Tag Archives: God

Opportunity

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Vision from Book of Revelation

Vision from Book of Revelation (Photo credit: cliff1066™)

The current movement of the world toward a one world government, the rise of Islam, the promotion of “good works” driven by secular man and government, the demise of freedom, and the imminent threat of violence against Christians and Jews, can be a frightening concept to watch appear.  But there is a word from the Lord that must be spoken now.

All these things hasten the believer in Christ Jesus into a realm of strength never before seen on the face of the earth.  If you will hold your hope in Christ Jesus you will see your strength increase dramatically.  Do not fear what they fear.  Hold your head high as you see the day approach.

This will be a day of extremes.  One side will see the extreme hatred unleashed against the Lord and all His people.  The other side will see the Holy Spirit as never before give “The Faith” to all the Lord’s people.  This is not the horror for the Lord’s people that it will be for those who are not.  This is a day, coming quickly, when men’s hearts will become hardened in their way.  But it will also be a day when the hearts of God’s people in Jesus will become free to worship in fullness.

This day we are entering will be a singular opportunity to shine like the sun as we hold out the words of life.  Men will torment us.  But they will not break the Spirit’s power within us.  Instead it will fan our Spiritual gifts into a raging fire of steadfast hope.  Many will witness God’s people suffer with joy.  And they will wonder at a people’s religion and faith that can withstand such an onslaught and grow.

Hold the Lord high within your heart!  We are offered a time to gather for Him a marvelous abundance of glory!

May the Lord be blessed by His word among all His people.  And may we render what is His with a glorious joy, which is unknown among the faithless, sinful, godless, and wicked.

Amen

Regret

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Regrets

Regrets (Photo credit: chris.chabot)

There is hope for all who believe Jesus is the Christ of God.   This hope we own varies from one man to another.  Though the Lord would have us all own proper and full hope in our faith, it goes without saying that each of us is limited in our hope by the faith we employ.

There was a man who found himself a hindrance to everyone he touched.  No matter how he tried, he found himself full of trouble for everyone.  And the longer he lived the worse it seemed to become.

Now, there came a day when he had done damage to one soul too many.  The desire to become helpful was replaced by a simple desire to die.  “What good am I accomplishing?”  He said to himself.  “My faith is my life.  But my hope is becoming nothing.  If I cannot do good for my fellow man, what makes me think I will be received in eternity?”  With this in mind the man contrived a solution.  He thought to himself: “Sin is death.  I am not worthy of life.  So I will turn to sin so that I will kill myself.  Worthless is what worthless does.”

While in some respects this is a rather noble idea, but it did not bear the fruit he had hoped.  One day, while the sin was a distance from his mind, the Lord spoke to him.  “You will be completely forgotten.”  The meaning of this was not lost in the man’s mind.  For every word of the Lord brings with it an image of meaning.

At the gathering of God’s people on the day of judgment, this man would be gathered with the rejected.  And those rejected will be completely forgotten.  The man had thought that the Lord would recognize his sacrifice of himself.  He had in mind that the Lord would balance the scales the man could not.  The man understood the message and stopped the path he was on.  He turned toward the Lord again with a renewed effort.

On another day, after the man had turned from the sin of destruction to accept his place according to his ability, the Lord spoke again.  “You sacrifice for the sake of death.  I have sacrificed for the sake of life.  It is enough that you hope in Me.”

Many, so very many, are doing the same thing today.  They hold regret for the things they have done.  They drink themselves to death.  They do drugs until they perish from over dose.  They waste away their lives through self-debasement of every form, hoping that their self-hatred will be noticed by the Lord.  How are any of them any different from the man in this story?

Any sacrifice we make that has to do with the destruction of our lives is a sacrifice toward death.  But the Lord has already sacrificed what is Good.  He has sacrificed toward life.  Let us gather our strength, whatever is left, and turn to look at what He has done.  What have we accomplished if we are, in the end, gathered with the rejected?  We will end up rejected from man and rejected from God.  How pathetic is the end of such men?

He sees what we are and what we are able to do.  Rest in His perfect understanding and strive to trust.  There is no other release from the regret we all hold.  And let us ponder this saying:  “Regret is not in the family of repentance.  It is of a different family.  Repentance belongs to the children of the Lord.  Regret belongs to the children of this world.

Hope Endures

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Hope

Hope (Photo credit: baejaar)

Watching the events of the day unfold, my weak mind is not able to put them all together anymore.  Far to many events.  Far too many directions toward destruction.  It is as if chaos has dawned and is growing in strength.  If I had a white board the size of a house I wouldn’t have room to name the items in play lately.

A storm of lies littered with promises of gold stream from the mouths of liars.  The young flock to anything that is coated with the sugar of “importance”.  The wise speak.  But their voices are drowned out by dazzling messages of “Body over the will of God”.  A putrid stench is wafting through in the evening breeze.  Another step toward destruction, the anti-christ walks toward the promised war with the Lord Jesus.

I would not blame anyone for losing heart in the face of this onslaught.  I find it interesting that my heart remains steadfast in hope.  I cannot speak of these events anymore.  Those who listen to my words are distraught when they encounter the reality of our situation in the world.  And the worry and fear begin to enclose their minds as the words come out.

I wait now for insight from the Lord to create words and actions that portray the hope that lives within me.  As surely as Daniel did not worry as they drug him to the lion’s pit, there is no worry within me at the ugly pictures beginning to appear in the sky and land.

Hope is found in Jesus alone.  It has been so for thousands of years.  And it will not fade as the “horrible” unfolds.  The Spirit of Christ gives life and hope.  The spirit of the world cannot render the same.  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  (1 John 4:18)

Matter

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1 of matter

1 of matter (Photo credit: Arenamontanus)

“Matter”, the scientist said.  What he meant was mass and volume.

“Matter”, the philosopher said.  What he meant was the substrate from which physical existence is derived.

“Matter”, the business man said.  What he meant was anything that promotes profit.

“Matter”, the parent said.  What he meant was “Let’s get real”.

“Matter”, said my heart.  What it meant was that God should prosper because of me.

Do Not Fear Fear

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English: Fear God... Religious text on a metal...

My days have no divider.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow all meld into one.

Pining for what was pleasant is the consuming desire of each moment.

Hope remains, but it is obscured by daily tasks.

Sleep is deep and sweet.

But the day evaporates into obscurity.

Does this indicate that His promise has been breached?

Has my sin caught His Holy eye so that His lovely eyes no longer look upon me?

Did not those who “would never enter His rest” live out the rest of days before His promise came through death?

We are but to believe and be saved.

Yet it is He who provokes that saving belief.

What shall be said when a man finds troubles yet sleeps soundly as one forgiven?

Guilt is not present.

Though fear of repeat is like a cloud of rain on a cold day while I stand naked in the open field.

What was said?

Can you recall?

“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the
body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”  (Luke 12:5)

I do not fear the present turmoil deep within my soul.

It is the slighting of Jesus’ Royalty that captures my attention.

And isn’t this as it should be?