HEAVEN OR EARTH!

COLOSSIANS 3: 2-3

"Think about the things of HEAVEN, not the things of EARTH.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God."

Do make it a habit to look up to the heavens and think about your eternal life with Jesus Christ? What is more important to you, this life on earth or your place in the eternal kingdom of God?  As a Christian do you consider where you will spend eternity after you die?  Do you realize how short our time is here on earth?  Are you looking up with anticipation for your redemption?  One way to determine your attitude is to consider the amount of time you spend trying to accumulate earthly possessions and build up treasures here on earth instead of in Heaven!  Remember you came into this life with nothing and you will leave with nothing. Our real life was hidden in Heaven once we died to the things of this earth and gave our life to Jesus Christ.

Your affections should be set on the things above and the eternal kingdom of Heaven.  We are just passing through this earth and our mind needs to be focused on the things of heaven and not of the earth.  As far as the world is concerned you are all ready dead in your sins and it is only your spiritual life that will go on eternally.  Your real life is hidden in Christ and will be with God.

Whenever tragic things happen here on earth, someone asks why a good God would allow bad things to happen?  Why do babies die, why do airplanes crash, why do earthquakes kill so many.  Add to this list any you think of or any tragedies that have happened to you personally.  The right answer is that most people do not have their sights set on things of heaven.  Rather they are caught up in earthly things and their sight is horizontal instead of vertical.  Do not focus on the things of this earth, think about the things of heaven!  Look up your redemption draws nigh.  You will have eternal life as a believer.  You will spend eternity in perfection and in heaven.  There is no victory for death and there will be no illness or crying in heaven.  What earth bound people believe is not what redeemed people believe.  HEAVEN OR EARTH, what are you thinking about? 

ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE?

COLOSSIANS 2:13

"You were DEAD because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.  Then God made you ALIVE with Christ,  for He forgave all your sins."

There is a popular movie called "Dead Man Walking".  The main theme is that sometimes men are all ready dead and they just do not know it.  You could say their death is imminent and inevitable.  It is just a matter of time until their demise and they are oblivious to the fact.  The One Truth Today explains that we are all spiritually dead because of our sins and we can only be made alive by Christ Jesus.  By accepting the gift of life from the Lord we can be born again and that eternally.  We are alive spiritually and not just to the flesh.  The flesh is subject to death and you can only find true life through Jesus Christ.

Are you a dead man walking right now?  You may be alive physically at this moment but your end is in sight and death is inevitable.  One thing happens to us all, first death and then the judgement.  You also have a spiritual component that will live eternally.  The question is where will you spend eternity, in Heaven or Hell.  If you have not been made alive with Christ Jesus and had your sins forgiven, you will remain dead in your sins forever.  

The Good News is that we have a hope and we can avoid eternal death.  We have a Saviour and that is Jesus Christ.  He will cut away your sinful nature and give you a new spiritual life that is without sin.  You have to make the choice to accept this free gift of eternal life.  That is the only way you can end your carnal nature and be forgiven of you prior sins.  What is your choice, will  you accept Jesus Christ and His gift of life or will you be another Dead Man Walking?  Are you DEAD OR ALIVE?

JOYFUL FEAR!

PSALM 128: 1

"How JOYFUL are those who FEAR the Lord.  All who follow His ways!"

Do you experience joy in your life?  Is your work a joy to you?  Is your marriage a joy to  you? Are your children the joy of your life?  If they are not then you need to understand the One Truth Today.  The reason many people do not experience joy in their life is that they do not fear the Lord.  The reason that some lives lack joy is that they do not follow the Lord in all of His ways. Those who know the Lord and walk in His ways are to be envied because they receive the promise of God for a joyful life.  How would others describe your life, are you happy and fortunate?  Is your life filled with joy?

All true believer's  know that if you want to be blessed by God then you must have a personal relationship with Him.  Once you know God then you have a chance at wisdom.  Remember that the beginning of wisdom is the Fear of God!  The path to a happy,  joyful, fortunate life is to know and revere the Lord and Worship Him only.  The proof that you have respected and feared the Lord is that you walk in His ways and according to His commandments.  The fruit or result of following His ways will be seen in the joy of your life!  If you want your life to be joyful and fruitful then know, fear and respect God.  

Fear is not usually associated with joy.  This type of fear is one of respect and knowledge.  The truth is that by not having respect and fear of God we are liable to believe that we are God. You would have to look to yourself for Salvation and life and that is impossible.  When we disrespect the Lord we become separated from Him and the results are a most fearful end and eternal damnation.  The choice is up to you to fear God or not!  You can walk in His ways, or you can walk your own way.  The choice is clear and can be made right now.  If  you do not know, love and fear God, then ask Him into your life today and when you do the promise is that your life will become one that is joyful.  JOYFUL FEAR is the gift of God.

WHAT YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT!

PHILIPPIANS  4: 8

"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of   praise."

Have you ever wondered where the "power of positive thinking" had its origin?  The One Truth Today, if understood, can change a persons life and allow our time on earth to be tolerable.  Our minds can only hold one thought at a time.  We are in control of what thoughts are in our mind. Because these statements are true and reliable,  you are in control and are responsible for what you are thinking.  You can choose what is on  your mind and you do have free will for your choices.  You determine what you think about.  Is it excellent and worthy of praise?  Do you fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable?

Many people accept what is false and dishonorable and wrong and impure and ugly on a regular basis.  They dwell in their mind and in their life on the negative things.  They think impure thoughts and their lives are representative of what they think.  Do you know someone who looks for the negative side in everything.  What are they like and do you want to be with them?  They can tell you what is wrong with everything and everyone.  They have great difficulty telling you how to make things right.  Paul has an admonition for them and their thoughts.  The question is WHAT SHOULD YOU THINK ABOUT?

Fix your thoughts on truth, not lies.  Search for what is honorable and right, not what is wrong and dishonorable.  Look for and think about what is lovely and praiseworthy.  Do not let yourself get caught up with the ugly side of man's nature.  There is no excuse for pornography or things that are perverted.  Spend time with friends that are virtuous and reverential.  Keep your mind fixed on the things of God and His Word.  You know in your heart WHAT YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT!

YOU CLAIM YOU HAVE NOT SINNED!

JEREMIAH 2: 35

"You say, I have done nothing wrong.  Surely God is not angry with me.  God says,  now I will punish you severely because  YOU CLAIM YOU HAVE NOT SINNED!"

Do you remember when the crowd was about to stone the adulterous?  Do you remember what Jesus said to the crowd?  "Let Him who has no sin cast the first stone".  Who was there in the crowd that was able to throw a stone?  That is why they left one by one until no one was left to accuse the adulterous.  Do you believe that you are a good person who has not sinned in the sight of God?  You had better not claim that you have done nothing wrong.  The One Truth Today is that God will be angry with  you and He will punish you severely because YOU CLAIM YOU HAVE NOT SINNED!

The bible tells us in Psalm 14 and 53 that "no one is good, no not one".  The Lord repeated in Matthew, Mark and Luke that "no one is good but one, and that is God!  In Romans 3:23 we learn that, "all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God."  In case you have not considered it, you are included in these statements and they all apply to you personally.  The only way it would not apply to you is if you are God!  If you believe that you are equal to God then you have an even bigger and more urgent problem to address.  No one is without sin!  No one is Good!

Because we are all sinners, we all need a saviour.  You can not save yourself from sin and death.  If you claim you have not sinned you are kidding yourself and God will punish you severely because you have not repented and asked for forgiveness and mercy for your many sins.  Only God can save you from you arrogance and ignorance.  The "Good News" is that Jesus Christ is your saviour and can forgive you of any sin and save you eternally.  Your job is to believe in Jesus and confess your sins to Him.  He will forgive you and His grace will cover your sin.  He will tell you as He told the adulterous, to go and sin no more.  What about you personally, do YOU CLAIM YOU HAVE NOT SINNED?

WHEN DID GOD FIRST KNOW YOU?

JEREMIAH 1: 5

"I knew you before I formed you in your mothers womb.  Before you were born I    set you apart."

Have you ever thought that no one really knows you?  Have you felt isolated and apart from your family and friends?  Who really understands what you think and believe and in effect knows you? So many people come and go in our lives and yet they never really know or understand us.  How many friends have you had that are now just a memory?  Is there anyone in our lives that we can count on and know that they are and always will be there for us?  We all lose our parents in the end, our children move on and our siblings may or may not be there for us.  WHEN DID GOD FIRST KNOW YOU?

In our One Truth Today, Jeremiah tells us that God knew us before we even became a physical reality in our mother's womb.  We can conclude that God knew us before the moment of our conception.  God has known us all along and He will know us forever.  Our spiritual component was known to God even before our earthly flesh was conceived.  God sees us all as separate and unique individuals and human beings.  So much for the pro-abortionist who insists that they are only removing a blob of tissue with no spiritual or human component.  God knows the truth and He will take notice of those who destroy life.  Abortion terminates a life, a spirit, a human being.  What do you think God's reaction will be to the abortionists?

As with any sin, if you have been connected in any way to an abortion of a human life, REPENT AND CONFESS YOUR SIN AGAINST GOD RIGHT NOW!  The Lord will have mercy on those who have confessed their sins and repented.  God will forgive you.  He will save your life even though you took one yourself.  If you never repent or confess your sin there will be consequences.  You see, God knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb and He set you apart.  He will know you until the end of your time.  The question is will you know and accept God into your heart and believe in Him.  Will you confess your sins and repent.  God knows the answer to the question, do you?  God knows you, do you know Him?

WHO MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH?

ISAIAH 66: 2

"My hands have made both heaven and earth;  They and everything in them are mine.  I the Lord have spoken!"

Little children and many intellectuals have asked the same question;  who made the earth and the heavens?  We have all wondered where did the earth come from?  Since the beginning of time that has been a basic question.  How did we get here?  Who made the stars and the planets?  There have been many answers, but only one is correct.  One thing that we know for sure, it is not the person or persons asking the question.  No man or collection of men could bring the heavens and the earth into being!  If not men, then who?  The power must have been greater than our own.  The simple truth and the answer is in the Word of God.  God tells us that "my hands have made both heaven and earth.  Everything is of the Lord and He has spoken and told us.  

God said; "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool".  What kind of house could man build for me?  Man can never duplicate what only God can do.  Non believer's have many theories and explanations, all calculated to exclude God, and therefore all wrong.  If man can prove that there is no God, they can do whatever they desire and not bend their knee to the Lord.  This is humanism and it is the most prevalent religion on earth.  If they can convince themselves that there is no God they can make it appear that they can be God.  That is why there have been so many theories and explanations, all that have fallen into disrepute.  

The correct answer to the question of how we got here is found in the first Words in the Bible.  The Lord spoke, and the world came into being.  It was by the hand of God that the universe and the earth were brought into being.  The One Truth Today is found in this scripture and is confirmed throughout the old and new testament.  Whether you believe it or not is not relevant.  Truth is not subject to change and is absolute.  It takes more faith and belief to accept the absurd theories of man.  The big bang is a big bust.  There will never be another answer to the question, WHO MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH?  The Lord is the answer to your question.