True Forgiveness Is Hard!

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us” -Matthew 6:12

I am so grateful that Jesus gave us this prayer, because I sometimes struggle with this. Deciding to forgive someone feels relatively easy, but forgiving as God forgive us seems so much harder!

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” -Psalm 103:12

This Bible verse is what I struggle with. I have sometimes decided to forgive someone (after all God forgives me :). But then I take it back! I start thinking of how much that person hurt me, and yet when God forgives our “transgressions”, our “transgressions become “as far as the “east is from the west”.

So what I really do sometimes I think, is I forgive someone, but then I take it back. As my friend often says, I am not Christian because I am so perfect, but because I need Help :).

And so when forgiveness is a struggle, I simply ask God for Help 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready…

 

Many American Churches Are Splitting!

“Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” – Matthew 23:24

Many churches are splitting up these days. They usually split into two groups: The group who believes in God’s Word and those that do not.

Those who do not, usually want to rewrite the Bible. With their “anything goes” message, their churches expand and their coffers fill. But sadly, those that follow them, often follow them in the WRONG direction and AWAY from Christ. And we know what happens to those who do NOT follow Christ.

Then there are those who choose to attend the church that truly teaches God’s Word. They love Jesus and follow Him closely. It’s not that they don’t occasionally fall, they do. But they ask God to forgive them, in Jesus’ Name, to forgive them and they ask Jesus to help them avoid sin in the future!

And that is just one of the differences. Those who truly follow Jesus know what sin is. They have been taught how to live and how to love. And they do their very best to follow Jesus closely and to live as God’s Word has truly taught.

But the church with their “anything goes” mentality and the people who stay in it WILL suffer the consequences of their choices. Pray for them!

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” -2 Timothy 3:1-5

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Keep Praying!

“And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.” – Exodus 3:7

When Moses led God’s people out of Egypt; they had been there awhile. They hadn’t suffered just a day, or even months. They had suffered for quite awhile! And yet, despite their harsh circumstances, their faith in God still filled their hearts as they cried out to God for help! And God heard their prayer!

Imagine how deep their faith must have been that they followed Moses out of Egypt because God sent him. Can you imagine?

There is no doubt that we face some difficult days ahead. In many countries, those who follow Christ are already suffering greatly! And that is one reason why it helps so much to read the Book of Exodus. God will not forget us and He will save us 🙂

G0d said: “This is my memorial to all generations” – Exodus 3:15

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

A Huge Mess!

A good friend of mine sent this devotion. It was so good, just had to share 🙂

Once upon a time, there was a child, who was 6 years old, who wanted his parent to take them to the store to “help” go shopping. The child knew that there was a good chance they would stop at the place next to the store and get their favorite drink – a “Slushee”.

As expected, the parent asked the child if they would like to go to the place next to the store. The child replied, “Oh, Yes!!”. They both got something and of course the child requested a “Slushee”. They both sat down at a table and wouldn’t you know – the child accidentally spilled their drink. We are talking blue and red goop all over the floor, the table – everywhere!

The child looked up at their parent and immediately apologized. Instead of getting angry, the parent said, “Hey, it happens. Let’s go get napkins and I can show you how to clean it up.” Then they calmly went to get napkins and then helped the child clean the entire mess. As they were throwing the napkins ways, the parent said to the child, “You’re going to be a human being for probably some time, and you have such a smart brain that it’s important you learn how to be more careful of what you’re doing. So next time, just be sure to pay more attention to your surroundings – so accidents like this don’t happen.

Accidents like these can be prevented, but it’s still okay if they happen. As long as you take responsibility for your mistakes, the clean up is a breeze. I know big messes seem overwhelming and you might feel like you can’t do it by yourself – it’s okay to ask for help. There is no problem with asking for help when you need it.”

Truly, God’s Children on this earth are born into human nature, which sometimes creates a huge mess. Your Heavenly Father knows this and even helps to guide you around those surroundings, that creates these. He lovingly still gives you a choice – whether to follow His Direction or to create a big mess on your own – all over you and even sometimes all over those around you. He also gives you His Word to help you prevent such problems you may encounter. The best you can do IS really try to follow His Voice in His Will and Purpose for you. When you make mistakes, take responsibility for them – ask your Father to forgive you. Even when they seem overwhelming to you, that you just can’t cope with it all – ask for His Help. He may even send one of His to help you clean up your mess. He IS SO Good like that!

My thoughts and prayers are that you do your best not to make a mess of your life. If you do sometimes, that you not hesitate to ask for your Heavenly Father’s help to wipe away your mess with His Living Water. That especially when you are overwhelmed with the world, that you give yourself to Him and thank Him for helping you. It’s okay to ask for help. In Jesus’ Name. Thy Will be done. Amen. Peace.

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready…

A History Lesson!

” And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

” Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,  “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.  And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” – 1 KIngs 17:1-4

God has a history of punishing those who disobey Him, but Saving those who do 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Where Is Our Hope?

Where is the hope? I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us”

Where is the hope? The hope that each of us have Is not in who governs us or what laws are passed or Or what great things that we do as a nation

Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people

“And that’s where our hope is in this country. That’s where our hope is in life“-Chuck Colson

Our God is not a distant God. He walks with us through each day because He loves us. And despite what many news headlines yell at us, we are never alone! God is always with us 🙂

God answers prayers on earth, because we are in need on earth and He loves us. They can be prayers for working through they day, prayers for a loved one who is sick, a friend who faces a challenging circumstance. Prayers for food and housing. Prayers for a job…” The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

In the end, this world will matter not at all, for we will be in Heaven with our Father. Jesus and the Holy Spirit. There will be no more pain, no more fatigue and no more worry and fear. There will be only joy and peace. New adventures and unending time with those we love. Deep hugs, gardens, a river, mountains…. More than we could ever dream! A happiness so complete and so unending; it is indescribable 🙂

And God’s light will always be with us and because we will have heavenly eyes we will see His light even more clearly. We will sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him with joy. And we will be able to thank the Holy Spirit in person :). And this time in Heaven, unlike our time on earth, will last forever 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready…

The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;” – Isaiah 11:2

God sent His Holy Spirit to be our Helper and our Comforter. He is our Friend and Advocate. He gives us many Gifts to Help us to serve God and share our Faith with others :).

We need to use these Gifts Wisely and we need to use them Now!

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

It Is Time To Shine God’s Light :)

“Arise, shine; for your light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” – Isaiah 60:1

We live in dark times in this country, but the light of Christ shines as well! It shines through us!

So often, we ask God to save us, but God sent us! Jesus taught us how to share the Gospel and love God and love our neighbor! And that is all we need 🙂

We need to do that now!

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Jesus Warns The People!

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

24 “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

3″ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come”.

The Great Tribulation

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.

26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

The Parable of the Fig Tree

32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away”.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

Pray, Prepare & Be Ready!

God Will Feed Us -Do Not Fear!

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” – 1 Kings 17:1

” You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” – 1 Kings 17:4

God will always feed us. Not only did God feed Elijah, but Jesus fed the 5,000. He had only 5 fish and 2 loaves of bread. Jesus looked up to Heaven and gave Thanks and broke the bread and fed them all 🙂 (Matthew 14)

There can be no doubt that we live in difficult times, but God will feed us-do not fear!

Prepare, Pray and Be Ready!