Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Friday, November 30, 2012

Jesus, Lead Me

This is a repost of an older song with a new recording and new video:

This song is a prayer to Jesus, asking him to lead us where we should go, to be our hope and stay, to open our hearts to him, to transform us, to make his will known to our hearts, and to help us to never stray from him and from our pure devotion to him.

Jesus, Lead Me / An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

New Video:
http://youtu.be/lXl2VHesytM

MP3, Song Lyrics and Sheet Music w/chords (free):
http://originalworks.info/jesus-lead-me/

Thursday, November 29, 2012

A Straight Path


Thursday, November 29, 2012, 4:53 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Seek the Lord” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 5 (NIV 1984):

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
    consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
    my King and my God,
    for to you I pray.
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait in expectation.

You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;
    with you the wicked cannot dwell.
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
    you hate all who do wrong.
You destroy those who tell lies;
    bloodthirsty and deceitful men
    the Lord abhors.

But I, by your great mercy,
    will come into your house;
in reverence will I bow down
    toward your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies—
    make straight your way before me.

Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
    their heart is filled with destruction.
Their throat is an open grave;
    with their tongue they speak deceit.
Declare them guilty, O God!
    Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
    for they have rebelled against you.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous;
    you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Give Ear

The Psalmist sought an audience with God. He lamented and wept over the wickedness of his enemies, as he called to God for intervention. He acknowledged that God was not a God who takes pleasure in evil. God is not pleased with us no matter what we do. It grieves him when we sin against him, particularly when we get engrossed and entrapped in sin all over again after we have experienced freedom from sin by his grace, and through Jesus’ blood sacrifice for our sins.

As well, we can’t just pray a prayer for salvation and then continue to live however we want in order to please ourselves, thinking we have our ticket into heaven or that God’s grace covers it all. With God the wicked cannot dwell. If we claim to have fellowship with God and yet we continue in a lifestyle of willful sin and rebellion, then scripture says we are liars, and the truth is not in us (see 1 John 1).

The Wicked

Oh, you might say, that is Old Testament. We are now under the New Covenant of God’s grace, so the rules have changed. Have they? Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, said:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ~ 1 Co. 6:9-10 NIV 1984

The New Testament is quite clear that we cannot continue in a lifestyle of willful sin and yet claim God as our Father, Jesus as our Lord, and heaven as our eternal destiny.

The wicked are described here as those who cannot be trusted, because their mouths are full of lies. They regularly and consistently practice deceit, probably to cover up for their other sins. So, don’t think for a moment that just because you “accepted Christ” at some point in your life that it means that you are truly saved. If you are continuing in a lifestyle of sin, and you practice lies and deceit as a way to cover up for your sin, then scripture lists you among the wicked with whom God cannot dwell.

I am not saying here that any of us must reach a level of perfection or that this is all about performance. It is not! It is about repentance, though. If we truly believe that Jesus Christ died, taking upon himself the sins of the entire world, as though his physical suffering was not enough, then that should drive us to our knees in humility and repentance, and we should desire nothing more than to obey our Lord and to serve him only in all ways. Jesus demands the cross in our lives. He said:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” ~ Luke 9:23-24 NIV 1984

The Righteous

We are made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. Any “righteousness” we think we have of our own is considered as “filthy rags” in God’s sight. Take the Pharisees for example. They thought they were completely righteous, but it was all external, but their hearts were full of wickedness. So, the righteous are not those who think they are better than other people because they follow a set of rituals, rites, traditions or religious practices. It amazes me how many professing followers of Jesus Christ still judge a person’s level of spirituality by their external religious practices and performances, and how many of these are within the churches that claim to be authentic, real, and free from such hindrances, too.

It is only by God’s saving grace, through the blood of Jesus Christ given for us so we can be free from sin, and by faith (repentance + obedience) that we are truly made righteous in God’s sight. And, even our faith is a gift from God, meaning it is only by God’s Spirit that we can even be drawn to Christ, that we can desire God, that we want to turn from our sins and follow Jesus, and that we are given new birth in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Yet, being made righteous is not just positional, it is continual. We read in 1 John (NIV ’84):

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

In the New Testament we learn that we are saved, we are being saved, and that we will be saved, i.e. our salvation will be complete when Jesus Christ returns, and while we wait for his return, we are continually growing in God’s grace, and are being transformed into the image of Christ, and daily the blood of Jesus Christ purifies (refines) us from all sin. Jesus said that every fruit-bearing branch in him he prunes, so that it will be more fruitful. Our salvation is a process of changing us and making us to be more and more like Jesus. And, that’s a big job, but God can do it! We just have to cooperate with his work.

Lead Me

The Psalmist understood what it meant to follow God with his life. He was not perfect, and there was a point in his life where he sinned greatly against God, yet when confronted with the reality of his sin, he repented of his sin and he turned his heart back to God. He understood it was only by God’s mercy and grace that he was even able to approach the throne of grace (of God) to help him in his time of need. He had great reverence, awe and respect for God, which is something that is greatly missing in today’s evangelical church here in America. God has become too casual in man’s sight to where much of the church has lost the awe of God and often fails to recognize and to respond appropriately to his absolute holiness. That is why so many professing Christians are able to continue in sin with lack of conscience, because they don’t see God for who he truly is.

