CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

 

Christmas, 2018 is almost here, it’s only two days away! Are you ready, and are your gifts wrapped? What gifts are you expecting, or hoping to receive, and how meticulously are you going to unwrap your presents?

Presents we receive are reminders that we’re loved, and that others care about us. Quite often, we don’t really need or have very good use for the presents we get, and that explains the reason people return gifts for exchange.

There’s one gift we’re all getting; it’s nicely wrapped, and should be unwrapped with care and gratitude! The sender, God, loves us so much, He gave us His only Son, Jesus Christ. He is the perfect gift; we each need Him!

Accepting Him brings salvation, joy, and peace. Returning this gift to the Sender will be a big mistake, because the benefits of this gift are needful and beneficial for this life, and throughout eternity! Don’t live without it (Him).

Jesus is the reason for the season; He was born to die! God knew we each need to be delivered from sin, so out of love He sent us His Son, born of a virgin. He lived without sin, among us, and then He died a cruel and painful death. He rose on the third day, and now He lives forever more! Faith in Him will allow one to live forever with God in heaven, after this life. 

How do you plan to respond to the Sender, and what are you going to give Him in exchange? I encourage you to give him your heart! I hope you’ll be fascinated with this gift, accept and cherish Him, and He will come and live in your heart, and make you a new person! Merry Christmas!  

THINK ABOUT IT! PHASE # 4

The past three weeks, we’ve been talking about preparing to spend eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. We talked about how to get to heaven—repenting of our sins and placing our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because He died in our place on the cross. We also talked a bit about heaven: It is God’s home: an elegant place with no pain, tears, or suffering. Only the saved (faith in Jesus) will go there, and when we’re there, we will be worshiping God Almighty! I promised to describe hell, the alternative to heaven, this week.

Hell, according to the Scriptures, was created for the devil and his demons. It is a place of eternal fire (see Matthew 25:41); “The devil who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10 NLT).   But a people who want nothing to do with God will also go there: “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life” (Matt 25:46 NLT). Those who go there will be in torment, “And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur … The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night … ” (Revelation 14:10-11 NLT). 

Does the description of hell concern you? “Forever and ever” means just that! Can you stand being tormented day and night, non-stop? Think about it! I wouldn’t wish this kind of suffering on even my worst enemy, let alone on myself. Please, please, please, if you’ve never given eternity much thought in the past, or if you simply don’t care, please reconsider. If you don’t repent now, nothing is going to change your destination when the time comes. No excuse you could come up with will change anything. This is your opportunity; don’t miss it!

Please think about this question, and respond honestly to yourself; the Bible asks, “What makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus” (Hebrews 2:3 NLT). In other words, if we ignore this invitation, we cannot escape the consequences -- hell!      

THINK ABOUT IT! PHASE # 3

 Two weeks ago, we talked about the fact that life on earth is going to end sooner or later. When this life ends, you can’t change your eternal destination, hence the need to make the decision that guarantees eternity with God in heaven.  Once this opportunity is missed, one cannot get it back, but while one still has the opportunity, this is what the Scriptures say, “Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31 NLT). 

Last week, we talked about having to choose between two places e to spend eternity: Heaven or hell, with no middle place! In order to spend eternity in heaven, one would have to repent and be saved by placing faith in Jesus. Remember, being created by God doesn’t make one a child of God; sin took care of that by interrupting the God/man relationship. That relationship has to be restored for one to be able to call God, “Father.” And it’s only through repentance and faith in Jesus that that relationship is restored. Jesus stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT).

To go to hell, one would have to ignore God’s offer for salvation—don’t repent, and live any way one would like, and one would be sure to get to hell. How sad. Why would anyone really choose to go to hell? It’s my prayer that after we compare heaven and hell, you’ll choose heaven.

Heaven is described as God’s home! The prophet Jeremiah prophesied, years before Jesus was born, “In that day, Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ And nations will come there to honor the Lord” (Jeremiah 3:17 NLT). When Jesus was on earth, He promised the disciples, “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).

Again, heaven is described as “Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering” (Hebrews 12:22 NLT).

What an amazing place! Heaven a real place: it is God’s home, and He is there. The wall’s foundation is made of precious stones, the gates are made of pearls, and the main street is made of transparent gold. The place is illuminated by God’s glory, and therefore has no need of the sun or moon (see Rev 21:19-23). In addition, sin will be nowhere to be found.

You might be wondering, “What are we going to be doing in heaven this whole time?” Some people actually think it’ll be boring, but it will be far from that. The Bible tells us what we’ll be doing-worshipping Him: “…the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads … And they will reign forever and ever” (Rev 22:3-5 NLT).

One might also ask, “Who else is going to be in heaven?” Well, the Bible states clearly, “After this, I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe, and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb [Jesus]. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9-10 NLT). Are you going to be in that crowd?

At the appointed time, Jesus will come back to escort God’s children home,to heaven! God promises there’ll be no sin, pain, sorrow, crying, tears, or death in heaven (see Isaiah 25:8; Rev 21:4). What an awesome promise!

Would you like to be where God is? Well, this is your chance; don’t postpone making your decision, because if He comes, or you die, without having made that decision, it will be too late. I don’t know how anyone could want anything other than heaven. Haven’t we had enough pain and suffering here on earth? Of course we have; let’s look forward to something better! Sin has put us through the mill; this is our chance to break free. Can you imagine a place where life goes on uninterrupted and never ends, where we’re free from diseases, with no children with unheard of cancers or murders, lying, stealing, or conflicts? My name is written in the Lamb’s book of life already, and when I get there, I’ll be dressed in a white robe. How about you?

The alternative to heaven is hell, but I’ll not encourage that, because the description is very frightening! More about that next week. Please, please, I’m pleading with you; call on Jesus today. Don’t miss heaven! 

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THINK ABOUT IT! Phase # 2

Last week, we looked at eternity, and the fact that it has no pauses, stops, or end. While in this life though, it could be redirected. In other words, one doesn't have to continue on a path that leads to an eternity of pain and suffering. As long as one is on this side of eternity, one has the opportunity to choose a different path, leading to an eternity of joy and peace.

What options does one have for eternity, and how does one get there? one has two options from which to choose--heaven or hell, with no middle place. How does one get to either place? In order to be able to spend eternity in heaven, one has to be a child of God, not just created.  In other words, being created by God (which we all are), does not make you His child. In order to become His child, one needs to repent of sin, ask God for forgiveness and be saved through the death of Jesus Christ (see Acts 10:42-43). In order to spend eternity in hell, one has to choose to ignore the love of God through Jesus Christ.

Next week, we'll look at the difference between the two place, and why one place is better than the other.

THINK ABOUT IT! Phase # 1

This life is short, and ends sooner or later. Eternity is very long, it has no pauses, stops, or end. Everybody is going to be in eternity someday. Are you ready, and where are you going to spend it? Once it starts for you, there'll be no turning back. Think about it. Jesus saves! Call on Him today., its urgent!

“Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31 NLT).

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NLT).

ETERNAL LIFE STARTS ON EARTH

Some of the synonyms of ‘eternal’ are: without end, everlasting, endless, unending, and perpetual. Henceeternal life is life that goes on without ever coming to an end. According to Scripture, for the Christian, eternal life starts here on earth, goes through this earthly life, and continues into life after death when we see Jesus face to face. It is important to mention that, unbelievers will face eternity as well: their eternity however, will be without Christ and their existence will not be life but death-which is the second death mentioned in Revelation (see Rev 20:14-15). As sad as it sounds, their eternity will be with the devil and his angels in hell. That is the reason they need to believe in Jesus now while they have time.

It is reasonable to assume that eternal life is futuristic, after death or after we see Jesus face to face. Scripture however does not teach that. Jesus defines eternal life this way, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” John 17:3 NIV).

Again, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has (not will have) eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over From death to life” (John 5:24 NIV). In reference to His sheep in John 10:28, Jesus said, “I give (not will give) them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. Also, “I write these things
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have (not will have) eternal life” (1 John 5:13 NIV). Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? If yes, then your eternal life has already started; it started the minute you believed. John also says in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has (not will have) eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Since we already have eternal life, how should we live? We need to live with gratitude, assurance, confidence, humility, excitement, and expectation. Not all of God’s promises of heaven can be realized now, because we still live in our old tents of sin. But that day is coming when we will be clothed with immortality, and we can then experience everything the Father has promised us. Until then, let us practice some of the heavenly life as much as we can in these our mortal bodies. Things
like praise and worship, joy and obedience will keep us focused on our heavenly home. Amen!

