"Heaven ! More Glorious Than We Can Imagine !" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Everyone, even unbelievers, perk up their ears and pay attention when heaven is mentioned.   And everyone wants to go there, or they should want to.  Most Americans believe in heaven, and most of them hope to go there when they die.  The truth is, man, having an immortal soul, was made to live forever somewhere.   

"Those who go to heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way."     -  John R. Rice

We will only concentrate on heaven in this post, and how glorious it will be.   The most wonderful part of heaven for believers is the fact that we will be with Jesus there for all of eternity. He is our Savior and  our Redeemer, and we love Him with all of our being.

Following is a cheerful discussion on what heaven will be like from prophecywatchers.com, featuring Gary Stearman and his guest, pastor Tom Hughes :

They speculate what heaven will be like, such as will there be grass in heaven, will there be baseball, and the like.  But it is not all fanciful wishing; there are some good nuggets of truth in this video.

Concerning our journey in this life, I enjoyed what Tom Hughes said,  "The Bible is our travel guide, and Jesus is our tour guide."  Jesus is now in heaven preparing a place for true believers:

" 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."   -  John 14:2-3

In the above verses, Jesus tells us that He will come again and receive us to Himself to be with Him in heaven.  He is referring to the Rapture of the Church, the body of true believers.  Jesus could return at any moment to take believers with Him to their eternal home.  

Are you ready?

At the end, after the 7 year Tribulation and the antichrist and the false prophet and satan are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19 and Revelation 20), the Bible book of Revelation 21 tells us:

"(1) 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.  (2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

The above verses are among the most beautiful and comforting in the Bible.  We need to dwell on such beautiful verses to counteract all the negativity in today's world of evil and violence and wars.   God's Holy Word gives us comfort and hope and a reason for living, that reason being to glorify God; to worship Him and to do His will and to live for Him and to bring lost souls to Jesus.

"For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ;"  -  Philippians 3:20

"Life, if properly viewed in any aspect, is great, but mainly great when viewed in its relation to the world to come."  -  Albert Barnes

Following is a sermon on heaven by Charles Spurgeon.  It is excellent and is only 37 minutes in length. 

In the above sermon, Spurgeon stresses that our imagination cannot truly picture heaven.  He says, "To know more of heaven, spend more time in prayer."

There is only one way to heaven !

Jesus !!

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

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."   -  Acts 4:12

Please read all of John 3.  Most all of you are no doubt familiar with John 3:16 ,  "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 the Baptist said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -  John 3:36

To be saved, you need to admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior.  Repent and pray for forgiveness.  Believe in faith that Jesus died for you and that His death on the cross paid for your sins in full; His shed blood redeems you.  All you need to do is to have faith and believe in Him and in His resurrection.  

"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.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   ......  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"   -  Romans 10:9,10, 13

"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

Yes, Carnal Christians Are A Reality

More than once I have said that there is no such thing as a carnal Christian.  (Scroll down to the February 17, 2018, post directly below or go to this link).  I suppose I was thinking primarily of the false conversion of a person, as opposed to true conversion, which leads to holiness and a life totally surrendered to the good Lord....true conversion, that is; because when a person is truly converted he is sealed with the Holy Spirit, which then indwells him (Ephesians 4:30).  "What?  know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"  (1 Corinthians 6:19).   In other words, I had assumed that a carnal Christian was one who had not been truly converted; had not been born again.

There are newly converted believers that are sometimes called "babes in Christ".  They are not spiritually mature yet, and can still be carnally minded to a large degree.   Carnal comes from the Greek word sarkikos, which means "fleshly."   Anytime a Christian sins, he is being carnal.  

But please note, while a Christian (especially new Christians) can be carnal for a time, a true Christian will not remain that way forever.   As he prays and studies the Bible, he will grow to truly know the Lord.  He will love Him and will not want to grieve the Holy Spirit.  He will develop a close, intimate, and personal love relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  As time goes on, his life and manner and spirituality will be manifest to others, and he will do good works.   Genuine faith will always result in good works, according to James chapter 2.

"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.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."    -   Ephesians 2:8-10

Carnal Christians are spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 :

"(1)  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  (2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  (3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

In the quote above, the fact that Paul called them "brethren" signifies that they were Christians, as Paul often used that term to refer to other Christians as well.

So a believer can sin and appear to be carnal, but he will not remain carnal if he is a true Christian.

It is good to read 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, where it speaks of a man's works being tried by fire.   Verse 15 tells us:  "If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

So, evidently, a carnal Christian is still saved.  Back to my thoughts on true or false conversion:  it is not whether a carnal Christian has lost his salvation, but was he, in actuality, truly saved in the first place.   

God will lovingly discipline carnal Christians so they can become more Christlike and also to have a close relationship with Him.  It is all about obedience, love, and true commitment to the Lord.  A  life totally surrendered to Him.  

Read Hebrews 12:5-11.  Following are verses 6 and 7:

(6) "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.  (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not.?"

Examine your heart and test yourself, and see if you are a worldly and carnal person.   If so, repent and make an effort to be more Christlike and to obey God in all things.  Get down on your knees and pray that God will give you an outpouring of His Holy Spirit so that you may better do His will and live as a true Christian should. You will then become more holy and live a life pleasing to the good Lord.

"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

1 John 2:15-17 cautions 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 forever." 

"It Takes Prayer - Much Prayer" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

The Lord has really been telling me to pray more, through the Bible as well as through sermons and various articles.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray without ceasing."  Our main objective is to draw ever closer to God, and to do that we need to communicate with Him in prayer and thereby develop a close, personal, and intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  He wants to fellowship with  us.  You cannot get to know a Person unless you spend time with Him.  Not only can we do that through prayer, but also by reading and studying the Bible, His Holy Word and Love Letter to us.  God speaks to us through His Word.

Another benefit of much prayer is our resulting sanctification or consecration.   Sanctification means being set apart for holy use; to make holy or to purify.  This should be the goal of every true believer.  Sanctification comes from the Latin word "sanctus". which means holy or to consecrate.

Someone has said, "In Hebrews 10:20, the word consecrate comes from a Greek word that means to dedicate.  .... You could say the Lord's death consecrated us by making us perfect in His sight and this opened the way into the Holy of Holies for us."

Hebrews 10:19-20 says,  "(19)  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, His flesh; "   

So we may boldly approach the Heavenly Father because Jesus made the way for us to do so when He shed His blood at Calvary, redeeming us who believe on Him and His resurrection.

Back to prayer now, although you cannot have prayer without consecration. They work together.  

"Prayer leads up to, and governs consecration.  Prayer is precedent to consecration, accompanies it, and is a direct result of it."  -  E.M. Bounds.

If my memory serves me right, I believe it was Charles Spurgeon that said something to the effect that "A prayerless life is a Christless life."  We will never grow in our spiritual walk if we do not pray.  How can we, for that matter, if we don't cultivate a true, powerful relationship with our Lord?

To be consecrated or sanctified we must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.  This happens when you are saved.  Holiness does not happen all at once and you are not instantly mature spiritually when you first come to the Lord in faith.  It takes time to grow in holiness, a lifetime.  And we will not be perfect until we are in heaven.  

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and for ever.  Amen."  -  2 Peter 3:18

"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word."  -  Acts 6:4

The more you pray, the closer you grow to the good Lord.  And the more you know Him, the more you grow in His likeness.  As you pray and pour over His Word, you will grow in holiness and you will be less inclined to sin.  You will grow in your love for Jesus, and you will not want to do anything to grieve the Holy Spirit.  

Yes, it takes prayer - much prayer.  

"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

We cannot be holy and be worldly and carnal at the same time.  That is why we need to renew our minds with God's Holy Word and spend our time doing His will and being among His people.  If you are worldly or a "carnal Christian", then you most likely were not truly born again.   There is no such thing as a carnal Christian.  Repent and pray for forgiveness and turn to God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind.   

"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."   -  Jesus at Mark 12:30

Remember that prayer is powerful !

"No prayer, no power; much prayer, much power."

I am reminded of the account in Exodus 32 where the Israelites made a golden calf to worship and Yahweh was extremely angry and told Moses in verse 10,  "Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation."  Moses prayed to Him not to destroy the Hebrews, and verse 14 tells us, "And the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people."

Yes, there is power in prayer !

Following is a 16 minute reading of Andrew Murray on the subject of consecration.  It is an encouraging discourse.  

And below is another reading of one of Andrew Murray's books on the subject of prayer.   It is a short 21 minute reading .  I pray you listen to it.  

"The first great end of consecration is holiness of heart and of life.  It is to glorify God, and this can be done in no more effectual way than by a holy life flowing from a heart cleansed from all sin."                -  E.M. Bounds

"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."  -  1 Peter 1:15-16

"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;"  -  Colossians 4:2

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."  -  Philippians 4:6

Perilous Times Signify The Season of Jesus' Return (Videos)

Much of what I concentrate on here with this blog is Bible prophecy.  I cannot stress enough how that we are living in the last days as the Bible tells us according to its prophecies.  It is important to realize this and that the Lord's return is imminent so that we may be found blameless and ready when He returns.  

"Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."  -  1 Corinthians 1:8

For the most part today, the following two videos will do most of the commentary.   Both videos are from prophecywatchers.com , featuring Gary Stearman.  Below is a 12 minute clip with guest David Reagan, in which they discuss the season of the Lord's return and also how America is provoking the Lord and that , as Mr. Stearman says, "The world is living on borrowed time."

The following 22 minute video is an interview with Gary Stearman concerning the signs of the times in general as well as the "insanity of the Middle-East."  They quote 2 Timothy 3 concerning the perilous last days and the end times signs spoken of in those first few verses and it is a very enlightening discussion of interest to all persons.   Mr. Stearman also quotes James 5:3 where it says that "your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you....".   Everyone is saying today that as long as you deal with gold and silver, you will be alright.   Not so.

In the video directly above, they also discuss the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster a few years back.   That is of particular interest to me, especially living in the middle of the Pacific ocean here in Hawaii.  The ocean here and on the west coast of the American mainland is definitely contaminated, meaning so are its  fish.  It is unbelievable the amount of radiation still pouring into the ocean all this time later; it is a disaster with no fix in sight.   You can Google it for more information.  A year ago I wrote a post concerning the dangers now present from contamination still spilling out of Fukushima.  Here is that link.   There is also a You Tube video at that link concerning the nuclear power plant meltdown.   

This all may seem like doom and gloom to the unsaved people of the world,  but to believers in Jesus Christ it means we have a hope of soon being with the Lord for all eternity.   Our blessed hope!  (Titus 2:13).

Let's face reality, things cannot continue to escalate without all hell breaking loose.   And it will do so soon in the 7 year tribulation period.  Read the Bible book of Revelation for all the wrath of God that will be poured out upon ungodly people left on earth during that time.  Much of the earth and the water will be destroyed as well.

Believers,  look up !

Jesus is coming for us soon to rapture us to be with Him forever!

Believers will not face the wrath of God during the Tribulation for we will not be on earth at that time, having been taken to heaven before the Tribulation begins.

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

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 tells us,  concerning the Rapture of true believers to heaven,  "(16) 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:  (17) 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. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

When we see all the evil in the world, and the very real dangers and the threat of nuclear war, we need to realize the Lord will return soon and then we will be with Him in our new home.  That is, indeed, comforting to think about.

If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior and put your faith and trust in Him,  do not delay !!   

Tomorrow may be too late to do so, as the Lord could return at any moment !

"(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

To be saved, you must believe with your whole heart and mind and spirit that Jesus Christ is the Savior and that He died and shed His blood so that all who believe and put their trust in Him can have eternal life.   You must sincerely repent of all your sins and ask for forgiveness and surrender to Him and put your faith in Him.  

Romans 10:9-10, 13 says,  "(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 answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -  John 3:3

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

"Beauty, Art, and God" - Inspirational Weekend

Butterflies make me smile... even when watching them on You Tube.  Recently I again visited Foster Botanical Gardens here in Honolulu and there were a large group of Monarchs flying everywhere among the flowers in the special butterfly garden found there.   It was very extraordinary to be standing among them and attempting to photograph them as they fluttered about all around me. My photograph above was the only one that came out after taking many shots; all but this one were very blurry.   

