"Never Lose Heart!" - 2

 "And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (Hebrews 6:15 KJV)

  "Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God." (Romans 4:20-25 NLT)

 Oh my; I really don't know how else to explain this, except to say that we must, without question, believe in God and His Word! The more I read the Bible, the more I encounter the special details of everything it records and has written; things which specify certain dates and people, most of whom I don't know how to pronounce their names; but all of which God has listed for a specific reason. 

 It really is all about the details! Stange thing that is brought out from time to time, when someone says, "The Devil is in the Details," which might have some sort of connection, beyond what we think we know. There is nothing that can cause us to fall away, if we resist the devil's tricks and discouragement! That is by far the biggest issue we fight, day in and day out; even the slightest little thing, and we can flare up and feel offended or wrong about someone! Which, if you didn't know, is actually a sin. I need to pray and ask for forgiveness, several times a day. 

 Please don't judge me wrongly, it's not because I am a bad person, I just sometimes hate to be slowed down when I am in a rush. I can recall a certain message from a certain famous Pastor, as he shared about stopping at a Pharmacy, on his way to give a message at a church. He was happy to see only one customer in line, because he was in a hurry. But the one person in line was taking forever to pay for his items. What upset him the most was that the clerk seemed to not mind that the customer was taking so long to give her the money. However, when the transaction was complete, and the man turned around, the Pastor noticed that he had no hands. He then had a whole different sermon to preach! 

 It really is all about the details, but the details we must be focused upon are the ones that deal with Christ Jesus and the salvation He has given us! Much like this Scripture from Romans, which Paul so faithfully exposes. If you can believe in the written Word, then you can believe with faith, just like Abraham, which is plain and simple: God will also account us righteous! 

 It is all recoded for our benefit...

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8 NLT)      

"Never Lose Heart!"

 "And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (Hebrews 6:15 KJV)

  "So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing." (Romans 4:16-17 NLT)

 Yesterday I heard something that I believe might be true, having heard it from someone that was very close to Charlie. What his friend said, was, "If Charlie knew that thousands would come to Christ by him being assassinated, he would most likely be okay with that, if it brought thousands to the Lord." Some of those who believe that God brings the dead back to life, would also feel that way, at least I know I would; if it meant that all those, I pray for every day, would be saved!

 As far as I am concerned, I am here to make sure that my wife is taken care of, once she is gone to be with the Lord, I hope that I will soon follow. Other than that, I, like Abraham, will patiently wait! I am sure that everyone knows by now that Abraham didn't stick around to see the promise fulfilled; but he believed that God would do what He said, by his faith...

"Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping - believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!" And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead - and so was Sarah's womb." (Romans 4:18-19 NLT)

"Certainly!" - Two

"Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." (Hebrews 6:14 KJV)

  ""I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life."" (John 5:24 NLT)

 As I witness what is going on in this world, I have no doubt we are living in that day Jesus spoke about, when we that are His will be caught up, leaving this earth in the control of the evil one. I can only hope that everyone I know and love will be saved before that event happens; but if they aren't, I pray they will realize what took place and give their lives to the Lord, knowing that they will be persecuted. 

 There is something spectacular happening, in many areas all over: churches are starting to fill up, and those who want to follow Jesus are multiplying. Don't doubt that this isn't real, because there are more and more that are standing in line to get involved, hoping to make a difference! 

 The contrast between those who are for good and those who are for evil is being brought forth, at an amazing rate, almost as if the enemy knows that the time is near! It is not flesh and blood that we are fighting against, but the darkness that has corrupted the hearts of those who think it is okay to kill, just because they don't like what someone says. 

 Over the past several days I have felt as though there is nothing we can do, besides pray for those we love, that they see the evilness and realize that it is just that, pure evil! That is pretty much all we can do, because it is not really our words that will change their minds, it is only by the power of God, that a heart can be changed! 

 Besides that, we should know, the Good News is being preached...

