"The Greatest Love Story" (With Sermon By A.W. Pink - Two Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Everyone loves a great love story !  It is the most popular theme of movies and music.   But I am not referring to romantic love in this article.

"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."   -  Jesus speaking at John 3:16

That verse above is the greatest love story ever told !   

Think about it.  

God is love.  (1 John 4:16)

God is love itself.  It is not only His nature, but He Himself is the personification of love.  It took great love to send His only begotten Son to suffer and die for us....to die in our place.... so that if we but have faith in Jesus, and believe that He is the Savior, we may have eternal life.  Because Jesus is the Son of God, part of the Trinity, His love is equal to that of Yahweh Himself.  

Think of the enormity of His sacrificial death and what He suffered!  He was thinking of you and me when He suffered a cruel death at Calvary.  What a display of love and compassion He epitomized.   He knew our need of a Savior from our sin as more important than His own comfort and life.  One commentator has said that Jesus "gave the most He could give for those who deserved it the least.  Sacrifice, then, is the essence of godly love, called "Agape" love. .....  The essence of agape love is goodwill, benevolence, and delight in the object of love."

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior have many spiritual blessings.  For one thing, He makes us God's children who are co-heirs with Him.   He dwells within us as the Holy Spirit.  He will be our companion for life.....more than a companion!  He is our Lord and Master and protector and defender.  He will guide us in the paths we should follow.   He convicts us when we sin, and causes us to turn to Him in sincere repentance, where we give up the sin when we confess it to Him.   Unlike fickle spouses, He will never forsake us.

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

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for God's description of love.  Most Christians are familiar with these verses, especially the believers who read their Bibles daily and have a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with the good Lord.   You need to immerse yourself in God's Holy Word and pray without ceasing to develop a close and deep relationship with God through Jesus His Son.   Since God/Jesus is love,  it is only reasonable that He would want to fellowship with us by communicating with us through the Bible and by answering our prayers and guiding us by His Holy Spirit.  You cannot become acquainted with anyone without communicating with him frequently.  The same holds true for the good Lord.  

Another excellent verse concerning Jesus' love for us is found at John 15:13:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  (KJV)

Following is a worship song by Chris Tomlin about Jesus' love for us:

Let us show love for Jesus by living a godly life and preaching the Gospel..... telling others about God's Love for us by sending His Son so that we might gain eternal life if we but believe in Him.

Also, here is a 20 minute audio video with a sermon by Arthur W. Pink which discusses the Love of God (the love of Christ).

In the above sermon, he discusses the seven perfections of God's love.  He reminds us that God's love has no limits, and it is unchangeable.    Another point he makes (and which I stress often as well) is that the more we are acquainted with God, the more our hearts will be drawn out in love to Him.  In other words, develop a close love relationship with God and Jesus.

The love of God is powerful and life changing if you make yourself available to worship Him and follow, in love, in the footsteps of Jesus.

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

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

Israel - The Super Sign Of The Last Days; Prophecy; Middle East Update ( With Two Informative Videos}

You have to admit that Israel is foremost in the news and is mentioned more by the United Nations than any other country.  There has been much conflict there in the Middle East as of late.  It is all fulfilling Bible Prophecy.  The fact is that after about 2000 years Israel was once again a nation on May 14, 1948.....and born a nation in one day, as Isaiah 66:8 prophesied:

"Who hath heard such a thing?  who hath seen such things?  Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?  Or shall a nation be born at once.  For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children."  -    Isaiah 66:8

When Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948, that was the most dramatic and significant sign that marked the beginning of the last days.  Remember,  Israel is God's prophetic time clock.   God still has a plan for His chosen people.    In fact, the 7 year Tribulation period in the near future occurs to primarily (besides God's wrath and judgment) bring the Jewish people to recognize and believe in Jesus as their Messiah.

Following is an 11 minute video from prophecyinthenews.com  with host Dan Goodwin and pastor and author Ray Bentley, in which they discuss the importance of Israel and Bible prophecy.

Another video follows which features Amir Tsarfati, an Israeli Messianic Jew, who has a thriving ministry which takes him all over the world.   He also conducts tours of the Holy Land and in the video below he has a tour group with him on the Israeli - Syrian border as he updates us on the latest Middle East events, as well as how Venezuela is now related to the Middle East crisis.  Please take the time to watch this entire 42 minute informative video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJzzcCi99PQ


We will be going home soon !

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

Are you ready for Jesus' return?

"Life Can Only Be Understood Backwards" (With Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

My photograph above could simply symbolize a beautiful day at the beach.  It could also mean a walk with Jesus, if you remember the poem "Footprints In The Sand" which was made popular many years ago.  The most touching verse of that poem was Jesus saying, "When you saw only one set of footprints in the sand, it was then that I carried you."

This article will be about how, with Jesus' help, we can lead a victorious life.  First, we must be born again.  We must have been truly converted and have put our faith and hope in Christ as the Savior and to believe with all of our heart that His death at Calvary....His shed blood there.... can wash our sins away if we have true faith in Him and believe in His resurrection.

One must also sincerely repent of his sins and not continue to live a sinful life.  One needs to pray for forgiveness and surrender his life to Jesus.

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

Salvation is not a big list of do's and don'ts or works to be performed.  Salvation is by faith.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast."  -  Ephesians 2:8-9

What originally inspired me to write today was a quote I ran across by a Danish poet, theologian, and religious author that lived from 1813 to 1855.  His name was Soren Kierkegaard and he is quoted as saying,  "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

How true !  I have quite a few years on me now (I am a great grandmother!)  I can look back on many years ago, before I was born again, and see how emotional I was:  quick to anger, self-centered, self-willed, and not really understanding what life was all about.  So I regret the person I was during those past years, but now that the Lord has touched my heart and taught me to live for His will, I can understand more now what life is all about (it is all about Him).  I do not live in the past, but I have learned from past mistakes.   I am now free to  "live life forwards", as Kierkegaard said. 

Back to modern times, Philip Yancey has said something that is great food for thought:  "I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse."

"The heart of the Christian faith is found at the intersection of our brokenness and God's goodness, mercy, and love."  - Tripp Prince

Faith.  

The Christian who has a victorious life is one that is rooted and grounded in faith.  You can live victoriously !  You can triumph over this wicked world!    If you live for Jesus, you have no need to fear anything.  

"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

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God."  -  1 John 5:4-5

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."                   -   Romans 8:37

So how do we live victoriously?  How do we gain faith?

Read your Bible daily; it is God's love letter to us; His instruction manual for us to follow.  When you pour over God's Holy Word, it is like God speaking to you.   The Word has life and power!  It can draw you to God, and you begin to learn about His attributes and your love and appreciation for Jesus will grow.   Your faith will also grow.

Pray more than once a day.   Pray with importunity and with a heart totally focused on the good Lord.  You cannot come to know anyone intimately unless you communicate with them.   Tell God all of your fears, all of your worries, and ask Him for guidance in daily living.   Talk to Him as if you were talking to a beloved Father,  for that He is.   The more you pray, the more your faith will grow.  Especially as you see your prayers being answered.

But remember, in your prayers and in your Bible reading you must take time to listen to what the Lord says.   Pause and be silent and see if you do not "hear" His still, small voice whisper words of encouragement and love to your heart.   It is the Holy Spirit working to guide you and encourage you when you most need it.  He may send you a reminder of a certain Scripture which will manifest itself when you are in prayer.

Following is a short 4 minute audio video by J.R. Miller concerning the secret to victorious living.

And following is a 45 minute video sermon by Charles Spurgeon on "The Victory of Faith".   I pray that you will take the time to listen to the full, inspiring sermon.

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

We Are Almost Home! Prophecy And A Video From Amir Tsarfati

One of the most comforting and lovely promises in the Bible is found at John 14:1-3 in which Jesus assures us:

"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, ye may be also."

What a promise!  What a hope!  Jesus is preparing a place for us and will soon return to take true believers to be with Him forever!

It is said that without hope, a person will wither away and die.  There is nothing more debilitating than to feel utterly hopeless; to feel like there is nothing or no one to come to your rescue.

There is Someone who cares and Who will rescue you!  The good Lord loves you and wants to give you hope and a purpose.  

I feel like that is why God has over one third of the Bible full of prophecy of future events; to warn us, to prepare us, to save us, from the 7 year Tribulation period and the wrath that will be poured out then.....not to mention that the good Lord wants to save us as well from hell itself!

There is an insightful article found at raptureready.com about  how it is "impossible to understand God's plan and purpose for Israel apart from the study of biblical prophecy."   Remember, Israel is God's prophetic time clock;  Israel is still the chosen people of God.

As the author of this article states:  "God sovereignly purposed that the nation of Israel play a key role in the fulfillment of His purpose for humanity."   I pray that you will read the entire article and concentrate on the Scriptures therein.

Very recently an Iranian general said his armed forces are preparing for the destruction of Israel.   Think Ezekiel 38 and 39.... the war of Gog of Magog.  Ezekiel 38:18-23 tells how God will supernaturally intervene and crush Israel's enemies and save Israel from the nations that come against her.   I highly recommend that you read all of Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Amir Tsarfati, in the following 22 minute video, says that "We are watching world events that confirm everything we already know."  He also says, "The Bible is more accurate than today's newspaper."

If Ezekiel 38 and 39 are about to be fulfilled (The War of Gog and Magog) , think how close the Rapture of true believers to heaven must be.  

We are almost Home !

What do we do in the meantime?  

Occupy !

"And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds and said unto them, Occupy till I come."   -  Luke 19:13

We need to be busy not only with everyday affairs of life, but especially to be occupied in doing the Lord's will;  to preach the Gospel so that lost souls can gain salvation.  

We need to live a godly life so that that may be a witness to others of the power of Jesus and of salvation.  We need to forget self and spend time witnessing to lost souls of the world, telling them that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father but by Him.  (John 14:6)

Time is short !

Be alert!

Watch for the Lord's return!

"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

"Time, Dimensions, And You" (With Video) - Inspirational Weekend

These are islands off of Lanikai Beach near Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii.  It has been quite a while since I visited the beaches in that area.  Must remedy that soon with another trip out there.  It is amazing how a photograph can capture a moment in time;  frozen and still and something that will last many years.  The man on the beach was oblivious to the fact that he was captured in time and space to be viewed by many in future years.

What is time, anyway?  One dictionary gives as their first definition:  "A particular portion or part of duration, whether past, present or future.  The time was; the time has been;  the time is;  the time will be."   

One commentator has said, "In a sense, the marking of time is irrevelant to God because He transcends it.   .....  God's perspective on time is far different from mankind's .   The Lord does not count time as we do.  He is above and outside the sphere of time.  The time that passes on earth is of no consequence from God's timeless perspective."  

We all understand the concept of time and we know what it is and what it means.   What is difficult to comprehend is that in heaven, in that other dimension, there is no time.  Our time on this earth is spent in a physical realm;  heaven is a spiritual realm or dimension.

Moses, in Psalm 90:4, used a simple yet powerful analogy to describe the timelessness of God:  "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night."

I suppose one might say that our entire life is like a series of quick snapshots; fragments of time captured here and there to make up our life..... and then we are gone.   

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."  -   Psalm 90:10

If you are a true believer in the Savior Jesus Christ, when you die you will be with the Lord forever.  It is passing from this dimension to another.  

2 Corinthians 5:6 and verse 8 tells us:  (6) "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:  (8)  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

Following is a 29 minute video from prophecyinthenews.com featuring Dan Goodwin, an evangelist and author, who explains more about time in this discourse which is titled :"When Time Shall Be No More".

We need to be aware of the season of time that we are now living in.  It is the last hour of the last days.  Bible prophecy or the precursors of it are in motion right now and converging all at once like never before, with great intensity.   

Read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 to alert you to the signs of the times we find ourselves in right now.  The signs of the end of the age.  

The signs that the Rapture of the church is very near.  

Don't be left behind to face the terrible events that transpire during the horrific 7 year tribulation period.  

Turn to Jesus in faith and live a life totally surrendered to Him.

Repent of your sins.

Jesus loves you.

He will welcome you with open arms of love and forgiveness when you repent and put your faith in Him.

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

"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 wonderful and blessed weekend....

Have a Christ centered weekend and life !

"Think On Good Things " - Inspirational Weekend

Many are wondering what this new year of 2019 will bring our way.  Many are just concerned about their New Year's resolutions.  Let us consider some up-building and encouraging Scriptures and Christian quotes to lift our spirits.   Let us not even think about politics or world chaos.  Let us think pure and joyful thoughts about life and the good Lord.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,  whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  -  Philippians 4:8

What a positive and up-lifting verse that is !   You will be a much happier person and a better Christian if you do as it says.

A couple of years ago  I prayed and asked the Lord to please give me a much needed "hug" as I needed His touch and grace.  Shortly thereafter I found the following on the Internet and it was truly a great big hug from the Lord and I realized that in my daily Bible reading, I receive numerous hugs from Him.   For more on hugs from God, go here.

What a wonderful reminder of the power of God's Word !   The Bible is God's Love Letter to us, and also our Instruction Manual.  It can reach even a stony heart and it can transform the vilest person into a saint.  

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

"Man's way leads to a hopeless end!  God's way leads to an endless hope !"  -  unknown

"Christianity is not consistency to conscience or to convictions; Christianity is being true to Jesus Christ."  -   Oswald Chambers

"I don't need to read the Bible because I'm a great saint.  I read the Bible because I'll find God there.  It's about a daily walk with this person, Jesus."   -  Rich Mullins, a musician best known for "Awesome God."

Another thing, besides reading the Bible, is to be frequently in prayer; daily, hourly, whatever your soul needs and craves when you need to draw close to the good Lord, or to seek His guidance.

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  -  Philippians 4:6-7

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

"Prayer is the nearest approach to God and the highest enjoyment of Him that we are capable of in this life."  -  William Law

"As a man prays so is he."  -  A. W. Tozer

"The best and sweetest flowers of paradise, God gives to His people when they are upon their knees.  Prayer is the gate of heaven."  -  Thomas Brooks

"To have God speak to the heart is a majestic experience, an experience that people may miss if they monopolize the conversation and never pause to hear God's responses."   -  Charles Stanley

A peacock struts around as if it is saying, "Look at me".  Peacocks, to me, are the epitome of pride.  God hates pride!

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."  -  Proverbs 8:13

"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."  -  1 John 2:16

Talking about pride is bordering on the negative in this "positive" article; but perhaps there is someone reading this that needs to be reminded that God hates pride.  Pride will keep you from having a close, personal, intimate, love relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Let us be humble and turn to the Lord in love and submission.  Let us endeavor to always please Him in every way, and to live as godly a life as possible.

Recently I came across the full version of the "Serenity Prayer" which was written by Reinhold Neibuhr, who lived from 1892 to 1971.  Like many, I was only familiar with the first paragraph of this beautiful and hopeful prayer.   I feel the Lord urging me to share it with you today.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things that I can; 

And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; 

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

If I surrender to His will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with Him 

Forever and ever in the next.

Amen.

Don't let the world situation or your own personal trials wear you down; don't lose your joy.   If you are a child of God, you have much to rejoice about.  If Jesus is your Savior and you have been born again, then look up !  Your redemption draweth nigh!  (Luke 21:28)

True believers have a blessed hope (Titus 2:13).  Jesus will return soon to take His faithful followers  to be with Him in Heaven. 

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, now is the time to do so before it is too late.  Don't be left behind to face the horrors and wrath of the 7 year tribulation period.  Please do not lose your soul.  Please do not reject Jesus.  He is the only hope for us to gain eternal life in heaven.   

Jesus loves you.  

He will welcome you with open arms of love and forgiveness if you but repent and turn to Him in godly sorrow for your sins.  

Believe Jesus is the Savior.  Not with an intellectual knowledge, but with a heart full of belief that He and only He can save you by His shed blood at Calvary.  He died as a substitute in your place so that if you but believe in Him and that His shed blood can wash away your sins and make you a new creation, you will be saved and become a child of God.

Pray for forgiveness.  Repent.  Surrender to the good Lord with all of your very being.  The Bible tells us that we must also believe in Jesus' Resurrection.

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

"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!

"Judge No One Before The Time" (With Video on Judging Others) - Inspirational Weekend

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts:  and then shall every man have praise of God."    -  1 Corinthians 4:5, KJV

Humans are prone to judge others, even when they are guilty of the same sins as the one being judged.  Such relish of judging others is really a sin.   Not one of us is perfect; we all sin.   

In the KJV of 1 Corinthians 4:5 it says, "judge nothing before the time".    But translated from the original Koine Greek, as in The Pure Word  Bible, it reads:  "So that you must not judge anybody before the Special Time, until after whenever the Lord should come.......".

We should endeavor to show love and to help those who may have sinned.  A critical and faultfinding and harsh legalistic person does not show love.  True, we should not condone sin.  We should make  every attempt to turn the erring one back to the Lord - to help him to repent and to stop sinning.

By saying "judge nothing"  (or "no one"),  the apostle teaches one of the leading lessons of Christianity:  "not to pass a harsh opinion on the conduct of any man, since there are so many things that go to make up his character which we cannot know; and so many secret failings and motives which are all concealed from us."

There is so much hatred and ill-will found among worldly people.  Just read the daily news.  Let us not be like that among fellow believers!

As I wrote the above paragraph, the lyrics of that old song came to mind:  "What the world needs now is love, sweet love...".   And the kind of love we need now is from the good Lord, and shared among believers in Jesus.  

"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another."   -    Jesus speaking at John 13:34, 35.

We should also exhibit love for the lost and dying souls out there in the world.   Jesus Himself told us to go and make disciples of all peoples in the Great Commission found at Matthew 28:19-20.    

Let us forget ourselves and our self-interests and go out and show love and empathy for others, telling them about the hope found in Jesus and how His death at Calvary made the way so that they can have eternal life if they but have faith and believe that Christ is the Savior.   Of  course, also teach them that they must repent of their sins, put their former way of life behind them, and pray for forgiveness and direction from the good Lord.

Remember, the destiny of no one will be decided by the opinions of people; but the doing of all will be fixed by God.  

Let us focus on our Christian walk and how we may live so as to please God.  Pray for the Lord to increase our love for others, and that we may have a servant's heart.  

It is all about love!

Following is a short 4 minute audio sermon of the words of J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) on the subject of not judging others rashly and hastily.

"Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye  judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."   -  Jesus at Matthew 7:1-2

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."  - 1 John 4:7

"And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment."   -   1 John 3:23

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