A Test for True Believers

The following messages by Paul Washer challenge each of us to consider if we are truly following Jesus Christ.

Our churches are filled with people who call themselves Christians. But do they measure up to what the Bible says a Christian should be and do? Do you?




Is your Christianity costing you anything?

We Have Forgotten That the Way is Narrow

Are you saved?
Are you sure?
How do you know?

Many people have prayed the "sinner's prayer" and think that makes them Christians, but they continue in their worldly lifestyle; they have not repented (turned away) from their sins. This powerful message by Paul Washer, entitled "We Have Forgotten That the Way is Narrow," addresses the issue of casual, carnal "Christianity."

Many people who consider themselves Christians keep on living in the same way as they did before they "asked Jesus into their hearts"; they have no fruit of righteousness in their lives. Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits." Fig trees produce figs and orange trees produce oranges. These trees are easily distinguished from each other by their fruit. Those who have experienced true Biblical salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ, will produce evidence of salvation in their lives--fruit that shows their Christ-likeness.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING GOD AND NOT BE CHANGED!!!!

That's My King

This is part of a sermon preached by S. M. Lockridge.

Survive the Coming Depression

Are you worried about the state of the economy in the U.S.? What should Christians do to prepare for a possible financial depression? Andrew Strom sent out the following email with a link to a message that he preached in November of 2007 concerning finances in the U.S. and God's coming judgment. Please take time to listen to this serious and timely message and PRAY!

Most of us know what has been taking place in the U.S financial world in the last 2 days. Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, Merrill Lynch was quickly sold to avoid a crisis, the US Stock market plunged 500 points in one day, and AIG and Washington Mutual look very shaky. If the slump wasn't already bad enough, this just confirms how serious it is getting.

In November 2007, Andrew Strom preached in Wisconsin USA on "HOW TO SURVIVE the COMING DEPRESSION". He made clear predictions about when the Recession would turn into a Depression, why it is happening - and what Christians can do in the face of this crisis. -WARNING: This is a very "outspoken" sermon.

There are 2 ways to listen to this audio online:
(1) Click on the following link-http://www.revivalschool.com/SURVIVE-the-Depression.mp3

OR (2) Go to Andrew's website and click on the link - 3rd from the top in the center.
Here is the website-http://www.revivalschool.com/

Please pass this on to other Christians who want to "Survive the Depression".

God bless you all.--
Andrew Strom, PO Box 21-904, Henderson, West Auckland 0650, New Zealand.

New Indian Bible Mixes Christianity with Hinduism

According to a report from the Christian Post, a new Indian bible has been published by the Catholic Church which mixes Hindu writings, teachings and chants in with Christian scriptures. Many Christian pastors in India are upset because the New Community Bible seems to give equal value to the teachings of Jesus Christ and to the teachings of Mahatma Ghandi and the Bhagavadgita.

Pastor Vijay Thomas, who heads a Bible college in Chennai, told Christian Today, “By making it appear ‘Indian’ with references to Hindu scriptures and great poets, people will not come to the truth. This is a complete turn back from the real Bible."

Catholic leaders in India defend the new bible and insist that it will bring many people closer to God, not just Christians. (For the full story, see the Christian Post website at http://christianpost.com/article/20080811/new-indian-bible-draws-fire-over-hindu-references.htm .)

Sounds like the compromise of the Emergent movement is emerging in India. We need to pray for Christians in India to be able to get the true gospel message to the lost in that country.

The Rapture and the Second Coming

Many people today are confused about the connection between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus. Some, the post-Tribulationists, think that these events will occur together at the end of the Tribulation period, while others, the mid-Tribulationists, think that the Rapture will occur in the middle of the Tribulation. The view that agrees most closely with that of the early Church is that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation period starts and that Jesus will return to earth with His Church at the end of the Tribulation. I believe that one of the reasons for the confusion is that believers today have little or no knowledge of Jewish culture and tradition and thus, have no understanding of the metaphors used in the New Testament writings.

When reading the New Testament, we must take into consideration that the great majority of the early believers were very familiar with Jewish traditions and cultural references. For example, Revelation 16:15 says, "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." The Jewish people understood that the "thief" referred to the supervisor of the Temple watch who made unannounced checks on the Levites and priests who were in charge of guarding the Temple. If the supervisor found one of the guards sleeping on duty, he would set his garments on fire at which point the guard would be shamefully exposed. The people knew that Jesus was telling them to stay alert, to be watchful, to take His commandments and commission seriously. If one does not know the metaphoric language, he would not realize the correct interpretation of the phrase. But, one who knows the metaphor has no difficulty making the link.

