RECALCULATING = REDIRECTING!

Ever since I started using a GPS, traveling to unfamiliar places has become a lot easier for me.  When using the GPS, it’s been my experience that any time I don’t follow its instructions to the letter, missing a turn or taking the wrong exit, I get this voice alert: “Recalculating!” That alert simply means I am getting off the path to my intended destination, and therefore need to follow the subsequent instruction to get back on track. To my surprise, following the new directions does really work. I may get to my destination a bit later, but I do get there.

Christians are called to shun sin and evil, to walk in Christ’s footsteps, allowing the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to direct us. However, every now and then, we get off course, the result of our sin nature, and need to be redirected. The Holy Spirit directs us, and quite often redirects us when we are not walking in obedience to the word of God. Do you ever hear the Holy Spirit’s alert -“Recalculating”? If so, how do you respond to Him? Do you continue down the path He is steering you away from, or do you take the redirected path to continue sweet fellowship with your Lord and Master?

What are some of the wrong paths we may find ourselves on, requiring His redirection? Consider these: have you ever been on the path of un-forgiveness, envy, jealousy, laziness, procrastination, lust, fornication, adultery, greed, evil desires, or the like? See Colossians 3:5. If we are honest, we’ll admit to at least one of the aforementioned behaviors. Now, how have you responded to the Holy Spirit’s nudging? Have you allowed Him to redirect you, or you are still on the path that will lead you farther away from God? The Word says God’s wrath is coming because of these sins (see Colossians 3:6), and Paul admonishes, “Now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:8-10 NIV).

Obedience to the Word of God is proof that we love Him! See John 14:23. We cannot claim to love Him while deliberately living in disobedience; if we do, the Bible says we are liars (see 1 John 2:4). Stop doing wrong and return to the path of submission. The Scripture says, “The Father disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as son” (Hebrews 12:6 NIV84). Also, in Revelation, God warns the church in Laodicea, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent” (Revelation 3:19 NIV). Don’t make Him bring hardship or calamity into your life; He is patient with us, but He loves us too much to sit back and watch us destroy ourselves. Don’t continue to live in sin with the attitude that “God forgives.” It is disrespectful to intentionally do things we know break His heart or offend Him. 

No matter where you got off course in your Christian walk, the process to get back on track is the same. When the Spirit convicts you of something, you need to agree with Him, repent, and ask for forgiveness. Don’t stop there; go on and remedy the situation. You might need to apologize to others, return or pay back what you borrowed. In short, you need to make restitution as needed. 

Let’s allow ourselves to be redirected by the Holy Spirit so we can continue to grow in our Christian walk, and have unbroken fellowship with God. Let’s be attentive, so we don’t miss hearing the Spirit’s alert: “Recalculating.”      

NATURALIZATION

What is naturalization? It is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen in a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country, and that definition is the focus of this article. There are numerous reasons why one would desire to be a citizen of a country, other than one’s country of origin.  Reasons could range from seeking better opportunities, getting away from persecution, seeking asylum, or marrying someone from that country.   Certain criteria have to be met in order to be granted citizenship anywhere, in any country. In addition to requirements for naturalization, there are responsibilities that come with citizenship. I remember, when I became a citizen of the U. S.A, I was admonished to exercise my voting rights to effect changes that will help the country to continue to be the great country that it has been.   

      

Requirements for naturalization can be very stringent, and requests are not always granted. Requests do get turned down, if criteria are not met. There is however, one country (Heaven) where requirement for citizenship is straight forward; there is no hassle, and no one is ever turned away, unless they try to come in through a back door other than the prescribed opened door (Jesus).  In fact, all are invited and encouraged to come, and are all welcomed. The requirements are the same for each person, regardless of their background. Politics and partiality play no part in this process. People of all nationalities, cultures, and languages; the educated, illiterate, sick, healthy, rich, poor, male female, adult, and child are all welcomed. As you can see, no one, willing to come is turned away. The Maker, Founder, King, and Lord of this country is God Almighty.

Why are we invited to seek citizenship elsewhere? Because our current countries of origin are all temporary, full of evil, strife and woe, hatred, wars, and diseases; besides, they will all pass away, sooner or later. Only the city built by God will last through eternity. This city is not an ordinary city built by human hands; it is built by God, and its streets are made of gold, like transparent glass, and its gates are made of pearls, and illuminated by the glory of God (see Revelation 21:22-23), and “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4 NLT). The apostle Paul describes it this way, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

For a place this magnificent, one would expect the entry requirements to be very tough to meet, but they are rather very simple and straight forward: First and foremost, an applicant must be a sinner, seeking forgiveness of sins and freedom from the power of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Anyone who does not have the need to be forgiven does not qualify to apply.  An applicant has to understand that he or she is a sinner and needs a Savior.  Once a person is forgiven, he or she becomes a citizen of heaven, in training on earth. 

 The training continues until God decides, it is time to go and enjoy citizenship to its fullest. Jesus comforted His disciples by saying to them, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:2-3 NLT). Nothing will disqualify anyone who has been granted citizenship, because the Bible tells us, “Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2 NLT).

While here on earth, our responsibility is to maintain fellowship with our Father through prayer, and reading, and studying the Word, and working at being more and more like Jesus every day, evidenced by the way we behave and interact with society. Also, while we are still here, we have the responsibility to encourage and build up others who are also on their way to the magnificent city, and to help those who are not, to understand how urgently they need to naturalize. When we finally relocate to heaven, we will see our Father face to face (see 1 Corinthians 13:12); and so we will be with Him forever (see 1 Thessalonians 4:17). 

