Final Faith

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God’s people must learn to endure. They must also obey his commands and have faith in Jesus.

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Put this in writing. From now on, the Lord will bless everyone who has faith in him when they die.”

The Spirit answered, “Yes, they will rest from their hard work, and they will be rewarded for what they have done.”

Revelation 14:12-13 CEV

These verses include three things that God's people must do while they wait for the return of Jesus.  God's people must learn to endure.  For every follower of Jesus Christ there will be hard, and for some, very hard times and difficult circumstances.  Tough times do not vanish because of Jesus!  Rather Jesus gives you the strength to ride out the storms of life!

We also must be obedient to the will of Jesus as we walk this valley of sorrow in a world filled with sin!  Be obedient to Jesus when His commands make sense and be obedient when you don't understand what He is telling you to do.   Even if His will makes no sense, just do it!

And finally, make it your goal to be a man or woman of faith when you die!  There are followers of Jesus who will lose their heads, literally for being called "Christian."  It is common for those who know this might happen to decide in advance what to say to the person who is intending to take their lives!  If a man or woman stands up for Jesus when he or she is about to die, no one says they had no faith!

"Lord Jesus, give me the strength to declare Your Name, even to those who would take my life for doing it!  May I have faith in You, my Lord and Savior as I breathe my last breath here on this earth. May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever.  Amen."

One Day Closer

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9 After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, 10 as they shouted,

“Our God, who sits
    upon the throne,
has the power
to save his people,
    and so does the Lamb.”

11 The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshiped God 12 and said,

“Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom,
    thanks, honor, power,
and strength belong to our God
    forever and ever! Amen!”

13 One of the elders asked me, “Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?”

14 “Sir,” I answered, “you must know.”

Then he told me:

“These are the ones
who have gone through
    the great suffering.
They have washed their robes
in the blood of the Lamb
    and have made them white.
15 And so they stand
    before the throne of God
and worship him in his temple
    day and night.
The one who sits on the throne
will spread his tent
    over them.
16 They will never hunger
    or thirst again,
and they won’t be troubled
by the sun
    or any scorching heat.

17 The Lamb in the center
of the throne
    will be their shepherd.
He will lead them to streams
    of life-giving water,
and God will wipe all tears
    from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:9-17 CEV

How many people will stand before the Throne of God and worship Him?  These verses clearly say that number will be "more than could be counted."  There is a verse in Matthew 7 that says that the way to God is narrow and that there will be "few" who find it.  But according to these verses in Revelation 7 even those "few" will be "more than could be counted."

Satan wants us to feel like we are vastly outnumbered by the minions of the Enemy of God!  He wants you to believe that followers of Jesus are powerless to stand against Evil in this world.  That is simply not true.  

One Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit far outnumbers all the hordes of Hell!  As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have a future that is assured by God Himself to be Eternal and Glorious in every way!  

Keep your eyes on the King and take every step in a direction that brings you closer to Him!  Shut your ears to the alluring sound of the world which calls you back into it's depressing grip!  Let the music of Praising Jesus echo in every word you speak!

"Lord Jesus, may this day bring me one day closer to the time when I will stand before You and see Your face as I praise and worship You forever!  Amen."

To God Be The Glory!

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You've heard what my ancestors and I have done to other nations. Were the gods of those nations able to defend their land against us?  None of those gods kept their people safe from the kings of Assyria. Do you really think your God can do any better?  Don't be fooled by Hezekiah! No god of any nation has ever been able to stand up to Assyria. Believe me, your God cannot keep you safe!  The Assyrian officials said terrible things about the LORD God and his servant Hezekiah.  Sennacherib's letter even made fun of the LORD. It said, "The gods of other nations could not save their people from Assyria's army, and neither will the God that Hezekiah worships." 

2 Chronicles 32:13-17 - Contemporary English Version

If you are keeping up with the daily reports on the Pandemic you may already know that the Governor of New York said:


"Our behavior has stopped the spread of the virus. God did not stop the spread of the virus.  And what we do, how we act, will dictate how that virus spreads."

And he is quoted as saying:


"The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Fate did not do that. Destiny did not do that. A lot of pain and suffering did that."

Do not be surprised if those who challenge the Creator of all there is find themselves suffering the consequences of such foolishness!  

Our task as human beings is to proclaim the Majesty of God, not defame His Glory!  To say that God is not involved in protecting those who have not contracted the virus and in healing those who have is indeed beyond reason.  

If you are worried about the Pandemic, cry out to God for help and praise Him for all the healing that comes your way!  God is Great and God is Good and His blessings come to all men every day!

"Lord Jesus, You are our only hope in every situation, even this Pandemic!  May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever.  Amen."

Hear God's Voice Today

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All day long I will tell the wonderful things you do to save your people. But you have done much more than I could possibly know.  I will praise you, LORD God, for your mighty deeds and your power to save.  You have taught me since I was a child, and I never stop telling about your marvelous deeds.  Don't leave me when I am old and my hair turns gray. Let me tell future generations about your mighty power. 

Psalms 71:15-18 - Contemporary English Version

I remember as a child becoming aware of God and of His attempting to teach me things I did not know!  Of course, verses in the Bible were the foundation of what God spoke to me.  But it was when the truths I heard from the Bible became the truths I saw in my life and the lives of those around me that the Voice of God was more than just a written message!

I am blessed that hearing God's Voice started when I was a child, but if you are already old and have never heard from Him, He is ready and willing to speak to you today!  

