with Him.

So, in the matter of sin, we have a decision to make; one can either choose to pay for their own sin (remain separated from God) or accept Jesus' death as payment for their sin and therefore regain a relationship with God: "To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God" (John 1:12-13).

Dear reader, you have the decision to make: now that you have all the facts to base your decision on, which option appeals to you? Also, know that time is not on your side; once you die, you've missed the opportunity, and by default, you will remain eternally separated from God, which means an eternity in hell. In addition, know that no one else can make that decision for you; the prayers and nice things said at your funeral won't change your destination. Consider this passage: "There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son" (John 3:18).  

Informed decisions exonerate the individuals enforcing the rule. Therefore no one can blame God for going to hell; they chose hell by not choosing heaven through faith in Jesus. If you are reading this, you still have time, but not long. This is the day of salvation; don't procrastinate. God loves you but will not force you to choose one way or another; He says to all of us: "Today, I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

If you'd like Jesus to be your substitute, repent of your sin and ask God for forgiveness through the work of His Son, Jesus. Call on Jesus today to ensure you'll have life in heaven at the end of this life. You can pray the prayer below sincerely:

Dear God, I know I'm a sinner, and ask for Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that You raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."

If you've accepted Jesus' death in your place and have prayed, welcome into the family of God! You are now His child; as confirmation, He has put His Holy Spirit into your heart. Live as a child of God by following what He says in the Bible, reading and praying daily, and obeying what he tells you. Obeying the Word of God gradually changes you (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Next, find a local Bible-believing church for fellowship and growth in your relationship with God.

God bless you and your new life!

THE IMMEASUREABLE DISTANCE

 

How can any distance be immeasurable? Airlines, for instance, know the distance their planes fly, no matter how far the destination. Hence, it's difficult to imagine some space that cannot be measured. As unimaginable as it seems, there's such a distance: the distance between East and West.

The distance between East and West is immeasurable because when you start a journey from the East, moving toward the West, you'll never really get to a particular spot called West. The farther you move in the westward direction, the farther away your destination will be.

You might ask yourself, "What's the big deal?" This is a big deal because God used that illustration to prove a point: demonstrating how completely He forgives sins, meaning once forgiven, He does not bring it back again; your sin is gone for good. The Bible says, "He [God] has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12 NLT).   

Now, do you understand the big deal? When God forgives you, you stay forgiven! However, God's forgiving us is not automatic; we must want forgiveness. Our role in the process is to repent (regret sinning) and ask God to forgive us. Why should He forgive us: is it because we're so unique or good most of the time? No! You cannot think of a good enough reason for Him to forgive us.

There's one and only one reason upon which God bases His forgiveness: His love! He loves us and has provided Jesus Christ, His only Son, to be the sacrifice for our sins. The following verses explain the process clearly; please read them carefully. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood" (Romans 3:23-25 NLT).  

Dear reader, you're a sinner because you were born with a sinful nature, just like everyone else. The Bible stresses that fact by saying, "Everyone has sinned." So now, would you like to be forgiven? If you don't seek forgiveness, you make yourself an enemy of God (see James 4:4), and that enmity will continue into eternity, leaving you in hell after death. I encourage you to call on God today and ask Him to forgive you through Jesus Christ, His Son. He will do that and remove your sins as far away as the East is from the West; it will be as if you never sinned. He'll be with you in this life and then into eternity with Him in heaven. Do it today! 

THE WORST OF ALL TRAGEDIES

 

A tragedy is defined by Webster's Concise Dictionary as a serious drama with an unhappy ending or a sad event. Some tragedies happen by accident, but some are foreseeable and avoidable and should be prevented at all costs.

One such tragedy is eternal separation from God. You might wonder what it means to be separated from God and why it is a tragedy. Understand that God is holy and, therefore, cannot coexist with sinners, but we are sinners, so sin has separated us from Him right there. And it is a tragedy because not having a relationship with God on a personal level in this life is a significant loss. Still, the Bible also teaches that not being in a personal relationship with God sends a person to hell after death, a tragedy that does not need to happen. Hell is not desirable; it is a place of never-ending torment.

But really, why does one need to have a relationship with God; what good would that do? God created humans for a loving, ongoing relationship, but that relationship was broken by sin: disobedience. So our sin is what caused the separation between God and us. We know from the Bible that sin must be forgiven or punished. The punishment for sin is eternal separation from God in hell. Although the other option is to be forgiven, one has to decide whether one wants to be forgiven or, by default, be punished by going to hell.

Anyone who would like to be forgiven would have to repent of their sins and ask God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ, who took God's prescribed punishment upon Himself in our place—death on the cross. Anyone who accepts Christ's offer is saved from hell, and their relationship with God is restored; the gap is closed, and one becomes a child of God.

Since a personal relationship with God in this life and eternity in heaven are both possible, don't you think it would be tragic to end up in hell? Hell can and should be avoided because of the Bible's frightening description of hell. See some of hell's descriptions below:

●       A place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (see Matthew 13:42).

●       A place of eternal fire (see Matthew 25:41; Jude 1:17).

●       A place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

●       A place where the fire does not go out (see Mark 9:43).

●       A place of everlasting destruction and being shut out from the Lord's presence and the glory of His might (2 Thessalonians 1: 9).

●       A place of a fiery lake of burning Sulphur (Revelation 19:20; 21:8).

●       As the second death (Revelation 20:14).

Now that you know what the Bible says about hell, would you agree that not having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the worst tragedy that could ever happen to anyone? I think so, and I encourage you to make the decision that will keep you out of that awful place called hell.

On the other hand, heaven is a desirable place and is described below:

●       A place of eternal life (see Matthew 25:46; John 5:24; Romans 3:23).

●       A place for the children of God (see John 1:12).

●       A place of no condemnation (see John 5:24).

●       A place with many mansions (see John 14:2).

●       A place with pearly gates and streets of gold (Revelation 21:21). 

●       A place where God reigns (see Revelation 19:6).

●       A place without death, sorrow, weeping, or pain (see Revelation 21:4).

●       A place of feasting (Revelation 19:7-8).

Now compare these two places! Please don't go to hell because you don't have to. Repent and turn your life over to Jesus; know that "Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all eagerly waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:27 NLT).

Think about it, call on Jesus, and do it soon!

GOD'S HEDGE OF PROTECTION

 

Sometimes things just don't go right, no matter what we do. No
amount of personal or corporate prayers offered to God seems to
make any difference. In fact,  most often, situations get worse or
remain unchanged.

We know God is touched by our pain, even though sometimes
He seems to be on vacation, asleep, or too busy with more critical
issues. "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses" (Hebrews 4:15 NIV). On the other hand, the devil starts
the trouble and looks for more ways to make it as unbearable as
possible. He is determined to destroy us and our relationship
with God.

The promises of God are such that one will think life should
be smooth sailing for us. But not so! Instead, quite often, we run
into unbelievable problems. I believe we run into problems when
God removes His hand of protection and provision, making us
vulnerable. Why would God do something like that, knowing the
devil is like a roaring lion waiting to
pounce on us? (see 1 Peter 5:8).

There are at least two reasons:
• One, God is confident we can handle it and wants to
prove to the devil that we will go all the way with Him
no matter what. Scary thought indeed! Remember Job? He was
content to be a Godly man. He was not out to prove
anything to anyone, but God was. God started that whole
conversation with the devil about Job's integrity. Couldn't
He have left it alone? Suddenly, Job's world came
crashing down for no apparent reason. To make matters
worse, the miserable comforters (ignorant friends) who
went, supposedly to sympathize with him, only judged and
criticized him, adding insult to injury.

• Two, it could be there is sin in the camp! Remember
Achan? With God's help, the walls of Jericho 
collapsed, meaning a significant victory for the Israelites.
Ai, being a smaller city than Jericho, was going to be
undoubtedly a piece of cake for the Israelites to conquer,
but to their surprise, they were literally chased out of
town in disgrace. Why? Achan had sinned (see Joshua 7). All
of a sudden, they no longer had God's protection. In
Isaiah 5, God likened the Israelites to a vineyard He had
lovingly cared for that yielded rotten fruit. He responded, "I will take away its hedge, and it will
be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be
trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor
cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will
command the clouds not to rain on it" (Isaiah 5:5-6 NIV).

I believe the devil can only touch us when God
removes His hand of protection. (Giving him permission) If God
is out to prove something, we'll just have to go along with His
program, trusting Him to sustain us through the experience. On
the other hand, if it's because of sin in the camp, let's repent so we
can be restored.

GO TO THE MEETING PLACE

Have you ever had an appointment to meet up with someone? Did you make it on time, and did the meeting go as you’d hoped?

Two women named Mary were at the tomb when Jesus was resurrected. The angel who rolled the stone away calmed their fears and assured them that Jesus was no longer dead but alive! He also charged them to go and tell the disciples the good news and to go meet Jesus in Galilee (see Matthew 28:1-8). On their way back to town, Jesus met them, greeted them, and charged them: “Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they would see me there” (Matthew 28:10). 

So, off the disciples went when they got the message from the women to Galilee, to the mountain, as directed. And sure enough, Jesus was there! The first thing they did when they saw Him was to worship Him. Jesus then confirmed His power and authority and commissioned them to worldwide evangelism and disciple-making (see Matthew 28:18-20). 

Have you kept your appointment with Jesus today, alone or in a group, and did you see Him and worship Him? If not, why not? Worship seems to be the most appropriate response when Christians see Jesus; the women at the tomb worshiped Him when they saw Him, and so did the disciples on the mountain. Let’s join the worship now; after all, that’s what we’ll be doing in all eternity. 

When Jesus asked the disciples to meet Him at the mountain, He ensured He was there. Let’s keep our appointment; the meeting place could vary because “Pray without ceasing” indicates the location could change (nobody is in the same spot 24/7). No matter the site, the meeting needs to occur every day. It should include worship, surrender to the Father’s will, confession, intercession, petition, and accepting our marching orders for the day. He also promised: “Where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). We should be encouraged that Jesus never sends us anywhere alone; He goes with us for our support, courage, strength, wisdom, and victory. 

So, what were you commissioned to do today, and are you a bit nervous or unsure of yourself? Don’t worry; His promise to the disciples applies to you as well: “Go therefore … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Our response to the given charge is to go in faith, doubting nothing, and allowing the Lord to work through us for His glory. Jesus is waiting at the appointed place!