There is a silence, a fearful quiet, that settles upon the souls of men who have grown numb to eternal things. We are surrounded by the clamor of the world, yet in the midst of this noise, how many are heedless of the cry of their own souls? “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). It is a staggering thought, that men who live so loud should die in such deafening silence to the warnings of God.

O that this dreadful hour might stir those who slumber under the weight of their own self-deception! For what is more terrifying than the final judgment—when the day of mercy has fled, and the books are opened? Hear it again: “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). This is not the stuff of myth or legend, but the sure Word of God, whose justice cannot be escaped.

What shall we say to those who stand unmoved? You say, “Tomorrow, I will turn to God.” But tomorrow is a luxury no man can claim, for “the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). There is no bargaining with death, no appeal in the court of eternity when your name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Let this be a trumpet blast to those who have grown weary in their spiritual apathy! The lake of fire is not a mere threat to frighten children into obedience—it is the dreadful end of every soul that turns away from the living God. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

May God awaken us from our deadly sleep! Let us not wait for the fearful judgment to rouse us—by then it will be too late. We must repent now, before the ink in those books has dried and the eternal decree is sealed. O may you flee to Christ while His arms are still stretched wide in mercy, before they close in final judgment. For there is no second chance beyond the grave. It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this—the judgment! (Hebrews 9:27).

What a tragedy, to live for that which is passing and to lose that which is eternal. O soul, do not wait for the fire to feel its heat—believe now and escape it! Heaven and hell are not distant dreams, but the very reality that awaits every living soul. The only question is this: when that awful day comes, where will your name be written?

What a woeful and terrifying condition it is, my friend, for a soul to utter “My God” and yet know in the deep recesses of their heart that such words ring hollow before heaven! To call Him yours when you live as though He were not, is a most grievous deception—one not only spoken, but lived, for “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8).

In the courts of men, falsehood may go unnoticed for a time, but before the gaze of the living God, there is no cloak of pretense thick enough to veil the truth. When you say “My God,” can you lay claim to the privileges of such a declaration? Has He been your refuge, your strong tower, and your all-consuming desire? Or is His name only the currency of your lips while your heart barters with the world? We live in an age where men pay homage to God with the tongue but serve their own idols in secret. Such a one shall not stand in the day of judgment, for “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6).

Consider well the weight of your words. “My God” is not merely a phrase; it is the declaration of allegiance, the cry of the soul bound in covenant love to its Lord. To say it falsely is to stand on the brink of destruction, deceiving yourself while thinking you deceive Him who sees all. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked” (Galatians 6:7).

Let the hypocrite tremble! Let the soul that has grown cold in its affections awaken! For the Lord requires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6). Lay hold of Him in sincerity and cry for mercy, lest you be found guilty of taking His name in vain. To say “My God” without surrender is to stand in the shadow of wrath, for He is not a God who can be trifled with.

Examine yourself today—do not delay. Let your cry be one of desperation: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). Blessed is the man who can say, with all truth, “My God,” for he shall find rest for his soul in the day of reckoning.

Let us no longer walk in pretense, but in purity, for He who is our God is a consuming fire.

Oh, the blessings that await the steadfast soul—the one who, despite the onslaught of enemies, temptations, and afflictions, clings faithfully to the doctrines of Christ! In an age where so many are swayed by the winds of compromise, where truth is diluted to accommodate the fickle demands of man, how precious it is to find those who will not bend, who will not break, who will stand firm upon the Word of God.

Our Lord declared, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) But mark it well—there is no promise of freedom without the condition of continuation. It is not for the faint-hearted or the easily swayed, but for those who endure. How many have begun well, only to falter when opposition came? How many have been lured away by the siren song of worldly pleasures, only to forfeit the blessings reserved for the faithful?

We live in a day when many cry for freedom but reject the very truth that would grant it. They speak of liberty but remain in bondage, for “whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” (John 8:34) True freedom is not found in the absence of restraint but in the presence of truth. It is a freedom that comes only to those who walk the narrow way, who refuse to bow to the pressures of this world and instead hold fast to the eternal Word of God.

