The Kingdom of God is at hand. God is a God of mercy, however due to the increasing wickedness & the disobedience of His divine Law, the end of God’s forbearance is rapidly approaching.

I have come today to point you to a better world – a place built without hands – a city built by God. I’ve been sent to you so that you will not be deceived by the enemy. Your Heavenly Father wants you to have life, and have it more abundantly. He also wants you to know who He is, personally. As He proclaimed in the 34th chapter of Exodus, He is merciful, compassionate, gracious, patient, abundant in love, goodness and truth. He maintains love for thousands, forgiving EVERYONE for wickedness, rebellion, and sin. However, He does not leave the guilty unpunished. Friend, destruction is coming for those who refuse to recognize the authority of His divine Law – His eternal principles of justice, mercy, and love.

Some you know may boast of the wonderful progress and future of our nation, our world; but God sees the earth He created as it truly is: Filled with crime, sin, violence, sexual immorality, unloving, people who lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, slanderous, with-out self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, but treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – all while having a form of godliness but denying its power. What’s happening? The Spirit of God is being withdrawn from the earth and disaster after disaster will continue in rapid succession leading us to and even bigger crisis - the crisis of the ages. We are standing on the threshold of disaster and your message is this: Today, if you hear His voice, repent, be baptized, and turn from your evil desires! Our gracious God wants you to receive His invitation of mercy. He wants you to become sanctified through obedience of the commandments of God.

Now, regardless of the traditions and teachings of men, Jesus states that only those who are “doers” of His Father’s will will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He also states, “If you love me keep my commandments.” “Anyone who says they love me and keep not my commandments is a liar and the truth is not in them.” So, why will you die? Jesus states, that ANYONE who comes to Him, He will in no ways cast out. He wants you to know that He didn’t give His life away for you to be left in this cold, sin-filled world.

Friend, He has an invitation for you, today. If you don’t know Him(or only know “of” Him), you can accept Him as your personal savior, right now. I can show you how easy it is for you to give Him you burdens and difficulties in exchange for His perfect righteousness and the reward of eternal life and peace. It’s really easy. Will you choose life, today? Will you accept His invitation of mercy?

Perhaps, you are a Christian that’s a part of the group that “profess Christ” but you’ve had a hard time “living Christ.” Jesus states that this group honors Him with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Why will you die? Today, He asking you to turn from the traditions of the masses, obey His commandments, and seek the straight and narrow path. He wants not for you to be a “sayer” but a “doer” of His Fathers will. Will you accept His invitation of mercy today?

Lastly, maybe you are already seeking our merciful God with all of your heart. His message for you is “be of good courage,” however, “Don’t Be Deceived!” The world and the enemy of it, wants you to believe that God has nailed His Law of love – The Ten Commandments - to the cross and for you to be ignorant of its purpose in your Christian walk. Again, Don’t be Deceived! Study the 5th Chapter of Matthew and pray for guidance as He leads you to His truths. Jesus states that anyone who breaks one commandment has broken them all. Even the 4th. As you journey through this truth, the enemy will try to prevent you from learning and growing, but study to show yourself approved. And when the enemy points to your inability to keep God’s law, be sure to point to Christ’s perfect obedience and your acceptance of His perfect obedience - for you! Don’t forget that you are righteous not because of works, lest you would boast, but because of the righteous One – Jesus! Remind the enemy that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, however, you are made perfect in Christ and it’s faith in Him that makes you righteous. He wants you to be encouraged today, friend. Will you accept His invitation of mercy?

The Truth About the 2nd Coming

False Doctrine: The saved will be secretly raptured from the earth.

Bible Truth: There is NOTHING secret about the Lord’s 2nd coming. Every eye will see Him. There is NO second chance.

Acts 1:9-11 | Revelation 1:7 | Matthew 24:27 | Matthew 25:31 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 | 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Philippians 3:20, 21 | Jeremiah 25:33 | Revelation 16:18,20

The True Day of Worship

False Doctrine: Sunday is the Lord’s day – our day of rest.

Bible Truth: Saturday, or Sabbath (the 7th day of the week), is the ONLY holy and sanctified day of rest and the object of His 4th Commandment. Any other day for corporate worship is a direct violation of God’s Law.

Genesis 1:1; 2:2, 3 | Exodus 20:8 | Deuteronomy 9:10
Psalms 89:34 | Luke 4:16 | Mark 16:1, 2 | Acts 17:2 | Acts 13:13, 14 | Acts 16:13 | Acts 18:4 | Acts 13:42, 44
Exodus 20:11 | Genesis 2:3 | Matthew 24:20 | Luke 23:56 Mark 16:1 | Acts 1:1-3 | Isaiah 66:22, 23 | Isaiah 58:13 Matthew 12:8 | Revelation 1:10 Daniel 7:25 | Matthew 15:6, 9 Deuteronomy 4:2 | Ezekiel 20:12 | 1 John 3:4 | John 14:15 James 4:17 | Revelation 22:14 | Revelation 14:12

The Truth About God’s Law

False Doctrine: The Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross when Christ was crucified.

