Many Christians live with the fear that they can be lost again after they’ve been saved, but what does the Bible say about eternal security?

Hebrews 6

Many people base their belief that they can lose their salvation on Hebrews chapter 6:4-6 which says: “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

Notice that they only “tasted the goodness of the word of God” and didn’t partake in it. I once tasted broccoli and hated it. I only tasted it and didn’t really eat it. So tasting and partaking is not the same thing. The author speaks about false converts who heard the Word of God and saw the blessings from God and His Word and maybe even witnessed miracles, but they never fully trusted in Christ. After being exposed to the gospel numerous times, they fall away intentionally. At a certain point, they cannot be restored to Christ. The more someone hears and rejects the gospel, the harder it is to hear to Spirit’s voice. They must believe today, lest they harden their hearts and turn away forever (Psalm 95:7-11; 2 Cor 6:2; Heb 3:15). By rejecting Christ time and time again, they show contempt for the Lord and the blood of Christ.

Enlightened but Unmoved

The term “once enlightened” in Hebrews 6:4 refers to already having a certain level of biblical truth. Once they know enough of the gospel, they are “enlightened” enough to receive Christ or reject Him. The “enlightened” unbelievers who have been exposed to God’s redemptive truth might have even made a profession of faith, but there was never really genuine saving faith that comes with repentance. To have “tasted the heavenly gift” in Hebrews 6:4 means they did not consume it but only “tasted” it. Even the phrase “shared in the Holy Spirit” in Hebrews 6:4 indicated a proximity to and familiarity with the Holy Spirit’s work, but they’ve only been witness to salvation, meaning they have not fully trusted in Christ. I can believe in busses, but if I never get on one, do I really trust it? Even the demons know the gospel and believe it, trembling before God, but surely they are not saved (James 2:19). Intellectual knowledge of the gospel saves no one. Trust in Christ does.

Fully Persuaded

Hebrews 6:9-12 gives us the final answer as to whether a believer can be lost, once they are saved, but we must read this entire chapter in context to find the answer.

“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints. And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence, so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.”

Demonstrated Faith

Believers will continue to be “serving the saints” and will not walk away from the church. The author is “convinced of better things regarding you” (Heb 6:9) he says, so you can tell he is writing to two different groups or audiences. False-profession-of-faith people and those who “demonstrate the same diligence” and can then “realize the full assurance of hope until the end.” These believers don’t sound like they should be worried, or fear the danger of losing their salvation. In fact, the author is actually trying to bolster the faith of believers if we read the entire chapter in context.

Only a Taste

A good example of having tasted in the Lord’s work but not fully accepting Him is Simon the sorcerer who “believed and was baptized.” He followed Philip the evangelist, and professed belief and even got baptized, however Simon was only “astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw” (Acts 8:13). Simon was still not saved (see Acts 8:20–23), so the idea of “falling away” in Hebrews 6:6 is the act of turning one’s back on the revelation God has given and only having tasted of truth, and tasting of the truth is not enough to keep a person from falling away from the truth. Simon was impressed by the “great signs and wonders” and not broken over his sin. Surely not all who profess Christ actually possess Christ. I remember only 1 in 4 seeds in the Parable of the Sower survived the harsh conditions.

Summary

I pray this helps you have more peace of mind about your own salvation. God will complete what He has started. God has not aborted children! Whatever He began, He will complete, and since we did not initiate our own salvation (Eph 2:8-9), we cannot destroy our own salvation (Rom 8:37-39). Nothing that is created can ever separate the true believer from God, even the believer himself. Can you imagine sharing a gospel that says that whoever believes in Jesus Christ shall never perish (John 3:16)…unless you blow it? That takes the power of the gospel away (Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18). No! It’s eternal life, meaning no one, not even we ourselves, can touch it (John 6:37-44, 10:28-29). If someone proclaims faith in Christ and then walks away, they were never saved in the first place (1 John 2:19) and had never eternal life. If they claim to lose it, they never really had it in the first place. If it wasn’t eternal faith (Eph 2:8-9), then it wasn’t eternal life in the first place. Eternal, by definition, does not end! Even the Prodigal didn’t stay in the pigpen.

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: What Are the Signs You Have Genuine Saving Faith?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

There’s a war on…but this war is directed against the Word of God where the Bible is increasingly being banned as “hate speech.”

The War on the Bible

There’s a war on…but this war is directed against the Word of God where the Bible is increasingly being banned as “hate speech” so how long do you think it will be before the Bible is banned in America, or will it ever be? In the course of human history, the Bible has been banned, burned, banished, and forbidden, but this hasn’t stopped the Word of God from going out into the world. In one remote part of the world in Africa, there was so much opposition to the Bible that the Muslims went from house to house trying to find a copy of the Bible, and if they found it, they would not only burn it, but sometimes the person who it was found with, but to those who hold to the precious Word of God, they don’t care. They have such a hunger and thirst for the Word of God that they are willing to risk their life for possessing a Bible.

Hiding God’s Word

There was a group who had only one Bible, but they all wanted to read it, so what did they do? They took the Bible apart and gave each person one book of the Bible (i.e. the Gospel of John). Then, thirty days later, they came back and exchanged their book for another and memorized that one. After a few years, the over dozen men had memorized much of the Bible and could recite it by heart to those who didn’t have a Bible. They had hid God’s Word in their heart. In this way, even if they came and confiscated the Bible, they couldn’t touch their minds which had the rich Word of God in memory. They might remove the physical part (the Bible) but they can’t touch what’s been hidden in a person’s heart. In many nations, the Bible is illegal to own, however they just don’t get it? God’s Word is indestructible.

Forbidden Preaching

When it comes time to preaching the gospel in Canada, there are some Bible verses that this nation now considers hate speech and a pastor can be jailed and fined for preaching it, but this is nothing compared to how other nations are persecuting preachers of the Word. An American evangelist said he was arrested and interrogated about his Christian faith after he was caught on a London sidewalk preaching that homosexuality is a sin, even though the Bible states that it is. There was a Swedish pastor who preached a sermon on the Biblical prohibitions against homosexual behavior and was waiting to see if the Supreme Court of Sweden will send him to jail for six months for doing so. The pastor was charged with violating a Swedish hate speech law that protects homosexuals from “intimidation” and “agitation.”

Attacked for the Word

And sometimes there doesn’t even have to be a target audience for preaching as retired Pastor James McConnell found out. He was still waiting to see if his next sermon will be given from a prison pulpit or not. What was his crime? On May 18, 2014, the 79-year-old pastor was speaking at the church he founded in Belfast, Ireland and simply preached a sermon on 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Pastor McConnell reacted to a pregnant Muslim woman who was converted to Christianity and received 80 lashes and had a death sentence hanging over her head. The pastor was warned about the potential of being arrested for telling the truth that Islam is satanic and is a “doctrine spawned in hell.”

Anti-Preaching Laws

The Canadian government apparently has an ax to grind against biblical preaching. Preaching only about the love of God is okay, but if a preacher mentions specific sins and those who do these sins are in danger of God’s judgment, then it is considered hate speech and the consequences are not just a slap on the wrist. Father Alphonse de Valk, who is Canada’s leading pro-life voice among Catholic clergy, has said that the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal has forbidden evangelical pastor Stephen Boisson from expressing his moral opposition to homosexuality. Boisson was told to apologize to the “human rights” advocate who filed the complaint, and then they threatened him with a $5,000 fine for the “pain and suffering” he caused the man. We could expect this from the tribunals in Stalin’s Soviet Union or in Mao’s China, but in Canada? And perhaps the US is next with such laws.

Biblical Persecution

In the end, the courts ordered Boisson to provide the complainant with a written apology for his letter to the editor, but Ezra Levant, a Jewish-Canadian author and lawyer, said it’s “This is like a Third World jail-house confession — where accused criminals are forced to sign false statements of guilt. ” Levant said, “We don’t even ‘order’ murderers to apologize to their victims’ families because we know that a forced apology is meaningless to them, but not so if their purpose is to degrade Christian pastors and more importantly, the Word of God.

The Future and the Bible

The day is swiftly approaching where mentioning specific sins in the Bible will be seen as a hate crime in America. It is very close right now, so that might be the next step to banning the Bible altogether in the U.S. When or if this will happens, we just don’t know, but there are things in the air that say it may be coming. Already, parts of the Bible have been and are still being removed from the public square because some are “offended by it,” so things like the Ten Commandments have been removed, even in very conservative states such as Oklahoma and Alabama. What is even more tragic is that some ministers, like in the Episcopalian Church, have actually ordained as homosexual ministers, which is contrary to biblical doctrine (Rom 1:18-10, 26-27; 1 Cor 6:9-11).

The Apostle Paul warned of such a day when he wrote that “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Cor 4:3). Will the Bible ever be banned in America? Perhaps the preaching of it will be someday, and not just from behind the pulpits, but even in the streets. It’s growing more and more difficult to be able to preach the Word of God anywhere because the Word of God afflicts those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Summary

Several Canadian pastors and street preachers have faced hate-motivated charges or controversy and been arrested, primarily surrounding anti-LGBTQ2+ comments, despite the fact that these comments were verses from the Bible. Key cases involve accusations of inciting hatred, harassment, and public nuisance, rather than being prosecuted solely for Scripture reading which they actually did. From one Saskatchewan court of appeals, the Bible is now considered hate literature in Canada, even if it is quoted verbatim and in context, specifically if it is used to condemn homosexuality. Sadly, there is a double-standard for the Koran as it has not been labeled as having hate speech, even though it contains verses that demand the death of all who reject Allah and fail to be assimilated into the Islamic faith. Just another double standard, showing people hate the truth and will try to ban it, banish it, or make it illegal. That day may be coming sooner than later. Despite all the attacks on the Bible, “The word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Pet 1:24-25), and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

“The word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: How Persecution Purifies the Church and Spreads the Gospel

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

We can respond in many different ways to criticism and those who hate God, so how do we respond when we are criticized for our faith?

With Humility and Gentleness

We can respond in many different ways to criticism and those who hate God, so how do we respond when we are criticized for our faith? The best way to respond to criticism is always with humility. It doesn’t matter whether it’s unfair or true criticism. We know that God will resist the proud but He only gives more grace to the humble of heart (James 4:6). When a friend or a co-worker criticizes you, we shouldn’t respond with criticism or retaliate. Why? Because they may actually be doing us a favor by trying to point out something is wrong with our life. Everyone has blind spots in their life, so they may be right. Others may see things in us that are not true, but we don’t fight back with words. Christians are told, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). The best we can do is to thank the person for trying to help us, whether they’re right or wrong. Give them the benefit of the doubt since they could be right. If we react in anger, we may lose a friend or a co-workers input forever and that would be a great loss indeed.

With Thanks

Yes, I said with thanks. It doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not, we should tell them thank you for trying to help us. Paul wrote that “Love believes all things” (1 Cor 13:7), meaning we should give people the benefit of the doubt. Don’t hold a grudge and tell them “Well, that’s your opinion” because why else would they be criticizing you if they didn’t think it would make a difference in your life and help you. Yes, it could be persecution for your faith or maybe they’re just having a bad day, but don’t let it make you have one bad day too.

“I need to work on that.”

Consider the Source

There is a guy that I used to work with who criticized just about everyone that he came into contact with. For the most part, his criticism was unfair and downright wrong, however instead of answering in anger, my reply was to ask him “I appreciate you trying to help but what evidence do you have in saying that?” That caused him to calculate a little bit and come up with his supposed evidence. When people are critical, and believe me there is no shortage of such people, just consider the source. That person may have a bad marriage, went through a divorce, or is battling health issues. Plus, if they are not saved we should pray for them, having compassion for them. Perhaps they’ve heard so much negativity and criticism as a child they think it’s normal to criticize others. Pray for them. Consider their background and don’t let it get you down.

Admit They May Be Right

If you see they are right, admit it, right there on the spot! Say, “Yes, I see what you mean. Thank you for letting me know about this because I had no idea.” Tell them, “I need to work on that.” Remember “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov 27:6). I would rather receive wounds to heal than kisses to flatter, and since “iron sharpens iron” (Prov 27:17), and rust never sleeps, admit that they are right and move on…you’ve just grown! Responding to criticism can go well or rather badly. The choice is yours. Accept it with humility, with thanks, consider the source, and admit that they might be right. To respond any other way might just cutoff one of those people who can help you grow or you can share Christ with.

Consider Yourself

Who among us were not “God-haters” before we were saved? I know that only by the grace of God that I am still not a God-hater. The Apostle Paul wants to remind us as he did the church at Corinth that “such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). Love those who don’t love God because God loved us first (1 John 4:19), so the first move is on us, but how do you handle someone who hates God and may hate you are a believer? We do exactly what Jesus commands us to do in Matthew 5:44 where He said “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” so we pray for those who hate us, remembering at one time we were His enemy (Rom 5:10).

Doing Good to Haters

Jesus commands believers to, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). Why? Because Jesus says it is “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:45). For the world, it’s no big deal “if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same” (Matt 5:46)? Doing good to others, even when they don’t deserve it, is just what God did for us (Eph 2:8-9). The next time someone attacks you for your faith, ask God to bless them and pray for their soul right then and there. We don’t seek to get revenge or to get even. This alone is God’s job (Rom 12:17). Instead we are told to love them and prayer for them.

Summary

Don’t be like the Pharisees…they were hard on everyone but easy with themselves, when truly, we should be hardest on ourselves and easy on others. Before we respond to those who hate God and may even hate us, remember our own history and that we too once hated God; so pray for those who are your enemies; do good to those who hate you; and ask God to bless them and pray for them that persecute you. That is how we can deal with those who hate God or hate us for our love of God or constantly criticize us. Just remember our own lives and think that “such were some of you” (1 Cor 6:11)!

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: What Does the Bible Say About Criticism? A Christian Study

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In Matthew 25, Jesus talked about the need for us to “do unto the least of these” as doing it unto Christ, so who are the least of these?

Saved by Grace

In Matthew 25, Jesus talked about the need for us to “do unto the least of these” as doing it unto Christ, so who are the least of these? Before we find out who the least of these are, we need a reminder from Scripture about who we are and who we were! First off, we who have trusted in Christ are not better than others…we are just better off. To keep us humble, the Apostle Paul reminds us that, “such were some of you” (1 Cor 6:11) and me! We were not saved because we were special or different from the rest in the world, but solely upon God’s sovereign choice. That means no human can ever boast (Eph 2:8-9).

Who God Chooses

You probably know from experience that God doesn’t choose many of the world’s celebrities or powerful or the rich. Instead, God chooses those who the world seems to look down upon. Paul reminds us that “not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” (1 Cor 1:26). Instead, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor 6:27). I am proud to say I am part of that group. God only fixes those who are already broken. God did not choose us because we were wonderful people or a “he’s really great guy” or “lady,” but “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are“ (1 Cor 1:28). So why would God choose the weak and not the strong? It was “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Cor 1:29), so that God’s strength alone can be credited with any good we do.

Great White Throne Judgement

When, at the end of the ages, Jesus will come and sit on the Great White Throne, judging those who have fully rejected Him or never known Him. Jesus says of this time that “Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matt 25:32). The Lord Jesus Christ, “the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34). But what does Jesus recognize when the saints are before Him? The Lord says, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt 25:35-36).

Doing Unto Others

True believers don’t even remember all they had done (Matt 25:38-39), but Jesus reminds them that “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40b). When we “wash the feet of the saints” (serve them), we are also doing it unto Jesus. That’s because the church is His Body and He is the Head, so what you do to the body, the Head feels. This is just as it is in the human body and why the church is called the Body of Christ; being His earthly hands, feet, eyes, voice and heart. We can love our neighbor as ourselves when we serve the church, and especially the outcasts of this world.

The Least of These

So who are the “least of these my people” Jesus spoke about? Jesus identifies them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40). The least of these are those who Jesus calls “my brothers.” Wouldn’t that be the church? Aren’t these the saints? To find out whom the least of these, I walked into the bathroom. I looked up and at the mirror. There’s one of them. A brother who is the least of these, just as the Apostle Paul said, he was the “chief of sinners.” That’s me and you too, if you’ve trusted in Christ. We are the children of God (Rom 8:17).

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: 20 Amazing Quotes About Serviing

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

H ere are 8 practical ways to respond when you’re under spiritual attack.

Our Daily Bread

One man who was just saved said that prior to his putting his trust in Christ that he was hit with a barrage of spiritual attacks. It was the enemy whispering in his ear; things like, “Who do you think you are!? You’re not a Christian! You’re a fake.” I told him that we need to believe what the Bible says and not what the enemy makes us think. Satan is a liar and so are his demons, but the Word of God is always true, no matter what we think. God’s Word is objective truth. It doesn’t depend on feelings. It is true today and will be true in a billion years, so I told the man to ignore these thoughts and read the Word, and there, you’ll find what is true. Our feelings are very unreliable. The Bible is still true, even if we have the flu.

The enemy hates the promises of God, but he also hates hearing about his fate (Rev 20), or how it all ends for him. Satan also hates us to read about the precious blood of the Lamb of God that was shed for us. The blood sealed our salvation but it sealed his fate. The Devil hates it when you read the Word, so why not irritate him and send him and his demons on their way by reading the words of life, from the Word of God.

Spiritual Armor 

If you don’t start your day off with prayer, you are cutting off your most important source, and that is God. If we begin our day without prayer, we’re a lot more vulnerable to the enemy. We shouldn’t step out the door if we haven’t asked for God’s provision and protection, and for our lives to glorify Him. We know that’s God will, so pray when you begin the day. You realize “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). We need to cover everything in prayer, and there are no things too small to pray about. All things are small to God, but prayer is a great weapon against spiritual attacks, and of course we need to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Eph 6:13).

The armor includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:14-17), however, we must be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph 6:18). Paul says we must be in prayer whenever we can, so pray as often as you can, for as many people as you can, and for as many things as you can…especially during spiritual attacks.

Fellowship

It’s a special thing being around other Christians. Christian fellowship is so much more than what you have out in the world. Here we are, with the same Father, and the same Savior, so we have much more in common than we might think. The author of Hebrews understood the importance of fellowship when he wrote, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25). What he is saying is that we will need one another even more as the day of Jesus’ appearance gets closer, and I believe it is. I have no idea when Jesus will return, but I do know He will, and in the meantime, I think we need one another to encourage one another, to pray for one another, and to stir up one another to do good works for God that He has appointed for us to do (Eph 2:10).

Serve

One wise elder of a church told me that 80% of serving is showing up. What he was saying is that if we are faithful enough to serve our church or community, just showing up is more than half the job. Jesus said to those who were faithfully doing good works for Him, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40). There are many opportunities to serve within the body of Christ and within the community you live in (in most cases). It might be collecting food and clothing for the poor to bring to the Salvation Army; it might be being on the communities Welcome Wagon to welcome new residents to the community or to your church; it might be visiting shut-ins, those in nursing homes, those in prison, and those in the hospital. This is what Christ has called His church to do (Matt 25:35-36).

True religion is (James 1:27) a relationship, with the body and with lost people. The reason I bring this up is because if you serve as Christ did, then you will offend the enemy, and the spiritual attacks may ramp up because what you do in love is what they hate! Serve Christ by serving others, and to resist temptations from the Devil, James says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Steering Clear

For people who are under spiritual attack or frequently experience spiritual attacks, you must avoid obvious satanic things like physic readings, horoscopes, black magic, Ouija games, illegal drugs, hypnosis, and anything to do with the occult such as séances or trying to communicate with the dead. These are clearly forbidden by Scripture and God calls such things an abomination. If we have any doubts as to their source, we need to steer clear. Even mediation can open the door for the enemy to come in. Some of those who are not saved have been possessed by demonic spirits through these activities. They might say we need to keep an open mind, but an open mind is no safer than leaving your door open at night: Just about anything can come in. These things might seem obvious to us, but some believer’s actually try to rationalize their use, but these are obviously sinful, and if you are serious about wanting to avoid spiritual attacks, by all means, avoid these things.

Loving Our Enemies

Jesus’ teachings were as radical on the day that He taught them as they are today. Really! Who do you know that prays for their enemies, does good to those that hurt them, and love those who hate them? That’s not what the world does, in fact, some radical religions seek to kill their enemies, but Jesus expects us to be different from the world. He said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). Sounds impossible, doesn’t it, and it is without the Spirit of God. Loving those who hate us does not come natural…it is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. It is He that empowers us to do what He has commanded. Believe me, it’s something we can’t do this in our own human strength. I’ve tried that and failed miserably, but one thing Satan hates is when we love our enemies and pray for them. He wants us to hate and kill our enemies, and to treat our enemies as “enemies,” but God does not want us to give our enemies what they deserve. He wants us to give them what they need, and that is love. God loved us while we were still ungodly, wicked sinners, and still labeled “enemies of God” (Rom 5:6-10).

Prayers of Thanksgiving

If there is anything that Satan hates more than us reading the Word and loving our enemies, it’s praying to God and giving Him thanks. Has it ever happened to you that when you start to pray, the Enemy will sends a full frontal spiritual attack. When that happens, take out the sword which is the Word of God, and start slicing up the Enemy. They won’t want to stick around and hear when you are praying back to God, the very Word of God. There are many prayers in the Bible, and God loves it when we pray back His Word and His promises to Him. The Enemy hates it! They hate knowing their eternal fate and final state is sealed. Remind Satan and his demons that eventually the demons and the deceiver “who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10). Martin Luther regularly prayed back the Word of God, so pray and give thanks to God for His many marvelous blessings.

Hang with the Saints

When we are together as the Body of Christ, we are in fellowship with one another, and we are stronger together than we are alone. We need one another. The proof of that is that there are over 100 “one another’s” in the New Testament, indicating that we need to serve one another, love one another, and pray for one another. Satan hates our fellowship because when we fellowship with the saints, we are in turn fellowshipping with God as His children, however, Satan wants the church to be divided over non-essential issues and gossip and in-fight against one another, but that’s all the more reason we need one another, to love one another, and to pray for one another. There is strength in numbers. Besides, we know that Satan is like a roaring lion who is roaming about seeking whom he may devour, so who does he focus on? It’s the stragglers…the ones that are separated from the sheepfold; the ones who are injured and hurting. They are the most vulnerable, so if Satan can get us isolated, he can more easily have his way with us, although he cannot take our life.

