Judgment Begins At The House of God

 

Habakkuk 2:19
Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

Jeremiah 2:26, 27

26. As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets
27. Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’

Psalm 115:4-8
4. Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
5. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
6. they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell;
7. they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats.
8. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.

The Soul's Longing

 

Psalm 27:4

One thing have I desired of The LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of The LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of The LORD, and to inquire in His temple.

THE ONE THING

The good portion - Luke 10:42

The goal - Philippians 3:14

SEEKING AFTER

The open door - Matthew 7:8

The kingdom of God - Matthew 6:33

TO DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

The house of praise - Psalm 84:4

The house prepared for me - John 14:2, 3

TO SEE HIS BEAUTY

The glory of The Lord - Exodus 33:18-23

The face of The Lord - 1 Corinthians 13:12

TO HEAR HIS VOICE

The heart cries out - 1 Kings 8:28-30; Psalm 63:1

The soul yearns for permanent residence - Psalm 84:2; Matthew 5:6

IN HIS TEMPLE

The holy dwelling - Habakkuk 2:20

The believer is a living stone in Christ Jesus, The Eternally Living Stone - 1 Peter 2:5

Fearless: Trust in The Lord - Psalm 27:1

 

Psalm 27:1

Though an army encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.

What will I be confident in? The knowledge that THE LORD IS MINE and I am His. The knowledge that THE LORD IS MY LIGHT, MY SALVATION, and MY LIFE (verse 1). 

Regardless of how the world attacks we who are of the kingdom of God, we have nothing to fear, nothing to dread. For THE LORD IS WITH US. 

MY LIGHT

John 8:12

Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I Am The Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have The Light of Life.”

MY SALVATION

Romans 10:9

That if you confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

MY STRONGHOLD

Habakkuk 3:19

GOD The Lord is My Strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.

WHOM SHALL I FEAR?

Isaiah 8:12, 13

“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.

The LORD of Hosts is The One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded."

Bless God and He Will Bless Us

 

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

    Blessing God is our primary focus as Christians, as God's people. We bless Him best when we give Jesus our hearts to live in. 
    We bless God with our hands in worship and in work.
    We bless God with our lips and our tongues when we give Him praise, sincere praise that comes from a grateful heart. 
    We bless God with our feet when we go where he wants us to go. And we go with a joyful heart knowing that our God has already provided not only a way to get there, but a way to be more fruitful in His kingdom. 
    We bless God with our arms when we carry loads to the altar (figuratively) and then lay them down there for God to meet the needs thereof. 
    We bless God in our daily lives, throughout our life, that God gets the glory and not we ourselves. 
    We praise Him and glorify His Name, for He is GOD and He is The Father of our LORD and Savior JESUS CHRIST. Had He done nothing more for us, that would be enough to honor Him with our lives. 
    But God has prepared spiritual blessings for us, blessings only available IN CHRIST. If we are not in Christ, then every spiritual blessing which God has prepared for the resurrected soul is not available to us.

    Being IN CHRIST requires us to ask CHRIST to be in us. We believe by faith that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD and we give Him access to our hearts willingly and joyfully, thankful that we answered the call to salvation, to deliverance, to an abundant Life in Christ. 

    Salvation through Jesus Christ saves us from eternal damnation and gives us eternal life IN CHRIST. An eternal, abundant, overflowing, without end LIFE EVERLASTING IN CHRIST. 

    Deliverance from the bonds and chains of sin comes from a close personal working relationship IN CHRIST. Him working in us through the power of His Holy Spirit, changing our hearts and transforming us from the inside out. First the heart and the mind gets changed, then the outward things that people see changes. But the inward change must happen first. IN CHRIST we are born-again; we are born ANEW. 

    In life, in the womb and from birth, we are given by God some knowledge -- awareness of faces, voices, wetness, hunger, comfort. As we grow in life, we acquire a variety of knowledge, not all of it good or wise. So, too, must the one who lives IN CHRIST and has CHRIST living in him or her, acquire knowledge and wisdom. It is a process, an ever changing pattern of growth visible to not only ourselves, but to those who are watching us grow. Even failure is part of growing IN CHRIST, for then God prunes us and we change again into someone who is able to be more fruitful. 

    These are but three spiritual blessings we have received from The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Imagine what is in store in the mansions which Christ is preparing for us! 

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part 21

 

JAMES 5:16

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and

The Lord will raise him up. And if he 

has committed sins, he will 

be forgiven.

The Prayer of Faith

Expect An Answer

Mark 11:24

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Ask in Faith, Believing

Matthew 21:21, 22

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Ask In Jesus' Name

John 16:24

"Until now you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full (complete)."

Seekers Get Rewarded

Matthew 7:8

"For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Talking To Jesus - Elevation Worship (Hard to believe this song came out FIVE years ago)

He Who Lives Holds The Keys

 

Revelation 1:18
"I Am He Who lives, and was dead, and behold, I Am Alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, "I Am The Resurrection, and The Life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
John 5:21
"For as The Father raises the dead and gives Life to them, even so The Son gives Life to whom He will." 

John 5:11, 12

And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has The Son has life; he who does not have The Son of God does not have life.

John 5:24

"Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has Eternal Life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to Life."

    He Who Lives Who holds the keys of death and hell is He Who has overcome, conquered, death and hell. No one else in history has ever done that. While a few have died and come to life again, none have died and come back with eternal life except He Who holds the keys of death and hell. 

    Death without Eternal Life is permanent and hell is where the defendants wait for judgment. Death with Eternal Life is also permanent and heaven is where the victor waits for reward. 

    He Who holds the keys is also He Who died on the cross, was buried, and resurrected from death and the grave. Even the grave is temporary, for our Lord and Savior borrowed His. 

    John 19:41, 42

Now there was a garden in the place where He was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one was had yet been laid. And because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus there. 

The borrowed tomb: John 20:1-9; Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12. 

    He Who Lives conquered sin on the cross, overcame death and hell and the grave when He walked out in Victory into the garden where the borrowed tomb was. Speaking Resurrection and Eternal Life. Speaking our names gently. Speaking with Love and Forgiveness and Compassion. He Who Lives, Lives Forevermore. No more death for the one who believes in Him and follows Him. 

    That thief on the cross who claimed Christ as Lord followed Jesus. He followed Him into death and landed in Paradise. The thief on the cross who refused to believe that Jesus is Lord died in his sins and landed in hell. His opportunity to make a decision for Christ fell from his grasp with his last breath. Which thief are you? 

    He Who Lives and holds the keys to death and hell is waiting for your answer. 

HE HOLDS THE KEYS - Steve Green in 1987 

    

    

Christianity

   

     Christianity began in The New Testament in Matthew 4:19, when Jesus said, "Follow Me" and the people He called to follow Him, answered His call to follow. That's what Christian really means you know: Follower of Christ. Hearing what He has to say and doing what He says to do. Simple. 

    We could go back farther, though, before Christ was born in that manger, before The Word was born in flesh. We could go back to Genesis 4:26, when Seth began to call on The Name of The Lord. "And to Seth was born a son, and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon The Name of The Lord." 

     

     The Name of The Lord has not changed in power, in description, in Name. The Name of The Lord saves: Romans 10:13. The Name of The Lord is to be praised: Psalm 145:1-2. The Name of The Lord is to be feared: Isaiah 59:19. The Name of The Lord is to be revered: Numbers 15:30. The Name of The Lord is to be glorified within the church, and thus, the Christians who make up the church: 2 Thessalonians 1:12.

    The Name of The Lord is Jesus Christ. He is Savior. He is Praise and ascribed praise. He is Fearful. He is ascribed Honor. He is The Unveiled Splendor radiating outward from the inward change which faith in His Name has wrought within the believer. 

    Christianity is when we fulfill that call to Follow Christ and choose to have The Word of God LIVE in us by the power of His Holy Spirit. We choose to display the fruit of The Spirit in our lives that others may see the Goodness of God in us and be drawn to The Light of His Love and The Joy of His Communion. We make a conscientious decision to be obedient to The Word of God and allow His Holy Spirit to not just modify our behavior, but radically change us. 

    From the beginning people were made in the image of God. From conception each of us are stamped with His image. But from the age of understanding and reason, we are each faced with the decision to either follow Christ or reject Him. This age is different for everyone, though some children understand Who Christ is and what He did for them from a very young age (3); yet the basic age of understanding and reasoning out for ourselves is usually around 12-13, when we begin to question what is real, what is right and what is truth. 

    Christianity builds itself on The Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ. It is built on the patriarchs and prophets, who foretold of the birth of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and the Kingship of Christ. 

    Christianity is to give ourselves to The Lord. Isaiah 44:5-We take His Name to ourselves. Deuteronomy 26:17, 18-We call Him our God and He calls us His people. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20-We are His temple and have been bought with a great price. Romans 14:8-In life and in death we belong to The Lord. Galatians 3:29-We are heirs according to the promise [Romans 9:8].

    Acts 11:26 tells us that we were first called Christians in a town called Antioch, the third-largest city of the Roman Empire and the capitol of Syria. Followers of Jesus. Setting us apart from any ethnicity (for whether we are Jewish believers or Gentile [any non-Jew) believers, we are all believers in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ.           We are set apart from community organizations, for our reasons for coming together are to exalt The Name of The Lord in worship and in testimonies; in service and in sharing the gospel and hearing the gospel. 

    Christianity is exclusive. It does not partake of any other religion's activities, nor that religion's beliefs. It does not join itself to another's religion in any way, sense or form. For CHRIST JESUS is ABOVE all gods. And His Name is Jealous. Chrislam is blasphemy against God. Christian Nationalism is blasphemy against God. Mixing any religions' "best qualities", including Christianity, into one's personal religious faith is blasphemous. Be very careful and make wise choices. 

    Christianity is not inherited. Each one of us make a decision to believe in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for ourselves. Grandma and Grandpa's belief on Jesus' Name will not save you or I. Momma taking us to church every time the doors opened will not save us. Tradition and familial resonances will not get us into Christianity. Only Christ and following Him upon belief in Him plants us in Him. 

    Today is the day you must make a decision for Christ, if you have not done so already. Hebrews 3:15 "As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.” (cf. Hebrews 4:7; Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; Joshua 24:15). 2 Corinthians 6:2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

CALL YOUR NAME - Dan Bremnes

WHEN I CALL ON JESUS - Nicole C. Mullen

 

Be Faithful

 

Revelation 2:10

Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life. 

FEAR NOTHING WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT TO SUFFER

Matthew 10:28

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 

    Having been called to salvation and sanctification, we find ourselves called to suffer, as well. Unseen targets are now on our person and our soul. Not just on our backs, where we cannot see who is aiming for us, but also on our minds {attacking how we think, how we reason and what we think about}. Targets are on our hearts attack our emotions (in the physical realm) and our spiritual fruit (in the spiritual realm).  

    It is why we are warned at every turn of life to be wary, be alert, be aware. However, even knowing who and where our enemies might lie, is not enough to forego being a believer. We find we are able to both stand and fight this spiritual battle that is now raging around us, instead of in us. The darkness tries to take us out, because our lights are turning people to Jesus Christ.

    When we are accosted, we are to speak Jesus. When we are assaulted for His Name's sake, we are to respond in silence or in love, however The Spirit leads us. When we are lied about, we do not retaliate. Nor do we sling mud in their direction. We do not rise up in anger, nor do we engage in physical assaults with those who seek our demise.  God will fight for us in many cases. But sometimes God will allow our deaths to take place, when we die proclaiming our faith in The Name of Jesus Christ. 

    For when God's people die speaking The Name of Jesus, many times the people who are doing the killing of us come to Jesus. Such faith and obvious love of God draws people to this loving God Whom we have put our hope and trust in. Physical death is a minor inconvenience. Spiritual death is permanent.

FEAR GOD ONLY

    Luke 16:19-31 tells us of two men who died. One went to Paradise and one went to hell. And while not much is known of Lazarus' time in Paradise, much is known of the rich man's time in hell. We do know that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. So in reading this passage, we are made aware of Lazarus' comforts and the rich man's lack of comforts.

Verse 23: He was aware in hell. He was in torment. He could see into Paradise, but could not get there. He recognized Lazarus and Abraham, even though the first he never acknowledged and the second he never knew. He could move and see.  

Verse 24: He could speak in hell. He was still selfish. He knew thirst, he knew pain. 

Verse 25: He could hear in hell. 

Verse 26: He was made to understand his position: no one in hell can cross into Paradise and no one in Paradise can cross into hell. Death is final.

Verse 27, 28: He begged for Lazarus to be sent back to his family to warn them of the dangers of not believing. 

Verse 29-31: He was informed by Abraham that that desire, too, was not going to be done. Those who will not listen to Moses and the prophets of God have only themselves to blame for their ignorance and unbelief.

Verse 30: The rich man in hell thought that if someone was risen from the dead, then surely his brothers would believe. He labored under a false hope.

    For we know that Someone has risen from the dead. That Someone is Jesus Christ. However, not everyone believes that Jesus Christ is God's Only Begotten Son. Nor do they believe that He rose from the dead. The lie from then persists even now: his disciples came in the night and stole His body away [Matthew 28:11-15]. Therefore, too many people have died in their sins, including the sin of unbelief, and now await their final judgment in hell. They cannot get out. Don't find yourself in their predicament. Come to Jesus today. 

    

BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH

Revelation 12:11

They have conquered him by The Blood of The Lamb and by The Word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.

    Have you ever read Jesus Freaks? I have. The squeamish may have difficulty reading it. But once you start reading it, it is hard to stop. Foxe's Book of Martyrs lists the names of many who had died for the sake of the cross and the resurrection in his time. When Faith Is Forbidden is on my shelf as we speak. It is underlined, bookmarked and highlighted. At the end of each chapter is a missionary's request for how to pray for them. 

    You are all in my prayers. And I pray for your faith to be strong in these trying times. I pray for your families, your churches, your testimony to be a strong witness of the saving power of God through Jesus Christ. I plead the blood of Jesus over each and every one of you in your walk with Christ.

"Fear not, for I Am with you; Be not dismayed, for I Am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with the right hand of My Righteousness." Isaiah 41:10

Be Fruitful

 

DELIGHT IN THE LORD

Psalm 1:1-3

[1] Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

[2] But his delight is in The Law of The LORD, and on His Law he meditates day and night.

[3] He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

💚💕💚

    To delight in The Law of The Lord is to take great joy in that which we both read and hear, especially when we read it aloud. And while some cannot hear with the ear, they will hear with the heart. Though the Word cannot leave the mouth, with the heart salvation is believed, and The Word remains in the reader/the hearer/the listener/the believer.

Jeremiah 15:16

Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.

💚💕💚

BE FRUITFUL

A life lived in Christ yields a spiritual fruitfulness that nothing in this world compares to. The result of Delighting in The Lord is shown by the actions of the heart as one Fruit:

Galatians 5:22-23

[22] But the fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

💚💕💚

    Righteous living is a Christ-centered lifestyle. Everything we do revolves around our commitment to being faithful witnesses of The Testimony that is within us. We may come off to some people as 'better than' or 'holier-than-thou' types, but we are merely men and women, boys and girls, who have chosen to believe that The Word of God is TRUE. And that this Word is God's Only Begotten Son Who was sent by God to deliver mankind of the punishment of our sins. [John 3:16-18].

    And when The Light that is in us shines into the darkness of the hearts around us, the dark hearts either rebel against The Light of God's Love and taunt us, or they believe The Light is God's Love and receive the same Light into their hearts.

    Right living is having The Divine Word of God be the compass for our interactions with each other, whether the people with whom we interact are believers like us, or unbelievers who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. This Word tempers our words with the Love of God.

💚💕💚

    In a world where hatemongering is plentiful, we choose to Love one another the way Christ has loved us. We love unconditionally. The color of our skin does not impede God's love within us. Neither gender nor culture will keep us from sharing God's Love with each other. We love because God is Love and God's Love lives in us.

    When we are born again into the family of God through our belief on The Name of Jesus Christ, we are receive His Spirit, as well. {Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in The Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of The Holy Spirit.}.

    For where One goes, The Other One must go. {The baptism of The Holy Spirit is separate, it is to be immersed in The Spirit and empowered to share the gospel in another language without the benefit of special schooling to learn it [Acts 2:1-12}].

💚💕💚

    We are justified in Christ and sanctified in The Spirit upon repentance and belief.

    2 Thessalonians 2:13

"But we should and are [morally] obligated [as debtors] always to give thanks to God for you, believers beloved by The Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through the sanctifying work of The Spirit [that sets you apart for God’s purpose] and by your faith in The Truth [of God’s Word that leads you to spiritual maturity]." {AMP Bible}

    What a wonderful God we worship! He not only gives us His Son Jesus Christ to save us, but He gives us His powerful Holy Spirit to sanctify us! Peter [1 Peter 1:2] tells us that we are "sanctified by The Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ". Paul tells the church in Corinth [1 Corinthians 6:11], "washed, sanctified, justified in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ and by The Spirit of our God"!

    So let us now, or continue to, Delight in The Word and Be Fruitful in Him.

💚💕💚

WASHED IN THE BLOOD - Antrim Mennonite Choir

LIVING FOR JESUS - a capella

Be Fearless

 

    To hope in The Lord is have full confidence in His Word, that what He has said, still says, and will say is not only Truth, but also Faithful. God Does Not Lie. What He says will happen. Not only to the believer but to the unbeliever, as well. 

    The person who hopes in The Lord is blessed: we are happy, we are content. And in our contentment in our Lord and our God, we are fearless.

💚🤎

HOPE IN THE LORD
Jeremiah 17:7, 8
(7) But blessed is the man who trusts in The LORD, whose hope is in Him.
[8] He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit. 

💚🤎

    Our sustenance comes from being rooted and grounded in The Word of God. These roots go deep within our spiritual existence. Grounded simply means we have a firm Foundation on which to build our lives, and that Foundation is Christ Jesus, The Living Word of God. It is living in Him and He in us that strengthens the core of our walk, our day to day living. 

💚🤎
BE FEARLESS
Psalm 1:1-3
(1) Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.
(2) But his delight is in The Law of The LORD, and on His Law he meditates day and night.
(3) He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

💚🤎

    To be Fearless is to have a close relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is knowing that when He goes before us and we follow close after, that nothing will get in the way of having God's will accomplished within us and ahead of us. Every obstacle is overcome; every road block is dismantled. Every trial we go through and every tribulation we encounter He is with us. As long as we are living in Christ and Christ and His Spirit are living in us, what is there to fear in this life? Nothing.

    We become mighty warriors of praise and prayer when we continue to exercise our faith throughout our days. We lean on Jesus for understanding, for we understand nothing in and of ourselves. We hope in Jesus for our salvation, for the judgments of God are final and eternal in death.

     It is in this life only, while we draw breath and are able to reason, that we can have the Hope of Salvation living in us now. It is in this place -- life -- that we must make a decision whether or not we are going to believe The Word of God, the WHOLE Word of God, that will determine our destination after death. 

💚🤎

    We are bold as lions. We are shrewd as snakes. We are harmless as doves. We are fierce, for we are Hopeful and Fearless. 

The Desires of The Heart - Death vs Life

 

Romans 13:14

But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

The desires of the flesh lead to death. The desire of The Lord leads to Life Eternal.

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 26:12 My feet stand on level ground; in the congregations I will bless The LORD.

Level ground is a place of divine righteousness which only God can lead us to and help us to walk on and stand in. It is a unique quality which God's leaders have which enables them to lead God's people righteously. But it must be maintained on a daily basis, moment by moment. We must be 'teachable' by God. If we are not ready to hear what God has to say, then we are not teachable. We must place ourselves in a teachable manner: we must submit to His authority and surrender our will for His will. God is, after all, our Creator; the created who submits to what The Creator wants, will be blessed in doing so. Listen to the voice of The Spirit of God. It is very distinct. And He speaks with the tongue of Love. He guides. He leads. He teaches. He reveals. He discerns. He convicts. He applies The Word of God to the teachable heart.

    When The Word of God is written on our hearts at the moment of belief, we begin to be teachable, for now Christ Jesus has taken up residence within us and begun to clean house in us. Too many people use the thief on the cross as an excuse not to allow The Holy Spirit to change them. They're wrong.

    But he was dying and he knew, as he watched this Man of God die on the cross beside him, that this Man was indeed The Son of God. He knew that he himself was a sinner who needed a Savior, and before Jesus stopped breathing, the thief recognized Him as Lord (Teacher, Master, Savior), asking only that Jesus remember him when He comes into His kingdom. Not as simple a request as it sounds though.

    "Remember me." David wrote in Psalm 25:7 "Remember me according to Your mercy, because of Your goodness, O Lord." God spoke to Israel in Isaiah 43:25, "I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more." David again writes, in Psalm 106:4-5, "Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, and rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, and give glory with Your inheritance."

   "Remember me," says the dying thief. Don't forget me when You come into Your own kingdom, Lord. Don't remember my sins. Cover me with Your salvation. May my soul prosper in Your kingdom. With one word, "LORD", the thief knew himself as sinner and Jesus as Savior. He knew He needed forgiveness (because he knew that he deserved this death he was suffering in {Luke 23:41}) and Jesus gave it to him [Luke 23:43]. It is enough, Lord, that You remember me.

    "When You come into Your kingdom." Can Jesus' kingdom be limited to a 'where', or a 'what'? No, for Christ's kingdom is where He reigns. The dying thief spoke in his new faith in Christ, for his Lord to remember him when He came into His kingdom. When The Spirit applies The Word of God to the teachable heart, King Jesus not only takes up residence there, He sits on the throne of our hearts. When we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, we call for the abdication of Satan from the throne of our hearts.

    When Jesus spoke in John 14:1-3, He spoke of preparing a place for those who follow Him. The place which Christ is preparing for us is both literal and spiritual. He literally prepares our hearts to receive Him and He is preparing a spiritual destination for our souls. It takes more than a dustrag or a mop and bucket to clean our hearts.

    With His gospel message of repentance and salvation, He prepared The Way of Holiness in which the believer begins his or her walk of faith. With His blood on the cross, He made it possible for the believer to gain access into The Holy of Holies, the eternal presence of God; which until then could only be accessed once a year by the high priest. Now Christ is our High Priest, and it is only through Him that we can see God and live.

    With His ascendancy into heaven, Jesus intercedes for His people on their behalf with His Father. We pray, we talk to Jesus, and Jesus talks to His heavenly Father. [Hebrews 7]. Romans 8:34 " Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also makes intercession for us." He is in His kingdom.

    And in His kingdom, all nations, all powers, all principalities must acknowledge Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords; whether they want to or not. [Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9-11]. He is at the right hand of God. [Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3; Acts 2:33]. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. [Daniel 7:27; Psalm 145:13].

    As Joshua informed the people of Israel, and as the thieves on the cross spoke their final words, the decision must be made by each of us in our lifetimes, "Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord." Though the dying thief could only speak for himself, the decision was made and his desire granted. "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."

    

The Lord Is Alpha

 

ALPHA

(al'-fah)

Revelation 1:8

I Am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The Ending, says The Lord, Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, The Almighty.

    The First, The Beginning, The Before Everything Else Came Into Existence. He Is God Almighty, Who came in the flesh to destroy the works of sin and restore His people to Himself. 

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME  

    Isaiah 44:6

Thus says The LORD, The King and Redeemer of Israel, The LORD of Hosts: "I Am The First and I Am The Last, and there is no God but Me."

    John 1:1-3

In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

    Psalm 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

    Colossians 1:16

For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

    1 Corinthians 8:6

But to us there is but one God, The Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.

    Psalm 33:6

By The Word of The LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by The Breath of His mouth.

    Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus The Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Revelation 21:6

And He said unto me, "It is done. I Am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The End. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."

    Even in the void, He is. Genesis 1:2. Whether it is the darkness of the night sky or the seemingly darkness of the womb, Jesus is there. [Psalm 8:3; Psalm 139:13]. For He is Creator of all light and life. [Genesis 1:3; Psalm 100:3; John 1:4]. 

    He is The First to Rise from the dead in a resurrected body; He is The Firstfruits. [1 Corinthians 15:20]. He is The Guarantor, guaranteeing for God's sons and daughters that that which has been given to God at the beginning, whether it is first and best of the harvest, or first born and unblemished of the flock, will be received by God and that what is left of the harvest and the flock will be blessed by God, and ultimately also belong to Him. [Ephesians 1:13, 14]. He is The First Offering to God from among the many who will follow in His Name, offering Himself to be God's Instrument of Salvation. [Luke 22:42; Hebrews 10:7].

    And I'm so very thankful Jesus did that. I needed a Savior and He is mine.

I'D NEED A SAVIOR - Among The Thirsty

    

The Desires of The Heart - Division + Death vs Peace + Life

 

Hebrews 13:14

But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, 

and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. 

🧡

The desires of the flesh are divisive and death. But the desire of The Lord Jesus Christ is peace through Him and Life Eternal in Him. 

💔  

    The desires of the flesh, of the heart, bring division and chaos. They first divide us from the presence of God, as Adam and Eve were divided from His presence when they sinned against Him in the garden of Eden. Before they ever bit into the forbidden fruit, their minds questioned the validity of God's Word and then their hearts desired that thing which God had said not to touch. But they touched it anyway. Biting into the fruit was the culmination of sin's aspects: doubt, desire, touch, and taste. 

💚

    Fear soon followed. For finding themselves separated from God they tried to hide from Him. But sin already separated them; hiding in the bushes became instinct. Many times we try to hide from God, when we know we have transgressed against Him, yet He knows where we are. He either waits for us to come to Him (Luke 15:11-32) or goes looking for us (Luke 15:1-6).

🖤

    Death was not far behind fear. But first all parties had to be judged for their sin which had cause the division between them and God. First, the serpent, the craftiest beast, was condemned to slither across the ground (he lost the use of his legs). Second, the serpent, the spiritual enemy of God's people, was condemned to death publicly (in the face of Adam and Eve) and vocally (God spoke the judgment aloud). 

    Then Eve was judged for her actions in dividing herself from God. She would know great pain in childbirth and she would have pain in raising them. Her heart's desire would be for her husband, and she would submit to his authority God's way (Ephesians 5:22-24). 

💜

    Now Adam is judged for listening to and following the actions of his wife. We may never know exactly why Adam did as Eve did, though, perhaps, he did not want to lose this mate whom God had given him. But he ate of the forbidden fruit, too, so judgment came upon him, as well. Work would be hard, and because of Adam's sin, the ground is cursed. The soil he worked in would yield thorns and thistles and he must eat of the plants that grew in these fields. 

    And, finally, death comes. At least one animal had to die, that their sins would be covered and their nakedness clothed (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). After that, they, too, were banished from the garden of Eden for their actions. This paradise was no longer theirs for the keeping and the living. 

🧡

    But the desire of The Lord Jesus Christ is that all are restored to a familial relationship with God. The restorative relationship we have in Christ makes us sons and daughters of The Most High God (Romans 8:14-17; John 1:12, 13). 

💙

     He is our Peace (John 14:27). And in Him, His Peace, we place our confidence and hope of Life Eternal which is promised to all who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord (Hebrews 10:23; 1 Peter 1:3; Titus 3:5). 

💛

    Jesus is The Resurrection And The Life (John 11:25). He came to give us Abundant Life (John 10:10). In Him we have more than enough. So much so that we must go out and share this Life He has given us with so many more people, that they, too, might know this Jesus and have His Resurrection and Abundant Life in them! 

    So rings out the call, "Come to Jesus. Come and see. Come and know. Come and believe." But even as this proclamation is declared, so the warning bells ring out crystal clear, as well, "Before it's too late. Before the last trumpet sounds. Before you return to the dust from whence you came." 

    Come to Jesus and Live! ✟

 

The Holy Spirit Teaches and Reminds Us

 

John 14:26

But The Advocate, The Holy Spirit, Whom The Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

    This is being empowered by God. It is not of our own strength that we accomplish the tasks set before us by our heavenly Father, but through the power of His Holy Spirit. We are weak, and the burden of carrying such a heavy load would break us to such an extent that we would fall and not get back up. 

    But God says that His Holy Spirit would bring everything that His Son Jesus Christ said to us back into our minds and on our tongues what we need to know and when we need to speak it. However, if none of The Word of God is in us, there will be nothing to remember. 

    So, we attach ourselves to our Bibles, studying God's Word for ourselves. We fill ourselves daily, preferable in the morning, because that is the first part of our day (for those who begin their days in the morning). David writes in Psalm 63:1, "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."

    I don't know about you, but I am always thirsty for a cold glass of water when I wake up after a night's sleep. David was in the wilderness of Judah. I have only been in the landscape of dreams and nightmares. But we both wake up and seek God early in the morning. In the peacefulness of the moment, before the household is awake; before the birds begin to sing; as the sun kisses the sky. It is wonderful to be alone with God. 

    Without a study life I wouldn't know how to start my day. Without a prayer life, where would I be? I would be filled with anxiety and unsureness, like I used to be before I began to fill up on The Word of God. No longer am I empty and dry like a barren well: there is Living Water in me and The Second Wind blows over the surface of the water, empowering It to move in me and through me. 

    John 7:38, 39

"Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of Living Water will flow from within him.’ " He was speaking about The Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

    The first Wind that blew through us was the breath of God, giving us life. The second Wind blowing through us is God Himself, His Holy Spirit, renewing us, strengthening and restoring us moment by glorious moment. He brings The Word of God to our minds and our hearts, convicting us where necessary in order that we may be aware of what else within us needs to submit to God (called to repentance), that we might be fully surrendered as we have promised we would be. 

    We must have an earnest desire to learn what God wants to teach us. Many have opened their Bibles to disavow The Word of God, only to find themselves submitting to The Word of God. Many an atheist has laid hold of The Word only to find The Word laying hold of them. The godless have encountered God and become some of His staunchest supporters. Nothing is too difficult for God. 

    I have a few study themes within me just waiting to be poured out, but they cannot all come rushing out at once. One thing at a time. No pushing, no shoving. As the seasons shift throughout the year, so, too, does The Wind and The Water within me. This is a time of submission and surrender. Submit to God's Will for my life and my family's life. Surrender to God's Will with all my heart and my mind. 

    We are empowered by this Second Wind, this Second Breath, to persevere; to go forward under great trials regardless of the cost. [Hebrews 12:1, 2]. We are empowered by this Second Wind to pursue the mission we have been given, namely to share the gospel message of salvation and repentance through Jesus Christ. [John 20:19-22]. 

    We are empowered to witness, be willing martyrs, if necessary, for the sake of the gospel. [Acts 1:8]. We are empowered to speak other languages to reach people who want to hear the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. [Acts 2:1-10]. We are empowered to be bold as lions [Proverbs 28:1]; wise as serpents, and blameless as doves [Matthew 10:16]. We are empowered to resist (stand against, oppose) the devil [James 4:7]. 

    But only after we have submitted to God. Submission. Surrender. Empowerment. It is enough to be here in this place, at this time. 

Father, may Your Wind empower me that I might accomplish the tasks You have set before me. Amen.

MORNING WORSHIP - Ember and Altar