AreYouReady

WhatCouldBeNext

2009-02-21T08:05:00.004-05:00

WhatCouldBeNext

What could be next on our horizon, once the Government owns everything? Once the National Debt exceeds the Gross National Product + All Assets then the Loan Holder owns everything including Us.

Exodus 1:8 ¶ Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10 "come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land." 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage––in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

How then will the Government control all of it's holdings?

Revelation 13:16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

God told us what the end would look like, the only question is are we there yet and

AreYouReady for what comes next?

FamineInTheLandExcerpt

2009-02-21T07:21:00.002-05:00

FamineInTheLandExcerpt

Pharaoh's government, led by Joseph, socialized the whole country to where the government ended up owning everything and employing everyone to save the nation. Is this not where we are headed today?

Genesis 47:13 ¶ Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed." 16 Then Joseph said, "Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. 19 "Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate." 20 Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 "And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one–fifth to Pharaoh. Four–fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones." 25 So they said, "You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants." 26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one–fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

Why couldn't the people of Egypt once forewarned just save their productivity and store up for themselves? Why did their government need to step in?

The Fallen Human Nature. The fact is that we are just too greedy to save for ourselves and others and we don't want to believe gloom and doom on our horizon so we will do nothing and just hope for the best.

It all started in the garden when our parents wouldn't be satisfied with access to the whole created universe save one cursed tree, at the encouragement of one lying serpent they cast aside all they had for one lousy tree. Talk about yer tree huggers.

Well today we see another famine on the horizon. A famine created by our insatiable desire to have more than God wants us to have, just one more tree please. So we all band together and agree to trade one more tree for one more promise of I'll pay you later (credit) and on and on we go until we have more trees and debt than brains and now our governments will have to step in once again and rescue us and will end up owning everything and there is really nothing we addicted tree huggers can do about it.

God save us again, Please!

ReadyForAnythingPeriod

2009-02-19T20:33:00.009-05:00

ReadyForAnythingPeriod

We've known for years that we are headed to the Rapture and the Tribulation Period like heading for a black hole. So now we look around the world and see all the dominoes falling one after another and man helpless to stop it so maybe we are so close that we can finally see the black hole we're headed for. I think time is short. Keep yer eyes on the sky and don't get caught unprepared. "Ready" for anything.

Luke 17:20 ¶ Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." 22 Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 "And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. 24 "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 "Remember Lot's wife. 33 "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 "I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 "Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 "Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." 37 And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

WhatDoYouThink?

ReadyForJudgement

2009-01-23T11:06:00.011-05:00

ReadyForJudgement

Obama to Lift Ban on Overseas Abortion Funding

President Obama is expected to sign the executive order one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

FOXNews.com
Friday, January 23, 2009 from:http://tinyurl.com/asgcly

President Obama on Friday is expected to lift a ban on federal funding for international groups that promote or perform abortions, reversing a policy of his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Obama will sign the executive order one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

The move, long expected in the Democratic president's first week in office, will be welcomed by liberals and criticized by abortion rights foes.

The so-called Mexico City policy requires any non-governmental organization to agree before receiving U.S. funds that they will "neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."

It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy.

The policy was first instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and continued by President George H.W. Bush. The policy was reversed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and re-instated by President George W. Bush in 2001.

******************

by keithan49 [Jan 23, 2009 10:46:55 AM]

The blood of these children are on the hands of those who pulled the voting lever for this man

******************

Revelation 6:

9 ¶ When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

How long LORD? How long?

ReadyForUse

2009-01-14T08:59:00.003-05:00

ReadyForUse

How many of us long to be "used of God" to minister to those around us the way the early Church was used to minister to each other and to their society? How we yearn to "see" our prayers for others answered in the positive and the burdens lifted and the infirmities lifted. How hard is it to have "faith" when our own circumstances begin to deteriorate?

We must look at Abraham and the thing God required of him to demonstrate his faith:

Genesis 22:
1 ¶ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
3 ¶ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." 6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 ¶ But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." 12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The–LORD–Will–Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."
15 ¶ Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son –– 17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

He said ..."because you have done this thing, and have not withheld"..."all the nations of the earth shall be blessed"...

In today's trying times we are often asked to choose between obedience or self provision. We often have to choose to trust God's truthfulness or disbelieve and work it out ourselves.

Even Paul struggled with his weakness and wrote "Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death...? and so this is part of our inherited fallen human nature. We want to "trust and obey" but we frequently worry and try to compensate instead.

We see the needs of others and we pray God to help them and despair as we wait on God. We say Lord, send them away to find food for they haven't eaten and are in need but the Lord says "You feed them". We say where will we find enough to feed this multitude and He says "Oh ye of little faith how many loaves do you have?" still with all this we hold back afraid to loose our own seemingly self-obtained possessions. So God has to take us from time to time to the backside of the mountain and down to the valley to remind us of our own frailty.

Only when we "hear from God" and trust and obey Him implicitly will we ever see the Glory of God working in us and through us.

Lord teach us and just as You give us the faith for salvation give us the faith for obedience. Amen

That's what I think, how about you?

ReadyLotsWife

2009-01-11T09:49:00.005-05:00

ReadyLotsWife

Posted: Jan 10, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject: Losing my house

Just got our church & ministry back in order & now this:

Found out last night that our last attempt to save our house has failed. Short of a miracle, the bank is going to take it. I don't know a time line yet, wont know anything until Monday.
But, I suspect we don't have long. we are looking for a house to rent. have appointments to look at 2 tomorrow.

Not a good year financially. losing my full time $15 an hour job & going to a part time $12 an hour job.

not good for the finances.

_________________
Chris Mansfield
Outpost 97---Senior Commander / DR Commander
Central Section, Michigan District, Great Lakes region

Posted: Jan 11, 2009 4:49 am Post subject:

We, and I mean me and the millions of recently unemployed in this country, feel your pain Commander. There is nothing nice about the loss many are experiencing these days.

I was laid off from my automotive parts job at a Mercedes-Benz franchise the day after Thanksgiving along with many others at our Dealer to reduce expenses due to our shrinking business. Though I am drawing unemployment, which will just cover my modest mortgage payment for the next six months, the rest of my obligations and our food are coming from two of my daughters who are still at home and working.

My wife who suffers from maigraines and is recovering from breast cancer and requires a lot of medication and medical attention and hasn't had to work but has raised our five children can't help.

However, although we didn't vote for Obama we know it is God who determines the outcome of these elections for He uses both the just and the unjust (I'm not labeling anybody in particular as unjust by the way) to accomplish His will in the His earth.

Our government, for whatever there intentions are, is working frantically to deal with this crisis and whether we get washed out with the tide before help comes or not our God has a plan for us.

With all that's going on in the world today who knows if God will not just seperate His people from their worldly ties just before He returns to call His Bride out of this world. To help us so we don't look back as did Lots' wife and freely let go of the little we have left in this world. Remember that He said that "NoThing" would seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus and that our names were written down in His book of life from "before" the foundations of the world.

_________________
Discovery Rangers Commander, Outpost 314
Harvest Assembly of God
Reporter, http://www.rangerforums.com/ Pen.Fl/Central Division/Section 11

ReadyToTell

2009-01-08T16:04:00.004-05:00

ReadyToTell

When we were younger and our faith was new and our child count was only two of five one son and one daughter and our daughter being two or three as I recall, she was very prone to fever. Every time she would get a cold or something she would get these really bad fevers. We would at the Doctors advice have to take these drastic steps to get her fever down. Alcohol rub downs and even imersing her in a tub of cool or even cold water.

This stuff scared the Dickens out of my wife and I when ever it happened and we felt so helpless. Once when I was away at night school my wife had to deal with it by herself and when she dipped her into cold water she went into resperatory arrest that is she stopped breathing. Fortunately my EMT Father in law lived just next door and jumped over the fence and into the house and revived her and all was well.

Thankfully she eventually grew out of this proneness to fever and grew up healthy but she liked to scare her Mother and I near to death first.

Well one of my favorite recording artists at the time and still was Don Francisco and he did this song taken from the following scripture that really tore me up every time I would hear it because it was all about us. As I used to play a little guitar I did this song myself in our Church a couple of times and it is hard to maintain composure when you're so deeply tied to the story.

So read the scripture and listen and watch Don Francisco and tell me what you think.

Luke 8:40 ¶ So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" 46 But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 48 And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." 49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher." 50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYwNwTqI-y4

ReadyForEnough

2009-01-07T23:16:00.004-05:00

ReadyForEnough

Why is the world economy in such a mess?
Why are major corporations asking for money?
Why is our nation borrowing from nations we used to loan and give to?
Why are record numbers out of work?
Why is our government giving money it doesn't have to banks who won't loan the money to the same people whose money it really is anyway.

Greed Lust Covetousness Pride...

God always provides what we NEED but we always want more.

God gave man the whole universe to subdue except for one lousy tree but he just had to have that tree.

It was said recently that the international debt is four times the gross international product. This is an unsustainable imbalance.

Living on borrowed money can't go on indefinitely. Sooner or later the loaner want his money or its' value in product and we can't give it.

Somehow we need to figure out how to live on what God provides and do without the things He doesn't want us to have. When we insist on having those things God doesn't want us to have by spending money He didn't provide we are headed for what we are seeing now.

Exodus 16:13 ¶ So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16 "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: 'Let every man gather it according to each one's need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.'" 17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one's need. 19 And Moses said, "Let no one leave any of it till morning." 20 Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.
22 ¶ And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.'" 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. 26 "Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will be none." 27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28 And the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 "See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

Here's a perfect picture of the nature of mans unwillingness to settle for Gods' will and provision. Instead of gathering just what they needed some hoarded extra and just as it rotted and bred worms so our excesses destroy our lives and families and even nations. Inspite of Gods instruction to gather twice as much on the sixth day and nothing on the Sabbath still some went out on the Sabbath looking for Gods' supply which wasn't there and they displeased the God who was providing for them.

How like this generation:

Haggai 1:1 ¶ In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: 'This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built."'" 3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! 6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes." 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! 8 "Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD. 9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 "Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 "For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands."

And finally:

Matthew 6:31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

That's What I Think, How About You?

ReadyForMusic

2009-01-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

Even when things are difficult we can still rejoice in the Lord. After serving as the Song Leader in our small Church in Miami for nearly seven years I learned to rejoice in song for our salvation is of the Lord.

We did a lot of hymns and some choruses. One of our favorite hymns was I Shall Not Be Moved. Here are the words:

Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved;
In His love and favor, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

Chorus
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

In my Christ abiding, I shall not be moved;
In His love I'm hiding, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

If I trust Him ever, I shall not be moved;
He will fail me never, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

On His word I'm feeding, I shall not be moved;
He's the One that's leading, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

Here's the tune if you don't know it and No, that's not me in the video.
I don't play though I wish I could.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwZr85-2i5o

Stroll Down Memory Lane

ReadyToMove

2009-01-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

ReadyToMove

What does it take to move the comfortable Christian down off the mountain and onto the path of God's direction? How hard is it to capture our attention and give us marching orders.

For years God has told us in His Word what we are to do generally but what about specific instructions? How does He distract us from our life and plans to dispatch us on His mission for our life and would we go if called?

We are raised from early on to set and pursue short as well as long range goals and to measure and evaluate our progress along the way. We are told that if we fail to plan then we plan to fail.

Our Parents, Teachers and other Leaders as well as our Peers all go out of their way to laud our accomplishments and successes. Our own self esteem rises and falls on the recognition we receive from those around us.

Even as Moses who went through his youth with a knowledge of God imparted to him by his Mother and family even though he was raised as the step son of Pharaoh's daughter and in the comfort of a royal family but later to become an outcast from Egypt when he defended his mothers people and killed an Egyptian taskmaster. He fled to Midian where he started a new life, married a wife who bore him sons. He had all but forgotten his family left behind in Egypt when God appeared to him in the mount in a burning bush.

God called him to leave his life and take his family back to the land he had fled from and confront the Pharaoh he had grown up with and run away from and tell him of God's command to let God's people go that they might serve God. But Moses said "who me?" We can even picture him looking around to see who God was talking to. Moses objected saying that he was no public speaker and why should Pharaoh or even the elders of the tribes of Israel follow him? God insisted and Moses went.

We really don't have much choice when God sends. We can go by donkey or we can go by whale but go we will.

It's hard to leave all that we think we've prepared and worked for over the years of our lives but really everything we've been allowed to experience is just to prepare us to receive and obey God's call for we are not our own but God's property. So how do we go and where do we go from here? Sometimes we just wait for God's instruction and provision.

Mark 1:14 ¶ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." 16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Now these were men who were part and the heart of family businesses. They undoubtedly had been in this line of work all their life and knew no other and yet at the call of this stranger, anointed of God to be sure, they left all and went off in an unknown direction. But what were they leaving save all that they had been prepared for probably all their life. What were they leaving but their security and even their sustenance and their families? Where were they going and how would they live? They had no idea but there was something they couldn't put their finger on just then. Something about that man that was calling them.

Jesus spent a lot of time teaching and reassuring them of God's faithfulness to provide and to lead while at the same time warning others to count the costs of following. Following Him was not for the faint hearted.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

So when at the age of 59 I get laid off and join the ranks of the 4.5 million currently unemployed and in a carreer field, (Automotive), where virtually no one is hireing, I come down off the mountain and listen for the Lord's direction.

Knowing that my time is really His time and my life is really His life I wait on the Lord.

A Ready Answer

2008-12-30T10:07:00.000-05:00

ReadyWithHope

Israel Hits Hamas Offices, Vows Relentless Campaign
Israeli jets slam Hamas security installations and the home of a top militant commander in 'the first of several' operations
U.N. Chief Demands Immediate Gaza Cease-Fire
White House Calls for Hamas to End Rocket Fire
India 'Moves Troops Toward Border'
Pakistan says India has activated forward bases following Islamabad's own deployment amid Mumbai attacks dispute
Taliban Burning, Beheading Its Way Through Pakistan
Unusual Swarm of Earthquakes Hits Yellowstone

It has been said "I know there is no God. or he would put a stop to the Killing".

But why do we blame God for things He has forbidden when we ourselves disobey?

Man is so caught up in the whirlwind consequences of his own sin and he knows he can't extricate himself, though often unwilling to admit it, so he finds no other avenue but to put the blame on someone else and with God being unseen by the human eye why not blame Him and then punish Him by denying His existence?

This is a self-refuting argument if you think about it. I'm going to first blame the God I say doesn't exist and then I am going to deny His existence so now I say there is no God, who do I blame now?

So what do we answer in response to these pleas of frustration we hear from the unregenerate lost? Do we go on the defensive and try to defend God? Do we shake our Bible in their face and tell them to repent? Or do we give them up to their lost condition and say "ya win some and ya lose some"?

What does God say about it?

Mark 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? 17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

We should expect sinners to sin, they can't help themselves, and find the medicine they need, our love (God's love) and concern, our spiritual readiness from preparations in prayer and in the Word, then sow the seeds in their life. Persistence and patience and remember that God did not spare His own Son to build the bridge back to Himself for us or them. They are family, love them in to the Kingdom.

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

ReadyForChrist

2008-12-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

All-Out War' With Hamas
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak calls conflict with terror group a war 'to the bitter end' after 320 are killed in air strikes
Israel obliterates dozens of Hamas targets with air strikes, declares area around Gaza Strip a 'closed military zone.'
Pakistan Warned Against Neglecting Terror Front
- U.S.: 14 Students Killed in Bombing at Afghan School
A message in Church yesterday, a call to vigalence for time is short.

Matthew 24:1 ¶ Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 "For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 "Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 "Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 "And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. 23 "Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 "See, I have told you beforehand. 26 "Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 ¶ "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near––at the doors! 34 "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 "Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 "But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 "and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

ReadyForFamine

2008-12-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

AreWeReadyForFamine?

When God would send a famine on the land of Egypt first He sent a dream to it's nations leader so he could make preparations to preserve the lineage of Christ and His people Israel. But before He sent the dream He sent Joseph by way of much affliction to hear and interpret that dream and to administer the provision of God that would insulate His people from the famine.

Genesis 41:1 ¶ Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. 2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7 And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.

Pharaoh's government, led by Joseph, socialized the whole country to where the government ended up owning everything and employing everyone to save the nation.

Genesis 47:13 ¶ Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed." 16 Then Joseph said, "Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. 19 "Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate." 20 Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 "And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one–fifth to Pharaoh. Four–fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones." 25 So they said, "You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants." 26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one–fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

Why couldn't the people of Egypt once forewarned just save their productivity and store up for themselves? Why did their government need to step in?

The Fallen Human Nature. The fact is that we are just too greedy to save for ourselves and others and we don't want to believe gloom and doom on our horizon so we will do nothing and just hope for the best.

It all started in the garden when our parents wouldn't be satisfied with access to the whole created universe save one cursed tree, at the encouragement of one lying serpent they cast aside all they had for one lousy tree. Talk about yer tree huggers.

Well today we see another famine on the horizon. A famine created by our insatiable desire to have more than God wants us to have, just one more tree please. So we all band together and agree to trade one more tree for one more promise of I'll pay you later (credit) and on and on we go until we have more trees and debt than brains and now our governments will have to step in once again and rescue us and will end up owning everything and there is really nothing we addicted tree huggers can do about it.

God save us again, Please!

ReadyTheWorld

2008-12-26T10:13:00.000-05:00

Is the world “Ready” for what comes next?

Thousands of Pakistani troops are moving away from the Afghan border toward India, intelligence officials say...
Car parked by man who killed eight party goers, torched L.A. home explodes and more ammo is found within, officials say...
CIA agency operatives reportedly using Viagra to win over Afghan warlords, chieftains and gain information on the Taliban...
Chinese warships, armed with guided missiles and helicopters, set sail for first anti-piracy mission.

Just a sampling and who besides God knows what comes next? With our Global economy shrinking, our leaders at a loss for knowing what to do and with promises made in recent campaigns being impossible to keep short of printing fiat currency and driving inflation through the roof, where are we going to land?

The world isn't “Ready” but we should be. God has given us insight in His Word as to what we can expect. He has done this that we might rejoice and work in His field even more earnestly.

John 4:34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 "Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

Luke 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 "men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. 27 "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

2 Timothy 2:3 ¶ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 ¶ But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16 ¶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Is the World “Ready” are We “Ready” to Work?

ReadyForPersecution

2008-12-25T07:27:00.000-05:00

Are we “Ready” for persecution?

More and more these days we hear about what amounts to religious persecution of Christians for walking in their faith, for sharing their faith with their world. But isn't that exactly what Jesus has told us to do? Are we not to go into ALL the world and PREACH the Gospel, the good news of Christ?

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Yet the secular world while espousing freedom of religion really means freedom from religion. While it claims to be protecting people from being offended it causes offense. It says that we all have the right to practice our religion privately but if our religion requires us to preach in a public manner then we are stepping on the rights of others.

We as Christians know that the earth and indeed everything is the Lords and that we all belong to Him, we are all His property and have no self endued rights at all but rather we have the obligation to obey and to follow His commands which He has given us in His word.

But the secular world around us can never understand this because these things are spiritually discerned and before the Holy Spirit steps in and regenerates us we are all Spiritually dead and a dead man can't understand anything nor do anything.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Given the current deteriorating nature of world affairs and the secular view of Christianity in particular should we expect any thing less than persecution and should we then be insisting on our presumed right to be free from such persecution or should we rather expect it?

John 15:18 ¶ "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.20 "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.21 "But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.23 "He who hates Me hates My Father also.24 "If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.25 "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

Mt5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Rejoice in persecution and pray for them and remember what our Lord has said:

Lu 23:33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."...

WhenGodIsReady

2008-12-24T23:17:00.000-05:00

Like 2:1 ¶ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 ¶ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Have a Blessed "CHRIST"mas, and bless the Lord

Are We Ever Ready

2008-12-24T12:16:00.000-05:00

Job 1:13 ¶ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 "when the Sabeans raided them and took them away––indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 "and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"
20 ¶ Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."

Are we ever really “Ready” for the some of what our future holds and can we be? Or are we just like ships on the sea, tossed to and fro by every wind and storm that comes our way or that we unknowingly or knowingly sail into?

The question is can we make adequate preparations to insulate ourselves from the effects of every possible difficulty or are we destined to take the brunt of the damage and keep on going forward with a smile. Can we talk God out of allowing some of the calamities that are in store for us or the consequences for some of the ill advised actions we take?

I recently heard of an acquaintance who lost a parent and a step parent to the pent up frustrations of a previous spouse of one of the parents who ended their life after taking the life of the other two. What a way to approach the Christmas holiday. I'm sure we could all share some Christmas horror stories.

The fact is that the enemy of our souls hates to see God's people prosper spiritually or materially and is always looking for opportunity to accuse or to impede our progress. But he can do nothing without God's permission and God is working in all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

So how can Job or we say “ The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD” in spite of our circumstances? First we must know God's word and know with Job that He knows what He's doing even when we don't understand. Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Is that easier said than done? Absolutely, I can't do it all the time in my own strength but He helps us to cope if we stay close to Him and in His word.

We need to remember: Phip 4:5 ... The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy––meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

So say I, what say You?

Be Ye Also Ready

2008-12-23T17:38:00.000-05:00

Mt 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Jesus said that we need to be "ready". Ready because we don't know what the future brings our way or because we don't know when?

In this case the reason was related to the when "in such an hour". Jesus knew the what and He told us the what but He didn't tell us the when.

The Bible is God's revelation of Himself and ourselves to us. It reveals the nature of God and the nature of Man, and of Man in a way that we would certainly refrain from publishing. When would I think to sit down and reveal every nook and cranny of my thoughts and deeds to another or even to myself?

I have much better things, more fun things to do with my mind and time than to sit and contemplate my transgressions. Besides, it's simply not all my fault or responsability is it? Can't my parents or somebody else take the, er, some of the blame for me? I just don't want to confront it because it seems to cost too much to change it. So I'll distract myself with something more enjoyable.

Unfortunately or fortunately I can't hide from myself forever because no matter where I go I take myself with me and God who is not willing that any should perish chases after me everywhere I go and His Spirit is constantly calling me back to His Word.

Thank God for His love for us that even in our rebellion He won't abandon us. Much too high a price He paid in His Son to purchase us back into fellowship with Him. I dare not put off His calling for I know not the when so how can I continue in my state of separation, I can't.

Oh LORD, receive us back into your presence quickly and let us always seek You above all else.

So say I, what say you.