Are you on good terms with your Creator? Do you have a relationship with God in Christ? Have you ever repented from your sinful ways and promoted God as your Father, and declared Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you ever shared His good news, the Gospel, with anyone? What if you passed away today, would you be allowed to enter heaven? If you cannot truthfully answer “yes” to all of these questions, then you are NOT ready to meet your Lord. Or if you answered “yes” based on your own reasoning, then you will be in jeopardy of hearing the words spoken of by Jesus, “depart from Me, I never knew you!” (Matthew 7:21-23).
We cannot compare ourselves as being better than a distant family member, or better than our neighbor(s), or better than our co-worker(s), or better than a criminal convicted of a crime. For none of us are perfect and we are all sinners, James 3:2 (NKJV), “For we all stumble and sin in many ways…” The apostle Paul gives us very harsh words by explaining it this way in Romans 3:10-18 (AMP):
As it is written and forever remains written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS [none that meets God’s standard], NOT EVEN ONE. 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD. 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE. 13 THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE; THEY [habitually] DECEIVE WITH THEIR TONGUES. THE VENOM OF ASPS IS BENEATH THEIR LIPS. 14 THEIR MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS. 15 THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17 AND THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE PATH OF PEACE. 18 THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD [and His awesome power] BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
We must compare ourselves and our relationship with Christ according to God’s standard, His Word, that will endure forever! Jesus said if we really love and acknowledge Him, we will do His will! (John 14:21-23, John 15:10-11).
When we study God’s Word, it enlightens us to the whole truth! The truth will set us free! (John 8:31-32). It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path! (Psalms 119:105). His Word tells us how we should judge ourselves according to the scriptures as stated in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (AMP), “But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. 32 But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined [by undergoing His correction] so that we will not be condemned [to eternal punishment] along with the world.”
Jesus said 2,000 years ago that “heaven and earth will pass away but My Words will by no means pass away!” (Matthew 24:35, Luke 21:33, 1 Peter 1:25, Isaiah 40:8). Jesus, the Son of God, was portrayed as God in the flesh (Emmanuel – Isaiah 7:14), and as the Word of God as disclosed in John 1:1-5 (AMP), “In the beginning [before all-time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].”
Our time on earth is very short and measureless compared to our time in the next life of eternity. In this life we are simply a vapor of smoke that soon vanishes, or we are like a flower that soon withers away! (James 4:14, Job 14:2). Eternity is forever and ever! We decide in this life where we will end up in eternity – heaven or hell!
When we have a genuine relationship with Christ, as our true Lord and Savior, we will be resurrected to eternal life in heaven with our Father God and Savior Jesus Christ! Our earthly (flesh and blood) bodies are temporary where we will receive new immortal bodies in heaven through the presence of the Holy Spirit (Spirt of God) living inside of us, our holy temple, bought and paid for by the bloodshed of Christ Jesus! (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (AMP) states:
“For we know that if the earthly tent [our physical body] which is our house is torn down [through death], we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our [immortal, eternal] celestial dwelling, 3 so that by putting it on we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened [often weighed down, oppressed], not that we want to be unclothed [separated by death from the body], but to be clothed, so that what is mortal [the body] will be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection]. 5 Now He who has made us and prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the [Holy] Spirit as a pledge [a guarantee, a down payment on the fulfillment of His promise].”
When our soul dwells in our tent (human body) we are absent from the Lord but when our soul leaves this holy temple we are at home with God in Christ as revealed in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (AMP), “So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]— 8 we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”
Pause now and take a few breaths while you execute limitless thoughts about what you have just read above before continuing any further! DO NOT view this text as passing judgement on you or anyone. Instead, view this as a most-important wake-up call or as a life-threatening warning before sudden destruction comes! (Jude 1:23)!
You may not believe what you have just read in this text, but it is God who gave life to all living things. You may not care about this because you do NOT believe, but WHAT IF YOU ARE WRONG? Are you prepared to gamble your life’s soul away for an eternity based on your own understanding, reasoning, or moral code? (Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 16:25-27).
2,000 years ago, when the apostle Paul was addressing the people of Athens who believed in an unknown god, he preached the truth of God’s Word and disclosed that the true God was not far from them. Paul continued explaining that God had appointed His Son, Jesus, to carry out His Will by paying the price in death for our sins and being resurrected to life in offering us eternal life in heaven. Do NOT be like the ones who mocked Paul because of their unbelief as we read in Acts 17:22-32 (AMP):
So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I observe [with every turn I make throughout the city] that you are very religious and devout in all respects. Now as I was going along and carefully looking at your objects of worship, I came to an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you already worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, because it is He who gives to all [people] life and breath and all things. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories.
This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ So then, being God’s children, we should not think that the Divine Nature (deity) is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination or skill of man.
Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives], because He has set a day when He will judge the inhabited world in righteousness by a Man (Jesus) whom He has appointed and destined for that task, and He has provided credible proof to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” Now when they heard [the term] resurrection from the dead, some mocked and sneered; but others said, “We will hear from you again about this matter.”
So, what will happen when you close your eyes for the last time to this world and are awakened to the next life? Will you awaken to Jesus as your Lord and Savior or as your Judge? If you are thinking or pondering, “Oh, I have plenty of time to repent later…and so I choose to wait…I will choose to repent when I finish school, or when I finally get out financial debt, or when I get my own home, or when I get married, or when my spouse and I start a family with kids, or when I finally retire from career…”
The main issue with this thinking is that you have become very arrogant and self-centered (according to God’s Word) which has corrupted your thinking by the world’s logic (1 John 5:19) on assuming that you are entitled to live one more day, hour, minute, or second in this life. Only God knows the number of your days! No one has control over their life to surpass or live any longer than their allotted time set by God. We cannot cheat death by DNA manipulation or transhumanism or by some new AI created technology. The servant, Job, knew this as he divulged this in Job 14:1-5 (AMP):
“Man, who is born of a woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil. “Like a flower he comes forth and withers; He also flees like a shadow and does not remain. “You also open Your eyes upon him and bring him into judgment with Yourself. “Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean? No one! “Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You [in Your control], and You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].
When Moses prayed to God, he asked for wisdom by being able to number his days as revealed in Psalms 90:12 (NKJV), “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” David also prayed to God that he would know his last days as expressed in Psalms 39:4 (AMP), “LORD, let me know my [life’s] end and [to appreciate] the extent of my days; let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].” David continued his prayer in Psalms 139:16 (AMP), “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were appointed for me, when as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].”
As previously stated, the apostle James tells us that our lives are like a vapor of smoke that vanishes quickly and that nothing in our life is secure as revealed in James 4:13-14 (AMP):
…you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and carry on our business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air].
The longer you wait to choose to get your heart right with God in Christ or the longer you wait to finally choose to repent and receive salvation in Christ, it will become more and more difficult for those that continue to reject God and His Son, Jesus. Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks (Revelation 3:20), but there will be a time when the knocking will stop. As you continue to follow and serve the god of this world (Satan) as your idol, you will eventually be turned over to a depraved (reprobate) and debased mind (Romans 1:28-32).
God in Christ wants your heart focused on Him instead of the world that is currently controlled by the enemy. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (AMP):
But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing; among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Satan will continue blinding this world through wicked schemes of deception and manipulation. It will only get worse as we continue to approach the last days where the Bible explains of the great falling away and apostacy during the end times. Many have walked away and have abandoned their faith in God & Christ as professing Christians according to God’s Word. Paul unveils this in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (AMP):
Now in regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to meet Him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly unsettled or alarmed either by a [so-called prophetic revelation of a] spirit or a message or a letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] come. Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians]…
The demonic deception is here and will increase into the great deception, which is all part of God’s plan of implementing His wrath on a sinful world. The prophet, Daniel, prophesied about this time of “Jacob’s Trouble” nearly 2,600 years ago in Daniel 12:1 (AMP), “…and there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; but at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the Book [of Life], will be rescued.”
Jesus explained this time as the beginning of sorrows or similar to a woman with birthing pains, where the troubles and wrath would increase with frequency and intensity (Matthew 24:8, Mark 13:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:3). This great tribulation period will be the worse time ever recorded in history for planet earth as stated in Matthew 24:21-24 (AMP):
For at that time there will be a great tribulation (pressure, distress, oppression), such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will [again]. And if those days [of tribulation] had not been cut short, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (God’s chosen ones) those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you [during the great tribulation], ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones).
We can see where the beginning of sorrows has already begun or is fast approaching. God has removed His hand of protection through abandoning and allowing many to be turned over to a degraded mind, where they will become forever lost while under the enemy’s deception and control. These will end up taking the easy path, the wide road, to destruction from accepting the beast’s (Antichrist – one world leader) mark of allegiance (Revelation 13:1-10, Revelation 13:16-18).
Paul explains how God removes His hand of protection by allowing the world to follow after the god of this world as disclosed in Romans 1:28-32 (AMP):And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness. They are gossips [spreading rumors], slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors [of new forms] of evil, disobedient and disrespectful to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful [without pity]. Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.
With the formation of “wokeism” and “Climate Change” by the elites, the world is becoming more and more demonically influenced, controlled, and possessed where evil is running rampant and becoming exponentially more and more wicked (Romans 1:19-25, 2 Timothy 3:13). The people in power have been replacing “good” with “evil” and labeling “wicked” as “good,” and substituting false darkness in place of the true light, and so on (Isaiah 5:20-24). Part of God’s beginning wrath and ultimate plan has allowed wicked oppressors to rule and reign over many sinful nations (Proverbs 29:2, Proverbs 29:12).
