Are you intense, stressed out and have hypertension as you strive to achieve your goals in life? Do you think about what every new day has in store for you? Have you planned for contingencies in life such as mid life crisis? I ask that in particular as I did not prepare for it and was totally not ready for the things that took place. The problem was, I didn’t understand how certain events in life can produce enormous pressure on me and not really be aware what was causing it; such as, my daughter’s wedding, my brother having a massive stroke and almost died, my son joining the army instead of accepting a full scholarship to USC, my father died, and then my mother died. There is more but that should suffice to get the point across. It caused me to unconsciously become depressed and not be on top of my game in society. In my case, I was not familiar with mid life crisis and didn’t realize what affect it was having on me until I asked one of my church elders for advice about my condition. After having asked me a lot of questions, he asked me if I was familiar with mid life crisis and I answered, not really. The first thing he did was pray with me about it asking God to give me understanding what I was going through, then he told me that I was having full blown case of mid life crisis. Jesus is very familiar with being stressed out and understands what we go through. He knew what was waiting for Him on the cross as He asked the Father to take away the problem but always submitted Himself to His God.Matthew 26:39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
He explained in great detail what it is all about and how it works. This was all new to me! God has much to say about such things in our life.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned and saw under the sun that — The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.
God revealed all of this to King Solomon so he could record it for us to learn. The problem exists that people do not want to believe God. Therefore, they do not receive the blessings God wants to give them and they suffer many of the afflictions mentioned above.Psalms 78:22 Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. But if they give themselves over to God and believe what He says they will receive His help in time of need.Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Are you seeking an answer to our problems in life? There is an answer!1Corinthians 15: 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 19:26 With God all things are possible.
Seek peace and pursue it through Jesus! He is waiting for you to ask Him! God bless you!
Have you ever read the story about how butterflies go through a life cycle known as complete metamorphosis. The life cycle stages that they go through include: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The butterfly lays a very tiny fragile egg on the leaf of the milkweed plant. The egg then begins to grow and change into the larvae (caterpillar). After a short while the caterpillar excretes a substance that covers its whole body. This substance protects its body as it goes through a miraculous change. Then a most beautiful creation appears in the form of a fabulous butterfly.
We humans are very much like that caterpillar worm until God attracts our attention and we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. He sends His Holy Spirit to spin a protective cocoon over us and we begin to be transformed into a new creation that will burst forth into a glorious new body into the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? Philippians 3:21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, 1 Corinthians 15: 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
We shall see Him as He is and be as He is, we will share all His glory in the Kingdom of God.
John 17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 1 Peter 3:4… with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
We become a beautiful, gentle and quiet spirit in the family of God.
Acts 1:11 This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
There are truly fantastic and unimaginable things happening in the world all around us which leads many to believe that beginnings of the end times are here. Jesus gave us insight as to what to watch for, He said that when we see the leaves appear on the fig tree know that spring is near. This is an analogy to be aware of when the end of times is here. In Matthew chapter 24 and Mark 13 He gave many signs that would warn us that the end is near.
The question is what will you have accomplished with your life to be able to stand before the Son of Man? The Apostle Paul give us some instruction and explanation of individual situations. 1 Corinthians 7:17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
Every one will not have the same results. We have been given the parable of the talents as a guide.
But we must use those talents shrewdly.
Matthew 25:15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
What is the lesson here? We need to watch and prepare because we don’t know when our Lord will return. We need to put our life to use for the Lord and accomplish profitable works in spreading the Kingdom of God throughout the world. Our lives should display that we are born again and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven standing for Christ and declaring His salvation for the world. (John3:16)
Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.
Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
As the Lord says, overcome and endure. The reward is worth it! What He has in store for us is indescribable but he gives us glimpses.
Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations —
Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
Our God and savior will return in the same manner as He left. (Acts 1:11) What will He find? Will we be asleep spiritually or will we be constantly at attention waiting for His return? Are we complacent or are do we really believe and have faith that our Lord returns.
Luke 12:35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
God bless you! Love the Lord with all your heart! Look for Him every day! Amen!
In the book of Hebrews God gives a precise and clear explanation and description of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the first begotten Son of God and the first born of many.
Hebrews 1: 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ” Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
God also gives a very graphic and clear description of believers who overcome as Christ did. AWESOME!
All believers are raised up in newness of life (Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.) at baptism and are begotten of God by His Holy Spirit.
We become a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation
We will be given great power and authority over this world’s nations. WOW!
Rev. 2: 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations — 27 ‘ He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ — as I also have received from My Father
Rev. 3: 9 … indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet,
12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Rev.21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
How much plainer can it be? We have a higher calling than many believers realize. When Jesus says he has a place prepared for us.
Get this: John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
We are going to live in the Fathers house!
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Doesn’t knowing all of this put a huge thrill in your life? It does for me. I can hardly wait for Christ to return and redeem us.
Whether I am dead or alive at His coming, this verse expresses my feelings.
Psalms 15: 17 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
There is a day coming when we shall see Jesus as He is and we will be as He is. (1 John 3:2) We will be in the Kingdom that He promised to us and He said that He was going to prepare a place for us in heaven. The joy we will have is really beyond human description because we cannot grasp the awesome difference between heaven and earth. His appearance will be vastly changed. Giving us an idea of what is in store for us.
Ezekiel 1: 26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Why do I say, this is what is in store for us? Because Jesus said that He is going to share His throne with us as His Father shared His throne with Jesus. (Revelation 3:21) We have an exceedingly high calling of joy to look forward to. Jesus reveals to us His thoughts of how great a joyful gift it is to be in heaven and sit on the throne of God. He felt so strongly about it that He literally gave himself as the supreme sacrifice to make it possible. (John 10:17,18) Why is that important? The apostle Paul said, “1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead…
Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
How much should we sacrifice? How much do we want it? Are we willing to follow Jesus example and give our life wholly to Christ? Doesn’t the scripture say we are to be “living sacrifices”?
1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
We must pray that we will be counted worthy to escape what is about to come to this world and by enduring we will be able to stand before Jesus Christ when He comes again for redemption. (Luke 21:36)
Dear Lord, I pray to You and tell You how much I really enjoy and delight in You. I long for that day when I will be filled with joy to see Your face. In Your Holy Name, Amen!
"He brought me to his banquet hall and raised the banner of love over me. Restore my strength with raisins and refresh me with apples! I am weak from passion... His left hand is under my head and his right hand caresses me" - Song of Solomon 2:4-6
WORLDWIDE INTERNET EVANGELISM 