AT THE RED SEA

When they started their exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land, the Israelites had no idea what they
were going to encounter on their journey. In fact Moses didn’t know initially what he was going to encounter either when God said to Him at Horeb, “. . . I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:7-10 NIV). They must just have assumed, “God called us; it is going to be smooth sailing.” Wrong! God called them, yes, but smooth sailing, No! He never
promised them that. It is so easy for us to assume that, being called equals to smooth sailing. They soon discovered it was going to be one challenge after another.

The first challenge was that Pharaoh refused to let them go by saying, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2 NIV). Eight chapters later, the Israelites left Egypt, but more trouble was awaiting them in the
desert. One of such challenges was their experience at the Red Sea. They found themselves sandwiched between the Red Sea, in front of them, and the Egyptian army behind them. The dilemma was obvious; the Red Sea had stopped their progress, and the army behind them would attack if they couldn’t get out of their reach. The Egyptians were pressing in on them; they were nervous, they were terrified! They cried out to the Lord, and then they yelled at Moses! They said to
him, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt . . . .It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert” (Exodus 14:11-12 NIV)!

Moses, their leader did what came to him naturally, he called on God. When we are in the will of God as Moses was, it is easy to know what to do when things go wrong in the process, pray. God answered Moses’ prayer! “Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground" (Exodus 14:15 NIV). Moses did exactly as God commanded and asked no questions. When we ask God for directions, we need to be ready to do exactly as He commands whether or not we understand it; whether or not we agree with Him. When God directs, He does not need our input or suggestions. He expects us to obey.

To the Israelites’ surprise, the sea parted and they were able to walk on dry ground to the other side. (What a blessing to have God fearing, prayerful, obedient leaders, both in the Church and elsewhere). We need to support our leaders with our prayers, so that they will be prayerful and obedient to God. If Moses had doubted God, and not followed His directions, the outcome could
have been very different.

Are you at a Red Sea in your life? Are you unsure of what the next step should be? Then do what Moses did, pray, trust, and obey; do as God directs. God always (not sometimes) has a plan of good intentions to deliver us and to bring Him glory.

Also, let us remember that because God called or promised, does not mean the path will be easy. It will be more realistic to assume the road will be rough any time we are called to a task, than to think the other way around. Mary the mother of Jesus was called to carry and bear the Savior; what a blessing, and yet what a heartache. Abram (Abraham) was called to leave home, relocate, start a family, and be the father of many nations. What an honor, but also what trouble. As we embrace the honor of being called, let us also prayerfully embrace the uncertainties that go along with the call.

WITHOUT QUESTION-THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible is the Word of God; it will remain the Word of God no matter what arguments people raise about it. It has been tested over and over and proven to be the Word of the Eternal God. Its prophecies have been fulfilled on schedule; its promises have been honored when claimed in faith. The two favorite arguments people raise against it are: 1, the Bible was written by men, and that 2, it is self contradictory.

Jesus said, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:17 NIV). If you are one of those who have issues with the authenticity of the Bible, let me encourage you to try it. If believing in what the Bible says does nothing for you, you can change your mind; you have nothing to lose. But if not believing has
consequences, which it does, you have everything to lose. Also be aware that your unbelief will not excuse you from the penalty of unbelief. “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s One and only Son” (John 3:18 NIV).

Mode of delivery

• “The gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any
man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12 NIV).
• “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV).
• The apostle Paul introducing himself and his message said, “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1 NIV).

Unchangeable

• “All your righteous laws are eternal” (Psalm 119:160 NIV).
• “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89 NIV).
"All your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever” (Psalm 119:151-152 NIV).

Tested and Proven

• “All your words are true” (Psalm 119:160 NIV).
• “I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches” (Psalm119:14 NIV).
• “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget
your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life” (Psalm 119:92-93 NIV).
• “Your commands make me wiser than my enemies” (Psalm 119:98 NIV).
• “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130 NIV).
• All Christians can attest to the validity of the Bible, because they each have experienced the
transformation that can only come through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Check with any Christian you know for confirmation, and if you don’t know any Christian, experiment
it yourself, and you will come to the same conclusion that the Bible is the Word of God.
• “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8 NIV).

