"Full Throttle All The Way To The End!" (On Having Strength To Endure - Videos by Pastor Jack Hibbs, and Video on The Anti Christ Spirit) - Inspirational Weekend

 

Part of the title above for this post is from a quote by Pastor Jack Hibbs which is contained in the following 53 minute sermon he preached earlier this month: "Full throttle all the way to the end." His encouraging words that follow stress how we need the strength of the good Lord - always - but in these perilous times especially.  One thing he says in his video below "God is going through this with you" is a good reminder for all of us - no matter what we're facing now. Pastor Hibbs reminds us that God is always present with true believers and that He is the God of the impossible!  It is one Pastor Hibb's best sermons that I have ever watched ! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtP6bJ8cOCA

There is also a part two dated 2-18-22 found on You Tube which I have not as yet watched myself.   I have tried several times to put the link to Part 2 and it will now work for me.  Go to you tube and enter "Stop: A "How To" when we need the strength of the Lord -  Part 2 

Many people today (even many unbelievers) are still interested in some things concerning the end times which we find ourselves experiencing now.   Most are especially interested in the antichrist and the meaning of 666 as found in the Bible.    Me, I am more interested in JESUS CHRIST and looking for HIS coming!!   However, following is a short 15 minute video on the topic of the antichrist spirit in the world today.  The Christian video below mentions that the coming antichrist will be more of a political leader, rather than a religious one.

"When a man's heart is right with God, the mysterious utterances of the Bible are Spirit and life to him.  Spiritual truth is discernible only to a pure heart, not to a keen intellect.  It is not a question of profundity of intellect, but of purity of heart."   -  Oswald Chambers

"The lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment."  -     Proverbs 12:19

On the above verse at Proverbs 12:19, Charles Spurgeon has written in his "Faith's Checkbook" devotional the following:

"Truth wears well.  Time tests it, but it right well endures the trial.  If then, I have spoken the truth and have for the present to suffer for it, I must be content to wait.  If also I believe the truth of God and endeavor to declare it, I may meet with much opposition, but I need not fear, for ultimately the truth must prevail.  What a poor thing is the temporary triumph of falsehood!  "A lying lip is but for a moment."   It is a mere gourd which comes up in a night and perishes in a night; and the greater its development the more manifest its decay.  On the other hand, how worthy of an immortal being is the avowal and defense of that truth which can never change; the everlasting GOSPEL, which is established in the immutable truth of an unchanging GOD !   

"An old proverb saith, "He that speaks truth shames the devil."  Assuredly, he that speaks the truth of God will put to shame all the devils in hell and confound all the seed of the serpent which now hiss out their falsehoods!   O my heart, take care that thou be in all things on the side of truth, both in small things and great; but specially on the side of HIM by Whom grace and truth have come among men!"    -  (end of Spurgeon's quote)

[Rainbow Bridge-  Haleiwa town, Oahu, Hawaii]

"Let God have your life, He can do more with it than you can!"  - unknown

"Promises are God's golden fruit to be plucked by the hand of prayer."  -  E. M. Bounds

"If Christ is the Way, we waste time traveling any other."  -  unknown

"Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man."  -  Oswald Chambers

If Jesus were to return to take His people to heaven tonight, would you be rapture ready? Only those who have put their faith and trust and belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior are truly "born again" (a spiritual re-birth). Also to believe in the power of Jesus' shed blood on the cross, that as a sacrificial Lamb, He died in our place -  took our sins upon Himself and paid our sin debt in full, by which His shed blood can wash us clean if we but have belief that He is the Savior (and believe that He was resurrected) as Romans 10 tells us.  We must believe with all of our very being in the Savior Jesus - with all of our soul, and mind, and heart !  Not mere head knowledge, or intellectually. Following are Scriptures to help lead you to understand and come to Salvation.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -   John 3:36

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

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

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Please watch Dr. Charles Stanley's  8 minute video below concerning how to be saved and have the hope of eternal life!

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !

 

"HE FIGHTS FOR YOU!'' and "WALK IN THE LIGHT" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

 

  In my photograph above we find patches of sunlight along the shady path.  Life is like that !  Life can be dark and filled with peril; or lots of obstacles, if nothing else; or problems and heartbreak and the list goes on.  But now and then in the pathway of life, there are rays of sunshine and hope and happiness.  For that bit of sunshine we are always very grateful and bask in it while it lasts.

The above observation is true of Christians as well as the ungodly.  However, the Christian's problems or storms can be a way of God the heavenly Father to teach us lessons of endurance and to help us learn to go to Him often in prayer for guidance and relief; in other words, the true believer's problems should make him draw ever closer to the good Lord.  God and Jesus will not only comfort us, but will fight for us as well.  This is brought out beautifully in the following 9 minute sermon clip by (the now deceased) Pastor David Wilkerson.

 The bad news is, the battle or war raging in the inner man (and the destructive opposition from the devil) will go on as long as we live.  That is why we need strong faith in the LORD as well as to fellowship with Him often in prayer and Bible reading. God's Holy Spirit is not only our Comforter, but He is also our Protector and Guide - He will fight for us ! That is the good news!

   As I uploaded the above Hibiscus photograph here, the dried up and dead former blossom on the left reminded me of the Christian's former life of darkness before he was born again and became a true "child of light", as perhaps the here shown glorious open blossom depicts the present full of light and beauty he has become now that he is a "child of God" by faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior, Who is the only way to the Father in heaven.

However, as we all realize, Christians are NOT perfect and at times we fall short - we sin.  That is why we need a close, intimate, personal, loving relationship with God through His Son Jesus.  We are less likely to sin if that is the case -  to not make it a habit to sin !  We will not deliberately and willfully sin in opposition to the good Lord's wishes and commandments. For the most part, true believers sin "accidentally" and at times do not even realize it until later.  We still, once we are aware of our sin, must repent and endeavor to not repeat that sin.  Repentance means to regret your sin and to turn away from it, but especially it means a complete change of mind which leads to a change of actions!  Becoming more Christlike, in other words, over time. 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." -  Acts 2:38

"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."    -  Matthew 4:17

If you are a Christian, the question arises "Are you hot or cold?  Are you lukewarm?"

Please watch the following and thought provoking 11 minute video which discusses lukewarm Christians, but has wonderful information for all of us, be we on fire for the Lord or lukewarm.

  We Christians are familiar with the fact already that God is light and that we are "children of the light" .  However, the video above makes it all so abundantly clear that we need to show our light by separating from any evil and living for Christ!  "There is no spiritual neutrality!"

"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word  is not in us." -  1 John 1:5-10

Many of you are aware of all the "changes" lately that affect everyone - the entire globe will be affected in time, and that is partially true right now.

 

But true believers have a blessed hope that keeps them hanging in there!  

That is the soon return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

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

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By the way, this has been shared on this blog previously, but here it is again:  Some commentators admit that the better translation of Titus 2:13 would be "The great God even our Savior Jesus Christ."  It is abundantly clear that this verse strongly emphasizes the Deity of Christ.

Romans 9:5 agrees : "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen."

 Bible Prophecy concerning these last moments of the end times are being fulfilled not only on a daily basis, but almost an hourly or minute by minute basis!  Seems like things are really happening all at once and fast right now!

Jesus will return soon!  Don't let scoffers (2 Peter 3:3) convince you it will be otherwise!

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." -   2 Peter 3:3-4

If you have not put your faith in the cleansing power of Jesus' shed blood on the cross -  that by His sacrificial death He paid our sin debt in full by dying for us and taking our sins upon Himself -  He ransomed us;   that by this redeeming act, He made a way for us to have everlasting life if we but put our faith and belief in Him as the Savior!   If you are unsaved, this means to gain eternal life you must repent of your sins and pray for forgiveness with all of your very being and in sincerity, and - again - with all of your very being believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior !

Following are some Salvation Scriptures :

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -  John 3:36

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

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"    -  John 11:25, 26

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

"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."    -   Revelation 22:7

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend -  and life !

"Are You A Wayfaring Stranger? Timeless Truth For A Troubled World" (With Videos - One An Adrian Rogers' Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

                                                [Tourists At Waikiki - Diamond head Crater]

My photograph above was taken a few years ago, showing a typical scene from Waikiki, with many tourists.  But, as the title of this post hints, these are not exactly "wayfaring strangers".   Or, ARE they? Meaning, in a spiritual way, perhaps some of them may be wayfaring strangers.  Many of you might be familiar with that old hymn (or rather, folk song) by that title - "Wayfaring Stranger".  Following is a beautiful version of it by Selah:

The above song expresses a longing to go to heaven and to be with the Lord.  In today's troubled world, there are many who have that same longing: to be in heaven with the good Lord. You have to admit, "things ain't like what they used to be."  Many changes have been implemented lately that prove that we are ever closer to what will occur on a larger scale during the 7 year Tribulation. 

Good News!   True believers in Jesus Christ as the Savior will be "outta here" before then :  before that horrendous judgment period upon ungodly men, meaning the  Tribulation with all of its plagues, destruction, and suffering !  Read the Bible book of Revelation -  it is all there.

True followers of Jesus should feel as the apostle Paul felt when he wrote :  "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Philippians 1:21;  and, at Philippians 1:23 Paul said: "For I am in a strait betwixt the two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: "

"And to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."  -   1 Thessalonians 1:10

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."                              -  1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

"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."  -              2 Peter 3:9

But the focus of this article will be on the salvation of souls and what that entails. 

Some time ago, the old hymn "This World Is Not My Home" was posted on this blog.  It is sung by Jim Reeves (to you old-timers like myself... remember him?)  and was written by Reeve's wife.  Here is that hymn again for you:

The message of the hymn here by Jim Reeves is similar to the message in the folk song "I'm Just a Wayfaring Stranger".   I posted it again now because it is mentioned in the following 39 minute audio sermon by Pastor Adrian Rogers, which follows:

There are many, many gems of gospel truth and encouragement in the above excellent sermon by Pastor Rogers!   One echoes what the two song videos above tell us:  "We (believers) are strangers and pilgrims and do NOT belong to this world."  -  based on 1 Peter 2:11 which tells us:

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;"

Another thing Pastor Rogers emphasizes :" Salvation is NOT rooted in the merit of man, but in the mercy of God."   You cannot "work" your way into heaven!

Speaking of his personal testimony, Pastor Rogers tells us: "Before I was saved I was running to sin, but now I am running from sin."  He tells us, "You don't need anything!  If you have Jesus you have everything!"

Just a warning from Pastor Rogers: "If the only thing that keeps you from sinning is the fear of losing your salvation, I doubt that you've ever been saved."

"Lukewarmness is the Christian's Achilles heel.  We cannot lead anyone to Christ who is more committed to the world than we are to Jesus."  -   Joe McKeever

"Don't put a question mark where God puts a period."  -  unknown

"Jesus did not come to make God's love possible, but to make God's love visible." -  unknown

"It is Christ's will that [man] should be thus isolated, and that he should fix his eyes solely on HIM."     -  Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

"If the LORD be with us, we have no cause of fear.  His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayers -  His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable."  -  John Newton

  Following is a short article by A.W. Tozer titled :"Spiritual Readiness":

"When the Bible says that God is calling a special people out of the nations to bear the name of His eternal Son, I believe it, and His name is Jesus!  Our pious forefathers believed in spiritual preparation, and they said so!  They saw themselves as a Bride being prepared to meet the Bridegroom.  They regarded this earth as the "dressing room" to outfit themselves for heaven.  The evangelical church has come through a period when nearly everyone has believed that there is just ONE pre-requisite to readiness:  being born again.  We have made being born again a special event - when Jesus returns we will whip out the pass to prove our readiness.   Frankly, I do not think it will be like that.  I do not believe that all professed believers are automatically ready to meet the LORD.  Our Savior Himself was joined by Peter and John and Paul in warning and pleading that we should LIVE, and WATCH and PRAY, so to be ready for Jesus' coming."   -  (end of quote).  

Food for thought!

The above quote by Tozer brings home the fact that we need to develop a relationship with the good Lord.   That means to be often in prayer and in His Holy Word the Bible.   To fellowship with Him.  You will never come to know a person or develop a relationship with Him if you never talk to them or spend time with them.  That is obvious, but so many today neglect to do that very thing with God.  He loves us and wants to fellowship with us!  If you do draw close to God, He will draw close to you.  Something wonderful will happen in your heart and soul when your focus and delight is on the good Lord and you spend quality time with Him.  He will transform your mind and heart.

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."  -       James 4:8

Time is short before Jesus returns!

Turn to Him now in true faith and total surrender!

Jesus is waiting for you with love and with outstretched arms full of forgiveness and of tender compassion to hold you close and tight in His embrace and in the safety and salvation found in Him.

Following are Salvation Scriptures to act upon NOW if you are not saved by the cleansing power of Jesus' blood when you put your faith and belief in Him as the Savior.

