Month: January 2022

Christians will fall into one of three categories, those who think they’re saved, those who hope they’re saved and those who know they’re saved. Any Christian worth their salt needs to know they’re saved and they’re absolutely sure they’re going to heaven when they die. If you call yourself Christian which category do you think you fall under and why do you think so? A true Christian is someone who knows without a doubt they’re saved. So, are you going to heaven, to hell, somewhere in between or are you just not sure? If you don’t know your eternal destination for sure it’s imperative you find that out right now while there is still time. To effectively work for the kingdom of God every believer must first seek and find their own “full assurance” of salvation unto eternal life before they can help others. Every believer needs to know for certain they’re heaven bound otherwise they’re of little use to God. How can any Christian gain this “full assurance” of being saved and of being heaven bound? The answer, of course, is with God’s help. God tells us in the Bible how believers can know him and have “full assurance” of their salvation through daily prayer and a careful, thorough, systematic study of God’s Word.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Isaiah 32:17 – The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

Isaiah 46:13 – I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger.

Isaiah 44:22 – I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

If you’re not praying daily and reading your Bible daily then, of course, you’ll start to have doubts about your faith. It’s just our human nature. Most human beings need repetition and consistency to really learn something well and to internalize that knowledge so it becomes a part of who they are. Neglecting regular Bible reading leads to a stunted and dwarfed spiritual life. Neglecting regular prayers to God will make us fearful, doubtful, and more susceptible to false doctrine. Our regenerated soul needs the constant nourishment of God’s Word like a newborn baby needs its mother’s milk. Satan feasts on believers who have let their faith grow cold. Satan never stops trying to destroy the Christian’s faith so we need regular prayer and the daily reading God’s Word in order to stop the fiery darts of the wicked one. Why is that? When you pray you are talking to God one on one and he always hears the prayers of believers. When you read the Bible God is talking to you and the Holy Spirit always comes on the scene to help you understand the Word of God. That’s why the Holy Spirit is called the Helper.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John 17:17 – (Jesus speaking) – Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Matthew 4:4 – (Jesus speaking) – It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

John 10:27-30 – (Jesus speaking) – My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of His hand. I and My Father are one.

If you don’t have full assurance of heaven yourself how can you effectively resist Satan and, at the same time, witness for Christ to other people? The answer is you can’t because your motivation and your confidence won’t be where you need it to be. People can sense whether or not you’re passionate about God and whether or not you know what you’re talking about. Without “full assurance” of eternal life and forgiveness of your sins you may still do some good works before God out of a sense of duty or guilt, which is commendable. But when you truly have the peace of knowing your salvation is certain then your good works will be so much more; then your witness will be so much more powerful and effective; not because you feel you have to but out of the abundance of love you have for the Lord. You won’t be able to contain the joy you have for God in your heart.

Hebrews 6:10-12 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Acts 17:30-31 – Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

Hebrews 10:19-22 – Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

John 6:37 – (Jesus speaking) – All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

As a believer, when I think about God’s salvation plan for man these words keep popping up in my mind, “this is perfect.” What dawned on me is only the mind of God could ever have conceived of such a thing! The Holy Spirit communed with my spirit so that the truth of God and his word were confirmed in my heart first and then it was settled in my soul forever. God confirms this in John 8:32 when he says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Our spirit knows God the Father because we received our eternal spirit from God. Our spirit is a part of God that he gives each person at conception. Just imagine it; God, the King of the universe, coming off his throne to take on flesh and live a human life in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Just imagine God volunteering to die a horrible death on the cross in our place to remove our sins; so his creatures wouldn’t have to suffer eternal death in the lake of fire.

1 John 5:11 – And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

Isaiah 53:25 – I, even I, am He who blots out your transgression for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

Mark 1:15 – (Jesus speaking) – The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the gospel.

John 3:36 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Oh, what love our Father has for us! I know the gospel can only come from God and it’s not something made by human hands because the human mind cannot comprehend the perfect love of God and the perfect justice of God. The entire Bible is God’s love letter to us. One of the spiritual laws of God is the wages of sin is death. The shed blood of Christ was the only possible way for a righteous God to uphold his perfect love while at the same time uphold his perfect justice. If you want proof of God and proof of your salvation look no further than the Bible, and especially the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 5:24 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

2 Timothy 1:8-10 – Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Romans 8:16 – The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Jesus came to earth to be a sin offering to God the Father for the forgiveness of all sins. Nothing else would satisfy the justice of a holy God and allow us to enjoy eternal life in heaven. The sins of the whole world were placed on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, at his crucifixion because, as the sinless Lamb of God, he was the only person worthy enough to be a sacrifice for all sins for all time. I’m talking about your sins, my sins, the sins of every person who has ever lived in the past from Adam up to now and every person who will ever live in the future up to the time of the Second Coming of Christ. Crucifixion was the most cruel way to die ever devised by man, so cruel in fact that the Romans banned it after 200 years in use.

Ephesians 5:26 – That He might sanctify and cleanse her (the church) with the washing of water by the word.

John 3:27 – A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

Acts 10:13 – To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.

Matthew 22:37 – (Jesus speaking) – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

No doubt Jesus suffered tremendous physical pain and anguish on the cross but that pain and anguish paled in comparison to the spiritual torture Jesus endured in his Spirit as he was separated from God the Father for the first time while absorbing the full brunt of the unfiltered wrath of God for the sins of all mankind, past, present and future. The wrath God intended for all sinners, including us, was instead channeled through Jesus. We can’t comprehend what Jesus endured for us and he did it voluntarily because of his great love, mercy and grace toward us. Yes, Jesus is indeed our Savior! We need to remember daily what Jesus has done for us and offer up praise, worship, honor and glory to his name!

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

John 3:36 – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 11:25-26 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

The death of Jesus made the forgiveness of sins possible for all men. The next step is for each person to receive remission of their individual sins by believing in the gospel message of Christ and accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This is done by making a conscious decision to turn away from sin and turn toward God (repentance) and by a profession of faith in the Lord (sinner’s prayer). God put eternity into the heart of every person so they would know deep down there is a God and instinctively search for God. It’s a universal need of every people, nation and tribe on the face of the earth. No person will ever be truly happy until they find the true God that created them; the only God that can fill the void in their soul. If the gospel were reduced to one word it would be “resurrection.” Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ there would be no Christianity and our faith would be in vain.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice; holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

The death and resurrection of Jesus is proof from God that he has accepted full payment for our sins. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead gives every believer “full assurance” that their sins have been forgiven and that they will also rise from the dead on the last day in glorified bodies and then live with Jesus forever in heaven. We know God doesn’t allow sin in heaven. If God had not accepted Jesus’ sacrificial death for forgiveness of the sins of all men he never would have raised Jesus from the dead and we would all still be in our sins. If the sins of the world were still on Jesus then he wouldn’t be in heaven right now at the right hand of God. All believers have “full assurance” of eternal life in heaven and the remission of their sins because Jesus is risen and sits on his throne in heaven as our Mediator. A righteous God is satisfied with the finished work of Jesus on the cross. God won’t demand payment twice for your sins. God is not mocked. Your sin debt has been paid in full forever by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. That’s what the word “savior” means. This should give us inner peace and “full assurance” of our salvation.

Luke 19:10 – (Jesus speaking) – For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Romans 6:14 – For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:11 – Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:10 – For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

The Bible is the inerrant word of God. People have tried for two thousand years to prove the Bible wrong and they have failed to find any errors in it. God claims the Bible is his word and we know God cannot lie. God is ever faithful to fulfill the promises he makes in the Bible. The Bible is one third prophecy with over 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have already come true in their appointed time and have been documented at fact. The theme of the Bible is all about the revelation of Jesus Christ and believers can only find the “full assurance” of the salvation they seek by daily reading and studying the Bible themselves along with daily prayers to God. As a believer, if you doubt your salvation you’re calling God a liar to his face. You’re telling God his word is false. In Scripture God say, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Scripture also says the word of God is forever settled in heaven which means God will never change his mind.

Luke 6:17 – (Jesus speaking) – And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

Luke 21:33 – Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

John 3:6 – (Jesus speaking) – That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

In fact, God never changes at all so we can abide in God and trust his word to be true. Every believer will occasionally have doubts because we’re all human. When that happens immediately look to the Bible and to the cross; and have faith in Jesus. Trust in God because he is faithful. God is the only thing you can count on in this world. It’s the blood of Christ that saves us and the Word of God that confirms it in our hearts and minds. Believe in God because he cannot lie and he is ever faithful. Rest your hope on the finished work of Christ for your salvation. Rest your faith in the naked Word of God. Nothing else will do. The Bible believed gives “full assurance” to us of our salvation unto eternal life in heaven where we’ll be in the presence of Jesus forever.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 – But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

1 John 5:10 – He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

John 6:40 – (Jesus speaking) – And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

God created us all and he’s been fair to everyone by giving each of us the same small amount of initial faith which is all we need to accept his saving grace. Anyone who wants to be saved can be saved. It’s true, God wants you! God never turns anyone away and he makes it easy to come to him. All you have to do is ask. Even the feeblest faith in Christ is saving faith because God wants all of us in heaven with him. That’s why God created us! The thief who died on the cross with Jesus had the feeblest faith I’ve ever seen yet it was enough to save him. God gave that example to prove to us anyone can come to God at any time, even when our faith is weak. It’s up to believers to grow the faith they were initially given through daily prayers to God and by reading their Bibles daily for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Always remember this when you have doubts, which all of us will have at one time or another. Disregard how you may feel and just trust in what God says in the Bible. Salvation is not about us, it’s about God and what he wants for us. God made us especially for heaven. Salvation is about the love, mercy and grace of Almighty God!

