Tag: Holy Spirit

How to Prepare for the “Great Tribulation”

Preparation is what enables us to proceed with confidence into “Great Tribulation”. We probably agree that not being prepared is one of life’s greatest regrets, isn’t it? Have you ever thought: “If I only knew _________ before this happened!” What if we are heading into one of the toughest times of our lives in this world, as time moves forward? Do you believe you are prepared today? Don’t make that mistake of being unprepared again, heading into the toughest times ever experienced in the world, get prepared now.

7 Steps to Prepare:

  1. Seek God for Wisdom (Non-Believer): If you don’t know what to say or how to pray, and you’re not sure what you believe, or if you believe, here is an example of what to say: “Dear God, I do not know You. I’m not even sure You exist at this point in my life, but I want to know the truth. If You exist, please allow me to get to know You, please reveal Yourself to me. Please give me wisdom to know the truth. If You reveal Yourself to me, I will in return take action to get to know You better through reading and studying the Bible and will continue to communicate with You through prayer. Please clarify and help me know the truth about Jesus and the Holy Spirit”
  2. Believe. (Keep studying the Bible and praying and the following will become clear to you.) There is one God (who interacts with people in 3 forms: God as the Father, the Son (Jesus, the Messiah) and the Holy Spirit. This one God in all three forms was present before, and during the creation of the earth (and everything on it) and is eternal. You may ask: Why would God be in three forms if there is one God? (There are specific purposes for each form, as humans, I don’t know that any of us have a complete understanding because as Jesus asked, how can I tell you of the spiritual things when we have so much difficulty understanding things of this world). God was physically present with humans in the beginning of the earth and will be physically present with humans in eternity on a new earth, but sin entered the earth through evil spiritual beings (Satan: the Devil and Fallen Angels: Demons-Evil Spirits) and has been destroying all the good that God created. The evil spiritual beings who separated themselves from God are at war with God and are actively influencing us on earth (even today) in an attempt to separate us from God just like they will be separated from God in eternity. Jesus came to earth (Mary gave birth to him, but he was conceived by God’s Spirit- Jesus was more than a man, or Prophet as some may think). Jesus came to fulfill prophecies, let people know about God’s future kingdom and to save all people who believe. Jesus was killed (by crucifixion) by people because of his teachings, but he rose from the dead after being placed in a tomb, he appeared to thousands of people, even ate with some of them so that people would know there is eternity and believers will understand there will be a new bodily, immortal form after death. He did this to reassure people of his teachings and to reveal God, and most importantly to serve as the required sacrifice (making atonement, purifying believers) so that Believers are able to have eternal life with God. He ascended into the clouds after spending time with people and reassured that he would return in the future. When Jesus left, the Holy Spirit was sent to his followers and continues to be sent to current Believers today. Believers who commit to living in accordance with God’s commands and then ask God for the Holy Spirit are given the Holy Spirit. God’s spirit residing in us is what we need to be raised from the dead like Jesus did. If we don’t have God’s spirit residing in us, we will not be raised to be present with God in eternity. The Holy Spirit works in us to prepare us for God’s future Kingdom. This is what we all need right now: the Holy Spirit residing within us. So how do we get it?
  3. Acknowledge our Sin. Everyone sins. The Bible tells us what sin is, it is not rules we, or anyone else, make up. God gave them to us, don’t let anyone twist the truth of the Bible or tell you it is “old fashioned”, “out of date”, etc. God is NOT old fashioned, out of date, He is current, He is living and aware of what each of us say, do and even think. NOTHING is hidden from God. Read the Bible to find out what sin is. Here are a few places in the Bible to know what separates us from God, defined as “sin”: breaking The 10 Commandments (Exodus 20), The Sermon on the Mount (Jesus’ clarification of the Commandments) Matthew 5, and a list of behaviors that will exclude us from eternity with God. (1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians– both are very short books of the Bible with 3-5 brief chapters, it’s worth reading all of it), (1 Corinthians 6), (Revelation 22 – verses 14 and 15)
  4. Repent. After acknowledging our sin and being sorry for it, we need to continually eliminate sin as it enters our life. It’s important to know that we can ask God for His Holy Spirit to help us with this. “What is impossible for us is possible with God.” (Matthew, Mark and Luke documented Jesus saying this)
  5. Get Baptized. This is a public commitment that we believe, we acknowledge our sin, we want to be forgiven and choose to live a new life. This is the affirmation that we are making the transition from an Unbeliever to a Believer. Jesus directed people to be baptized. Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus also mentioned this spiritual rebirth (being born again, meaning a new life with God’s spirit inside us) when he spoke with Nicodemus John 3:1-3
  6. Live according to God’s commands. Abiding in Jesus (through prayer and reading/studying the Bible) and our actions will keep the Holy Spirit with us and be evident to others by our character and way of living. People will be able to recognize those who have the Holy Spirit residing in them and those who do not. Those who have the Holy Spirit residing in them will have eternal life with God. This is how you can tell if the Holy Spirit is residing within someone, they will exhibit these characteristics:
    • love (love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails.)
    • joy (displaying delight, happiness due to knowing God)
    • peace (tranquility, calmness, restfulness)
    • forbearance (patient and restrained, easygoing, forgiving, understanding)
    • kindness (the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate)
    • goodness (the quality of being morally good or virtuous)
    • faithfulness (the quality of being loyal, dependable, trustworthy; fidelity)
    • gentleness (the quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered)
    • self-control (the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations)

7. Help Others. This is how we LOVE others: by sharing how to prepare for eternal life! Please share this with all the people you love. Don’t leave anyone behind. Jesus said the Greatest Command is to love God with all our hearts, souls and mind and second to that is to love others.

John 14:21

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Jesus

This is how we will be prepared to endure through the trials, troubles and tribulation we have throughout our life on earth. Something valuable is worth the preparation. Eternity/immortal life with God is valuable and worth the preparation. Jesus gave us the map, the directions, the guidance, the warnings, and the help through the Holy Spirit- we have all we need to be prepared. Those who prepare will not be caught by surprise “like a thief in the night” when Jesus returns. We need God’s spirit residing in us. We can receive God’s Spirit when we prepare and we will know we have God’s spirit when our lives begin reflecting the behaviors and characteristics listed in #6 above. Jesus did the hardest, truthfully the impossible for us: he made it possible for us to be in eternity. In fact, if we are living righteously (prepared) when Jesus returns, we may not even experience a physical death! All Believers who are living at that time will rise to meet Jesus! (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

God is so good to us: He gives us life, He provides everything we need, He gives us an escape from eternal death (made possible through Jesus), He gives us His Spirit to help us prepare, and He has an amazing future prepared for those who believe. EVERYTHING good is from God! When we comprehend this, there is so much to be joyful about! Be confident always! Choose to be a Winner in the most important Event (Eternity) of your life! 1 Corinthians 9:23-25 Be strong and courageous because God is with Believers and there is nothing more powerful than God! Ephesians 6:10-18, Romans 8:38-39

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12 Questions to answer and find out if you will have eternal life.

Let’s just get to the point. Russia is currently setting up outside Ukraine. China has been threatening Taiwan. Iran is enhancing its nuclear capacity and openly expresses its unacceptance (to put it mildly) of Israel and the United States. The Middle East in general is continuously in some level of conflict.

If you haven’t done this yet, it’s time to make sure your ETERNAL future is in the place of your choosing, because you may not end up where you expect. You need to make a decision and take action now. So here are 12 questions to know where you may end up and find out what you need to do if you don’t get the answer you want:

  1. Do you believe that JESUS is the ONLY way that you can be in eternity with God? (You can’t be “good enough” based on your own actions.) Yes or No?
  2. Are you familiar with the 10 Commandments? Yes or No?
  3. Do you admit that you break God’s commands? Yes or No?
  4. Do you know the following is prohibited by God and those who continually do this (and don’t change these ways) will not enter God’s eternal kingdom? (sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, theft, lying, slander, “magic” such as seances, astrology, mediums, practice of witchcraft, spiritist, interpreting omens, casting spells, anger, getting drunk, sexual perversion, false teachers of religion, false prophets of religion, pride, a person who stirs up conflict in the community, a person who loves and practices any false teaching, hypocrites, taking advantage of other people, practicing homosexuality, slave traders, anyone who speaks against God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit), being conceited, prioritizing money or wealth) Yes or No?
  5. Have you rebelled against/sinned against God by doing anything in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
  6. Have you asked God for forgiveness and subsequently made an effort to avoid all things listed in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
  7. Have you told God that you want and intend to be obedient to Him by not breaking anything in #3 and #4, even though it is hard to do and you will mess up occasionally, but not regularly? Yes or No?
  8. Do you ask God for forgiveness then change the behavior if, or when, you do anything listed in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
  9. Have you publicly shown your commitment and surrendered to God and without hesitation state your belief in Jesus being the Son of God, the Messiah, who made it possible for you to be in eternity with God by being Baptized? Yes or No?
  10. Have you asked Jesus for God’s spirit (the Holy Spirit) to help you live according to God’s will? Yes or No?
  11. Do you know God personally? Do you have a personal relationship (ie. pray, read the bible, study the bible) with God? Yes or No?
  12. Is the Spirit of God residing in you? Yes or No?

If you honestly answered “Yes” to ALL the questions above, you can know that you will have eternal life with God. If you answered “No” to any of the questions above, then you have work to do if you want eternal life with God.

Here are some (but not all) links to scripture validating the questions above:

  1. John 14:6
  2. 10 Commandments: Exodus 20
  3. We all sin: 1 John 5:17, Romans 3:23, 1John 3:4, John 8:34
  4. Many Verses, Drinking
  5. Mark 21:7, Romans 3:12
  6. Acts 3:19
  7. Matthew 7:21
  8. 1 John 1:9
  9. Get Baptized, Matthew 10:32, Romans 8:2
  10. John 15: 26
  11. Matthew 7:14, Hebrews 8:12
  12. Romans 8:11, 1 John 5:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:8
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“The Rapture”: Christians Ascending to meet Jesus?

Christians have very different view points on this subject: some never heard of it, some don’t believe it, some think the “rapture” will happen before “the tribulation” occurs, some think it will happen in the middle of “the tribulation” and some think it will happen at the end of “the tribulation”- before God’s wrath occurs. In my opinion, the timing doesn’t matter, but a person’s knowledge about this event and preparation does matter. As we know, the Bible is open to interpretation and people present compelling reasons for their beliefs, but the truth will exist (despite any erroneous beliefs), so on this subject (because it is not a Heaven or Hell topic, but could be), it’s important to know about it and consider all views, look into it yourself, pray about it and most of all be prepared no matter what interpretation turns out to be correct on the timing. The “Rapture” event is in the Bible, I can confirm that!

First of all, what is “The Rapture”?

  • rapture[ˈrapCHər]NOUNthe Rapture (noun)
  • a feeling of intense pleasure or joy.” Leonora listened with rapture”synonyms:ecstasy · bliss · euphoria · elation · exaltation · joy · joyfulness · [more](raptures)expressions of intense pleasure or enthusiasm about something.”the tabloids went into raptures about her”synonyms:enthuse · rhapsodize · rave · gush · wax lyrical · [more]
  • NORTH AMERICAN(the Rapture)(according to some millenarian teaching) the transporting of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ.

When I first heard it explained I heard that it was derived from the Latin word which had the meaning “snatch, carry off” which is where “rapture” came from. In scripture, the Greek word is harpazō which is defined as:

  1. to seize, carry off by force
  2. to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly
  3. to snatch out or away

raptura ( Latin)

  • rapturus ( Latin) Future active participle of rapiō (“snatch, carry off”).

So that is how the word “Rapture” came about, and Yes, it (the event) is in the Bible.

Jesus was crucified, was dead for 3 days, then rose from the dead and visited numerous people, it was reported that he had been seen (alive again) by a group of over 500 people over a series of days. (1 Corinthians 15:6) He then ascended, was “carried up” while he was giving a blessing to his disciples. (Luke 24: 50-51), (Mark 16:19) (Acts 1:9) In a similar way believers will ascend. Enoch was also believed to have experienced this, maybe that’s why Paul refers to Jesus as the “first fruits” (plural) because Enoch also went this way; and fruit, seeds, growing, and harvesting is a commonly used symbol used throughout the bible.

Secondly, where is “The Rapture” of believers mentioned in the Bible?

BABY CHRISTIAN. Before I read and began studying the Bible, I never heard of “the Rapture”, yet I called myself a Christian. I was a little shocked at what I found in the Bible: so many things I never heard about, nor remember being taught. Not knowing much of what is the Bible, besides the “famous” Bible stories of Noah’s Ark, The “edited” 10 Commandments, Miracles, The Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and I was raised “Christian.” What I realized is that I was “a baby Christian“- at least that’s what I call it now! I didn’t understand what a true Christian/Believer meant or entailed. But I think this is very common, Paul refers to it in the Bible! I believed in Jesus and I knew I was supposed to “be good” and I hoped in the end, God would decide that I lived my life “good enough” to make it to Heaven. I now know those beliefs are not correct, according to the Bible: we can know right now if we WILL or we won’t be in eternity with God: it is a simply a heartfelt DECISION (decide to love God, prioritize Him, ask Him to guide your life, give your “control” to Him/surrender, willingly accept His commands with the intent to abide by His commands) we choose and by the grace of God, a “gift” made possible by Jesus’s death and resurrection, we are offered eternity, because God loves us that much! A huge amount of anxiety goes away when a person finally comprehends this! We can be “saved” while we are still broken, imperfect people, working towards improvement, if we simply choose God, prioritize God in our life, believe the information found in the Gospels about Jesus.

Places that mention “the Rapture” (being taken, caught up)

  • Matthew 24: It’s important to read and pay attention to every statement in this chapter in regards to the timing of the rapture. It tells us “one will be taken and the other left” when Jesus returns. I believe Jesus will take the one who prepared and leave the one who is not prepared, as the wrath will occur next. Also in Revelation 14, One like the Son of Man (Jesus) gathering his people, the “good grapes” (the earth was harvested) and then leaving the remainder for the angels with the sickle. Logically thinking when a harvest occurs, the good is gathered and the rest is left to perish, right?
  • 1 Corinthians 15: especially verses 23 and 52, this is when the resurrection occurs for those “who belong to Him” meaning those who have surrendered/given/chose to give their life to Him
  • 1 Thessalonians 4: this tells us those who have died (as Believers) will rise first, then those true believers who are still alive will be “caught up to “Jesus in the clouds when he returns (the Second Coming)- I think this happens to protect the true believers during the Wrath of God. This is very interesting because this could be something we experience!

What are the various beliefs about when it happens and why do people believe what they do? Here is an excellent resource (link) for detailed thoughts and opinions about this question: www.gotquestions.org

Are the Rapture and the return of Jesus are the Same Event? To be honest, this is my thought/opinion. I have a different view from the Got Questions link: I believe the second coming and the rapture ARE the same event after reading the bible, I don’t think the rapture is kept “secret,” because it is revealed in the Bible, for any of us who read it. It is only “a secret” for the people who don’t read the Bible, they will not know about this, that’s where the “secret” is. There are many “secrets” about the universe that only those who read scripture learn. After reading the Bible, my opinion is that Believers will go through Tribulation, but will not go through God’s Wrath, I believe the rapture is the first resurrection described in Revelation. (Revelation 20: 4-6) and because in Daniel 7:21-22: The “saints” are being persecuted by the AntiChrist (described as the “horn”) so how could the saints be persecuted if they were already raptured? In Daniel 7:25 the saints/holy people are persecuted for 3.5 years (a time, times and half a time)- just prior to Jesus’ return. Revelation 13:7-8 this says that the saints will be at war with the beast that was “given authority” through the power of Satan, the ruler of the air- the saints are those whose names are written in the book of life.

