"Are You Salt and Light?" - Inspirational Weekend

Sometimes what I write on this blog may sound all "doom and gloom" to some people since I write about Bible Prophecy and how we are living in the last days....the very end of the end times.  But to born-again believers in Jesus Christ, these are exciting times ! From Bible prophecy we know Christ will rapture believers soon to be in heaven with Him.  That is a glorious and happy hope ! (Titus 2:13)

As followers of Jesus, we need to be living godly lives and witnessing to lost souls about how Jesus can give them eternal life if they surrender to Him and believe in Him.  

A big part of living a holy life is to be "Salt and Light" while we reside on this earth.   Jesus has this to say at Matthew 5:13-16, 

" Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Not only preachers, but all who profess to follow Jesus should be the salt of the earth and save the world from decay and destruction. Actually, only the Lord can save, of course, but we can do our part to share the Gospel with others.

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus mentions if the salt has lost its savor it is good for nothing.  This was possible in the land of Judea, in particular the Valley of Salt, where some salt exposed to the elements, was good for nothing.... it had lost its savor.  But the inner part which was connected to the rock, kept its savor.  

As Christians, we do not want to be like the exposed salt to the wind and rain and sun - the elements - (the lusts and temptations of this wicked world) and no longer have the life of Christ within us or we have lost our first love for Him and the witness of His Spirit.  Instead we need to stay connected with the Rock; if we are close to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we can preserve our savor and be of help to others...to do some good in this life.

Let us now consider verse 16 of Matthew 5,  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

In essence, in all you do in your life, let it be seen that you are a real Christian.  This means to manifest light in your wholesome conversation, in your holy life, in all of your actions and where you spend your time.  Let it all be to the glory of God.  

Don't be like the Pharisees of Jesus' day who acted to be seen of men.  Instead, we should seek to glorify our heavenly Father.   Don't concern yourself with what other people may think of you. You just do the will of God, and by your conduct other people may be brought to glorify God.  By observing your godly life and the power and the purity of the Gospel, others may be won to become Christians also.

Keep in mind that if you are a true Christian, then your identity with Christ cannot be concealed.  You will be different from the world, and you will stand out as being in another realm or mindset than ungodly men and women.  

There are some "Christians" that profess religion and Jesus, but they live just like other people (people of the world), and give no evidence that they were truly converted and born-again.   We can only conclude that they are "baby Christians" and have not yet matured, or that they were never truly saved in the first place.  

To genuinely "let your light shine",  you need a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.   This is accomplished by daily and intense prayer, and by daily saturating your mind with the holy Word of God.   Your soul will thrive and be full of light if you follow this advice of the Bible.  And your light will shine and radiate upon those with whom you come in contact with.

Some of you might be very poor and feel as if you can contribute little to improving and guiding lost souls.  Some may feel very weak and unlearned and unknown.   No matter.  If your heart is right with the Lord, He can use you!  If only by living a pure and godly life, by being humble and sincere, our Christian lives are not in vain.   People will take note of your godly life and attitude and realize that you are a child of God.

As a "bonus", your endeavoring to be like Jesus will give you great joy and a peace within your soul....even in chaotic times like we are experiencing right now.


"The greatest joy of a Christian is to give joy to Christ."        -    Charles Spurgeon

Jesus wants His disciples' joy to be complete.

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."   -  John 15:11

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."   -  John 16:33

More On Daniel's 70 Weeks (With Teaching Video)

As we approach the end of the end times, we need to consider where we are in the prophetic times and to ask the all important question, "Am I ready for what lies ahead?"   Ready for the Rapture of the Church (true believers); ready spiritually to be assured of Jesus taking me to heaven to be with Him.   

In the Bible book of Daniel, we have prophecies concerning the end times and the antichrist and, specifically, the 70 weeks of years in Daniel 9.   In July of 2016 I wrote in detail about this topic, which you can read here.

Following is an excellent recent teaching video on Daniel's 70 weeks by Amir Tsarfati :

Amir stresses that "God wants His children to know His plans.  He is not hiding them, He is declaring them."

