“…The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you” (Titus 2:11-15).
Whether you see it or not, if you are looking for the glorious return of Jesus, there is in this Scripture a call to make a clear decision as to who you will follow: will you follow the world? Or will you deny yourself and follow Christ?—You can’t do both.
There is a perfect example given to us in the Old Testament of the people of God trying to follow God and the world at the same time.
It took place during the days of King Ahab and Elijah. Israel professed to be following the Lord, but in their hearts, they were following the false prophets of Baal and Asherah. As a result of their double-mindedness, Israel had been suffering from a severe drought.
There came a day when Elijah decided to confront the people of Israel about their divided devotion. He called for the 850 false prophets and the people to meet him on Mount Carmel. When they were all assembled, Elijah said to Israel: “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him, but if Baal is God, follow him.”
There, Elijah was going to prove to Israel who was the true God, and who was false and no god. He challenged the 850 prophets to call down fire from heaven by their gods. They called on their gods all day long, but, of course, the fire never came. Then Elijah prayed to the LORD God, and the fire fell. When the people saw that, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—He is God! The Lord—He is God!” (1 Kings 18).
It is abundantly clear that today’s progressive church professes to follow Jesus, but in their hearts, they worship the gods of this world. They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. The time has come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, they will look for teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. How does it happen?
A group of people begin to meet in a “Bible” study with a “teacher.” He/she begins to teach them about “spiritual” things. Everyone likes the fellowship and camaraderie, and the group begins to grow, and the next thing you know, they’re building. As they continue to grow, the word spreads about this amazing, friendly church, where everyone is welcome. But to continue to grow, the leadership quickly realizes that the tone and tenor of the “preaching” must not interfere with or hinder the growth of this great “church.” And so the “preacher” and the “church” quickly let it be known that it accepts and affirms any and all lifestyles. Old, established denominations follow suit in an attempt to “stay alive” in a godless culture.
The power of God is not demonstrated by signs and wonders; it’s not seen in the advancing influence of mega churches. Nor is it seen in theatrical preaching and loud praise music. The power of God is evidenced in lives that were once “enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. Lives lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another,” but have now been delivered from that domain of darkness, and are seeking to serve the living God.
The modern, progressive “church” of today will not and cannot teach its members to say “NO!” to their ungodly lifestyles, because if they did, their ecclesiastical empire would crumble. In order to avoid any reference to fearing a holy God, to denying their fleshly impulses, or being led by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God must be largely set aside and replaced by heart-warming stories and fables.
The modern, progressive “church” of today, in order to display a form of godliness, hone in on two things: love and unity. They openly declare and boast of their love for everybody, which is biblical, for sure. But their love and God’s love are two different loves: one is carnal and devilish; God’s love is pure and redemptive. In the press for unity, their love embraces everyone as a brother or sister, whether they be a Christian, an atheist, or a follower of an antichrist religion; and that is where the Holy Spirit departs. A child of God cannot have fellowship with an unbeliever—that’s Bible!
We’re all born with a sin nature; that’s why we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. When a person is born again, that sin nature is crucified with Christ, and a new man is born. However, the old man is still present. This brings about a never-ending conflict between the Spirit and the flesh. But if our minds and hearts are fixed and set on Christ Jesus, we shall walk in victory in Jesus.
As we eagerly look for the glorious appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, then the choice to follow Jesus is made certain. Following Jesus is consistently saying “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions; to say “NO” when the old man wants to say “YES.” Following Jesus is consistently saying “YES” to self-controlled, upright, and godly living when the old man wants to say, “NO.”
We eagerly look for the appearing of Jesus Christ; we eagerly look for Him because He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own; we become eager to do what is good. And here is what we are eagerly waiting and looking for:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
“…We know that when Christ is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
If you’re looking for Jesus, follow Him with an undivided heart, and know He could appear any moment—Be ready!
Brother Bill Oldham
The post For Those Who Are Looking :: By Brother Bill Oldham appeared first on Rapture Ready.
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