Are you good enough for God?

How All Things Can Work Together for Good

Via www.blogos.org/ 
By Laurel J. Davis
See Laurel's blog at The Reluctant First Lady

Romans 8:28 promises that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. That's encouraging news for all of us who are going through some things. For no matter what you face or fear, if you love God and you're willing to allow His purpose to be fulfilled in you (that's His purpose for you, not your purpose for you), good will sooner or later come out of it for you.

Of course, such words spill out easily on a keyboard. But how do we actually lay hold to them so that we can put them into operation in the very real problems we face every day? Until God's done working it all out for our good, how do we deal with things in the meantime?

The first thing we must do is this: Have faith in God (Mark 11:22; cf. Hebrews 11:6). Notice, we're not supposed to just have faith but to have faith in God. Oh, how often we end up having faith in everybody and everything else but the Almighty! This may solve some of our problems some of the time, but for how long and how well? No, there's nothing better than to put our faith in the love, power, wisdom and mercy of our Majestic Deliver!

To have faith in God, do these few things:

1. Trust God with all your heart and don't try to figure it all out on your own limited wisdom (Proverbs 3:5).

2. Faith in God to help you through your troubles comes from reading and understanding His Word, the Bible (Romans 10:17). Scripture is profitable. It equips your life (2 Timothy 3:16). Read and know it for yourself and your faith in God will be strengthened.

3. Seek God's will and guidance in everything you do, and He will point the way (Proverbs 3:6).

4. Don't focus so much on your circumstances to the point that you feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Instead, focus on the all-knowing and all-powerful help of your faithful heavenly Father (1 Corinthians 5:7).

5. Trusting God includes accepting the fact that His way is best.

The next step in dealing with our daily problems is to obey God. The promise of Romans 8:28 is for those who love Him. But Jesus said, If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15-16). And, of course, in order to know what His commandments are, you have to read the Bible. God gives us more than just Ten Commandments. The New Testament is just as rich as the Old Testament with the Lord's guiding instructions that are intended to protect us in this world. God doesn't need your cooperation in order to help you. But He certainly expects it. See what Jesus said about the man who obeys Him versus the man who doesn't, in Matthew 7:24-27 (cf. Luke 6:47-48). Who endures?

A third thing to do is to stand. That means to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might by putting on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-11). The "whole armor of God" consists of truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith above all to quench the devil's "fiery darts," salvation, and the Word of God which is a sword (vv. 14-17). Plus, of course, there is prayer and watching (v. 18) because standing in the strength and power of God has to include diligent communication with Him, along with persevering anticipation for deliverance.

Realize that we are at war in this world, and that God doesn't promise to keep us trouble-free but to keep us protected when the trouble comes. If you truly yield your life to God, then the battles you face will indeed all work together for your good.

Trust God, love and obey Him, persevere (stand) in Him with all prayer and patience. Then watch your victory come.

The package -- An essay on waiting with patience, endurance and trust in the Lord´s promises

Written and posted by Jean-Louis. April 2, 2015.

• More on the topic with a commentary from Warren Wiersbe HERE

Dear readers, 
I would like to share an interesting and encouraging  experience with you.

This might not seem like a big deal, a great revelation from the Lord, there was no vision, no dream, but the soft voice of the Holy Spirit teaching one that needed encouragement as David in Psalm 25 who wrote:
 
Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day. 

Further on: 

 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
¹³ His soul will abide in ^[e]prosperity,

Here goes the story: About a month ago, I ordered a Hebrew course book from the Zola Levitt ministries. I knew it would take about 2 to 3 weeks to arrive because the mail delivery here has been slow lately. Since they didn´t send me a tracking number, all I could do was wait.

2 days ago, about 3:30 PM, I had to go downtown to the bank. As I was approaching the neighborhood  super market where we usually shop, I saw a big yellow van parked on the side and a mailman coming out of the SM (they were yellow T.shirts). I tapped on the window and introduced myself as a foreigner inquiring about package delivery procedures in Brazil. I wanted to know if they leave a notice as they do in the US. 

