Are You Obedient to the Great Commission?

By Justin Edwards

Having the knowledge of this:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:11-15

Sharing the Gospel in Uptown Charlotte Today

Are you obeying this:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. - Mark 16:15

Knowing this:

...in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. - 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10

Are you obeying this:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. - Matthew 28:19-20

And knowing this:

And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night (Revelation 14:11a)...And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10b).

Are you honestly subscribed to this:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. - Romans 1:16

What are some reasons you might not actively share your faith? Care to share these by commenting below? Let's talk about it...

Please also see Evangelism - Equip Youself and Great Commission

Devastating Photos of Christchurch Earthquake

By Justin Edwards

Source: Guardian.co.uk

The aftermath from the earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand on Tuesday is devastating. Please take some time to view these photos and pray for the city of 350,000 and all who lost loved ones in the destruction. This is also a good time to ask yourself an important question:

if an unexpected earthquake hit your town and you did not survive, what would that mean for you?

Please don't think such a tragedy could not happen to you. After all, 10 out of 10 people die, and your time will come whether by natural death or something as devastating as a major earthquake, or a car accident the next time you hit the pavement. Click here to find out where you might spend the rest of eternity. There is nothing more critical than knowing the answer to this question.

(HT: John Samson for posting link to photos)

World in Chaos

By Justin Edwards

Headlines on Drudge show the world in chaos:

Egyptian protests continue

NATIONS MUST SPEAK WITH 'ONE VOICE'

Rockets fired at Israel...

Oil Rallies to $100...

LIBYAN OFFICIAL: Al Qaeda sets up Islamic emirate -- run by former Gitmo prisoner...

Saudi's $36 billion bid to beat unrest... 

King offers financial package as opposition calls 'day of rage'...

Nervous China puts security apparatus into overdrive...

Egypt protesters set cars alight in Cairo...  

Ahmadinejad: Mideast leaders should heed calls for change...

Greek riot police, protesters clash during strike...

Thousands protest against high food prices in India...

Christchurch Crumbles: New Zealand Imposes Curfew...

80% of city without water... 

Gaddafi loses more Libyan cities...     

God Saves Bad People

By Justin Edwards

Did you know that God saves bad people? He saves sinners, that is, He saves sinners who recognize themselves as such. It doesn't matter what you've done, or who you did it with, there's nothing in your past or present that God will not forgive. He calls you to repent and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and He promises to save all who lay their life down before Him. Call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and submit to His rule and reign in your life, and the gift you receive will be Life Eternal.

Transcript below:

 God Saves Bad People

God loves to save the most despicable kinds of people. And that's certainly true in my case. In getting me God wasn't getting something good. In getting me God wasn't getting anything special, in getting me God wasn't getting anything that would add to Him or benefit Him in any way, shape, or form. Have you forgotten by any chance the sewer out of which God rescued you? Which means, dear friends that our hope, our joy is grounded in this: that our God is absolutely relentless in his passionate pursuit to save sinners, not good people. God doesn't save good people; good people don't need to be saved. God saves bad people! Are you a bad person today? Then I am exceedingly glad that you are here, because that's what this congregation is, a congregation of bad people. Why do you come to this place? So that you can hear of the God Who saves bad people, Who loves bad people, Who rescues and delivers and extends mercy to bad people. Why bad people? Because doing so reveals the glory of His grace and the expansive boundaries of His love. Because doing so exposes the true potency of His saving accomplishments in His Son Jesus Christ. God loves to save bad people.

We raise our fist in God's face and we say, "Why do You save some and not others?" And it makes us mad. In our arrogance it makes us mad. As the pot, we think we have rights to the Potter. "Why do You save some and not others?" And you understand of course the predisposition that's behind all of that: the assumption that we're all innocent. But when you understand as Rahab does that we are all guilty, then suddenly the amazing thing is not that God saves some and not others, the amazing thing is that God saves any! When you understand that we're all guilty, suddenly saving any becomes the most amazing display of the grace of God.

This is the Christian God. The God Who saves bad people. The God Who has revealed Himself to you most fully in Jesus Christ. The gracious God, the generous God, the warm-hearted God, the open-armed God, the God Who is for sinners! Are you a sinner? A sinner like Rahab, dominated by sin because of your enslavement to sin? The God of the Bible is full of power and full of love and eager to save. And He does so, dear friends, by the One Who is now come to us through the redeemed womanhood of Rahab, God's Own Son Jesus Christ. You are not beyond the reach of God's grace. It makes no difference, dear friend, how scandalous your sin may be; even if it's as ugly as that of Rahab's. Like Rahab, ask God to save you from death, and He will in ways far greater than you could ever begin to imagine. Ask God, like Rahab, to save you from death. Because of the One Who has come to us from the lineage of Rahab, because of Jesus Christ, God will give you life.

(HT to Greis Vllahu for transcript)

Are You Preaching the Gospel?

Martin Lloyd-Jones On Preaching the Gospel:

If it is true that where sin abounded grace has much more abounded, well then, “shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound yet further?"

First of all, let me make a comment, to me a very important and vital comment. The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone always leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel. Let me show you what I mean.

If a man preaches justification by works, no one would ever raise this question. If a man’s preaching is, “If you want to be Christians, and if you want to go to heaven, you must stop committing sins, you must take up good works, and if you do so regularly and constantly, and do not fail to keep on at it, you will make yourselves. So that misunderstanding could never arise . . . . . .

Nobody has ever brought this charge against the Church of Rome, but it was brought frequently against Martin Luther; indeed that was precisely what the Church of Rome said about the preaching of Martin Luther. They said, “This man who was a priest has changed the doctrine in order to justify his own marriage and his own lust, and so on. This man, they said, “is an antinomian; and that is heresy. That is the very charge they brought against him. It was also brought George Whitfield two hundred years ago. It is the charge that formal dead Christianity if there is such a thing has always brought against this startling, staggering message, that God justifies the ungodly . . .

That is my comment and it is a very important comment for preachers. I would say to all preachers: If your preaching of salvation has not been misunderstood in that way, then you had better examine your sermons again, and you had better make sure that you are really preaching the salvation that is offered in the New Testament to the ungodly, the sinner, to those who are dead in trespasses and sins, to those who are enemies of God. There is this kind of dangerous element about the true presentation of the doctrine of salvation.

(HT: Adrian Warnock This is from Lloyd-Jones commentary on Romans 6, pp 8-9, and was quoted by Chuck Swindoll in his book The Grace Awakening, pp. 39-40.)

Last Days Desperation!

By Justin Edwards

For those of you who have been following my pastor's messages lately, you have witnessed and been a part of the urgency in his preaching. The hour is late, the day draws near - Jesus is coming for His Bride! But as Pastor Livingston has been proclaiming, Christ is only coming for those who are walking with Him in righteousness. Those who are eagerly awaiting His return, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who love the Word of God and obey it, and who are watching and praying as Jesus commanded will be the ones who will escape the wrath to come.

Last Sunday evening, Pastor Livingston preached another must-hear message and then he called the church to pray together for those who are still dead in their sins and loving unrighteousness. As straightforward as possible, pastor preached from Galatians 5:24 and several Scriptures from John and 1 John:

Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 3:7  Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

Scripture cannot be more clear - those who do not practice righteousness, who are living a worldly lifestyle and who love not the truth and obey it, are not born again. There is so much deception in the church today in that people believe they can do everything that sinners do, acting like the world, engaging in activities and social events like the world, and if you ask them if they are going to heaven, they say yes because they are a good person. They might even say they believe in Jesus, but Scripture says they are not saved because they do not practice righteousness. They live in sin and they love their sin, and the Bible says they are of the devil.

As Pastor Livingston says, we must start operating in a last days desperation! While there are countless false converts going to hell, there are many believers who give lost loved ones passes and excuses and pretend they are saved when their life shows otherwise. If they once said a prayer and "got saved" yet live as though they never knew God, some of us point back to that prayer as if it actually converted them. No it didn't, and we must stop pretending like it did. These loved ones need our urgent prayer and they need it now. They desperately need the mercy and grace of God to draw them to repentant faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I invite you, no, I call upon you with great angst to watch this message so your soul will be stirred with an urgency of prayer and a zealousness to proclaim the name of Christ! This is a call to anguish! These are the last days, and we must fight like good soldiers and endure to the end, proclaiming the Gospel without shame until our King comes.  Let the Holy Spirit lead you as you watch the sermon, and if moved to join the congregation and pastor, intercede with them on behalf of your family and cry out to God to spark revival in the hearts of those nearest and dearest to you. As I drove home today from work listening to the message, it was one of the most powerful communions I've ever shared with God. I hope it stirs you in the same way.

Last Days Desperation mp3

 

"Are You Ready?" mp3 - Second Service Now Available

By Justin Edwards

If you had a chance to watch Loran Livingston's "Are You Ready?" message from 2/13/11, then you know how great and urgent a message it was. The video in that post was from the 8:30am service, but I am pleased to announce the audio to the 10:30am service is now available and "stickied" to the top of the blog permanently.

Having less time restraints in the 10:30am service, Pastor Livingston was able to take his time with the message and elaborate on a few points. I highly recommend listening to the 10:30 message and encourage you to download and/or share the link with friends.

The Day of the Lord is rapidly approaching, so the question remains - are you ready?

For convenience, you can download the message here: Are You Ready? mp3

Heart Inventory - do you serve god or God?

By Justin Edwards

Please take inventory of your heart as you read this post, and know that these things as described below are the overall markings of an unbeliever or false convert, and a child of God saved by repentant faith. We are all at different levels of maturity, but rest assured, those who are redeemed children of God possess sovereign grace,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.- Titus 2:11-14

Whether by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ or by death, our days are numbered. The question is, are you ready?  Please contact me or comment below with any questions or concerns.

Do you serve the god of this world, or the One True God of the Bible?

If you serve the god of this world (Satan), the world will love you. If you serve God, the world will hate you (John 15:18-19; 1 John 3:13).

If you serve Satan, you try to serve two masters. You may profess to know God, but He takes a back seat in your priorities. Your money, your will, your control, your desires - they are your master. If you serve God, you serve Him alone (Matthew 6:24).

If you serve Satan, the idea of submitting to the lordship of Christ is repulsive to you. You desire to hold on to your sin, while receiving the benefits of salvation. You think you can receive Christ as Savior, but not as Lord. You are proud, and God resists you. If you serve God, you humble yourself before the Lord, donning the yoke of Christ, and with meekness, you commit to serving Him all the days of your life (James 4:6-10; Matthew 5:5; 11:29-30).

If you serve Satan, you love the world and the things of this world. If you love the world, the love of God is not in you. If you serve God, you hate the things of the world because you love God and His love abides in you (1 John 2:15).

If you serve Satan, you are friends of the world. This makes you an enemy of God. If you serve God, you are not conformed to this world (James 4:4; Romans 12:2).

If you serve Satan, your closest friends are of the world and they corrupt you. If you serve God, you are not yoked to unbelievers, rather, your closest friends are born again believers (1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14).

If you serve Satan, you take pleasure in unrighteousness. You love fornication and idolatry. If you serve God, you flee sexual immorality and idolatry and you hunger and thirst for righteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; Matthew 5:6).

If you serve Satan, you do not obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve God, you obey the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).

If you serve Satan, your mind is set on earthly things. If you serve God, your mind is set on heavenly things (Philippians 3:18-19; Colossians 3:1-2).

If you serve Satan, you are a slave to sin. If you serve God, you are slave to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

If you serve Satan, you are most concerned with the affairs and cares of this world, you seek to fulfill your fleshly desires, you love money, fornication, and drunkenness. If you serve God, you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (1 John 2:16; Galatians 5:24).

If you serve Satan, you walk in the flesh and are controlled by the works of the flesh. If you serve God, you walk in the Spirit and are controlled by the things of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23).

If you serve Satan, you stand condemned as you have from the beginning. If you serve God, there is no condemnation in  you (John 3:18; Romans 8:1).

If you serve Satan, you are controlled by him and he has dominion over you. If you serve God, you have been freed (2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:2; Colossians 1:13; John 8:36).

If you serve Satan, you are blinded by him. If you serve God, He has shined His light through you (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).

If you serve Satan, you justify and/or deny your sin. You give yourself excuses to live any way you want to, and expect God to just forgive you. You call God a liar, and the truth is not in you. If you serve God, you confess your sins and He cleanses you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-10).

If you serve Satan, you profess to know God but you still walk in darkness. You claim to have fellowship with God, but your lifestyle confirms otherwise. You do not practice the truth, and you are not saved, although you think you are. If you walk in the light, however, you are a child of God and have fellowship with the brethren, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:5-7).

If you serve Satan, you do not keep the commandments of God or the teachings of Jesus. If you serve God, you love Him, which means you obey His commandments and teachings (John 14:15; 2 John 1:6; 1 John 2:3-5).

If you serve Satan, you hate the brethren. You have no fellowship with the brethren, for you'd rather hang out with your worldly friends. You have no actionable desire to fellowship. If you serve God, you love the brethren and seek fellowship with them (Hebrews 13:1; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 3:14-15; 4:20-21).

If you serve Satan, you rely on your self-righteousness to get you to heaven. You believe good works, church attendance, tithes, and being "good enough" will ensure your eternity in heaven. If you serve God, you realize there is nothing in you that is good, no amount of good deeds can save you, and it is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone that you are saved (Romans 3:10; Revelation 3:14-22; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you serve Satan, you call Jesus Lord but you do not do what He says. If you serve God, you confess Christ as Lord and you do the will of His Father (Luke 6:46-49; Matthew 7:21-23; 12:50).

If you serve Satan, you practice sin as a lifestyle. If you serve God, you practice righteousness as a lifestyle (1 John 3:4-9).

If you serve Satan, you cannot please God and you walk in the flesh. If you serve God, you walk as Jesus walked (Romans 8:6-8; Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 2:6).

If you serve Satan, you wallow in your sin and you love your sin. If you serve God, you purify yourself as He is pure, and you become holy as He is holy (1 John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:15-16).

If you serve Satan, the commands of God are burdensome to you. His expectations are just to high for you. If you serve God, you love His commandments and they are not burdensome (1 John 5:2-3).

If you serve Satan, you follow his voice as a false shepherd. If you serve God, you do not follow strange voices, but you hear and know the voice of your Shepherd, and you follow Him (John 10:1-30).

If you serve Satan, you are still dead in your trespasses. If you serve God, you have been made a new creation in Christ (Ephesians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you serve Satan, you may have received the Gospel with joy and continued for a time, but when trials and tribulations came, or when you desired the cares of the world, you fell away and were choked out by the pleasures of life. If you serve God, you received the Gospel with a noble and good heart, and go on to produce fruit (Luke 8:11-15).

If you serve Satan, your idea of repentance is being sorry because you got caught. Your sorrow is of your flesh, and the guilt you feel is that of feeling guilty of the consequences. If you serve God, the repentance you know is wrought from godly sorrow, for you are sorry for offending God. This causes you to hate the sin that offended Him, and by His grace, you turn from it, which leads to salvation (Matthew 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 7:10).

If you serve Satan, you refuse to forgive those who offend you. If you serve God, you forgive everyone, no matter what they have done to you (Matthew 6:14-15; Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:12-13).

If you serve Satan, you hate your enemies. If you serve God, you love your enemies and bless those who persecute you (Matthew 5:21-23; 44).

If you serve Satan, you create a god in your own image, one that is not holy, just, or righteous, and one you believe is only love and will forgive you no matter what kind of lifestyle you live. This gives you license to sin and you trample on the grace of God. There is no actionable desire in you to love and serve the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. If you serve God, you know the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God, and because He loved you first, you can love Him. You yearn to serve and love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Jude 1:4; Exodus 20:3-4; Psalm 45:7; Deuteronomy 10:12; 30:6; Mark 12:30; 1 John 4:17-19).

If you serve Satan, you will perish in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. If you serve God, you have eternal life (Revelation 21:8; John 17:3).

Are You Ready?

By Justin Edwards

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. - Luke 21:34-36

Are you ready? Don't just look over these words. Meditate on them. Are. You. Ready?

Is the life you are living one that is ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ? Should you die today, in the next few minutes, what would happen to you? Would you be embraced in the arms of Jesus, hearing the words "well done, faithful slave", or would you enter your destruction from the wrath of an angry God?

As is often proclaimed on this blog, Jesus is coming soon. This is not fantasy, nor conjecture. It is reality based on the sovereign truth of God's Word. God penned in Scripture thousands of years ago the very things we are witnessing today, yet most are not ready. Are you ready?

Yes, Jesus is coming. Soon. But He is only coming for those who are ready. He is only coming for those who love Him, who obey Him, and who live for Him. Is that your life? Can you honestly say you are a slave to the Master? Do you love His Word? Do you read it? Do you thirst for it? Are you submitted to His will? Are you surrendered to His Lordship? Do you long to see Him? Are you sick of this world? Do you anxiously await heaven? Do you hate sin?

Or do you merely give God lip service? Are you fearful of His return? You say you know Him, but does He know you? Do you hear His voice? Do you follow Him? Or do you follow the world? Do you follow your own will? Do you follow your flesh? Are you a slave to your sin? Do you love your sin? Do you love the world? Do you love yourself more than you love Jesus? How does your lifestyle answer that question?

Jesus is coming. Are you ready? Today is the day of salvation. There are no second chances. If you hear the pure Gospel truth now and disobey it, I don't believe it will be possible for you to be saved during the tribulation. God Himself will send you a strong delusion, and you will believe the lie of Satan. This will happen because you did not love the truth, you did not obey the Gospel, and because you took pleasure in your unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Please watch the following video from Loran Livingston from 2/13/11. Ask yourself, and be honest, are you ready? Is your sin worth an eternity in hell? Are you eady?

To love God is to obey Him.

Are. You. Ready?

Are You Ready mp3

Sudden Death

By Justin Edwards

Two tragic deaths in town gives us opportunity to think about eternal matters. Should death visit you today, are you sure you will find your expected destination?

Please follow link for story and some important questions to ask oneself: Tragic Death Strikes Charlotte Family

You SHALL Come!

