"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) 

"Overcomers"

 "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;" (Hebrews 11:37 KJV)

  "For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy." (James 5:10-11 NLT)

 This could be something about those who endured and withstood punishment, destruction, and death; yet my heart felt something different, as these were those who left a mark, leaving behind examples of what it really means to count the cost! Some things might look as though they are upsetting and totally wrong; but the Lord uses certain things for reasons unknown, most of which, many believers stumble over, thinking that God really doesn't care. 

 There was a message I heard the other day, which, I as always, I only hear portions of; but this particular message was about what Jesus did after He heard that John had been beheaded. The way it was said, is that Jesus retreated to a certain place, possibly to mourn the death of His cousin. When I heard that, I was wondering if that was really why Jesus wanted to be alone. 

 As it turned out, there was a multitude of His followers that found out where he was, about 5,000 of them, who came out to see Him. If you know the story, it was about Jesus feeding all of those people with just a few fish and a couple loaves of bread. But, if this makes any sense, whatsoever, I believe that Jesus was overcoming the pain of John's death, by satisfying the needs of others.

 Those who overcome the death of loved ones, mostly overcome by serving God more! They reject the whole notion of blaming God; as if He didn't answer their prayers or didn't care about the loss they were going to suffer. Instead, they focused upon the good: where they are now, what affect there dying could have done, and the testimony they are able to give, knowing and showing that God is always good...

"Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I - and I was talking about things I know nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."" (Job 42:1-6 NLT)  

"Comfort and Joy"

 "And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:" (Hebrews 11:36 KJV)

  "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT)

 Seeing that this title might not seem to be the fit for the verse, it is important that we remember that we are servants of Christ. Jesus clearly said, "No servant is greater than his master," so if we go through trials of any kind, we must always remember that our Master took on much more than we ever could! 

 There will be great comfort and joy, whether you believe it or not, if we just focus on the salvation, we have waiting on the other side! We are made for more, the more we pick up our cross and follow Christ; because every trial we are given is an opportunity to shine, letting our faith come alive, as we trust and believe that everything will work for His purposes! 

 The real difference is that His purposes are most important; we can only be a servant, which means that we do not tell the Master what to do; nor do we get discouraged when it doesn't work out the way that we wanted it to happen...

""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 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 12:24-26 NLT)