TODAY'S PROMISE

"We tell you this directly from the Lord:  We

who are still living when the Lord returns will not

meet him ahead of those who have died.  For

the Lord himself will come down from heaven

with a commanding shout, with the voice of the

archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

First, the Christians who have died will rise from

their graves.  Then, together with them, we who

are still alive and remain on the earth will be

caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the

air.  Then we will be with the Lord forever.  So

encourage each other with these words."

(1 Thessalonians 4:15 - 18 NLT)

HANDLING WORRY

We are living in extremely difficult times.

Evil people are trying to regulate your life

and my life.  Thy have no regard for the 

outcome other than accomplishing their

evil plans which is destroying much for

the rest of us.

There is plenty to worry about.  More than 

most of us are capable of handling.  But how

am I to handle those things that are completely

out of my ability to control?

I want to look at how God wants us to handle

worry in our lives.

In the matter of worry God gives us instructions

to those who are his children.   His followers.

His servants.  And they are completely different

than those who are living for self and the Devil.

Those not living for God are the ones who really

have a lot to worry about, in this life and the 

one to come.

We have been browsing around in the book

of Philippians and find the following for those

who are "citizens of heaven";

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray

about everything.  Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done.  Then you

will experience God's peace, which exceeds

anything we can understand.  His peace will

guard your hearts and minds as you live in

Christ Jesus."  

(Philippians 4:6, 7 NLT). 

That of course is God's instructions to us through

the apostle Paul.

Now consider his instructions through his 

servant of old, King David;

"Give your burdens to the LORD,

and he will take care of you.

He will not permit the godly to

slip and fall."  

(Psalms 55:22 NLT)

An even more important how Jesus Christ

tells us to handle worry.

"That is why I tell you not to worry about

everyday life - whether you have enough food

and drink, or enough clothes to wear.  Isn't

life more that food, and your body more than 

clothing?"  

(Matthew 6:25 NLT)

Jesus does continue at this point to tell us to
instead of worry, seek first his kingdom and
righteousness.

And last, God's instructions to us through
the apostle Peter;

"Give all your worries and cares to God,
for he cares about you."
(1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

Back to our text in Philippians.  Note
the utter simplicity God gives us regarding
worry.

Don't worry, instead
Pray about everything and
Tell God what you need, then
Thank him for all he had sone for you.

If we will do this, he will give us a peace
that completely exceeds our understanding
and that peace will guide us, if we will let it.

TODAY'S PROMISE

"For the angel of the LORD is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him."  

(Psalms 34:7 NLT)

I HAVE A NEW BODY ON ORDER

The last time I posted from the book of Philippians

we looked at those who claim to be Christians, but

their hearts and minds are set only on the things of

this world.  In short, their body has full control and

the apostle Paul tells us they are headed for destruction.

But the very next verses encourages us who have

our hearts and minds set on the things of God and

try our best to live for him.

"But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord

Jesus Christ lives.  And we are eagerly waiting

for him to return as our Savior.  He will take

our weak mortal bodies and change them into

glorious bodies like his own, using the same 

power with which he will bring everything

under his control."  

(Philippians 3:20, 21 NLT)

First, living in a world that is so uncertain and evil
I am encouraged that in truth this world is not my
final home.  I am a citizen of Heaven.  And when it
is all over I'll be with Jesus Christ for ever.

I can consider my self just as those saints of old
who;

"They agreed that they were foreigners
and nomads here on earth."
(Hebrews 11:13 NLT)
That's me brother.

Second, I can be looking forward to the return
of Jesus Christ to take over this old world;

"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 1:7,8 NLT)

That thrills me.  We can look forward to that
great day with joy when the rest of the world
will be terrorized beyond description.

Thirdly, God is going to take this old weak
worn out body of mine and and change it to
be like the resurrected body of Christ.

You are just a kid yet so that might no mean
much to you.  But by the time you get as old
as my wife and I, that can mean everything
to you.

True I do not understand what that body will
be like.  But one time when some of those smart
religious leaders were arguing with Christ about
the resurrection he made this comment about
what our bodies will be like;

"And they will never die again.  In this respect 

they will be like angels.  They are children of 

God and children of the resurrection."  

(Luke 20:36 NLT)

PRAISE GOD.  I have something to be excited
about.  I have a new body coming.

The extra image.  Well, I just could not pass this one up.

TODAY'S QUOTE

"Over the past twenty-five years I have learned

that God cannot use a person who is not broken

and completely surrendered to Him." 

-Paul Y. Cho in

PRAYER: KEY TO REVIVAL

GOD STOMACH.

The apostle Paul here is continuing, not about those

who are pushing for the old Jewish law, but some who

apparently are "Christians" in the Church at Philippi.

"For I have told you often before, and I slay it again

with tears in my eyes that there are many whose 

conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross

of Christ.  They are headed for destruction.  Their

god is their appetite, they brag  about shameful things,

and they think only about this life here on earth." 

(Philippians 3:18,19 NLT)

The word "appetite" here is translated as;

belly, stomach, bodily desires, emotions

and body in other versions.  But you get

the idea.

In short, they were self-indulgent Christians.

They were not living for Christ, but only for

themselves.  They might even have had correct

doctrine.  But their life style was on of living

only for their life here on earth.

Even Jesus Christ himself said that a Christian

is to take up his cross daily.  The cross of course

was an instrument of execution.  In other words,

if I am a Christian I am to die to my self every

day and these people were not doing that.  That

is what makes them enemies of the cross of Christ.

Paul says these people are headed for destruction.

That is scary.  But we will continue latter in the 

next couple of verses that contain the hope of 

a true Christian.

I WOULD FLY AWAY AND REST

I do not know about you.  But I am getting really

tired of all the misinformation and lies that have 

been fed to the public the last few weeks.  It is 

becoming obvious that the "crises" is being fueled

and used in an effort to bring the whole world under

government control - no matter what country you 

live in - a world controlled by the government.

God's word told us these days were coming, and 

here they are, whether we like it or not.

But being so tired of it all the 55th Psalm made

a real impression on me today.  The Scriptures

quoted are from Psalm 55 in the NLT.

This is king David pleading with God when he

was in a whole lot of trouble by those who hated

him.  His troubles were not the same as yours

and mine, but we can learn where to go by them.

"Listen to my prayer, O God.

Do not ignore my cry for help!

Please listen and answer me,

for I am overwhelmed by my

troubles."  

(Verses 1,2)

And king David wanted out of it just like 

you and I would.

"Oh, that I had wings like a dove;

then I would fly away and rest!

I would fly far away

to the quiet of the wilderness.

How quickly I would escape -

far from this wild storm of hatred."

(Verses 6 - 8)

We know that in time David was delivered

out of these troubles and in the next to last

verse in this chapter he gives us the necessary

clue for the help we need.

"Give your burdens to the LORD,

and he will take care of you.

He will not permit the godly to

slip and fall."  

(Verse 22)