John 12:27-36   27"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. 34The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?" 35Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

What did Jesus mean by saying “glorify your name”?

The plan of redemption of the world included the physical death of Jesus on the cross.  In order that the Father would be glorified, plans had to remain as designed from the foundation of the world.  Jesus’ desire to obey His Father led HIM even to the point of death on a cross.  In this, HE paved the way for us to continue his work on earth until the day of his return. When we were in enmity with the Father, we could not bring glorify to his Name & yet now that we are redeemed, it is our high calling that through our obedience & sacrifice we would bring glory to His Name by submitting in all of our ways to HIM who alone is worthy.

Colossians 1:21-23  21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

In Isaiah 53 we read the prophecy given to Isaiah approximately 700 BC which is a detailed description of the plan of redemption through the rejection & killing of Jesus our Redeemer. 

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 4 Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.

 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.

 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all.

 7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet he did not open his mouth;
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so he did not open his mouth.

 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
       And who can speak of his descendants?
       For he was cut off from the land of the living;
       for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
       and with the rich in his death,
       though he had done no violence,
       nor was any deceit in his mouth.

 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
       and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
       he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
       and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

 11 After the suffering of his soul,
       he will see the light of life and be satisfied ;
       by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
       and he will bear their iniquities.

 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
       and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
       because he poured out his life unto death,
       and was numbered with the transgressors.
       For he bore the sin of many,
       and made intercession for the transgressors.

So how can we now fulfill our calling to bring glory to the Father which is in heaven? Only by obeying Jesus who is the visible image of the invisible God.

Colossians 1:15-20  15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Examples of obedience

John 10:17-18  17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

Hebrews 5:7-9 7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

2 John 1:6  And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

You may say as did Philip…Jesus I am not sure I understand what exactly do you mean…just show me what to do & I will do it.  The Lord corrects & confront him by saying “I am in the Father and the Father is in me, now I will be in YOU therefore do what the Father told me to do…bring glory to His Name through obedience to the Son by the power of His Holy Spirit.

John 14:8-17  8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Following is a practical example of how we can bring glory to the Father by obeying Jesus’ teachings through the power of his Spirit.

Luke 6:27-36   27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.  32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Conclusion

When we act in natural ways then we are just going to satisfy & bring glory to ourselves. If we have the Spirit of God living the life of the Son in us then we are to do as Jesus did & bring glory to Our Father’s Name.

A warning for the day

Jude 1  1Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,  To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 2Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.  8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them. 11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. 12These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. 14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." 16These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. 17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary & her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord & wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." 4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha & her sister & Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.  

**What a disappointment? Jesus didn’t move at the request of his loved ones…why? Was he selfish, indifferent, too busy? No, God’s love is just very different than ours…humans are very emotion driven.  God’s love is a responsible, well thought out love, full of purpose & with eternity in mind. His love wants the best for us even if it hurts him to withhold what we are requesting. 

2 Thessalonians 3:1-15 

1Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3But the Lord is faithful, & he will strengthen & protect you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing & will continue to do the things we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love & Christ's perseverance. 6In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle & does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring & toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." 11We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command & urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down & earn the bread they eat. 13& as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. 14If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

John 11:7  7Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 8"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"  

**The audacity of correcting &/or alert the Lord as if we might understand things better than HE does. It is imperative that we live with the urgency of the reality of the finality of our choices on earth.  Jesus did not allow past experiences to determine future ones.  After all He was following the lead of His Father who knew it all. 

Isaiah 43:18-1918 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. 

John 11:9   9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

1 John 1:5-10 5This is the message we have heard from him & declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie & do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, & the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.   

**Nothing like walking in the light…being honest, open, vulnerable & direct with the Lord, yourself & others.  There is truly no need to be suspended in time if you learn to walk in the light, the naked truth of the Word of God. 

John 11:11-16  11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." 12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

**Wow, what happened to Thomas.  Funny, sometimes we are full of doubts & others full of impulsiveness.  We have a huge need to put our feeling/emotions under God’s authority?  Maturity is the goal & that comes with a true balance between the Truth we know handles by the Spirit who should control us. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments & every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, & we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  

John 11:17-19 

17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.  

**How disappointing right? The sisters sent word to Jesus right away…Lazarus was just sick. Jesus takes 2 days & now the situation is so much worse.  Remember the last time you cried out to the Lord, you have now even learned not to go to the phone first…so, you address HIM right away & still He doesn’t show up for 4 days. Growing with Christ is an ever lasting process.  Just because we have learned one important aspect of dealing with the Lord does not exempt us from continued testing & growing.   

John 11:20-25 

20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."  

Romans 5:1-5

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

John 10:31-42

31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" 33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." 34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'? 35If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came (Prophets/Kings) —and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? 37Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." 39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. 40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed 41and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." 42And in that place many believed in Jesus.

Jesus arrives on earth at God’s perfect timing & as we study His Word, we can easily see that He is constantly faced with the challenges of his days.  Unlike us, HE is not threatened by religious authority or human understanding. He alone stands safe but it is imperative that we don’t end up considered among those who perished for lack of knowledge.  King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, made mention in his record of Ecclesiastes that there was nothing new under the sun, therefore, let’s analyze what Satan is up to as he continues his plan to take millions of people with him to eternal damnation.  His attacks range from keeping people in the dark about his existence to challenging the believer as to the authenticity of the Bible.  We live in times where ignorance is not going to qualify as a protective agent. 

According to Romans 1:18-20

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  

Facts about Pre-modernism

Modernism

• Some state that it dates back to the beginning of the French Revolution (1789 to 1799)
• Others state that it dates back to the Age of Enlightenment (1700-1800).
• A main theory of modernism is that human reason, armed with the scientific method, is the only reliable means of attaining knowledge about the universe
• In the eighteenth century the progress of science accelerated so rapidly that it appeared as if science would soon be able to explain everything. Many believed that there were no limits to the power of human reason operating with the data from sense perception. In contrast to the truth of the oral tradition in the pre-modern era, the modern period accepted as truth only that which could be proven to be true.

Charles Darwin is a product of modernism and one of the greatest challenges of post-modernism.  He lived from 1809–1882 and is famous for proposing the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. 

Postmodernism

·        Some date its beginning as early as 1941 & as late as 1966.

·        One of the central beliefs of the era is that there is no such thing as objective truth. In fact, the new trend of thought is to embrace, affirm & live with philosophical, theological, & even scientific chaos.

·        This theory appeals more to a person's feelings than to his or her sense of factual truth.

The progression of humanity’s constant pride continues to attempt to disintegrate God’s truth for future generations.  From pre-modernism to post-modernism the attack is the same.  Satan’s goal is to have humans exult themselves by means of trying to explain God. Let’s look at the facts.

