Have you ever had an old song that you have not heard in years suddenly come to you in the night? Maybe it did not come in the night but perhaps while you were driving your car or going about your daily routine or in some other specific place and time a particular song came to you and it lifted your thoughts from mundane things to a higher plateau. It brought peace to your troubled mind.
One that came to me as I was driving alone in my pickup truck and thinking of all the things I had to accomplish in the next few days goes like this: Leave it there, leave it there, take your burden to the Lord and leave it there, if you trust and never doubt, God will surely bring you out, take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.That's the chorus; there is a verse that goes thusly: If your body suffers pain and your health you can't regain, If your soul is almost sinking in despair...Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal, so take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. And then the chorus again. I wish I could convey the blessing I received as that old song came to mind and I began singing it there in my old truck driving along through the icy streets of my city. I was lifted out of my troubled thoughts into heavenly places in Christ Jesus and I felt so much better as I realized that He had reminded me that I do not have to bear these burdens, whatever they might be all by myself. Peter wrote to the Christian church in 1Peter 5:7 and said, "casting all your care on Him; for He careth for you."
Paul another apostle of the cross of Christ said in Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything 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."
Has the doctor pronounced you with terminal cancer? Has the stock market robbed you of your life savings? Has one of your wayward children ended up in a prison cell? Do you think your life doesn't matter? Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
About Me
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
1000 years of peace
Rev. 20:1-3 says, "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old which is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while."
"There's gonna be a great day", so the old song goes, but the question is who will be there?
It is going to be a wonderful day ...a time of peace on earth...one thousand years of peace.
Now nobody lives a thousand years, not yet anyway, so it can only be those who have immortality that will be living, at least it seems clear to me. And who will have immortality then?
The blood washed and the redeemed, that is who it shall be....there is one group who have paid a great price for this privilege...look at Rev. 20:4, "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgement was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to JESUS AND FOR THE WORD OF GOD, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived with Christ for a thousand years". These are the tribulation saints who will be saved during a time on earth that is unprecedented, a time that will make the atrocities and wars of the past look like child's play, a time when all born again believers will be hunted down and beheaded. By the way who executes people in our day by beheading them? Ask your self that question. If you are living carelessly, stop and think what will happen if you are not ready for Christ's return.
I am examining my own heart... I will use this theme in future blogs.
"There's gonna be a great day", so the old song goes, but the question is who will be there?
It is going to be a wonderful day ...a time of peace on earth...one thousand years of peace.
Now nobody lives a thousand years, not yet anyway, so it can only be those who have immortality that will be living, at least it seems clear to me. And who will have immortality then?
The blood washed and the redeemed, that is who it shall be....there is one group who have paid a great price for this privilege...look at Rev. 20:4, "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgement was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to JESUS AND FOR THE WORD OF GOD, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived with Christ for a thousand years". These are the tribulation saints who will be saved during a time on earth that is unprecedented, a time that will make the atrocities and wars of the past look like child's play, a time when all born again believers will be hunted down and beheaded. By the way who executes people in our day by beheading them? Ask your self that question. If you are living carelessly, stop and think what will happen if you are not ready for Christ's return.
I am examining my own heart... I will use this theme in future blogs.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
egocentric, geocentric, Godcentric. Which one are you?
egocentric: having or regarding the self or the individual as the center of all things; having no regard for interests, beliefs, or attitudes other than one's own, self-centered.
geocentric:having or representing the earth as the center; a geocentric theory of the universe; viewed or measured from the geologic center of the earth.
The above taken from the on-line dictionary that I generally use. The next example that I am referring to this a.m. is to be Godcentric; the center of all things; the first cause of all things; Creator, Savior...the list goes on and on. This past year in March 2008, we, that is Judy and I along with two freinds, went to see the Grand Canyon in Arizona and we took lots and lots of pictures; hundreds I would guess. So yesterday I was looking at some that we have on a cd or a dvd...whatever and I realized as I was looking at the pictures that I was looking at te people in the pictures rather than at the beautiful scenery of the Canyon that served as a backdrop for us.
Have you ever noticed that when looking at a group photo that the first person you look for (sometimes the only person) is yourself? I was missing the grandeur and the outright majesty of the Canyon itself. As I looked at the screen, I saw some awesome photographs. Hey, that rhymes doesn't it...saw some waesome? Maybe a poem? Nah.
