Will He Know You?

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:40-46 NIV
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’  “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’  Luke 13:24-27 NIV

There is so much more to being a Christian and entering into heaven than just going to a building to be with other believers and learning to quote scriptures. Sadly, from what we can see today, that's the extent of some who claim to be Christians which I have determined is simply a label they choose to wear, but not a lifestyle they choose to live.

From The Word--we see that Jesus expects us to take care of the poor and needy, the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the homeless. He expects us to love one another for in another passage of scripture, He tells us we shall be known to each other by our love for one another. If we have not love, can we say we belong to Him or that we follow His ways?

The two commandments that He gave us to encapsulate the ten--Love God with all of our heart and soul and to love one another as we love ourselves--means we have to love unconditionally, as He loves, but we do not have to accept the foolishness exhibited by others. If we love God--we will live according to His Word and principles; if we love one another--we will not harm others in any way.

Today--we are seeing church leaders condone sexual assault committed by others wearing the label, not living the lifestyle by saying we have to forgive them. Franklin Graham, Mark Burns and so many others are enablers--pure and simple--since they won't condemn the behavior of Roy Moore and others like him in positions of leadership within a church. Unfortunately, those who enable others by overlooking their sins are probably guilty of the same behavior and women and men are afraid to speak up. This should not be so!

Women have to stand up and speak out against ANYONE who has molested them, assaulted them or harassed them in order to humiliate or denigrate them. We are not objects for which man can use and abuse at will and we will not stand by and allow the continued objectification women have suffered for decades. The time has come for all who have committed sexual assault of any kind--to CONFESS, REPENT AND RESIGN from positions of authority and leadership. It's PAST TIME for women to defend themselves and for the rest of us to stop--re-victimizing women who do speak up.

Is our final destination heaven or hell? Will He know us by our deeds that glorified Him and allow us to enter into heaven or will He shun us the way we shunned living for Him and turn us away? It is up to us as to where we spend eternity and many who are simply wearing the Christian label will be surprised when they hear--"Depart from me--I never knew you."

Empowering women to stand up and speak out against harassment and other inequalities should be the goal of every person seeking an elected position, now and forevermore. I stand with all the women and men who have been sexually assaulted or harassed and will work to make sure their lives are not further diminished simply because they chose to tell it--no matter how long it took them to tell it.

Resurrection!

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. Luke 24:1-8 NIV
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. Luke 18:31-34 NIV

It is comforting to know that everything prophesied about the Coming Messiah has been fulfilled--just as it was told.

Because of His obedience and willingness to sacrifice His life for love; we all have an opportunity to live with Him for all eternity--just as He said we would.

There are many things that have been said throughout the past week and will continue in churches all over the world today, but the most important thing that can ever be said is, "He rose from the dead so we might have life." It is through His resurrection that we gain grace--unmerited favor--to live with Him, not because of how good we are.

Actually, our entrance into Heaven has nothing to do with our being good, but on how we live that demonstrates we belong to Jesus.

Are we loving and forgiving?

Are we defending the rights of the poor and the needing?

Are we seeking God for direction in all we do or are we allowing the dictates of man to control us?

No one has demonstrated love with the ultimate sacrifice of giving their life so we might live other than Jesus.

No one has died and rose again--just as He said He would--returning to the Father--preparing a place for us--other than Jesus.

So take a few minutes or the entire day or the rest of the your life and think about what His Resurrection really means to you and enjoy the celebration!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Living With Him!

Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27 NIV

Take heart and know that God's Word is true and nothing has escaped Him. He knows everything that is going on in the hearts of all those in the White House and in our houses. When we know Him--have a deeply, personal, intimate relationship with God--we can rest assured of His goodness and nothing will occur without Him warning us in advance.

Therefore, we must be vigilant in hearing and obeying His voice, not the voices of those who would deceive through guile and buffoonery, lies and skepticism--gas lighting attempts to convince a person to doubt what they see or hear that reveals and exposes truth for all to see.

Beware of the Trojan Horse that entered the White House on January 20, 2017 sheltering all manner of evil and evil doers; those who lie and have no integrity. God saw it and revealed it to many, but the gas-lighter--through claims and proclamations that Mass Media cannot be trusted has convinced some to believe only the fake news from those who "honor him and his lies."

Fortunately, many of us can see beyond the smoke and mirrors and because we seek God's wisdom--know exactly how the gullible America is being played and how it end badly if efforts are not made to stop the madness now.

When I leave this earth (and not on a space flight), I know I'll live with Him for all eternity, but while I'm here, I expect to see His Goodness in the land of the living. We can all experience His Goodness when we seek His wisdom in knowing how to live on this side of Heaven.

Don't give up your mansion for the sake of incurring favor from the wicked; stand firm on God's Word and keep moving in the direction in which He is guiding, not those who don't know Him. Though we may be moving slow--we know--only those who endure to the end, will understand victory in Jesus' name. Keep going and doing all that needs to be done for the sake of righteousness, not profiteering.

Remember the most important mission for us who know Him--He loved us enough to die for us; we must love Him enough to live for Him.

Who Will Enter?

LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. Psalm 15 NIV

I am so thankful that God loves me--loves us all--for He did not come down to save just me, but all who would accept the gift of salvation through His shed blood.

There's a song that many churches--especially in the Black Community --sing, "Down through the years, God's been good to me," and when I look back over my life, I can sing that song with reverence because He has been so good to me. Not that I've been perfect--there are no perfect people--but because I recognize Him for who He is and I try to live according to His Word.

In order for anyone to live according to God's Word, they must first know it. When we get into The Word--we learn how God wants us to live--and if we're honest with ourselves--we see The Word as a mirror--reflecting back to us who we are and where we fall short. Even when we fall short--His mercy and grace--sustain us--renewing our determination to get living right for Him. It is because of His mercy and grace--that we can know without doubting, whether we will enter into His presence at the end of our journey on this side of Heaven.

When David wrote the few verses above, He understood--not because he had read a bible as we know it, but because of the teachings from a child--by his family about God's goodness and what He had always done for the Children of Israel. David was not a perfect man, but he was a man after God's own heart in that he recognized when he was wrong and repented, seeking God's forgiveness.

If a person never recognizes when they are wrong and won't do anything to correct the wrong, they will never enter into God's presence.

When John--the Baptizer--was on his journey throughout the region, "crying in the wilderness" as we're told, "Repent, Repent, for the kingdom of the Lord is at hand." He was the precursor for Jesus--warning people that they must admit being or doing wrong and setting things right. Though John was beheaded for telling the truth--he knew where he would spend eternity.

Do we know? Can we know? I know there's a mansion in heaven with my name on the door plate and I have determined that nothing and on one is going to impede my arrival--I will enter my promise--as Jesus told it.  "For in my Father's House are many mansions."

Now think about this: we who are laborers for The Lord--the little people--the caring people, the benevolent people, the people who given generously to those in need, the people who give of their time and talents to fight injustice and to defend the rights of the poor and needy, we have a right to enter in and know with assurance we have a place for all eternity as a reward for the sacrifices we've made to help others out of obedience to God.

Then there are those who have done nothing for anyone, but expect everyone else to do for them. They are self-centered, thin-skinned and think the world revolves around them. They are quick to criticize others, but get angry when others criticize them. In their minds, they are the only ones who are right and everyone else is wrong. And that's a description of the Tweeter-in-chief who feels like it is "his right" to be president, when all the evidence surfacing reveals he got to that point--by corruption and deception.

He believes he is above the law and in fact thinks laws were not meant for him and unfortunately, the so-called religious, family values group of lawmakers are doing nothing--at this moment--to correct his thinking. What they are doing is allowing him to think, he can change our democracy into a dictatorship ruled by Putin with him as his puppet.

Will they enter into God's presence at the end of life's journey? Not according to His Word. I don't know where they will spend eternity but I do know that liars will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity.
Where will you spend eternity? I'd love for all I know to spend eternity with me in heaven, but that is not my choice; it is every individual's choice and all I can do--is to make sure all I know--have been made aware of their options. Jesus is Lord and He loved us--each and everyone--enough to die for us and I am determined to love Him enough to live for Him. Will you join me?

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for loving us enough to come down from heaven, living in the likeness of man, experiencing all that we would experience in life, and yet willing--with all the flaws you saw in us--looking ahead through the years--and yet still decided to hang a cross for our sins. Forgive us for not understanding how much You love and teach us daily how we're to live and treat others. Encourage and embolden us to always speak truth as You give it to us, no matter what others may think. And for any who have not already accepted You as their personal Savior, move upon their hearts to receive You, now. In Jesus' name we pray and thank You, Amen!

Ignoring The Obvious!

Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. Deuteronomy 28:14-25 NIV

When we choose to ignore God, we choose to be the recipients of His Word--whether it is a blessing or a curse; it is our choice that determines what happens to us in life.

For the unbelieving--they won't care because they don't believe and won't believe; God's Word means nothing to them except to be an object of scorn and derision. And Believers--true Believers (not those professing to be Christians but have no demonstrable fruit as proof of who they are), should know we cannot afford to ignore God--and the obvious--the benefits or the consequences. For God's Word was given to man for our benefit that we might stand in righteousness and be a beacon of light and hope for the unbelieving. The problem is--if our behavior and conduct is no different than what the unbelievers do--why would they pay attention to us?

Let's look at the world of the unbelieving--they lie to get what they want, will cheat others, plot conspiracies to destroy reputations, in the corporate world and in communities. People get caught up on wanting titles and positions and status and will do anything to get what they want. Hollywood accentuates the life of the unbelieving as the means to crush the opposition and to control what others do.

In every day life--we see the results of corporate corruption and greed and when greed needs to be fed, everything in its path becomes food to soothe the craving. Big companies swallow up the little ones without regard to the people who must eek out a living--the best they can and when that becomes problematic, the people--turn to whatever is available--drugs, alcohol, bribery, more corruption--just to survive. And if they ever had a conscience, many turn to suicide--not willing to face themselves or what they've done or others and what they've done.

