Tag Archives: hope

Everything Comes to an End

9 Dec

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.

2 Peter 3:3,4

Before I begin today’s blog, I would like to mention that I am thinking about, and praying, for you. These aren’t ordinary times. Many of us are experiencing varying difficulties. Jesus isn’t far away, He is near and is our helper. This is the faith we must have: We are never alone.

When will Jesus return? There are many who make comments like: “The 20th of never! He’s always returning and never shows up!” But life teaches us that everything comes to an end.

Our kindergarten, elementary and other school periods didn’t last forever. Neither did our twenties, thirties, etcétéra. Additionally, jobs, projects, yes, every event that we’ve held or participated in, also had their end.

Our countless affaires and very existence pass on, yet still, the world continues. Therefore, it is understandable why many espouse the idea that all things will go on uninterrupted. But let’s reasonably address this idea: just because the world continues doesn’t mean it won’t end.

The world ends every day. When we pass on, it ceases to exist. We are like little cycles that end within a larger circle, which, in God’s perfect timing, will one day see its last.

But this is not bad news. It doesn’t mean the end of existence, rather, it is the coming of a life where Jesus will rule with fairness, justice and love. He is coming to make all things new.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 24:4,5

Indeed, it will only be the end of this present world and its system; what will come will be much more superior.

In early March of the year 2020, I heard a loud voice as I was getting out of my car. I felt as if I was stopped in my tracks when I heard this powerful voice say, “The world cannot go on like this any longer”. I did not know what was up ahead then, but what I am seeing and hearing today certainly convinces me that we are heading to an imminent climax.

Jesus is returning, and attention: when he does, his feet will not touch the earth, but we will rise to meet him. It can be anytime.

We must pray to continue in love and peace in spite of the anger and hatred occurring around the world. We should also go out of our way to help the harassed and the poor living among us.

Even though our world seems bleak, let’s remember that Jesus is in control. In the meantime, we must pray, have faith and hope as we continue in His peace. We will not make it through the storm of all storms unless we walk with Him.

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Do Not Be Deceived

15 Nov

Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:29-30 NIV

When the true Christ reappears, there should be no doubt. No false christ will be able to duplicate the way that He will return. Jesus makes this clear in the above verse. (See also Revelation 6:12-14).

However, many will still be deceived. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus tells us that false prophets will appear and deceive many through great miracles and signs.

Are you easily swayed by what you see and hear? Are you usually too busy to research knowledge for yourself? Then now is the time to be careful, because many will follow false Christs out of ignorance. Believers will be in the minority.

This is the time to think for oneself. Do not go along with the crowd. Whatever your decision, make sure God has guided you. Read the Bible for yourself. God is the only true interpreter; ask Him and He will answer. You can now go directly Him because Jesus removed what separated us.

Standing alone is not easy, but, Jesus promised that He will always be with His followers. (See Matthew 28:20.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that I can come to you directly through your son Jesus the Christ. I need your guidance today more than ever. Help me to be courageous in order to face whatever You have planned for me. I desire to study the Bible and pray more. Help me to make time to do this because I do not want to be deceived. I want you to guide me every step of the way. Amen.

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Clueless of the Times

5 Oct

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:35-37)

If Jesus said, “…you don’t know when…”, do we really think that we will know when to wake up? Are we expecting certain events to be in place before we do? And like the 5 foolish virgins, will it be too late when we finally open our eyes? Jesus said to watch and pray.

I’ve heard many say they’re not into politics and give little thought to what’s happening around the world. They are very busy meeting the demands of life and there’s little time to pay attention.

In the parable of the great banquet, Jesus said the people who were invited were also busy and began to make excuses. He gave three examples: one had just bought land, another had just bought animals for work, and the last had just gotten married.

Again, those that were called were too caught up in the affairs of this temporary world. They were not mindful of the times in which they lived. For them it was business as usual. These were “church members”, not “worldly folk”.

To prepare, we need to pray and ask for guidance. God will inspire his people to move according to his will. Just being mindful of the times we’re living in can help raise our awareness and prepare us to listen to our Creator.

