This is hoping everyone is hanging in there! We Christians have a joyful hope that soon we will be with the Lord - When He returns to take us to heaven in the Rapture of the Church (of true believers in Jesus as the Savior) !!
Meantime, we need to make sure we stay close to the good Lord by much prayer and much Bible reading.
"Dance with abandon, sing at the top of your lungs, give a shout of joy! Jesus has risen and because He has risen, we have risen with Him from death to life! Hallelujah!" - author unknown
Many today are full of fear as to what the future holds. Ponder the following at Psalm 34:4 :
"I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
Matthew Henry comments on Psalm 34:4 as the following portion of his commentary says: "Because the thing we fear is not our trouble only, but our unbelieving distrustful fear of it is our sin, nay, it is more our torment too than the thing itself would be."
This is a short post mainly to share today's recent 29 minute video by prophecywatchers.com, and a discussion between the host Gary Stearman and his guest Pastor Billy Crone. It is concerning the technology of today and how it relates to what was prophesied in the Bible, such as the image of the beast and a cashless society. It is chock full of fascinating and informative information.
"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
"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." - Psalm 16:11
"Then spake Jesus 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
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 :
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 !!
There will be more words of encouragement in this article. We all need encouragement even in "normal" times, and especially now when things such as the lock down have drastically altered our lives.
Our main encouragement should be from the good Lord and from His Holy Word, the Bible. And do not forget to spend much time in prayer. As stated many times previously on this blog, God and Jesus want to fellowship with us! We do that, of course, by prayer and Bible reading. The Bible is God's Love Letter to us, as well as His Instruction Manual. From spending time in God's Word, we learn of His love for us as well as His many attributes and character, which in turn makes us love Him and Jesus even more. The more we fellowship with Him, the more we will develop a strong, living and vibrant, and close relationship with Him - a relationship that will grow and blossom into something beautiful and lasting for all eternity!
Jesus tells us at Mark 12:30-31 : "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely, this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
Yesterday I discovered that the singer Don Moen has his own you tube channel. My favorite song by him is "God will make a way." Most of you are no doubt familiar with it. Here it is for you :
Search for Don's you tube channel by entering there: Don Moen tv
Here is a wonderful 8 minute sample of one of his devotions at his channel.
It is titled: "Promises from God's Word - Be strong and take courage"
"Faith is not to get you out of a hard place but to change your heart IN the hard place." - Pastor David Wilkerson
"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of His saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked." - Psalm 97:10
"Trust in Him at all times; ye people; pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us." - Psalm 62:8
"He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defence; I shall not be moved." - Psalm 62:2
Following is an encouraging devotion from Charles Spurgeon, based on the Scripture at Isaiah 51:5 which says, "On My arm shall they trust."
Spurgeon tells us: " In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a Rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends, but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father's arms, and is blessedly clasped therein ! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for them; for he will learn more of his LORD than at any other time. Oh, tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father ! Now that thou hast only God to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full confidence in Him. Dishonor not thy LORD and Master by unworthy doubts and fears, but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in thy poverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou art in thy weakness when underneath thee are the Everlasting Arms. Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in thy weakness, and magnify His might in the midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy Spirit give you to rest in Jesus ....."
Very heartening and hopeful words above from this "Prince of Preachers", as Spurgeon has been called. Hopefully his devotion and some Scriptures in this post will encourage you to keep on keeping on in today's troubled world.
"Don't let your focus move from God to your circumstances. God always keeps His promise." - Dr. Charles Stanley
"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." - Jesus at John 14:27
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." - Jesus at John 14:1-4
Jesus' words above at John 14:1-4 gives us hope and helps us to endure until He returns to take us home to be with Him in heaven. Which may be very very soon, the way His signs of the end times are now playing out - found at Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
Luke 21:28 is where Jesus has been referring to the signs of the end times (which we are now living in) and then gives us hope by saying "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
If you are not a true believer in the Savior, Jesus Christ, it is urgent that you consider that your eternity will be in hell, unless you repent and turn to Jesus in faith, and believe that His shed blood at Calvary can wash you clean.... wipe the slate clean, so to speak. Your sins will be forgiven. Salvation is not difficult. We simply need to become as little children, who are trusting and humble and obedient to their parents.
"... Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Jesus at Matthew 18:3-4
"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
Where to begin? So much is happening at warp speed right now so far as current events fulfilling Bible prophecy of these end times we are living in now ! I will not concentrate much on the coronavirus in this article, but I do want to urge you to go on the Web and enter ID 2020 Alliance, or ID 2020 Alliance chip. There is a lot of information to be found there on that subject concerning the mandatory vaccine for all citizens of the world in order that you may be tracked and thereby be able to return to work, etc. That vaccine, as I have stated before, will alter your DNA and is dangerous!
Please continue reading here, as towards the end of this article is an encouraging hymn concerning how God will take care of you!
Let us consider an important Scripture:
"Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." - Psalm 78:41
The above verse is referring to the rebellious and stiff-necked people of Israel in ancient times. It would be good if you read, if not all of Psalm 78, then at least verses 36 to 42.
Quoting from an article : "Paul S. Rees in an article entitled "God in Shackles" writes these words: "It is we who put shackles upon God. We cannot keep Him from managing the stars above us, but we can prevent Him from managing the soul within us."
Isn't this a true description of what modern man has done with the God Who created him and the God Who wants to work His will within man!
A definition of the word "limited" as used in Psalm 78 means to "set boundaries upon", or to "set a mark upon."
You've no doubt heard the expression "putting God in a box". It is as if people think that putting God away somewhere in a little box will keep Him from interfering with the way we live our selfish lives. Someone has said , "It is like drawing a boundary line beyond which God must not pass."
Actually, when you think about it, it is like it has been said, "God hangs the planets in outer space, but He has a difficult time managing the human heart because of man's resistance."
Following is a 42 minute audio sermon by Charles Spurgeon on which he bases Psalm 78:41 as the subject.
Spurgeon, in the above sermon, informs us that we limit God by sometimes "Dictation" to Him and other times by "Distrust" of Him. Unbelievable that "some even push sin to the extreme by the utter "Despair" of His goodness and mercy. Spurgeon goes into more detail about the above three mentioned ways we limit God.
One thing that hit home with me in the above sermon (because once I also felt like "The chief of sinners" because of my sins before I was born again by faith in Jesus) -- Spurgeon says that if you feel your sins are too great to be forgiven, "You could never have exceeded the grace of God. God will forgive you!"
Spurgeon says, "God is the most tender of heart than any other being."
Isaiah 55:8, 9 informs us: (8) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
"So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11
Think of all the promises of God found in the Bible - about the end times and the occurrences we see happening right now in fulfillment of His Word and prophecies; think of all the prophecies and promises concerning Jesus the Messiah which were fulfilled 2000 years or so ago when He walked the earth and died for our sins; and be happy about the promise of the soon return of Jesus to take true believers to heaven during the Rapture of the church before the 7 year Tribulation period - and be happy about so many more promises and prophecies !
[Near Sharks' Cove - Oahu, Hawaii]
In today's chaotic and troubled world, we really don't know what to believe anymore, as we are lied to so much. But Christians put their hope, faith, and trust in the good Lord. He does not lie! His Word is truth and life!
"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 paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
God wants us to be dependent upon Him, and to not do things "our way". We need to pray to Him and Jesus to guide us and to help us to do His will. He wants us to believe His promises, and to look for their fulfillment and to do this without doubt, fear, or distrust -"With their whole heart." You are commanded to depend on God Himself and Jesus - not to depend on yourself.
So right now, with the pandemic and the other bothersome occurrences in this present time, we need to look to the good Lord in every thing, in every aspect of how we are to live obediently and to not grieve Him. This lock-down may go on for some time, with various "privileges" partly restored. Many Pastors and scholars of eschatology believe that life will not go back to normal. This is all leading up to the New World Order; the One World Government; the One World Economy, and the One World False Religion. Read Revelation 13, 17, and 18 concerning that. Better yet, read ALL of the Bible Book of Revelation. Think about all of the restrictions and the closure of churches, just to mention a couple of things. (Have you noticed that liquor stores and other non-essential businesses are open.... yet they close the churches on us!!!!) It is good we have technology and the Internet to watch sermons. I am grateful for that and I know you are also.
If you are a true follower of Jesus the Savior, we will not be here to suffer all that is to come - and we will not have to take the mandatory vaccine either. Many pastors and scholars realize and preach that Jesus' return is even more imminent than ever before !
Now that is good news ! Praise the Lord! We are out of here soon! Let us hang on to that blessed hope! (Titus 2:13). To be in heaven with Jesus is so much better.... so much so that words cannot describe the joy and glory of it ! Thank God for His tender mercies and grace and love and forgiveness! Thank Jesus for His sacrificial death which paid our sin debt in full ! By faith in His shed blood and His Redemptive work on the cross, by faith in Jesus as the Savior, we also may have eternal life ! Isn't God good !
Other good news is that millions have been saved during this pandemic..... they have put their faith in Jesus. Also, the sale of Bibles has dramatically increased during this lock down. See how God can bring good out of even bad things?
[Near Bellows Beach - Oahu, Hawaii]
Romans 5:3-5 explains (3) "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience , hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us."
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work." -2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Following is an encouraging hymn on how God will take care of you:
If you have not been saved (born again from above - a spiritual rebirth) then you will have to endure the horrors and devastation and plagues of the Great Tribulation; and if you take the Mark of the Beast in order to buy and sell, you will be doomed to hell forever. Read Revelation 13.
But there is hope for you if you turn to Jesus now in repentance and believe that He is the Savior, and that He is the only way to heaven and eternal life. If you do not do that now and you end up suffering the soon rule of the antichrist, there is still hope for you to be saved during the Trib. for the Bible assures us of that in Revelation 7:9-14.
Revelation 7:14 says: "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
However, if you become a believer during the Tribulation, you do not want to take the Mark of the Beast (the antichrist) in order to buy food, etc., or to sell anything. You will, therefore, either die by starvation, or the antichrist system will eliminate you by beheading you. But you will be immediately at home with the Lord in heaven at your death ! "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" - 2 Corinthians 5:8
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." - Revelation 20:4
Following are some Scriptures for those who are not saved at this present time :
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."
"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 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 !!
Remember pleasures such as enjoying beautiful gardens instead of being cooped up indoors? Well, some good news was published yesterday, Sunday, April 12, 2020. Let us pray that it comes true. Earlier on this blog information was posted about Bill Gates (you know, the one who wants to reduce the world's population) and how he proposes to give mandatory vaccines to the entire world to supposedly stop this coronavirus; this blog reported that that vaccine would alter your DNA and perhaps be a precursor to the Mark of the Beast mentioned in the Bible at Revelation 13. Beware of that vaccine of his.... it also is a tracking method on citizens, as a sermon by J.D. Farag warned us, and which was recently posted to this blog as well. Or go to You Tube and enter "J D Farag" and you will see several informative Bible prophecy updates by him about the virus and also much info concerning the end times we are now a part of.
Below is the 6 minute news video on what this administration is pushing back against:
Put your hope and faith in the good Lord and not in any man or in any government!
Governments are beneficial and even necessary, of course. No problem with that. The meaning is, that if you are a True Believer in Jesus, you will put Him and God First in your life. Do not go against God's Holy Word for any reason. This will especially apply to those who are left behind (after the Rapture to heaven of Christ's sincere and faithful followers) to face the 7 year Tribulation period and during that time of tribulation they become true believers. They do not want to follow the Antichrist for any reason. To do so will damn them to hell.
"Then Peter and the apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." - Acts 5:29
Keep praying!
Stay close to the good Lord by much Bible reading and study as well as prayer.
God wants to fellowship with us. He desires a close, intimate, personal, and loving interaction with us.... through His Son Jesus, the Savior. By doing so, your love and faith in the Lord will grow and grow and your fear will not consume you; your anxiety will not control you as you ponder all the evil and chaos in today's world. You will learn to trust the Lord and to look to Him for peace and guidance. Wonderful advice in the Bible is to learn to "Wait on the Lord". There are several Scriptures that give that advice, but here is one I have hung on to for several years :
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the LORD ." - Psalm 27:14
If you are a true believer in the saving power of our Redeemer and of His shed blood at Calvary, you have a hope that will sustain you through these trials prevalent today. Remember, if all that is happening now points to the fact that the 7 year Tribulation is near, with all of the precursors occurring right now mentioned in the Bible concerning the Trib. , then think how close the Rapture by Jesus of the true believers must be.... the Rapture happens before the Tribulation.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." - Titus 2:13
"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
I was going to post another video about end times signs, but felt instead as if the Lord wanted me to share some hopeful and encouraging Scriptures and thoughts that would uplift your spirits. Please watch an inspiring video towards the end of this article which is titled, "God's Love Letter to us."
"The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." - Jesus at John 6:63 b
In these troubled last moments of the end times we find ourselves living in now, it is imperative that we focus on "things above" to give us hope and strength and a right perspective - a spiritual view.
"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
"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. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." - 1 John 2:15-17
If you are a born again Christian, those words above are very encouraging. And they can be encouraging to unbelievers as well if those Scriptures will help them to come to a saving faith in Jesus the Savior.
But for the here and now, we are stuck in this imperfect and wicked world. We need to occupy until Jesus' soon return; by that is meant to fellowship with the good Lord by much prayer and much Bible study, and to witness to lost souls about salvation found only in Jesus.
Following are scriptures to encourage you and give you hope.
"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
"These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." - Jesus at John 16:33
"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
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:1-2
"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
It is good to read the entire Psalm 23 as well as Psalm 91. You can check the internet for Scriptures that may apply to your particular needs or situation.
The main thing is to focus on living a life that pleases the good Lord and that includes sharing with others the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember to give God the glory in everything!
"Saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." - Revelation 14:7
Time is short!
Jesus could return at any moment to take true believers to be with Him in heaven...... when the Rapture of the Church occurs.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." - Titus 2:13
No one knows the day or the hour of Jesus' return except the Heavenly Father. But we need to make sure that we believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior, and put our hope and faith in Him, so when He does return, we will be rapture ready.
All of the above Scriptures give us hope and encouragement. What a loving and merciful God to write us such a love letter and instruction manual as found in His holy Word, the Bible! With such a hope of eternal life as given by belief in Jesus as the Savior, we can find strength to endure trials and hardships in this imperfect world. We have a hope that soon we will be in heaven with the good Lord. That helps us to endure ! Following is a short video (10 minutes) about God's love letter to us, as if spoken by the Heavenly Father Himself. I have posted it previously, but felt it rather fits this article to share it with you again. It is a very moving and uplifting message.
Jesus loves you and will welcome you with open arms full of compassion and forgiveness.
"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
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!!
In my last article on October 5, 2019, (scroll down directly below) I wrote a bit about the current pope and the coming One World Religion and the New World Order. Following is an informative 16 minute video by Chad Thomas which discusses that in more depth:
I have often written here that God and Jesus want to fellowship with us; we need to have a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can achieve that if we pray often and if we read our Bibles daily. You will thereby come to know and appreciate the love of God and Jesus, and their attributes which makes your love for them grow stronger and stronger. You will want to obey the good Lord out of love and gratitude, and your gratitude will also grow as you see the Lord at work in your life.
Chad, in the video above, says, "What saves a person is not religion, but a relationship with Jesus Christ."
The good news? Jesus saves! It is the love of Jesus that embraces us and His sacrificial death on the cross proves His amazing love for us. He was our substitute at Calvary; He took our place to pay our sin debt, so that if we believe in Him and in His resurrection, we will be saved and have the 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."
And there is more good news! So many true believers today are just plain weary and tired of this evil and perverse world. It has become a more dangerous world; a world where Christians are considered the enemy and even persecuted and put to death. Actually, that sounds more like bad news. But the good news is the fact that all of this proves we are living in the last moments of the last days and that Jesus will return soon and rescue us from this turbulent and satan controlled world..... Jesus will take us to heaven in the Rapture and we will escape the coming 7 year Tribulation, when the wrath of God is poured out upon wicked persons in the form of plagues, and torments, and fire and destruction.
Following is another video (14 minutes long) in which Chad Thomas talks about the Gog and Magog war and the possible reasons why America is not mentioned in the Bible:
What exciting times we are living in now! We are seeing Bible prophecies and/or their precursors converging now like never before. There is nothing to fear if you are a true follower of Jesus Christ.
"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
"... 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 be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." - Jesus at Matthew 10:22
So the end of days is upon us!
We fly Home soon!
All good news for the true believer, except for his concern for unsaved loved ones who will miss the Rapture and be left behind to face the horrors of the 7 year Tribulation, and eternity in hell if they do not believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior now. Some will be saved during the Tribulation period, however. (More good news!) Read Revelation 7.
Revelation 7:13, 14 tells us: (13) "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence come they? (14) And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
The bad news is the fact that many that are left behind and find themselves in the Tribulation period, will take the mark of the beast so that they may buy and sell and obtain food for themselves and their family. Those who take the mark of the beast are damned to hell forever, because they have showed their allegiance to the antichrist instead of to God and Jesus.
Revelation 13:16,17 informs us: (16) "And he [the antichrist] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. (17) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast [antichrist], or the number of his name."
There is good news for true believers during the Tribulation that stay true to the good Lord and who do not take the mark of the beast. True, they will be killed and beheaded for their faithfulness and trust in God and Jesus, but the good news is that they will be rewarded with eternal life and will be with the good Lord.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast [antichrist] , neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." - Revelation 20:4
For true Christians, please warn your unsaved loved ones to not take the mark of the beast during the Tribulation. But better yet, help them to come to a saving faith NOW before the Rapture of believers and the following Tribulation period.
Time is short!
We fly Home soon!
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." - Jesus at Luke 21:28
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !!
Someone has said, "Today's storm is going to bring tomorrow's rainbow."
People today all over the world sense that we are definitely in a storm of sorts right now, what with the evil and chaos and threats of war looming over us. Not to mention corruption in government and how the New World Order is beginning to take shape now, and will be full blown during the 7 year Tribulation period. I have written much about the end times on this blog. If you go to the search box at the right side of this post and towards the top of the page, you may type in "end times" or "7 year tribulation" or "The Rapture" and other similar topics pertaining to these last days we find ourselves living in right now.....the very last moments of the end times describes where we are now on the prophetic time clock. I will not repeat myself here of the same information written previously.
So we are in a storm right now, so to speak, concerning the turmoil of these prophesied end times.
So where or what is the promised rainbow of tomorrow?
True believers in the Savior, Jesus Christ, know the answer to that question.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." - Titus 2:13
Yes, Jesus will return any moment now to rapture true believers to be with Him in heaven. This will occur before the Tribulation period. Please, if you have not already done so, surrender your life to the good Lord; have faith and belief in Jesus as the Savior and in His redemptive work on the cross; that His shed blood can wash you clean ; and that by your faith you will become a child of God and will not suffer the horrors of the Great Tribulation. And you will escape the burning fires of hell by your sincere and heartfelt faith in Jesus' sacrifice. He died and took our place on the cross to pay our sin debt in full. All we need to do is believe in Him and do our best to follow in His footsteps.
