What Are You Living For?

Brett Clapham

At the end of your life, what that you lived for would have mattered? Would any of it have been worth living for? Looking around, there is so much false value, and the world offers such enticing and attractive things. Yet, in the end, all of it, is worthless. At the end of your life are you going to look back and realise that it was an utter and complete waste? Do you want to find out, at the end of it all, that not only was it pointless, meaningless and purposeless, but that your entire life was absolutely abhorrent to the only One for Whom it was meant? The God of the universe, the Creator of your soul is the only One worth living for.

What is going to count for you at Judgment Day? What is going to be for your advantage? What is going to back you up? Will your friends? Will you family? Will anything stand by you? What are you actually living for that is worth your life?

We were made by an awesome Conquerer, an all-powerful holy and righteous King. He made every human being, and He, rightfully, made us to worship Him. It is rightful because He can do with what He made whatever He wants. That is the right of being Creator. So what did He do? He gave us authority over the entire earth and loved us and provides for us. He is the very Sustainer of our beings.

But we wretchedly rebelled against this great and holy God. We decided to tell Him to “stuff off” and leave us alone. That's exactly why the world is how it is today – not because of lack of education, or any other rubbish, made-up excuse. The reason is simple for the state of the world: we hate Almighty God. But He is holy, and He is impartial, fair and just. That is why there is hell. Screw all the trash imagining that God is loving and that's it. God is Love, and He is holy. He is the rightful King of kings and Lord of lords. He alone is seated on the throne of the universe. Not you. Not me. He alone is the One Who deserves all glory. Not you. Not me. He made us to worship Him – not a boring waste of time, nor a mindless act of slavery, but that's why He gave us free will, to worship Him for all that He is, for His goodness, and His blessings, which we obliviously experience every day.

We said to God, “stuff you” and we decided to live our own lives our way, to worship ourselves, to run life our way. But we can't!!!!!!! He made it so that He is our life, or otherwise we have no life. We told God to leave us alone, and one day He will – in hell. Hell is eternal separation from God, all goodness, love, mercy, compassion, all goodness – separation from His glorious Majesty.

Even before the creation of the world, God decreed that He would send His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. God is One God, but Three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So when we talk about God sending His only Son, we understand that it was the will of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit for this to take place. There was total agreement. We cannot fully comprehend the Trinity for God is infinite, and we are finite. But we know that He is one God and Three Persons, each Person fully God.

So, even before man was created, before man could even rebel, God knew that man would sin, and it was then that the LORD God Almighty decided to send the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, to die the death that we deserve and to suffer the eternal condemnation that we have earned for ourselves. It was then, from eternity, that the LORD God Almighty loved us, and He loved us so much, as to suffer His own wrath in His Son, on our behalf. The very One Who we have sinned against is the very One Who decided, out of His awesome holy love, to receive the fullness of His own wrath for us! When we have sinned against Him, hated Him, told Him to get lost, worshiped idols, prostituted ourselves to rubbish false gods, whether money, or sport, or other people – when we have heaped on ourselves all this wrath that we deserve, He still loved us, even before creation when He knew we would do all these vile things!

To know how awesome His love is, we must know how seriously offensive sin is. God cannot forgive sin. He is holy and that means that He actually cannot forgive sin, but can only punish it. There is no other way. He would cease to be God if He tolerated sin. He would cease to be God if He was not just. He hates sin. And we are sinners.

We, we, crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. Who do you think it was? Was it the Jews? They shouted against Him. Was it the Romans? They put Him on the cross. These people did these things, but truthfully, it was me. It was me, me, me, self-centered, pitiful, disgusting, wretched, sinful man. And man goes on rebelling today, worse off and more depraved than ever. But God loved us so much as to send His own Son – He didn't have another – He sent His own Son, to infinitely humble Himself, to be flogged, beaten, hated, pierced with thorns, ridiculed, mocked, utterly forsaken and punished, to be absolutely soaked through and immersed by the wrath of the Living God – which we rightfully deserve. He went through hell to make us right with Him. How seriously does God take sin! How much He hates it and how much He must love us to endure His very own wrath for us! We cannot understand what Jesus went through, all for the sake of love.

If there were any other way, then why the flip would Jesus Christ have died? Why would He have suffered the most terrible and horrific death ever, all for us?

Slaves, foreigners, and non-persons were crucified. We treated the Living God as a slave, a foreigner, a non-person. We hated, despised, and rejected Him. And all He ever did was love us. All He did was warn us about the coming wrath of His Majesty, which He took for us – for us!

We'd be pretty hopeless to hope in a dead man, but He's not dead – Jesus Christ is risen. He conquered death and sin for ever. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father , and He is highly exalted, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and He will return one day, in glory, to judge every human to ever have walked on the earth. He will judge with absolute justice.

And now, after all He's done, don't you think that He would be so much more infinitely angry if, after taking the wrath due for us, we continue to, and die, rejecting Him? Salvation is definitely not automatic. Don't you know that we have rebelled against Him far too long? And He said that if we do not forsake everything, deny ourselves (because we are inherently evil), and follow Him, then we cannot be His disciples. Jesus Christ must be your ALL in all. What is there besides Him? What is worth living for? He demands your all, and how can you possibly expect Him to save you completely if you do not give yourself completely to Him?

You must appropriate His sacrifice for yourself. You must make it your own. You must repent, otherwise you must pay for your sins yourself. Someone has to pay for your sins. Jesus Christ has done it already, but you are only saved if you are in Him. And what does it mean to be in Him? Do you not know that Jesus Christ is the only one worth living for? There is nothing else worth living for. What? What is there?

To be in Jesus Christ is to be sold out for Him, to live with Him as your God. He said that the most important command was to love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. How can you possibly love Him with your whole self if He is not the reason that you live? He loves you so much. How much wrath are you heaping upon yourself when you continue to reject Him? And don't wait until you are old and ready to die. What if you die now? You will stand alone before God. And when He sees that you have all this sin to pay for – and you can never pay for it fully – He will one day judge you and send you to hell for all eternity to pay for your sins for ever, because you can never fully pay for them, so great they are.

This is it. There is no more time to waste on useless, rubbish things. There is no way to earn your way into heaven. Jesus Christ is the only Way. There is no other. Jesus Christ is the only Way. One day you will stand before God, alone. Will you be in Christ, or will you be on your own? Will you be welcomed into heaven, or will you be cast into the fiery lake of burning sulphur?

Now is the time. What are doing not choosing? Jesus went as far as He possibly could go for you, especially you. There was absolutely no further that He could have gone.

Jesus Christ is here. Where are you? Repent or perish.

You want God for a Friend!

Needing a friend? God makes a great friend. He really does! When you become His friend, you possess the most valuable thing in the universe—the loyalty of God.

One man who had this was David, and many generations were blessed as a result. There were times when God was inclined to judge the people because of their sinfulness, but then He would remember His covenant with David and relent. God basically said to the people, “The only reason you’re being blessed right now is because of my loyalty to David.”

God honored His loyalty to Abraham in the same way. God told successive generations that He would be with them and bless them specifically because He was maintaining His loyalty to His friend, Abraham. The point here is, when God is loyal to you, He gives you as spiritual inheritance in every successive generation.

There’s one story in particular about Abraham that demonstrates God’s unusual loyalty to His friends. It actually happened at a time when his name was Abram. Abram was afraid that the king of the land, Abimelech, would see how beautiful his wife was and kill him in order to marry her. So Abram told his wife, Sarai, that she should clain to be his sister in order to preserve his life, which Sarai agreed to do. When Abimelech laid eyes on her and heard she was Abram’s sister, he immediately took her into his house and began preparations to bring her into his harem.

But God came to Abimilech in a dream and said, “You’re a dead man—you’ve taken another man’s wife into your house.”

Abimilech replies, “Lord, is it Your practice to go around killing entire nations of righteous people? I haven’t so much as touched the woman.”

The Lord said, “You’re dead.”

Abimelech immediately remonstrated, “But Lord, he told me she was his sister, and she herself said the same thing.”

The Lord said, “You’re dead.”

Abimilech came back, “Lord, I did this in total integrity and with innocent hands!”

“Yes I know,” cam the answer. “But the man’s a prophet. So restore his wife to him, or you shall surely die, along with all who are yours.”

In my mind I’m thinking, “Lord, aren’t You being a little hard on Abimelech? I mean, Abram is the one who has blown it here. Abram is the one who has lied and cowered in fear. Abimilech is the good guy in the story. SO why did You come down so hard on Abimelech?”

I can imagine the Lord’s answer, “Because Abram is my friend. I know him, and he knows Me. I always stick by My friends.”

God was loyal to Abram even when Abram was wrong.

If this is the kind of loyalty that flows in God’s heart, then I want Him to be loyal to me, too. Because I need a God who will be my Friend even when I make foolish mistakes (which is often enough).

This is the God who has won my loyalties.


*From the book, "LOYALTY" by Bob Sorge

BOW THE KNEE!

Bow the Knee
Pastor Jack Hoffman ©2003

It was conceived in the heart of Lucifer - this seed of selfish pride. He had tired of fulfilling the whims of what he thought to be an old, archaic Spirit. He would no longer bow before the One who was Love. This germ of a thought became an all-consuming desire. Lucifer loathed God. How he hungered for the glory that only Jehovah possessed. His rebellious spirit, like an infectious disease, quickly spread embracing one third of the angelic beings in its deadly poison. No longer would they pay homage either.

Then, finding that the Almighty was just that, Almighty, he was cast down. Down, down he fell to this earth. Old Lucifer’s hatred deepened. His bitterness became the gall he drank so freely off. Now, Satan, he was pacing the earth one day when to his mild surprise he learned of the creation of man. “Ah ha” he mused, “I can finally hurt the heart of the old One.” Quickly finding the place of man’s abode he also helped infect the human race with rebellion. Thus began a titanic conflict that would last milleniums. It was a struggle over to whom the knee would be bowed. Who would be true to the Lord God and who would fall before Satan? The longer the conflict raged, the hotter the fire of jealousy fanned in the heart of the insidious serpent. “I will be God!” “I will be worshipped!”

Satan began a campaign to have mankind kneel before him. Every individual was approached and tempted to reject their Creator and to vow allegiance to the seducer. Many did so, but oh so many did not. Hearts afire with love for their Savior and Lord, they would not bow before the father of lies. Their names are different, but their stories are very similar. When faced with the most dire of consequences and even sure death, or the option to kneel and kiss in homage the ring of wickedness, they would not bend, they would not pucker the lip.

There was righteous suffering Job who would not curse his God nor change his allegiance. Moses and the children of Israel putting Egypt and its impotent deities behind and finding on Mount Sinai the Only True God. Youthful David unafraid, twirling his sling before a blaspheming giant. Three Hebrew children in Babylon refusing to insult the Sovereign of their souls when told to bow before the image of the accuser of the brethren. Daniel the prophet throwing political correctness to the wind while humbly and openly remembering His Lord three times a day, and Mordecia staunchly upright in his defiance of Hamaan. No matter how tempting an offer came their way, prophet after prophet would not compromise nor turn from appointed task.

Oh yes Satan succeeded in making many into tyrants and murderers. He filled the earth with his lies and his deception was so well disguised that some never did see the truth. But, he could not get those who had tasted of the grace of God, those who had found in Jesus life everlasting, to kneel before him. The disciples, rather than turning back when Jesus ascended, turned Jerusalem and the entire world upside down with their dogged allegiance to the Lamb of God.
So, Satan brimming with hate attempted to fill with fear those who followed Christ. Persecution intensified. The crosses of the Roman Empire became blood-soaked as upon them the life of godly people ebbed. Arenas were filled with gentle believers being fed to lions or slaughtered by gladiators. Throughout the years the stake glowed bright with the embers of saints who would not recant. The centuries passed while over and over again that malignant spirit kept seeking worship but could not get it from the children of God. They would not yield their hearts to anyone other than the One that is Love personified.

The day is coming, in which, in one last desperate effort Satan will demand this world to fall before him, to accept his mark, or die. And die they will, by the thousands and thousands, a multitude of redeemed souls devoted only to the Lamb. There will be no dirt on the white linen of the redeemed. They will not blemish their robes of righteousness. They will not bow until that day in which, surrounded by walls of jasper they shall fall down upon golden avenues and lift up holy hands of praise to the only true God.

And in that day, by the very power of the Almighty, that foul creature that has plagued this universe and tormented this world and destroyed the lives of millions will be taken and brought before the presence of God. We shall see him as he comes writhing and fighting all the way. Cursing the very God who created him. Jehovah will silence that lying spirit and bringing him before His throne, we shall join all creatures great and small, natural and supernatural, human and angelic to witness what follows. We shall hear the voice of the Father more thunderous in volume than all the combined waterfalls of this world, speaking clearly for all creation to hear, fulfilling His prophetic word: “that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.” In the sweetness of that moment, when that wonderful, precious, sacred and powerful name is uttered, we shall finally see… SATAN BOW THE KNEE! 

Who is JESUS to Me?

Who is Jesus to Me?

So, you've thought it over, and all of this Love of Jesus stuff sounds pretty cool.� NOW WHAT?� How do you take the leap into God's loving arms?� It's actually very simple.

The bible says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.� He is the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end).� The only way to get to the Father (God) is through Jesus (John 14:6).

God is manifested in 3 ways, called the Trinity.� This is the Father (God), the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God).� They are all one, but are shown in different ways.� Jesus was sent to Earth by God to die for our sins, so that we may have everlasting life (John 3:16).� This means that Jesus willingly subjected himself to the agony of crucifixion to save our souls.� This is not just the soul of Mother Teresa or Billy Graham, NO WAY, this is you and me, in all the times that we fail.�

How can you understand what this sacrifice means?� I heard it described best in the following:

"Imagine that you were the only person on Earth.� God loves you so much that he would still have sent Jesus to Earth to save you.� Now, the bible said Jesus would be crucified.� Because you were the only person on Earth, God would have known that it would be you who would nail him to the cross.� But, by believing in him, you would be saved forever in Love."

The bible says that this Gift of Life is just that, a gift, and we could do nothing to deserve it or earn it.� All we have to do is ask for it, and believe in the gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

JESUS- WHO IS HE?

 Jesus

Without Jesus Christ, all of the world would be lost. Those that do not know him are lost, even if they don't know it. All of us have fallen into this category at sometime or another, as we are all born lost, needing a savior.

So, if you don't have a personal relationship with Christ, those that know you DO NOT judge, you. We pray for you and want nothing more that for you to know the love and joy that we know from accepting Jesus into our lives.

This section provides extensive details on Jesus Christ, His life, Miracles, His Resurrection, and Who He is to each of us. Our hope is that if you know Him as your personal savior, you will find information to strengthen your relationship with Him, and if you don't know Him

Life of Jesus

Jesus was with us for a very short time, and his ministry was only about 3 years long.� It is a wonderful story of the Son of God.

Birth of the Savior

Mary, a virgin, was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter. God sent an angel to Mary to tell her that although she was a virgin, she would soon bear a son.

Joseph was also visited by an angel that instructed Joseph to marry Mary, despite her being with child.� We can imagine that the stigma of being an unwed mother was even greater than it is today, so it is important that this message came from God.

Joseph and Mary traveled to the town of Bethlehem to take part in the census (all people were required to return to the place of their birth to be counted.)� While they were there, Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger because there was no room in the inn for them.

Later, the baby Jesus was brought gifts by wise men.� Herod the Great was king, and he was wicked and threatened when the wise men told him that Jesus would be the "King of Israel."� Herod then sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the children.� Joseph was pre-warned by an angel that this was happening and he and his family escaped to Egypt until Herod died, when they returned to Nazareth to raise Jesus and the rest of the family.

For more details, the full Christmas Story can be found in: Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:5-2:45

Baptism

Although Jesus never sinned, John baptized him. When Jesus came up from the water, the Holy Spirit descended, and God spoke from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved son."

Disciples

The disciples were: Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. They traveled with Jesus as he preached. After Jesus died, they went through the land preaching the word to the masses as Jesus had commanded, and started many of the early churches.

Sermon on the Mount

Jesus delivered his most famous sermon on a mountain near Capernaum. In it, Jesus taught: Love your enemies. Do not judge others. Do not be anxious about tomorrow, but trust God. Treat others, as you would have them treat you.

Miracles of Jesus

Jesus did many miracles to show others that he was God's son. God gave Jesus power over nature, power over disease, and even power over death!

The Trial

The Jewish leaders were very threatened by the following that Jesus had in the area.� They decided that the only way to deal with him was to have him put to death.� They accused him of blasphemy.� Pilate, a Roman governor, tried Jesus. Even though he wanted Jesus to be set free, he left the choice up to the people.� Able to either set Jesus free or Barabbas, a murderer, the crowd was persuaded to choose Barabbas.� He was set free and Jesus was flogged and crucified.

Crucifixion

Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion, a horrible death that consisted of flogging, nailing to a wooded cross, until Jesus was dead.� Also crucified at that time were two criminals, one of which asked to be saved before he died.

Burial

His body was placed in a tomb. Jesus had promised the disciples he would come back after he died. His enemies knew this. So, to prevent anyone from stealing the body, they had Roman soldiers guard the tomb of Jesus.� As was 

customary, there was also a huge stone rolled in front of the tomb.

The Resurrection

Three days following his death on the cross, an angel came down on earth to the tomb where Jesus' body lay.� The soldiers guarding the tomb were very frightened and fled.� The angel rolled the stone away and sat upon it, appearing to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary that had come to the tomb.� He told them Jesus was not there for he had risen and would see them in Galilee.� Jesus then appeared several times following this, telling us to go forth and spread the news!

Timeline of Jesus' Life and Ministry

6-4 BC		Birth of Jesus Christ
5-4 BC		Escape to Egypt. Slaughter of children
4 BC		Herod the Great dies (spring).
7-8 AD		Jesus visits Jerusalem as a child
29 AD		Ministry of John the Baptist begins
29 AD		Christ's ministry begins
33 AD		Jesus is Crucified (Friday, April 3rd)
33 AD		Jesus is Resurrected (On the Third Day after the Crucifixion)

Jesus Generation!

WELCOME!! Be a part of this new cool generation!
This is the " JESUS GENERATION!"
A generation that loves Him!