For what does it profit a
man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?"
Matthew 16:26
You may be filthy
rich or dirt poor. You may ride a brand new $25,000 Custom
Harley or you may ride an old, beat up $300 Kawasaki. You
may have a great wife, 2.3 beautiful kids, a fine house, a
faithful dog and a new SUV sitting in the driveway. Or you
could be on the edge of life, living in a crack house with
drug dealers and junkies for a family, a shack up
girlfriend whom you fight with constantly and only your
two feet for transportation. You might be a weekend
warrior, taking your shiny, new hog and new leathers out
for a short spin every other weekend. Or you could be a
"real" biker who lives for the chance to ride
every time you wake up, wearing the scratches & rust
on your scoot like a badge of honor. Regardless of where
you're at and where you've come from, you're reading this
for a reason. I hope it's because you've got an open mind.
That you're willing to go against the grain once in a
while. That maybe you're tired of the same old "day
in & day out" without anything really special
that you can look back on or forward to. Maybe you feel
that you're living your life for "things" and
"people" but are somehow missing the real
purpose of life?
Nobody is
perfect!
You may think,
"Oh yeah, I've seen how Christians can act!" You
may have seen TV preachers constantly asking for your
money, you may have a Christian neighbor who borrowed
something from you and never returned it, or you may have
been cut off on the freeway by some guy with a little
chrome fish on his car. Yes, it's true! Christians make
mistakes, we do dumb things, insensitive things, we're
tempted by the same things you are. I personally know
Christians who struggle with alcohol & drug addiction,
who've cheated on their wives, who've broken the law and
had to do time. I've not only known ‘em, I've been there
myself. We are not really any better or different than
you, except that we have a relationship with
God.We carry the cross daily we may sometimes drop it, but we keep trying, we pick it up and go again in the name of or lord Jesus Christ
God exists.
He's real! He cares about you! He loves you!
Having a
relationship with God means He forgives us for the bad and
stupid things we do. It means that His love for us is
greater than anything you could've done in your life. You
could've cheated with a best friend's wife, you could've
stolen money from work, you could've even killed someone
and have kept it a secret for years. God still loves you
and has already forgiven you for that, all of it. That
doesn't mean you should shirk your responsibilities and
not make restitution for the wrong choices you've made.
But at least God doesn't hold them against you.
Jesus is
real!
You've no doubt
heard about Jesus before. You've probably been handed a
tract, cleverly designed to trick you about what's inside.
You may have been to church as a kid or has had to sit
through Sunday school or some boring sermon. The bottom
line is you're either on one side or the other right now.
If you're on the side going to heaven with the rest of us,
then Amen! If you're on the other side, riding' your scoot
at full speed through the gates of hell with so many
others, then that's your choice too. God isn't some cosmic
killjoy bent on making some people's lives miserable. Ever
since Adam & Eve ate the apple, this whole world has
been cursed, and all of us along with it. God didn't want
it that way, but that was man's choice and God always
gives us the freedom to choose. But God loves us so much
that He's provided a way out to everyone who wants it.
Instead of us paying our own way into heaven by our
"not so good" works, Jesus has paid the way for
us by dying for us on the cross. A perfect man without any
sin, no flaws, completely innocent and He allowed Himself
to be killed in our place.
So where do
you go from here?
| Getting
into heaven is easy – just follow these steps
which I call the "three R's":
1)
Realize that you're a sinner – that
you're not perfect. This should be a "no
brainer" – but just like the drunk who
doesn't think he has a drinking problem, we so often
fool ourselves into believing we're "not that
bad". The Bible says "all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
It also says "there is no one righteous, not
one" (Romans 3:10). You know Billy Graham,
Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi and Mother Teresa? At some
point in their lives they sinned, even if it was
just one little white lie, that's all it takes to
keep you out of heaven.
2)
Repent of your sin –
make a real
commitment to turn 180 degrees around. You've got to
want to leave your old, tired life behind. True repentance
means not looking back, but looking ahead instead.
