Are You Afraid To Come To The Lord Because Of Your Many Sins?

"Then he said: 'A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living." Luke 15:11 This is typical of many young people longing to go off on their own and be free of their parents' control. Some of them are so anxious to leave the restrictions of their parents that they go headlong into sin, rebellion, and self-will, and they indulge themselves in every whim that comes into their hearts. These are sitting ducks for Satan. They are like Adam and Eve, in that whatever Satan puts invitingly into their minds, that they will do. The result is always the same because sin brings death. Sin eventually brings destruction. Always. Every time. It's a spiritual law. In the parable above, the young man came to the end of his rebellion when he found himself in terrible straights. He realized he had wasted it all and that he had relinquished all rights from his father because it was all wasted. But he considered that even his father's servants were well fed, so he decided to go back to his father and ask if he could be one of the servants. At least then he'd have food on the table. vs 19: "I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ It took courage for him to go to his father and humble himself this way, but anything was better than the circumstances that he had fallen to. So he turned back and started for home. vs 20: "But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and RAN and fell on his neck and kissed him." He was stunned at his father's willingness to receive him back, and not even as a servant, but as a son. His father was so overjoyed to see him coming that he went out to him with heart-swelling love, hugging him and kissing him received him fully. In the eyes of the father, the son was coming home and great was the rejoicing. vs 23-24: "And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." I once was visiting a dying person and I asked her if she would come to the Lord. She answered me that all these years she had ignored him and done her own thing, and asked how could she come to him now when she was in trouble? I spoke to her about the thief on the cross next to Jesus, how he turned to Jesus before he died, and the Lord not only received him but he told him that this very day he would be with him in Paradise. I assured her that the Lord would receive her even now, even as she was in trouble, just come. And she did. And she died joyfully, a fully-restored daughter to the Father. If you've made a mess of your life, don't hesitate to return to the Father. He will receive you, in fact he'll rejoice in your coming home and you will be fully restored. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Isaiah 1:18 Just come!

Your Only Protection From Deception

"...for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 18:28 Could you do that? There is nothing as important in life as the Word of God. You will not survive spiritually if you don't feed yourself the Word of God daily. Some say they don't read the Bible because they don't understand it. But see it this way: when you eat a meal you don't worry how the nutrients and proteins are going to nourish you, you just eat. It's the same with the Bible. It is what nourishes your soul. You don't have to worry HOW it's going to nourish you, you just take it in every day and it will. If you don't, the effect will be the same as it would be if you did not nourish your body - you'll be spiritually unhealthy and weak. "...sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..." 1st Peter 3:15 Could you do that? If someone asked you, could you give a defense for your faith from the Scriptures? "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2nd Timothy 2:15 Put some effort into it. Study God's Word. We are in "the last days," and Jesus said that that time would be characterized by deception and sure enough, deception is RAMPANT. Even people who would call themselves believers are falling for all sorts of deception. How will you not fall if you do not intimately know the Word of God? Satan is clever - he twists Scripture to deceive people. When they see Scripture being spouted they're convinced, and fall they do! By the multitudes. This is the day of the mega-churches which draw people by telling them what they want to hear. They use, actually mis-use, Scripture to preach prosperity, how to be successful, how to build your "self esteem," but they don't preach on sin or hell or picking up your cross daily to follow Jesus Christ. "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:17 Other sects teach “religious” things one can do like walking the labyrinth, lighting candles, purposeful imaginations, “Christian” yoga (there’s no such thing), "religious" practices that satisfy the soulish desire to be "religious" - but simply aren't true. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2nd Timothy 4:3-4 Then there is the push toward the coming one-world religion under the banner of "ecumenism" which will be the joining of religions for the sake of "unity," but will be the prophesied false last-days global religion. Already the current pope has had Muslims in the Vatican reciting the Koran in his effort to bring mutual "tolerance" and mutual acceptance between all religions, creating a "unity" that is no more than Satanic heresy. You are NOT to join together with religions worshiping false gods. "DO NOT be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" 2nd Corinthians 6:14 "You shall NOT go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you..." Deuteronomy 6:14 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11 If you don't know the Word of God you are spiritually blind and you will easily fall for any of these. When asked what would be the signs of his coming, the very first sign Jesus gave was deception. "And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.'' Matthew 24:4 He put this before all the other signs, the wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, famines and pestilence. As terrible as those things are, he put the danger of deception first. The ONLY way to not be trapped in deception is to know the Word of God so that you can spot heresy when someone twists Scripture to make it say what it doesn't say. If you don't know the Word of God, you will be given over to delusion. "And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned WHO DID NOT BELIEVE THE TRUTH but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2nd Thessalonians 2:11 When you stand before the Lord, you will be judged on your response to the Word of God which he gave to us, the Holy Scriptures which alone are able to nourish your spirit. Begin now. Start nourishing your spirit with the nourishment God has provided for man - the Bible, the Scriptures, the Word of God he has given us to tell us who he is, who we are, and what's important. And each time you take up that Bible, before you begin, pray for enlightenment, pray for understanding, ask God to REVEAL his Word to you.