Indestructible

• The Word of God is indestructible; the apostle Paul knew this first hand—“For you have heard
of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the Church of God and
tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13 NIV). Needless to say he became a messenger of the Word of God, and centuries later, the Church is still alive. Amen!
• In the book of the Acts, we have accounts of the Jewish Council (The highest court in the Jewish
nation in New Testament times) trying to hush the apostles, but failed. On one such occasion,
the apostles had been jailed for preaching the Word of God, but were set free by an angel to
go back out and preach (see Acts 5:17-20). When recaptured, the Council said to apostles, “We
gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood” (Acts 5:28 NIV).

The Bible is really the Word of God; trying to destroy it or speak ill of it is just a waste of time and energy. Disbelieving it is like digging one’s own grave, because eternal life comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God; ‘eternal death’ (hell) is the end-result of unbelief.

BRETHREN, WE HAVE ALL WE NEED TO LIVE GODLY LIVES

Do we really need to live godly lives, and if so, why? Yes we do, because our Father has thus instructed us: “You must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living [before conversion] to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14-16 NLT, emphasis added).  

Is God holy? Yes, God is holy! He demonstrates that by His disdain for sin! Isaiah prophesied, “The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore” (Isaiah 59:1-2 NLT). John’s experience recorded in Revelation tells us the words of the song of Moses and the Lamb as sung in heaven, “Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3-4 NLT, emphasis added). Yes, righteousness (holiness) has been ascribed to Him alone; God is indeed holy!

God wants us to be holy, and the Scriptures remind us constantly about our charge to be holy, and we ought to take it seriously. Holiness was His plan for us before the beginning of time; amazing! No wonder He tells us His plans for us are for our welfare (see Jeremiah 29:11). Paul puts it this way: “God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT). “We urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God … God’s will is for you to be holy … God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives” (1Thessalonians 4:1, 3, 7 NLT).

God has not left us to guess what our charge is, nor to figure out the details on our own. Instead, He has shown us how! As God planned our holiness, He sent Jesus to bring about our salvation and keep us on the path of holiness: 1) “Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12 NLT). 2) “For by that one offering, he forever made perfect those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14 NLT).  

Since we’ve established that our Father wants us to be holy, let’s move on to the strategy—how to be holy. The Scripture tells us, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT, emphasis added). He has given us His Word to instruct, correct, guide, encourage us (see 2 Timothy 3:16). This calls for diligence in reading, studying, and applying the Word to our lives. Knowing the Word and obeying it are key to maturity. Our minds are renewed as we do what the Word says. The Holy Spirit, who is our Teacher and Advocate according to the scripture, will teach us everything we need to know (see John 14:26), but of course we need to be willing to be taught. So yes, providing the Word and the Spirit is proof that God has provided all we need to live a life that pleases Him.

In addition to the Spirit teaching us, we are also charged with teaching and encouraging one another. Included in the Great Commission is the charge to teach new converts the Word of God (see Matthew 28:20).

The Psalmist has discovered this truth about God. Meditate on it; you’ll gain a new respect for the Word of God: “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair … They are a warning to your servant, a great reward to those who obey them” (Psalm 19:7-9, 11 NLT). Are we obeying them?

Ask yourself, and answer honestly: are you being obedient to the Word? Obeying the Word is the only way we carry out our charge of, “Be holy because I am holy.”   

EVERY SOUL MATTERS TO GOD

God sent Jonah to Nineveh, a Gentile .city, to warn them of impending judgment if they did not repent. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, a pagan city, which had a reputation for brutality and torture and was nicknamed “the city of blood” (Nahum 3:1 NIV). For that reason, Assyria was a dreaded enemy, not only to Israel, but also to the surrounding nations. Nineveh apparently was as great in wickedness as it was in wealth and power. Jonah wanted no part of God’s deal with them. He headed in the opposite direction, far away from Nineveh. He got onto a ship that was bound for Tarshish, not for Nineveh. He went below deck, lay down, and then fell into a deep sleep.

When God caught up with him, he gave an honest but sad excuse for his behavior. He said to God, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2 NIV).

