Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 2 October 2003 — Page 43

The Muncie Times • October 2, 2003 • Page 43

Religion continued from page 42. Proverbs 16:20 says, "Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he." We need to incite ourselves to action. We need to incline ourselves to the Lord. There's no time for idleness. We need to come up out of spiritual sleep begause of the times. It's high time. It's priority time. Every moment of time is precious. We can't afford to waste v a moment. It’s time for the church to go to a higher altitude in God, an elevated place. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Corinthians 6:2). This is the favorable time, the appropriate time. I Peter 4:7 says, "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." There's only a limited time left. "Take ye heed, watch and pray for you know not when the time is." (Mark 13:33). What are we to watch? Jesus said, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shall not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." (Revelation 3:3) "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then it vanisheth away."

(James 4:14). At this very moment, the day of the Lord's return is much more closer than we may expect. The sin of the world has expanded itself and is bringing this world to its end. II Timothy 3:1 speaks of perilous times in the last days. The end is here. We are entering the final moments in time. Now is the time to be committed to the Lord. As Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit thy ways unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established." To commit means to perform and to carry out the responsibility of the work of God of which He has entrusted you. Now is the time to be holy before the Lord. In Leviticus 20:7, God said, "Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy for 1 am the Lord your God." II Corinthians 6:17 says, "Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you." Now is the time to cast off the works of darkness. Ephesians 5:11 says, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. "We are to refrain from things which are not of God. It is like removing one garment and putting on another. We that are of the church should not be flirting with sin. We've got to be a

holy church, a separate church. If there is any place of darkness in your life, now is the time to get rid of it. I John 1:6 says, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." We cannot claim the light which is Jesus and live in darkness which is of sin. Now is the time for repentance. II Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will heal their land." Proverbs 23:23 says "Buy the truth, and sell it not." Get it and don't give it away. Once you've got the truth don't lose it. Stand up for Jesus. Be united with the God of glory. II Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish." I'm so glad that I serve a god like that. The Apostle Peter preached salvation on the day of Pentecost, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.. For the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our god shall call." (Acts

2:38 & 39). Unless a man is bom of the water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. "The Apostle Peter said, in Acts 2:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Let me encourage you to stay in the fight. Keep the armour of light on and don't back down. "But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." (Matthew 24:13). If there is any young person that is thinking about backing down, I beg you to stay in the program of Jesus. Stay in the fight for the Lord. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:37, "We are more than conquerors." We're victorious through Jesus Christ. My desire is to go from victory to victory and glory to glory. The question is, will the Lord find you awake or asleep when He returns? Will he find you sleeping, in spiritual deadness? Will He find you in darkness? Will He find you walking in the way of the world when He returns? Will you fail to make it? Will He find you remaining in fellowship with the light? Will he find you in God and watching for His appearing? When He returns, will He find you

doing the work of the ministry and letting your light shine? Mathew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." When I read this passage, it makes me want to cry out to god. If there's any fault in me I repent. I want to be found ready when He comes. I want to be a witness. If there's any problem with me, Lord, work on it. I pray Lord God that you will come down and touch me. According to the scripture if we are walking in the truth it will be seen. Let's live in the light and be a witness for them that are without. We need to expand the light of Jesus in the world in which we live. II Corinthians 4:3-4 says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." I feel that there is a beckoning call for the people of God to awake at this day and hour to the spreading of the gospel. Yes, there is a call for an awakening for the people of God, there is a call. It is up to us to say yes.

Jesus said, ”1 am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.