One Family Survived with Each Punishment and Another Family Will Survive in the Next

At the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, there was only one family that was removed before the destruction of the cities of the plains.

At the time of Noah, there was only one family that was protected from the wrath of God when He destroyed the people of the world.

In each situation, many people left behind in the destruction were family members who refused to listen to the prophets who spoke for God. They argued against the word of God, even mocked and demeaned it and the prophets because of their stubbornness.

Before the tribulation, there is only one family that will be protected and rescued from the wrath of God, and that is the family of Christ. Those who have trusted in Christ will be taken out before the tribulation. Sadly, many people who will be left behind are family members who refused the truth in favor of their pleasures and self-exaltation.

Christ came into this world to die for the sins of mankind, His death paid for our sins, and His resurrection proved He is God.

There is only one thing every individual must do to be counted in the family of Christ, and that is to believe in Him and desire to be cleansed by Him. If there is no desire to trust in Him or be cleansed by Him, then the belief in Him is in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:1-3 "1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,…"

The devil doesn't have to believe in Christ; He already knows Who He is and has rejected Him. And, many people who have heard the gospel will say they believe but never trusted in Christ.

2 Corinthians 13:4-6 "…4 For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. And though we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you. 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you— unless you actually fail the test? 6 And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test.…"

Each person who says they believe in Christ must examine themselves to see if they have trusted in Him or if they have merely professed without a desire to be transformed by Him. If there is no desire to be changed and controlled by Christ, then there is no salvation.

James 1:23-24 "For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

Romans 8:10 "But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness."

Many people want to think they are Christians, but have never confessed their sinfulness and have never craved the metamorphosis required by Christ to become His child. A transformation that no one can do to themselves, but is only done by Christ, and once finished can never be changed back again into the old creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Ephesians 2:10 "10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Many people want to be seen as good people by joining a Christian club and doing all the rituals, but ignore or reject most of what Christ wrote in His Word, the Bible. They have added to His word things they wish to be true while ignoring Him, His principles, and commands. These same people barely speak of Him, if at all, throughout their week.

Matthew 7:21-23 "I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

Deuteronomy 4:2 "You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you."

Mark 7:13 "13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."

The modern church is full of traditions of men that negate Christ while claiming to be from Him. These rituals and traditions have diluted the message of Christ and emphasized the pleasures of man.

These traditions are so strong within the gatherings that those who are dominated by them fight to defend what God never commanded and which weakens the Christian walk and often is evidence that those who love them have never trusted Christ.

Not everyone who practices these traditions is unsaved, but at the very least, they massage their fleshly desire to do things their own way while ignoring much of God's Word. However, I notice that the world loves these traditions too. When the world loves something, I have to wonder why they would love anything that is proclaimed as from God?

If the world loves it, then it is most likely not given to us from God. I notice that the celebration God gave us has been ignored by the world and even most Christian gatherings, namely the Lord's Supper, in which believers proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ and what that did for mankind.

Beloved, it is time to pray for discernment so that we will not be sucked into the vortex of worldly and fleshly thinking that entices those who are self-absorbed, self-willed, and looking for enjoyment rather than desiring holiness.

Love and Enjoy makes a Relationship Grow

God hates obligatory giving, prayer, and service. His desire is that we love and enjoy our Lord in everything.

Accusing God for their own Wickedness

It is interesting that when God gives the world all the freedom to make its own choice between good and evil, they blame Him for not stopping evil when they choose it. If God had forced people to do what was right, the evil people would blame Him for not giving them a choice.

 
Blaming God for the evil of the world is just an excuse to be angry with God. Those who are angry with God don't care about the evil in the world; they want to be allowed to do it without judgment, and even expect endorsement.

Christ healed people and did many other miracles, and the religious leaders accused Him of doing His miracles by the power of the devil. Those who hate Christ and who hate Christians will always lie, claiming the opposite of what is true.

 
Christ offered the suffering and wicked world mercy when they repented, heaven when they trusted in Him, peace, joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit, and all they had to do was trust in Him to change them into a new creation.

 
Stubborn mankind wants its own way even if it ruins them, as long as it makes them feel in charge and powerful in the moment.

 
Proverbs 28:26 "One who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but one who walks wisely will flee to safety."

Founding Fathers Were a Part of the Deception

The founding fathers of America were part of the deception that this was a Christian nation. They had a cultural Christianity.

 
America was founded on freedom of every religion, on personal wealth and safety, not on pleasing God. A motto is on our money: "in God we trust", ask why on the money? Also, our nation's motto is "for the people and by the people", not "for God and by God."

So often, people like to make up their own rules, their own way, and add God's name to it as though that makes it all credible.

 
Pentecostals are of this sort, they believe as long as they add God's name to something, it doesn't matter if it is Biblical as long as it works, it's called pragmatism, and it is not Biblical.

 
God wants us to do things His way as described in the Scriptures.
Effectiveness is not a measure of right or wrong; only truth from the Bible is our measure of right and wrong.

 
The only country that will ever be fully Christian is Israel at the end of the tribulation. The whole country will trust in Christ; no other nation ever has or ever will, only Israel.

Keep Looking Up

The reason God told us to focus on His return for His church is to give us continual peace and hope that we are here temporarily and our homegoing solves everything for us. Nothing is greater than going home to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Titus 2:13 "13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"

It's hard for believers living in this world right now; we all experience unpleasant things, but we maintain our joy because of Christ.

Keep Looking Up!!!!

A Generation Primed to Trust in the Antichrist

This generation is primed for accepting the antichrist because they are always looking for a "hero" to follow, and that hero is not Christ.

 
This is also evident in church gatherings, where people look to the preacher, the political leader, or the famous person with smooth words to make them feel happy and safe.

 
The mentality of following someone who will give them everything they want is enormous with most people. They even become angry when we point out flaws that we should pay attention to, so we are not fooled.

 
Psalm 118:8-9 "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes."

No one can really know these celebrities or leaders enough to get on their bandwagon. They very cleverly say what they think the people want to hear to entice them. And once they have drawn the people into their cult following, they can say or do anything, and those who follow them will ignore the bad defending them no matter what they do.

 
Those who follow men will ignore, defend and even deny the sin that is evidence of a bad spirit to maintain their good feelings.

 
Matthew 15:14 "Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

When we follow Christ alone, we are free to evaluate everything men do and say without fear, boldly proclaiming God's truth even if someone's idol is exposed. We do not fear the retaliation of those who enjoy admiring those who promise grandiose things.

 
There are often many clues about the heart of a man that can be seen by discerning eyes. Yet, since most people think superficially, they will not accept what they don't like to hear.

 
Matthew 15:9 "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Galatians 1:9 "As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."
2 John 1:9 "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

2 John 1:9-11 "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works."

God clearly wants us to evaluate everything according to the Bible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we are not led away into cultural standards and false doctrine.

Looking to Christ and not to Men

There will come a day when those who do not trust in Christ will be sent to hell. They will die physically and spiritually for their own sins, the consequences of rejecting Christ are eternal (forever) death, the second death.

Matthew 10:27-28 "…27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

God will destroy the body and the soul completely and permanently of all those who reject Christ.

Luke 12:4-5 "I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!"

Hebrews 10:31 "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Revelation 14:7 "And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”

When we look to man for our guidance, it is man getting the glory instead of God.