|
|
| Line 6: |
Line 6: |
| | <h3 class="panel-title">[[File:Page.png]] October's featured article</h3> | | <h3 class="panel-title">[[File:Page.png]] October's featured article</h3> |
| | </div> | | </div> |
| − | ==Don't Give Up On God== | + | ==Chapter 19 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ== |
| − | "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him"<br>
| + | <ul style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"> |
| − | (Hebrews 10:38).<br> | + | <li><font size="4" color="#AA0000">"</font><font size="4">1<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font size="4" color="#AA0000">And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in Heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the LORD our God:"</font></li> |
| − | | + | </ul> |
| − | In truth, only two kinds of people inhabit this planet-- those who are <em>for</em> Christ and those who are <em>against</em> Christ. Jesus said, "He that is not against us is on our part" (Mark 9:40). The Apostle Peter wisely observed, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:34, 35). On one hand, Christ's adversaries are commanded, "Repent ye, and believe the Gospel" (Mark 1:15); but, on the other, to the Saints, who may be presently undergoing difficult times and circumstances, the Apostle Paul said, "Stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1Corinthians 16:13). Strength comes in the believing of those words from God. "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). The Epistle of James promised, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8). And, to that testimony, the Apostle Paul added, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). <em>If we are doing right, then we should never quit.</em>"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:38).<br>
| + | <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><font size="4">The focus of this chapter of Revelation is the physical return of the LORD Jesus Christ to the planet Earth to sit upon His Throne, i.e.,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font size="4" color="#AA0000">"and He shall rule them with a rod of iron"</font><font size="4"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(19:15), while the Beast (the Antichrist) and the False Prophet are cast alive into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever, i.e.,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font size="4" color="#AA0000">"both were cast alive into a Lake of Fire burning with brimstone"</font><font size="4"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(19:20).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font size="4" color="#AA0000">"I am the LORD: I will speak, and the Word that I shall speak shall come to pass"</font><font size="4"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Ezekiel 12:25). Many newspapers have reserved their largest print type, which they call "Second Coming Type," for headline news of the highest importance. Why<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>shouldn't</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the headline, "Jesus Christ Returns to Earth," be deemed the greatest headline possible by even the secular press, if atheists curse with the name of God upon their lips, and all walks of life make some kind of appeal to the Almighty in dire circumstances?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font size="4" color="#AA0000">"</font><font size="4">10<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font size="4" color="#AA0000">That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth;</font><font size="4"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>11<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><font size="4" color="#AA0000">And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father"</font><font size="4">(Philippians 2:10-11).<br> |
| − | <br> | + | [[Chapter 19 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ]] |
| − | <strong>Right Doing is Righteousness</strong><br> | + | |
| − | <br> | + | |
| − | Right action flows from right willing or the willingness to do right. That is Righteousness. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth Righteousness is righteous, even as He is Righteous" (1John 3:7). When we are actively trusting "Jesus Christ the Righteous" (2:1), then we are "clothed with Righteousness" (Psalm 132:9), and we may rely that His promised Spirit is working in us "to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). In fact, we may fortify ourselves that so long as we still have the slightest willingness to do right, the Almighty will breathe strength into us by His Spirit. "And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My Statutes, and ye shall keep My Judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 36:27). What an amazing amalgamation of the Sovereignty of God with the Free Will of man! "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17)! When you feel yourself ready to give up, pray for the mercy of God-- "uphold me with Thy Free Spirit" (Psalm 51:12). Since God "cannot deny Himself" (2Timothy 2:13), in that He faithfully chooses the right, He will always choose those who choose the right, as well, i.e., "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth Righteousness at all times"(Psalm 106:3). Even when He will soon judge the Earth, He chooses the right in that He seeks His own highest good and the highest good of His moral creatures. "Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 38:23). "The LORD is known by the Judgment which He executeth" (Psalm 9:16). "When Thy Judgments are in the Earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn Righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9).<br>
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | <strong>Giving Up on God is Not Our Right</strong><br> | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | When we are tempted to cease from doing right, we are tempted to give up on God, e.g., "he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar" (1John 5:10). We have no more right to give up on God than an employee has to disobey a lawful order from his employer. "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God" (Colossians 3:22). Neither should we feel that children obeying their parents is anything but what is expected by God and ourselves. "Children, obey your parents in the LORD: for this is right" (Ephesians 6:1). In fact, we have no right to feel that we have done anything but our duty, when we did not give up on God. "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do" (Luke 17:10). That God is pleased with our faith and right doing is evident by His Word, i.e., "without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6), and by His rewards, e.g., "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown of Life, which the LORD hath promised to them that love Him" (James 1:12).<strong>But</strong>, His punishment for unbelief, disobedience, and wickedness demonstrates His displeasure for our not doing or ceasing to do what we know is right, i.e., "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). "8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the Truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile" (Romans 2:8-9).<br>
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | [[Don't Give Up On God]] | + | |
| | | | |
| | ---- | | ---- |
