"Hang In There!" (With Video on Endurance and a Video on the Rapture of the Church) - Inspirational Weekend

[Internet Photograph]

This blog has mentioned many times about the chaotic and dangerous times we live in now.  We definitely need to "hang in there" and have endurance to cope with the stress of this evil world, and wondering if a catastrophe like a nuclear war or an economic collapse or such-like could occur any time soon.   The world is in an uproar, not knowing the way out.  

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.   Men's hearts failing them in fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."   -   Jesus at Luke 21:25-26

If you are a true Christian  that reads the Bible daily and that has a strong, personal. close, and intimate relationship with the good Lord, you realize that there is hope for you and that soon Jesus will return to rapture you to heaven before things get worse.... before the dreaded 7 year Tribulation period of God's wrath upon the wicked occurs.

Following is another video by Chad Thomas in which he clearly explains the Rapture of the church and the revealing of the antichrist.   I have written much previously on this blog about the things he discusses,  but I thought a video would be refreshing for you; plus, it will be beneficial for any first time viewers here.

There are many first time viewers to this blog, and also many who are not saved; who have not been born again; and many who never read the Bible.   I am quoting below a familiar verse to many Christians..... a verse that gives us hope and something to look forward to:  a rescue from this wicked world and a trip to heaven.

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the  voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ  shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."   -   1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

(See also 1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

[North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii]

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

God's Holy Word, the Bible, gives us many encouraging verses to help us to "hang in there."   Another benefit of daily Bible reading (and prayer) is you draw ever closer to the good Lord, and as time goes on you learn to love Him more and more, as well as the fact that your faith in Him will also increase.  

The Bible gives us much encouragement and helps us to endure trials and hardships.   Following is a 34 minute sermon by deceased Pastor Adrian Rogers on the topic of "Learning To Endure".

In the sermon above, Pastor Rogers gives us five truths learned from tests and trials:  enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enthronement, enrichment.  He explains and gives Scriptures pertaining to these five truths.   He has nothing to say in his sermon about end time events or prophecies, but I felt it relevant to our times just the same.

Learn to trust and have faith in God and Jesus, and you will be helped and encouraged beyond what you could ever expect or hope for.   The good Lord will help you to endure.

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."

Hang in there!

Jesus loves you!

If you are born again, you have a wonderful future in heaven.

Keep looking up !

Keep watching!

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

"Guard Your Heart" (With Video on End Times and Salvation) - Inspirational Weekend

[Turtle Island Seen From Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

Not every desire of your heart is from God !

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:  who can know it?"  -  Jeremiah 17:9

We all know what deceitful means, but I looked it up just the same in Websters 1828 dictionary where it tells us:  "Deceitful means to  tend to mislead, deceive, or ensnare;  full of deceit, trickish, fraudulent or cheating."

We cannot trust our own hearts, for it tends to lie to us or sugar-coat a forbidden practice or a forbidden love.   We tend to let our desires dictate to us what our actions are.   Sometimes our motives are not even clear to ourselves.   That is why we need to go to the good Lord in faith and trust and pray about every situation where our hearts seem to be contrary to His will.   We actually need to pray to God about everything.

If we are constantly in prayer and in God's Holy Word, we will develop a close, personal, intimate love relationship with the Creator, and that in turn will keep our heart focused on spiritual things and we therefore will be less likely to be deceived by the devil's wiles and trickery.  We will find that we are strong when we rely on God and Jesus.

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."   -    Philippians 4:13

"With God all things are possible" -   Matthew 19:26 b

Many years ago, when I was experiencing extreme hardship and even trauma, the above two Scriptures gave me hope and endurance.

Another problem is that our hearts tend to listen to people's opinions and we go by that instead of listening for and seeking God's guidance. 

Jeremiah 17:5 tells us:  "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."  

Notice in Jeremiah 17:9 it also says that the heart is "desperately wicked".   In other words, the heart is wretched, or feeble; distressed beyond all things, in consequence of the wickedness that is in it.  One commentator has this to say:  "I am quite of Mr. Parkhust's opinion that this word  (wicked) is here badly  translated -  as anash is never used in Scripture to denote wickedness of any kind.  My old MS Bible translates thus:  "Schrewid is the herte of a man: and unserchable: who schal knoweth it."

[Hawaiian Moorhens at Hamakua Marsh, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii]

We all have this problem called sin.  It is our nature to sin.  Please read Romans 7:18-20.  Actually, I will quote those verses here:

(18)  "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  (19)  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."   

What to do then?  We Christians know the answer to that question:  turn to the good Lord in repentance and prayer and ask for forgiveness.  Be humble and consult the Holy Word, which is the lamp of God which will give us Light in searching the Scriptures.  His word will settle into the recesses of the heart, with the good Lord's assistance.

The cure of sin is twofold; its guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ, and its power is broken down by the Holy Spirit.  

You must learn to hate your own sin, as well as those sins of others.

Too often we are quick to point an accusing finger at the mistakes of others, but cannot or will not acknowledge that we are just as guilty in our own "pet" sins.   John Newton, who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace" , had this to say: "Thus I judge of my heart that it is very deep and dark, and full of envy; but as to particulars, I know not one of a thousand."

Satan the devil knows his time left is very short.  He is trying as hard as he can to deceive and trick us into sin.  But we have Jesus to save us and guide us.   Remember, we are living in the last moments of the end times.   Bible prophecy and its precursors are happening right now.   We live in the shadows cast by the soon to occur prophesied 7 year Tribulation period, the beginning stages of which are already happening now.......   If the Tribulation is that close, guess how close the Rapture of the Church must be, when Jesus Christ comes to take true believers to heaven so they do not suffer the wrath of God during the Trib. period.  

Following is a video which discusses these end times, and also the importance of salvation NOW before it is too late and you are left behind during the Tribulation period.   It is a 26 minute video that is very enlightening and I pray that you watch it all. 

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

In the above video, he tells us that it is not about religion.  Religion says "do".... it is all about works.   Salvation is about a relationship with Jesus.  Jesus' death at Calvary says all is "done".  Just have faith and belief in Him as the Messiah and believe in His resurrection and you are saved.... sealed as a child of God forever.

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."

Keep looking up!

Keep watching!

We fly soon!

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

"The Safest Place To Be" - (With Video Sermon by Charles Spurgeon) - Inspirational Weekend

[Country Scene, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii]

The scene above is tranquil.  The horses are calm and content, and all is safe.   

Webster's 1828 dictionary tells us that "a tranquil mind is essential to happiness."  In today's chaotic world, tranquility can be like an impossible dream.   

But God.  

If you have a close, intimate, personal love relationship with God through Jesus Christ, it is possible to be calm and at peace.

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

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

Following is a short sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon on "The Safest Place" :

In the above sermon, Spurgeon draws on John 10:28.  Following is John 10:28-29:

(28) "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  (29)  My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand."

Talk about security and safety!   What better place to be than in God's and Jesus' hands!  That is true only if you are a born again true believer in Jesus, and that you have cultivated a close and personal love relationship with Him and God.   

You draw close to the good Lord and develop a strong relationship with Him when you pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and are constantly devouring God's Holy Word.  It is in that way that you come to a greater knowledge of Him and Jesus, and learn to love Him more and more.   As you appreciate His attributes and learn more about Him and His great love, you will become more aware of His presence and His guidance in your life.   You will feel safe and secure "in His hand."  Even if someone takes your life, or you die of natural causes, you will still be "in His hand"  -  only in heaven after death.  What a glorious promise and a grand hope !

If you are a true believer in Jesus as the Savior,  no one can "pluck" you out of His hand or out of the Father's hand.  No man, no devil can tear you from the Lord's hand and heart.

[Famous Old Tree, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii]

In verse 29 of John 10, it says,  "My Father is greater than all."   Adam Clarke in his commentary tells us :  "More

powerful than all the united energies of men and demons.  He who loves God must be happy; and he who fears Him need fear nothing on this side of eternity."

In other words, there is no power in man or devils to defeat the purpose of the Redeemer to save His people.  We can discern our safety if we truly, humbly, and daily commit ourselves  to God and Jesus. Our perseverance is the only way we can have evidence that we are His people.  

[Hanalei  Taro Fields, Island of Kauai, Hawaii]

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; For Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."  -  Psalm 4:8

"The fear of man bringeth a snare:  But whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."  -  Proverbs 29:25

It is evident that the above Scriptures point to faith in Jesus as the only solution....the way to eternal life and peace and safety.  We are living in the last moments of the last days.  Jesus will return very soon to rapture His Bride, true believers, to be with Him in heaven.  Will you be among those taken up to meet Him in the clouds?

To be rapture ready means that you have repented of your sins and that you have been born again..... a spiritual rebirth, by believing in Jesus as the only way to heaven and to God the Father.  Jesus died a cruel death so that we, if we but have faith and belief in Him, could gain eternal life.   He was our substitute on the cross; He paid the price for our sins.  He is our Redeemer.

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

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

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

The good Lord did not make salvation difficult.  The above verses make it clear that it requires faith in Jesus as the Savior.

Won't you turn to the Lord in faith now?

He is waiting for you with open arms of love and forgiveness.

Following is a song on John 10:27, 28 :

"Anything that endures for a shorter time than the soul does  is incapable of satisfying the soul."  - Dr. Ravi  Zacharias

"We choose daily to surrender our will, our emotions and all we are to Jesus and follow Him.  It is not denial of self of things, it is putting Jesus at the center and the core of the heart of all your decisions and walking in that every day."  -  Dr. Charles Stanley

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

"Are You Afraid Of The Judgment Seat Of Christ?" (Two Videos - One of Sermon by Leonard Ravenhill) - Inspirational Weekend

[Shark's Cove, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii]

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."  -   2 Corinthians 5:10

Some call it the "Bema" Seat of Christ.  Most of us are more familiar with just the term Judgment Seat of Christ.  The term Bema comes from way back in Biblical times at the  Olympics then, where a judge  sat on what they called the Bema seat at the finish line of the races.  The judge would determine who came in first or second, and on down the line, and then give out the rewards accordingly.  It is a fitting example of when we face our Judge at the end of our life or right after the Rapture of true believers, when we receive our reward (or not) from the good Lord.  

If you are a born again true believer in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and believe in and follow Him, there is no reason to be afraid of this judgment.   It is a time for Christians to receive their rewards.  It does not determine salvation; which was accomplished and determined by Christ's sacrifice on our behalf on the cross at Calvary and our faith in Him.  (John 3:16).

It is the Great White Throne Judgment of unrepentant sinners at the end of all things that wicked men should fear.  Please read about this Judgment at Revelation 20:11-15.  

Revelation 20:15 says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

The following  by prophecywatchers.com is excellent information on this subject.  Host Gary Stearman interviews Sam Hoyt, an author who has written on the Judgment Seat of Christ.

I listen to pastors on line and watch their videos, and the ones that appeal to me most are the ones who are not afraid to "tell it like it is".  True doctrine, even if it hurts in its bluntness in order to correct a life gone astray.  One major problem in most churches today is watered down sermons, with no depth and no motivation for anyone to commit their lives in full surrender to the good Lord.  In other words, a watered down gospel to appeal to the masses and "tickle their ears"  -  giving the people what they want to hear instead of what the Holy Word of God admonishes us to do; what kind of life we should be living.   A holy and dedicated life to God and Jesus.  If my articles on this blog seem harsh sometimes, particularly where worldly professing Christians are concerned, it is because I belong to the school of telling it like it is, wheretheWord of God is concerned.  Its done out of love - tough love - so that no one loses their souls.  Many Christians do not read their Bibles and do not realize how God hates for us to be worldly.  (James 4:4)

If you are a true, born again believer in Jesus Christ the Savior, you cannot lose your soul  because the moment you believe in Him, you are sealed forever as a child of God.   But there are many who are not truly saved who profess to be Christians;  they think, perhaps, that just a head knowledge  (purely an intellectual concept) of Jesus will be all that is needed to get to heaven.  So they are worldly, and many do not know any better.   We need to mentor them and help them to a right relationship with the Lord. 

I took a long and winded way to introduce the next video by Leonard Ravenhill, a pastor who passed away in 1994.  He was from Britain and moved to the United States in 1950.  Ravenhill told the truth of God's Word with passion and accuracy and he did not water down the Holy Word. Here is a 12 minute sermon clip by him on the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Here are some quotes by Ravenhill:

"There are only two kinds of persons: those dead in sin and those dead to sin."

"No man is greater than his prayer life."

"I doubt that more than two percent of professing Christians in the United States are truly born again."

"A man who is intimate with God is not intimidated by man."

[Just a note here, my computer is acting up and will not let me correct errors    -  it especially will not let me separate words that are run together.  I apologize if it is distracting.]

Talking about the Judgment Seat of Christ at this time is very appropriate because Jesus will return very soon to rapture true Christians to heaven to be with Him for all eternity.  

Are you Rapture ready?  

To be ready for the Lord's return, you need to be a born again believer in the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary.  

You need to admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior.

You need to believe in Jesus with all of your heart and mind and soul; that He truly is the Savior of all who put their faith and trust in Him.

You need to call on the name of the Lord and commit your life to him.

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

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

"The New World Order" (With Two Important Videos) -- Inspirational Weekend

[Haleiwa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]

In regards to what we are dealing with now - the beginning stages of the New World Order -  it all began in the Bible at Genesis 11. Go read it.  It is the story of the Tower of Babel, where mankind rebelled against God and began to depend on their own selves and their own sense of  government.   You remember that God caused them to be scattered when He confused their one language and they began to speak in many languages that were not understood.... so they spread out across the earth.  

Today, most world leaders are in favor of the coming New World Order.  It is, in reality, One World Socialism.  In America, it is what the Democratic Party is all about.   That is why they hate President Trump so much, because he is against socialism/communism and he delayed their plans to bring it to America. 

Following is a 36 minute audio sermon by Dr. David Jeremiah who goes into depth about world events and what the Bible says concerning all this:

On 7-24-19 Prophecy In the News published the following 29 minute video on the New World Order.  Please watch.

In the above video, host Dan Goodwin interviews Gary Kah concerning the New World Order plans for Global Occupation.  The Elites, the Globalists, are moving towards a cashless society, and in some countries they are making progress in having just such a cashless society.

Gary Kah says, "If cash gets taken away from the people, a good part of our freedom goes with it."

They cover briefly about cryptocurrency from Facebook, as well as how the top players for the NWO is not only the United Nations but also the Catholic Church and the current Pope. 

[North Shore Surf and Rocks, Oahu, Hawaii]

Read all of Revelation 13, where it speaks of the antichrist and the mark of the beast and more.  Here are a few verses from Revelation 13:

"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them, and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."  -  Revelation 13:7, where it is describing a single government that will rule the world politically.

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."  -  Revelation 13:8, where it speaks of a One World religion  (a false religion, combining many faiths of the pre-Rapture world into a mock , fake religion during the Tribulation).  Eventually, during the Tribulation, the antichrist will demand to be worshiped as god.

And then there is the One World economy as described in Revelation 13:16-17:   "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

All of these verses are referring to the antichrist's rule and his control under the New World Order,  the One World Government.  Many of you are familiar with all of these facts and the meaning of the above verses.  

If all these factors are in play now (in the beginning stages) for a New World Order,  then please realize that we are that much closer to the Rapture of the Church as well, which occurs before the Tribulation period.  

[Haleiwa Beach and Harbor, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii]

Instead of speculating and putting much interest in exactly who the antichrist might be (he is alive and well on earth at the present time), let us spend our time waiting for Jesus' return, and being about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).   Let us occupy until Jesus returns to rapture us to be with Him in heaven..... and be about the Lord's business right now; winning souls for the Lord that He will also take with Him to heaven.   Put the Lord first,  and everything else will fall into place.

We true believers will not be here during the Tribulation period.  We would have been raptured  to heaven sometime before that terrible 7 year  trib. period.  So we should be looking - not for the antichrist - but looking for our blessed hope instead (Titus 2:13) : the time when Jesus returns for us; when He will take us to be with Him forever.

If you are not now right with the good Lord, you need to admit you are a sinner and in need of a Savior.

You need to believe that Jesus paid your sin debt in full on the cross at Calvary and that His blood can wash you clean and white as snow.  That means faith in Him as the Savior and His redemptive work on the cross.

You need to call on the name of the Lord and commit your life to Him.

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

As explained above, salvation is not complicated or a list of rules and regulations to follow.   God has made it simple.

It requires faith and trust in Jesus.  It requires a humble and sincere attitude; meaning that you willingly surrender your all to the Lord, with a sincere and heartfelt repentance and a love for Jesus.

Jesus loves you !

He is waiting for you to come to Him in faith.

He will welcome you with wide open arms of love and forgiveness.

Don't delay!

Time is short.  The Rapture could occur at any moment.

Don't be left behind to face the horrendous 7 year Tribulation!

("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


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

"The Gift Of God" - Inspirational Weekend

God gives us many gifts, such as the gift of hospitality, the gift of empathy, the gift of service to others, and to some the gift of being effective pastors.   But those gifts and many others, as important as they are, are not the "gift of God" meant here.  You mature Christians already know where I am going with this article.

"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

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

Eternal Life !   

That is God's gift to us !  Like any gift, it is free.  All we have to do is accept it with gratitude.  We do this by believing that Jesus is the Savior and that by putting our faith in Him we may have everlasting life, and all of eternity with Him.  

Even in this life we may have foretastes of the gift of God to be enjoyed, such as peace with God and a quiet trustfulness as to the future, and many other joys as well.  There is much comfort in knowing the good Lord is always near !

"Forget not the channel through whom it flows; it is a gift to thee, because thy Lord paid it all."           -  A.G. Brown

Jesus took our place on the cross and suffered a terrible and painful death so that He paid our sin debt in full.  He was our Redeemer and He did it all out of such a great love for us -  a love so strong and true that we cannot begin to comprehend the depths of it.

When you think about it, eternal life actually begins the moment you surrender your life to Jesus; the moment of conversion, when the soul passes from death to life.  He that hath the Son hath Life. You have freedom from condemnation (Romans 8:1), communion with God, and you begin to grow into the likeness of Christ.  There is no longer any fear of death.

Jesus told His disciples (and by extension, us as well) that He was going to prepare a place in heaven for all true followers.  This is found at John 14:1-3, which follows:

(1) "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  (2) 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.  (3)  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."

With such a wonderful hope - eternity forever with the Lord - how can some people shrug their shoulders in complete unconcern and indifference and go their "merry" way instead, sinning all the way to hell?

And what is equally disturbing, how can professing Christians go the way of the world and still be putting the good Lord first in their lives?  They can't.  Some so-called believers go to bars with worldly people; they talk and act and dress worldly and try to blend in as much as possible with the world.  How does Christ, who bled and died for them, feel when He sees their rebellion?

James speaks of spiritual adultery when he says at James 4:4 :

"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."

And then there are the verses at 1 John 2:15-17 that tell us: (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 lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

If you find yourself guilty of being worldly and sinful, think of how it must make Jesus and the Heavenly Father feel after all their love for you has done; after Jesus dying a cruel death to save you if you would but believe in Him.   And then you go and become His enemy by friendship with the world?  That is not showing gratitude for His great sacrifice and His love for you.

Let us be mindful that new converts to Christianity do, for the most part, still exhibit carnal ways and worldliness.  They are "babes in Christ" who, in time, will mature and leave their worldly ways behind them and become more Christlike.  We need to be patient with them until they develop a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."  -  1 Corinthians 3:1

Let us examine ourselves and determine to put the good Lord first in our lives.  He loves us with a love we cannot even begin to fathom; it surpasses anything we can imagine.  

Remember what it says at Ephesians 2:8?   "For by GRACE are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

To obtain grace, you need to be humble.

"........  {He} giveth grace to the humble."  -  James 4:6 b

It takes humility to confess your sins and to realize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. 

It takes humility to say, "Not my will, Lord, but thine."

It takes a humble person to surrender all to the good Lord.

After the Lord "woke me up" to be more spiritually minded, every time I heard or sang the hymn "Amazing Grace" I was brought to tears.   I was so grateful to Him for saving me and bringing me out of the darkness and into His life-giving Light.

Following is one of the most beautiful renditions I have ever heard of that wonderful hymn:

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

"Something's Gotta Give" (With Video On Signs Of The Times) - Inspirational Weekend

[Clivia Blossoms]

Something has gotta give because of the intensity and frequency of the end time's signs:  such as the earthquakes, natural disasters, and evil and chaos and violence in these last moments of the end times the Bible warned us about in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Iran is throwing temper tantrums and trying to provoke the USA.  Everything is converging all at once and all at the same time as the Bible prophesied about.   The world in general, and the political leaders are perplexed and don't know the way out of all this mess.

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

-  Luke 21:25-26

Following is a 33 minute video posted by Chad of Watchman On The Wall 88 in which he gives an excellent coverage of current events and the "birth pangs"  happening in the end times.  Please watch :

Now, I no longer want to dwell on the negative in this article.  We cannot bury our head in the sand and pretend that the times are not serious and that events are not about to explode,  but yet we need a balance and we need to look for the good. As Jan Markell has said, "things are not falling apart, they are falling into place."  God is still in control and we need to look to Him for guidance, strength, and endurance.    The good Lord foretold all these end time events. Therefore, the positive side of all this chaos is that we know that Jesus will be returning soon for His Bride -  the true believers whom He will rapture to heaven to be with Him forever.

Now that is good news!

[Hibiscus]

Yes, true believers have a glorious hope, a future in heaven with the good Lord.

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

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand."   -  Jesus at John 10:28-29

Are you rapture ready?

Have you been spiritually born again by putting your faith and trust in Jesus, the Savior?

If not, then you have no blessed hope.  Your eternity will be spent in hell forever.  By not choosing to believe in Jesus, then by doing nothing, you are still making a choice.

Being saved and becoming a child of God is not difficult. It does require faith in Jesus.

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

Believe in Jesus and in the redemption provided by His shed blood on the cross.   He took our place there at Calvary; He paid our sin debt in full.  He was the sacrificial lamb.  

Call on the name of the Lord. Confess your sins; commit your life to Jesus; surrender all to Him.

Then you shall be a child of God; a member of His family forever.

Jesus loves you more than you will ever know or comprehend.  

He will welcome you with arms wide open in love and forgiveness.

Will you turn to Him in faith?  It will mean eternal life with the Lord forever!

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

"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 !!