Faith-Hope-Charity

 Faith-Hope-Charity are known as the Three Virtues.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13 

This infamous Three Sisters mountain is located in Canmore Alberta, Canada. Canmore was officially named in 1884 by Canadian Pacific Railway director Donald A. Canmore in Gaelic means “Big Chief ”. In the traditional Stoney language, the peaks refers to the story of an old trickster who would promise the “Three Sisters” in marriage whenever he was in trouble.

In 1883, Albert Rogers, was caught in a snow storm that after left the peaks snow-capped—resembling nuns in white veils; so Rogers titled the the mountain the “Three Nuns”.

In 1886, George Dawson, a Canadian geologist, and surveyor, named the mountain the “Three Sisters” on his map. The “Three Sisters” is recognized as the “Big Sister, Middle Sister, and Little Sister”—but is actually inscribed as Faith (Big Sister), Hope (Little Sister), and Charity (Middle Sister), as Dawson decided this was most appropriate. (I'm a middle sister so I LOVE that Charity represents it 😊; I certainly identify myself following after the love of Jesus)

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 

Faith in Christianity, represents our confidence in Christ-Jesus, through the Crucifixion on the Cross; and our dying to the flesh (worldly pleasures) so we can have the hope of Salvation. 

Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Hope represents our faith in Christ—who we cling to for our Salvation. True hope, has just as much substance as faith; this is why we say 'NO' to ourselves when our desires are out of line with God's Will. As we continually say no to ourselves (having our lives reflect His death and burial of our sin), His life - by the power of the Holy Spirit raises us up. (I have recently put this into practice - It Works!)

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Charity represents the heart and soul—associated with the God the Father, God (Jesus) the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Charity is God's love at work in us: this is what moves us to think favorably of those who are not favorable. By doing so, we demonstrate the supreme love God has for us, through Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior. If it wasn't for the Love of God, men would know God even exists because we live in a fallen world. You will also note, those who are the farthest from God don't believe love exists either. Charity is most important because it's a kingdom building—soul winning virtue.

Without God (love), human existence would not make any sense, because love, is the only substance or foundation, in which all relationships are established upon. Without relationships, life is not worth living. 1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Relationships are the most important thing to God; as Christians, they need to be important to us too!

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

We see from this passage that Charity or Love is eternal whereas all the other virtues are not. This is because God is eternal 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

In the conclusion of Paul's Epistle, Paul ponders the elementary stage of our ability to recognize our own failings. He helps us understand the importance of putting away our selfish ambition (sin) as this breaks our relationship with the LORD. When God shows us our sin, we respond in two ways: we either ignore the conviction, or we are convicted by it—and desire to make things right. 

There are those who see (only) sins of others rather than their own; these people are blind to their own lusts whether it's ostentatiousness, an addiction, or even benignity, pride—envy and wrath. This represents the “dark glass” we see through in 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. There is a motive behind each thing we do—and it's those motives that we will account for at the judgment seat.

I have heard many people ask, “How can God forgive specific people—you don't know what they've done”? Well, let God be the merciful judge of them, and you go and worry about your own sin that will you separate from God. 1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

The “face to face” term in1 Corinthians13 represents God's confrontation of the sin we carry in our hearts. We only see ourselves “in part”—so we need to rely on a Holy God to anchor us, because He is the only one who knows us completely; To understand ourselves fully IS to recognize our own evil. St Augustine knew perfectly well when he prayed; “Forgive me OH LORD, that evil man—myself!”

If we don't perceive or accept our own sin, the Love of God cannot possibly be in us. We will never understand what Jesus did for us—and never come to appreciate His love. We need to accept the fact that our sin helped put Him there because if it didn't, then it could not have been taken away. And if it wasn't taken away, that proves that we rejected Jesus. 1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee... When we disregard our own sin, we will never know what we were forgiven of. As a result, we remain outside of God's Love. You see, your sin has not only broken God's heart, but it has also hurt others as well—even if you don't perceive or accept it. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. We need to come to terms and be honest with ourselves...

When Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 “but then shall I know”—he meant that we only come to know God by recognizing how evil we are (not someone else)! This is something that cannot be done by looking at the failings of others—only our own!  As we continually recognize and correct our failings, we grow in the faith, have eternal hope, and walk in His Love. 

“the greatest of these is charity.”

God Bless,

Maria

Simplifying Forgiveness

Matthew 6:15 says, "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Scary stuff, especially considering we all have to face death someday. Since this is the case, I felt the need to address the 'how to' when it comes to applying forgiveness.

Honestly, I chuckle how difficult pastors make the concept of forgiveness out to be; it's obviously because they fail to understand its simple concept! (Perhaps it's because they are Calvinists {using the Bible for the exalting of self - and desiring the damnation of those who oppose them} or Apostates {anti-Christs who have abandoned the Truth and have given themselves over to false self-serving doctrines})

For the rest of us, forgiveness, simply put, is where you recognize that the person who wounded you is lost; then, you respond with the love that God has for them. This takes the acknowledgment off of what they did to you and places the acknowledgment on the fact that they are not saved - and face an eternity separate from Jesus. Jesus took our pain on the Cross (Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed), so when we respond by allowing the love of God to flow through us, we show ourselves to be genuine children of God (not those who try to steal their way in - Luke 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.)

In 1 John 4, this passage is clear when it comes to love and forgiveness. If you notice, this is the only chapter in the Bible committed to it's own solitary topic; that's because of it's importance, relevance and eternal warning...

When we are able to forgive, it comes from the assurance that we are loved by God and we prove that we belong to him (1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.)

1 Peter 2:19 says, For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

What this means is "it is honorable to bear the pain of unjust suffering because we are conscious of the Love of God. We need to have a sincere love for the transgressor, rather than a love for ourselves. The Love of God must be internal and personal and "winsome" for God. Romans 12:19 says, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." This means that when we take vengeance into our own hands, God removes His judgment. James 1:20 says, "for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." This shows us that our anger is our of a pure selfish motive. This will never lead anyone to salvation; and since it doesn't, your attitude proves that you are not a child of God. 

Winning the lost is God's #1 priority, and He does this primarily through us (2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God). As workers for Jesus, we are going to experience hurt - especially when we carry the fullness of God's love for others in our hearts. When we forbid ourselves to be used by God in this manner, we are not in right standing with God - and therefore not saved.

Forgiveness is an act of love, that takes the focus off of the pain we suffered, and puts the emphasis on acknowledging the Love God first showed us. Through that Love, God shows us that the person who hurt us is living apart from Him. As Christians, our automatic response ought to be a built-in desire to see him or her restored. 

When we feel we are unable to forgive - it is because we are focusing on ourselves (the pain that the person caused) rather than acknowledging the Love that God showed and demonstrated for us. 

It's a self-centered version of ourselves that says, "how I feel is more important to me than anything else". When we choose this method of dealing with people who wounded us, we are failing to acknowledge the love that God has for us - and therefore we are literally turning our backs on God.  

It is important that we fully understand the Love God has for us all. We do this when we come to grips of how great our own sin is. The Bible says in 1 John 1:8 that “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” When we acknowledge OUR sins that put Jesus on the Cross, we come to understand all of what He acquitted us of. Genesis 6:1-3 says "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."

These are the fallen gods; it's important to know that. We were pro-created with the fallen. We are children of the devil by default. When you understand how intense this is, then you realize why God required an intense atonement for us through the shedding of the Blood of Jesus on the Cross. We need to be mindful of our own sin-condition and forget about the sins of others - because we are not guaranteed eternity until we made complete in Him and we are actually there! (2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.) 

Now, There is no shame in suffering, Jesus suffered for us. In fact when we suffer, we are blameless, but only as we remain in God's love. When we step out of God's love and choose division (getting even), we lose our innocence and become guilty of a greater sin...

As Christians, we will share in Christ's sufferings (Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together); but, we also inherit his blessings which (re)conditions our heart so we have the ability to forgive. 

When people hurt you, it's most often because they are not established in Christ Jesus; it's important to recognize that. What's more is these folks who take-aim at you do so to test the love you have for them (although it is really God who is testing the quality of your heart; this is how He qualifies us).

When your love comes from the heart rather than the head, you will always prove yourself to be authentic; this will help you to stand firm in Christ and endure to the end! (1 John 4). 

Hebrews 3:14 says "For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end."

God Bless,

Maria

The Power To Forgive

The Bride (Christ's Return for His People)

Ephesians 5:27...that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

What does it mean to wed?  "To Wed" means to blend together or unite inseparably. No wonder a diamond is used to symbolize this unbreakable bond. The ancient Greek meaning of this gemstone is ἀδάμας – adámas, meaning "unbreakable," "proper," or "unalterable".

When a couple marries, there must be compatibility amongst the two if they hope the marriage will survive. A successful marriage survives on compatibility in 5 specific areas. 

1) Religious beliefs and values (morale); 

2) Financial planning, spending (budgeting) and investing; 

3) Family planning and environment (housing - location - time with extended family); 

4) Travel and leisure (if interests are not mutual, you may find most if not all your spare time apart!); 

5) Devotion, affection and passion (many marriages break down due to a lack of passion, attention and genuine affection). 

