The "Age of Grace" is Almost Over

We need to understand that the "Age of Grace" had its beginning on the Day of Pentecost, and just as it had a beginning, it will also have an end! When Jesus is seen on the clouds (Matthew 24:29-31) and sends forth His angels to gather the true believers from every corner of the earth ...THAT will mark the end of the Age of Grace.

While He was on the earth, Jesus likened that time as it was in the days of Noah. When God closed the door of the Ark, that marked the end of opportunity for anyone else on the earth to be saved. After the Age of Grace is over, God will then close the door to Gentiles, and He will turn His attention to Israel, marking the beginning of the time of " Jacob's Troubles, or the time that Jesus called "The GREAT Tribulation" (Matthew 24:21). This is the time when He said conditions on earth will be like has never been known before, and never will again as God begins to pour out His wrath upon the earth. That will be a time of horrendous suffering, violence and death.

I realize that many people read those words and hear this warning and they think, "Oh I still have plenty of time" and I'm sure those people in Noah's time felt the same way. They had been hearing "Noah's stories" for 100 years and they didn't think it would even really happen at all. But one day, as they watched Noah and his family go into the Ark and the hand of God closed that door...and then the rains began, and even though they probably banged on the door and begged Noah to let them in...by that time, it was too late! They were all swept away by God's judgement upon the world...and according to Bible Prophecy, He will once again send judgement upon the world to all those people who rejected the great sacrifice that Jesus endured and the gift of salvation He offers so that they could repent and make Christ their Savior and Lord and receive eternal life.

For right now, you still have that opportunity Friends. The door is still open and you can choose to enter in. But, the way the world is going and the prophecies that we are watching unfolding right now, that door will not be open for much longer. Won't you choose to repent or turn away from your sinful lifestyle, and allow Jesus to change you from the inside and give you His gift of eternal life right now? For soon, it will be too late!

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14)

The Power of Prayer

Prayer is not twisting God's will to fit your desires. Prayer is about taking those things that concern your heart to the only One who can fix them, and trusting that however He chooses to act on your behalf, it will be the way that's right for you and those things that are important to you!

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16)

Watch and Pray

I've been seeking the Lord for several years now as to what His next step in my life will be. Since my last missions trip, I have had no direction from the Lord as to what He has planned next in my life...and I've heard nothing. So I have spent most of my time just staying at home, paying attention to the biblical prophecies that are being fulfilled all over the world, studying the scriptures...and most of all praying. And now I realize...that must be the reason God has not given me a new assignment for so long. This is the season when I need to be watching and praying because things are getting very intense all over the world and I think it's important to know what's going on and to be praying about it. What about you?

"Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40)

Where is the Promise of His Coming??

Most people are acting just like Peter described here in 2 Peter 3:1-7. If we don't wake up very soon, it will be too late to call upon the Lord and prepare for what's coming upon the earth...because it will already be here! This includes The Church!

"Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

And There Will Be Wars...

Things are getting more intense in the Middle East. Keep your eyes open as the wars with Israel continue to rage. Now it's Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Iran (Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah and Iran). Most of all pray for the many innocent people who are dying and those who's lives have been made an utter nightmare on all fronts every day. Also pray for the innocent citizens in Ukraine and Russia who do not choose violence. You know, when Leaders choose war, it's the many civilians who didn't ask for the trouble who suffer. They are the real victims! Please pray for their safety. 😥

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matthew 24:6-8)

Committing Our Way to Victory

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 

(2 Corinthians 2:14)

 In light of the above scripture, I often wonder why we see so many Christians living in such defeat, acting as though there is no hope. There are multitudes whose lives are wallowing in depression, sickness, multiple divorces, financial pressure, adultery, etc., while Satan is having a heyday. Christians wander from church to church, preacher to preacher, marriage to marriage, job to job, looking for answers. Time and again, they go to the altar, vowing this time it will be different. And time and again, they fail, sliding back into the same old pattern of life. It seems as though they are in a revolving door that leads to nowhere. They keep hoping to somehow find that magic key that will put their lives in order, causing them to do the things they know to do. My friends, the fact is…the victory has already been won!! 

Beware of Deception...

With deception being on the rise in many areas of life...in business, in government, in religion, and even in relationships when so many people seem to have an agenda...now is the time for all sincere Christians to be strengthening our gifts of discernment and perception. It will be necessary for us to learn how to detect the subtle signs of deception and manipulation...and by exercising these gifts, we will be able to avoid much of the trouble that the Bible warns us about in these last of the last days. We NEED to know what to look for and how to steer clear of the slight of hand or the false teachings and speeches that sound "almost" like the real deal...and we need to be careful even with people who claim to be our friends and to care about us, but they may have an ulterior motive for reaching out to us. These are the tactics that Satan will be using to draw in even those who claim to be followers of Christ. So Christians...BEWARE!

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

Never Forget Who You Were Before Jesus

Josh Grogan's "You Raise Me Up Video"

I want to share some thoughts with you tonight that I think will help you to realize how much God has done in your life. I was listening to a song the other night…I’m not sure that it was written or intended to be a Christian song necessarily, but in fact this song is my love song to Jesus. The name of the song is “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban, and the reason I call it my love song for Jesus is because that song always takes me back in my memory of who I was before I knew my Lord, and it always reminds me of how much He has done in my life. Listen to the words of the song:

"When I am down, and, oh, my soul, so weary

When troubles come, and my heart burdened be

Then, I am still and wait here in the silence

Until you come and sit awhile with me."

"You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains

You raise me up to walk on stormy seas

I am strong when I am on your shoulders

You raise me up to more than I can be"

(And then it repeats that chorus 3 more times) 

"You raise me up to more than I can be" 

Questions That NEED to be Answered!

Knowing that the US National Debt is more than $35 Trillion (with a T), there are a few questions that need to be asked:

1. To whom do we owe $35 Trillion?

2. How much interest do we have to pay each year on this kind of debt?

3. What happens if those we owe money to should demand payment in full?

4. What happens when we continue to print unsecured money?

5. How do we expect to ever find a solution for this HORRENDOUS debt problem we have dug for ourselves?

6. What will happen if the US Dollar collapses?

These are some things that we, as Americans need to be considering as we are planning our lives and as the US Dollar becomes less and less valuable around the world. What is the Answer?

 

The Time is Near...

I believe we are so much closer to end-times prophecy being fulfilled than most people...even most Christians...are willing to think about. I believe we are at a time when we need to be paying close attention to everything that's going on in the world and how all the signs that we are warned about in scripture are right now falling into place. Jesus took great care to describe the signs we need to watch for...Paul was explicit when he told us what the world will be like, and John gave us a tremendous amount of information to watch for through the vision that was revealed to him. It's not like God is leaving us without warning. But He also requires that we should be studying His Word and pay attention to the signs and heeding the warnings that He has given us. If we are unprepared, that's on us, because we were not taking His warnings seriously. Jesus told us it would be the same as it was in the days of Noah. He gave us many parables to explain what the last of the last days would be like. The signs are all around us , but most people are going right on with life as usual. Woe unto those who are not prepared for what's coming ahead. Here is a parable we need to pay attention to: