One Resolution To Make And Not Ever Break (With Sermon clip by David Wilkerson)

Here we are at the end of 2019 !   What a year this has been concerning Bible prophecy being fulfilled or the precursors of it ... the beginning stages .... of what the Bible predicted would be true in these last moments of the last days.

What 2020 will bring is exciting to contemplate!  Could the Rapture of the Church to heaven occur in 2020?  Possibly, but only God knows the day and the hour.  We finite humans can only wait and hope the rapture will be soon; for many of us, we long to be with Jesus in heaven. We know that the Rapture is imminent from what the Bible tells us in many places.   Check out Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 for signs of the end times.

Some people make New Year's resolutions.   Amir Tsarfati, an evangelist from Israel, said recently in one of his posts:  "There is one resolution that we should all make and never break, and that is to follow Jesus more closely than ever, for He is the light of the world."

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,  I am the Light  of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  -   John 8:12

Amir Tsarfati also says, "Being led by the Light will always lead us to walk in truth, God's truth.  As the year comes to a close, let's commit to walking in the Light of His Word and speaking the truth in love.  For the light  of the world is coming again for His church so that where He is, we may be also."

In these perilous and evil last days we find ourselves living in, we must not let the world and its desires become desirous to us true believers.   We should be separate from the world, and live only for the good Lord.   That includes sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others, of course.

1 John 2:15-17 tells us:  (15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth  the will of God abideth for ever."

Following is an 8 minute sermon clip by David Wilkerson on the subject of the true Christian.

In the above sermon, Pastor Wilkerson also mentions being "rapture ready" when Jesus returns for His Bride, the true believers.

"And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart."  -   Jeremiah 29:13

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."   -   Psalm 34:7

"Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it."    -  Psalm 34:14

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."  -  Psalm 34:18

It is highly recommended that you read all of Psalm 34.  

Psalm 46:2 tells us  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in Whom I will trust."  -  Psalm 18:2

If you are not born again from above, if you have not believed with all your very being that Jesus is the Savior and the only way to God and heaven, I pray that you do so before it is too late.  Jesus will return soon to take true believers to be in heaven with Him, and those who did not surrender in Faith to Christ will be left behind to face the terrors and horrors and destruction that occur during the 7 year Tribulation, after the Rapture of the Church.

Romans 10:9,10, 13 tells us, (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."

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."

"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."   -   John 3:16

"What Is The Work Of God?" (A.W. Tozer Sermon; Salvation Sermon By Charles Lawson) - Inspirational Weekend.

To find out what the work of God is, let us read John 6:28,29 which follows:

(28) "Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  (29) Jesus answered and said unto them,  This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent."

It is not works, but one work that is required, belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him......"  Hebrews 11:6 a

Believe in Jesus as the Savior, that is acceptable to God.  This you must do in order to be saved.  This is the work which sinners are to do. 

Following is a powerful 15 minute sermon clip by Pastor Charles Lawson on salvation.  He also discusses his own salvation experience. I urge you to watch this moving sermon, even if you are already saved; you may want to direct unsaved loved ones to listen to it.

Ephesians 2:8 and 9 tells us: (8) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.  (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Nothing we can do of ourselves (works) can earn us salvation.  It is the gift of God.

A. W. Tozer tells us that many believers feel needing God [Jesus] plus something else is the trouble with us in the following 2 minute sermon clip:

The one thing we need to remember is that we should trust God and Jesus with everything.  Put them first in your life.

Much has been written on this blog about how we are living in the last moments of the last days.  Go to the search box in the upper right hand side of this page and enter such things as "Rapture", "end times", "7 year tribulation", "Gog Magog War of Ezekiel 38 and 39"and various other topics and several articles will pop up for you to read.

The point being, that Jesus will return very soon for His true believers and take them to be in Heaven with Him while the horrors of the 7 year Tribulation period will be suffered by those left behind; those who never believed in Jesus as the Savior.

Are you Rapture ready?

You must be truly born again from above, truly saved, to be Raptured to Heaven with Jesus.  

Do not delay!  

("For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)  -   2 Corinthians 6:2

Admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. ( Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23)

Believe in your heart and your soul and all your very being that Jesus is the Savior and the only way to heaven  (John 14:6;  Romans 10: 9,10,13)

Call on Jesus and confess that He is the Savior, whose Redemptive work and shed blood at Calvary can wash all your sins away and make you a new creation in Him when you come to Him in faith (Romans 10:9, 10,13;  2 Corinthians 5:17)

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."     -  2 Corinthians 5:17

Time is running out !  

Turn to Jesus in faith now, before it is too late!

Jesus will welcome you with open arms of love and forgiveness.

Romans 10:9,10, 13 tells us (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."

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."  -  Acts 4:12

Hebrews 2:3, 4 tells us: (3) "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; (4) God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?"

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."  -  Romans 13:11

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."   -   John 14:6

"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."   -   John 3:16

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend.... and life !!

Wait For Guidance From The Lord (Sermon by Pastor Jack Hibbs) - Inspirational Weekend

Much has been written previously on this blog about waiting -  specifically waiting on God before we act and waiting for His will and His direction.  Following is a 29 minute sermon by Pastor Jack Hibbs titled, "Are You Waiting?"

In this sermon, Pastor Hibbs tells us, "Our past is in the past.  Our past has been erased by Jesus on the Cross.  Jesus sets you free from your past.  You are no longer who you were before being saved."   Encouraging words for the new believer as well as those who may begin to question their salvation for whatever reasons.

If anyone tries to criticize you because of your past sins,  take heart because the Bible tells us that once you are saved, truly born again,

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."           -  2 Corinthians 5:17

It does not mean you will be perfect as Jesus was the only perfect person to walk on this earth.  None of us will reach perfection until we find ourselves in glory with the Lord.   But you will have a new relationship with God and Jesus, and sanctification can take time; some of us are "slower" than others.   The evidence of your faith and conversion is if you display the fruit of the spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23, which follows:

(22) But the fruit  of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Take note also of the works of the flesh at Galatians 5:19-21 .

Also, once you are truly saved, you can rest in the promises of God and Jesus to always be with you.  One thing to remember is found at Romans 8:1, which follows:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

So take heart, those of you who need encouragement!

Someone has said, "Being a Christian does not make you sinless; but it makes you sin.....less."

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit."  -   Romans 15:31

Nehemiah 8:10 b  tells us, "...  For the joy of the LORD is your strength."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me."   -  Philippians 4:13

Hebrews 13:5 b says, "For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Following is a wonderful hymn that many of you may be familiar with:

Remember, we are here to glorify God and we can do that by living as godly a life as we possibly can and by obeying Him and putting Him and Jesus first in our lives.

In order to do that, we need to spend time in fellowship with the good Lord.   In order to have a relationship with anyone, we need to converse with them frequently and spend much time with them.  That way we get to know them better.   The same is true for the LORD.   We need to read His Word daily, and pray frequently throughout the day.  That way you learn of His love and tender mercies and His attributes, and you will draw closer to Him as a result.   You will have a close, personal, intimate, love relationship with Him, and He desires that from you.

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. "  -   James 4:8

Romans 10:9.10.13 tells us (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 on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life!

"God Will Carry You Through" (Sermon by Charles Lawson) - Inspirational Weekend

In the last post on this blog, we discussed how God understands us.  Following is a 39 minute sermon by Pastor Charles Lawson titled  "A God Who's For Us".  

It is an encouraging sermon. Pastor Lawson reminds us that we are complete in Christ.  

Hebrews 13:5 tells us, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:  for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

One commentator has said, "Seek to be able to trust God's promises with simple and childlike faith.  Rest upon it....... Coming where it does, this promise is meant to reassure us in whatever position we are.....The words must mean that God will be in all our circumstances....... "I will not leave thee" must mean I will guide thee:  choose thy lot, appoint thy changes; where thou comest thou shalt be brought by Me."

What comforting and reassuring words from Hebrews 13:5 !!

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests  be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  -  Philippians 4:6-7

"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."                          1 Corinthians 2:5

What if you are not saved, not a believer in Jesus Christ as the Savior?   Following are some Scriptures for you:

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us:  (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."

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him."  -    1 John 5:1

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."        -          1 John 5:13

"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."     -   John 3:16

Jesus loves you and is waiting for you with open arms to embrace you with love and forgiveness if you repent and believe in Him as the Savior with all of your very being.  

Surrender to Him now while there is still time!

"(For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)    - 2 Corinthians 6:2 

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend...... and life !!

"Guess Who Understands?" - Inspirational Weekend

                                                     

  My computer is acting up so I pray I can finish this post. 

"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always  by all means.  The Lord  be with you all."  -  2 Thessalonians 3:16

True believers have the love of God to help sustain them, and to give them hope.   Jesus paid their sin debt in full by His shed blood at Calvary.   Past sins no longer apply once you are saved; you have  been washed clean by the  blood of Jesus when you put your faith and trust in Him and you believe in Him as the Savior.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit."    Romans 8:1

Isn't that the personification of a loving and caring Heavenly Father!  And Jesus loves us so much that He gave His life a ransom so that if we but believe in Him we may gain eternal life.  Such love!

God and Jesus truly understand us.   Following is a devotional quote by A.W. Tozer on this subject:

"We should revel in the joy of believing that God is the sum of all patience and the true essence of kindly good will!   Because He is what He is, we please Him most, not by frantically trying to make ourselves good, but by throwing ourselves into His arms with all our imperfections and believing that He understands everything --  and loves us still!  The God Who desires our fellowship and communion is not hard to please, although He may chasten us, He  even does this with a smile -  the proud, tender smile of a Father Who is bursting with pleasure over an imperfect son who is coming every day to look more and more like the One whose child he is!  This is the best of good news!  God loves us for ourselves. He values our love more than He values galaxies of newly created worlds.  He remembers our frame and knows that we are dust!"

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit."  -  Romans 15:13

"For the joy of the Lord is your strength."  -  Nehemiah 8:10 b

True believers have so much to be thankful for.  Always praise the Lord and tell Him how grateful you are for His goodness and mercy and love.

For those of you who may not be saved, following are some Scriptures for you .

Romans 10: 9, 10, 13 tells us (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."

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"   -  John 11:25-26

,

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -    John 14:6

"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."   -   John 3:16

In order to be saved, you first need to admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior  -  Romans 3:23

Then you need to believe with all your very being that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; the Savior..   -  John 3:16 ;  John 11:25-26

Call out in faith to the Lord; commit your life to Him.        - Romans 10:13

The Lord understands us and is full of tender mercies and loves us more than we can fathom.

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend.... and life!

"Wake Up And Shine For Jesus" (With A Video on Prayer And A Video on Faith) - Inspirational Weekend

As Amir Tsarfati has said,  "We are here for a greater cause, to share the Gospel and to help the church to wake up."

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."   - Jesus at Matthew 6:33

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."   -  Matthew 7:14

Much has been written on this blog concerning prayer, and following is a powerful sermon by Pastor Charles Lawson on prayer.  It will bless you.   

"If you find your life of prayer to be always so short, and so easy, and so spiritual, as to be without cost and strain and sweat to you, you may depend on it, you have not yet begun to pray."   -    Alexander Whyte

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."  -  Philippians 4:6

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."    -  Jesus at Matthew 21:22

"Rest in what God says.  Do not live by your feelings."  -  David Wilkerson

"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 path." -   Proverbs 3:5-6

Following is another sermon by Pastor Charles Lawson, this time on the subject of faith.  I pray you will take the time to watch this 31 minute video.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  -  Hebrews 11:1

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  -  Hebrews 11:6

"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man shall draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." - Hebrews 10:38

The title of this post is "wake up and shine for Jesus".  We need to be awake to the signs of the times; how Bible prophecy is being fulfilled today like never before, proving we are in the last moments of this current dispensation.  Go to the search box in the upper right hand side of this page and enter things like "end times", or "the Rapture" and so on for more information on eschatology.

To wake up and shine for Jesus is to put Him first in our life, and to obey Him, and to follow in His footsteps as closely as we are able.  We should share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with lost souls, and endeavor to live a life that is becoming to a Christian; a life that reflects Jesus.

Remember what the poem in my previous post said?  "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."

Romans 10: 9,10,13 tells us:  (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."

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"  -  Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal  life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  -  Romans 6:23

"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 at John 3:16

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend.... and life !!

"Only One Life" (With Thankfulness Scriptures) - Inspirational Weekend

"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."   -  John 3:16

The above verse is what we should be most thankful about, not only at Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.   Jesus died and suffered a cruel death so that we might gain eternal life, if we but put our faith, trust, and hope in Him.....believe He is the Savior and that He took our place at Calvary to pay our sin debt in full.   Just Believe.      This does not mean mere head knowledge, or only an intellectual belief.  You must  believe with all of your heart, soul, mind, and every fiber of your being that He is the Savior, the only way to God the Father, the only way to heaven.  

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

One must put Jesus FIRST in their life, above anything and above anyone.   If you truly are saved, you will have such love for the good Lord and such gratitude for all He has done for you, that you will be totally surrendered to Him and to His will, not your will.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful."  -  Colossians 3:16

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."             -            1 Thessalonians 5:18

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever."  -  1 Chronicles 16:34

There are many other verses in the Bible that remind us of how thankful and grateful we should be to the good Lord for all of His grace and tender mercies.  We should make it our aim to draw ever closer to Him and to fellowship with Him often.  You cannot have a close relationship with anyone unless you communicate with them regularly.  Pray often and read your Bible daily.  That is the only way to develop a close, personal, intimate, ongoing love relationship with God through His Son Jesus.

Some time ago on this blog I posted a portion of a famous poem by C.T. Studd and provided a link to where readers could view the entire poem.   Now here is the entire poem below.  It is titled, "Only One Life, 'Twill Soon Be Past."

Two little lines I heard one day, traveling along life's busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart, and from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in "that day" my Lord to meet, and stand before His Judgment seat;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice,

Bidding me selfish aims to leave, and to God's holy will to cleave;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its clay I must fulfill,

Living for self or in His will;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,  when satan would a victory score;  when self would seek to have its way,

Then help me Lord with joy to say; 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, in joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e'er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, and from the world now let me turn, living for Thee, and Thee alone, bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne,

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, 

"Thy will be done. And when at last I'll hear the call, I know I'll say "'twas worth it all."  

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.

Extra Stanza:

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.

And when I am dying how happy I'll be, if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

Only one life, It will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.

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

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  -  Philippians 1:21

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth  the will of God abideth forever."  -  1 John 2:17

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !!

"Slim Pickin's ?" - Inspirational Weekend

[Brazilian Cardinal On Coconut Shell On Hawaiian Beach]

Some time ago, from my reference photograph above, I completed an oil painting of this cardinal and titled it "Slim Pickin's".  Although the coconut contained sand from the beach, somehow the bird was finding some "slim pickin's" to nibble on.

It occurred to me just now that many people are surviving on just slim pickin's in their life, with no real "meat" of truth or hope to sustain them.  It's even true with some Christians who never read their Bible and seldom pray.

What to do?

First of all, we must have a vibrant and living faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior.  Without that, you are dead....spiritually dead, and will not make it to heaven.

Secondly, we must die to self.  Yes, in an age where people are always thinking of themselves first and love to take selfie photos and the like, we must learn to put the heavenly Father and Jesus first in our lives.  

"Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay.  But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in."    -   C.S. Lewis (from his book, Mere Christianity)

Let us consider some Christian quotes and, most importantly, some Scriptures which follow that will enrich our soul and mind and heart.

"God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him."  -   James Hudson Taylor

"Life is not about how long you live, but whether you are living intentionally and devotedly to Christ."  -  Dr. Charles Stanley

"Your life helps paint your neighbor's picture of God."   -  unknown

"Being at peace with yourself is a direct result of finding peace with God."  -  Olin  Miller

"The safest place in all the world is in the will of God, and the safest protection in all the world is in the name of God."   -  Warren Wiersbe

[Haleiwa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

Lately, quotes by Christians on this blog have been more rare, as I think we should focus primarily on God's Holy Word. Following are some verses from Psalm 40, which all Christians can relate to:

Psalm 40:1-3 :    (1) "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  (2) He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (3) And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."

"For the joy of the Lord is your strength."  -  Nehemiah 8:10 b

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit."  -   Romans 15:13

"And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart."  -    Jeremiah 29:13

[Waterfall At Waimea Bay Botanical Gardens, Oahu, Hawaii]

Please ponder over the above Scriptures; let them sink deep into your heart.  But nothing compares to actually opening the Bible and pouring over God's Holy Word daily for yourself.   As has been stated here before, the Bible is God's love letter to us, as well as His instruction manual to guide us along life's paths as we endeavor to do His will.   When you read the Bible daily, you learn more about God and His Son Jesus, and you appreciate their attributes and that they personify love.... a love beyond our finite understanding.  You will grow to love the Lord more and more as you read His Holy Word..... you will draw ever closer to Him.

The same applies to daily prayer.  The good Lord wants to fellowship with us.  He loves us.  You cannot  develop a good relationship with anyone if you never communicate with him.   As you read the Bible and pray daily, you will find that you will grow in your relationship to the Lord.   It will become a close, intimate, personal, ongoing love relationship.  Isn't God awesome!

So do not live a life of "slim pickin's".  A life without Jesus is a failure.   True success is a life lived in obedience to Him.

".... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."   -    Jesus at John 10:10

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"    -  John 11:25-26

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -    John 14:6

"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."    John 3:16

  Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend...... and life !!

"You MUST Stop And Watch These Two Phenomenal Recent Video Updates On Current Events And Bible Prophecy Happening Now!" (Amir Tsarfati Update and Pastor J.D. Farag)

The following videos impress upon us that we ARE in the last moments of the end times.  Since I was around 15 years old, the subject of the last days and how long the world would be here and what was true has intrigued me.   My Sunday School teacher back then mentioned something about the year 2000 and one thing led to another and  the result was that the Sunday School teacher began to teach on Bible prophecy after that.  

Having said all that and also that I have ever since been interested in eschatology ---  although I got distracted from it for awhile; it was on my mind often even at the young age of 15 and thereafter,  and in High School I wrote short essays about it for my English Class.  The good Lord knew back then that I would, in my old age, write about Bible prophecy.

I can honestly say that I have never heard anything to excite me and touch my heart and soul about Jesus' return as much as the following video by Amir Tsarfati.  (Except, of course, the Bible itself!) The Rapture of the Church seems even more real to me now than ever before. I never doubted  the Rapture all those previous years, but the Holy Spirit impressed upon me even more while watching this video that Jesus is now at the very door! Amir just posted  this video yesterday.  It is only 36 minutes in length.  Don't miss watching it, please!

Just a note to those who are not familiar with this blog, Amir is a Messianic Jew and lives in Israel.  He has a thriving ministry and travels the world  preaching and teaching about the Gospel and end time prophecy.

Following is a prophecy update by J.D. Farag, a well-known pastor in Hawaii.  People all over the world (his online church family) look forward to his Bible Prophecy Update every Sunday. His update was posted on You Tube yesterday as well.

Some Christians are in denial that the Rapture will happen soon, but current events and Bible prophecies being fulfilled at a fast pace today (at warp speed), proclaim loud and clear that Jesus will return any day now.  No one knows the day or the hour, but only God the heavenly Father.

Be ready always!

Read your Bible daily and pray daily.  That way you will draw close to the good Lord and you will begin to realize a close, intimate, personal, loving and ongoing relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Jesus loves you and wants to see you come to a living and vibrant and strong faith and belief in Him as the Savior.

Romans 10:9,10, 13, tells us: (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."

