AS IT WAS...

Last night I watched Noah's Ark the Musical and found that times then were a lot like it is now. Growing up in church naturally I heard the story of Noah and the ark many times. So many times that I thought I really didn't need to read it again since giving my life to the LORD. Well, as I am finding out about so many things...I have been wrong about that also. You have more than likely heard the phrase...as it was in the days of Noah. Well...pretty much life is today as it was in the days of Noah.

In Noah's day satan was just as alive as he is now. His goal has always been to defeat GOD'S people and take them down. He is the master of temptation and will use what ever it is that you have a weekness in to entice you away. Just like in Noah's day.

Genesis 6:1-8

When the human race began to increase, with more and more daughters being born, the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves. Then God said, "I'm not going to breathe life into men and women endlessly. Eventually they're going to die; from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years." This was back in the days when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones. God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I'm sorry I made them." But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.


In Noah's day people were out of control. All they thought about and did was evil. The only righteous people were Noah and his family. When everyone else was partying and living for the devil, Noah and his family were worshiping and living for GOD. So...when GOD destroyed the earth HE made a way of escape for them.


Today, throughout the earth, many people are living for the devil. Doing the same things they did in Noah's day. Just like HE did then GOD has given people chance after chance to come to HIM and live for HIM. Once again people are not listening and GOD is going to rid the earth of all that is wicked. GOD loves all of HIS creation and doesn't want anyone to be part of HIS next clean sweep. But...it's all up to us as individuals if we will be destroyed or if we will live with the LORD forever.



To me it seems like it's a no-brainer. I have read about the Rapture and Heaven, the Tribulation and Hell. There really isn't a lot of comparison. When the Rapture...(meaning to be caught up)...happens, all who have accepted JESUS as their LORD and SAVIOR...the dead and the living...will be immediately taken off this earth and be with the LORD. That is the only way to go.



1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (New Living Translation) 


¹³ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.  ¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.


Get a Bible and look up the word Heaven. You can find a lot of scriptures about Heaven in the Bible. You will see that you would much rather go there than Hell.


If you get left behind you will live a life of hell on earth and then chances are you will end up in a real hell for eternity. Don't be fooled by satans lies. Read the bible and find out for yourself. A good book to read is...23 Minutes In Hell by Bill Wiese. It is full of scripture that you can look up and read for yourself.


If you want to read more about things to come on earth and Heaven and Hell, grab a Bible. If you want to make sure you go "TO" Heaven and "NOT" Hell...pray and ask JESUS to forgive you of your sins and start living for HIM. Find a Bible believing church and tell them you just gave your heart to the LORD. Then go to church and learn about HIM...grab a Bible and start reading.


Don't wait...JESUS is coming back soon!!!

DO IT!!

Psalm 46:10 a

 ¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!

Sometimes that is a hard thing to do. To sit and "be still" and trust that HE has everything under control. We have to remember that no matter how we feel, or how we see circumstances in our life, GOD is ultimately in control. We have to trust that no matter what satan puts in our minds, or brings up from our past, GOD is bigger. GOD loves us, has forgiven us, and will always be with us! If it means you have to talk to GOD with every breath you take...do it! If it means that every spare minute you have you are reading HIS WORD...do it! If it takes something as crazy as writing a blog to get your focus back...do it! Whatever it takes to keep GOD your main focus...do it!

WILL YOU CHOOSE LIFE?

Choices...we all have to make them...all day...every day. 

The trick is, to make the right ones. For a few weeks I have been struggling with freely giving my time to GOD. I say freely because it is a choice I have to make daily to spend time talking to GOD and reading HIS WORD. Doing those two things are essential to a Christians life. For me talking to GOD and reading from HIS WORD are what keeps me going. It's "lifeblood". When I fail to do those two things, on a regular basis, I find myself having to fight things from my past. Fear, depression, loneliness, worry, just to name a few. A lot of people have these issues, but...there is relief from these things. In fact many of them can be completely done away with. You just need to spend time with the LORD daily...everyday!! Not just when you want to make time.

A quote from C. S. Lewis--"Either the Bible will keep you away from sin, or sin will keep you away from the Bible."

So for the last few days I have chosen to spend more time in the WORD and talking to GOD. When you make those kinds of choices the devil will be right there to try to trip you up. Way to many times I let him win and cause me problems that I don't need. Today, being Sunday, was no exception. As soon as I started to drive to church a feeling of dread and fear came over me. It was feelings that I always used to have when going to church. When church started I wanted to leave but I knew I had to stay and not let the devil win. It was hard, but the devil lost that battle and GOD won.

We all face battles every day. Yours probably aren't the same as mine. However, yours are just as hard for you to conquer as mine are for me. You just have to stick to what you know is the right thing to do and ask GOD to help you. When I got home I started reading a devotional I have. It's about "Going places with GOD". It talked a little about how GOD gives us a choice each day from which tree to eat. The tree of life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eating from the second tree would eventually bring death.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20a...

¹⁹ “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰ You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.

No matter where we are in life we have to make choices. Choices to do the right things and live like we should. Ultimately, when you do that, you are making a choice between life and death. When you choose GOD and choose to live for HIM, you are choosing life. If you don't choose GOD, and the things of GOD, you are choosing death.

Where we live is the stage of our life. Who you allow to be in your life, and how your life plays out, is really up to you. Are you going to make your life count for GOD...or are you going to let the devil play you and win?

Choices...it's all up to you!