BIBLE MEDITATION:
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13
ENCOURAGING WORD:
I’m going to start out today’s message a little differently. I want to share with you an experience that I had today that was definitely an answer to a prayer. Lately, I have been going through a rough time where I felt I was really being attacked spiritually. This happens now and then, and I have to say, I don’t like it when I feel distance between me and God. I feel like I am alone to fend for myself against all the evil in the world. Of course
this is not the case in reality, God said He will never leave me nor forsake me, so obviously, when I am feeling this way, it is because I have made the disconnection, not God.
As many of you know, I have written a book and I also make videos of many of my blogs. I do this because many people would rather hear a message than read one, me included.
But as of lately I’ve been questioning if this is really what God has called me to do, because I am getting very little, if any support from those I thought would support me, even if they weren’t totally sold on what I was doing. I felt the devotions that are in my book, came from the Holy Spirit, but I felt that these messages were not reaching very many people. So, I started to believe that I was wasting my time all these years and maybe really not doing what God has called me to do, so I reached out to God in prayer and asked Him to let me know if this was indeed something He called me to do.
So, a couple of days ago as I was out and about, I stopped into a meat market as I often do when I need something that they carry. I also find this place to have the nicest and most caring employees that I have ever met. After many years of patronizing this business, I have gotten to know them quite well and they know me also. A few months ago, I handed out five of my books to a select group of ladies that I felt would find comfort and encouragement by reading it. I usually do not mention names in my videos or blogs, but I want to personally thank this special friend for what she did for me when I was at their facility.
“Thank you, “Amy”, for taking time out of your day to encourage me, I need it as much as anybody.” So, through our conversation, she expressed how things weren’t going really well for her. Without getting into details, she started thanking me for my blogs and my videos, then she said something that just melted my heart. She said that she had been reading my daily devotions from my book, “The Encourager” every morning, and with tears in her eyes she said it was the main thing that helped get her through each day.
What she probably didn’t realize is how she encouraged me to continue to encourage others. I needed her inspiration. When I hear messages like this, it validates why I continue to do what I am doing.
This my friends, was my answer I got from God and here is what I feel the Holy Spirit said to me. “Ron, you are doing exactly what I called you to do, but know this, you may not reach a lot of people, but you will reach those that need encouragement, and those are the ones that I am reaching through your commitment to me.” And all of a sudden it hit me like a ton of bricks, if only I reach one person with comfort and help that person find peace and safely in Jesus Christ, it is all worth it. It dawned on me that my rewards will not come in this lifetime, but in heaven when I stand before Jesus at the “Bema Seat of Christ.” So, I will continue to do what I am doing, even if I get very little support, because God is in charge, and He will reach those that He is calling. I can do nothing on my own to reach people with the Word of God, so I will continue to serve God the way that He called me to do. The results are in His hands.
So, with this bit of encouragement, let me explain what I mean by the title that I gave today’s message. “Have you made your reservation yet?” Let me put it in a way that everybody will understand. If you are going on a vacation to an event that brings in thousands of people, and you haven’t made a reservation at any certain nearby Hotel, you will most likely not get a room. In the same way, if you do not make your reservation to enter heaven, you will not be allowed entry. Pretty cut and dry, wouldn’t you say!
The reservation that you make in heaven can’t be made by phone or internet to get in, it turns out that this reservation is hassle free. All you have to do is call out the Jesus Christ. You need to call out to Him with complete sincerity. Then you need to accept His free gift of grace and believe on Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and become born-again into the Holy Spirit, then your reservation is secure. There is no better feeling than knowing that you are forever in Gods care. If you reject His propitiation for your sins, you will not enter into His kingdom. What likely hood would you have of getting a hotel room where every room is full? Unless you are the president or some other high office person, you will not get in.
Unfortunately, that rule will not apply in heaven. God is no respecter of person as we read in Romans 2:11; “For there is no respect of persons with God.” Your rank or position here on earth will have no bearing on your entry into heaven. Sorry pastors and priests, the door to salvation is very narrow, and knowledge of the Bible and teaching it is not a prerequisite to getting into heaven. There will be people that know the Bible inside and out, but if they do not know Jesus Christ on a personal level, they will not be accepted into heaven. Only through Jesus Christ can one be saved. Your relationship with Jesus is all that counts when you leave this life. Remember, and keep this in mind, Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Religion will not get you into heaven.
Here is a Bible verse that I believe has very rarely been understood by teachers of the Bible. Matthew 7: 13-14; says ““Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
We also read this truth in Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Let me explain something that might not jump right out at you. One of the things that God hates, and possibly the thing He hates most is pride. If we could be good enough to earn our way into heaven, then we would get into heaven and most likely boast about how good we were on earth. This is why grace is a free gift, so no one can boast about getting into heaven.
Let me share another Bible verse that will validate what I am saying. Romans 3:10-12; “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” This is saying that “nobody” is good according to God’s standards. Good in Gods eyes, means perfect in every way. Nobody but Jesus Christ can make that claim, so without accepting Gods propitiation for sins through Jesus Christ, no one can be saved…. Can it be made any clearer? So, if you are attending a Christian sect that tells you that you are saved by works…. GET OUT!
If you don’t believe what is written in the scriptures, then you are calling God a liar. These verses are written and inspired by the Holy Spirit and need to be taken extremely seriously. Be careful…you need to know what the Bible teaches; not what religion teaches. You will be held accountable for what you believe, so why not find out what the truth is through the scriptures of the Bible. I’ve said this a few times before and I’ll say it again until it sinks in, “ignorance of the law will not be an excuse when you stand before Jesus Christ at the “White Throne Judgement”.
Let me end with this message; “We all have an account in heaven. These accounts keep track of every sin that we ever committed and every sin that we will commit, if we do not receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If you die in your sins, you will be sentenced to eternity in the “Lake of Burning Fire” or Hell as it is more commonly referred to. So look at it this way, if you do not receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and are not born-again into the Holy Spirit, your books will be opened at the White Throne Judgement and every sin that you ever committed will be exposed and you will be judged accordingly.
Keep this in mind, if you only committed on sin, which no one can make claim to, you will not enter heaven, because God cannot and will not allow sinful man to enter into His kingdom. We read this fact in James 2:10; where it says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” Pretty straight forward if you ask me.
Now comes the exciting message. If you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, all your sins will be washed away and forgiven. An easy way to explain it is like this: “When you stand before Jesus at the Bema Seat of Christ, your book will be opened and it will read, “Paid in Full”. (This is the judgement where all those that received Jesus Christ will receive rewards for what they did in the name of Jesus after they have been born-again)
Not one sin that you ever committed will be recorded in this book. Access to heaven will be granted. When Jesus Christ was crucified, He took all the sins of the world and nailed them to the cross. We refer to this as the great exchange. He took our sins and gave us His righteousness. So, let me ask you, will you make that exchange today, it would be a wise thing to do, because we never know what a day will bring. Tomorrow is not promised to anybody. You breathe your last breath here on earth and the next breath that you take will be in heaven or hell…it is your choice.
So, where do you want to spend eternity, heaven or hell? You may say, I don’t believe in heaven or hell, it doesn’t matter, you will spend eternity in one of two places regardless of what you believe. I hope you choose wisely: May God bless you and all you do! That ends the message for today!
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