by Tim Greenwood

With all the recent events happening in the world today that point to the soon return of Jesus Christ—it’s time to take inventory of your life and see just “Where You Stand.”

How knowledgeable are you about the events that will happen before the return of Jesus?Do you know how to answer the questions of others when they ask you?Do you know how to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ during these times and show proof of what is happening from your Bible? 

Does the idea of Jesus returning soon make you fearful or make you excited—or both? 

God wants you to know exactly where you stand—you need to be grounded on the Rock, our Sure Foundation Jesus Christ Himself.

John 15:1-8 says- I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.Remain in me, and I will remain in you.No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.I am the vine; you are the branches.If a man remain in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Are you a branch that is always clinging to the vine?Or do you like many Christians live like you want during the week and on weekends try to get nourishment from the vine?Maybe just enough to last awhile—so you don’t shrivel up, dry out and fall off the vine.

Are you a Christian that believes every word that God speaks to you in the Bible?Or are you a doubter?Do you go by what you see and feel or go by what the world tells you, or what God says.You should not have to pick and choose!

The Bible says that those who believe will receive.If you doubt you won’t receive—anything!Look in James 1:5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord: he is a double-minded man unstable in all he does.”Now this is talking about asking for wisdom—but it also goes for anything you ask the Lord.

God loves you and me so much that He has given us everything through His son Jesus. God wants us to believe Him—unconditionally!

1 John 5:14 says that this is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, (and we know His will—it is told to us in the Bible) He hears us.And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.

God wants you to know where you stand.He wants you to be filled with confidence in approaching Him with anything and then believe you have it!Isn’t that simple enough!

Believing is using your faith and acting on it.God tells us that in order to please Him we must live by faith.

You need to understand that the events that are happening now in this world are just the beginning.Things are going to get worse and worse.This is the time to throw out any doubts you have about anything that God says and believe Him.Take God at His word and act in faith accordingly.

We must hear and then do what God says.

Matthew 7:24-27 says- Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash.

As a child of God, He wants you to be the head and not the tail.He wants your light shinning for all to see. He wants you blessed coming in and going out.He wants you to prosper in all you do and live in health every day of your life.

God tells us in Psalm 103—not to forget our benefits.Have you forgotten yours?Do you claim them as your right?

God says that He forgives all our sins.Do you ask for forgiveness and then believe that God has actually forgiven and forgotten your sins—or do you dwell in them?

Do you believe that God will heal all of your diseases—or do you think some of them are too hard for God, or that this does not apply to you for some reason?

God says that He redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.Do you claim these benefits—or do you live like so many others who forgot their benefits.

God loves you and wants you to have it all!If you have fallen short in any of these areas you can build your faith by reading the Word.Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

God won’t let you down.He says that He remains faithful when we are faithless.His promises are sure.

Now is the time to take your stand!