"ARE YOU ON YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN? - WHAT ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM LATER?" - (Videos: (1) All About Heaven; (2) The New Heavens & New Earth; and (3) A Fantastic Millennium Discourse by Chuck Missler) - Inspirational Weekend

 [Internet Image]

The above web image may not be an accurate rendition of heaven, but it is rather beautiful and hopefully enjoyable for you, as well as to grab your interest for the following videos and other sources which contain a ton of information about heaven, the New Earth, and the Millennium Reign on earth -- most of you realize that that is also called the 1000 Reign of Christ on earth.  Will you be there?

First is a 29 minute video by Prophecy Watchers (with Gary Stearman as host) and guest Larry Ollison, and they discuss "The Road To Heaven."  Larry Ollison tells us that "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but they don't want to today!  Partly because they don't realize how wonderful heaven will be."

Pastor Charles Lawson, in the following 31 minute sermon, has an information packed and hopeful message  concerning the New Heavens and the New Earth as prophesied in the Bible.  Pastor Lawson believes that 2 Peter 3:10-13 describes a literal fire, etc.,  that will destroy the earth to make way for the New Heavens and the New Earth. Many agree with Pastor Lawson's view on that.  Others have the opinion that it will not be a total destruction, but rather a "renovation and cleansing" of the earth.  You will find Pastor Lawson's sermon powerful.

By the way, I highly recommend that you visit Pastor Lawson's website.  It has his sermons, as well as links to valuable and helpful resources.    pastorcharleslawson.org

Following is 2 Peter 3:6-14 :  "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.   But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

It has been quite awhile since I have watched any of Chuck Missler's teachings (he passed away in 2018).  You may find some of his lectures, etc. on You Tube just by entering his name, as well as by going to his website:  khouse.org.  The following 76 minute video is titled :  "Revelation Session 23 - The Milllennium".  Missler adds other tidbits of interesting information besides concerning the Millennium which are fantastic "gems" to take note of as well !  For instance, he gives his opinion (which is very logical and believable) as to where he thinks "the bottomless pit" is actually located (of Revelation 9:2).  He also uses visuals  (charts, etc.)in this teaching below.

In view of the fact of the current world conditions (many of which are Bible Prophecy coming true in these last moments of the end times) -  we must remain true and faithful to the good Lord and not go against our faith for any reason or to compromise in any way.  Stay in prayer frequently - several times a day, even -  and read your Bible daily.  It will not only give you strength and peace to do that, but it will draw you even closer to the good Lord.... and He will draw close to you!  Also, as you fellowship with Him, you will develop a close, intimate, personal, loving, enduring and lasting relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ !   It doesn't get any better than that !  Except when we are actually with Him, face to face, for all eternity!  

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." -   James 4:8a

"And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us." -    1 John 3:24

"Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit."  -    1 John 4:13

"If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour."   -  Jesus at Luke 12:26

"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."    John 15:10

Mentioned previously on this blog, is a wonderful Christian You Tube Channel  called "Grace For Purpose" and its "Grace For Purpose Prayers" and it is very very encouraging and their videos are chock full of Scriptures.  Following is an 11 minute sample of one of their morning prayers:

If you are not saved- have not been "born again" by believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God as the Savior and the only way to heaven, then the following Salvation Scriptures are for you!  Jesus took our place on the cross - He died for us - ransomed us, and paid our sin debt in full by His shed blood -  He was the Sacrificial Lamb that died in our place.   All we need to do is first, to repent, and pray for forgiveness, sincerely and wholly heartfelt surrender to Jesus that is by belief in Him as the Savior, the only way to heaven !

"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

"(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

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

"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 !!

 

"End Times, Bible Prophecy, And You !" (Two Important Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

My photograph above is a twilight ocean view from a resort on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.   It seemed appropriate to use this photo now as we are in the twilight time of the last days ..... the last moments before the dark and evil time that lies ahead during the 7 year Tribulation period.  

But this article will not dwell upon the Tribulation so much as it does the urgency of the times right now, and how many lost souls need to be saved to escape the Tribulation that lies ahead.

We will discuss the unmentionable "H" word as pastor Billy Crone calls it. The word many people, pastors included, avoid and is rarely mentioned today.... even in churches.  But first, let us view a video by prophecyinthenews.com in which host Dan Goodwin and Phil Hauser discuss the deep and darker side of the Bible book of Revelation.  The video is 29 minutes in length and is like an in depth Bible Study.  

I urge you to watch and take notes on this entire discussion.  I learned some new Bible truths from watching these two godly men and their presentation of the Book of Revelation.  The Scriptures they present speak of the "Hell on earth" which soon follows the Rapture of true believers to heaven..... the dreaded 7 year Tribulation.   You do not want to be left behind to experience the horrors and wrath of that time period.  This is deep information they present from Revelation, yet it is given in a way that is easy to understand.

In the above paragraph, I just mentioned the dreaded "H" word; yes, Hell.  

I felt led to share here two recent videos, as the times are urgent... as well as short.   The next 29 minute video features pastor and author Billy Crone who is interviewed by prophecywatchers.com host Gary Stearman.   Pastor Crone's message is titled "One Second After You Die."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvOnvIKZ5u4

We all face the fact that one day we will die, or either be raptured to heaven during the return of Jesus.... which is imminent; any day now.  Now many people do not want to think about death and, surprisingly, many do not want to think about where they will spend eternity.   They, as a rule, are caught up in the lures of this evil world; they love the world and all of its enticements.  They do not want to spend eternity in hell (if they give that any thought), yet they do not make the effort to seek the good Lord and put Him first in their lives.   It is a "me first" generation today.  

You need to be born again from above (a spiritual rebirth) before the Holy Spirit can move you to love God with all of your being and with all of your heart.

"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."   -  Jesus at Mark 12:30

In the above video, Pastor Crone gives the Gospel in easy to understand terms.   He mentions that there are many in the churches today that are not saved.  And host Gary Stearman tells us that the unsaved are growing in numbers.

I urge you to watch the above two videos to the end....they are full of many Bible truths; many gems that we should take hold of and follow and let them sink deep into our hearts and minds and souls.

                     [Beauty along the Strand at Manhatten Beach, California]

It has been noted that many people -  a much higher percentage - believe in the existence of heaven rather than in hell.  But the Bible speaks of hell as a real place and Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven.   

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

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

The way to be saved from torment in hell is to repent and believe in Jesus Christ the Savior.  Let us consider some Scriptures describing Hell.   

First, what Jesus said at Matthew 25:41,   "Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

So hell is "everlasting fire."  It is also "unquenchable fire" as stated at Matthew 3:12.  Read also Revelation 14:10-11.

Here is an important part of Revelation 14:11 ,  "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth  up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,  who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

This is just a reminder that if you are left behind after the Rapture of true believers, you can still be saved if you do not take the the mark of the beast (the antichrist) and if you do not worship the beast and his image.   If you pledge allegiance to the beast and worship him and his image, you are damned forever.  You then would have put the antichrist above and before the Savior and the one true God.  It is worthy to note that it is better to give your life to Jesus now, before the Rapture.  It will be more difficult to be saved during the 7 year Tribulation. If you are saved during the Tribulation, you will die by being beheaded because you do not go along with the New World Order, the government of the antichrist, by not worshiping the beast and by not taking the mark of the beast.   You will suffer because you cannot buy or sell and obtain food without the mark of the beast.  (Revelation 13:15-18).  Death will be a blessing to those saved during the Tribulation because you will go to be with the good Lord.

For more information on all this, go here

God is love.  He does not desire any to go to hell.  I am reminded of what C.S. Lewis said in "The Great Divorce" :  "There are two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God 'Thy will be done', and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'."  All that are in hell, choose it.

If you do not want to go through the Great Tribulation, and to go to hell, there is good news for you.  All you have to do is believe in Jesus as the Savior and turn your life over to Him in complete surrender.

Jesus loves you !

He will welcome you with open arms of love and forgiveness !

Repent and come to Him in complete trust and faith!

Admit you are a sinner and in need of a Savior.

Believe in Jesus as the Savior and that His shed blood at Calvary can wash away your sins and wipe the slate clean.  He died to take our place.  He was our substitute; our Redeemer.  Faith in Him can transform you and lead you along righteous paths.

Call on Jesus; Commit your life to Him.  Confess your sins to Him.

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."

(3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (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."   -   Revelation 21:3-4

The verses in Revelation 21 quoted just above are speaking of the new heavens and the new earth, when we will be with the good Lord in the New Jerusalem.   In paradise.   When you are born again and put your faith in Jesus as the Savior, you have that to look forward to.

