"Our Choices Have Consequences!" (With Videos - One On the Bible's "Mark of The Beast") - Inspirational Weekend

 

When we are young, we tend to often act without thinking things through first.  Sadly, that is also true at times when we become mature adults.  Part of that is the result of acting immediately on feelings (such as hurt or anger), without realizing or even caring that what we do or say may affect others, as well as ourselves, adversely -  if not at the present time, then further down the road in our unknown future.

Take, for instance, the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden.   We all know the bad choice they made -  disobeying God, big time!  Their disobedience not only affected themselves, but all of mankind right up until our present time!   They introduced sin into what was once a perfect paradise, and look where we are now.  

But God!

The loving heavenly Father made a way for humans to be reconciled to Him - through the sacrificial and redeeming death of His Son, Jesus, who paid our sin debt for us - so that by faith in Him as the Savior, we may have life everlasting and forgiveness for our sins !  What love and mercy in God's heart for mankind!

Following is a 15 minute video on the subject of how our choices have consequences -  even of "monumental proportions"!

One important thought brought out in the above video :  besides Adam and Eve playing the "blame game" -  is the following thought:  There will be a Judgment Day!  Man was created as a spiritual being, and that spirit can never be destroyed.  Therefore, any punishment a person will have to endure will be a lasting one - never ending.

But if you are a born again believer (by a spiritual birth from above) ; if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior and have repented of your sins and sincerely pray for forgiveness, you have a wonderful hope of future bliss in heaven when you die!  God is love, and He forgives abundantly!  

(Verses on Salvation to follow).

Another recent Christian video follows with information on the "mark of the beast" of the Bible book of Revelation.  One thing to note:  "It is all about the battle of who to worship!"  The following 15 minute video tells us that even with the mark of the beast, the issue is all about "who" to worship.  If one takes the mark of the beast during the 7 year Tribulation, that person shows he directs his allegiance to and worship to the antichrist.  

Remember, the devil tempted Jesus Himself to worship him!

"Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and said unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.   Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him."  -  Matthew 4:8-11

We Christians, true believers in the Savior, must follow Jesus' example !  Rebuke the devil!  Do not listen to that deceiver's lies !  The devil will lie to you through other people -  be cautious and discerning!  Beware of anyone who constantly lies and deceives.

That is one reason to be constantly in prayer and in the reading and studying of God's Holy Word, the Bible !  It will give you strength and discernment.  But most importantly, it will draw you closer to the good Lord !  When you communicate almost non-stop with God and Jesus, you will feel His presence and guidance and understand better what His will is, not only for you personally, but for mankind in general.   The blessedness of fellowship with the Lord (and He does desire our fellowship) is that you will have a personal, close, intimate, loving, trusting, and lasting relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ!   How awesome is that!  It is the heavenly Father's will that we do so!

Here is a partial quote from A.W. Tozer: "Do not try to short-circuit God's plans for your discipleship and spiritual maturity here.  If you and I were prepared for heaven in the moment of our conversion, God would have taken us home instantly!.  .......   God can be known only as He reveals Himself!  I have found this to be a fact: every redeemed human being needs the humility of spirit that can only be brought about by the manifest Presence of God.  This mysterious yet gracious Presence is the air of life eternal.  It is the music of existence, the poetry of the Christian life.  It is the beauty and wonder of being one of Christ's own -  a sinner born again, regenerated, created anew to bring glory to God!  To live surrounded by this sense of God is not only beautiful and desirable, but it is imperative!" - end

What Tozer said above about God revealing Himself:  God does this through the Bible, events in your life and in the heavens, through other godly people, and the list goes on.  But for this to be so, you need to be in communion with the good Lord often to hear Him "speak" and for Him to "reveal" Himself to you and your heart and soul.  

Pray without ceasing!

Constantly pour over His holy word!

Have faith and believe!

"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 at John 14:21

Also, at John 14:23 =  "Jesus  answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

"All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."     -  John 6:37

"Excuses are the cradle that satan rocks men off to sleep in."  -  unknown

"Because where we put our hope and what we put our hope in will truly determine how we live."  -  Peter Eide

"Satan can climb housetops, and enter closets, and even if we could shut out that foul fiend, our own corruptions are enough to work our ruin unless grace prevent."  -  Charles Spurgeon

"God wants full custody, not just weekend visits."  - unknown

"A prayerless spirit has no affinity for a clean heart.  Prayer and a pure heart go hand in hand.  Purity of heart follows praying, while prayer is the natural, spontaneous outflowing of a heart made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ."  -   E.M. Bounds

Following are Salvation Scriptures for those reading this article that may not be saved; or for those who are in doubt of their salvation.   By the way, doubt of your salvation is a trick of the devil to bring you down, for the most part.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."  Romans 8:16   

"For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."  -  Galatians 3:26

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -   John 3:36

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."    -  John 3:3

"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 !

"There Is An Expiration Date!" (With Video by Adrian Rogers) - Inspirational Weekend

[Diamond Head Beach and Lighthouse, Oahu, Hawaii]

Most of us are aware that Christians have applied a lighthouse as a symbol of Jesus Christ,  Who is our guiding light.   We are now living in the Age of Grace, or the Church Age.  For that, there is an expiration date !   And it will expire very soon !

For Christians, be Rapture ready!  Be occupied with the Lord's work and sharing the Gospel -  the life and teachings of Jesus and His deity, and His death, burial, and resurrection.   Because He took on all of our sins at the Cross, and shed His blood so that we might be washed clean when we put our faith in Him and believe He is the Savior, the 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

"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

Please read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 .   There it mentions various signs that would occur during the end times.   You will discern that many of these signs are occurring right now, proving that Jesus will return soon to rapture true believers to be in heaven with Him.   Never before have all of these signs converged at one time like they are right now.  Even children can recognize this is an evil world, corrupt and chaotic.  

"Woe unto them  that call evil good, and good evil;  that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter !"   -   Isaiah 5:20

The above verse in Isaiah aptly describes today's world, where evil insists that we accept the world's views on various things and lifestyles, and which the world claims is okay despite what the Bible clearly admonishes us against.

Yes, as many of you realize, we are living in the last moments of the last days.   I have written much about this on this blog.  Following is a previous article of mine which tells of the days of Noah, the giants, the origin of demons, and the altering of DNA in humans (and animals) which helps us to realize that we are living in the last days.... the last moments of the church age, when Jesus will return soon to take believers to heaven.  The 8-27-2019 article mentioned explains how the age we live in now is truly like the days of Noah, and ripe for God's intervention and first for Jesus to rapture true believers to heaven before the judgments and plagues and wrath poured out on those unsaved people during the 7 year Tribulation. 

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."     -     Jesus at Matthew 24:37

My computer is acting up again,  and will not allow me to link to the article mentioned above.   Just scroll down to my previous post on Tuesday, August 27, 2019, and you may read it there.

[Rainbow at Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii]

Whenever I see a rainbow, I am reminded of God's many promises.  He has promised a glorious future for true believers in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior.

Following is a 40 minute sermon on the Rapture by Adrian Rogers, who has gone on now to be in heaven with the good Lord.  He states in this sermon that the world is on a collision course with destiny.

Yes, there is an expiration date approaching for this wicked world.  Be ever mindful of and faithful to the good Lord in our minds and hearts and speech and actions.   Live totally surrendered to Him and seek to do His will always.   

A. W. Tozer has said, "A satisfactory spiritual life will begin with a complete change in relation between God and the sinner; not a judicial change merely, but a conscious and experienced change affecting the sinner's whole nature.  The atonement in Jesus' blood makes such a change judicially possible and the working of the Holy Spirit makes it emotionally satisfying."

Unbelievers, now is the time to get right with the good Lord and surrender your life to Jesus; believe in Him as the Savior, and you will be sealed by the Holy Spirit as a child of God forever.

Ephesians 1:13 tells us, "In whom ye also trusted, after that we heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:  in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, "

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

(note: sometimes at the top of my blog, it says "Not Secure".   I have corrected that only to have it revert back to the same message.  This blog IS secure.   It could be just a glitch as my computer has been acting up a lot lately.)

"Itching Ears" (With Sermon Video by Jonathan Edwards) - Inspirational Weekend

The above photograph of mine, which is of a sleeping, tiny Fennec Fox, shows a good view of its extremely large ears, which are from 5 to 6 inches long.  These adorable creatures are found in the deserts of North Africa and Saudi Arabia.  Their large ears help to dissipate the heat.  

This photo is not a good example of "itching ears", but I will rectify that soon with the following information.  It is the only photo I have depicting ears as the primary focus.  Well, I also have other photographs of this tiny desert fox.

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."  -  2 Timothy 4:3

Itching, as we all realize, causes us to scratch, and then to scratch some more to get relief.  Recently, I ran across a quote by A. W. Tozer in which he said that he had come across a commentator that remarked that in the apostle Paul's day (Paul wrote 2 Timothy)

 the pigs had a disease which they called "itching ears".  It seems the pigs ears got inflamed and the only way the pigs could get relief was by going to a pile of rocks to rub their ears against them, as the stones gave them temporary relief from the itching."

Tozer goes on to say:  "I am running into Christians here and there who are just like that.  They love pleasure more than God and  will not endure sound doctrine.  They have itching ears so they will be eager for something else beside the sound doctrine and holy ways.  They will pile up teachers everywhere and rub their ears for dear life."

Another commentator says that these people are "suffering mentally which is soothed by external applications of fantastic myths and high-flown phrases."

Also, these people will have ears that want to hear a "soft and watered-down message", one that does not prick their conscience or remind them of their secret sins.  They have "pet" lusts and sins that they do not want to give up. 

Granted, it is not always the people, as they cannot control what comes to them from the pulpit.   Many churches today are seeker-friendly and do not want to offend anyone by hard doctrine and the need to repent from your sins or suffer the consequences in hell.  

Many see church as a "social club" of sorts.  Actually, in some cases that is very true.  Numerous churches, in an effort not to offend anyone, abandon sound doctrine and some churches even become very worldly, especially in the music and entertainment department; but in other ways as well.  

But back to "itching ears" .   Many people could be cured of this "disease" if they would only develop a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  We don't need to be enthralled by charismatic personalities who preach watered-down messages to please the people.    We need instead a strong relationship with God and Jesus.   We develop this relationship by frequent prayer and by pouring daily over God's Holy Word.  You cannot develop a relationship unless you communicate with a Person.   Much prayer !   

All of this is important, but unless a person is born again (John 3:3) he will not have the Holy Spirit to guide him in a walk with the good Lord; he will not completely understand the Bible unless the Holy Spirit resides within him.   So how do you become "born again"?  

Repent of your sins.  That means more than just feeling bad about our sins.   It means to completely give them up and do not go back to a life of sin.   It means a change of mind and heart.   It means to be sincere in asking the good Lord for forgiveness.  But you cannot truly be saved unless you have faith and believe that Jesus is the Savior and that only He can save you.   He took your place at the cross!  He died for you and me, so that if we but believe in Him we can have eternal life.  

If you are truly saved - truly born again -  the Holy Spirit will come and reside with you.  He will help you to live a godly life and to not cling to your old life of sin.   He will give you hope and a purpose.  A purpose to live totally for the Lord and to spread the Gospel.  You will no longer desire your past lusts and you will be a new creation.   You need to then find a Bible based church, one that preaches the Gospel and focuses on Christ and not on social concerns.  

"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

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -   John 3:3

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

Time is short before the Rapture of true believers.  

Turn to Jesus now before it is too late !

Jesus loves you !

He will welcome you with open arms of forgiveness and love when you turn to Him in belief and heartfelt repentance!

Following is a 38 minute audio video sermon by Puritan Jonathan Edwards.  In the beginning few minutes he discusses "itching ears".

One thing brought out in this sermon is,  "Truth is a straight line that never bends -  it won't bend in the least degree to suit the lust of men."  Another quote from the above sermon:  "You cannot conform the truth to your inclinations.  Let your inclinations be conformed to the truth."  He speaks much of the lust of men and how men attempt to change principles to suit their lusts.  It is a good sermon and therefore I included it here, but it only gives a few minutes to the subject of "itching ears."    

Ephesians 3:16-19 says:  (16)  That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; (17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18)  May be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  (19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

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

"We Are At The Finish Line" (With Video On Bible Prophecy And Current Events) - Inspirational Weekend

As you can see in my photograph above, this Hawaiian Moorhen is standing in waters surrounded by tangled tree branches.   Sometimes we can feel knee deep in troubled waters and entangled in prison-like barriers that keep us from our full potential of being an effective witness for Jesus.   We may have many obstacles that keep us in a state of depression or of not knowing the way out.   

But a true believer will not stay in a depressed state for long if he will turn to the Lord in prayer and leave his burdens at the foot of the cross......in Jesus' capable hands of love and compassion.   

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."  -  1 Peter 5:7

America has recently suffered two horrific hurricanes and another is making its way to the East Coast right now.   But keep in mind that many other disasters are happening across the Globe which have killed thousands of persons.   America is having wildfires raging in several states, and wildfires are occurring in other countries at the present time as well.  I say all this not to preach doom and gloom, but to emphasize that there is plenty we could be depressed about and we should care about the unfortunate victims of these disasters and help them in any way we can.  If you are poor and cannot financially help, you can certainly pray for them.

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth  and travaileth in pain together until now."                          -  Romans 8:22

Many things.... hundreds of signs... that are happening right now prove that we are "at the finish line"  -  the last hour of the last days.  Many Bible prophecies are converging at the present time.  

For true believers, this means Jesus will return soon to Rapture them to be with Him in heaven and later with Him on earth during the millennium reign.  This is something we eagerly look forward to... all eternity with the Lord.

Don't be depressed...Look up and watch for the Lord's soon return.  (Luke 21:28).  

Following is a video on current events and Bible prophecy in which Amir Tsarfati gives an excellent take on current world events.

"Why should I be concerned with Bible Prophecy?  I have so many problems to deal with as it is," you may ask.   The devil likes to keep us busy with all kinds of things that distract us from the Lord and His will.  We don't pray because we think we don't have time; and prayer is vital for a close relationship with God.  We don't read the Bible because, again, we don't believe we have the time.  The Bible is God's Holy Word, our Love Letter from Him, and our Instruction Manual for living a life that is pleasing to Him.  By the reading of His Word, we come to really really know the Lord and His attributes and His will, thereby helping us to have a dynamic and living relationship with Him.   

"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent."   -  Jesus speaking at John 17:3

This "knowing" is not just head knowledge;  it is a relationship, an understanding of His will, and a thirst to know Him more and more intimately and our wanting to please Him in all we do, and say, and in the way we live our lives......to be more like Christ.  This knowing Jesus involves the heart and the soul. It is your very life.   They say people know you by the company  you keep;   be best friends and company with the Lord Jesus Christ.  If you are always in prayer and pour over His Word diligently, you will  become more Christ-like, and thereby be pleasing to the Lord.

My photograph above of the Hawaiian Black-Crowned Night Heron with the small fish in its bill reminds me of how the devil fishes around to snatch as many people as he can in his evil grasp to deceive and destroy them.  

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."  -  1 Peter 5:8

Satan will NOT devour you if you are walking hand in hand with Jesus and if you have a close, personal, and intimate relationship with the Lord.  If you are deliberately sinning to indulge your lustful desires and sinful self-will, then beware.   The Lord wants only those who surrender to Him and who obey Him, and by that show that they love Him.

"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 at John 14:21

Now is not the time to be preoccupied with the things of the world.  We need to be spiritually minded and seek the Lord continually.  Someone once said, "Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we forget the journey."   Of course we should concern ourselves with heavenly things and look forward to being with the Lord (the destination), but we also need to live (the journey) in a way that pleases Him and leads many others to faith in Jesus.  Once saved, we should not become passive "couch-potato" Christians. We should be busy doing the Lord's work.

"God wants the whole person and He will not rest till He gets us in entirety.  No part of the man will do."  -  A.W. Tozer

Don't waste your life.  

Remember that we are at the finish line.

Do not be distracted away from the Lord.

Time on this earth is short.....

 Jesus will return soon.

Will you be ready?

"A man by his sin may waste himself, which is to waste that which on earth is most like God.  This is man's greatest tragedy and God's heaviest grief."  -  A.W. Tozer

"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."              -  Ephesians 4:30

It is all about love and obedience.