JESUS IS COMING BACK

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah, an Old Testament prophet, prophesied both of Jesus’ first and Second Advents (see Isaiah 9:6-7). As we know, the First Advent was fulfilled when Jesus was born. The details of the events surrounding His birth happened exactly in the manner in which they were prophesied. That fulfillment was proof that the Word of God is dependable. We celebrate that First Advent as Christmas, characterized by festivities, giving and receiving gifts. Looking back, we see that, that advent was very obscure, very few people knew anything about it, or cared about it. The key people mentioned in that event included: His parents-Joseph and Mary; the Inn Keeper; the shepherds; and the Wise men.

Similarly, the Second Advent will be fulfilled unerringly; Jesus is definitely coming back! Whereas He came as a helpless baby the first time, and did not catch the attention of many, things will be a lot different with the Second Advent. The Second Advent will not be obscure in any way; rather, as the Bible says, “Every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7 NIV). He is going to come with the armies of heaven and the Christians who were raptured seven years earlier. This occasion is going to be grand, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. He is coming as the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Ruler of the nations, and the Judge of the world, and He will hold sinners accountable for their wickedness, and reward the righteous.

Before His Second Advent though, there will be the rapture of the Church. The Bible describes the rapture as the sudden removal of all Christians from the earth to join with resurrected believers and Jesus Christ Himself, in the air. The rapture will usher in the tribulation period, a seven-year time of suffering, lawlessness, and severe persecution of Christians. At the end of the tribulation period, Jesus will return to earth to cleanse the world of sin and evil, and establish His Millennial Kingdom (a thousand-year rule). This will be Jesus’s Second Advent.

Jesus’ return to earth is mentioned not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament. Jesus Himself spoke about His Second Advent while He was here on earth. Towards the end of His ministry, Jesus promised His disciples He’d return from heaven, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3 NIV). Furthermore, the day Jesus ascended into heaven (forty days after His resurrection), two angels appeared to the distraught disciples who were amazingly watching, as their Master went up. The angels comforted them by saying, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11 NIV).

In the book of Revelation, John, the author, recorded for us Jesus’ message to the Churches. He said, “Behold, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done…I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star…Yes, I am coming soon (Revelation 22:12, 16, 20 NIV)! God is faithful; none of his promises has ever failed, and will not fail now! So let’s be ready; Jesus is coming back soon!     

After the millennium, there will be no more tears, pain, or suffering, which is what God had in mind right from the beginning of creation. There will be peace, no political garbage and lies! We will have one Ruler who is kind, loving, and just, and totally trustworthy. Wow! What a world that will be! We’ll get to call it our permanent home; a city whose Founder and Maker, and Ruler is God Almighty! Amen!

Please Listen to Reason

Recently, while watching the evening news, I saw the report of a plane crash in Ohio; apparently, all ten people on board died. They showed the plane on fire with flames going everywhere; it was heart-wrenching to watch. Then it occurred to me that the passengers were burning with the plane; it scared me and broke my heart. Such loss!

That fire eventually went out, and the pain and fear the passengers felt eventually stopped, because they were dead. However, there is a fire that someday will burn forever and never go out. Whoever is in it will never stop feeling the pain and discomfort, and boy, does it scare me. Can you imagine burning in a fire that never goes out? I can and I’m sure you can too. But does it scare you like it scares me? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that some people don’t like to talk about hell. Others believe it is a scare tactic to get them to do something they don’t want to do, and still there are others who don’t believe hell exists at all, and if it did, a loving God will not send anybody there.

The Bible is the Word of God, and it is 100% true. Nothing it has said in the past ever failed; everything has been fulfilled exactly. Consider the life of Jesus. Years before His birth, His coming, birth, life, and death were all prophesied in detail, and all happened as was prophesied. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden, before His bogus trial and crucifixion, He asked those who arrested Him a question, and answered it Himself. He asked them, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me” (Mark 14:48-49 NLT). On another occasion, He told His listeners, “I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved” (Matthew 5:17-18 NLT). The proofs of the authenticity of the Bible are overwhelming! The more you read it, the more convincing you’ll find it. For this reason, whatever the Bible says is going to happen, will happen, hell included.

So then, understanding that hell is for real, it makes a lot of sense to discuss it. Although some people would rather not talk about it, many will go there (see Matthew 7:13), regardless of what they’d rather do or not do.  Once they are there, their doom is sealed. They cannot escape, make an appeal, get a new trial, or bribe their way out. Once they set foot in hell, it’ll be a done deal; hell will be their final and permanent destination for all eternity. Recently, two criminals escaped from a maximum security prison in New York with the help of a female prison worker. I can assure you, that scenario will not happen in hell; once in hell, no one can escape from there! Isn’t this scary?

If you are reading this, it means you still have time to make certain you won’t go to hell. But please don’t wait another minute. 

Why go to hell when you don’t have to? If you’ve never placed your faith in Jesus for salvation, you are heading for hell:  the place many don’t want to talk about. Unfortunately, choosing to not talk about it will not change the truth; what the Bible says is what will happen. So if you’re not sure you’ll go to heaven when you die, please stop whatever you are doing and ask God to forgive your sins and save you through Jesus Christ His Son. If at the end of your earthly life, you discover that there is no hell (which there is), you’ll have nothing to lose. As the old adage goes, “Better safe than sorry.” In Jesus’ prayer for believers, He said, “This is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ the one you sent to earth” (John 17:3 NIV).   

Those who put their faith in Jesus are given the assurance of forgiveness. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him” (John 3:18 NLT). Also, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NLT), and “I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus” (1 John 2:12 NLT). The Bible also assures believers that their names are written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) Book of Life (see Luke 10:20; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 20:15, 21:27).

I’m pleading with you in the name of Jesus to call on Him today for forgiveness of sin and salvation through His finished work on the cross. He died for you because He loves you! Hell is not a figment of the imagination; it is a real place of torment. Don’t chance it!