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1st Quarter Blogs


Week of 1/1-5  (B1;18) 

God's  TRUE  &  POWERFUL  Epistemic Source: His Holy Word

Psalm 1  (NKJV)

Blessed is  the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the 
    scornful;
But his delight is  in the law of the LORD, and in His law he 
    meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings
    forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and
    whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly are  not so but are  like the chaff which the wind drives
    away.  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the
    ungodly shall perish.


"Alleluia" YHVH God!  We praise Thee, oh God Most High.
Your Word is glorious, a miracle for those who would be wise
and humble enough to take it in.  As You know, Lord, my wife 
and I recently read various passages in Your Word and  my (!)
how Your Word continues to be light unto our path which nurtures
like nothing else can.  We, today, through Your generous mercy
and grace, are  trees with robust leaves and luscious fruit.  Thank 
You for Psalm 88 (WOW! ... WOE!), Jeremiah 32:17-19 and 
Matthew 18!  You are SO generous in extending Your divine 
encouragement in these dark days.  Shine Jesus shine!  
Even so, please come quickly dear Lord.  Amen

____________________


Week of 1/8-12  (B2;18)

God's Insightful  LIGHT  Regarding  The End Of Days

II Timothy 3:1-5  (NKJV - bold emphases ours)

But know this, that in the  last days  perilous times will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal,
despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness
but denying its power.  And from such people turn away.


Lord God, some take Your mandate here to be harsh.  Some
actually go on to reject  Your  protective Counsel:  " ... from
such people turn away."  Lord, help us to understand You
have not asked us to sink with the worldly ship!  In fact, Lord,
You direct us to the contrary - You call us to endure and to do
so in the context of holy  overcoming  as we abide in Your holy
Son.  THANK YOU for loving us so.  And thank You for the 
other side of this  coin :   You, in Your loving kindness toward
the lost, continue to direct us to be in the world - as Your 
lights - but not of the world.  Lord, help us better balance these
two aspects of life in Christ Jesus, Your beloved Son.  Allow us,
please, Your discernment as we seek to  balance  our deeds of
Good News proclamation  in light of  some of Your other clear
Counsel ... like separating from the world.  And help us avoid
judging other Family members wrongly when they  balance  
differently than we do but who are listening to Your voice as
to how You want  them  to act upon Your precious Counsel.
For the protection of Your sheep we ask ... unto Your glory
and praise.  In Jesus Christ's holy name we pray.  Amen

P.S.  For additional end-time Counsel,  CLICK HERE

____________________


Week of 1/15-19  (B3;18)

God's Truth  VS.  Traditions Of Men

Matthew 15:1-11 (NKJV ; emphases ours)

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came
to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the  tradition
of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat
bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also trans-
gress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  
For
God commanded, saying,  'Honor your father and your mother' ; 
and,  'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
But you say,  'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever
profit you might have received from me  is  a gift to God" - 'then
he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made
the commandments of God of no effect by your tradition.
Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These
people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with
their lips, but  their heart is far from Me.  And  in vain they wor-
ship Me,  teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
(Also see Mt. 16:5-12 where our Lord continues making this
emphasis of God's sound doctrine  VS.  the doctrine of men.)


Father God, my how Your beloved Son modeled Your ways!  Help us,
we pray, follow His example as we press on as Your Ambassadors in
Christ Jesus.  Help us to better discern the  leaven  of today's faulty
religious leaders.  May Your Word continue to be our Truth foundation
through which we are able to rightly expose today's faulty doctrines
of contemporary spiritual teachers.  And as we know Your Truth, we
praise You that You have indeed, and continue, indeed, to  set us
free - THANK YOU oh Lord God Most High!  In the blessed name
of Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen

____________________


Week of 1/22-26  (B4;18)

The End-Time THEME Of Deception

God WARNS about the plethora of  deception  during the End of Days.
Here's only some of His  protective  Counsel on this pertinent matter ...


I Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will 
depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines 
of demons ... 


II Timothy 4:3, 4

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires,  because  they have itching ears, they
will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn  their  ears
away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.


Matthew 24:4, 5

And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one
deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the
Christ,'  and will deceive many."

Matthew 24:11

[Jesus continues to teach on end-times saying]  Then many false
prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Matthew 24:23-26

[Our Lord continues to speak to the days of the end following
the cutting short of the great tribulation by teaching]  Then if
anyone says to you, 'Look, here  is  the Christ!'  or  'There!'
do not believe it .  For false christs and false prophets will rise
and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible,
even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  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.

NB:  The 3 rounds of deceptive false teachings of Mt. 24 (above)
         take place at  different  times during the end of days given
         the data of the chapter!  Thank You Lord Jesus, for warning
         us about these eternally significant matters! 

The above passages are taken from the New King James Version,
emphases ours.

     
Dear Shepherd of our eternal souls, THANK YOU.  Thank You
for  forewarning  us about the end-time wolves in sheep's clothing.
Your Word is a lamp to our feet  indeed!  We PRAISE You, kind
Father God.  In the name above all names we pray.  Amen

For an address (article) on  deception  via censorship,  CLICK HERE.

____________________


Week of 1/29 - 2/2  (B5;18)

The  SIN  Of Blaming God

Job 1:20-22  (NLT ; emphasis ours)

Job stood up and tore his robe in grief.  Then he shaved his head
and fell to the ground before God.  He said, "I came naked from my
mother's womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die.  The
LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away.
Praise the name of the LORD!"  In all of this, Job did not sin by
blaming God.  


Father, help us to follow Job's example in  praise  even when 
difficult days are upon us.  And LORD, help us avoid the temptation
to blame You during this time when Your righteous judgments are
being poured out upon the earth due to the rebellion of our day.  
Father, we dare NOT follow in the footsteps of the earth dwellers
who will, one day, as they incur the awful fury of Your Bowls of
Wrath,  shake their fists  in rebellious response to Your  just
judgment.  [see Rev. 16 for literal details as to just how they will
respond]  Lord, help us to  PRAISE  You in all things, even during
the days when we are persecuted for righteousness' sake.  Yes,
Lord, thank You once again for Psalm 88 and other places in 
Your Word which speak to Your actions (Psalm 109, included!) -
even wrathful ones - through which Your will is accomplished
unto Your glory and praise.  Please have mercy oh God Most
High.  In Christ Jesus' holy and precious name we pray, amen.

____________________


Week of 2/5-9  (B6;18)

God's Call:  ENDURANCE

But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  
(Matthew 24:13 ; NKJV ; emphasis ours) 

While we could simply quote this one passage as sufficient
grounds for persevering in Christ Jesus our Lord, we discern
the NEED to further encourage.  Please read on as to what
His Word clearly states regarding this important end-time
quality.  CLICK  HERE  for further Counsel.


Father YHVH God, You've been  very  clear about apostasy,
falling away, luke-warmness, departure from the faith, etc.
during the days of the end.  THANK YOU!  Help us, we pray, 
to accept and honor the full Counsel of Your Word concerning 
this matter.  Help us  balance  whereby we avoid the many
deceptions of half truths.  Thank You for, in Your mercy and 
grace, providing us the means to overcome.  May we abide 
in Your Vine; may we walk in Your Spirit.  Unto Your glory and 
praise we pray, amen. 

____________________


Week of 2/12-16  (B7;18)

On End-Time Righteousness

Romans 12:9-21  &  13:11-14 ; NKJV

Let  love be  without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil. Cling
to what is good.  Be  kindly affectionate to one another with
brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly
in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to
hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those
who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another.  Do not
set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.
Do not be wise in your own opinion.  Repay no one evil for
evil.  Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.  If 
it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably
with all men.  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather 
give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I
will repay," says the Lord.  Therefore "If your enemy is 
hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so
doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."  Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.   ...
And  do  this, knowing the time, that now  it is  high time
to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than
when we  first  believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at
hand.  Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and
let us put on the armor of light.  Let us walk properly, as in 
the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness
and lust, not in strife and envy.  But put on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to  fulfill its  lusts.


II Peter 3:11, 14  (NKJV)

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner
of persons  ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness ...
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent
to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless ...


Precious, HOLY Father, thank You for the MANY passages
which speak to separation from the world and the carnal
things of the world.  God Most High, please help imbalanced
churches who think they can be friends with the world.  Help
them understand that they cannot - even in Your eyes - be
(friends).  Please remind them that friendship with the world
is enmity against You and that You, as You did with Your
compromised Old Covenant people Israel, will judge the
lukewarm.  Dear Savior, guide us as we continue to be Your
Ambassadors who press on in loving proclamation - to the
world - the message of salvation from sin and death through
Jesus Christ Your beloved Son.  Help us, dear Lord, who 
seek to obey You in separating from the world, to be ongoing
lights to the world and to carnal churches, lights which point
to You and Your kind mercy and grace if we would but humble
ourselves and repent.  Thank You, Father, for Luke 18:9-14.
Help us to walk, in mind and action, therein; help us to love
as Your Son, Jesus Christ, loved.  Unto Your glory and 
praise we pray, in Christ Jesus' holy name, amen. 

A "P.S." based on James 1:21-25 ...

IF our response to this call (to walk in righteousness) is  flesh based,
actions therefrom are fruitless, for it's the LORD Who needs to build
(even) this house.  IF, on the other hand, our active responses to His
Word on this matter of  righteous living  are based on  His moving
in our lives - 
through our abiding in the Vine (John 15) and walking
in His Spirit (Galatians 5) - then there's precious justification for the
ongoing celebration of Philippians 1:6.   What GRACE!  Praise
to His dear name. 

____________________

Week of 2/19-23  (B8;18)

God's Call:  "WATCH!"

Mark 13:37 (NKJV)

( Our Lord Jesus speaking ... )  "And what I say to you, 
I say to all:  Watch!"

Selected verses from Luke 21 (NKJV) - Jesus Christ
continuing to speak, especially to those listening:

" ... 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;  men's hearts failing them
from fear and the expectation of those things which are
coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be
shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to
happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption draws near."


Dear Father of our soon-coming King, Jesus Christ, thank
You for Your caring Counsel to us, Counsel of warning about
the end-time dangers currently raging.  Help us, please, to
endure in love (see Mt. 24:12) by pressing on in Your King-
dom work of Gospel proclamation and Discipleship activity.
Thank You for reminding us NOT to grow weary in well 
doing.  Thank You for Your Counsel which calls us to very
specific end-time  perspective  during these days of the
end.  THANK YOU for the insights You have so graciously
provided - wisdom as to just how to walk victoriously in
Christ Jesus Your Son before His initial appearing.  May
we be Your lights during this dark hour, unto Your glory
and praise.  In the holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord -
Your beloved Son in Whom You were and continue to be
well pleased - we pray.  Amen

____________________


Week of 2/26 - 3/2  (B9;18)

God's End-Time Forewarning:  APOSTASY

Matthew 24:9-11 (ESV ; emphasis ours)

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death,
and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  And
then many will  fall away  and betray one another and hate one
another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many
astray.


II Thessalonians 2:1-3 (NKJV ; emphasis ours)

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon
shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by
letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.  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. ...


I Timothy 4:1 (NKJV ; emphasis ours)

Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will
depart from the faith,  giving heed to deceiving spirits and
doctrines of demons ...


We would include this encouragement:  Please also include
(in your Bible reading on this theme of "apostasy") our Lord's
letters to His churches, for these words of Counsel paint the
perspective  God wants His end-time Church to embrace as
we walk through these end of days.


Dear Savior and soon-coming King, THANK YOU for kindly
instructing us through Your Word as You have.  We  PRAISE
You for being faithful to us in what You say.  You have predicted
falling away  in these days of the end and that's exactly what we
are discerning/seeing.  Help us understand that  apostasy  includes
the possibility of eternal separation from You - that certain con-
cessions to the world will keep some out of eternal existence in 
Your awesome presence.  As we bow to the full Counsel of Your
revelation to us, impress upon our minds, please, that You are
ever faithful to Your promises - ALL of them, including the ones
which speak to this grave issue of falling away from the faith.
In light of Your Counsel concerning  endurance,  help us better
understand Your statement:  "Those who endure to the end will
be saved."  Help us grow in further discernment regarding the
full scope of Your revelation about SALVATION.  Unto Your
glory and praise, for our best interests and for the interests
of the lost, we pray, in Your holy name, amen.

____________________


Week of 3/5-9  (B10;18)

End-Time  PERSECUTION

Matthew 24:9-14  (ESV)

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to
death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's
sake.  And then many will fall away and betray one another
and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise
and lead many astray.  And because lawlessness will be
increased, the love of many will grow cold.  But the one
who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of
the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 


John 16:1-3

These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be 
made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues;
yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that
he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you
because they have not known the Father nor Me.


Acts 14:22

... We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom 
of God.

(The above 2 passages are taken from the NKJV Bible.)


Glorious Father, thank You so for Your forewarning concerning this 
matter of end-time persecution.  Help us embrace  Your  perspective
which was so perfectly modeled by Your Son - praise to Your holy
name.  Help us view the ongoing  sufferings of Christ  of Your true
people as a blessing.  Help us to remain faithful and respond to
dark opposition with the mind of Christ, in part, as expressed in 
Mt. 5:10-12.  Yes Lord, help us rejoice as we incur the sufferings
of Your Son unto Your glory and praise.  

P.S.  The DVD,  Polycarp,  is still available to those who ask -
         those residing in the continental USA.  Simply email us 
         using the "Contact Us" link at the top of this page.

____________________


Week of 3/12-16  (B11;18)

FLEE  Personal Idolatry

I John 5:21  (NKJV)

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen


Dear Darling of Heaven, help us better discern our own personal 
idols which might, if held in esteem above You, keep some out of
heaven.  Lord, protect us from our own manifestations of the carnal
self.  Yes, Lord, please embolden us to say  NO  to those idols which 
will keep people out of everlasting life with You  if  they bow to con-
cessions of eternally consequential degree.  Lord, may no one 
compromise the doctrine of Your Son (II John 7-11).  Lord, may no 
one who names Your name bow to the mark of the beast whereby 
their names are omitted from the Lamb's Book of Life.  And, caring
Shepherd, help us to further discern the other contemporary idols 
which potentially direct us to spiritual adultery leading to eternal 
damnation.  In Jesus Christ's holy name I pray, amen. 

____________________


Week of 3/19-23  (B12;18)

God's Call:  Be READY!

In light of where we are (on the prophetic calendar), we strongly
encourage  readiness  in the context of both material  and  
spiritual preparedness.

Material (e.g., means to have food in the lean days ahead)
preparedness includes application of  this  passage: 


Matthew 24:44-47  (NKJV ; emphasis ours)

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do not expect.  Who then is a faithful and wise
servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to
give them  food  in due season?  Blessed  is  that servant
whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  
Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over 
all his goods. 

Spiritual readiness, given the growing hostility against God's
people in Jesus Christ, includes the application of the per-
spectives which are articulated in  this  passage:


Matthew 5:10-16  (NKJV)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness'
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you
when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of
evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be 
exceedingly glad, for great  is  your reward in heaven, for
so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  You
are the salt of the earth;  but if the salt loses its flavor, how 
shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be
thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the
light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be
hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all  who are  in the
house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.


Lord God, we praise You for gracing us with discernment 
through Your Word and Your Holy Spirit.  May we "abound
more and more" in this perspective of readiness/preparedness.
May we  trust  You through the process, including the expressing
of  trust  by acting upon Your mandates which speak to things
YOU want Your people to be about (doing) before the 3rd Seal
of Revelation 6 is opened.  Help us to be doers of Your Word
and not hearers only.  In the sweet and holy name of Your
beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen

____________________


A  SPECIAL  Easter Blog

Think On These Things

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

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
praise-worthy - meditate on these things. 

The  news channels  sure neglect the promotion of the above
in what they choose to report on day by day.  Today we're
encouraging the application of the verse above.  Yes, let's
do just that regarding the GREATEST of all events in human
history.  Let's ponder, through the devotional reading of God's
Word, the closing days of our Lord Jesus Christ before His
loving  passion  on our behalf.  Here's a suggested reading
schedule through April 1st ...

And we'll assume all readers won't necessarily view this on
Friday, March 23rd.  Note:  The numbers below are CHAPTERS
of the book (to read for that day.)

Date              Matthew         Mark         Luke         John

3/23                                                                              12
3/24                                                                              13
3/25                   21                                                        14
3/26                   22                                                       15
3/27                    23                 11               19                16
3/28                   24                 12               20               17
3/29                   25                 13               21                18
3/30                   26                 14               22               19
3/31                    27                 15               23               20
4/1                      28                 16               24               21


Dear Lord, please pour out Your Holy Spirit on those who take
the time to seek Your face through this devotional reading in
preparation for our Resurrection Sunday celebrations!  Thank
You for loving us so.  Thank You for calling us to think on things
that are significantly  bright  in these days of great darkness.  We
praise Your holy name.  In the name above all names - in the 
name of Jesus Christ Your beloved Son our Savior we pray.
Amen

____________________


Week of 3/26-30  (B13;18)

Our 2018 End-Time Bible Reading Schedule  (April - June)

April 1      Daniel 1
April 2     Daniel 2
...  etc.  ...
April 11     Daniel 11
April 12    Daniel 12
April 13    John 13
April 14    John 14
April 15    John 15
April 16    John 16
April 17    I Tim. 4
April 18    II Tim. 3
April 19    II Tim. 4
April 20    II Thes. 2
April 21     I Thes. 4
April 22    I Thes. 5
April 23    I Cor. 15
April 24    Mt. 24
April 25    Mt. 25
April 26    I John 1
April 27    I John 2
April 28    I John 3
April 29    I John 4
April 30    I John 5

May 1      Revelation 1
May 2     Rev. 2
...  etc.  ...
May 21    Rev. 21
May 22   Rev. 22
May 23   Hebrews 5
May 24   Heb. 6
May 25   Heb. 7
May 26   Heb. 8
May 27   Heb. 9
May 28   Heb. 10
May 29   Heb. 11
May 30   Heb. 12
May 31   Heb. 13

June 1     Psalm 131
June 2    Psalm 132
June 3    Psalm 133
...  etc.  ...
June 18   Psalm 148
June 19   Psalm 149
June 20   Psalm 150
June 21   John 14
June 22   John 16
June 23   Mark 13
June 24   Matthew 24
June 25   Matthew 25
June 26   Luke 12
June 27   Luke 17
June 28   Luke 21
June 29   Revelation 2
June 30   Revelation 3


Precious Creator God,  thank You  for Your kind and generous
revelation  to us concerning the end of days.  Thank You so for
making man in Your image - man and woman!  We bow our knees
in worship to You, the One True God.  Help us, Father.  Help us
apply Your "to do" mandates whereby we continue as salt and
light in this dark world.  Open our eyes to  this  reality:  To love
You is to honor and obey Your loving Counsel to us.  In the
sweet name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord we pray.  Amen

____________________

 

A special end-of-quarter blog ...

