Mark 1:14b-20 (NIV)   “The Calling of the First Disciples”

Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.  When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

What does it mean to follow Jesus today?

Are you following Jesus? How?

Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Taking into consideration the previous quote by John Wesley, is being a follower of Christ an obligation or an opportunity?

Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook explains our followship of Christ in this way, in her book,  Live Like You’re  Blessed,

“God wants us to love and trust Him despite our lack of understanding.  This is the definition of true devotion.  (Our) devotion to God requires steadfast love and loyalty to Him.”

God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,

you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word,

you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through

Death Valley,

I’m not afraid

when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook

makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner

right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head;

my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me

every day of my life.

I’m back home in the house of God

for the rest of my life.

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? (Jesus is Lord) And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.  Psalm 18:30-32 

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Colossians 1:27 

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he (Jesus) appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (face to face) Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  1 John 3:2-4 

(Paul writes) Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, (believers) that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.  2 Timothy 2:10 

AMEN!!!

This is the Hubble Space Telescope image of the inner region of Abell 1689, an immense cluster of galaxies located 2.2 billion light-years away.

Credit: NASA, ESA, E. Jullo (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), P. Natarajan (Yale University), and J.-P. Kneib (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS, France)

Unrequited love sucks, what you are going through sucks no doubt, true love hurts. don’t belittle it by saying He/she didn’t deserve your love, Love cannot be deserved or earned, then it is just a reward.

There are 2 versions of pure love I see most. Most (sad that I had to put most there) parents Love our children that way, they do nothing to deserve it and couldn’t do anything to loose it, even the days they say “I hate you” we love them.

God’s Love is this way, we are an unfaithful cheating people when it comes to God, yet He loves us without merit. The funny thing is there is This love we look for, this hole in our hearts we long to fill, so we fill it with drugs, sex, money, other people, all these things we think will make us happy, and they all fall short. Even the perfect human relationship where the marriage is maintained and lasts a lifetime, one will pass first and then, if they were your world, where do you stand? Life sucks, love is full of heartbreaks…. But there is more… There is Hope for us all… and He Just stands there waiting for us to realize it

Just thinking….earlier in the year we had 2 foster babies 1 was 3 weeks old and the other 3 yrs. after 2 months They ended up leaving our house and going home where I know the abuse and neglect is still going on…I didn’t want anything else to do with foster care for a while, because it broke my heart Bad, like mid driving, I would pull over and weep bad … But I realized if the fear of getting my heart broke kept me from loving ….that’s the stupidest, most selfish reason ever….

So insert corny country song here “do it anyway”. In conversation with a friend who doesn’t believe what I believe, yet agrees with the way I live my life, he was worried a mission team had an agenda to convert through serving/loving. My response..

“Sure I love to see people come to faith/grow in faith, but if that was the primary purpose behind my actions, then I’d be sorely disappointed. I Just say Love/serve without rules or agenda, of coarse easier said than done.”

So can we love without being Loved back? even being hated back? can we serve never to see fruits or change in peoples attitudes?

Are You Living Beyond Your Means?

The American spending habit mentality of living beyond your means has created more people deep in debt than are actually out of it.  What does this mean exactly?  And are you one of them?  Do you need to learn how to manage money a little better?

Living beyond your means implies that you are spending more than you should be, and more than you can actually afford to pay out every month. You are spending more than you make.  This is quite a big problem and a main reason why you may now need help with debt problems.  If you look at your own situation and see there is a possibility that you are creating a big pile of excessive credit card debt, here are three indicators that your suspicions are true.

1.  You Have Multiple Credit Cards

If you do everything with your credit cards from shopping to gas to business attire to pet supplies and fast foo and not paying it off in full each month, then you are spending beyond your means. If you have more than two credit cards that you actually use every week, that is another sign that you are spending more than you should. If possible, adopt a rule that if you cannot pay for it with cash then you cannot have it. Or, start using your ATM/DEBIT card with a Visa or MasterCard logo a bit more often.  The ugly flip side to these are the transaction fees, so be careful.

2.  You Buy Everything You Want

If you buy everything you want, you are probably living beyond your means. Why? Because you may not have considered that those who are not really wealthy still get most of every single thing that they want.   To the contrary, wanting things keeps us working hard; being patient builds character and teaches your children by example and experience.

Let yourself want a little. Sure you can get those sneakers on sale if you want to, but why charge it now when you get paid in two days? You do not have to impulse buy everything.

3.  You Have No Budget Whatsoever

You need a formal written budget.   This spending plan is your conscience that screams ‘wait!’ when you purchase something that you will need the cash for later.  This impulse spending may give you some short term satisfaction, but in the long run your financial, emotional, spiritual, and physical well being greatly suffers.

There you go:  three tell tale signs that you might be living beyond your means.

What is the solution?  Learn about budgeting money by curbing your desire for instant gratification, spend less than you make, save money, get out of debt, and live financially free.  A mouthful, I know.  Yet, a mouthful worth savoring, digesting, and acting on.

To further your understanding, check out these articles on YahooFinance.com and Mint.com.

The better promises on which the better covenant has been established are:-

1. A better High Priest

Becoming a merciful and faithful High Priest and a better Mediator, is the work that Christ came to perform in order to fulfill God’s purpose. Being the High Priest of God was the office he held before partaking of flesh and blood. He temporarily relinquished that office and became the Son of Man so that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

We hold fast to our confession it is because, we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens,  One who can sympathize with our weaknesses because he was in all points tempted  as we are being tempted, yet without sin. It is because of the everlasting position which Christ holds as High Priest, and the offering he as High Priest is appointed to offer like all other high priests, that we can come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Therefore the work of Christ did not end at the cross, it created in him one new man from both Jews and Gentiles thus making peace, so that he might reconcile them both to God in one body. The cross opened the door, rend the veil, gave man direct access to the Father; but the hope of drawing near is the official responsibility of the High Priest, and since Jesus Christ continues for ever, he has an unchangeable priesthood, and therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he ever lives to make intercession for them.

The once and for all signifies that once and for all we have a High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us, and once and for all there is an offering which can present the worshiper perfect, blameless, and irreproachable in the sight of God.

The office of High Priest is the office Jesus Christ held with the Father before he temporarily relinquished it, and assumed his position as the Son of Man. After the completion of his preparatory work on earth, he prayed to the Father saying: “I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was” (John 17:4-5).

That glory Jesus Christ had with the Father before the beginning of the world is that of being Priest of the Most High. For God himself testifies of Christ saying; “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:17).

Now according to the scriptures; “…This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “King of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:1-3).

2. The Greatness of Christ’s sacrifice

Inasmuch as God testifies that Jesus Christ is forever priest according to the order of Melchizedek, and remains a priest continually, the offering offered to God by Melchizedek should also be perpetual. This is made evident and supported by scriptures which states that; “…Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High, and he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hands” (Genesis 14:18-20).

When Moses was about to make the tabernacle he was divinely instructed saying; “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Hebrews 8:5). Although they were serving the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, the offering which they offered to God, and regarded by the Lord as “My offering, my food for my offerings”, were symbolic to the bread and wine offered by Melchizedek.

The offering they offered comprised of, a Lamb which represented Jesus Christ as the High priest, its grain offering a mixture of fine flour mixed with pressed olive oil as the bread, and wine as its drink offering.

In instituting the new Covenant Jesus took bread blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”  Then he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26: 26-28). This new covenant became in force only after the death of Christ, for it is written; “For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator, for a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives” (Hebrews 9:16-17).

According to the scriptures, “Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, therefore it is necessary (indispensable) that this One also may have something to offer” (Hebrews 8:3). He entered the most Holy place not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason he is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgression under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:13-15).

Christ’s flesh and blood represented by the bread and wine is the offering which Melchizedek the priest of the Most High God offers to the Father continually on behalf of the sins of the people, and this is the better hope we have by which we draw near.

3. A Better Tabernacle

Jesus Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, for Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

Today, “We have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).

