“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart. O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17).

Does it matter to you whether or not you honor God? Too often, we put God in an isolated spot in our life and think He doesn’t see the many times we fall short of honoring Him. We know He is in our church on Sunday, but there He stays until next Sunday. Well, that’s not true. The church isn’t a building, but it’s the people who truly believe. Living for the Lord should be a 24/7 way of life.

“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ” (Ephesians 1:12).

Christ has done so much for us, and our gratitude should shine through our way of life. Too many Christians seem to be beaten down by the world, and there is no joy in their life. A defeated Christian brings no glory to God. The Apostle Paul had many things in his life that could have discouraged him but chose to dwell on positive things.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

You can please God by dwelling on His blessings no matter what your circumstances are.

Throughout history, Christians have been persecuted. There are horror stories of those brave and faithful people in the first century who were put in an arena with hungry lions just for believing the truth. My mother always asked, “If you’re accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Those early martyrs must have lived such lives, so there was plenty of evidence to convict them.

The persecution didn’t stop. Sadly, many Christians who faced persecution were persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church. William Tyndale was one who believed every person should have access to Scripture. Of course, the pope was not happy about that. Mr. Tyndale spoke many languages, including Greek and Hebrew, and he set about translating both the Old and New Testaments and studied Scripture deeply. His efforts to translate Scripture so that the common person could understand was met with opposition by the pope. Eventually, he was arrested and spent a year in prison. Then he was strangled and burned at the stake.

Today, there are many, many Christians who face persecution and death just for their faith in Christ. Try openly sharing the Gospel in China and see what happens.

What can give a person such conviction to choose martyrdom rather than denouncing Christ?

When we first come to Christ in repentance and faith, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory“ (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The Holy Spirit lives within every Christian and will guide us and comfort us. Sadly, many Christians choose to dwell upon all the bad things in the world and live defeated lives with no joy. Good and bad things happen to every person, whether they are Christians or not. Those of us who have placed our hope in Jesus should dwell on what Christ did for us rather than the evils in human governments and the evil that people do to each other. You can’t have the joy of the Lord if you choose to dwell on the doom and gloom of the world.

King David wrote many Psalms of praise, even in times of his greatest trials. How was he able to face the anger and persecution of Saul, or how could he find reason to praise God when his son wanted to kill him? David kept the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart acceptable to God. We can learn a lot from David. He loved God and was a man after God’s own heart. David was human and a sinner. In fact, he came very close to losing his salvation because of sin. Instead of covering up the evil he had done, he understood that his sin was against God, and that truth brought him to repent.

“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:4).

Oh, to have a man like David to lead our government! He went to God and asked Him to “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

He knew that people would always come against him, but the way he handled persecution could change those around him. “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee” (Psalm 51:12-13).

David loved the Lord, and he yearned to desire what God desires. Do you have the desire to please God in such a way? How do we know how to please God?

We have Scripture. From Genesis through Revelation, we learn about God. We learn that God created everything and that He has rules to live by. For instance, to reject Him as creator brings consequences. Romans chapter 1 goes into great detail telling us about those consequences. We can see how much God loves the nation of Israel and know that we need to love that nation also.

Pride is a thing that doesn’t please God. Pride causes a person to be wise in their own eyes, and that’s always a problem. Humility and submission to God is the attitude that a Christian needs. It isn’t always easy, but pleasing God is always best. Satan is always going to try to stumble you. Actually, Satan is filled with pride, which is a good example of why we need to reject the pride and humble ourselves before the Lord. Satan was filled with pride and thought he could trick Jesus into abandoning His mission. Satan twisted Scripture, but Jesus couldn’t be fooled. Jesus quoted true Scripture to confound Satan’s wiles.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Honor God, and Satan will have no way to stumble you. Study Scripture and write it on your heart. Whenever you are tempted to say or do something that isn’t pleasing to God, recall Scripture to your mind, and you will resist the devil.

In this day and age in which we live, it’s becoming harder and harder to keep right with God. Few pastors preach from Scripture. The ungodly people in this world seem to be winning the war. They may seem to be winning, but they aren’t. As long as there is a remnant of true believers, Christians who put their trust in Jesus and live to honor Him, there is hope. Christians have a responsibility to honor Him. We must show Christ in us by the way we conduct our lives. We must make it a habit to live for Christ. Instead of dwelling on the world and the troubles found there, take control of what you put into your thoughts.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

You cannot fight a war if you are in league with the enemy. Let every thought and every action be under the control of the Lord. Know Him better by studying His word. Write it on your heart and let it shine through your life. If others see Christ controlling your ways and the joy He brings to your life, you just might lead someone to give their life to Christ, and the remnant will grow.

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Please God in all you do. Desire what God desires, and serve Him with joy. You will please Him.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

When my daughter was little, she loved the movie ET. There was one scene in the movie where ET was hiding in a cornfield and surprised the boy looking for him. This always made her grab my hand and put it over her eyes. Compared to so many movies, ET is tame as far as scary scenes. Actually, ET is about the scariest movie I care to watch.

There are other things that are scary. Such as late at night when there’s a gentle wind blowing, and I hear a tree branch creaking. My imagination can go wild, making up stories about what that noise is. Or, when I hear coyotes howling, I always get a very eerie feeling. But these things are just tricks of my imagination. If I don’t have a stern talk with myself, I can really get scared. There is something that is scarier than scary, and that’s a person coming to the end of their life if they haven’t accepted Christ as their Saviour.

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31).

Only through Christ can we find salvation and avoid eternal death. We who believe in God should never promote evil. God spoke to Moses and gave some very good rules to live by, including staying away from evil.

