Is the world spinning
out of control?
Are you troubled by the condition of our world and the moral
decline of American culture?
Do you sometimes feel like the world is spinning out of
control and about to expire? If the answer is yes,
you are not alone. We do live in troubled times, but there
is a glorious message of hope and deliverance
for those of us who are listening.
Are you frustrated with the direction of your own life;
no purpose, no self control, no peace of mind?
Do you have concerns about your eternal destiny? If the
answer is yes, the following message is for you.
These are symptoms of the times in which we live and of
the wayward condition in the heart of man.
Men have always been and still are under the illusion that
they are in control of world events, the
affairs of nations and cultural change. Man's control only
goes as far as is allowed by God.
If God were not sovereign, he would not be God. John Chapter 1
; Matthew 28:18-20
The
truth is, we live in a fallen world as described in the
Bible in
Genesis Chapter 3. The turmoil
we see around us is increasing daily at an astonishing rate,
but the world is not spinning out of control. God, our creator,
has always been in control and always will be. He is not
surprised, nor is he unprepared for the trouble man has
created for himself. From a human perspective, there seem
to be no answers and no end in sight to the violence, the
poverty and the destruction caused by the violation of universal
Biblical law. However, the Word of God tells us there is
hope and there is an answer.
According to scripture, the corrupt world governing
structure developing before our eyes is on a collision course
with the new and final world governing structure under the
kingship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This new kingdom
will be a theocracy, not a democracy. Some refer to the
onset of this heavenly authority on earth as the Millennium. This will be a government
decreed by a just and righteous King and he will portion
authority to his redeemed.
Revelation Chapter 20
Revelation 20:6 Blessed
and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection:
on such the second death has no power, but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years.
The Bible is clear about a coming heavenly
kingdom right here on earth.
Matthew 5:5 Jesus
said: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the earth."
Matthew 6:10 Jesus
teaching his disciples the Lord's prayer: "...thy
kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth
as it is in heaven."
Numbers 14:21
As the Lord spoke to Moses in the
tabernacle: But as truly as I live, all the earth
shall be filled
with the glory of the LORD.
Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice:
but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn.
It appears that we are in the final clutches of the Satanic
dominance that has plagued the earth
since the fall of man. According
to scripture, judgment on an ungodly world is
imminent.
The battle is raging. Cultural behavior patterns are polarizing
everywhere in advance of the final battle for dominance.
The establishment of the glorious reign of Christ on earth
will spell the end of the Satanic influences and turmoil
we are witnessing today. Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices
in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall
reign for ever and ever.
In preparation for this new structure, God is calling
those who will hear his voice to come back to him and surrender
our will to his lordship and guidance. Without his guidance we would be aimless and lost
in obscurity. Matthew 16:25
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever
will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
A fully righteous and just
governing structure
is coming, and the disciples of Christ will
rule and reign with him in this exciting new earthly kingdom.
Revelation 5:10
And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign on the earth.
Isaiah 32:1
Behold, a king shall reign in
righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Have you been called by God to take part in this glorious
transformation and receive the gift of God--eternal life?
This transformation is twofold, and it begins with you.
The end of the turmoil in your own life as well can mark
a new beginning for you and those you love.
John 6:44
No man can come to me, except
the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise
him up at the last day.
Luke 17:20-21
The kingdom of God comes
not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or,
lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
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Who is Jesus Christ and
why should we listen to him?
Jesus is our only access to God the
Father.
John 14:6
Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.
John
11:25-26
I am the resurrection, and the
life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall
he live: And whosoever
lives and believes in me shall never die.
Matthew 11:28
"Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest."
When we look at the world
around us, the only conclusion we can come to is that something
is desperately wrong. The explanation for this condition is
clearly spelled out in the Bible. Romans 3:23 For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Man, in his natural unregenerate state, is separated from
God our creator. Each of us has been born into that natural
state as a consequence of man's rebellion to God at the beginning
of creation. Man in his natural state, without being reborn
spiritually, will consistently make wrong choices in concert
with his unregenerate nature as he seeks to fill the void
in his soul that only reconciliation with God can fill. John 3:3 When questioned by
a Jewish leader; Jesus answered
and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
We all need to be reconciled
to God our Savior in order to have peace with him, to avoid
judgment and bring proper perspective and
conduct back into focus. God is righteous, sovereign and just.
He has written the law and he
has made all the rules because he is God and he
is under no obligation to explain himself to us. We probably
wouldn't understand the explanation anyway. He is intricately
involved in his creation and therefore very much involved
in our lives. His love for his creation is manifest in his
word. John 3:16 For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Because God
has written the law, he must also fulfill the law to
demonstrate his sovereignty, his righteous justice, the truth
of his word and his love for mankind.
Romans 5:8
But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. The law requires
perfection in order to be reconciled to God or "born again"
and enter into the presence of God. James 2:10 For
whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all.
Man, by his very nature, is incapable of meeting the demands
of the law for reconciliation
to God. That is why man needs a Savior or mediator to bridge
that gap, one who is capable of meeting those requirements.
Romans 3:10-12
As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one: There is none that understands, there
is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the
way, they are together become unprofitable; There is none
that does good, no, not one.
The replacement for man's imperfection is the perfect and
sinless sacrifice, Jesus Christ. By his blood sacrifice, his
death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, he
followed his own rules, he fulfilled his own law and redeemed those
who will hear his call from an eternal hell and eternal destruction. Hebrews 9:22 And
almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission.
Matthew 26:28
For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for
many for the remission of sins.
Romans 6:23 For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our response in receiving the gift of God, is by first understanding
and admitting that we are sinners and by faith recognizing
Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We must humble ourselves,
ask his forgiveness for our sins, begin a new life in repentance
of our sins and receive by grace the perfect righteousness
of Christ as payment for our sins; past, present and future.
We do this by asking him to change us; by surrendering our
corrupt nature over to his incorruptible will. According to
scripture, when we do this with sincerity, we are reconciled
to God. We are then given the mind of Christ; the law is written
in our heart and the direction of our heart is changed. That
is when our transformation from death to life begins.
To reject this marvelous gift from God will result only in
continued and increased frustration and eternal separation
from God.
After the new birth, believers
are still susceptible to sin as long as we inhabit this corruptible
body of flesh, and that will not change until we are fully
redeemed. (I Corinthians 15: 50-58)
The difference is, that we will no longer indulge in or be
servants to sin in our hearts once we have been reconciled
to God through Christ the Lord. Therein lies the change and the freedom from the bondage
of sin. We still possess the old sin nature, but now, we also
possess a new nature which gives us the power to fight effectively against that
which seeks to destroy us. 1John 2:1-2 My
little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin
not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous. And
he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world.
John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free
indeed.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is perceived as foolishness to
those who perish, but it makes perfect sense to an open mind
and heart yearning to find the one true God--Jesus Christ.1 Timothy 2:5 the
only mediator between God and men.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
It
is impossible for man to approach God intellectually.
The arrogance and pride of man in his unregenerate state keeps
him separated from God. The self-righteousness of man and
all of his good intentions to gain favor with God are insufficient
for reconciliation. God will only look upon and accept the
righteousness of Christ.
Isaiah 64:6 But we
are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken us away.
Jesus is the only way to
salvation and eternal life.
Acts 4:12 Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
1 Corinthians 1:19 For
it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and
will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Attempting to reach God by our own understanding is comparable
to sheep attempting to comprehend the mind of their shepherd.
That is why Jesus chose to use the analogy by comparing us
to sheep. We can only approach an all knowing, omnipresent
God through childlike faith by trusting his word, since man
does not possess the intellect or the nature to fully comprehend
God's judgments or his ways. Matthew 18:3
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except you be converted,
and become as little children, you shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven. Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past
finding out! John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
We are all required to make
a choice. We can't avoid it. We must make one of two choices
and that
will determine our eternal destiny.
Matthew 6:24 No
man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one,
and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise
the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
We can either choose to reject Christ, be a servant
to sin and inherit death; or choose to be free in Christ,
receive forgiveness and inherit eternal life.
2 Corinthians 6:2
In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of
salvation I have helped you.
Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.
Romans 10: 8-10
8 The word is near you, even
in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith,
which we preach;
9 That if you confess with your
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that
God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
10 For with the heart man believes
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.
Revelation 3:20
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.
Allow God to penetrate your heart today and give you the peace
and joy that forgiveness brings and only God can provide through
faith in his son Jesus Christ. Begin your new life in Christ
today! Unload that burden of guilt that weighs you down and
discover that true freedom which can
never be taken from you.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace
I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid.
There are more than 20 major religions in the world today,
with hundreds of subcategories. Christianity is the only belief
system in the history of the world which acknowledges a righteous,
loving Savior and King, willing to suffer horrific pain and
humiliation and give his life to redeem mankind from eternal
destruction. Religion, as defined by the world, is an invention
of man and a demonstration in futility to try to reach God
without fully confronting the issue of man's corrupt sin nature.
There is only one gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is presented
in the Bible, and it is not religion as defined by a fallen
world. The distinction between Christianity and all other
belief systems is that the Christian faith is based on a covenant
with God, freely given to anyone who will receive it, and
a revelation from God to man that we are not justified by
what we do for God but rather what God has done for us.
Christianity, unlike "religion",
does not present us with a list of dos and don'ts to which
we must adhere in order for God to accept us. What the Lord
does tell us to do is to Love the
Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and mind
and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
When we do this, we are obedient to his will, and the "Kingdom
of God" is made manifest in our hearts.
================================================
Something to consider: If
we have ever broken any of the ten commandments at any time in our lives,
if we are without Christ, we are condemned already according
to scripture and adrift in obscurity.
1 John 1:8 If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us.
James 2:10 For
whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all.
John 3:18 He that believeth on
him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
~ The Spirit Filled Believer~
What does it mean to be "born again"?
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