I told him I was living close by and if he had anything for me I would be home around 5:00 PM everyday. I gave him my street address and he said; Humm,  Remulo Zoppi .... yes, I have your package in the back. So I exclaimed, Hallelujah, the Lord my God is good and faithful. He replied: What do you mean he is MY God too. So we laughed and praised the Lord together.  

He said that he would be at my house around 5:00 PM the very afternoon. I had one of my English students until 5:30 PM, so I waited for the mailman but he never came. I told my wife the story and thought he probably would come the following day. 

Yesterday while I was taking a nap, I heard the door bell ring. I knew it was the package delivery. He explained that he had been swamped with delivery and still had not finished his route for the day.

What caught my attention in this series of propitious, providential God directed events is that the man didn´t come at the time he said he would, but still I had his word and I could wait confidently that he would come the next day. He must have had a good reason for the delay. 

Also meeting him in the way the encounter happened was a confirmation to me but the delay was to get my attention to the need the believer had of waiting on the Lord for his will and purposes to be accomplish. I am amazed at the way the Holy Spirit works in teaching us the important lessons at different levels.

And of course, he was at my door the next day at 6:00 PM the very next day. Sometimes, the Lord gives us a test to show to ourselves where we are on the faith, endurance, patience and if our behavior and inner attitude match our words of promise to him.

A few days before, I was telling the Lord that I had not had a word from him and that I was missing that part of our relationship. But I had not  asked either and my heart had been kind of cold lately and I felt tired, depressed and isolated. My Bible reading  had been less than regular and my  prayer life also and less than fervent.. He had to remind me that we don´t have because we don´t ask. Back to "Relationship 101"

This morning, April 2nd, while I was drinking my coffee, I had part a of this verse running through my head (it is not uncommon for me to wake up with a verse or a hymn in my head), "though the vision tarries, wait for it" . I looked it up and found it in Habakkuk 2:3:
"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay."

Well, we have to put this into context. Although the vision and the prophecy in Habakkuk relate to a coming invasion, what was presented to me was relevant and pertinent because of the personal reminders of eternal truths in the broader context of our present situation world wide. Without a doubt, we are living in the context of the last days and waiting for deliverance from a relentless enemy just as Habakkuk was and without God´s help, we will not survive the global overwhelming convulsions awaiting us   This is what Matthew Henry and Spurgeon´s  Commentaries say:

Commentary on Habakkuk 2:1-4

(Read Habakkuk 2:1-4)

When tossed and perplexed with doubts about the methods of Providence, we must watch against temptations to be impatient.

When we have poured out complaints and requests before God, we must observe the answers God gives by his word, his Spirit, and providences; what the Lord will say to our case. 

God will not disappoint the believing expectations of those who wait to hear what he will say unto them. All are concerned in the truths of God's word. Though the promised favour be deferred long, it will come at last, and abundantly recompense us for waiting. 

The humble, broken-hearted, repenting sinner, alone seeks to obtain an interest in this salvation. He will rest his soul on the promise, and on Christ, in and through whom it is given.

Thus he walks and works, as well as lives by faith, perseveres to the end, and is exalted to glory; while those who distrust or despise God's all-sufficiency will not walk uprightly with him. 

The just shall live by faith in these precious promises, while the performance of them is deferred. Only those made just by faith, shall live, shall be happy here and for ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Spurgeon´s Sermon Notes:

Habakkuk 2:1-4 Watching, Waiting, Writing

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. (2) And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon the tables, that he may run that read-eth it. (3) For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (4) Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. — Habakkuk 2:1-4

THE promise of God tarried, and the ungodly triumphed.
Here was the old problem of David in another form.
"Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously?" (Hab. 1:13) is but a repetition of "I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (Ps. 73:3).
This same problem occurs to ourselves, and this text may help us. Observe with understanding—

I. THE SENSE IN WHICH THERE IS A DELAY IN THE PROMISE.

It is not every apparent delay which is real. Our time and God's time are not measured upon the same dial.

1. Each promise will bide its due season for fulfillment: "For the vision is yet for an appointed time."
2. Each promise in the end will prove true: "At the end it shall speak, and not lie."
3. Each promise will repay our waiting: "Though it tarry, wait for it."
4. Each promise will really be punctual to its hour: "It will surely come, it will not tarry)"

The word of the Lord is as true to the time as to the thing.
To him its time of ripening is short: only to us is it long.

