Power To Become The Sons Of God

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13

When a person repents (turns away) from their sins, asks forgiveness from Jesus for those sins and submits to the lordship of Jesus, that person is given an incredible promise. That promise is that you will be given rebirth as a new creature. And, as that new creature, you will be given the authority to become a child of God Himself.

You see, a sinner has a special place when they are saved. They have had their name written in the Book of Life since before the world was created. God has made it His will that, at some point in that sinner's life, they will receive a calling in their heart. The Holy Spirit will move to convict that person of their sins. Some people feel this calling as a type of guilt towards God. Some will recognize it as a fear of the punishment that awaits the unrighteous. Some will understand it as an acceptance of the truth that has been presented to them. No matter what the method, the conviction will lead them to look at Jesus as their only hope.

But, as we see above, that person is reborn, but not by any action of a physical (blood) nature. It is also not the result of a mental desire, nor is it a result of any action of any man (self or other.) It is totally the result of the actions of God.

God will give a person something that they do not possess of their own: faith. Jesus had told His disciples, "And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." Luke 17:6

A mustard is a remarkably tiny seed. A good example of it's size would be the period at the end of this sentence. Here, Jesus was telling them that they didn't even have a tiny speck of faith on their own. So, they needed a way to gain faith. Paul told us how each of us can gain faith. "So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Rom. 10:17

And, where is the Word we must hear (understand) in order to gain faith? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

Jesus is the Word! Jesus is the source of faith! And, Jesus is God, made flesh!

When Jesus provides faith to a person, it is a freely given gift. That means the gift is a gift of grace. As we read, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:" Eph. 2:8

So, like we were saying back at the beginning, rebirth is an action of God. It is totally by God, and only God. Why? The next verse in Ephesians says, "Not of works, lest any man should boast." God doesn't want boastful, arrogant, pride-filled children (what parent would?) He wants to give a gift, so that He can be thanked for His generosity; so He can be seen for what He truly is--a caring, loving parent.

So, the free gift from God, through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son, is an amazing package. You get a new life (unlike the mortal life we have now that will end one day, this spirit-based life will live for eternity), all sins removed from the beginning of time through the end of time, and you are adopted into the family of God Himself!

So, if you are under that precious conviction of the Holy Spirit, accept the call. Repent, surrender, confess...and accept the gift that God Himself is offering to you. The shed blood of Jesus is the gate leading to a new life!

Grace and Peace....

Rapture Frogs

My family lives in what could best be described as the land of frogs. They are everywhere. During the peak of frog season, they are on the outside walls of the house, they are on the car...they even get inside the mailbox.

Now, recently we had a bit of a problem with our lawnmower. It had need of repairs which allowed the grass to get pretty tall. OK, it got REAL tall.

And the frogs moved in and set up housekeeping.

Today, I was able to get out and finish the mowing. But, before I cut the area, I made an effort to chase the frogs out and into the local ditches, where they would be safe. I even moved some fallen branches, knocked the rocks around, and generally made it clear that the frogs would be best served by moving on to the next set of weeds. Mr. Lawnmower was about to come to town, and he was gonna be getting serious!

A handful of frogs took my advice (and my kicking their little rumps) as a sign that it really was time to be moving on. These guys hopped off at once into the ditch. One of those suckers made it from the middle of the grassy area to the ditch in about two and a half hops. (As a side note, he would have been great for the local charity frog races, but the thing about great jumpers is that, being great jumpers, they rarely get caught.)

The next type of frog I came across was the sitter. The sitter would just sit there and do nothing until the mower was just about to run him over. Then, he'd wake up, realize he was out of time, and would head off to the ditch A.S.A.P. No time for a quick lunch or nothing...just, "WOW!" and off he'd run.

Then there were the hiders. They wouldn't leave the grass to save their lives (literally.) Instead, these folks would try to hide under the weeds, under tiny little rocks or under anything they could find.

I'm sorry to report that hiding wasn't a successful option for those frogs.

Next, there were the confused ones. They tried to run, but they'd never follow the paths to the ditch. They'd be jumping into the grass, bouncing off trees and generally jumping in circles all over the place.

Chaos and a big ol' lawnmower just don't mix well. None of the frogs that did this survived.

Finally, there were the defiant ones. I mean to tell you, these guys would just seem to jump in front of the mower and hold their ground, as if they were saying, "These are my weeds, this is my grass, and you wouldn't DARE try to take it from me!"

Frogs lost. Mower won.

Now, after I finished the mowing, I went inside and took a shower while I tried to decide if it wouldn't just be easier to pour the gasoline from the mower on the grass and set it on fire. Eventually a calmer mind prevaled, and the lawn isn't on fire. But, the time gave me a chance to think about them frogs. Talking about being a grand example of people living today.

Some folks hear the gospel of Jesus and immedately recognize it for all it means. They head straight for His loving arms and will hang on forever.

Some people will wait until disaster is on their doorstep, and then will decide to head for the safe area. Better late than never, but just think of all the safe, fun time they could have had if they'd just accepted things at the first chance.

Some will try to hide behind their personal opinions. They'll hide behind good works, or false teachings. They'll cry out, "This isn't fair!", and a thousand other worthless exclaimations. Then, the wrath will hit them.

Some will chase power, or riches, or popularity, or a thousand times a thousand other things. But, if they aren't following Jesus, they are just jumping around in circles. And then, the wrath comes upon them.

Finally, there are those that will raise their fists to God and scream, "I don't believe in You! Show me why I should believe in You. You're supposed to love us all--You wouldn't actually dare to hurt us!"

These are the ones that really amaze me. Jesus said He was going to do something--in this case, come back for His people then punish those that are left behind. He has sent prophets to warn. He has sent writers to lay out His Word. He Himself came to earth to make sure everyone would get the warning. He commanded His people to continue spreading the Word of what was to come. He has left prophecies of the end times that, looking like He was reading today's newspapers, clearly warn that the end is nigh upon us. And yet, with all that, these are the people that still dare to say, "You wouldn't actually dare to hurt us!"

Frogs lost. Mower won. Think about it.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]." Isa. 1:18-20

If you are feeling the Holy Spirit calling you to take your place before the Lord Jesus Christ as His good and faithful servant, now is the time to turn away from your sins. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and start living a life to please Him. Life eternal with a loving God is a mighty fine place to be.

So, hop to it! :)

Grace and Peace....

Twenty Questions...well, maybe just a few more than that....

Have you ever played the game "Twenty Questions?"

A person will think of a person, place of thing. You then get to ask up to twenty questions in order to figure out the identity of the person, place or thing.

Wanna play a slightly different version of that game? I call it "Twenty-Eight Questions." I'll ask you the twenty-eight questions, just like they do it on TV. See how many questions it takes til you can guess who I'm thinking of.

Ready? Let's begin....

1. Who existed before the world was created? (Gen. 1:26)
2. Who would be born of a woman? (Gen. 3:15)
3. Who would be born of the seed of Abraham? (Gen. 12:3)
4. Who would be of the tribe of Judah? (Gen. 49:10)
5. Who would be heir of the throne of David? (Isa. 9:6-7)
6. Who would be born in Bethlehem? (Mic. 5:2)
7. Who would be born at an appointed time? (Dan. 9:25)
8. Who would be born of a virgin? (Isa. 7:14)
9. Who would be declared "Son of God?" (Psm. 2:7)
10. Who would be a prophet? (Deu. 18:15)
11. Who would be rejected by His own people? (Isa. 53:3)
12. Who would enter Jerusalem as a king riding on an ass? (Zec. 9:9)
13. Who would be sold for 30 pieces of silver? (Zec. 11:12)
14. Who would be accused by false witnesses? (Psm. 35:11)
15. Who would stand silent as He was accused? (Isa. 53:7)
16. Who would be spat on and smitten? (Isa. 50:6)
17. Who would be hated without a cause? (Psm. 35:19)
18. Who would be a sacrificial lamb? (Isa. 53:5)
19. Who would be crucified with criminals? (Isa. 53:12)
20. Who would be pierced in the hands, feet and side? (Zec. 12:10)
21. Who would be given vinegar and gall? (Psm. 69:21)
22. Who would have soldiers gambling for His coat? (Psm. 22:18)
23. Who would have no bones broken? (Psm. 34:20)
24. Who would be buried with the rich? (Isa. 53:9)
25. Who would be resurrected from the dead? (Psm. 16:10-11, Psm. 49:15)
26. Who would ascend to be at the right hand of God? (Psm. 68:18)
27. Who will return in all His glory? (Mal. 3:2-3)

As you might have guessed, there is only one person that has ever (or will ever) be the answer to ALL of those questions. The right answer is: Jesus Christ.

