Have you ever had a friend who seems to do everything right? You’re in need, and they are right there with you, and they have what you need. They seem invaluable to you and your life. In fact, at times, you can’t imagine life without them. They also seem to be the ones who champion celebrations in your life as well.
April and I know a lady who seems to have made it her mission in life to celebrate a person’s milestones, especially if it is a birthday. She does it right, too. Beautiful cakes accented with remnants or tablecloths, festive decorations, tiaras, and, of course, invited friends. She specializes in keeping the upcoming celebration a secret, as well. Recipients always feel special. I know April did when her fortieth birthday was celebrated last year.
We know another lady who is always on the spot when it comes to bringing over a meal whenever your life is going through a tough time, whether it be an illness, death in the family, or something else. Her actions show that she is aware of what you are going through and that she cares.
I have a friend who will drop whatever he is doing to come over and help you. It doesn’t matter if it is a home improvement project, lifting something, driving you somewhere, picking you up at the airport, or any other type of favor where you need a hand.
Those types of individuals seem to put the “finishing touches” on life. They demonstrate the love of God and compassion. By the way, the word “compassion” in the Greek language means seeing a need and doing whatever you can to alleviate it. They define the difference between “a friend” and “a GOOD friend!” This world could use a lot more “good friends.” I hope you will consider being one. The first thing it takes is for you to give “your” concerns to God and trust him with them. The second is it takes opening your eyes to see others and what they are facing. Third, caring enough about them to do something. Put the finishing touches on someone else’s life.
Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers. Prov. 18:24 (GNT)
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing. 1 Thes. 5:11 (NET)
For if they fall, one will help his companion up, but pity the person who falls down and has no one to help him up. Ecc. 4:10 (NET)
Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. Rom. 12:10 (NET)
Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! 1 Pt. 4:7-11 (MSG)
Have you ever read something or heard something and had a new thought? Something that has never crossed your mind before? That happened to me today. Now, I have listened to or read Psalms 23 many times. Most of you probably have as well.
The line: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” got a new thought today.
The part that got my attention was the “shadow of death.” It is not actually “death” but its shadow. Shadows may appear scary, but they are not as frightening as the thing that is casting the shadow. Then, and this is big, there can only be a shadow if there is light! Jesus said of himself that he is light. In fact, the light of the world.
Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV)
No wonder one doesn’t have to fear evil when they go through a valley or time in their life that can be filled with uncertainty because “thou (Jesus) art with me!” It’s comforting to know that Jesus, our shepherd, walks with us in life. He leads us and guides us like beside “still” waters so we can quench our thirst. Or to tables so we can eat relaxed, even in the presence of our enemies. If you miss what is going on here, it’s this: if you can trust Jesus with your life, you can live life even though things around you are not as good as you would desire them to be.
You will be comforted; you will be anointed so the smallest parasites of life can’t harm you. In fact, although life may be unstable around you, you will be blessed beyond anything you can imagine. Goodness and mercy will follow you wherever you go, and then, at the end of it all, you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
It’s not a bad gig for simply placing your trust in Jesus. You’ve got nothing to lose and real life to gain. The kind of life God intended for you all along.
The first time I saw him, he was standing near the temple. There was such a crowd around him that he couldn’t even get inside. They were asking him questions about the law and what Moses taught them, and of course, they wanted to see another miracle. How many miracles does one have to see before you choose to believe that this man was who he said he was – the Son of God?
I believed right away, and it didn’t take a miracle to make me a believer. Perhaps it was a miracle? The miracle of a man displaying such love. I had never witnessed such peace and love flowing from anyone, much less a carpenter. Of course, I had my doubts, as everyone does at first. Can this be? Can God be walking among us as a man? I guess I managed to let my faith overpower my doubts. Sure, I still had questions, but did they really matter? All I knew was this man was different than anyone else I had ever encountered. Whenever he spoke something inside of me came to life, like a flame that I never wanted to go out ever again. It was a good feeling. It was also a good feeling meeting him in person and becoming friends with him.