II. THE ATTITUDE OF A BELIEVER WHILE THE PROMISE DELAYS.

We should watch for the appearing of the Lord in fulfillment of his promise, and should be prepared to receive reproof as well as blessing.

The prophet took up—

1. A determined and thoughtful attitude: "I will stand, and set me."
2. An attentive attitude: "and will watch to see what he will say unto me." He is engrossed in this one pursuit: he only desires to be taught of the Lord.
3. A patient attitude: "I will set me upon the tower." It is as if he had been set as a sentinel, and would remain at his post.
4. A solitary position if need be. He speaks of himself alone.
5. A humble and submissive frame of mind: "what I shall answer when I am reproved."

In all respects the man of God is ready for his Lord.
The delay is evidently a blessing to him.
The blessing will be the greater when it comes.

III. THE WORK OF THE LORD'S SERVANT WHILE THE PROMISE DELAYS

1. By faith set the vision. Realize the fulfillment of the divine word in your own soul. "Watch to see what he will say."
2. Declare it as certain: record it in black and white, as a fact not to be questioned. "Write the vision upon tables."
3. Declare it plainly, so that the runner may read it.
4. Declare it practically, so that he that readeth may run in consequence of it.
5. Declare it permanently: write down the matter for a record to be referred to: engrave it on tablets for perpetuity.

Sham faith prudently declines to mention her expectations.

It is deemed presumptuous, fanatical, and imprudent to be positive that God will keep his promise; and still more to say so.

The real believer thinks not so, but acts with the Lord's promises as he would deal with engagements made in business by honest men: he treats them as real, and would have others do the like.

IV. THE DIFFERENCE SEEN IN MEN WHEN THE DELAY OF THE PROMISE TESTS THEM.

l. The graceless man is too proud to wait on God as the Lord's servant will do. "His soul is not upright in him."

He is himself dishonest, and so suspects his God.

This prevents his finding comfort in the promise.

2. The just man believes the word of a holy God.

He waits serenely, in full assurance; and

He lives in the highest sense by his faith.

"My soul, wait thou only upon God" (Ps. 62:5).

What can he do who has no faith in his Maker? (Heb. 11:6)


From Our Tablets
It was a custom among the Romans for the public affairs of every year to be committed to writing by the pontifex maximus, or high priest, and published on a table. They were thus exposed to public view, so that the people might have an opportunity of being acquainted with them. It was also usual to hang up laws approved and recorded on tables of brass in their market-places, and in their temples, that they might be seen and read (Tacitus). 

In like manner, the Jewish prophets used to write, and expose their prophecies publicly on tables, either in their own houses, or in the temple, that every one that passed by might go in and read them. — Burder

And though it linger till the night,
And round again till morn,
My heart shall ne'er mistrust thy might,
Nor count itself forlorn.
Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed.
' Ye of the Spirit born indeed;
Wait for your God's appearing!— Martin Luther

Good old Spurstow says that some of the promises a like the almond tree — they blossom hastily in the very earliest spring; but," saith he, "there are others which resemble the mulberry tree — they are very slow in putting forth their leaves:' Then what is a man to do, if he has a mulberry-tree promise, which is late in blossoming? Why, he is to wait till it does blossom; since it is not in his power to hasten it. If the vision tarry, exercise the precious grace called patience, and the appointed time shall surely bring you a rich reward. — C. H. S.

God's promises are dated, but with a mysterious character; and, for want of skill in God's chronology, we are prone to think God forgets us; when, indeed, we forget ourselves in being so bold as to set God a time of our own, and in being angry that he comes not just then to us. — Gurnall

If we were more humble, we should be more patient. A beggar, who is worn with hunger, will wait at the rich man's gate for many an hour with the hope of getting broken victuals; but my lord, who is in no need, will soon be gone if the door does not open to his knock. We have kept the Lord waiting long enough, and we need not wonder if he tries our faith and patience by apparent delays. In any case, let us settle this in our hearts, that he must and will fulfill his promises. 

Our text shows us a punctual God, a patient waiter, and a published confidence; but it finishes up with a proud unbeliever. Or, if you will, it is man uttering a brave resolve, and the Lord answering to his faith; reasons presented to patient faith, and rebukes to impatient pride.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resuming the study: 
I will study Habakkuk in he coming day as I know this is so pertinent to our situation anywhere in the world. 
But right now, it is clear to me; The Lord has already spoken in his Word and what he wants from us is patience, faith, faithfulness, endurance, standing firm in the grace we have received.

The visions of the end times has already been given to the great prophets of the OT. and the great revelations of things to come in the near future to Paul and John in the Epistles and Revelation.

We need to:

•   Understand what has been given for our instruction and heed the words of warning.
•  Share with others what insight the Lord in his grace gives us.
•   Ask for more Holy Spirit ability to discern the times as it concerns our Christian  brothers and sisters,
•  Fight against the lies and wiles of the devil. 
•  Keep from being distracted by the world and lured by its empty, noxious appeals to our own lusts. 
•  Submit to the Lord and resist the devil fully clothed by the Light of Jesus. 
•  Share the truth  with others, anyone that the Lord will show us whose heart he has prepared.
•  Walk in the light, in the truth of the revealed word,        
  
•  Trust that he will keep this promises,

              o   waiting patiently though it hurts as faithful    servants obedient to their good master and friend,
              o   displaying meekness and humility and lifting the cross of Jesus,

              o   keeping our eyes upon the resurrected Savior, our hope and Salvation.

I heard and my ^[m]inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, ^[n]For the people to arise who will invade us. ¹⁷ Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no ^[o]fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸ Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹ The Lord ^[p]God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. Habakkuk 3: 16-19. 

I hope that you have been blessed and encouraged by the words above.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you stand firm in his grace and in the power of his might

Here is a little didactic story I wrote on patience we need in these last days while waiting for the Lord´s wedding banquet soon to come. Jean-Louis. 

http://thelightseed.blogspot.com.br/2012/04/wisdom-of-patience-plese-pass-cheese.html

I wasn´t saved by a loving Jesus wooing me

Reblogged from  the-end-time.blogspot.com

I wasn't saved by love. The Gospel was not attractive to me. It was not made attractive to me by smiling Christians. I was saved by wrath.

This is NOT my Jesus

Glorious Jesus who was and is and is to come did not woo me to the cross. No one fulfilled my felt needs. No one befriended me and cajoled me into loving Jesus. He battered my head with a 2X4, dragging me kicking and screaming to the cross, where He made me face my sin. Once I saw my sin, I saw His coming wrath for it.

I repented.

THEN I loved Him. After He opened my eyes I saw all His loveliness and grace and mercy and long-suffering and patience and grief over sin and sinners. But I was not wooed, nor was I loved onto Mt Moriah. It is not true that "Jesus won't come where He isn't welcome". It is not true that "Jesus won't force Himself on anybody." He is sovereign God! He goes where He pleases! (Psalm 24:1). He drop kicked Saul/Paul to the ground AND blinded him! He didn't ASK Mary if she'd like to become pregnant and an object of ridicule and rumor the rest of her life. No, He sent an angel to TELL her how it was going to be. (Luke 1:30-37)

He isn't wringing His hands in heaven hoping that Jane or Tom or Mary will believe in Him, and maybe they will, if he just sends the Spirit to soften the pew cushions ... or energizes the preacher with a louder "WOO!" ... or if the musician plays one more verse of "Just As I Am." Maybe if He can make church "exciting" then Harry will repent and believe. No.

It was the sovereign wrath that convicted me and convinced me. It is why I love passages like this.

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

The Great Day of His Wrath, John Martin ~1853

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10)

Let us begin the marveling now. Marvel at a Savior who saves by His sovereign election, will, purpose, and plan! Marvel at He who is wrath and judgment and holiness and fierce anger! Be afeared of His anger over your sin. Marvel that El Shaddai... El Elyon ...sent His Son to take on all anger for sin. Marvel that He is also Jehovah Rapha, and Jehovah Jireh, the LORD that heals, the LORD will provide. Marvel at the wrath. It makes marveling at the grace all the more sweet.

Occupy till I come - Jack Kelley

Saturday, February 21st, 20

• Christian Life
• End Times
• Featured
• Prophecy

This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series Occupy Until I Come

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
 

Some of you are aware that we post a “Question Of The Day” on Facebook each day. Recently one of these questions received more comments than any other we’ve ever posted by a wide margin.

It concerned a woman’s frustration because in a recent conversation her friends confirmed that they believe in an any moment rapture but then went on to tell her their plans for the next 10-20 years, what they expect to do when they retire, what kind of career they hope their children will have, and how they can’t wait to have grand children. She felt like they were just paying lip service to the nearness of the rapture and were more focused on their long term hopes and plans for this world.

I agreed with her, saying that what people pay attention to in their life gives you a clue as to what their intentions are for their life. When people spend more time talking about their long range plans for their life in this world than they do about their longing for the Lord to return for the Church and what they’re doing for Him while they wait, it tells us they intend to be here for a long time.

The comments I received in response to this posting were all over the place. A few agreed with the questioner, but most thought there is nothing wrong with making long term plans for our lives because we can’t know for sure when He’s coming. And more than one person said, “We can’t just abandon our lives and go camp on a hill waiting for Him.”
Several quoted the phrase “Occupy until I come” from the Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-27) as their justification for making long term worldly plans, but I wonder how many of us realize the context in which the Lord said this.

In the parable, a man of noble birth was going on an extended trip and was leaving his servants in charge of a portion of his wealth saying, “Occupy till I come.”
As you know a parable is a heavenly story put into an earthly context where every character is fictional and represents an actual one. In the Parable of the Ten Minas the man of noble birth represents Jesus, and His servants represent us.

The Greek word translated “occupy” in the King James translation of Luke 19:13 can mean to be occupied in anything, but in the context of the parable it means to “carry on a business.” In place of “occupy till I come” some English translations have the nobleman saying, “Put this money to work until I come back.” Others say, “Engage in business with this until I return.”

While there are a number of ways in which different translations convey this idea, I didn’t find a single one that indicated the nobleman was just telling his servants to idly wait for him as in “camping on a hill.” Nor did I find one that had the nobleman telling them to do whatever they wanted while he was gone. They all conveyed the idea that he expected them to conduct his business on his behalf using the resources he was leaving with them.
Therefore, the phrase “occupy until I come” doesn’t mean we’re free to live our life according to whatever priorities we’ve established while we wait for the rapture. It means we’re to be occupied in the work He’s given us until He returns, and to have something to show for it. The fact that the nobleman criticized the servant who preserved the money he’d been given but didn’t increase it at all lends credence to this interpretation. He expected a return on his capital.

What Work Has He Given Us?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship (Romans 12:1).
Romans 12:1-2 could be called Paul’s interpretation of the phrase “Occupy until I come.” I say that because the Greek word translated “worship” in Romans 12:1 is not the one that would normally be used. In fact, it actually means “service” and that’s the way many translations render it. The King James translation calls it our “reasonable service”. In Romans 12:1 Paul urged us to offer ourselves to God to perform whatever service He has in mind for us as our response to the mercy He has shown us. And how are we supposed to know what that is? Verse 2 gives us the answer.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).

Do you know what God’s will for your life is? We can discover His will for us by refusing to accept the pattern of this world with it’s “bigger this and more of that” mentality and allowing our minds to be renewed and become focused on the much more meaningful plans God has for our life.

You can make this discovery at any point in your life. The minute you decide to give your life to the Lord and start seeking His will for you, He will meet you right where you are. The only radical change you’ll have to make is in the area of your priorities. God has to replace you or anything else you might currently have in your number 1 position. But even then, He knows you have family and financial responsibilities and will not expect you to abandon them.
Remember, in the early Church there were no paid positions. Every one was a volunteer, and earned his or her own living. Even today there are untold numbers of bi-vocational pastors, para-church ministries, missionaries, etc. who earn their own way in life, yet consider the work they do for the Lord as their reasonable acts of service and their number 1 priority.

Remember, the mission fields aren’t all in far away places. They are all around us. There are people everywhere who need food, shelter, and clothing. There are sick people who need visitors to comfort them, lonely people who need someone to talk to, ministries who need volunteer help, the list goes on and on. Some are even missionaries to their own local congregation. Also, there are two kinds of missionaries; those who go and those who send them.

Gifted For Service

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in everyone. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Cor. 12:4-7).
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines (1 Cor. 12:10-11).
The ten minas the nobleman gave to each servant can represent the Spiritual gifts we’ve all been given to enable us to accomplish the Lord’s will for us. And just as the nobleman expected his servants to put what he had given them to work, so does the Lord expect us to put the gifts He’s given us to work for him. Listen to these words He spoke.
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).

Do you know what spiritual gifts He’s given you to help you achieve His will for your life? We all have them, you know. We just need to discover them, and put them to use. That will happen as we seek His will for our life.

No One Knows The Day Or Hour

Most people have no idea that the Lord only spoke this phrase in reference to the 2^nd Coming, never the rapture. Even so, no one knows exactly when the rapture will happen. But the Bible gives us a number of signs as to when the end of the age will arrive, and tells us the rapture will precede it. And for the first time in history, every one of those signs is visible today.

Paul said the coming Day of the Lord should not take us by surprise because we’re children of the light (1 Thes. 5:4-5). That means we’ve been given all the information (light) we need to know the times and seasons of His Coming. The only people who can be taken by surprise are those have not made themselves familiar with end times prophecy, whether by accident or design.  In other words, those who say we can’t know the nearness of the rapture simply haven’t made an effort to inform themselves.

Read what the Lord said to the generation that wasn’t expecting Him the first time He came.
“When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:2-3).
It was not that they couldn’t have known He was coming, because their Scriptures contained hundreds of prophecies of His first coming, many of which pointed to their time. It was that His coming had become less important to them than knowing what the day’s weather would be, so they didn’t bother learning about it. He could say the same thing to much of the Church today.

Some scholars are calling what’s happening in our time the convergence of signs. That means we don’t just have a few signs showing up, which would be exciting enough. It means that all the signs we were told to look for can now be found and they are all converging on a point in our not too distant future. No generation since His first coming could say this.

Does This Mean I Can’t Have A Life Of My Own?

Truth be told, the Bible never promised us a life of our own. In fact it says, “We are not our own. We’ve been bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). But God never forces any of His children to do anything. The single condition for our salvation is to “believe in the One He sent” (John 6:28-29). So you can have a life of your own. If all you want is to have your “fire insurance” policy paid up, you did that by becoming a believer (Ephes. 1:13-14). Even if you never do a single thing for the Lord and all your works are burned up in the fires of judgment, you yourself will still be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Cor. 3:15).

In Romans 12:1 Paul said, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy …” He didn’t order or command us, he urged us. Even the Holy Spirit is only our counselor, not our commander. No one will force you to do anything.
Instead, what this means is you can have a better life than the one you’ve planned for yourself. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). In the first place, when you turn your life over to the Lord, He will see to it that all your needs are met, so you won’t have to worry at all about what tomorrow might bring (Matt 6:31-34). He will see that everything works together for your good (Romans 8:28). He will give back to you all out of proportion to what you give to Him (Luke 6:38). He will make you rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion (2 Cor. 9:11), and you’ll be storing up untold treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21) as well.

So you see, neither camping on a hilltop and waiting nor getting on with life while waiting is the Biblically correct approach. To occupy till He comes is to be engaged in the conduct of the business He has called us to.

Final Thoughts

In closing, I’m reminded of my favorite paraphrase of James 2:17 where the apostle wrote, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by deeds is dead.” The version I like goes, “If what you say you believe does not result in action, maybe you don’t really believe it.” If you’re not longing for the rapture and engaged in the Lord’s work while you wait for it, then maybe you don’t really believe it’s coming soon.

When viewed from a strictly human perspective, the rapture of the Church is the most incredible event in history. The resurrection of believers is the fulfillment of a promise that was made on the cross, the delivery of the greatest blessing ever given to mankind. And among resurrected believers, no other group has been or will be blessed as richly as the Church. Paul said God is doing this so that in ages yet to come He might demonstrate the incomparable riches of His Grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephes. 2:7).

But even above all this, He has chosen one generation of the Church to pass directly from mortal to immortal without experiencing death. This generation will be standing on Earth in our mortal, sin filled bodies and then in the twinkling of an eye we’ll be transformed directly into a perfect, immortal version of ourselves.  Immediately, we’ll transported to the home He has spent the last 2,000 years preparing for us to begin a life with Him that is literally beyond imagining. And it could happen any day now.

But what if it doesn’t happen today? I was a business consultant when I became a believer 30 years ago. One of the services I provided was to help individuals and companies identify and achieve long term goals. Following my own example, I had binders full of five year plans for my self and my company which I faithfully tracked each month and completely updated annually.

I had learned about the rapture early in my life as a believer and, like most people, I was immediately excited about it. When I felt the Lord telling me to put my plans for my life aside and follow the path He had laid out for me instead, I thought, “Why not? We won’t be here that long anyway.” I decided to stop making my own plans for the future, and began letting Him implement His plan instead. Later I realized that this is what He meant in Matt. 16:24-25.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

That was 30 years ago, and I haven’t made any future plans for me or anyone else since. The life I have today is nothing like the one I had planned for myself. But it’s more exciting and more fulfilling than anything I could have imagined. I still see the rapture as an “any day now” event and I’m ready to go the instant I hear the trumpet. But I also realize that if that doesn’t happen today, the plan the Lord is unfolding in my life is the next best thing that could have happened to me, because I’m occupying until He comes. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah 02-21-15.

Related posts:

1. Occupy Til I Come
2. Spiritual Gifts … Occupy Part 2
3. Israel And The Church. Follow Up
4. Are Pastors Allowed To Retire?

Which Thief Are You?

By STLloyd March 3, 2012 faith Forgiveness God thief

Reblogged from: Serve Him The Waiting
 
Forgiveness can be a hard thing for sinful humans to understand, embrace, and practice.
First of all, there is a difference between being hurt, and being harmed.  Most of us Christians are pretty quick to forgive when hurt, but often find it much harder when they have been harmed.  Allow me to explain.  If your husband forgets your birthday, it is understandable that your feelings would be hurt, but there is no real harm done by the momentary memory lapse, (unless of course you choose to hold it against him).   Now if your husband “forgets” the vow he made on your wedding day, and is unfaithful,  then very real harm has been done.   See the difference?  One offense is much weightier than the other.

When King David lusted after Bathsheba, acted upon that lust, then compounded the sin further by having Uriah killed, whom did he sin against?  (2 Samuel 11)
If Jesus died to balance the books on the sin of the whole world (Isaiah 53:6), then who am I to hold the sin of another against them, even if it was directed at me?  Regardless of whether that person has been washed in the blood, we who have nothing to recommend us to God other than the blood of Jesus that covers us, are in no position to exact payment from anyone who has done us wrong, and how much more egregious is it to hold a debt against a fellow blood-bought believer?  Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, says the prayer.

Matthew 18:23-35 says the Kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king.  Which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents, but when that servant could not pay, rather than sell the servant and his family and possessions in order to recoup the debt, the master had mercy and forgave him his debt.  Yet the servant then went right out to collect a debt from someone who owed a much lesser amount of money to him. 

Notice the passage does not say he was trying to collect this debt in order to pay back the master.  No, it was just a shakedown!  This guy wanted his money, but when his debtor could not pay, he had him thrown into prison until he should repay it all.   When the master learned that his servant had no compassion over a small debt even after he himself had been forgiven such great debt, the master was “wroth and delivered him to the tormenters until he should pay all that was due unto him”. (Vs. 34)

Since we know that salvation is eternal, does this mean if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us?  Or does it simply mean what it says: we will be delivered unto the tormenters?  If we find ourselves wondering why the devil seems to have been given permission to personally torment us, why we are miserable under circumstances that seem unrelenting, perhaps it is time to go before the Lord and ask Him to reveal to us the unforgiveness in our own heart.  It is a sin, to hold someone else’s sin against them. But just as was the case with King David; against God, and God only, has my enemy sinned. (Psalm 51:4) 

 That person may have harmed me, but they did not sin against me, they sinned against God, and I have too.  We are each like the two thieves who hung on either side of Jesus when He died.  Both guilty. Which one went to paradise? The one who understood Jesus was hanging there because of that thief’s own personal sins.  The other guy was still casting stones and adding crimes to his own rap sheet right up until his last breath. 
Which thief are you?