Summary

Do you know of any other things that irritate Satan? Things like sharing the gospel, helping the poor, or things like that. I know he hates it when someone is saved. Heaven rejoices over one lost sinner, but hell seethes with anger. Our Enemy hates it when we’re growing in grace and knowledge, when we pray for others, when we read His Word, and when we assemble together to worship God and partake of the Lord’s Supper. I’m not saying we ought to live our lives only to make Satan mad, but we should live our lives so that God is pleased. That’ll have the same result. I know that God is well pleased when we do the things that Jesus commands us to do (Matt 25:35-36). He sees that as doing it unto His own Son (Matt 25:40). Surely the Devil hates that, but if we love our enemies; if we stay in the Word; if we give thanks in our prayers; and if we come to worship the Son of God as the Body of Christ, we can irritate Satan to no end and then, all heaven will break out!

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, you are vulnerable to the Enemy my friend, but more importantly, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: 7 Signs You Are Dealing With a Spiritual Attack

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Many Christians live with the fear that they can be lost again after they’ve been saved, but what does the Bible say about eternal security?

A Warning for Believers?

Hebrews 10:26-30 seems to be enough evidence for some that we can lose our salvation. These verses says, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” The word “sanctified” does not mean salvation; it means set apart for holy use…consecrated for a specific purpose. Paul writes that “the unbelieving husband is made holy by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband” (1 Cor 7:14), Some translations say “the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife,” but his saved wife cannot save her husband, except perhaps through the example of her holy conduct (1 Pet 3:1-2).  The word “sanctified” does not mean saved…it means “set apart.”  These verses are not a warning to believers, but a warning to those who are sitting on the fence about Christ.  I usually tell them, “The fence is combustible!“

What About Hebrews 10:26-30?

Hebrews 10:26-29 warns against the sin of apostasy. Apostasy is an intentional falling away or defection from biblical truth. Apostates are those who seem to have moved toward Christ in saving faith, even professing it publically, but they only go right up to the edge of saving belief. They not only hear and understand the Gospel, and are on the verge of trusting in Christ, but then over time, they reject what they have learned and turn away from it altogether. This is not something a believer does. These are people who are perhaps even aware of their sin and even make a profession of faith, but have never come to repentance and faith in Christ (Mark 1:15).

The Sin of Apostasy

The phrase “sinning willfully” is consciously and deliberately rejecting Christ time and time again. They have learned to know God’s way, they have heard it preached, they might have even studied it, counting themselves among the saints, but then something happens. They turn away from all they’ve been taught, in a willful decision, and have become apostate. Incidentally, who doesn’t sin willfully? We all do, right, so that verse worried me too. I do sin and my will is involved, but there’s a difference. We hate our sin, turn from it and turn to God in confession of it. Even though we are not sin less, we begin to sin less, however, apostates hear the gospel and keep on practicing the things of those who will not inherit the Kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-11; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:5; Rev 22:15). This shows that they were not really saved in the first place and were never part of the church, otherwise, they would have remained with the church (1 John 2:19).

Sinning Willfully

Sinning willfully is basically sinning continually and deliberately and practicing it day by day. The believer sins, but they don’t desire it and don’t make a practice of it (1 John 3:9). Christians will still sin, but we don’t make it a practice like I intentionally practiced basketball. Day after day I practiced on my high school team. It was a willful decision and I loved it. On the other hand, the true believer is one who will fall into sin and hurt their fellowship with God, but never their relationship with God. My children could make me not be favorably disposed (generous) toward them when they misbehave, but I was never going to stop  being their father. We might lapse into sin, but eventually we come back to God in repentance by the Spirit’s conviction until we just can’t stay away from God any longer. After a while, we just can’t stand the unconfessed and un-repented of sin anymore…we are burdened until we confess it (Psalm 51; 1 John 1:9). This makes me think of the Prodigal Son.  He ended up in the pigpen but he didn’t stay in the pigpen.  However, the unsaved just keep on doing what their nature is (1 John 3:9).

What About 2 Peter 2:20-22?

Second Peter 2:20-22 is another troubling passage that many claim as a proof-text, showing you can lose your salvation or fall away. These verses says, “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

False Teachers and Prophets

If they left the church, were they really part of the church? No! The Apostle John said that if “They went out from us because they were not of us, for had they been of us, they would have remained with us” (1 John 2:19). God has no aborted children. By the way, the Apostle Peter is dealing with the problem of false prophets and teachers in the church who heard the true gospel and then left it all (2 Pet 2).  He is not writing about believers falling away but apostates. This is why he gives us a clear and detailed picture of how these “pretend believers” operate so genuine believers can avoid falling prey to their destructive heresies and biblical errors. Like many religious people, they had intellectual knowledge about Jesus, but not heart-level knowledge that would cause them to fully surrender their lives to Jesus Christ in faith.

Explaining 1 Pet 2:21 “For it would be better for them…”

Why does Peter say, “For it would be better for them if they had not known the truth?” The fact is, we are accountable. The more light or truth we’re given and obey, the more light and truth God reveals, but the more we learn, the more we are responsible for. Luke wrote in 12:47-48 about “that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows, but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” So “to whom much is given, much will be required of them (on judgment day). To him who knew His master’s will and did not do it, he (or she) will receive greater blows, but the one who did not know His masters will, they will be beaten with fewer blows” (lesser judgment).

Summary

For the handful of Scriptures people quote that you can lose your salvation, I can find dozens upon dozens of those that say that cannot happen.  So what’s the problem?  The problem is people taking text out of context to create a pretext and usually a false one. Just as with the idea that believers can fall away from the truth and be judged for eternity, when the truth is, our sins have already been judged by Jesus Christ at the cross, and we have no more wrath to face because we now have His very own righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). We can’t just quote one or two Bible verses and claim that as a belief. We must read the entire paragraph or the entire chapter, and sometimes, the entire book to get a full understanding of what God is saying to us. Getting the whole Word gets the whole truth…and nothing but the truth.

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: What Does the Bible Say About Insecurity?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

We are commanded to partake in Communion or the Lord’s Supper, so what’s the proper agenda for churches having this service?

Jesus’ Imperative Command

When Jesus and the disciples had the Last Supper, the Passover Meal or as some call it, Communion, He was instituting or commanding a new ordinance for the church. This new command or ordinance is recorded in Matthew 26:26-29 “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” There is no doubt that this is commanded because Luke puts it this way, “he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The sentence structure in the Greek, and even reading it in most Bible translations, leaves no doubt that this is an imperative comment.  “Do this!”

Humility in Serving

When Jesus said, “Do this…” it wasn’t a  suggestion or if you feel like command, but like that of a general telling his army to do this or else.  Our Lord told the disciples and by extension, all believers, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:12b-16). What Jesus was trying to communicate to them was that we are to serve one another; we should humble ourselves as a servant would before a master, which is why He said “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” because “no servant is greater than his master.”

This was largely a lesson of servant hood and humility and not a command (imperative) to wash feet once a year.  To wash the feet of the saints is symbolic of our communion with one another and our connectedness through Christ…we are one body…the Body of Christ. In all honesty, the disciples should have been washing Jesus’ feet, but what an example our Lord gave. This also typifies the cleansing that comes through the precious blood of the Lamb (John 13:8).  Be the one who empties the diaper pail in the nursery or clean up the vomit on the floor at church.  That’s true servanthood and it takes humility. Be that person.  “Wash some feet.”

“Take; this is my body … this is my blood of the New Covenant …”

Maundy Thursday

The Passover Meal or Communion is sometimes called the Love Feast and that comes only once a year on the Thursday before Good Friday. It is a very somber service and typically, hymns are sung with no musical instruments, as it was on the night Jesus introduced the New Covenant. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word “mandatum” which means “commandment” or “command.” They base this on Jesus saying“A new commandment I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34). The phrase Maundy, as I said is of Latin origin and in Latin it read: “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos.” In English it is “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” Because of this, many churches believe that Maundy Thursday and the ordinances of Communion (during the rest of the year) are commanded (and they are!).  A small mintority of churches teach that the foot washing is commanded, but this was “an example,” not an imperative command.

Although Maundy Thursday is not a national holiday in America, it actually is in some nations like Columbia, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, and in Spain where public schools, some places of work, and government offices are closed.

Below is an outline that churches, pastors, elders or deacons (even new house churches) can use as a guideline or an outline of how to observe Communion or the Lord’s Supper, or Maundy Thursday, generally referred to as the Love Feast.  Some churches may differ in their order but the overall agenda below is what most churches use for Maundy Thursday.  For Communion that takes places during the rest of the year, obviously there is no a meal and people don’t immediately leave after Communion, but the elements of bread and juice must be in this service. Please note that this agenda is flexible and not set in concrete, and times may vary for some churches, but just a guideline that churches may use.

“Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Maundy Thursday
The Love Feast, Communion

6:30 – Settings for tables are placed, foods are placed by type (fruits, cheeses, meats).

Service Begins:

7:00 – Prayer and Bible reading of Jesus and the Disciples on Passover night (Matt 26:26-29), then the Love Feast (meal).

7:15 – Communion

7:25 – Closing hymn (worship leader’s choice), no closing prayer, leave quietly. Fellowship outside of the sanctuary permitted.

Clean up.

Leave Services Quietly

The Command for Communion

Many people I know claim to be Christians and yet never assemble together as the church as commanded by God (Heb 10:24-25). There are at least 6 imperative commands for the Passover Meal or Communion which say, “Do this…” So to claim to be a believer and never attend church is breaking over 100 commands from Jesus or in the Bible because there are over 100 “one another’s” and no one can do to “one another” alone. Didn’t Jesus say whoever hears and keeps my word, him I shall love? Jesus said “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (John 14:21a). We prove we love Jesus by obeying Jesus and prove we do not love Him by our disobedience to His commands. How can we say we love God and not obey God? This is irreconcilable. People can say I love you and then do nothing you ask of them to do. That is not true love.

The Importance of Communion

In a clear indication of the coming New Covenant, Jesus said, and I believe it is the earliest reference to Communion, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51). Jesus’ dialogue in John 6 is clearly seen as a reference to Communion or the Lord’s Supper, sometimes called the Love Feast. If you don’t think Jesus was serious, read what He said to the Jewish religious leaders who scoffed at Him when He said they must eat His flesh and drink His blood.

In reference to Communion, our Lord “said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:53-54). That sounds like it’s of critical importance. It sounds like a matter of eternal life or eternal death, as Jesus said, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:55-56).

I pray you realize the critical importance of the church (the very Body of Christ) and the commands to love one another and assemble together and to observce the Lord’s Supper or Communion.  Scripture tells us that it is not negotiable…it is imperative! Are you part of the Body of Christ…or not (Matt 7:21-23)?  Better be sure (Heb 9:27; Rev 20:12-15).

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: How Often Should Communion or the Lord’s Supper be Taken?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

There are some powerful Bible verses that give hope for those who have died in the faith, so may these be of good use for giving others hope in Christ and His resurrection power.

A Mixed Audience

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

There are some powerful Bible verses that give hope for those who have died in the faith, so may these be of good use for giving others hope in Christ and His resurrection power. To begin with, every minister must preach the gospel at a funeral or memorial service. There is no exception. Even if the funeral is for an unbeliever, the gospel of repentance and faith must be included in the service. To fail to do so is to fail God and lose an opportunity to share Christ. Every funeral service has a mixture of saved and lost people, so we can encourage and give hope for the believers but warn the unbelievers of God’s judgment on all who reject faith in Christ in the hopes that they might repent.

