“A Day To Come”
Mark 13:36
Don’t let Him find you sleeping when He arrives without warning.
What I say to you I say to everyone; Watch for His return! (NLT)
Jesus’ return is imminent (Matthew 24:50, 25:13), (Mark 13:32-27), (Luke 12:40), (1 Corinthians 16:22), (Philippians 3:20), (1 Thessalonians 5:2), (Titus 2:12-13), (Hebrews 10:25), (James 5:7-9), (1 Peter 4:7), (Revelation 1:3, 22:7, 12, 20) just as it is written in God’s Word, and all of God’s words are, in fact, the ultimate standard for truth (John 17:17). As Christians who believe and except the authority and inerrancy of Scripture we cannot know for sure when this event will take place, but we can surely prepare ourselves and be ready at all times. Although the Bible is quite clear about the future of His creation and its final restoration, what is not so clear is the exact time and sequence of these future events to come. Rather than trying to map out the course of these end times events in order to predict the warnings of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I believe that our Lord Jesus is telling us that there is no better time than the present (Revelation 1:3) to put our lives safely in His hands, admitting all our sin and rebellion against Him, asking for His forgiveness, and to live a life of repentance by allowing Him to transform our lives from darkness into light so that we will not only be able to stand blameless and holy before the Almighty LORD God Himself, but so we will shine brightly in His truth for others to see and prayerfully follow (Matthew 5:16). The end, my dear friends, is closer than it has ever been, and I ask you to fully believe in the words of our Creator and take heed to His Divine Revelation.
A Whisper of Hope
Listen carefully, My child…for the words I speak to you are true and spoken in love. They are not meant to cause you more fear or anxiety above what you are already experiencing from the world, but to give you hope. I tell you these things to bring you My peace; a peace that will sustain you in these last days of turmoil. The end is coming and it is nearer than you think, but if you keep in the Light and walk the path of My Truth; trusting faithfully in all that I Am, the end result you experience will be a glorious one indeed; an end that is truly the beginning of many wonderful things to come.
John 17:17
“Sanctify them in truth; Your word is truth.” (NASB)
Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy,
and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (NKJV)
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (NKJV)
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
“Keeping Alert”
Mark 14:38
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” (NKJV)
Our Lord, Jesus, has just awoken His apostles, Peter, John and James, (who were asleep in the garden of Gethsemane while Jesus was alone in prayer) encouraging them to always remain alert and to discern when they were under spiritual attack (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus is telling them and us not to let our pride or self-confidence lull us into a spiritual sleep allowing the Enemy to sneak in. Although our spirit may well be willing enough, our unredeemed flesh still remains attached and we cannot always refrain from doing what we know is wrong. In other words, as long as we live under the curse of sin we will always fall prey to Satan and our sinful natures. And in order for people to fight the good fight of being all that God calls us to be, we need His redeeming Power along with His unconditional mercy and grace (Colossians 1:13-14). The incredibly strong unseen forces that are relentless in their quest to drag us away from the Truth and the goodness of God are much too powerful for our human strength alone. We must, dear friends, remain alert at all times and realize that our flesh is weak and the only way to win the battles of sin is through the power of our Almighty Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is also important to know that no matter who we think we are or how confident we may feel, everyone will always fall short and loose some of the battles in our fight against ungodliness. But the great news is; the only Living God, our Savior, will always be there to pick you up in forgiveness and give you the strength and confidence to continue on with your battles, for He, the Lord Jesus, has defeated sin and death once and for all time (Romans 6:10). So stay alert, my friends, and clothe yourselves with Christ, because only with His holy and saving covering will you be victorious!
A Whisper of Hope
Remain in Me, dear child…And I will remain in you. Do not let the Enemy lull you into believing you can live without God, and that you can do anything you want. Stay alert and aware of his deception, for he takes pleasure in destroying anything that is attached to God’s goodness. The creator of lies is out to destroy as much of creation as he can. The Devil’s power is too much for mere humans. But as long as you depend on Me, the most powerful force in existence, I will give you all that is needed to defeat the enemy of your soul. Take heed, My child, you cannot stand alone.
