Don’t get me wrong, the church still exists…but barely. It has broken into so many different “congregations” and beliefs that it is no wonder that young people are confused about the message. Few churches preach or teach the same message. They twist it and “adapt” it to their audience so that everyone feels welcome. Jesus didn’t do that! He taught His message, God’s message, whether the people in the crowd liked it or not! If some walked away disgusted so be it. He was more interested in those who heard the message and wanted it to make a difference in their lives.
I watch Matt Hagee preach some days, early in the morning, and when the camera picks up people in the crowd it is amazing the differences you can see in the people’s faces. Some seem to be giving God the glory and praising Him during the service. While others seem to be indifferent to the message and just want him to get it over with. Then there are some who seem to be listening but the expression on their face is hard to read. It may be that they are interested in the content or they agree with what is being said…these are the people that aren’t quite sure what to do with the message. Why?
It could be that they are truly searching for the Truth of God’s Word. It could be that they feel the need for a Savior to make a difference in their lives but they’re not sure…yet. What will happen on that day when Jesus comes to take the church, His Bride, home to be with Him? Those who were indifferent will be angry at themselves because they didn’t listen prayerfully. Those who were interested in the message, and agreed that they needed Jesus hopefully made that decision before the Trumpet sounds.
The problem that I see in the crowds at Cornerstone church and other television crowds is that there are too many who want to wait or maybe “ride the fence” for a while. The problem with this is that we don’t know when God’s Trumpet will sound for us. The couple that wants to wait may be killed in a car wreck on the way home. The man who just wants the sermon to be over may have a heart attack this afternoon or tonight. Our individual “calling home” may happen before the Big call comes for the whole church and we have no idea when that call will come. Make sure of your salvation today before it is too late.
Lots of people think they know the answer to this question. He came to bring salvation to a dying world. He came to set us free from being slaves to sin and its consequences. He came because He loved each of us so deeply that He couldn’t bear seeing us suffer from the weight of sin. He came because God had pre-ordained that He would come to take the sins of the entirety of the human race on Himself and pay the penalty for our sins.
All of these are right, but He also came to bring the Kingdom of God to us so that we would know about it, and by following His example we could live it out in our lives and give it away to others.
This doesn’t work if you don’t believe in Jesus or anything that is written in the Bible, God’s Word. You have to believe in God and His Word and in Jesus Himself in order for you to even have a hope of living out even a fraction of His example…His Life that He invited us to share with Him and with others. This takes faith! Maybe not as much faith as believing that we came from apes but even a little faith, like a mustard seed, can make a BIG difference.
The Kingdom of God came to Earth through the ministry of Jesus, the Son of God. He brought it because it was foretold and predestined that HE would come and because His Father wanted us to have access to His Kingdom. The only way that we can have access to it is through the blood of Jesus Christ that covers our sins and redeems us from those sins and the punishment for them and for turning away from Him. Accepting Him as our Savior is the only way to be saved but many people do turn away. I pray that you, whoever you are, will not turn away from His call on your life.
Ominous beginning, huh? The title is the truth of history and prophecy. God’s Word says that this is going to happen and all of the signs have already happened except one. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and you have given your heart to Him, it won’t be long now. For many who do not know Jesus as their Savior life will go on as it always has…until that day when the trumpet sounds and the dead in Christ will explode from their graves, wherever they may be. I say explode because they will have glorified bodies and will meet Him in the air. Then, those of us who are alive and remain steadfast in our faith will be changed in the twinkling of an eye to meet them and our Savior in the air. Oh, what a glorious day that will be!
All of those who have believed in Jesus for their Savior and their eternal hope will be taken from the Earth, from the first century saints until the day of His calling all of us to be with Him. It will be a massive amount of people in the air and unless it happens at night, everyone in the world will know that it happened! I pray that if you don’t believe in Him for your salvation, I hope you won’t be on a plane with a Christian pilot. If you are then unless the co-pilot can take over quickly, the plane will fall. The entire world will be in even more turmoil on that day than it is today. Because many won’t have a clue about what is happening, although there will be quite a number who do know but have not given their heart to Christ. They will be left to mourn over their indecision.
God loves each of you and He does want you to be saved but it is up to you to act on the call of the Holy Spirit when you feel that you need Jesus as your Savior. God doesn’t force His will upon anyone so when you hear a sermon or feel His call in your heart for you to turn to Jesus as your Savior, please don’t turn away as if you have many more years to make that decision. Not one of us is guaranteed even to make it through today, so please seek Him because He is seeking you if you have turned away even once don’t put it off again. Give your heart to Jesus and be saved from the time that will come after the church is taken away.
The Living Message of Christ 