You keep a knockin' but you can't come in

^23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, ^24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ^25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ (Lk 13:23-25, NIV)

 

Here is a harsh but true reality, not all will be saved... How do you know that?  reread the verses.  Opens with a very good question, it's a question that many are pondering, it's the question that people have been asking, well forever i guess.  Everybody is trying to get there, well almost everybody (atheists don't care, cause they don't know), we are all on this journey of life together, we all want to deep down inside get to heaven, it's our goal.  Jesus answers and tells them to make every effort to enter through the narrow door.  So then the question is, what's the narrow door?  Jesus makes it clear, crystal clear:

 

^6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

(Jn 14:6, NIV)

 

It's Him (Jesus) and only Him. 

 

He goes on to say that "may will try to enter and won't be able to"; what?? there is some that try but yet can't, how can that be, how fair is that?  Here is the thing you must agree that Jesus made it simple, very simple:

 

^9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Ro 10:9, NIV)

 

confess and believe, that's not too hard...

 

it's when we complicate it, base it on religion, denomination, translation, attire, or any other traditions that we confuse people and because of our own traditions and ignorance people will be outside knockin'.  I can't live with that, I'm not satisfied with that, are you???

 

confess, believe, share and the door opens.

 

it's that simple

 

have a great memorial day weekend, love to my readers, Chris

 

 

 

 

fruit anyone?

^6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. ^7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

^8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ^9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”  (Lk 13:6-9, NIV)

 

I once heard Greg Laurie say that "we are not called to be the judge of the world, however we are called to be fruit inspectors".  Our lives will be known by the fruit we bear.  The amazing thing about this parable is that the tree is inspected, is not bearing fruit (and hasn't for three years), the worker has every right to cut it down, because quite frankly a fruit tree that isn't bearing fruit is just taking up space, but yet the owner of the tree gives it another chance.

As God's child we are His representative here and now, therefore our lives should be bearing His fruit.  So if He inspected your life right now, would he find fruit?

If not there is time, and you can.

 

Just a thought, chris

my prediction of rapture

Here it is my readers the bold prediction you have been waiting on; i have done thorough research, crunched the numbers, refigured them, matched it up with my Bible, and know beyond the shadow of a doubt when Jesus will Rapture His Church, and my answer is:  I don't have a clue.

^35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ^36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ^37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. ^38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. ^39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ^40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Lk 12:35-40, NIV)

It would in alot of ways be pretty awesome to know the date and time of the Rapture; but here is the thing scripture makes it very clear (vs. 40) that we don't know, and that it will be at the time when we least expect Him.  So where does that leave us and what should we be doing. 

The answer is simple, yet complex.  We are to be about our business like He is coming now, today, tonight, or tomorrow, or even the next day.  I have thought about this alot because of all the recent hubbub, and we just have to make sure that when He does return, that we aren't in the middle of something we shouldn't be doing.  So we guard our lives, our time, our actions, and our words in knowing that it could at any moment.  He could even come before i finish this bl...............   ha ha gotcha :)

blessings on you and your day, and be ready for we do not know the time.

chris