Tag: thinking

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12.28.24. Are you ready?

Is heaven your destiny

Revelation 21 Perfect Beauty

John sees and records the vision of the heaven and the new Jerusalem. He was struck by this: nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Yesterday we talked about the evils of this world but today John reveals the complete opposite. The city is beyond description but John does his best to describe it and just think, if your name is written in the book you will see it. Thinking this a.m. of the many who have gone on before me and this is what they are seeing even now. Many people ask will our loved ones see us here on earth? My answer is this: why would they want to? Earth is full of sin but the city that is being prepared to come down from heaven is all purity and perfect beauty. 

Is your name written in that book so that you will see this perfect beauty? Time is running out and soon Christ will return. Are you ready to meet Him in the air and go to this perfectly beautiful place? Come along with me and let’s go together to the new Jerusalem! 

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What is on God’s Mind?

Ezekiel 35-37 Ezekiel continues to prophesy what God has told him, but these chapters are particularly confusing for us, and I wonder if it was for him.

First, God reminds Mt. Seir or the Edomites, who are Esau’s descendants, that He is angry with them for their treatment of their brethren in Judah. Thus, He has planned judgment for them and will not turn back so that they will know that “I am the Lord.” Amid this, God says He will renew Israel, so they too will know “He is the Lord.” When God exhibits His power, do I know it was Him and not me?

Secondly, God will bring new life into dead bones, which is a picture of our deadness and the new life Christ gives to us. When this happens, we too will know that “He is the Lord.” Without His power, salvation is merely a set of words, but when the Holy Spirit enters us, we come to new life and see our life with a purpose.

Both excerpts have a principle: God is sovereign over life and death. His power vindicates the enemy’s lies and restores us to new life. 

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Wise Counsel

Eccl 1-3 Solomon spent much time musing on many topics. He came to the conclusion that all this striving is futile, fleeting, and incomprehensible. Yet, unlike many of us who tend to give up, Solomon kept going back to his drawing board with this phrase “I said in my heart; I searched in my heart; and I turned my heart.” That is where we all have to go as we wander this life; go back to the source, the heart of the matter. And when he did that, he concluded that God has set eternity in man’s heart. He drew two conclusions: serving God is our highest calling, and God has made everything beautiful in its time.

Are you at that point in your thinking and your life? Solomon knew, and you can know that if you want to be wise and if you want to understand God’s ways, ask Him. James 1:5 “But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.” Remember, “God is the Father of Lights and bestows good gifts to His children.” [James 1:7] 

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Wondering and Thinking

Exodus 14 questions2Exodus 14-17 Have you ever wondered what others think about your path in life? In some ways, God’s revelation to Moses about Pharaoh’s thoughts should be encouraging to us that we have a God that cares and shares with us what is going on “behind the scene.” God knew his inner thoughts even if he hadn’t openly shared his questions. How often do we listen to that inner voice asking the “what if questions.” What if Pharaoh would have a change of mind? If that happened how I should respond?

Yet, God in His marvelous gracious and loving way went ahead of Moses and shared with him what was on Pharaoh’s mind. Wouldn’t that be great if God would do that for us; but wait, He has! All we need to do is immerse ourselves into the Word and we find God speaking to us about how unbelievers will react and better yet the reason why.

Paul and the Apostle John tell us that the enemy of our souls, Satan, blinds the minds of those who will reject the Lord. He does this lest they see the glorious gospel of Christ who is the very image of God. He does it so that the ones who may see may become blind just as Jesus told the Pharisees in John 9: If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.

Maybe you are wondering what is ahead. Maybe your thoughts are what about and what about and what about. Beloved, God has it all covered and the answers are in His Word. Open the Word and dig in to find the answers to your questions.

 

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What Lap Are You On?

ImageWe all know that when the Lord teaches us a lesson and we oft forget it, He sends us around the wilderness, so to speak, to re-learn it. Some of us “get it” and others are still out there wandering like the Pharisees and Sadducees who are blind and leading the blind into the pit. Maybe that is why  they are “sad you see.” They came seeking a sign, but this time they wanted a sign from heaven. It is hardly any different today as I can readily attest as I have spent the last 4 yrs discussing biblical truth with an atheist or a family member who says I will read the Bible when I find the true one. Like the Pharisees, they are seeking a heavenly sign when it is right in front of their noses! Friend, these are traps set by the enemy. Jesus rightly pronounced that it is a wicked and adulterous generation that seeks for a heavenly sign.

Moving on, Matthew now gives us a glimpse into the disciples thinking and Jesus irritation with them. Imagine His frustration with them. It is as if Jesus, after listening to their arguing, finally says to them “Hello!! Where have you been? You have such little faith! You saw the miracles and yet you are bickering about bread?” And then came the “aha” moment when the light bulb came on and they “got it.” How often are we like that as well. We hear the truth, we see the truth, but we get caught up in the nitpicky mundane extras rather than seeing the jewel of truth before us. Or how often have we experienced God’s truth only to forget it when we face a similar experience or read and then re-read and then finally it dawns on us what He is saying. No wonder we have to do laps!

It is time now for Jesus to see what is really within the disciples thinking. Who is He to the crowds? Who is he to them? He is asking us the same question. Who am I to you? Am I just a prophet like Elijah or Jeremiah? Am I just a man who was a good teacher as the rich young ruler said? Or am I the Son of God? Peter rightly answered You are the Son of the living God.  Where are you in your thinking? The Father in heaven will reveal Jesus to you if you do not know—just ask. He is who He said He was.

Go and read the entire Matt 16 chapter to get the context.

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