"The Anchor Of The Soul" - Inspirational Weekend

As many of you may know, the Lord has many names.  One of them is found at Jeremiah 17:7 which tells us :"Blessed is the man that trusted in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is."

In a round about way you could say, from the above verse that God (Jesus) is our hope.   I mean, He is our hope most definitely, but Jeremiah 17:7 doesn't say it directly, just that our hope in the Lord will give us blessings.


"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 Ghost."  -    Romans 15:13

For believers in Jesus Christ as the Savior, our ultimate hope is to be with Him in heaven.

Titus 2:13 says " Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious  appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."

Speaking of when Jesus returns soon for the Rapture of His true believers,  1 Thessalonians 4:17 tells us : "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."      What a wonderful and glorious hope!

Following is a moving song about the anchor of hope:

Hebrews 6:19  tells us: "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the veil."

Hope is an anchor; Jesus is hope and is also an anchor. 

Following is a partial quote from Adam Clarke's Commentary on Hebrews 6:19 :

"The hope of eternal life is here represented as the soul's anchor; the world is the boisterous, dangerous sea; the Christian course , the Voyage; the port is everlasting felicity; and the veil or inner road, the royal dock in which that anchor was cast......  the soul may be strongly tossed ....but the anchor is in sure ground, and itself is steadfast; it does not drag, and it does not break; faith, like the cable,.... is the connecting medium between the ship and the anchor, or the soul and its hope of heaven; faith sees the haven, hope desires and anticipates the rest;  faith, works, and hope holds fast; and shortly the soul enters into the haven of eternal repose."

A wonderful explanation of the part of Hebrews 6:19 that tells us :  "And which entereth into that within the veil"    follows by Albert Barnes' Notes :

"The illusion to the "anchor" here is dropped, and the apostle speaks simply of hope.  The "veil" here refers to what in the temple divided the holy from the most holy place.  The place "within the veil" - the most holy place- was regarded as God's Special Abode -  where He dwelt by the visible symbol of His presence.  That Holy place was emblematic of heaven; and the idea here is that the hope of the Christian enters into heaven itself; it takes hold on the throne of God; it is made firm by being fastened there.   It is not the hope of future riches etc., for such a hope would not keep the soul steady; it is the hope of immortal blessedness and purity in the world beyond."

For some believers, they may not feel for sure that they are truly saved; sometimes the devil makes us doubt our salvation.  I would like to give a link here to an article written by me last year.  It has a  brief sermon by Pastor Adrian Rogers about not being a doubting Christian. The sermon is titled: "How to be saved and know it."  Other information with Scriptures is also on that post.  Here is the  link :

https://inspiringnaturephotography.blogspot.com/2019/02/how-to-know-if-you-are-truly-saved-with.html

Have you put your trust and faith in Jesus?  Have you believed that He is the Savior and the only way to heaven and eternal life?  If not, there is no hope for you except eternal separation from God and Jesus.  For all who do not accept Jesus as their Savior will spend eternity in hell.   A bad choice !!

Salvation is simple.  First you must realize that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior.  

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

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

 A person needs to repent and pray for forgiveness.  He needs to realize that Jesus died in our place on the cross to pay our sin debt in full; that His shed blood washes us clean if we believe in His redemptive work at Calvary and have faith and belief that He is the Savior.  This is not intellectual knowledge of Jesus; it is a knowing with all of your very being that He is the Savior and that He is our only hope of eternal life. 

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

 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that beleiveth 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

"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 !!

"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!

"How To Know If You Are Truly Saved" (With Video Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

Have you ever doubted if you were saved or not?  Have you just had a "wait and see" attitude if you will make it to heaven?  In other words, you are not 100% sure of your salvation.  Some think that just because they are perfectly good people in basic qualities and works, that they will probably go to heaven. 

What does the Bible say?  It is God's Holy Word which is the authority on salvation and on the power of the shed blood of Jesus to save you.

1 John 5:11, 12 tells us:  (11) "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

"Whoever 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

If you are "born of God" - or born again - then you can rest assured that you are truly saved and heaven-bound.

"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

To be born again is to put your full trust and faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior , and to follow as closely as you can in His footsteps; to become more Christ like in every way.  If you are sincere in your belief in Jesus, you will repent from all sin and will not return to your former lifestyle of living selfishly and sinfully.  You will pray for forgiveness and endeavor to live a life that is pleasing to the good Lord. 

As pastor Adrian Rogers once said,  "You ought not to be a doubting Christian.  You ought to have a "know-so" salvation."

Following is an excellent 34 minute audio sermon by Adrian Rogers titled:  "How to be saved and know it."  Please take the time to listen to it; it is packed full of little gems of Bible truths on this subject that you do not want to miss.

In the above sermon, Pastor Rogers (now deceased), brings out that most people - concerning their lives - just say "I am doing the best I can."   Many years ago, before I was truly saved, someone asked me if I was born again and the first thing that popped into my head to say was just that: "I am doing the best I can." 

That quoted statement above is indicative of a person depending on self and works.... and not depending upon the saving power of the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary. 

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

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

We have the Holy Spirit to bear witness with our own spirit, which assures us that we are truly saved.  Believe me, if you are born again, you will know it in your spirit.  You will also be a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Your love for Jesus will compel you to live for Him and put Him and God first in your life.  You will live and breathe Him; your focus will be on Him.   Your life and speech and actions and demeanor will reflect Him and manifest His influence in your life.  You will be a new creation !   You will fear to displease Him or grieve Him in any way.

But do not forget that our hearts can be deceitful.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  -   Jeremiah 17:9

Since we can be deceived by our very own hearts, we need a second witness to confirm the testimony of our own.  The Holy Spirit is a fellow-witness.  He will plead for you, and help you to know that you are, in truth, actually born again; actually saved and heaven bound.

"In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."  -  Matthew 18:16 b

Along with faith in the good Lord, we need to develop a strong, close, and intimate love relationship with God through Jesus His Son.  If you are close to the Lord, that alone is proof that you are actually saved and in the will of God.  You need to communicate frequently in prayer with Him.  You cannot get to know a person well unless you are in frequent contact with them and converse with them and share your thoughts, your hurts, your troubles, and your love for them in countless ways.   Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

You can also draw close to the Lord by reading the Bible daily and by memorizing Scriptures and keeping His Holy Word within your heart.  Reading the Bible teaches us about God's attributes and His thoughts and ways -  His desires for us.  By daily Bible reading, we will learn to love Him more and more.  He wants us to live holy lives. 

"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."  -  1 Peter 1:16

If God expects believers to be holy, He means just that.  You cannot willfully and deliberately sin  (fornication, drunkenness, lewdness, and many other sins) and expect to be actually saved.  Especially if you have no remorse for your sins such as sex outside of marriage and other things displeasing to the good Lord.  No remorse when you sin and no conviction from your conscience, means you are not saved.    Repent and turn to the Lord with all of your heart and soul and mind and spirit.


"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


"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


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

"There Is Always Hope" - Inspirational Weekend

There will be no negative headlines in this inspirational post....just calming and assuring Scriptures that are full of hope and better things to come.  Also there is a sermon here on hope by Adrian Rogers.   

Hope from a biblical viewpoint is not "wishful thinking" but a "confident expectation".  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  In a sense, hope is also wrapped up in faith.   Without hope, there seems to be no meaning to life. I have mentioned previously how a few years ago (1998) I literally lost everything and my life seemed hopeless.  I know what it means to do without many necessities.  But that is not what I want to dwell on here, except to say that through reading God's Word and prayer and strength from the Lord, He helped me to hang on and gave me a sense of direction and purpose.   A hope.  Meaning. A close relationship with the Lord.

A favorite verse of mine is found at Hebrews 6:19:  "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the vail;" .  

Following is commentary by Albert Barnes on Hebrews 6:19:    "Hope accomplishes for the soul the same thing which an anchor does for a ship.  It makes it fast and secure.  An anchor preserves a ship when the wind blows, and as long as the anchor holds, so long the ship is safe, and the mariner apprehends no danger.  So with the soul of the Christian.  In the tempests and trials of life, his mind is calm as long as his hope of heaven is firm.  If that gives way, he feels that all is lost."  Regarding the phrase "And which entereth into that within the vail", Barnes continues :  "The allusion to the "anchor" is dropped, and the apostle speaks simply of hope.  The "veil" here refers to what in the temple divided the holy from the most holy place.  The place "within the veil" - the most holy place - was regarded as God's special abode - where He dwelt by the visible symbol of His presence.  That holy place was emblematic of heaven, and the idea here is, that the hope of the Christian enters into heaven itself; it takes hold on the throne of God; it is made firm by being fastened there.  It is not the hope of future riches, honors, or pleasures in this life - for such a hope would not keep the soul steady; it is the hope of immortal blessedness and purity in the world beyond."

Following is a sermon by Adrian Rogers on how to have a steadfast hope in a shaky world.

The most important thing we can do to hang on during trials and hardships is to keep our eyes on the things above and not on earthly, worldly things and the chaos in our troubled world.   As  Colossians 3:1-2 tells us:  "(1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Also we need to keep looking in expectation for the return of our Lord.   That gives hope.  It also inclines believers to purify themselves, to live a godly life now so as to be found "blameless" when Jesus comes again to take us to heaven.   ( 1 John 3:3)

'Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ."  - Titus 2:13    

Truly it is a blessed hope and we should always be looking for Jesus' return. And to tell lost souls about it and the Gospel of Christ.  

So when the world is falling apart, turn to the Lord for hope and encouragement.  The power of the Holy Spirit will produce joy and peace within you

Enjoy the following nature video and have a Christ-centered weekend.

"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

"Is Something Missing? Could It Be The Abundant Life?" - Inspirational Weekend

Do you ever feel like something is missing?  Or that you are missing out on something in your life?  I guess all of us at times feel like there has got to be more than the humdrum, everyday common chores and jobs and existence.   Like, oh, so boring!  Like there is no getting out of the rut you are in? At least, some people feel they are in a rut; I used to feel like that, but no more.   Not since I have tried to put the Lord first in my life and am trying to please Him as best I can.   I am not bragging on myself, I'm bragging on the Lord for changing my heart and my attitude.   So that nagging feeling you have that something is missing could be the abundant life that Jesus promised us, His followers.

What is this abundant life?  It is to live life to the full in faith in Jesus Christ.  It is to have a close, personal and intimate relationship with God through Jesus, our Savior.  

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  -  Jesus speaking at John 10:10  (KJV)

Jesus is referring to abundant life from a heavenly viewpoint, not an earthly one.   Some people read the above verse and think of a prosperous life, or one filled with prestige and power on this earth.   Not so !  Remember that Jesus Himself was poor and meek while on this earth; there is no guarantee that Christians will be rich and powerful, although some of them are just that.   

An abundant life is one that is heavenly or spiritually abundant.  Christians have the Holy Spirit; how abundant is that !!  They have the love and protection of God and Jesus and the hope of eternal life; how awesome !!  And what a comfort to the soul to believe and realize these truths.   Material things in this world do not compare to these blessings of abundant life from a heavenly perspective.   This reminds me of the apostle Paul who had many hardships after being converted to Christianity, yet he truly had an abundant life in Christ.

"I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  -  Paul at Philippians 14:12-13.

I went through an extremely difficult time for a few years, and that verse 13 of Philippians 14 helped see me through as I repeated it over and over,  "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."   There were other verses as well, but that one helped the most and kept me hanging on.   

The word "abundant" in the Greek is "perisson", meaning "exceedingly, very highly, superfluous, beyond measure.......".   Only Jesus could promise us a life like that.   This brings to my mind the Scripture found at 1 Corinthians 2:9,  "But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."  The apostle Paul also says, "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."  -  Ephesians 3:20 

These Scriptures are very encouraging and give us something to hope for and to look forward to.   Goodness knows we need that in this chaotic world in which we live; these last days that now have the threat of World War Three looming ever closer, not to mention all the immorality and the certain collapse of the world's economies.     But if you are familiar with Bible prophecy and are a true believer,  you know there is hope for you with a bright future..... an eternal future with the Lord.   You will not panic, and you will still have a peace in your soul that is from God.   True peace, love, joy, and more are given to us by the Holy Spirit which sealed us at the time of our salvation and will see us through all the turmoil.  (Galatians 5:22-23).

"I have a great need for Christ, I have a great Christ for my need."  -  Charles Spurgeon  

Someone once said, "If the outlook is dark, try the uplook."   Look to Jesus for deliverance and protection.  Faith can work miracles in a person's life and in his attitudes.   To God be all the glory!

Following is a sermon by Adrian Rogers on the abundant life.  

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."  - Colossians 3:1-2

"Do Not Be Fearful - Instead Be Cheerful" - Inspirational Weekend

My photograph above is of a male white-rumped Shama Thrush.  This species was introduced to Hawaii years ago.   It is not a recent photo, but I wanted to share it because over the last weekend one of these beautiful birds surprised me with a visit to my lanai (patio) and gave me quite a cheery visit for 3 days in a row.    Twice as I sat on the lanai, he landed on the ledge and also in my ficus tree and was about 5 feet from me both times....2 different days.   I didn't move an inch and admired him as he sat for a good 4 minutes or so eyeing me as well before he flew away.   With my curtains opened  I enjoyed his many visits beginning on Friday,March 4.  I was so thrilled and happy to have him nearby, but it ended on Monday while he was out there when a neighbor walked by and her cell phone rang loudly and she herself stopped and talked rather loudly in a high-pitched voice.   I never saw the Shama Thrush again after that.   I regret that he is gone, but I have the sweet memory of his visit.  This particular bird is usually found in forests and gardens.  I live in the city.   All my photographs of them were taken at 3 different botanical gardens here on Oahu.  Below is a video of one of them singing his heart out.

For more of my photographs of this beautiful bird, plus an image of a painting I did, and lots more information about the Shama Thrush, click on the link to the right of this page or go here.  Birds never fail to cheer me, even when things aren't going too good.  Besides personal concerns, the world situation is in big trouble; we are in the beginning stages of what some think will turn into World War Three, not to mention a global economic collapse any day now.   I could go on and on, as I keep up with current events from various sources, but what interests me especially is how the Bible predicted these things and a New World Order or a One World Government which is what the powers that be are working towards.   

I hope I have not made you fearful by all the depressing issues mentioned above !!   I have a blessed hope to be in heaven when all hell breaks loose on earth during the Great Tribulation period !   I am concerned about how bad things have gotten, and I am concerned for the lost souls that do not know Jesus as their Savior who will go through a world that will suffer God's wrath because of their wickedness.    If you are a born-again believer, you will not be here during the seven year Tribulation because you will be taken to heaven before those horrendous events occur then.  That is something to give you great cheer and joy, to know you will always be with the Lord.

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you.  He will not leave you or forsake you."  -  Deuteronomy 31:6

Jesus said,  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  -  John 14:27

Fear manifests itself as anxiety, or worry, or any number of phobias. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, the less hold fear and anxiety will have on us.   As Adrian Rogers said, "Joy is an inside job."   When your conscience is clear and you trust the good Lord and have a strong love relationship with Him,  you can lose everything and yet still have joy when you realize that only Jesus can truly complete you......not material things or a new boyfriend .   To have this kind of joy, you must be truly committed to Jesus and surrender all to him.  

Previously, I made a blog post here about how to become full of joy, which is similar material to this post, but I wanted today to stress how we need not be fearful if our heart is right with God and we have been truly saved by belief and trust in Jesus Christ.    I know how fearful I used to be, and I am so grateful that the Lord renewed my mind and brought me out of all of that with His love and grace and tender mercies.   Just focus on God, believe in Jesus; put them first in your life and everything else will fall in place.  Of course, much prayer is needful.  "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  -  2 Timothy 1:7

"The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"  -  Psalm 27:1

"Cheerfulness is a friend to grace.  It puts the heart in tune to praise God and so honors religion by proclaiming to the world that we serve a good master.   Be serious, yet cheerful.  Rejoice in  the Lord always."  -  Thomas Watson

Remember to go to the Lord in prayer at all times with all of your cares and fears. Pour your heart out to Him, hold nothing back.  Prayer is powerful !   God will see you through all of your trials and fears, but you must have faith and truly believe  that He will hear you and answer your sincere prayers, if you ask according to His will.

Below is a wonderful sermon by Adrian Rogers on the subject of joy.

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."  - Proverbs 17:22

"Be Alert and Be Ready" - Inspirational Weekend

"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."       -      Matthew 25:13

Are you ready for the Rapture?  Ready for when Jesus takes His Bride, the Church, true believers, to Heaven right before the seven year tribulation period of horror and judgement and destruction occurs to the left behind ungodly people?   "Give me a break!" some of you may be saying, "The word rapture is not even in the Bible."    Yes it is, in the Latin Vulgate Bible by Jerome in the early 400's !  There the Latin word "Raeptius  or "Rapio" is where the English word "Rapture" developed from.  It means to "seize, snatch, caught up, tear away. "  Rapture in Greek is the word "Harpazo", which means to be taken away or being carried away, to "snatch up" or a "catching away."  This is clearly taught in Scripture:

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  -  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The Rapture is not the same as the Lord's Second Coming.  The Rapture happens before the 7 year tribulation and, at the Rapture, the Lord comes "in the clouds" to meet us "in the air."  1 Thessalonians 4:17.     At the Second Coming, which occurs at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period,  the Lord descends all the way to the earth and stands on the Mount of Olives.   This results in a great earthquake, which is followed by a defeat of God's enemies.   Zechariah 14:3-4

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night to unbelievers.   (1 Thessalonians 5:2).  But those who know Christ as their Savior will be alert and ready and watching for His return.  That is the key:  you have to be a born again believer in the Savior to be ready and alert and to be raptured.  Don't just be a Christian in name only; have a close intimate personal relationship with God and Jesus, and the way to do that is by much prayer and Bible study.  You don't want to be in the position of not being truly saved and have Jesus say to you, "Truly I say to you, I never knew you."

Read your Bible and interpret it literally.   There are over 300 prophecies about the first coming of Jesus (2000 years ago), all of which were literally fulfilled.   So we can be sure the prophecies about the Rapture and His Second Coming will also be literally fulfilled.

Please listen to this lovely song titled "In His 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 .  Don't wait until tomorrow; it may be too late then.   

Did you know there is a crown waiting for all those who are longing for Jesus' return; a crown of righteousness.   2 Timothy 4:8.   Revelation 4:10 tells us that we will cast our crowns at Jesus' feet when we see Him.    

Following is a duet by Celine Dion and Josh Groban  "The Prayer":

Remember, a person who knows and trusts God is free from anxiety and worry concerning the future.  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."   -  Isaiah 26:3

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"  -  Titus 2:13