"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 upon him." -   John 3:36

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

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

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

 

"Our Choices Have Consequences!" (With Videos - One On the Bible's "Mark of The Beast") - Inspirational Weekend

 

When we are young, we tend to often act without thinking things through first.  Sadly, that is also true at times when we become mature adults.  Part of that is the result of acting immediately on feelings (such as hurt or anger), without realizing or even caring that what we do or say may affect others, as well as ourselves, adversely -  if not at the present time, then further down the road in our unknown future.

Take, for instance, the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden.   We all know the bad choice they made -  disobeying God, big time!  Their disobedience not only affected themselves, but all of mankind right up until our present time!   They introduced sin into what was once a perfect paradise, and look where we are now.  

But God!

The loving heavenly Father made a way for humans to be reconciled to Him - through the sacrificial and redeeming death of His Son, Jesus, who paid our sin debt for us - so that by faith in Him as the Savior, we may have life everlasting and forgiveness for our sins !  What love and mercy in God's heart for mankind!

Following is a 15 minute video on the subject of how our choices have consequences -  even of "monumental proportions"!

One important thought brought out in the above video :  besides Adam and Eve playing the "blame game" -  is the following thought:  There will be a Judgment Day!  Man was created as a spiritual being, and that spirit can never be destroyed.  Therefore, any punishment a person will have to endure will be a lasting one - never ending.

But if you are a born again believer (by a spiritual birth from above) ; if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior and have repented of your sins and sincerely pray for forgiveness, you have a wonderful hope of future bliss in heaven when you die!  God is love, and He forgives abundantly!  

(Verses on Salvation to follow).

Another recent Christian video follows with information on the "mark of the beast" of the Bible book of Revelation.  One thing to note:  "It is all about the battle of who to worship!"  The following 15 minute video tells us that even with the mark of the beast, the issue is all about "who" to worship.  If one takes the mark of the beast during the 7 year Tribulation, that person shows he directs his allegiance to and worship to the antichrist.  

Remember, the devil tempted Jesus Himself to worship him!

"Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and said unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.   Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him."  -  Matthew 4:8-11

We Christians, true believers in the Savior, must follow Jesus' example !  Rebuke the devil!  Do not listen to that deceiver's lies !  The devil will lie to you through other people -  be cautious and discerning!  Beware of anyone who constantly lies and deceives.

That is one reason to be constantly in prayer and in the reading and studying of God's Holy Word, the Bible !  It will give you strength and discernment.  But most importantly, it will draw you closer to the good Lord !  When you communicate almost non-stop with God and Jesus, you will feel His presence and guidance and understand better what His will is, not only for you personally, but for mankind in general.   The blessedness of fellowship with the Lord (and He does desire our fellowship) is that you will have a personal, close, intimate, loving, trusting, and lasting relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ!   How awesome is that!  It is the heavenly Father's will that we do so!

Here is a partial quote from A.W. Tozer: "Do not try to short-circuit God's plans for your discipleship and spiritual maturity here.  If you and I were prepared for heaven in the moment of our conversion, God would have taken us home instantly!.  .......   God can be known only as He reveals Himself!  I have found this to be a fact: every redeemed human being needs the humility of spirit that can only be brought about by the manifest Presence of God.  This mysterious yet gracious Presence is the air of life eternal.  It is the music of existence, the poetry of the Christian life.  It is the beauty and wonder of being one of Christ's own -  a sinner born again, regenerated, created anew to bring glory to God!  To live surrounded by this sense of God is not only beautiful and desirable, but it is imperative!" - end

What Tozer said above about God revealing Himself:  God does this through the Bible, events in your life and in the heavens, through other godly people, and the list goes on.  But for this to be so, you need to be in communion with the good Lord often to hear Him "speak" and for Him to "reveal" Himself to you and your heart and soul.  

Pray without ceasing!

Constantly pour over His holy word!

Have faith and believe!

"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him."   -  Jesus at John 14:21

Also, at John 14:23 =  "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."

"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

"Excuses are the cradle that satan rocks men off to sleep in."  -  unknown

"Because where we put our hope and what we put our hope in will truly determine how we live."  -  Peter Eide

"Satan can climb housetops, and enter closets, and even if we could shut out that foul fiend, our own corruptions are enough to work our ruin unless grace prevent."  -  Charles Spurgeon

"God wants full custody, not just weekend visits."  - unknown

"A prayerless spirit has no affinity for a clean heart.  Prayer and a pure heart go hand in hand.  Purity of heart follows praying, while prayer is the natural, spontaneous outflowing of a heart made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ."  -   E.M. Bounds

Following are Salvation Scriptures for those reading this article that may not be saved; or for those who are in doubt of their salvation.   By the way, doubt of your salvation is a trick of the devil to bring you down, for the most part.

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

"For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."  -  Galatians 3:26

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -   John 3:36

"Jesus 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

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

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

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend  -  and life !

"It Is Not About Why, But About Who!" and "God Will Lighten Your Darkness!" - (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

The title of this article ("It's Not About Why, But About Who!")  is from the following 24 minute sermon by Charles Lawson, in which he quotes Psalm 91 and Proverbs 3:5-6, which Scriptures most of you are familiar with.    One thing to note, in his sermon below,  Pastor Lawson tells us "When you choose God, He will direct and choose your way."  And, "Your way is your attitude toward God."

"The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith.  The two are at opposite sides of the same coin."  -  A.W. Tozer

"The evidence of spiritual growth is when in difficulties you run to the Lord first - in prayer!  Get on your knees!"  -  David Wilkerson 

Today's world has its share of "darkness" and troubles.  It affects us all in one way or another. In the following 14 minute sermon by Pastor David Wilkerson, he tells us that we may go through many darknesses, but if you are a true Christian, Jesus will rescue you and strengthen you !

"If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the right shining of a candle doth give thee light."   -  Jesus at Luke 11:36

At John 3:19-21 Jesus tells us:  "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved.  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that they are wrought in God."

In view of the fact that we are now living in the last moments of the last days (according to how Bible Prophecy is now coming true daily)  we do well to concern ourselves with living a life in obedience to the good Lord and watching expectantly for Jesus' return!   (Titus 2:13)

"For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry."   -   Hebrew 10:37

Following is a 4 minute sermon clip by Pastor David Wilkerson on the topic of : It's time to wake up!  Please watch!  Pastor Wilkerson stresses how we should make time for the good Lord! His return is near!  What will Jesus find you doing then?

Concerning Bible prophecies and the fact that nothing should alarm true believers in Jesus Christ the Savior,   Charles Spurgeon has this to tell us in one of his "Faith's Checkbook" devotions based on Daniel 12:13 =

"We cannot understand all the prophecies, but yet we regard them with pleasure and not with dismay.  There can be nothing in the Father's desire which should justly alarm His child. Though the abomination of desolation be set up, yet the true believer shall not be defiled; rather shall he be purified, and made white, and tried.  Though the earth be burned up, no smell of fire shall come upon the chosen.  Amid the crash of matter and the wreck of worlds, the Lord Jehovah will preserve His own - Calmly resolute in duty, brave in conflict, patient in suffering; let us go our way, keeping to our road, and neither swerving from it nor loitering in it.  The end will come, let us go our way till it does.  Rest will be ours.  All other things swing to and fro, but our foundation standeth sure.  God rests in His love, and therefore we rest in it.  Our peace is, and ever shall be, like a river.  A lot in the heavenly Canaan is ours, and we shall stand in it, come what may.  The God of Daniel will give a worthy portion to all who dare to be decided for truth and holiness as Daniel was.  No den of lions shall deprive us of our sure inheritance."

Times are urgent in which we are now living!  Urgent especially if you are not saved, are not born again, and have not put your trust and faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Him as the only way to the Father and heaven!   Jesus paid your sin debt in full on the cross !  He was our substitute as the Lamb of God to take our sins upon Himself and Redeem us by the shedding of His precious blood.  Think of how He suffered for you!  Think of His great love and compassion for you!

Following are some Salvation Scriptures for those who are not saved to take to heart --  to realize their perilous unsaved condition, and to repent of their sins in all sincerity, and turn to the Lord, recognizing their sinful state and that only Jesus can save us if we but put our faith in Him.... Pray for forgiveness !  Turn to Him with all of your very being in faith NOW !!

Jesus loves you and will welcome you with open arms in an embrace of love and forgiveness!

"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

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

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

"Jesus said unto her,  I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"        -   John 11:25-26

"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

"Grace be with you all!"  (Titus 3:15)

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

"Time Is Running Out - Signs to KNOW You Will Go To Heaven; Seek God While He May Be Found" (with videos) - Inspirational Weekend

 

                                                        [Hamakua Marsh, Kailua, Oahu]

Do you truly know God?  Not only an intellectual knowledge of Him and Jesus, but a soul stirring and heartfelt belief and faith in Him; to love Him with all of your heart, and soul, strength and mind.  If so, then you will endeavor to obey Him always, and to put His will first in your life.  

"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these."   -   Mark 12:29-31

Following is a 10 minute video which is excellent in its insight on the subject of seeking God.  Many Scriptures are covered, especially Isaiah 55:6-9 which tells us:

(verse 6)  : "Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: (verses 7-9 : (7)  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  (8) For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

 

    "The Bible is your lifeline.  The assurance of heaven ought to make a difference in our life."  = A quote from the following 15 minute video titled  " 3 Signs You Are Going To Heaven (This May Surprise You.)"  

I will let the above excellent 15 minute video speak for itself.  However, one of the signs given in it that you will go to heaven, is if you have a peaceful heart.  Boy, do we all need a peaceful heart in these troublesome prophesied end times !  It is possible. However, it does not mean that at times we are not stressed or heartbroken, or do not have  any afflictions that life and the devil throws at us.  It does mean that we will NOT "stay down" if we rely on the good Lord and put our faith and hope in Him, and depend upon Him for strength to endure.

"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

The hope of heaven which true believers have will enable us to carry on about the Lord's business.  Actually, it is God's Holy Spirit within us Who helps and encourages us to "Keep on keeping on."

"And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."                         -  Jesus at John 14:16-17

Note:  In  verse 16 above when Jesus says "Comforter"  it is another expression for the Holy Spirit.  Most of you know that, but for some who are not saved and reading this, it is a new concept to them.

[Barber's Point Lighthouse, Oahu]

Much has been written on this blog concerning the fact that we are living in the last days of this Age of Grace, this dispensation.  These are urgent times, folks !  Today, with all the uproar around  us  and in the world, for that matter, on so many dire and unprecedented issues confronting us:   " Something has to give !!"

And soon it will.  Jesus will return soon to take His true followers to heaven in the Rapture.   Then, or probably soon thereafter, the 7 year Tribulation will begin under the rule of the antichrist.   You do not want to be here to suffer the magnitude of the destruction, horror, and agony of the Tribulation!   ( Go to the "Search Box" in the upper right hand side of this page and enter things such as "7 year Tribulation,  The Rapture, End times, " etc. for more information).

So how do you avoid the Tribulation period?  If you sincerely turn to Jesus now in faith and belief that He is the Savior -  that His shed blood at the cross redeemed us and that He was the Sacrificial Lamb whose blood washes away our sins (wipes the slate clean) because He took our place at Calvary - He took our sins upon Himself and paid our sin debt in full;  If you believe all this and that He was resurrected from the dead -  You will be saved and will spend eternity in heaven with Him, our Savior and Redeemer.  You will be taken to heaven before the 7 year Tribulation begins !

Following are some Salvation Scriptures for those who are not saved at the present time.  Take them to heart !  Pray to the good Lord for forgiveness, and truly repent of your sins.  God will answer that prayer if you are sincere.... if you have a change of heart and want with all of your being to serve the Lord and obey Him.

"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 said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and  believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"       -  John 11:25-26

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

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

"Give God Your Best! Let Your Life Count!" (Chuck Smith Sermon on Romans 5 & 6) - Inspirational Weekend

My photograph above of the slippers on the sand rather reminds me in a roundabout way of that poem several years ago "Footprints in the Sand".  Also, we as true believers in Jesus as the Savior should endeavor to always walk as He walked.  He was perfect, we are not! Until we are in glory with Him, we will remain imperfect in this world.  Yet spiritually, those who are born again are "clean and pure" in God's sight because He sees us through the redeeming work of Jesus; our spiritual rebirth.  

Pastor Chuck Smith (the founder of Calvary Chapel Churches) says that a man is one of two categories: either a servant of sin or a servant of God.  

Here is a wonderful sermon by Pastor Smith on Romans chapters 5 and 6.  It is about an hour and 19 minutes in length, but you will find it so engrossing that the length of it is of no regard to you.

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." -  Romans 6:11

"For sin shall not have dominion over over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."  -     Romans 6:14

Based on Adam Clarke's Commentary on Romans 6:14, it basically means that God and your salvation (in which you were indwelt with the Holy Spirit by your belief in Jesus as the Savior)  ....God and the Holy Spirit guard you from habitually sinning; although we do at times miss the mark, as Pastor Chuck discusses in the above sermon.  "True believers are under the merciful dispensation of the Gospel; in the death of Christ, God has provided pardon for all that is past, and grace to help in every time of need."

I pray that you will take the time to watch the entire sermon above by Pastor Chuck Smith.  He mentions in his sermon the following hymn, "Take My Life And Let it Be", here sung by Chris Tomlin:

If you have not been saved by belief in Jesus as the Savior and by belief that His shed blood at Calvary can wash your sins away because of his sacrificial death as the Lamb of God, and because He paid our sin debt in full -  took our place - and died so that we may have eternal life;  then please prayerfully consider the following Scriptures:

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -    John 3:36

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

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

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

"Great Reset; New World Order; What's Next ?? "- Videos On End Times and Current Events - (Amir Tsarfati, Jan Markell, David Wilkerson)

[Kaelepulu Stream Near Kailua Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii]

My photograph above was taken, obviously, a long time before social distancing and any "lockdown."  Many unexpected events have occurred since then - even since January of this year, which is obvious to everyone in the world by now.  But not everyone is aware of what's "behind the scenes".   Following is a 54 minute video by Bible Prophecy experts which gets down to the nitty gritty of our current situation.  It is a MUST that you view this video, for your own safety and life,  even.  Featured in the following video are Jan Markell, and pastors Tom Hughes and Brandon Holthaus.

Many of you believers are no doubt familiar with the Scripture about "peace and security" found at 1 Thessalonians 5:3 which follows:

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."   -   (speaking of sinful and wicked persons who do not know Christ.)

Also in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 4 - 11 concerns true believers in Jesus as the Savior; those verses follow:

"But ye, brethren,  are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all the children of light , and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.  But let us, who are of the day, be sober,  putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

It would be beneficial for everyone to read all of 1 Thessalonians 5.

[A day at Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

Here is a link to Jan Markell's newsletter which is found at her website:  olivetreeviews.org    .  Her entire website is one that you might want to visit often, not only for her newsletter, but other pertinent information concerning our prophetic times (the last moments of the last days).  There you will find articles by various pastors and others, as well as videos.

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Uncertain-Times---Not-At-All-.html?soid=1101818841456&aid=OrunIPQ8p2o

The information in the newsletter link above is a must read!  Following is a quote in the above newsletter link from an E-mail sent to Jan by a pastor:   "We don't live in uncertain times.  Not at all!  These times are as certain as any time in all of human history, and the God of the universe laid out this time in great detail, point by point, and in fact with all the details needed by His people, to live in times of  absolute certainty !!  So no, there is nothing uncertain about the times we live in to the believer who is seeking to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

In the link above, on the newsletter, there is included a recent video that is very enlightening so far as our current world situation is concerned.  I will post a link to it here, in case you do not check out Jan's newsletter.  It is a "Prophecy Roundtable -  Globalism and the New World Order", featuring Jan Markell, Amir Tsarfati, and Pastor  Barry Stagner.  It is well worth your time (and your mind) to watch all 70 minutes of this recent video.

Note: Having difficulty with the link.  You can go to Behold Israel on You Tube and look for the video by Amir "Prophecy Round table : Globalism and the New World Order" posted on August 29, 2020.    Or simply go to the above link to Jan Markell's newsletter and you will, as said previously, find the video there.  

[Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

Lately on this blog, there have been mostly posts concerning salvation.  I feel as if this is most important for Christians to share with others.  Jesus said to His disciples:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."   -  Matthew 28:19,20

Again, to Martha at John 11:25,26:  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?"

Belief in the Gospel; belief that Jesus died for our sins and took our place on the cross and shed His precious blood so that by believing that He is the Savior, and that His shed blood (as of a sacrificial Lamb) can wash our sins away.... wipe the slate clean, and we become a new creation .  This is the most important message Christians can preach !

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new."   -    2 Corinthians 5:17

However, almost 1/3 of the Bible consists of prophecy!  Since God included it in His Holy Word, it should be considered important too!  Many, because of prophecies in the Bible, and how they came true in the past and they are coming true right now as well.....many persons have come to faith in Christ by knowledge of Bible prophecy - they were convicted that the Bible is true, and therefore all of God's Holy Word concerning Jesus and Salvation must be true as well.  

In Ezekiel 33, much is said concerning us to be "Watchmen on the wall."  Obviously, it meant those in Ezekiel's time, but the same principle definitely applies to true believers today -  to sound the alarm in these times as well.  Part of Ezekiel 33 applied to sounding the alarm about the danger of war.  Verse 6 says:

"But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."

