The Glory of the Lord

 

God tarries His coming, not because He is slow to keep His promises to us, but because of His patience to allow everyone the chance to repent and believe (2 Peter 3:9, 13). As we draw close to God, His glory fills our life. We allow His glory within us to reflect to the world around us, as His Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

God’s glory appeared in the pillar of fire and the cloud, which protected the Israelites in their desert wanderings, as well as the consuming fire on the mountain and on Moses’ face when he descended from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 16:10; 24:17; 33:22). God’s glory within us also allows us to face trials with victory and faith.

God’s glory within us is more precious that the finest gold, and is the result of a life spent reading His Word, obeying His Spirit and giving Him all praise, glory and honor until we see Him face to face (1 Peter 1:6-7). God’s glory fills the life, which has faith in His faithfulness, rather than bitterness over the past and fear of the unknown future (Isaiah 6:3, 40:5).

When we finally see Jesus, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him in His glory (1 John 3:2). In our Heavenly residence, we will live in our immortal body and enjoy the benefits, which Adam and Eve had in the garden, and which Jesus had after His resurrection. The rewards God has in store for us are everlasting and glorious, and we will finally attain to the fullness of Christ.

Prayer:

Father God, we pray that we will decrease, so that You can increase within our mortal body even now. We want to reflect Your glory as it increases within us. Remind us to surrender all of our cares to You, because You care about us, as well as everything, which pertains to us on this earth (1 Peter 5:7). Even in the face of persecution, strengthen us from within and keep us in the palm of Your hand (John 10:28). Thank You for giving us Your glorious new life through Your Son’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

Thought for the Day:

At the coming of Christ, the whole earth will be filled with His glory.

- Psalm 72:19

The Comings of Christ

There are three separate comings of Jesus Christ recorded in God's Word. First, He came as a baby, born in a manger and lived a submissive life to His parents for 30 years. Then, after His ministry of three years, He died on the cross to save us from our sins, He resurrected from the grave and ascended back to heaven to be with our Father. He is building New Jerusalem for us, so that we can live with Him for eternity (John 14:2-3).

What we call the Rapture is the second appearing of Jesus, which happens in the clouds, when He comes to call His Bride of Believers home to Heaven. Those who are dead will rise first. Their spirit and soul are already with the Lord, but their mortal body will come from the dust of the grave and be changed into an immortal body as they go to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Isaiah 35:4). Those Believers still alive on the earth at that time will join them (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

This occurs prior to Jesus opening the first seal on the scroll and unleashing the reign of the anti-Christ on the earth for seven years (Revelation 5:1-10, 6:2). God will use the Great Tribulation to judge the ungodly nations of the world through the horrors of the Day of His Wrath. The governments of this world will topple and every unbeliever will be brought to their knees and realize that Jesus is Lord (Romans 14:10-12; Philippians 2:11).

God will also use the Great Tribulation to save Israel and to bring them into the land He promised their father Abraham. God's third reason for the Day of His Vengeance is to put an end to Satan's rule on this earth. This brings on what is called the second coming, when Jesus physically returns to earth with His Saints to defeat Satan's Army and to rule the earth for one thousand years, and then on into eternity (Revelation 20-22).

Prayer:

Father God, the end time events strike fear in the heart of everyone who respects Your name. We know they will literally happen just as your life, death and resurrection literally occurred. We thank You for giving us the opportunity to work in Your Kingdom throughout the Millennium. Help us to reach as many people as possible now, to join us for eternity with You.

Thought for the Day:

Going to church and reading the Bible will not save anyone. God calls everyone to believe that we need a savior, that Jesus Christ is that Savior, and to surrender our life and our will to God. - John 3:16-18

End-Time Events

It is so exciting to live in today's world. Many Biblical prophecies are falling into place all at the same time. In the year of 1948, Israel became a nation, the Roman Empire revised in the European Union, and religious leaders launched The World Council of Churches (Jeremiah 30:1-31:40; Isaiah 11:12; Daniel 2: 41:42). God was lining up everything to set the stage for His end-time events.

God's prophetic Words are fulfilled more and more rapidly in these last days. Natural disasters increase every year in record number and magnitude (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:25). Russia made a pact with the Middle East and will come against Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). Technology can broadcast around the world now, and everyone can see events simultaneously, no matter where they live (Revelation 11:9).

A one world government and currency is also discussed in order to unite the world (Revelation 13:2-7). The Anti-Christ is the first of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelations 6:2). The Anti-Christ will make peace between Israel and the Middle East, which no Politician has ever been able to do. He will set up the one world government and eventually set up His throne in the Jewish Temple and desecrate God's house (Matthew 24:15).

We all experience tribulation in our lives every day; however, the Bible describes these as just "the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:8). Jesus describes the Great Tribulation period in Matthew 24:21. God uses the Great Tribulation Period for three reasons: (1) To judge the ungodly nations (2) To put an end to Satan and his demons, and (3) To save Israel.

Prayer:

Father God, all through the Bible, You warn us about the time of Great Tribulation described as "the day of the Lord", "the day of Jesus Christ", "that great and terrible day", “the day of God’s vengeance”, "the great day of God’s wrath", "the hour of His judgment" or the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Isaiah 34:8; 63:1-6; Jeremiah 30:7; Revelation 6:17, 14:7). I pray that the casual Bible reader will plainly see these references and realize them as warnings. You never send judgment without warning, because You are a God of compassion and grace. However, You are also a righteous God of justice and You never lie (Numbers 23:19).

Thought for the Day:

God will not pour out His wrath on His Saints. The Lord always delivers His people and reserves the punishment of the unjust until the coming Day of Judgment. - 2 Peter 2:9

Choose You This Day

Choose You This Day - Joshua 24:15

God gave the earth to Adam and Eve and their descendants. However, when they believed Satan’s lie over God’s truth, the first couple promptly gave up ownership of the earth to Satan. God already planned for this contingency, however. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to free us from Satan’s control and to eventually take back dominion over the earth in the Millennium.

God gives everyone the right to choose between Him and Satan. If we put our trust in God, He will work out all things, even the negative aspects in our life, for our good (Romans 8:28). When we give God control of our life, even our setbacks and idiosyncrasies are not failures, just detours to put us at the right place at the right time for Him to use us to further His Kingdom in the earth. He is in control of our victories as well, and we cannot take any credit for them (Ephesians 2:8-10).

If we say that we have fellowship with God, yet we habitually live in sinful habits, we are lying (1 John 1:6, 2:3-4,). If we love the world, then the love of God is not in us. We are not truly Born Again, and our spirit is still dead in sin (1 John 2:15; Ephesians 2:1). Even if we prayed the sinner’s prayer and got baptized, all we did was get wet! If we truly know that He is in us, and we are in Him, then we walk and live and act in the same manner in which Jesus walked  (1 John 2:5-6). This deeper walk with Christ brings us lasting joy (1 John 1:1-4).

We base our identity, not on the roles we have in this life, but on our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. These roles may change, but our relationship with Christ can only change by getting deeper. We grow in unity with Christ and the Father by immersing our day in His Word and in His will. As we read the Bible and meditate on it, we allow it to conform us to the nature of Christ (Romans 12:2), His Spirit guides us and we walk in His truth throughout the day (Romans 8:14).

Through His mercy, our righteous God listens to our prayers, answers us when we call to Him and gives us liberation from our anguish on this earth (Psalm 4:1). We hear the voice of God within us, and we spend our time consciously seeking the glory of God and living in His presence moment by moment throughout the day. We walk in victory over our sins, success over our enemies and achievements that last for eternity, not just for our lifetime.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for Your grace and mercy in our life. You continually keep Your promises and show patience with us all. You do not want to see anyone perish, but for everyone to come to the saving knowledge of Your Son (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16-18). You are gracious to Your Saints and You shower us with compassion (Isaiah 30:18). Help us to walk worthy of Your calling on our life, so we can enjoy Your blessings now and for all eternity (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10).

Thought for the Day:

The rapture of the church could happen at any moment. Your ticket to the rapture is your salvation in Jesus Christ.






Thank you, Dawn Ritzert, for the use of your photo.

God Never Condemns

When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost everything God created for our enjoyment in Paradise. At that time, the spirit of man died. Human beings are all born with a living body and a living soul - our mind, will and emotions; but our spirit is dead in Adam’s sin (Ephesians 2: 1). When we accept Christ as our Savior, He not only rebirths our spirit through salvation, but He renews our soul through a lifetime of sanctification. Since our thoughts and actions grow more positive, our body is healthier as well.

The influence of sin in the world from the time of Adam and Eve causes all of the sickness and trials we have now, but God uses them for our good and for His higher purpose (Romans 8:28; Isaiah 57:1). God never sends judgment without first sending a warning. He warned the people in the Old Testament through the prophets, but few people heeded their admonition. God even took the form of a human being and came to earth as Jesus Christ to warn the people of coming judgment, and His contemporaries crucified Him. Those in the early church heard about judgment through the Apostles. Today, we have the Word of God as our warning.

Since the book of Revelation was written and circulated, we have had a clear harbinger of things to come. Most people have a Bible in their home, but very few ever read it or take it seriously. This is Satan's doing. He appeals to mankind's intellect and convinces them that the Bible is nothing more than fairy tales, that Jesus’ divinity is improvable and that God does not exist – all lies. Biblical prophecy is the major proof that the Bible is true. Every prophecy is either already literally fulfilled, being literally fulfilled today or soon to be literally fulfilled through end time events.

Jesus will soon rapture His Church. Receiving our rewards and marrying Jesus, our bridegroom, along with our wedding feast, takes seven years. Those unbelievers left behind on the earth after the rapture will go through horrid torment during this same seven years. That is why we try so hard to talk to people about Christ now in order to give them a chance to hear the truth before the judgment comes. Revelation chapter 6 begins with the seals that represent the beginning of God's judgment of unbelievers on the earth during the Great Tribulation period (Matthew 24:4-31.)

We condemn our self by our unbelief (John 3:18; 1 John 3:20). God condemns no one (John 3:17). God desires that no one will perish, but that all will come to repentance and faith in Him (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). Jesus actually came to seek and to save those who are lost in sin (Luke 19:10). If we sin, Jesus is our advocate with our Heavenly Father (1 John 2:1). God calls us to continue living in Christ so that when He appears, we may be confident in our salvation and stand before Him unashamed (1 John 2:28).

Prayer:
Father God, we are so impressed with the length and breadth and width of Your love for Your People (Ephesians 3:18). You made promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that You will fulfill in the Millennium. The Bride and Israel will dwell together with You as joint heirs with Jesus of all that You have in store for us. Thank You for the opportunity for us to choose You and to follow You and to live for You now and for eternity.
 
Thought for the Day:
Those who refuse to love God’s Truth and be saved, because they delight in wickedness, will receive powerful delusion during the Great Tribulation; so that they will believe the anti-Christ’s lie and be condemned for eternity with Satan and his demons. - 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

 

Our Christian Hope

Read: Romans 5:2-5

“The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, which is the gospel.” - - Colossians 1: 5

Why is a Christian hopeful? To start with, we hope in our salvation through Jesus Christ. We do not have any physical proof that this occurred, but hope that is seen is no hope at all. No one hopes for what he already has. God gives us this hope when we are saved (Romans 8: 24). It is the seal of the Holy Spirit who lives in our born again spirit from the moment of our conversion.

Our salvation gives us confidence in a better hope of heaven, which draws us ever nearer to the heart of God (Hebrews 7:19). He cares about everything in our life and encourages us to cast all of our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). He is the God of our hope and He fills us with all joy and peace, as we trust in Him. The power of His Spirit in us makes us overflow with hope (Romans 15: 13).

God gave us this promise before time began and prior to the formation of the world (Titus 1:2). It is our hope of eternal life that commences on the day we believe God and continues throughout infinity (Titus 1:2). God raised Christ from the dead and restored Him to His former glory on His throne in heaven. Soon, God will also raise us from the dead, or rapture us from the earth, and bring us into His glorious presence (1 Peter 1:21) for eternity.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross to insure that we can enjoy eternal life both now and throughout eternity. We hope in Your salvation and look forward to living with You in the new heaven and the new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Thought for the Day:
Faith and love spring from the hope that is stored up for us in heaven.

A Personal Rapture

Read: 2 Corinthians 2: 2-4

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

We all know that just prior to the Great Tribulation on earth, Jesus Christ will return in the clouds to “rapture” His Saints. He will escort us to Heaven where we will receive rewards for our spiritual works on earth and then participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb as the Bride of Christ.

With this in mind, I contemplated the recent passing of several of our church members. I realized that the soul and spirit of Saints who pass through the veil of death, experience their own personal, instant “catching up” to the throne of God.

I thought about verses such as Luke 16:22 where the beggar died and was carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. Also, 2 Corinthians 5:8, reminds us that we are confident and willing to be absent from the body, because we know that we shall dwell forever in the presence of the Lord.

The Lord considers the death of His Saints as a precious time (Psalm 116:15). Luke 20: 36 assures us that we shall never die again and that we will be like the angels and live as sons of God. God is our guide even in death (Psalm 48:14) and He raises us up in new life after death, where we shall dwell with Him forever and ever. This encourages me to know that even in death, the righteous have a refuge in the Lord.

Thought for the Day:

"A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth." - Ecclesiastes 7:1

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, draw to Your heart the family members and friends of those who pass through the veil of death.  Fill their hearts with Your love so fully that they will feel no other emotion. Allow Your peace that passes all understanding to wash over them as a waterfall as they find their refuge under the shadow of Your wings. Help them to realize that their strength and comfort is in Your joy. Give them clarity of thinking as You lead them beside the still waters and restore their souls. In Jesus' name and for Your glory. Amen.