Tag: The Rapture

The Refuge

November 25, 2015

Emerald leaves full of life transformed into rubies and gold have all fallen; leaving bare, grey branches shivering in the wind. The cold hard ground connects with freezing air putting the atmosphere in deep freeze. Black storm clouds are building on every horizon, moving to meet overhead and collide in an epic storm, like no storm every known by beast or man. “It’s ‘El Nino’ or climate change” they say without believing it down deep where the frightening truth lies not long to be denied. There are those other voices warning that this is God’s wrath, true voices mixed with the false, one as warning that points to Jesus for safety, the other for personal power gained by deceit and promotion of fear; but none can deny the storm is coming! There is little time to prepare and the bitter cold is deepening, driving everything living to find warmth and shelter underground or fly away to a hidden place that’s warm; but neither option comes by human choice but only, by God’s direction, according to His secret timing.

The storm is here! The havoc it wreaks is much too great for FEMA or Church outreach, or UN Relief. This is the epic storm that will subdue every institution of man and disable all his power to help or hurt himself or others. This is the storm that will bring it all down and leave no earthly refuge. This is the end of all human dominion. This is the final season of Death and the only, safe place is in Jesus Christ. He is the one in which all things consist and all things are held together. He is the source of eternal life, the only, One who connects us to the Father; the Author of Life, Who gives breath to everything living. All things must die when He takes His breath away. He is the only, viable refuge and shelter in this terrible, life-ending storm!

See the signs, decipher the signs, but children of God you must walk by faith not sight! Signs and miracles are for the unbelieving world. Don’t let fear overtake you and fill your heart with dread! Do today as we are asked to do every day; look to God for guidance and obey. Trust in the Father to keep you safe, to shelter you, and give you strength to endure. He will keep us from the evil when we rely upon Him. Trust His plan and look forward in hope to all He has promised when that plan is completed. Remain loyal to Jesus, in word, thought, and action by relying on the Holy Spirit to enable you to accomplish the good work assigned to you. Seek the sure refuge that comes by faith and don’t listen to any voice other than the voice of Jesus. The familiar voice you know and recognize as belonging to your Shepherd. Though the threat is overwhelming and the storm violently rages, altering the very planet on which we live, knocking it out of balance, changing everything; God never changes. By faith, cling to Jesus, as you watch and wait for His bodily return.

Righteous Joy is Courage to Overcome Evil

November 2, 2015

Every person is a mixture of good and evil. Inside each of us dwells both prey and predator. All people reach an age of mature reasoning when they choose which side of their nature to rely upon. The choice made to seek a life of goodness, or to seek personal gain by the power of evil, depends upon inborn nature, environment, and personal desire. People who seek to live a good life by their own effort will never be able to completely, overcome the dark side of their nature and those who give themselves to evil will retain some remnant of goodness. However, evil is the power of death and in a world ruled by death the predator finds favor with the Prince of this world. The prey is regarded as nothing more than a weak victim, to be devoured and those who eat them have no regard for those who sustain them. This is a predator’s weakness: though they think themselves mighty by the power of death, they can’t live without the body and the blood of the innocent prey they consume. Those who give themselves to evil, seeking power and life through death, they will end powerless, in death. At the end of time, Death will consume itself and evil will vanish. On that day, all who have suffered as prey will rejoice and sing joyful praises for they will not be hunted and devoured anymore.

Jesus Christ, the begotten Son of God came to earth as a sacrificial lamb. Jesus offered Himself as prey and spiritual sustenance to those called as His own; to the One who now sits on God’s right hand to perform God’s good works, designed to free the world from the Prince of evil and Death. Those who recognize the predator living within and the fallacy of seeking life through the power of death and honor the One who offers Himself as the only food that gives eternal life, gratefully and spiritually feed on the body and blood of Jesus; and thereby, are empowered to complete the good works assigned to them by the power of Christ living in them. Jesus living in them by the Holy Spirit is the power to conquer the predator within. The battle is fierce, lasting a life-time, but the spiritual gift of joy is courage to endure and achieve victory. The triumph is sure because it is written by He who sits outside of time and is much greater than the evil one who rules by the power of Death.

The world today, is very dark. The evil one knows his time is short and the predators who serve him, roam the spiritual night, looking for prey. Those who belong to Jesus are favored targets because they not only offer a tasty meal but are a threat to the darkness that protects them. It is hard to read of people being beheaded in foreign lands and shot here in America, for no other reason than they name Jesus, and not be afraid. It’s difficult when targeted by someone who wishes you evil, not to fear the pain and destruction they long to inflict on your person. Pure evil is difficult for reasonable people of faith to comprehend or accept but true evil is wholly, unreasonable. Evil is real, it lives in flesh and blood, seeking to feed its huge appetite and destroy any threat to its self. If we allow them to fill us with fear, we are weakened and vulnerable. When threatened, we must turn to Jesus and remember that He has already, conquered the enemy and because of His victory over Death, a predator may destroy our body but we will not die. Death is reserved for those who give themselves to it and they will never find lasting life by the practice of evil. Their destruction drives them and pursues them. Those who belong to Jesus have the joy of righteousness that He earned by His obedience available, as courage against the evil spirit of fear. Even though they destroy our bodies as they destroyed the body of Jesus, we have the power to endure it as we testify to the One who sustains us, and delivered us, from the predator within.

Jesus is coming back but he will not return as prey. His sacrifice was complete; His blood and body the dowry for the bride He will claim upon His return. He will take her to safety and then destroy all predators, as the mighty Lion of Judah, the full wrath of God that will cleanse the world of evil, and make way for the 1,000 year rule of Jesus the Christ and His Righteous Kingdom. In that Kingdom there will be no more prey and predator, they will lie down together. No one will be hunted and no one will be driven to hunt because Satan and his evil ones will be locked in prison, with the power of Death greatly diminished. God will provide His sustenance and fear, pain, and seemingly endless, tears will end. At the completion of Christ’s one thousand year reign, Satan will be set free and then quickly, vanquished forever. Death will die. The old world will be forgotten as the eternal world is fully revealed. Joy will increase to become rapture and happiness will become eternal bliss!

Isaiah: Chapter 11

Joy When Jesus Returns?

August 19, 2015

Theologians call it “The Rapture”; that day described in 1st Thessalonians when Christ Jesus returns in the clouds and those, living and dead, who belong to Him rise to meet Him in the air. Rapture entails the ultimate crescendo of joy impending for those who name Jesus as Savior and Lord; but weeping and gnashing of teeth for Jesus-naming-evil-cloaking-hypocrites and woe for the world that denies Him. The Day when Jesus returns in the clouds (just as He left the world over 2,000 years ago) hangs imminently over a sinful, dying world. That Day which none can predict will strike like lightning, when Jesus comes for His own and then to judge all others. I wonder, “What will I be doing when Jesus comes?”

 

I am weak, living in a body of flesh and blood. The carnal me has appetites, begging to be fed, that contradict God’s Will for me. Always on a diet, I wrestle with flesh-and –blood desires and with God’s help, I win but when I go-it-alone, I lose. I wonder, “When Jesus comes will I be doing well or sleepily, indulging my sin?” Jesus is strong! I turn to Him and I beg, “Jesus be strong in me and help me prevail in this horrible war that rages inside of me! Please, come in that hour when I’m doing well and let me not be found among the hypocrites, weeping and gnashing my teeth! Jesus please, always keep me in your presence and turn my joy into rapture when you come for me!” This is my daily plea. This is the prayer I pray as I struggle against the sin that won’t let me be!

 

I look into the clouds, looking for Jesus and see only clouds; I again wonder “What will I be doing when Jesus comes?” When I look at carnal me there is not much hope offered but when I look up to Jesus I see, with God all things are possible. Trusting in the work that Jesus is faithfully completing in me is my only hope of being found worthy of rapture when Jesus comes. By His strength and by His might, I will win the war with my sin and know everlasting peace with overflowing joy, when I meet Jesus in the air and this long, hard battle is won! Truly, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rapture waits for those who in the midst of battle, don’t give up but look up and patiently wait for His imminent return. Hope rebounds and in thankfulness I pray, “Come Lord Jesus, on the Day that Father God has set and claim your spotless bride! That perfected bride, washed clean in your own blood, shed in sacrifice for me, for all who believe and by trust in you are kept faithful!”

 

Matthew 24 and 1st Thessalonians 5