This will encourage you, look what God did

Remember in Acts 8, Philip led the Ethiopian to Christ and the Holy Spirit caught Philip away and we do not know what ever happened to the Ethiopian? Then the Lord Jesus saw that woman at the well in John 4 get saved, she left and brought the whole city of Sychar to the Lord Jesus. What about followup? God does a great job when we can't followup every person.

"Report all things that God had done with them" Acts 14:27. Let me rehearse something wonderful God just did.

Do you remember the email I sent right after Thanksgiving about the florist? A 65 year old man delivered flowers to my wife. I graciously asked if he knew for sure he was going to heaven. He said, "I am doing all I can to get there." He had just taught a S.S. class for two weeks and was not even saved.

If you remember, I shared the gospel and it was awesome the way God opened his eyes to see you are not saved by what you do but by trusting what the Lord Jesus did when He died for our sins, paid out debt in full and rose again. He prayed to receive the Lord Jesus as his Savior and was gloriously saved. He thanked me 5 times for sharing the gospel with him and then said, "God led me to you today." You always wish you could follow up and know what happens to people like that.

The day before mothers day, a week ago, this same man, James, delivered flowers to our house again. (Coincidence? No!) Celeste went to the door and he asked if I was there, that he wanted to-pray for me. When I saw him, we hugged and rejoiced together. When I told him I was really hurting with the shingles, he prayed. I wish you could have heard him. He reached all the way to heaven, got hold of God and prayed like you seldom hear today. God had transformed this man. Now that is sheer ecstasy and that is the way it ought to be.

O dear people, that is the way to change this old world. GOD WANTS YOU TO YOU BE A SOUL WINNER. He said so, when He said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." He wants to use YOU to see this happen over and over. He leads the people to us and we must lead them to Christ. This is the "meat" most Christians never taste-John 4:32. You and I must get in on it. This is my passion for you.

Father, bless Your child reading this and help them to give the gospel to the people You send their way, in Jesus name.

Until Noah entered the Ark

"Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time" Gen. 7:1. Noah and all the seven others that were saved entered the Ark before the wrath of God was poured out on the earth.

"Come up hither"
John heard a voice which said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things" Rev. 4:1. We believe this is the rapture which takes place before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth as it was in the flood. You do not read any more about the church from here on in the Revelation.

The flood came
Can't you just hear the scoffers in Noah's day ridiculing him about that big boat he was building and this big flood that he said was coming. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and a bolt of thunder and the floods came just like Noah said.and "took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of man be." Vs. 37-39.

Glad day or sad day
It will be a glad day for all the saved at the rapture. But it will be a sad day for the scoffers at the revelation. At the rapture, all the saved are taken out and those left behind will face the wrath of Almighty God. At the revelation, all the unsaved are taken away, as in the flood, and all the saved are left to enter the wonderful thousand year reign of Christ. PEACE

One shall be taken
"Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left" Matt. 24:40, 41. This is often quoted as referring to the rapture when we shall be taken to heaven. It is true that, at the rapture, one shall be taken and the other left behind. The whole context here is referring to the coming of Christ to the earth to rule and reign. BUT, the one taken will be the lost, as in the flood, and the saved will be left to enter the Millennium, the thousand years of peace with Christ ruling and we will be ruling with Him. That is why it is so important that we put to use our gifts so we can receive our rewards and rule with Him. Oh, my, what a day that will be. Give the gospel to evangelize the lost and use your gifts to edify the believers.

Prayer:  Father, bless Your dear people and help us all to "occupy" until our dear Savior comes, in Jesus name.

Dear people, "Only one life t'will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last" I will be the first one to shout when you hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, inter thou into the joy of thy Lord." All because of Calvary, sumner

A continuation of Noah

Noah a preacher of righteousness 2 Pet. 2:5. Where did he preach? There were no churches or synagogues, only 8 saved people in the whole world! See Luke 16:8. He must have gone street preaching every Saturday, his day off. I love street meetings. Over the years, since 1942, I have preached scores of times on the street. Times have changed and it isn't done much today. I can see a little boy running home to his Dad and saying, "Dad, we better get ready to meet God. there is a preacher on the street telling judgment is coming. Be ready to meet God." The father asks, "Was it that old gray headed man, named Noah, telling about a big flood coming?" The boy answers "Yes." Son I heard him preaching that 40 years ago. Don't worry. He is just a religious fanatic." Forty years later, the same scene takes place and another father tells his son the same thing."

 

Suddenly

Life went on as usual, God was ignored and the preacher was scoffed at but suddenly there was a flash of lightning and a bolt of thunder and the floods came just like Noah said, and "took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be" Vs. 37-39. Get the rest of the story in the next lesson. It explains some vital things in the Bible.

 

Dear people, the rapture is coming seven years before this. How much more should we heed the preaching about "Jesus is coming" for us and take us all away to heaven. We must get ready, get set to go.

 

Father give us ears to hear and hearts to heed so we wont be ashamed at His coming. In Jesus name.