"Real Supplication"

 "And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:" (Hebrews 12:19 KJV)

  "Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the beginning. This old commandment - to love one another - is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, the true light is already shining." (1 John 2:7-8 NLT)

 Something to see, if you are still not convinced! There is a very special reason that God's had a plan for man to fail; it was not that He wanted man to fail; but because He already knew that it would happen. So, He prepared for mankind's redemption and eternal salvation. The Bible clearly shows us that the plan for Christ to pay the price for our sins, was planned for, even before the very beginning of creation. Therefore, we must also assume that God knew in advance that man would fail, making a way for real supplication! 

 If you don't know what that means, it is the action of asking or begging for something earnestly and humbly! With that, it was not the way things seemed during the fall, meaning once the sin of eating the fruit had happened. Adam and Eve were ashamed, as the Bible says, and they felt ashamed of their nakedness, because their sin caused death to something they had with God, something very special!

 The story does not reveal everything that went on after the fall, but there was real supplication from Adam and Eve; even though they refused to take the blame in the beginning. As I said before, Eve ate the fruit because she was deceived; but Adam ate the fruit knowing full well what he was doing. When he saw that Eve didn't die, he fulfilled his desire and ate the fruit with her; and everything changed! 

 The Bible says that they hid from God; supposably because they were naked; but truth be told, they lost something more important, which was fellowship and the Spirit of God...

"There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. "Rabbi," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you." Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." "What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life; but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' "" (John 3:1-7 NLT)  

"More Than a Feeling" - Too

 "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest," (Hebrews 12:18 KJV)

  "This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7 NLT)

 Keeping up with the message from yesterday, it doesn't really matter how we feel, whether it is some kind of tingling sensation, burning of the bosom, or as some might call it, 'a check in my spirit'; feelings come and go, like the wind, they are caused by passion, desire, fear and rejection; among many other things that might change the heart. There really is a reason that the heart is so critical and hard to understand; the heart is pretty much the main character of the soul! 

 If there is anything I have discovered over this last couple of decades, it is that the heart is stronger than the brain; you can stay alive with a heart that still works, even though your brain doesn't work; but if the heart stops working, your dead! Trust me, I know what that looks like!

 Anywho, the thing about Adam and Eve, and the situation that caused the fall. We must know that there were real feelings involved in everything that went wrong in that garden; starting with Adam, even before God made Eve; who, by the way, was God's final creation; that is, until Jesus was born! 

 I have shared on this before, and it is something some don't agree with, but it is still something I believe was part of God's plan. Two things that took place before Eve was created: the first being was God telling Adam not to eat of a certain tree, the second was to name all the animals. Seems pretty simple; don't do this, and then, do this; something that causes want, which means, a passion or desire for something that he did not have.

 In other words, Adam saw something in all those animals he was naming, that he did not have, a female mate; something all of those animals had, a mate! Adam had to have thought, "Where is the mate for me?" If you don't understand what I am saying, don't worry about it, because many have not been able to get what I am trying to say. Want is something that we learn, based upon something that we do not have; and we don't know that we even need it, unless we discover that it's there. 

 There was something that Eve said to the serpent, while he was tempting her to eat that fruit, she said, "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat of it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'" (Genesis 3:3 NLT) It is not what God said, but something either Adam told Eve, or something that she added unto want God said; maybe because she saw Adam touching and admiring the forbidden fruit. 

 No matter what, it was Eve who was deceived, but Adam knew exactly what he was doing! It felt good to do, until it was done...

"When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man." "What do we care?" they retorted. "That's your problem." Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:3-5 NLT)  

"More Than a Feeling"

 "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest," (Hebrews 12:18 KJV) 

  ""Go out and stand before me on the mountain," the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"" (1 Kings 19:11-13 NLT)

 Have you ever been ministered to by Morman Mistionary's? They have this certain thing that they do, as they share something with you, and then speak about the 'burning in the bosom,' as if that is a means of confirmation that what they are telling you is true. That might work for some, but those of us that know how God works, feelings are physical, meaning they are of the flesh, not of the Holy Spirit! 

 There is more to this than I can explain in a way that might make sense; but if we go back to the beginning, to Adam and Eve, and the fruit that they were told not eat, feelings were a big part of what caused them to do it anyway! You know that simple phrase: "If it feels good, do it!" This is more or less just something the devil uses to distract us from listening to God's voice...

"Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in the sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:12-14 NLT) 

"Contrast of Sinai and Zion"

  "You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain. it must be stoned to death." Moses himself was so frightened at the sight, he said, "I am terrified and trembling."

 "No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel." (Hebrews 12:18-24 NLT)

"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." (Isaiah 35:3-5 KJV) 

 So, last night I was reading to my wife about Hezikiah's sickness; which reminded me of the beginning of this blog, having used that to illustrate God will, verses, God's perfect will. Having discovered several different points of view on that subject, I had reached the determination that God's will is always perfect; He never makes mistakes, and He is always working out His perfect plan, whether or not we even know what it is that He is doing.

 The thing about Hezikiah's sickness, which was a question of whether or not God changed His mind: it has been made abundantly clear to me that He worked everything out as planned. If you know the whole story, the 15 years that He gave Hezikiah were meant for something totally different; as the children of Israel were not keeping the command that God gave them for resting the land.

 It was Hezikiah's actions after being healed that put everything in motion; as it was, he had some Ambassadors from Babylon visit him, and he was showing off all the treasure; which set up the reason that Babylon would one day take all the treasure and exile his sons.

 With that, I was reminded yesterday about a certain thing the mother of John and James asked Jesus, that her two sons could sit, one on His left and one on His right, in His Kingdom. She was one of the women that were at the foot of the cross, when Jesus was crucified between two other men. In that moment, she felt glad that Jesus didn't grant her wish...

"But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able." (Matthew 20:22 KJV) 

 

"The Narrow Door"

"For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." (Hebrews 12:17 KJV)

  "Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He replied, "Work hard to enter the narrow door to God's Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' Then you will say, 'But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.'"" (Luke 13:22-27 NLT)

 There are some things that are hard to understand, when it comes to repentance and forgiveness; the most important thing we sometimes neglect, is the part where we must for forgive, or else we cannot receive the forgiveness we think that we have! If you know the story of Jacob and Esau's birthright and blessing, then you should know how Esau pled for the blessing that Jacob had taken; yet he also had in his heart the desire to kill his brother Jacob, as soon as his father had died.  

 That might not seem like it was the same thing, as most of us really aren't planning to kill; but the real important thing we must understand, is hate, is pretty much the same...

""You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment,' But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell."" (Matthew 5:21-22 NLT)  

"Don't Go There!"

 "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." (Hebrews 12:16 KJV)

  "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outburst of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT)

 There are only so many things we can fall into that might cause us to turn and throw away this wonderful gift that we have been given; following the desires of our sinful nature is by far the biggest of them all! Sometimes there are some that fall away due to being hurt or disappointed with outcome or crushed by certain tragedy. Most of which, is curable, and there is always light at the end of that tunnel.

 But following the desires of our sinful nature, is the thing that causes certain disasters, the kind that make even the strongest of us, whither and fall away. I have witnessed this happen to several well-known people; it almost seems like the stronger they are, the harder they can fall. 

 Not that I have anything to boast about, because there have been times when the desires of my sinful nature caused me to go online, searching for things I thought would satisfy my craving. Just so you know, it doesn't work! We can never satisfy the cravings of our sinful nature! They only get stronger and want more and more, never are they satisfied; not until to turn away and beg for God's help! 

 Anywho, that's my confession; as most pretend to do, they make it seem as though they are not really hurting anyone; but truth be told, love is cheapened and hearts are broken; making it really hard to put the pieces back together again. But God...

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another." (Galatians 5:22-26 NLT)  

"Looking Diligently" - 2

 "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled;" (Hebrews 12:15 KJV)

  "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself, you are not that important. Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct." (Galatians 6:1-5 NLT)

 Did you get a chance to watch the celebration in Washington D.C. Saturday night? If you missed it, there was something special that took place, where everyone had to leave due to weather. Some mingled on the streets, some went into the U.S. Agriculture Building, and some went into a double-wide trailer. The trailer was where many of the old soldiers were; the oldest was 107 and the youngest was 98. 

 Just something I thought was special to take part in, as there were several people who sang songs and spoke about the Lord; many of which were part of the entertainment for the event. To be perfectly honest, I felt as though each and every one of them were fellowshipping together; everyone enjoying the chance to be stuck in a room, having the opportunity to see each other in a new light. 

 Anywho; these are very interesting times we are currently in, as we celebrate the freedom we have as a Nation; that we have been somehow able hold together; but I feel we are being tested! If you don't know what I mean, it is the pride that makes us different; and the pride is also what will tear us down...

""Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."" (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT) 

"Looking Diligently"

 "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;" (Hebrews 12:15 KJV)

  "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but I didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I had to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I don't love others, I would have gained nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT)

 No matter what place you have in your walk with the Lord, you are responsible for everything that you do, or do not do; unfortunately, I believe that the latter is more important than the first! There is something we should know about that parable of the three servants; although they each had different amounts of money, they all three had the same amount of ability to share and increase what they had been given. 

 This might not be easy to share, but there many things we can do to serve the Lord; but if we are doing them to for self-esteem or popularity or worth, then we are messing the mark, and it is all worthless; it be tossed in the fire! Something we need to do, is to look at ourselves as servants, which takes away the thought of self, making every effort to love others, more than self; which is simple, but sometimes hard to do...

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." (1 John 2:15-17 NLT) 

"Without Which" - Too

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)

  "Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body and spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God." (2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT)

 There is another illustration the Jesus made, regarding the last days and what it might look like to be left behind, "The Parable of The Ten Virgins." If you know that story, then you should know that there was five that had oil in their lamps, and five that did not have enough. Whatever that oil was meant to be, it was enough to make a difference in who goes and who stays! 

 I know this day of celebration is important to many people; there is really a good reason we can feel the need to celebrate the freedom we have to worship and share about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! We need to make it count, before that door is closed; because these are the last days, and we have only so much time to fill up our lamps! 

 I say this because there was another parable Jesus shared between the parable of the Ten Virgins and the parable of the Sheep and the Goats; that would be The Parable of the Three Servants...

""Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last - dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

 "The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with the two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money."" (Matthew 25:14-18 NLT) 

"Without Which"

 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)

  "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned 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. Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NLT)

 There are so many things being said in this verse we are looking at today, I tried to count all of the verses that are listed as cross-references, they are just too many to look up and explain the connection. These verses from 1 Corinthians 13 are the ones I already knew would be easy to compare; yet they are also complicated to put into action. 

 There was something that Jesus publicly said, regarding the sheep and the goats; which a parable that spoke about those who serve the Lord, and those who serve for themselves. That might seem like a quick and easy illustration of what this parable meant; but for the sake of time, it pretty much sums up why they were separated, those on the right, and those that were on the left...

""But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'

 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 

 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these brothers or sisters, you were doing it to me!'"" (Matthew 25:31-40 NLT)  

"The Body" - Too

 "And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." (Hebrews 12:13 KJV)

  "But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." (Jude 20-23 NLT) 

 Having a little experience in the way things can get out of hand in churches that have major breakups and serious judgment against leadership, I know that it is really hard to change people's mind, let alone, to get them to change their heart's. If you have been part of a church split, then you might not like what I have to say, because there really isn't any compassion or love that comes from those who take part in something that tears apart a fellowship; especially if it is all about nonsense and misunderstandings. 

 More than anything, I wish that people could just get along, no matter what differences they might have with one another; we all have different opinions on certain things; especially the things that might be about what we do or do not do; following the law, or whether your salvation can be taken away, if you might fall or get your name stricken from the Book of Life. 

 Much of what we fight over, has very little to do about loving one another; no one really feels like loving when they feel as though they have been offended or judged. What makes matters worse, is the spiritual warfare that takes place, without even knowing it! That is by far the biggest issue that is ignored, mostly because of cold, hard hearts. 

 This much is certain: We are all the body of Christ! If we fail to love one another as we should, then the body becomes sick and falls apart...

"Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part. If the foot says, "I am not part of the body because I am not the hand," that does not make it less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not the eye," would that make it any less part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were and ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can never say to the feet, "I don't need you."" (1 Corinthians 12:14-21 NLT)

"The Body"

 "And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." (Hebrews 12:13 KJV)

  "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we share the same Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NLT)

 Shining a little different light on the weak and strong, this morning I felt that fellowship was most meant to be the topic of this verse. As it is, we are all part of the same body of believers, each and everyone us are filled with the same Spirit, serve the same God, and share with the same love, for one another; at least that is what it should be!  

 The point I feel that needs to be made, is all about those that are of the body which might be lame, that doesn't necessarily mean those that are crippled, but those that are not fitting in, or don't really know how to truly associate and fellowship with their brothers and sisters. They might be referred to as the weaker parts of the body, which are actually those that should get a little more attention. 

 Almost every church has certain groups that all hang out together and keep each other in fellowship; but it should be the way we treat everyone! Especially those who might seem timid or weak in their faith, as they might be turned out of the way, feeling as though they don't fit...

"In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary." (1 Corinthians 12:22 NLT)  

"Uncertain Affinity"

"Wherefore life up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;" (Hebrews 12:12 KJV)

  "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, but not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies," (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NLT)

 Very interesting affirmation of our condition, living in this world, yet not of this world! The title is not meant to be derogative or negative, in any sense. It is more about things which might seem unclear, yet still important. Really thinking what that looks like, is much like comparing the thought about being strong in the Lord; yet at the same time, we are meant to be weak. 

 It is a lot like that illustration of God telling us to move a rock that cannot be moved. We are too weak to move it, but we somehow get stronger by trying. And in the end, it is only when we ask God to help, that the rock gets moved...

"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT) 

"A Call to Listen to God"

  "Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears." (Hebrews 12:12-17 NLT) 

  "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly." (Psalms 119:1-8 KJV)

 There comes a time when we must evaluate our ability to listen to God; not as if we don't listen to Him, but that when we hear Him speak into our hearts, we actually do what He says! Looking at the things, we know God wants us to do, but not doing what He wants, not only causes us to feel ashamed, but we lose out on God's blessings and the peace of knowing we at least try to obey. 

 Maybe this sounds a little legalistic, almost as if we are meant to follow the law, making the law the thing that is giving us the righteousness that God wants to see? I wish that could be the case; because I know full well that the law saves no one; the law is there to show us how sinful we really are, so that we can know how desperately we need Jesus! 

 This is not about the law, as in following a rigorous set of rules; it is about being a servant and paying attention to what the Master says and doing it! Happy is the one who walks in His instructions...

 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget your word." (Psalms 119:9-16 KJV) 

"Nevertheless!" - Too

 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11 KJV)

  "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:23-24 NLT)

 Thinking of this in a simple way, we also have a Helper that gives us help when we go through the fire, whatever that might be; as it goes, "it is simple, but it isn't easy." If that doesn't make sense to you, it isn't really that complicated to figure it out. God doesn't give us complex issues or things we can't figure out; His commands, laws, and principles are very simple to understand; they are just not easy to always obey, especially when we don't want to! 

 The whole reason that He needs to chasten us, is always to get us going in the right direction! I can recall something a loved to do as a kid, with these rectangle magnets I had; which was to put them on my desk and push one around the table with the other. But when I flipped the one in my hand in the other direction it would pull the other magnet and lock together, and they would both be one. 

 Using that illustration might not make sense, but when you are really going through a very serious trial or circumstance, you really feel as though your being pushed further away from God, until all you have left is to turn around and surrender to His open arms...

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Isreal, says: "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.' But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop." So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help." (Isaiah 30:15-18 NLT)  

"Nevertheless!"

 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11 KJV)

  "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." (Romans 5:1-3 NLT)

 Now, about yesterday's post, although it was short, I had many more things to say but didn't feel like I had the time to say them; as it was, I overslept and needed to start getting ready for work. Even my time of prayer was somehow cut in half: what usually took an hour, was completed in less than 30 minutes. Not sure how that happened, except to say, I must have had some kind of help. 

 One of the things I wanted to share, concerning the Father's hand, was what He planned, from the very beginning, and how willingly the Son went through with it. We know from the Matthew's word, that He was overwhelmed with sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating blood, as He pleaded with the Father, praying, "My Father! If it is possible let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (Matthew 26:39 NLT) 

 The thought of what Jesus was willing to go though, must have become exceedingly grewsome, as it was time to suffer through that which He knew would happen, for thousands of years! He had told the ones that followed Him several times, but it was spoken as if it was not that big of a deal; almost as He told them of Lazarus' death, as if it wasn't a big deal and it was all going to be alright. 

 Nevertheless, when it came time for it to fall into place, the suffering He was about to go through was overwhelming and Jesus, the Man, meaning the flesh which He walked in, was about to be torn and put to death. As I thought about that yesterday morning, it was more that I could take just trying to imagine what it was like. 

 That was pretty much the reason for my quick change to share about the wonderful outcome, to a very complex and grewsome plan; seemingly, something my stepdad would say, just before I was given the paddle, "This is going to hurt me, more than you." I say this, only because the Father didn't answer...

"Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their schemes." (PSALM 37:5-7 NLT)  

"The Father's Hand" - To

 "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure: but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10 KJV)

  "For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:21 NLT)

 I can recall the musical play that came to our church, back in the early 90's, the play was called, "Toy Maker and Son." As John puts it, in his writing, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) To be honest, the whole thing about us being 'toys' was a little much, but the play was pretty good. As it really goes, God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us." (Genesis 1:26a) 

 There is only so much that we can really imagine, based upon what we read in the Bible; but this much is sure: When we get there, things are going to be overwhelmingly amazingly perfect...

"I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."" (Revelation 21:3-4 NLT)   

"The Father's Hand"

 "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10 KJV)

  "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:21-22 NLT)

 More than ever, there is a certainty that these surely are the last days; mostly because Jesus said that we needed to be ready; and if there could be any better signs than what I see happening in this world, this is the time to make ready! That doesn't mean we shut ourselves up and isolate ourselves from the world; because Jesus clearly said that two would be working, meaning that we continue with what we do; but one will be taken, and the other one left. (Mathew 24:40) 

 Anywho, this word for 'profit' that is very close to that of 'partakers' in the verse ten; as it is, there is a form of fellowship in both of the translations. This might sound too easy to believe, but God's whole purpose in creating us was to have fellowship with us. As I have said several times before, true fellowship was not available between us and Him, even in the very beginning. He might have been able to visit Adam in the Garden, but Adam wasn't holy enough to visit Him in heaven. 

 We must understand that Jesus was planned to come and pay the price for our sins, even before the world was made; therefore, God already knew in advance that we were flawed and would sin. Why else would He place a tree in the middle of the Garden, to give Adam a reason to sin or not sin? That was the whole reason it was named: "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."

 We must also know that tree will not be in Heaven; but the Tree of Life will be! God's perfect plan to make it possible to have fellowship with His children...

"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:17-19 NLT)  

"Our Good Good Father"

 "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" (Hebrews 12:9 KJV)

  "The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all of our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die." (PSALM 103:8-15 NLT)

 So, I really never had a father growing up; I had a stepfather, but most of the time we didn't get alone; to say the least. My mother and my real dad separated before I was two, and I really didn't meet my real dad until he came with my mother and my aunt to visit me in Fire Camp, when I was about 16, going on 17. I think the visit was meant to be some sort of an intervention, as they were trying to stop me from being a life-long criminal.   

 Not that my stepdad didn't try to correct me, because he did. He worked at a plant where they made things like plastic glass, so he brought home paddles that he made; some of them had holes, just for me. By the time I was 12, we really didn't get along at all. When I came home one night, around 11:30 or so, the lights were off, and he was waiting for me to show up. As I walked through the living room, he hit me square in the face; I had a broken nose and two black eyes. 

 That was pretty much the last straw; as it was, he went to jail, my mother had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized; and my sister and two younger brothers were placed in juvenal hall. But I was on probation, and my probation officer didn't think it was a good idea for me to be locked down, so I lived at my girlfriend's house, for a few weeks. 

 I know I have shared this before, but I truly believe my Heavenly Father was always there, keeping a close eye on me. I truly believe that the Father knows who His children are, long before they ever even know Him. So, the way I see it, He knows us already, waiting patiently for us to surrender...  

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day has passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" (PSALM 139:13-18 NLT)   

"We All are Partakers" - Too

 "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." (Hebrews 12:8 KJV)

  "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:8-11 NLT)

 If you have ever had a chance to read a book called, "Hell's Best Kept Secret," then you might remember Ray's illustration of the two men on the airplane that are offered parachutes. One is given it and told that it would make him comfortable and feel safe. The other is given one and told that the plane is going down, and it was his only chance to stay alive. 

 It's been a while, but I do remember the first one took it off, because it really wasn't comfortable, and he also got laughed at for wearing it. While the other one, really didn't care about being uncomfortable, and even if people laughed at him for wearing it, he only warmed them that they needed one too. It's been a while, so excuse me if I left anything out. But I think you get the message.

 Peter is sharing about giving all your worries to God; which includes the trials which we go through. We have a great enemy, the devil, and when we are feeling as though our trials are overwhelming or too much to bear, he is always ready to give us a hand to back out and take off the Parachute...

"Jesus asked, "Do you finally believe? But the time is coming - indeed it's now here - when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."" (John 16:31-33 NLT) 

"We All are Partakers"

 "But if ye be without chastisement, wherefor all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." (Hebrews 12:8 KJV)

  "Look at these wicked people - enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people. So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked." (PSALM 73:12-17 NLT)

 Getting to the point about what this looks like in real life, Asaph opened this Psalm expressing his heart; saying, "Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone." If you have ever felt that way, it is really not that difficult to understand how easily we can slip or fall, just because we might envy the wicked. 

 That might not seem to be a reality to some, but I know what it is like, as it is, I get a chance to see the way they live, inspecting their houses and seeing all the wealth that they have acquired. Getting a little taste of glamor and many expensive toys, can sometimes make us envious and feeling a little left out.

 But one thing I often do, without getting too nosey, is look around to see if there is a Bible being used or some kind of sign that they are believers. If I don't see anything that might show that they part of God's family, then my heart gets right, and I don't feel so envious anymore. 

 Better to be partakers of God's chastisement, then to be feeling like you can do things on your own! We that have experienced what that feels like, if we are His children, then we should know, He will not allow that for long! If you have been following this blog for a while, you might have known what I mean! If God isn't teaching and molding you, then who is? 

 Pray hard for your family, especially those who don't think they need the LORD...

"Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant - I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (PSALM 73:21-26 NLT)

"Preservation!"

 "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Hebrews 12:7 KJV)

  ""Why don't people say to God, 'I have sinned, but I will sin not more'? Or 'I don't know what evil I have done - tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once'?"" (Job 34:31-32 NLT)

 If you are wondering what this title, preservation, might mean, it was taken from the meaning of the word, "endure," as it has the same character as what it takes 'to hold fast to one's faith in Christ'. As we should always do, if we have sinned in any way that we know of, we need to ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us; and if we think we are being disciplined for something we might not realize we have done, then we ask Him to show us, and thank Him for correcting us. 

 Actually, it works both ways; as we are doing all that we can to be holy, He does all that needs to be done to keep us holy! And just so you know, if you have been washed in the blood of Christ Jesus, you have been made Holy in the eyes of the Father! 

 There is just something that grace does, that is more than we can really understand. But the more we try to understand it, the more we think to ask for mercy, because we don't think deserve the grace we have been given. But that's why we need the preservation! If you have been saved, you are now a child of God; and because you are His child, He does whatever needs to be done to preserve your inheritance as one of His children! 

 It is a win-win situation, no matter the circumstance or trial, we really have nothing to worry about, as long as we keep our eyes upon Jesus, knowing that whatever it is we are going through, it is for our good, because He is a Good Good Father...

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights of the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you have died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT)

"The Father's Love"

 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Hebrews 12:6 KJV)

  "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. [Interlude] Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. [Interlude]" (PSALM 32:1-5 NLT)

 Something to think about, as I was trying to share yesterday, we will have tribulation and trials! If it is not something that we are dealing with, one way or another, then maybe we should wonder why that is so, because those who follow Jesus are meant to through the fire, one way or another! If you don't receive that, thinking that I am making it up, look it up for yourself, because it is our cross to bear, like it or not!

 Looking at this verse, the word, "chasteneth," is different than that of "scourgeth", in so many ways. To show what that might look like, in the way of instruction: Chasten is actually meant to train, cause to learn; molding character into us, even using discipline, if needed. While scourge, it just means to flog! 

 I can recall from my childhood days, that my mom would sometimes have me go out in the yard and choose the stick, by which I would get a spanking. I learned right away, the bigger the stick, the less it would hurt! God just wants us to obey Him; not because He wants us to control us, but because He wants to protect us from going the wrong way! 

 I remember my mother telling me, "Son, make sure you look both ways, before you cross the street." It really wasn't to control the way I walked, but more about staying safe and secure. Funny thing is, that she did that for her peace of mind also... 

"Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgement by the truth I have spoken. I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commended me what say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say."" (John 12:44-50 NLT) 

"The Chastening of The Lord" - Two

 "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:" (Hebrews 12:5 KJV)

  "O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me LORD, for my bones are in agony." (PSALM 6:1-2 NLT)

 Secondly, there is something that many of us might have forgotten, or ignored, in this loving relationship we have with our Heavenly Father: His Son, who did no wrong at all, took on the chastening for our sins, and was shamed and cursed as He hung on that cross! If our Lord and Savior was willing to go through all of that, having done nothing to deserve it, then who are we to complain, knowing all that He has done for us, even though we did not deserve it! 

 There is just so much we seem to forget, when we are going through trials and tribulations; mostly because we focus on the here and now, thinking, 'Why me,' when we should remember how much Jesus suffered to take away the sins that condemn us, and has given a chance for eternal life with Him! Instead, we should keep believing, knowing that nothing that happens to us in this life, can take away the real life that we are hoping and looking forward to, when all of this is over...

"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 led 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 was 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." (Isaiah 53:6-10 NLT) 

"The Chastening of The Lord"

 "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:" (Hebrews 12:5 KJV) 

  "The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done. The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not let me die. Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD. These gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!" (PSALM 118:16-21 NLT)

 The first thing that I feel needs to be said, more than anything, is that God loves us, so much more than we can ever know! No matter what it takes, He wants His children to be with Him; which is why He does whatever it takes to make sure that we make it through this life, and into the perfect life that He has made for our eternity!

 That said, we must be very aware of God's discipline, when we are going through whatever it might be; even if it isn't meant to be discipline! Yes, I know it doesn't make a whole lot of sense; but the oldest Book in the Bible is the Book of Job; and if you have spent any time at all reading it, you must know that it is something like a two-headed coin: one side, righteous Job; the other side, not so much! 

 Whatever it is that we might be going through the seems to be a form tearing down, or is some sort of punishment, will be something that makes us stronger on the other side, of whatever it might be. If we have deserved to be chastised, then we are blessed to be corrected; and if we are going through something that we don't deserve, we are even twice as blessed, because we get to experience the suffering of the Lord! 

 Hopefully that makes sense to some of you; because whatever we must go through, no matter how bad it might seem, never forget that God loves you! Whatever you are going through has His blessing towards your good; not to destroy you, but to give you the victory and abundant life... 

"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) 

"Striving Against Sin" - 2

 "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:4 KJV)

  "For the time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:3-5 NLT)

 Basically, the way I believe we can best strive against sin, is by doing the opposite, which would be to focus more on serving the Lord, in as many ways that you can; making the time we have left on this earth be joyful and an expression of the peace we have in the salvation we have been given. This might not seem as though it works all of the time, but it does make a huge difference in the way you walk out the Lord's calling upon your life: in whatever do, do it as unto the Lord! 

 Because I get to drive around all day, making it to appointments, I really get enjoyment listening to teachings that come through the radio. Not that it is the most important thing, but it is the thing that causes me to think and put into practice sharing God's word, in some form or fashion. When you get inspired by the message you hear, you will look for a chance to share the words that were spoken.

 What I am trying to say, is the more we focus and strive to do what is good and pleasing to the Lord, the less we fall into sin and do that which isn't good and pleasing to the Lord...

"Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:19-23 NLT) 

"Striving Against Sin"

 "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:4 KJV)

  "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT)

 Just so you know, I was thinking about making this verse separate from verse 5 - 11; only because it has a personal meaning, which is then followed up with discipline of our Heavenly Father. It is really not that hard to fall into sin, if you don't remember how easy it is to be tempted, then you will be very susceptible to the passions and desires of your flesh.

 We must always be on guard, knowing that our flesh can and will want to be fulfilled; as we are always at war with it, night and day! The moment you think that you have it under control and have subdued it, will be moment you fall or come under attack. Trust me, this is a real thing! When you think you have won the battle, the big guns come out! 

 Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear Pastor Jack sharing about the life of a Pastor. As he was sharing, it really touched my heart about the way he mentioned the difference between other occupations, versus the occupations of Pastors. Lawyers start out to be lawyers, and finish being lawyers; doctors start out being doctors, and finish being doctors; but there are pastors that start out being pastors, but don't finish the race! 

 The thing that makes it so real, is the reality of what a Pastor actually is not! Being a Pastor is really not an occupation! When it becomes an occupation in the heart of a Pastor, then it becomes less than a calling and more about work.

 The reason I felt that needed to be shared, is that there really is no difference between what a Pastor goes through and us, regular followers of Christ. It really doesn't matter what you are or where you work; whatever we do and however we do it, we must always do it as if we are doing it unto the Lord.

 That might not seem relevant for this message; but it all flows down the same river! Anything you do as if it is on your own, whatever it might be, if the Lord's not in it, you better be careful! I heard another message yesterday, Pastor Mike was sharing about Cain and his sacrifice. A little different of a twist on the offering the Cain gave to God, which was rejected; because in this message, Cain's heart really wasn't offering it to God, but it was more for himself...

"I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank from the spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." (1 Corinthians 10:1-5 NLT) 

"A Father's Discipline"

   "After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD'S discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." 

 "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever.

 "For our earthly fathers discipline us for a few years, doing the best they know how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews 12:4-11 NLT)

  "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Proverbs 3:11-12 KJV)

 How wonderful the Father's love is towards us! The more I think of the things He has done, what He is still doing; the more I feel that I truly don't deserve everything He has done! If you know anything about my situation, then you might wonder why I feel so blessed, as if everything is great in my life. Well, it might not seem all that wonderful to anyone else, but the journey God has given me, taking care of my wife, has made love come alive in our suffering.

 I know that there are many people that really don't understand that; there have been quite a few that have asked me why I might be keeping her, as if that is my right to take her life. But I made a promise to God that I wouldn't; that it was totally up to Him! And I will do the very best to comfort her, read to her, pray with her, and keep on loving her, tell death do us part...

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" (Ephesians 5:25 KJV)

"Others Over Self" - Two

 "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Hebrews 12:3 KJV)

  "Don't be misled - you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don't give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should go good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith." (Galatians 6:7-10 NLT)

 It isn't every day that we get the opportunity to do good for others, yet the things we do, when given the chance, should not cause us to feel as though we should receive a reward or admonishment. There is more pleasure in giving than receiving, which is something that we should all remember to keep in mind. What gain in this world will surely pass away; but what we give, is something that can last forever. 

 Anywho, the main thing I wanted to talk about was this thing about, "faint in your minds," as it is not just an expression of weariness, because we all pretty much grow weary from time to time. This really isn't something that we should worry over, because the Bible says, "All of creation groans," waiting for the ultimate redemption to take place. 

 Weariness is also something that Jesus dealt with, so if it was something that He dealt with, then we should never complain or feel disgusted when we feel weary. The main thing we must remember about the weariness that Jesus went through, is that it was not for Himself, but it was for us...

"He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 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! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." (Isaiah 53:3-5 NLT) 

"Others Over Self"

 "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Hebrews 12:3 KJV)

  "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed, "He saved others," they said, "let him save himself if he is really God's Messiah, the Chosen One."" (Luke 23:34-35 NLT)

 As you might have noted, the Scriptures I used for yesterday's post were both brothers of Jesus, James and Jude. They really didn't believe He was the One, growing up and during His ministry; but they sure did change their hearts after He rose from the grave! 

 This verse from Luke, where Jesus is nailed to the cross, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing," is a prime example of the way things can be, when the heart is hard and the mind cannot see the truth. A prime example of that would be King David, who after what he did to try and clear himself, Nathan came to him with the tale of two men, 'The rich man and the poor man.' After hearing what transpired, David was furious and said, "As surely as the LORD lives, and man who would do such a thing deserves to die!" 

 We all should know what happened next, because Nathan replied, "You are that man!" It's really not that those who scoffed and somewhat rejoiced over Jesus hanging on the cross, as if they knew what they were doing, because had they truly known who Jesus really was, they would have done all that they could do to save Him. The thing that makes it all the more mysterious, is that this was the way things needed to be, just as the Scriptures said, over and over, just as it happened to be!

 Sorry for the exclamation marks, but it can't be helped. There are just some things that we do, which we have really have idea what we are doing; not that we don't know what we are doing, because we do: it's just that what we do, we are driven by self, and self only cares about self...

"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 gives you pleasure." (James 4:1-3 NLT)    

"Looking Unto Jesus!" - Always

 "Looking unto Jesus that author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

  "But you dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love." (Jude 20-21 NLT)

 The thing about us looking unto Jesus, is not all about us trying to be like Him, because we really can't; the more we try, the more we seem to fail. He is the author and finisher of our faith, because He has done what needed to be done, once and for all! We are saved by grace; now we are guarded and protected by such a wonderful mercy, that with thanksgiving in our hearts, we work to follow Jesus to the best of our ability; knowing that it is only by His Spirit that we will even come slightly close to perfection!

 Having been trying so long to be the man that I thought I should be, I sometimes forget about the man I first became, when I accepted Jesus into my heart. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I have failed or have lost my way, because the things we do that cause us to lose hope, are also the things that make us stronger. We just need more of Jesus and less of ourselves...

"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:17-18 NLT) 

"Looking Unto Jesus!" - Too

 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

  "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11 NLT)

 Okay, so the word, "despising," is shown as if He was hating being shamed; yet, it really means to think little or nothing of; in other words, He didn't let it bother Him! This was something that He knew would happen, as it was written hundreds of years before, it was meant to be. Something to think about, if you ever feel disgusted or hurt by anyone who treats you bad for just sharing Jesus to them.

 Besides that, this "joy," that is being illustrated as being set before Him, is meant for you and me! That is what He came for, to pay the penalty for our sins, by hanging on the cross, to shed His blood for our sins! When He endured the cross, it was the way that things were planned, long ago; and it just so happened that the Romans were practicing the art of killing people on the cross, at just the right time. 

 As much as I might feel overwhelmed sometimes by certain things in this life, there is absolutely no way to compare anything that I have to go through, with what Jesus did for us! We are given things that come upon us, without our wanting it to happen, things just happen and we pray and hope for the best. But Jesus, set it up and took on everything, upon Himself. You just can't make this up...

"Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 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!" (Isaiah 53:1-4 NLT)  

"Looking Unto Jesus!"

 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

  "We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy." (1 John 1:1-4 NLT)

 If you didn't already know by now, the reason that I say we are never alone, is because we have Jesus in our hearts! He also has given us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper and Comforter; so that have ability to withstand temptations and the knowledge to share the Good News. Sometimes we tend to forget that we are never alone; especially when we have more focus on the things of this world, and less focus on Christ. 

 As I was waking up this morning, I couldn't help but hear a still small voice, saying, "Pardon Me," ever so softly. You have got to understand that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, meaning that He does not force us, but encourages us and works in accordance with our readiness and consent. What is harder to understand is His patience! Again and again, He lights the fire; and sooner or later, we let it go out! 

 You must never forget that you are not alone! Just something to think about...

"Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT)

"So Great a Cloud of Witnesses" - Too

 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)

  "With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn't what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy." (Ephesians 4:17-24 NLT)

 On a much more serious note, the things we think that we do in private, which nobody can see, are really not private at all! We might think that they are, mostly because we have done exactly what Paul is saying: We closed off our mind to God's presence and hardened our heart against Him! If you don't think that is a real thing, think again! You are never, ever alone!

 Happy is the man or woman that does everything as if God is watching! As for those that might have the ability to see us, as if there is a grandstand of people watching over our lives, I pray that isn't so, because there have been things I have done that I am very ashamed of, and I won't have wanted anyone that I have known to see some of the things that I did.

 But who am I kidding!!! Just because we close our mind and harden our hearts, does not mean that God, or even anyone else, does not see what we are doing! We are always surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses; so, keep reminding yourself about that, and live as though you are being watched; because you most surely are...

"I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD; who made heaven and earth.! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever." (PSALM 121 NLT) 

"So Great a Cloud of Witnesses"

 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)

  "I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all walked through the see on dry ground. I the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." (1 Corinthians 10:1-5 NLT) 

 To think that we have thousands of people that know us, who passed on, and who now can look down from heaven and see everything that we do, is really gut-wrenching to even imagine it is a possibility! It would be more than we could stand, if that was truly the case; yet there must be something to this that is a little less shocking to even think about. 

 Having said that, there is quite a few instances when we experience the thought of a loved one that has gone to be with the Lord, and when we do something good, as they might have done, we think of them looking down on us, and saying, "Good job!" It really is not hard to imagine it, and there are many people that express the possibility that it is true, saying, "They are looking down on us, right now, from heaven."

 Regardless of whatever it means, I truly believe that God and His angels can see us any time that they want...

""You have said terrible things about me," says the LORD. "But you say, 'What do you mean? What have we said against you?' "You have said, 'What's the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD of Heaven's Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.'" Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name." (Malachi 3:13-16 NLT) 

"Jesus, the Example"

  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up." (Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT)

  "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8 KJV)

 Having been through several storms, it is still hard to compare anything that I have went through with that which Jesus did for us! Everything that we have to deal with, no matter how bad it might seem, doesn't even come close the overwhelming punishment that Jesus endured, on so many levels! 

 As it was, Jesus could have stopped the punishment, with just a word; but He endured everything that was done, willingly, taking on the punishment for each and every one of us, all at once! The heaviness of what He bore was more than anyone could have endured, having taken on the sins of the entire world; being mocked and looked upon as a sinner, while actually suffering for the sins of those who mocked Him. 

 And to top that off, He actually asked the Father to forgive them, even though it was very apparent that they hated Him. The thing that makes it seem worse of all, is the actual cause of His death, which many believe was a broken heart...

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:3-5 KJV)  

"God's Perfect Order"

 "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:40 KJV)

  "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:23-26 NLT)

 If you didn't figure it out, the whole point of yesterday's post was about love; loving and forgiving one another, just as we have been forgiven because of God's love towards those who believe in His Son! That whole thing about the credit card verses the debit card, might seem strange to some; but Jesus went down into the belly of this earth to pay off the debt of those who were waiting ever since they went into the grave. While we, those who are alive after His death on the cross, are given forgiveness for all sin, now and into eternity!

 If that isn't enough, there is a third wave of believers that get saved, as no card is given, but they will 'wash their own robes', as they will be killed just for their testimony of believing in Christ Jesus. These will those who were left behind after the Rapture, them that might have been lukewarm, having known the truth, but not living as though they truly believe it. 

 I have heard several Pastors say, "If you can't be willing to receive Christ into your heart now, and declare Him Lord, as you are living in freedom; how would you be able to make Him Lord of your life, then, if you are going to be killed for declaring that He is Lord!" This is a very real thing, and the mass of those who will be willing to die for the sake of confessing that Jesus is Lord, will be many!

 I truly hope and pray that I am in that second waive, and not the third...

"If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness." (1 John 2:9-11 NLT)

"A Good Report" - Too

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:" (Hebrews 11:39 KJV)

  "Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached to tomb first. He stopped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn't go in." (John 20:1-5 NLT)

 Whatever you might think about the difficult challenges you must face, nothing compares to the difficult challenge Jesus went through, suffering and taking on the pain that He must have felt, on the dreadful day! As I have shared before, several times: The challenge He overcame was His power, as He had the ability to make it all stop, any time that He wanted! 

 We don't even know what that feels like, seeing that we are mere mortals who must depend for miracles, if we were going to stop something like Jesus had to go through. Yet, He took every bit of it, without even trying to stop any portion of the punishment. Every portion of His punishment was meant to represent all of our challenges and pain; everything that we suffer through; even our labor that was part of the curse, it too was dealt with, with that crown of thorns. 

 Not that it matters a whole lot, but there is something different that John did, which I believe was done for Peter's sake, and that was letting Peter go into the tomb first. It was John who made a way for Peter to come into the courtyard where Jesus was being judged. Basically, I believe it was probably because he had contacts with those who bought fish from him and his brother. 

 There was always a little competition them both, but in this case, John was letting Peter go in first...

"A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. "I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go." Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me." Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved - the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, "Lord, who will betray you?" Peter asked Jesus, "What about him, Lord?" Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me."" (John 21:17-22 NLT)  

"A Good Report"

 "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:" (Hebrews 11:38 KJV) 

 ""My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn't see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it."" (Luke 10:22-24 NLT)

 Although it might not flow down the same stream, there is surely a connection and something to make us remember how blessed we are, not only to have the words written for us to read, but also to have the Holy Spirit living in us to give us understanding and comfort to trust the goodness God! We really are blessed to be living in this time; even though this world might be trembling and things seem to be spinning out of control: God is still on the Throne, and any time He will give the command, "Son, go get your Bride!" 

 I was listening to part of a message yesterday that was all about the Rapture of the Church. If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, then you know what I think about the timing of that event; that it will happen before the biggening of the Tribulation. As most who believe the same, we know that the Tribulation will involve God's judgement on a wicked world; so catastrophic will be the events, that the bride of Christ will be taken up before they happen. 

 There are some who think it will be in the middle of that Tribulation; and then there are some that think it will be at the end of the Tribulation: but the first half of the Tribulation will be reaction to the event, that event being the Rapture of the Church! Interesting enough, there is something becoming more and more evident to many people about the reality of things from other planets; which I believe is what will cause the world will become a One-World Order, based upon the people that have been, so called, taken by beings from another planet.

 It might all sound crazy and hard to believe; but those who get saved during that first half of the Tribulation will be killed, most likely beheaded, for not denying God, and for not getting the mark...    

""When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. "Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, and the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. "So you, too must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."" (Matthew 24:37-44 NLT) 

"The Navigator"

 "(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." (Hebrews 11:38 KJV)

  "Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die." (Isaiah 57:1-2 NLT)

 As much as I love to read the Bible and learn what Scriptures are saying, I get more excited from discovering what is written between the lines; as it is, it the space between the lines that make us wonder and search for hidden treasures! Much like what I was sharing yesterday, which looked into the reason Jesus went out into a deserted place after John was beheaded. 

 My firm belief is that Jesus was truly God, manifested in flesh; and because He had certain abilities, such as walking on water, vanishing out of sight, turning water into wine, raising the dead, and being a perfect sacrifice for our sins; He also had the ability to know what people would do and even know what they were thinking. When He went into that wilderness, as if to be alone, just as fish were caught in the net when He told the disciple to cast their net to the other side, He caused thousands of people to follow Him out into a deserted place, where no food could be found. 

 I know it isn't written within the story, at least not in ink; but it is truly something I believe He meant to happen! As I was praying about this last night, I envisioned the stoning of Stephen, as he saw Jesus, saying, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!" (Acts 7:56 NLT) As the Bible says, that Jesus would be seated at God's right hand; yet He was standing, not in anguish, but as a Captain admonishing His warrior!

 We must know that this life is temporary; for some, they don't even get a chance to breathe the air that we get to share! But for those of us that believe and follow Christ, death is not really something we fear but is the doorway to Heaven! Jesus might have made it look like He was going away to mourn, but I am 100% certain that He knew for a fact that John was perfectly fine, and that He would be seeing him again, soon enough...

""I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and I will tell you plainly about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I'm not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father." Then the disciples said, "At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there's no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God." Jesus asked, "Do you finally believe? But the time is coming - indeed it's here now - when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."" (John 16:25-33 NLT)