Long Live the King!

Click here to listen to blog

“One of David's descendants

will always be king,

and his family will rule

until the sky disappears.

 

Suppose some of his children

should reject my Law

and refuse my instructions.

 

Or suppose they should disobey

all of my teachings.

 

Then I will correct

and punish them

because of their sins.

 

But I will always love David

and faithfully keep all

of my promises to him.

 

“I won't break my agreement

or go back on my word.

 

I have sworn once and for all

by my own holy name,

and I won't lie to David.

 

His family will always rule.

I will let his kingdom last

as long as the sun and moon

appear in the sky.”

Psalm 89:29-37

Jesus was the descendant of David who will always be King! Jesus is not a President who has "limited power." Jesus is truly the King of all the earth. Although Satan and his demons oppose Jesus they have not and will not defeat the King of kings and Lord of lords!

We have lifted high the concept of a democracy on this earth. And don't misunderstand, a country that allows its people the freedom to chose how they live and how they work is a great thing. But the Kingdom of God is not a democracy. Jesus is not "one branch" of limited government. When you become a citizen of Heaven and submit yourself to the rule of Jesus Christ there is only one vote in making decisions for your life, and that vote is the one cast by Jesus Himself.

It is a serious matter when we try to make God's Kingdom a democracy. We want to say that it doesn't matter how you interpret the Scriptures, and take very lightly the direct Word of God about many matters of this life! There are things that God says are sin and we say are lifestyle issues! God has not changed, but we have changed and somehow expect God to honor our violating or ignoring altogether His Word! It is like declaring that the law of gravity no longer applies and then jumping off of a cliff!

"Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are indeed Lord and not President. I praise You that You rule as King! Long live the King! May the King live forever! Amen."

Eternal Excursion!

Click here to listen to blog

I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:

God's home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people.  He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

Revelation 21:3-4

It is a fact of life that the older you get the more pain you experience. I heard an old man once say, "When I wake up in the morning, the pain lets me know that I am still alive!" The limitations of living that come with aging are all reminders of our need for Heaven.

More and more I feel like an animal caught in a trap. The natural freedoms of youth and good health slowly leave each of us as we grow old. When I was in my 20's I would regularly pick up a 90 pound bag of cement. It was not easy, but it did not exhaust my strength. I am more than 65 now and recently I went to buy such a bag at a home improvement store. I bent over to pick up the bag of cement and I could not lift it off of the floor!

When I was young and strong, the thought of Heaven was not nearly as pleasant as it is for an old man. In Heaven I will be strong. There will be no more sorrow, or death, or suffering, or crying or pain! Those ravages that came on me because of the curse of fallen man will all be wiped away! Even though I live today with the Holy Spirit in my heart and the Love of God molding me into the likeness of Jesus Christ I am still a human being and suffer from the effects of Adam's sin!

But the day is coming, and for those of us who are older it is coming soon, when either Jesus will come or I will go to be with Him! The brief journey of life on this earth will be over and the eternal excursion before the Throne of God will begin!

"Dear Jesus, every pain I feel today reminds me of Your promise to take away all the pain, suffering and death itself! Help me today Lord to complete the work You have for me so that I will be ready for You to come or me to go! And may You be praised now and forevermore! Amen."

When Trouble Comes!

Click here to listen to blog

Some time later, God spoke to Azariah son of Oded. At once, Azariah went to Asa and said:

Listen to me, King Asa and you people of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord will be with you and help you, as long as you obey and worship him. But if you disobey him, he will desert you.

For a long time, the people of Israel did not worship the true God or listen to priests who could teach them about God. They refused to obey God's Law. But whenever trouble came, Israel turned back to the Lord their God and worshiped him.

There was so much confusion in those days that it wasn't safe to go anywhere in Israel. Nations were destroying each other, and cities were wiping out other cities, because God was causing trouble and unrest everywhere.

2 Chronicles 15:1-6

Replace the word "Israel" with the name of your country in verses 3 and 4 and then read them again.

"For a long time, the people of the United States did not worship the true God or listen to men (priests) who could teach them about God. They refused to obey God's law. But whenever trouble came, the United States turned back to the Lord their God and worshiped Him."

Do you remember the days after the 9-11 attack? Members of Congress gathered on the steps of the Capitol to sing "God bless America" and there was a temporary rush to go back to church. There were even national newscasters who called the nation to prayer! But that turn back to God only lasted a few days, weeks or months at best. Then we were back to our old ways of banning God from as much of our lives as we possibly could.

The lesson we should learn from 9-11 is truly sobering. God wants the people of the United States to turn their hearts back to Him before trouble comes again. But His desire for our hearts is so strong that He is willing to let us suffer greatly if that is what it takes to lead us back to Him.

Consider the price that the United States (or your nation) has paid, is paying and will pay for standing against God and His Word. There is no doubt that we will be called back to God and that "calling" may be much more painful than 9-11!

For your sake and the sake of everyone who lives in your nation turn your heart back to God today! You will never regret letting Jesus Christ be the Lord of your life.

"Dear Jesus, we have turned away from You and tried to tell You how much influence You can have in our country. We have told You that Your righteousness could come as a sprinkle of rain or at most a light shower. But Lord let Your righteousness come as a down pour and then as a flood across our land. And may You, Jesus be praised and glorified forever. Amen."

When I Become Like Jesus

 

Click here to listen to blog

Our God, we thank you

for being so near to us!

Everyone celebrates

your wonderful deeds.

 

You have set a time

to judge with fairness.

 

The earth trembles,

and its people shake;

you alone keep

its foundations firm.

 

You tell every bragger,

“Stop bragging!”

And to the wicked you say,

“Don't boast of your power!

 

Stop bragging! Quit telling me

how great you are.”

 

Our Lord and our God,

victory doesn't come

from the east or the west

or from the desert.

 

You are the one who judges.

You can take away power

and give it to others.

 

You hold in your hand

a cup filled with wine,

strong and foaming.

You will pour out some

for every sinful person

on this earth,

and they will have to drink

until it is gone.

 

But I will always tell about

you, the God of Jacob,

and I will sing your praise.

 

Our Lord, you will destroy

the power of evil people,

but you will give strength

to those who are good.

Psalm 75:1-10

Do you get angry at evil people? Does it make you mad that wickedness flourishes in so many places on earth today? Do you want to go to war against injustice and discrimination? So many people today are like a doctor who accurately diagnoses the disease, but prescribes the wrong medicine. They see the evils of this world and work diligently to make them "illegal!" The problem with that solution is that "Evil" does not obey the "Law."

Then in frustration and the belief that "The End Justifies the Means" they seek to destroy those who are evil. Isn't that what God ultimately does? Well of course it is, but until that Judgment Day comes God has another solution, and it is our job to pursue it.

When an evil man or woman meets Jesus Christ and decides to follow Him, his past sins are wiped away and he loses his desire to keep on sinning. Evil is defeated as one sinner at a time is changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Delivering that message of radical change is the "mission" of every follower of Jesus.

When I become like Jesus there is no room for the wickedness that used to occupy my heart. When I become like Jesus my thoughts become like the thoughts of God and my greatest delight is seeing the Blood of Jesus wash another sinner and spread the joy of knowing Him!

"Lord Jesus, thank You for letting me engage in the battle against wickedness and evil by spreading the Good News that every man and woman alive today can become like You. Let me tell someone today of Your great love and the joy of knowing You. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen!"

Joy of Heaven!

Click here to listen to blog

Fig trees may no longer bloom,

or vineyards produce grapes;

olive trees may be fruitless,

and harvest time a failure;

sheep pens may be empty,

and cattle stalls vacant—

but I will still celebrate

because the Lord God

is my Savior.

 

The Lord gives me strength.

He makes my feet as sure

as those of a deer,

and he helps me stand

on the mountains.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

We carefully teach our children to rejoice and celebrate because of the way God blesses them! And it is good to be grateful to God for all His blessings, but there is a deeper truth that followers of Jesus Christ must learn.

Those who have given their hearts to God always have a reason to celebrate! Even in the depths of sickness, death and human tragedies the real justification for celebration is not touched.

When Jesus hung on the Cross He provided the permanent solution for every human despair. The ravages of Satan and of sin do not ascend to Heaven when we leave here. No suffering here on earth transfers to Heaven. And no joy on this earth even comes close to the Eternal Joy of Heaven!

Let today be a day of celebration in your life, even if all around you is pain and suffering and human tragedies of Olympic proportions. Let your joy come straight from Heaven and your celebration be fueled by the fire of God Himself!

"Lord Jesus open my eyes and ears and heart to the joys of knowing You and of the celebration that is going on right now in Heaven! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen."

Beautiful Beyond Description

Click here to listen to blog

My friends, be patient until the Lord returns. Think of farmers who wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains to make their valuable crops grow. Be patient like those farmers and don't give up. The Lord will soon be here! Don't grumble about each other or you will be judged, and the judge is right outside the door.

My friends, follow the example of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They were patient, even when they had to suffer.  In fact, we praise the ones who endured the most. You remember how patient Job was and how the Lord finally helped him. The Lord did this because he is so merciful and kind.

James 5:7-11

When a new baby is born the most difficult time is right before the moment of birth. The time of labor is always hard and sometimes terrible. The nine months of carrying a child requires a lot of patience on the part of both parents.

We are closer now to the time of the return of Jesus than ever before. Many people believe that the labor pains are well under way. Troubles are everywhere in the lives of those who love Jesus. You need patience and faith just to get through one day.

But the "delivery" is coming when we will be delivered from this world and ushered into Heaven to be with Jesus forever! It will happen in the "twinkling of an eye." Faster than you can blink your eyes Jesus will be here and Eternity will begin. And all the trouble we have had here will seem like nothing compared to the Glory we will share with Jesus.

Here is a good thing to do. Live today as if this is the day for the return of Jesus. Be ready for His return every second of this day. Cast off all thoughts that would pull you away from Him. Run away from every temptation. When you become aware of sin in your life, repent immediately! "The Lord will soon be here! "

"Jesus, I have expected You before and I expect You today! May the day that You return be one on which I am waiting and looking for You to come back. Help me to stand strong in my faith in spite of all the problems, difficulties and even suffering I may have today. Lord, I know you are beautiful beyond description, and I know that one day soon my eyes will see Your face! Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen."

Click here to go to BillSteensland.com

There’s a Great Day Coming!

 

Click here to listen to blog.

A good road will be there,

and it will be named

“God's Sacred Highway.”

It will be for God's people;

no one unfit to worship God

will walk on that road.

And no fools can travel

on that highway.

 

No lions or other wild animals

will come near that road;

only those the Lord has saved

will travel there.

 

The people the Lord has rescued

will come back singing

as they enter Zion.

Happiness will be a crown

everyone will always wear.

They will celebrate and shout

because all sorrows and worries

will be gone far away.

Isaiah 35:8-10

The road here on earth as we travel through this life is very hard. Sorrows and worries and pain are all part of the journey. I have never met a man or woman who has not suffered while living here on earth.

Thank God that this life and the road we travel here on earth is not the end of the story! If it were there would indeed be no hope for the future.

These words delivered to us through the prophet Isaiah so many years ago are a reminder that we can and should get excited about the future those who are saved will have in Heaven! I especially like the line that says "Happiness will be a crown everyone will always wear." Just imagine that everyone you meet every day is happy. No one is worried or hurting or sick and no one ever has a "complaint."

Also imagine a world where there are no seat belts to keep you safe and no warnings about things that might hurt you. Ponder a place where no one ever gets sick and doctors are not needed. And I think the one that I find most appealing is that Heaven is a place where every word that is spoken is true! Truth will not be a goal. Truth will be the very air we breath in Heaven.

"Lord Jesus, I want to be even more excited about the prospect of Heaven. Work in my mind and heart today and help me think about what it will be like when that GREAT DAY comes! Praise Your Name now and forevermore. Amen."