The Lamb's Book of Life

Revelation 20:11-15

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Yes, there will be a day of judgment, and there is only one judge of all.  John is back in God’s Throne room, where he is given the vision of God’s final judgment for those who had died during the millennial reign.  Recall that Jesus separated the righteous from the unrighteous after the Great Tribulation (Matthew 25 – sheep and goats).  The righteous (sheep) were judged and will go with Jesus into the 1000-year reign, while the unrighteous (goats) will be cast into the lake of fire.  So, the Great White Throne judgment is of those who died having turned from Christ during the millennial reign.  There will be one point of evidence in this judgment event, the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Either your name is in it, or it is not.

I know this is somewhat confusing, but think about the people groups over time.

Righteous 

1. Believers in God from before Jesus’ death and resurrection (OT saints raptured)

2. Believers who have died before the Great Tribulation with faith in Christ as Lord (Church age saints raptured) 

3. Believers (alive and those who were martyred) from the Great Tribulation (return with Jesus during the Millennial reign)

4. New believers converted or born during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ

Unrighteous

1. OT enemies of God before Jesus

2. Those who died having denied Christ prior to the Great Tribulation

3. Those who denied God during the Great Tribulation despite His signs, plagues, and wrath (many were swept away during the reaping in Revelation 14, others still were burnt up during the battle of Armageddon, birds ate their flesh). Any remaining were separated (goats from Matthew 25) and judged by Jesus before the 1000 year reign began.

4. Those who enter the new Millennial reign of Christ, but turn away from Christ and follow Satan after the Millennium (joined forces with Satan, Gog, and Maggog and were burnt up in the final battle)

These unrighteous are now brought before the Great White Throne for judgment by God alone.  The sea (bottomless pit), death in unrighteousness, and Hades (death before Christ) all gave up their dead to be judged a final time. This judgment will establish their eternal destination in the lake of fire.  Each of these people had a first death (physically), and now has experienced the second death and permanent separation from God the Father, just as they wished.  God does not wish that any shall perish, but those who of their own free will choose to be separate from Him will be granted their desire permanently.   

So, as a believer, are we without judgment?

No, in Romans 2:6 we are told God “will render to each person according to his deeds.”, So yes, we will be judged, again, reference Matthew 25 when Jesus judges the sheep and the goats.  Those who follow, believe, and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are His sheep and have their names written in the book of life.  The judgment of our eternal fate is contained in that alone.  Yes, the sinful actions of our lives are outside of His righteousness and recorded in the books, but are redeemed by His sacrifice, death, and God’s grace.  It is only through Jesus blood that we can be accepted as righteous on that day.

Church of Thyatira - Flee from Jezebel

 Revelation 2:18-28

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.  “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.  Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.”

The fourth church in Jesus’ revelation to John was the Church of Thyatira.  Thyatira was a wealthy city of merchants, traders, and skilled laborers.  As with the other cities we have looked at, those in Thyatira also had leanings toward Greek and Roman gods.  Elevating the Roman gods with temples and statues to worship the people of Thyatira would be found in idolatrous festivals throughout the year. 

The Church of Thyatira was a strong, active church as recognized by Jesus’ words of encouragement.  “I know your works, your love and faith, and service, and patient endurance, and increasing works from where you began.”  Jesus comes to them in this letter, representing the characteristics of strength against a formidable foe – eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like burnished bronze.  These strengths point to his purity and the ending judgment of the corruption in their city.

Upon acknowledging the church’s strengths, though, He is quick to call out the sinful actions of sexual immorality, and allowing the spirit of Jezebel to resonate throughout the church.  As with the other churches, Satan is busy challenging Jesus’ authority from within the church, and being accepted.  This requires repentance and turning away from.  

He is clear to those that do not repent, great tribulation, sickness, and even death will come.  God is the supreme authority and He states it clearly that they will come to know this.  Some within the church are holding true to His teachings and living according to His works, and they will be rewarded, but woe to those who do not.

This is the first church where Jesus talks of His “coming back”.  If you notice in His statement to those who are holding strong and true, he says continue to hold on until I have come, and you will be conquerors and have authority over others.  This is a soft encouragement to those in the church who are abiding in Him, a promise of things to come.

