"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)       

"The Price to Pay" - Too

 "But to call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;" (Hebrews 10:32 KJV)

  "A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned and said to them, "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison - your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple."" (Luke 14:25-27 NLT)

 If there is one thing that I have strived hard to do, it is not giving up on believing everything will be as it may, just as the Lord has promised me! Take my word for this, there has been times when I failed to be faithfully doing what I should; even times doing the things I should not; but no matter how much I messed up, there was always security in knowing how to get back home! 

 I have watched so many people that have given up; many of which I prayed for, that they would make a U-turn and turn back to the Lord. Some of those who seemed to be so strong, finding out that trials and tribulations do happen, they simply walk away from the Lord, forgetting what they were saved for! 

 When you forget why you are safe and secure, the trials we face can sometimes make us doubt what we were safe and secure from; that is something that can happen even to the strongest of us, if we take our eyes off of Jesus! Even John the Baptist ended up with doubt; as he was imprisoned and had his disciples go ask Jesus, "Are you the One, or do we look for another?" Yet, he knew who Jesus was, even before he was born! 

 Don't be surprised when you pure out everything to serve the Lord and then find yourself in a storm that seems to last forever! The storm will end; you will be safe and sound; He will get you to the other side, one way or another: Keep the faith and never give up...

"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us." (Philippians 3:12-14 NLT) 

  

"The Price to Pay"

"But call to remember the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;" (Hebrews 10:32 KJV)

  "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it." (Philippians 1:27-30 NLT)

 We should all know by now, this world is not going to be friendly towards us, after we have decided to follow Jesus. Satan is the cause of that, as he rules the dark forces of this world, which is what makes us an enemy of the world in which we must temporary live in. Jesus made this abundantly clear: 'The world hated Me, it will hate you also!' 

 There is more to this life of believing and serving the Lord, than the fellowship and learning what we should do and how we must live; there are persecutions and things that come against us, most of which sometimes hit us off guard, which can sometimes make us feel conflicted. It is those times that matter the most, as we can be testimonies of the grace we have been given! 

 I know there are certain days that will make us feel as though we have not got the strength to bare the heavy load; but that is best part of this wonderful journey: He never gives us more than we can handle; which makes it clear to us that everything will work out for the best, one way or another...

"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and one purpose. Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form. he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." (Philippians 2:1-8 NLT)  

"Formidable!"

 "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31 KJV)

  "We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you - our secret sins - and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan. Seventy years are given us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." (PSALM 90:7-12 NLT 'A prayer of Moses, the man of God') 

 Let me start this be sharing a song from Danial Amos, the title of which was, "Glory Road." In this song, there was a few lyrics that always inspired me and motivated me from time to time, especially when I was feeling a little less adequate and a lot less worthy. The one that made me the most motivated was really quite simple and easy to understand: "Can't back out now, that we have paid our admission!" 

 To make this point more practical and easier to understand, once you are on the bus you are stuck on it, and there really is no way to get off, you are the property of Christ Jesus, and He doesn't let go of those who belong to Him! There are several people I know that will question that, making it the person's will that matters most: to which, with a very sincere and hopeful heart, I say, "God's will is greater than ours, no matter how hard we might fight Him, He is not letting go!" 

 You can believe what you want, but I am sticking to what I believe, no matter how much I mess up, I still will surrender to Him, time and time again. Even though we might fail and do the things we know He doesn't like or want us to do, we get the message that He means business, and we do what we always do, and surrender again, into the arms of our Formidable God! 

 If you can't believe that is so, then you must somehow change and must release any power you might think that you have over God, because you certainly don't have what it takes to win that fight...

"It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at time of Hanukah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from my Father's hand. The Father and I are one."" (John 10:22-30 NLT) 

"The Sense of Requital" - 2

 "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." (Hebrews 10:30 KJV)

  "Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD. Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil be doing good." (Romans 12:14-21 NLT)

 Sense we know that God will faithfully carry out all that He has promised to do, then we should clearly believe that He will judge everyone, as He has clearly said He will! This is not anything we need to be fearful over; that is, unless you are guilty of not loving others as you should! That is a pretty big deal, in God's book; something that He has shown us, time and time again: "Treat others as you want to be treated!"

 The judgment for those who have done right, will be that of rewards, not that of penalty or punishment; but that of being judged as a righteous servant, a judgment of being blessed for doing good. At the same time, those who meant to harm us, even though we did them good and tried to love them, they will be an example what happens to those who persecute His anointed ones! 

 That is what that word, "recompense," is showing, which is also both good and bad! It's good for those that do good, but it is bad for those that do bad! God will judge His people; everyone belongs to Him, no one cannot be judged by Him, especially those that don't believe in the Good News and His Son...

"Dear brothers and sisters, we can't help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. I his judgment he will pay back those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse the Good News of our Lord Jesus." (2 Thessalonians 1:3-8 NLT)  

"The Sense of Requital"

 "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." (Hebrews 10:30 KJV)

  "The LORD, the Mighty One, is God, and he has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets. From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance. Our God approaches, and he is not silent. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him. He calls on the heavens above and earth below to witness the judgment of his people." (PSALM 50:1-4 NLT)

 I thought that I might have shared a little more about that last verse, but it already seemed as though I might have said too much. To be perfectly honest, I know for a fact that I have grieved the Holy Spirit more times than I care to remember; but I also know that He is a Gentleman, and He does receive my deep cries for forgiveness! 

 The title for this post was taken from Marvin Vincent, in his description of the word, "Vengeance." There is good and bad in the meaning, as God judges everyone! Nobody will escape being judged; but not everyone will be judged to be punished. There are still some things we do not know; nothing we think we know has been fully discovered or made perfectly clear. 

 When Paul was stoned and left for dead, he shared a small little glimpse of what he heard in Heaven; not what he saw, but that which he heard: "But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:3b-4 NLT) 

I heard a brief message about the fact that no one has actually seen GOD; yet, Jesus has shown Him to us! In a strange sort of way, we cannot see Jesus without God, and we can't see God without Jesus...

""How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. But if you don't believe me when I tell you earthly things how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 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 3:9-17 NLT)     

"Reverse the Curse"

"Of how much sorer punishment, supposed ye, shall be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29 KJV)

  "The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."" (PSALM 91:14-16 NLT)

 For your information, this is more about a warning of what not to do, than it is of something that has already been done; if that makes any sense to anyone, who might be paying attention. There are several things listed, at least three, if you are counting; most certainly almost all of us have done at least one, without even realizing just how harmful it was, and the consequences of what we have done. 

 There is one thing that I have grown to know and believe with all my heart: God is for us and is not against us! His Son is pleading on our behalf! And the Holy Spirit is always waiting to work in us! We must do our part and turn from our wicked ways! This is not just something that is won and done, because the longer we live here on this earth, the more chances we have to mess thing up. 

 This might sound sad to some, but I truly believe that we, (meaning those who are determined to do what is right,) are safe and secure in the salvation that we have been given; what is the sad thing that we might be overlooking, is those that we neglect and abuse, who might not might not make it! There will be tears in heaven, but only for a little while! 

 Anywho, this isn't meant to be about judgment, it is about what we must not do; and if we do what we must not do, we must, with all of our heart, cry out to God for forgiveness and mercy! There might be reasons why some of depart earlier than others, but the truth still remains the same: God really loves us! 

 Grace is what we must hold on to, and don't let go! Because grace is God giving us what we do not deserve...

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

"The Great Escape"

 "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:" (Hebrews 10:28 KJV)

  ""Your own law says that if two people agree about something their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other." "Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, "Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father." Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come." (John 8:17-20 NLT)

 As you might know, if you have been following this blog for this past year or so, when I was around twelve years old, I had tried to get serious about serving God; memorizing the Ten Commandments, I thought I could actually try to keep them, but I discovered that was pretty much impossible to do. So, I went totally in the opposite direction, and did whatever I felt like doing, not caring about anything; especially about obeying the law! 

 Several things were the outcome of my rebellion, as I was placed on probation and had gone in and out of jail frequently. All that time, from the time I was a child to the time I became a man, I never stopped believing in God; yet, at the same time, I pretended to not care about His judgment, or even the thought of ending up in hell. 

 You have to understand, when you get to the point when you don't care about God's judgment, you are surely not concerned about man's judgment, and you pretty much do whatever you want. Fortunately for me, God had different plans than I did, and He introduced me to His Son! 

 Whether or not you can believe it, knowing and believing, not just who Jesus is, but what He came for and why, that makes all the difference in the world; there is absolutely nothing more important in this life then knowing and believing in the wonder working power of what He has done; absolutely, positively, nothing else matters more than knowing Christ...

"Later Jesus said to them, "I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. 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)