Paul warns us: “In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves... having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) The road ahead is not without cost, but it is the only road that leads to life. We must be prepared to face enemies, to endure temptations, and to bear afflictions. But oh, the joy that awaits those who endure! For they shall stand in the liberty wherewith Christ has made them free—free from the chains of sin, free from the lies of the enemy, free from the fleeting pleasures of this world.

The question, then, is simple: will we continue? Will we press on, when the world mocks and scorns, when the enemy whispers defeat, when the flesh cries out for comfort? The truth has not changed, and neither has its reward. Christ calls us still to abide in His Word, to be His disciples indeed. And to those who do, He promises freedom—glorious, unshakable freedom.

Let us, then, resolve to stand firm, knowing that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) Let us endure, for “he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) And let us rejoice, for the truth has made us free—free indeed.

O, what a moment it will be—when Time, with all its fleeting pleasures and fleeting sorrows, bows its weary head and gives place to Eternity! The world, for all its boasting, has weighed itself on unjust scales. Men cry out for justice, yet the scales are tipped by greed, ambition, and the shifting sands of public opinion. But there is a day coming, a day that no man can postpone nor escape, when heaven itself will set all things right.

“The just LORD is in the midst thereof; He will not do iniquity: every morning doth He bring His judgment to light, He faileth not” (Zephaniah 3:5). The justice of man is but a shadow, and often a dim one at that. But the justice of God is perfect and pure, untainted by the corruption of human hands. The great day of reckoning, the day when the Lord Himself shall weigh every deed and every heart, is not merely a future event to be feared—it is the great hope of the saints! For on that day, all wrongs shall be made right, and the unjust scales of earth will crumble beneath the righteous judgment of heaven.

Imagine it—Time, that relentless taskmaster, finally yielding to Eternity! What are the schemes of man in the face of such a moment? The applause of this world fades into nothing when the trumpet sounds, and all nations are summoned before the Throne. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Every secret sin, every hidden motive, will be laid bare under the piercing gaze of a holy God.

But to the faithful, this day holds no terror. For we know that our Judge is also our Redeemer. His scales are true, and though we have nothing of our own to offer, Christ’s righteousness tips the balance in our favor. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). How then shall we fear, when He who holds the scales also holds us?

Yet, let us not grow complacent. For the day is near, and every hour brings us closer to that final judgment. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). There is no room for half-hearted devotion in a world where Eternity hangs in the balance. The things of earth—riches, fame, power—will count for nothing on that day. Only what is done for Christ will endure when the fire tests the gold and burns the chaff.

Beloved, let us live with Eternity stamped on our eyes! This life is but a vapor, a fleeting breath, and soon we shall stand before the King. O, what a moment that will be—when Time gives place to Eternity, and heaven’s scales bring final justice! The world may mock, it may scoff at the thought of such a day, but as surely as the sun rises, it will come. And when it does, may we be found faithful, standing not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ.

Until then, let us labor for the things that last. Let us cast off every weight and run the race with endurance, knowing that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). For when Time yields to Eternity, we shall see Him as He is, and in that moment, all the scales of this world will be set right forevermore.

One of the deadliest delusions in the Church today is the belief that one can be good enough, righteous enough, to earn a place in heaven by mere avoidance of open sin. Some sit in the pews week after week, comforted by their morality, their respectability, and their spotless reputation. But I say unto you, this is the most dangerous place to be—not outside the gates of heaven, but standing at the threshold, imagining you are already inside!

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). There is no safety in the notion that one’s sins are fewer or more hidden than another’s. Hell is not filled only with murderers and thieves; it is filled with those who never repented because they never believed they needed to. You may have never committed open, scandalous sins, but that does not mean your heart is clean before a holy God. “For all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

The tragedy of the modern Church is that many are deceived into thinking they are on their way to heaven because they are respectable citizens, faithful in church attendance, or generous in charity. But I say unto you, being a moral man does not make you a saved man. “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). You can walk in moral decency all the way to the gates of hell if you have not bowed your knee in true repentance before the cross of Christ.

It is not enough to avoid sin; we must be washed from it. It is not enough to imagine ourselves worthy; we must be made worthy by the blood of the Lamb. How many souls, respectable in the eyes of men, will stand before God on that dreadful day only to hear, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23)? Oh, the horror of realizing too late that what you thought was salvation was mere presumption!

The path to heaven is narrow, and few find it. The man who supposes he is going to heaven without examining his heart before the Lord is already in grave danger. As Paul admonished, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Do not trust in the outward appearance of righteousness. Lay your soul bare before the Lord, lest you be counted among the almost-saved, those who believed in their own goodness but never sought the true salvation that comes only through Christ.

If you would truly be saved, you must not only seek pardon for your sins but acknowledge your utter need for the Savior. You are not merely in need of forgiveness—you are in need of a new heart, a new life. Salvation is not merely a reprieve from punishment; it is a transformation of the soul. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Oh, let us tremble at the thought of being so close to the truth, yet never fully receiving it! Let us cry out with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

Oh, how the Church languishes, not from outright rebellion but from the slow, creeping negligence that eats away at her foundations! It is not the overt enemies that concern me most, but those who, through carelessness and apathy, open the door for error to waltz in unchallenged. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), and what a terrible indictment that is upon us today!

Consider how many now sit under the sway of error, not because the truth is hidden, but because they have chosen not to seek it! Like children swayed by rumors in the schoolyard, they lend their ears to every whisper against the faithful ministers of Christ, never pausing to ask, “Is this true?” They hear the objections of unbelievers against the holy Scriptures, and without the discipline of inquiry, they accept these lies as fact. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1), yet how seldom do we heed this command!

The enemies of the cross know well how to exploit this negligence. With every rumor, every doubt sown, they seek to weaken the resolve of God’s people. And we, instead of girding ourselves with truth, allow the lies to settle. “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). How near are we to that day, I wonder, when even the elect will be swayed if they do not stand firm!

Why do we so readily believe the slanders against our own? Why do we give such credence to the objections of those who know not the God we serve? Oh, it is a grievous thing to me that so many are led astray, not by thoughtful consideration, but by lazy acceptance of every worldly opinion! Our Lord warned us: “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). Yet how few take heed!

There is a price to be paid for this neglect, and it is no small one. For every soul that falls into error, there is a heart hardened, a conscience seared. And it began not with malice, but with indifference. We must awaken, Church! We must return to the Berean spirit, who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). We must test all things and hold fast to that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21), lest we, too, be swept into the flood of deception that is rising even now.

Brethren, I plead with you—do not be content with half-truths, with the easy acceptance of what the world says. Search the Scriptures, inquire of God, and let no slander or objection go unchallenged. For the hour is late, and we cannot afford to be careless in matters of eternal consequence.

Man, made in the image of the Almighty, has been gifted with affections that could soar as high as the heavens themselves. Yet, tragically, those very affections are often shackled to the fleeting pleasures of this world. We build our treasures here, where moth and rust doth corrupt (Matthew 6:19), and we cling to our comforts, while eternity calls us beyond the shallow shores of time. Oh, how the heart yearns for something more! But how rarely it breaks free from the chains of the temporal to pursue that one thing needful.

The tragedy of man is not that he desires too much, but that he desires too little. His heart, created for divine heights, settles for the lowlands of earth. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). Yet, what do we see? A generation that hungers for entertainment, for fame, for wealth, for everything but the kingdom of God! Christ’s solemn words still echo today: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Where is your treasure? What is the true object of your affection?

Beloved, if we would but awaken to the true purpose of our creation! We were made not for the trinkets of this world but for the glory of God. David cried, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life” (Psalm 27:4). This is the cry of a heart unchained, a heart that has found the one thing worth desiring—the presence of the Living God.

