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Archive for the ‘Encouragement’ Category

Absent From the Body Is To Be Present With The Lord

14 Oct

It’s a scripture many have heard but it helps put to rest the idea that we go into a place unconscious sleep upon death until the rapture or some set time.

2 Corinthians 5:8 – 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (NKJV)

Paul says it here in 2 Corinthians and then also has this to say in 1 Thessalonians 5:10.

1 Thessalonians 5:10 – 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. (NIV)

Regardless of rather we sleep, which is another term for this body dying on earth, we live together with Him.

What does Jesus say on the subject?

Luke 23:39-43 – 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

 40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

 43Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Here’s a thief on a cross and he recognized Jesus as the person He said He was.  He acknowledged Jesus as Lord.

Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

You can bet that the greatest place you can come up with on earth will fall a thousand times short of paradise with the Lord.

 
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We Love Him, Because He First Loved Us

13 Oct

1 John 4:19 – 19We love him, because he first loved us.  (King James)

God is love so much that he sent His Son to die for us.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I can tell you that I love God, because he first loved me.  I’m a fallen creature and I would have better things to do than serve an un-personable, selfish, punishing and unloving creator.

We don’t have to worry about that though.  You’re not so great that the Lord couldn’t resist coming back for you.  He does it, because that’s how wonderful our God is.

For years I would do my own thing and sometimes rarely think of God during the day.  The less you think of Him the more sinning your doing.  Was He there?

He was there to pick me up from my ignorance when I came crying my eyes out.

We can’t, and I mean can’t begin to understand how much God loves us.  I just know when I now talk to Him throughout the whole day, pray for the smallest of need in my life, praise His glorious name whenever I get the chance, my life is more blessed as I go through it.

My Best Friend is your Best Friend.  Some of you may not look at Him as that yet.  Start treating Him like He is and watch your life change for the better.

 
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Persecution Is All Around The World And Soon Will Be Strong Here

08 Oct

Many nations already outlaw Christianity.  In China communism and Christianity don’t mix.  Many Islamic Countries don’t allow it in their borders.  America is becoming tolerant of almost every other religion besides Christianity. 

Panic? 

We don’t need to panic, we need to put our faith where it is supposed to be all the time and that is in God.  

 Matthew 5:10-12 – 10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Beatitudes end with these three scriptures. 

You can be persecuted for a lot of things in life.  None of them besides your love for Jesus and the true God will lead to a blessing. 

Don’t underestimate the word blessing.  Jesus says “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,” 

Your love for Jesus and the Father does not go unnoticed ever.  If it wasn’t worth saying, Jesus wouldn’t have emphasized it. 

John 15:20 – Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 

Prepare for that day so you can be strong, and when discouraged realize that the One truly in charge is always looking over you.  How much greater if the reason He has to take extra care of you is because you’re standing up for the Kingdom of Heaven and the Glorious King, Jesus Christ Himself!

 
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Peace I Give You

06 Oct

John 14:27 – 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

When we trust in Jesus we have peace. 

I fully believe that for anything major to happen, God has to put his stamp of approval that it’s okay.  Does that mean that everything appears to turn out hundred percent the way we think that it ought to? 

No. 

Do I believe that He is in charge and that we don’t always know the whole story?  

I do.  I take comfort that if God says tomorrow you’re coming home with me into Heaven then it’s time to go.  Since He knows my future already, I trust that whatever happens to me it will be okay if He says it’s okay to happen.  God is in charge and the more we turn our lives around the better it is for the Kingdom of Heaven and ourselves. 

There is a peace that comes in knowing the ultimate Being in the universe has your back. 

Now you can say, wow Pat, I’m glad you feel that way, must be a great mind over matter tool you got there.  Or that’s quite an effective crutch. 

No, I have the promise of my God and Creator that if I seek and serve Him to the best of my ability, there will be no regrets for eternity. 

On the flip side there appears to be much remorse for those who are saved, but gave God nothing of themselves.  If one thinks about it for two seconds, you’re in Heaven and it dawns on you I’m here, everything I put into life is down there and past, and I didn’t do much for Him which is all that matters.  

