"The Great Reset"

 "And having a high priest over the house of God;" (Hebrews 10:21 KJV)

  "For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death." (Ephesians 2:14-16 NLT) 

 Thinking about this through several different ways, pretty much all through the night, I couldn't help but think about why this great divide had so many different angles and yet there was really only one cure that brought everything back together. As previously shown, more times than needed, there was a divide that was first established during the creation, which separated, in some form or fashion, earth from Heaven; this may not be the first separation, but it seems to have been the first to involve God's distance from that of His creation for mankind. 

 And yes, there was fellowship with man and God before the fall, that is very obvious; yet there was also fellowship God after the fall, the only difference was that mankind had to die in the process! Even that little issue of death was taken care of on the cross; besides the veil being torn, which represented the gap between man and God, it also brought brand-new life, a life that was meant to last forever and ever.

 There are only certain things that really matter in this crazy world we are living in, most of which the world cannot truly understand. Being here is only temporary, and you only get this little time to make it work, believing in God and wanting to know Him is important, yes! But having a relationship with Him means more than anything this world could ever offer...

"The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth." (PSALM 146:17-18 NLT) 

"A New and Living Way" - Too

 "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" (Hebrews 10:20 KJV)

  ""I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate mana in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I and the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh." Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked. So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever."" (John 6:47-58 NLT)

 Anywho; if you thought yesterday's post was a little confusing, that was just the start. It might be hard to explain the sequence of the events, but there is a real important reason that the veil was torn just before He gave up His spirit on the cross; besides the fact that it was the whole reason He came, to reconcile God to mankind. It was His flesh that was torn which made that curtain to tear; it was His blood that was spilt, that washed away our sins. 

 It really is hard to understand this whole concept of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, if that is, you don't believe that it truly worked! I cannot count the number of times I have been given the question, in one form or another, "How can the death of one man on a cross save the whole world from death?" 

 When you get that sort of a question, there is really only one explanation that is clear enough to say, yet still hard for many to completely understand: "It was God who made it happen for that very purpose!" Without explaining every little step, that is pretty much the how everything really happened. God made a way, a powerful way, to pay the penalties for the sins of the entire world; and because it was His sacrifice that made it happen, it is His choice as to if it really worked! 

 We are the ones that need to believe it is so; and by believing it completely we are eating His flesh and drinking His blood, because those two things made it happen! Sometimes it takes a little time to chew on that, before you can actually accept it...

"Many of his disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone except it?" Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me." (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn't believe, and he knew who would betray him.)" (John 6:60-64 NLT)   

"A New and Living Way"

 "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" (Hebrews 10:20 KJV) 

  "By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last." (Luke 23:44-46 NLT)

 First off, there is a very interesting connection given between the veil and the flesh of Jesus. Without getting too carried away, it is Luke's investigative reasoning to show the timeline and the sequence of the veil being torn, and then the death of Jesus. Many have been able to prove that Jesus' death was brought on by a ruptured heart; they come to this conclusion because of the blood mixed with water, that came out of His side when the Roman soldier stuck the spear in Him, to make sure He was dead.  

 If you know anything about Luke, you should know that he was a doctor; so, he might have known some things about the human body, and also what that veil represented, which was that of separation from God! And not just that, but both Matthew and Mark have it recorded that veil was torn after Jesus died, not before He took His last breath. 

 Basically, what I am trying to say, is the ruptured heart of Jesus, which was literally torn, was the trigger that ripped the veil from top to bottom. When the veil was torn, it represented the separation between God and mankind was removed; the deed had been done, His heart was no longer giving Him life, and His deed was done; with His dying breath He released His Spirit!  

 Some say Paul, some say Luke; some even say Mark. But there was a time in Paul's incarceration when all three of them were together. I can only imagine the conversations they had together...

"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 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 who serve God and those who do not."" (Malachi 3:16-18 NLT)   

"We Can Be Close to God"

 "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus," (Hebrews 10:19 KJV)

  "He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us." (Ephesians 2:17-18 NLT) 

 Before I get into this, I must warn you that I am not really feeling all that well, so if this seems a little of, I can blame it on the meds and the lack of sleep. That said, there are times when I seriously feel that I am in God's presence; not physically, but definitely spiritually. This usually happens when I am praying with the Holy Spirit's guidance, usually because I really don't know what it is that I need to pray for. 

 If that doesn't make any sense to you, it really doesn't have to; it just happens, sometimes without even trying! There is this thing about praying intensely, when you just know that you're in His presence, even though you really don't know what it is that you want to say. He is just so gracious enough to answer and give you the peace you need; He can do so because He knows your heart and every thought that you are thinking. 

 One of my most intense prayers was the night of August 12th, 2003, which was the night I was told by the hospital staff that I needed to go home and get some rest. When I got home, I had no plan whatsoever to go to bed, but I went into my office, throw myself down on the floor, and cried out to God. It was one of the most intense prayers that I have ever prayed; so much so, my body was quivering, and I was weeping like a little baby. 

 After an hour or so, I suddenly felt a calm peace that came over me; almost as if the whole thing was handled and there was really nothing else to do, but to get to bed. It was probably about almost 2am and I was planning to go back to the hospital early that morning. When my head hit the pillow, I was out; but then waking up at 4am and feeling refreshed; that must have been a God thing! 

 You might not have any idea what I am trying to say, if you haven't experienced it yourself; but when you whole life gets turned upside-down in one night, your perspective on what life really means has a whole new meaning! For over three months I was at that hospital every morning, afternoon, and night; reading Scriptures to my wife and praying for her. 

 It was hard to do, but I did go to a Men's Retreat in October, but everything they taught on, although it was good, it made me feel I needed get back to my wife. This is not something you plan on happening, and you surely can't prepare for something that you don't believe will happen. 

 I am saying this because it really matters that you put God first in your life! He is the One that holds everything together, Everything! You must make every effort to make Him the center of your life; and when you feel as though you're failing to do so, pray harder for Him to help...    

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba Father." Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir." (Galatians 4:4-7 NLT)

"A Call to Persevere"

   "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

  "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

  "Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us. For we know the one who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back." He also said, "The LORD will judge his own people." It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 "Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

  "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved." (Hebrews 10:19-39 NLT)

  "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isaiah 55:1-3 KJV)

 Sorry for the long message, it was pretty much all I could do, just to type it all out. Hopefully it was not filled with all kinds of mistakes; it really has been a very brutal weekend, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better...

"How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light we shall see light." (Psalms 36:7-9 KJV) 

"Making it Mean Something"

 "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." (Hebrews 10:18 KJV)

 "Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!" (PSALM 150:1-2 NLT)

 There is something else I have discovered over all these years, the whole notion of aliens is really not true; there are many people who think they are real, as more and more are believing that we are not alone. Well, I agree, we are surely not alone! Never have we ever been not alone! There was a time, a brief time when God quit communicating to us through the prophets, which around 450-425 B.C., when the Book of Malachi was written, telling of coming Messiah, but not before that day the prophet, Elijah, must come. 

 We should all know who that was, as it was John the Baptist; the one who came in the spirit of Elijah, to announce Jesus, "The Lamb of God", the Messiah that came to save the world! Oddly enough, He was not what they were looking for, even though the Scriptures clearly said why He would come and what He was meant to do. 

 So you can see, there are many ways that people can be deceived by certain phenomenon; even Jesus was thought of as being a spirit, and those that crucified Him thought that He was demonic or crazy. Even His own brothers made fun of Him, thinking He just wanted popularity. This is really not all that hard to see: There are supernatural encounters all the time, whether it be demons or angels; we are surely not alone, because they are absolutely real! 

 The apostle Paul uses this as an example of the real battle we fight, saying: "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." (Ephesians 6:12 NLT) 

 As to the statement in Hebrews, "there is no more offering for sin," that is because sin was defeated on the cross; Jesus paid the full price for everyone's sin, once and for all! And it is just like when Moses lifted up that snake in the wilderness, those who looked upon it and believed were healed; those that did not, died. They died because they did want to do what God asked them to do, even though they were told that it would heal them!

 Talk about strange things happening in outer space; stranger things are happening right here on earth... 

""God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:17-21 NLT)     

"Before I Go"

 "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17 KJV)

  "For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die." (PSALM 103:11-15 NLT)

 I really think that God made the universe to amaze us and show us just how wonderful and powerful He really is! You might not know this, but the fear of the LORD is not meant that we should be afraid of Him, which was the reaction of Adam and Eve, in that garden after they ate the fruit, they were told not to eat. But what it really means is that we reverence Him, we are in awe of Him, and we recognize His awesome power and authority! 

 This is something Solomon knew and understood, even though he might have broken a few of God's commands. I am more that certain he be seen by us when we make it into Heaven! Hopefully you're in favor of that, because everything, that means all of the stuff we have done, will be forgiven for those who fear the LORD.

 Having said that, I know from experience that we sometimes still feal guilty for some on the things we have done, which is why I truly believe that those stars in the sky were placed there for us to gaze upon and think of His awesome power. If my God can do all of that, amazing work, imagine how much more He is capable of forgiving our sins! 

 If that was His plan from the very beginning, even before He made the heavens and the earth, then we who believe and are saved have nothing to worry about; if you are His, His you will be...

"But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT) 

"Spiritual Consecration"

 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;" (Hebrews 10:16 KJV) 

""When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.'"" (John 16:13-15 NLT)

 Looking up the definition for the word, "Consecration," it typically means to make, declare, or ordain something to be sacred or holy. Whether you know it or not, your salvation comes with a sacred and holy body, because God's Spirit is living within you! The church does not exist in a building; we are the church; we might gather in buildings, but the church is the body of Christ, not sticks and stone, but flesh and blood that belongs to Him, Christ Jesus, who is the Head of the church. 

 Most of the believers have that understanding and will agree that it is our sacred duty to watch what we do with this body, as it is ordained and belongs to the Lord. Whatever it is, but there is some sort of fog or forgetfulness that happens when we sin; especially when it becomes a craving, even after we are told not to do it! If you don't know what I mean, then good for you. The rest of us, mostly, that know, from experience, will think you are lying and just don't think whatever you did wasn't all that sinful. 

 It could just be me, but I have been through some times when I actually learned how to sin and thought I was getting by with it. It isn't really all that hard to do, because if you are trying to satisfy a craving, of any sort, it will just grow naturally. That was the cause of that very first sin, performed by Adam and Eve. It was the desire to fulfill a craving; and when you have a caving, guess how shows up to help you get what you want! 

 Anywho, the main thing that must remain the Main Thing, and that is, that the Spirit of God is abiding within you; therefore, you must make every effort to remain pure and consecrated by the Power within you...

"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." (Romans 8:5-7 NLT)  

"Devine Inspiration"

 "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before," (Hebrews 10:15 KJV)

  "Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative - that is, the Holy Spirit - he will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you."" (John 14:23-26 NLT)

 This is meant to be a reminder to all, that the Holy Spirit is more than a Comforter, a Helper, and a Teacher; He is also an Advocate, who speaks for our transformation and reminds us of what we are and how we must keep moving forward. The actual term, "Advocate," is a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy; a champion, upholder, supporter, backer, and promoter.

 Yes, He is also a Gentleman that is not forceful, but guides us where we should go, which sometimes is not where we want to go, but because He is our Advocate He will not give up on us! He will remain, always ready to inspire and teach us, always on our side; even when we mess up, He has still got our back, waiting patiently for us to turn and be ready to do what He says! 

 This reminds me of the time when I wanted to write a book, called: "Champion of Companionship." I really can't even remember when it was, maybe back in 2015; but I was inspired to do it because of the words of a brother who has moved on, as he was speaking on the News about Companionship, saying that he felt it would be okay for a spouse to divorce their significant other, if they had some sort a brain disorder; just for the sake of Companionship.

 I was standing over my wife at the time he said that and felt as though I wanted to scream at him, not really believing that he knew what he was saying and how wicked it was to even say what he said. When we who are Christians make a vow, before God and all of our witnesses, we take an oath: "I, Richard, take you, Marianne, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy law; and this is my solemn vow!" 

 There really isn't any point of debate in what that vow means! Besides that, Companionship is not something you just walk away from, because you are One! That is how the Holy Spirit works too, He will be there always, even if you lose your mind, He will still be there to comfort and help you, to the very end...    

""Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."" (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT) 

"Perfection!"

 "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14 KJV)

  "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:19-22 NLT)

 I know it might not feel as though we have been perfected, as we still struggle and stumble, as we live in this world trying not to sin; but as long as we believe and abide in Christ, these imperfections are all just temporary, just as this tent will be transformed, so too, we go from being sanctified to glorified, into His glorious presence. Have you made that something you expect to happen? 

 The whole point to the salvation we have in Christ, is more than just the struggles we deal with here on this earth, because all of us will be dealing with struggles from time to time, it is just bound to happen. If you don't think it could happen to you, beware! We must always know, that in our flesh, we all are subject to temptations and making wrong choices. Whenever we think that we have overcome certain things and defeated the struggle against sin, things will start to get testy.

 It is all about the power of God, to overcome! No matter how hard it gets, He is greater than your failure and struggles! It is like that illustration of God telling us to move a giant big rock. We push and push, trying as hard as we can to move that rock, all the while we feel defeated and sometimes want to give you. But after a while you just have to cry out to God, saying, "Why did you asked me to do something I can't do?" God will say, "Why are you complaining? You got stronger trying to move that rock; and besides that, you never asked for my help." 

 That is us trying to deal with something we just can't seem to overcome; sometimes, God just wants you to deal with it and keep asking for His help...

"You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made his light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile cray jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." (2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT)  

"Expectation!" - Too

 "From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." (Hebrews 10:13 KJV)

  "So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back." (1 Corinthians 15:21-23 NLT)

 Hopefully this is something we can all agree upon, because this is pretty much what this journey is all about! We all are waiting for that glorious day when we will be united with Christ, whether it is while we are here living on this earth, or have already pasted on, when Jesus returns for His bride, both those who have already died and we who remain will be transformed and taken up, in the blink of an eye!

 Whether that is what you believe or not, you must still believe that He is coming back to take you home; in one form or another, you must have hope that everything He has said is absolutely true. God does not lie! When He says that something will happen, it will happen, one way or another. 

 As to that Parable of the Talents, all of us are given something to do, whether we know what it is or not, He is doing a work in us, one way or another. Get use to that term, because you must believe that your life in Christ does not exist without some sort of a meaning. Which reminds me of the Potter that makes things out of clay; some for something beautiful to be put into, and something to throw trash into; we really do not know which one we are, until we see the results in Heaven; at least that is the case for most of us. 

 It is just a thought, but sometimes just the encounter with one lost soul, is enough to cause a change in thousands of souls that are headed to hell! Think about that, because sharing Jesus with anyone, could be more profitable that you could ever expect...

"As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring the good news!"" (Romans 10:11-15 NLT)

"Expectation!"

 "From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." (Hebrews 10:13 KJV)

  "The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."" (PSALM 110:1 NLT)

 As much as it is an expectation for the Lord, as He waits with anticipation, knowing full well that there will be complete and total victory; we are given the opportunity and the privilege to do the same, as we are expecting the completion of the salvation that He has promised!  

 I truly believe this is what we should be doing, no matter how long it takes, we must always remember that are real home is in heaven, and this place we are in right now is just temporary! Even though it is not our real home, we are also expected to be a vessel that He uses to share the same Good News that we have been given, much like that Parable of the Talents. 

 If you don't know what the Parable of the Talents means, it is about you doing what you can with what the Lord has given you to do. Pretty simple to do, but not all do! Some just hide it away and keep it to themselves, when it meant to be shared and multiplied through others. 

 The expectant servant is always looking for a way to please his Master, which is our reason to be here...

""Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and untrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last - dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on this trip. "The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with the two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money."" (Matthew 25:14-18 NLT)  

"Victory on the Cross!"

 "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" (Hebrews 10:12 KJV)

  "And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:16-17 NLT)

 I am very certain that many of us don't plan for the Lord's return any moment; as we all pretty much live as if we need to keep going on with life; planning how to make it through the next month of bills and how we keep it all together. I know this, because it is true about myself, and just about everyone else I know; we must go on living! 

 That said, I also know that He is coming soon; but it doesn't mean that we stop providing for our family or paying the bills. What it means is that we are loving one another and expecting Him to come back at any time; while we still do all that we can to provide for our families and to be a good witness to the grace we have been given. 

 As far as this "Victory on the Cross", there are so many things we need to remember about how God's way of making things right, have practically nothing in common with our ways! I could not help but think about my growing up as a kid, thinking what a shame it was for Jesus having to die on that cross, and how He suffered for just being good and serving others. 

 You must realize that there are many that don't even know what that death on the cross even meant; let alone who He was and why He came to pull it off...

"The massage of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent."" (1 Corinthians 1:18-19 NLT) 

"Touching the Surface" - 2

 "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:" (Hebrews 10:11 KJV)

  "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:1-5 NLT)

 You might have heard about the Christian's that are being killed in certain countries; it is not really anything that hasn't been happening before, but it is something that should make us aware of the way that the world and the church are different from one another. We are blessed to live in a country that doesn't persecute those who believe in Christ Jesus; at least it hasn't happened yet! 

 This is the thing about sin, whether or not you have been saved from it! Those who have had their sins forgiven, can actually feel free from the power of sin and know that they have a Heavenly Father that loves them. Those who don't want to be forgiven of their sins, hate those that do; much the same as Cain hated his brother. 

 There really isn't much more I can say about that, but it is more and more something we are seeing in the news, because the news is more and more viewable. Everyone has a phone to take pictures and record the things going on, all over the world. You must realize that these truly are the last days! 

 Please be ready, the KING will be coming for His bride very soon...

"But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in this life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God's Spirit in them. But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." (Jude 17-23 NLT) 

"Touching the Surface"

 "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:" (Hebrews 10:11 KJV)

  ""O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."" (PSALM 50:7-15 NLT)

 There is something else that I failed to mention, which I have said previously, many times before. There is this thing called Sanctification, which is much like that dash on your grave marker, which is the life you live between you birth and your death. There is a major difference between the earthly dash and the one that is heavenly; the earthly one is your doing life and living in this world, but the heavenly dash is God's doing and living in you! 

 Just so you know, we are all just fragile jars of clay, breaking and spilling out over and over, while God keeps on fixing us and filling back up again, over and over again, throughout this wonderful journey! It might not feel as though He is working sometimes, but that is because we are really not paying attention: because He never stops working! 

 Besides all of that, mumbo-jumbo, I for one believe that we are already securely in a place called Heaven, from the time of our New Birth in Christ, we have entered into God's glory! That is what that title was meant for, "Catapult to Glory," because it is exactly what takes place when we are born again and entered into the Kingdom of God. We are now His children, and He is not letting go of us, ever...

""I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them."" (John 17:22-26 NLT)