33 months ago

 

Psalm 90:12

King James Version

12 So teach us to number our days, 

that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Do you know where you were, 33 months ago?

I sure did.

On April 2019, there was great distaste in my heart.

I didn't like the way I was living.

I wasn't proud of it.

I wanted change.

My work was not prospering either.

Truth be told, it was nil.

Nothing seemed to work.

It's as if GOD blocked EVERY aspect of my work.

Well, it was old work.

Sales, marketing, communications.

On field.

Online.

Old stuff.

Not being able to make sense of things, I kept praying.

What was His will?

What was His truth?

Please, can I have an answer, soon?

My finances were in a terrible state.

Surely, there was an answer somewhere.

What wasn't I getting?

What did I fail to perceive?

Why did my brain feel foggy?

What did God want me to know?

How was change to come about?

That April, I soul searched.

As if I hadn't been doing that regularly.

For decades.

Well, that April, I dove even deeper.

Finding no answer of my own, I raised my hands in surrender.

I was totally lost.

Kaput.

I'm out of answers.

I'm out of solutions.

I was in a desert.

Roaming around in circles.

My heart cried out to the LORD:

2 Chronicles 7:14

King James Version

14 If my people, 

which are called by my name, 

shall humble themselves, 

and pray, 

and seek my face, 

and turn from their wicked ways; 

then will I hear from heaven, 

and will forgive their sin, 

and will heal their land.

I wanted to change.

I wanted to have no part of sin.

I surrendered to God's will.

Seems to be all that God needed to know.

Did God show up right away?

Nope.

Took another five months wherein He led me to two prophetic videos.

Those videos woke me up, triggering something in me.

On the very same day, GOD made me born again.

Now, I knew the reason for roaming -- seeming aimlessly -- in the desert.

Only JESUS could lift the veil.

2 Corinthians 3:14

King James Version

14 But their minds were blinded: 

for until this day remaineth 

the same vail untaken away 

in the reading of the old testament; 

which vail is done away in Christ.

Those videos alerted me to something God wanted me to know.

The sinfulness of man.

The lust for things of the world.

The pride.

The ego.

Not seeking God.

Not believing in Jesus.

We're all part, and parcel, of those sins.

How man sinned in America, was echoed everywhere else.

No way could we keep sinning, without God enforcing justice.

On the very same day, He converted me.

I started reading the Bible.

Something I never did before.

Even as I'd read hundreds of books.

Boy, the words popped out like life!

I began reading the four gospels, wanting to know what Jesus said.

And I began taking notes of verses that called to me.

The first two verses in Genesis captivated me:

Genesis 1:1-2

King James Version

1 In the beginning 

God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, 

and void; 

and darkness was upon the face of the deep. 

And the Spirit of God moved 

upon the face of the waters.

The dawn of a new day beckoned.

That paved the way for everything afterwards.

How EASY it was for me to UNDERSTAND God's WORD!

Where before, the Bible intimidated me, that day, it became clear as the light of day.

Of course, I eventually learned from Scripture, that it was the Holy Spirit that made things easy to understand.

Especially to those who had a childlike heart, which I've always had.

Then the books came.

And the blogs followed.

And I haven't stopped writing since.

As I wrote each article, SPIRIT helped me figure things out.

Leading me ever deeper into  Scripture.

It had to be GOD's WORD, or nothing.

It was my meditation, day and night.

Psalm 119:97

King James Version

97 O how love I thy law! 

it is my meditation all the day.

Most importantly, four months after God made me born again, Jesus called my attention to the Rapture on 14 January 2020.

It became the main basis, for all the writing I do.

That JESUS can have His faithful meet Him up in the air.

Any moment GOD chooses to.

And that I alert you to what SPIRIT told me:

"That all men may know the BIBLE, 

and live by it."

To know God, know the Bible.

For the Lord's day is at hand.

As apostle Peter said:

Acts 3:19

King James Version

19 Repent ye therefore, 

and be converted, 

that your sins may be blotted out, 

when the times of refreshing shall come 

from the presence of the Lord.

The veil has been lifted for me.

What about you?

Still living in a fog?

Time to wake up now.

Call upon GOD.

He will lead you to JESUS.

Through His SPIRIT.

Matthew 17:5

King James Version

5 While he yet spake, 

behold, 

a bright cloud overshadowed them: 

and behold a voice out of the cloud, 

which said, 

This is my beloved Son, 

in whom I am well pleased; 

hear ye him.

Related material:

WAKE UP series

Image: Unsplash

Seek NOT wealth

 

JESUS said:

"But many that are first shall be last; 

and the last shall be first."

Matthew 19:30 

King James Version

Consider this is a companion article to what I wrote a week ago, "What a JUST Society Ought to Be".

But these articles had to be written, if you are a true follower of Jesus, or wish to follow Him. 

The LORD carried nothing, save for God in His heart.

He ministered to the lowly, the forgotten, the sick, the sinful, the possessed, the sick in spirit.

That was the whole purpose of His ministry, to be there for people that others don't care about, or wish to forget.

If we are true followers of Jesus, we cannot shun our brothers and sisters suffering, because society purposely forgot them.

These covid days are very telling.

If you want to know what the rich are up to, pray to God.

The Holy SPIRIT will enlighten you.

But the rich are in a precarious place.

Their souls are at stake.

They cannot buy their way to heaven, even with good works.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; 

and that not of yourselves: 

it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, 

lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 

King James Version

Further, listen to what Jesus said, when a wealthy, young man asked what he lacked, considering he had followed the 1o Commandments, from "his youth up".

And this is how Jesus replied, to the great sorrow of the young man:

21 Jesus said unto him, 

If thou wilt be perfect, 

go and sell that thou hast, 

and give to the poor, 

and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: 

and come and follow me.

22 But when the young man heard that saying, 

he went away sorrowful: 

for he had great possessions.

23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, 

Verily I say unto you, 

That a rich man shall hardly enter 

into the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say unto you, 

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, 

than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 19:21-24 

King James Version

Has the enormity of that, sunk in yet? 

Poverty and wealth can be measured, not by material lack, or riches alone, but primarily from the lack or riches of the spirit.

A true believer of CHRIST does not have a desire for the things of the world.

The world cannot offer us true love, peace, or joy.

Sure, perhaps, momentary delights will work.

But I assure you, those are the things that will endanger our soul.

Our heart is all God cares for.

10 I the Lord search the heart, 

I try the reins, 

even to give every man according to his ways, 

and according to the fruit of his doings.

Jeremiah 17:10 

King James Version

The mighty CREATOR has no need for your worldly offerings, and possessions.

Those are all man-made -- for distractions -- so you may forget to worship God.

Let's not forget who rules the world.

God only cares to know what you have in your heart. 

There is no hiding ANYTHING from God.

All He cares about is:

Do you believe in Him?

Do you love Him?

Do you love His SON?

Do you love each other?

Can you offer your ALL to God?

Will you follow Jesus?

Will you listen to the Holy SPIRIT of God?

Is God the only Spirit that fires up your life, and being?

Those are the questions that matter to God, if you were to follow SCRIPTURE -- the Word of God.

JESUS is the WORD of GOD, so Jesus and Scripture are one, and the same.

All instructions for living our lives are on the Bible.

We only have to believe in JESUS, repent, watch, study, pray, obey, and not worry about the things of the world.

Long after we're all gone, Jesus will still be here.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, 

but my words shall not pass away.

Matthew 24:35 

King James Version

Even as I wrote this piece, only the SPIRIT of GOD can touch your heart, as He did mine, thus, I was able to write this.

Seek not wealth, my dear friends.

Seek only GOD.

Your whole future, and those you care for, completely hinges upon CHRIST.

He is our SALVATION.

He always lived by example.

Our peace and hope lie in JESUS alone.

------------------------------------------

All verses from biblegateway.com, which gives this "Verse of the Day", which I know, is meant for me, and is truly my objective in writing my posts:

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, 

but that which is good to the use of edifying, 

that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

Ephesians 4:29 KJV

Updated 21 January 2022

Something God Likes

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: 

for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, 

and that he is a rewarder of them 

that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 

King James Version

I bothered God, night and day.

I kept bugging Him about His TRUTH.

I was such a pest, asking to know His Truth alone.

I couldn't accept man's truth, for if it were, how come the world is the way it is today?

How come, as that cliche said, the rich kept getting richer, the poor kept getting poorer? How come people were so corrupt?

Something was definitely not adding up.

The little I knew about JESUS then, showed how simply He lived.

How come, the world lived ostentatiously?

So, I kept going back to God, night and day.

Please, what was HIS Truth? 

I'd leave so many projects, work, and colleagues who I felt didn't represent kindness, and fairness, to others.

I didn't care if I lost money, or potential income.

I wasn't about to lose my soul. 

Of course, the world always makes sure true followers of CHRIST will be crushed. 

This world belongs to the fallen one.

My father taught me never to "sell" out, not for any price.

He showed that by example, as he faithfully served his patients each day. 

I'm glad my father was my teacher as I developed strength of mind and spirit.

Strength, by the SPIRIT, was to be developed later on. 

I didn't fit by the world's "standards", which didn't bother me a bit. 

This blog, which I created on 24 November 2018, is but one proof of that fervent search for God's TRUTH.

God finally took pity on this barnacle, who wouldn't let up, so He sent the Holy Spirit to my rescue, one day in September 2019.

That led me to voluntarily follow Jesus, as a born-again Christian, and the lessons from the HS filled my life for nearly 11 months now.

You see, God searches our heart.

The Bible shows many verses of it.

He doesn't look inside your pocket, or check your walls or shelves for your diplomas, trophies, or accomplishments.

God doesn't check how many cars or houses you have, or how much you have in the bank.

Neither does God care how many likes and followers you have on social media, or if you're a business, entertainment, sports, or political mogul.

If anything, those weigh down your soul.

God only cares about your heart.

Does your heart beat for Him?

Or do you beat Him out of your heart?

When things don't add up in the world, you will start looking for ULTIMATE answers.

That Answer has always been GOD.

Talk to Him in your own way.

He likes that.

Be like a child, and ask Him questions. 

Bug Him, like I did.

Keep asking God for His TRUTH. 

God searches your heart, for that fervent desire to know Him.

As I was in search of God's TRUTH, He, too, was searching my heart for my truth.

What did I stand for?

What did I wish to learn?

Why was this learning important to me?

What was I up to?

Of course, God being God, He KNEW all that beforehand, but He wanted me to surrender ALL knowledge to Him.

Nothing is hidden from God's eyes.

If your heart is true, and you really wish to know EVERYTHING about God, you can be SURE an answer will be forthcoming.

It may take time, or it may be in an instant.

Only God knows WHEN, or HOW -- for His own PERFECT reasons.

Keep your heart's desire focused on God alone, and He will answer you in a way that you alone can understand.

Stay away from people who say "they" are the way.

Only JESUS is the Way back to God.

6 Jesus saith unto him, 

I am the way, 

the truth, 

and the life: 

no man cometh unto the Father, 

but by me.

John 14:6 (KJV)

Precisely why God made me born again.

Jesus said I had to be born of water and of the Spirit.

Now, the Holy Spirit's been instructing me things about God, all by reading the BIBLE.

You see, God's instructions were there, all along.

P.S. It seems God likes what I wrote here. He "supported" my findings by showing up as "Verse for the Day" on Bible Gateway: 

1 Samuel 16:7

King James Version

7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, 

Look not on his countenance, 

or on the height of his stature; 

because I have refused him: 

for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; 

for man looketh on the outward appearance, 

but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Updated 21 January 2022

What the World Needs the Most Now

4 The spirit of God hath made me, 

and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

Job 33:4 

King James Version

When you have come to know God -- really know Him -- you will never be the same again.

When you are a follower of Jesus, the Son of God, you will love being led back to the FATHER.

And when you start learning from the Holy Spirit of God, you will marvel at the unerring knowledge that can only come from God.

When you reach this point in your life, having done all the "excavation" in your soul, you will experience the peace that can only come from the Holy Spirit -- the "Advocate", the "Teacher of All Things".

You will view the world as it really is, subject to the fallen one.

And yet your heart will be lifted up, knowing what you know about God, taking away all fear and confusion.

Without God, we are nothing.

With God, we have EVERYTHING.

People have forgotten that.

The world has been suffering for a very long time now, because people don't look to God anymore.

They have taken Him out of learning, out of institutions, out of government, out of homes, thinking God isn't needed anymore.

Of course, we all know who is responsible for that.

Anyone who buys into that lie, will never experience true love, success, nor peace.

Only God can give us those.

