Great Tribulation FEAR!

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Why is it called the “GREAT” tribulation? Revelation 3:10 refers to this time as the “hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” Jesus goes into detail in Matthew 24 and Luke chapter 21 which coincides with the book of Revelation and what the Old Testament prophets proclaimed, like Daniel for instance. The GREAT tribulation is “cut short” for a very good reason: “For those will be days of tribulation UNMATCHED from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and NEVER to be seen again. IF THE LORD HAD NOT SHORTENED those days, NOBODY would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom HE has chosen, HE has shortened them.” Mark 13:19-20

 

We all go through tribulations, it is part of our natural life because of the sin-nature in us, and the curse God put on the earth when Adam and Eve rebelled, and because of God allowing Satan to lie and deceived people who refuse the truth from God and reject the only way He provided for them to be saved and healed.

 

But there is one type of tribulation that is for faithful believers alone: the persecution of Christ Jesus. Jesus warned us that if they hated Him and tried to remove His presence, they will do the same to those who are His. But THANKFULLY God has control over HIS PRESENCE. God will always have His presence and witness on earth so that people can be saved, until that time is up for people to repent and be saved. Then comes GOD’S JUDGMENT!

 

Satan is called “the god of this world” for a reason, and it’s obvious when you look at all that has and still is happening on the earth that is so very EVIL. But, when it’s time for the father of lies, deception, destruction and eternal damnation, (Satan) to no longer be allowed to go up before God to accuse the Lord’s people – the devil and his cohorts will have full reign on earth to do what they want. Satan will have his ‘day in the sun’ personified, according to the Scripture – ONLY because the “power of the holy people has been removed from the earth” so that all that has been prophesied about the “the end time” will be completed. (Daniel 12:5-13)

 

God uses evil and rebellion for His own good purpose of drawing people to Himself so they can be liberated, healed and saved from God’s full on wrath to come upon earth. (Seals/Trumpets/Bowls of Revelation) Those who still refuse to repent and call on the Lord to save them – shake their fists at God, blaming Him, accusing Him, hating Him. They believe in Him but they love they love their sinful lives more. If they didn’t believe in God – then why would they blame, accuse and hate Him for what is happening to them? And, they choose to continue in lies and deception and forfeit God’s grace that could be theirs!

 

Why are people, even Christians, afraid to read the book of Revelation? They are afraid because of GREAT TRIBULATION coming. But the Spirit-filled body of Christ has promises from the Lord and we see these promise throughout the Word of God in both Old and New Testaments. God always delivered His people from the worst that was coming to spare them because they belong to Him. For example: Noah and his family saved through the flood, the Hebrew children slaves in Egypt protected from the last few plagues, and the upcoming Great Tribulation with the “escape” of the Bride of Christ. (Matthew 25:1-13 Parable of Ten Virgins, Luke 21:36, 1 Corinthians15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, Revelation 10:7)

 

“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.” Isaiah 57:1

 

Before we can return ‘with Him’ to the earth – we must return ‘to Him’ to where He is in Heaven. This is accomplished by either physical death or rapture (removal) of the Bride from the earth. (2 Corinthians 5:1-9)  When you understand the importance of being “prepared” for what is coming and who is coming, this is how you are BLESSED.

 

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are the those who hear it AND TAKE TO HEART what is written in it, because the TIME IS NEAR.” Revelation 1:3

 

Satan will do his best to keep you from reading anything (true from the Lord) about the end times. Satan wants all people, especially Christians, to be ignorant of what is coming that Jesus and His prophets have disclosed for our good. The fear you have about reading the book of Revelation comes from Satan. HELLO! That should clue you in that there IS A BLESSING in knowing what God wants you to know, hearing what God wants you to hear, and seeing what God wants you to see, understanding what you need to understand – about your future.

 

People are curious about the future, and most end up going to Satan’s servants, instead of God’s. They are misled by lies or half-truths which take them ‘unknowingly’ down the road that ends in eternal damnation. Satan’s ‘human’ servants have been seriously deceived in believing they are the chosen ones (of God) who have unique insight and power. There are NO ‘holy’ palm readers, horoscope predictors, sorcerers, covens, witches or warlocks. It’s all evil and in opposition to God.

 

What happens when you listen to false prophets and then “take to heart” what they teach and predict? Satan becomes your father! You are bound for Hell! You end up with Satan in the place God prepared for the devil and his angels! You can listen without taking what you hear – to heart. We are to judge all things by what God says in His Word, and by the Spirit’s conviction in our heart.

 

People joke about Hell being a place they are not afraid to go; that it’s somehow a place where all the ‘smart’ people will end up who think that following Jesus Christ is foolish and ignorant. They mock those who follow Jesus Christ, as if we are the ones who have been fooled and without common sense. They mock the Cross and make Jesus out to be a man like any man, an immoral man at that. These ‘unbelievers’ are all going to a place where they believe will reward their so-called superior knowledge that makes them their own god who has control over his/her future. Imagine that.

 

If God is our Creator, then it’s common sense to believe that God has control over everything, but God does NOT have control over our free-will. We are accountable for the choices we make, and for where we end up. If God is Creator, then it’s common sense to believe that God is the Judge of all Creation. AND, If God is both Creator and Judge, then it’s common sense that God sentences people to where they will spend eternity. And if that be true, then God has also prepared the eternal places for those who rebel and reject Him, and who obey and love Him.

 

We are made in the image of God, says God in His Word. We enter this world with that understanding and that’s why it is so very easy for children to believe in God and in His Son and in Heaven and in ETERNITY. The Bible teaches us that God has set eternity in the heart. Animals don’t have this, only mankind because God made man in His image.

 

You have to be ‘taught’ otherwise – to be trained to believe that there is no God, or that God is not who He says He is, or that you are not accountable to God for anything you do or don’t do.  For there to be ‘un’belief there first has to be the belief – which every child starts out life with.

 

Unbelief comes from Satan, and Satan believes in God! “The devil believes but he trembles with fear.” Satan knows his doom to eternal damnation, and he’s bent on taking as many as he can with him. Satan will work his damnedest to keep a ‘believer’ from knowing their authority in Christ over him and his demons, as well as our own sinful nature and the strong pull of the world. We are told in the Bible that “all things belong to us,” as Paul was taught by the Lord, and then taught the believers. We have power over Satan and his demons, and yet we hardly exert it. And yet, our awesome Lord does not hold it against us – knowing our weaknesses.

 

When the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him why He speaks to the people in parables, Jesus answered them: “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has – will be given more, and he will an ABUNDANCE. Whoever does NOT have – even what he has will be taken away from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, the do not hear or understand.’ In them Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and TURN, and I WOULD HEAL THEM.’”  Matthew 13:10-15

 

And He said to His followers: “But BLESSED are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” Matthew 13:16

 

What is the blessing we receive when reading and taking to heart the book of Revelation? We are ready for the Lord and prepared for what is coming so that we are NOT afraid but in position to be used by the Lord, and then ready to see Him “face to face” welcomed into His Kingdom – as we have hoped and longed for.

Worldly Infants in Christ

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Apostle Paul speaking to the leaders of the church: “I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still NOT READY. You are still worldly.” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

 

Wow, is the Holy Spirit telling church leaders today that they are still infants in Christ because they are worldly? I believe so. Read Revelation 2 and 3 in the Lord’s letters to His churches! The great majority is still worldly. And what does that mean to be worldly as a believer?

 

Paul goes on to answer that question. He points out how they are not really following Jesus Christ when in reality they are following influential men whom they admire, or whom they fear for whatever reason, and wanting to be accepted by someone more important to them than Jesus Christ.

 

Jealousy was causing them to argue and quarrel over who to listen to about serious issues of their day, and over what God says in His Word about sin; leaders wanting the people to prefer THEM over others because of what they think they know.

 

“Are you not acting like mere humans when you say, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos’?” What about today? Whose voices and teachings are God’s people following? Dr. Fauci? President Trump? CNN? FOX? Your Pastor? Your psychiatrist? Whose wisdom and teaching is most important for your life and for the tribulations of our day?

 

It amazes me to hear from Christian women that they don’t meet with the Lord first thing in the morning reading His Word and fellowshipping with Him in prayer. They listen to everyone else on subjects that concern them, but for some reason they don’t see the greatest need they have: to be in fellowship with the Lord first and foremost.

 

“God is faithful, who has called YOU INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.” 1 Corinthians: 1:9

 

I truly believe that our Father God is using this plague among other disasters and crisis in our lives to draw us into true fellowship with our Savior Jesus Christ, with no other ‘fellowship’ taking HIS PLACE. As evil intensifies rapidly in our world, with the increasing hostility towards Christianity and the Bible, with all the nations becoming angry with rage over all the natural disasters increasing and with continual threats of chemical warfare – WHO SHOULD WE BE FOLLOWING AND HEARING FROM? Those who have college degrees? Those who are called “professionals.” Those with powerful positions? Those who mean well but have no real solutions?  Those who preach about how you can feel better about yourself? Those who think the answer is in medicine?  Who?

 

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate,” says the Lord.

 

“The foolishness of God if wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (As if God could ever be foolish or weak! NOT!)

 

“Is Christ divided? Were you baptized in the name of Paul (or your pastor or priest, religions.)?”  When Paul asked this – we can ask it as well in our day. Why is the body of Christ divided about spiritual things and even about politics?

 

“’Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” What does our Lord, who is the SPIRIT – have to say today?

 

So, what mind should we as Christ’s followers have today or any day coming – going through various tribulations rapidly intensifying as His Day approaches, as He warns of in His Word? What is the faith we need that protects us from fear and compromise?

 

Where does our ‘unity of Christ’s mind’ come from? It comes from the Word and Spirit of God. How will you know if you are being lied to if you are not in the Word of God each day being taught by the Spirit of God? You won’t know you are being lied to.

 

When you have the truth of God’s Word ‘secured in you,’ you will be able to discern and judge all things. Paul says it this way, “All things belong to you.”

 

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that TEMPLE.”

 

(All these passages have come from 1 Corinthians chapters 1-3)

 

What do we have to fear – but fear itself.  God is the only one rightly to be feared (worshipped) since He holds the keys to LIFE and DEATH, and to ETERNITY with Him.

 

We walk by faith in the promises and teachings of Christ our Savior/Lord/King. Fear of man, of plagues, of natural disasters, of wars, of rejection by the world (persecution), fear of those in power with the systems of the world – is all worldly.

 

Faith is freedom; the freedom to love and forgive, our freedom to call and depend on the Lord for His good will in our lives, the freedom allowed by faith in God’s Word – to rise above all the cares and threats of this world, to endure the evils of our day patiently waiting for His return, to joyfully and freely share our testimony of Him no matter the cost, and to expect with full confidence – what the Lord said will come in time without delay.

 

“No one will be able to stand against those who stand with Me. So, I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:5-6, 9

 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

God’s Method

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

GOD’S METHOD HEBREWS 11: 8-19

 

Looking at Scripture we see a particular method that God uses to train us for His work.

 

The method might change depending on the person and circumstances, but the basic principles are the same.

 

We see this with Abraham:

  1. God gives us a vision in a general sense.
  2. Then comes testing and through it purifying.
  3. Further revelation of the vision when there is obedience.
  4. Often, we will go through a number of cycles of testing and revelation.

 

For example: Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

 

Here we see God calling Abraham and giving him a vision of a land that He will show Abraham, and with a promise that He will make Abraham into a great nation, and make Abraham’s name great. Then God adds the blessing and the curse. Quite a vision!

 

In Genesis 12:2 God told Abraham that He would show him the land, but only when he obeyed – God would give him the land. “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

 

While in the land the testing comes: Genesis 12:10 “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.”

 

We do not read that God told him to go to Egypt. Fear came into Abraham and perhaps he felt that he could not survive if he stayed in the land even with what God told him about blessing him.

 

We see the result in Abraham’s life in telling his wife, Sarah, to say that she is his sister instead of his wife in fear of being killed. Half-truths, lying and deception comes into Abraham’s life.

 

We see that there is no more revelation of the vision until Abraham comes back to the place of obedience. Genesis 13:3-4 “And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.”

 

When Abraham obeyed we see that there is further revelation: Genesis 13:14-15 “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: ‘Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are — northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.”

 

However, we see another test comes to Abraham when he is offered the spoils of Sodom. Genesis 14:21-23 “Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.’ But Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’”

 

We read in verse 22 that Abraham made a vow to the Lord,  that he would not take anything from the king of Sodom so that it could not be said that the king made Abraham rich.

 

We read that when Abraham left Egypt – the king “treated Abram well for her sake (Sarah’s). He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.” (Genesis 12:16) So,  when Abraham left Egypt “he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.” Genesis 12:14

 

So, we see that when the king of Sodom offered Abraham the spoils he had learned his lesson from his experience in Egypt.

 

After this testing we see again that God gives further revelation to Abraham. Genesis 15:1 “After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’” God shows Abraham the boundary of the land that He is giving:  “On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.’” Genesis 15:15

 

In Genesis 16 another test comes that involved Sarah and her maidservant, Hagar. God had said He would give Abraham and Sarah an heir. They were both in their old age. Year after year passed by and nothing was coming about. Would they believe God, or should they take things into their own hand?

 

Abraham listens to his wife and takes Hagar to bed, and Hagar bears a son for Abraham. The advice sounds plausible and sensible and was keeping up with the customs of that day, but it was not God’s will or plan, and we see the results of this today in the Middle East.

 

There is no further revelation from God until Abraham is almost 100 years old. In chapter 18 God reveals to Abraham and Sarah that in about a years’ time she would be giving birth to a son, the child of God’s promise.

 

Lastly, in Genesis 22 we see the greatest test coming to Abraham: the sacrifice of his son, the son of promise. Genesis 22:1-2 “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’”

 

What went through Abraham’s mind at that time one can only imagine, but he obeyed and, in that obedience, came the greatest revelation of all time: THE ROOT OF THE GOSPEL – GOD WILL SUPPLY!

 

They went to the region of Moriah. This is where the plague was stopped in King David’s time (2 Chronicles 3:1) and in New Testament time the region is the vicinity of Calvary where God’s Son, Jesus Christ, was crucified and died for the sins of the world.

 

Has God given you a vision? If so, testing times will come. So be obedient!

 

 

The Heart – Part 3

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

 

The importance of the heart and mind is seen here in this verse. The very issues of life proceed out of the heart and mind (thoughts).

