The Holy One calls to me this morning. The cold winds are blowing. I can hear them even in this early morning hour. The deadness of winter covers the landscape and the chill is bone deep.
The Holy Spirit uses things in my temporal life to speak of the important issues in my Spiritual one. "Many are interested only in the Name "Christian", and not the relationship with Me." I get a visual of this being like a teenager who carries the name of the father yet lives in rebellion of his authority and is estranged in relationship.
The Holy One speaks to me in what may seem like random sentences or fragments of thought, yet this is His way of drawing me into the subject matter we are going to discuss today.
I know from deep within that our time on earth is running out. It's not just the fact that I am getting older and closer to my unknown expiration date, but the signs are abundant that speak of the Prophetic return of the "King".
The 'King" being Jesus, who left planet earth over 2000 years ago. The One who was crucified with a crown of thorns on His head, will return in Majestic power and authority and Glory unlike anything man has ever seen.
When John, the Disciple who knew Jesus personally was given just a vision of the Glorified King, he "fell at His feet as though dead". Rev 1:12-17. The vision of the returning King is further described in Rev 19:11-16. His is described in these words, "His head and hair were as white as snow-white wool, His eyes like a fiery flame, His feet like burnished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters".
These visuals are stunning and should put anyone who questions his Sovereignty on notice, that when He comes, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that "Jesus is Lord" of all. But in truth, the sheer power of His being will knock even the proud and arrogant off their feet and onto their knees. In the earth realm today, we are given the opportunity to choose to willingly bend our knee in honor of this King, however the day is coming when all will bend their knee by compulsion of His Glory.
I go back to the words that Holiness just spoke to me, "Many are interested only the Name and not the relationship". I have to ask: Is our identification with Christianity in name only?
I realize the sad truth in His statement, Jesus came the first time to seek the lost and rescue the sinner, and that is called our salvation. Jesus came to save humanity from the "eternal separation from God" penalty that came with the fall.
Many have been misled into thinking that salvation from a place called "Hell" is the end game and goal of His crucifixion and death. Consequently many hold to the superficial but comforting thought that Jesus provided something we might call "fire insurance". Saved by the skin of our teeth from the possibility of the flames, and counting on Grace that "must" forgive all our future sins, the idea of a day-to-day personal relationship with our Creator falls into the nice-but-not-necessary file.
This deception is more than sad, and may even prove to be lethal on the day we leave planet earth for our eternal destination.
Hell is typically described as a fiery place of intense heat and gnashing of teeth which boils down to human agony. Contrast that with Paradise and the visual image of the Garden of Eden where man could walk with God in the cool of the morning amid all the wonder of pleasant surroundings.
Man's rebellion resulted in the separation in relationship from the Creator and all His delightful provisions. Hell is the ultimate place of it's termination.
We read in the book of Genesis that man was expelled from the Garden of God due to disobedience and made to roam the earth. Access to the Garden and God and the Tree of Life, was closed off to man.
The Holy Spirit uses things in my temporal life to speak of the important issues in my Spiritual one. "Many are interested only in the Name "Christian", and not the relationship with Me." I get a visual of this being like a teenager who carries the name of the father yet lives in rebellion of his authority and is estranged in relationship.
The Holy One speaks to me in what may seem like random sentences or fragments of thought, yet this is His way of drawing me into the subject matter we are going to discuss today.
I know from deep within that our time on earth is running out. It's not just the fact that I am getting older and closer to my unknown expiration date, but the signs are abundant that speak of the Prophetic return of the "King".
The 'King" being Jesus, who left planet earth over 2000 years ago. The One who was crucified with a crown of thorns on His head, will return in Majestic power and authority and Glory unlike anything man has ever seen.
When John, the Disciple who knew Jesus personally was given just a vision of the Glorified King, he "fell at His feet as though dead". Rev 1:12-17. The vision of the returning King is further described in Rev 19:11-16. His is described in these words, "His head and hair were as white as snow-white wool, His eyes like a fiery flame, His feet like burnished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters".
These visuals are stunning and should put anyone who questions his Sovereignty on notice, that when He comes, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that "Jesus is Lord" of all. But in truth, the sheer power of His being will knock even the proud and arrogant off their feet and onto their knees. In the earth realm today, we are given the opportunity to choose to willingly bend our knee in honor of this King, however the day is coming when all will bend their knee by compulsion of His Glory.
I go back to the words that Holiness just spoke to me, "Many are interested only the Name and not the relationship". I have to ask: Is our identification with Christianity in name only?
I realize the sad truth in His statement, Jesus came the first time to seek the lost and rescue the sinner, and that is called our salvation. Jesus came to save humanity from the "eternal separation from God" penalty that came with the fall.
Many have been misled into thinking that salvation from a place called "Hell" is the end game and goal of His crucifixion and death. Consequently many hold to the superficial but comforting thought that Jesus provided something we might call "fire insurance". Saved by the skin of our teeth from the possibility of the flames, and counting on Grace that "must" forgive all our future sins, the idea of a day-to-day personal relationship with our Creator falls into the nice-but-not-necessary file.
This deception is more than sad, and may even prove to be lethal on the day we leave planet earth for our eternal destination.
Hell is typically described as a fiery place of intense heat and gnashing of teeth which boils down to human agony. Contrast that with Paradise and the visual image of the Garden of Eden where man could walk with God in the cool of the morning amid all the wonder of pleasant surroundings.
Man's rebellion resulted in the separation in relationship from the Creator and all His delightful provisions. Hell is the ultimate place of it's termination.
We read in the book of Genesis that man was expelled from the Garden of God due to disobedience and made to roam the earth. Access to the Garden and God and the Tree of Life, was closed off to man.
This temporal life on earth is the place where each one of us can and must decide to seek God (or not) and ask to be restored to the relationship He originally provided for man with Himself and it is through Jesus His one and only Son that God has said the restoration is possible. Rejection of God's only means of restoration, relegates us to eternity in Hell.
Salvation is more than just not having to suffer the agony of Hell. It is the restoration of relationship lost. Hell is a "place" just like Heaven. But Heaven is more about "Who" than "where" and hell is more about "Who not" than "where". Heaven (paradise) is the place where life as we know it began and where our hearts long to return. Hell, on the other hand, is the place of relational death and isolation.
For all of those who think Hell is a place where flesh sin is permissible and people like themselves who value the flesh pleasures will find companionship, residing forever in an immoral party atmosphere, need to think again. Hell is a place where the partier will wake up all alone and isolated with no relationships at all. What could be more terrifying than that?
Then there are those who think they are close to the safe zone, having followed all the "rules" that underscore all their own good behavior. They bear His Name but refuse a relationship. So, is the "good" good enough? A question any who have been exposed to the Gospel must ask.
Jesus speaking of the end times, said in Matt 24:12, "At that time, many will turn away from faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold. But he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
The thought of the reality of that scripture turns the inside atmosphere of my room as frigid as the outside air. Jesus is talking to HIS PEOPLE, all who are called by His Name. The days to come will present many challenges to our love and devotion for and to the Lord Jesus Christ. If we cannot live for Him today, how will we be able (if necessary) to die for Him tomorrow?
I look around at the persecution that can and will come. People who love the name and not the relationship, can more easily fall away and ultimately find themselves out in the cold. As for me, the warning is enough. Do you know Jesus personally enough and love Him deeply enough to be willing to die for Him? Or is it just a name that you are proud to bear?
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear him?
Salvation is more than just not having to suffer the agony of Hell. It is the restoration of relationship lost. Hell is a "place" just like Heaven. But Heaven is more about "Who" than "where" and hell is more about "Who not" than "where". Heaven (paradise) is the place where life as we know it began and where our hearts long to return. Hell, on the other hand, is the place of relational death and isolation.
For all of those who think Hell is a place where flesh sin is permissible and people like themselves who value the flesh pleasures will find companionship, residing forever in an immoral party atmosphere, need to think again. Hell is a place where the partier will wake up all alone and isolated with no relationships at all. What could be more terrifying than that?
Then there are those who think they are close to the safe zone, having followed all the "rules" that underscore all their own good behavior. They bear His Name but refuse a relationship. So, is the "good" good enough? A question any who have been exposed to the Gospel must ask.
Jesus speaking of the end times, said in Matt 24:12, "At that time, many will turn away from faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold. But he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
The thought of the reality of that scripture turns the inside atmosphere of my room as frigid as the outside air. Jesus is talking to HIS PEOPLE, all who are called by His Name. The days to come will present many challenges to our love and devotion for and to the Lord Jesus Christ. If we cannot live for Him today, how will we be able (if necessary) to die for Him tomorrow?
I look around at the persecution that can and will come. People who love the name and not the relationship, can more easily fall away and ultimately find themselves out in the cold. As for me, the warning is enough. Do you know Jesus personally enough and love Him deeply enough to be willing to die for Him? Or is it just a name that you are proud to bear?
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear him?
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