Don't Catch What the Devil Throws at You

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11).

      Remember the game we played at school called "Dodge Ball"?  Just as the name implies, when the opponent throws the ball at you, you are to dodge the ball and not let it hit you. If it hits you, you are out.

      The devil is always throwing things at us. He throws temptations, attitudes, anger, lifestyles, or anything else he can throw our way. Just because he throws them at us doesn't mean we have to let them hit us. We are to stay alert and watch out for his tactics. He is out to get us. He wants us out. He wants to defeat us

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8). 

     We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. He has given us the victory. He gives us strength and power to overcome the enemy. Jesus gave us authority over the devil. So many people do not walk in this power and authority. They stand there and allow the devil to continually throw things at them and they don't fight back. They just accept this as the way life is. At this point, the devil wins. It's time to fight back. It's time to stop allowing the things the devil throws at us from hitting us. Don't let him win. 

     

     

I Am Only Hurting Myself, Right?

"Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom." (Genesis 13:12). 

      How many times do people justify their sins by saying, "I'm not hurting anyone?  It's my life, it's my decision, and my decisions only affect me."  The devil has convinced people that their choices and lifestyles won't hurt anyone else. 

      Lot didn't think about how pitching his tent toward Sodom would affect his family's lives.  By living there, his children were exposed to immorality, and his wife lost her life. If Lot had not chosen to pitch his tent toward Sodom and later move into the city, these things would not have happened to his family. His choices affected not only him. (Chapter 19).

     Families are destroyed because people thought their choices wouldn't affect anyone but them. They selfishly make decisions about their lives, not realizing how the lives of those around them will shift.  It's like lining up dominoes on the floor or table and knocking one over. All the other dominoes will fall one right after another. We call this the "domino effect".  One decision impacts all other decisions; therefore changing the lives of people around us.

    All it takes is for one person in the house to wake up grumpy and critical, and before too long, everyone in the house is irritable, grumpy and critical. This is the perfect example as to how one person's actions impact others.  In the same way, if one person wakes up cheerful, pleasant and happy, then soon others in the house will become cheerful, pleasant and happy. 

   So when someone says "I'm not hurting anyone but myself", they are deceived into believing a lie. Don't get caught up in this deception. Don't believe the lie. Realize that each decision you make will change people around you. Choose wisely. Choose with discretion. Not only is your soul at stake, other people's lives depend on you.  

     

Is Being Good Enough Good Enough?

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 18:11-14). 

       All of us like to believe that we are a good person. We don't like to think that we have anything in our lives that would separate us from God. We sometimes think that everyone we meet is saved and going to Heaven when they leave this world. This is not the truth.

     We believe that because we aren't murdering someone, or stealing from someone or doing some kind of "evil" thing, that we are guaranteed eternity in Heaven. This is simply not true. Look at the Pharisee in the passage above. He abstained from evil and even paid tithes. He thought this guaranteed him a spot in Heaven. Yet, his heart was not right with God; therefore, he missed out on his eternal reward.   Just doing good things, or just abstaining from evil things is not enough to save our soul from Hell.

     Just believing in God won't take you to Heaven. Just saying a prayer now and then won't get you there. Just doing good things for others; however noble they may be, won't save your soul. Attending church, joining the church, being baptized and paying tithes won't save you. All of these things are good. They are all necessary.  However, none of these things will save you. 

   
  It takes the blood of Jesus to save a soul from sin. It takes confessing the sins, declaring that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died and rose again on the third day. It takes living a sold out life for Him. It takes seeking Him daily and repenting from all sin. It takes a relationship with Him daily. It takes denying ourselves and our desires and following after Him. 


    So many people believe because they say prayers before bedtime that they will go to Heaven when they die. However, the Bible says:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21). 

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" (Psalm 66:18).

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." (John 9:31). 

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46).

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."  (John 7:13-14).

     These Scriptures, and many others, show us that just being good, or just doing good things  isn't enough. It takes a relationship with Christ. It takes accepting His sacrifice for sins, repenting of those sins, confessing Him as Lord, then turning from the sins and living a life that is pleasing to Him. 

      So being good enough is not good enough. People say that God is a loving God and will not send anyone to Hell. This is true. He is a very loving God. He is love. He doesn't send anyone to Hell. Anyone who goes to Hell, does so by their own choice. God made a way to escape Hell. Jesus paid the price to avoid Hell, so anyone who goes, sends themselves. Don't be deceived into thinking that just because you are a good person that you are automatically going to Heaven. 

"Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." (Isaiah 5:14).

     " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast". (Ephesians 2:8-9).

      It's not good enough to be good enough. It takes the blood being applied to our sins and living for the Lord. Don't delay. Turn to Jesus today. 

      

Time is Running Out

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."  (Matthew 24:42). 

     Have you ever watched  a commercial or infomercial on television, or seen an advertisement in a sales brochure advertising something for a limited time only? They always say, "Don't delay, time is running out! Limited Time Only!!!" They stress the importance of the limited time so that we will be compelled to act and take their offer. If we feel the time is limited, we feel we might miss out if we delay. 

     Jesus is telling us that time is running out. He is telling us how urgent it is for us to accept Him as Savior today without delay. We may not have an opportunity tomorrow. Even if we are young, we have no promise of tomorrow. 

"behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."   (2 Corinthians 6:2). 

     We do not know the time when Jesus will return to take the Christians to Heaven. We do not know when the trumpet will sound. We must be ready at all times for we do know know when that blessed event will take place.  We do know from Scripture that it will take place.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

     If someone tells you they will come by your house to pick you up sometime in the morning to take you out for lunch and to buy you something, you would get up in the morning, get ready, and be watching for them to come. You wouldn't forget, you wouldn't get so busy doing other things that you would neglect to be ready. You would make sure you were ready and watching. 

     He did not give us the date of His coming. We do not know when it will happen. We do know it will happen. People have said for many years that He is not coming, that it is just a story. The Scripture is very plain. He is coming and we must be ready. If we are not Christians, if our sins have not been forgiven, if Jesus is not our Savior, then we cannot go with Him. We will be left behind to endure some horrible things, too horrible to imagine or describe. 

      We do know know when we will pass from this life to the next. Since we do not know when He is coming, we must be ready at all times. He tells us in His word to watch and be ready. If we are ready (having our sins forgiven), then we will be able to go with Him. If we are not ready, it will be horrible.  

     2 Timothy chapter 3 and Matthew chapter 24 tell us what to expect in the last days. We are seeing all these and more in our society today. We can know by this that time is running out. His coming is very soon. 

     Don't believe the lies of the devil that Jesus isn't coming back. Don't believe that you can live any way you want to live; after all, it's your life. The devil wants you to believe you have plenty of time and you should live your life your way; because you aren't hurting anyone. The truth is:  Time is running out. Jesus is coming soon! There is not plenty of time. You must live God's way.

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 16:25). 

     Don't delay. Choose Jesus today. Time is running out.  Jesus is coming very soon. Are you ready to go with Him? If not, you can be. Just repent of your sins, turn from your sins, ask Him to save you and be your Savior. Then when that trumpet sounds, you will be ready to go to Heaven. O what a wonderful day!

Who Is He?

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" (Matthew 16:13).

      In this passage, Jesus was asking the disciples what people were thinking of Him. He knew they were out and about in the public places hearing people talking. He wanted to know who they said He was. In the next verse, the disciples answered His question:


"And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." (Matthew 16:14).



      Then Jesus took it a little farther by asking the disciples yet another question in the next verse:



"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?" (Matthew 16:15).

     
       This was a very important question that Jesus is still asking us today. It isn't enough for us to know what other people think of Him. It's not enough to know what our pastor calls Jesus. It isn't enough for us to know what our parents or grandparents knew about Jesus. It isn't enough for us to read what others say about Him. We must settle the question once and for all in our own hearts:  Who is Jesus to me?

     In the next verse, Peter answered Jesus' question and Jesus was well pleased with his response:

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:16-19). 

      Peter didn't tell Jesus that He was a good man, great teacher, prophet, healer, or any other title that we sometimes hear today. Jesus is all of these things, but He is much much more. He is The SON OF THE LIVING GOD!  He is the only way to Heaven.

