Category: Assurance

40 Long Years…

Think about this statement:

  “Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.” – Deuteronomy 1:2 NLT

God told the people of Israel that He was giving them a land “overflowing with milk and honey.” All they had to do was walk there (an 11 day journey) and it was theirs. Oh, but that was too easy for them, and they kept sinning and questioning the LORD. 

  “The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? – Exodus 16:28 NLT

God gave them consequences for all of their complaining and rebellion, by leaving them in the wilderness for 40 years instead of the much shorter journey of a couple of weeks. Does that ring true for you? How many years have you been wandering,  afraid to occupy the “land” God has given you?

  “Forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the LORD had commanded him to say. Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’  – Deuteronomy 1:2‭-‬3‭, ‬21 NLT

I wasn‘t just afraid, I was petrified. I just knew that by being faithful to Him, I would miss out on something. I was convinced (by the enemy) I could be in control of my life. I certainly didn’t need some unseen man controlling my life. I repeat myself, but… how did that work out for me?? Not well. Really not well!

 Had I continued my life following Christ, I would have missed out on all of the “fun” I was having to cover up how miserable I was. I might have missed out on the misery! Control? The one who had control wasn’t me. It was never me. And if you are currently deluding yourself and thinking that you are in control of your life, well, all I can do is shake my head at your fantasy. I am compelled to disillusion you of the notion of you being in control. There is the Almighty God, Omnipotent and Omnipresent, and there is the enemy, the fallen angel (Lucifer, a.k.a. Satan) who corrupted Adam and Eve and gained control of this world through them and their descendants. We are their descendants. Every human to ever walk this earth is connected to them through both physical and spiritual DNA.

I missed out on a lot. I missed out on a fulfilling relationship with my Lord Jesus, and I missed out on years of connecting with my family. I missed out on having a successful wife and mother, and I missed out on a close relationship with my parents. Why do we do that?? But there’s good news about all of this!

Jesus doesn’t hold what we have done or been against us. Murder, lust, gluttony, envy, lying, violence, even the most evil and depraved among us are welcome at Jesus’ feet. He doesn’t care what color we are (I’m kind of a pinkish-tan), He doesn’t care if we come in designer clothes or rags, or if we are driving a Rolls or crawling to Him barefoot and destitute. It doesn’t matter to Him if you are 5 or 105, as long as we seek Him and accept Him as our LORD.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.  So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ ” 

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” – John 3:5‭-‬7‭, ‬18 NLT

What more is there to say? Believe it! 

(All scriptures are taken from the New Living Translation found at http://bible.com) 
 

“Don’t be afraid. I am here!”

​  “…. but He called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” ” – John 6:20 NLT (http://bible.com/116/jhn.6.20.NLT)

Seems like we go through our entire lives being afraid. Afraid of change. I don’t think most people will admit to being afraid of change;  most – in my experience – will only say they don’t like change. To me, it just seems a convenient way to deny fear. There are people who embrace change. Being spontaneous and being adventurous. I like spontaneity, myself, and when I was younger, did a number of rather adventurous  (well, we wouldn’t want to call them reckless, now!) things…. and in several cases, I believe it was through the intervention of guarding angels that I didn’t die or end up seriously injured. For the most part, I don’t feel the need to prove anything to anyone anymore…. just don’t dare me!!

How does all of this relate to John 6:20?

In the instance that John is recording, the disciples had found themselves in a rather dangerous predicament. I wonder, though, were they more frightened by the storm, or by the appearance of Jesus? It seems almost as if they just got tired of waiting for him, and left without Him. How many times do we do that in our own lives? We know in our hearts that we need to wait for Jesus, but we grow impatient and take off on our own. I’ve done it countless times. Then, when we find ourselves in a predicament, we cry and call for help…. and then we are surprised when Jesus shows up!

  “That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here! ”  Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!” – John 6:16‭-‬21 NLT (http://bible.com/116/jhn.6.16-21.NLT)

Wouldn’t it be much easier to wait on Him in the first place? Undoubtedly, but then, we are human and stubborn. After all, what 2 or 3 year old doesn‘t cry “No! I do it!”?? (Don’t bother to deny it – or that most of us take it on into our teen years and adulthood!) After all, how do we learn? Okay, how do most of us learn? In my family, we run the gamut from the ones who took the hard roads to a couple who recognized that letting Jesus be Lord was the way to go early on. At times I wish I would’ve taken the less difficult roads, but then I wouldn’t be who I am today (I’m just glad to be here today!!) I love verse 20: “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” 

Even though I turned away from from family and what I knew was right, there was always – always– this little voice in the back of my head whispering whenever I did something that I knew was wrong. I tried really hard to shut it up and to run from it, but nothing worked. It was still there, no matter what I tried. Even switching continents didn’t work. Ugh! It took a pretty good whack on the heart for me to really get it. Everyone’s bottom is different, and some people have to hit theirs more than once. Some people, lots of people, stay on the bottom because it is what they know. Even though it’s incredibly painful for them, it’s also comfortable because it’s what they know.

Fear. Fear of change. It keeps so many of us stuck in bad, ugly, painful circumstances. Change could make it worse, and at least being stuck we at least know what to expect. With change, we could be getting into something worse. I’ve had conversations with people who don’t understand. Why doesn’t she just leave the abusive man? How can he live in such squalor? Because change is hard. It’s scary, and it is painful. It’s all we can relate to. Do you embrace change in your job? Are you happy at the prospect of change in your life? We can look forward to something,  but there’s always something fear mixed in, even if the changes is good. When we realize that Jesus is here; when we finally know that He is right here with us, and we accept His Presence, we eliminate so much fear. There will always be that little bit of fear in change, because as long as we live in a broken world we can never be entirely sure it will be better. There is one change that we can wholeheartedly claim and know without a doubt that it will be good… actually, it will be beyond any good that we can imagine,  and that is the change we experience when we meet Jesus face to face. 

That’s one change I look forward to with NO fear!

Revenge

That’s a word I used to live for. You did me wrong, I would figure out a way to get you back. Getting even. There’s an intrinsic problem with this point of view. Took me years to understand this. You do something that hurts me. Physically or emotionally, or both. I retaliate and hurt you. You, or someone close to you, retaliated back …. and the cycle gets caught up into itself and becomes self-perpetuating. The lesson I needed to learn was that revenge was not for me to seek out. 

  “Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes! I will raise my fist against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. ….Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness.” – Isaiah 1:24‭-‬25‭, ‬27 NLT (http://bible.com/116/isa.1.24-27.NLT)

It’s a difficult thing to do, that letting go of the desire for revenge. Instead of spending our time and our energy go after those who hurt us – and if we face reality, we know that every human we interact with has the ability to hurt us. If we know them for longer than a few minutes, in all probability they will hurt us in some way. Most of the time, it’s probably not intentional, it’s just human nature. Our job is not revenge. Our job is forgiveness. 

Um, excuse me. What?? Not possible, you say? Let me confuse you a little more. Jesus shared His wisdom with us. “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” – Matthew 5:6 NLT (http://bible.com/116/mat.5.6.NLT) Now He’s tell me to “hunger and thirst for justice….” 

We have to look at the distinction between between revenge and justice. Revenge is all about me. It’s about my satisfaction, and nothing to do with God and His Righteousness. Justice is found in consequences for our actions, with the results of the actions being looked at through impartial eyes. Since the Lord is the only one who can truly be impartial, that takes the punishment out of our hands and destroys our desire for revenge. We, as Christians, are tasked to forgive as Christ Jesus forgave us. On my own it is impossible. I absolutely have to rest in His arms and let go of the hatred and bitterness and anger. That leaves Him free to seek justice for me from the Father. 

“But you don’t understand! My situation is different from anyone else’s! The hurt and damage done to me is unforgivable!”

Those words fall from almost everyone’s mouth when they begin the journey to forgiveness and healing. As a sponsor and group leader in a recovery group for women, I heard it from all of my ‘girls’. I said it myself when I began my journey. Your situation may be unique, but your circumstance and your feelings are not. If that’s too brutal for you right now, I’m not trying to hurt you any more than you already are. To heal, though, we not only have to hear the truth, we have to accept it and embrace it. When a wound is deep and infected, it has to be opened up and cleaned. It’s a painful process! If you just cover it up and ignore it, it was fester and fill with infection and stink. You aren’t hiding anything from God, and you probably aren’t hiding it from people around you, either. Like I said, wounds stink when unattended!

