And The World Passeth Away

1st John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.“”

Dear reader, everything that you see around you will be gone someday. This earthly life is so short in comparison to eternity. In fact, there is no comparison, because eternity is limitless. As humans we think in terms of time, because God created time for man, so that we could know what the Lord plans to do next on His prophetic calendar. The Bible foretells in Revelation 10:6b that there will come a time, when “there should be time no longer.” Think about what that means! God lives in eternity. The Lord never feels pressured to get things done. Time is not running out for God. The Lord is never in a hurry. But for humanity, time is running out. 

Our days here on earth are limited. Psalms 89:47, “Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?” This life will be over before you know it. It seems like just yesterday that I was an energetic teenager—gliding over fences in a single bound, wearing a full head of hair, and without a care in the world. What happened...lol? I'll tell you—LIFE HAPPENED! Life is what happens to you while you're making big plans! Ain't it the truth? To be truthful, I am not happy with the way my life has gone, not at all; but I rejoice in the Lord that (only as God can do), He has taken the lemons in my life and made lemonade! God is using my suffering, afflictions, loss and calamity to save many people alive through my humble ministry efforts online. I am as determined as ever to continue serving the Lord, because JESUS IS THE ONLY SAVIOR A MAN COULD EVER NEED OR WANT!!! Jesus is precious to me! 1st Peter 2:7a, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious...” Is He precious to you Oh sinner? 

As Americans we're all familiar with Hollywood (or should I say, “HollyWEIRD”). We're all familiar with the many hundreds (even thousands) of celebrity names that we've grown up seeing and hearing. I often wonder, “Where are they now?” I like to read the biographies of famous singers, actors and those whom American society esteem highly in the world. The things I have learned are truly heart-breaking, because 99% of them are all going straight to burn in Hell forever! For example: I like playing the banjo and comedian Steve Martin is a tremendous banjo artist. Unfortunately, Mr. Martin professes to be agnostic (i.e., he doesn't really know what he believes). Dear friend, no one who is agnostic is saved! John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” People who have been born-again, by receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins, KNOW what they believe! 2nd Timothy 1:12b, “I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” No one is saved who doesn't completely rely upon Jesus's death, burial and resurrection to get them to Heaven! 

The daily news in recent years has been so horrific. I honestly don't keep up with the news every day. About once or maybe twice a week I'll watch some news. The Bible teaches us in Philippians 4:8 not to think about bad things, but good things, so that we can have a peaceful mind. Philippians 4:9, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” If you want genuine lasting peace—then you need to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior to find peace of soul (Romans 5:1), and then live for Him to find peace in your life (Philippians 4:8-9). The Devil wants to instill fear, worry and stress into your mind, to hinder you from serving God effectively, and one of the ways he does it with NEGATIVE NEWS! 

The world has no peace. Isaiah 57:21, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” I see people worrying about the Coronavirus, wearing face masks, so afraid of death. I honestly welcome death, because for the Christian believer there is really no death. Jesus took the stinger out of death! I have no fear of dying, because I have God's solemn PROMISE of Eternal Life. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” I received Jesus as my personal Savior at age 13, and I am saved! I know it! I have no doubts! God gave me His promise in the inspired Word of God!!! 

This world won't last! I assure you of that friend. Everything that you purchase and own requires maintenance—because things deteriorate, wear out, dry rot, break and go back to the dust from which it all came! Sometimes thieves break thru and steal, and may murder you in the process. I remember hearing in the news about a Chicago man years ago, when I lived in Logan Square on the Northside, who was stabbed to death on Armitage Avenue for just $7 in his pocket. That man is dead. His life is over. Why am I still alive, but he is dead? Ecclesiastes 9:11 (that Scripture reference is easy to remember) says that, “time and chance happeneth to them all.” There is such a thing as “LUCK”! Granted, nothing can happen in the life of a Christian outside of God's permissive will, but I have lived long enough to know that God lets bad things happen to godly people! 

Perhaps you have had something horrible and tragic happen to you dear reader in your past. Please give it to Jesus. Just lay your burden at His feet and leave it there (1st Peter 5:7), and pick up your own cross to bear for Christ (Matthew 16:24). How do you do that? Well Jesus was crucified by the world to pay for everyone's sins. If you follow Jesus as His disciple (I speak to born-again believers), the unsaved world is going to crucify you too! 2nd Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” All you have to do is identify with the crucified, buried and risen Savior, and the world WILL hate you (15:19), because it hates Jesus (John 7:7). 

That is exactly why famous celebrities are afraid to name the name of Jesus, even though some of them are born-again Christians. We see this also in the Bible. John 12:42-43, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Confessing Jesus Christ would have been career suicide! It's the same today. The Bible says they loved the praise of men, more than the praise of God. I proclaim the name of Jesus in public without hesitation, because I love the praise of God. Don't be ashamed of the name of Jesus, for He is our precious Savior! 

My best friend while growing up, commit suicide at age 22 with his Dad's shotgun. My younger 46 year old sister died of a drug-overdose in 2016. She was found on a Chicago park bench. Both of my parents are now in Heaven. My Mom died in 2001, my Dad in 2010. Thankfully they were all Christians. I'm next, it's just a matter of TIME. Life is so short friend! The Bible says in our text passage that THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY! That should compel us to search our heart, to prepare for eternity. The average person lives a reckless life, not giving much thought to the afterlife. Please don't gamble with your soul. Oh, listen to me, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by receiving the Blessed Savior. 

Famous writer and sodomite, Gore Vidal (1925-2012) blasphemed God, saying: “Christianity is such a silly religion.” A silly religion? Gore lived with his homosexual partner Howard Austen for 53 years, before perishing in his unregenerate state in 2012. That is so sad! I am reminded of John 3:20, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” Even though a person doesn't have to forsake a sinful lifestyle to be saved, we must acknowledge our guilt in God's sight as needy sinners. This is repentance. Repentance facilitates believing the Gospel, by which we are saved (Romans 1:16; Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). Love for sin hinders many people from coming to the light of the Gospel to be saved. Repentance is when a person thinks differently, which compels them to receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins. Salvation is only found in Jesus Christ! Gore Vidal called Christianity “a religion,” but it's not; Christianity is a new birth by faith alone in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

This world WILL pass away, it is just a matter of time. Do you know that there were over a billion beautiful young women, and handsome young men, alive 150 years ago; yet every one of them are dead today! Not one of them is still alive today! In fact, no is alive today who was born before the year 1900. The last survivor from the 1800's was Emma Morano (1899-2017) who just recently died. She never married. I don't know if she was saved. This life is only temporary. Are you ready to die? Are you ready to meet your Maker? My friend, God is promising you eternal life for free, and all you need to do is “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Acts 16:31a).