"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."   -  John 3:16

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"    -  John 11:25, 26

"Pray Always And Pray Effectual Prayers - Do Not Be Lukewarm" (Video On Prayer By Pastor Adrian Rogers) - Inspirational Weekend

[Waterfall At Descanso Gardens Outside Los Angeles, California]

Monday of this week, the good Lord admonished me and corrected me in the matter of prayer.  I pray everyday and talk to Him throughout the day, but lately they have been short prayers.  It was as if He was telling me to spend even more time with Him on my knees.  It also occurred to me that the Lord wanted me to share more about prayer with you friends here.  Actually, last year I did write an article titled "Faith and Prayer Work Together".  There were two short sermon clips included in that post which were by Andrew Murray; one clip on prayer, and the other clip on faith.  Here is the link to that article:
https://inspiringnaturephotography.blogspot.com/search?q=faith+and+prayer+work+together

Prayer is commanded.  If we are not praying and do not have the desire to pray, then we need to ask ourselves if we sincerely desire time with God, or are we self-absorbed and think only about our fleshly desires and what this world offers.

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:  the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  -  Jesus at Matthew 26:41

We do not want to fall into the category mentioned by Jesus at John 8:47, which follows:

"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

Keep in mind in the above Scripture, that Jesus was talking to the hypocritical Pharisees and religious leaders.  So if you are a true believer that verse does not apply to you.   However, there are many who profess to be Christians who are not; they claim to be Christians, but it is in name only.  Granted, some may believe they actually are Christians, when in reality they are lost. We need to help them to come to truly know Jesus as their Savior and for them to love Him with all of their being: heart, mind, soul and spirit.  When you learn to put God and Jesus first, and to love Him deeply, you will want to spend much time with Him in prayer and in reading His Holy Word.

E.M. Bounds, who has written many insightful articles on prayer (I have a large book which includes most, if not all, of his thoughts on prayer), has a lot to say about the necessity of prayer.

He tells us to pray for the desire to pray, for such a desire is God-given and heavenly-born. "Spiritual desire, carried to a high degree, is the evidence of the new birth.  It is born in the renewed soul. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow."  So says Bounds.

"Two things are intolerable to Him (God) - insincerity and lukewarmness," says Bounds, and he goes on to say: "To the Laodiceans He said, in terms of unmistakeable severity  and condemnation:  "I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue  thee out of my mouth."     This quoted verse is found at Revelation 3:16.   When the Lord says in this verse, "I will spue thee out of my mouth," He literally means to vomit.  What a vivid way of depicting His condemnation where lukewarmness is concerned!

Bounds goes on to comment, "This was God's expressed judgment on the lack of fire in one of the churches , and it is His indictment against individual Christians for the fatal want of sacred zeal."

Following is a 44 minute video sermon by Pastor Adrian Rogers on the secret of effectual prayer:

This sermon is the best I have ever heard on the subject of prayer!  Pastor Rogers tells us, among many things, that prayer bonds us with God; and that God wants to work within us through prayer.  Pastor Rogers says that our prayers are not answered because we are not rooted in the purpose of God.

Below is a song  by Tauren Wells titled "When We Pray" :

If you follow this blog, you know there is much information given here on the fact that we are living in the last moments of the last days; and much mention of how ancient Bible prophecies are now coming true.  So much is coming true now that the Bible predicted that many prophecy preachers and scholars say there is no way to keep up with it all; with the convergence of so much prophecy happening at warp speed and all at once now.  Guess what this means?!

Jesus will return any day, any moment now, to take His Bride, the Church, to heaven when He appears in the Rapture!!

Maranatha!  We look forward to that blessed hope!   (Titus 2:13)

Are you Rapture ready?

If you have been saved, born again from above, then you are assured to be taken to heaven when Jesus returns very soon.

If you are carnal, and love the world, and have no desire to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ the Savior, then you are bound for the other alternative.....hell.

But it is not too late!

You do not have to be doomed to eternity in hell!

Jesus loves you and is waiting for you to turn to Him in faith!

