Early Warning
They could hardly believe it.
There wasn't anything left standing. It was all gone.
Dazed people stood in the streets. News team helicopters moved slowly over the wreckage of what only hours before had been a thriving community.
Some individuals had died in the devastation and certainly everyone would remember this day forever.
It was the day a "killer tornado" had ripped through their town, destroying everything in its path.
The death toll would have been much higher if it hadn't been for the national weather services "early warning" program.
Sirens had sounded only minutes before the "monster"
swept in devouring its victims.
Every television channel, every radio program, every scanner, every CB, and all the Ham Radio operators who were active had "spread the word" of the coming danger.
Cries of warning and pleas for people to take shelter, get out of cars and mobile homes, and "move to a safe place,"
had echoed through the land.
Many people heard the call to take immediate shelter and listened. Some people didn't hear, and some who heard chose to ignore the warning thinking "there have been watches and warnings before and nothing happened."
But this time it was different, and for them, this time it was too late to change their mind, pay attention, and take action.
People are strange. Some drive through "red lights." Others pull around the gates at railroad crossings. Still others mix their medications, ignoring the label instructions. Day after day, week after week, news programs carry the "word" of those people whose lives have been lost because they refused to listen.
"Face it." Once your dead, the opportunity to "listen" to the warnings given in this world are over.
After all, "Once you're dead; you're dead." Right?...
Wrong!
This life is nothing more than a single "drop" in a sea of eternity. Mankind is eternal. Individuals will live forever.
Once you're dead, your new life begins.
The question isn't "if you will live again after your death in this world," but "where you will live again after your death in this world." John 5:28-29 declares "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation."
Since Romans 3:12 clearly states, "there is none that doeth good, no, not one," we all have a very serious problem. There is, however, a solution to that problem. The solution is "Faith in Jesus Christ!" I want to write my first two paragraphs again;
this time with a little twist.
They could hardly believe it. There wasn't anything left standing. It was all gone. Dazed people stood in the streets. News team helicopters moved slowly over the wreckage of what only hours before had been a thriving community. Some individuals had died in the devastation, and certainly everyone would remember this day forever. It was the day that Satan had ripped through their town, destroying everything in his path.
The death toll would have been much higher if it hadn't been for the Gospel of Christ's "early warning" program. Christians had sounded the "alarm", only minutes before the "lion" swept in, devouring everything. Television channels, radio programs, scanners, CBs, and Ham Radio operators who knew the truth, "spread the word" of the coming danger.
Cries of warning and pleas for people to take shelter in Jesus Christ, had echoed through the land. The call for people to "leave their destructive behaviors" and put behind them all their "doubt and unbelief" had gone forth.
Many people heard the call to take immediate shelter and listened. Some didn't hear, and some who heard had chosen to ignore the warning, thinking, "there have been watches and warnings before and nothing happened." But this time it was different, and for them, this time it was too late to change their minds, pay attention, and take action.
There is a time in all of our lives when it will be too late. For some it will be when the warning cries have fallen on their "deaf ears" so many times that they no longer even notice them. For others it will be at their sudden and unexpected deaths. For still others it will be at the "return of Jesus Christ" to "rapture," (gather together) His "Church" from this world. In any of these cases; once the "event" has arrived, it's too late to take action. Don't put it off! Receive Christ as your savior right now! Pray and ask Him to come into your life and forgive your sins. You can take immediate shelter in Him! Tomorrow may be too late. You could be dead. You could get so wrapped up in yourself and your life that the "call" could get lost in the flurry of your existence. Also, this could be the end of the age.
The rapture may occur at any time. We're told that no one knows the day or the hour of his return. The destruction left in the path of the devil's "tornado" will be nothing, compared to the destruction that takes place during the "Great Tribulation."
This is the time to take action! Don't put it off.
Take shelter in Christ today!
Despite what you may have been told in the past, you don't have to change anything about yourself in order to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Don't get me wrong. God cares deeply about those evil things we do, they are not at all acceptable in His sight. But what people must understand is that bringing about a change in the lives of individuals is the job of the Holy Spirit.
When someone comes to Christ for help and the Spirit of God begins to live inside of them, they will begin to change, but based on God's timing and not their own. God will work out all those problems they have in their lives from within, by doing that which can't be accomplished from without.
As Christians our job is to help people come to Jesus Christ,
not to try to clean up their earthly performance.
God is very capable of taking care of that Himself.
If you happen to be one of those people who are always noticing the "dirty rotten sinner" doing something you find disgusting and in need of change, just stop for a moment, look through what you see on the outside, to the person struggling on the inside. Let them know that everything is going to work out and that God loves them. It is not your job to judge anyone.
You have just as many faults as the next guy.
Instead, ask them to join you for lunch right after church on Sunday and get to know them.
Pick them up and bring them with you to church. Sure it takes an effort. Yes it will probably interfere with your routine, but from the moment you stop judging others and allow yourself to be used by God to help them find new life in Christ, you will never be the same. Try it.
You may find that being a "self righteous hypocrite" wasn't all that it was made out to be.
