Possibly the most recognized verse in the Bible is John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son; that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (ESV; all emphasis mine)

To expand on this, we go to 1 John 4:7-21. It’s lengthy but worth taking a close look at.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and whoever loves has been born of God, and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God Is Love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. We know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the World.

^“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of Judgment, because as He is, so also are we to this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears not has been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom He has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

While all this may seem a bit overwhelming, verse 19 is a very brief explanation of what God expects of us all; “We love because He first loved us.” Jesus Himself told us the first and great commandment is to love the Lord God with all our hearts, our souls and our minds. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 27:37-39; Luke 10:27).

The world has trouble dealing with a true believer. As our Savior did, and still does, we love everyone for their immortal, eternal souls and desire that they would call out to Jesus and be saved. Most people of this world will not do so; therefore, they face the long line that will be at the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. There, they will learn what their eternal punishment will be. The only unforgivable sin today is to take the last breath on this earth without Jesus as Savior. Otherwise, all can be forgiven.

We intimidate others because even though we love them, we do not have to accept their lifestyles. In fact, loving someone for their soul does not mean we cannot dislike them. Jesus had the most negative issues with the “religious leaders” of His day and didn’t hesitate to let them know He was not happy with them. However, He was always ready to forgive and accept those who reached out to Him.

Matthew was a tax collector, and so was Zacchaeus. Both had faith in the Lord, and their lifestyles changed because of Him. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who, along with Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, claimed the body of the Savior and placed Him in a grave.

We do not know how many, if any, of the rest of the religious leaders called out to be saved after Jesus was crucified and then was raised from the dead. Any who may have done so fell under Romans 10:13, “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That applied then and still applies today.

The ABCs of Salvation are contained in all the above scriptures. A – admit or confess that we are all sinners in need of a Savior. B – Believe that Jesus is Lord and our only way to the Father (John 14:6). C – Call on Jesus to be saved.

Remember 1 John 4:17, which says our love is perfected by the love of God so that we have confidence for our day of judgment. We may receive discipline and possibly lose some rewards, but as true believers, we will still have eternal life with Jesus. In John 10, Jesus tells us He knows His flock, and His flock knows Him. No one takes us from His hand once we receive and accept His precious gift.

All who are of this world are of their leader, Satan. They may believe Jesus exists but do not accept Him as the true Son of God just as the devil and demons do not. The desires and temptations of this world are more important to many than their eternal destiny. Many actually believe Satan’s lies that they can always call out later if they wish.

With that in mind, consider Luke 12:16-21 about a rich man who had a large productive crop and made plans to build bigger barns and have a very comfortable future. One problem was, God demanded his soul that very night, and someone else would have all his wealth. We are not guaranteed another hour on this earth. However, those of us who have Jesus as our Savior do not worry about this. To leave here is to actually become alive for the very first time.

In February 2017, CeCe Winans released a song called “Let Them Fall In Love.”

1.) If they can’t see, how will they turn? If they can’t hear, how will they learn? Touch their eyes; bless their lives; hear this prayer; hear my cry.

R.) Father, let them fall in love with You. Please forgive them too. For they know not what they do; let them fall in love with You.

2.) If hearts are cold, how will they know? If minds are seared, how will they grow? Grant them time, time to find Grace through Faith, Love through Christ.

(Rx3)

This fairly well sums up my daily prayers for all of our loved ones, especially those who may not have Jesus in their hearts yet. The time is coming soon when a group of people will be taken up from this earth to meet Jesus in the air. All who will be left behind will have the most miserable time ever experienced on this earth. I don’t even want those who may not like me to go through that.

The love and glory that awaits us cannot fully be put in human terms but is definitely something to look forward to. All who have not received and accepted Jesus as their Savior would be encouraged to do so today; right now wouldn’t be too early. Ours is a God of Love, and He would love for us to be with Him forever. It’s totally up to each person’s choice.

Jesus is ready to prepare a place for you in Heaven (John 14:1-3) for all who will call on Him to be their eternal Savior. Please don’t hesitate; call today; He’s waiting to receive you.

Maranatha!

huebshman46@gmail.com

1 Kings 18:21, Joshua 24:15, Deuteronomy 30:15, Luke 16:13, John 6:67

Summary: Just as the prophet Elijah challenged the people of Israel to make up their minds whether to serve God or Ba’al, the same question needs to be brought before America today. The time has come to settle the issue and accept the consequences.

This nation is at the cliff, and all it will take is one more step to go over and regulate America to the dustbin of history. For almost sixty years since prayer and Bible reading were thrown out of the public schools by a poor interpretation of the First Amendment by a liberal Supreme Court and a zealous atheist, this country has gone from what had been referred to as a “Shining city on a hill” to where we are satisfied with a broken conscience on a dunghill.

My generation, born at the start of the turbulent 1960s, watched college students across the nation burn draft cards, sing protest songs, call the police every name in the book, and endure cries from leftists who had read and digested Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals,” along with the bilge of Marxism to overthrow and burn everything to the ground.

Well, there really is nothing new under the sun in 2021 (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11) as I see the same thing happening with young people today, who somehow believe that it is a crime to think for oneself and that all the garbage we faced a generation ago is nothing novel, new, or unique.

Godlessness has escalated to heights that I knew were predicted in the Scriptures (Matthew 24; Mark 13, Luke 21; 2 Timothy 3:1-8; 2 Peter 3), but I did not expect them to arrive this quickly.

I have lived long enough to see men and women gleefully going to the local abortion mills, cursing and mocking at the pastors and Christians who are begging them to reconsider their decisions to kill their unborn child. I saw the signs at the “rallies” that read, “If Mary had gotten an abortion, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” I have heard the blasphemies uttered by skeptics who claim that God “raped” Mary and forced her to carry Jesus in her womb. I have heard the “comedy routines” of pathetic late-night hosts who gleefully applaud their “guests” who appear on their programs and ridicule the name of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the existence of God overall.

I look with disgust and sorrow at the so-called “Christian” programs and “preachers” who do everything but open the Bible and proclaim the fact that it is only through Jesus Christ and Him alone that we have any hope of peace, mercy, grace, and salvation. Instead, they brazenly flaunt their wealth, their “status,” and then lament that they don’t have the latest toys for their so-called “ministry functions,” while other pastors worldwide are facing the reality of martyrdom for their stand for Jesus Christ. I weep for the real men of God who stand behind pulpits around the world and preach the Gospel to smaller and more indifferent audiences, who find that games on their cell phones are more worthy of attention than the state of their eternal souls.

The adulation of Satan, demons, and all things wicked and dark are rising, and with it the worship of evil forces in the halls of government, schools, and some “churches.” They are doing their best to keep much of the world blind to their repulsiveness or mock those who are investigating such heinous deeds, calling them names such as “conspiracy theorists,” or will cover up their deeds if they are fixing to be exposed for the cockroaches they are. Then they smile at us with arrogant glee, figuring that they will be able to get away with their crimes and evil deeds.

We all know that sex trafficking, satanic rituals, interstate kidnapping, the work of the drug cartels who never seem to get caught (a bribe or threat tends to shut up any cop or congressman), and the obvious destruction of this nation by ruthless politicians are before our eyes. Yet, we feel that we are powerless to do anything.

The few Americans who say that they believe in “God” seem to stand by and either dust their hands of it or have brief times of “prayer and intercession,” or they will gather to “cast out demonic strongholds,” or other ventures that sound noble. But a lot have already figured that if Jesus is returning, there is nothing we can do except wait for Him to arrive and take us home. It would seem, in their eyes, that the time for the devil to have his due has arrived.

The scenario I have presented is happening here in this country, to be sure, but I must add that this type of vacillating between God and Ba’al was present in ancient Israel under the rule of wicked king Ahab and his demonic wife, Jezebel. They imposed the worship of the fertility deity Ba’al upon the land, and with it, horrid practices such as child sacrifice and human bloodshed (now known as Planned Parenthood). The prophets of God who had stood against this evil were being hunted down and executed at the orders of Jezebel, her fanatical priests, and the army of Israel. This nauseous spiritual poison was spreading unchecked, with both Ahab and Jezebel figuring that they could get away with it and kill anyone who stood in the way.

As with any evil ruler or entity, they thought wrong. God’s prophet Elijah appeared from nowhere (1 Kings 17) and declared the time that no rain would fall on the land according to the Word of the Lord.

Rest assured that God will never let evil or wickedness have the upper hand. He always has the final word.

Three and a half years of drought had brought the kingdom to a standstill, yet the people had not budged as far as deciding whether or not to follow God, who would bring the rain if they would repent, or continue to stay thirsty and wonder why Ba’al had not taken action. One would figure then, just as someone would today, that our troubles and situation would turn around if we would quit putting ourselves on a pedestal, swallow our pride, repent of our sins, and seek the face of God for more than a few moments each Sunday, asking Him to have mercy on our wicked nation. I do not see this in Scripture as far as the Israelites were concerned.

It was time for Elijah to call the people together at the altars of Ba’al and the one he had built for the LORD to settle the issue once and for all. No more indifference, no more wishy-washy worship, no more playing sides to see who is more powerful, no more witnessing the demise of the innocent due to their silence, and no more allowing the forces of these wicked rulers to think that they had all things under their demonic control. No more of this nonsense. Elijah had already called out Ahab for his wickedness (1 Kings 18:17-19), fearlessly, boldly, and without apology (would that more preachers in America do the same and not worry about what others think or say).

Elijah asks the Israelites a question that cannot be ignored, and it is the same for America. HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO FALTER BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? IF THE LORD IS GOD, THEN FOLLOW HIM, BUT IF BA” AL, FOLLOW HIM!” The people said nothing. The sting of Elijah’s question began to penetrate their souls, opening them up to ask themselves why they had allowed this wickedness to progress.

Why did they not support the prophets who had stood up to Jezebel and other wicked rulers? Why did they say nothing while they heard the screams of babies and little children being thrown into the burning arms of the Ba’al and Moloch statues as a sacrifice to these demons? Why did they not stand against Jeroboam years before (1Kings 13), who had led Israel into idolatry with the golden calves and turned from the living God? Why did they just let things progress to this point and choose to remain content with whatever they possessed? Why did they not demand the Word of God be a part of their new nation’s foundation?

Blood had flowed, voices were silenced, deeds went undone, and now they faced a real man of God who demanded an accounting from them for their lethargy, evil deeds, thoughts, and apparent lack of outrage. Read the remainder of 1 Kings 18, and you see that the LORD answered Elijah’s prayer in a mighty way. He ordered the execution of the priests of Ba’al, and rain came to the land. Later Ahab and Jezebel both met horrific deaths and ended up in hell.

As the late Baptist pastor Dr. Robert G. Lee said in his famous sermon, “Pay-Day Someday,” written nearly a hundred years ago, there is coming a “pay-day” for every one of us when we will be held accountable for what we have done in this life before Almighty God with no exceptions. Nobody.

America, Elijah asks you the same question. Make up your minds here and now. Either you continue to follow the false gods of fame, wealth, materialism, or the demons of hell themselves and their false promises that end in eternal torment for both you and them (Revelation 20:11-15). Either you continue to stay non-committed and keep your social media “friends” content and remain a coward, keeping your standards buried, or you decide NOW to throw all of the world’s garbage, hostility, ridicule, and hatred of all things holy to the side and surrender your lives to Jesus Christ without delay, apology, or excuse. No more “fence-sitting,” America, especially when it comes to telling others about the salvation, mercy, grace, and eternal life found only in Jesus Christ.

I hope that the LORD has used the events of these days to wake some of you out of slumber and to get serious about your faith. If you claim to be a child of God in Christ, then quit hiding it, quit being willy-nilly, quit being afraid of others’ opinions, and speak up! Either you believe in Jesus, or you don’t. Either you believe that the Scriptures are true, or you don’t. Either you believe in the reality of heaven and hell, or you don’t. Either you believe in the Gospel, or you don’t.

The time has come to bring down the altars of Ba’al in this country, fearlessly proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, get busy for the Kingdom, and trust in the LORD and His power to overcome all threats and lies of the enemy. Then be ready to meet Him in the air with the knowledge that even if this country does go down into oblivion, you did not stand still and allow souls to enter into eternal darkness, but gave all who would hear the life-changing message and truth of new life in the Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings, God Incarnate, and the One who makes all things new.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

Join me for “The Reality City Daily Review” weekday mornings at 10:00 CST on YouTube (USA). It will then be posted on Facebook and on my website. My main area of discussion will be on the basics of the Christian faith but will also deal with prophetic issues and other topics as the Lord impresses upon me to handle.