 

A Message of  HOPE  &  RESURRECTION  Praise


Dear global inhabitants,

God has clearly communicated HIS most basic message to us:

Humanity has a problem:  SIN  &  the consequence of  SIN  is
                                   both physical  &  spiritual (eternal)  DEATH.

God loves His special creation made in His image (man) such 
that He is willing to  SAVE  us from that which all of humanity 
has not been able to save us from:  SIN  and  DEATH.

God has come - Immanuel - as the Son of God, Jesus Christ to:

1.  Pay for the SIN of all of mankind through His blood by dying
      on the cross - Good Friday's celebration!

2.  Erase the consequence of SIN - death - by His victory over death
      through His resurrection - Resurrection Sunday's celebration!

One  CONDITION  is required to  apply  God's provision over sin
and death:  One MUST  receive  God's gift in the person and work
of Jesus Christ in order to  activate,  personally, this gift of forgive-
ness of sin and eternal life which the one true and glorious Creator
YHVH God has made available to all ... to whosoever will.

In HIM - in Christ alone - we find our solutions to sin and death;
In HIM - in Christ alone - we are offered salvation unto life eternal.

One must personally acknowledge and repent of his/her sin  AND
accept by faith, God's mercy and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Are you  IN CHRIST  today?  If NOT, please  CLICK  HERE
for directions to enter into Life in Him.

If you are  IN CHRIST  today, please consider this message
from Him:

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which
I say?  Whoever comes to Me,  and  hears My sayings  and  does
them,  I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a
house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when
the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and
could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  BUT  he who 
heard  and  did nothing  
is like a man who built a house on the
earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently;
and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."  
(Luke 6:46-49 ; NJKV ; emphases ours ; also see Mt. 7:13-29)


Dear Savior God, thank You for dying for the sins of man.
Thank You for Your glorious victory over death through Your
resurrection.  Father, thank You for creating all things through 
Your eternal Word - God with us - Who came to seek and to 
save the lost.  Thank You for Your Son, our Savior - Christ
Jesus our Lord.  And thank You, Lord Jesus, for sending 
Your Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God.  We praise You for the
glorious heavenly blessings in Christ Jesus as we walk in
Your Spirit unto Your glory and praise.   Blessed be!  You,
oh Most High YHVH God.  Even so, please come quickly
Lord Jesus!  Amen

 

2nd Quarter Blogs


Week of 4/2-6  (B14;18)

God's Holy Word:  FOREVER  Powerful & True

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word
of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8


Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
The entirety of Your word  is  truth, and every one
of Your righteous judgments  endures  forever.

Psalm 119:89, 160


[ Jesus Christ speaking ]  Do not think that I came
to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come 
to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one 
tittle will by no means pass from the law till all
is fulfilled.

Matthew 5:17, 18


All Scripture  is  given by inspiration of God, and
is  profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every
good work.

II Timothy 3:16, 17


For the word of God  is  living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even 
to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

( passages quoted from the NKJ version of the Bible )


Father God, thank You for Your revelation to us concerning 
You being Truth.  And thank You for caring so for us that You
have revealed crucial Truths to us concerning You and our
upcoming eternal existence.  Help, please, the unbelieving
to know their eternal state is only bright in You.  Move them
to better discern the truths which Your Son proclaimed
concerning the awful state of the one sent to the Lake of
Fire.  And help Your people in Christ Jesus Your Son heed
Your Counsel regarding the importance of enduring to the
end.  Yes precious God of glory, God of grace, thank You
for Your love letter to us in Your Word.  In Jesus Christ's
holy name we pray.  Amen 

____________________


Week of 4/9-13  (B15;18)

The  10  Kings

You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image!  This
great image, whose splendor  was  excellent, stood before
you; and its form  was  awesome.  This image's head  was
of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs 
of bronze, its legs or iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of
clay.  You watched while a stone was cut out without hands,
which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke
them in pieces.  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver,
and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff
from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them
away so that no trace of them was found.  And the stone
that struck the image became a great mountain and filled
the whole earth.  

This  is  the dream.  Now we will tell the interpretation of it
before the king.  You, O king [ King Nebuchadnezzar ],  are
a king of kings.  For the God of heaven has given you a 
kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the
children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the
birds of the heaven, He has given  them  into your hand,
and has made you ruler over them all - you  are  this head
of gold.  But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior
to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which
shall rule over all the earth.  And the fourth kingdom shall
be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces
and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes,  that
kingdom  
will break in pieces and crush all the others.
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's
clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided;
yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you 
saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.   And  as  the toes
of the feet  were  partly of iron and partly of clay,  so  the
kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.  As you
saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with
the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another,
just as iron does not mix with clay.  And in the days of
these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall
not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and
consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the
iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold - the
great God has made known to the king what will come
to pass after this.  The dream is certain, and its
interpretation is sure.

Daniel 2:31-35, 36-45


Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came
and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the
judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with
whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the
inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of
her fornication."  ...  I saw the woman, drunk with the blood
of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.  And
when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.  But the
angel said to me, "Why did you marvel?  I will tell you the
mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her,
which has the seven heads and the ten horns.  ...  The ten
horns which you saw are ten kings, who have received no
kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as
kings with the beast.  These are of one mind, and they will
give their power and authority to the beast.  These will make
war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for
He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those  who are
with Him  are  called, chosen, and faithful."

Revelation 17:1, 2, 6, 7, 12-14

The passages above are taken from the NKJV ; emphases ours.


Lord, may we follow the correct and most appropriate example
of King Nebuchadnezzar and  fall  on our faces in worshipful
awe  of You.  Thank You for Daniel 2:46, 47.  May we, Your
Church, be wise enough to say,  "NO!"  to the antichrist who
will depose three of the  soon-to-appear kings  of the days of
the end and, together with the other beast, set up  another
image  of great darkness [ cf. Daniel 3 ].  In Your kind mercy 
and grace, let the reader, Lord, understand.  In Jesus Christ's 
precious name, amen.


A question to seriously ponder:

Could  MBS  be a possible candidate for the antichrist?

Please use  explicit  Bible data when you research this question.

____________________


Week of 4/16-20  (B16;18)
 

The  THREE  Kings  Of Daniel 7

Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold,
the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.  And
four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from 
the other."  ...  "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold,
a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong.  It had
huge iron teeth;  it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and
trampling the residue with its feet.  It  was  different from all the
beasts that  were  before it, and it had ten horns.  I was con-
sidering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one,
coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns
were plucked out by the roots.  And there, in this horn,  were
eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous
words."  ...  "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous
words which the horn was speaking;  I watched till the beast was
slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame."  ...
"Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which
was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful,  with  its
teeth of iron and its nails of bronze,  which  devoured, broke in
pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;  and the ten horns
that  were  on its head, and the other  horn  which came up, before
which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth
which spoke pompous words, whose appearance  was  greater
than his fellows.  I was watching;  and the same horn was making
war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the 
Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made  in favor  of 
the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to
possess the kingdom.  Thus he said:  The fourth beast shall be
a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all  other
kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break
it in pieces.  The ten horns  are  ten kings  who  shall arise from
this kingdom.  And another shall rise after them;  he shall be
different from the first  ones,  and shall subdue three kings.
He shall speak  pompous  words against the Most High, shall
persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change
times and law.  Then  the saints  shall be given into his hand for
a time and times and half a time.

Daniel 7:2, 3, 7, 8;  11;  19-25* ...

(the quotation above is taken from the NKJV)


Lord God omniscient and omnipotent, please help Your
Saints in Your Son, Jesus Christ, maintain/persevere in
the Daniel 7:26, 27 perspective whereby we are strongly 
encouraged to  heed  Your Counsel to  endure to the end.  
Thank You for Your mandate to do so - so clearly given by 
Your Son [as recorded in Mark 13:13].  We PRAISE You most 
kind and protective Shepherd of our souls.  Amen

*  Amazing predictions indeed, yet, in the unfolding of it all,
    another one of those  "but God"  chapters  opens - see
    verse 26!   :-) 

____________________


Week of 4/23-27  (B17;18)

How  GREAT  Is Our God

King David enjoyed a  bigger-picture  perspective.
Here's a small part of his  song of praise  to the LORD:

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.
Publish His glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things He does.
Great is the Lord!  He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be revered above all gods.
The gods of other nations are merely idols,
but the LORD made the heavens!
Honor and majesty surround Him;
strength and beauty are in His dwelling.

I Chronicles 16:23-27 ; NLT ; emphases ours

And in this context, please recall this:

(Jesus Christ speaking)  " ... I am the way, the 
truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father 
except through Me."       (see John 14:6 ; NKJV)


Holy Triune God, we praise You.  We thank You for
Your mercy and grace.  Your mercies are new every
morning;  Your grace is sufficient and sweet.  We bow
our knees in humble adoration oh everlasting Father.
Please come quickly Lord Jesus.  Amen

____________________


Week of 4/30 - 5/4  (B18;18)

The  3rd Seal  Of Revelation 6

When He [the Lamb] opened the third seal, I [John] heard
the third living creature say, "Come and see."  So I looked,
and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair
of scales in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of 
the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a
denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and
do not harm the oil and the wine.

