Revelation 21:1 – 22:21

August 27, 2013

It is finished! Eternal heaven is about to begin. There is a new heaven and a new earth. There is a new Jerusalem that descends from heaven. There will no longer be a "cloud" of God's presence (like there was when God protected and led His people from their bondage in Egypt) because God Himself will be there with His people. Oh what a day! To be in the presence of the LORD God Almighty Himself!! 

Revelation 21:4 - "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because the old ways are gone." The One on the throne said, "Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted."

"It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. Those who win the victory will receive this, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards (KJV - fearful), those who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies—all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:6–8

The key to knowing God is found in the word I have underlined. You have to be thirsty. His water of life is available to anyone who wants it, but you have to want it. You have to desire it as if you were in a hot dry desert and desperately needing water to survive. If you sincerely want to know God and know more about God, He WILL show you Himself. God has never turned away an honest seeker. NEVER! When you seek Him, you will find Him. It is a promise from God that cannot be broken. 

There is no need for a temple in the New Jerusalem. The Almighty God and the Lamb are the temple. The city doesn't need a sun or moon because God is the light and the Lamb is the lamp. No thing or no one else is needed. We will walk in the light of God and the Lamb. There is no darkness there. There is no sin. Revelation 21:27 - "Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter the city."

The river of the water of life flows through the city. It flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The tree of life is on each side of the river. Nothing that God judges guilty will be there. Evil is forever gone. Surrounding the throne of God and the Lamb is God's servants—you and me—and we are worshiping the Lord God Almighty. Songs of praise are popping into my mind: I Can Only Imagine; What a Day That Will Be; The Cross Was Enough (Jesus, Son of God); How Great Thou Art.

Jesus as Lord says:

"Listen!  I am coming soon!... Obey my words!"

And again He says:

"Listen! I am coming soon! I will bring my reward with me, and I will repay each one of you for what you have done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End. I, Jesus have sent my angel to tell you these things for the churches. I am the descendant from the family of David, and I am the bright Morning Star."

The Spirit and the bride (that's us) say,

"Come!"

Let the one who hears this say,

"Come!"

Let whoever is thirsty,

"Come!"

Revelation 22:17 - "Whoever wishes may have the water of life as a free gift."

Revelation 22:20–21 - "Jesus, the One who says these things are true says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen."

*****

There is no more to say. The Cross of Jesus is enough. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Come!


Next Entry: The Journey: Part Two 

Revelation 17:1–18

August 21, 2013

God made us in His image. His plan was for us to live in fellowship with Him, but the sin of Adam and Eve changed all of that. Because of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins we have each been given a choice. We can choose to live in fellowship with Him—OR—we can choose to prostitute ourselves and align our life and actions with the evil one that is against God.

If we aren't in fellowship with God, we are aligned with what is against God. There is no middle ground. It really is one or the other. 

Revelation 17 describes an evil world system which is hostile towards God. This system had prostituted itself away from Truth and appeared to be in control. However, while evil may appear to be in control, the "control" is only temporary. God is in control and the final victory is His. Revelation 17:14 - "They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. He will defeat them with his called, chosen, and faithful followers."

This is referring to the final battle, but it is truth in ALL areas and ALL times. People will battle against us, but Isaiah 54:17 says:

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness is from Me,"
Says the LORD.

The Message says it this way (Isaiah 54:11–17)

"Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I'm about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, lay your foundations with sapphires, construct your towers with rubies, your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones. All your children will have God for their teacher—what a mentor for your children! You'll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble—nothing to fear! Far from terror—it won't even come close! If anyone attacks you, don't for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer—but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best." God's Decree.

God is in charge. He used wicked kings in the Old Testament to accomplish His will. He can take any situation, even what appears to be disastrous, and make the end result His will. Revelation 17:17 - "God made the ten horns want to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give the beast power to rule, until what God has said comes about." (Emphasis mine)

Until! Evil thinks it is in control, but that is only until God says enough is enough. In the end ALL will know that Christ alone is King of kings and LORD of all lords.

"We should not be surprised when the righteous suffer.  It conforms us to the image of Christ. It gives us power in witness. It instills the valuable strength of God-sufficiency and reduces the risk in our ministry for God. It refines us to make us capable and usable. It catches the attention of a watching world so that God's glory may be seen as He becomes credible and visible through our suffering. It may even be used in a sphere far beyond ourselves to glorify God in the universe. 

Don't pity the righteous who suffer. They have a divine edge. Their resource in pain is the reality that God is there and they only experience what He permits. And all that he permits is guaranteed by the kind of God He is. The righteous suffer with the knowledge that Christ has conquered and gives grace, growth, and glory in the midst of pain." ~ From The Upside of Down by Joseph M. Stowell 

Powerful, powerful, words that we can absolutely attest to from personal experience. Suffering should not be avoided, denied, or ignored. It should instead be embraced. It is during times of suffering that God molds us into becoming more like Him.


Next Entry: Revelation 18:1–24

Revelation 13:1–18 (Continued)

August 09, 2013

In Jane's KJV Bible, Scofield lists the cosmic principles of Satan.

• Force
• Greed
• Selfishness
• Ambition
• Pleasure

They all boil down to one thing: The love of self above the love of God and a violation of God's very first commandment. Self = Master instead of Jesus = Master. 

The love of self and the promotion of self ALL end in naught. Those who refuse to surrender to Christ are in the end forced to surrender to the beast/Satan. Jesus won't force us to surrender to Him. Christ offered Himself as the final sacrificial Lamb and He offers us full forgiveness and undeserved grace. Offers, but does not force. He gives us every opportunity to accept His free gift of salvation, but He will not force us to accept it.

Satan on the other hand will throw everything in your path to keep you from surrendering to Christ. He will appear to be the answer, but later the truth will be exposed and he will FORCE you to become his slave and worship him.

TODAY, while there is still time, change your hearts and lives and surrender your love of self to Master Jesus.


Next Entry: Revelation 14:1 – 15:8

Revelation 13:1–18

August 08, 2013

The Holy Trinity       
God the Father                
Jesus the Son                  
Holy Spirit

The Unholy Trinity     
The Dragon—Satan
The Beast—The Antichrist
2nd Beast—False Prophet

The dragon stood on the seashore and a beast came up out of the sea. On it was a name against God. The Dragon/Satan gave the Beast/Antichrist all his power, his throne, and great authority.

Satan is a counterfeiter. He always attempts to counterfeit the real thing—God and the Holy Trinity. To counterfeit THE Christ, the Antichrist had a mortal wound that was healed. The whole world was amazed by this and they followed after him and worshiped the beast and the dragon.

Revelation 13:5 - "The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God, and it was allowed to use its power for forty-two months."  It used its mouth to:

• Speak against God
• Speak against God's name
• Speak against the place where God lives
• Speak against all those who live in heaven

The beast had the power to war against God's people and to defeat them. He controlled every tribe, people, language, and nation. All the people whose name was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life worshiped him. BUT! The Lamb is the One who died for our salvation. The beast could/can only do what he is allowed to do, and his power is only allowed for a set period of time. God's will is God's will. Try as he might, there is nothing Satan can do to circumvent it.

Revelation 13:9 - "Anyone who has ears should listen." Now is the time to listen. 

"If you are to be a prisoner,
     then you will be a prisoner.
If you are to be killed with the sword, 
     then you will be killed with the sword.
This means that God's holy people must have patience and faith." 

Then a second beast came. This time it came from the earth. It looked like a lamb (again, trying to look like and counterfeit the Holy Trinity) but it spoke like a dragon. It had the same power as the first beast. Its purpose is to have people worship the beast/dragon. It/he performs miracles, even calling fire down from heaven to earth while people watched. (This time trying to counterfeit what Elijah did.) Revelation 13:14 - "It fools those who live on earth by the miracles it has been given the power to do."

Imagine how easy it will be for people to be fooled. Most people have heard "the stories" in the Bible. The world goes through tremendous tribulations, wars, disasters, and chaos. Now what is happening sounds vaguely familiar. Is this what I heard about as a child? Is this God? You can see how people will be easily fooled.

The whole purpose of the second beast/false prophet is not to just promote the Antichrist, but to force all people to worship the Antichrist/Satan. If anyone refused to worship the beast he had the authority to have them killed. The false prophet also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free or slave, ALL people to have a mark on their right hand or forehead. Without that mark you cannot buy or sell anything. Total dominance. Total control.

All the people who were unwilling to surrender to Master Jesus and accept his free gift of salvation are now forced to be a slave and worship the false Antichrist. Forced! What deep sadness I feel when I think about those who chose to reject God's lamb and refused to surrender their lives. Because of their choice they are now slaves to Satan and they subjected to cruelty and a nightmare that is only beginning. It makes me want to do ALL I can do to make sure the sphere of people within my influence have ALL the knowledge and every opportunity to accept Christ's free gift. There is just nothing more important than that. Nothing.

It used to be hard to fathom how the logistics of what John says the false prophet would have the power to do could possibly happen. How could people be forced to have a mark? How could the buying and selling process possibly be controlled? But now, with the advancement of technology, you can see how this could so easily happen. Almost no one uses cash any more. We drive under the toll road entrances and it automatically "reads" our information. The world economic system could be taken over so easily, and it probably won't even look like a hostile take over.

Oh LORD, the Church needs to wake up!! We as believers need to wake up! Whether Christ's return is today, tomorrow, or hundreds of years from now—time is short. Surrender to Master Jesus today!!

Addendum: 11/1/23 ~ 2020 showed us what we couldn’t have imagined. The world wide reaction and COVID rules and shutdowns revealed how total control could be forced upon us all. 


Next Entry: Revelation 13:1–18 (Continued)

Revelation 12:1–18

August 07, 2013

Revelation 12 symbolizes the conflict between God and Satan. It's a conflict that Satan doesn't and cannot win, but that does not stop him from trying to create havoc along the way.

God reveals (and John describes) a battle between a woman and a giant red dragon. The woman represents God's plan for man's salvation through the birth and death of Jesus. The red dragon represents Satan. Satan was determined to stop God's plan for salvation before it even began. The dragon "stood in front of the woman who was ready to give birth so he could eat her baby as soon as it was born." His plan to destroy God's plan failed, and the child and the mother were protected by God.

I have a whole new appreciation for what Mary must have endured before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. I'd never really given much thought to how Mary's life was impacted by Satan's desire to thwart God's plan for salvation. Stopping God's plan for man's salvation was/is the driving force behind all of Satan's actions. Understanding this also gives us more perspective on how Jesus as God/man was the target of Satan's attacks. Jesus was God's Son and His plan for the salvation of man. It wasn't "just" the temptations in the desert, it would have been daily attacks. Satan would have been relentless and would have stopped at nothing—all to try and circumvent and prevent God's plan. He thought he was successful when Jesus was nailed to the cross, but Satan (praise the Lord) can never stop God's power. Since he couldn't thwart God's plan through Mary or Jesus, he has turned his attention to "man."

This should not bring us fear. When we are surrendered to Jesus we are protected by Him and Satan has no power over us. But, it sure does explain why Satan works so hard at keeping people blinded and ignorant to Truth. He knows God's Truth is what will set them free. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life..." (John 10:10)

Revelation 12:7 - "Then there was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back." The dragon and his angels cannot be a victor over God's angels, and the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven and were thrown out—down to earth. Then John heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God
     and the authority of his Christ have now come.
The accuser of our brothers and sisters,
     who accused them day and night before our God,
     has been thrown down.
And our brothers and sisters defeated him
     by the blood of the Lamb's death (First and most important)
     and by the message they preached.(and by the testimonies of His followers)
They did not love their lives so much  
     that they were afraid of death. (They were totally surrendered)
So rejoice, you heavens
     and all who live there!
But it will be terrible for the earth and the sea,
     because the devil has come down to you!
He is filled with anger,
     because he knows he does not have much time."
     (Revelation 12:10–12 ~ Emphasis and comments mine)

When the dragon/Satan realized he was thrown out of heaven he was angry and full of vengeance. He sought (seeks) to destroy anyone who is a follower of God, starting with the woman who gave birth to the Son. God prepared a place of safety for her, but still Satan did not give up. He poured water out of his mouth like a river to carry her away, "But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that came from the mouth of the dragon."

Satan doesn't take defeat lightly. He was very angry, "and he went off to make war against all her other children—those who obey God's commands and who have the message Jesus taught."

Obviously there is a lot of symbolism and deeper meanings here which I don't understand. But the bottom line is this:

• God is more powerful than Satan
• We know who wins the final battle
• God provides protection for His people
• To have that protection we must obey His commands (not just know them, we must OBEY them) and we must have the message that Jesus taught (not just head knowledge of Christ, we must HAVE a personal relationship with Christ).

Satan is defeated by the blood of Christ's death and (incredibly) by our testimonies. Our testimonies of God's salvation plays a role in defeating Satan's plan. What an incredible thought.

God is in control. Satan may try to wreck havoc, but he is not in control. We can depend on God for our strength, courage, and victory.

Addendum: 3/4/17 ~ I was thinking this morning about the length of time between Satan's success in getting Adam and Eve to believe they could assert their self-sufficiency over God's authority in the Garden of Eden to when God's plan of salvation culminated in the virgin birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Thousands of years passed between the downfall of man and the birth of Jesus. No wonder Satan was so adamant at trying to prevent the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. He thought his plan was working. Thousands of years had passed. 

Time is of NO importance. God's will—WILL happen and nothing can stop it. Now, thousands of more years have passed since the resurrection of Christ, and Satan is still trying to prevent as many people as possible from accepting God's plan of salvation.

The blood of Jesus defeated Satan's plans and our testimonies bear witness to his defeat. Satan has spent thousands and thousands of years trying to thwart God's plan of salvation and trying to prevent humanity from accepting it. No wonder there is such a battle. He wants God's position. He doesn't have the power to come up with his own creation so he tries to counterfeit God's position. He's relentless. He's determined. But no matter what he does, his ultimate defeat is guaranteed.

The end of the story is already written. The outcome is certain.

Revelation describes the battle. For a period of time Satan will have what he thinks is full control. He doesn't understand that God allows him only so much time and power. I take that back. I think he does know that God is in control, and it makes him angry and he fights back even more. BUT! There is coming a day when his rule of terror will permanently end and his eternity of punishment will begin.

On that day, on that planned day, all of creation will rejoice. God's will—WILL be done.

There is coming a day! Oh what a day that will be.  


Next Entry: Revelation 13:1–18

The Path to Salvation

February 10, 2017

All throughout scripture there is a recurring theme: Change your heart and life. But what exactly does that mean?

Our hearts are sinful by nature. Sin entered this world because of the actions of Adam and Eve. Eve chose to believe Satan's lie and she chose to go against the authority of God. Adam chose to follow her example and by doing so he also chose to disregard God's authority. They both chose to not listen to TRUTH and instead chose to listen to the lie. Because of their choices, all of mankind is now born with a bent towards sin.

You don't have to teach a child to lie, to take from others, or to say MINE! Mine—the original sin and the cause of most (if not all) other sin. I will be in control; I will get what I want; I will do what I want; and I want it so I will have it. Pride. It's all about "I."

P

R

S I N

D

E

Notice what letter intersects pride and sin. The letter "I." Notice also the shape created when pride and sin intersect. It is the shape of a cross.

In the Old Testament, God's very first commandment laid the foundation for all the others. Exodus 20:3 - "You shall have no other gods beside me." Nothing! Not ourselves, not others, not things—NOTHING. The first four commandments all deal with our relationship with God. The rest of the commandments all deal with our relationship with fellow man. Vertical commands: how we relate to God. Horizontal commands: how we relate to our fellow man. When you put a vertical line (｜) and a horizontal line ( ─ ) together you once again get the shape of a cross.

In the New Testament, Jesus gives us the Great Commandment. Matthew 22:37-38 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." Jesus teaches that it requires a change of heart and life to obey the Great Commandment. When our hearts are surrendered and when the sin which pride produces is confessed and repented of, we can then live the second part of the Great Commandment. Matthew 22:39 - "And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

P.r.I.d.e is what keeps us from obeying God's commandments and surrendering ourselves to His authority. Obedience requires a change of heart and life.

To change your heart and life doesn't mean you take a self-improvement course in an effort to become a better person. We can't do it on our own. No self-effort will ever be enough. The only remedy is the cross. God gave his Son Jesus to take the penalty for our sins. He lived, died, and was raised from the dead so that we might have eternal life.

To change your heart and life means:

• you understand you are a sinner;
• you admit you need a Savior;
• you repent of your sins and seek forgiveness; and 
• you surrender your life to Master Jesus. 

It's all about surrendering your life and being willing to follow HIS footpath wherever it leads. Salvation cannot be obtained through good works or by being or becoming a good person. There is only one path to Salvation, and that is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the price with His death on the cross. Because of His Grace, salvation is a free gift available to all mankind.

 

 

 

God's amazing gift of Grace can be yours. You don't have to change yourself. When you accept Jesus Christ as God's free gift of Salvation, HE will change your heart and life. HE will free you from the bondage of sin (which leads to eternal death); HE will give you the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation. When you follow the path God provided, you can be absolutely assured of your salvation.

Here is how you follow HIS footpath which leads to Salvation:

ADMIT you are a sinner and because of man's sinful nature you deserve eternal separation from God.  Romans 3:23 - "All have sinned and are not good enough for God's glory."

ACKNOWLEDGE it is only by His sacrificial Grace that you have been offered the free gift of Salvation.  Romans 5:8 - "But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners."  

BELIEVE by faith that God took on human form in the virgin birth of Jesus, and that although He was innocent of any sin, Jesus took on your sin and accepted death on a cross so you could choose eternal life.  John 3:16 - "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life."

ACCEPT by faith that God provided the final sacrificial lamb and that He raised that Lamb—His Son, Jesus Christ—from the dead.  HE has the ability to save you from a life of sin and eternal death when you believe and call upon Him.  Romans 10:13 - "Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved."   

CONFESS that Jesus is Lord.  Confess your sins and believe by faith that you are indeed saved.  Because of your confession, Christ Jesus through His Spirit now lives in you.  Romans 10:9-10 - "If you use your mouth to say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.  We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God.  And we use our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved."  

LIVE your new position. You are a child of the King. You are no longer guilty of the sins in your past. You are free from the penalty of sin. You are saved.  Romans 8:1 - "So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty."  

If you have never followed God's footpath to salvation, why not do it now?  You simply follow the path. Here is a prayer of confession. Read it. Think about it. If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior, consider sincerely praying this prayer. Make it your own.

Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I acknowledge it is only by Your Grace that Salvation is available to me. I believe You sent your Son Jesus Christ to be born of a virgin. I accept that Jesus died for my sins and that He arose three days later so that I might have eternal life. Lord, I confess to you my sins and I repent of them. Please forgive me by the blood you shed on the cross. Please change my heart and mind. Give me a new way of thinking through your Holy Spirit. With the Spirit's guiding, help me live my life in a way that is pleasing to you. I surrender ALL to you. I will follow you on Your footpath wherever it leads. Thank you, Jesus, for your promise of Salvation. Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life for me.  Amen.

If you've prayed this as your prayer of confession then Hallelujah! By faith, you have accepted God's free gift of Salvation. Praise the LORD!! I John 1:9 - "But if we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done." God is a promise keeping God. When He says He will—HE WILL!!

Now what?   

REMAIN in Him. Read His Word. Continue to grow. Obey His commands. Continue to surrender your will to His will. Get plugged in to a local church where a body of Believers will encourage you and hold you accountable. Tell others. Do what His Word says. At some point you will want to follow God's instructions on baptism as a symbol of your new faith. Doing all these things is not what brings you salvation because we cannot earn our salvation. You do these things because of your salvation.

RESULT: You have a changed heart and your life changes. You are not who you once were. You have a new way of thinking. Your desire is to follow the Master and not your own selfish pride. You choose to turn from the sinful nature you were born with and instead make decisions which are God-honoring. If you fall, you pick yourself back up and confess your failure. You repent of it and make amends if necessary. Your changed heart produces a changed life.

The only way to salvation is by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. If you have any questions or would like help in any way please contact me. I would love to help you. If you have prayed a prayer of repentance for the first time, please let me know. I would love to pray for you as you begin your own personal journey of:

 Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead) 

Still on the fence? Still deciding? Why? What on earth is worth risking your destiny for all of eternity? Don't wait any longer. Do it today while there is still time. A day of accountability IS coming. There IS a heaven and there IS a hell. Eternity IS at stake. Nothing on this temporary earth is worth holding onto at the risk of your eternal soul.

Pride keeps us from wanting to surrender. But while you are deciding understand this: You WILL be a servant or a slave to something. You will either be a servant to Master Jesus—a kind, loving, faithful, generous Savior, OR, you will be a slave to Satan—a conniving, lying thief, and destroyer. There is no middle ground. It IS one or the other.

There are only two paths with two very different end results. The path you choose to take determines your eternal destination. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but the truth is the TRUTH. What would be harsh is for me not to tell you the truth and to stand aside while knowing you were following a path that WILL lead to your destruction.

It is a decision only you can make. Jesus is waiting—but time is of the essence. There is a year, a month, a day, and an hour planned for when accountability WILL happen. No one will escape it. There is coming a day when our lives on this earth will be over and eternity will begin.

Change your heart and life. Surrender your will to HIS will. Follow the Path to Salvation. Do it today. The reward is eternal life. Obedience is a decision you will NEVER regret!

If you have any questions please contact me: walkingonhisfootpath@gmail.com


Next Entry: Revelation 10:1–11

Revelation 4:1 – 6:17

July 29, 2013

The visions continued. John looked and there before him was an open door in heaven. The same voice that spoke to him earlier said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this." (Revelation 4:1) Immediately, John was in the Spirit and he was before a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. The person sitting on the throne was The One, God Himself. With beauty, imagery, and details that we cannot fathom and are beyond human comprehension, John begins to describe what he saw—the Majesty of God as He is surrounded by elders, spirits, and creatures.

Day and night the creatures never stop saying:

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. 
     He was, he is, and he is coming."

"These living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever." (Revelation 4:8,9)

Then the 24 elders bow down before the One on the throne and they worship Him who lives forever and ever.  They lay their crowns down before him and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
     to receive glory and honor and power,
because you made all things.
     Everything existed and was made,
     because you wanted it."

It brings tears to my eyes to even imagine what it is going to be like to bow down before the presence of my Lord and God and to have the privilege of laying my crown down before Him and to worship The One who is worthy to receive ALL glory, ALL honor, ALL power, and ALL praise. No words will ever be enough to thank HIM for ALL He has done for us.  Oh, to be able to join with the throng saying:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.  He was, He is, and He is coming."

What an honor it will be to bow before King Jesus as He sits on His throne; to lay our crown down before Him unashamed; to know you were obedient to His voice on earth; knowing you sought to honor Him and please Him with your life and actions; and knowing you gave Him your all. Oh, what a day that will be. Memories of singing old hymns flood my mind.  O, That Will be Glory and What A Day That Will Be.

Then John saw a scroll in the right hand of The One sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides and was kept closed with seven seals. An angel asked, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" (Revelation 5:2) But there was no one (small "o") anywhere that was worthy. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth who could open it or look in it. John cried—hard— because there was no one who was worthy to open it.

Why would John have been so upset? I believe it was because he keenly felt the shortcomings of "man." We are not worthy—but JESUS is. The only one who is worthy is The One. One of the elders told John not to cry. Revelation 5:5 - "The Lion from the tribe of Judah, David's descendant, has won the victory so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

JESUS IS WORTHY!  He is worthy of ALL honor, ALL glory, ALL power, and ALL praise!


Next Entry: Revelation 4:1 – 6:17 (Continued)

Revelation 1:1–20

July 24, 2013

"This is the revelation (Truth) of Jesus Christ which God gave to him, to show his servants what must soon happen. And Jesus sent his angel to show it to his servant John, who has told everything he has seen. It is the word of God: it is the message from Jesus Christ." Revelation 1:1-2 (Emphasis and comments mine.)

God revealed truth to Jesus; Jesus sent His angel to tell his servant John; John wrote down everything he saw; and now the truth has been revealed to those who are the servants of Christ.

"Happy is the one who reads the words of God's message, and happy are the people who hear this message and do what is written in it. The time is near when all of this will happen." Revelation 1:3  

Happy is the person who reads the words of God's message; happy is the person who hears the message from Jesus Christ; and happy is the person who does what is written in it. Happy and blessed. Yet so many people do not read this message from Jesus because it seems daunting to them. God doesn't send His message of truth to us without also sending His Holy Spirit to explain it to us. While not everyone will understand all the symbolism (I certainly don't), Revelation is the message of Jesus and there is much we can all understand. Revelation is God's Word. It is the message of Jesus Christ. It is Truth. And it is for each one of His servants.

John records Jesus' message to the seven churches in Asia. John makes it clear this is not just him writing another letter. This message is from the LORD God Himself. Revelation 1:4b–5a - "The One who is (present) and was (past) and is coming (future)... and from Jesus Christ."

Jesus is the "faithful witness." He is the fulfillment of God's plan for redemption; He was the first among those raised from the dead; He is the ruler over the kings of the earth; and He is coming again. Revelation 1:5–6 - "He is the One who loves us, who made us free from our sins with the blood of his death." He is the One! It is because of Him that we can be servants of God. "To Jesus Christ be glory and power forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 1:5–6)

This isn't John's message. This is the message of Jesus. John was chosen to tell it because he was a faithful servant. He knew what it was to suffer for doing what was right. He was punished and sent in exile to the island of Patmos because he was preaching the word of God and spreading the message of Jesus.

It wasn't in spite of all that happened to John that God could use him. No. It was because of all that happened to him that God could use him. He was a faithful servant to God, and he was faithfully telling God's message. Because of that John was exiled on the island of Patmos. He was being punished, but he wasn't being punished by God. He was exactly where he was supposed to be. God took what was meant for John's harm and turned it to be used for the good of all mankind. God chose to reveal His truth to him while he was alone and separated from outside interruptions. Because John was faithful he was chosen to be the recipient of a Blessed Event. Thankfully, John did not keep all he experienced to himself. He wrote down all he saw and heard and shared it with the world.  

Revelation 1:7a - "Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds, and everyone will see him."

Everyone! Even those who witnessed His first crucifixion and those who have nailed him to the cross again by their refusal to submit to His authority. (Hebrews 6) Everyone!! Saint and sinner alike.

This is the first coming of Jesus where He comes in the clouds but does not descend all the way to the earth. The Holy Spirit and all believers are removed from the earth with those who are dead in Christ rising first. For believers this is a joyous time of redemption. For the "religious" unbeliever and non-believers this is the beginning of a horrific time. Revelation 1:7b - "And all peoples of the earth will cry because of him. So shall it be. Amen."

As we await the return of Christ there should be no fear, only great expectation. There also should be a sense of urgency. What does God want me to be doing? Who can I reach for eternity? Is there something I should stop doing? LORD, what is it you want from me? How can I best serve YOU? 

"The Lord God says, "I am the Alpha (beginning) and the Omega (end). I am the One who is and was and is coming. I am the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

I AM

John's heart was the same whether he was in the midst of good times or experiencing tough times. Even though he was alone and imprisoned on Patmos, he knew what day it was. It was the Lord's day and he was worshiping in the Spirit. Difficult times did not decrease his worship. I suspect the opposite was true, and that during the worst of times his praise to his Master increased.

As he was worshiping he heard a loud voice behind him. John turned around. When God speaks, pay attention! John saw someone "like a Son of Man" and he fell at his feet like a dead man. This "man" who looked like the sun shining at its brightest time put His right hand on John and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and Last. I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! I hold the keys to death and to the place of the dead. So write the things you see, what is now and what will happen later." Revelation 1:17–18  (Emphasis mine)

• Pay attention
• Understand His Majesty
• Listen to what He says
• Do not be afraid
• He is the great I AM
• He reveals truth
• Tell others

Addendum: 2/4/17 ~ God often uses what we think are our valley experiences to teach us what He wants us to learn. It is often during the valley times in our lives that He has our undivided attention. We have learned this first hand.

When you look back over those times in your life, He gives you perspective, and you learn that valley experiences are not something to be avoided or tolerated, but are instead an opportunity to learn and grow. And who knows, that valley experience may just turn out to be a Blessed Event.

God amazingly used the Appalachian Trail to teach us this valuable lesson. Just like a valley is beautiful when viewed from a mountain overlook, so are those tough times in our lives when we look at them from a higher perspective. 


Next Entry: Revelation 2:1–29

II Peter 3:1–18

July 12, 2013

Jesus will come again. Just because it is 2013 and it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it isn't going to happen. To the LORD, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.

God isn't slow—He is patient—and I am so grateful that He is. He doesn't want anyone to be lost. He wants ALL people to change their hearts and lives. So, He patiently waits. He patiently waited until Noah finished building the boat. He patiently waits—and for six years He has extended "days of Grace" to my sister and brother-in-law while having a judge withhold judgment.

Our prayer continues to be that my sister and brother-in-law would change their hearts and lives and that they would become servants of the Master Jesus. Whether we live or die, the only thing that truly matters is how we lived our lives for Him. Whether He comes in 2013, whether we live to a ripe old age, or whether today is our last day—none of that matters. The ONLY thing that matters is HIM. 

We don't know when our time is up, so "you should live holy lives and serve God" (II Peter 3:11) as you wait for Him. II Peter 3:13 - "We are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives." We are waiting for Him. While we are waiting we should not be idle. We need to grow in grace and knowledge; we need to be without sin and without fault; we need to be actively pursuing Him; we need to be doing our part to build His kingdom; and we need to be ready.

LORD, I pray that you will actively pursue my sister and brother-in-law. Get in their face. Make it impossible for them to ignore YOU. Please continue to be patient with them. Give them another opportunity to surrender to YOU. Amen.


Next Entry: I John 1:1–10

Hebrews 9:1–28

June 11, 2013

Jesus became the sacrifice—the perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 9:12–14 - "His sacrifice was his own blood, and by it he set us free... he offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we may serve the living God." Hebrews 9:26–28 - "But Christ came only once and for all time at just the right time to take away all sin by sacrificing himself. Just as everyone must die once and be judged, so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

God is an "on-time" God. A friend of mine and our church choir used to sing a Black gospel song about God being "on-time."

"He may not come when you want him, but he'll be there right on time.  He's an on-time God... yes he is." (You can listen to Dottie Peoples singing it here.)

We are soon approaching the six year anniversary of my sister and brother-in-law filing the lawsuit against us. Six years. I look at the pictures of the special group of Sunday School girls who walked this journey with us and I think—Wow! What a change from when they were 6th and 7th graders to graduating seniors. Six years is a long time but God is an on-time God, and when "the storm" is supposed to be over it will be over.  I thought for sure it would be over before this special group of girls graduated. Even though it isn't over, I still had the awesome opportunity to meet with them one last time before they headed off to college and to share with them what God has done these last six years.

Six years.

We have made so many changes to our home and land during this time of waiting. As I was working outside today it just became clear all over again what this lawsuit is really about. More than the money they are seeking, my sister wants this house and our property for herself, or at the very least, she wants it away from me. That speaks volumes. Who could actually want to take something from someone else? I don't get that.

It's been six years, but I can still vividly recall what my sister said to me while I was standing in our kitchen. She walked up to me, put her thumb and first two fingers together, pointed them at my face, and then through clenched teeth said (while using her fingers to punctuate each word for emphasis), THIS.IS.MY.HOUSE! I remember saying, "excuse me"? My sister quickly back tracked and said what she meant to say was this is where she stayed when she visited. But her words revealed the truth and the hatred she was hiding spilled out. She wants what I (we) have.

This lawsuit is about more than just money. If money were the only motive it would have ended long ago. What they are doing just doesn't make logical or economical sense. They are spending far more than they could ever possibly recoup even if they "won." It can't be just about the money. Her Freudian slip, said at a moment of weakness through clenched teeth, revealed the truth.

Who could actually take something that belongs to someone else? They can. No one appears to be safe from their actions. Not friends, and not family. Nothing appears sacred or off-limits, and anything and everything appears acceptable if it benefits them.

What I know for sure is this: God cannot lie; and God is on-time. He will bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

Addendum: 11/30/16 ~ God not only brings salvation to those who are waiting on Him, He also brings accountability and justice to those who are living for themselves.

"True repentance is not just confession of sin, but a sincere willingness to not do that sin again. If your conscience is not clear toward God in even one area of your life, repent, and ask God to cleanse you because of his shed blood." ~ From Life Lesson Application

Addendum #2: 7/28/18 ~  Five  more years have passed since I originally wrote this journal entry. It has now been eleven years since my sister and brother-in-law filed their ruinous lawsuit against us—and the lawsuit continues on. Our faith remains strong. God cannot lie and He is on-time. The lawsuit will be over when the time is right. Until that time, we rest on His promises and we wait on His timing.

When this journal entry was first written, I thought I was only keeping a record of my personal thoughts for myself and my family members so no explanations were necessary. But when reading this entry today, I realize an explanation needs to be written so a wrong impression is not given. When I wrote that my sister wants what we have (our house and property) it could give you the impression that we have a large expensive home/estate. That is not the case.

We choose to live our lives simply. We built a small cabin type home on a secluded piece of property we bought twenty years ago. This piece of property (which includes a woods and large pond) had been abused and neglected for years. We don't view our home and property as "ours." We understand we are simply the caretakers of what God has given us. For the past twenty years we've enjoyed working hard to respect the land and show the beauty of God's creation by landscaping, building stone walls, and planting hundreds of pines and other trees. It is a quiet, serene and peaceful place (partly because of the surroundings), but mostly because we are at peace.

When my sister and brother-in-law filed the lawsuit against us they owned multiple high end homes and properties. Wanting to take what we have wasn't fueled by their lack of possessions. Their actions can only be described as actions that are fueled by anger, revenge, and jealousy—wanting what someone else has. There is no other way to explain it. It's a twisted way of thinking, but my sister and brother-in-law's attempt to force us to pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars (and therefore lose what we have) isn't so much about achieving a monetary gain or the "value" of something. It's about trying to take away from us what they resent the most—our inner peace and happiness. It's irrational, but if they can "win" then they think they can project upon us in their position and they can take our position. What they don't understand is this: inner peace and happiness does not come from the things you "own" because money can't buy it. Inner peace only comes from knowing whose you are, surrendering your all, and putting your faith and trust in HIM.    


Next Entry: Hebrews 10:1–39    

Hebrews 8:1–13

June 10, 2013

Jesus, through His death and resurrection, replaced the need for a priest. In the Old Testament, the old agreement meant the priest was the only one who could go into the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. God designed the tabernacle but it was built by human hands. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus the old agreement was no longer needed. HE became the new agreement. Hebrews 8:1–2 - "We have a high priest who sits on the right side of God's throne in heaven. Our high priest serves in the Most Holy Place, the true place of worship that was made by God, not by humans."

The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:31–34.

"Look, the time is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. It will not be like the agreement I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt. But they broke that agreement, and I turned away from them, says the Lord. This is the agreement I will make with the people of Israel at that time, says the Lord. I will put my teachings in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and relatives to know the Lord, because all people will know me, from the least to the most important. I will forgive them for the wicked things they did, and I will not remember their sins anymore."

The Lord has done His part. Jesus is the promised new agreement. His death and resurrection paved the way for our salvation. The choice of whether to accept His unfathomable gift of grace is up to each one of us. We have made our decision. We choose to believe. We choose to surrender to His Lordship.

I can't help but sing: "What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace; when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land. What a day, glorious day that will be."

We believe!!


Next Entry: Hebrews 9:1–28

Hebrews 1:1–14

June 02, 2013

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. It is all about you Jesus.

"God has chosen his Son to own all things, and through him he made the world. The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word. When the Son made people clean from their sins, he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven. The Son became much greater than the angels, and God gave him a name that is much greater than theirs." Hebrews 1:2–4

A "name above all names." At the name of Jesus every knee will bow. He is King of all kings, and He is Lord of all lords.

After the writer of Hebrews explained who the Son was, he quoted Psalm 2:7; II Samuel 7:14; Psalm 97:7; Psalm 104:4; Psalm 45:6–7; Psalm 102:25–27; and Psalm 110:1. He quoted those scriptures from the Old Testament to show the Jews (and us) how scripture was fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Jesus and to prove that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. The writer of Hebrews wanted to make sure the people knew that Jesus came to fulfill the law. It isn't Jesus plus the law. It isn't Jesus plus anything.

