The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1E [Ideas Series, #5]

Genesis 3:23-24
"Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."


If God threw Adam out of Eden on account of one sin, how can you expect to get into the Heavenly paradise with ten thousand? If someone out there says, "I haven't got anything to repent of." If you are  like the Pharisees, then I can tell you that this message will not reach your heart.

In I John 1:8, 10, the Bible states -

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us...If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Alas, some people say, "I believe in the mercy of God; I don't believe God will send anyone to hell. I believe everyone will get to Heaven."

Or, "I believe that they are many paths to Heaven."

Look at those antediluvians. Do you think God swept all those sinners, all those men and women who were too wicked to live on earth - do you believe He swept them all into Heaven, and left the only righteous man to wade through the flood and its aftermath? Do you really hold to this notion, Reader?

And yet many men believe all will go into Heaven. Oh, Friend, don't believe the lie that comes from the mouth of the Devil himself! 

The day will come when you will wake up and know that you have been deceived by Satan. No unrepentant sinner will ever get into Heaven. Unless they forsake their sin they cannot enter there. The law of God is very plain on this point: "Except a man repent." That's the language of Scripture. And when this is so plainly set down, why is it that men fold their arms and say, "God will take me into Heaven anyway."

I can imagine some of you are saying now, Am I to repent today?"  The answer is a resounding Yes! My Friends, there are only two parties in the world. It's not the Republicans and the Democrats. Or, the Conservatives and the Liberals. Or, the 1% and the 99%. Indeed, there  is a great battle going on for your mind here today. And, yes, there are only two sides. Now, there are two parties in this world - those for Christ and those against Him, and to change to Christ's party is only moving from the old party to the new. You know that the old party is bad, and the new one is good, and yet you don't change. You don't have to wait for Election Day. Today's your day to vote, Friend. What's keeping you from casting the right vote?

If a man is not repentant his face is turned away from God, and the moment his face is turned toward God peace and joy follow. There are a great many people hunting after joy, after peace. Dear friends, if you want to find it today. Just turn to God, and you will get it.

Here's a final thought by Charles Spurgeon, "He who looks sinward has his back to God—he who looks Godward has his back to sin."

I can't put more plainer than this: Turn or Burn. What's it going to be? Cast your vote now.

I Choose to Turn This Day!

The Excusers & The Accuser

Luke 14:16-20

"Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."

No sooner does anyone begin to preach the Gospel than men and women begin “to make excuses.” It is an old, old story. There is not an unsaved person here but has got some excuse. If I were to go to each of you and ask why you do not accept God’s invitation to the Gospel feast - after reading post after post about the majesty of His love and the miracle of His mercy - you would have an excuse ready on the end of your tongue; and if you had not one ready, the devil would be there to help you to make one. And if the excuse could be answered he is ready to make new ones. He has had six thousand years’ experience, and he is very good at it; he can give you as many as you want.

Do you know the origin of excuses? You will find it away back in Eden. Read all about it in Genesis 3.

When Adam had sinned, he tried to excuse himself. “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Not only did Adam blame the woman, but he also had the chutzpah to try and lay the blame on God. Talk about biting the Hand that feeds you!

And, little ol' Eve tried to lay it on the serpent; and down to the present time, men and women, with one consent, begin to make excuses.

Finally, the old serpent has no one to blame, so he accuses. He accuses the elect (that is, the believers) all day and night (Rev. 12:10).

Here's the thing: On that Great Day, YOU - and no one else - will stand before God and give an account for your life (Rom 14:12). At the Great White Throne, the unsaved will stand before the Righteous Judge (Rev. 20:11-15)  and face the wrath appointed to the unbelievers (John 3:36).

Where will you stand on that Day, Reader? As one of the saved? Or, on the precipice of eternal damnation?

The choice is yours to make today. On that Great Day, there will be no excuses. None.

So, Friend, what's holding you back? After all, you're being invited to a Feast of all feasts! The admission has been paid already. All you have to do is RSVP.

Read what Jesus Christ did for you at Calvary: I Want to Get Right With God Today!

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised—
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon—
Pardon for you and for me!

Come home! come home!
Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing—
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, death-beds are coming—
Coming for you and for me!

Come home! come home!
Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

It's the End of the World (And I Feel Fine)

Matthew 24:36

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

When I come across articles like the one I'm about to post and when I hear the water cooler talk about the end of the world, I am not taken aback by the ignorance of the statements made. What makes the entire conversation cock my head is the attitude about the end of the world. It's not concern or worry or fear. The most prevalent attitude associated with the end-of-the-world talk is apathy. People seem not to care about the ending.

You would think that if people were really worried or scared that they would begin their preparations to get their affairs in order. Alas, people don't believe what they hear or read. And those who do tend to wait anxiously but do nothing to prepare leading up to that dreaded day.

Sigh. What's a Christian to do?

Here's the article, which I edited and shortened for brevity's sake. If you want to read the entire thing, click here: One in 7 Think the World Is Going to End This Year.

A woman raises her arms to receive energy from the sun at the Mayan pyramid El Castillo (The Castle), in Chichen Itza, in the southern state of Yucatan, Mexico March 21, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Argely Salazar

(Reuters) - - Nearly 15 percent of people worldwide believe the world will end during their lifetime and 10 percent think the Mayan calendar could signify it will happen in 2012, according to a new poll. The end of the Mayan calendar, which spans about 5,125 years, on December 21, 2012 has sparked interpretations and suggestions that it marks the end of the world.

"Whether they think it will come to an end through the hands of God, or a natural disaster or a political event, whatever the reason, one in seven thinks the end of the world is coming," said Keren Gottfried, research manager at Ipsos Global Public Affairs which conducted the poll for Reuters.

Responses to the international poll of 16,262 people in more than 20 countries varied widely.

• Only six percent of French residents believe in an impending Armageddon in their lifetime,
• Twenty-two percent in Turkey and the United States believe it's all going to go down soon.
• Only seven percent in Belgium and eight percent in Great Britain feared an end to the world during their lives.
• About one in 10 people globally also said they were experiencing fear or anxiety about the impending end of the world in 2012. The greatest numbers were in Russia and Poland; the fewest in Great Britain.

Gottfried also said that people with lower education or household income levels, as well as those under 35 years old, were more likely to believe in an apocalypse during their lifetime or in 2012, or have anxiety over the prospect.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Patricia Reaney)

Dear Reader, the last sentence would be quite hilarious if the subject matter weren't so serious. It's not a question of education, erudition, income or any other factor. The fact of the matter is that people are blinded by the world thanks to Satan, who is the god of this world. Look here -

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."   II Corinthians 4:4

Spiritual blindness is a terrible thing. To be in the dark about spiritual matters leads only in one direction - to hell (Matt. 7:13-14). Don't you know, Sir, that in order to see the kingdom of God you must be born again? Jesus Christ said so in John 3. Read the entire chapter and see for yourself that the Lord makes it clear how you can see everything happening in the world from His perspective.

Once you're saved, you'll be able to see world events with His point of view through a daily diet of Bible study. And these so called chicken littles who cry, 'The sky is falling!' will not cause you to pace fretfully to and fro like a chicken with its head cut off.

Ponder this truth, Reader: Sooner or later, all unrepentant sinners will be mourners. They shall see Christ whom they have pierced, and, though they laugh now, shall mourn and weep in endless horror and despair. They shall gnash their, but to no avail. It will have been too, too late. Hebrews 9:27 sums up the warning starkly: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

Don't be one of the chicken littles. They don't know what they're clucking about. I will tell you another truth: The world will end, but not like they tell it, but according to God's word.

Settle the matter with God now. Today is the day of salvation. Read further here: The Plan of Salvation

Marvelous message we bring;
Glorious carol we sing,
Wonderful word of the King:
Jesus is coming again!

Coming again, coming again!
Maybe morning, maybe noon,
Maybe evening and Maybe soon!
Coming again, coming again!
O what a wonderful day it will be—
Jesus is coming again!

The 2 Visitors

Romans 7:18-19

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do."

Two visitors came to see me, both at the same time,
Both were trying to win control of my body, heart, and mind

One was dressed quite plainly, one dressed fit to kill,
I couldn’t see the battle they were waging for my will.

One promised to give fame, friends and riches beyond compare,
Anything I wanted, it seemed, and while I was standing there,

He showed me how life could be, for a little while at least,
I couldn’t see beneath the clothes, to recognize the beast.

The other told of hard times, of sacrifice and pain,
Ridicule and persecution, nothing much to gain,

But there was something deep in this visitor’s eyes
That made me feel to choose Him would somehow be wise.

I guess you'll know the outcome by the way my life reflects,
The one I picked, the path I chose, the one that He directs.

So, did I choose so poorly, I wonder as I sing.
But one day I shall see Him, as He truly is:

The awesome King of kings!

compliments of Beth Fisher

When I think of the 2 visitors, I know that they are not one-time callers. They are not only cold-callers, that is, showing up without warning. No, these two can sometimes be spotted long before they reach your front door. In either event, they are opportunistic. These two are determined to influence my thinking, my attitude, my choices and my priorties every day. Not one day passes that they don't come a-knocking.

Here's the thing: As a Christian, the turmoil isn't external; it's internal, between the old man and the new man. In Romans 7:22-25, Paul's line of reasoning points to the crux of the internal struggle -

"For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Indeed, it's humbling to man - the so-called master of his own destiny - to be under the influence of evil passions. And yet, it is what it is. Just look at today's headlines in Any City, USA. You shall find man in all his glorious wickedness in full display. Scan the international news pages and you'll come upon the same bad news. If there is one headline that could sum up all of man's efforts and endeavors in this world, it would be this: Man Sinned Again!

Sin is degrading on man, a stain. It brings him down into the dust. What kind of man thinks he's the master of his destiny and yet be not in control of his sinful propensities and indulgences? A self-delusional one, that's what kind. God said, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Rom. 3:10-12, 23)

To the Christian, the mind is overwhelmed with wretchedness, and instinctively sighs for relief. He asks himself: Can keeping the Law help me? Can any man rescue me? Can any innate strength of conscience or of reason mitigate this miserable state of mind? In vain all these are tried, and the Christian then calmly and thankfully acquiesces in the consolations of the Good Book, realizing and understanding and concluding that aid can be obtained only through Jesus Christ.

Yet, there are those who continue to struggle in the flesh with that which cannot be overcome in the flesh. What frustrating misery to live by a code and yet fall short on a daily, nay, hourly, basis. The body is the seat of the fleshly desires; the heart, the control center where decisions are made (Jer. 17:9). The love of the world appertains to the Devil (I Jn. 2:16) - lust of the flesh & eyes and pride of life. But, the decisions come from the heart, dear Reader.

Sin makes us guilty of death. Being unable to free ourselves from it (even in our very best state), we cry out until there aren't anymore tears, just sheer exhaustion, and look for help and deliverance out of ourselves. And that's the rub: We cannot deliver ourselves from ourselves. You might as well be trying to crawl out of your own skin. So, we must cry to the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver us Himself.

Thus, the man, finding there is no help in himself, begins almost unknowingly to pray, Who shall deliver me? That is a question and petition altogether wrapped in desperation. He then seeks and looks for deliverance, until God in Christ appears to answer his question: "Be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world." (Jn. 16:33).

Matthew 11:28-29 states, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Isn't it time you surrendered your struggles to Jesus Christ? You know you've tried everything else. Speaking with friends. Reading self-help books and philosophical treatises. Scanning the world wide web. Looking for answers that aren't there. Stop living with one foot in the world and one in God's grace. Please, Reader, give Jesus Christ a chance to prove that He indeed is the Prince of peace.

C'mon! What's holding you back? Jesus Christ, My Rest and My Peace

’Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll,
To the guilty heart, to the sinful soul;
Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole,
“Our God is able to deliver thee.

He is able to deliver thee,
He is able to deliver thee;
Though by sin oppressed, go to Him for rest;
“Our God is able to deliver thee.

If I Were the Devil

II Corinthians 11:15

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

Make no mistake. Satan is not some pitch-fork wielding, hoof-footed, prong-horned, red-skinned Medieval boogeyman. He's the real deal, but so is God. Believers do not have to worry about that ol' devil. Certainly, Christians need to be on the look for him (I Pt. 5:8); have the full armor of God on (Eph. 6:11-18); keep God's word through obedience (Ps. 119:11; James 1:22-25) and, be watching and praying (Matt. 26:41).

Below you'll see an interesting article written by Paul Harvey about how things would look like under the guise of Satan. Pretty accurate, huh? Interestingly, Mr. Harvey wrote this piece back in 1999, almost 13 years ago. Things have only worsened since then. The only thing he left out was this tidbit by Charles Pierre Baudelaire: "The devil’s best trick is to persuade you that he doesn’t exist.”

Don't say I never warned you about the Devil's wiles!


"If I Were the Devil"
By Paul Harvey

I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world;

I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's
effort, instead of God's blessings;

I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of
the other way around;

I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue;

I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to
leadership;

I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies;

I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent
machines to make it convenient;

I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that life of animals are
valued more than human beings;

I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was
grounds for a lawsuit;

I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I
would get sports heroes to advertise them;

I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the
minds of every family member for my agenda;

I would attack then family, the backbone of any nation. I would make
divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so
does the nation;

I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and
movies screens, and I would call it art;

I would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their
lifestyles should be accepted and marveled;

I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who
call themselves authorities and refer to their agendas as politically
correct;

I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, the
Bible is for the naive:

I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is
not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional;

I GUESS I WOULD LEAVE THINGS PRETTY MUCH THE WAY THEY ARE!