Archive for the ‘Message’ Category

1. Who Are You? 

God created you. He made you in His likeness, giving you a will, a mind, a sense of right and wrong, and an awareness of God. Just as an invention is created for a purpose, so God created you for a purpose: to fully love, know, and live for Him and to love others. You are accountable to your Creator.

God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)

But you have a serious problem…

2. What Are You Like? 

Your Creator is good and perfect. Sadly, like the rest of us, you are not—you have fallen from your original purpose. You break God’s law constantly in how you think, the things you say, and what you do; this is called “sin.” Your sinful nature is evidenced in your pride, lying, theft, adultery, lust, greed, envy, unrighteous anger, gossip, blasphemy, idolatry, ingratitude, selfishness, and ultimately failing to love God and others as you ought. Accordingly, you are a sinner, a rebel against God, and a slave to Satan.

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

The problem is even more serious…

3. What Do You Need?

Your sins have insulted God, and put you in a desperate condition before Him. As a good and just Judge, God must punish your lawbreaking. God loves goodness and thus hates evil, including yours. The punishment for your sins is death and eternal separation from Him in Hell. Thus, you urgently need God to forgive your sins so that you can be made right with Him. Without this forgiveness, you remain under the judgment of God and trapped in your guilt, shame, and slavery to evil and death.

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? (Genesis 18:25)

As for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

But there is incredibly good news…

4. How Do You Find It?

In His great love and mercy, God came to rescue His people. Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ entered our broken world. He performed miracles and fulfilled many prophecies, proving that He was God who had taken on the form of man. He also preached much about the good news of His kingdom.

Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God’s laws, so He did not deserve any punishment. Yet, Jesus came to take the blame and punishment of sinners so that they could be given His perfect record. How? Substitution: Jesus exchanged His record for theirs, and thus His life for theirs. Jesus took on Himself the sins of His people and bore their guilt by dying a cursed death on a cross. His loving sacrifice was perfect, sufficient, and final to bear the full judgment due for their sins.

But the story does not end there: three days after His death, Jesus rose again to life—just as He had predicted! He overcame sin, death, and Satan! Thus, Jesus alone has the power to forgive your sins, clothe you in His spotless righteousness, and restore you to God.

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified [made right] by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:8-9)

But you need to experience this salvation personally…

5. What Are You Waiting For?

After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended back to Heaven and rules with all authority. He promises to return to earth one day to judge all peoples, meaning that you will give an account of your life to Jesus.

Your good deeds will not help you to be right with God—your sins are too great. Yet, Jesus offers forgiveness and new life as undeserved gifts which only come through trusting in Him and His salvation. King Jesus commands you today: stop trusting yourself, turn from your sins, and trust in Jesus alone!

All who trust in Jesus become connected to Him like branches to a life-giving vine. In Jesus, they become new creations, receive His Spirit, and are adopted into the family of God. Followers of Jesus will face hardships and persecution in this life, but His Spirit will empower them to daily love God and others. When they die, they will enter Heaven—free of all sin, pain, shame, and death—and will be face-to-face with Jesus to worship and enjoy Him forever!

Will you be one of these people? What are you waiting for? Come to Jesus today! 

Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:8-10)

Will You Be Surprised?

We get surprised when things come upon us unexpectedly. Many things that occur in our lives come without warning. Sometimes things like sickness, bills and family crises just cannot be anticipated. Even our own death can come by surprise. What comes after death, however, is something that does not need to be a surprise for anyone. It is not God’s desire that you be surprised after you die. He tells us in the Bible that every one of us will live somewhere forever. To be prepared for life after death, we must first examine what we believe about this matter in the light of God’s Word.

Do you think a person stops existing after death?

Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” The word “after” tells us that life does not end with death. No matter what you think will happen when you die, God says that His judgment will follow. If you are anticipating “nothing” after death, you will be surprised!

Do you think God would never send you to hell?

Psalm 5:4 says, “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with Thee.” Because God is holy, He must punish sin. Sin cannot be where God is. We are all sinners. If a person’s sin is not cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, God must send him to hell, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). If you think no one goes to hell, you will be surprised!

Do you think being good will get you to heaven?

Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good deeds] are as filthy rags.” Being a good person is not enough to make us acceptable to God. We are still filthy sinners. In God’s eyes, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). Sin means “missing the mark.” We have all missed God’s mark even though we may do many good things. If you think a person’s goodness gets him to heaven, you will be surprised!

Do you think hell will be just a big party?

Matthew 13:50 says that the wicked will be cast “into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” A furnace of fire, wailing, and gnashing of teeth do not paint the picture of a party atmosphere. In reality, hell will be filled with only suffering and anguish. Luke 16:22,23 tells of a man who “died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments.” If you think there will be any pleasure in hell, you will be surprised!

Do you put off thinking about death and eternity, hoping it will just “turn out well”?

John 3:18 says, “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” The person who has not trusted in Jesus Christ is in peril of eternal condemnation already! “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). These matters are too important to leave unconsidered. Jesus Christ shed His blood and died on the cross to pay the punishment that you deserve. The resurrection of Christ is proof that God accepted His payment for sin. If you do not receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you will be surprised!

If you have never responded to God’s offer of salvation, call on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you now. Come to Him as a needy sinner and put your faith and trust in Him today. You might express your heart to God in a prayer like this, but remember that it is your faith which is important, not these exact words:

Dear God, I realize that I am a sinner and I deserve your judgment. I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again. I trust Him alone for my salvation.

If you have just cried out to God to save you, the Bible says you are now a child of God (John 1:12), saved (Romans 10:9), and have eternal life (John 10:28). Because God says so, you are now ready for what comes after death. You will not be surprised!

—Steven Lyon

The Wisest President Who Ever Lived

Hundreds of people wanted a piece of Abraham Lincoln’s attention. Greed, lust for power, and hunger for the spotlight brought many people to the president. Lincoln, a keen judge of character, became skilled at exposing their hypocrisy, lies and posturing. A favorite method involved posing a riddle to the scam artist. Lincoln would ask, “If you call the tail of a calf a leg, then how many legs does the calf have?” When told the answer was five, Lincoln would respond, “The calf only has four legs. Calling the tail a leg doesn’t make it one.”

Sincerity Is All That Matters

Many people claim there are different ways to get to heaven that are equally “valid.” They think as long as people are sincere in their beliefs, they can believe anything they want and God will accept them. A friend of mine had a customer at a gas station near Chicago that insisted that any sincere, good person could believe what they want and then go to heaven when they die. When they were through discussing “religious” things, the customer asked the way to get from Chicago to Milwaukee. My friend answered, “Drive in any direction you want. As long as you are sincere, you’ll get there.” Pretending that conflicting and contradictory claims can all be true doesn’t make them true.

The Wisest One Who Ever Lived

No one has ever lived who’s wiser than the Lord Jesus Christ. His words, when asked the way to God the Father’s house, were, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Head in any other direction, trust in the instruction of any other person, count on receiving eternal life in any other way and we will never arrive in the Father’s house in heaven. Jesus Christ is not merely an interesting or wise historical figure with a “personal opinion,” but the always-existing Son of God who came to save mankind from their sins. The Jewish people clearly understood His declaration of Himself as God when He said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). He said, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He died on a Roman cross, was punished by God for the sins of others, and shed His blood, which “cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Then He rose from the dead, went back to heaven, and sent an invitation to us: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). We can come only through Him to be with Him forever.

Who Knows What to Believe?

Pilate, the Roman governor who condemned Jesus to death, anticipated the excuse many people today make for not believing what Jesus has said. He asked, “What is truth?” or, in other words, “Who knows what is really true?” The driver wanting to get to Milwaukee wouldn’t have been any more satisfied with the answer “Who knows?” than he was with “Any direction you want.” Will you respond to what Jesus Christ has said about Himself?

William Dixon doubted there was a God. Even if there was, he could not forgive Him for taking away his young wife, Mary, just two years after they were married. His little boy had also died, and Dixon felt desolate and bitter.