Peter said "repent and be baptized, every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38). If
you're just buying into Christ like buying fire
insurance, it's not going to work. You've got to
stop going down the wrong road and turn around to
have your sins forgiven.
3)
Receive Jesus as your Lord & Saviour –
give
control of your life to Him. The Bible says:
"That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus
is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans
10:9). Believing in Jesus isn't like believing in
Santa Claus, we all know Jesus is a real man who
existed. Even the demons believe that! The issue is
whether you're gonna continue trying to fly the
plane yourself through life, crashing into this,
scraping that, flying through the storms in life
alone instead of around them, running outta gas and
eventually doing the "crash & burn"
thing OR whether you're gonna let God be your
co-pilot to keep you flying straight & level.
The scriptures state that "every knee will bow
and every tongue will confess that Jesus is
Lord" (Phillipians 2:10,11). Everyone will end
up finding out who He is sooner or later. Don't wait
till later! To receive Him, pray to Him right now!
Let Him know in your own words that you are a
sinner, that you repent and that you want Him to be
Lord of your life. He's waiting… |
That's the easy
part – if you've done that sincerely, then welcome to
the Kingdom of God. You've just received something that no
one can take away from you. Eternal salvation from hell
which is separation from God forever. You've just become a
part of the politically incorrect minority.
If that's
the easy part, what's the hard part?
Well life as a
Christian is not easy – not at all! The right choices in
life are usually harder to make than the wrong ones. It's
always easier to get into trouble than to stay out of
trouble. For one thing, the "world" will reject
you. You'll be made fun of, called names by some of the
friends who knew the "old" you and don't
understand the "new" you. You'll face opposition
from those who want you to join in their misery because
after all, misery loves company. Jesus
said that those who follow Him must take up their cross
daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Let me tell you
bro, that cross gets heavy at times. I look up to heaven
at least each week and wish God would take me home, but
it's all in His time and I continue to press on to do the
right things. Sometimes you fall down, sometimes you
backslide, sometimes you don't feel like being a Christian
any more – but God is there with you at those times to
pick you back up and keep walking with you. He never
leaves you, even in your darkest hour when all you can
think of is hopelessness and death. He's there, every
year, every week, every day, hour and minute of your
life…
Now go with
faith, fellowship and serve!
The Bible says "faith
without works is dead" (James 2:26). You've
got to keep your faith strong and not let it die. Your
works are an indication of how strong your faith is. God
will keep your faith strong if you read His word and run
with the right crowd. The scriptures say "for
faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God" (Romans 10:17). So get a Bible. If you
cannot afford one, then go visit your local Christian
church and ask for one. Or you can contact us by clicking
here and request a Bible, we'll make sure you get one,
ASAP. If you can't read King James English, then get one
in common every day English like the New International
Version or the Living Bible.
Next, you got to
get plugged into a church and with other believers cause
there's strength in numbers. This doesn't mean you have to
go to some "boring" church. You know the kind,
with pews as hard as dirt and music that only puts you to
sleep. Try several out until you find one that fits you.
Just like your bike may fit you but not "fit"
someone else, you got to find one that's just right –
don't get discouraged. There's even some outreach churches
and ministries sprouting up that are designed specifically
for bikers.
Finally, try to
find a ministry to serve in. Here at Bikers For Christ, we
serve God by riding motorcycles, visiting the homeless,
helping out other bikers on the road, performing services
like wedding & funerals, witnessing to others, etc…
There are lots of motorcycle ministries out there, all
just a little different but all serving the same God.
Just like finding the right church, it's
important to find the right ministry where you'll
"fit in". Some motorcycle ministries (M/M) are
more casual – others are more hardcore. Some are
"churchy" while others still are more motorcycle
oriented. Some have strict policies, bylaws and
discipline, others are more relaxed. Find one that you'll
be comfortable serving in. Then get ready for the ride of
your life!
