2 Timothy 4:1-8 (NIV): In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I [Paul] give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Revelation 22:12-20 (NIV): “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
GOD LOVES US, enough to give His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life; GOD loves us, enough to SAVE, REDEEM, FORGIVE, HEAL, DELIVER, CLEANSE, RESTORE, and RESURRECT us, RECONCILING us to Himself through HIS SON, JESUS, the CHRIST, the ANOINTED ONE, by the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT; and GOD loves us, enough to OFFER us the FORGIVENESS of SINS, GIVE us the GIFT of GRACE, IMPART to us the GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and REWARD us with ETERNAL LIFE through FAITH IN JESUS and by RECEPTION and ACCEPTANCE of HIM as our SAVIOR and LORD. And because of GOD’s GREAT LOVE, He has blessed us with these freely and abundantly: TREASURES, TALENTS, and TIME. But they are not given for SELFISH INTENTS and PERSONAL GAIN merely but for GOD’s GLORY and HONOR, in accordance to HIS WILL, HIS PLANS, and HIS PURPOSE, for GOD knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us HOPE and a FUTURE.
GOD loves us with an EVERLASTING LOVE, and He wants us to LOVE HIM with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and He wants us to be GOOD STEWARDS of all the resources that He has given us; He wants us to USE EVERYTHING He has given us, EVERYTHING HE CREATED, for HIS DIVINE PURPOSE. He wants us to PRAISE, GLORIFY, and EXALT HIM more than we boast in ourselves, glorify, exalt, and idolize others. He wants us to WORSHIP HIM in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, to be SONS and DAUGHTERS—HIS RECONCILED and HIS BELOVED—not REBELS and SINNERS—THE SEPARATED and HIS REJECTED. He calls us to be ROYALTY--HIS PRINCES and PRINCESSES REDEEMED, RESTORED, and RECONCILED BY JESUS’ SACRIFICE, through HIS LOVE, HIS BLOOD, and HIS LIFE—JOINT-HEIRS with JESUS, INVITED into GOD’s KINGDOM and ADOPTED into HIS FAMILY; this is why GOD gives us CHOICES and TIME—FREE WILL and a LIFETIME, because LOVE is a CHOICE, not merely a feeling or emotion, and GOD wants us to CHOOSE and ACCEPT HIM, PUTTING HIM FIRST, OBEYING HIS WORD, and LIVING FOR HIM, RETURNING UNTO HIM all the gifts and blessings He has given to us—our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength, our treasures, our talents, and our time, for LOVE to GOD is OBEYING HIS COMMANDS, and this is the FRUIT of GOD’s LOVE—the FRUIT of HIS SPIRIT: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
GOD IS GOOD, GOD IS JUST, GOD IS LOVE, and He’s given us the GIFT of GRACE and this WINDOW of TIME to make some LIFE CHOICES of ETERNAL VALUE: BELIEVE IN GOD or DOUBT HIM; BELIEVE IN GOD’SWORD or DOUBT IT; RECEIVE JESUS as LORD and SAVIOR or REJECT HIM; DENY OURSELVES or DENY JESUS; WALK IN FAITH or WALK IN FEAR; SPEND ETERNITY WITH GOD or SPEND ETERNITY WITHOUT GOD.
GOD’SWORD is CLEAR: JESUS is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, and NO ONE comes to the FATHER except through HIM, and JESUS CHRIST is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And this is GOD’SWORD: JESUS IS COMING SOON, but He’s coming for a SPECIFIC PURPOSE, for a SPECIFIC HARVEST OF SOULS—the CHILDREN of GOD, the BRIDE and BODY of CHRIST. And whether we are part of this HARVEST of SOULS or not depends on the LIFE CHOICES we make on earth: accepting or rejecting JESUS; choosing to align ourselves with GOD or the adversary; choosing to exalt the LIVING GOD or exalt others and idolize dead, foreign gods; and choosing to live eternally in GOD’s presence or eternally outside of His presence. Every choice we make has eternal consequences, drawing us CLOSER to GOD or leading us FARTHER astray.
GOD SEARCHES OUR HEARTS and keeps records, numerous books on us all; they are the books of our lives, including PERSONAL ACCOUNTS--our actions, our thoughts, our attitudes, and our words--and only those whose names are written in the LAMB's BOOK of LIFE, whose sins have been covered by the BLOOD of the LAMB, JESUS CHRIST, will spend eternity with GOD. So, like GOD, the DIVINE HEART and SOUL-SEARCHER, we must search our own hearts and lives to find the true nature of our spirits, whether we are FOR GOD or AGAINST HIM, WITH HIM or WITHOUT HIM.
For this personal inventory into our lives, here are some important questions for us all to answer: Do we truly believe in GOD? In JESUS? In the HOLY SPIRIT? In GOD’SWORD? Do we believe the HOLY BIBLE is inspired by GOD? Do we believe ALL of the BIBLE or just some of it? Are we believers or unbelievers, followers or pretenders? Have we repented of the sins operating in our lives? Have we changed our minds, our directions, and our lifestyles? Have we confessed our sins, foremost to GOD, acknowledging that we are dependent on GOD? Have we surrendered all to JESUS? Are we hot, cold, or lukewarm in faith? Have we invited JESUS into our hearts, accepting Him as SAVIOR and LORD of ALL? Have we given GOD our whole hearts, souls, minds, and strength? Are we lovers and servants of GOD more than we are lovers and pleasers of others--women and men? Have we accepted GOD's call on our lives or have we run from it? Are we listening to GOD or are we tuning Him out?
Have we fought the good fight of faith? Have we fulfilled our purpose, our calling, our ministry? Have we shared the GOSPEL or spread the GOOD NEWS? Have we shown anyone the FACE, HEART, or LOVE of JESUS CHRIST? Have we won anyone to CHRIST lately, including those in our families? Have we lived IN and FOR CHRIST? Have we been good stewards of all GOD’s resources? Do we thank GOD or praise Him? Do we pray to Him? Do we exalt GOD's name, or do we use HIS NAME in vain? Do we fear or revere GOD, or do we mock and blaspheme Him? Have we used our treasures, talents, and time for GOD’s glory and honor? Have we obeyed GOD’s commands, loving HIM and others? Are we willing to die—to lose our lives—FOR CHRIST? Are we LIVING sacrifices to GOD or dead ones? Are we LOVERS or HATERS? Forgivers or Unforgivers? CHRIST RIGHTEOUS or Self-Righteous? Are we waiting in expectation, unbelief, or dread for JESUS' return? Are we longing for JESUS to come, or do we want Him to stay away? Are we ready for JESUS' return, or do we still have work left undone? And when we look through the WINDOW of TIME in GOD’s GRACE, what will we see in our lifetimes: lives WELL-SPENT or lives WASTED? These are LIFE QUESTIONS for HEART-AND-SOUL-SEARCHERS, and our answers to questions like these reveal the nature of our spirits, hearts, and faith and the depth, maturity, and intimacy of our relationships with GOD.
A WORLDWIDE EVENT is on the horizon, and it is not being announced with any urgency on television or in headline news, so most people are not aware of it or even prepared for it, even those in the church: JESUS IS COMING BACK SOON, for HIS BODY, HIS BRIDE, HIS CHURCH, HIS FAMILY, HIS OWN, and some of us are going to be shocked or surprised, because we are going to get caught unprepared, and some of us who have been spiritually blind, deaf, and deceived, are going to be tormented when we are left outside in the dark, for when JESUS comes, we will not have time to get right or get ready, or get our affairs in order. And for those of us who have been LUKEWARM or UNDERCOVER CHRISTIANS, there will not be time to REPENT and WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT and TRUTH, for if we are ashamed to ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS PUBLICLY, and we DENY HIM before others on earth, He will DENY US and REJECT US from HIS SEAT of POWER and AUTHORITY in heaven; this is in GOD’SWORD. So, we need to study GOD’SWORD faithfully; pray without ceasing; work on having a personal relationship with GOD, the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY SPIRIT; open the eyes of our heart; listen to GOD’s still, small voice; and pay attention to the signs and seasons of our times, so we do not get sidetracked, waylaid, deceived or distracted and misjudge or miss the TIME of JESUS’ RETURN.
The FINAL COUNTDOWN is today, because tomorrow is not guaranteed, so we must be PRAYERFUL, WATCHFUL, VIGILANT, FAITHFUL, RECONCILED, and READY when JESUS COMES, not relying on our own goodness or our own good deeds, for as one minister says, “Heaven isn’t for GOOD people; Heaven is for FORGIVEN people.”
And we know from GOD’SWORD, there is only ONE who is PERFECT and HOLY who FORGIVES ALL OUR SINS, who CLEANSES US of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, IMPARTING HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS to us; only ONE whose NATURE is HIS NAME and HIS TITLE: JESUS, the CHRIST, the ANOINTED ONE—JESUS, who has POWER in HIS NAME, for HIS NAME means, “The LORD is SALVATION”.
JESUS is GOD WITH US, who DIED FOR US, so we could LIVE IN and THROUGH HIM, and the GREAT EXCHANGE on CALVARY's CROSS is this: JESUS' life was GIVEN for ours; JESUS PAID IN FULL our debt to GOD. This is the tenor of GOD's LOVE--the HEART of COMPASSION and GRACE-- that GOD LOVES US, enough to SAVE US, enough to REDEEM US, enough to FORGIVE US, enough to CLEANSE US, enough to HEAL US, enough to DELIVER US, enough to EMPOWER us, and enough to GIVE US GRACE, MERCY, and TIME. JESUS is the DEMONSTRATION of LOVE, for GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life. So, JESUS is our GOD WHO SAVES, the only SON of GOD and SON of MAN, and there is only ONE LIVING who is GOOD, who is JUST, who is LOVE: GOD.