By Justin Edwards

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. - John 6:37

In listening to Steven Lawson's five-part series on TULIP, I have been richly blessed in learning more about the sovereign work of the Holy Trinity in my salvation. In his fourth message on the irresistible grace of God (also known as effectual calling or sovereign grace), Lawson quotes (in part, below) from C.H. Spurgeon's sermon, Heaven and Hell. What truth there lies within these words of Spurgeon! Even though some might resist for a time, our omnipotent God will overcome even the fiercest resistance in His stubborn sheep through the regeneration of the Holy  Spirit. Alas, all for whom Christ died, to some extent, resisted the mercy of God until He worked His grace in us. For as Lawson said in this message,

Free will rises no higher than fallen man. 

If left to our own corrupt will, not one of us would choose God. Therefore, it is out of His own sovereign, absolute, and powerful will, derived from His own counsel, to fulfill His own pleasure, to the glory and pleasure of His own Son (Ephesians 1:3-14), that He reaches down from the throne room of heaven to save His sheep, who have all gone astray for a time. But when He calls each of us by name - individually, uniquely, and specifically - we will rise from the dead, having been given ears to hear, and respond to the sweet calling of the grace of our Lord to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, once and for all (John 5:25).

Hallelujah what a Savior!

C.H. Spurgeon

(Excerpt broken into paragraphs for easier reading)

Oh! I love God's "shalls" and "wills." There is nothing comparable to them. Let a man say "shall," what is it good for? "I will," says man, and he never performs; "I shall," says he, and he breaks his promise.

But it is never so with God's "shalls." If he says "shall," it shall be; when he says "will," it will be. Now he has said here, "many shall come." The devil says "they shall not come;" but "they shall come." Their sins say "you can't come;" God says "you shall come." You, yourselves, say, "you won't come;" God says "you shall come." Yes!

There are some here who are laughing at salvation, who can scoff at Christ and mock at the gospel; but I tell you some of you shall come yet. "What!" you say, "can God make me become a Christian?" I tell you yes, for herein rests the power of the gospel. It does not ask you consent; but it gets it. It does not say, Will you have it? But it makes you willing in the day of God's power. Not against your will, but it makes you willing. It shows you its value, and then you fall in love with it; and straightway you run after it and have it.

Many people have said, "we will not have anything to do with religion." yet they have been converted. I have heard of a man who once went to chapel to hear the singing, and as soon as the minister began to preach, he put his fingers in his ears and would not listen. But by-and-by some tiny insect settled on his face, so that he was obliged to take one finger out of his ears to brush it away. Just then the minister said, "he that hath ears to hear let him hear." The man listened; and God met with him at that moment to his soul's conversion. He went out a new man, a changed character. He who came in to laugh retired to pray; he who came in to mock went out to bend his knee in penitence; he who entered to spend an idle hour went home to spend an hour in devotion with his God. The sinner became a saint; the profligate became a penitent.

Who know that there may not be some like that here? The gospel wants not your consent, it gets it. It knocks the enmity out of your heart. You say, "I do not want to be saved;" Christ says you shall be. He makes your will turn round, and then you cry, "Lord, save, or I perish." "Ah," might Heaven exclaim, "I knew I would make you say that;" and then he rejoices over you because he has changed your will and made you willing in the day of his power.

If Jesus Christ were to stand on the platform to-night, what would many people do with him? "O!" say some, "we would make him a King." I do not believe it. They would crucify him again, if they had the opportunity. If he were to come and say, "Here I am, I love you, will you be saved by me?" not one of you would consent if you were left to your will. If he should look upon you with those eyes, before whose power the lion would have crouched; if he spoke with that voice which poured forth a cataract of eloquence like a stream of nectar rolling down from the cliffs above, not a single person would come to be his disciple. No; it wants the power of the Spirit to make men come to Jesus Christ.

He himself said, "No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him." Ah! we want that; and here we have it. They shall come! They shall come! Ye may laugh, ye may despise us; but Jesus Christ shall not die for nothing. If some of you reject him, there are some that will not. It there are some that are not saved, others shall be. Christ shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands.

Some think that Christ died, and yet, that some for whom he died will be lost. I never could understand that doctrine. If Jesus, my surety, bore my griefs and carried my sorrows, I believe myself to be as secure as the angels in heaven. God cannot ask payment twice. If Christ paid my debt, shall I have to pay it again? No.

"Free from sin I walk at large

The Saviour's blood's my full discharge;

At his dear feet content I lay,

A sinner saved, and homage pay."

They shall come! They shall come! And naught in heaven, nor on earth, nor in hell, can stop them from coming.

Iranium - Nuclear Apocalypse

By Justin Edwards

A must watch to understand the recent political history of Iran, which reveals the fascist ideology of Islam to conquer the world and establish an Islamic kingdom. Iran's ambitions to obtain nuclear weapons is intimately tied to their eschatology, and once achieved, they will surely employ this technology one way or the other to usher in the apocalypse.

Thankfully, God has other plans and Islam will not be successful. We know that Iran will be part of an alliance with Russia and other Islamic regimes to wage war against Israel, and to their demise, God will supernaturally intervene and destroy them all (Ezekiel 38-39). Even so, Iran's intentions to wipe Israel off the face of the earth must not be overlooked. The threat is real and Israel knows it. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for God to protect His people, both the Church in the Middle East, and the Jewish remnant who have yet to know their Messiah. War is coming soon, perhaps to your backyard. Make sure your salvation is secure, as the day of judgment is drawing near.

Iranium

Rick Warren Daniel Plan News - Dr. Oz Hypnotizes America

By Justin Edwards

As was announced on Friday, February 4th, Dr. Oz hosted British hypnotist Paul McKenna on his Dr.  Oz Show Monday. From Friday's announcement:

Hypnosis for weight loss with Paul McKenna - Hypnosis has profound powers that can help you. On Monday, Feb. 7, Dr. Oz is unlocking its powers to show viewers how to use hypnosis to combat overeating. With hypnotist Paul McKenna, Dr. Oz will explain how hypnosis works, whether anyone can be hypnotized and why it can help in losing weight.