 

The Old Testament word for ‘issues’ brings out the meaning of what ‘goes out or goes forth or proceeds from.’ What we see is that what resides in the heart, mind, are both virtues and vices. When Christ comes into our life, He does not patch up our natural virtues, but we become new creatures.

 

For example: Fears reside in our heart (mind). Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety (fear) in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”

 

When we face physical fear, we take in deep breaths, our blood runs faster, and we find physical fear subsiding. We find the same thing with the heart (mind); God puts a new concern in our hearts (mind): the “fear lest I grieve Him.”

 

We also find that anguish resides in our heart (mind). Psalms 102:4 “My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread.” This is referring to extreme pain or distress that comes upon us. It brings out the thought that what I suffer from proves where my heart (mind) is.

 

For example: What did Jesus suffer from? When we read the gospels, we see that He suffered our sin against the Father, the pride of man and man’s self-will against God. Do we feel as Jesus did? Or, do we find our heart (mind) stricken, withered because of our own mistakes or choices that we made, and continue to make?

 

We also find that when God gets our heart (mind) right that He brings us into the fellowship of HIS sufferings. Philippians 3:10 “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” To know Him is life eternal; we long for the resurrection of the body and we are willing to suffer the offense of the Cross and even martyrdom for the truth.

 

It is also in the heart (mind) that unity takes place. Acts 4:32 “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.” It is in the heart (mind) that God brings body, soul and spirit together; this is having a perfect heart (mind), not a divided heart (mind) or double heart (mind). The world, the flesh and the Devil can do the same thing.

 

We also find that joy resides in the heart (mind) as well. Reading through Scripture we find that the Bible does not talk about ‘happy’ Christians, because happiness depends upon our happenings. We live in a sad world. I have had the privilege of being able to travel and what I have seen in other countries does not bring about much happiness.

 

What I saw in East Pakistan when it was in the process of breaking off from West Pakistan and becoming Bangladesh – was not a happy occasion. The suffering of millions of refugees moving into West Bengal, India and the suffering that was there was not a happy occasion. Young university girls being herded into compounds and being systematically raped by soldiers until they were pregnant and seeing many of them committing suicide by hanging, first by the sari that they wore, and then when that was taken away they committed suicide by their beautiful long hair. Going to Dhaka (the Capital) and seeing the hair of these young ladies flung into the nearby trees by the soldiers – was not a happy scene. I could go on, but we get the picture. We live in a sad world.

 

However, unlike happiness, joy does not depend upon our circumstances. We should be able to face the stern issues of life because the fruit of the Spirit is joy, and in also knowing that God is sufficient for every problem that the devil can present.

 

We see this throughout the New Testament with the Apostles and what they faced. We also see this throughout church history. This is what the series on “Terror to Triumph” brought out as well, as we looked at the spread of the Kingdom of God from the beginning until now in the 21st century.

 

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  We need to fill our heart (mind) with the Word of God. Colossians 3:16 “Let the teaching concerning Christ remain as a rich treasure in your hearts (minds). In all wisdom teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and sing with grace in your hearts to God.” Weymouth

 

Terror to Triumph – Part 16

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

TERROR TO TRIUMPH

CHALLENGES OF THE 21 CENTURY continued

 

“Patience is the result of well centered strength; it takes the strength of Almighty God to keep a man patient.” (OS)

 

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalms 27:14

 

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalms 37:7

 

“For the director of music. Of David. A Psalm. ‘I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.’” Psalms 40:1

 

A virtue that is of great importance in our lives, but few of us seem to have it, is patience. Often by not waiting patiently for the Lord we have the capability of hindering the Lord, not helping the work of God. We can either move too slow, lagging behind the Lord, or too fast, running ahead of the Lord. Either way we hinder the Lord. A key word in all of this is “faith.” Do we really believe all that God says in His Word? “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (Psalms 130:5) The Lord has given us a number of examples in Scripture to show us what he means.

 

In Genesis 16 we see the situation with Hagar and Ishmael. God had told Abraham that out of his body would come a son that would be heir to all that he has. However, time went on until it was, humanly speaking, impossible for Sarah to bear a child. Sarah came to Abraham and gave her handmaiden to Abraham to have a child with. This was an accepted custom in those days. Abraham does so, and the result was Ishmael. As soon as he was born there was confusion in Abraham’s camp and there still is. At the right time God gave Sarah the opportunity to conceive and bear a child and Isaac was born. It was through Isaac that the Abrahamic blessing would move. Sarah moved Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Ishmael became a mighty nation as well, and even today we see the problems of this situation in the Middle East. Here is a situation where it would have been good for Sarah and Abraham to have waited patiently for the Lord.

 

In Genesis 25-27 we see the situation with Jacob and Esau. The LORD said to their mother, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

 

The older will serve the younger. This is what God said. “When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, ‘My son.’ ‘Here I am,’” he answered. (Genesis 27:1) Here we see Isaac getting ready to bless Esau. However we read that Rebekah hears about what Isaac is ready to do. “Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau.” (Genesis 27:5) She gets a hold of Jacob to share what is taking place and to hatch out a plan on how to help God out of this predicament. What was the result of all of this? Esau, rightly so, felt that Jacob had deceived him. “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” (Genesis 27:35) Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” (Genesis 27:41) Jacob fled into his mother’s country and for a number of years did not have contact with his own people. Jacob found some of the same duplicity being played upon him when he goes to Laban to take a wife.

 

Another example of patiently waiting is David. David had been anointed as king by the prophet Samuel. Yet instead of being king he was fleeing for his life. Saul was relentless in trying to kill him. Instead of sitting on a throne, David was sitting on a rock in cave. It seemed that what the Lord said was not going to work out. We read in 1 Samuel 27:1 that David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” Here we see David’s lapse of faith. David escapes to a city called Ziglag. Ziglag was a border town. It is a place of ‘compromise.’  David leads his six hundred valiant men into this place of compromise. I believe it had an effect not only upon him, but also upon his men.

 

What is the Lord trying to do in our lives? He wants to build character in us. A part of character that we need is patience and faith. God wants a pure faith in our lives. This is more important in the eyes of God than gold or silver. We must learn the lesson of waiting upon the Lord. First, we let Him speak and then secondly, we must learn to wait until He tells us to move.

 

It is my hope and prayer that you have been encouraged to not give up no matter what your failures are, and no matter what you see happening in the world around you. In writing this series the one thing that comes out to me is that the person that God uses is a man/woman of character. We are born with a personality, but character is something that is developed as we respond to the challenges that come our way daily.

 

I believe that Alfred the Great, whom I quote a lot, was right when he said, “Give me men/women that can fight, build and pray, and I will go out and build Western civilization.” God is building His Kingdom out of men and women with Christ-like character that will finish what God has given them to do, no matter what.

 

Will you be able to say what the Apostle Paul said at the end of his life? “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8

 

Isaiah 64:4 “The ear has not had news of, nor the eye seen, what God has working for the man who is waiting for him. (BBE)

 

Remember that everything works out beautifully in Gods perfect time.

 

FEAR Pandemic

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

THE ONLY WAY “WE WILL GET THOURGH THIS TOGETHER,” which is the constant cliché, is to have the real truth out about it. Doctors with common sense and medical facts are saying that those who are “sun-starved are at most risk of catching the virus.” This means that those who are healthy do NOT need to stay inside, and then when outside in the fresh air – they do NOT need to wear a mask because you do not breathe in pure oxygen that your lungs need. Masks are for when you go inside to shop where you are around people.

 

VITAMIN D, which is what we get from the sun – protects against infectious viruses and protects against respiratory infections. A vitamin D supplement can help a little, but it’s the SUNSHINE that is most important to stop the spread of any virus. People who are healthy need to be outside in the sun and heat (which viruses hate), and out getting fresh oxygen for their lungs – to protect them from being infected. Those who ARE SICK with a virus need to stay home and recover.

 

Your food diet is not enough, you need direct sunlight every day. Vitamin C is also necessary to build the immune system. But doctors are finding out that Vitamin D is most important. This vitamin is found in high amounts in salmon and sturgeon, other fish also, but not as high. Also, ‘evaporated’ milk (in cans) has a high amount of Vitamin D, much higher than milk because it is condensed. (Not to be confused with “condensed milk” which is full of sugar and thick.) You can use canned evaporated milk on cereal and in coffee. I use fat free evaporated milk so it’s not so fattening.

 

As a healthy person, being enclosed afraid to go out, is the worst thing you can do. Also, wearing a mask when you do not need to – being outside getting exercise in the sun – is the worst thing you can do.

 

I notice people when I go out, and I’m wondering why are people wearing masks as they drive their car? FEAR! Why are people wearing masks as they do their walks outside? FEAR! Why are people wearing masks when they are with the ones they live with day by day? FEAR! It does not make a bit of sense!

 

The further we go with this FEAR and doing the things we should NOT do, will only allow the virus to spread. This pandemic has become more about FEAR than public health. People are slowly understanding this and uniting to protest their state governor’s over-reach into their lives.

 

Governors are telling us what exercises and activities we are ‘allowed’ to do; telling us where outside we can go and not go; what entertainment we can have; what bodies of water we’re allowed to get into, and what we can do in the water, and with which vessels, etc. etc. etc. People are just plain FED UP WITH IT ALL!  And yet, we keep hearing from those who consider themselves knowledgeable – that we need to be a little more patient? We’re to be patient while they continually extend the shut-in to homes and the shut-down of businesses. We’re to be patient while they keep telling us to do what we shouldn’t do. We’re to be patient while we lose our livelihood and businesses. This is all going against our God-given rights.

 

Here’s an example of just how ridiculous their solutions are: How can basketball players be told by their governors (which a governor has) that they are not allowed to shake hands or touch each other after a game, when during the whole game they have ALL touched the same ball over a hundred times, and with sweaty hands, and with sweaty bodies banging in to each other during the whole game?! This is just one irresponsible example of governors making up the rules and expecting us all to just grin and DO IT!

 

This FEAR people are ‘unnecessarily’ filled with has, and is, changing mindsets. “I’m never going THERE again!” “I’ll never do THAT again!” A little cough will send them spiraling down to their grave! A drippy nose will make them think they need to go to the ER!

 

Things we used to do and touch – now people will NEVER do or touch again. Why should anyone who is fearful go back to doing what they did before just because the BAN gets lifted? And what about how this has turned people against each other out of self-centered FEAR! Children are also being trained to think fearfully all the time.

 

This FEAR has changed people with their: habits, social involvement, beliefs, lifestyles, etc.  It has created so much CHAOS because of doctors having opposite opinions and solutions.  Some doctors have continually stated that even if you don’t have any symptoms – you could still have the virus. Everyone carries viruses! Your pets do too! When you get vaccinated for a virus – the virus is put in you! All the various vaccines we are told and expected to get today – is not good for our bodies at all, so say those doctors with regard for the truth and “public health.”

 

WE DON’T HAVE A VIRUS-PANDEMIC, WE HAVE A FEAR-PANDEMIC! It became a world-wide pandemic simply because of what China did, messing with viruses in their lab (probably to use against other nations) and then allowing their infected people to travel to other nations. The fact that this had become a “worldwide” plague – adds to the FEAR so that it became a virus worse than it really is.

 

And we know who wants nothing more than to make all things bad in order to fault Donald Trump and make him responsible for not doing what ‘they say’ he should’ve done.

 

Deuteronomy 28 (in God’s Word) teaches about the Lord God bringing on a people/state/nation/world various diseases/plagues/wars/famine/pestilence – because their leaders have rebelled against God in how we are to live on the earth.

 

What is the CURE for fear? FAITH/TRUST/HOPE in what God our Creator says we should do or not do; what our bodies need to be healthy.  Then, doing ‘your own’ research on it, and deciding what is true or false, which I am doing and sharing – whether you believe it or not.

 

We have a political media with their politicians dictating what and who we should be afraid of, and what we should be doing and not doing, but the media has an objective (intent/aim/purpose) in why they try so hard to influence the public. You can be sure that whatever is suggested by the media and commanded by our governors – that incites ‘public fear,’ that is a fear that goes beyond a necessary common caution……is not to be trusted at all.

The Heart – Part 2

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

THE HEART continued…

 

Deuteronomy 12:20 “When the Lord your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires.”

 

“Enlarge your border” is a promise to the Children of Israel in regard to the land and I believe a promise to us regarding the heart (mind).

 

The children of Israel had to come in and take over the land and conquer the enemies, so it is with us regarding the heart (mind). We too need to drive out enemies.

 

How do we do this? I believe the Children of Israel in taking over the Promise Land, gives us an example to follow.

 

Joshua 2:1 “Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.”

 

These two spies were to spy out the land and get to know the land; find out what they were up against and what they had to do to overcome. Getting to know the land, the enemy, fortress, etc. is half of the battle.

 

We read in Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart (mind); try me, and know my anxieties (thought, mind, opinion); and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

 

God will reveal: “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” Psalm 19:12

 

Just like the two spies that went ahead of Joshua and the rest of the Children of Israel to spy out the land in order to see where the vulnerable parts were, so it with us; where are we are weak and vulnerable and need fortifying.

 

Are we weak in patience? Then we need to strengthen that quality. God has His ways of not only revealing to us our weaknesses, but ways to strengthen us in areas. When my wife had her aneurysm, I found that I had to do things I never had patience for. The question would be is: How do I respond to what the Lord is allowing in my life? Do I rebel? Submit? Or, do I perceive that the Lord is teaching me something that I desperately need in my life to make me a better vessel for the Lord’s use?

 

We see this in other areas as well, like love. Often God will put us around what seems to us like unloving people in order to strengthen what is lacking in our lives.

 

What about faith? We know from what the Bible tells us – that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that our faith is more precious than gold. God will work out our circumstances to increase our faith. But what is our response? Do we complain about our circumstance? Do we question the goodness of God in allowing these things to come upon us? Or do we perceive what God is doing and learn the lesson that He is trying to teach us?

 

What do we have? We have the Word of God as well as the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (thoughts, feelings, mind).”

 

Often through messages and verses that we read, God has spoken to us and shown us our short-comings, and the way to go. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

Some time back a survey was taken to try and find out why so many pastors were leaving the pastorate. One of the reasons why was because of biblical illiteracy. They did not know the Word of God as they should. We need to take heed to not only read Scripture, but obey God’s Word.