Jesus and God are One. (See John 1:1–18)  By confessing Jesus is Lord you bring honor and glory to God. (See Philippians 2:5–11) The only way to be made right with God is by accepting the grace he gave through His Son. (See Romans 3:22–25) Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (See Revelation 21:13) Jesus is coming again. (See Revelation 21:20) His throne will last forever and He will rule with fairness. (See Psalm 45:6–7)

Jesus will remain:

• in all things 
• above all things    
• before all things, and
• after all things.

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. It is ALL about YOU!

JESUS!


Next Entry: Hebrews 2:1 – 3:19

Philemon 1:1–25

May 31, 2013

Philemon was a believer and a worker for the cause of Christ. A group of believers (church) met in his home. As was custom at that time, he owned a slave named Onesimus whose name meant "useful" or "profitable." Instead of being "useful" or "profitable" Onesimus betrayed his master, stole from him, and then fled to Rome. While in Rome he somehow encounters Paul, he accepts the truth of Christ, and it changed his heart and life. Paul understands that Onesimus has changed, but he also understands that he must go back and make amends for his evil actions. So Paul writes Philemon and tells him what has happened.

"In the past he was useless for you but now he has become useful for both you and me."  (Philemon 1:11) 

His name meant useful, but until he found his purpose in life (by surrendering to God), he was useless. Our names may not all mean that, but until we accept God's plan for our lives we are all "useless." It is only through opening our hearts, lives, and hands to God that we become "useful." Paul understood a very important truth. Not only did Onesimus need to go back to seek forgiveness, Philemon needed to give forgiveness. The Bible doesn't record what happened, but by the words Paul wrote about the kind of person Philemon was, we can know what happened—he forgave.

Forgiveness given is equally important as forgiveness asked. If Philemon would have refused to forgive, it would have had far reaching consequences. He would have lost his ability to be a worker for Christ; he would have lost his witness; and the church meeting in his home could not have survived. By forgiving, he modeled the way Paul lived his life and Christ's forgiveness of us. Philemon 1:18 - "If he has done anything wrong to you or if he owes you anything, charge that to me... I will pay it back, and I will say nothing about what you owe me for your own life."

Christ forgave us. We need to forgive others.

I've always said that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. When you hold onto grudges and hurts it destroys you and harms those around you. Forgiveness can be given before it has been asked for, but it cannot be completed until there is a changed heart. We have forgiven my sister and brother-in-law and we hold no anger or resentment in our hearts. But it cannot be completed until they change their hearts and lives and seek forgiveness. The change has to be real and authentic—THEN— forgiveness can be completed. We experienced/modeled this with our daughter and son-in-law. When change was only "claimed," forgiveness could not be completed. When change was real, it was a done deal. It was over with and completed, with it never brought up or needed to be said again.

If a real change happens with my sister and brother-in-law the same thing will happen. If there ever is restoration, our relationship cannot (and should not) be the same as it was before. It was not based on truth and it was very unhealthy. But that does not mean a relationship cannot exist. When forgiveness is completed then a new relationship can be built on the foundation of Truth and upon God's principles. That's the only way.

Christ's death on the cross—forgiveness given. Surrendering our lives to his Lordship—forgiveness  asked and completed.

It is interesting to think about what kind of person Onesimus was. His name meant "profitable" yet he was a servant. By his actions we can surmise that he hated being a servant and that he felt he should be in charge of his own life. So he took matters into his own hands and stole money and ran away to his independence—or so he thought. When we try to be in charge we mess things up. When his heart changed he changed. It was no longer all about him and Onesimus became profitable FOR the Lord.

Before you can move forward you must FIRST go back and repent. 

***** 

Jane has the following notes written in her KJV:

Philemon – "the loving one"; Paul – "the little one"; Onesimus – "the profitable one"

Real imputation – "that which rightfully belongs to me" (Romans 5:12)
Judicial imputation – that which is reckoned unto one which is not rightfully his own  (II Corinthians 5:21)
     (a) God imputed to Christ the sin of the whole world
     (b) God imputed to (?)* righteousness of God

*Jane often used shorthand symbols (which I can't duplicate here and don't understand) in her writing.

Addendum: 1/16/17 ~ As I was reading this morning a statement in the Introduction for Philemon caught my attention. "As you consider how to respond, consider a higher law. A law which sets all men, slave or nonslave, free."

That statement reminded me of what the judge said during the Settlement Conference. In his opening remarks he said he didn't know why he was assigned this case, but then he went on to say things that made it very clear why he was given the case. He made the statement that even if you think you have been wronged and even if you think you have the right to avenge, consider following the King's law, and grant forgiveness.

He was speaking to my sister and brother-in-law and expressing this very same concept. Consider a higher law. Consider doing things God's way. Consider forgiving (and therefore dropping this lawsuit) even if you have the American right to sue and even if you think you have a case.

As we all know, his plea did not work. It was an amazing thing to watch a judge invoke Biblical teaching. Amazing. Thank you, Lord, for once again speaking Truth to my sister and brother-in-law.


 Next Entry: Hebrews 1:1–14

I Timothy 4:1 – 6:21 (Continued)

May 21, 2013

Paul tells Timothy, "Do not listen to someone who accuses a (leader) without two or three witnesses." (I Timothy 5:19) The NIV says, "Do not entertain an accusation."

As we have learned, anyone can make any accusation they want. Even in our country's court system, and even if it is false. Paul is telling Timothy to be cautious. Make sure someone isn't making false accusations out of revenge, spite, or seeking ill-gotten gain, or for any false reason. He goes on to say that the sins of some people are obvious and easy to see. But some people have used carefully crafted facades to hide their motives and actions. So, be careful, but don't worry about it. What is carefully hidden will be revealed, judged, and dealt with.

The opposite is true as well. The person who lives their lives doing good will one day be rewarded. I Timothy 5:25 - "So also good deeds are easy to see, but even those that are not easily seen cannot stay hidden." Truth, whether it is for doing good or for hidden motives and behaviors, cannot stay hidden and will be revealed. We will all be held accountable for the choices we've made and the actions we've taken. When you've chosen to live your life obedient to God's teachings, that statement is calming and comforting. We aren't in charge, HE is. His promises are true and His justice will prevail.

False Teaching and True Riches.
That is the heading for I Timothy 6:3-21 in my Bible. There is one true way. ONE. And it is following the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of them. Not picking and choosing the parts we want to follow, but all of it. Not agreeing with all His teachings means you are disagreeing with His lordship and you have placed yourself as god.

I Timothy 6:4–5 - "This person is full of pride and understands nothing, but is sick with a love for arguing and fighting about words. (NIV - an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words.) This brings jealousy, fighting, speaking against others, evil mistrust, and constant quarrels from those who have evil minds and have lost the truth. They think that serving God is a way to get rich." They think it's all about them and what they want. They will strategize, manipulate, (or file lawsuits), anything to get what they want. Nothing is off limits. They do not agree with all God's teachings. They instead pick and choose and use His teachings as a way to promote and benefit themselves. They think—but they are blinded and cannot see truth. Paul makes it clear that Jesus Christ is not the Lord of that type of person.

Wide is the road to destruction, and narrow is the path to salvation. Salvation comes in no other way than agreeing with and following the true teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is not being narrow-minded. It is accepting the truth: Jesus is the only way.


Next Entry: I Timothy 4:1 – 6:21 (Continued)

II Thessalonians 1:1–12

May 16, 2013

God's judgment. People may try to live and act as if there is no such thing as God's judgment, but that doesn't change the facts: there is a God; He is just; and there will be a judgment day.

The people of Thessalonica were under attack. They were being treated badly and were suffering many troubles. But while all this was happening, their faith was growing more and more, and their love for each other increased. The way they were being treated and the suffering they endured was "proof that God is right in his judgment." (II Thessalonians 1:5)

Sounds crazy doesn't it? Americanized Christianity implies or teaches us that God just wants to give us our hearts desire (everything we want) and bless our socks off. He does bless! But it is through the trials, troubles, and suffering when we learn it is not about us—it is ALL about Him. It is through HIM we are blessed and found worthy. II Thessalonians 1:5 - "He wants you to be counted worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering." The next sentence says it all. II Thessalonians 1:6a - "God will do what is right."

Vengeance is not ours! Vengeance is God's, and HE will do what is right.

Paul goes on, "He will give trouble to those who trouble you." (II Thessalonians 1:6b) The NIV says he will "pay back trouble" and the KJV says that he will "recompense tribulation." God will decide what is right and He will do what is right. WooHoo!! How freeing is that? It is not up to us! It is up to God, and HE-will-do-what-is-right. There will come a day when judgment happens.

When we say we want my sister and brother-in-law held accountable for their actions against us (and many other people), we are not saying that out of any sort of anger or revenge. It is because we understand there will come a time when eternal judgment happens. And because we understand the seriousness of eternal judgment, we want them to be held accountable now. We want them to have the opportunity to repent and change their hearts and lives now. It is because of our love and concern for them that we pray they will be held accountable for their actions now.

"God will do what is right. He will give trouble to those who trouble you. And he will give rest to you who are troubled and to us also when the Lord Jesus appears with burning fire from heaven with his powerful angels. Then he will punish those who do not know God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus Christ. Those people will be punished with a destruction that continues forever. They will be kept away from the Lord and from his great power. This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes to receive the glory because of his holy people. And all the people who have believed will be amazed at Jesus. You will be in that group because you believed what we told you." II Thessalonians 1:6–10

Do good things and perform the works that come from your faith. Do all these things so that the glory of Christ is in you and you will have glory in Him. Then the things we do will bring honor and glory to Him.

As I was writing today I was thinking about the absurdity of thinking we can do whatever we want because of God's grace and that all He wants to do is bless us. By believing that falsehood, you minimize the awfulness of everything Christ went through so we could be saved by His blood offering for us. How does that compute? Jesus' death would have been totally unnecessary. God most certainly could have come up with a different plan if it didn't matter how we lived our lives and He just wanted to "bless" us and give us "things." Jesus suffered for us. Jesus' death was a drastic defining moment. When we accept the price Jesus paid to redeem our lives there should be a drastic defining change in our lives. To "use" Jesus as an escape from hell method without changing our lives to be like His, is an abuse of the gift He paid for with His life.

He is either Lord of everything or we are trying to use Him by accepting His grace while still remaining lord over our own life. You can't have two lords. He is either LORD and we are obeying His teachings; or we are our own lord and we are attempting to use Him to get what we want. It is one or the other. It cannot be both. And there will come a day when truth will be revealed. "God will do what is right Judgment WILL happen.

It is not a matter of "if."  It is a matter of "when."  Our prayer is that accountability (for ourselves and all of our loved ones) happens here on earth while there is still time for repentance and change. 


Next Entry: II Thessalonians 2:1 – 3:18

I Thessalonians 4:1 – 5:28

May 15, 2013

"God wants us to be holy and does not want us to live in sin. So the person who refuses to obey this teaching is disobeying God, not simply a human teaching." I Thessalonians 4:7–8

People somehow do not reconcile the truth of that statement with their actions. If you are not obeying God's teaching, you are in fact disobeying God himself. You are literally shaking your fist in the face of God.

One of His teachings is to have love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to do all we can to live a peaceful life with each other. You cannot have selfish desire, greed, deceit, revenge, etc. and love at the same time. Cannot. We are not to be thinking only about ourselves, we are to look out for the best interest of others as well. We are to take care of our own business and do our own work. We are to live in peace. We are to help warn and guide other people. We are to encourage others in their faith. We are to help those who are weak. We are to be patient with each other. We are to make sure that no one seeks revenge or tries to pay back wrong with wrong. We are to do what is good for each other and all people. We are to always be joyful. We are to pray continually. We are to give thanks—no matter what. 

I Thessalonians 5:18 - "This is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus." To refuse his teaching, or to do anything less, is to shake our fist in the face of God. I choose to follow His teachings.

These chapters are also a part of prophecy. Jesus is coming again and those who have already died will rise first. (Dad, MaMaw... you will all be going first!) After that, those believers "who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." (I Thessalonians 4:17)  I can't help but sing: "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I will see, when he takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land... what a day glorious day that will be."

So—Be ready. You are children of the light, so live like it. I Thessalonians 5:8 - "We belong to the day, so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us, and the hope of salvation should be our helmet." (Psalm 140:7 - "O Sovereign Lord, our strong Deliverer who shields our heads in the day of battle...) God provided for our salvation through His Son Jesus. He died for us so we can live for Him. So, we should encourage each other; always be joyful; pray continually; and give thanks whatever happens. Don't hold back. Don't treat prophecy as unimportant. Test everything. Keep what is good and stay away from everything that is evil.

I Thessalonians 5:23–24 - "Now may God himself, the God of peace, make you pure, belonging only to him. May your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—be kept safe and without fault when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. You can trust the One who calls you to do that for you."

We do trust Him. He is our rock. He is our salvation. 

My life verses:

Psalm 32:8 - I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you.

Hosea 14:8 - I the Lord, am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a green pine tree, your blessings come from me.

In Jane's KJV she has the following parallels between John 14 and I Thessalonians 4:16–18 written:

I will come again → The Lord himself shall descend (not an angel)
And receive you unto myself → Then we which are alive... in the air
Where I am there ye may be also → So shall we ever be with the Lord
Let not your heart be troubles → Wherefore comfort one another

Psalm 17:15 - I shall be satisfied
Isaiah 53:11 - He shall be satisfied

From Life Lesson:

"The end will come. For those who live for this world, that's bad news. But for those who live for the world to come, it's an encouragement. You're on a land mine, my friend, and it's only a matter of time: 'For in this world you will have trouble...' Next time you are tossed into a river as you ride the rapids of life, remember his words of assurance. Those who endure will be saved. The gospel will be preached. The end will come. You can count on it." ~ From The Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado

Ephesians 4:28 - Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start working. They should earn an honest living for themselves. Then they will have something to share with the poor.

WORK—not to amass things. WORK—so you can give!! 


Next Entry: II Thessalonians 1:1–12

Ephesians 1:1–23

April 23, 2013

Paul writes to the people in Ephesus. He begins the letter by praising God. Now that we have begun to understand the importance of praising God (as a believer there is nothing more important!) the passages in the Bible or lyrics from old hymns that mention praise just jump out at me. How did I miss the importance of praising God for who HE is (not thankfulness for what He has done) for so many years? The only explanation I can come up with is this: I was breaking the first two commandments and "self" was on the throne.

Without even realizing it, my husband and I were both definitely too self-sufficient. Why would praising God be a priority when you are independent and think yourself capable of most things? It isn't. That is why I am so grateful for these last six plus years. God put us in a situation that we couldn't fix on our own, and God, (through Jane) very clearly pointed out to us and what was wrong and out of balance in our lives. We weren't purposely rejecting God and trying to remove Him from the throne in our lives, we were trying to join Him on the throne and we don't belong there!! Joining Him is the same as removing Him.

Jane taught us that praise (first and foremost) puts everything else in your life in the right order and perspective. God is God—and we are not. It is an understanding of the

God

↓

Man

relationship. Praise! First, foremost, at all times, and in all situations. Oh, what a difference this understanding has made in our lives. 

Paul goes on and talks about the wonderful grace of God. This must be the passage that inspired the  the song writer of the old hymn "Grace, grace, wonderful grace, coming down from the Father above..." (Now that I have written that I think I have the wrong song and the words are actually "Peace, peace, wonderful peace...") Other old hymns about God's grace and love are going through my mind this morning. My heart is just full of praise. I can still hear my Dad's rich baritone voice singing, "The love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure the saints' and angels' song." Love singing the new songs, AND the old hymns.  

"...It brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves. In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace, which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with full wisdom and understanding, let us know his secret purpose."

Wisdom and understanding. (Someday I want to complete my study I began on the difference between wisdom and understanding. A very simple explanation is: wisdom is the knowing and understanding is the doing.) God is both wisdom/knowing and understanding/doing. "When the right time comes" (Ephesians 1:10) he WILL act and His will WILL be done, and it WILL bring honor and glory to His name.

Ephesians 1:14 - "The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive what God promised for his people until God gives full freedom to those who are his—to bring praise to God's glory." It is ALL about HIM!  Until that happens, everything works together "so that you will know him better." (Ephesians 1:17)

• (He) gives the spirit of wisdom and revelation— so we will know Him better.
• (He) gives understanding in our hearts—so we will know the hope He gives and we will know our blessings come from Him. We will know His great power.

God is in control. At the right time, He WILL act.

 Addendum: 5/6/2016 ~ As I was reading Ephesians 1 this morning, three words resounded with me. "You will know... you will know... you will know." It's all about HIM. The LORD—He is the One! Ephesians 1:11 - "... He is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants." What assurance!


Next Entry: Ephesians 2:1–22 

Galatians 6:1–18

April 18, 2013

If we know of someone who is doing something wrong, we are to go to them and gently help them to do right again. Gently. Not in an attitude of "look at me... see what I am doing?" If you go in that kind of attitude you are at risk for being brought down in the same way. We are not to stand by and watch others fall. It brings honor to Christ to gently bring others back to obedience. You have to do your part. They may listen, or they may not. (See Ezekiel 2)

Our responsibility isn't to obtain the end result, it is to try. This is why I am so grateful my journals (from Genesis to II Chronicles 11) went to my sister and brother-in-law, even though it seemed like a disastrous invasion of my privacy at the time. There was no other way for them to see my heart and for me to have a voice. Yes, they chose to twist my words and make more false accusations, but God's words went out to them. It wasn't "my" words, it was God's.

"If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, he is only fooling himself. Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself to others. Then he can be proud for what he himself as done. Each person must be responsible for himself." Galatians 6:3–5

IF—you are learning and growing, THEN—you must share that with others. It is impossible to keep it quiet.

Paul began to conclude his letter. Galatians 6:7–8 - "Do not be fooled: You cannot cheat God. People harvest only what they plant. If they plant to satisfy their sinful selves, their sinful selves will bring them ruin." What part of that very clear statement do people not understand? Insist on your own selfish sinful ways and you reap the results—ruin. But, if you plant to please the Spirit you receive eternal life from the Spirit. So, do not become tired of doing good. Galatians 6:9 - "We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time IF we do not give up." Paul goes on to say that if we have the opportunity to help anyone we should, especially those in the family of believers. God has a plan, and it will be done.

Interesting side note at the end of Paul's letter. Paul said that those who were trying to add things to the Gospel of Christ (in this case circumcision) weren't trying to convince others it should be done because it was the right thing, or because it was something they believed in and obeyed themselves. They did it so "they can brag about what they forced you to do." (Galatians 6:13) The same motive as today. The Bible isn't some antiquated and outdated non-relevant book. The sins in the Bible are the exact same sins of today. The Gospel of the Bible is still the only way to Christ. The Bible truly is—the Living Word.

My sister and brother-in-law are hoping to brag about what their lawsuit "forced" us to do by trying to enforce their fraudulent schemes. BUT! you harvest what you plant. You cannot explain it any other way. And Paul says it brings ruin.

LORD, our prayer for them remains the same. May they understand that without you they are nothing; and may they desire nothing but you.

Addendum: 5/3/16 ~ From the Life Lesson for this section:

"The Bible reveals that God has a plan for every life, and that if we live in constant fellowship with Him, He will direct and lead us in the fulfillment of this plan.  

Many of us have God's second or third best. However, if you have substituted the good for the best, do not despair. Wherever you are at this moment, yield your life unconditionally to God, and He can still make it a thing of beauty and an honor to His name. 

You cannot know the will of God for your life unless you first come to the cross and confess that you are a sinner and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. If you want the perfect plan that God has for your life, you will have to go by way of Calvary to get it. It is only through Christ that we can be on speaking terms with God and know God's plan for our lives." ~ From Unto the Hills by Billy Graham

Next Entry: Ephesians 1:1–23

II Corithians 4:16 – 6:13

April 08, 2013

So, we don't give up. Our physical bodies are six years older, but our spirits are renewed every day. Our troubles are temporary—our reward is eternal. "We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see... we live by what we believe, not by what we can see." (II Corinthians 4:18 & 5:7)

Our lives on earth are fleeting. We should be living to please God whether it be on earth or in heaven. Someday we all will stand before Christ and give an accounting for the things we have done. Because He died for us we should no longer live for ourselves, we should live for Him. If we belong to Christ there should be a visible change, the old should be gone because we are a new creation. All of this happened because God gave Christ as a sacrifice for us. He made peace between us and Himself. And when that happens you can't help but tell others of the peace He gave and we can have. It is our responsibility to tell others. We are His voice and His messenger.

So, we speak, with our words and actions. We "show we are servants of God: in accepting many hard things, in troubles, in difficulties, and in great problems...we show we are servants of God by our pure lives, our understanding, patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by true love, by speaking the truth, and by God's power. We use our right living to defend ourselves against everything. Some people honor us, but others blame us. Some people say evil things about us, but others say good things. Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth. We are not known, but are well known. We seem to be dying, but we continue to live. We are punished, but we are not killed. We have much sadness, but we are always rejoicing. We are poor, but we are making many people rich in faith. We have nothing, but really we have everything." (II Corinthians 6:4–10)

We defend ourselves by our right living. We are falsely accused, but we know the truth, and we will stand firm. We will not bend, we will not bow, and we will not break. We were reminded this past week of another scripture we used to quote often but haven't for a while. It is the prayer Elijah prayed before God sent fire down from heaven. It is still our prayer—maybe even more so now.

"Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Prove that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant. Show these people that you commanded me to do all these things. LORD, answer my prayer so these people will know that you LORD, are God and that you will change their minds." I Kings 18:36–37

Amen. Answer our prayer so ALL will know HE is God and HE is the One who saved us. There was no doubt that it was God who sent the fire down and burnt the sacrifice, wood, stones, water, and ground around the altar. May there be no doubt that it was GOD alone who saved us.

Addendum: 4/25/16 ~ I love how Paul said, "We have nothing, but really we have everything." (II Corinthians 6:10) So true. Nothing else matters. Nothing! False accusations, illness, circumstances beyond your control, the morality of our country disappearing, ________ (fill in the blank) all mean nothing when your faith is in Christ. IF—Christ is your salvation and is Lord of your life, THEN—NOTHING else matters. Nothing. Because when you have Christ, you have everything.


Next Entry: II Corinthians 6:14 – 7:16