The Suffering Christian

1Peter 5:10 - But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Psalm 93:3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their wave

No storm is so great, no wave is so high, no sea is so deep, no wind is so strong, that Jesus cannot either calm it or carry us through it. ( Anne Graham Lotz )


As every one of us can testify we all go through times

of trials and suffering. For Christians this is equally as

true as it is for the non believer. Many times we ask 

the question why or why me. These are hard 

questions to answer but what we do know is that God

 allows trials into our lives and through these trials He 

helps us to become stronger. Just like in nature wind

helps the plants and trees to become stronger so 

it is also in our lives. The trials force us to either 

become strong in the Lord or we will break under the 

pressure of it. I have sometimes planted tomato 

seeds in early spring and set them on the windowsill

 in my house. The plants come up and grow up 

spindley and weak. These plants have no strength or 

endurance in the sun and wind once I transplant  

them to my garden. While if I plant the seeds right 

into the soil in the garden, the plants grow strong and

 healthy. 

Another reason for our trials is that through our 

sufferings we grow in character to become more like

 the Lord Jesus. The fruits of the Spirit are developed 

in our lives through trials and suffering.

Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The Lord Jesus endured greater suffering than any of us will ever be called upon to bear. Therefore we must always remember to bring our burdens to the Lord.


What can we do in the midst of our suffering?

1) we must not give in to sin - 1 Peter 4: 15-16  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

2) we must not take revenge - Romans 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

3) we must give it all to the Lord - 1 Peter 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Christians should be preparing for suffering. If you are not currently going through a period of suffering, it will come some day. Suffering will be a part of our life as a Christian until Christ returns. Those who remain faithful to the Lord during their suffering will see that sinful behaviors have no appeal any longer. Living for the Lord Jesus and to be ready to meet Him at all times takes on a new reality.

1 Peter 4: 1-2 

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

I feel that the song "Take up Thy Cross and Follow Me"  is very fitting as we go through our own personal struggles. Please meditate on the words of this song.

Take up Thy Cross and Follow Me
(by Alfred H Ackley - 1922 )

1. I walked one day along a country road,
   And there a stranger journeyed, too,
   Bent low beneath the burden of His load:
   It was a cross, a cross I knew.
   • Refrain:
     “Take up thy cross and follow Me,”
     I hear the blessed Savior call;
     How can I make a lesser sacrifice,
     When Jesus gave His all?
2. I cried, “Lord Jesus,” and He spoke my name;
   I saw His hands all bruised and torn;
   I stooped to kiss away the marks of shame,
   The shame for me that He had borne.
3. “Oh, let me bear Thy cross, dear Lord,” I cried,
   And, lo, a cross for me appeared,
   The one, forgotten, I had cast aside,
   The one, so long, that I had feared.
4. My cross I’ll carry till the crown appears—
   The way I journey soon will end—
   Where God Himself shall wipe away all tears,
   And friend hold fellowship with friend.

THE HOLY BIBLE AND THE TV GUIDE

THE HOLY BIBLE AND THE TV GUIDE

They lie on the table 
side by side, 
The Holy Bible 
and the TV guide. 

One is well worn 
and cherished with pride, 
Not the Bible 
... but the TV guide. 

One is used daily 
to help folks decide, 
No, not the Bible 
... but the TV guide. 

As the pages are turned, 
what shall they see, 
Oh, what does it matter, 
turn on the TV. 

Then confusion reigns, 
they can't all agree, 
On what they should watch 
on the old TV. 

So they open the book 
in which they confide, 
No, not the Bible 
... but the TV guide. 

The Word of God 
is seldom read, 
Maybe a verse 
as they fall into bed. 

Exhausted and sleepy 
and tired as can be, 
Not from reading the Bible 
... from watching TV. 

So then back to the table 
side by side, 
Lie the Holy Bible 
and the TV guide. 

No time for prayer, 
no time for the Word, 
The plan of Salvation 
is seldom heard. 

But forgiveness of sin, 
so full and free, 
Is found in the Bible 
... not on TV. 

-- Author Unknown 

(from seekfind.net)

Disciplining Children

Proverbs 6: 20-22 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.  When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.



