Posted on 01/07/2016 3:37:43 PM PST by BlackFemaleArmyColonel
New Zealand-born evangelist Ray Comfort is best known by many for street evangelism in which he asks people about God, the Bible, sin and salvation. And on Tuesday the minister continued sharing the promise of eternity in Heaven for believers in a post-New Year's Day Facebook message to his followers.
Comfort's post, in it entirety, can be read below:
"Some people have the idea that Christians will spend eternity sitting on clouds playing rusty harps. If that's all I hoped for, I wouldn't be a Christian. The hope I have is not nebulous; it is concrete. It is an 'anchor of the soul,' and is both sure and steadfast. Here is my hope. Consider the beauty of this massive Earth. Think of a majestic snowcapped mountain, a clear babbling brook, or a beautiful beach with clean white sand and turquoise waters filled with an amazing array of brightly colored fish.
The pristine waters reflect a clear blue sky, and the beach is surrounded with tall, lush palm trees. Think of magnificent California redwoods or of the incredible assortment of tasty fruit trees, or the breathtaking beauty of a sunset, or the magnificence of the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. Got it in mind?
Now consider this. All who repent and trust in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, black or white, male or female, rich or poor, will 'inherit the Earth.' God has given it to us, and it will be ours for eternity. God's spiritual Kingdom came to this Earth on the day of Pentecost, and the time will come when the literal Kingdom will come to this Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianpost.com ...
"All around us, people are concerned with things that don't matter in the light of eternity."
Yes! I look to Jesus - He is my Eternity - my Rock! It doesn't matter what anyone says about me or does to me! I know who saved me and where I am going when I leave this sinful, hateful Earth! I can't wait to meet my Lord and Savior in Heaven, Jesus the Christ!!! Hallelujah!
I’d give this an honorable mention.
To get really to the point, salvation is about accepting the grasp of Him who gave that beauty to the earth in the first place, because the beauty was in Him first!
Inheriting the earth isn’t the point, although it happens. Inheriting the SAVIOR is the point.
A lot of people go around trying to gin up works for God and some even get that idea out of the term “repent.” That’s so backwards it is pitiful. This is about letting Jesus take hold of YOU (which He will do upon invitation) and making YOU His work. The Greek term for repent is metanoia — it means getting a new mind. Which Jesus will do in you upon being permitted to take hold of you. It really is that simple... and I wish folks like Ray knew this.
“Redneck”
The pristine waters reflect a clear blue sky, and the beach is surrounded with tall, lush palm trees. Think of magnificent California redwoods or of the incredible assortment of tasty fruit trees, or the breathtaking beauty of a sunset, or the magnificence of the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. Got it in mind?
And I think all that beauty will look worse than a trash heap compared to the beauty awaiting us in heaven.
I don't think we can even begin to imagine the beauty waiting for us.
We can yet get some idea of the Beauty that desires to take hold of us.
We sometimes hear about sinners in the hands of an angry God, and we agree that isn’t where we would want to be.
But what does sinners being transformed in the hands of a kind God look like? THIS is the vision we should want to get (like the bible says, buy eyesalve).
In Ephesians 2:10 when we are told that we are His workmanship, the word is *poema*, meaning masterpiece like a craftsman creates.
I think God gets pure delight in conforming us to the image of His Son, in giving us the mind of Christ, of seeing us conformed and transformed into HIS likeness, with the fruit of the Spirit displayed in our lives.
It’s way better than doing the works that so many religions demand thinking that working, working, working, doing, doing, doing, is pleasing to God.
It’s BEING that pleases Him.”
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Think of what the obedience is TO.
People sometimes balk, and rightly so, at the notion of obedience to “church made” caricatures of God.
Oh my dear Lord. My dear, dear Lord! I would desire the whole world to understand, if it would permit (and God has allowed those who so choose to sadly refuse).
Absolutely, because we are no longer sinners and we really ought to know WHO we are in Christ.
Another thing to remember, for those who are putting it off because you think there are things you would want to do without it bothering your conscience....well Scripture says that as the Day of the Lord approaches and we begin to see signs of the times (end times, specifically) the day of the gentiles will draw to a close. That specifically means that the opportunities for gentiles (non-Jews) to be saved are drawing to an end. Jesus (God) starts dealing with Israel as a nation again to bring her to salvation. We were grafted in in place of Israel because of her sin and rejection of the Messiah, but when the antichrist comes to power, deception will be so bad that if you are not already safely in the fold, the likelihood of believing from then on will be next to nothing. Especially since you will not be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast (antichrist).
The Holy Spirit will no longer be restraining evil when antichrist reveals himself, and he will have 3.5 years to make every attempt to kill believers, Jews and anybody who doesn’t take his mark. Those who do take his mark will not see heaven. PERIOD.
One of the most gorgeous attributes of God is His mercy. That, the Cross made possible.
The scripture even says it, because He forgives, He is feared. He will not leave his army in the devil’s traps of gotcha sin, and they will progress once more to conquer.
I think a real good consideration of what God is like, would show those “things you would want to do” to be mighty petty, or at least misguided in direction and better aimed and energized through His action.
And telling this story will probably gore a lot of church oxen, of people who worship a halfway God. No, when He said kindness He meant it! If you really want to mess around with the devil He’ll let you, but as soon as you decide this isn’t the game and you want back, His door is wide open. The only actual fatal thing is to commit to the devil.
But, we should be warned... recovering from a mindful of devil can be a LONG, LONG process. We are pretty stupid to flirt with this again.
Thumbs up! We may disagree on political candidates (respectfully), but we agree on the True King!
God Bless, friend.
Amen! God Bless!
Amen, Sherry!
I read your post last night when you stated, in so many words, that some on FR were robbing you of your Christian joy. You are so right! Hang in there! I took a break too. All the hate in the world can never destroy our joy in Christ Jesus!
bump for later reading
:)
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