Getting back to my point, as I viewed the photos, there were the four of us, cameras hanging off our necks, sunglasses donned, posing for the cameras, you would think we were celebrities...again Nah!But here I find myself looking at these four people and missing the big picture, the Canyon, hundreds of miles of God's handiwork. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1. My view was really an egocentric one. But then I switched to the more geocentric view as I studied the photo's of the Grand Canyon. I viewed these photos as if the canyon was the center of the universe.
What I decided to do was to view this, all this , including the people in these photos as the handiwork of God and scrap this egocentric thinking as well as the geocentric and look at everything from a God-centric point of view.
Colossains, 2:1-4 says, "If you then be raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affection, (your mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Let's put our ego to death where it belongs seeing that we are dead to sin. Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me." He is the center of all things in my life...how about you?
geocentric:having or representing the earth as the center; a geocentric theory of the universe; viewed or measured from the geologic center of the earth.
The above taken from the on-line dictionary that I generally use. The next example that I am referring to this a.m. is to be Godcentric; the center of all things; the first cause of all things; Creator, Savior...the list goes on and on. This past year in March 2008, we, that is Judy and I along with two freinds, went to see the Grand Canyon in Arizona and we took lots and lots of pictures; hundreds I would guess. So yesterday I was looking at some that we have on a cd or a dvd...whatever and I realized as I was looking at the pictures that I was looking at te people in the pictures rather than at the beautiful scenery of the Canyon that served as a backdrop for us.
Have you ever noticed that when looking at a group photo that the first person you look for (sometimes the only person) is yourself? I was missing the grandeur and the outright majesty of the Canyon itself. As I looked at the screen, I saw some awesome photographs. Hey, that rhymes doesn't it...saw some waesome? Maybe a poem? Nah.
Getting back to my point, as I viewed the photos, there were the four of us, cameras hanging off our necks, sunglasses donned, posing for the cameras, you would think we were celebrities...again Nah!But here I find myself looking at these four people and missing the big picture, the Canyon, hundreds of miles of God's handiwork. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1. My view was really an egocentric one. But then I switched to the more geocentric view as I studied the photo's of the Grand Canyon. I viewed these photos as if the canyon was the center of the universe.
What I decided to do was to view this, all this , including the people in these photos as the handiwork of God and scrap this egocentric thinking as well as the geocentric and look at everything from a God-centric point of view.
Colossains, 2:1-4 says, "If you then be raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affection, (your mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Let's put our ego to death where it belongs seeing that we are dead to sin. Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me." He is the center of all things in my life...how about you?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Changed
"And we shall all be changed". 1 Cor. 15:51 Hebrews 9:27 says that " it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement." It would seem that there is a group of people who will not die, those who are living for God and of course still alive when Jesus comes. Paul, the writer of these Corinthian letters says "we shall not all sleep." But we shall all be changed. Death is a change and this mortality shall put on immortality, so in one sense every man will die; the old man must die to put on the new man, the old body must die to inherit the new body. The Bible says we will be changed. There is no doubt about it.
When the trumpet sounds, even the dead will hear it, the dead in Christ that is...they will rise up first, and they will have a new body. Those who are alive and remain will suddenly receive their inheritance...a new body. They too, will receive new bodies. If some will not hear and will not be ready...oh, get ready, do not miss out by living to close to this world and all of it's enticements. Live for Jesus and He will give you joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Hebrews 12:1 should be a verse that Christians should read again and again until it is indelibly imprinted in our hearts "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" The sin that so easily besets"...do you know what the writer means here? Are there besetting sins? I have to repent, we all need to repent ....to examine our hearts , surrender areas of our lives to Him. It's part of running the race...to surrender our will is a continuing battle, but verse 2 of Hebrews 12 gives us the answer..."Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.." Hallelujah! there is victory in Jesus! Look to Him. The old chorus says "put your trust in Jesus, He will take you through"
When the trumpet sounds, even the dead will hear it, the dead in Christ that is...they will rise up first, and they will have a new body. Those who are alive and remain will suddenly receive their inheritance...a new body. They too, will receive new bodies. If some will not hear and will not be ready...oh, get ready, do not miss out by living to close to this world and all of it's enticements. Live for Jesus and He will give you joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Hebrews 12:1 should be a verse that Christians should read again and again until it is indelibly imprinted in our hearts "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" The sin that so easily besets"...do you know what the writer means here? Are there besetting sins? I have to repent, we all need to repent ....to examine our hearts , surrender areas of our lives to Him. It's part of running the race...to surrender our will is a continuing battle, but verse 2 of Hebrews 12 gives us the answer..."Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.." Hallelujah! there is victory in Jesus! Look to Him. The old chorus says "put your trust in Jesus, He will take you through"
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Fear or faith? That is the ultimate question
We are told there are 365 "fear nots" in the bible. That's one for every day of the year. One of my favourites is found in Psalm 118, verse 6 and it says, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" The psalmist made it his will not to fear, it was a decision on his part. I thought of that when I wrote these blogs about being ready....we need not fear, we can
depend on Him if we are walking in His ways.(read Psalm 119:1-4) seeking God with our whole hearts, being diligent in our walk, keeping His Word. 1 John 5:14,15 offers a wonderful promise and dispels all fear in what it says, " And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."
You can know that it is His will for your loved ones to be saved, so ask and ask largely the Bible says in another place....that your joy may be full. Are you asking Him for your loved ones' salvation? You can trust Him for it....no matter what the situation looks like. This is the eternal Word of God and it is truth!
depend on Him if we are walking in His ways.(read Psalm 119:1-4) seeking God with our whole hearts, being diligent in our walk, keeping His Word. 1 John 5:14,15 offers a wonderful promise and dispels all fear in what it says, " And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."
You can know that it is His will for your loved ones to be saved, so ask and ask largely the Bible says in another place....that your joy may be full. Are you asking Him for your loved ones' salvation? You can trust Him for it....no matter what the situation looks like. This is the eternal Word of God and it is truth!
The first rapture?: a series on truth
Genesis 5:24 from the NRSV says, "Enoch walked with God;then he was no more, because God took him." What a testimony! The book of Hebrews identifies him as one of the great heroes of faith. In ch. 11 verse 5 it says (KJV)"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." One man caused a great stir back in the book of Genesis so much so that search parties were sent out to look for him, but to no avail. HE DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE....the Bible says because God took him.
I can just imagine the headlines in our morning paper if it were happening in our day..."Prophet disappears without a trace." Followers say that God translated him to heaven because he lived a Godly life." If it were today...I'm dreaming, am I not? Yet there will come a day when hundreds of thousands will disappear, yes perhaps millions. Even the graves of the Godly will open. Can you imagine the search parties the world over? You say "you are hallucinating old man...you've lost it." Am I? He is coming for those who please Him and that requires faith...faith in the finished work of Calvary. There is a true story in the book of Matthew ch. 25 vs. 1-13 about some ten virgins, five wise and five foolish. Some, the wise were anticipating the bridegroom's coming. They were ready. The others had been careless in their living. They weren't ready. So much so that Jesus said "I know you not." Some day the church will disappear without a trace. And the only way you can be included is like Enoch of old, who by the way really was a prophet, Jude verse 14, you must please God and that means to be washed in the blood that was spilt for all men at Calvary.It requires faith that is up to date. Jesus said "Watch" "Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."WHAT SHALL WE SAY AND WHAT SHALL WE DO?