I about died when I learned Jesus was going to come to our house for dinner and retire for the night. My sister Martha made a special trip to my office to tell me the news. I closed up early that afternoon to hurry home and to help clean and get the place ready. Martha was cooking feverishly in the kitchen, and Mary was making sure the place smelled nice. I’m not really sure how that helped. After all, when you filled the place with Jesus and his disciples, who would even notice? Martha got mad at Mary, but that was normal. I made sure the comfortable bed was ready to go for Jesus would be sleeping there. Of course, Martha felt she had to remind me to put out the guest towels. The ones that the family was never allowed to touch! I assured her I had done everything just the way I had seen her do it several times before. Even the folds of the towels were facing the door. According to Martha, this gave guests a more pleasant feeling when they entered the room.
The evening went well. It was nice not having to compete with everyone else to get Jesus to answer our questions. I asked him questions about his power. He explained to me that it came from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had baptized him with the power to minister, teach, know someone’s heart, pray to his father, and heal. Jesus assured us that someday, all of us could have this power. I asked if that meant women, too, and he said, “Yes!” Wow, women could have power like Jesus. “Okay, if he says so,” I thought. We retired late, but I thought being tired the next day was so worth it. I felt a little funny when I lay down that night, but I thought maybe it was something I ate, like that new fish recipe that Martha tried out. I believe she got it from “Jewish Home & Garden.” I asked her not to try it that night, but she said it would be fine, and after all, it sounded so good.
The next day, I still felt funny, but I got up to see Jesus and his disciples off. I believe he said they were off to Capernaum. Of course, Martha got up and prepared their breakfast and sack lunches. Shortly after they left, I went to my office.
Several days went by, and I couldn’t shake whatever it was I had. I began to lose my appetite, and it didn’t take long for me to start losing weight. Not that losing weight was a bad thing. I was definitely over the weight limit, but my sister said I was worth keeping anyway. After a couple of weeks, I finally went to see our local physician. He pressed on my stomach, and thought he could feel a lump. That is why men don’t like to go to the doctor. We’re afraid they will find something wrong with us! The doctor suggested that I try to change part of my diet. So I took his advice, but the pain only got worse.
Everything eventually got so bad that I could no longer go to the office. I tried working from home, but no matter what room I was in and no matter what position I tried to sit in, I couldn’t get comfortable. Martha was getting really scared. As the days went on, I got a lot worse. Mary came up with the idea of sending word to Jesus. Martha fussed about this at first because she felt he was too busy to be bothered, but she quickly changed her feelings as I began to slip in and out of consciousness. I told Martha I believed we had better get my affairs in order, so we did in the midst of a lot of tears.
Then, in the middle of the night, I slipped away. You know, the actual act of dying doesn’t hurt. I remember waking up in a strange place. I saw a lot of people. Most looked lost as they just wandered around aimlessly. But then others seemed very different. Walking around smiling. I approached one of these people and asked them where I was. They informed me I was in the place of the dead. I asked, “What does that mean?” They went on to tell me that it was like a holding place until our eternities would be determined. I asked about those who weren’t smiling, and he told me that from what he could make out, they had no hope of a bright future. He said they had denied the existence of God while on earth.
It was on my fourth day in this place when it happened. I was starting to get used to being there. One could say comfortable. I was in no pain and had no more suffering, which is a good thing.
Then, in the midst of the regular atmosphere of this place, I heard a voice that I recognized, yelling, “LAZARUS!” I turned my head back and forth fast! I wanted to find the face that this voice belonged to. For with this voice came power and love. This voice reminded me of home. To my surprise, the voice was calling my name. Then I realized this was the voice of Jesus, and he was speaking into death to set me free from its sting. Then I heard it again, “LAZARUS, COME FORTH!” and I quickly responded. I opened my eyes, got up, and went hopping out of my grave. The sunlight was blinding, but as I squinted, I could see through the shroud in which I had been wrapped. The first person I saw was Jesus. He was standing there with his arms wide open. Standing behind him were Mary, Martha, and a huge host of people who wanted to see how Jesus was going to handle the situation. There were cheers, gasps of awe and disbelief, but there were tears from my closest friends, including Jesus, and family members. My family came running up to me, hugging me as they began to unwrap me. I had just experienced the most incredible healing one can on earth!
