Unfortunately, one day the door is going to be closed to those who've made no preparation for the Final Day. There is a lot of skepticism and debate regarding the Second Coming. But the Bible references it 318 times, making it clear that it should not be taken lightly. The early church saw the Second Coming as a great comfort. It was only after then that it became a debatable and often dreaded subject. Are you asleep spiritually? Are you prepared for the Lord's Second Coming?

"How many times must I fogive my brother?" We often ask this question, at least within ourselves. The questions we should be asking are "How much baggage am I going to carry? How long am I going to hold onto grudges?" After all, we don't have control over other people's actions. We do have control over ourselves.First, the Bible commands that we forgive others in patient kindness: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Eph. 4:31-32)Secondly, my ability to be forgiven by the Lord is determined by my ability to forgive others: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15) That is a sobering thought, especially when we consider our debt to God is enormous when compared to others' debts to us. We must learn the "fine art" of forgiveness by modeling forgivers in the Bible. Jesus showed ultimate forgiveness when He cried out while crucified, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). It should also be noted that they had not asked for forgiveness. Stephen in Acts 7: 59-60 "And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”Although we may never forget the wrongs done to us, forgiveness is the art of acting as though it/they never happened. Forgiving others lightens the heart and soul of the forgiver.

Jesus used parables to the hearts of His listeners. The parables of the mustard seed and yeast in Matthew 13 are parallel parables because they both emphasize the remarkable spread of the kingdom of heaven: The Mustard Seed (Mt 13:31-32)I. The Importance of Little ThingsA cup of cold water, sitting with someone who is sick, raking leaves or taking food to a shut-in, playing Bingo with someone in the nursing home...in our world of "big and better," we forget the importance of little things.Jesus used the example of the mustard seed on another occasion to describe one's faith (Matt. 17:20)II. Small BeginningsIt only takes one tiny mustard seed or a bit of yeast to do a lot of good. With this simple parable, Jesus offers encouragement to that small band of disciples following Him over the hills of Palestine. They would be a part of something that would grow and bless the world immensely. What influence do we have on those around us?III. Branches of the Treekingdom of God is certainly a blessing to all who take refuge in its "branches"To those seeking rest for their weary souls, the King offers His tender invitation to come to Him and enter His kingdom of rest (Matt. 11:28-30).The Leaven (Mt 13:33)I. Yeast Does Its Work from WithinThis parable describes "leaven" as a positive forceBut remember, "leaven" is also used to illustrate that which is harmful: 1) The "leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" - Lk. 12:1 2) That which is a corrupting force, and needs to be purged - 1 Cor. 5:6-8II Yeast Has Changing QualitiesWhat influence do you have on coworkers, fellow students, or neighbors? Spouses and children?III. Yeast Works Contagiously (until the whole is leavened)"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (I Cor. 15:58)

In John 10:10, Jesus explains Satan's motives: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." It truly is good news that Jesus has come to give us abundant life, but it doesn't come without opposition. According to George Barna, while most Americans believe in the existence of God, 60 percent would say that Satan is not a real being, but merely a symbol of evil. Satan is happy with you thinking this way, as he would rather you live unaware of what his intentions are.From the world's standards, Job had everything. We mistakenly think of health and wealth as blessings from God. But that's not always the case. Health and wealth can be Satan's most potent weapons. If I am caught up in the temporary, then I have no time for the eternal. Philip Yancey says in A Hunger for God, "The greatest enemy of a hunger for God is not poison, but apple pie. It's not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but the endless nibbling at the table of the world. It's not the x-rated video but the prime time dribble of triviality we drink in every night and, for all the ill that Satan can do, his most deadly weapons are not the poisons of evil, but the simple pleasures of earth. They're your basic meat and potatoes: Coffee and gardening, reading and decorating, traveling, investing, TV watching, internet surfing, shopping, exercising, and collecting. All these things can be deadly weapons in the hands of Satan.1. If Satan can convince you that there is no hurry, he is happy. Distraction is his best weapon. 2. If he can't distract me, he intends to destroy me with suffering. God becomes the brunt of the blame for suffering in the world.3. Satan uses wicked people as tools to further his plans. (ex. Job and his "friends") 4. Although you will have people that Satan will use to destroy your faith, your real enemy is Satan himself.But always remember, God is more powerful than Satan;God is omnipotent but Satan's power is limitedGod is omnipresent: he can be everywhere at once, Satan cannotGod is omniscient: his knowledge and wisdom is infinite, Satan's is limited. Most importantly, Jesus wins and is triumphant over the Evil One. And in Him we have hope for abundant life.

