GOD CAN MAKE YOU STRONG

 

GOD CAN MAKE YOU STRONG But as for you, be strong; don’t be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7 God had done great things for King Asa and his kingdom of Judah, but they were still a weak people. Their walk with the Lord was unsteady, and their hearts were hesitant, so they needed to be reminded that the Lord would be with them as long as they were faithful in obeying Him. They were also reminded of how poorly their sister kingdom (Israel) fared in its rebellion against God, and how the Lord showed grace when Israel repented. The Lord’s purpose was to strengthen them in His way and make them firm in righteousness. This should also be our aim. God deserves to be served with all the energy we have. If serving God is worth anything, it is worth everything. We will find our greatest reward in the Lord’s work if we do it with determined diligence. Our labor in the Lord is not in vain, and we know this. Halfhearted work will bring no reward, but when we put our whole soul into it, we will see the LORD prospering the work. This text came to the author of these notes during a terrible personal storm, encouraging him to press on with full strength, confident of reaching the safety of the harbor successfully. By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

COFFEE THOUGHTS

 

COFFEE THOUGHTS Sip.. my wife and I sitting here talking. I'm thinking of the process I've been through since my God pursuit. Or I should say God's pursuit of me. It started as a little child, as I wandered about on the Amish farm. I told my wife, "God didn't save me to save the world, He saved me to save me." I was going to do great things for God, I thought. God set out to teach me He DID and WILL do great things for me. I like Jonah had to learn that salvation is of the Lord. God is well able to accomplish what He set out to do. Gerald D Hochstetler Jr. #coffeethoughts on Facebook

 

I CORINTHIANS 13: LOVE

 

I CORINTHIANS 13: LOVE If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

 

THE THIRD TRUMPET

 

THE THIRD TRUMPET Study of Revelation Continued REVELATION 8.10 The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters. 8.11 The name of the star is called “Wormwood.” One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter. -WEB Bible. It's hard to imagine how a falling star, or meteor, could poison the waters. Perhaps it plows so deep into the ground that underground reservoirs are poisoned by it? This will be a very terrible plague, even though it’s hard to understand how it happens. Later on in Revelation, we are given a hint that this great star may be Lucifer himself, when he's cast out of heaven. If that's the case, then perhaps the bitter waters are also metaphorical. The Tribulation period will be in final stages at this point, so life itself will become very bitter for people due to additional demonic activity. The poisonous impacts will ruin quality of life on this earth. The Wormwood event will literally poison the waters, as scripture states. And if it coincides with Satan being thrown out of heaven, then there will be demonic elements as well. The spiritual battle that engages from this point on will destroy the earth.  Revelation describes utter devastation on earth, and how demonic activity will be a huge part of the final days. Most Biblical scholars believe that Christians will not be on earth for these final judgments. Whether we are removed by death or Rapture is uncertain, but Revelation does indicate that most or all Christians will already be gathered up to heaven.   Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. As end times events take shape before our eyes, Jesus promises us peace that rises above the toxic troubles of this world. His peace goes beyond our understanding and the corruptions that distress us, because we trust in HIM first of all. If we want to know truth, and peace, we must seek Jesus. Our study of study of Revelation continues on Thursdays. IMAGE CREDIT: Image of the Wormwood meteor, and Jesus with a Dove were generated by SeaArt.ai and edited by C.A. Stevens.