General Articles

Read The Owner’s Manual :: By Dennis Huebshman

Published on: by RR7

 

From 2 Timothy 3:16-17; “All scripture is breathed out by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be completely equipped for every good work.” Then, from 2 Peter 1:20-21; “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

Instructions for earthly things change as time goes by. We’re told that all warnings are due to events that took place to cause manufacturers to add or change instructions. One example appeared in a motor home owner’s manual that said, “Do not leave the driver’s seat while the vehicle is in motion.” Another was for a motor vehicle battery that states, “Do not drink the liquid from the battery cells.” Can you imagine why these instructions are there? This is getting more and more prevalent as time goes by. Somewhere, someone filed a lawsuit against a company for not warning them against issues that should have been obvious. It’s as if all common sense has gone away.

As for God’s true word, it says the same today as it did when first written, as stated in Hebrews 13:8; “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8; “Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths. Rather, train yourself for Godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds the promise for the present life, and also for the life to come.” Going next to 2 Timothy 4:3-4; “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Our Heavenly Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth, has no desire to fill our heads with fables and fairy tales, as He is all about truth. Titus 1:2-3; “in hope of eternal life, which God who never lies, promised before the ages began, and at the proper time manifested the word through the preaching which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.” God is not surprised by events today that are taking people away from the truth, as His word describes everything that is happening right now.

The proper time was the appearance of Jesus the Christ in human form, to offer once for all a sacrifice that would be acceptable to the Father, and one which we humans could never accomplish. God requires perfection, and we are definitely not perfect. Therefore, He provided a part of Himself as our perfect Mediator.

Some false prophets and antichrists are proclaiming that Jesus is not God and in fact was just a “human prophet” that did some good works. Their leader, Satan, has done everything in his power to deceive and pull away as many souls from our Savior as he can. It’s a pride/jealousy issue that has condemned Lucifer to eternal punishment, from which he has no pathway to forgiveness. It started for all humans in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 with the line, “Did God Really Say?”

Today, this is getting much more play as his followers are saying that all the biblical abominations are no longer valid as the Bible is just a book of some stories and myths about events that do not apply to our “modern” world. With the current attitude of a vast number of people, false prophet deceptions are very successful. Believers in the Lord are being called “haters” as we will not participate in all the evil that is taking place.

As for the lies about Jesus not being God, John 1:1-3 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 10:30 is a definite statement that leaves no doubt; “I and the Father are One.”

Satan knows his destiny, as given in Revelation 20:10, but is arrogant enough to believe that he will somehow escape his fate. Previously, Jesus stated in Matthew 25:41 that the lake of fire, or hell, was created specifically for the devil and his angels, or demons. They fell and have no pathway to forgiveness as all humans have. Satan’s fall due to destructive self-pride is described in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:14-17. Peter tells how Satan prowls like a roaring lion seeking souls to destroy (1 Peter 5:8).

In 1 John 2:18-19, 22-23, we’re told antichrists were already in the world working for Satan. At the end of this age, the ultimate evil antichrist will come forth to rule in the 7-year tribulation. John gives a descriptive warning in verses 22-23; “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”

One point that everyone needs to know is Jesus died for all mankind that will receive and accept Him as their Savior. Romans 10:9-13 gives the steps: admit and confess we are sinners; believe Jesus is the true Son of God who died and was raised from the dead to conquer sin and death for us; and we are to call on the name of the Lord to be saved. Jesus is the only way to eternal life in Heaven, as given in John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.

At the present time, the only unforgivable sin is to take your last breath on this earth without having Jesus as your Savior. During the Tribulation, willfully taking the mark of the beast will also be unforgivable. All who fit these categories will be at the Great White Throne for judgment, as given in Revelation 20:11-15. Per Revelation 19:20, the evil antichrist and his false prophet will be the first occupants of the lake of fire, followed by Satan a thousand years later. Then, all who did not follow God’s word pre-Calvary and all who would not accept His Son from Calvary forward will appear at that final judgment. There is no pardon nor forgiveness at this event. No one who followed God’s word and accepted Jesus as Savior will be at this judgment.