God bless you as
you live and ride for Him!
Pre or Post Rapture
There are those who doubt a pre-week deliverance or rapture, who say God will deliver and secure the saints through the 7 years of judgment. This is true, for God will deliver many through the 70th Week, to enter the Millennium and replenish the earth with people. Among those will be a remnant of Israel, who will flee to Petra in Jordan, when the antichrist demands the Jews to worship him. It is these that God will nourish and protect for 3 1/2 years. It's probable that Gentiles who become followers during the 70th Week, who are aware of this truth, will also go there and be nourished. But this should, by no means, cause anyone to doubt the rapture. It must be remembered that all those who survive the 70th Week as believers, entered the Week as unsaved people.
Just as God delivered Noah before judgment fell on the earth, so will the Lord remove his faithful ones from the earth. It is this day and hour that no man or angel knows. If the rapture were to take place at the end of the 70th Week, as many teach, then everyone could know the day our Lord is returning. For 2,520 days from the signing of the Middle East peace covenant, Jesus will step foot on the earth.
The Lord's return is referred to as a "thief in the night" in Matthew 24:43 and I Thessalonians 5:2. A thief comes when no one is expecting or looking, when it is dark and quiet. At the end of the 70th Week, even the antichrist will know and be waiting for Jesus to appear, not to worship Him, but to make war with Him. Obviously he will not believe that it is really Jesus who is coming, but UFO's and aliens (Revelation 17:14, 19:19). If the antichrist is even waiting and preparing, and the rapture was to take place at the end, that surely removes the "thief" element from His coming, doesn't it?
Furthermore, if the post-week rapture teachers are correct, they have another serious question to answer. If Jesus raptured and resurrects all believers at the end, who will be left to enter into the 1,000-year kingdom to repopulate and replenish the earth? For the prophets clearly proclaim this Millennial kingdom as one where mortal people, in mortal bodies, would live and reproduce, (Isaiah 11:4-10, 65:18-25). When Jesus returns in power and glory at the end of the 70th Week, not as a thief, there will be two kinds of mortal people on the earth - believers and unbelievers. If Jesus then raptured and resurrected all believers, the only mortal people left alive to enter the Millennium are those who have rejected Him. Matthew 25:41-46 and Revelation 14:9-11 make it clear those unbelievers will be executed and sent to Hell. So who is going to repopulate and replenish the earth? Will it be resurrected, eternally glorified saints? That's impossible, for we shall be like the angels, who don't reproduce children.
For these reasons, we must conclude that there are two phases to our Lord's coming: First, as a thief to remove His desired jewels, His vessels of gold, silver and precious stones. The second phase occurs 7 years later as He returns a glorious, conquering King.
The catching away or rapture is designed to demonstrate the love and faithfulness of God to a doubting, deceived world. Most of those in the church, who doubt the pre-week rapture, are not really looking daily for the Lord. They have delayed the Lord's coming by at least 7 years. They are in danger of becoming evil servants, who are looking for signs more than the Son! (Matthew 24:48)
Those who repent and become lookers during the 70th Week will experience the wrath of God, only because they will be saved right in the midst of the out-pouring of it. It is then that God will protect and nourish those who will enter the Millennium to repopulate the earth. But there will be others who are saved in the midst of God's wrath who will suffer martyrdom. Study carefully Revelation 7:16, for it reveals that many who are in Heaven, have experienced hunger, heat and burning, which is descriptive of God's wrath, (Revelation 16:8-9). Many will die by the hands of the antichrist or as a result of being saved in the midst of God's wrath. Those who die will escape the Lord's ultimate wrath which is the Lake of Fire because they became believers. No person who is truly born again and walking in the Spirit will be rejected or spit up by our Lord at the rapture. All people who are left behind will enter the 70th Week with darkened hearts.
