In Philippians 4:4, we are told to “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”. I am not sure about you, but for me, it is much easier to be thankful and rejoice during the good times and much less so during the bad. Our world has been through a lot since the beginning of 2020, much of which may very well be a part of the birthing pains Jesus talked about in Matthew. If you are a follower of Christ, take comfort in (James 1:2) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever we face trials of many kinds…,” and (Romans 12:12). “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Follows of Christ know this world is not our home and no matter what happens we win in the end. I honestly do not know how those that do not know Christ make it each day; that is why I pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to them and change their hard heart.
Thank you GOD for…
- sending your son to die for my SINS and Jesus for completing it.
- my brothers and sisters in Christ
- my children
- my family
- my friends
- my health
- selling my house
- a job that allows me to meet my needs and the needs of others
- a vehicle that gets me to and from work
- a roof over my head
- a bed to lay my head in each night
- finding me a new home
- allowing me to be a Texan
- allowing me to have another day with you here and the ones I love
- giving us your WORD, so we can better communicate with you
- listening to my prayers
- for all the other things that I have not said here
No one knows the time or hour of Christ’s return, but I do know this; it is closer now than when you began reading this post. If you do not know Jesus it is not too late; I pray you find Him before it is. If you were asked on a scale of one to ten how sure are you that you will be going to Heaven what would your answer be? I fear you might not answer ten, because many Christians have doubts. Consider 1 John 2:19 (AMP), “They went out from us [seeming at first to be Christians], but they were not really of us [because they were not truly born again and spiritually transformed]; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out [teaching false doctrine], so that it would be clearly shown that none of them are of us.”
If you consider yourself a Christian but have any hesitation in saying ten you might want to rethink your daily walk with Jesus. I have friends and family that call themselves Christians, but to me, they appear to love this world and the things it offers more than loving the Father which John warns against doing. I most likely feel this way based on my own experience and the way I was. I can not say if anyone is saved or not, that is for God to do, but seeing fruits of the spirit in their lives would ease my doubts. As long as I have doubts, I will continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to move in their hearts. The thought of anyone going to Hell aches my soul.
For those Brothers and Sisters that are Followers of Christ be strengthened in Paul’s words, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) No matter what happens in this world, Jesus will still be King. I pray that each of you grow stronger in your relationship with Christ each day until you are called home.
If you do not know Jesus or have doubts about your salvation as I once did (I was a solid 7 or 8 for years), please reach out to me or another Brother or Sister in Christ. We will be happy to make sure you receive the free gift of salvation offered to all through Jesus Christ and help you to know that you can say ten without hesitation. Looking forward to seeing each of you in Heaven when that time comes.
