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“GOD SPEAKS
ONCE, YEA TWICE, BUT....”
On a Saturday night three
years ago an acquaintance had gone to New York to see a show. While eating in
a restaurant he slumped over the table - dead of a heart attack.
On Saturday March 14, 1998
another acquaintance, also in New York to see a show, had a heart attack, but
survived.
Survival wasn’t the only
difference, however. The first was prepared to die. He was a born again
believer. The second isn’t. He has not been born again.
How different their eternal
destinations would have been had the second man also died, as one day he
must! The first is in heaven. The second would have been in hell, for God
warns, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.... Ye
must be born again” John 3:3-7.
The remainder of the
quotation which heads this article is, “... man perceiveth it not” Job 33:14.
I wonder will the second man realize that God has spoken to him once through
this heart attack, and trust in Christ as his Savior.
God doesn’t always speak
twice, but warns, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man” Genesis 6:3,
“Now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2. Tomorrow may be too late.
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IS THIS JUST COINCIDENCE?
Christ's riding into
Jerusalem on the ass's colt on Palm Sunday, was not only the fulfillment of
Zechariah 9:9 "Thy King cometh unto thee riding upon a colt the foal of an
ass," but also of Daniel 9:25 "From the going forth of the commandment to
restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah ... shall be seven "weeks" plus
sixty-two "weeks" (sevens of years), i.e., 69 7's, 483 prophetic years of 360
days each. The commandment to rebuild Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes on
March 14, 445 BC, Nehemiah Chapter 1. But 483 years of 360 days each equals
173,880 days which, measured from March 14, 445 BC, brings us to April 6, 32
AD, the very day on which Christ rode into Jerusalem.
Is it just coincidence that
His triumphal entry was exactly in the manner and on the day foretold by two
different prophets?
Daniel, however, also
declared that after that event Messiah would be "cut off," i.e., executed; and
1,000 years earlier David
wrote in Psalm 22, that
contrary to the usual Jewish method of executing by stoning, Messiah would be
crucified, and in that same Psalm foretold in minute detail what was fulfilled
at Calvary: Christ's mockery by the multitude; His thirst; the dislocation of
His bones; His nakedness; the gambling for His garments; right down to His
anguished cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Is the exact fulfillment of
all these prophetic details just more coincidence? Only impaired reason, or
blind prejudice will draw such a conclusion.
The same prophetic
Scriptures which have foretold so precisely the experiences of Messiah which
culminated in His death, have foretold also the events attending His
incarnation, and are so familiar to most people as to render unnecessary the
rehearsal of them here. That first advent brought Him into this world as the
true Passover Lamb (of which the literal Passover lambs were but types) to die
to make atonement for sin, thus making salvation available to repentant
sinners.
Less well known, however,
are the prophesies relating to His second advent: His imminent return, not as
the Lamb Who must die for men's sins, but as the mighty Lion of Judah to
execute judgment, establish His millennial kingdom, and lead a repentant
remnant of Israel (and of the Gentiles) into that kingdom to occupy a place of
supremacy over the converted nations.
We mention just two of many
signs which are to precede His return: the restoration of Jewish autonomy,
which occurred in 1948; the restoration of the former Roman Empire as a ten
kingdom coalition of European nations, taking place today, and rapidly nearing
completion.
Before His return as the
Lion of Judah, however, is His foretold coming for His Church. Only those who
have been born again will be removed to heaven at that coming. The others
will be left to face Him as Judge when He returns seven years later to reign.
Easter is more than
Passover, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and sunrise services. It is the
celebration of the resurrection of the Jewish Messiah, the Christian Christ,
Who as foretold in Scripture, "Was delivered for our offenses, and was raised
again for our justification," Romans 4:25. That justification, however, is
available only to those who are born again by admitting that they are sinners,
and believing that when He died on the cross it was as their Substitute, for
their sins.
Scripture describes those
who haven't been born again as being "dead (spiritually) in trespasses and
sins," Ephesians 2:1. By admitting that you're a sinner, and by trusting
Christ as your Savior, you can experience resurrection out of that dead
state. Without that spiritual resurrection your literal resurrection will be
that of damnation, John 5:29, resulting in your being banished to eternal
torment in the lake of fire, Revelation 20:11-15.
