The Bible

Why I Believe the Book of Revelation Will Be Fulfilled Literally

12 Comments / January 19, 2021

If you are over the age of 50, you can remember a time when the church was very focused on the rapture and the tribulation and what that would look like. Movies like Thief in the Night and A Distant Thunder brought fear and trembling as we considered our standing before God and what the world might look like after the rapture. The interest died down in the 80’s a bit and then was renewed a few years later with the Left Behind book series put out by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.

And then something drastically changed. Suddenly, most churches became silent on the topic. I remember talking to someone who told me that they didn’t even know what their church teaches on eschatology. They never talk about it.

But many in the intellectual circles started teaching an eschatology that was different than what I had always believed in. Replacement Theology, Amillennialism, Post-millennialism, and Dominionism (or Kingdom Now theology) all grew in the wake of the church’s silence as people searched for answers. Many landed with the intellectuals who were declaring that their eschatology was coming from the early church fathers, such as Augustine (I’d like to add here that it is better to get our eschatology from the Bible as one only has to look back before Augustine to recognize that the early church actually taught pre-millennialism.)

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but probably over half (or more) of believers would not believe in a literal Revelation. To believe in this is to subject yourself to much scorn, particularly in the intellectual circles of Christendom.

And, so, today I want to explain to you my own personal journey and how I landed quite solidly in believing that Revelation will be fulfilled literally. While this was what I was taught as a child, I did not automatically assume this as an adult. God has, step by step, been showing me this truth through a variety of avenues. I have much more to learn and God keeps teaching me, for which I am extremely grateful.

Before I go on, I want to make sure you understand that I firmly believe that those who don’t agree with me on eschatology are still my brothers and sisters in Christ if they believe in faith alone through Christ alone for salvation.

So, on to my own journey of how I ended up where I did.

1. The Miracle of Israel  I believe the first step in this journey was a book I just “happened” upon. It was a secular work of fiction called Exodus by an author named Leon Uri. To be honest, I have no idea how I came across it or what made me pick it up but this book changed forever how I viewed the nation of Israel. As the author told a fictional story that was filled with many facts of the birth of modern day Israel I was astounded and even shocked at the miraculous and supernatural nature of it. It gave me much pause for thought that even a secular author could see this. More research into the actual event confirmed what the author had written.

The modern-day nation of Israel should not exist. But God. His supernatural protection of her has continued to this day. To me, this eliminated Replacement Theology. There was no way God didn’t have a future for Israel. Why, we were seeing it come to fruition right in front of our eyes!

I could expound a bit more but I don’t want this to get too long. So may I encourage you to do your own research to confirm what I am saying here? I truly believe, you, too, will be surprised at what you find.

2. My Personal Study of Romans 9-11 As I was reading through the Bible for the first time ever, I had finally reached the book of Romans. To my shame, I had never read the whole thing through. When I read Romans 9-11, I was shocked at the clarity with which Paul himself talks so clearly about God and His Love for Israel. Here we find that, clearly, God has a future planned for Israel. To come away with any different interpretation is to do interpretive somersaults and back flips. Oh, it may sound intellectual but I wasn’t looking for what sounded intellectual. I was looking for what is right.

3. A Consistent Approach to Hermeneutics (which is: the study of the general principles of biblical interpretation)  I remember having a conversation with a pastor many years ago now and his comment to me was that he just can’t understand how [the Reformed crowd] simply change their hermeneutics when they reach Revelation. This led me to find out exactly what he meant. What exactly were Hermeneutics and why do they matter? I read a whole book on interpreting the Bible correctly and then took an online course on Hermeneutics, in my efforts to understand why it matters how we interpret scripture. What I came away with was exactly what the pastor said. If we apply a literal-grammatical-historical approach consistently to scripture, we always end up with a literal Revelation.

I remember hearing Abner Chou once say something like this: “If the plain sense makes sense, there is no need to look for any other sense.”

There is no need to look for allegories unless what we read makes no sense. And Revelation makes perfect sense. Especially in light of what we are seeing today, which leads me to my next point.

(There is so much more to say here but, again, I encourage you to dig on your own. A great place to start is this essay written by Abner Chou. It is long and hard to read but it is helpful for someone who is truly searching.)

4. Current Events What is happening around us has always been a pretty convincing argument that Revelation was going to be fulfilled literally. It just made sense. But, as I have watched the events of 2020 and now 2021 unfold, I have stood back and watched with awe. If anyone has had any doubts about a literal Revelation, I can’t see how they continue to do so after the past eleven months! We are watching the world get set up for a Revelation 13 scenario in ways we never dreamed we’d see in our lifetimes. It’s honestly incredible. And, yet, still so many just can’t see. I have found the past year to be incredibly confirming of scripture. What was prophesied 2000 years ago is getting set up to take place right before our eyes!

I was going to write a whole post on how the signs of the times are converging so perfectly with what we are told will happen in the book of Revelation but if you can see it, you can see it. If you can’t (or you say you can’t even though you can), then you may be holding too tightly to a wrong eschatology or you might be gripping on to life here on earth and unwilling to see reality.

5. Understanding How Incorrect Eschatology Plays Into Satan’s Plan. If we are willing to take a step back and look back over history, we can see the role that replacement theology (the Church has replaced Israel) has played in anti-semitism. To be sure, I am not implying that most who hold this theology are anti-semitic but many of those who have believed in it have been anti-semitic, including Martin Luther.

As we turn our view to what is happening in our world currently, we can see how wrong eschatology changes how we view what’s happening. Let’s take a look specifically at Kingdom Now Theology (also called Dominionism). To put it very simply, this is the view that Christians will work to make the world better and better, as we prepare it for the Lord Jesus at His return. From the Bible, we see that the antichrist is going to bring a false sense of peace to this world. Think how vulnerable those who believe in Kingdom Now Theology will be to a man who claims to be working for God? Think for a moment, if you will, how they will actually help bring in this false system of light because they have been deceived. They are, in essence, working against God instead of for Him.

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So these are a few ways that God has used to bring me to an understanding of the future as prophesied in the book of Revelation. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I am no Bible Scholar. I am not even asking you to believe as I do. I am more interested that you are willing to actually study the Bible to come to your own conclusion. You see, so often we rely on men to tell us what we should believe instead of studying the topic for ourselves.

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with someone and I pointed out the compromise of a certain (very popular) teacher, using scripture to back up what I was saying. The response was from a heart unwilling to see. When I asked her to back up what she was saying with scripture, she replied that it wasn’t necessary. Basically, she was going to believe what she wanted to believe.

What that person didn’t realize was that she had made herself the authority on what to believe, rather than holding the Bible as her authority.

While this is probably worth a post all on its own, my point is that the starting place to find out what we believe about the end times is a humble heart with an open Bible. No matter what you believe about eschatology, it’s important that we know why we believe it from the Bible.

There is much more depth to the defenses for and debates surrounding these different eschatologies than I am able to delve into here. I know that those who believe a different way have a multitude of reasons that they could proffer for their beliefs.

But I am here to encourage you to think for yourself.

Don’t let an intellectual sway your thinking. Don’t be moved by peer pressure or the scorn of a certain group of people. Be willing to ask God to give you insight and then study His Word. And then bravely stand on what you believe.

No one can make you believe a certain way. You get to choose. Do so wisely. Cast your own preconceived notions and favorite teachers aside. And then search out the truth in God’s Word with a willing heart, no matter what the cost.

 

I Can’t Think of Anything More Important Than This

5 Comments / December 20, 2020

I have told this story often. If you’ve been around Growing4Life for any length of time, I’m sure you’ve heard it before. So I hope you will forgive me for telling it again.

I lived most of my life as a Christian. I loved the Lord and desired to obey Him but my Bible was not a priority. I read books about the Bible. I listened to radio programs on how to be a better Christian. I went to church where the Bible was taught. But the Bible itself seemed too hard for me to understand so I didn’t really dive into it.

Somewhere in my 40s, I was convicted about this through a series of events. As I dove into God’s Word with zeal, what I discovered was incredible! Not only was I able to understand much of it, but I was amazed at the cohesiveness of it all. I was truly astonished how it all ties together and proves itself consistent over and over again. As I grew in my knowledge of God’s Word, this consistency and cohesiveness gave me so much confidence in the Bible that I was able to trust God for the things I cannot understand. Some of those things have been made clearer through deeper study. Others still remain a mystery. I am okay with that because it simply reminds me that God is far more infinite and greater than me. I don’t have to understand everything.

Since that time, I have made it my main mission here at Growing4Life to encourage you, my readers, to do the same. I don’t want you to make the same mistake I have made, wasting so many years reading and studying materials about the Bible but not the Bible itself. While these materials aren’t necessarily wrong (if they are biblical), they are no replacement for reading and studying the Word for yourself.

And so I want to encourage you to get in the Word in 2021. Be intentional. Be dedicated.

I have only seen the need for this grow in its importance, as we face life in the midst of “whatever in the world is going on”. Knowing the Bible has always been and will always be critical for every believer. But I cannot think of a time in my lifetime when we believers have ever literally needed it more.

We need it to build up and encourage us.

We need it to convict us of our self-centered, complaining hearts.

We need it to show us what is going on.

We need it to tell us what is coming and what we can expect.

God has been so kind and gracious to give us His Word. I want to encourage you to be intentional about reading and studying it in 2021. Put away (or at least re-prioritize) those devotionals about the Bible. Some of them are okay, but they are no replacement for reading the actual Bible.

If you think the Bible is too hard to understand, then I challenge especially you to give it a try. It is amazing how God opens our eyes when we will but take some of our precious time and dedicate it to knowing Him more. He is so faithful. I have heard testimonies of this time and time again.

I encourage you to get in the Word however you choose. But if you are not sure what you want to do, then I want to invite you to join me for the 2021 Growing4Life Bible Reading Challenge. Each year, I create a challenge for all of us to keep us accountable to be in the Word. If you have no other plan in place yet, then I’d like to invite you to join me in reading the Bible in 2021.

You can find out all about the challenge at this link. I’d love to have you join me!

 

Escape Is Promised

5 Comments / November 17, 2020

The other day I watched an octopus trying to capture a sea snake. Okay, let me fill you in on why I was watching that before I explain what I learned from watching it.

We were keeping our grandsons for the evening and we were at the point where we were all tired. The baby was sleeping in Grandpa’s arms and the two year old and four year old were sitting with me on the loveseat. For whatever reason (this isn’t something we normally do) we turned to YouTube to watch animal videos. The four year old was very interested in octopusses (octopuses? octopusi?) for some reason so I put “octopus” in the search box to see what came up.

He pointed to a video whose cover showed an octopus and a sea snake. I clicked on it to see if it was worthwhile watching. (There is so much not worthwhile and even downright bad on YouTube. I recommend that no child in your care ever be left on their own to scroll through without you to guard their precious eyes.)

What we saw upon clicking on the video was a scuba diver taking a home video of the ocean floor, where he had just happened to catch an octopus trying to capture a sea snake.

It was most fascinating to watch! The octopus used all eight arms in his battle with the sea snake. He would wrap them around his prey and pull him close to himself but then the sea snake would twist and turn and almost get away. Just when he thought he was free, the octopus would reach yet another arm out to grab him and pull him back. This went on for some minutes until finally the sea snake was able to escape the deadly tentacles and he swam away in glorious freedom. He would live to see another day.

I found this video so interesting on several levels. First–who knew there was so much drama on the ocean floor? Of course, I knew it, I had just never really thought about it before. Oh, how wonderful it will be to live on a new earth that has no predator and prey. Have you ever thought about that?

But I also thought of two spiritual analogies that go along with this video. I was trying to decide which one to write about and I’ve decided to just write about both.

