Category: Uncategorized

It can be hard in today’s world.  Sometimes it seems as if there is a new problem to face as soon as we deal with yesterday’s problem.  It can feel exhausting! 

But one thing that can help us- is focusing on our final destination-Home.  Heaven! Isaiah 60 really helps to bring that into focus.  It starts with the word “Arise” and ends with a promise from our Lord that He will “hasten” it.

Please use this link to read it, it really is refreshing ?: Isaiah 60

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” – Luke 21:33

There are many descriptions about Heaven in the Bible, for the Bible is simply God’s Word on all that truly matters.

Sometimes, some people look at the Bible as a kind of “rule book”.  And perhaps, in some ways it appears that way.  But the Bible is filled with encouragement for the “rainy day”.  And today, it’s rainy, lol

But in order to be encouraged, we must read it.  God knew these times would come and left His Word to encourage us during them.  Let Him, for God Loves us! And truly God is For us always! ?

There has been much written about the “Ecstasy of the Saints”. We read about it, mostly in Catholic readings because Catholics canonize and write about Catholic Saints.  But the truth is, the Bible says all those who follow Christ are Saints ?

The Catholic church simply recognizes some of their Saints.  And that is good for us, because we can learn from them and read about their great examples in following Christ.  But the truth is, we who Follow Jesus are all Saints, and are loved so much by God!

So what is the Ecstasy of Saints?  How does a Saint receive it? It comes from truly being in the presence of God.  And the only way to receive it – is to ask God for it.  For that type of joy and peace is a gift from God.  And that is truly what “the Ecstasy of Saints is-pure joy and pure peace.  It’s so wonderful, it’s indescribable.  And as the world fades away and only God’s presence surrounds us, we are filled with God’s Peace and Joy 🙂

To be fully in God’s Presence, is the closest we can come to Heaven while here on earth ?

Sometimes we forget just how Awe-inspiring God really is ?.  But the Holy Spirit can remind us, just ask Him!  The Holy Spirit is good like that ?

And we can also choose to remind ourselves,  We simply need to shift our focus.  When we see the sunrise, we just need to remind ourselves who really made the sun ?.  When we look at the beauty of the trees, the river, the ocean, the sky…we just need to take a moment and focus on who made them all.  When someone we love hugs us, we just need to focus on the fact that God made that person and us

And then, after all of that, we just need to remind ourselves that the same God who created all things is with us every moment of everyday and we will be reminded once again of how awe-inspiring God really is ?

In other words, we just need to focus on the Giver and not the Gift 🙂

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7: 13-14

There is a reason that Jesus tells us about the “Narrow Gate”.  And the closer we come to His Return, the more “narrow” it will be come.  So we need to be sure we stay on it!

First of all, what does apostasy look like in our world?

Merriam -Webster lists one definition as the “abandonment of previous loyalty”.    Yourdictionary defines it as the “straying from one’s religious beliefs”.  Both are true, especially in today’s world.

In the Bible it says:

“apostasy consists in an unbelieving and self-willed movement away from God”-Hebrews 3:12

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. “- 1 Timothy 4:1

And yet, how many do we see people “reinterpreting” God’s Word so it fits their life style?  As a world, we have traveled from a Christ-centered life style to a self-centered life style.  We care, as a world, far more about material goods and posessions than we do about “storing up our Treasures in Heaven”.  And we, as a nation, seem to care far more about what other people think of us and not nearly enough about what God thinks of us.

Apostasy is also why so many think that we get to make the “rules” instead of the God who created us and created the world in which we live.  God created and gave us all that we have; His power is without question.

There is only One truth-God’s.  If we wish to enter Heaven, we need to stick with God’s Truth, which if we Follow Jesus-the Holy Spirit can help us see!

With Christ’s Help, we can forgive anything, because we have been forgiven everything. Amen 🙂 !

Saw two suns in the rear view mirror Thursday, October 28, 2021. On the rearview mirror it says, “objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear.”

Are End Times closer than they appear? No one but the Father knows for sure when Jesus will return, but Jesus did tell us what signs to look for:

Matthew 24

Follow Jesus. Watch, Prepare and Pray. Be Ready 🙂

“Every cloud has a silver lining means that you should never feel hopeless because difficult times always lead to better days. Difficult times are like dark clouds that pass overhead and block the sun.”

But how does this relate to our Lord?  When tough times come, and they can be very tough, they bring us closer to God.  Perhaps because we are reminded just how much we need Him ?.  We tend to talk to our Lord more; ask for help more; and grow in our acceptance of His Will.  And because we do, we also grow closer to our Lord.

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” – Deuteronomy 31:8

When times are good, there is a human tendency to become to “busy” for prayer time and time spent with our Lord.  But even though God misses us, because He loves us, He wants us to have good times!

The truth is, as human beings, we need both.  Good times give us not just good times for today, but hope that there will be good times tomorrow.  Tough times remind us to turn to God and spend time with Him ?.  Tough times bring us closer to God. 

For God is the silver lining in the cloud in which we may live for a time.  Hang on to Him and He will pull you through ?

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In sharing yesterday, we talked about God’s willingness to bring us to Heaven –even if we accept Jesus at the last minute. For some, that will prompt the question, “why not wait until the last minute”?

For one thing, we don’t exactly know when the last minute is. What if we die in a car accident? An illness? At war?

For another, if we wait until the last minute, we will never know the joy of introducing someone to Jesus 🙂

For me personally, I can’t even begin to share with you how many times Jesus has helped me and comforted me. How many times and how much the Holy Spirit has lifted me up. How often God has eased my heart and rescued me from challenges above my abilities.

And I can’t even begin to share with you how many times God has lifted me up and out of suffering beyond my ability to endure. Or how our Lord has put people in my life to teach me, to befriend me, to love me :).

I would never want to wait until the end of my life to Follow Jesus, because Following Jesus has made my life so much easier and so filled with Joy and Peace.

And in a world where promises are often broken, God is a Promise Keeper. He will never let us down!

Don’t wait. Don’t miss what God has for you :). Receive the Love, Joy & Peace that comes from Following Jesus today!