Psalm 24: 7-10
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in!
Who is the King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in!
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. Sela.
What gates are these, what ancient doors?
This is none other than the Kings Gate that faced East (I Chronicles 9:18), the gate that Ezekiel said, "was shut. And the Lord said to me, 'This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it.'"(Ezekiel 44:1-2).
Now David's song says that it will be opened for the King of Glory!
When Jesus returns to this Earth with all His Saints and Angels, He will wage the Battle of Armageddon, and He will enter by that East Gate, in Victory!
Micah tells us about God's deliverance:
"I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.
"One Who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the Gate and go [in and] out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head." (2:12-13).
All Israel who are living at that time will be saved in that Day when they see their Messiah coming on the Clouds of Heaven, and know that He is Jesus of Nazareth, Who died in their place as their Sacrifice for sin (Romans 11:26).
This is just one detail in the saga of our Lord God, Jesus, the Christ, our King of Glory. This is when He comes back to this World to set up His Kingdom, to rule as the World-Wide King and Dictator for the thousand years of His Millennial Reign, Earth's Golden Age.
He is coming soon! Are you ready to meet Him, in the air or through death's door? I believe He will return in my lifetime (but Paul thought the same thing!).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, August 18, 2017
Thursday, August 17, 2017
The "Last Page"
Revelation 22: 3-5
No longer will there be a curse upon anything.
The curse is the Second Law of Thermodynamics, that order degrades into chaos. This is the sin-curse that God placed on the Earth, and the Universe the Earth resides in; death. That's why nothing ever comes to stay, everything in this World comes to pass, and will one day, "die," or be no more as it was.
For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him.
This will be God's home, not the Heaven we know of now, for Heaven will have come down to the New Earth for God to dwell with us as our God. Those He has redeemed are His servants who will worship Him.
And they will see His face, and His Name will be written on their foreheads.
We will have received the full Redemption that Christ Jesus bought for us, we will be resurrected with the same Body Jesus displayed when He was resurrected, and we will glow and shine as bright as our sun does now. This is our "family resemblance," the Name of God on our foreheads, as God is Light. Then we will be able to look at God without harm, because we will be like Him.
And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them.
This new order of existence will not need any other kind of light, because God is Light and will be the light for this new world.
And they will reign forever and ever.
This new order is what God had planned all along, to remove everything that detracts from, or damages, or twists the Good that God is, and makes. Everything that would pretend, or be sexually aberrant, or take life, or value anything over God, or try to lie or deceive, are all excluded from this new order, banished from ever taking any part in God's good order of existence He made us for (Revelation 22:15).
Thank You, Father, for giving us this "last page" to read, to know that everything that is happening now is part of Your sovereign Plan of the Ages. Thank You for letting us know that You win, and You give us the victory with You!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
No longer will there be a curse upon anything.
The curse is the Second Law of Thermodynamics, that order degrades into chaos. This is the sin-curse that God placed on the Earth, and the Universe the Earth resides in; death. That's why nothing ever comes to stay, everything in this World comes to pass, and will one day, "die," or be no more as it was.
For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him.
This will be God's home, not the Heaven we know of now, for Heaven will have come down to the New Earth for God to dwell with us as our God. Those He has redeemed are His servants who will worship Him.
And they will see His face, and His Name will be written on their foreheads.
We will have received the full Redemption that Christ Jesus bought for us, we will be resurrected with the same Body Jesus displayed when He was resurrected, and we will glow and shine as bright as our sun does now. This is our "family resemblance," the Name of God on our foreheads, as God is Light. Then we will be able to look at God without harm, because we will be like Him.
And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them.
This new order of existence will not need any other kind of light, because God is Light and will be the light for this new world.
And they will reign forever and ever.
This new order is what God had planned all along, to remove everything that detracts from, or damages, or twists the Good that God is, and makes. Everything that would pretend, or be sexually aberrant, or take life, or value anything over God, or try to lie or deceive, are all excluded from this new order, banished from ever taking any part in God's good order of existence He made us for (Revelation 22:15).
