Are You Ready? If you are a Christian - please view.

Are you Are you ready…?ready…?

Is God Dead?Is God Dead?

In April 8, 1966 the cover of TIME magazine was titled “Toward a Hidden God”. Three words summarized the article – Is God dead? It is a question that tantalizes both believers, who perhaps secretly fear that He is, and atheists, who possibly suspect the answer is no.

Questions throughout the ages have been pre-supposed by people like Nietzsche whose thesis was that striving, self-centered man had killed God.

““the day when Christianity and the world the day when Christianity and the world became friends, Christianity is done became friends, Christianity is done

away with.”away with.”

Soren KierkegaardSoren Kierkegaard

“God is dead” means that He can no longer provide values in the lives of men, thus creating a nihilistic belief that life is without meaning.

Christianity during the Middle Ages, included faith on their art, politics and even economics of culture, making God the center of man’s way of life – but when the world changed, belief in God was undermined.

The rebellion against God is best summed up by the word secularization, defined by Harvey Cox of the Harvard Divinity School as “the loosing of the world from religious and quasi-religious understandings of itself, the dispelling of all closed world views, the breaking of all supernatural myths and sacred symbols.” Slowly, man did not need God in his area of life.

Proverbs 14:12Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man,       But its end is the way of death.

A modern day atheist was asked of his unbelief in God and here is his reply: “I’ll tell you what non faith brings me. It allows me a certain world-view, a wonder that is not possible through belief in God. I am able to accept a changing moral zeitgeist (trend or feeling in a particular time), I can change my opinions, my morals - they are not codified and absolute. I am not limited…not controlled…this allows me to grow as a person. I am free to learn, to judge, to believe, to live, to love, to express myself.”

The development of capitalism, science, and urbanization made it comparatively easy for modern man to doubt the existence of God and harder for the man of faith to give a convincing answer.

The world evolved away from its Creator and Christians have not been able to react effectively to the widening gap which could in turn affect our own spiritual growth and maturity. If we do not have the proper tools for counter insurgency, make no mistake, we will be defeated in the battle that surges daily in our own lives, in our family, church, community and all of creation.

Are you ready to change Are you ready to change the world or have you the world or have you

been compromised by the been compromised by the world?world?

For a world that we do not For a world that we do not transform transform will will conform us.conform us.

The Parable of the SowerThe Parable of the Sower

"And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: a sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.“

—Luke 8:4-8

WAY-SIDE ROCK

THORNS GOOD

GROUND

WAY-SIDEWAY-SIDE

“some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.”

You don’t want to go to the place of worship, you do not intend to worship God, or to be affected by anything that you hear. The soil of your heart is so hard beaten by continual traffic, that there is no hope of the seed finding a living root-hold.You come to assemble that you may flatter yourself with the notion that you are religious.

ROCKROCK

“and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.”

They leap into Christ on a sudden, and profess an instantaneous faith in Him, and that faith has all the appearance of being genuine. When we look at it, the seed has really sprouted. But our joy is premature: they sprang up on a sudden, and received the word with joy, because they had no depth of earth, and the self-same cause which hastened their reception of the seed also causes them, when the sun is risen with his fervent heat, to wither away.

THORNSTHORNS

“and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.”

Thorns of pleasure. Their liberality to others involves liberality to themselves; their pleasures, amusements, and vanities choke the wheat of true religion: the good grains of gospel truth cannot grow because they have to attend that musical party, that ball, and that soiree, and so they cannot think of the things of God.

Luke 9:25

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

GOOD GROUNDGOOD GROUND

“and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.”

When the gospel was preached, the heart received it, for the man said, "That is just the blessing I want. Mercy is what a needy sinner requires." So that the preaching of the gospel was the thing to give comfort to this disturbed and ploughed soil. Down fell the seed to take good root. In some cases it produced fervency of love, largeness of heart, devotedness of purpose of a noble kind, like seed which produces a hundredfold.

WAY-SIDE“trodden down…devoured”

ROCK“withered”

THORNS“choked”

GOOD

GROUND“sprang up...bare fruit”

25%

75%75%

NEWS FLASHNEWS FLASH

Not only is God NOT dead, but His Only Begotten Son is coming back soon and the signs of end times are already here.

The Parable of the Ten VirginsThe Parable of the Ten Virgins

 9 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

 10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

 11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

 12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'  13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the

day or the hour.

The Parable of the Ten VirginsThe Parable of the Ten Virgins

 1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.  6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

 7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

Ten VirginsTen Virgins

Five Foolish Virgins

took their lamps but did not take any oil with them

•Virgins – Christians•Bridegroom – Lord•Lamp – outward declaration of the Christian•Oil in the lamp – indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life•Oil in the vessel – filling of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life•Buy – pay a price in pursuing holiness

Five Wise Virgins

took oil in jars along with their lamps

The gift of the Holy Spirit may be imparted (see Acts 8.17, 19.6; 1 Tim. 4.14; 2 Tim. 1.6), but the fullness of the Holy Spirit cannot be transferred. It is not enough simply to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. There is absolutely no way to share other people’s oil, not even with parents, brothers and sisters, or close relations. One’s spiritual fullness can come only from paying the price himself. Counterfeit spirituality may pass for real today, but it cannot pass the test on that day. To be filled with the Holy Spirit requires fellowship with the Lord and costly pursuit of Him. No matter how long we may be in company with spiritual people, we will not automatically share in their oil.

Light may be borrowed, but oil cannot.

WAY-SIDE ROCK

THORNS Foolish

Virgin

Wise VirginWise Virgin“went in with Him to

the wedding banquet”

12.5%12.5%

87.5%87.5%

How to Walk In the SpiritHow to Walk In the Spirit

A. Your life will demonstrate more and more of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) and will be more and more conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18)

B. Your prayer life and study of God’s Word will become more meaningful. (2Tim 3:16)

C. You will experience His power in witnessing (Act 1:8)

How to Walk In the SpiritHow to Walk In the Spirit

D. You will be prepared for spiritual conflict against the world (1John 2:15-17); against flesh (Gal 5:16-17); and against Satan (1Pet 5:7-9; Eph 6:10-13)

E. You will experience His power to resist temptation and sin (1Cor 10:13; Phil 4:13; Eph 1:19-23, 6:10; 2Tim 1:7; Romans 6:1-16)

Spiritual BreathingSpiritual Breathing

How can you retake your throne of life from sin? Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is a daily exercise of faith.

1. Exhale – confess your sin, agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness (1John 1:9). Confession requires repentance which is a change in attitude and action.

2. Inhale – surrender the control of your life to Christ and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Trust the Lord’s command (Eph 5:18) and His promise (1John 5:14-15)

So, now So, now you you are ready!are ready!