June 21, 2020
Sunday AM
Revelation 21 & 22
Earth is not our home! We cannot live like it is. The vision of heaven and hell isn’t put before us as often as it should be. The best day on earth cannot even compare to one day in heaven! Don’t allow yourself to become earthly rooted. Heaven is LIFE! There is no pain or sorrow there! NO demonic influence! As Christians, with the loss of a loved one, we should be rejoicing! Heaven is part of your reward! In the old days, Preachers kept heaven and hell before you at all times. It adjusted the way you live your life. It adjusted the way you treat those around you!
The pandemic that we have been faced with was not created by God. It was allowed though to get our attention. God is not the author of anything that brings sorrow and pain. God has nothing to do with viruses and diseases. He DOES NOT put those kinds of things on you to teach you a lesson. God put those things on His son at the cross and judged them there. He put them in their place there. God corrects through His word and through the people in authority over you. Why did God have to shut down the entire world to get our attention? Because we were on the wrong path. We were following our own plan and not His. God granted us a space of mercy and grace so that we could make adjustments! The whole world shut down so that we could look at ourselves honestly. What adjustments have you made? What are you doing differently than you were prior to COVID-19? Jesus Christ is coming soon.The world nor the church is ready to meet Him. As human beings we can be so caught up with our own lives that we don’t realize, we are not ready! He gave us this time so that we can get ready! He is so merciful. He doesn’t want you to miss heaven! He made a way and paid a price so that no person has to go there, but everyone has choices. Make the right one! We all have things we need to fix and things we need to remove from our lives. But God has a plan for us that is far beyond anything we can have here on earth. He wants us to keep our eyes on the prize! Keep your eyes on His best, and while you are here on earth going through things, and dealing with things, He wants us to have joy in the journey because we know how it’s going to turn out! It will turn out for our good, if we follow Him. You only need to be willing! Anyone can do it! God has always worked through the remnant! He’s always got a handful of faithful people!
Revelation 3:1-4 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomesshall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
In verse 4 He gives a picture of a remnant of people. They refused to soil their garments. God has raised them up and they refuse to go the way of the world and the flesh. They will pray and seek God and follow after Him. The remnant has always been the group of people that God used to carry out His plans in the earth! Why? Because they were the only ones who were ready and prepared! This is our year for preparation! Dedicate yourself to Him!
God forbid we be a church that thinks they are alright, when we are not! The way people get in that condition is lukewarm preaching! When it comes to life or death, heaven or hell, we need to hear the truth even if it hurts our feelings! It doesn’tmatter if it makes you mad!If you go to hell, then you will be really mad! And you can’t do anything about it at that point! Do you want to be miserable and alone for the rest of eternity? Jesus is coming soon! You will wish your preacher was HARDER ON YOU! Are you ready? Ask God, “Am I ready?” Is that sobering? Here’s the good news: anyone can get ready! If you’re breathing right now, there’s still time!
Lester Sumrall once said, “I pray to God I die a poor man. That I expend every dollar and resource I have to win people to God before I die.” That is a foreign way of living for most Americans! Will you be found in God? Or will you be found in the world chasing possessions? This is not a time to be straddling the fence! Lines are being drawn! There’s no time to play games!