“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

(Romans 5:8)

“Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

(Daniel 5:27)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”

(Romans 3:23)

“And Jesus answering said unto them,

‘They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ "

(Luke 5:31-32)

“How then can we be saved?

All of us have become like one who is unclean,
       and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
       we all shrivel up like a leaf,
       and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

(Isaiah 64:5-6)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him

should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;

but that the world through Him might be saved.”

(John 3:16-17)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…”

(John 10:27)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and

into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—

kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded

by God's power until the coming of the salvation

that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire—

may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him;

and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him

and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

for you are receiving the goal of your faith,

the salvation of your souls.”

(1 Peter 1:3-9)

How can we be saved?

First, we must recognize our need of a Savior.

We need to acknowledge that yes we are sinners, but God loved us enough to send His Son to die in our stead. That’s why many do not come to Christ. The refuse to accept they are sinners, or cannot save themselves. But we can never be “good enough”. The Bible tells that our own righteous or “goodness” is like filthy rags. Our God is a Holy God, and has called us to holiness:

 “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16)

So often we hear about the love of Father God, and this is rightly so. And He’s proven this through the precious love and sacrifice of Jesus suffering upon the cross for us. Sweet Jesus: our final sacrifice. He could have came down off the cross… but He didn’t. There is no other way we can be saved. We could never do enough good deeds to be acceptable to our loving, but HOLY God:

 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other NAME under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

But today we are in the End Times. The Bible speaks of a slumber that befalls us. (See: “DEAREST BELIEVERS: Are You ASLEEP in the LIGHT?!” on this site.) It so gradually creeps up unawares, that many do not recognize what a hedonistic society we have become. Christian, too. “The love of many will wax cold”, the Bible says. Lovers of self, not lovers of God. Seeking OUR own pleasure and comfort… not HIS pleasure. The Bible speaks of this Godlessness in the last days:

 “But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

Oh my… this speaks of “Christians!” Heaven forbid. But of course no one sees him/herself in this. It’s always someone else.

How will we be able to stand if we come under tribulation? How will we keep on trusting Jesus, when we think He’s supposed to rescue us, yet we still suffer?

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34-36) 

Yes, if you aren’t sure you are saved, please come to Jesus, give up your life to Him. He’s bought it already at a great price. It’s the only way you can be saved from the wrath to come on judgment day. But I hope you recognize that the Bible also speaks of a Great Tribulation that will also come upon the earth. Little children, we must prepare ourselves spiritually. Many churches teach of a “Rapture” that will happen and Jesus will return and rescue all us Christians before any of the tribulations and persecutions happens. (Please note: the word “Rapture” is not even in the Bible.) But as we in the West, so ignorantly slumber… outside our country, persecutions and martyrdom abounds. I see many Christians today going through many trials and hardships. This should be no surprise! We were forewarned this would occur. You should be alarmed if you are not!!!   We are being purified as gold, if we submit to the Potter’s hand. He is preparing us spiritually for any tribulations to come:

“These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7)

And when will Christ be revealed? When He returns for His own!! In the meantime, He wants to change us, until we are more like Jesus. HE must increase—we must decrease!  We need to learn to trust Him completely in all things. Love Him completely above all things. And obey Him and submit to Him in all things. We are being prepared us as His Bride without spot or blemish:

“That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27) 

If we don’t submit to the refining, we are not His children.

”For He will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.” (Mal. 3:2)

In these times of the Refiner’s fire, we must encourage each other daily. We must die to self: selfishness, hurt feelings, and other petty annoyances. We must be filled with MORE OF HIM. Oh, how I long for MORE of JESUS!  For more fullness of HIS love, HIS forgiveness, HIS kindness, HIS endurance. So that it FLOWS BACK OUT OF ME into others! WE ARE HIS BODY! Have we forgotten, Children?! We need each other! We cannot operate alone! The enemy has us so separated, divided, and busy! We have ceased to function as He intended: one unit—the BODY OF CHRIST!

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…” (1 Cor:12:26)

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:2-6)

I also used to accept this idea of a “Rapture”, and hope it is so—but still, I’ve not been fully convinced. I am rethinking this subject and studying it. Please read page on Corrie Ten Boom’s letter on the “Rapture”. (CLICK BELOW.) Corrie suffered terribly for Christ. As has many others gone through my tribulation—even now—dying for their faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God. Do I presume to know the truth about when exactly Jesus is returning? Absolutely not. There are scriptures that could possible support both views. But I do think that we will suffer some persecution—why else does the Lord have so many verses of warning for us? Why are would we in America be so “special” that, others in other countries suffer for Christ, and yet we won’t have to?

“Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you;” (John 15:20)

We are entering the Last Days. Maybe our tribulation is around the corner. It has begun with some all ready. But this is only the beginning! Perhaps the Lord will come in the middle or at the end—right before he destroys the world. But regardless… what I DO know, is that I want to be ready. Ready to face death, if need be. Ready to STAND FOR JESUS, when all around me have run away.  Even if I stand alone. That’s my desire. To come out sweetened, by the winnowing cross. To submit to the fiery trials WITHOUT fear! (Help me, Lord.) THIS fire is His fire, is a GOOD fire. It will burn off the dross, and make me more like Him.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves:

be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils,

and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake,

for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father

which speaketh in you.

And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents,

and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another:

for verily I say unto you,

Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel,

till the Son of man be come.

The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master,

and the servant as his lord.

If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub,

how much more shall they call them of his household?

Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered,

that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light:

and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

And fear not them which kill the body,

but are not able to kill the soul:

but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body

in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?

And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men,

him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.

But whosoever shall deny Me before men,

him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:

I came not to send peace, but a sword.

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father,

and the daughter against her mother,

and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after Me,

is not worthy of Me.

He that findeth his life shall lose it:

and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.

He that receiveth you receiveth Me,

and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent Me.”

(Matthew 10:16-40)

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers,

the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters

and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me,

‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God.” (Revelation 21:8-10)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,

for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,

and there was no longer any sea.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her Husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, & He will live with them.

They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them

and be their God.”

(Revelation 21:1-3)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you;

He will never leave you nor forsake you."

(Deuteronomy 31:6)