Life has many uncertainties, but one thing that is certain is everyone will one day leave this life. We will either die or, what I’m yearning for, we will be Raptured. If we face death, we can be certain that no matter what our faith is, we will meet God. Does that surprise you?

Christians have a wonderful blessing of salvation. We have understood that we are sinners and that our sin separates us from God. The blessing is that “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). 

Jesus Christ came to offer salvation to a lost and fallen world. There are no works we can do, we cannot be “good enough,” and we can’t give enough money to charity to earn our salvation. It only takes faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When you understand what Jesus did for you, repent and ask Him for salvation. There is no salvation without faith in Jesus.

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Jesus died to offer salvation to everybody, but unless you accept His offer, you’ve condemned yourself. You will see God; however, you will not be allowed to enter into eternal peace but will face God’s judgment and an eternity in the lake of fire. Where will you be when the roll is called up yonder?

WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER
Written by James M. Black

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there

James Black was born in 1856 and wrote almost 1,500 songs. In addition to composing hymns, he taught Sunday school, was a choir leader, and edited many gospel songbooks. He used his musical talents to glorify God. Isn’t that what we all should be doing? Glorifying God with all our heart? He knew that a day was coming when he would stand before God. We all face that day. He was sure that when the roll is called up yonder, he would be there. I’m sure I will be there, and I hope you are sure.

The Apostle Paul knew that death for a Christian isn’t to be feared. He wrote to believers in Corinth, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).

We have to make the decision to accept Christ now while we are alive. At that moment, our salvation is secure. When a Christian dies, there is no “soul sleep” or purgatory, or any of the stories people make up. We are present with the Lord. Wow! A non-believer has no hope. They will go to a place of separation and await their meeting with God. That’s a place nobody should desire to go. When that person meets God, it will be at the White Throne Judgment, where you will be judged by your works. As I said before, there are no works good enough to get you into Heaven.

There is also an event coming that is a Blessed Hope for all Christians. That event is the Rapture. I know there are many Christians who don’t believe the Rapture is real, and I don’t argue the issue. I stand on Scripture. Paul wrote much about this event, and he wrote to the Corinthian believers:

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51:52).

When the trumpet sounds, whether you believe in the Rapture or deny it, if you are a Christian, you will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and be with the Lord. Prophecy is being fulfilled quickly, and that trumpet could sound at any moment. Be ready. The only way to be ready is to place your faith in Christ.

On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of his resurrection share;
When his chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the Roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

We cannot know when our last moment on Earth will be. At any time, an automobile accident could claim your life, or a heart attack, or any number of things could happen. It’s very important to be sure you and your loved ones have repented and accepted Christ’s sacrifice for salvation. I’ve read Revelation chapter 4, and it will be beautiful with Jesus. People from every nation on Earth and every ethnic background will be there as long as they’ve accepted Christ.

John was given a look at what Heaven will look like. I can tell you that I will be so awestruck that I don’t think I will ever stop praising the Lord. John saw a door opened in Heaven and heard a trumpet:

“After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in heaven and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald” (Revelation 4:1-3).

It gets better from there. While we are living on this side of eternity, we have the opportunity to earn rewards. Be very clear on this point: we cannot earn salvation, but we can earn rewards. There’s a crown of victory, as described in 1 Corinthians 9:25. This crown is for running the Christian race. You qualify for it and all crowns by becoming saved. Then we train (study and apply Scripture) like an athlete to ensure that we are fit to run our best race for Christ. Christians should want to do more for Christ and give Him our best. Put the lust of the flesh behind you and move forward to a life of victory through Christ.

Then there’s the soul winner crown. Paul knew the joy of bringing the lost to Christ and knew there is a crown for those who share the Gospel. He wrote about it in Philippians 4:1 and 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. Paul is still earning that crown. Because of his joy in sharing the Gospel and writing letters, many people have come to salvation through his witness since he died. There’s a crown of righteousness mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:8. This isn’t self-righteousness but righteousness that only comes through Jesus. Paul said he would win this crown as well as all of us who long for His appearing. Do you long for Jesus to call us Home?

It would be a good idea to get out there and earn some crowns. Win some souls for Christ and start living your life to please God. If you continue in faith while facing troubles, you will earn a crown. This is the crown of life promised to all who love Him mentioned in James 1:12.

Those who have been called into ministry can qualify for the crown of Glory described in 1 Peter 5:1-4. There are some very famous preachers who may be disappointed if they don’t earn this crown. Many seem to be in ministry for their own glory and push erroneous doctrines – doctrines of demons. I’m thinking of the name-it-and-claim-it group, or those who only tickle ears and don’t teach all of Scripture, or twist Scripture to justify sin so as not to upset anybody sitting in the pews. Are they saved? That’s up to God, but they will certainly lose crowns.

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun;
Let us talk of all his wondrous love and care.
Then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

At times, we focus so much on one part of our life in Christ and forget other important things. We must use our skills and our voices to honor God. When you wake up in the morning, thank Him for the day ahead and for the opportunities He will place in your path. Then, get on with serving Him. Do you need to go to work? Be a beacon of light for the Lord. Are you retired? You have even more of the day to share Christ with others. Are you a student? Be sure that you don’t allow secular teachings to undermine God’s truth.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

Be ready to give an answer about Jesus. Earn crowns by living to please Him. Be sure your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. That way, when the roll is called up yonder, you’ll be there.

When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder
I’ll be there.

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).

Israel was, is, and always will be the apple of God’s eye. As Christians, we should love the Jewish people and pray for Israel. Why? Simply put, God says we should. Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and we can trust what God says.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We have Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, to guide us in our living. The Old Testament was fulfilled by Jesus, but the Old Testament was not negated. So, when we read prophecy passages, we can be certain they will be fulfilled just as Scripture says. When we read passages in which God tells of His love for Israel, we need to take note and love Israel, too.

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: if those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever” (Jeremiah 31:35-36).

God will never stop loving Israel, and its existence as a nation is secure.

There is a very evil belief among many Christians that says that Christians have replaced Israel in God’s heart. That is a teaching straight from Satan. Christians are a separate group of believers. In the beginning, there were only people with no separate national or ethnic identity. Sin separates us from God, who loves all of His creation. To solve the sin problem, God began to teach humans what constitutes sin. He called Abraham, gave him the promised land which we call Israel, forever, and set in motion the steps to reconciliation.

It was through Abraham’s son Isaac that the promise would be fulfilled. Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity and was given the law. This law governed Israel for years and kept them separate from Gentiles, who were mostly ungodly pagans; it taught the ways of God.

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24-25).

This is a truth that many people don’t understand. Christ came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it. The Ten Commandments are still the moral guidance we should follow. When we fail to live up to God’s standards, we no longer have to offer a blood sacrifice to cover our sin. Jesus Christ was the blood sacrifice to take our sin away. Does that mean we no longer sin? Of course, we sin, and we always will while living on this side of Heaven.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10).

Some feel you have to confess to a priest or other clergy, but Christians only need to confess to Christ. No human can take your sin away.

Having said all of that, where does that leave Israel? Did Jesus die for their sins? Absolutely. The salvation of all people is available to everyone through Jesus Christ.

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:27-29).

That’s a blessing. By faith in Jesus, Gentiles become Abraham’s seed, just as the Jewish people can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Salvation isn’t an automatic thing. First, you have to realize you are a sinner and that no animal sacrifice can take sin away.

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goat should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

Only the blood of Jesus will take away sin completely. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

In order to obtain eternal life, you have to personally accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for your salvation. This goes for every ethnic group on earth.

There is no other way to find eternal life but through Jesus Christ. Allah cannot save you; Buddha cannot bring salvation, nor can Mormonism. I could keep going through a long list of cults and false teachings, but I will simply quote Jesus.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

There is no other way. Salvation is a free gift of God, but like all gifts, you have to accept it. You cannot be a Christian simply because your parents are Christians. You might have an easier time understanding your need for salvation through Jesus, but you have to accept His free gift for yourself.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Nobody can make that confession for you.

So, where does that leave the Jewish people? They have promises from God that He hasn’t turned away from them. Just as promised, the Messiah was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. Jesus was Jewish, but as foretold in prophecy, He was rejected by the very people who should have recognized Him as their Messiah. It’s important to pay attention to prophecy. Because they rejected Him, salvation was opened to Gentiles, but the Jewish people were blinded and didn’t accept Him.

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” (Romans 11:25-27).

If anybody tries to convince you that God no longer sees Israel as the apple of His eye, they are wrong. Eventually, all of Israel will recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but they will face horrendous troubles to bring them to the truth. The Tribulation will be what brings them to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. When that happens, Jesus will return and end their battle with the evil that is even now working in this fallen world. That won’t happen until the “fulness of the Gentiles” has been accomplished. What is that? It’s a number of people who accept Jesus Christ for salvation. What is the number? Only God knows.

When people set a date for the Rapture, don’t believe them. Usually, they try to tie the Rapture to a Jewish Feast Day. Scripture clearly says that nobody knows the day, and they forget that it’s a number that needs to be reached, not a particular day. Of course, the number could happen on a Jewish Feast, but Christians need to witness to the lost. That’s the only way to help fulfill the time of the Gentiles and bring the Rapture.

Remember to pray for Israel. As the rockets take aim at that precious nation and the bombs drop on them, they need prayer. I have an App on my phone called Red Alert. An alarm goes off every time a rocket is fired at Israel or enemy aircraft enter Israeli air space. When the alarm sounds, I stop and pray for God’s protection over the apple of His eye. I pray that the bombs go off course and that the navigation fails on the airplanes. Scripture urges us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, God’s city and the Jewish capital.

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

Don’t pray for land division, but pray for peace. Remember, God told Abraham, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

That truth is as true today as it was when it was given.

Bless Israel, and don’t curse the apple of God’s eye.

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).