Secrets of Eternity!

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Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings. Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.

The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.”  We are not told he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever.

Notice how great Melchizedek was! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies.  The Law teaches that even Abraham's descendants must give a tenth of what they possess. And they are to give this to their own relatives, who are the descendants of Levi and are priests.  Although Melchizedek wasn't a descendant of Levi, Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham, who had been given God's promise.  Everyone agrees a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.

Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive.

Hebrews 7:1-8

Who is Melchizedek, this priest who did not die? Every time I read these verses I come away with more questions than answers about Melchizedek. He had no father or mother, was the King of Salem and received a tithe from Abraham.

Mentioning Melchizedek is like peering through a tiny hole in the wall into a much larger story that is not detailed in the Bible. One of the things I look forward to in Heaven is hearing the whole story about Melchizedek. Why did he have no father or mother and why did he not die?

For me, the lesson of Melchizedek is this: After you have consumed the entire Bible and know every truth revealed in its pages there is so much more that we will not know until we come into the presence of the Lord! I believe that the Holy Spirit specifically introduced Melchizedek to us in the Bible to remind us that there are many things that we cannot know on this earth!

How can you look up at the stars on a clear night and not be humbled by the vast expanse of unanswered questions? The Bible even says that God has named every one of those dots of light you see in the night sky.

"Lord, I fall down at Your feet and praise You for all that You have revealed to me and for all that You have kept secret. I cannot even imagine how great You really are and will be forever! What a day that will be when I see behind the wall of this earth and look clearly at all the Secrets of Eternity that are seen by all those who stand in Your presence! Thank you Lord, Amen!"

A Room in Heaven!

Jesus said to his disciples, “Don't be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.

John 14:1-3

God built a house and that house has many rooms. Try to imagine God's house. Would it be like a Southern mansion or like a skyscraper in the city? When God walks in the front door of His house does He have to duck because He is so tall? I think not. God's house must fit His needs perfectly.

Right now Jesus is working on preparing rooms in God's House for His children who are going to come on that Great Day and live in God's house. There is a television show, which I think is now off the air except re-runs that either remodels or rebuilds a house for a family. They listen to all their preferences and desires and make for them the perfect house. When it is ready they put the family behind a bus and then someone says "Move the Bus" and the family sees their new and amazing house!

When Jesus comes for you He will take you to His Father's house and show you the room He has personally prepared! I have lots of questions now. I don't suppose I will have any then. Questions like: "If there is no night in Heaven and we don't sleep then will I need a bed in my room?" "How big are the rooms in His Father's House?"

I don't think I have ever heard someone talk about our rooms in Heaven. The Bible really doesn't say more than the fact that we will have one and that Jesus is preparing it for us. But followers of Jesus will have a room in God's House in Heaven and I suppose that is enough to know!

Did you ever arrive at a hotel and find out that the room you thought was waiting for you was given to someone else? That is a real inconvenience. But what a tragedy if you leave this world thinking that you had reserved a room in Heaven and you find out it is not there!
If you try to reserve a room in Heaven by doing good things you will be disappointed. If you depend on the fact that you work hard and are honest to guarantee a room in Heaven you will find out that no room will be waiting for you. Rooms in God's House in Heaven are only for those who give their hearts to Jesus and trust Him as they obey His commands and walk in His steps!

"Lord Jesus, thank you for preparing a room for me. Thank you for promising not only a room in God's House, but that You will be with me forever! And Lord, I really like walls that are blue like the sky! Amen."

Shroud of Turin

“On Sunday morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran to Simon Peter and to Jesus’ favorite disciple and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him.”


Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. They ran side by side, until the other disciple ran faster than Peter and got there first.

He bent over and saw the strips of linen cloth lying inside the tomb, but he did not go in.


When Simon Peter got there, he went into the tomb and saw the strips of cloth. He also saw the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus’ face. It was rolled up and in a place by itself.”

John 20:1-7

The Shroud of Turin is still an unresolved mystery. The claims that it is the burial cloth of Jesus and that the image on the Shroud is that of Jesus have not been definitively proven or debunked. Some years ago carbon dating was used on the Shroud and it was thought that those tests proved that the Shroud of Turin was not real. Since then apparent flaws in those tests puts the Shroud back into the realm of the unknown.

Is it possible that the image on that cloth is Jesus' image burned on to the cloth on the first resurrection morning? Of course it is possible. The Bible specifically mentions the cloth. After the resurrection who would have tossed it out?

The resurrected Jesus may or may not have burned His likeness on the burial cloth, but when you meet Him, two thousand years later, Jesus burns His image on your life! When others look at you, they no longer see the man you used to be, but they see the resurrected Christ.

It is a miracle far greater than the Shroud of Turin.

Like a Train Wreck!

After you eat and are full, give praise to the [Lord] your God for the good land he gave you. Make sure that you never forget the [Lord] or disobey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. If you always obey them, you will have plenty to eat, and you will build good houses to live in.

You will get more and more cattle, sheep, silver, gold, and other possessions.

But when all this happens, don't be proud! Don't forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and that it was the [Lord] who set you free.

Deuteronomy 8:10-14

Remembering, praising and obeying the Lord results in having plenty to eat, good houses to live in and provisions. Somehow even Christians today have come to the conclusion that those things come from “Capitalism” and “Democracy.”  Capitalism and Democracy are not bad things, but they are not the source of our blessings.

When men, without God establish a system of doing business and governing themselves it is like a powerful train rushing down the tracks, but no one built a bridge to cross the river. It may look good for a while, but it will surely crash!

Remember that even Freedom is not something you bestow upon yourself.  Even if you desire to be free, someone stronger than your shackles must declare it so.  Every man and woman is born into the slavery of sin and have no way of freeing themselves from that bondage.

The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He is willing and able to free us from slavery to sin.  When Jesus sets you free you are free indeed.

Beware of the false promises of freedom, capitalism and democracy without God!  Without God they will all fail.  Return to the Lord and let Him rebuild the nation!

The First Bite!

Don't keep the prophecies in this book a secret. These things will happen soon.
Evil people will keep on being evil, and everyone who is dirty-minded will still be dirty-minded. But good people will keep on doing right, and God's people will always be holy.

Then I was told:

I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done.
I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city.

Revelation 22:10-14

Years ago when I lived in Indonesia I discovered the fruit! Growing up in the United States may have some advantages, but having access to fresh and wonderful fruit is not one of them. There was one fruit in Indonesia that was like a grapefruit but larger and it was sweet, very sweet. And of course you know that bananas fresh off the tree are really much better.

When we arrive in Heaven I wonder if there will there be a line to get your first bite of fruit from the Tree of Life? There will be no snake tempting you to try it and with that bite you will seal your fate of living forever!

When Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked. I wonder how eating of the Tree of Life will change us when we eat it? Will there be a new eternal awareness that sin and death are gone forever? Will we look at our new bodies and recognize the difference?

What will fruit from the Tree of Life taste like? I am certain of this, that nothing can compare to that Eternal Fruit! The satisfaction of eating that fruit will last forever.

Let nothing on earth keep you from that day! Throw away, repent of and abandon every sin that hinders your walk with Christ. Run after the joy of the Lord as you prepare for the return of Jesus and your first bite of the fruit from the Tree of Life!
Amen!

New Strength!

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You people of Israel say, “God pays no attention to us! He doesn't care if we are treated unjustly.” But how can you say that?

Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the eternal God, Creator of the earth. He never gets weary or tired; his wisdom cannot be measured.

The Lord gives strength to those who are weary. Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall.

But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.

Isaiah 40:27-31

When a runner reaches the end of his strength and can't go on any longer he may suddenly experience a "second wind."

There is no certain scientific explanation for it but it is real and many runners have been enabled to finish the race because of a "second wind."

Have you reached the end of your strength in the race of life? You know for certain that you will not be able to go on much longer. Life is just too hard and the troubles that seem to come daily have emptied your reserve of energy.

Without a new source of energy you will not be able to continue. Then you begin to wait upon the Lord and trust Him for everything in your life and the Spiritual Second Wind begins to come! Troubles are still there but you are not drained of your strength in their wake. Instead of being crushed by the waves you are riding them as you praise the Name of Jesus!

"Lord, I cannot take another step without a "Second Wind" from You. Pick me up Lord and let me ride above the storm as I rest in Your arms!"

Capitalism Without God!

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You rich people should cry and weep! Terrible things are going to happen to you.  Your treasures have already rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  Your money has rusted, and the rust will be evidence against you, as it burns your body like fire. Yet you keep on storing up wealth in these last days.

You refused to pay the people who worked in your fields, and now their unpaid wages are shouting out against you. The Lord All-Powerful has heard the cries of the workers who harvested your crops.

While here on earth, you have thought only of filling your own stomachs and having a good time. But now you are like fat cattle on their way to be butchered.

You have condemned and murdered innocent people, who couldn't even fight back.

James 5:1-6

It's not wrong to be rich, but people who are rich are greatly tempted to trust in their riches instead of trusting in God. And rich people who do not fear God are frequently guilty of abusing the poor. Respect for the poor comes from God's perspective on all men. A successful man who does not have faith in God finds it easy to believe that a poor man is just lazy and not worthy of the wealth that comes by hard work.

Here is the problem and the solution. Capitalism without God becomes corrupt and abusive and will evolve into a very oppressive form of government. But capitalism with God is kind and thoughtful of the poor and respectful of the rights of all men. It is charitable and produces fruit to be enjoyed by everyone on earth.

So instead of trying to fix the system of government we must invite God to be a vibrant part of the nation. When God is honored by a nation and it's wealth producers then blessings fall on everyone.

"Lord, help me today not to trust in the things that You have given me, but to trust completely in You. Let me see all men as Your creation, and feel the love that You have for each of them. And Lord let the rain begin that will flood our land with Your Love! Amen."