The Mansion of Heaven

When someone we love passes on, we grieve for their absence from this earth. However, Jesus came to fulfill what couldn't be done by anyone else. Because of his sacrificial death on the cross for our sins, we have a bridge from sinful man back to Holy God.

Jesus told us in God's Word, the Bible:

Jhn 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

He also told us:

Jhn 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we can have the assurance of eternal life through God's provision of mercy and grace via the cross at Calvary. Christ's resurrection to life proves that He is who He said he is, the Son of God, Lord and Savior of mankind.

~ Christine

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The Mansion of Heaven

This world, however beautiful,

was never meant to be

The place that we would call our home

for all eternity.

And though we would not choose to leave,

a loving God knows best,

And in His time,

He lifts us to a place of peaceand rest.

For He has built a mansion

where His children will abide,

Free from pain and sorrw,

forever at His side.

He said He'd never leave us

to face our trals alone,

And though sometimes we fail Him,

He never fails His own.

And even when our choices

are less than He would ask,

He knows when human courage

is unequal to the task.

We cannot judge what happens,

though tears and questions start--

We only see what's visible--

God sees into the heart...

And though there may be many things

that we cannot explain,

We can be sure it breaks His heart

to see His children's pain.

In loving arms,

He bears us to a quiet place apart

Were He mends the wounded spirit

and heals the broken heart.

And though these ones we love so much

And passed into a better world

of majesty and light,

Someday we'll be together

in our Father's home above,

Where we'll thank Him for His mercy

and prase Him for His love.

- http://www.hallmark.com/

Destruction, Control, and Death OR Creation, Submission and Life?

Which of these do you choose? Destruction, Control, and Death OR Creation, Submission and Life? When you really think about it, life on this earth leads to one choice over another. We can choose destruction, or we can choose creation. We can choose control or we can choose to submit to Someone greater than ourselves.  We can choose death or we can choose life. It all leads to a decision.  It all depends on  in Whom one trusts his/her life during one's short, fleeting lifetime on this earth.

I started to think of these contrasts after watching a portion of Glenn Beck's show on T.V. today. Even though I don't agree with everything that Glenn Beck does, says, writes, or theorizes about; I must admit that I am going to miss his T.V. show when he leaves Fox News. He doesn't talk down to his audience. He makes us all think deeply. Often, what he comes up with is quite interesting.  Sometimes, profound.

Glenn's guest today was Michael Scheuer, and their brief conversation was really great and quite educational. Scheuer told the truth. During a discussion about the killing of bin Laden and the sensitivities being bantered about surrounding his death, Scheuer said that the last three presidents have all stated many times that "we are not at war with Islam." However, Scheuer countered that idea with the truth, "Islam is at war with us." That is the truth that so many progressives/liberals just cannot admit. Mr. Scheuer's interview appears in the second segment at "The Daily Beck"  link below. I encourage you to hear the rest of what he had to say.

I also appreciated Glenn's "thinking out loud" segment where he made a circle and fence around our idea of America (which, unfortunately, has been replaced by our "stuff"), and then listed Marxists, Statists, Globalists, and Islamic Sharia law jihadists who want to change what America was, is, and will be in the future. He said:

"We have to stop protecting our stuff. We need a competing idea against all of the above ideologies. Where is the competing idea? They all want to control. We must replace our "stuff" with an idea."

See the second segment over at The Daily Beck for more detail.

Glenn continued,

"All of the outside influences are about destruction and control. That is not what He (God) is about. He (God) is about Creation."

Now, I'm not sure what Glenn will say during tomorrow's show, but I thought that what he pointed out was an in-plain-sight revelation that We The People need to continually realize and utilize as we go through our time on this earth. We will always be battling against "powers and principalities" that are unseen in this world, but we certainly do feel the effects of such wickedness:

Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places].


Eph 6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Notice that we are to stand in order to withstand the evil of the day. How do we do that? I know of no other way than by standing with the truth - Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life!

With God's Word as our guide, we can show the world what is most important in this life. The battle between good vs. evil, and creation vs. destruction will go on until Christ returns for His Own. This means that in this world Christian believers can expect to be dismissed, rejected, reviled, ignored, persecuted or even killed. However, the last command of Jesus Christ to all of his followers after his Resurrection from the dead (and just before his Ascension back to the Father in heaven) was The Great Commission. He told them (and us) to go out into all the world and tell all peoples of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,


Mat 28:20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age." Amen.

THAT is what matters most folks!

Our time on this earth is fleeting, but eternity lasts forever. Where one spends eternity depends, ultimately, in how one answers Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?"

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,


Eph 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;


Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.


Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;


Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--


Eph 6:19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,


Eph 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

To Him That Overcometh

The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony.--Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God
that justifieth. Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us.

Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it.

--That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

--In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.--Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. . . . And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.--But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Re 12:10,11 Ro 8:33,34 Col 2:15 Heb 2:14,15 Ro 8:37 Eph 6:11,17 1Co 15:57



Evening

The tree of life.

God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.--He gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.--As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth [them];
even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. . . . As the Father hath life in
himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the
midst of the paradise of God.--In the midst of the street of it, and on either
side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of]
fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were]
for the healing of the nations.

Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom. . . . Length of days [is] in her right
hand. . . . She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy
[is every one] that retaineth her.--Christ Jesus . . . is made unto us wisdom.

Ge 2:9 1Jo 5:11 Joh 3:16 5:21,26 Re 2:7 22:2 Pr 3:13,16,18 1Co 1:30

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Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional
Saturday August 28, 2010
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml
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Life and Liberty Hangs in the Balance

Spotted this video presentation of a painting done by Jon McNaughton over at Nice Deb and it literally moved me to tears!



I weep for what we have lost here in America - the deep knowledge of the Bible and the heritage of our Christian faith.

I weep for what we are losing at such an accelerated pace - our freedoms and liberty - due to the tyrannical government we have.

I weep for those who have shoved God and His Son, Jesus Christ, out of their lives.

I weep for those who have never taken Jesus' offer of salvation seriously, and therefore ignore it and do not accept it.

I weep for our children who are now living in an America that I never thought I would ever see in my lifetime. I could go on and on. But most regular readers here could easily add to this list.

However, I also have tears of joy because I know who I am in Jesus Christ. I know that millions of saved Christians also know who they are in Christ and are evangelizing across the globe - including through the vehicle of the Internet.

Jesus told us that a sign of the coming Rapture would be both a falling away from the faith (heresy, apostasy, false religions, atheism etc. -all of which are happening today) as well as the Gospel being spread throughout the world. There has been no time in history - other than the computer age - where the Gospel could literally be spread throughout the entire world in seconds! How many people have read the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in just one day, accepted it and have also accepted the fact that the Word of God, the Bible, is ultimate Truth? We may never know the answer to that question on this side of heaven.

What a beautiful painting! Jesus is the center of the scene, and rightfully so.

Is He the center of your life?

Hat Tip:

Nice Deb

Also see:

McNaughton Fine Art.com

UPDATE!! Just discovered this at the McNaughton website!

Go to this page and run the mouse over the people in the painting to find out who they are and/or what they represent! Awesome!

What Life Would Be Like

by Big Daddy Weave. Dedicated to a blogging friend who I wish...no...I pray - will take this message to heart - just like we ALL need to do; including me.

Youtube video link: What Life Would Be Like by Big Daddy Weave

[Note: Correction within the video! The lyric actually says "our hearts burn WITHIN US."]

Another Deception Towards Hell

I love it when Christian bloggers comment at my blog. It helps remind me to see what they are writing about at their own blogs. I especially enjoy visiting new Christian blogs and adding them to my blog roll.

Recently, Ken of The Bumbling Genius blogspot wrote a comment here at Talk Wisdom. I went over to that blog and found his latest post entitled, Hell, The Ultimate Offense.

Excerpt:

(1) There is only one way by which we may receive the eternal mercy of God, the first step being that we realize our dire need of it. By down playing that need we do save from offense, but we do so at the expense of a far greater one; for nothing can be more offensive than an eternity in Hell.

(1)While we do not have the choice of pointing out that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, it is not my intention to suggest that Christians behave in a manner consistent with the caricature of Christians that exists today. This image was perfected in the pit of Hell, and there will never be anything that the church will be able to do, barring abandoning the cross and sin altogether- as many churches have done-to win the approval of a ardently anti-Christian culture.

My comment there:


Great post! And SO TRUE! The current "I don't want to offend anyone by talking about sin" modus operandi is (unfortunately) on it's way to becoming the express train of modern Christian thought. People may think that such a worldview is an "enlightened " way to "do church." But the reality is that it is just another one of Satan's ploys to keep people out of Christ's Kingdom.

The truth is, such a mentality is just another deception and ticket to hell.

That quote at the end of your post says it all!!

Years ago, I ran across commentary that stated, "beware the crossless gospel." Such a terrible error (and heresy) is becoming more and more prevalent in many churches today.

The Bible tells us the truth about each and every matter. God's Word tells us that the cross is offensive to those who are perishing.

2Cr 2:14 (NLT) But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume.


2Cr 2:15 Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing.


2Cr 2:16 To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?


Hat Tip:

The Bumbling Genius blogspot

Final Curtain Call

The title of Dr. David Jeremiah's March magazine and devotional is "A Graceful Exit." In the essay called, "The Great Curtain Call," the author briefly explains and compares The Rapture of the Church (all believers) as the Church's final curtain call. This is because the roles of the audience and performer will be reversed.

Jeremiah:

Calling us out to join Him for all eternity will be the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ Himself.

Even though our lives have been lived out - like characters in a play - it is all believers everywhere who will applaud Jesus Christ because of his plan for the redemption of mankind.

Jeremiah:

It is Christ alone who deserves the credit and praise. He wrote the script, funded the production at the expense of His own life-blood, chose the cast, empowered the players, and then rewards us at the end for accomplishing something that He alone made possible. The Rapture will be a final curtain call like no other.

Recall the question and answer about Rockefeller - one of the richest men in the world - when he died? It was asked, "how much (money) did he leave?" Answer: all of it.

All that we have, all that we think we own, all that we give to others in all honesty - belongs to the Lord. We are stewards of this earth. All that we enjoy while here while on this earth is in all actuality "on loan" to us.

Dr. Jeremiah's paragraph about Christ alone deserving the credit and praise is true about our entire lives. Have you ever really thought deeply about that? That paragraph reminded me to think more deeply about it. The promise that He rewards believers "at the end for accomplishing something that He alone made possible" is strikingly awesome! Why? Because it is so true! Allow me to share some Scriptures that reiterate this point.

Mat 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

Mat 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

That is some powerful Word to keep in mind - especially today. With all of the financial worries, woes, stealing, thievery (even via taxes through our own government!!) loss of jobs, loss of homes etc. we might need to look at those verses and understand why our nation is experiencing what is currently happening today. Any ideas?

Could it be that many of us have forgotten God?

Could it be that God is calling us out from our slumber and sinful ways?

Could it be that we are relying too much on "things of this earth" rather than relying on God?

Moths can ruin and destroy the most expensive piece of clothing. They can also destroy the oldest raggedy piece of clothing. Rust can damage the most expensive car, as well as an older car. Get one ding in a new vehicle which results in paint chipping off and rust is soon to follow.

This probably isn't the time to say, "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away." When it comes to possessions and this current economy, we don't want to hear that. But there is a purpose even in times of great loss. When Katrina hit New Orleans, many people turned back to God as a result of it. I have read on other blogs that many civilians in Iraq, though they have suffered years of loss from Saddam Hussein's brutal regime, are now coming to Christ in record numbers after having been liberated by our brave military and the coalition forces.

But consider this, also. When it comes to utilizing such a statement in light of all eternity - we most certainly should have a completely joyful attitude. "The Lord giveth (eternal life), and the Lord taketh away (the sins of the world)."

Dr. Jeremiah tells us that the Rapture of the Church could happen at any time. There is nothing on the prophetic calendar that needs to be done before we "meet the Lord in the air." Bible scholars refer to this as the "imminent appearing of Christ," imminent meaning "at any moment."

Dr. Jeremiah:

To put this event in perspective, let's step back and review God's plan for the ages:

* After the fall of mankind into sin in the Garden of Eden, God called a people out of the human race for Himself: Abraham and his descendants.

* When that people failed to fulfill their mission of attracting the nations of earth to God by manifesting His glory on earth, God sent His Son, Jesus, to call out a new people from all the nations of the earth: the Church - the spiritual, not physical, descendants of Abraham.

* When the Church fulfills her mission of taking the Good News of God's forgiveness and salvation throughout the earth, Christ will return in the sky and call the Church to Himself in heaven to avoid the judgment God will bring upon the enemies of God on earth. That "calling out" - that final curtain call - is the Rapture, when the entire Church from all ages is united for the first time with her Lord and Savior.

Nothing remains on God's prophetic timetable to be accomplished before the Rapture can occur. But on important question does remain to be answered.

The Most Important Question

The script that God has delivered to us for His drama on earth is not specific as to times and dates; it is only specific in terms of events. That is, we know Christ is going to return for His Church - but even He did not know the exact day or hour (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, we must be ready for God's curtain call to come at any time.

While discussing that verse in a Bible study group, it was deemed necessary for Jesus Christ not to reveal the date or time. If we knew it, would we work as though his return was imminent? If the date was June 9, 2009 - probably yes! If it was set at June 9, 2209 - probably not. There is a specific reason why the date has not been revealed.

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

Dr. Jeremiah:

Jesus told a parable to accentuate the need to live a watchful life: the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)

Matthew 25:1-13 (NKJV)

Mat 25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.


Mat 25:2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.


Mat 25:3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,


Mat 25:4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.


Mat 25:5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.


Mat 25:6 "And at midnight a cry was [heard]: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; [fn] go out to meet him!'


Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.


Mat 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us [some] of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'


Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, '[No], lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'


Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.


Mat 25:11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'


Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'


Mat 25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [fn] in which the Son of Man is coming.

NKJV Footnotes:
(25:6) NU-Text omits is coming.
(25:13) NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

Dr. Jeremiah:

Those who participate in the final curtain call for the Church will be those who are on stage when it happens.

There will be no running onto the stage at the final moment in order to participate in the Rapture when Jesus appears for His Church.

So the question is, do you have a part in the script? Are you part of God's cast of characters who will be invited to participate in history's final curtain call? You can join the cast today by placing your faith in Christ, receiving Him as your Lord and Savior. Only then will you be assured of hearing His call when He returns to remove His Church from earth. It is earth's final graceful exit - not something that you want to miss.

Hat tip:

Turning Points Magazine & Devotional: A Graceful Exit by Dr. David Jeremiah, March 2009 pp. 24-25