We left the cemetery and went back to the house. I was so hungry! I hadn’t eaten in days. Jesus came back with us, as did the crowd, who roared and applauded all the way. It was after we settled in and began eating when Jesus looked over at Mary and asked, “So Mary, are you still mad at me?” She put her head down as that smile I had seen when Mary gets embarrassed came across her face, and she responded, “No. I’m not. Jesus, I’m so sorry. I knew you could heal, and that was why we sent news to you six days ago that Lazarus was very ill. However, I had no idea there was no limit to your power. I mean power over death! Wow! Who knew?” “I did,” Jesus replied.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 11:1-44)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
I was a common thief, a professional criminal. I didn’t want to work, and because my father passed while I was still at a young age, I didn’t learn the family trade. Here I was uneducated and had no skills, so I felt I was forced to steal from anyone I could in order to get by. I stole food. I stole tools that I could sell to buy things I needed. I could get water, and I managed to sleep just about anywhere, but it was food that didn’t come easily.
I soon learned to create distractions while I stole from shop owners. I also learned a useful technique of bumping into people and then stealing their bag of money while at the same time asking, “Are you okay?”
Yeah, sometimes I would get caught, mainly by trying to steal from other thieves out there. Occasionally, I would get beaten and thrown in jail, but not that often. I knew stealing was wrong, but what choice did I have?
I traveled around a lot. That is how a professional thief survives! If you steal from too many in one place, word can get out and you are watched more closely. If you are new in town and the town is relatively large, you tend to blend in as just another visitor or businessman who belongs there.
It was in my travels that I first heard of the man named Jesus. Supposedly, he was the Son of God. I didn’t know for myself and really didn’t care. I mean, what could he do for me? I liked it, though, when he happened to be in the same town as me. He would draw these large crowds, and they would all be straining to get a look at this man who was performing miracles. Everybody just had to see a miracle!
I usually took in a good amount with him around distracting people. I mean, you really couldn’t ask for a better distraction than that. Umm, now that I think about it, maybe that was my miracle? Yeah, I heard his claims and his teachings about living for God and doing good, but I couldn’t see how to make money doing that! One time, I bumped into Jesus himself. We both just stood there for a moment and gazed at each other when, all of a sudden, Jesus said to me, “See you later.” At the time, I had no idea what he meant by that.
A few years went by with Jesus drawing the crowds in when it was time to go back to Jerusalem. A Jewish holiday was approaching. I knew I had to be careful, for I had been arrested there many times, but I just couldn’t resist the crowd! The place would be packed!
I got to Jerusalem early, but it wasn’t long before the crowds started coming in. I wanted to get there so I could claim a somewhat nice place to sleep in an alley. I had come across it on a previous stay in Jerusalem. It was a little remote, but I felt safe, and there were a couple of places I could hide my loot.
The holiday was upon us. The pickings were good. Then I heard that Jesus had ridden into town a few days ago on a donkey being highly celebrated, kind of like a king. I thought, “Wow! Once again, Jesus is here, so I can work the crowd as he does his thing.” But midweek, something happened, and the crowd, slowly began to turn on Jesus.
I then started to hear around town that the religious leaders were plotting against Jesus. Apparently, they were tired of his claims and teachings, but mostly his healings! They were upset that Jesus was getting so popular. They felt as though their power and authority over the regular folks was slipping away. They felt the only way to stop it was to make Jesus disappear for good.
As I was listening to this talk about doing away with Jesus, I was spotted in the crowd. I was instantly arrested and thrown in jail. There were two others already there. I’m not sure what the one man was in there for, but the other man, Barabbas, I believe, was accused of starting a riot and of murder. He seemed to me like a very violent man.
You can imagine my shock when I heard they had arrested Jesus. I mean, in my opinion, he was a good man. He went around teaching about how to live life in a way we had never heard before. He performed many miracles. One miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding after the host family ran out. People who were there said the wine they served at the end of the party was better than the first wine they had served. Usually, hosts would serve the cheaper wine toward the end of a party, thinking most wouldn’t notice. He also healed a lot of people. He healed the crippled, the lame, the blind, the sick, and some with a skin disease. He even raised a couple of people from the dead. His claim to be the Son of God was probably true after all because who else could have done all of that? There seemed to be a peace and calmness in my heart when I was around him.
I didn’t understand the action taken by the top religious leaders until it dawned on me he was a threat to them. Often, he would challenge their religious rules, which they thought pleased God, by showing a life that was based on a relationship with God. Perhaps they thought he would cast a demon out of them! I guess they couldn’t understand God coming here, as a child of an ordinary family, as rumor had it, to walk among us, especially in the manner in which he did. They thought their king of kings would come into town with trumpets blaring and in a chariot of the finest gold anyone had ever seen. No matter what they were thinking, Jesus certainly didn’t deserve to be beaten! I mean, I didn’t see it, but he was tortured!
He only went about doing good things for people. He didn’t cause storms, he calmed them! He didn’t cause death but raised people from it! He didn’t inflict disease on people, he healed them of it! God being among the people is the greatest thing that could ever happen! I mean, he played with the children, and children were “nothing” back then. He also respected women. He gave time to those most considered “unimportant.” You know, after thinking about what I heard him teach and seeing how he lived, I guess I had concluded that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. He was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
It was customary at this particular festival for the people to choose someone who was in jail, to be released. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the people shouting for Barabbas to be set free. “Were they nuts?” I thought. I mean, do they really want to have a known killer walking among them? After that, the people were asked what they wanted done with Jesus. Again, I was shocked when I heard them screaming, “CRUCIFY HIM!” I guess when people don’t like being confronted with how they live, they want the person telling them the truth to go away. In Jesus’ case, they wanted him to go away forever!
We walked slowly to the hill they call “Golgotha,” meaning “The place of the skull.” Our pace was slowed by the fact that Jesus could barely walk, much less carry a cross. They finally pulled some guy out of the crowd and made him help Jesus.
Even when we got there, and the three of us were hanging on our crosses, the crowd continued to persecute Jesus. The other guy hanging on the cross on Jesus’ left was getting in on it, too. I couldn’t take it anymore! I yelled at him and said, “Hey, that is the Son of Almighty God you are disrespecting! We are criminals and deserve death, but this man has done nothing wrong! Leave him alone!” Then I turned to Jesus and asked him to remember me when he came into his kingdom.” My heart broke when, with all that was left in Him, he turned to me, and with the most loving look, he said, “I tell you the truth. You will be with me in Paradise this very day!”
I spent my whole life wondering around, drifting from here to there and doing nothing good. I never helped anyone! Life was always about me and what I could get for me!
Ironically, at the end of my life, after witnessing the greatest “giver” ever, I was ready to do something for someone else. I guess that was my motivation for standing up for Jesus. I’m glad I did.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Luke 23:39-43)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
As a child growing up in church, there were often scripture memory challenges. The first scripture most kids learned was “John 11:35.” “Jesus wept.” Let’s face it, it was easy. I struggle today to remember the reference to where a scripture is, but at least I know what is in the Bible and what is not. I think knowing that for myself is more important than the location. Besides, I can type the portion of scripture I recall, and my computer will find the reference for me.
But back to this verse. If you recall, Jesus’ friend Lazarus was sick, and the family sent word to Jesus to come and heal him. Instead, Jesus continued to teach and do miracles while he ministered to others.
When he arrived at Lazarus’ home, they told him he was too late. That Lazarus had already died. There was much sorrow, and the family was stricken with grief. When Jesus saw how great their sorrow was, he wept. He didn’t weep because his good friend Lazarus had died because he knew what he was about to do, but instead, he was overcome with their pain and sorrow. I believe that is why he wept.
Jesus cares for us when we are sad and grief-stricken today, too. He wants us to lean on him to get through those times. At least long enough until the sting of death starts wearing off.
I once wrote about Lazarus from his point of view. My editor asked me with a snarky tone, “How do you know Lazarus wanted to come back to life?” Her question stumped me for almost a week. Then I received the answer from on high (God). I told her, “It didn’t matter if Lazarus wanted to come back to life or not. He just wanted to be obedient to the Lord Jesus!” So when Jesus called out, “Lazarus, come forth,” he obeyed.
Funny thought: If Jesus had only said, “Come forth,” I think all of the dead in that area would have come back to life. I’m not sure, but I could see it happening.
Jesus waited four days before traveling to Lazarus’ home. He wanted everyone to know that he had power over death, too. And he didn’t want anyone to say something like, “Well, Lazarus wasn’t really dead.” The fact of the matter is, he was so dead, he stunk!
Takeaways: Know for yourself what is in the Bible. You do that by reading it. Know that Jesus has power over death. That is how he can promise us eternal life if we accept him into our lives. And know that Jesus hurts when we hurt. He truly cares about us and what is important to us.
If you want to read the whole story for yourself, turn to John 11:1-44.
Founder of the Church of Satan, the famous Satanist, Anton Szandor LaVey’s last deathbed words were, “Oh my, oh my, what have I done! There’s something very wrong, there’s something very wrong, there’s something very wrong!”
Voltaire (1694–1778), an atheist, said, “I am abandoned by God and man! I shall go to hell! O Jesus Christ!”
David Hume (1711–1776), an atheist, said while dying in utter despair, “I am in the flames!”
Sir Thomas Scott (1808–1878), an atheist, said, “Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there is both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty.”
The above, moments before their demise, saw a glimpse of what turned out to be real after all. All their lives, sadly, they had accepted the lies of the devil.
For the last several posts, I have keyed in on God’s judgment, eternity, heaven, and hell. I have felt an intense urgency to drive the point home that your time on Earth is extremely short, and then you will stand before God. You can believe now and start experiencing real life, or you can deny Him and continue to live as a dead man walking! Hear the words of some who found out too late! Learn from them.
Luke 16:19-31 (MSG) 19-21 “There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.
22-24 “Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’
25-26 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’
27-28 “The rich man said, ‘Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham answered, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.’
30 “‘I know, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.’
31 “Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.’”
I share these words of truth with you because I don’t want to see anyone perish, and neither does God. He loves you and cares about you more than you’ll ever know! Eternity is too long to be wrong!!! Be informed. Please don’t wait until it’s too late. God is real.
My father loved to tell jokes. He was almost like a standup comedian who didn’t go on tour. But whenever someone came over to visit, he was on. He had his material down pat. There was one joke that I thought was so corny, and I hated it so much that I swore it would die with him! And don’t ask me to tell you which one. I won’t!
One joke in his repertoire was, “Why do they put fences around graveyards? Because people are just dying to get in.” Graveyards are not places we typically think of going to unless we want to rest in peace. They generally are quiet places unless the undertaker has a crew there mowing or digging a fresh hole.
Perhaps people don’t like visiting graveyards because they find them depressing. That may be due to the fact it reminds them of death and raises the question, “Is there life after death?” Personally, I don’t mind cemeteries. The reason is because “death” or the thought of dying doesn’t bother me. I am ready to stand before God and give an account of how I have lived my life. I shared that with a boss one time, and he almost literally fell out of his chair! I guess he didn’t have the same peace of mind as I do.
The only way I can be so confident about dying is I know how I am living. I have accepted Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. I live without condemnation of my sins because Jesus paid the price for them when He died for me (and you) on the cross. He was perfect and without sin; therefore, He was an acceptable sacrifice to God. I do my best to live for God, according to His word, the Bible. I also do my best to follow His commandments and principles. Life is not perfect, but it isn’t bad six feet above.
If life isn’t working out for you on your terms, try God’s. Gain the peace of mind of knowing there is life after death, eternal life, and that you will live in peace with God. Then, go visit a graveyard, smell the roses, and perhaps pick a flower or two to take home.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 (ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom. 8:1 (ESV)
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:1 (ESV)
Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! 1 Thes. 4:17 (AMPC)
April 27, 2024: I live in “Tornado Alley.” The nickname is given to this part of America due to the fact that, historically, there are more tornados here than in any other part. If you have ever seen footage of the aftermath, then you know they can leave quite a trail of devastation, hurt, pain, and lost lives.
You know your life, home, car, and other belongings are at risk of being lost whenever you hear the tornado sirens go off. I have never actually seen one, but I have seen the atmosphere right before one strikes. There is this scary, aqua-green color in the skies. The clouds rotate above your head, and then there is a quietness right before the beast comes to life and roars. Most people have an intense fear of tornados. I respect them and take the proper safety measures.
On the night of April 27, Oklahoma had 24 tornados. One, an EF3 (winds between 158 – 206 mph), was headed for where I live. It had been on the ground for several minutes and got within 35 miles. When I saw this tornado’s forecasted track via a local weather station, I started praying, and then I spoke to the storm! I commanded it to stop and go away in the name of Jesus! After all, from reading the Bible, I learned that Jesus could control the weather, and he said that we, too, can do these things and more. So why not exercise my faith and take dominion over the earth?
The next thing I heard the weatherman announce was the storm front was moving in on that one tornado. When it did, it stole its energy, and the tornado dissipated. Thank you, God!
We have that kind of power in the name of Jesus. And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one putting into practice a principle that we have been given. Also, that was not my first time doing that. I have seen it work several times since moving back to this area.
I would then challenge, if we can speak to a physical storm, then why not speak to other kinds of storms that blow up in our lives? Cancer? A rocky marriage? Unemployment? Why not? Satan wants to use anything he can to destroy or devour us. He wants us never to have or to lose faith in God. If he can achieve this, he wins. Another fact is April, and I faithfully tithe. One of the promises from God Himself is that He will stop the devourer on our behalf. The Bible is true and should be read and believed. There may be parts you have trouble with or don’t understand, but there is no reason to throw away the whole book. You can seek wisdom and understanding from trusted teachers of the word of God.
Below are the scriptures I stand on because they are true:
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mar. 4:39 (NIV)
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14 (NIV)
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. Mal. 3:10-11 (KJV)
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Gen. 1:26 (ASV)
Endings can evoke a variety of emotions. For example, when you finish a good book, a good movie, maybe a bad movie, or when someone’s life ends. Sometimes, April will ask after we finish a movie, “Now what?” It’s a good question.
When Jesus died on the cross, his last words as a man were, “It is finished!” His thirty-three-year mission to boldly go where no God had gone before was over. “Now what?”
The very moment he died, here comes my favorite part: the curtain that hung in the temple was ripped from top to bottom. Now, there was no more separation between God and man. It meant that if we accept Jesus and ask him to forgive us of our sins, we now have access to God Himself. We can actually enter the throne room of heaven and have an audience with the Creator of the universe!
When man dies on Earth, it’s over. The end. It is finished. “Then what?” The very next thing he will see is God as he stands before him. God will look in the “Lamb’s Book of Life” to see if his name is written in it. If not, God will have no choice but to send him to hell. By the way, in the beginning, every name was written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life.” The only person that can remove your name – is you!
God wants people to love him freely of their free will. So, He gave man the right to choose to live for Him or to live for Satan. That’s it. There are no other sides to life. You will not be reincarnated. You won’t simply die and wind up in nothingness. You will live for eternity, either in heaven or hell. Choose life in heaven. Accept Jesus. Have your sins forgiven. The reason you must have your sins paid for by Jesus is because God is Holy and cannot be in the presence of sin. The End!
At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. Mat. 27:51 (MSG)
Nothing dirty or defiled will get into the City (heaven), and no one who defiles or deceives. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will get in. Rev. 21:27 (MSG) In parentheses mine.
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, Heb. 9:27 (NIV)
I don’t recall ever getting out of a ticket! Speeding tickets, other kinds of moving violation tickets, nothing! I did manage to get one reduced though. It seems like any time I am out and driving on the road, I witness other drivers being reckless, excessively speeding, and, in general, putting others in danger! Okay, putting me in danger. I know, if I ever drove like them, I would definitely get caught. I don’t seem to get by with anything!
When I see this, I often fantasize about being a cop and pulling them over. I want to be the witness, the jury, and the judge. If that happened, they would pay big time! Honestly, I wonder if the fine would be steep enough to change their behavior.
This makes me think about others who do not violate the laws of man but live in disobedience to God’s commands. If they continue to live their life in such a way and never accept Jesus Christ, who forgives us our sins, they will certainly pay. Unfortunately, the fine will be steep – their life. Will knowing this change their behavior?
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 3:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23 (NIV)
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Heb. 9:27-28 (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 (NIV)
