"Won and Done"

 "Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;" (Hebrews 9:25 KJV)

  "When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT)

 When I was released from jail, in November of 1981, there were several times I remember thinking that I needed to get saved again; actually, there were probably at least six times; some of which included my wife, as we would both go up and kneel before the alter, asking and begging for forgiveness. This might sound strange, but those lase few months in jail, after I first got saved, there really wasn't any time that I felt the need to get saved again. Even though I had a few times when I sinned, there was really nothing that made me feel as though I wasn't really saved, I would just repent and ask for forgiveness. 

 To make any excuse for what I felt after my release, I would only say that I felt that I had real purpose in that place; so, I spent most of my time looking for way to serve the Lord, which I believe kept me alert to what the Holy Spirit was asking me to do. Once I was released, I spent more time getting to work on selling, and less time on serving the Lord. 

 Not that we didn't go to church or I didn't pray and read my Bible every morning and night, because I did; but in the real world, having a wife and kid, you feel an obligation to provide for your home. My wife didn't work, as I wasn't really wanting her to; she focused on making a happy home and raising our son. There might have been a few times when she would baby-sit for people, mostly at our home; but she never tried to get a job until around 1995 or 1996, when I was unable to give her the money I usually did; which was for her to shop and buy the things she wanted or needed. 

 One of our favorite things was to go the mall, where she would go shopping, and I would sit on a bench outside the store, reading a Chick Tract, waiting for someone to sit nearby. As soon as she came out of the store, I would sit the Tract down on the bench, walk away, and we would pray for the person to pick it up and really read it. 

 Wow, I really miss that! You really don't fully appreciate what you have until it is gone! The last time we did that was the Thanksgiving before her surgery, in 2002. The next Thanksgiving, I was taking care of her at our new home, my life turned up-side-down; but I still kept on serving the Lord...

"When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision - the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because or your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave your sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them at the cross." (Colossians 2:11-15 NLT) 

"The True Sanctuary"

 "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:" (Hebrews 9:24 KJV)

  "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay." (Romans 8:18-21 NLT)

 Looking at this from the way it is meant to be, there are certain things we need to understand about the way things really are, most of which, are the things that are really not our fault. The moment I was born into this world, I was destined to have a sin nature; not that I wanted it that way, but because it was passed down and, in my blood; that blood, which was in Adam, passed down through all generations.

 Most people don't really realize that, but we really don't have a choice; at least not until we are born again; then it is a whole different life, because we are living by the blood of Christ! Not that our blood has been changed, because it still remains the same; but by the blood of Christ, we who have been saved are completely purified and set apart. What was once something we could not control, has now become that which is controllable, by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in us. 

 There is now a choice! If you really don't understand what I am talking about, it is really not that hard to figure out. The power of sin over our lives has been broken, the curse handed down from Adam has been removed, and we are no longer obligated to follow that old sin nature; we have been renewed and now obligated to walk in the Spirit! 

 This is not something we can do on our own! If we try to do it on our own, we will fail, again and again; over and over, until we become totally broken! Not really the kind of choice you want, because at that condition, your only choice is complete surrender...

"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you at not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God." (Romans 8:5-10 NLT) 

"Heavenly Things" - Too

 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." (Hebrews 9:23 KJV) 

  "And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." For you know that God paid a ransom to save you the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days." (1 Peter 1:17-20 NLT)

 Just so you know, that closing message yesterday was to demonstrate what it looks like for those who are chosen, such as Peter was, that the things we might do that are wrong, such as to deny that we know Christ, (which is not something any of us should do,) will not be the thing that causes us to forfeit the eternal life we have waiting for us in Heaven. I know that there are some who will not agree with what I just said, because of the verse that says, "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:34)

 It might not seem right, but John's version of Peter's denial was covered over with that next statement of Jesus saying, "Don't let your hearts be troubled," With all the competition between Peter and John, John wrote his gospel message towards the end of his life here on earth; so there was no more worries over what either one of them might have done, they both died knowing full well that they were totally forgiven!  

 Interesting enough, Jesus never really was offended in Peter's denial, because He knew perfectly well that Peter would repent, as we see in Luke's Gospel, He says, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." 

 After Jesus said that to Peter, he proclaimed how faithful he was to the Lord; it was after that Jesus told him what he would be repenting about; that he would deny Him three times. And that is what exactly happened! So, what I am trying to say, hopefully without offending those who think differently, is that we have the kind of forgiveness that is foolproof and cannot be taken away! 

 What I know, and truly believe in my heart, is that there really is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, as long as we believe and ask for forgiveness when we mess up! And even if we are stubborn and don't think we need to be forgiven, God will correct us one way or another, as He will never leave or forsake us!

 Those who might not want to ask for forgiveness, may not have ever been really forgiven, not really believing how it all works. But each and every one of us are responsible for our own salvation, as to what we believe and hard we want to keep it; even though it cannot be taken away... 

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants." (John 3:16-21 NLT) 

"Heavenly Things"

 "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but rhe heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices that these." (Hebrews 9:23 KJV) 

  "Simon Peter asked, "Lord, where are you going?" And Jesus replied, "You can't go with me now, but you will follow me later." "But why can't I come now, Lord? he asked. "I'm ready to die for you." Jesus answered, "Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter - before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me." "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will came and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going."" (John 13:36-14:4 NLT)

  Last night I watched a movie called, "What If...", which I have probably seen at least a dozen times. In this movie, Kevin's character goes to a hospital to minister to a rich guy that is getting ready to die. He starts out asking the man, "How would like to upset a lot of religious people?" He then goes on to talk about the parable of the vineyard owner, that hires workers throughout the day, to work in his vineyard.

 In this parable Jesus shows that the people who only worked for an hour, they received the amount of money for a whole day's wage. And those that worked all day long, felt as if they were going to get more than they were originally told they would get. But everyone was paid the same amount, no matter how long they worked, they were all paid the same. 

 Not that it is something that we don't already know, because the Thief of the Cross, basically was saved on the spot, without even needing to do anything but believe that Jesus could save him, saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." Because anyone can be saved, even in their final minute; maybe even with seconds before they die. But it only takes a second to say good-bye...

"Then the two men from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how that had recognized him as he was breaking bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. "Peace be with you," he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! "Why are you frightened?" he asked. "Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do." As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, "Do you have anything to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Then he said, "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.' You are witnesses of all these things."" (Luke 24:35-48 NLT)   

"A Better Sacrifice"

 "That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

 "For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove by his own death as a sacrifice.

 "And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:23-28 NLT) 

  "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV) 

 As I was thinking about this portion of Scripture, I remembered something that I was shown, not too long after my wife and I were married. To be truthfully certain, I needed to look it up for myself, because it was hard to believe, seeing that sinning was still something I still had to deal with, again and again! The best way for me to illustrate what it was, is the idea that God doesn't have favorites, and we are all equal in His sight; no matter what, we are all precious and loved the same! 

 It is kind of hard to believe it, especially when we might mess up from time to time; but it is something we must try and remember, He really does love us, all the same... 

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." (Acts 10:34-35 KJV) 

    

"Complete Anointing"

 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22 KJV)

  "These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong to us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don't know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn't have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also." (1 John 2:19-23 NLT)

 Yesterday's post was a little short because I had to be somewhere, and I wanted to be early. That is just who I am, the guy that hates to be late, and loves to be early, mostly because I don't like it when people don't show up on time, so I make every effort to never be late. That's just what you might, call being an example, because you really can't judge anyone for being late, if you yourself do the same.

 Anywho; this post is pretty much the completion of yesterday's, "Come What May," post; which was the illustration of how God has anointed everything in our lives, even those things we should not do! I know that might not make sense to some; especially those that judge and condemn people for being different than they are. We all have our own journey and hangups in this world; but each and every one of us are still sinners that have been saved by God's grace; none of us are perfect, but we that are saved have been completely anointed and purified by the blood of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior! 

 If that doesn't make sense to you, then I will pray that you will change your heart and truly believe that we are redeemed, set apart, and seen as righteous in the eyes of the Father! All of our sins have been forgiven, even those that some might not think are worthy of forgiveness. Don't think for a moment that God does not know what we will do, because He knows everything about us; and each and everything we do, He has already prepared for the reaction and the circumstance that will follow. 

 Maybe we just need to remember that we are His children; and because we are His children, He has the right to do whatever He feels we need, in order to obey and love Him more. Some people might call it Tuff Love; but there is really no comparison to the sacrifice and love that was demonstrated on that cross! Talk about Tuff Love! 

 That is why we must never stop believing and always remember what Jesus did in order to save us; and we must never forget that it was the Father that sent Him here to die for us. Imagine what that Tuff Love looked like from the Father's point of view; it was certainly groundbreaking...

"So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us." (1 John 2:24-25 NLT) 

"Come What May!"

 "Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry." (Hebrews 9:21 KJV)

  "The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful springs. He renews my strength. He guides me along the right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for your rod and staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever." (PSALM 23 NLT)

 To try and make a point, (no pun intended), there is really nothing that I can do in this life that will take away my salvation; this much I am very sure of, because there is no way that I am going to quit believing that God loves me and the blood of Jesus has given me eternal life! That said, I do whole-heartedly know and believe that there are consequences for the things we do that are wrong; there really is still justice for the things we do here, as we live out our time on this earth.

 Besides that, what we do on this earth, stays on this earth; we do not take this garbage with us when we go! If you don't believe that is so, then you need to read your Bible more, especially Revelation, as there are no more tears in Heaven! I still cry like a baby thinking about some of the things I have done; mostly those things I did that hurt my wife and the arguments I let happen.

 Maybe everything was not my fault, (I try to say to myself), but I honestly know that my role was meant to be like Christ treats the church, sacrificing myself for her! As I have said before, and I say it again: You husbands most love your wife as Christ loves the church! Just as the light of the moon is not its own, so too, the love you show your wife, will be a reflection in her, just as the Light of Jesus shines on all of us, and lets us shine as well.

 The way I see it, is that we are meant to keep on believing, no matter what we might do, no matter how hard we might fall, even in the worst situation and under the most sever circumstances, never ever quit believing in the mighty blood of Jesus and the Father's wonderful grace...

"We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are." (Romans 3:22 NLT)

"A Man's Disposition" - Too

 "Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you." (Hebrews 9:20 KJV)

  "If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it, because I don't want anyone to give me credit beyond what they see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 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 in 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 12:6-10 NLT)

 The point I was looking for yesterday was pretty much given, but it was not totally made clear. There is something else that needs to be added, which is most important to this, "disposition," that a man or woman may come to understand and acknowledge as something that they must be familiar with, and at the same time, deal with according. We all have flaws and cravings for things, some worse than others; but these things are the things that remind us of our weaknesses and keep us knowing how much we need God's grace!  

 Disposition is inherent, not learned. As we can see in this Scripture above, it says, "which God hath enjoined unto you." What I see this to mean, is much like a marriage between husband and wife; except in this case, the bond together is between us and God. Much like Abraham being righteous in God's sight, he still had issues and did things that were not righteous; but God is the one who made him to be righteous! And it was God who made his name known, throughout the entire Bible, as righteous because of his faith, not because he was perfect, but he believed in a perfect God that kept His promises! 

 What I am trying to say, is that we will mess up, and we will also have difficulties and hardships; but, in everything that life throws at us and in everything wrong we might do, God is still joined to us, as we are to Him. He is not letting go of those He has chosen and called His own...

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our weaknesses about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39 NLT) 

"A Man's Disposition"

 "Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you." (Hebrews 9:20 KJV)

  "For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one - for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then can condemn us? No one - for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us." (Romans 8:29-34 NLT)

 As it turns out, even though we have this great and wonderful gift of forgiveness, we still don't quite do everything based upon the forgiveness we have been given. Basically, what that means, is that we have not yet achieved the power to forgive, as God has forgiven us! Even though we might think we have gotten to that point, we still point our fingers at those to whom we think have offended us; sometimes by ourselves being the picture of the one that cannot be forgiven! 

 Pastor Bryan always says, "Don't point your finger at anyone, because you will have three more pointing back at you!" Those other three fingers represent, "Me, Myself, and I." It really doesn't matter all that much to me, mostly because I know that I deserve to be punished for all the bad things that I have done. But the wonderful news, that keeps me joyful and at peace, is that my Heavenly Father forgives me; and no matter whatever consequences I must suffer here on this earth, nothing compares to the forgiveness I have with my Heavenly Father, because of what Christ Jesus had done!

 It is really hard to push those things out of our minds. There are so many instances where you see yourself in so many others, remembering the foolish and ugly things you have done. And yes, making, those kinds of things some kind of reason for not being worthy, although it might to true to some; God is the one that matters most of all; He alone is faithful and just to forgive everything we have done...

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." (Romans 8:35-37 NLT) 

"What is the Question?"

 "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people," (Hebrews 9:19 KJV)

  "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus in this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:12-16 NLT)

 To start, the previous verse made a statement that demanded an explanation or an answer, seemingly because it was a statement to the fact that the first testament was not dedicated without blood. Therefore, the blood was needed as the confirmation that this first testament was binding and sacred; even though there was a second testament which would replace it. 

 Now, don't think too hard about this, because it is just a summary of what I have come to know. The first testament, which was based upon the law, really has not been completely replaced, as there will be many that will end up being judged by the law, during the Great White Throne Judgment. However, for those to whom have received the gift of God, and have believed and excepted Christ Jesus as Lord, they will be those that are under the second testament, which is God's free offer of Salvation! 

 I know that there will be some who do not think that is fare, because they tried so hard to keep the law; even though they really never did, because there was a reason for the sprinkling of both the book and the people! Moreover, God does not change! He is Holy, and He will be Holy forever; His law will always remain, even in the new heaven and earth, His Holiness will shine even brighter; so much so, there will not even need to be a sun, to light up the earth: He will be the Light! 

 These are surely the last days, as I see them coming more and more evident and clear. We must be ready for Jesus' coming and prepare ourselves to be worthy, as He will return as a thief in the night, without any warning. For those of us that might think the Rapture will happen in the middle of the Tribulation, you should be prepared for it to happen before, just in case you are wrong. Because you will be somewhat raptured in the middle of it all, if you don't prepare; but you might lose your head. 

 I just hope that I am ready! But even still, I am repaired for either or, whatever it might be, I believe now, and I will believe even more later! And that is my answer...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon." (Philippians 4:4-5 NLT)   

"The Seat of Life"

 "Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood." (Hebrews 9:18 KJV)

  "Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, "Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. For the LORD will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the LORD will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down." (Exodus 12:21-23 NLT)

 If you are familiar with this passage of Scripture, then you know how this blood on those doorframes was meant to work. There was something else that was told of them to do, which I personally believe shows us a little glimpse of what it means to be prepared for Jesus coming back to take us, which is what is referred to as the Rapture. Every family was told to be dressed, with their shoes on, and staff in hand, as to be ready to leave. Imagine what it looked like, as they stood around the table, which was the way it was shown in the old famous movie, "The Ten Commandments." 

 The reason it seems to be associated with the Rapture, is because the blood is protecting them from the death that is about to occur; their preparation to leave is the same as what the church does now, as we wait for Him to take us up and into His Kingdom. That is just my way of looking at things from how it really looks, so don't hate me if you think I am off my rocker.   

 But if you really must know, it is the blood that gives life! Yes, the blood that runs through our veins is what keeps us alive and able to breath. It was the breath of God that brought Adam to life, and it was the blood pumping through him that kept him alive. 

 Now, picture what the blood on that doorframe meant, and why it was meant to stop death from entering the house of those that had it smeared on their doors. As I previously said, we that are covered by the blood of Christ, we are saved from death; death is no longer a thing we need to worry about, because the blood of Christ has become our protection.

 In other words, whether this body lives or it dies, we actually remain alive! No matter what, we will be leaving this earth and going to be with the Lord! So, make sure that you are prepared to go...  

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NLT)  

"Steadfast and Firm"

"For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." (Hebrews 9:17 KJV)

  "He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believe him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." (John 1:10-13 NLT)

 I heard a message yesterday that caused me to think about something very significant with the way God gets us to believe, as this message revealed that it was God who gave Abraham his faith; meaning that faith is not something we get on our own. It took me quite a few moments to think about, but then I realized that Scripture where Paul says, "Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT)

 Understandably, God is the one who came to Abraham. It was God who told Abraham to leave his home and go to the place He would show him. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for," as the Scripture says; if you're told you that you will inherit something, then you will hope that it will happen; faith is that which keeps you expecting that what you hope for will come to pass. 

 Therefore, it was God's promise to Abraham that gave him the faith, when he actually believed what God told him; and when he believed what God said was true, God credited it to him as righteousness. And we know from what we read about his life that he was a good man; but he really wasn't a righteous man, because he did do some things that were wrong. 

 But it is God who makes the call of who is righteous or not! God alone is the is the judge and the jury, and we who believe and follow His Son, although we are not yet totally righteous, He sees us as if we are totally and completely righteous, because of the sacrificial blood of His Son. Therefore, we too are given the faith to believe because of what God has done! 

 And, if you really get down to it, it is God that gives us all three of those things that last forever, because only He is has the eternal qualities to pass them out! Hope is not something that just happens, there must be some kind of action that has taken place, which causes us to have hope. The fact the Jesus rose from the dead, that is the resurrection power that gives us this hope for eternal life; and God did that in order to give us that hope!

 Without God's love for us, which was so over-the-top, it is almost unbelievable, we would have never know what real love even means! Yes, that's right; without God's help we wouldn't really know what real love looks like; and we would really know how to try and love Him back!   

 Don't ever stop believing...

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:8-11 NLT)  

"Undeniable"

 "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator." (Hebrews 9:16 KJV)

  "Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Phillip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, "Sir, we want to meet Jesus." Phillip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus. Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me."" (John 12:20-26 NLT)

 There is something else that I have discovered, throughout these last 40 plus years of being saved, I am not afraid to die! Oh, I might be some fear of what this body might go through in death; but this body that I am living in is only a tent, which is currently starting to fall apart. The way I see it, my death actually accrued the moment I accepted Jesus into my heart. From that moment on, death was no longer a threat, because the old man had died, and a new creature had been born, into eternal life! 

 Yes, it is absolutely true! When you accepted Jesus into your heart, basically you died to yourself, and you became a new eternal creature. The death that you died, was the one and only death that you will actually face. The tent will most likely be destroyed, even if you are alive for the rapture. These bodies will be dissolved on the way up, and we will be given new bodies that do not grow old or get destroyed, but that will live forever. 

 It goes something like this: Be born twice, you die once; be born once, and you die twice! Therefore, we who are living in Christ, and He lives in us, we have already died, and we already have eternal life in Jesus Christ...

"You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on 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 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 2:20-3:4 NLT) 

"The Mediator"

 "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15 KJV) 

  "For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise. Why then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child that was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham." (Galatians 3:18-20 NLT)

 One of those things I learned within the first couple weeks of my salvation experience, is, that Jesus was my Mediator before the Father. Something that is very important for us to know, because His death on that cross was more than enough to take away all of my sins, which include the sin that I did, almost the day or so after I was saved, as well as all the sins I have continued to do ever since I was saved. He stands up for me and mediates this cause: That His death on that cross really mattered; and the matter of my sin has been taken care of by His blood! 

 This is something that keeps me going forward, even in those times of feeling as though I have failed and don't deserve to be saved; none of us really deserve it, but we must absolutely and completely except it! There is really nothing we can do that will add to or take away from what Jesus did for us to be clean and made pure and free from sin. To be perfectly honest, I don't know of a single day, when I haven't had to ask for forgiveness; as a matter of fact, I think I ask for forgiveness several times, each and every day! 

 The greatest thing of all, is that no matter how any times I mess up and have to ask for forgiveness, Jesus is right there to mediate my case before the Father...

"For you are all children of light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 NLT) 

"The Blood of Christ" - To

 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14 NLT)

  "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. 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 1:19-22 NLT)

 As there are many things that might cause of to mess up, or shall we say, sin, there is nothing we can do that will override or take away the powerful cleansing of the blood of Christ! Although, I know several people that don't consider themselves worthy, due to falling into sin, after they experience salvation. It is as though they don't believe that they are worthy enough, and don't deserve to come to Christ again, asking for forgiveness.

 When I see someone who has that belief and know of all those things they once did for Christ, it really hurts and makes a scar, as if I feel their affliction. When God says you have been forgiven, there is not a single thing you can do that will not allow you to be forgiven again and again! This means that you are saved, always and forever! You are still His child, and your always able to ask Him for forgiveness! 

 Which reminds me of one of the songs from Danial Amos, called, "Safety Net," that I loved to play, over and over again. I especially liked to lyrics that said, "Shot like a bullet to kingdom come," as I pictured God firing me off like a bullet in His musket, as I fly through the air on the power of the Holy Spirit; sooner or later, landing somewhere in the tall grass; where He finds me, and shots me off again; and He keeps on doing it, all the way to the end... 

"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." (Romans 5:1-2 NLT) 

"The Blood of Christ"

 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14 KJV)

  "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the lifegiving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4 NLT)

 As I was praying about this post this morning, I was reminded about some of those early lessons I learned, within the first few months of living out my new life in Christ. Something that really made me think about how important it was to believe in the salvation I had been given, was my very will to serve and share what Jesus had done in my life. This is the "Living Water," that Jesus talking about and wanted to show to that woman at the well.  

 There are some things we need to read about and try to understand how they work; but there are certain things that we can never understand until we actually do them, and experience how it actually works! The whole point is the fact that the blood of Jesus has fully satisfied the penalty for the entire sins of every person, in the entire world! When I accepted Christ as my Savior and actually believed that my sins had been totally forgiven, it was as if there was a heavy load that was lifted off of me, and I actually felt as though there was no more fear of death, almost, as if I was indestructible. 

 There is really no way to actually describe the real feeling I felt, because it is not something you can really understand until you actually experience what it feels like; but excitement you get in sharing it and trying to explain what you feel, that my brothers and sisters, is the power of the Living Water! If we don't share what we have been given, the Living Water does not flow, and if the Living Water does not flow, then that feeling inside loses life, like the Deed Sea, there is no real joy or excitement...

"Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him." (PSALM 105:1-4 NLT)   

"Temporary Cleansing"

"For if the blood of bulls and of goats. and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth  to the purifying of the flesh:" (Hebrews 9:13 KJV)

  "You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God." (PSALM 51:16-17 NLT)

 My first thought for a title after reading this verse, about, "purifying the flesh," was "Religion."  It is not that I don't think religious actions are not needed, because they are meant to be the things we practice doing to honor and serve, because the main thing we really want and need, is relationship with God, through Christ; religion is not going to save anyone! As a matter of fact, most Religions only trap people into actions of works and sacrifices that do nothing but satisfy the human flesh, while the soul is still left destined for hell! 

 I can recall a dream I had one night, as I was around ten or so years old. We were fellowshipping with the J.W.'s, and that particular night our home was chosen for our groups meeting. I remember being in the room, and I was given the opportunity to find and read the, "Verifying Scripture Reference." If you don't know what that means, it is the way Bible Study is done in that religion; they study the Bible through the books by the WTS, and there is a Scripture Reference for each section of what they are reading. The one who reads the Scripture will read it out loud, and everyone will agree and verify that it is the truth. 

 Anywho, that particular night, my little brother Jon came into the room, while everyone was watching, and in a state of sleepwalking, he walked over to a house plant in the living room and took a leak. Everyone was shocked and couldn't believe what he had done. Our family home wasn't chosen again for fellowship meetings. But that night I had the strangest dream, which had all four of kids kneeling in the driveway, while my stepdad stuffed newspaper into our mouths and then lighted us on fire. 

 Sorry if that seemed really crazy, but it was something that haunted me for quite some time. Something else that was weird, was the way we had communion; as they would pass the elements around the room from person to person, but no one partook! We just got to pass it, and got to look down at it, as it was passed to the next person. Apparently, the only ones who could partake were the '144,000'; which by now. are most likely just a few hundred or so.   

 As I was saying, going to church and getting involved in any Religion will not save you; especially if that Religion does not preach and teach about the real Jesus Christ! We must be in fellowship with one another, because we are all part of the same body; but just going to a church or joining some kind of a Religion, is not going to save you: Only the blood of Christ Jesus will save your soul; everything else will just temporarily make you feel better about yourself; and when I say, 'yourself', I mean the outer man or woman! 

 Nothing can cleanse your soul, but the blood of Jesus Christ: Believe on that...

"Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refused to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift of God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you are greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?" Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."" (John 4:7-14 NLT

"Good Things to Come" - Too

 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:12 KJV)

  "But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must life in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory." (1 Peter 1:15-21 NLT) 

 There are some things we need to know, as the salvation we have been given, although it was freely given, it came to be by a very expensive price! As I was listing to a message the other day about when Jesus pleaded with the Father, three times asking Him to take the cup away, each time He asked, there was no reply or answer. Jesus was well aware of what He had to do, but because He was living in that fleshly body, the pain and suffering He was going to endure was overwhelming.

 My greatest fear to be killed in a fire; not that it is something that would make me deny Christ over, if it would ever be an option. But from some of the stories I have heard, the believers that were burnt for their faith, somehow had an amazing comfort, even in those flames. It was almost like the Holy Spirit gave them the strength to endure the flames, as if it was a cool bath, or a spiritual cleansing. I know that might sound really weird, but from what I have heard, many of them sang songs of praise, as their bodies were being burnt. 

 In the message from Peter, one of the things he wrote was about the Father's judgment as if there is judgment of the good and bad for us by Him when we get into Heaven. From the way I see it, by the things I have learned and been told, that will not be the case! We have been washed by the precious blood of Christ; there is no more sin, because Christ Jesus has made us pure and white as the whitest snow! 

 However, here on this earth, we are God's children! And just like all children growing up, we will sometimes do bad things; that will be the judgment the Father will correct in us, not that He will be condemning us or counting our sins against us, because every sin has been washed away, by the blood of His Son! But like every good father here on earth, He does correct and reward those children that are here on this earth. 

 Because we are ambassadors of Christ, we are also subject to certain responsibilities; the kind that show that we belong to Christ! Love one another and be thankful for God's great love for you...  

"You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all you heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." (1 Peter 1:22-23 NLT) 

"Good Things to Come"

 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:11 KJV)

  "So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is only though faith that a righteous person has life." This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:11-14 NLT)

 Having been in that condition of failing to obey God's commandments, (as I truly believe that I have broken ever one,) I can honestly say that it doesn't take a whole lot of effort or thought to realize what it means to be saved and have all my sins forgiven. The baggage and to heavy load we sometimes bear, are not only lifted from us, but we are given the Holy Spirit to reinforce and help us to complete the journey! 

 I sometimes forget that He is there; if you can understand what that actually means. There is just so much that distracts us from being focused on the Spirits leading and guiding, we can find ourselves doing things on our own, without asking for help or guidance. If you don't have that ever happening in your life, good for you! That puts you in a very special category of believers, because all most everyone has some sort of missing the mark of perfection. 

 Thankfully, we have obtained eternal redemption! Which, in case you might not know, means that we are no longer the one who is in charge, no matter what you might think or do, your life has been purchased by the blood of Christ! If you fall away and walk away from the Lord, as bad as that might be; if you are truly His, then it will only be temporary; even if that means your life here is over, you're still His!

 If for some reason you don't believe that is so, then you need to start believing in what He has done and why His redemption is eternal. If you have begun a New Life in Christ, He will complete what He has done, even if it requires taking you home. There are certain things I truly believe are unchangeable, one of which is the redemption that takes place when we truly believe and receive Jesus into our hearts: He will never leave us or forsake us, ever...

"Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrist have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don't know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus in not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn't have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us." (1 John 2:18-25 NLT)  

"The Open Door"

 "But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;" (Hebrews 9:11 KJV)

  ""But the time is coming - indeed it's here now - when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming - the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus told her, "I Am the Messiah!"" (John 4:23-26 NLT) 

 The Open Door, as many will call it, is always open for those that want fellowship with the Father; we who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, have been given that privilege to enter into the New Holy of Holies, that which is not made with human hands! This makes each and every one of us priests, as we are servants of The Living God! Jesus is now become the Great High Priest, which ushered in the New Covenant, that which replaced the old covenant; the covenant that taught us that we needed to be saved! 

 I know that there are some who really don't understand it, but even those can believe and be saved, even without complete understanding! It's just a matter of believing and receiving the free gift that is being offered; everything will work itself out, the more you pray and read God's word, the more you will come to understand how simple it really is! 

 That might not make sense to some, but it really comes down to God's will and purpose: He is the One who made it happen, and He is the One who gets to make it all good! Simple enough, we just need to make it believable and accept it...

"So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NLT) 

"Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice"

   "So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in Heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood - not the blood of goats and calves - he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all time and secured our redemption forever.

 "Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our conscience from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

 "Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. The will goes into effect only after the person's death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.

 "That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. For after Moses had read each of God's commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God's law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. Then he said, "This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you." And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:11-22 NLT)

  "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10 KJV)

 As I thought about the things which I hope to do, I recalled all of those other things I planned to do, yet never really accomplished the task it takes to make it happen. Sometimes we really need to make sure that God's will and purposes are in line with all we want to do; especially when it comes to planning a change in our pattern of living or the work we might want to take on. Taking everything before the Lord is the thing we should make ourselves do! If we take everything to God, and when we do our best, then He will take care of the rest...

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek or Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Colossians 3:9-17 KJV)