Category: Sex

What do I need to do to get to Heaven? Believe? Obey?

This is a follow up to “Heaven or Hell?” Most Christians will say all we need to do is believe in Jesus, so a bunch of people who don’t understand what “believe” means feel a false sense of relief, erroneously thinking: I can live however I want, because I believe, I have God’s grace and I will go to Heaven. (WRONG!)

But what did Jesus say? Jesus didn’t say all we have to do is believe! He said:

Believe what you want to believe, it’s your choice how your live your life, but for me, I don’t want to find out when it’s too late: I’m focusing on keeping The Commandments. So what are the commandments and where are they in the Bible? Exodus 20 (linked to Bible)

The 10 Commandments:

  1. Acknowledge there is only ONE God: God is not “whatever/whomever” modern society/culture tells us is okay to believe, all “gods” are not all the same, people do believe in different Gods. God has a personality, God is a spiritual being, God has emotions, God is living, God is our Creator, God is love, God created love, God will not be mocked, God is just, God is powerful. (bible link)
  2. Love God above all. If you want to “test” your adherence to this one, fill in the blank with what comes to mind: Who or what is most important in your life? _______ Be honest answering this question, only you will know your honest answer. If you answered anything other than God, you have a potential “idol” in your life, you are potentially worshiping something other than God and you may not even realize it! There is something else that many may not realize is breaking this commandment: if a person prays to a “saint” that person is breaking this commandment. We are supposed to go to God with everything, why would a person pray to someone less than God? Wouldn’t it make more sense to pray to the most powerful, most capable directly? It really doesn’t make sense, but it is taught in a Christian faith. There are parts of the Bible when a person falls down on their face in front of an angel who visited, and the angel often tells them: basically don’t worship me, I’m just a messenger. Other biblical people did great great things, had incredible roles given to them by God, as there are some people today doing the same, they were (or are) God’s messengers, but they were (or are) human, not God. They deserve respect, but NOT our prayers addressed to them. (bible link)
  3. Only say God’s name with respect when referring to Him. Yes, when a person cusses saying “God…” that is breaking this command. (bible link)
  4. Every week, devote a day to resting and connecting with God. If we don’t, we are breaking this commandment. As I understand, originally the Sabbath day was what we refer to as Saturday, but some religions changed it to Sunday, for what reason, I’m not sure, but this is one of those “technicalities” that may not be worth debating? It’s probably more important to identify: What’s the main point of this command: resting and making it holy (connecting with God). Get your work done the other six days, but on the 7th day, take a break, connect with God. (bible link)
  5. Realize that our natural parents were used by God for us to be here and God wants us to honor our parents. Some people have wonderful loving parents and some people don’t, but that isn’t what matters. They are human, and not perfect, just like us, so they deserve “honor” for bringing us into this world and this was important enough to God to issue a command to us regarding this. (bible link)
  6. Do not murder/kill anyone. For those who happily say: I don’t have to worry that I’ve not broken that one! Jesus put a heavier meaning on it and we all break this commandment! Jesus tells us “anger” is included in this command! Read Matthew 5: 21-25 (here) and more about fighting, paybacks, enemies Read Matthew 5: 38-48 (here) and the (bible link) to the command.
  7. Do not commit adultery. But Jesus puts a heavier meaning on this command also: looking at someone lustfully, Jesus also addresses divorce, remarriage and oaths. Read Matthew 5: 27-37 (here)
  8. Do not steal. It’s worthwhile to read the definition of “steal” because it happens a lot today in business, politics, and among people in general. (bible link)
  9. Do not lie (deceive others or make an untrue statement). (bible link)
  10. Do not desire something that belongs to someone else, whether the desire is for a material thing or a person. (bible link)

It’s interesting in the Bible when the Commandments were given to Moses by God to share with people, the people were in fear of God, but what Moses said is interesting:

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

Fear was used by God to TEST people and keep people FROM SINNING. When Jesus talked with his disciples, he also elaborated about the commands:

We need God to make the impossible happen: Jesus made it possible for us (he was the final sacrifice). We need Jesus to get to Heaven, we couldn’t do it by being good, because we fail at that. We need the Holy Spirit’s help living our lives: wisdom, guidance, self-control, etc. Obedience to God’s commands does matter because it shows our love to God; deliberate dis-obedience shows disregard for God and what He’s asked of us; it doesn’t show love to God. So if we honestly BELIEVE this, then we will try our best to live the way God wants us to live, out of thankfulness and respect for God because of what Jesus did for us. If we mess up along the way (and we will, Jesus acknowledged that), God is the most forgiving of all, but He also won’t be mocked, and don’t forget He is omnipresent (nothing is hidden from Him) and He is just, so it does matter how we live. It is important to remember that some of the most well known figures in the Bible broke commandments: Moses killed someone out of anger, David committed adultery and killed Bathsheeba’s husband, Paul (Saul) had persecuted and killed Christians prior to his conversion but he ended up writing much of the New Testament. However, the one thing in common all these people had was love and respect towards God and Jesus’ death and resurrection was the price paid for sin. This further supports Jesus’ statement that the 2 greatest commandments are: #1 Love God and #2 Love Others.

God acknowledged Jesus when Jesus was baptized:

People in the Old Testament also acknowledged Jesus, these are just a few examples, because I’m still studying the books written by the Prophets:

Isaiah (740 BC to 681 BC): Jesus’ birth and second coming referenced (here) and (here) and (here) and (here) and (here) and (here) and (here) and (here) and so many more places that I haven’t underlined in my study bible yet.

Jeremiah (626 BC to 585 BC): Jesus (here)

Ezekiel (593 BC to 571 BC) Jesus (here)

Daniel (536 BC to 530 BC) Jesus (here)

Joel (c. 609 BC) Jesus second coming (here)

In summary, from what I’ve read, it doesn’t seem like we can ignore The Commandments and anticipate Heaven. God knows our intentions and we will be judged after we die, or if we are alive, after Jesus returns.

Jesus said we have to be “born again” to enter God’s kingdom. “Born of the Spirit” (read this)

Regarding Jesus’ return: this is something else that wasn’t focused on very much in the “religion” classes I had growing up. But it’s very interesting reading what most of the Prophets in the Bible foretold will happen prior to and when Jesus returns. That event remains in the future for all of us, as of now. I may write about that next? As I was speed reading those books looking for the references to Jesus, I was amazed how connected each Prophet’s book is regarding the future and how similar the Old Testament is to the New Testament’s Book of Revelation and also what Jesus told his followers about his return. Things that can’t be ignored.

by Categories: FAITH, God, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, Marriage, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, SexTags: , , , , , 1 Comment

Character Not Color!

Yes, I’m finally going there. I held off following the crowd and posting about a “color” but what I see bothers me. Why? Because everything repetitive turns into only “noise” in my opinion, the initial intended meaningful message gets diluted then it doesn’t solve anything: there will be supporters and there will be those opposing. Opinions are rampant, everyone’s got one and most people dismiss someone’s opinion unless it aligns with their personal viewpoint, so does it really create change?

Do I truly want to see a change? YES! Do I truly want to experience unity? YES! Do I strongly dislike labels? YES! How will change happen? Think about it: change is hard, most people resist change and WE CAN’T CHANGE OTHER PEOPLE! WE CAN ONLY CHANGE OURSELVES! Hopefully the people who feel this same way will become a better reflection and more visible to others preparing a better future together. Change starts with me. Gradually through every day experiences, opportunities and conversations change will come about, but it won’t be over night. Every individual has to do their personal part and it’s a learning process. There are always moments of stumbling before people make it through changes, right? As a society, because of “political correctness” everyone is so highly sensitive, offended so easily, and looking to “catch” someone saying something “off”; it makes conversations very fragile, each party not feeling like they can openly share their deepest honest thoughts, experiences and concerns leading to positive change. Not being able to safely express thoughts slows productive progress.

One thing that all of us could do a better job of is LISTENING, truly listening to each other, having EMPATHY, putting ourselves in the other person’s place, think about what their experience might be like. I’ve seen some posts like that and THOSE are affective. Social media can be used for sharing personal stories being honest and looking for positive change. I encourage those of you who are doing that; we need personal stories! We all have our own viewpoints shaped by our “different” life experiences and we see things from those experiences, but those experiences may be the “same” too? Just because some may see others based on personal experiences, doesn’t mean the entire population is that way. Generalization hurts.

What I feel strongest about regarding this topic is: Everyone: please stop making everything “Black” vs “White!” I think enough generations have passed that we should be focusing on “right” vs. “wrong” in regards to people’s actions. We have so many mixed nationalities and “colors” how can we even call it “black” or “white”? Our population is a melting pot, our ancestors have mixed it up quite a bit! We need to focus on ourselves as the “HUMAN” race. What difference does our skin color TRULY make? None!

There is no “good” race, or person, for that matter! The only one who can be called good is GOD! As a society, we need to stop blaming everyone else for everything and start being responsible and accountable for our own actions. I am not denying the fact that there are people who oppress others, who hate, who hurt, who manipulate others, who take advantage of others, etc. Yes, there are those people, and if we will all be honest, I’m sure we can find someone who “looks just like us” and can be described in that way. It all boils down to character not color. And we need to find a way to reach those people doing “bad” things and give them a reason to change! Educate.

There are many who have experienced inequality, and injustice but we can’t make a broad sweeping judgement against numerous people based on certain individuals’ actions. Each person must be held accountable for their own actions and dealt with in a just way, as it relates to the established laws. One person breaking a law does not justify others breaking laws in retaliation; does that truly cause POSITIVE change? Or does it perpetuate hatred? And most of the media coverage I see is a disgrace to society. The media is all about drama, it highlights the worst of the worst and devotes more time to that than anything else, it ignites the problem.

There is genuine frustration felt by everyone.

I want to say the following to the people who are voicing personal racism right now:

  1. First of all, I don’t want to call you by a “color” label! I personally want to refer to you as a person: male or female and that is all. Why do we use a different label? Do you want to be identified with a label? Can we stop that?
  2. I want you to share your experiences, so that others can learn from them and become aware. We need that.
  3. I don’t form an opinion of someone based on their skin color, your skin color doesn’t matter to me. My opinion of you is formed based on my interaction with you and the personal character you present to me.
  4. I’ve met people whom I respect greatly and people that I don’t respect at all, but that is because of what they say or do, it’s all about character not “color”
  5. Many others experience “injustice” at times, you are not alone in this. If you look at history, many have experienced horrible injustice and persecution: Jewish people as well as Christians. In my life, I’ve personally witnessed men, as well as women experiencing injustice solely due to their sex and generalized assumptions. I have strong feelings about this: we ALL need to support what is “right” and be against what is “wrong” and not let “general assumptions” define an entire “group” of people. We need unity, not division.
  6. I’ve personally experienced being dismissed, honestly based on me being a woman, rather than based on my abilities but I will always remember the man who recognized this (without being told by anyone to do this) and he spoke up for me immediately, in the moment. He was an example to me of the character we all should have, and I’ve told others about that experience for years. That is what makes a difference- acting in the moment and we all need to do this, we all need to speak up when we see something happen. I don’t believe that I need to belong to “the equal rights, women’s club” or take on a “strong, forceful woman persona” because of this experience. I feel like that sort of identification and “separation” from men, actually causes more “separation.” So it bothers me when people do that: identify that way. Please be strong in standing for what you believe as an individual, because many people within a group label are different, and you may not want to be labeled the same as some of those people in the group. I didn’t want to be identified “differently” in business; I just wanted to be viewed based solely on my abilities. I believe we need to acknowledge our differences (men and women) and be happy about those differences; we compliment and balance each other! This experience I had was as an Architectural Project Manager on a construction job site, and there weren’t many woman in that type of a role as there are now. I just needed time to gain other’s confidence, working TOGETHER, over time, and it did change. I had to contribute to conversation more so others could view me based on my knowledge rather than on being a woman. Some might say, I shouldn’t have needed to do that, but seriously? Who said life was going to be easy with no challenges? We have to do what it takes to make progress. If we want change, it will happen, but it happens with us as an individual first. Being in that situation required that I be respectful of others during the process, or I would have lost their respect and gained nothing, made no progress.
  7. I will stand up for what is right. I have empathy for people doing what is good/right, who are treated poorly, unfairly and without justice. I will NOT stand up for someone SOLELY based on their skin color; that is wrong. As a “white” person, it would be wrong for me to stand up for a “white” person, just because they are “white” but at the same time, this also holds true inserting any “color”- it is about character, not color to me.
  8. I believe we all achieve more when acting peacefully than acting out of anger. I think we need to reflect on how we can create a positive outcome before immediately addressing a situation so that it happens in a calm manner, rather than in an upset manner, and so we conclude with positive change.
  9. I wish those who say “the white people” this or that, would stop saying that because not all “white people” are the same, nor do all
    “white people” have the same life experiences. And I realize that not everyone says this…so that statement is only meant for those who say it. Again generalizations harm progress. Speak directly to the person who did something bad/wrong.
  10. I believe if those who feel we are on “opposite” sides took the time to get to know the “opposite” side, they will find out, we are the same: there are people who do “good” and people who do “bad.” We need to be unified in opposing “bad”.
  11. I realize I may have not experienced life the way some have, but then again, maybe I have and you simply don’t know me or my life? Don’t assume anything.
  12. The protests shown by the media don’t seem to lead to meaningful conversations from what I’ve seen. If a person doesn’t believe in what the protesters are saying, they ignore them, but the people who ignore them are the ones the protesters want to reach! The people who have the same view are already supportive. This doesn’t appear to be a means to success? I believe in the freedom of speech; but what is the most effective way? Then there are those who resort to violence because they are not being heard….Does yelling at someone with an opposing view point create positive change? Does giving authorities the middle finger work to do anything other than perpetuate hatred? I haven’t seen it do something positive. This is venting anger and perpetuating the problem unfortunately. This violence needs to stop or positive change will not happen. I think we may all agree with this? We can’t be supportive of people who are acting badly. Can we ask ourselves: what are we doing personally to stop people we know who behave like this? How can we reach them?
  13. Lastly, it concerns me when our society/news media continually highlights “black” and “white” as the primary focus….can we please focus on:

Character not Color!

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Am I a “Fake Christian”?

In some parts of the world, being a Christian is acceptable and has a positive connotation; but in other parts of the world, being a Christian is not acceptable and people are persecuted for it. Thankfully, in the US, we currently have freedom of speech and don’t fear referring to ourselves as a Christian. However, being a Christian in today’s modern world has lost its some of its meaning; many think, if I say I believe in Jesus, I’m saved. (But don’t forget, even the demons in the bible believed in God, and you probably know they won’t be in eternal life with God.) Therefore making it to Heaven by believing in Jesus, including his death, resurrection and ascension (faith) is part of the truth, but not the whole truth.

Throughout this article, links to verses from the bible are provided, supporting the statements made.

Many may not know, or never paid attention to the next part: faith without action is dead, or they never heard Jesus’ talk about the wide gate and the narrow gate. I was one of those people who thought believing in Jesus and being a “good” person was enough. But being “good” is not enough, and no person is “good”, only God is “good” – Jesus said that. We can’t get to Heaven just by being “good” because we would never be that good to be in God’s presence. Jesus was the sacrifice, God’s gift to us that makes this possible, but throughout the Bible, we are told to be obedient and change our ways. I didn’t fully comprehend what this meant for many years, so it made me think: maybe there are more people like me who are not fully aware of this either?

The word “Christian” is used very casually today, many of us calling ourselves Christians/Believers, but not acting like Christians/Believers (aka “Fake Christians”). “Fake Christians” give practicing Christians a bad reputation to those who don’t believe anything or follow a different religion. I say practicing Christians because let’s face it, no one is or will ever be the perfect Christian and that is why God sent Jesus as THE sacrifice for all of us who call ourselves Christians. I write this for an awareness most importantly because knowing this affects our eternal life/salvation promised by God. Knowing if we will make it has been so diluted by so many religious authority figures, in an effort to become “politically correct,” it concerns me, especially when it comes to the question: “Will I make it to God’s promised eternal life?” this subject becomes important for every single one of us on earth.

So what is a true Christian, a true believer? A follower of Christ. What does it mean to be a follower of Christ, a believer? If we believe what Jesus taught when He was here then he told us what we need to do. He didn’t just say “believe,” in His first teachings He told people to “repent.” So being a “believer/Christian” means doing a lot of things, such as:

So after reading this above, it’s probably pretty easy to see that being a Christian isn’t easy or effortless. But it’s also important to not become discouraged, to know that no one will be perfect; it’s the true intention we have that matters to God. That’s why regular prayers and connecting with God is important. And correcting our mistakes as soon as we realize we made one.

Studying the bible showed me I had a lot of work to do. It’s much easier to say we are all saved by grace and we don’t have to do anything else…but I don’t believe that is the full Truth: we have a choice, an obligation, and a commitment to make.

We have to have a relationship with God, if we don’t we may hear Jesus say to us: “I never knew you.” The other important part to know is that only one sin is unforgivable: blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but no other sin is too bad for God to forgive. He willingly forgives and encourages us to do the same with each other, when someone asks for our forgiveness. It’s never too late and it’s what God wants: a relationship with us in eternity.

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Sacrifice?

Here we go again! It’s early morning, on a holiday weekend, but does it feel like the ones from the past? Not to me. Real life experiences and early morning thoughts inspire what I often write. So how appropriate to all of us is the topic of sacrifice right now? I’m betting this topic’s relatable to most of us.

Some words get overused, so while the meaning is known, it’s original meaning is diluted, or no longer thought about. So here is the definition:

sac·ri·fice/ˈsakrəˌfīs/ sacrifice; plural noun: sacrifices

  1. an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure.”they offer sacrifices to the spirits”
  2. Similar: ritual
    • an animal, person, or object offered in a sacrifice.
    • an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy.”we must all be prepared to make sacrifices“

So the “sacrifice” concept is something that NEVER made sense to me in the Bible, until now. I seriously struggled with this, it didn’t make sense to me, but it does now. Anyone who truly believes there is a God, will understand this after I explain, but if you don’t believe in God, you’re going to have a hard time comprehending this. While reading the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, there is a lot of ugly, disgusting, repulsive stuff that happens and some of it, I don’t want to read again; it’s that bad. It’s historical “Netflix”, documented in the Bible, for real. At least on some of Netflix, a person can think: “it’s just a movie” or a “show” but this was real life and really happened.

I had so many questions: Why would God do this? Who made this “rule/ritual”? Why is “sacrifice” required? Why would God, who created everything and told us “not to kill” be okay with “sacrifice”? It certainly seemed to contradict the messages and made it confusing: “don’t kill”, then “slaughter this specific animal, in a certain process”…What? I think many of us who get that far, may stop and say…”Well I don’t believe in a God like that, so I’m going to ignore that. It doesn’t make sense.” I did that for awhile, but covering up your eyes and ears doesn’t make something go away. So then “why”?

First, let’s start with those who believe in God. If you truly believe in God, you believe in a spiritual being that you cannot see. Let that sink in. Sounds crazy, right? If you believe in God, you need to acknowledge that believing in God, to those who don’t, does sound primitive and crazy. And yes, I personally believe in God, but let’s be honest about it from the world’s view today. Then if you know the Bible, and even if you don’t, I’m telling you right now: The Bible is about a loving God, but a spiritual war that commenced with us in the middle shortly after God created people.

The Bible doesn’t explain, in detail, why this war started, it only tells us there was a dispute and Satan (the devil) was thrown, cast, hurled from Heaven down to earth.

So as I write this, I think, uh this sounds like a fictitious story we tell kids to make a point! I thought that for a long time. There is so much today that makes fun of those who bring up Satan, and maybe solidify or perpetuate the thought this is fictitious, like the “church lady,” which I personally find humorous, but disrespectful at the same time because it presents people who believe in a laughable way – and I’m one of those people, but I always thought we can’t be too serious all the time, it’s okay to laugh at ourselves, others might disagree with me about that? I disregard that comedy, just like it disregards Christians. But as soon as you realize the Bible lines up with history and historical events were predicted in the Bible by prophets and actually came true, and the people in the Bible are real people, with a documented lineage, ancestry; then that concept of “story-time” fails. You have to not only read the Bible, but study the Bible and compare to history books for this proof.

Anyway getting back to the explanation: Satan (the devil) is real, is part of that history and has a role/a place in the Bible from the beginning until the end. We need to acknowledge that, as weird as it sounds; it has a profound impact, back then and today. If you don’t comprehend that, you’re missing the warning for all of us given throughout the Bible. So this dispute between God and Satan occurred and I don’t know why God didn’t just immediately destroy Satan, but knowing God’s character from the Bible, it could be that He allowed Satan to continue in existence possibly because God is loving but just. He doesn’t act impulsively, He is patient, He gives people time, but in the end, God is just.

To put this into a modern day concept: think about a business leader/boss, who has a star performer employee and this star employee is phenomenal, but then pride takes over for the star employee and based on pride, selfishness, and love of money, the star employee starts thinking they are better than their leader – for this example, it is important to use the assumption here that the leader is a good one, a caring one, a fair person, honest, looks out for the employees, provides for them, etc. (because there are many leaders who don’t exhibit those qualities today) – but this star employee is no longer a team player, just out for their own personal benefit. So the star employee leaves and competes with the former employer to prove their superiority. The leader has been around a long time, with a loyal customer base and a proven business, so the leader just lets this former “star employee” have its own way. knowing eventually those character flaws/qualities of pride, selfishness and love of money will self destruct the former star employee. The leader doesn’t even need to fight it, the former star employee’s own motivation and actions will end up bringing the star employee to ruin. Haven’t we seen that today? Does it make more sense now? This leader is like God and Satan is like the star employee. Is fighting or immediate destruction even needed, for God to prove He is right? No. Also, knowing God’s character from the Bible, do you think maybe He loved Satan/Devil/Lucifer at one time? I do. Have you ever loved someone that turned on you? If you really loved them, then you wouldn’t want to destroy them, you’d be more hurt than anything.

Getting back to sacrifice. Sacrifice plain and simple is for atonement.

a·tone·ment/əˈtōnmənt/: atonement; plural noun: atonements

  1. reparation for a wrong or injury.”she wanted to make atonement for her husband’s behavior”
    • (in religious contexts) reparation or expiation for sin.”an annual ceremony of confession and atonement for sin”
    • CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ.noun: Atonement; noun: the Atonement

The presence of sin (starting in the Garden of Eden) caused death, pain and sacrifice. Sacrifice leads to atonement. Sin is also referred to as “death.” There is no death for God; he is eternal. Those who make it to heaven will also become immortal/eternal too. These are concepts given to us in the Bible through prophets and through Jesus. When people choose to sin, people are ultimately choosing death. Death is the experience for sin; sin separates people from God. Satan is competing with God. What better way to separate people from God, than to entice people through sin, separating people from God. Sin is deceptive: it might be fun (for the moment) but isn’t there a time when we look back on sin and realize maybe it wasn’t worth the consequence? If it were this clear to people, people wouldn’t choose sin. But Satan is also known as the ultimate deceiver and then the accuser. Has anyone ever deceived you before? You didn’t expect it, right? When someone is good at deceiving, it’s a surprise when we figure it out. If it’s something no one wants (death), wouldn’t you have to be deceitful to gain people, coax them into death? Then after you deceive someone into sinning…don’t let them turn back “repent” to repair their relationship …keep reminding them (accusing them) of their sin so they feel so worthless and like they can’t go back. (which is also a lie) That’s exactly how Satan operates with his ultimate goal of separating people from God. This was shown to us in the book of Job; Satan was using all he could to get Job to turn away from God!

I’m going to assume that most people would choose living over dying, because people are sad when someone dies. So what better way for Satan to separate people from God, than through death? A sacrifice is exactly that: death of something. Sacrifices started because of sin. God put an end to “living being sacrifices” through Jesus’ death on the cross. That was the ultimate sacrifice: “Jesus/God dying” and what Satan wanted from the beginning, “the ransom” as we understand from the Bible. But that wasn’t the end as we are told through the Bible by prophets and Jesus himself; there is more to come. (Read more about the future in this link).

In summary, God created the earth and everything on it out of love. He created people to love Him back. We all know that forced love is not real love, so God doesn’t force people; He lets people choose. We ended up in a spiritual warzone without knowing this when we were born, but at some point in life, we will figure this out. When we figure it out, then we have to make a choice. Satan is opposing God and working hard to separate as many people from God as possible through deceptive ways. God was not pleased with the living sacrifices and responded to that by offering Jesus as the ransom, the ultimate sacrifice for us, no one has the value Jesus has, so that is what made Jesus an acceptable sacrifice, more valuable than any of us. Jesus’ sacrifice saves those who want to be saved from eternal Hell. But we still have a choice. Do we believe in Jesus? Do we have faith in this? Do we accept this “gift” from God? If you said yes, you are “almost” saved. I felt strongly about making this clear to people, because I think there is a larger number of people who think when they answer this “I believe”, “they’re good to go!” but that is not the full truth based on what I found in the Bible, and I see many churches appeal to people in this way and it’s sad to me, because they are misleading people and possibly keeping them from heaven. It is true that by faith we are saved, but faith alone is death – Jesus’ brother James told us that in the Bible. We didn’t get “off the hook” that easily, there is something more required of us by God: we are required to be obedient to his commands. We can’t do enough good things to earn our way to heaven; that would cause pride and God hates a prideful person. So it is by faith, but proving our faith by our actions. Becoming obedient prepares people for living in eternity with God and shows God we mean what we say. How many people are good at “lip service,” telling us what we want to hear, but not supporting what they say by their actions? Well this is the same between us and God. Are we giving God “lip service” or are we proving it by our actions? The obedience part is probably the most challenging part for all of us. It is not natural for us to be obedient, but God requires it. Thankfully, God is forgiving, so it doesn’t matter what we’ve done; He promises forgiveness, but with forgiveness, He also requires us to change our future actions and not do whatever it was anymore. None of us will be perfect, even after we commit to changing our ways, because we are human, so making mistakes requires us to take personal responsibility for them immediately, apologize and change. If we don’t, then we are going against God, we are just giving God “lip service” and He’s not fooled. He knows our intentions; He created us! So not taking action is not going to be a “success story” for those who give God “lip service”. Sacrifice today is still required though not through the death of a living being, thank God for that, but it still requires painful decisions for us personally. It won’t be easy, change isn’t easy. We want the immediate reward “here and now,” but the reward God has planned is promised to be greater than what we sacrifice “here and now”. What do you chose?

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Are We experiencing the End of Times?

Recently, I’ve noticed more people talking about the end of times possibly arriving soon. There will always be people who thrive on sensationalizing events, but what I’ve found is best, is to look into it on your own before believing what anyone tells you. This is why I’m writing this post: I read Revelation once a few months ago, but with so many different events happening and people claiming the second coming of Jesus will be soon, I wanted to read it a second time.

Don’t be concerned: I’m not going to give you my comprehension after only reading it a few times (that would be ridiculous), but I found a reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app with an explanation of the Book of Revelation summarizing the main points. I’ve also listened to a few others who have been studying prophetic scripture about the things to come for over a century so I will use some of that too, for insight, then reference supporting Bible verses (via links to the Bible Verses so you can read it on your own).

When it comes to the future, truthfully, no one can predict it, people just get lucky with their guesses at times. But biblical prophets are different, their prophesies have proven truthful against historical events, and any biblical prophet doesn’t claim to have this ability on their own; they received the insight directly from God. The Bible is the truth, it’s not a bunch of fables. The more you read and study it, you will comprehend this. Symbolism is often used, which makes some of it challenging the first time reading, but over time it becomes clearer. Personally, since the bible is God’s word, I believe God provided it that way to grab our attention and curiosity keeping us engaged. Hopefully this will encourage you to explore the Book of Revelation and the bible further.

You can read/listen to it on the app, rather than reading the rest of this post if you prefer? Here is a link to the YouVersion website, where you can download the free app in iOS or Android form. Once you have the app, search the reading plans for “Revelation Explained” (Parts 1-7). The Book of Revelation is not the easiest to comprehend, so that means people will have differing opinions on interpretation. So seek on your own before arriving at a conclusion. The bible does say if we seek wisdom from God, He will provide it.

In the rest of this post, my intention is to provide an outline format for most of it, highlighting key points, important information, and insight from those who have spent more time studying this book.

CHAPTER ONE – JESUS REVEALED

  1. Jesus is introduced as the ultimate ruler of all; the book of Revelation is about his return to establish His Kingdom.
  2. Jesus freed all people from the bondage of sin by his death on the cross.
  3. During this process, of Jesus’ return, the world is judged. God’s wrath (for some) and mercy (for some) will be delivered.
  4. The author of the Book of Revelation, John, was exhiled on the island of Patmos due to his teaching the testimony of Jesus, when Jesus appeared to him among seven lamp stands. The revealing of Jesus occurs through descriptive symbolism, explained in this reading plan as follows:
    • the lamp stands represent seven churches (the “light” of the world)
    • “Son of Man” is a title Jesus called himself in each of the New Testament gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The robe and sash were clothes a judge and king would wear. The description of the Messiah from the Old Testament Book of Daniel is similar.
    • Hair as white as wool is a similar description found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel too.
    • Eyes of fire: Fire is dangerous, piercing, refines, and purifies. Jesus sees with eyes of fire.
    • Feet like bronze: Bronze represents judgement. Both of these descriptions are similar to the description in Daniel.
    • Voice like rushing waters: “majestic, powerful”
    • Out of his mouth: the double edged sword – meaning the Word of God pierces. The truth convicts us, feels painful to us.
  5. Jesus tells John: He is God, He is the Living One, He was dead and is alive. Jesus holds the keys to the gates of death and Hell.
  6. Jesus tells John to write down:
    • what he has seen (John saw Jesus) – Revelation 1
    • what is now (the present age, current time period, present church) – Revelation 2 and 3 and
    • what will take place later (the future, the end of times)- Revelation 4 – 22

CHAPTER 2 AND 3 – MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES

Jesus spoke to John regarding each of the seven churches that were present at that time (approx. 95 AD) giving each of them direction, encouragement and correction.

  1. The Ephesians: they were hardworking, but forgot love; their love grew cold. He tells them to change their ways and return to love (the initial love they had) and their reward is in paradise. (Revelation 2: 2-7)
  2. To the church of Smyrna (present day: Izmir, Turkey): they were a persecuted church living in affliction and poverty. He tells them not be afraid, to rejoice because they will have a great reward, and will escape the second death (Hell). (Revelation 2: 8-11)
  3. To the church of Pergamum (Revelation 2: 12-17) : they were a compromised church (a marriage between church and state). Politics conquering under the sign of the cross, there were many hypocrites and genuine Christians were hard to find. The teaching of Balaam was having pagan girls seduce men of God into adultery and turn them to worshiping another god. These men cheated on their wives and God; they were destroyed by foolish lust. (idolatry and sexual immorality) Lots of pagans joined the church, but they didn’t truly become Christians, they brought with them many of the pagan customs and holidays and Christianized them, examples: Christmas trees, Easter eggs, lent, celibate priests, altars to anyone other than God etc. were all pagan traditions brought into the church. He tells the church: “Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” Revelation 2:16 (The sword of his mouth is the Word, the Bible. The word of God pierces: it checks our motives.)
  4. To the church of Thyatira (Revelation 2: 18-29): Jesus commends the church for their good works, love, faith, service and perseverance, but they tolerated Jezebel, whose teaching was sexual immorality and “paying off sins” by donating to the church or turning over property to the church. He also speaks to those in the church who do not hold to this teaching and are faithful and he promises a reward. He warned this church: He will surprise them when He returns.
  5. To the church in Sardis (Revelation 3: 1-6): Jesus tells them they have a good reputation “name,” but they are dead and they need to “wake up,” he wants them to overcome this, repent and turn to Jesus again. He warned this church: He will surprise them when He returns. But also acknowledges there are a few faithful ones who are worthy.
  6. To the church of Philadelphia (Revelation 3: 7-13): They show faithfulness, love, have open doors, kept Jesus’ word; he promises to keep them from the hour of trial (Tribulation).
  7. To the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22): They are the apathetic “lukewarm” church, they are rich, they have what they need so they really don’t have strong feelings about their faith. They need faith, hope and love. Jesus loves the church so he wants them to change their ways, and disciplines those He loves and the people will be rewarded for changing their ways.

THE FUTURE (CHAPTERS 4-22)

CHAPTER 4 – 5: THE RAPTURE AND THE CHURCH IN HEAVEN

Jesus will return for His church, the individual people (who are the church) will be caught up in the clouds. (“raptus “in Latin means “caught up,” and the English word is rapture, so this is why this event is called “the rapture”) John the author of Revelation is caught up to Heaven and describes what he sees.

This reading plan suggests the following possible symbolic meaning of the scroll with 7 seals as described in Chapter 5: In Jewish culture, a title deed to property was written on a scroll. If the owner went into default on the property debt, the owner would give up the deed and the price to redeem the property was written on the back side, then sealed with 7 seals which were not broken until the owner paid back the debt. The scroll in Chapter 5 is believed to be the title deed to the Earth. God gave the care of the earth to Adam along with a command of obedience, but when Adam defaulted, the earth was given to the rule of Satan. Satan has been described as the ruler of the kingdom of the air and spends time roaming the earth. Satan tried to tempt Jesus by telling Jesus that he would give Him all the Kingdoms. In doing so He would have been worshiping Satan, but Jesus didn’t submit. He paid back the debt for the earth by His death on the cross (a sacrifice). This was the redemption of the people of the earth through Jesus. No one in Heaven or on the Earth was worthy to break the 7 seals and repay the debt, except for the lamb which appears visibly slain (Jesus is the lamb of God)

Regarding the symbolic description of the lamb in the bible, the study plan suggests: the number 7 is the Bible’s number for “complete” or “perfect” and horns represent “power”: 7 horns is “all” powerful, 7 eyes is “all” seeing, 7 spirits is “all” present, omnipotent. The incense is the “prayers of the people.”

CHAPTER 6 – 19: TRIBULATION AND JUDGEMENT

Each opened seal contains a judgement of the earth, this begins the Tribulation. The Tribulation is the last 7 years on the earth and one final effort for all to be saved. The timetable for the Tribulation was provided in the Book of Daniel written around 600 BC. Daniel accurately predicted many empires, leaders and wars for many centuries in this book. In Chapter 9 an angel lays out God’s out the timetable for Israel and the world. The timetable is seventy-sevens, or 490 years (the other time frames given lead precisely to Jesus’ death) then there was a pause (the church age, discussed in Chapters 2 and 3), as soon as the church is raptured, the clock is ticking again and begins the last 7 years (the Tribulation). (There are differing opinions on this rapture part, you may want to check out, I’m simply using the study plan I’m reading, so search the various opinions about the Tribulation, then compare it to your reading and understanding of the Bible) The main point, whenever it happens is for a purpose: The purpose of the Tribulation is one last chance to stop sinning and repent.

The Six Seals are broken:

Seal #1 broken: A white horse rode out – this is the beginning of the Apocalypse, which is the symbolic depiction of real things: the Rider on the white horse carries a bow and was given a crown- the study plan suggested: this rider is one who tries to look like a savior, like Christ, possibly the AntiChrist

Seal #2 broken: A red horse rode out (war)- take peace from the earth, make people kill each other

Seal #3 broken: A black horse rode out (famine)- scarcity and poverty, the poor suffering while rich enjoy life and luxuries; 95% of famines are caused by politics, ie. man-made. War is how man makes peace

Seal #4 broken: A pale-green horse road out (death) – a 4th of the earth will be killed by sword, famine, plague and wild beast

Seal #5 broken: Faithful souls who were killed as martyrs for their faith, they are given white robes for their righteousness but told to wait for their brothers and sisters

Seal #6 broken: a great earthquake occurs, the moon looks like blood, stars fell, people hid from the wrath, then the angels who are holding the winds back, possibly hurricanes, are told to not harm the earth until the angel arriving from the east, with others seal the foreheads of 144,000 people from all the tribes of Israel who are God’s people and will be saved.

The people who died in the Tribulation are then seen by John at the Throne of God, serving him day and night. (See also Revelation 14 below…so it seems to me that there is some overlap of how this information in the book of Revelation is provided – John sees them after the 6th seal is broken, but then there is chapter 14 dedicated to them later-, maybe this summary of the seals is an outline of events, but the detail is given further into Revelation?)

Seal #7 broken: 30 minutes of silence in Heaven occurs.

Seven angels are given 7 trumpets. Prayers to God are mixing with the burning incense and an angel pours them out, then the angel filled the incense burner with fire and through it down upon the earth; there was thunder, lightning and a terrible earthquake.

The Trumpets: (1- 4)

(The Trumpet sounding is another part with various interpretations, some believe that several of these trumpets have already sounded as follows: Trumpet 1 being World War 1, Trumpet 2: World War 2 (because 1/3 of the ships were destroyed and Hiroshima), Trumpet 3: Chernobyl (because of the Wormwood reference), Trumpet 4: is unclear, Trumpet 5: the Gulf War (but this actually lasted 7 months, not 5 as the book predicts, but oil wells were ignited causing smoke, the helicopters could have been “locust” to John due to him seeing these things in 95 AD) but these are purely human opinions and assumptions….and that would mean all the seals have been broken, if the unfolding of the events follow the order presented in Revelation where the seals are broken before the trumpets sound, wouldn’t it? To me personally these references are great examples of applying the symbolism and making sense of it, with historical events. I believe this book is the truth and we truly won’t know until it’s in the past and we look back! But for now, it will keep some engaged trying to figure it out. The important part is the overall message in Revelation)

Trumpet 1: Hail, Fire and Blood thrown at earth, 1/3 of the earth was set on fire, 1/3 of the trees were burned and all the green grass was burned

Trumpet 2: A great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. 1/3 of the water in the sea became blood, 1/3 of all living things in the sea died and 1/3 of all the ships on the sea were destroyed

Trumpet 3: A great star fell from the sky burning like a torch, falling on 1/3 of the rivers and springs (the name of the star was Wormwood), many people died from drinking the bitter water. Could this be Chernobyl? Some suggest it could. See this article too.

Trumpet 4: 1/3 of the sun was struck, 1/3 of the moon and 1/3 of the stars and they became dark. 1/3 of the day was dark and 1/3 of the night. An eagle flew through the air crying “Woe, Woe, Woe!”

Trumpets 5 and 6:

Trumpet 5: the first terror: a star that had fallen to earth from the sky was given the key to the bottomless pit. When the pit was opened smoke poured out, sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke rising, and what looked like locust came from the smoke and descended on the earth. The locust were given power to torture people, but not kill them, and were not allowed to harm the earth, only the people. They also did not harm the people sealed by God’s angels. This occurred for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

Trumpet 6: the second terror: Four Angels were released to kill 1/3 of mankind. The number of mounted troops were “twice ten thousand times ten thousand” (200,000,000) “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21)

The point to emphasize here is an unwillingness to repent by some, despite these terrors.

Revelation 10

Trumpet 7: The study plan author suggests this could be Jesus based on the similar descriptions in other places of the Bible. (But this is an assumption) The “angel” comes down from heaven surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head and a small scroll in his hand. Could this be Jesus claiming the earth, since the debt was paid; therefore he has the scroll? But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7) John was told not to write down what was said.

Revelation 11 – The two Witnesses and the Temple (Matthew 24, Daniel – 3 verses)

Remember: as was mentioned earlier: The Tribulation is 7 years

This is where it gets very interesting and possibly “current” for today based on what is happening in world politics and some are talking about this now. But first, all should be reminded back in 1967 people thought these last 7 years might have been happening because Israel reoccupied the territory. So today, (not from this bible study plan though) there is focus on Trump’s Peace Plan which is in the works, has been delayed many times moving forward, but may be agreed upon before the end of this year (2020) between Israel and the Palestinians.

Getting back to the details in Revelation 11: John is told: “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” (42 months is 3.5 years, midway through 7 years). Recently some archaeologists have suggested the ruins of the prior Temple may NOT be located UNDER the present day Mosque, so it is possible that the Mosque is located on the “outer court.” The following is not from the study plan but from another source: If the Peace Plan reaches consensus, Israel may build the 3rd Temple (as plans are prepared).

Back to the Bible: There will be two witnesses appointed by Jesus for 1,260 days (about 3.5 years). They will have supernatural powers according to Revelation. Could this be God’s final attempt for people to believe and repent by using supernatural examples during the Tribulation? The witnesses end up getting killed, their bodies lie in the streets, but are raised after 3.5 days when God breathes life into them and takes them up to Heaven. An earthquake occurs when this happens.

Midway through the 7 years, at the 3.5 year mark, the AntiChrist is revealed. with the “abomination of desolation” in the temple. The Book of Daniel 7-8 also refers to this.

The 7th Angel sounds the Trumpet and says: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” This is a little confusing to me personally because this sounds to me like it’s over when this statement is made. But this is still at the 1/2 way point (3.5 years into the Tribulation)

This statement is my own thought, not from the study plan, about the next chapter: Revelation 12 seems to pause with the chronological events prior to this giving a broad overview or clarification as to why all of this is happens (a quick history).

Revelation 12 – The Woman and the Dragon

What are the symbols?

  • The Pregnant Woman: Some think it’s Mary (the Mother of Jesus) and others think it’s Israel (the whole nation), the sun and moon from Joseph’s dream explain this connection further here , the 12 stars are the 12 tribes of Israel, there is another reference by a prophet that compares Jerusalem to a female, so I can see how this woman could be symbolic of Israel.
  • The Child: The Messiah, Jesus who ascended into Heaven
  • The Dragon: Satan, the Devil- Satan was an angel, but was rebellious and 1/3 of the angels joined him (demons) when he was thrown from Heaven, his ongoing goal was to kill the Messiah, prevent Jesus from becoming King
  • 7 Heads and 7 Horns: represent Power

The war in Heaven occurs and ends with Satan hurled to the earth. Symbolism explained by the study plan: Satan is angry so he continually has pursued Israel (the symbolic woman) throughout time on earth because Jesus was the descendant of Israel and becomes King. Israel takes shelter during this next 3.5 years and Satan goes after all the people who keep God’s commands and continue to believe in Jesus. As the study plan mentions: all of this is symbolic but tells the story of real things that happened and are to come in the future. Why did God make it so confusing to understand all this? We don’t truly know the answer, but a good probability is to make us seek Him….make us curious enough to spend time figuring out the puzzle, where eventually we will learn something from it.

Revelation 13 – The Beast coming out of the Sea

You’ll need to read Revelation 13 (linked above), but here is a guide to the symbolism from the study plan:

  • Horns are symbolic of power and represent individual kingdoms
  • The First beast from the sea is made up of 10 kingdoms (A unification of 10 Kingdoms)
  • Seven is the symbol for “complete”
  • again we see a reference to 42 months where the beast is given power and control for 3.5 years and all the people (except those who follow God) are impressed and support the beast (super powers)
  • The bible says during this time: “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”
  • The Second beast from the earth has 2 horns (so 2 Kingdoms together) supporting the first beast and this second beast (from the Bible): “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.”

Revelation 14 – The Lamb and the 144,000

These 144,000 are the ones mentioned earlier whom the angels marked with God’s seal and they are in Heaven. Then 3 Angels announce that judgement will commence and give every remaining person on earth one more chance to repent. (Revelation 14: 6)

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Revelation 14: 12-13

Then came blood flow as the first part of judgement.

Revelation 15: Seven Angels with 7 Plagues (next part of judgement)

Revelation 16: All these events then occur during God’s wrath (justice): Sores, blood, fire, demonic spirits release from the dragon in preparation for war with God, earthquake, hail stones and plague. The people curse God.

Revelation 17: Babylon the Prostitute on the Beast

  • Symbolism:
  • Babylon the Prostitute: this requires knowledge from reading the bible for the symbolism here. Many times God compares making anything (money, power, our own knowledge or abilities, control, materialism, lust, etc) more important than God, basically cheating on God, to adultery. The Prostitute part is getting paid for making anything more important than God.
  • Babylon the City: Throughout the bible, you will notice there are two primary cities referenced: Babylon and Jerusalem. Babylon represents “worldly focus” as opposed to “God focused” – two opposing viewpoints: including world religion (which is godless) and a world economic system (one that focuses on becoming “like God” or becoming a god through not recognizing God, not giving God the credit for the abilities, denying God, denying the existence or importance of God)
  • The 7 heads according to the angel’s explanation represent the seven hills where the “woman” sits: the study plan suggests this could be the city of Rome because of the seven hills. But the 7 heads also represent 7 kings and the beast is the 8th King belonging with the 7 others until his destruction. The 10 horns or 10 kings only are in authority for 1 hour, then they give their power to the beast. They will fight against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph. (Lamb: is Jesus) The water represents people, multitudes, nations and languages. The woman is a city that rules over the leaders of the earth.

Revelation 18: The destruction of Babylon

A voice from Heaven gives another warning to people to leave before the destruction of this City. (Revelation 18:4-8) then the city is destroyed and many are shocked.

CHAPTER 19: JESUS TRIUMPHS

First there is tremendous celebration in Heaven over the destruction of Babylon, then Jesus (the Heavenly Warrior defeats the Beast).

(THIS IS THE END OF THE EARTH WE KNOW)

CHAPTER 20: THE MILLENNIUM- JESUS REIGNS FOR 1000 YEARS

The Devil or Satan, different from the beast, is imprisoned for 1,000. The souls of the people who had not taken the mark of the beast were brought back to life and reigned with Jesus for 1,000 years. (First Resurrection)

After the 1,000 years, Satan is released, deceives nations and gathers nations to fight. They surround the camp of Gods people, but fire came down from Heaven and devoured them. Then the devil is “thrown into the lake of sulfur” where the beast and false prophet (AntiChrist) were thrown where they will be tormented for ever and ever.

Then all dead were judged according to what they had done. (Non-believers) This is the second judgement. All those names who were not found in the book of life were thrown into the “lake of fire”.

CHAPTER 21 – 22: A NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH

This Chapter is best in full text: “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.””

The New Jerusalem – God’s Kingdom is described in great detail here.

Chapter 22:

Eden is restored and described, John and the Angel have a conversation and the book of Revelation ends with this message:

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”

In summary, the main message is we won’t know until after it happens, but we are given clues, even by Jesus to understand when it’s getting close. But who wants to not be prepared? The longer we wait to prepare ourselves, the higher the personal consequences. God keeps giving people chances to repent (meaning change our mind, don’t follow the world) all the way until the very end. But if we make up our mind BEFORE the very end, we may avoid some of the hardships that will happen someday to those who wait until the last minute. I guess it all comes down to what is your personal level of risk aversion? God encourages us and promises us that our personal worldly sacrifice will be worth it; He has something wonderful planned for us in the end.

by Categories: Entertainment, Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Make It Count, RELATIONSHIPS, Sex, WellnessTags: , , , 5 Comments

Broken Trust

One commonality we share is broken trust at some point in our lives. Now that some of us have more time than we ever had before, our minds are more activated: contemplating: “What is truly going on?” Many of us can’t stay still, if we are not busy doing something, then we are busy thinking something. The novelty and desire for more time has worn off for many people (those not on the “front lines”) during this pandemic. Most people are ready to get back to what was known to be “normal.”

As time goes on, I see a mixture of: those filled with hope, those filled with fear and those who react by avoidance (doing whatever they can to “escape” reality.)

Time is the most valuable resource we have on earth. Time is valuable because we can never “make more of it,” once it’s gone, it’s gone. Realizing this, how we spend our time matters.

Getting back to broken trust, or mistrust, there is a humorous viewpoint of what’s happening now that’s been circulated on social media recently, by an unknown author:

“All. Of. This. 🤣

May this share help straighten out some of the confusion and misinformation out there, thanks to fake-stream media… Here is my understanding of the current findings in a short summary 😊:

1. Basically, you can’t leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.

2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.

3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.

4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. Same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.

5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.

6. Gloves won’t help, but they can still help.

7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it’s important to GO OUT.

8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.

9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.

10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…

11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my..

12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it’s better not to go out, well, but no…

13. It’s better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don’t go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).

14. You can’t go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.

15. If you are sick, you can’t go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.

16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn’t wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?

17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with ” I don’t want to trigger panic, but…”

18. You can’t see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.

19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don’t live under the same roof.

20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.

21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn’t say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.

22. The virus stays in the air – well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.

23. We count the number of deaths but we don’t know how many people are infected, as we have only tested, so far, those who were “almost dead” to find out if that’s what they will die of…

24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications). Orange man bad.

25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… but we must no longer be locked up for that?”

The reality is: this is confusing and people do not know whom to trust.

There is a new documentary (linked here) that went into circulation on Monday, April 13, 2020, which only intensifies the question of who is trustworthy? Whether or not a person watching this believes the content or doesn’t believe it, the obvious message from the documentary is:

use your mind, your critical thinking capabilities, pay attention to how you spend your time and what you “feed” your mind

The truth is there is good and bad in this world. We can’t control that fact, but we have a personal choice in what we choose and how we spend our time: good or bad BUT, WE ARE NOT “HELPLESS”: each of us can make a difference with the time we have been given and what we do with that time.

So who can we trust? GOD.

God is eternal and God protects those who have faith and obey his commands. We are wasting our time if we put our trust in ANYTHING other than God. Why? Because trust in anything else can and will eventually go away, someday. Anything else is temporary and won’t be there for us through eternity.

While some people are good people, none are perfect, so we honestly can’t blindly trust people. But that doesn’t mean we live in fear, it just means that we trust someone proven throughout history to be trustworthy: God.

When we have any kind of fear, realize it’s temporary, ask God to handle it but do the best with what God has given us (don’t give up), but in addition to doing what we can , ask God to send the Holy Spirit to help. In some situations, we are not strong enough on our own, but God is the ultimate “power” source.

I realize this “solution” isn’t going to be meaningful to those who don’t believe, so if this is you: why not take this time to get to know God by praying (talking to him in your own personal thoughts) and reading the Bible (searching for answers to your personal questions)? (Here is a bible resource link, if you don’t have one) God will respond if you truthfully seek Him with your heart. If you are a person that feels you’ve done too much wrong in life for this to work for you; please know the Bible tells us the exact opposite: you will be forgiven by God, when you ask for forgiveness and make every effort to become a better person.

Regarding good and bad people and how do we know who are more (not completely) trustworthy than others? It is only by their actions, not what they say, look for: people who show love, joy, are peaceful, faithful, gentle and exhibit self control. Those are the most trustworthy people.

How do we recognize untrustworthy people? Look for: sexual immorality, impurity, excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, participate in orgies, those who prioritize anything or anyone as more important than God, those who practice witchcraft, express hate, those who are jealous people, people with uncontrolled tempers, people with selfish ambition, people who are envious of others, people who get drunk, and so forth. Don’t put trust in people who fit this description; these are the least trustworthy people.

The solution to broken trust is making God your priority over EVERYTHING else in life. When we recognize ourselves as “children of God” and not “children of this world,” We can trust Him; He will protect us. (linked to 1 John 5: 18-19)

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