By trusting Christ as your
Savior you will make this Passover/Easter more than just a religious ritual.
You will make it a true celebration of His resurrection out of literal death -
and of your own out of spiritual death.
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"DOST NOT THOU FEAR GOD?"
A man about to die asked
this question of his companion as they each hung on a cross on either side of
Christ. Obviously neither had thought much about God until then, for he
admitted, "We receive the due reward of our deeds," Luke 23:40-41.
It's easy to ignore God when
death seems far off, but not when it's just moments away. His fear led that
man to trust in Christ as his Savior, and die with His assurance, "Today shalt
thou be with me in paradise."
Today's popular polite
social "gospel" is a deadly counterfeit of the Biblical gospel, for it neither
induces fear of God, nor requires confession of utter sinfulness, two things
essential to a genuine conversion.
The man confessed himself a
sinner who deserved to die, and he feared God. If these two things are
missing from your "conversion" it’s unlikely that you've ever been converted,
and you should tremble at the thought of dying.
To be saved, admit that
you’re a sinner without any righteousness, believe that Christ loved you
enough to die in your stead for your sins, and that in response to that
confession and faith God will pardon all your sins and receive you into
heaven.
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THE AGE IS ENDING
How do we know? The Church
is in the seventh and final stage as outlined in Revelation 2-3.
Jewish autonomy was restored
in 1948, and it is written that the generation witnessing that event will not
pass from the earth until all is fulfilled, Matthew 24:34. We are that
generation.
As declared in Daniel and
Revelation the Roman Empire is to be revived in a ten-kingdom form under the
leadership of an eleventh nation. The present European coalition appears to
be fulfilling that prediction.
The foretold one-world false
church is quickly developing under the auspices of the World Council of
Churches. A one-world economy is developing with spectacular speed.
The age is fast approaching
its foretold end.
The next major event on
God's calendar is the removal of the true Church to heaven. That event could
occur today, and if you haven't been born again when it does you will have
lost your soul.
To be born again, admit that
you’re a sinner without any righteousness, believe that Christ loved you
enough to die in your stead for your sins, giving His life a ransom for your
soul, and believe that in response to that confession and faith God will
pardon all your sin, and will receive you into heaven.
Trust Christ as your Savior
today. Tomorrow may be too late.
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HOW YOU
BECAME A SINNER
Contrary to common belief we
were born sinners, our sins being simply the evidence, not the cause, of our
sinful state, and to die in that state is to enter the lake of fire to endure
eternal torment.
We had no choice as to how
we were born, for it was the sin of Adam, as federal head of the human race,
that has caused us to be born sinners; but we do have a choice as to whether
to remain in that condemned state.
Jesus Christ, because He was
sinless, was not subject to death, but He chose to die in our place, and God
imputes that death to everyone willing to confess himself a sinner, and
willing to believe that Christ has died in his place for his sins.
You may therefore choose to
remain condemned eternally because of Adam’s sin, or to be justified by
accepting Christ as your Savior. God permits you to choose heaven or hell,
but the time to choose has a limit. He warns, “Now is the day of salvation.”
Tomorrow may be too late.
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YOUR LAST BREATH
A dramatic change will occur
when you breathe your last breath. You will be finished for ever with the
things of earth. You will have no family, no home, no money, no job - but
strangest of all, you will have no body, and your soul will be in hell
awaiting the resurrection of damnation, John 5:29, or in heaven awaiting the
resurrection of life.
Do you know which place your
soul will be in during the interval between death and the resurrection of your
body? Unless you know with absolute certainty how, when, and where you were
born again, John 3:3,7, it will be in hell, until the resurrection of
damnation, when it and your resurrected body will be cast into the eternal
torment of the lake of fire, Revelation 20:15.
Today you are free to choose
heaven. Tomorrow you may be in hell awaiting that terrible resurrection of
damnation, tormented by the knowledge that it was refusal to trust Christ as
Savior that has brought you there.
To be sure of heaven, admit
that you’re a sinner without any righteousness, believe that Christ loved you
enough to die in your stead to make atonement for your sins, and that in
response to that confession and faith God will pardon all your sin and receive
you into heaven.
But the opportunity to be
saved won’t last for ever, God’s warning being, “Behold, now is the accepted
time; behold, now is the day of salvation,” 2 Corinthians 6:2; His further
warning being, “He, who being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly
be destroyed, and that without remedy,” Proverbs 29:1.
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TWO TIME BOMBS
If you suddenly discovered
that there were two ticking time bombs in your house, would you go off to work
feeling that it would be alright to notify the police in the evening; or would
you continue watching TV, feeling that it would be time enough to take care of
the problem when the ball game was over?
Only a madman would commit
such folly, yet you may be guilty of even greater madness. Since birth you
have been exposed to two greater dangers: one, that today your heart may give
its last beat; the other, that today Christ may come.
If either event occurs and
you haven't been born again, your soul will be in hell, for ever beyond hope
of salvation.
Are you certain that your
heart won't give its last beat, or that Christ won't come today?
To postpone trusting Christ
as your Savior right now is to be guilty of greater folly than going to work
or watching TV while two time bombs tick toward explosion in your house. An
exploding bomb can only kill your body; to die unsaved dooms your soul to
eternal torment, without hope of remedy.
To be born again...
admit that you’re a sinner
without any righteousness;
believe that Christ loved
you enough to die in your guilty stead, and that in response to that
confession and faith, God will pardon all your sin and receive you into
heaven.
The opportunity to be saved,
however, won’t last for ever, God’s warning being, “Behold, now is the
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation,” 2 Corinthians 6:2.
Tomorrow may be too late.
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TWO ROADS, TWO
DESTINATIONS
According to the Bible there
are only two eternal destinations: heaven or hell, each man, without choice,
being born on the road to hell, but being given the opportunity to exchange
that road for the one leading to heaven.
Many, however, heeding the
deadly false teaching of their false church, make the fatal mistake of
confusing confirmation, baptism, church membership, clean living, etc., with
that choice.
The only way to choose
heaven as your eternal abode is to admit that you're a sinner without
righteousness, believe that Christ loved you enough to die in your stead for
your sins, and that in response to that confession and faith God pardons you,
and will receive you into heaven. That faith alone constitutes the new birth,
without which you are still on the road to hell, where your eternal torment
will be compounded by the realization that it was your neglect of the truth,
and acceptance of false teaching that has brought you into that terrible
place.
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AN
IMPASSABLE GULF
An impassable gulf separates
hell from heaven, Christ Himself, assuring a man in hell of the impossibility
of its ever being crossed, "They which would pass from here to you cannot;
neither can they pass to us, that would come from there" Luke 16:26.
Undying flame and lack of
water are the eternal portion of those in hell, that rich man's agonized cry
being, "Send Lazarus, that he may dip his finger in water, and cool my tongue;
for I am tormented in this flame."
Here on earth Christ offers
Himself to sinners as the water of life, John 4:7-14, but to die without
having received that living water, is to enter the waterless eternal torment
of hell, heaven being available only to those who confess themselves sinners
without a shred of righteousness, and who believe that Christ loved them so
much that He died in their stead for their sins, and that in response to that
confession and faith God pardons all their sins, and will receive them into
heaven.
But there is a time limit on
God’s offer of pardon, as it is written, “My spirit shall not always strive
with man,” Genesis 6:3; and again, “He, who being often reproved hardens his
neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy,” Proverbs 29:1.
Tomorrow you could be on the wrong side of that impassable gulf, hence God's
further warning, “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of
salvation" 2 Corinthians 6:2.
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TRACING YOUR ROOTS
Few can trace their roots
beyond a few generations, but ultimately each man's genealogy goes back to
Adam - a very bad root, for by disobeying God he became a ruined creature with
a sinful nature, subject to death, followed by torment first in hell, and then
eternally in the lake of fire.
As our first ancestor and
federal head of the human race he has transmitted to every descendant his own
evil nature and subjection to death and eternal torment.
But God has provided a
remedy. Christ came to earth as the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) to die
for the sin of the first Adam, and make God's gift of eternal life available
to every man willing to confess himself a sinner, and believe that Christ
loved him enough to die in his stead for his sin, and that in response to that
confession and faith, God will pardon every sin.
To make that confession and
exercise that faith is to be born again: saved from hell and fitted for
heaven. Without that new birth you remain an heir of eternal torment.
******