Some years after Mary’s death, a stirring event occurred in the little village of Brackenthwaite. Old Peggy Winslow’s cottage caught fire, and burned to the ground. The poor woman was pulled out alive, though nearly suffocated by smoke.

Suddenly, the bystanders heard the terri­fied voice of little Dickey Winslow — Peggy’s orphan grandchild. Awakened by the flames he had run shrieking to the attic window.

Horrified, the crowd gazed at the child in the window, but it was too late to save him. The stairway had already collapsed. Sud­denly, William Dixon rushed to the burning cottage, climbed up the now-hot iron piping, and took the trembling boy in his arms. Down he came again, holding the child in his right arm, while supporting himself by his left. Just as the smoking wall fell, the two safely reached the ground.
Dickey wasn’t hurt, but Dixon’s hand which had held on to the piping was terribly burned. The burn healed, but left deep scars he would carry to his grave. Poor Peggy did not recover from the shock, and died soon after.

Who would look after Dickey? James Lovatt, a respectable man in the community, begged that Dickey be given to him to adopt. He and his wife longed for a little son of their own. To everyone’s surprise, Will Dixon made a similar request.

The minister, the miller and others assem­bled to decide between the two. Mr. Haywood, the miller, said: “It is very kind of both Lovatt and Dixon to offer to adopt the orphan boy, but I am in a great perplexity as to which of them ought to have him. Dixon having saved his life, has the first claim. On the other hand, Lovatt has a wife, and the care of a woman is necessary to a child.”

Mr. Lipton, the minister, said: “A man of Dixon’s atheistic notions cannot be a suit­able guardian for a child, while Lovatt and his wife are both Christian people, and would train up the child in the way he should go.

“Dixon saved the child’s body, but the boy will have a sad future if Dixon leads him to his eternal ruin.”

“We will hear what the applicants themselves have to say,” said Mr. Haywood, “then vote, Mr. Lovatt.”

Mr. Lovatt replied: “Well, gentlemen, my wife and I lost a little boy of our own not long ago, and we feel this child would fill the vacant place. We would do our best to bring him up in the fear of the Lord. Besides, a child so young needs a woman to look after him.”
“Good, Mr. Lovatt; now, Mr. Dixon.”

“I have only one argument, sir, and it’s this,” answered Dixon quietly, as he took the bandage off his badly scarred hand and held it up for them to see.

For a few moments quiet settled over the room; the eyes of some dimmed with tears. Something in the sight of that scarred hand appealed to their sense of justice. He had a claim on the boy because he had suffered for him. So, when the question was put to a vote, the majority decided in favor of Wil­liam Dixon.

Dickey never missed a mother’s care, for Will was both father and mother to the orphan boy, and lavished all the pent-up tenderness of his strong nature upon the child he had saved. So a new era began for Dixon.

Dickey was a clever boy, and quickly responded to his adopted father’s training; he adored him with all his heart. He remem­bered how “daddy” had saved him from the fire, and had claimed him because of the hand so dreadfully burned for his sake. It moved Dickey to tears, and he showered kisses on the hand that had been scarred for him.
One summer a great exhibition of paint­ings came to town and Dixon took Dickey to see them. The boy was greatly interested in the pictures and the stories his daddy told about some of them. One of the Lord Jesus reproving Thomas impressed him most; underneath which were the words:

Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands.1

Dickey read the words and said, “Please, Daddy, tell me the story of that picture.” “No, not that one!”

“Why not that one?”

“Because it’s a story I don’t believe.”

“Oh, but that’s nothing,” urged Dickey; “you don’t believe the story of Jack the Giant-killer, but it’s one of my favorites. Tell me the story of the picture, please, Daddy.” So Dixon, to Dickey’s great interest, told the story.

“It’s like you and me, Daddy,” said the boy. “When the Lovatts wanted me, you showed them your hand. Maybe when Thomas saw the scars on the Good Man’s hands he felt like he belonged to Him.”

“I suppose so,” answered Dixon.

“The Good Man looked so sad,” said Dickey; “I guess He was sorry that Thomas didn’t believe at first. It was bad of him not to, wasn’t it, after Jesus had died for him?”

Dixon didn’t answer, and Dickey went on, “It would have been bad of me if when they told me about you and the fire I said I didn’t believe you had done it, wouldn’t it, Daddy?”

“I don’t want to think about Him, my boy.”

“But maybe he loved Jesus after that, though—like I love you. When I see your poor hand, Daddy, I love you more than mil­lions and millions.” Tired little Dickey fell asleep hugging his daddy.

Dixon slept fitfully that night. He couldn’t get the tender, sorrowful face in the painting out of his thoughts. He dreamed that he and Lovatt were competing for the custody of Dickey, but when he showed his scarred hand the boy turned away from him. A bitter sense of injustice surged up in his heart.

He did not yield to this influence at once, but his love for Dickey had softened his heart. Being an honest man, Dixon couldn’t help seeing that his claim to Dickey’s love condemned him, because he had denied the claim of the hands that had been pierced for him. Seeing the child’s warm-hearted grati­tude toward him for saving his life, Dixon felt ashamed of himself.

After a while, Dixon’s heart became more open. He found out by reading the Bible that, just as Dickey belonged to him, so he belonged to the Saviour who had been wounded for his transgressions. Dixon finally yielded his body, soul and spirit into the keeping of the blessed hands which had been pierced for him.

Have you too bowed to the claims of Christ’s love? Can’t you see Him dying on Calvary’s cross for you—dying to put your sins away?

See from His head, His hands, His feet.
Sorrow and love flowed mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

He was despised, and we esteemed Him not….But He was wounded for our transgres­sions, He was bruised for our iniquities.2

His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.3

May your heart respond to the love of the Lord Jesus who died so that you could be saved. Accept Him as your Saviour today.

O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head!
Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead,
To bear all ill for me.
A Victim led, Thy blood was shed;
Now there’s no load for me.

Bible References: 1  John 20:27; 2 lsaiah 53:3,5; 3 1 Peter 2:24.

Seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling–everyday, we use our senses and our minds to learn more about ourselves and the world around us. By using our senses, we can know about the physical world that surrounds us. But what about spiritual matters? Can we know these things also?

We can know God

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

“I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine” (John 10:14).

We can know that we are sinners

“How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin” (Job 13:23).

“O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee” (Psalm 69:5).

“Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that My fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 2:19).

“Now we know that what things soever the law [10 commandments, etc.] saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19,20).

We can know the way of salvation

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

“Therefore let all … know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

“And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man [Jesus Christ] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38,39).

We can know that we are saved

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27,28).

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

“For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

What wondrous blessings overflow,
When we can truly say, “I know”–
I know in whom I have believed,
I know the One I have received
I know His blood avails for me,
I know that I was blind, but see
I know that my Redeemer lives,
I know the gift He freely gives,
I know He’ll keep me to the end,
I know He’s my unfailing Friend,
I know He’s coming in the sky,
I know the time is drawing nigh.

Scripture verses quoted from the King James Version (KJV).

Conviction

“The Scripture hath concluded all under sin” (Galatians 3:22).

All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10).

There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not (Eccl. 7:20).

The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20).

How then can man be justified with God? (Job 25:4).

By Him [Jesus Christ] all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses (Acts 13:39).

It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Heb. 9:27).

Confession

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).

God…now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead (Acts 17:30,31).

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).

If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and Shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shaft be saved (Romans 10:9).

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19).

Conversion

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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 (John 5:24).

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent (John 17:3).

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

What about you?

Have you experienced these three C’s in your life? Has the Holy Spirit convicted you of your sinfulness? Have you confessed your sinful ways to God? Have you been converted, by faith believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and is risen again for your justification?

To believe on Christ for salvation is to come to Him as a guilty sinner, claiming His blood shed on Calvary as payment in full for every sin.

When these three C’s have occurred, you will also experience a change in your life. You now belong to Christ, and have received the divine nature which delights to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven.
(See 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:3,4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10.)

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael, and would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, ‘Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.’

The young man held out this package and said ‘I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.’

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. ‘Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.’

The father hung the portrait over his mantelpiece. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later and there was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. ‘We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?’

There was silence… Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, ‘We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.’

But the auctioneer persisted. ‘Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?’

Another voice shouted angrily, ‘We didn’t come to see this painting.
We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!’

But still the auctioneer continued. ‘The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?’

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. ‘I’ll give $10 for the painting.’ Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

‘We have $10, who will bid $20?’

‘Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.’

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. ‘Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!’

A man sitting on the second row shouted, ‘Now let’s get on with the collection!’ The auctioneer laid down his gavel. ‘I’m sorry, the auction is over.’

‘What about the paintings?’

‘I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!’

God gave His Son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: ‘The Son, the Son, who’ll take the son?’

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM, SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE …THAT’S LOVE

Time For A Change

Fueled by unfulfilled promises, unrealized hopes and mounting difficulties, “It’s time for a change” is frequently heard from both politicians and the general public.

There Have Been Changes in the Past

Within the recent past, changes have occurred with surprising suddenness. Governments once thought to be stable have been toppled. Financial institutions have failed. Once-successful businesses have collapsed. More serious than all, the moral fabric of society has been shattered by turning away from God and the principles of His Word, the Bible. The “Do what feels good” philosophy—casting off restraint and the rejection of authority which is really lawlessness, the essence of sin—has broken up families, ruined lives and brought the disillusion, disease, death and destruction we see all around us.

There Will Be More Changes

When Jesus Christ was asked what the signs of His second coming would be, He replied, “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars … and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6-8).

Also, the Holy Spirit through Paul in 2 Timothy chapter three reveals the coming apostasy, the “falling away,” which is the result of professed Christians deliberately rejecting revealed truth concerning the Person of Christ and His work on Calvary. This has already set in, and in verse 13 we read, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” This rapidly increasing apostasy will soon bring a swift change. Instead of God’s grace being still offered to all men whereby they may be saved, His judgment will fall upon this godless world of unbelievers to their eternal destruction.

There Must Be a Personal Change

To escape the judgment of God upon sin you need to be changed. The Lord Jesus desires to change you from death to life, from darkness to light, from sin to salvation, from judgment to glory. To enable this change He died on the Cross for you. There He “suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). That work is finished and sin’s penalty has been paid. The proof of God’s acceptance of that payment with Jesus’ shed blood on your behalf is seen in that He rose from the dead. The Lord Jesus lives, and now from heaven, through His Word, declares the way by which you may be changed.

What Must You Do To Be Changed?

The Lord Jesus declares, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3,5). To repent means to change your mind as to the wrong course you are following without God. It means you accept His verdict that you have sinned and come short of His glory, and you can do nothing to save yourself. You must REPENT!

Secondly, He says, “Ye must be BORN AGAIN” (John 3:7). New birth is spiritual birth from above—from God. It is brought about by receiving Christ as your Saviour and Lord. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power [authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name” (John 1:12). To receive Him is to believe on Him. To believe He died for you makes you a child of God. You receive everlasting life, and thus become a completely new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is the change you must have, or else perish in eternal separation from God.

The Time For a Change Is Now

“Now is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians. 6:2). Trust Christ and be changed in this day of His grace. “Flee from the wrath to come” (Luke 3:7).

Important

YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER SOMEWHERE, AFTER DEATH.

• You can’t be reincarnated because DEATH IS IRREVERSIBLE. (Hebrews 9:27)
• You won’t be annihilated because YOUR SOUL IS IMMORTAL (Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43-48)

HERE ARE 4 PROOFS FOR LIFE AFTER DEATH:-

• Your own conscience, which demands that justice MUST be done for the wrongs committed on earth.
• The evidence all around us that there is more ‘out there’ than meets the eye (the paranormal) • there is a spiritual dimension to our existence.
• The historical fact of the resurrection of Christ. He came back to tell us.
• The Bible – it speaks clearly and unmistakably about life after death

HEAVEN & HELL are not EXPERIENCES in this LIFE; they are real places people go to at DEATH.