When we have the understanding of who God is in all his holiness and righteousness, and we see ourselves, not only as loved by him, as beneficiaries of his divine grace, forgiven, and having an inheritance with God that cannot fade, spoil, or perish, but we honestly have a full appreciation of what his grace means to us in delivering us, not just from eternal damnation, but from bondage to sin day-to-day, then we will truly desire to have him lead us daily in his righteousness. And, we will want him to make a straight way before us.

A straight way means no diversions, no compromises, and no side paths. A straight path is honest, respectable, honorable, upright, undiluted and unmixed with the world, as well as unadulterated with other ‘lovers’ and other ‘gods’ of this world. A straight path is focused in one direction and it is unyielding, stubborn, relentless, and unwavering in its pursuit of God and his holiness, and wants nothing more than to please God in all ways. A follower of this straight path will be tenacious, steadfast, determined and purposeful in how he or she lives each and every day of his or her life. They will rejoice in the Lord, in whom they take refuge, and God will spread his spiritual protection over them. God will spiritually bless those who love him, who are faithful to him, and who walk in his holiness and his righteousness. God will be a shield around them so that they can withstand Satan’s attacks against them, and they will give God the glory! Amen!

Seek the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Love of Delusions


Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 7:57 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Living Sacrifices” playing in my mind, I drifted back to sleep, and then he woke me again with the song “When His Kingdom Comes” playing in my mind.

When His Kingdom Comes / Dottie Rambo and Dony McGuire

When His kingdom comes, what a difference
When things are in earth, as they are in heaven,
When all has been settled and my heart is His home,
Oh, what a difference, what a great transformation!


Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 4 (NIV 1984):

Answer me when I call to you,
    O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
    be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
    the Lord will hear when I call to him.

In your anger do not sin;
    when you are on your beds,
    search your hearts and be silent. Selah
Offer right sacrifices
    and trust in the Lord.

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
    Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy
    than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
    for you alone, O Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.

My Distress

David was distressed over the spiritual condition of his people. So, he called upon God for mercy, and for God to hear his prayer. In 2 Peter 2 we read about God’s judgments against those who refused to listen to God and to obey his calls for repentance and obedience, yet in the same passage we also read of righteous men of God who did listen to God, and who did obey his commands. One such man was described as a righteous man, “who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men.” He was “tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.” Also, Paul was a man of God who often grieved and was in anguish of heart and mind over the spiritual condition of his people. In 1 Corinthians we learn about a situation in the church where sexual immorality had been allowed to continue unchecked. Paul asked the question, “Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?”

In Ezekiel 9 we read about God sending a messenger of God to Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” The glory of God was at the threshold of the temple of God when he commanded the servant to do this. The temple of God now dwells in the hearts of true followers of Jesus Christ, and Jerusalem is now the heavenly Jerusalem, i.e. the bride of Christ, the saints of God, the true church. If God were to visit his church today, how many would he find within who truly “grieve and lament” over all the detestable things that are going on within our churches, let alone within our nation and our government? God wants us to be a righteous people who grieve and lament over the detestable things going on within our churches, and within our nation, and who will call upon God for mercy. Sometimes, though, his mercy will come in the form of chastisement, in order to get his bride to humble herself, to pray, to seek God’s face and to turn from her wicked ways.

How Long?

Then, the psalmist directed his thoughts to the people. He asked them how long they would turn his glory (the glory of God) into shame, and how long they would love delusions and seek false gods. I believe our Lord God is asking that same question of his church today.

So, what is a delusion? It can be a false belief, a fantasy (make-believe), or a fallacy (error). It can also be a deception, i.e. something that appears to be real when it is not real.

When I think of delusion, one of the main thoughts that comes to mind is the power of the media, especially on television, to trick the mind into believing something is real or true when in fact it is not real and it is a lie. Television appeared on the scene when I was a young child. Most American homes have a TV of some kind in their living rooms or in their family rooms, and many homes have more than one TV. We did for many, many years.

One of my granddaughters was observing our living room about a year ago and she asked me why we didn’t have a TV. So, I said, “If you can tell me one good reason why we should have a TV, I might consider it.” She replied, “Because you have a living room.” Wow! That speaks volumes! Every living room she had seen, evidently, other than ours, housed a TV. It is almost un-American to not have one. And, they are everywhere – in restaurants, in doctors’ and dentists’ offices, in car dealerships, etc. We can’t get away from them. And, then the internet came into being, too. And, that opened a whole wide door for potential evil to come into our homes, too, and so much of it is so deceptive, i.e. it is an illusion, too.

So, if we hear it, see it, or read it we often just accept it as true when, in fact, it may be a purposeful delusion to deceive our minds. We need to be so discerning and prayerfully consider what we see, hear or read, asking God to show us the delusions in our lives.

Another huge delusion is false teaching in the church. It is a delusion because the people don’t even realize that lies, deceptions and purposeful removal of truth is being danced before their eyes and minds week after week, all in the name of Christ and his gospel. They think if it sounds good, looks good and feels good then it must be right and it must be true. Yet, that is how deception works! I am astounded at the number of church goers, professing Christians and church leaders who have bought into the delusion and who love it that way.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. ~ 2 Co. 11:4 NIV 1984

What an indictment against today’s church! Even if they are told the truth, many still often choose to follow the lie. And, one of the biggest delusions existing within today’s church here in America is that salvation by grace does not require repentance and obedience to God, and that God is pleased with us no matter what we do. And, all we have to do is pray a prayer to receive Christ into our hearts, we have our ticket into heaven, and no one can take it away. Wow! I guess they forget that Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me” (also see Eph. 4:17-24).

