Life Is Entirely About Getting Ready To Meet God!
Everything in life is about getting ready for God's presence.
If I filter everything I think about my day, work, what people do to me, what I do for people, church, world events, etc. through this one thing, then I will be ready to meet Jesus and go with Him at His coming.
Most people just want God to change their circumstances when they are under pressure. Some want God to change them.
If I learn to see that everything that happens to me presents a choice to become more like Jesus in the way he handled His thought life, emotional life, and the way He used what God gave Him, then no moment in my life is wasted.
God is pleased with those that seek Him, even (especially) when they see how wrong they do it. God rejects those who do what they consider "good things" outside of His leadership. He really does.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NKJV — Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The love the Bible is talking about is laying down this life to let Jesus live His through me. It invites mistreatment, misunderstanding, disappointment... These are truly opportunities to let Jesus be my patience, my kindness, my gentleness, my self control... Without that vision, all life is a waste. It isn't even real life. Real life was lost when mankind fell in the garden.
Most people that go to church this am, or do good works this week, will find that they missed the point. Life wasn't given to us to "do something", it was given in the hope we would find a desire to become something... A person like Jesus. There is no salvation without this: taking up my cross, denying my self, and following Him.
He is different than we are, but commanded that anyone that wanted eternal life learn how to live HIS life right now.
Matthew 16:24-27 NKJV — Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Most won't know until it's too late that all they did was for them, and not God.
Matthew 7:18-23 NKJV — “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Everyone thinks the "good things" they do are commendable, but God says what we let HIM do in us is the only thing that matters.
The one thing the thief on the cross did was see the only thing that mattered was who Jesus was. This truth will completely change the way you see life, and that change makes you available for salvation. Seeing Jesus rightly is the only gate heaven can be entered through.
Luke 23:39-43 NKJV — Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Am I a "save me if you are God" person, or am I a "I deserve hell, change me to be like you" kind of person? Only one goes to paradise. Most people in the church, according to the Bible find the wide road to hell thinking they are the chosen ones, not the narrow one to Jesus, knowing they have to change all the way to be with Him.
The narrow road is based on you changing, not hoping God will change everyone else. He is God, not us.
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