Hello, everyone.  Glad you could
join us today for another broadcast of the Resounding Shophar Blast!  The last couple weeks we looked at the signs and
the need for us to be paying attention to the signs indirectly pointing to the
return of Jesus for us, His Bride, the Church, His followers.  As I’ve mentioned in earlier broadcasts, my
heart is first to remind Christians that Jesus is coming back at any time, and
that they need to make sure they are ready when that time comes.  Today, I want to look at one of many reasons
some Christians will not be ready when the time of Jesus’ return takes place.

When someone is expecting something to take place, how much they
believe it will happen is seen in their preparation for it.  For example, if a person is excited about
attending a football game where their favorite team is playing for the
championship, they will be sure they have the proper attire for the event
cleaned and ready, they will make sure the car is fueled up and ready to go,
and that they have enough cash to pay for the $1,000 hot dogs being sold
there.  Or, if someone is waiting to be
picked up by a friend to attend a birthday party for their best friend, they
will make sure they are dressed and ready to go, that the present they are
taking to the party is boxed and wrapped up with a nice bow, and they will be
all ready to simply walk out the door when their friend arrives.  In the same way, if a person is expecting
Jesus to arrive at any moment, they will be sure to do all they can to be ready
when that event takes place.

This picture of followers of Christ being ready when Jesus returns for
us is seen in the parable of the ten virgins located in Matthew 25:1-13.  In this parable, there are ten virgins,
Christians who are waiting and expecting the bridegroom to return for them, but
only five of them were wise in making sure they were adequately prepared when
that time came.  The five foolish virgins
had not taken the initiative to make sure they were prepared for that time, and
as a result they were left behind and were refused entrance to the wedding
festivities.  So, what could keep someone
from being ready when Jesus returns for us? 
There are any number of reasons that this could be the case, but I want
to look at one reason a person may find that they were not ready when they
needed to be.

I realize that this is a controversial issue within Christian circles,
but nonetheless it must be mentioned, and that is the idea that a Christian’s eternal
destination is forever sealed at the point of salvation, where they surrendered
their lives to Jesus.  In other words, we
are talking of those who don’t believe that a Christian can “lose” their
salvation, a dangerous teaching that is putting many at risk of falling short
of eternity in heaven with Jesus.  I
first want to mention that I don’t believe everyone that believes this train of
thought is not going to heaven, but rather that those who do run the risk of
not being ready when the time of Jesus’ return comes.

Why would the teaching that Christians can not lose their salvation be
a dangerous one for people to embrace? 
Well, the reason is really quite simple. 
If they believe their eternal home has already been sealed and is
non-revocable, then it becomes very easy for someone to slack off and not take
their relationship with Jesus seriously. 
And if a person isn’t taking their relationship as seriously as they
ought, then they are more apt to allow unconfessed sin to continue in their
life, or to put something or someone other than Christ on the throne of their
heart,