Why Do You Love The Lord?

Psalms 116:1-2(NKJV)

1    I love the Lord, because He has heard      My voice and my supplications.

2    Because He has inclined His ear to me,     Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

As I read this verse and my initial response was "You mean you wouldn't love the Lord because He hasn't heard you?"  That in turn got me to thinking, why do I love the Lord?  Can I put it into words? 

For me that is pretty easy.  The obvious part is for salvation.  But beyond that, how does God effect my daily life?  I love God because I know I can count on His promises.  I don't have to wonder if there is a catch or anything.  Because of that I know that I can count on God's promise to guide my life without a bit of doubt.  Every day that I seek Him.  For that I am eternally grateful.

But what does God want from us in return?  More than anything else, one simple thing.  Psalms 116 gives us a clue.  I believe this is King David writing this Psalm.

Psalms 116:12-14(NKJV)

12    What shall I render to the Lord      For all His benefits toward me?

13    I will take up the cup of salvation,     And call upon the name of the Lord.

14    I will pay my vows to the Lord     Now in the presence of all His people.

That's it.  Simply call on the name of Jesus for your salvation.  Simply accept and believe that Jesus was God's son who came to earth and died for our sins.  Asking Jesus to come into your life and take over is the offering that God most desires for all that He does for us.

Have you done that yet?  All you have to do is have a conversation with Jesus.  "Dear Jesus…."

Why???

I don't know about you but there are times God's plan just doesn't make any sense to me.  This is one of those times.  When I read this passage it left me just asking "Why?"

Take a look at what I am talking about.

Revelation 20:1-3(NKJV)

1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

2He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 

3and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

What?  You have Satan captured and defeated.  Why in the world does God then feel the need to let Satan loose back on the earth to cause more trouble?  What is the point?  That is just going to cause more misery for the people left on the earth at the end of the 1000 years of Christ's rein. 

After reading the rest of the chapter I have a guess but it is only a guess. 

Satan is released for the final battle.  Could it be that there is something important about a final showdown and God defeating Satan in battle?  It sure seems that way to me.

Who Is This Describing?

Read this passage and then answer this question.  Who is this passage describing?

Revelation 19:12-16(NKJV)

12His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He £had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 

13He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 

14And the armies in heaven, clothed in £fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 

15Now out of His mouth goes a £sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

16And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

If you said Jesus I believe you are correct.  Now take a look at the verse that proceeds the verses that you just read.

Revelation 19:11(NKJV)

11Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 

"…. in righteousness He judges and makes war."

I hate to beat a dead horse here but again we see a picture different than Kumbaya Jesus.  Here we are told that Jesus makes war.  Huh?  Jesus?  Makes war?  That's what the Scripture says. 

Who does Jesus make war against?  My guess is that He makes war against the enemies of God.  And who are the enemies of God?  Scripture tells us that God considers those who reject Jesus to be His (God's) enemies.   

"…. in righteousness He judges and makes war."

The other thing I find interesting here is an answer to those who say that war is never the answer.  I would beg to disagree.  Scripture tells us that there is such a thing as a righteous war so I would suggest that means that sometimes war is the answer!

Now some of you may wonder why I keep pounding on this.  I'm not doing it on purpose.  It's just that the Scriptures keep appearing and God leads me to point them out.  It's just part of my nature.  Here is what I mean by that.

We all have "motivational" gifts as pointed out in Roman 12.  Last year at church I took a Spiritual gifts test based on Romans 12.  My number 3 gift is that of teaching.  It's not something I asked for or necessarily wanted but it is one of the gifts that God chose to give me.  It is therefore incumbent upon me to use that gift.

One of the things mentioned in the description of the Teaching gift is that "As you mature in Christ, the Scriptures and their accurate interpretation will be of great importance to you.". 

In the case of Kumbaya Jesus I think that is especially true.  People need to realize that it is not a live and let live situation in the eyes of God and Jesus according to Scripture.  There are very serious consequences to rejecting Jesus. 

God gives each and every one of us free will and God will respect our choice.  That doesn't mean however that we are free from the consequences of that choice.  At the point that you say "no I don't believe that Jesus was God's son and that Jesus was raised from the dead" you have called God a liar and declared yourself an enemy of God.  According to Scripture God takes that personally.

Now compare that to the benefits of accepting Jesus.  You become part of the family of God instead of God's enemy.  You get to enjoy that peace that surpasses all understanding by accepting Jesus.  You get the gift of the Holy Spirit to help guide you.  Why in the world anyone would reject Jesus is beyond me but some do.

How about you?  Have you accepted Jesus yet?  No better time than right now.  You don't need to know all the answers.  Just take a leap of faith and get started.  Just have a conversation with Jesus and invite Him to lead your life.  "Dear Jesus…." 

An Interesting Indicator

I'm not one who gets all wrapped up in end times prophesy.  As I've written before, Scripture tells us that even Jesus doesn't know the exact time so why should be expect to be any different. 

Scripture does however tell us to be vigilant so I do keep an eye on things and look for clues.  I ran across one today that I hadn't noticed before. 

Revelation 18:11-13(NKJV)

11“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 

12merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 

13and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 

In my opinion the common thread here is luxuries.  One of the signs of the end times will be that no one is buying luxury items. 

If that is the case then we aren't there yet because since the global economic downturn in 2007-2009, companies who sell luxury goods have been doing better than almost any other businesses out there!

Does God Give Bad or Evil Rewards?

Why do so many Christians consider wealth bad or evil when it was promised by God as a reward to the righteous?  Hmm? 

Psalms 112:1-3(NKJV)

1    Praise the Lord!     Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,      Who delights greatly in His commandments.

2    His descendants will be mighty on earth;      The generation of the upright will be blessed.

3    Wealth and riches will be in his house,     And his righteousness endures forever.

As Ayn Rand said in Atlas shrugged.  "There are no contradictions.  If you think you have found one, check your premise."  (And yes I get the irony of quoting an atheist on a Christian blog.  :)

Not sure if this is interesting or disturbing!

I have read Revelation more times than I can remember but I had never noticed this before. 

Revelation 14:1-5(NKJV)

1Then I looked, and behold, £a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, £having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 

2And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 

3They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 

4These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were £redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 

5And in their mouth was found no £deceit, for they are without fault £before the throne of God.

I had never noticed before that the 144,000 are virgins.  The reason I find that a little disturbing is that Islam promises martyrs 72 virgins.  Now I realize that the 144,000 are virgins.  What is the deal with both religions focusing on virgins.  Just seems a little weird. 

I Stand Corrected

One of the things that I love about studying Scripture is that there is always something to learn.  Sometimes when you think you know something you find out you are wrong.  Today is one of those days.

Revelation 14:9-11(NKJV)

9Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 

10he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 

11And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

In the past I have written that you can always be saved with one exception.  If you blasphemed the Holy Spirit you are done.  No going back from that. 

However according to this verse there is a second thing that will get you banned from Heaven forever, no do overs.  That is if you accept the mark of the beast. 

So apparently there are two things that will get you banned from Heaven forever.  Take note!

LOL, what an unChristian prayer!

Here is another example of the dichotomy between the New Testament and the Old.  In the NT Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies.  But when Jesus said that, somehow I don't think this pray of David's is what He meant.

LOL, David is praying for his enemies all right but look what he is praying for.  That they be left fatherless.  That they be beggars and starve.  Wow! 

It just seemed kind of funny to me.  :)

Psalms 109:1-15(NKJV)

1    Do not keep silent,      O God of my praise!

2    For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful     Have opened against me;     They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3    They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,     And fought against me without a cause.

4    In return for my love they are my accusers,     But I give myself to prayer.

5    Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,     And hatred for my love.

6    Set a wicked man over him,      And let an £accuser stand at his right hand.

7    When he is judged, let him be found guilty,     And let his prayer become sin.

8    Let his days be few,     And let another take his office.

9    Let his children be fatherless,     And his wife a widow.

10    Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;     Let them £seek their bread also from their desolate places.

11    Let the creditor seize all that he has,     And let strangers plunder his labor.

12    Let there be none to extend mercy to him,     Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

13    Let his posterity be cut off,     And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14    Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,      And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15    Let them be continually before the Lord,     That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

"And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. "

What do you think this means?

Psalms 107:43(NKJV)

43    Whoever is wise will observe these things,      And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

To get the full meaning go back and read all of Psalm 107.  It details the cycle of man. 

We love God and worship Him.  We start to get full of our selves and take credit for what God does for us.  We get into trouble.    God allows us to experience some punishment for our disobedience, either directly or indirectly, and then we are reconciled back to God where we love and worship Him again, for a while.

Here is what I get out of the Scripture.  That discipline is part of God's love!

"Their soul fainted in them."

What an elegant way of saying someone has no hope.

Psalms 107:5(NKJV)

5    Hungry and thirsty,     Their soul fainted in them.

Of all the human conditions, I think this is the saddest of all.  No hope.

Why do I think that?  Because there is absolutely no reason for it.  If you accept Jesus and dig into God's word; and then adjust your behaviors and beliefs accordingly, there is absolutely no reason for not having any hope.

What do I mean by adjusting behaviors and beliefs?  Let me give an example.  Let's say someone has had a tough life, they accept Jesus, start reading God's word, but make no real changes in their life.  What sort of changes?  Let's start with this Scripture to see what kind of changes.

Romans 5:3-5(NKJV)

3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Well to start with have they started taking joy in their tribulations?  In other words have they changed their attitude in life?  As I've pointed out before, according to Scripture, our attitude in how we handle things is important to God.  So have they changed their attitude or are they still whining about how unfair life is and how it isn't their fault, etc.?    If not then the how in the world do they expect their life to change? 

The sad thing is, many of these people will quickly give up, blaming God when in reality it is their lack of understanding and effort that is holding them back.   Their giving up so quickly once again shows that they aren't truly listening and trying to live God's Word.  How can I say that?  Look at the progression of God's plan in Romans 5:3-5.  Glory in tribulations, tribulations produce perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character leads to hope, and hope DOES NOT disappoint. 

As you can see from the above example, "they" have already rejected not one but the first two parts of God's plan for their hope.  Again I would ask, how is that God's fault and how can they expect things to get better when they don't make any of the changes that God gives them to make? 

Sadly many of these people will continue in their ways instead of God's ways and will live out their lives with no hope.  To me that is just another way of saying they will live out their lives in hell on earth-no hope.  The sad thing is, God has given them the keys to escape their own little hell any time that they want to use them.  But they reject God's counsel.  This next Scripture tells us what to expect when God's counsel is rejected.  "Bound in affliction and irons-" 

Psalms 107:10-11(NKJV)

10    Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,      Bound in affliction and irons—

11    Because they rebelled against the words of God,     And despised the counsel of the Most High,

Of All the Signs….

Of all the signs of things to come, I think this one should be the hardest to miss.  I can't give you chapter and verse right now but it is also one of the few concrete signs that Jesus refers to in the Gospel as well. 

As I have written in the past, some signs mentioned in the Bible are so general that they aren't much good.  On the otherhand something like this is pretty specific and I should think hard to miss. 

My advice?  Get saved so you are ready whenever the time comes.  But once you see the two witnesses in Jerusalem, get ready baby!

Revelation 11:1-13(NKJV)

1Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. £And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 

2But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 

3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the £God of the earth. 

5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 

6These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

7When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 

8And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also £our Lord was crucified. 

9Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations £will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 

10And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

11Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 

12And £they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 

13In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

"Until the time that his word came to pass"

First off my apologies.  Sorry I have been so hit or miss this week but I am on vacation.  Enjoying some of the historical sights of Virginia. 

I found this bit of Psalms interesting.  Take a look.

Psalms 105:17-19(NKJV)

17    He sent a man before them—     Joseph—who was sold as a slave.

18    They hurt his feet with fetters,     He was laid in irons.

19    Until the time that his word came to pass,     The word of the Lord tested him.

Does it sometimes seem like you are always struggling?  You're doing all the right things but it doesn't seem to get better?

First off I would say check your premise.  Are you doing all the right things?  Are you taking joy in your tribulations?  Are you always seeking knowledge?  Are you using the skills and abilities that God gave you to the best of your ability?

If so then this may be the answer.  God may be preparing you for something great.  At least that was the case for Joseph. 

We know that God had big plans for Joseph.  Now you might think that if God has big plans for someone, that person might get to lead a pampered life.  Apparently that isn't always the case.  Why do you think that is?  I personally believe  it is because there are many life lesson that can only be learned the hard way.  There just is no easy way to impart that knowledge.   

In the case of Joseph, Scripture tells us that God tested Joseph right up until it was time for Joseph to fulfill the mission that God had for him.

So if you find yourself struggling, just thank God for the chance to grow through the struggle and thank Him for whatever He has planned for your life.  In the end it will be worth it!

Does God's Love Only Apply to God's People?

Back to the whole God is love thing.  Read this next part of Revelation and I'll give you my thoughts on  the other side.

Revelation 9:3-6(NKJV)

3Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 

4They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 

5And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 

6In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

That's a funny way to show love wouldn't you say?  As I've said before, I think that all of those who think that God is all love and no punishment are in for a rude surprise.

Here is my take on it.  God is all about love in a general sense.  By that I mean that he loved all of us enough to provide a way to be saved.  But it is up to each one of us to act on that offer, God doesn't force us to accept Him. 

But contrary to what the Kumbaya Jesus folks think, I don't think that God takes a live and let live attitude to those who reject His offer.  I believe that Scripture is pretty clear.  Once a person makes a decision to reject God, that person has declared themselves to be an enemy of God. 

Look at what Revelation 9:3-6 tells us about what God has in store for those who have declared themselves enemies of God.  God intends to torture them for 5 months.  God intends that they suffer so much pain that they will want to die but God won't allow it.

I've gotta say I don't see a lot of love in that!  :)

Most Vivid Example

I have written before about how we will not all be equal in Heaven.  I just found one of my most vivid examples in the Bible that that is true.

Revelation 7:4-11(NKJV)

4And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

5    of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand £were sealed;      of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;     of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;

6    of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;     of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;     of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;

7    of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;     of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;     of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

8    of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;     of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;      of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 

10and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

11All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 

Look at all of the different divisions of people here, from the Elders on down.  Some have more prestige and authority than others.  The whole different rewards in Heaven thing I would say has been the biggest surprise for me since I started writing the blog.  I, like many people I think, just equated all who ask being saved to all in Heaven being equal.  Nothing could be further from the truth!
 

As I always say, enjoy the journey as you study the Scriptures!

But You Are The Same!

What a simple yet great promise. 

Psalms 102:27(NKJV)

27    But You are the same,     And Your years will have no end.

I think that of all the promises in the Bible, this one brings me the most comfort.  Now I'm not discounting the promise of salvation by any means.  It's just that without this promise, even the promise of salvation could lose some of its meaning.  Let me explain.

Knowing that God is always the same, never changes, provides the bedrock for all of His other promises.  We can take great comfort, as can all of our kids and grandkids throughout history, that all of God's promises remain true for all of us.  They never change and God never changes.

To illustrate why this is so important, let's look at what could happen if it weren't true.  What could happen if God were capricious or wishy-washy?  What if God were a practical joker?  Get to the end of life and God says "Salvation?  Sorry dude, I was just yanking your chain.".   

That is why I believe that the promise of God never changing is of such great importance and so comforting to me.   When God makes a promise, you can count on it!!!

Revelation-A Rude Awakening

Revelation

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

12:13 PM

I am at the end of the New Testament now.  Reading Revelation.  That's always interesting to me because it is so cryptic. 

Here is my thought for the day as I read Revelation 6.  Oh my, I think those Kumbaya Jesus folks are sure in for a surprise.  You know.  The ones who think there are no consequences.  The ones who think God is sooo full of love that they just can't conceive of God hurting anyone, friend or enemy. 

All I've got to say is they might want to read Revelation 6.  This is a prophecy given directly from Jesus to the Apostle John.  Now either Jesus is lying or the Kumbaya Jesus folks are in for a rude awakening. 

Which do you think it is?