Compatibility is the glue that holds couples together. 

Did you know that God designed us to be compatible with Jesus? He makes us compatible and unalterable with Him! Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 

One day, we are going to be presented to God as the Bride of Christ and we are entering into an unbreakable, unshakeable eternity. There is a lot of preparation for our "banquet" so it's time to get excited and get prepared!

Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

In John 2:1-11 we read the story how Jesus turned water into wine. It doesn't surprise me that His first miracle took place at a wedding. A lot of preparation goes into planning a wedding - everyone wants it to be their "perfect day". Make no mistake, this will be a perfect day, and Jesus has been planning it for a long, long time.

John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

One of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding is selecting guest and sending out invitations; having all your loved ones present at your wedding will make your day a very special occasion.

Each time we minister to others, we are effectively sending out an "invitation" to those who have not yet come to know the love of Jesus. The best way to have a lot of guests at our wedding is to minister the Love of God through Jesus to others; this is what Jesus wants. Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. We are not to make light of His coming. Jesus does not want us to be so pre-occupied with our own lives that we forget to "send out invitations"...

Matthew 22:1-7 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Jesus is coming soon; He is coming for His Bride which is us. He wants to see us all there. He longs for His Bride and I don't think He will take too lightly being "stood-up" at the altar...

Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

A bride wears white which symbolizes purity of the soul. 

Jesus placed a great deal of emphasis IN cleansing us from our unrighteousness. We need to be careful so that we do not defile ourselves so we can be presented as His perfect Bride. We need to stop focusing on the 'forgiveness' aspect of salvation and get ready to be joined to a Holy God. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Our old-nature can creep up any time; it is our responsibility to keep in front of us Who we are going to be joined to. We have a new-nature so we should not continue in sin, but acknowledge that we are joint-heirs with Christ and live the Crucified Life.

Revelation 19:6-9 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

When couples are about to wed, there is a lot of excitement stirred in their hearts. They are anxious for one another - eager to start their new lives together. There is real passion and a desire for one-another; This results in couples behaving differently toward each other. Old thought patterns drop-off and new thought patterns begin. You no longer think in terms of "ME" but think in terms of "WE".

The Threshold

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

Traditional weddings were often described as kidnappings or bridal abductions. It’s a symbolic meaning of where the groom would steal away the woman he wished to marry (some men would have their best man do this). This still remains a cultural practice in some parts of the world. A bridal abduction is where the man whisks his love from her home and takes her to be with him. Men have done this to avoid paying the bride price for her. Jesus is coming soon so when He does, He is coming like a thief in the night - and He's already paid the price!

The Ceremony 

Revelation 21:9-11 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

The setting here is really too wonderous to put into words. We will not truly understand it fully until we are there. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that "we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known". I also like what John said 1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." The Bible makes it clear that until we are there, we only get a 'glimpse' because this is not (yet) our reality.

The Veil 

Song of Solomon 5:7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. Traditionally, veiling is used for sacred things. In history, men wore veils - not women. Our sin is our shame; this shame has taken our veil away from us because we are sinners. Our (holy) veil was replaced with a cloth veil to cover our dishonour. 1 Corinthians 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. A cloth veil doesn't make us holy or acceptable; it's the veil (covering) that Jesus gave us that makes us acceptable. Hebrews 10:20 by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I can't say how this event will take place but it sounds pretty magnificent!

Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. Traditionally, husbands are the 'providers' for the family. God will always provide for us. When we dwell with him in heaven, we will never have to be concerned about not having provision.

1 Corinthians 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. We will never have to deal with the problems we face here anymore. It will be a perfect paradise.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Imagine you are standing at the alter and this is the wedding vow. This is Jesus asking "do you accept that I will love and cherish you for an eternity". The "Come" resembles your response as "I do".

And lastly, we take on His Name. Revelation 22:4 and they shall see his face; and his name shall be IN their foreheads. Traditionally, spouses wore their wedding rings day and night, causing an indentation IN the skin so that the 'mark' is visible even when the ring is removed.

Ezekiel 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

Jesus' first miracle was done at a wedding - and as we prepare for an eternity spent with Him, let us take seriously the complete and perfect joining to God by the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus the Son -  who lives for evermore.  

Let him who hears "Come"

Jesus is LORD

God Bless,

Maria

©Maria Morton 2022 All Rights Reserved

Heartbeat Of Heaven

All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord God. Ezekiel 32:8 

If you are like me, you must be as stunned as I am with regards to the level of darkness hovering over the earth right now. Governments, Globalists, deceitfulness and deception have hijacked every faucet of media. It's very unfortunate that they have also influenced the Christian church - as the church has been referred to as illuminati meetings. The Gospel of Christ is not a motivation tool, but the very Power of God: (Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.) It is our responsibility to treat the Holy Scriptures with honour (Revelation 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it).

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Colossians 1:4-5

Today I awoke from one of the most heavenly dreams I ever had.
Jesus and many others were in heaven - and I was there also.
Each time the Name of Jesus was mentioned, taught and preached, a light turned on and all of the heavenly bodies cheered with excitement. I looked around and new lights were appearing - and heaven was getting brighter and brighter!

Jesus himself looked at each light and had a full knowledge of what was said, to whom it was said - and the eternal impact of the words spoken.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 

We are called to bear His Light before others, not only in deed, but also in Word. Each word we speak we will be held accountable for (Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment). So when we share the Word with others, we are using our words diligently.

In all my life, I have never witnessed darker times than the ones we are living in right now; but the truth is, the darker it is, the brighter you can shine. John 8:12 Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Everybody wants to be a somebody. People will fail in their vein attempts to be something that they're not because they're fashioning themselves after the world.1 John 2:15 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."  If you are a child of God, then God will not grant you success when pursuing the things of the world. He does this to preserve us (Deuteronomy 6:24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day).

So, why not be what and who you were called to be - an eternal light for our Glorious LORD and Savior, Christ Jesus? " In Matthew 5:14 Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." The best way to shine is to shine for Jesus! 

God Bless, 

Maria

The Crucified Life

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

We live in the last days, and the most challenging thing about today is the absence is the Fear of the LORD. One of the reasons nobody fears the LORD is because they have adapted to the ideology of the Omnibenevolent - All Loving God. This is a part of the New World Order and the One World Religion of Christlam If you are a Christian, or consider yourself in Christ, this ought to be very concerning... (Many pastors & Christian artists have been subliminally promoting this while the masses are unaware)

Zechariah 9:11  (AKJV)  As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant; I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

To not speak of hell, and our deserving in the share of the cup of the LORD’s Wrath, would be counted as (my) hatred toward you - because I'm not warning you on how to escape it. Apart from abiding in Jesus, we are all prisoners - trapped in a waterless pit.

Revelation 14:10 (AKJV) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  

This shows us that if we are not in Christ - living the Crucified Life, we will have our share in the second death.

Mark 15:36(a) (AKJV) And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; Mark 15:37 (AKJV) And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 

The spunge full of wine-vinegar represents the cup of the LORD’s Wrath. As we see here in Mark 15, Jesus drank of it just before he gave up His spirit and descended into hell. This means that he brought our sin to hell with Him and rose to give us His Power over death (death = sin  – Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord). This shows us that we can escape the second death, but we must do the part that Jesus requires us to do;

Hosea 13:14 (AKJV)

I will ransom them from the power of the grave;

I will redeem them from death:

O death, I will be thy plagues;

O grave, I will be thy destruction:

repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Jesus laid the groundwork for our Salvation by lifting us up, and giving us power over death; but, it doesn’t stop there... we have to do our part – which is to live (daily) the crucified life. Living the Crucified Life is to simply die to sin (life's fleeting pleasures). Now, Jesus drank the cup of the LORD's Wrath just before descending into hell. As we live the Crucified Life daily, our sins were taken into - and remain in hell - and we walk (free) in Christ's victory (over death). This is why it is necessary to teach the realness of hell; it's because one of two things will go there: one being our sin, the other one will be us - because we chose to retain our sin. (In Acts, we see that the Holy Spirit is our retainer of eternal life when we live the Crucified Life.) 

Galatians 2:20-21(a)  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: 

Apart from living the Crucified Life – we frustrate or cancel or prevent God's Grace – and the remission of our sin.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Perhaps some of you are not necessarily caught up in these sins, but, do you ever think upon such things? Are you entertained by them in tv, music and movies? Jesus says in Matthew 6:22-23, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Lasciviousness is the continuing of the giving of yourself over to whatever you like to “binge” on; it could be food, beverage, media, shopping – anything that prevents you from bearing fruit in your life (Galatians 5:22-26)

Heresy is distorting God’s Holy Word. It’s so easy to distort God’s Word especially with all the different translations they have now... Have you ever read something in the Bible that was too hard for you to bear - so you grabbed another Bible translation to soften it’s blow or say it doesn’t mean that? (That is sedition – changing the language or meaning so that the Bible suits you). You don’t change the Bible, the Bible changes you! If it can’t change you, than you are not a child of God!

Variance is another sin; Revelations 17:13 says “These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” When you don’t have the mind of Christ, you are a part of the anti-Christ – which is at work all around us, and many are blind to it because of this. The anti-Christ is not a physical person with spiritual power, but a spiritual power at work in many. We see it at the pulpits, in (anti) Christian music and even in Bible translations...we are living in the most dangerous times and if your pastor doesn’t teach repentance and daily dying to self – he is a wolf – RUN!

The Bible says we ought to have the same mind as other (true) believers. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

This is all it really takes to live the crucified life.

This is why it is necessary to remind yourself that every day you wake up, that life and death (heaven and hell) are constantly before you.

“It is better to die to the sinful nature - than to die because of that sinful nature”.

God Bless!

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

If you've ever driven through the Rocky Mountains, you know how easy it is to fix your gaze on them, and how hard it is to take your eyes off of them. It's a peaceful experience that is calming, soothing and comforting especially when compared to the complexity and stress of big city-driving. Studies have shown that our driving habits reveal our true personalities and how we compose ourselves in stressful situations.

I recently had a trip to a large city; the moment we got close, there was a heavy flow of traffic; drivers cutting people off—showing up that middle finger—all rushing to get to their destination for whatever important reason they figure they had.

I have never been affected positively by someone who was in a rush; negatively— absolutely, but never positively. I doubt you have either. I certainly couldn't wait to return home where I live in my little mountain town, but first, I had to pass through the high elevation Rocky Mountains...

Mountains contain water so naturally, rivers and streams flow from them. Mountain clouds divert air masses which force them to rise—then cool, and fall as rain, or snow. Mountain clouds limit pollution—providing us with fresh filtered water and they sustain food production for more than half of the world’s population. Mountain clouds also regulate the flow of streams [downstream] harnessing rain and fog that provide power to hydroelectric dams—all this has a positive impact on our environment.

Mountains are not only beautiful and meaningful, but they are also very powerful. No wonder that Jesus' Sermon was on the Mountain (Matthew5:1-12). 

The majority of people do not dwell in high elevation mountains but we can reflect that beauty by fixing our focus on Jesus. Jesus is beautiful, meaningful and all the power of heaven and earth is trusted to him. As the mountains provide power for the earth, Jesus provides power for us.

Lets examine what Jesus really means! We have JES and we have US.

US (preposition) is where we represent ourselves. Apart from that, there is no significance or source that empowers us other than our secular [corrupt; in opposition with Biblical values] world.

Did you know that JES (colloquial) means great excitement? (used to express pleasure, joy, or great excitement)? JES also means (tangible) riches; overflowing and YES! But most importantly, JES (subject) describes a person who has a heart for anything living; A hand that heals, and a heart that loves; an instrument for the living God. Jesus impresses us with this significance in John 15. Putting JES and US together brings all that He is into our lives!

All streams flow downward; it is only those whose hearts are filled with God's peace, hope and joy that can flow into the hearts of others. The Bible says in John 7:38 that "Streams of living water shall flow from the hearts of those whose gaze is fixed on Jesus." As we fix our eyes on Jesus, we become like him. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, we lose heart [faith] and the cares and business of this life choke our effectiveness.

It takes discipline [leadership] to position your focus on Jesus rather than your self—important 'to-do' list, but there is a peaceful result that has a positive continuous effect on the lives of others.

When our hearts are filled with hope and faith, we overflow—affecting the lives of others [bearing fruit] in a positive way. When we allow ourselves to be disciplined [keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus] we become living lights for God's purpose and Glory. Others will recognize that light and come to know the One True God of Hope and Salvation - Jesus! See More

God Bless!

 

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Abandoned!

While on my road-trip, I had the pleasure of taking pictures of this abandoned house. Up close, you can see that at some point, there was the intention to renovate, but it obviously never came to pass. Judging by what I saw, this home has been waiting for a loving touch for about 40 years. In the second picture, you can see that the back door has been left wide open; although I could have walked right in, I decided not to for safety reasons.

Looking at this house I remembered this verse from John 14:18 which says, "I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, bereaved, and helpless]; I will come [back] to you."

I know I have a story of how I have felt abandoned and run down - needing a loving touch. It seems that the longer it took, the more helpless (hopeless) I felt.

With ways of my own, I created a lifestyle that eased the discomfort; but in the end, it only lead to greater discomfort.

Psalm 149:4 says "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory."

It is our human nature to desire to have our needs met by what this world offers; after all, we live here - but, we are not staying here...

Perhaps it is God's goal to break us from this world and the passing things that are in it because he is preparing us for an eternal home. We must be "on board" with God's perfect plan because it begins here, but it doesn't end here.

Psalm 127:1(a) says that unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it.

If you are struggling, that may be an indicator that it's time to Let Go and Let GOD!