There is a lot of unrest and problems the world gives to its followers.  Not much peace in that. 

Jesus gives us all our needs here, but He doesn’t give as the world gives.  He’s waiting to give you as your King will reward you at the allotted time.

 
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Literally Correct

04 Oct

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – 23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

For some when they partake in communion, they are remembering the fact that Jesus died for their sins.  That’s where it ends for them.  They are missing the last part of verse 26.  He’s coming back. 

We’re not in the Millennial Kingdom yet, that’s why we’re still doing communion.  He is going to rule and reign 1000 years.  Not the good ole spirit of Jesus, but the King Himself.  There is a literal understanding of the bible.  A literal Tribulation period is coming around the corner.  He is literally coming back or no flesh would be saved at the end of it.  That may have been hard to fathom 65 years ago but is it really hard to picture today?

God allows wisdom in time.  He has brought up great men of God to be able to share what’s coming ahead.  Those men are being led to understand what the Holy Spirit had the others 1900-2500 years ago write.

God has literally made promises.  Jesus is literally coming back to rule and reign 1000 years as the Messiah.  There is going to be a literal rapture.  There is going to be a literal tribulation.

Stay tuned into God and the understanding is there.  Trying to force square pegs into round holes to make it what you want it to be or think it is, only leads to problems.

The bible is literally happening the way God inspired men to write it. 

Most published book, Most bought, Least read per copy. 

You see no one for the last 400 years who has had freedom can say finding God was like finding a needle in a haystack.  They just chose to listen to the wrong voice speaking to their hearts.

 
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Faith Is Putting Belief Into Motion

27 Sep

Galatians 3:6 – 6Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

If Abraham had heard God’s voice and said, “Yes I believe that is God”, and left it at that, would it have been considered righteousness?

If Noah heard God tell him to build an ark and he acknowledged it, but built no ark, would that have shown faith?

No.

Faith is putting your belief into action.  This is what the Lord blesses. 

When Paul was thrown into prison, he had faith that the Lord was with Him and still in charge.

When Joseph was thrown into prison, he had faith that God was in charge.

When Stephen was about to be stoned, he knew that the Lord was in charge.

Faith is putting your belief into action. 

Belief with no action reveals little to no faith.

 
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What Is God Like?

24 Sep

Have you ever paid attention Christians who never read the Bible or listen to God’s Word from others?

You’re not going to believe this, but God thinks exactly the way they do!

That’s really strange, because the more I read God’s Word; the more I realize He doesn’t think like I did at all.  The only reason I think even somewhat like Him today is because of what I have learned in His Word and applied it to my life.

God explains to us who He is in His Love Letter to us.  It’s called the Bible.  He’s the Creator and we’re the Creation.  To watch man, one would get confused on that issue.   

Isaiah 55:8 –  8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

So if are ways are not His ways, then how can we possibly know God?  Through His Word!

If you never get to know somebody, how will you know what they like?  You won’t. 

Most people don’t know who God is because they don’t take the time to try and get to know Him.  They’re not hurting in the “Me time” though.

Do you want to show the Lord you love Him and help yourself at the same time?  Read His Word.  Read the love letter He gave us.  Don’t stand in front of the Creator and try to explain you didn’t have time to read His book.

Pick up a One Year Bible.  I find the NIV allowed me to read it as a story and understand it as I was going along.  You make it a goal to get through it.  I can tell you one day a day and you’ll quit before you’ll finish it from front to back. 

Don’t stand in front of God without reading His Word from front to back at least once.

 
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Fill Your Cup

23 Sep

You have a full cup.  It’s full of something.  For some it’s full of emptiness.

Is this an oxymoron?  No, your cup is full of something.

Clearly the cup is your spirit.  Young and old alike have a spirit.  What you fill that spirit with is who you are or who you will become.

One of my favorites is that people want their children to become their own person.

Trust me we were all made unique and we all we become our own person.  If someone doesn’t want to guide their child through this world, the world will be happy to take over.   They’ll fill that cup with all sorts of flavors until it spilleth over. 

I have one guarantee for you.  If the world is influencing them, God’s not in it.

John 8:23 –But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

There is no greater supporter of letting your children become their own person than Satan.  However, he’s a cheater.  When one’s not protected or paying attention he’s doing his own influencing.

You know what we are supposed to be?  Children of God!

God wants to fill your cup.  In this country in the present you have that wonderful opportunity to do just that.  You have the freedom to read the Bible when you want.  You can go to church as a Christian and worship with others.  You can turn on the television and even tape your favorite pastors to watch when it’s convenient for you.  There are Christian radio stations in your car.  All of these things are about your loving God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

You have the ability to fill your cup all day long.  I’ve been on both sides of the coin.  It’s addicting. 

What?

It’s addicting.  Wanting God in your whole life becomes addicting.  I believe it’s because the light doesn’t like the darkness.  The light starts pushing out the darkness.  The spirit was made to love God.  It’s why we were made.

Complacency and filling your spirit with everything but God is habit forming and addicting also.  If you don’t take any time for God or seek Him in your day, wouldn’t say you are filling your spirit with darkness?

Matthew 6:23 – But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

 Jesus is the Light.  Jesus is the Word.

John 1:1-5 –1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.  3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

The more darkness you put in your spirit, the less you understand your God and Creator.

Fill your cup with the things of God, not darkness.

 
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God Looks At The Heart

15 Sep

The Lord was grieved that he made Saul King over Israel.  He sent Samuel to go see Jesse of Bethlehem because He had chosen one of his sons. 

1 Samuel 16:6-7 –6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

This is very important scripture here.  The Lord does not look at the outward appearance like man does.  The Lord looks at one’s heart.  Clearly he’s not looking at the pumping mechanism in your chest. 

What is the heart?  I’m going to do my best to describe it.

The heart is your spirit.

The soul is the eternal vessel in which we are, but the spirit in essence is the character of your soul.  The spirit can be many things.  It can be good, bad, evil, gentle, loving, selfish, etc.

So God looks at the heart.  In David what did he see?  Was He impressed by the fact David would give the shirt off his back to someone?  Was God impressed because David was a kind gentle spirited person?

Not from what I read.

The David I read about was a little firecracker who had faith of a Lion for God.  He trusted God and loved Him so much he wasn’t going to listen to some arrogant Giant bad mouth his greatest Love.  When David loved the Lord he lived for the Lord.

Now here is just one of many reasons why the Bible is so great.  A man after God’s heart and is revered as such was a mess at times.  Why is this important?  No one is perfect and God wants you even in your imperfection, to love Him with the faith of a warrior.  As you get closer He begins to reveal the areas of your life that need to change and draw nearer to Him.  

First Love!  How do we do this?  Surround yourself with God.  When you sit down to relax, read about Him.  When you sit down to watch television, watch shows about Him.  When you listen to music, worship Him with the words of the song.

If you’re thinking about God constantly throughout your whole day, your heart is in the right place.  God looks at the heart.  He wants to be your best friend.  Can you think of a better Best Friend?

 
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How Big Is God?

14 Sep

Have you ever pondered the idea of how big God is?

We’re not even ants.  This is a God that is so big he created the universe.  Millions of light years away are planets and stars that are huge.  Yet he cares for you.  He loves you more than you can comprehend.

He cares about the 6 Billion plus that all live on this planet currently. 

Do you know how many people who have been born since Adam and Eve?  He does.

Do you know how many hairs are on your head?  He does.

Matthew 10:30 – 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  

When you stop to think how incredible God is; it’s beyond our comprehension.  Why, because as a creation we have a certain capacity.  That capacity got smaller after the fall.

He is huge and yet he loves you a thousand more times than you love anything or anybody.

How can we turn our back on that? 

Sin!  SELF-ishness!

How cool to be able to see God’s creation after we die.  An eternity and as many stars as see in sky….I’m sure that’s only a minor exploration of what we’ll get to experience.

1 Corinthians 2:9 – However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”

For who?  All of us human beings?

No, it says for those who love Him!  Your focus as a creation smaller than an ant is to acknowledge God, tell Him, and show Him how much you love Him!

 
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