To Live is Christ, Nothing Else Compares

 What can possibly compare? 

"He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,

for the Lord has spoken.

It will be said on that day,

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

This is the Lord; we have waited for him;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain,

and Moab shall be trampled down in his place,

as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.

And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it

as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim,

but the Lord will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill of his hands.

And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down,

lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust." Isaiah 25:8-12

Then look at this.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:4-8

I want you to look around. What do you see? You see Romans 1 coming to pass

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."

America today. The world today. Filled with Idolatry and the worship of self. We hear things like "What God? What truth? Truth is relative. The Bible is filled with contradictions and lies. Made up stories. There are no gods, heaven or hell. No absolutes and no judgments. Be whatever you chose to be. Act however you chose to act. Just be you and nothing else matters."

"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen."

We are told to keep our "religion" to ourselves and that people are allowed to live and do whatever they choose. You are the one with the problem if you try to warn people about it. Especially this next one.

"For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error."

Homosexuality was just the start. Now there is something like 27 genders, Transgender children are being told they are brave and heroes for doing such, in some cases getting famous and making money even. Now NAMBLA is fighting to be recognized as legit as all the other nonsense. That is adult males who want to have sex to kids. Age is only a number after all. Why discriminate against them?

Seriously folks. Look around.

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." Romans 1:18-32

Pride, Abortion, Idolatry, Self. In some cases, these things are seen as more important than God, family, and even freedom. Jesus told us this.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Matthew 7:13-15

I'm seriously asking you this. What is it that you feel this broken world can possibly give to you that is even remotely worthy to be compared to Heaven? Jesus even asked this question that you should ask yourself.

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" Matthew 16:26

Remember, life here is brief. Even if you live here on this earth, for a hundred years. What is that in the span of eternity? You will live on after your time on earth. Then what? Jesus called the Rich man who build bigger and bigger barns to store up all his gains in life a fool. Look here.

"But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’" Luke 12:20

In the end. When you are preparing to leave this world and go to God, Is that million-dollar house going to mean anything? That sports car in your driveway? Is that money sitting in your bank account? The number of followers on social media? Do you know what happens when an "Influencer" disappears? All their followers start following the next one.

Instead of worrying so much about all these things, you will leave behind, do you not know it wiser to maybe start thinking about the things you will arrive at? You are going to a real place. You will meet a real God. You will spend forever with Him. Jesus put it this way.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

He also told us this.

"In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." John14:2-3

I submit to you, that there is NOTHING that compares to being accepted into the kingdom of God. Jesus saved us. He set us free from the laws of sin and death. He laid down His Godhood and came and lived with us and for us, and allowed us to abuse and murder Him. He did so because of His love for us. All He asks for in return is that we have a relationship with Him and spread that good news. I submit to you again, nothing else matters.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake, we are being killed all day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-38

Accept Jesus's sacrifice for you. Allow His blood to be your blood. His death to be your death. His resurrection is to be your resurrection. He died so that you do not have to. He died so that you may live. All you have to do is accept it. Ask for it. Say this prayer in your own words.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believe He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

Live is Christ. Stand firm. Nothing else matters. Nothing is more important. All things that are temporal are rubbish. To live is Christ, and to die is gain.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!!