Month: July 2008

  • How can people call themselves Christians and not believe in the bible as the word of God?

    (Before I start I just want to say happy birthday again to my little preemie growing up so fast)

    I have been reading stuff on Revlife recently, You know Xanga’s supposedly Christian form. And there is a big problem I am noticing, and I am not talking about all the non Christians who like to use the form to disagree with the Christian’s. I am talking about the people who call themselves Christian’s and comment on there and defend stuff the bible talks about as sins, all because they do not believe the bible is the HOLY WORD OF GOD.

    I do not understand. How can you be (or call yourself) a Christian and not believe the bible?

    To undermine, discredit and reject the Bible is to undermine, discredit and reject Christianity.

    2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

    It was written over 1600 years, over 60 generations, by more than 40 authors, on three different continents, in different circumstances and places, in different times, different moods, in three languages, concerning scores of controversial subjects, but it speaks with one united voice.

    There are at least 332 distinct Old Testament predictions regarding the Messiah which Jesus fulfilled perfectly (such as His birth in Bethlehem, His emergence from Egypt, His healing of the sick, His death on the cross, and so forth). Collectively, the combination of this evidence together is absolutely overwhelming.

    Peter Stoner wrote a book called Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963), that applies the science of probability to the prophesies of Jesus.
    First, Stoner looks at just eight of the prophecies and considers the probability of just these being fulfilled by one man. (from Evidence That Demands A Verdict… pg.174-176)
    1)     Being born in Bethlehem (Mic.5:2)
    2)     Preceded by a messenger (Is.40:3)
    3)     Entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Zec 9:9)
    4)     Betrayed by a friend (Ps.41:9)
    5)     Sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zec 11:12)
    6)     Money thrown in the temple, buying a potter’s field (Zech 11:13)
    7)     Dumb before accusers (Is.53:7)
    8)     Hands and feet pierced, crucified with thieves (Ps.22:16; Is.53:12)
    Stoner concludes that the odds of any man that might have lived down to the present time fulfilling all eight of these prophecies are 1 in 10 to the 17th power.  That’s a one with seventeen zeroes after it!
    To grasp the size of this number …
    “Suppose we take 10 to the 17th power silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas.  They will cover all of the state two feet deep.  Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state.  Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wished, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one.  What chance would he have of getting the right one?  Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.”
    But keep in mind, that’s with only EIGHT of the prophecies!  Don’t forget that there were over 300 prophecies concerning Jesus

    To reject the Bible is to reject the God of the Bible. To reject God is to reject the Commandments of God. To reject the Commandments of God is to reject the Authority of Heaven. To reject the authority of heaven is to accept the Anarchy of Hell.

    “WILL THE OLD BOOK STAND?”

    Will the Old Book stand, when the “higher critics” state
    That grave errors are discovered on its page?
    Will it save the sinful soul? Will it make the wounded whole?
    Will its glorious truth abide from age to age?

    Will its message still abide, when the scientists decide
    That its record of Creation is untrue?
    Tell us the ascent of man is by evolution’s plan;
    Will its principles the sinful heart renew?

    When in language wondrous fair, “Christian Scientists” declare
    That there is no evil, only mortal mind.
    When mental treatment fails, and seeming death prevails,
    May we in the Bible consolation find?

    When infidels parade the mistakes which Moses made,
    When the truth of Revelation they deny,
    Will the Ten Commandments still the demands of justice fill?
    Will its word support us when we come to die?

    Yes, the Word of God shall stand, though assailed on every hand,
    Its foundations are eternally secure;
    It will bear the critic’s test, and the idle scoffer’s jest,
    Its saving truth forever shall endure.


    Can someone please explain to me how a person can call themselves a Christian but yet not believe in the bible as the WHOLE (that all of it is) word of God.

  • Today my Preemie is turning 6.

    Today my little (not so little anymore) preemie is turning 6. I thought I would do a post of pictures of him from birth to now. Enjoy.
    Happy 6th birthday little man

    He was 

    born on 7/31/2002 at 9:57pm (Due September 3rd)

    Was in the NICU until August 16th



     

  • Jeremiah 31 – Restoration and the 1,000 year reign of Christ

    Jeremiah 31:1-2 KJV  At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.  (2)  Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

    Revelation 12:1-6 KJV  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:  (2)  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.  (3)  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.  (4)  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.  (5)  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.  (6)  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

    Jeremiah 31:3 KJV  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

    From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage in a Lebanon cell. For months at a time Reed was blindfolded, living in complete darkness, or chained to a wall and kept in absolute silence.  On one occasion, he was moved to another room, and, although blindfolded, he could sense others in the room.  Yet it was three weeks before he dared peek out to discover he was chained next to Terry Anderson and Tom Sutherland.

    Although he was beaten, made ill, and tormented, Reed felt most the lack of anyone caring.  He said in an interview with Time, “Nothing I did mattered to anyone.  I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me]. … I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force.  If no one cares, you are truly alone.”

    God has let us know He loves us.

    Jeremiah 31:4 KJV  Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

    God can restore. They had totally blew it but God restores.

    Jeremiah 31:5-6 KJV  Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.  (6)  For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.

    Divided nation reunited.

    Jeremiah 31:7 KJV  For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

    Repent then restored.

    Jeremiah 31:8-9 KJV  Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.  (9)  They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

    They are being restored.

    Jeremiah 31:10 KJV  Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

    We are watching it happen the last 40/50 years

    Jeremiah 31:11-12 KJV  For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.  (12)  Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

    John 7:37-39 KJV  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  (38)  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (39)  But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.

    Jeremiah 31:13 KJV  Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

    Mourning turned to joy.

    Jeremiah 31:14-15 KJV  And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.  (15)  Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

    Matthew 2:17-18 KJV  Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,  (18)  In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

    Jeremiah 31:16-19 KJV  Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.  (17)  And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.  (18)  I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.  (19)  Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

    Repented then was instructed.
    God convicts. We repent. Then God instructs us.

    Jeremiah 31:20 KJV  Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

    Think about the wickedness they had done against the Lord, and God says He still loves them! The same is true for each of us

    Romans 5:8 KJV  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

    Luke 15:11-32 KJV  And he said, A certain man had two sons:  (12)  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.  (13)  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.  (14)  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.  (15)  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  (16)  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.  (17)  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  (18)  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,  (19)  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  (20)  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  (21)  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  (22)  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  (23)  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  (24)  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.  (25)  Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.  (26)  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.  (27)  And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.  (28)  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.  (29)  And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:  (30)  But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.  (31)  And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  (32)  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

    Jeremiah 31:21-22 KJV  Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.  (22)  How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

    Some say it refers to the safety in the millennium when a woman is all the protection a man would need.
    Others say it refers to Israel (as the woman) returning to God (as the man)
    Others say it refers to the incarnation, when God became a man inside the womb of a woman.

    Jeremiah 31:23-28 KJV  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.  (24)  And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.  (25)  For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.  (26)  Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.  (27)  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.  (28)  And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

    When the chastening is done, He restores.

    Jeremiah 31:29 KJV  In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.

    Ezekiel 18:1-32 KJV  The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,  (2)  What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?  (3)  As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.  (4)  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.  (5)  But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,  (6)  And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,  (7)  And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;  (8)  He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,  (9)  Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.  (10)  If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,  (11)  And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,  (12)  Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,  (13)  Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.  (14)  Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,  (15)  That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,  (16)  Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,  (17)  That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.  (18)  As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.  (19)  Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.  (20)  The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.  (21)  But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.  (22)  All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.  (23)  Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?  (24)  But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.  (25)  Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?  (26)  When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.  (27)  Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.  (28)  Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.  (29)  Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?  (30)  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.  (31)  Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?  (32)  For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

    You are responsible for your attitude. You choose the quality of your marriage.

    I am not saying “positive confession.”

    This is what the church in America really doesn’t want to hear but God is not as concerned with your happiness as He is your holiness.

    Jeremiah 31:31 KJV  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

    New Covenant. Jesus’ Blood was used for the new covenant.

    Hebrews 8:1-13 KJV  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;  (2)  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.  (3)  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.  (4)  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:  (5)  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.  (6)  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.  (7)  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.  (8)  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:  (9)  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.  (10)  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:  (11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.  (12)  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.  (13)  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

    Jeremiah 31:32-33 KJV  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:  (33)  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

    The Holy Spirit

    Jeremiah 31:34 KJV  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

    First comes forgiveness, then we can know God, and God writes His ways on our hearts.

    Micah 7:18-19 KJV Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. {19} He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

    Psalm 103:12 KJV As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

    One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of the Holy Spirit in her heart. She responded to God’s call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry teaching young children. It not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and the heart of the pastor’s son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began.

    You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor’s son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting got completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry, the pastor’s son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was this: “My fiance’s past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?”

    Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely, then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

    Ephesians 4:32 KJV And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

    Jeremiah 31:35-40 KJV  Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:  (36)  If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.  (37)  Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.  (38)  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.  (39)  And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.  (40)  And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

    One day Jesus is coming back and He will reign for 1,000 years.

    Revelation 20:1-15 KJV  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  (2)  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,  (3)  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  (4)  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (5)  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  (6)  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.  (7)  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,  (8)  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  (9)  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  (10)  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  (11)  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  (13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  (14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

    This is what is called the “millennial kingdom”.

    Isa 65:20-22 KJV There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. {21} And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. {22} They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

    If someone dies at age 100, they would be considered a child. I believe that people will be living the entire length of the millennium, just as those in Adam’s day lived almost to be 1,000 years.

    May God bless you and draw you closer to Him. May you follow His will for your life.

  • Opinions. please

     I am changing my theme for my page. I think I like this one.

    What do you think about this new theme?

  • Jeremiah 30

    Jeremiah 30:1-3 KJV  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,  (2)  Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.  (3)  For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

    They will return from Babylon.

    Jeremiah 30:4 KJV  And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.

    Some of the content of these prophecies apply to Jeremiah’s day, and the return of the people from Babylon. Some of it when Jesus returns the second time to set up His kingdom on earth.

    Jeremiah 30:5-7 KJV  For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.  (6)  Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?  (7)  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

    Speaking of a future time of great catastrophe. It is called the time
    of Jacob’s trouble, and it relates to the last 3 1/2 years of the
    tribulation period, also known as the great tribulation.

    Matthew 24:15-22 KJV  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)  (16)  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:  (17)  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:  (18)  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.  (19)  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!  (20)  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:  (21)  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  (22)  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

    2/3 of the Jewish population will be destroyed. Right now it has been estimated that there are about 15 million Jews living in the world, that would mean 10 million will be destroyed! And the pain will be like a woman in labor. It is out of all that we see God birthing the kingdom age. But before that comes they will have to go through a time called Jacob’s trouble!

    Jeremiah 30:8-9 KJV  For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:  (9)  But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

    This is not speaking of the Babylonian captivity, but of what the Antichrist will do, and what God will do in breaking his yoke of oppression.

    Jeremiah 30:10-13 KJV  Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.  (11)  For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.  (12)  For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.  (13)  There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.

    Your sins are leading you to death.

    Jeremiah 30:14-15 KJV  All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.  (15)  Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

    Why does God judge? To correct.

    Jeremiah 30:16-17 KJV  Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.  (17)  For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

    A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter says, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you’ve done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in. “Okay,” the man says, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.” “That’s wonderful,” says St. Peter, “that’s worth three points!” “Three points?” he says. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service.” “Terrific!” says St. Peter. “That’s certainly worth a point.” “One point!?!!” “I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans.” “Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,” he says. “Two points!?!!” Exasperated, the man cries. “At this rate the only way I’ll get into heaven is by the grace of God.” “Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!”
    The healing came at the cross.
    Jesus died for our sins.
    He paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.

    Jeremiah 30:18 KJV  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

    Anytime they start digging in Jerusalem they hit some kind of artifact. They can’t dig at all in Jerusalem without hitting something.

    Jeremiah 30:19-24 KJV  And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.  (20)  Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them.  (21)  And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.  (22)  And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.  (23)  Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.  (24)  The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.

    There is coming a day when God will pour out His wrath like a whirlwind, destroying the wicked, so that His purposes may be established, the kingdom of God will be set up and righteousness will fill this land.

  • It should be illegal

    If it isn’t, It should be illegal to burn trash at 1am.
     
    I am wide awake. I woke up 1:10am and smelled smoke. I jumped out of bed
    and went in search of what was burning. I was going room to room heart racing
    but I couldn’t see any smoke anywhere.
     
    Finally I realized the smell is coming from outside. Someone is burring
    trash near here at 1am.
     
    The worst thing is this isn’t the first time this has happened. About two
    weeks ago someone was burning trash at 11pm.
     
    It should be illegal to burn trash in the middle of the night. I will now
    be awake for a long time because it scared me.
     
    Who burns trash at 1am????
  • What TV shows have you been watching lately?

    Let’s see……What do I watch?

    Fox News and CNN Headline News

    Ice Road Truckers
    They truck up north on the frozen water. I really loved watching Alex drive the truck. He was a good Christian man with 11 children. He had to stop trucking this season though because he had blood clots in his lungs. Hopefully he will be ok.

    Animal cops
    I like watching them. They follow the work of animal cruelty investigators.

    I saw one episode of “The secret Life of the American Teenager” this past week.
    They keep comparing it to 7th Heaven. Don’t really know much about the show at this point.

    Hogan’s Heroes
    A show from the 1960s. I love this show.
    Colonel Hogan leads a ragtag band of POW’s caught behind German lines in this popular television comedy. The bumbling Germans give Hogan and his crew plenty of opportunities to sabotage their war efforts. Colonel Klink is more concerned with having everything run smoothly and avoiding any trouble with his superiors (especially anything that might result in his being reassigned and sent to the front) than with being tough on Hogan and his fellow prisoners.
     
    Atlanta Braves baseball

    What do you watch on TV?

    I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

  • What would you have done?

    This happened this past week….My husband was over paid by his work 11 1/2 hours of overtime. He went and let them know and they are taking it out of his next paycheck. It was a mistake that no one would have most likely ever have noticed. He was honest though and went and told them and they will fix it. I know that many people would not have been that honest and would have just kept it. I am lucky to have such an wonderful honest husband. God will bless him for him honesty.

    What would you have done? Would you have kept the money (no one would have known) or would you have told them and got it fixed?

  • Jeremiah 29

    Jeremiah 29:1 KJV  Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

    Jeremiah is writing the captives a letter. To the ones that were taken in 590BC.

    Jeremiah 29:2-3 KJV  (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)  (3)  By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,

    Shaphan was a scribe. He was a godly man and raised Godly sons.

    Jeremiah 29:4-5 KJV  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;  (5)  Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

    Settle there. You will be there awhile. How long? 70 years.

    Jeremiah 29:6-7 KJV  Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.  (7)  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

    God is saying you will be here. Settle in. Become good citizens. This is God’s will for you.

    Jeremiah 29:8-11 KJV  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.  (9)  For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.  (10)  For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.  (11)  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

    God has a plan for you. You may be going through difficult times, but if you are God’s child, then you don’t need to be afraid. You don’t need to be afraid of what God is thinking. He’s thinking thoughts of peace. He’s got a future and a hope for you.

    Jeremiah 29:12 KJV  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

    There 70 years will be used to bring them back to the Lord.

    Jeremiah 29:13-14 KJV  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  (14)  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

    The text the NIV, RS, NAS, etc uses is manuscripts that were set aside by the early church as missing verses. The text that the KJV uses is the one that was accepted by the church through out the centuries as being complete.

    Why is this important? Acts 8:37 is in the KJV. It isn’t in the new perversions, or it is in with a note. It is an important verse.

    Acts 8:37 KJV  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

    The Lord wants to save you. You must accept Jesus Christ the Son of God.

    Jeremiah 29:15-17 KJV  Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;  (16)  Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;  (17)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

    The ones not in captivity, the bad figs, get sword, famine and pestilence.

    Jeremiah 29:18-21 KJV  And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:  (19)  Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.  (20)  Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:  (21)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

    Turn to God. The two false prophets in Babylon will be killed by the king. (They were)

    Jeremiah 29:22-23 KJV  And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;  (23)  Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

    These false prophets were speaking lies and saying they were speaking for God. They were sleeping around, living in sin, living immoral lives. But they of course had a following. People loved to have their ears tickled, but they didn’t and don’t like the conviction of God’s Word. People today are so reckless with the Word of God and with these false prophecies that are being spoken like they come from the throne room of God. And God has not changed His Words, He says the same thing to the false prophets of today that He said to the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day.

    Jeremiah 29:24-27 KJV  Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,  (25)  Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,  (26)  The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.  (27)  Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?

    They want the leaders to shut Jeremiah up.

    In Verse 26 they are calling Jeremiah insane.

    Jeremiah 29:28 KJV  For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

    Get rid of him. We don’t like his message.

    Jeremiah 29:29-31 KJV  And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.  (30)  Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,  (31)  Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

    Shemaiah was a false prophet.

    Jeremiah 29:32 KJV  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

    His line will be wiped out. He wont make it the 70 years.

    God knows you. God loves you. He wants you to be saved. He wants you to accept the gift of His son.

    Seek God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart.

  • Luke 12 – Hypocrisy and the fear of the Lord

    Luke 12:1 KJV  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

    Beware – When Jesus says beware we should pay attention.

    Leaven – like yeast. A little leaven, leavens the whole lump.

    The leaven is hypocrisy. Starts small but if we don’t guard our hearts it will grow. It can corrupt everything.

    Hypocrisy literally means one who wears a mask.

    One of the most damaging hypocrisy is when you are one way at church but another at home. That is training your children that Christianity is nothing but a sham or a show.

    Let your light shine ALL the time. It needs to be the brightest at home. The first people you evangelize are at home.

    The root of hypocrisy is unbelief. God hates hypocrisy.

    Acts 5:1-5 KJV  But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, {2} And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles’ feet. {3} But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? {4} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. {5} And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

    Ananias’ sin wasn’t in keeping some of his money from the sale of his property.  His sin was in pretending that he was giving everything he owned to the church when he wasn’t.  His sin was hypocrisy.

    Luke 12:2-3 KJV  For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.  (3)  Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

    You can’t hide anything from God.

    Luke 12:4-9 KJV  And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  (5)  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.  (6)  Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?  (7)  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.  (8)  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  (9)  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

    Don’t be scared of man. All they can do is kill you. Only God (Jesus) has power to cast into hell.

    God is in control. Fear God. A healthy fear of God will purify your walk.

    Luke 12:6 KJV  Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

    Buy 4 get one free :)

    Luke 12:7 KJV  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

    God knows how many hairs are on your head. When we talk about learning to fear God, there is a balance to keep in mind.  We fear Him because of who He is, but we love Him because He loves us.

    Luke 12:8-9 KJV  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  (9)  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

    You make the choice.

    Auxensius was a great commander under the Emperor Lycinius.  Lycinius came one day into the court of his palace, where there was a great bath, and some vines growing about it, with the image of Bacchus set up among the vines.  The emperor commanded Auxensius to draw his sword and cut off a bunch of grapes, which, as soon as he had done, he ordered him to offer it at the feet of Bacchus, which was as much as to acknowledge him to be a god.  Auxenisius answered, “I am a Christian; I will not do it.”  “What!  Not do it at my command?”  saith the emperor; “then you must quit your place.”  “With all my heart, sir,” said the Christian soldier, and, in token of it, put off his belt, which was the same as giving up his commission, and departed rejoicing that he was enabled to withstand the temptation.

    Luke 12:10 KJV  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

    Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost not forgiven. What is this?

    Revelation 20:11-15 KJV  (11)  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  (13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  (14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

    What keeps us out of heaven? Not being found in the book of life.
    How do you get in the book? Faith in Jesus Christ.

    The Holy Spirit’s main job is to point to Jesus.  He tells people that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the Savior of the world.  When people blaspheme the Holy Spirit, they are rejecting the things that the Holy Spirit it impressing on their heart.  They are rejecting Jesus as their Messiah.
    When a person refuses to accept Jesus as the Messiah, they are rejecting God’s chosen means of salvation.  They are rejecting salvation.  If a person continues to reject Jesus, they will not be forgiven because they have rejected (blasphemed) the only way to be saved.

    Luke 12:11-12 KJV  And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:  (12)  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

    Don’t be worried what to say. The Holy Spirit will speak through you.

    Acts 4:7-13 KJV And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? {8} Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, {9} If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; {10} Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. {11} This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. {12} Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. {13} Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

    Luke 12:13-15 KJV  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.  (14)  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?  (15)  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

    Beware of covetousness. The value of your life is not determined by how much you have.

    Luke 12:16 KJV  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

    God causes the ground to bring forth.

    Luke 12:17-20 KJV  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  (18)  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  (20)  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

    He could have given it to the poor. God blesses you with much, maybe He wants you to give more away.

    I….I….I! It was all about him. It is not wrong to be wealthy. It is wrong for wealth to rule you.

    Luke 12:20 KJV  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

    You are only guaranteed the present. The past is under the blood of Christ (if you are a Christian). Present is fellowship of God. Future is in the hands of God.

    What are you doing with what you have now? Is it honoring God?

    Dennis Barnhart was president of an aggressive, rapidly growing company, Eagle Computer Incorporated.  His life is a study in tragedy. From a small beginning, his firm grew incredibly fast.  He finally decided they should go public.  The forty-four-year-old man, as a result of this first public stock offering, became a multimillionaire virtually overnight.  Then, for some strange reason, while he was in his red Ferrari only blocks from the company headquarters, he drove his car through twenty feet of guard rail into a ravine and died.
    A Los Angeles Times account read:
    Until the accident at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon, it had been the best days for Barnhart and the thriving young company, which makes small business and personal computers.  Eagle netted $37 million from the initial offering of 2.75 million shares.  The stock which hit the market at $13 a share quickly rose as high as $27 before closing at a bid price of $15.50.
    After describing the stock, the article added: “That made Barnharts ownership of 592,000 shares worth more than $9 million.”  And that same afternoon he died in an auto accident.

    Luke 19:12-26 KJV  He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. {13} And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. {14} But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. {15} And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. {16} Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. {17} And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. {18} And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. {19} And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. {20} And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: {21} For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. {22} And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: {23} Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? {24} And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. {25} (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) {26} For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

    There will be a day when God expects you to show him what you’ve done with the life that you’ve been given.
    It starts by following Jesus.  It continues with serving Jesus.

    Luke 12:21 KJV  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

    You don’t have to be wealthy on earth to be rich towards God.  It’s all about doing good things for others, it’s all about doing things for the kingdom of God instead of the kingdom of “me”.

    A fool lays up treasure on earth. None of it goes with you when you die.

    God bless you and draw you closer to Him.