First, I think Satan is a little like that octopus. He will try a multi-pronged attack to render us ineffective for Christ. He may tempt us with the sins of self-pity or lying, which we may wallow in for awhile and then just as we escape that sin we are tempted by another one that keeps us wrapped up and imprisoned for a time. As believers, we never stop fighting our enemy. We keep at it until the day we die, knowing that he has no power over us. We will always escape. Sometimes we may receive a short respite and be able to catch our breath, but it never lasts too long, does it? The war with our enemy and with our flesh requires constant attention. There is always another sin or worldly temptation that distracts from and taints a healthy walk with Christ. The “arms” of Satan are limitless and we can only experience victory by never giving up the fight.

But I’d like to spend a bit more time on the second analogy. As I watched that video, I looked at my husband and said I feel a little like that sea snake as I think about the year of 2020. In the midst of whatever game the powers-that-be are playing right now, we are fighting for our sanity and our peace.

It all started with the Coronavirus, one arm of a movement that would try to wrap itself around and suffocate our hope, our peace, and our joy. This arm tried to squelch us with its message of fear and control. Don’t leave your homes. Wear a mask. Close everything. Cancel everything.

Next came the arm of BLM, bringing with it riots, destruction, cancel culture and, with it, more fear.

And, finally, the arm of the election brought with it confusion, disgust, discouragement, and…even more fear.

Now we hear words like “dark winter” and “increasing lockdowns” and yet another arm of the giant octopus is trying to squelch our peace and joy and make us question our sanity.

But this world’s many-armed approach of breaking the spirit of the people can’t work on believers. Not if they are fervently praying and studying their Bibles. There is amazing (and supernatural) strength to be drawn from the pages of scripture. We are immune to even the biggest octopus (spiritually-speaking) if we are walking with God. He is our strength (Psalm 37:39). He is our fortress (Psalm 18:2). He is our Protector (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

Nothing can defeat us, nothing can steal our peace and joy, nothing can remove us from the care of the Good Shepherd and the Father’s love.

Oh, we do have to fight. God has made that clear in His Word (see Ephesians 6:11-13 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). But we will win. We will escape.

We must keep in mind that this does not mean physically. We may suffer terrible losses in this battle with the giant one-world octopus. We may even have to die. We really don’t know what is ahead. But we will be gloriously victorious in the end. Nothing–not even all the events of the year 2020–has the capability of defeating us, as believers, unless we forfeit by taking our eyes off Jesus and putting them on this world.

I admit it’s been a fight and it can be exhausting (as I’ve shared before). I imagine that sea snake, too, was exhausted, as he fought for his life. As we fight for our peace, joy, and–yes–even our sanity in a world full of bad news, violence, fraud, lies, and propaganda, remember that we will escape with all of these things intact, if we but choose to anchor ourselves in God’s Word.

I just cannot believe how I am watching the pages of scripture come to life right now. It is so confirming of the verity of the Bible. So don’t be discouraged. We saw all this coming. Yes, we are in a dreadful fight against evil but God will make a way of escape. And I honestly believe that may very well be soon now!

So keep on fighting. Don’t give up. I know it feels like we are at a disadvantage. And so we are, from the world’s perspective. But they are discounting the fact that God is all-powerful and that there are no sticky tentacles, or number of arms, or any power on this earth that cast us into a prison of fear and torment when God is on our side.

 

(Here’s the link to the octopus and sea snake video if you want to watch it yourself. It says it is 13 minutes long but we just watched the first four minutes).

 

Loving a Lie

6 Comments / November 5, 2020

Lies are told all the time and everywhere. Children to their parents. Employees to their bosses. Citizens to their tax collectors. Reporters to their readers. Politicians to their hearers.

Lying seems to be very normal and rather frequent in this world. And we should expect this, given that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).

But I never really thought too much before about how our lives may be affected if we choose to love the lie we are being told. And then I read this verse yesterday in Revelation 22 (v 15) about who won’t be in heaven–

But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Now, we know that these people aren’t in heaven because they have never repented of their sin. Jesus’s blood covers all of the sins listed above, so that there will be former murderers, sexually immoral, and all other kinds of wicked sinners walking those streets of gold with us. And, in fact, may we remember that we, too, were part of that group listed above.

But that last phrase caught my eye: Whoever loves a lie.

I am amazed at how Satan inspires vain and humanistic philosophies as well as twists and perverts scripture to confuse and lead people astray when it comes to their eternal destiny. For this is the lie that really matters, is it not? The Gospel, if not presented as the Bible teaches, can be twisted beyond recognition. And it often is.

Think with me, if you will, about some of the more common lies the world believes about salvation and how to get to heaven–

—I believe I just need to be a good person and/or follow a certain set of rules. (Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and just about anyone you meet anywhere in the world.)

—I believe that Jesus and my good works/following a certain set of rules will save me. (Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Legalism)

—I believe that a prayer I said at camp when I was a kid is enough to guarantee my salvation and I can then go on to live my life however I want, fulfilling my own dreams and pursuing what I want. I’m not convicted of sin, because I know God will forgive me for my sleeping with my girlfriend or cheating on my taxes. (Mainstream Christianity).

—I believe that God exists to please and bless me. (Prosperity Gospel).

—I believe Jesus died for everyone and all people are going to heaven. (Universalism)

These are lies that most of the world believes in one form or another. Satan is extremely deceptive and so he offers a smorgasbord of options–some that are far off from the real Gospel and some that are just a teeny tiny bit off from it. He doesn’t care which lie people believe, as long as they believe, love, and practice the lie.

The very sobering fact is that loving a lie about how we get to heaven is damning.

But let’s take it a step further, shall we? Loving a lie is always harmful, even if that lie is about our child or spouse or anyone else. When we refuse to face the truth, that lie has the potential of doing great damage.

God hates lies. I wonder if this is because He knows how much damage it causes in the lives of us humans.

This is why it is incredibly important that, instead of loving lies (at worst) or being careless and apathetic (at best), we passionately search for truth. There is no more important way to do this than through knowing and studying God’s Word. This must be our grid through which we run every single story, personal experience, philosophy, or religious demand we are ever told. We run every blog post, book, sermon, news article, TV show, and every single conversation we have with family, friends, co-workers, and even mentors and church leaders, through this grid.

You see, because the Bible is the inerrant (meaning without error), absolute true Word of God, this is the only protection we have from any lie but, most importantly, it’s the only protection we have from the eternally damning lie of a false Gospel.

So don’t love a lie! Know the Word so that you can compare anything you hear to it. Know the Word so that the lies show themselves to be what they really are. And then pray. Pray that God will reveal the truth to you through his Holy Spirit.

As believers, we desire to LOVE the TRUTH. We desire to love the truth of God’s Word more than we love our families, our friends, our churches, our jobs, our homes. As we grow in our understanding and comprehension of the awesomeness of God and His Word, we will grow in this love for truth.

If you don’t have it yet, don’t despair. Dig into the Word without preconceived notions and, as you do this, you will love it more and more deeply. You will find yourself recognizing the lies and being less and less willing to compromise on biblical issues. You will find the lies less and less appealing and your love for truth deepening as you grow in your knowledge of the Word.

So let’s not be like the rest of the world or even the mainstream church.

Instead, may we love the truth and hate the lies!

 

What Does the Bible Tell Us About God? (and why we need to know)

5 Comments / August 25, 2020

Who is God? What is He like? And why is it important for us to know? This morning, I’d like to dig a little into what the Bible says about God and why this should greatly encourage and comfort us in these times.

We can’t really know God unless we get to know Him through His Word. It is the way God has ordained for us to know Him. It is the only place we can find absolute truth regarding God.

This post will probably be a bit longer than my normal post, but I think understanding and getting to know the God we love and serve is critical. And, if possible, perhaps even more so as we navigate today’s current events. So today, let’s take a rudimentary look at this (since I am obviously limited in both time and space to thoroughly cover such a big subject here). Hopefully, this post will inspire you to do further study of this subject on your own.

Okay, so here we go–

God is AWESOME. 

I am not sure there are even any words to describe how awesome God is. However, let’s take a look at a couple of scripture passages that enlighten us and should fill us with awe–

Isaiah 40:12-14

Who has measured the [g]waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a [h]span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His counselor has taught Him?
14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,
And taught Him in the path of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge,
And showed Him the way of understanding?

Psalm 65:5-8

By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
6 Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
7 You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening [b]rejoice.

These passages are should fill us with amazement as we read of God measuring the dust and holding the earth’s water in the hollow of His hand. He established the mountains and stills the noise of the seas and the tumult of the peoples. I’d really recommend you read both of these chapters in their entirety for even more insight into just how BIG God is. There’s so much more there and in many other chapters of scripture, as well.

God has done (and continues to do) AMAZING THINGS.

He created the whole world from nothing (Genesis 1).

He saved Noah and his family from his wrath on wicked mankind through a giant ark (Genesis 6-9).

He divided the people, scattered them across the world, and gave them unique languages as a response to them trying to exalt themselves and become like God (Genesis 11).

He raised Joseph to second in command in Egypt (Genesis 41:37-45).

He saved His people and took them to the Promised Land. During this time, He performed countless miracles–including parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and providing all they needed during their wandering in the wilderness (Exodus 16 & 17). Even their clothing did not wear out! (Deuteronomy 8:4).

He made Jericho’s wall crumble as a result of marching around it (Joshua 6).

He saved four men from sure death. Three were spared in a fiery furnace (Daniel 3) and one was spared in a Lion’s Den (Daniel 6).

He arranged for a prophet to be swallowed by a whale and actually live to tell about the experience (Jonah 1-2).

This is just a sampling of Old Testament stories that are true, actual things that have happened. These are not concocted, sensationalized stories but are, in fact, real examples of God’s awesome power used for His own glory and for the good of those who are His.

There are numerous examples from the New Testament, as well. When we read church history and missionary biographies, we realize that God is still doing awesome and amazing things. When we consider our own lives and God’s faithfulness to us through many mercies, both large and small, we can only conclude that, while it isn’t of the same magnitude as in the Bible, God is still working and showing His power in this current day.

The extent of God’s KNOWLEDGE.

Stop and consider for just a moment all that God knows. He knows when a sparrow falls (Matthew 10:29). He knows the exact amount of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). He knew everything we would say and do before we were even formed in our mother’s womb! (Psalm 139:16) He knows the names of the stars–every single one of them (Isaiah 26:40).

Let’s consider that last point for a moment. According to an article on space.com—

Kornreich used a very rough estimate of 10 trillion galaxies in the universe. Multiplying that by the Milky Way’s estimated 100 billion stars results in a large number indeed: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars, or a “1” with 24 zeros after it (1 septillion in the American numbering system; 1 quadrillion in the European system). Kornreich emphasized that number is likely a gross underestimation, as more detailed looks at the universe will show even more galaxies.

And God knows the name of EACH one of those 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 STARS! Try to wrap your brain around that for a moment.

God knows EVERYTHING. He knows the exact time a squirrel runs through your yard. And when a bird chirps from a tree in the forest. He knows when an ant dies. He knows the full name of every single person that is living now and that has ever lived. He knows our thoughts–every single one of them. He knows the reasons why we make choices. He knows every secret. Every hidden sin.

He knows EVERYTHING.

That’s hard to comprehend, isn’t it?

God is SOVEREIGN.

Everything that happens is part of God’s plan. Let’s take a look at some scripture that reminds us of this–

Psalm 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

Psalm 135:6  Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

Proverbs 21:1  The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

Daniel 4:35  All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

These is just a sampling of scriptures that remind us that God’s Sovereignty never rests. He is in complete control, working things out according to His plan and for His purposes– even when the world seems to be spiraling out of control.

 

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About this point, you may be realizing (as I did) that your concept of God has never been quite big enough.

The current trend to make God our “buddy” or to treat Him as a “genie” put here to grant our earthly wishes is to do Him great injustice. God is not our buddy or our wish-granter. He is GOD.

 

But there is one more thing we must realize about God. After finding out all of the awesome, mind-boggling, incredible things about God, there is one final one that may be the most amazing of all.

God cares about US.

When we realize how big God is and how small we are, this is really hard to comprehend. Not only did He send His Son to die for our sins so that we could be reconciled to Him and have eternal life, but it doesn’t end there. He cares about every detail of our lives. And we have His Word to prove it–

We are never alone or forsaken (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)

We’ve been given the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us (John 14:16-17)

He cares about our burdens and trials and will help us to bear them (I Peter 5:7; Matthew 11:28-30)

He will give us what we need (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:19)

He is our rock and our refuge in the storms of life (Psalm 46:1; Psalm 31:3; Psalm 61:2; Psalm 62:7-8; Psalm 91:2)

He promises to work all things out for the good of those that love Him (Romans 8:28).

He promises us His unfailing love! (Psalm 36:7; Romans 8:38-39; I John 4:10)

Again, this is just a small sampling of God’s promises that are for the redeemed. We find them throughout all of scripture. It is an encouraging and wonderful study–especially when done in light of all that we have learned about God and how great He is!

 

As we face uncertain days ahead, we will find much comfort and strength in understanding just who God is and how much He cares for us. As we study and reflect on this, we should be filled with a proper fear of and love for God that should lessen ungodly fear and anxiety.

Of course it’s a journey and nothing happens instantly. But this seems to be a step in the right direction.

If you would like to do a more in-depth on this particular topic, take some time to delve into scripture and find out more about God’s attributes and mighty works. Do a search for His many promises to His children. There is much treasure to find in God’s Word!

You will be so encouraged. That I can promise you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nature of the Promises of God

2 Comments / May 19, 2020

When we consider the promises of God, we often go to the book of Psalms or consider the words of Jesus, Paul, and other biblical authors that provide strength and comfort to us. These are a balm to our soul during trials and uncertain days.

These days, so many false teachers rip verses out of context when it comes to God’s promises. I thought it might be helpful to take a brief look at what we know is true and what is not true as we consider God’s promises, no matter how big or small.

1. God’s promises are not physical in nature.

God’s promises do not have anything to do with our physical pleasure or ease of life.

When it says in Matthew 21:22–

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

or in John 14:13–

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

we must realize that this cannot be implying that we will receive perfect health, material wealth, or a trouble-free life. While this is a popular false teaching, how can we know that this is not what these passages mean? Without digging too deep into theological waters, I’d say two things easily stand out–

First, we know this because of context. When these words are spoken by Jesus in Matthew they are referring to the spiritual realm. It has nothing to do with physical blessing. In John, Jesus is talking about having the strength and power to continue on as His witnesses after He leaves the earth. Context is always crucial but perhaps especially so when claiming a promise of God.

Second, we can know this because of what we read about godly men and women throughout scripture. Joseph was betrayed by family, Noah stood utterly alone, Jeremiah was mocked and persecuted, Stephen and John the Baptist were martyred, Paul was imprisoned, and John was exiled. We can move on into history where we see terrible persecution of Christians under Nero and the Catholic Church. And we can talk about the here and now, where we see people dedicated to serving Christ and building His spiritual Kingdom suffer innumerable physical hardships. We can and must conclude from this that God’s promises are not about our physical well-being.

In contract, God’s promises are spiritual in nature.

They are about our spiritual health, our wealth in heaven, and being effective witnesses for God here on earth.

2. God’s promises are not temporal in nature.

Temporal means relating to life in the world, as opposed to eternal life. While many of God’s promises do give us hope and peace right now, we can see that much of this hope and peace comes from us setting our eyes on the right thing. Colossians 3:1-2 says–

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

So when we read the promises of God, we must do so with an eternal perspective. We must view them through the filter of a mind set on things above. When we do this, so much of the concerns and worries of this life fall away. Richard Baxter, a Puritan author, talks about this better than I ever could. I’d like to share a portion of his writing here–

Unbelievers seek their happiness in the things of the world. Believers find their happiness in God. It is contrary to the nature of faith for a believer to seek peace in his earthly enjoyments. Our present pilgrimage is a prison, yet alas, we too commonly do this. By this we kill our comforts and then complain they are missing. It is folly to expect any stable peace or solid joy that does not come from Christ as the fountain. O that Christians would learn to live with one eye on Christ crucified and the other on His coming in glory! If everlasting joys were more in your thoughts, spiritual joys would abound more in your hearts. No wonder you are comfortless when heaven is forgotten. When Christians let fall their heavenly expectations but heighten their earthly desires, they are preparing themselves for fear and trouble. Who has met with a distressed, complaining soul, where either a low expectation of heavenly blessings, or too high a hope for joy on earth is not present? What keeps us under trouble is either we do not expect what God has promised, or we expect what He did not promise. We are grieved at crosses, losses, wrongs of our enemies, unkind dealings of our friends, sickness, or for contempt and scorn in the world. But who encouraged you to expect any better? Was it prosperity, riches, credit, and friends that God called for you to believe? Do you have any promises for these things in His Word? If you make a promise for yourself, and then your own promise deceives you, whom should you blame for that? We have less comfort in earthly things because we have too high an expectation from them. Alas, when will we learn from Scripture and providence to seek far more from God, and far less from the earth?

God’s promises are not rooted in earthly hope but in eternal hope. If we have our eyes set on temporal things, then we will be most disappointed and believe that God has let us down. But if we recognize that God’s promises are not of this world, we will see miraculous answers to prayer and experience the peace and comfort we are promised.

3. God’s promises are not generally instant in nature.

In this current world where we want everything instantly, God’s promises take some hard work to mine from the scriptures. They are like special treasures that we find throughout the Word as we give our time to study it. Understanding and greater comfort come the more we dedicate ourselves to this study. It is only through personal prayer and Bible study that we are able to more fully understand.

The thing that is most tempting when we are faced with a trial or uncertainty is to turn to other, much less satisfying, ways to deal with all of the emotion and feelings that well up within us. We watch more TV, we shop, we eat more, or we immerse ourselves in a book or hobby. Anything to dull the pain and discomfort of our current circumstances.

And, while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with doing any of these things, it is important that we don’t do them in place of mining God’s Word for the rich promises He has given us in His Word.

It is easy to cast prayer and Bible study aside during trying times because we feel distracted and unfocused and it’s extra hard. But we must persevere. God is waiting patiently for us to turn to Him and will reward us mightily if we but just turn our eyes upon Him.

Another way God’s promises are not instant is in the timeline of how we experience them. When something happens that is terrible, most of us respond in shock. We question God, we question our faith. We are filled with doubts of God’s goodness and we wonder if we really believe all we said we believe.

It often takes time to sort through these feelings. We often fall into a ditch beside the proverbial narrow road and it takes some work (study of the Word) and time to pull ourselves up and out of that ditch. The more we practice, the quicker this will happen but we must give ourselves time to process and work through things. God will not let us down but our journey from fear and doubt back to the solid, narrow path rarely happens instantly. Trials give us precious insight into where our affections lie and what sins still beset us. We can’t be comforted until we have a true understanding of why we need comforted.

I also want to add that sometimes God provides instant comfort that is an incredible balm to our souls. Small mercies and unexpected tiny miracles dot our lives in such a way that we, His children, know without a doubt, He is real.

But, generally, God’s promises, rather than being instant, are uncovered as we give effort and time to study the Word, humbly and willingly examine our lives for sin and worldly affections, and then wait calmly on God to work in and through us.

Isaiah 40:31 says it so beautifully–

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

_______________________

And, so, as you look for God’s promises throughout the Word, I hope that you will remember these three things. They may not be what our flesh desires, but they are all we need to live a holy life that pleases God.

Perhaps this can all be summed up in this verse from Philippians 1:21–

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

May we filter all of God’s promises through this point of view that Paul expressed while writing this letter to the Philippians from his prison cell in Rome.

My dear friends, God’s promises are real. But we must view them as scripture teaches us to view them, rather than how a worldly, false church teaches us to view them.

God’s promises are far deeper and wider than simply life on this earth. They encompass all of eternity. He is with us, He will never forsake us, and He will protect us. And that you can count on!

 

 

Time for a Change

10 Comments / February 25, 2020

Have you ever felt like you were in a spiritual battle when you started to really give sincere effort to read and study the Word? There’s a reason for that.

Satan knows that the power for the Christian life is in God’s Word.

It’s not in a book about God’s Word, it’s not in some mystical experience that could be God (but surely isn’t), and it’s not in the music that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. These are counterfeits. They are designed to make us feel close to God without really being close to God. 

It’s called deception.

I am amazed at how few Christians study the Word. They say they are a Christian and, yet, there is no love in their heart for the Bible.

Of course, we can see why this is.

The church has, ever so steadily, been moving its focus from the Bible to other things. Things like entertainment, programs, social justice, and political agendas.

And so its people are left without the nourishment of the Word, without the protection of the Word, and without the reward of the Word. And they do not even realize it.

It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I really started digging into the Bible. It was then that I started actually understanding what I believe.

I am so ashamed to even write this. How could I be a strong believer and wait that long to study the Word?

While I was full of conviction and dedication and commitment to God, my half-illiteracy of the Word was a very real encumbrance.

So this is why I write. Many of you have read all of this before. I’ve included it in earlier posts. But I just keep thinking about this right now.

God’s Word has been relegated to the background by most Christians as they try to live their lives the best they can. They search out books, counselors, and even medication to help them cope when life throws a curve ball. While these things aren’t necessarily wrong, why is God and His Word always our last place to go? Why do some of us never open up the Word to search for answers there?

I remember hearing someone say about twenty years ago that the next doctrine that would be severely attacked is the sufficiency of God’s Word. Boy, was he right. This is being attacked in so many ways, it is hard to keep track.

The mainstream church is teaching its followers that–

The Word is no longer sufficient to help us with our problems.

The Word is no longer sufficient to deepen our intimacy with God.

The Word is no longer sufficient to teach us the Truth.

The Word is no longer sufficient (or relevant enough) to reach the lost.

This lack of interest in and disbelief in the power of the Word has even trickled into biblical, conservative churches. Maybe even your own church…

Oh, how sad! How tragic!

For the Word is sufficient for all of these things and so much more!

And Satan knows it. And THIS is why we feel spiritually attacked when we make an effort to study the Bible. THIS is why Satan and his minions are attacking the Word so fiercely, inside Christendom and without.

Sometimes I feel like a broken record in writing this but, truly, if I can accomplish no other thing than to draw fellow believers to actually study what they say they believe, I will feel like I did something to further God’s Kingdom on this old, broken, sorry earth.

For too long now, we Christians have declared our faith in God and, yet, have relegated His Word to a shelf somewhere. Many don’t even get it out to go to church anymore because churches aren’t even using it.

So maybe it’s time for a change.

If you call yourself a Christian but make no time for God’s Word, then it is probably past time for a change.

If you, like me, have become aware of the inestimable value of God’s Word in your life, then why aren’t we saying anything to other Christians around us? Perhaps we need to change, too. Those of us who get it must speak up! We must encourage believers to get in the Word.

We need to change, too–we need to be bold and courageous enough to point people to the Word in a church scene that just doesn’t really care.

All we need for salvation and eternal life is in the Bible.

All we need for life and godliness is in the Bible.

All we need to be close to God is in the Bible.

All we need to know to reach the lost is in the Bible.

It’s all there.

So let’s study it, know it, and encourage others to do the same!

____________________________________________________

Recently, Pastor Dean (my brother) has been preaching on Psalm 19, which has naturally led to sermons on God’s Word. A short series of those sermons, titled “The Inestimable Value of God’s Word”, may encourage you as you reflect on what I wrote here today. I thought I’d go ahead and share them for anyone who may be interested–

The Inestimable Value of God’s Word, Part 1

The Inestimable Value of God’s Word, Part 2

The Inestimable Value of God’s Word, Part 3

By the way, you can find the whole series here (just scroll down until you see Psalm 19 in the lefthand column). It’s a great series and I highly recommend!

 

View from a Palm Tree

8 Comments / February 11, 2020

It was the day after Christmas in the year 2004. Out in the Indian Ocean, a great earthquake rumbled beneath the deep waters. It drove the water up, up, up until a giant wave was formed that started moving towards land.

Meanwhile, people moved about their day. Villagers may have been doing dishes or laundry. Tourists were probably eating breakfast or laying on lounge chairs by the water.

Suddenly, without warning, the colossal wave hit land. Some may have spotted it earlier and started running away from the wall of water. Others may have been hit completely unawares.

One thing is for sure: There was no escaping it if you were in its path.

The Tsunami of 2004 will be remembered as one of the worst natural disasters of all times.

Those in the path of it were absolutely defenseless. No amount of courage, fight, or willpower would have removed them from the path of the water. Oh, it might have helped them to survive the aftermath but they weren’t changing the course of that wave.

The water crashed against the shore and destroyed everything in its path–with the exception of a few people who were blessed to find a tree or some piece of wreckage to cling to.

If you’ve been reading the blog a little while, then you know that I firmly believe that we are in the last days. As scripture teaches so clearly, the last days are made up of the great Apostasy (Jude) and the creation of a one-world economy and religion (Revelation 13).  We will not be able to buy and sell without a mark on our hand or forehead (also Revelation 13). I could give other Bible passages that are coming to life right before our eyes along with a myriad of real-life examples that leave little doubt that this interpretation of scripture can hardly be denied. However, that is not the focus of this particular post.

What I want to focus on is the Tsunami of the Apostasy that has crashed over the church and swallowed most of her up. The few churches and individuals that haven’t caved and are clinging to the Bible as their final authority are like those who are clinging to a palm tree while the debris and chaos flows by. The wave encompasses all they loved about their church. All they believed about their pastor. All they trusted about celebrity Christianity. It has washed away most of their families and friends.

I’ve been really thinking about this the last few days. We are in a different position than we used to be as believers, at least here in the United States. The time for fighting against the Apostasy is over.

While we may win some skirmishes here and there, the battle for the US church is over and we have soundly lost. But so I expected. If we read what’s coming in Revelation 13, it makes SO much sense. Other passages, like Jude and 2 Timothy 3, also fill us in. God told us this would happen. We have no need to hang our heads in defeat. We still win in the end.

But, here and now, we probably need to recognize that we are done fighting against the “system”. The system is here, and just like a tsunami, it has forever changed the landscape of Christendom as we knew it.

So, if we aren’t supposed to fight, what are we supposed to do?

The end of Jude answers this question–

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And on some have compassion, [j]making a distinction; 23 but others save [k]with fear, pulling them out of the [l]fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

We can summarize this in two words– persevere and rescue

First, we need to persevere in our own faith in submission and obedience to God’s Word and keep our eyes focused on Jesus–the author and finisher of our faith. If we focus on what’s going on around us we will all too soon become discouraged and hopeless. The view from the Palm Tree is so ugly. And so we must look to the Word and to our Savior, if we are to be filled with joy and peace during this time. We will be be victorious over all of this wickedness! We are already victorious over sin through Jesus Christ, our Savior! There is still so much to praise God for!

Second, we need to rescue those God puts in our path who want to be rescued. Many will scoff at us or simply be irritated with us for exposing the darkness. But, every now and again, there will be someone who comes along that needs someone to talk to. God has opened their eyes to the mysticism or the ecumenism or they just feel like something is off in a book they are reading or the church they are attending. God will give us these opportunities and we need to take them.

I believe that the time for fighting is over. The wave has crashed and the Apostasy is HERE. Now, we hang on to God’s Word for dear life and offer help to those who actually want it. But we aren’t going to stop the devastation of the wave. The water is flowing into every crack and crevice and pulling up with it the last vestiges of traditional, biblical Christianity. The Christian religion is rolling itself right into the coming one world religion.

The remnant of true believers just keeps shrinking. We knew the path was narrow–but I am not sure we realized it was this narrow… (Please note: I am not doubting the salvation of some who may be deceived for a time. I am no judge. I am just providing an overall picture of what’s happening and am certainly not judging individuals.)

This is not some conspiracy theory. And it’s not some “holier than thou” essay.

If you don’t agree with me, I still love you as a sibling in Christ. I just ask that you do a little research with eyes that are willing to see. I don’t say these things to discourage or to anger anyone. I simply am writing about what I see going on. I feel like I’ve been in a state of shock for two years, as I have watched almost every beloved and trusted Bible teacher, author, and speaker be washed away by this wave. I feel almost numb as I watch “Christian” universities promote mysticism and the social Gospel. I feel alarmed as I see outright heretics on the same platform with those who were seemingly solid. Something is not right. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that something is not right.

If you do agree with me, then I hope that you will realize that you are not alone. I am over here clinging to a palm tree, too. God has so graciously spared us (to Him alone be the glory for this! You and I didn’t do anything deserving of this!) and we can encourage each other–at least for now–through online communication. If we are so blessed to have family or friends who see this, too, (or better yet, have a church that hasn’t flowed into the chaos) then we aren’t hanging from the palm tree alone. This is something to thank God for! I am not on my palm tree alone and I couldn’t be more grateful. Somehow it makes it so much more bearable. But…if you feel alone, please know that you are not alone. There are others out here who are watching the destruction roll by and are weeping with you.

God has not abandoned us. In fact, all that is going on confirms that the Bible is true and that the predictions of Revelation are being fulfilled. Let us keep clinging to our trees by building up ourselves in God’s holy word. Let us keep shouting out encouraging words and holding out our hands to those who want to be rescued. Let us point all we come in contact with to the Bible–our only anchor and source of hope.

It’s not going to get easier. But, one of these days, we are going to get to escape, before things get too bad. According to God’s Word, we will not be here to experience the onslaught of God’s wrath and judgment on this evil world. So let’s keep looking up! One day we will meet each other in the air! I believe it won’t be too long now!

 

 

Did You Know Jesus Was Intolerant?

8 Comments / February 6, 2020

I heard an interview the other day with a guy who claims to be a Christian. This guy grew up in a solid Christian home that taught the Gospel so he should know better. But what I heard him say made me cringe.

“We just need to love people into the Kingdom. Jesus wouldn’t have done anything but love them. He would never judge.”

Or some such nonsense. That’s my paraphrase of what he said.

As I am currently reading John 1-7 for our 2020 Growing4Life Bible Challenge, the ridiculousness of his words especially struck me. One has to wonder if he has even read the Bible?

Did you know that Jesus was not tolerant of everything and everyone, as so many proclaim today?

Let’s go to the Word and take a look.

First, Jesus was not tolerant of false teachers. Note how He spoke to the Pharisees, the false teachers of His day:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27 (Matthew 23 lists several more “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees…”!)

And also note how He spoke about them to others:

How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:11

Instead of tolerating them, He spoke truth to false teachers and He also gave warnings about them to others.

In this current “Christian” culture, anyone who speaks truth or gives warnings is verbally crucified. You just have to take a look at social media to see this in its full glory. It can be the most obvious, unbiblical thing in the world, but if you dare to say something negative–even if it’s in the most loving way– you are automatically labeled “the unloving very bad Christian”.

This label often comes from other Christians who will toss the name of Jesus around as their back-up: “Jesus would never…”

But we can see from scripture that, yes, Jesus would. And He did.

He would call people out. He did warn others. Saying that Jesus is only love and no judgment is a clear indication of biblical illiteracy.

It is neither prideful or arrogant to confront false teachers or to warn about them. Of course, we need to be loving while we do these things. There is never a place for arrogance nor harshness when we do what we are to do. But I have no doubt we are to follow Jesus’s example in this (which, by the way, is also confirmed clearly throughout the New Testament).

Second, Jesus was not tolerant of those who would defile the Temple. In John 2, we find a passage that doesn’t fit with our cultural definition of Jesus at all. Here He makes a whip of chords and drives the money changers out of the temple. They had taken what is sacred and holy and had made it into an opportunity for personal gain.

Can you think of anyone who is doing that today? (Thinking of just one is the hard part, right? There are thousands.)

And, yet, we are told that to even speak negative words is sinful (much less doing what Jesus did in John 2!). We are encouraged to just “go along to get along”. Unity is far more important than truth. Again, anyone who is teaching this and holding up Jesus as their example clearly does not know scripture.

Jesus was not tolerant of false teachers and He was not tolerant of those who dishonored His name and His house.

And, once again, we come back to the bottom line:

There is no possible way to stay true to the faith without reading, studying, and anchoring ourselves in God’s inerrant, inspired, and completed Word.

It is truly our only hope.

We can only know the real Jesus by knowing the Bible and what it says about Him.

In a culture that is positively reeling with relativity, deceit, distortions, fabrications, visions, and outright lies, the solid truth of God’s Word is our only rock. Literally.

There are no words to fully express my gratitude in God giving us His Word for such a time as this. It answers any question we may have. It shines light on the darkness. It makes clear the murky. And it exposes that which would pretend to be light.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Read the Bible. Study it. Memorize it. It is our only defense in a church culture that is made up of appealing, and sometimes ludicrous, ideas that appeal to man’s flesh but have no basis in scripture whatsoever.

 

 

 

Are You Ready for Death?

2 Comments / December 2, 2020

Kobe Bryant and his daughter died a few days ago. Along with thousands of other people. Those two weren’t the only ones who faced God on Sunday, January 26. Many passed from this life to the next. Some were expecting it and many, many, like Kobe, were not.

None of us knows what day we will leave this earth. That’s why it is so critical that we are ready to go at all times.

This isn’t going to be a long post. I just want to encourage you (and myself) to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we are ready for the inevitable. 100% of us will die. The question is not “if”, it is when.

So here are just a few thoughts for us all today–

1. If you do not believe the Bible is 100% true, then what are you basing your belief about the afterlife on? Is it a man? A religious system? And on what is that person or system basing their beliefs on about the afterlife? This is one area of life we cannot afford to get wrong! This is the difference between heaven and hell. Between a life of eternity with God or an eternity without God. We owe it to ourselves to thoroughly research this. If you don’t believe the Bible, then I challenge you to actually put reasons to your belief. Make sure that you’ve done a thorough study. While true faith isn’t based on logic and rationalism, it is often the starting point of the search for many.

Don’t be an ostrich with your head in the sand when it comes to the subject of death.

(If you wonder what the Bible teaches about life after death, you can read more here.)

2. If we do know where we are headed, then shouldn’t that change how we live? Shouldn’t we be more interested in treasure in heaven than treasure on earth? Shouldn’t we be more interested in pleasing God than pleasing people? And shouldn’t we spend more time looking in the mirror of the Word than the mirror in our bathroom? Remembering how close death is for all of us should really remind us of (or even change) our priorities.

3. If we do believe the Bible is true and we are confident that we will spend eternity with God through our faith in Jesus Christ alone, then a good majority of us really need to ask ourselves these questions: Why aren’t we more passionate about our faith? Why are we so caught up in all of the stuff that is so temporal? Why don’t we care more that so many are not going to be in eternity with us, given their own declarations and wicked lifestyles?

Is this not a sobering thought? The co-worker next to you could get in his car tomorrow and crash. The unbelieving family member could face his Maker next week. That terminal diagnosis could be told to our lost spouse or parent in a month.

Are we praying fervently for them? Are we taking the opportunities we are given to share the Gospel? Be sure that I am not talking about smashing them over the head with it in a harsh way. But, rather, are we having heartfelt discussions with them? Are we pointing them to the anchor of the Word?

Dear friends, life is short. Our days are like grass. May we seek the things that are above. May we live each day with eternity in mind.

 

As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is b]”>[b]”>bb]”>]gone,
And its place remembers it no more.

Psalm 103:15

 

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

 

 

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