Desensitized - Like The Frog In The Kettle

"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward with me, to give to every one according to his work." Revelation 22:11-12 If you're paying attention to what's happening in the world, you can discern that the end of this age is near. The future doesn't depend on men in office, it depends on the plan and will of God. Men will conduct their agendas oblivious to the oncoming time of the great Tribulation. They will be eating and drinking, carrying on business until their lives are interrupted by the great Tribulation. It's interesting that on the day of the 2022 midterm elections in America, there was a total lunar eclipse. A "blood moon." On the very day. But who's paying attention? “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37-39 The ancient prophecies specify the countries that will be the players in the the events of the last days - and they are ALL lined up and ready to go. The ancient prophecies mention "Persia," - the land that was Persia at that time is today called "Iran." They mention the land of Gog and Magog. Historians pinpoint that land as the land known today as Russia. Are Russia and Iran allied now? That wasn't the case not long ago, but it sure is now. They are in the news daily. All that is necessary to begin the events of the prophesied "Great Tribulation" is present and waiting. One man will come to the forefront and will take power over the entire earth. A global leader. Maybe the head of the United Nations - we don't know how it comes to pass but the Scriptures tell us it will. Something will happen, some crisis that will make people willing to not only submit to, but welcome him and give over the power and governance to him. He will be Satan's man of the hour, evil incarnate, known in Scripture as "the Antichrist." Also, the ancient prophecies tell us that in the "last days" it's going to be all about Israel. A hundred years ago there was no Israel. The land was a dry and barren wasteland and the Jews were scattered throughout the world. Today Israel is back in her land and is prospering, but is surrounded on every side with peoples who are determined to destroy her and drive her into the sea. Jesus said that the "last days" will be characterized by wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, famines and pestilence (diseases.) These very things are in our news daily. Scoffers say there have always been wars and earthquakes and famines and diseases. That's right, there have been - every century has had its great war or great earthquake or its great outbreak of a disease. But Jesus said that in the "last days" all those things will be happening concurrently in one generation – making this generation glaringly obvious because that's exactly what we are witnessing. He said it would all increase in frequency and intensity like labor pains of a woman about to give birth. And that's exactly what we see today. Every one of those things has been in the news - RECENTLY. How often do we hear the words "record breaking!" "Unprecedented!" As this age comes to its end, the Scriptures tell us evil is going to increase exponentially. Jesus said the "last days" will be like the days of Noah, and like the days of Lot who lived in Sodom. And so it is. Never before has a generation reached the degree of wickedness that this generation has. And if you follow on in the story of Noah and Lot, you'll learn that the peoples perished. Noah and his family were the only ones who survived the world-wide flood. Lot and his family were the only ones who survived the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – in fact, that area south of the Dead Sea is still, to this day, covered in ash. In the coming "Great Tribulation" which Jesus spoke of, there will be few survivors. Jesus said of this time that it will be the time of the greatest devastation the world has ever known, or ever will afterwards. Seven years of the judgment of God on a Christ-rejecting world. Seven years of overwhelming pain and destruction as the Lord "Tramples out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored." "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be." Matthew 24:21 Because these things have taken a long time to develop, people have become desensitized to it. It's like the frog in the pot of water that is heated up slowly. The frog is desensitized to it and will not become aware of the threat until it's too late. And so is this generation - desensitized - unaware that it's coming to the boiling point and it will soon be too late. The story is approaching its closing act. The eternal fate of every human being is being set. "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11 There comes a time when it's too late, you'll stay as you are. The door will close. It is not God's will that ANY perish (2nd Peter 3:9). He holds out the opportunity for you to come to him and receive salvation. Do it now. Now, while you can.