****Please read the scripture from the Bible first as this is God's Word****

We all remember watching the first tower fall, then the second tower crumble down, as the world was baffled by the happenings of 911. We are still cleaning up debris and rebuilding after the devastation that occurred with Hurricane Katrina. We still remember those that were taken by the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. We also remember those that have died serving our country. We also remember those who died during one of the most tragic wars which was the Civil War, the war which brothers fought side by side with brothers and even against their own brother. All these events though tragic, and at the time may have seemed apocalyptic they are nothing compared to the judgment that non-believers will face as we come to the end of the ages when it is time for God to judge the earth. But there is Good News! As we will see in today's reading, God is merciful, loving and long suffering or patient. He bestows his glorious grace upon us in the fact that even up to the end of the world the Gospel which literally means good news will be preached to those that are on the earth.

What is the good news? The good news is that we don't have to endure the judgment. We can humbly come before God, and fully place our dependence upon Jesus Christ who died for our sin. There has always been the argument between works and faith. If you are trusting or depending upon yourself for salvation, that is considered works. If you are depending fully upon Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, that is salvation by faith. Works will be a RESULT of faith upon Jesus. You see you can't have works without faith first. What does it mean to depend on Jesus and not yourself. The simplest way I can explain is using the illustration of driving a car. If you are driving a vehicle, you are dependent upon yourself to get yourself to the destination safely. If someone else is driving the vehicle and you are in the passenger seat, you must trust and depend on someone else to get you to the destination safely, and the person driving the car ought to be Jesus Christ. If we depend upon ourselves we are saying the Jesus died on the cross for nothing. But we know that isn't true, and God gives us the mercy and grace even up to the end of the world to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and depend on him ALONE for the forgiveness of our sins. You see, that is the way you know what the future holds for your eternal life. Those who are non-believers, even though seem to be good people, will parish or die in a REAL place called Hell. Those who believe have the blessing of having their sins forgiven and are sure they are on their way to heaven.

You must respond whole heartedly to the gospel. In verse 6 of Revelation Chapter 14 we see an angel which had the "everlasting" gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth. Everlasting means that the good news of Jesus dying for our sin will be the good news forever and ever. You see even during the tribulation in the final days the Lord provides us with opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior even unto the end. How many opportunities have you not taken advantage of? How many opportunities does the future hold for you yet? You see we don't know how God's sovereign plan works but I do know this, there are 2 for sure events in life, that is taxes and death. We just don't know when we will die, but the great thing about this opportunity is we can take advantage of it NOW!!! Why wait, be accepted into Christ's family now. The gospel is the good news and is and will be preached to everyone. Notice in verse 6 it says that the everlasting gospel will be preached unto them that dwell in the earth. If that doesn't convince you that it means everyone, look at the next line, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. That is a very poetic way of saying EVERYONE. The gospel is offered to ANYONE who will accept Christ as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins. When you accept Jesus and confess your sin to Him and Him alone and ask for forgiveness, He will give you a place in his home in heaven forever and ever. You know our short little insignificant lives here on earth don't compare to our lives that we will endure in heaven forever and ever, for those who truly believe.

We must respond to the gospel because of the nature of our sin. We as humans sin by nature. From the time we were born until we are saved, we are slaves to our sin. You see we choose to sin, because we have the choice not to sin. By depending on Jesus for the forgiveness of sins we are freed from the bondage of sin and become a child of Christ. When we place our full dependence upon Him, he guides us and gives us wisdom. By power of the Holy Spirit we are convicted when we sin, and must repent and confess our sin, but as we mature in our walk with Christ we will sin less and less.

We must respond to the gospel because of the reality of judgment. In verse 9-10 we see those who don't accept Christ, instead worship Satan, the beast and have the mark of the beast on their forehead. They will endure the wrath of God and suffer an eternal death in hell with fire and brimstone, as they will never be given peace. But we see in verse 12 that those who believe or the "saints", those who keep faith in Jesus, they will be blessed. It goes on in verse 13 to say that blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. They will be given rest and peace with God.

We see in verse 14 - 20, God judging those who don't believe. The angels sent down to harvest those who don't believe and deal with God's judgment. The severity of the judgment will far surpass the events of 911, be more bloody than any war that has occurred, and much more devastating than any natural disaster ever recorded on this earth. What a day of sorrow for those who were given many opportunities to believe the good news. You know if you die a non-believer, you will have sacrificed the benefits of true salvation through Jesus Christ. How many opportunities will you pass up before you turn to Christ? There is a sense of urgency since we don't know what tomorrow holds, but what a comfort it would be to know for sure that your sins are forgiven and you are on your way to heaven.

posted by Ben at 9:12 PM