I can just imagine the headlines in our morning paper if it were happening in our day..."Prophet disappears without a trace." Followers say that God translated him to heaven because he lived a Godly life." If it were today...I'm dreaming, am I not? Yet there will come a day when hundreds of thousands will disappear, yes perhaps millions. Even the graves of the Godly will open. Can you imagine the search parties the world over? You say "you are hallucinating old man...you've lost it." Am I? He is coming for those who please Him and that requires faith...faith in the finished work of Calvary. There is a true story in the book of Matthew ch. 25 vs. 1-13 about some ten virgins, five wise and five foolish. Some, the wise were anticipating the bridegroom's coming. They were ready. The others had been careless in their living. They weren't ready. So much so that Jesus said "I know you not." Some day the church will disappear without a trace. And the only way you can be included is like Enoch of old, who by the way really was a prophet, Jude verse 14, you must please God and that means to be washed in the blood that was spilt for all men at Calvary.It requires faith that is up to date. Jesus said "Watch" "Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."WHAT SHALL WE SAY AND WHAT SHALL WE DO?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
THE TEMPLE IN HEAVEN
Are you one of those persons who when reading an exciting story can't wait to see how it ends, so you skip over the contents and quickly turn to the back page to see what happens? We are getting closer to a time that born again Christians have been looking forward to since we first accepted Jesus. It is so close now you can feel it. The Bible gives us a look into what we can expect in the future. It concerns temple worship, something I have talked about in these pages, that being the tabernacle in the wilderness. It was a copy of the temple in heaven... Rev. ch. 1 reads:"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a voice from heaven saying; "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write for these words are true and faithful." Revelation 21:1-5
This has been a series on truth...to repeat that last portion from the book of Rev "these words are true and faithful." That was what God said. So what is your response to God?Is it...I don't believe You or It's all symbolic, or some other time maybe tomorrow?
The tabernacle of God will be with men! What a promise. But we already have a little earnest on our inheritance because God through Christ is already taberbnacaling with us if we are in Christ. "But now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face."That will make all the difference we shall see Him face to face..........make sure you are ready....I am doing just that.
This has been a series on truth...to repeat that last portion from the book of Rev "these words are true and faithful." That was what God said. So what is your response to God?Is it...I don't believe You or It's all symbolic, or some other time maybe tomorrow?
The tabernacle of God will be with men! What a promise. But we already have a little earnest on our inheritance because God through Christ is already taberbnacaling with us if we are in Christ. "But now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face."That will make all the difference we shall see Him face to face..........make sure you are ready....I am doing just that.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Perhaps today
My blogger friend Coffee e-mailed me early this morning and asked if I would be blogging soon, or some thing like that. My answer was "perhaps today" and it caused the old memory to kick in...(I'm glad that it still works now and then). My mind went back to the days when Rex Hum bard was preaching on TV from the Cathedral of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio. I remembered a lapel pin that he sent out to those who had given an offering or contribution to his ministry. It wasn't just as gimmick, although it was smart merchandising, I would think....you send a gift of "x" amount of dollars and we will send you this lapel pin.
I had one myself, it's probably still around somewhere.
But my point isn't about the merchandising, rather it was the message that the pin brought with it. It was made in the shape of a trumpet and underneath was a banner with two words on it.
The two words were "perhaps today" alluding of course to the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ and the sounding of the trumpet that the apostle Paul speaks of it in his first letter to the Corinthian church. Reading from chapter 15 and verse 51, and I quote from the New Revised Standard Version, "Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." The reason we will be changed is because it's the only way that we can enter heaven. The reason we need a new body is because this mortal flesh must be replaced by immortality, if we are going to live forever. Again in his first letter to the Thessalonians in chapter 4 verses 13-18 he says, (King James Version)
"13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For 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:
17Then 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.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. "
So the question is ........are we ready should the trumpet sound? Perhaps today? The answer is not if we feel saved, actually feelings have little or nothing to do with it...The words of an old hymn says it all...."are you walking daily by the Savior's side?Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you rest each moment in the crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"
Actually I started this blog yesterday....perhaps today?
I had one myself, it's probably still around somewhere.
But my point isn't about the merchandising, rather it was the message that the pin brought with it. It was made in the shape of a trumpet and underneath was a banner with two words on it.
The two words were "perhaps today" alluding of course to the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ and the sounding of the trumpet that the apostle Paul speaks of it in his first letter to the Corinthian church. Reading from chapter 15 and verse 51, and I quote from the New Revised Standard Version, "Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." The reason we will be changed is because it's the only way that we can enter heaven. The reason we need a new body is because this mortal flesh must be replaced by immortality, if we are going to live forever. Again in his first letter to the Thessalonians in chapter 4 verses 13-18 he says, (King James Version)
"13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For 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:
17Then 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.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. "
So the question is ........are we ready should the trumpet sound? Perhaps today? The answer is not if we feel saved, actually feelings have little or nothing to do with it...The words of an old hymn says it all...."are you walking daily by the Savior's side?Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you rest each moment in the crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"
Actually I started this blog yesterday....perhaps today?
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