Gary and I were on vacation the last couple of weeks. We traveled on interstate, county roads, state highways, gravel and rock roads. We understand forks in the road literally. Over the years- we’ve tried to think of each of these forks as an adventure- they don’t all turn out quite like we planned. For instance on our honeymoon, we journeyed up a mountain called Rams Horn. We took a road that led to a great view; we could almost touch the top of the pine trees growing far beneath us as we reached looked over the edge at the end of the road. We discovered as looked around that we were in a place that we could not get turned around. Gary had to back up the pick-up almost a mile down the mountain before there was a wide place in the road. It definitely was an adventure and one he said he doesn’t want to repeat! We chose the wrong fork…
When we come to a fork in the road, a decision has to be made. Even by not making one- you end up somewhere- offroad where you don’t want to be. Decisions are hard. They all require movement. You can’t just stay in one place.
In Revelations14:6-13 you will see that it is decision time; this is a Fork in the Road decision time. John sees three angels with three messages that he shares with his readers.
The first angel is bringing us the good news! God almost always brings the positive message out before the negative one. The angel brought the eternal gospel- to all people, every nation, tribe and language. There was no one excluded, he wanted everyone to hear this message- it wasn’t only for John and the apostles, or for the Jewish people or only for gentiles, but for every living soul on planet earth. This is the last chance for anyone still sitting on the fence, still looking at the fork in the road and trying to decide which way to go.
The gospel is the Good News that saves everyone who believes! That’s the best news ever! God provided the answer for our sin, for our corruption, for our moral failures, for our backsliding… He sent His Son to take our place in the punishment that is rightly ours. Jesus never sinned, yet He was crucified for your sins, and my sins, for all humankind’s sin. So, when the angel in Revelation says his message is for everyone- he echoes the truth that John himself wrote down from Jesus words to Nicodemus, “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
As the angel proclaims this message, He says, fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. The hour of judgement has come- here is the fork in the road decision time. The hour of judgement has come. As the end of time draws to a close- the time for choosing Jesus and life with Him forever is running out. The end is in sight. The followers of Christ choose the heavenly route; even though it has been a hard rock path- in the end it will be TOTALLY worth it all!
Even in this life- living as believers is way better than living the life of emptiness and despair. Even when the bad guys seem to have the upper edge- they are missing so much love, joy and peace in their lives. They are missing life made new and free from sin and death. They only have this life and then they die- For believers we have the assurance of a life with Jesus now- and life forever with him in eternity! Even when life is tough- Christ is with us and will see us through each and every challenge. During the end times- during even our present difficult times- we must hold fast and stay on that road to heaven and help those that find themselves stuck in the muck and the mire between the forks or have started down the other side
The 2nd angel’s message is short: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” This angel is bringing good news to those that have been suffering under the evil of the times- the home and reign of the antichrist is finished.
The last angel proclaims a 2 part message- These people have made their “fork in the road decision” choosing the way to hell. They have chosen to follow the beast. They have chosen the road focused on themselves and not on a relationship with Jesus. Jesus said we can’t have it both ways- there is no sitting on the fence- there is no third choice. There is no ‘next time.’
We don’t know the day or the time that we will face death. Jesus said we need to put Him first, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” All these things will be given to the believer- life forever, the Holy Spirit’s power to fill us and make us new in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:17-18. We can choose the heaven fork in the road. We can make that choice before it is too late. And when we do- we experience new life in Christ.
The 2nd part of the last angel’s message is a message of assurance to the faithful during the end times. It is a message to each believer even now. When a believer dies, they die in the Lord. Their spirit will be immediately with Jesus- we have that assurance- as we choose the heaven fork in the road- and continue down that path- we can know victory.
Jesus is returning to take care of all the evil and injustice in this world. He will conquer and He will win. When we are Jesus followers we have that assurance- we can rest from our labors and know that we made the right choice- there’s no turning back- no regrets!
There are only 2 options- heaven or hell. It’s time to make a decision. Get past your fear—take the fork that leads to heaven and discover what is just around the corner!
