"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)    

"Abel's Righteousness"

 "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice that Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." (Hebrews 11:4 KJV)

  "Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, "With the LORD'S help I have produced a man!" Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Able became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. Abel also brought a gift - the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected." (Genesis 4:1-5 NLT) 

 First of all, let's look at Abel's sacrifice. As I was saying yesterday, the fruits and vegetables that were offered by Cain represented his works being offered, which as we saw, 'our works are filthy rags to God'; especially when we are working to gain righteousness or favor in God's sight. I know that there are many who have a different point of view, because I grew up in a life that practiced a religion that counted on works to gain their righteousness. 

 Additionally, there is also a spirit involved in that religion, (as well as many others,) which causes those who are offended by the truth, (meaning the truth of Christ,) to become hateful and aggressive in the way they might treat anyone that opposes their belief. This is especially what happens within families, which might have serious disregard for anyone in the family who doesn't follow their religion.

 The most lethal they that anyone in the family can do, is to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! As crazy as that might sound, it is absolutely true. There is a spirit that controls them, which many refer to as, the spirit of the antichrist, that denies the Christ Jesus and everything He represents. This is not a joke, I have seen it and know that they cannot control it, because they either get violent or start losing their composure; as if it is we who have a demon, and they feel that they need to get away. 

 All that said, Abel was sacrificing an innocent Lamb, which represented something that pleased God, making what he did being a righteous act, because it was that which God was planning to do already! Yes, that's the big difference between the gift of Cain and Abel: One was for admonishment, while the other was for forgiveness, by the blood of a lamb! 

 When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, it is His death of the cross that makes us free from sin, nothing else works, not even going door to door passing out the magazines that they paid for, that is really all for nothing; especially if Christ isn't in it and they are not representing the Real Him...     

"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." (John 1:10-14 NLT) 

"Abel's Offering"

  "It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith." (Hebrews 11:4 NLT) 

  "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." (1 John 3:11-12 KJV)

 Before I get too carried away, let me clarify the significance of why Cain's offering was not accepted by God, in the first place, for those who might not understand the issue. As the it says in Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." What Cain was offering as his sacrifice was his works, as he was one that had a garden and took the fruits of his labor, sacrificing them to God on an altar.  

 I have heard it said that the Mormon Temple in Hawaii has a moral that has an altar which has fruits and vegetables on it, with a lamb beside the alter laying contently on the ground. I have not seen it, but I can understand what it represents and why it would be something they might believe and practice. To certain religions, works are what they count on for being righteous, not the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 

 There is nothing else that can remove the stain of sin in our lives, but the blood of Jesus Christ...

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein we he hath made us accepted in the beloved: in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1:6-7 KJV) 

"The Real Truth!" - 3

 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3 KJV)

  "Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again." But they didn't understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about." (Luke 18:31-34 NLT)

 If you know the truth, then the truth will set you free! Imagine for a moment what that meant to those who loved Jesus, seeing Him crucified, and then seeing Him again, alive and well! This was not just a real truth to them, as if there was no proof left behind for us to be sure that it really happened. Those who search for the truth will find it! Plain and simple: If you really want to know the truth, the truth will be revealed to you; and it will be made perfectly clear! 

 Every one of those who saw Jesus alive never wavered or denied that it happened; many of them were killed for their testimony, because they knew the truth and believed who He was and why He came; so there was no way that they were going to deny the truth. Not only did they not deny that He was alive, but they were sure to spread the Good News of what it meant and why to believe in Him, to receive eternal life, just as He said they could receive it! 

 That makes all the difference in the world: There is nothing more important than for us to be saved and knowing that He has given us eternal life, and that we will be with Him; absolutely nothing! He is risen indeed...

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:1-5 NLT) 

"The Real Truth!" -2

 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3 KJV)

  "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." But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth be their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." (Romans 1:17-20 NLT)

 Most of us know by now that the science of how old this planet is, according to them, does not make any sense, whatsoever! Actually, from the time I was just a child until now, our planet has grown from millions of years to billions of years; all because the discoveries have become more and more complex, so they need more time in order to explain how everything came to be. 

 To truly understand how God made everything as it is, we must believe that He made everything the way that it is; in other words, just as Adam was formed as a man, so everything else was made complete and mature; totally ready to function and work just as He made it to be! It is really not rocket-science, it is about believing that God is the Creator of all things: End of story; there is really nothing else to argue about, because nothing else makes any sense!

 By the way, reading Paul's message about there being no excuse for not knowing God, those who are the ones that study nature, (pretty much anything that involves life,) have a hard time leaving God out of the equation. Even though they can't explain certain things, which are totally unexplainable, they are still not capable of putting God into the picture; even though most of them might actually see the truth! 

 Why would they not tell the truth, if they see it? There have been some that have, and they lost their credentials and standing in the public arena; something the Paul made very clear in his message: "they have no excuse for not knowing God". They really have no excuse, except to not believe in God, even though He has His fingerprints in everything that they find or discover.

 This might be something that makes no sense, but we must understand that this world is not what God made it to be; yet, at the same, it was what He knew it would be; which is why Jesus was destined to be hung of the cross, ever since the world was created...

"And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose his as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days."   

"The Real Truth!"

 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3 KJV)

  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1 NLT)

 This is by far the most important thing we need to know and believe, that God created the heavens and the earth! If we can't get past this understanding and believe that it is so, then most of everything else we read will be hard to believe also. You would be surprised how many people that say they believe in God, also find it hard to believe that God created the heavens and this earth, whether it be seven days or seven thousand years, they still find it hard to believe that is how it all came into existence.

 Personally, I believe it was actually six days, meaning that there were six 24-hour periods, and then God took a rest on the seventh day! If our God is able to recreate the heavens and the earth in a flash, as if it was a scroll that He rolls away, and rolls back again, imagine what an Awesome Powerful God we serve! 

 Here is the thing that we must believe, if we want the kind of faith that truly believes God is real and His word is really true: THAT GOD IS REAL AND HIS WORD IS REALLY TRUE! If we can't believe that truth, then how can we believe that Jesus is who He says He is...

"The people retorted, "You Samaritan devil! Didn't we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?" "No," Jesus said, "I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father - and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die." The people said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, 'Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!' Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,' but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad." The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!"" (John 8:48-58 NLT)

"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)       

"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)