(There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.)
This article is not only about the Gospel, although it does contain a reminder of what it is and what it means. It is also about the imminent collision of the ancient prophecies contained in the Word of God and the state of the world today.
God, by His own authority, has given all mankind, both Jew and Gentile, a choice to reject him or repent and receive His gift of salvation. If one chooses to ignore this choice, it will be the same as having chosen to tread the Trail of Tears.
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
The world has been and is still, by God’s mercy, being warned.
“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).
For the last 1,956+\- years, God has been sounding the alarm relative to the warning above, and as time goes on, fewer and fewer people (by percentage of the population) read these words. Fewer still apply them in their everyday walk.
In fact, still fewer people comprehend their meaning and heed their warning, for God’s Scriptures are considered as foolishness by those who are perishing.
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Who are those who are perishing? According to those same Scriptures, it is anyone who rejects the saving Grace of Jesus Christ as presented in the Gospels (Good News).
What is Truth, and why does it matter?
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Who are those of us who are being “saved,” and what does that mean?
Are we special people with some inherent righteousness? Are we somehow sin-free, “goodie two-shoes?” Better than everybody else? Perfect? No.
Is the blessing of God’s Salvation limited to some select group of people, a specific race, a specific color of skin, country of residence, or ethnic group?
No, to all the above as well. God’s Salvation is offered to anyone who will repent of their sins and their rejection of Jesus Christ, humble themselves before Him, and, at the present time, simply ask to be “saved.”
What are we saved from?
We are saved (if we are earnest in our repentance) from the consequences of paying the penalty for our own sins, and in that, we are given the gift of eternal life. It is a gift by God to the truly penitent heart.
The Truth of the Gospel is all so incredibly simple. It, like all Scripture, follows a logical path to a logical conclusion for those who seek after Truth and, once availed of it, respond to it. For this reason, Satan hates that Truth, and it’s why his lies increase daily.
What’s the problem?
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
What is God’s one and only solution?
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
How do I find Jesus?
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
He is there now, waiting outside your door.
You, however, must open it.
God has had the “end planned from the beginning.”
“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose
will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).
God’s promise to any who open their door to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior:
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1).
What does it mean, “dine with Him and He with me“?
There is a day planned for the “children of God,” who are forever joined to Jesus.
“Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.'” (Revelation 19:9). Emphasis above added by me.
Who is this Lamb? He is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, slain to pay for the sins of all who will receive Him.
What do I mean by Trail of Lies, Trail of Tears?
We are currently living in the last of the “last days,” spoken of in the Word of God. Satan knows this, and he has enlisted much help in spreading his lies.
The Trail of Lies:
This present world system is so corrupted by man’s intentional rejection of God and His Word that it has unwittingly prepared the way for a resurgence of Satan and the evil he promulgates with the help of the “rulers of the darkness of this age.”
This resurgence of evil is a result of God allowing mankind to have their own way: To be free of His presence in their lives.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
This spreading of evil is being assisted by God-hating humans and by deceived people who are blinded by the lures of this world. It is resulting in a perfect storm of inexplicable behavior and debauched thinking (Romans 1:22).
Today, truth is being intentionally obfuscated or even obliterated at every point of the compass.
Consider for a moment: Are you comfortable believing what you hear in terms of “news” reporting on TV, radio, websites, blogs, etc.? Can you even believe what you see?
New technology has enabled deception, lying, cheating, and stealing at levels most of us could not even have imagined only a year ago. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can make the fake appear real and is already actively being utilized for that very purpose.
How long before the controllers become the controlled?
This, coupled with the rapidly growing levels of evil that humans are capable of, which have morphed into an all-out race for power and money at any cost, can only be explained by what the Word of God reveals as a characteristic that will prevail at the end of the age (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
If you have a “legitimate” Bible, look these verses up. If you do not, perhaps it is time to acquire one. Be aware, there are even counterfeit, deceiving “bibles” available. (Please see the note ** at the end of this article.)
Do these verses not accurately describe the current state of the world, even America?
The Trail of Tears:
Those who reject the Truth of God’s Living Word, Jesus Christ, are going to walk an unending “Trail of Tears” all the way to an eternity of outer darkness and despair.
“For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).
The greatest of these worldly lies will be that any human, no matter what his name is or where he is from, can come along with the right answers (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Still, this pernicious narrative is already being prepared, and many who lack God’s Truth will embrace it and suffer for it.
“We do not want another committee, we have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive him.” – Paul-Henri Spaak
The Alternative: The Path of Truth
God does not want anyone to perish, be cast into an eternity of hopeless despair, and walk the path of never-ending tears, so He makes His desires known.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
As well, He has made this promise to those who will become His children:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Further, God makes this promise:
“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him'” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
You can be protected by the gift of discernment so you can divide the Truth of God’s Word from lies of the world and live according to that Truth.
You can possess the peace that Jesus promises to those who are saved.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7)
I hope you will read just a little further and open your door to Jesus Christ and His promise.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
The special message I promised you:
For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no hope or peace in your life.
You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior. The peace that passes understanding.
It requires that you come before God on His terms.
And, what are His terms according to His Word?
- Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him).
- Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God).
- That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
- To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt.
- Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross.
- To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion.
God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused.
- No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one.
- No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will.
- Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions.
If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will.
“Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life” (John 5:24).
There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics or politicians. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek.
The answers are in the Word of God –The Bible. If you ask God, with all your heart, He will hear you.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
Pro Salvator Vigilans
To contact me: canoeman96@gmail.com
**These are some reputable versions: KJV, NKJV, NASB, BSB, ESV. There may be others as well. but these I am familiar with.