Successful People Know How to Forgive

In Genesis 50 we learn that Joseph was able to forgive his brothers, even after all of the terrible things they had done to him.

Genesis 50:15b-17

“What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

Genesis 50:20-21 goes on to explain Joseph’s reasons for forgiving:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

If you recall, Joseph’s brothers were very jealous of him because he was the favored son of the family and  had thrown him in a well and left him there, then they sold him into slavery for 8 ounces of silver. After this, Joseph was jailed in Egypt,  for something that he didn’t do and spent several years in prison. Even after all that Joseph had gone through because of his brothers, he was still able to forgive them and hold no ill will against them.

(for more background see Genesis 37, 39-41)

What else does the bible say about being able to forgive?

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Forgive, we have to realize that we are all sinners, we still have sin and we still do sin. Thus, we always need to not only be aware of it, but also repent from it and seek forgiveness. This is a must, daily act, not just when we think about it, or wait until we are convicted. We must be willing to seek forgiveness daily from God and others!   **

Matthew 6:13-15 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

We are to forgive others in response to the fact that we have been forgiven. However, the forgiveness we may give to others will never compare to the forgiveness Christ has given us!  **

So, what blocks your seeking forgiveness from Christ and others?

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Luke 6:37
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive , and you will be forgiven.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

To learn how you feel about forgiveness and forgiving others ask yourself the following questions:     **

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1. How do I exhibit forgiveness in my daily life?
2. What can I do to develop a better attitude of forgiveness?
3. What blocks forgiveness from working and being exhibited in me?
4. How can I make forgiveness function better, stronger and faster even in times of uncertainly and stress?

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** Selected commentary and questions taken from Into Thy Word

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The book is entitled simply, “How To Cast Out Demons.” Period. No apologies. No subtitles. It is written by a no-nonsense grandmother, Doris Wagner, the wife of C. Peter Wagner, whose ministry is doing just that – casting out demons and setting people free. And the book is fantastic, straight forward, and to the point.

Seeing that I am presently working on developing a deliverance team for my home church, I had committed myself to read through this book. And since I ride the train to and from work every day for 25 minutes or so each way, I can find no better method to knock off a book in a week or so than to turn my train time into study time. I have found that my book selections often generate curiosity, stares and conversation with various train riders, and I’ve grown accustomed to it to some degree. I will admit, though, that the “in-your-face” title of this particular book led me to feel a bit self-conscious about reading it during my train time, a fact that I’m not proud of. I am by no means shy about my faith, but I couldn’t help but wonder – what would people think when they saw the title?

I discovered just that on this morning as I was waiting for the train and beginning my morning reading. A fellow train rider sat next to me on the bench as I waited for the train, deeply engrossed in what Doris had to say this morning about occult practices and how this led to demonization. I didn’t really notice his stare until he spoke to me.

He said plainly, “You must be a minister.”

I looked up halfway and murmured, “yes,” in a way that indicated I was much more interested in reading than talking. (I know, I know – “be ready in season and out of season.”).

“Hmmm, I figured so,” he said, pulling his own well-worn Bible from a backpack. A believer, I thought. Now my curiosity was aroused.

“How did you know?” I asked.

He pointed to my book. “I figured only a minister would be reading something like that.”

The book. Suddenly I felt self-conscious again, wondering what would come next. I didn’t have to wait long.

“So tell me,” he asked, “What sort of people need deliverance? Drug addicts?”

Straightforward and to the point. Respectful and curious. He now had my full attention. The Teacher rose up in me. He desired information, and he had picked the right tree to get a barrel of apples this morning…

I closed my book and turned to him. “Drug addicts, divorce victims, rape victims, victims of abuse, witches, people with sexual addictions, smokers, violent people, adopted children, emotionally wounded people. the list goes on.”

“So, basically, just about anyone,” he said. “Tell me, can Christians be possessed?”

“Christians can be demonized,” I assured him.

“But how can a person with the spirit of God living inside of them have a demon?” He asked honestly. I saw the sincerity in his eyes, heard the hunger in his voice.

“Excellent question,” I affirmed. I was now in full teaching gear. “You and I are not simple beings; we are tri-fold beings, just like the nature of God. We are body, soul and spirit. Our spirit became born again once we accepted salvation, but the rest of our system, our soul and our body, experience salvation as a process, sanctification and then glorification. As a result, we cannot be possessed by a demonic spirit, but they can still afflict us in our bodies and in our minds, wills, and emotions. We experience demonic oppression as mental strongholds and spiritual bondages. Just like Joshua and the Israelites had to expel the enemy from the promised land that God had given them, we often have to expel demonic forces from our soul and body so that the Lord can have complete control over our systems.”

I was on a role now, talking fast and trying to make my explanations clear, for the train was now coming. A few other train riders were also listening, but trying hard not to look like they were doing so. I now had a class going, and I wanted to get to the end of the brief lesson.

My friend was a fast learner. “So let me get this right, “he said. “We believers can’t be possessed by the devil, but we can be influenced and afflicted in parts of our system.”

I applauded. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I threw in a few more scriptures of support, and then we stepped onto different train cars and parted ways. I wondered several things: Should I have gotten on the car with him and continued the dialogue? Was there more to be shared? Was I effective with what I had shared? Did he have more questions that I could have answered? Even more, did he have a particular need that I could have met?

As I rode on to work, I made myself a couple of promises – I would pay more attention to those who wanted to talk (I could always study later), and I would stay ready to answer. I will always remember the wisdom of 1 Peter 3:15 – “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience.”

Lord, strengthen me to do just that, with gentleness and respect.

 Wicked Ways - End Times

 “…turn from their wicked ways…” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

To living men no time can be as solemn as “the living present,” whatever its characteristics; and that solemnity is immensely deepened in an age of progress unparalleled in the history of the world.  But the question arises whether these days of ours are momentous beyond comparison, by reason of their being in the strictest sense the last?  Is the world’s history about to close?  The sands of its destiny, are they almost run out, and is the crash of all things near at hand?

Earnest thinkers will not allow the wild utterances of alarmists, or the vagaries of prophecy-mongers, to divert them from an inquiry at once so solemn and so reasonable. It is only the infidel who doubts that there is a destined limit to the course of “this present evil world.” That God will one day put forth His power to ensure the triumph of the good, is in some sense a matter of course. The mystery of revelation is not that He will do this, but that He delays to do it. Judged by the public facts around us, He is an indifferent spectator of the unequal struggle between good and evil upon earth. –  Sir Robert Anderson – The Coming Prince – 1841-1918.

Sir Robert Anderson wrote a book titled “The Coming Prince”, a must read for all believers in Christ. He was also the head of Scotland Yard and as such was fully aware of the evil of his time; he witnessed plenty of human depravity during his stint at Scotland Yard. Through his writings it can be seen that he too longed for Jesus’ soon return. Even in his day he knew that the earth was very close to its last day. He died in 1918 which was exactly 30 years before anyone would see Israel become a nation again. God did not allow Anderson to see Israel enter once again into the land He had promised them and become a full fledged sovereign nation.  But just a few years after Anderson’s death a generation would be born that would see Israel re-established in their own land. 

Jesus makes the following statement so everyone reading these scriptures would understand. “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matthew 24:34. Jesus is speaking of future events so the generation that would be witnesses to all the signs that He had just mentioned should be fully aware that all these thing will be fulfilled during the life span of that particular generation.

The disciples Jesus was addressing would not witness all those signs as they were going to occur long after they were gone. Of course, they didn’t know how many years would pass before this prophecy would be fulfilled. After all, they were still living in the land God had given them when Jesus spoke about the events that would unfold just prior to His second coming.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” Matthew 24:15. Jesus had earlier told His disciples that “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. He was speaking of the destruction of the Jewish Temple, but then, after laying out some end times events, He tells them that when they see the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy of Holies they should flee, get out of Dodge so to speak. Clearly the Jewish Temple is standing again, and this time something even more horrible and evil was coming.   

Some of Jesus’ disciples would live to see the temple destroyed and many Israelite people slaughtered and the rest scattered. But not one of them would ever see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel come into view. Why? Because it would not happen for some 2,000 years further on into the future. But those Jews who remain in their self-imposed blindness will see this abomination take place.

The generation of Jews Jesus is speaking about will see the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place (the Holy of Holies) because they will be the last generation remaining just prior to and remaining through the Great Tribulation. The disciples asked Jesus what would be the signs of the last days and Jesus laid it all out for them. Those signs are obvious for us today, but those disciples asking for the signs can be very thankful they didn’t live to see what’s about to come down.

I believe when Jesus spoke of this particular generation He was referring to a full age span. According to national statistics a generation’s age span is approximately 70 years. More importantly according to God’s word we read “The days of our years are threescore years and ten…” Psalm 90:10a. So the generation that saw Israel reborn as a nation in 1948 is currently still with us. Some would be a little older than me. I was born 3 years after Israel became a nation but my sister who was born in 1944 could be considered a part of the generation that witnessed the most prophetic event of the 20^th century. In the 21^st century many of the folks of that generation are still here and will witness the biggest event since God entered His creation and became a man, the man Jesus Christ.

I’m not date setting I’m simply stating what the Bible plainly speaks of happening just before all these things (signs) occur. The 1940’s generation is just about out of here when we consider the average age span nowadays is 70 years. We can all agree that from 1948 to 2018 is a span of 70 years. 2018 is less than 8 years from now.

Could it be possible that 2018 just might be a very significant year prophetically speaking? I’m not referring to the Rapture. I believe in the doctrine of imminence when speaking about the Rapture of Christ’s Church. Therefore, clearly we can see that by all these calculations the Rapture could very well be on the cusp nearness wise.

Nobody can perfectly place a date on when the seven year tribulation period will begin and we don’t really need to. There’s no question that it will have a beginning and it will have an end which believers in Christ will never see. There’s also no question as to how soon it will occur. Why do I make such a blatant and outlandish statement? Because God Almighty told us, in His word, that when we begin to see these things we are to look up for our redemption draws nigh. I just read the news again and guess what? Sure enough, these things are beginning to unfold. 

This commentary may seem to contain recurring themes similar to some of my past writings, but I believe as we draw closer to the end the importance of being observant and knowledgeable concerning prophecy is paramount for all those who are truly following Jesus Christ. Spiritually speaking, we all need to be on our toes. Anderson was convinced the end was near, and so it was. We on the other hand are so close now that the luxury of complacency should have been replaced with the anxiety of the moment. 

Now, here’s why I’ve written this commentary. I see a major problem occurring today among those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. Many of God’s children are enticed with and even enjoying very wicked lifestyles. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14. We should pay close attention to what God tells us.

The end is in sight, therefore shouldn’t we who are called by His name (Christians), be turning from our wicked ways? Let’s think about it for a minute. Have we? This time in which we live is certainly the last of the last days. Everyone who professes to be following the Lord Jesus Christ should be evaluating their lives and looking in the mirror to see who’s looking back. Is Jesus looking back at you and smiling that smile that says “Well done my good and faithful servant”? Or is the world looking back at you and whispering “You’re one of us”.

Wickedness abounds, just look at the news. It seems to me that Christians are somewhat responsible for this wicked and perverse generation. God tells us to turn from our wicked ways. We must pray and seek His face, realizing we are all just sinners. We must humble ourselves before our Great and Holy God. Then and only then will He hear us. The key word here, folks, is humble. Humble ourselves.

God gives us prophecy and as those prophecies are being fulfilled we need to open our eyes to the facts and not be afraid of them. In Daniel 9:2, Daniel was reading the prophecies of Jeremiah and he understood what was happening in God’s timing. He understood that the captivity was about to come to an end. As we read End Time prophecy we need to open our eyes to what is happening.

There are a lot of old time Bible teachers who have been at home with Jesus for a long time now and according to biblical prophecy they were way off base in their teachings. It was not their fault; God has opened up more for us to understand in these last days. Many prophetic scriptures remained hidden to the eyes of past Bible teachers. But now, in these last days, biblical prophecies are laid wide open for all who diligently seek to fully grasp. 

The generation that witnessed the rebirth of the nation of Israel has not yet departed from the scene. The tentative end to that particular generation won’t come about until somewhere around the year 2018 (culminating in a 70 year lifespan). Then, of course, there’s the 7 year tribulation period that will immediately precede Jesus’ return. That tells us that perhaps the beginning of the tribulation week will fall sometime in 2011. Again, I’m not date setting, I’m only postulating a theory based on an exegesis reading of Scripture.

Then again, Jesus said “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:40. So if we think the above End Times scenario could not possibly be correct, then it might be.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

All scripture is from the KJV

God’s Limitless Saving Power!

“Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. Isaiah 51:4-5

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live. Ezekiel 18:32

(Jesus said) When he (a person) looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. (GOD) I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. John 12:45-46

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Psalm 31:16

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, (error) we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light (truth), as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile (everyone else) —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, Romans 10:12

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal 2 Corinthians 4:16-19

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. 1 Peter 4:8-11

Amen!!!

www.nuggetsofwisdom.us

… spread the word

IT IS SO UNIQUE how some spiritual adventures begin, especially the ones you grow from. How was I to know that one dialogue while waiting for a train ride home would result in a Christian vs. Jehovah’s Witness battle that would last for several months? I have never been one to shy away from a Bible discussion or debate, even though my maturing conscience in Christ has often rebuked me for the level of “excitement” I have brought to the task. I envision myself being smooth and calm, reciting scriptures as if they were written on the back of my hand. Instead the dialogue (at least in my case) many times de-evolved into a classic courtroom case between two lawyers, many times with the other side walking away in frustration (I have missed several trains because I refuse to walk away from the JWs).

This guy, however, was my equal in tenacity and stubbornness, if not in Bible knowledge (not that I know so much). Since we rode on the train together towards home and often towards work as well, this treated our fellow train riders to a full 25 minutes of non-stop Bible debate between two “never-say-die” believers of differing ideologies, squaring off with their respective Bibles. The train would often grow quiet as we battled, with some Christians standing nearby and quietly rooting me on, or some nearby JWs listening intently and showing no emotion.

My friend Dennis was no pushover. The moment he found out I was a Christian pastor, he launched into his questions designed to point out the “flaws” in the Christian church’s theology (none of which were new to me.) When I told him I had dealt with many of his group’s Elders and Bible students, he said challengingly, “Well, you’ve got one now.”

I must admit, to my shame, that I relished pridefully in the challenge. The discussions gave me an opportunity to break out my Exhibit A passages that I was sure would cause most JWs to drop to their knees in tearful repentance. Instead, Dennis would deftly counter with his New World Translation’s version of the same passage that would somehow deliver an interpretation that conflicted with my own, or he would share an alternate understanding of the same passage, which would launch us into another 5-minute debate on the validity of his interpretation. We went from battling Bible passages to battling versions, from versions to commentators, from commentators to original manuscripts. A number of times when I thought I had him cornered, I clearly saw the deception that would come over him, preventing him from conceding any point that contradicted his JW perspective. I tried hard not to deny any accurate point made by him, and he did the same at times, but on the major points of the Christian faith, he would not acknowledge any of his flaws or errors.

On my part, I began to research the entire JW history from the 1800s, researching websites, printing reams of documents aned carrying them around in a 3-hole binder, looking for Dennis to try out my latest scriptural logic and historical findings. He would often do the same, faithfully sharing his JW-endorsed support docs to prove his points. Sometimes we slipped into scriptural insults (yes, there can be such a thing.) This went on for months, Monday through Friday. There was no give; we were deadlocked.

I didn’t get a revelation on what I was doing wrong until a woman on the morning train once spoke to both of us, saying pleadingly, “Gentlemen, please!” I didn’t see anger on her face, but embarrassment. She was holding a Christian book. A believer, I thought. She should be on MY side! But the thought came to me quietly: was I on God’s side in this? Wasn’t I doing it right? I remember the passage in the book of Joshua where Joshua, at war with Israel’s enemies, came upon an angel posed in the field with a sword during a battle. Joshua promptly asked, “Are you with our enemies or with us?” The angel answered just as promptly, “Neither one; but I have come for the Lord God of Hosts.” Joshua immediately changed his attitude and asked “what does the Lord God have to say?”

That passage blew me away. The angel was saying, “I am not here to choose sides in your dispute; I am here to fight for whichever side has sided with God. The real question is, which side are YOU on in HIS battle?” That passage tells me that we can be all fired up for a cause and still miss the will of God in our battle. That is what I had done with Dennis; instead of trying to win him over to the kingdom with God’s love and grace, I was trying to beat him into the kingdom with my logic, knowledge, and persuasiveness. I was hardening his heart towards me, guaranteeing that he wouldn’t receive whatever response I gave. I was simply trying to WIN. As a result, my humility was out of the window and my pride was in full gear. Once that happened, the Lord was neither on my side NOR Dennis’, for neither one of us was on his side at that point. Remember the passage: “God resists the proud, but exalts the humble…”

In my zeal to win the lost, I had become the proud; even if my doctrine was correct, my heart was not. I immediately tried to change my tactics with Dennis. Whenever he sees me now, he immediately launches into some aspect of doctrine designed to eventually draw me into a debate. I am now trying to respond respectfully, changing the subject here and there to a more personal or amiable subject, like our families, our jobs, our personal histories. In other words, like Jesus did with the woman at the well, I am now trying to first become his friend. Sometimes I have passed the test, other times that pride element will flare up and take over. I realize now that the real battle, the one that really matters for me, is first won within my own heart.

I don’t know how this “friendship” will go, how long it will last, or what will be the end results. I have learned a lot about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their ways, thinking and deception (For truly they are deceived). But I have also learned much about myself and my own weaknesses in the Lord, and they are many. I understand how far we as believers have to go in maturing our own hearts before we can effectively share the gospel with others. And I now understand more fully the truth in the statement, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Lord God, forgive me for misrepresenting you. I repent of my pridefulness and dependence on myself and my knowledge. Help me to learn how to draw people to you with love and compassion instead of with knowledge and judgement. Help me to die to my own flesh and will so that I can more fully walk in your spirit and love. Amen.

(PS — If you really wish to know and understand the challenge of the Jehovah’s Witness group, read “Crisis of Conscience” by former Jehovah’s Witness Elder Raymond Franz. A very insightful, precise, compassionate book.)

Matthew 18:19-20 — “Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”

My Lord, my God… no one can ever tell me that prayer does not work! Not after what I’ve seen, No, Lord, no. You see, I was working with this faithful group of growing prayer warriors at my church, praying, fellowshipping, interceding and seeking. So much of prayer is an exercise of faith as you pray for your family, your church, your neighborhood, your city and state, the country and for Israel. you don’t see immediate results that you attribute to your voice being heard in the heavenly realm. But every once in a while (for some even faster) an answer comes along that quickens your faith, strengthens your resolve and drives your spirit to pray even harder.

Such was the result of two prayers this past month. We were gathered in the small prayer room just before service, just finishing up morning prayer, when one of the prayer warriors, Shameccah, brought her daughter into the room. It seems she was very burdened over her uncle, who was caught up in drugs and was not attending any church. Indeed, she was in tears.

We were fresh from praying for the coming service for today, and our spirits were warmed and ready. “What is your uncle’s name?” I asked.

“Sam,” she said tearfully.

We gathered ourselves together in a circle and with a few words of focus and instructions, we offered up a “Prayer Bomb” for Sam: everyone praying out loud, bombarding Heaven, calling on the same of Jesus, claiming Sam’s soul for the kingdom, rebuking the spirit of sorcery, binding the hands of the enemy, releasing the angelic hosts of God to do intense warfare for Sam. Five minutes later, we wound down and the prayer ended. The atmosphere of the room was very charged. I turned to the young girl, who was also in the circle. “Now you continue to pray for him this week and expect the best,” I said. Then we left the room to prepare for the service.

The very next Sunday I was standing at the altar, preparing to pray for those who came forth for various reasons. A tall, somber-looking man walked up to receive the call to rededicate his life to the Lord Jesus. By the look of his face and eyes, I could tell that he was living a rough life. As I prepared to pray for him, both the young girl from last week and her mother stood behind this man and caught my attention. Their eyes were glossy with tears and they had smiles on their faces. They pointed to the man and mouthed something to me. “This is Sam,” they whispered. I was absolutely stunned.

It turns out that Sam suddenly decided that he needed to go to church to get right with the Lord. Something was drawing him so strongly and he was so determined to get there that he was in the process of walking to church that morning when someone gave him a ride the rest of the way. When we received the full report, the next night of intercession we were truly ON FIRE.

“Who shall we prayer for next?” we asked eagerly, gathered in our end-of-the-meeting prayer circle. Cynthia, one of the prayer leaders, volunteered her son, Booker. “He hasn’t been to church in ages and I’m always worried about him,” she said. “He truly needs the Lord.” We gathered in our prayer circle, bowed our heads and began to fervently bombard Heaven on Booker’s behalf: binding, claiming, declaring, renouncing, rebuking, thanking. It was ten minutes of intense, faith-filled prayer, fueled by last week’s victory for Sam. At the end of ten minutes we finally ended. You could tell by the look on everyone’s face that we had prayed out of ourselves and into the spirit realm.

I don’t know what I expected – I am careful not to put God in the box of my expectations – but I was expecting something, I don’t know what. After two weeks there was no report, no mysterious visitors dragging themselves in and falling on the altar, and no one mentioned the prayer request.

I received a call from Cynthia on Wednesday, April 26. “Pastor, I just wanted you to know that I just finished talking to my son to see how he was doing,” she said, and I could hear the joy bubbling in her voice. My heart began to pound. “He told me that he has visited two different churches in the past few weeks, looking for a place to fellowship. He wants to get right with God!” I could have screamed, not so much because I was invested in this person’s being drawn to the Lord, but even more so because, once again, I knew, I just KNEW, that his sudden seeking of the Lord was due in large part because we had bombarded Heaven on his behalf. Once again the Lord moved in response to an intense, heartfelt prayer of saints in agreement, just as He had promised.

There is nothing so faith-building, nothing so encouraging, as answered prayer, to see our communication with the God of Heaven followed by His visible, measurable response on the earth, to experience the divine connection between our requests and His responses. Truly, truly, as the Bible has said repeatedly, this is the key to all revivals, conversions, outreaches, ministries, warfares, breakthroughs and blessings. PRAYER WORKS!!

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, I will forgive their sins and heal their land.” 2 Chron. 7:14

A Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there!  May God bless you and give you wisdom and knowledge to bring your children up in His righteousness.

I know the gifts have probably already been bought but just wanted to guide each of you to this book – “52 Things Kids Need From a Dad” Check it out everyone for the men, dads, grandpas, dads to be in your lives!

Guys, remember your children a blessing, a gift from God.  He freely gave you His children because He trusted you to bring them up righteously.  Treat them as gifts and not burdens in your lives.

God Bless and have a great day, dads!

In His Holy Name, Mary Ludolph

The Gulf Oil Spill, which may become the largest man-made disaster in human history, is getting worse, as the news shows it’s now full of methane.

Pictures show things which appear to be out of the Book of Revelation, as the oily mess appears blood-like in color and texture. (It looks close enough to blood, the squeamish should be ready.) With devastation of almost Biblical proportions possible, including worst case scenarios involving billions of barrels , it makes one wonder if this is some kind of judgment.

God is a God of grace and mercy. He loves to pardon sinners who come to Him by faith and repent; He came to this world to seek and save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) He is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Mercy is not getting what we deserve – grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Because of His love, God loves to shower those good things on us.

But, God also is a God of justice. We like it when other people get what they deserve, especially if they wronged us. Well, this latest Gulf Oil Spill is so bad, it’s almost certain to be a disaster of Biblical proportions by the end. This leads some to ask, is America being judged?

Let’s look at that dichotomy for a moment, the love of God as shows in His mercy, and in His divine judgment.

Not a Contradiction

It is certainly not a contradiction – a police officer or judge, for instance, can be very wise and fair, and good at tracking down and punishing criminals to the “full extent of the law,” he or she may “always get the bad guy,” but yet that same officer or judge can be a warm, loving family man who is lenient and merciful with his or her children.

The difference, of course, is the relationship. Oh, that person will provide discipline and correction when needed, but in a merciful, more gentle way because they are his or her children. That person lovingly nurtures them, as the Bible instructs fathers, and will not provoke them to wrath, as fathers are warned not to do. (Eph. 6:4)

God is just like that. He hates sin, and must punish sin, because He can’t allow it into His perfect Heaven. This is how much he loves us, and how His love includes punishing sin. Because, just as a loving judge punishes criminals partly with innocent family members in mind, so, too, does God punish sin so we won’t have to deal with it in Heaven. He keeps sin completely out of it.

There’s another reason Heaven will be so wonderful. It’s because God will wipe away all tears, there will be no suffering, no pain, no sorrow or death. (Rev. 21) Nobody can imagine the wonders that await us, because we are finite humans. Who knows, we might have senses we never felt before, just as the blind will see for the first time.

See, this world was made perfect – there was no decay, no death, no sin. However, when people sinned, they brought that into the world, and it spread like crazy. It was a catastrophe that touched the whole world. God had to judge that sin, but He consistently gives us a chance to repent. Indeed, He will put it off if enough call on Him with repentant hearts. He was willing to spare Sodom from judgment if there were only 10 righteous people in the city. (Gen. 18) And, wicked Nineveh was spared from destruction for 70 years, because they repented. (Jon. 3)

However, even before He judges something or somebody, He lets them realize the natural consequences of that sin, which can be enormous. Indeed, even secular researchers have shown that humans naturally repeat mistakes & don’t learn from disasters.

They don’t always understand that it’s our fallen nature, but it is – we are not perfect because of sin. Sin separates us from God, and it’s only by His grace that He loves us. He never stops loving us, even when we turn away from Him. In fact, as he suffered on the cross, being punished in our place, Jesus – God Himself ion flesh – called out for them to be forgiven. (Luke 23:34)

That part – allowing people to experience the consequences of sin – isn’t always God directly allowing disasters; it’s often just His removing His hand of protection. Because, this entire world is filled with awful things that could happen, but don’t

Divine Judgment or not?

So, did God allow this to happen as a consequence for sin? Is He judging America? Has He removed His hand of protection?

Nobody can claim to know God’s heart for sure, except by what it says in the Bible. It can’t be certain that God has removed His hand of protection from anything. However, we don’t have guidelines that tell us it is possible, and that tell us what to do.

God condemns those which call good evil, and evil good. This has happened quite often in our society, as our culture has so much hatred, greed, corruption, and so on in it. The Bible tells us that in the end times, “the love of many shall wax cold” (Mat. 24:12) It’s true – that deep, unconditional love that we should have for others has been replaced by a shallowness in many cases. We’re so busy with our lives, few people care about others anymore. However, others are supposed to be put ahead of ourselves and our feelings. That means we shouldn’t be offended at every little thing, nor should we be selfishly trying to get everything for ourselves. The “great love chapter” of the Bible, after all, tells us what love really is; among other things, it isn’t hurtful or selfish. It “seeks not its own,’ meaning it doesn’t keep trying to get; it’s all about giving. And, so on. (1 Cor. 13) We have refused to condemn sin.

We need to love all sinners, but sin separates us from God’s perfect love, and needs to be confessed and forsaken. At the same time, we need to love the sinner, and show them compassion and understanding. We need to help them do as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery when he forgave her – “Go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10) And, if we sin, we need to confess and forsake it, because “We have an advocate with God the Father – Jesus Christ the righteous,” (1 John 2:1), who took the punishment for our sins.

Of course, we’ve had problems for centuries, in how we treated other human beings. We refused to show natives, Africans-American/blacks, and other minorities love and compassion. We were, at times, filled with hypocrisy, as individuals, state governments, and as a national government.

Yes, we built a great nation, but we confess that we are not a perfect one. We were still blessed richly, though, despite all of our problems, because we had enough people who insisted on following the Golden Rule with everyone, regardless of who they were – such people were just drowned out by the wicked. Just like today, those who insist on moral decency and common sense are drowned out at times.

The Conclusion:

It’s hard to say if God has removed His hand of protection on us or not. But, we know 2 things for sure about this situation.

1. The Gulf Oil Spill could be a foreshadowing of the prophecy of a third of the seas of the world turning to blood, and a third of the sea life dying (Rev. 8:7-9, which also mentions hail – which the evaporation could cause to look like bits of blood), and then everything in the sea dying (Rev. 16:3-4). Revelation tells us it will partly happen because of a comet or meteor, but the tidal wave caused by a meteor crashing into the sea would definitely cause this to spread a lot more than it is even now. In other words, we could be close to the end times, just based ont his alone.

2. Just as we, and other nations, have in the past called on God in repentance and prayer to forgive and save us, we can do it, too. Second Chronicles 7:14 is a great model for this type of national prayer of repentance, calling on God to forgive us.

Whether or not this is God lifting His hand of protection, we are getting closer and closer to the days prophesied many years ago in the Bible. Life won’t be the same. However, each person alive today has a future.

That future is with Jesus. Jesus is God in flesh – He and His father are one. (John 10;30, etc.) He came to this world because, while He is a God of justice, He is also a God of mercy. That same Jesus who cried out, while being crucified, “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they d,” died for you, and rose from the dead the third day. He took the punishment for each of our sins – mine, yours, everyone’s – because HE DOES NOT WANT YOU TO FACE JUDGMENT. (I normally wouldn’t type in caps like that, but something in my Spirit, which is how God indwells believers, is just thinking about how bad this *could* get, and crying out for people to come to Jesus, so He can lead them through this with the peace that passes understanding!)

He is a God of everlasting mercy, who doesn’t want to see people suffer. Like that policeman or judge in the first example, who doesn’t want his or her children to grow up to become hardened criminals, God knows what awaits those who reject his perfect love and goodness. It’s everlasting destruction from the presence of God. (2 Thess. 1:9)

I don’t know how bad the oil spill will get, but even if it’s not near the end, this is the time to make peace with God, because none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. You don’t have to do anything to make peace with Him, though. You don’t’ have to clean up your act and then come to Jesus – you can’t. It was “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) He gave us a free gift – the gift of life forever with Him. (Rom. 6:23) All we have to do is “call upon the name of the Lord,” and we’ll be saved.(Rom. 10:13) Salvation is “by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)

All you need to do to receive Him, and have Him in your heart to give you peace and to guide you through things and get you to Heaven someday, is to: A. Admit you’re a sinner, just like me, just like everyone, and that this sin keeps you from heaven; B. Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for your sins, took your punishment on the cross,and rose from the dead; and, C. Choose to turn from your sins (repent) and receive Him as your Lord and Savior; invite Him into your heart and life, making you new on the inside.

It’s not about specific words, but you can pray something like this right now to receive Him:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I can’t reach Your perfect Heaven on my own, because my sin separates me from you. I know You died for my sins, though, and rose from the dead. You took my place, You suffered my punishment on the cross. Lord Jesus, I turn from my sin, and I trust You to forgive me. I choose today to become a follower of You, and I invite You into my heart to make me new on the inside, so I can have a relationship with You. I accept You have done all that is needed to get me to Heaven, and I trust You as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

That’s all there is to it. If you prayed that and meant it, you are a child of His now, and nothing can take you away from Him. (Rom. 8:38-9, Eph. 4:30) Tell others all about His wonderful love and grace, in how He has forgiven them, too, and all they must do it turn to Him by faith for forgiveness. He never tells us in His Word to do anything but call on Him.

Find a good Gospel preaching church where the love of God is also shown, as well as the truth of God’s Word being preached. I recommend the “rapture ready” bulletin boards, too, as a good place to fellowship and learn about all the apostasy (false religion) that is out there.

Our nation has lots of problems. It may or may not be under God’s judgment; but soon, the whole world will be. It might still be quite a while from now. But, His return for us has always been imminent; even in the first century, people awaited that blessed hope of His Glorious Appearing.

We can look forward to that, too. The Gulf of Mexico, and life in that area, may be greatly harmed, but Jesus promises that “In this world, you will have tribulation; but, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And, He can help you to overcome, too.

Shining Perspective

When the sink is full of dishes, when the socks are by the door

When there’s pee on the rug, and even more on the floor

God doesn’t change.

When there’s laundry to be done, but the soap’s all gone

When the quarters are few and the toilet paper’s through

God doesn’t change.

When the bills are piling up and you don’t know what to do

When you don’t pass the test and you really need some rest

God doesn’t change.

When you can’t keep up the fight and you’ve lost all your might

When you courageously prevail or when you give up and you fail

God doesn’t change.

When the TV is on, but the picture is gone

When you want to sing a song and you keep doing it wrong

God doesn’t change.

When you’re heart is full of praise but you still need a raise

When you can’t sleep and your heart can barely beat

God doesn’t change.

When you try, when you cry, when you lie and when you die

When you just keep asking: Why? Why? Why?

God doesn’t change.

When you want to throw a fit, when you take a hard hit

When you swing and you miss

God doesn’t change.

When you’re happy, when you’re sad, when you’re glad, when you’re bad

When you think you’re just plain RAD, when you’ve lost all that you had

God doesn’t change.

When your heart is full of pride, when there’s too much pain to hide

When you end up on the wrong side, when you need to be crucified

God doesn’t change.

When you run out of words, when all things seem absurd

When you’re confused and misunderstood, and you’d claim a “do-over” if you could

God doesn’t change.

When life gets too crazy and you’re blind with unbelief

There’s a promise to claim, it’s be given to you and me, I can hear it whispered and it brings me peace

God doesn’t change.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” ~Hebrews 13:8

Ever since the crisis over the flotilla trying to get through Israel’s blockade, tensions have been very high.  It appeared at times recently that there could be peace in the Middle East. However, real peace seems very far away at times, too.

Why is there such violence?

Four thousand years ago, the Bible says God told Abraham he would make him a great nation. (Gen. 12:1-3, Gen. 15, and others) Abraham “ran ahead” of God’s plan, you might say. God planned to bless his son through his wife, Sarah.  Abraham got impatient though, and he and Sarah’s servant, Hagar, produced a son, named Ishmael. (Gen. 16-17) Abraham later had a son through Sarah, though, named Isaac. (Gen. 21-22) When God blessed Abraham’s son, Isaac – the one he had with Sarah – it started 4,000 years of violence in the Middle East.

God said that Ishmael, too, would be a great nation, though, and live in the presence of his brethren. (Gen. 16:10-12) Obviously, as with Abraham, this means founder of a great people. God still blessed Ishmael’s descendants – but He prophesied correctly that they would not accept living in the presence of Isaac’s seed. “His hand wil be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” (Gen. 16:12) God is saying here that He knows there will be violence in that region – and there has been for thousands of years.

The Bible predicts correctly things will get more intense

That long ago writing predicting continued violence is helpful in understanding it, you say. But, it seems like things are getting more and more out of control

Yes, they are. I wrote in this blog about a lot of different prophesies dealing with the end times. But, here are just a few things which show how close we are to something major. Look at the following, which was only a few years ago, and compare it with prophecy:

Here are just a few signs – think about the world a couple years ago versus today

* Turkey was still alligned with the Western Nations, and was friendly to Israel
* Iran and Russia weren’t alligned as allies

Today: Turkey ajnd Israel are very hostile. The Bible predicts various nations which occupy modern Turkey (among others) will war against Irsrael. (Ezek. 38-39) Iran and likely Russia are also among those who attack Israel in this war.

* The U.S. was supporting Israel, selling them arms, standing up to Israel’s enemies, etc.

Today, there is great tension between the two. The Bible predicts in varous places that all nations would turn against Israel in the end times. And, that Jerusalem would be a “cup of trembling” which would crush all who tried to deal with the problem. (Zech. 12:2-3)

* Little to none of the One World Government stuff was being discussed in the open

The Bible tells of one final world empire with a world leader at the head (Daniel 7-11, Rev. 13, 17-18, etc.)

* There was no talk of a One-World Currency – now a lot of the world is calling for it
The Bible predicts a world economy will exist. (Rev. 13, 18)

* The RFID chip was in it’s infancy as far as usage in humans – now there are video ads promoting it

The Bible predicted 2000 years ago that technology would exist to put a mark in everyone’s hand or forehand, and nobody could buy or sell without it. (Reve. 13, etc.) While the RFID chip itself may not be the mark, it could still contain the mark later.

* Most countries in the world were financially sound

This isn’t just about a world government. The Bible clearly states (Rev. 6) that there would be great famine, disease, and other things that kill well over a billion people.

All this is not to mention all the earthquakes, volcanoes, and now the oil spill this year. Yes, there have always been natural disasters, but they are increasing in itnensity.

This is not to set a date or anyting. It is, however, stating that things are getting pretty bad. Bad enough that, even if this current crisis dies down, what Jesus terms birth pangs are increasing, and will continue to intensify. The economies of the world will one day get so bad that a one-world government is formed, and a world ruler will take over that will sign a peace treaty with Israel – a new one or strengthening a current one – for 7 years. Then, in the middle of that 7-year stretch, he will break the covenant, and go to war against Israel. (Daniel 9:26-27)

God warns us so we can escape

You know how you watch an action or horror movie, and if you know what’s going to happen, you want to yell “Get out of there!”? You think it at first, then the action gets a little tenser, you get more scared, and finally, if you’re in the theater, someone might actually blurt it out! Well, God knows how this will all end, too. And, He’s warning us the same way. “Get out of there!”

Only, He will be the one to get those out who have called on Him.

See, He gives people free choice, so we’re not mindless robots. He also knows people, because of their sinfulness, will lead this world to destruction, though. He made people perfect, but mankind chose to bring sin into the world, and it’s been getting worse and worse. That sin was like an infection that brought on all kids of natural disasters. And, it’s what causes all the man-made disasters, wars, and so on. Just like the tensions in the Middle east.

But, sin is a problem we all have. We don’t all go out and war against others, or steal, or really bad sins. However, we all sin, and come short of the glory of God.

Think of how awful that sin is. It’s what causes all the greed, corruption, war, hatred, and such in the world today. It will all, one day, be destroyed. Along with all those who practice it. Including us, unless we heed God’s waring to “Get out of there!”

We have to make a choice. A choice to let God cleanse us from our sin.

See, God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ. Anyone who believes on Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life. (John 3:16) that means they can be sure of it. They won’t perish – they won’t suffer for their sins, because Jesus has already done so. He went to the cross willingly, died for our sins, then rose from the dead, so we could be free from sin.

All anyone has to do is receive His free gift of eternal life. (Rom. 10:13, Eph. 2:8-9, etc.) That is done by simple faith, trusting Jesus to change you on the inside, making you a new creature. (2 Cor. 5:17) We are saved so we can do good works here on Earth, but remember, the only thing we’ll take with us to Heaven are the souls of others. God will make this world new, after the horrible wars and destruction that will be brought about in that final seven-year period.

But before that destructiveness gets too severe, God will not just cry “Get out of there!” (that’s what He calls us to do now, warn others) God will rescue us, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” (1 Cor. 15:51-52, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) as he will come down for us, to rescue us from this world, before His final wrath is poured out on the horrors of sin.

To escape that, you just need to call out to Him to forgive you and save you from your sins, trusting that He bled and died ont he cross for you, then rose from the dead, so you could get to heaven someday.

A Middle East war will come sooner, rather than later. Every prophecy of the Bible has come true, and we can see the signs now. That doesn’t mean it’ll be tomorrow for sure. But, it will come.

Will we be here for it? The Bible doesn’t say for sure.. But, we must be ready, because the Lord will come in an instant. In the meantime, we must bring others to Christ, warning them, in essence, to “Get out of there!” Because true peace in the Middle East won’t come till Jesus reigns over the world. (Rev. 20)

Someone once said, “I wish I could be as good a person as my dog thinks I am.” I had always thought that was merely a cute saying until I became the owner of Rob Roy, my Scottish Border Collie. Now, not only do I wish I were as good as he thinks I am, every once in a while, I secretly wish I could be as good a “person” as my dog is. From watching him each day, I have observed his many good qualities, ones I wish were mine. Perhaps you’ve seen these same qualities in your dog.

One of the first things I noticed about Robbie, as we call him, is that he doesn’t hold a grudge. If I accidentally step on his paw, he’s not still upset with me an hour later. He has that wonderful quality of knowing how to forgive and forget – quickly. What a great trait to have.

And talk about patience? Even if his dinner is late for the third day in a row, he’s willing to sit patiently until I have it ready, no matter how long it might take. And then he receives it with a wag of his tail, as if to say, “Thanks, that’s great.”

Another wonderful quality in my four-legged friend is he can sit quietly and listen to me talk, whether I want to “let off steam” or merely “have a little chat” with him. He doesn’t interrupt me except for an occasional sweet kiss that somehow translates to, “I understand and I love you anyway.”

When we go for our walks, Robbie knows the route very well and walks quite fast. It’s the encouragement I need to pick up the pace when I start to slow down. But should I stop to talk with a friend, he’s always willing to sit and wait until I’m finished. Then with a nice pat to his head or “you’re such a good boy,” we’re soon walking again. Unlike me sometimes, interruptions to his given task don’t deter him, and he takes them all in stride.

Robbie loves people and so do I, but I have a tendency to get wrapped up with “things.” He never sees people as an interruption to his day. He greets everyone with a wag of his tail, and always seems happy to see them. He is a reminder to me that “the most important things in life are not things.”

He awakes each morning with a happy attitude, eager to see what new and exciting adventures his day will bring. Little things, even the toss of his ball, a pat on the head, or fresh, cold water in his bowl, bring happiness to him. He appreciates it all. On those rare days when I wake up on “the wrong side of the bed,” his wagging tail brings a smile to my face, and before I know it, I’m in a happy mood too.

I’ve noticed he needs some of the same things I need each day – physical exercise, rest, nourishing food, and words of love and approval. With them, both Robbie and I are healthy and happy.

I believe he is God’s gift to me, not just to remind me of these lessons, but to bring into my life the companionship, laughter and joy only a pet can bring.

And in spite of the many lessons I learn from Robbie, my God knows I’m not perfect. He was the only One who was perfect. Thankfully, He is the One who really teaches me each day about the most important, significant and meaningful lesson of all – my need for a daily relationship with Him.

Joshua 7: 10

“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?’”

I love this scene. Joshua, like me and a whole lot of other people, immediately assumed he had screwed up big time, since Israel got “routed” out of Ai. I wanted to hear Joshua say, “What the h-e-double-hockey-stick do You think I’m doing down here?! You’re the one who told us to do this when we’ve sinned, for crying out loud. Now You ask me what I’m doing? I don’t think so! I don’t think so…”

But along comes God and says, “What the hey? I’m not mad at you. Why ever would I be mad at you?? Get out of your self-centered depression and self-doubt and self-deprecation, and get out there and show them who’s boss, for My sake already!”

I love it. God is so funny sometimes!

Do you ever feel like that sometimes? I mean, we all make mistakes, and sometimes we can get downright depressed about it. Sometimes we can feel like there’s absolutely no way we can get out of this hole we’re in, and it’s all our own dumb fault. All we can even think of doing is simply lying down flat on our faces and waiting till something good happens again. Cuz there’s no way on earth we’re gonna put ourselves out there again until we know for certain exactly how to do what it is we’re trying to do, if we’re supposed to be doing it in the first place! Do you ever feel like that? Boy, I sure do!

But along comes God – surprise! Yes, there still is a God, even though evidence of Him is mighty lacking right now, it may seem. Just like in Joshua’s case, we did what was right, we followed the rules, we lead the people in the right direction, we were carrying out our destiny. What went wrong? So horribly, terribly wrong? We get down on our knees, even on our faces sometimes, and pray and search our hearts and wait. And wait. And wait. On our faces. For a long time.

Then along comes God. “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? I never told you to get down on your face, did I? I told you to go out and get the enemy! So get out there! But first make sure you have all the right people with you, and they follow my rules to a T.”

“Ok… So You don’t want me on my face?” says Joshua, or me, or you. “That’s right,” says God. “I want you up on your feet! Working for Me!”

“Wow,” I say. That is truly awesome. I messed up in some way, I know I did, but He doesn’t want me grovelling, bowing, scraping, genuflecting, etc. He wants our hearts humble, yes. But in our humility He wants us active! Alive! Standing straight and tall in the work He gives us to do. And He does give us work.

To Joshua He gave the job of clearing out the false gods from among the people of Israel, so they would again be brave in their trust in their One True God.

To us He gives the job of clearing out other false gods, so we can be brave and stand tall in His calling. Right now He is calling some to cast off other time consumers and steep ourselves in the knowledge of His Word, using the Bible in Ninety Days schedule.  For some of us this has meant a clearing of focus, simplifying our days. For others it means adding one thing more, but this one thing so profoundly trumps the others we wonder why we haven’t done it before. Still others find ourselves in a race to get our reading done, yet oddly intrigued by the archaic stories of God’s revelation to His people of who He really is.

As God calls us to get up off our faces and do His work of learning about Him, we prepare for the first step of taking this knowledge out to the parts of the world He sends us into. May we remember those messages He wants us to remember from His Word, precisely, and may we keep false gods away so we may be brave to do the work He gives us to do.

So remember, next time you find yourself wondering what went wrong, don’t simply fall on your face and wait for the answer. Keep working. Keep praying, but keep working at His work, whatever it is for you.

And I’ll be working right beside you.

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
By our love,
Yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land,
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
By our love,
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other, we will work, side by side,
We will work with each other, we will work, side by side,
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity, and save each one’s pride,
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
By our love,
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I hope this little blog has encouraged you a little for Today.

Simply yours,

Patty

Step out on faith and let God

do a “New Thing” in your life!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”         Isaiah 43:18-19a (NIV)

Kairos Moments

As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1,

“to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

“The hour is the God-given moment of destiny not to be shrunk from but seized with decisiveness, the floodtide of opportunity and demand in which the unseen waters of the future surge down to the present.” (Os Guinness, Character Counts **)  Nothing is more critical than to recognize and respond to such a moment.

What Matters is Being Ready

A moment is all the time it takes for God to change things.  Philippians 2:13 (NIV) reminds us: “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

When God presents you with an exciting opportunity do you eagerly step out of your comfort zone and proceed with enthusiasm? Or like many people do you cower in fear and say to God, “Not me Lord, send someone else!” ?  How can God do a new thing today, if we are still hanging on to yesterday’s hurt, pain and disappointment?  We must declare as David did, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24)

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands;                                                   Psalm 31:14-15a (NIV)

Are you positioning yourself for a Kairos moment?

** click here for more information on writer and speaker, Os Guiness

The incredible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to draw attention, as people struggle to find fixes . Warnings of a massive hurricane season, even if they prove to be wrong, make it seem even worse. Pollution now is bad enough that some fear that the whole planet – the oceans, air, land, and everything – is in dire trouble.

There is incredible anger over what this is doing to the environment. While the Earth has the capacity to bounce back in time – sometimes faster than we realize – things may well get worse; and one day will get much worse before they get better.

Thankfully, there is hope. Everyone can rest assured that one day, the world will be new. Here’s why.

The world was once perfect

Yes, this terrible world of man-made and natural disasters once was Paradise. Though mankind has done many horrible things, we see in places like Chernobyl that things are slowly rebounding – even if the rosiest outlooks are untrue.