The Bible warns us in John 8:44 that Satan is the father of all lies. In John 10:10, Jesus refers to Satan as a "thief that comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy." He is a schemer, masquerading as an "angel of light." From Genesis 3:1-7, we see three characteristics of Satan that should keep us on guard:1. He appears unexpectedly. 2. He appeals seductively. Satan questions what God has said in order to put doubt in our minds, then contradicts His Word. Satan appeals to physical senses: The fruit looked good for food; He appeals to intellectual pride: Eating the fruit would make her wise; He appeals to the emotional senses: She would be more important and be like God. Satan can make materialism, extra marital affairs, and selfishness look attractive.3. Satan argues selectively. He specializes in half-truths.Satan advertises 5% lie, 95% truth in order to rationalize sin. This is why he is said in 2 Cor. 11:14 to masquerade as an "angel of light."

Dr. Bradley concludes his discussion on Jesus' teaching concerning being judgmental.

Dr. Bradley continues his discussion on Jesus' teaching concerning being judgmental.Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. If we would only stop to consider Jesus' warning, there would be no prejudice. Yet we all fall short to some extent. Let's examine the root of the problem of being prejudiced, or judging others, in order to find out how we can stop it.I. When we judge others:We find something aout them we don't likeWe examine the externalsWe form critical opinionsWe jump to innacurate conclusionsWe stick a label on themII. Why is it wrong?Because we are never able to know all the factsBecause we are never able to know all the hidden motives Because of these we are never able to be completely free of prejudiceIII. How to break this bad habitExamine yourself before examining othersConfess your own faults before confronting others about their faultsUnderstand people's struggles and be gentle in confronting wrongsRemember the goal is restoration, not probation! Ex. How father treated the prodigal son

Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. If we would only stop to consider Jesus' warning, there would be no prejudice. Yet we all fall short to some extent. Let's examine the root of the problem of being prejudiced, or judging others, in order to find out how we can stop it.I. When we judge others:We find something aout them we don't likeWe examine the externalsWe form critical opinionsWe jump to innacurate conclusionsWe stick a label on themII. Why is it wrong?Because we are never able to know all the factsBecause we are never able to know all the hidden motives Because of these we are never able to be completely free of prejudiceIII. How to break this bad habitExamine yourself before examining othersConfess your own faults before confronting others about their faultsUnderstand people's struggles and be gentle in confronting wrongsRemember the goal is restoration, not probation! Ex. How father treated the prodigal son

20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."We all know the fluid state of material things. You can have it all one day and lose it the next: Stockmarket crashes. A house burns. Someone robs your house. You lose your job and have to downsize. Jesus warns us not to put our focus on the material things of this world but, instead, to place spiritual things first.Jesus says in Matt. 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." Simply put, Jesus will not accept second place in your life. Remember the rich young ruler who wanted to follow Jesus, but when asked to put Him first, he "was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property."Notice how Jesus transitions from a discussion on material things in verses 19-25 to addressing worry. Worry means to be distracted. It is an enemy to the Lord's work because it takes our focus away from Him.Jesus wants us to live our lives completely devoted to His work. In doing so, we must put Him first and live one day at a time. In summary, Jesus outlines the following points in Matt. 6:1. A Brief Analysis of WorryWorrying is a distraction - it gets in the way of serving the Lord. Ex. Luke 10: Mary and Martha. Martha was distracted by food preparations when Mary was focused on what Jesus really wanted: fellowship. Let's face it - if worrying would benefit us, the Lord would have commanded us to do it. II. Jesus' Counsel to WorriersMatt. 6:19-21: "Don't lay up treasures on earth...Don't fix your attention on the horizontal...you cannot serve two masters at once"Jesus doesn't want us to become a "what if" personIII. Jesus' Penetrating Questions"Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (v.25)"Aren't you worth more than birds? (v.26)"Which of you by worrying can increase your lifespan?" (v.27)"Why are you anxious about clothing?" (v. 28)Won't God do much more for you than He does for the grasses of the fields? (v.28)IV. Jesus' Strong ConclusionsThose who worry model the lifestyle of the pagan (v.32)Those who worry presume that God forgets and doesn't careV. Our Relief from WorryGet your priorities right - the Lord won't settle for second placeStop living more than one day at a time, v.34 (Don't cross the river till you get to the bridge!)