Look up. Look outside of yourself. See what God is doing. See the possibilities of what He can do. The only thing holding me back is me, and the only thing holding you back is you. Be thankful. Write a gratitude list – it’s a powerful thing to do! If you honestly can’t think of anything to write, do as my friend says. You can always be thankful for toilet paper, and you should always be thankful for God’s Mercy.

Am I God?

There have been many people throughout the ages spreading the lie that we are each a god; that I am god. This is an eternally damning lie. Am I God? NO! There is but One God; the Almighty God, Creator of the universe. There is, however, one who wants us to believe the lie. The enemy, Satan, will stoop to any depth and use any perversion and tactic to get us to believe that we are gods; that we are equal to the Creator God. It starts with Eve, and Adam, making the lie that we can be equal to God. The enemy has used power very successfully over the ages to corrupt men and women, leading them to believe that they are better than anyone else and thus above any laws; that they are gods. Remember Joseph from the Bible? He was horribly mistreated by his brothers and sold into slavery at a young age. Temptations were thrown in his path by the enemy, giving him many opportunities to grasp at power and become like a god – but his belief in the Almighty God kept his heart in the right place. He never sought after power, and reject temptation after temptation, and God rewarded him with the position next to Pharaoh, who people regarded as a god. He had opportunity to take revenge on his brothers:

  “But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” – Genesis 50:19‭-‬20 NLT (http://bible.com/116/gen.50.19-20.NLT)

Can we be as forgiving as Joseph of the wrongs that have been done to us? Can we ask for and receive forgiveness from the ones we have wronged?

I am not God, and I am not a god. I am human, with free will, so I get to choose how I will take the information God gives us in His Word. I choose whether I will forgive, just as I choose to seek forgiveness. Sometimes it isn’t possible in this world to confront an abuser because they continue to abuse, and it isn’t safe for us to seek them out. God does want us to be hurt again and again. He is our Safety and Salvation; our Safe Place where we can go to hide. Sometimes in this world we have to physically hide ourselves from our abusers in order to stop the abuse, and I am thankful for all of the individuals and organizations who provide those safe places. Sometimes, it is physically impossible to escape the abuse, and my heart cries out for those imprisoned in that cycle.

I am not God, and it is not for me to seek revenge on my perpetrators. He made it possible for me to escape the abuse, even when I couldn’t see it. Jesus tells us: 

  “Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you.” – Luke 21:16 NLT (http://bible.com/116/luk.21.16.NLT)

This is one of the most difficult verses for me to read. There are thousands of people alive today who are being betrayed, persecuted, and abused – and even killed – by their own families. Children sold by their parents as sex slaves. Brothers and sisters perpetrating abuse upon each other. Watch the news anytime, and there will probably be a story of someone being arrested for child abuse, or family members making or selling drugs. Am I God, that I can take revenge on these people?  A resounding no! I am not God, and I am glad I am not a god. Here’s why: when the Great White Throne Judgment occurs, I won’t be responsible for anyone’s destruction. I will be judged alongside everyone else, but I will have Jesus at my side as my Advocate. 

   “And I saw a great white throne and the ONE sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His Presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:11‭-‬15 NLT (http://bible.com/116/rev.20.11-15.NLT)

Am I God? No, but I know God through His Son, Jesus Christ. He carries me when I can’t walk, and He walks beside me when whenever I insist on doing it myself. He never leaves me and He will not forsake me. He protects my soul. I never have to walk alone again.  I pray that as you read this, you understand the importance of this relationship with Jesus. It can be life altering, if you invite Him in. Unlike our human “friends,” He is a perfect friend and gentleman,  never pushing and always there – and always forgiving. (Credit goes to my friend John Lawton for the painting!)

