Pride and Humility

With the recent Bible studies I have been doing, I have been noticing more and more the theme of humility.  If you have watched any of my videos you will see what I have also been more aware of, that God is more pleased with the humble man and woman than the one filled with pride.  

I performed a Bible Gateway search for both "pride" and "humble" (not any variation on the words such as prideful, arrogance, humility, contrite, etc.).  Pride had 46 results, and humble had 56 (KJV).  The main reason I like to use a lot of scriptures in my writings is to show that these are not my ideas or theologies alone, but those from great prophets, apostles, and especially from the ultimate teacher in the school of holiness, Jesus Christ! 

It will be difficult to do so, but I will narrow it down to 5 verses on each word, but, as usual, I recommend you do your own searches and read the verses you find.  As you read through the following 10 verses, prayerfully ask God to show you if you resemble any of these verses.  Repent if you can see you are mimicking the actions of pride and ask God to soften your heart.  Rejoice if you realized you are humble, but not to the point of pride (tricky, right?) and ask God to keep your heart and mind focused on Him and not on yourself or others' opinions.

I will begin with pride.  

Notice that the Bible shows pride as belonging to a wicked person.  The prideful person in Psalm 10 refuses to "seek after God" and does not even think about God.  He does not care about the consequences of his actions and arrogantly does as he pleases, and could care less if God is happy with him or not.   

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm 10:4

As I mentioned in my previous blog, "Seven Abominations," God hates pride. By the way, the dictionary definition of pride is: "a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired." That makes me think of someone who refuses to acknowledge that God is in control and that He has given us the abilities and talents we possess.  Yes, we may have to work hard to achieve certain talents, but God made you in his image, don't forget that!  Your drive and ambition may be your own, but God is still the giver of life and created our bodies and brains to be able to perform special tasks.  Fail to give God the glory and you may just be as the one mentioned in Proverbs: the one who falls.    

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:8

I love the way the verse in Obadiah says that pride is a deceiver.  The verse also is a prefect match for the verse above in Proverbs.  Your own arrogance can be your own destruction when you think no one can defeat you.  One great example of this: Napoleon Bonaparte.  I will not go into history, except to say that when Napoleon was exiled to the island of St. Helena, he died broken hearted and alone.  Instead of humbling himself before God and repenting of his sins, he felt sorry for himself and some historians believed it was depression that killed him more so than stomach cancer. So, if you are prideful enough to ask, "Who shall bring me down?" you had better be prepared for  a life-changing answer!  

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee... that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Obadiah 1:3

The words of Jesus mean more to me than any others in the Bible.  Mark 7 was spoken to the Pharisees and scribes that were scolding Jesus and His disciples for not properly washing their hands!  I could easily write a separate blog on this chapter, and I encourage you to read all of Mark 7.  It is important to remember that Jesus sees pride as evil as blasphemy and murder.  If you think of it in those terms, it makes it easier to check your ego at the door! 

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mark 7:21-23

I John is a great way to sum up the issue of pride.  It is considered the "lust of the flesh" and it absolutely is not a quality God wants us to possess, it is a characteristic of being seeped in the world, not in the spirit of a Holy God!  

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:16

Now the verses on being humble.

God may allow you to go through difficult times as with the Israelites spending 40 years in the desert, in order to teach you a lesson on humility. Not all hard times are a punishment from God, be we can still allow ourselves to learn and grow and improve based on all the tough times we have or will face. Be humble and ask God what He would like you to learn so you can live better for Him.

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. Deuteronomy 8:2

We hear the below verse quoted a lot lately, but what people forget to focus on is the first word, "If."  God is more than willing to heal our land is we humble ourselves and repent from wickedness.  Sadly, this is unlikely to happen, and we will only see this world spiral farther downhill until Jesus returns after the tribulation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPJDnvQd4O4&t=15s  ).  However, as individuals we can still seek individual revival and healing.

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. 2 Chronicles 7:14

We should only boast about the goodness of God! Our goals should always be to lift Jesus higher and remove the attention from ourselves. It says in Psalm 34 that the humble hearts will be glad and rejoice in the goodness of God. The mercy and love of God is absolutely worth celebrating!

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Psalm 34:2

Just as with the above list in Mark that show how God hates pride, the verse below shows us how God loves humility. When we choose to call ourselves a follower of Christ, we need to do our best to be be humble with one another just as Christ was.    

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of [the depth of] mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Colossians 3:12

It has been very hard to narrow these verses down, but I will end in the book of James.  Honestly, the verse says it all and sums up this entire writing beautifully!  

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6

Bless me or bless the Father? (Written by my Husband & Me)

 

Bless me or bless the Father? (Written by my husband, Mel & Me, Julie)

Many Christians have been taught that God desires to bless his children with wealth, healing, as well as power. Although it is true that God desires to bless those who are faithful to Him (doing our best to strive for holy lives), our heavenly Father does not want to spoil us to the point where we rely only on material goods, health, success, etc. and forget how much we need Him. Many people pray bless me, bless me, but never consider how they may bless God. We should not seek after earthly riches, but heavenly riches.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; 

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

And forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

It seems as if you cannot even trust the so-called holiness preachers any more. Even the ones that used to speak out against sin have mostly shifted their messages to how God wants to use you, how to be strong when you are weak, call upon God and He will make you successful.  While these sentiments are not wrong, per se, they are self-serving and focus only one oneself. Instead of always asking God for favors we need to learn to ask what we can do for Him. Of course, it is not wrong to ask God for help, the Bible has many scriptures encouraging us to ask for what we need, but there needs to be a right balance.  If you spend ten minutes asking God for all you want/need (and desire these requests should only be filled within the Lord's will), then spend a minimum of ten minutes praising the Lord for all He has already done.  Even if your life feels like it is hopeless, I promise you that praising the Lord just for loving you first, will help put life into a better perspective. When you remember Jesus willingly suffered on a cross for you, it helps shift your heart to the things of God and your problems become more bearable.  

Also equally add to those ten minutes asking God how you can bless Him.  In other words ask  how you can serve Him, not how can He serve you. When we take our mind off our own problems and help those in need (whether their needs are greater or not) it truly helps you get out of your own self-centered world when you realize you are not the only one hurting. Being willing to shift your focus from your own hurts and care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others, you glorify the name of Jesus more than you will ever know! Perfection will never be required, just a heart full of love!  

And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:44-45   

 

Many of the television evangelists and mega-church leaders live in mansions, drive luxury cars, and steal millions of dollars from their supporters. I (Mel) have shared my faith with many people on the streets, in stores, as well as churches. The majority of unbelievers that I have spoken with bring up the lavish lifestyle of tv preachers. They claim that Christianity is all about greed, and they want no part of it. I sadly agree with them that the apostate religious leaders on tv represent greed, and not God. The preachers of the prosperity gospel are shutting people out of the kingdom of heaven. The world is repulsed by the riches that they heap upon themselves, as well as their weird hairdos, makeup, and the thrones that they sit upon. If the world can see through their deception, why are many in the church blind to it?

 The false prophets on tv tell people to give a thousand dollars, or more, and God will bless them with riches also. They tell people with large credit card debt to send them a large offering, by putting more debt upon their card and God will bless them. Christians need to learn how to bless God, as well as others, and to walk in humility. God desires for his children to have a servant’s heart, not to seek after power, position, or wealth.  

God’s Word teaches us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. God’s Word tells us to lay up treasure in heaven, not the earth. However, God does choose to bless some with wealth, so that they may benefit others, as well as His true ministry. Job, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are examples of those blessed for their faithfulness to God. If you have been blessed monetarily in this life, God expects you to share what you have with those in need. If you neglect to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and prisoner, God will say to you on that day, depart from me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you. (See Matthew 7:21-23)

When we give a cup of cold water, or food, to those in need, we bless the Lord. When we are obedient to the Lord and love one another, we also bless the Lord. If you want to bless the Lord, share your faith with others, and more importantly, live your faith by meeting their needs. If the church was willing to, it could wipe out hunger in the world, instead of supporting dead ministries.

The early Apostles were not rich in earthly terms, but were rich in spirit and deed. They did not live in palaces, or have fine things. They were often hungry, destitute, as well as persecuted; however, they learned the secret of being content in all things. We should follow their example, and seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and strive for holiness. This blesses the Lord. 

 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money]". Matthew 6:24

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Written by my Husband

 

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Written by my Husband, Mel

It is truly miraculous, how God used a handful of people, to turn the world upside down. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, is a record of the many journeys of the apostles, as they took the gospel of Jesus Christ to many lands. Luke gives us a record of the birth of the early church, starting with the ascension of Christ, and continuing with the ministry of Christ’s twelve apostles, as well as, other apostles, like Paul, and James the Lord’s brother. God used ordinary men to accomplish his work. Peter, James, and John were uneducated fishermen, but God who looks upon the heart, chose them to establish his new church.

God is not impressed with theological degrees, or the popularity, or outward appearance of a person, God looks for humble vessels in which he may work through. The apostles worked many miracles by God’s Spirit, in order to give validation to the message in which they were entrusted. The sick were healed, demons were cast out, and the dead were raised, by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which they preached. God’s Word states, that these signs will follow them that believe.

