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Some days are harder to face than others. Some circumstances take more out of us than we realize. Life’s problems can seem overwhelming. There are days that we face that bring us uncomfortably close to despair. But to be honest with you, I have never been brought so far down the disappointment path that I desired to walk away from my Christian faith. I must admit there are times that I have collapsed in a heap upon the mercy and compassion of God. There are times that my faith has faced a terrifically terrible onslaught of insecurity. But always there was something on the inside of me pushing me forward, not allowing me to be stopped. The Holy Spirit within refused to be vanquished, He brought me a fresh view. Why, there is far more “land” to be conquered. There are many more souls to win. There are too many hurting hearts that need the power available through Jesus’ name. When I have found myself living a little lower than the bottom, the Spirit of God has lifted me up and revived my faith. I have felt the power of the fourth man in the fire, protecting me from the flames! I cannot quit now. There is still too much left to gain!
Deuteronomy 20:4 - For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Proverbs 30:17
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
This proverb surely speaks of sowing and reaping, but specifically refers to the children who despise being obedient to their parents, and only mock with their eyes. The ravens of the valley shall pick out those eyes and the eagles will eat them. When the flesh is sown to, corruption and destruction is inevitable. God’s job is to exalt those who humble themselves through faith in the cross of His Son, and to humble those who refuse to do so. The ravens picking the eyes out and the eagles eating them is the RESULT of man’s thoughts and ways that are contrary to, and exalted above God’s Way. They are blind and only good for bird food.
Proverbs teaches that if we attempt to roll a stone onto someone, that stone will roll back onto us, and if we dig a pit for someone, we will fall into it (Proverbs 26:27). To dishonor parents is to curse oneself, and there is no escape outside of the acknowledgment of the Truth and repentance (2 Timothy 2:24-26). The Truth is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“And after these things I saw another Angel come down from Heaven, having great power; and the Earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the Earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the Earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities (Rev. 18:1-5).
There are two major cities in the Bible: Jerusalem and Babylon. The True Messiah and His City, Jerusalem, contrast with the false messiah and his city, Babylon. These two cities represent, respectively, the True Plan of God and false religion. All the idolatries, both ancient and modern, originated in Babylon.
As an example, under the ancient mysteries and in the east presently, this Satanic worship was addressed to the phallus (the man’s male member). This is one of the reasons why the Scriptures so frequently speak of it as an abomination. Although it was philosophically held to honor the Creator and to promote the population of the Earth, yet its effect was to depopulate whole countries and produce desolation. This was probably the hateful form of idolatry commanded by Nebuchadnezzar described in Daniel, Chapter 3.
The first organized rebellion against God was carried forth in Babylon, in the building of the Tower of Babel, described in Genesis, Chapter 11. This Eighteenth Chapter of Revelation describes the destruction of a rebuilt Babylon. The construction to rebuild Babylon will begin soon, and the destruction will soon follow.
The United States is presently fighting a war, the war against terrorism, that I’m afraid it little understands. It has relegated the danger, that which caused the destruction of 9/11/01, to a few fanatics; however, the real cause is the religion of Islam, which our governmental leaders are loathe to admit. For instance, we are attempting to install democracy in Iraq. This may be a noble gesture, but the religion of Islam and democracy have no meeting ground whatsoever. Philosophically speaking, they are not even on the same planet.
But yet, the presence of the United States in Iraq may very well have prophetical overtones in setting the stage for the rebuilding of this system, or city, or both! Considering the times in which we live, that is probably correct. It’s later than we think.
Iraq is mentioned in the Bible a great deal. It went under the names of “Shinar,” “Babylon,” and “Mesopotamia.” It is believed that the Garden of Eden was situated in the exact spot where ancient Babylon came to be built. If that is the case, and it probably is, this means that man was created by God in Iraq, and the first temptation, which resulted in the Fall, came in Iraq; also, the first Sacrifice was offered, by Abel, in Iraq (Gen. Chpt. 4).
It is believed that Noah lived in Iraq and that he built the Ark in Iraq. When Israel, the Northern Kingdom, was destroyed, it was by the Assyrian Empire, which was in Iraq. When Judah was destroyed some 133 years later, it also was destroyed by the Babylonian Empire.
Daniel wrote the Book in the Bible that bears his name in Iraq. Esther falls into the same category. The Tower of Babel was constructed in Iraq. The fiery furnace episode involving the three Hebrew children took place in Iraq. So did the episode of Daniel in the lions’ den. It is believed that the three wise men who came to visit baby Jesus were from Iraq.
The first organized rebellion against God, the Tower of Babel, took place in Iraq. The last organized rebellion against God will take place in Babylon, as outlined in Revelation, Chapter 18. The first rebellion was confounded by God with the changing of languages; the last rebellion will be completely destroyed by God.
As we stated earlier in this devotion, the presence of the United States in present day Iraq could well be the beginning of the end. Jesus is coming soon!“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
Did you know that you serve a God that is able to do anything? I think that at times we make this statement without actually realizing what it is we are saying. Do we really believe that our God can do anything? Or is it that we acknowledge God's ability to do anything but yet we are not quite ready to step out in faith and claim that truth for ourselves. Evidently a blind man was able to see what those closest to Jesus failed to recognize. He recognized that Jesus was not just a man, but He was God on the earth walking among men. He had not been able to observe any of Christ's previous miracles, but he had heard about them. In his heart he really believed that Jesus was the Christ and that Jesus could open his blinded eyes. He chose to believe! Trusting in no merit of his own, no standing in society, no education, no talent, no ability, he called on the God who he believed could do for him what he desired. He chose to believe! Help me Lord to believe that you can and you will meet my most desperate need. Beggars can be choosers! Just ask Bartimaeus!
Mark 10:51 - And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Proverbs 30:18
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
The writer now speaks of things that are wonderful to him and of which he knows not how they can be so great, amazing and marvelous, which is what the word wonderful refers to. This word, ‘Wonderful’ also means to separate and to distinguish, which I think will better define what comes after.
Let us never forget that all of God’s Words contain His wonderful Truth’s (Psalm 119:18), which point us to Jesus Christ who is the Living Word (John 1:1-2, 14) that declared the Scriptures were about Him (Luke 24:44-46, John 5:39), and that He is our Truth (John 14:6). For there to be any Light to shine in our hearts from God’s Word, it must always be in the context of the One who said that He is the Light (John 8:12), and that which makes Him our Light, that being His sacrificial and righteous work on the cross!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He Who sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in Righteousness He does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His Head were many crowns; and He had a Name written that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in Blood: and His Name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Rev. 19:11-14).
The Scriptures just given describe the Second Coming.
As someone has well said:
“When Jesus came the first time, He was ridiculed, lambasted, criticized, and greatly opposed. They plucked the beard from His Face, put a crown of thorns upon His Head, and beat Him unmercifully. They nailed Him to a Cross and mocked Him while He died — died for them!
“But when Jesus comes the second time, it will not be to be beaten, spit upon, and nailed to a tree. He rather will come in such Power and Glory as the world has never known before. He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords.”
That day, to be sure, will come.
His “vesture dipped in blood” portrays the price that He paid at Calvary’s Cross in order that mankind might be saved. According to the Prophet Zechariah, Jesus will wear the marks of His Crucifixion forever and forever, the marks in His Hands and Feet (Zech. 13:6). It is the Cross which has made, and will make, the Second Coming possible.
Satan was defeated at the Cross, plus all of his minions of darkness (Col. 2:14-15). For reasons known only to the Lord, he has been allowed to continue for this last 2,000 years. But when Jesus comes the second time, Satan and all his hordes of darkness are going to be placed in the bottomless pit, unable to wreak their torture and horror any more (Rev. 20:1-3).
At the Second Coming, the world will begin a thousand years of peace and prosperity such as it has never known before (Rev. 20:4-6). Christ will rule the world at that time, and do so with a justice, fairness, and right government such as the world has never seen before (Isa. 9:1-7; 11:1-10). Because of this Perfect Government under Christ, which means there will be no more graft, bribery, stealing, etc., the world will know prosperity as it has never known before. Poverty will be no more. Sickness will be no more, because the great Healer of the ages will be present among men.
Israel will now be restored, because she will accept Christ as her Saviour, Lord, and Messiah. Then the great Promises made to the Patriarchs and Prophets of old will be brought to total fulfillment. The great question asked by His Disciples, “Lord, will You at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel?”, will then be answered and the Kingdom will be restored (Acts 1:6).
With Christ, every Saint of God who has ever lived, all the way from Abel until the conclusion of the Great Tribulation (which will conclude the First Resurrection of Life), will rule and reign with Christ for that thousand years, and then finally forever (Rev. 20:4).
Israel is God’s prophetic time clock. Looking at this tiny nation, we know that the “fig tree is putting forth leaves and that summer is nigh.” Then Jesus said, “So likewise, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Mat. 24:32-33).“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
It is not all about how you start out in life, it’s really more about how you finish. All of mankind starts out lost, a member of humanity’s fallen race. But that doesn’t mean that’s how we have to finish this life. The option and availability of coming to know the Savior personally is a path that is open to every single soul. The world views those who have chosen Christ as the ones who lose out. But success in the world’s eyes is limited to meaning that they have achieved the best, have grown bigger, have more now than they did at the beginning. However, success in the mind of God deals far more with whether or not you have been faithful to that which God has presented to you. Have you experienced contentment despite having little? Those who understand the important things in life treasure the moments that God lends us and takes full advantage of enjoying what is. They don’t trouble their souls with complaints about what isn’t. An old year ending and a new year beginning is a great time to take stock of where we are and what we hope to see. It’s a great time to be thankful for all that God has given! Happy New Year!
Ecclesiastes 7:8 - Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Proverbs 30:19
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
The writer now describes the four things that are wonderful to him, and the word wonderful means something separated and distinguished. For us to understand these four things, we must look at verse 20, for there we see him comparing these four things to the way of an adulterous woman. The adulterous woman eats, wipes her mouth and says she has done no wickedness. This refers to living in sexual sin, but refusing to acknowledge the sin.
The eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid all have one thing for sure in common. There is no given path for any of them, which I believe refers to no absolute path of stability and assurance. We often refer to the ‘Strange Woman’ and the ‘Adulterous woman’ in the book of Proverbs as a type of the Christian moving their faith from the cross of Christ to other things, which the Word of God calls spiritual adultery in Romans chapter 7. The result can be seen as a people who are distinguished as God’s people, yet separated in fellowship from Him (Galatians 1:6, 5:1-4, Revelation 3:1-6). Something too wonderful , and not understood, as the writer says in verse 18.
Don’t leave the Way of the Cross, for there you will always have great assurance!!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
“And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1).
The last two Chapters of Revelation portray a world that is totally free of sin of any type or description, totally free of Satan, all demon spirits, and all fallen angels, and totally free of those who will not serve the Lord. All those in that capacity are in the Lake of Fire; there they will remain forever and forever (Rev. 20:10-15). God the Father will then actually change His Headquarters from planet Heaven to planet Earth.
The Scripture says, “Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His People, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev. 21:3).
And yet, some seven times the title “Lamb,” which refers to Christ, is given in the last two Chapters of Revelation.
Why would that be necessary, considering that there is no more sin and destruction?
The very name “Lamb” implies the Crucifixion, the Redemption, the great price that was paid for Salvation. The Holy Spirit used the title “Lamb,” referring to Christ, some seven times in these last two Chapters, in order that all may know that all of this which is listed — all this glory, beauty, grandeur, and eternal life — were all made possible by the price paid at Calvary’s Cross by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This must never be forgotten!
The seven occasions of the mention of the “Lamb” in the last two Chapters are as follows:
1. “And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9): This speaks of the New Jerusalem, which will be inhabited by every Believer, made possible by what Jesus did at the Cross.
2. “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14): The Twelve Apostles chosen by Christ were able to be what they were, and have what they now possess, all because of what Christ did at the Cross.
3. “And I saw no Temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it” (Rev. 21:22): There will actually be a Temple in the New Jerusalem, but not one used for worship. The Presence of the Lord will be everywhere, and worship will continue uninterrupted eternally. This is all made possible by what Christ did at the Cross.
4. “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Rev. 21:23): Jesus is the Light of the world, and now that Light can shine to such a degree that it will make the planetary bodies seem insignificant by comparison. This too is made possible by the Cross.
5. “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev. 21:27): Every Believer has his name written in this wonderful “Lamb’s Book of Life,” all made possible by the Cross.
6. “And He showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1): This is made possible by the Cross!
7. “And there shall be no more curse: but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3): Jesus answered the curse at the Cross of Calvary (Gal. 3:13).
Our Lord being referred to as “The Lamb” seven times in the last two Chapters of Revelation tells us that what He did at Calvary made possible a perfect Salvation for all who will believe. It will never have to be amended in any form, hence the Apostle Paul referring to it as “The Everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20).
“Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).
And so He did!“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
It does not always take an entire sermon or lengthy blog to lead a person into the proper ways of the Lord. At times, it is a short simple word that can best help establish the proper direction, attitude, or action in the life of either the saved or the lost. Just one crumb from the Master’s table can prove sufficient to correct or encourage any one whose heart is ready to receive. So follow the trail of “Bread Crumbs” from God’s Word and let His truth bring you into the fullness of all that Christ Jesus has reserved for you. Also, if these “Bread Crumbs” are helpful to you, please feel free to “share” them with others.
Luke 4:4 - And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Proverbs 30:20
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
Again, here we see the adulterous woman eating, wiping her mouth, and saying that she has done no wickedness. This is blindness which involves every lost person on the earth that has yet to trust in the work of Christ at the cross for the forgiveness of their sins. Peter also writes of God’s people who can go blind if they forget they were purged from their old sins (2 Peter 1:9), and John also writes to the Church in Laodecia (Revelation 3:17) to inform them they are blind.
The adulterous woman in the wisdom of Proverbs mostly refers, not to the physical sin of adultery, but rather to the spiritual sin of adultery. The child of God is married to Jesus (Romans 7:4), and to trust in anything other than His Righteous work performed at the cross through His death, is to commit spiritual adultery against Him. This is the church today, and I speak from years of experience. When we place our trust in anything other than the very death of Christ at the cross, we are telling God what He did there wasn’t enough, and that is spiritual adultery. For years I ate God’s Word in the wrong context, wiped my mouth and had no idea that I was committing sin. Thank God for the gospel and the conviction that comes along with hearing it. It is the power of God, and we only advance and increase as the gospel advances and increases in our hearts.
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
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1/1/2020
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the Earth (Gen. 1:1).
Beginnings are one thing, while endings are another! On this first day of a brand-new year, which is a new beginning of sorts, the Lord offers to every person a brand new beginning in their life, irrespective as to what the past has been. Millions this year will make New Year’s resolutions, resolutions which invariably will not be kept. But there is a way that a brand-new beginning can be made, and irrespective as to what the past has been.
Too good to be true?
But yet, in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is true.
If you, Believer or unbeliever, will resolve at this moment to make Jesus the Lord of your life, realizing that every debt has been settled through the Cross, you truly can have a new beginning (Gal. 6:14).
For that beginning, a new beginning, first of all, one must realize that Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Alone, is the Source; and we speak of the Source of all that you need, whatever it might be. However, the “means” by which Christ can do these great things in your heart and life is the Cross, as it is ever the Cross. Put your Faith in Him and what He has done for you at the Cross, and maintain your Faith in that Finished Work, and you, in effect, will have a new beginning, a miraculous, new beginning, and irrespective as to what the past has been (Jn. 3:16).“
— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”) Donnie Swaggart
Resting in the finished work of Christ is a learning process. The human race finds it extremely difficult to rely on someone or something other than self. Perhaps it is the effect of the fall, where we lost God consciousness and gained self consciousness. Perhaps it is the evidence of the pride of life existing in every one of us. We are so self reliant, stubborn, and slow to believe in what we have been offered in Christ. When it comes to our redemption, the prescribed order of God calls for us to rest in Christ’s finished work. That is, we are to sit down, to become dependent upon something that someone else has done. Our daily lives are to follow this same pattern of trust and rest. When God finished creation He rested from His creative work for there was nothing more to be done. When Jesus carried out our salvation on Calvary, He ascended to the right hand of the Father and sat down. And today, as we look to the satisfying of our personal needs, we are to enter into His rest. As we rest and rely, God leads us into the fulness of our inheritance. Learn to rest! The work is already done!
Genesis 2:2 - And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
For centuries the church has heard ministers proclaiming what God can do and what we must do to experience those things.
Thank God for the message of the cross now being proclaimed which reveals to me the very avenue through which God does what He does!
I choose the proclamation that comes with His substance, the proclamation that allows His Word to increase in my heart (Acts 6:7, 12:24), and to produce that which Christ died for me to be and to have!
They that preach the cross are preaching the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18), and those who follow that message will walk in the power and provision of that message!
Proverbs 30:21
For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
Never forget that the earth is tied to men, for men were created from the very soil they walk on. Have you ever realized that there are 5 colors of people because there are five colors of soil. The earth groans, and has since the fall of man, that took place in the Garden of Eden (Romans 8:22). The earth groans as it awaits the manifestation of the Son’s of God (Romans 8:19), which is the born again children of God with their new glorified bodies, and all due to the blood of Jesus.
God here reveals that the earth is disquieted, meaning that it quakes, trembles and is violently shaken due to three things, and actually four that it cannot bear. This lets us know according to the next verse that it is the sin of man that is responsible for all the storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, etc…. There is a day coming soon when the new earth will be filled with the children of God. This earth is not worthy of God’s new born again generation (Hebrews 11:38). God says the answer for the earth to be blessed and healed is His people humbling themselves, praying, seeking His face, turning from their wicked ways, which refers to coming back to faith in the cross alone, then He will forgive their sin, and heal their land. Come back to the cross!
Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!
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1/2/2020
