How many of you heard about Hurricane Irean? It was hard not to hear about it, the worst hurricane to hit the eastern sea board for many, many years. Warnings were given out over and over again. So many I was tired of hearing them. Warnings if you live in the low lying areas evacuate as you have been told to do. Board up your windows, sandbag and so on. Valuables out of the basement. Do not leave your cars behind. So with so many warnings everyone was safe right? No, many people actually died. Cars were swept down roaring rivers. Countless houses were flooded. Why didn’t the people listen? They did not listen because they did not think the threat was actually that great. Decisions we make are often important, some even have eternal significance. The day before the hurricane hit how many of these people do you think planned to die or be injured that day? None. A much more important question, how many of them were ready to die and stand before the Lord. Often when one is on their death bed they are asked if they have made their peace with God. How many of them had made their personal peace with God? How many were actually ready to stand before the Lord? I do not know. Only the Lord knows. Well how about us today, tragedy can strike at any time, to anyone be they strong, young and healthy or be they weak, sick or old or somewhere in-between, as many were last Saturday and Sunday. The hurricane did not care if the people were rich or poor. It did not care if they were American, Canadian or any other nationality. It did not care about their social standing or job, or even age, an 11 year old being killed. It just hit. But were they ready to die? Disasters, troubles in various places is one of the many signs that Jesus gave about the end times. Along with wars and famines and we have had our share of these around the World. We are told in Daniel 12:4 (NLT) 4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” Do we now have massive travel with people rushing to and fro like never before? Absolutely. Has knowledge increased? Like never before. When I was born black and white TV’s were it, rare to have one of those. And computers were only in science fiction shows. Massive change in knowledge has happened, but sadly the human heart has not changed it is still selfish and full of pride and rebellion against God. But when large tragedies strike, when great hardships come when loved ones pass away, when someone close to us is killed, we at times for at least a moment wonder, am I ready, if it should happen to me? Where would I go if a fire swept through Rocky, a tornado hit, an earthquake shook things apart right now and one of the big beams holding up the ceiling came down and hit me and killed me, where would I go? Am I ready? Am I ready to meet God. If you have heard me speak before or read this blog then you have been warned. But what have you done in response to the warning you were given. Today is another warning. Ask yourself am I prepared in such a way that God would welcome me into heaven as his child. Or would I find myself in Haties the jail house of God where one is kept till judgement day comes. Am I ready. Am I certain that I am ready? I know some discount that judgement day is coming, or that the Lord will ever come back. Especially with some nuts setting dates as happened a couple of months ago that fail over and over again. Folks the Bible does not set dates, however it does gives the signs of the times the last times, but no dates. Rather the Bible says, Jesus speaking. Matthew 25:13 (NKJV) 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” No one is going to know, if some one tells you when the Lord is coming you can know for sure that they are not being true to the Bible. They are not speaking for God. Do not let the nuts make you think that the Lord’s coming is bogus or fake. Just because there are nuts out there, it does not change the fact that the Lord will come back one day. It does not change the fact that judgement day is coming. So are you ready? Ask yourself what are you relying on to get you into heaven? By what right should God let you in? Do you really think you have lived a good enough life? God’s standard is perfection. Not a good vs. bad meter of some sort. The Bible say all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God that is short of His righteous holy standard. Since none of us are perfect, this means we all have a great need since none of us are ready for heaven. We are all heading in the wrong direction. Because of this God in His great love for us has made a way for each to be made ready, to be prepared to go to heaven. Now God being just He could not say well I will just let you in to heaven. In no way, for our sin had to be dealt with, it had to be paid for. It is a debt that we in no way can pay ourselves, unless you think going to hell for eternity is an option. Because of this the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only Son came to die in our place He being perfect could do this and was willing to do this. But in order for Him to do it He had to become human. And He did so that is why we celebrate Christmas the Saviour has come. He lived He taught and He died for us. But death could not hold Him and He rose from the dead the third day all to make a way for you and I to go to heaven, to be ready. So when God would ask us why should I let you into heaven we can say because I have believed that your Son is God that He made me. That He is the only way to You. For He alone has died in my place paying for all my sins. I not only know this but I have repented from my sins, willing to change and to live for you in the strength that you give. I have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ death on the cross as full payment for my sin. Accepting Your gift of Salvation. And I asked the Lord Jesus to come into my life and to be the Lord of my life. I gave my life to Him. I come to you Heavenly Father the way that you have made for me to come to you. I am ready because you made a way for me to be ready. This is the only answer that will be acceptable to God. We in no way can get to God any other way. To even think so is full of pride, it is saying we know better than God knows. It is saying that God is a sadist for He sent His own Son to die for us when He didn’t need to. Foolishness. It is ignoring the warnings given, when one ignores God’s warnings disaster will happen. Some may think well when I am old then I will come to God. There is no guarantee we will become old or older. And when one is old often they are so hard that they will not heed the warning given so come to the Lord today, heed the warning. To Be ready if we were to die today we must come to God, God’s way.
A. BELIEVE IN THE PERSON OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
1. BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR GOD. JOHN 1:1-3, 20:31, ISH. 9
2. BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. JOHN 14:6,
ACTS 4:12, MATT. 6:24. 1 JOHN 5:11-13. JOHN 3:18. TITUS 3:5&6, EPH. 2:8&9.
B. BELIEVE IN THE WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
3. BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST CAME TO EARTH TO PAY FOR YOUR SINS BY DYING ON THE CROSS. 1 COR. 15:3, 2 COR. 5:21. HEB. 9:22.
4. BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD.1 COR. 15:4, ROM. 10:9.
C. OUR RESPONSE TO WHAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US
5. ADMIT ONE IS A SINNER, (has a need, can not save themselves) ROM. 3:23 & 6:23.
6. REPENT FROM OUR SINS, (ask God to forgive all our sins, and then turn from living for ourselves- sinning as we desired, to living for God in righteousness, doing His will for our lives.) LUKE 13:3,5, 15:7. ROM. 6:13,19,22-23, MATT. 7:20. LUKE 14:26-35.
7. BELIEVING ON, AND RECEIVE INTO OUR LIVES THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. JOHN 1:12,
AFFIRMATION- SHOWS WE HAVE BEEN SERIOUS WITH GOD -CONFESS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BEFORE MEN. ROM. 10:10, MATT. 10:32&33, LUKE12:8&9. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ?
IF YOU WERE TO DIE TODAY ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN? Are you ready? Make sure today. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME A CHILD OF GOD? Pray along with me.
SALVATION PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father I believe, that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, that He is the only way to You. That He came to earth, paying the debt of all my sins by dying on the cross for me. I believe that Jesus Christ rose again, from the dead the third day. Father I admit that I have done things that are wrong, things that are against Your holy will, which is sin. I now repent, turning from my old way of life, living for myself, I choose to live for You Heavenly Father, and for your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus Christ, I now receive You into my life, to be my Lord and Savior. I now ask you Heavenly Father, that You would forgive me of all my sins. I reject Satan, and any work he ever had in my life. I thank you Heavenly Father for giving your Son, and I pray, that You will help me do the things that You want me to. Guide me to the church of your choosing for me to attend. I pray all these things, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