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

I am a non-denominational Christian with Pentecostal, as well as holiness beliefs. I am not affiliated with the Charismatic movement or the Pentecostal denominations. I do not approve of television evangelists, prosperity gospel teachers, or the many counterfeit revivals that produce demonic manifestations.

I'm an old school Christian that is not into Christian entertainment, but into God's Word. I believe that we are saved by God's Grace alone and Not by our works. However, many churches are Not teaching their people about sincere repentance and getting the sinful bondages out of their lives. After we are truly saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross we need to learn to Walk in the Spirit and bear good fruit and not the sins of the flesh that will send you to Hell (Galatians 5). You cannot walk in the Spirit by your own merit. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that you are able to live an overcoming life and bear good fruit. You must turn the reins of your will and life over to God and let him refine you and make you into a reflection of him. If the Holy Spirit dwells within you then you must allow him to manifest the attributes of God. You can only put down sin in your life by surrendering to God's Spirit.

The true gifts of the Spirit, should be common place within the church today. A healthy church that teaches sound doctrine, will not quench God’s Spirit, but will allow God entrance to their services. God should not be put into a box, he should be allowed to speak, teach, as well as lead the service.

Many Spirit filled churches of 40 or 50 years ago, understood that they needed to let the Lord lead the service. They would earnestly pray and fast for God’s direction. I am 56 years old, and I remember the days when the majority of the Pentecostal churches still preached holiness, but today, many of them, have been snared by the lie of Calvinism. When the churches began to drift away from sound doctrine, the gifts of the Spirit ceased, or in some cases, were replaced by the demonic counterfeit experiences. God dwells in those, who are set apart from the world, God dwells in holy vessels. The Pentecostal movement, was birthed from the holiness churches of the turn of the twentieth century.

The Lord has spoken to me countless times, that many churches are either sick, or dead, and that is the reason why His glory (Spirit) is departing from them. A lukewarm church will be vomited out of God's mouth (Revelation 3).

 The churches need to teach people the necessity of having both the fruit of the Spirit, as well as the gifts of the Spirit, in their lives. You cannot trust most pastors to teach you the truth of God’s Word, you must study the Bible for yourself. When you are taught God’s Word by the Holy Spirit, you will know the truth.

In order to live an overcoming Christian life in these dark times, it is essential that we be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, he is the third person of the Holy Trinity and he indwells us, as well as ministers to us. It is God’s will that we all experience the fullness of God and that is only possible by receiving his Spirit. The free gift of the Holy Spirit is given when you are truly saved. However, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a second act of Grace, and is an immersion in power that is accompanied by spiritual gifts according to God's will and must be sought after by faith.

Acts 8:14-17 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

There are examples within Scripture where the Spirit is given through the laying on of hands, but this is not the only way. One cannot put God in a box, this means that God does things his way and not according to man’s doctrines. Although there are many examples of the Spirit being given through the laying on of hands, the Apostles were filled with the Spirit in the house where they were seeking God.

My parents, both received the baptism in the Spirit while praying on their knees in their bedroom. At that time they had never heard of tongues, or Pentecostals. However they both felt a wind enter the bedroom and my Dad spoke in unknown tongues and my Mom interpreted. They were whole-heartedly seeking God and asking him for all that he had for them. My parents were later in the prophetic ministry for over thirty years and they witnessed many miracles done by God’s Spirit. The old time Pentecostals understood that you must seek after, as well as tarry for the Holy Spirit. This means that you don’t give up if you don’t immediately receive the baptism. A person must seek after the baptism earnestly with faith. You must surrender all to Christ and allow him to guide you and mold you into a vessel of honor.

If you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you will most certainly know it, for you will either feel God’s Spirit upon you, or you will experience one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. Most people speak in unknown tongues when they are filled with the Spirit, but not always. The evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is one or more of the gifts of the Spirit at work in your life. 1 Cor chapter twelve lists the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1 Cor 12: 4-11 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

The gift of speaking in unknown tongues comes in two forms. There is a prayer language that benefits the believer only, and there is the giving of a message in tongues to an assembly that must be interpreted. Here are scriptures concerning the prayer language.

1 Cor 14:2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

1 Cor 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

The apostle Paul teaches that the gifts of the Spirit must be done in an orderly manner. 

1 Cor 14: 26-33 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Here are some more scriptures on the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:14-20 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Church

 

I keep feeling like I need to address the subject of church, but I have been dragging my feet in writing this blog.  Whenever I try to ignore a tough subject God has been tugging on my heart to share, the topic just gets louder and louder in my head as if to say, "Quit worrying about your ego (being rejected for what I say) and trying to please man. Write the issues God calls you to write!"  When I said, "Here am I Lord, use me" that means addressing the issues I know will make people uncomfortable and possibly even angry. So I am just going to delve in and say you do not need church.  What you need is a relationship with God.  

Before I get too far into this blog, let me just be clear I am not 100% placing all pastors/churches under the same corrupt banner.  I realize there are a few decent, gospel preaching churches that care about your soul, but they are in the minority.  This blog is referencing the modern day seeker-friendly churches that are there to entertain you, not help you walk down the paths of righteousness.  If you can find a church where the pastor does NOT talk about the movies he is watching, where the women ARE discouraged from dressing provocative, where the music is NOT summoning demons with its satanic beat, where every third sermon is NOT about money, where hell IS mentioned as a very real place and not just a swear word, where you ARE told that the free gift of salvation and True grace includes repentance and a daily choice to live righteously, where you are NOT told you are only human so every sin is acceptable because you can never lose your salvation, where you ARE encouraged to study the Bible on your own, then please stay with this rare church!  Otherwise, my opinion is to attend home groups with like-minded believers and bypass the hypocrisy and apostacy of modern day churches that are social clubs and not houses of God.  In reality, we will eventually be forced into secret home churches in the not too distant future.  You think this pandemic is awful because you have to watch church from the Internet?  Just wait.  In another five to ten years (maybe less) true Christians will be so severely persecuted, churches will not even be an option on-line. 

A lot of pastors will quote to you Hebrews 10:24-25. Do you want to know why they repeat this verse so often? More people in their pews means money in the offering and in their pocket. If they are using the money to help others in need, that is great, but too many keep the majority of your money for their own wants rather than helping the poor, homeless, widows, orphans, or missionaries.

Here is what Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  However, when I read those words, no where do I see that it says we must go to a building to "assemble together." The main point I see in this passage is the phrase "exhorting [strongly encourage] one another." We can do that wherever we are, home, work, the grocery store, and, as I suggested above, at home Bible studies. Not forsaking assembling is also another way to say we should not get so busy and self-involved that we ignore the needs of our family and friends and to minister to each other and to pray for one another.  Again, this can be done at any time and in any place.  

Notice the above verses say we should, "provoke unto... good works"?  Yet how many church goers encourage each other to abstain from evil, but instead invite each other to movies, dances, and bars?  And those that do choose to obey the rules of the Ten Commandments or Galatians chapter 5, are called judgmental and ostracized by their fellow "brothers and sisters" in Christ.  God wants us to encourage each other in our walks with the Lord and be accountable to each other to keep each other honest and upright (Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17), not make fun of those who love the Lord more than the world. However, the lukewarm church does the opposite as it encourages you to look, act, and talk like the world.  They will make fun of you if you speak out against witchcraft/the occult/yoga, going to bars/clubs, secular music, movies/television, Halloween, miniskirts/low cut tops/skin tight pants, married people being too friendly with the opposite sex, etc.  

So what do you think is better: a church where you will never grow in the Lord but die even more in your sin (For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23)? Or a small home group (even if it is just your own family), where you will please the Lord as you seek His face and strive to grow in your faith?

And by the way, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18-7:1 also refers to unbelievers within the church: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.    

If you have ever read one of my blogs or watched one of my videos, you know I believe we need to study our Bibles. And frankly, this belief adds fuel to my fire against modern day churches.  A lot of the messages behind the pulpit quote zero to just a few scriptures and usually the same ones over and over that twist the grace message (For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude verse 4).  The pastors do not encourage you to bring a Bible to church as you can just read their watered-down versions of the Bible on an overhead projector.  They leave out words and you will never know it if you do not follow along in your Bible. For example, I am certain you pastor quotes Romans 8:1 as, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." But did you know that verse has 10 more words that prove we are not condemned only when we seek after holiness?  Let me finish that verse for you, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." And that is just one of many examples of lukewarm preaching.

Modern day preachers also do not encourage you to study on your own (Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15) . Know why?  Because once you truly study the Word of God you will start to see all the errors spoken behind the pulpit.  They do not want that.  In fact, I have known several people that questioned their pastors on what the Word of God says versus what the pastor preached, and those people were almost always asked to leave the church or told not to think too hard about such things and just let the pastor tell them how to think.   Apparently they do not believe in allowing their congregation to put 1 John 4:1-6 into practice.

I wrote about some of the false messages putting the church to sleep in my blog titled, "Awake, you sleeping giants!" https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2021/02/awake-you-sleeping-giants.html this blog goes into more detail why I worry about today's churches. However, this post is not about judging the false preachers (Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15 ), but about you, my readers!  I know I can come across as too harsh sometimes, but I promise you, I judge no one, I write out of a passion for you! I care so deeply for your souls and I want to warn you to stay clear of these money-hungry preachers who will never encourage you to compare what they say with what the Bible says.  Who will never encourage you to give up sin and repent and come clean (Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent .Revelation 2:4-5) and be on fire for God and desire holiness  (I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16).

My writings are always based on Biblical principals.  In Revelation 18:4-6, we are warned to leave the dead and dying churches: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her [Babylon, the false church], my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

If your eyes are not opened yet, let me leave you with this excerpt from a powerful writing by my husband titled, "Dreams of the History of the Lukewarm Church" https://swordofthespirit77.blogspot.com/2014/08/dreams-of-history-of-lukewarm-church.html (I encourage you to follow the link and read his full blog.):

"The Lord is very displeased with the unfaithfulness of many within the church today. Our immoral culture is well ingrained within the church and most who profess to know Christ, deny him by their lifestyle. It is hard to see the difference between the world and the church today. Around [February 2012] the Lord gave me two dreams of the moral condition of the church today...

"Then I noticed that I was standing within an Assembly Of God church, very similar to ones that I have attended in the past. The angel walked me down the aisles and pointed to the people sitting in the pews. I noticed that everyone was dressed in wedding garments, the men in tuxes and the women in white wedding dresses with veils. But many were dead rotting corpses still wearing wedding garments, seated next to living people throughout the congregation. I noticed that around sixty percent were dead corpses and around forty percent of the congregation were alive. Since the dead corpses were still wearing wedding garments, this is an indication that they were once born again, but now they were dead in their sins. Those who believe the once saved, always saved doctrine have been deceived by a lie from Satan."

How do we keep addictive sins from accumulating?

Do you ever see the dust on your shelves, sigh, and walk away?  "I'll deal with it tomorrow," you tell yourself.  But several days pass and the dust has not gone away, but has accumulated even more and will require even more work to get rid of it.  It will not disappear on its own and you must put forth the effort to get rid of it.  Not only that, but if you don't work at keeping a clean house on a regular basis, the dust will always return.  

What does this make you think of?  Sin.  The exact same principle applies. Philippians 2:12 says we must "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling."  It does not say we can lazily sit back and expect sin to to take care of itself. We cannot just ignore the sinful issues in our life and expect them to go away on their own.  Although in some cases deliverance can be instantaneous, realistically we must continually work at keeping habitual sins at bay.  

How do we keep addictive sins from accumulating as deep as the dust on a neglected bookshelf?  First, and most important to remember, you cannot do it on your own!  John 15:4-5, Jesus reminds us, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."   Apart from help from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we are unlikely to have permanent success on our own.  That is why so many addicts return to their vices after claiming victory, because they do not allow Jesus to take control of their life and use His Holy Spirit to fill in the void that addiction has left.  They still feel empty and hopeless even after they have done their best to take control of their sin, but since they are still denying the love of Jesus, the hole in their heart remains and therefore, they return to their sins.

2 Peter 2:22 puts it this way, "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."  

Although this verse has to do with those who have "known the way of righteousness" (in verse 21) and then backslidden, the same concept can be said for those who claim to have gotten rid of sin but still live in rebellion to the Lord.  You are allowing the dust to permeate your heart and soul over and over again until you surrender yourself to Jesus and allow Him to make you clean every single day!

Even when you allow Jesus to take control of your sinful nature, you still must be proactive in battling your temptations.  If your addiction is pornography, get rid of your source of porn (movies, Internet, etc.), just as you would remove the alcohol from your home if you were trying to quit drinking.  If you find yourself perpetually angry and fighting with others, stay off of social media if you feel it will tempt you to lose your temper and displease the Lord.

Remember what  I Corinthians 10:13 promises, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."  So you never have an excuse to say you were not able to simply say no and walk away from your sin. 

You may need to seek personal or professional Godly council.  As Provers 27:17 says, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Which means it is always a good idea to find someone trustworthy to whom  you can be accountable. And pray for one another and encourage one another in living for the Lord. 

If you are trying to claim victory over sin, especially ones that deal with addiction, you need to find something to fill in the gaps left by the sin you have purged yourself from or you will fall backwards and need to fill in the lonely, desperate, hopeless holes in your life.  First, admit you have a problem, ask God to forgive your sins and surrender your will to Him.  Daily make the decision to live a life of honor.  No one is capable of being perfect, but it is important that we all strive to walk down paths of righteousness.  God sees your effort and your heart and that is what pleases Him most.  Fill in the gaps with Bible study, Godly preaching, praise music, etc. Do not rely on ungodly entertainment to be of any assistance as it filled with all the issues that only contribute to the problem.  Secular music and books, television, movies, and even Calvinist preachers will all tell you that your sins are perfectly normal and acceptable and never encourage you to give them up.  They do not care about your soul or if you succeed in cleaning up your life, but God does and He will be your champion in helping you find permanent victory over sin.