Oh, that we might obtain that rare and precious gift—a heart wholly surrendered, wholly aflame, wholly devoted to the most worthy object! For what greater tragedy could there be than to live with high affections and have them bound to the dust? What greater loss than to waste our days chasing after what perishes, while our eternal calling lies forgotten?

Christ calls us upward. He bids us to lay aside the trivial, the fleeting, the perishable, and to fix our eyes on Him. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). To pursue Him with all the heart, all the soul, all the mind, and all the strength—this is the heart’s true freedom! This is life abundant, life eternal!

We need a generation of saints who will break the bonds of this world’s distractions, who will no longer confine their affections to earth but will seek with all their might that one thing needful. We need men and women who will cry with Paul, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Oh, to be set free from lesser loves! Oh, to be wholly His!

So let us pray. Pray for a heart set free. Pray for a heart that rejoices in giving its all to Him, the only One worthy of all we are and all we have. And may we, with joy, devote every affection, every power, and every moment to the pursuit of His glory.

For in the end, this is the one thing needful.

Many have sought the Lord with a hunger that could not be quenched by this world’s fleeting pleasures. They have found Him, and now they stand before Him, beholding the One they so earnestly pursued in life. Oh, what a glorious company they are! These saints of old, men and women of faith, now stand in His presence, where pain and sorrow dare not enter. They are with the Lamb, and He is with them. And where He is, that is the very place I desire to be.

Jesus said, “Where I am, there shall also my servant be” (John 12:26). Let this promise burn within our hearts, for it is no idle word, no distant dream. It is the declaration of the living God. Those who have truly served Him, who have denied themselves, taken up their cross, and followed Him, shall surely be where He is. But this call demands everything. It is not for the half-hearted or the double-minded. Christ does not promise His presence to those who seek Him with lukewarm devotion. No, He has said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

Look at the saints who have gone before us! They sought Him in the wilderness, in the fiery furnace, in the lion’s den. Their hearts were fixed on one thing—to be where He is. They were pilgrims on this earth, strangers in a foreign land, because their citizenship was in heaven. “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:14). They lived as if heaven was more real than the earth beneath their feet. And now, they see the face of God.

Oh, that we would long for heaven with the same zeal! That we would not be content with mere religious duty, but that our hearts would cry out with the psalmist: “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee” (Psalm 73:25). If heaven holds nothing but Christ, it is enough! If I never lay eyes on its streets of gold or the river of life, yet if I see Him, that is heaven enough for me!

We must live now with eternity in our hearts. Too many have their eyes fixed on the temporary, the fleeting joys of this present age. But, my friend, if you do not long for Him now, what makes you think you will long for Him then? If you do not follow Him in this life, how can you expect to be with Him in the next? Christ calls us to follow, and it is those who follow Him, through trials and tears, through suffering and sacrifice, who will be where He is.

Let us be men and women of eternity. Let the things of earth grow dim, and let our hearts be set on the eternal. For where He is, there shall His servant be also. And I, for one, will not rest until I am with Him, in the glory of His presence, forever.

How terrible it is to die without repentance! The impenitent man—whose ears were once deaf to the gospel, whose heart was cold to Christ—will one day seek the very Savior he rejected, only to find that his cries fall upon a closed heaven. What horror awaits the soul that once disregarded mercy, now yearning to be where Christ is, but finding Him unsearchable!

Consider the solemn words of our Lord: “Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity” (Luke 13:26-27). Imagine the terror of hearing those words—spoken by the One whose name you knew, whose gospel you heard, but whose mercy you spurned.

Oh, how dreadful it will be for the lost to see Christ—yet from afar! To glimpse the very One who once extended the hand of grace, but now is deaf to their cries. It is written, “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:23). There will be no bridge to cross, no second chance to draw near to the Savior who was once so near to them in life.

Let the living take heed! “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). There is a day of grace—a season in which Christ calls, and men may yet answer. But know this: there is coming a day when the door will be shut, when the sinner will seek but not find, and when mercy will be beyond reach.

Oh, how blind is the heart that presumes upon grace! To die unrepentant is to die with the weight of eternity pressing down, to awaken to the dreadful realization that Christ—once the Merciful—now stands as Judge, with no ear to hear and no hand to save. “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17).

Let every soul tremble at the thought: to be distant from Christ for eternity, to see Him and yet never reach Him. If there is breath in your lungs, repent now, for the hour is late, and the day of salvation will soon be no more. “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

Oh, to have eyes unclouded by the fleeting concerns of this world and fixed instead upon the Father of Lights, “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). How seldom do we, His children, keep our gaze where it truly belongs! The world beckons with its glittering distractions, and far too often, we heed its call. But how much sweeter to be led by His hand alone, to walk in His ways, and to have no other guide but His holy will.

The Psalmist knew this well when he cried, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32:8). What a privilege, dear saints, to be directed by the One who sees all, who holds all time in His hands, and who has already declared the end from the beginning. There is no confusion in His plan, no mistake in His timing. His purposes are perfect, and His paths are peace, though they lead through fire or flood.

Yet how often do we falter, losing sight of Him in the fog of our own desires. We chart our own course, thinking it wiser than the ancient paths He has set before us. But, oh, how wrong we are! “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Better to be a humble servant, guided by the Master’s will, than a self-assured captain sailing toward destruction.

Let us, then, set our faces like flint toward heaven. Let His favor be our greatest joy, as it was for the Son, who declared, “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29). And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not (Galatians 6:9).

Beloved, the times and seasons are His. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). So may we live as those who understand the times, discerning the hour in which we live, and walking with an urgency that matches eternity’s call. For soon, very soon, the Bridegroom will come, and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching.

Fix your eyes, then, upon the Father. Let His will be your compass and His favor your prize. And when that day comes, when we shall stand before Him and give account, may we hear the only words that matter: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

At such a time as this, when the mighty and wealthy gather their strength in rebellion against the Son of God, I say to you—let us not stand among the undecided! These are days of compromise, when the powerful align themselves against Christ, when men of great influence mock His holy name, and the crowds cheer them on in their blasphemies. And yet, far more troubling than the scoffers are the silent ones—the undecided, the fainthearted, those who dare not speak His name for fear of losing favor with men.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:1-3). Do you see the picture? The rulers of this world have taken counsel against the Almighty. But let me ask you, O child of God—on whose side will you stand? For there are no neutral souls in this war. The very rocks will cry out if we do not!

The time has come for clear choices, for the days of wavering are over. We must no longer be ashamed to acknowledge Him, no longer whisper His name when the world shouts in rebellion. “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). Is this not a fearful warning? That He, the King of Glory, would be ashamed of us on the day when He returns? And why? Because we were ashamed of Him in the eyes of this world!

Shall we then choose the fleeting applause of men over the eternal praise of our Master? Will you, dear reader, be counted among those who stood firm, who would rather suffer with Christ than reign with the world? “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Let the rich and the great gather themselves against the Lord; they have made their choice. But as for us, we shall choose the side of the Lamb, though it be the narrow path, though it lead to the cross, for there is no crown without the cross. We cannot love Him in secret and deny Him in the public square. “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place... but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light” (Luke 11:33). If your faith is hidden, dear soul, it is no faith at all.

Now is the time to rise, to speak, to declare without shame or fear that Christ is Lord, even when the world mocks. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The world may rage, but it cannot overthrow the throne of the Almighty. The kings of the earth may plot in vain, but He who sits in the heavens shall laugh at their folly. Will you stand with Him in that day?

This is the call: to stand unashamed, unflinching, unwavering. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). Let us declare it boldly, for the hour is late, and the King is coming soon.

Will you be ready?