Stay Rapture Ready!

The one thing I know and trust to be the truth is that Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you and if I go away, I will come again to receive you unto myself. I know he is coming back for me and you. The rapture or calling away of the church could take place at any moment. I believe we are closer to his coming than we have ever been. I believe Jesus Christ is going to step out on the clouds of glory and call his children home. People are waiting for the coming when he steps his feet upon the Mounts of Olives, but when he comes at that time, he will be bringing an army with him to do battle...that army my friend, is you and me....the church....He told us to watch the signs...the signs are slapping us in the face. Look up, your redemption draweth nigh...

All of the scriptures are confusing to some because some of them are speaking of the rapture and others are speaking of when Christ actually comes and sets his feet upon the earth again. I believe these are two different events and we just need to get them clear and know which scripture is speaking of which event.

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Psalm 130:7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

Tending the fallow ground

My son has preached many times about “The Fallow Ground” and today I am thinking about the apostles and why there was so many miracles and such outpouring of God’s power. Can I tell you that they were preaching on “Fallow Ground”. They had the opportunity to preach the Gospel to people that had never heard it before, to tell them about a Savior that they had never dreamed would be real. Their hearts was completely fallow ground and when you plant seeds in fallow ground you get a good crop! They faced rejection, persecution and conflict, but it didn’t stop them from telling people about Jesus!! Today as Christians, we need to look for that person that we might meet that has not heard of Jesus, we need to go out into the world and start sharing the gospel with those whose hearts are fallow ground. We will face rejection and ridicule, but Jesus told the apostles to spread the gospel and friend, if you are a child of God, then you too are an apostle of Jesus Christ. He told us to go out into the world and tell them the gospel. He didn’t say just stay within the safe walls of our churches.

Mathew 28: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This old world is soon to become new again. Christ said, I go away to prepare a place for you and if I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. He is coming back for his people and if you are like me, then you have many loved ones that have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. We need to be fasting and praying for them. We need to be telling them every single day how much Jesus loves them. We need to be telling the stranger we meet at the supermarket and the people we run into everywhere in our daily lives. We need to go out into the highways and byways and find someone that needs Jesus and then we need to share the gospel with them. Finally and more importantly, we need to let them meet him. How you might ask can we do that? It’s simple, Christ lives in me and he lives in you. If we are going to be his apostles and spread his gospel, then we need to walk in his footsteps. Our lives need to reflect his love for all people. When that drunkard that you are talking to about the Lord looks at you, he needs to see something in you that he longs for. When they can see Christ in your life and my life and see our JOY, then and only then will they want to have what we have. We need to build their faith in Christ and seek the salvation of their souls! Our faith will be tested and tried, but like Gold that only gets better when it goes through the fire, we will become stronger in Christ each time we go out into the world and share his gospel!

1 Peter 1:7-9

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

I challenge you today to go out and find just one person and tell them about Jesus. Tell them about a man that loved them so much that he died that they might live. 

The blood still works

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 KJV

Have you declared the gospel to anyone lately? I am thinking this morning that if not, then today would be great day to begin. I believe it is the responsibility of every Christian to go out into the world and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with sinners. Good people, bad people, drug addicts, drunkards, adulterers, ect...it doesn’t matter how good or how bad, they all need to know Jesus and accept him as their savior. They need to be told about how much he loved them. They need to be told how he came to this wicked world and suffered and died for their sins in order to save their soul from a devils hell. They need to be told that he loves them so much, that nothing they have done is too big that he can’t cast it as far as the east is to the west, never to be remembered. They need to be told that his love for them is so strong that he would leave ninety nine saved souls (sheep) to fend for themselves while he goes out to search for them, because they are lost and need to be found, need to be saved for the ravishing wolf which is Satan.

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. There is no other way to the Father, except through him. When destruction came to Egypt and the Hebrew children had to slay a lamb and put the blood on their door posts, it was symbolic of Christ’s blood that was shed for the sins of the world. Nothing could get past that blood of the lamb and the blood still flows from Calvary today. When you accept Christ as your Savior, his blood covers all of your sins. You become a new person and nothing can cross his blood. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Friend, Jesus loves you today and he stands with outstretched arms, waiting to welcome you into his embrace. Revelation 3:30 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He will bring you the peace that you have searched for your entire life. My life has not been a bed of roses, but with Christ in my life, it has been and continues to be filled with peace. This world is full of hatred, anger and strife, but in Christ, I have found rest. You can do the same. If you don’t know him today, let me invite you to pray. Today, on Good Friday, as we begin to celebrate his death, burial and resurrection, won’t you take a moment to think about what that means. The God of all creation loved you, a sinner so much that he stepped out of heaven’s splendor to become a man and suffer death on a cross in order to save your soul. Today, he is saying unto you; Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The way of righteousness

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 KJV

Peter told us here that we should live unto righteousness. What is living unto righteousness? It’s living morally right and justifiable according to Christ’s teachings. Throughout time, man has sought for that fountain of youth, that thing that could keep a person young, healthy and beautiful. There is no fountain of youth, but there is a way of obtaining immortality. There is a way to be sure that throughout eternity, we will age no more, suffer no more, die no more, that is the way of righteousness! Proverbs 12:28 tells us: In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death. We can’t live in the way of righteousness and not accept Christ, the two go hand in hand. Jesus Christ told us in John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. By accepting Christ and turning from sin, you are turning away from death! The bible teaches us in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The more you turn away from sin, the more righteous you become. You become revived daily in Christ. Physical death as we know it is but a transition from this fleshly body to a heavenly body. Jesus taught us in John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. To die in the flesh is to live in Christ. John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: To be born again in Christ is truly the moment we take that drink from the cup of that fountain of youth so many have longed for. Jesus let us know that in him is life and if we live and believe in him, we will never die! John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

When we accept Christ, we are crucified with him. Our life is no longer our own, but his. We are but a vessel to be used for his purpose. We can never be righteous, but the Holy Ghost that lives in us is righteous and makes us righteous! Galatians 2:20 tells us: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Living our daily lives in righteousness will daily revive us and we have the blessed promise of God that though we were dead, yet shall we live! John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

The reflection of God

Have you ever thought about how we might see the reflection of God? We know that no man has ever seen the Father, but we can see his reflection in each and every Christian. Mathew taught us that we are the light of the world. He told us in Mathew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Let us take a look at the moon for just a moment. Did you know that of itself, the moon does not give off any light, but rather reflects the light from the sun. When we look at that beautiful full moon what we are truly seeing is the reflection of the sun! It is similar to this that we as Christians are the reflection of God! When we live as Jesus lived, love as Jesus loved and let our good works show forth to our fellowman, then they see God reflected in our lives! By letting our Christian light shine, we are showing the world the reflection of God!

Jesus loves you, this I know

Thinking about Mathew this morning. You know he was a tax collector and not just any tax collector. He was a public tax collector. The tax collectors had free reign to tax a man for just about anything during Christ time on earth and what made it worse, they were usually Jews. It's hard to see your fellowman being someone you despise, yet he was the very first one that Christ called to be a disciple. Jesus saw something in Mathew that he could use. He saw determination and dedication. Mathew, as rotten as he was also saw something in Jesus. He saw the hope that he could have peace in this life, the love that he longed for, because no matter what his life was like on the outside, there was the man that nobody truly knew that needed to be loved, needed to be wanted, needed joy and peace in his life. He never hesitated when Jesus spoke to him, he dropped it all and followed him. He never looked backed and became one of the greatest disciples. Have you ever wondered why the book of Mathew starts with giving us the genealogy of Christ. I believe Christ wanted the world to know that we all have people like Mathew hiding in our family closets. The harlot, Rahab was his grandma and King David, was an adulterer and a murderer, but that did not stop Mathew from listing them in Christ's lineage. I believe Christ wanted the world to know that he too had family that was not perfect. Christ did not come to suffer and die for perfect people. He came to seek and to save those that are lost! He came for that drunkard, that pill addict and that harlot standing on the street corner. If we were all perfect then his death would have been in vain. Mathew is a perfect example of what Christ can do for those that believe they are so far gone that nothing can save them. He was hated by all who saw him coming, but yet Christ loved him and changed his heart. He will do the same for you. All you have to do is call upon his name. He is always ready to welcome you into his arms. Is it always easy, no it's not. Is it always worth it, absolutely. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ will be the best decision you ever make in your life. I have never met a Christian that regretted knowing Christ, I have never met someone that had walked away from him that didn't want to find their way back and I have never met a sinner that he would not love and forgive! Jesus Loves you, this I know!

Sanctify God and be ready

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:15 KJV

Peter tells us to sanctify the Lord in our hearts. How you might ask can we, being nothing but man, sanctify anything. To sanctify something means to set it apart from everything else, to consecrate it or to declare it holy, keep it free from sin. When we become a Christian then we are to sanctify God in our hearts by living HOLY! Our lifestyle changes and we begin to live as Christ lived. We are to love our fellowman and pray one for another. We are to keep the commandments of God and walk in his holy ordinance. When people see us in our everyday lives, there should be no need to ask if we are a Christian, it should be clear to anyone that we are by the way we talk and act. We should be ready at all times to tell others about Christ and let them know that he alone is the reason we have such hope when it seems everything in the world is falling apart around us. We should lift our hands and give God praise and be thankful to him in good times and yes, in the bad as well and declare that we are thankful because his ways are high above our ways and beyond our understanding and by doing so, God will build our faith and give us hope that we will be able to walk with meekness and know that his will may not align with what we want, but it will be what is needed and what is best in our lives. we just may not understand it at the time.