Matthew 5:18 – (Jesus speaking) – For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Romans 5:18 – Therefore, as though one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

Psalm 119:89 – Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The closer a believer gets to God the more they realize the holiness and glory of the Lord while at the same time they also see their own wretched sinfulness. Once a believer sees the vast gulf between holy God and sinful man the first thing they think is, “I’m not worthy of salvation,” and they’re right. Sinful man is an unclean thing to God, a filthy rag before the Lord. The thing is, none of us are worthy of God’s grace. We’re all in the same boat. But God in his love and mercy has decided to forgive us of our sins through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Once we have been reborn in Christ Jesus, when God looks upon us he sees only the righteousness of Jesus, his dear Son. Our sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus, In the eyes of God the death of Jesus was also our death and the life of Jesus is also our life. We were resurrected with Jesus therefore we are forever linked together. Because Jesus Christ lives forever and dwells in us, we too will live forever. Because Jesus lives eternally all who believe in him have “full assurance” of their eternal salvation in Jesus. Believers will live forever in heaven because Jesus is there.

Ephesians 1:11 – In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

Colossians 3:1-4 – If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

1 John 4:13-16 – By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Romans 8:29-30 – For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

When we see the word predestined in Scripture it doesn’t mean God intended for some people to go to heaven and others to hell. God wants all men to go to heaven which is one of the reasons he is holding off on the rapture of the saints until the last possible moment; hoping more will come to Jesus before it’s too late. The word predestination means that God will conform believers to be like Jesus (sanctification) over time. The goal is for us to obey God and assist in this process through prayer and abiding in God’s Word. When we were reborn God forgave our sins and gave us a new spirit but the corrupt flesh remains. Sin in the flesh is not destroyed. We still have a sin nature in our physical bodies inherited from Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden. That means we all will continue to sin and be “sinners” because of that. The difference is that on earth we can’t keep from sinning but once we’re in heaven we’ll be unable to sin because God himself will “glorify” us and keep us from sinning forevermore.

Ephesians 1:5 – Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Isaiah 53:5-6 – But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Titus 3:5-7 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

As believers we should be sinning less and less over time as our fellowship with God deepens. Believers should hate sin and should find no satisfaction when they do sin (or at least not as much as they used to). Satan loves to tell Christians that because of their ongoing sin they can’t possibly be saved and that God doesn’t love them anymore. That is not true! Don’t believe it for a second. In the eyes of God every saint is priceless. Once a believer is saved their salvation is irrevocable. To prove it God indwells the believer with his Holy Spirit upon salvation as an earnest deposit on their soul. God will fulfill his promise and redeem believers when they die. Scripture says, “Precious in the eyes of God is the death of His saints.” The Scriptures also say Satan is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44). Believe what the Bible says. Have faith in God, push back against Satan, and trust in the Lord for his salvation and protection. God cannot lie; God is ever faithful; God will never leave you nor forsake you. Believers can have “full assurance” that they are saved and will go to heaven. Believers are secure in God’s hands forever and Satan can’t pluck us out no matter how hard he tries. All praise, worship, honor and glory to God our Father in heaven for our salvation unto eternal life, for those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Titus 2:15 – Speak these things (the gospel), exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 – Therefore comfort one another with these words.

For over nineteen centuries Bible-believing Christians have had their eyes on the horizon, hoping to see the Lord Jesus Christ descending from heaven with a shout to call them home. The Apostle Paul called this future prophetic event, “The Blessed Hope”, but most Christians refer to it as, “The Rapture.” As believers we all want to go to heaven and miss the Tribulation but, more importantly, we want our “Blessed Hope”, which is Christ himself. The New Testament was originally written in Greek, the universal language of the ancient world. It was then translated into Latin in the fourth century and later into English. You won’t find the word rapture anywhere in the Bible. Rapture was a Latin term used in the Latin translation of the Bible but since Latin is now a dead language you won’t find it in print anymore.