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  If a man love Me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him."    -  John 14:23

"The Beauty Of Meekness" - Inspirational Weekend

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a meek person exhibits humbleness, humility, lowliness, and modesty.  The meek do not feel they are better than others, and have a quiet and mild disposition. There is grace and beauty in meekness.  It is one of the fruit of the Spirit :

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law."  -  Galatians 5:22-23

As believers and followers of Jesus, we should endeavor to imitate Him as much as we possibly can. And the Bible tells us that Jesus was meek when He walked the earth about 2000 years ago.  Christ was a perfect model of meekness.  Therefore, we need to be meek individuals as well because we call ourselves Christians.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."   -  Jesus speaking at Matthew 11:29 .

Unfortunately, in today's modern English, "meek" is considered the same as being "weak".  Not so.  Meekness is strength under control. 

"Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method.  The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort."

A. W. Tozer

Meekness is when someone gives you a hard time or physically or verbally abuses you, and you do not retaliate but can still show kindness and feel pity for that person, for he no doubt is a lost soul.  Or a Christian in a weak and sinful moment, perhaps.   You can see, therefore, that a meek person does not show uncontrolled anger, and shows no malice or the wish for revenge.   Meekness is bearing injuries with grace, believing that God will vindicate us. (Romans 12:19)

Moses was a very meek person  (Numbers 12:3).  As a rule, he had a gentleness of spirit.  The apostle Paul was also meek. He endured much wrong and yet suffered it patiently.  

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, said, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5

The above Beatitude is taken from Psalm 37:11, which says,  "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

One commentary states that in the above Psalm, meekness here refers not so much to an attitude toward people as to a disposition before God.... meaning humility.  A willingness to bend, and obey God no matter what.  To realize that the Lord is sovereign and we are His servants.   

Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon concerning meekness and the Beatitude of Matthew 5:5.

In this sermon, Spurgeon explains what it means to "inherit the earth."

Remember, a truly righteous person is meek, and willing to be taught of God and eagerly and reverently pours over God's Holy Word, receiving understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit.  An arrogant and proud person, who thinks he knows all there is to know, is not teachable and will not, as a rule, be drawn to God and His Word.   Remember, God is far from the proud person.

"Though the LORD be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off."  

Psalm 138:6

"The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way."  -  Psalm 25:9

May we be humble and pleasing to God.  May we have a quite and mild spirit and be full of kindness and mercy toward others.  In effect, be imitators of Jesus Christ.

Yes, there is beauty in meekness.  

"For the LORD taketh pleasure in His people:  He will beautify the meek with salvation."

Psalm 149:4

"End-Time Events And The Last Jubilee Year (2017?) - Inspirational Weekend

Would you like a brand new start with all debts forgiven?  To be set "free"?   Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it !   Well, the ancient Israelis were told to have a "Jubilee" year every 50 years, in which that would all happen, making it a new start for everyone at that time.   We all know of the 7 day Sabbath, which is a rest for man.  Then the Jews were to have a 7 year Sabbath, which was a rest for the land.   Dan Goodwin, author and Bible prophecy speaker and evangelist, calls the Jubilee year a "Super Sabbath."  Please watch the informative video that follows.

We all remember the Israeli 6 day war of 1967.   Mr. Goodwin and others believe that might have been a Jubilee year, which would make 2017 another Jubilee year.  No one is exactly sure when the Jubilee is today because the Jews stopped celebrating it long ago around the Second Century BCE.  In the video above, Dan Goodwin believes 2017 is very significant as he believes the Lord Jesus Christ could possibly return then.....although he makes it clear he is not date setting.   Jesus in the Bible at Matthew 24:36 tells us, "But of that day and hour knoweth  no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only."

Jesus also in Matthew 24 and other Gospel books told us signs of His near return; that we would recognize it as near; that we would be aware of the season and its significance; but it is clear we would not know the exact time of His return.   If we did, His return would not be imminent, as the Bible teaches us.  

This 50th year occurs on one of God's Feast Days - the Day of Atonement.  (Leviticus 16; 23:26-32). Today it is commonly called Yom Kippur.  It typifies or points to the work of Christ, who is our High Priest (Hebrews 13:11-12).

In the above video, Mr. Goodwin speaks of an ancient Hebrew, Judah Ben Samuel, who gave prophecies concerning the future Jubilees, including one that says 2017 would be significant.   Here is a link, and another link to the year 2012 articles about Judah Ben Samuel's prophecies, for those who are interested in pursuing this further.   Like Dan Goodwin, I do not put my hope and belief in what a certain man says, but only in what God's Word the Bible tells us....and through what the prophets in the Bible spoke by God's Holy Spirit.

However, we are definitely living in the last of the last days.   Bible prophecy is being fulfilled daily...right in front of us, and is occurring more frequently and with greater intensity than ever before.    This means we are to be watchful and looking up for the Lord's return.  And, as I have said many times previously, we need to be living a life that is pleasing to Jesus and totally surrendered to Him and His will.   This reminds me of the hymn "I Surrender All", which I have posted here before but feel the urge to post it again.

 

I am also reminded of the quote by Adrian Rogers:  "If satan can't make you bad, he'll make you busy."  

We can get so caught up in our careers and day to day cares and concerns, that we don't take the time to pray and read the Bible.  That is so sad, because that is how we can grow and mature as effective Christians and, most importantly, to have a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Unless you spend quality time with someone...talking, sharing, and showing love and concern, you really never come to truly KNOW that person.  The same is true of God.   James 4:8a says, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you."

"Modern mankind can go anywhere, do everything and be completely curious about the universe.  But only a rare person now and then is curious enough to want to know God."  -  A. W. Tozer

"The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him."  -  Ezra 8:22b

"Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near."  -  Isaiah 55:6

Have a blessed weekend !  Remember, God loves you and He is near, waiting for you to turn to Him with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength  (Mark 12:30-31).  Don't delay !  

"The Lukewarm Church Is Asleep" - Inspirational Weekend

Is the church you attend lukewarm or asleep or perhaps compromising with the world or being "user-friendly" to draw more attendance?    Truly, the church today, as a whole, is compromising with the world in an effort to enlarge membership and are really just drifting away from the true Gospel.  I have visited many churches, and have seen this first hand.   Churches want to entertain and be a social outlet more than preach the meaty Scriptures that can save souls.   I want to be clear that this is the church in general; there are still churches around that are Christ-centered and that do not compromise the Word of God in any way whatsoever.   Thank the good Lord for that !  Find one of those churches immediately if the one you now attend is lukewarm or compromises with the world.

"Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people.  It is not raising the moral level of society; it is descending to society's own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender."  -  A.W. Tozer

Jesus makes it plain how he feels about a lukewarm church in Revelation 3:15-16,  "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:  I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  "   In other words, the church at Laodicea made Jesus want to vomit, He was so disgusted with them for their lukewarmness; they sickened Him.   Lukewarm people claim to know God, but live like He doesn't even exist.   If they go to church, they are self-righteous in their complacency.   Their hearts are not right with God and remain unchanged.

Revelation 3:20 is speaking primarily to the Laodicean church, but it can also apply to the individual as well:  Jesus says,  "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."  

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, presents Himself not only to the church as a whole, but to the door of an individual's heart.   The movement toward reconciliation is originated by the Savior ....."Behold, I stand at the door and knock".     Please open the door and let Him in, before He stops knocking and perhaps never returns again.   Christ's knocking at the door shows tenderness.  This reminds me of the hymn, "Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling"  which may be heard directly below.

We want to make sure that we, in our hearts and minds, are NOT lukewarm towards God.   We need to be preaching the Gospel to lost souls and generally be on fire with zeal for the things of the Lord.  Examine yourselves, and get rid of any laziness of spirit where the Lord's work is concerned.   We do not want God and Jesus to be disgusted with us because we put forth no effort to do His work, and we showed nothing but indifference.   If you are lukewarm, you have good reason to dread the indignation of the Savior.

Remember, if you're headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns.   Your lukewarmness can be forgiven once you confess it, repent of it, and have a change of heart where you have a heart-felt passion for the Lord and His work.   

Just like the first century church, the church today is still asleep.   Below is a video that touches on that subject and others.