Today is the Day

As is so often the case, I opened my blog this morning with a certain subject in mind, and God took me in a totally different direction. I can remember times when my Dad would walk to the pulpit to begin his carefully, and prayerfully, constructed sermon,  only to say that He felt God leading him to a different subject. It’s possible to fight God’s leading and continue on with our own thoughts, but so much more satisfying to follow Him. 

  “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” – Romans 12:9‭-‬10 NLT (http://bible.com/116/rom.12.9-10.NLT)

How much of our love is real and not for show? My thought this morning was to talk about life, and how no matter how dark our yesterday was, the Light of Christ is always there for those who believe in Him. Matt Maher’s song “Hold Us Together” was playing on the radio as I sat down:

“This is the first day of the rest of your life, Cause even in the dark you can still see the Light – it’s gonna be alright… Love will hold us together, Make us a shelter to weather the storm; And I’ll be my brother’s keeper So the whole world knows that we’re not alone…”

The two thoughts go hand in hand. When our love is real, it is the kind of LOVE that is only obtained through a relationship with Christ Jesus. Not only does His Love hold us together whenever we are in a dark place, but His Love shines through our brokenness to light the way for others to find Him. Not through anything we can think up to say or do, but HIS thoughts and HIS actions through us.   
There’s another song by Ryan Stevenson that says “You Alone are the Anchor when my sails are torn in the eye of the storm… ” 

There is such truth in these 2 songs, and I love how the lyrics compliment each other. That happens a lot when we choose Christ. When we strive to follow Jesus’ command to love, really LOVE, our brothers, we begin to see how God is working for good in our lives. When we love with God’s Love, we honor others and Him, and that is all He asks of us. “Don’t just pretend… Love them with genuine affection… and… Honor each other.”

The Truth is that these things are impossible to do without Christ. We can throw money into missions and missionaries and mission trips; we can even give our time and efforts. But without Love, this is nothing. Now, don’t shoot the messenger! Scripture says: 

  “If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And He has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.” – 1 John 4:20‭-‬21 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1jn.4.20-21.NLT)

Today is the day to start a new life; a life to follow Christ’s command to love, really love, others. Today, not tomorrow. Will you pray about it, and pray for the person who has hurt you the most in this world? 

Heaven is a Real Place

The term “heaven” appears 582 times in the KJV of technology Bible, and 422 times in the NIV. I believe that the heaven of the Bible is a real place, because I believe that the Bible is the Word of the Almighty God, Who spoke to humans – He still speaks, but we don’t listen very well. 

  ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Could you build Me a temple as good as that?’ asks the LORD. ‘Could you build Me such a resting place? Didn’t My hands make both heaven and earth?’ – Acts of the Apostles 7:49‭-‬50; Isaiah 66:1-2 (http://bible.com/116/act.7.49-50.NLT)

Over the ages, mankind has attempted to build something akin to heaven, and despite the ornate, incredibly beautiful attempts, we don’t even come close. Consider the Taj Mahal, the reported beauty of the ancient city of Babylon and it’s hanging gardens, the fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, the Forbidden City, Versailles…. if you Google ornate castles, there are lots to look at, and they are breathtaking – and yet they are but a pale imitation of the heaven where our God resides. The residents of these earthly castles surround themselves with luxury and decadence, trying to fill their lives. No matter how much we strive, no matter how much beauty and comfort we have here on earth, it won’t fill that hole in our lives. We can have the absolute latest and best of everything, and still be empty inside. In fact, as you look into the lives of those who reside in such places, you find disorder, despair, and loneliness. Years ago, I knew a woman who was the loneliest and most miserable person I have ever met. She truly had no idea of her net worth, because she had accountants and lawyers who took care of it and ensured that her bank accounts were full for her to spend as she pleased. She could go and do as she pleased, and she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. She was born into a very wealthy family, and was pampered and treated as a princess growing up on a large estate. Why would she be unhappy? I dreamed of having a life like hers when I was a child! 

She was like the “Poor Little Rich Girl” Shirley Temple played in the 1936 movie, only I don’t know that my friend had as much fun as Shirley Temple did while growing up. As a child, she was raised by nanny’s and staff instead of her parents, and rarely saw her parents. Contrast that to your life. I grew up in a loud and boisterous family, with 5 siblings, an overworked and often overwhelmed mother, and our preacher dad. Never a dull moment! Preaching was an especially thankless and financially unrewarding profession, but my Dad didn’t become a preacher to get rich, he pastored out of conviction and love. There were times when we literally had no food in the cabinet, but I don’t remember that. Even if we only had mayonnaise or jelly sandwiches, we didn’t go hungry, and we always knew we were loved by our parents. We had regular family gatherings with grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. Being alone was practically unheard of….. 

If my friend had known about heaven, it would probably have been a place where she felt wanted and loved, while for me, it was a more abstract concept of harps and angels. I know now that heaven is a real place, and it’s a place I want to be. It is indeed a place full of love, and we are all wanted there. It is beautiful and peaceful. 

  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” – Revelation 21:1‭-‬8 NLT (http://bible.com/116/rev.21.1-8.NLT)

I look forward to the day when Jesus returns so that we get to see the sight of the new heaven and earth, and that of the new Jerusalem descending from heaven! Can you imagine it? In verses 11-27, John attempts to describe this new Jerusalem. As incredibly beautiful as he has said it will be, I know that the actual sight of it will make his description seem dull by comparison. Heaven is a real place, and I look forward to seeing it as one of the redeemed. You can see it, too, if you just accept the gift of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ. I look forward to seeing you then!

The Sun Will Come Out

It has been a few days since I have written anything. There has been a fog – whether physiological or spiritual, I don’t know – that I am working to overcome. The sun will come out from behind the clouds; that’s God’s promise. As I write this, the morning sun has raised it’s self over the clouds gathered on the horizon and is shining brightly on me, full in it’s glory and majesty. Isn’t God good?? In the same way, we have the Light of the Son, Jesus Christ. His Glory and Majesty are often obscured by the clouds and the darkness of the world when we don’t focused on Him. He isn’t hiding; we are. Silly people, won’t we ever understand that He is always with us, even we turn our backs and try to hide in the fog?

 Initially, this was titled “Who Do You Follow?” God often has other plans and I need to listen to Him. These verses called me today and I have to share my thoughts on them. As Paul writes to the Corinthian church, his words apply even to us today. Substitute the names of Paul and Apollos and Peter with the names of any well-known pastors today and consider Paul’s words.

  “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” 

  “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you— whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God .”

(http://bible.com/116/1co.3.1-23.NLT)

That last verse really gets to me. Think about it. In Biblical financial studies, we learned that everything belongs to God. Did you get that? Everything….. my house, your apartment, all of the appliances and furnishings inside, animals, vehicles, gardens – children, parents, siblings, spouse, significant other, and etcetera. It all belongs to God. 

I tend to forget that. “Mine, all mine; my Precious!” For those who have read JRR Tolkien or have seen the movie “The Fellowship of the Ring,” you should get this. We can easily become like Gollum, whose obsession with a ring turned him into a sort of monster. Our obsession with things can be just as overwhelming as his was. We don’t change our physical form, but our spirit becomes warped and ugly. Even our spiritual leadership run this risk. The power to influence people is a pretty heady thing. Whenever I see a pastor or church leaders teaching the “gospel of prosperity,” or teaching that you have to make monetary contributions in order to be healed, or sitting in their throne-like chairs on stage in their expensive clothes and makeup and jewelry…. these are not from God!

A pastor’s job is teach about Jesus, not to promote themselves or their amusement park or their “ministry.” I don’t dispute that every ministry has to have a certain amount of monetary backing, but it is not the preacher’s job to extort his people for financial gain. Being a Pastor isn’t about getting rich, it’s about bringing people into the Kingdom of God and teaching us the Bible. Read verses 21-23 again:

  “So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you— whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” 

Our choice – my choice – is this. I can focus on Jesus and trust that His Light will shine through the fog and burn it away (eventually!), or I can put my faith in a man or woman and trust them to take me out of the fog…. The difference is this. With Jesus, the fog may linger or it may be burned away, but it doesn’t matter which because I have the best navigation and protection system ever in Jesus and the Holy Spirit and His angels. With man, they may temporarily drag me out of the fog, but it’s still there, able to roll in and overtake me at any time.