• The modern period was different than the pre-modern in its rejection of the supernatural or the awe-inspiring which is based largely on the belief that religious truth claims are different than scientific truth claims. According to many, truth itself had changed.
• The effort of the Enlightenment rationalists to combine the new scientific method with the pre-modern religious beliefs soon resulted in a suspicion about the oral & written truth claims of the Christian religion.
• It is easy to see how doctrines such as the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, & the resurrection could not be proved using scientific methods because there is no way to repeat such historical events in a laboratory environment, and, therefore, the credibility of such events began to become suspicious.
• The so-called-truths of religion were quickly being cast aside in favor of the new & better truths found by science. Add to this scientific commotion, the advancement of Darwinian naturalism (mid to late 1800) & it is easy to see how religious claims seemed like charming, antiquated beliefs for many people.
• The major driving theory behind the advance of modernism was the belief that reality was objective & that all men could discover the principles of nature & unlock her secrets.
• The modern period culminated in arrogance concerning human abilities & human reason. It proposed a world created without any assistance from God.
• The effect of postmodern theories on Christian truth claims is that the creation accounts found in Genesis & the stories about Christ in the gospels have been reduced to one cultural group's account of reality.
• Many postmodernists argue that Christians are free to believe that Christ is God if they like but their claims can not be exclusive of other people's beliefs.
• Truth may be true for one person & false for another. "That may be true for you, but it is not true for me." This is an implicit denial of a common reality.
• Furthermore, Christians are expected to tolerate contradicting truth claims & to look the other way if certain ethical behaviors (abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, etc.) do not suit their tastes. 
• The current postmodern condition is only in the early stages of development, not even a half a century old, & yet its devastating effects have penetrated every aspect of our lives.
• Christians largely responded too late to the threats of Darwinism, & now the destructive effects of that movement are evident to anyone in the Christian community.
• Postmodernism & its companion rampant philosophical relativism, should be among the foremost concerns of any Christian who wishes to engage his or her culture & ensure that the gospel of Christ has a fertile context in which it can take root & grow in the future.
• The result, even today, is that persons professing to be Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, or even atheists are given equal degrees of credibility. Truth has become a function of personal preference, not correspondence to objective reality. 
• When we attempt to speak to people on any controversial issue, whether it is political, ethical, or religious, we invariably are confronted with different approaches to truth. Some people accept divine revelation, some accept science, & others accept no final authority. We have moved from a fact-based criteria to a feeling-based criteria for truth. 
• Finally the collapse of confidence in reason is the disappearance of truth. Truth is now reduced to taste.  Post-modernity denies that there is such a thing as truth, or denies that we can access truth. Instead of knowing truth we express opinions, or we indicate preferences, or we "go with our gut." Truth? What is truth, anyway? And if it existed, what makes us think we could know it? And even if we could know it, how would we know when we had found it? Truth? You have your opinion and I have mine. Who or what is the arbiter between you and me?
•  Information collected Todd A. Kappelman is a field associate with Probe Ministries - Probe Ministries

Many well respected preachers of the Gospel today have caved in to the pressures of our day & you may hear something like this come straight out of their mouth…”While the Word of God is absolute, we are not perfect, therefore, we have no way of truly defining what Scripture really says.”  The danger of this is the attempt to devoid authority from the divine Word of God.  This explains the birth & growth of homosexuality’s acceptance in the church.

While we read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11  9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 

Loving like Jesus loved means sticking to the Truth through the pain of being misunderstood.  While we are not called to judge the people of the world, we are certainly called to be a light to them, a leading force toward the Light of the World.  And yet we are called to confront those calling themselves Christians, specially leaders to the understand set forth in the Word.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13  9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

So what do we do? Do we cave in to the pressure of our post-modern world? 

There are many warnings against adding or removing anything from God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2  1 “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy 12:32  32 See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

Proverbs 30:6  6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

Jeremiah 26:2  2 "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.

Revelation 22:18-19  18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 

In the midst of all of our painful circumstances, when we know that our loved ones are headed for disaster, we need to stand by what we know God has already proclaimed.  It is in these very difficult situations that God will provide us with the opportunities of sharing the Good News of Christ.  Jesus said that only the sick realize their need for HIM so misleading someone by making allowance for their sin is truly the most unloving thing we can do.  If we are Christ’s Ambassadors in the lives of those around us, how are we doing? Can they see that they are living in darkness by the light you represent?

Does the unbeliever in your life see any need to believe? We have been saved with a purpose in mind…we are continuing on with the work of Christ on earth.

In John 17:13"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

If we do not accept the responsibility of leading people to Christ, then striving to live godly lives is really not even an option for us.  Yet we serve a Master who says that those who claim to see will be held accountable by their own admittance.

John 9:39-41 39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." 40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" 41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Stand your ground & let your fear be the fear that leads you closer to the heart of God.  All else is in his hands.

Paul’s warns us in 2 Timothy 1:7-10

7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 

Psalm 138:2

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
       and will praise your name
       for your love and your faithfulness,
       for you have exalted above all things
       your name and your word.

Psalm 89:7

 7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
       he is more awesome than all who surround him.

We serve a God who is Sovereign and fully in control, let’s not try to come up with explanations to satiate the needs of others for extra ways to come to the One and Only God.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through HIM.