 Now hear this…

YOU CAN KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING WHEN YOU DIE.

Neither the media nor mediums are reliable maps on the road to heaven but YOU CAN TRUST THE BIBLE!

The Bible says that at death your soul will immediately go to one of two places – HEAVEN OR HELL (Luke 16:22-23)

That is why this message is so important. Your eternal destiny is at stake.

Now, if your Bank Manager came up with a business plan that was guaranteed, a plan involving no risks and no debt, wouldn’t you take it?

AND IF YOU KNEW WHAT TO DO TO BE SURE OF GOING TO HEAVEN WHEN YOU DIE, WOULDN’T YOU DO IT?

 Well then, read on and read carefully. Don’t rush:

SIN…The Barrier To Heaven

Heaven is perfect. You are not. You therefore face the prospect of being shut out of heaven when you die. In fact, your sins warrant eternal punishment in hell. They cannot be ‘balanced out’ against the good things you have done (Rom 6:23, Rev 21:27).

CHRIST…The Way To Heaven

God must have a proper basis for forgiving you. It’s good to be sorry for your sin, but that’s not enough. God must have a sacrifice for sin. Justice must be done. The death penalty must be paid. Now that’s the meaning of Christ’s death; He loved you enough to die for you, to pay for your sin! God can now save you without compromising His perfect standard (Rom 3:26-28, 1 Pet 3:18).

FAITH…The Key To Heaven

Most people think the way to heaven is by being good and going to church. However, the Bible way to heaven is to admit your own efforts aren’t good enough, and then accept by faith that Christ paid your sin’s penalty when He died on the cross. This was the only way to save you. Now that the debt has been paid and He has risen from the dead, you can receive salvation as a free gift. Will you accept the Lord Jesus now as your Saviour? The Bible says “Repent… and be converted that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).

THE INCOMPARABLE CHRIST

But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5.

He came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman.
He put on humanity that we might put on divinity.
He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God.

He was born in a supernatural way, lived in poverty, reared in obscurity.
Only once crossed the boundary of the land, in childhood.
He had no wealth nor influence, and no college education; yet the profoundest wisdom of men has never equalled His lay discourses in John 13 to 17, and the sermon, on the mount. “Never man spake like this man.”

His relatives were inconspicuous and Un-influential.
In infancy He startled a king; in boyhood He puzzled the doctors; even at twelve years of age proving He was far in advance of the theologians, for He was taught of God.
In manhood He ruled the elements, so that He could defy the laws of gravitation by walking on the water, and quiet the raging sea.
He healed the multitudes without medicine, and made no charge for His services.

He never wrote a book, yet not all the libraries of the country could hold the books that have been written about Him.
He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme of more songs than all songwriters combined.
He never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has.

He never marshalled an army, drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun, yet no leader ever made more volunteers, who have under His orders made rebels stack arms or surrender
without a shot being fired.
Great men have come and gone, yet He lives on.
Herod could not kill Him.
Satan could not seduce Him.
Death could not destroy Him.
The grave could not hold Him.
Even demons obeyed Him.
He fed the hungry multitudes with a boy’s little lunch.
Broke up funerals and gave back to life those that were dead.

He laid aside His purple robe for a peasant’s gown.
He was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor.
As to how poor? Ask-Mary. Ask the Wise Men.
He slept in an­other’s manger.
He cruised the lake in an­other’s boat.
He rode on a borrowed beast.
He was buried in a rich man’s tomb.

He conquered death, rose on the third day as He said He would.
He ascended into heaven, is now at the right hand of the throne of God.
One day come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory for His own born‑again, blood‑bought ones to be forever with Him according to promise.
He will judge the world in righteous­ness, when every knee shall bow to Him and every tongue shall confess Him as Lord.
His friends gladly, but His enemies seeking for a place to hide from His face.
(Rev 6:15).

The ever Perfect One.
He is the Chief among ten thousand.
The only One who can satisfy the soul and give everlasting LIFE to those who have it not.

HE IS ALTOGETHER LOVELY, AND HE IS MY SAVIOUR.

IS HE YOURS?

Anon.