I will end this by posting Psalm 51:1-17.  Print it out or memorize it and make it your daily prayer as you work on keeping the sin from accumulating in your life.

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.  Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.   For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:1-4; 6-13; 16-17

Bride of Christ

 

I wrote this in 2017. I mentioned this blog in my recent "Hosea" video, so I wanted to post it again.

This is not an original topic, it is simply my take on the subject.  It is not the typical approach, but the way God gave it to me to share with you.  I am aware that when the bible speaks of the bride of Christ, it has to do with the church.  However, the idea that formulated in my heart revolved around more of a personal relationship as an individual bride.  For an excellent blog on what it means for the church to be the bride of Christ, please read Mel’s blog: http://swordofthespirit77.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-parable-of-wise-and-foolish-virgins.html.

 I was prompted to write this blog about a month ago while Mel and I were both miserably suffering with a flu that lasted longer than two weeks.  It was one of those flus where all you can do is sleep for 20 hours a day, everything hurts, I was running a 102-degree fever for 4 days, and Mel ended up in the emergency room because he passed out twice!  Not fun!  In a rare moment when I was awake and somewhat alert, I started thinking of how frustrating it can be to live in a fallen world where such potentially deadly flus exist.  Just because we make Jesus Lord of our lives, it does not make us exempt from such things.  Life happens, and we have to learn to roll with the punches.   Part of such an attitude is thinking of my relationship with Christ as I do my wedding vows.  I will be loyal to God in sickness and in health and in richer and poorer.  The good news is, I do not have to add, “Until death do us part,” because God has given us the gift of eternal life with Him if we repent of our sins and daily walk in ways of holiness.

Just as I will always be faithful to my precious earthly husband, I always want to be an honorable bride for my heavenly husband as well.  Jesus will come back for a bride who has done her best to live a life separated from the world, daily died to the flesh, followed the teachings and attributes of Christ, and placed Jesus as Lord of her life above all others.  We are not expected to be perfect, but the desire to be the best we can be in order to be a Light for others and please our Creator, that’s what matters most. 

Being a loving wife to my Mel does not end after the honeymoon, I must make the right daily choices to be respectful, romantic, and kind. And, yes, it is a daily choice with my relationship with Christ as well, not a one-time prayer.  Getting on your knees to ask Jesus into your heart is not a prayer of salvation, it is a prayer of new beginnings.  Only those who endure to the end will be saved, which means we are in a continual process of being saved, salvation is not automatic and it can be lost (At the very least, read Revelation chapters 2 & 3), just as earthly marriages can be lost to infidelity, abuse, and lack of love and respect. 

Mel and I will were married in June 2012, but people still tell us how cute we are and think we are newlyweds (and still do in 2021).  Our bond grows stronger because we put forth the effort to communicate and never stop learning about each other.  We are still discovering and telling new stories of our pasts.  Even telling or hearing the same stories multiple times reemphasizes how well we know each other when we realize how well we know a particular story!  (In other words, don’t be rude when your spouse repeats something; smile that you know exactly what he’s going to say next because you two are so bonded!)  We are best friends and spend hours a day talking, going for walks, and playing games.  If we ignored each other all day, let the romance fade, and spent the majority of our time apart, our marriage would fizzle.  Instead, we keep the flames of love and romance alive because we are so much in love we never want our inferno to be extinguished.  The same is very true in my approach with my walk in the Lord.  I want to make certain I never cease trying to learn all I can about His teachings.  I read my bible to remind myself of His Truths.  Even after hearing or reading the Word of God for more than 44 years, I still discover new things I never considered or simply overlooked.  Just as I keep the lines of communication open with Mel, I make sure to tell God how I feel. 

One of the best ways to show Mel I love and accept him is to pay him compliments.  I am very much against wives being nags (I would not even talk my child or pet the way some women - and men - talk to their spouses!) I love to find creative, fun, and romantic ways to show Mel how much I loved him and how much he means to me.  (You can read more about this on my ABCs of a Joyful Marriage blog: https://www.facebook.com/theabcsofajoyfulmarriage ) Although I’m obviously not going to make art projects for the Lord, I should still put forth the effort to always tell God how much I love Him and appreciate all He does for me; tell God  I love Him just for Who He is.  Prayer, praise, and worship are the best way to show Jesus how much I love Him, as well as using my talents to bring glory to His name.