However, the term rapture caught everyone’s imagination and the word stuck. The rapture event was described in the original Greek language by the word “harpadso” which means “snatched up.” Believers are literally going to be “snatched up” or “caught away” by Jesus at his promised return. The term rapture may be a better translation than the original Greek because it suggests a joyous exaltation in the prophetic event. Rapture gives Christians a sense of expectancy, a sense of immediacy that you simply don’t get with “snatched up”. Interpret Scripture, first and foremost, based on God’s intended audience. Determine whether God is talking to Israel, to the Gentiles or to the church, and then the Scriptures will start making more sense to you. All Scripture is for us but not all Scripture is about us. We need to know the difference between the two. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Then we are to interpret Scripture literally; using correct grammar and with an awareness of the historical setting in which the verses were written. If Scripture makes sense seek no other sense. Let’s take a look at the three main Bible verses on the rapture:

John 14:1-3 – (Jesus speaking) – And 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.

The main theme of the Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of mankind through his substitutionary death on the cross in our place. The Old Testament is Jesus prophesied and the New Testament is Jesus fulfilled. In 685 BC the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the coming birth of the Messiah, the Son of God, who would save people from their sins. Fulfillment of this prophecy came during the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lived on this earth from 0-33 AD. This was the “first” appearing of God on the earth, in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Since Jesus spoke the words of this Scripture some two thousand years ago Christians of every age have been thrilled at the prospect of living in heaven forever in the presence of Jesus Christ, who is God. It’s the “blessed hope” of every Christian. While the verse itself is not that specific we know from other verses in the Bible exactly what Jesus means. We know Jesus came off his throne in heaven, came to earth and lived a human life, was crucified and brought back to life three days later by God the Father. After his resurrection Jesus ascended back to heaven. We know Jesus is currently sitting at the right hand of God where he is our Mediator. Jesus has had two thousand years to make a place in heaven for us to live with him and he will come for us one day just as he promised. As far as how Jesus plans to call us to himself, that is explained in the following two verses.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

This is one of the “mysteries” of God revealed to us by the Apostle Paul, whom God has appointed to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. This is the “second” of the prophesied “appearing” of Jesus Christ on the earth. The first “appearing” of Christ was to save all men of every age through the forgiveness of sins by his sacrificial death. On the second “appearing” of Jesus he is coming some time in the future for his own, his church; those believing Christians who by faith have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Jesus will not be actually setting foot on the earth this time so the rapture can’t be confused with the Second Coming of Christ referred to as, “The Glorious Appearing.” At the rapture Jesus is remaining in the clouds at his second appearing and bringing all believers from every age, both dead and alive, instantaneously to his location where they will be given new “glorified bodies.” Jesus will then take all believers back to heaven as he said he would. The last sentence in the above verse lets all Christians know God wants believers to call to remembrance the coming rapture when they gather together.

This “rapture” of the saints is the same thing as God “translating” people in the Old Testament. In Genesis 5:24 we learned that the prophet Enoch pleased God and he was translated directly from earth to heaven without dying. Elijah, the great Hebrew prophet, was also translated by God directly from earth into heaven. Only this time God sent a fiery chariot of holy angels to pick him up while he was in the sight of his disciple Elisha (2 Kings 2:11). The important thing to remember is nothing is impossible with God and God does just as he pleases. We don’t have to understand exactly how or why God does something to believe it. Take the Bible literally unless the Scripture is obviously a spiritualization or an allegory. Believe what God tells you in his word and accept it at face value because God cannot lie and he always has our best interest at heart. God is good and God is great!

1 Corinthians 15:50-53 – Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

One of the spiritual truths of God is that sin cannot enter heaven. Every man born after the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden bears the mark of that original sin in his physical body, which is why our bodies decay and die. Adam and Eve were immortal until they sinned. Everything in heaven is infinite, eternal and our bodies are finite, just temporary housing for our eternal spirit so it’s just common sense our physical bodies can’t exist in heaven. That’s what the Apostle Paul is telling us in 1 Corinthians 15:50-53. Who wants our old worn out bodies anyway? I certainly don’t. Not when we can have new, younger, glorified bodies that never grow old or get sick. Jesus was resurrected into his glorified body and we’ll get one exactly like his. Think about it. We’ll be able to translate anywhere in the galaxy in the blink of an eye. The universe will be our playground. We’ll be able to walk through walls, walk on water, fly, you name it. The Bible doesn’t say what age our new body will look like but I’m assuming it’ll look enough like us so we’re recognizable and appear about 33 years of age, the same age as Jesus when he received his glorified body. Don’t worry about it either way. Whatever God decides to give us will be the perfect choice and we’ll be well pleased.

