Are You Paying Attention? Here Is The REAL Focus We Should Have

for the majority of people not just Americans there is a fear that this election will be a Tipping Point some of the questions people are asking are what will happen next who will step in what will happen after November yes for many Americans this election is proving to be one of the most significant elections in their lifetimes and so I'd like to offer a Biblical perspective on some of the major developments happening around us why is it important to put on a Biblical lens when looking at current world affairs because for so many people their

minds will be filled with the opinions of different political commentators others will be influenced by all of the many theories and conspiracies out there and then the third group of people it's those who will just bury their heads in the sand because they are fearful of what might happen in the future but firstly let me say that it seems as though every other day we are seeing huge events happening on the world stage and with so many people's eyes on the political Arena we should all be aware that in times like these the devil loves

to divide and SE disharmony and hatred among people be careful that you are not drawn into this kind of divided political Frenzy as children of God the Bible calls us to love to love like Christ and to love our neighbor regardless of their political affiliations and I understand that many of us will have genuine concerns like who can bring peace and stability well only Jesus can some may ask what's the trajectory of the country and the answer is only God knows and as children of God we should live our lives with our trust firmly placed

on God now should there be more twists and turns over the next few months should there be unrest or economic uncertainty should there be more and more voices added to the conversation about America as a nation and what direction it's headed in remember that our Lord and savior is bigger than any politician any government official or any worldly institution yes this election will have far-reaching consequences that could impact our and other people's lives however the follower of Christ should remember that the kingdom of men come and go but the kingdom of Christ is eternal men

and women sit in various seats of power in this world but there is only one who sits on the throne above all Thrones Psalm 22:28 says for kingship Belongs to the Lord and He rules over the Nations God is ultimately in control he is in control today I want to encourage you to trust in God what more does the church need to see before we realize that we are nearing Christ's return a lot of the times when people think about the last days people think of signs like Wars earthquakes pestilences the Antichrist and that's correct

we should be mindful of those things but there are other signs that are much less talked about but just as important you see before false prophets begin to appear on the world stage claiming to be the Messiah before famines and plagues ravage countries before Nations and kingdoms rise against each other here is what Jesus said when warning his disciples in Luke 21: 11-17 there will be great earthquakes and there will be famin and plagues in many lands and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven but before all this occurs there will

be a time of great persecution you will be dragged into synagogues and prisons and you will stand trial before Kings and governors because you are my followers but this will be your opportunity to tell them about me so don't worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you even those closest to you your parents Brothers relatives and friends will betray you they will even kill some of you and everyone will

hate you because you are my followers but not a hair of your head will perish by standing firm you will win your soul an increase in persecution will take place because Jesus warned the church that before he comes the enemies of God will lay hands and persecute Christians in Christian history there are many stories that have been told of persecution I'm reminded of Richard worm brand a man who was persecuted by the communist regime in Romania in the early 1900s he was imprisoned beaten starved interrogated and threatened for 14 years all because he would not

give up Jesus Christ while in prison he continued to preach to the inmates and guards and by the end of his life a lot of the guards who had interrogated him and tortured him and beaten him a lot of them became Christians they saw Jesus Christ in Richard I'm reminded of Corey ten booom a lady who was mightily used of God during the second world war this lady went through horrific things and suffered unimaginable loss but at the end of it all she said something powerful something I'd like to share with you today she said

if you look at the world you'll be distressed if you look within you'll be depressed if you look at God you'll be at rest [Music] how many of us are prepared to suffer for Christ according to the warning in Luke 21 Jesus told us that they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you turning you over to the synagogues and prisons and bringing you before Kings and governors for my name's sake he warned us that you will be betrayed and handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends if a soldier

stood in front of you and asked you to lose your life or save it by rejecting Jesus Christ what would you do if an institution told you hey we can't treat your children we can't give them any medicine unless you denounce Jesus Christ as your lord and savior what would you do if a banker knocked on your front door and told you that you have two options either you face eviction or you denounce Christ and keep your home what would you do there are Christians around the world who have had to face this reality and

many chose to suffer for Christ those who did the Bible assures them that there will be a Heavenly Eternal reward now for a moment I want you to consider the last words of Jesus recorded in the Bible his final words in the Book of Revelation can be found in chap 22: 20 which reads he who testifies to these things says surely I am coming quickly amen even so come Lord Jesus final words are important a person laying on their deathbed will always have some significant emotionally significant final words to say to their loved ones we

cherish the last words of departed loved ones we place great weight on the last words of important people even apart from Death we emphasize Last Words If a speech is to be meaningful it must have a powerful conclusion a great book can be ruined with a poor ending yes last words are important how much more important are God's last words now God is not dead or gone but God's revealed will has been completed God has delivered in scripture all things that pertain to life and godliness the Lord has equipped Humanity with access to the knowledge

that is needed for forgiveness reconciliation and eternal life the process of giving us his word was no small task God used dozens of men across 15 centuries to write the scriptures so how did God choose to end this Monumental work we call the Bible undoubtedly the last words of the Bible are of great significance when we turn to theend end of God's word the final verses of the final chapter of the final book in the Bible we find something old yet new we find a concept present from the first pages of the Bible yet this

time with even greater significance we find a promise and a warning a promise of blessing or a curse an invitation to life yet a warning of death in revelation 22 2:2 Jesus says and behold I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work given that these words are nearly 2,000 years old we may wonder about the Lord's promise of coming quickly of course we must remember our Reckoning of time is far different than the Lord's as 2 Peter 3:8 reminds us but do not overlook this one

fact beloved that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day not only that but eternity does come quickly for all of us many have been caught by death unaware the years Race by for all of us even if the Lord delays his second coming our appointment with eternity is not far away there is there must be an urgency with which we listen to and obey the Lord Jesus promises he is bringing his reward this can be a great comfort or a great Terror the word reward can

refer to a wage for those who are faithful to Jesus the reward will be blessing and life those who persist in Rebellion will receive their wages of sin Eternal death The Inspired Apostle John helps us understand who will receive a blessing or curse revelation 22 in: 14- 15 he writes blessed are those who do his Commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city but outside are dogs and Sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolators and whoever loves and practices a lie everyone

wants to be blessed the closing verses of the Bible remind us of the past to blessing faithfulness to Jesus when the Lord returns he will restore access to the tree of life but only for those who followed him those who persist in worldliness and sin will not be blessed but will be left outside for this group there will be no access to the tree of life and no entrance into the Heavenly City their fate is outside forever separated from the goodness of God following this Revelation 22:1 17 contains one final and beautiful invitation and the

spirit and the bride say come and let him who hears say come and let him who thirsts come whoever desires let him take the Water of Life freely no one makes it into a king's Palace without an invitation thankfully the King of Kings has issued an invitation open to everyone any who is with willing to hear the Lord's invitation is welcome any who thirsts for righteousness can accept the invitation anyone who desires eternal life can have that desire fulfilled what a fitting invitation here at the end of scripture from Genesis forward the Bible records man's

downfall and God's plan to reconcile all things it took centuries and great sacrifice but God lived up to his promise in the garden to crush the Serpent's head where the Story begins with an angel guarding the Tree of Life from man it ends with an invitation to man to enjoy the tree and Water of Life once again but this invitation comes with a warning God has illuminated the path to eternal life through his word should we decide we can walk a better path we are gravely mistaken Revelation 22: 18 and 19 warn that if we

add to God God's word he will add to us the plagues written about in the book and if we take away from the word then our invitation to the tree of life and God's presence will likewise be taken away God's word ends with a beautiful invitation but also by underscoring the importance of the word if we want blessing and eternal life we must truly trust the Lord we must trust his word and do our best to obey it to ignore God's word to live our own way by our own rules according to our desires is

to decline God's gracious invitation the final words of Jesus in all of scripture are surely I am coming soon that promise will elicit either joy and hope or fear and dread when John heard that promise he proclaimed amen come Lord Jesus those are words of Hope but what if Jesus fulfilled his promise today for those unprepared their final words will be regret and despair but for the faithful in Christ their final words in this life would surely be proclamations of Joy the celebrations of realized hope and deliverance if Jesus returned today what would your final

words be as Christians we believe that God can and does warn us when we are in danger or when we need to make changes in our lives often times God can and does warn us through scripture God's word is a powerful tool for guiding us and warning us of potential dangers and pitfalls in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 the Bible says all scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives it corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do

what is right God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work God's word has several warnings concerning every area of your life when it comes to your heart God's word tells you to keep it with all diligence for out of it come the issues of life when it comes to the people around you God's word in Romans 12 tells us to do all that we can to live in peace with the people around us when it comes to your thoughts God's word tells you to take every thought captive and make

it obedient to Christ when it comes to your attitude God's word gives us the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and when it comes to how we live our lives the Bible contains several warnings about the consequences of sin and Disobedience as well as guidance on how to live a life that pleases God for those living in sin we're warned that the wages of sin is death for those who are filled with pride we are warned that pride comes before a downfall for those who are living in Rebellion we're told not to harden our hearts for those