Regarding salvation, the Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? . . .  Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:13-14, 17 NIV). Jonah must have thought if he didn’t declare God’s word, Nineveh wouldn’t know the truth that would lead the people to repentance and subsequently to forgiveness. After all, he did not believe they ought to be pardoned. He wanted them to face the impending doom, and that would have been a blessing in disguise for Israel—obliteration of their enemies forever.

Scripture, however, teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. (See Matthew 5:44 NIV). Jonah could not forgive the enemies of Israel, but God could! The souls of our enemies are just as important to God as the souls of our loved ones, and that is why He wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. (See 1 Timothy 2:4 NIV).

You need to answer two important questions.

One: are you neglecting to share the word of God with any particular group of people because you don’t care for them, or because, in your assessment, they are anti-God, terrorists, and etcetera? It is not for us to decide who should or shouldn’t be pardoned. We need to work with God’s agenda, not our own. He came to save all, He died to save all, and He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly! Every soul matters to God!

Two: are you running away from God because you disagree with His ideas or plans? You will not get very far. God knows where you are every second, and he can find you without looking. Learn from Jonah’s mistake, make a U-turn, and go in the direction God is leading you.

God gives second chances. He gave Jonah a second chance, and said to him a second time, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give to you” (Jonah 3:2 NIV84). If you’ve been running away from your assignment, stop; God will give you another chance. Running away is just a waste of time, because God’s plans will always prevail!

TRUSTING YOUR GUIDE

Have you ever had to depend on a Global Positioning System (GPS) to get you to a place you were unfamiliar with? I have, a few times, but today’s experience was a bit different.

Today, I participated in a Walk and Run for Life event: not that I really walked, but that is beside the point. After the event, I needed to make a stop somewhere before going home. I didn’t know how to get there, so I programmed my GPS to aid me. I had to follow the instructions to the letter, since I had never made that trip before. I was directed through areas I never knew existed. It took faith and courage to not do anything different, with the hope that I’d get to my destination. And wouldn’t you know it, just by following the instructions to the letter, I arrived at my intended destination without any problem! Woot, woot! Having said that, I should also mention that I’d gotten lost before following GPS directions. In other words, the GPS is not always 100% dependable!

As I was driving, I thought, “My experience today is very similar to following God through obedience to His Word--the Bible.” See, the Bible is God’s instruction for living a godly life in this life, and arriving in heaven someday! We Christians have heaven in mind as our final destination after travelling through this life, but so do many non-Christians. The non-Christians, however, have not trusted Jesus for salvation; they’re trusting in themselves, their good deeds, or some other religion. It is our responsibility to guide as many of them as we can to put their faith in Jesus, and then join us on this journey that leads us to our final home.

The Bible is the inerrant Word of God; we can never go wrong by obeying it. As I said before, the GPS can occasionally lead one astray, but never the Bible.  

Today, I encourage you to make the Bible the only guide you depend on in this life. It does not change and never needs to be revised or updated. It is complete, and all who have lived by it can testify to its authenticity. The Bible challenges us to put it to the test: “Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own” (John 7:17 NLT). The Bible is the only guide we’ll ever need! It tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT). Read it daily and obey it!  

DON’T MISS THE RAPTURE

What is the rapture and why is it so important? The
rapture is an event that is going to take place in the
very near future when Jesus comes to call Christians,
both living and dead, and takes them to be with Him. He
doesn’t land on earth; He meets them in the air. People
will just disappear. “For the Lord Himself will come
down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who
are still alive and are left will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so
we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The Blue Letter Bible explains caught up as:
• Claim for one’s self eagerly,
• To snatch out or away.

I love the idea of Jesus not sending a messenger, but
coming Himself to claim us eagerly for Himself then
snatch us away. It sounds like He has been waiting for
a long time for this day to eventually come. May we be
just as eager to meet Him as He is to meet us.

Also in first (1) Corinthians 15, Paul tells us, “We will not
all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet
will sound, the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed” (verses 51-52).

There will be only one such event and this is it; don’t
miss it. Although people will be saved during the
tribulation, life then will be more unbearable than it is
right now. Don’t strive to be in batch number two; join
batch number one. We get to see Jesus sooner and defy
gravity as we leave this painful, sorry place behind.