"It is true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But other preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice." (Philippians 1:15-18

"Certainly!"

 "Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." (Hebrews 6:14 KJV)

  ""Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world and more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth."" (John 17:13-19 NLT)

 Forgive me if I might get out of line, but I feel as though there needs to be some clarity into the things we see going on in this world. First of all, Jesus is praying for His disciples in the message above; yet even though it might appear He might be asking the Father to protect them, He isn't suggesting that they don't get harmed or killed. Basically, He is asking that they do not get harmed by the "evil one," which means the devil and the lies, deceptions, and worldly passions he might harm them with. 

 Don't think for a moment that this is not a real thing, because I have seen many strong and experienced men of God harmed by the devil's handywork, taking even the greatest, largest church leaders, and making them fall into his traps. Jesus knew full well that His disciples were not going to be safe in this world! But He also knew that they were mere men, that needed protection from the devil's bag of tricks. 

 I was listing to a message yesterday about the Apostle Paul, as he was expressing all of the things that he had to go through, expecting even more to come. There are certain things we see going on in this world, some of which are just pure evil. However, this is the work of the devil, pure and simple! Those who are saying things which are certainly wrong to speak about, really don't know what they are doing!

 That is that! Now let's get serious about following our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus...

"A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, 'Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.' People will beg the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and plead with the hills, 'Bury us.' For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"" (Luke 23:27-31 NLT) 

"God's Promise" - Too

 "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself," (Hebrews 6:13 KJV)

  ""Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me."" (Isaiah 45:22-23 NLT)

 Believe it or not, but there are certain things that might look to be something that is bad, but God can and will make it turn into something good! That is not only a hope, but also a fact; as He has promised it will be, for all those who are called by His name, and His purposes! 

 That is all I will say about that, as we just need to keep on praying for God's will to be done, and look for His work to be carried out. After all, He is the One that makes a way, even if there seems to be no way! I really hope that everyone who is His child believes that, because we must believe that all things are possible with God; absolutely and positively possible! 

 It felt so good to be home, as I have been out of town for a few days, missing being with my wife. This morning, I stayed in bed for a while, just so I could spend a little extra time lying next to her and telling her how much that I love her. There is nothing sweeter than seeing her peaceful face as I comfort her and express my love to her; something that I wish I had done more of, before her injury! 

 No matter what happens here on this earth, we that are followers of Christ, will be safe and secure with Him in Heaven; no more pain or sorrow; no more sickness or death! That is a promise, and we better believe it...

"I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."" (Revelation 21:3-4 NLT)      

"God's Promise"

"For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself," (Hebrews 6:13 KJV)

  "This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant: "I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession."" (PSALM 105:9-11 NLT)

  We have here today something that I believe I have shared many times, both in church, in this blog, and privately with several people. It is the covenant that God made with Abraham, which we witness taking place in Genesis 15:5-21. In this Contract between the two, as was the custom with those who made any binding contract, God told Abraham to gather certain animals, cut the large animals in half, kill to two birds, and leave them whole; and then he was to lay them out on the ground. 

 This contract was meant to represent their promises to one another, of anyone that was making a binding contract together; the whole point of which, was that both parties would walk through the slain animals, making their promises together, saying, 'May this happen to me, and more, if I do not keep my promise!' 

 I know it might sound rather much; but back in the day, a promise was meant to be a promise! However, Abraham did not walk between the slain animals! No, God signed the Contract for both Abraham and Himself! God took on the responsibility of the Promise, knowing full we that only He was capable of keeping a promise, unconditionally! 

 What was also interesting within this story, before God had signed the Contract, He caused Abraham to fall into a deep sleep, and then He showed him the fate of his descendants, as if to open up his heart to the reality of His promise, that through him a nation would happen. It was God's way of giving him a heart that cared for those descendants, which made them a reality within his heart. 

 As Abraham woke, he saw that God was moving among the slain animals, signing the Contract for the both of them...