To end, I will quote this paragraph from a blog I  wrote on Feb. 16, 2013 that goes perfectly with this theme titled: “It makes so much more sense to me now" I have always felt that cheating on your spouse was abhorrent, but since I've been married, I see it 100 times more so. It helps me realize even more so why the bible says God is a jealous God: Exodus 34:14, "Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." I am also a very jealous wife. My husband is completely honorable and trustworthy, but any woman who flirts with him or even looks at him the wrong way makes me very upset. This jealousy is based on how much I love and adore him. I am possessive of him just as God is with me. It makes so much more sense to me now. Basically, I wouldn't cheat on my husband with another man because I love him so much, and he loves me. In turn, I would not cheat on God with a false god (or worship a religion, or put an idol before Him, etc.) because I love God and He loves me."

Here are some scripture verses on being the “literal” bride of Christ, or more specifically, the verses that relate to the church.  You can make these personal.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.  Revelation 21:1-7

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:16-17

For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5

Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.  Revelation 19:5-8

Are you being a good Christian Example?

 

I was going through some old papers a few days ago and found this that I wrote in January 2006. 

Are you being a good Christian Example?

"We all, like sheep have gone astray..."  Isaiah 53:6

What exactly does it mean to be "like sheep"?  Well, sheep, though adorable, are very gullible and will follow pretty much anyone anywhere.  As someone who calls him or herself a Christian, we should never be like sheep in this way.

 

"Speak the truth to each other...  do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not swear falsely.  I hate this, declares the Lord."  Zechariah 8:16-17

To listen to someone else's gossip and fall into their trap of lies (especially when the gossip is tearing down a fellow believer) is careless.  It is better to stop and consider all the facts than to blindly believe all you hear.  

Whether you are telling or listening to gossip does not matter.  If you publicly call yourself a Christian, you should not be involved with such.  Gossip is usually full of lies, almost always stems from jealousy, and is hurtful to the victim of gossip.  It creates hard feelings against the target even when the person is innocent.  If you truly have an issue with someone, then have the decency to go to him (or her) her and tell him (preferably in private) rather than talk behind his back!  The Bible prefers us to speak the truth in love, not gossip in lies and spite. 

Key to remember: if you're talking about someone who is not in the room, more than likely, it is gossip!  The dictionary definition of gossip is, "a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people," & "a person given to gossiping and divulging personal information about others [syn: gossiper, rumormonger]."  Let me repeat that: "often malicious."

"I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech."  Proverbs 8:13

Besides being caught up in the trap of gossip, Christians quite often become involved in raunchy conversation.  Whether it is a dirty joke, insinuation of sexual content, or outright saying what you mean, it is unacceptable.  Especially talking of such things with someone who is not your spouse.  I am not trying to be crude, but commenting on someone else's body parts is not only inappropriate, but displeasing to God.  Even if you're not involved in the telling of the joke or comment, but you laugh at what is being said, you are condoning the bad behavior. 

"Let us behave decently...  not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality, and debauchery, not in dissention and jealously."  Romans 13:13

I know there are countless more ways Christians allow themselves to be dragged along, as sheep with the crowd, but I will only bring up one more issue.  Alcohol.  True, the bible does not say you cannot drink, but it does say not to drink to the point of drunkenness.  Talking about enjoying any alcoholic drink implies that you do not have an issue with drunkenness and therefore, it makes you appear as if the rules of conduct in the bible are meaningless to you.  It's the reflection of your words others will assume are your beliefs.

"Now  this is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways."  Haggai 1:5

Be careful of how you allow yourself to be portrayed.  Non-believers are waiting to tear apart every Christian they see and quickly sneer, "She calls herself a Christian?" as soon as you display one of these behaviors.  They don't care about your so-called good intentions. All they see is that you care more about following the herd than being accepted by them than you do in following the Shepherd himself.

So, please remember, if you use the word "Christian" when referring to yourself, be sure to walk the walk and talk the talk.  Otherwise, you are blowing your testimony, and you will be dubbed a hypocrite.  It only takes a second to turn someone off t the Christian lifestyle, but could take weeks, months, or longer to repair the damage to try and convince others you are a man/woman of God.

"By their hypocrisy... [he] was led astray."  Galatians 2:12

If you truly cannot remove yourself from gossip, filthy talk, and boasting about the alcohol you drink, then please do not label yourself a Christian, and turn others astray.

"Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies."  Psalm 34"13

I know no one is perfect, but perfection is not the goal.  Trying to be a good Christian example and trying to emulate and glorify Jesus Christ, in spite of your humanness, is the goal.  Controlling your tongue is just one way to achieve this.

