Lay Your Crowns At...
The Throne Of Gold
Have you fought for the faith, finished the faith walk along Christ's path, and kept that faith?
Fight for the faith:
2 Timothy 4:3
"A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear."
Fight the temptation to adopt your own notions and fancies. Speak only in Christ, with sincerity, pure and plain in the sight of God.
Finish the race:
Ecclesiastes 11:6 "Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well."
Remaining true to Christ in season and out of season. Rebuking, reproving, and exhorting with fervent spirit. Convincing wicked people of the evil and danger of their wicked courses. Never resting on your own blessed assurances. Instead persuade them to hold on, and endure to the end. We cannot know what God will do with our work, what harvest will be yielded, only that we must do it.
Keep the faith:
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 NLT
"So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth."
The work of the evangelist is to water the churches that were planted. He must make full proof of it. It's a great trust. He must expect afflictions in the faithful discharge of his duty. He must endure them patiently, like a Christian hero. Why? Because errors and heresies are likely to creep into the church. The Devil goes to church. He's faithful to come and participate in the business of the churches.
Simple truth is, if the people will only come because there's a good and easy road, then don't bother sending, or inviting them. The Lord isn't looking for faith without sacrificing. The evangelist must guard their hearts and minds against the mischiefs of the Devil. Why? Because people are forever greedy for fables, and they even take pleasure in them. God will give them up to these strong delusions. And I believe God does this in order to make plain and clear the fields of evangelist work that his ministers are to be working in. The mind of mobs and masses is a universalist mind. Forever searching the universe and scratching their itchy ears for new and comforting falsehoods. They do this because they can't live with sound doctrines. It interferes with their lifestyle. They need the convenient truths. They want a path of faith that doesn't cause them to struggle. This is Cancel Culture applied to spiritual things; people demand to be told what they WANT TO HEAR, NOT THE TRUTH. This generation will end in their own deceptions. Their reward is here and now. They build up for themselves museums and memorabilia of times spent doing world things. Thinking to secure for themselves crowns of righteousness under their own strength.
Though these universalists won't endure the truth unless it's under their own terms, the truth is there is a Living God. He created the universe. He is the Author of truth. That’s why truth can’t change, because truth is consistent with God’s holy nature. And the Bible is the repository of God’s wisdom and Word – THE ONLY TRUE WORD FROM GOD TO MAN.
Friends, we’re in the “Last Days” now. And fact of the matter is as Christ predicted, many materialistic Christians are “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” and have “a form of godliness but deny its power.” Many claim to know Christ, but don’t ever let Jesus revolutionize their lives or behavior. No change, no repentance, no tears, and no conviction. They play with sin. Playing on the edges of the pits of hell.
Children of God...listen. God is real and hell is real. Throw away your idols. If we can't “love the truth,” we become open to the devil's deceptions. The people who are followers of the AntiChrist are sign-chasers. They follow after one fable and then another. Moving from one propaganda campaign and smoothly unto yet another. Never satisfied. Forever chasing the popular causes and humanist hero worshipping.
Are you looking for Jesus?
Are you living for Jesus?
Are you finishing His work in you?
Listen to The Word of God-
Titus 2:11-14
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."
Do you long to see the return of Jesus Christ?
Do you live like someone longing to see the return of Jesus Christ?
Would the worldly wicked people say of you, "that one is living like someone longing for the return of Jesus Christ"?
If you can't say with confidence, "yes, my friends, family, and acquaintances would say of me, 'he lives for Christ'", then you might need to find some time in your life where you can refine and pressurize your belief, choices, actions, and expressions. Best place to begin is in prayer, recognizing that you can't do this alone. Start by inviting the Holy Spirit to burn away all your impulses and impurities. Rebuke yourself. Reprove your self styled fables. Exhort yourself to do better.
Decide today what kind of vessel you want to be and become.
2 Timothy 2:20
"in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable."
Some vessels are honorable, for holding fine wine, and others for urine and fecal matter. And a word of warning-a gold plated toilet is still a crapper. No matter how much you decorate it, you sure ain't gonna drink from it.
Which will you become?
God bless your choices and ministry efforts. May His Spirit grow inside you daily as you live out your remaining days in his favor and peace.