Good News/Gospel | End Times Prophecy Report

September 5, 2021 • 07:30 0

Why Do So Many in the Churches Appear Unhappy?

[A few years ago, ETPR published an article (Fake Christians: Wearing the Mask of a Strict, Joyless Life) about the pretenders in the churches acting so unhappy. At the time, it was decided that there was MORE to add to this topic at some later point. That ‘later point’ is NOW. And so, it was recently decided to revisit that thought.]

FIRST, a few old thoughts.

To summarize the important parts of that previous article, we present the following.

1- The world insists that a life lived without sin is a life without “FUN!“

These counterfeits have presented a public face of strict, austere coldness as “proof” they are “good people.” The idea, apparently, is that these counterfeits have forsaken the “fun” things of life here on earth and are living proof that sin is a provider of fun, glee and all of the wonderful things in life.

2- Unhappiness demands conformity–and that conformity demonstrates to the world that there is NO ‘fun’ in being a Christian FUNdamentalist.

Prude, prig, puritan: these words accurately describe those who have demonstrated their “goodness” by making life miserable for others.

They accomplish this NOT by preaching the gospel.

They accomplish this (most usually) by insisting that those around them adhere to the same set of rules and regulations by which the counterfeits supposedly live their cold, hard lives.

Their aim?

To bring reproach to the name of Jesus Christ.

FINALLY, a few NEW thoughts on the topic.

One would think that the churches would be FILLED with happy, joyous folks.

After all, the churches are supposed to look like THE CHURCH. (This is NOT to say that there are NO joyous folks in the churches: there are. But the joyous folks appear to be the exception, rather than the rule.)

“The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
–Psalm 19:8

1- Nearly every waking moment of the REAL Christian’s life is colored by the realization that he is actually going to heaven; that the blessings of eternal life are his.

It’s like the Christian has won some GREAT, cosmic lottery!

This gives the REAL Christian a reason to be ever JOYFUL.

However, pretend Christians know NOTHING of this JOY.

IN FACT, pretend Christians cannot even imagine such joy: because pretend Christians are deceived, they write off such joy as the product of an over-active imagination.

IN FACT, the world of the pretend Christian seem to be populated by Gloomy Gus and Debbie Downer.

2- Because so FEW church folk (who are NOT active workers of iniquity) are acquainted with REAL Christians, they are sucked in to the fable that to be a Christian is to be unpleasantly cheerless. Therefore, a certain percentage of the church folk believe this dismal melancholy is part of the ‘Christian lifestyle.’

3- The church folk DO partake in some ‘acceptable’ behaviors which are contrary to God’s Word.

EATING (or rather, OVER-eating) is one of these.

So many church social events appear to promote a meal or eating as the feature event of the evening.

Apparently, GLUTTONY appears to be an ‘acceptable’ behavior among the tares and their followers.

4- NOWHERE is it demonstrated in the churches that the pretenders have undergone the transformed life which comes from being reborn spiritually.

IF they were reborn spiritually, they would KNOW true joy.

IF they WERE reborn spiritually, they would be pretenders no longer.

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
–John 3:1-7

5- Those in the churches who pretend to be Christians are largely OUTSIDE the scope of God’s great mercy.

IF those in the churches who pretend to be Christians were reborn spiritually, they would not only experience the joy of KNOWING their eternal destination, they would be provided with many infallible proofs of God’s great mercy.

KNOWING that God’s great mercy has touched their lives would be reason enough to exhibit great JOY–not austere cheerlessness–to their fellows.

6- God’s mercy begins with the putting of one’s faith for the future in the hands of Jesus Christ.

7- Putting one’s faith in the future securely in the hands of Jesus Christ begins with a fervent belief in the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.

DOES the reader believe that church attendance is a necessary part of end times life?

DOES the reader look forward to these various church events OR are they a ‘necessary evil’?

It is not YET too late: there is still a little time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

A Reminder: The Gospel is Simple

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: August 30, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Photo by Ariv Gupta on Unsplash.com

© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-21. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

[NOTE: The following articles are from a service. We neither endorse nor at times have much control over them–although we do, of course, enjoy articles originating from this website on this service. Some articles illustrate points made in ETPR articles; some are merely for the reader’s edification or education.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, End Time Deception, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, The Apostate American Church

August 22, 2021 • 09:00 0

The Confusion Surrounding Eternal Salvation

GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
–1CORINTHIANS 14:33

God’s Word is EXTREMELY CLEAR about the components of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
—John 20:31

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

Though Jesus is the natural FOCUS of eternal salvation, it all begins with God’s great mercy toward his creation–the biggest aspect of this GREAT mercy was the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth in order that man, believing, might obtain grace and be saved eternally.

“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
–Romans 9:15-16

God saves whom He pleases.

“Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
–Romans 9:18

And it pleases God when man has the FAITH to obey His Word–which is TRUE.

It also pleases God when man diligently seeks Him.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
–Hebrews 11:6

God’s Word is CRYSTAL CLEAR concerning eternal salvation.

MANY in the churches believe that one must be a ‘good person’ in order to get into heaven.

BUT, God’s Word informs that there are NO ‘good persons.’

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
–Romans 3:10-12

God’s great mercy saves man: nothing else.

There should be NO confusion: ALL who TRULY value such an eternal destination will receive it.

There are no “tricks” to obtaining eternal salvation.

BUT, one must desire and value such salvation.

And, in the modern world, that is quite a feat in itself.

DOES the reader ever think about eternal salvation?

DOES the reader believe that he has to be a ‘good person’ to be eternally saved?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

A Reminder: The Gospel is Simple

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: August 16, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

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RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: ETPR/Masterisolatedimages, FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ETPR

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, Hand of God, the confusion surrounding eternal salvation

July 4, 2021 • 09:00 0

The End Times: Get In On the Ground Floor

“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”
–Revelation 16:1

A phrase which was MUCH more commonly-heard during the mid-20th Century than today was “Get in on the ground floor.”

What did it mean?

It meant “Get in at the beginning when more and better opportunities are available. Don’t wait!”When someone was pitching an idea OR trying to persuade someone to invest in a business, they might invite the listener to “Get in on the ground floor. This is a GREAT opportunity: you don’t want to let it pass you by!”

After a bit of thought on the matter, it was discovered that the end times/last days are a lot like that: IF one commits to Jesus before the chaos becomes noticeable, then one could be said to have gotten in on the ground floor.

When one is surrounded by the death, destruction, chaos and disorder of judgment, one does not need much FAITH to call out to the LORD for help.

Actually, when one is surrounded by the death, disorder, destruction and chaos of God’s judgment, one will NEED help–and most will accept any help they can get.

BUT, waiting is VERY risky.

When one can see judgment at one’s door, one doesn’t need much FAITH that judgment MIGHT take place.

So, commit to Jesus while there is still time.

What, exactly, are you waiting for?

Those who wait will be sorely disappointed.

Do not wait! Put your faith in Jesus Christ. Get in on the ground floor, so to speak.

Besides, as they used to say: “The retirement plan is unbeatable.“

MORE: Salvation NOW: Do NOT Wait!

WHAT is the reader waiting for?

A better deal?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

A Reminder: The Gospel is Simple

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: July 2-4, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Photo by lorimcm on Unsplash.com

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, the end times: get in on the fround floor

June 27, 2021 • 09:00 0

A Reminder: The Gospel is Simple

The gospel is not hard.

IN FACT, the gospel is simple.

Easy to read, easy to understand, easy to operate.

The gospel is basically five-and-a-half Bible verses; three sentences, ninety-four words.

THE GOSPEL

“how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”
–1 CORINTHIANS 3-8

The way the gospel works (strangely enough, but it IS the “power of God unto salvation TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH“) is simplicity itself.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
–Romans 1:16

1- BELIEVE the gospel and be eternally saved: delivered from forever torment by your choice.

2- DO NOT BELIEVE the gospel and be eternally condemned by your choice.

Simple, huh?

It’s a simple message, easy to understand, easy to activate. And, IF believed and one’s faith is placed in the gospel message, one’s life will surely change–for the better.

Tragically, practically EVERYONE who dwells upon the earth during the last days, REJECTS the gospel message.

EVEN when the power of God is on display for the whole world to see, end times man CURSES God and does NOT repent.

“And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.”
–Revelation 16:9

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”
–Revelation 16:10-11

“And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”
–Revelation 16:21

When God’s judgment begins to fall on deceived end times man, it is tragic that end times man would rather shake his tiny fist at the sky and CURSE God, rather than change the way he has lived (repent).

The gospel is simple enough.

BUT, it is not the complexity of the gospel which keeps the wicked from changing their ways.

And enjoying eternal salvation.

DOES the reader believe–and place his hope for the future–in the gospel?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” -–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: June 21, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE: IF You Do Not Know the Gospel, You Are NOT a Christian

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.com

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, a reminder: the gospel is simple

June 20, 2021 • 09:00 0

IF You Do Not Know the Gospel, You Are NOT a Christian

gospel

The gospel (‘good news’) of Jesus Christ is CENTRAL to Christianity.

IN FACT, it could be argued that Christianity REVOLVES around the gospel.

So, with that being true, why is it that many (most) of those who inhabit the buildings we call “churches” DO NOT KNOW THE GOSPEL?

Several years ago, a man who was a graduate of a Bible college tried to claim that John 3:16 was the gospel!

“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.”

“That’s John 3:16! That’s NOT the gospel!”

“Sure it is!”

“NO! It most definitely is NOT! It’s a great Bible verse, but it’s NOT the gospel!”

“Okay, what do YOU think the gospel is?”

It was at this point the man was pointed to 1CORINTHIANS 15:1-8.

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

* Why is it so SHOCKING that most church folk do NOT know the gospel?

Because the last command of Jesus Christ before He ascended to heaven was to preach the gospel.

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
–Mark 16: 15-16

** Why is it so SHOCKING that most church folk do NOT know the gospel?

Because the gospel of Jesus Christ is central to the faith that they CLAIM to have.

*** Why is it so SHOCKING that most church folk do NOT know the gospel?

Because anyone who does NOT know the gospel is NOT even a Christian.

As it pertains to the last command of Jesus Christ, how can one preach what one does NOT know?

Now, KNOWING the gospel does not guarantee anyone a place in heaven. (There are several heathens of a personal acquaintance who know the gospel–which is more than MOST church folk.)

The church folk hear ABOUT the gospel, but since churches REFUSE to preach the gospel, the church folk do NOT even know what it is.

It bears repeating:

IF you do NOT know the gospel, you are NOT even a Christian.

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve shown up at the pot luck Wednesday night meetings with your favorite dish…

It does NOT matter how often you show up at on Sundays at the church building…

It does NOT matter how nice you are to others…

IF you do NOT know that gospel, you are NOT a Christian.

And that is sad beyond belief.

DOES the reader know the gospel?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: June 15, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE:What does the Bible say the End Times Churches will Look like

MORE:LORD, LORD: Who is Crying Lord, Lord?

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: ETPR/cooltext.com/ETPR

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, End Time Deception, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, if you do not know the gospel you are NOT a Christian

June 12, 2021 • 09:00 0

Time is Steadily Slipping Away

TIME IS RUNNING OUT: The free gift of Eternal Salvation is still available. But for how long?

The end times clock is steadily ticking and the time for making a decision to enjoy an eternity of bliss–instead of a FOREVER of TORMENT–is slipping away.

MORE: Tick Tick Tick

The gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s power unto salvation.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

The way the gospel works is simplicity itself.

One hears the gospel and either believes (really believes) and is eternally saved OR one hears the gospel and does NOT believe it and is eternally condemned.

It is TOTALLY a decision each person makes. There is no one else to blame for one’s disbelief.

MORE: Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

Again, the time for making such a decision (based on one’s belief) is steadily slipping away.

Do NOT wait.

Do NOT delay.

What are you waiting for?

Do NOT put eternal salvation off until a more convenient time arises.

Do NOT put salvation off until Jesus becomes more popular: that is NOT going to happen.

Do NOT use any of a thousand-and-one EXCUSES to put off eternal salvation.

The day of salvation is TODAY–NOT TOMORROW.

End Time Rising: Running out of Time

While the reader procrastinates, time is steadily slipping away.

The clock is ticking…

HAS the reader thought about where he will spend eternity?

HAS the reader actually DONE anything concrete about his decision?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: June 7, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Salvatore Vuono, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

RE: our link disclaimer: there are links, from time-to-time which appear on this site which we neither approve nor endorse. The frequency of these types of links will no doubt grow worse. All effort is made to remove such links when we become aware of them.]

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, Time is steadily slipping away

April 3, 2021 • 09:00 0

The Sheer Drama of Believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

drama

The world, Satan and those who do not know better tell a LOT of fables and stories about when they “made a decision for Christ.” (Never mind that God’s Word informs the reader that NO ONE “makes a decision for Christ“–JESUS is the one making the decisions, NOT the one telling the stories.

As Jesus Himself once put it:

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”)

But those who do NOT know any better insist on telling their tales. Probably because so many others–not having any experiences with Jesus–listen to them so attentively.

And these stories ARE most usually DRAMATIC.

They are usually accompanied by crying or some sort of show of emotion to “prove” that the person telling the tale was OVERWHELMED by the whole conversion/coming to Jesus thing.

One other item is usually included for the listener’s pleasure: the EXACT time, date and details of the time the person ‘made a decision for Christ.’a

“I remember it just like it was yesterday! It was 2:05 in the morning and I gave my heart to the Lord! Before that I was nothing but a filthy sinner!”

Some stories include various bits and pieces–ALL dramatic; ALL memorable; some bordering on the spectacular or breathtaking, but ALL very theatrical in nature–about the time that person was swept away by the whole sensational spectacle of it all.

As stated: VERY DRAMATIC in the telling and re-telling.

One might even–if one had a suspicious nature–get the idea that the person telling the story wanted to be the star of this little show.

NOW, to set the reader straight: believing the gospel of Jesus Christ is VERY dramatic–just NOT in the ways related in so many fables one may have heard.

1 The new believer will usually not even KNOW what happened–let alone when it happened (unless something else very memorable also happened at that time).

2 The new believer will usually notice some changes before anyone else does. This includes an almost-complete change of what the new believer NOW considers important and worthy of his time.

3 It may take the new believer a few WEEKS before he realizes he is a follower of Jesus Christ and bound for heaven.

4 Probably one of the MOST DRAMATIC things about becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is the amount of new knowledge the new believer has thrust upon him–and he initially has little idea of where it came from!

Again, as Jesus Himself once put it:

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
–John 16:13-15

The sheer amount of NEW THINGS which are put into the new believer’s mind is hard to wrap one’s head around.

The number of questions about this new information is one thing the new believer has a hard time grasping. Where did this knowledge come from? How do I know it? What’s going on here?

5 If there is any emotion, it happens LATER, when the new believer REALIZES he is heaven-bound.

That is good news!

But what about the VERY dramatic tales which are told of ‘accepting Jesus into my heart’?

IF there is any TRUE drama to be had from listening to the tales-tellers, it comes whenever a tale of “making a decision for Christ” is related to one who has REALLY experienced the new birth.

At that point, things could get VERY dramatic!

HAS the reader listened to any such stories in his past?

WHAT did the reader believe?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: March 31, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

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What Can the Believer Do to WARN Those Who Do Not Believe God’s Word?

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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Image by Tan Cundrawan from Pixabay.com

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