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.

THE TIME IS NOW

Are you one of the many who think time is on their side? Such
people postpone every decision they need to make pertaining to
God and eternity. If you are, you probably say things like, “I am
young,” “I am too busy,” “I am in good health” or “I’ll do it later.”

If you had full control of your circumstances, you could
get away with procrastinating, and at just the right time of your
choosing, you could decide to believe in Jesus and be saved, and
everything would be fine. Unfortunately for you, you don’t have
much control of your life, you don’t get to decide when and how
you die; God does.

Maybe end of life issues don’t cross your mind often because
life at present is going so well for you. That’s what happened in
the days of Noah. The Bible says people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage until the flood came (an indication
that life was going on as usual when the flood came). (see Matthew 24:37-38).
Of course, by the time the flood came, it was too late (see Genesis 6-7).
Their end had come suddenly, when there wasn’t much time for
them to call on God.

No matter how enjoyable you find this life, be reminded that
it is only temporary. The end will come when you least expect it.
All that the world has to off er cannot pay for your salvation. Only
the blood of Jesus is acceptable as payment for your sins. The Bible
says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world,
yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his
soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NIV). Think about it.

Young people are being advised to start planning now for
retirement; so they can live comfortably in their later years. By the
same token, your soul will live forever; you need to make provision
for that. Where would you like to spend eternity, in heaven or
in hell? If you prefer heaven, you’ll need to take the steps now to
guarantee it. When the jailer in the book of Acts asked Paul and
Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30 NIV, they replied,
“Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (verse 31).

The way to salvation has not changed, and never will. God
decided the blood of Jesus was what it was going to take for Him
to forgive sins. So Jesus came and shed His blood. Now it is up to
you to believe in Him, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and
accept salvation through His blood. On the other hand if you’d
rather spend eternity in hell, ignore the invitation to believe in
Jesus, and you will be guaranteed to go to hell. But why would you
choose that? Jesus loves you; that is why He died such a painful death. Choose life today!

“Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV).

GOD IS SOVEREIGN!

God is sovereign is a well-known and frequently used phrase, but what does it mean? Christianity.com, has the following to say:

“There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God’s influence and authority. As King of kings and Lord of lords, God has no limitations. Consider just a few of the claims the Bible makes about God:

· God is above all things and before all things. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6).

· God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).

· God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33).

· God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, my life, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17).

· God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God’s permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19).

That’s what being sovereign means: being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it’s God’s sovereignty that makes Him superior to all other gods and makes Him, and Him alone, worthy of worship.”

Knowing all that God is, hurting child of God, do understand that God is in control, and that nothing takes Him by surprise? He really is in control; He knows everything you’re experiencing! Nothing is happening to you by chance, by mistake, or by accident! Take comfort in that knowledge, and be assured that He sees your pain, sees your tears, hears your cry, and knows your circumstances. He’ll get you through it. All your experiences, painful or not, are included in His plans for you. The Bible says, “God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT). That’s why even on our most difficult days, we can confidently say, “I’ll be alright, because God is sovereign!”

Someday, sooner or later, we’ll understand! But until then, let’s give Him thanks as He commands: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1Thessalonians 5:18 NLT). God is faithful; let’s ask Him for grace, courage, and strength to persevere to the end, no matter how long it takes.

God is sovereign!

ETERNITY

Quite often when people die, you hear their loved ones say, “he or
she is in a better place” This is a comforting thought, and I am sure
everybody will like to think that about their deceased loved one.
Before we go any further, we need to ask ourselves, “Where is this
better place, and how do people get there?”

The Bible talks about eternity, either in heaven or in hell.
There are no neutral places, so when people talk about a better
place they most likely are referring to heaven. However, heaven is
not an automatic destination for the deceased. When people die,
their loved ones can comfort themselves any way they want, but
that does not guarantee their loved one is in heaven. The biblical
truth is, only those who believe on the name of Jesus will go to
heaven; only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book
of life.

People who do not believe on the name of Jesus Christ before
they die cannot be wished or prayed into heaven by loved ones, not
even by the Church.

Eligibility into heaven is not based on gender, age, social or
political standing. It is also not based on good works or anything
else people do. It is based solely on the sacrifice Christ made on
the cross, making Himself a bridge between God and man. Christ
died to pay the penalty for sin, making the way for sinners to come
to God by faith in Him (Jesus).

This is your opportunity. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins now.
He will forgive you, take away the guilt of your sins, fill you with
His Spirit and give you peace and the assurance of salvation. He
will also write your name in His book of life. Don’t count on your
loved ones or your priests to wish or pray you into heaven after
your death. It just does not work that way.

If you refuse Christ’s offer for salvation, you have automatically
and personally decided to go to hell after you die. Remember,
nothing can be changed about that decision once you are on the
other side of dirt. So while you are on this side of dirt make the
decision that guarantees you will spend eternity in heaven. Your
loved ones can then say confidently, at your passing, “he or she is in
a better place.” Please make this decision soon, hopefully today.