Isn't it amazing that all these predictions (prophecies), written over hundreds of years, all point to exactly ONE man? And that man, Jesus, was the Son of God Almighty. He was sent to earth to die on the cross as a payment for the sins of His people.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

"For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23

All of us, from the least to the most, no matter if we be a really good person or if we be an axe murderer, are condemmed to hell for our sins. Nothing we can ever do on our own can rescue us from that destiny. However, God has made a way available to us. That way is Jesus:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jhn. 14:6

Just by believing in Him, we can obtain mercy and forgiveness of our sins forever. In fact, Jesus even gives us the necessary faith to believe in Him as a free (grace) gift:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9

If you are not saved at this time: knowing what punishments await you if you die in your sins...knowing the rewards that await you if you turn from your sinful ways and accept and acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior in your life...


Last question: Who should accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?

I hope YOU can answer the question before the timer runs out....

Grace and Peace....

Here a Christ, there a Christ....

When you are a Christian trying to find training and instruction in the way we should live our lives, the world can at times appear to be like a giant discount store.

"Get your Christ here - 20% fewer laws!"

"Step right up, grab your very own Jesus - you decide what action phrases He says!"

"Own your own Savior - you make all the decisions, you program all the features!"

BALONEY!

There are some very simple steps that we are taught to take when deciding if something is "real" or if something is "false" when we are given doctrine (doctrine is rules or directions to go by.)

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." 2 Jhn. 1:7

First test: Does the doctrine attest to the fact that Jesus (the Christ, or in other words the Messiah) IS arrived on earth as a human (with all the same temptations, yet fallen to none.) If the answer to that is YES, you might well be going with some good information. If the answer is NO, then it is antichrist, and should be avoided as lies. So, all the flat out non-christian denominations are left at the starting gate right there (all the Asian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and all the religions like Zoroastra, Ba'al, Satanism, Druidism, etc.)

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8

This is a biggie of a test: Does the doctrine propose something other than that displayed in the Holy Bible? If NO, continue on - it's looking like you've got the live wire for doctrine. If YES, drop it at once. It is a religion in the spirit of antichrist.

What religions are Christian in appearance but fail to follow the gospel as put forth in the Bible? Well, that could take a book, but some are as follows:

Islam - They claim Jesus was just a prophet. They claim He was not the Son of God. They are wrong.

"And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Mat. 8:29
Even the demons recognized Jesus for who He is.

Roman Catholicism - They claim Jesus is not the only way to the Father, but that his mother, Mary is another way (a co-redemptrix.) They claim you need the priests to clear your way of sin. They believe in the falsehood of purgatory. They are wrong.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
Jesus does not need any help - He is God!

Emergent Church, Word of Faith, and all the other that claim a special status of knowledge or a necessary skill in order to "tap in" to God's power and/or blessings. They are wrong.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9
God did (and does) it all. Adding anything of man would be a work.

So, by now you may be asking, "Where DO I find training and instruction?"

When you are looking for a church, ask these questions:

1. Do you teach that the Holy Bible is the 100% accurate, 100% without error, inspired Word of God?
2. Do you teach that Jesus is the Son of God, sacrificed on the cross as a perfect payment for the sins of His people, resurrected from the grave and now in heaven with His Father?
3. Do you teach the imminent rapture of the Christian Church by Jesus?
4. Do you teach that any and all sacraments performed by the church are to honor and remember (as opposed to being requirements for salvation and/or forgiveness?)
5. Do you teach "once saved-always saved" as doctrine?

If the church you are visiting can answer YES to the above questions, you should be safe to plant your roots there and grow, grow, grow!

Grace and Peace....

Revenge?

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." Mat. 5:38-42

What characteristics set Christians apart from followers of other religions?

Well, this could be one of the biggies. We who follow Jesus Christ are taught to turn away from the natural urges of "getting even." This is by no means an easy thing for us to accomplish. Even though we are saved, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, there is still a carnal, flesh-based side to us. And that side loves the thought of returning a bad with a bad.

However, as you can see in the passage above, we are not only told to not try to come out on top of a situation; in fact, we're shown to not even try to get a "fair deal." Christians are told to always go beyond the fair, and give to the excess. This is a sure way for followers of Jesus to show the world that our actions are NOT what is expected from people of the world.

If a person is held up at an ATM and made to surrender his wallet, he should offer to take the cash out of the ATM for the thief. No sane person would ever do this, right? Well, we Christians are not "sane" by the world's definition. We know that the material goods of this world are not ours--they belong to our God and Savior. Therefore, they should be used to advance His cause.

If a person threatens your life, anyone would say you should make every effort to defend yourself, even to the point of killing the person making the threat. Again, a Christian should not only not kill the person, but should make the effort to witness of the power of Jesus to that person. Even at the cost of one's life.

If a loved one is murdered, it is understandable that there would be a deep desire for revenge. Maybe this will be through personal efforts to seek recompense. Maybe it will be through the courts. Either way, this would be wrong. Think of the victory that can be won for our Lord when we turn away from what we want, and instead extend forgiveness to the transgressor.

Now, I know these are hard words.

First, you need to understand that, for a born-again Christian, these types of actions have NOTHING to do with salvation. Once you belong to Jesus, you never cease to belong to Jesus. Forever. Period. But, these do influence two things: your fellowship with Him and your fruits that you bare.

When we go that extra mile that Jesus has asked us to do, we produce a good work (with His direct help.) This is a good fruit, that is grown on the branch (us) that has been grafted to the Vine (Jesus.) And these fruit are the outward evidence of the inward presence of the Holy Spirit. It is public proof that we belong to Jesus, and are part of the family of God Almighty.

When we do not obey His command to give beyond what is asked, we don't lose our salvation. We just lose the opportunity to bear a good fruit.

Also, when we fail to obey His commands, we create a situation where our daily fellowship with Him is messed up. Have you ever been with a person after you've been in an argument with that person. You know you two are still good friends, but it's hard to get the conversation going. You want to talk, but the silence is deafening.

That's what can happen when we disobey. Until we repent (turn away) from that area in which we disobeyed, we can lose a certain closeness with our Savior. How wonderful is it that, when we turn back to Him, Jesus is always ready to forgive and forget.

And that is the true key to all of this. If Jesus can forgive and forget when we fail Him, can we do any less than to do the same towards the people around us?

Grace and Peace....

Are We There Yet?

In looking over some websites that talk about the rapture, it is REAL easy to get a bit discouraged.

Now, I don't have any "official" numbers... I just have what I've seen with these tired, not real functional, eyes. But, it seems that it would be safe to say that at least half of the rapture-related sites are saying that there is no such thing. Period.

Of the remaining half, about half state that there will be a rapture, but they expect it to be years, decades, perhaps even centuries away.

Of that last 25%, half say there is a rapture approaching, but then they go about a hundred feet past the line, and start polluting the truth with false doctrine. They will say, "The Lord is coming soon..." (which is true), then they add on something like, "... and if you will send this ministry $50, you too can be a part of that event." Sigh.

To make things even more confusing, when you get down to that last tenth or so that DO get the basics right, (that the Lord Jesus is coming back soon) they start breaking down into the pre-trib groups, the mid-trib, the post trib, the this, the that, the other. And we won't even START to touch on the ones that try to attach a specific date and time.

No wonder people are so confused nowadays!

Now, I won't try to say that my beliefs are right or wrong. But, I will say that, as I have been led by the Holy Spirit in the understanding of the Word of God (and no, that doesn't mean I'm getting anything given to me that any Christian wouldn't likewise be given), these things are what I believe the Bible says. And, if it can't be shown in the Bible, which is God's infallible, inerrant, 100% accurate message to the world, then it should not be taken as truth.

So, is there a rapture? Yes

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Cor. 15:51-52

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: Then we which 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." 1 The. 4:14-17

There is assuredly an event wherein the believers that are alive will be changed, where all the believers (dead and alive) will be gathered together by the Lord Jesus. There will be a rapture.

When will it be? Before the time of wrath for the earth (known as the tribulation.) After the rebirth of the nation of Israel.

"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." Gen. 7:1

"For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth." Gen. 7:4

God made a way for His people to be removed from the oncoming wrath BEFORE He sent His wrath.

"And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Gen. 18:20-23

When God has decided it was time to punish Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin, Abraham pleaded with God to refrain if there were any righteous people in the city. God's final reply?

"And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake." Gen. 18:32

Even with all the horrible sin that was taking place in those cities, God said He would not send His wrath if there were even ten righteous people. So, what did God do?

"And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing [them] rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;" Gen. 19:1

God sent angels into Sodom to contact Lot and his family. The angels told them to get out.

"Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar." Gen. 19:22

God would not send His wrath until His people were removed to safety. Once they were safe...

"The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground." Gen. 19:23-25

God protects His own. Jesus protects His own. Truly, like Father like Son!

So, we know that the rapture will be before that most terrible of all times, the tribulation. We know that it would have to take place after Israel was reborn as a nation, because there was a prophecy that had to be fulfilled first.

"Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken [it], and performed [it], saith the LORD." Eze. 37:11-14

God said He would revive the whole house of Israel. This took place on May 14th, 1948. So, we have a "window" now of when Jesus will return. And we are living right smack in the middle of that window!

As for when that rapture will take place, we really can't be sure. However, we can see the signs of how quickly it is approaching. One doesn't need to look very hard to find stories in the news that would have made the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah hang their heads in shame (which is saying alot!) God is being patient as the harvest is finished.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Pet. 3:9

So, the only real question that remains is, how can one be assured of being taken to a place of safety during the rapture? You must be born again!

A person must heed the call of Jesus. When a person comes to understand that they have sinned against God Almighty, and that they are in danger of going to hell as punishment, this understanding is happening because the Holy Spirit is moving their soul. This is conviction. When one asks Jesus to forgive their sins, they are given a new, reborn spirit...and the promise of a new, glorified body! When the sins are washed away, a person can start to lead a life that God can use. And, be it either at the end of that life or before the end of life (through the rapture), that born again person WILL be forevermore with Jesus Christ. They will be members of the family of God Almighty!

If you haven't made Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life, there is but a short time left to heed His call!

Grace and Peace....

Why this blog? And why now?

The main "why" reason for starting this blog is all about time.

Time for the world, as it is today, is running short. There are wars and rumors of wars. Financial institutions are starting to sweat over the weaknesses that have been building up over the years. Wild weather is hitting in locations around the globe. Food supplies are just a drought or hurricane away from being decimated. Earthquakes, volcanos, tornadoes, floods...natural disasters abound. Crime is increasing in volume and depth. A man's heart could almost stop cold in fear.

To make matters even more stressful, there is a God in Heaven that has promissed us that we have all committed the crime of disobedience against Him. And the punishment for doing that is to spend all eternity in a lake of fire, separated from Him and in torment beyond imagination.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

But, there is hope!

"For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23

God sent His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for us. Those people that are called to be His people will be given the faith that is needed to believe in Jesus. And that belief will lead to eternal life. This is the free gift from God Almighty. It is nothing that you can earn on your own. It is the ultimate act of grace to sinful man.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9

When we are saved from our sins, God has promised that, even though the life we go through here may be bad, it is so short compared to the eternal life of freedom and love that awaits us.

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 1 Cor. 2:9

Not only that, but for some people that believe in Jesus, there won't even be death! This is what's known as the Rapture.

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Cor. 15:52

"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: Then we which 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." 1 The. 4:16-17

Although a follower of Jesus doesn't NEED a reward (the gift of being bought out of our sin and freed from the punishment it brings is MORE than enough to make us happy), the Rapture is a potential reward. It is also our hope. When it takes place, the world as we know it today will have just a few more years left. After those years take place (during this time earth and it's people will face disasters and destruction that will make today look like paradise), Jesus will return, with His people, and will set up a worldwide Kingdom. Everyone will acknowledge Him as King of Kings at that time.

"For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Rom. 14:12

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phl. 2:10-11

So, now you see the "why." As for the "why now", it's because there are still some folks out there that are yet to be called to the salvation found in Jesus.

If I can be of service to God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ in sending out the Word of God to those people, I will do so with happiness and joy. I, along with all my brothers and sisters in Christ, would be overjoyed to have more people join the family.

Grace and Peace....