Yes, this is the same Dr. Oz who hosted pantheist New Ager Deepak Chopra on his show a few weeks ago, and it's the same Dr. Oz who has been embraced, along with New Age Drs. Amen and Hyman, by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church to promote and implement Warren's so-called "Daniel Plan".  What's more, and quite sadly and disturbing enough, this is the same Rick Warren who has been endorsed, promoted, praised, and welcomed as a biblical pastor who "at root...is theological and doctrinal and sound" by none other than Dr. John Piper (article here).

The question must be asked of Saddleback Church - is there any among you who has an ounce, no, a gram of discernment, to see that this Trojan Horse of New Age and mystical deception has entered your courts? Can you not see that your pastor, so-called "America's pastor", has opened this door of contemplative spirituality and Eastern meditative mysticism (CSM) into your church? Please, do yourself a favor - do your family a favor - and research what is happening here. Check out the three links above to see why your pastor is leading you down the path of ecumenical destruction. Unless he separates himself from the works of Belial, we have no choice but to believe he is of Belial. Years of Warren's pragmatic, moralistic, man-centered messages; flirtations with CSM; interfaith fellowship; and ecumenical compromise have led him and your church to this moment.

It is time for you to wake up and smell the incense.

Under no circumstances should Christians ever be hypnotized, yet, Rick Warren has partnered with "America's Doctor" who promotes and endorses this mind-altering pagan practice. Gotquestions provides an excellent list for why hypnotism is problematic for Christians. I've summed the article as follows:

1) Through hypnosis, we transfer the ability to control ourselves to someone else, which is contrary to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:21 that gives us self-control by His power.

2) We are to yield ourselves to God and He alone. It is His power alone, once we yield ourselves to His will, that helps us overcome sin (Romans 6:12-13). Hypnosis causes us to yield ourselves to someone else (or something else).

3) Hypnosis leads people into an altered state of consciousness, thus making the mind susceptible to outside influence, which may not be restricted to the hypnotist. Scripture tells us to be self-controlled and alert because Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We are not able to be watchful if our minds have been swept away by hypnosis.

4) Hypnosis, just like CSM and Eastern religious meditative practices (Hinduism and Buddhism), causes one to look at self, or their inner self, to find the solution. Taken to the extreme, which is where CSM always leads, it causes us to find the inner light within us, or the god within us, or that perfect state that is immune to sin within us. Essentially, this leads to the idea that God is within us all, regardless of whether one is a Christian (pantheism). Scripture, on the other hand, teaches us to look to Christ alone (Hebrews 12:2), for the answers do not lie within us (Romans 7:18) and our only solution is found in Christ (Romans 8:2).

5) As mentioned, hypnosis is shared by mystical and religious systems, including the occult, New Age transcendental meditation, Hindu (yoga) and Buddhist meditation, and contemplative spirituality. All of these are linked to spiritual darkness and the Christian must flee from such idol worship of self.

Even so, Rick Warren has yoked himself with this New Age practitioner, Dr. Oz.

I hesitate to post the following video from the Dr. Oz Show, which is available on his website. I trust that you will only view this video with extreme caution, capable of distracting your mind from the intended hypnosis. This is posted for informational purposes only. Do not watch this without praying first, and if you do not believe you are capable of resisting the hypnosis, then please skip to the transcript below.

Paul Mckenna Hypnosis: Supercharge Your Metabolism

(Click to view - embed code not working)

Partial Transcipt beginning at about the 2:55 mark:

...as you relax my voice will go with you , and you might hear it in many different ways, and you don't even have to think about it, just let the focus sink deeper and deeper towards your own inner stillness, and you can notice words, and you can notice noticing words, and you can notice noticing your body can relax, and your mind can relax, and your mind has become very sensitive to my suggestions that help you most, your breathing carries on all by itself, your mind carries on all by itself, and you can watch it wonder away, your experience, your understanding, your awareness can just detach and slow down. Relax the muscles around your eyes again, relax your jaw, ease off the muscles in your neck, and let your shoulders drop, and with each out breath, let them drop a little more until all the tension is released, as you free your mind to concentrate on success, you build up the energy to take action. Every day you'll do something to move yourself toward your ideal weight, every day you'll take action, your unconscious mind will remind you you have the energy you need ready and waiting, you just stop to work and the energy will become available, you'll become more and more responsive to your situations and the people you work with, every day you'll understand more and more and respond more to the situations and the people around you, you'll become more flexible and adaptable so you can continue to work towards your ideal weight whatever happens around you. Everyday , your tenacity will increase, you can keep going, persevering, achieving, working, and pressing on so that every day you achieve something. And very soon, it will be time to awaken, and before you awaken, I'd like you to reinforce every positive thought you've ever had about yourself. And as you become awake, you can feel the wish to be active, you can find your self enjoying that. We all know we can day dream, we can all sleep, and we can all wake up, although we don't consciously know how we can wake up, yet we do, and you can awake now...

I am not an expert on the New Age or hypnotism, but I do know this is nothing short of self-worshiping idolatry. It is focused on man and his inner self, instead of Jesus Christ and what He has done and will do in the life of the born again believer. Instead of looking to the Lord Jesus Christ and His transforming power, hypnosis looks to what man can do for himself (just like all forms of meditation). This, of course, lines up perfectly with Rick Warren's Pelagian, moralistic tendencies for behavior modification. Warren believes that one can just change the way they think in order to change their behavior and their life. Scripture, on the other hand, tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2), which is achieved by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit through the objective reading of the Word of God and through prayer. What's more, McKenna seeks to open your mind to his influence, which he clearly states will help you the most. Sounds a lot like a certain garden serpent, yes?

To those who follow, support, endorse, and/or are taught under the ministry of Rick Warren, how much more evidence do you need? How much longer will you travel down this road of destruction, and how much longer will you expose your family to this pagan idolatry? How much longer will you, purpose-driven pastor, continue to lead your flock into the darkness alongside Rick Warren? I call for you to repent and separate yourself from any and all associations with Rick Warren.

How much longer will you reject this warning?

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? - 2 Corinthians 6:14-15

To be sure you know where to go next in your research, please see these links:

Dr. Oz and Deepak Chopra

Rick Warren's Daniel Plan, New Age, Mysticism, and More

Rick Warren Introduces "The Devil Plan"

Rick Warren knowingly exposes Saddleback congregants to New Age mysticism through The Daniel Plan

Personal Report on Saddleback Church Health and Fitness Seminar

A Look at Rick Warren's New Age Health Plan

What Is Contemplative Prayer and Mysticism?

What is "Christian Mysticism"?

What Is Soaking Prayer?

Christ vs. Moralism

By John Hyndrex

Death is the wages of sin (Rom 6:23) and Jesus Christ had none (Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5; 2 Cor 5:21). Death, therefore, had no rightful claim on Him thus Jesus died an unnatural death. This means that Jesus, the true remnant of Israel, alone fulfilled the covenant from our side, pleasing God. And all who are united to Him share in His distinction that death has no rightful claim on them (6:23b). So Jesus alone is our focus, our religion, our righteousness. Yet we still, as Christians often get caught up in our own spirituality. That is, we focus incessantly on how we are doing, whether reading the Word, praying, involving myself in a body of like-minded believers, being a witness,. etc. We often do this in a way where we expect to win God's approval and somehow become more spiritual. While all these things are all good and helpful when done in the right spirit, it is not exactly what is meant by giving oneself fully to the Lord, or being spiritual.

To give oneself to the Lord means that you begin align yourself with God and his redemptive plan for the world. It means to lose all confidence in oneself and recognize Jesus as the all in all. The gospel remains our only hope as a Christian. All of these other activities don't make you in any way more pleasing to God. He is already pleased with you in Christ and the covenant he has made with you in Him. When we realize this, these other activities are overflow, not duty driven acts to put on our spiritual resumé. Our delight is in the Lord and the story of His redemptive activity through history culminating in his finished work in Christ on the cross. It is not about our piety ... instead we work out of salvation in fear and trembling before the Lord. The more we look at Him the more we are transformed into His likeness (2 Cor 2:18). As long as we view the core of spirituality as some morbid self-introspection and practice of disciplines then we fall into the danger of taking our eyes off of Jesus.

Sinclair Ferguson aptly said,

from the New Testament's point of view, those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about itself and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ.

So the question often arises to me about how much spiritual activity is enough? The answer is the same every time: what Jesus has accomplished for you is already sufficient. God is as pleased as He can be with you and could not be more pleased with you because of Jesus. Preach this gospel to yourself every day and you will begin to see a new world open before you. You will rest in Christ's completed work and out of the overflow of the new life you have in Him, you will do all things filled with the Holy Spirit. He becomes greater while you become less. The most mundane, banal activity then becomes spiritual ... not simply when you are reading your Bible. You don't curry God's favor or earn more points in heaven by your activities. God has set his affection on you. You are his son - this is a reality to those who are in Christ. Recall in the parable of the prodigal son where the older brother is angry with God because he said, "I have worked all my life for you and never given me a slaughtered calf." He saw his relationship with his father as a servant rather than a son. First, you must know that you are worse than could ever be imagined and are impotent to do anything on your own. Such despairing in oneself is necessary to true spirituality. Yet God is more gracious than you imagined and adopts you as his very own son. When you know you are thus loved then all of what you do will reflect that. You will forgive others, and delight in good works not because God needs to be appeased, but because you are loved by him and that overflows in your life to others. Oh, but how easy it is to forget this and slip back into perfectionism. The Apostle Paul waned against this tendency in Galatians 3:3 when he said, "having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Here we clearly see Paul's frustration in persons who think that we start with grace in the gospel but then move on to perfection through other means.

A common religion of our time is one of moralism, and many evangelicals tend to moralism without even realizing they are. Moralism seeks to achieve perfection through behavior modification. It often accompanies the religion of "family values" that we hear about each day on the radio. This kind of religion risks self-righteously looking down on unbelievers by putting our supposed morality in a comparison with theirs. It is as if we believe our entrance into Christianity is by grace but that our lives in Christ are due to our maintained by some kind of moralism. Those who believe this fall into the trap of (at least subconsciously) believing that is not grace alone that make us to differ with others. But we must always remember that God's commands to us to be holy and love our neighbor etc. are not there to show our ability, but to reveal our inability (Rom 3:19, 20). So instead of spending our time gazing at our navels in the hope that we become more spiritual and can attain some kind of perfection, true Christianity recognizes and faces up to our sinful imperfection. We can never obey God's commands no matter how hard we try. Anyone who thinks that they could possibly live sinlessly for an hour or a day has not yet come face to face with God and his utter holiness. We flatter ourselves to think this way but the apostolic assertion is that if a man shall keep the whole law and yet offend at one point he is guilty of all.

The good news is that we do not need to ascend to God via human effort (an impossible supposition) because He has descended to us. The philosophy of the age, even among Christians who should know better, is to focus on what we human beings can do to be saved. True Christianity, I believe, teaches that there is nothing we can do... we must despair of ourselves, because what we could not do for ourselves, Christ has done for us. Unfortunately a large percentage of Christians think moralism, avoiding wrongdoing of every kind, is what Christianity is all about, (otherwise why so much effort to get our morals put into law) not realizing that we need to repent of trusting in our good deeds and bad ones. Paul, says to the Philippians that all his good works are but rubbish compared to Christ. But even though we know this, our remaining corruption still deceives us sometimes into thinking that God wants something from us other than Christ. It is easy to see that much of Christianity has slipped into this error because the barriers and differences with Roman Catholicism seem to be coming down everywhere I look. Even in Peter Jennings interview with member's of Ted Haggard's church people were saying that they don't see that much difference anymore. I am not saying that unity would not be a good thing, but this unity is not based on truth but on family values, political alliances and morality, all of which are not the gospel.

But none of us can live up to the high standards we impose upon ourselves and often hide it when we fail, thinking that we must put on a good face to other Christians. That is called hypocrisy. Our many attempts at perfection often lead to immoral behavior, especially when it makes us feel superior to others. Rather, we should lead with our weaknesses and admit our sinfulness which points each other and the world to Christ. The world would believe us much more if we simply stopped pretending and boasting about being so much more moral than we really are. Real humility would go a long way in opening eyes for the problem with humanity is not simply our committing various sins, but with our very natures which we desperately need to be delivered from, something only Christ can do, not only at the beginning of our salvation, but each day. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be good, it is God's command, but when we are honest, not one is able to even come close to achieving this goal.

All ways which consist of human effort to reach God, whether it be through the will, intellect or emotions, are futile. We have no hope to reach God this way, for not only do we utterly fail to live up to God's holy law, but we have no desire to do so, except by God's grace. True Christian piety begins with God's decent to us in Christ and our ascent to Him through Christ. This leaves zero room for human pride. It is all about what God does for us. Only Christ fulfilled the covenant and achieved the moral perfection that a holy God justly requires. And his death bore the punishment for our willful rebellion and sinful passions. The Scripture requires perfection of you, but you don't have the moral ability to do it. God commands us to be righteousness then turns around and says that we have none (Isaiah 64:6). All self-righteousness is, therefore, out the door. We are guilty of sin against a holy God and therefore, justly deserve God's wrath. Agreeing with this reveals that the Holy Spirit has begun doing a work of grace in you and is the first step in conversion. God law, therefore, must be preached to the proud but the gospel to the broken-hearted, as Martin Luther says. When the Law breaks our pride, autonomy, self-sufficiency and the belief in the utter impotence to save ourselves, then and only then does the gospel become good news (and understandable). Any pulpit or gospel presentation that leaves out God's wrath presents an incomplete and incomprehensible "gospel", but many are doing it. Only in Christ are God's holy demands toward us fully satisfied. The Scripture testifies that believing that this is accomplished, not by our will, but by the grace of God (Rom 9:16; John 6:65). The preachers job, therefore, is to continually place the law and the gospel before Christians.

May the Lord Jesus richly bless you.

(HT: Reformation Theology)

Do Not Serve Needy without Gospel

By Justin Edwards

Although postmodernism and the cult of liberalism will have you believe meeting the felt and temporal needs of the needy through charity is the Gospel itself, Scripture obviously says otherwise. Please follow the link below to see why we must biblically meet the needs of the helpless through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Serve the Needy But Don't Forget Gospel

Obey God and Live

By Justin Edwards

     Your word is a lamp to my feet
         And a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105

Do You Know the Gospel?

By Justin Edwards

If you are unclear as to what exactly the Gospel is, please watch this proclamation by Tony Miano and post a comment with any questions or comments.

"I Will Set Egyptians Against Egyptians"

By Justin Edwards

Rocks pepper the air during violent clashes among Egyptians on 2/2/11

Watching the clashes in Egypt unfold Wednesday was disheartening as I saw a people outraged not only against their government, but against their own people. Several days ago Bill Salus from Prophecy News-Stand posted a fascinating piece that I decided to chew on and just see how things unfolded. That was January 28, 2011, and having returned to the article four days later, I can only imagine how close we are to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Before I rediscovered Salus' article, I was tagged in a note on facebook that touched on this same story. It led me to pick up Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum's The Footsteps of the Messiah (Copyright 2004) to see what was said of this particular passage of Scripture that has been buzzing the internet in the last few days. Admittedly, this is a prophecy I was not aware of, so out of caution, I wanted to inquire of this prophecy expert before researching the topic further. To my amazement, this is what I read on page 94:

In this passage the land of Egypt is in view and the idiom points to a conflict all over the land of Egypt as the nation is engrossed in civil war. 

My mouth nearly dropped open when I read these words. The Scripture in Isaiah 19:1-4 reads straightforward enough, but this confirmation from Fruchtenbaum made it a bit more realistic, enough for me to read it to my wife. We both sat in awe and wonder of what we may be witnessing in Egypt. Here is the passage from Isaiah 19:1-4,

The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the LORD of hosts.

Is this what we are seeing before our eyes? Watch this video for instance (you can literally see the rocks flying through the air):

Would you say Egyptians are against Egyptians today? In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus said in Matthew 24:7,

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

Jesus is speaking of regional conflict when He mentions kingdom against kingdom. Would you say the Middle East is in total conflict today? Is not Iran waging war against Egypt through a Muslim Brotherhood proxy? Have not the Tunisian and Lebanese governments toppled in the last month? Are not the people of Jordan and Yemen seeking fundamental change of their governments? Should all of these governments become radicalized, will they not all come against Israel as the Bible predicts in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39? Will not Damascus, Syria become a ruinous heap as prophesied in Isaiah 17:1?

Is not the world's food supply stretched to its limit, which could precede global famine?  Is the earth not experiencing greater earthquake activity and in various places? Is the world not on the verge of a major pandemic? Are not terrorists organizations threatening the use of biological weapons? These are just a few of the signs we are to expect in the last days. Others include an apostate church, merging of religious ideas, a global economy, a global government, and a persecuted Church. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:8:

All these are the beginning of sorrows (emphasis original).

Prophecy watchers have been sounding the alarm for years that Christ's return is before us. Though we've seen events cycle like birth pangs of a woman in child labor, as she gets closer to delivery, the contractions become more frequent and more intense. My friends, we are in an intense contraction and God only knows when the clock will strike midnight.

If you have been looking for a time to get serious with God and turn from your sinful lifestyle, now is the time. The warnings are screaming of His return, and there is nothing more that must happen before He comes for His Bride, the Body of Christ. Are you sure you are saved? If you have been playing games with your eternity, time is up. Repent and trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, or you will suffer at the hand of His judgment.

Now, time will only tell how things pan out in Egypt and the Middle East. I can't help but believe they will continue as Scripture has foretold, and what we are witnessing is indeed the beginning of sorrows. The footsteps of the Messiah are kicking up dust on the horizon. We believers must step up our efforts to proclaim the Gospel. We must run like never before to the finish line set before us, and may we all pour ourselves out like a drink offering, anxiously awaiting our Savior's return and the crown that awaits us for loving His appearing! (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Be sure to read Bill Salus' article HERE.

Also, I highly recommend following Scott at Prophecy Update as his Middle East coverage has been excellent.

And here's the 24/7 live feed from Al Jazeera with up to the minute coverage of the region.

Muslim Student Association = Muslim Brotherhood

By Justin Edwards

This is the face of the Muslim Brotherhood on American college campuses as you will see from a representative of the Muslim Student Association.

People Who WILL NOT Go to Heaven

By Justin Edwards

For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

As pointed out in Dear "Carnal Christian", the visible church is overburdened with professing Christians who have never been truly converted. What I mean by "visible church" is that there is a distinction between the professing church and the true Church. The professing church, or visible church, is comprised of both genuine believers and mere professing believers who are still dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1). On the other hand, the invisible church, or Body of Christ or true Church, is exclusively comprised of born again saints who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So how do we distinguish between a true believer and a false convert? One simple test can be found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (which reflects Galatians 5:19-21 and Ephesians 5:3-5). From the text:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Do not be deceived, dear professing Christian. The mark of a true convert is that their life is no longer representative of these sins. Galatians 5:19 indicates these things are manifest (evident) as a lifestyle for those who are still walking in darkness, i.e. those who are not saved. Let's take a closer look in defining these terms:

Fornicator - one who participates in unlawful sex, which is to say of one who indulges in sexual activity outside of the boundaries of legal marriage. It can also mean giving oneself over to false gods, eg religious idolatry. Referring to sexual acts, these would include premarital or post-marital (divorcees) sex of any form (heterosexual, homosexual, incest, pedophilia), but also to include adultery.

Adulterer - one who engages in inappropriate behavior or unlawful sexual activity in violation of legal marriage vows. Such would be the case for two married individuals engaging in inappropriate conduct, or a single individual violating the boundaries of marriage with a married individual.

Idolater - one who worships a false god, or has created a god in their own image (which is to say the "Christian" god they worship is not the God of the Bible). This might include worshiping a god from any of the worlds religions, worship of a person, or worship of an object, such as money.

Homosexual - one who engages in homosexual activity, or same-sex intercourse. This would include those in same-sex relationships, celibate or not.

Sodomite - one who offers himself as a male prostitute to engage in homosexual activity.

Thief - one who steals. Forms of thievery would include embezzlement, robbery (violent force), or by non-violent means, such as cheating, downloading illegal music, or shoplifting.

Covetous - one who is greedy to gain material wealth, or one who is not content or satisfied with their belongings and envies the possessions of others.

Drunkards - one who gets drunk or intoxicated with alcohol.

Revilers - one who is a blasphemer or is marked by contemptuous, disrespectful, or disdainful speech.

Extortioner - one who blackmails for profit, or unlawfully obtains wealth or information through coercion.

The message is clear: those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21). Yet, the visible church is so polluted today that sins such as drunkenness and fornication are swept under the rug and widely accepted by the vast majority of professing Christians. The same could be said for the other sins with regards to church acceptance, homosexuality for instance, but I want to focus on drunkards and fornicators because I used to be both while professing Christ as my Savior.

A Message for Carnal Christians

This message is for the professing Christian living a worldly lifestyle.

I want to be very frank, not only because what I am about to say is the truth, but because the hour is urgent. The world is falling apart all the more each day and the signs are screaming that Christ is returning any moment for His church. Not only that, but you are not promised to live another second, so I want you to give strict attention to my words as if it's the last time you will ever have the opportunity to hear them.

If your lifestyle reflects one of sexual immorality or drunkenness, then you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. To be more clear, you will perish in hell for all of eternity. Forever. If you think 1 second is small in comparison to 1 trillion years, that one second is infinitely greater than 1 trillion years compared to eternity. Though you profess to believe in Christ, though you believe you are saved, all biblical indicators give evidence you are not (Philippians 3:18-19), and you may wake up one day in hell to your surprise.

Perhaps you live with your boyfriend or girlfriend? That in itself gives the appearance of evil, but woe unto you all the more if you are sleeping with them. Maybe you don't live with your partner, but rather engage in sex whenever it's convenient. The Bible could not be more clear - anyone who habitually practices sex outside of marriage will suffer the wrath of God for eternity.

Perhaps you continue to party at the club scene? Or you like it low key at the bar or night lounge? Or maybe you revel at the beach or lake party? How about the football or concert tailgates? Or maybe you indulge yourself in the privacy of your own home. It's all the same - drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God!

You can make all the excuses you want. You can justify your sin a million different ways. But God sees what you are doing and He considers you in violation to His holiness. If you partake in these things while professing to be a Christian, you are trampling the blood of Christ under your feet and are using the grace of God as a license to sin. You perhaps think if you do enough good, if you pray enough to say you're sorry, if you go to church every Sunday, if you pay your tithes - you can somehow balance out your offenses against God. Unfortunately for you, God sees you as an idolater. And unless you repent from this idolatry, you will suffer the wrath of God forever (Romans 2:5).

This is what God requires from you - a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). He does not want your sacrifices of religiosity or guilt produced from worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10). No, He requires you to be broken and mournful of your sins against Him. He requires you to forsake it all for Him, never looking back. As long as you continue to hold on to your idol, whether it is sex or alcohol, you cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33).

Do not confuse these words to mean you must clean yourself up before you come to God. You never will because you can never change on your own. What you must do is come to Him now. Recognize yourself as dead in your sins and apart from the grace of God you will remain there. Throw yourself at the foot of the cross and cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ to save you! Trust in Him alone and surrender to His rule and reign over your life. Give up on yourself, give up your control, give up your own will, cast your sin before Him, and give it all, your very life, to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will accept nothing less than unrivaled allegiance. He demands it.

By the grace of God I realized this nearly two years ago. God showed me how desperately I needed Him because I had so violated His holiness through my own idolatry. He showed me in His Word that my life as a professing Christian did not match up to the biblical definition of Christian. He then broke me, and I conceded to His lordship. I acknowledged His rightful authority over my life, and yielded myself to be His servant.

What will you do now? This could possibly be your last warning. Once your conscience is seared, it will be too late. The longer you run from this message and refuse to heed to God's mercy, the more difficult it will be for you to respond to His grace. These are the last days, my friend. Stop playing games with your eternity. The world is not worth it, nor is the temporary fulfillment of your sinful lifestyle. Run to Christ and never look back. Surrender to the One who was nailed to the bloody cross and who reigns at the right hand of God today. Is He not worthy? Does He not deserve your unwavering devotion? Does He not deserve your love, which is evidenced by obeying what He teaches?

Run to Him!

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. - 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

To learn more about testing your faith, please see this series: Biblical Assurance of Salvation