BIBLE MEDITATION:
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
ENCOURAGING WORD:
Have you ever wondered why Jesus has not yet returned? I'll tell you why based on the scriptures of the Bible. It’s because our Lord is waiting on those that were preordained from the foundation of the world based on His foreknowledge. Threy are those who God knew would accept Jesus Christ and those who would reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
1 Peter 1:1-2; “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”
These two verses that we just read do not support Calvinism by any sense of the word. These two verses in 1 Peter are saying that God knew from the foundation of the world who would believe on Jesus and who would reject Jesus. God is all knowing and knows everything from the beginning of the world to the end. Even before He formed the world, He knew everything that would take place from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:20. This is why when we read about prophecy in the Bible, we should stand up and take notice. God told us all things in advance so we would be prepared for what is about to happen. Every prophecy about the first coming of Jesus Christ came true to 100% accuracy. There are twice as many prophesies about His second coming that will also come to fruition with 100% accuracy. Those of us who have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and have become born-again, often say, “If you haven’t received Jesus Christ yet, hurry up, we want to go home. You may be the one that is holding us up.
Once again, based on His foreknowledge He is possibly waiting for a member of your family, a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker, or maybe even you, but one of these days soon, and very soon perhaps, Jesus will come. You see, it is the mercy of God that holds back the Second Coming of Jesus, but the justice of God and the judgment of God require that one day He will come. Billy Graham once said, “If God doesn’t judge America soon, He owns Sodom and Gomorra an apology.” Back in the early 1970’s during the Jesus movement, people thought that Jesus Christ was coming at that time because of all the events throughout the world that seemed to be fulfilling end time prophecies. Those that studied the Bible knew that certain events would take place after the Rapture of the church and many of those events looked like they were on the very near horizon. Which meant the Rapture had to be close. Jesus could have very well come back at that time because nothing has to preceed the Rapture, it could happen at any time. Personally, I’m glad that Jesus did not come back at that time, if He had, I would have been left behind. Back in the seventies, I thought I was a good boy, sure, I had my share of sinful acts, but I thought I would go to heaven because I did more good than bad. I learned this false teaching in the denominational church that I attended for about forty years. What a lie from the pit of hell. This denomination along with another larger denomination still teach that you are saved by works. I’ve shared the following Bible verse many times, but I feel it needs repeating over and over because it is not being taught in the mainline denominations. Particularity, Roman Catholicism, and the Reformation (Lutheranism).
This next Bibel verse says a lot to me. Matthew 7:14; “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” If good works could save you, then all those that practice, "saved by good works", would most liklely go to heaven, but that is not the case because many would go to heaven based on good works. That would not be a few, that would be many. Salvation has nothing to do with good works, therefore, all those that think they are good enough to go to heaven based on good works, will be very disappointed when they stand before Jesus Christ at the "White Throne Judgement". Good works is not the way. Jesus Christ is the only way and that has nothing to do with religion.
Here is another one. Ephesians 2:8-9; “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”
What does it say? (Not by good works) Do you believe what the Bible teaches, or do you believe the man behind the pulpit? When you read the verse in Matthew 7:14, it is not talking about Roman Catholicism or Lutheranism. These two church groups are not the way which leads to life and salvation. Neither one of these denominations teach the depth of what the Bible has to say. Sure, they may read a few verses that they think they know, but they either misinterpret it or they allegorize it away.
First of all, let me share with you a verse that explains why they (Pastors and Priests) don’t know what the Bible truly teaches.
John 3:3-8; “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
When you read the words, Born-Again, it is not referring to Roman Catholicism. Being born again has nothing to do with any religion. I’ve heard it taught from the pulpit of a Catholic church were they said, you must become a catholic to be born-again. Another lie from the pit of hell. My first question is this, where did they read that in the Holy Bible? I know the answer…nowhere! Its nowhere to be found in the scriptures of Gods Word.
