THE PATH TO LIFE

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall

short of God’s glorious standard.” 

- Romans 3:23 NLT. 

“For the wages of sin is death, but

the free gift of God is eternal life

though Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

- Romans 6:23 NLT. 

“But God showed his great love

for us by sending Christ to die

for us while we were still sinners.”  

- Romans 5:8 NLT. 

“If you confess with your mouth

that Jesus is Lord and believe in

your heart the God raised him

from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is by believing in your heart

that you are made right with God,

and it is by confessing with your

mouth that you are saved. 

- Romans 10:9,10 NLT. 

“For ‘Everyone who calls on the 

name of the Lord will be saved.’” 

- Romans 10:13 NLT

TODAY'S PROMISE

"No, I will not abandon you as orphans - I will

come to you.  Soon the world will no longer see

me, but you will see me.  Since I live, you also

will live.  When I am raised to life again, you will

know that I am in the Father, and you are in me,

and I am in  you." 

(John 14:18 - 20 NLT)

MY WIFE'S MIRACLE

A few days ago was one of those days that the weather 

reports said to expect intermit, severe thunder storms.

When my wife returned home from work that day 

she told me how she had run into a hail storm in town.

She said the hail was the size of "quarters".  She

prayed to God for help because she could not afford

a new windshield or to repair a damaged car.

The rest of the way through the hail storm she 

said the hail continued all around the car - but 

none of it hit her car.

I do not need to tell you, but she came home in

happy tears because of God's goodness to her.

The images are not from that storm, but borrowed

from the internet.

TODAY'S QUOTE

"As divine guidance begins to unfold,

it always seems to come with hard,

gritty work." 

-Loren Cunningham in

"Is That Really You, God?" 

HERE I COME; READY OR NOT

HERE I COME; READY OR NOT.

Way back in ancient history before this age

of electronics when your grandfather was a 

child, children actually had to go out side of 

the house and play together.  One of the games

they played was called "Hide and seek".

When playing "Hide and seek" one person was

"it" - what ever that means, and the person who

was "it" would hide their eyes while the others 

ran off and hid.  The person who was "it" would

count to some astronomical number such as one

to twenty five or fifty or one hundred then yell out

"Here I come, ready or not."

After yelling out "Here I come, ready or not" 

that person would go looking for any of the others

and tag them making them the new "it" that had

to hunt for the others when a new round was 

started.

Now God does not play games.  But Jesus Christ

told us numbers of times that he is coming back 

to this earth.  The next time he comes back he is

not coming as a servant to save mankind - BUT

AS KING.  And he will be coming whether we are

READY OR NOT.

While reading in the Book of Revelation again

I find this;

"Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven

And everyone will see him -

even those who pierced him.

And all the nations of the world

will mourn for him.

Yes! Amen!"  

(Revelation 1:7 NLT)

This will be the major even in the history of 

mankind and of the universe.  No one will escape

seeing this event.  The eyes of every man, woman

and child that has ever lived - whether in heaven, 

earth or hell is going to see this event.

Those of us who are looking for his coming will

be rejoicing as we gather together with him.

And those reject or ignore him will be filled 

with terror.

"Then everyone - the kings of the earth, the 

rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful,

and every slave and free person - all hid them-

selves in the caves and among the rocks of the 

mountains.  And they cried to the mountains

and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from

the face of the one who sits on the throne and

from the wrath of the Lamb.  For the great day

of their wrath has come, and who is able to 

survive?'"  

(Revelation 6:15 - 17 NLT)

However the real encouragement is for those of 

us who have already made Jesus Christ as king 

in our lives.  In some of the verses that proceed

the above Scriptures we read;

"All glory to him who loves us and has freed

us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.

He has made us a Kingdom of priest for God

his Father.  All glory and power to him forever

and ever! Amen."

(Revelation 1:5,6 NLT)

WOW!

Rather than the terror of God's wrath, we can 

be priests of God.

MAP OF THE FUTURE

I just love this photo.  This kid is showing us the 

proper way to do it.  He is not to the part I want 

to draw to your attention, but he will get there.

I do no know about you, but I want to know what

the future holds so I can prepare the best I can for

it.  That is one of the reasons that the last book in 

the Bible, the book of Revelation has become such

a favorite of mine.

Notice the very starting sentence of the book;

"This is a revelation from Jesus Christ,

which God gave him to show his servants

the events that must soon take place.

(Chapter 1 verse 1 NLT)

I do not know what is coming - BUT GOD DOES.

I know that the book of Revelation is filled with

imagery and symbolism.  It is easy to get lost trying

to figure it all out.  BUT, there is enough in plain old

English, Spanish, French, or what ever, to scare you to

death.  But if you will pay attention, it will help you

get ready for what is coming.

One other point about the book of Revelation.  It 

has a promise right at the start that is true.

"God blesses the one who reads the words of 

this prophecy to the church and he blesses all

who listen to its message and obey what it says,

for the time is near."

(Chapter one verse 3 NLT)

I have to testify that this is true.  Perhaps I was

confused from reading it the first few times.  But

I have found that reading it and trying to pay attention

to it truly is satisfying and yes comforting to me.  It

shows me how it is all going to work out, and I'm on

the winning side because with all my frailties I'm

walking with God the best I can.

HELP TO LIVE RIGHT

HELP TO LIVE RIGHT.

I need all the help I can get to live right.

If you don't believe me, ask my wife.

But, live right according to who's idea?

Is it to live right to please my family?

Or live right to keep the people in my 

community happy?  Or even to live right

to please the government?

These are all important.  But there will be a 

day when every individual who has ever lived

will stand before God Almighty in judgment.

Now that is the one that should "scare us to

death."  But wait, God himself offers us help

in living in a way that will please him.  God 

thought the apostle Peter said;

"By his divine power, God has given us every-

thing we need for living a godly life.  We have

received all of this by coming to know him,

the one who called us to himself by means of

his marvelous glory and excellence.  And be-

cause of his glory and excellence, he has given

us great and precious promises.  These are the

promises that enable you to share his divine

nature and escape the world's corruption

caused by human desires."  

(2 Peter 1:3,4 NLT). 

Now that encourages me. God has given us
everything we need to live a godly life.  But
note, not everyone on earth.   Who then?

"We have received all of this by coming to 
KNOW him,"

There is a world of difference between "knowing"
some one and "knowing about" someone.  You may
know about the President of your country.  But do
you know him?  This is thing of relationship.  If I
KNOW God by being in relationship with him,
then I truly know him and he offers me all the help
I need to live for him.

Then if I have come into relationship with God
by turning from my ways and submit to him
talking the Son of God, Jesus Christ into my
life as my savior and Lord, then the Spirit
of God moves into my life implanting the
divine nature of God in me helping me to
live in a way that pleases him.