The Word tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)  ....And the truth is that if Christ is in us, (John 17:21) we are already present with Him.  We are present with Him in the body or out of it.  Hasn't He promised that He will "never leave us or forsake us"? (Hebrews 13:5)

 

     Jesus said "Don't let your heart be troubled, trust God and trust Me." (John 14:1)  I do.  For believers, it's not that we doubt His words, it's just the "transition" that makes us uneasy....  Jesus comforts us with words to build our faith.... to encourage us... to let us know that He will be there for us every step of the way...  I believe what He says.....  For God cannot lie.

 

 

ROMANS 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?  It is God that justifieth.  Who is he that condemneth?  It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

 

     Imagine getting stopped by a "cop", pulled over to the side of the road... and he begins to accuse you of speeding, reckless driving, running a red light, expired license, missing tail light, intoxication..... and on and on.......  So he proceeds to write you out a ticket...., in fact he writes several tickets and then hands them to you....  Knowing that you are totally innocent, not guilty as charged on any account, you refuse to accept any of them....  What is he going to do?  In his mind, you are already judged and found guilty, ...but you refuse to accept the tickets as they are handed to you.  Besides, you know the Judge, ...in fact He is your Father.  Still, he continues to harass you with accusations and profanity... charging you with all sorts of contrived guilt.  What should you do?  How about this:  Pick up the phone and call your Father (Abba), the Judge, saying "Dad, I'm having a problem, will you take care of this?"  His response?  "Consider it done, son."  ..."Give the phone to the "cop".  Doing so, He says: "My son carries my name and has My authority... If you accuse my son, you accuse me!  That will never happen!  Now, whatever he tells you to do, do it!" (John 2:5)  Totally shaken, the "cop" hands you back the phone...   Putting the receiver back to your ear, you hear your Dad say; "It's okay, son, he will follow your instructions".  Your response; "...Thanks Dad, I'll see you later."  Hanging up the phone, you step out of your car, put your finger in the devil's face and say; "Liar!  You have no authority over me or my family..."   Grabbing his "ticket book" out of his hand, you proceed to write him a "ticket"....  The charge: Murder, theft, arson, vandalism.... he must appear in court at the specified time, where judgment has already been made..  The sentence: "Go to Hell!"

 

     That's kinda how it all works.... The devil cannot accuse you, condemn you or harm you, unless you allow it.  Too many believers let him push them around, accepting "tickets" of sickness, infirmity, guilt and condemnation.  The next time that happens... just "pick up the phone" and say... "Daddy (Abba)... I need you..."  Without a doubt, His response will settle everything!... Every time. 

     There was a woman, Margaret Sanger, who started "Planned Parenthood" back in the early part of the 20th century.  Racially motivated, this organization was designed for "population control" in poor black neighborhoods.  It's purpose was to slow down the "breeding" of minorities in America...  Racism in America.  Planned Parenthood was politically motivated, and all it produced is the establishment of abortion clinics throughout America.  Over 50 Million babies have been murdered as a result.  That's a greater genocide than what was perpetuated by both Hitler and Stalin combined.  "Planned Parenthood" was designed for one purpose... for one race to maintain dominance over another.  It's vile and a curse to our nation.  God doesn't make disposable people.

 

     Bigotry is a tool used by Satan to keep mankind in constant conflict.  Born a bigot?  No.  It's something that is learned.....  The Good News is that you don't have to die that way.  The issue of racism lies in a man's heart... and only God can change that.  Jesus is the only answer to all of the woes of this world. 

 

     People around the world hate Jews... even many so called "Christians"...  Yet, Jesus was a Jew....  But even the Jew's hated Him.  Hatred has no bounds... there are no walls, no limits to the destructive nature and intensity of hatred that exists today.  As the Second coming of Christ draws near, tension continues to build.  No doubt, the enemy is putting forth all effort to halt that inevitable day....  It will come to pass, because He said so... and God cannot lie.  Jesus is coming soon.  

Rick

     The "one man's offense" in this verse, of course, is a reference to Adam and man's fall.....  which was orchestrated by the devil himself.  Sin is offensive to God.... but, thankfully, He has made a way of escape.....  His Son, like a huge sponge, absorbed all of the sin in the world and in your life.  All sin was accounted for in the Atonement.  It's a debt that has been paid for, setting us free from bondage... the bondage that Satan kept us under.  The Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:12) instructs us to pray; "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.".  The "debt" was sin.  The Lord forgives us of all our sin, and likewise, we are to forgive those who offend us.  In others words, Just by accepting His gift of Grace, He is giving us a sin free life.  Our only requirement is that we must believe on Him....  (Romans 10:9-10,13)

 

     As I think about the Sunday attack of the enemy,...... and my experience with paintball, ......it occurs to me that the enemy will always continue to attack us, with the intention to "steal, kill and destroy" our existence. (John 10:10)  Sickness is only one of the avenues that is used to assault the saints....   But, like getting hit with a paintball, ....it may sting a bit and leave a temporary welt, but it cannot penetrate and kill us.  It's the divine protection of the Lord which is always there for us as our shield. 

 

     Tribulation will come to all of the saints (John 16:33),  but we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.  Turmoil may buzz around us, attempting to distract us from our eternal vision, but we must always bear in mind the One in whom we put our trust.  He cannot fail us, it's impossible.

 

     It's only because of His righteousness that we can come boldly before  the throne of God and have all of the things that Christ suffered and died for, because it was included in the Atonement.

 

     Proverbs 10:6.... "Expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous One of God."  In other words, His "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6)  We can anticipate God's favor (goodness) to cover us for our entire life, because of the Righteousness of Jesus which dwells within us.  We, as Believers, are all Right with God because He is all Right with Him.  1 John 4:17 tells us "As He is, so are we in this world."   Isn't that where you long to be? ...with Him, as He is.

 

1CORINTHIANS 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

 

     I suspect that when we get to heaven, we will be introduced to many people that we don't  know.  Because we spoke to somebody about Jesus, who later spoke to someone else about Him, ....who led someone else to the Lord...  We will be acknowledged for our commitment to the Kingdom.  We may see our self as just a link in the chain, but we certainly don't want to be the "missing link" or even the "last link".  Ya never know where the Lord is going to lead you, and you never know who's actually paying attention.

 

     Every action in our life is a testimony for Christ.  People who are lost pay attention to those who are saved... often they don't acknowledge it... and they may not really desire our lifestyle, ...but the Holy Spirit draws them, ...just as He drew you.  Some surrender easily, and others, like myself, need a little more persuasion.  I could have been "locked-in" 25 years earlier, but I had to get "myself" out of the way first.  What was the hold-up?  I guess I thought I was smarter than everybody else...  Been there?  ....It's a road many travel down.  I went way down the road only to find out many years later that I was absolutely, hopelessly lost.  Really lost.

 

     So, I suspect that I will also be introduced to people who lived long before me also.... who witnessed to people, who witnessed to me....  It's amazing to think about how all of God's people are inter-connected.  Souls, touching souls, who have touched souls....  The magnitude of it all is enough to make you tremble.

 

     When the Word tells us that "all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28), ....I suspect this is what Paul was speaking about.  All of us are interwoven with the common thread of life, given to us by Christ Jesus.  Drawn and held together by the Holy Spirit... We only see a small portion of the "big picture", but I can imagine that it's magnificent.  A masterpiece prepared by the Master Craftsman of all time, Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:16)

 

 

     The thought I'm having this evening is about his 80th birthday....  I guess he celebrated it in heaven....  Somehow, that is a very pleasant thought for me.  I can just see him surrounded by friends, family, and many other Godly people.... many of whom would not be there except for Grandpa's influence.

 

     As I think on "birthday's" though, I wonder if they are even celebrated in heaven....  and if so, is it the day that we step over into that heavenly realm?.... or the day that we were "born again"?.... or the day we celebrate our earth-birth day?  And what kind of a celebration is it anyway?....  Balloons, presents, candles and chocolate cake?... or is there more.... tremendously more?  Imagine celebrating in some distant galaxy, ...or closer to "home", ...right there on God's front lawn... or as a cookout under the tree of life...  The possibilities are endless.  Imagine the invitation list to the party... Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, Peter and Jesus....  What a birthday celebration that would be!

 

     Only the Holy will see God.  Being holy is a requirement for us to enter into heaven.  You may look at yourself in the mirror and think.... "There's no way!"  But that's because we look at ourselves through our own eyes.  When we give ourselves over to Jesus, it's our spirit that is changed.  Our spirit becomes sin free, (pure heart) and only because that is so, we are able to come before our Most Holy God.

 

     Hebrews 10:10 says, "...we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  So, once we accept Jesus into our life, the sin nature is gone and we are made holy.  Not because of what we do, but because of what He did.  It doesn't matter how hard you "work" to see God, only by relationship with Christ are we able to see Him.  "Goodness" does not qualify us for entrance into heaven.  When Jesus says "I am the door" (John 10:9), it means that no one goes to the Father except through Him.  He sanctifies us, making us holy....   

 

     The interesting thing about this "Beatitude" is that it's only one of the seven blessings that Jesus spoke of at the Sermon on the Mount.  The fact is that if you have Jesus, all of the Beatitudes apply to every believer....  We are blessed in every way.  All of the Beatitudes constitute blessings for every believer. 

 

     When you have Jesus, you will see God, because you have it all.