Butterflies are precious and oh so lovely.  There are many varieties to be found all over the world.   The good Lord is truly a magnificent Creator; there is much variety in the animal world and the flower kingdom as well as also in the beautiful scenery on this earth.   Yahweh is an artist on a grand scale !   And creation testifies that He loves beauty.  

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined."  -  Psalm 50:2

God's holiness is beautiful, and we are to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness"         (Psalm 29:2;  1 Chronicles 16:29).  

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."  -  Ephesians 2:10

The Greek word for "workmanship"  sometimes has the connotation of a "work of art."   So we believers can be like a work of art, when we allow Yahweh to mold us and shape us into useful vessels for His honor and His glory.  We are His creation; we are made exactly as He wants us to be.  God recreates our hearts with a desire and yearning for what is good, with the result that our lives are changed.  We begin to "hunger and thirst after righteousness"  (Matthew 5:6).

Please read Ephesians 2:1-10.  Verses 8 and 9 make it clear that we are not saved by works, but by grace through 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

So when Ephesians 2:10 says...."created in Christ Jesus unto good works", it does not mean good works are the roots from which salvation grows but instead the fruit God intends it to bear.   In other words, God has not saved us because of our good works, but He has saved us to do good works, with His help and guidance.  This brings glory to Him. We should be so grateful for our salvation that good works flow naturally from a heart full of love and appreciation.

The first mention of art in the Bible is found in Exodus 31, where God instructs Moses to create a tent for the ark of the covenant.  God mentions several skillful artists to help create designs to beautify the tent.  Evidently the Lord is desirous of man to create beautiful things; and of course He gives them the ability to do so.  It follows that He desires beauty.  Any beauty that we create, whether we be a fine artist, a musician or a craftsman of any type, our creation should glorify our heavenly Creator.

As an artist myself, beauty was always my main inspiration.  I cannot understand some of the vulgarity that passes for art these days.  One painting of mine in particular was especially created for God's glory; it is rich in symbolism:

The title of this oil on canvas is "Forget Me Not".  Those are forget-me-not flowers on the teacup and saucer and the Bible is there to remind you to not forget God and His Word.  The glasses are just an emphasis to read His Holy Word.  Only Jesus can bring true peace, and thus the yellow peace rose, which is in a vase filled with living water.   The red rose symbolizes Jesus' shed blood, which brings redemption to those who believe in Him and in His resurrection.  This painting was created entirely with the Lord in mind.

I always intended to create more works in a similar theme, but one day a little over 2 years ago as I was painting and listening to a CD sermon at the same time, I felt convicted.  I was spending hours upon hours painting with a passion, but what was I actually doing for the good Lord?  How much time did I give Him and how much witnessing for Him was I doing in comparison?   I felt guilt and shame and sorrow.   I was living too much for my art, and not spending enough time doing the Lord's work.  I took some time off from painting and began reading the Bible constantly, and doing research online with commentaries on Bible verses.  I began to pray more frequently and I drew closer to the Lord as a result.

I am not saying all this to brag on myself.  I guess you could say I am bragging on the Lord and all He has done in my life.  He inspired me to begin writing spiritual content on this blog.  I felt I could reach more people through my writing than through my painting.   My passion began to be focused more on the Lord and endeavoring to do His will.   Even more so as I realized that the Lord could return at any time and people needed to be told that we are living in the last days and to be ready for His return.

God changed me. 

His will is what is most important in my life right now.

Life is short.

"Only what's done for Christ will last."


Have a blessed and Christ-filled weekend !


"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."    -  Matthew 7:14

"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

"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

Who Or What is Babylon The Great? - (Videos With Bill Salus)

Much has been written about Babylon The Great, or Mystery Babylon; and many videos have been the subject of Babylon The Great as well.  This post of mine includes two videos (featuring Bill Salus and his opinions) on this very subject.   

First, let's go to two Scriptures in the Bible book of Revelation where Babylon the Great is mentioned:

"And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth."     -   Revelation 17:5

"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon The Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."    -  Revelation 18:2

There are several thoughts by Bible scholars on what is actually Babylon the Great and where it might be.   First of all, Babylon the Great is a harlot world religion.  Many believe it might actually be situated in a newly rebuilt Babylon where ancient Babylon was located.  Some even believe it is America, and still others believe it is found at Rome or Mecca. Watch the videos here to learn where Bill Salus thinks Babylon the great is located.  He makes a good case Scripturally for his beliefs.

Mr. Salus suggests the true chronological order in the book of Revelation is to read Revelation 17 first (which talks about the harlot religion... which will come on the scene first after the Rapture of the Church), next read Revelation 13 (which discusses the rise of the antichrist and the Mark of the Beast) , and then to read Revelation 18 last (which is the account of the commercial and economic part of Babylon the Great).   In other words, this is referring to the New World Order or the One World Government which is now in the process of emerging as we speak.....One World Religion, One World Government, and One World Economic System.   Needless to say, as many of you know, this One World Religion is a false and demonic religion.   Remember, true believers in Jesus Christ were taken to heaven in the Rapture prior to the appearance of the antichrist and before the false one world religion and New World Order.

Following are part one and part two of the videos on Mystery Babylon produced by prophecywatchers.com :

                                              Part One

                                          

                                               Part Two 

Both videos are enlightening and informative and I urge you to watch both of them.  

All of this information should wake up those who are still asleep to the fact that we are living in the last hours of the last days that the Bible prophesied.  (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21).  We should be busy doing the Lord's work and telling others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Savior.

In view of the fact that governments are working at the present time to bring about the New World Order, think how close we are to the tribulation period; and then realize that the Rapture is that much closer as it occurs before the 7 year Tribulation.  We need to wake up and be living a life that pleases the Lord; in faith and obedience and in proclaiming the Gospel.  

I cannot repeat this too often:  

Time is short.  

Jesus will return soon.

Are you ready?

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

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

"Herein is My Father glorified,  that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."   -  John 15:8

"The Grace And Mercy Of God" - (A.W. Tozer Audio Sermons) - Inspirational Weekend

Waterfalls are so refreshing....even miniature ones as in my photograph above.  But nothing can take the place of the refreshment and fulfillment we find in the Lord, especially when we reflect on His amazing grace and His great mercy.  When I think about how lost I was at one time, and how God in His love and grace and mercy brought me out of the darkness and into His life-giving light and truth, I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude to Him for all He has done in my life.  I did not deserve His loving-kindness and His forgiveness, yet He had mercy on me.  

Grace and mercy are only two of God's many attributes, but it touched my heart to write about them today as I feel very strongly His mercy and grace in my life - in the past as well as right now.  

Grace and mercy are often confused, because they have similar meanings.  Mercy is deliverance from judgment, while grace is extending kindness to the unworthy, or God's benevolence on the undeserving.  If God gave us all what we deserve, He would "zap" us all right now into cinders or send us straight to hell.  

David, after being confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, cried out to God in Psalm 51 :

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness:  according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."  -  Psalm 51:1-2

When we plead to God for mercy, we are asking Him to withhold the judgment we deserve; to instead give us forgiveness that we in no way earned.  

Think about it: we deserve nothing from God.  When good comes our way, thank the Lord for His grace.  A simple way to think of grace is that it is "unmerited favor."  

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved:)"   -  Ephesians 2:4-5

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."  -   1 Peter 1:3

"And as grace is free, so is it sure.  Nothing can change, or alter, or turn away sovereign grace."  -  Alexander Whyte

"Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness, and not the apologist of sin."  -  Charles Spurgeon  

"Embrace in one act the two truths -  thine own sin, and God's infinite mercy in Jesus Christ."  -  Alexander MacLaren

"Nothing humbles and breaks the heart of a sinner like mercy and love.  Souls that converse much with sin and wrath, may be much terrified; but souls that converse much with grace and mercy, will be much humbled."  -  Thomas Brooks

Following are two audio sermons by A. W. Tozer on the attributes of God's grace and mercy.  For those of you not familiar with Tozer, he was an American Christian pastor, author and magazine editor.  He was born in 1897 and died in 1963.  I pray you take the time to listen to both sermons.

The above sermon is on the grace of God and the one below is on the mercy of God:

These two sermons are full of little "gems" of understanding and are presented in a way that enriches your soul and makes you want even more of God.  If you are interested in more sermons by A. W. Tozer on many other attributes of God, go to You Tube and type in "the attributes of God - A.W. Tozer" and they will pop up.

Remember, God wants to fellowship with you.  He wants a close, personal, and intimate love relationship with you through Jesus Christ.  You need to therefore be in prayer often and reading and studying the Bible in order to get to know the Lord more intimately so you can have a close relationship with Him.   God speaks to you through His written Word.  The Bible is God's love letter to you and His instruction manual to guide you in living a godly and totally surrendered life to Him.   

We are living in what the Bible calls the last days, the end times.  Many prophecies are beginning to come to pass or are in readiness to happen soon just as God prophesied they would in the last days.  Read Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13 to see the signs of the Lord's soon return.

Now is the time to get right with the Lord and dedicate your life, your heart, and your soul to Him and to the doing of His will.

"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.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. .........For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  -  Romans 10:9,10,13

Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend !

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  -  Hebrews 4:16

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;"   -  Titus 3:5

"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   

"Faith And Prayer Move God" - Inspirational Weekend

The title of this post, "Faith And Prayer Move God", is a quote from E.M. Bounds.  In his book on prayer, he stresses that faith and prayer work together.  There is power in prayer!  There is power in faith!  "Prayer is simply faith", says Mr. Bounds.  It is said also that faith is trust in something....a belief, a conviction, and a hope.

"True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer.  Moreover, when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live."   -  E. M. Bounds

In my own life, I have discovered that when God does answer my prayers, it serves to increase my faith whenever I reflect on those answered prayers in hindsight.  I have also learned that to wait on God is a strong demonstration of faith.  

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  -  Hebrews 11:1

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 defines faith and mentions prophets and others, like Noah and Abraham (and many others), who proved their faith.  

"Faith is trust or commitment to what you think is true."    -  William Lane Craig

"Faith knows there will be delays in answering prayer, and regards such delays as times of testing, in the which, it is privileged to show its mettle, and the stern stuff of which it is made."     - E. M. Bounds

The power of prayer is the power of God.  He hears and answers all prayers, even if the answer is no.  

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

"Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for satan."  -  John Bunyan

"Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness."  -  William Carey

"Prayer is the acid test of devotion."  -  Samuel Chadwick

Following is a beautiful hymn from 1740 by Charles Wesley.

So much could be written about faith and prayer; indeed, much has already been written on those topics.  In writing this post and in reading Scriptures on faith and prayer, I was very edified and I hope you are as well.

Following is an excellent sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the life and walk of faith :

In the above sermon, Charles Spurgeon stresses abiding in Christ always.  "Jesus is your all in all" and we should "find substance in Christ.....Ye are complete in Christ!"   Spurgeon is known as "The prince of preachers" and his sermons are deep yet explanatory.  I pray that you will listen to the entire message.

When you pray and have faith in the Lord, your priorities will change.   You will realize that the only important thing in this life is God and Jesus, and you will live your life accordingly, with the goal of being more like the Savior. 

Remember, when we pray, we need to ask according to God's will, or our prayers will not be answered.   Also, we need to repent of any and all sin so that we come to the Lord forgiven and clean, and He will listen to us with love and understanding.

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth."  -  John 9:31


Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend !



"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests 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

"Pray without ceasing."  -  1 Thessalonians 5:17

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  -   Romans 10:17

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it."   -   John 14:13-14

Signs Of The End Times With Billy Crone (Video)

The Lemur above looks as if he just heard some thoughtful news !  He is very intent and alert in his gaze.   

We Christians have some exciting news to tell :  Jesus will return soon to rapture His Bride (true believers) to be in heaven with Him.  We are definitely living in the last days; the last hours of the end times the Bible tells us about.  The Bible is almost 1/3 prophecy and we need to take heed and take action relating to what that means for us:  to live a godly life and to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others.  

