Divine Wilderness

A wild, empty, or remote area (wilderness) is what most people rarely frequent. Wilderness is mostly inhabited by untamed animals that thrive in a mysteriously desolate, yet awesomely beautiful place. It is a place without highways; crisscrossed randomly by well-trodden game trails. When I meet with my Heavenly Father in such a place it morphs into a Divine Wilderness.

canstockphoto25733857 — Ramon Crater at Negev Desert, Israel

I must come alone. But I will not be lonely, as the Holy Spirit will be there with me. In fact, He is my guide – just as Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to pray.

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ~ Luke 4:1 KJV

Jesus was always our perfect example in every aspect of His life in the flesh:

He always retreated from others when He prayed.
He sought isolated places to be alone in prayer with His Father; often ending up in the wilderness just like Abraham, Moses, and John the Baptist.
Multitudes followed Jesus into the wilderness and He spoke The Word to them. He fed them out there – bread and fish (about 5,000 men plus women and children).

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. ~ John 6:33-35 KJV

Since I am a night owl, my wilderness is located somewhere in the far distant gloom of night. It’s sometime between midnight and four a.m. Others speak of morning devotions and I have never been successful finding time with God in the morning (I’m talking crack-of-dawn morning). But while others sleep, I become unfettered to the cares of this world. I am free to be alone with my Father with no interruptions. Mind you, I am not saying that I have made every appointment – far from it!

But that is my weakness, not His. He awaits in perfect faithfulness to me while I am wasting all that Divine Wilderness on nothingness.

“Father, forgive me for not making our time together the highest priority each night. I am often absent when I should be searching Your Word nightly in the Divine Wilderness of Your love. Thank You for patience toward me, and for giving me another chance to work on this, as I need Your Wisdom and Presence to recharge my soul every night so that I can shine for You every day. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.”

No matter what time of day or night, are you spending time alone with your Father in His Divine Wilderness? If not, will you join with me in re-dedication to daily devotions?

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The Crying Days

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Everyone has them, and most of us just want them to end. For me, that is not happening; so I am left with a journey I call “living through the crying days”. At least I am not traveling this road alone. Jesus fights my battles for me when I think to ask Him, and the Holy Spirit consoles me as the tears flow.

Whether illness, grief, loneliness, or unwelcome burdens – sometimes one can only cry. Our Heavenly Father knew this, of course, before He even created the cosmos. He lovingly created tears for all broken-hearted souls. The ancients collected tears in bottles as highly prized keepsakes.

Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle, are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know, for Elohim (Supreme God) is for me. In Elohim will I praise his word: in Yahweh (Self-Existent; Eternal; Jehovah) will I praise his word. In Elohim have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows are upon me, O Elohim: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before Elohim in the light of the living? ~ Psalms 56:8-13 RSB (Parentheses added)

The act of crying has a bad rep in many circles. “What good does it do?” “Just buck up and take it on the chin!” “Crying doesn’t solve anything!” But God’s Word is clear:

The prophet Isaiah told King Hezekiah in 713 B.C. that Hezekiah would soon die. Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed for mercy:

And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of Yahweh to Isaiah, saying, “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Yahweh, the Elohim of David, thy father, I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.” ~ Isaiah 38:3b-6 RSB

So Almighty God not only added fifteen years to the life of Hezekiah, but He vowed to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the invading Assyrians and to fight the battle for them. Wow! Hezekiah hadn’t even prayed for that!

Our God is SO GOOD! He promises to one day create a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more crying days.

And Elohim shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ~ Revelation 21:4 RSB

Today there are reported over 900,000 believers martyred every year on this earth. These are Crying Days, folks. Don’t hold back on the prayers or tears for our persecuted brethren suffering for their faith in Christ; for our nation in peril; and for those lost and on their way to eternal outer darkness. These crying days are the last days before Christ returns. Pray tearfully for the sick, the dying, the poor and the needy. Remember to love one another as He loves us and in the words of Jesus, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Few of us are called upon to make that level of sacrifice, but prayer changes things. Sincere prayer can even change the will of Almighty God, as we have seen in the case of Hezekiah.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for meeting our every need with your tender Spirit of love and truth; for hearing the prayers of your church; and for noticing tears of the humble being shed during sorrowful days. We look forward in faith to victory in the Only One Who Fights Our Battles For Us – our Savior and Redeemer, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus The Anointed One. In His Holy Precious Name Above All Names, Amen.

I pray that you are encouraged by God’s Word as you are living through your own crying days – whatever they may be. God bless you, and thank you for following importantstuff.live.

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To the gods of Babylon

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Almighty God speaks out against idol worship in Isaiah chapter 45. He states over and over that “I am the Lord, and there is no other”.

By Myself, I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, “In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.” All who have raged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame. ~ Isaiah 45:23-24 NIV

When that day comes, it will be an unprecedented event like no other on this earth. I don’t know about you, but I pray that it will be a joyous day for as many people as possible instead of a shameful one.

God next turns His attention to the gods of Babylon in chapter 46:

Remember this, keep in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” ~ Isaiah 46:8-10 NIV

Friend, if you have not already done so, now would be the perfect time to turn your life toward the cross and accept God’s Son, Jesus, as your personal Savior. It is so simple and it is totally FREE.

Click here to get your FREE COUPON TO HEAVEN….

Practice Rejoicing

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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ~ Philippians 4:4 NIV

The Apostle Paul wrote these words in his final message to the church at Philippi from prison. I have become so negative in the past year I realize that I need to practice rejoicing. What a difference I can make in God’s kingdom if only I will remember Paul’s message to believers:

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:5-7 NIV

On Resurrection Day, the victory belongs to Jesus. He conquered the grave, and the angels proclaimed to the women who discovered the empty tomb, “Do not be afraid! ” “Do not be afraid!”.

Jesus appeared to the women near the tomb and to His disciples later with greetings of “Do not be afraid!” and “Peace be unto you!”.

Today we can rejoice in our faith that Jesus is a Living Savior. There are no decayed remains of Jesus in a tomb or grave somewhere in Jerusalem. We can rest in the knowledge that God’s Word records a world shattering event when Jesus rose from the darkness of the grave. Jesus broke the chains of the penalty for our sins, and therefore salvation is free to all who believe in Him. Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven today. PRAISE GOD FOR SO GREAT SALVATION!

Even though the church is under attack and believers suffer persecution for following Christ (over 900,000 Christians killed per year); don’t let anyone steal your joy as you observe Resurrection Day. Celebrate the fullness of life in Jesus with family and friends and remain steadfast in your faith that Jesus is Risen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. ~ Philippians 4:8-9 NIV

“I will practice, Lord. I will practice rejoicing and enjoy your gift of peace.”

Thank you for following importantstuff.live!

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Indecision – The Spirit of Fear

Remaining in a state of indecision is like casting one’s mind into the midst of a tornado. Thoughts like a whirlwind can churn so chaotically that a person’s moods and behaviors may be adversely effected. Indecision is not fear that you will be late for an appointment, but is more encompassing. Indecision is the spirit of fear. It can affect individuals and even nations:

“A double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.” ~ James 1:8 (KJV)

Indecision is one symptom of chronic stress that is brought about by fear and may manifest as panic; not knowing which way to turn. One may become stuck; virtually paralyzed by fear; thinking that no course of direction seems safe; or conversely, may charge off in random directions without purpose. Fear, if unchecked, can destabilize anyone. Indecisiveness, in all of its debilitating forms, is clearly shown in God’s Word as being ruled by the overshadowing spirit of fear, which can lead to broken relationships, loss of employment, depression, poor physical health; and ultimately, self destruction. If you have been struggling with fear or indecision,

You may be on shaky ground emotionally, but you are certainly not the Lone Ranger. It can happen to anyone – believers or unbelievers alike. If you can’t seem to make up your mind in today’s complicated world, take heart! God understands:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” ~ I Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

So God didn’t create our spirit of fear, but He HAS given us the power to overcome it and to restore us with a sound mind through faith and the study of His Word. Our magnificent Father is mighty to save and powerful to heal.

But wait! There may be another contributing factor in the valley of decision ruled by the spirit of fear. Have you ever felt like screaming, “I am at a loss!”? Sometimes indecision can be caused by information overload:

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” ~ Daniel 12:4 (KJV)

Most people in the world are immersed in data; to the point of many being in a constant state of information overload via computers, the internet, television, media, and access to mega data storage/retrieval systems. Is there a connection between time of the end, running to and fro, increased knowledge and the problem of both individual and national indecision? Increased knowledge, or data, may be adequately managed by computer systems, governing systems, or economic systems, but what effect, if any, does it have on human mental health?

There are many Bible scholars, ministers, and believers who are convinced that we are living at the time of the end; or in the end times; just prior to the time when Jesus will return to this earth, destroy man’s failed governments, then set up and rule His own perfect kingdom of 1,000 years, otherwise known as The Millennium, or Millennial Age (Revelation, chapter 20).

The end times is not defined as a specific number of years in the Bible, but only a time period that is near the end of this world as we know it. During the end times, as told in the Old Testament to the Prophet Daniel by an angelic messenger from God, many humans will be running to and fro. Some believe this scripture in the Book of Daniel refers simply to a time when world-wide travel is very advanced compared to ancient times of this prophecy. It could also mean an age of distress; when people are in a condition of panic mode; wildly running scared from some terror (or terrorism); or frenzied racing around without direction (spirit of fear). Today even the movie industry has capitalized upon end times prophesy by promoting an apocalyptic view of disaster and foreboding – possibly contributing to further infection of audiences with a dreadful spirit of fear.

The end times is also described as a period of time when knowledge is increased. Increased knowledge has ushered in an age of space exploration, scientific and medical advancements; but no peace. In our present technologically advanced age, most people would agree that knowledge has increased rapidly since World War I (WWI), but no community on the planet is out of reach from the threat of total annihilation from weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

Since WWII there have been wars fought in the name of WMDs prevention; and treaties made between nations regulating WMDs. Yet this global effort has not brought peace or stability to the earth so far. This is evidence to many that we already live in the perilous times of the last days. Generations of populations living under this evil threat could be so fearful of impending doom that it is a pervading underlying cause of national fear – which sparks nations to produce more such weaponry in the name of defense, and the cycle continues. Because of a spirit of fear of global annihilation, entire doomsday-thinking populations may be easily manipulated and controlled by power-seeking or terrorist governments. Yes, as if WMDs are not scary enough, earth’s global community is now operating under a spirit of fear due to terrorist attacks.

By understanding there is a connection between time of the end, running to and fro and increased knowledge in God’s Word, we may go deeper and offer that the angelic messenger who visited the prophet, Daniel, described an age identical to our century. Increased knowledge and data overload or the activity of manipulating data (think of cell phone texting alone) may also be linked to the problem of both individual and national indecision. There is no question that knowledge has increased (past tense). People already do run to and fro (again, past tense). There also seems to be an epidemic of double mindedness world wide, as evidenced by reports of political and social upheaval in the news daily. Whether or not we are living in the time of the end, scripture seems to support in favor.

If you are gripped by a spirit of fear for whatever reason and still don’t understand why, just take a deep breath. Turn off the news, and spend time with YHVH, our Elohim. Ask God to clear your head, bring peace into your heart, and settle your spirit. Ask Him for guidance over your life and wisdom in decision making.

The Apostle Paul had this to say about the end times in his second letter to Timothy:

“But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” ~ II Timothy 2:16 (KJV)

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves …” ~ II Timothy 3:1-2a (KJV)

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ~ II Timothy 3:5 (KJV)

“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” ~ II Timothy 3:7 (KJV)

Tips to consider (in laymen’s terms):

Avoid egotistical, profane blabbermouths (II Timothy 2:16), for associating with them will only escalate into more ungodliness. Foul speech is indecent; it is a slippery slope that spirals ever downward into hopelessly confusing indecisiveness.

“But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:29 (NLT)

Study God’s Word:

“For God is not the author of confusion.” ~ (I Cor. 14:33).

In the end days, self centeredness will abound. People will appear to be saintly or Godly, but their associations prove their hypocracy. Consider how that may be playing out in our modern age today. God’s Word says not to hang with them and if we are in doubt about who these people are, the Apostle Paul identifies them in a list of the ungodly: lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (II Timothy 3:2-5). It reads exactly like the attributes of the Antichrist! So then, is ungodliness similar to indecisiveness? This is where we started – at the crossroads of decision. Time to choose the path that is straight, not crooked; the path of wisdom. Don’t walk – RUN from them!
In the end days, there may be an increase in knowledge along with an increase in education but neither advancement appears to lead people to Truth (II Timothy 3:7). God’s Word is saying that He understands what leads to indecision, that these are scary, perilous times, but there is only one Hope; only one Truth.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” ~ John 14:6 (KJV)

Pray for deliverance from a spirit of fear. God is faithful, and will set you on the path of assertiveness and stability, which means peace of mind. There is nothing like it. Promise.

“The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.” ~ Lamentations 3:24 (KJV)

“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” ~II Timothy 4:18 (KJV)

Peace to you, and God bless.

For anyone who is interested, there is a list of end time prophetic signs at this link 26 End Time Signs.

Encouragement – “turn to pg 296”

The message I discovered that Dad carefully wrote in his little New Testament Bible is so simple and yet so precious. It is precious to me, of course, because my own Dad wrote it; but he wrote it for himself, not me. It is only God’s grace that inspired the Apostle Paul to write his encouraging letters to the church in Corinth, and only God’s divine hand that preserved His Word for centuries to encourage us today. Dad was only His instrument; just like Paul.

So Dad circled verse 17 of I Corinthians 9 on page 296 in his Bible: For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. The Apostle Paul explained this statement in detail clear to the end of chapter 9. We all pretty much understand “of my own will”. Paul was a free man. He was a Roman citizen, which guaranteed him certain rights under Roman law to live his life the way he pleased. He was slave to no man. Americans enjoy similar freedom under our “Bill of Rights” today. Paul chose to share his faith in Jesus. He was not under force to witness – But what about reward?

He explained that all participants run a race, but only one wins the prize (verse 24). If the race is run willingly, then the participant is much more likely to win. Win what? In this case, SOULS. Yes, more saved souls are the reward! It’s not for heavenly crowns, positions of honor, medals or status as an Apostle or church leader. Paul’s message of “running the race” for Christ was written in order to encourage every witnessing believer by teaching ¹the proper way to do it and ²the right reason for doing it. I don’t know about you, but I am vastly more encouraged by success than by failure. The Apostle Paul is basically saying: Join up and run, but run smart; don’t just run because you learned about “The Great Commission” and feel compelled to serve Jesus. Yes, it is a very big deal, because Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” ~ Mark 16:15

That makes it the highest priority in this life for the believer. Jesus wants us to know that the stakes are high. I firmly believe that Dad was keenly aware of it. Obviously, he was determined to stay the course not only to win the race, but like Paul, to bring more lost souls across the finish line with him.

But do we share our testimony as just a duty, or willingly? Paul cautions, “if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission.” In other words, our Master has commissioned us to perform this duty regardless. Our efforts have less chance of winning souls for Jesus if people see that our words lack enthusiasm. There is no fire in the belly; no burden for the lost. Instead of achieving reward for more souls saved, we are diminished by the less. “I am entrusted” means each believer is accountable either way.

Are our hearts truly burdened for the lost? Even though we have been freed by the blood of Jesus, have we made ourselves a servant to all? Don’t be timid in sharing God’s Word. We can’t all be missionaries serving in foreign lands. God knows that we can sow seeds and reap a harvest for His kingdom right in our own communities. God will provide opportunity because Jesus gave His life for this message to be shared with all who will listen – or not listen. Seize opportunities that the Holy Spirit creates for witnessing. Remember that believers are only responsible to act on opportunities; and then let the Holy Spirit do His work. II Timothy 1:7 is the most encouraging verse to the timid believer: For God has not given us a spirit of fear (timidity in some Bible translations), but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Consider the “Parable of the Pounds” in Luke 19:12-27: A certain nobleman traveled to a far country to receive a kingdom and then return (Jesus). He left ten pounds of money (Gospel) with ten servants. When he returned he found that nine had increased the master’s money (Shared the Gospel), but one servant had not. He had hidden the master’s pound in a napkin (gotten saved and then kept the Good News all to himself), saying, ²¹“For I FEARED thee, because thou art an austere man” (excuses and blaming the Master!). The master judged the servant by taking the pound (Gospel) he had entrusted to him and giving it to the servant who had increased his master’s one pound by ten pounds (Evangelist) – Sort of like taking away what few souls may have surrendered to Jesus as a result of one timid believer, and crediting those souls to Billy Graham’s service record. AYIYIYI! When the other nine servants questioned the master’s judgement, ²⁶“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

I think I have written somewhere previously that God sets aside those who do not serve Him. After repeated attempts by the Holy Spirit to energize a person to live for the Gospel, that person may resist; won’t let his light shine; has no salt. This grieves the Holy Spirit until God just sets that person aside to live out the rest of his or her life in worldly pursuits; thereby suffering spiritual loss.

I don’t want to be set aside. Thank you, Dad, for circling verse 17 on page 296 of your Bible. Your witness is still bearing fruit!

“If we have Christ, we have nothing to fear when sharing the Gospel. We may not be trained speakers, gifted salesmen, or educated preachers or teachers. But if we’re empowered with the Spirit’s love, we’ll be effective. We can’t win others through our personalities, persuasive techniques, or promotional campaigns, though the Lord can use some of those things. The real secret is the Spirit-empowered love and power, and a sound mind that presents a hope-filled Gospel to a downtrodden world.” ~ Dr. David Jeremiah

Lord, may my witness be as powerful as the blasting shofar; and full of Your love, not “words as a tinkling cymbal”. Give me a fearless and sound mind; that I may recognize and respond to the opportunities for witnessing that You set before me today; and know that I believe in Your call. I am your willing servant. Thank you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

There is more coming soon of Dad’s New Testament message on Encouragement – “see pg 317”. Don’t miss the next part of the message by following importantstuff.live.

Encouragement – “see pg 194”

God sends encouragement to the believer in amazing ways through His Word. Personal witness can be challenging as we share our testimony of faith to others. Sometimes we don’t see the fruit of what we have sown; but never doubt God’s authority over growing His Gospel. Our personal abilities, opportunities and circumstances to witness for Him pale by comparison to the power of His Word. Do you doubt the power of His Word in your life? God’s Word reaches across both distance and time to bring fruit to the labors of soul winning believers, as I am about to show you.

My father was a Christian who shared his testimony with many people during his lifetime. Although he passed on to be with Jesus almost 40 years ago, God recently used my dad’s strong faith to encourage me quite unexpectedly when I found my dad’s pocket New Testament lying on a book shelf undisturbed. I placed it there years ago. The condition of this little Bible is beyond use, as its binding is a rubber band holding the pages together. I thought its only use was a keepsake – a cherished memory of Dad.

For some reason I felt led to open the Book, just out of curiosity perhaps, to see if Dad underlined a scripture or left something of him inside. What I found was a treasured message from my Heavenly Father pointed out by Dad that brought tearful joy to my discouraged heart. Isn’t it amazing how God zaps us once in a while with His love?

Before I reveal the message, I want to share that Dad witnessed about the Gospel to just about anyone who would listen. He didn’t drink alcohol, but would visit the local taverns in town to share Jesus with the bar patrons. He worked in the oil fields of California and Alaska and shared his faith with co-workers; a rough crowd by some standards. He frequently was met with ridicule for being a Christian, but he was not dissuaded. He encouraged some men he knew to put God first in their lives if they wanted to have successful marriages. There were many instances of divorce happening at the time. Alaska was tough on marriages in the 1960’s. The lack of conveniences drove many wives to leave their husbands for civilization back in the “lower 48”. One man in particular scoffed at Dad’s notion that God’s love could mend a marriage. Anyway, that is just a brief glimpse of my father’s personal testimony throughout his life. He stood strong for Jesus; was not dissuaded; but now I see evidence in his little Bible that he may have been discouraged at times. So what did he do about it?

Dad searched out God’s Word for encouragement and outlined God’s answer in the Bible so he could refer back anytime he was feeling rejected, tired, or defeated by the enemy. I also believe that it was God’s plan for Dad to leave the following message so that I would find it so many years later; so that I would be encouraged; and so maybe whoever reads this will be encouraged to strive to be an overcomer – as Jesus plainly instructed believers eight times in the Book of Revelation.

When I opened Dad’s little New Testament, on the very front inside cover was his name and the instruction written in his own handwriting: “see pg 194”.
My first reaction was, “REALLY?” Some loose pages flew out of the Book in my haste to get to page 194. Verse 26 of The Great Shepherd’s intercessory prayer for His flock as recorded in John 17 was circled: “I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jesus was the First Witness! He broadcast the Father’s Name, and wasn’t ashamed! He spoke to thousands about the Father’s love for mankind! – The very thing He commanded His followers do. So He never asked us to do something that He never did first.

I encourage you to read the entire chapter to learn how great is Jesus’ love for us. At a time when He was about to be betrayed by one of His own (Judas) and delivered up for torture and crucifixion – He, who was without sin – prayed for us first, and then gave Himself up willingly to the cross. He sacrificed Himself for us not because He was guilty of any crime, but out of love for sinners and nothing else!

If I knew that I had but a few hours to live, what would be my priority? Some are told by doctors to “put your things in order” if diagnosed with a terminal illness; as if “your things” are the priority. Some people rush to do the things on their “bucket list”- those dreams or goals in life that are unfulfilled.

What did Jesus do?

He prayed. He gave the Father glory – the number one priority and what we should do first when we pray. Then He prayed acceptance that His life on earth was done. Then He prayed for us: I am praying for them: I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine. ~John 17:9. Jesus became first because He always put Himself last. This principle is taught throughout God’s Word, and if it was the priority for Jesus, it should be embraced as priority by His followers as well.

I don’t know what my priority will be when my time is at hand to experience passing out of this life, even though I know what it should be. I can tell you that Dad knew beforehand that he would be joining Jesus in heaven soon. Yet he kept his priorities squared away. He gave the Father glory in all things, even though his life was cut short and it may not have “seemed fair”. He accepted that God’s purpose in his life was finished. He had lived his bucket list, so that was done. He prayed for others as church brethren prayed for him. He continued to read God’s Word as long as he was able. He continued to love others and shared his faith with not only his friends, but complete strangers that he met at the hospital, community – everywhere his journey took him until he passed out of this world and into the arms of his loving Savior.

Reading Dad’s Bible message is working a new thing in my life. I am just beginning to appreciate more than ever what a wonderful gift God gave me. What started out as curiosity over a family keepsake has set me on a journey into a deepening re-connection to my Heavenly Father. I’m getting a glimpse of God’s love being greater than distance or time, and obedience to His will being the priority.

There is more to come (Lord willing) as I explore more of Dad’s New Testament message in “Turn to pg 296”. Don’t miss the next part of the message by following importantstuff.live.

I Need a Heart Renovation

Something happened recently that showed me how important it is to open my heart to the Holy Spirit. It had to do with caring for my elderly mother after a surgery. I was feeling pretty good about myself to be able to help her out and then one evening I came home from cooking a simple meal for my folks and saw a Facebook posting about appreciating your mom more after having kids of your own. Before I could scroll down, I believe the Holy Spirit put a thought into my mind something like this:

“No, you will never really appreciate your mother until you have the privilege of caring for her when she is frail, hurting, and injured – the way she cared for you most of your life!”

The first week after her surgery I stayed at my parents’ house. I realized by the third day that Mom was recuperating nicely, but I was feeling stressed somehow. I asked God to heal Mom completely and then to give me the heart to love being with my folks; in their home; to be respectful and positive; to give encouragement; to serve cheerfully; and most of all, to show them love like I have never shown them in my life. I asked Him to give me joy, understanding, and peace without being torn between my world and theirs.

God is so faithful and He rewards those who seek Him by giving them the desires of their hearts. God answered the prayers of healing for Mom right way. She is recovering rapidly and the joint repair has already healed in three weeks (according to her physical therapist). He says a few months of therapy with exercises at home should deliver her a good outcome. Thank you, Jesus!

As for me, within days my whole attitude improved. My spirit is singing and my relationship with Mom is moving to a higher level of trust and respect. Each morning I waken with anticipation of what blessings God has in store for us today. As I drive to their house, bring in the newspaper and start breakfast; Mom already has the coffee made (with one good arm, bless her). We swing right into the day as they catch me up on how things went overnight. We have always had a good relationship, but now I believe that God is doing an amazing work in the three of us. It feels like He is drawing us into His Spiritual realm of abiding love.

So what is this abiding love of God? I am still learning about it as the Holy Spirit reveals. For now, I believe it is the love that sticks; that binds; that never fails; that doesn’t quit; doesn’t expect; doesn’t fault. It is the love that knows I need a heart renovation and is giving me one. Thank you, Lord!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law… If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” ~Galations 5:22,23,25 KJV

Living in the Last Days

¹⁷And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁹And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath: blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: ²¹And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. ~The Acts 2:17-21 (KJV)

When God Almighty makes a statement, it is unequivocally and irreversibly true. You can forget about debate on the subject, because the words “And it shall come to pass” means just exactly that; something WILL surely happen “in the last days”. Forget about mystical predictions of people such as Nostradamus, gurus, shamans or other fortune tellers. If you want to know the truth about past, present, or future, seek for it in God’s Word.

The Book of Acts was written by the beloved physician, Luke. In chapter 2, Luke is recording a sermon given by the Apostle Peter to a large crowd after the first Pentecost. The crowd had assembled after hearing that the apostles could suddenly speak in foreign tongues. There were thousands making fun of the apostles, and accused them of being drunk on wine. Peter denied that any apostles were drunk, and claimed that Old Testament prophesy by the prophet Joel had just been fulfilled:

²⁸And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. ²⁹Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. ³⁰I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ³¹The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. ³²And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls. ~Joel 2:28-32 NIV

So we have a prophecy in the Old Testament Book of Joel that is fulfilled in the New Testament Book of Acts at Pentecost. Thank you Lord! You never change and your Word is true. But what are the “last days”? Scripture explains scripture, so let’s look at 2Timothy chapter 3, where the Apostle Timothy describes the last days not as a period of time, such as “beginning on this or that date and ending on another specific date”, but as an artist wielding a broad brush. He paints us a picture of what the last days will be like:

¹But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. ~2Timothy 3:1-5 NIV

Sound familiar? We see the evidence of this scripture play out every day in the news, in our schools, neighborhoods, churches, media, government, courts; sadly, our own homes, and virtually everywhere in our world today.

⁶They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. ~2Timothy 3:6-9 NIV

Verse 6 reminds me of the large percentage of women who are abused by an even larger percentage of predators that take cruel advantage of the broken hearted, the vulnerable divorcee; women who are deceived by such men to the point that they allow even their own children to be abused.

Verse 7 talks about education for its own sake. Our technology is so advanced beyond 30 years ago that many humans feel disconnected or out of sync with the reality of the present age. Perhaps that is part of the reason so many of us carry cell phones as a desperate attempt to “fit in”. We may not understand what makes it work, but at least we can reclaim some personal power by owning and using one. But does education or advanced learning in and of itself lead to a better understanding of truth?

Evidently not; verse 8 predicts teachers will oppose truth, have depraved minds, and reject faith in God. Please believe me when I state that I am not against teachers in general and have respect for most teachers. Yet I believe God’s Word as truth and make no apologies for it.

I believe the last days are here and now.

Peter’s sermon continues in Acts chapter 2 giving testimony to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to earth, His crucifixion, resurrection, and therefore fulfillment of Bible prophesy relating to God’s Plan of Salvation for mankind. He makes the case, I believe, that the last days are indeed the time from Pentecost until Jesus returns for His church at the end of days. The last days are the time period for the spreading of the Good News Gospel to all humans until Jesus returns to set up His everlasting kingdom on earth.

Peter exhorts the crowd in verse 38 to, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

About 3,000 souls who heard Peter’s sermon “gladly” received the gospel and were baptized, according to Luke. Since the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been poured out into the earth; the Gospel has been shared; prophecy has been received and proclaimed by believers; there are many books and documentaries about real cases of near death experiences that testify to a real heaven and a real hell; we have seen signs and wonders; war with blood, fire, smoke; heavenly signs of eclipses, blood moons, and yet the end is not yet. Every living person still has time to accept Jesus as Lord and spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ⁵For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ⁶And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ⁸All these are the beginnings of sorrows. ~Matthew 24:4-8 KJV

Do not fear or lose hope just because we are living in the last days. People have been living in the last days since Jesus rose from the grave two millennia ago! Yes, there will be a time of tribulation more terrible than the world has ever seen. Yes, there will be a great battle of Armageddon. Yes, this world as we know it will end someday; but this is still the best time to ever have lived on planet earth and the best opportunity to live a victorious life as a believer in Jesus. He IS the one true promised Messiah. He has admonished us to “Fear Not.” He will never leave or forsake His followers. He has a plan for each and every true believer that is tailor-made for success. HE LOVES AND ACCEPTS YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE! You do not have to “clean up your act” before you ask forgiveness. He will help you do that later. Just admit to Him that you need His gift of grace and redemption and trust Him now. This is called “God’s Plan of Salvation”. It is so simple, yet so crucial to your eternal destiny – and it’s TOTALLY FREE!

If you need prayer, just reach out in the comments and I will be honored to pray with you; or ask God to help you find your way to Him. Read the Bible! It contains all the answers. God has promised that all who seek Him shall find Him. God bless.

Featured image photo credit: @Can Stock Photo Inc/LeoBlanchette

Will a mere mortal rob God?

This is so hard for some. How difficult is it to trust in our Creator, God Almighty , to provide for us? After all, He has already given us air to breathe; water to drink, bathe, and recreate in; delightful food and taste buds to enjoy even the mundane routine of daily nourishment.

He gave us beauty in the sunrise, the bejewelled planet of the solar system as our home, the sunset, and cool breezes. We share earth with the plants and animals, and He gave us families, the ability to create art, cities, and most importantly, He gave us our own free will to follow Jesus to obtain eternal life. God is truly holy and only desires good for mankind. He hates evil in every form.

Is our nation cursed because we are robbing God? God doesn’t change, according to His Word. Our nation needs wise leaders who follow God’s precepts and laws. Our people must return to faith in the One True God, Jehovah and trust in His Son, Jesus, with a true heart.

Yet, there is always that nagging fear that our needs will not be met unless we maintain constant, fretful control of every detail of our lives. I have heard, “Let go and let God.” Today I am trying to simply trust Him for the details while I just breathe in and out. Forgive me Lord, for all the times that I have robbed You! I surrender it all to you in praise and thanks for it all belongs to you. Turn America again to you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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