Raised From the Dead

We have to be honest to all the audience…the saved and the lost and tell them, that everyone has “an appointment for men to die” after which comes the judgment of God (Heb 9:27). There is not only a time to be born, but a time to be born (Eccl 3:2). When Jesus went to raise Lazarus from the dead, He told Martha “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26).

Jesus said that God is “not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him” (Luke 20:38), and is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matt 22:32). Even though they had died, Jesus speaks as if they are still living, and they are! That was only a physical death because Jesus said “though he die, yet shall he live” and whoever “believes in me shall never die.”

Hope for the Hurting

Paul writes that “we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13). That is the hope of the Christian. It isn’t good bye but see you later (Rev 22). But…if you have never been brought to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ…it is goodbye…and it is forever

Paul knew that the moment he died he’d be with the Lord so Paul wrote “Yes we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8), and writing “we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord” (2 Cor 5:6). I think like most believers, he was “torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Phil 1:23).

Finishing the Race

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith…”

When a believer is laid in the ground, it is not burial ground but resurrection ground. We grieve and mourn over a cocoon when the butterfly has flown. Now we know that our beloved one who passed away can truly say:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim 4:6-8).

Psalm 116:15 says a lot about what God thinks of thier passing: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” They may be gone but they are not forgotten. They may be missing on the earth but they are not missing in heaven.

The Resurrection

Job 14:14-15 gives us an answer to the question, “If a man (or woman) dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come. You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands.” Job seemed to understand that if he died, he would be renewed or resurrected for certain and he would also see the Lord. God “would call, and [Job] would answer…,” so Job knew that the Lord longed “for the work of [His] hands” which means that God longs for us to be fully present with Him.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:1: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” This body is decaying daily and passing away but God is building us “a house not made with hands” but an “eternal [one] in the heavens.” Our bodies might be destroyed but our heavenly body will never be.

For now, we “weep with those who weep” but rejoice that Jack has made it into heaven and now, no more sorrow, no more pain, no more hospitals, no more death…

The End of Death

The Apostle John wrote, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:1-5). God promises that those who have repented and trusted in Christ “will see his face” (Rev 22:4).

Concluding Message

Maybe we’re a little like the Apostle Paul who said, “I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed” (Phil 1:23), but for us who yet live, it is still needful for us to be here or the Lord would have called us home too.

If you’re still drawing breath, God still has a purpose for you. If you never have trusted in Jesus, He says to you and to ally today, even if you die, you can live again and receive eternal life, so “Do you believe this” (John 11:26c)? Remember, God is the God of the living, not the dead, so it’s not goodbye for those who believe but “See you later.” For those who do not believe, it is goodbye forever, so I pray you put your trust in the Lord today and some tomorrow you can see them again, and… it will be the greatest family reunion anyone’s ever seen.

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: 6 Christian Funeral Prayers and Scriptures

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God can use any of us, but consider these 8 ways that God may use you for His glory.

Encourage Someone

God can use any of us, but consider these 8 ways that God may use you for His glory. First of all, I notice that smiling is as contagious as yawning. So is encouraging someone. Paul wrote that we should “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thess 5:11) and not tear each other down. They say it takes ten positive words to build someone up that’s been discouraged by one bad word. Why not build someone up today…up is where heaven is anyway and that’s where we are headed, right?

Give to Someone

Have you given someone something today? You can, if it’s still early. It doesn’t have to be money. You can give of yourself. You can hold the door open for someone. You can pick something up off the floor or ground that they drop. You can smile at them and shake their hand or give them a hug. Give yourself away. The interesting thing is the more of yourself that you give away, the more you actually receive in blessings. Paul reminds us to “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).

Visit Someone

I had a friend come into town recently that I hadn’t seen for a long time. It was refreshing to catch up on things but you can also pick up the phone and call someone today, email someone, send an unexpected “Thinking of You” card. Whatever you do, try to go out of your way and visit or talk to someone today that you normally don’t see or talk too. Make it a special, “no-occasion” thing. Paul tells us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3).

Thank Someone

I believe that one of the greatest sins the Christian can commit is a sin of omission. It is the failure to give thanks to God but also to others. On occasions, I just tell my wife, “Thank you for….” and then just start listing the many things that she does. Paul said “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (Phil 1:3). I like to borrow Paul’s line and tell people, “You know, I thank God for you for being my wife, daughter, son, friend, etc.” My beloved wife is always saying “Thank you” and sending cards of thanks.  Her heart bends toward being thankful. Even a “Thank you” note makes a great and lasting impression.  It costs so little, but does so much.

Open to Correction

I have told the congregation that if I miss a Scripture or I was wrong about something in the message, please tell me. I would rather be corrected than be incorrect, especially behind the pulpit! The only parts of my sermons that are perfect are where I read out of the Bible. My part? Not so much. If I close my ears to all criticism, I might fail to learn something because the person who is criticizing me might be right and I’ll lose an opportunity to learn something about myself and grow. There is such a thing as constructive criticism, but if we fail to listen to anybody, then people will feel that it’s useless to try and help us because we’ve cut them off by our own refusal to listen. That is purely pride! And it is sin, and I’ve done it!

Grace and Humility

Jack Coleman on African Missionary Trip

When the Apostle Paul was imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Phil 1:12-13), there were some who used that imprisonment as a way of criticizing him, but they were trying to discredit him, so it certainly wasn’t constructive criticism. In fact, they were doing it for their own gain (Phil 1:17). Even so, Paul still managed to rejoice over the situation (Phil 1:18). And Jesus sees nothing wrong with criticizing someone if it is for their own good, like if they are in sin and the criticism leads them to repentance (Matt 18:15-20; Luke 17:3), but if someone has an issue with you, don’t quickly discount it. With grace and humility, see if they may be right and thank them for them trying to point out something we might have been doing wrong. Myself? I appreciate knowing when I’m wrong.

Love Your Enemies

Jesus told us that we might be criticized, and worse, “be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matt 10:22). They “will hate you because of me” (Luke 21:17), so we can’t always take it personally. They may criticize us for being “holier than thou” because we’re not running with them in sin or drinking at the office party. They might feel convicted of their own sinful lifestyle because of your obedience to God. Just think about the fact that we were once like them; “sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who have sex with men, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers or swindlers” (1 Cor 6:9b-10).

We must not forget that we were once as they are now (1 Cor 6:11). If not for the Spirit’s changing us into new creations or creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17), we’d still be where they are now. That’s the reason we must show compassion for them, pray for them, love them and consider that we were once as they are now. Jesus reminds us in Luke 6:27-28 to “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” We are never more like God when we love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us and pray for those who abuse us. That’s the same love with which He loved us, loving ungodly, wicked enemies of God (Rom 5:6-10).

“…Love your enemies..”

Compassion for the Hurting

Have you ever considered that those who criticize you might be hurting? When someone snaps back at you, don’t respond in anger but in compassion. Remember, if they’re not a follower of Christ, they don’t have God’s Spirit to help them through this life like we have.  Maybe they see the joy you have and are envious of that. They want that same joy but if they haven’t made peace with God (Rom 5:1), then pray for them to be saved.  They have no Helper so they cannot have and know true peace with God.  If we think about people who lash out at us and at others, keep in mind they may be hurting, going through a divorce, facing serious health issues, or something we don’t even know about.  Jesus knew all about receiving criticism.  When others criticize us, stop and think of what their life might be like. May God use you and I to bring comfort to others with the same comfort that God has given us when we needed it (2 Cor 1:4).

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: What Does God Say About Serving Others?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sharing the gospel has never been easy, but Jesus has given the Church the imperative command to go and make disciples, so here are a few ways you can do that.

What Can You Say?

Sharing the gospel has never been easy, but Jesus has given the Church the imperative comnand to go into all the world and make disciples, so here are a few ways that can help you can do that. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of showing someone you care. Listen to people. Give them your full eye contact. Ask them:

Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs?
To you, who is Jesus?
Do you think there is a heaven or a hell?
If you died tonight, where do you think you would go?
By the way, if what you believe is not true, would you want to know?
Ask someone where they go to church.
Invite them to your church.
Ask questions about their church (if they have one, if not, share Christ).
Mention God in casual conversation.
Mention prayer in casual conversation.
Mention a favorite Bible verse in casual conversation.
Invite someone to a home Bible study.
Walk up to a stranger and ask if they’d like you to pray for them.

Clearly, none of these are easy…but at least it gives you a few starting points. Even the worst job of witnessing is better than not witnessing at all. We must love our neighbors and we do that by warning them of the coming wrath of God…so terrible that we’d never wish that on anyone (Rev 20:12-15).

What Can You Pray?

I

Pray for our enemies, do good to those who do us harm, and love those who hate us. That’s what Jesus taught and that’s what we ought to do. Remember God made the first move in our lives (Eph 2:1-5), loving us first before we ever loved Him (1 John 4:19). This means we must make the first move, remembering that at one time, God considered us ungodly, wicked enemies of His (Rom 5:6-10). Have the same compassion that Jesus did for the coming judgment of Jerusalem. We must weep over those who are perishing as our Lord did. Pray…and pray some more…never giving up on anyone. I prayed for my cousin for 22 years! Yes, that long. But never give up on praying for prodigals in the family, co-workers, extended family, cousins, uncles, and so forth. Write their name down and stick to praying every day for them. Pray for their eternal soul. Witness to them so obviously that they will know the gospel well, even if they do go to hell. Don’t give up…pray, pray and pray some more.

What Can You Do?

First of all, find some theologically sound Bible tracts. I recommend “Jesus Paid it All” from mwtb.org. They are so inexpensive yet biblical and high quality gloss finish tracts. Now, here’s a list of places you can leave your Bible tracts at:

Rest stops on counters and toilet stalls.
At restaurant tables (with a tip).
In every public restroom, laundromat, and waiting room you’re ever in.
You can hand out Biblical pamphlets or tracts any and everywhere you can as often as you can and to as many people as you can.
Try inserting them into library books you return, on vending machines, windshields. Include them with bill payments, in Christmas cards, or leave them on public bulletin boards.
Put them in pockets of used clothing you donate, leave in dressing rooms of clothing stores.
Leave them in airport lounges, clubs, bars and bus terminals.
Leave in cafeterias at work and in public.
Leave them on the seats of buses, cabs and airplanes.
Distribute free Bibles at a garage sale, lemonade stand, or at a local community event.
Go door to door handing out Bible tracts (Sadly, very, very few people do this today).

What Life Can You Live?

Here’s what you can do to draw people to Christ as God calls or draws them.

Listen before speaking.
Listen to people’s issues.
Tell them what the Scriptural solutions to their problems might be.
Admit we don’t have all the answer and have it “all together.”
Evangelism flows best when it flows through relationships.
Find the people closest to you and be very honest and open about your desire to see them saved.
Volunteer at a hospital.
Volunteer at a food bank.
Engage strangers in conversation.
Invite someone to a Bible study.
Offer a Bible study at a local nursing/rest home.
Bring food to a neighbor in need and offer to pray with them.
Offer to pray with someone and/or for someone.
Study the Gospel yourself.
Share why you became a Christian.
Pray for opportunities.
Pray for helpers.
Listen for openings in conversations.
Build relationships.
Text someone a few Bible verses or an invite to services.
Refuse to gossip. If asked, explain why.
Live the life of a Christian. People will be amazed.

Conclusion

I do pray that more people would evangelize.  They miss out on such joy that takes place afterward.  But for now, I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: What Do I Say to People When I Share the Gospel?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.