"Reserved...For You"

"And there will no longer be any night; and they do not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:5, NASB)

Well, the end of another quarter.  It is interesting that a version of the NIV entitles Revelation 22 as, "Eden Restored."  I wonder.  Will it really be "Eden Restored," or will "it" be something new, totally new?

Chapter 21 tells us, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away....And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold I am making all things new.'"  Regardless of the "accurate theology" here, I remember well what my Grandpa Barnette said just as he was passing from this life, "The other side is looking better." 

Grandpa Barnette was the only person I was ever with when someone passed from this life to "the next."  I pray that you and I will see what he saw if we leave this life before the Trumpet sounds.  The last two chapters of Revelation are full of wonderful promises for what is yet to come.  We hear so little today and there are so few books written about "the life to come."  I wonder if this is a reason Christendom is so full of depressed, hopeless people, attempting to get more out of this life than possible.  Is it because they have so little "knowledge" and/or anticipation of "the other side?"  So many "ministries" propagate the promises which they think are for this life, because so many don't want talk of the future, just talk of the now and the must-have-it-now "promises." 

I bring us back to the Book of Revelation.  "The best is yet to come," is what a popular song of long ago declared.  Of course it declared that the "best" would still be in this life; it will not.  The best to come is what 1 Peter 1 speaks of, "....reserved in Heaven for you."  I share it with you in context.  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."  There; that should do it.

Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me when I have attempted to get more from this life than You intended.  Amen."

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"....Who Understood The Times"

"After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman..., giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles....But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor....Having learned who Mordecai's people were, [Haman] scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai.  Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews...."  (Esther 3, NIV)

And so the legacy of Mordecai and Haman lives on, the conflict of the ages between the Kingdom of Darkness and, "the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ."  Mordecai: What a guy!

I sent an article to our Blog which reveals that 2016 was the worst year for Christian persecution in history, "mostly under Islam."  Again, this is a centuries old battle, and will continue until the Second Appearing of King Jesus.  This will not stop until then.

So then, someone may ask, What do we do?  Well, take a look at Mordecai, which means the enquirer will have to read the Book of Esther.  A read, however, worth every minute.  Abiding in Jesus, feeding consistently on/in His Words, prayer and worship, serving in every way we know how are essentials.  But Mordecai shows us that a little anointed cunning, a little observation of what is going on around us, not just in our immediate "worlds," but in our states and nations, can bring great victory for those of us, "who follow the Lamb wherever He goes."  Yes, the concept of "favor" is prevalent in the Book, but so too is discernment, wisdom, understanding, total surrender to the Living Triune God.

The American Government is showing more and more the futility of human reasoning.  It would do well for the Church, and those who follow Jesus in our governments, to realize that, "the gifts of the Spirit," are not just for charismatic meetings.  They are for you and me, members of the Church, wherever we live and work. 

Stay full of, "The Word of God," our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Words, and the Holy Spirit, praying much in the Holy Spirit in our spirits.  We then will be as the sons of Issachar (and Mordecai!), "who understood the times and knew what Israel ought to do."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I desperately need You and all You have for me.  Thank You for the full supply.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Bebopalula Religion

"They...read from the Book...and confessed...and worshiped." (Nehemiah 9)

Sometimes I wonder if our "bebopalula" approach to communion with/in the Godhead is as acceptable to our Lord as many act.  You may remember in the Book of Joshua that the people were warned about following the Ark too closely.  There seemed to be a sense of mystery and awe.  Maybe the phrase, "over familiar," applies here.  Now I know what the, "O, that's Old Testament," people think.  But they are wrong.  Jesus says, "I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.... Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  Is there a principle in our text which should govern our walk in Christ, our Church gatherings, our service in the Kingdom?

The order that day was, "They stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law...and confessed....Stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever!"  Bible reading, confession, worship; I wonder.  Could the "rush" to worship be a following of the Ark too closely?  Is there a "preparation" to "enter in" which, "The Word of God," teaches?  Hebrews 10:19 tells us that our, "confidence," our, "boldness to enter the Most Holy Place," is, "by the Blood of Jesus," nothing else.  I think I may be speaking of honor, respect, awe for the Living Triune God.  I know, "Abba," and, "become the children of God," but this is not a call to "buddy around" with our Lord.

I know the "duck" story is lighter and perhaps more heart-warming to some.  But I do not believe we can just do life any way we choose.  Too much of living is rooted in our cultures' philosophy of life rather than in Kingdom of Heaven theology.  So I share today again from Nehemiah 9 because it is still "working" in me, "And they stood up in their place and read from the Book...for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I call You, "Lord and Master, for so [You Are]."  Help me to act/live like it.  Amen.
******************************
* I know that since we have had to make our flight reservations so much earlier that there may be a tendency to think, "O, that's a long way off."  Perhaps, but we still ask for your prayers for our Mission in Berlin/Wittenberg, October 28-November 15.
* Sarah's Mom seems to be in a "holding pattern."  We are just thankful that she does not seem to be in pain or discomfort.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

The "Order Of Service"

"They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.  They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and another quarter in confession and in worshipping the Lord God....And the Levites...said, 'Stand up and praise the Lord our God Who is from everlasting to everlasting.'"  (Nehemiah 9:3, NIV)

I read this the other day and took particular note of "the order of service."  I wondered if there is a pattern here which we would do well to keep in the Church and our daily "walk," viz., "They...confessed their sins," followed by, "....read from the Book...," followed by, "Stand up and praise the Lord our God...."  I like it.

You know what?  Uncharacteristically, I have nothing more to add.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I surrender my life anew today to the precedence of Your Words over mine.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

When I Don't Read The Bible I Have To Make Idols

"The idols of the nations are....the work of human hands....Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them."  (Psalm 135:18, ESV)

Whatever idols I create, whatever idols I erect in my life, whatever and whomever I trust, I, "....become like them." 

I realized that I was an "idolator" 47 years ago because I spent very little time reading the Bible.  I greatly affirmed the tenets of the faith, but my daily trust was not the, God-Breathed," Words, but myself.  When people do not read the Bible, their lives become, "the idols of the nations.., the work of human hands...."  There is just no other possibility or result.  I might suggest that the following become a part of "Four Spiritual Laws" thinking.  "Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words and does them..., is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred (and it will), the river burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built"-------- not, "Well talked."  Talk is just, "the work of human hands."  I need, "The Rock."  This reality, which is the root of my testimony, has never been, nor ever will be a condemnation.  It has been always and ever shall be an attempt to affirm, "the Word to which [I] bear witness," and in Which/Whom I desperately trust and depend, while praying that I can encourage you in the same life's pursuit.

Too much "theology" today is formed by the big names in Christendom; much of it is just erroneous.  Yet so many, especially in the "Charismatic" circles, just go on parroting the statements and ideas of others because they are not of those, "....who dug and went deep and laid a foundation of the Rock."  When I build my life upon me and my ideas, I am like, "Those who make.., become like.., trust in...," idols.  There is, then, no other result but to, "....become like them."  The call of the Holy Spirit today is for the Church to get it's Theology from the Bible and not from, well, you fill in the blank.  If I think rightly, I have a much greater chance of acting rightly than if I think wrongly.  Away with, "The idols of the nations...." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I have at times seen too much of, "....like them...," in me.  I so want more, "like You."  Amen.       

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2