2/1/17

The power to... by Gary Rose

Tomorrow is groundhog day; can you believe its almost here?  This wolf can and he decided to eat the prognosticator!!!  I know, TOMORROW IS GROUNDHOG DAY, NOT TODAY, but the important thing here is that the wolf had the power to decide what to do about the groundhog and DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Although most of us don't like to think about the final great judgment, it will happen, just as the Scripture says...


Revelation, Chapter 20 (World English Bible)
  11 I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.  12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. (emp. added vs.12b GDR) 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.  14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  15 If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.(emp. added vs.15 GDR)

Revelation, Chapter 3 (World English Bible)
 1  “And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: 
“He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars says these things: 
“I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.   2  Wake up, and keep the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.   3  Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.   4  Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.   5  He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.  (emp. added vs. 5 GDR) 6  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

John, Chapter 3 (World English Bible)
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.  36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys  the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

What you do in this world will determine your ultimate fate. If you truly believe in Jesus and obey him, you will have eternal life; if not, then wrath awaits. Seems like a no brainer, doesn't it; yet many will read acts chapter two and explain away baptism.

The Apostle Peter says...

Acts, Chapter 2  (World English Bible)
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.  15 For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.  16 But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 

  17 ‘It will be in the last days, says God, 
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. 
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. 
Your old men will dream dreams. 

  18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, 
I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 

  19 I will show wonders in the sky above, 
and signs on the earth beneath: 
blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 

  20 The sun will be turned into darkness, 
and the moon into blood, 
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 

  21 It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

  22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know,  23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;  24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.  25 For David says concerning him, 

‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 

  26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. 
Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; 

  27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades,
neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. 

  28 You made known to me the ways of life. 
You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

  29 “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,  31 he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay.  32 This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.  33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.  34 For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, 

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand   35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

  36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 

  37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 

  38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”  40 With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 

  41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
(emp. added vss. 38-41)


The stark reality of human beings is that what we do in this life has consequences. The choice is yours; I pray that you make the correct one!!! Hopefully, your name will be found in the book of life and I will see you in heaven forever!!!