WHAT COMES NEXT FOR YOU?

For the present, by God’s grace and kindness, people can reject God but still receive the benefits of His common grace, including the enjoyment of loving relationships, natural and artistic beauty, and pleasure. However—and we need to be so warned—we live on borrowed time. This temporary situation will come to an abrupt end. Death but also judgement follows.

Have you accepted God’s offer of eternal life through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus? If not you need to seriously consider first the following two Scriptures then open or purchase God’s Word, a Bible. This is the only way you can discover the truth about the world in which we live and answers to the big questions, like why there is pain, death, and suffering. Below I have also given you three paragraphs from the Book of John to consider why you need to get a Bible if you do not have one. A New King James, ESV or a New American Standard are all excellent translations from my experience.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28

This first Scripture reveals that Jesus is returning to earth to “save those who are eagerly waiting for him“. Revelation 8 and 15 reveal that He is also going to pour out His wrath upon those that have rejected Him with the trumpet and bowl judgments. God has given us many prophetic scriptures revealing the events that will proceed Jesus’ return. Those events are already happening, the first major one was the reestablishment of Israel as a nation back in 1948.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had doneAnd if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.Revelation 20:11-12,15

This second Scripture shows those that had died and been raised to life to face Jesus at the white throne judgement.

BOOK OF JOHN

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.John 1:1-5

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.John 1:9-13

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness, we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.John 1:14-18

HARVEST RIPE: THE GOSPEL WELCOME NEWS TO THE YOUNG

A recent study from Barna that found that two-thirds of teens and young adults (65%) agree that “many religions can lead to eternal life” compared to 58% of teens and young adults surveyed in 2018. Additionally, 31% of teens and young adults “strongly agree” that what is “morally right and wrong changes over time, based on society,” compared to just 25% in 2018.

A 2018 study from Barna similarly characterized Gen Z as the “first truly ‘post Christian’ generation,” with only 4% adhering to a biblical worldview. “Moral relativism hasn’t just crept into the worldview of Gen Z,” said Jonathan Morrow, director of cultural engagement and student discipleship at Impact 360 Institute. “It is now the majority opinion.”

whosoevers.comMAINSTREAM STATS AND QUOTES ON 25 OF SOME OF LIFE’S TOUGHEST TOPICS TEENS STRUGGLE WITH TODAY, AND THE BIBLE’S RESPONSE TO THEM.

Ryan Ries, co-founder of The Whosevers, a movement that seeks to deliver the message of the Gospel to schools and empower students to live boldly for Christ, told The Christian Post that these recent statistics reveal how important it is for young people to have a positive, biblically-grounded influence in their life.

Anxiety, depression, suicide, identity issues, all of these things are at an all-time high right now,” he said.

“We are seeing it across schools, we’re seeing across the country. “Parents, youth pastors, and anyone who works with teens and young people need to “be honest about the statistics and really let them know what’s going on,” Ries stressed. “Kids know they are depressed, suicidal, and struggling, and when you try to sugar-coat the Gospel and avoid hard issues, they aren’t going to know there is freedom that can take place,” he explained. “We’ve got to have good conversations and address these things because otherwise, we’re missing an opportunity to have a high impact and disciple these kids.”

Thanks to social media, young people are able “to sin in the most radical ways,” Ries said, adding: “When we were young, we had to figure out how to sin. We are now living in a whole different time, where kids who are 9 years old have the mind of teenagers because of the content that they’re exposed to. They’re getting immune to it, callous to it, and corrupted by it.” But as a result, Ries said, the “harvest is ripe” for the Gospel. He said that he’s seen an unprecedented increase in teens and young people dedicating their lives to the Lord in recent months. “The fruit is so ripe that it’s literally falling off the trees up to this point,” he said. “Everyone is giving their life to the Lord. You’ve got to have a conversation with them, be genuine with them, let them know that you love them and that God loves them. They are so eager for the freedom and truth the Gospel gives.”

Time is short so take this opportunity to present the greatest good news ever told to all in your circle of influence. If you are available the Holy Spirit will bring people to you. God loved us sufficient to send His Son to die for us that we have the opportunity to get back into a son/daughter relationship with Him. Not only that, but also to be assured of eternal life with Him on a new earth and heaven with an end to pain, suffering and death.

Embrace LIFE not DEATH.

THE CALL TO REACH NON BELIEVERS WITH THE GOSPEL

Christian Post: You’ve said that your life inspires everything that you do and you often speak about how much you love Jesus. For the Christian audience, for those that want to know what they can look forward to in the film, what would you say to them?

Emmy award-winning entertainer Kathie Lee Gifford is gearing up for the release of her new film, “Then Came You,” part one of what she said is a five-part film series on the power of redemption. The outspoken Christian said she feels the Lord has called her to reach unbelievers. The following is a short edited transcript of The Christian Post’s interview with Gifford.

Gifford: I hope people aren’t disappointed that this is not your typical, this is not a faith-based film, in the terms that it’s different than anything I’ve ever done before. But I felt the Lord’s calling on my life to write a movie for people who don’t know yet that God loves them. I didn’t know why I thought that was a strange thing for Him to say to my heart. But I have many, many, many friends, more nonbeliever friends than I have Christian friends actually in my life, people that I share my faith with and they respect it, but they’re not there yet.

I think the Church has failed nonbelievers in many, many ways through the years and one of the biggest ones is that we haven’t loved them into the Kingdom.

Daytime TV host Kathie Lee Gifford had her final day on NBC’s “Today” show Friday, after 11 years of co-hosting. Before making her official exit, the Emmy Award winner released a short film, titled “The God Who Sees” featuring Nicole C Mullen.

The “modern oratorio” was directed by Gifford and shot in Israel. Mullen, the star of the film and the voice of the song and narration sings and shares about multiple characters in the Bible who have had desert experiences but God saw them through.

“Can you identify with Hagar the single mother, Ruth the widow, David from shepherd boy to King … but still struggling? Or how about Mary of Magdela whose mental illness was caused by demonic forces? Ever been afraid, uncertain, worried, on the run?” Mullen wrote in an Instagram post about some of the people she mentions in the song.

The title is based on one of God’s biblical names — El Ro-ee — which translates to “The God Who Sees Me.” Hagar gave God the name in Gen 16:13.  

The song begins in the Old Testament and shows how God is faithful all the way through and ultimately shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“God was giving us something special,” Gifford testified in a behind-the-scenes promotion for the project.

The respected entertainer linked up with Mullens to create the song. After writing it out, it was recorded in one take at a studio in Nashville. Gifford believes God then told her to shoot the video as a short film in Israel.

I hope you will be challenged by the testimony of Kathy Lee Gifford to start witnessing to the unbelievers in your circle of influence for the time is short.