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Archive for the ‘Encouragement’ Category

We All Like To See Justice

09 Aug

It’s in every one of us.  Even in those who do wrong want to see justice when something has been done to them.

Our God is love, but he is also just.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 – 5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Romans 12:19 – 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

We need to remember that God is in charge and that he will ultimately handle the situation.  Just know that the perfect loving ruler of the universe will be just and do so.

We live in such a wishy-washy world today in which this country seems to give more rights to those break the law that it is confusing.  That’s part of the fall.  There are so many leniencies that people after awhile don’t believe there are repercussions for rebellion. 

We read ultimately there will be.  Let’s continue to spread the Good News of grace while people still have a chance.

 
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The Spirit Of Love

07 Aug

Galatians 5:22-26-  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

It’s a fast paced world and it’s easy to get caught up into the hustle and bustle.  It’s easy to lose patience, kindness, gentleness, and our peace.

What takes us out of this Spirit?  Things that are not associated with God.  Self seeking usually takes us out of our game.  We need to remember to stay in the Spirit.

 
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Man’s Life Is But A Breath

06 Aug

Psalm 39:5-6 –  5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man’s life is but a breath.  Selah
6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

It’s a fact.  There’s no disputing it and yet the pull to try and acquire alot on this earth is strong.

We know that life is short.  We know that if we store up wealth won’t be taking it with us.

The rich and celebrities have proven to us is wealth doesn’t satisfy.  There is much divorce, suicide, drug use, and wrong doing amongst this crowd.  We know that wealth doesn’t quench.  There is never enough money to quench those who earnestly seek it.  It consumes but never fulfills.

Examples are there.  Facts are there, yet as sinners, we chase after these things.  Until…..

Psalm 39:7 – 7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you.

Ah fulfillment.  Win now, win later.  The hard part is until one puts their hope and trust into Him, they don’t see this.  Takes faith.  I’ll vouch that my whole life, I have always had my needs met.  Not my wants, praise the Lord, but always my needs.  Trust in the Lord.  Give of your first fruits to Him.  Put your hope in Him.

The fact of the matter is:  Life is but a breath.  Even at 80 years it’s short and no one is guaranteed even that.

 
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Stiff Necked People

02 Aug

Acts 7:51-53 – 51 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him — 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Stephen gave a great history lesson of the Jews to the upper tier of spiritual leadership.  This just how he finished and did they repent?  Did they feel shame for missing what they had been foretold and missed?

No, since they didn’t have the Holy Spirit, they were still blind.  So responding the same way demons do when they hear the Word, they picked up stones and killed him.  They didn’t want to hear it.

Today bible prophecy, which there is more written about Christ’s second return than His first, is in full bloom.  Ignorance is not an excuse because people like me are telling them about it.  They don’t want to hear it.

The bad thing though is the reason people don’t want to hear it is because they are not excited about the Lord coming back.  The reasons vary, but the reality is they are not interested in Him coming back.  If a Christian is not excited about the Lord coming back after they hear about it and the scriptures point to it, there is a Holy Spirit problem.

The lack of the Holy Spirit problem today is rapidly affecting the church.  Many denominations have turned away from the literal interpretation of the Word of God.

What are the results?  Even though God promised the Jews He was going to rule on David’s throne, apparently to many denominations, He’s not.  To other denominations he isn’t coming back, or not until man paves the way.  Apparently He doesn’t mind same sex couples as that one is rapidly sweeping through the pulpits.

However, we still have literal verses of prophecy that explain and predict those things above.

2 Peter 3:3-4- 3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

2 Timothy 3:3-4 – 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Don’t be part of the itching ear clan.  Seek Truth.

 
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Posted in Bible Prophecy, Encouragement, End Time Prophecies, Inspiration, Motivation

 

Representatives – Ambassadors

01 Aug

2 Corinthians 5:20 – 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

This post was motivated by Pastor Bill.

There are people that don’t like to be representatives in the world today.  They are high up figures in society.  However, it doesn’t matter rather you want to be or not.  If you are a part of an organization or associated with it, you are a representative.  You’re a face to what you are linked to.

As Christians, we are the representatives, ambassadors to our Lord.

Big responsibility?  I think it’s the highest.

It doesn’t matter if you want to be.  If you call yourself a Christian or are one, you have that responsibility to be a representative or more an importantly an ambassador.

 
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Set Your Mind On God Not Earthly Things

31 Jul

Colossians 3:1-4 –3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Most all of us do it to a certain degree.  Show me someone that gives all he can afford and I’ll show you someone that has put his heart and faith in God.

What degree have we set towards Him?  There’s a test.  I’ll give you a hint.  The test isn’t to see how much we can make and spend on ourselves.  That’s not the “A” in which God is looking to give.  God wants to see what choices you will make with your responsibility.  It works that way for both our time and resources.

Tell Him that you love Him, or show Him that you love Him.  Actually both are better than just one.  He wants us to love one another.  Why?  One, God is love.  He loves us even when we’re not lovable.  That’s what He wants us to do.  He wants us to be the same as Him in this area.  Does it come naturally in with this sinful nature we have inherited?  Not for me.  My love for others, who are challenging, comes from God.

Let’s keep our eye on the prize.

 
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Stay Away From The Old Ways

24 Jul

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 – 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

We are sinful people on our own.  It’s natural and we we’re born into it.  Anytime we don’t keep up our guard we allow the old yeast back in to spread and puff up.  We need to stay in touch with our Lord.

 
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Our Counselor

23 Jul

John 14:16-17- 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Most, but certainly not all, take the Holy Spirit for granted.  Think back before you accepted the Lord.  We were as blinded as the world that does not have Jesus now.  Don’t let that just pass on by.  Embrace those memories and let them motivate you in your quest to know your Lord better.

I can tell you that when you concentrate on the Lord and really seek Him.  His arms are around you all the time.  ALL THE TIME.  He’s your best friend.  Make sure to make every effort to treat Him that way.

Because of the Holy Spirit that the Lord sent, we can know Him.  Without Him we would be in a cloud.  The lost are still in that cloud.  Christians that don’t seek to know the Lord are still in their own cloud. 

Follow Him.  When you take your own paths no matter how good your intentions are, you’re going to cause a mess.

 
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When Did We Stop Training Up A Child In This Country?

20 Jul

Proverbs 22:6- 6 Train a child in the way he should go,
    and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Amen to that.  This is why it takes generations for nations to fall.  It’s an eroding process.

What are some of the things that break the chain from kids being trained by their parents and things being passed down?

The most obvious in America is wealth and prosperity.  It has been a large player in people taking their eye of the real prize which is the Lord.

What’s the advice we’re more apt to give to our daughter’s today?  Go out and get a college degree so you can work and not have to depend on your husband who has a 50% of leaving you and the kids, or if you need to leave him.  That’s a little different than what was taught back 55 years ago.

Where that may be good worldly advice it’s not biblical.  Yet many Christians are now teaching this (obviously with more positive hopes but as a fallback) because it’s the country that we have now eroded to.

When America began to worship wealth, the enemy got a foothold and began creeping into the courts and government.  Little by little they began to rock the boat.  However, as long a prosperity was happening we’ll let them turn up the water just one degree.  As you know after 55-60 years you have almost a boiling frog in the pot.

Satan is trying to build a one world government.  He wants a current Tower of Babel in which man is trying to make his own heaven on earth, WITHOUT GOD.  As we read in Daniel and Revelation, He has a plan to be that world ruler in which everyone is to eventually worship.  This is his plan.  Where did I hear about that?

 Isaiah 14:12-14- “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’  

The clock is ticking and the Lord’s return is closer than ever.  Focus on Him and serving Him.

 
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Accepting A Murderer Over God

19 Jul

Luke 23:18-25- 18 With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

The crime that Jesus committed was speaking the true words of God.  The crowd really had no idea what they we’re really shouting for.  They had been stirred up by those who wanted Jesus put to death.

He was a man who taught peace, love, and forgiveness.  A man who did miracles and healed people.  He spoke the Truth though.  To evil people that is more than they could bear.  Also the people as a whole weren’t interested in forgiveness.  They wanted a leader that was going to take over the Romans and give them back their Jewish earthly kingdom.  When you look at it, it was a selfish want.  They didn’t love the King, they just loved the fact He was going to give them back the land.

As the church we are supposed to be that remnant that loves the King.  Our King will come back to rule and reign, but we need to love the King that loves us and died for us.  The more I seek my King the more I love our King.  Seek Him.

 
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