But the love, success, and peace God gives us, cannot ever be measured in world terms.

There is even no comparison.

Look deeply into your heart, and ask if you are happy, peaceful, and content, especially if you have no money, or even no job that seems to matter to the world.

If you can confidently say you are, then you have found God, for there are only two things in this world: 

24 No man can serve two masters: 

for either he will hate the one, 

and love the other; 

or else he will hold to the one, 

and despise the other. 

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

Have no fear.

Continue to trust in the LORD.

The Lord knows all, sees all.

It will be by His DIVINE Right Timing that all will become well in this world.

Those who truly love God, are making their stand now.

These will be very interesting times, indeed.

As always, it had always been a battle for the soul.

As God knows me, He knows my stand.

Where do you stand?

May all the work we do, and the life we live, serve God alone.

(Image source: Scott Webb)

Updated 21 January 2022

Digging Up the Soul

10 For we are his workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus unto good works, 

which God hath before ordained 

that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 

King James Version

With the heart of a tickled, expectant child, I sought out to dig my soul, the core of my being, on 24 November 2018.

I had no idea I was in for a BIG surprise.

All I knew was that I dearly wanted to know everything that I am, whatever it may be.

In the process, digging up one's soul probably exceeds any earthly, archaeological dig, for I truly found the CORE of my being, that which engaged my heart and mind for decades.

As a kid, I'd read most everything I could find at home.

And when my soul sought more, I looked towards libraries, fun psychological "tests" from magazines, even astrology for the day, or listened to older people.

I just knew I was in search of self.

And one day, that day in November 2018, I created this blog you're reading now, intent on the exercise.

What did I find nearly 20 months later?

CHRIST.

I found He was the CORE of my being, the "Way, the Truth, and the Life", that no one comes to the FATHER, except "through Him".

That without Christ, we are nothing.

Sure, Catholicism taught me that the LORD gave up His life, taking on our sins, so we may be saved.

But the IMMENSITY of it didn't really sink in -- until I "conducted" my own self-research, from the depths of my heart and being.

Oh my, what magnificent discoveries showed up!

Such as the ONLY reference for such a search would have to be SCRIPTURE!

When I started reading the Bible in September last year, my whole life radically changed.

I cannot be the "old" me anymore.

I had to be born in Spirit, thus, I chose to become born again on the spot, a day before my birthday last year.

The timing was PERFECT, just as God deemed it for me.

Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit so we may find our way back to Him.

SPIRIT was to be our Teacher and Advocate.

Jesus was not about to leave us bereft of His divine presence.

He knew what our hearts were made of.

We could easily get lost along the way.

CHRIST was our Road Map.

No one could enter the gates of heaven, except through Him, the Son of God.

Everything we are belongs to God.

It only made sense, after my many discoveries through Scripture, that I offer my life back to God, my CREATOR.

Surprise, after surprise, showed up.  

I am living testimony of what it means to seek God.

You end up knowing about CHRIST.

The learning and "connections" are magnificent, leaving you in awe each time.

Like I'm writing this post for you, me, and God today, and yet He opens another layer to it, revealing that EXACTLY a year from the creation of this blog, 22 books on spiritual warfare started streaming forth from my heart.

Of course, God wasn't finished yet.

Two more books, this time just on Jesus, showed up. 

When you work closely with God, intent on only getting things right in your heart about Him, He will ASTOUND you with many blessings, discoveries, and a network of connections that will blow your mind.

No school can teach you that.

No school can teach you about God.

No school can teach you what work you should do.

Only the Holy Spirit of God, the TEACHER of All Things, can teach you what your soul needs to know. 

26 But the Comforter, 

which is the Holy Ghost, 

whom the Father will send in my name, 

he shall teach you all things, 

and bring all things to your remembrance, 

whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 14:26 

King James Version

What happens when you start learning, really really learning?

Well, self falls away.

You lose all pre-occupation with self.

The world is pre-occupied with self, and thus, not with God.

A pre-occupation with self, is a pre-occupation with the world.

When you realize where EVERYTHING comes from, self falls away.

God is all that matters, just as Jesus taught all of us.

If you wish to drink from the "cup of the LORD", you can only sup at His table.

God's Laws are unbending, as it ought to be.

We deviate from that, and it costs us our soul.

God knew my heart when I sought to find my "soil" and "soul".

He knew I was seeking Him.

And, in the seeking, was the FINDING. 

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; 

seek, and ye shall find; 

knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; 

and he that seeketh findeth; 

and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8 

King James Version

Last of all, seek God with a child-like heart.

That was what I was doing right, too.

Perhaps, it was really the core of my being, anyway.

Looking upon things in a child-like, trusting, playful, adventuresome way.

You know how kids are -- without guile.

They ask the first things on their mind.

That's exactly what God likes.

In your search for God, lay your heart bare (even as He already knows everything about you).

Leave no stone unturned (He knew that about me).

And be persistent, and true to your search.

In the process (for it will be a PROCESS), expect your life to radically change, in ways you cannot imagine now.

But the fact that you're searching, only means you're ready for that radical change.

Gather your gear, which is nothing but your heart, and seek God then!

And may your resolve be so strong, you'll seek Him NOW!

Updated 21 January 2022

In God's World, Nothing is Ever Wasted

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, 

he is a new creature: 

old things are passed away; 

behold, 

all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

King James Version

That sturdy tree, with its strong bark, is like God.

That tiny leaf, amidst the pine needles, is like who we are -- shy, cautious, unsure, tentative, child-like, maybe even wounded.

God is protective of His creation, for He loves us all, enough to send His Son to teach us, to save us, and to give us everlasting life.

Whoever we had been in the past, doesn't really matter much.

What matters most is who we are now, how we have become, especially if we chose to follow Christ.

We are all imperfect beings, subject to sin and error, but what really matters most is if we choose to repent, and become new in the LORD.

43 To him give all the prophets witness, 

that through his name whosoever believeth in him 

shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 10:43 (KJV)

Nearly 10 months ago, I chose to start a new blog, "Prophecy Lessons", as I was teaching myself many things from Scripture.

Night and day, I was being taught by the Holy Spirit, many things about Jesus, for I was intent on knowing all about Him.

Because I moved on, I left this blog you're reading now, thinking it was completely finished, and to be set aside forever, even as it had been the basis and foundation for my personal growth. 

In an email I wrote to a friend today, I wrote, "In God's world, nothing is ever wasted".

And, of course, that very statement -- as many statements that come from my renewed heart -- created a new article, this one you're reading now.

Whoever you were in the past, with all your successes, or failures, those don't really define you.

What defines us all, is if we have given our hearts to the LORD.

Only the Lord would know what to do with what we have in our hearts.

Nothing is ever wasted.

All we have experienced in life, if we allow it to, can build character, not bitterness.

All our pain, our fears, our experiences, lessons learned, the humbling of our hearts -- they all serve God's purpose.

And if we offer our service to Him, as I have, we are used wonderfully, making our hearts sing with joy and excitement, at what the Lord may have us do, in His behalf.

As it was, and has forever been, it was my writing.

Now, I write about the Lord.

Now, I test everything I think, say, and do, with what Jesus said in Scripture.

All we have been, is mere grist for the mill, a necessary sifting of what is important, and what must be set aside.

Obviously, that which is important, must only serve the Lord.

That which must be set aside, is of the world.

And I am doing both, because I chose to follow Jesus, and Jesus alone.

In my desire to know God, I must read the WORD, and follow the WAY, which is both Jesus.

We all have gone through much in life, but like that beautiful image above, you can see a tiny, green leaf, peeking from the hardy, protective tree, which is God.

Such is the way to walk in Christ.

Life may not have been pretty for us, and we may all still be having a difficult time right now, but in God's world, nothing is ever wasted.

God uses what we have in our hearts, who we are, how we have become, and what we wish to accomplish, for His purpose.

The days become more beautiful, when your heart is totally offered to the Lord.

But, as always, you have to experience it for yourself, to know what I speak of.

By the GRACE of God, you will choose to only serve the Lord, and pray He shows you how to follow Him.

In that prayer, watch how God will work in your life!

Thus, this blog must be revived, for it had been my foundation, and invitation, for Christ to come into my life.

Thank you for reading this post!

May you be safe where you are and may you have the peace and happiness that only God can give!

As a welcome gift, enjoy this lovely, soothing music, if you wish!

(All verses from biblegateway.com)

(Image source: Joseph)

21 January 2022