In the church buildings (because many have forgotten they are the church), many end up making the church leaders their god, and will do everything the leader wants them to do in order to maintain an avenue to move forward. Those claiming to be Christians will lie and mislead, promoting untruths to pacify a leader who has turned aside from God. Church leaders have been guilty of predatory behavior, sexually and financially; they have cheated the people they lead and planted the seeds of corruption by convincing others to do what they say and to treat others with disdain. The behavior of the leaders have led to public scrutiny and lawsuits and growing unbelief in the leaders, church and God.

Why is this occurring across the land? We have ignored the obvious--we stopped obeying God and chose to obey the lust of the flesh and to follow the leaders who don't know God. So we should not be amazed that the consequences of our actions are bringing the Word to life in a way that we can no longer ignore God's Word. If we ever plan to see a change in this world, it is time to turn aside--from everything and everyone--from ignoring God. We can no longer afford to not make God a priority in our lives.

But is it too late? Have we already set the stage for the next act that brings about our destruction for all the world to see? We are on the precipice--overlooking a cliff--with a depth we cannot see with our physical eyes, and once we go over--there is no help, no return--no other chance to get things right with God.

God has said in His Word that only a remnant will be saved from the destruction the enemy has plotted for all who ignore God. Are we included in the remnant? Have we maintained a right relationship with God, securing our destination and eternity to live with Him? Or have we ignored the obvious by choosing to make men and women our gods, following them instead of God?

Though The Word of God applies to anyone who Believes it--regardless of nationality or ethnicity--I believe we can see God speaking directly to Americans at this intersection in our history. Which way will we go? Will we continue to follow lying leaders or will we rise up and take a stand to give God His rightful place in our lives and speak up for justice?

It's up to us--we all have to choice to make and I pray our choice is God, not men, and we will stop ignoring the obvious.

Forever With Us!

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1
And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.  Exodus 24:16
Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. I Chronicles 15:28
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. Matthew 21:14
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:20
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelation 21:6
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:12,20

From the beginning when He created all things and without Him, nothing was ever created, He has been with us.

From the mouths of those who were willing to be used, He has spoken to us.

From the clouds to the pillars into the ark of the covenant, His Spirit has never left us.

From heaven into the earth in form and likeness of man, He lived among us.

From the time of His death, burial and resurrection to His return to Heaven, Holy Spirit has remained with us.

From the time we accepted Him as Lord and received His Spirit as our comforter and guide, He has lived within us.

And when He returns for those who are His--He'll take us to live with Him, forevermore.
He has been and will always be with us!

No matter what is happening or has happened in the earth, our hope is in Him, our faith is in Him, and we can say with confidence and no fear, "Come quickly, Lord!"

Don't Despair!

It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased,
The golden city ceased! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,
The scepter of the rulers; He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke,
He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing. Isaiah 14:3-7 NKJV

Our day of rest is coming--rest from hearing adults act like children, rest from watching entire cities being bombed and entire populations diminished, rest from debating the merit of being religious versus being in relationship with God--rest--from all the cares of the world and we will see the world break forth into singing.

Is your song ready?

"Great is thy faithfulness, Great is they faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see."

"He's an awesome God."

"There is none like You."

"Worship Him."

Here's one I'll sing--and this is the first view:

Lord God Almighty,
How I adore You
How I wait--for Your Return
Lord God Almighty,
You who know all about us,
And loved us, equally
In spite of our flaws.
Lord God Almighty,
Though I may not be perfect,
I try to live Your Word
And more than anything,
Promote love as Your Laws.
Lord God Almighty,
Hear our plea
And Give Rest to The Weary,
Courage to the fainthearted,
Faith to the hopeless,
Standing Firm until the end.
Lord God Almighty,
Only You know
The Day of Your Return,
And I wait--to live with You forever!

For those who are thinking, "what's the point of continuing to live in such a crazy world," don't despair, live on any way. God has something wonderful in store for you--just for you--and He intends for it happen. Don't let the enemy influence you to become fearful of anything man can do or has done--just look to Him and know you are loved beyond measure and no matter what you have done--He is willing to forgive and keep you on the path He has established for you. Let Him into your heart and allow Him to reign and watch how blessed you will be--when you belong to Him.

Whatever is going on in your life that makes you want to stop living--remember--this is just a temporary moment--and it shall pass. Live the life that God has planned for you and give the devil notice that you will not believe his lies--you will live and praise God for His love and mercy and grace.

Maintaining Our Focus!

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. LORD, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the LORD your God.” So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the LORD and the king. 1 Chronicles 29:17,18, 20 NIV

Do we know who our God is that we can keep our focus on Him?

Our God--the One who created all things and without whom--nothing was ever created.

Our God--the God of heaven and the bible.

Our God--who is love and loves us so much He willingly sacrificed Himself when He came in the flesh of man--His Son--to take our sins upon Him, that we might have eternal life.

Our God--the One who provides for our every need.

Our God--the One who provides us with wisdom from Him, and never thinks little of us because we asked for more wisdom.

Our God--the One who heals all our sicknesses and diseases.

Our God--the One who forgives our sins when we repent and seek Him.

Our God--the only One who has prepared a place for us to spend eternity with Him.

David understood the significance of making a distinction when talking about The Lord, Our God, because so many were worshiping gods they made with their own hands and thought those things they made had power. They worshiped their gods with human sacrifices and burning children--thinking (influenced by the god of this world--Satan) that their sacrifices would mean something or save them from something. They did not realize that nothing made by the hands of man has the power to save anyone from the wrath of God--who removes His hand of protection when we choose to go our own way--rejected Him and His wisdom.

It is not that God destroys anyone or anything, but that He allows the destruction because of our disobedience. And there are some now who think we are headed for destruction because of this election cycle. This election cycle--has proven and revealed where the hearts of people really are. Satan has truly blinded some to the truth by wrapping up the wolf in the guise of being a Christian--who doesn't even know what the term means. More hatred and vitriol has been spewed towards others who disagree with the candidates and their supporters than I've ever seen.

I am absolutely sure--God is not pleased with our behavior and I am just as sure that we shall all feel His wrath when He removes His hand of protection and we find ourselves captured--held in bondage-by allowing the enemy to influence our decisions.

So, what do we mere mortals do? We maintain our focus on God's Word and living it so others will know who we are--not by what we say, but by what we do--aligning our lives with The Word. We stay positive and when the negative nannies throw venom our way, we stop the flow with love and correction, turning the focus to Him, not us.

God is love--and for any who do not know how to love those walking the earth, they cannot love God. My choice in this election cycle is following the dictates of Holy Spirit who will only speak as God directs.

Soon and Very Soon!

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:3-8 KJV

When we understand the vision John had and know deep within our hearts that God always has our best interests at heart--we can find comfort in His Word, not fear.

We can be comforted in knowing that no matter how foolish men and women act life, there will come a time when all will stand before God and give an account of what we've done.

We can know--with assurance--that it won't be long now--not based on our calendar days, but in God's timing--before we begin our second life--living with Him for all eternity.

Looking at all the turmoil and violence in the world--with all the confusion about "everything" I can only cry unto the Lord, "Come quickly!"

We know that God is not the author of confusion and since He is not--Satan is.

We know that God does not promote hatred and fear and since He does not--Satan does.

More importantly, we know that when people ignore God or refuse to obey Him, He allows the enemy to wreck havoc in our lives--until we reach the place where we understand, we can do nothing without Him.

We are our own worst enemy when we refuse to obey Him in all things.

All of the foolishness over which people get angry and rebellious will soon pass away.

There is no politics in Heaven for the King of Kings is sovereign. There are no religious banners denoting which denoting different denominations hanging in Heaven for there is but One Lord!

There is no sickness and disease in Heaven and no reason for there to be pain.

There is no difference of opinion in Heaven for only the like-minded in Christ shall reside there.

There is no black or white or red or brown or any other barrier in Heaven that will separate humanity (in its glorified body) from enjoying The Lord!

Hallelujah! Soon and very soon!

Encourage One Another With These Words!

"According to the Lord's Word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage one another with these words." (I Thessalonians 4:15-18 NIV)

On a subject that not many care to discuss, but should--death. There is one reality that all must face--we are born to die, unless the Lord returns before that event occurs. However, though there is a physical death, we can look forward to rising upon His return so that we will be with Him forever.

On a secular scale--most people simply see death as a natural occurrence--and it is. But for those of us who are living a Spirit-filled life, we know that physical death is simply part of the transition to getting into heaven.

For those who are truly Believers, death should never frighten us; especially if we have lived our lives to please God. While there are those around us who are dying daily, from sickness and disease, and we're praying--we should be mindful that when a person dies who has suffered pain and anguish, death is also a form of healing for when they are gone--their suffering ends. 

And while we miss loved ones who go before us--if they knew the Lord, we can be thankful that they, too shall reign with Him when He makes His glorious return.

For this reason--so all will rise at the sound of the trumpet and command--Believers should be a witness of God's mercy and grace, telling all they can the Good News about the work on the Cross. When we become saved--our job is just beginning--for the Lord would have all men to be saved and once we have accepted the sacrifice Jesus made for us and are living for Him, we should want everyone we know to know the Savior who loves us. And we should keep telling the good news until we reach the stage of our own transition.

Therefore, death as a conformity of life--should not be feared, nor should we spend time grieving over much for those who have made the transition, but we should rejoice in the knowledge that one day--they shall rise and reign with us, all with The Lord. Though our hearts may hurt for a time, our spirits should soar and heal the hurt--remembering all the good things and continuing to spread the Gospel until we are finished with earthly works.

While we yet have time to do so--and we must make the most of every hour we have--we need to share the love of God and encourage all to Believe in our Risen Savior so we won't have to be sad when they depart this earthly realm. We encourage others to get into The Word of God, develop a relationship with Him, and know that when we're gone--they will seek The Lord for comfort and be assured of our rising from the dead upon His return--before all who are left alive--whose hearts belong to Jesus.

Therefore, when we experience consoling someone who has lost a loved one or even if we lose a loved one, encourage all with these words--their end is not The End--if they know The Lord.

Heirs of The Most High God!

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8: 14-17 NIV)

When parents adopt children they have the same rights as those who are the biological children of the same parents--at least in the families who actually have something to leave to their children.

Those of us who have been adopted into the kingdom of God, understanding that God our Father, has by His Spirit brought us into a right of inheritance with Jesus and all others who are now His children, have an inheritance and right to enter into heaven to reign with Him.

No longer can any group of people claim to have exclusive rights to our Heavenly Father. For all who have been adopted by the Spirit of the Living God, have equal rights as joint-heirs--no one superior or inferior to another. Hallelujah! I am a child of God!

Now--all of God's children, should know how their Father wants to them to conduct themselves in the presence of Him and others. We should know and understand that His commands are for our protection--not to just keep us from having fun as some would think. As good parents establish rules to protect those they love--so has God and if we can receive the rules of human parents, why can't we receive the commands of the One who created all things--including humanity.

Within every family, all who belong have a responsibility to the family. Parents have a responsibility to the children and the children have a responsibility to the parents and the household. Most children are raised with established guidelines and chores to make sure that no one is overly burdened by having to do all the work of maintaining a home.

The Body of Christ is the family to whom we all have a responsibility. When we operate in the gifts given and do our part within the Body, we eliminate the burden of any one person or group having to get the job done. What is the job we must do? We must promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ, creating an avenue for all to receive and accept the Work on the Cross and bring them into the family. Once they are brought into the family, we are to teach them as our Father as taught us to do all things to His glory. Even if we are persecuted for our faith--we stand firm in our identity with Christ and allow no one to move us from the inheritance we know in Him--eternity with Him.

It does not matter what the masses do when they rebel against God--they too will have an eternity, but it won't be with Him since if they are not His children; they have no right of inheritance to all He has promised those who are His.

If we get beyond thinking--that God's children must act like those in the world, whose father is Satan--then we could accomplish all that God would have us do and we would know success in all things. If we are God's children, then let us act like His--being the light that draws others to Him--exposing the deeds of darkness.

I am a joint-heir with Christ Jesus and I will not allow political correctness or any other foolishness to entice me into losing my inheritance of eternity with Him. I am an Heir of the Most High God--His precious daughter and I will not relinquish my relationship with Him to appease others.

Offering Our Complete Selves to God!

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."(Romans 6:11-13 NIV)

When we are "dead" to sin, we do not allow its stench to be a part of our lives. We know sin has a horrific odor because anything that is dead stinks--and when death occurs of any fleshly thing--the flies gather and other insects that feed off dead things. But with the death of sin--no longer allowing it to reign in our lives--because we are yet alive, physically--there is a sweet fragrance--pleasing to God--that emanates from us and is seen in everything we do. And we offer up ourselves to Him--in total submission to all He has said--the sacrifice of praise for living a Godly life and He rewards us with an eternity with Him.

When our whole beings-- our minds, our mouths, our tongues, our ears, our eyes, our hearts, our hands--our entire bodies--especially those parts that are ignited and stirred by thoughts of sin--are submitted to Him, our focus is Him, not us. When our focus is Him and not us, He gives us the power to resist participating in sin and when we submit to God, we can ignore the enemy and he will flee from us.

How do we submit to God--completely? We repent of any sin in our lives and get into The Word. We read The Word--everything--one segment at a time and then meditate on what we've read. When we understand The Word, we begin applying The Word to our daily lives. We pay attention to what we read--and will not allow our eyes to stray to ungodly images or communications by any means. We will not watch television shows or movies or videos that promote sin, enticing us to return to the evil.

We pay attention to the music we hear and we will not listen to people or music that could return us to the stench we given up--once and for all.

We keep our minds on things above and not those below--without becoming so heavenly minded we are of no earthly good.

We submit our hearts to the circumcision needed to cut away anger, malice, bitterness, jealousy, envy, and hatred and allow God to fill us with His love to overflowing.

We submit our tongues and mouths to saying only those things that please God and will not grieve Holy Spirit with filthy language that only demonstrates who is really reigning in our lives.

We submit and hands and feet to sharing the good things God has given us with others in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We submit our hormones to Him to be used in the righteous act of sexual activity--marriage with one man and one woman--and we will not allow the masses of public opinion persuade us to do otherwise.

When we offer ourselves completely to God, He will direct our paths and on His paths--the journey leads to greatness and success in all we do.

What are we waiting for? It's time to offer our complete selves to God--so all glory is His!

It's Later Than We Think!

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." (Jude 1:3,4,10,19 NIV)

We spend so much time trying to encourage one another to stay strong and to stay focused on what Jesus and Paul say, that we tend to forget what Jude said in defense of Godliness. In fact, we must remember there are more writers in The Bible than those who wrote the history, the psalms, the wisdom, and the instructions for church doctrines. They are all good, but we must also remember that when God speaks--He speaks to more than one person--saying the same thing, in a different way (in the mouths of two or three witnesses shall every Word be confirmed), and Jude is often overlooked, except by some--who repeat the last two verses as a benediction--signalling the end of a service.

Jude reminds the Believers of what has come before with immorality and ungodliness as he points out--in his time--history was repeating itself. And here we are--in 2015--watching history repeat itself, again. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeating it" (Santayana). Jude summarizes the events from Sodom and Gomorrah to his present time, in warning them to know the enemy's influence.

Have we learned nothing from reviewing past events? Or are we so immune to learning history that we deliberately establish our fate--a fate of gloom and doom for the masses?

There are those who scoff at Believers' convictions about eternity and the lake of fire. That is their right to do so, but it doesn't change what God has already determined. People--in their logical minds--can attempt to change anything they want to change, but it is only those things that God has established and ordained from the beginning that will matter in the end. As Jude said, those whose only appeal is to their own logic are not guided by Holy Spirit and therefore whatever they think, matters not.

But we who Believe and know that Holy Spirit will never guide us into changing what God has said or encouraging us to promote ungodliness, should act on what we know is Truth and not get caught up in the trends of this world. We have the mind of Christ and it's time the world knew that. We who know Truth should never be conformed to the dictates of the flesh which guide ungodliness.

We are told that "judgment will begin at the household of faith" for the Believers. If the Believers will not be able to stand before God and be judged--according to righteous judgment--what hope then can unbelievers have?

The time is far spent--it's much later than we think. Whenever Jesus returns--we are closer to that return than ever before, and it's time for Believers to stand on God's Word, no matter what the enemy does to influence people to live in opposition to God. For the Word has said that rebellion is as witchcraft--they who rebel against God have been unduly influenced under an evil spell--and it is up to us who believe to counter the attack--with all godliness--living according to God's Word and sharing the purpose of salvation to all who will believe, allowing Holy Spirit to guide our every word and deed.

Why Jesus Said, "Keeping His Commands Shows Our Love For Him!"

"If you keep my commands, you remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love." (John 15:10 NIV)

This entire segment in the 15th chapter of John is Jesus talking, most of the 16th chapter and all of the 17th chapter which is His prayer (I'll expound on that later). The point I'm making here is that Jesus had a great deal to say and the only way ANYONE can know that is by reading "all of His Word" and not just selected phrases that appear to justify a person's behavior. If I was to take the time to expound on every verse noted of Jesus speaking, I'd have more to write than time to write since I probably won't live that long.  I have chosen the selections used to make a point--to refute what groups of people are saying that Jesus just said, "love" and "don't judge." I know when they say such things, they have no clue as to who He is or His purpose in our lives. 

But getting back to His teaching--using the analogy of the vine and branches, something the disciples walking with Him, understood and so would most gardeners. It's about relationships that grow, with correction and instruction.

John 15:1-9

v.1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

v.2 He CUTS OFF every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he PRUNES so that it will be even more fruitful,

v.3 You are already clean because of the WORD I have spoken to you.

v.4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit UNLESS you remain in me.

v.5 I am the vine; you are the branches, If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; APART from me you can do nothing.

v.6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers, such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and BURNED.

v.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

v.8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, SHOWING yourselves to be my disciples.

v.9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

Walking with Jesus--in the spirit--since He is no longer physically here walking with us--means that we demonstrate our love for Him, by keeping His commands (obeying His Word) to love God and love one another. Of course, in order for anyone to understand this, they must be in relationship with Him--accepting His love and knowing who He is and how He wants us to live.

It's not enough to accept God's unconditional love--if we truly love--we know that love is reciprocal--we must love Him. If we love Him, we must be willing to accept the occasional pruning, His correction, so we'll become more like Him. If we reject His correction and instruction, we reject His love and risk missing spending eternity with Him.

I'm not a gardener, but I have rose bush in my back yard that for some reason, has a mind of its own. The branches dry out and break off and when I have the time, I cut them back to a spot where I can tell there is still life (green on the outside and pulpy on the inside). No matter how much of the branch I end up cutting off, they grow back and roses blossom. As long as I prune off the "dead" part, this rose bush will live.

When God uses His messengers--then and now--to correct people about their behavior, He's trying to cut off the DEAD part (the rebellious part) so we can have life and blossom under His guidance. Teaching His Word in truth, not selectively distorting it, is about a love relationship--not judgment as some believe. Actually, I don't believe they think we're judging them, they just need something to say in an attempt to justify their opposition to living according to God's Word. Deep down, they know--that sin is killing them on a daily basis and if they will not heed righteous instruction, they will die off and nothing will be left of them in the earth.

When people know they are wrong--they are quick to justify their actions--as we can see with lawsuits, false claims of discrimination against those who will not support a celebration of sin. And now, the great oxymoron of them all is the production of the "Queen James Bible" which removes any reference to homosexuality as a sin. If they didn't know they were in sin, they would have had no need to "re-write" the bible. The very production of the book demonstrates they KNOW they live in sin, but they want to "feel" better about it.

People have been "adjusting" The Word for generations--so much so that not many even know which translation is right. I can tell which translation is right--THE ONE IN WHICH GOD HAS REVEALED THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD TO EVERYONE IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. An experience with God, reveals who He is and how we are to live. We don't need a book to validate us--we need to know truth to grow and bear much fruit. For the Believer, the experience with Him, leads us to insight and revelation and He'll show us which Bible speaks Him.

If we truly love Him, we make no excuses and choose to live right because our desire is to please Him, not people or our flesh.

More about what Jesus said and why, next time.

Look, Believe, Raised!

"For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”(John 6:40 NIV)

There are two ways one could interpret this verse and still be on target.  Jesus said, "It is my Father's Will" and this could be taken quite literally for those who understand the impact of a will from a legal standpoint. A will is a document that details what a person wants after they are no longer around to oversee that which belongs to them and the conditions that must be met to receive the benefit of being in the will.

Now, before you start thinking, "she's way off" bear with me for a moment. The document that details the Father's Will is The Word, and we know from the first chapter in John that--"In the beginning was The Word and The Word was God, and The Word was with God" so in those terms--Jesus was not only talking about the Father, but Himself. He knew He would not be around to look out for those who believed in Him so He had to purposely leave behind His written document (which He could rightfully claim) as His Will.

The other side of this statement is just as accurate when the word "Will" is interpreted to mean "desire." It is the Father's desire for all to Look to the Son, Believe in Him (and obey) and when He returns, they will be raised up and reign with Him for all eternity! This is God's desire and we know it to be true because He said, "He so loved the world (all the people in it) that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (in their sins), but have everlasting life."

The desire is clear and so are the conditions. We must look to the Son and see The Father since they are One, believe that He is and ever shall be, repent of our sins and live according to The Word (His Will) and when He returns, He will raise us from the dead (physically dead) and we shall rise with a glorified body (totally healed and whole) and reign with Him!

Look at how the Son conducts Himself, Believe that He is the only way we'll get a chance to see God when we obey His Word, meeting the conditions of The Will (obedience) guarantees us eternal life when we are Raised and meet Him in the air, ready to return to the One who gives all life! Glory to God! Are we ready?

What Do The Dead Know?

"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5 NIV)

There are two types of death inferred in this passage spoken by Solomon (paraphrased by me)--spiritual death and natural death.

Spiritually speaking--the spirit which God gives goes back to Him when we die a natural death and for some--we are comforted in the fact that our spirits live on until we are reunited with them when Christ returns.

But then there are those who are the "walking dead" whose spirits have never been energized with Holy Spirit infusion and though they live--in the natural--they are dead (not to sin as Believer become when we receive Holy Spirit), and they will not heed spiritual instructions about their lives or what they do. These have no hope of anything, but a fiery lake, created with Satan in mind, and all who follow him.

In the natural death of the Believer--their names are written in the book of life--and though their flesh decays and they return to the dust from which they came, their spirits live on in the minds of those who love them. Believers are dead to sin and choose to know nothing more about actively doing sin. While here on earth, they lived and hopefully made a positive difference in the lives of many--while directing them to the work on the cross. When they are gone--let them go--so they and you can know peace, for surely, if they did not belong to The Lord before they died, they will never know His mercy and grace after they die.

The walking dead--choose to do evil and promote evil. They are self-centered and selfish--their only concern in this life is what they want and they could care less about the impact their actions have on others. These are those who commit atrocious acts of violence against other human beings--for any reason--and then try to justify themselves. These are those who destroy hope in the lives of those who are hopeful. These are those who seek the praise and approval of man over the approval of God. These are those who stop at nothing to fulfill their desire to have what belongs to others. And dead they shall be for all eternity--spiritless, burning forever in the same torment by which they tormented others.

Life is for the living! And those who know The Lord shall be comforted by The Word in knowing that one day, we shall rise and reign with Him forevermore. While we're here, let's do all we can to make sure we do not become "the walking dead" with no hope for the dead--as we can see in the media all the time--know nothing.

The Measure of Greatness!

"To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 31:18 NKJV)

When people seek greatness of their volition, they usually don't care about the lives they destroy in their quest. And when they foolishly believe that their greatness is a result of either who they are or what they accomplish, they shall be brought down for all the world to see.

When God's will for greatness is fulfilled in a person, everyone around them benefits. If people do great things for the benefit of others (not themselves), then God will raise them up for the world to see and if they are truly humble before God, their greatness will be beyond measure for it will never stop.

There are people who have been called great based on our understanding of greatness, but they were they great in God's sight? Only He can determine the measure of their greatness which probably has less to do with our definition of greatness. But there are some things we can measure based upon His Word.

Are we seeking to promote peace within and without our immediate boundaries?

Are we promoting unconditional love for all regardless of ethnicity or gender?

Are we promoting obedience to God's Word or are we promoting political correctness that defies God's Word?

Greatness, our greatness, will not be measured by God by our standards, but by His and if we don't measure up to His standards, what then have we truly accomplished?

I'd rather have His elevation for doing things His way--no matter how long it may take--for all eternity, than to have all of mankind applaud my efforts in keeping them pleased, for an instant! Only what we do for Christ will last!

In The Book!

"All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine." (Revelation 3:5 NLT)

Is your name in the book of life?

There are a number of thoughts about how one gets their name in the book, but if we read The Word carefully, and comprehend what it means to be victorious--we'll know.

In this vision from Jesus, we are told that if we repent--of all sin--turn away from it and turn to God--with our whole hearts, we will wear white (robes) signalling accomplishment in living right before The Lord--during the White Throne Judgment--where we'll receive our crowns and be assigned our mansions (poetically speaking)! Once we have been "certified" victorious, Jesus will announce us before the Father and the angels, that we belong to Him.

As much as I read--secular books--and as much as I write, I don't think anything I've read or written will be quite like this book. There's a segment in The Book of Life that's all about me--my name--written in the precious blood of The Lamb! How awesome is that!

For Believers--we have something to look forward to when Jesus returns; for non-believers--well, only Jesus can determine their fate, just as He has determined the fate of all who believe.

If there is anything in your life, right now, right this minute, that would hinder your name being written in The Book of Life--let it go and open your heart to Him who saves and redeems, clearing the path for having a right relationship with The Father so you, too can be assured of being announced because your name--is in the book!

Mine Forever!

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (Psalm 73:26 NLT)

No matter what happens to us--failing health or weakened Spirit, God remains our strength because in Him, we are made strong, and He will never leave us.

Perhaps, the greatest tests of our faith is when things start going wrong. Our attitude or response to each and every challenge that comes our way is an indicator of how much faith in God, we truly have.

Sickness will sometimes cause people to give up and curse God.

Loss of loved ones will sometimes cause people to give up and curse God.

When these things happen, I often wonder if people forget about Job and all the horrible things that happened to him and even when his wife told him to curse God, he wouldn't. He understood that no matter what happens to us--our faith should remain in God. Like the Hebrew boys who refused to worship a statute or Daniel refusing to stop praying, we must know that events in our lives-good or bad--does not change who God is and or the promises He made to us.

We must develop our character to a place where when we are faced with difficult challenges, we can say with confidence that no matter what God allows to happen--He is still God and He is still mine!

Do we have that kind of faith--to say emphatically to our circumstances--"Circumstance--you are not bigger than God and no matter what happens as a result of you showing up in my life--He will be with me--forever?"

We can say that to cancer--no matter what the type--every stripe He received in His body was to cure mine--by one means or another.

We can say that to grief over loved ones--there is a season for all things, a time to be born and a time to die--God knows best in all things.

We can say that to financial woes--His desire is that I prosper as my soul prospers. I am rich beyond measure because of Him.

We can say that to rebellious children--children are a blessing not a curse and this too--shall pass.

We can say that to disappointment--My hope is in Christ Jesus who never disappoints me.

We can say that to bigotry and hatred--His love overflows and negates any hatred directed at me.

We can say that--to anything that occurs in our lives that causes us want to give up on God. He will never leave us or forsake those He loves--even when it looks like there's no way out--He is "the Way-maker" in all things and He is ours--for all eternity!

What He Sees!

"And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight." (2 Peter 3:14 NLT)

What are those things for which we are waiting? All those promises that God makes to us pertaining to obedience and our eternity. But while we're waiting--we need to make sure that we are in position to receive all that He has promised.

We stay in position to receive from Him--by obedience to His Word--not selectively, but in accordance to all He has purposed for our lives.

If we are to live our lives in according to His purposes for our lives we could not--consciously change His Word to accommodate our lifestyles.

What we do--in this lifetime is what He sees--and He sees it all.

He sees us when we are doing all that we are supposed to do--according to His Word and He sees
when we are not doing what we're supposed to do.

He sees us when we happy and when we're sad.

He sees us when we are encouraging others and when we're criticizing others.

He sees us when we are promoting the Gospel and when we're promoting political correctness.

He sees us when we are praying for others and when we are preying upon others.

He sees us when we are preparing to preach His Word and when we are procrastinating, hoping a good word will materialize out of nothing.

He sees us when we are faithful--to Him and He sees us when we are faithless--to Him and others.

He sees us when we are patiently waiting to hear from Him and He sees us when we prophelie in His name.

The list could go on for a long time, but the bottom line is--He sees everything we do and He knows the motives of our hearts, so we cannot realistically say--He understands--when we screw things up. Yes, He understands alright--when we screw things up it is because we choose to do things our way rather than His way.

So, dear friends--if we are not willing to live a life that is praiseworthy--to Him--we are wasting our time waiting for the promises to be fulfilled in our lives. We can only receive that which we rightly deserve--especially when we know--how His grace abounds. When we don't know--we're not responsible, but when we proclaim that we know--Him and how He wants us to live--we are without excuse and we cannot use His grace--to sin or be disobedient.
Get this--there is nothing we could possibly do that He does not see! He sees it all!