Will He Know You? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 25, 2021

WILL HE KNOW YOU? Simple question - four words and a question mark - but the answer might not be as straightforward.

Luke 13:23-27 - Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' "But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'

Again, will the Lord know you? Will He recognize you when you show up at the pearly gates? Will you be welcomed or will he speak the words, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!"?

You can go to church every Sunday, show up for Bible study on Wednesdays and serve at your local homeless shelter on Fridays, and not make it to Heaven. You can be the go-to person when someone needs help and have a bleeding heart for people, and not make it to Heaven. You can read your Bible everyday, help old ladies cross the street, and rescue cats from trees, and not make it to Heaven.

One of the key ways to make it to Heaven is to obey God. He's called on us to love Him, to serve Him, and love others as we love ourselves. How many of us can say we do this on a regular basis? And when we fall short (which we likely will because we're human), do we repent? Or do we complain, blame others, and ignore our free access to God's forgiveness if we just repent with a contrite heart and a determined spirit to not repeat the offense?

2 Timothy 2:19 - Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

We can't claim to be legitimate children of God - believers - and stay the way we once were before we gave our lives to Him and committed ourselves to live for His glory. We must strive to be more like Jesus, taking it a day at a time but with a genuine heart and intention to become better by His standards. Let us not be unbelievers who go to church but don't live lives God would be proud of. When that's the case the following applies to us - 2 Corinthians 4:4 - The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. The things of God won't make sense anymore.

Consider the following scriptures -

Ezekiel 33:11 - Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?'

Isaiah 30:18 - Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

1 Timothy 2:4 - [God our Savior] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

I pray you'll join us for Praise & Pray (for others) where we'll glorify the Lord for 25 minutes, pray for the needs of others for 25 minutes and then focus on today's message by reconnecting with God. It starts at Noon EST and is a way to show God your love and reverence for Him this day.