Thank You, Father, for giving us this "last page" to read, to know that everything that is happening now is part of Your sovereign Plan of the Ages. Thank You for letting us know that You win, and You give us the victory with You!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Thrones
Revelation 20: 4
Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the Word of God.
They had not worshiped the Beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands.
They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life?" (I Corinthians 6:3). So it will be the Christians that Jesus rescued who will be ruling on these thrones with righteousness and judgment. We are His princes and princesses now, and will be His kings and queens ruling with Him for a thousand years on this Earth. The Golden Age yet to come.
Even today God's people are being beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the Word of God. There are more martyrs today than at any other time in history, and more than all of history combined. And things will get worse before they get better; the beast, the man of sin, has not yet been revealed.
But nothing ever comes in this World to stay, everything "comes to pass." And that thousand years will also pass. Then this World, this Earth, and the whole Universe will explode and implode and this "order" will be done away, being recreated and remade into a whole New Heaven and New Earth running according to a "new order."
Today's science, the Laws of Thermodynamics, will no longer apply. Things won't wind down, order will no longer degrade into chaos. What is done will last. And the increase of His Kingdom will never end. I cannot imagine what all worlds we will be a part of throughout all Eternity Future!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the Word of God.
They had not worshiped the Beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands.
They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life?" (I Corinthians 6:3). So it will be the Christians that Jesus rescued who will be ruling on these thrones with righteousness and judgment. We are His princes and princesses now, and will be His kings and queens ruling with Him for a thousand years on this Earth. The Golden Age yet to come.
Even today God's people are being beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the Word of God. There are more martyrs today than at any other time in history, and more than all of history combined. And things will get worse before they get better; the beast, the man of sin, has not yet been revealed.
But nothing ever comes in this World to stay, everything "comes to pass." And that thousand years will also pass. Then this World, this Earth, and the whole Universe will explode and implode and this "order" will be done away, being recreated and remade into a whole New Heaven and New Earth running according to a "new order."
Today's science, the Laws of Thermodynamics, will no longer apply. Things won't wind down, order will no longer degrade into chaos. What is done will last. And the increase of His Kingdom will never end. I cannot imagine what all worlds we will be a part of throughout all Eternity Future!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Forerunners
Luke 1:17
And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, "To turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children," and the disobedient to the attitudes of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
God had sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Now He is raising up forerunners today, to go into all the world to prepare the people, His people, for the coming again of Christ Jesus! To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and to turn the disobedient around to the attitudes of the righteous!
Who are those who are going into all the World to prepare? Will you go? Shall I go?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, "To turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children," and the disobedient to the attitudes of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
God had sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Now He is raising up forerunners today, to go into all the world to prepare the people, His people, for the coming again of Christ Jesus! To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and to turn the disobedient around to the attitudes of the righteous!
Who are those who are going into all the World to prepare? Will you go? Shall I go?
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, August 14, 2017
A Slave With Rights?
Exodus 21: 7-10
If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do.
If she does not please the master who has betrothed her to himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her.
If he has betrothed her to his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter.
If he marries her, then takes another wife also, he must not deprive the first wife of her food, clothing, and conjugal rights.
If he is not willing to provide her these three, then she is to go free without the payment of any money.
It is interesting that God would be concerned not only for the physical needs of a slave-wife of a master-husband, but also for her emotional welfare, in giving this rule to grant her these three specific rights.
The picture here is of a Hebrew girl, whose family has sold her to another Hebrew man to be his wife, with the payment of a dowry to her father. The law concerning the Year of Jubilee is to free the Hebrew slaves the seventh year, but not the female slaves. She is due the respect of a family member.
If the purchaser changes his mind and decides not to marry her after all, then her family can redeem her, and she can go back home.
If he marries her, but then marries another woman also, then he is not to reduce his care of his slave-wife, but still provide her the same food, clothing, and standing as his wife.
If her master marries her, then is not willing to retain her as his wife, then she is to go free without any payment at all being paid to the slave-owner, no ransom or redemption price at all. He is not allowed to sell her to anyone else to recoup his payment price, because he has broken faith with her.
If he doesn't marry her, but instead betroths her to his son, then he must give her the rights of a daughter. She is now his family.
This is in stark contrast to the nations surrounding Israel. Women had no rights at all, and were treated as property even in the family setting. God is showing us that His ways are not our ways, He considers all His people as worth respect and honor. He wants the women to be respected and honored and cared for, as their worth is no less than the men.
God even allowed the daughters to inherit property, and be property-owners, if they had no brothers.
If Israel had actually followed all the rules and regulations God gave them, their whole economy would have been revitalized every 50 years, Hebrew slaves would have been freed to go back home, and all the properties would have reverted back to the original families. Everyone would have had means of income; land, housing, food, clothing. There would have been no poor, as the poor people who had lost their property would have gotten it back, to start the cycle over again.
God loves us and wants us all to prosper. If He hasn't given us the means to prosper financially, then He has prospered us in other ways, and will provide all we need generously, out of His great abundance.
And He wants us all to love one another, as He has loved us. To have respect for each other person, whether they've earned it or not, because they are made in the image of our Creator, and thereby are worth respect inherently. God has made us with value, and when we value one another we will treat each other with compassion and consideration, not criticism or complaint.
O my Father, thank You for making me, making us all, with great worth. I know I will never deserve or be able to earn Your goodwill, but You have taken the initiative to show me how much You value me, that You consider me worth sending Your only Son to take my place in death, so that I can receive Your life. Now I am able to learn of You, to learn Your ways, and to have the strength to buck the trends of this World to live my life according to Your Plan for me.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory, because it is Your Plan that is unfolding and progressing in all You have created, and Your purposes will be fulfilled in Your way, in Your time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do.
If she does not please the master who has betrothed her to himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her.
If he has betrothed her to his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter.
If he marries her, then takes another wife also, he must not deprive the first wife of her food, clothing, and conjugal rights.
If he is not willing to provide her these three, then she is to go free without the payment of any money.
It is interesting that God would be concerned not only for the physical needs of a slave-wife of a master-husband, but also for her emotional welfare, in giving this rule to grant her these three specific rights.
The picture here is of a Hebrew girl, whose family has sold her to another Hebrew man to be his wife, with the payment of a dowry to her father. The law concerning the Year of Jubilee is to free the Hebrew slaves the seventh year, but not the female slaves. She is due the respect of a family member.
If the purchaser changes his mind and decides not to marry her after all, then her family can redeem her, and she can go back home.
If he marries her, but then marries another woman also, then he is not to reduce his care of his slave-wife, but still provide her the same food, clothing, and standing as his wife.
If he doesn't marry her, but instead betroths her to his son, then he must give her the rights of a daughter. She is now his family.
This is in stark contrast to the nations surrounding Israel. Women had no rights at all, and were treated as property even in the family setting. God is showing us that His ways are not our ways, He considers all His people as worth respect and honor. He wants the women to be respected and honored and cared for, as their worth is no less than the men.
God even allowed the daughters to inherit property, and be property-owners, if they had no brothers.
If Israel had actually followed all the rules and regulations God gave them, their whole economy would have been revitalized every 50 years, Hebrew slaves would have been freed to go back home, and all the properties would have reverted back to the original families. Everyone would have had means of income; land, housing, food, clothing. There would have been no poor, as the poor people who had lost their property would have gotten it back, to start the cycle over again.
God loves us and wants us all to prosper. If He hasn't given us the means to prosper financially, then He has prospered us in other ways, and will provide all we need generously, out of His great abundance.
And He wants us all to love one another, as He has loved us. To have respect for each other person, whether they've earned it or not, because they are made in the image of our Creator, and thereby are worth respect inherently. God has made us with value, and when we value one another we will treat each other with compassion and consideration, not criticism or complaint.
O my Father, thank You for making me, making us all, with great worth. I know I will never deserve or be able to earn Your goodwill, but You have taken the initiative to show me how much You value me, that You consider me worth sending Your only Son to take my place in death, so that I can receive Your life. Now I am able to learn of You, to learn Your ways, and to have the strength to buck the trends of this World to live my life according to Your Plan for me.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory, because it is Your Plan that is unfolding and progressing in all You have created, and Your purposes will be fulfilled in Your way, in Your time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, August 13, 2017
The Bread Of Idleness
Proverbs 31: 27
She ... does not eat the bread of idleness.
O my Father, please help me, strengthen me with Your strength, for I have none. In the past I have wasted so many years, "eating the bread of idleness," and I ask that You would restore those years that "the locust has eaten."
Continue to teach me Your ways and Your purposes for me and my life; that what I do each day would promote Your character, Your Plan for this World. Father, continue to work on me and in me to mold and shape my character ever closer to the image of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank You for granting me the good physical health, and the emotional and spiritual health, so I will be more suitable to serve You.
Grant me victory, Father, over all my faults, my weaknesses, my sins. Forgive me and enable me to forsake these traits that work against myself and against You. Help me to be strong in Your power, Your wisdom, and Your discernment to make wise decisions and then carry them out.
And may You receive all the credit, all the glory, for everything You are doing in me and in this World, to fulfill and complete Your great Plan of the Ages!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
She ... does not eat the bread of idleness.
O my Father, please help me, strengthen me with Your strength, for I have none. In the past I have wasted so many years, "eating the bread of idleness," and I ask that You would restore those years that "the locust has eaten."
Continue to teach me Your ways and Your purposes for me and my life; that what I do each day would promote Your character, Your Plan for this World. Father, continue to work on me and in me to mold and shape my character ever closer to the image of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank You for granting me the good physical health, and the emotional and spiritual health, so I will be more suitable to serve You.
Grant me victory, Father, over all my faults, my weaknesses, my sins. Forgive me and enable me to forsake these traits that work against myself and against You. Help me to be strong in Your power, Your wisdom, and Your discernment to make wise decisions and then carry them out.
And may You receive all the credit, all the glory, for everything You are doing in me and in this World, to fulfill and complete Your great Plan of the Ages!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, August 12, 2017
A Little Slumber
Proverbs 6: 10
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest ...
How often have I told myself these very words! Not as often as I did before; I do hope I'm doing better at not collapsing on the couch the next day, but continuing to do what is before me to accomplish.
I am learning to take better care of this vessel, my body, and also my mind and my heart. And I am open, looking for what will be my next step in this journey on this road where God has placed my feet.
And my Father has given me this tool, this blog, to go into the World before me, spreading the seed of the Gospel.
May I not regress into making my couch my dwelling place, as I did in my deep grief. My Father has brought me through so much since then, and He gets all the credit for how He has worked in and on me, so that He could work through me.
And may He also draw you ever closer into that intimate friendship and marriage that He wants for each of us as His bride.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest ...
How often have I told myself these very words! Not as often as I did before; I do hope I'm doing better at not collapsing on the couch the next day, but continuing to do what is before me to accomplish.
I am learning to take better care of this vessel, my body, and also my mind and my heart. And I am open, looking for what will be my next step in this journey on this road where God has placed my feet.
And my Father has given me this tool, this blog, to go into the World before me, spreading the seed of the Gospel.
May I not regress into making my couch my dwelling place, as I did in my deep grief. My Father has brought me through so much since then, and He gets all the credit for how He has worked in and on me, so that He could work through me.
And may He also draw you ever closer into that intimate friendship and marriage that He wants for each of us as His bride.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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