Defining Saint. It’s probably important to define the word “saint” because I understood through the religion I grew up with there was a special process that had to be done to determine if someone was a saint and there were miracles involved typically, but today, I believe differently, yes those are definitely saints but so are more people than those who were involved with miracles, there is much to study in the original scripture to arrive at this conclusion: (link here) from this, I believe that “saints” or “holy people” are all those who have surrendered their life to God; those who have God’s spirit residing in them as a result of surrendering their life to God. As Jesus once said, “only God is good” meaning we are all sinners, there is not one person who is “good” naturally, it is a choice that someone makes; therefore all people have the ability to be a “saint” or “holy”. It is a choice and when a person chooses to live their life according to God’s commands, God sends his spirit to help that person (God’s spirit resides within a person), therefore they are a “saint”. Revelation 7:13 also seems to explain this: those who have washed their robes (ie. symbolically made themselves “clean/holy” by changing their natural ways, deciding to live by God’s commands).

Defining Tribulation. As I mentioned, my opinion is Believers will go through Tribulation, but not Wrath. So what is the Tribulation? Everything that happens before Jesus returns (Matthew 24: 29-30) John 16: 33: Jesus warned everyone that in this world we will face trials, trouble, etc. known as tribulation (but it is temporary). Tribulation is the persecution, trouble, affliction caused by evil people/Satan, not punishment from God prior to Jesus’ return. The Great Tribulation is the final test of faith that God allows to happen, just like he allowed a test of faith with Job, just like he allowed with Abraham and Issac, just like he did with Noah and the flood, just like he did with Moses coming out of Egypt and the manna. Why should we think we will avoid all tests when some of the most faithful in the Bible were tested? We need to be prepared. If we are certain that we will avoid the Tribulation, then what happens if we see these things occurring? Will we doubt God’s promise? Will we think we are not in the Book of Life? Will we loose faith? No, we shouldn’t. We should keep this possibility in the back of our mind (or in the forefront ideally), we could very well be here during the Tribulation, but remember it is only a test of our faith; it is not punishment from God. We just need to endure it, persevere, don’t loose faith, because Jesus forewarned us about this.

Defining Wrath. As I mentioned, my opinion is Believers will go through Tribulation, but not Wrath. So what is the Wrath? Wrath is God’s punishment. Here is a link to wrath references. God is not going to punish His people (the people who have committed to Him; made Him a priority; agree to live by His commands, have His spirit residing in them)! God’s wrath is pretty intense. Here is a link, if you want to know about it.

In summary. The Bible is clear to me that the “Rapture” will occur. There are many differing opinions which I shared and explained my personal opinion too. Ultimately when it happens doesn’t matter as much as being prepared PRIOR to it happening. That means seek God, reconcile/make up with Him, don’t be an enemy of God, tell Him you choose to give Him the rest of your life, ask Him for the Holy Spirit to help you through the rest of your life, then you/we have nothing to worry about! The rest is in His very capable and powerful hands. We will be “fine”, and better than “fine”, once Jesus returns! After God’s wrath, it is going to be AWESOME. This is what God has planned: Revelation 21

Now is the time to prepare.

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Is Satan the embodiment of Sin?

I woke up with this concept on my mind: “Is Satan the embodiment of sin?” Please give this some thought, does this make sense to you?

Mornings tend to be the most spiritual time for me. Some mornings, I wake up with a strong thought about something and I have no idea why that thought popped into my mind. Sometimes it’s a dream, sometimes it’s a clarity about something, sometimes it’s a “message” that I feel compelled to share. Often when it is the “message” type, later in the day I will see the same message, sometimes even the exact same sequence of words being spoken by another Christian, and sometimes numerous Christians in the same day will say the same thing. When that happens, I can’t help but think there was more to it. It wasn’t just “my thought”, it was God using various people to pass on the message. I don’t know if God is giving me clarity here about Sin and Satan?

Let’s think about when “sin” entered the world. It happened in the biblical story of Adam and Eve when the serpent deceived Eve and she disobeyed, then caused Adam to disobey the only command God gave them. Pay attention to this too: God was walking (and you can trace this back to the Hebrew word: Halak in scripture) in the garden when He called for Adam. My conclusion is that God was present with Adam and Eve. This concept works whether you believe the story of Adam and Eve is figurative or literal. God was present with mankind on earth at that point in time, before sin entered, but then the Bible doesn’t seem to describe the same possible “physical” presence after that: God remains omnipresent though, it just seems “differently described” after that. It seems (my opinion) that if God is present and a sinful person comes into His presence, the “sinful” person will die: an example is when God told Moses to keep the people away or they would die at Mt. Sinai when he revealed the 10 Commandments to Moses. And interestingly, the 10 Commandments were placed in the Ark of the Covenant and God appointed a specific group of people, the Levites, to be the ones to carry the Ark. The arc was known to be “holy” and there were many rules about being in the presence of the Ark. In fact, there was a story of men transporting the Ark and one of the men reached out and touched the Ark to save it from falling (which would be a “kind” action), but he instantly died. If the man was sinful (and all people are naturally) and the Ark is holy, that would make sense, follow the logic, explaining why he died instantly. Yes the bible tells us God caused that to happen, but was it because of the law (Sin leads to death and the sinful will die in the presence of God or what God defines as “Holy”)? There were also stories of people who stole the Ark and then had calamities happen to them and at one point there was a passing back and forth of the Ark (you take it, “no, you take it”) that I recall from reading the Bible too. This logic seems to make sense to me.

As I was writing this, I had more clarity about “sacrificing.” I wrote about this before and have always struggled with God requiring a “sacrifice.” Why would He ever do that? Why would God allow people to kill animals in the sinner’s place? I really struggled with these questions. However, I just recalled there are many entries in the bible where God states: “I am not happy with your sacrifices! They are worthless!” But yet God told the people specifically what they had to do. Think about this logically: if sin leads to death, then death is a consequence of sin. We know God places a high value on people and doesn’t want people to perish so if God made the law that Sin becomes Death, then if a person sins, according to God’s law, the person must die, but God didn’t want that, but in accordance with His law, there had to be a death as a penalty for sin. Therefore a life must be sacrificed or given up, so God allowed animals as a substitute for people during the Old Testament time. Of course I would not question God about that sacrifice not being proper, knowing who He is, I just didn’t understand this, I couldn’t accept it, but I knew there had to be a reason for it, I just didn’t understand. But throughout the Bible it states that God’s word will remain. Now I think I am beginning to understand: God didn’t want ANY OF THIS! Remember one of the 10 Commandments God gave us: Do not murder. (Does this have a slightly different definition than kill?) The living sacrifice only came about because of Sin and the law was the penalty of Sin is death. There had to be a resolution, an end to the killing, an end to the sacrificing. But it couldn’t stop unless the law was fulfilled, so God (the only one more powerful than all) took personal action, through Jesus, who became the final sacrifice that ended it. Jesus was the sacrifice that no one else could be, no one else has the value of Jesus, was sinless, without blemish, only Jesus. The Son of God is the only one who is worthy to be the substitute for all the sacrifices, and to be the sacrifice for our sin, Jesus was the final sacrifice. We should be thankful, Jesus ended this horrible act.

Getting back to Satan being the embodiment of Sin. The Bible tells us the life we are experiencing is more than what most of us realize: it is a spiritual war happening. Satan, and his followers, rebelled against God and are fighting against God still today. You may ask: Why doesn’t God simply kill Satan then? If He is all powerful, why doesn’t He just take care of it now? My opinion, from what I understand from the bible is that God gives everyone a choice to love and obey Him, but God has a timeline for each and every one of us already determined: a time to be born and a time to have a physical death and that time in between is our opportunity to choose God or reject God. We have numbered opportunities (so don’t waste them). If God did that for us, wouldn’t it be possible for God to do that for Satan too? If God is Love, that conclusion/opinion makes sense.

Here is another opinion/thought about the Bible: maybe God knew how confusing and tough this spiritual war would be for all of mankind to comprehend and experience, so in His love for us, He spoke through the authors and gave us this information (the scripture), so we would know there is a good ending (God wins): don’t give up!

The Bible reveals the last thing that Jesus conquers in this spiritual battle is DEATH. The Sin that leads to death is blasphemy of the Spirit. (Blasphemy: the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.) All other sins can be forgiven by God, if a desired change in action occurs and one asks God for forgiveness, God is merciful and he forgives. Satan is cast into the lake of fire for eternity = Sin and Death are gone forever.

Think about this: God is Love. Satan is Sin. There is a spiritual battle happening and it is between God and Satan.

Sin separates us from God. Satan is sin. Satan wants to separate us from God; he seeks to kill and destroy. When we choose sin, we are allowing, permitting Satan spiritual access to our bodies, our mind, our being. Satan/Sin is powerful, appealing but deceiving, it’s manipulative, full of lies and people are influenced and drawn to it naturally (sin is an evil spiritual force). People are not more powerful than the spiritual beings, but God is. Who/whatever we give access to will influence and determine the outcome of our existence.

When we allow God access (by surrendering our life, or asking God to take over/guide our life) we then permit God spiritual access (through the Holy Spirit) to our bodies, our mind, our being.

God has always allowed “choice.” So what are you choosing?

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Loss.

Everyone deals with loss differently. This morning when I woke, I found out my smiling, happy, “funny smiling” little 1 year old nephew Sebastian went to be with God at 3:30 am. I was at a loss of words, we all were praying for a miracle leading up to this. I firmly believe in the possibility of miracles; they can happen through the power of God’s spirit, but what we don’t know is God’s will and plan and whether or not our request matches up with that. Yes, God works all things for the good of those He loves, but that doesn’t mean that our knowledge and understanding is as broad as God’s. He knows things we don’t, so this is where trust in God is necessary.

God grieves with us, death was not part of His original plan for us, but the evil one, Satan, changed that when sin entered into creation. But it won’t be like this forever. I didn’t understand until recently why God protected the tree of life in the garden of Eden after sin entered, but I finally do: God didn’t want those he loves to live with sin eternally. Life spans in the Old Testament were once incredibly long, but because of sin, God shortened life spans. This is another truth revealed by God in the Bible and it is a protection for those God loves; our time here is limited and those with shorter life spans are more protected by God.

The power, peace and strength that God extends to those “in Jesus” is amazing. I have so much love and respect for my brother Kevin and his wife Shay for the way they were strong, loving, faithful parents doing everything possible for Sebastian; there is no way they could have been as strong as they have been if they didn’t have the faith in Jesus they do. I pray they are comforted and that God continues to reveal His goodness going forward because this is not something we can prepare for, strength will be needed; please pray to Jesus with me for them! I also pray for sweet little MJ, Sebastian’s sister, she is such a happy, playful, sweet girl with a very grown up personality and ask that you pray for her too. Pray for the whole family.

Heaven isn’t the final destination, but during this time, Sebastian will have the greatest Dad of all (God) caring for him until God’s kingdom is brought to earth, then we (those who believe and follow Jesus’ way) will be living once again without pain, suffering, death in real living bodies, but glorified ones we can’t yet comprehend. This is not the end, this is a transition time: read more about this here.

This is the truth; all praise, honor and glory to God for ever and ever. Amen.

by Categories: Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, God, HAPPINESS, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPSTags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

When the Obvious Isn’t.

How many times have we had this happen: something that puzzled us becomes known and then we think: “Wow, I should have seen that!”? Often it happens when we consider another person’s thoughts, another person’s perspective, someone who notices something we didn’t initially, until that person points it out. This is how each of us can help each other. So many people throughout my life have unknowingly influenced me; they unknowingly contributed to my direction in life: some were positive influences and others were negative influences, but both influenced change in me. This is also a reminder to “be thankful in all circumstances.” when that influence contributes to a positive change, and even if the circumstance is negative. But sometimes the change was negative: a great reminder to be intentional with friendships.

Those are examples of “small details” in life, the bigger picture in life is something that I gradually became aware of, through other people who pointed out very obvious details that I’ve passed over so many times throughout my entire life:

There is a literal Kingdom that has been and is forming right in front of us; it’s a “right in front of your face” “secret” formation (only because we are “blind” to it), so subtle that many don’t see it!

Thinking about a “Kingdom” in a literal sense is not something a US citizen would necessarily embrace, and many others may not either because of the mistrust and corruption we see every day. But this literally is happening right now, but not by force as many historical Kingdoms have formed in the past; with this one, each of us is allowed and encouraged to decide if we choose to live in this Kingdom which is currently forming.

Something finally connected with me this morning, many people might know the words to this prayer, but many of us may have simply memorized it, not thinking about each and every word. Here is the prayer, the prayer Jesus gave by example of how to pray to God:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

This is what I see now, some of which I didn’t see before:

  1. Where is God? “in heaven“- a spiritual realm we can’t fully comprehend because we haven’t seen it, (click the links for supporting documentation).
  2. Hallowed: “greatly revered and honored”- God, and only God, is to be worshipped, nothing should be more important than God in our lives (the first 3 Commandments given by God, summarized here)
  3. your kingdom come: This is literal, I didn’t comprehend this until now! God’s Kingdom will be coming to us, to earth, a NEW earth with a NEW ruler (Jesus) pay attention to how many times Kingdom is referenced, Kingdom – of heaven, not only that but the bible references “heavens”, plural, not a single place where people will permanently be! There is a new literal place that is offered to those who accept God’s Kingdom and God’s commands/God’s Kingdom’s rules will live, a place so beautiful, so challenging to describe, so peaceful, without sickness or evil.
  4. your will be done: God’s plan will happen, but along the way people’s choices are allowed by God, but eventually His plan will prevail, Jesus was part of God’s plan, part of God’s plan from the very beginning, prophesized by Isaiah approximately 700 years before Jesus was born!
  5. on earth as it is in heaven -the Kingdom of heaven will be brought here, to earth, under Jesus as ruler (see prior links)
  6. Give us today our daily bread – if we seek God first, all that we need will be provided to us, Jesus said this.
  7. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors – Jesus explained how important it is for us to forgive others, it affects us if we don’t forgive.
  8. and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This is where we see that those who are still controlled by the devil, do not recognize Jesus; it is our choice to break from and abandon that (be born again) and with the help and power of the Holy Spirit given to those who obey and ask God for help in Jesus’ name, we can overcome that slavery to sin.

It’s pretty amazing how much is within this simple prayer and referenced in other teachings Jesus gave us and throughout the Bible! There are a couple of videos I recommend on this subject, if you, or someone you know prefers to watch rather than read ?

Video 1: The Kingdom of God -AOC Network

Video 2: Walking in the Spirit – AOC Network

Video 2: The Millennial Reign of Christ – Pastor Daniel Batarseh

This is something I certainly look forward to! I love to travel, so I think about the beautiful places I’ve experienced (like driving the Na Pali Highway in Oahu, HI), or other places I’ve only seen through photos….and God created all that, but He has plans for something even better than that, something new- now THAT is VERY exciting to think about!!

by Categories: Face Fear, FAITH, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVEL, USATags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment