BEING HUMAN MEANS A SIMPLE LIFE WITH GOOD FAITH AND ACTION
Even So, Come, Lord Jesus!’
Even So, Come, Lord Jesus!’
glorious coming (Matthew 24:22, 30).
As King of Kings He will set up God’s
wonderful, righteous Kingdom (Revelation
11:15; for more information on these prophecies, download or
request our free booklet
You Can Understand Bible Prophecy)
.
This is the time God’s people through
the ages have longed and prayed for: “Your kingdom come”
(Matthew 6:10).
John, an apostle of deep love and com
-
passion, was given a wonderful vision of a
time beyond all the troubles, plagues and
war necessitated by man’s unrepentant
evil—the time when God will wipe away all
tears, when there will be no more sorrow or
crying (Revelation 21:4).
At the end of the last chapter of the last
book of the Bible, three times John recorded
Christ’s wonderful promise: “I am coming
quickly” (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20). In verse 20
John, and all Christians, respond with deep
yearning: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
Terror of all kinds fills our world today.
Suicide bombers, anthrax, radioactive
“dirty” bombs, killer epidemics, kidnappings,
gangs, rapes, murders, wars.
Everywhere we look, the trend is downward. Man’s inhumanity to
his fellow man
is growing worse, and even the most optimistic can find it
harder to fight the feelings
of foreboding that our world is on a course
of self-destruction.
Jesus Christ looked down through history
and foretold this spiral of sorrows leading
to an unprecedented time of trouble to
occur before His return (Matthew 24:7-8,
21). Our spiritual Savior also promised to
Your
Date With Destiny: Meeting the Real Jesus
of sin after knowing these things, we “crucify again the Son of
God,
and put Him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:6). Why would we
despise
His sacrifice and put Him to death all over again?
What
does He expect?
In Luke 6:46 Jesus asks a question we should all seriously
consider: “Why
do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
and do not do what I say?”
It isn’t enough to simply call Jesus “Lord” or accept Him as
such.
As Jesus Himself explained in Matthew 7:21, “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.”
Entering God’s Kingdom requires
living according to God’s will.
Nothing else will do.
He continues in verses 22-23: “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!’”
What laws could He be talking about? The same laws
He kept perfectly.
The same laws
He, as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, revealed to
Moses.The same laws
He will institute to govern all of humanity in His Kingdom.
He will never give His wonderful gift of eternal life to those
who, by returning to sin, “crucify againthe Son of God”!
Clearly Jesus fully expects us to turn from sin and begin to
obey His
Father’s commandments, the perfect “law of liberty” that sets us
free
from the suffering and death that sin brings (James 1:25; 2:12).
An
abundant, fulfilling life
It’s tragic that submission to God’s laws is called “bondage” by
so
many—including, ironically, many supposedly Christian religious
teachers. The apostle John plainly tells us that such teachers are wrong. “This
is the love of God, that we keep His commandments,”wrote John.
“And His commandments are not burdensome”(1 John 5:3).
Jesus Christ understood that living according to God’s revealed
way
of life is the key to a successful, happy, fulfilling life. “I
have come that
they may have life, and have it to the full,” He said (John
10:10, NIV).
He says to those who would follow Him, “Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you
will find
rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”
(Matthew 11:29-30). What the world sees as bondage is actually true freedom
and happiness in Christ. This is what God promises those who
follow the
real Jesus and His true teachings.
But that path isn’t easy to find, and you alone can make the
choice to
follow it. “Enter by the narrow gate,” He tells us, “for wide is
the gate
and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are
many who
go in by it.” He instructs us to not take the easy route most of
humanity
chooses. “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which
leads to life,
and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). If you make a
decision to turn to Jesus, let it be done with the real Jesus Christ and His
real
story in mind. He is a king. He is worthy to rule the entire
earth, and He
willrule.
He is the earth’s Maker and the Creator of life itself. He took
complete responsibility for His Creation by coming to earth to demonstrate
His good intentions toward us and with faithful adherence to the
will of
God to die for us. He will not fail to complete His mission to
establish
His Kingdom of peace over the whole earth.
So if you accept Him, remember—you accept Him as
King and Ruler
of your life now.
He is the One you serve now, and the One you will
aside in the Bible for regular weekly rest and worship
services—write
or call for your free copy of
Sunset to Sunset: God’s Sabbath Rest.
You’ll also learn why God wants His people to assemble together
and
why this most neglected of the Ten Commandments is so important
to our relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father.
• To learn more about the biblical festivals Jesus kept, request
your
free copy of
God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.
• What is the true gospel Jesus Christ taught and commanded His
Church to proclaim to the world? Is it possible that most of
Christianity
accepts and teaches a different gospel from the one Jesus Christ
taught? Request your free copy of
The Gospel of the Kingdom
to discover the answers.
• The foundation of right human behavior is found in the Ten
Commandments. But why are they so important? Do they have a
deeper meaning that most people miss? Be sure to call or write
for
your free copy of
The Ten Commandments.
• The popular holidays of Christmas and Easter cannot be found
in the Bible. What are their origins? Where did their trappings,
such
as decorated trees, Santa Claus, rabbits and colored eggs,
originate?
Be sure to request
Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days
We Observe?
to learn the surprising answers!
• If you would like to learn more about the people behind the
publication of this booklet, request
This Is the United Church of God.
All publications are provided free as an educational service in
the public
interest. Download or request them at
www.gnmagazine.org/booklets.
If you’ve finished reading this booklet, you’ve probably been
surprised, maybe even shocked, to discover some of the things Jesus
Christ really said and what the Bible says about Him. But
there’s
much more that’s rarely taught or discussed in most churches—and
when it is, it often doesn’t square with what Jesus Himself
said!
You need to discover what the Bible says
for yourself.
And don’t
take our word for it—look it up in the pages of your own Bible!
This booklet has touched on many subjects that are vitally
important to understanding Christ’s teachings and God’s purpose for
humanity and for you. We’ve put together many other booklets
that
discuss these crucial topics in much greater detail. All are
yours free
for the asking when you contact one of our offices or visit our
Web
site at www.ucg.org. As always, there is never any cost or
obligation,
and no one will call on you.
• To discover the incredible biblical truth of what the Bible
reveals
about God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, request
Who Is God?
• To learn more about the awesome purpose of human life as
revealed in the Scriptures, be sure to call or write for your
free copy
of
What Is Your Destiny?
• Why are there so many churches, each proclaiming a different
set of doctrines? How can you find the true Church Jesus
promised
to build? Request
The Church Jesus Built
to discover the answers.
• For more information about repentance and conversion—and
how you can fulfill Jesus Christ’s purpose for you—request your
free
copy of
Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.
• To understand which day is the biblical Sabbath—the day set
• If you’re not already a subscriber,
request a free subscription to our
gods-word by gaurav pawar daily artical -magazine
The Good News at
• While you’re at it, also request a
free subscription to our
World News
and good-nwse
newsletter
No comments:
Post a Comment