Please don't mistake the pre-week rapture teaching as an escapist motivation. I firmly hold that we must daily be prepared to die for our testimony of Jesus. Granted, there are some who use the rapture as a selfish escape from trouble, who come across with a proud and arrogant attitude. Be assured, they will not be lifted up from the earth either. Their hearts are still in darkness. For that elitist attitude is the fruit of a proud heart. Many of the prosperity prophets look at the rapture in just such a way. For your sake, don't let them divert you from the truth.
Now, where are the scriptures that promise deliverance for the saints?
I Thessalonians 4:13-18,
13)"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. 14)For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15)For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep. 16)For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 17)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18)Wherefore, comfort one another with these words."
I Thessalonians 5:1-9,
1)"But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2)For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3)For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. 4)But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5)Ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6)Therefore, let us not sleep, as other do, but let us watch and be soberminded. 7)For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunk are drunk in the night. 8)But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9)For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
These verses describe the rapture and resurrection of the Christians and when it will happen. All those who believe in their hearts that Jesus died and rose again, whether they be dead or alive, will be with the Lord. Again, true believing means that they have identified themselves with the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When He died, they died to sinfulness; when He rose, they rose to newness of life in the Spirit. True faith is not lip-service, but a confession of the heart.
The souls and spirits of those members of the Lord's church, whose bodies have died or are asleep, will return with Jesus at His return, "…them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Some false teachers have deceived millions of people into thinking that when you die your soul sleeps in the grave until the resurrection or rapture. They are only exposing their ignorance by teaching such poison. When Jesus returns from Heaven, He will bring the souls and spirits of the physically dead believers to reunite them with their newly resurrected bodies, "…and the dead in Christ shall rise first." The bodies will be made new and immortal as the body of the risen Lord. Read the glorious words penned by Paul as the Spirit of God moved within him.
Philippians 3:20-21,
20)"For our conversation is in heaven, from which also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21)Who shall change our lowly body, that it may be fashioned like his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."
Immediately after the resurrection of the dead bodies of the saints, those of us who are still alive will be instantly transformed and caught up with them to remain in Heaven until the end of the 70th Week. This pre-week resurrection of the dead bodies of Christians is only the first part of the first resurrection, (Revelation 20:4-6). At the end of the 70th Week the Lord will again raise the bodies of those who died during the Week, who became lookers and then died, to life and resurrection, to rule with Him on the earth. Those believers who survived the 70th Week will enter into the Millennial Kingdom as mortals to replenish the earth.
Paul says that we are to comfort one another with these words. Spirit-led Christians understand what this means, because the Spirit of Truth has shown them the coming glory and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. They live now for then. The natural man rejects and scoffs at the mere mention of such truth. Even Christians who are following their fleshly carnal minds avoid discussion of the rapture and resurrection. As Paul warned the Christians of his day against allowing darkness and doubt to slip into one's heart again, so do God's teachers today. If they do not take heed, that darkness of heart will produce danger and destruction.
Paul said the Lord would return in the air at a time then "they" were saying "peace and safety." Jesus will come when the world is not looking for Him, but looking for the antichrist to bring peace and plenty to them. Who are the "they" Paul refers to? Besides the ungodly, he is directly pointing to the religious Christians who are more caught up with worldly peacemaking, than looking and longing for the Lord to return to bring that peace. As I have stated before, the familiar spirit who calls himself "Mary" will explain the rapture as Jesus indeed coming and removing those troublemakers who misunderstood God's plan to bring peace and safety to the world. This supernatural appearance will propel the Pope and President into achieving this peace and safety. I know this is speculation, but it sure makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?
Some day real soon those lukewarm Christians will see the need to comfort one another with the words of His coming. The preaching of His cross and coming to impeach the rulers of the nations, produces persecution from these political and religious rulers. God promises to protect us from His wrath, but not the devil's. We will be strengthened by it, not weakened. If we're not being persecuted and rejected we are not living Godly in Christ Jesus. The devil knows he has but a short time, so he's trying to stop the true Christian, because they are warning people to flee from sin, shame and separation from God.
Summing It Up
The signs Jesus gave us are gaining momentum everyday. Rumors of wars flood our television screens. Earthquakes are becoming more frequent and are major news events. The changing weather patterns of planet Earth point to the Lord's return. The desert lands in Africa are spreading like a virus. Nearly 1/3 of the world's population is suffering from famine conditions. Droughts and wars are causing untold suffering. The economies of the world seem to be on the brink of bankruptcy. The apostle James said that people who were not established on the Lord's coming, would hoard and hold gold and silver. For they think it is the safest hedge against economic woes.
God is warning this planet of impending judgment. No matter how hard anyone prays to stop it or postpone it, it is coming, the time has been set in the counsels of Heaven. The Lord gave His disciples the signs that would point to His coming for two reasons: First, that through preaching to the lost and carnal, they would come to a convicted, repentant attitude, and then turn to the Lord for forgiveness. Second, to assure we who are already saved, that God is faithful to His word, and to increase our watchfulness. Not to watch so much for signs, but to watch for Him.
The return of the Jews to Israel is fulfilling the prophecy of the fig tree. The fuse to Armageddon was lit on May 14, 1948. The world has tumbled head-over-heels ever since. Today we are approaching World War III at an incredible rate of speed.
Because of compromise and sin, the organized church in America has become popular. It is considered an "in thing" to belong to a local church, for that will increase business and political success. This popularity is the pollution that will cause Jesus to spit it up when He returns in the air. This popularity among the rich, famous, elite and powerful has overcome many preachers. Because of their money and influence, many preachers have feared offending them, consequently their messages are omitting or neglecting the predominant theme of the New Testament, "Jesus is coming and My kingdom is not of this world."
It will be this popular, polluted church system in America and Western Europe that will usher in the antichrist. . To which world and kingdom do you give your loyalty and allegiance?
I close out this book with one final scripture. Remember, the antichrist will call upon your patriotism, as always, when it comes time to go to war against the Russian/Arab confederacy; and later even against Jesus at the end, thinking He's an alien force. Here Paul's encouraging words to the rejected, persecuted believers who were tempted to fight back against those who troubled them.
II Thessalonians 1:7-8,
7)"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8)In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
They Loved Not The Truth
In 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Paul reveals the root cause of why this terrorized turbulent world will soon experience the wrath and judgment of God. He simply states....."they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." Clearly, Paul is talking about people who have never genuinely fallen in love with the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. If you read the verses prior to this blunt statement, you will find that Satan is bringing his kingdom, which includes all nations on Earth with their political-religious systems, to a final showdown with the truth of Jesus Christ.
Satan's man for this showdown, the Antichrist, will then be revealed and offered to this troubled world as the great peacemaker, who will bring war and terrorism to an end. Isn't the stated goal of this war on terrorism....a new world order?
I have nothing but compassion for the multitudes who have never truly loved Jesus. Some of them are my friends and family. It hurts deeply when I consider their eternal condition. Jesus has for two thousand years called people to his love and forgiveness. But, a time of judgment is coming, to separate good from evil, to chain Satan and his bandits in Hell for a thousand years.
Tragically, some who once loved Jesus with all their hearts, are today losing their first love for him. I know this, for I was one of them. I know and have experienced the utter confusion of becoming lukewarm, and trying to love Jesus and this world system. I know what it's like to stiffarm the convicting words of the Holy Spirit within me. I know how it feels to return habitually to the lusts of the flesh and the constant pursuit of the money and pleasures of this world system. And then attempt to twist the meaning of scriptures to ease my conscience, thereby rationalizing my desires for worldly wealth and pleasures.
This twisting of scripture is the perverted contribution that Christian Psychologists and the Health and Wealth gospel gang have made to Christendom. However, I must not blame them for my personal failures. They will answer to the Lord for teaching their lies just like everyone else. I hope and pray they repent for attempting to Christianize the carnal desires that need to die on the cross.