And don't be a sheep and follow along just to be accepted.  Trust me, it is far better to be rejected because you removed yourself from an ungodly environment, than it is to be likes by people quick to stab you in the back as soon as it is turned.  Sheep are not loyal to one another, but the Shepherd gave His life for all His sheep.  Which would you rather follow?

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Ephesians 5:1-10

The Prayers of Jesus Christ, Part 5

To be technical, one may not consider the last words of Jesus as a prayer.  However, He was addressing His father, so I would call it a prayer:

 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:32-34

All the words and teachings of Jesus Christ are powerful, but none give me chills as much as the words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” He was tortured in a way none of us can fathom, humiliated, broken hearted, and yet, He could look down at the men that had committed such acts and ask His heavenly Father to forgive them?  It did not take Him months or years to work through His issues of abandonment, no He was able tot forgive his abusers and forsakers, which included friends and family, that same day! I know we have all heard many sermons preached on this subject, but can we ever hear it enough? 

Jesus knew his abusers and betrayers were filling prophecy as well as fulfilling His destiny.  They were acting according to the plan of God the Father. They may not have realized they were murdering the Son of God and did not understand how their acts had to happen, but they must have known that causing another human being so much pain was wrong!  Jesus knew their hearts and I am sure He saw the blackness there, and yet, He still asked God to forgive them! Let me emphasize it again: He did not have to go through years of counseling to get over a rejection complex, He did not have to wait years for His memories to soften the hurt.  No, Jesus was able to forgive them while the splinters of the cross dug into his deep wounds in his back they had caused with their cruel whips. Even while in agonizing pain from the huge nails driven into his hands and feet and the thick thorns sticking into his skull, He could see His torturers in danger of Hellfire and feel compassion for them.

And yet, when someone hurts our feelings, we brood over it for weeks, maybe even months or years? Can we really be so weak and shallow?  We need to start praying that the Holy Spirit will enable us to see our fellow men through the eyes of Jesus Christ.  I have been praying, "God, please increase my compassion and decrease my criticism."  The more we can see people as souls in danger of Hell, and people hurting and in need of a Savior, the less we will hold onto our pride and hurt feelings.

Remember in my previous blog I said that Jesus' last words to His disciples were to remind them to love one another. We need to etch Jesus' words and teachings into our hearts.  The next time we want to curse a bad driver, or get angry when someone doesn't do a like on one of our Facebook posts, or doesn't say thank you, or some other trivial issue, picture Jesus humbly praying for His tormenters' souls, and maybe we can finally start learning to be less petty! We need to forgive all sins committed against us and move on, even the more serious offenses. We need to follow the example of the One who forgave the unforgiveable.

But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:26

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28-30

There are some people that love to misinterpret Jesus' last words on the cross (yes, one could also possibly call this a prayer).  They will tell you, "It is Finished" means we don't have anything more to do.  That the blood of Jesus was enough and we never have to repent. Jude, one of the half-brothers of Jesus Christ has this to say about such people who preach such a false message:

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.  Jude, Verse 4

And Jesus, Himself, tells us in Matthew 5:20, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Notice, He says, "your righteousness?"  

In my blog, "Where will you build your house?" https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2020/05/where-will-you-build-your-house.html I wrote, "Think of it this way: When you have a job, do you just stay home, or do you go to work to earn a paycheck?  Have you ever called your boss and said, "I really don't feel like working, can you do all my work for me and still give me a paycheck?"  Of course not, you would be fired! Then why would you believe Jesus' righteousness alone is enough to join Him in Paradise? Do you really think Jesus will do all the work for you and still let you into His Kingdom? Even parents give their children jobs to do in order to earn an allowance. The love and grace of Jesus and salvation are free gifts.  Jesus will never stop loving us (Romans 8:39) but we can lose our salvation when we treat it carelessly.  We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)!  We must stand on the rock of Truth to keep from toppling over when the waves hit."

When Jesus said, "It is Finished," He was referring to His time on earth as a man.  He had fulfilled what He had come to fulfill.  His final act as a man was finished.  Instead if using the words of Jesus Christ, the sacrificial lamb as an excuse to sin (Read all of Romans 6) we should be praising Him for such an amazing love. We can never truly fathom how much He loves His children! We should be on our faces in awe of such a love, not trying to wiggle our ways out of ignoring the 10 commandments (Exodus 20) and the sins of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17)!

Praise God He gave His Son to endure such a brutal death so we can choose to live righteously and have eternal life with Him!  Praise Jesus for such a heart full of compassion that He still asks for forgiveness for those that had abuse Him - you and me! Praise the blessed Trinity that Jesus' acts on earth are finished, and yet have scarcely begun!  Someday we will be able to thank Him in person for such an awesome sacrifice and blessed future to come!