1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (NASB)
Colossians 1:13-14
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (NKJV)
Romans 6:10
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all;
but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (NASB)
Mark 14:38
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” (NKJV)
Our Lord, Jesus, has just awoken His apostles, Peter, John and James, (who were asleep in the garden of Gethsemane while Jesus was alone in prayer) encouraging them to always remain alert and to discern when they were under spiritual attack (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus is telling them and us not to let our pride or self-confidence lull us into a spiritual sleep allowing the Enemy to sneak in. Although our spirit may well be willing enough, our unredeemed flesh still remains attached and we cannot always refrain from doing what we know is wrong. In other words, as long as we live under the curse of sin we will always fall prey to Satan and our sinful natures. And in order for people to fight the good fight of being all that God calls us to be, we need His redeeming Power along with His unconditional mercy and grace (Colossians 1:13-14). The incredibly strong unseen forces that are relentless in their quest to drag us away from the Truth and the goodness of God are much too powerful for our human strength alone. We must, dear friends, remain alert at all times and realize that our flesh is weak and the only way to win the battles of sin is through the power of our Almighty Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is also important to know that no matter who we think we are or how confident we may feel, everyone will always fall short and loose some of the battles in our fight against ungodliness. But the great news is; the only Living God, our Savior, will always be there to pick you up in forgiveness and give you the strength and confidence to continue on with your battles, for He, the Lord Jesus, has defeated sin and death once and for all time (Romans 6:10). So stay alert, my friends, and clothe yourselves with Christ, because only with His holy and saving covering will you be victorious!
A Whisper of Hope
Remain in Me, dear child…And I will remain in you. Do not let the Enemy lull you into believing you can live without God, and that you can do anything you want. Stay alert and aware of his deception, for he takes pleasure in destroying anything that is attached to God’s goodness. The creator of lies is out to destroy as much of creation as he can. The Devil’s power is too much for mere humans. But as long as you depend on Me, the most powerful force in existence, I will give you all that is needed to defeat the enemy of your soul. Take heed, My child, you cannot stand alone.
1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (NASB)
Colossians 1:13-14
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (NKJV)
Romans 6:10
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all;
but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (NASB)
“Truth In Worship”
Psalm 50:23
“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving
honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.” (NASB)
It is only right that we (God’s created people) should honor the only true living God with praise and thanksgiving, for without His mercy and grace our troubled lives would be lived in vain. We have an incredible loving God who did not create us and then leave us to our own demise, but One who has compassionately watched over His creation from the beginning, trying to direct our paths away from destroying ourselves. I find it so incredibly amazing that the living God of the universe (the creator of everything that is) left the glory of heaven and lowered Himself by taking on an imperfect human body to live in a cruel and heartless world that hated Him and all He stood for. And He did all this to save His beloved creation (Genesis 1:31) from the darkness of certain death and destruction. Our LORD, Jesus Christ, did not have to come and rescue us, my friends; He came because He is by nature a saving and just God (Isaiah 45:21). He gave us His Word so that we could decide for ourselves what is true and what is not, because He knew that once we came to believe and understand the Truth about who He is and who we are not, that we would sing praises to Him with thanksgiving in our hearts. You have, dear one, an awesome God who has graciously given you the only Way to overcome and defeat this fallen world (1John 5:4-5) that wants to fill your mind with lies and deceit from the Enemy who hates God and all that is good. This is reason enough for you to worship and bring honor to the lover of your soul; the One true living God who personally created you for His glory and to bring honor to His name!
A Whisper of Hope
Honor Me, My dear child…in spirit and in truth, for when you do, I will show you the path that leads to an everlasting life filled with wonder and joy. When you live your day-to-day life journey in thanksgiving, praising Me for all things, I will faithfully watch over and guide you in ways that not only brings Me the glory that is due, but I will continue to bless you with My peace; the only peace that helps you persevere with hope and thanksgiving in this troubled world that will (one day soon) see Me, the LORD God, as I have never been seen before; and that My child, is in the fullness of My eternal glory.
Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He
had made, and indeed it was very good. (NKJV)
Isaiah 45:21
And there is no other God besides Me,
A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. (NASB)
1 John 5:4-5
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
“New Life”
Ezekiel 11:19-20
“And I shall give them one heart; and put a new spirit within them.
And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a
heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances
and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”
We are all borne into this fallen world with a deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9), and with time these deceitful hearts become hardened with self preservation because of all the difficulties we face in order to survive. But in spite of these dysfunctional hearts, many of us go through our lives thinking that we do have a heart of flesh and that we are “good enough” in the eyes of God. But the truth is, my friends, none of us will ever be good enough (Psalm 14:2, 3) to stand in the presence of our Holy God without the covering of Christ. We are all borne with a sinful nature and until Jesus takes us home, we will live with our sinful nature. But the “Good News” is; God has replaced His old covenant with us when He came into our world to renew our lives in Christ Jesus, because now we have the opportunity to walk in His Holy Presence once again. The apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians that when any person begins to live their life in Christ they become a different person, for the old-self has given way to a new-self and the old life will soon fade away (2 Corinthians 5:17). Unfortunately, this does not mean we become exempt from the troubles of this world and our lives will become easier, but what is does mean, though, is that along with this new life there comes renewed Hope in spite of our circumstances. When we accept the Son of God as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit will take up residents in our hearts and our sanctification begins immediately. We will begin to view this life through the eyes or our Savior and He will equip us with good and righteous ways of dealing with this fallen world and its never ending assault on us. This new life in Christ does not mean that our lives will automatically get easier and wonderful, but the LORD will give us the means to overcome this fallen world; giving us a true and purposeful meaning so that we can lead a godly life-style that is pleasing to Him. And all this newness we receive through Christ Jesus our Lord, will then give us an encouraging picture of the glorious transformation that is yet to come when Christ returns to restore His creation—the final and complete transformation that will be well-worth any and all the hardships that we will inevitably face until that day arrives!
A Whisper of Hope
I came to rescue you…My child, to give you a hope and a future that would inspire you to trust Me and walk with Me throughout your life-journey—to renew your heart when the world tries to take you down. I did not create you to live this life without Me, for it is useless when you try. Your life will never be easy, nor will it always be joy-filled. But the one thing it will be…is worth it in the end when you walk in the Light of My Truth.
Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked.” (NASB)
Psalm 14:2, 3
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
There is none who does good, no, not one. (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
and the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB)
Ezekiel 11:19-20
“And I shall give them one heart; and put a new spirit within them.
And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a
heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances
and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”
We are all borne into this fallen world with a deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9), and with time these deceitful hearts become hardened with self preservation because of all the difficulties we face in order to survive. But in spite of these dysfunctional hearts, many of us go through our lives thinking that we do have a heart of flesh and that we are “good enough” in the eyes of God. But the truth is, my friends, none of us will ever be good enough (Psalm 14:2, 3) to stand in the presence of our Holy God without the covering of Christ. We are all borne with a sinful nature and until Jesus takes us home, we will live with our sinful nature. But the “Good News” is; God has replaced His old covenant with us when He came into our world to renew our lives in Christ Jesus, because now we have the opportunity to walk in His Holy Presence once again. The apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians that when any person begins to live their life in Christ they become a different person, for the old-self has given way to a new-self and the old life will soon fade away (2 Corinthians 5:17). Unfortunately, this does not mean we become exempt from the troubles of this world and our lives will become easier, but what is does mean, though, is that along with this new life there comes renewed Hope in spite of our circumstances. When we accept the Son of God as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit will take up residents in our hearts and our sanctification begins immediately. We will begin to view this life through the eyes or our Savior and He will equip us with good and righteous ways of dealing with this fallen world and its never ending assault on us. This new life in Christ does not mean that our lives will automatically get easier and wonderful, but the LORD will give us the means to overcome this fallen world; giving us a true and purposeful meaning so that we can lead a godly life-style that is pleasing to Him. And all this newness we receive through Christ Jesus our Lord, will then give us an encouraging picture of the glorious transformation that is yet to come when Christ returns to restore His creation—the final and complete transformation that will be well-worth any and all the hardships that we will inevitably face until that day arrives!
A Whisper of Hope
I came to rescue you…My child, to give you a hope and a future that would inspire you to trust Me and walk with Me throughout your life-journey—to renew your heart when the world tries to take you down. I did not create you to live this life without Me, for it is useless when you try. Your life will never be easy, nor will it always be joy-filled. But the one thing it will be…is worth it in the end when you walk in the Light of My Truth.
Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked.” (NASB)
Psalm 14:2, 3
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
There is none who does good, no, not one. (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
and the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB)
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