Tribulation and Victory

Something to think about.

Tribulation and Victory  

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will  have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NKJV)

I speak with Christians seasoned Christians, and some are confused, baffled and annoyed at their present circumstances. They question, why God am I going through this I'm a Christian I am your child why must I go through this?  It is almost like they're saying I can handle a little adversity but this is so much more than a little. I should be exempt of this tragedy.  

I look at those verses and Jesus is saying, have peace in whatever situation you are in because, in the end, you win. It does not say you will be free from trouble or calamity it only says that you will win because He has won.  Winning may not mean you come out the other side unscathed. It means when you come out the other side you will find Jesus.

Listen, Christian, you are going to have challenges in your life. You may and probably will experience extreme pain. Being a Christian does not exempt you from living it guarantees you will be victorious in life. However, not without a cost. Christ, the sinless son of God, was humiliated, tortured and murdered.  Why would you think you would not pass through some tribulation? We will have a trial, and the cost may be extremely severe. But like Christ, we will come out the other side of this life to glory and eternal victory.  We know that regardless of the cost we win. Because the one who has been resurrected has promised us the eternal victory.  

Be of good cherry as much as possible in your tribulation. You know your victory is assured if not in this life then in the one that is to come. 

Leia Mais…

A New Earth

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A New Earth

13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

I don't think anyone disputes the earth will eventually cease to sustain life. There are differences of opinion on how the eventuality will occur but not on its occurrence.  The Bible says that God Himself will bring about the end of the world. It also says that He will create a new world and a new heaven. It will not be a rebirth it will not be something that comes out of the ashes of the old. It will be something entirely different because it will be a place of righteousness. Any and all forms of sin will not be present there even the remembrance of sin will not be known.   
Only righteousness will be allowed in this new heaven and new earth. Only those who by faith have been justified, sanctified and cleansed by the blood of Jesus will be allowed access. Since it is impossible to attain righteousness in any other way all who reject Christ not be there. Lets not complicated it. Let's not get caught up in laws, rituals traditions and old habits. Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life." Our eternal future is wrapped up in this one man. God himself removed every hindrance to salvation by offering His son as payment for our sin. So we may live forever with Him in the new heavens and earth.    

Do you want to be a citizen of the new earth?

Leia Mais…

Pray

Something to think about.

25 Brothers, pray for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:25 

For my brothers and sister in Christ. Tom, Migdalia, Michele, Oliver, Maria, and Latanya. I pray that you know that God is with you. He is with you everywhere you go. I pray you are comforted in knowing that God is fully committed to you. That he has bestowed upon you incredible gifts and abilities that He wants to bring to fruition and completion. I pray for you that the blessings that are unique to you will be fully developed for your joy and Gods glory.  I pray the presence of the almighty go with you and bless you coming in and going out. I pray you will be blessed in all you do and in all you touch.  I ask God to bless and protect your spouses', children, grandchildren, and families. I pray God would make himself known to all those you love. I pray you know the Love of God in everyday situations. I ask God to bless you physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually in every way. That He would shower you with blessings

 I pray that you would allow God to hold you, love you, protect you and provide for you, for He truly is a good father. More than anything else I ask God to give you the power to walk in Faith. To step out into the unknown knowing that God has already gone before you making a way for you. I thank God for you for you, you are a missing part of my life. I thank you for your help wisdom, love, and guidance. You have all changed my life in ways you will never know. I love and appreciate every one of you and am extremely grateful for all you have deposited into my life. I thank God that he has brought us together to accomplish what He has laid out before us. I thank God for allowing us to attained the highest rank under Gods kingdom, that of a servant. God loves you, He always has and always will. 

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

Leia Mais…

Thankful

Something to think about.

Thankful

A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:1-5 ESV

It is not Thanksgiving it is not Christmas it is not Easter.  Its October 24th. It is not a holiday, a miracle has not occurred. As a matter of fact it is 6: 49 in the morning and the only other thing that has happened today is the dog is whining. 

The word for today is thankful. I am thankful because God is. Just like He said in the old testament "I Am." I am grateful for His plan and the fulfillment of His plan of salvation. I am thankful to Him for allowing me to serve Him. I am thankful I can come into His presence singing. I am thankful that He made me. I am thankful the He is my shepard. I am thankful that I am allowed to praise Him. I am grateful that He allows me into His presence. I am grateful that He is good, that His love endures forever. I am thankful for His forgiveness, redemption, restoration, justification, and sanctification. I am thankful for all He has done. I am thankful that He is all powerful and unassailable.  I am thankful that he is forgiving. I am thankful that He will never change. I am grateful that He loves me forever. I am thankful the He is faithful through all generations. I am thankful that He has given me the capacity to love Him. I am grateful he has prepared a place for me in heaven. Sometimes you just have to say thank you, God just because he is worthy of our gratitude.

Leia Mais…

Not a Man

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Not a man

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Numbers 23:19 (KJV)

God is not a man. We need to stop and focus on this statement for a few minutes separate it from the rest of the verse.  

I have always perceived God as a father and hence man like. In my mind, the concept of God is influenced by the idea of a father. Which is somewhat natural because we refer to God, as Father God. But with the idea of father also comes the inherent limitations of a father. As we get older our concept of father changes. It goes from the invincible God like man to the fallible and often erroneous man.  Our idea of father further erodes as our fathers become more human. In other words, our fathers are no longer the giants of immortality. They become older versions of our fallible selves.  Through these eyes and experience, we filter our concept of God the creator. 

The only problem with that is that God is not a man! He is not subject to erosion of Himself. As our fathers become more human, God does not. God does not become more like us as we mature He becomes more unlike us as we get to know Him.

He is eternal on His own, we are eternal because of Him. He created everything in existence we have created nothing.  He created time we are subject to it. He created the laws of our existence we are bound by them.  He exists in a realm we can't imagine. He is not our opposite we are not our His equal. We can't contain Him. 

We were created in His image. But it is only an image. It is a one-dimensional representation of Him. Though we have some of the characteristics of God, we are not God.  Thought we were made in His image we are not Him. He is not man, He is not His creation. He is beyond the scope of our ability to imagine. We say He has always existed because we don't understand the basis of His existence.  How do you define the length of existence to an entity that is not subject to time? 

God is not just greater, bigger, smarter, stronger, more than man, He is altogether not man.  God is an entity that is beyond our ability to imagine or fully comprehend. If He has limits or parameters they would exist in a realm we have no access to. The most significant difference between God and man is that He knows everything and we don't. 

God is not man. He is not subject to us. He can exist without us we can't live without Him. He is everything to us, and we are but the dirt He created us from. And He created the dirt.

Leia Mais…

Completely Whole

Something to think about.

 Completely Whole

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, Acts 3:19 ESV

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." Mark 11:25 ESV

Repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration, adoption words with such magnificent meaning and power. In an era of rights have we determined that we have a right to these words? That they are a birthright because we are human? Are we taking for granted the mercy, wonder, and grace of God? 

Every one of these words has a cost related to them. 

Repentance means; sincere regret or remorse. Regret or remorse in themselves suggest a substantial personal cost. God does not have to accept or recognize your repentance it adds nothing to Him.  

Forgiveness, Is the act of pardoning someone for something they have done. God does need to forgive you He would be fine condemning you.   

Reconciliation, One of the meanings I found is; the restoration of friendly relations. God does not have to take you back. 

Restoration, to bring back to full usefulness. God does not need to restore you. You are not that important.  

Adoption, to willingly appropriate all rights of the father to an illegitimate child.  God does not have to share His glory with you. 

Are you getting the point? God does not have to do any of these things for you. He does not have to take on the cost of reconciliation, forgiveness, restoration, repentance, and adoption.  The cost of all of these words is borne by God not us. He is perfect as He is. He does not need us to accomplish anything for Him.   

We need to get back to reality and understand that God does this because He loves us. He loves us with a love we have yet to fully understand. God is perfect, it means He is complete, lacking nothing. Which means He has no need of us. But still, he does all of these things because He loves us. It boggles my mind, a love that will bear the cost of our rebellion.  God who is entirely whole without us, is still willing and fully committed to paying for our sin.  

Why do we fight a love like that?

Leia Mais…

Just One More

Something to Think about 

Just One More

7 For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places.

Matthew 24:7

Matthew 24 deals with the end times. Jesus is describing some of the things that must happen before His return. When things such as earthquakes, pestilence wars occur. When people are fighting with one with the other, we take these occurrences as being signs of the end times. When we hear of such things the familiar refrain comes to the fore. "Jesus come quickly." I understand the rationale behind "Jesus come quickly." It is a cry for our salvation. To be delivered from the sin that assails us on every side. It is a request to do away with the evil one. To free us from His influence. It is a cry for peace and deliverance.

Then we have verses like these. So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. Romans 2:6-8

The verses concerning the second coming of Christ are wonderful. I long for the day of His return, but, Romans 2: 6-8 haunts me.

The first part is easy , welcoming and hopeful. But the last part is the one that unsettles me, "there will be wrath and fury." Who are those who obey unrighteousness, who are those that will receive “wrath and fury.”

I don't pray "Jesus come quickly." I pray delay as long as possible 10,0000 years would not be too soon. Why do I say that? Who is the one that will receive "wrath and fury?" It will be my son, my daughter, my sister, my brother. It will be my mother, father, aunt, cousin, uncle, friend and neighbor.

In the movie, Schindler's List near the end of the movie Schindler is lamenting the Jews He did not save. He is despondent and questioning himself if I had done this or that I could have saved one-two, possibly three more.

In Revelation 21:4 it says, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

If we are in heaven why would there be tears? Why would God have to wipe our tears away? Could it be because we are regretful of those we did not reach those that were left behind? Those brothers, sisters, mother, father, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and neighbors that were left to receive the "wrath and fury" of God.

When we get to heaven will we lament the lives we did not touch the ones we did not reach? How will we handle the reality of knowing we could have done more. We could have reached out to more.

Today we need to be more conscious of one more. We need to stop praying Jesus come quickly and we need to start praying Jesus give me one more, Just one more.

Leia Mais…

Vanities.

Something to think about.

Vanities.

² Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1:2

All of our efforts everything we strive for is a pointless, meaningless exercise without Christ. All of our altruistic pursuits will end up in the empty hole of nothingness.

If this life is all there is, then legacy is meaningless, and accomplishments are temporal at best. If the momentary is all there is,  life is pointless without purpose. Without something more than our current existence life is no more than vanity. If vanity is all there is, then all we strive for is in vain. Life is then a pointless cycle of self-gratification, disappointment, self-gratification, disappointment, again and again, and again.

God is the only thing that breaks the cycle of hopelessness and pointlessness. God is the only thing that gives life meaning. God is the answer to vanity.

Leia Mais…

Never Rejected

Something to think about.

Never Rejected


37 All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out. John 6:37

Jesus promises us He will never reject us. In my interpretation, this verse means that anyone who has responded to the call of Christ now belongs to Him and he will not get rid of. You can't cast out, get rid of something that is not yours.
The implication is He has accepted us as we are and will not reject us. There is no precondition to coming to Christ. If there is no precondition, then all that come to Christ in any condition will be accepted by Him. And He said He would not cast you out. Regardless of your state, Christ will keep you. You will always be His.

Leia Mais…

All of You

Something to think about.

All of You

 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37

It is very simple, God wants all of you.

Leia Mais…

Save Yourself

Something to think about.

 

 

Save Yourself

 

39 One of the criminals who was hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" Luke 23:29

 

Was it a desperate cry for salvation? Was it a taunt and insult or both? If I am the one on the cross next to Jesus, I might ask the same question. With a different intent, not to taunt but as the last desperate plea of dying man.  We know that this was not the intent of the criminal hung alongside Christ.  We know it was at the very least a taunt or a challenge to Jesus to prove Himself.

 

We behave as if the man hanging next to Jesus was singular in his demand and challenge to Jesus. He wanted Jesus to prove His divinity. We may not use the same words, but in essence, we ask the same question.  If God were alive, why does God allow? Where was God when?  If there were a God, there would not be injustice, famine wars ext.  It is all the same question, If you are Christ save us and prove to us you are who you say you are?  We are asking Him to die again and again and again and forever to prove to each of us his divinity. Asking Him to die for every sin all the time to prove His worth to us.  

 

The criminal hanging next to Jesus is guilty of His crimes, His sins.   He is asking Jesus to save Him from the sin He is guilty of. He is asking, no he is demanding that Christ do for Him what he could not do himself.  To remove his just condemnation without atonement for his sin.  We are the asking the same thing. We want to be justified without making payment.

 

We all want the same thing we want to be absolved of our sin without personal cost.  That is what all our spiritual, intellectual, political correctness is all about. Let us not remind anyone of their sin. Let us not actually hold anyone responsible for their sin. Let us demand that God change His laws that we may have our way. Let's do away with righteousness. 

 

The criminal hanging on the cross did not even acknowledge His sin, His crimes. He only wants to be saved from them. He was not concerned about his quilt, righteousness or God. All he wanted was for his sin not to cost Him His life. 

 

That is who we are. We sin and do not want the consequences of the sin. We want to live unrighteously and receive righteousness. We want Christ to die on the cross not for our salvation but for a license to continue to sin.  

 

Christ died for your salvation, not to be the whipping boy for your sin.

Leia Mais…

Little Faith

Something to think about.

 

Little Faith

 

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

 

What comes first faith or the mountain? Usually, we are looking for the faith required when we arrive at the mountain. Not until the heart attack are we looking for the faith necessary to manifest a miracle. We, at least I, don't have reservoirs of faith stored for trying or impossible situations. Yet when we find ourselves in impossible situations, we try to call on faith we have not stored or attained. The time to exercise faith is not when you don't have any. To pray a vain hopeless prayer of faith with an empty tank at the time of crisis is precisely that an empty request. 

 

At present, I am trying to accomplish something that is far above anything I've ever done. If we are successful, it will be a miracle. It requires a lot of people, and not everyone regardless of my intention will be on the same page. I will gain no personal benefit in this endeavor other than to see the hand of God work. It is a huge endeavor for me, but I have perfect peace in the attempt. If I fail, the lost will not be mine as much as to the people this project would help. 

 

When I presented the idea to some of my associates, there was some resistance on several fronts. All of their objections were and are valid. But I see them all as obstacles, not real barriers. I am convinced that they can all be overcome fairly easily. I don't see any of the challenges as a death blow to the project. 

 

The feeling I have is peace. I believe I am convinced. Unlike any other time in my life that God will provide everything we need to accomplish the goal. I have an unrelenting faith that we will succeed because the project will bring honor and glory to God. It is the most unusual feeling I've ever had. This will be done because God will bring the necessary pieces together. Do I have a reservoir of faith to accomplish this task? Well yes, I do because I have seen the hand of God work in my life. I saw it when I had my heart attack. I saw Him heal me, restore me and bring me back from the jaws of death. I have seen Him work in my life and in the lives of many other people. So yes my tank is full. I believe He will provide the miracle we need to move the mountain before us.

 

If you want to see your faith become a reality, you must reach beyond what you can grasp. If you extend your hand beyond what you can grasp without faith, you will retract an empty hand. You must believe, expect and receive the miracle of God.

Leia Mais…

Separation

Something to think about.

 

Separation

 

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

 

Let's get real for a moment. This scripture has to be the most uplifting, inspiring scripture in the entire Bible. We are assured, under no possible circumstances will we be separated from the love of God. As I thought about this scripture, I realized something. This is one-sided.

 

Everything that is promised here is a promise from God to us not us to God. The truth of this verse only exists when it comes from God to us. What it is saying is there is nothing in creation that can stop God from expressing His love to us. There is no existing authority of any kind that can keep God from revealing His love for us. There is nothing that can keep us from receiving His love. He has created the entire universe in such a way as to make it impossible for us not to have access to His love.

 

You are the only thing in creation which can make this promise void. Have you ever been in a situation where someone expresses love to you but you do reciprocate that love? After all that God has done to enable you and I to be loved by Him we can reject Him. We can close the door. We can nullify all He has done to love us. After all, He has done for us to be loved He has given us the authority to reject His love. There is nothing in life which can impede His love for us. But we can stop it at the door of our hearts.

 

The greatest promise in the bible and we can negate it and render it powerless. We have the power to accept or reject Gods love. He will not force us to accept His love. After creating a universe with the sole purpose of loving us we can say no. I do not want your love. We can say that to God.

 

Even still, God calls to you, let me love you. He knows many will reject His perfect love. Still at the door of your heart. Knocking, asking you to let Him in to heal your broken heart.

 

It astonishes me that insignificant man was given the authority to reject God. We can actually say no to God. We can choose not to accept His love.

 

God wants us to love Him as He loves us, willfully intentionally, knowingly. He wants us to pick Him as He has picked us. When we do there is nothing that can separate us from receiving His love, nothing.

Leia Mais…

Valley of the Shadow of Death

 Something to think about.

Valley of the Shadow of Death

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalms 24:4

20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen. Matthew 28: 20

These two verses provide great peace comfort and reassurance. What better hope do we have than to know that God himself will be with us in our times of troubles and tribulations. I cannot imagine any situation where these two verses would not bring comfort.

“Valley of the shadow of death,” “even unto the end of the world.” these to segments give me a sense of danger, of uncertainty. Not in God but in the types of situations we will be in. They have a connotation of dread. If you're older than a child, you realize that there will be times when you are in a valley of distress. It is as dependable as breathing air. As long as you breathe air, you know that challenges will arise.

As wonderfully reassuring and peace providing as these verse are I have to ask a question. How did we get into the valley?

A few years ago I had a heart attack. One of the nurses that tended to me referred to it as the widow maker. The inference is that most people with my type of heart attack died. By God's will, I am still here. One of the questions one might ask when in this situation is how did this happen? I did not ask that question. I already new the answer. Back 15-20 years before my heart attack my primary physician had prescribed Lipitor. He prescribed Lipitor me due to my family history and my high cholesterol. He recommended I start taking medication to prevent me from having a heart attack at age 55. Unfortunately for me, he was wrong I had my heart attack when I was 53 years old. Had I heeded his advice I probably would have not had the heart attack.

I had the heart attack not based on what God had done but in spite of what He had done. God had place someone in my life to guided me to the proper course of action, I chose to ignore it. I entered that valley because I chose it. As I look back in my life, I realize I willingly and often knowingly walk into the tribulations of my life. There are isolated events in life that cause you to go through valleys where you are not the cause of it. Things like hurricanes, volcanic eruptions or other natural disasters cause you to suffer in non-self inflicted ways. Absent of unique circumstances we are free to pick our poison and often that is precisely what we do.

Most of the time we chose the the wrong path. We participate in the wrong action. We chase after the wrong dream. Though you make the wrong choices and end up in the wrong places. God says, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” God didn’t cause it. He sent people to help you. He may have even shown you a better way. With all He does to provide a better for you way; He will still be with you when you walk through the valley you have chosen.

What God is saying is when all other forsake you because of your bad choices and decisions I will be with you. I will not abandon you. The truth is He is always with you. You may not know Him, recognize or acknowledge Him but He is still with you even now. When you are in the valley when you are all alone. When you do not know what to do. If you call on the one that is always with you, He will hear you and will help you. He is with you before the valley, during and after. He wants to keep us from the valley, but when we are there, he will not say I told you so and leave you to your own devices. He will continue to go with you “unto the end of the world.”

Leia Mais…

It is All About The Flesh

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It is All About The Flesh

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Romans 8:12‭-‬14 NIV"

Led by the Spirit of God" could you imagine any commercial leading with or insinuating such an idea? Everything about our society speaks with total disregard for of the Spirit of God. Everything from our newly defined gender identities to our educational system ignore God. Our newly re-imagine, redefined Christianity exists with the goal of personal self-gratification. Without regard to our God. Much less the spirit of God.

