Understanding The Last Days

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priest.

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  Mena: Walking Faith Healing Ministries- posted September 2013

Bible Verses About Signs Of The End Times

Bible verses related to Signs Of The End Times from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance

- Sort By Book Order

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.    

Mark 13:32 - But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Matthew 24:7 - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Luke 21:11 - And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Matthew 24:1-51 - And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Revelation 13:16-17 - And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Joel 2:28-32 - And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

1 Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Matthew 24:6 - And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Luke 21:25 - And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

2 Timothy 3:1-4 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.   

Revelation 3:3 - Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,   

Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

2 Timothy 3:1-17 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.   

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Matthew 24:21-22 - For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 16:2-3 - He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, [It will be] fair weather: for the sky is red.

Daniel 12:4 - But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

2 Peter 3:3-4 - Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,   

Matthew 24:42-44 - Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

U.S Invasion Dream 2015

I received this dream on early in the morning on Friday, May 22, 2015

I was in a huge house with many sections to it. At times some parts seemed without a roof. There were many people, could be hundreds. Everyone was quite busy, even to the point as I spoke I had to literally get out of their way.

I was speaking to someone about why a couple that I sort of knew did not ask me to be a part of their wedding. I was disappointed but not angry. My mother, who barely knew them was taking part and I was told it was because of her bubbly personality. There was a lot of business taken place. I then saw a friend in another section of the room showing off her dog's new hair cut.

I went by the steps of this great house and looked up in the sky and was alarmed to see several war planes in the sky. I yelled to everyone to come and see and immediately we all knew we were under attack. I was then taken in my spirit and given an aerial view of an highway with many trucks and war style vehicles. I remember seeing a futuristic type truck made of shiny metal with a huge missile on top of it. 

I then appeared at an outdoor conference where I knew I would find my family. The conference was with Michelle Obama and another female political person. I was anxious for them to finish the last question so that I could tell them what was on its way. Before I could say anything, everyone noticed the trucks coming and they began to run. The female figure next to Michelle ran off.

Next thing I say was me running with my family. We found a building like a department store and ran in. The building was made of glass and there was nothing to hide us. As we sat shaking with a slew of other people, a general walked in. His face was stern and void of emotions. My teenage daughter began to cry hysterically. I was afraid we would stand out by her crying and be shot. The general ignored us and proceeded looking in the corner of a piece of furniture. He wore a khaki uniform with high boots and a cap. I remember thinking he was short for a general. he also had a full rounded face. There was no other detail on his uniform so I am not sure of his nationality. Here is a similar uniform being worn by the Germans but it could very well be Russia or Korea. There uniforms are very similar.

After laying a few minutes in bed, another dream that I had was brought to me. It was a dream regarding a war with a devastating aftermath. Buildings were torn down after bombings and people were living in rubble and hiding from the enemy who had invaded our country. It was a dream hat I had several years ago. The men were wearing the same uniforms in this dream as well. It was obvious that we had lost the war. 

I share this dream because the Lord has given me several within the last 2 years. I believe that an attack on America is eminent. I had no thoughts concerning this topic until he began bringing it to me in dreams. please use your own discernment and prayer.

Bearing Fruit & Hearing From The Lord

Friends in the Lord,

I am sharing this video with you because it has encouraged my heart. However, I am also sharing it with you so that you may grow in his grace and the knowledge of our God when it comes to understanding spiritual fruit and building intimacy with Christ.

 

I had been a Christian for more than 17 years and I did not know that God speaks to his children today. "Why would he, when we have the bible," I was told. Well, he does because he is not an idol of stone. He has emotions, thoughts and feelings just like you and I and he proved it to me many times. We have been called to an intimate relationship with him as his bride. 

Not long ago, during one of my bible studies alone in my room, as I swept through the pages of Revelation, I thought to myself that soon I would do some research on the 7 churches. I was not sure if they represented actual churches and their purpose for being in the book of Revelation.

While I was having this thought a gentle voice interrupted my train of thought and said, "These are the ages". I immediately stopped and smiled. I then prayed and asked the Lord if this was from him and thanked him. I didn't know what the words meant since I have never heard of such a thing before. I googled the meaning of the 7 churches and information popped up headlining, "These are the ages." I then asked the Spirit to guide me through the articles. The first even though it stated it meant church ages, the Spirit directed me away from it and led me to the second article. We are currently in the age of the last church which Christ describe as "Lukewarm".

Please pray before receiving this word for the Holy Spirit's direction and sanctification.

You can check other videos from Mena at Faithful Walk Healing Ministry for background information as to how her ministry came about.

 

 

 

Why Read the BIBLE Daily?

The article and video below were created by Evelyn Brooks, from Chosen Explosions Ministries. The video is provided here to this post as a listening option. Enjoy! 

 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12 ESV) Understanding what God’s word is to believers:

1. It is our anchor of Truth. The Bible is a Christians everything book. It has the answer to every problem we face in it. It teaches us how to live life as a child of God. How else will we understand God, His kingdom and His ways? This world is full of ideas, thoughts and opinions that may or may not be true. The Bible is our source of truth. It never changes and it is eternal. When we read it for ourselves, we know firsthand God’s truth.

Then when we things the Holy Spirit will bring the scriptures you have read to your mind and confirm the spoken word as truth or will negate it as false based on the truth book.

2. It is our instructional manual for living a blessed life. It is our problem solver book. Any problem you have the answer to it is found in the word of God.

3. It is God’s covenant with His people. Covenant means a contract, or a compact. It implies a binding agreement or a promise. A covenant is sealed with blood and is considered a done deal, broken only by death. The word testament means covenant. Our Bible is divided into what we call the Old and the New Testaments or covenants. Our New Testament or covenant is sealed with the blood of Jesus; therefore, it is our promise book or binding contract with God. God is willing and able to keep his covenant or promises to us. The Bible is filled with God’s promises to us as His children. Shouldn't we want to know what He has promised us? Every word in the New Testament is still in effect for today.

 

3. It is our spiritual milk and meat. Reading it will help us to grow strong and mature spiritually. It will help us be more like Christ and equip us to do the work of the ministry. God expects every Christian to do His work in one way or another.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 3:16-17 ESV) But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Mat 4:4 ESV)

4. It is God’s love letter to us. It is a love story between God and His beloved creation, with God working out a plan of redemption for man and most often man rejecting God’s plan. The entire Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the New Testament. In other words, the entire Old Testament prophesies and the New Testament fulfills those prophecies. We can learn and gain much from both Testaments. The bible is God plan of restoration of what man lost with God in the Garden of Eden. What God is restoring is our relationship and our standing with Him. God great love for us and His desire to be one with us can be seen all throughout the Bible.

5. The Bible is full of the benefits that come along with being a child of God. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psa 103:2-8 ESV)

To get your mind going and to help you begin to comprehend what the Bible is to us, let us pretend for a moment that your very wealthy uncle has purchased for you a lifetime membership in an exclusive club. This club has unbelievable benefits. You know nothing about this club or its benefits. A manual comes with the membership describing all the benefits and how you might enjoy them. You have a choice, you can let all these benefits go unused or you can pick up, read the manual, and enjoy the benefits. When we become born again, we become an heir of God and joint heirs with Christ.

(Romans 8:17) We become the child of the creator of the universe. We were born into the richest family in the world. All the riches of this family belong to us now! The benefits that come from our relationship with God are endless. (See psalm 68:19, Psalm 103:2 and Psalm 116:12) However, the only way we will ever receive these riches into our life is by reading and understanding our manual, the Bible.

 

Once we know of and understand our benefits, we simply receive them by faith; which is the way we receive everything from God. We had to have faith even to become born again. Receiving the benefits of our covenant will help make us complete in Christ, living the good life we are expected by God to live, walking in happiness, peace, health, prosperity, taking full authority over Satan and his demons, being strong and full of the wisdom of God.

6. The Bible teaches us how to overcome darkness. It teaches us who our enemy is, his strategies against us and how to overcome them. It will turn us into mighty warriors that destroys darkness just like Jesus. Jesus said in Luke 6:40, A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40 ESV)

7. It helps us not to fall prey to temptation, so that we will not sin against God. It makes us wise, discerning, righteous and strong. It makes us very powerful against the enemy. I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psa 119:11 ESV)

8. It gives us God’s wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
Wisdom is extremely valuable for a successful life. It helps us to overcome every storm of life. Colossians 3:16, Romans 10:17

9. It build our faith, it gives us hope and joy. The world is so full of gloom and doom. God’s word gives us great hope and hope brings joy.

10. It is our guide through life.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psa 119:105 ESV)

11. God’s word is a cleansing agent. It washes our hearts, just the same as water cleans our body when we bathe. It renews our mind. Ephesians 5:26

12. It makes us fruit bearers. It equips us to help others with truth.
What version or translation of the Bible should I use? First, you must realize that no English Bible is the original Bible. All Bibles written in English are translations of the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. Some versions are written more literal word to word.Other version are more thought to thought translation, or
paraphrased. Contrary to what many people think, no versions are completely literal because the sentences would make no sense if it were because of language differences. Really they are all paraphrased but to different degrees.

 

Some versions are trusted by many people but they were translated so long ago that the words and writing structure is very different from today making them hard to understand. Many people
prefer more modern translations that more in alignment with today’s words and word usages because they are easier for them to understand.

