This is by far the most important section of my web site. Because these topics go hand in hand Rev. McDavid has combined these into one teaching. Here he will show you, using scripture, Just how Jesus will return in the "END TIMES" and just what you must do to be ready and not be deceived by the evil one and his followers.
As a minister of the Gospel the best advice I can give you is to quote the words of Jesus himself when he said in Mark 13:36, "If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping."
Always be ready, because we never know the day or hour in which it will happen!
Part 1. Are You Ready For Christ's Return?What Do I Need To Do To Prepare?
Jesus taught us many things while he was here on earth, but the most important lesson he ever taught was how to get to heaven.
Many people think that getting to heaven is a hard task. Well it's not! Your ticket to heaven has already been bought and paid for by Jesus himself... paid for with the blood he shed on the cross.
God will NOT allow sin to enter the Kingdom of Heaven... so how can we with all our sins and imperfections enter? Only through Jesus Christ! You see he bore our sins on the cross... every sin that was ever or will ever be committed! He paid the ultimate price for YOU! He washed away our sins and gave us a chance to enter his Kingdom "as a little child"... pure and fresh and with an open mind.
All we have to do is accept his gift to us... it's that simple. Here is what you have to do to get into heaven:
Accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior.
Acknowledge that he is the Son of God and he became flesh for one reason... to pay for your ticket to salvation.
Repent of your sins daily and do the will of the Father. Because we are human we will continue to sin until we die, and God knows this, but even though we slip and fall remember daily to ask for the forgiveness of God and cover yourself in the blood of the lamb who is Jesus Christ. Don't ever think that you can't be forgiven... because you already are... everyone is, as long as you accept the teachings of Jesus and are sorry for what you have done.
Try with all your heart and soul not to sin. If you start to slip, catch yourself and ask God's forgiveness. Remember not to judge others or you yourself will be judged. We as humans want to judge others but remember that none of us are without sin, and if anyone among us is then let him be the first to judge. It is VERY hard not to do this, and we will slip many times, but just catching yourself and asking for forgiveness is a sign to God that you are aware of your human imperfections and still KNOW that you are saved BY JESUS!
Be baptized* and accept the Holy Spirit into your life to guide you daily.
Get to know Jesus, your personal Lord and Savior. Remember that you must know him and never reject him. (see John 3:35-36, Luke 9:26 and Matthew 7:21-27 below.)
*The question that has divided Christians for ages... How To Baptize!
Some churches baptize in the name of Jesus, others baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Both ways are spoken about in the bible. Who is to say which is right?
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
In many other places the bible says to baptize in Jesus name as Peter says here:
Acts 2:36-38
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The only time Jesus himself gives instructions on how to baptize is in the gospel of Matthew. All the other places where baptism is spoken about is by the apostles, however Since "the Bible is the infallible Word of God" I believe both are correct. I personally believe we should baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in Jesus name. (This way EVERYONE is satisfied.) Since Jesus is one with the Father then calling on Jesus must be the same as calling on the Father. When you do ANYTHING in someones "name" it means that you do it by their authority. So when you do something is Jesus name you do it with his authority, and by the authority of the one who sent him, the Father.
It's these kind of arguments that divided Christians from the beginning and continues to do so even now. The devil sure knows how to play us against each other doesn't he?
What If I Die Before I Get Baptized? What Happens To My Soul Then?
I do not believe that God is a "trickster." The bible says he knows your heart. I think the same rules apply to GOOD intentions as they do for the bad ones. Let's take lust for instance. Jesus said:
Matthew 5:28
"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
With this being true (we know if Jesus said "I tell you the truth" then it is true) then your intentions are considered actions as well. So it is my belief that if you "truely intend" to be baptized, are repentant and have accepted Jesus as your savior, then I believe that the intent of your heart is to be baptized. Now don't let grass grow under your feet... go and get baptized, but if on the way (or once you really plan on being baptized) you die I think God will know the intentions of your heart.
Get To Know Jesus and Never Reject Him!
Read your Bible and get to know Jesus. I sugest starting with the Gospel of Matthew and reading on from there. You will be blessed in ways you never thought! At first don't try to annalize it... just read.
Ask God to open your heart and give you wisdom to understand his word and he will. Remember that Jesus is the "word made flesh". Read God's word and get to know your savior. It's nice to know that we are all saved from hell by the blood of Christ, but don't you want to truly KNOW HIM? I'm sure you have friends that you know, so why not get to know your best friend?
John 15:15, Jesus Says:
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."
John 3:35-36, Jesus says:
"The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Luke 9:26, Jesus says:
"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus says:
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
But How Will We Know When Jesus Will Return?
Because Jesus tells us in his own words in the Gospel of Mark chapter 13 just that will happen to signal the "End Times" and his return.
Mark 13:1-37
As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"
"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately,
"Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"
Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you.
Many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,' and will deceive many.
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. "When you see `the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now--and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.
At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. "But in those days, following that distress, "`the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation* will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: `Watch!'"
* This is an IMPORTANT translation and missed by many.
The word "generation" also means "race", as in "a race of people." This clears up any confusion and tells us that this "race" of people, the Jews, will not pass away before these things happen. Many people over the years have misunderstood this phrase. Most thought that Jesus meant that the "generation" meaning people of that time would see this all happen. This gave some non-believers a chance to make believers question if these things will come to pass. Now knowing that Jesus meant "race" we know that the Jews will be alive to see this happen.Part 2. Beware of False Teachings
Introduction
I believe that people who call themselves preachers and misisters hold (and must be accountable for) a higher standard in Christian teachings. Most people are the "lost sheep" and look up to these "men of God" to teach them. HOWEVER, some men teach what they personally want to and will twist Gods word and take God's word out of context and USE that "bit" of Bible scripture to keep people under their thumb and in line! Jesus spoke of this in Luke 11:52 when he said:
"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."
Also in Matthew 23:15 Jesus says:
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are."
While there are MANY wonderfull ministers and teachers out there we must ALWAYS go to the bible and read God's word for ourselves. We must also disect each passage to find it's meaning and then digest that word.
John 6:47-51 Jesus says:
"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
We all know that Jesus Christ is "THE WORD MADE FLESH." Now we must eat and digest this word (Jesus) in order to understand what we read. Just reading alone is not enough... we must understand what we read in order to know Jesus.
I RECOMMEND reading a COMPLETE passage from beginning to end BEFORE even considering to make a point using it! ALSO if someone tells you that you are doing wrong because of a certain "scripture" also read THAT scripture in it's entirety BEFORE you take it to heart.
I have had it happen to me and have seen it happen to others more times than I can remember. God's word SHOULD NOT cause confusion... the evil one (who's name is not even worth the typing effort) is the author of confusion as the bible says and HE is the one that makes man get a "big head" and "scare off" potential Christians... what a way to USE a so called man of God.
Jesus himself (as is evident by reading the gospels) did not seem to like the teachers of his time, often calling them sons of the devil and hypocrites. He knew just what they were up to back then and since the bible says "nothing is new under the sun" then we can see that the same things happen today.
It makes me very sad to see someone beat down and shamed or just kept "in line" by false teachings in the house of the Lord!
Should We Follow God's Word or Man's Doctrine?
The warning in 1 Timothy 4:1-16 resembles some teachings commonly taught today as "doctrine" in certain churches. It is very sad when church doctrine is held in higher respect than the Word of God. Remember that "the Bible is the infallible Word of God" and that doctrine is the law of man or church. ALWAYS HOLD GOD'S WORD BEFORE MANS!
1 Timothy 4:1-16 says:
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods*, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
(*NOTE: or as written in "King James Version" abstain from meats.)
This warning above clearly shows what is happening in churches all across the world today. The Roman Catholic Church (along with some other churches) teaches on it's own doctrine and not by the Bible. They forbid a priest to marry and forbid the people from eating meat on Friday's during lent, just as the warning in 1 Timothy 4:1-16 above says.
About Praying to the Saints, the Virgin Mary and Kneeling before Statues
This is a VERY delicate issue and just bringing up the issue can cause major problems with friends and loved ones, HOWEVER, it is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
God the Father told us in "The Ten Commandments" NOT to make any idols [the definition of i·dol (i dol) n. - An image, object or statue used as an object of worship.] nor to bow down to the statues [the definition of bow (bou) v. - To bend the body, head, or knee in order to express greeting, consent, courtesy, or veneration. To acquiesce; submit. To remove oneself; withdraw. An act of bowing, as in respect.]
Deuteronomy 5:8-10
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments."
*[Also see King James Version of Deuteronomy 4:16-4:18 as it replaces the word anything with Male or Female, animal...etc]
Jesus himself addressed this issue when he said in John 14:6, "no one comes to the Father EXCEPT through me." Jesus didn't say one of the ways to the Father was through him, he said EXCEPT through me... with no exceptions... the ONLY way!
It is not easy to follow Jesus. Sometimes when we become "born again" or become Christians we seem to find that our old friends and even some family members think we are either strange or fanatics. Sometimes they don't even want anything to do with us.
Matthew 10:34-36, Jesus said:
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "`a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
Jesus himself TOLD US HOW TO PRAY!
Matthew 6:9-13
"This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
There are many ways we can pray. Prayer is simply our conversations with God the Father, however, there is only one person we should pray to (the Father) and only one way to the Father and that way is through his son Jesus the Christ. Praying to Jesus or the Holy Spirit would be considered praying to the Father since all are equal. Praying to saints or others is not acceptable to God, because we use that saint or person as a "gateway" to get to the Father and Jesus clearly said that he (Jesus) is the only way.
God gave us his only Son... why would we need anything more?
What About People That See Visions of the Virgin Mary?
Mark 13:22-23, Jesus said:
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible.
What About Good People That Follow Doctrine but Not Jesus' Word?
What about the good people that do good works and go to church every Sunday! What about a good Priest that dedicated his or her life to God... what will happen to them? I don't know, only God knows. God will show mercy on who he chooses. I do know however what Jesus said.
Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus said:
"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
In Conclusion
Please let it be known that this teaching above is not intended to hurt feelings or belittle any one. It is meant to START YOU THINKING about your salvation.
This is written because I care about you and I am doing what Jesus said to do. Believe me, once you know the truth you can't go back, and once you are on fire for the Lord Jesus the flame never goes out.
John 4:13-14
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