      How do you answer the question:  Who is Jesus? What is your response? It doesn't really matter what others say about Him. It doesn't matter how others answer this question. Each of us must answer this question on our own. There are many opinions and theories going around about who He is. The Word of God should be the only place to find the answer to this question. 

      Jesus is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). He is the Way to Heaven. (John 14:6). He is our only hope. (Titus 2:13). Yes, He is our Healer, Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Master, and so much more. However, until we can answer as Peter answered, then we are missing out on Who He really is.


      So, Who is Jesus to you? Can you truly say He is the only Son of God? Can you truly declare Him to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God?  One day every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. 


     Who is Jesus to you?  Do you tell others who He is? Do you blush and try to change the subject, or do you boldly proclaim who He is? Do you have a personal relationship with Him? If not, then you can right now. Call on Him, repent of your sins, accept His sacrifice for your sins, and ask Him to be your Savior. You can know who He is without a doubt. Don't delay. Time is running out.

There is Help

     
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).


     Imagine if you were in a burning building with the flames growing higher and higher; getting hotter with each passing moment. Imagine your fear and pain as the flames grew closer to you and you could not find your way out to safety. Now, imagine someone coming into this building and rescuing you; delivering you to safety. Think about how you would feel toward this person who risked their own life to save yours. You would tell people everywhere you went about how this person saved you from this horrible fire. You would devote your life to making sure people knew how much this person meant to you. You would spend the rest of your life thanking this person for their great sacrifice of unselfish love.

      You and I were on our path to Hell. Hell is a real place that is more horrible than can be described with mere words. The flames are real and they are hotter than anyone can imagine. As sinners, we were headed to Hell and there is no escape from there. Once a person goes there, there is no leaving. It is permanent. It is a miserable place of torment and horror. We deserved to go into this place. We deserved Hell forever. This is where we would be spending eternity without hope. 

      However, Jesus came and rescued us from this eternal torment. He paid the supreme sacrifice by giving His life on the cross. His death on the cross and resurrection on the third day provided atonement for our sins. All we have to do is confess that Jesus is Lord, repent of our sins and ask Him to come and change our lives. It is not His will that anyone should go to Hell. He wants us all to spend eternity with Him in Heaven, surrounded by beauty, peace, splendor and things our minds can't imagine. He doesn't want us to go to Hell, where there is torment, pain, darkness and horror. 



"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that anyshould perish, but that all should come to repentance." 
(2 Peter 3:9).

     Why would anyone who was rescued from the fire, continue to stay in the fire and refuse to get out? That would be senseless and foolish. Yet, this is what people do when they do not accept the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. When people ignore Jesus' help and choose to continue living in sin, they are basically saying they would rather burn than turn their lives to Jesus. 

     The choice is yours. Each of us have to make the decision for ourselves. Jesus won't force us to accept His salvation. He has made the escape available, all we have to do is follow Him. He is calling out everyone today. 


"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21).


     Will you accept the Lord today? He is waiting for you to call on Him and confess Him as your Lord. He wants to lead you and guide you to life everlasting. He wants to be your Savior. Call on Him now and escape the fire.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2).

      When I was learning how to drive, I had a habit of looking at on-coming traffic as they passed me going the opposite direction. I am not sure why I did this. Perhaps it was to make sure they wouldn't hit me, I am not really sure. My driving coach, (my awesome dad), told me that was not a good habit to develop.  He told me that when driving, wherever my eyes went, that's where I would go. If I looked off the road to the right or the left, my hands would subconsciously turn the wheel to the right or the left. He said, look straight ahead. 

      This principle is the same in our daily walk. Whatever we focus our attention on, that's what we will have. Whatever we turn our eyes toward, that is where we subconsciously end up. If we look to the right or the left, that's where we will end up:  off the path and in the ditch. 

 "Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil." (Proverbs 4:27). 

     Several years ago, my family was in a serious car accident. We were hit from behind as we were stopped to make a turn. The man behind us who hit us, told the police he was looking at some wild turkeys in the field, when he looked back onto the road, he saw us but it was too late.  Had he kept his eyes on the road, the accident would have been avoided. 

     We are to stay focused on the Lord and the things of God. His Word, His ways and His commandments should be our only focus. If we look to Him always, everything else will work out for our good!