In the verse that we just read, Jesus went ahead to teach Nicodemus how to be born again. There are many people like Nicodemus, sincere but ignorant. They don’t know why they should be born again, and the devil will exploit this ignorance to drag them to hellfire contrary to God’s plan.
Now, Without getting to much more into detail about Roman Catholicism, let me just say this. There are many Catholics that have come to know the truth and have given their lives over to Jesus Christ and left the Catholic faith. I believe there will be many more. That is one reason why Jesus is delaying His second coming. Now, there are many others that need to come to the saving grace of Christ, but this is just one example of what I am trying to get across.
One could be a pastor or church leader, a church official, or a worker and not be born again. There is a difference between church membership and being born again. Your name could be in the register of the church and not be in the Book of life. You may ask, what is the book of life, good question because you most likely have not heard this teaching in your denomination either.
Revelation 20:15; “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
The Book of the Living, Psalm 69:28; “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous”
The Book of Life contains the names of those who have and will believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those names were written in the book of life before the creation of the world. Only these individuals will go to heaven and live there forever.
Though in their conceit they (The enemies of God) wrote themselves among the people of God, and induced others to regard them under that character. They shall be unmasked and their names removed from the register. Enrolled with honor, they shall be erased with shame. Death shall obliterate all recollection of them; they shall be held no longer in esteem, even by those who paid them homage. Judas first, and Pilate, and Herod, and Caiaphas, all in due time, were speedily wiped out of existence; their names only remain as bywords, but among the honored men who live after their departure they are not recorded. "And not be written with the righteous." This clause is parallel with the former, and shows that the inner meaning of being blotted out from the book of life is to have it made evident that their names were never written there in the first place. Man in his imperfect copy of God's book of life will have to make many corrections, both of insertion and erasure; but, (as before the Lord, the record is forever fixed and unalterable.) Beware, O man, of despising Christ and his people, lest thy soul should never partake in the righteousness of God, without which men are condemned already.
There is also a "Lambs book of life" and so as to not get confused let me explain the "Book of Life" and the "Lambs Book of Life"
The Book of Life
The book of life is first mentioned in; Exodus 32:32-33; “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”
This is where Moses asked God to blot his name out of the book that God has written if God chooses not to forgive the people for their sin of worshiping the golden calf. Moses loved his people so much that he was willing to pay the price so that others could be saved. Being written in the book of life signifies being among God’s chosen people. The psalmist references the book of life in Psalm 69:28, as we read previously, King David is asking God to blot out the names of his enemies from this book. Being written in the book of life guarantees eternal citizenship in God’s kingdom.
Luke 10:20; “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Philippians 4:3; “And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”
It is a registry of all human beings who have ever lived. Those who are not written in the book of life face judgment and eternal separation from God. Revelation 20:15; “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
The book of life belongs to the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who has the power to add or remove names from this book;
Revelation 13:8; “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, (Satan) whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The earth dwellers refer to the unsaved. The word "They" in this narrative are those that will perish in the Lake of Burning Fire forever.
Revelation 3:5; “ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
The Lamb’s Book of Life
The Lamb’s book of life is specifically a book that lists the names of those who have been redeemed by Jesus. It is mentioned in; Revelation 21:27; “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
It is the registry of citizens of the New Jerusalem. This book records the names of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, indicating they will inherit eternal life.
Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life are granted access into the eternal city. While the book of life contains all humanity, the Lamb’s book of life is a special subset containing only those who are saved through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. They are the redeemed people of God who have trusted in His provision for their sin where we read, Ephesians 1:4; " just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,"
Know this, first of all; You don't believe in Jesus Christ in order to have your name written in the Lambs Book of Life, you believe in Jesus because your name has already been written and it cannot be removed from the Lambs Book of Life. You can't earn this status.
People often ask: “What must one do to have his/her name written down in the “Lamb’s book of life?” Can someone whose name is not written in the Lambs book of Life do something, such as believe in Jesus, so that his/her name will be written in the book?” The answer to the first question is, nothing. (There is nothing that you can do.) The answer to the second question is, No. Names are inscribed in the “Lambs book of life” before the foundation of the world. This is by God’s sovereign and altogether gracious choice. You don’t believe in Jesus in order that your name will be written in the book. You believe in Jesus because your name has already been written down in the book. To those who do not presently believe in Jesus, we say: “Repent and believe!” If they do, it is because their names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the world. God already knew if you would repent or not. You may ask yourself; how can I know if my name is written in the Lambs Book of Life? Well, let me ask you a question, have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and have been born again into the Holy Spirit, or have you chosen to go though life without Christ? The answer to your question will give you the answer that you asked. It is your choice, Have you accepted Jesus, or have you denied Jesus? God already knew from the foundation of the world what you would choose. If you choose to believe and serve Jesus today, then your name was written in the Lambs book of Life. Pretty simple! The ball is in your court.
Your pastor may know you, but does God know you? Sure, you may say, of course God knows me, He created me, but does He really know you personally. Do you fellowship with Him daily, Do you talk with Him in prayer. If not, then He doesn’t know you personally. For example, you may know me, and I may know of you, but do we know each other personally, not always. If you don’t reach out to me in friendship, or I don’t reach out to you, then there is really no relationship. Know this, Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with Jesus Christ. You can go to church every day of your life and that will have no bearing whatsoever on your salvation. Are you born again is the question that you need to ask yourself.
Let me explain what it means to be born again. The first time we are born through the water of our earthly mother. Every human being has been born once. It’s called life. The second time is through the decision of the Free Will to accept and live for Jesus. This is when we come to the knowledge of Jesus and what He did for us and make a commitment of faith to believe or reject Jesus. This commitment we make at an age where we are considered accountable. We really don’t know what age that is, but I believe it can be anywhere from six years old to fifteen years old give or take a few years.
Receiving Jesus Christ is the only true hope that we have of entering heaven after death. If not for the Blessed Hope (The Rapture) and the soon return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. there will be no hope prior to the Seven Year Tribulation where Gods Wrath will be poured out on an unbelieving world. After that, you may still have a chance to be saved, but it will cost you your life.
1 Corinthians 15: 14–20; “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.”
You either believe or you reject– the choice is yours!
Now let’s move forward to the days in which we now live. In these days in which we live, the convergence of all end time prophecies are in place and ready to fulfill the last days on earth as we know them today. We are truly living in the last days. I am thankful that Jesus didn’t comeback in the seventies. I definitely would have been left behind. I’m sure that there are many others that could say the same thing, but the days are closing in where that door to salvation will close on those that have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those of us that are watching the signs and aware of what is going on around us, know the time of the second coming is knocking at the door.
We read in; Revelation 3:20; “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, it is up to you to let Him in or reject His visitation. The Jews rejected Him at His first coming and because of their rejection, they were spiritually blinded and were severely persecuted for the last two thousand years. If you reject the promises of His second coming the consequence are eternal. Jesus will not force Himself into your life. Jesus wants your love, not conversion by force.
In Luke 21:28; we read, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Let me end with these last couple verses.
The Great Apostasy
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-16; “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Do you not remember that when I (The Apostle Paul) was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains (The Born -Again Belivers) will do so until He (The Church) is taken out of the way. (The Rapture) And then the lawless one (The Antichrist) will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 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.”
Stand Fast
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions (Jewish Traditions) which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and [i]establish you in every good word and work.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4; “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 gather up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
In the previous verse, Jesus is letting us know what will take place in the end days. These things are all happening today, and we should be looking up, for our redemption truly does draw near. Don’t remain ignorant of God’s Word, because when you stand before God at the "White Throne Judgement," ignorance of the law will be no excuse.
The raging waters of God's wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy. And one of these days, the dam of God's mercy will give way to God's judgment, and the day of the Lord will come. Our Lord is coming!
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
May God Bless you all and take care!
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