I choose Jesus, Light of the world. The SON will come out and Shine! Amen!

Men – “Can’t live with ’em; can’t live without ’em.” 

Reading on in Genesis (see previous blog posts), I am astounded at how stubborn and prideful men are. Not that it is any surprise, because I have witnessed it first-hand in my own life. And not just men…. look at Lot’s wife in chapter 19. When he and his family left Sodom, the angels told them to hurry and not to look back. What does his wife do? She looks, and is turned into a pillar of salt.

  “When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, ‘Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!’ …. But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.” – Genesis 19:17‭, ‬26 NLT  (http://bible.com/116/gen.19.17-26.NLT)

Abraham (Abram) continually pushes at God, as does Sarah (Sarai) his wife. Lot’s daughters sinned by having sex with their father – and Lot sinned by drinking himself into a stupor. In spite of all of these failings, God has continued to love them and bless them. There are wonderful stories of miracles throughout Genesis. There is fighting and intrique; there are love stories and deception. Every kind of story, because it is the true history of the human journey from creation through Joseph, a Hebrew boy who became second only to Pharaoh because of his faith and faithfulness to the LORD. 

The Bible is fascinating, because all of human history is contained in it. Science proves it’s accuracy, over and over again, through archeological discoveries and manuscripts. 

Why do we [not me, but so many people] insist that it is wrong? Is it our free will that causes us to be so stubborn and prideful? How can anyone look at nature and the diversity of all living things; the precision, of it all, and not believe in a Creator? The Big Bang could be the result of God clapping his hands…. but it had to come from something. Space dust, or whatever, had to come from somewhere. Plants and living creatures have certainly evolved over the years, but again, it wasn’t random. Don’t know about you, but I am certain that I did not evolve from an ape.

Men. As the saying goes, “Can’t live with ’em; can’t live without ’em.” Men say the same about women, because it’s true. We can’t live without each other, and we can’t LIVE without God. Over the ages, God has proven over and over how Faithful He is, just as mankind has proven how fickle and selfish we are. As much as we like to look back at our pasts, instead of focusing on the future God has for us, we should probably all be turned into pillars of salt. Fortunately for us, God is also Merciful.

  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His ONE and ONLY SON, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.  God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to Save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s One and Only Son.” – John 3:16‭-‬18 NLT  (http://bible.com/116/jhn.3.16-18.NLT)

Eternal Life. No judgement. Why would anyone in their right mind refuse a gift like This? Expecially since it’s FREE?????

 

The Promised Land

​  “So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River…” – Genesis 15:18 NLT (http://bible.com/116/gen.15.18.NLT)

There are a lot of maps out there! I found this site shows me the best representation of how big the land is that God promised to Abram:

https://biblechartsandmaps.com/product/giant-holy-land-map-poster-past-and-present

Absolutely amazing. Today, there is so much fighting going on in the middle east between the many different cultures and belief groups. Seems like every newscast includes a story about fighting there – ISIS, Palestinians, Russians and the Chinese, American troops, Israeli troops….. and so on. I would absolutely love to see it all end, but until Jesus comes again, I’m certain it will only get worse. The fighting for little bits of land (little in the overall scheme of things) has been going on since the first men settled in the area thousands of years ago. Do you really think anything we say or do is going to stop it? I think we are well into the prophecies of the Revelations. Seems to me that we are waiting on the 6th Seal to be broken, and that will be more terrible than what we have endured to this day.

   “As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory. 

  When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!” Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere. 

  When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.” 

  When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals. 

  When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters —their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.” – Revelation 6:1‭-‬11 NLT (http://bible.com/116/rev.6.1-11.NLT)

Are you ready? Because the LORD will give the whole land of Israel to the descendants of Abraham when it is time, and that time is coming soon. The first 5 Seals appear to have been broken. Are you ready for the next one? Read on in chapter 6:

  “I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. 

  Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?” – Revelation 6:12‭-‬17 NLT (http://bible.com/116/rev.6.12-17.NLT)

Only the ones who have been cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus, get to skip that day of wrath. Our sins have been covered and we have been walked by the Blood. I ask you again, are you ready?