Bible Truth: The Law of Moses (the handwriting of ordinances) WAS nailed to the cross, NOT the Ten Commandments. They are still standing, they are eternal, and we are to obey every one of them.

Exodus 31:18, 32:16 | 1 John 3:4 | Ecclesiastes 12:13 Proverbs 29:18 | Proverbs 3:1, 2 | Romans 3:20 | Romans 7:7 | Luke 16:17 | Psalms 89:34 | Psalms 111:7, 8 Matthew 5:17, 18 Romans 6:23 | James 2:10 | Ephesians 2:8, 9 Hebrews 8:10 Philippians 4:13 | Romans 8:3, 4 | Romans 6:14, 15 | Romans 3:31 | Revelation 12:17 | Revelation 14:12

The Truth About Hell

False Doctrine: When sinners die, they go straight to hell and burn forever.

Bible Truth: When sinners die they are preserved in their graves in a state of “sleep” until the day of Judgment, in which sin will be destroyed forever. Hellfire is NOT eternal.

2 Peter 2:9 | Matthew 13:40-42 | John 12:48 | John 5:28, 29
Job 21:30, 32 | John 3:16 | Revelation 21:8 | Malachi 4:1 Psalms 37:38 | Psalms 37:20 | Psalms 145:20 | Psalms 21:9 Matthew 13:40-42 | Revelation 20:9 | 2 Peter 3:10 |
Luke 12:47, 48 | Isaiah 47:14 | Revelation 21:1, 4 | Malachi 4:1, 3 | Psalms 37:10, 20 Matthew 10:28 | Ezekiel 18:20
Revelation 20:10 Matthew 25:41 Revelation 20:15
Ezekiel 33:11 | Nahum 1:9 Isaiah 65:17

The Truth About Death

False Doctrine: You go straight to heaven or hell when you die.

Bible Truth: Those in Christ are preserved in their graves in a state of “sleep” until the 2nd coming of Christ.

Genesis 2:7 | Ecclesiastes 12:7 | James 2:26 | Job 27:3| Ezekiel 18:20 | Revelation 16:3 | John 5:28, 29 | Acts 2:29, 34 | Job 17:13 | Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10 | Psalms 115:17 | Job 14:12, 21 | Ecclesiastes 9:6 | Job 14:12 | Revelation 22:12
1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 | 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Revelation 16:14 | 2 Corinthians 11:14 | Acts 17:11
Isaiah 8:20 | Luke 20:35, 36 Revelation 21:4

Did you know that faith cannot co-exist with fear, nor can fear with faith?

What does that mean? It means that your faith will ultimately drive out the fear in your life OR your fear will ultimately drive out the faith in your life.

Which do you allow?

Think about the following lesson learned through the experience in Mark 4:35-41, when Jesus calms the storm. If you are familiar with this story then you know that Jesus’ disciples were extremely concerned that they were going to drown at sea while Jesus slept peacefully on a pillow. You are also probably aware of what happens next. In a panic, the disciples awake Jesus to notify Him of their apparent destiny. I’ve always loved this story b/c it is one of the greatest displays of our Master’s power. He rebukes the storm and immediately it returns to calm. A great display of Christ authority indeed!

Most teachers use this experience to confirm the amazing power Christ had while on earth. However, there is another underlying message that is often overlooked in this story. To see it, you would have to pay close attention to verse 35 when Jesus said, “Let us go over to the other side.” Did you get that? Jesus said they WERE going over to the other side. He didn’t say that they were going out to the middle of the sea and drown did he? Why couldn’t the disciples take Him at His word?

It’s because they let their fear drive out their faith.

What can we learn from this experience? Here are the two lessons I took away. If Christ is really in your boat then:

1) Your boat will never sink.
2) The storm will not last forever.

When Jesus allows storms in our life they are always for His glory and our benefit. Let’s read that again. When Jesus allows storms in our life they are always for “His glory” and “our benefit.” In other words, our faith flourishes under fire. Most of us pray everyday asking God to make us more like His son and when he does, when the storms come, we exclaim, “Lord why is this happening to me.” And His answer is always, “I’m simply answering your prayer!” We all want the product (the faith) but few of us value the process.

So, next time the storms come in your life, ask yourself, “Will I stand on faith or fear?” My advice is the remember this: If Jesus is in your boat, you CANNOT sink.

In Christ’s Service,

Derick L.

To blot the promises of God from the Word would be like blotting the sun from the sky. There would then be nothing to gladden our experience. All along our pathway God places the flowers of promise to brighten our journy. He has make the road to heaven pleasant.

As we look at the promises of God we find comfort and hope and joy, for they speak to us the words of the Infinite One. When you look back into the chapters of your life experience, do you find some pleasant ages? Are not God’s promises, like the fragant flowers, growing beside your path on every hand? Will you let their beauty and sweetness fill your heart with joy? Can you trust in your heavenly Father?

We entreat you to let your trembling faith again grasp the promises of God. Bear your whole weight upon them with unwavering faith; for they will not, they cannot, fail.