Be in the Bible daily and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).   By doing so, you will develop a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  If you have this close relationship, you will be able to withstand all trials and persecutions.   God will give you strength to endure all.

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

"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

Hang in there!  Jesus is returning soon!


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

Current Events Update And The Soon Rapture Of The Church (With Videos)

The Bird of Paradise flower above seems fitting to begin this post, as we will be discussing the Rapture of true believers to heaven  (paradise) with Jesus.  Also, we will discuss current events in light of Bible prophecy.

To begin, please watch the following 19 minute video on current events in the Middle East featuring Messianic Jew and Bible teacher Amir Tsarfati, who has a thriving ministry and lives in Israel.  This video was created and posted yesterday, so obviously it is current.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0GNZ-Gfb2E

Amir gives information on the recent attack on Syria by America with Israel's assistance, as well as other useful information pertaining to the last days.    I appreciated how he stresses that the people of God should not be afraid, because the Lord is in control.  We are the generation that has seen more prophecies coming true than any other generation, says Amir.  He gives much encouragement to true believers in the Lord. 

He also directs us to the fact that PM Netanyahu of Israel made a video yesterday in English concerning Iran's nuclear plan, as well as the fact that Israel acquired a stockpile of documents that proves Iran lied when the nuclear deal was signed concerning the fact that they supposedly did not have nuclear weapons.  Although you may have seen it on the news, I will post this video link with Netanyahu directly below:

We are now watching Bible prophecy being fulfilled in real time. These are dangerous times, but also exciting times.  Prophecies are being fulfilled almost daily, it seems.  It is important to read  your Bible so you can appreciate how true God's Word is and everything He told us about the end times is coming to pass right now.  It builds your faith, and also gives you hope that we believers will all be with the Lord very soon in heaven,  before the 7 year Tribulation occurs.   That is when God pours out His wrath upon all the ungodly and evil people left on earth after the Rapture.  The Great Tribulation is also called the time of "Jacob's trouble"... meaning the Jewish people .  (Jeremiah 30:7).  The Tribulation is also to bring the Jews to the realization that Jesus is their Messiah.

This may seem like soft date setting, to say that Jesus will return soon to Rapture true believers to be with Him in heaven.  But  remember that "Jesus chastised the Pharisees and the Sadducees as well as the city of Jerusalem for not recognizing the season of their visitation."   -  Matthew 16:1-4; 23:37-39

Also, do not forget that Jesus gave us signs to look for that pointed to the season of His return for believers.  You may find these signs in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

We need to understand the temporary nature of our current existence, as our departure will be soon in light of Bible prophecy.

Are you ready to leave this earth?  Are you ready for the return of the Lord?  Are you living a sanctified life; as holy a life as possible?  Are you surrendered to the Lord and obeying Him?  In other words, are you born again?  (John 3:3)

If all of that is true of you, then there is no need to panic or to be afraid.  Our faith and trust and hope is in the good Lord, and not in this corrupt world.  God gives us peace when we trust in Him.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee"    -  Isaiah 26:3

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

Those who are refusing to believe in Jesus as their Savior are making the biggest mistake they could ever make in this life.  Their eternity will be in torment in hell.   I beg you to look to the Lord for help.  He loves you and does not wish any to perish.  (2 Peter 3:9).

This world is passing away, but he that does the will of God will live forever.  (1 John 2:17).  Wouldn't you like to live forever in a paradise restored; live among peaceable persons who want nothing more than to worship and praise the Lord ?   You can if you will only put your trust in the Lord and believe in Jesus as your Savior.  But you must also sincerely repent of your sins, ask the Lord for forgiveness and believe in the resurrection of Jesus.  It is not complicated; it is not an elaborate list of do's and don't's.  When you begin to live a life dedicated to the Lord, you will want to obey and follow Him, because your love for Him will grow as you draw near to Him in prayer and in Bible reading and study.  You will have a hope and a purpose, and He will give you peace.


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

"Words Of Encouragement And What Happens When You Die" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

When I view beautiful flowers like the Hibiscus above, it reminds me of the Lord's tender mercies and His love for mankind by giving us such beauty to embrace while living in a chaotic world.  An evil world.  A cruel and selfish world, where godliness .... for the most part .... is not practiced and is mocked by unbelievers.  True and faithful believers need words of encouragement and hope.  We can find such hope and encouragement in God's Holy Word, the Bible.

Featured in this post, as in my last post, are two videos,  one by Amir Tsarfati and another by evangelist Dan Goodwin, only these are different and more recent videos than in the April 9, 2018, writing.  Following is a 24 minute video by Amir with words of clarification and encouragement, considering recent events.

Have you ever wondered where the dead go when they die?  Specifically, where the Old Testament righteous people went, since heaven was not open to them at that time?  Remember the parable given by Jesus in Luke 16:19-31, about the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, and where they went when they died?  The rich man went to hell (verse 23), and Lazarus went to Abraham's bosom, or paradise (also verse 23).  Many scholars believe this is a true story or history of two real individuals.  

The Talmud mentions both paradise and Abraham's bosom as the home of the righteous.  The main lesson here is that once death comes a person cannot change his eternal destiny.  

Abraham told the rich man who was in hell, "And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."   -  Luke 16:26

In the following 28 minute video from prophecyinthenews.com ,  evangelist Dan Goodwin gives much information on this topic, as well as numerous Scriptures.  He also tells us that New Testament saints, you and I, can only enter heaven and be in God's presence  by being born again.  

Hebrews 11 tells us of the righteous men of old, who by faith obeyed God and it was accounted to them as righteousness.  For example,  Hebrews 11:7 says:

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."    

The good Lord wants us to exhibit faith, and thereby be full of righteousness and pleasing to Him.  The way to develop faith is to read your Bible and by being often in prayer.  In other words, to develop a close, personal, intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son.   Our purpose is to do His will and to bring glory to the Lord.  

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."   -  Hebrews 11:6

Now is the time to be busy for the Lord, bringing lost souls to come to a faith in Jesus as their Savior.  We are living in the end times, the last "hour" of the last days.  Be occupied in the Lord's work.

Be ready!!

Jesus could return at any moment !!

If you are an unbeliever, turn to the Lord before it is too late !  Pray and ask for forgiveness of your sins, repent and do not go back to a life of sin; have faith and believe in Jesus as your Savior; believe in His resurrection.  

Remember, God accepts U-turns !

Jesus loves you !

He is waiting with open arms of love and forgiveness!

Turn to Jesus with faith and belief!

He will pardon your sins and give you 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 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

"Wisdom And The Most Important Decision" (Videos - Chuck Smith and Andrew Murray) - Inspirational Weekend

The dictionary informs us that wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.  The word "wisdom" is mentioned 222 times in the Hebrew Bible.  True wisdom is a gift from God.  Jesus is wisdom, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:30 below:

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification. and redemption."

"True wisdom is the knowledge of Divine things, rightly used."  

"Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it."   -  J.I. Packer 

The book of Proverbs is best known for its wisdom.  I recommend you read all of it, and especially chapter 8 of Proverbs.  

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:  and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."  -  Proverbs 9:10

We are only wise when we turn to God and reverently fear Him and go to Him about all decisions that need to be made; asking for the Holy Spirit to guide us and to give us strength and endurance.  He will enable us to deal rightly in all matters, when we seek to know His will and to follow through by obeying Him and doing His will, not ours.  We need to develop a close, personal, intimate, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ in order to know His will and to obey Him.  You must communicate with someone in order to build a relationship.  The same is true of the heavenly Father.  Go to Him often in prayer, and study His Holy Word to, in turn, listen to Him speak through His written Word.  As you come to know the Lord more and more, you will obey Him out of love, and you will surrender your life and your very being to Him.  

Andrew Murray says, "Abiding in Him, His wisdom will come to you as a spontaneous outflow of a life rooted in Him."  Following is an 11 minute audio sermon by Murray about abiding in Christ as your wisdom:

The late pastor, Chuck Smith, gives the benefits of wisdom in the following 25 minute audio sermon.  

In pastor Smith's sermon above, he mentions how experience is often the best teacher, especially when raising children.  We learn wisdom when we make mistakes and thereby learn what to avoid in the future.

We also learn wisdom by reading the Scriptures ....a really deep, serious study of God's Word.  

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  -  James 1:5

To acquire wisdom, go to the good Lord in prayer and ask Him to give you wisdom.  God is a giver.  If you are a believer and in good standing with Him, He will grant your petition.  That is, if you ask in faith.  Remember, the doubting man dishonors God.  Therefore if we do not have faith, we should not expect God to answer us.  (James 1:6,7).

In making decisions, we should always endeavor to make them in a manner that glorifies God.  Always ask yourself what the Bible says about the problem.  Talk to your pastor or a mature believer and ask them if they can help you to more fully understand just what God's Word says about the matter you are concerned about; the decision you need to make.  Also, you may go by your past experiences to help you make a decision.   And, again, go to the Lord in prayer for help.

Ask yourself if this decision will keep you from a good witness for the Lord. We need to honor God and bring Him glory in all that we do and say. Consider all options and, again, take it to the Lord in prayer.

The most important decision anyone can make is the one that determines their eternal destiny.....heaven or hell.   If you are a true believer and have been born again (John 3:3) and you are putting God first in your life, then you will have heaven to look forward to.  But beware if you are putting off coming to the Lord in faith; refusing to believe in Jesus as your Savior.  Think about it:  Eternity is a long time to spend it in the wrong place, and suffering unbearable torment at that.

We are living in the last days the Bible prophesied about; current events are evidence that we are, indeed, in the very last hour of this present age.  Read Ezekiel 38 and 39 for starters; all the countries are now coming against Israel (as prophesied) in an effort to annihilate her.  Israel is God's prophetic time clock; God will rescue His chosen people.

The fact that this is the last "hour" of the end times, should move everyone to turn to God and cry out to Him for deliverance.  Unbelievers should repent of their sins, pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and believe with all their being that Jesus is the Savior and to put their faith and trust in Him.  They need to also believe that He rose from the dead and is now in heaven to make intercession for us to the Father.  (Romans 10:9,10,13).

Time is short.

Jesus will return soon to take true believers to heaven with Him in the Rapture of the Church.

Don't be left behind to face the torment and horrors of the 7 year Tribulation period and then afterwards hell itself, unless you repent first.

Jesus loves you !!

He will welcome you with open arms and pardon your sins, if you will only turn to Him in faith and belief and repentance.

"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

Concerning end time events, Jesus said at Luke 21:28:  "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

"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 Is A Sanctuary" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

These cattle egrets seem to have found themselves a tranquil sanctuary in the branches of an extremely large old tree.  A sanctuary can be a church or an area in your home where you pray to and worship God, or any place of refuge where you feel safe and protected.  The ancient Jews, as mentioned in the Bible at Numbers 35:11-15, had cities of refuge where the person who accidentally killed someone could flee to for safety from the avenger of blood.

But God Himself called Himself a sanctuary:

"Therefore say, thus saith the LORD God; although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."  -  Ezekiel 11:16

Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon on the above verse: 

The ancient Jews were sent into exile in other countries because God was punishing them for their lack of respect for Him and for their disobedience and rebellion.  It was an event that displayed the holiness of God; and it was a severe punishment for His people.  The event was to show God's goodness. Even in judgment, He showed mercy.  It was not His intention to destroy, but to correct and reform.

The good Lord assured His people that He would be "a little sanctuary" for them wherever they went.  In using the word "little", perhaps God was saying that He would be as they were; that He would bow down to their littleness and be to each one of them a little sanctuary.  "When the Lord communes with the greatest of men, He must become little to speak with them."  The dispersion made the Jews able to worship God everywhere without a material temple.

"And He shall be for a sanctuary....."  -  Isaiah 8:14a

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (23)  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.  (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."   -  John 4:21-24

A sanctuary was a place of refuge, a place of worship, a place of mercy, the house of mercy, and a place of great holiness.  God Himself is all of that and more.  He will be to us a place of communion and of revelation.  He answers our prayers, and today He "speaks" to us through the Bible, His Holy Word.  So you may find in God and Jesus your sanctuary.  All that you ever could want or need.

If for some reason, either sickness or a long journey, you are unable to go to the house of God, remember that God is your sanctuary and you can worship Him and pray to Him from your home or hospital.  

Below is a song video that relates to this message, although it does not mention God Himself as being our sanctuary:

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn now to the Lord in repentance before it is too late.  Before Jesus returns to take true believers to be home with Him in heaven; or else you will be left behind to face unbelievable horrors during the 7 year tribulation period after the Rapture of the church occurs.  Your eternal destiny, heaven or hell, is what is at stake.

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and all thy soul."   -  Deuteronomy 4:29

"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 is ready to receive you in His loving embrace.  His outstretched arms will receive you with joy and with pardon for your sins.

All it takes is true repentance and a prayer for forgiveness. And, of course, a belief and faith in Jesus as your Savior and belief in His resurrection.

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."

"You Must Be Holy To Enter Heaven" - Inspirational Weekend

Hamakua Marsh on Oahu, Hawaii,(shown in my photo above) is a bird lovers paradise and I enjoy visiting there and taking many photographs.  Again, the beauty of Hawaii is a small glimpse of a paradise on earth.  The paradise of God's heaven is too wonderful to even comprehend with our finite minds!  

Two previous posts on this blog have dealt with how to enter the Kingdom of God;  one is about repentance and being born again found here , and the other about how humility and being childlike is necessary to enter God's kingdom which is found here.  I urge you to read both posts, and meditate upon the Scriptures found there.

Today, we will focus on holiness.   I have dealt with this topic previously last year.  Now I will go into more depth about the meaning of holiness and how you need to be holy to enter heaven, God's Kingdom.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."  -  Hebrews 12:14

A short note on being peaceable:  we are not to engage in or instigate litigation, strifes, or slander.  We are to make war with sin, but not with people; with bad passions and corrupt desires, but not with our fellowman.   Being peaceable is part of being holy.

"They who are expecting to be saved without holiness or religion, are destined for certain disappointment.  Heaven and earth will pass away but God will not admit one unrepenting and unpardoned sinner to enter heaven.  "   

Notice in Hebrews 12:14 that it says to "follow holiness."  You will not gain holiness by just sitting still and doing nothing.  It requires effort; you need to deliberately pursue holiness with a passion.  To be holy means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.  Holiness requires cultivation.   "You must pursue it with determination; with eagerness, with long-continued perseverance, as a hunter pursues his prey."

Remember, there is no heaven without holiness.

  

"You cannot achieve holiness by your own effort.  But Christ can do it for you, and He can begin it now.  Believe on Him and He will begin with you; in fact, that believing will be the fruit of His having begun with you."  (Charles Spurgeon)

Pray for the Lord to help you to become holy.  Read and study your Bible and pray without ceasing  (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  All Scripture is inspired by God.  Therefore, God "speaks" to you through the reading of His Word.  The more you take in spiritual food, the more spiritual (and therefore holier) you will become.

Someone has said, "Holiness is the beauty and ornament of the soul."   Also, "It {holiness} is our brightest resemblance to God; our principle glory in this world, and our highest happiness in the next."

Holiness is the fruit of sovereign and effectual grace .  (Ezekiel 36:25-26)

"Now if our text {Hebrews 12:14} said that without perfection of holiness no man could have any communion with Christ, it would shut every one of us out, for no one, who knows his own heart, ever pretends to be perfectly conformed to God's will..  It does not say "perfection of holiness", mark: but "holiness".  This holiness is a thing of growth.  As the spirit of God waters it, it will grow till the mustard-seed shall become a tree."   -  Charles Spurgeon

I have shared the following sermon previously, but felt it needed to be shared again on this post.   It is a  45 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon titled "Holiness Demanded".   

 "I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live holy to Him".      -  Charles Spurgeon

"The greatest test of whether the holiness we profess to seek or to attain is truth and life will be whether it produces an increasing humility in us.  In man, humility is the one thing needed to allow God's holiness to dwell in him and shine through him.  The chief mark of counterfeit holiness is lack of humility.  The holiest will be the humblest."   -  Andrew Murray

"Holiness consists of three things -  separation from sin, dedication to God, transformation into Christ's image.  It is in vain that we talk about the last, unless we know something experimentally about the first."  -  James H. Aughey

"If Christ has died for me - ungodly as I am, without strength as I am - then I can no longer live in sin, but must arouse myself to love and serve Him who has redeemed me.  I cannot trifle with the evil that killed my best Friend.  I must be holy for His sake.  How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?"  -  Charles Spurgeon  

True holiness is seated in the heart.  It is not just a name you or someone else gives you, but rather your inward nature.   It is a divine principle embedded deep within your heart and soul.  The only way one can become holy is by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; by fellow-shipping with Him; by knowing Him intimately and desiring His will above all else.   You must be born again (John 3:3) and renewed in your mind (Romans 12:1-2) in order to be holy.  But, of course, to begin with, you need to repent and turn from your sin and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior (John 3:16); to have faith in Him by grace and to believe His shed blood on the cross can wipe all your sins away; and believe also in His resurrection  (Romans 10:9,10,13).  

"Holiness is not a single grace, but an assemblage of all the graces. and extends to all the duties of the Christian life.  ..... It is not meekness, humility, faith, hope or charity; but all these united...."

True holiness in man is through the mediation of Christ.  Only as we begin to know Jesus can we grow in holiness as, at the same time, we increase in the knowledge of Him.  "Real saints are a living image of the invisible Savior."

Beware of self-love that may prompt us to love God for His goodness to us.  Many unregenerate men may have a selfish love towards God because of a selfish heart.  "But to love God because He is infinitely holy, is a disposition natural to a renewed soul only, and argues a conformity to His image."

Ponder these things, and may grace abound towards you as you enter this Christ-filled weekend.

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."       -  Romans 6:22

"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  

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  -  Ephesians 4:24

"The Seven Year Tribulation Period" - (End Times Prophecy)

"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."  -  Matthew 24:21

There is so much to write about the 7 year tribulation period and so many Scriptures to include that I almost don't know where to begin.  Maybe a good beginning is to say that if you are a true believer, you will not be here during the tribulation period;  you would have already been "caught up" in the Rapture of the Church - Jesus' "Bride" -  to be in heaven with the Lord while God unleashes His wrath on the wicked, ungodly world during this time of trouble, destruction, death, and judgment of the tribulation when God punishes the wicked and defiant people left on earth at that time.

Some time after the Rapture - we don't know exactly how long -  the tribulation will begin when Israel and the antichrist sign a peace treaty, a covenant =  Daniel 9:27.    But 3 1/2 years after signing this treaty, the antichrist will break it when he enters the temple and desecrates it and causes the sacrifices to cease and disrupts the Jews system of worship.   "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" - Jesus speaking at Matthew 24:15.  This marks the 3 1/2 years of what is to follow:  the "Great Tribulation" of the last 3 1/2 years of that period, which will be the worst ever for  the horrific destruction and afflictions that will be unprecedented in all of human history.  This 3 1/2 year period (or 1,260 days) is spoken of in many Scriptures :  Revelation 12:6, 14; Daniel 12:5-7; Revelation 11:2-3 and others.    

During this last half of the tribulation, the persecution and wrath and judgments will be extremely severe on the Jewish people.   The great tribulation is meant to bring the Jewish people, Israel, to their knees in repentance and for them to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.   And in the end of the tribulation, when Jesus appears in all His glory as the Messiah, all Israel will be rescued by Him.  

Below are two videos (not mine) that go into greater detail about what happens after the Rapture:

And salvation in the tribulation:

I highly recommend that you watch these 2 videos; they are chock full of interesting and life-saving information.   

As to the fact that many will be saved during the tribulation period, here is Scriptural proof at Revelation 7:9,14 =   "After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands...........And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."  So, as you can see, many will become Christians during the tribulation period.

Don't be misled and think you do not need to get saved before the Rapture and before the tribulation;  the antichrist will want you to take the mark of the beast (more about that in another post) in order to buy, sell, eat and simply to live and exist.   Men with families may go ahead and think they need to take care of their wives and children and take the Mark in order to do so, only to be eternally damned for pledging allegiance to the antichrist instead of to God Almighty. So a person may cave in and take the mark of the beast out of weakness and self survival. To defy the antichrist and the one world government means certain death, either from starvation and famine or by being killed, probably being beheaded as in Revelation 20:4  =  "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."    This is very plain, and when you consider what is even now going on in the present world with all the beheadings of believers, this Scripture really hits home.   As for the mark of the beast, again,  that can be a topic for another blog post, but many scholars believe it will be either a tattoo or more likely an RFID chip implanted in the forehead or the right hand.   That technology is already here and is being used to enter locked office doors, to pay for purchases, etc., and the powers that be want everyone micro chipped by 2017.   Like I say, a subject that needs more attention in another blog post.   

For true believers and for those who endure until the end,  a wonderful future awaits us in heaven with the Lord.

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  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."  - Revelation 21: 3-4