"Real Witness"

 "For by it the elders obtained a good report." (Hebrews 11:2 KJV)

  "Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I - and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."" (Job 42:1-6 NLT)

 Before I make a fool of myself, trying to explain something that I do not really understand, let me try to complete yesterday's post, because I didn't really finish something that is really important. With all my heart I know that God is real; I have known it and believed in Him ever since I was a child. To be clear, my knowledge of Him was very obscure and incomplete; something like that song, "Spirit in the Sky," which I listened to back when I was twelve years old. 

 That said, the whole thought of the theory that everything evolved from whatever and into something else, is something I could never believe in, no matter how many times it was taught and no matter what kind of proof they might have conjured up; it wasn't going to change my mind. Don't ask me why, because I really don't know; but I know that God is real, and that is enough! 

 More than just knowing that God is real, we must understand what He has done and why He has done it! This is the part of the journey that becomes the adventure...

""My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."" (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT)

"The Evidence"

 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

  "But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, so I spoke." We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (2 Corinthians 4:13-18 NLT)

 Most people will look at this, saying, "Where is the evidence in this, I don't see anything real?" Though it might not appear that we can grab hold of, it is more about something that will grab hold of us! Anyone that knows how it works, should understand that it is God that makes the move, we are the ones that react and make the choice to believe in Him! 

 Something I have truly know for most of my life, is that God is real; I just didn't know how much He really loved me, until that day I received His Son into my heart! That was the real gamechanger for me, from that point on, nothing has been the same, everything is new and exciting; even those things which cause heartaches and difficulties, they too cause us to look for God's work in whatever is going on in our lives. 

 If you want evidence, there is where you find it, by living in the family of God! Yes, it doesn't prove to us the final result, which is what hope makes real; but it shows us the power of God working in and through our lives; which makes us realize that this evidence is: His love is real...

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us." (1 John 4:7-13 NLT)  

"By Faith!"

  "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

 "By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." (Hebrews 11:1-3 NLT)

  "For which cause we faint not; but though outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 KJV)

 Already I have felt as though the things I have been sharing about these last few days have gone by the wayside, seemingly they are not really something that many of you believe or care to even think about. Which, for whatever reason, is pretty much how things are in this current world; we sometimes forget that this is not our home! 

 The Scripture in 2 Corinthians 4:18 is highlighted and underlined with red in by Bible, because it is the main reason that our faith is not placed in the things which are seen, mostly because the things that are seen don't represent those things that are eternal! We must totally comprehend the facts; this life that we are living in is temporary and will soon be gone, totally and completely dissolved! 

 Needless to say, but this is not something that many people want to hear or even think about; but it is something that is meant to happen, just as the Bible says it will! We should understand that to be true, if that is, we believe the Bible does not lie or make up things that will never happen. 

 As for me, I am more than convinced that God has spoken every word that has been written; the Bible is God's love-letter to us, through and through, from the beginning and to the end, He has been speaking to us through a thousand generations, letting us know: Our God is an Awesome God...

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalms 27:13-14 KJV)   

"Unbreakable!" - 2

 "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Hebrews 10:39 KJV)

  "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12 NLT)

 Now, for those who might not get the message, this title, "Unbreakable," does not, in any way, try to say that we don't have difficulties and sicknesses, and even suffer death in this body, because we will have, by all means, just like everyone else, be subject to all those things! The great and awesome difference for us that serve the Lord, is that we have eternal life; it is our soul that is unbreakable; it is surely not this tent; which just like everything else on this earth, withers and is subject to decay, death, and destruction!

 Get the message? I hope we all can agreed that is true, because there is really no other way to describe how it works. These bodies are going to be remaining here on this dying planet, like everything else. Even if we get raptured, this body will be dissolved, and as we meant to Lord in the air, we will have a new body that is eternal, totally free from decay and destruction! 

 So it is totally clear, this current body will never be unbreakable; as a matter of fact, it breaks and will get hurt like everyone else. The big difference for us, who belong to Christ, is that we have no need to worry about it or feel threatened, as if the end is near. Hope that helps clear any doubts or misunderstandings...

""For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."" (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)     

"Unbreakable!"

 "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Hebrews 10:39 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 into life."" (John 5:24 NLT)

 Please forgive me if I am sometimes too serious over certain things that I think matter more than life; if it is really something that causes you to feel guilty, don't let it be a problem, but make it be my issue, not your own! This might sound hard to believe, but I have grown to the point where nothing hurts or makes me worry about this life; this life is absolutely temporary, and I will soon be home! 

 When I started this last portion of Hebrews 10, the main point to verses 26-39 was really quite simple and easy to understand; yet at the same time, they became a challenge to express the importance of what really matters most. If you didn't catch the title of that beginning, it was really quite simple and to the point: "Christ or Judgment". 