There is something happening right now and many are continuing to live their lives as if the world is set to continue forever. They seem to not be too excited about the appearing of Jesus, rather, their blinders are on to what’s happening around them.

When Jesus came the first time many people were oppressed and harassed. Their land was occupied by rulers who controlled them and they had little freedom of expression.

Could it be that He will come during similar circumstances? Remember, although many were oppressed, still, there were those who conformed. This latter will continue to live comfortable lives and so the rules of the world will not pose a threat to them. But when they finally wake up, it will be too late.

Preparation is key whether it’s for an exam or a marathon; how much more important for the coming of our Saviour? When he comes will we be waiting expectantly, or surprised and disappointed? As a friend of mine always used to say: “We should always be in a state of readiness”. I pray that we all will be.

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Following our Conscience

23 Sep

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

God is the one that has been taking care of us all these years. He is the one who supplies all our needs. (Philippians 4:19).

Therefore, if we’re being told, “If you don’t receive such and such, you won’t be able to work or participate in society”, shouldn’t there be an alarm sounding off in our heads? The alarm should remind us that we depend on God and God alone.

All through the years, God has used many ways to take care of our needs. These ways were obvious to us. They came through our jobs, subsidies, friends, families, etcétéra. We didn’t feel forced or felt the need to compromise and our conscience was never bothered.

But now, something is different. Before we had a choice. We ate food and took meds without knowing every ingredient that was found in them. We could’ve said ‘no’ or ‘yes’.

In the summer of 2021, I was placed on the list to receive a kidney from a deceased donor. One day, I got a call from a doctor regarding another list. He said that he must be transparent and proceeded to inform me about kidneys from donors who had certain treatable infections. The doctor said, “in the 80s we would never offer such kidneys to our patients, but now we do because it has been proven that they can be treated successfully, and we have since done many of these types of transplants”.

I prayed about it, consulted with my husband, who was skeptical as I was, and I also spoke with other doctors. Finally, after weighing the pros and cons, I decided to trust God and go on that special list. Although I was told the waiting period was 10-12 years, I was called in about a month later for my transplant.

I am proud of how far we have come in medicine. I admire the dedication and ethics of my doctors. I appreciate the transparency and honesty that most exhibit. I went into the hospital and received exceptional service. All the nurses and doctors felt like family. They were kind and answered all my questions. I felt at home.

My conscience never bothered me. I felt comfortable and strongly believed that God was walking with me all through the process.

However, regarding the current push and coercion to receive a certain treatment, I’m not so sure. I have doubts. I don’t know enough about it and although I have a choice, it comes with a price: do it and you can participate in my society, or don’t and you will be excluded.

I asked my nurse if she knew the longterm risks of the treatment on people with kidney transplants, and she folded her arms and said, No.

For me, this situation is more complicated than getting a compromised kidney.

In Luke 18:8b, Jesus asks if He will find faith when He returns to this earth. Faith is depending fully on Him, it’s you alone with God. It is following one’s own conscience and trusting Him no matter what. It is not trusting in an income, a doctor or pharmacy, or a third-party handout when faced with persecution. More importantly, it is a personal decision with consequences.

I want to reiterate that we always have a choice no matter what. Will we choose the right master? Will we hold onto our faith until Jesus arrives? Or will fear and little faith cause us to compromise on what we believe?

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ (Matthew 4:8-10)

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Living our Faith

13 Jul

One early morning, I awoke to these words coming from my mouth: “ Justification by faith”. They did not seem to come from me, it was as though they were spoken through me.

Justification by faith wasn’t a concept I understood well. I always thought I had to work for my salvation and I was often very miserable. Why couldn’t I be good all the time? Why did I keep messing up?

I became a very judgmental person because I expected others to make the same efforts I was making. I was pushing to be a good person because I thought my salvation depended on it.

Only in recent months, (yes months!), did I begin to really understand the amazing provision God made for us through His Son.