Foster the mindset that the rapture is imminent! Jesus could come for us today and the thing is we need to be ready to go and we need to always keep watch for Jesus to come in the air for us. As Christians we always need to maintain that sense of expectation; the imminence of the Lord’s soon return. The rapture of all believers is the next prophetic event on God’s calendar and it has been for two thousand years. No more Bible prophecies need to be fulfilled before the rapture occurs. The Apostles expected the rapture to occur in their lifetime as has every succeeding generation of Christian faithful, including ours. Jesus said he would come again within the lifetime of the generation alive at the rebirth of Israel, which we all know happened on May 15, 1948. After 74 years the clock is still ticking. How much longer can it be? Jesus commanded all believers to be ready for his return and to watch for his coming so we need to obey God. When Jesus does come at his second appearing it’ll only be for believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Simply going to church regularly and calling yourself a Christian won’t get you raptured if you haven’t also made the personal choice to serve God through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The church of God, millions of believing Christians, will suddenly vanish from the face of the earth because Jesus will personally call us to him in the air and take us back to heaven to be with him. All nonbelievers will be left on the earth to feel the wrath of God, including nonbelieving Jews who rejected Jesus at his first appearing.

1 Timothy 6:14 – That you keep this commandment (to have faith) without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.

2 Timothy 1:10 – But has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 – And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as through God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

There are two ways we can be sure we’re truly dealing with God and not some false god or Satan in disguise. God is the Creator, the Author of life. Only God can create life and only God can bring someone back to life. During the three and half year ministry of Jesus Christ he brought three people back to life. There was the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17), Jairus’ daughter (Mt 9:18-26), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44). When Jesus brought these people back to life it was to demonstrate to us that Jesus is God in the flesh. When God the Father brought Jesus back to life after three days in the earth it was to prove to us that God is who he says he is and if he can resurrect Jesus then when we die God will do the same for us. We have peace knowing that Jesus will one day come for those who love him, whether we are dead or alive. That is truly our “blessed hope” and the reason we have the peace of God in our hearts and the reason we constantly watch the horizon in the hope that Jesus will soon appear for us. Believers are securely held for eternity in the loving arms of God.

Deuteronomy 33:27 – The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

John 11:25-26 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

John 5:21 – (Jesus speaking) – For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

John 5:25 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

The second way we know we’re dealing with God is if his prophecies come true. God is the author of history and only God knows what’s going to happen in the future; because God creates history! Only God knows the end from the beginning. We know the Bible is God’s Word because he says it is and because the Bible is one third prophecy with over 1000 individual prophecies, over 500 of which have been fulfilled in their appointed time and documented as fact. Satan on the other hand, with all his fake religions and false gods throughout the centuries has not fulfilled even one prophecy. Satan is doing all he can to keep men from the truth of God. It’s easy to spot falsehood if you objectively look at all the evidence presented by God in the Bible because it proves without a doubt that Jehovah is the one true living God. We are blessed because God is ours and we are God’s children.

1 John 2:28 – And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

2 Timothy 4:1 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Titus 11:13 – For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

As we can see from Titus 11:13, the first appearing of Jesus Christ brought salvation to men by his sacrificial death. The second appearing of Jesus is referred to as the “blessed hope”, which we know is the coming rapture of believers to meet Jesus in the air before going to heaven. The third and final appearing of Jesus Christ is referred to in the above Scripture as the, “glorious appearing”, which we also know as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ because Jesus will set foot on the earth for the second time, on the Mount of Olives. All three appearances of Jesus are separate and distinct from each other and each occurs at different times and each has their own purpose. The Second Coming will end human history as we know it and Jesus will judge all peoples and nations for their sins. Jesus will then usher in his 1000 year millennial kingdom on earth. All believers will have been removed from the earth at least seven years prior to the Second Coming of Christ, at the rapture, or second appearing of Jesus in the air. Believers have their sins forgiven and therefore will not be on earth to go through the wrath of God known as the seven year tribulation period.

Romans 5:9 – Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Titus 2:13 – Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:3 – And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself, just as He is pure.

2 Timothy 4:8 – Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Timothy 4:8 tells us that it’s important to God for believers to be watching for the second appearing of Jesus Christ in the air, when he comes for his own. It’s important to God that believers be ready for the rapture when Jesus does comes. It’s so important to God that he will give a special crown to all believers who love the rapture event and watch for it. Nothing keeps Christians more righteous and grounded in the faith than knowing Jesus could come at any time. When we know Jesus is coming for us we get out and witness more, we go out and do more good works and we overall live more godly lives. We know from Scripture that God will remove the church from the earth before the tribulation period. Most pretribulationists, including myself, are Christians who believe that God has not appointed the church to receive the wrath of God, which is a time reserved for Israel and for those who have sinned against God and who have not repented of those sins.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:10 – (Jesus speaking) – Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 – Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan doesn’t want believers to be expecting God at any moment because that leads to righteous living, effective witnessing for Christ and doing numerous good works for the Lord. Satan has muddied the waters by causing some Christians to believe the rapture will occur at the half-way point of the tribulation (midtribulationist) or at the end of the seven years of tribulation (posttribulationist). If the mid-tribbers or post-tribbers are correct Christian enthusiasm would be dulled because then we would know the exact date of the rapture and have time to prepare for it. If they are right then Scripture would have no need to tell us to watch expectantly for the coming of the Son of Man on that day. If what they say is true then why does Scripture need to tell us the rapture would come like a thief in the night? If the mid-tribbers or post-tribbers are correct then all believers would have to go through some or all of God’s wrath which would make the Scripture promises a lie. The narrative of the mid-tribbers and post-tribbers doesn’t fit the facts as laid out in Scripture so they are obviously mistaken. God cannot lie and the Bible is the inerrant word of God.