Also verses 7-9.... "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me.  When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."

So we see that not only should we warn people to turn FROM SIN and instead turn to belief in JESUS AS THE SAVIOR, but we should also warn of war (as in Ezekiel 33) and other dangers; to alert people of the signs of the times and caution them to avoid certain things; especially to avoid things that go against God's Holy Word.  

All true believers should be "ministers" in a sense, as well as "watchmen"  that warn of evil and corruptness and dangers to avoid; (the signs of the times... these last days) and to obey only God. That is, we should obey traffic laws and other such things, but do not do anything that God's Holy Word says to avoid!

Please watch the following 15 minute sermon by deceased Pastor David Wilkerson titled "The Only Hope In The Coming Storm." 

Very moving!

Keep looking up !  Jesus will return soon!

"God's Protection In These Troubled Times -There Is Always Hope!" (Video With Reinhard Bonnke & Video sermon by Andrew Murray) - Inspirational Weekend

[Kilauea Lighthouse, Kauai, Hawaii]

That is me in front of this landmark lighthouse on the island of Kauai several years ago.  A wildlife sanctuary is also there.  I chose a lighthouse photo of mine because this post will mostly concern itself with Jesus, our Savior, the Son of God; and Jesus is often symbolized by a lighthouse; He is our light to guide us over troubled waters and storms of life.  And many today are experiencing storms in their lives like never before; all of us just want things to go back to  "normal".  Since we are living in the end of this dispensation of Grace (The Church Age) and it is obvious that the New World Order is in its beginning stages, things are NOT going to go back to what they were.  It should draw us ever closer to the good Lord and make us look forward with hope and joy to when He returns and takes us to be with Him in heaven before the 7 year Tribulation begins soon.

In a previous post on this blog (August 8, 2020), we discussed Romans 7 and how even the apostle Paul struggled with sin, even though he was saintly and a true servant of the Lord.  This post will focus more on Jesus Himself and the importance of His shed blood at Calvary --  How belief in Jesus as the Savior can give one the hope of eternal life and the fact that His shed blood can wash us clean and that gives us eternal life if we but believe in Him.

Following is a wonderful video that gives insight to the importance of "the Blood".  Think of it, a baby gets its blood from the father.  And who was Jesus' Father?  Yes, Almighty God Himself !  Makes one realize even more so how precious is the blood of Jesus and how it can make us clean from sin.  The video below is 14 minutes and one of the narrators is Reinhard Bonnke: It gives us insight about our protection from God. It is a must watch for all believers !

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the prince of the kings of the earth.  Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood."  -    Revelation 1:5

"Jesus is the great friend of His church and His people, One Who has done great things for them..... He has loved them, and in pursuance of that everlasting love, He has... washed them from their sins in His own blood.  Sins leave a stain upon the soul, a stain of guilt and of pollution. Nothing can fetch out this stain but the blood of Christ; and, rather than it should not be washed out, Christ was willing to shed His own blood, to purchase and pardon and be a purity for them."   -  a partial quote of  Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on Revelation 1:5

One of the most comforting verses which tells us that Jesus will always be with us is found at Matthew 28:20 , which is part of the "Great Commission" :

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and , lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. "  

Below is the most wonderful audio sermon by Andrew Murray ever!! in which he uses that verse at Matthew 28:20 as his main subject.  We must seek God/Jesus with our whole heart and there are abundant rewards for those who do so! In the sermon, Murray stresses what God expects from us... mainly only believe !!    But he also admonishes us to seek God/Jesus with all of our heart (Jeremiah 29:13) and to spend much time in true intense prayer and fellowship with Him.  Please, please watch this excellent 28 minute video!  You will be glad you did.

In these troubled times of today, these end times, the main thing is to keep your focus on God and Jesus, and on things above.  After all, that is the only thing that can help us to enter heaven.  This world is dying; heaven is alive and glorious!  Words cannot fully express how wonderful heaven will be!  The best thing is, we will be with Jesus, the Savior, for all eternity !

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

Remember the old hymn "Trust and Obey" ?  It rather fits here with Andrew Murray's sermon above.  Here is a lovely version of that hymn:

If you are not saved, have not been truly born again (a spiritual birth from above) then you will not enter heaven when you die.  You will go to the other alternative.

"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

Following are Scriptures that will help you to come to a true, living faith in Jesus Christ the Savior:

"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

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

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

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !