FollowingJesusUS.com

Sharing Jesus :)

Oswald Smith, a great preacher who was born in 1890, once said: “Oh, to realize that souls, precious, never dying souls, are perishing all around us, going out into the blackness of darkness and despair, eternally lost, and yet to feel no anguish, shed no tears, know no travail! How little we know of the compassion of Jesus!“

The question that comes to my mind after reading this, is “are we as compassionate as Jesus is?” Although some in the media and political circles constantly put down people of faith, do we not have a responsibilty to share our faith with ALL of God’s people? For our Father loves ALL people. And especially since we know that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, do we not need to share Him with others?

Christ says in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

And if we love ALL of God’s people, than that is what we need to do! If we believe in Jesus, we need to believe what He said. And we need to do what He commanded.

Leave no one behind. Be the Light 🙂

Have we lost our freedom by turning away from God?

In Nehemiah, Chapter 9 37-38, we see that many of the Jewish people had turned away from God and they paid a great price for it! The Kings that ruled over them had “dominion” over their “bodies and over their cattle.” They were in great “distress”! And all because they turned their backs on our Lord!

Sounds a lot like our country. Our country has turned its back on that which made it great in the first place, Faith in Jesus Christ. Now our government rules us with an iron fist. They control where we can go, whether we can attend church, which medicines we can take, what food we can eat…We have lost our God-Given freedom without a shot being fired. But there are three things they can not control: God, Our Prayers and Heaven.

And there is something else. In Nehemiah 10, it goes on to list those that were “Sealed” by God. What does that mean? It means that they belonged to the Lord Himself. Why? Because they followed God and they did their very best to do as our Lord commanded. And that is what we need to do.

For if we belong to our Father God, ultimately, He will protect us. Because He loves us, and because we belong to Him ?

There is more written in God’s Word on being Sealed with the Holy Spirit and how you can be Sealed with the Holy Spirit (more on that in future posts) ?

Covid 19 & Dieing

There’s been a lot written lately about the sadness of people dieing alone from Covid 19. And while it is incredibly hard not to be able to be with those we love when they pass, the truth is, as you know, no one dies alone. Because Jesus is with them :).

We live in extraordinary times and in these extraordinary times, Jesus may indeed give those we love extraordinary comfort, because He loves us 🙂

Welcome Home :)

This is is not our home. Heaven IS ?

Sometimes we need to take a break from all of the world’s strife. When Jesus said He would “give us rest”, He meant it ?. So take a break, and take a moment to imagine your future-in Heaven for all Eternity with Jesus, our Father and the Holy Spirit. You will make it!

Imagine Heaven, And Then Imagine Yourself There ?

Heaven is such an amazing place, but difficult to describe.

But there is one thing I can promise you, Heaven is as Real as the earth on which we stand. It’s not some cloud, or some misty place. It’s the Garden of Eden. There is life. There is laughter, lots of it. And there is pure joy, pure peace and pure love. There are deep friendships that last forever. There are rivers and hills. There are flowers and fruit. There are dogs! There are things to do, adventures that will never tire you but only brings you happiness. You will never feel sick, or tired or lonely. It is the Grand Adventure with all the fun that implies, but none of the fear, worry or hardship.

The closest I can come to describing it in this world’s terms is that it is like the joy of all of your firsts combined, with all of the joy but none of the fear. The first time you rolled down a grassy hill, the first time you spun around in the falling snow, the first time you jumped in the pool. The first time you rode a bike downhill with the wind in your face. The first time someone you love smiled. The first time you were hugged. All of the joy, none of the fear.

How any one or any place can give perfect joy, perfect love and perfect peace at the same time is beyond me, but that is what Heaven is like. That’s what Jesus offers, forever!

I wish I had better words to describe Heaven for you. City of Lights as been used. And although it seems trite, it is true. Filled with Rainbows, the “streets of gold” are created by God’s Light. A golden sun light so beautiful we simply can’t imagine how beautiful it really is. Rainbows, God’s Promises, fill the land. Each more beautiful than the last. Rivers with sun shining on them, so crystal clear that you can drink straight from the river. Trees and meadows, mountains, flowers and fruit everywhere, just waiting for you. Picnics and walks. Running like the wind and never growing weary. It’s simply amazing, just like God’s Grace.

Imagine a world where every wish is taken care of before you even wish for it. A world where there is no pain, no hurt, no worry and no fatigue. No medicine. No rushing. No struggle to just get up. A body that works perfectly.

Only joy. And peace. Only beauty and love. A beauty so amazing that you could just spin around and around, and spin around some more, drinking it in forever. And if you did only that, it would be enough! But there is so much more! Grand adventures, spending time with the people you love. Meeting new friends. Being fearless, not courageous in the face of fear as we are here on earth, but truly not having any fear. Can you imagine? This is Heaven.

And there is work in Heaven. If you can call it that ?. For it is work that never tires you, never rushes you, and always contributes to something you really care about and enjoy. Work that you want to do. Work that you love.

And there are friendships in Heaven. Real Ones. The kind that fills you up until you are overflowing. Friendships that never cause you pain or heartache. Friendships that never end and give you only joy and strength.

Many people think that Heaven is just some mystical place, but is as real as the earth you are standing on right now.

You will walk, you will run and you will see that people you love and those who love you!

You will never be cold or tired again. You will fly like the wind, with the sun warming you all the way through.

And the best part, you will spend your days with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, in the Presence of God forever!

So get ready for absolute joy and absolute peace! Because that is what Heaven is ?

Welcome Home ?

In Times of Anxiety or Depression-Look Up!

We live in difficult times. Very difficult. Millions have been infected with Covid-19, leading to great fear for many. Millions more are unemployed, and with unemployment about to run out for many, a lot of families are afraid. And if that wasn’t enough, protests and riots seem to fill the news. Safety seems a thing of the past-where do we turn?

Look Up! It’s a physical fact that one can not look up and look down at the same time! So focus on God, and on where we are going (Heaven). There’s an old saying “God will NOT lead you where His Grace can not sustain you”.

Hold on to that. For our Lord and Heaven are coming! And no power on this earth can change that!

This Is Not Your Home-Heaven IS!

As we look around and see the changes brought by both the virus and the riots, it’s hard for many of us not to become downcast. But this is not our home. Heaven IS ?

Sometimes we need to take a break from all of the world’s strife. And it’s okay to do so. When Jesus said He would “give us rest”, He meant it ?. So take a break, and take a moment to imagine your future-in Heaven for all Eternity with Jesus, our Father and the Holy Spirit. You will make it!

Imagine Heaven, And Then Imagine Yourself There ?

Heaven is such an amazing place, but difficult to describe.

But there is one thing I can promise you, Heaven is as Real as the earth on which we stand. It’s not some cloud, or some misty place. It’s the Garden of Eden. There is life. There is laughter, lots of it. And there is pure joy, pure peace and pure love. There are people that we love. There are deep friendships that last forever. There are rivers and hills. There are flowers and fruit. There are dogs! There are things to do, adventures that will never tire you but only brings you happiness. You will never feel sick, anxious, or tired or lonely. It is the Grand Adventure with all the fun that implies, but none of the fear, worry or hardship. And there are awesome hugs!

How any one or any place can give perfect joy, perfect love and perfect peace at the same time is beyond me, but that is what Heaven is like. That’s what Jesus offers, forever!

Many people think that Heaven is just some mystical place, but is as real as the earth you are standing on right now.

You will walk, you will run and you will see that people you love and those who love you!

You will never be cold or tired again. You will fly like the wind, with the sun warming you all the way through.

And the best part, you will spend your days with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, in the Presence of God forever!

So get ready for absolute joy! Because that is what Heaven is ?

Welcome Home 🙂

Jesus Does Not Judge A Person By One Season-And Neither Should We :)

From Worthy Devotions:

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

“We came across this powerful story and wanted to share it with you.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted them to learn to not judge things too quickly, so he sent them each on a quest to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. He sent his first son in the winter, his second in the spring, his third in summer and his youngest in the fall. When they had all gone and come back , he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no – it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

After hearing all his son’s responses, the wise father replied, “Sons, you are all right — because you have each seen only one season in the tree’s life. But you cannot judge a tree, or a person, or anything else by only one season. Most things can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons have come to pass”.

When I read this devotion, I can’t help but think how true it is-and how comforting. I know that I myself have a tendency to worry about those I love. Our husbands, our children, our family and friends. With so many people that we love, there’s always some that are doing great-and there always a few that are struggling.

And when it comes to our children especially, there are simply no words that can really explain just how much iStock_000002462782XSmall we love them. And as they grow up, there are times we can’t help but worry about them. Are they on the right track? Do they have the right friends? Are they truly learning to love the Lord? Have they found the kind of faith that will light their way both here and through eternity? The kind of faith that can never be taken away or torn down? And as they grow, there will be days when we look at them amazed that someone so wonderful could be our child! And there will be times that their love and thoughtfulness will bring tears to our eyes. But there will also be days when we worry and wonder if they will find their way. And there will be days when we are frustrated and angry with them.

heaven And it’s on those days, the hard days, that we need to hold onto this reading, because just as it says above, no man is judged by just one season. And we need to remember that when we are worried about someone we love, whether it’s our child, our husband or someone we love, Jesus loves them even more than we do. And just as we will never give up on them and just as we will always love them-so will He. So if there is someone in your life right now that you are worried about, remember, “With God All Things Are Possible”, and this life is a journey with many seasons. But for those who follow our Lord, regardless of the seasons, our journey will end in one place-in Heaven.

The Hope For Our World :)

With the state of our world and our country– it would be easy to at times become discouraged. Accept for one thing. One thing never changes. God is still God and Jesus is still coming back.

And as for the world we live in? The hope for our world is still where it has always been, in” the power of God working through the hearts of people”. All the people. And that hope still shines brightly in our country. It always will…

Following Jesus to Heaven

To All My Friends

The way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ. We tend to think that the only way to Heaven is through following the behavior that is in the Bible. But Jesus came for those who are sinners most of all. He loves us. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Of course we should. But we should also accept that we may fail, and God Still Loves Us.

Going to Heaven is not about how good we are, but about how good Jesus is! So please, don’t give up. Jesus loves you. There is nothing you, or the world, can do to change that. No matter what we each have done, Jesus’ door is always open; for He will never stop loving us. He will never stop being there for us. Because He loves us. He was crucified for us. And He rose again for us. And He loves us-always. Don’t ever give us-because Jesus won’t…

Heaven is for real, but the gate is narrow.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

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

This is a verse that is being taught by many leading preachers throughout the country right now. It means that only a “few” find the “gate” that leads to Heaven.

It’s a difficult verse for many of us because we can’t help but think of all of the people that we care about, people that we like, who may not find the “gate”.

So what do we do?

We share our faith in Christ and we pray. And we put our trust in God. For God loves us more than we can ever imagine. And not only does God loves us, God loves all people, including those that we know and care about it. And at the end of the day-that is going to count for more than anything else.

Heaven is for real, but the “gate” is narrow. Don’t miss it; share it.

With God All Things Are Possible,

Following Jesus