"Have You Received Your Hug From God Today?" - Inspirational Weekend

The other day I was studying the Bible book of Daniel while sitting on my patio enjoying the beautiful day and the rich blue sky, when some long lost "friends" showed up.   I mean my bird visitors that have not been around much lately: finches and the Red-Vented Bulbul with his mate.  I had been missing their visits. Every year in the late Spring and Summer  months I spend much time watching their babies being fed by them, as well as observing the baby birds learning to fly.   You can see more about the Bulbuls  here and also here  It gave me a pleasant and enjoyable thrill to see those birds again.  I said a little thank you prayer to the Lord for the nice surprise visit.    Another hug from God !!

We have to be careful not to worship nature and the birds and other wonderful things about God's fantastic creation, but I know for a fact that God delights in our enjoyment  of His creation, and that was a big factor in His handiwork, that we humans should also take delight in the beauty and fascinating creatures and plant life that sprung from His creative hand.   But I digress.  This post is about receiving hugs from God !   The Internet image below speaks volumes.  

In prayer some time ago, I had told God how much I needed a "hug" from Him; a spiritual hug to give me comfort and encouragement.  Soon thereafter I ran across this image above on the Internet.   It just made me realize that the Lord is always giving me hugs as I read the Bible everyday.   His Holy Word has been an anchor to my soul, as is Jesus.  Hebrews 6:19 speaks mainly of hope of eternal life and heaven as being an anchor for the soul, but I also like to think of God's Word and Jesus in the same light. They all are intertwined.  God's Word is His Love Letter to us, as well as His Instruction Manual to guide us along life's paths.  We are told at Psalm 119:105, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  So reading and studying the Bible guides us, strengthens us, gives us power, helps us to endure trials and hardships, teaches us how to behave as Christians should, and much, much more. All of that results in many hugs from God.   Most importantly, the Bible teaches us what God's and Jesus' characteristics are, and the more we read, the more we learn to have hearts full with love for the Lord.  God is love.   By reading the Bible and spending much time in prayer, the ultimate reward is a close, intimate, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.   You will never be the same once you are filled with the Holy Spirit and in close communion with the Lord.  There will be no desire to go back to your old sinful nature.

We also get hugs from God when He answers our prayers.  Think of how awesome that is.  The Almighty Sovereign God stoops down and takes notice of us puny, tiny specks of dust and even answers our petitions !!  All of the hugs from God are His way of showing His great love and grace and tender mercies for His children.    

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -  Jesus speaking at John 3:16 .

"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love."  -  Jesus at John 15:9

God and Jesus are all about love, and we should endeavor to be the same way.  

Below is a baby that gives its patient cat some loving hugs.  It is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.   

The above video reminds me of what someone once said: "Remember that life's most treasured moments often come unannounced."   How true.  As when your baby says "Mama" or "Dada" for the first time out of the blue; or when your husband brings you flowers just because he loves you; and a myriad of other simple pleasures that can happen that all remind you that God just gave you a big hug. 

God has used my 2-year-old grandson's affection for me to give me a hug direct from Him above.  We all could go on and on with the lavishness of God's love and grace and hugs if we will stop and take the time to recollect and ponder how good He has been to us.   We need to be generous to others as well with loving hugs to them..... which are really from God. His spirit at work in us.

Following is a video about cats and kittens and their hugs to others.   (Yes, I am a cat lover!)

I hope these videos and the reminder that God loves you and that He gives you hugs all the time has brightened your weekend.  Be happy and enjoy your weekend !  And be sure to thank God for all of your blessings !

"And whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he."  -  Proverbs 16:20b

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"  -  Ephesians 1:3

"How To Surrender All To God" - Inspirational Weekend

How to surrender to God was a bit of a mystery to me before I was truly saved, and after I was born again, it took a while for it to sink in just what surrendering to Him really meant.  I had been a bit stubborn and self-willed and independent prior to being born again, and the Lord in His mercy was patient with me as He began to teach me and guide me in spiritual matters. 