So many people shy away from prophecy, thinking it is all doom and gloom.  The best news we could possibly hear is the fact that Jesus could come back at any moment!!   We know this because the Bible -  Jesus -  tells us the signs to look for to take heed that we are in the last days; to know the season of His return.  Not the day or the hour, for no one knows that except the heavenly Father.  (Matthew 24:36)

Following is a video from ChristinProphecy channel on YouTube.  It's website is christinprophecy.org

Many end time signs are covered in this video featuring pastor and author Billy Crone.  They even mention and show photographs of some false christs in these last days.  That was one of the things Jesus proclaimed as a sign of the end times.   (Matthew 24:4-5)

The main thing is to be ready for the Lord when He returns !  That entails much prayer and much Bible reading and studying.  That in turn will enable you to have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  That relationship will enable you live a life pleasing to the Lord.   You will know Him and He will know you.   You do not want to hear the Lord say in the Judgment,  

"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."              -  Matthew 7:23

If you love the world; if you talk like, look like, and act like the world, then you probably are not a true Christian.  You are not born again; you are carnal still; you are not truly converted.

"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

Those are strong words !!  Examine yourself, test yourself to see whether you are in the faith or not.

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"   -  2 Corinthians 13:5

We live in exciting times!  Prophetic times.  We Christians have a blessed hope (Titus 2:13).  

God is good!

Jesus loves you.

He is waiting for you to come to Him in faith and belief in Him as your Savior.

Don't delay!  

Don't wait until it is too late.

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

"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."  -  1 Peter 1:15-16

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: "     1 Peter 5:8

"And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."   -  1 John 2:28

   

"Let's Talk About Love" - Inspirational Weekend

This Christmas cactus was a gift from about 5 years ago from my son and daughter-in-law.  It blooms once every year about this time, although one year it bloomed twice, about a month apart.  The above photo was taken this week.

I "love" this plant !  I look forward to its salmon and white blossoms every year and take good care of it all year with fertilizing and pampering it, all the while anticipating what the results will be for all my efforts when it blooms again.   

People today use the word "love" loosely to apply to everything, it seems.   In English we only have one word for love, but in the ancient Greek some say there were 4 types of love, and still others say the Greeks recognized 6 varieties of love.  I will not go into detail about all 6 types, but I will mention them here.  

(1)  Eros,  or sexual passion; or romantic love.

(2) Philia, or deep friendship.  The Greeks valued this type of love far more than Eros.  Then there is  Storge,   which is another kind of Philia. and involves the love between parents and their children.

(3) Pragma,  or long standing love.  This mostly involves the deep understanding that develops between couples that have been married for many years.  

(4)  Philautia,   or self-love.  The Greeks recognized 2 types, one of which was an unhealthy narcissism, and the other which enhanced your ability to broaden your love to include others because you felt secure in yourself and cared for yourself and therefore had more love to give to others.

(5)  Ludus,  or playful love, as in children or young lovers.  It is seen in the flirting and teasing in the beginning stages of a relationship.

(6)  Agape,  unconditional love.   The love God and Jesus have for mankind, and the love that mankind (believers) have for the Lord.  And, of course, it is the love that Jesus has for His Father.

Most Christians have heard of these types of love, especially Philia and Agape.  Agape is the highest form of love, or charity, and we will focus primarily on Agape in this post.  Agape love never ends, no matter what the circumstances may be.  C.S. Lewis referred to it as "gift love."  Agape was later translated into Latin as "Caritas", from which we get our word "Charity", which, if you read the King James version of the Bible, is used extensively in 1 Corinthians 13:

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself,  is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  "    -  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

When a person is truly born again, He will have intense love for God and Jesus, especially when he recognizes what a sinner he is and that Jesus, in love, died on the cross so that by His shed blood we could be redeemed; washed white as snow in the blood of Jesus.  When we try to comprehend such an immense and sacrificial love, we are overcome with gratitude and love for all that our Savior has done for us.  For we are born again (John 3:3) and we are a new creation :