 There is really nothing else that really matters! If Jesus is your LORD, you are unbreakable... 

"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:1-5 NLT)

"Keeping the Faith!" - 2

 "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:38 KJV)

  "I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways." (PSALM 85:8 NLT) 

 Here is the thing that makes faith so important, whether you believe it or not: It is His power and might that we have faith in, not our own! Much like Jesus saying, "If we had the faith of a mustard seed," it is not our mustard seed of strength or determination; but putting our faith in God, just believing He is able to do anything, is enough to make that mustard seed grow into something bigger and stronger, so much so, that you will have rest for your soul. 

 This isn't really something we can on our own, as if we just snap our fingers and make ourselves have faith; because faith requires knowledge of God, and wisdom enough to believe He is capable of doing abundantly more than we could ever imagine. If we can just believe what the Bible says in the beginning, we can have enough faith in God to believe anything else is possible, just from the act of creation! 

 Imagine the struggle so many people have with how Jesus dying on the cross takes away all of our sins; it just doesn't make sense to those that can't believe it is true. And even those that have received it, once they draw back and return to their sins, they too begin to doubt and wonder if it is true. 

 Again, the Bible is God's written word, which He has given to us that we should know Him! It is not a book filled with stories and fables but is God's love letter to the world that He created; letting His creation know who He is and how much He loves us, so that by chance, we can love Him back! 

 I say, by chance, because it requires for us to change our minds and soften our hearts, which is not really something that we can do on our own, but something we must allow God to do, in us...

"One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority." But Jesus replied, "Only an evil and adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three day and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. "The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here - but you refuse to repent. The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here - but you refuse to listen. "When an evil sprit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation."" (Matthew 12:38-45 NLT) 

"Keeping the Faith!"

 "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:38 KJV)

  "What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, "All nations will be blessed through you." So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."" (Galatians 3:8-11 NLT)

 If you are familiar with the Book of Galatians, then you should know that Paul was writing it because many of those he was writing to were being misled and told that they must observe and keep the Law of Moses, if they wanted to have salvation. There is that same thing happening today, as it has been, from the very beginning of the birth of the Church. It really does require faith in the work of what Christ has done, not on us, and any work that we can do: as the Scripture says, "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy deeds. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind." (Isaiah 64:6 NLT)

 The paradox that keeps us from remaining pure, is the lack of faith in the finished work of Christ! This might seem strange to some, but the similarity to what this looks like, is like us tasting all the separate ingredients for making a cake; hardly anything will taste good by itself; but once it is all mixed into one, there is something made that has great taste!    

 How that is similar to have faith in Christ, is because we must believe the whole work, from the very beginning to the very end! There is only one way that we are saved, not several different ways, only one! What that basically means, is that there is nothing added to or taken away from what Christ has done; the work that He did was sufficient; there is nothing else to be done; and it can never be undone!  

 This is not something that is taught in many churches, mostly because there aren't many churches that really believe the Bible is absolutely correct and the words of God. If you can't believe it all, then the cake you are making will not taste perfectly good...

"For we are not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of the experience, we have greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shinning in a dark place - until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God." (2 Peter 1:16-21 NLT)    

"Always Looking Up!"

 "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." (Hebrews 10:37 KJV)

  "But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." (2 Peter 3:8-9 NLT)

 Hopefully the post from yesterday didn't make anyone feel guilty, because it wasn't my intention to cause any guilt; it was more about making us, including myself, a little more aware of our own lack of keeping the Lord first and foremost in every part of our lives. It is easy to make certain plans without asking Him what we should do or not do, because our lives are sometimes divided, from what we do for ourselves and families, and what we do for the Lord. 

 Simply put: He really wants all of us! If we have anything to do or any place to go, we should always plan to take Him with us and not act as if we are leaving Him at home! That actually comes from a little booklet called, "My Heart, Christ's Home." If you haven't read it, it is a pretty good illustration of some the things we do, without even knowing, that actually can offend the Lord; just because we think that they are our own personal privilege.  

 As to this Scripture today, it has been shared about, again and again, and should never be forgotten, because He is coming back when we least expect it! What that really means, is that we should always be ready and looking for His return. It is really easy to slack away from being prepared, mostly because of life and the business of living to feed and care for our families. But regardless, we must persevere to always be looking up and be prepared, because He is coming back, and we don't want to not be ready! 

 I pray that we are all ready, and that it will be very soon...

"But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of the God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight." (2 Peter 3:10-14 NLT) 

"Perseverance" - 2

 "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." (Hebrews 10:36 KJV)

  "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24 NLT)

 This might sound a little different, but if you really stop and think about what is being said, the author that is speaking, although it might appear to be some kind of admonishment, to some, it is actually a warning to wait on the Lord; which is really sometimes hard for us to do, as we have this, 'I'll take it from here',  kind of attitude, once we have carried out something God has told us to do. If you don't think that is a thing, then you need to study the situation that happen with Abraham, as he listened to his wife, thinking they could help God achieve His promise. 

 There are some things that God will give us that might require our own effort; most of which is meant for our own benefit. But when it comes serving while waiting on God, we are always looking for a door to open, as if that is our chance to make our move. It doesn't always work that way, because there is a chance that the door is presented by someone other than God! 

 There is a debate to whether or not we are given the gift of discernment, thinking that our intuition or feelings are always God showing us the way; when sometimes, without even realizing it, we are listening to and acting upon ourselves. It really depends upon what kind of mood we are in and where are heart is, at that particular moment. We are all vulnerable, so we must all use the Scriptures for discernment, not our own intuition or feelings! 

 But who am I to talk; except for the fact that I have experience in messing things up! The biggest issue I seem to have results in doing things without first asking God! I'm sure you know what I mean, because I believe that most of us do it. Not the big things, but things we think are simple little things, like buying a new car, or spending money on a trip that you think you deserve. 

 Anywho, this might have gone a little sideways, but I hope it caused some of us to think...

"What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong - you want only what will give you pleasure." (James 4:1-3 NLT)   

"Perseverance"

 "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." (Hebrews 10:36 KJV)

  "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)

 There are many different ways that we can serve the Lord; some have certain challenges with dealing in and with others that have difficulty keeping it together; others involve services which might not receive much recognition. Which other way that we serve, it is the Lord who we serve, through other people; He is who we must serve, and He is who we can always trust!

  If you don't understand what that means, or how it works, there is a very simple way to figure it out: People can sometimes be difficult to deal with, and we should never serve to gain any rewards from anyone else; everything we do, we do to please the Lord; He alone is the faithful one and the one that is our judge of everything we do, or fail to do. 

 Thinking about this is sometimes hard to make happen, mostly because we have this little thing call pride and the ability to feel hurt. But if we keep our eyes on Jesus, knowing and believing that He is always with us, then, and only then, can we really love, as we are loved by Him! It is always not achievable and there will always be times when we fall short; but that is what it means to have perseverance; we never give up trying to get it right...

"Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me completely. Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:8-13 NLT)

"Cheerful Courage" - Too

 "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward." (Hebrews 10:35 KJV) 

  "For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." (1 Corinthians 15:53-58 NLT)

 Just a little thing I heard yesterday, as the same Scripture was being spoken of, "O death, where is your victory? O grave, where is sting?" is the how it was spoken, which is the Greek interpretation. Regardless, I truly believe neither is of any concern to us, as long as we have the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, we have nothing to worry about with either, death or the grave! 

 There is something else I would like to say about this "Cheerful Courage," because that part of our journey here on this earth, will be more victorious and joyful, if there is really nothing we have to worry about; especially as it comes down to death and dying. You might not think there reason enough to look forward to leaving this earth; but we really already have a place waiting for us in Heaven; this much I am very sure of, as the Bible tells me so! And I truly believe that the Bible does not lie...

"God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him." (Ephesians 1:9-14 NLT) 

"Cheerful Courage"

 "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." (Hebrews 10:35 KJV)

  "Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer." (PSALM 19:9-14 NLT)

 Looking forward to the day when all of this has pasted and the new glorious day has begun, isn't just a hope, it is what confidence looks like! Which is the title of this post, because we must cheerfully be ready to go, as it is not something we should be afraid of, but something we should know that brings redemption and eternal life; abundantly, the true life we have been promised, for ever more!

 It's not that I don't want to stay and be of use, because I love serving the Lord and doing all I can to help others, in whatever way that I can; but if the time comes for me to go, I will not be afraid! How do I know, you might wonder? Because I have already decided that it is well with my soul, when I go! 

 My greatest concern is my wife, that if I go first, how things will be for her, and how she will be taken care of. Fortunately for her, there are people capable of taking care of her; even a house for her to stay, with room enough for others to stay with her. But still, I prefer that we both leave together! 

 Anywho, enough of that, the things we have no control over, whatsoever! What we can control is the confidence we should have that our salvation is guaranteed and that we have the Lord on our side; no matter how hard it gets or how much this world might come against us, our new address is already in Heaven...  

"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." (1 Peter 1:3-6 NLT)

"What Matters Most!"

 "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." (Hebrews 10:34 KJV) 

  ""God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way."" (Matthew 5:11-12 NLT) 

 If it makes any difference, I seldom think this life is really an affliction, because it has many beautiful moments; as I have shared before, singing to my wife is something I never did before, when our lives were normal; but now, it is something I love to do, almost every day. What appears to be an affliction to some that look upon our circumstance, is really nothing more than us finishing the race that has been set before us. My deepest prayer is that we both finish at the same time!  

 As you might have noticed, the person that is sharing about his bonds, is most likely Paul, as it was he who had spent quite a lot of time in prison, sometimes in chains, and sometimes in house arrest. Luke was one of those who help him the most; and eventually, Mark too was also with him. 

 The point I am trying to make has to do with the writing, as Paul seldom wrote his own letters. Mark may have been the one writing this in Hebrew, and Luke was the one that translated it to Greek; or so the story goes. The most important point is that this was meant to be for the Jewish believers; however, it is also a word to both Jews and Gentiles alike! 

 We are all now brothers and sisters, and are all now the descendants of father Abraham, as the Book of Romans says: " 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 4:17 NLT) 

 What I am trying to say, is that this life, which might seem terrible to some, is really nothing more than the way God has made us to be; just as it was for Paul to be in bonds, it was where he was meant to be! What matter most, is where we end up, once this life is over...

"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 about100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead - and so was Sarah's womb. 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 that 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." 

"Being a Shooting Star" - To

 "Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used." (Hebrews 10:33 LKV)

  "See how these enemies insult you, LORD. A foolish nation has dishonored your name. Don't let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves. Don't forget your suffering people forever. Remember your covenant promises, for the land is full of darkness and violence! Don't let the downtrodden be humiliated again. Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name. Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how these fools insult you all day long. Don't overlook what your enemies have said or their growing uproar." (PSALM 74:18-23 NLT)

  Just to clarify what this title is meant for, the term, "gazing-stock," which basically means: '"to bring upon the stage; to set forth as a spectacle, expose to contempt." How ever you might take it to represent, there is some very real circumstances we must deal with, in which those that are watching, may or will, sometimes make it out to be our downfall or punishment for our sins. 

 They say that the Book of Job is the oldest Book in the Bible, which is a Book that deals heavily with the conflictions of both those who look upon the afflicted, as well as the heart of the one that is suffering in the affliction. With all that is said, Job is brought to the point of trusting God, even though he has been overwhelmed by reproaches and afflictions. 

 It is this "reproach" that makes the whole thing come to life! The thing that is usually overlooked is the reason that affliction comes upon those that serve the Lord, as many will think there is something wrong with them, as if they are being punished for something that they have done. 

 As we see in Isaiah 53:4, as it describes what the people saw, as Jesus hung upon the cross: "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins." This is hard to imagine, but when Stephen was stoned for sharing the truth, Jesus was championing his death, as Stephen saw Jesus standing at God's right hand! 

 Anywho, not to get weird or full of self-pity, but there are times when I feel conflicted and reproached in my own circumstance, which sometimes makes me feel as though I am being punished. What's worse than that, is that I feel as if sometimes others look at me, just shaking their heads, as if God is giving me what I deserve, for whatever it is or for whatever I done. 

 To be perfectly honest, I really don't care! My life is not my own, I don't do what I do for me, I do what I do because I love my wife, regardless of the condition she might be in, we are both afflicted and are looking forward to very end, together as one...

"For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united as one." This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:25-33 NLT) 

"Being a Shooting Star"

 "Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became champions of them that were so used." (Hebrews 10:33 KJV)

  "O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you. Don't let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, O Sovereign LORD of Heaven's Armies. Don't let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel. For I endure insults for your sake; humiliation is written all over my face. Even my own brothers pretend they don't know me; they treat me like a stranger. Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." (PSALM 69:5-9 NLT)

 There was something I heard yesterday, which I hope isn't true, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. The whole point of the topic was to show the percentage of churches the actually believe how much of the Bible is totally accurate and true. The summery of the totals were astounding, I was overwhelmed by the results that were given! The sum total was far less than 50%; more like 35% for the Protestant churches, and less than 25% for the Catholic churches. 

 If you don't believe it, I would say to not try and figure out whether or not it is so; but just make sure that is not what you yourself might believe. Instead, just make is true to yourself, and never accept the words of other's that try to tell you it isn't all completely and accurately 100% true! Make it something you cannot be shamed for believing, if for nothing else, for the fact that it is God's written word! 

 You might be called a fool, but I would rather be a fool for Christ, than something who doesn't stand for God's written word! If you don't know this by now: God honors His Word, even more than His name...

"I worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name." (Psalms 138:2 NKJV)