Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’” Matthew 2:4-6 NASB
Think on this hard. Really think on this. The people of God KNEW what to look for yet never were looking. There wasn't anyone looking in Bethlehem.
Now remember that because Jesus was proven within any doubt that He was and is the fulfillment of that Prophecy.
Further, don't be looking for another such sign to be given for His return. There will be no warning of Jesus returning for His Church, that is, those who are saved in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
Luke 21:25-36 “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of [m]the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you, this [o]generation will not pass away until all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of man"
Jesus warns of the things that will try to ensnare your heart. He warns and tells what to do. But the most important portion is: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."
Don't take my word for it, take His.
If the cross couldn't stop Him.
If the entirety of the sin of man couldn't stop Him
If death and the grave couldn't stop Him.
Then you had best be sure you know where you will be spending eternity. My dear reader. Do not put your trust in man. Man will always fail you. Do not hold onto things in this world, people in this world, because none of it can save you. Only by coming to Christ as He has said, can you truly live.
The following is for those who don't know or are unsure. Dear reader be sure today!
I REPENT for being master of my own life and living separate from God
"The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
To repent means you change your mind. I repent of satan’s big lie in the garden of Eden, when he said, “You will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). His suggestion was that instead of taking daily walks with God in the cool of the day, and hearing from God and receiving His wisdom, we could figure things out ourselves. Satan suggested independent living (out of self), rather than dependent living (out of the Holy Spirit).
Jesus came to restore relationship: Jesus, of course, modeled the original design of the Garden when He said, “I do nothing on my own initiative, but only what I hear and see the Father doing” (Jn. 5:19,20,30; 8:28,29,38).
No more striving with my own strength: The first foundation stone in the Christian life is to repent from my own strivings which the Bible calls dead works (Heb. 6:1,2). A dead work is a work which originates with self rather than God. It is a work which follows satan’s suggestion to live out of MY initiative. This is the FOUNDATIONAL SIN, out of which all other sins flow. So if at the point of salvation, we deal with this one foundational sin, this will restore us to a relationship with our Heavenly Father. We can once again live out of His voice and receive His power.
Once fellowship with God is restored, other sins will get cleaned up. Indeed, evidence that one has repented of this foundational sin and been born again is that these other sins are disappearing (1 Pet. 2:1-2; Acts 26:20; Heb. 5:9; 1 Cor. 3:15; 1 Cor. 5:5; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Thess. 2:13).
With your spiritual eyes fixed on Jesus, pray this prayer: Jesus, I change my mind about You. You are the Son of God and You are God. You came into this world to show us the way we are to live and to provide eternal life to those who would accept You.
I CONFESS with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and BELIEVE in my heart that God raised Him from the dead
“If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
God so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
With your eyes fixed on Jesus, pray this prayer aloud: I confess with my mouth that You, Jesus, are Lord, the Ruler over all. You are the Christ, the Son of God. I believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead and You are alive forevermore, seated on Your throne in heaven next to the Father. The heavenly hosts worship before Your throne. I believe Your blood that was shed on the cross washes away all my sin.
I RECEIVE You, Jesus, as my Lord and my Savior
“To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11,12).
With the eyes of your heart fixed on Jesus, pray this prayer: I receive You as my personal Lord, King and Commander. I invite You into my life as the Lord and Ruler of my life. I no longer choose to be in charge of my life. I give it to You. I invite You, Jesus, to have first place in my heart and my life. I ask for Your cleansing blood that was shed on the cross to come now and wash down over all my sins. Come make me clean. Restore me to a right relationship as a child of my heavenly Father. Thank You, Lord, for Your cleansing blood! I stand clean and white in Your presence. I put on Your robe of righteousness which You are handing to me. Thank You, Lord.
I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).
I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16).
I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).
This section on the Plan of Salvation was from but one website. Read it. Be sure of where you will be. Because the truth is, whatever you are standing on to save you, if it isn't Jesus then you are headed for Hell. Those without Christ will spend eternity separated from Him. It will not be some party. It will be in torment and pain.
Jesus spoke of what Hell was like in the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus.
Luke 16:19-31
“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
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