Set Apart

God has called his saints to be holy, i.e. to be set apart for God, for his righteousness and for his service. We are called to obedience, and repentance is definitely required for salvation. Just read the scriptures in the New Testament. You can’t miss it!

As well, we are to offer right sacrifices to God. Scripture teaches us:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart,
    O God, you will not despise. ~ Ps. 51:17 NIV 1984

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Rom. 12:1-2

And, we are to put our trust in the Lord. We are not to put our trust (belief; hope) in men, who cannot save us, or in the strength of armies or in rulers of men. Included in this is that we should not automatically trust everything we see, hear or read in the media or even in our churches, or from our pulpits (platforms; stages). We should pray and test everything we see, hear and read to see if it is true or not. We get deceived when we blindly trust men to be who they say they are, or when we think men are the hope for what ails our nation, or when we believe they are always telling us the truth. We should also not put our trust in 401Ks, bank accounts, savings, Social Security, our health, our jobs, our possessions, our government, our education, our physical or mental abilities and/or talents, etc., because all these things are destined to perish. Our trust should always be only in our Lord God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Where we cannot trust men, we can always trust God to be who he says he is and that he will do what he said he would do. He is trustworthy!

The Light Shine

When we consider the greatness of God and all that he has done for us, especially in giving the life of his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so that we can be free of slavery to sin (day-to-day), and can be free of the punishment of sin (eternal damnation), it should drive us to our knees in humility and repentance (turning from our sin). When we are there before God, we should search our hearts, asking God to show us what about our lives is displeasing to him. Some of us may find out that we don’t truly even know God because we have bought into a false gospel of men and a false hope of salvation. Others of us may realize we have been believing a lie in this area or that and that we need to stop believing the lie and we need to accept the truth of God into our lives in certain areas. We need to let the light of Christ and his truth shine into our hearts, exposing the lies and the sins that so easily entangle us, so that we can be set free to worship God in spirit and in truth. Then we will know true peace and joy, for we will be forever safe in the arms of Jesus.

Living Sacrifices / An Original Work / September 14, 2012

Based off Romans 12:1-2; 6:11-14 NIV

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,
In view of God’s mercy,
To give yourselves to God in love
As living offerings,
Pleasing to God, holy in love.
This is your true worship.
Do not conform to worldly lives.
Let God transform you today.
Then you’ll be able to
Test and approve of what
God’s will is – His pleasing
And perfect will.
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Offer yourselves unto God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Do not be conceited.
Humble yourselves before your God.
Do not be self-righteous.
The strength you have to live in love
Comes from your Lord God, so
Live your new lives in pow’r of God.
Be changed in heart, mind and will.
Do this because of what
Christ did for you when
He died on the cross to save
The world from sin.
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Humble yourselves before God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Count yourselves dead to sin,
But be alive to God in Christ.
Do not let sin reign in
Your earthly lives so you
Obey its evil desires.
Offer yourselves unto your God
As those who’ve been born again.
For sin shall no longer be
Your lord and master.
Give of yourselves to God
For righteousness.
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Be alive to God in Christ.

MP3, Song lyrics and Sheet music (free):

Song on Video:

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Take Refuge in Him


Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 7:47 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me this morning with this old hymn playing in my mind:

With Eternity’s Values in View / Alfred B. Smith 1916-2001

With eternity’s values in view, Lord,
With eternity’s values in view,
May I do each day’s work for Jesus
With eternity’s values in view.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 2 (NIV 1984):

Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand
    and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
    and against his Anointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they say,
    “and throw off their fetters.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
Then he rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will proclaim the decree of the Lord:

He said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father.
Ask of me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
You will rule them with an iron scepter;
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
    be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear
    and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
    and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Why?

Nations consist of governments, laws and/or constitutions of various localities of people throughout the world. The people mentioned here are the people of those nations, and the kings are the rulers of those nations or groups of people. This constitutes all the peoples of the world who stand in opposition to Jesus Christ, the Anointed One. They stand against his gospel of salvation and his work on this earth carried out by his followers; his servants; his witnesses. These governments, people and rulers conspire and plot against God and against God’s people, the saints of God – followers of Jesus Christ. They plot destruction, ruin and the removal of the gospel (the whole message), of the word of God, of the Lord’s servants and his witnesses, and of his anointed ones’ (see 2 Co. 1:20-22) testimony for Jesus Christ.

So, why do they do this? Why did the Pharisees do this? The Pharisees had great power and authority. Jesus Christ stood as a threat to their positions of power and rule and control over the people. Also, Jesus Christ took disciples after himself and he taught the people to not be like the Pharisees, and he warned against their false teaching, and he taught the people the truth, so this stood as a threat to the Pharisees’ credibility and positions of honor among the people. As well, many people followed after Jesus. Some followed him because he fed them and/or because he performed miracles, while others followed him because he told them the truth. This stood as a threat to the Pharisees’ popularity among the people, so the leaders were jealous of Jesus, which is one of the reasons they plotted to kill him.

People, rulers, governments, institutions of men, the institutional church, and its leaders today are all potential candidates as those today who may stand in opposition to Jesus Christ and to the truth of his gospel and the witness of his true servants. And, they do it for many of the same reasons as the Pharisees did, because they are jealous, they are threatened, they fear losing disciples, they fear having their lies exposed, and they fear their earthly kingdoms might be destroyed if the truth be known. So, they will stop at nothing to destroy, kill, silence and remove all those threats against their earthly kingdoms and positions of power, and I am speaking here of this happening in the institutional church of today, as well. The church and its leaders are not unsusceptible to this kind of jealousy and feelings of threats to their positions of power resulting in them plotting against those who would expose their lies and who would lead the people toward the truth.

Many earthly kingdoms, including earthly “church” kingdoms of men, are built upon lies, deception, manipulations of people and their emotions, bribes, greed for power or for money, etc. It is a highly competitive world out there, including inside the institutional church, where people are constantly trying new methods to gain customers and followers. With the stress of competition also comes the temptation to cut corners, manipulate, or to do whatever is necessary to get ahead. The sad reality of it all is that this earthly kingdom building is strong within the institutional church, and so is the competition to have more members (bragging roles), baptisms, etc. Even if gaining more people does not mean great financial gain, there is a lot to be said for popularity and power, rule and control over people among reasons why the people and the rulers plot in vain against the Anointed One.

How?

So, what are some ways in which the people, rulers, nations and institutional church and its leaders conspire and plot in vain against the Anointed One?

Governments lie and deceive and manipulate all the time. Not every government leader is a liar and a crook, but many are. And, they gain power, popularity, authority and control over the people via their lies and manipulations. And, they have many expensive tools at their disposal to help facilitate their deceptions, as well. They can use TV, the news media, advertising, social networks, the internet, and even the institutional church to help promote their lies and to help them gain the trust of the people. Much of it is subtle manipulation and some of it comes through subliminal messages, but nevertheless it exists, and many of us have fallen prey to it at one time or another until our eyes are opened to the truth.

Much of the institutional church of today, as well, has fallen into the trap of feeling as though they need to market the church and the gospel as one would market big business. Much of the money that goes into the church is spent on esthetics, on performance, and on the big show, i.e. the stage production on Sunday mornings in many of our institutional churches. Their goal is often to make the church seeker friendly and for it to appeal to and be attractive to the world. Yet, the church is the body of Christ, not an institution of men, and its purpose is for the edification and encouragement and strengthening of the body of Christ so that we can go out to the world to share the gospel. Then, as the world accepts Jesus Christ, they become part of the body of Christ. We have it so backwards.

So, in appealing to the world and to the flesh of men, much of today’s institutional church has watered down (diluted) the gospel of Jesus Christ to where it is no longer the gospel so that they could make it more palatable and acceptable to their listeners. They have turned the church into a marketplace instead of into the house of prayer that God intended it to be. The church has become a modern blend of the world and the church. God spoke many harsh words against his people throughout history because they blended their worship of God with worship of other gods or with pagan rituals. And, the church of today is still doing the same thing. Yet, in many of our churches it has become the norm, so anything different from that would now seem not normal or not like “church.”

Break the Chains

“Let us break their chains and throw off their fetters,” they say. Do you know what this is saying? As followers of Jesus Christ we are the Lord’s servants (his bond slaves), and slaves of righteousness, and we bear the yoke of Jesus Christ on our lives. The goal of these nations, rulers and people (including in today’s institutional church) is to break these bonds of slavery (servanthood) to Jesus Christ, to his gospel of salvation and to the truth of his holy word. They want nothing more than to get us to compromise with the world and to accept the blending of religions and the blending of worldly practices with the worship of God. They want us to participate with them in their pagan rituals and their ungodly practices and to accept a diluted gospel in place of the true gospel, because it is less offensive. They teach tolerance of other religions and/or of worldly practices and even of a diluted gospel all in the name of Jesus Christ in order to draw in large crowds of people. If we stand for what is true and what is right, we are often ostracized and among those who are plotted against.

God Laughs

Yet, all of these plots against the Anointed One and against his gospel and against his messengers are in vain (empty; unsuccessful) in destroying God’s work. People, nations, rulers and institutions of men (including the church) have no power, authority, rule or control but what God permits, he permits for a time, and that one day he will bring to judgment and will destroy these kingdoms of men. In fact, the true church tends to escalate and is often empowered through persecution, because that is when people really begin to get serious about their God and not take their salvation and their relationship with Jesus Christ for granted. So, the more Satan comes against the “Anointed One” and his followers, the more the saints of God are convinced of their need to stand firm in their faith and to proclaim with even more zest and zeal the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As well, God is absolutely sovereign over all things, including over all nations, people and rulers of the people (including inside the institutional church), and he has a day of judgment in mind for all those who would stand in opposition to his Anointed One and to the true gospel. So, everyone needs to be wise and to realize that, although God may appear to be silent, at times, and to allow evil to exist, for a time, a day of reckoning is coming when all men will have to give account to God for what they did with his Son, Jesus Christ. So, we should never take God lightly, but we should all serve the Lord with awe, wonder, respect, and honor of God for who he is, because we love him, because we desire him, and not without thought to the reality that one day he will judge us all.