I like to put pictures, little notes and reminders on my refrigerator door - maybe you do too. As I think back over the last ten or fifteen years, there have been many little snippets on my fridge. Among other things, I like to keep a few pictures of family as well as some reminder type notes to myself to help me to focus on the Lord and His purposes for me. I'd like to share a few snippets from my fridge here in this post regarding family life and discipline of children.
When our children were younger, I kept a "Family Rules" guide posted on the fridge. These were the family rules that I had posted :
1) Love one another
2) Say nice things or say nothing at all
3) No hurting anyone ever for any reason.
4) Respect each other
5) Delayed obedience is disobedience.
6) Everything you do should indicate that you are a kind and loving person.
7) Choose to be joyful

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Discipline
Now as any parent can testify, the rules were not always kept but they were there set out as a constant guideline of expectations. I was told the most effective way of disciplining a child was to use this method -
Say the child's name, make eye contact, give your instruction to your child in a normal tone of voice, and only one time. The child will learn that you are serious and discipline will follow if he or she  is disobedient. Disciplining your child is hard. But there are a few points that I tried to remind myself of:
A) Am I disciplining in anger or in love - it should be in love
B) By disciplining my child in this way, am I teaching him or am I just punishing him - the goal is to teach.
C) Explain why the behavior the child has just displayed is an unacceptable - stay at this point of  talk till the child understands no matter how long it takes.
D) Carry through with the discipline you promised would happen.
E) Remember the discipline must never be abusive - either verbally or physically.

Bible teaching on - The Way a Woman Dresses

Proverbs 11: 22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion

There is a great need in our Christian church and community today to actually believe the Word of God - I mean believing it to the point of living accordingly. Of what benefit is it if we say we belong to Christ Jesus but do not obey the teaching of the Bible? The way a woman dresses is an area that the church refuses to address and yet it is very clear in the Bible what God requires. 

1Timothy Chapter 2. Verses 9 and 10 reads :  In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;  But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works

  As I read this Scripture I wonder why Christian women do not take this chapter to heart. To all the men and husbands out there - may I encourage you to speak up and tell your wife what the Bible says here, tell your sisters, and other women in your life and also speak up in your churches - if the Pastor won't speak to this issue, then may I encourage you to speak up about this anyway! To all the Christian women out there who are careful to be modest in how you dress - may the Lord richly bless you in many ways. To the Christian women who wear revealing and tight clothing may the Lord have mercy on you, you do not want to continue living like this and I urge you to pray earnestly to the Lord in repentance and I pray that you will decide today to honor God in all areas of your life including your dress.

 Verse 9 clearly says that women are to dress in modest clothing - women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
 1 Peter says women are to be chaste - as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior
I looked up the word chaste in my dictionary and it says - virtuous, pure,simple and restrained in style or taste. Then I looked up modest and it says not showy, but pure and chaste.

Christian women all across our nations are dressing provocatively, so as to lure men to lustful thinking. They are most likely sitting in the pew in front of you on any given Sunday morning. This is not right. God hasn't just written these things in the Bible for the sake of filling up the pages - No He expects that we do what the Scriptures say. He has written it for our good and we would be wise to obey Him.  Do we as  women want to stand before God on the day of judgment and give account for our behavior which has destroyed many a man and many a marriage. God will hold women accountable for wearing the provocative, skimpy, sensual clothing because His Word clearly states that we are to be modest, pure and chaste. Beauty is in one's character, not in sensuality or in showing off your sexy or  flirting. 

I challenge every Christian woman to put off the sensual way of dressing and clothe yourself as a daughter of the King of Heaven! We are waiting to hear the words of our Saviour say "well done, good and faithful servant!" So we must obey the Word of God and be a light for the Lord in this dark and evil world!

 Remember the verses from Proverbs: As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion

Proverbs 31:30  - Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

This really boils down to an issue of pride verses the fear of the Lord - are we as women going to live in obedience to the Lord or are we going to spit in the face of the Lord ( so to speak )? It is prideful for a woman to think that it is acceptable to wear the short skirts and shorts, the low cut tops, the bare back and shoulders etc, - there will be a time of reckoning and it will be here sooner than we expect.

Proverbs 16: 17-18  The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Psalm 19:9-10 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

If Jesus gave His all for us - why would we continue to play around with sin??

Please take time to study all of the 1Timothy 2:9-15 passage :

 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Bible Study on Psalm 91 ( Safety and Security )

Do you want to live in a place of safety and security? If the answer is yes, then Psalm 91 has a message for you. It is a beautiful and rich Psalm filled with assurances of God's protection and provision. God's provisions are available to each one of us who diligently seek Him. Please join me in the study of Psalm 91 as we go through the entire Psalm verse by verse.

Verse 1 - 

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Here we learn that it is possible for us to actually enter the secret place of God Almighty Himself - not only can we enter but we are to "dwell" here in the shadow of Almighty God. The word dwell means to live or to abide, it is our home. How infinitely humbling to hear these words - You and I can live with God our Heavenly Father safely in His shadow. His shadow is a place of protection, safety and comfort. It is home - our eternal home in heaven but it is also ours here and now while we live here on earth.

Verse 2 - 

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

We must put our hope and trust in the Lord - not in ourselves or in money, our jobs or possessions, friends, family or even in doctors. The Lord alone is our refuge and strength. We must put our full trust and confidence in Him. Lay down our burdens at His feet and allow Him to work through our situations.

Verse 3 -
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

Who will help me? The answer is the Lord God Almighty - He will help me, He will deliver me from the traps of the devil and from the troubles that surround me. A simple explanation for the snare of the fowler and noisome pestilences are our ordinary troubles and diseases that come to us. We trust in God to help us. He sees us in our situation and He is available to come to our aid at all times. We need to come to Him humbly in repentance and faith and not doubt Him even if things do not play out the way we would like them to.

Verse 4 -
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
This verse reminds me of how a mother hen will cover her baby chicks with her wings and feathers. A mother hen will shield her little ones while they sleep and rest and also from any form of danger. Just as a mother hen watches out for her chicks and calls them to the safety of the shelter of her wings so also and even more our Heavenly Father will shield us. We are safe under His wings. He calls us out of danger and as we come to Him, He will "cover" us. Our Heavenly Father cares for us with such incredible love and mercy. God is 100% truth, He only tells the truth, and the Word of God which we find in the Bible is 100% truth.

Verse 5 - 
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
We are not to be afraid of any evil in the night nor in the daytime. God is watching over us because we are His children.

Verse 6 -  
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

We are not to be afraid of the troubles that come to our lives. This could be sickness, loss of a job or relationship, death of a loved one, barrenness, crop failure, or weather related destruction. God is there with us and He will go with us through our hardships. He never leaves us - He is always there. We need to seek Him in our good times and in our hardships.

Verse 7 & 8 -
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
These two verses are hard to comprehend. We know that these verses cannot mean that we will never experience hardships because every one of us does. Christians do experience crises and bad things do happen. So we have to take an eternal perspective on this. Many people will say that the worst thing that can happen is death. Well for those of us who know Christ as our Savior, we know that death is actually only a door - a door that leads us out of this temporary state to our eternal destination. We leave this earth and we enter eternity through the door of death. If we are still alive here when Jesus comes back to earth, then of course we will not need to die. We will be changed and receive our eternal bodies so who knows - depending on when Jesus returns some of us will not need to die. When the non-Christian dies, their eternal destination is separation from our Heavenly Father. This is a place called hell. None of us needs to end up in hell because through faith in Jesus we can be saved to eternal heaven. Jesus died in my place and in your place on the cross. He took our sin upon himself and paid for it all there on the cross. He died and rose again and ascended up to Heaven. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Verse 9 -
  Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Our dwelling place is with the Lord. He is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. We look forward to our eternal home with the Lord Jesus in Heaven.

Verse 10-
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
We are secure in the Lord. No evil or harm will ever come to us without the Lord knowing about it and having His hand on the controls. What ever He allows into our lives He is also able and willing to help us with. He will never leave us alone in our situations. He loves us dearly. We are His children if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior.

Verse 11 & 12 -  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

These two verses are so very precious. God our Heavenly Father has assigned some angels to take care of us. The angel carries me in his hand. I have a guardian angel whose duty it is to protect me and to keep me as I go about my day. Wow! that is really good news!

Verse 13 - 
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Here the lion, the adder, the dragon represent evil that we encounter in our lives. We encounter evil almost daily as we go about our daily lives. Godless people all around us are doing godless things and though we do not want any part of what they are doing, we live in the same world and therefore see and hear things that are very upsetting to the Christian heart. But we are encouraged here in this verse to "trample it under our feet". We must be careful to put evil away from us. Abstain from every form of evil. With the Lord as our Protector, He guards our hearts that the evil all around us does not cause us to stumble and fall into sin.

Verse 14 -
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
The Lord sees and knows those who are His own and those who truly love Him. The Lord says that those who are His own, He will set on high. What does it mean to know His Name? - It means to have an intimate relationship with the Lord, we live in His Presence while we are here on earth.

Verse 15 -
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
We are to call on the Lord. Pray, pray and pray some more. The Lord promises to answer us when we call on Him. He promises to be with us in our troubles and to deliver us. Those are sweet words to ponder for me today! He also promises to honour us as we call on Him. I believe this means that He will stay true to His Word and His promises and will not let us down. We can put our full trust in the Lord. He will make things right and those of us who do put our trust in Him will be rewarded in eternity.

Verse 16 -
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
As we live in obedience to the Lord, He will bless us. In Him is life abundant. We live with hope in our hearts. We rest assured that this life is not all there is - we are on a journey to that heavenly kingdom where there is perfect peace and happiness for all eternity.

God Bless.

91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Bible Study from Matthew 24

Bible study on Matthew 24:1-44
 I want us to look at Matthew 24 to see what we can expect as the end of the world draws closer. We need to watch and be prepared as Jesus instructs us to in Matthew 24 verse 42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

In Matthew 24 it is recorded that the disciples come to Jesus and ask him "what will be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?" That is exactly our questions today.

I have posted Matthew 24:1-44 at the bottom of our study for your easy reference.

So first off as Jesus answers these questions He tells us to be careful to not be deceived. Jesus says many will come and pretend to be Jesus and thereby deceive many people by this deception. Notice that Jesus uses the word "many" - many will come pretending to be Christ and many will fall for it and be deceived. In order to not be deceived we need to be very familiar with the genuine. That is why it is so very important to stay ever so close to the Lord in prayer and in Bible reading and in our devotion to Him. He can and will keep us in the truth and prevent us being deceived as we put our full trust and weight upon Him.

Next Jesus tells us to be on the lookout for wars and rumours of wars. We are not to be troubled or afraid as we see the countries threatening each other - this only tells us that Jesus is coming soon!! Today there are many threats of war around us - Syria is threatening Israel, North Korea is threatening the US and others, Iran is threatening Israel and so on it goes. So today we do see wars and rumours of wars in reality. BUT Jesus says the end is not yet!!

Jesus tells us that we will see famines, pestilence and earthquakes in various places.  Famines are such as droughts and floods - things that cause the food supply to diminish. Pestilence are diseases and viruses that cause illnesses and disease often spread by birds and animals, but would also include cancer etc.  And then also earthquakes - the earth quaking and shaking. Jesus says these are the beginnings of sorrows -  sorrows that will increase in intensity and frequency just as the labor pains of a mother giving birth to a child. 

Next we learn that we must be ready to endure persecution due to our faith in the Lord Jesus. Jesus says that the love of many will grow cold and even family members will betray one another. This is very sad but we need to realize and accept the fact that some of us who are Christians will actually be imprisoned and put to death for our faith. This seems unreal to many of us in such a time as ours but we also know from history that this has happened before and so we need to set our hearts on Jesus now. We need to make the decision that no matter how tough things get, we will not deny our faith. If we must give our life for the Lord, we can rest assured that we will be safe in the arms of Jesus in life and in death. " absent from the body is present with the Lord".

Next we learn that the gospel must first be preached to the entire world before the end of the world is here. I believe I have heard that this has been fulfilled already. Through internet, TV and radio the gospel has gone out to the whole world. As Christians we have been sent out to spread the gospel to the entire world!

Next Jesus goes on to talk about the "abomination of desolation". A prelude phase of this was fulfilled when Antiochus IV desecrated the temple in Jerusalem and set up an idol in it and in 70 AD when Titus destroyed Jerusalem and set up an idol to mock the Jews.  A similar event will occur again as the end of the world draws near when the antichrist enters the temple and sets himself up as god there. 
Jesus tells us that these will be horrific times of tribulation. Verse 21 tells us that then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. So we can see hard times will come upon this earth before the end of the world is finally here.

Again and again Jesus stresses the fact that there will be many false prophets and false christs as it also says again in verse  24 - For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that ifit were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. We should take these warnings to heart and be on the alert for false teachers and people in high places who claim to be able to fix every problem.

Jesus says " Behold I have told you before." Jesus tells us these things in advance so that we can be watchful!

So what will it look like when the end is here and Jesus returns? Verse 27 has our answer - 
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

We have all seen lightening flash across the sky... so also will the appearing of Jesus be.
Verses 29 and 30 describe the scene : The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light and the stars will fall - no one will miss seeing this happen!! Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Jesus brings a word of warning to each of us in verses 42 and 44. We are to be alert and watching for his return - verse 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. and verse 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

We do not know the day or hour when Jesus Christ will return and when the end of the world will be here but we can see that day is getting ever closer. What we need to do is to make sure we are walking with the Lord daily, and that we not allow the world and its pleasures to be a distraction to our faith. Be faithful to the Lord in your own personal life and in witnessing to the lost whenever you can. Keep looking up - The King is coming!!

Matthew 24:1-44  
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

² And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

³ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

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.

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

⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

¹¹ And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

¹⁶ Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

¹⁷ Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

¹⁸ Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

¹⁹ And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

²⁰ But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

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

²² And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

²³ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

²⁵ Behold, I have told you before.

²⁶ Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

²⁸ For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

³¹ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³² Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

³³ So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

³⁴ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

³⁵ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

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

³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

³⁸ For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

³⁹ And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

⁴⁰ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

⁴¹ Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

⁴² Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

⁴³ But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

⁴⁴ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

The Good Shepherd of Psalm 23

Are you alone? or maybe the real question is - Do you feel alone? Many times we feel alone in our situations even though there are people all around us. The truth is that a Christian is never alone. The Lord our Shepherd is always with us, drawing us close to Himself, watching over us and taking care of us.
Lets take a look at Psalm 23 again and let it soak into our spirit.


Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.


The Lord is my Shepherd...I shall not want....He leads me and provides for me. He is with me - I am not alone.
He leads me in paths of righteousness - He leads me in the path He has chosen for my life - a life surrendered to Him. We find God's will for our lives in His Word. God's Word is the light for our path.
God leads us by His Spirit - He directs us in the study of His Word, the Bible. Hard circumstances grow us in the path of righteousness. The struggles in our life create in us the need to turn to the Lord and to call upon Him and trust in Him to hold us.
For His Name's sake - Did you know that God has a reputation? It is His will for us that we live true to His Name and through this we bring glory to His Name! It pleases the Father that we bring glory to His Name.
In our own lives, we need to be proclaiming the authority that God has in our lives. We need to live out our faith. Fly the flag at the top of the flagpole by standing up for truth and righteousness. There is victory in Jesus!
We may find ourselves in a bad circumstance - but regardless of what happens we must trust in the Lord. Show Him that you love Him by trusting Him today.
Embrace your trial, stand up for truth and righteousness - for His Name's sake - today is your opportunity to stand for Him!
Eternity is just around the corner....in a few short months or years we will all stand before the Lord - Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Does The Good Shepherd care?

 Have you ever felt alone and abandoned in your troubles and it seems as if God is not taking care of your situation? You ask - If He is the Good Shepherd, why does He seem distant from me in my struggles. I want to share some insights with you that I learned from a Bible school student named Travis who spoke on this topic. A concussion due to a mountain biking accident and  the struggle to recover from it left him feeling some abandonment from the Lord. He reminded us that Jesus went through  more abandonment ( betrayal and loss of loved ones, suffering on the cross) than any of us will ever experience. The Lord cares for us as it says in  Matthew 6:26 - Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 

Travis proceeded to read the text from John 10 : 1-21 ( posted at the bottom) .
He discussed  the job of shepherding and what it involved. It is a 24/7 job, not glamorous, sheep are defenseless and unintelligent and need a constant protector. A shepherd must have a genuine love for the sheep, protecting them from danger with his own life being at stake. At night a shepherd would bring the sheep into an enclosed area. The shepherd would physically lie down in the doorway and guard the door and the sheep with his own life. verse 7 - Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep

Three Reasons Jesus is that Shepherd:
1) He Cares and Knows us intimately - knows everything about us, knows us better than we know ourselves, loves us like His sons, knows us by name. A shepherd knows his sheep by name, not just as a number in a herd, he knows when and where he got each sheep.

2) He Protects the Flock - He guards the lives of the sheep with His own life, will stay and fight for his own sheep while a hired hand would leave the sheep when he fears for his own life. A hired hand would flee in a dangerous situation thinking he could get another job elsewhere.
 verse 13 -The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

3) He Provides - Jesus gives us what we need. Sheep need water, food and safety. We are needy, and a lost people whom Jesus came to save. Why would we die in sin when we can come to Jesus? Sin separated us from God  but through Christ we can be brought back to God into relationship with Him again. Jesus gave His life for us for that purpose.

Analogy of the mother Octopus: The mother octopus will find a safe place to lay her eggs. She will not leave the eggs for anything, not for food, not for water, but stays by the eggs the entire time to care for them and protect them from danger.  By the time the day draws near for the eggs to hatch, a mother octopus will be weakened to the point that she dies. She is devoted to those eggs and she gives up her life up for the life of her children. The  first meal the baby octopus will eat is the remains of his mother.  So also Jesus loves, guards and protects us as His children and He gave us His life so that we may have life to the full. 
verse 11 -  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep


Please take the time to read John 10:1-21, as there we can see "How Great our Good Shepherd" really is

John 10 : 1-21
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
² But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
⁴ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
⁶ This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
¹⁷ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
¹⁸ No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
¹⁹ There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
²⁰ And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?²¹ Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?