Tag: Wealth

14.f. “Partial obedience is not obedience”

Malachi 3:8  Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Haggai 1:6-11   You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.  “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.  Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.  You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.  Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.

Proverbs 3:9-10   Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;  then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Remember, partial obedience is no obedience. No one benefits from a tithe he or she holds on to.  The title grabbed my attention: “Our Church Was Robbed Recently.” The story that followed said:  “We are thankful that no one was injured physically, but it will be some time before things are back to normal. It’s clear that more than one person is responsible – in fact, there may actually be many people who have been party to the crime. Two things are most unfortunate about the robbery – one is that we have no assurances that it won’t happen again, and that is a bit unnerving! The other unfortunate element is that we’re certain that those who carried out the robbery are members of our church. It’s bad enough to know that a theft has occurred, but it’s really hard to imagine that professing Christians would actually steal from God and the ministries of his church. We can certainly hope that anyone who has participated in this act will repent and repay what has been taken. It’s reported that some of the stolen money has been used for vacations, cars, boats, designer clothes, athletic equipment, homes, and even dining out. We don’t have a complete list of all the suspects, but there is consolation in knowing that God does. “You haven’t read about this in the papers and hopefully you won’t. I realize that some of you will disagree, but it would be difficult to get a conviction in the courts given the clever way in which the robbery was carried out. You are probably also interested in how much was taken. The amount is undetermined, but at the very least exceeds many thousands of dollars. “By the way, the robbery happened in full view of the church during Sunday services. It happened as the offering plates were passed during Sunday school and worship. It also happened as people who didn’t come simply didn’t give the Lord’s tithe.”

Remember, partial obedience is no obedience. No one benefits from a tithe he or she holds on to.

by Rick Ezell

12.p. “Those who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished.

Zephaniah 1:11  Wail, you who live in the market district; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be destroyed. At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses, they will not live in them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine.” The great day of the Lord is near— near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. “I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”

James 5:1    Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

Revelation 18:14   “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!  The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,  “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!  For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off  and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”

Have you ever put your trust in what you have?  Trusting your job or position and the income from it.  Trusting in your health. Trusting in the economy.  Trusting in the safety of your home.  Trusting in your finances.  Trusting in your education.  Trusting in your experience.  What if we were to change the word from pridefully trusting to humbly thankful.  There is a difference isn’t there?  One, our reliance is on what we have and what we can do.  The other is faith, trust, and reliance on Jesus Christ, His plan and purpose, His best for our life, His supplying everything that we need, His steadfast love, grace, and mercy, His promises and…… The difference is all in the intentional choices we make one way or the other in our hearts, minds, and souls.  This difference will manifest itself in one of two ways.  If we are self-reliant, when things happen, trials, troubles, and chaos, we will find a deep-rooted fear, confusion, and lack of peace and rest.  We will complain rather than rejoice.  We will despair rather than have joy and hope.  We will have fear rather than peace.  We will have confusion rather than clarity.  We will believe lies rather than truth.  If we cling to, rely on, and trust in Jesus Christ the opposite will manifest in our lives.  Peace and certain steadfast hope that passes all understanding will flow through our entire being.  We will not fear tomorrow but rejoice in the Promises of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.  We will see new blessings each day.  We will have peace at night for our hope and trust is in Him alone.  He is our refuge, strength, courage, power, fortress, and the reason we have no fear or confusion.  There is much going on today in our cities, nations, and the world.  Media outlets are vomiting up narratives of fear and danger.  People are buying into these lies because they reject the peace that only Jesus Christ can bring.  Oh that Jesus would open their eyes and ears once more to see and hear the truth.  Oh that He would soften hearts to the Gospel and would flood our cities and nation with an overpowering understanding of the need for salvation, redemption, and forgiveness.  Oh that He would use each of us to bring this Good News, live this Good News, and proclaim this Good News.  Oh that He would remove all fear, confusion, and anxiety from His children and allow them to walk in strength, courage, and power of the Holy Spirit.

12.h. “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

Habakkuk 2:9  “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! You have devised shame for your house  by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.

Deuteronomy 7:25-26    The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.  And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

Job 20: 19-20     For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build.  “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

Obadiah 1:4    Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.

