GOSPEL NUGGET #353

Napolist And The Book Of Life

It is every politician's nightmare. It is a dreadful thing to have one's name listed in the Horror Roll of the infamous lady. Public scorn, condemnation, shame and hatred would be their lot. They can kiss their political careers and ambitions good bye.

No one wants to be in the list. They would move heaven and hell to sanitize their names from it. They would cross the seven seas for it, if that is what it takes to not have their names included.

It is entirely different with the Book of Life. It is a list where you want your name to be in. It is the list of the blessed as opposed to the Napolist (a list of the blasted).

Re 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Is your name in the Book of Life? Have you received eternal life by trusting in the Savior and what He did on the cross? If yes, then you can be sure that your name is in it.

GOSPEL NUGGET #352

Mass Murderer Elliot Rodger

A 22-year old young man named Elliot Rodger stabbed and opened fire on people inside his school campus, injuring many, while sending at least six people to eternity on the spot.

The day before he went berserk and snapped, he did a video of himself expressing his rage and utter disappointment he felt about his life. His primary complaint was that he still remained a virgin even at age 22. He wanted to have the attention of young women in his school but they just would not give it to him.

He envied good-looking young men and women in his school because of the kind of sex they are having, while he remains to be alone in life. In his video, he specifically said that he would target beautiful women and good-looking men in his hellish rage.

He repeatedly put the emphasis on his not being able to have sex with women. His life, and apparently, the life of others, depended upon it. His rhetoric was all centered on self.

Elliot Rodger was both judged and a judgment by God.

He was judged. Rejecting God, he fell into the control of his sinful desires. It became the be all and the end all of his life. It took him to the deep abyss of depravity that eventually led to his demise.

He was a judgment. God will judge fornicators. God allowed Mr. Rodger to go on his deadly downward spiral so as to judge the young men and women who engaged in fornication, rampant in their school.

Rejecting God's salvation in Christ is fatal. It leaves the door wide open for the monster inside of us to come out, putting self and others in danger. Don't put off coming to Christ, God, in judgment, might leave you to your depraved self.

GOSPEL NUGGET #351

Hell Is An Unnecessary Tragedy

God does not want anybody in hell. Hell was not originally intended for us. The Lord Jesus once said: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Mt. 25:41

Hell is God reluctantly saying: "Your will be done." He always does so with a grieving heart.

Eze 33:11 "'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'

He flung the door, as it were, very wide open for us. He woos us to him. He enables us to step in. The tragedy is that we refuse. We reject His gracious offer. We decline His salvation by our unrepentance and unbelief.

We choose hell for ourselves. God does not want us to be there. He is not "willing that any should perish." (2 Peter 3:9) But we choose to be there. Hell is such an unnecessary tragedy.

Will you be there unnecessarily? Why die when you could live? Why suffer when you could be in bliss? Why remain guilty when you could be forgiven and justified? Why be in hell when you could be in heaven with God?

Come to the Savior, trusting in Him and what He did on the cross alone for salvation.

GOSPEL NUGGET #350

The Danger Of Spiritual Complacency

Pr 6:9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep-
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Though Solomon, the man behind these words, was addressing a lazy person here, these verses can be applied to spiritual salvation.

Endless suffering awaits those who have refused to be awakened to God's repeated calls to come to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus for salvation.

Many are not alarmed at their condition. Sleeping while the house is devoured by the flames, so to speak, they can afford to live at ease, be indifferent and be complacent with the sinner that they are in God's sight, seeing no need to come urgently to the Savior.

Somebody said: “A little more sleep, a little more slumber and thou shalt wake in hell to sleep no more forever!”

And so, awake to your critical spiritual condition before God. Rise and run to the Savior, trusting in Him and what He did on the cross alone for salvation.

GOSPEL NUGGET #349

Operation Naburos Island 

It is a virgin island off Misamis Occidental, verdant with lush greeneries. Shaped like a pregnant woman lying on her back, the local folks came to call it Naburos Island or Pregnant Island.

After trekking a few rough Misamis Occidental miles, our vehicle had to stop. Standing over a humble wharf, there loomed before me Naburos Island. Excitement and apprehension were horsing around inside my heart.

Excited at the prospect of being in a virgin island for the first time, I was also apprehensive because of the intimidating sea that we had to cross over. Julius Caesar once said: "I came. I saw. I conquered." Hey, not me! I came. I saw, but I cowered a little bit inside. I prayed. My swimming abilities left me years ago, when I contracted an ailment.

The only means to convey us to the island was through a small pump boat. I had to entrust myself to it. It proved itself reliable when it docked us safely to the island.

That gave me a wonderful illustration of salvation. If the island represents God in heaven, then the boat represents the Lord Jesus Christ. We sinners are powerless in ourselves to save ourselves. We can never bring ourselves to God.

We need the Savior. He died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Now, any sinner who entrusts himself to the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross will be saved and will be brought safely to God.

GOSPEL NUGGET #347

Lu 19:10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."

A man stepped deep into a cave carrying a torchlight in his hand. His curiosity made him wind his way hundreds of meters into the heart of the hollow of the earth.

The cave was not only a maze, a confusing and a complex network of interconnected paths and passages, it was also as dark as a black night. It was so dark that opening one's eyes made no difference from that of closing one's eyes. There was a total absence of light. Everyone is blind if not for the light that they would carry.

Horror and fear gripped his soul when his light suddenly flickered out. Alone, desperate, and lost, he sat down helplessly pondering about his plight.

Look at him. Consider his condition. That's how we are in the eyes of God spiritually speaking. We are lost and we could never bring ourselves out into the light.

We need Someone who will come to us to be our Light and become our Way to God. That Someone is the Lord Jesus Christ. We are helplessly lost in the cave of sin, destined to die alone in spiritual darkness.

And the Lord Jesus, through this message, comes to you, as it were, in your lost condition and offers His hand and says: "Trust Me. I came to seek and save the lost. I died for your sins and rose again. Rely on Me and I will save you out of this to God."

Will you take His hand? Will you trust in Him and what He did on the cross alone for salvation?

GOSPEL NUGGET #346

He Took All The Difficult So That You Can Have All The Easy

After explaining the way of salvation that it is by grace through faith in Christ and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9), a lot of people find it surprisingly simple.

They would say: "Why, that's too simple. I thought it should be complicated! It's too easy. It can't be the way of salvation!"

In reply, I would point them to the cross and explain to them: "It is simple like that because Somebody died to make it simple for us. It was the Lord Jesus who died for our sins. It should have been us there, but He took all the difficult so that we can have all the easy."

My friend, it's now easy and simple for you because it was difficult and hard for Him. He took all the difficult so that you can have all the easy.

He swallowed all the bitter so that you can have all the sweet. He took all the rough so that you can have all the smooth. He took all the low so that you can have all the high. He took all the storm so that you can have all the calm. He took all the pain so that you can have all the gain.

Will you now receive freely the salvation that He alone worked so hard for you? Will you put your trust in Him and what He did on the cross for your salvation?