So what exactly does God require of Christians? The Bible is full of Scriptures that tell us just that, and this post is for all Christians, no matter where you are in your walk with God. We all need reminders from time to time as to what it means to be a Christian; how we should act and what we should believe. This post will quote several Scriptures .
"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."
- Jesus speaking at Mark 12:30-31
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in 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." - Jesus at Matthew 28:19-20
Many of you are familiar with John 3:3, how you must be born again and all of you know John 3:16.
But I must quote John 14:6 in full; "Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, the truth, and the life,: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."
Micah 6:8, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: And what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
1 John 4:21, "And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also."
There are many other verses as well telling us what God requires of us. Please also read
1 Thessalonians 5:15-22. I would like to draw particular attention to verse 22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Verse 17 admonishes us to "Pray without ceasing."
These Scriptures were food to my soul and I hope to yours as well.
Have a Christ-centered weekend. May you be happy and filled with love.
You could say that life is all about relationships,or all about love. Some people make their career and success their goal in life; while others move from boyfriend to boyfriend. I could go on and on with a list of what gives people so-called satisfaction in life. Many people make family their main concern in life.
Life is about relationships and love follows in its stead .The Bible itself is all about relationships when you think about it. And God's Word tells us to put Him first in our life. Our relationship with our Creator is more important than anything else in the world, or in our life.
"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." - Mark 12:30 .
Putting God and Jesus first in our lives is the only way to go to have peace and joy and a clear conscience . Do not let your earthly relationships take priority over your relationship with God. People will let you down; but God will always uplift you and encourage you and He will never forsake you. ( Hebrews 13:5)
Of course we should love and take care of our families, as well as to love our neighbor. But the Almighty God who created you should always come first in your life. Jesus said the second commandment is, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, there is none other commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:31.
This reminds me of a poem by C. T. Studd that many of you may be familiar with. Part of it goes, "Only one life, will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last." Once this truth gets deep within your soul, you will be on fire to do the Lord's work .. telling others about Jesus as Savior. The entire poem by C.T. Studd may be found here .
But more important than the above mentioned poem, read your Bible for guidance and instruction and to "hear" God speak by His Holy Spirit as you read. Ask God to help you understand and to apply what His Word says. Keep your mind on things above, things eternal, and not on things that will soon pass away.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." - 1 John 2:15-17.
Included in loving our neighbor, is to love other believers and to love the lost enough to tell them about Jesus. Jesus wants us to love others, but to love Him more than anyone else.
"I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live wholly to Him." - Charles H. Spurgeon
Following is a short 5 minute clip by Dr. Charles Stanley on how you can have a personal, intimate relationship with God:
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." - Matthew 6:20-21
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33
Here is a wish for your weekend to be happy and blessed ! If you put God and Jesus first in your life, you will be happy and blessed ! Life can be difficult and downright unfair sometimes, but your attitude concerning what befalls you determines whether you will be happy or not. If you are focused on Jesus and on God's Word, that alone will keep your attitude on the right track.
While making my post here last weekend, it occurred to me to do another post about exactly where Jesus went after His death on the cross; so this is my endeavor to do just that. Did He go to heaven? Did He go to hell? (Hell being the grave or where the dead await resurrection......not the lake of fire).
Let's first take a look at 1 Peter 3:18-20. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." This is quoting from the KJV; the NIV and the New American Standard Bible says, instead of "preaching" to the spirits in prison, that Jesus made a "proclamation" to them. This difference is important when you consider just who the spirits in prison are. So I will digress a moment here and discuss that first. In the Bible, human beings are not called spirits; they do possess a spirit and a soul, however. So it could not mean that Jesus proclaimed to deceased humans, or "preached" to them in order to lead the spirits in prison to repentance. The fate of people in hell is settled; there is no second chance. The only possible explanation is that the spirits in prison were the fallen angels, and salvation is not a possibility for them. So to say that Jesus "proclaimed" to them is a better translation; He proclaimed His victory over them... and over death.
We need to read Genesis 6:1-4 to find out more about these fallen angels. "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."