There are many good versions or translations. Personally, I like the English Standard Version or the New King James for memorizing and studying. I like The Living Bible for reading and comparisons. I have and use many different versions for comparison sake. Choose whichever translation you prefer and the one from which you can get the best understanding. The Bible is not much good to you if you do not understand it because of language barriers. In warning, not every translation is created equal. Some are much better than others. Have a more literal translation as well as a paraphrased if you like.

Do research on line to help you choose and of course ask God to guide you.

Most popular ones:

King James
New King James
English Standard Version
New International Version
New Living Translation

 How to Get the Most from God's Word!

1. Begin your Bible study time by inviting your teacher (the Holy Spirit) to come and teach you. Ask Him to help you understand what you read and how you might apply it to your life. ( additional assistance by a mature Christian could be another help)

2. Simply read: Gather facts and learn the stories.

3. Meditation - Carefully consider or think deeply about what you read. During this time, the Holy Spirit will talk to you, teach you and give you understanding of how you can apply God’s word to your life. Meditation gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to teach you. This is so very powerful!

4. Memorization: Scripture memorization is very important. It gets God’s word on the inside of us and equips us powerfully. If we don't memorize scriptures word for word, we need to at least become very familiar with key verses. I encourage you to discipline yourself to memorize key scriptures for the different topics that relate to your own life circumstances. If God’s word is
hidden in your heart, no one can ever take it away from you. It will guide you through life safely. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psa 119:11 KJV)

5. Application: As you read and study God’s word, think of ways that you can make your life better line up with it. How can you apply it to your life? Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s work n your heart. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (Jas 1:22-25 ESV)

6. Study: You may do a word study, a topic study, personality study.

• Word study: To do a word study, you conduct a search on a specific word of which you want to gain a biblical understanding for example love. One tool you can use is a complete concordance. It is similar to a dictionary. Look up the word you are studying
the same way you would in a dictionary. It will give the definition of the word and it will give you the scripture reference for every instance the word is used in the bible. Studying the different ways the word is used in the Bible will give you a fuller biblical understanding of the word.

Most people today use online programs bible tool websites or they download a bible program. Some can be found on line for free or you can purchase computer bible programs. The bible software has all kinds of bible search tools. For example you can type any word into the Bible tool and it will pull up every scripture in the Bible using that word. You can then check that word out in the bible dictionary, the encyclopedia, the lexicon and other applications. To find an on-line bible tool, type the words “Bible tools” into your search engine. A lexicon enable you to see the Greek or Hebrew word and its literal meaning for any word in the bible. This is a very helpful tool in word studies.

Here are some well know online bible study tool websites:

www.crosswalk.com
www.blueletterbible.org
www.biblegateway.com
www.biblehub.com

Here are some sites that offer free bible software downloads!

www.e-sword.net
www.theword.net
www.olivetree.com

Search Engines can be very helpful in finding information to give us better understanding on a word, scripture or topic of the bible. This will bring up all kinds of articles on the subject but of course we should be careful in this because many things written on line are not truth. So this should be mixed with reading the word, prayer and meditation of the word.

• Topic study - Study of a particular topic, for example, "the second coming of Christ". Think of key words having to do with your topic. Look those words up in a concordance, topical Bible or Bible encyclopedia. You also could use your Bible’s cross reference tools. Cross-references take you to other scriptures in your Bible that discuss the same topic. Another way to learn more about your topic is to read other books besides the Bible that discusses it. Be sure to check the author’s information with the Bible to be sure their information is biblical. Just because something is written in a book, does not ensure that it is the truth. Even added information you find in a study Bible may not necessarily be the truth. Be discerning, always rely on the actual Bible for final authority and your teacher the Holy Spirit. If it is truth that you are seeking, truth is what you will find. God will see to it.

• Personality study: We can learn a lot about God and His kingdom by studying the lives of Bible characters. Use a concordance or bible study program to find every instance of

their name mentioned in the bible. A Bible encyclopedia may also prove helpful.

Where do I start reading?

Because the Bible is made up of many books, with many different authors you can begin anywhere you wish to. I would suggest, if you are newly born-again begin in the New Testament. Read it straight through. Then start at Genesis and read all of the Old Testament. Some people prefer to read a chapter out of the old and the new every day until they finish. I only suggest this if it is your second or more time through it. However, whichever way you
prefer is okay. It is all good and helpful. The main thing is to be faithful to reading daily.

Establish a habit of feeding your spirit daily and make sure you do in in a way that you will be able to keep up with what you have read so that eventually you will have read it all!

Conclusion: We never get to the place where we know all about the Bible and can stop reading it. The Bible is multi-leveled. Every time we read it, it is fresh and new. We can always learn something new from it. We should read all of it many times in a lifetime. We also should spend time reading and meditating on parts of it all of our life. It is our food, our direction, our wisdom, our source for truth. It is our very lifeline.

My son, if you will receive my words and hide my commandments with you, so that you attend to wisdom, you shall extend your heart to understanding; yea, if you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for
her as for hidden treasures, then you shall understand the fear of Jehovah and find the knowledge of God. (Pro 2:1-5 MKJV)

Weekly Challenges:

Read a chapter from the bible each day.

Pray for at least 15 minutes daily.

Operation L.O.V.E. This week do a random act of kindness for a stranger.

Hold open a door, offer to take the buggy back for them at the grocery store, etc. Be creative.

Scripture memorization:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy. 3:16

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

Both lesson and video are courtesy of Chosen Explosion Ministries

http://www.chosenexplosion.com/files/Lesson_3_The_Bible_Where_do_I_Start.pdf

Overcoming Anger

What does the bible say about "Anger"

For many years I've held on to "In your anger do not sin" Ephesians 4:26 Yet whenever I got angry, by the end of the day I find myself asking for forgiveness. The truth is, my focus needed to be on James 1:20 "for human anger does not produce the righteousness of God."  I hope you will learn a lot from this post from Steve Fuller. (Info Below)

I Was Angry

Recently someone did something which made me angry.

It was something they should not have done, which I had asked them not to do, but which they did anyway. And I was frustrated, bothered, and fuming. Angry.

So What Is Anger?

I've heard people say that anger is just a natural response to pain.

But if anger is natural, then it sounds like it’s OK to be angry. It sounds like there’s nothing wrong with being angry.

But is that true?

What Does The Bible Say About Anger?

Here’s what Jesus says about anger —

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. (Mat 5:22)

Whoa. Notice that word “everyone.” That includes me.

So my anger deserves God’s judgment. Which means it’s wrong.

And here’s what Paul says —

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph 4:31)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col 3:8)

So when I am angry, Paul wants me to put it away — get rid of it — stop being angry.

Which must mean there’s something wrong with my anger.

But why is my anger wrong?

What helped me was to ask —

What Is Anger?

The reason we get angry is because someone has caused us some loss or pain.

Let’s say someone is in the fast lane of the freeway in front of you, putting along at 45. Why does this make you angry? It’s because they are taking from you the convenience, pleasure, and freedom of going faster.

Or let’s say someone lies to get promoted instead of you. Why would that make you angry? It’s because they are taking from you the income, recognition, and satisfaction of being promoted.

See how that works?

Every time we feel anger it’s because someone has caused us some loss. And when we experience loss, it hurts. And when we hurt, we want to comfort that hurt, make up for that hurt, satisfy that hurt.

So how can we do that? We think it’s by getting back at the person who hurt us.

We think that will make us feel better.

And so we —

• say something insulting like “the gas pedal’s on the right, idiot!”
• feel bitter towards them
• slander them to other people
• have imaginary conversations where we put them in their place
• give them the silent treatment at work
• pass them in the right lane, shaking our head
• sabotage their work

So anger is the desire to satisfy my loss by getting back at the person who hurt me.

That helped me see why anger is sin.

Your Rich Uncle
Imagine you have a rich uncle, who said that if someone ever stole money from you, he would give you ten times the amount that was stolen. That’s right — ten times.

So then imagine that someone steals $10,000 dollars from you. That’s a loss. That hurts. And so you want to do something to comfort that loss, make up for that loss, and satisfy that loss.

So how can you best do that? By calling your rich uncle. Ten times $10,000 dollars is $100,000 dollars. And when you receive that $100,000 dollars, you would definitely feel comforted. You’d be at peace. You’d feel no anger.

You would still feel that what the person did was wrong. That’s called righteous indignation. And you could still press charges — not to satisfy your loss by getting back at them, but to uphold justice.

But you would not be angry.

Why Anger Is Sin

Take my anger. Someone had caused me loss. It hurt. Badly.

So I wanted to comfort my loss, make up for my loss, satisfy my loss.

And I have a rich uncle — God my Father. He has promised that the joy of knowing Him will more than make up for any earthly losses, now and forever (John 6:35; Rom 8:18; 2Cor 4:17).

But what did I do? I ignored God, and chose anger.

I tried to satisfy my loss by getting back at the person who hurt me —

• I thought about how wrong his actions were,
• I grumbled about him to my wife,
• I had imaginary conversations with him in my mind.

So can you see why my anger is wrong? It’s because when I’m angry I’m not trusting God’s promise to satisfy me. Instead, I’m trusting that I will be most satisfied by getting back at someone else.

So when I’m angry, I’m turning my back on God as my all-satisfying Treasure.

And that’s sin.

How Can I Overcome My Anger?

