Today's Christian lesson is on being called to the Cross. We can be blue in the face trying to bring people to faith in Christ, but unless it is their time to come to faith, it will not happen.
Pastor Hybels used to say that you can influence a person to come to faith in Christ somewhat similar to cracking a door open just a little more. Sometimes it can take many people opening the door just a bit more until one day, the door is wide open and the person permits Christ to walk in through the wide open door.
As I have mentioned many times in my posts both public and private, that happened to me in 2008 when my brother Gary nudged me to go to my local Church. I walked in and Pastor Kerry Bauman was preaching that day. What he said from the pulpit that day stirred my soul and I kept going back every Sunday after that, and haven't missed Sunday Church Service since then, partaken in hundreds of Bible Studies and even took Moody Bible Institute classes for a while to firm up the foundations of my faith. In 2009 I read the Bible cover to cover 10 times to try to understand the Word of God better. There isn't a day when I don't read at least a little bit of the Bible to meditate on the Word.
Folks, we are called to spread the Gospel to the world. 'And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is Baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned...."' Mark 16:15-16 and "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." and "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” Acts 1.4-8. These verses are famously called "The Great Commission"
In fact, this is precisely the answer to some of the big questions among those who believe....why is the second coming of Christ taking so long? When will the end of the world happen? You see, God wants to give everyone the opportunity to repent and to come to faith in Him. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14
"Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3
Pastor Hybels used to say that you can influence a person to come to faith in Christ somewhat similar to cracking a door open just a little more. Sometimes it can take many people opening the door just a bit more until one day, the door is wide open and the person permits Christ to walk in through the wide open door.
As I have mentioned many times in my posts both public and private, that happened to me in 2008 when my brother Gary nudged me to go to my local Church. I walked in and Pastor Kerry Bauman was preaching that day. What he said from the pulpit that day stirred my soul and I kept going back every Sunday after that, and haven't missed Sunday Church Service since then, partaken in hundreds of Bible Studies and even took Moody Bible Institute classes for a while to firm up the foundations of my faith. In 2009 I read the Bible cover to cover 10 times to try to understand the Word of God better. There isn't a day when I don't read at least a little bit of the Bible to meditate on the Word.
Folks, we are called to spread the Gospel to the world. 'And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is Baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned...."' Mark 16:15-16 and "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." and "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” Acts 1.4-8. These verses are famously called "The Great Commission"
In fact, this is precisely the answer to some of the big questions among those who believe....why is the second coming of Christ taking so long? When will the end of the world happen? You see, God wants to give everyone the opportunity to repent and to come to faith in Him. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14
"Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3