Sometimes I am so thankful that I am not on social media as much. I try to post on Twitter a verse or two of Scripture, share my blog posts there, and for the most part that had been it. I upload a YouTube video now and then, though I am trying to be better at sharing a video a week to encourage others through God's Word. The past few days I went back to InstaGram. I tried to engage with some accounts I follow and the people have been so kind to just draw me into their communities. It's a wonderful thing. But, in branching out to see what others are sharing on Twitter and InstaGram, I have noticed a lot more world views that do not reflect my Biblical world view as I gaze through the lens of Scripture. It is disturbing to me because it is those who claim to be Christian and they are slandering one another and slinging each other through the mud. The world is watching this horrific show and the devil must be so amused. Instead of praying about these needs, the threads are so long and filled with hatred spewing from their lips. I just saw on InstaGram a church, A CHURCH!!, stating that the Holy Bible is NOT the Word of God! And I just want to scream, WAKE UP! Wake up, church! Take up your cross and follow Jesus. We do not have time for this nonsense. We need to be about our Father's business. Whose agenda are we pushing? How can anyone, especially anyone professing to be in the body of Christ, say that the Holy Bible is not the Word of God? They said the Bible is not infallible or inherent. I am shaking my head thinking what imbeciles we must seem to God our Creator if we believe such things! By the foolishness of preaching we are saved!
1 Corinthians 1:18-21 (18)For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (19)For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (20)Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (21)For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
As a culture, we have pulled God down to make Him our Lord and personal Savior for so many years, that somehow we shoved Him in a box and decided He is our personal assistant. Instead of letting Him lead us, we order Him around. Instead of asking what He wants to do through us, we tell Him what He can do for us. We have got to stop! God is Sovereign. He is Lord over all. He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all that dwells therein. We cannot make God our size. He is so big and so powerful and so mighty that we cannot contain Him. He is not a miniature God. He is not a tiny being that we command like a genie in a bottle. We need to pull our Bibles back out and dust off the covers. We need to start reading what the Bible says for ourselves so we are not deceived. You have a whole congregation on Sunday saying Amen to a message given by a minister and how many of those people even bothered to check if the Scriptures were correct? That is assuming anything was even read from the Bible! We get two poems, a joke, and three bullet points and many of us think that takes too long! What happened to our spiritual appetite? When did we lose our hunger and thirst for the things of God?
There is a remnant that God has kept for Himself. He is coming back for a people who have made themselves ready. They are waiting for Him and His swift return. Many will stop believing because the Bible says that Jesus is coming back quickly and it's been thousands of years and so they have decided it's never going to happen. I understand that we are far closer to His triumphant return now than when those words were first spoken or penned. We must not fall asleep now. It is harvest time and we need to get ready. There is a beautiful passage in Revelations that is for the true Bride of Christ. The people of God, the men and women from every nation, every tribe, and every tongue that is honoring God with their lips and with their lives, can grab this passage and cling to it, because it is ours! It is Truth and it is Life!
For those of you that look at the signs of the times all around us and shake your heads in disbelief that the Church has grown so close to the world, which is the enemy of God, you will take comfort in the passage I am about to share. For those who are expecting Jesus to return, looking and waiting and believing He is coming back, you will rejoice in what I am about to share. It is a beautiful picture of God's love for His children. For those that think life is to be lived on their own terms and they seek man's approval and applause over the approval of God, this is not going to mean much. I am sharing it anyway in hopes that something I say will help us all reflect on the status of our heart. Where do we stand with God? If your life was required tonight, where would you stand with God? Is there anything you want to change? Do it now! The time is now! There is so many wonderful things in store for God's people and I want us all to be ready to receive it!
Revelation 21:1-7 (1)And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (2)And I John saw the Holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3)And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. (4)And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (5)And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (6)And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7)He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.
What an incredible vision John must have saw. It is so magnificent that I cannot imagine what it would have been like to witness those things and hear those words and experience that amazing display. What a gift to share it with us! Even though we cannot fully comprehend or take it all in what everything means, we can understand that it is going to be a glorious time! We get to dwell with God! We will live with Him. He will wipe away all our tears and there will never be another separation, another funeral, another hospital, another pain medication because it will never be required of us again. It will all be brand new. Satan and his hounds of hell will be banished for ever in the pit! Those who refused to accept God and the sacrifice Jesus made to cover their sins, will be in the lake of fire for eternity. But for those who have had their garments washed in the blood of the Lamb will stand in victory with God and we will never be apart from Him again. Our joy will be full because we will be in His presence for ever and ever and ever. It will never end. The good feelings and pleasures He gives will be ours without end. No time. No schedules, No agendas. No rush. No hustle and bustle and frustration and stress and anxiety and oppression. The tormenter will be gone and we will be in constant peace, love, joy, and kindness for ever!
The beautiful verse seven in this chapter is so precious. It tells us to keep fighting. Keep the armor of God on. Keep shunning evil and doing the harder right instead of the easier wrong. Keep obeying the commands God gave us. Keep praying and keep reading the Word of God. Keep fighting sin and keep trusting in Jesus to see you through and when you overcome, you inherit all the blessings and all the treasures of God. ALL of them! And you will be His children. We are His sons and daughters and we will be with Him forever and ever!
That's what I am living for! That is what I am hoping for! That is why I keep warring with the devil and won't let him have my marriage, my children, my finances, my peace, my health, my heart, my mind, my emotions, my time! It's too precious. It wouldn't be worth it to trade all of heaven's splendor for a temporary pleasure on earth. It is not worth compromising my faith to have a small moment of fortune or fame. Friends, we have everything to gain .. to inherit when we overcome this life. Keep marching on! Like good soldiers in the Army of God, keep moving and keep your eyes on God. He is what will get us through anything we face! He is faithful!
I hope you enjoy your weekend. It looks like it's a snowy one here in Indiana this weekend and more snow is predicted for Monday. I am not a fan of the snow, but thank goodness this too shall pass. I hope whatever you are doing this weekend, you will remember to keep God first and foremost in your life. Let Him take the reins and guide you in the path toward Home. Only He knows the way and we would just go off course if left to our own devices. Give Jesus your whole heart, not just part of it, and let Him rule and reign in your life. Let Him have complete control and I promise you will never be the same. It is so good to trust in Jesus. I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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