THE MILLENIUM

 

THE MILLENIUM   ISAIAH 2:4 He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.     After Christ’s return, he will immediately begin to reign for 1000 years. This truly will be a new day dawning on planet earth! Life as we know it now, will be drastically changed: because the value systems of Babylon were destroyed. Those who were martyred for Christ will be resurrected to rule and reign with him during the Millennium.  Jews will live under the leadership of their Messiah, Jesus Christ: thus, fulfilling the messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. Governments will rule in righteousness under Jesus Christ. Can you imagine having honest politicians? It will take many months to clean up the terrible mess of Armageddon, and then people will turn war machines into farming tools instead. Jerusalem will be the most beautiful city on earth. Those who live there will be considered blessed.   All these things (and more) will fulfill the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah and his reign of righteousness from Jerusalem.   At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released from the Abyss for a short time. Once again, people will make their choices: whom will they serve? Then Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire to be destroyed with the antichrist and the false prophet.   This study of Revelation continues on Thursdays!   IMAGE CREDIT: Horizon on planet Earth, generated by SeaArt.ai and edited by C.A. Stevens.

THE BOOK OF LIFE

THE BOOK OF LIFE We found this special song on YouTube. CLICK HERE to LISTEN (Transcript is below.)   There will be a day when time gives way. When heaven opens in God's own day, No more delay, no shadow of night. Every soul revealed in heaven's light. Books are opened before the throne. Nothing hidden, nothing unknown. Every word and every deed, Every thought, every seed.   And another book is open wide, Where the names of the Faithful abide. Written not with ink that fades, But by grace that never decays. Do you remember the paths you chose? The silent prayers that no one knows. The times you walked when none could see. The quiet battles on your knees.   Every tear that fell in pain, every loss, Every gain, he has kept them all in love. Not one moment lost above, But one question remains that day. When earth and heaven pass away,   The Book of Life, is your name written there? Oh my brother, oh my sister, Is your name written there? When the roll is called in heaven, Will your voice answer clear? The Book of Life. The Book of Life, is your name written there?   Many will say, "Lord, we knew your name. We preached, we prayed, we spoke your fame." But he will say with sorrow true, "I never truly dwelt in you." Not by works nor outward show, But a heart transformed below. A life made new by grace alone. A faith that clings to Christ the throne. Nothing unclean shall enter in. No cherished love for hidden sin. Only those washed white as snow Will see the gates of glory glow.   There is a fountain flowing still. At Calvary's cross on that lonely hill Where every name may yet be sealed. Where every wounded heart is healed. Whosoever will may come, The call of mercy still goes on. Before that final trumpet sounds, Before the King in clouds is found,   The Book of Life, is your name written there? Oh my brother, oh my sister, Is your name written there? When the roll is called in heaven, Will your voice answer clear? The Book of Life. The Book of Life, is your name written there?   When the dead in Christ shall rise And the living change before our eyes. In a moment, in a breath. Victory triumphs over death. Then revealed what heaven has done. Judgment finished. Victory won. And those not found within that book Have lost the life they never took.   But for the Saints, oh what a day. Tears forever wiped away. No more sorrow, no more pain, No more death, no more shame. "Enter in," the Master calls To the faithful, great and small. A crown of life, a road so wide, Eternal joy and endless life.   So search your heart while mercy pleads, While grace still comes, while Jesus leads. Do not delay, do not pretend. For time is short, it soon will end. "Examine yourselves." The Spirit cries. Let truth awaken blinded eyes. Blessed are those who persevere And keep the faith till he appears.   The Book of Life, is your name written there? Oh my brother. Oh my sister. Is your name written there. When the roll is called in heaven, Will your voice answer clear?   The Book of Life, is your name written there? Is it written? Is it sealed By the blood that makes you healed? When the King appears in air, Will he find your name written there?   And whoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.   But today your name can still be written there.   Credit to Advent World Media on Facebook

 

THE FRAGRANCE OF THE GOSPEL

 

THE FRAGRANCE OF THE GOSPEL But his delight is in the Word of the LORD, and on His Word he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:2 A perfumer once bought a simple, common earthen jar and filled it with fragrant flowers. Soon, the jar was so saturated with the rich scent that, even when broken, the fragments retained the perfume for a long time. In the same way, a human life becomes filled and saturated with the Word of God when someone loves it and meditates on it continually. Their thoughts, emotions, desires, and character are all infused with the spirit of God’s Word. Filling your heart and memory with the pure words of God is the best way to prepare for the dark times that may come. It’s like hanging up a hundred lamps while the daylight is still shining, so they will be ready to provide light when night falls. By J.R. Miller

OLD MAN RUFUS

COFFEE THOUGHTS: OLD MAN RUFUS Sip. Happy Monday!! Old man Rufus, I’ll name him Rufus. I was just a youngster when I heard about this praying man, Rufus. It left such an impact I still think of it often. I’ll try to tell it the best I know how. Known in the community yet hardly known. He was hardly ever at community functions, or seen around the community. Sometimes one would ask Rufus, come on down to the ball field. To which he’d say, ”I can’t, Monday is the night for mowing the grass down at the church.” Another time on a Tuesday a friend asked him out for lunch. ”Oh, I'd love to” he replied, ”but Tuesday evenings I do maintenance at the church.” Even the pastor mentioned to him, ”Saturday is the gospel bluegrass festival, come on out, there’ll be lots of food.” But Rufus would say, ”I’ll try, but Saturday is final cleanup and setup for Sunday.” And so his life went, he was there, but he wasn’t there. Always the same answers. Years went by, there were only a handful left at the little country church. It was just another Sunday morning the pastor walks in. He wasn’t surprised to see Rufus up at the altar praying. This was a normal Sunday routine for Rufus. The pastor did his thing, a few walked in and found their seats. The pastor noticed Rufus hadn’t moved since he came. The pastor quickly shuffled over to Rufus, tapped him on the shoulder, and immediately knew old Rufus was gone. Cold and stiff, hunched over the altar, Rufus was dead. If you ask the funeral director, he will get all excited when you begin to talk about the funeral of Rufus. He says he never saw anything like it. The building was slam full, long line of people. Everyone was talking. Talking to people they had never met. He said he never saw people walk by a casket, break down and weep as they did for Rufus. The rich, the poor, suits and ties, tattoos and chewing tobacco-stained faces, all huddled together as they walked by and talked about Rufus. All were drawn together because of one man, Rufus. The stories were endless, Rufus had cared, Rufus had listened, and Rufus had prayed. That was the life of Rufus. Rufus never preached a sermon. He never sang in the choir. He never led in Bible studies. He was not gifted with words, he rarely spoke. He was here, he was among us, hardly noticed, and then he was gone. In some ways he will hardly be missed, but deep in the hearts of the many he touched he will be forever remembered. And these will always speak fondly of Rufus, the man who quietly cared, who quietly prayed in private, and quietly changed the world. Gerald D Hochstetler Jr. #coffeethoughts on Facebook Used with Permission

DISCERNING SOUL AND SPIRIT

 

DISCERNING SOUL AND SPIRIT By Frank Mceleny For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 Over the last several months, our little house church has been studying Hebrews 4:12. What does it mean to have the soul separated from the spirit, why is it necessary? It has been a rich study, and in the last few weeks I have posted some of my own thoughts on the subject. I pray they have been a blessing to some. A few days ago the Holy Spirit, dropped into my spirit, the analogy of the conjoined twin, and the vastly complicated procedures it requires to separate them. Here are some of my thoughts on that... The writer to the Hebrews tells us that the Word of God is "living and powerful... piercing even to the division of soul and spirit." This is no ordinary distinction. Soul and spirit are so intimately joined that only the living Word of God can separate between them. They are not confused in God's sight, but they are often confused in ours. Perhaps the closest illustration is that of conjoined twins. They are distinct persons, yet so intricately joined that they may share blood vessels, muscles, sinews, and even vital organs. To separate them requires extraordinary skill. In a far deeper spiritual sense, the soul and the spirit are so closely associated that only the Great Physician, through His living Word, can distinguish one from the other. This is why Hebrews does not first speak of deeds, ministries, or outward acts. Instead, it immediately says that the Word is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Two believers may perform the very same outward act. Both may preach, pray, worship, give, or serve. To human eyes the actions appear identical, yet one may spring from communion with God while the other proceeds from the self-life within the soul. Outwardly they look the same; inwardly they are worlds apart. The greatest deception, therefore, is not always between good and evil, but between what is spiritual and what is merely soulish. The soul is capable of producing what appears deeply spiritual, while self quietly remains upon the throne. Only the Word of God can divide between soul and spirit, exposing the true source of our thoughts, motives, and intentions, revealing whether they arise from the regenerated spirit or from the self-life that still seeks its own way. Used with permission of Frank Mceleny on Facebook CLICK HERE https://www.facebook.com/fmceleny