Most scholars agree these sons of God were angels that disobeyed God and left heaven and married human women. All of this and the subject of giants, is food for another post later. But this disobedience was probably instigated by satan in an attempt to pollute the human bloodline so that the Messiah could not eventually be born; in other words, the hybrid bloodlines between humans and the fallen angels could not produce a sinless seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).
Now back to where was Jesus after His death on the cross and before His resurrection; Jesus' body was still in the grave waiting for His resurrection but, as 1 Peter 3:18 and 19 says, Jesus was quickened by the Spirit, meaning He was alive in the Spirit when He preached to the spirits in prison. Later, on Resurrection Sunday, body and spirit joined in the risen Christ. With God all things are possible ! Matthew 19:26.
The main thing is that Jesus died to pay our sin debt, making a way to have eternal life through faith and belief in Him and in His resurrection. He is risen! Death has no victory over sinless persons. Jesus redeemed us and sanctified us. We have much to rejoice about ! Much to praise God about and to worship Him in awe and in much thanksgiving !
"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: Come before His presence with singing." - Psalm 100:1-2.
There is still much beauty and goodness to be thankful for and to enjoy in this world. Below is a video of beautiful scenery with soft music to quiet your soul and give you rest from the cares of life on this glorious weekend.
"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches." - Psalm 104:24
This weekend, as you know, Christians will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But not everyone, some Christians included, completely understand the complete meaning behind Jesus' death and resurrection.
When I was very young, before I became a teenager, it was a time to dress up, wear a hat, and put on your best gloves. Yes, we used to wear gloves ages ago when I was young. My family didn't attend church with me, except for a cousin who was a couple of years older than I, but she sat with her friends and not with me. I learned a bit in Sunday School about this time of Jesus' resurrection and also from the pastor's sermons. But I was an adult before it all reached my heart and soul and I understood the enormity of the sacrifice of Jesus' shed blood on my behalf while He was on the cross.
I prefer to call this Resurrection Sunday because the term "Easter" is of pagan origin; it was an ancient festival of Ishtar (pronounced "Easter") and this festival celebrated reproduction or fertility, with the symbols of the rabbit and of eggs. The Christian church adopted some of those symbols, which is tragic. For instance, Easter egg hunts are held on church property. You can Google for more information on this subject, as I wish to dwell on the Resurrection here.
Some people want to make a big deal as to whether Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday or a Thursday instead of the commonly accepted Friday. They claim there were other Sabbath days observed that did not fall on a Saturday , which is very true. Here is a link http://www.gotquestions.org/three-days.html which explains each viewpoint as to the day.
The point is not all these above mentioned issues, but the wonderful good news that Jesus died to take the punishment we sinners deserve. Putting our faith and trust in Him means we may gain eternal life; and since He arose from the dead, we too will be resurrected if we die before the Rapture of the Church occurs. We should be filled with wonder and awe when we consider Jesus' resurrection, and the great love which He displayed in dying in our place. His sacrifice enables us to be forgiven of our sins, and to live a godly life in obedience to the Almighty God.
"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
Think about it, no other religious leader or any other religion is able to claim a risen Savior. The disciples saw and communicated with the risen Christ; they were convinced He was resurrected and that He was the prophesied Messiah; so much so that they were willing to be beaten, to be put in prison, and to suffer a martyr's death because of their bold preaching and their strong faith.
Christians today need to be so bold; we need to live our lives as if we truly believe He is risen and thereby live godly lives and not compromise with the world and its soon to disappear lusts and desires. 1 John 2:15-17.
Below is a lovely hymn about the risen Christ:
"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?
There is a sense of urgency within me to write about end-times prophecies again, as so much is happening now in the world that cries out, "It won't be long now!" God is speaking through His Holy Word to all who will listen and take heed and prepare for what lies ahead. Prepare so far as being spiritually minded and having a close, intimate, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That happens from much prayer and much Bible reading and studying. Hearing God depends on a relationship with Him, not a formula or a method.
"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."
- John 8:47
You must be a true believer in Jesus as your Savior; you must be born-again in order to have and develop this close relationship with Him and to be able to "hear" Him speak to you. He speaks through His Holy Spirit and through His Word, the Bible. He also speaks through the church, a Christian friend or family member, or by your circumstances. There are many ways that God can and will get your attention.
Recently I have viewed some videos featuring Bill Salus, an author of several books and DVD's on end-time prophecies. I want to share some of that information with you now. The first video below is short, about 13 minutes in length. The other two are each 28 minutes long. I hope you will take the time to view all 3 videos as they are full of information everyone needs to be aware of.
The first short video follows and is titled "The Middle East Powder Keg" :
In these videos, Bill Salus brings out the fact that the Church will probably be raptured before the Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 prophecies. However, Ezekiel 38 and 39 will most likely happen before the 7 year Tribulation begins.
In the Middle East, God's focus is on what He is going to do through Israel. Israel is still a special people to God; He never broke His covenant with them as it was an everlasting covenant.
For some reason, all I can get is the link to the Part 2 video and not the video image itself . Please go to this link for more exciting prophetic information from Bill Salus:
These videos have information about how Egypt will collapse, and speak also about how ISIS may soon take over Jordan. Also, Iran is having an evangelical presence and growth where Muslims are becoming Christians; they are having miracles, visions, dreams, and healings. Could it be that Christians and people in general in America are so lukewarm and indifferent and materialistic and secular that we are not having similar experiences ? Or at least, not to as strong a degree as those in Iran?
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." - Luke 21:28
The world is in chaos, and only Jesus can bring real peace. We can have a measure of peace right now, despite unsettling world events, if we know Jesus as our Savior. Soon this earth will be a paradise again during the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth (Revelation 20:1-6). Something to look forward to, as Luke 21:28 tells us.
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." - Jesus speaking at Luke 21:36
My photograph above is of a male white-rumped Shama Thrush. This species was introduced to Hawaii years ago. It is not a recent photo, but I wanted to share it because over the last weekend one of these beautiful birds surprised me with a visit to my lanai (patio) and gave me quite a cheery visit for 3 days in a row. Twice as I sat on the lanai, he landed on the ledge and also in my ficus tree and was about 5 feet from me both times....2 different days. I didn't move an inch and admired him as he sat for a good 4 minutes or so eyeing me as well before he flew away. With my curtains opened I enjoyed his many visits beginning on Friday,March 4. I was so thrilled and happy to have him nearby, but it ended on Monday while he was out there when a neighbor walked by and her cell phone rang loudly and she herself stopped and talked rather loudly in a high-pitched voice. I never saw the Shama Thrush again after that. I regret that he is gone, but I have the sweet memory of his visit. This particular bird is usually found in forests and gardens. I live in the city. All my photographs of them were taken at 3 different botanical gardens here on Oahu. Below is a video of one of them singing his heart out.
For more of my photographs of this beautiful bird, plus an image of a painting I did, and lots more information about the Shama Thrush, click on the link to the right of this page or go here. Birds never fail to cheer me, even when things aren't going too good. Besides personal concerns, the world situation is in big trouble; we are in the beginning stages of what some think will turn into World War Three, not to mention a global economic collapse any day now. I could go on and on, as I keep up with current events from various sources, but what interests me especially is how the Bible predicted these things and a New World Order or a One World Government which is what the powers that be are working towards.
I hope I have not made you fearful by all the depressing issues mentioned above !! I have a blessed hope to be in heaven when all hell breaks loose on earth during the Great Tribulation period ! I am concerned about how bad things have gotten, and I am concerned for the lost souls that do not know Jesus as their Savior who will go through a world that will suffer God's wrath because of their wickedness. If you are a born-again believer, you will not be here during the seven year Tribulation because you will be taken to heaven before those horrendous events occur then. That is something to give you great cheer and joy, to know you will always be with the Lord.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6
Jesus said, "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
Fear manifests itself as anxiety, or worry, or any number of phobias. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, the less hold fear and anxiety will have on us. As Adrian Rogers said, "Joy is an inside job." When your conscience is clear and you trust the good Lord and have a strong love relationship with Him, you can lose everything and yet still have joy when you realize that only Jesus can truly complete you......not material things or a new boyfriend . To have this kind of joy, you must be truly committed to Jesus and surrender all to him.
Previously, I made a blog post here about how to become full of joy, which is similar material to this post, but I wanted today to stress how we need not be fearful if our heart is right with God and we have been truly saved by belief and trust in Jesus Christ. I know how fearful I used to be, and I am so grateful that the Lord renewed my mind and brought me out of all of that with His love and grace and tender mercies. Just focus on God, believe in Jesus; put them first in your life and everything else will fall in place. Of course, much prayer is needful. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7
"The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1
"Cheerfulness is a friend to grace. It puts the heart in tune to praise God and so honors religion by proclaiming to the world that we serve a good master. Be serious, yet cheerful. Rejoice in the Lord always." - Thomas Watson
Remember to go to the Lord in prayer at all times with all of your cares and fears. Pour your heart out to Him, hold nothing back. Prayer is powerful ! God will see you through all of your trials and fears, but you must have faith and truly believe that He will hear you and answer your sincere prayers, if you ask according to His will.
Below is a wonderful sermon by Adrian Rogers on the subject of joy.
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." - Proverbs 17:22
Spring is right around the corner for most of you living on the mainland USA. Here in Hawaii there is something always in bloom year round. When I think of Spring I automatically am reminded of its beautiful flowers. I still miss some of the mainland's flowers that we do not have in Hawaii; like dogwood tree blossoms and azaleas as well as many others. Flowers make me feel good and I bask in their beauty. I imagine there will be beautiful plants in Heaven as well.
Below is a YouTube video of nature in Spring:
I hope you have a very happy weekend and that this information cheers you. Sometimes I think I get too serious with all this end time prophecy and spiritual information; but then again we live in very serious times filled with turmoil and unrest and we need to turn our attention to God's Word and find comfort there. A holy life that is pleasing to God is a very serious matter and we need to take heed to what really matters in this life.....pleasing and obeying our Creator.
When I used to read 1 Peter 1:15-16 I would think that it is impossible to do what it says there. Those verses say: "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." We are all sinners, and need to repent daily; how can we possibly be holy? The idea is to pursue holiness, to the best of our ability and with the Lord's help.
We are imperfect creatures and fall short, but we can be holy in the sense that we are "dead to sin" and we "cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable." Our focus is on God and Jesus, to obey and follow their guidance to the best of our ability......not to forget that the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, enables us to live a godly and holy life. This is not perfection of holiness, that will only happen when we reach Heaven. God in His love and mercy, has made provision for our sin: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9 So we need to daily confess and forsake our sins as we pursue holiness. We cannot deliberately sin with no remorse if we are true followers of Jesus.
"If you think you can walk in holiness without keeping up perpetual fellowship with Christ, you have made a great mistake. If you would be holy, you must live close to Jesus." - Charles Spurgeon
"No man should desire to be happy who is not at the same time holy. He should spend his efforts in seeking to know and do the will of God, leaving to Christ the matter of how happy he should be." - A. W. Tozer
Sanctification means to be set apart, and that for a holy use; it means to purify. When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit regenerates you and indwells you, making you able to live as holy a life as possible. As Christians, we grow in purity over time....a lifetime. God and the Holy Spirit are in the process of perfecting us and it takes patience and time. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to reach deep inside you to regenerate you; it is impossible by your own human effort.
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." - Hebrews 12:14. Let me stress that again, "Without holiness, no one will see the Lord." You cannot just dismiss your sins and say."Oh, that's just the way I am" and go on about your business as usual. You need to repent and forsake your sins.
So now I understand better about verses such as 1 Peter 1:15-16 and also Ephesians 1:4 which says, "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:" Be constantly in prayer and read the Bible daily, in order to grow closer to God and Jesus and to have a close, intimate and personal relationship with the Lord. God speaks to us through His Word, and thereby teaches us to be obedient and holy.
Being pleasing to the Lord and living as holy a life as possible will determine whether you will be ready when Jesus returns soon to gather "His Bride" - the church, true believers- to Him in the Rapture to Heaven. Something to look forward to with great expectations!
Below is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on holiness:
"Holiness, as taught in Scriptures, is not based upon knowledge on our part. Rather, it is based upon the resurrected Christ in-dwelling us and changing us into His likeness." - A. W. Tozer
"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." - Hebrews 10:10
