IS IT WORTH IT OR IS HE IS WORTHY?! (ENCOURAGEMENT IN DIFFICULT TIMES - Videos, Scriptures, Christian Quotes)

 Again, a rainbow reminds me of God's many promises, and how He loves us and watches over us and guides us !  How encouraging is that!  By the way, that is a moon in the lower part of my photograph, which was taken just at dawn on my patio.

Last night I was very touched by watching a video concerning a Christian missionary who suffered tremendously and had much trauma as a missionary in the Congo for 20 years.  Quite a long time ago, I had heard the story of a child's faith that God would answer a prayer that very day for a hot water bottle (to help save a baby's life) and for God to also - that very day - send a doll for the baby's sister ; the children's mother had just died in childbirth.  Many of you may be familiar with that moving and miraculous story.   Well, here it is now in video from the missionary who experienced it!  But take note also: God asked the missionary a question: :

God used the missionary's suffering to help others.  Her name was Helen Roseveare and she lived from 1925 to 2016.  A must watch 18 minute video above.  It will bless and encourage you!

Sometimes, as in Helen's life, God trusts us with some pretty heavy and tough experiences, and He does not always tell us the reason why!

Right now - this very minute -  as I looked through one of my notebooks for encouraging Scriptures, the Lord led me to the following devotional by Charles Spurgeon!  Wow! Spurgeon's words here are a perfect fit for our discussion now.

Spurgeon used Exodus 3:7 as the basis for his devotion, which tells us: "I know their sorrows."

Charles Spurgeon:  " The child is cheered as he sings, "this my father knows"; and shall not we be comforted as we discern that our dear Friend and tender Soul-Husband knows all about us?

1. He is the Physician, and if He knows all, there is no need that the patient should know.  Hush, thou silly, fluttering heart, prying, peeping, and suspecting!  What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter, and meanwhile Jesus, the beloved Physician, knows thy soul in adversities.  Why need the patient analyze all the medicine, or estimate all the symptoms?  This is the Physician's work, not mine; it is my business to trust,  and His to prescribe.  If He shall write His prescription in uncouth characters which I cannot read, I will not be uneasy on that account, but rely upon His unfailing skill to make all plain in the result, however mysterious in the working.

2.  He is the Master,  and His knowledge is to serve us instead of our own; we are to obey, not to judge. "The servant knoweth not what his lord doeth."  Shall the architect explain his plans to every hodman on the works?   If he knows his own intent, is it not enough?  The vessel on the wheel cannot guess to what pattern it shall be conformed, but if the potter understands his art, what matters the ignorance of the clay?!  My Lord must not be cross-questioned any more by one so ignorant as I am.

3.  He is the Head.    All understanding centers there.  What judgment has the arm?  What comprehension has the foot?  All the power to know lies in the head.   Why should the member have a brain of its own when the head fulfills for it every intellectual office?  Here then, must the believer rest his comfort in sickness, not that he himself can see the end, but that Jesus knows all. Sweet Lord, be Thou for ever eye, and soul, and head for us, and let us be content to know only what Thou choosest  to reveal."  -  end of Spurgeon's quote.

[Haleiwa Beach Park - Oahu, Hawaii]

Check out these sayings on Church properties:

"Free trip to heaven.  Details inside!"

"We are a Facebook church.  We seek HIS face, and open HIS book!"

"Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives."

"Come work for the LORD.  The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low.  But the retirement benefits are out of this world !"

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In these perilous times, run to God!  If you truly know God,  nothing in this life can phase you or completely ruin you!   So it encourages us in the following 12 minute video by "Lion of Judah" Christian You Tube channel:  

The above encouraging video tells us, for one thing, "The hand of God is what will save you!  It requires humility to recognize God as the  Director of your life!"  And, very important also :  "God will never hate you!"

One Scripture used previously on this blog really describes the crazy and distorted mindset of many in today's upside-down and topsy-turvy deceived world: 

"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

Not to elaborate right now on the above verse, ( I have done so previously and will again hopefully later on), but this applies not only to a global and/or worldwide mindset these days, but to individuals as well, of course, since individuals make up the world!  You know what I am trying to say! Something to think about!

"Behold, God is my salvation: for the LORD Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation." -  Isaiah 12:2

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." - Psalm 34:19

"For HE hath made HIM to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."  -   2 Corinthians 5:21

"I pray that out of HIS glorious riches HE may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being."  -  Ephesians 3:16

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

Jesus will love you forever, according to John 6:37.  He will never abandon you!

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

All of the above Scriptures should touch and melt our hearts !  What love God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ have for us!  Our lives should reflect much gratitude in return!  Love and gratitude to the good Lord can be expressed by obedience and by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is also obeying the Lord. 

The following quote is by Lyle Bert, who is a handicapped person: 

"A person who has no legs can still achieve great heights; A person who has no hands can still grasp an idea; A person who has no sight can still have great vision, And a person who can't move can still lead."

The above quote made me think of Nick Vujicic !!  He was born without limbs and has been an inspiration to many as he travels the world and gives Christian motivational speeches. A few years ago here in Hawaii, I attended one of his live presentations.

Following is a short 7 minute video by Nick on "God's Plan For Your Life":

There are many of Nick's inspiring talks on You Tube!  Go check them out.   His website is 

lifewithoutlimbs.org

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Many times this blog has stressed that Jesus' soon return is imminent!   The Rapture of true believers could occur at any time - especially in light of how Bible prophecies are being fulfilled now at warp speed -  almost on a minute by minute basis!

If Jesus returned to take believers to heaven tonight, or tomorrow, or very soon (no one knows the day or the hour, but God the Father -  (Matthew 24:36))  .... If our Savior returned now, would you be Rapture Ready?   Could you honestly say that you are living for Him and watching with great expectation and hope for Him?  Does your life exhibit your love for Him?

If you are not a born again believer in Jesus the Savior, following are some Scriptures for you:

"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

God loves you!

Have a blessed day!

GOD WILL NOT FAIL YOU ! HANG IN THERE! (Videos - The Soon Return - Will You Miss IT?) Inspirational Weekend

 

The last post on this blog (scroll down) was concerning God's faithfulness with a sermon by Pastor Chuck Smith based on Lamentations the third chapter, verses 21 to 24,which follow:

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him."

This post will continue with more about the good Lord's faithfulness.  We need - during these chaotic and lawless times - to have something hopeful to hang on to, and what better hope than to dwell on God's faithfulness, and the fact that His promises will all come true!  The hope that true believers in Jesus as the Savior have far better things on the horizon which are soon to transpire!  

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of that great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." -  Titus 2:13-14

Part of the secret to endurance, besides the fact that God's promises will always come true - as they always have - (and to have faith that that is for sure), is to wait patiently with endurance for Him to ease our burdens and to comfort us with His presence (which He does right now to some degree), but also we have the blessed hope of Jesus' return for His "sheep" and the hope of eternal life in a much better place than what this present world offers. 

Verses 25 and 26 of Lamentations 3 encourages us : "The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."

Part of "seeking" the Lord, is not just the initial coming to salvation, but to continually seek Him after that - everyday - by frequent daily prayer and to pour over His Holy Word the Bible daily, as a continual feast to feed you spiritually.  Someone has said, "A prayerless Christian is a Christ-less Christian."

This blog has stressed often that the good Lord wants to fellowship with His people. When we do that by much prayer and Bible reading and studying, we will grow to know the Lord better; to know His attributes and character; and thereby learn to love Him more and more, day by day.  It is like with your friends and loved ones:  the more time you spend with them, the better you know them and the more you love them and want to spend time with them.  That is how we should feel about the LORD.  You will find that a warm, loving, close, intimate, personal relationship will develop between you and God through His Son Jesus Christ -  when you fellowship with the good Lord constantly. That is what it is all about, folks!  Nothing is more important than your relationship with the Lord!   Nothing!

Following is a 36 minute Christian video titled : "The Stage Is Set For the Second Coming."  I highly encourage you to watch it because there are many spiritual gems to be found there... about your Christian walk, as well as the fact that our Savior could return at any time now.

Going back to the faithfulness of God:  faithfulness is an attribute of God.  But to obtain the fulness of the faithfulness of God, we must realize that it depends on our walking with God and yielding to the guidance of His Holy Spirit.  We, too, therefore should be faithful to read and obey His Word and His Will.  Think about it: we only have that faith and have our own faithfulness by God's grace anyway! When we receive Christ as our Lord, the Holy Spirit indwells us and brings the blessings of love, peace, joy, and faithfulness...  Galations 5:22;  Ephesians 1:13

"And the heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O LORD: Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints."  -  Psalm 89:5

                                                     [Red Flowers of Cannonball Tree]

Another way to view God's faithfulness is to realize the fact that God will NOT fail you !! or abandon you!!

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

The basis of the above verse at Hebrews 13:5 is from the Old Testament:  Joshua 1:5, which tells us: 

"I will be with thee:  I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote a devotional about "He Never Fails" based on Joshua 1:5, a portion of that devotional follows:

"Beloved, a life of warfare is  before us, but the LORD of Hosts is with us.   ......   Have we to contend with cunning and powerful enemies?  Here is strength and valor, prowess and victoryl  Have we a vast heritage to win?  By this sign we shall achieve our purpose:  the LORD Himself is with us.  ....  When I meet death, who is called the last enemy, I pray that I may be at peace.  Only let my great care be to please the LORD in all things.  Oh, for faith and holiness, for these are a pleasure unto the Most High."

[Taro Fields, Overlook Near Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii]

Keep watching !  

Keep looking up!

Your redemption is near!

Following are salvation Scriptures for those who may not yet have accepted and believed in Jesus as the Savior.  These verses are also excellent for Christians to share with unsaved loved ones .

Here is a short 8 minute video by Dr. Charles Stanley on the subject of salvation;  please watch!

Remember, simply repeating "a sinner's prayer" does NOT, in itself, save you.  It is good to have a model or example to help one to understand,  but many have mindlessly repeated a formula type prayer and thought they were saved but by their lifestyle, etc., showed evidence that they were not truly born again.   You are saved by faith and belief in Jesus as THE SAVIOR!  Realize that His shed blood can wash you clean of your sins and save you for life eternal.  You must repent - a complete change of mind in conformity to the Lord's will, and then turn your life around to be obedient to His commands (as best we frail finite humans are able to do).  It would be best to say your own heartfelt and sincere prayer, and to ask for His forgiveness.  

Think how Jesus suffered an agonizing death for you, bled for you, died for you, so that you might have life eternal!  He paid your sin debt in full at His death.  It was a debt so great that none of us could ever have paid it on our own. (Works do NOT save you!)  Ephesians 2:8-9

What love !

What mercy!

The least we can do is follow Him as best we can and share the Gospel with lost souls! Out of our own love for Him and our gratitude to Him for all He has done for us.

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

"Do NOT Lean Upon Your Own Understanding" (With 2 Videos, One by Pastor Chuck Smith) - Inspirational Weekend

[Two Hawaiian Moorhens]

We can get into a lot of trouble by only relying on our own understanding.  It is wise to go to God's Holy Word, the Bible, for answers to life's dilemmas and trials for direction.  Likewise, we should pray without ceasing to the good Lord about everything.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us:  (5) "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  (6) In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.''

We get into a lot of trouble by immediately reacting to a problem or hardship or trial with only our "feelings."  We need the wisdom of God to guide us:  the Bible, and much prayer.

Although this saying did not originate with Dr. Charles Stanley, he has used it in more than one sermon:   "HALT  ...  never get too Hungry, too Angry, too Lonely, or too Tired" -   You do not make good decisions when you are in such a vulnerable state of mind."

[Island Off Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

In Proverbs 3:5, it makes it evident that we should rest in God and thereby be assured of His grace towards us, and that His will and power will help us ; will save us and help us in all things; in all circumstances.  Trust God.

In Proverbs 3:6,  we are admonished to "acknowledge" God and He will direct our paths.   We should not be self-sufficient and self-dependent as that has been the ruin of mankind ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden.

One commentator has said: "The grand sin of the human race is their continual endeavor to live independently of God, i.e., to be without God in the world.  True religion consists in considering God the fountain of all good, and expecting all good from Him."

Following is a 53 minute sermon by Calvary Chapel Chino Valley pastor David Rosales who discusses Proverbs 3:1-10.  If you only want to watch the part concerning Proverbs 3:5-6, just go to the section of minutes 14 to 20.

Many of you are familiar with Pastor Chuck Smith, who passed away not too very long ago.  He is the founder of the Calvary Chapel churches.  Following is a 41 minute audio sermon on Proverbs 3:5-6 by him, only he has an interesting take on those verses, meaning he concentrates on discerning the will of God.  He tells us that all of us today are in the process of fulfilling the purpose God has for our lives.

As has been written on this blog many times, we are in the last moments of the last days as prophesied in the Bible.  So much prophecy is being fulfilled today that many scholars admit it is impossible to keep up with it all, and impossible to report on all of it.  You may read more about it by going to the search box in the upper right hand side of this page and entering such things as "end times, signs of Jesus' return, 7 year Tribulation, the Rapture of the Church, the Mark of the Beast" and many other such topics.  

We need to make sure that we are truly saved and believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior with all of our heart and all of our soul and all of our very being.  Not an intellectual knowledge, but a vibrant, living, and life-changing belief.  A heart changing belief.

Jesus paid our sin debt in full at the cross, when He redeemed us by His shed blood which can wash away our sins if we but put full faith in Him as the Savior.  He was our substitute.  Salvation is not complicated; it just requires unwavering faith and strong heartfelt belief in Jesus.

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

"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

Luke 21:28 is where Jesus tells us (concerning the signs of His soon return in these last days) :  

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

You may read more of these signs of the end times in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Jesus is at the very door!

Are you Rapture ready?

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

End Times Signs - Important Info On The Coronavius Pandemic and New Middle East Update By Amir Tsarfati

So much is happening all at once now it is difficult to keep up with all the current events as they relate to Bible Prophecy.  Many signs that the Bible tells us would be happening in the end times are occurring all at once, almost.... a convergence, if you will.   As others have said lately, The 7 Year Tribulation events are casting their shadows even now; meaning precursors of the Tribulation or the plans in place for it  (the New World Order) are being made as we speak.  That means the pre-tribulation rapture of the true followers of Jesus Christ must be very, very close.  Hurry, Lord Jesus !

Following is a recent Middle East Update by Amir Tsarfati and Barry Stagner.  It is a 47 minute video which was published yesterday, Sunday, January 26, 2020.  Please watch it and you will learn some interesting facts about current events.   One thing to note, the Iranian locals are more anti-Iran regime now than they are anti-American.

In the above video with Amir, they also touch on the recent coronavirus pandemic.  Following is a link to an article published today about the truth of this virus, and how widespread it is.


http://prophecynewswatch.com

I had issues trying to get the exact article link, but it is the first headline at the most recent link for the above prophecy newswatch site.

Also, there is another site with several articles about the coronavirus  here:

http://endoftheamericandream.com

As stated many times on this blog, for the signs of the end times please read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

"Then said He unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:  And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven."    - Luke 21:10-11

As you know, pestilences as mentioned by Jesus above means the same thing as contagious and infectious diseases.

If you follow world news, earthquakes are more numerous than ever and more frequent in these last days we are living in as well. Not to mention many volcanoes erupting throughout the earth now.

But all this is just wonderful proclamations that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, will return soon for His Bride (The Church) , true believers.  We have reason to rejoice that Jesus' return is so near.  No one knows the day or the hour, but the Father, said Jesus.  But Jesus did give us signs (such as above in Luke 21) so that we would know the "season" of His return.

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth nigh."     - Luke 21:28

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."  -   2 Timothy 4:8


Time is short!

Will you be ready for Jesus' soon return?

If not:

You need to admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior.   -
Romans 3:10, 23;   Romans 6:23

You need to repent and believe with all your heart -  all your very being - that Jesus is the Savior and believe that God raised Him from the dead.....believe in the Resurrection - Romans 10:9,10,13

Call on and confess that Jesus is the Savior - the only way to salvation.   -  Romans 10:9,10,13

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."


"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


Maranatha !!