We are living in a time where the spirit of Jezebel is rampant throughout our society, and yes, even the church in many cases.  We must be able to stand strong on the principles Jesus taught us and hold fast to what is righteous and in line with His word.  Jesus is going to judge all mankind one day, when He returns, and He is not playing around.  His judgment will be consistent with His character in this letter - eyes of flames of fire and feet of burnished bronze.  Likewise, we are called to repent from our wicked ways and turn back to His teachings.

There is no patience extended for following the teachings of Jezebel within the church.  Seductiveness, following the world, raising up idols, and worshiping man over God will not be tolerated.  Recognize how this is so prevalent today and turn from it.  Let us not be found chasing Jezebel when He returns.

An Act of Futility

January 12, 2015

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”– John 14:6

I get it.  I understand why so many people are anti-religious.  If it is perceived as a straight jacket discipline which requires perfect action, words and emotions; it would be most unappealing to all.  In reality though it’s not the requirement of being a Christian.  Sure, perfect holiness and righteousness is the requirement to enter into eternal heaven with God the Father, but this is impossible for mankind.

If we are keeping score (of righteousness vs. unrighteousness) the average person will perform no less than a few hundred unrighteous acts in a given 24 hour period.  Let’s face it through our thoughts, actions, and words we are seldom in a state of holy righteousness, and abiding in His holy word.  As hard as we try, we cannot will ourselves to stop these things from happening.  With this in mind, there must be a way to overcome our instinctive unrighteous behavior.

How many “good” righteous acts must one commit each day, each hour, each minute to overcome the plethora of unrighteousness that overwhelms us?  Is it a 1 for 1 trade off, or does it take more good to overcome each unrighteous act?  Does one extremely good thing overcome multiple unrighteous acts?  In a given lifetime, can we do enough good things for the world to balance the scales with the evil or unrighteous things?  The obvious answer is no, we cannot.

So, if holy righteousness is required to enter heaven, and we cannot achieve that on our own, despite how hard we attempt to control ourselves, how can we achieve it?  This is the reason Jesus Christ came to the earth and endured the wrath of God upon the cross.  His righteousness was pure, holy and perfect in every way.  He became the propitiation for your sins and my sins before we were even conceived.  Through his death and sacrifice on the cross we, who accept and believe in Him, are washed clean.  Our soul takes on the image of Christ forever more, and though our flesh continues to sin, our spirit is holy and righteous.

Have you ever looked into one of those funny mirrors at a State Fair or Carnival?  You know the ones that either make you look extremely tall and skinny, or very short and rotund regardless of how you actually look.  The image you see is definitely you, but it is altered, it is transposed into something different than reality.  I imagine standing before God on judgment day will be similar.  I will stand before His perfect holiness in rags of sin and unrighteousness from every act ever committed.  But, in my imagination, Jesus Christ is standing between me and the Father, and the Father sees me through the image of Jesus as perfectly holy and righteous.  My sins are covered by His holiness and thought I am guilty of transgressions, I am forgiven completely because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.

Without His coverage, I am left to stand before the Father to justify my actions good and bad, in an attempt to convince the Almighty that I am perfectly holy enough for heaven.  This indeed is an impossible task, and if you are running from religion because you see it as worthless to even attempt, than I fully understand your opinion.  You are correct in your assertion that it is impossible so why even try to achieve it.  What you need to realize is that there is a way, and only one way to overcome this reality.  That is through Jesus Christ. 


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Fundamental Truth – He will Judge all Mankind

November 24, 2014

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” – John 5:22

If they don’t believe in Heaven and Hell, they certainly don’t believe they will be judged.  At one point in our history there was actually a fear of judgment day.  If you observe much of the news in these days though, it is easy to see that many are only living for the moment with no concern of a coming judgment day.  For if we were, would we not take more care about hurting others, minding the 10 Commandments:
            Thou Shalt not . . .
               Kill, Steal, Commit Adultery, Lie, Envy (covet)

These are broken in every city, every day by hundreds of people with no concern of reconciling with the Lord.

I believe there will be a day when Jesus Christ will return and take His children home as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” 
I believe that Jesus Christ will judge the righteous from the unrighteous as captured in Matthew 25:32-33 “"All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” 

I believe that denying Jesus Christ will lead to an eternal separation from God the Father.

I believe that one cannot earn their way (through good works) to eternal salvation, that it is only through the belief in His Son.  Though many believe that they can be “good enough” it is a lie of the evil one.  For none of us can be “good enough” to be in the presence of God.  We must rely upon the sacrifice and redeeming blood of Jesus Christ to atone for our wickedness.

I believe that there will be many who believe they are saved, but will suffer on judgment day having been misled their entire life by the evil of this world. 

I believe many religions are loving, caring, peaceful and stand on good intentions, but it is my belief that if they do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Savior of the World and Lord; then they will be judged one day as wicked.

Many argue that I have no right to judge others and their beliefs and they are correct, I do not.  I am not the judge, nor do I even have any perspective on what is in another man’s heart and the truth of their relationship with Jesus Christ.  But, I do have the right to fear for them and to at least tell them what I believe, so they may make an informed decision.  For if I do not tell them of what I believe to be the truth, how am I any different than the wickedness of this world in condemning them on judgment day.  For you see, it is because I believe in Jesus Christ that I am called to spread His word to the corners of the earth.  It is because I believe that I am charged to share His love with others and do good works, in His name and for His glory.  I do not do good things to earn His love, but I do them because of His love for me.

I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.  I want to share this with you and I want you to share it with those you know.  By the definition of multiplicity, through the sharing of the word we can communicate these fundamental truths to the world through email, social media and your testimony.  I encourage each of you to share this with your contacts and in doing so share His gospel truth. 

In the love of the Lord, be blessed.


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Finding Me - Day 10

September 19, 2014

I must learn to love others.  When I watch the news or open up Explorer or Chrome and the news comes up, it’s always the ugliness of the world.  So and so killed family and then themselves, beheadings, baby mutilation, people beating innocent people because of skin color, politicians demeaning and demoralizing our value system.  I am saddened that this has become the norm in the world and almost to the point of being expected.   How do I love these people?  How do I find from deep within my soul the ability to love those that hurt, those that hate and those that choose to destroy that which I believe?

It’s easy to say the words: Love God and Love others; now try to live it.  Too many times I allow my self interest and emotion to get in the way and I think too much about the circumstance.  The depth of love I should have for others is above the circumstance that is evidenced before me.  Love should be for the person not their action, and their equality in the eyes of the Lord.  For each of us are born with the same equal opportunity to achieve righteousness and experience the eternal presence of the Lord.  Loving others is beyond the emotional feelings I have for another, but rather it’s about the state of their eternal soul and sharing in the Lord’s desire that not one shall perish, but all might enter into His Kingdom on that day of judgment. (2 Peter 3:9)  So therefore, I call upon the Lord to work in me and through me to love them in a manner that their soul might also come to know Him.

Day 10: Learning to Love
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31

We have all heard John 3:16 and can likely quote it right now in our mind.  “….that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  How did God love others?  He gave them a way to receive eternal peace, joy and happiness rather than the pit of Hell; and He did it by providing a sacrificial lamb, His only Son.  You and I will never experience the pain and the anguish of giving the life of our child so that billions of others might be saved.  When God calls us to love our neighbor as yourself, this means put their needs above yours, focus on their salvation and help them find His eternal peace.  Forgetting about your own desires and needs, but lift them up.  For this is what He did by giving His Son for our salvation.

Prayer:
Father,
There is violence, anger, debauchery and unrighteousness rampant throughout the earth.  You see this and are not surprised, for in Your word you right of the last days.  Help me Lord to see through the pain, the anger and violence to see the person You have created and to love them the way You do, with an eternal perspective.  Guide my tongue to say the right things to help restore them to Your flock, and Your ways of righteousness.  Let me love them in the manner You wish them to be loved.  In Your name I pray.   – Amen

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Sodom’s Got Nothing on Us

Make 2014 a year of Sharing

“For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.” – Isaiah 34:2

We are captivated by the love of God and the mercies He has bestowed upon us.  We look at the end of the world and think little about the incredible wrath, death and destruction that will take place.  Through His Son, Jesus Christ, God has provided a sacrifice for mankind to lay claim to, yet the bible is clear, His wrath will be poured out upon the earth.  How long will He continue to be patient?  If we look at the immorality, the debauchery, the complete disregard for His supreme authority that is taking place in this world today; can the end be too far away? 

When Abraham argued with God over the salvation of Sodom and Gomorrah there is scriptural evidence of the unrighteousness and sinful lives of those living there.  Abraham argued that if only 10 righteous could be found there, than God would have spared the entire cities. (Gen 18:)  To no avail, we know the story that God reigned down burning sulfur and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.  What makes you believe that Armageddon will be any less spectacular?

Those that oppose the Lord and His outpouring of love for mankind will suffer the damnation and hell that is promised in the scriptures.  Make no mistake.  His love is unmeasurable, and this is why He has given you and I the opportunity for salvation.  Just as the angels came to Sodom and took Lot and his family away before the destruction, Jesus Christ has come to provide a sanctuary for you from the coming wrath of the Lord.

What is happening around you is nothing short of what was happening in Sodom in those days.  The 10 Commandments hold little value in the eyes of the masses.  Adultery and lust, murder, stealing, lying, jealousy, day of rest, respect, idolatry, cursing and the blatant denial of the one and only God Almighty, is commonplace in today’s world.  Is there anything that tells us that these laws are no longer valid, no longer applicable?  We have chosen to ignore them and apply them loosely to our own lives, no different than the children of Israel who wandered in the desert for 40 years and never saw the Promised Land of Canaan.  He gave us His law because it is righteous and good, not as a suggestion, but as the law of the Lord Jehovah.

Yes, Jesus Christ’s blood is an atonement for our sinful actions and thoughts.  This is a fact that we all rely upon so that we may be redeemed to our God and live holy and righteous in heaven one day.  The lack of repentance, turning from our sin, though should require us to carefully evaluate our spiritual commitment and salvation.  As Jesus Christ told the woman caught in adultery, ““Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  We love the fact that Christ forgives our sins, and washes us clean, but we often forget the second part of His statement – ”Go and sin no more.” 

I don’t know if God’s judgment day is tomorrow, next week, or 20 years from now.  The reality of it is that He will come to judge all mankind; every one of us.  You have no way to avoid it.  If you sincerely believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, than you must believe His words are 100% truth.  This means everything He said in the scriptures will come to fruition and woe to the man who does not hear.  As we start this New Year of 2014, I highly recommend you check yourself; your desires, your wants, your lusts, your passion, your sins and take them to the Lord in prayer now.  Lay them on the table and ask for Him to help you overcome these things this year.  Make this your New Years resolution, and forget about the whole diet fad of the century.  I promise when your 6 feet under, nobody is going to care if you had high cholesterol or not.  This flesh body we have has no future in eternity, perhaps our goals and resolutions should have more of an eternal impact.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
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2014 – A Year for Sharing

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.  Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  Relent, Lord! How long will it be?  Have compassion on your servants”  - Psalm 90:11-13

We will all end up 6 feet under.  You cannot avoid this fact, nor determine the time and location.  Be you a child, a teen, a college student, a young adult or a mature adult; your day is coming and the boat, house, car, TV, bike, bank account or color of your AMEX is going to change that fact.  Once it has come, your choice on eternal destiny is completed.  We look back at 2013 and mourn over those who passed away.  We mourn for our emotional loss, but have you considered that their eternal fate has now been sealed until the time of judgment and reconciliation.  You read the news of famous individuals that have passed away and feel sad that you will no longer see them on the “big screen”, speaking or singing from the stage, or even those who have entertained us through our televisions each week. 

We idolized them and held them on high while they were alive, and we mourn them now that they have died; but have you ever considered their eternal fate?  We will never know the truth of their relationship with Jesus Christ, the Savior and Lord, the Redeemer of our soul, the Son of God the Father.  We do not want to think about the fact that many of those who have passed away did not have this relationship and therefore have set a path for an eternity in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). We believe that they lived a good life and were nice, compassionate and charitable to those around them, and therefore they must be going to heaven.  WRONG.

Just because someone is loving, peaceful, compassionate and honest, does not in any way redeem the sin they have experienced in their life.  Good works cannot overcome the fact that we are all sinful.  Good works are just that – good works.  Often times they benefit others in a very positive manner, but have no redemptive capability.  God demands perfection and sinlessness to enter into heaven.  The sin that is born into every man must be redeemed and reconciled before he is capable of entering into God’s eternal presence.  Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin.  He was born without sin and lived a sinless life.  The blood that flowed through His veins was perfect from the Father above.  Therefore, His death on Calvary became the perfect blood sacrifice for mankind’s sin.  He was buried and rose again on the third day, resurrected from the grave to sit at the right hand of the Father.  He now mediates on your behalf to present you as a perfect son or daughter of the King, so that your sins are washed away, and you too may be resurrected from the grave on judgment day.

If one does not believe on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they are refusing His redeeming grace and taking the chance that they alone can live a life good enough to achieve redemption and entrance into God’s perfect eternal presence.  They will be sorely mistaken on judgment day when the Father casts them into the lake of fire.  As it is written in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”  There is no other way into heaven, none.  Despite what man might say, God has spoken and stated the truth clearly.  Mankind will try to overrule God’s word to make it fit their desires and comfort, but it does not make it so.  Do not mourn for those that have passed away, for they have set their eternal plans in place.  Mourn for those who are your neighbor and have not accepted Jesus Christ, for they are destined for an eternity in Hell.  These are the ones who still have an opportunity for a glorious eternal life with the Savior. 

This is my hope for you and those you are able to reach in 2014.  Make this year a year of sharing His word and truth with your loved ones and your friends.  If you truly care for them while on this earth, than you should care even more for their eternal life.

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Words of a King – “Judgment”

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” – Matthew 25:32-33

The skies were blindingly white, almost silver, in the midnight hour.  Singing could be heard from everywhere, despite the fact that the house was shut up tight and all the electronics were off.  Shading their eyes, they peered out of the window and were drawn to the beams shooting from the sky, like lasers, only much more rapid and luminescent.  It seemed as though there were millions of them coming from every direction to a central collection point on the horizon.  They, like many of their neighbors, stepped out onto the front porch to see what was happening.

Suddenly, they felt themselves being drawn effortlessly, weightlessly through the air toward the central target of light and sound.  Reaching out to each other, they held onto each other’s hands and tried to embrace in the midst of transporting from one location to another.  Beyond their comprehension was the immediacy of the movement, and before they knew what had happened they were both resting on the dirt amidst millions and perhaps billions of other people as far as the eye could see.

The singing stopped and the crowds began moving uncontrollably.  Some to one side and some to the other side of the vast expanse.  Despite their efforts to remain together, they were ripped apart – he went to the left and she to the right.  Screaming at the top of her lungs, she looked at him with panic in her eyes, for she suddenly knew exactly what was happening.  He tried to calm her down as they moved farther and farther apart, but her cries became even more desperate, and above the crowds he heard her voice, “Please, confess Jesus as Lord…I beg of you, accept His redeeming grace.”  In his blindness though he could not comprehend what she was talking about and suddenly the distance separated them beyond sight of one another.

He moved about, amidst those around him, trying to get a better view of his wife across the expanse; but it was no use.  Then he heard a voice over all of the singing.  A voice that was loud and booming like thunder.  “‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;  naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’”  And the people on the right began speaking back in 100’s of languages all at the same time.  The voice responded, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”  (Matthew 25:34-40)

His heart pounded in his chest, his legs became weak and he fell to his knees, along side of millions of others doing the same thing as the realization of what was happening.  His wife had begged him to come to church, to read the Bible, to pray with her and to accept Jesus as his Savior and Lord.  She said this day would come, but he blew it off as a fictitious story that weaker individuals believed.  His mind quickly thought of his kids, his son, his two daughters; which side were they on?  What about his parents?  His brother and sisters?  What he was sure of though was that he was here at this place at this time separated from his wife, prostrate on the ground hearing a voice in the wind, giving him his final judgment. “‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;  I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’”  Many answered back asking questions of the King, to which He responded, “‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’”   (Matthew 25:41-45)
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Do you not understand that the Bible is truth and that the words of Jesus Christ spoken thousands of years ago are 100% authentic and will come to be?  This judgment day is not a fictitious story, it will happen to you, to your loved ones, to your friends and family.  If you aren’t taking the time to have the conversation with them about Jesus Christ now, when will you?  There will come a day when all mankind will come before the King and be separated and judged accordingly.  There is no grey area here, you are either a child of God, saved and bought by the blood of Jesus, and redeemed by your public profession and acceptance of Him as Savior and Lord; or you’re not.  It’s one or the other, there is no room for being a nice person and convincing God to let you in.  You can’t do enough good deeds on this earth to earn your salvation, for even the heathen and evil men do good deeds now and then.  Those on the left will be cast into the eternal fire and there will be gnashing of teeth forever in the abyss.  Who do you need to talk to today?   Don’t wait, it’s far too important.   

              

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Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid



Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them." – Ezekiel 39:21

 

 Three words that people often times forget about when they think of the Lord: “smite”, “wrath” and “forsaken”.  Perhaps because we don’t want to think about that part of God’s character because it creates fear and requires that we actually try to abide by His guidelines.  There is references throughout the scriptures that God is Holy, Perfect and Righteous and at the same time Vengeful, Jealous and Omnipotent.  As such, as is demonstrated in Kings and Judges and throughout much of the Old Testament; He has very little tolerance for those that choose to refuse Him and the love He has offered to the world. 

  In the times before the Messiah came to the earth, mankind dealt with the realization that there was a God through the Prophets: Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Zephania, Zecharia and Malachi just to name a few.   They were intercessors and communicators from God to the children of Israel and Judah, delivering instructions on how to live within God’s plan, and what would happen if they did not.  Kings, Priests and Governments listened intently to their every word to better understand how to serve the one true God, or in some cases how to battle against His people.

  So, did God’s character change?  Is God still a God of wrath, judgment and vengeance?  The answer is unequivocally – Yes.  The book of Revelation was revealed to John, the beloved, while banished to the prison Isle of Patmos.  In this book Jesus Christ, Himself, reveals to John what will happen in the last days.  War, pestilence, suffering, death, destruction and inhumane acts from one upon another will envelope the earth and those that remain during the tribulation.  There is much discussion on whether that includes or does not include the believers and followers of Jesus Christ.  Many, including myself, believe we will be taken up before the tribulation, but there are just as many that believe we will all go through tribulation and then be drawn up.

  The reality is that the day is coming that God will unleash His wrath once again upon the earth’s inhabitants that have refused to accept His love and saving grace.  The time is coming when according to Ezekiel 38 and 39, we will see God, Himself, defend Israel in a manner of such magnificence that all mankind will know that it was God and nothing else.  As tensions mount in the Middle East, are we nearing the realization of a prophecy from 2700 years ago before our very eyes?  As we watch the unveiling of events in the high tension areas of the world, one must wonder if we aren’t drawing ever so near to the last days. 

  This then begs the question about your own salvation.  Should war break out in the Middle East, and God shows His wrath upon those that attack Israel, where do you stand in your belief and relationship with Jesus Christ?  Will it take the actual realization of this war to convince you that the Bible and all that is within is God’s own Truth revealed through man?  If you reference other prophecies from Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel or others, you will find the majority have already come to be.  Is that enough to convince you of His existence?  What is it that you are waiting for? 

  God’s wrath and judgment are very real and will bring bitter pain and suffering to those who refuse to follow Him.  The scriptures of war, destruction and vengeance in the Old Testament are all the proof you should need that mankind cannot withstand the wrath of God and I can only believe that come tribulation and ensuing judgment day will be greater than anything recorded in the scriptures of old.  You are right in fearing God, but you are also covered by the grace and love of Jesus Christ as your mediator and intercessor between you and God.  He has taken the wrath intended for you and I and carried it to the cross where He became the sacrifice for our iniquities.  Therefore, we will not receive the full wrath of God as we deserve, as those in the Old Testament did (reference the Midianites, those in Sodom and Gomorra, and the Philistines).  We experience the full love, grace and mercy of the Lord in our life, because we follow the One True Messiah – Jesus Christ.

             
© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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How Clear is Your Crystal Ball

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

"And just as it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment"  - Hebrews 9:27

Control. Are you like me, do you thrive on controlling your life? I don't care how many times I am reminded that the Lord is in control, I will turn around the very next day and take control right back. I believe it's in our general nature to be in control. Regardless of how much I realize that He has a better plan and a bigger picture, I see what I see and know what I know. I create lists, plans, budgets and detailed timelines for managing my life. My calendar in Outlook is up to date, my smart phone keeps reminding me when someone wants to email, IM or text and my car has every reminder you can imagine to ensure that the tires are rotated, oil is changed and it is maintained properly. Throw a wrench into the middle of my crystal blue pond though and the ripples will cause all the pieces to fall in on themselves.


  There always comes that point though that slaps me back into a dependency on the Almighty Creator. When I'm up against the proverbial wall and I see no way out of a situation, I've been known to fall into a depressed state and suffer from the chicken little syndrome (you know - the sky is falling). I'm quick to blame others for my calamity and pout in my circumstances. This happened recently, and a dear friend looked at me with the simplest of challenges. You know the question that always comes, "Did you pray about it?" What's the right answer to this question? If I say yes, then the natural assumption is that God now has it and will work it in His sovereign way, so I need to get out of the way and let Him take it. If I say no, then my faith is challenged and I am forced to the self-realization that I'm not giving God the control. In both responses the fundamental root answer is the same - God can take this, but you've got to give it to Him. Easier said than done isn't it?

  Why do we struggle with giving up control to the Creator of the galaxies? Think about these questions:

         - Did you have anything to do with your creation?

         - Can you defeat death?

         - Who has control at the point of judgement for your eternal status?

  We try to control our life, but we must consider that the very life we are working on was created and brought forth without any input from you and I. We breath in a gas that was created by the green plants surrounding the globe, and in the same manner breath out a gas that is consumed by these very plants. What part of that creative process did we partake in? That's right - we didn't. Likewise, water is created through evaporation and precipitation in a cyclical manner that sustains life. Was that by our design or His? You see, the life you have is controlled by the Creator because He designed it. He knows exactly what you were designed for and the purpose you would fulfill on this spinning globe. As much as we feel out of control, we have to fall back into His arms and let Him have the reins to our life. Dieing to ourselves is a state of giving up those things that separate us from His love, grace and purpose. In doing so, we actually find life. We find a life that is unbelievably full of righteousness and results.

  Likewise, the Creator has also established a time for each of us to come home. We see in Hebrews 9:27 that we are all destined to die once. In a natural way we have no control over that. There are unrighteous ways in which we can take control, but here again - since when have our plans been more fulfilling and blessed than His plans. He knows how many hairs are on your head, He knows your heart, He knows your mind and He knows your depression. If we've learned anything from scripture it is that we are created for God and to bring glory to Him through our life. Only He knows when that work has been completed. He kept John the beloved from dieing at the hands of a Roman emperor through poisoning, being boiled in a vat of oil and being banished to the island of Patmos. John was very old, well into his 90's. He was tired, having served Jesus Christ from early in his adult life. Yet, even still, God had a plan for John to be the recipient of His Revelation when John was on the island of Patmos. The One who created you and I, knows exactly the season of our life and the things we will accomplish in that timeline.

  Finally, do you have any control over your own judgment for eternity? Obviously, you have choices to make that bring you in line with God's grace and eternity with Him. But, here again, it is the Lord who has designed the perfect plan for your salvation. There's nothing you can do to earn, buy or control your salvation. Your salvation is given to you by the One who created it, and is the final judge. Only by the grace of our Lord are we given redemption and a place in His heaven. Some think they will have a second, third and multiple opportunities, but the scriptures are clear. There is one time appointed each man to die, and then judgment (Heb 9:27);

  "Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him" (2 Sam 14:14)

   "{Jesus}..to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.." (Jude 1:15)

  God is in control. The sooner we accept this and allow Him to be, the stronger we become and the more productive we are in His kingdom. Just as John was used well into his old age God may have a plan for you. Can you imagine in your mind what you will be doing for the Lord when you are 98? God doesn't need to imagine, He's already planned it. Why don't you get on board with His plan and find out what He's got in mind for you. I promise it will blow your socks off in comparison to what you had in mind.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com