There was no confusion for the early believers in regards to a Rapture separate from the Second Coming any more than they would mistake a wedding (which must come first) with the birth/revealing of a child (which would come at a later point). When Jesus told His disciples that He went to "prepare a place for you," they knew that He was referring to the groom preparing the bridal chamber (John 14:2). They knew that the Bridegroom would come for His Bride when the Father told Him it was time. They knew that the phrase, "No man knows the day or the hour, but only the Father knows," (Matt. 24:36) was the phrase that a bridegroom would say if someone asked him when the wedding would occur. He said this because the father would watch over the preparation of the bridal chamber, and when it was completed to the father's satisfaction, he would tell his son to go and get his bride. This could happen at any time, day or night. Remember the parable that Jesus told about the wise virgins and the foolish virgins in Matthew 25. He was telling the people to be ready for the wedding departure ("nazal"(Heb.)-catching away, departure= rapture) at any time, just as the bride had to be in constant readiness. They knew that the Father's command to the Bridegroom to go and get His Bride could occur at any instant. The people also knew that immediately after the wedding ceremony, the Bridegroom and the Bride entered into the bridal chamber at the Father's house and stayed in seclusion for 7 days. They did not go out among the people, but rather were hidden away for a week which is a picture of the Church being hidden away or secluded in the heavenly wedding chamber with Jesus for the 7 years of the Tribulation. After this seven-year period, Jesus will return and be revealed to the earth (Second Coming) and will sit on His throne and judge the nations.

Prior to the Rapture and the Second Coming, Jesus said that there would be specific signs in the heavens and in the earth. In Matthew 24:1-35, Jesus spoke about these signs which include the destruction of the Temple, false Messiahs, wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes and persecution. He told them that the signs of His coming would resemble a woman's labor pains which increase in intensity and frequency as the birth draws near. In Luke 17:26-36, Jesus compares that time to the times of Noah and Lot. On the day that Noah and his family entered the ark, the flood came to destroy the wicked. Likewise, on the day that Lot and his daughters left Sodom, fire fell from heaven and destroyed the wicked. After Jesus takes His Bride away in the Rapture, the Tribulation will begin and destruction will come upon the earth. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells what will happen when He returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation. Every eye will see Him as He "comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." At this time, He will bring the righteous into His kingdom and send the unrighteous away to eternal punishment.

The Day of Salvation

Today…

The only day we have. Yesterday has faded away; tomorrow hovers just out of reach.

But do we even have today?

We have no guarantee of our next breath or our next heartbeat. Every moment is a thin thread tying us to this life. We may try to ignore the obvious, but at some unexpected, inconvenient moment, death will sever the connecting cord and bring to a full stop all that we know.

What then?

Eternity…

The only future available. Time will pass away; no end hovers just out of reach.

Where will you spend eternity?

We each must choose our eternal future now, before our last breath or last heartbeat. Before death seals our lips and stops all next moments.

For He says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)

Jesus Is

Jesus is:

the Answer to every problem
the Hope in the midst of despair
the Light in the thickest darkness
the Way to abundant life
the Source of strength and wisdom
the First and the Last
the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Do you know Him? Are you a Christian?

The definition of “Christian” is “one who follows Jesus Christ; a Christ-like one.”

Are you following Him and looking more like Him every day? Are you choosing to live in a way that pleases Him? Or are you going your own way, doing your own thing, living for yourself?

Not everyone who says that he is a Christian really is a Christian.
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car.
Being a good person does not make you a Christian.
Being born in the United States of America does not make you a Christian.
Repeating a prayer to “ask Jesus into your heart” does not make you a Christian.

How to Become a Christian, a Follower of Jesus Christ


~Admit that you have sinned. If you have ever done anything that you know is not good, you have sinned. For example, have you ever, even as a child, lied or disobeyed or taken something that is not yours? You have sinned. The Bible says, in Romans 3:23, that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

~Realize that the punishment for sin is eternal separation from God, which is also called “spiritual death.” Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

~Believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and that He willingly took the punishment for your sin. John 3:16-18 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”

~Confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you. You must be truly sorry for your sins and repent (turn away) from them. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus.”
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

~Accept the free gift of salvation. Ephesians 2:8,9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”

~Be baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38,39 says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 19:4-6 says, “Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

~Live for Jesus. Read His Word (the Bible) daily and talk to Him (pray) continuously so that you can come to know what pleases Him. 1 John 2:3-6 says, “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”