Wouldn’t it be better to be changed, robed with
immortality, and with an imperishable body sooner
than later? What an experience that will be! If you are
going to be a Christian, be one now so that you can
enjoy everything that comes with it. Getting saved in
the tribulation is better than not getting saved at all,
but don’t you want to experience the rapture? I can’t
wait! Would you rather get saved during the tribulation?
You most likely will not, but if you do, we will see you
on our return to earth to reign with Christ. This is your
invitation to believe in Jesus today, and be ready when
He comes to eagerly claim us, His own for Himself.

MAKE A U-TURN

What is a U-turn? If your sense of direction is as poor as
mine, you will be familiar with U-turns. People with poor
sense of direction will do U-turns.

Usually, anybody on the road has a destination in mind.
The direction in which one goes can bring one closer
to or farther away from the intended destination. For
instance, if by mistake, one travels northward instead
of southward, one would have to turn around, and go in
the opposite direction in order to arrive at the intended
destination. That turn would be a U-turn. A U-turn is
only necessary if one is going in the opposite direction
of where one wishes to go.

We have experienced life long enough that we know
it comes to an end sooner or later. But what happens
after this life ends? Some believe nothing happens;
when it is over, it is over. Others rightly believe there
is life after death, but are not sure what to do to have
it. Some in this group think they know what to do to
inherit life after death; they think they need to obey the
Ten Commandments and or do a lot of good deeds. The
Bible teaches differently. It teaches that when this life
ends (spirit separated from the body), we will have the
opportunity to live on. Our existence will be in one of
two places; heaven or hell.

While in this life, each person needs to decide where
they’d want to spend eternity, and then take the
appropriate steps to prepare for the destination of their
choice. Many people seem to want to get to heaven,
but are headed in the wrong direction. Their arguments
include: “God is too kind to send anyone to hell” and “I
am not as bad as . . .” etc.

God’s plan of salvation is: admitting one is a sinner,
and cannot save one’s self, asking God for forgiveness
through the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ, and
placing one’s faith in Jesus. This is the only way to gain
God’s favor and be allowed into heaven; Jesus clearly
says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Are you going in the wrong direction, setting your own
standards, putting God in your own mold, arguing about
what God will or will not do? If you really want to go
to heaven, you need to make a U-turn, and go in the
direction God is pointing you. That is, placing your faith
in Jesus Christ. Don’t waste time; do it now, it is that
important; tomorrow might be too late.

ONLY YOUR BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD

Why do people give gifts, and who decides the quality of the gift? What good is a gift if it’s not the giver’s best? What might be the giver’s motives and expectations for giving? In general, people give gifts as a way of expressing love, appreciation, friendship, and more. People give what they think is nice, usable, and acceptable, and they, most likely, expect gratitude for their thoughtfulness.

God is Love, and His demonstration of love is giving. “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 NLT). Everything He gives is fueled by love, even when He reprimands us. If we, His children, have His nature (which we should), then we should also give out of love and responsibility. Giving is easier if we know ahead of time what the recipient needs or likes.

God gave us His very best: His Son, Jesus Christ! He knew without His Son’s shed blood, nobody would have eternal life. Do we ever put some thought into what we give Him, or give in His name? Do we know what He likes? God is the God of beauty and elegance. Giving to Him means giving to the work of the Church, other ministries, and, quite often, meeting the needs of others in His name (see Matthew 25:40). Only the best is good enough for God!

Child of God, what has been the quality of your giving? King David was prevented from building a temple for the Lord because he had fought too many wars. Instead, God appointed Solomon, son of David, to build the temple. David could have just given up and gone on with other things, but instead he started making preparations for the project. He wasn’t trying to make a name for himself as the one who built the first temple in Israel. He wanted the temple for God to be jaw-droopingly gorgeous, regardless of who built it; it had to be the best he could dream of. In his own words, “The temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world” (1 Chronicles 22:5 NLT). Only the best is good enough for God!

Do you give God your leftovers -- what you have no need for? David once said, “I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24 NLT). God sees our hearts and our motives for giving. He blesses us as we give willingly, joyfully, and generously. It is good to remember that everything we have belongs to Him, and He’s able to take it all away at any time. Like King David, let’s give God only our best, because only that is good enough for Him. Anything less than the best is insulting and disrespectful. Our attitude towards giving to God should be indicative of our love and reverence for Him.