There wasn't anything left standing. It was all gone.
Dazed people stood in the streets. News team helicopters moved slowly over the wreckage of what only hours before had been a thriving community.
Some individuals had died in the devastation and certainly everyone would remember this day forever.
It was the day a "killer tornado" had ripped through their town, destroying everything in its path.
The death toll would have been much higher if it hadn't been for the national weather services "early warning" program.
Sirens had sounded only minutes before the "monster"
swept in devouring its victims.
Every television channel, every radio program, every scanner, every CB, and all the Ham Radio operators who were active had "spread the word" of the coming danger.
Cries of warning and pleas for people to take shelter, get out of cars and mobile homes, and "move to a safe place,"
had echoed through the land.
Many people heard the call to take immediate shelter and listened. Some people didn't hear, and some who heard chose to ignore the warning thinking "there have been watches and warnings before and nothing happened."
But this time it was different, and for them, this time it was too late to change their mind, pay attention, and take action.
People are strange. Some drive through "red lights." Others pull around the gates at railroad crossings. Still others mix their medications, ignoring the label instructions. Day after day, week after week, news programs carry the "word" of those people whose lives have been lost because they refused to listen.
"Face it." Once your dead, the opportunity to "listen" to the warnings given in this world are over.
After all, "Once you're dead; you're dead." Right?...
Wrong!
This life is nothing more than a single "drop" in a sea of eternity. Mankind is eternal. Individuals will live forever.
Once you're dead, your new life begins.
The question isn't "if you will live again after your death in this world," but "where you will live again after your death in this world." John 5:28-29 declares "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation."
Since Romans 3:12 clearly states, "there is none that doeth good, no, not one," we all have a very serious problem. There is, however, a solution to that problem. The solution is "Faith in Jesus Christ!" I want to write my first two paragraphs again;
this time with a little twist.
They could hardly believe it. There wasn't anything left standing. It was all gone. Dazed people stood in the streets. News team helicopters moved slowly over the wreckage of what only hours before had been a thriving community. Some individuals had died in the devastation, and certainly everyone would remember this day forever. It was the day that Satan had ripped through their town, destroying everything in his path.
The death toll would have been much higher if it hadn't been for the Gospel of Christ's "early warning" program. Christians had sounded the "alarm", only minutes before the "lion" swept in, devouring everything. Television channels, radio programs, scanners, CBs, and Ham Radio operators who knew the truth, "spread the word" of the coming danger.
Cries of warning and pleas for people to take shelter in Jesus Christ, had echoed through the land. The call for people to "leave their destructive behaviors" and put behind them all their "doubt and unbelief" had gone forth.
Many people heard the call to take immediate shelter and listened. Some didn't hear, and some who heard had chosen to ignore the warning, thinking, "there have been watches and warnings before and nothing happened." But this time it was different, and for them, this time it was too late to change their minds, pay attention, and take action.
There is a time in all of our lives when it will be too late. For some it will be when the warning cries have fallen on their "deaf ears" so many times that they no longer even notice them. For others it will be at their sudden and unexpected deaths. For still others it will be at the "return of Jesus Christ" to "rapture," (gather together) His "Church" from this world. In any of these cases; once the "event" has arrived, it's too late to take action. Don't put it off! Receive Christ as your savior right now! Pray and ask Him to come into your life and forgive your sins. You can take immediate shelter in Him! Tomorrow may be too late. You could be dead. You could get so wrapped up in yourself and your life that the "call" could get lost in the flurry of your existence. Also, this could be the end of the age.
The rapture may occur at any time. We're told that no one knows the day or the hour of his return. The destruction left in the path of the devil's "tornado" will be nothing, compared to the destruction that takes place during the "Great Tribulation."
This is the time to take action! Don't put it off.
Take shelter in Christ today!
Despite what you may have been told in the past, you don't have to change anything about yourself in order to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Don't get me wrong. God cares deeply about those evil things we do, they are not at all acceptable in His sight. But what people must understand is that bringing about a change in the lives of individuals is the job of the Holy Spirit.
When someone comes to Christ for help and the Spirit of God begins to live inside of them, they will begin to change, but based on God's timing and not their own. God will work out all those problems they have in their lives from within, by doing that which can't be accomplished from without.
As Christians our job is to help people come to Jesus Christ,
not to try to clean up their earthly performance.
God is very capable of taking care of that Himself.
If you happen to be one of those people who are always noticing the "dirty rotten sinner" doing something you find disgusting and in need of change, just stop for a moment, look through what you see on the outside, to the person struggling on the inside. Let them know that everything is going to work out and that God loves them. It is not your job to judge anyone.
You have just as many faults as the next guy.
Instead, ask them to join you for lunch right after church on Sunday and get to know them.
Pick them up and bring them with you to church. Sure it takes an effort. Yes it will probably interfere with your routine, but from the moment you stop judging others and allow yourself to be used by God to help them find new life in Christ, you will never be the same. Try it.
You may find that being a "self righteous hypocrite" wasn't all that it was made out to be.