This is it!

This week I went to see “This is it” the movie about Michael Jackson. I really enjoyed it so much I saw it twice. Don’t judge me because I’m a Christian or you because you think Michael did something wrong. The movie documented  a very talented entertainer at work.

As I sat there and watched him announce the last tour of his career and using the words “this is it” I couldn’t help but think how it actually was the final curtain call of his life. With each rehearsal as we know he was living the last few days of his life.

As a Christian I of course think about eternity. With all the spectacular planning and rehearsing where did Michael spend eternity was the question I had in my mind.  I would not dare try to answer the question because of course I don’t know.

Some would put him in to heaven automatically because he was talented and a good person. But if you believe the Bible the real truth is that no one makes it into heaven unless they accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. Doesn’t matter how much money, fame or talent one has. In the end it’s all about accepting Christ.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour why don’t you accept Him today?

Matthew 16:26:

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

 John 3:16:

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

 Romans 10:9-10:

⁹because, if^(A) you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and^(B) believe in your heart^(C) that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Obey today

In evaluating the past few years of my life, I see that God has required a much higher level of obedience and sadly I have missed a lot because I have not passed the test.

This is how dictionary.com defines the word obey: To comply with and follow commands.

It’s really quite simple. When we feel the Lord instructing us to do something we need to follow his commands. Do what He says when he says to do it. Just obey.

 1 Samuel 15:22-23:

²²Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

 23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.

God’s patience and warnings pt. 3

One of the most dangerous things that we can do is to continue in sin. Yes, we all sin, but it’ s dangerous to continue to walk in willful sin. And the proof of that is in the book of Judges and the story of Samson.

Samson was consecrated from birth. Even his mother consecrated while carrying him. And God was very specific about the things he was not supposed to partake in. Well Samson became careless about his consecration and started sinning and was deceived because he would get up from is bed of sin and still have success. But finally he became attached to the wrong women who eventually became his downfall and caused him to go to his grave. It was a downward spiral.

Sometimes we “get up” from our sin and think we have gotten away with it and we continue until one day we meet with the one circumstance that brings about our day of destruction.

Repent (change your ways today) before you meet that circumstance.

 Isaiah 54:7-8:

7For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

God’s patience and warnings Pt. 2

Sometimes we or someone we know may stuggle with a habit of sin or a sinful lifestyle but still are blessed by God.

Sometimes people think this means that God is pleased with them and their sin, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes God loves us but sometimes the Lord is good to us in order to get us to repent. He is using His goodness get us to recognize our shortcomings mainly to cause us to change our ways. In other words God is extending His mercy towards us so we will recognize that we have fallen short.

 Romans 2:4:

4Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent (^[a]to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?

God’s patience and warnings

I accepted my call many years ago and it came through Jeremiah 1. I am not calling myself a prophet, but I consider my calling of the  prophetic order. Prophetic people are called to exhort and encourage, but God also calls us to warn as well.

People get nervous when I say certain things, but one thing I do know is that God is patient, loving and kind but when He begins to warn you about a particular thing in your life that is out-of-order, it’s important to begin to get things in order.

In the past few days God has put His hand on certain areas in my life and honestly I know He has been speaking to me about them for a while. I know that I must bring these things in order NOW. No more putting it off because the end result will not be good.

God loves his people and it not so much even about his judgment but rather He lifts His grace and we reap the consequences of our actions even to death.

I buried a family member recently and she held bitterness in her heart for more than 20 years. Along the way those of us who loved her would tell her “you have to forgive”. And once we told her the truth she cut us off. Well before she died of stage 4 cancer she admitted that she knew she was in that state because she carried hatred in her heart. Her life was cut short.

If God has someone to warn you of things then you need to try to correct those things asap. Continuing to function that way is only going to work against you.  I know this is not popular to hear in these days of “God is going to baby you no matter what you do” time that we live in, but the truth is it’s a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.

Sometimes we try to justify our behaviour because we have gone through some hard things in life.  So we feel like we are entitled to be cruel, evil and destroy others including ourselves, but not so. That is why Jesus died and some of us have known Him much to long to continue to behave the way that we do. So now is the time to make the correction. I’m telling you this is a clarion call from God to get it together. All of us! Repent while there is time. That means change your behavior and your ways permanently. That means stop doing what you are doing for good!

Let me break it down…

If you have a habit of sin, now is the time to give it up for good.

Stop committing adultery, fornication, drinking smoking and doing drugs. Stop overeating, gossiping and having idols in your life.

Stop being cruel. Stop hurting people, stop playing with peoples emotions. Stop lying, cheating, and stealing and doing what you want to do.

Submit  your whole heart to God. The time is now. Tick tock…the clock is ticking….

Part 2 tomorrow…

 Psalm 7:11:

11God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

It’s almost over

Today I just want to encourage someone and let them know that the trial and difficult situation they are enduring is almost over.

Trouble does not last forever. Even when you have been in an extended season of difficulty and it seems as though it will never come to an end remember, that there is joy set before you.

Remember those hard times in the past? Well just like they came to and end, so with this. Hold on. A change is coming.

Proverbs 23:18:

¹⁸For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.