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Do we believe this? Many of us can’t understand it or we believe that we must do something to help attain our salvation. It can’t only be confession and belief, right? Actually, it is. This is called justification by faith. Jesus paid it all.

So where do works come in? Are we now to continue living as we wish conscience free?

No. This is where sanctification comes in, and here’s how I understand how it works.

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 (NKJV)

Sanctification happens as we learn about who God truly is and His Son Jesus the Christ. As we learn, we make the decision or choice to follow God’s teachings. This isn’t always easy, because giving up what we’ve spent years practicing often has deep roots, but with Christ all things are possible.

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Romans 8:5-9 (NASB)

Personally, I experience sanctification every day. There were times when I felt that I was in an intense course! It involved changing my thoughts in order to change my actions. God’s Holy Spirit would gently tell me, “…that wasn’t a nice thing to say. Do better next time…”. It’s like a purging process, and the Holy Spirit is the agent.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

We must have respect for God, that is, understand that there’s nothing hidden and He is in us, helping us to overcome our weaknesses. I’ve found this to be extremely important and have started to really pay attention to my thoughts. This is because of late, I’ve recognized that some of my thoughts are actually God talking to me.

We grieve God when we let pride and selfishness stand in the way of sanctification. Pride says, “I want it that way”, or, “this isn’t how I feel things should go. “I’m a good person and I don’t need to be changed.” Pride lives selfishly not thinking about others. How can we become like God if we’re not reachable or teachable? Why do we often reject the labour pains that come with being born again?

In short, I’ve learnt that following God is understanding that He knows what’s best. It isn’t an easy way, that’s why Jesus calls it the straight and narrow way. Thank God that it is a path we walk with a friend; we don’t see what’s ahead, we must depend on Jesus to guide us home.

I hope this all makes sense. Send me a comment if you wish to add more insight or need further help grasping these two concepts better.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

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Your Creator longs to be with you

8 Jun

Or do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19)

There has always been some ambiguity with regards to the Law of God. Are we free from keeping them? Were they “nailed to the cross“, or were they nailed in our hearts?

In the beginning, after God called the world into existence, He formed the first man and woman. God dwelled with them in the garden. They were innocent and did not know anything about being ashamed. This was because there was no wrong doing, nor disobedience. God visited them in that garden and there was nothing separating them from Him.

Now, picture the Israelites in the wilderness near Mount Sinai.

God told Moses not to let any one go near the mountain; it was for their own safety. This was because the presence of God was there.

“Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.” (Exodus 19:12)

The disparity between the garden of Eden and and the wilderness is evident. Sin placed a barrier between God and the ones He formed by hand. In its place was hostility. Sin could not dwell in the presence of God.

Yet, God always wanted to be among His people. Always. He also desired them to be the light for the nations. He wanted everyone in the world to be drawn to this light which would eventually lead to Him.

God never wanted His people to be exclusive, they were to be a light to other nations, and their light was supposed to draw all people to Him.

To be this light, they needed to show the character of God by following the Law that He gave them: The 10 Commandments. To help them further, He broke them down into little laws detailing what constituted lying, stealing, killing, adultery, covetousness, dishonouring Him, etcetera.

This proved too much. It became burdensome, like a list to be checked off. God’s people couldn’t keep up with all those Laws.

They became more concerned with keeping them than being a light to other nations. It also did not draw them into a close relationship with the Lawgiver. In fact, it made Him seem harsh and exacting and they too became that way.

Furthermore, the punishments that accompanied many of the Laws were severe. Those who kept them and knew them well became puffed up and those who were tired and weary of them became lawless.

God saw that this method of teaching His Law did not produce the results He desired. He Always knew this would happen, but, this particular experience with the Law was crucial for the understanding of its importance. We needed to understand that the Law was holy and good. Yes, it needed to be followed because it was a guide on how to love God and our neighbor. We also needed to understand how profound the great sacrifice of Christ was; it was the sacrifice that would spare us from the consequences of sin.

God had always desired to live among His People, and so, the Son of God came into this decaying world. Jesus, became that Light that God wanted His people to be. God the Father dwelled or lived in His son, showing His people how to live the true meaning of His Law. He was drawing His people to Himself. (See John 6:44).

At the famous mountain, Jesus explained the Laws pertaining to man in their true sense. He told His people, forget physically killing, if you threaten someone, you’ve already killed them; if you think about being intimate with another, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart, and it goes on. Jesus further said that not one part of the law was abolished, but fulfilled.

Again, God always wanted to live among His people. When the amazing act of love was demonstrated by Jesus, the Son of God, He received all the punishments for all those laws broken. You would have heard that all our sins, before and after, yes, all, were placed on Him. This is Jesus dying in our place. He took the penalty. This act put an end to the ceremonial laws, which were the killing of lambs, rams, bulls, in short, the spilling of blood. His blood was more excellent and meaningful. He placed a value on us that is far more priceless than anything.

It is important to understand that God the Father was in His Son reconciling or drawing the world, to Himself. He wasn’t sitting down up in Heaven as a distant spectator. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

After Rising Again and returning to His Father, He was glorified. God sent His Holy Spirit to live in us: remember, He always wanted to live among us. The Law was good, but the old dispensation or order did not fulfill God’s desire to be Among us. Now, the laws can be placed in our minds.

When we read and teach or share what the Law says, it stays there. We learn that stealing, killing and lying, are wrong. It hurts people and relationships, it isn’t love, it’s the opposite.

So the Law is good. Yes. We must love it if we want to live in God and have Him live in us. It’s like going to school to learn our lessons, afterwards, we no longer need the text books. Or, it’s like learning an instrument, practicing and following teaching methods. There’s the desire to learn, then the effort. Then one day, our fingers naturally find where to go and we play beautifully.

Revelation 21:3 says:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

Just as it was in the garden of Eden, so shall it be. God always wanted to be among His people. Always. He wants to purify us and make us clean. He washed us by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ and He wrote His Laws in our minds. He cannot wait to live visibly among us. Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t He beautiful?

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The end isn’t far off

27 Mar

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share an interesting experience I had just before Spring-break 2020. No one knew what was ahead.

I was getting ready to go teach a class when a strong impression stopped me. I heard a voice in my head; a message communicated in my mind. I had one foot in my car and the other out when I was told:

“The world cannot go on like this any longer.”

I paused to reflect on the message, and somehow I knew it was God. In fact, some time before that experience, the indifference of the world felt like a burden on me. I sensed that most of us were doing our own thing, going about our own business, just taking care of our inner circles, not caring, not loving, just existing. I remember the deep sadness I felt.

Right now, we have a lot of geo-political, social and economical turmoil happening globally. They are predicting a depression that could cause challenges similar to those faced in the 1920s. There are shortages on multiple fronts: food, computer chips, lumber and pulp necessary for toilet paper.

I am not one to scare people into coming to God by shouting “Jesus is coming!”, rather, I’m more interested in sharing the gospel message to everyone; more concerned about people dying before learning that there is a Saviour that loves them immensely. However, I cannot ignore that what is happening now is the beginning of the end of all things. In prophesy, this is referred to as the winds of strife.

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Revelation 7:1-3

Many say that this world will never have an end because of the countless false predictions that were made in the past. However, there is an end and Jesus said only The Father knows. (Matthew 24:36)

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:3,4

Truth is, many people, yes, even Christians, don’t want to hear that Jesus is returning soon. They want to get married, build their houses, see their grandchildren, and the list goes on, but, the end must happen at some point.

Yes, everything eventually has an end, but, what is to come will be absolutely amazing! Revelation 21 says that God will make all things new. God Himself will be with us and be our God! There will be no more pain, no more crying, no more dying, all these things will pass away.

The end of this world should not be something to fear. It should be something to look forward to and we should not want to go alone. In fact, God wants us to tell everyone about this blessed hope.

I pray that all who reads this will desire His appearing. If you don’t, it isn’t too late to pray and receive the Holy Spirit.

You are loved.

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