2022 Archives

  Do you believe in God, heaven, hell, angels, demons, eternal life, etc.?  Quite often, as I explain what the Bible has to say about the unseen, I am reminded that many perceive these things as nothing more than fairy tales.  The average man has a tendency to reject, out of hand, anything that cannot be experienced in real time with his five senses, or perhaps anything that he cannot masterfully manipulate.  But when that same man attempts to explore the infinitely small or infinitely large elements of our complex physical realm, it becomes apparent to him that even the wisest men among us are hopelessly narrow minded, and infinitesimally small.

  The eternal things are not fairy tales, nor are they myths.  This great design requires a Great Designer—obviously from that other realm.  The intricacies of life were understood before they were set in motion.  The laws of nature are anything but random—nothing just happened.  Millions or billions of years of blind, unrefined, unrestrained natural forces could not have affected change in the vast “nothing,” so as to produce a “something.” …and cosmic energy could not have produced life where there was none.

  So, if we are not able, in a lifetime, to wrap our minds around the stuff of this temporal world, why should we be so quick to deny even the existence of a spiritual realm, especially when we consider all of the undeniable evidence existing in the well ordered cosmos in which we reside (Romans 1:20)?  The Bible suggests, “…the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2Corinthians 4:4)”

  For me, it’s a no brainer, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1–2)” “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)”  If indeed there is another realm, perhaps you would do well to discover it now rather than later.

  As I grow older, I am often mindful of the fact that certain things that I do at this point may be done for the last time.  No, I am not trying to be morbid, but simply facing the fact that, relatively speaking, life is short.  At a certain point, it would be practical to assume that I will not buy another vehicle or roof the house again, etc. in my lifetime.  The Bible speaks of making plans without considering what God has willed for one’s life.  James declares, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (James 4:13–15)”

  Wow, God says that life is like a “vapor,” a puff of steam.  Before you can blink an eye, it may be snuffed out or absorbed into its surroundings, never to be seen again, …and did you notice, there is no mention of the age of these would be merchants of James 4.  Indeed, caskets come in all sizes.  Oh my, I guess I have now ventured into the realm of morbidity.

  Well, since we are here, maybe I should also mention that, in spite of all this talk about death, in the spiritual realm the soul never dies.  God has made it abundantly clear that, like Christ, “the first fruits” of the resurrection, my body (and yours) will be resurrected and reunited with our eternal souls to enter into that eternal state for which we were created.  But there is a matter that must be taken care of before one dies if he hopes to enjoy the hereafter:  Your sin (and mine) present a problem when it comes to living with God in the eternal realm.  You see, He is holy and cannot tolerate sin, and we are very sinful creatures, unworthy of His presence—but not to worry…

  “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)”  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)”  I hope you will consider it.  Who knows, you could be reading this message, or I could be writing it, for the last time.

Who?  If you know Christ, YOU should share Him with others because…

• You are a part of “the body of Christ” and it is the work of Christ to win others to Himself. (1 Corinthians 12:13, 27; Luke 19:10)

• You are the “sons of God” and it is the character of God to win others to Himself. (John 1:12; 2 Peter 3:9)

• You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit whose purpose is to help you to win others to Christ.  (1 John 2:20; Acts 1:8)

• You are a part of the Church, and the Church was founded on the principles of winning others. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:1,4)

What?  Sharing Christ with others means…

• Sowing the gospel seed. (Matthew 13:1-23)

• Delivering the gospel message. (Mark 16:15-16)

When?  YOU should be sharing Christ NOW because…

• The harvest is ripe. (John 4:35).

• The power to share is made available to believers NOW. (Acts 1:8).

• The last minutes of this age are ticking away. (Ephesians 5:16).

• This is your opportunity to do something for the Lord. (2 Tim. 2:15).

Where?  Where ever YOU are, you should be sharing Christ because…

• You are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)

• You are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

Why?  We must engage in sharing Christ because…

• God’s Word commands it. (Matthew 28:19-20).

• Jesus deserves it. (2 Corinthians 5:14).

• The unsaved world needs it. (1 John 5:12)

How?  We can share Christ with others by…

• Giving someone a gospel tract. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

• Share your Personal Testimony of salvation. (1 Peter 3:15)

• Confront someone about their need of forgiveness. (Acts 26:17)

  Webster’s Dictionary defines revive: “to return to consciousness or life.”  It can also mean, “to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state: bring back.”  Obviously, for one to be revived, there must be some degree of life left in the body.  e.g. To revive a drowning victim, does not mean to resurrect them from the dead, but to fan the dying embers until they burst into renewed life.

  There is also the possibility of life in the spiritual realm.  We know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news!  It is the story of how He came to earth to purchase our pardon.  Through His death, burial and resurrection we can be forgiven for our sins!  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”  This could be you!  Through Jesus Christ, you can know God now and forever—a privilege that the Bible refers to as Eternal Life.  “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3).”

  As in the physical realm, one can be alive spiritually, and yet appear lifeless (depressed, inactive, useless to himself and others).  This happens when a believer allows his awareness of God’s presence to slip away because of pressing circumstances or the subtle emergence of sin.  Almost overnight the vibrance of life has ebbed away.  Fortunately, revival is as much a possibility in the spiritual realm as in the physical, even more so!  It is not possible to lose spiritual life completely; there is always that vestige of life to be revived.

  Have you been declared spiritually alive by God, the giver of life, but feel lifeless when it comes to spiritual awareness, and fellowship with Him?  Take heart! Health and vitality can be restored through the process of properly ministering the Word of God—Revival!

  But what about that individual who has never obtained spiritual life?  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).”  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).”

  Over the years, several individuals and religious organizations have made predictions concerning the date in which God will once again visibly and supernaturally enter into the affairs of man.  They predict that, on their supposed date, He will initiate events that will culminate in the destruction of the world, and entrance into the eternal realm.

  If you read the Bible, you already know that the day of God’s intervention is indeed coming, but you should also remember that Jesus said, “…of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only (Matthew 24:36).”  As a sincere Christian, perhaps today you are joyfully anticipating the end of the age, and entrance into God’s eternal kingdom, as it is described in the Bible.  The scriptures encourage us to “love His appearing.”  If you are excited about His coming, and believe that you know exactly when it will occur, and desire to warn those who are not ready to meet Him, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your concern for my soul.

  But similarly, I hope that you can appreciate that I have some concerns about you as well.  If you have embraced the teachings of one who claims to have determined the date, and it does not happen on that date, will you still be a faithful follower of Christ the next day?  Brother, if your supposed date does not prove accurate, it will not mean that Jesus is not coming back, or that God is not faithful to His promises.  It will simply mean that your teacher was wrong.  Yes, he may be an intellectual who is very versed in Bible talk, but the scriptures clearly state, “…of that day and hour knoweth no man.” 

  Perhaps it would be good to remind ourselves that many have made these predictions before, and the Bible says of them all, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:22).”

  My friend, don’t forsake the Lord because of the failures of an ignorant man.  Jesus is coming as He promised, and He will not be late.  Keep Watching!