Month: April 2020

Oh Give Thanks

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His Name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His Holy Name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His Strength; Seek His Face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His Marvels and the Judgments from His Mouth, ….”

1 Chronicles 16:8‭-‬12 NASB

No matter what else is going on, give thanks to the LORD. With all the uncertainty and chaos today, Oh give thanks to the LORD!

He is our Rock; He alone is our Shelter. No One but GOD can make sense out of the senselessness of our world. Praise the LORD; Bless His Holy Name!

Judgment

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned,* [Genesis 6:4; Jude 6] but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah* [Genesis 18-19] to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties….” 2 Peter 2:4-10 NASB

“And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” Jude 1:6‭-‬7 NASB

God’s judgment never misses: If GOD says He will ….. then He will. His judgment is inevitable.
God is the God of Love and Mercy, AND He is the God of Judgment. From the very beginning of time, God has judged the wicked. Cosmically, He judged the angels who rebelled, banishing them from heaven. He judged globally by flooding the entire earth, killing everyone and everything except Noah, his family, and the animals he brought to the Ark. He judged locally with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, saving only Lot and his family. The final judgment is coming.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 NASB

Judgement is not immediate, and it is not idle or asleep, but God’s Judgment is inescapable – it is only escapable if we are saved by accepting Jesus as LORD of our lives. We escape by being made Righteous in God’s eyes through His Son, Jesus Christ. The LORD rescues the righteous through Unmerited Favor through His Son. There are no loopholes, there is only Jesus.

Noah was righteous but that didn’t save him. What saved him was the mercy and grace of God. Jesus is our Ark of salvation. Lot was righteous because he was distressed, tormented, oppressed, by the sin around him. We should be grieved and shocked by the sin around us. Noah and Lot were removed before God sent His judgment, and believers will be removed in the Rapture before His wrath and judgment falls. Perish or have salvation and life through Jesus – John 3:16 – EVERYONE who calls on Him will be saved. We will ALL meet Him, either as Saviour or as Judge. “Make friends with Jesus, make friends with unbelievers, then introduce them to each other.”

Be Still

“This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

“God, who wills man’s unity in Christ, is a God of variety. So often we want everyone to be the same—to think and speak and believe as we do. Many Scripture passages could be called to witness that love is the real key to Christian unity. In the spirit of true humility, compassion, consideration, and unselfishness, we are to approach our problems, our work, and even our differences.
In a world needing Your love, let me not judge those who love You too. You have made us all so different, Father. Teach me, by Your loving Holy Spirit, compassion and true unity.” (Billy Graham)

Vengeance

“To those who are the Called, Beloved in GOD the FATHER, and kept for JESUS CHRIST: May Mercy and Peace and Love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the Love of GOD, waiting anxiously for the Mercy of our LORD JESUS CHRIST to Eternal Life.” Jude 1:1‭-‬3‭, ‬20‭-‬21 NASB

Are you among the Called? Have you given your heart to JESUS? Do you belong to Him, heart, mind, and soul? Or are you just following the church crowd, (trying to be) “good” enough to spend Eternity with Him? No one can be good enough. Salvation only comes through JESUS CHRIST. BELIEVE IT. Without JESUS, the vengeance that GOD, the ALMIGHTY FATHER, spoke about in Deuteronomy will be enacted against you. Don’t wait! Ask JESUS to be your Savior today, right now. The only path to Salvation is through the Grace and Mercy of our LORD.

Don’t wait until it is too late. You aren’t giving up anything; you are gaining everything. AMEN.

I Am No Longer Bound By Fear

“But I rejoiced in the LORD greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:10-13 NASB

We can’t control what is without us, but we can control what is within us. Contentment is dynamic; it is not complacency or settling, but in very circumstance and every situation, it is glad submission to God’s providence. Contentment isn’t based on the “if only’s” – not “when you have” but what you have in your heart. The LORD wants us to have it through all the circumstances of life, whether in plenty or in want. It has to be learned over a lifetime, by experience and hard work. “All things” means the ups and downs, the fluctuations of life, ALL the circumstances of life, and it comes from the One Who is constantly pouring His strength into me. It is up to me/you to stay in contact with Him. Contentment does not come from WHAT we have but from WHO we have, because to be content is to be satisfied, and we gain it with the sufficiency and adequacy of Christ. Both abundance and loss will pass. GOD is the ONLY constant in life.

“He only is my Rock and my Salvation, My Stronghold; I shall not be shaken.” Psalms 62:6 NASB

I am no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of GOD.

“Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the Power that works within us, to Him be the Glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20‭-‬21 NASB

Good From Evil

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but GOD meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Genesis 50:20 NASB

Right now things appear pretty overwhelming. How can a pandemic possibly be the precursor to something good? Like Joseph, when his brothers sold him, life feels helpless right now. I look at the current situation as an upheaval in the road of life. It is difficult and time consuming to get past it, but God has a good thing on the other side. We have to remind ourselves of that truth. As bleak as it seems, God is in control. Just because I can’t see past this doesn’t mean God doesn’t have something great on the other side. Hold on to His Promise. He is Faithful to deliver us.

“Do not fear, for I Am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I Am your GOD. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My Righteous Right Hand.’ ” Isaiah 41:10 NASB

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” Psalms 94:19 NASB

Praise GOD. Rejoice in the little things.

In Time of Need

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NASB

“In time of need.” That’s where God is with His Strength. Right when we need it. He isn’t flexing His muscles to intimidate the enemy as He walks alongside me. He isn’t running around, roaring and posturing. I see it more clearly, now. The LAMB is my constant companion, always with me as a comforting presence. The LION is there, unseen and unheard, until I need Him, and then He is with me, protecting me and lending me His strength.

“In time of need.” What a simple, yet profound, statement.

The Peace of GOD

“Rejoice in the LORD always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The LORD is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to GOD. And the Peace of GOD, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4‭-‬7 NASB

Shakespeare wrote in his play Macbeth: “Double, double toil and trouble….”

Sometimes that’s how the world feels to me, all caught up in a witches brew of trouble. Since the Garden and Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, that’s exactly what the world is. A cauldron of evil, orchestrated by the enemy of God. Even as I write, people are falling ill, succumbing to diseases, victims of accidents and of evil deeds and persons. People are dealing with financial issues. Think about the women trapped in abusive relationships, the children caught up in the slavery of the sex trade. It’s an ugly world. So what can I do? What are Christians supposed to do? Paul tells us.

“Rejoice in the LORD always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.” Philippians 4:4‭

“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, …..” Philippians 1:18

Still worried? With this pandemic of COVID19 and worldwide social distancing and quarantining, it’s easy to worry. If you’ve been following me for long, you know I’ve struggled financially for some time now. It’s somewhat ironic that with so many thousands of people losing their jobs and having to drastically reduce their spending, that mine is somewhat level. I feel your pain! I know what it is to struggle, and how easy it is to fall into the enemy’s arms of worry and despair. It’s more importantly now that it has ever been that we lean on the LORD.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:6‭-‬8 NASB

Do I still worry? Yes, because I am human, and a sinful being. It’s hard to let go of things and allow God to do the work He intends to do. I want to direct His Hands. What a disaster that would be, if He allowed it! My absolute best decisions pale to nothing next to Him. Let the Peace of God enter your life by allowing Jesus into your heart, accepting Him as your Saviour. It may not change the circumstances, but it will definitely change your heart and mind and spirit!

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 NASB

Rest your heart and your mind. Allow JESUS the Victory over death He claimed over 2000 years ago! He is Risen; He is Risen, INDEED!

The LORD is my Shepherd

“The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of Righteousness For His Name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely Goodness and Lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalms 23:1‭-‬6 NASB