who are unforgiving the Bible warns us about the dangers of unforgiveness and bitterness so all throughout God's word we've been given These Warnings warnings that are meant to guide us through life and keep us on the straight and narrow now another way that the Lord warns us is through the Holy Spirit God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit who guides us and convicts us of sin in the Book of John Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth the Holy Spirit can be that still Small Voice that speaks to you

and convicts your heart of sin John Piper once said about the holy spirit that he is the way that God speaks into our lives and directs us into the path of obedience in addition to this God can use the circumstances in our lives to warn us or guide us in a different direction for example we may experience a series of setbacks or obstacles that make it clear that we are on the wrong path or perhaps God May close a door that we thought was open to us in Romans 8:28 Paul writes and we know that

in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose even difficult circumstances can be used by God to guide us toward towards his will for our lives God's hand is in every detail of Our Lives whether we feel like it or not and so in conclusion God can warn us in a variety of ways including through scripture the Holy Spirit and circumstances as Christians it is important to be open to God's guidance and to seek his wisdom in all areas of Our Lives the Lord

has a plan for each of us and we can trust that he will guide us and warn us along the way if the enemy can get us to pay more attention to the issues of Life instead of paying attention to the one who can solve the issues then we are effectively surrendering To The World God said to be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that we could know the good and perfect will of God according to Romans 12:2 and the enemy will stop at nothing to attack the mind and try to cause us

to falter he wants to bring in confusion so that we can give into the lust of our own flesh condemnation is an effective weapon of the enemy to try and destroy the mind of the believer when we feel like all we do is fail it becomes more and more easy for us to give into temptation because that is what we believe we do anyways but God said he that is in me is greater than he that is in the world the mind of Christ that resides in US is stronger than the Temptation that the enemy

brings to try and destroy our conscious Minds now when all else fails the devil will try to use circumstances to try and get us off track I want you to be mindful of some of the little details when it comes to how you live your life one speaker put it this way we are all mind driven because the Bible says in the Book of Proverbs as a man thinks so he is so I urge you to live your Christian Life with pure thoughts rebuke all that is impure and cast down all corrupt thoughts the truth

is you and I are not guaranteed one more day day our time on this Earth is brief and because our time on this Earth is brief we must make the most of every opportunity to live right to live with a fire for Christ but you see there is a lie that the devil tells us which I believe to be the biggest and the most dangerous lie that many people fall for and the LIE he tells you is you've got time you you have got time and here's how the LIE is dressed up you've got time

to repent so keep sinning you can get right with God later you've got time to keep living however you want you don't have to worry about God and turning your life around just yet do it tomorrow you've got time this is a lie that is so easy to believe because it's comfortable it lures us into a false sense of security to think that we can have our cake and eat it too it's a lie that many fall for because it doesn't require any action on our part it doesn't require us to change it doesn't require

us to crucify the flesh but it does allow us to keep living life on our own terms without ever pausing to evaluate where we're headed it's a lie that tells us that we're free to Chas chase money to chase power in relationships or anything we think will fulfill us but the reality is that at any given moment we are 1 second away from heaven or hell we need to always be mindful that what we do today what we do while we're here still alive and breathing will affect the Unseen World for us Matthew 6: 33

puts it this way but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you a different translation says but first and most importantly seek aim at strive after his kingdom and his righteousness his way of doing and being right the attitude and characters of God and all these things will be given to you also to put this in perspective we're being told to choose Jesus Christ in a world that is rejecting him we're being called to live a righteous life in a hostile World being in the God's

Camp means that Jesus Christ Alone rules and Reigns in your life there's no other God you bow down to but Jesus you see living a righteous life in a hostile World means that Jesus Christ has the authority over the choices you make he rules your thought life he's the motivating factor behind your actions and deeds and this is really the point I'm trying to make the voices you're listening to on a day-to-day basis who are they from what are they saying what kind of spirit is behind them we're exposed to so many different voices in

this world and we need to guard our ears what type of voice are you drawn to I encourage you to search for the voice of God and his voice is distinctive it's clear it's sharper than any two-edged sword his voice dispels sin it defeats every kind of demon it raises the Dead the Lord's voice mens broken hearts it heals diseases it restores and replenishes all that has been lost and it most definitely crushes fear his voice is awesome and mighty No dark thing can challenge it when God speaks things change things become what he speaks

so I encourage you stop listening to other voices stop listening to the Pharisees of today the doubting Thomases and the feel-good preachers search for God's voice voice a voice that will lead you to Salvation and Eternity [Music]