PREPARE FOR CHRIST'S RETURN (Part II)

PREPARE FOR CHRIST’S RETURN (Part II)

It’s never my intention to instill fear into anyone, but I must be perfectly candid concerning our future circumstances because one’s readiness to meet and be judged by Christ is actually a matter of eternal life or eternal death. (Matthew 25:41)

In Warren Wiersbe’s book, “Meet Yourself in the Psalms,” he recalls a frontier town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy.  Seeing the child in danger, a compassionate young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon.  The child who had been saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a very serious crime.  The prisoner immediately recognized the judge as the man who had saved his life years before.  So he pleaded for mercy on the basis of that earlier life-saving experience.  But chilling words from the bench completely silenced his plea: “Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged.”

One day Jesus Christ will come again.  And His verdict for rebellious sinners who refuse his sacrificial atonement will be something like this: ‘During your long day of grace, I was your Savior, and I would have forgiven you.  But today I am your Judge.  Depart from me into everlasting fire!’  Oh my!

My friend, where will you spend eternity?  It’s something to seriously and prayerfully consider. 

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

PREPARE FOR CHRIST'S RETURN (Part I)

PREPARE FOR CHRIST’S RETURN (Part I)

My friends, I am firmly convinced that we are now living in the end-time.  That is, the return of Jesus Christ and the Parousia (the Rapture of faithful believers) are imminent.  Unquestionably, the biblical signs of the end-time are clearly converging everywhere.  The prophetic admonitions of Christ accurately describe contemporary global events: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” (Matthew 24:7)  Indeed, according to the Apostle Paul, the entire creation is now groaning in anticipation of the return of Christ and the Rapture of His church: “The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19)

I am deeply concerned that much of the Christian community has somehow been lulled into a state of ease and unreadiness regarding what is to come.  Our preparation to peacefully and joyfully experience our Lord’s return should be the most important item on our individual and collective agendas.  To wit, the book of James poses an essential and sobering question for our prayerful consideration: “For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)  Life is extremely short.  We are only here for 25,500 days or so (our promised 70 years), but whether saved or lost, we will surely inhabit eternity with its just consequences.  Therefore, we must remain watchful, prayerful and ready for the most significant event in human history.

Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

God’s Word encourages open and honest confession.  An applicable admonition is recorded in James 5:16 which says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

Consider this true story.  In 1884, Grover Cleveland was running against James Blaine for the U.S. presidency.  Blaine’s supporters discovered that Cleveland, a bachelor at the time, had fathered a son by Maria Crofts Halpin, an attractive widow who apparently had been on friendly terms with several politicians.  Subsequently, Republicans tried to pin an immorality tag on Democrat Cleveland by distributing handbills showing an infant labeled “One more vote for Cleveland” and by having demonstrators chant, “Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa? Gone to the White House, Ha, Ha, Ha!”

It was a fiendishly clever political ploy.  However, it backfired badly.  Instead of denying the alleged intimacy, Cleveland decided to tell the truth and openly admit to his immoral misdeed.  Unexpectedly, his candor served to actually defuse the issue, and Cleveland was elected president. 

Lesson learned.  We must avoid any attempt to cover our sins.  The sage, King Solomon, penned apropos advice: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)  My friends, honesty IS the best policy.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

WHY BE CHEAP WITH YOURSELF?

WHY BE CHEAP WITH YOURSELF?

It’s a sound decision not to become a spendthrift.  Saving for a rainy day is substantially good advice.  However, anything can be done to an extreme. 

For instance, one of America's most miserly millionaires was John G. Wendel, who died in 1915 at his home in New York City.  Seeking to keep their inherited fortune in the family, Wendel and five of his six sisters remained unmarried.  He instilled such frugality in his sisters that when the last one died in 1931, it was found that, although her estate amounted to more than $100 million, she never had a telephone, electricity, or an automobile. Her only dress was one she had made herself and worn for nearly 25 years.  Wow!

In my view, it is wise and necessary to take a vacation, or plan a family outing, or go on an occasional shopping expedition.  Moderation is the key. (Philippians 4:5)  Just don’t overdo – but plan to be good to YOU. 

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

THE GOD-MAN WHO SAVES US

THE GOD-MAN WHO SAVES US

John 1:14 presents an intriguing mystery, i.e., “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  The concept of Emmanuel, or God with us, the incarnation of God in human flesh, was a challenging truth for the early Christian church to comprehend and communicate.  In a word, how could one being (at the same time) be both human and divine, both God and man?

So in 451 A.D., the Council of Chalcedon grappled with this issue.  Although they failed to fully understand the deep mystery of the simultaneous divine and human nature of Christ, they offered the following four precautions to protect believers from error when contemplating Christ:

1. Attribute true and proper divinity to Christ.

2. Attribute true and proper humanity to Christ.

3. Do not so mingle the human and divine that you end up with a being neither human nor divine.

4. Do not dissect Christ so that there are two persons in one being. 

Certainly, since Jesus Christ is Emmanuel, both God and man, he is positioned and prepared to become our High Priest, one who can be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.”  That is, as man, he fully related and connected to the human condition because he was “in all points tempted as we are.”  But as God, He navigated every human situation victoriously, “without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)  In the words of the Apostle Paul, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” (II Corinthians 5:19)  Indeed, HE is Very God and Very Man.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

EDIFY ONE ANOTHER

EDIFY ONE ANOTHER

According to Dictionary.com, the word “edify” means to uplift.  Throughout 2023, all of us should remember that every person…everyone…stands in need of occasional injections of affirmation and appreciation.  All people need to receive heartfelt recognition for their value and accomplishments.  However,  few people have made that need known quite as clearly as the little boy who said to his father: “Let's play darts.  I’ll throw, and you say ‘Wonderful!’”

It's a bit humorous, but actually so true to our basic human need.  Instead of succumbing to the temptation to become critical, or even cynical with others, make up your mind today to breathe new life into someone’s day simply be sharing kindness and encouragement.

others, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

RESTING ON YOUR LAURELS

RESTING ON YOUR LAURELS

As we begin 2023, let’s all remember this.  It’s quite wonderful to have the opportunity to celebrate past accomplishments, but we should avoid becoming so transfixed and focused on them that we lose our motivational impetus to move ahead.

Consider this true story. Over 2,000 years ago a young Greek artist named Timanthes studied under a highly respected tutor. After several years, his teacher’s efforts seemed to have paid off when Timanthes painted an exquisite work of art. Unfortunately, he became so enraptured with the painting that he spent days gazing at it. One morning when he arrived to admire his work, he was shocked to find it blotted out with paint. Angry, Timanthes ran to his teacher, who admitted he had destroyed the painting. “I did it for your own good. That painting was retarding your progress. Start again and see if you can do better.” Timanthes took his teacher’s wise advice and thereafter produced Sacrifice of Iphigenia, which is regarded as one of the finest paintings of antiquity. 

Whether it was marvelous or messy, one should never get stuck in the past.  Let’s move forward.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!