We are told to focus on our reality by everything and everyone in our lives. Get an education it will improve your life. Live whatever lifestyle you want as long as it makes you happy. Object to anything you don't like because you have the right not to be offended. You only have this life to live so do not burden yourself with any moral restraints of the past. Because everything which satisfies your lust is moral. Life has become a whirlwind of self-indulgence. What can I acquire, possess, own that will bring me continual personal pleasure? As long as I get a momentary reward, it does not matter. A casual fling, a theft of taxes. Acquiring of assets by whatever means available. Finding, pushing that new elixir of life is the only viable goal. Achieving a high standard of living even if it is based on a facade of lies. Anything that brings momentary pleasure is to be achieved at any cost. We have defined the desire of the flesh as an inalienable right.

The sad truth is, this desire to fulfill every fantasy is morally correct in an existence without God. Where there is no God, there is no righteousness. Any pursuit is justified by the one pursuing it. No other standard is applicable.

Every sin, lust, injustice is unassailable in a society which is Godless. Where there is no standard, there is no injustice. A standard defined by man will be as shifting as the power behind it. The morality of man will be determined by those with the temporary power to enforce it. In the end, our desire for self-gratification will seal our doom. Because it will always encroach on someone else's right to self-gratification. In a Godless society with shifting morality, the rapist has a right to rape. A murderer has the right to kill. A liar has a right to lie. A thief has the right to steal. Because it gratifies the moment. Though the victim has the right not to be the victim.

In a Godless society, there is no room for justice. No place for righteousness. There is no room for anything that can bring unity and civility to society. The society bent on securing everyone's right to self-gratification will self-destruct. The weight of conflicting desires will create constant conflict. As is evident in our current social climate.

"For if you live according to the flesh, you will die."

Leia Mais…

He is Alive

 

Something to think about.

 

He is Alive

 

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26

 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1

 

6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:8

 

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Revelations 1:17-18

 

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

 

Revelation 22:13 (ESV)

 

All of these verses have a common denominator they are all talking about A living God.  Jesus died on the cross and was risen from the dead by God the father.  

 

Do we take it for granted? Is it a concept that does not quite touch our reality? Is it an idea the brushes against the ends of our imaginings not quite real? Is it a happening that is so uncommon to us that we put it in the category of maybe? The resurrected living Christ is an enigma we cannot discard.  

 

Jesus tells Paul “and behold I am alive forevermore.” This statement along with the angel saying to Martha “He is not here; for He is risen” changed everything. The two statements attest to the same thing Jesus is alive. If you believe these witnesses and others, the reality of Jesus being alive will alter your life. Once this concept is moved from the furthest reaches of your mind and brought into focus, your life will not be the same.  Jesus, the son of God, is alive and He said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

 

He is alive, and He will never leave you. Regardless of what you have been taught grab hold of this truth, Jesus is alive.  He is alive today. He promised never to leave you. The Son of God, the beloved of the father, is alive and with you always. Once you take this out of the figurative and move it into the actual nothing will ever be the same. The power of the Son of God walks with you, and if you listen, He will talk with you. If you take a step back, He will guide you He will protect you. He will nourish you. All this and so much more is available to you in real time. Jesus is as alive now as He was at the beginning as John stated. He is “the first and the last” as Paul quotes Him as saying. He is the “Alpha and the Omega.” And He is “alive forevermore.”  Jesus is alive.

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Rejoice

Something to think about.

 

Rejoice

 

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.19 God, the Lord, is my strength; Habakkuk 3:18 -19

 

What is the mindset that would say "yet I will rejoice in the Lord?"  Can you imagine a new believer in Christ saying something like this? Honestly no. When tragedy or disappointment strike. A person without experience with Christ is not going to say "yet I will rejoice in the Lord."

 

Habakkuk was able to say that because he had prior experience with God. He had experiences in which the Lord had delivered Him. He had live with God through the battles of life and had found God to be faithful and abundant.

 

 Have you had  a life where you can say " yet I will rejoice in the Lord?" If not why not? In your life, as a Christian God will show himself worthy of you saying as Habakkuk did "yet I will rejoice in the Lord." When the battles of life come, God will provide a way for you to rise above and succeed over them. Relief will come, it may not come in the way you expect in the manner of your choosing. Or with the outcome you desire but rest assured it will come.  God is always faithful he is constant, steadfast in His deliverance. So much so that if you learn to live in His way in His life, you will be able to say as Habakkuk did "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord."

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