(Revelation 6:5, 6 ; NKJV)


Priceless Protective Shepherd:  There is NONE like Thee!
We praise You concerning how You have walked with Your
covenant peoples over the past six millennia.  You are,
indeed, merciful and holy.  Blessed be.  Thank You that
we - the final generation of Your eternal New Covenant
people in Jesus Christ Your Son - are  SAFE  in Your 
loving hands ... even through martyrdom if that be our
lot.  Help us Father.  Help us  rightly  prepare - in mind,
material provision and spirit - whereby we heed Your
Counsel toward being properly  watchful  so that we 
avoid the failure of the Sardis Church [see Rev. 3:1-6].
We don't want to be those who find ourselves unpre-
pared for the  theif-in-the-night  appearing of our Savior.
Instead, Lord God, we desire to be Your Ambassadors
during the early part of the Day of the Lord before our
final trumpet rapture gathering whereby we miss Your
wrath when it is poured out during the Bowls of Wrath.
All-knowing Father, thank You for Your Counsel in 
I Thes. 5!  May we be doers of Your Word unto Your
glory and praise.  In the name of the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sin of the world ... in the name
of Your dear Son in Whom You are well pleased, amen.  

____________________


Week of 5/7-11  (B19;18)

The  Debut  Of The Antichrist, The Man Of Lawlessness

After this I [Daniel] saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth
beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong.  It had huge iron
teeth;  it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the
residue with its feet.  It  was  different from all the beasts that
were  before it, and it had ten horns.  I was considering the horns,
and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them,
before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots.

And there, in this horn,  were  eyes like the eyes of a man, and a
mouth speaking pompous words.  ...  I was watching;  and the
same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing
against them  ...  The ten horns  are  ten kings  who  shall arise
from this kingdom.  And another shall rise after them;  he shall
be different from the first  ones,  and shall subdue three kings.
He shall speak  pompous  words against the Most High, and
shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to
change times and law.  Then  the saints  shall be given into his 
hand for a time and times and half a time.  But the court shall be
seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and
destroy  it  forever.  Then the kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be 
given to the people, the saints of the Most High.  His kingdom
is  an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and
obey Him.

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors
have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce
features, who understands sinister schemes.  His power shall
be mighty, but not by his own power;  he shall destroy fearfully,
and shall prosper and thrive;  he shall destroy the mighty, and
also  the holy people.  Through his cunning he shall cause 
deceit to prosper under his rule;  and he shall exalt  himself
in his heart.  He shall destroy many in  their  prosperity.  He 
shall even rise against the Prince of princes;  but he shall be
broken without  human  means.  And the vision of the evenings
and mornings which was told is true;  therefore seal up the
vision, for  it refers  to many days  in the future.

There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes  on  the
glorious kingdom;  but within a few days he shall be destroyed,
but not in anger or in battle.   And in his place shall arise a vile
person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty;  but he
shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before
him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.  And 
after the league  is made  with him he shall act deceitfully, for
he shall come up and become strong with a small  number of
people.  He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places
of the province;  and he shall do  what  his fathers have not 
done, nor his forefathers:  he shall disperse among them the
plunder, spoil, and riches;  and he shall devise his plans 
against the strongholds, but  only  for a time.

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon
shaken, in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by 
letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.  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, who opposes and exalts him-
self 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.  Do you not remember that when I was still with you
I told you these things?  And now you know what is restraining,
that he may be revealed in his own time.  For the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work;  only He who now restrains
will do so  untill He is taken out of the way.  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.  The coming of the  lawless one  is according
to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying
wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those
who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth, that they might be saved.  And for this reason God
will send them strong delusion, that they should believe
the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not 
believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Daniel 7:8, 21, 24-27 ; Daniel 8:23-26 ; Daniel 11:20, 21-24
and  II Thessalonians 2:1-12  (NKJV)

And please note  qualities of the antichrist  in the New
Testament book of 1 John.

Also see page 185 - titled "Future Events to Ponder" - in our
book,  The Final Trumpet Rapture Gathering: An Introduction
for further contemporary cultural affairs  most  important to 
our well being.  Note the left column.


Omniscient Father God, we once again offer sincere and deeply
humble  praise  to You for graciously revealing to us Your Counsel
regarding the end of days - our days.  Open our eyes, please, that
we may behold awesome things which Your Word speaks to con-
cerning the days around the public emergence of the little horn,
the antichrist.  In the name of Jesus Christ Your Son we pray, amen.

____________________


Week of 5/14-18  (B20;18)

Our  OMNISCIENT  Informant

Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works
of Him who is  perfect  in knowledge?

Job 37:16 


For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and
knows all things.

I John 3:20


I  am  the LORD, that  is  My name; and My glory I will not
give to another, nor My praise to carved images.  Behold, the 
former things have come to pass, and new things I declare;
before they spring forth I tell you of them.  ...  Remember the
former things of old, for I  am  God, and  there is  no other; 
I am  God, and  there is  none like Me, declaring the end 
from the beginning, and from ancient times  things  that
are not  yet  done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and 
I will do all My pleasure' ...

Isaiah 42:8, 9 ; 46:9, 10

(The passages above are taken from the NKJV ; emphases ours)


YHVH God  knows  perfectly,  encompassing  everything,  
even the future.


Lord God, as You well know in Your omniscience, one message high-
lighted in the  Contact  movie was such an example of  self deception!
Please open the eyes of the defiant and show them their blatant dis-
regard for Truth.  Yes Lord, expose the fallacy they hold, especially
in light of Your Word which speaks to Your  foreknowledge  of end-
time events.  THANK YOU  for the powerful analogy of Isaiah 55:8, 9
and the revelation that You've created the vastness of our universe to,
in part, illustrate the degree of Your omniscience.  And help us Your
people, Lord!  Help us heed Your Counsel concerning our new lives
in Your Son during these  end of days.  Help us to shine for You in
these days of great darkness.  We PRAISE You loving Creator and
Savior.  It's in Christ Jesus' holy name we pray, amen. 

P.S.  God's knowledge of  each  man (male and female) is  MOST
         intimate!  Jesus' insights as recorded in  Matthew 6:8  and  
         10:30  speak to His knowledge of each and every one of us.  
         Psalm 139  (e.g., see vv. 1, 2, 4, 16)  testifies to the reality 
         of God's omniscience.  Will we respond  realistically  like
         David the psalmist did?  - see verse 6 

         God also knows our  greatest  need:  to be in His Son, the Lord
         Jesus.  Have  YOU  placed your trust in Him (by receiving Him
         by faith) whereby you are  eternally saved  from your sin - sin
         which brings death and separation from God  IF  one rejects
         His gift of Life in God's only Savior, Jesus Christ?

____________________

 
Week of 5/21-25  (B21;18)

The  TAX  Imposer  Of  Daniel 11

There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on  the
glorious kingdom;  but within a few days he shall be destroyed,
but not in anger or in battle.   Daniel 11:20 ; NKJV


Many believe, in light of the content of the rest of this eleventh 
chapter, the antichrist is described in Daniel 11:21ff.  Because
this vile person rises  after  the one who imposes taxes on the
glorious kingdom, it is reasonable to include this tax imposer
as one of the signs which come prior to the activity of the vile
person.


Father God, as the book of Daniel manifests itself to be Your
written book (written through Daniel) due to the accuracy of
the specific forecast of the global kingdoms which followed the
Babylonian empire, so too does this book speak to very specific
details concerning things which take place before the little horn
fulfills Your prophetic details concerning the covenant, the taking
away of the daily sacrifices and who then goes on to set up the 
abomination of desolation.  THANK YOU for informing us as
to events which come before the  war  this one brings against
Your saints.  Help us, Father, rightly prepare to be Your lights
during these days, too - for those who remain on the earth
during this fantastic time. 

____________________

 

Week of 5/28 - 6/1  (B22;18) 

Seals 4 & 5  And The  War  Against The Saints

When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature saying, "Come and see."  So I looked, and behold,
a pale horse.  And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and
Hades followed with him.  And power was given to them over a 
fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, 
and by the beasts of the earth.   Revelation 6:7, 8 ; NKJV

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.  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?"  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.   Revelation 6:9-11 ; NKJV

(Also see Daniel 7 & Rev. 13 concerning details about the
three-and-a-half year  war  against God's Sheep in Christ.)


Holy Father, how much clearer could You have been regarding
the Truth which Your Son declared concerning Your people in
Him:  In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good 
cheer, for I have  overcome  the world.  May we follow in the
footsteps of Your Son and  overcome.  And for those who
would be ever so hesitant to receive Your Son's Counsel to
us, Your Church, may You open their eyes to the Truths of
Revelation 2 & 3 as we continue in this final period of global
persecution.  Yes, LORD, may we obey Your Son and over-
come, for as He has stated, those who endure to the end will
be saved.  In Jesus Christ's victorious name we pray, amen.

____________________

 

Week of 6/4-8  (B23;18)

The  Daniel 9:27  Covenant

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
but in the middle of the week  ["and for half of the week" ; ESV]
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.  And on the
wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
even until the consummation, which is determined, is
poured out on the desolate.    Daniel 9:27 ; NKJV / ESV


Dear Shepherd over our souls, THANK YOU for kindly
making known to us some of the important and most 
specific events which will take place  before  Your Son's
initial appearing.  At His appearing - which will serve to
begin the day of Christ / the Day of the Lord - may we 
watch  and be ready in light of Your instructions to the 
Sardis church.  And Lord, THANK YOU for Your en-
couraging Counsel in I Thes. 5.  Please help us, through 
Your Spirit's moving in our lives, to be ready such that we 
are not caught off guard (that is, unprepared).  THANK 
YOU, heavenly Father, for warning us as You have.  In 
the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus, we pray, 
amen. 

____________________

 

Week of 6/11-15  (B24;18)

The Setting Up Of The  Abomination Of Desolation

[ Jesus Christ speaking: ]
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you
will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many
will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one an-
other.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will
grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  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.  Therefore,
when you see the  'abomination of desolation,'  spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads,
let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the
mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to
take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field
not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are 
pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
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.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh
would be saved;  but for the elect's sake those days will
be shortened."    Matthew 24:9-22 ; NKJV


Lord God, Your Son taught us  SO  many things in this passage.
Help us to discern the  man of lawlessness  when he is revealed.
Please shine through us whereby we serve as Your Ambassadors
during this time of  war  against Your Saints.  May we endure to
the end as You have so clearly instructed.  With praise to YOU,
Oh God Most High.  Amen

____________________

 

Week of 6/18-22  (B25;18)

Our 2018 End-Time Bible Reading Schedule (July - September)

Father God, the entirety of Thy Word is Truth! 
Oh Lord, please bring on, as You promise,
Isaiah 55:10, 11.


July 1   Daniel 1
July 2   Daniel 2
...  etc.   ...
July 11  Daniel 11
July 12  Daniel 12
July 13  Mark 13
July 14  John 14
July 15  I Cor. 15
July 16  I Thes. 4
July 17  Revelation 11
July 18  Revelation 14
July 19  II Thes. 2
July 20  I Thes. 5
July 21   I Tim. 4
July 22  II Tim. 3
July 23  II Tim. 4
July 24  Titus 3
July 25  James 5
July 26  I John 1
July 27  I John 2
July 28  I John 3
July 29  I John 4
July 30  I John 5
July 31   II & III John

August 1   Rev. 1
August 2   Rev. 2
...  etc.  ...
August 21  Rev. 21
August 22  Rev. 22
August 23  Psalm 53
August 24  Psalm 54
August 25  Psalm 55
August 26  Psalm 56
August 27  Psalm 57
August 28  Psalm 58
August 29  Psalm 59
August 30  Psalm 60
August 31   Psalm 61

September 1   Daniel 1
September 2   Daniel 2
        (repetition for the sake of emphasis:
         Please note how applicable these
         chapters are to our present culture!)
...  etc.  ...
September 11   Daniel 11
September 12  Daniel 12
September 13  Matthew 24
September 14  Matthew 25
September 15  Luke 17
September 16  Luke 21
September 17  John 10
September 18  John 11
...  etc.  ...
September 27  John 20
September 28  John 21
September 29  Rev. 2
September 30  Rev. 3


Lord, may  You,  by  Your  Spirit, bring fruitful blessing
as we seek  Your  face through the reading of  Your  holy,
precious Word.  In Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen.

____________________

 

Week of 6/25-29  (B26;18)

5 Loaves & 2 Fish - A  Mid-Year  Assessment

And the day began to decline, and the twelve came and said to Him,
"Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding
villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat;
for here we are in a desolate place."  But He [Jesus Christ] said to
them, "You give them something to eat!"  And they said, "We have
no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and
buy food for all these people."  (For there were about five thousand
men).  And He said to His disciples, "Have them recline  to eat  in
groups of about fifty each."  And they did so, and had them all
recline.  And He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up 
to heaven, He blessed them, and broke  them,  and kept giving
them  to the disciples to set before the multitude.  And they all ate 
and were satisfied; and that which was left over to them of the 
broken pieces was picked up, twelve baskets full.  
(Luke 9:12-17 ; NASV)

Our Father of lights is the Provider of every good and perfect gift!

While some ministries have many thousands of dollars with which to
work, our actual annual budgets (here at  Endurance Ministries) have
always been, since our incorporation in 2000, under $10,000.  Given
this ministry is  not  burdened with salary compensation  or  typical
personal ministry  reimbursements, it's been a blessing to keep
ministry costs at a minimum.

But what about  ministry fruit ?

God has been very good to us in many respects.  Here's one
provision along the lines of His confirmed blessing under the
category of  ministry fruit:

He has  multiplied  our small amount - 5 loaves and 2 fish - into
a  vast provision  feeding  thousands ... like His Son did almost
2,000 years ago during His teaching and preaching ministries.

But unlike multiplying the small  financial  amount we (in His
precious mercy and grace) have, He has provided through the
multiplication  of the messages  He has commissioned us to
bring.

Although it's  unlike  what our Savior accomplished - multiplying
loaves into a great number of loaves  and  a couple fish into a
great number of fish - God has blessed us by allowing us to con-
tribute toward the accomplishment of a different miracle - one His
Son also performed:  Multiplying a small message (with a very
limited budget) into a great and beneficial message reaching 
many.


Oh Lord God, may You be glorified in all our Kingdom efforts,
especially unto Your people's improved  preparedness  through
discipleship, unto the  salvation of the lost  through Gospel
proclamation  AND  ultimately,  unto Your glory and praise!
In Jesus Christ's name we ask these things, amen. 


3rd Quarter Blogs


Week of 7/2-6  (B27;18)

God's Directive To Us:  "Walk In  MY  Wisdom"

Oh, how I love Your law!  It  is  my meditation all the day.
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my
enemies; for they  are  ever with me.  I have more understanding
than all my teachers, for Your testimonies  are  my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your
precepts.  Your word  is  a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
(Psalm 119:97-100; 105 ; NKJV)

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  But God has
chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and
God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the
things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the
things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which
are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should
glory in His presence.  But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who 
became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctifi-
cation and redemption - that, as it is written, "He who glories, let
him glory in the LORD."  
(I Corinthians 1:26-31 ; NKJV ; bold emphasis ours)


Dear holy, Creator YHVH God,  through Your Word You created
all things.  Praise be to Your glorious name.  Move us to walk in
Your wisdom.  Help us better understand we have, in Your Word,
more wisdom than our enemies!  Help us walk - in our actions -
in this perspective:  We have more understanding than all our
teachers who do not honor Your testimonies!  Help us to live
consistently as we take our daily steps, in alignment with Your
Truth - that we understand more than the ancients!  And THANK
YOU, Lord, that it's Your Truth - not ours - which allows us to live
in humble confidence and that this confident demeanor is available
to  anyone  who is willing to submit to Your worldview perspective.  
Lord, free us from the bondages of darkness by illumining our
minds to Your high ways!  Please do so for YOUR glory and
praise.  In the name of Your beloved Son we pray, amen. 

____________________

 

Week of 7/9-13  (B28;18)

Communication  Is  Good !

And certain  men  came down from Judea and taught the brethren,
"Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you
cannot be saved."  Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no 
small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul
and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem,
to the apostles and elders, about this question.  So, being sent on
their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria,
describing the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy
to all the brethren.  And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were
received by the church and the apostles and the elders;  and they re-
ported all things that God had done with them.  But some of the sect 
of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to 
circumcise them, and to command  them  to keep the law of Moses."  
Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.

[ Then, a letter (that is, further COMMUNICATION) went out ... ]

Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to 
send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and
Barnabas,  namely,  Judas who was also named Barsabas, and 
Silas, leading men among the brethren.  They wrote this  letter  by
them:

   The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren who
   are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:  Greetings.  
   Since we have heard that some who went out from us have
   troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You 
   must  be circumcised and keep the law" - to whom we gave no
   such  commandment - it seemed good to us, being assembled
   with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved
   Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the 
   name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have therefore sent Judas
   and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.
   For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you
   no greater burden that these necessary things:  that you abstain
   from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled,
   and from sexual immorality.  If you keep yourselves from these,
   you will do well.  Farewell.  

So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they
had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 
When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.
 (Acts 15:1-6 ; our commentary ; 22-31 ; NKJV)

Also see blog CB7B;18 - our commentary blog further highlighting 
a great  opportunity  on this topic.  You'll find this blog on our
2018 commentary blog page.


Father God, my how Your  revelation  has kept us on track!  Thank
You for communication in general.  Help us, Lord, to be willing to
further  communicate  (even in the setting of debate)  whereby Your
Truths are highlighted in such a way which promotes our listening
to Your Word - a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet.  And
Lord, if this debate should take place, please open the eyes of our
hearts,  too!  Do so in such a way that fosters obedience to You
concerning our being prepared and ready to meet the challenges
ahead.  In the name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ we pray.

____________________

 

Week of 7/16-20  (B29;18)

God's Precious  MERCY  In Times Of Trouble

Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants  look   to the hand of their masters,
as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes
look  to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us.  Have mercy
on us, O LORD, have mercy on us!  For we are exceedingly filled
with contempt.   Psalm 123:1-3 (NKJV)

Through  the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His
compassions fail not.  They are  new every morning;  great  is  Your
faithfulness.   Lamentations 3:22, 23 (NKJV)


LORD, during these days and the soon-coming hellish days of the 
war against Your Saints in Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us.  Give 
us resolve to walk in Your Spirit and abide in Your Vine.  May we be 
faithful Ambassadors to the end.  In Jesus Christ's holy name, amen.

____________________

 

Week of 7/23-27  (B30;18)

Sincere Expressions Of Faith

But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you.  Be 
our strength each day and our salvation in times of trouble.
The enemy runs at the sound of your voice.  When you stand
up, the nations flee!   Isaiah 33:2, 3 (NLT)

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and 
you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then
many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate
one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive
many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many
will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 24:9-13 (NKJV)


Precious Shepherd, please guide Your needy sheep during these
most challenging times.  Supernaturally empower Your Saints in
Christ Jesus to continue loving to the end.  Help us, LORD, we
pray.  Blessed be Your holy name.  Amen

____________________

 

Week of 7/30 - 8/3  (B31;18)

PRAISE From Those  You  Have Touched

For I know that the LORD  is  great, and our Lord  is  above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth,  in the
seas and in all deep places.  ...  Your name, O LORD,  endures  forever, 
Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.  For the LORD will
judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants.
Psalm 135:5, 6, 13, 14 (NKJV)

You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power;  for
You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.
...  And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under
the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard
saying:  "Blessing and honor and glory and power  be  to Him who sits
on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
Revelation 4:11 ; 5:13 (NKJV)


Glorious Father God, You alone are God.  Thank You for expressing
Yourself so perfectly through Your Savior - Everlasting Father!  We 
praise You for Your Son, Jesus Christ the LORD.  Thank You, too, 
for the JOY and PEACE You so graciously and abundantly impart
to Your adopted children in Your Son.  Grace us, please, with lives
which shine Your light as we keep in mind we will, one day, give
account to You.  It's through the dear name of Christ Jesus Your
Son that we bring our prayers before You.  AlleluJah

____________________

 

Week of 8/6-10  (B32;18)

Responding As  God  Would Have Us Respond

And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam
became  leprous, as white as snow.  Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, 
and there she was, a leper.  So Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my Lord!  Please
do not lay  this  sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which
we have sinned.  Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is
half consumed when he comes out of his mother' womb!"  So Moses 
cried out to the Lord, saying, Please heal her, O God, I pray!"  
Numbers 12:10-13 ; NKJV

[ Jesus Christ speaking ... ]  "You have heard that it was said, 'You
shall love your neighbor  and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love
your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate
you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that
you may be sons of your Father in heaven;  for He makes His sun rise
on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even
the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what
do you do more  than others ?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48 ; NKJV


Lord God, we pray for our foes who rise up against us.  Open their
eyes we pray.  May we abide in loving, compassionate mercy toward
our dark enemies  and  may we continue praying for their change of
heart before it's too late.  Thank You for the moving of Your Spirit
which softens hearts as far as You can given Your perfect expression
of love which allows man to choose.  Balancing Your eternal Truths
(in our affirming the  full  Counsel of Your revelation to us) is so
crucial today.  May we yield to Your Spirit within us to live in 
balance as You define it.  Unto Your glory and praise we pray, amen.

____________________

 

Week of 8/13-17  (B33;18)

A Crucial Mindset - Even During The End Of Days  ...

Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink;
let me be delivered from those who hate me, and 
out of the deep waters.  Let not the floodwater over-
flow me, nor let the deep swallow me up;  and let not
the pit shut its mouth on me.    Psalm 69:14, 15 ; NKJV

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common
to man;  but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to
bear it.     I Corinthians 10:13 ; NKJV


THANK YOU, Lord, that You do not allow anything to come our
way that we cannot handle as we abide in You.  May we  endure
as we partake in the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ - Son of
God, Savior.  In His name we pray.  Amen

____________________

 

Week of 8/20-24  (B34;18)

JOY  In Patient Endurance

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have
its  perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
(James 1:2-4 ; NKJV) 


Father of lights, we so appreciate Your Counsel.  Thank You for fore-
warning us about trials, including both the general ones and the
ones especially pressing during the  end of days.  Allow us, we pray,
in Your mercy and grace, to walk in YOUR perspective prior to the
initial appearing of Your glorious Son.  In Jesus Christ's name we
pray, amen.

____________________

 

Week of 8/27-31  (B35;18)

Oh Come Let Us  ADORE  Him ...

Give to the LORD the glory  due  His name;  bring an offering,
and come before Him.  Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of
holiness!  Tremble before Him, all the earth.  The world also is
firmly established, it shall not be moved.  Let the heavens rejoice,
and let the earth be glad;  and let them say among the nations,
"The LORD reigns."  Let the sea roar;  and all its fullness;  let
the field rejoice, and all that  is  in it.  Then the trees of the
woods shall rejoice before the LORD, for He is coming to
judge the earth.    I Chronicles 16:29-33 ; NKJV

He who is unjust, let him be unjust still;  he who is filthy, let
him be filthy still;  he who is righteous, let him be righteous still;  
he who is holy, let him be holy still.  And behold, I am coming
quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according
to his work.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the  Beginning and
the  End,  the First and the Last.  Blessed are those who do His
commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life,
and may enter through the gates into the city.  But outside  are
dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and
idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.  I, Jesus, have
sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches.  I am
the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"  And let him who hears
say, "Come!"  And let him who thirsts come.  Whoever desires, let
him take the water of life freely.    Revelation 22:11-17 ; NKJV 


Father God, what can we say but You reign!  Thank You, oh LORD
MOST HIGH, for all that You have revealed to us in Your Word.  We
are grateful dear God Most High.  Please receive our thankgivings
and praises through Jesus Christ our Lord, for it's in His name we
come into Your glorious presence expressing these  cries of our
hearts.   Thank You Abba, for everything.  Amen

____________________

 

Week of 9/3-7  (B36;18)

Continuing  In  Prayer

Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the
Lord.  And she made this vow:  "O Lord Almighty, if you will look down
upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will
give him back to you.  He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a 
sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut."
I Samuel 1:10, 11 ; NLT

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;  for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies.  Test all things;  hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.     I Thes. 5:16-22 ; NKJV
(also see Luke 18:1-8)


Father, as Lord God, we are humbled that You would even be willing
to listen to our cries.  Yet, in Your loving kindness, You do.  Thank You
precious God Most High.  Thank You for loving your people in Jesus Christ
as You do.  We are grateful.  Please keep us on Your  straight and narrow
whereby our sins do not cause You to close Your ear to our expressions
of  adoration, our  confessions, our sincere  thanksgivings and our words
of  supplication.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.  

____________________

 

Week of 9/10-14  (B37;18)

YHVH God, There Is  None  Like THEE!

Among the gods  there is  none like You, O Lord;  nor
are there any works  like Your works.  All nations whom
You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
and shall glorify Your name.  For You  are  great, and do
wondrous things;  You alone  are  God.
Psalm 86:8-10 ; NKJV

Remember the former things of old, for I  am  God, and  there is
no other;  I am  God, and  there is  none like Me, declaring the end 
from the beginning, and from ancient times  things  that are not  yet  
done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure ...'
Isaiah 46:9, 10 ; NKJV ; emphasis ours


Please  pray  your prayer of response to these precious Truths,
recalling God will indeed bring all of His prophetic declarations 
to fruition ... unto His glory and praise. 

____________________

 

Week of 9/17-21  (B38;18)

Even So, Please  COME  Lord Jesus

The earth  is  the LORD's, and all its fullness; the world and those
who dwell therein.  For He has founded it upon the seas, and 
established it upon the waters.  ...  Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!  And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?  The LORD of hosts, He  is  the King of glory.
Selah          Psalm 24:1, 2, 9, 10 ; NKJV

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with
Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be
gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divides  his  sheep from the goats.  And He will set the 
sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Matthew 25:31-33 ; NKJV 


Father of glory, thank You for the double rainbow* recently!  You 
alone are glorious Creator.  We praise You for Your trustworthy
Word.  Help us understand we need to walk with You after our
initial regeneration so as to be the sheep You've called us to be.
Please make a short work of the earth;  come quickly Lord Jesus.

*  CLICK HERE  for information about another double rainbow.

____________________

 

Week of 9/24-28  (B39;18)

From Everlasting To Everlasting, Thou Art  GOD

"Who  is  like You, O LORD, among the gods?  Who  is  like You,
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?  You
stretched out Your right hand;  the earth swallowed them.  You in
Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided  them  in Your strength to Your holy habitation.
Exodus 15:11-13 ; NKJV

They  [ those who have the victory over the beast ]  sing the song
of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
"Great and marvelous  are  Your works, Lord God Almighty!  Just
and true  are  Your ways, O King of the saints!  Who shall not fear
You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?  For  You  alone  are  holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your
judgments have been manifested."
Revelation 15:3, 4 ; NKJV


LORD God Most High, we honor You as God alone.  May You be
blessed in and through our lives as we live as Your living sacrifices 
unto Your glory and praise.  May we be faithful Ambassadors of 
Jesus Christ Your glorious Son, in whose name we pray, amen.

 

4th Quarter Blogs


We
ek of 10/1-5  (B40;18)

Our 2018 End-Time Bible Reading Schedule  (October - December)

By God's precious grace, he has given us His Counsel of light and
life in order to navigate the worst  storm  in the history of mankind.
We  SO  encourage you to seek His instruction during these days
prior to Jesus Christ's glorious rapture gathering of His Church. 

October 1   Revelation 1
October 2   Revelation 2
...  etc.  ...
October 21   Revelation 21
October 22   Revelation 22
October 23   Psalm 23
October 24   Matthew 24
October 25   Matthew 25
October 26   Mark 13
October 27   Luke 12
October 28   Luke 17
October 29   Luke 21
October 30   I Timothy 4
October 31    II Timothy 3, 4

November 1   Psalm 51
November 2   Psalm 52
...  etc.  ...
November 29   Psalm 79
November 30   Psalm 80

December 1    Daniel 1
December 2   Daniel 2
...  etc.  ..
December 11    Daniel 11
December 12   Daniel 12
December 13   I Thes. 4
December 14   John 14
December 15   I Cor. 15
December 16   Rev. 11, 14
December 17   I Thes. 5
December 18   II Thes. 2
December 19   Joel 2, Acts 2
December 20   Isaiah 40
December 21    Isaiah 55
December 22   Psalms 1, 19
December 23   Psalm 119
December 24   Luke 3
December 25   Matthew 1
December 26   John 1
December 27   John 2
December 28   John 3
December 29   II Peter 1
December 30   II Peter 2
December 31    II Peter 3

For the word of God  is  living and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit,
and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and 
intents of the heart.           (Hebrews 4:12 ; NKJV)


Oh glorious One, may Your Word which goes forth from Your
mouth bring ministry to our weary bones during the dark days
which will soon fall upon mankind.  May we Your people in Jesus
Christ Your Son be Your faithful Ambassadors to a world in great
need.  Shine Jesus shine.  We praise You holy Father and rejoice
in being able to do so as a result of the cleansing blood of Your
Lamb - Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord and through Your
Holy Spirit's moving in our lives.  Thank You precious Father.

____________________

 

Week of 10/8-12  (B41;18)

God's  WORD  To His Church Today - Part 1

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,  These things says He
who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst
of the seven golden lampstands:
I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot
bear those who are evil.  And you have tested those who say they
are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;  and you have
persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's
sake, and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have  this  
against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore
from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else
I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its
place - unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the 
deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who
overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the
midst of the Paradise of God.        (Revelation 2:1-7 ; NKJV)


Oh LORD our God, we exalt Thee.  You alone are God Most High
and there is no other.  Father, thank You for loving us as You do.
Thank You for loving us to the extent You graciously bring (to Your
people in Christ Jesus Your Son)  warning.  We are so reminded
of the book of Jude which also lovingly extends warning to those
whom You have called, sanctified and preserved.  Lord, may You
work the good works in us which return us to our first love.  We
confess wayward moments, Lord.  We confess these times, claim
Your generous forgiveness - I John 1:8-10 - and go on to cry out
to You for Your help to live our lives in Your Son in ways that  
please  Your great name.  Yes, Holy Father God, we want to
be like Your Son in whom You are well pleased.  Thank You
for Your Holy Spirit's enabling to those who are baptized in
You.  We are sincerely grateful for this, Your gift to us!  In
Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen. 

____________________

 

Week of 10/15-19  (B42;18)

God's  WORD  To His Church Today - Part 2

To the angel of the church of Smyrna write,  These things says the
First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:  
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and
I know  the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not,
but  are  a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear any of those things
which you are about to suffer.  Indeed, the devil is about to throw
some  of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have
tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the
crown of life.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit 
says to the churches.  He who overcomes shall not be hurt by
the second death.        (Revelation 2:8-11 ; NKJV)

 
Father God, Your Word is amazing.  In the spirit of  thanksgiving,
we express sincere thanks and praise for Your grace in being so
willing to lead us through Your precious Word.  Help us, Lord, to
follow in the footsteps of those who have gone on before us.  Help
us, Lord, to endure to the end.  And help us to do so with a  grateful
heart  knowing the sufferings of the days ahead will not even be
able to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us  IF
we but endure.  Help us, Lord, to follow Your Counsel to the end,
knowing it is those who overcome - even faithful unto death - who
will not be hurt by the second death.  Loving Father, we gladly
serve You as living sacrifices - whatever that may bring.  And
thank You for enabling us to live in  victory  through the sufferings
of Christ Your holy Son as we abide in Your Vine and walk in Your 
Spirit.  Lord, we PRAISE Your great name.  In Jesus Christ we pray, 
amen.

____________________

 

Week of 10/22-26  (B43;18)

God's  WORD  To His Church Today - Part 3

To the angel of the church of Pergamos write, These things says He
who has the sharp two-edged sword:  
I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne  is.
And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in
the days in which Antipas  was  My faithful martyr, who was killed
among you, where Satan dwells.  But I have a few things against you,
because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who
taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to
eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.  Thus
you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which
thing I hate.  Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight
against them with the sword of My mounth.  He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes
I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.  And I will give him a white
stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows
except him who receives it.        (Revelation 2:12-17 ; NKJV)


Precious Father, some Christians  act  as if Your book of Revelation
is not applicable to Your Church today.  Lord, how far from the Truth
that perspective is!  Your Word is a powerful two-edged sword.  Thank 
You 
for the pertinent Counsel in this book which closed Your canonical
written revelation to us.  Thank You for calling us to hold fast!  Thank 
You 
for loving us perfectly, even to the extent of disclosing areas in our
lives which still need correction.  Thank You for - even two thousand 
years after Your Son's similar appeals - calling us to repent.  May
we humble ourselves, confess our sins and take the next step of
repentance: change ... may we stop sinning.  Lord, all of Your Word
is Truth - Psalm 119:160 - and is forever settled in heaven.  Help us 
embrace  Your  perspective as to the truthfulness of Your  entire  Word, 
including Your warnings of  eternal  consequences tied to the  practice  
of sin, for these warnings in Your Word are many!  Thank You for Your 
Spirit's help toward overcoming.  May we walk in Your Spirit during 
these days of tremendous opportunity.  Unto Your glory and praise 
we pray, in Jesus Christ's name, amen. 

____________________

 

The following blog is a brief  interruption  of
our current series on the 7 Revelation churches.

 

Week of 10/29 - 11/2  (B44;18)

God's Commands To Each And Every One

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed
and in truth.  And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our hearts before Him.  For if our heart condemns us, God is
greater than our heart, and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart 
does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.  And what-
ever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His command-
ments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.  And this
is His commandment:  that we should believe on the name of His
Son, Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us command-
ment.  Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and
He in him.  And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit
whom He has given us.        I John 3:18-24 ; NKJV

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment, including every
secret thing, whether good or evil.       Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 ; NKJV


Father, thank You for being ever so clear.  You say, even
through Your Son, that we demonstrate our love for You 
through obedience.  Thank You that this lifestyle is not a 
salvation-by-works effort but simply a loving response to
You in our newborn state.  Thank You for including in Your
Word an essential  command: I John 3:23.  We love You by 
obeying Your command to believe on the name of Your Son, 
Jesus Christ. Help us affirm the full Counsel of Your Word 
and live as You have so called Your people to live.  Thank 
You for Your Son's summary of Your commands by giving 
us the two great commandments.   We love You by obeying
You.  We also love You by obeying Your command to love 
one another.  Oh precious God of love, we praise You.  
Thank You for equipping us with the means to love You as 
we should.  And thank You for forgiving us when we fall short.  
Even so, please come quickly Lord Jesus.  Amen

____________________

 

Week of 11/5-9  (B45;18)

God's  WORD  To His Church Today - Part 4

To the angel of the church of Thyatira write,  These things says the
Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine
brass:
I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience;  and  as
for your works, the last  are  more than the first.  Nevertheless I have
a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel,
who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to
commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I
gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not
repent.  Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit
adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their
deeds.  I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall
know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts.  And I will
give to each one of you according to your works.  Now to you I say,
and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine,
who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put
on you no other burden.  But hold fast what you have till I come.
And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to
him I will give power over the nations - '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;  and I will give him the
morning star.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches.        (Revelation 2:18-29 ; NKJV)


Oh glorious Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.  Thy 
Kingdom come, Thy  will  be done on earth as it is in heaven.
... For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever
and ever, amen.  In Jesus Christ's holy name we pray.

Because these passages are SO pertinent for God's Church
in Jesus Christ today, we encourage you to offer prayers tied
to the content in these Revelation 2 & 3 chapters.  For example:


Holy Father, You are so clear regarding sexual sins.  You have 
called us to separate from this world and we bow to the fact that
this includes, among other things, our abstaining from sexual
immorality - of all types.  Lord, help us understand You are true
to Your FULL Counsel, Counsel which includes the  promise  that
those who practice sins of various types will  NOT  inherit Your
Kingdom.  Lord, through Your Holy Spirit's moving in our lives,
help us walk in purity in these days of great unrighteousness.
May we look up, for our salvation draws near.  Until that day,
may we abide in Your precious resources in order to walk
fruitfully in You.  Lord, may we  RUN  from sexual sin since
it so pollutes the temples You desire to  victoriously  indwell.
Thank You, Lord, for Romans 6 and I Corinthians 6!  And Lord,
by way of confession, when we fail, thank You for I John 1:9.
What ongoing victory in Christ Jesus Your Lamb Who takes
away the sin of the world, especially (effectually) the sins of
those who, by faith, say "yes" to you and receive His sweet
sin-forgiving provision.  In His name - the name of Your only
begotten Son, Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen

____________________

 

Week of 11/12-16  (B46;18)

God's  WORD  To His Church Today - Part 5

To the angel of the church of Sardis write,  These things says He
who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:  
I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but
you are dead.  Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,
that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before
God.  Remember therefore how you have received and heard;  hold
fast and repent.  Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon
you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their
garments;  and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will
not blot his name from the Book of Life;  but I will confess his name
before My Father and before His angels.  He who has an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(Revelation 3:1-6 ; NKJV)

 
Father God, help us to  watch  as You, through Your Son, have so
commanded Your people.  Help us to honor Your Word and accept
Your Son's warning as to  consequences  of failing to watch.  And
Lord, help us better balance Your Truths forever settled in heaven
and simply affirm the obvious:  You call Your people to walk in
holiness and warn against hypocritical Christianity.  Thank You
Lord, for Your stern revelation in this church letter, especially 
in verses four and five but correction found throughout.  These 
expressions of Fatherly love are received as such - oh how You
love us Lord God.  Thank You for demonstrating that love by being
willing to correct us when we wander off Your straight and narrow.
Allow us, please, we pray, to hear what  Your  Spirit says to Your 
Church today.  In Jesus Christ's holy name we humbly pray, amen.  

____________________

 

Week of 11/19-23  (B47;18)

God's  WORD  To His Church Today - Part 6

To the angel of the church of Philadelphia write, these things says
He who is holy, He who is true, 'He who has the key of David, He
who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens ' :
I know your works.  See, I have set before you an open door, and
no one can shut it;  for you have a little strength, have kept My
word, and have not denied My name.  Indeed I will make  those  
of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, 
but lie - indeed, I will make them come and worship before your
feet, and to know that I have loved you.  Because you have 
kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the
hour of trial which shall come upon the earth.  Behold, I am
coming quickly!  Hold fast what you have, that no one may
take your crown.  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.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.                                  (Revelation 3:7-13 ; NKJV)


Blessed be  Father God!  Oh glorious One, please continue
helping us follow in Your Son's footsteps of faithfulness.  Help
us to be those who keep Your Word, who are overcomers,
who are unwilling to deny Your great and holy name.  Lord
God, we wish to honor You by enduring to the end.  As we
press forward in endurance, keep us, we pray, from the hour
of trial.  Yes Lord, help us hold fast in You during these most
wicked days which are upon us today.  May we redeem the 
Gospel opportunities unto Your glory and praise we pray.  
Amen 

P.S.  BLESSED  [ in Christ Jesus ]  THANKSGIVING
        celebrations to each and every one! 

____________________

 

Week of 11/26-30  (B48;18)

God's  WORD  To His Church Today - Part 7

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, these things 
says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of
the creation of God:
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I could
wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  
Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have
need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miser-
able, poor, blind and naked - I counsel you to buy from Me gold
refined in the fire, that you may be rich;  and white garments,
that you may be clothed, that  the shame of your nakedness
may not be revealed;  and anoint your eyes with eye salve,
that you may see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door
and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I 
will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  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.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.                                    (Revelation 3:14-22 ; NKJV)


Holy Father, we contiue expressing our praise and thanks-
givings to You for Your Son, Jesus Christ the Lord of lords
and King of kings.  Help us be zealous for You and Your
eternal Kingdom things.  Forgive us and move us forward
in a fresh way.  We even ask You to help us repent of the
lukewarm state so many have fallen into over the course 
of time.  Thank You for loving us enough to rebuke and
chasten us.  And once again, help us to be the overcomers
You have called us to be.  Unto Your glory and praise we
ask these things, in Jesus Christ's holy name we pray, amen

____________________


We
ek of 12/3-7  (B49;18)

Thanksgiving Past  ...  Thanksgiving Ongoing

(The following is taken from  The One Year Book of Bible 
Prayers - November 27th's read titled, "Drinking From the
Fountain of Salvation")

 

     With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of
     salvation!  In that wonderful day you will sing:

     "Thank the Lord!  Praise His name!
     Tell the world what he has done.  
     Oh, how mighty he is!
     Sing to the Lord, 
     for he has done wonderful things. 
     Make known his praise around the world."

     This excerpt is a pause of joyful praise in an otherwise frightful
prediction from God's prophet Isaiah concerning Israel's disobedience.
It is the prayer the Israelites will offer to God after he saves them from 
their sins.  Isaiah compared their change of heart to quenching one's
parched throat at a fountain.  Isn't it amazing how experiencing the
dreadful results of sin brings a new appreciation of the joys of
obeying God?  [ if we maintain a contrite heart and are willing to
confess and repent when we foolishly choose to go astray ]  
The hearts of these newfound believers overflow with thanksgiving
to God for all he has done.  
     In prayer, thank God for saving you.  Ask him to satisfy your
parched soul and renew your spirit.

Dear Lord, I thank you and praise your name.  You have done
wonderful things ...

 
Scripture taken from Isaiah 12:3-5 ; NLT 
[ comment in bracket ours ]

____________________

 

Week of 12/10-14  (B50;18)

Christmas Cheer For All Of Next Year

The following  history  is taken from Luke 2  ...  

     And it came to pass in those days, that there went out
     a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should
     be taxed.
     ( And  this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was
     governor of Syria.)
     And all went to be taxed, every one, into his own city.
     And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
     Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is 
     called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and
     lineage of David:)
     To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great
     with child.
     And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped
     him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger;
     because there was no room for them in the inn.
     And there were in the same country shepherds abiding
     in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
     And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the
     glory of the Lord shone round about them:  and they 
     were sore afraid.  
     And the angel said unto them, Fear not:  for, behold, I
     bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
     all people.
     For unto you is born this day in the city of David a 
     Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
     And this  shall be  a sign unto you;  Ye shall find the
     babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
     And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
     the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
     Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
     will toward men."                          (Luke 2:1-14 ; KJV)


Lord God Most High, we can't help but praise Your holy name.
You are so good to us.  Even more importantly, You are true
to Yourself - Your fully perfect character and whole Being.  We
confess we are nothing and would be nothing without You, 
Father God.  What a glorious difference You've made in our
lives.  Thank You for Your eternally significant Christmas 
Gift - Your Son.  We break down in awe as we further ponder
who we are in Him.  Help us, Lord, in response, to love You
through action - through our thoughts, words and deeds - as
we abide in Your Vine, our Savior.  Help us redeem the time - 
be it ever so short - as we walk in Your Holy Spirit.  In Jesus
Christ's name we pray, amen. 

____________________

 

Week of 12/17-21  (B51;18)

2019 End-Time Bible Reading Schedule (January - March)

The Bible comes from One who is transcendent to us - as
high as the heavens are above the earth.  For those wise 
enough to discern and steer clear of the dark  has God said ?  
influences and horrific bondages, be enriched by the following 
devotional reads: 


January
 

1      John 1
2      John 2
... etc. ...
20     John 20
21      John 21
22     I John 1
23     I John 2
24     I John 3
25     I John 4
26     I John 5
27     II John
28     III John
29     Matthew 24
30     Matthew 25
31      Mark 13


February

1      Luke 1
2      Luke 2
... etc. ...
23    Luke 23
24    Luke 24
25    I Thes. 4
26    I Thes. 5
27    I Cor. 15
28    II Thes. 2


March

1     Matthew 1
2     Matthew 2
... etc. ...
27    Matthew 27
28    Matthew 28
29    I Timothy 4
30    II Timothy 3
31     II Timothy 4


Father, may the milk and meat of Your Word nurture
us such that we are prepared, each and every day -
equipped to be Your fruitful Ambassadors in Your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord.  May You be honored and praised
as we are about Your Kingdom work of Gospel proclamation
and Discipleship.  THANK YOU for the honor and privilege 
to be graciously extended a part of this significant service
opportunity!  May we do it motivated by what motivated You
to secure it - salvation - in the first place:  LOVE for needy 
mankind!   In Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen

____________________

 

Week of 12/24-28  (B52;18)

2018  Reflections

As this past year has unfolded, we've seen the following:

~  the further increase in global unrest and rebellion ;

~  the mushrooming of wicked selfishness (for example,
      murders - NB:  abortion is selfish murder of the most
      innocent of all human life;  growing hatred toward the
      righteous;  rejection of personal freedoms graciously
      extended to man by YHVH God - e.g., freedoms to
      live out our personal convictions before God and man
      without  state  persecution ;

~  the Gospel has gone out to all the world ;

~  while we haven't been able to conduct the Great Debate,
      many are better discerning the weaknesses of some of
      the more popular end-time viewpoints.  (Although this is
      true, a discipleship event of this type - like a great debate -
      would be most helpful toward promoting a more Bible-
      centered eschatological perspective.) ;

~  the moving ahead with the Temple Project plans ;

~  the further setting up of social entrapments (e.g., high
      tech tools) which will be used by the one-world system
      for censorship and other dark acts tied to persecution ;

~  unusual hatred and animosity toward the One true God.


In all this, Psalm 2 seems like an appropriate close:

     Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
     The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
     counsel together, against the LORD and against His
     Anointed,  saying,
     "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their
     cords from us."
     He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;  the LORD shall
     hold them in derision.  Then He shall speak to them in
     His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:
     "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.  I will
     declare the decree:  The LORD has said to Me,  'You
     are My Son, today I have begotten You.  Ask of Me,
     and I will give  You  the nations  for  Your inheritance,
     and the ends of the earth  for  Your possission.  You
     shall break them with a rod of iron;  You shall dash
     them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"
     Now therefore, be wise, O kings;  be instructed, you
     judges of the earth.  Serve the LORD with fear, and
     rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
     and you perish  in  the way, when His wrath is kindled
     but a little.  Blessed  are  all those who put their trust
     in Him.      (NKJV) 

 

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