Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
What great joy I find in Jesus the Christ. Here in Hebrews the writer talks about the history of Israel and how they seen all the works of God and still did not believe. Now God has spoken through His Son and if some of Israel did not enter the rest after not believing, how much worse off shall we be if we disregard His Son.
While at work today two people on my team went on a extra long lunch to buy some Christ-mas things to decorate our work area since we are having a contest for tomorrow for "Best Decorated Work Station." The two people who went to gather the materials by mistake bought a statue of Christ being born in a manger. They were going to put it in with the decorations and decided "That would be too religious and might offend someone." An unbeliever who is on my team said, "too religious? how could that be when we are celebrating Christ-mas?" Yes I wanted to say, "PREACH PREACHER!!!!" "WELL WELL!!" "UM MMMMMM"
From here somehow we got into a discussion on the Bible and its legitimacy. Some of the comments said were, "The Bible was written by men and is not reputable now" "King James Version was the only true translation" "God does not judge" Oh and check this one out..."Before you die God gives you a chance to get it right with him"(deathbed conversions) "I hope I just make it in" "I am going to have a long talk with God when I get to Heaven and tell him what is up and why I better get in"
If you know me I started throwing scriptures like I was a world class pitcher. Obviously with those few comments my theological juices were flowing like the Nile. I quickly became the bigot and narrow minded one when I began to speak about the judgement of God and His standards. I made very clear that the only acceptable sacrifice and righteousness that God accepts is His Son-Jesus the Christ-The Lamb Of God.
What bugs me is why do people want to wait to die or until they get close to death to try to figure God out? Why not seek God now when things according to you, seem to be going smooth. After our conversation I felt bad for these people and prayed the Lord would be gracious in opening their hearts for salvation. In the same thought I felt great joy for God saving such a wicked filthy man like me who at one time used to be just like these people who are absolutely blinded to the truth of the Gospel.
2 Corinthians 4:4 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.
This year in my christian life, I like never before long to be with Christ. While at the conference in Newark New Jersey and when I listen to Pastor John Coleman I constantly hear him say how he does not fear death and that he like all Christians should do-embraces death. Ephesians 2:3 says-Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
It seems in our culture we naturally view tribulation as the judgement of God or think that we are going through a trial because of sin in our life. Lets look at what James says on this.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Is Jesus Christ your joy. Is there anything or anyone in this world that you find more satisfaction in? This is a difficult question because Jesus says
Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
