Final Judgment

 

    No one knows or understands everything about the end.  What is known is that there will be a day that God's family will be sifted.  His people will permanently be separated from those who are not His.  There will be a day that each person stands before Him to account for the time He gave in life.  

    One day you will face God sitting on His throne and give an account for your faith, all hidden secrets, and opportunities.  If you are not a Christians, then your fate has already been decided.  You will face your second death to spend eternity in torment with Satan.  If you are a Christian, then you will be judged according to your works.  

    Christians judgment may be uncomfortable, but you are a part of God's family.  You will still enter Heaven to live in eternal peace.  Your judgment is based on faith.  You will not face God's judgment like unbelievers.  It will reveal your good works and the trails and tribulations you endured to follow Jesus.  If you endure the fires of purifying faith now, then you will never see them in judgment.  

    Your judgment day will go according to how you live your life.  You are making that decision today.  It doesn't have to go badly, but you do have to choose a little discomfort now to avoid a lot in the future.  You have to have an eternal mindset to see beyond your today.  Don't be motivated by fear, but instead love.  Final judgment judges the heart and mind and faith, not actual deeds.  Your works are a biproduct of your faith.

    Sin matters.  Sin will not be entering Heaven.  Sin is the root of everything that divides you from God.  It empowers Satan giving him small victories that will not give him any real foot hold but makes him believe he has more power than he does.  Do not give him power in your life.  Repent for any sin and turn away from your habitual sin to honor God while you are alive.  God doesn't need you for power.  

    God chooses you.  He is not using you.  Satan is the one that uses people.  God give s you purpose and allows you to have a part in the bigger picture.  Satan wants to destroy you and relish in your pain.  Eternity is a long time.  Try not to get distracted.  Focus on what really matters.

Matthew 25:31-46, Luke 16:19-31, Acts 17:30-31, Romans 8:1-4, 1 Corinthians 3:12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Hebrews 9:27-28, & Revelations 20:11-15

Your Resurrection

 

    You know that one day you will die.  Did you know that right now you get to choose where you spend eternity?  Do not fear your physical death.  It is short in the grand scheme of eternity.  Fear your eternal death because that is where you will be forever more.  You can choose to follow Jesus now and spend eternity glorifying God in peace and beauty or you can reject Jesus and spend eternity in torment forever separated from God with no hope to change things.

    If you follow Jesus now, then one day you will be resurrected like Jesus.  Jesus will come for his people. When he calls you will resurrect if you know his voice, but you have to follow him while alive for that to happen.  Your resurrection means you will be restored eternally.  No more scars, pain, or bad days.  There will be no more sin.

    Your resurrection is guaranteed because Jesus resurrected and made the promise through him if you follow him in faith.  The resurrection is essential for faith.  It is what broke deaths power over you.  It is what broke the chains of sin that controlled all your movements.  Jesus breaks the chains, but you have to remove them or the world will not see the difference between you and itself.  They will not see the Holy Spirit's power in your life.  If you are forgiven by God, then why would you not live like it?

    Jesus may have resurrected people before himself, but it was through his power that he resurrected himself.  No one else can ever claim that.  He rose to never die again unlike Lazarus and the widows son.  If you are a Christian, then one day your soul will resurrect into your eternal body to spend eternity with him.  

    Being a Christian comes with accountability.  You can't claim to believe something and not live it.  It is time to live with integrity.  You may have to sacrifice some personal desires, comfort, or habits to live like Jesus reigns over you, but it is worth it.  Don't forget what you will be getting one day.  Don't rob your eternity for what you want in the moment.  Don't expect to understand everything now.  That is why it is called faith.  

John 11:1-44 & 1 Corinthians 15

Jesus Promised to Return

 

    One day Jesus will return because he promised that he would,  When he returns magnificent miracles and scary events will return with him.  His glory and power will not be held back this time.  He will come for his people and to unleash God's wrath on the world.  It will be the end of the world.

    Not every event predicted will wait until Jesus' actual return.  The first nine events happened before AD70.  It was promised to be like birthing pains.  It will ebb and flow.  The events will happen more often and become more painful the closer it gets to time, but no one will know the day or time until it happens.  Jesus promised that his return would be unexpected, but his people are to be ready and alert.

    Christians were never promised to have it easy.  It was actually promised that the church would be persecuted until Jesus returns, but the church is called to remain faithful.  Salvation is not a get out of hell free card.  It is meant to be lived in honor of God.  God is in charge.  The world is not spinning out of control, so you can maintain self-control to honor Him.  

    The world may feel unbearably evil sometimes, but the Holy Spirit is with you to help you endure.  Remember Jesus' promises.  Your eternity is secure even if your right now is not.  Jesus has victory over death and Satan.  It will be seen by all soon enough.  God is being kind and patient, so the whole world has an opportunity to chose to have a real relationship with Him.  Until that time Jesus will work out the details.  

Matthew 24:1-31, Luke 12:39-40, Acts 1:9-11, 2 Peter 3:8-9, & Revelations 22:20-21

After Death

 

    After your body dies your soul lives on.  It will go into an eternal body that can never be destroyed to live eternally in the location you chose when you were alive.  It is natural to want a happy ending, but life is just the beginning.  If you do not choose to follow Jesus now, then your eternity will be without him in a place you do not want to be.

    You may try not to think about death.  It may be scary because it is the unknown.  At the same time you know that it will happen.  Everything that lives dies.  It is just a matter of when, where, and how.  The only thing you have control over is where your are going and if you will give your family peace in knowing that they will see you again.  

    Death is the consequences for each person living outside of God's design for them.  Rebellion equals death.  Rebellion without submission against God equals eternal separation from God.  However, it doesn't have to be that way.  Death can be celebrated after a good life when you know you are joining God.  You can glorify God now and eternally.

    If you choose to follow Jesus in faith, not tradition or duty, then you body will die but your soul will be resurrected like Jesus was physically.  You may suffer some in life, but your eternal body will never suffer if you are with Jesus.  Your eternal body will be perfection.  Death means victory, peace, and hope.

    If you reject Jesus now then your eternity will be very different.  You will have an eternal body that will never be consumed by the flames.  You will live eternally in an inferno with no escape or hope.  You will never have the opportunity again to have a relationship with God.  You don't have to chose this path.

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:14-19, Luke 16:19-31, 23:39-43, John 11:25-29, Romans 8:15-17, & 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10

Church Leadership

 

        A Leader in the church has to hold themselves to a higher standing at church, the community, and at home.  The main positions is the pastor (overseer, bishop, or elder) and deacons.  The majority of the standards has more to do with character than duties.  People can learn how to do a job, but character comes from within.  If they do not have a strong relationship with God, then the character will reveal that.

    Pastors are teachers.  They teach the church on spiritual matters affecting life.  Deacons are to serve the church.  They help settle disputes, wait on people, and serve in whatever capacity is needed.  They minister to the church through action.  Together the pastor and the deacons take care of the church flock.  They uphold church ordinances and hold the church accountable to do the same.  The main ordinances to be upheld are baptism and the Lord's Supper.

    Baptism is not required for salvation, but it is the first act of obedience as a Christian.  If you can't do that simple instruction, then how can God ever trust you with something bigger.  It only needs to happen once because once saved always saved.  Once you fulfill baptism, then you can start moving forward in maturing as a Christian.  

    The Lord's Supper represents how Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for the church.  It also reminds the church of Jesus' last supper.  It points forward to your relationship with God and waiting on Jesus' return.  This act of remembrance could happen every week, once a month, once a quarter, or once a year.  It is important to be a part of church where leadership makes baptism and Lord's Supper import for membership.

Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:14-20, Acts 6:1-7, Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 2:11-12, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9

Missional Church

 

    A church that follows Jesus will go out into the world to introduce them to Jesus, tell them the Good News, and make disciples.  It starts in your own home, then community, and where ever else the Holy Spirit takes you.  You were set apart not to make you special, but to serve God.  You have a purpose.  You are a part of the royal priesthood that follows in Jesus' footsteps.  You have direct access to God.  do not waste what you have been given.  Give it to the world.

    A missional church is a church full of believers that take responsibility for the blessings that God has given them.  They take their gifts and talents into the world boldly to meet the needs of people in the world.  It starts somewhere.  It can be a smile, debate, visiting the sick, or any opportunity that makes people want to listen to what you have to say.  You go out and meet their needs and they will eventually respond.

    Acts is a great place to find out how to be a missional church.  It is the book of how Jesus' first church came about after his ascension.  The power of the church comes from the Holy Spirit, not the people.  It can take pressure off if you understand that you only have to be yourself.  You are not held on a pedestal.  Follow Jesus and be yourself.  God will use it if you are willing.

    A missional church will support one another in prayer, encouragement, and wisdom.  You should never be alone.  You always have the Holy Spirit, but you should also have the support of your church to strengthen you.  No one succeeds when they are alone.  Life is too hard.  You will get overwhelmed with life versus serving the church and seeking opportunities to bring people into the church.

    If you are a Christian, then you are a missionary.  You do not have to go to far off places to serve.  You serve where you work, your church, and other places in your community.  You don't have to be in the spotlight to be a missionary.  It is often easier if you are in the background working to just take moments to serve.

    A missional church does the Lord Supper, baptism, meals together, serve the community, lay hands, worship, pray, and fast.  This church is obedient to God's commands.  This is what you were set apart to do.  Don't overthink it.  Just let it become a part of who you are and it will become natural.  Start small if you need to or jump all in if that is what you need.  

    The point is to grow and keep trying.  Make mistakes and learn from them.  You are needed.  There is too many needs in the world and not enough people willing to help.  At the same time don't kill yourself trying to do everything because other people do not step up.  It takes balance and lots of prayer.  Be willing to get uncomfortable because you will not be useful until you do.  When things start getting too comfortable again be prepared to change things up because something is about to happen to do just that.  

Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 11:19-30, 13:1-3, & 1 Peter 2:9-12

Church at War

 

    Christians are at war with society, themselves, and the spiritual world.  The battle is all spiritual, but it often feels personal.  The church is at war with society and not conforming to be like the world.  If you are a Christian, then you battle with your own desires versus living for God.  Then there is the unseen, but felt far too often spiritual battle where God is fighting Satan on the majority of it for you.  You still have to become a prayer warrior and scripturally strong to even know how to fight these battles.

    Your war is with wanting to live in the light with Jesus, but the darkness of human nature that Satan controls keeps creeping in somehow.  Satan is a liar.  He makes what looks and sounds good or logical into something ugly and dangerous.  He tricks people with false teachings, division in the church, persecution to get people to back down, and other evil tactics.

    Satan blinds the world to his tactics and works at misleading people from the truth.  That is why he attacks Christians.  Christians expose the truth and brings evil into the light.  Jesus has already won the war, but that makes Satan all the more dangerous.  He has nothing to lose and his goal is to take as many people down with him.  

    Do not lose sight of who the real players are in this war.  Satan wants to destroy everything good and pure in the world.  Don't be one of his victims.  Do not lose focus on what matters and stay close to Jesus. This war is supernatural and it is against Jesus' people.  It is real and it is vicious.  Just because you can't see it does not mean you are not in it.  Resist evil and lean into Jesus for strength, endurance, and rest.  

    The Holy Spirit does his part in protecting the church with spiritual gifts and the armor of God.  You do not have to be afraid, but you do need to be aware.  When you are going through it remember that God would not allow it unless it served a purpose bigger than yourself.  Sometimes you have to endure persecution to grow and see the bigger picture more clearly.  It is never easy or fun, but the reward makes it worth it in the end.

    A church that comes together to fight this spiritual war is a strong church.  People that come together to pray and study scripture are not easily broken.  If you chose to be an island, then you are fighting alone.  That was never God's design.  Christians need each other.  The church is not strong without all of it's people.  Together with God's power Christians can push back the darkness.

Matthew 4:1-11, Acts 4:23-31, 20:28-31, 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, 5:16-17, 11:1-4, Ephesians 6:10-20, James 5:1-18, & Revelations 2:9-10