Tomorrow's rainbow also includes a blissful existence and future and being with Jesus and the heavenly Father forever. There will be such peace and joy there that we cannot even begin to fathom the depths of it.
Following is a 23 minute video by Chad Thomas concerning the present day prophetic events, the New World Order which is soon to come, and much, much more.
"For myself, I long ago decided that I would rather know the truth than be happy in ignorance. If I cannot have both truth and happiness, give me truth. We'll have a long time to be happy in heaven." - A. W. Tozer
I used to jokingly say, "Ignorance is bliss". That was before I was truly born again and at that time I was more secular and hardly ever thought about God. I am very grateful to the good Lord for His patience with me, and for His tender mercies. He, through His Holy Word, has taught me that knowledge of Him and Jesus is paramount; but so is faith, of course.
What the heavenly Father wants most from us is a close, intimate, personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. Like any relationship, we need to spend quality time with Him and communicate often with Him by prayer. No relationship can thrive if you never spend time with the other person, if you never talk to them. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Take all of your cares and burdens and lay them at Jesus' feet; trust Him with all of your heart. He will give you peace and hope.
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Jesus at John 14:27
Again, today's storm is going to bring tomorrow's rainbow.
Rainbows occur frequently here in Hawaii. It gives me great joy when I see one. I believe I have mentioned this before, but the sight of a beautiful rainbow always reminds me of the many promises of God.
True believers have a strong faith and believe the many promises of the good Lord. We have eyes of discernment to recognize that the time of the return of Jesus could occur at any time....the time when He raptures His Bride, true believers, to take them to heaven to be with Him. Please read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 for the signs Jesus gives us to prove we are now in the season of His return.
What saddens me is the many people who may even regularly attend church, but they are not saved; not truly born again. They have no close relationship with the Lord; many never pray and many never read their Bible. Many are friends of the world, and think only of the pleasures of this world.
Sincere believers in the atoning work of Jesus at Calvary know that we should put the good Lord FIRST in our lives ! His will first and foremost !
Folks, this old world is about to go through a tribulation of 7 years, unlike anything it has ever seen before. God will pour out His wrath upon all the ungodly who never accepted Jesus as their Savior. Please turn in faith to Jesus now and put all your trust and hope in Him. There is no other hope or heaven for you, if you are not a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ.
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 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
"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 !!
This blog has mentioned many times about the chaotic and dangerous times we live in now. We definitely need to "hang in there" and have endurance to cope with the stress of this evil world, and wondering if a catastrophe like a nuclear war or an economic collapse or such-like could occur any time soon. The world is in an uproar, not knowing the way out.
"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. Men's hearts failing them in fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." - Jesus at Luke 21:25-26
If you are a true Christian that reads the Bible daily and that has a strong, personal. close, and intimate relationship with the good Lord, you realize that there is hope for you and that soon Jesus will return to rapture you to heaven before things get worse.... before the dreaded 7 year Tribulation period of God's wrath upon the wicked occurs.
Following is another video by Chad Thomas in which he clearly explains the Rapture of the church and the revealing of the antichrist. I have written much previously on this blog about the things he discusses, but I thought a video would be refreshing for you; plus, it will be beneficial for any first time viewers here.
There are many first time viewers to this blog, and also many who are not saved; who have not been born again; and many who never read the Bible. I am quoting below a familiar verse to many Christians..... a verse that gives us hope and something to look forward to: a rescue from this wicked world and a trip to heaven.
"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
(See also 1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
[North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii]
Titus 2:13 says: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
God's Holy Word, the Bible, gives us many encouraging verses to help us to "hang in there." Another benefit of daily Bible reading (and prayer) is you draw ever closer to the good Lord, and as time goes on you learn to love Him more and more, as well as the fact that your faith in Him will also increase.
The Bible gives us much encouragement and helps us to endure trials and hardships. Following is a 34 minute sermon by deceased Pastor Adrian Rogers on the topic of "Learning To Endure".
In the sermon above, Pastor Rogers gives us five truths learned from tests and trials: enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enthronement, enrichment. He explains and gives Scriptures pertaining to these five truths. He has nothing to say in his sermon about end time events or prophecies, but I felt it relevant to our times just the same.
Learn to trust and have faith in God and Jesus, and you will be helped and encouraged beyond what you could ever expect or hope for. The good Lord will help you to endure.
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."
Hang in there!
Jesus loves you!
If you are born again, you have a wonderful future in heaven.
Keep looking up !
Keep watching!
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend ... and life !
While doing my Bible study this past Wednesday, I concentrated on Philippians 3:13 where the apostle Paul tells us:
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."
I was inspired to write this weekend's post using that verse as my focus. However, I realized that way back in 2016, I had covered that verse extensively in a post that year. Following is that article:
Please, I urge you to read the article at the above link. Don't let past hurts and sorrows eat you up with morbid remorse and regrets. Look to the good Lord to give you light and hope and a reason for living. Don't forget our blessed hope as spoken of in Titus 2:13 which follows:
"Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
Hang in there, folks !
Our deliverance is near!
Jesus will return soon to take us out of this wicked and perverse world and bring us to be with Him forever in bliss in Paradise.
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." - Jesus at Luke 21:28
Read Revelation 21:1-4 where it speaks of the New Jerusalem and how God will be with us. Following is Revelation 21:4 :
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
We have much to look forward to ! We have a hope and a future!
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend ..... and life !!
These people in my beach photograph above are enjoying the surf and the beauty of this beach and are no doubt oblivious to the dangerous world events that we face today. As I have previously stated, many people today (perhaps the majority of people) are so wrapped up in the pleasures of this world (and, of course, the everyday cares of life) that they pay no attention to the perilous signs of the end times; the last moments of the last days. I used to be the same way. Thank the good Lord that He opened my eyes and my heart to spiritual matters; to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior, and to a desire to follow in His footsteps and to endeavor to lead a life which is pleasing to Him.
I will not go into all the darkness of this evil world in this article. You are no doubt familiar with how crazy this world has become, and its decadence in so many areas of life. At least true believers in the Savior who try to live a godly life recognize the decay in society today.
Let us talk about Faith, Hope, and Love. Here is a link to a post I made in 2017 on that subject. At this link, there is also a short sermon by Charles Spurgeon on how Jesus loves us. Reading over it again today was encouraging for me, and for all battle weary Christians it will give you encouragement to endure all trials you may be facing today. There is tremendous power in Faith, Hope, and Love.
"But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation." - 1 Thessalonians 5:8
Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us: (11) "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -
Philippians 4:13
Philippians 4: 6 -7 tells us (6) "Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Galatians 1:3-4 says: (3) "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, (4) Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:"
Isn't it amazing how Scriptures can soothe and inspire the soul !!
If you are a born again believer in the Savior Jesus Christ, you have the Holy Spirit living within you to help you to persevere and to endure and to guide you on life's paths and keep you from falling into the hands of the devil.
Following is a 37 minute Middle East Update by Israeli Messianic Jew Amir Tsarfati, who has a thriving ministry that takes him all over the world where he preaches the Gospel and Bible Prophecy. This is his latest video posted May 25, 2019. He not only discusses the Middle East but also about the UK and the EU.
Remember to be constantly in prayer and to read and study God's Word daily. You will thereby grow in faith and draw closer to the good Lord. You will develop a true and lasting relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. It will be a close, personal, and intimate love relationship that will see you through life's difficulties and will keep hope in your heart that soon we will be raptured to be with the Lord forever.
