The Book Of Life Or The Lake Of Fire

Rev.20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Words from Matthew Henry's commentary...

There is a book of remembrance both for good and bad: and the book of the sinner's conscience, though formerly secret, will then be opened. Every man will recollect all his past actions, though he had long forgotten many of them. Another book shall be opened, the book of the Scriptures, the rule of life; it represents the Lord's knowledge of his people, and his declaring their repentance, faith, and good works; showing the blessings of the new covenant. By their works men shall be justified or condemned; he will try their principles by their practices. Those justified and acquitted by the gospel, shall be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. This is the second death; it is the final separation of sinners from God. Let it be our great concern to see whether our Bibles justify or condemn us now; for Christ will judge the secrets of all men according to the gospel.

Are you standing on your own merit? Or, are you standing on the promise of Christ? He was born to die for our sin, sent by God, an acceptable sacrifice, willing King, Lord of all! 

Phil.2:6-11

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A Nice Warm Bed

1 Timothy 6:6-10

6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 

7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 

8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

As I lay in my warm bed this early cold morning, I sang praise to the Lord for all the rich blessings He has bestowed on my family. I asked for mercy for those who are in the cold air today, those who sleep outside with no hope of a warm bed. We have the resources to help these lost ones, one person at a time, but do we? Is it not easy to think that someone else will help them?

Lord, convict each and every one of us. Let us not think of the vast amount of people who need help but just the one we will see today. Amen

Contemplating The Eternal At Christmas

Heb.9:27-28
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 

so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Thank You Pastor David!

We are...
surrounded by the superficial
blinded by the temporal
numbed by the trivial

We need to contemplate out lives...
Life is precious...
Gen.1:26-31
Gen.2:7-9
Job 10:11-12
Ps.22:9-10
Ps.139:13-16
Life is valuable...
Ps.8:3-8
Is.49:1
Jer.1:5
Luke 1:14-16
Gal.1:15-16
Life is fleeting...
Ps.39:4-5
Ps.102:11
Ps.103:15-16
James 4:13-14

We need to contemplate our death...
Death is coming...
2 Sam.14:14
Ps.90:10
Eccl.9:2-5
It is often surprising!
It is inevitably sure!
Death is a consequence of sin...
Gen.2:15-17
Gen.3:22-24
Gen.6:13
Ps.90:5-9
Death is a multi-faceted
Mt.10:28
Eccl.12:7
1 Cor.15:26
James 2:26

Spiritual death: Separation of a person from God
Gen.3:22-24
Romans 5:12
We are all spiritually dead...
Ephesians 2:1-3
Physical death:Cessation of life in our physical body
Gen.5:1-8
We will all experience physical death...
1 Cor.15:22
Eternal death:Finalization of separation from God
Rev.20:6
Rev.21:8
We all deserve eternal death...
Romans 6:23
Death is not the end...
John 5:27-28

We need to contemplate coming judgment...
Fact: Judgment is inescapable...
Acts 17:31
Romans 2:5-11
Rev.20:11-15
The desire for judgment is instinctual...
Heb.1:2-4
The warnings of judgment are undeniable...
2 Peter 2:4-10
The scope of judgment will be universal...
Is.66:15-24
The nature of judgment will be personal...
Matt.7:21-33
Romans 14:10-12
Eccl.11:9;12:14
The effect of judgment will be eternal...
Matt.25:46
Rev.21:6-8

We need to contemplate the coming of Jesus
He came once in humility to provide salvation from sin.
He lived the live we could not live...
John 18:38
Heb.4:15
1 John 3:5
He died the death we deserve to die...
Heb.2:17
Rom.5:6-8
Gal.3:13
1 Peter 2:24
2 Cor.5:21
He conquered the enemy we can not conquer...
1 Cor.15:3-8
Heb.2:14-15
Col.2:13-15

He is coming back in glory to execute judgment for sinners
Those who have turned from Jesus...
Dread(or disinterested in) the return of Jesus...
2 Thessalonian 1:5-10
Death remains an eternally hopeless enemy...
Rev.20:12-15
Those who have trusted in Jesus
Long and look forward to the return of Jesus...
Phil.3:20
Rev.22:20
Death has become a surprisingly helpful friend...
Phil.1:20-23
Luke 23:46

When Your Heart Is Breaking

Have you ever had your heart ache so bad that you were sure it would just fracture into tiny pieces? This is how I feel when I see my big brother who is dying, a little every day, struggle to stand, breathe or eat. My soul actually is in deep pain, it is wounded, seeping raw emotions that I wish I did not have to experience. God did not plan for our life to be this way. Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan and brought sin into all of us. That corruption changed everything!! From one man man sin entered all! God's beautiful creation was tainted and forever sin would scar man's soul. But God who is rich in mercy did not let Satan ruin His plan. He sent His Son to defeat Satan! Satan, you are defeated and Christ is king! People ask,"How can God let innocent people die"? Remember what changed God's perfect plan for man? Satan and his temptation that leads to sin! So if you look for blame, look to Satan and his plan to entice man to rebellion against God. You better praise God for not destroying all mankind for we surely deserve it.

Who Christ is...
Phil.2:5-11

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 

7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men. 

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Who man is...
Gen.1:27 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Job 7:17

What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him

Deuteronomy 4:32 
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?

So remember when you seem to be all alone, there is One who is there. He was there when He took your place on that cross, there when He intercedes for you before God and He is coming again soon to take you home!

The Big Fish (Hear the Word of the Lord)

Jonah 1:1-4
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."
3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
Jonah 1:8-10
8 Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?"
9 And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."
10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Jonah 1:14-17
14 Therefore they called out to the LORD, "O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you."
15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 2:1-2
1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish,
2 saying, "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 
Jonah 2:7-10
7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!" 
10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Jonah 3:1-5
1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.
4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
Jonah 3:7-10
7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,
8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish."
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Jonah 4:1-4
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."
4 And the LORD said, "Do you do well to be angry?"
Jonah 4:6-11
6 Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.
7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.
8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die."
10 And the LORD said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night.
11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?"

Are you running like Jonah? Are you unwilling to give up that sin that has you enslaved?

Godlessness In The Last Days

2 Tim.2:1-5

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Matthew Henry Commentary...

Christ is the Mediator of this new covenant, between God and man, to bring them together in this covenant; to keep them together; to plead with God for us, and to plead with us for God; and at length to bring God and his people together in heaven. This covenant is made firm by the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our consciences, as the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the altar and the victim. This blood of Christ speaks in behalf of sinners; it pleads not for vengeance, but for mercy. See then that you refuse not his gracious call and offered salvation. See that you do not refuse Him who speaketh from heaven, with infinite tenderness and love; for how can those escape, who turn from God in unbelief or apostacy, while he so graciously beseeches them to be reconciled, and to receive his everlasting favour! God's dealing with men under the gospel, in a way of grace, assures us, that he will deal with the despisers of the gospel, in a way of judgment. We cannot worship God acceptably, unless we worship him with reverence and godly fear. Only the grace of God enables us to worship God aright. God is the same just and righteous God under the gospel as under the law. The inheritance of believers is secured to them; and all things pertaining to salvation are freely given in answer to prayer. Let us seek for grace, that we may serve God with reverence and godly fear. 

We strive to analyze and stare in disbelief at the day in which we live, when people kill innocent children. 

It not only happens here in America but has taken place all over the world. 

It not only happens in the year 2012 but happened in the days of the Roman Empire when King Herod ordered the murder of all male children under the age of 2. 

So you see, evil has reigned in the heart of man for a long time! 

Why are we outraged? 

We allow the death of innocents everyday through the legally sanctioned abortions which is written in the law of the land! 

Wake up America and the world! 

You are under judgement from God, repent!

Lord, have mercy and forgive! Amen

This Thing Called Evil

What is this thing called evil?
Where does it come from?
What can possess a young man to kill innocent little children?
Evil began when Satan and his legion were kicked out of the heavenly realm.
Their rebellion against their Creator, set into motion this thing called sin which is driven by evil.
Now you will say I might sin but I would not kill.
Sin is sin before holy God!
It is all driven by evil which is rebellion.
Man wants to be God which is evil.
We are made in His image but we are not His equal!

Rev.12:7-12
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,

8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"

Since before God created the earth, there has been evil! It is so deep within man that he must repent!
This is why we need a Savior, incorruptible, able to withstand Satan, wholly man, wholly God, and
an acceptable sacrifice for God's wrath toward sinful man. God is worthy of all our praise and obedience. God will judge sinful man but we have a Savior who is worthy, who intercedes for us if we bow before His throne of grace. Do you know and trust by faith that Christ alone died and was resurrected? He is seated at the right hand of God waiting for His command to destroy Satan and evil! He will come again to avenge the saints!

Jude 1:17-21
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

18 They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions."

19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

John 17:1-5

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,

2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

We are being held in Christ...

1 Thessalonians 5: 9-11
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Evil man...
Mark 7:14-23
14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: 

15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him." 

17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 

18 And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 

19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 

20 And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 

21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 

22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 

23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." 

Satan, the father of lies...
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies

Evil sons...
Ephesians 2:1-3

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.



Faith in Christ...
Ephesians 2:4-5

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--
Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast



Repentance...

Luke 24:47 
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem