Month: June 2016

Stay Awake

Therefore be alert

Keeping focus is hard if you lose purpose of what you are or should be focused on.  We all have the issues that attack our focus.  Culture issues, moral issues, personal issues, family issues, financial issues, work issues, friend issues, neighbor issues,…..    there are so many things that can jump in front of our focus and purpose, it takes constant reminder to take care.  We can get so caught up that we forget we are here in this life with single purpose to bring honor and glory to our Heavenly Father.  When we lose this focus/purpose how easy is it to hear God’s voice leading us.   The question seems to be how can I stay focused.  Keeping God first in our day, thoughts, and actions.  Try it today and ask God to bring to mind every time your focus has gone off Him.  Paul says to train ourselves in walking with God encouraging each other all the more as the day of His return approaches.

Matthew 24:42
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

1 Thessalonians 5:6
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Luke 12:37
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes
21:36
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man

Revelation 3:3
Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you

No One Knows

And there shall be a unique day,

There is a day coming that will have consequences for everyone.  Those who are of faith in Jesus Christ and salvation through him by the grace and mercy of God will have a glorious day.  Those who, like in the times of Noah, do not see any merit in pleasing God or living for Him or evening believing that He exists will have a very terrible day.  The fact that the day is coming does not matter if you believe it or not.  Believing determines if you look forward to that day.  Believing determines how you live your life this side of eternity.  The same can be true of not believing.  I wonder how people’s lives would change if they thought or knew this day was on the 6th of June 2016.  Would that which is troubling us seem so important?  Would the things that we put before others seem so important?  Would the money we so dearly hang on to seem so important?  Would Me, Myself, and I have any importance at all?  The answer to these questions is No they are not.  So what is it that keeps you from living this way?

 

Matthew 24:36
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man

Zechariah 14:7
On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light

Genesis 6:5
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord

Live With The End In Mind

Therefore encourage one another with these words

Throughout scripture we are told of tribulation and the coming of the Lord.  Why does God tell us this?  I have to think it is to encourage our faith and to trust Him to lead us through everyday of our life for the blessing of not only our life on earth but also for ETERNITY.   I think there are times we lose sight of eternity through the busyness of our daily lives.  We get so caught up in the here and now that we forget His promise of eternity.  It seems so easy to drift away and live luke warm lives instead of abundantly for Him.  What is the prevention and cure to this way of life? Continually repent and stand in His grace.  Desire Him with all your heart, mind and soul.  Live each day to bring honor and glory to Him.  Learn to be a humble servant.  Learn to give more than you get.  (for the record you will never be able to out give God but it is sure rewarding to try)  Learn to hear His voice speak to your heart.  Stay in scripture always.  Speak of His grace, mercy and love everyday.  Seek to be His vessel to use for His glory and honor. Rejoice in this life no matter what. Learn to forgive.  Be at peace with all as far as it concerns you.  Rely on, trust in, and cling to Him alone.  Know the difference between scripture and culture – there is a big difference.  Do not try to perform your way to God.  And in all things give thanks.

 

Matthew 24:29
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words

1 Corinthians 15:51
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting

Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty- four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged

Do Not Fall Away

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.

Do you ever wonder why people come to God and receive His forgiveness and then fall away?  Or wonder why others who have been so on fire and thankful for salvation just seem to have little depth in their conviction anymore?  We are to hold dear that which has been entrusted to us.  Which is: an understanding of who God is, our sin, His plan of salvation, the death and resurrection of His Son, our forgiveness, and promise of eternal life.  How is it that we choose to stay so close to the world and what it has to offer and lose sight of the blessings of being a humble servant of His that seeks His will for their life with all their heart, mind, and soul?   I have stated this line from an old hymn before but there is so much truth in it : “Turn you eyes upon Jesus and look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”.  Let Him be the light of everyday and seek His will for every minute of every day.  Do not be one that is spoken of in the scripture ” went after worthlessness, and became worthless”

Matthew 24:10

And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Revelation 2:4
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Jeremiah 2:5
“What wrong did your fathers find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

2 Kings 17:14
But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God

Why Is There So Much Unrest

See that no one leads you astray

Sometimes I wonder at all of the chaos and trouble around the world and ask “Why can’t people get along”.  Why is there so much killing and people dying?  Is all of this God’s plan?  In Isaiah 14 it says that when world leaders who end up in hell see satan they look at him and say:

“But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who did not let his prisoners go home

Since creation, God has been in control and though I do not fully understand it, I do trust in and through Him.  I hold on to His promises – I will never leave you or forsake you – No one can snatch you out of my hand – Come to Me all who are heavy with burdens and I will give you rest – For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that who so ever believes in Him shall not perish but will have everlasting life – I will be a guide to your path – I will bless you and keep you- I will return for you – I will give you peace, hope, faith, love, joy, comfort, and be ever present in time of trouble….. and the list goes on.  His word says do not be alarmed as these things must take place before He returns. The best we can do in this life is to keep our eyes, heart, soul and mind focused on Him and live to honor and glorify the author and finisher of life – Trust God

Matthew 24:3
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains

Acts 1:7
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority

1 Thessalonians 2:1
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction

2 Chronicles 15:6
Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.

Why Do We Refuse

yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life

How often do we stay outside the safety of our Lord and savior?  How many times are we not willing to listen?  How many times has He called to our heart and we refuse?  I think if we search our heart we are often listening to the wrong voice. Our input is not from scripture but rather from what we think we know or have heard.  Isn’t it time to come to Him with purpose to live out all the days we have left this side of eternity honoring and glorifying Him?  What does this world have to offer but broken dreams, unfulfilling work, and short term satisfaction?  Do you want to have purpose – reach out to Him and commit your heart, soul and mind to Him.  Willing to be used by Him.  Willing to hear. Willing to follow,  Willing to obey.  No one has ever said was too close to Jesus but many have said I wish I would have listened sooner for my life would have had much more meaning.

Matthew 23:37
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate

Psalms 147:2
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds

Proverbs 1:24
Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity

John 5:38
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life