"Are you still sleeping, resting"

When we see what is going on in our world today, it is sad and disheartening. Wickedness seems to rule the day. Criminals have more rights than victims, what is good is considered evil, and evil is good. Morality, mercy, forgiveness, compatibility and peace seem to be just words we read about, not actions we live by.

I think back to when Jesus was betrayed , in the garden where He prayed , He asked Peter, John and James to stand watch while He prayed but they fell asleep 3 times Jesus woke them, 3 times He chastised them for falling asleep. The same things must have been happening then as now, chaos seemed to rule the day.

But like Peter, James and John the church is falling asleep while the world is being taken over by evil, God told His people if they would humble themselves and pray He would heal their lands and restore them.

We have had two great awakenings in America, when God's people where woke up, Jesus is calling now " are you still sleeping and resting, look the betrayer is near"

Will you wake and stand up, and warn the world that the betrayer is here, and give them the hope of redemption and salvation found only Jesus Christ, He alone can deliver us from evil, we must wake up, humble ourselves to Him and pray.

Matthew 26:36-46 HCSB

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,   and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.   Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow   — to the point of death.    Remain here and stay awake with Me.”   

Going a little farther,  He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” 

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you    stay awake with Me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this    cannot pass    unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 

  And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?   

Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.   Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”

God still dwells amongst His children

The Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence among his people, and His pure holiness. Though the actual ark is lost , today sadly we have lost what it represented as well.

We have lost the sense of God's holy presence among His people. Nothing is sacred anymore. Sexual immortality, and a culture of death rule our airways for ratings, ordinary people, politicians and celebrities mock God openly by words and deeds. We have lost almost all reverence of God that is critical to our very survival.

God dwells within His children, we are to have the same respect and awe of God as Israel had for the Ark of the Covenant, but like Israel we have almost lost it,we need to bring back the awe of God to our land, to recover our sense of the sacred.

We must repent, confessing our sin to the living God who makes ethical requirements of us. When we return to Him with our whole heart, acknowledging His authority over us.

Then we must remove the foreign gods from among us. That's right. "Little-g" deities like the god of comfort, the god of beauty, the god of gain and ease and activity all of these must go if the awe of God is to return. Then we are to serve God only, and God alone. He is not to be just a part of our lives, but our entire lives, He is to be involved in every endeavor, every relationship, every dream and desire.

Romans 14:7-9, 11-12 HCSB For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living. For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Return to the Battlefield

Out upon the flowing battlefields of Gettysburg's  there is a monument in memory of a brave color bearer who was isolated from his company during the heat of the battle. The company retreated, but the boy remained, proudly holding up the flag. The commanding officer sent a messenger to him saying, "Bring the colors back to the regiment." The boy's classic reply was, "No, bring the regiment back to the colors."

The Prophet Habakkuk summoned the Nation of Israel back through prayer. This prayer was "on Shigionoth" or "with great excitement and sincerity." Israel had lost the fervor of revival, so he prayed that God would restore their vision.

Our Nation today needs men and women like Habakkuk: to call upon God to restore vision to His people that we would focus on the message of the cross and our coming King. Far too many churches have retreated from the battle and are now cruise ships instead of battleships,they no longer prick at the souls of man, rather they tickle his ears. Let us pick up the banner, fall too our knees and pray too our creator to bring intense revival to our nation again, may we be just as committed as Jesus was to the cross to see this through.

Habakkuk 3 HCSB. 1A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. According to Shigionoth.

2 Lord, I have heard the report about You;

Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds.

Revive Your work in these years;

make it known in these years.

In Your wrath remember mercy!

3God comes from Teman,

the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah

His splendor covers the heavens,

and the earth is full of His praise.

4His brilliance is like light;

rays are flashing from His hand.

This is where His power is hidden.

5 Plague goes before Him,

and pestilence follows in His steps.

6He stands and shakes the earth;

He looks and startles the nations.

The age-old mountains break apart;

the ancient hills sink down.

His pathways are ancient.

7I see the tents of Cushan in distress;

the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.

8 Are You angry at the rivers, Lord?

Is Your wrath against the rivers?

Or is Your rage against the sea

when You ride on Your horses,

Your victorious chariot?

9You took the sheath from Your bow;

the arrows are ready to be used with an oath. Selah

You split the earth with rivers.

10The mountains see You and shudder;

a downpour of water sweeps by.

The deep roars with its voice

and lifts its waves high.

11 Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence,

at the flash of Your flying arrows,

at the brightness of Your shining spear.

12You march across the earth with indignation;

You trample down the nations in wrath.

13You come out to save Your people,

to save Your anointed.

You crush the leader of the house of the wicked

and strip him from foot to neck.Selah

14You pierce his head

with his own spears;

his warriors storm out to scatter us,

gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.

15You tread the sea with Your horses,

stirring up the great waters.

16I heard, and I trembled within;

my lips quivered at the sound.

Rottenness entered my bones;

I trembled where I stood.

Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress

to come against the people invading us.

17 Though the fig tree does not bud

and there is no fruit on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

18yet I will triumph in Yahweh;

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

19 Yahweh my Lord is my strength;

He makes my feet like those of a deer

and enables me to walk on mountain heights!

For the choir director: onstringed instruments.

The life we live

One of the greatest hindrances to the peace of God for Christians is learning to walk according to the word of God, we are to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. Most never understand what this means, we have a habit of dividing our lives into two areas, the spirit and the flesh and try to live in both.

These two areas were created to exist apart from each other they are morally and spiritually incompatible.

Romans8:1-11 NKJV - [1] There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. [3] For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, [4] that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [5] For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. [6] For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. [8] So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [9] But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. [10] And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

We are told to walk by the spirit, not the flesh we are easily persuaded by life to go back and forth from one to the other and we live a divided instead of a victorious life. We try live in two worlds, the spiritual and the natural. We are not immune to the things of the world, such as the ills of life , we do live among men but we are not to let them influence our lives.

1st John 2:15 HCSB Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.16 For everything that belongs to the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,and the pride in one’s lifestyle — is not from the Father, but is from the world.17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.

In direct contrast is the way we are to live by the Spirit. Here we have peace with God, and the peace of God, we learn the ways of God and how to live among men and be the salt and light we are called to be by enjoying an intimate fellowship with Christ. When we are walking by the Spirit , our lives are an aroma and are pleasing to God. We pray, read our Bibles, are faithful in our church attendance, we bring our praise and worship with us wherever we go, I love walking in the Spirit, but it is something I do not do 100% of the time.

While living here there are things we do like eat, sleep, work, pay bills, and just try to make that seem mundane and uninteresting, how do I make my life a living sacrifice to God, while I am doing these meaningless task?

God's word says a lot about how we are to live,

Romans 12:1 HCSB Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

1st Corinthians 15:33 HCSB Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”34 Come to your senses and stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame...50 Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. 51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep,but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye,at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,and the dead will be raised incorruptible,and we will be changed.53 For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? 56 Now the sting of death is sin,and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The dilemma we have is false the devil has easily swayed us into believing that we have to live and compromise our faith in this world, we don't when you look at the life of Jesus Christ, we see that all He did to live He did as a man, not as God and all though He was fully God, He was also fully man, He overcame temptations, and life as a man to give us the example of a Spirit filled life.

Philippians 2:5 HCSB Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God,did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form,8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death —even to death on a cross.

Jesus Christ is our perfect example, He did not live a divided life. From His birth to His death on the cross, the life of Jesus was a total offering to God the Father, the first words recorded that Jesus spoke are these found in

Luke 2 :41 HCSB Every year His parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When He was 12 years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival. 43 After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not know it.44 Assuming He was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him. 46 After three days, they found Him in the temple complex sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all those who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers. 48 When His parents saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.” 49“Why were you searching for Me? ”He asked them. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house? ” 50 But they did not understand what He said to them.

Jesus was in His Fathers house teaching, He was always going about doing the Father's business, and He made it a point to live that way, we can do this to.

JOHN 3:5 HCSB Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 

When we became born again, our flesh was crucified and we are born again into the Spirit of God, now we must learn to walk by the Spirit, it really is not as hard as it sounds, it takes a simple act of surrender daily.

Galatians 5 16-25 NKJV - [16] I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, [21] envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [24] And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

1st Corinthians 6:9 HCSB Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, 10 no thieves,greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Life is about choices, we can chose to walk in the Spirit by living according to the word of God, or we chose to walk in the way of the world our flesh by going about doing things our way, but make no mistake we can not live both ways. We can do this by living with an aggressive faith. Not a passive faith.

Colossians 3:1 HCSB So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.2 Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 4When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 5Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature:sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath comes on the disobedient, 7and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. 11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 Above all, put on love — the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Through the power of Jesus Christ we have already overcome the world, and it is He who lives in us, so why don't we learn to offer all our acts to God and believe He accepts them whether we eat or drink, work or play live or die do it all for the Lord.

Galatians 2: HCSB 16 know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified. 17 But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuildthe system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.19 For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ 20and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

We must hold firmly to this position and live making every act of every hour of the day and night be an offer of praise, thanksgiving, and total sacrament to God in our times of private prayer in our continual prayer a thousand times a day as we live we must seek God out in everything, when we do this we will discover that He is always with us, and in our simplest deeds we can acknowledge Him.

Romans 14:5 HCSB One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God.7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.8If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

We can live every moment for Christ if we take the attitude of Christ, by making our lives a living sacrifice to God, we must learn to worship Him in Spirit and Truth and put away the flesh everyday by taking our thoughts captive and applying the word of God to our lives. God's word gives no room for compromise we must be immovable when it comes to living as we are called, we can do this, if we ask for the Lord's help and learn to do all things for His glory.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In Christ

brian

Christmas through the eyes of our creator

Christmas is more than a day, it is an attitude we need to have in our hearts. We need to remember why we celebrate and why we even have Christmas.
Here is how Webster’s defines Christmas

Christmas:
a Christian feast on December 25 or among some Eastern Orthodox Christians on January 7 that commemorates the birth of Christ and is usually observed as a legal holiday

But how do you define Christmas, that is the question.

Is it a day for family, presents and fun or is it a day of remembrance to celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

If we look at Christmas through the eyes of our Creator, we would see the true meaning of Christmas.

Hebrews 1:1-10 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire."

But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions." And: "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Hebrews 12:1-4 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

　
　
God sent Jesus to us, He spoke to us through His Son. A prophet of old days was God’s way of talking to man, a priest was man’s way of talking to God. Christ is both, the perfect prophet, and the perfect priest, angels where sent to minister to men the message of God, Jesus is God’s revelation or message to man.

Jesus was begotten, or came out of or just as God, and is redemption for all of mankind. He holds all things, created all things, rules all things, and is the final authority of all things. Nothing has happened, or will happen that He is not over.

Jesus Christ is the reason for Christmas, a celebration of Him, for Him, by Him.

That is why I said in the beginning Christmas is an attitude of our heart, and something we should celebrate everyday. We have within us the cure for what ails the world, the cure for sin and death. We must give Him away everyday, the more you give Christ away in all you do, the more you will experience Christ love.

Jesus came knowing He would give up His life for the redemption for mankind. Man could not come up to God, so God came down to man. And Jesus faced the cross with joy, He kept His eyes on the prize, us. He faced things most of us will never know, He did it without complaining, and He gave us His all so we could live our lives. Lay down anything that would hinder you from serving Him. He alone is the author and finisher of our faith, look to Him daily to strengthen you, and celebrate Him with everyone you can.

So as you celebrate Christmas this year, keep that attitude going until God calls you home, and remember Gods' words.
For this is the Christmas story, the story of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:1-7 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

　
Merry Christmas
　
　
　
　

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17
In Christ
brian

Be the Man God called you to be!

We have allot to be thankful for, every day we wake up, we are blessed and in the hands of Almighty God. We have been chosen to be on this earth, for such a time as this. And as husbands, fathers, grandfathers, boyfriends, and brothers we have been surrounded by people that God has given us, and we should look at them as gifts from God. And God has given us a unique opportunity to come together and serve Him, in a church family that wants us to all grow, and be the men God has called us to be.

We should pray for our Brothers in Christ. We need to lift each other up, give permission to one another and hold each other accountable. We should know that we can count on each another, be there for each other and encourage each other knowing that none of us walk alone.

We have a huge responsibility, to teach our families about the Lord, we are slowly losing future generations, by not being the men that God has called us to be, we need to start now, lead our families in prayer each day, do a devotion with them, and love and instruct them as the Lord has instructed us.

Psalms 78 talks about what happens when we do not teach our children, about God

1 - A Contemplation of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.4 We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 5 For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; 6- That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, 7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; 8 And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

You can read all of Psalms 78 here
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=78&v=1&t=NKJV#top

.Eric Ludy, - wrote God's Gift to Women, here is an excerpt from the book.

"The version of manhood that heaven applauds and all hell fears is accessible by all males who live and breathe. However, in every generation of young men, there are only a rare few who find it. These few will deliberately choose to change what they will protect and serve with their life. This uncommon band of warrior poets will quit their loyal service to Self and surrender their lives wholly and completely to the protection and service of Another. From out of a generation of young men searching for more, you and I are called to be among these brave few.

I want to challenge each of us to be the Man, God has created us to be.

Heaven Bound

I listened to a sermon this week and this is what was said “ What do you think of first thing in the morning? Do you think of yourself and your day, or on God. If you answer yourself your dwelling on earthly things if you dwell on God then it is Heavenly things. We need to dwell on God.

So this what we know Heaven is the spiritual realm in which the glory of God's presence is manifest, and in which dwell the angels of God, and all believers who have departed this world . “ But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews. 12:22-24.

The few glimpses of Heaven given in Scripture reveal a pervading sense of the holiness of God Isaiah 6;1-7 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged."And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
If you read Revelation, 4 & 5, you will see glimpses of heaven that are not pleasant to the unbeliever, and they haD an overwhelming impact on those who saw them. Paul in 2 Corinthians . 12:2-4 said this “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. “ What he saw was not only impermissible but impossible to describe in human terms!

Heaven is certainly among those things he described elsewhere as "things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man" 1 Corinthians. 2:9! No wonder Paul says in another place that we shall be "astonished" when we see the Lord at His coming in glory.

Heaven is the immediate home for those saved in Christ . To the thief on the cross, Jesus said, "Today you shall be with me in Paradise" Luke 23:43. Paul said that "to be absent from the body (is to be) at home with the Lord" 2 Corinthians . 5:8,’’.

We know "we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is" 1 John 3:2-3 One day we will see Him "just as He is." And when we do, we will be purified from all sin and bound eternally to Him! Part of this transformation will be perfecting our relationships with one another. On earth, even among the most mature of us, our relationships are hindered by barriers created by fear, pride, jealousy, and shame. But the Bible says that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). When we fully apprehend the perfect love which God has for us, and are cleansed from the sin that presently indwells us, our relationships with one another will finally be what God intended them to be.

Paul says that "though now we see through a glass darkly," then we shall "see face to face" and "shall know fully, as we are known" 1 Corinthians . 13:12. We shall know all things about God, without fail. We will praise Jesus Christ like never before, I believe right now we do not know truly know what true praise and worship is, we can’t because we truly do not understand the Love of God, remember the saying “ Christians don’t usually speak lies, they sing them” well one day we will join the heavenly chorus in singing hymns of praise to Almighty God in Heaven we will gain much clearer insight into the wisdom of God and His love in creation, and in redemption.

When our bodies are transformed, they will possess in actuality all that we can now only dream of being capable of. Not only will our bodies be freed from illness and aging, but we will not be held by gravity, or bound to a dying body we will be new!" Wow!

 Revelation 21:1-5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
Peter asked Jesus what we would have since we forsake all for Him, Jesus said this Matthew 19: 27-30 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. "But many who are first will be last, and the last first. The new heaven and earth are a transformation of the creation as "the regeneration" That same term is used to describe our new birth of a believer.

All things we have given up, every thought will be nothing and forgotten in heaven, because God’s glory will out shine it all.  Isaiah 65:17 says this 'For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind! Being in the presence of Jesus Christ will be eternally gratifying for eternity, we will not have want, or need, or pain or sorrow, we will serve our Lord and be able to praise Him as never before.
 The rest of this I will finish and send out, Heaven is a place we should all be dwelling on, let’s set our minds on heavenly things, and all that we will gain, and cast off the cares of this world to our Lord, and know He will provide all we need.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17
In Christ
brian