Are you scared right now? Something is going on in
this world and it isn’t good. Things are
going bad in this world and seemingly get worse every day. Look back ten years ago, was there as much
turmoil, weather problems, violence, social debasement, or general hostility
during that time? If you think about it, each year until this moment, things
are getting worse by the day.
Materialism and political correctness are the name
of the game now. Conforming to the world
is the mainstay for the population at large. Possessions, life, friendships,
are all superficial. People are lost. They are the unsaved. They are people who
don’t know about salvation. They are people who don’t know Jesus.
I have unsaved friends (working on them) who have
the same feeling we saved folks have; that something is amiss, something is
coming, but they don’t know what it is, to them it is a feeling of coming
despair; a feeling of the unknown future and a fear of what is coming, though
they do not know what that is. To the unsaved it is a feeling of an impending
doom, that fear you feel when you almost rear end someone on the road, that
moment you realize the car in front of you stopped and you didn’t.
The unsaved, those that don’t know Christ Jesus as
their Savior, don’t understand what is coming. They don’t understand the things
happening in the world are suppose to happen this way. They don’t get that
events must unfold as prophesy has announced. They don’t get that the end is
near, very near. They watch the news, read the newspapers and are in awe of
what is happening in this world. Some, I must say, don’t care, but those that
are unsaved that I know are troubled by what is going on with our world and
have a sense that something is afoot.
Their inner being is telling, no, warning them that
something is going to happen, but they don’t know what to do about it. They
don’t know that Jesus is the answer. They don’t understand and so they go on
with life, with an inner fear, trying to distract themselves with worldly
things and consumed with worldly desires and debauchery that Satan has to offer
to keep them distracted from what is inevitably going to happen: The rapture of
the saved; the whisking away of those who accepted Christ as their Lord and
Savior who believed in his crucifixion and resurrection.
I truly feel sorry for these people in a compassionate way. These people are
not just those who don’t go to church but they are Sunday morning Christians as
well. These Sunday morning Christians
are just that, they are only “Christians” on Sunday mornings, gloriously saved
for the couple of hours that they are in church, then leave. I’m not saying there are those that aren’t
truly investigating the Lord and have a heart to be with Him and to be saved,
but there are many who go because they feel that is enough; going to church and
singing and listening to the message of the pastor is good enough to go to
heaven.
They may raise their hands during worship, may say
“amen” when everyone else does, may shake hands with everyone and give great
big greeting smiles, but when church is over, they go home back to their
regular routine, without a thought of what was said in church or a thought
about God. They just want to get home so they can watch their favorite team
with a beer in their hand, go shopping at the mall, or whatever.
What a surprise they will have when the rapture
comes and they are left behind. “Woe is
me” they will think and say. They thought going to church was enough. They
thought being good people was enough. What wasn’t enough was that they didn’t
accept Christ, his blood, his sacrifice for their sins.
John 14:6 says: “Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (KJV).
How simple is John 14:6? Jesus is the way to salvation, the way to heaven.
All one has to do is accept that Jesus is their savior who forgave their sins
and washes them clean of uncleanliness.
I don’t know why this is so hard for people to do. Once I figured it
out, it was the easiest and best choice I ever made.
I believe people are scared to be saved.
I think people are scared because they will have to give up the worldly ways,
give up their autonomy to do what they want without consequences to their
conscience because once you get saved, there is a new standard to live by: that
of Christ and what the bible teaches.
These people are scared because they
think they will lose their freedom. What they don’t realize is that they will
be released from bondage and will be freer than they have ever been when they
accept Christ. Ask any believer this and
they will tell you that with Christ they feel freer than they did before they
knew Him. There is freedom in Christ, a fulfillment of love and hope.
To those that do feel scared about
accepting Christ, don’t be scared. Don’t be scared of losing your freedom, for
when you accept Christ, you will lose your old self and will become a child of
God, a marvelous and wonderful thing.
You will be free from the bondage of the world.
What I mean by the world is that which
is not of God. The world is what is against and opposed to Christ’s teachings.
The world is full of temptations, of ungodly acts, and Satan uses the worldly
things, like money, sex, drugs, fads, etc. to distract you and keep you away
from God.
Satan and the world are opposed to God.
The world is revolved around things that are not of God and is designed to keep
and distract you from God. The world
keeps you in bondage to the world. It’s like a circular pattern that never
ends. You live in the world and get stuck in it, going around in circles
without hope, without a way out, without God in your life. The only way to
break this cycle is to become a child of God through accepting Christ as your
Lord and Savior.
The world and Satan will do their best
to keep you away from Christ. The world
offers all sorts of things and temptations that are so keen on keeping you away
that most of the time the world is effective at doing so: it and Satan has had
thousands of years of practice and refinement in their effort to sway people
away from Christ.
I urge you to break that cycle by
accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you are scared to do so, know that
it isn’t you that is making you scared, but the world and Satan’s influence on
you has planted that seed in your mind that accepting God is not fun, is not
the only way to heaven, and will take away your freedom.
Accept Christ and you will be set free
from the bondage of sin and death. By death I mean hell. Christ is the only
door through which you can enter to heaven. Just being a good person isn’t good
enough. You have to accept Christ in your heart and live for Him. Do so and you
will be a changed and saved person.
You know what the world fails to do to distract
you from Christ? It is your heart. If you are not of Christ, there is a sense
in your heart of dissatisfaction with life, and emptiness that just can’t be
filled. Just sit for a moment and think about this. Does your heart feel empty? Does your life
feel like it is lacking something? The world and Satan will have you believe
you can fill that void in your heart and life through the world and not Christ
by tempting you with material things, sinfulness, and other distractions that
you may seek to fill that void in your heart but never will.
The one and only thing that can make your heart feel
fulfilled, to take that emptiness in your heart away, is Christ. It isn’t about
feeling good, but it is about fulfillment of your heart.
Even when you accept Christ, you will still face
troubles of everyday life and will face challenges. The things that will be
different will be your heart filled with Christ and you will be able to face
those troubles and challenges with a different, godly attitude that you didn’t
have before because you will know that God is with you and will support and
take care of you, regardless of the situation, His love will never end for you.
Don’t be scared of Christ. Embrace Him. Turn from
your old ways and become a new person with Christ as your central focus. By
accepting Christ, you will not lose anything but will gain everything,
specifically, a heart full of love and eternity in heaven.
God bless all and take care.
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