THE CROSS

Jesus came; His purpose set

To die upon the cross.

To pay the debt of sin I owed

Despite to Him the cost.

He came to do the Father’s will

Defeating death and sin.

Giving me a precious gift

A new life to begin.

He took my sin and made me pure.

He took my fear, made me secure.

He took my heart His home to be.

He took my pride to humble me.

He took my anger, gave me peace.

He took my past and gave release.

He took my will to make it new.

He took my life—His now to use.

He gave me faith and hope and love

A future home in heaven above.

He gave compassion, mercy, grace

Abundant joy—all mine to take. 

So when I think about the cross
And the Savior's sacrifice.
My heart is filled with wonder and awe
He was willing to pay the price.

JOURNEY OF FAITH - A NEW BOOK

I am proud to announce that my granddaughter has written her first novel, and it is now available through the Kindle store at Amazon through the following link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CQ47ZEQ

My granddaughter's book, Journey of Faith, falls in the genre of adventure/fantasy and is the first in a series called "Destiny's Call."  Following is an excerpt that will hopefully whet your appetite for more.

"It is time to start your training," Querid said. 


"What training?" Faith questioned. They had walked out of hearing distance of the others, and now Querid sat on a rock with his staff in his lap and peering at her intently. 


"You must be ready for battle with the enemy forces. They are always watching, and they will watch you extremely closely since you have already chosen Xenon. They will want to drag you back into the darkness," the wizard explained. 


"Who are they?" Faith asked, wondering if she was strong enough to stand against these evil beings.


"They are the Bazzalth, and their leader is Nevith, Dark Lord of the world. The Bazzalth have been misled by Nevith, and now they’re basically his slaves,” Querid told her.


"How can I stand strong against them? Are they not stronger than I am?” Faith questioned. 


"Xenon is stronger than they are; and as His follower, you are also. However, Xenon will allow you to be tested so that you may grow stronger. Don’t worry; He will not give you a trial you cannot handle. Allow me to train you so that you will be able to resist temptation and walk the straight path to Paradise," Querid urged. 

[end excerpt]
 
My granddaughter is a homeschooler that is very active in volleyball and in the worship ministry at our church.  She hopes to use the proceeds from the sale of her book to raise money for mission trips and other ministry opportunities. 

My prayer is that you will want to encourage this young writer as she begins her journey to become an established author. 

A SOLEMN WARNING FOR AMERICA

As I was reading in Isaiah this morning, a few verses jumped out at me.  These are the first two:

Isaiah 3:8–9 “For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.  The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.”

Yes, the LORD is talking about Jerusalem and Judah and the people of Israel, but the principles He used in dealing with them have not changed because He has not changed.  They still apply to His people today.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not….”

The LORD is declaring judgment against them because “their tongue and their doings are against the LORD.”  The speech and actions that dominate their land are against the LORD.  They are blatantly rebellious to His word that specifies what is acceptable in word and deed before Him.  Their words and actions boldly declare their sin; they act without shame in defiance of God’s word.

Say what you will, America’s roots grew in a foundation that was formed using the standard of God’s word.  Many of the early settlers came to America for religious freedom.  The schools of our land began as institutions of training up young men to honor the LORD.  Honoring God was the accepted norm.

How far we have strayed from those beginnings!  The verses above from Isaiah would read just as true if we substituted the words Washington D.C. for Jerusalem and America for Judah. 

It is obvious to me that the LORD has declared His judgment against our land.  We should fear for our lives because our actions, our rebellion against God will culminate in evil against us.  In our nation as a whole, things that were once universally recognized as sin have now become accepted—even in our churches.  The blatant disregard of God’s word is at an all-time high.  It has gotten to the point that those who stand for the truth of God’s word are being persecuted, and I believe such persecution is only going to get worse as time goes on.  Our only hope is that a national revival breaks out in the land, and we repent of our sins before God.  Personally, I don’t see this happening because I believe we are firmly enmeshed in the season of the final countdown to the LORD’s return as revealed by the prophets.

People of faith that have accepted Jesus as their Savior need not despair.  The next two verses provide hope for the righteous and emphasize that the wicked can expect to reap what he sows.

Isaiah 3:10–11 “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.”

It is important to be able to identify who are the righteous and who are the wicked according to God’s word.  I think that Paul sums it up well in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 8:1–9 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

The righteous are those that possess the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and strive to live according to the leading of that Spirit in accordance to God’s word.  The wicked are those who “mind the things of the flesh” that lead to spiritual death.  To act according to the flesh testifies to a carnal mind, a mind that is against God, and results in refusing to live according to His laws.  Paul made the point in a previous chapter that those who choose to serve the LORD are servants of righteousness; all others are servants of sin.  It’s either/or; there is no middle ground in God’s eyes.

Romans 6:16–18 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

Now that we have identified the righteous, we can understand Isaiah when he declared that the righteous will do well; their future will reveal God’s favor and blessing when they reap the reward of their actions.  The wicked will also reap the rewards of their actions.  Sadly, that “reward” will result in death and an existence devoid of the presence of the LORD.

John 5:28–29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

In which camp do you fall?  God has graciously provided for every single person to be made righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:20–21 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

John 3:16–17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

PEACE IS COMING TO THE MIDDLE EAST

I am going through Isaiah again, and the following verses stood out to me once again in light of today’s new headlines.

Isaiah 19:23–25 “In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.”

In these verses Isaiah foretells of a time yet to come when Egypt, Assyria and Israel will dwell in unity before the LORD.  Biblical Assyria included a great portion of what now are parts of the nations of Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq.  That would seem almost impossible considering that this area is completely Moslem and would love nothing more than to see Israel wiped off the face of the map. 

Before this peace is brought about, however, the scripture also speaks of great judgment to come upon each of these nations.  I believe this judgment will culminate during the seven years that precede the return of Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Peace in the middle east will not be possible until the LORD Jesus is on the throne of David in Israel as King of a true and righteous one-world government.

You reject this truth to your peril.  Please, if you have not already, place your trust in Jesus as your Savior before it is too late.  The time is short.

Romans 10:9–10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Yes, the LORD has been patient, but that patience is because He is waiting for His bride to be complete.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

God treasures the life of every person, but He will not force Himself upon you.  The time is coming soon when He will once again turn His focus upon Israel to produce a purified remnant of believers through whom He will fulfill His promises to Abraham and David, a time during which He will exact vengeance upon those who align themselves with Satan.  You belong to one of only two groups in the eyes of God—those who choose God as their LORD and those who choose to follow Satan.

Don't ignore the testimony of fulfilled prophecy recorded in scripture.  Choose the LORD Jesus!

Thoughts for the New Year

I still can hardly believe that we are in the year 2016.  As I reflect back over my lifetime, I am truly amazed at how my world has changed over the years.  I was born in 1951 and remember party lines on the rotary dial telephone and only three black and white channels on the TV.  I remember being thrilled with getting a transistor radio that I could carry around and listen to music without being plugged in. 

Sadly, I also remember a time when morality based on the biblical standard was pretty much the readily accepted standard.  It seems that we in the United States have finally chosen to totally reject God and His word as a whole—at least as it pertains to government and the laws of our land. 

This truth saddens me greatly, but it was to be expected.  The scripture foretold that such would become predominant in the last days. 

2 Timothy 3:1–13 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away….Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he added more detail to what it means for evil to wax worse and worse.

Romans 1:18–32 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness….Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

It stands to reason that as the time draws nearer for Satan to rule this world through Antichrist, his false messiah, that the morality of our world will be more reflective of him and his rebellion against God. 

Thankfully, the LORD has determined that Satan will only be allowed a period of seven years to rule on planet earth before Jesus returns to destroy the Antichrist and imprison Satan for 1000 years.  During that time the LORD Jesus will rule the world from the throne of David in Jerusalem, and mankind will get to experience a truly righteous and just dictatorship.  Sounds contradictory doesn’t it?  But it will be wonderful!

I believe that the scripture teaches that the LORD will come to take His children home to heaven to be with the Father before those last seven years.  The prophecies recorded in God’s word that have been fulfilled have been 100% accurate, so why should we doubt those that await final fulfillment?

Are you a child of God?  Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior?  ONLY through faith in Jesus can one receive the gift of salvation.   Please don’t wait until it’s too late to repent of your sin and turn to Him in faith as your LORD.

If you are a fellow believer, I urge you to stay immersed in God’s word.  The LORD has promised that He is sufficient to help us overcome every temptation.  He has promised that He is always with us.  We have nothing to fear since we only have heaven to gain.

 Click pics for larger view