"After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, "I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River - the land is now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."" (Genesis 15:17-21 NLT) 

"God's Promises Bring Hope"

   "For example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: "I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number." Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

  "Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:13-20 NLT)

  "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my sitting down and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it." (PSALMS 139:1-6 KJV)

 One of the other important things that I have learned, in this New Life we have been given in Christ, is that He doesn't change His mind! Without getting too caried away, it has been my belief from the very beginning that God knows everything about me, both my past and my future; there is nothing about me that He does not already know!

 What that means, if you don't already know, is that when He saved us from our sins and made us His children, it was final and complete; His promises are never-ending! If He doesn't learn, as Pastor Mike always says, then when we mess up, at whatever stage of our journey, He is not surprised by what we have done, because He has already known that it would happen. 

 In other words, you are saved only once; you don't keep getting saved again and again, every time you repent for doing something wrong; but we do always must repent, knowing He will always forgive us, as He has promised! The other very important thing I have learned, is that we don't have the strength to keep our promises to Him; but that doesn't mean He doesn't keep His...

  "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." (PSALMS 32:1-5 KJV)  

"Safe and Secure!" - Too

 "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:12 KJV)

  ""Dear friends, don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he's the one to fear."" (Luke 12:4-5 NLT)

 Looking at this current world, there is still hope that there are people looking for God; having seen some of the clips from Charlie's debates, it is pretty obvious that he was not ashamed of the Gospel, and he was always ready to lift up the name of Jesus Christ, with sincere passion and authority. I pray that will be my reaction too, if I am given the chance to share my faith! 

 One of the first things I realized, almost immediately after I got saved, is that I no longer feared death or judgment from all of the sins in my life; there was a feeling of a heavy burden being lifted off from me, and I felt safe and secure, almost as if there was a powerful force that surrounded me. Not that I was ever all that scared of being in jail, because I really never felt anything else, but getting back home.  

 However, after I got saved, I still wanted to go home, but the time I was spending in jail all of the sudden became important. I was learning and sharing things that were far more important; almost as if that was where I belonged, because God was doing a work, and my life was filled with purpose. 

 Here we are, some 44 years later, and I still feel that my life has purpose! Yes, this was about the time I got saved, back in 1981. I really don't remember the date, but I remember the day and the time. It was on a Sunday, at around 11:00 am. Something that I remember, just like John remembered when he was first alone with Jesus! 

 They say that the Gospel of John was written between AD 90 - 100; which would make John about that age, around 84 to 90 years old. But even at that very old age, he still recalled the time of day when he first spent time with Jesus...

"The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!" When John's two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" he asked them. They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" "Come and see," he said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day."  

"Safe and Secure!"

 "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:12 KJV) 

  "So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us." (1 John 2:24-25 NLT)

 Let me start by saying, My prayer is that God will raise up 100 more Charlie's! As if that was going to stop what he was so passionate in doing! I pray that there is going to be many more that will be motivated to get into the race, making his passion their passion, and giving God the glory! We all should know that he is now with the Lord; but that he will be missed, especially by his wonderful family.

 That said, we are living in some very interesting time, a time of Biblical prophecy; as it is being said, over and over: "There are those that call evil good, and good evil!" These are truly last day events, and we should be ready for the Lord's soon coming, to take us home. 

 We should all be paying attention to what is going on in this world, especially in the world around us. We cannot pretend that it is not any of our business! Right now, I am reading the Book of Esther to my wife, and we just finished chapter four, where Mordecai tells Esther, "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" 

 Just because you don't get involved doesn't mean you aren't in jeopardy of getting harmed or in trouble. As it was with Esther, she was a Jew, yet she kept it a secret; so she felt as though her life would not be in danger. Sorry to say, but that is not how the spiritual world we live in works...

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." (Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT)      

"Protecting Our Security"

 "And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:" (Hebrews 6:11 KJV)

  "In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly." (Romans 12:6-8 NLT)

 If you have been serving the Lord for any amount of time, you should know by now what God has gifted you with, whether it is teaching, giving, or serving; but whatever it is, it needs to be done as if you are doing it for the Lord! This was something that Pastor Chuck understood, as he decided to serve the Lord instead of going into a secular business. What motivated him was a verse from a poem: "Only One Life Twill Soon be Past; Only What's Done for Christ Will Last." 

 There are certain things that we do, sometimes without getting much recognition or thanks. Some might take that as something they are offended by, while others don't look for it as pleasing man, but to be a chance to please the Lord. That is what we must focus on, Pleasing Jesus! He is who we will be given an account to, for whatever it is that we do. 

 Basically, the point I am trying to make, is that we must protect our hearts from being offended or feeling as though we are being used. Even if it is the case, that someone might be using you for your service, we are to remain humble and serve well to the best of our ability! I had learned something from Zig a long time ago, concerning secular work, "Work to the best of your ability, and if your employer doesn't acknowledge your efforts, someone else will come along and acknowledge you, and offer you more!" 

 Anywho, this is basically about guarding our hearts and making sure that our motives for serving are in the right place. Having been in ministry for quite a while, I have seen the actions of some who serve, as they might serve in certain areas, like cleaning the church or teaching Sunday school; but when it comes to giving, some don't even tithe, because they consider their time as giving enough. 

 We are not here for safe keeping; we are here to serve the Lord! In whatever He leads you into, do it as if He is watching and keeping track of your every move: Because He is, even in the simple things, like sharing with one another...

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. "They will be my people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I will act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those that serve God and those who do not."" (Malichi 3:16-18 NLT)  

"Living in Security"

 "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Hebrews 6:10 KJV)

  "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from his grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love." (Galatians 5:4-6 NLT)

 Whatever you think about that which I shared yesterday, it is not my place to end a life! God will be the one that takes her life, not me; as I promised, when we were married, "till death do us part," which does not mean, 'till I feel it's time for her to go.' That is not what I promised, and that is that! However, the looks and the reactions I get from some people, it is as though I am being selfish or needy, by keeping her here. Well, I will let God be the judge of that, not anyone else. 

 That said, there are certain times when I feel overwhelmed and my heart hurts for her, watching her as we grow old together. It isn't the way I imagined it would be. But there are many things in this life that don't turn out as we plan; but God has certain plans for us that are hard to see; some of which might be for some other time, long after we have gone. 

 In the meantime, we must do our best to do what we think is right, while we serve and love others; also, knowing that God is watching over us! I truly hope that you believe that is so...

"Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment - to love one another - is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shinning." (1 John 2:7-8 NLT)  

"Knowing Security"

 "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." (Hebrews 6:9 KJV)

  "Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." (Philippians 2:12-13 NLT)

 There are certain things that make us know what God is doing and has done in our lives; and then there are those things which are unknown, things which are hard to figure out, just because they don't really make sense. That is not something we need to be afraid of, even though we cannot see what or why it is happening; we can be confident that whatever happens in this life, it is all for our good, no matter how hard it appears, it is all going to be okay! 

 When I think about these things, I cannot help but wonder how long God is going to keep this going, as it seems that Marianne is starting to grow weary of her condition. After all, it has been 22 years; this time 22 years ago, she was still in Cardiac ICU. She had been in that part of the hospital for almost a month; and it wasn't until she was off the respirator that she was moved out of ICU and into a regular room. 

 For over three months she was in that hospital. When they were sure that she was not getting any better, they wanted me to have her placed in a Care-Facility. They gave me a list of places, but only one was a place I felt she would like; but they couldn't accept her because she has a tracheostomy, which was placed due to the doctor's fear that she might have aspirations. 

 When I told them I wanted to bring her home and care for her, they said it wasn't possible, because her condition was catastrophic and required round-the-clock medical care. But after several times of asking, and me starting to make the accommodations available for in-home medical care, they decided to allow me to bring her home.

 What a journey this has been! Since she was released from the hospital, she has never been there again as a patient. When I first had her home, we had several nurses and doctors show up at the house. We even had in-home nurses that would watch over her, as I worked during the day. The first winter we had no power, so I picked her up and put her in bed with me, just to keep her warm. 

 Several times I have taken her on long trips, just the two of us; sometimes a niece or nephew would go with us, especially if I planned on golfing or snowboarding. The longest trip we took was for almost a month, which was the year I started this blog, and was because I needed to heal my broken shoulder. It was hard to crawl around in subareas when your shoulder is broken. 

 That was over 15 years ago, when we took that 7,000-mile journey in the RV; which is also the picture that is shown in this blog, that says, "Count It All Joy." It was my mother-in-law that snapped a picture of us, setting off on our month-long journey. 

 God is still doing things, with this crazy journey. I really don't know where it is going, but I surely know and believe where it ends...

"For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" (Romans 8:22-25 NLT)  

"Better Things for You"

  "Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don't believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance." (Hebrews 6:9-12 NLT)

  "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." (PSALMS 121 KJV)

 Without making this something that is hard to understand, I want to go back to love, making love the main reason this applies to those who are inheriting the promises of God. Some things just seem to work out in the end, regardless of what things appear to be, God's ultimate plan is that we will all live with Him, loving Him and each other as we should. Faith and hope will no longer be needed; but love will endure for ever and ever! 

 There are certain things that I might not understand; and certain things that I might get wrong. But the love that I know God has poured out for us, I truly know that I believe and understand why He sent His Son to die for us: It is because He loves us, more than we know...

 "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend will all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV) 

"More Than We Know"

 "But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned." (Hebrews 6:8 KJV)

  ""Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciple. This brings great glory to my Father."" (John 15:5-8 NLT)

 As I have studied this, it is more and more about our need for Him; basically, there is no real life for a branch that is not attached to the Vine! There are certain times we might drift away and neglect our need to stay close to the Lord; but from what I know from my own personal experience, it doesn't last for very long at all. As a matter of fact, we get to a point when we realize what we have missing, and there is always His outstretched arms ready to forgive us. 

 Hopefully that is what you have experienced as well? Because it is very important that you know how much He loves you, even if you mess up and fall away; if you are sincerely His child, you are not going to fall very far! Please understand that and always remember you belong to Him, always! 

 Anywho, there is more to this than just what we might believe, because there are always certain times when we might have doubt or think we don't belong, as if we are not worthy. If that is ever the case, we need to embrace the weakness and give everything to the Lord, letting Him give us strength! To be totally honest, we are not worthy, and we never belonged: but He has made us His, therefore we are perfectly made to be conformed to His image; the Refiner's Fire is always at work...

 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change or decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 

 "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

 "You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT) 

  

"Oh, How We Need Him!"

 "For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God." (Hebrews 6:7 KJV)

  ""The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountain and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD'S name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."" (Isaiah 55:10-13 NLT)

 Having tossed this around in my head, the more I think about it, the more I don't want to think about it, as it causes me to feel shame, thinking about all the times I messed up. I know we aren't perfect, so it isn't really hard to look back at some of the stupid things we have done; but it is by the blood of Christ Jesus that we have been cleansed, and by His blood we are totally and completely made perfect! 

 I can recall something that Pastor Gene taught, several years ago. He illustrated the likeness of having an umbrella, standing under it, and being under the protection from the rain. In this illustration, the rain was meant to be all of the filth and sin, the umbrella was the grace that covered us completely. We need to stay under that umbrella! When we step out from under it, we get wet!

 That might not coincide with the message, but it does illustrate our need to abide in Christ! No matter what we might get into, He is always faithful and just to forgive us and get us back on the right path. All we really need to do is ask Him to forgive us and have control of our lives, which is what we really need!

 Another thing Pastor Gene had taught: Do all that God tells you to do, and if something doesn't work, then it's not your fault, and you do not need to feel ashamed...   

"Trust in the LORD with all you heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)