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

Out of our love and gratitude to the Lord for all He has done on our behalf, we need to cultivate a strong, personal and intimate love relationship with Him by much prayer and Bible reading.  It is rather like I pamper and take care of my Christmas cactus all year long, to reap the benefits and joy when it blossoms in all of its beauty and magnificence.  A relationship with the Lord needs attention and cultivation in order to bring forth fruit and to grow and blossom into a beautiful association of love and trust and obedience, with the final joy and reward of being with the Lord for all of eternity.   Let us also "blossom" with a radiance that befits followers of Christ; a heart full of love and compassion and true agape love for our Creator.  Reflect often on His care and love for you; it will enable you to appreciate Him and to love Him even more.  Pray often; read your Bible daily, for in so doing you begin to know Jesus better and to know Him is to love Him and to thereby live your life accordingly - a life that is pleasing to the Lord. 

"He loved us not because we are lovable, but because He is love."  -  C.S. Lewis

"He who loves with purity considers not the gift of the Lover, but the love of the giver."  -  Thomas A. Kempis

"Faith makes all things possible.  Love makes all things easy."     -  Dwight L. Moody

For more of my posts about love, please go to the Search Box in the upper right hand area of this page and type in "Love" and several articles will appear.  So much could be written about love.  The main thing is to be sure that the love of God and of Jesus is deep within your heart.  If that is true of you, then you will be empowered to live a godly life, a life that bears much fruit, and you can then resist temptations easily.

Following is a wonderful sermon by Charles Spurgeon on "The Secret Of Loving God!"

"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 at Mark 12:30-31

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words, and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."   -  John 14:23

The Judgment Of America - With Video

The year 2017 was traumatic and saw many Bible prophecies either being fulfilled or at least in the beginning stages as current events show Biblical signs of the end times beginning to converge all at once.   What in the world does 2018 hold for this planet, and for America in particular?

I am not a prophet, but I do follow Bible prophecy rather closely.  Could the Rapture of the Church happen in 2018?  Will America be destroyed as a judgment coming from God?  Will there be an electromagnetic pulse to shut down the power grid in America and set us back to how it was in horse and buggy days?  Many people are anxious and unprepared in a spiritual sense to deal with these perilous times  (2 Timothy 3:1-7).   Even members of churches are not prepared as they are, as a rule, not taught from the pulpit about end times events.  Most churches today are asleep as to the signs of the times.   

Following is a video about America's coming judgment and it features author and pastor Tom Hughes on prophecywatchers.com, which is hosted by Gary Stearman.

There are many explanations of the seriousness of our times given in the above 29 minute video and I urge you to view it in full.  

Now is not the time to be lukewarm like the church of Laodicea of which Jesus said He would vomit them out of His mouth because of their lukewarmness.   (Revelation 3:14-22)  Many in America's churches today are lukewarm, partly because they have not been taught the "meat" of the Gospel and Bible prophecy is never mentioned to them from the pulpit.   And, sad to say, many in the churches are not truly converted....are not true Christians, and they go to church for social activities instead of concentrating on a close, personal, and intimate relationship with the Lord.

It is all about Jesus !!

If you are on fire and in love with the Savior, you will be witnessing about Jesus.  Your life will show where your heart is.

Jesus taught that we should be salt and light:

"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 underfoot 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."                -  Matthew 5:13-16

You cannot be salt and light if you do not have the Holy Spirit within you.  For that to happen you need to be born again (John 3:3).  To be born again, you must turn to Jesus in repentance, have faith in Him and believe He rose from the dead.  (Romans 10:9,10,13).  You must confess your sins and surrender your life to His will.   As time goes by, you will grow to spiritual maturity.

Time is short, folks.   The Rapture could occur at any time, or you could die before this day ends.  If you have not been born again, you will suffer all eternity in hell.   

Open your eyes to what is happening in the world and in America !  These are not normal times.  

Open your heart  and confess that Jesus is Lord.

You must have a close and personal and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ in order to spend eternity in heaven.  To do this, you need to pray constantly and get to know the Lord that way and by much time spent in the Word of God.  

Tomorrow may be too late !   

"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."   -  Jesus at Matthew 7:21

"Then spake Jesus again unto them,  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

"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