Just witnessing the drastic changes taking place today should be obvious that we are on a downward spiral leading to the end of this age. It will not get any better. To those who believe God’s word is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18), this seems to be farfetched. But for those who have Jesus as their Savior, we are waiting for the Trumpet of God to be sounded and a call from an archangel. We won’t be here to witness the arrival of the evil one, nor will we go through the Tribulation. Things here are getting bad in this world today but are nowhere near the worst time this earth is facing.

The pathway to eternal life is not hard; however, humans believe there must be more to it. Many believe they have to do certain works to earn their way in. Jesus paid our price in full, and to say we could do anything except to accept Him is an insult. It’s what is in our heart that matters. God will accept all who will call on Jesus to be their Shepherd. He will not force anyone to do so, which makes our final destination in eternity our own choice.

Today would not be too early to call on Jesus and have your reservation approved for the Rapture. Tomorrow could be too late as we do not know the exact time of His arrival. Paul tells the events that will take place in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, and it will happen in less than one second. Being ready to rise up to meet our Savior in the air would be the best decision you will ever make.

There are only two options, in spite of what false prophets are proclaiming. It will be Heaven or Hell, and His call is very near. The choice is yours; choose wisely.

Maranatha – Come Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

 

 

A Scriptural Account of Man’s Redemption, Part 2 :: By Gene Lawley

Published on: by RR7

 

Getting back to the matter of man’s redemption, how does this fit into the process? That knowledge embedded in the person’s conscience is always working on the will of the person. In John 6:44, Jesus says, “No one can come to Me except the Father draws him [to Himself]. Then He says this:

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

Further in that John 6 context, Jesus makes it clear that it is the Father’s will that no one will lose his salvation once obtained. But what if someone decides he does not want to be saved any longer? Or falls back into sinful living and does not follow the Lord? Too bad, or too good? For once the foundation is laid in place, for sure by being born again (John 3:3-5), there is no loss of eternal life, but only of potential rewards. See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15:

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

At the judgment seat of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us this manner of testing will take place: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Sins that have been forgiven will not be the issue there, but the handing out of crowns for the good works that each person has done.

Redemption works like this, as Jesus explained it in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and live with him and he with Me.”

Once that happens, the person obtains the salvation that God has seen in His foreknowledge of who will turn to Him. Thus, the Apostle Paul was committed to those people who had never heard the gospel that they might hear it and believe the gospel and accept Christ into their lives, as he wrote in 2 Timothy 2:10:

“Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” He wrote in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by…hearing the Word of God.” And earlier in that Romans 10 context in verses 12-13, he wrote, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek [or Gentiles], for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The Great Commission of sending and going to preach the gospel springs out of this context, for Jesus said in Mark 16:15 and other places as well, “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'”

However, it has turned out that His salvation has been rejected by many, as John 1:11 reports: “He came to His own [kinsmen], and His own did not receive Him.”

Like the response to His knocking on the door of a person’s heart, John 1:12 tells us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

In the parable in Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus tells a story of a king who makes a wedding feast for his son and invites all the kinfolks to the wedding. But, none of them wanted to come, rejecting the invitation. The king, then in anger, sends his servants out into the highways and byways to invite everyone to come, and many did come. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, so it is said, and this one tells of the coming marriage supper of the Lamb of God, as told in Revelation 19. It depicts the rejection by the Jewish people of Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

At the end of the parable, Jesus sums it up this way: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

There is evidence in this world that there are two roads being traveled by the people of the world. Jesus spoke of them in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

A promise yet unfulfilled is His return for those who belong to Jesus. He promised in John 14:2-3, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may be also.” It is a well-reported prophecy that Jesus will return to “snatch away” His own believers before the wrath of God comes upon the unbelievers of the world, especially the Jews who have denied Him for centuries.

It will be a time of great chaos, for no one who believes in God will remain in the world, but like a thief at night, “sudden destruction shall come upon them at that Day (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).

For the Christian, the prospects are of great blessing. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

Even so, John wrote in 1 John 3:2-3 this: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

We will see the invisible God in human form, just as Stephen, that first martyr, saw Him: “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!'”

This, then, is the Scriptural account of God’s plan for mankind’s redemption, a gift that is waiting to be accepted. We do have the whole counsel of God before us in the Bible, but even so, 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV) says. “For now, we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”

Finally, here is the summation: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

Contact email: andwegetmercy@gmail.com