Proverbs 18:11-12    A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.  Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Psalms 52:7     “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are the entangling snares of men. When our hearts are given over to these lusts it is taken captive by a very jealous and powerful master.  These lusts are a thick dark staining clay.  Those who think they can handle it are easily dirtied and soiled with a stain that is very hard to wash from the heart. They will find not find happiness and satisfaction in this clay no matter how they mold it. Seeking after an abundance of wealth is the ruin of many. And what fools are those that burden themselves with continual care about it; with a great deal of guilt in getting, saving, and spending it, and with a heavy account which they must give another day! They overload themselves with this thick staining clay, and soon do not even notice how badly their soul is stained.  They live in fear of not having enough and run blindly through life on a path that leads straight to hell. When we give in to covetousness and lust of the eye and allow it to take root in our hearts it will bring along with it troubles, confusion, fear, loneliness, and dissatisfaction, and brings darkness so dark that only the Word of God can shine through.   If we think for one moment that we can manage these lusts of staining clay and not be stained by them we are certainly void of the wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word.  There are no greater slaves in the world than those who are slaves to worldly pursuits and lusts. And what comes of it? They will find life very disappointing and without lasting purpose. There is nothing in worldly lusts that honors and glorifies God.

10.i. “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.”

Obadiah 1:10  Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.

For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be s though they had never been. But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.

The Edomites were the descendants of the biblical Esau, who was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham.  Deuteronomy 23:7 You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land.  The Israelites and Edomites were descendant brothers. They were expected to treat each other as brothers.  The Israelites were rejected passage through Edom while in the wilderness. Numbers 20:14  Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met:  how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. fAnd the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers.  And when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.  Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”  But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.”  The Edomites eventually disappeared from history. “and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken” And so it is.  They lived in rebellion to God.  They lived in pride and arrogance.  They despised God and His chosen.  They fought against God’s chosen. They even captured and turned over those who had escaped during the Babylonian attack and destruction of Jerusalem.  “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.“

Like the Edomites, there is no hope for those who reject the offer of salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ.  Their end is the same, destruction, torment, and eternity in hell, which has been reserved for those who not only reject salvation but despise it and God.

5.j. In him we live and move and have our being’

 

Job 12:7  “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you: or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Jeremiah 8:7     Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules of the LORD.  Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’  You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

1 Samuel 2:7    The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.

Jeremiah 27:5-6    “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.

Romans 11:36    For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Acts 17:28   for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’

God is in control of all things at all times.  We would do well to plant this firmly in our mind and water it frequently with our heart seeking to honor Jesus Christ.  I like how Job says to his friends; “who among these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” He said this to say to his friends that he knows this is at the hand of God.  His point is that God, creator of all there is and the one who is in control of all things can do as He plans and purposes. He is the creator!  It is through Jesus Christ that we live, move, and have our being.  We and all of creation.  Yet, we seem to go days on end without giving thought to the Creator or giving thanks to the Creator or honoring the Creator, or clinging to, relying on, and trusting in the Creator.  Why is this?  Why is it we live day after day, and week after week with shallow commitments to Him?  Are we too busy?  Are we occupied by other things more important than the Creator?  Is He not worthy of all of our time?  Can we go about our day and have him first on our minds?  Jesus Christ is our living water and bread of life.  He is the one who will fill the void we have from shallow complacent commitment.  Jesus Christ is so much more than worthy of our honor, glory, worship, and praise.  It is time to start living each moment of every day intentionally for Him.

3.g. But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud.

2 Chronicles 32:24  In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the Lord, and he answered him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

And Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of costly vessels; storehouses also for the yield of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds. He likewise provided cities for himself, and flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great possessions. This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.

Deuteronomy 32:6    Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?

Luke 17:17-18    Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

1 Peter 5:5-6     Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

Daniel 5:20    But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

Ezekiel 28:5    by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth

Psalms 116:12-13   What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,

Sections from Compelling Truth on pride;  In 1 John it says; “For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world.”  Pride is a sinful, arrogant, haughty, insolent, self-reliant attitude or spirit that causes a person to have an inflated or puffed up view of themselves.  In this pride, the proud do not have a correct or sober estimation of themselves, their abilities or their positions. Proverbs says;  “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Conversion (born again) and baptism are not a guarantee against the temptation to pride. Even the apostle Paul was given a mysterious thorn in his side to keep him from becoming proud. We must be reliant and dependent on God for our strength if we are to keep from falling into this ever enticing trap.  As we grow in knowledge, understanding, and yielding to God’s leading resulting in good deeds, we can be tempted to glory in ourselves. Likewise, when God blesses us with health, prosperity, and wisdom there is tempting to claim this as if our own working and effort accomplished it.  In times of blessings, we need awareness that only the Holy Spirit can give to keep us from yielding to the temptation of pride.  We must be constantly alert and on guard against the temptation to pride, self-reliance, and self-righteousness. It is not by our own strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us that we are able to imitate Christ’s humility and thereby love and serve God, our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and even our enemies. Pride is focused inward on loving and serving oneself, Spirit-filled love is directed outward toward loving and serving God and others.