One day Jesus will return to the earth to gather his elect to himself, to judge the world, and to set up his kingdom on the earth, at which time he will rule and reign over the kingdoms of the earth for a thousand years, and his saints will rule with him. So, God is the victor and one day soon he will judge the world, so take what he says to heart and obey it.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Seek the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”

Monday, November 26, 2012

An Undivided Heart

Monday, November 26, 2012

We read in Psalm 86:11 (NIV 1984):

“Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.”

How does the Lord Jesus teach us his ways?

First of all, we have to have willing hearts to obey whatever it is that he teaches us. We gain nothing at all if all we do is collect a bunch of head knowledge about God and concerning his word. This kind of knowledge puffs up, say the scriptures, but love builds up.

We also have to take time to listen to our Lord speak. We can’t spend just a few minutes a day reading a passage of scripture and praying, and then spend hours upon hours in pleasing ourselves through entertainment, social media and recreational activities, and then expect to hear God speak his truth to our hearts. We also can’t hear God speak if we are filling our minds with all sorts of garbage this world has to offer via TV, movies, the Internet, and the like. And, we can’t hear God speak if we are holding on to unconfessed sin in our lives.

As well, we have to obey what he teaches us. We must not merely listen to the word, but we must do what it says, say the scriptures (see Jms. 1:22-25).

Then, once we are in the right frame of mind to hear God speak, we have thrown off all that hinders our walks of faith with Christ and the sin that so easily entangles us, so that we can run with perseverance the race marked out for us (see Heb. 12:1), and we have begun to obey, then the Lord Jesus can teach us his ways. And, his ways can be learned through careful and prayerful study of scripture.

Then we can order up our lives according to the truth of God’s word and what it teaches us with regard to the ways of God, i.e. the ways of his righteousness and holy living in order to please God, instead of living to please ourselves or to follow after our own selfish desires.

When we choose to not walk in the ways of this world and of our culture, with its own value system and traditions of men, and we choose, instead, to learn and to walk in the ways of God, his truth and his righteousness, then we can begin to know through experience what it means to have undivided hearts that seek to please God in all that we do.

And, this is the way in which we demonstrate (live out) our love, honor and respect for God; for Jesus Christ, and for all he has done for us in saving us from our sins and in giving us new lives in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Hello! My name is Sue Love. If you have any questions regarding what was shared today, you can find me at www.originalworks.info.

Our Delight


Monday, November 26, 2012, 6:40 a.m. – the Lord woke me with the song “He Touched My Mouth” playing in my mind, followed by the song “My Sheep.”

He Touched My Mouth / An Original Work / June 13, 2012

Based off Isaiah 6:1-8; Jeremiah 1:4-9

Oh, I saw the Lord
Seated on His throne,
High and lifted up;
Holy is the Lord!
The earth is full
of His glory.
“Woe to me,” I cried,
“I’m of unclean lips.”

My Lord touched my mouth
With His cleansing pow’r;
Removed all my guilt,
Paid for by His blood.
He asked, “Whom shall I send;
Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here am I.
Send me!”

Before I was born,
God set me apart;
He appointed me
To His servant be.
I said, “I don’t know
How to speak.
I am but a child.”
Then, the Lord replied:

“Do not say to me,
‘I am but a child.’
You must go to all,
And do what I say.
Do not fear them,
For I’m with you.”
My Lord touched my mouth;
Gave me words to say.


Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 1 (NIV 1984):

Blessed is the man
    who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
    or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
    Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Lord Replied

This song, “He Touched My Mouth” is based off the passages of scripture in Isaiah and in Jeremiah which describe God’s calling on these men’s lives. Isaiah, aware of God’s holiness and righteousness in comparison to his sinful and fallen nature, called upon God’s mercy in repentance and faith. He received cleansing from the altar of God, upon which blood sacrifice was made for sins, which was a prefiguring of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of the entire world. Isaiah chose to not participate with the sins of the people around him, but rather to turn to walk in obedience to God. Then, God gave Isaiah his calling, and Isaiah responded positively, “Here am I. Send me!”

For Isaiah, the roadblock to obedience was either that he had not yet repented of his sin to God or else it was the fear of being unworthy to be used of God when faced with the absolute holiness of God in comparison to his sin nature. Oh, that we would all have such cognizance of God’s holiness and divine character and will so that we do not take him for granted or miss out on what he has for each of our lives. And, such realization of his holiness in comparison to our earthly natures should drive us all to our knees in repentance.

For Jeremiah, the roadblock to obedience was his fear that he lacked the wisdom and maturity to know the right words to say. God dispelled that fear by assuring Jeremiah that he would give Jeremiah the words to speak. Jeremiah had been called to be a prophet of God even before he was born, yet he feared that he was not yet ready for such a task as this. In both the case of Isaiah and that of Jeremiah, God touched these men’s mouths, and he gave them the words to speak.

So, what does this have to do with me (or you), and how does this fit with Psalm 1?