 

We learn that the Holy Spirit will teach us: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”  John 14:26

 

However sometimes we do not fully understand some of the ways that the Holy Spirit teaches us. For example, we are blind to our own sins or secret ways. “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” Psalm 19:12

 

So, what does God do? He brings our paths to cross with someone who we find exceedingly difficult and we find ourselves criticizing that person. God often uses others as a mirror for us to see ourselves. He is showing us our own secret error or blind spot; reflecting our own short coming and that is why we react as we do. Criticism brings out the ‘real’ me.

 

The spies went in to view the land. We also need to view the land to see what we have in Christ. “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:17-23

 

When we are overwhelmed with problems it is because Jesus is too small by our own thinking. Our heart (mind) needs to expand in the knowledge of who Christ is and our position in Him. Remember our mind controls our brain and our brain controls our body. MIGHT WE SEE AN EXPANSION OF OUR HEART (MIND).

 

How often we have prayed the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested.”

 

There is no way that our territory can be expanded unless we also see the enlargement of the heart, or mind.

 

The Heart

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

THE HEART – PROVERBS 4:20-27

 

In these next few letters, I want to concentrate on what the Bible calls THE HEART.

 

Since my wife’s brain aneurysm and consequent stroke, I have been doing some study about the brain and heart, and looking at it from a biblical point of view.

 

Another definition for the heart is the word ‘mind.’ Often ‘soul’ and ‘spirit’ as well as heart can be translated as the mind. The mind is not part of the brain, but it controls the brain and the brain controls the body. The tree is often an outward expression of what the root is like. This is the same with the brain and mind. Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

 

A man who makes the head the center – will become an intellectual,  but will not estimate things at all from the biblical view. For example, sin for the intellectual is a mere defect in which to over-look or grow out of.

 

Regarding the heart or mind, there are several things we can take under consideration.

 

THE POWER TO TURN FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER RESIDES IN THE HEART (MIND)

 

We can turn from deep anguish to deep joy in the midst of a trial.

 

“My soul (mind) is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon — from Mount Mizar.” Psalm 42:6

 

In other words, if circumstances are trying now then we remember when they were not.

 

We turn from deep anguish to joy through the process of remembering and memory resides in the heart (mind).  Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

 

Acts 7:23 “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart(mind) to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.”

 

1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart(mind) of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 

Our brain is a physical thing and will recall what the mind (heart) remembers. Memory is a spiritual thing. We read in Luke 16:25 “But Abraham said, ‘son remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.’”

 

The problem that we face is not the memory but the recalling, and this depends upon the state of the physical brain. Paul went on and said in Philippians 3:13 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”

 

We know from 1 Timothy 1:13 that Paul never forgot what he had been, and we too will remember our past life, but, like Paul, also remember God’s mercy. 1 Timothy 1:13-14 “Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”

 

PERCEPTION LIES IN THE HEART (MIND)

 

Deuteronomy 29:4 “Yet the Lord has not given you a heart (mind) to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.”

 

Proverbs 14:10 “The heart (mind) knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy.”

 

What this means is that the ability to discern what I see, hear and read resides in my mind (heart). The more my mind is stayed on the WORD OF GOD the greater we can discern correctly what is happening around us.

 

We need to be able to discern the arm of the Lord working on our behalf. Jesus said that He saw His Father working so He did likewise. What do we see or discern the Father doing in our midst, family, community, city, town, village or nation?

 

In John 12:28-29 Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to Him.’”

 

In Acts 9:5-7 “’Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.”

 

God is speaking, but are we able to hear and discern what He is saying and doing in the world. What is He saying about the pandemic that we are now in, or the suffering that we go through, tribulations that we encounter, etc. It is important that we discern what God is doing and we discern through the heart (mind). How we need to be saturated with the Word of God.

 

FOR RIGHT ESTIMATION THE POWER RESIDES IN THE MIND (HEART)

 

Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart (mind) plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

 

In other words, we need to be able to reckon the value of what we have, or of life itself. We need God’s estimation. We read 2 Corinthians 4:18 “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 

What do we see? My wife, because of her stroke, has lost some of her attributes that she had before. She looked into the mirror and what she saw was a shell of herself. I shared with her that what she was looking at was temporary and we need to see what is eternal. Looking in the mirror again she saw a young lady, with a new body and with far greater capacity than she had before.

 

Like I said, we need God’s estimation; we need to see that which is invisible but is eternal. This ability resides in the mind (heart).

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

The gifts Christ gave to the church is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the body of Christ, so that they will no longer be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching; they will not be influenced by people of this world (media, and politicians) who try to trick them with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, the body of Christ must speak the truth in love, and let everything they say be good and helpful, so that our words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Is the church confused today? Are the words spoken – encouraging? Is the church believing the lies told to us today by the media and our politicians? Remember, the Body of Christ has more gifts than just those of pastors and teachers.

When we asked Jesus into our hearts He gave each one of us a gift, and all of the gifts are needed to build up the body of Christ. When we say some gifts can’t be used, or say they are no longer for our day, we bring confusion to the body of Christ, and the church becomes weak, accepting the lies of the world as truth.

Terror to Triumph – Part 15

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY

 

I have been writing about the need for character. When we look at the business, political, educational as well as art world we see this need for character becoming more and more manifest.

 

A congressman yelled out, “You lie!” when the President of the United States was speaking to both houses. Now, that is not the right thing to do (we need more civility in our conversations with one another and this congressman apologized later to the White House), but it has been proven that there were several lies in what was being said.

 

I wrote about determination and I would like to mention a few more things about this. Besides men like Hudson Taylor, CT. Studd and women like Amy Carmichael being examples of men/women of determination, we also have in Scripture many examples of men with the same characteristic, men like Elijah and the first martyr of the church, Stephen. What are some of things that we can see from these examples to help us in building determination in our lives?

 

1. They were men and women who were filled with the Word of God. When Stephen was giving a message to the people who eventually stoned him, he quoted over 100 Scriptures verses from the Old Testament. He quoted from Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah and Amos.

 

We also see with Elijah that the ‘word of God came to him.” They were examples of what Paul was talking about when he said, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly..” Colossians 3:16

 

Bakht Singh, a great man of India, was a Sikh convert. Brother Bakht Singh preached throughout India and saw fellowships established all over. In the face of much difficulty and opposition he was a determined man. What was his secret? No secret. He was a man just like us, but he had a great love for the Word of God. In every sermon he would quote 100 or more Scripture verses. At his funeral hundreds of thousands turned out to pay honor to the passing of this man of God, a great man of India.

 

It is interesting to see that after the command of Colossians 3:16 we have the same list of things after the command of Ephesians 5:18, to “be filled with the Spirit.” There is a direct parallel between being filled with the Word and being filled with the Spirit.

 

2. We see from the passage of Romans 5:3-5 that God uses adversity to build in us the character that He wants.

 

We see this also with Elijah and Stephen. Their lives were filled with adversity. Eventually Stephen lost his life by stoning and Jezebel was constantly trying to kill Elijah. However, we see that adversity instead of stopping them made them stronger.

 

This is what we must understand as well. Adversity can make us strong. After coming out from spying on the Promise Land Joshua told the people of God not to listen to the ten spies that said they could not take the land. Joshua’s comment was: “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.” Numbers 14:8

 

“Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Numbers 14:9

 

Joshua’s comment was: They are food for us. This is what gives us our spiritual vitality. This is what can make us men and women of character; men and women of God; men and women of determination.

 

3. We also see that the Lord will test us. He will allow the testing to come in order to teach us trust. He will not allow any more than what we can bear although at times it might seem unbearable.

 

We see this in the life of Elijah. He was told to hide himself at the brook Kerith. There he could drink from the brook and God commanded the ravens to bring him food to eat.

 

Night after night when he laid down he could hear the water running in the brook. It must have been a reassuring sound to hear the water. However, he noticed that each night he laid down the sound was becoming less.

 

Eventually we read the brook dried up. Where was Elijah? He was still at the brook waiting upon the Lord. The Lord had not told him to leave. If we were in Elijah’s shoes or sandals most of us would probably be digging our own wells. Not Elijah. He was waiting upon God.

 

After the brook dried up God told him to go to a widow woman in Zarephath. And Zarephath was where Jezebel came from. God was sending him to Jezebel’s back yard. Here was a woman that was looking all over the world for this man and God sends him to her back yard. What a test, but Elijah goes. He was a man of determination.

 

4. Men of determination are men who are single-minded. Determined men are like the Apostle Paul who said: “This one thing that I do..” They are men of one objective and that objective is the “glory of God.” (Philippians 3:13-16)

 

When Elijah was fighting Baal worship, God’s glory was at stake. The people were leaving the worship of the One and Only God for something that was far less.

 

With Stephen we see that he was up against a corrupt priesthood. The priests were making money off of the people’s worship. What was the result of these men of determination? Elijah calls a nation back to God. The prophets of Baal are killed and Elijah is taken to heaven in a fiery chariot.

 

Stephen was stoned, but out of that stoning came a new advance of the Gospel. The gospel started to move into Samaria and later on into the uttermost parts of the world.

 

During the stoning there was a young man by the name of Saul who saw it all and it made an impact in his life. Through this young man the Gospel started moving into all the world. We all have been blessed by the letters that he wrote that are now part of the New Testament of the Word of God.

 

In the book of Isaiah there is a prophecy about the Lord Jesus Christ: “Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7) In the New Testament we read: “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51

 

Jesus Christ was determined to finish the work that the Father had given Him to do. “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) Later on the cross he cried out: “It is finished.” A way was made for sinful man to approach a Holy God.

 

Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

 

We too have a job to do, a course to run. Will we finish the race? Will we complete what the Lord has given us to do? If we are to finish, not just somehow, but triumphantly then we need to learn the quality of determination.