I’m going to turn my heart back to God, and seek Him. I’m going to trust Him to comfort my loss with His glory, His majesty, His goodness in Christ.

 Christian and Anger: How to overcome it!

I Was Angry

I mentioned in my last post that someone made me angry. 

So I asked — How should Christians view anger? And I saw from Matt 5:22, Eph 4:31, and Col 3:8 that I should see my anger as wrong.

Then I asked — Why is it wrong? And I saw that anger means trying to satisfy my pain by getting back at the person who hurt me — by thinking bad thoughts about them, giving them the silent treatment, slandering them, and so forth.

But that’s wrong, because God tells me not to get back at people, and because only Jesus Christ can fully satisfy my heart-pain.

OK. But that leaves one more question —

How Can I Overcome My Anger?

This is something God calls Christians to do —

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph 4:31)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col 3:8)

So God calls me to put away all my anger. But how?

Many of us try will-power or psychological techniques, like —

• Taking a deep breath.
• Counting our blessings.
• Letting go of what is troubling us.
• Focusing on positive thoughts.

These might bring temporary relief. But the relief won’t last, because none of these techniques deal with the root cause.

What Is The Root Cause?

In 1 Samuel 18 we read that Saul became very angry —

And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry. (1Sam 18:7-8)

Why was Saul angry? It’s because David’s victories, and the women’s song, had taken away Saul’s fame. This loss of fame caused Saul pain.

At this point Saul could have turned his heart to the Lord, confessed his desire for fame, and sought his heart-satisfaction not in fame but in knowing God, beholding God, and worshiping God.

If Saul would have done this, God would have met him. Saul would have been filled with fulness of joy in God’s presence (Psa 16:11), and his heart-pain would have been fully satisfied in God Himself.

But that’s not what Saul did.

Saul turned his back on God. Saul tried to satisfy his heart-pain by being angry at David — by getting back at David. So Saul nurtured bad feelings toward him, entertained evil thoughts about him, planned ways to hurt and even kill him.

So what’s the root cause of Saul’s anger? It’s that Saul had turned his back on God and was seeking to satisfy his heart-pain by getting back at David.

Is That What I Was Doing?

Yes. To my shame, it was. Someone had caused me pain. But I was not bringing that pain to God.

Instead, I was seeking to satisfy my pain by getting back at this person — by thinking of how wrong he was, grumbling about him to my wife, having imaginary conversations where I told him off.

That’s the root cause of our anger. Someone causes us loss, but we turn our backs on God, and seek to satisfy our heart-pain by getting back at those who caused it.

So What Can I Do?

When I saw the root cause I could see what I needed to do. I needed to stop trusting that getting-back-at-someone would satisfy my heart-pain, and I needed to turn to Jesus Christ and trust Him to satisfy my heart-pain.

That was not going to be easy. But Jesus has already put my anger to death on the Cross (Rom 6:6). Which means that now, by His Spirit, He can put it to death in my heart (Rom 8:13).

So I turned to Jesus Christ just as I was — angry, upset, and bitter. I confessed that I had turned my back on Him, and was looking elsewhere for heart-satisfaction. I asked Him to forgive me through the Cross. And He assured me of complete forgiveness (if you struggle with this, pray over 1 John 1:9, Isa 53:4-6, and Rom 4:7).

Then I prayed and asked for more of the Spirit’s work in my heart. I asked the Father to strengthen my faith so I could see and feel Jesus once again as my all-satisfying Treasure. I prayed verses like Luke 11:13, 2Cor 3:18, Jer 2:12-13.

Then I set my heart on God’s majesty, power, glory, and love — using verses like Gal 2:20, Rev 1:5, Psa 138:5-6, and John 20:30-31.

I prayed over these verses until I felt the Holy Spirit strengthen my faith, and change my heart. Slowly my hard, bitter heart softened. I started to see, and then feel, the glory of Jesus Christ.

And as I worshiped Jesus Christ my heart-pain was healed. I felt peace and even joy in Christ.

And my anger was gone.

How Jesus Enables us to Forgive

Fired By A Real Estate Client

At the beginning of our church plant I worked in real estate. One client used a lot of my time but then fired me to get a better deal with another agent. This ended up costing me time, money, and reputation among other real estate agents, and I was angry and bitter. No way was I going to forgive.

But when Peter asks how many times he should forgive, Jesus’ answer is “seventy times seven” — 490 times (Matt 18:22). Which means we should forgive and never stop forgiving.

But that sounded impossible. Because forgiveness would mean –

• letting go of the harm my ex-client caused me
• no longer desiring her harm
• only desiring her good

But my heart was miles from that. So how could I forgive?

Jesus Tells Us

In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus describes a servant who is angry because he is owed 100 denarii, which is 100 days wages, according to D. A. Carson’s “Matthew” commentary. Imagine someone owing you $20,000 and not paying you back. That would hurt.

But this same servant owes his master ten thousand talents — over a billion dollars, according to Carson. So, because he can’t pay it back, he’s going to be sold into slavery along with his wife and children. But he pleads with his master to give him time to repay, and his master does the unthinkable and forgives the billion dollar debt.

Imagine. At one moment you owe a billion dollars, so you and your family will be sold into the horrors of slavery. But the next moment you owe nothing and you and your family are saved.

But then what does this slave do? He finds the slave who owes him 100 denarii and threatens to throw him in prison if he doesn’t pay up. When the king hears what this slave did, he throws him in prison until he pays back the billion dollars. And Jesus concludes: “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from the heart” (v.35).

How Can We Forgive?

The first slave was out $20,000. That’s a lot of money. And yet the first slave should have forgiven the second slave, because of the billion dollar gift the first slave received from the king.

This parable teaches how Jesus enables us to forgive. When I am angry with someone it’s because they have caused me loss. This sense of loss hurts, and makes me want to even the scales by harming them.

Since the anger is caused by my loss, the only way to get rid of the anger is to ease the pain of the loss with a huge gain.

Imagine that after my real estate client fired me, I won a billion dollars in the lottery. Would I still be angry with her? Not at all. Because my joy in the billion dollars would more than make up for the loss she caused me.

And Jesus says I have received a billion dollar gain — in Him. The forgiveness of my sins, being adopted as God’s son, and having God’s heart-satisfying presence forever – this is the billion dollar gain which more than makes up for the losses my ex-client cost me.

So what enables us to forgive is seeing that the billion dollar gain we have in Christ more than makes up for the losses others have cost me.

Why Am I Still Angry?

But if that’s true, then why am I still angry? It’s because at that moment I’m not seeing what I have in Christ as a billion-dollar gain. All I’m seeing is the loss of time, reputation, and money my ex-client cost me. My anger and pride has blinded me to what I have in Christ.

So the only way I can forgive is to have the Holy Spirit change my heart so I once again see the billion-dollar gain I have in Christ. That would so make up for my loss that I would be able to forgive.

So here are the steps which God used to change my heart –

I Turned to Trust Christ

I did not try to change my heart first. Instead I turned to Him just as I was — bitter and angry — saying “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13-14).

I Confessed My Sin

My unforgiveness was sin, because I had let my ex-client’s actions blind me to all I had in Christ.

So I confessed my blindness. I repented of how I was not seeing Christ as the billion-dollar treasure He is. I asked Him to forgive me. I thanked Him for His death which paid for my guilt, and His perfect life which covered all my sin.

I Prayed for the Spirit’s Heart-Changing Work

Apart from the Spirit’s supernatural work, my anger would keep blinding me to all I had in Christ. So I asked him to enlighten the eyes of my heart so I could see and feel all that I had in Christ (Eph 1:18).

I Set My Heart on God’s Word

So I set my heart on verses describing Jesus Christ, and asked God to help me to see and feel the massive gains of –

• knowing a God who is fulness of joy forever (Psa 16:11)
• forgiveness of all my sins past, present, and future (Rom 4:6-7)
• a Savior who satisfies every heart thirst in Himself (John 6:35)
• an eternity beholding God’s glory (Rev 21:21-22)

I Continued Until My Heart Changed

I kept praying over those verses until I slowly felt my heart change. My sense of Christ’s worth grew. My feelings of loss were comforted, and then overshadowed, by the gains I had in Christ.

My heart went from feeling empty, to feeling full, overflowingly full — in Christ.

And when my heart was full of Christ, I saw that my anger had gone. I no longer desired revenge. I actually felt compassion for her.

Jesus had enabled me to forgive.

What this taught me

When I am angry at someone, it’s because I am not seeing Christ as a billion-dollar gain. So forgiveness depends on fighting the fight of faith until the Holy Spirit changes my heart — and I once again feel the infinite gain I have in Christ — and let that gain swallow up whatever losses I have received.

I do not say that lightly.

Some of you reading this have experienced losses that make mine look tiny. But what Jesus teaches in Matthew 18 is true: the gain you have in Him is infinitely greater than anything anyone has taken from you.

You may not feel that now. But He can change your heart so you will.

So turn to Christ as you are, confess your unforgiveness, cry out for the work of the Spirit, and set your heart on the truth of who Christ is. He will change your heart so you once again see and feel the infinite gain you have in Him.

And you will be able to forgive. 

Written by Steve Fuller.  Blog: Living By Faith. Link: http://livingbyfaithblog.com/

God's Promises

Imagine stumbling over a treasure chest buried in the ground. You open it, and it’s full of gold coins — millions and millions of dollars’ worth.

The Bible is like that treasure chest. But instead of gold coins, it’s full of something infinitely better — the promises of God.

But sadly, many Christians don’t know God’s promises. It’s like God gives us a treasure chest full of gold coins, and we never open it to see what’s inside.

But God wants us to open this treasure chest and see all the riches we have in his promises. He wants us to see his promises, trust his promises, and be transformed by his promises.

But we can only do that if we know his promises. So – what are the promises of God?

Here are seven categories of promises I have discovered in God’s Word —

HEART-SATISFACTION – God promises to satisfy you fully and forever in Jesus Christ.

We all long for heart-satisfaction. We all crave joy, pleasure, and beauty. And we can find some joy, pleasure, and beauty in things of the world. But none of these gives us full joy. Or lasting joy.

But God has good news. God promises that full and lasting joy is found in himself; in knowing him as he is revealed in Jesus Christ. That’s what David says in Psalm 16:11 (he’s speaking to God) –

“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

We can also see this promise in verses like Psalm 36:7-9; Psalm 63:1-2; Psalm 73:25-26; John 6:35; Philippians 3:8; 1 Peter 1:8.

But there’s a problem. Our sin has cut us off from God’s presence, and we face his wrath forever. Which is why the next promise is so precious –

FORGIVENESS – God promises to forgive you through faith in Christ so you can experience his heart-satisfying presence now and forever.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

We have all sinned and faced God’s punishment. But on the Cross, Jesus was punished in our place. So when we turn from whatever else we’ve been trusting to satisfy us, and trust Jesus Christ to forgive us, change us, and satisfy us in himself — everything changes:

• God forgives all our sin — so we will never be punished by him (1John 1:9; Romans 8:1).
• God covers us with Jesus’ perfect righteousness, and welcomes us as if we were perfectly righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• God gives us his Spirit by whom we experience his heart-satisfying presence (John 7:37-38).

This complete forgiveness, and all of God’s promises, are ours by faith alone in Christ alone, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9.

But faith is not easy. Trials weaken our faith; temptations undermine our faith. So how can I be sure I will keep trusting Christ? That’s the next promise —

PERSEVERANCE – God promises to keep you strong in faith so you can experience his heart-satisfying presence forever.

How can you be sure you will not turn from faith in Christ and end up facing God’s judgment?

It’s because God promises that if you are truly trusting him now, then he will never let you fall away. You won’t be sinless. But he will keep you persevering in faith until you enter heaven.

That’s what Paul says in Philippians 1:6 –

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

You can also see this promise in Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 10:28-29; and Jude 1:24-25.

But even though God promises to protect our faith, we are not passive in this process. We must fight the fight of faith, labor in prayer and the Word, seek to obey Christ, and love others.

So what will motivate us to do this? That’s the next promise –

REWARD – because of Christ, God mercifully promises to reward your undeserving faith with even more heart-satisfaction in him now and forever.

So the more I trust and obey Christ now, the more joy I will have in Christ now, and forever. Here’s how Jesus puts this promise in John 14:21 –

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

You can also see this promise in Matthew 5:8; Matthew 25:23; John 14:23; Romans 8:13; Hebrews 12:14; and Revelation 21:6-7.

But please don’t misunderstand this idea of reward. It’s not that we deserve rewards from God. It’s that – because of Jesus’ death on the Cross — God mercifully rewards our undeserving faith and obedience with more of himself.

But this does not mean that the more I trust Christ, the easier my life will be. That’s the topic of the next promise —

CIRCUMSTANCES — God promises to give you the perfect combination of blessings and trials so that as you trust him you will have the greatest heart-satisfaction in him.

Sometimes God brings us great blessings — family, friends, and health. His purpose in this is to show us even more of his glory, so we have even more heart-satisfaction in him. This is taught in verses like John 9:1-2; Job 42:10; and Acts 12:11.

But at other times, in perfect love and wisdom, God brings us great trials — persecution, sickness, tragedy. He does this so that as we cling even more closely to him, we will have even more joy in him than we would have had without the trial. This is illustrated in Job 1:21; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 1 Peter 1:6-7; and 1 Peter 4:14.

But what about all the things we need in this life? That’s the next promise —

NEEDS – through prayer God promises to provide for every need in the perfect time and amount to give you the greatest joy in him now and forever.

God does not promise to give everything we want. But he does promise that, as we pray, he will give us everything we need in order to be fully satisfied in Him.

You can see that in Matthew 7:7 —

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

And in Philippians 4:19 —

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

This includes his grace (2 Corinthians 9:8), the work of the Spirit (Galatians 3:5), finances (Matthew 6:33), strength (Philippians 4:13), relationships (Matthew 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:18), wisdom (James 1:5), and whatever else we need. He will provide these in just the right amount, at just the right time, to give us the greatest joy in him now and forever (Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 4:11-12).

HEAVEN — God promises to raise you from the dead so that forever you can join all the redeemed in the heart-satisfying joy of beholding God’s glory in Christ.

Unless Christ returns first, we will all die. But because we trust Christ, the moment we die we go to be with Christ in paradise (Luke 23:43). And there we will join with all the redeemed as we wait for Christ’s final victory over sin and Satan, His return to planet earth, and the resurrection of our bodies.

Here’s how Jesus put it —

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

This is certain. Jesus rose from the dead. And because you are trusting him, he will raise you from the dead. You will live forever with the ever-increasing joy of beholding him.

God has promised.

What This Means for Us

Notice that the focus of every promise is the all-satisfying joy of beholding God’s glory in Christ now and forever.

When we see this, and when we trust all that God promises to be to us in Christ, we will be transformed.

 Written by Steve Fuller.  Blog: Living By Faith. Link: http://livingbyfaithblog.com/

What Are the Promises of God?
 

 

God's Mercy

 Throughout his calling, Gideon wore several hats. He was a Judge over Israel, mighty man of God, hero, a humble man and some may even say fearful. His story is found in throughout chapters 6-8 of Judges.

 

Caught in Circumstance
 

Whenever the children of Israel  planted their crops, the Midianites and other people such as the Amalekites would camp on the land and invaded the country. While Gideon was threshing wheat an angel addressed him saying “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Many lessons have describe Gideon a perhaps a coward because he was hiding from the Medianites. However by the end of the story because he trusted God , he became a mighty warrior. Lets begin with his response to the angel of God. “Pardon me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the lord bring us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us …..   .”

In our current circumstance, even in churches today, we often question the intentions or abilities of God. Are you confident that the Lord is with you, or are you hoping that he is? Let’s think for a moment. Gideon clearly did not see any evidence of the Lord’s presence with him nor his people. He questioned the wonders of God told to him by his ancestors. We sometimes look in to the scriptures and marvel at the experiences of the prophets and the apostles, and think where those wonders of God are today?

Remember the people were being disciplined by God for mixing their worship with others god’s. God called this practice evil. Even as he disciplines us, he is still with us.

 Israel could not see God because though they were being disciplined, in their suffering they did not turn completely to God. The intention of God's discipline is to lead us toward repentance. A rebellious heart will become hostile towards the Lord.

"It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes" (Psalm 119:71).

 If we want to see the hand of God working in our lives, then we cannot hold on to the traditions of men or mix them with the commands of God. Human doctrines, the occult, worldly wisdom or anything that only has a form of Godliness. They have no place in our worship to God.

The Mercy of God

God called out to a man that was the weakest in His clan. He called a man who’s clan was the least to show his mercy even when they refused to repent. They conveniently left out the part about their repentance and questioned the mercy of God. Are you doing this in your own life today? We know that they were still engaged in spiritual fornication because the Lord told Gideon to tear down his father’s alter to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole. He then instructed him to build a proper kind of altar to the Lord his God.  God desire complete and sincere repentance from his people. You must always examine the altar of your heart, making sure it is fully committed to your God. From the heart comes the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life."

What is an Asherah Pole?
 

An Asherah pole was a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the pagan goddess Asherah.

Who is Baal?

Baal was the name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The practice of Baal worship infiltrated Jewish religious life during the time of the Judges (Judges 3:7), became widespread in Israel during the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33) and also affected Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). The word baal means “lord”; the plural is baalim……Baal was a fertility god who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce children.

Gideon’ s Obedience

Gideon obeyed God despite of his fears. He was quite aware of the affection that both his father and the community had for the foreign gods. Gideon took his servants at night in order to carry out God’s request.  Why couldn't he have gone to his father for help? They were blinded to the truth because they did not fear or respected the laws of God. 

Psalm 118:16" I will meditate on thy precepts, and have respect unto thy way."

Once they found out what Gideon had done, no one was moved by the proper alter that was set up in honor of their true God. When you decide to completely repent, do not expect the people around you to rejoice. They will rejoice only if they fear and honor God. God used Gideon to eventually defeat their enemies. 

Read the rest of the story and reflect on God’s mercy and how he teaches us to trust him.

 

Lessons from Gideon

The main take away from this lesson is 'GOD'S MERCY'. Even in the midst Israel's rebelliousness, He showed them his mercy. In the same way it was important for Israel to know that God is the one who will deliver his people, we must always see the mercy of God in his words. These stories were written to encourage us regarding the might, love and mercy our God.

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Psalm 37:4-6 - Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Proverbs 3:6- In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Psalm 46:10 - Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Mark 5:36 - As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.