A new day is dawning....

[Gideons300]

Amen. For a while now, the Lord has been leading me to drop all but what is necessary and to saturate myself in His Word and prayer. I sense that deception is thickening in the world and even in the church, and if we are not super grounded in the Word we make ourselves very vulnerable to it. I am so thankful to find other believers here who are wholehearted in their pursuit to live holy lives pleasing to the Lord. May God increase our discernment and strengthen our resolve to hold fast to Him, and may we hold up each other prayer and encouragement in these last days. God bless you all.

Hello, HH. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. You are right, the world is getting darker and much of the church is so intermingled with worldly values that they do not see the great danger before them. There is but one safe place we can run, and that is into Jesus.

Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. Much of what gives us our security now will disappear almost overnight. Yes, we can wait until that happens but how much more pleasing to our Father is it that we seek Him with our whole hearts now.

I look forward to hearing you share more of your heart.

blessings,

Gideon

 

[Messerve]

Amen. As you your comment about seeing positive changes in the world, I would re-word it to say positive changes in the church. The world, like a top starting its death wobble, will get worse and worse. There is safety to be found in one place, abiding in Christ. May we all hunger for the understanding of how that occurs, for there we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but rather remain in continual close fellowship through the Spirit within us. And praise God, as we remain close, we discover that we truly are changed into His image from glory to glory.

Can our Christian walk be thwt wonderful? Oh, yes, indeed it can!

blessings to you,

Gids

Well, to respond to you and NoFrills...

I choose to be a little more positive about the world, I guess. I mean, if Christians have the attitude that their faithfulness can't have any effect on those outside the Church, I think that's pretty sad. Isn't that an essential part of the Great Commission, that our faithfulness will change hearts? In Luke 5:31-32 Jesus clearly explains he came to save the spiritually sick. And when He sent out the disciples, they certainly went to places where know one had heard of Him yet. If there was no chance of making a little dent in the darkness, then why bother?

Yes, the world will end as a dark planet, but no one knows the history in between. No matter how confident people's interpretation of the Bible is, we simply don't know where we are on the timeline. I for one choose to believe that the world can repent and turn to Him again. Obviously not everyone will, but I see no reason a global revival couldn't happen in the church and outside of it before the darkness descends again. In fact, lately I noticed small things that make me wonder if it isn't beginning already.

The Church needs a better vision than gloom and doom. We need to envision a future of hope and life not just in Heaven but in this world, too.

 

[Gideons300]

Well, to respond to you and NoFrills...

I choose to be a little more positive about the world, I guess. I mean, if Christians have the attitude that their faithfulness can't have any effect on those outside the Church, I think that's pretty sad. Isn't that an essential part of the Great Commission, that our faithfulness will change hearts? In Luke 5:31-32 Jesus clearly explains he came to save the spiritually sick. And when He sent out the disciples, they certainly went to places where know one had heard of Him yet. If there was no chance of making a little dent in the darkness, then why bother?

Yes, the world will end as a dark planet, but no one knows the history in between. No matter how confident people's interpretation of the Bible is, we simply don't know where we are on the timeline. I for one choose to believe that the world can repent and turn to Him again. Obviously not everyone will, but I see no reason a global revival couldn't happen in the church and outside of it before the darkness descends again. In fact, lately I noticed small things that make me wonder if it isn't beginning already.

The Church needs a better vision than gloom and doom. We need to envision a future of hope and life not just in Heaven but in this world, too.

In response to this, the scripture that comes to mind is:

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.

2 Peter 3:11

If we know that evil men will wax worse and worse, that perilous times will come, that birth pangs will increase, our first response is to make sure that our own lives are totally His and that we are found walking pleasing to God in all things, bearing spiritual fruits.

I am sure it is not the case with you, but often I think that those who try to think things will get better are not fully engaged in ridding themselves of all filthiness of the flesh and the Spirit, perfecting holiness through the Lord. They want things to continue as is because they do not want to deal with their own sins, and know deep inside that if the end is approaching, it will require a complete shift in what makes up their treasure.

blessings,

Gids

 

[Hishandmaiden]

I keep sinning and sinning, and the older I grow in the Lord, it seems that I get tempted more and sin more. I kind of miss those younger days in the Lord when all is green and nice and wonderful.

Still, Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit is/are my friend and I am glad of that fact. Whenever I sin, I think of my friend, God and thank Him that He is still my friend, in spite of how wicked I can be at times.

I thank Him that He is so strong, even though I am so weak.

 

[hislegacy]

God sends His people into the wilderness to be tempted & tested.

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am temptedby God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

 

[Messerve]

In response to this, the scripture that comes to mind is:

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.

2 Peter 3:11

If we know that evil men will wax worse and worse, that perilous times will come, that birth pangs will increase, our first response is to make sure that our own lives are totally His and that we are found walking pleasing to God in all things, bearing spiritual fruits.

I am sure it is not the case with you, but often I think that those who try to think things will get better are not fully engaged in ridding themselves of all filthiness of the flesh and the Spirit, perfecting holiness through the Lord. They want things to continue as is because they do not want to deal with their own sins, and know deep inside that if the end is approaching, it will require a complete shift in what makes up their treasure.

blessings,

Gids

I'm not saying a candle burns upwards, and that the world will just keep getting better. And I'm definitely not trying to push the end further or erase it from my mind. I do deal with my sins. Because of some temptations I've given into in the past and some sinful conversations I've either participated in or indirectly initiated, I don't particularly look forward to judgement day. But I'm confident in my salvation nonetheless and I have repented of those things many times over. People who say the world will just keep getting better are totally blind to the reality we live in.They deny there even is such a thing as sin.

My only reason for hoping Jesus' return will wait is for those I know who still aren't saved. My understanding of the timelines of the end times isn't very clear, so I'm not sure if they would still have a chance to repent after we're taken away, or not. I sometimes ask Jesus (in vain I know) to delay His return just a little for some people I love who are so close to understanding but just not there yet.

And as I said, though we know how the world will end, I see no reason not to have hope for the time in between. Though we think we know the end is imminent, we're still just humans with human minds. Only God really knows when the end is. In fact, Jesus Himself doesn't know!

 

[Gideons300]

I'm not saying a candle burns upwards, and that the world will just keep getting better. And I'm definitely not trying to push the end further or erase it from my mind. I do deal with my sins. Because of some temptations I've given into in the past and some sinful conversations I've either participated in or indirectly initiated, I don't particularly look forward to judgement day. But I'm confident in my salvation nonetheless and I have repented of those things many times over. People who say the world will just keep getting better are totally blind to the reality we live in.They deny there even is such a thing as sin.

My only reason for hoping Jesus' return will wait is for those I know who still aren't saved. My understanding of the timelines of the end times isn't very clear, so I'm not sure if they would still have a chance to repent after we're taken away, or not. I sometimes ask Jesus (in vain I know) to delay His return just a little for some people I love who are so close to understanding but just not there yet.

And as I said, though we know how the world will end, I see no reason not to have hope for the time in between. Though we think we know the end is imminent, we're still just humans with human minds. Only God really knows when the end is. In fact, Jesus Himself doesn't know!

What a wonderful and godly reply. Thank you for your clarification as well as a glimpse into your heart, dear brother. Forgive me if I misjudged you and thus misspoke.

Yes, many still need the light of Jesus burning within them, both outside the church as well as within its walls. My prayer is that we as His body will be ignited in a way we have not seen since the book of Acts.

We as His body have not demonstrated the victory Christ promises us, and as a result, many true seekers in the world have not been drawn into Jesus Himself and we have instead tried to substitute a religious system with correct doctrine perhaps, but not with the love of God shed abroad in our hearts.

Thank God, all that is about to change.

blessings,

Gideon

 

[Blade]

A new day amen praise God. The outpouring ""And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'"

I think different about the Church. Well you and me and all that believe are the Church. And that building also is the Church. Sheep and goats is the wrong thing to say I believe. Well when we read that we know some that say they are of Christ He said "I never knew you". So they were never saved. And that happens after the great tribulation when Christ comes sets foot on the earth and gathers the nations and those are the people He splits. As I understand it So today people hurting, sick and all the rest and even wolfs in sheep's clothes.. praise GOD no better place to be then in Church so they hear the word repent amen praise GOD glory to Jesus.

Our Father GOD is faith. Speaks words of life. And faith is the only way to please Him. And we should be like Him who calls those things that be NOT as though they were. I've heard some talk about how bad it is getting and more are leaving the lord (falling away). I read that word in another way as it IS written. And when they were saying that.. just a few years ago.. I watched over one million come to Christ. Sorry but NO ONE hands our Father His hat and tells Him to leave. I do believe and take with a grain of salt but in late 2008 He said "something bad/evil is coming on this world. But just before that something wonderful will happen. Watch and pray watch and pray watch and pray be ready." I KNOW what that sounds like..yet I read NOTHING in to it that HE never said. It was I stop playing around.

And be it one second or another 30 years. Its not my kids or my creation. So.. kinda like the song playing now Danny Gokey THE COMEBACK. So thanks for this.. just AWSOME! To always be thinking or being REMINDED to keep our eyes on HIM! Praise GOD YES!

 

[Messerve]

What a wonderful and godly reply. Thank you for your clarification as well as a glimpse into your heart, dear brother. Forgive me if I misjudged you and thus misspoke.

Yes, many still need the light of Jesus burning within them, both outside the church as well as within its walls. My prayer is that we as His body will be ignited in a way we have not seen since the book of Acts.

We as His body have not demonstrated the victory Christ promises us, and as a result, many true seekers in the world have not been drawn into Jesus Himself and we have instead tried to substitute a religious system with correct doctrine perhaps, but not with the love of God shed abroad in our hearts.

Thank God, all that is about to change.

blessings,

Gideon

Your last paragraph rings so true. There is a terrible lack of victorious Christians out in the world, so that the world sees Christianity as just another religion of empty promises. I'm sure I have contributed to that perception in some ways, which really gnaws at me. I want to be that Christian who truly is victorious, yet the desire to be accepted and appreciated is very strong and I often find myself making compromises or laughing at jokes I don't actually find funny just to fit in. I have a lot of growth to do still.

Thank you for your encouraging words!

 

[Gideons300]

Your last paragraph rings so true. There is a terrible lack of victorious Christians out in the world, so that the world sees Christianity as just another religion of empty promises. I'm sure I have contributed to that perception in some ways, which really gnaws at me. I want to be that Christian who truly is victorious, yet the desire to be accepted and appreciated is very strong and I often find myself making compromises or laughing at jokes I don't actually find funny just to fit in. I have a lot of growth to do still.

Thank you for your encouraging words!

It is certainly understandable as to your wanting to be accepted.

I know this will sound "off", LOL, but should not our first desire be to be accepted by God? (See, told you, lol) I can hear the murmers now. "Hey, we ARE accepted already!"

It reminds me of the response Jesus got when He told His followers that He would set them free indeed. "Hey, we ARE already free!" Jesus had a different perspective, didn't he?

How many of us, some who have served God for decades, have never felt accepted by the Lord. We accept His forgiveness, of course, but there is still a space between us, a barrier, where we still do not feel accepted in the beloved.

Your hesitation is understandable. We are sheep and sheep for the most part are followers. But how important it is that we follow the shepherd, not other sheep.
What is separating us from the feeling? What is blocking the joy of knowing we accepts us right where we are? A part of us is still... well.... the old us. Sin still overtakes us. and thwt is a problem, and thank God, one He has a answer for, no matter how weak we may be.

We are told there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, but dollars to doughnuts, I suspect most children still feel condemned, no matter how much they quote the scripture.

All that is about to be changed. God is about to breathe on the smoldering embers we as His body have become, and we are about to arise from the ashes of religion and serve and follow, and obey Him in newness of Spirit. It is about to get glorious.

blessings to you

Gids