This past week, we saw three legends, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon all went to meet their maker. All three had fame and made a lot of money in their lifetime, though two died deeply in debt. Yet all three share the same fate: they will stand before a Holy God and face judgment for their actions, thoughts, even secrets.
In Hebrews 9:27-28, we read "and as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." Here we see that everyone, even the rich and famous, will die and face judgment.
Romans 2:16 shows that God will not only judge our outward appearance and actions but also our secrets: "in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ..." You may be able to fool your friends, but you can't fool God. He knows all things and will judge even your secrets.
In 2 Corinthians 5:10-11, the Apostle Paul warns: "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..." We see here that we will be judged based on our works, whether good or bad and that this knowledge of a certain judgment and the terror of the Lord led the Apostle Paul to strongly persuade men to repent of their sins and call upon Jesus for Salvation.
In Romans 3, we find that there is none good, no, not one, and that we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Knowing that we are not good, have fallen short of His glory, and face a certain judgment of our actions, thoughts, and secret, we have reason to fear, yet thankfully God offers hope. Romans 3 goes on to show that God has provided forgiveness for our sins and extended a peace treaty to us through the blood of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53 shows us that God is able to offer you this forgiveness because Jesus took the punishment for your sins upon himself when he died on the cross. With the blood that Jesus shed when crucified, your sins can be washed white as snow.
How do you receive this forgiveness? Ask! Romans 10 tells us "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." It really is that simple.
If you died today, right now, do you know where you will spend eternity? You can have assurance of salvation if you trust in Jesus as your Savior. Take a few moments, right now, to ask Him to forgive you of your sins and commit to live the rest of your life for Him.
Next, start reading the Bible, praying, and praising God, and find a Bible believing church to attend. If you live in Port Saint Lucie or Fort Pierce, you're welcome at Covenant Tabernacle. For all others, visit our website to watch our Sunday morning worship service streamed live from 10 AM - Noon and the recorded sermon on demand throughout the week.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day - Calling All Fathers - Fulfill your Calling
We have an epidemic in America today. It isn't an epidemic of disease but a social malady, that of single parent households. Single parent households are a reality today's world. We need to support and pray for the mothers and fathers who are raising children by themselves, yet at the same time, we need to lift up the standard found in God's word of a two parent household comprised of a father and a mother. This traditional two parent household plays a huge role in shaping our children and our society.
In the 1980s, divorce was the number one cause of poverty for women. Sadly today, many men choose to father children out of wedlock, thus virtually guaranteeing that their children will either be killed by abortion or that their children and girlfriends would live lives of poverty. Fathers sometimes encourage, pay for, and/or coerce their girlfriends to have an abortion. Other times, fathers want to keep their children but have no say, yet fathers always have a say prior to conception. Being pro-life starts before conception. Being a good father does as well. Indeed, young men have a duty to abstain from sex prior to marriage and to love and be faithful to their wives in marriage. Making and sticking with this decision plays a huge economic role in raising children.
But the benefits of a father in the home don't stop with economics. Children who play rough with their fathers actually have more self control and are less likely to take out their aggression on others. Boys and girls who have a loving relationship with their fathers are less likely to engage in fornication or homosexuality. Fathers also provide firm discipline to help keep their children in line. Fathers push their children to achieve more and expose them to the business world, but the most important factor a father plays in raising his children is a spiritual one.
Of families where both parents bring their children to church, 76% of children attend church as adults. If only the father brings his children to church, the percent drops to 55%. If only the mother brings her children to church, only 19% stay in church, and a child who is not brought to church by either parent has only a 6% chance of attending church as an adult. This is why God instructs fathers in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 to diligently teach their children the law of God, and for those of us who haven't always followed God's commandments (and who has completely followed them), He instructs fathers in Psalm 78 to train their children to obey God's law that their children may obeyed God where their fathers disobeyed Him. That should give us all hope for the next generation, if we do our part.
To learn more, listen to my father's day sermon on the importance of fathers at Covenant Tabernacle's website.
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