Examples for Us

Isaiah and Jeremiah were prophets of God in Old Testament times. When they spoke in the name of the Lord God Almighty, they spoke the exact words of God for his people, i.e. they were the word of God. All the law and the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Word (see John 1). He is God. We have the written word, the Bible, and we have the Living Word, Jesus Christ, via his Holy Spirit, living within those of us who are truly His. He speaks his words into our hearts, and he speaks out through us, his servants. We are his witnesses. We are to teach, encourage, strengthen, counsel, and give guidance. All of that comes from his written word and from the Living Word living within us and out through us, and in the power of his Holy Spirit touching our mouths and giving us the words to speak.

So, although we may not be prophets, that does not mean we are any less called of God. We read in Psalm 139 that, before we were born, all the days ordained for us were written in God’s book, even before one of them came into being. God created each and every one of us with a specific purpose in mind. We are all called to be holy, to be the Lord’s servants and witnesses (see Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8), and to walk humbly in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ. We are all to be his hands and feet to the world around us. Yet, he also has very specific gifts and ministries to which he has called us individually, as well. And, it is important that we first of all answer the call to his general calling upon all of our lives, and then to the specific callings he has for each one of us individually.

This song, combining these two men’s stories together, gives us a good picture of the sequence of events that need to take place in our lives if we are to not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers, but to have our delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night, and bearing good fruit.

Bearing Fruit

We must first of all be aware of God and of his holiness and righteousness, i.e. to stand in absolute awe of him and of his purity in comparison to our sin condition. We must be filled with grief over our sin and come humbly before him in repentance (turning from our sin) and in faith (repentance + obedience). We must choose to leave our lives of sin behind us and to reject the ways of this world, refusing to participate in the sins of those around us. We must accept God’s cleansing in our hearts and lives by choosing to shut the door on our old way of living, to be transformed in heart and mind via the working and power of the Holy Spirit of God within us, and we must turn to follow God/Jesus in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives (see Eph. 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-24).

This is not a one-time decision we make at an altar and then largely live our lives out to please ourselves. This is a life-time decision that should affect every aspect of our lives on a day-to-day basis. Jesus said we must take up our cross daily and follow him. John, in 1 John, gives us a good picture of how that works. We must no longer walk (order our lives according to) the ways of sin (darkness), but we must walk in the light (truth; righteousness) of God and of his word, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. Notice this is a daily walk (ordering of our lives), so this is a daily purification from sin.

We must no longer be conformed to the ways and patterns (norms; traditions; thoughts; behaviors; and attitudes) of this world’s system and its values (see Rom. 12:1-2), but daily we must allow the Holy Spirit of God to continually transform us in mind and heart and will to his ways. This means we go to God for counsel, not to ungodly men (or women). We don’t participate with the ungodly in their ungodly acts, and we don’t agree together with those who would mock God and/or his servants and/or mock God’s ways of dealing with mankind. Our goal is not to please men (women included here), but our goal is to please God in all ways, even at the exclusion of man’s acceptance and approval of us, and even at the risk of man’s rejection and even mocking of us.

Then we can truly delight in God/Jesus and in his word within us, and allow what is written in the word of God to be what leads us, guides us and gives us understanding for how we are to live for Jesus Christ each and every day of our lives here on this earth. This does not mean that we merely give God a few minutes each day in his word and in prayer, but it means that we are continually in an attitude of prayer and with receptive spirits to hear God speak to us throughout the day and night, ready to respond, “Here am I. Send me.”

When our lives are fixed in the word of God and in our relationship with Jesus Christ, then not only will we not be easily shaken by the storms of this life that come against us, but we will be able to bear fruit (offspring; outgrowth) for God through our lives and testimony for him. The fruit will come in season, though. We may not always see the fruit for our labors for the Lord, because the season for it to be revealed may not yet have come. Many a missionary spent years laboring in foreign countries, sharing the gospel, before they ever began to see lives turned to faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t always know the effects of our labors for the Lord, and we may not see them in this life, but we have the assurance from God that if we walk in obedience to him, that the fruit will come in season.

The Wicked

The wicked are described throughout the New Testament as those who continue in willful sin and rebellion against God. Many of their specific sins are named throughout scripture – lying, cheating, adultery, sexual immorality, slander, gossip, and the like. These are those who continue to walk in darkness, even though they may have received the knowledge of the truth. So, it is possible to think you are among God’s children because you prayed a prayer at an altar, but actually be among the wicked because you continued in sin. Know that you will not be able to stand in the day of judgment, and you will not be included among the righteous when God calls you to account for what you did with Jesus Christ in this life. The way of the wicked will perish, so make sure today you are among the righteous through repentance, faith and obedience to Jesus Christ, making him your Lord (master).

My Sheep / An Original Work / June 24, 2012

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
They know my voice, so they follow me.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Whoever is Thirsty


Saturday, November 24, 2012, 4:29 a.m. - the Lord Jesus woke me this morning with this song playing in my mind:

Jesus, Lead Me / An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.                                                   
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Revelation 19-22 (quoting 21:1-8; 22:12-17 NIV 1984):

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

...Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.”

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Revelation

The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ to the church. It contains letters to the seven churches in Asia, which still apply to the church of today, where applicable. The message has not changed, because God has not changed.

The book also contains declarations of judgments of God on the earth and on the people of the earth. I believe, based upon the fact that preceding these declarations of judgment, there are the letters to the seven churches, which also contain threats of judgment on some who do not repent of their sins, that many of these judgments are specifically for the purpose of getting the worldly and unrepentant church to repent of her sins and to get her to turn back to her God.