Admit you are a sinner and in need of a Savior.  (Romans 3:23)

Believe in Jesus as the Savior and surrender to Him (Romans 6:23 and John 3:16)

Call on the name of the Savior and commit to His will and confess your need of Him   (Romans 10:13)

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us, (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."

"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."   -  John 3:16


Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life!

"Encouragement And Fellowship" (And Important Video by Pastor Jack Hibbs) - Inspirational Weekend

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[Makapu'u Lighthouse, Oahu, Hawaii]

The lighthouse is sometimes thought of by Christians as a symbol for our Savior, Jesus Christ, as most of you are very aware.  It has been mentioned on this blog previously.   The trail to this lighthouse is all uphill, but easy to hike for most.  It is about a 2 mile round trip.  

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I  am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."   -  John 8:12

The way of Salvation by belief in Jesus as the Savior, and belief in His Resurrection, is not difficult.  A young child can understand salvation.   

What is difficult at times is the uphill climb to reach Jesus, so to speak. And once we go through trials, temptations, hardships, and suffering, we must remain on the trail and path to Him and with Him in order to follow Him in faith and follow in His footsteps. 

"Order my steps in thy word: And let not any iniquity have dominion over me."  -  Psalm 119:133

"Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not."   - Psalm 17:8

As mentioned in the above Psalm 119, God's Holy Word, the Bible, will help us to understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  The Bible is God's love letter to us, as well as His instruction manual for us.  He speaks to us as we read His written Word and we will appreciate and be grateful to Him and Jesus for their love and guidance and tender mercies. Jesus showed His great love for us by dying in our place and paying our sin debt so that we may gain eternal life by faith in Him.

Talk about encouragement and fellowship:  The most important fellowship ever is to be found with our heavenly Father and with Jesus when we read the Bible and pray without ceasing.  When we have a close, personal, intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son, He will always be near us to comfort us, encourage us, strengthen us, and we will experience a love like none other.  God loves it when we draw near to Him, and He will never abandon us.  (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:6)

"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."  -   Jesus speaking at John 14:21

What this article is leading up to now is the fact that we need to associate with and have fellowship with other believers. Most of us are familiar with Hebrews 10:24, 25 which follows:

(24) "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

The good Lord takes note of our trust and belief in Him , as well as our actions and our speech.

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened , and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name."  -  Malachi 3:16

When Malachi wrote the above, Israel, as usual, was in disobedience to God.  But there were these few that feared God who spoke often, no doubt, to each other about the Lord.  See how God treats such persons: He paid attention to their words and faith and their hearts and approved of their pure attitude and conversation and a book of remembrance was written.   

The good Lord must also be pleased when true believers gather together and speak of Him and Jesus in our church services today, as well as in other gatherings.

We were not meant to be an island, keeping to ourselves.  

Remember, when Jesus sent His disciples in His own lifetime to preach the gospel, He sent them out by twos.  What the apostles needed in their journeys as preachers, we need equally on our journey through life.  We today need the love and encouragement and spiritual support of other believers.  I thank the good Lord for my loving church family.

All true believers know all that is mentioned above, but there may be some reading this that never attend church, and need the encouragement to do so.  

It is urgent that we encourage one another today, as the world has gotten more evil and corrupt.   The good news is that soon Jesus will Rapture His Bride (the Church) to be in heaven with Him.

Most of you are familiar with signs of the end times in which we find ourselves today.  We do not know the day or the hour of the Lord's return, but Jesus gave us signs to watch for so that we would know the "season" of His return.   Read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 for these signs.

I wanted to share with you a recent video concerning Bible prophecy by Pastor Jack Hibbs and Don Stewart.  They cover current events as it relates to the prophecies in the Bible, and Pastor Jack gives a wonderful concluding prayer at the end.  They tell us not to be scared by prophecies, but rather that they are to help you to be prepared.  They tell us that Russia just recently has moved super-bombers to South Africa;  there is much valuable information in this 1 hour and 29 minute video.  I hope you will be able to watch the entire discourse.

"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light...."      -     Jesus at John 12:36 a

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." -    2 Corinthians 4:6

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."  -     1 John 1:7

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us, (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."

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend.... and life !!