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD; and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

The occult practices of pagan people have no place in a Christian’s life. Passing a son or daughter through the fire refers to offering child sacrifices to demon gods and is forbidden, as are all forms of magic or fortune-telling.

This time of year, many people start dabbling in occult practices, such as Ouija boards, fortune tellers, tarot cards, witchcraft, and more. You may think it’s a game, but these things are tools of Satan. If you think a deceased relative of yours has contacted you, rebuke it in the name of Jesus Christ. God forbids contacting the dead. Don’t glorify or participate in any occult practice. People think it’s fun to dress up as ghosts or other very evil and ugly things. How can you say you love Jesus if you glorify evil? You’re only giving lip service to the One who bought you with His blood. We need to be careful what we give glory to.

Jesus gave us a glimpse into the hereafter and the two very different eternities faced by two very different men. Luke records what He told of the two men and their choices for eternity. The first man was rich. We aren’t given his name, but his reputation will always be remembered.

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day” (Luke 16:19).

This man had wealth and everything he might desire. He had no virtue in his heart and ignored the needs of people around him. It seems that his god was money, and he didn’t know the true God of all creation. Money isn’t evil, but when it becomes your god, that’s when it can corrupt you.

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Notice it isn’t money that is evil but the love of it. The love of money can destroy families, cause bitterness, and come between you and God. If money has a grip on you, stop and ask yourself, who do you serve? Do you serve Jesus, or do you serve your own self-interest? The rich man in this account served money as his god, and he would pay the price for his error. He could have used his wealth to help others but chose the wrong path.

The other man in this account is named Lazarus, “And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 16:20-21).

His situation was pitiful. He lay there at the gate of the rich man who had to walk right past him when he left his house. I’m sure Lazarus had some disappointment over his lot in life, but he was able to still keep his faith in God. This all took place prior to the cross, so faith in the coming Messiah was necessary for eternal life. Today, faith in the risen Messiah is the only way to salvation.

The Apostle Paul faced many hardships but was able to keep his focus on Jesus. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

As Christians, we need to understand this truth. Not everybody is rich, but if God blesses you with money, don’t be selfish but care for fellow Christians and use your blessings to bless others. On the other hand, if God blesses you in ways other than riches, be thankful for the blessings and share the Gospel with others.

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:7-10).

Perdition is exactly where the rich man ended up for eternity. His love for money caused his own eternal destruction.

Eternity is a long time to be thinking, “Oops,” so today is the day to give your life to Christ and start honoring Him in all you do.

“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:22-23).

Now this is scary. Hell is a place you don’t want to be. Actually, it won’t last forever. It will last until the Great White Throne judgment, where existence will get worse. Anybody facing that judgment will be judged by their own works. No good works are good enough to give you a “get out of hell free” card.

When John was shown visions of the future, which are recorded in the Book of Revelation, he saw many very scary things that are, even now, beginning to be seen around us, such as the one-world government. He wrote of the horrors of being on earth during the time when the Wrath of God is being poured out in judgment on all who have not accepted Christ for salvation.

The Rapture will take Christians Home prior to God’s wrath, but those left will face scarier than scary events. God will begin to open up judgments to be poured upon the earth, and all who dwell there. When the man of perdition – the Anti-Christ – comes to power, pure evil will reign on earth. If a person somehow survives, there will be a judgment at the great white throne.

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works” (Revelation 20:11-13).

If you depend upon your own virtue and righteousness to save you, you’re deceiving yourself. The rich man thought he had the world by the tail and his life would be cushy for eternity. Don’t be deceived. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will save you from the lake of fire. Evidence of your faith is a changed life that glorifies God in spite of your life conditions.

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15).

The rich man has waited a long time in torments (hell) and will be one who ends up in the lake of fire for eternity. Is he happy where he is now? Was his life of selfishness and self-righteousness worth the price?

From the account of the rich man and Lazarus, we know that people who have died remember loved ones and feel things. The rich man was miserable and could see Lazarus in Abraham’s Bosom, in comfort.

“And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24).

I don’t totally understand how the separation worked, but Lazarus and the rich man were unable to cross a chasm. Abraham and Lazarus could hear the rich man but couldn’t help him.

“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence” (Luke 16:26).

Their place in eternity was fixed by their choices on this side of eternity. Ours are too. There is only one way for us to avoid torments, and that is righteousness only found by faith in Jesus. Lazarus lived prior to the cross, and only those who looked forward to the coming Messiah would go to Abraham’s Bosom. Today, we must repent and put our faith in the Living Lord.

The rich man still had more requests. “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment” (Luke 16:27-28).

The rich man’s sin wasn’t that he didn’t love, but it was a selfish love of money and his own family. He cared nothing for the poor people, nor did he care about God.

“Abraham saith unto him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.’ And he said unto him, ‘If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead’” (Luke 16:29-31).

The rich man wanted his brothers to repent of their evil ways so they didn’t end up in Hell. Don’t be deceived; the ghost of Lazarus couldn’t take a message to the rich man’s brothers, nor can your deceased loved ones bring a message to you. We still have Moses and the prophets, found in the Old Testament, but we also have the Gospel and all the letters of the New Testament to tell us how to live to please God on this earth and how to obtain eternal life. You can repent now and receive salvation through Christ, or you can continue to live a sinful life opposed to God. You can only blame yourself if your eternity is scarier than scary.

Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will save you from a scarier than scary eternity. Repent and give your life to Him now. Tomorrow may be too late.

God bless you all.

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).