In Revelation 19 we read about God’s judgment against the “great prostitute.” Now there are many varied interpretations of who she is, including that she is the institutional church in partnership with the government, for she rides the beast, and a prostitute is one who sells herself to her lovers for a price. Other possible interpretations are that she represents the worldly system, as a whole, of which the church has adopted, which is why the saints of God are warned to “Come out of her” in chapter 18 of Revelation, so that they don’t share in her sins. And, yet another interpretation is that she represents a literal city that fits that description in our day. New York/Manhattan, containing the World Trade Center, Wall Street, and the United Nations, seems to fit the description given of Babylon.

Whatever interpretation you hold to, though, and there are many more, what is clear in chapter 19 is that when Babylon is judged, it is declared that the bride of Christ has made herself ready for the wedding with the Lamb, so there is a sense in which these judgments were for the purpose of purifying the saints of God to prepare them for the wedding with the Lamb (Jesus Christ), who was slain for the sins of the world.

At the end of these judgments Jesus Christ will return to the earth as judge, to gather his elect, and to set up his kingdom on the earth - to rule and to reign for a thousand years. When the thousand years have ended, Satan will be released, there will be a battle, but Jesus will win. In fact, he has already won! The devil will be thrown into the lake of fire, where the false prophet and the beast were already thrown. Then, there will be the final judgment. If anyone’s name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, he (or she) will be thrown into the lake of fire, too. Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain. Amen! The old order of things will have passed away and God will make everything new.

Are you Thirsty?

After John had written all that God/Jesus had given him to write concerning what will take place at the end of time, God gave another declaration for people in the present day. If we are thirsty for God/Jesus, evidenced by us coming to him in humility and repentance, willing to obey him in all things, he will give us eternal life with him, he will fill us with His Holy Spirit, he will forgive us all our sins, and he will give us new lives free from slavery to sin, and free to follow him in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives. This is truly what it means to receive this drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. It is without cost to us in the sense that Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins and we cannot do anything to earn or to deserve our salvation. It is by God’s grace that we are saved. Yet, God’s grace is also what gives us the ability to turn from our sin and to obey Christ. And, Jesus did say that if we want to come after him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him - only by God’s grace!

We know, too, that God intended here that coming to him as one who is thirsty involves turning away from sin, because he also stated that those who continue in sin - the unbelieving, vile, murderers, the sexually immoral, idolaters and liars, etc. - will not have this water of life but will, instead, be facing a lake of burning sulfur. God takes sin very seriously. That is why he sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to die for our sins so that we could go free from sin, not continue in it, thinking it is ok now that we are under grace. True grace does not give us a license to continue in willful sin and rebellion against God. True grace frees us from slavery to sin and it demands that we not continue in sin (see 1 John). So, if you want to have this drink from the spring of the water of life, you must first of all die to your old way of life, be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and then you will be given the Spirit of God within you welling up in you to eternal life with God.

He is Coming!

One day Jesus is coming back. Are you ready to meet him? Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? Have you turned from your lifestyles of sin, and are you walking in obedience and surrender to Jesus Christ? None of us will do this perfectly, but this is the mark of true believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus makes it quite clear in these last two chapters of Revelation that there is a definite contrast between those who have been washed and those who continue in willful sin and rebellion against God. Being washed (cleansed by the blood of the Lamb) does not mean we will be perfect in this life, but it does mean that we choose daily to die to sin and to walk with Jesus. If we think we can have God’s grace and yet continue to live in willful sin, then we need to think again. 1 John alone refutes that idea. Paul, James and Peter also spoke strongly on this subject.

So, if you want to make sure you are ready for his return, then choose today to turn from your life of sin, and turn to follow Jesus Christ in humble obedience and surrender to his will for your lives. And, he will give you this water of life welling up in you unto eternal life with God in glory! None of us knows when Jesus is coming back, and none of us knows if we have tomorrow, so make this choice today while you still have today.

Seek the Lord / An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

These in White Robes


Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 7:38 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Broken and Contrite” playing through my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Revelation 6-7 (quoting 6:9-11; 7:9-17 NIV 1984):

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed…

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
    nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
    he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The Tribulation

From what I understand of the “last days,” they began with Jesus life and ministry on this earth, and they will be culminated when he returns to judge and to rule the earth. Yet, there will be a short period of time at the very end of time before Jesus returns, which is known as the time of tribulation to come on the earth. This is a time of God’s judgment on the earth and on its inhabitants, yet it is not to be confused with the final judgment at which time we will receive our rewards for what we did with Jesus in this life. To those who acknowledged him before men as their Lord and Savior, repented of their sins, and turned to walk in obedience and surrender to Jesus Christ, by God’s grace alone and through faith in Christ, will be given eternal life with God in glory. To those who refused to turn from their sins, and who refused to obey Jesus Christ and to believe in him, and to make him their Lord (boss) and Savior, will be given eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

There are many varied interpretations of the events surrounding this time of tribulation. Some believe the bride of Christ will be raptured prior to this time, others believe the church will be raptured (taken to be with Jesus forever) about halfway through this time, just before the time called “The Great Tribulation,” which is the most severe time of all, and others are of the belief that the saints of God will remain during the time of tribulation, and that we will not be caught up in the air to be with Jesus Christ until this time of tribulation is complete and Jesus comes to set up his kingdom on the earth. No matter what you believe, though, Jesus is most certainly coming again, he will judge the earth, and at some point in time we will be with him forever. Amen! The most important thing is to make sure we are watching and waiting for him by how we live our lives each day, expectant and hopeful!

The Beast

In Revelation 13 we read about the beast, the false prophet and the dragon (the unholy trinity) ruling (and/or contributing to that rule of) the world during this time of tribulation. Again, there are many varied interpretations concerning these events and who each of these three figures represent. One of the most popular beliefs is that the beast represents a global government, the false prophet represents the global ecumenical (blending of religions) institutional church, and the dragon is a figure for Satan. The Lord Jesus has been teaching me much about how all this is forming (coming together) in our present day. I believe we are already under a global rule, just many of us don’t realize it yet. The institutional church of today, overall, has compromised with and has so gone the way of the world, has turned into big business and is marketed in much the same way; has diluted the gospel of Jesus Christ to make it more palatable and non-offensive to its listeners, and has become tolerant of sin and of blended religion.

God will give the beast this authority, because God is sovereign and is in absolute control over all things, and Satan has no power but what God permits, and God sets the limits. Yet, God said he would not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (in his strength within us), but will with that temptation make a way out from under it, so we can stand up under it. Amen! So, no matter what Satan throws at us, God can handle it, because he is God! So, he will allow this time to take place, and he will give the beast this power to rule over the inhabitants over the earth. Not only that, it says here that he will be given power to make war against the saints of God and to conquer them. We will be taken into captivity, we will be severely persecuted for our testimony for Christ, and many of us will be killed because of the word of God and the testimony we have maintained for the gospel of Jesus.

A Great Multitude

This great multitude that John saw, thus, consisted of people from all over the globe who had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are the saints of God, the ones who have turned from their sins (repented), who have made Jesus Lord (boss) and Savior of their lives, and who have turned to walk in obedience and surrender to God’s will for their lives; who have held to the truths of God’s holy word and the testimony of the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and who have chosen not to sully their spiritual garments with the ways of this world. They have been, are now, and will be persecuted for their testimony for Jesus Christ, will be imprisoned (or institutionalized), and many will be put to death because they refused to compromise, and chose to walk with Jesus only.

These are the ones who, in this life and in the life to come, give God glory, honor and praise for all that he has done and will do on the behalf of his chosen ones. They do not give lip service only, though, but they offer sacrifices of praise to God by how they live to please him each and every day of their lives (see Ro. 12:1-2; Ps. 51:17).

Before the Throne

I envision two different dimensions here. In one sense, these saints of God have, are now, and/or will yet, in this life, be ones who daily go before the throne of God in prayer, and who serve him day and night in his temple (in the body of Christ; and in the Holy of Holies dwelling within the hearts of true followers of Jesus Christ). The other dimension I see is that of martyred saints who have died and who have gone to be with God forever standing before his throne in heaven (face to face), giving him glory, honor and praise, and serving him day and night in his heavenly temple. In both dimensions God has, will, and is spreading his tent of protection over those who are his servants and witnesses. We are no longer among those lacking spiritual sustenance, for he has already satisfied us with his word, his truth, his Holy Spirit, and with new life in his Spirit, free from slavery to sin.

The Lamb is at the center of his throne, as he is Lord (master; boss) of our lives in this dimension, and he is our shepherd, who laid his life down for his sheep. His sheep know him, they listen to him and they follow (obey) him wherever he leads them. Amen! He guides us, leads us, counsels, directs, comforts, encourages and corrects us when needed. He daily leads us to springs of living water – walking in the truth and in His Spirit. And, daily he wipes the tears from our eyes as we cry out to him in our suffering, in persecutions, and in our heartaches, as he offers us his loving comfort and encouragement to keep going, to keep persevering and to remain faithful to him in all things despite all that is going on in our lives. Yet, one day he will come again and receive us to himself, we will no longer be in these flesh bodies, and our crying will be no more. I look forward to that day!

Broken and Contrite / An Original Work / May 13, 2012

I come before You, Lord, my Savior,
With humble heart and crushed in spirit.
I bow before You, I implore You,
Heal my broken heart, I pray.
Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master,
You are the King of my heart.
Lord, purify my heart within me;
Sanctify me, whole within.
I come before You, Lord, my Savior,
With humble heart and crushed in spirit.
I bow before You, I implore You,
Heal my broken heart, I pray.

Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully
The words You’ve spoken through Your Spirit.
I pray You give me grace and mercy,
Strength and wisdom to obey.
Father God, my heart’s desire,
Won’t You set my heart on fire?
Lord, cleanse my heart of all that hinders
My walk with You, now I pray.
Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully
The words You’ve spoken through Your Spirit.
I pray You give me grace and mercy,
Strength and wisdom to obey.

Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of mercy,
My heart cries out for understanding.
I want to follow You in all ways,
Never straying from Your truth.
Holy Spirit, come in power,
Fill me with Your love today.
Lord, mold and make me;
Your hands formed me;
Live Your life through me, I pray.
Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of mercy,
My heart cries out for understanding.
I want to follow You in all ways,
Never straying from Your truth.