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�IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS�

 

READ IN THE BIBLE (Hebrews 12:3)

 

 

The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, said many years ago, �Never before have we had so little time in which to do so much�.� Since this was true 60 to 70 years ago, how much more so in our day.� Today we are living in a 21st century paradox.� The free time of Americans�, and people in many other countries, has grown in these later years, but so have their levels of stress and time pressure.� Many people are finding it increasingly difficult to be able to cope with the hectic pace of modern life.� It seems as time progresses the pace of life has continued to speed up.� The competing demands of work, home and family and other things often seem more than people can handle.� People seem to be always in a hurry.� Today we have fast lives, fast cars, fast computers and fast foods and still we do not have enough time to do all that is required of us.� We are living in a �time famine� but in this message I am urging you to slow down, take a step back and consider some very important things.� They are important because your eternal destiny depends on the wise consideration of some issues God says you need to deal with.�

 

Webster�s Dictionary defines the word �CONSIDER� to mean, �to look closely, to ponder, to observe, to examine, to look at carefully, to think about in order to understand or decide�.� To CONSIDER denotes a directing of the mind to something in order to understand it or to make a decision about it.� The very definitions of the word �consider� implies the need to slow down, take time and think about things.� In this message, THERE ARE FIVE IMPORTANT THINGS that God says in His Word YOU should consider.� These include the following.�

 

  1. CONSIDER THE ANT (Proverbs 6:6-8)
  2. CONSIDER YOUR WAYS (Haggai 1:7)
  3. CONSIDER YOUR END (Deuteronomy 32:28b, 29)
  4. CONSIDER HIS PERSON (Hebrews 12:3a)
  5. CONSIDER HIS PASSION (Hebrews 12:3b)

 

1. CONSIDER THE ANT (Proverbs 6:6-8)

We read in these verses, �Go to the ant, thou sluggard; CONSIDER HER WAYS, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest�.� God, in His Word, says it is a wise thing to �consider the ant and her ways�.� You likely have never done this.� Do you have the wisdom of an ant?� Why does God ask us to consider this lesser creature instead of some so called wise person or even an owl or a fox or something else?� God, of course, will always give us good advice.� We are to learn from the prudence of the ant.� The ant has no teacher, �having no guide, overseer, or ruler�.� God however, has given the ant inbuilt intelligence to, �provide her meat in the summer, and gather her food in the harvest�.� The great lesson to be learned from the ant is PREPARATION WHILE THERE IS OPPORTUNITY.� The ant is an object lesson for us.� The ant looks to the dark days ahead and makes preparation while there is opportunity.� This is extremely good advice for you.� Before YOU is an eternity to be spent in one of two places.� It will be either heaven or hell.� Have YOU made preparation while you have the opportunity to assure yourself that heaven will be your eternal destiny?� Don�t be like the grasshopper that sings and sports herself in the summer and then perishes in the winter.� Our verse began with the words, �Go to the ant, thou sluggard�.� A sluggard is one who is slothful, who loves his ease, which is careless with regards to the future.� In contrast to the ant that is busy in preparation for the future, the sluggard is known for his inactivity.� Dear reader, please do not be a �sluggard� when it comes to your eternal well being.� But, God says in His Word there are also other important issues to consider.� For example, He says:

 

2. CONSIDER YOUR WAYS (Haggai 1:7)

We read in this verse, �Thus saith the Lord of hosts; CONSIDER YOUR WAYS�.� It is important for you to consider your ways because God says in His Word the ways of man are like a straying sheep.� We read in, (Isaiah 53:6) �All we like sheep have gone astray�.� Sheep which are astray from the Shepherd are exposed to danger.� We will deal with this danger in our next consideration.� It is also important for you to consider your ways because your ways may seem right to you but before a holy God they are not.� We read in, (Proverbs 16:25) �There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death�.� The way of the natural man, in his sins, is the way of ignorance and carelessness.� Many people feel the way they are traveling through life will get them to heaven yet they have never really been saved.� They have never had a conversion experience.� They have never been �born again� by the Spirit of God.� There is a real need for an impartial examination.� God says in His Word that the ways of the natural man are sinful in His sight.� He paints a very dark picture of man in His Word.� He says in, (Romans 3:9-23) �Jews and Gentiles, they are all under sin�.� �There is none righteous, no, not one�.� �There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God�.� �There is none that doeth good, no, not one�.� �There is no fear of God before their eyes�.� �All have sinned and come short of the glory of God�.� �All the world is guilty (subject to judgment) before God�.� Please notice dear reader, the guilt of sin applies to all of mankind, to all who are born of human father and mother.� There are no exceptions.� Man is a sinner by nature and by practice.� We all come into this world possessed of a sinful nature which makes us sinners by birth.� We inherited this from our parents, and they in turn from their parents, and so on, all the way back to our first parents, Adam and Eve.� Because man has a sinful nature within, sinful practices soon manifest themselves without.� What is in the root of mans nature will be seen later in the fruit of their doings.� Dear reader, have YOU acknowledged YOUR SINFUL CONDITION before a holy God?� Have YOU ever faced the fact of YOUR OWN individual sins committed against God?� The first step in salvation and receiving forgiveness of sins is �repentance�.� Have YOU ever repented of your sins?� �Repentance� means to change your mind with regard to your sins.� It means to think differently about your sins and your sinful condition.� God says in His Word, (Acts 17:30) �God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent�.� This command MUST be obeyed, it comes from God.� This command is URGENT because God says NOW.� This command is UNIVERSAL because God says ALL men EVERYWHERE.� The Lord Jesus Christ stressed the absolute necessity of repentance when He said, (Luke 13:3) �Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish�.� Notice dear reader the two options, it is either repent or perish.� This leads us to another matter of extreme importance which God says you should consider.

 

3. CONSIDER YOUR END (Deuteronomy 32:29)

We read in this verse, �O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would CONSIDER THEIR LATTER END�.� Dear reader, have YOU considered YOUR latter end?� Are you living as though tomorrow and eternity do not exist?� We have just considered that your ways, and the ways of every man, are sinful in the sight of a holy God.� Sin brings consequences.� It says in, (Romans 6:23) �The wages of sin is death�.� We read also in, (Romans 5:12) �Wherefore, as by one man (Adam)sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned�.� Last year death passed upon more than 5 million people.� That�s about, 417,000 every month, 96,000 every week, 14,000 every day and 572 every hour.� We read in, (Ecclesiastes 3:1) there is �a time to be born, and a time to die�.�� We read also in, (Hebrews 9:27) �It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment�.� From the Word of God we learn that the consequence of sin is death.� We learn also that death is not the end.� After death is the judgment of God.� We all have eternity to face and if preparation is not made it will be the darkness of the judgment of God.� It says regarding the unsaved in, (John 5:28) �The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His (Jesus Christ) voice, and shall come forth�they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (judgment).�� The unsaved will come forth to stand before the �Great White Throne� (Revelation 20).� We read in, (Revelation 20:12-15) �And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.� And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.� And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.� This is the second death.� And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire�.� (Revelation 21:8) �But the �unbelieving�shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death�.� The �first death� is the death of the body which is the separation of the spirit from the body.� For the unsaved, their �second death� is their eternal separation from God.� This place of separation is called the �lake of fire�.� It is a place of sorrow immeasurable and of torment eternal.��

 

Dear reader, have YOU considered these important issues?� Have YOU made preparations for eternity?� God is prepared to meet YOU.� Are YOU prepared to meet Him?� We read in, (Amos 4:12) �Prepare to meet thy God�.� It is not God�s desire that you or anyone else go to this place called the �lake of fire�.� We read in, (Ezekiel 33:11) �As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; �turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die?�� Because God is a holy God, He must and will punish sin and the sinner.� Because God is a loving God, It is not His will that man perish in his sins.� We read in, (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) �God our savior, who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth�.� We read also in, (2 Peter 3:9) �The Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance�.� God has proved His love for fallen sinful man and made provision for salvation by sending His beloved Son into this world.� (John 3:16) �For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life�.� We read also in, (Romans 8:32) �God spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all�.� This leads us to the consideration of the Lord Jesus Christ, His person and His work:�

 

�4. CONSIDER HIS PERSON (Hebrews 12:3a)

We read in the first part of this verse, �CONSIDER HIM�.� The most important consideration you can ever make in life is to �consider Him�.� Preparation to meet God and preparation for eternity begins by considering Him, the Lord Jesus Christ.� God says, direct your mind and your thoughts to His beloved Son that you might understand who He is and why He came into the world.� The reason you should do this is because He is the only means of salvation.� We read in, (Acts 4:12) �Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved�.� We also read in, (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�.� The Lord Jesus Christ is God�s exclusive way of salvation.� There are many important things you might consider about Him.� Following are just a few of these;

  • CONSIDER HIS PREINCARNATE GLORY. � We read of Him in, (2 Corinthians 8:9) �He was rich�.� It refers to His riches in glory before He ever came into the world.� It says of Him that He is, �the brightness of God�s glory, and the express image of His person� (Hebrews 1:3).� The prophet Isaiah was given a vision of Him in the glory in, (Isaiah 6:1, 5) �I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up�.� The prophet went on to say, �Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts�.� There in that heavenly scene the angels of God bowed in worship before Him.� In the counsel chambers of God it was determined that the Son of God would become the Savior of sinners.� He would be called the �lamb of God� that would be sacrificed on the cross for our sins.� (1 Peter 1:19, 20) �Christ� ...a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world�.� �When Adam and Eve fell into sin, bringing sin into the world and upon all of mankind, God promised that He would provide a Savior.� God said in, (Genesis 3:15) �I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel�.� These words speak of the perpetual hostility between Satan and the woman (representing all mankind), and between Satan�s seed (his agents) and her seed (the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ).� The bruising of Satan�s head speaks of his mortal wound, his ultimate defeat and eventual destruction.� The bruising of the Messiah�s heel speaks of His suffering and death on the cross, but not His defeat.�
  • CONSIDER HIS INCARNATION. � We read in, (Galatians 4:4) �When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law�.� This was the fulfillment of God�s promise of the Savior�s coming as the �seed of the women�.� We read of His virgin birth in, (Matthew 1:18, 20, 21) �The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise�.� �Before they (Mary and Joseph) came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost�.� �That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost�.� �Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins�.� We also read in, (Luke 2:7, 10, 11) �And she (Mary) brought forth her firstborn son�.� �And the angel said unto them, Fear not: For, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.� For unto you is born this day � a Savior, which is Christ the Lord�.� Deity took on humanity.� The infinite became an infant.� The Son of God became the Son of man.� He left the glory of heaven and in condescending grace He came to earth.� He came where we are.� He stepped out of eternity into time.� Not only was a child born but a son was given.� We read in, (Isaiah 9:6) �Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given�.� It says in, (Hebrews 2:14) �Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same�.� He not only came to where we are, He became as we are, sin apart.� O the love of God, to give His well beloved Son to be the Savior of sinners.� We say again, (John 3:16) �For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life�.
  • CONSIDER HIS PERFECT LIFE. � No one else ever walked through this scene as did He.� He was perfect in all His ways.� John said of Him, �In Him is no sin�.� Paul said of Him, �He knew no sin�.� Peter said of Him, �He did no sin�.� And, James said of Him, �He could not sin�.� When He was a young lad of about 12 years of age He said, �I must be about my Fathers business�.� Later on, after He began his public ministry, the Lord Jesus said, �I do always those things that please the Father�.� On more than one occasion the heavens were opened and God, the Father�s voice was heard to say, (Matthew 3:17) �This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (In whom is all my delight)�.� As we said previously, He is the, �Lamb without blemish and without spot�.� The four gospels of the New Testament record many of the miraculous works He did and of the profound words which He spoke.� He healed all manner of sickness and disease.� He gave sight to the blind.� He gave hearing to the deaf.� He cleansed the lepers.� He feed the hungry.� He calmed the winds and the waves.� He even raised the dead back to life.� In the eyes of God He was a man as man should be.�

 

5. CONSIDER HIS PASSION (Hebrews 12:3)

This complete scripture verse says, �For CONSIDER HIM that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds�.� Here we are exhorted further to �CONSIDER HIS PASSION� for these words bring before us the Saviors suffering and death on the cross.� We read of His passion in, (Acts 1:3) �He showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs�.� The Greek word translated �passion� means to �suffer� and it refers to the Lord�s suffering on the cross.� When the Lord Jesus was here men opposed Him, both by words and actions, accusing Him falsely, and treating Him cruelly.� We read in, (Isaiah 53:3) �He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief�.� We read also in, (John 1:10, 11) �He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.� He came unto His own, and His own received Him not�.� When the Lord Jesus came into the world he knew full well all that would befall Him here.� But, He came with a purpose.� He came to do the Father�s will.� (Hebrews 2:9) tells us, �Jesus was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor: that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man�.� �Dear reader, have YOU ever CONSIDERED why Jesus Christ was here, why He came into the world?� Listen to what God says of Him.� We find the reason in, (1 Timothy 1:15) �Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners�.� He came to save the likes of us, to all who will acknowledge their sinful condition before God.� In order to provide salvation for sinful man He would have to go to the cross and offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.� We read of Him that He was, �Obedient unto death, even the death of the cross�.� Notice that for Him �death� was an act of obedience.� For anyone else, �death� is a necessity.� He could say in, (John 10:17, 18) �I lay down my life, that I might take it again.� No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.� I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again.� This commandment have I received of my Father�.� In His obedience and humility He was blindfolded, buffeted and beaten.� He was reviled, reproached and rejected.� Both Jews and Gentiles spit in His face.� He said in, (Isaiah 50:6) �I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting�.� A Roman scourge (whip) laid open His back like a plowed field.� They platted a crown of thorns and pressed it upon His head and clothed Him with a purple robe to mock His kingship.� When they had done all these things unto Him they led out to the place called Calvary and there they crucified Him.� They nailed His hands and feet to a wooden cross and lifted Him up between heaven and earth.� But, Christ not only suffered at the hands of sinful man, He also suffered on the cross, at the hands of a Holy God.� In those three dark hours on the cross, �The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all�.� �He was stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted�.� �It pleased the Lord to bruise Him: He hath put Him to grief: When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin�.� (Isaiah 53:6, 4, 10).� God, the Father, put His seal of approval upon the work of His beloved Son because on the third day Christ was raised again by the mighty power of God.� It says in, (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) �Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the scriptures�.� We read in scripture, forty days after the Saviors resurrection He ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God.� The offering up of the Lord Jesus has satisfied the righteous demand of God�s throne and has vindicated God�s holiness.� God can now declare in His Word, (Job 33:24) �Deliver him (mankind) from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom�.� All who are saved will lift their voices and say;

 

We love to sing of the Lord, who died,

And His wondrous love proclaim;

How there�s life and peace through the Crucified,

And salvation through His Name.

 

Salvation! Salvation!

Vast, full and free;

Through the precious blood,

Of the Son of God,

Who was slain on Calvary.

 

In closing, I urge YOU to take advantage of this present time to CONSIDER these important issues.� Will you believe in and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as YOUR own personal Savior?� (John 3:36) �He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him�.� The death of the Lord Jesus on behalf of all is God�s gracious means of securing salvation for those who will believe. YOU are traveling the �highway of life�, passing through time on the way to eternity.� There are only two destinations before you.� It will either be eternal joy in heaven or eternal sorrow in hell.� Now that you have read this message you have come to a �crossroads� on your life�s journey.� Which way will you go? If you continue to reject the Savior you will remain on a path that leads to eternal destruction.� Please do not trade a few short years of pleasure and possibly some popularity, and power for eternal torment in the �Lake of Fire�.� If you accept God�s invitation to COME to the Savior, heaven will be your eternal home.� The �Father�s House� will be your eternal dwelling place.� (Acts 16:31) �Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved�.� Will YOU believe in Him and by a definite act of faith, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior?� Please give this matter your most serious attention.� Your eternal destiny depends on your decision.

 

Christian Messenger��� �

 

 

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