I also know what it's like to fake repentance and to give lip service to a holy loving God. It's a horrible thing to lose your first love and then pretend that you haven't. As I wrote in an earlier article, it wasn't until I faced open heart surgery and the paralyzing fear of death from a weak heart, that I began to come out of my carnal delusions. This fear that controlled me was the fruit of a sinful mind. But, Jesus was still inside me, reaching out to me. The same Jesus who saved me years earlier was using my fear and self-inflicted heart disease to chasten me and present me with a clear choice. I could love him and walk with him as before or perish.
Jesus broke my spiritual heart when he reminded me that I was sinning against him, that he was killed by the hands of men, and that included me. He reminded me that my sin was separating his relationship with me. For I had stopped hating sin, which is the only thing that can hurt our oneness with him. The shame and sorrow in me hurt so much that it was almost unbearable. He wanted to cleanse me from sin, not excuse or cover it up. Do you know what Jesus wants from us when we sin? Honesty. He knows our fleshly bodies are still a powerful force warring against Him in our new hearts. In my case, I was bringing sin into my heart where he lives. That's much more dangerous than the sins of the mind and the body.
Another symptom that comes from not truly loving Jesus is the indifference toward the reading of the Bible. You see, when our hearts are pure, his voice jumps from the written pages into our very soul. Listening to his voice come alive through the written word, then becomes more refreshing than anything. We desire it above all other things. But when sin is in control, reading the Bible becomes mechanical or just a religious ritual, if it's read at all.
Another symptom of a lukewarm heart is the gradual weakening of our longing and looking for the imminent return of Jesus to end Satan's kingdom on Earth. Our desire to see him face to face, to be with him, diminishes. We become like an unfaithful husband who can't look his wife in the eye. Christendom is today drowning in indifference toward his imminent return. This is why many who claim to believe in it are willing to take up arms and kill the enemies of America or Western civilization, to protect their earthly riches, pleasures and political freedoms. This willingness to kill one's enemies is outright rebellion against the teachings of Jesus Christ. Please understand, the time will come that Jesus Christ will kill his enemies. He is the only one who is qualified to execute that eternal judgment, so until he returns we are to demonstrate his love and warn people to flee from the coming judgment.
Please don't be confused by the biblical commands to Israel to execute criminals, to wage war, and Paul's referring to civil authorities in Romans 13 as ministers of God, and the teaching of Jesus to love one's enemies. Civil government of any kind, democracy or dictatorship, is allowed by God to restrain violence and prevent anarchy, in spite of them being created and manipulated against each other by Satan. After all, Nero the nut, who burned Rome and hated Christians, was Emperor when Paul wrote his letter to the believers there. Paul calls us to obey and respect the civil authorities, even the Neros of the world, but not to join with them in their violence, Romans 12:17-21. We are also not to resist or rebel against the Neros or British kings either. For God allows human government only because men reject the government of Jesus Christ. Regrettably, men would rather rule themselves or have others rule over them.
Lukewarm militant Christians have forgotten that followers of Jesus....."sit together in Heavenly places," Ephesians 2:6....."are citizens of Heaven," Philippians 3:20.....are ambassadors for Christ," 2 Corinthians 5:20. Have they traded freedom from sin and Satan through the blood of Jesus Christ for political freedom that Satan's kingdom offers? Are they exchanging eternal life for the riches and pleasures of this life? To me, the answer is heartbreaking. I've been there. Have they forgotten these scriptures or have they sadly lost their first love and are not obeying the Lord?
One of my founding fathers, not George Washington, but Paul of Tarsus, has in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, declared that Jesus will...."in flaming fire take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." This includes everyone that loves not the truth, both those who have never loved Jesus and those who have become lukewarm. You can turn away your ear from what you have just read or you can fall in love with the King of Kings. It's your call.
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