"Faith That Endures"

 "All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16 NLT) 

  ""Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."" (John 14:1-4 KJV)

 I know that I can sometimes get carried away and be, shall we say, over the edge; but this little heart of mine really does want to shine, so I keep trying to let it! When I first started this blog, it basically was to just become something that included Marianne and me, and this spectacular journey. If you have been able to see the home page, then you would maybe have noticed we were in a motorhome, which was one of the times we were leaving on a trip. 

 If you look closely enough, there is a caption up in the left-hand corner, below our names that says, "Count it all Joy!!!." What else can we possibly do? What a miserable life we would be having if all we did was complain and feel as though life was over. When I really can actually have joy in knowing that God is working in both of our lives, for His will and purposes! 

 I don't really get to see everything that God is doing, but I do know that He is doing something and that there will come a time when everything will be revealed, because He has said so. In the meantime, we are meant to rejoice and be glad for what we have been given; even if it doesn't aways feel good, God is always good, no matter what! 

 I have said it before, and I will keep believing it is so: God will absolutely heal my wife, this much I am very sure of, one way or another, she will be totally healed! In the meantime, we must count it all joy, and keep looking forward to that glorious home...

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many people." (1 Timothy 6:12 KJV) 

"God of Wonders"

 "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable." (Hebrews 11:12 KJV)

  "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. Abraham never wavered in believing God's promises. 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." (Romans 4:18-21 NLT)

 As I was thinking about this, somewhat wonderful promise, I could only imagine what it was like for Abraham to gaze up at the stars, seeing that amazing sight, and imagining his descendants filling those skies. What an amazing sight that could have been! As it is now here at my house, I can almost count the stars in the sky, because of the light pollution that drowns out the light of the stars. 

 Being in the pest control industry has made me realize over the years that even the smallest creatures have amazing characteristics, like mites, for example. One time I was at a conference for our industry, when I was given a free magnifying glass that had a light. I saw a small speck on the table and took a look under the glass and saw the strangest looking creature. It had spikes all over its body and almost looked as if it was prehistoric in nature. The thing was a Dust Mite! Which was something my mother always warned me about, saying, "Clean up the dust under or bed, or you will have Dust Mites!" 

 There is just something about God's creation that makes it impossible to not believe that He is a God of Wonders! Once you realize how amazing God is and how incredible He designed everything to work and how He holds everything together, you can only be convinced that He is able to do whatever He promises to do, always and forever...

"Praise the LORD, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. For he loves us with unfailing love; the LORD'S faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD!" (PSALM 117 NLT)   

"The Living Hope"

 "Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." (Hebrews 11:11 KJV)

  "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 and 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." (1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT)

 Okay, so we looked at what Sarah did that was wrong, but now we need to try to understand how God is able to make things right, even for those who might doubt Him, He always has a way! If God says that Sarah was going to conceive, then there is no doubt, she will have a son! Furthermore, the birth of her son was real to her, after Haggar conceived, she repented having made that choice; and when she laughed, it was to herself, but God called her out anyways; so, she knew then, that He wasn't kidding!  

 Having some doubts about doing things God might be asking us to do, is really not all that uncommon; there are always obstacles and hardships that are in the way, but every hardship and obstacle is the way God increases our faith and gives us the reason to trust in Him, more and more. Faith is not our doing; it is God's doing through us! 

 I will never forget Pastor Gary's message about learning how to drown. As he was illustrating what it looked like, he was leaning away from his pulpit, almost as if he was floating on water. The point he was making was that of what most people do when they are drowning, they fight it, and the lifeguard that tries to save them will just let them drown; otherwise, they might get hurt themselves. 

 God obviously won't be hurt trying to save us, but we must surrender and fall into His arms! It really isn't that we give up; instead, we give it all to God...

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:6-7 NLT)  

"Sarah was Able!"

  "It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead - a nation with so many people that, as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them." (Hebrews 11:11-12 NLT)

  "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed to you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:4-8 KJV)

 With some kind of humility, I will try to illustrate what this all means, and why Paul's statement to the church in Corinth has any sort of connection with what we might see in Hebrews 11:11. If you know what kind of things Sarah did, which were wrong, then you would also know that she really didn't think that God was going to give her the ability to have a child. 

 Looking at the obvious things that stand out, the fact that she laughed when she heard God tell her husband that she was going to give birth, was made known to Abraham, because God knew and heard her laugh at what He said. The other very obvious thing she did that was wrong, was offering her handmaiden to Abraham, saying that maybe God was talking about it being her, since they were somewhat connected. Obviously, Abraham was okay with that offering and didn't make an argument over it.  

 This might be a surprise to some, but God used this blunder for good; as it was, the offspring from the child born from Hagar, Ishmael, actually were the traders that came by when Josheph was in the pit. His brothers sold him to them, and they took him and traded him in Egypt. Which then turned into the whole family of Jacob being saved from the famine.

 This was also the connection to the dream that God gave Abraham, telling him about his descendants being slaves for 400 years in a foreign land. God really can make our mistakes work for the good...

"And we know thar all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purposes. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn of many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:28-31 KJV)  

"The Better Promise!"

 "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10 KJV)

  "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthy body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands." (2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT)

 Not that it makes me give up, but this thing that I do every morning isn't to gain followers or even get some kind of admiration, so it really doesn't bother me if nobody pays attention or cares what I say. This is just something I chose to do, because it keeps me going, day after day! Something is better than nothing, because there were just too many times when I failed to keep my fellowship with the Lord consistent; especially something I did each and every morning, no matter what! 

 The point of yesterday's post was to show how God gave Abraham a vision of what his descendants will go through, which, I believe made Abraham feel for them and care about them: which, actually made him fervently believe they were his offsprings and God was absolutely going to fulfill His promise, no matter what. As for the agreement, or contract that God made with Abraham, it was only two things which passed through the pieces that were on the ground, as the Bible says: "After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses." (Genesis 15:17 NLT) 

 This reminds me of the rainbow which God places in the sky, as a reminder of His promise to never again flood the entire earth. As it has been told, in the original writing, it says, bow, not rainbow. Therefore, if it is His bow that is seen, the bow is pointed upward, towards heaven. Which way will the arrow go the next time He performs judgement on the whole entire earth? Who will be the One who receives His judgement? 

 What an awesome and amazing God we serve...   

""No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."" (John 3:13-17 NLT)   

"Believing the Promise"

 "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:" (Hebrews 11:9 KJV)

  "This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appealed to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. God told him, 'Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you. So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.

 "But God gave him no inheritance here, not even a square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants - even though he had no children yet. God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 'But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God said, 'and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.'"" (Acts 7:2-7 NLT)

 If you have been following this blog for a while, (over a decade ago,) then you might have recalled this message, one which I shared at church, regarding the time God made a covenant with Abraham. As it was, God told Abraham to lay out a portion of dead animals, cut them in half, all except the birds, and they would sign a covenant together. 

 Basically, the way it was meant to work in those days, was the men who made a covenant to each other, would walk among the dead animals, promising to each other, saying, 'Let this, and more, be done to me, if I neglect to keep my part in this covenant.' However, God caused Abraham to go to sleep, while He performed the covenant on His own! If you really think about it, that might have been a covenant the Father made with the Son, who would be a descendant of Abraham many years later. 

 Anywho, the main point of this moment was when God gave Abraham a dream, the one that Stephen was sharing to those who were going to stone him. As I shared before the church, this was God's way to give Abraham more faith about the promise, as he became more positive of their existence, seeing how they would be slaves for 400 years, feeling sadness for them; and seeing them redeemed, and back in the land of promise. 

 As I was saying yesterday morning, God makes a way, one way or another...

"This is what the LORD says: "You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 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 29:10-11 NLT)    

"God's Choice!"

 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." (Hebrews 11:8 KJV)

  "Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, you children of his servant Abraham, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones." (PSALM 105:1-6 NLT)

 There is a very special reason I shared what I did yesterday, because the main reason Abraham did what he did, is pretty much like everyone else does: We have doubts! I'm not saying that Abraham didn't have faith, because for the most part he tried to do what God said, even though he sometimes made wrong choices!

 And with that, everything that Abraham did, that was wrong, God used it for good, in one way or another! There are so many examples of this, more than I think we can ever know: as I believe it also works with all of us, that try to serve the Lord in every way we know how, but from time to time we make mistakes and give God a reason to use those mistakes for good; most of which we will never see in our lifetime! 

 Some simple examples are seen in the things we don't see, like the little things that become a really big deal, once they take place. Take Lot for instance, as it was Abraham's choice to bring his nephew Lot on his journey, even though God's call to him only involved his immediate family. Yet, it was one of Lot's daughters that had a son she named Moab, which centuries later brought Ruth into the picture, who was the grandmother of king David. 

 All that I am trying to say, is that this was God's choice to call Abraham, with all his faults and all his wrong choices, God choose him because He had a plan that could not fail, because in was His choice! What He chooses to do, it gets done, one way or another...

"He is the LORD our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. He always stands by his covenant - the commitment he made to a thousand generations. 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 and a never-ending covenant: "I will give you the land of Cannan as your special possession."" (PSALM 105:7-11 NLT)   

"The Faith of Abraham"

   "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith - for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:8-10 NLT)

  "Now the LORD said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from the kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3 KJV)

 Having realized how hard it is to trust in the promises of God, we must understand that trust is a product of faith; without faith, there is no way that we can trust and believe in the promises of God, no matter how good they might sound, if we don't have the faith to believe, we will struggle to have trust in what God has promised. Yes, Abram left home as he was told, but the journey was not without failure to trust that God was protecting him and was going to fulfill the promise. 

 A little example of what that looks like, was when he went to Abram went to Egypt, telling his wife to pretend to be his sister, so that no one would try to kill him, as they might want to take her...

"And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold, now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee." (Genesis 12:11-13 KJV)

"Noah's Commission"

 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (Hebrews 11:7 KJV)

  ""No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house."" (Luke 11:33 NLT)

  We can only imagine what it might have been like for Noah's struggle, with not only building the ark, but dealing with those who were arguing against what he was doing. Some scholarly estimates say it was 50 to 75 years that it took for Noah to build that Ark; while others say it could have been 120 years. Yet, the general belief is placing it around 100; as it is believed that Noah was 500 years old when God told him to build it, and he was 600 years old when God sealed him in it and flooded the earth. 

 Whatever it was, there must have been challenges that caused him to take so long; most likely, he himself may have had doubts from time to time, as to what he was doing. For whatever reason, a hundred years is a pretty long lifetime for anyone in this current age; one can only imagine the ups and downs anyone might go through in the amount of time. 

 This is one of the main reasons that many of us believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, not only Enoch's departure, but that God protected and sealed Noah inside the ark, saving him from the judgement that was about to take place on the whole earth. There are so many reasons for us to believe that the rapture will come; more and more, we see this earth is getting closer and closer; just when we think it has gotten better, it goes seriously worse and out of control. 

 Noah had been given a commission to not only build the ark, but to also save his family; something we all should try and do, because they need us to shine the Light! And right now, in this time we are living in, that Light needs to shine brightly...

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, " It is through faith that a righteous person has life."" (Romans 1:16-17 NLT)   

"Noah's Big Boat"

 "It is by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith." (Hebrews 11:7 NLT)

  "And it came to pass at end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came to me saying, Son of Man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." (Ezekiel 3:16-19 KJV)

 If you didn't know this, almost every continent on this earth has some version of great flood, and the boat that Noah built to save the animals and his family. This was a really big deal to God; something that He was grieved over, but He had to do it, even though it grieved His heart. 

 It is said that it took Noah almost 100 years to build the Ark, and he was 600 years old when he and his family entered the Ark. You really can't imagine what it was like for him, as those around him, mocked him and made fun of him, because he prepared for the way to be saved from the flood.

 It had never rained before, so just him warning them about what was going to happen, was something that they could not believe; let alone, their lack of fear that they had for God! Genesis 6:5 says, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." 

 Yesterday, we had Pastor Mike share at our church service. He also spoke at our Men's Conference on Saturday, when he made references to the fact that these United States will not be the same place it once was, very soon; because of the wickedness that is taking over, in almost every way, and in every form. This is something that I have noticed too but was hoping that President Trump could slow down the wickedness; at least a little!

 Unfortunately, the wickedness is rising up underground, almost as if it isn't really noticed by many people. We that know the truth, know that the prince of this earth is the devil; and that he is the one that is causing all this, so called wickedness; of which, more and more of our citizens don't think that it is really that wicked! 

 Pastor Mike is making sure that he doesn't remain silent, because he knows that he will be held accountable, if he remains silent. Surprisingly, yet not so much, many of those who are believers, will hear is words and mock him, thinking he is just making it up. That is a lot like Noah's warnings that the earth was going to flood; yet no one listened or believed him...

"Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous man, the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he was warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul." (Ezekiel 3:20-21 KJV)    

"The Historical Challenge!" - Again

 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

  "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 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 good news!"" (Romans 10:11-15 NLT)

 Maybe there is something more that needs to be addressed in this; something that requires us to pause and think hard about what it is that we are meant to do, even though we may not want to do it. Why are we here on this earth, if we have been saved and this is no longer our home? One of the things which Pastor Mike said yesterday really caused me to take a good look at my life, realizing that my ability to stop and take some time to let God use me, is taking over by me rushing from place to place, all day long! 

 When I pray in the mornings, I try to make it my privilege to ask God to do His will in my life, as if it is a request that I am willing to always fulfill. But how do we know what His will is, if we don't have time to be interrupted, because of the busyness that we put first in our lives? When it comes to serving the Lord, we must be prepared for interruptions and be able to stop for things that are more important than this worldly life! 

 The instance that was set forth as a challenge, was to prepare ourselves to be interrupted, because that is how God gets us to share the most, by placing someone in front of us, that needs us to speak or pray for them. This is something I really focused on when I first got saved; as a matter of fact, I usually expected to have encounters, knowing and believing that God had given me a purpose! 

 Life seems to take over in those times, unless we stay focused on what God wants, and less focused upon what we might think that we need. It is really not difficult to be distracted in this world, not able to trust God's purposes and will for our lives. Just a few months of setting into our own plans, is enough to cause us to change our priorities: which also leads to losing faith in God's calling upon our lives. 

 Within this verse, from Hebrews 11:6, there three very particular reasons that the writer has placed this verse where is has been placed. The first of which is faith, that we must always keep believing, no matter what might be happening in our lives, it our responsibility as a believer to trust that God is good, no matter what! Secondly that HE IS! That might not seem any different from the first, but we must not forget that He doesn't change! If He called you and choose you, He knew you inside and out, from before you were even born, until the time you leave this earth! 

 We are all bound to mess up, from time to time; but anything that happens in our lives, God has already known, even before you have done it; yet He does not change His mind! You were adopted and place withing His family, and He is not going to throw you away! We must always keep believing that we are still His, even though we might not feel as though we deserve it, because in reality, we never did! It was a gift from God that we received, we could never earn it! 

 And thirdly, that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him! What an amazing God we serve! The thing that should give us the most hope, is that He is the one who pays the wages! As the Bible clearly says, "The wage of sin is death," yet He promises life to us, and life abundantly! And it is because we believe in Him and have made Him the LORD of our lives!

 Does that always mean that we are perfect and never make mistakes; absolutely not! But God never does, and He is the one that chooses us to be His children; and that is why we diligently seek Him. Not that we don't already know Him, but that we need to know Him more and more! His love is always bigger than we can ever imagine...

"My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises will all my heart. Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, LORD, among all the people. I will sing of your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth." (PSALM 108:1-5 NLT) 

"The Historical Challenge!" - Too

 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 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 God's 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. You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom." (Galatians 5:4-8 NLT)

 Just so you know, I had not tried to compare myself with Jonah; I was simply showing how God takes certain steps to make us listen and know that He is the One that has control! As we shall see in just about every single saint listed in the Hall of Faith, it is God that calls them and leads their lives; anything that they might do wrong, He has already prepared something for His will and purposes. 

 Not to keep repeating myself, but when I was going to court for my last conviction, I was reading the Family Bible one morning, trying to search for a way to correct my life and get a place for my wife and son. We were living with my mother at the time, because we were kicked out of our apartment, for being arrested for selling drugs. My wife and my mother really weren't getting along, and it was really not a very pleasant situation. 

 When I finally arrived at the facility that I sentenced to, I noticed that they had a church on the property; and I tried very hard to avoid going near it. I had one of those small New Testament Bibles, and that alone was all I felt I needed; as it was, I really didn't want to be part of any religion, I just wanted to believe in God and be left alone. 

 And then God decided differently; and arranged for someone to see me give money to my wife during a visit; which then led to me getting jumped for money, that I had already given away. It was not really that big of a deal to me, I wasn't really harmed too much, so I just moved on. But then, (so I believe,) God arranged for another inmate to go to the office and tell them what had happened. I was called up to the office over the loudspeaker, (another act of God,) and when I got to the office, they told me that I was being sent to another place, because those who jumped me, might think that I told on them, because I was called to the office.

 You just can't make this stuff up! On top of all of that, when I got to the new place, there was no church on the property. The way I see it, I let my guard down, not feeling threatened by anyone trying to make me change my ways. 

 And then one Sunday morning, God arranged for someone to announce something, again, over the loudspeaker! Again, with the loudspeaker! It was the loudspeaker that got me to where I was; and it was the loudspeaker that called to where I needed to be! That is the day that I got saved!

 There is really no other way I can say this, but God makes a way to get His Way...

"Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them - both men and women - back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, lord?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go to the city, and you will be told what you must do."" (Acts 9:1-6 NLT) 

"The Historical Challenge!"

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

  "Later Jesus said to them again, "I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sins. You cannot come where I am going." The people asked, "Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, 'You cannot come where I am going?" Jesus continued, "You are from below, I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins."" (John 8:21-24 NLT)

 Without a real belief in God, there is hardly any chance to diligently seek Him; to make matters worse, just living in this world, which has so many things that cause us to not seek Him, it is only by His will and purpose that He reveals Himself to us, that we are even given a chance! And even then, we still must be able to believe that it is He! 

 As I have said, several times already, I have believed in God as far back as I can remember. The earliest time I recall, was when I was five years old, being in Sunday School, and drawing pictures about God and His rainbow. That would have been around 1963, which is about the time things started to get wicked and anti-God in these United States. I believe it started with the Supreme Court ruling that state-sponsored prayer in public schools was unconstitutional, on June 25, 1962.

 From that point on, things were sliding deeper and deeper into many anti-God teachings is public schools, all throughout the United States. As I remember back, I believe it was the first day of school, in 1968, which was when the Beetles released, "The White Album", as I remember the poster on the wall in class. The teacher also had a poster above the chalkboard of Life Magazine's illustration of the Evolution of Man. As soon as I saw that poster, I was totally offended and spoke out against it. As I remember, the teacher had a globe on his desk that was placed in a holder, and I walked up to his desk and turned the globe upside-down.  

 Having said all of that, I still believed in God when I rebelled against Him, not much latter than when I took that stand; I think it was within the next 2 years or so. It was when I determined that I could not keep His commandments, which was when I just accepted that I was destined to hell. Once you get to that phase in life, you still know God is watching, but you just don't care. 

 Fortunately for me, God never gave up on me, and He came to my rescue...

"Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once. The sailors were awestruck by the LORD'S great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Now, the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights." (Johah 1:15-17 NLT)  

"Enoch's Fellowship"

 "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Hebrews 11:5 KJV)

  "When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him." (Genesis 5:21-24 NLT)

 There is something we should try to understand about Enoch's departure from this earth, the same way that we will be changed during the Rapture, is the same way the God took Enoch; he was transformed from this earthy form, into that which is eternal and a heavenly form. This is a result of Enoch's walk and fellowship that he had with God.

 It is the belief of many, that this time in Enoch's life, which was only 365 years, yet since the time of Creation, his departure was probably 1,200 years or more, and the world was already beginning to draw away from God and start to worship other things. Imagine what it looked like, seeing the difference 250 years of the life of the United States can make; from the time it started until now, there is already many different things that are taking over and changing what was established in the forming of this Nation.

 Having fellowship with God is what our faith is all about! This is what Jesus came and died on the cross was meant to do, to allow us to enter into fellowship with our Heavenly Father! This fellowship can only happen because we have been cleansed from sin and made right with God!

 As I was thinking about this last night, it reminded me of the great picture that God is painting, one which is where we all live and die; yet we can never really see what it is that He is painting, because we are part of the picture! All that we can do, is to trust in Him and believe in Him; knowing that He loves us and paid a very big price to have fellowship with us...

"All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. 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." (Isaiah 53:6-11 NLT)  

"Enoch's Walk"

  "It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying - he disappeared, because God took him. For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:5-6 NLT) 

  "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14-15 KJV) 

 If you don't know anything about Enoch, he was probably the only one that was really seeking God in the time that he was taken from this earth. There was something God was planning to do, and because Enoch pleased God, He took him up because he was pleased with his walk upon a very wicked world. 

 It isn't surprising that this is recorded in the Bible as it is, because this is one of those illustrations of God removing those who are His off the earth before judgment of the earth will take place; much like it will be before the Tribulation, when Jesus comes for His bride, before the disaster that will take place upon the earth. 

 They say that the earth would have had billions of people in those days, which were not that far away from the time of the flood; so it really isn't a big surprised that God would take someone that pleased Him, before He was about to do something that would kill him. Besides that, the quote that Jude is sharing from the Book of Enoch, is more in line with that of the Tribulation, than that of the flood, which in and of itself should be something we all should be aware of.

 There is a Book of Enoch, which was not allowed into our modern-day Bibles, probably because of the ungodly details of what was going on about the time Enoch was taken up...

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which were not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection. implacable, unmerciful: Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:28-32 KJV)