By John Armes

Know your Bible, for as we approach the end times, Satan and his angels will disguise themselves as angels of light.  You must not be led astray by false teachings.  You have to know Gods Word because the Bible will be the major indicator of wither we are being told the truth or not.

I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life….

It seems as though the gospel of Christ has been watered down more as time goes by.  People change it here and there to satisfy their idea of what they want it to provide for them,  so they can make things a little more comfortable.  They bend and reshape rules and ideas that are not appealing to them.  They promise prosperity and good health, fame and fortune, miracles, wealth, “hocus pocus” and magic to entice prospective Christians.  They try and act and talk like the world in order to coax people to join, focusing on entertainment instead of a real live church service with a well studied gospel massage.  There is no “meat” or meaning in the songs or the message.  After a while new Christians  fall off from that church into a place of disillusionment because they didn’t receive the things that the church promised and they see no difference between Christians and non-Christians.   The church lacks the truth and righteousness of God and the Bible and eventually it is seen as a vague resemblance of what it should be.  The true concepts and feelings of Christianity and the word of God are not there.  Worse still is because of this exposure to a vague and lifeless Christianity when the true gospel comes around, than they say that they have already tried Christianity and it doesn’t work for them.  Too late because they are already “tuned out”,  “turned off”, “burned out”, and frustrated thinking that they have already been there when in reality they have not, and don’t even know it.   Those that do end up staying, believe that they will be saved by “association” and all they have to do is go to church and live a good life.  They have no idea what a close relationship with Christ is and if they don’t see a problem than they will not hunt for a cure.  If you talk to them they say “I’m a good person, I pay my taxes, take care of my family, and go to church” and because of this they think they are saved.  The Bible says in Matthew 7:22 – Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?  Matthew 7:23 – And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” 

If we want to be a Christian there are certain facts we must face.  Consider the following:

ALL ARE SINNERS

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

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)

YOU NEED TO BE SAVED

“… Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF

“Much more then, being now justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”  (Romans 5:9)

ONLY JESUS CAN SAVE YOU

“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)

HOW YOU CAN BE SAVED

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth The Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)

ALL OF US ARE SINNERS…

Jesus says that if you lust after someone that you have committed adultery with them already and that is a sin…  If you have ever taken anything no matter how big or small that doesn’t belong to you, than that is a sin…  That if you hate your neighbor that you have committed murder in your mind and that is a sin…

Have you ever told a lie ?  The Ninth of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not lie.” Telling just one lie, according to God’s standards, makes you a “liar.” In Revelation 21:8, God says, “…all liars, shall have their part in the lake of fire…

Have you ever used “God”, “Jesus” , or “Christ” as a curse word ?  The Third of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.” If you’ve ever used the name “God,” “Jesus,” or “Christ” as a curse word, what you’ve done is take the name of the God who gave you life, and you’ve used it as if it were a “four-letter” filth word to express disgust. That offense is called “blasphemy,” and according to God’s standards, you are a “blasphemer.” In Leviticus 24:16 , God says, “he that blasphemes the name of the LORD, shall surely be put to death…”

Have you ever looked at someone and had lustful thoughts ?  The Seventh of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not commit adultery.” If you’ve ever looked at another person with lustful thoughts, according to God’s standards, that makes you an “adulterer.” Jesus said, “You have heard it said, You shall not commit adultery: But I say to you, that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, God says that no adulterers “…shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Have you ever broken the first commandment ?  The First of the Ten Commandments is “You shall have no other gods before me.” That means that we should love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. The Bible tells us that no one has kept this commandment (see Psalm 14:2-3) — if you said you had, you have also broken the 9th Commandment by lying.

Have you ever stolen anything no matter how big or small ?  The Eighth of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not steal.” Stealing just one thing (regardless of it’s size or monetary value), according to God’s standards, makes you a “thief.” In 1 Corinthians 6:10, God says, “No thieves… …shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Have you given to a charity, gone to church regularly, or read the Bible regularly ?…  Giving money to charity, going to church, and reading the Bible are all good activities–but none of them impress God. The Bible says, “and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) That means, all our “righteous acts” — these “good deeds” that we do — can never make up for the fact that we’ve broken God’s Holy Commandments. Think of it this way. If a person was guilty of a serious crime… such as murder… but he gave money to charity, does that make up for his crime? No. The person’s crime hasn’t been paid for because he gave money to charity. This “good deed” will mean nothing to the judge when he passes sentence. The murder must still be punished.

So looking at just 5 of the 10 commandments, how do we fare ?  Would we be guilty or innocent ?…If we are guilty, than would we go to Heaven, or Hell ?…  Does the fact that you’re headed for Hell concern you? 

It should concern you. Would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? How about both eyes for ten million? No one in their right mind would! Your eyes are precious to you… but they are only a “window” for your soul. Your soul (your inner being, your life, your personality) looks out through those eyes. Consider how precious your eyes are… then realize that Jesus said that Hell is so horrible that you would be better off tearing out your own eyes than ending up there for all eternity (Mark 9:43-48).

Do you know what God did so that you wouldn’t have to spend eternity in Hell?

What God did…

Think of it this way… Imagine you’re in a courtroom again, you’re guilty of many serious crimes. The judge says, “It’s a fine of $500,000, or prison.” You don’t have anywhere near that amount of money, so the bailiff begins to walk you out of the courtroom when someone you don’t even know appears. He runs up to the judge with a check and says, “I’ve paid the fine for you.” Now that the fine has been paid, the law no longer has any hold on you. You’re free — because of the gift you were given. This is what God did for you by sending Jesus to die on the cross in your place. So that you wouldn’t have to go to Hell, God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross — suffering the punishment that justice demands. Then He rose from the grave, forever defeating death! The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) If you will repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus, God says he will forgive all your sins and grant you the gift of everlasting life. Just like the court case we just talked about, if you repent (that means to confess and forsake your sins) and put your trust in Jesus, then you will not have to suffer God’s justice in Hell because the payment for your crimes was made by Jesus on the cross. If you’re not sure what to pray, read Psalm 51, and make it a model for your prayer. The words are not “magical,” what God cares about is the attitude of your heart. When you pray, it should sound something like this, “Dear God, I repent of all my sins, such as (name them). I put my trust in Jesus Christ as Lord (to say Jesus is your Lord means you are now making Jesus the master over your life) and Savior. Forgive me and grant me your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” Now read your Bible daily, and obey what you read. God will never let you down. What should you read? We suggest that you start in the book named “John,” and then read the one named “Romans.” Whatever you decide to read, make sure you read every day. We now suggest that you read “Save Yourself Some Pain” which contains 10 very important steps for new and growing Christians. Please also listen to Hell’s Best Kept Secret which is a free online message that will give Biblical direction to your Christian life.

We don’t know when Christ is going to return, and when he does he will come not as a lamb, but with a sward.  The first time he came to earth as a loving savior to save the lost, but the second coming is when he will claim his church and punish the wicked.   It will be a bitter sweet time and Christ will come back with his angels and in all his glory.  Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord of all.  If you haven’t made a decision, by that time it may be too late.  Some plan more for a vacation than for their own lives.  Now is the time to receive him and his free gift of salvation.  Do not procrastinate my friend.  Today is the day and now is the time of your salvation.  Won’t you come…  He is waiting…  Come now…