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:  but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."   -  2 Peter 1:20-21

Amir tells us that the Daniel 9 prophecy basically says that our days are numbered.   We need to be spiritually ready, born-again, and living godly lives pleasing to the Lord.  You need the Holy Spirit's help to guide you to live a holy life, and the Holy Spirit seals you as God's own when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, Lord, and Master.   Repent of your sins, confess them to the Lord, and begin to live for Jesus.

Time is short !  Remember, this tottering and chaotic world is not our home.  We believers are citizens of heaven.   And that is where we will soon make our home (after the Rapture};  of course,  we will also live on earth in a Paradise during the Millennial reign of Christ (this is after the 7 year Tribulation period ends).    

Following is the hymn "This World Is Not My Home":

"I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that country and to help others to do the same."

C. S. Lewis, in "Mere Christianity."

Jesus tells us at John 14:1-3 ,  "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

"God's Eye Is Upon You" - Inspirational Weekend

"Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."  -  Psalm 33:18-19

What a comforting promise in God's Holy Word !  As most of you know, to fear God does not mean a morbid, trembling, worrisome fear; but, rather, a true reverential fear: a fear of displeasing God in any way; a worshipful fear and to be in awe of His majesty.   God keeps His eye on people with such an attitude towards Him and shows them mercy and delivers their soul from death.   Of course, this also includes believing in and having faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, who died to set us free and to give believers eternal life.   (John 3:16)

But if you are living in sin and/or do not know Jesus as your Savior, the fact that God sees and knows everything should make you uncomfortable.  That in turn will either make you try to avoid God, or it will make you repentant and cause you to turn to Him.  Confess your sins to Him, be truly repentant, ask Him for forgiveness, and put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, Lord, and Master.                                 (Romans 10:9,10,13)

"God created me - and you - to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion  -  namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying His supreme excellence in all the spheres of life."  -  John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

"The point of your life is to point to HIM.  Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His."   -  Francis Chan   

It is all about the Heavenly Father and pleasing Him and bringing Him glory.  He is Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe and should be glorified.   His eye is upon His creation, and that includes you and me.   Let us acknowledge Him in all that we do and give Him glory always.   Don't glory in yourself, or your career, or in anything else but instead only in God.  

"To give God glory is the ultimate purpose of all things."  (King James Study Bible Notes)

"To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever.  Amen."  - Romans 16:27

Perhaps I should have titled this post "Give God The Glory".   But if we realize that His eye is upon us, we will tend to live a more holy, godly life and thereby give the Lord glory.   

In these chaotic and perilous times we are living in right now, it is easy to get caught up in fear of tomorrow  and what the future holds..... that is, if we do not have a close personal relationship with the Lord and do not pray and do not read the Bible.   Only God can give you the peace you need to cope with troublesome times.... these end times we find ourselves caught in.   

As the hymn "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" tells us, "And today I'll walk beside HIM, for He knows what lies ahead."

                              Here is that hymn in full; it is very uplifting:

"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen."  -  1 Peter 4:11

Two Gog of Magog Wars (With Video)

Yes, there are two Gog of Magog wars!  Most of you are familiar with the one in Ezekiel 38 and 39.  That is the war where several nations come against Israel in the near future.  We can see in today's news how Bible Prophecy concerning  this is unfolding before our very eyes !   In this war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. the leader will come from the North, which many believe will be Russia, accompanied by Arab Nations.  

In the following video with Amir Tsarfati, he stresses that sometimes the name of a place or geographical location (like Magog) can refer to the "spirit" of the place or person.  

The other Gog of Magog war is mentioned in Revelation 20:7-10; and, again, Amir stresses that it is the "spirit" of that war that gives it its name.  The instigator of the war in Revelation 20 is satan himself and there will be those that follow him, at the end of the 1000 year Christ's reign of God's kingdom on earth.  In that war, the evil forces against the saints will come from all directions throughout the entire earth.

I urge you to watch the entire 36 minute video above as it is chock full of spiritual information.   Amir has a thriving ministry and travels all over the world.  He is a Jewish believer in Jesus, and his home is in Israel.  

"And [satan] shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."       -   Revelation 20:8

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."   -  Revelation 21:1-2

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

"Not Right Now ?" - Inspirational Weekend

Earlier this month I was at the beach with my son and his family and friends, and my 3 year old grandson was my big joy and delight.   One adult friend asked my grandson to do something (I forgot exactly what he asked), and my grandson kept on walking and didn't miss a beat and said, "Not right now" as he continued about, in his 3 year-old way, his important business.  My grandmother's heart thought that was the cutest thing ever!   Naturally, he had heard his parents say that and understood exactly what it meant.   

After later sharing this amusing and precious moment with others, I began to consider the words "not right now" in a more serious and profound way.

How many Christians have felt the call of God to serve as a missionary and have said instead, "Not right now."

How many have felt the urge to help a homeless person, but were intent on their business and thought, "Not right now."

How many were prompted by the Holy Spirit to witness about Jesus but, for one reason or another, decided "Not right now."

I could continue on and on, but you see where I am leading us to.  Most of our ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit is due to selfishness (maybe of not having enough time to spare to act, for example) and just generally self-love where we think only of our own needs and not the needs of others.

See the lighthouse on that 600 foot sea cliff in the above photo of mine?  I have walked the 2 mile trail up to that Makapu'u lighthouse on the southeastern shore of Oahu, Hawaii.  It took a bit of effort, being a grandma, but once at the top the view below was breathtaking and you could see such a beautiful shoreline and the mountains all around. 

Jesus has been compared to a lighthouse.  His life and words and example have been a "light" to many.  It takes effort to stay in His light; being guided by His loving Spirit to put Him first in our lives.

And to obey Him and keep His commandments.

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  -  John 8:12

The hymn, "The Lighthouse," seems fitting to include here now:

Are you walking in darkness now?  Have you heard the gospel and know you need Jesus, but you keep saying, "Not right now."? May I remind you that tomorrow may be too late !  You might die before tomorrow arrives, and then where will you spend eternity without Jesus?  Jesus could return the next minute to rapture true believers to heaven to be with Him......where will you be when the 7-year Tribulation begins if you have not  previously accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and Master?    

One may be so involved in the pleasures and lusts of this world, that they say "Not right now" to surrendering their lives to Jesus.  They love the world too much.   Here is another reminder:

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."  -  James 4:4

And another reminder:

"(15) 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.  (16) 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.   (17) And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."  -  1 John 2:15-17

Many people are enjoying their sinful life in this evil world and do not want to think about giving it all up.  Part of it is their own sinful will, and part of it the influence of the devil, who is the god of this world.

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them."  -  2 Corinthians 4:4  

Please, if you have not done so, accept Jesus as your Savior and put your faith in Him so that you may have eternal life in glory with Him.   Do not continue to say, "Not right now" !   

Jesus' return is imminent... it could occur at any time.

Be ready.

Be like the true believers spoken of in Philippians 2:15 :

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without  rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

"What Is True Christianity" (Video with Dr. Michael Lake)

Are you a professing Christian or a carnal Christian?  Or are you truly saved and witnessing about Jesus to others?  Are you actually born again and thereby connected with God?  Do you commune with the Lord daily in prayer and "hear" Him speak as you daily read His Holy Word?

Christianity is not only a religion, but first and foremost it is a relationship with the Creator.  In the following video (38 minutes long) Dr. Michael Lake discusses about what it means to be a Christian, as well as other topics ...such as the mark of the beast.   The video is titled "Are You a Christian or just saved? Dr. Michael Lake says what the Church won't!"

Dr. Lake says we need to understand what it means to walk in Biblical holiness.... to live a life so that the Holy Spirit is not grieved whereby He pulls back and away from you.  He also states that being connected to the throne of God is the only way you will know true peace.  

Now is the time to turn to the Lord with all your heart, and soul, and mind and strength in love for Him; to come to a saving knowledge that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised Savior and to surrender your entire being, your whole life, to Him and to repent of your sins and begin to lead a godly life.  He will help you to do just that if you believe in Him and in His resurrection.   

Time is short.  Jesus will return soon to take true believers to be in heaven with Him, before the seven-year Tribulation begins.   You do not want to be left behind to face the wrath of God on the unrepentant and ungodly people during the Tribulation !

Repent.

Confess your sins.

Admit you are a sinner.

Ask for forgiveness.

Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord and Master.

Believe in His resurrection.

Be totally surrendered to the Lord.

"(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."  -  Romans 10: 9,10,13

Remember what Jesus said at John 6:37 ,  "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."

"And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall seek for Me with all your heart."  -  Jeremiah 29:13

In these perilous end times we are now living in, you need a firm Anchor to keep you grounded in the Lord's truth and in His loving arms.  Some people, even professing Christians, are fearful of all the chaos and violence and turmoil happening right now and are in dread of what the future may hold.  Read your Bible and pray without ceasing, and you will find the peace only God can give you.  Remember, the Bible tells us the glorious end of all things:

GOD WINS ! ! 

A wise choice is what Isaiah 55:6 tells us:

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

"Prayer For Wisdom and Knowledge To Walk Worthy Of The Lord" - Inspirational Weekend

Do you ever feel at a loss as to know how to please the Lord?  It may be because you need to read your Bible more, because His Word is rich in showing us how to please Him and how to walk as Jesus walked, in total surrender to Yahweh.

Total surrender.  That is a primary way to please God the Father.

There are two prayers we will consider here that will show us how to please the Lord and to walk worthy of Him; one in Ephesians and the other in Colossians.  Both deal with prayers for knowledge and wisdom.  In truth, how can we please God and walk in His will without knowledge of His Word and without His guidance?   You might want to read a previous post on being wise by knowing God's will.  Here we will explore walking worthy of the Lord with the help of wisdom from Him and as found in His Holy Word.

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints:"   -  Ephesians 1:17-18

The above prayer for wisdom and knowledge in Ephesians is the first prayer we will discuss.  To know God is to be wise.  This is not just mere acknowledgment, but true knowledge.  The Ephesians did possess knowledge and enlightenment to some degree, but Paul prayed that they might more clearly and fully hold their present views.   Since we are imperfect humans and prone to error, we are not totally pure and we may have some dimness or not have a clear understanding where spiritual things are concerned.   That is why we need to be constantly reading the Bible and in frequent prayer.  Pray for God to give you a clear understanding of spiritual matters.

Until the Lord opens the eyes of our heart, we are as if blind.

I remember, before I was truly born-again, there was something like a veil that prevented me from completely comprehending revelations from the Lord; from understanding the Bible as I should have.   I may still understand in part, but the Lord has opened my eyes and my heart to a greater degree than ever I could have imagined.

Colossians 1:9-10 is part of the second prayer for wisdom that we will now consider:

(9) " For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (10) that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

Let's just concentrate on verse 10 above, particularly "that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."   We can see from this verse that to please God, we need to be fruitful in good works, and to also increase in the knowledge of God.   When we increase in the knowledge of God, we grow closer to Him and can therefore have a close and personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  God wants to fellowship with us, and this is possible only with a close, intimate relationship with Him.  That pleases Him.  And if we have this close bond, we will naturally be inclined to please God in return and to obey Him and keep His commandments.  That is part of walking worthy of the Lord.  When we put God's kingdom first and endeavor to be as Christ-like as we possibly can, that is also pleasing to God and walking worthy of Him.  Put God and Jesus first in your life.

Be filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh, killing the lusts and desires which are of the world (Galatians 5:24-25).

All of these things may seem impossible to do but, if you are a true believer, the Holy Spirit will help you to walk worthy of the Lord.  Be constantly in the Holy Word and fervent in prayer; it will enable you to draw close to the Lord and to understand and do His will.

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.  To know is not to be wise.  Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it.  There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool.  But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."  -  Charles Spurgeon

"Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can Divine wisdom become ours."    -   J.I. Packer

I have not mentioned love.   "God is love" (1 John 4:16), "He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  Without love, we cannot truly begin to walk worthy of the Lord and please Him.
 If we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and with all of our strength (Mark 12:30), we will gladly obey Him and display true godliness, which enables us to walk worthy of Him.

First, be sure you are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Get rid of all worldly lusts and desires and sinful thoughts.

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."  -  Romans 8:8

You need to have vigorous faith to please the Lord, as that will enable you to be strong and to endure trials and to wait on the Lord, thereby walking worthy of Him.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight:"  -  2 Corinthians 5:7

"The just shall live by faith."  -  Galatians 3:11b

"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

"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more."                       -   1 Thessalonians 4:1