//

Did you ever consider that Jesus was bullied? Oh, yes, the Pharisees and Saducees – religious leaders of His day – couldn’t stand Him. This was really tough because he was, is, and always will be God. (John 1:1, 14; 10:30; etc.)

Jesus told Peter he could call down 10,000 angels to destroy the world when he was taken away to be crucified. But, He didn’t. Why not? Well, obvioulsy, He came to die for our sins, be buried, and rise again the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, etc.) His death was a punishment for our sins – He took that for each one of us. (1 Cor. 5:21)But, there’s another, special reason.

that reason is that He loves us. The recent incident at Rutgers, along with the deaths of various high school students, show there is a terrible problem.

Excellent resources for dealing with bullying, both in stopping the bullies and heling victims, have been found, such as this handy list of ways to cope. There is one other thing to consider before things get that bad, for those who are victims of bullying.

Students bully others for different reasons, as is noted in the last link above. However, one thing that everyone needs is to hear and see unconditional love.

First, for victims, you are loved no matter what by God. However, unless you trust Him forgive you for your sins, as mentioned above, you can’t have a relationship with Him. That is because yall of us have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The wages of sin – what we earn because of our sin – is death, separation from God’s perfect love forever in a horrible place of suffereing. But, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) That gift is received by faith alone, in Christ alone and what He did for us on the cross. (Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-9)

One you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, invite Him into your heart, and you will be made a new creature on the inside. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Jesus Christ will come to live in you and work in your heart to make you mroe like Him.

Then, He will help you through everything. He promises “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) the Gospel of John is a great place to start out reading and learning more about Him.

In the meantime, He can also help you to have peace when others are mean. He has been through everything similar to what we face today. he didn’t have video games, but he had games, for instance.

You can have peace, then, that He will see you through. He can see anyone through anyone. He will also give you courage to say “I love you in Christ” to those who dislike you.

That is important, because you will then have the Lord in you, and He can help you help them to change, bit by bit, simply by showing Christ’s love for them. And, by using the power of prayer to change things.

Bullies must realize that there is unconditional love for them out there. They dont’ have to put others down to be special to God, becuase He is grieved any time someone feels hated. The bullies must break the bad habits early by learning to gather things like the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, etc..

See, wanting power and control over someone is wrong. it’s what the devil does. And, when we try to control others for selfish purposes, we are letting the devil control us.

Instead, we need to realize the freedom being in Christ gives us. God’s Word, the Bible, promises “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

This, by the way, is also excellent advice from someone in a relationship (marriage, boyfriend/girlfriend/whatever) where they are being bullied. God has given you the power to end that controlling nature of the devil. When the Bible speaks of Jesus “leading captivity captive,” it isn’t just talking about letting captives free who are prisoners for crimes. Many times, we imprison ourselves or allow others to imprison us. But, Jesus holds the key to escape.

The key to escape is *not* by leaving this world, though it will be when God calls us home someday. The key to escape is a spiritual one. it involves being free from being bullied or from being a bully. instead, God let’s us learn to form relationships based on mutual love adn trust.

The first key is to draw close to others, ask the Lord to help you and your family become closer to each other express your feelings more through words. If you can’t with them, find friends who are willing to listne. But first, if you are a bully, you must trust the Lord to help you do this.

It might be hard, if people have let you down so much. But, all it takes is one little smiden of faith. And, that starts by realizing that God is not a man, that He should lie. God is the one who made this world and everything, including you. He loves you.

However, thousands of years ago, sin was brought into the world through disobedience. People followed the devil and his ways of controlling, and lusting after the flesh.

God will one day punish all sin, and it will be thrown in a lake of fire to burn forever. perhaps you would like to see others there, becuase people have been mean to you. But, remember, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We’re not perfect. If we don’t form that perfect, unconditional loving relationship with God, we will die in our sins and go to that horrible place where sin will be punished.

God loved each of us, though – He doesn’t want you to go there. he is pleading with all who red to turn to Him before it is too late.All it takes is a single, sincere prayer of repentence int he Lord Jesus. Just talk to God, and: Admit you’re a sinner, that you fall short of His perfect love. Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for your sins and rose fromt he dead; He took your punishment becuase you can’t get to Heaven on your own. And, Choose to repent and receive Him as your Savior, inviting Him into your heart to save you from your sins and forgive you, and to make you new ont he inside.

And, please, go out and share that Godly love with others, showing them a change. Becuase, when people see changed lives, they will believe there is a difference. That will be having a positive impact,a nd taking control by letting God use you in positive way. You will be spreading true, unconditinoal love around.

And, this world needs so much mroe love. Not just shallow, physical love, but deep, intimate, personal love. he can help you have that, if you only trust Him.

Christ died for us

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, (not able to save ourselves) Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified (made right with God) by his blood, (death on the cross) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Romans 5:6-10 

AMEN!!!

I want to thank John Elefante for his wonderful lyrics. He is an inspiration to me! 

… be blessed   http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1418945966&ref=search

http://www.johnelefante.com

Please click on this link and join my official Nuggets of Wisdom page:

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Key to Happiness #13 – Being Passionate About Your Work

We all know what it feels like to work for a paycheck just to make a living.  I’ve been there a few times in my life.  Have you?  If you’re honest, you probably have too.  When you add the normal pressures and stresses of life, a seemingly meaningless job can make your existence a living hell.  You wake up on Monday morning and you wish it was Friday afternoon.  Especially now in this tough economy, there are lots of very talented and accomplished people who have been laid off and now are taking lesser jobs just to pay the bills.

I remember when I was growing up in Austria.  I was not quite 15 years old and, like all kids my age, I was faced with a huge life decision – should I go to the university or go into an apprenticeship to learn a profession?  At that time, about 70% of kids my age chose an apprenticeship and about 30% went to the university.

Think about that – it’s hard enough to figure out what to do with your life in your twenties –so imagine how hard it is when you’re just 15 years of age!  Well, since my mom had owned restaurants since I was just a tot and I had grown up helping in the kitchen, I thought an apprenticeship in that industry was the way to go.  I spent 4 years in an apprenticeship (free labor to a local proprietor if the truth be told) and several more years working on a cruise ship practicing my profession.  I was pretty good at it.  Then, one day it hit me – I have absolutely no passion for preparing, delivering or managing food in any way, shape or form!  The thought of dedicating the rest of my life to this industry is beyond depressing.

 I was lost for a few years trying a variety of jobs.   It wasn’t until after I’d been in America for a couple years that I finally discovered a true passion – advertising.  I stumbled into it really, just setting appointments for a little coupon company in the beginning, but I quickly realized I had an affinity to the whole world of advertising and marketing.  I had always been a great observer of people and so I had good instincts about what would, and would not get their attention.  I loved the creativity.  25 years later, I am still fascinated with the art of it and I feel blessed to have found something I enjoy so much.

America, the land of opportunity.

Unless you’ve lived in another country, you can’t really appreciate what we have here in the good ole U.S. of A.  There is so much opportunity here…even now in this tough economy!  In Austria as a child the word was that in America the streets were lined with gold and all you have to do is pick it up.  Anyone with a dream can make it there!  It takes a little bit of imagination, a little faith and a lot of work…that’s all.  Well, this is actually true!  My mom was a determined go-getter opening and running a restaurant while raising three kids, so I had a good role model for setting goals and working towards them.  After 25 years in the states, the problem I notice with most Americans is that they never heard the part about planning and actually working towards their goals… but that’s another lesson.

We’re meant to work. 

Here is what the Bible has to say about your responsibility to work:

Genesis 2:15
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

Reevaluating your work:

The first thing we need to do is evaluate what we do for a living and asking ourselves, why do we do what we do?  What kind of work would we do if we had all the money in the world?  These are not easy questions, and the answers are not necessarily obvious, however, we need to find the answer.

Satisfaction from work:

If we truly are working within the gifts that God has given each of us, there will be a tremendous satisfaction that comes from that.  You also will find that since you’re excited about it, you’re also interested in learning everything there is to know about that work, which will show in your performance.  Because of this, there is also a higher likelihood that you will get promoted.

Dealing with life’s passions:

At one point or another, we all have dreams of becoming a professional sports star, a rock star or a famous actor, etc.  I know several friends who have amazing gifts in acting, singing, art and sports.  At the same time, being able to make a living in these industries can be extremely difficult.  Only a very small percentage of people actually make a living at these professions. 

So, what do we do with those Gifts?  One thing we should look at is our motivation.  What is our goal?  Is it to become famous or be someone great?  Do we have selfish reasons or do we want to use those gifts to be a blessing to others?  Do we ask God…”Lord how would you want me to use those gifts you have blessed me with?”  Your happiness will depend on how you answer this question.

 Even if you’re not able to make a living, your gifts and passions should provide a great deal of fulfillment and happiness.

Making a transition to find more fulfilling work.

Transitioning out of a job and especially a career will not be an easy move to make.  The first thing I would recommend is praying about it.  God wants you to find the work and interests He has created you for more than you do!  Talk to Him.  He wants to guide you!

Here is what the Bible has to say about seeking wisdom:

Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalm 37:5
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 

Proverbs 3:5-10
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Ecclesiastes 3:13
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I wish I could say that I have always taken my own advice here.  Honestly, however, I have not and it has cost me dearly the times when I haven’t.  Ask your Father in heaven to show you the interests and giftings – that is step one.  The succeeding steps have to do with the timing and partnerships that may be required.  God might begin to unfold your dream and show you a new career, but the timing might not be right.  He might want to teach you something else by making you wait as He prepares you.  Just remember that His plans for you are good and rich with the promise that He wants to see you happy and fulfilled.  Seeking His will can save you a lot of wasted time and a lot of pain.  For step by step direction on how to find work that is fulfilling, follow the exercise below.

Keys to happiness exercise:

• Ask God for help and direction (ask Jesus into your life if you have not done so already…  He’s your guide, your helper and your key to happiness).
• Set some time aside to think about why you do what you do.
• Think about your true passions and how you could possibly make a living.
• Make a plan, set some goals, and work toward that goal each and every day.
• Keep working on those Gifts.
• Continue to seek God’s will.
• Never give up on your dream

Other great success resources on this subject check out:

Here is a great article by Sharon Teitelbaum titled “Being passionate about your work”
Another great article by Janine Milne titled “Learning to be passionate about your work”

Previous Happiness Lessons:

How to find Happiness – 15 Lesson Series – Overview

How to find Happiness – Introduction

How to find Happiness – Key #1 – A relationship with God

How to find Happiness – Key #2 – Being thankful

How to find Happiness - Key #3 – Forgive yourself

How to find Happiness - Key #4 – Learning How to forgive others

How to find Happiness - Key #5 – Living in the present

How to find Happiness - Key #6 – Overcoming fear

How to find Happiness - Key #7 – Giving of your money

How to find Happiness - Key #8 – Giving of your time

How to find Happiness - Key #9 – Putting God first

How to find Happiness - Key #10 – Setting Goals

How to find Happiness – Key #11 – Making Friends and Meeting New People

How to find Happiness – Key #12 – MaStaying Active

May you find happiness by finding fulfilling work.  We hope these tips help you get started.

Check in next week for another key to happiness.  Get notified via e-mail here.

What an awesome God we serve.

Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.  He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.  Psalm 111:2-4 

For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?  Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?  In the council of the holy ones (angels) God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?  You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. Psalm 89:6-8 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.   Jeremiah 29:11-13 

What an awesome God we serve!

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The tallest pillar is about about 4 light-years long from base to tip. It’s located in a nearby star-forming region 6,500 light-years away. (light travels at 186,282 miles per SECOND)

Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University)

Recently a brother in Christ and I went to a football game. On the way home, we began to discuss the view of the Bible that we have heard from unbelievers. We have both heard many times from unbelievers that the Word of God is full of contradictions and half truths. As we discussed the writings, we had an idea -

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God’s love for us

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6   

(Jesus said) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:28-29  

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, (Jesus is the Truth) and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.  Jude 1:20-21 

AMEN!!!

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6. Believe that Jesus Christ is our High Priest

The believer believes that the reason why Jesus Christ had to be made like his brethren in every way was in order that he might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. He is the mediator of the New Covenant by which we can now draw near to God.

And because he lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. For it is fitting that we should have such a High Priest, one who is holy, blameless, pure, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priest men who are weak; but the oath which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect for ever” (Hebrews 7:11-17; 21-28).

Worshiping God and ascribing to him the glory due to his name is the primary objective of our calling for thus it is written; “Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him. You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The spiritual sacrifice one offers through Jesus Christ and is acceptable to God is the sacrificial body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is the only perfect offering that satisfies the will of the Father. Because when Jesus Christ came into the world he said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about me in the scroll; I have come to do your will, O God, he sets aside the first to establish the second, and by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”.

A believer believes that Jesus Christ is our High Priest and he is officiating in the true Tabernacle in heaven, and as every high priest chosen from among men, he is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. It is stated quite explicitly, “For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer” (Heb.5:1; 8:3). The gift and offering for sin which he offers to the Father on behalf of our sins is his sacrificial body and blood.

The food for the Lord’s offerings which is offered by the High Priest is known as the burnt offering. It is a combination of a lamb a year old which in reality is Jesus Christ the Lamb of God now in the capacity as High Priest, with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with pressed olive oil, in reality the body of Christ in the form of unleavened bread, and its drink offering, wine, in reality the blood of Christ.

God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ

There are many who may express belief in Jesus Christ, and no one can doubt their sincerity, but there may be the possibility that these people who truly believe in the person of Jesus Christ may not necessarily believe his mission, and his message.

Believing in Jesus Christ is more profound than simply believing in the person of Christ, he came to perform a particular work, in order to fulfill a particular purpose, and his coming to earth in the form of a man, offering his flesh to eat and his blood to drink, suffering, dying and paying the price for man’s sins, resurrecting from the dead and giving humanity a new life in the spirit, ascending to heaven and now seated at the right hand of the Father are all part and parcel of the preparatory work necessary to accomplish the real work itself, which can fulfill the infallible purpose which God had in Christ for man.

The reason why Jesus Christ went through all these things is to prepare and establish the way by which God’s work and his eternal and infallible purpose in him could be fulfilled. So infallible and eternal is that purpose, God established it by two (2) immutable (unchangeable) things.

1. It is impossible for God to lie

God who cannot lie choose us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he has made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

It is said that; “God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken and will he not make it good (Numbers 23:19)?

2. By an Oath

It is said that, “Man indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath” (Hebrews 6:16-17).

This oath is the oath which God testifies saying; “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:17).

The reason why Jesus Christ was sworn as priest, it is not to do away with God’s eternal purpose, but rather the way by which God’s eternal purpose can be fulfilled through Jesus Christ, and therefore we are told that, “…On the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and un-profitableness, for the law made nothing perfect (complete); on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God.’

The oath confirmed or guaranteed the immutability and greatness of the new High Priest. “For inasmuch as he was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath but he with an oath by him who said to him; The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek), by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:18-22).

The new and better covenant which Jesus Christ has become a guarantee to is the new covenant of his blood which gives us the boldness to enter the holiest of all, the new and living way which he has consecrated for us through his flesh, and being the High Priest over the house of God.

Jesus Christ officiating as our merciful and faithful High Priest is the work he came to accomplish, and the hope of drawing near to God and have fellowship with him, to share in his glory is the infallible purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus for our glory. “This is the hope we have as an anchor for the soul which is both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”(Hebrews 7:18-22).

This is God’s eternal purpose which he accomplished in Jesus Christ, granting us boldness and access with confidence through faith in him. For it is written, “…Now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he is also Mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).

The better covenant is undoubtedly the cup of the new covenant, because Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22: 20). This new covenant is better because it accomplished what the old covenant could not accomplish.

For it is written; “…The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience – concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.’ For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.’

“For then would they have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purged, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year, for it is not possible that he blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 9:8-10; Hebrews 10: 1-4).

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In the first study of Ezekiel, we looked at who Gog is, what nations will be under his military control, and how and when they will attack. This next part is a study of the actual battle that is to take place.  Text is taken from the NIV translation of the Bible.

⁹ You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

Gog’s army will be like a cloud covering the land.  Imagine a dry dusty road that you drive down and picture the dust cloud behind your vehicle.  Now, picture an army of nations driving their vehicles and war machines.  There will be so many army movements that a cloud of dust will cover the land.  The imagery may also point to massive air forces.

¹⁰ ” ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. ¹¹ You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars

Gog will plan this attack. It will not be a spur of the moment type attack.  It’s possible that it may be a retaliatory or a preemptive strike against Israel. In either case it will be premeditated.  We also learn that Israel will be a land of security and peace.  Israel will not be suspecting an attack from anyone, which leads me to believe that it will come after the peace treaty is signed with the Arab nations, facilitated by Antichrist.

¹² I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.” ¹³ Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages ^[d] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?” ‘

The attack will come at a time when Israel is resettled, rebuilt, and wealthy.  If you look at the map of Israel, the city in the center of the land is Jerusalem.  In verse 13 it would appear that Gog has come to pillage and plunder the wealth of Jerusalem.  Perhaps this is the reason for the attack: Greed.

The physical location of Sheba is disputed, however modern evidence points towards Yeman in Southern Arabia (wiki). Dardan is now known as a city of Arabia, modern Al-’Ula (wiki). Tarshish is the name of a village in Lebanon. The village is located in the Baabda Kadaa at an elevation of 1400m and is 50 km away from Beirut.  It is also a province of Jerusalem. It’s interesting to not that even the Arabs are threatened by Gog (Dedan and Sheba both located in Saudi Arabia), however in Genesis 15:18, God makes a covenant with Abraham that God will give him the lands between the river in Egypt (the Nile river) and the Euphrates.

¹⁴ “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? ¹⁵ You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. ¹⁶ You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

The attack will come from the far North.  Where is a good question, and I have no good answer to that, other than to wait and see.  We can only watch and be ready.  The army will largely be mechanized and machinery, and will be a massive horde. In verse 16 we see God’s purpose.  God has allowed this massive attack on Israel so that He will in the end be glorified through the battle, and so that Gog will understand the power and glory that is God.  This is how God operates, by the way, if you do not know.  Everything that has happened and will happen, does so according to God’s thoughts - Isaiah 14:24: The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand’; and it does so for the Glory of God.

¹⁷ ” ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.

God tells Gog that this is not news. God’s prophets have been prophesying against Gog for a long time.

¹⁸ This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. ¹⁹ In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. ²⁰ The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.²¹ I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. ²² I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. ²³ And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

Verses 19-23 depict God’s retaliation to Gog’s attack.  It begins with a massive earthquake, so great that everything will be affected, even the birds and fish.  Mountains and cliffs will be flattened.  People will be terrified and there will be mass confusion and terror.  The armies of Gog will be so terrified that they will turn on each other. Gog’s army will suffer plagues and massive loss of life.   There will be torrents of rain and hailstone and burning sulfur, which could be in the form of a volcanic eruption. There are scientific reports of burning embers being in-cased in ice during volcanic eruptions from the blast shooting embers high into the atmosphere, giving one the impression of hail and fire falling from the sky, and many time massive earthquakes are contributed to volcanic eruptions.  The acidic plume of smoke that will cover the area is also known to cause skin sores, boils, and even death. Strangely enough, the nearest active volcanos are located around Madagascar, and South America.

As always, I would remind you that no one knows the hour nor the day. We can only watch and prepare.

God, open our eyes so that we may see the truth, and grant us wisdom to understand.  Amen.

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6

Thank you Jesus!!!

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, R. O’Connell (University of Virginia), F. Paresce (National Institute for Astrophysics, Bologna, Italy), E. Young (Universities Space Research Association/Ames Research Center), the WFC3 Science Oversight Committee, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

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I write a blog that studies the relation between current events and prophetic scripture.  With rumors of war (or peace)  in the Middle East becoming increasingly alarming,  a study of the War of Gog is prudent I believe.  The following is the first of two parts:

In the Vision concerning Gog, God reveals the the prophet Ezekiel that in the ‘latter-days’ Isreal will be invaded by a massive army lead by Gog, or the ‘chief prince’ of the next modern day Persia.  In the vision, it appears that the attack has already taken place, Isreal is occupied, and God is telling Gog that God’s will has been set against Gog, and He is going to pull them out of Isreal.  Ezekiel Chapter 39 gives account of the actual battle, and will be discussed in a later study.

Ezekiel 38 1-3 ¹ The word of the LORD came to me: ² “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him ³ and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal

Who exactly is Gog, this mighty king who will attack Israel with a mighty army in the ‘latter days’?  Gog is first mentioned in I Chronicles 5:4 as a descendant of Joel, son of Shemaiah.  We know that Gog is also the ‘chief prince’ of Meshech and Tubal.  Meshech and Tubal describe the people of ancient Anatolia which now is modern day Turkey.

The word given for ‘chief prince’ is ro’sh or ‘head’ and is used as an adjective (chief) in the passage. Some however relate the word ‘ro’sh’ as a reference to a country known as Rashu (or Reshu) which was an ancient land along the Tigris river.  Other’s have identified ro’sh as a people known as the Rus who lived in the region of the Taurus Mountains in present-day Turkey.  The reference to Russia comes only through resemblance in spelling or sound.

In verses 1-3 of Ezekiel’s vision, God reveals that he is against Gog.

^{Ezekiel 38:4-7 4} I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. ⁵ Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, ⁶ also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.⁷ ” ‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them.

Here in verse 4, God tells Gog that he is going to turn him around as a horse is lead with a bit in it’s mouth and pull him out of Isreal.

The Ally’s of Gog:

• PUT - Phut or Put (Hebrew: פוט pûṭ; Septuagint Greek Φουδ Phoud) is the third son of Ham (one of the sons of Noah), in the biblical Table of Nations (Genesis 10:6; cf. 1 Chronicles 1:8). Put or Phut) is associated with r Phut) is associated with Ancient Libya by many early writers. (Wiki)
• CUSH – The existence of the historical Kingdom of Kush in what is now areas of southern Egypt, and Sudan cannot be reasonably questioned, although the term may later have been employed with some latitude. In addition, the modern Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by various populations in the Horn of Africa, is named after the Biblical Cush (Wiki)
• Persia – the empire included the modern territories of Iran,Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon,Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. (Wiki)
• Gomer – According to tractate Yoma, in the Talmud, Gomer is identified as the ancestor of the Gomermians, modern Germans. (Wiki)
• Beth-Togarmah – In the Midrash compilation Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Berechiah mentions Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah as German tribes or as German lands. (Wiki)

Ezekiel 38:8 - ⁸ After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.

‘In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war’, God reveals the state of Isreal before the attack. First Gog will invade a land that has recovered from war, which means that the attack will come when Isreal as settled and at peace.

‘whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.’ The attack will come after Israeli has been restored.  It is believed that a mass pilgrimage to Israel will take place sometime before or immediately after the Rapture.  I believe it may occur once the Israeli/Arab peace treaty is signed.  At no point in History have the Jews lived in relative safety as they do now.

The NIV (New International Version Bible) has ‘In future years’ and the KJV (King James Version) has ‘in the latter years’. The prophecy concerning Gog was written sometime during 593 B.C and history shows that Gog, sometime between 670 and 570  B.C,  was an ally of the people of Gomer (Cimmerians) and warred in Northwest Asia during this period.

In the next part, we will study verses 9-17 and see what happens during the battle.