Spiritual Attacks

If you are anything like me... your shoulders sink a little at the subject matter of spiritual warfare.   You are tired of the dreaded topic that seems to never go away.   We don't just see and hear the evidence of spiritual warfare on television and radio but we see it in our lives and people's lives around us.  It is prevalent or common everywhere... even in the church.   So you can imagine my hesitation in addressing this topic... but after I posted I heard Dr. David Jeremiah and Dr. Charles Stanley) speak of spiritual warfare as well.   This not only confirmed but encouraged my soul.  
 
In my experience and reading the bible, Christians will experience spiritual attacks from the enemy who will use just about anyone or any situation to discourage and hurt us.  We must not only realize the source of these attacks but where our life needs to be securely fastened to so that we may stand as children of God against the wiles of the Devil. 

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:11

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers  and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirit in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

The Very Real Unseen Enemy to Humanity
I once shared with you a time when I asked God if the devil was indeed real and that very night the spiritual veil was taken down to reveal our adversary.  Like a figure of a human- he has no horns, tail, or pitch fork.  He is no longer the once beautiful angel he once was.  He had no wings.  He had no armor. His outer appearance is scared and blotchy and it is reasonable to imagine this was caused when he was thrown from heaven.

 "He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven." Luke 10:18

Satan's penetrating evil eyes seemed to look straight into my soul.  He was in this dark vertical channel of a chamber that had an orange flickering glow below him.  When I could not stand to look at him anymore (which wasn't long) I turned my head away and that is when I heard a blood curdling scream that startled me awake.  The scream seemed like it was right by my bed side.  I sat straight up in bed and listened but no other scream came.  The tortured scream no doubt came from one of his deceived victims.

Needless to say I told God, " I know the devil is real now."  I didn't need any other further proof then what I saw and witnessed.  Don't make the mistake of thinking the devil is some folktale, myth, joke or some poetic symbolic illustration of evil.  He is very real.  His deception is making people think he doesn't exist or he is some friend of the rebellious.  

Satan has been deceiving many since the very beginning.  His warfare seems to be increasing, probably because he senses his time is short.  Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy but Christ came to give life and life more abundantly.  Satan wants to persuade humanity to put their hopes in material possessions and riches, power and popularity or even health -that way when he takes those things away they see no value or hope in what they perceive as life.  But LIFE isn't what the world believes is life.  Life is GOD who gives of himself.   God gives ensuring love, sustaining hope, lasting peace, abounding joy, undeserved mercy and grace. Things the Devil doesn't want us to know or understand.  In fact he rather deceive in order to steal the reality of those things in our life and he works hard at it.
      

 "Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and declared war against the rest of her children- all who keep God's commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus." Revelation 12:17                 

 
We find out a lot about ourselves in spiritual attacks.  We find out how far from God we are or how close we are to God.  We also find out a lot about God and his ability to keep us calm as we allow him his rightful place on the throne of our heart. 

Dream of a Spiritual Attack

In the dream a man brought a white horse into the front of sanctuary of our church building.  The horse got spooked and ran to the back of the sanctuary where I was sitting.  I calmly put out my right hand knowing somehow it would come to me.  When it came to my hand it transformed into furious white hound and took my right hand into its mouth to bite it.  I was not afraid or even surprised by this sight.    I might have been had the bite actually been a bite but the hound couldn’t harm me.  When the master retrieved the dog, I could see into the animal's mouth.  Around the inside of hound’s teeth was a blue substance that prohibited the hound’s teeth from biting down onto my hand. 

I admit the subject matter somewhat troubled me ... but instead of letting it get the best of me I sought God and after a few weeks these images were revealed one by one. 

Spiritual Attacks

 "Dear Friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.   Instead, be very glad- for these trials make you partners with Christ in his sufferings, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:12-13

"God blesses those are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."  Matthew 5:10

We will all experience as Christians spiritual attacks in one form or another but thank God he has warned us of these attacks in His word and by His Holy Spirit.

Keep These Things in Mind.

1.      Be thankful for the warning from God.  Thank Him for his protection. Psalm91:10-11

2.      Don’t become preoccupied with potential attacks. John10:10

3.      Seek discernment from God concerning those individuals and situations that come across your path. James 1:5

4.     Stay Alert. 1 Peter 5:8

5.     Draw close to God. Humble yourself before God. Stay submitted and reliant on God for understanding especially in the midst of an attack.  God will keep you calm.  James4:7-8

6.     Remember God is on sentinel duty in your life. Psalm27:1-5

7.     Thank Him again knowing you have put your life in His hands. He is your peace. John 14:27
Remember our brothers and sisters who are suffering much more-even at the cost of their own life. 1 Peter 5:9-10 

Something NEW

In learning to drive a stick shift, there can be a lot of jerking and grinding.  It can be pretty frustrating...  Maybe learning to drive a stick shift was at first a frustrating process … because we presumed it would be easier or maybe because we are.... perfectionists.... but how can learning to drive a stick shift pertain to daily life and how we look at life?

If we don't look to God first thing in the morning... our morning can start off jerking and grinding...   and we might not even get out of park or even first gear.  Forget coffee... without God you might as well had stayed in bed because coffee doesn't restrain what comes out of your mouth.  

Some people wake up and turn on the radio or television filling their heads with garbage first... how do you think that effects your thoughts?

And they wonder why they feel so negative about life.... without God -looking at the world our righteous anger might turn to hate, revenge, slander, bias, cursing, and violence.  God says to be angry but do not sin.  Looking at the world our feelings of oppression might turn to depression, hopelessness, self-pity, and loss of self worth.

Even our uncanny trait to presume something of the day can hinder us like a curse.  Have you ever heard someone say, “I dread Mondays”?  Why do they dread Mondays?  Are they looking only to their own understanding?  Where is their mindset?   Presumption is assumption by us not God and certainly not God living through us?  Might as well put blinders on and not even consider what God has for you on Mondays.

We live in a world where there is little or no certainty.  The only certainty people have is in God but what certainty do you have if you don’t have God?  Where are your hopes and dreams if you don’t have God? Can you make a positive difference if you don’t have your eyes on God?

The world jerks and grinds enough but our soul doesn’t need to jerk and grind with it. 

God’s word says…

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and prefect will.” Romans 12:2

We might live in this disturbing world and clamors for our attention but we need to have a spiritual disconnect from the world because if we are Christian then our real life is hidden in Christ. 

“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

Stability doesn’t come from the world but God.  Why do you think the founding fathers of the United States based our country on the principles of God? They knew God gave them stability even in uncertain times.

We can see and hear and experience the murders and the injustices to Jews and Christians around the world but for us to function, as God wants us to we must keep our hearts in Godly perspective where God is to sit on the throne of our hearts.  Time is growing short for Satan so he is pulling out all he can to corrupt the world and turn against God’s own… to steal our rights- forget the constitution, kill the innocent and destroy what is right.  But for those saved in Jesus name… we have already WON.  And we must stand in our position Jesus Christ has WON for us. 

Jesus said…

 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  John 10:9-10

God says, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” Jeremiah 3:25

David says, “He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3

God says, “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”  Reference: Isaiah 49:23

We have WON in our INFINITE GOD. 

God being Infinite is about making things new in our life.  He isn’t stuck in thoughts of yesterday.  His mind isn’t seasoned by days of the past.  Nothing is routine or mundane with God.  He isn’t even surprised by the happenings of the day.  In our living, active, all knowing God we are not to go around and around- like some religious merry-go-round or listening to the enticing forked tongue earworm that works hard at trying to taint our thoughts.

We are striving to be and do what God wants us to be and do.   Seek He who is infinite, abide in He who is infinite and FIND.   Find the CHANGE of our lookout and in the CHANGE we CAN touch those around us.

The word says the uncompromising, the righteous are as bold as lions. [Reference: Proverbs 28:1] So do we believe it?   

God who makes a NEW DAY also makes us NEW… changing us from glory from glory. He does not save us and leave us but has given us Himself that we might turn away from the old and be renewed and empowered!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

He isn’t about religion but a faith that is living in the here and now.   He is about speaking to the here and now.  He is about making things fresh in the here and now.  He is the FIRE to makes the lasting flame not some flame that goes dim in the night!

Example: If a church stays in the past, it is the same as a mind that stays in the past- it isn’t living in the Spirit and truth for the Spirit makes the truth come ALIVE! The truth of word of God will always remain but the Spirit causes the truth to LIVE in US!    

ALIVE IS CHANGE… it isn’t a stagnate pond that collects blood sucking mosquitoes.  It is a river that supports life and brings life.

Our Infinite God is about NEW. 

“For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!! Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

No one wants to live in the dry wasteland of ourselves, looking for something to satisfy our souls… no one want to live off the scraps of this world that acts like a bunch of vultures huddled around some smelly decomposing road kill.  Nor can anyone live off yesterday.  No one in their right mind says, “let’s eat that yesterday’s manna that now has maggots gathered on it.”  Does a fresh mountain stream come back the same way it came?   No! Only the decaying and dying do that.  God’s rivers bring refreshing, nourishment and LIFE! Forests and green pastures…

When we don’t seek God we end up flapping our wings wildly trying to get somewhere like a mad bee trapped in a clear vase.  We think we see clearly but we are stuck behind glass of our own understanding only wasting time and energy.  God says seek me and I will make you soar!

“Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:30-31

There is only ONE remedy to all this…. there is only ONE remedy to see and experience and live all the plans and possibilities God has in store for each one of us.  There is only ONE remedy that will make us prosperous and will be feed, sustained and cause our souls to flourish.

"Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.” Deuteronomy 30:9

Living, heart and soul, in God’s Spirit is our remedy to living life FRESH and NEW.

Here are some notes I have jotted down in my quiet time with the LORD.  Some these things say the same thing but that isn’t bad… sometimes it helps us think of the same content in a different manner.

-Ask God to refresh your soul and mind daily. Cleanse you the grit and dirt of yesterday and the past.

-Submit to God in living in Spirit and truth.

-Let God give you the spirit you need for the task- Any task.

-Be Spirit guided not flesh guided.

-Go at the speed of the Spirit not the speed of your want or presumption.

-Do not try to predict or control.

-Know God will provide in what you need and in your call.

-Know there are eternal ramifications in your actions.

-Be in one accord in Spirit for a task to be accomplished successfully.

-Know God wants do something new everyday of your life.

-Know God wants us to come to the knowledge of the truth and live in the knowledge of the truth as Christ is our mediator, teacher and guide.

-Liberty comes with us letting go and letting God do through us.

Did you notice all these things speak of God doing something new in our life?

God is not about putting you in park.  God is not about you grinding and jerking your way through life.  God is not about putting you in first gear where you hold up a line of traffic behind you for miles.  God is about letting you find the hope, peace, joy, love and wisdom of driving with Him- where the drive is refreshing and new and encouraging. 

God we ask that you refresh our souls… guide and direct our lives, empower us to see life not through our own limited understanding but through your enriching infinite Spirit that causes us live this life you have promised in abundance and boldly in you.  In Jesus name Amen. 

 

       

The Turquoise Pillar

I recently had some dreams where everything was black and white except for a single column or pillar, which was turquoise in color. 

(This pillar was long and rectangular.  I wasn't fluted and did not have a fancy top.  It was simple in all aspects except it's turquoise color.)  

I came under the conclusion that I was only to pay attention to what this turquoise pillar meant.

So I sat down and began to dig quietly with God’s spirit as my guide. 

·       A pillar is a witness….  Genesis 31:52

Have you ever heard the saying, "They are pillars of the community"?   We as Christians are to be pillars...  We are to be ambassadors of God and children of God.   We are witnesses to the world of God's love and the real "hope" he gives us.   

We are not colorless as the world- where we believe in the false of hopes of the world that soon fade making us indifferent to everything!!!   


We once were indifferent, lost and hopeless as the world.... we didn't have anything to stand on and we know only by God’s goodness, grace and mercy that He saved us from that hopeless colorless hole that once entrapped us.  We called out to him in all sincerity and he went beyond our expectations in rescuing us.   He not only pulled us out of that hopeless bit but he set us
"upright".
  

·   A pillar is something that is set "up-right".
   

Like a caring parent God heard our sincere cries.... he came and picked us up, lovingly embraced us, brushed and washed the burdening hurts off our spiritual scrapped knees and elbows and in doing so gave us a new understanding of His love.
  
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Ezekiel 36:25-27

This new understanding by His Spirit set us upright in His love.   Faith began to grow from that once hard seed that had laid dormant when our soul was created.   We had a new realization of God.   
  

“For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteousness; the upright will behold his face.”  PSALM 11:7

It is amazing to think this all started when faith and God collided.  

As the scripture says "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
 
Jesus... through all things were created made this possible for us.   He was the gift to the world. He is the true gift,  a gift not given because we earned it or because we were good enough but because we are loved.   But like all gifts it has to be accepted.   Can anything be more profound then that? 

Jesus speaking of himself said:

 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  There is no judgement awaiting those who trust him.   But those who do not trust have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.  Their judgment is based on this fact:  The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved darkness more than light, for their actions were evil.  They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness.  They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.  But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants."  JOHN 3:16-21

 Jesus Christ, the gift to the world, is what brings our life upright.  From gray ashes to a crown of beauty.  

  
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  JOHN 14:6

And without Jesus "this" pillar (you and I) cannot stand.  For God is the source of our strength. 

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.  PSALM 28:7

He is our firm foundation.  He is our rock in which we can stand.  

A relationship with Him gives us inner strength to endure. 

Have you ever noticed a pillar and the enormous loads it carries?  And how many times have we gone into a building and totally overlook the pillars and just see everything else?      

Sometimes I look at these pillars in some of these buildings and I wonder how can they hold up so much weight?  

Sometimes we overlook individuals in the church who are pillars.  Sometimes we look at other people's lives and think how in the world can they handle all that is happening in their life and still have peace?  

Again I am reminded only submission to God's love can we accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope for.  And the acknowledgment of God's love in our lives brings glory to Jesus Christ.  
   

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” HEBREWS 4:16

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” EPHESIANS 3:12

We are a witness of God.   God is our life… for without Him we do not have life but everything that is opposite of what God wants for us. 

God's everlasting love- empowers and encourages and enlightens us.   

Paul wrote: "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  and may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love really his is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in the Christ Jesus forever and ever through the endless ages Amen."   EPHESIANS 3:16-21

A relationship with God gives us hope "color", inner strength, but also shapes and molds us. 

TURQUOISE

Did you know the turquoise stone is easily shaped and polished?

Reminds me a bit of what happens as a Christian matures in Christ.

"And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God." 1 PETER 2:5


Turquoise also represents the tribe of Judah/ Yehudah in the priest's breastplate.

Judah means "Give praise to the Lord." Yehudah in Hebrew means: to submit, the center of the Divine, the Way, humility inspired by submission to the divine, gratitude, thanks, and kingship.

Once again we see.... "the Way."  Who is the Way? Jesus Christ.

I have found this true as well... through humility inspired by submission to the divine, come wisdom, and gratitude. 
 
Judah also is represented by the symbol of the "lion".

WHO do we know as the LION OF JUDAH and King of kings?

That's right... Jesus Christ.  

"Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." REVELATION 5:4

"On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords." REVELATION 19:16


And we as Christians belong to Jesus Christ,  the LION of JUDAH and KING of kings!

You might be asking, so does this turquoise pillar represent Jesus Christ?  This pillar is a witness of Jesus Christ.

Let us conclude with this scripture.

“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.  Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  REVELATION 3:8-13

These Last Days Pt.1

Persecution

What do we know about persecution?

• Persecution of Christians is no new thing. It has been happening for centuries.
• Persecution was helpful in spreading the gospel to other parts of the world.
• Persecution has helped Christians become closer to God.
• Persecution comes in all kinds of forms.  It comes in violence, it comes in jail time, it comes in demanding people yield to ideas and paying for practices they don’t agree with.  
• Persecution of Christians in American is currently a very different “animal” compared to the persecutions of Christians in Africa and the Middle East.   In those places you can be killed for your faith in Jesus Christ.  Here, in the United States, you can get fired from your job for sharing the gospel or put in jail for the night for sharing the life saving message of Jesus Christ out on the streets especially if the crowd doesn't like what they want to hear.  The truth is, if it doesn’t seem like the forces of hell are influencing now just wait because there is more in store.  Satan and his army only come to kill, steal and destroy and he will use anyone and anything to do it!

Articles:

•  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10309239/Maaloulas-cathedral-and-churches-empty-of-Christians-as-Syrias-latest-front-line-fight-takes-its-toll.html?fb

• http://www.examiner.com/article/syrian-rebels-slash-throat-of-christian-taunts-fianc-e-jesus-didn-t-save-him

  

•   http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/20/us-egypt-protests-churches-idUSBRE97J0O620130820

• http://christiannews.net/2012/09/15/christians-arrested-for-preaching-in-new-orleans-after-sunset-police-vow-to-target-churches-next/

Jesus said, “The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.  Then you will be arrested, persecuted and killed.  You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me.    And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.  And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray.  Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.  But those who endure to the end will be saved.  And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come.”  Matthew 24:7-14

“You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me,” there is definite a line being drawn in the grains of humanity right now.  

Jesus said, “Anyone who is not with me, is against me. Anyone who does not work with me is working against me.”  Matthew 12:30
 

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come.” Can you see it in the Lord’s voice?  The Lord who knows it all and has seen it all, will say, “That’s enough time for them to decide if they want to come to me to be saved or not.”  

These Last Days Pt. 2

Last and Final Invitation

This reminds me of a story Jesus told in the bible.

Jesus said: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

¹⁸ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

²⁰ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

²¹ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

²² “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:16-24

In Matthew's account of Jesus telling the story.  The messengers are ignored and some are seized and treated shamefully and some are killed for giving the invite.  Matthew 22

The Lord has given an invitation for His salvation.  He has given his invitation for people to get to know him and join him in heaven but many people are giving excuses and putting it off like death and His coming have some kind of guidelines and can be dictated by how we feel and our schedule.   People are being careless with their soul by ignoring such invitations.   This is not the time to be too busy.  This is not the time to hope in some false hope that will only take you straight to hell.  Jesus is inviting all of humanity.  He is reaching out to us as a whole.  Please do not make excuses and be too busy for him. 

DID YOU GET YOUR INVITATION?

If people don’t come and come soon, they won’t taste the salvation that only comes in Jesus Christ.  Instead, by their choice, they will sadly be tortured in hell and the thrown into the lake of fire.   (Sometimes there is no nice way to say the truth.)

If you have not seen the 23 Minutes in Hell video-  you may want to watch it to give you a better understanding of what hell is like.  You can view it on YouTube and on this blog.

 Jesus speaking of his return said, “When the Son of Man returns, the world will be like the people were in Noah’s day.  In those days before the flood, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came to destroy them all. ” Luke 17:26-27

Noah had been building that boat for some 100 years!  Noah’s family probably told many people that God was going to flood the earth.   People, seeing the boat out in the middle of nowhere, probably just scoffed and disregarded him.  Just as people today will scoff and disregard the saving message of Jesus Christ and His return.

2 Peter 2:3-7 says “Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. ⁴ They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created. They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water.  Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood.  And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.”

These Last Days Pt. 3

Redundancy of  the Good News.  Cont. Pt 2.

Does that scare you?  It scares me and I am saved.  It scares me for those people who have chosen not to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

That is why God is giving one last call.   He is having his pastors, teachers, evangelist, and servants, give the message of the Good News. 

Are you ready?  Are you prepared?  Did you know what it means to be saved?  Do you just know what the bible says just as Judas knew Christ but in the end was not saved because he was the son of the devil by his actions. 

Then Jesus said, "I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil."

 
Jesus chooses all of us but it is our choice to make in Lord of our life or not.

Why do you think God's messengers are giving the salvation message again and again?  Why do you think they are speaking with a sense of urgency?  Why do you think they are speaking as plainly as they can?   Souls are at stake!  You either will have Jesus in heaven or hell without him and there is no place out of hell once you are in hell and you can’t get to heaven without Jesus. (Note: Luke 6:19-31)

The Lord is Not Slow in Coming.  

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”2 Peter 3:9-10

Repentance comes when we accept the Good News.  For how could a person be repentant if they don’t accept the Good News?

These Last Days Pt. 4

Sin & The Good News Cont. Pt3

“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.” 1 John 1:8-10

All of us will suffer from the affects of sin.  We will suffer the affects of our own sin and we will suffer the affects of other people’s sin in this life.   No one knows the affects of sin affecting their life better then our Lord Jesus Christ who paid the price for our sins on the cross.  Jesus was without sin yet he suffered the consequences of all our sin.

”For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”  2 Corinthians 5:21

Some may have heard of the old Jewish system of sacrificing animals for sins, this was only a mere shadow… a foretelling of the REAL sacrifice- who was Jesus Christ.

 ^“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

 “We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins.  And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.  For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty.   

He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins.   For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us.  We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.  God was being entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus.  Can we boost, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds.  It is based on our faith.  So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”  Romans 3:22- 28

 You and I cannot be forgiven of our sins and go to heaven unless we sincerely tell God we are sorry for our sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our life.  

These Last Days Pt.5

How Are We to Face Sin & Persecution as Christians?

Answer: We are to follow our Savior’s example.

When God showed me this again, I gained a greater understanding of how we are to face persecution as children of God. 

 “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.  And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away.  No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.  But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.”  Isaiah 53:7-9

What strikes the spiritual cords are these words, “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.  And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.  Unjustly condemned, he was led away. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal;” 

Jesus who was sinless said NOTHING to justify and defend himself even as he suffered scourging of whips, humiliation, ridicule, hung on a cross as a criminal by his hands and feet and given sour wine from a soldiers sanitary sponge.   Jesus said NOTHING.  He was a sheep silent before the knife of death. 
 

Now think of our brothers and sisters in Christ have been imprisoned, tortured, and slaughtered because they confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Jesus said “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

Our lives are to mean something.  Evil wants to tempt us to fight back but “woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (NOTE: Matthew 18:7)

These Last Days pt.6

Tempted to Retaliate

The world's mentality is an Eye for an Eye.  Revenge is sweet.  They did it to me so I can do it back to them.   It's, "seek our own type of justice and even "vigilante" justice.  Many Hollywood movies and television shows play into this type of thinking but the word of God says:

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.   Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good, pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2  

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times? 
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” Matthew 18:21-22

When we are tempted to act on the flesh - see what is tugging at the other end.      

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it”.  1 Corinthians 10:13

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18

“But you must be Holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.” 1 Peter 1:15

Mindset  

If we can imagine for moment… Jesus has been beaten and nailed to the cross by the very men he is going to the cross for.  And Jesus says with no partiality, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from heaven is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and good deeds.  It shows no partiality and is always sincere.”

We are not to gratify our own flesh by physical vengeance and/or harden verbal words of discontent but do as Jesus did. NOTE: Galatians 5:16

“So get rid of all evil behavior.  Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.”  1 Peter 2:1

“For it is God’s will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence (muzzle, gag) the ignorant charges and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons. [Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:15-16 (AMP)

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  Matthew 5:43-48

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. “  Ephesians 4:26-27

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Never Being Disgraced

1 Peter 2:5-6 “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.  What’s more, you are his holy priests.  Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,  and it gives light to everyone in the house.   In the same way, let your lightshine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

I am finding there are those who simply don't care about right and wrong anymore.  They don't care if their actions are evil.  They are going to do what they want to do regardless.   You have probably found the same but it doesn't matter what they do- you and I have do right.  Pray fro those who do wrong that they may come to God.

 John 3:19 "And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil."