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What Are You Preparing For?
Amos 5:18-19 “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light. (19) As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.” Two very distinct messages are going forth today from the church. The one is heaven, the other is the earth. One is not the scriptural land of promise, the other is. So what are you prepared for? Muslims believe heaven to be the goal of salvation. Are Christians any different from the religions of the world? Satan wants us out of here so he can continue to “eat the dust” of human flesh. Satan believes the earth is his so he will pervert the truth, because there is no truth in him. So he will continue to rule over this place until the church wakes up. This text, along with others, shows the day of the Lord as something horrendous. Joel 2:1-2 says it is a day of “darkness and gloom, clouds and blackness.” Revelations reveals the terror of that day, but it culminates with an army of believers prepared in righteousness and truth and glory. Most of the teaching today does not prepare us for the day of the Lord. I want to share some myths that have been preached about eternity that are not Biblical: · Praising God for 10,000 years. (Most people can’t do it for 15 minutes at a time.) Are you really looking forward to this or does it make you tired just thinking about it? · Mansions that you get to do anything you want with. (Do you really want to be alone or would you rather live in a shack with someone who loves you and cares about your deepest needs?) · Play sports. (Who is going to win? Does everyone win, where is the competition?) · Eating fruit. It has been said, that in heaven when you eat fruit the juice doesn’t soil your robe. · Armageddon. When you fight in the war you don’t get dirty. Besides only Christ does the fighting. Does anyone care if he gets dirty? · Eating anything, without getting fat or having a heart attack. · No income tax in heaven. Can you imagine going from mansion to mansion having barbeques and eating ice cream and watermelon and never getting a stomach ache. Then mounting your white stallion and running off to confront antichrist and the evil of the earth. C.S. Lewis says in his book “A Grief Observed” there is no Biblical evidence that there is no suffering in heaven. But now I’m sure he is in heaven playing his harp floating on a cloud. After wearing golden slippers and walking on streets of gold for a while, do you think you will desire to be barefoot in the grass again. The story is told about the beggar who was asked what he wanted when he got to heaven. He said, “A hot roll and butter.” WHAT ARE WE PREPARING FOR? Certainly our sins must be forgiven, but do we really need to get victory over worldliness, lusts and self-will? I don’t want to rob anyone of his or her hope. But it is time for the body of Christ to come into the fullness of the Spirit of Truth. The Bible clearly teaches the earth will be our inheritance, and yes, we also will get the best of heaven because heaven comes down to us forever – and the Throne of God and the Lamb are in it. · The Bible does not teach we go to heaven and live there forever · The Bible does not teach Jesus is coming to catch His bride away · The Bible does not teach we are raised from the dead to go and live in heaven · The Bible does not promise me a mansion in heaven · The Bible does not teach the Father’s house is heaven What does the Bible teach? It teaches that 6000 years ago man lost what we think of as heaven, but he had it on earth. God was here. Everything here had all that man could ever want. But we lost it. We invited Satan and his angels to live among us. And so the Lord told us in: Romans 16:20 (KJV) “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” This is what we must prepare for. The Bible says the Lord is coming with a shout, the voice of Michael and the trumpet of the Lord and those who have died in Christ will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. We are going to return with Christ and release the creation from the bondages of sin and corruption. How must we prepare? Learn to live in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to the Father. That righteousness is being created in us right now through grace as we contend with God to overcome every obstacle of evil. We will live perpetually with the consuming fire of a holy God. Everything must be fireproofed. Each day we must press into holiness and be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We must be obedient to the Father. If there were one disobedient person in the army of the Lord the invasion would be jeopardized. Remember Achan! All self-will must be brought down. Christ must be brought to maturity. Too many believers are disobedient to Christ. Corporations have bought up all the Christian publishing companies. Secular companies own them because it is big bucks. The number one best sellers are “end times” books. If the Christian bookstores had integrity they would offer money back guarantees. People could live through 7-years of tribulation just on the returns. For those who have itching ears there will always be someone to scratch them for you. What you are preparing for today has a direct effect on what you will do tomorrow in the day of the Lord. If this is truly the time of preparation there will be no reprieve from the shaking of our economy. It is time to get ready. The world is collapsing around us. Amos 5:18-24 tells us what to prepare for. Let judgment run as waters (remove all waste matter from your life [bodily fluids]) & righteousness as a mighty stream (moral transformation [mighty = permanent]) stream = river of life. To keep something for eternity you have to be given it, lose it and then get it back again the hard way. Adam was given the earth, lost it and we have the hard road to travel to get it back. HOW? Lay down your life, take up your cross and follow hard the Lord Jesus Christ without reservation. Prepare for the day of the Lord. Philippians 3:8 (KJV) “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” To gain Christ, give all your energy and hope and devotion to look to Jesus and serve Him. The servants of the Lord who do not do this are told they will lose their talents, be cast into outer darkness, have the door shut in their face, be driven from the Presence of Christ, and be beaten with many lashes. If you goal is to inherit heaven there isn’t much to do once you are saved. But if what I have told you is true then you must undergo transformation. God is not saving what you are but saving you from what you are. If we go to heaven by grace, we remain unchanged, and we praise God for 10,000 years we are still morally corrupt. But if we inherit the earth, and are transformed into the fullness of God, and given the nations to rule over, perhaps we will become all that God wants us to become in this life. One final note: when Christ is formed in us there is such a love for the truth, for obedience we will do whatever it takes to please our Maker. For it is the meek who will inherit the earth.
-Pr. Steve February Newsletter 2007 | What Are You Preparing For? | Test of Time Pastor's Journal February 2006 | The Battle | Building the Church part 1 of 3 |
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