The enemies of God are preparing the lawless world for the soon rise of the Antichrist. This is when God will allow the great deception to take place. Paul details this in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 (AMP):
…and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed], who opposes and exalts himself [so proudly and so insolently] above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he [actually enters and] takes his seat in the temple of God, publicly proclaiming that he himself is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now [from being revealed]; it is so that he will be revealed at his own [appointed] time.
For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming. The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies], and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not welcome the love of the truth [of the gospel] so as to be saved [they were spiritually blind, and rejected the truth that would have saved them].
Because of this God will send upon them a misleading influence, [an activity of error and deception] so they will believe the lie, in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe the truth [about their sin, and the need for salvation through Christ], but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.
God has given all authority over to Jesus where He will one day judge all, the nations, people, including Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet, and the fallen angels (Revelation 20:10). Jesus told His disciples before He was caught up to heaven in Matthew 28:18 (NKJV), “…all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Jesus will be the final judge as we read in John 5:26-29 (AMP):
For just as the Father has life in Himself [and is self-existent], even so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself [and be self-existent]. And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is a Son of Man [sinless humanity, qualifying Him to sit in judgment over mankind]. Do not be surprised at this; for a time is coming when all those who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and they will come out—those who did good things [will come out] to a resurrection of [new] life, but those who did evil things [will come out] to a resurrection of judgment [that is, to be sentenced].
The final judgement day where Jesus will rule, reign, and judge from His great white throne is revealed in Revelation 20:11-15 (AMP):
And I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them [for this heaven and earth are passing away]. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth]. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, everyone according to their deeds. Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God]. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.
Jesus will separate His sheep from the goats (like the parable that explains separating the wheat from the tares/chaff – Matthew 3:12) as stated in Matthew 25:31-46 (AMP):
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him [for judgment]; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right [the place of honor], and the goats on His left [the place of rejection].
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation], inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me [with help and ministering care]; I was in prison, and you came to Me [ignoring personal danger].’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.’
“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons); for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me [with help and ministering care].’ Then they also [in their turn] will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will reply to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these [my followers], you did not do it for Me.’ Then these [unbelieving people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace] into eternal (unending) life.”
This next life in the spiritual realm is where we will live forever – either in paradise (heaven) with our Lord or in continuous punishment and torment known as the “Lake of Fire,” while surrounded by all His enemies.
The disciple of Christ, Peter, gives us an eyewitness account for Christ and tells us how our Father God gave all authority, power, and control over to His only Son, Jesus, as revealed in Acts 10:34-43 (AMP):
Opening his mouth, Peter said: “Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God’s blessing], 35 but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him. 36 You know the message which He sent to the sons of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all— 37 you know the things that have taken place throughout Judea, starting in Galilee after the baptism preached by John— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him. 39 We are [personally] eyewitnesses of everything that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem [in particular]. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross; 40 God raised Him [to life] on the third day and caused Him to be plainly seen, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen and designated beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank together with Him after He rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people [both Jew and Gentile], and to solemnly testify that He is the One who has been appointed and ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him [whoever trusts in and relies on Him, accepting Him as Savior and Messiah] receives forgiveness of sins.”
Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, will come back SOON to make all things new!As the Alpha and Omega, He will reward all according to their deeds, whether good or bad. Jesus will be our Lord for eternity! Amen!
Revelation 21:5-7 (AMP):
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true [they are accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy].” And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes [the world by adhering faithfully to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
CHOOSE TODAY TO TRUST IN JESUS AS YOUR ONLY LORD & SAVIOR, BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
John 12:44-50 (AMP):
But Jesus loudly declared, “The one who believes and trusts in Me does not believe [only] in Me but [also believes] in Him who sent Me. 45 And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes and trusts in Me [as Savior—all those who anchor their hope in Me and rely on the truth of My message] will not continue to live in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but to save the world. 48 Whoever rejects Me and refuses to accept My teachings, has one who judges him; the very word that I spoke will judge and condemn him on the last day. 49 For I have never spoken on My own initiative or authority, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment regarding what to say and what to speak. 50 I know that His commandment is eternal life. So the things I speak, I speak [in accordance with His exact instruction,] just as the Father has told Me.”
Do you know where you will spend eternity after you die on earth? Will Jesus be your Lord and Savior or your eternal judge – John 3:15-21, Romans 2:16, 2 Timothy 4:1? Jesus says He is the narrow gate to heaven where it is difficult to find and only a few will enter by it where many will enter the easy, wide and broad gate that leads to Hell and destruction – Matthew 7:13-14. Will you experience the second eternal death (spiritual death) – Revelation 2:11, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 21:8? Do you know for sure that you are written in the eternal Lamb’s Book of Life – Revelation 3:5, Revelation 20:12-15? The place called Hell is NOT a myth and is very real and an extremely awful place – Watch this Video!
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