1.q. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword

2 Chronicles 1:7  In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

1 Samuel 16:7   But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

1 Kings 8:18     But the LORD said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.

1 Chronicles 28:2    Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building.

1 Chronicles 29:17-18   I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.  O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.

Hebrews 4:12     For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

What would God see in your heart that no one else can see or know?  What do you think is hidden and only yours to ponder and think about?  What occupies your thoughts that you think no one knows about?  God for certain knows everything in your heart.  He not only knows the thought but the intent behind the thought.  We get tested by God. Deuteronomy 8:2 “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”  Ecclesiastes 3:18  “I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

God alone tests us so that we will see the error in our ways, how we talk, how we think, how we act. It is because of His love for us that He does this.  He wants us to grow, understand, and gain knowledge of Him through the grace and mercy demonstrated in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.  In this gaining knowledge and understanding, we must be shown (tested) what is truly in our heart and mind so that we can freely repent from it and freely choose to turn away from it to honor, serve, follow and obey our Lord and Savior.  If we are not tested I fear our growth will become stagnate and we will become complacent and neglectful.

Oh God, give us ears to see and a mind to understand the greatness and awesomeness of Your grace and mercy.  Speak loud and clear to our heart so that we know Your testing and see clearly that from which we need to confess, repent and turn away from.  Strengthen our understanding of scripture as we intentionally choose to each day to be in Your word for Your honor and glory.

98. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.

Deuteronomy 8:5  Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land,

Deuteronomy 8:17  Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Psalms 127:1-2   Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Psalms 33:16-18    The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.  The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.  Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Proverbs 21:30-31    No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.

1 Corinthians 3:7     So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

1 Chronicles 28:20    Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

1 Corinthians 3:9-15    For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.  According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

It is by God’s very hand that we live.  It is by His very blessings we have life.  In Him, we are made whole.  Apart from Him, we are chasing wind of every desire that is influenced upon our heart and mind.  If we don’t find hope, peace, and refuge in Him our daily foundation is built on something that will not stand.  In fact, it will fail us time and time again.  Finances, employment, and relationships, outside of God’s leading and provision are worthless, though they seem satisfying.

If our view of this world and what it has to offer comes from the world our heart and mind will be darkened and our ears will become deaf to His calling and our eyes will be blind to His leading.  If all we have to hope is what we can glean from this world we will go through life with a sad existence.  His word is the breath of life, water for our soul, food for our mind, and in His word we find purpose and meaning for today, tomorrow, and eternity.

Do you want satisfaction for your heart, mind, and soul?  Do you want to have meaning and purpose every day?  Do you want to honor and glorify Jesus Christ for His sacrifice on the cross?  Do you want to live in forgiveness or needing to be forgiven?

All of these questions can be answered faithfully in a life that is intentional in humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, worshipping, following, and obeying what is revealed in and through His word.  There is no better time to be intentional to stay in His seeking and desiring to be led by God.

64. What will you do when the end comes

Deuteronomy 32:29   and there is no understanding in them. If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

Psalms 81:13     Oh, that my people would listen to me

Psalms 107:43     Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

Isaiah 48:18-19     Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!

Hosea 14:9     Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them

Isaiah 10:3    What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?

Jeremiah 5:31    but what will you do when the end comes?

Luke 12:20     But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Job 27:8     For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?

What will you do when the end comes? If you are wise you would understand your latter end.  If you will pay attention to God and keep your eyes on Him and your heart and soul fully seeking and desiring Him the end is clear.  If you are given a glimpse of eternity, sin, judgment, atonement, redemption, salvation, the need for repentance, grace, mercy, and love of God, and you live as though this world is all there is to live for, then you are to be pitied.  For you have rejected a full life in Jesus Christ.  You have cast aside blessings and promises of eternity in heaven for desires of the flesh here and now.

The end comes to all life.  Judgment comes to all. Those who have rejected a life of humble service, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying God will find that when life ends they have believed a lie.  They are cast into torment for eternity for this is the judgment to those who reject the grace, mercy, and love of God through Jesus Christ.   “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.   And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

There is no room in our lives for being lukewarm, neglectful, or complacent to the gift of life through Jesus Christ.