What would we do without hope?

The Portrait of a Soul | RZIM

The Portrait of a Soul | RZIM

I Fled Him | RZIM

I Fled Him | RZIM

The last enemy to go is death!

I sometimes think about how death will be swallowed up in victory!  Once and for all gone! No more! Think about that! The very last enemy here on earth, that will be destroyed is death. This is why we mourn when we lose our loved ones! We know in our hearts, death is wrong! We’ve been living with it for so long, we’ve accepted death as a way of life.  Originally, death was not the way our day to day living was intended to be as death came through one man, through the disobedience of Adam. 

Who has not lost a loved one while here? Who of us haven’t shed miles of heartfelt tears of remorse and secretly wished upon their beds, that they could have done something, anything to prolong their lives and keep them close for just a little while longer? Perhaps the thoughts of a past glance, across the table and once again to have another cup of coffee that is stirred with each others love?   

I have good news! Just as by one disobedient man came death, so in Christ Jesus shall all be made alive! The Bible says every man in his own order.  Think about this: Is not everything synchronized? The very seeds we plant come up in perfect timing and they bloom as was planned. 

For us to have life, we all must first die. I am not talking about a physical death. When we accept Jesus, our old self is crucified so that we are no longer a slave to sin! Can you imagine this just for a moment! That very same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells inside of you!  We have resurrection power!  We become Joint-heirs in Christ.

We go about our daily chores and go to work, take care of our children and talk to each other on our phones. All the while we do not give a thought about such a power residing inside of us. This power works a holy refining and sifting inside of us and speaks to us throughout our lives in a pure and loving way that can be understood by each individual. As you draw closer to Him, He draws closer to you. You could say, the Holy Spirit customizes the way He teaches each and every soul that reaches out to Him. 

The physical deaths that we experience on earth could be a paralleled example to what  happens when we are born again. The old is indeed gone! The old me and you are no more! They have been buried in Christ! Jesus took it all to the cross!  We are alive in Christ! A brand new Creature! We have new eyes and see everything differently. We hear new things. Everything has become new!  We have even been given new hearts!

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for always being here, even when our minds are absent. We thank you for your never ending mercies, love and deep understanding. You know us better than we know ourselves. We choose to put all of our trust in you, our visions and our goals. We ask that your Holy Spirit would continue to guide us and direct us in the way we should go. We ask that our faith please you, as we do it all unto you Lord.  I ask Father that your Spirit would minister to those who take the time to read these words. Heal the hearts that need healing, give them the strength to see that through it all your hand is still upon them. Return them to the joy of their salvation. Remind them that they have “the garment of praise for the Spirit of Heaviness.”  I ask that loneliness would be replaced by the Word of your Love. That the need for understanding would come in unexpected ways that would ignite their spirits once again to reproduce inspiration for all those around. 

We ask this in Jesus name,

amen 

“Behold, I shew 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 trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. “  1Co. 15:51,52

What is in your heart?

I have been hesitant to write about such a subject,  but feel I must carry them out. There are those in the Body of Christ who have been quick to judge Mr. Trump’s past because of the vulgar things he has said and done 11 years ago. I speak to you today.  What is hidden in your life? Your past agenda? Would your past vulgar expressions and actions shock many who know you today? What about 20 - 30 or more years ago? Perhaps only 5 years ago? Maybe it has been only a week ago?  The point I am trying to make is: Who is anyone of us, to rise up and be judge and jury over this man? Everyone one of us have a past. The most seemingly holiest person we know has a past in one way or another. If we say we do not have a past, believe me when I say this; in one form or another you are in the middle of creating your past, presently. 

Do you understand how I can say this? 

Because of what the Bible says: “It says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”   Ro. 3:23  Furthermore, “there is none righteous, not even one! “  Ro. 3:10

You might think, “ I’ve been good and I’ve never said or done anything to hurt anyone else in my life.”  Is that  really true? Then, you are blind to your prideful thoughts. Pride will lie to you and cause you to be completely blind to the truth until you trip and fall. Pr. 29:23  Sometimes we fall and go down so we will finally look up and see the truth. Much later, when you think about such a fall, you will see the kindness involved. Yes, falling can be a good thing.

How can “only” thoughts be so wrong?  

Jesus had a lot to say about wrong thoughts.  He said when a man lusts after a women in his heart that he already was committing adultery.  He said when we hold anger toward a brother or sister that it is the same as committing murder. All these are thinking patterns that are nurtured and fed until they are carried into the heart to be held. Then, we wonder sometimes, why we have heart problems. We carry these things inside of us! Lust, murder and un-forgiveness. 

Realizing this truth, how can we have the audacity to point any fingers at anyone if we are not honest with ourselves and not even willing to clean up our own acts? If we are not honest, then we are lying to ourselves and to God. 

When Trump sinned, he wasn’t sinning towards us 11 years ago. He was sinning against God and himself. However, there are those with a self-righteous bigoted attitude whom cannot see how their own sinful wretchedness, is betraying their hearts and this has reached heaven due to their judging. The Body of Christ has no excuse. 

Remember when Jesus said in Matthew, “ 34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39  “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

That is what Jesus asked of us. He knew we would have our shortcomings and discouragements along the way. He knew there would be times when we would have problems forgiving.  But, he also knew those who would stay stedfast, immovable and push forward boldly; running the race of forgiveness, in spite of how we feel and in spite of our tangled emotions. We choose obedience over self and over flesh because we know whom we trust!

With all that I challenge those who cared to read this: 

Cannot we look back at our own pasts when we want to throw mud and stones? Cannot we pray instead? Isn’t it high time to hold each other up with the faith that was given to us and isn’t it time to ask ourselves: 

“when we mumble and judge each other by our pompous attitudes, what does the world see differently in us?”  

Or, do they see a carbon copy of their world? 

Please read this prayer by a 15 year old

Lord's Prayer By a 15-year-old school kid who got an A+ for this entry (TOTALLY AWESOME)!   The Lord's Prayer is not allowed in most   U.S. Public schools any more.   A kid in MINNESOTA, wrote the following NEW School Prayer:- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~     Now I sit me down in school  Where praying is against the rule   For this great nation under God   Finds mention of Him very odd.      If scripture now the class recites,   It violates the Bill of Rights.   And anytime my head I bow   Becomes a Federal matter now.      Our hair can be purple, orange or green,   That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..   The law is specific, the law is precise.   Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.      For praying in a public hall   Might offend someone with no faith at all..   In silence alone we must meditate,   God's name is prohibited by the State.. We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,  And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...   They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.   To quote the Good Book makes me liable.      We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,   And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.   It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,   We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..      We can get our condoms and birth controls,   Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles...   But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,   No word of God must reach this crowd.      It's scary here I must confess,   When chaos reigns the school's a mess.   So, Lord, this silent plea I make:   Should I be shot; My soul please take!                                                              Amen