He Wrote The Script

Matthew 16:27

For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done.

Revelation 11:18

The 7th Trumpet: The time has come for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your Name, both small and great--and for destroying those who destroy the earth.

Revelation 19:11-16

I saw Heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True . . . and his Name is the Word of God. The armies of Heaven (saints) were following Him . . . this Name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Everything Jesus does brings glory to God. Everything we do in Christ also brings glory to God. God is the One Who made up the script for everything that exists, so when His plan unfolds in His way, in His time, He gets the credit, the glory for it all.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

A Strained Relationship

Jeremiah 31:20

"Is not Ephraim my dear son in whom I delight? Although often I speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the Lord.

I have prayed this prayer myself, for my own grown child, with whom I had a strained relationship. 

Since then, my relationship with this child has improved tremendously: God answered my prayer so graciously. When I stepped back and let God work in her heart, and responded to her in the way God would, gently and graciously, then God worked in her heart and thinking processes and mended our relationship. Praise God! He gave me the benefit, and He gets all the glory.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Not Right Away, But Soon

Habakkuk 2:3

These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

Luke 21:9

These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.

We read many exciting, even frightening things that God says will yet happen. But when the time comes for them to come to pass, God will not be late, He will be just in time. Habakkuk knew that God is never in a hurry, and Luke records Jesus' words about the "end times." There are many specific events we can look for to let us know that "the end is near," and we can make ourselves ready for His Glorious Appearing; but we are not to sit and wait, we are to "occupy" until He returns. We need not fear what is to come, as God has promised that His wrath will not come near us, we will only see it happening to the wicked who have refused to turn to God. They will certainly persecute us, as bearers of the Truth, witnesses of what Jesus has accomplished in us, and wants to do for others, too. They will even martyr God's people, as is already happening today, more so than in any other time in history. But God's wrath for us was poured out on Jesus on the Cross, not on us. And we who are left to witness That Day, will meet the Lord in the air, in the clouds, and be changed, glorified as He is glorified by His Resurrection, and then we will ever be with the Lord forever.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Eight Promises For Three Premises

Job 11:13-18

To many of God's promises there are premises, conditions we need to fulfill to claim the promises. Here we have three premises, that if we do these three things, God will promise to do eight things for us. Eight for the three.

Surrender your heart to God -- Premise #1

turn to Him in prayer -- Premise #2

and give up your sins, even those you do in secret. -- Premise #3

Then you won't be ashamed; -- Promise #1

you will be confident and fearless. -- Promise #2

Your troubles will go away like water beneath a bridge, -- Promise #3

and your darkest night will be brighter than noon. -- Promise #4

Then you'll rest safe -- Promise #5

and secure, -- Promise #6

filled with hope -- Promise #7

and emptied of worry! -- Promise #8

No matter how hard we try, we can never out-give God! God never does ask a lot of us, what He asks is very simple. But simple doesn't mean easy. What God asks of us is actually impossible for us to do on our own; we need His Holy Spirit living in us to give us the power to do what He asks. Then He lavishes His love upon us and showers us with His uncountable blessings!

God always gives us everything we need, and much more than we need. He gives out of His unsearchable abundance, very generously. That's just who He is. His desire is for all to come to repentance, to realize our hopeless state before Him, and allow His only Son Jesus, His Christ for us, to pay our eternal debt for us on the Cross. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, when there is no more hope for them. He wants for everybody to turn to Him. But most won't. But to those who are willing and admit to God that they deserve that death, then He puts into them His own Holy Spirit to make their spirit alive, and adds to that all His other blessings, none of which we could ever deserve.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Overcoming Evil With Good

Romans 12:31

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

O my Father, teach us how to overcome evil with Your good. We can bless those who speak against us (v. 14), we can empathize with those who both rejoice and mourn (v. 15), we can endeaver to live in harmony with others, and we can not turn away from those who are considered to be of low position (v.16). But this is just a list; help us to have Your mind, Father, to think Your thoughts, see others as You see them, and do the things they need, not ourselves. Not to justify ourselves, as You have already justified us by the blood of Jesus, but to live in our own lives the righteousness that You have placed in us in Christ.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

A Man Of Understanding

Proverbs 20:5

The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

O my Father, I pray for all those whose purposes are still buried so deep that they need a "man of understanding" to draw them out. We all have hearts that deceive us, and we think we know why we do the things we do; but if we examine ourselves, we will find that we are still in the dark about our true motives. I question myself, "Why did I say that?" "Why did I do that?" To find a counselor who can ask the right questions of us is a great treasure. When we get to know ourselves, then we can make the correct choices to do and say what God has planned for us to do and say, and accomplish His purposes for us, as part of His plan; and we will reap the benefits, and God will get the glory, the credit for planning it all out and accomplishing it through us.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

May God Clear The Way

I Thessalonians 3:11-13

Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.

Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ clear the way for me to come to my dear loved ones this new year. May the Lord make their love increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else in our family, just as mine does for them. May He quicken their spirits with His own Holy Spirit, and strengthen their hearts so that they will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes soon with all His holy ones.  Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!