The world, then, has the ability to recover – but short term results are catastrophic. This is analogous to the problem that changed this world from its perfect paradise into the sin-laden world we have today. As the beautiful Gulf of Mexico is, in many parts, a toxic mess exists – though for now, the Tampa/St. Pete area and some other parts of Florida are still unaffected and can hopefully help take some sting out of the economic calamity), In the same way, mankind’s sin brought all sorts of problems to the world – and brought with it consequences that went far beyond spiritual and eventual physical death that God warned about. All Creation groans because of sin.

Things will get worse before they get better

Sadly, not only the Gulf, but the whole world, will get worse before it gets better. The Bible warns us of that, and promises a way to escape.

That way is by putting your faith in the One who wrote it.

We all live by faith, every day. You live by faith sitting in a chair. You don’t hold tight to the arms, preparing to leap up quickly because you fear that chair will collapse. You rest in it, put your whole weight in it. Fiath is the same, whether we’re talking about chairs or God. And, we have a very sure word of faith – his Bible.

The Bible has over 2500 prophecies in it. All have either come true or will come true – 2000 have already come true. I’ve mentioned a few in other blogs – television and webcams (the world looking on something in Revelation), for instance, or the nations lining up now in the Middle East (Ez. 38), or how Jerusalem shall be a cup of trembling, and a burdensome stone, to all who touch it. (Zech. 12:2-3)

There’s a big one about the oceans, too – a full third of them will become as blood, totally unlivable, toxic, etc.. A third of all marine life will die.

Think what that will do to the rest of the environment. Think of the horrible stench. Think of the damage of a huge sheet of oil is underwater, and a hurricane comes, or…a “star” (meteor) comes crashing into it, a ball of fire. God says such an event will happen in Revelation 8:8-11. With all that oil, it’s eventually possible. Or, it could be something supernatural, too.

The horrible end this present world will come to is spoken of in toher places, too. Isaiah 24 gives a number of illustrations, such as the earth going “to and fro as a drunkard” – much like the many recent big earthquakes.

Thankfully, the worst of the calamity will come after an event known as the Rapture. The Church is never shown on Earth in Revelation 4-18, when all the destructiveness happens, and the world criesout so that a world ruler known as AntiChrist comes on the scene. Instead, the Church is in Heaven, protected, celebrating its redemption. Faith in Israel are brought through the judgments as God’s chosen people, despite the war the AntiChrist tries to wage against them.

You can be one of those who escapes the worst of the problems, by simply accepting that Jesus Christ – God in flesh – died for your sins and rose from the dead, and receiving Him into your hart and life as Savior, turning from your sin and letting Him make you new on the inside. It’s not about what you do for Him. It’s all by simple faith.

Thankfully, one day, all that will be over, and a new Heaven and Earth will appear.

Eventually, God will remake the world

An earthquake of about 11 on the Richter scale willl come at the end of what’s known as the Great Tribulation, and the whole world will miraculously be made new. The lion will lay down with the lamb, and all God’s creatures – including people who receive Christ during the Tribulation – will live together in peace. There will still be sin, because of people’s choices, but the devil and his demonds will not be allowed to tempt people for a thousand years. That Millennium is mentioned numerous times in Revelation 20; it’s a literal thousand years. And, Christ will rule and reign over the whole world.

Then, the devil will be let out a “little season,” and the final battle will end. After that, the whole Heavens will be made new again. (Revelation 21) Everything will be perfect once more.

The first world was destroyed by flood, and next time – the one we are on, that is – it will be by fire. (2 Peter 3:7) But, thankfully, you don’t’ have to be part of that destruction. Things are bad now, but you can be redeemed from that.

Two verses later is one of the many verses that show God’s love toward us – He is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) See, it’s never God’s will that people spend eternity separated from him. He is constantly calling on people to trust in Him. It is they who choose not to, when they reject His free gift.

That free gift is eternal life forever, in God’s perfect heaven, where nobody can imagine the awesome wonders that await us. If you’ve never received it, you can do so right now, just as I said above. If you have, tell everyone, through your words and actions, about Him. Because, He gave us the duty to tell others, as part of His longsuffering ways, about His great love and grace and mercy toward sinners such as ourselves. We’re not perfect – we can’t be, because of that human nature that started when man brought sin into the world. But, we can be forgiven, and made new creatures, with Christ living inside us, working in us till the day when we join Him.

What comes to mind when you think about worship? Do you think of a particular place or time, or way to do it?

Two thoughts come to mind when I think about worship. First of all, God’s Word tells us to do it, so I should be obedient, but secondly, I admit I need to do it more than I do.

Worship simply means to bow down, and it always comes from our love, admiration and adoration of our Savior. It’s a personal response of gratitude for all He has done for us. Therefore, we do not have to adhere to a set of rules about when, where or how to do it. We can worship Him by “bowing down” in our hearts, while we’re standing up, sitting down, or on our knees. He hears our worship even when we’re in line at the post office, driving our car, or working around the house. We can worship any time of day or in the middle of the night, when the cares of our day keep us from sleeping.

Since it is so easy to worship, why don’t you and I do it more often?

We all know the benefits of staying physically fit, and scripture tells us spiritual fitness (godliness) has “value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8 NIV). Isn’t this what we want?

I like to take time each day to include worship in my “spiritual fitness program.”

Bowing down is my favorite posture in which to worship. As I do so, I often visualize God on a large thrown-like chair – a living, loving Savior looking tenderly at me, gently inviting me to come to Him. There, as I see those nail pierced feet, I’m reminded once again of the sacrifice He made on my behalf, and just why I love and worship Him.

Have you experienced how difficult it is to worship with sin in your life, how much you enjoy it when your relationship with the Lord is as it should be? One person who is known as a worshipper is King David. Yes, his sins were great, but he humbly confessed His sins, asked for forgiveness and then worshipped the Lord. This is such a great example for us today when we sin.

Many verses in the Bible mention worship. Here are a few of them:

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; He is holy (Psalm 99:5 NIV).

A time is coming and has now come, when the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth; for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks (John 4:23 NIV).

Come, let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God (Psalm 95:6 NIV).

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness (Psalm 29:2 NIV).

With all that He is, with all He has done and wants to do for us, why would we NOT worship Him?

Why would we NOT worship our Creator – the One who knows all about us and planned all our days before there were any of them?

Why would we NOT worship the All-Sufficient One? He has the answers and resources to meet our needs.

Why would we NOT worship the Lord, Our Righteousness? He is the only one who can forgive our sins.

Why would we NOT worship the Lord, My Shepherd? He very tenderly cares for us, guiding and leading us each day.

Why would we NOT worship the Lord, My Peace? I can cast all my cares on Him for He calms the storms in my life.

And why would we NOT worship the Lord of Lord and King of Kings? Above Him there is no one higher.

He’s all knowing, all powerful, everywhere at once. He will rule and reign forever.

With such a Savior, I can’t think of any reason NOT to worship Him, can you?