The word "surrender" is similar to the word "submit", but to me surrender has more of a total and unconditional meaning than the word submit.  Both are like military terms, where one surrenders to the conqueror and lets the conqueror take total control.   In the New Testament, the word submit is from the Greek word "hypotasso", which means to obey, be subject to, be obedient to.  Isn't that a wonderful explanation of how we should feel towards Jesus ?!  It means to yield oneself to His power and authority, give oneself up, and yield to His guidance and direction.   

"Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"  -  Hebrews 12:9

To obey God is the way of life we should choose.   To disobey God is rebellion.  When you totally surrender to God, He will bless you.  As Dr. Charles Stanley says in the following sermon, you need to surrender all control of your life to God - body, soul and spirit - and let God have His will in your life.

In the above sermon, Dr. Stanley gives 6 excellent ways to fully surrender to the Lord.   If you are truly saved and born again, you will love Jesus so much that you will want to surrender to Him and let Him be in control.   You must be humble !  1 Peter 5:5 tells us, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.  Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility:  for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."    So part of surrendering to God/Jesus is to be humble.  One cannot be proud and at the same time submit to God; it just will not happen.  Remember, being humble and submissive is a choice we make.   If we make that choice, the Holy Spirit will help  to "conform us to the image of His Son"  -  Jesus Christ.  (Romans 8:29).   

As you surrender to the Lord, you should have a hunger for the Holy Word -  the Bible.  The careful study of God's Word will help you to grow spiritually and will renew your mind  (Romans 12:2).  You will grow to know the Lord more intimately, which in turn will mature you and help you to ever more willingly surrender to Him and His will.   It is a process.   

Because God is a loving Father and He knows what is best for us,  He requires us to submit to Him in all things.  By humbly surrendering to Him daily, He will give us blessings and peace that is so far beyond and superior to anything this old fallen world has to offer.   

Many of you may be familiar with that old hymn "I Surrender All."  For those who are familiar and those who are not, here it is in a beautiful video.

One huge hindrance to surrendering to Jesus, which is closely linked with pride, is self-will and stubbornness; wanting your own way all the time.   Besides displeasing the Lord, that attitude can get you into a lot of trouble with people and cause you to fall into serious circumstances.   Proverbs 14:12 tells us: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."  It is far wiser to always seek God's guidance and then submit to His will. In other words, deny yourself.

At Mark 8:34b Jesus said, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

Think of all that Jesus suffered for our sake !  He was mocked, tortured, and nailed to the cross to die a horrendous death so that we may have eternal life if we believe in Him.   God the Father even forsook Jesus for a time when Jesus was made sin for us as He died.   How could we finite creatures dare to not obey and surrender to Him after all He has done for us !!   We need to show our gratitude for His great love by our obedience and our submission to His will.  Too many people today are very self-absorbed and not spiritually minded.   Christians should not fall into that trap; and if you are a true believer and are often in prayer, asking for guidance, it will not be likely that you are self-absorbed but instead totally committed to the Lord.

Another thing that will help you to surrender to Jesus is to remember that, not only is He our Savior, but he is very definitely our Lord and Master.  We should show honor, respect, and reverence for  the Lord and Master by obeying Him and putting His will first in our lives.  

Jesus Christ will return soon to take His true followers to heaven in the Rapture.  We need to be living a life that He will approve:  a godly, totally surrendered life, and therefore be ready when He returns.

"And behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."   -  Jesus at Revelation 22:12

"The Cure For Loneliness" - Inspirational Weekend

A person can be alone, and yet not feel lonely.   Also, a person can find themselves in a crowded room and yet feel lonely.  So to a large degree, loneliness is a state of mind; a feeling caused by feelings of disconnectedness.   Even in loving families, you can find almost no type of communication (and therefore feel lonely) when one is on the computer, another on his smartphone, and still another family member in a zombie state watching TV.  We are supposedly all connected nowadays with all this technology and all the social media.  After all, we have many so-called "friends" on Facebook, don't we?  Still many individuals are suffering from chronic loneliness.  There may be many reasons for this; often elderly persons are the most affected, especially if they are shut-ins for health reasons.   These seniors cannot go out and volunteer and thereby be around more people to combat the pain of loneliness.  They have the telephone to call family, but that is not the same as being together in the same room, sharing and giving a hug now and then, which gives one the experience of true companionship, keeping a person from feeling lonely for a time.  At the end of this post is a sermon on loneliness by Dr. Charles Stanley.   

Besides the quote above, loneliness is also bad for your health.  Loneliness can kill you.  It is believed that social isolation kills more people than obesity does.  Loneliness has about the same risk of death as smoking does.  According to one source,  social isolation has a detrimental effect on a person's immune system and helps to increase inflammation if you are already prone to it.  This can bring about many complications, such as arthritis and even heart disease. 

But as I stated before, loneliness is primarily a state of mind. Don't get me wrong, loneliness is very real.  I've been there, done that. I have overcome loneliness by being busy in Bible study and prayer, as well as by doing research for these blog posts. As I research, I read and make note of many Scriptures, which in turn inspires me and draws me close to the Lord.  In other words, stay busy in the Lord's work and stay focused on Jesus and spiritual matters, and that will keep you from being lonely as you fellowship with the Lord.   Below is another take on loneliness:

In the Hebrew, the word translated "desolate" or "lonely" in the Old Testament of the Bible means "one alone, one who is solitary, forsaken, wretched."   Even King David got lonely and filled with despair.  "Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted."    -  Psalm 25:16.   What did David do to remedy these feelings?  He turned to God and prayed and his Psalms testify to this fact.   David loved and trusted God, and he knew that his only real hope was in the Lord.   So that is the cure for loneliness !  Go constantly before God in prayer, confide all your fears and lonely feelings to Him.  When you think about it, loneliness has a way of drawing people to God for relief.   And He will keep you from being lonely.   What better companion could a person have than the Lord Jesus Christ !  He laid down His life for us, and called us His friends.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."       - Jesus speaking at John 15:13-15

Remember also what Jesus said at Matthew 28:20b ,  "and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.."

And Hebrews 13:5b tells us,  "for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

What a friend we have in Jesus !  So our alone time can be a blessing to us if we let it -- by spending quality time with the Lord in prayer and Bible reading.   Life is all about love and relationships; and God wants to have a close, intimate, personal relationship with us through Jesus Christ.   We get to know God as we read the Bible, pray, and put our trust in Him.   First, though, (in order for our prayers to be heard and answered by God), we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and believe that He rose from the dead.  (Romans 10:9,10,13).   To do that you must repent of your sins, confess your sins to God, and ask Jesus to come into your heart - and believe with all your being that only Jesus' death and shed blood at the cross can wash us from our sins.   If you do all of that, then God will hear and answer your prayers, if they are according to His will.   Remember, the Lord is always near, watching over us.  He longs for our companionship and will give us peace and comfort and His friendship if we will only turn to Him in prayer and worship, and obey His commands.

Romans 10:9,10,13:  " (9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Take this step, and spend much time with the Lord, and watch how He transforms you and your life as He becomes your constant companion, Who will never abandon you, never forsake or leave you.

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."  -  2 Corinthians 4:16

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you."  James 4:8a 

Following is a sermon from the archives of Dr. Charles Stanley dealing with the subject of loneliness.   Please watch.  In this sermon, Dr. Stanley gives examples of how he has felt lonely, as well as ways to alleviate the loneliness.   

"The Prophetic Time Clock - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" - Inspirational Weekend

Israel, as God's covenant people, is also the prophetic time clock as you will realize when you study God's Holy Word.  Many people today are not aware of this fact, as the false doctrine of replacement theology teaches that the Church has replaced Israel and what happens to Israel has no relevance in today's world.    When God made a covenant with the Jewish people in ancient times, it was an everlasting covenant.  Bible Prophecy revolves around Israel as my previous post concerning the Psalm 83 war and the Gog of Magog war makes clear; as well as does other previous posts of mine here.

The fact that the world is now in such a chaotic and dangerous state has many people alert to what the future may or may not hold; still others don't have a clue what it all means.  If people would read their Bibles and study Bible prophecy, they would have a better grasp of what is transpiring and realize that we are living in the last of the last days.

It is time to wake up before the alarm goes off !  The alarm being God's wrath being poured out on ungodly persons during the Tribulation period.   The Rapture of the Church (Jesus' true followers) is imminent and we need to be watching for His return.   We want to be taken to heaven before the horrors of the Tribulation period begin.  I seem to be stuck on repeating certain information over and over, but that is because it is so important...life saving !... and the fact that there may be new readers to each new post of mine.   Below is a recent video featuring Bill Salus and his belief about the Elam prophecy found at Jeremiah 49:34-39.  He believes that this prophecy concerning Elam is probably next to take place, even before the Psalm 83 war and also before the War of Gog and Magog.

Elam is found in today's Iran.   According to Mr. Salus, Elam goes back to over 4000 years ago, before the days of the patriarch Abraham; and the Elam prophecy was written by Jeremiah around 596 BC.   Basically, the belief is that some type of nuclear disaster will happen there at the Bushehr nuclear plant located near tetonic plates and the possibility of an earthquake happening in the area is very likely, causing a radioactive disaster.   Either that or Israel could attack and destroy the plant.  For more information, Google under "Elam prophecy".  Bill Salus has also written a book on the Elam prophecy found here.

Just a note here, as Bill Salus states in the video above, the Rapture does not trigger the Tribulation period.   We are not told in the Bible how long after the Rapture happens that the 7-year Tribulation begins.  There could be a considerable time gap, or maybe not.   What triggers the Tribulation is when Israel signs a peace treaty or covenant with the antichrist as written in Daniel 9:27:  "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."  The "one week" mentioned in this verse means seven years.

If you are a Christian, you need not fear all the turmoil, unrest, and terrors of today's world.  You should be cautious and alert and informed, to be sure.  But even if you should die for your faith, you have the promise of being with the Lord forever.  "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation."  -  Isaiah 12:2

For those who mistakenly think Christians will have to go through the terrible Tribulation period, there is this verse, "Much more then, being now justified  by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him"  -  Romans 5:9.   Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 tells us, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."   For true believers, Jesus, at his death on the cross,  took our deserved wrath upon Himself.  The price was paid for us.   We should be grateful and praise God continually for His great love and tender mercies !

Don't get confused and overly concerned about what prophecy occurs when.  Be grateful that God has told us what the future holds but, more importantly, live a godly life and be occupied until Jesus returns in doing the work of the Lord, the doing of the Great Commission found at  Matthew 28:19-20,  "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and  from ancient times the things that are not yet done, Saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.........Yeah I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it."  -  Isaiah 46:9-10, and 11b

  

"The War Of Gog And Magog" With Video by Chuck Missler - Inspirational Weekend

In my photograph above, the sun is setting on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.   In many ways, the sun is setting, so to speak, on this current world situation of confusion and chaos we find ourselves in now.   I know you are familiar with the occurrences of violence and the immorality, as well as the fact that many in the world have adopted an anti-God attitude.  But all signs point to the fact that we are living in the end times, the last days.   And what is happening in the Middle East with Russia and Iran and Turkey and the conflict in Syria is one of the signs that point us to the prophesied Gog of Magog war, when various countries in the region attack Israel for its gas and oil riches, as well as the fact of an extreme hatred of the Jews by Israel's surrounding enemies.   

One thing about it, if the battle of Gog of Magog is near, then the Rapture of the Church is even nearer as most scholars agree that the Rapture happens before that war.  That is good news that the Rapture is so close to happening; that is, if you are a saved, true believer it is good news to you.   

Following is a video by Chuck Missler, a Bible prophecy expert, in which he goes into detailed information on the Gog and Magog war, as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39.  I recommend that you read those two chapters in Ezekiel, although Chuck Missler quotes Ezekiel 38 extensively in the video.    (Please note, this Session 1 discourse automatically continues to Session 2 on Gog and Magog)

God uses the Battle of Gog and Magog to bring Israel back to Him (Ezekiel 39:22).  The same can be said of all the other events during the Tribulation period.  The Church, the true believers, were caught up to heaven in the Rapture prior to this battle, so God is concentrating now on leading Israel to believe in Him and in Jesus as the Messiah.  I highly recommend that you watch the above video as Chuck Missler gives valuable information above and beyond what others attempt to explain.  

Why should you be concerned about the Battle of Gog and Magog?  After all, it happens during the seven-year tribulation period, (probably during the first 3 -1/2 years), and if you are a believer you will be in heaven then. Actually, some scholars believe that the Magog coalition  and attack may end no later than 3 - 1/2 years before the 7 year tribulation actually begins.  This is because Israel will burn the enemies' weapons for fuel for 7 years (Ezekiel 39:9).  This is no problem for the first half of the tribulation while things are peaceful, but not feasible during the second half of the tribulation because the Jews will flee Israel then (at the mid-point of the tribulation) rather than dealing with this energy supply (Matthew 24:15-22).  Therefore, these scholars suggest that Gog of Magog Battle will happen and end before the Tribulation even begins.  

As I stated previously, for believers the fact that events are lining up as preparation for Gog & Magog Right Now !!  means that we will be raptured very soon.   Thank you, Lord !!  We need to share the Gospel with family members and others immediately, before it is too late.  However, some will become Christians during the Tribulation as the Bible tells us at  Revelation 7:9-14.  If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ before the Rapture of the Church, you will end up suffering through the horrors of the Tribulation period.   Therefore, it is important to study and know Bible prophecy because, one way or another, you will be affected.  

It is important to note that the enemy countries that border Israel have already previously been defeated by Israel in the Psalm 83 war.   Following is Psalm 83:4-8  -- "(4) They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. (5)For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:  (6) The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; Of Moab, and the Hagarenes; (7) Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek;  the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre, (8) Assur also is joined with them:  they have holpen the children of Lot. "  I am sure you are familiar with the current Middle East chant, "Israel will be wiped off the map", which echoes verse 4 above.  

After the victory (Psalm 83) over the above bordering countries, Israel will have a sense of peace and security, which may explain why Ezekiel 38:11 says, "And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,"  The fact that Israel got rid of its walls and "gates" make it seem like easy prey to the Gog of Magog invading forces.   But God !   God steps in with supernatural events to protect Israel from these Magog forces.  You can read about the earthquake that happens just as these invaders arrive in Israel, as well as fire, brimstone, and hailstones and more at Ezekiel 38:14 through to Ezekiel 39:9.   So the army of the Magog invaders will be destroyed by God Himself !   God makes it clear that this is to make His name known  (Ezekiel 39:7-8; 38:23).

Not to forget, the countries that invade Israel in the Gog and Magog war are listed in Ezekiel 38:2-6. Chuck Missler, in the above video, shows who they are and uses charts/maps to do so.   Magog, as scholars agree, is Russia; Persia is modern day Iran; Togarmah is Turkey; and if I remember correctly, Gomar includes Germany and Eastern Europe. Mr. Missler and others believe the word "gog" is referring to something of a satanic or evil origin.

The main thing is, Bible prophecy has come true in the past (for instance, the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus Christ the Messiah came true, as the New Testament makes clear); so if prophecy has come true in the past, it will come true in the here and now and in the future.  People need to make sure that their lives and their hearts are "tuned in" to God, and that they have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus -  that they put their faith in Him and believe that He rose from the dead.  Romans 10:9 tells us,  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  Don't delay !

"But this I say, brethren, the time is short:  it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away."     -   1 Corinthians 7:29,31