2 Corinthians 5:8 – We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 – For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

1 Thessalonians 4:15 – For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

When believers die their spirit immediately returns to heaven to be in the presence of Jesus. At the rapture Jesus will come down from heaven and he’ll bring with him the spirits of all those who have died in Christ over the last two thousand years to give them their glorified bodies in the air above the earth. Immediately after doing this Jesus will translate all the believers still living on earth to himself and he will also give them their glorified bodies in the air. Jesus will then take all believers back to heaven to receive their reward and attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In the book of Revelation the church is mentioned seventeen times in the first three chapters but that all stops in chapter four when John is called to heaven. The church isn’t mentioned again until the end of the book of Revelation and the only logical reason for this is because the church is no longer on earth. The next time the church is mentioned in Revelation it’s accompanying Jesus to earth at the Second Coming. It’s obvious the church was taken out of the earth earlier and that could only have occurred at the prophetic event known as the rapture in order for the saints to already be in heaven and ready to accompany Jesus back to earth at the Second Coming. There is no other logical explanation that fits the Scriptures and also makes sense.

Isaiah 30:18 – Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.

Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 – For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

2 Peter 3:14 – Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things (heaven), be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.

Most Bible scholars see the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as coming in two stages, seven years apart. Stage one is the Rapture where Jesus comes to earth in the air to gather all believers to himself, where he will give them all glorified bodies before taking them back to heaven. The Rapture will end the two thousand year church age known as the, ” time of the Gentiles” and, “the age of grace.” When the church is removed from the earth it will start the clock ticking on the last seven year Tribulation period of God’s dealing with Israel. This will be the seventieth week prophesied by the prophet Daniel. The Tribulation is the time of God’s wrath against Israel, which is why the Tribulation is also called, “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” Jacob is another name for Israel. The church age is about grace for believers while the Tribulation period is all about the wrath of God and his judgment against Israel. The Rapture and the Glorious Appearing of Jesus must be separated by seven years to fit God’s time clock and because Jesus has a different purpose for each appearing. Scripture confirms that suffering is the portion of the believer, but not wrath. God reserves wrath for the nonbeliever, not for his children. What God has revealed in Scripture he also means to be understood by us.

Isaiah 33:6 – Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Hebrews 10:31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 7:25 – Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.

Zechariah 14:5 – Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.

Those who say the first half of the Tribulation won’t be all that bad are really deluding themselves. The first half of the Tribulation will be very bad; and the second half even worse. As a loving parent would you choose to let your children suffer through the most horrifying period in human history? No you wouldn’t and neither would God. As believers, we are God’s children and he loves us dearly. At Pentecost God sent the Holy Spirit to reside on earth and indwell all believers forever. When we die it’s the Holy Spirit that takes our spirit home to be with Jesus. When Jesus raptures the church the spirits of all those who died in Christ will be right there with him as will their constant companion, the Holy Spirit. As we accompany Jesus to the Second Coming the Holy Spirit will be there with us, indwelling our glorified bodies. During the 1000 year millennial kingdom of God on earth and then on through all of eternity the Holy Spirit will still be with us, our constant companion. We won’t be able to sin in heaven and the presence of the Holy Spirit may be why.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 – And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

Romans 8:9 – But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

Colossians 3:4 – When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Philippians 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God will not pour out his wrath on Israel and unbelieving Gentiles during the seven year Tribulation period until he removes his presence (the Holy Spirit). Shall God attack himself? Heaven forbid! Since all believers and the Holy Spirit are inseparable, forever joined at the hip, God cannot remove his presence from the earth without removing all believers too. The event known as the Rapture is when God removes his church (believers) from the earth, along with the Holy Spirit of God who indwells those believers. Scripture tells us the “Restrainer” will hold back the evil of this world until he is removed. The use of capitalized personal pronouns indicates God is talking about a divine person. The fact that the Restrainer has been holding back evil for thousands of years means he’s eternal. The Restrainer is obviously more powerful than Satan to be able hold him back. Since Satan is the second most powerful being in the universe after God it’s obvious the Restrainer is none other than the Holy Spirit; who is God. Nobody else fits the description.

John 14:16-17 – (Jesus speaking) – And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells within you and will be in you.

2 Peter 3:3-5 – Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 – Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Scripture tells us the appearance of the antichrist, the man of sin, will not happen until the Restrainer has been removed. You can’t remove the Restrainer without also removing the saints of God. The Tribulation cannot start until the antichrist appears. Therefore, the rapture of the church has to occur before the Tribulation starts. There are no other feasible options. The mid-tribbers and post-tribbers would have Christians look, watch and wait for the coming of the antichrist instead of Jesus Christ our Lord. Satan would have us waiting for his man, the man of sin, instead of waiting for the “Blessed Hope”, in order to steal the glory of Jesus at his second appearing in the clouds. Don’t allow Satan’s lackeys to knock you off your spot by getting you to believe unscriptural doctrine. Get the facts straight in your head and be ready to push back on anyone who approaches you with this false doctrine. It’s part of your witness for Christ to tell the truth of God to all comers, and that includes the rapture. Scripture tells us that in these last days many Christians, and even a lot of Christian churches, will be deceived by satanic influences and flock to false doctrine. Don’t be one of them. Leave any church that does not teach the Word of God and abide by its teachings.

Hebrews 9:28 – So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many (his first appearance). To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin (which has nothing to do with our sins this time), for salvation (Jesus will save us from the wrath of God by snatching us out of the world before the Tribulation). * My explanation is in parenthesis.

Luke 12:37 – (Jesus speaking) – Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.

Luke 21:36 – (Jesus speaking) – Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (at the Bema judgement seat).

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

Happy New Year, 2022! The first week of January is the perfect time to set new goals for the coming year. Success in any endeavor requires that you know where you’re going and that means you need to have a plan to get there. It’s a rare event when someone blindly stumbles into success. I don’t know anyone who has. You need to plan your work and then work your plan in order to be successful. For Christians the new year is also a good time to reflect on the past year and evaluate our contributions to the kingdom of God and our service to God. The main reason God put us on this earth is to make the free will decision to serve God or Satan. Those who choose to serve God are given eternal life in heaven by God the Father, through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Philippians 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:4 – Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Why doesn’t God take us home to heaven the moment we’re saved? The answer is God has a second reason for leaving us here on earth. All believers are commanded to witness the gospel of Christ to all peoples and all nations. Before Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives he gave this “Great Commission” to his disciples to carry out. As believers we automatically become disciples of Christ and witnessing for Christ then becomes our number one duty in service to God. Sharing the gospel message will always be our top priority in life. God made us all and loves us all equally. God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell so he reaches out to nonbelievers through the saints (us) in order to save as many as he can for the kingdom of God. Someone helped save us and we owe it to God to help save all we can. It’s our reasonable service to our Father in heaven.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

God leaves us here on earth to do good works that bring honor and glory to God. When we witness for Christ we are doing the main thing, the number one “good work” for God. As a Christian if we are not witnessing for Christ in some form or fashion then any other good work we may offer up to God is like a filthy rag. It is meaningless. The Bible makes it clear that although we become citizens of heaven upon salvation, God purposely leaves us on earth to do the work of God. People don’t seem to understand what that means. People need to understand the implications of accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It means we acknowledge Jesus as our master and embrace our position as a servant of God. Being a servant of God brings with it certain responsibilities on our part that we are duty bound to perform. All believers are to obey the commands of God contained in the Bible. Obedience to the word of God is the key to pleasing God.

Matthew 28:19-20 – (Jesus speaking) – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

1 Corinthians 6:20 – For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

You can’t obey what you don’t know so it’s imperative that all Christians read God’s Word every day and study it so they have the knowledge, understanding and wisdom to serve God effectively. Every one of us sins before God every day because of our sin nature inherited from Adam. We are dust; we are weak. That’s why it’s critical we come before God daily in prayer to ask forgiveness for our daily sins and also ask God to strengthen us through his Holy Spirit so we can sin less over time and do the good works God has planned for us since the foundation of the world. Without the power of God on the inside of us we can do nothing. We must be humble before the throne of grace in order for God to hear our prayers because God is holy.

James 4:10 – Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

1 Timothy 2:8 – I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In my Bible guide I counted 129 direct commands from God that are in the Bible that believers are to obey (some were redundant). How many of God’s commands can you name off the top of your head? I’ll bet not many. 90% of Christians can’t name more than about fifteen of God’s commandments. How do I know this? Studies have shown that only about 10% of Christians who attend church regularly have read the entire Bible and fewer still read their Bibles daily and study it as God commands. How can you know what God expects of you if you don’t delve into the word of God? So if you’re a believer what have you done in the past year to please the Lord? What commandments of God have you obeyed on a consistent basis? Have you asked God to forgive your sins daily or did you just let them pile up? How have you contributed to the kingdom of God?

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Titus 2:7 – In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.

1 Peter 1:17 – And if you call on the Father who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

We are all commanded to share the gospel of Christ with all peoples and nations. That is the number one good work for God and without it all other works for God are meaningless. As we witness for Christ we are also to do other good works such as helping the poor, the needy, the orphan and the widow. As we emulate Christ by our actions others will see the light of God by what we do and be attracted by the gospel message of Jesus Christ. The life of Jesus was an example of what we are to do as Christians. Believers need to study the life of Jesus so we can emulate all that he did. As we emulate what Jesus did during his three and a half years of earthly ministry we become more Christlike in the eyes of God, which is part of God’s plan for us. Plan your work for God and then work your plan.

Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Galatians 6:9-10 – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Hebrews 12:28-29 – Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

I know I’ve gotten a little off track so let’s return to the original question. Looking back on 2021 how have you contributed to the kingdom of God? How many people have you witnessed to? How many people did you save? What other good works have you done? How much money did you give to Charity? I keep track of the number of people I share the gospel with and I keep a log of the charities I donate to during the year and the amount given so that I can review the totals as part of my reasonable service to God. When you help someone less fortunate the Bible says it’s as though you’re helping Jesus himself. Keep that in mind and give all you can.

1 John 3:17 – But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Ephesians 4:28 – Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

James 1:17 – For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Colossians 3:25 – But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Remember that 10% of your net income should be spent on God’s work as your required tithe to the Lord. When you die all your money in the bank is of no use to you. You can’t take it with you. The tax man will take his share. Others will spend the rest of the money you earned on things you do not approve of. The only way you get to keep your money is if you give it all back to God in some way. Pay your money forward into your heavenly bank account by using it to serve the kingdom of God. All you have belongs to God anyway so when you give to God you’re just giving God what is already his. God is testing you with this to see if you’re a good steward of the blessings he has bestowed upon you. Don’t fail God. What other activities did you do that helped people in need? Did you volunteer any of your time to help those less fortunate than yourself? I know the covid-19 pandemic impacts us all and curtails our good works to some degree but there are always opportunities to serve God if we look for them and our heart is open to the possibilities before us.

Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My witnessing for Christ is now primarily through my blog site: www.onemoreforjesus.net. I supplement my “passive witnessing” by handing out Christian tracts whenever I go out to places like Walmart, the grocery store and to the doctor’s office. I buy my Christian tracts 1000 at a time from chick.com. The cartoon booklets contain the gospel message and includes the sinner’s prayer at the end. People have been saved unto eternal life through just reading Christian tracts. My purpose is to broadcast the gospel seed for those whom God has convicted of their sin. It’s rare for anyone to be saved the first time they hear the gospel message. Most of the time people need to hear the gospel message at least 15-20 times before they finally accept God’s saving grace unto eternal life. God expects us to persevere in spreading the gospel seed and each time we do we become a link in the salvation chain for that person who eventually does become a believer. The good part in all this is that God is generous to a fault and he will equally reward both the reaper of that soul for the kingdom of God and all those sowers of the gospel seed who crossed that person’s path leading up their salvation. I don’t know exactly what God’s reward for us will be when we get to heaven but I do know it’ll be more than we can possibly imagine.

Jeremiah 20:9 – Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.

1 Corinthians 2:9 – Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

Hebrews 13:15-16 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

I started my Christian blog site over two years ago (December 2019) and I finished 2021 with 569 posted blogs. That works out to an average of over 22 blogs a month. I started with a flourish because I had all this pent up love and excitement for God and his word. I knew a great secret and I couldn’t keep it in. I was compelled by the Holy Spirit to share my witness with anyone who would listen, much like the prophet Jeremiah who also couldn’t withhold the truth of God from his people. As my blogs have evolved over time they have become much longer and less frequent. I’ve been averaging two blogs a month lately and that seems about the right pace going forward. The spiritual growth rate of ever person is different but the important thing is to just persevere. Everyone’s walk with God is one on one. Although our race with God is unique, God is fair to everyone and he gives us all of us the same chance to find God and his saving grace. The playing field is level for everyone no matter where you are in the world or what century you lived in. God is ready to meet you halfway so don’t blame God if you don’t find him. You have your chance and that’s all you can ask for. Don’t blame God for any of your inadequacies. It’s up to you to get off your butt and go find God and not vice versa.

Romans 1:20 – For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.