Choice

 

2 Kings 22:1-2

"Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left."
NKJV

Josiah's grandfather, Manasseh, and his father, Amon, were two of the worst kings of Judah. They killed prophets, sacrificed their children, and rebuilt places of idol worship - even placing them in the house of the Lord. Josiah chose to do differently. He chose to walk in the ways of the Lord. That is just it, friend. We get to choose. People will say that you are doomed to follow in the sins of your father. Josiah proves that is not the case. You may be predisposed to those sins, but you get to make the choice. Maybe you watched your father get drunk every day of his life - that does not mean you have to. Even when you choose not to walk in the sins of your mother or father, you will still have to deal with it just as Josiah did. You will have to make the decision of whether you follow or choose something better.

 Corinthians 10:13

 "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." NKJV

Maybe your father followed Jesus and lived his life for the Lord. If so, what an awesome privilege; those are great footsteps to follow. For others, their childhood was full of parental failures and disappointments. The trail blazed was bleak. Be encouraged. You may face the temptation my friend, but God has provided the means by which you can overcome and choose a better way. It would have been easier for Josiah to continue in the way that was paved by his father and grandfather; instead, he chose a better path. What path will you choose?

Life Lesson: Christianity offers you the power to make a free choice.

Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me even in my failures. Thank You for forgiving me. Help me to make wise decisions by looking to Your Word to receive Your counsel and instruction. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee   My comments: We all have choices to make everyday and some are easy, some are really hard choices like who we marry and who we follow. Today I was told a story about a man who fought in a war and he was ordered to shoot anyone who moved in a certain area no matter who it was. A real dilemma. He was raised Catholic so this gave him great pain and he felt he could never be forgiven. If he shot innocent women, children and others. It was murder. If he did not do it he was disobeying superiors and the Bible tells for us to do what they tell us to do (this same dilemma happens on both sides who are fighting).   He had 6 children and a wife back home and if he did not shoot the innocent people and obey his superior then he might be court marshaled at the least or shot as a traitor right there and his family would suffer. No father, no bread winner, disgrace and probably no one would ever hire him to support his family. He followed his superiors and did what they told him (though he did not like it).   This man was tormented for most of his life and he was in his late 70's at the time he was relating the story. He related it to a Pastor friend of mine at  Calvary Chapel Church. My Pastor friend told him that Jesus died for just as him. He died for us all to remove our sin so we could one day stand before the King as white a snow and we only need to accept the gift of life, the gift of freedom. It is a choice only we can make. This man after a life time of pain in his soul, came to the Lord and found blessed peace in the one who accepted him with open arms as He waits to do for the whole world.   My husband has a choice to make and it will determine when he goes home to be with the Lord because he knows he is saved and the Lord will be coming for him soon. Maybe before He comes for the rest of us in the clouds if we have not passed on before His second coming. My hubby's choice was to take and extend his life for a couple of months by having dialysis. This way would bring surgery, pain and recovery might not happen before the cancer, or encephalopathy releases him to go home. Or he could choose to forgo the surgery and pass on in a couple of weeks. Nothing other than a miracle from God would give him more time. His choice was did he want to have tremendous pain and suffering or allow God to just take him peacefully. That is what would happen if he did not do the treatment. The treatment would not have been a cure. There is no surgery, no drugs to cure and time will not cure what was destroying his body. He was excited to go home to be with "My Lord." Yet he wanted it to be God's choice. At that time the medical teams (3 ) would be coming in the morning for his decision. No he was not asking or even thinking of suicide or assisted death. He was asking the Lord how He wanted him to proceed to glorify Him who created Him so he coud finish his race well (as Paul the Apostle says). (Note: when this was written this was the choice he thought he had to make. God is good. The choice was taken out of his hands. He did not have more time He passed on October 2, 2012 as I slept near his side and I heard him slip away to be with Jesus.)   Maybe some of you have had to deal with choices like these or others equally hard to make. Maybe you wonder can you go to heaven and be with the Lord if you make the wrong choice. Or maybe your worried your sin is too big for Jesus' sacrifice to remove it.  Whatever your concern about the choices you have made or the ones you are making now, know Jesus died for all of us and all sin and all we have to do is choose to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and He will do the rest. Some of my favorite stories in the Bible (and there are many) are about regular people who were faced with the choice to follow God or to follow their own desires.   Ruth had the choice to follow after Naomi and choose Naomi's God and her people and listen to Naomi when she told her what to do. Christ Jesus came to us because Ruth made the correct choices. Abraham the father of Israel made the choice to follow a God no one else knew and because he did we have a Savior and the seat of David has always been filled. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and he could have tried to run away or become bitter and try to get back at them. When he became powerful he could have sent men to kill his brothers or gone back to his father but he chose to stay and work where the Lord placed him and because he did all Israel was saved. Jesus was sent to us from the Father to be a sacrifice for our sin once for all and He knew what He was looking at. He even said if this cup could pass away yet thine will be done oh, Lord. He willingly went to the Cross to be sacrificed as the Sacrificial Lamb of God. Because of His choice we have salvation and will one day stand before God the Father with the Righteousness of the Son, Jesus. We have the choice to accept His gift of not.   What choice have you made? What choices are you wrestling with? What are you being told to do that you know is not right? Take it to God and He will help you make the correct choice. Accept the gift of God and Live forever. It is your choice.   Abba I pray you will help us all to make the best choices with our lives so we will honor You in all we choose to do with our lives no matter how long they may be. Help all of us and our loved ones to understand how you want them to come to You gracious King. Guide us to a full knowledge and understanding of You and what You require of us and the choices you want us to make for Your glory. We praise and glorify You Father God and here and now we make the choice to follow all Your precepts and live a life pleasing to you. Amen Rebishka

The life made manifest

The Life made manifest. 1John 1:1-10, 2 Chronicles 34:1-33, Psalm 89:19-42

1 John 1:1-10

The Word of Life

¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-- ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Walking in the Light

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2 Chronicles 34:1-

Josiah Reigns in Judah

¹ Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ² And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. ³ For in the eighth year of his reign, while he wa33s yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. ⁴ And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵ He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶ And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, ⁷ he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

The Book of the Law Found

⁸ Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. ⁹ They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ And they gave it to the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD. And the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD gave it for repairing and restoring the house. ¹¹ They gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone, and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. ¹² And the men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to have oversight. The Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music, ¹³ were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers. ¹⁴ While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given through Moses. ¹⁵ Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. ¹⁶ Shaphan brought the book to the king, and further reported to the king, "All that was committed to your servants they are doing. ¹⁷ They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have given it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen." ¹⁸ Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it before the king. ¹⁹ And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. ²⁰ And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, ²¹ "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book."

Huldah Prophesies Disaster

²² So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect. ²³ And she said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me, ²⁴ Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. ²⁵ Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched. ²⁶ But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, ²⁷ because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. ²⁸ Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.'" And they brought back word to the king. ²⁹ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰ And the king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. ³¹ And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. ³² Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. ³³ And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Psalm 89:19-52

¹⁹ Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: "I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. ²⁰ I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, ²¹ so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. ²² The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. ²³ I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. ²⁴ My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. ²⁵ I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. ²⁶ He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.' ²⁷ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. ²⁸ My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. ²⁹ I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. ³⁰ If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, ³¹ if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, ³² then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, ³³ but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. ³⁴ I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. ³⁵ Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. ³⁶ His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. ³⁷ Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies." Selah ³⁸ But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. ³⁹ You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. ⁴⁰ You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. ⁴¹ All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. ⁴² You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. ⁴³ You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle. ⁴⁴ You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. ⁴⁵ You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah ⁴⁶ How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? ⁴⁷ Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! ⁴⁸ What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah ⁴⁹ Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? ⁵⁰ Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations, ⁵¹ with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. ⁵² Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.

Find this and more at http://www.biblestudytools.com/.

My Comments: Today a gentleman asked my hubby and I, why there are Old and New Testaments. Then when my hubby told him that the Lord Jesus is talked about in both and from the beginning of time. He asked if it said it in the Bible we read. We affirmed it does and He is throughout the Bible from the beginning to the end.

The Apostles wrote most of the New and it was about the Gospel and shows the early years of what we call Christianity of followers of Jesus the Christ (Messiah). Yet Jesus spoke in many places and was spoken of in the Old and New Testament. There are those who call themselves Christians and yet do not understand we are not saved by works we are saved by the acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus and that is a free gift where He takes away our sins and we become His and are thereby children of the one God and coheirs of the Kingdom. It is done simply by saying "Yes" to Jesus. Then following Him. You don't have to get your life fixed first that's a work based belief and is contrary to all that Jesus and the Apostles taught about Jesus. We do not have to go to a priest to confess sin we go to Jesus and He cleans us. We do not have to pray using beads or doing repetitive prayers, we just simply say with faith, to Jesus we want forgiveness and we want Him. Done!!

In the Old Testament we see sacrifice of the blood of animals to cover sins of the people for a year. It had to be repeated. With Jesus we have done it one time and it is finished. We take it to Him and He has already paid the price and He was the only one who could. Only God is able to take our sins on Himself once and for all. We just have to accept this sacrifice to be made righteous. We are all born sinners and we have a sin nature were by we sin and we need a redeemer. Jesus is the redeemer. He is the intercessor between us and the Father because He has taken on our sin. There is no other intercessor between us and our Abba Father only Jesus the Messiah the Son of God and our Redeemer.

David sinned yet he knew God and loved Him and when his sin was pointed out to him, he fell before the Lord and confessed and walked before the Lord again. He was loved of God. We too can walk upright before the Lord and have a relationship like David and Abraham if we go to Him through His Son Jesus.

Then God will be with us. He will be our Rock and have His hand on us. Now my prayer is my children and Grandchildren will follow the Lord. Hopefully by watching my hubby and I they will turn to the Lord and walk upright all the days of their lives with God. I pray daily for their salvation. May all of you and your descendants walk upright with the Lord. Amen

Abba grant the grace of seeing and hearing, knowing, understanding, receiving and accepting the grace of Salvation to all who read Your Word and all their descendants forever. Father we offer You our lives to use as You want. May our lives be pleasing to You and bring light and water into a dark and thirsty world. May the Bread of Life be seen in our lives as a dedication to You. Keep Your Hand on us and our lives, be the Rock of our Salvation and Hide us under Your wings. Help us to purge from our lives all idols that separate us from Your love and complete relationship with You. May Your life be made manifest in us so others will live because of You. We praise and worship You and pray our lives bring glory to You always. In Jesus Name we thank You and place our lives in Your hands. Amen

Rebishka

Will you be present with the Lord when you are absent from your body?

I am showing the verses in two good translated versions of the Bible just to show how the words are interpreted. Another good version is the English Standard Version or New English Standard Version. I personally do not read any that are what I call loosely translated or paraphrased versions.
NKJV is for the New King James Version

2 Corinthians 5:8, New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8, New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:54, (NKJV)

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then 

1 Corinthians 15:54,  (NASB)

54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.

2 Corinthians 5:4, (NKJV)

4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

2 Corinthians 5:4, (NASB)

4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

Romans 10:17, (NKJV)

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17, (NASB)

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Chris

Isaiah 25:8, (NASB)

8 He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.

(You might ask why several versions. All are the Word of God yet some are written for us to understand the words and concepts in our own language. Remember the Bible was written in Greek, and Hebrew and many of their words and concepts do not translate as easily as we would want to be able to have a very clear understanding. That is why we look at several and having a Greek, Hebrew to English Bible is also very helpful as you learn to study the Word of God.)
My Comments: When my husband found out he was very ill he was happy because he was going to go be with the Lord and he knew for him to be absent from his body meant he would then be with His Lord. One of the things he, like Paul and many others before him, had to do was be obedient to God our Father and keep his body as healthy as he could so he could remain here until the Lord called Him home.
In other words he could not do anything to hasten his departure. When the new believers went to their deaths rejoicing it was not that they hastened their own departure it was that God was calling them home to Him. When God finally called my hubby (or when He calls me) we will know it is Him doing the calling to leave not us hurrying it along.
All who are Called Out have work to do. We did nothing to receive saving grace yet those who are Christ's are known because of their works. We have His work to do with Him to offer salvation to many people so when they depart their bodies they will be present with the Lord for eternity in new bodies. We stay to serve and when we go it will be with joy. Hallelujah! What a glorious day that will be. Our souls yearn to be with Him who gave us freedom like no other freedom on earth.
To accept the righteousness of Jesus Christ who died on the Cross and rose from the dead on the third day is to have Him cover our sins and we become brothers and sisters to the King of heaven and sons and daughters to the Father of us all. Then when our Lord calls us home we are present with Him in heaven.
The work we do after we become His is not for our salvation as we are saved once and for all when we accept His gift of salvation. We do not work for a gift it is freely given. Once we belong to the Heavenly family and are the King of Kings family then we have work to do to help others come to know and receive the free gift God gives us through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Won't you join us as brothers and sisters of the King and sons and daughters of God the Father of all? Won't you come work in the vineyard of the Lord and introduce them to the God of all Creation? Will you help prepare others to be present with the Lord when they leave this body? Christ asks you to be His. God has given you a way to have your sins removed as far as the East is from the West. Accept the righteousness and gift of salvation from Jesus and be reborn.
Abba Father, we praise You and give ourselves to You through Your Son Jesus our redeemer, friend and brother. We are humbled by Your gift of everlasting life and we thank You, Father God, for choosing us from the beginning of time to be Yours. Cover us Father with Your wings and guide us with Your Holy Spirit so we will grow in Your strength, and truth and we will have abundant faith to do all You set for us to do. Keep us from evil and keep us on Your path of righteousness for Your names sake. Thank You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for everything and may we find joy in all things as You have told us to do . In Jesus Christ in union with the Holy spirit we pray. Amen
Rebishka

To see Jesus and be in the courts of the Lord

Psalm 84:1-12

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! ² My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. ³ Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. ⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah ⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. ⁶ As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. ⁷ They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. ⁸ O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah ⁹ Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! ¹⁰ For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. ¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. ¹² O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

My Comments: Today my husband and I received word that his cancer might be coming to the end and my sweetheart said, "I will be going home to see Jesus soon." I am so blessed to be married to a man who loves God so much. This verse speaks to how he is feeling though this is a verse from before our time. There is no better place than in the courts of the Lord God and non better to shield us in times of trouble than the Creator of the Universe. I pray you will or do know Him as your protector, sun and shield, and that one day you and I will meet with my loved ones in the courts of the Most High God.

Abba grant Your grace upon all who read these words that they may all know and have faith in You and Your Word. Fill them with trust in Your Word and Your promises oh, Lord and grant that they will walk all the days of their lives in relationship with You. Fill them Father with Your Holy Spirit and give them a hunger and thirst for Your Word and communion with You. Help them to accept the gracious gift of Jesus and the Gospel of Jesus on the Cross. May they walk upright before You all the rest of their days and be shielded in the crook of Your wings. In Jesus name, Amen
Rebishka

Just a quick update.

Just a quick update on my hubby's condition and where we are at this time. Yesterday he was given an MRI without contrast because his blood pressure and his kidney function could not handle it so we are waiting for the Dr to contact us with the results.

He is very tired yet willing for the Lord's direction in challenging time in his life. We have faith in God and know He loves us very much and I know the Lord has complete control of all that is happening even though the world seems upside down at times. We remain at peace cradled in the arms of our Lord who has us nestled under His wings and we soar on His wings through all the challenges God allows us to go through.

May you all be blessed and may your lives reflect the glory of the Lord. Amen
Rebishka

Faith in God Brings Life Through Jesus.

  Exodus 32:33-35,New American Standard Bible (NASB)Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

33 The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I [a]punish, I will [b]punish them for their sin.” 35 Then the Lord smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.

Deuteronomy 9:22, (NASB)

22 “Again at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked theLord to wrath.

Romans 1:16-32, English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
(My Comments: When one accepts the righteousness of the Savior Jesus they are given faith by God to live their lives as He wants them to live them. When Moses took the Israelites out into the wilderness they should have arrived at the promised land in a short span of time yet it took 40 years because they rejected the will of God for their own wills (Exodus 32:33-35, Deuteronomy 9:7/8 9:15/16, 22 to name a few). So God kept them in the wilderness until they had been tried and purged of those who would not follow the will of God. What happens when a person does not use the faith God gives to them? What happens when we reject the commands of God?) Read the following (continued from the previous verses:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. 

My Comments Continued: The result of sin is death. Yet when death is talked about here it is not about the death that comes to the body we each have been given. It is about the death that comes after the death of the body. Jesus told the women at the well if she drank of the water He would give her she would never thirst again. If we accept the righteousness of Jesus we never thirst again and we will live forever yet we also have a commitment to Jesus to follow His commands. To be God's adopted children we have an obligation to follow His will and live our lives to please Him and bring Him glory. The early followers of The Way  (as it was called) knew this and knew it was hard as the world would be against them. Yet easy because they knew the Lord would be there to greet them when they were done here.

The world offers, and always has, many diversions and temptations. When we give into those temptations we become a society like Sodom and Gomorrah (and even a world like them). The only way we as a people, a society or the world can avoid the death of hell is to accept God's offer of salvation which He gives us through His Son Jesus. That is the only way we can get enough strength to say "No" to temptation is through God. The only way we can get to the Father is through the Son. And we do that by faith. The faith Abraham had when he left his homeland and all his people behind (except Lot) and went where God sent him. If we have faith as a mustard seed we will be able to do wonders for God.

This is not about fear it is about faith. We use faith every time we get into a car or take a job or fly in an airplane. Faith is a choice. And what we gain through faith in the promises of Jesus is life eternal. I remember when my children were starting to walk. It took faith to stand up and it took faith to take their first steps. If they fell down it took faith to stand up and try again. The more they used their faith the more proficient they became at walking, then running. The more we use the faith God imparts to us the farther we can go and the stronger our walk with God will become.

This is the faith the Apostles had and the early Christians had and it is the faith you can have if you say "Yes" to Jesus. Are you ready to let Him into your life. Are you ready to let Him make you clean? Are you ready to have His peace? I hope you use the faith He is giving you at this moment. The faith He bought for you with the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus. Will you be raised with Him in the last days? Will you rule with Him when He comes back? My prayer is that you will.

Abba Father, accept us as Your own. May we be filled with Your love and the righteousness of Jesus, The Lamb of God, crucified for our sin. We believe He died for our sin and rose so we too may rise and live with Him and You for eternity. We thank You Father for sending Your Son to save us. We thank Jesus for His sacrifice on the Cross and we confess we have sinned against You and ask Your forgiveness. May we be covered by blood  of the Lamb of God and be white as snow. May we be filled with Your Holy Spirit and we pray Your faith grows in our hearts as we read and understand through the knowledge  and understanding  of the Holy Spirit who You gave to dwell within us when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Thank You Abba for all You have done for us and keep us on Your path of righteousness. In Jesus Name in union with the Holy Spirit we pray, Amen
Rebishka

May the Truth of God Abide in You.

My Comments: May the truth of God abide in you. as you can see from these few passages, Jesus in the book of John,  and elsewhere as well, in the Bible, says much about the Father, Himself and the Holy Spirit as well as what we can expect and what we are to do. I hope you enjoy this study.

John 16:4-15, English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

⁴ But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; ¹¹ concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ¹² "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus (John 14:6-8 ESV), and the Son sent the Holy Spirit of Truth so we would understand the Word of God and be able to have a relationship with the Father, our Father, our Daddy, Abba. The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son and the Son glorifies the Father. When we do the things the Lord set for us to do we glorify Abba as well. We can only glorify our Abba by becoming His through the righteousness of the Cross of Jesus and loving the world as He loves us and being willing to do all we can so all will come to the righteousness of Jesus. We love because He first loved us.

Until someone is convicted of their sin which seperates them from the Father, until they understand the Love of the Father, they will not come to the foot of the Cross and accept Jesus as their Savior John 12:4-50 ESV). Until they accept His righteousness (John 14:1 ESV) they cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. How can they hear if we do not go? When we know the truth we share it with a world gone dark with sin and full of the deceit of the evil one. When we share the truth of the Gospel of Jesus we give others the choice to choose life or death. That is the Love Jesus gave everywhere He walked and to everyone who was willing to listen.

Sometimes we are just planting a the seed of truth in the heart of someone we witness to. Sometimes we are watering the seed of truth dropped by another believer and even more rarely are we present when the seed takes root and flourishes into a believer. Then we may be blessed to watch the roots grow deep into the word of God and the branches bear fruit for Christ as the person matures in their relationship with Abba.

None of this would be possible if the Lord had not gone to the Cross, died and rose from the dead and gone to heaven to prepare a place for us. When He went He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us who accept the Gospel of Jesus. The Holy Spirit was in the world always yet not in people. From that time on He would be in those who became true followers of Jesus the Christ.

He shared these words given in these verses so we would not fall away, so they would not fall away because He knew there were extremely hard things coming to many of them. They would experence persecution, horrible deaths of body, ridicule and many atrocities and they needed to be prepared to endure to the end. They needed to know what the goal was, the prize awaiting them (John 14:2-5, 16:33, 17:1-26 ESV). We are His given to Him by the Father. Those who truly accept Him will be kept by Him and we will have His love in us.

 John 16:16-28, (ESV)

¹⁶ "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me." ¹⁷ So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?" ¹⁸ So they were saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about." ¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? ²⁰ Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. ²¹ When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. ²³ In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. ²⁵ "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; ²⁷ for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father."

Also, you may want to read John 15:1-12 (As it speaks to who He and the Father are.)

John 15:1-12, (ESV)

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 Ifyou abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 14:1-8, (ESV)

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord,we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

John 16:33, (ESV)

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 12:4-50, (ESV)

4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep itfor the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey's colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth,will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”  When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

40 “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
    and understand with their heart, and turn,
    and I would heal them.”

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given mea commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

John 17:1, (ESV)

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 

My Comments continued: The goal for all of us who have accepted the truth of God through the Cross of Jesus, is to live forever in Heaven with our Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and all the saints and angels true to Abba. Jesus has promised us He will come again and take us up with Him and until He comes or we go home to be with Him then we are here to do His bidding and be His hands and feet doing whatever needs doing and learning more about the one who won our hearts and saved our souls. There is nothing in this world that compares to the treasure God has in store for us who walk the way of the believer.

Abba Father, may Your truths flourish and grow in our hearts and minds so we will truly follow Your Son, Jesus, who You sent to bring us to You through His intercession. May we grow in faith and truth by the guidance and instruction of Your Holy Spirit so we will glorify You in all we say and do. Bring us into right relationship with You, Abba, and give us Your heart to love as You love for Your glory and the salvation of souls. Thank You Abba for sending Your Son, for loving us, for wanting a relationship with us and for never giving up on us. Show us what You want us to do and send Your guide, Your Holy Spirit to fill us with Your knowledge and understanding and give us Your peace and make us light in a dark world and through us may rivers of living water flow out into a thirsting world in Your name Jesus in union with the Holy Spirit I pray. Amen

Rebishka