"To Live And To Die" (Video) - Inspirational Weekend

The title of this post, "To Live And To Die", sounds like the information here is morbid and doom and gloom.   I promise you that is not the case! Let me quote a wonderful Scripture found at Philippians 1:21 :

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

This was written by the apostle Paul.  His life found all its meaning in Christ, Who was his secret to continual joy.  This can also be the case with all true Christians who put Jesus first in their lives, and who live a godly life and thereby endeavor to imitate Him in their daily walk in love and obedience.  

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

Many who read "to die is gain" in Philippians 1:21, concentrate on just that part of the verse and they think of being in heaven forever with the Lord.   All that is true,  but you need to be a born again believer, sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), in order to make it to heaven.  "To die is gain" refers to the fact that we will be with Christ after death; that is, if you are a true believer who has lived a life of obedience and faith in the good Lord.   Works do not save you; faith in Jesus is what saves you.  But a true believer will bring forth much fruit, and will obey and follow Jesus with a pure heart.

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."  -  James 2:26

True believers will endeavor to live a Christ-like life....to "live Christ."  Galatians 2:20 tells us:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

The above verse is the apostle Paul speaking again.  What faith he had !  What devotion and dedication he exhibited !  May we all be likewise!  

The thought behind "to me to live is Christ" is that we be so one with Christ that we do only His will, and continually have "the mind of Christ."  (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Keep in mind, also, that we are not only to "live Christ" but to bring Him glory as well.  Praise Him and give Him glory in all we do and say.  Let our lives, our hearts, our minds, our actions, our speech, reflect  good things and give glory to God and Jesus in everything !

"To live is Christ" means that we will want to know more about the Lord and to take in as much knowledge of Him as possible.   To do that we need to read our Bibles daily, as well as to pray daily.   You get to know more about a person by communicating with him,  Do the same with the good Lord.  Develop a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

If we are truly saved, we will also have the enthusiasm for preaching the gospel and for witnessing at every opportunity.  We may also have to give up anything that prevents us from serving the Lord.   Anything that takes up all of our time needs to be dealt with and eliminated in order to enable us to live for the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. 

We need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Put Him first !

Following is a 4 minute worship song about to live is Christ:

All of the above does not apply to those who are unbelievers.  But look up, folks! Jesus loves you and is waiting to hear from you! All you need to do is to repent of your sins and do not live a life of sin any more, pray for forgiveness, and sincerely dedicate your whole life to the Lord as you turn to Him in faith and trust.  Believe Jesus is the Savior and that His shed blood at Calvary will wash your sins away.   Believe also in His resurrection.  All of this takes faith on your part.  It is that faith that will save you where you may live for Christ and have the hope of eternal life.

Do not delay !

We all want to live forever !   Let it be with the Lord in heaven !

Jesus gives us hope, a glorious future, a purpose in life right now, (to serve Him and to be a light and witness bearer).

Wouldn't you rather be in eternity where there is no more sin, no more death, and no more sorrow?  -  Revelation 21:4

This old earth is passing away soon!  -  1 John 2:17

Jesus is eternal and you can be as well !

There is hope !

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

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us :  (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

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

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

"Don't Fret; Be Happy" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

The above horses on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, look contented and happy.  It made me feel good and downright happy to photograph them the day I was there.  

Some have said that happiness is temporary and fleeting while true joy is from the Lord and is forever.   The truth is, both joy and happiness are very similar in meaning and the Bible gives no such distinction between the two words, as well as the similar word rejoice.   It depends on which translation you have, but the Bible uses the words happy and happiness about 30 times;  but joy and rejoice are found in God's word over 300 times.

As I was thinking about writing on happiness for this weekend, that old song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" popped into my mind and I can't seem to shake it.  You can find the full version of the song on You Tube, but here is a fun version which is a short one minute cartoon-type clip of it:

"If you hope for happiness in the world, hope for it from God, and not from the world."  -  David Brainerd  

"Success is getting what you want.  Happiness wants what you get."   -  Woodrow Kroll

"Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of God's majesty."   -  A. W. Pink

We all know that true happiness does not come from worldly pleasures and selfish ambition and selfish lifestyles that are also full of the ungodly world's poisons.  Those things do not fill the void in our hearts that only the good Lord Himself can fill, Who can thereby give you true joy and a purpose for living.  And, I might add, a wonderful hope for an eternity in bliss and joyfulness.

Having such a hope for an eternity with the Lord is plenty of reason to be happy right now in this imperfect world we live in.  When you are a born again believer, you are sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), which enables you to obey and follow Jesus and to build a strong relationship with God.   You will be happy when you read and study His Holy Word and when you spend much time in prayer, building a strong relationship with the heavenly Father through Jesus Christ His Son.   You will, in time, grow to spiritual maturity and be even more effective in your walk with Him and in service to others; in particular, to obey the Great Commission found at Matthew 28:19, 20.  All of that will make you happy because you know you will be pleasing God.   It will put a song in your heart, and make your worship more intense and more personal; more devoted and more reverent.  

"I sing because I'm happy" is a repeated phrase in the hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow" which follows:

In the above song, the lyrics also say that because God takes note of the sparrow, we know He watches over His children as well.  That is enough to make anyone happy and grateful, to know the Lord is watching over us and taking care of us and guiding and teaching and protecting us.

"I believe that the happiest of all Christians and the truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God, but take His Word simply as it stands, and believe it, and ask no questions, just feeling assured that if God has said it, it will be so."   -    Charles Spurgeon   

Happiness can be found in admiring the Creator's handiwork on this beautiful earth; it can also be found in simple pleasures and in the love of family and friends.  But true happiness comes from the Holy Spirit of God, which enables you to obey and serve the Lord with joy and with much gratefulness. 

Our salvation itself is a source of joy !  

"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

"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

"And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost."   -  1 Thessalonians 1:6

The Scripture above reminds us that we may have afflictions and hardships, but we can still hold on to our joy with the help of the Holy Spirit.   We realize that trials and sickness and the like are but temporary, and soon we will be with the Lord forever and He will wipe away all of our tears and there will be no more crying or death or sorrow.  (Revelation 21:4).

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Joy is a gift from God.  

So be happy !!

God's people will be happy forever !

If you are not a believer, not born again, not sealed with the Holy Spirit, then you cannot experience true happiness and the joy of serving the Lord.  You will not know His love and forgiveness and His guidance and the hope He gives to all who turn to Him in repentance.

Stop and think !  By not turning to the Lord you are making a choice.....a choice to spend eternity in the wrong place - hell.   

Time is short!

Jesus will return soon to take all true believers to be with Him forever !   Wouldn't you rather be in heaven where there is no more pain, no more violence, no more evil, no more deceivers?

All you need to do is pray and ask for forgiveness, believe in Jesus as the Savior, believe in His resurrection, and believe that His shed blood on the cross can wash your sins away and wipe the slate clean......you are forgiven if you turn to Him in true repentance and belief. 

Jesus loves you and will welcome you with understanding and pardon.

He is waiting to hear from you.

Don't delay!


Romans 10: 9.10, 13 tells us:  (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."     -  John 3:16

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



I pray that you have a happy weekend.... and a happy Christ centered life.

"A Crown Awaits You" - Inspirational Weekend

The above Hawaiian Black-Crowned Night Heron has expensive tastes !  He is fishing for koi, but the one he is eyeing in my photograph is longer than he is and more than he could handle.  He is looking to obtain a prize....edible smaller koi.

True believers should be trying to gain a prize... a crown, no less.  My intention was to write only about the crown of righteousness, as that is the one the Bible says is reserved for those who love the Lord and wait for His soon return.  However, in my research I discovered there are five crowns for believers that are mentioned in God's Holy Word.  Since Jesus will return at any moment during these present last days, I will concentrate on the crown of righteousness primarily but will also discuss the other crowns briefly.

1 Timothy 4:7-8 tells us  (7) "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  (8)  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."

Notice that the apostle Paul said he had fought a good fight and had kept the faith.   If you claim to be a Christian but still live like the world and are friends of the world and sin like the world and with possibly no remorse or no repentance, then you may not even make it to heaven to receive any crown.  You are probably not born again.   A true believer will want to be holy and will live a godly life, endeavoring to obey and please the Lord in his actions, speech, mind, and heart.

Back to the crown of righteousness.  The apostle Paul spent his life, after his miraculous conversion, in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and traveling extensively to spread the Word.  He suffered much persecution, beatings, one stoning, and several times he was imprisoned.   Yet his faith and obedience to the Lord remained strong and zealous.   He struggled hard to win "the prize", the crown of righteousness.   May true believers today be able to follow Paul's example.  Ultimately, however, it is Jesus we should imitate and follow.

We are to believe in Jesus' soon return -  and truly desire His return.  But, even if there were no crown, no reward, just being in heaven with Him for all eternity is reward enough in itself.    

         

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.  Even so, Amen."  -  Revelation 1:7

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.  Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."   --  Revelation 22:20

Jesus at John 14:2-3 informs us,  (2) 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.  (3)  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."

Besides the crown of righteousness, there are 4 other crowns that believers will be rewarded with:

(1)  The crown of rejoicing:  

1 Thessalonians 2:19 says,  "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?  Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."    -  Philippians 4:4

(2)  The crown of glory:

"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."  -  1 Peter 5:4

This crown is primarily for pastors and elders.

(3)  The crown of life:

Revelation 2:10 tells us,  "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:  behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried;  and ye shall have the tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."   

Although this crown is for all believers, it is especially applicable to to those who endure persecutions and sufferings for Jesus.

(4) The imperishable crown:

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 tells us,  (24)  "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain.  (25)  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."

Faithful endurance wins a heavenly reward:  "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."  -    1 Peter 1:4

According to which website or source you encounter, some believe these crowns are figurative, and some believe they are literal.  The point is, we should live for the Lord, totally surrendered to Him, and love Him with all of our strength, mind, heart and soul  (Mark 12:30).  If you do that you will obey His commandments and live a life that is pleasing to Him, whereby you may eventually enter heaven.  Of course, first you must be born again in order to obey God and to endeavor to live a life that befits a true believer. You must believe in Jesus as the Savior whose shed blood at Calvary washes away your sins; you must repent in all sincerity of your sins and pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and believe in Jesus' resurrection.   Then you will be forgiven by the Lord, and you will be a child of God !  Remember, He loves you and wants to lead you home to be with Him.

Romans 10:9,10,13 says :  (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."   

 Whether or not the crowns in heaven are figurative or literal, real crowns,  we should so love and serve the Lord that we only want to live forever in heaven with Him, crowns or no crowns.  What a blissful eternity it will be, to be with Jesus forever !


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


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

"What We Should Wrestle Against" (With Video) - Inspirational Weekend

The above photograph of the beautiful red blossom of the cannonball tree was taken last month at Foster Botanical Gardens here in Honolulu. The "fruit" produced by this tree is large, round, a cannon-type ball and rather ugly to behold.  I have posted photos of their fruit in the past.  When the fruit falls from the tree and hits the ground (or you) it bursts open and emits a foul smell.  So this tree has its own "weapons".  

We need weapons to fight and wrestle against the schemes of the devil and his demons.  Let me quote Ephesians 6:10-12:

(10)  "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.  (11) Put on the whole armor 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."

It would be a good idea to read all of Ephesians 6, or especially verses 10-20.  The verses quoted above tell us (1) to be strong in the Lord; you can do that by much prayer and Bible study and thereby developing a strong, close, intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  (2) To put on the whole armor of God so we may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  (Read from verses 13 to 20 to discover what the armor of God is that we need.  Most Christians are familiar with what they are). Verse 12 is what we will deal with primarily in this post, as even many believers are not aware of the meaning of the terms found there.  

As brought out in the video below, people can sometimes be cruel, hateful, and cold.  We need to look beyond imperfect humans, and to realize that the real enemy is not "flesh and blood", but the unseen evil spirits prompting that cruel behavior.  The "principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places;"  it is obvious that this is referring to evil spirits as well as the devil himself, all of whom are seeking to destroy us.  They are the source and origin of all spiritual conflicts.  These malignant spirits are rulers over the darkness of this world; their kingdom is the kingdom of darkness, full of misery and pain and troubles of the mind and of the spirit, and sometimes behind health issues.    You need to be strong in the Lord to be able to wrestle against them.   Pray without ceasing and be in the Holy Word constantly.   Ask the good Lord to give you an extra portion of His Holy Spirit for strength in combating these evil influences.   

It is no secret that the world is becoming more and more corrupt and evil in these last days we find ourselves living in now.   It is no doubt because the devil knows his time is short and he is full of wrath in his insane battle to rule instead of God.  

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.  Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."  -  Revelation 12:12

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."   -   1 Peter 5:8-9 

Satan works extra hard on believers, to bring them down and cause them to stray and to make them ineffective, because he already has the world under his power.

Always remember that God has your back.  He will protect you and watch over you.  You cannot fight evil forces all by yourself.  By saying previously that we need to pray for the Holy Spirit  to help us wrestle against the devil and his demons, I am also saying that it is God who will help you fight the devil and his minions.  The good Lord loves us and will strengthen us.  The victory is ours by the  Lord's assistance.  Remember also that "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."  (1 John 4:4b).  This verse is referring primarily to the false prophets inspired by the antichrist  spirit and the antichrist spirit itself, but in my opinion it is applicable to how God will help us with the demonic world as well.

The devil definitely has the spirit of being against Christ.

One commentator tells us,  "Wherever we come in contact with evil - whether in our own hearts or elsewhere - there we are to make war."

What if you are not a believer?  Don't feel as if God cannot forgive your sins, however gross they may be.  Remember, King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband murdered. The Lord forgave him when he showed genuine  repentance. (2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12). Don't let the evil powers control you any longer.  Turn to God in true repentance, pray to Him for forgiveness, and believe with all your being that Jesus is the Savior whose shed blood at Calvary can wash your sins away.  

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 will welcome you with open arms of love and forgiveness.  He is waiting to hear from you.

Prophecy in the News has a new host, Lyn Leahz, and following is a 9 minute video on the subject of spiritual warfare, in which she also uses Ephesians 6 as the basis for her talk.   She stresses to fight the enemy with the Word of God.

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

"Fear To Fear" (With Sermon Clips by Charles Spurgeon) - Inspirational Weekend

Big cats are magnificent and quite handsome.   I admire their beauty and regal bearing, but I do not want to be near one in the wild; I do not even want to be alone with them at the zoo except when I am protected by glass and walls and barriers.   Yes, I have a healthy fear where big cats are concerned; a self-preserving fear.  A healthy fear can be a blessing and can show wisdom on our part.

But there is another kind of fear we need to be alert about.  Thus the title of this post, "Fear to Fear".  Charles Spurgeon says it best in this short 2 minute sermon clip:

In other words, "Be afraid to be afraid".   Do not be a coward.  

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone,  which is the second death."    -    Revelation 21:8

The above verse shows us clearly just how God views the fearful....He lumps them together with murderers and the unbelieving and all liars (etc.), and tells us that they will be tormented forever in hell.

Being fearful shows a lack of faith and trust in God.  If it is a constant fear, perhaps you are not truly born again.  You need to get down on your knees and pray for deliverance and forgiveness.  Read your Bible daily and pray without ceasing.   When you develop a close, intimate, personal love relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you will learn to put all of your hope and faith and trust in Him, and any morbid fear will disappear.  

When you are a genuine believer and have truly been born again, the Holy Spirit within you will remove all fear.  Also, to have all fear removed, we must love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength  (Mark 12:30).  

"A perfect faith would lift us absolutely above fear."  -   George Macdonald

"Faith, which is trust, and fear are opposite poles.  If a man has the one, he can scarcely have the other in vigorous operation.  He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust."    -   Alexander MacLaren.

"The only known antidote to fear is faith."   -  Woodrow Kroll

So trust and faith in the good Lord will cast out fear.  

Psalm 27:1 tells us, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love."    -  1 John 4:18

Not only does faith in the Lord cast out fear, but also love will set you free from fear as well.   As you grow and mature in faith and in a strong and intimate relationship with God,  your love for Him and for obeying Him in total surrender will increase.  You will love Him with all of your heart and will desire to please Him in everything.  As God answers your prayers and guides you, your love and faith will grow by leaps and bounds.  

Following is a beautiful hymn about not being afraid:

There is One whom we should fear however; with a healthy, reverent fear and with love.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us,  "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."  -  2 Corinthians 7:1

It is evident from the Scriptures that we should have a healthy, reverent fear of the good Lord.  Fear to grieve Him, fear to disobey Him, fear to displease Him in any way.  He is our Creator, the Sovereign of the universe, the only true God; therefore we should be in awe of Him and serve Him in humility and obedience.

Following is another 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon titled "Fear Only God".  In it Spurgeon tells us,  "He who fears God has nothing else to fear."

Have a Christ centered weekend !

"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

"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

"Nothing Can Separate Us From The Love Of God" - (With Video On Artificial Intelligence) - Inspirational Weekend

There is an abundance of talk and action today about artificial intelligence (AI).  Some of the creators of AI have expressed fear that AI will either benefit mankind or that it is the beginning of the end.  Even a non-Christian immersed deeply in AI, Elon Musk,  has said, "We are summoning up a demon."  First watch the following 28 minute video about artificial intelligence and then we will proceed to discuss how that nothing can separate us from the love of God.  The video is by prophecyinthenews.com with Kevin Clarkson as host and his guest is Billy Crone, who discusses how some fear that artificial intelligence will cause the coming human annihilation. Pastor Crone also informs us how the antichrist with the Mark of the Beast and AI will work together to collect data on all people who buy and sell, and how AI will help to micro-manage the whole planet.  Let me assure you, this will all happen during the 7 year Tribulation period, after true believers are taken to heaven in the Rapture of the church.  So faithful followers of Jesus Christ will not experience the Mark of the Beast and all of the horrors of the Tribulation.

To begin, let us read Romans 8:38-39 :

(38)  "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In verse 38 above, when it speaks of angels and principalities and powers, it is not referring to good angels but instead is referring to evil spirits, demons. fallen angels.  The word "angels" is also applied to evil spirits in Matthew 25:41.

It is not conceivable that good angels, who are "all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation"  (Hebrews 1:14), should seek to tear apart Christians from the Savior, or should have any such evil tendency.

In verse 39 of Romans 8, where it says "nor any other creature",  that refers to any other created thing or any other thing in the universe.   My own speculation here says that that could include any artificial intelligence, any super robotic creation.  The reason I say this is because I believe these robots and any artificial intelligence can be taken over and possessed by demons. Even some believe that the Mark of the Beast (perhaps an RFID chip) may alter a person's DNA to where they are incapable of being saved.  Of course, taking the Mark of the Beast is like pledging your support to the antichrist and you are thereby damned for all eternity. But remember, true believers will have already been  raptured to heaven.  Those left behind during the Tribulation will need to come to the Lord and NOT take the Mark of the Beast.  (Revelation 13:16-17)

It is so very important to constantly read the Bible - and Study it,

and to pray often to the good Lord.  That way you will draw closer to Him and develop a close, strong, intimate, and personal love relationship with Him.  We live in perilous times, evil times, and we need to be strong to be able to endure whatever comes our way.  That strength comes from Jesus.  

One commentator says, "The purpose of God, the work of Christ, the aid of the Holy Spirit, and the tendency of all events under the direction of his Father and Friend, conspire to secure the Christian's welfare and salvation."

Once a person believes in Jesus as their Savior and is truly born again, they are secure in Christ.  They will have eternal life.  God loves them and will guide and direct them along the right paths they must travel in their walk of faith.   Their eternity in heaven with the Lord is secure and a sure reality.  God will not forsake them.

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

And remember what Jesus said at John 15:10,  "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love."

The Gospel gives us a blessed hope (Titus 2:13) which nothing else can produce, and which nothing can destroy.  Commit your way to the Lord.

Jesus tells us at John 10:28-29,  " (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  (29)  My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand."

The above Scriptures reveal God's love for us, and that if we are genuine believers, truly nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Read Romans 10:9,10,13 :  (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."

Time is short !

Jesus could return at any moment!

Don't be left behind to face the horrors of the Tribulation period !

"(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            

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

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

Israel Is Not To Blame (Video) And The Benefits Of Immersing Yourself In Bible Prophecy

Israel is being portrayed by the United Nations and the mainstream media as "the bad guy".  The so-called Palestinians (there is no such thing....they are just Arabs)  and their so-called "peaceful" demonstrations are really a deception  and an excuse for violence against the Jews and Israel.  Kevin Clarkson of prophecyinthenews.com  shares some recent information about the conflict at the Gaza Strip in this 7 minute video :

It is important to keep up with world events, for so much of it now relates to things which were prophesied in the Bible long ago.  There is a convergence of events now that are fulfilling prophecy .... and so many all at once, just as Jesus prophesied.   Read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 for the signs of the end times;  these last days we are now living in.  

It is true that Jesus gave us the Great Commission at Matthew 28:19-20, to go and make disciples, to teach them and baptize them.  That is what true believers should occupy themselves with until the Lord's soon return.   But it is also true that many have been saved by seeing Bible prophecy being fulfilled or in the process of or in the beginning stages of soon being fulfilled, and also by studying what the prophets of old warned us about.  There should be a balance here, because Jesus did not tell us to go and preach Bible prophecy but to make disciples.   We should preach all of God's Word, however.  As stated, prophecy can win souls to the Lord.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."    -    2 Timothy 3:16-17

On this blog you will find both subjects dealing with prophecy as well as with Christian doctrine and the Gospel and faith related articles.  I feel that both are important; the Lord included prophecy in the Bible for us to consider, and also to build our faith as we see prophecy occurring right before our eyes as we do now.  What joy it gives true believers to realize that the Lord will return soon to take them to be with Him in heaven !!

Following is a link to an article that informs us of the benefits of studying Bible prophecy; please read it here:

Live for Jesus!  

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

Read your Bible daily and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

You need to have fellowship with the good Lord through much prayer and much Bible reading, for thereby you will build a strong relationship with Him.  He wants to fellowship with you.  Have a strong, close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Don't be one to whom the Lord says, "I never knew you."   (Matthew 7:21-23).

To be saved and to gain eternal life, you need to come to the Lord in true repentance and to pray for forgiveness of your sins, to turn from sinning, and to believe in Jesus as the Savior and that He rose from the dead.   

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

"Choices And Consequences" - Inspirational Weekend

The giraffe keeps its head high and aims high; it is never found wallowing in the dust in a state of depression.  At the Honolulu Zoo I had the thrill of watching one run with all of its heart, thoroughly enjoying life.  

The Christian should run this race of life with joy and enthusiasm, with an eye to the will of the Lord and always endeavoring to obey Him.  Obeying God will bring joy and rewards when we are careful in the choices we make.  

The ultimate choice is to choose the will of God.  Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon, titled "My Choice Is His Choice":

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"   -  Deuteronomy 30:19

To choose life instead of death is the most important choice a person will ever make.  It means to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and to follow in His footsteps.  If  a person chooses Jesus (life) it will secure all other choices, for the reason why we often choose badly is because we have failed in that one great choice of all.

Not to make a choice is still a choice..... a choice to not follow Christ; a choice to not choose life.

"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

All that is worth having in this world or the next is in that word "Life".  "Therefore choose life."

How can a person deliberately sin, whether it be drunkenness or fornication or you name it (Galatians 5:19-21), and know that he is going against God's will and commandments and yet he still expects to see life eternal in heaven? What if his wife is a Christian and he has young children and they are taken up in the Rapture of the church and he is left behind to face the 7 year tribulation without them?   Choices !   Unless that person gets saved during the tribulation, he will never see his family again.  

Do not be like the above little fennec fox and be asleep and oblivious to the signs of the times and the fact that we are living in the last hour of the last days and that Jesus could come for true believers at any time now.  As stated before, read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 where you will find the signs of the end times.  

There are many other choices we make in a lifetime, in a year, a month, a day, that will directly affect our future and our standing with the good Lord.

"Every choice you make has an end result."  -  Zig Ziglar

"Our lifestyle, language, attitudes, and manner of dress reflect on His name.  He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Unless you are honestly convinced that the thing in question will bring glory to God, then don't do it."  -  Curtis Hutson

Remember Adam and Eve and how, in the garden of Eden, they made a choice;  a choice that not only brought about sin for them, but for all mankind.  

But the mercy of God provided a way - a Savior - to redeem us if we but have faith in Jesus, believe He is the promised Savior, and that we turn from our sin in true repentance.  We need to pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and thereby be born again to a new life.  A life of love and devotion to the good Lord, and to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), totally surrendered to Jesus.

Someone once said, "Sometimes the greatest battle has to be fought alone." 

Choose Christ!

Galatians 6:7-8 tells us (7) "Be not deceived;  God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  (8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."   -   Romans 12:1-2

What About Russia ? Be Prepared ! The Soon Rapture. (With Video)

"I have set the LORD always before me:  because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."  -  Psalm 16:8

Those words from the Psalms are comforting.  Goodness knows there is plenty happening in the world today to move us and shake us.  As I have said before, and so have many others, things are not falling apart but instead are coming together, prophetically speaking.  End time signs as recorded for us in the Bible are converging now at an unprecedented fast pace.  What an exciting time to be living !  Again, for an in depth listing of the signs of the end times in which we are now living, read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.  

Pray for the Lord to give you discernment.  Ask Him for an extra portion of His Holy Spirit.  Just remember, the way prophecy is being fulfilled right now, or on the verge of being fulfilled, should increase your faith tremendously.  Read God's holy Word daily, pray often...several times a day.  Your love for the good Lord will increase and so will your faith.

Here is an article which touches on issues of our current times, but also informs us about the soon Rapture of the Church and how we should be prepared.  The author mentions how the Rapture itself will take place in less than 1/2 a second.  He no doubt is basing that belief on 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 which says:

"(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Evidently, the twinkling (or blinking) of an eye takes less than half a second.  The important thing to consider, however, is to make sure that you are among the true believers taken to heaven in the Rapture.  For that to happen, you need to be born again (John 3:3) and that means to surrender to the Lord and to put your faith and belief in Jesus as the Savior.  You need to repent and ask for forgiveness for your sins and you need to believe in His resurrection  (Romans 10:9, 10, 13).

Following is a must see 12 minute video from prophecywatchers.com with Gary Stearman and his guest Dr. Mark Hitchcock where they discuss the Rapture , Russia rising, and more.   

"The Rapture will change the world," says Dr. Hitchcock, and "We are in the season of the Lord's return."

There is also given much information on Russia and how Russia has more nuclear weapons than any other country in the world, including more than America has.  

We do live in perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1-5).  For believers, it is an exciting time to be alive, because we know our blessed hope of Jesus' return is very near when He will take us to be home with Him in heaven.  

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

How loving of God to give us His Love Letter (the Bible) to guide and direct us and to warn us of the devil and how we need the Savior, Jesus.   The Bible is therefore also our Instruction Manual.  

Read the Holy Word daily.  You will draw closer to the good Lord.  That is our purpose in life:  to love God with all of our heart, mind, strength and soul  (Mark 12:30); and to bring glory to Him by living a holy life and by obeying Him.  

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."               -         1 Corinthians 10:31

For unbelievers, the time is short !  Now is the time to turn to the Lord in repentance; be sorry for your sins and turn from them; pray for forgiveness, and turn to Jesus in belief and faith that He is the Savior of the world, and He can be your Savior as well.  

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

"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."

Jesus loves you and does not wish for you to perish !  He is waiting with arms wide open to embrace you in love and forgiveness if you will repent and turn to Him in faith and believe in Him as your Savior.

Surrender to the Lord before it is too late.  He is waiting to receive you.

"Regrets - Don't Let Them Steal Your Joy" - Inspirational Weekend

We all know the definition of regret.  We have all experienced regrets in our lifetime, and the sense of loss and disappointment and remorse can totally consume us and steal our joy if we morbidly dwell on past sins, or on wasted years.  Making mistakes is part of the human experience; we are all imperfect and we sin.  The true believer will find comfort in God's Holy Word, and the more we keep His commandments and obey Him, the fewer regrets we will have.   Thank the good Lord for His grace and mercy !  Jesus came to redeem us from our sinful state.  All we have to do is to repent and by faith believe in Him, and endeavor to live as godly a life as possible with the Holy Spirit's help.

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

Speaking of foolish decisions and bad choices, the apostle Peter comes to mind when he denied Jesus.   How bad is that !   He did not intend to sin; his denial came from fear, spiritual immaturity, and probably just impulse.  

"And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.  And he went out, and wept bitterly."  -  Matthew 26:75

What a terrible thing to have to live with !  What regret!   Jesus knew how crushed and repentant Peter was, and later showed him love and forgiveness, restoring him.  

Please realize that it is important to understand that regret is not the same as repentance.  Esau regretted his decision to sell his birthright, but he never repented of this sin (Hebrews 12:16-17).  Regret tends to focus on the action that has brought pain and sorrow, whereas repentance focuses on the one we have offended.

"For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death."  -  2 Corinthians 7:10  (NASB)

Judas, who betrayed Jesus, had worldly sorrow (regret) and he committed suicide.   Peter had godly sorrow (repentance) and his life was transformed.  

Although it is natural to regret our past sins and unintentional impulse decisions against God's will, we do not want to wallow in our past mistakes and think of nothing else but how bad we are.   

This is where some people beat themselves up constantly because they cannot forgive themselves and feel worthless and depressed.  It will eat you up with bitterness and regret if you are not careful, and thereby steal your joy.  

If you are a mature believer and truly born again, you will know all this morbid dwelling on past sins is the devil trying to tear you down and make you ineffective as a productive soul winner.  Remember, he is called the deceiver and the accuser.  (Revelation 12:10)

Keeping your thoughts on wholesome and godly things will also help tremendously.  But remember, if you have confessed all known sin and have been truly repentant, the good Lord has wiped the slate clean....your sins have been forgiven !   Why dwell on your past mistakes when the Lord has forgotten them and made you clean and whole?!  Thank and praise the Lord always for His grace and mercy.  Think on good things, as Philippians 4:8 tells us:  

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  

Did you know that the Bible tells us to forget those things which are behind?

"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,"    - Philippians 3:13

So sing praises to the Lord !  Thank Him always for His forgiveness !  Saturate your mind with His Holy Word and develop a close, personal, intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ !  Spend much time in prayer!  Then your mind will be filled with godly and pleasant thoughts and you will not dwell on past mistakes in a way that steals your joy in the Lord.

Psalm 103:8-12 tells us:  (8) " The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (9) He will not always chide: neither will  He keep His anger for ever.  (10) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities, (11)  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.  (12) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgression from us."

"Do Not Be Troubled At Heart" (With Videos and Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

You may be thinking, "The world is falling apart, another World War is on the horizon, how can I not be troubled?"   May I remind you that the good Lord is in control, and things are not falling apart, but instead are falling into place, according to Bible prophecy.

Although we will concentrate here on John 14:1, let us also read verses 1-4 of John 14:

 (1) "Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  (2) 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.  (3)  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.  (4)  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."  

What comfort do those above words of Jesus bring to all who love Him and long to be with Him in heaven soon!  The whole 14th chapter of John is Jesus comforting His disciples.  He had previously told them that He would suffer and die and would be leaving them shortly, so now He sought to comfort the disciples.  His words are of great consolation to His followers in this modern age as well.  

Following is a beautiful song titled "Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled", by David and Renae Haas.

Sometimes there is nothing quite like a hymn or worship song to bring comfort to the soul.  I urge all of you who have a computer to go to You Tube and listen to old time hymns every morning before your Bible study.  God wants us to rejoice and be glad in Him; to praise Him and to follow in the footsteps of His Son, Jesus Christ.

But remember, no hymn or anything else can take the place of reading and studying God's Holy Word.  Also much prayer is needed to develop a close , personal, intimate, love relationship with the Lord.  Pray to the good Lord to give you an extra portion of His Holy Spirit to enable you to comprehend and live by His Word.  

"The saints could not be perfected but by Jesus' shed blood and the renewing by the Holy Spirit."  -  Charles Spurgeon

Let your heart be kept with the full trust in God.  Christ's disciples, more than any others, should keep their minds quiet, when everything else is unquiet.  The remedy against a troubled mind is to believe.  If you have trouble believing, pray to the Lord for strength and for giving you more of the Holy Spirit, which will enable you to believe in God and Jesus, and in all of the promises which they have made.  Pray believing that you will receive. 

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

Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on John 14.  For those who are not familiar with him, He was born in 1834 and died in 1892.  He was a Baptist preacher at the congregation of The New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for 38 years.   Before he was 20, Spurgeon had preached over 600 times.  He has been called "The Prince of Preachers", although he was also an author of many various types of works.  

Spurgeon's sermon here is 51 minutes long, but I pray that you take the time to listen to it.

Spurgeon says,  " Be not troubled!  Your Savior reigns.  He lives!  He is not far away!  ..... Do not worry!  Jesus will come again!  He will receive His followers.  All of this is near at hand!   We will be with the Lord forever......endless bliss!"

If you have never surrendered your life to the good Lord, now is the time !  His return is imminent!  You need to be repentant of your sins, confess them to the Lord, be sincere in your belief that Jesus is the only way to salvation.  Believe that His blood shed at Calvary washes away your sins....He will wipe the slate clean when you come to Him in faith and repentance.   You will be assured of eternal life with Jesus forever !  

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

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life."    -  John 6:47

"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