Most of the world is on the verge of panic because of a pandemic that could touch any one of us today!  The world wide reaction to the corona virus has taken away many of the distractions that kept us from thinking about the certainty that we all will leave this earth in at most a few decades!  

If you have been listening to God since you were a child, or if you are now old and have never heard His Voice, today is the day to open up your ears to God!

"Lord God, everyone seems to have something to say about this world-wide plague that has come upon us.  But Lord, only Your Word about what we must do is Truth.  Speak to me today and let me rest in the knowledge that You are God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth!  May Your Name be praised now and forever.  Amen."

Jesus is Tomorrow!

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After this, I looked and saw a door that opened into heaven. Then the voice that had spoken to me at first and that sounded like a trumpet said, “Come up here! I will show you what must happen next.” 

Revelation 4:1 - CEV

Everyone wants to know what tomorrow will bring!  The future is certainly a mystery, but being ready for the future is the mark of a man or woman with wisdom.  There are many ways that people try to come to a knowledge of the future, but only one way that is certain.  Being ready for tomorrow depends totally on who you know today!  

If you know the World and are skilled in the ways of the World you may think you are prepared for what is coming next, but you are sadly mistaken! The only way to be ready for the future is to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today.  Jesus fills your heart with the Holy Spirit of God and you will have the "Mind of Christ" which enables you to live beyond the circumstances and soar above the storms of life!

Jesus is like a modern "life boat" on a cruise ship.  It is a water tight capsule that can stay afloat even if it is upside down!  Nothing will sink it as long as it is in one piece!  Jesus Christ is like that "life boat."  If you stay in Him, then everything will ultimately be fine because nothing can  sink your boat with Jesus in your heart! 

With Jesus in your heart, it doesn't matter what happens next.  Everything is covered by His promise of Eternal Life with Him in Heaven!  Nothing in this life can keep Jesus from fulfilling His promise to Save you!

Faith captures Fear and stops it in its tracks!  If you have given your heart to Jesus, then He is with you always, even to the End of the World!

"Lord Jesus, knowing You is better than knowing the future!  If I know You, You are the tomorrow in my life!  Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name, now and forever.  Amen!"

Make My People Suffer!

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Suppose I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat the crops or make my people suffer with deadly diseases. If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 - CEV

God's own people all over the world are suffering with a deadly disease. God loves His children and His mercy is great, but faith in God is not automatically rewarded with immunity to Covid-19!

Years ago the Christian community in the United States discovered  the "If My People" verse and became excited about "prayer," but we ignored the call to stop sinning and turning back to God, and we, especially paid no attention to the verse just before it! We could not imagine that God would "make my people suffer with deadly diseases!" But now even the churches in the United States are mostly closed because of the fear that a disease would spread through the church if we met for worship!

Some see this time as an opportunity for "more creative ministry," as we use the internet to keep our "services" going! I believe this is rather a time to fall on our faces before the Lord. It is a time to repent and turn back to Him! It is a time to stop sinning!

Are the "End Times" upon us and the swarms of locusts sweeping through Africa and toward the Middle East another sign of the final days before the return of Jesus? When He comes we will know for certain, but until then our job is to cling tightly to Jesus and watch for His return!

If you want to know why God would send a deadly disease on the earth, look at your own heart! You may have drifted away from Jesus and needed to be shocked to the core by what you see in the mirror of God's Word! You may need "social distancing" from other people to stay well today, but you need total intimacy with Jesus Christ to be healed from the sickness of sin!

"Lord Jesus, bring me back to the place of knowing You as everything I need in this world and in the world to come! Thank You Jesus for the shocking reminder of a deadly disease! May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever. Amen."

  
  

Time of Testing!

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I know everything you have done. And I have placed before you an open door that no one can close. You were not very strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny that you are my followers.  Now you will see what I will do with those people who belong to Satan’s group. They claim to be Jews, but they are liars. I will make them come and kneel down at your feet. Then they will know that I love you.  You obeyed my message and endured.  So I will protect you from the time of testing that everyone in all the world must go through.

Revelation 3:8-10

A "Time of Testing" has come upon the world.  Everyone on earth is seriously threatened by, if not directly impacted by the Global Pandemic of the Corona virus!  

It has stopped almost everything in it's tracks.  Even professional sports has come to a halt.  Political games have ceased as everyone realizes the "life and death" implications of the threat!  The news this morning is that the disease is no longer seen as primarily a threat to older people.  It also is a serious, and possibly life threatening illness for young people as well.

There is only one answer to this time of Corona sweeping the earth like Noah's Flood!  That answer is Jesus Christ!  Jesus wants every man, woman and child on earth to be saved from the consequences of Sin!  Jesus is the Ark of Salvation that will shelter you from the storm and deposit you, not on Mount Ararat, but in the New Jerusalem to be with Jesus forever!  Whoever  you are and wherever you are on earth, it is time to call on the Name of Jesus and give your heart and everything you are to Him!  Let Jesus rule the rest of your life here on earth and He will let you live with Him forever after your life on this earth is over!

If you give your heart to Jesus you will be ready to leave this earth if Corona takes your life.  And Jesus will also make you ready and able to stay here and give Him glory as you tell others about your Wonderful Savior for the rest of your days here on earth!

"Lord Jesus, You are the only answer to the problem of the Global Pandemic of the Corona Virus and every other problem on the face of the earth!  May your holy and righteous Name be praised now and forever.  Amen!"