by David Brenneman
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3.
"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:3-18.
"Nothings getting any better, its all going downhill."
"The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer!"
"People keep getting worse and worse! I don't even want to go outside anymore!"
"The climate is going downhill."
"There's so many wars, famines and earthquakes! The weather is just making no sense!"
"...for it escapes their notice..."
It escapes their notice that these days WE see were foretold by Jesus as they would be when He returns.
It escapes their notice that Jesus said it would be just like the days of Noah. Where everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. Justifying their sin and not caring what the God of Heaven had to say about it until the floods came and the words Noah spoke to them became their reality until they died.
It escapes the notice of mankind that their future IS written. Contrary to what Doc Brown said in "Back to the Future" your future in the greater respect has been written by the choices you make in this here this now.
My Dear Reader choosing to ignore the signs of the times like a bird with its head in the sand isn't going to save you. Choosing to put off coming to Christ for salvation until what you think is the last minute isn't going to save you when you know not when that is. Choosing to embrace your sins that chain you to the grave rather than coming to Jesus for salvation and freedom isn't going to save you.
Jesus said that everyone needs to take up their own cross and follow Him. Your whole attention should be on carrying that cross. You cannot put it down and do your own thing at the same time as carrying it and obeying God at the same time.
You cannot know exactly when Jesus will return. His Father set the date. Since the only treasure in Heaven is people...it's reasonable to presume that the date has everything to do with a single human being saying yes to the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Bookends.
It began with the thief on the cross who died without doing anything for the Church of Jesus Christ other than give a short testimony in believing in Jesus Christ. It's highly unlikely that it will end any differently.
My Dear Reader you have no idea if you will die by simply standing up to go to another room. You have no promise of a next breath. These days in which you live are a gift of God's grace and mercy towards you. Grace because you did nothing to earn it and mercy because He's not given you the punishment you do deserve for your sins.
Scripture says it's appointed unto mankind once to die and then comes the judgment of God.
To die without Jesus as your Savior and Lord means He will not defend you nor testify that you belong to Him. The book of life, as in a book of testimony, will not have your name written in it. Every single name in it is written in the blood of Jesus Christ only for those who placed their faith and trust in what Christ did on the cross to save them.
The need for additional prophecies to be fulfilled prior to the return of Jesus Christ is over. We simply await that shout from Jesus in the air to call the dead in Christ to their new glorified bodies and then for those who are alive and remain to come as well to inherit their new glorified bodies then for all who have been saved in Christ to leave with Him. Then the judgments of God as written in the Bible will begin.
Oh my Dear Reader it's coming.
Ignore it at your own peril.
Jesus Christ must be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life.
Salvation is through no one else.
Jesus thought of every single human being while He was hanging on the cross. You were on His mind. You were why He was there dying your death that you deserved for your sins. He was there to be the sacrifice for sin. He was there to make a way for you that you couldn't do. 3 days later He arose from the dead to be both Lord and Christ. King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Holding onto your reasons rather than admitting you need saving is going to permanently separate you from an eternity with Jesus. All who reject this free gift of salvation will permanently be separated from God and will forever be paying the painful torment of their sins.
God's enemy, Satan, knows all of this and is doing everything in his power that he's been allowed to do to keep you from the truth in Christ Jesus.
Every temptation is crafted for you to keep you distracted from seeing the truth. He knows the Bible. He knows what's coming for him since he couldn't stop what Jesus did on the cross. He knows but also does not know when or what person will be the last person in the Church of Jesus Christ. It could be you.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Romans 10:8-11.
It's on you to decide. Jesus's work on the cross brought you that decision to make.
Choose wisely because He is coming...
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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